January

17: Benjamin Franklin was born on this day in 1706. One of the world's most famous polymaths, Franklin conducted important experiments in electricity, achieved an alliance with France during the American Revolution, published the Pennsylvania Gazette, wrote noteworthy essays, and gave the world numerous famous maxims, including "God helps them that help themselves." Known for his practical sensibility, Franklin wrote in his autobiography of deism: ". . . I began to suspect that this Doctrine tho' it might be true, was not very useful." Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

19: Edgar Allan Poe was born on this day in 1809. Famous for horror stories such as "The Pit and the Pendlum" and melancholy poems such as "Annabel Lee," Poe deliberately tried to stimulate readers' emotions. In "The Philosophy of Composition," an essay about his process of writing "The Raven," he wrote: "I prefer commencing with the consideration of an effect." Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

31: Zane Grey was born in Zanesville, Ohio, on this day in 1872.  Before his death in 1939, he wrote more than 60 books.  Known as one of the most successful authors of Western novels, including the 1912 book Riders of the Purple Sage, he sold more than 13 million copies in his lifetime.

February

1: On this day in 1790, the Supreme Court of the United States met for the first time.  The location was the Royal Exchange Building in New York City.

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4:  Betty Friedan was born in Peoria, Ill., on this day in 1921.  Friedan achieved fame as a feminist and author of the 1963 book The Feminine Mystique.

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6: Tom Brokaw was born in Webster, S.D., on this day in 1940.  He went on to become a news anchor for NBC and to write the popular nonfiction book The Greatest Generation.  Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

7: On this day in 1827, French ballet appeared for the first time in America.  The show, which took place at the New York Theater, featured Madame Francisque Hutin of Paris.  Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

8:  Ted Koppel was born in Lancashire, England, on this day in 1940.  A longtime television journalist who has won more than 30 Emmy Awards, he is best known as the host of the late-night ABC news program Nightline.

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21:  David Geffen was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on this day in 1943.  After working as an agent, he founded Geffen Records and became one of the most successful executives in the history of the American music business.

22:  Edward M. Kennedy was born in Brookline, Mass., on this day in 1932.  Along with his brothers John and Robert, Ted Kennedy became one of the best-known politicians in American in the latter half of the 20th century.  He has served as a Democratic senator from Massachusetts since 1963.

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March

April

May

1:  In 1931, the Empire State building opened in New York.  The tallest building in the world at that time, it included 102 floors.  The cost of the building was $54,000,000.  It was completed in less than two years and set many construction records that to this day have not been surpassed.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
2:  In 1970, student anti-war protesters burnt down the ROTC building at Ohio's Kent State University.  The National Guard took control of the campus, but two days later, on May 4, four students were killed and nine others wounded when the National Guard fired on the crowd.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
3:  In 1920, American middleweight boxer “Sugar” Ray Robinson was born.  Robinson was considered by some to have been the best boxer of all time, winning the middleweight title five times.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
4:  In 1904, America began occupation of the Canal Zone in Panama.  The construction of the Panama Canal was launched under the authority of Colonel George Washington Goethals.  The Canal Zone served as an important military and commercial zone in Central America for the United States until it was abolished in 1979.  Panama now has control over this area.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
5:  In 1891, ceremonies dedicated the Carnegie Music Hall in New York.  Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest men of his time, built the music hall for the Oratorio Society.  Carnegie once said, “Beyond this never earn, make no effort to increase fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes.”  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
6:  In 1960, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960.  This act promoted voter registration. Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
7:  In 1915, the Lusitania, a Cunard Line steamer, was torpedoed on its voyage from New York to England.  1,198 lives were lost, 124 of which were Americans.  The ship was torpedoed without warning by a German submarine during World War I.  The steamer was rumored to have been carrying arms for the Allies.  Americans were warned not to travel on British vessels during this time.  The ship sank in less than twenty minutes off the coast of Ireland.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
8:  In 1945, Germany finally surrendered to the Allies, ending World War II in Europe.  This day is known as VE (Victory in Europe) day.  It was a U.S. platoon in search of Soviet forces that secured the surrender of the last organized German military force. Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
9:  In 1926, the first flight over the North Pole was accomplished.  The aviators included Lieutenant Commander Richard Evelyn Byrd and Floyd Bennett.  The United States government financed the flight.  They departed from Svalbard, Greenland, and returned fifteen hours later after covering a distance of 1,360 miles.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
10:  In New York in 1849, a mob stormed the Astor Palace Opera House, causing a riot against the English actor William Macready.  This riot took place after a controversial performance of Macbeth.  Twenty-two people were killed and thirty-six injured.  The riot was in retaliation for the treatment of American actor Edwin Forrest in London in 1845.  The demonstration was lead by Edward Zane Carroll Judson, but was said to be instigated by Forrest himself.  Judson was arrested and sentenced to a year in jail.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
11:  In 1866, President Jefferson Davis became a free man after spending two years in jail for his role in the Civil War. Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
12:  In 1780, America suffered its heaviest defeat of the Revolutionary War.  American General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered Charleston, South Carolina, to British forces.  The British also captured 5,400 men, four ships, and a well-stocked military arsenal from the colonists. Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
13: In 1792, Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic-Republican Party.  Alexander Hamilton was responsible for founding the other political party, the Federalist Party, around this time. These were the first clearly defined political parties in America.  Jefferson and his party were accused of being atheist, whereas Hamilton and his party were accused of trying to establish a monarchy similar to Britain.  The Democratic-Republican Party favored states’ rights, instead of a strong national government, and agricultural interests.  The party also supported the French Revolution and opposed close ties with Britain.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
14:  In 1961, a bus carrying the Freedom Riders was bombed and burned in Alabama.  The Freedom Riders, which included both black and white civil rights activists, traveled the South in buses.  The trip began in Washington, D.C., and was relatively peaceful until they reached Alabama, where several buses and passengers suffered from violence, such as bombing and beatings.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
15:  Regular service of the first transcontinental railway, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific, began in 1869.  Five days earlier, Governor Leland Stanford had driven in a golden spike at Ogden, Utah, where tracks from the east and west joined.  Construction of the railroad began in 1863.  Celebration erupted as the eastern United States was finally linked to the West.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
16:  In 1929, the first Academy Awards were held in Hollywood, California.  The Academy Awards are more commonly known as the Oscars and are among the highest awards for the film industry.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
17:  In 1792, local brokers signed an agreement at the Merchants Coffee House to establish the New York Stock Exchange.  The group began by deciding to hold daily meetings at a park to trade stocks and bonds.  Today the NYSE is one of the largest markets in the world for trading stocks and bonds.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
18: On this day in 1993, Rita Dove became the first black American and only the second woman to be named poet laureate of the United States. Dove, born in Ohio in 1952, won the Pulitzer Prize for Thomas and Beulah, a poetry collection published in 1986. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
19:  In 1930, American playwright Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago, Illinois.  Hansberry was famous for the play A Raisin in the Sun, which is about a black Chicago family’s struggle to live in a restrictive society.  Hansberry was also an activist for equal rights for African Americans.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
20:  In 1920, America ended the occupation of Cuba.  It was this year the Republic of Cuba was established.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
21:  Clara Barton organized The American Red Cross in 1881.  The American branch was an extension of the Red Cross of Geneva, Switzerland.  Barton achieved fame by being a nurse during the Civil War.  She was the American Red Cross organization’s first president and served until 1904.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
22:  In 1947, President Truman signs a bill to add to the Truman Doctrine to aid Greece and Turkey.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
23:  In 1810, writer and social reformer Margaret Fuller was born.  She fought for equal rights for women and was a believer in transcendentalism.  Fuller was also a literary critic for the New York Tribune from 1844 to 1846.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
24:  In 1844, Samuel Morse proved the success of his electric telegraph before Congress by sending a message from the United States Supreme Court room in Washington, D.C., to Baltimore by wire.  The message said, “What hath God wrought!”  Morse designed his telegraph by using a code of dots and dashes.  Morse did not invent the first telegraph, but he is known as the “father” of the telegraph because he invented a new industry.  Morse code caught on quickly and was soon used as the primary way to send and receive messages.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
25:  In 1803, essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson was born.  Emerson was known for being a leader in the American transcendentalist movement and was influenced by English romanticism and Neoplatonism.  Emerson is famous for his book Nature and the essays “Self-Reliance” and “The Poet.”  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
26:  In 1951, Sally Ride was born.  She was the first American woman in space and flew on the space shuttle Challenger. Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
27:  In 1923, Henry Kissinger, secretary of state for the Nixon administration, was born.  He was well known for his foreign policies and national security affairs.  In 1973, he won the Nobel Peace prize for his efforts to end the Vietnam War.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
28:  In 1888, Jim Thorpe, one of the greatest American athletes, was born.  Thorpe was in the Olympics and also played for professional football and baseball teams.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
29:  In 1736, the American patriot Patrick Henry was born.  He is famous for the words “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
30: African American poet Countee Cullen was born in 1903 in New York City.  Cullen was a poet during the Harlem Renaissance, and his works include the poems “Yet Do I Marvel” and “Heritage.”  Cullen was mostly a lyric poet who was influenced by the works of John Keats.  The subjects of his poems include the lives and struggles of African Americans.  Cullen remarked, "... in spite of myself, I find that I am actuated by a strong sense of race consciousness. This grows upon me."  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
31:  In 1789, New York’s Madison Square Garden opened.  It was built as a boxing arena but is used for other sporting events and concerts.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

June

1: On this date in 1909, W.E.B. Dubois founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, today known as the NAACP.  Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
2:  In 1924, America granted full citizenship to American Indians.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
3: In 1850, a conference of leaders of nine southern states began in Nashville, Tennessee. Discussed were issues of maintaining the institution of slavery and states' rights. Some of the more radical delegates proposed seceding from the Union, but the proposal was shot down. Another option proposed to maintain slavery, one that created many problems for the Union later on, was the extension of the Missouri Compromise (which specified which states would be slave and which would be free) all the way to the Pacific Coast, through new territories previously unaffected by the compromise. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
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5: In 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin first appeared as a serial in the National Era, an abolitionist newspaper published out of Washington D.C. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
6: In 1968, while campaigning for the Democratic Presidential nomination, Robert Kennedy, brother of slain President John F. Kennedy, was murdered, shot at close range by Jordanian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
7: In 1712, Pennsylvania representatives passed state legislation making it illegal to import slaves into Pennsylvania Colony. Although it did nothing to curb slavery within the state, or to stop the exporting of slaves, this was an early step towards the North’s generally anti-slavery stance. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
8:  In 1867, Frank Lloyd Wright was born.  He was a famous architect and builder and also the creator of  "organic architecture."  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
9: In 1915, Woodrow Wilson responded to the recent sinking of the American ship the Lusitania by German U-boats by sending a second “Lusitania note” to the German government. In the letter, Wilson asked the German government to pledge to cease unrestricted submarine warfare or face the consequence of United States intervention into World War I. The German government did not make the requested promises, and the United States eventually abandoned its stance of neutrality and joined the war against Germany. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
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12: In 1963, civil rights leader Medgar Evers was murdered in Mississippi. His death became one of the major sparks that ignited the Civil Rights Movement of the late sixties. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
13:  In 1903, Harold "Red" Grange was born.  The Galloping Ghost played for Chicago and New York professional football teams. Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
14:  In 1811, Harriet Beecher Stowe was born.  She was the author of the famous book Uncle Tom's Cabin, which indirectly helped spur the Civil War.  Submitted by Sarah Wright, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
15: In 1836, Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
16: In 1858, Abraham Lincoln, a one-term state representative, was nominated by the Republican Party of Illinois to challenge the incumbent Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas. This began Lincoln’s path to the White House, during which he met Douglas again in a series of famous debates on slavery and state’s rights. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
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18: In 1970, President Nixon signed a bill lowering the legal voting age to 18. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
19: In 1812, after a long period of tension between the two nations, President James Madison officially declared war on Great Britain, marking the start of the War of 1812.
19: Also on this date, the first match baseball game in the United States was held in Hoboken, New Jersey. The New Yorks beat the Knickerbockers, 23-1. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
20: In 1921, Alice Roberts of Oklahoma became the first woman to preside over the United States House of Representative. Her session lasted 30 minutes. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
21: In 1611, on his fourth expedition to discover a northwest sea route to the Orient, Henry Hudson, discoverer of Hudson Bay, was put to death by the mutinying crew of his ship Discovery. Rebelling after chronic disasters, including running out of supplies and being trapped by ice, the crew captured Hudson and sent him out in an open boat to die. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
22: In 1807, a 52-gun British frigate the H.M.S. Leopold attempted to stop the 39-gun American ship the U.S.S. Chesapeake three miles off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. The commander of the Leopold claimed that four crewman of the American vessel were actually British deserters and demanded their return. When James Barron, the American captain of the Chesapeake, refused to surrender the men, the Leopold fired, killing three of the Chesapeake’s crewmen, injuring 18 others, and removing the men in question by force. The incident brought America and Britain to the verge of war and caused hostile relation between the two nations for some time. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
23: In 1677, Nathaniel Bacon, a recently arrived settler of Virginia, led a makeshift army of 500 men into Jamestown as a show of force against Virginia’s Governor Berkeley. Bacon, already notorious in the colony for confrontations with Berkeley and an altercation with a band of Susquehannock Indians, was later labeled a traitor by Berkeley and fled for his life. Two months later, he and his followers burnt Jamestown in retaliation. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
24: In 1700, Judge Samuel Sewall of Boston published one of America’s first books opposing slavery. The Selling of Joseph drew most of its anti-slavery arguments from biblical stories and parables. The book was mostly ignored for more than a century until the issue of slavery became one of America’s major concerns. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
25: In 1876, the event known as Custer’s last stand occured. After finding an encampment of Indians he had been tracking for over a week, General George A. Custer attacked the camp of over 4000 warriors, led by Chief Two Moons, Crazy Horse and Chief Gall, with his own force of only 600 troops. His units were quickly defeated, and virtually all of the troops, including Custer, were killed. Only one member of Custer’s troops, a half-Indian, half-white scout named Curley, was left alive. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
26: In 1950, President Truman authorized the usage of United States Navy and Air Force troops to aid South Korean units operating south of the 38th parallel. This was in response to deepening hostilities between North and South Korea and led to greater U.S. involvement in the conflict, eventually culminating in the Korean War. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
27: In 1974, President Nixon began a five-day summit mission in the Soviet Union. Although no long-term policy was enacted, several treaties regarding the usage of nuclear weapons were signed in an attempt to relieve long-standing Cold War tensions between the two nations. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
28: In 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Austria, was murdered while in Sarajevo, leading directly to World War I. The United States eventually entered the war, as did many other nations around the world, and it became the largest, most violent armed conflict of its time. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
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30: In 1692, Lord Baltimore, a Roman Catholic, was granted a charter for the Maryland colony by the Anglican king, Charles I. The charter allowed Baltimore to establish his own laws for his colony, given that the laws did not directly oppose the laws of the predominantly Protestant England. The charter also allowed for religious freedom, establishing Maryland as a haven for religious dissenters for some time to come. Submitted by Steven Byrd, student, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

July

1: The first adhesive U.S. postage stamps went on sale on this day in 1847. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

2: On this day in 1881, Charles J. Guiteau shot President James Garfield in Washington, D.C. The mentally ill Guiteau had sought a government job. Garfield died on Sept. 19 the same year, the second U.S. president to be assassinated. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

3: The U.S. Supreme Court issued an important ruling on capital punishment on this day in 1976. The Court said that execution does not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" and thus does not violate the Seventh Amendment to the Constitution. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

4: The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on this day in 1776. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and amended by others, including Benjamin Franklin, the document contains the famous phrase: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness . . ." Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

5: On this day in 1840, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow complained in a letter to a friend: "Pray who is it that is attacking me so furiously in Philadelphia?" The attacker is fellow writer Edgar Allan Poe, who accused Longfellow of plagiarizing from the British writer Alfred Lord Tennyson. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

6: Merv Griffin was born on this day in 1925. In addition to acting as host of The Merv Griffin Show, he created the successful game show Jeopardy!. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

7: The U.S. government approved the Land Grant Act on this day in 1862. Partly as a result of this act, state university systems were set up. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

8: On this day in 1831, the Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer published a review of Poems by Edgar A. Poe. This collection, Poe's second, includes "To Helen" and "Sonnet--To Science." Of Poe, who was 22 and still years away from "The Raven" and many of his most famous stories, the reviewer wrote: "He has a fine genius, we repeat it, and may be distinguished, if he will not mistake oddity for excellence, or want of similitude to all others, for superiority over them." Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

9: Tom Hanks was born on this day in 1956. After becoming known as a comedic actor in the television show Bosom Buddies and movies such as Splash (1984) and Big (1988), Hanks took on a number of serious roles. He won Academy Awards for his roles in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

10: Wyoming became the 44th state on this day in 1890. Ahead of its time in the area of women's rights, Wyoming had already granted women the right to vote when it was organized as a territory in 1869. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

11: John Quincy Adams was born on this day in 1767 in Braintree, Mass. The son of President John Adams, John Quincy himself became president in 1825. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

12: Milton Berlinger was born in New York, New York, on this day in 1908. As Milton Berle, he was one of the most famous comedians of the twentieth century. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

13: Harrison Ford was born on this day in 1942. After a breakthrough role as Hans Solo in Star Wars (1977), the actor made a string of successful movies, including Blade Runner (1982), Witness (1985), and Presumed Innocent (1990). Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

14: On this day in 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett shot William Bonney, Jr., to death in Fort Sumner, N.M.  As Billy the Kid, Bonney had been a notorious outlaw in the American West. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

15: On this day, California Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan threw his second no-hitter of the 1973 season. Ryan's fastball, clocked at around 100 mph, made him one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. He eventually threw seven no-hitters, a record, and set the Major League record for career strikeouts by a pitcher. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

16: Virginia McMath was born on this day in 1911 in Independence, Mo. As Ginger Rogers, she was one of the most famous dancers of the century, starring alongside Fred Astaire in movies such as The Gay Divorcee (1934) and Shall We Dance (1937). Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

17: The Rural Credits Act, which financially assisted farmers, was passed on this day in 1916. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

18: On this day in 1969, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts left the scene of drowning at Chappaquiddick, Mass. The incident, for which he received a two-month suspended sentence, dogged Kennedy for much of his political career. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

19: On this day in 1838, Edgar Allan Poe wrote to the Secretary of the Navy requesting a job. "Could I obtain the most unimportant Clerkship in your gift--any thing, by sea or land--to relieve me from the miserable life of literary drudgery to which I now, with a breaking heart, submit, and for which neither my temper nor my abilities have fitted me, I would never again repine at any dispensation of God." By "literary drudgery," Poe likely meant the editorial work that he had to do to support himself and his family since he made little money from his stories and poems. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

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20: On this day in 1969, American Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on the moon. His fellow Apollo 11 astronauts, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, followed him. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

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21: Astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American in space on this day in 1961. In the midst of a "space race" with the Soviet Union, Grissom flew 303 miles over the Atlantic ocean. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

22: On this day in 1916, a bomb killed 10 people at the San Francisco Preparedness Day parade. Accused and convicted of the crime were labor organizer Thomas J. Mooney and shoe worker Warren K. Billings, both pardoned in 1939. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

23: On this day in 1967, riots erupted in a Detroit ghetto. Over the next week, 40 people died, and some 2,000 were injured. Earlier riots in Newark, N.J., had killed 26 people and injured about 1,500. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

24: On this day in 1925, Tennessee high school teacher John T. Scopes was fined $100 and court costs for teaching evolution. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

25: On this day in 1963, the United States, Soviet Union, and Britain agreed to ban nuclear tests conducted above ground. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

26: Stanley Kubrick was born on this day in 1928 in New York, N.Y. One of the leading film directors of the century, he has earned acclaim for movies such as Sparticus (1960), Dr. Strangelove (1964), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Shining (1980), and Full Metal Jacket (1987). Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

27: On this day in 1847, a group of 148 Mormons founded Salt Lake City, the future capital of Utah. The Mormons' Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized by Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York, in 1830, but persecution in New York and later in Illinois caused members of the church to migrate West. In 1846: Portrait of the Nation, Margaret Christman writes: "Systematically, the Mormon leadership began a study of all the literature on the West--including John C. Fremont's reports--and came to the conclusion by mid-1845 that they should move to the basin of the Great Salt Lake or Bear River Valley, an area deemed inhospitable enough to discourage infringement from the Gentiles" (112). Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

28: Jacqueline Bouvier was born on this day in 1929 in Southampton, N.Y. She worked as an editor early in life and married John F. Kennedy, the future president of the United States, in 1953. Left a widow after his assassination in 1963, she later married Aristotle Onassis. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

29: On this day in 1981, Congress passed legislation, proposed by President Ronald Reagan, to cut taxes by some $750 million over five years. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

30: On this day in 1896, a railroad crash in Atlantic City, N.J., killed 60 people. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

31: Former President Andrew Johnson died on this day in 1875. Having succeeded Abraham Lincoln after Lincoln's assassination in 1865, Johnson served until 1869. Submitted by Mark Canada, English professor, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

August

September

October

November

December

Bibliography

Christman, Margaret C.S. 1846: Portrait of the Nation. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996.

Jones, Neal T. A Book of Days for the Literary Year. New York: Book-of-the-Month Club, 1984.

Lupiano, Vincent dePaul, and Ken W. Sayers. It Was a Very Good Year. Holbrook, Mass.: Bob Adams, 1994.

Rood, Karen L., ed. American Literary Almanac. New York: Facts on File, 1988.

Shapiro, Larry. A Book of Days in American History. New York: Book-of-the-Month Club, 1987.

Wagner, Margaret E. A Literary Companion. Rohnert Park, Calif.: Pomegranate Calendars & Books, 1994.