April 15 marks the anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Every year the public’s imagination is captured by the infamous ship along with its harrowing stories of survival and loss. Amongst one of the crew was stewardess Violet Jessop, who would experience more than one maritime disaster in her lifetime. She remarkably survived not only the sinking of the Titanic, but also a second disaster at sea on the HMHS Britannic only a few years later. Image: Violet Jessop / Wikimedia Commons Jessop was born on October 2, 1887 in Argentina to Irish immigrants William Jessop and Katherine Kelly ..read more

On this day in 1452, Renaissance Man Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci in the Republic of Florence. Image: Leonardo da Vinci / Library of Congress A gifted and extremely talented individual, da Vinci’s genius ranged from science, arts, mathematics, engineering, astronomy, architecture, and much more. Some of his greatest artistic masterpieces include the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and the Vitruvian Man. A brilliant inventor and engineer, da Vinci designed and illustrated concepts well before his time, from flying machines to concentrated solar power. Da Vinci died on May 2, 1519 at the age ..read more

On this day in 1577, Christian IV of Denmark was born.  Image: Christian IV of Denmark / Wikimedia Commons Christian IV was born on April 12, 1577 at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark to King Frederick II and Sofie of Mecklenburg. He was the third child but eldest son of the couple. Since Denmark was still an elective monarchy at the time, Christian was not automatically heir to the throne. However, when he was 3, his father had him elected Prince-Elect and named successor to the throne. When his father died in 1588, Christian succeed to the throne at nearly 11 years old. Hi ..read more

On this day in 1689, William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The couple reigned together until Mary’s death in 1694 at the age of 32. Image: William III and Mary II / WIkimedia Commons Born in The Hague in the Dutch Republic, William was the only son of William II, Prince of Orange, and Mary, Princess Royal. His mother was the eldest daughter of King Charles I and the sister of King Charles II and King James II. In 1677, William married his first cousin, Mary, the eldest surviving daughter of James, Duke of York, who would later become ..read more

On this day in 1847, newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer was born. Today he best known for establishing the prestigious Pulitzer Prize, which is awarded annually for excellence in American journalism. Image: Joseph Pulitzer / Library of Congress Pulitzer was born on April 10, 1847 in Makó, Hungary to a well-regarded merchant family. Growing up in Budapest, Pulitzer was educated by private tutors. In 1864, he emigrated to the United States as a recruit for the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, Pulitzer worked a series of odd jobs before beginning his career as ..read more

On this day in 1413, Henry V was crowned King of England. The second English monarch of the House of Lancaster, Henry V was considered to be one of the great warrior kings in English history.  Image: The British Library, Flickr Henry V was the eldest son of Henry IV of England and Mary de Bohun and the great grandson of Edward III of England. In 1398, his father was exiled and Henry was taken under the charge of Richard II. However, in 1399, Richard was deposed and Henry IV had taken control of the crown. With his father as king, Henry was given command of part of the Engl ..read more

Today we remember former First Lady Betty Ford on what would have been her 106th birthday. Image: Betty Ford / U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Ford was born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer on April 8, 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the third child and only daughter of William Stephenson Bloomer, Sr., a traveling salesman, and Hortense Neahr. While in school, Ford studied to become a dancer. In 1948, she married Gerald Ford, who was campaigning for what would be his first of thirteen terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. After Spiro Agnew resigned as Vic ..read more

Happy birthday to Bette Davis! The legendary actress was born 116 years ago today. Image: Bette Davis / Wikimedia Commons Ruth Elizabeth Davis was born on April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts. With dreams of becoming a performer, Davis moved to New York City to study acting. Did you know future star Lucille Ball was one of her classmates in drama school? She began her career in theater before landing her first role in the film Bad Sister. By 1935, Davis had won her first Academy Award for her role in the film, Dangerous. She received her second nomination for the film, J ..read more

On this day in 1802, American activist and social reformer Dorothea Dix was born. Image: Dorothea Dix / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, CC0 Dix was born in Hampden, Maine to Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow. At the age of 12, Dix moved to Boston to stay with her wealthy grandmother, Dorothea Lynde, who encouraged her interest in education. Dix eventually began to teach and in 1821, opened a school in Boston. However, frequent bouts of poor health forced her to take many breaks throughout her career. In 1841, Dix began teaching Sunday school at a women’s prison. It was there tha ..read more

Today marks what would have been actor Marlon Brando’s 100th birthday. Born on April 3, 1924, Brando is often considered one of the most famous and influential actors of the 20th century. Image: Marlon Brando / Library of Congress Brando was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Marlon Brando, Sr., a pesticide and chemical feed manufacturer, and Dorothy Pennebaker, an actress and theater administrator. After he was expelled from military school, Brando worked as a ditch-digger. At the age of 18, Brando moved to New York to study acting with acting coach Stella Adler. Considered a “method actor,” Brando ..read more