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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, June 6, 2026

Posted on June 6, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of poet Maxine Kumin, born in Philadelphia (1925). She was a good student and wrote poetry from the time she was a young girl, but she was equally interested in swimming, and even trained to become an Olympic swimmer as a teenager.

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, June 5, 2026

Posted on June 5, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca (1898), born in Fuente Vaqueros, in the province of Granada. His father was a successful farmer, and his mother was a gifted pianist.

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, June 4, 2026

Posted on June 4, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It was on this day in 1989 that Chinese troops stormed Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to crack down on students conducting pro-democracy demonstrations. The demonstrations had begun months earlier, after the government accused them of planning a coup d’état.

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Posted on June 3, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Allen Ginsberg (1926), the poet who coined the term “flower power,” which became the catchphrase to describe the social and political revolution of the 1960s.

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Posted on June 2, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

English novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was born on this day in Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, in 1840. He often helped his father with various building projects, and when he was 16, he took a job as an architect’s apprentice.

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, June 1, 2026

Posted on June 1, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe — born Norma Jean Mortenson in Los Angeles, California (1926) — who said, “I don’t want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.”

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, May 31, 2026

Posted on May 31, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of Walt Whitman, born in West Hills, Long Island, New York (1819). Whitman worked as a printing press typesetter, teacher, journalist, and newspaper editor.

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, May 30, 2026

Posted on May 30, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

On this day in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated. The monument was first proposed in 1867, but construction didn’t begin until 1914; the cornerstone was set in 1915.

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, May 29, 2026

Posted on May 29, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of comedian Bob Hope (1903), born Leslie Townes Hope in Eltham, near London. His first successful show-biz venture came at the age of 10, when he won a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, May 28, 2026

Posted on May 28, 2026 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of American novelist Walker Percy, born in Birmingham, Alabama (1916). He is known most for his first novel, The Moviegoer (1961), which tells the tale of a young Southern man named Binx Bolling.

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