Birth of Ogden Nash
Ogden Nash was born on August 19, 1902, in Rye, New York. Having written over 500 poems during his life, Nash is considered America’s best-known humorous poet.
Literature
Birth of Phoebe Pember
Phoebe Yates Levy Pember was born on August 18, 1823, in Charleston, South Carolina. During the Civil War, she directed the care and dietary needs of over 15,000 soldiers at Richmond’s Chimborazo, one of the CSA’s largest hospitals. She later recounted her experiences in her memoir, A Southern Woman’s Story.
Birth of Henry David Thoreau
Naturalist, author, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau valued simple living, nature and the importance of protesting injustice through civil disobedience. As one of America’s most famous transcendentalists, his works have influenced some of the greatest leaders in modern history.
Birth of Robert Panara
Robert F. Panara was born on July 8, 1920, in the Bronx, New York. Panara was one of America’s leading deaf educators. His work helped pioneer the field and promote the idea that deafness is not a disability, but a different way to view the world.
Birth of Pearl S. Buck
Author Pearl Sydenstricker Buck was born on June 26, 1892, in Hillsboro, West Virginia. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1932, the Nobel Prize in 1938, and was the only woman at that time to receive both honors.
Birth of Charles W. Chesnutt
Charles Waddell Chesnutt was born on June 20, 1858, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a critically-acclaimed author and the first African American novelist to have his work published in the prestigious Atlantic Monthly Magazine.
Birth of Theodore Roethke
Acclaimed poet Theodore Huebner Roethke was born on May 25, 1908, in Saginaw, Michigan. Considered one of the most influential poets of his time, he won the 1954 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and two National Book Awards for Poetry.
Happy Birthday Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1901, in Joplin, Missouri.
Happy Birthday Willa Cather
Author Willa Sibert Cather was born on December 7, 1873, in Gore, Virginia.