August 2023

On this day in 1880, Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was born. She reigned as Queen of the Netherlands for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Image: Wilhelmina of the Netherlands / Library of Congress Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880 in Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. She was the only child of King William III and his second wife, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. At the time of her birth,… Read the full story

On this day in 1797, English novelist Mary Shelley was born. Today, Shelley is best remembered as the author of the Gothic novel Frankenstein, which is often considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Image: Mary Shelley / Wikimedia Commons Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30, 1797 in London, England to William Godwin, a radical political philosopher, and Mary Wollstonecraft, a philosopher and feminist. Her mother died just eleven days after her birth of childbed… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary film star Ingrid Bergman, who was born on this day in 1915. She passed on her 67th birthday in 1982. Image: Ingrid Bergman / Wikimedia Commons Bergman was born on August 29, 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden. After losing both her parents while she was young, Bergman went to live with her aunt and uncle. At the age of 17, she earned a scholarship to the Royal Dramatic Theatre School, but left after a… Read the full story

Do you have German ancestry? On this day in 1749, German writer, poet and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goeth was born in Frankfurt, then an Imperial Free City of the Holy Roman Empire. Image: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe / Library of Congress A literary celebrity by the age of 25, Goethe’s works are considered the beginning of the Sturm und Drang movement in German Romantic literature. His is perhaps best remembered for his two-part poetic drama Faust, which… Read the full story

Do you have family ties to Dutch royalty? On this day in 1772, William I of the Netherlands, the first King of the Netherlands, was born. Image: William I of the Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons He was the son of William V, Prince of Orange of the Dutch Republic, and Wilhelmina of Prussia. In 1791, he married his first cousin, Wilhelmina, who was the daughter of King Frederik William II of Prussia. After the French… Read the full story

Remember watching Singin’ in the Rain? On this day in 1912, star Gene Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Image: Gene Kelly / Wikimedia Commons Eugene Curran Kelly was born on August 23, 1912 to James Kelly, a phonograph salesman, and Harriet Curran. At the age of 8, his mother enrolled Kelly and his siblings in dance classes. As a young man, he often created dance routines with his brother to earn prize money in local talent contests… Read the full story

French composer Claude Debussy was born on August 22, 1862. Known as the first impressionist composer, Debussy is often regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Image: Bergen Public Library Norway, Flickr Debussy was the eldest of five children born to Manuel-Achille Debussy and Victorine Manoury. His father ran a china shop and his mother worked as a seamstress. As a young child, Debussy began taking piano classes and… Read the full story

On this day in 1765, William IV of the United Kingdom was born. The third son of George III, William became king after the death of his elder brother George IV. Image: William IV / Wikimedia Commons William was born at Buckingham Palace on August 21, 1765. As the third son born to King George III and Queen Charlotte, William was never expected to inherit the crown. He joined the Royal Navy at the age… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Robert Redford! Today the actor turns 87. Image: Robert Redford / San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive, Flickr Charles Robert Redford, Jr. was born on August 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California to Charles Robert Redford, Sr. and Martha Hart. Redford began his career on the stage and television before launching to stardom in the Paul Newman film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Since then, he has starred in many blockbuster… Read the full story

American frontiersman and folk hero Davy Crockett was born on this day in 1786. During his lifetime and even after his death, many of his adventures and exploits were immortalized in larger-than-life stories and almanacs, making him one of the most well known figures in American history. Image: Davy Crockett / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 Crockett was born on August 17, 1786 in what is now Greene County, Tennessee. His father, John Crockett, was… Read the full story

Are you a baseball fan? Today we remember legendary baseball player Babe Ruth, who died on this day in 1948. Image: Babe Ruth / Library of Congress He was born George Herman Ruth, Jr. on February 6, 1895 in Baltimore Maryland. He was one of eight children born to Catherine Schamberger and George Herman Ruth, Sr., a saloon owner. As a child, Ruth often found trouble and by the age of 7, his parents sent him… Read the full story

On this day in 1769, French Emperor Napoleon I, also known as Napoleon Bonaparte, was born. Considered one of the greatest military strategists in history, Napoleon established hegemony over most of continental Europe. Image: Napoleon I / Wikimedia Commons Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769 to Carlo Maria Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Romolino in his family’s ancestral home, Casa Buonaparte, in the French town of Ajaccio. He gained military and political prominence during the latter stages… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Steve Martin! Today the actor turns 78. Image: Steve Martin / David Shankbone, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Born in Waco, Texas on August 14, 1945, Martin grew up in Southern California. He landed his firs job as a teen selling guidebooks at Disneyland and later, worked at the Magic Shop in the park where he frequently performed magic tricks for patrons. Martin’s big break came in 1976 when he hosted his first episode… Read the full story

On this day in 1919, American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie died at the age of 83. A titan of the American steel industry in the late 19th century, Carnegie devoted his last years of his life to large-scale philanthropy, directing much of his wealth towards public libraries and education. Image: Andrew Carnegie / Library of Congress Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland in a one room cottage. At the age… Read the full story

On this day in 1874, Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, was born in West Branch, Iowa. Image: Herbert Hoover / Library of Congress Hoover was the son of Hulda Randall Minthorn and Jesse Hoover, a blacksmith. Sadly, by the age of 9, he was an orphan. He was raised by his uncle, John Minthorn, a physician and businessman. Before the presidency, Hoover worked as an engineer in China. He and his… Read the full story

Today we remember legendary singer Whitney Houston, who was born on this day in 1963. Image: Whitney Houston / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Houston was born on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey to John Russel Houston, Jr. and Emily “Cissy” Drinkard. Her father was a Newark city administrator and theatrical manager and her mother was a successful gospel singer and a backup singer for several notable artists such as Elvis Presley… Read the full story

On this day in 1866, Arctic explorer Matthew Henson was born. He is best remembered for being the first to reach the North Pole alongside explorer Robert E. Peary in 1909. Image: Matthew Henson / Library of Congress Henson was born on August 8, 1866 on a farm in Charles County, Maryland. His parents were sharecroppers and free people of color before the Civil War. An orphan by the age of 12, Henson joined a merchant… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actress Charlize Theron! Today the star turns 48. Image: Charlize Theron / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Theron was born on August 7, 1975 in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa and grew up on her family’s farm outside of Johannesburg. She spent her childhood studying ballet, and although she saw herself as a dancer, she began her career as a model. After an injury left her unable to pursue a career as… Read the full story

On this day in 1835, American inventor Elisha Gray was born in Barnesville, Ohio. The co-founder of the Western Electric Manufacturing Company, Gray is perhaps best remembered for the controversy surrounding the invention of the telephone. Image: Elisha Gray / Wikimedia Commons Gray was born into a Quaker family in Ohio and grew up on a farm. An electrical engineer, he held over 70 patents and is often considered the father of the modern music synthesizer. On February… Read the full story

On this day in 1770, explorer William Clark was born in Caroline County, Virginia. From 1804 to 1806, Clark helped lead the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition across the country to the Pacific Ocean. Image: William Clark / Wikimedia Commons Clark was the ninth of ten children born to John Clark and Ann Rogers. Five of his older brothers fought during the American Revolution, including his second-oldest brother, George Rogers Clark, who rose to the… Read the full story