John Milton

John Milton

On the 27th of April, 1667, John Milton sold Paradise Lost to a printer for £10. Milton was born on the 9th of December, 1608,  into a family that valued education and the arts. His father, a scrivener and composer, provided him with the resources and encouragement to...
Copernicus

Copernicus

I have posted about Copernicus before. But I am visiting Padua, and Nicolaus Copernicus, the renowned Renaissance astronomer, spent a significant period of his academic life in Padua, which greatly influenced his intellectual development and astronomical theories....
Tourism

Tourism

On the 26th of April 1336, the Italian scholar and poet Francesco di Petracco, Petrarch, climbed Mont Ventoux for pleasure, which made him the first tourist. I have written about Petrarch before, but hadn’t been aware that he started tourism, as well as his many other...
Lysander

Lysander

On the 25th of April 404 BCE, Admiral Lysander blockaded Athens and brought the Peloponnesian War to an end. Lysander was born in the early 5th century BC in the city-state of Sparta, an environment that placed great emphasis on military prowess and discipline. While...
Library of Congress

Library of Congress

On the 24th of April, 1800, The U.S.A.’s Library of Congress was established. It is the largest library in the world, both in terms of shelf space and number of books. Situated in Washington, D.C., this monumental institution holds a special place in the hearts of...