1st October
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Sybille, Princess of Cleves (1526) by Lucas Cranach the Elder, stolen by French art thief Stéphane Breitwieser in 1995. Its estimated value at auction would be £5-£5.6 million, and is the most valuable of all the artwork stolen by Breitwieser. Between 1995 and 2001 Breitwieser stole 239 artworks and other exhibits, worth an estimated US$1.4 billion (£960m), from 172 museums while travelling around Europe and working as a waiter, an average of one theft every 15 days. Unlike most other art thieves he did not steal for any profit motive – he stole because he loved art, particularly 16th and 17th century masters. He never attempted to sell any of it for profit, but kept it in his bedroom in his mother's house in France. His room was kept in semi-darkness so the sunlight would not fade the paintings. When he was finally arrested in Switzerland his mother destroyed many of the works by cutting them up, apparently not knowing how valuable they were. He was sentenced to three years by a court in Strasbourg but only served 26 months. Around 60 pieces from his collection are unaccounted for, presumed destroyed. On this day World Vegetarian Day 1935 English actress and singer Dame Julie Andrews was born; she is best known for her roles in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. 1971 French art thief Stéphane Breitwieser was born. Quote of the day Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival of life on Earth as much as evolution to a vegetarian diet. Albert Einstein, German-born theoretical physicist. Did you know …? The earliest known references to vegetarianism come from India and Ancient Greece. The philosopher Pythagoras and his followers were early vegetarians. |
2nd October
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Fountain (1917) – Marcel Duchamp, French-American painter and conceptual artist who died 02/10/1968. This piece was a porcelain urinal, which was signed ‘R. Mutt’ and titled Fountain. It was submitted for the exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in 1917, but was rejected by the committee, even though the rules stated that all works would be accepted from artists who paid the fee. The original urinal was lost, but the work is regarded by art historians and theorists of the avant-garde as a major landmark in 20th-century art because with this one piece Duchamp created conceptual art. In December 2004 it was voted the most influential artwork of the 20th century by 500 selected British art world professionals. On this day ... 322 BC Aristotle died. 1869 Leader of the Indian independence movement Mahatma Ghandi was born. 1945 American singer-songwriter Don Mclean was born. 1951 English singer-songwriter and musician Sting was born. 2017 American musician, singer and songwriter Tom Petty died of a heart attack aged 66. Quote of the day I've had a wonderful evening, but this wasn't it. Grouch Marx, American comedian and actor born 02/10/1890 Did you know …? Around half a billion people worldwide are vegetarian – 70% of these live in India (making up around 40% of the population). Around 7% of the UK population eats no meat. |
3rd October
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Dafydd ap Gruffudd is hanged, drawn and quartered (03/10/1283. Dafydd ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, was condemned to death, the first person known to have been tried and executed for what from that time onwards would be described as high treason against the King (Edward I). Edward ensured that Dafydd's death was to be slow and agonising, and also historic; he became the first prominent person in recorded history to have been hanged, drawn and quartered. Dafydd was dragged through the streets of Shrewsbury attached to a horse's tail then hanged alive, revived, then disembowelled and his entrails burned before him for "his sacrilege in committing his crimes in the week of Christ's passion", and then his body cut into four-quarters "for plotting the king's death". Geoffrey of Shrewsbury was paid 20 shillings for carrying out the gruesome task. On this day ... 1947 Lead guitarist of rock band Fleetwood Mac Lindsey Buckingham was born. 1967 Woody Guthrie, American folk singer died. Quote of the day The way out of trouble is never as simple as the way in. Edgar Watson Howe, American novelist and newspaper editor who died 03/10/1937 Did you know …? Coca Cola had problems expressing their name in Chinese, because “Ko-Ka-Ko-La” translates as ‘bite the wax tadpole’. Eventually the decided on “Ko-Kou-Ko-Ler”, which means ‘to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice’. |
4th October
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The Gleaners (1857) – Jean-Franҫois Millet, French painter born 04/10/1814. Millet is noted for his scenes of peasant farmers; he can be categorized as part of the Realism art movement. The Gleaners is one of his most well-known of paintings; it depicts gleaning - the centuries-old right of poor women and children to remove the bits of grain left in the fields following the harvest. When he submitted the painting to the Salon the middle and upper classes viewed the topic with suspicion; these prosperous classes saw the painting as glorifying the lower-class worker. To them, it was a reminder that French society was built on the labour of the working masses, and landowners linked this working class with the growing movement of Socialism. The depiction of the working class in The Gleaners made the upper classes feel uneasy about their status. On this day 1669 Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn died. 1946 American actress Susan Sarandon was born. Quote of the day You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow. Janis Joplin, American singer who died of a heroin overdose aged 27 on 04/10/1970 Did you know …? Despite his success as a painter Rembrandt lived beyond his means and in 1660 he was forced to sell his house and his printing-press and move to more modest accommodation. |
5th October
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Agency Job (2009) – Banksy Banksy is the pseudonym of an unknown graffiti artist from Bristol in the south-west of England. In this piece he took a copy of Jean-Franҫois Millet’s 1857 painting The Gleaners and renamed it Agency Job, cutting out one of the three peasant women labouring in the fields and placing her on the frame smoking a cigarette. Millet had been deeply affected by the 1848 revolutions and their promise of democracy. He became the first European painter to portray the peasantry, a doomed class impoverished by advancing capitalism, in such a sympathetic and noble manner. On this day 1918 French aviator and fighter pilot Roland Garros was shot down and killed a month before the end of the First World War and one day before his 30th birthday. 1962 Dr No, the first James Bond film is released, with Sean Connery as Bond. 1962 The Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do. 1975 English actress Kate Winslet was born. 2011 American entrepreneur, industrial designer and businessman Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer aged 56. He is best known as the co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc. Quote of the day Perhaps I'm not a good actor, but I would be even worse at doing anything else. Sean Connery Did you know …? The fastest team game in the world is ice hockey; players can travel at speeds up to 50 km/h, and the puck can travel at 160km/h. |
6th October
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Anne Luttrell, Duchess of Cumberland (1773) – Thomas Gainsborough Gainsborough was an English portrait and land- scape painter. Although he preferred landscapes to portraits he became the dominant British portraitist of the second half of the 18th century. Anne was first married to a commoner, Christopher Horton. She later married Prince Henry, a younger brother of George III. George III did not approve of the marriage as Anne was a commoner and previously married. He later had the Royal Marriages Act 1772 passed to prevent any descendant of George II marrying without the consent of the sovereign, a law which is still in force today. Anne was generally considered a great beauty, and is also described as being ‘rather loose with her favours’. On this day 1927 The Jazz Singer, the first talking picture was released. Quote of the day Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. who died 05/10/2011 Did you know …? The mark-up on popcorn is 10,000 per cent, making it one of the world’s most profitable substances. |
7th October
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The Ambassadors (1533) – Hans Holbein the Younger, who died c. 07/10/1543 Holbein was a German-born artist who spent most of his time in England, but his style was very much influenced by Netherlandish painters, particularly the use of imagery in his work. As well as being a double portrait, The Ambassadors contains a still life of several carefully painted objects, the meaning of which is the cause of much debate. It also incorporates a distorted skull, an example of anamorphosis in painting. Artists often incorporated skulls as a reminder of mortality, but it is unclear why Holbein gave it such prominence in this painting. It is part of the collection at the National Gallery in London. On this day 1919 The Dutch Airline KLM, the oldest existing airline, was established. Did you know …? In 1939 American author Ernest Vincent Wright (who died 07/10/1939) published his novel Gadsby. Although there were over 50,000 words, none contained the letter ‘e’. The only ‘e’s in the entire book were those in the author’s name. 
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8th October
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Guerrillero Heroico (1960) – Alberto Korda, Cuban photographer. Guerrillero Heroico (English: "Heroic Guerrilla Fighter") is an iconic photograph of Marxist revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara. By the end of the 1960s, the image, in conjunction with Guevara's subsequent actions and eventual execution, helped solidify the charismatic and controversial leader as a cultural icon. The picture has been called a symbol of the 20th century and the world's most famous photo, and the Victoria and Albert Museum say that the photo has been reproduced more than any other image in photography. As a lifelong communist and supporter of the Cuban Revolution until his death, Alberto Korda claimed no payment for his picture. A modified version of the portrait through the decades was also reproduced on a range of different media, though Korda never asked for royalties. However, Korda did not want commercialization of the image in relation to products he believed Guevara would not support, especially alcohol. On this day 1769 Captain James Cook landed in New Zealand. 1967 Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men were captured in Bolivia. 1970 American actor Matt Damon was born. Quote of the day The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall. Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara Did you know …? The average computer from 1990 came with a massive 4MB of memory. |
9th October
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Jimmie Angel’s landing at Angel Falls 09/10/1937 The falls which cascade from the top of Auyantepui in a remote region of Venezuela were not known to the outside world until American aviator Jimmie Angel flew over them in 1933. On October 9, 1937, he returned to the falls with the intention of landing. On board his Flamingo monoplane were his second wife Marie and two other passengers. He attempted a landing, but despite a successful touchdown, his aircraft nose-dived when it hit soft ground at the end of its landing run - the wheels sank in the mud, making take-off impossible. The passengers were unharmed but had to trek across difficult terrain and with low food supplies for 11 days. His aircraft remained on top of Auyantepui until 1970, when it was disassembled and brought down by Venezuelan military helicopters. Today Angel's plane can be seen outside the airport terminal at Ciudad Bolívar. On this day 1410 The first recorded mention of the Prague astronomical clock. 1940 English singer/songwriter and musician John Lennon was born. 1967 Argentine doctor and revolutionary Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was executed by CIA-assisted Bolivian forces. Quote of the day If I’m going to Hell I’m going there playing the piano. Jerry Lee Lewis, American rock ‘n’ roll musician who recorded Great Balls of Fire on 08/10/1957. Did you know …? In 1957 22-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year-old cousin. |
10th October
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The Holy Virgin Mary (1996) – Chris Ofili, English painter born 10/10/1968 This large painting depicts a black woman wearing a blue robe, a traditional feature of images the Virgin Mary. The work employs mixed media, including oil paint, glitter, and polyester resin, and also elephant dung, map pins and collaged pornographic images. The mixture of the sacred (Virgin Mary) and the profane (excrement and pornography) caused controversy when the painting was exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum in New York in 1999. The Mayor of New York Rudolph Giuliani brought a court case against the museum and tried to withdraw the its annual $7 million funding, describing the exhibition of Ofili's work as ‘sick’ and ‘disgusting’; the museum eventually won the court case. The painting was sold at auction by Christie's in London in June 2015 for £2.9 million, an auction record for the artist. On this day 1813 Italian composer of operas Giuseppe Verdi was born. 1957 There was a fire at the Windscale nuclear plant in Cumbria, UK, the world's first major nuclear accident. Quote of the day Success is finding satisfaction in giving a little more than you take. Christopher Reeve, American actor who died 10/10/2004 aged 52. Did you know …? In the year 2000 there were only 361 million internet users worldwide. Today there are over 2.4 billion. |
11th October
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Flemish Fair (c. 1600) – Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Flemish painter who died 10/10/1636 Pieter Brueghel the Younger was born in Brussels, the oldest son of the famous sixteenth-century Netherlandish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder. His father died in 1569, when Pieter the younger was only five years old. Around the age of 14 Brueghel began working in the studio of a landscape painter, and later operated a large studio in Antwerp with at least eight pupils which produced mainly inexpensive copies of his father's work for local sale and export. Pieter Brueghel the Younger painted landscapes, religious subjects, proverbs and village scenes. His genre paintings of peasants emphasize the picturesque, and are regarded by some as lacking Pieter the Elder's subtlety and humanism. On this day … 1963 French cabaret singer Edith Piaf died of liver cancer aged 47. 1988 For the first time in 446 years girls were allowed to study at Magdalen College, Cambridge. Quote of the day Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt, longest-serving First Lady of the U.S. (1933–45) born 11/10/1884 Did you know …? The ostrich has two toes on each foot which gives it greater speed. |
12th October
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The First Landing of Christopher Columbus in America (1862) - Dióscoro Puebla Puebla was a Spanish painter who specialized in portraits, genre and history painting. Columbus and the discovery of America is one of the most important subjects in history painting and there are hundreds of paintings from many different countries depicting the event as it was considered by many to be the beginning of modern history. The scene is a carefully constructed image: there is the mandatory cross in the centre and waving flags. Columbus claims with the sword possession of the discovered land and raises his eyes heavenward. Some desperate sailors kiss the earth after the long and dangerous time at sea, and natives witness the scene, which is illuminated by a divine light from above. On this day … 1492 Columbus discovered America on this day on the Julian calendar. 1935 Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti was born. 1985 Ricky Wilson of American rock group the B52s, died of AIDS at the age 32. Quote of the day If one were to take the bible seriously one would go mad. But to take the bible seriously, one must be already mad. Aleister Crowley, English occultist born 12/10/1875 Did you know …? Operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti was interested in pursuing a career as a professional football goalkeeper, but his mother convinced him to train as a teacher. |
13th October
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Al Khazneh, Petra, Jordan (5th century BC), ‘discovered’ by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt Petra is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan that is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved. The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was discovered by Swiss explorer Burckhardt. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, describing it as ‘one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage’. Al Khazneh (English: the Treasury) is Petra's most elaborate ruin and remains in remarkably well preserved condition, although humidity from large crowds of people visiting the site can cause damage to the dry sandstone. On this day 1884 Greenwich was adopted as the universal time meridian of longitude, from which standard times throughout the world are calculated. 1941 American singer/songwriter Paul Simon was born. Quote of the day That which does not kill us makes us stronger. Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher Did you know …? Paul Simon got the title for his song ‘Mother and Child Reunion’ from a dish in a Chinese restaurant – it was chicken and eggs. |
14th October
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Angel of the North (1998) – Anthony Gormley Anthony Gormley is an English sculptor. His best known works include the Angel of the North at Gateshead and Another Place on Crosby Beach near Liverpool (see 30th Aug). The Angel of the North is 20 metres tall and its wings are 54 metres across – longer than the height of the Statue of Liberty. It was completed in February 1998 at a cost of one million pounds. Due to its exposed location, the sculpture has to withstand winds of over 160 km/h., so 150 metric tonnes of concrete were used to create foundations which anchor the sculpture to rock 20 metres below. On this day 1066 The Battle of Hastings took place on Senlac Hill, near Pevensey, during which the English army was routed and King Harold was killed. 2011 A maquette (a small scale model) of the Angel of the North sold for £3.4 million. Quote of the day War settles nothing. Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. President 1953-61, born 14/10/1890 Did you know …? In 1957 President Eisenhower had to apologize to the Ghanaian Finance Minister after he had been refused service at a restaurant in Delaware because of racial segregation. |
15th October
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Mount Rushmore National Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 15/10/1966. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States. Sculpted by Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum, Mount Rushmore features 18-metre sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Originally known to the Lakota Sioux as Six Grandfathers, the mountain was renamed after Charles E. Rushmore, a prominent New York lawyer, during an expedition in 1885. At first the project of carving Rushmore was done to increase tourism in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. The carving started in 1927, and ended in 1941 with no fatalities. On this day 1844 German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was born. 1917 Dutch exotic dancer 'Mata Hari' was executed by the French government after being convicted of being a German spy. 1920 American author of The Godfather Mario Puzo was born. Did you know …? The world’s largest source of gold is Witwatersrand in South Africa, which accounts for 40% of all gold ever mined. 
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16th October
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Millau Viaduct (2004) - French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster The Millau Viaduct is a bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. It is the tallest bridge in the world with one mast's summit at 343 metres above the base of the structure – this is taller than the Eiffel Tower, and makes it the tallest structure in France. It is the 15th highest bridge deck in the world, being 270 metres between the road deck and the ground below. The bridge has been consistently ranked as one of the great engineering achievements of all time. On this day … 1793 Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. 1834 The Houses of Parliament in London burnt down. 2001 Construction work began on the Millau Viaduct in France. Did you know …? The plaster cast of David at the Victoria and Albert Museum has a detachable plaster fig leaf which is displayed nearby. The fig leaf was created in response to Queen Victoria's shock upon first viewing the statue's nudity, and was hung on the figure prior to royal visits. 
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17th October
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The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1834–35) – J. M. W. Turner J. M. W. Turner is widely considered to be the greatest British painter of all time. He is best known for his landscape paintings in oil, but he is also one of the greatest masters of British water-colour landscape painting. He is particularly famous for the way he depicted light in his paintings. In his will Turner left more than 19,000 watercolours, drawings and oils to the British nation. Most of these works are in the National Gallery and the Tate Gallery in London. This is one of two oil on canvas paintings by Turner which depict the fire that broke out at the Houses of Parliament on the evening of 16 October 1834. Turner himself witnessed the event from the south bank of the River Thames, opposite Westminster. On this day … 1662 Charles II sold the port of Dunkirk to France for £320,000. 1974 American singer/songwriter Eminem was born. Quote of the day Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. Arthur Miller, American playwright born 17/10/1915 Did you know …? In America, people eat 150 times more chicken than they did 80 years ago. |
18th October
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Return of the Bucintoro to the Molo on Ascension Day (1729-32) – Canaletto, born 18/10/1697 Giovanni Antonio Canal was an Italian painter of landscapes, or vedute, of Venice. He was born in Venice and was the son of the painter Bernardo Canal, hence his mononym Canaletto (‘little Canal’). In his later work Canaletto painted grand scenes of the canals of Venice and the Doge's Palace. His large-scale landscapes portrayed the city's pageantry and waning traditions, making innovative use of atmospheric effects and strong local colours. The Bucintoro was the ceremonial boat of the Doge, the ruler of the Venetian republic. Once a year on Ascension Day, the Doge and other officials boarded this vessel to participate in a ritual celebrating the marriage of Venice and the Adriatic Sea. On this day … 1826 The first spring-mattress was patented by Samuel Pratt, a manufacturer of travelling equipment. 1871 English polymath Charles Babbage died. He is best remembered for originating the concept of a programmable computer. 1926 American guitarist, singer and songwriter Chuck Berry was born. He was one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. 1939 Lee Harvey Oswald was born. He was the sniper who assassinated John F. Kennedy. 1956 Czech and American tennis player and coach Martina Navratilova was born. Quote of the day Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something. I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas Edison American inventor who died 18/10/1931 Did you know …? There is a lot of evidence to suggest that a secret service agent in the vehicle behind JFK’s car accidentally fired the shot that actually killed the President. |
19th October
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Image of the day Vanishing Venice – Patrick Hughes, born 20/10/1939 Patrick Hughes is a British artist and the creator of ‘reverspective’, an optical illusion on a 3-dimensional surface where the parts of the picture which seem farthest away are actually physically the nearest. The picture surface of Vanishing Venice (above) is 3-dimensional, made of two pyramids protruding towards the viewer with the tops cut off: the bases of the pyramids are farthest away (flat against the wall). The two lighter rectangles which appear to be in the distance at the end of the buildings are the flat tops and thus the part of the image physically nearest to the viewer (see diagram at the top). On this day … 1216 Nine-year-old Henry III became King of England. 1812 Napoleon's forces began their retreat from Moscow. 1872 The world's largest gold nugget (215 kg) was found in New South Wales, Australia. 1960 The U.S. imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba. Quote of the day The bulk of mankind is as well equipped for flying as for thinking. Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish satirist and essayist who died 19/10/1745 Did you know …? At any one time, 45 million people in the world are drunk. |
20th October
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Factory Record album covers (1979–83) – Peter Saville Peter Saville was born in Manchester and studied graphic design at Manchester Polytechnic. He became a partner in Factory Records and designed many record sleeves for Factory Records artists, most notably for Joy Division and New Order. The covers shown here (clockwise from the top left) are Unknown Pleasures and Closer by Joy Division, and Power, Corruption and Lies and Movement by New Order. On this day … 1890 British explorer Sir Richard Burton died. He was also a geographer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer, and diplomat. 1950 American singer/songwriter and musician Tom Petty was born. 1977 Lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd Ronnie Van Zant died in a plane crash with several other band members – he was 29. Quote of the day Turn on, tune in, drop out. Timothy Leary, American psychologist and writer known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs, who was born 22/10/1920 Did you know …? The Bible is the most shoplifted book in the United States. |
21st October
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Nelson’s jacket from the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) – National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. One of the most important victories of the Royal Navy came at the Battle of Trafalgar (off the coast of Spain, near Cádiz) when a numerically smaller fleet of British ships commanded by Admiral Nelson defeated the combined forces of France and Spain. The British victory at Trafalgar was significant because it prevented Napoleon from invading Britain. It took place on 21st October 1805. At 11:50 am, Nelson, on board his flagship, HMS Victory, signalled his famous message to his fleet: "England expects that every man will do his duty." By 5:00 pm, the battle was over and the Franco-Spanish fleet was shattered. The French lost 18 ships and their commander was captured. The Spanish lost 15 ships, of which 9 were captured by the British. The British did not lose a single ship, but at 1.15 pm Nelson was fatally wounded by a sniper’s bullet from a French ship. He was taken below deck but didn’t die until 4.30 pm, by which time he knew that the English had won the day. As it would take a couple of weeks for the fleet to return to England, Nelson’s body was kept in a barrel of brandy in order to preserve it during the long voyage. On this day … 1632 English architect and polymath Sir Christopher Wren was born. 1805 Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson died after being shot by a French sniper at the Battle of Trafalgar. 1833 Swedish chemist and inventor of dynamite Alfred Nobel was born. Quote of the day Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read. Leo Burnett, American advertising executive who was born 21/10/1891 Did you know …? The average woman spends 16 months of her life crying. |
22nd October
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Curtain, Jug and Bowl of Fruit (1894) – Paul Cézanne, who died 22/10/1906 Cézanne was a French Post-Impressionist painter who formed the bridge between late 19th-century Impressionism and the Cubism of the early 20th century. Both Matisse and Picasso are said to have remarked that Cézanne ‘is the father of us all’. This work is the most celebrated still life painting of Cézanne. It also holds the record for the most expensive still life painting ever sold at an auction: in May 1999 it was sold for $60.5 million. On this day 1931 In Chicago, gangster Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years for tax evasion, the longest sentence ever given for the crime. 1964 French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre rejected the Nobel Prize for Literature, saying it would lessen the impact of his writing. Quote of the day Death has this much to be said for it: You don't have to get out of bed for it. Wherever you happen to be They bring it to you – free. Kingsley Amis, English writer who died 22/10/1995 Did you know …? North Americans account for less than a sixteenth of the world’s people, but more than a third of their weight. |
23rd October
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Au Naturel (1994) – Sarah Lucas Sarah Lucas is part of the generation of Young British Artists who emerged during the 1990s. Her works frequently employ visual puns and humour, and include photography, collage and found objects. It was in the early 1990s when Lucas began using furniture as a substitute for the human body. Au Naturel is an assemblage of objects — a mattress, a bucket, a pair of melons, oranges and a cucumber—that suggest male and female body parts. On this day 1940 Brazilian soccer legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, was born. Quote of the day If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito. Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, born 23/10/1942 Did you know …? Since 1945 the number of countries in the world has quadrupled. |
24th October
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Onement VI (1953) – Barnett Newman American artist Barnett Newman is regarded as one of the major figures in abstract expressionism and one of the foremost of the colour field painters. Much of his work features areas of colour separated by thin vertical lines, or "zips" as Newman called them. This painting is the last of six in Newman's Onement series, and sold for $43.8 million at a New York City auction in 2013. On this day 1908 Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel were sentenced to jail in London for 'conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace'. 1971 Don McLean’s album American Pie released. When asked what the song American Pie meant, McLean replied ‘It means I never have to work again.’ Quote of the day I know that women, once convinced that they are doing what is right, that their rebellion is just, will go on, no matter what the difficulties, no matter what the dangers, so long as there is a woman alive to hold up the flag of rebellion. I would rather be a rebel than a slave. Emmeline Pankhurst, from a 1913 speech Did you know …? The Moon is shaped like an egg: it only looks round because the big end points towards Earth. |
25th October
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Sex Pistols’ record covers (1977) – Jamie Reid Jamie Reid is an English artist whose work, featuring letters cut from newspaper headlines in the style of a ransom note, became the defining images of punk rock, particularly in the UK. His best known works include the Sex Pistols album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and the singles Anarchy in the UK and God Save The Queen. On this day 1760 George II died and his grandson became King George III. 1838 French composer Georges Bizet was born. 1881 Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso was born. Quote of the day Getting married is a lot like getting into a tub of hot water. After you get used to it, it ain’t so hot. Minnie Pearl, American country comedienne born 25/10/1912 Did you know …? George III was the first British sovereign for 46 years to speak the language of his subjects without a foreign accent. |
26th October
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A Rake's Progress, Tavern scene (1735) - William Hogarth, who died 26/10/1764 Hogarth was an English painter, satirist and social critic. He completed his first series of moral works in 1731, a collection of six scenes entitled A Harlot's Progress. The series was an immediate success and led to significant recognition, and was followed in 1735 by the sequel A Rake's Progress. This consisted of eight pictures that depicted the reckless life of Tom Rakewell, the son of a rich merchant, who spends all of his money on luxurious living, services from prostitutes, and gambling – the character's life ultimately ends in Bethlem Royal Hospital. The original paintings of A Harlot's Progress were destroyed in a fire in 1755, while A Rake's Progress is displayed in the gallery room at Sir John Soane's Museum, London, UK. On this day 1965 The Queen awarded the Beatles their MBE medals at Buckingham Palace. John Lennon would return his four years later (see 25th November) . 1973 American actor, film maker and creator of Family Guy Seth MacFarlane was born. Quote of the day Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest. Denis Diderot, French philosopher and writer born 05/10/1713 Did you know …? William Hogarth was the first English painter to be famous on the continent of Europe. He was famous for his humour, which he used to comment on English society. |
27th October
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Whaam! (1963) – Roy Lichtenstein, American pop artist born 27/10/1923 Roy Lichtenstein became a leading figure in the new ‘pop art’ movement in the USA in the 1960s. His work was heavily influenced by both popular advertising and the comic book style. This diptych is one of the best-known works of pop art, and among Lichtenstein's most important paintings. Whaam! was first exhibited in New York City in 1963, and purchased by the Tate Gallery, London, in 1966. It has been on permanent display at Tate Modern since 2006. On this day 1728 British explorer, navigator and cartographer Captain James Cook was born. He achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand. 1977 The Sex Pistols’ album Never Mind the Bollocks was released. 2013 American musician and songwriter Lou Reed died. Quote of the day There are two kinds of statistics, the kind you look up and the kind you make up. Rex Stout, American crime writer, in Death of a Doxy, who died 27/10/1975 Did you know …? Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries. |
28th October
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Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1953) – Francis Bacon, Irish-born British painter born 28/10/1909. Bacon was a figurative painter known for his bold, emotionally charged and raw imagery. This work shows a distorted version of the Portrait of Innocent X painted by Spanish artist Diego Velázquez in 1650 and is one of a series of over 45 variants of the Velázquez painting known as the ‘screaming popes’ which Bacon executed throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. In Bacon's version of Velázquez's masterpiece, the Pope is shown screaming yet his voice is ‘silenced’ by the enclosing curtains and dark rich colours. The dark colours of the background lend a grotesque and nightmarish tone to the painting. The pleated curtains of the backdrop are rendered transparent and appear to fall through the representation of the Pope's face. On this day 1955 American co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates was born. 1967 American actress Julia Roberts was born. Quote of the day Anyone who has been to an English public school will always feel comparatively at home in prison. Evelyn Waugh, English author born 28/10/1903 Did you know …? Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University to start Microsoft, which went on to become the world’s largest software company. |
29th October
Image of the day
Coalbrookdale by Night (1801) – Philip James de Loutherbourg, Franco-British painter born 31/10/1740 De Loutherbourg was born in Strasbourg but spent the greater part of his life in London where he was naturalized. He made tours through England to Wales in 1786 and 1800, where he observed industrial workings. Fire is the dominant theme in this painting, which shows a view at the Bedlam Furnaces in Madeley Dale, Shropshire, downstream from Ironbridge beside the River Severn. De Loutherbourg presents the iron foundry as a vision of Hell but he encapsulates the complexities of the prevailing attitude toward industry in England at the time and sets the industrial scene in a sublime landscape. The painting is both a celebration and a warning: the smoke from the chimneys is not only a symbol of economic productivity and wealth but also a noxious indicator of industrial pollution. The painting is held at the Science Museum in London. On this day … 1618 English writer, politician and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded at the Palace of Westminster. 1901 28-year-old son of Polish immigrants Leon Czolgosz was executed in the electric chair for the assassination of U. S. President McKinley. His last words were: I killed the president because he was the enemy of the good people—the working people. 1929 Wall Street suffered the crash known as Black Tuesday. 1971 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band died in a motorcycle accident aged 24. Quote of the day This is a sharp medicine, but it is a physician for all diseases and miseries. Sir Walter Raleigh on seeing the axe that would behead him. Did you know …? The bassist of the Allman Brothers Band died exactly one year later in a very similar accident just a few blocks away from where Duane Allman died. |
30th October
Image of the day
The Great Wave off Kanagawa (1830–33) – Katsushika Hokusai (born 31/10/1760) The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print; it was the first print in Hokusai's series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. It is Hokusai's most famous work, and one of the best recognized works of Japanese art in the world. As in all the prints in the series, it depicts the area around Mount Fuji under particular conditions, and the mountain itself appears in the background. Impressions of the print are in many Western collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the British Museum in London. On this day 1938 Orson Welles’ radio play of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds allegedly scared American listeners into believing that Martians have invaded the earth. 1961 The Soviet Union tested a 58-megaton hydrogen bomb named Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated. 1973 The Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey was completed, connecting the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosporus for the first time. Quote of the day Say you were standing with one foot in the oven and one foot in an ice bucket. According to the percentage people, you should be perfectly comfortable. 1917 Bobby Bragan, American baseball player and coach born 30/10/1917 Did you know …? Since helium is less dense than air, sound travels faster through it than through air. When you replace the air in your lungs and mouth with helium and then speak, the sound of your voice is traveling faster than normal. Therefore its frequency and pitch are higher, giving you the ‘Mickey Mouse’ vocal effect. |
31st October
Image of the day
Girl with the Pearl Earring (c. 1665) - Dutch painter Johannes or Jan Vermeer, born 31/10/1632 This painting is a tronie, the Dutch 17th-century description of a 'head' that was not meant to be a portrait. It depicts a European girl wearing an exotic dress, an oriental turban, and an improbably large pearl earring. Arnoldus Andries des Tombe purchased the work at an auction in The Hague in 1881 in order to prevent it going abroad. He paid just only two guilders for it, the equivalent of about € 24 today. As Des Tombe had no heirs he donated it to the Mauritshuis art museum in 1902. In 2014, a Dutch astrophysicist raised doubts about the material of the earring and argued that it looks more like polished tin than pearl on the grounds of the specular reflection, the pear shape and the large size of the earring. On this day 1396 Isabella of Vallois married King Richard II of England. She was almost 7 years old; he was 29. 1892 Conan Doyle’s collection of short stories, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, was published. 1993 American actor River Phoenix, died of a drug overdose outside a Hollywood nightclub. He was 23. Quote of the day An autobiography usually reveals nothing bad about its writer except his memory. Franklin P. Jones Did you know …? Ninety-nine percent of pumpkins sold in the United States are for the sole purpose of decoration. |