Category: Today’s Birthday

Hine was an American photographer whose career began shortly after he bought his first camera in 1903. Devoted to capturing images of the dark side of the industrial revolution in the US, he documented the poverty of immigrants and the plight of child laborers. The power of his images placed him at the forefront of 20th-century documentary photographers and helped bring about the passage of child labor laws. Some of his most famous images document the construction of what iconic skyscraper? Discuss

Largely self-taught, Rothko was an American painter who became a leading exponent of a uniquely personal strain within the larger movement of abstract expressionism. By 1950, he was creating his so-called color-field paintings, works with large rectangles of color that express moods. In 1970, he committed suicide shortly after completing what some regard as his masterwork, a group of murals for a chapel in Houston, Texas. For what record-breaking price did one of Rothko’s paintings sell in 2007? Discuss

Potemkin was a Russian army officer who helped bring Catherine II to power in 1762. After fighting in the Russo-Turkish War, he became Catherine’s lover and perhaps the most powerful man in Russia. He played an important role in the annexing of the Crimea, but he underestimated the cost of colonizing it and left many projects incomplete. His success in disguising his shortcomings led to the claim that when he gave Catherine a tour of the region, he showed her “Potemkin villages,” which are what? Discuss

Rooney was an American actor who began his career when he was just 17 months old, as part of his family’s vaudeville act, and made his film debut at 6. He went on to star in 50 RKO short comedies, and his diminutive size allowed him to play boys until he was nearly 30. From 1937, he played the cocky, energetic Andy Hardy in a series of popular films, often teamed with Judy Garland. In 1983, he received an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement. What was Rooney’s name at birth? Discuss

Anne was the fourth queen consort of King Henry VIII of England. She was the sister of a powerful German Protestant leader and was considered a desirable match for Henry by English councilors, most notably Thomas Cromwell, who sought to ally England with Protestants in Germany. The marriage was agreed upon in 1539, and although Henry tried to break the contract after actually seeing his bride, they married in 1540. The marriage was never consummated, however, and they divorced after how long? Discuss

Wells was an English author whose early books exemplify the political and social beliefs of his time. Full of fantasy and fascinating pseudoscientific speculations, they include The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds. Although he is probably best remembered for his works of science fiction, he was also an imaginative social thinker who worked for many progressive causes. What novels did he write after he abandoned science fiction? Discuss

Dewar was a British chemist and physicist best known for his work on the properties of matter at very low temperatures and the liquefaction of gases. In the course of his work, he liquefied and solidified hydrogen and invented the Dewar flask. Used for storing liquefied gases, his Dewar flask—a double-walled flask with an insulating vacuum between the inner and outer walls—became essential in low-temperature scientific work. What everyday item was patterned after Dewar’s flask? Discuss

Elliot was an American singer and member of the vocal group The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she had a successful solo career, releasing several studio albums. In 1974, after a series of performances at the London Palladium, Elliot was found dead in an apartment loaned to her by singer Harry Nilsson—the same apartment where drummer Keith Moon died four years later. Although Elliot died from a heart attack, an often repeated urban myth states that she died by choking on what? Discuss

Johnson was a British man of letters and one of the outstanding figures of 18th-century England. In 1755, after eight years of work, he published his monumental Dictionary of the English Language, considered the first great English dictionary. His aphorisms helped make him one of the most frequently quoted English writers. His biography, written by his contemporary James Boswell, is one of the most admired biographies of all time. How many entries did Johnson’s dictionary include? Discuss

Known as “Little Mo,” Connolly was one of America’s greatest female tennis players. At 14, she became the youngest winner of the National Girl’s Tournament. At 16, she became the youngest player to win the US national singles championship and successfully defended the title in the two years that followed. She also won three straight Wimbledon championships starting in 1952. In 1953, she became the first woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year. Why did she retire at age 19? Discuss