Literature

Mark Hopkins was born on February 4, 1802, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He was the youngest college president in the US and produced many influential writings on religion, education, morality, and more.

James Albert Michener is believed to have been born on February 3, 1907, in New York City. He was a bestselling author of more than 40 books, selling an estimated 75 million copies worldwide.

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was born on January 24, 1874, in Santurce, Puerto Rico to an African American mother and German father. A key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Schomburg dedicated his life to researching and raising awareness of the achievements of Afro-Latin Americans and African Americans.

John Robinson Jeffers was born on January 10, 1887, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. He was a prolific, yet controversial poet who captured the natural beauty surrounding his home in Carmel, California.

Marianne Craig Moore was born on November 15, 1887, in Kirkwood, Missouri.  Considered one of the greatest American female poets, Moore received several distinguished literary awards during her lifetime.

The Civil War Battle of Ball’s Bluff was fought in Loudoun County, Virginia on October 21, 1861.   Though a minor battle and loss for the Union, it had some long-lasting effects on the war and some interesting historical connections.   

Author James Fenimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789, in Burlington, New Jersey. He was one of the most popular authors of his time, most well-known for his Leatherstocking Tales, particularly The Last of the Mohicans.

Marguerite Higgins Hall was born on September 3, 1920, in Hong Kong, China. A war correspondent for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, she was the first woman awarded a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting.

Author Edgar Rice Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois.  Burroughs wrote about 70 novels during his lifetime, including several about his most famous character, Tarzan.