Author Archives: dcaligari

April 15, 1865 – Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, died from a bullet wound inflicted the night before by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathizer. The president’s death came only six days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his massive army at Appomattox, effectively ending the American CivilContinue reading “She won’t think anything about it.”

April 14, 1865 –So, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln? On the evening of Good Friday, just after 10 p.m., President Abraham Lincoln received a cranial gunshot wound from well-known actor, John Wilkes Booth, while attending a performance of the play, Our America Cousin at the Ford Theatre on this date. Booth shouted out “sicContinue reading “Avoid the Theatre”

April 14, 1912 – 11:40 pm.Mr and Mrs Sturges are arguing about whether or not Mrs Sturges will return to Europe with her husband after the boat docks in New York. In the heat of the moment, Julia Sturges reveals to her husband Richard, that Norman, their son is not his but but rather theContinue reading “Somewhere in the middle of the North Atlantic”

April 13, 1883 –Alferd Packer, one of the few people in the US ever to be jailed for cannibalism, having allegedly killed and eaten five of his traveling companions while trapped in the Rocky Mountains during fierce winter weather, was sentenced to death in Colorado. During the trial, the judge supposedly said: “Damn you, AlferdContinue reading “… And his appetite was strong”

April 12, 1857 –Our duty is to feel what is great and love what is beautiful — not to accept all the social conventions and the infamies they impose on us. … She had bought herself a blotter, a writing case, a pen and some envelopes, although she had no one to write to; sheContinue reading “Adultery, … could be as banal as marriage.”

April 12, 1961 – Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space in Vostok 3KA-2 (Vostok 1), on this date. During his flight, Gagarin famously whistled the tune The Motherland Hears, The Motherland Knows The first two lines of the song are: “The Motherland hears, the Motherland knows/Where her son flies in theContinue reading “I saw how beautiful our planet is.”

April 11, 1814 –Able was I ere I saw Elba. Unable to come up with an palindrome preventing it, Napoleon tried a forced retirement, for the first time, as Emperor of France, on this date. He retaining the title of emperor and 400 volunteers to act as his guard. He was granted sovereignty over ElbaContinue reading “Napoleon was more than a brandy”

April 10, 1925 –…So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past… F. Scott Fitzgerald third book, The Great Gatsby, was published on this date. Among various titles considered were Among Ashheaps and Millionaires, Gold-Hatted Gatsby, The High-Bouncing Lover, On the Road to West Egg and Fitzgerald’s favorite Trimalchio’s BanquetContinue reading “the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.”

April 9, 1928 –… If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend or, perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while. Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician,was born on this date. (Lehrer entered Harvard at age 15, havingContinue reading “But you won’t learn a thing about love”

April 9, 1830 –It’s the birthday of Eadweard Muybridge, born in Kingston-on-the-Thames, England. He emigrated to California in the 1850s, where he took up photography and quickly became one of the first internationally known photographers. Between 1867 and 1872 he took more than 2000 photographs, many of them views of the Yosemite Valley. It wasContinue reading “Smile for the Camera”