Literature
Paine’s Common Sense Published
On January 10, 1776, Common Sense, a persuasive pamphlet encouraging Americans to declare independence from Great Britain, was published anonymously.
Poor Richard’s Almanack
On December 19, 1732, Benjamin Franklin published the first edition of his Poor Richard’s Almanack under the pseudonym Richard Saunders.
Birth of Wallace Stevens
Poet Wallace Stevens was born on October 2, 1879, in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Birth of Edna Ferber
Author Edna Ferber was born on August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Saturday Evening Post
On August 4, 1821, The Saturday Evening Post published its first issue.
Death of William Shakespeare
Renowned playwright, poet, and actor, William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.
Birth of Hans Christian Andersen
Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805, in Odense, Funen, Kingdom of Denmark-Norway
Birth of Edith Wharton
Author Edith Newbold Jones Wharton was born on January 24, 1862, in New York City, New York.
Birth of Zora Neale Hurston
Novelist and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 7, 1891, in Notasulga, Alabama. She was a prolific writer, credited with accurately documenting the lives of everyday working black families in the Deep South during the Depression.