Wednesday, December 17, 2008

December 17...In Case You Were Wondering

1660 - M.P. Andrew Marvell petitions the House of Commons for the release of John Milton from prison. 1807 - John Greenleaf Whittier is born near Haverhill, Mass. When the Atlantic Monthly gives a party to celebrate the poet's 70th birthday in 1877, Mark Twain, giving the principal address, shocks the diners by comparing Longfellow, Emerson, and Holmes (all dinner guests) to three drunken tramps in the Sierras. 1843 - Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is published. 1873 -Ford Madox Ford is born in Merton, Surrey. 1903 - Novelist Erskine Caldwell (Tobacco Road) is born in Coweta County, Ga.

- A Book of Days for the Literary Year

3 comments:

mikeandlinda said...

I thought maybe you were losing it at first. Then I realized the connection. Cool. I love random information..... keep it coming, Kay. Linda

annelle said...

Very interesting to see the things that happened on my day of birth! :) Thanks Kay!

Kay said...

I hope you had a Happy Birthday, Annelle!