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Isaac Asimov Born

January 2, 1920
January 2, 1920

Isaac Asimov Born

On this day in 1920, Isaac Asimov was born. He grew up in New York, but it was during his two decades in Boston that he made his name as a master of science fiction....

Herman Melville Sails from New Bedford

January 3, 1841
January 3, 1841

Herman Melville Sails from New Bedford

On this day in 1841, Herman Melville boarded the whaleship Acushnet and sailed out of New Bedford, the whaling capital of the world. As he later wrote about his character Ishmael, that ship would be...

Horatio Alger Born

January 13, 1832
January 13, 1832

Horatio Alger Born

On this day in 1832, Horatio Alger was born in Revere. The author of the rags-to-riches stories that captured the imagination of generations of American boys, Alger was always more interested in literature than in...

Robert Cormier Born

January 17, 1925
January 17, 1925

Robert Cormier Born

On this day in 1925, author Robert Cormier was born into Leominster's tight-knit French-Canadian neighborhood, and he remained there for the rest of his life. After graduating from Fitchburg State University, he began a 30-year...

Isaiah Thomas Born

January 19, 1749
January 19, 1749

Isaiah Thomas Born

On this day in 1749, the Patriot printer Isaiah Thomas was born. In 1770, Thomas established the Massachusetts Spy, the first newspaper aimed at middle-class readers. While other papers were happy with 400 subscribers, the...

The Crucible Opens on Broadway

January 22, 1953
January 22, 1953

The Crucible Opens on Broadway

On this day in 1953, Arthur Miller's play The Crucible opened on Broadway. Four years after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Death of a Salesman, Miller had written a far more controversial play. Set in...

Julia Ward Howe Elected to American Academy of Arts

January 28, 1907
January 28, 1907

Julia Ward Howe Elected to American Academy of Arts

On this day in 1907, 89-year-old Julia Ward Howe became the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Howe lived most of her long life in Boston, but it was in...

Robert Frost Dies

January 29, 1963
January 29, 1963

Robert Frost Dies

On this day in 1963, Robert Frost died, the most popular and renowned American poet of the twentieth century. But his success was a long time in coming. It was as a student at Lawrence...

Native American Writer Born

January 31, 1798
January 31, 1798

Native American Writer Born

On this day in 1798, a member of the Pequot tribe named William Apess was born in Colrain, a village in western Massachusetts. Although his childhood was marked by poverty and abuse, he learned to...

Jonathan Edwards Ordained

February 5, 1727
February 5, 1727

Jonathan Edwards Ordained

On this day in 1727, Jonathan Edwards was ordained in Northampton. Two years later, he succeeded his grandfather as minister of what was then the largest and most influential church outside of Boston. He was...

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