It was on 15 August, 1967, that Mayor Richard J. Daley dedicated the installation known simply as the ‘Chicago Picasso’, an unnamed gift of sculpture from the artist to the city. Now one of the …
Arts
The Duke
On 26, May, 1907, John Wayne was born in Iowa. He would go on to become one of Hollywood’s most recognized actors. Forced to drop out of college after an injury preventing his further participation …
A Television Event
16 April marks the day in 1978 on which the 4 part miniseries, ‘HOLOCAUST’, premiered on American television. The nine and a half hour drama focused on two families, one Jewish, which is slowly disintegrated …
Wanderer and Writer
28 March, marks the birthday of Russian literary figure, Maxim Gorky, in 1868 in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow. Upon the death of his father, Gorky was put in the care of his …
Dairy Farmer’s Daughter
6 March, marks the day that artist Georgia O’Keeffe, died in 1986. She was born in 1887 in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and attended High School in Madison. She began work as a commercial artist in …
James Baldwin – Profile in Black History
Writer James Baldwin was born on 2 August, 1924 and grew up in Harlem and Greenwich Village in New York City. While working odd jobs, Baldwin wrote short stories, essays, and book reviews, some of …
Colors
25 February, marks the death of artist Mark Rothko in 1970. Rothko was born in Imperial Russia to a Jewish family. Rothko’s father, fearing the brutality and rampant anti-Semitism of pre-revolutionary Russia, fled to the …
Straight, No Chaser
17 February marks the day in 1982 that Jazz musician Thelonious Monk, died. Monk, composed less than 100 pieces, yet is the second greatest selling Jazz artist, coming in behind Duke Ellington, who composed over …
In the Line of Duty
It was on 3 February, in 1971, that New York City plain clothes police officer Frank Serpico, was shot in the face while on assignment with the Narcotics Bureau. Serpico had been outspoken about police …
He Sang a Song of Freedom
21 January marks the birthday of Richie Havens. The son of a Blackfoot Indian and West Indian African, Havens grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Scheduled as the first performer at the Woodstock music festival, Havens …