Monday

Jan. 18, 1999

Middle Age Poem

by Grace Paley

MONDAY 1/18

Poem: "Middle Age Poem," by Grace Paley, from New and Collected Poems (Tilbury House, 1992).

Today is MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY—America's newest national holiday celebrating the birth of the civil rights leader born on January 15, 1929. The holiday was signed into law by President Ronald Regan in 1983.

Today marks the day in 1943 when the Jews remaining in the WARSAW GHETTO started armed resistance against the Nazis.

It's the birthday of mathematician and writer JACOB BRONOWSKI born in 1908 in Poland, known for his work on the history of science and culture. His most well-known works include the book, Science and Human Values (1956), and his BBC television series in the 1970s entitled The Ascent of Man.

It was on this day in 1896 that the FIRST COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME was played-an experimental game played in Iowa City between the University of Iowa and the University of Chicago. Each of the teams had five players, and the University of Chicago won, 15 to 12.

It's the birthday of the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. MILNE-Alan Alexander Milne-born in London in 1882.

It's the birthday of PETER MARK ROGET, born 1779 in London, author of the first thesaurus, published in 1852. He was a physician and spent most of his life teaching medicine in London. The thesaurus was a retirement project, started when he was 61, and took him about 12 years to complete.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®

 

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