May 2024

Do you love the story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? Author L. Frank Baum was born on May 15, 1856 in Chittenango, New York. Image: L. Frank Baum / Library of Congress A popular writer, Baum is best remembered for his story of Dorothy and her dog Toto and their adventure home after a tornado transports them to the magical land of Oz. First published on May 17, 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a commercial… Read the full story

Happy birthday to George Lucas! Today the Star Wars creator turns 80. Image: Nicolas Genin, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) The iconic filmmaker was born George Walton Lucas, Jr. on May 14, 1944 in Modesto, California. He was the son of Dorothy Bomberger and George Walton Lucas,Sr. As a teen, he formed an interest in filmmaking and car-racing. He spent much of his years in high school racing cars until experiencing a near-fatal car crash at… Read the full story

On this day in 1922, actress Bea Arthur was born. An Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress, Arthur is perhaps best remembered for her roles in Maude and The Golden Girls. Image: Bea Arthur / Photo by Alan Light, Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0 Arthur was born Bernice Frankel on May 13, 1922 in New York City, New York to Philip Frankel and Rebecca Pressner. During World War II, Arthur enlisted as one of the first… Read the full story

Today we remember Hollywood icon Fred Astaire, who was born on this day in 1899. Remembered as one of the most influential dancers in the history of film and television musicals, Astaire’s impressive career spanned a total of 76 years.  Image: Fred Astaire / Wikimedia Commons Astaire got his start as a dancer at the tender age of four. By the age of six, he was performing along with his sister Adele as a popular vaudeville act. The siblings changed… Read the full story

Do you remember the story of Peter Pan? On May 9, 1860, playwright J.M. Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland. Image: J.M. Barrie / National Science and Media Museum, Flickr James Matthew Barrie was the ninth child of ten born to a conservative Calvinist family. He moved to London to pursue a career as a novelist and playwright. It was there that he first met the Llewelyn Davies boys, who would inspire him to write of… Read the full story

Do you have Mexican ancestry? On this day in 1753, Mexican Roman Catholic priest and leader of the Mexican War of Independence, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, was born. Image: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla / Library of Congress Hidalgo was the second child born to Don Cristóbal Hidalgo y Costilla and Doña Ana María Mandarte Villaseñor. In 1779, he entered the priesthood and later became the parish priest in Dolores, Guanajuato. Hidalgo worked hard for the… Read the full story

On this day in 1812, English poet and playwright Robert Browning was born in London, England. A prolific poet, Browning was known as one of the leading Victorian writers of his era. Image: Robert Browning / Library of Congress Browning was the only son born to Sarah Ann Widermann and Robert Browning, who worked as a clerk for the Bank of England. His paternal grandfather was a slave owner in the West Indies, but Browning’s father opposed slavery,… Read the full story

Legendary filmmaker Orson Welles was born on May 6, 1915. Welles was known as one of the greatest radio and cinema artists of the era.  Image: Orson Welles / Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress Early in his career, Welles juggled work in the theater with his extensive work as a radio actor, writer, director and producer. His famous live broadcast of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic after many listeners mistakenly believed the show to… Read the full story

On this day in 1903, legendary entertainer Bing Crosby was born. Image: Bing Crosby / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration He was born Henry Lillis Crosby, Jr. on May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. The fourth of seven children, Crosby loved to listen to music on his phonograph as a child and enjoyed reading the comedy feature “The Bingville Bugle” in the Sunday edition of the Spokesman-Review. His love for the comic earned him the nickname “Bingo… Read the full story

Russian Empress Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, was born on this day in 1729. Image: Catherine II of Russia / New York Public Library She was born Sophie Friederike Auguste and was the daughter of a poor German prince. In 1745, she married Peter III, who was the heir to the Russian Empire. After the death of Empress Elizabeth in 1762, Peter III succeeded the throne as Emperor. However, his reign would last… Read the full story

Frontierswoman and sharp-shooter Calamity Jane was born on this day in 1852. Image: Calamity Jane / Library of Congress The legend of Calamity Jane was known throughout the Wild West. However, little hard facts are known about her life and much of what was said was likely embellished or fabricated by writers and storytellers of the day. She was born Martha Jane Canary in Princeton, Missouri and by the age of 12, both of her parents had… Read the full story