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1
Novelist Herman Melville was born in New York City
Novelist Herman Melville was born in New York City. Although Melville’s novel Moby Dick is now considered a classic, its commercial success did not happen until after Melville’s death in 1891. In his lifetime Melville earned little more than $10,000 from his writing. (August 01, 1891)
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2
Mary Anne Evans began writing her novel Middlemarch under the pen name George Eliot
Mary Anne Evans began writing her novel Middlemarch under the pen name George Eliot. This book, published in 1871, is considered by critics to be her best work, although it was met with mixed reviews upon its publication. (August 02, 1869)
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3
Charles Dickens published his last installment of Great Expectations
Charles Dickens published his last installment of Great Expectations. The novel was originally published in nine monthly serials in the publication Harper’s Weekly. Each section was met with greatly positive reviews from critics and general readers alike. Today it stands out as one of Dickens’ most important novels. (August 03, 1861)
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4
Poet Robert Hayden was born in Detroit, Michigan
Poet Robert Hayden was born in Detroit, Michigan. Hayden’s achievements in poetry led to his appointment as the first African American Poet Laureate. (August 04, 1913)
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5
French writer Guy de Maupassant was born in the Normandy region
French writer Guy de Maupassant was born in the Normandy region. Maupassant has become known as one of the masters of the short story, with classics such as “The Necklace” still being taught in ELA classrooms around the world. (August 05, 1850)
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6
English playwright, poet, and critic Ben Jonson died in in London, England
English playwright, poet, and critic Ben Jonson died in in London, England. Jonson lived as a contemporary of Shakespeare, but eventually rose to be a favorite of King James I and a royal patron of the monarch. His poetry and plays are still taught in English classes around the world today. (August 06, 1637)
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7
According to rumor, Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth was performed for King James I for the very first time
According to rumor, Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth was performed for King James I for the very first time. (August 07, 1606)
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8
22-year-old John Keats returned home from a two month walking tour of Scotland, showing the early symptoms of tuberculosis, which would take his life three years later
22-year-old John Keats returned home from a two month walking tour of Scotland, showing the early symptoms of tuberculosis, which would take his life three years later. It is conjectured that Keats contracted the disease after caring for his brother Tom, who also had the disease. (August 08, 1818)
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9
Henry David Thoreau published his transcendentalist work on self-reliance, Walden, reflecting on the two years, two months, and two days spent living in isolation near Walden’s Pond near Concord, Massachusetts
Henry David Thoreau published his transcendentalist work on self-reliance, Walden, reflecting on the two years, two months, and two days spent living in isolation near Walden’s Pond near Concord, Massachusetts. Although the publication was a slow success, it now stands as one of America’s most celebrated works of literature. (August 09, 1854)
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10
American author Suzanne Collins, best known for her young adult series sensation The Hunger Games, was born in Hartford, Connecticut
American author Suzanne Collins, best known for her young adult series sensation The Hunger Games, was born in Hartford, Connecticut. (August 10, 1962)
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Author Alex Haley was born in Ithaca, New York
Author Alex Haley was born in Ithaca, New York. Haley found success with the publication of a biography on Malcolm X, but shot to stardom after his book, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, was adapted into a miniseries in 1977. Roots reached over 130 million viewers, breaking numerous television records and raising public awareness in African American history and genealogy. (August 11, 1921)
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Author Walter Dean Myers was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia
Author Walter Dean Myers was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Myers is best remembered for his achievements in children’s and young adult literature, including Monster, Fallen Angels, and Hoops. Before his death in 2014, Myers was awarded the Coretta Scott King award five times. (August 12, 1937)
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13
Author and antiracism advocate Ibram X
Author and antiracism advocate Ibram X. Kendi was born in Jamaica, New York. (August 13, 1982)
Author and historian H
Author and historian H.G. Wells died in London at the age of 79. Wells was a celebrated futurist and science fiction writer, best known for his hits The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Invisible Man. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four separate times, but never won. (August 13, 1976)
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14
American playwright Clifford Odets of Philadelphia passed away in LA of stomach cancer
American playwright Clifford Odets of Philadelphia passed away in LA of stomach cancer. Odets, best known for his plays The Golden Boy and Waiting for Lefty, was summoned before the HUAC and worked with Elia Kazan to name identical Communist suspects. Although he was never officially blacklisted, his career struggled to recover for years after his HUAC appearance. (August 14, 1963)
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15
Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland
Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Because of a bout with polio as a child, Scott was severely handicapped, causing him to spend a lot of time reading and studying in his youth. After university, Scott became a translator and then a writer, eventually producing hits such as Ivanhoe and Rob Roy. Some believe him to be the originator of the modern historical novel. (August 15, 1771)
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16
Charles Bukowski, born Heinreich Karl Bukowski, was born in the Rhine Province of Germany
Charles Bukowski, born Heinreich Karl Bukowski, was born in the Rhine Province of Germany. Bukowski became for his gritty poetry and short story fiction, as well as his masculine bravado and strong drinking habits. He died in 1994 of leukemia. (August 16, 1920)
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17
George Orwell published his totalitarian novella, Animal Farm, in Great Britain
George Orwell published his totalitarian novella, Animal Farm, in Great Britain. This astounding work not only reflected Stalin’s rise to dictatorship and abuse of power but actually prophesied events to come in the future with the Cold War. (August 17, 1946)
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18
Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel, Lolita, was published in America, two years after its original publication in Paris
Vladimir Nabokov’s controversial novel, Lolita, was published in America, two years after its original publication in Paris. Although the book’s sexual content got it banned in France and England, it went unnoticed by censors in America and was quite well-received. (August 18, 1958)
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19
Five citizens of Salem were put to death for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials
Five citizens of Salem were put to death for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Martha Carrier, George Jacobs Sr., George Burroughs, John Willard, and John Proctor were condemned on spectral evidence and hanged before an audience of townspeople, inciting a feeling of fear and judgment that ran rampant throughout New England for over a year. (August 19, 1692)
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20
Horror writer H
Horror writer H. P. Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Although his novels and short stories are currently celebrated among fans of horror and “weird fiction,” Lovecraft never experienced any commercial success or recognition for his written works during his lifetime. He died penniless and malnourished at the age of 46. (August 20, 1890)
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21
A
A.A. Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, was born in London. Christopher Robin and the teddy bear he received for his first birthday inspired Milne’s beloved Winnie-the-Pooh characters. (August 21, 1920)
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22
Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois
Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois. Bradbury popularized science fiction and dystopian stories with his classic novel Fahrenheit 451 and numerous celebrated short stories. (August 22, 1920)
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23
Author Edgar Lee Masters was born in Garnett, Kansas
Author Edgar Lee Masters was born in Garnett, Kansas. He is best remembered for writing The Spoon River Anthology, but he was also author to 12 plays, 21books of poetry, 6 novels and 6 biographies. (August 23, 1868)
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25
Laura Ingalls, author of the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, married Almanzo Wilder and moved to their new homestead in De Smet, North Dakota
Laura Ingalls, author of the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, married Almanzo Wilder and moved to their new homestead in De Smet, North Dakota. Although the two were married for 64 years, their first few years of marriage were filled with hardships, including the loss of their 12-day-old son, the loss of their barn to a fire, and Almanzo’s partial paralysis from a bout of diphtheria. (August 25, 1885)
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26
French poet Jules Romains was born in the Haute-Loire
French poet Jules Romains was born in the Haute-Loire. Romains was the founder of Unanimism, a principle which rejected the works of the individual and focused more on literary as representative of a whole. (August 26, 1885)
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27
American author Edgar Rice Burroughs published his first book in his popular novel series, Tarzan of the Apes
American author Edgar Rice Burroughs published his first book in his popular novel series, Tarzan of the Apes. Ray Bradbury described the influence of this book and of Burroughs, saying, “By giving romance and adventure to a whole generation of boys, Burroughs caused them to go out and decide to become special.” (August 27, 1912)
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28
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This speech is known for its inspirational use of voice, allusions, and rhetorical devices, ranking it as the most influential American speech of the 20th century among a poll of scholars. (August 28, 1963)
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29
The Grimm Brothers began their ambitious lifelong task of creating the first German dictionary
The Grimm Brothers began their ambitious lifelong task of creating the first German dictionary. Their first volume, only getting through most of the ‘F,’s was published in in 1848. The completed dictionary wasn’t published until 1961, 123 years after its initial inception. (August 29, 1838)
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30
British author Mary Shelley was born in London, England
British author Mary Shelley was born in London, England. Shelley was born to famous parents, William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. When she fell in love with Percy Bysshe Shelley, she eloped with him and traveled Europe with a group of free-thinking writers. She wrote Frankenstein on a dare, resulting in one of the most enduring works of science fiction and gothic horror. Despite the novel’s brilliance, the Shelleys struggled to gain acceptance due to their debts and bad reputation. Mary died at the age of 53, still maintaining her own authorship of Frankenstein, which many believed was really written by her more famous husband. (August 30, 1797)
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31
The New Yorker dedicated an entire issue to telling the stories of six survivors of the attack on Hiroshima
The New Yorker dedicated an entire issue to telling the stories of six survivors of the attack on Hiroshima. John Hersey’s landmark work of reporting took four years of interviewing and composition. It was originally meant to be a four-part serial, but the editors chose instead to devote an entire issue toward the piece. (August 31, 1946)
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