1st March
Image of the day
We Can Do It! poster (1943) – J. Howard Miller This is an American wartime propaganda poster produced for Westinghouse Electric. It was often assumed that the image was used as a call to inspire women workers to join the war effort. However, during the war the image was strictly internal to Westinghouse, displayed only during February 1943, and was not for recruitment but to encourage already-hired women to work harder. The poster was seen very little during World War II, but it was rediscovered in the early 1980s and widely reproduced in many forms: it was on the cover of the Smithsonian magazine in 1994 and was made into a US mail stamp in 1999. On this day … 1692 Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba were brought before local magistrates in Salem Village, Massachusetts, beginning what would become known as the Salem witch trials. 1969 Spanish film actor Javier Bardem was born. Quote of the day A day without laughter is a day wasted. Charlie Chaplin, whose coffin was dug up on this day in 1978 and stolen from its grave by two unemployed mechanics in an attempt to get money from his widow. Did you know …? The Pink Floyd album Dark Side Of The Moon was released on this day in 1973 and remained in the American album charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. |
2nd March
Image of the day
World War I recruitment posters On 2nd March 1916 The Military Service Act came into force. It was the first time that legislation had been passed in British military history introducing conscription. The Act specified that men from 18 to 41 years old were liable to be called up for service in the army unless they were married, widowed with children, serving in the Royal Navy, a minister of religion, or working in one of a number of reserved occupations. A second Act in May 1916 extended liability for military service to married men, and a third Act in 1918 extended the upper age limit to 51. On this day … 1939 English archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter died. He became world famous after discovering the intact tomb of 14th-century BC pharaoh Tutankhamun in November 1922. 1942 American musician, singer and songwriter Lou Reed was born. 1999 English pop singer Dusty Springfield died. Quote of the day … There is no such thing as liberty. You only change one sort of domination for another. All we can do is to choose our master. D.H. Lawrence, English author who died on this day in 1930. Did you know …? The skin is the body’s largest organ, and the skin of an average adult weighs about 5kg. |
3rd March
Image of the day
Widows’ Walk – Rob Gonsalves Rob Gonsalves is a Canadian painter of magic realism with a unique perspective and style. His style is influenced by the work of both René Magritte and M. C. Escher. On this day … 1847 Inventor of the telephone Alexander Graham Bell was born. 1931 President Herbert Hoover signed an act making The Star Spangled Banner the official national anthem of the United States. Quote of the day … When you don’t have what you like you have to like what you’ve got. Serge Gainsbourg, French singer-songwriter who died on this day in 1991. Did you know …? 93% of all greeting cards are purchased by women. |
4th March
Image of the day
Glen Baxter cartoons Glen Baxter (born on this day 1944) is an English cartoonist noted for his absurdist drawings and an overall effect often resembling literary nonsense. His images and their corresponding captions employ art and language inspired by pulp fiction and adventure comics with intellectual jokes and references. His simple line-drawings often feature cowboys, gangsters, explorers, and schoolchildren, who utter incongruous intellectual statements regarding art and philosophy. On this day … 1678 Italian virtuoso violinist, teacher and composer Antonio Vivaldi was born. The Four Seasons is the best known of his works. 1837 Martin Van Buren became the 8th President of the USA. 1991 A 13-year-old cat called Blackie was left £50,000 by its owner Muriel Fletcher. Quote of the day Most people would like to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch. Robert Orben, American comedy writer born on this day in 1927. Did you know …? Martin Van Buren was the first President to be born a citizen of the United States. Previous Presidents had been born before the American Revolution, and so were born British subjects. |
5th March
Image of the day
The Mercator projection (1569) - Gerardus Mercator The Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection devised by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. The Mercator projection was suited to navigation but was also used commonly in world maps. It preserves the shapes of small objects but distorts the size and shape of large objects, and increasingly inflates the sizes of regions according to their distance from the equator. This inflation results, for example, in a representation of Greenland that is larger than Africa, which has a geographic area 14 times greater than Greenland's. On this day … 1616 Copernicus’s astronomical work de Revolutionibus was placed on the Catholic Forbidden index. 1836 Samuel Colt began manufacturing his ‘revolving gun’ – the revolver. 1868 The first stapler was patented by C.H. Gould of Birmingham. 1982 American comedian, actor and singer John Belushi died of a drug overdose, age 33 Quote of the day Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I'll be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first—rock 'n' roll or Christianity. John Lennon, in a London Evening Standard article published 05/03/1966 Did you know …? As the American Civil War approached Samuel Colt supplied both the North and the South with weapons. When Colt died in 1862 he was one of the wealthiest men in America. |
6th March
Image of the day
The Creation of Adam (1511 – 1512) – Michelangelo, born 06/03/1475 Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam is one of the fresco paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. It illustrates the Biblical creation narrative from the Book of Genesis in which God breathes life into Adam, the first man. The painting is the most well-known of the Sistine Chapel fresco panels, and its fame as a piece of art is rivalled only by the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The image of the near-touching hands of God and Adam has become iconic of humanity and has been reproduced in countless imitations and parodies. Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper and Michelangelo's Creation of Adam are the most replicated religious paintings of all time. On this day … 1619 French dramatist Cyrano De Bergerac was born. 1930 Frozen foods, developed from an Eskimo technique by Clarence Birdseye, were first put on sale in stores in Springfield, Massachusetts. 1946 Pink Floyd lead guitarist and vocalist Dave Gilmour was born. Quote of the day What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Colombian novelist, born 06/03/1927 Did you know …? The first commercial chewing gum was sold in the U.S. in 1848 by John B. Curtis, but chewing gum has existed in various forms since the Neolithic period. |
7th March
Image of the day
Broadway Boogie-Woogie (1943) – Piet Mondrian, who was born 07/03/1872 Dutch artist Piet Mondrian spent twenty years from 1918 to 1938 in Paris, and then moved to London. After the Netherlands were invaded and Paris fell in 1940, he left London for Manhattan, where he remained until his death. Broadway Boogie-Woogie was completed in 1943, shortly after Mondrian moved to New York. Compared to his earlier work, the canvas is divided into a much larger number of squares. Although he spent most of his career creating abstract work, this painting is inspired by clear real-world examples: the city grid of Manhattan, and the Broadway boogie woogie music to which Mondrian loved to dance. The painting was bought for $800 and was later donated to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. On this day … 1530 King Henry VIII’s request for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon is refused by the Pope. 1912 Roald Amundsen reached Hobart, Australia and announced that he and his team had reached the South Pole three months earlier. Quote of the day I may say that this is the greatest factor—the way in which the expedition is equipped—the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order—luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck. Roald Amundsen Did you know …? The first product that Sony developed was the rice cooker. |
8th March
Image of the day
John Stezaker (born 1949) John Grenville Stezaker is an English conceptual artist. His work is surreal in tone and is often made using collage and the appropriation of pre-existing images such as postcards, film stills, and publicity photographs. On this day … 1973 Paul & Linda McCartney were fined £100 for growing cannabis. 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people on board disappeared, prompting the most expensive search effort in history. 2016 English record producer Sir George Martin died. He was sometimes referred to as 'the fifth Beatles' due to his extensive involvement on each of the Beatles' original albums. Quote of the day There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between. Sir Thomas Beecham, English conductor who died 08/03/1961 Did you know …? The average life expectancy of an ant is about 90 days. |
9th March
Image of the day
Sale Ends Today (2006) – Banksy Banksy is the pseudonym of an unknown graffiti artist from Bristol in the south-west of England. This piece was released as an oil on canvas painting, exhibited at Banksy’s ‘Barely Legal’ show in Los Angeles. It sold for $230,500. On this day … 1876 Alexander Graham Bell filed his patent for the telephone, only 3 hours before a similar one by Elisha Gray. 1943 American chess champion Bobby Fischer was born. Quote of the day I personally stay away from natural foods. At my age I need all the preservatives I can get. George Burns, American comedian who died on this day in 1996 at the age of 100. Did you know …? In Armenia, chess is a compulsory school subject. |
10th March
Image of the day
The Rokeby Venus (1651) - Diego Velázquez, attacked by Mary Richardson on 10/03/1914 The Rokeby Venus is the only surviving female nude by Velázquez. Nudes were extremely rare in seventeenth-century Spanish art, which was policed actively by members of the Spanish Inquisition. Despite this, nudes by foreign artists were keenly collected by the court circle, and this painting was hung in the houses of Spanish courtiers until 1813, when it was brought to England to hang in Rokeby Park, Yorkshire. In 1906, the painting was purchased for the National Gallery, London. On March 10 1914, the suffragette Mary Richardson walked into the gallery and attacked Velázquez's canvas with a meat cleaver. Richardson left seven slashes on the painting, particularly causing damage to the area between the figure's shoulders, but they were all successfully repaired. On this day … 1831 The French Foreign Legion was established by King Louis-Philippe to support his war in Algeria. 1988 English singer-songwriter Andy Gibb died after years of cocaine abuse just days after his 30th birthday. Quote of the day I'm not big on plastic surgery for me but I don't fault it for someone who wants it for them. You have to do what makes you feel good, but it's not my thing. Sharon Stone, American actress born on this day in 1958. Did you know …? The terms Big Bang, Tory, impressionist and suffragette were all invented to lampoon something, but backfired - the terms were adopted by those at whom they were directed. |
11th March
Image of the day
Wedding of Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman 12/03/1969 Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Registry Office, Westminster. The scene was chaos as the press and hundreds of weeping teenage girls swarmed the grounds. The wedding began one hour late due to Paul's best man, his brother Mike, being delayed on British Railways. Linda's six-year-old daughter Heather was the bridesmaid. On this day … 1997 Paul McCartney was knighted. Quote of the day If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. Paul McCartney Did you know …? The Great Wall of China is about 5,500 miles long. In comparison, U.S. Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles is 2,448 miles long. |
12th March
Image of the day
Cabaret poster Cabaret is a 1972 musical film starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing Nazi Party. The film holds the record for most Academy Award wins in a single year, eight, without winning the highest honor, Best Picture, which was won that year by The Godfather. On this day … 1946 American actress and singer Liza Minnelli was born. 1968 The island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean gained independence, having been a British colony since 1810. 1969 Paul McCartney, the last remaining bachelor of the Beatles, married Linda Eastman (see image of the day for 11th March) Quote of the day Money makes the world go around. From the Cabaret song Money Did you know …? The coconut is the largest seed in the world. |
13th March
Image of the day
Station Kievskaya (opened 14.03.1954) - E. Katonin, V. Skugarev, G. Golubev (architects) This is one of the most elaborate and extravagant underground stations in Moscow, dedicated to the friendship between the Russian and Ukrainian people and is named after the capital city of Ukraine. This station was also the favourite of Nikita Kruschtschev who was CPSU (communist party) leader at the time of its completion. 18 mosaics are situated on the pillars alone. Some depict happier days in the soviet Ukraine, others the revolution of 1917. The style of this station is socialist realism which corresponds with an ideology rather than an art form. On almost every picture Russian symbols can be found: the red flag complete with hammer and sickle in remembrance of the Soviet past. On this day … 1733 English theologian, chemist and liberal political theorist Joseph Priestley was born: he is usually credited with the discovery of oxygen. 1961 Pablo Picasso (79) married his model Jacqueline Rocque (37). Quotes of the day Integrity is like oxygen. The higher you go, the less there is of it. Anon. The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it’s unfamiliar territory. Paul Fix American actor born on this day in 1901. Did you know …? Joseph Priestley invented soda water. |
14th March
Image of the day
Tomb of Karl Heinrich Marx in Highgate Cemetery, London. He died on this day in 1883 Marx was born on 5 May 1818 in Trier in Germany, the son of a successful Jewish lawyer. In 1843 Marx and his wife Jenny moved to Paris, a hotbed of radical thought. There he became a revolutionary communist and befriended his lifelong collaborator, Friedrich Engels. They co-authored the pamphlet The Communist Manifesto which was published in 1848 and asserted that all human history had been based on class struggles, but that these would ultimately disappear with the victory of the proletariat. In 1849, Marx moved to London, where he was to spend the remainder of his life. For a number of years, his family lived in poverty but the wealthier Engels was able to support them to an increasing extent. It was during this time that he produced his most important body of work, Das Kapital. The first volume of this 'bible of the working class' was published in his lifetime, while the remaining volumes were edited by Engels after his friend's death. On this day … 1933 English film actor Sir Michael Caine was born. Quote of the day The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think. Albert Einstein, German-born physicist who was born 14/03/1879 Did you know …? Karl Marx lived in London from the age of 31 until his death, but never learnt English properly. |
15th March
Image of the day
Dyevat (1987) - Victor Vasarely, who died 15/03/1997 Vaserly was a Hungarian–French artist, who is widely accepted as a "grandfather" and leader of the short-lived Op-Art movement. His work entitled Zebra, created in the 1930s, is considered by some to be one of the earliest examples of Op-Art. By augmenting basic geometric forms and combining them with principles of colour theory, Vasarely destabilized the pictorial surface creating the illusion of depth and movement. His work went on to influence a generation of young artists in the 1960s and created a lasting impact on poster and fabric design. On this day … 1909 American tycoon G.S. Selfridge opened the first department store in London's Oxford Street. 1938 Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia. 1985 The first Internet domain name was registered (symbolics.com). Quote of the day Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow. Lawrence Clark Powell, American critic Did you know …? Heinz first started making tomato ketchup in 1876 and the recipe has remained the same ever since. |
16th March
Image of the day
Brighton Pavilion (1815–22) – John Nash The Pavilion began as a modest farmhouse, but George had it transformed at great expense into the Royal Pavilion, with its distinctive Indian domes and Chinese interiors. It was designed by John Nash, and was much criticised at the time for its flamboyant style. Brighton was the place where Prince George could indulge his passions for food, drink, gambling and women, and the Pavilion was a convenient place for him to meet his lover, Mrs Fitzherbert. When George died his younger brother William became king and used the Pavilion, but he was succeeded by Victoria, who disliked the lack of privacy in Brighton – she sold it to the town, and had a summer house for her large family built on the Isle of Wight. On this day … 1799 English botanist and photographer Anna Atkins (née Children) was born. 1970 Tammi Terrell, who sang many duets with Marvin Gaye, died of a brain tumour two weeks before her 25th birthday. Quote of the day My wife and I always hold hands. If I let go she shops. Henry Youngman, British-American comedian who was born on 16/03/1906 Did you know …? To lose one pound (half a kilo) of fat, a person has to burn approximately 3,500 calories. |
17th March
Image of the day
Parthenon Marbles (c. 447–438 BC) – Phidias and his assistants The Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles, are a collection of Classical Greek marble sculptures, inscriptions and architectural pieces that were originally part of the temple of Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens. They were controversially removed by Lord Elgin during his time as ambassador to the Ottoman court of the Sultan in Istanbul. Following a public debate in Parliament and the subsequent exoneration of Elgin, the marbles were purchased from Elgin by the British government in 1816 and were passed to the British Museum, where they are now on display. After gaining its independence from the Ottoman Empire, Greece began major projects for the restoration of the country's monuments, and urged the British Government to return the Marbles – at the moment the dispute is still ongoing. On this day … St Patrick’s Day 1845 The rubber band was patented by Stephen Perry of London. 1884 John Joseph Montgomery made the first glider flight at San Diego, California. Quote of the day Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind. Plato, The Republic c. 380 BC Did you know …? Many cancer patients treated with chemotherapy lose their hair. For some, when the hair grows back, it can grow back a different colour, or be curly or straight. |
18th March
Image of the day
Torre Canyon oil spill On 18th March 1967 The oil tanker Torrey Canyon hit rocks off Cornwall & began to spill oil. At the time it was the world's most serious oil spill, and as of 2014 it remains the UK's worst, with an estimated 32 million gallons of crude oil spilled. UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson and his cabinet held a mini cabinet meeting and decided to set fire to the vessel and surrounding oil slick to limit the extent of the oil disaster. The UK government was strongly criticised for its handling of the incident, which was at that time the costliest shipping disaster ever. The RAF and the Royal Navy also came in for ridicule, as 25% of the 42 bombs dropped missed the enormous stationary target. Some of the oil from the ship was dumped in a quarry on the isand of Guernsey in the Channel Islands, where it remains to this day. Efforts to rid the island of the oil have continue with limited success. On this day … 1834 Six farm labourers from Tolpuddle, Dorset, England were sentenced to be transported to Australia for forming a trade union. 2017 American guitarist, songwriter and pioneer of rock 'n' roll music Charles 'Chuck' Berry died. Quote of the day If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-- My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. From Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen, First World War soldier and poet born on this day in 1893. Did you know …? The first crossword was published in the New York World newspaper in 1913. |
19th March
Image of the day
Woman III (1953) – Willem De Kooning, who died 19/03/1997 Woman III is a one of a series of six paintings by abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning. From the late 70s to 1994 this painting was part of Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art collection, but after the revolution in 1979, this painting could not be shown because of strict rules set by the govern-ment about the visual arts and what they depict. In November 2006 the painting was sold to billionaire Steven A. Cohen for $137.5 million, making it the fourth most expensive painting ever sold. On this day … 1976 English guitarist of the band Free Paul Kossoff died age 26 of heroin-related heart problems on a flight across the U.S. at the age of 26. He is interred at the Golders Green Crematorium in London where his epitaph reads ‘All Right Now’. 1995 A man of 94, who lived in Seaton, Devon, left £18 million to his 2 stepdaughters who were unaware that he had any money. Quote of the day How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean. Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer who died on this day in 2008 Did you know …? The Earth’s surface is 71% water, but just 2% of the world’s water is fresh; the rest is salty. |
20th March
Image of the day
American Gothic (1930) – Grant Wood American Gothic is one of the most familiar images in 20th-century American art, and has been widely parodied in American popular culture.The figures were modeled by the artist's sister and their dentist. The woman is dressed in a colonial print apron evoking 19th-century Americana, and the couple are in the traditional roles of men and women, the man's pitchfork symbolizing hard labour, and the flowers over the woman's right shoulder suggesting domesticity. The painting was awarded the bronze medal in a competition at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Institute bought the painting; it remains there today. On this day … 1602 The Dutch East India Company issued the world's first share certificates. 1964 Irish poet and playwright Brendan Behan died. A former member of the Irish Republican Army, he was given an IRA guard of honour which escorted his coffin. 1969 John Winston Lennon married Yoko Ono in Gibraltar. Quote of the day If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. Sir Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician and astronomer who died 20/03/1727 Did you know …? G-force expresses what it feels like to accelerate in relation to gravity. In everyday life we experience 1g. Astronauts in space experience 0g (or weightlessness), while pilots or Formula 1 drivers regularly experience forces of 5 - 10 g. A rollercoaster can create a force of 4.5 g It’s thought that 15 g is potentially deadly to humans, if sustained for more than a minute. |
21st March
Image of the day
The Librarian (1566) – Giuseppe Arcimboldo Arcimboldo was an Italian painter born in 1526 or 1527. He is best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made entirely of objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books. In The Librarian, Arcimboldo used objects that signified the book culture at that time, such as the curtain that created individual study rooms in a library. The animal tails, which became the beard of the portrait, were used as dusters. By using everyday objects, the portraits were decoration and still-life paintings at the same time. His works showed not only nature and human beings, but also how closely they were related. On this day … 1413 Henry V became King of England. 1857 An earthquake hit Tokyo which resulted in about 107,000 deaths. 1935 Persia was officially renamed Iran. 1999 Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones became the first people to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon. 2006 Social networking service Twitter began. It enables users to send and read short 140-character messages called 'tweets'. Quote of the day I only drink on two occasions—when I'm thirsty and when I'm not. Brendan Behan, Irish poet and playwright who died 20/03/1964 Did you know …? A 1950 study in the UK found that only 46% of British households had a bathroom. |
22nd March
Image of the day
Print for a Politician (detail) (2005) - Grayson Perry, born 24/03/1960 Grayson Perry is an English artist, known mainly for his ceramic vases and cross-dressing. Talking about Print for a Politician he said: ‘It was influenced by many things. Chinese scroll paintings were one, those very long paintings. And Henry Darger, one of my favourite artists, always worked in longer sizes and often his pictures are battle scenes. I was thinking of all the bickering that's been going on in the world and what fun it would be to label everybody socially. I made a long list of all the different groups I could think of off the top of my head and scattered them randomly on the surface. There are minimalists, chauvinist pigs, elitists, parents, fat people, townies, locals, the old, Sunnis, Shias, fantasists, working class, thick people, satanists. Everything. It shows that we can live with this difference.’ On this day … 1976 American actress Reese Witherspoon was born. Quote of the day Those who know nothing of foreign languages, know nothing of their own. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German writer and politician who died on this day in 1832. Did you know …? Angel Falls in Venezuela were named after an American pilot, Jimmie Angel, whose plane got stuck on top of Auyantepui mountain in 1937 after a bad landing. His aircraft remained there until 1970, when it was disassembled and brought down by Venezuelan military helicopters. |
23rd March
Image of the day
Print for a Politician (detail) (2005) - Grayson Perry, born 24/03/1960 (continued from 22nd March) ‘I started at the top left hand corner and worked my way to the bottom right hand corner a month later. It took a long time to draw it. I just made it up as I went along really. The way I have depicted every group is kind of random. I wanted people to look at it and feel that they associated themselves with at least some of the people and think 'in the end, we are all just as bad as each other. All the architecture is mixed up and there are lots of different periods there. There are three aeroplanes there and weapons from different ages. There are generic troops. There's no historical accuracy. I wanted it to be a game and was really enjoying the figures. It was just playing. Play is very important for an artist - play and art are the same words in some African languages.’ On this day … 1842 French 19th-century novelist Stendhal (real name Marie-Henri Beyle) died. 1929 English athlete who ran the first sub-four-minute mile Sir Roger Bannister was born. 2011 British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor died. Quote of the day Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine. Elvis Presley, whose first album was released on this day in 1956. Did you know …? The six official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. |
24th March
Image of the day
Winnie the Pooh playing Poohsticks (1928) – E. H. Shepard, English artist and illustrator who died 24/03/1976. This famous ink drawing by E. H. Shepard’s of the bear playing Poohsticks with Piglet and Christopher Robin sold for £314,500 at Sotheby’s in December 2014. On this day … 1874 Hungarian-American illusionist and stunt performer Harry Houdini was born. 1905 French science fiction writer Jules Verne died. 1930 American film actor Steve McQueen was born. 1960 English artist Grayson Perry was born (see images for 22nd and 23rd March). 2016 Dutch footballer and coach Johan Cruyff died - the best footballer of his generation. Quote of the day Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. William Morris, English textile designer, poet, and socialist activist who was born on this day in 1834. Did you know …? In 1863, Jules Verne wrote a novel called Paris in the Twentieth Century about a young man who lives in a world of glass skyscrapers, high-speed trains, gas-powered automobiles, calculators, and a worldwide communications network, yet cannot find happiness and who comes to a tragic end. His publisher thought the novel's pessimism would damage Verne's career, and suggested that he wait 20 years to publish it. Verne stored the manuscript in a safe, where it was discovered by his great-grandson in 1989. The long-lost novel was finally published in 1994. |
25th March
Image of the day
John & Yoko’s Bed-In for Peace 25th – 31st March 1969 Knowing their March 20, 1969 marriage would be a huge press event, John and Yoko decided to use the publicity to promote world peace. They spent their honeymoon in the presidential suite (Room 702 – later renovated and became 902) at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel for a week, inviting the world's press into their hotel room every day between 9 am and 9 pm. On this day … 1947 English musician Elton John was born. 1957 Six nations, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Holland and Luxemburg, signed the Treaty of Rome to establish the European Economic Community (EEC). 1995 It was announced that the 5,500 population of St. Helena, Britain's most remote colony, were to finally get television. There is no airstrip on the island and the RMS St. Helena, which calls about twice every eight weeks on the way to and from Cape Town, has to anchor at sea as there is no harbour. Quote of the day The big difference between sex for money and sex for free is that sex for money usually costs a lot less. Brendan Behan, Irish poet and playwright who died 20/03/1964. Did you know …? You are 22 times more likely to be killed by a cow than a shark. On average less than one person per year is killed by a shark in the U.S. These are the most dangerous creatures according to the statistics: 1) bees (53 deaths each year in the U.S.), 2) dogs (30-35 deaths), 3) cows (22), 4) horses (20), 5) spiders (6.5), and 6) rattlesnakes (5.5). |
26th March
Image of the day
Raising the United States flag on Iwo Jima (1945) – Joe Rosenthal The invasion of Iwo Jima began on 19th February and continued to 27th March 1945. The battle was marked by some of the fiercest fighting of the World War II. Of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers present at the beginning of the battle, over 19,000 were killed and only 1,083 taken prisoner. On the fourth day of the battle Rosenthal photographed five marines raising the flag. The photograph was extremely popular, being reprinted in thousands of publications. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography that same year, and ultimately came to be regarded as one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war, and possibly the most reproduced photograph of all time. Within the next month of fighting, three of the Marines in the photograph were killed. On this day … 1827 German composer Ludwig Von Beethoven died. 1895 Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsay isolated the element Helium. 1944 American singer and actress Diana Ross was born in Detroit, USA. 1958 Britain's first parking tickets were issued to motorists in London. 1973 American computer scientist and co-founder (with Sergey Brin) of Google Larry Page was born. Did you know …? Every time he made a cup of coffee, Beethoven counted out exactly 60 coffee beans to make sure it was always the same strength. 
|
27th March
Image of the day
Concave and Convex (1955) – M. C. Escher, who died 27/03/1972 Maurits Cornelis Escher was a Dutch graphic artist born in 1898. He is known for his often mathematically inspired pictures. These feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, architecture, and tessellations (patterns using one or more geometric shapes with no gaps). This lithograph depicts an ornate architectural structure with many stairs, pillars and other shapes. The relative aspects of the objects in the image are distorted in such a way that many of the structure's features can be seen as both convex shapes and concave impressions. This is a very good example of Escher's mastery in creating 'Impossible Architectures'. On this day … 1863 English engineer and car designer Sir Henry Royce was born. Together with Charles Rolls he founded the Rolls-Royce company. 1914 The first successful blood transfusion took place in Brussels. 1945 The Battle of Iwo Jima ended (see image for 26th March). 1963 American film director Quentin Tarantino was born. 1989 A state of emergency was declared in Alaska when 11 million gallons of crude oil from the crippled tanker Exxon Valdez spread over an area covering 100 square miles. Quote of the day If the Lord had wanted us to fly, He would have made it simpler to get to the airport. Milton Berle, American comedian and actor who died on this day in 2002. Did you know …? In his youth Quentin Tarantino worked in a video rental store where he paid close attention to the types of films that people liked to rent. He has cited that experience as an inspiration for his career as a film director. |
28th March
Image of the day
I and the Village (1911) - Marc Chagall, Russian-French artist who died 28/03/1985 Chagall was an early modernist, he was associated with several major artistic styles and created works in virtually every artistic medium, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints. This painting comes from the period before World War I when he travelled between St. Petersburg, Paris and Berlin, creating his own mixture and style of modern art based on his idea of Eastern European Jewish folk culture. On this day … 1986 American singer Lady Gaga was born. 1995 A survey of wills showed that Britain remains a nation of animal lovers. £582 million was left to the top 2000 charities and animal charities took the lion's share. The RSPCA was left £20 million while Help the Aged received just £6.6 million. Quote of the day You cannot find peace by avoiding life. Virginia Woolf, English novelist who committed suicide on this day in 1941 Did you know …? Roughly 44% of junk mail is thrown away unopened. |
29th March
Image of the day
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of the Grande Jatte (1884) – Georges-Pierre Seurat, who died 29/03/1891 This is one of Seurat's most famous works, and is an example of pointillism, which is a technique in which small, distinct dots of colour are applied in patterns to form an image. The technique relies on the ability of the eye and mind of the viewer to blend the colour spots into a fuller range of tones. The practice of pointillism is in sharp contrast to the traditional methods of blending pigments on a palette – it is more similar to the four-colour CMYK printing process that uses dots of Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow, and Key (black). Televisions and computer monitors use a similar technique to represent image colours using Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) colours. On this day … 1886 Dr John Pemberton brewed the first batch of Coca-Cola in a backyard in Atlanta, Georgia. 1929 President Herbert Hoover was the first US President to have a telephone on his desk, even though it had been invented in the late 19th century. 1959 The film Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe was released. In 2017 a BBC survey of film critics from 50 countries ranked it the best comedy in film history . Quote of the day It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on. Marilyn Monroe Did you know …? It was considered undignified for the President to have a telephone on his desk. |
30th March
Image of the day
Red Vineyards near Arles (1888) – Vincent van Gogh, born 30/03/1853 Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter whose work had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art. Van Gogh drew as a child but did not paint until his late twenties; he completed many of his best-known works (including this one) during the last two years of his life. In just over a decade he produced more than 2,100 artworks, including 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolours, drawings, sketches and prints. In 1886 he moved to Paris and later he moved to the south of France where he was influenced by the strong sunlight. As a result his paintings grew brighter in colour, and it was there that he developed his unique and highly recognizable style. After years of anxiety and frequent bouts of mental illness, he died aged 37 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. On this day … 1746 Spanish romantic painter Francisco Goya was born. 1811 German chemist Robert Bunsen was born. 1867 America bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. The 375 million-acre territory worked out at less than 2 cents an acre. 1945 English guitarist & singer/songwriter Eric Clapton was born. 1981 U. S. President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. Quote of the day I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I’m in a cabinet meeting. Ronald Reagan Did you know …? Vincent Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime – Red Vineyards near Arles. |
31st March
Image of the day
The Hay Wain (1821) – John Constable, who died 31/03/1835 Constable was born in Suffolk, and is known principally for his landscape paintings of the area surrounding his home, which is now known as ‘Constable Country’. His most famous paintings include Dedham Vale (1802) and The Hay Wain. Although his paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art, he was never financially successful and did not become a member of the establishment until he was elected to the Royal Academy in 1819 at the age of 52. He showed The Hay Wain at the Academy's exhibition in London in 1821 where it was seen by the French artist Théodore Géricault, who was soon praising Constable in Paris. The Hay Wain was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1824, where it won a gold medal and was sold to an art dealer. The painting changed hands a few times after that, but in 1886 it was presented it to the National Gallery in London, where it still hangs today. On this day … 1732 Austrian composer of the Classical period Joseph Haydn was born. 1855 English novelist Charlotte Brontë died at the age of 38. 1889 The 985ft high Eiffel Tower, which cost £260,000 at the time, was officially opened. 1901 Daimler built the first Mercedes, which was named after the daughter of Emile Jellinek for whom it was built. 1971 Scottish actor Ewan McGregor was born. 1980 American Olympic athlete Jesse Owens died. Quotes of the day Being an atheist is a matter not of moral choice, but of human obligation. John Fowles, English novelist born 31/03/1926 What will the stock market do next? It will fluctuate. J. P. Morgan, American banker who died 31/03/1913. Did you know …? It would take twenty new mid-size cars to generate the same amount of pollution that a mid-size 1960's car did. |