Profile of the Day

Today marks the birth of American journalist, inventor, and record-breaker Nellie Bly! Image: Nellie Bly / Library of Congress She was born Elizabeth Jane Cochrane on May 5, 1864 in Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania. Writing under the the pen name “Nellie Bly,” Bly was a pioneer of her field and launched a new kind of investigative journalism. As a reporter for Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, Bly wrote one of her earliest and most provocative pieces, a startling exposé on… Read the full story

Do you have a favorite Audrey Hepburn movie? Today marks what would have been the legendary actress’s 94th birthday. Image: Audrey Hepburn / Wikimedia Commons Hepburn was born Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. Her mother, Baroness Ella van Heemstra, was a Dutch aristocrat and after divorcing Hepburn’s father, raised her alone as a single mother. She studied ballet and quickly became a “star pupil.” The Nazi’s occupation of the Netherlands during… Read the full story

On this day in 1469, Italian Renaissance historian and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli was born in the Republic of Florence. Today, he is remembered as one of the fathers of modern political theory. Image: Niccolò Machiavelli / Wikimedia Commons He was born during a tumultuous era when Italy was still divided into city-states. A strong proponent of a unified Italy, Machiavelli served for many years as a senior official for the Florentine Republic and dealt with diplomatic and… Read the full story

On this day in 1729, Catherine the Great was born. Catherine the Great reigned over Russia from 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age of 67. Image: Catherine the Great / British Library, Flickr She was born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg on May 2, 1729. Her father belonged to the ruling German family of Anhalt, but held the rank of a Prussian general. After converting to the Russian Orthodox Church, she received… Read the full story

On this day in 1852, American frontierswoman and folk hero Calamity Jane was born near Princeton, Missouri. Image: Calamity Jane / Library of Congress Calamity Jane’s early life is a mystery. Much about what is known comes from an autobiographical booklet from 1896. The booklet, dictated by Calamity Jane, was written for publicity purposes, and thus, some of the information was likely exaggerated or false. What is known is that she was born Martha Jane… Read the full story

On this day in 1758, James Monroe was born in his family home in Westmoreland County, Virginia. A Founding Father, Monroe served as the 5th President of the United States. Image: James Monroe / Wikimedia Commons During the American Revolution, Monroe left college to join the Continental Army. He served as part of General George Washington’s army at the Battle of Trenton, where he was severely wounded. As president, Monroe oversaw major westward expansion of the U.S…. Read the full story

On this day in 1927, American civil rights activist Coretta Scott King was born in Marion, Alabama. Image: Coretta Scott King / Library of Congress The widow of Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., King also made significant contributions to the Civil Rights movement both before and after her husband’s death. She was the third child born to Obadiah Scott and Bernice McMurray. Her father was the first black person in their neighborhood to… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Carol Burnett! Today the funny actress turns 90. Known for her legendary comedic chops, Burnett became a household name as the star of The Carol Burnett Show. The show ran for 11 seasons and marked the first time a TV variety show was hosted by a woman. Image: Carol Burnett / Wikimedia Commons Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas on April 26, 1933 to Joseph Burnett, a movie theater manager, and Ina… Read the full story

Love listening to the sound of Jazz? On this day in 1917, Jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia. Image: Ella Fitzgerald / Library of Congress From her earliest days as a small child, the Queen of Jazz was passionate about music and spent hours listening to Jazz records her mother brought home. After the death of her mother when she was 15, Ella was sent to live with her aunt in Harlem. She suffered… Read the full story

On April 24, 1942, legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand was born in Brooklyn, New York. Image: Barbra Streisand / National Institutes of Health Over her long career, Streisand has sold over 150 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She has amassed a great number of music and acting awards, including 2 Academy Awards and 10 Grammys. She is also one of the few entertainers who can… Read the full story

On this day in 1816, author Charlotte Brontë was born. Image: Charlotte Brontë / Wikimedia Commons Brontë was born on April 21, 1816 in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. She was the third of six children born to Maria Branwell and Patrick Brontë, a clergyman. After her mother and two older sisters died, her father educated Brontë and her siblings, Emily, Anne, and Branwell, at home. As children the siblings were left to explore their imagination. They… Read the full story

Do you have French ancestry in your family tree? On this day in 1808, Napoleon III was born in Paris, France. Image: Napoleon III / Library of Congress The nephew and heir of Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon III grew up in exile. Determined to return to France and regain the French crown, Napoleon began asserting his views in political writings and even attempted a failed coup. Following the Revolution of 1848, Napoleon seized the opportunity to return to France… Read the full story

Today we remember French physicist Pierre Curie, who died on April 19, 1906 at the age of 46. Considered one of the founding fathers of modern physics, Curie is best known for his groundbreaking work in radioactive studies alongside his wife, Marie Curie.  Image: Pierre Curie / Wikimedia Commons Curie was born on May 15, 1859 to Eugène Curie and Sophie-Claire Depouilly. His father was a doctor and trained Curie in math and science. From a young age,… Read the full story

On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere began his infamous ride to warn American colonists that British forces were advancing toward Lexington and Concord. Image: Paul Revere’s ride / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Revere and fellow rider William Dawes successfully reached Lexington to warn Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock before setting out towards Concord. Along the way, they were joined by Samuel Prescott, a young patriot. Of the three men,… Read the full story

Today we remember Benjamin Franklin, who died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84. Not only was Franklin one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, but he was also a leading author, scientist, inventor, diplomat, and more. Image: Benjamin Franklin / Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery CC0 Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts to Josiah Franklin, a candlemaker, and his second wife, Abiah Folger. He was one… Read the full story

On this day in 1866, American educator Anne Sullivan was born. Best remembered as the teacher and lifelong companion of Helen Keller, Sullivan taught Keller, who was blind and deaf, to communicate and read Braille. Image: Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan / Library of Congress Sullivan was born on April 14, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts to Thomas Sullivan and Alice Cloesy. Her parents had emigrated to the United States from Ireland during the Great… Read the full story

On this day in 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born at the Shadwell plantation in colonial Virginia. One of America’s Founding Fathers, Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and served as the third President of the United States. Image: Thomas Jefferson / Wikimedia Commons Jefferson was born to a prominent Virginia family. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter and surveyor. In 1751, he created the Fry-Jefferson Map in collaboration with Joshua Fry, which accurately depicted… Read the full story

Today we remember children’s book author Beverly Cleary on what would have been her 107th birthday. Image: Beverly Cleary / Washington State Archives, Wikimedia Commons Cleary was born Beverly Atlee Bunn on April 12, 1916 in McMinniville, Oregon to Chester Lloyd Bunn, a farmer, and Mabel Atlee, a schoolteacher. A passionate reader, Cleary studied to become a children’s librarian. She earned a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley and a second bachelor’s… Read the full story

On this day in 1869, Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland was born. Considered one of the most important artists in Norwegian history, Vigeland is perhaps best known for his creation of Vigeland Park in Oslo, Norway. The impressive art installation is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist. Image: Gustav Vigeland / National Library of Norway, Flickr Vigeland was born Adolf Gustav Thorsen on April 11, 1869 in Mandal. Born to a family of… Read the full story

Today we celebrate what would have been actor Omar Sharif’s 91st birthday! A Hollywood legend, Sharif was best known for his roles in Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia. Image: Omar Sharif / Wikimedia Commons He was born Michel Demetri Chalhoub on April 10, 1932 in Alexandria, Egypt. After studying mathematics and physics at the University of Cairo, Sharif worked at his father’s precious wood business before leaving to study acting in London, England. In 1955, he converted to Islam… Read the full story

Today we remember actor James Garner on what would have been his 95th birthday. Image: James Garner / Wikimedia Commons Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner on April 7, 1928 in Norman, Oklahoma to Weldon Warren Bumgarner and Mildred Scott Meek. The youngest of 3 sons, Garner had a difficult childhood. When he was 4, his mother died and by the time he was 7, his father had left him and his brothers to be… Read the full story

On this day in 1909, explorer Robert Edwin Peary and his assistant, Matthew Henson, reached what they determined to be the North Pole. Image: Robert Edwin Peary / Library of Congress Peary was born on May 6, 1856 in Cresson, Pennsylvania to Charles Nutter Peary and Mary Dole Wiley. He joined the U.S. Navy Civil Engineers Corps before beginning his career as an explorer. Determined to become the first person to reach the North Pole,… Read the full story

On this day in 1856, Booker T. Washington was born. Regarded as one of the most influential African-American educators of the late 19th century, Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute, known today as Tuskegee University, in Alabama. Image: Booker T. Washington / Library of Congress Washington was born into slavery in Virginia and was the son of Jane, a slave, and an unknown white man. He was named Booker Taliaferro and later adopted the surname Washington. After emancipation,… Read the full story

Today we remember poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou on what would have been her 95th birthday. The award-winning author published numerous books of poetry, essays, and autobiographies which dealt with themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression. Image: Maya Angelou / Wikimedia Commons Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri to Bailey Johnson, a doorman and navy dietitian, and Vivian Baxter, a nurse and card dealer. By the… Read the full story

Today we remember actress Doris Day on what would have been her 101st birthday. Image: Doris Day / Library of Congress Day was born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Alma Sophia Weiz and William Joseph Kappelhoff. For most of her life, Day believed she was born in 1924. It was not until her 95th birthday that she learned she was actually born in 1922 after the Associated Press… Read the full story

Happy birthday to Christopher Walken! Today the actor celebrates his 80th birthday. Image: Tabercil, Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) Walken was born Ronald Walken on March 31, 1943 in Queens, New York to Rosalie Russell and Paul Walken. His father owned and operated a bakery, Walken’s Bakery, in Astoria. From a young age, Walken was a performer. He took dancing lessons as a young child and auditioned for many bit parts that were open for children… Read the full story

Today singer Celine Dion celebrates her 55th birthday! Image: Celine Dion / Georges Biard, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Celine Marie Claudette Dion was born on March 30, 1968 in Charlegmagne, Quebec, Canada to a large family. The youngest of 14 children, Dion grew up in a close-knit family filled with music. From a young age, Dion dreamed of becoming a performer. At the age of 5, she made her first public appearance singing with… Read the full story

On March 29, 1867, legendary baseball player Cy Young was born. Image: Cy Young / Library of Congress Young was born Denton True Young to Nancy Miller and McKinzie Young. The oldest of five children, Young stopped his formal education after the sixth grade to help out on his family’s farm. Around this same time, Young discovered a love for baseball. He played in local baseball teams before he was signed to play for the… Read the full story

Are you a country music fan? Today American country music singer Reba McEntire turns 68. Image: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) She was born on March 28, 1955 in McAlester, Oklahoma to Jacqueline and Clark Vincent McEntire. Named after her maternal grandmother Reba Estelle Smith, the music legend learned to sing and play guitar at a young age. Her father and grandfather were both champion steer ropers, so as a child, she… Read the full story

Do you remember watching Sunset Boulevard? On this day in 1899, legendary actress Gloria Swanson was born. Image: Gloria Swanson / Library of Congress Swanson was born on March 27, 1899 to Joseph Theodore Swanson and Adelaide Klanowski in a small house in Chicago, Illinois. Since her father was a soldier in the army, she moved frequently. She spent part of her childhood in Puerto Rico, where she learned Spanish and saw her first films…. Read the full story

On this day in 1874, illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini was born. Image: Harry Houdini / Library of Congress Houdini was born Erik Weisz on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary. He was one of seven children born to Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz and Cecilia Steiner. Set on becoming a professional magician, Erik changed his name to Harry Houdini, after the French magician, Jean Eugène Robert-Houdini. He became widely known as “The Handcuff King” for… Read the full story

On this day in 1905, actress Joan Crawford was born in San Antonio, Texas. Image: Joan Crawford / Wikimedia Commons Born Lucille Fay LeSueur, Crawford was the youngest of three children born to Thomas E. LeSueur and Anna Bell Johnson. Her parents separated while Crawford was young and her mother remarried Harry Cassin, a theater owner. Growing up, she would use the name Billie Cassin. With a love for dancing, Crawford left school to pursue a dancing… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 100th birthday of French mime Marcel Marceau. Before he became one of the most famous mimes in the world, Marceau helped save many Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II. Image: Marcel Marceau / Library of Congress Marceau was born Marcel Mangel on March 22, 1923 in Strasbourg, France to a Jewish family. From a young age, Marceau was an avid fan of silent films, especially those of Charlie… Read the full story

On this day in 1806, Benito Juarez was born. Juarez was the President of Mexico and is today remembered as a national hero for his resistance of French occupation and victory in overthrowing Emperor Maximilian I. Image: Benito Juarez / Library of Congress Juarez was born to a Zapotec peasant family on March 21, 1806 in a small adobe house in San Pablo Guelato, Oaxaca, Mexico. He was an orphan by the age of three… Read the full story

Remember watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood growing up? Today we remember everyone’s favorite neighbor Fred Rogers on what would have been his 95th birthday. Image: Fred Rogers awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Fred McFeely Rogers was born on March 20, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania to James and Nancy Rogers. Rogers did not originally intend to pursue a career in television. After college, he studied to… Read the full story

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Celebrated annually on March 17 for over a thousand years, this Irish cultural and religious holiday honors the memory of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. Image: St. Patrick / Library of Congress At the age of 16, Patrick was kidnapped from his home by pirates and taken to Ireland. During his enslavement, he discovered his call to Christianity and escaped his captors after six years. He returned to Ireland as a… Read the full story

James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America, was born on this day, March 16, 1751. Image: James Madison / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution CC0 Madison was born at the Belle Grove Plantation near Port Conway, Virginia to a prominent slaving-owning family. He was the eldest of twelve children. One of America’s Founding Fathers, Madison was instrumental in drafting the U.S. Constitution and laid the foundation for the Bill of Rights. He became… Read the full story

Today we remember Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on what would have been her 90th birthday. Image: Ruth Bader Ginsburg / Wikimedia Commons Ginsburg was born Joan Ruth Bader on March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. She was the second child born to Nathan Bader, a Jewish emigrant from Odessa, Ukraine, and Celia Amster, whose family came from Kraków, Poland. In 1956, Ginsburg enrolled in Harvard Law School, where she was one of… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Billy Crystal! Today the comedian and actor turns 75. Image: Billy Crystal / Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) William Edward Crystal was born on March 14, 1948 in New York City, New York. His father, Jack Crystal, worked as a jazz promoter, producer and owner of Commodore Music Store. He sometimes brought home comedy albums featuring Bob Newhart and Sid Caesar, which had a great influence on Crystal growing up. After starting… Read the full story

On this day in 1855, astronomer Percival Lowell was born in Boston, Massachusetts. The founder of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, Lowell’s research would form the beginnings of the work that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death. Image: Percival Lowell / Library of Congress Lowell was born to a wealthy and prominent New England family. His great grandfather, John Lowell, was one of the first Judges to be appointed by President George Washington,… Read the full story

Does anyone in your family play the theremin? Today we celebrate the 112th birthday of master theremin performer Clara Rockmore. Image: Clara Rockmore / Wikimedia Commons She was born Clara Reisenberg on March 9, 1911 in Vilnius, Lithuania, which was then a part of the Russian Empire. A talented violinist growing up, Rockmore was forced to give up the instrument due to health problems caused by malnutrition. After her family fled to the United States, Rockmore met Léon Theremin,… Read the full story

Do you have Estonian roots? On this day in 1826, Estonian painter Johann Köler was born. A leader of the Estonian national awakening, Köler is considered to be the first professional painter of Estonia. Image: Johann Köler / Järvamaa Muuseum, Wikimedia Commons Köler was born March 8, 1826 in Lubjassaare farmstead in Ivaski, Vijandi County to a peasant family. Although the family had little money, Köler managed to attend school and eventually study painting at… Read the full story

On this day in 1765, French inventor Nicéphore Niépce was born in Chalon-sur-Saône-et-Loire, France. He is best remembered as the inventor of photography and one of the most important pioneers of the field. Nicéphore Niépce / Wikimedia Commons The son of a wealthy lawyer, Niépce’s entire family fled during the French Revolution, but he returned to serve in the French army under Napoleon. After returning home to manage his family’s estate, Niépce developed an interest in… Read the full story

Today we celebrate the 176th birthday of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the first practical telephone. Image: Alexander Graham Bell / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland to Alexander Melville Bell ad Eliza Grace Symonds. His family life profoundly influenced his research on hearing and speech; his father and grandfather were elocutionists and both his mother and his wife were deaf. This research lead to… Read the full story

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss! Today marks the 119th birthday of the beloved children’s book author. Image: Theodore Seuss Geisel / Library of Congress Theodore Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts to Theodor Robert Geisel and Henrietta Seuss. His father was a successful brewmaster before the family brewery was closed when Prohibition took effect. He was later appointed as superintendent of Springfield’s public parks system by the mayor. Geisel published his first… Read the full story

On this day in 1810, Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin was born. Image: Frédéric Chopin / Library of Congress Frédéric François Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola in what was then the Duchy of Warsaw, a Polish state established by Napoleon I. Although his baptism record states his birthday as February 22, 1810, Chopin and his family used the birthdate March 1, which today is generally accepted as the correct date. A child prodigy, Chopin… Read the full story

On this day in 1901, chemist and activist Linus Pauling was born in Portland, Oregon. Regarded as one of the most influential scientists in history, Pauling is often considered to be the founder of the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. Image: Linus Pauling / Smithsonian Institution, Flickr The eldest child of Herman Henry Pauling and Lucy Darling, Pauling showed an interest in science at a young age. He contributed many discoveries across several scientific fields. The… Read the full story

Today we remember acting legend Elizabeth Taylor on what would have been her 91st birthday. Image: Elizabeth Taylor / Wikimedia Commons Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born on February 27, 1932 in London, England to American parents, Francis Lenn Taylor, an art dealer, and Sara Sothern, a retired actress. Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the family returned to the United States and settled in Los Angeles, California. Soon after, Taylor began auditioning for films…. Read the full story

Today we remember pioneering NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who passed away on this day at the age of 101. Johnson broke racial and gender barriers by becoming one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist. Image: Katherine Johnson / NASA Johnson was born on August 26, 1918 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia to Joshua Coleman, a handyman and farmer, and Joylette Roberta Lowe, a teacher. Johnson showed a gift… Read the full story

On this day in 1868, civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Du Bois is often considered one of the most influential proponents of civil rights during the first half of the 20th century. Image: W.E.B. Du Bois / Library of Congress William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868 to Alfred Du Bois and Mary Silvina Burghardt. His mother’s family was a part of a small,… Read the full story