The Story of Writing

Explorer John Cabot receives the King of England's charter to explore North America, the Pope and his administration forbids Catholics from reading the Copernican description of the solar system, and…

The U.S. Constitution goes into effect, the first woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives is sworn in, the first woman to serve in a U.S. President's cabinet was sworn in, and happy birth…

The U.S. Congress passes the Missouri Compromise, the world's first national forest is created, "The Star-Spangled Banner" becomes the U.S. national anthem, and happy birthday to Ron Chernow - and a …

The U.S. bans bringing slaves into the country, and the birthday club includes Shalom Aleichem, Kurt Weill, and Theodor Geisel - with a reading from Shalom Aleichem's story "On the Fiddle."

The world's first national park is established in the Yosemite Valley, and the birthday club includes Ralph Ellison and Harry Bellafonte - with a reading from Ellison's "Invisible Man."

Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse to mislead New World people to stock his ships, the Jay Treaty goes into effect enriching the U.S. and postponing war with the British, actr…

Quite the birthday club: Michel de Montaigne, Ben Hecht, Ketti Frings, and Daniel Handler - with a reading from Montaigne's "Essays."

England's House of Commons votes to stop fighting American revolutionaries, Washington D.C. is moved under the jurisdiction of Congress, Abraham Lincoln speaks at Cooper Institute (now Cooper Union),…

Both the Grand Canyon and Grand Teton National Parks are established, and the birthday club includes Victor Hugo, Levi Strauss, Fats Domino, and Johnny Cash - with a reading from Hugo's "The Hunchbac…

Andrew Johnson becomes the first U.S. President to be impeached, the Zimmerman telegram promises to return Texas to Mexico, and happy birthday to Judith Butler - with a reading from Butler's "Undoing…

The Gutenberg Bible is first printed, Werner Heisenberg writes about uncertainty in theoretical physics, Joe Rosenthal took the iconic picture of U.S. Marines raising a flag on Japan's Mount Suribach…

The "Long Telegram" is sent from Moscow to Washington, "Moose Murders" opens - and closes - on Broadway, and (instead of "happy") an epistemological birthday to Arthur Schopenhauer - with a reading f…

"The Communist Manifesto" is published, so is the first issue of The New Yorker magazine, and happy birthdays to Erma Bombeck and Nina Simone - with a reading from Erma Bombeck's "Family - The Ties T…

The U.S. Post Office Department is founded, Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville" and Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" premiere, "The Futurist Manifesto" is published, Prohibition in the U.S. begin…

New Amsterdam becomes New York (again), "The Feminine Mystique" is published, and the birthday club includes Kay Boyle, Carson McCullers, Smokey Robinson, Amy Tan, and Helen Fielding - with a reading…

"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is published, the Chicago Seven are acquitted, and the birthday club includes Wallace Stegner and Toni Morrison - with a reading from Morison's "Song of Solomon."

Happy birthdays to Isabelle Eberhardt, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and Chaim Potok - with a reading from one of Eberhardt's notebook.

The first anti-discrimination law in the U.S. is passed and happy birthday to Otis Blackwell - with a reading from "Plum Bun," by Jessie Redmon Fauset.

Christopher Columbus, while sailing on the ship "Nina," wrote a letter describing some of the things he saw on his 1492 voyage of discovery, and happy birthday to Susan B. Anthony - with a reading fr…