This Day In History: December 22, 1849 Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer, journalist, and philosopher. He worked within, and was obviously influenced by, the constraints of 19th century Russia. Some of his major works include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), Demons (1872), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). In 1847, Dostoyevsky joined the Petrashevsky Circle, a group […]

This Day In History: December 19, 1732 Ben Franklin was, by all accounts, a busy guy. Throughout his life, he made a name for himself as a printer, postmaster, author, scientist, satirist, inventor, diplomat and statesman. Aside from his indisputable political influence on the fledgling United States, his most memorable contribution to American culture was Poor Richard’s Almanack. Not only […]

This Day In History: December 18, 1966 “Christmas day will always be, just so long as we have we.” When “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” first aired on December 18, 1966, the most optimistic projection for the cartoon was a ten-year run. Almost half a century later, it has exceeded all expectations, becoming a cherished Christmas classic eagerly awaited by […]

This Day In History: December 17, 1969 On December 17, 1969, the oddly engaging ukulele strumming pop sensation Tiny Tim, most famous for the song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”, married his girlfriend, Miss Vicki, on the Tonight Show while 45 million people watched at home. The wedding attracted the most viewers in the show’s history up to that time. Tim […]