APRIL 6TH - SO FAMOUS YOU GET TO READ YOUR OWN OBITUARY

 

Portrait of William Wordsworth by Benjamin Robert

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”
― William Wordsworth

We outlaws ride a trail of a day meant to keep us outlaws:

"If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn't. 

Such is the astounding stupidity of optimism." 

  - Oscar Wilde, in Lady Windermere's Fan;
(Wilde was arrested on this day in 1895 )



For D. G. Hudson --

1493 --

Raphael was born. (No, not the mutant turtle!)

  Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael, was a major Renaissance painter. 

Though he died at the early age of 37, his body of work was impressive, and included The School of Athens and numerous portraits.


 

William Wordsworth, born on this date in 1770, was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge,

helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads.

“Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower;

We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;

In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be...”
― William Wordsworth

On March 27, 1802 Wordworth started writing INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY which contain some of his most famous lines and ideas:

that "the child is father of the man," that "birth is but a sleep and a forgetting," that "trailing clouds of glory do we come." 

Lincoln Steffens, one of the most famous turn-of-the-century muckrakers, was born on this day in 1866:

Now, the typical American citizen is the business man. The typical business man is a bad citizen; he is busy.

If he is a “big business man” and very busy, he does not neglect, he is busy with politics, oh, very busy and very businesslike.

I found him buying boodlers in St. Louis, defending grafters in Minneapolis, originating corruption in Pittsburgh,

sharing with bosses in Philadelphia, deploring reform in Chicago, and beating good government with corruption funds in New York.

Walter Winchell, famous American journalist and gossip columnist, was born on this date in 1897:

“An optimist is someone who gets treed by a lion but enjoys the scenery."

"I usually get my stuff from people who promised somebody that they would keep it a secret."

The first modern Olympic games were held on this date in 1896.

  The games took place in Athens, and 13 nations competed in events including archery, wrestling, and fencing.

A few of the contestants were actually tourists who had come to see the games and were allowed to compete!


1983 - U.S. Interior Secretary James Watt banned the Beach Boys from the 4th of July celebration on the Washington Mall.

He said rock 'n' roll bands attract the "Wrong Element."
So the Outlaw in me must respond --


 

America formally entered World War I on this day in 1917.
  The House of Representatives upheld the Senate's endorsement to go to war,

and America officially entered the war, though American troops would not go to Europe until the end of June.

On this date in 1891, P T Barnum died. 

The ailing 81 year old showman requested that a New York newspaper run his obituary so he could enjoy reading it. 

The paper obliged.