Zile de nastere - Birthdays

Galt was a British-Canadian statesman. Born in London, he immigrated to Canada in his teens and began his political career there in 1849, eventually serving several terms as minister of finance. Although he signed the 1849 manifesto favoring the annexation of Canada by the US, he became one of the most persistent and influential leaders of the movement for confederation of the provinces and later advocated Canadian independence. He was a founding member of what company that still exists today? Discuss

One of the leading filmmakers in contemporary German cinema, Herzog is a prolific director, screenwriter, and producer known for his vivid and poetic films. During the 1960s, he mostly made short films but completed his first feature, Signs of Life, in 1968. He went on to make a number of films noted for their acutely observed detail and tales of danger and escape. More recently, he has made several acclaimed documentaries. What criminal act started Herzog on his filmmaking career? Discuss

Constantijn Huygens was a Dutch humanist and poet and the father of famed scientist Christiaan Huygens. His descriptive and satirical poems were highly esteemed, and both English and French monarchs knighted him in recognition of his genius. Thousands of his letters have survived to this day and attest to his wide acquaintance with contemporary scholars, including Descartes and Donne. Huygens was also an accomplished musician and composer and wrote verse in how many different languages? Discuss

The leading spokesman of the Center Party, Kekkonen became Finland's prime minister in 1950 and succeeded Juho Paasikivi as president in 1956. After his reelection in 1962 and 1968, the Finnish parliament voted to extend his term, which was to expire in 1974, until 1978, at which time he was elected to his final term as president. Throughout his career, Kekkonen succeeded in maintaining friendly neutrality with the USSR. Many believe Kekkonen was responsible for Finlandization, which was what? Discuss

Regarded as one of the most important African-American artists of the 20th century, Bearden first achieved recognition for his complex, semiabstract collages of photographs and painted paper on canvas while in Europe after serving in the military during WWII. An extremely prolific artist, Bearden created some 2,000 works during his career, often focusing on aspects of African-American culture, including music and family. A subway mural by Bearden in what city was once valued at $15 million? Discuss

After working numerous odd jobs, Burroughs tried his hand at writing, publishing his first story under the pen name Normal Bean in 1912. Two years later, he published Tarzan of the Apes, a story about an English boy raised by apes in Africa. Wildly successful, the book was the first in a series of 27 Tarzan titles. Burroughs later moved to Hollywood to supervise the filming of the first of the extremely successful Tarzan films. What city is named after his most famous character? Discuss

Caligula was a Roman emperor who began his reign upon the death of the extremely unpopular Tiberius. His reign was initially welcomed, but, shortly after assuming power, he suffered a severe illness that is widely believed to have rendered him insane. He earned a reputation for cruel autocracy, torture, and execution and was finally assassinated by a tribune of the Praetorian Guard. Caligula's real name was Caius Caesar Germanicus. Why was he nicknamed Caligula as a child? Discuss

In 1816, 18-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and her soon-to-be husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, traveled to Geneva to spend the summer with poet Lord Byron. Forced indoors by unpleasant weather, the friends amused themselves by sitting around a fire and reading ghost stories. Byron suggested they each write their own supernatural tale, and the story that Mary wrote became the basis for her novel, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. What real-life events may have inspired her? Discuss

The father of the US Supreme Court justice of the same name, Holmes was an American physician, poet, and humorist. After beginning his medical career as a general practitioner, he shifted to the academic field and became dean of the Harvard medical school. However, he is perhaps best known for the poem that won him national acclaim—"Old Ironsides," a protest against the scrapping of the USS Constitution, which helped save the ship. What common medical term was coined by Holmes? Discuss

Seton was the first native-born US citizen canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Six years after she founded the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children, her husband died, leaving her with five young children. She later opened a free Catholic elementary school and is considered the mother of the US parochial school system. In 1813, she founded the Sisters of Charity, the first US religious order, and served as its superior until her death. Seton is the patron saint of what? Discuss

Radnitzky was a photographer, painter, and filmmaker better known in the art world as Man Ray. After forming the New York Dada group with Marcel Duchamp in 1917, he moved to Paris and became associated with the Surrealists. By placing objects on light-sensitive paper and exposing them to sunlight, he created "cameraless" pictures called "rayographs." He later turned to portrait and fashion photography, extensively documenting Parisian celebrities. How did Radnitzky come to be known as Man Ray? Discuss

Apollinaire was a French poet who developed a casual, lyrical poetic style characterized by a blend of modern and traditional images and verse techniques. His poetry was marked by daring technical experiments, and his use of unusual verbal associations and word patterns to create surprise is often considered the start of Surrealism. A friend of many avant-garde artists, including Pablo Picasso, Apollinaire was once arrested as a suspect in the theft of what famous painting? Discuss

Pinkerton, an American detective and spy, founded the first private detective agency in the US—the Pinkerton Detective Agency—in 1850. The agency, which specialized in railroad theft cases, soon became famous, and Pinkerton opened branches in several cities. In 1860, he discovered and thwarted a plot to assassinate newly elected President Abraham Lincoln while en route to his inauguration. He went on to serve as a spy during the Civil War and head up what would become what government agency? Discuss

Pinkerton, an American detective and spy, founded the first private detective agency in the US—the Pinkerton Detective Agency—in 1850. The agency, which specialized in railroad theft cases, soon became famous, and Pinkerton opened branches in several cities. In 1860, he discovered and thwarted a plot to assassinate newly elected President Abraham Lincoln while en route to his inauguration. He went on to serve as a spy during the Civil War and head up what would become what government agency? Discuss

Borges was an Argentine poet, essayist, and short-story writer. Much of his work is rich in fantasy and metaphorical allegory, including the story collection Ficciones, which won him an international following. In the 1920s, Borges was afflicted by a worsening hereditary blindness and was totally blind by the mid-1950s. Forced to abandon the writing of long texts, he began dictating his works. What literary movement is Borges credited with establishing in South America? Discuss

Often called "the maker of modern Greece," Venizelos was a Greek revolutionary who became a prominent statesman. After leading an assembly to declare the union of Crete with Greece in 1905, he went to Athens and won an extraordinary popular following. During his first term as Greek premier, he completed the revision of the constitution and led Greece through the Balkan Wars, in which its territory and population were approximately doubled. Why was Venizelos exiled shortly before his death? Discuss

Parker was an American short-story and verse writer who gained an almost legendary reputation for her sardonic wit while serving as drama critic for Vanity Fair and book critic for The New Yorker. She went on to write stage and screen plays and was twice nominated for an Academy Award. In the 1950s, she was blacklisted by Hollywood for her suspected ties to Communism. Parker was a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table, dubbed "The Vicious Circle" by members. What was it? Discuss

Basie was an American jazz pianist and composer who became one of the premier swing bandleaders of his time. After working in dance halls and vaudeville in New York City, Basie moved to Kansas City, a major jazz center, where he formed his own band. Under his leadership, they broadcast from the Reno Club in Kansas City, where a radio announcer dubbed him "Count." According to one story, the band came up with what signature song while improvising to fill time on the radio show? Discuss

A master of Gothic horror, fantasy, and science fiction, Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer particularly noted for his many nightmarish short stories, most of which originally appeared in Weird Tales and other pulp magazines. Some of his best-known tales are part of the Cthulhu Mythos series, in which he invents an entire mythology of earthly origins, gods, and hideous otherworldly creatures. Many of Lovecraft's stories mention the Necronomicon, which is what? Discuss

Arguably the most important figure in 20th-century fashion, Chanel founded her first house of couture in 1913. Within five years, her innovative use of jersey fabric and accessories was attracting wealthy patrons. Her nonconformist designs stressed simplicity and comfort and revolutionized the fashion industry. The financial basis of her empire was her Chanel No. 5 perfume, introduced in 1922 and still popular today. What essential women's fashion staple was first popularized by Chanel? Discuss

The first English child born in the Americas, Dare began her life in the colony of Roanoke in what is now the state of North Carolina. Strangely, the colony soon disappeared, and what became of Dare and the other colonists remains a mystery. In the 400 years since, Dare has become a prominent figure in American mythology and folklore. To many, she represents concepts like innocence and hope. Others use her name as a rallying cry for bigotry and sexism. How do historians know about her birth? Discuss

Goldwyn was a Polish-born American film producer. He founded his own film company, which later merged with others to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). In 1946, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Goldwyn is said to have had an explosive temper that left him with few close friends. When a former colleague died, Goldwyn allegedly declared, "The reason so many people turned up at his funeral is that they wanted to make sure he was dead." Whose passing prompted this statement? Discuss

Goldwyn was a Polish-born American film producer. He founded his own film company, which later merged with others to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). In 1946, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Goldwyn is said to have had an explosive temper that left him with few close friends. When a former colleague died, Goldwyn allegedly declared, "The reason so many people turned up at his funeral is that they wanted to make sure he was dead." Whose passing prompted this statement? Discuss

Wundt was a German physiologist and psychologist who stressed the use of scientific methods in psychology. Regarded as one of the fathers of psychology and the founder of experimental psychology, Wundt is credited with many firsts in the field: he gave the first course in scientific psychology in 1862, established the first psychological laboratory in 1879, and founded the first journal of psychology in 1881. Wundt's body of written work is said to include how many pages? Discuss

John Metcalf, popularly known as Blind Jack, was a civil engineer and the first professional road builder of the Industrial Revolution. He lost his sight to a smallpox infection at age six and earned a living in early adulthood as a fiddle player. Though he was unable to see, he swam, played cards, rode horses, and even hunted. In 1765, Parliament passed an act authorizing turnpike building, and he won a contract to build a new road. How many miles of roadway is Metcalf said to have built? Discuss

Galsworthy was an English novelist and dramatist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932. Though once popular for his socially conscious plays, he is best remembered today for his series of novels tracing the history of a fictional family from the 1880s to the 1920s. Spanning three trilogies, the series sympathetically examines the lives of the many memorable members of the wealthy, snobbish, and complacent Forsyte family. Galsworthy gave up a career in what field to be a writer? Discuss

Oakley took up hunting at age nine and soon earned a reputation as a "dead shot." In her early 20s, she beat marksman Frank Butler in a shooting match and then married him. Together they joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Oakley's famous act included hitting the thin edge of a playing card from 30 paces and shooting targets while looking into a mirror. She was also known for shooting the end off a cigarette held between Butler's lips, a trick she once performed with what future head of state? Discuss

In 1913, DeMille joined Jesse Lasky and Samuel Goldwyn to form the forerunner of Paramount Communications. Their first venture, The Squaw Man (1914), was the first full-length feature film produced in Hollywood. DeMille, known for his flamboyance and his taste for huge casts and extravagant sets, went on to make numerous comedies before creating biblical spectacles such as 1923's The Ten Commandments. Which of DeMille's films won an Academy Award for best picture in 1952? Discuss

Blyton was a British schoolteacher who began writing in her spare time and went on to become one of the most successful children's storytellers of the 20th century. She published her first book in 1922 and, over the next 40 years, produced several hundred children's books and numerous magazine articles. She is best known for several book series, including those featuring Noddy, the Famous Five, and the Secret Seven. It is said that at one point in her career she produced how many words a day? Discuss

Shearer, an Academy Award-winning Canadian-American actress, was one of the most popular actresses of the 1920s, 30s, and early 40s. Largely forgotten after her retirement in 1942, she received renewed attention in the 1990s, when some of her films were rereleased. Widely celebrated today as one of cinema's feminist pioneers, Shearer earned six Academy Award nominations for best actress, winning for her role in The Divorcee (1930). She reportedly passed up a part in what blockbuster film? Discuss