September 2025

On this day in 1924, author Truman Capote was born. Image: Truman Capote / Library of Congress Capote was born Truman Streckfus Persons on September 30, 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana. When he was four years old, his parents divorced and he was sent to live with his mother’s relatives in Monroeville, Alabama. A lonely child, Capote spent much of his time reading and writing. He became best friends with his neighbor and future author… Read the full story

Have you read Don Quixote? On this day in 1547, author Miguel de Cervantes was born. Today Cervantes is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Spanish language. Image: Miguel de Cervantes / New York Public Library Cervantes was born near Madrid, Spain and was the fourth of seven children. His father, Rodrigo de Cervantes, was a barber-surgeon and his mother, Leonor de Cortinas, was the daughter of a nobleman. Dubbed “El Príncipe de… Read the full story

On this day in 1774, the real Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman, was born. The American folk hero became known as “Johnny Appleseed” for planting apple trees across 1,200 acres of land. Image: Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, 1871 / Internet Archives Chapman was born on September 26, 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts. He was the eldest son of Nathaniel Chapman and Elizabeth Simonds, who died while giving birth to a second son. During the American Revolutionary War, his father was… Read the full story

Remember watching Superman? Today we remember star Christopher Reeve on what would have been his 73rd birthday. Image: Christopher Reeve / Jbfrankel, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Reeve was born on September 25, 1952 in New York City, New York to Barbara Pitney Lamb and Franklin D’Olier Reeve. He grew up in a wealthy and well-educated family. His mother worked as a journalist and his father was a prominent writer, poet, and academic. His great grandfather, Franklin D’Olier, was… Read the full story

Remember reading The Great Gatsby? On this day in 1896, author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born. Today Fitzgerald is often regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Image: F. Scott Fitzgerald / Library of Congress Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was named after his famous relative, Francis Scott Key, who wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner.” His maternal grandfather, Philip Francis McQuillan was an Irish immigrant… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Bruce Springsteen! Today the Boss turns 76. Image: Bruce Springsteen / Takahiro Kyono, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) Bruce Frederick Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949 in Long Branch, New Jersey to a working-class family. His father, Douglas Springsteen, held various jobs including that of a bus driver and millworker. His mother, Adele Zerilli, worked as a legal secretary and was the main breadwinner of the family. His maternal great grandmother,… Read the full story

On this day in 1791, English physicist and chemist Michael Faraday was born. Considered one of the greatest scientists in history, Faraday’s work significantly contributed to the understanding of electromagnetism. Image: Michael Faraday / Community Archives, Flickr Commons Faraday was born on September 22, 1791 in Newington, Surrey, England to James Faraday, a blacksmith, and Margaret Hastwell. While growing up, his father was often ill and incapable of maintaining steady work. As a result, the… Read the full story

Remember watching Batman on TV? Today we remember Adam West on what would have been his 97th birthday. Image: Adam West / Wikimedia Commons The television star was born William West Anderson on September 19, 1928 in Walla Walla, Washington. His father was a farmer and his mother was a former opera singer and concert pianist. While serving in the U.S. Army, West worked as an announcer on American Forces Network television. After getting his… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the life of Hollywood icon Greta Garbo, who was born on this day 120 years ago. Image: Greta Garbo / Library of Congress Greta Lovisa Gustafsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden on September 18, 1905 to Anna Lovisa and Karl Alfred Gustafsson. The youngest of three children, Garbo dropped out of school at the age of 13 to care for her ailing father. He would die in 1920 when she was 14…. Read the full story

On September 17, 1923, country music’s first superstar Hank Williams was born in Butler County, Alabama. Best known for his hits “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Hey, Good Lookin’,” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” Williams is regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time. Image: Hank Williams / Wikimedia Commons He was born Hiram Williams in Mount Olive, Alabama to Elonzo Huble Williams and Jessie Lillybelle Skipper. Born with spina… Read the full story

Today we remember Robert Redford, who has passed away at the age of 89. Image: Robert Redford / San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive Redford was born Charles Robert Redford on August 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California. He was the only child born to Charles Robert Redford, Sr., an accountant, and Martha Hart. After studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Redford began his career on both stage and television. He later… Read the full story

Are you a fan of Agatha Christie’s mystery novels? On this day in 1890, the best-selling author was born in Torquay, England. Image: Agatha Christie / Nationaal Archief, CC0 Christie was born on September 15, 1890 to a wealthy upper middle-class family. Educated in her home by her mother, Christie was encouraged to write from a very young age. During World War I, Christie served in a hospital as a nurse while her husband served as a… Read the full story

On this day in 1913, Olympic champion Jesse Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama. Image: Jesse Owens / Library of Congress The youngest of ten children, James Cleveland Owens was known as J.C. until the age of nine when his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio in search for better work opportunities. When his new teacher asked for his name, he said “J.C.” in a heavy southern accent. The teacher misheard and thought he said “Jesse.” The name… Read the full story

On this day in 1862, short story author William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was born. A prolific writer, Porter’s clever wordplay and twist endings made him one of the most popular American short story writers of his time. Image: O. Henry / Wikimedia Commons Porter was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. As a child, he enjoyed reading  everything from the classics to dime novels. Porter worked at his uncle’s… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Colin Firth! Today the actor turns 65. Image: Colin Firth / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Firth was born on September 10, 1960 in Grayshott, Hampshire, England to Shirley Jean Rolles and David Norman Lewis Firth. Both of his parents were academics and teachers and as a child, he frequently traveled to Nigeria for his parents’ work. Firth himself was not academically inclined and decided to study theater at Drama… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Hugh Grant! Today the British actor turns 65. Image: Hugh Grant / Tine Hemeryck, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Grant was born Hugh John Mungo Grant on September 9, 1960 in London, England. Before pursuing a career in theater, Grant studied English literature at Oxford. He achieved international success after staring in the 1994 hit comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral. Since then, he’s gone on to star in several hit films, including… Read the full story

Remember watching Peter Sellers as the bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau? On this day in 1925, the iconic comedian was born in Portsmouth, England. Image: Peter Sellers / Wikimedia Commons He was born Richard Henry Sellers, but his parents called him “Peter” after his elder stillborn brother. Both of his parents were vaudeville entertainers and Sellers often accompanied his parents on the variety show circuit. In 1943, he joined the Royal Air Force and traveled with the entertainment… Read the full story

On this day in 1847, American outlaw Jesse James was born. The leader of the infamous James-Younger Gang, James is remembered to day as one of the most iconic figures of the American Old West. Image: Jesse James / Library of Congress James was born on September 5, 1847 in Clay County, Missouri to Robert James, a Baptist minister, and Zerelda Elizabeth Cole. When he was young, his father left the family to journey west to preach… Read the full story

Image: George Eastman / Library of Congress On September 4, 1888, George Eastman received a patent for his roll-film camera and registered his trademark, Kodak. Eastman’s invention revolutionized the industry and helped make photography available to the general public. In 1892, he established the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. The company was one of the first firms to mass-produce standardized photography equipment. Considered one of the most outstanding philanthropists of his time, Eastman donated… Read the full story

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – e e cummings Today we remember poet E.E. Cummings, who died on September 3, 1962 at the age of 67. Image: E.E. Cummings / Library of Congress Cummings was born Edward Estlin Cummings in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Unitarian parents. He went to Harvard University, where his father taught, before leaving to serve overseas in World War I as a volunteer for the… Read the full story

On this day in 1948, high school teacher Christa McAuliffe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. McAuliffe made history when she became the first American civilian to be selected to go into space. Sadly, she died in the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. Image: Christa McAuliffe / NASA In 1985, McAuliffe was selected to participate in the NASA Teacher in Space Project and become the first teacher to go to space. The purpose of the program was… Read the full story

Labor Day is a time to celebrate the contributions of workers throughout history. It’s also the perfect opportunity to reflect on the hardworking ancestors in our own families. Have you ever wondered what kind of work your great-grandparents did to support their families? Or how their occupations shaped the paths of future generations? The Importance of Occupations in Family History When researching your family tree, names and dates are just the beginning. Discovering what your… Read the full story

Happy birthday to actress and comedy legend Lily Tomlin! Today the star turns 86. Image: Lily Tomlin / U.S. Department of State Tomlin was born Mary Jean Tomlin on September 1, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan to Guy Tomlin and Lillie Mae Ford. After high school, Tomlin enrolled at Wayne State University to study medicine. During her time in school, she began taking theater art classes and before long, she was performing stand-up comedy at local… Read the full story