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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, October 13, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, October 13, 2026

It’s the birthday of cookbook author Mollie Katzen, born in Rochester, New York (1950). She grew up in a Jewish home, where she learned to love food.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, October 12, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, October 12, 2026

It was on this day in 1892 that the Pledge of Allegiance was recited en masse for the first time, by more than 2 million students.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, October 11, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, October 11, 2026

It’s the birthday of the longest-serving First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, born in New York City (1884) who said, “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, October 10, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, October 10, 2026

It’s the birthday of Giuseppe Verdi, born in a village in Parma, Italy (1813). His parents owned a tavern and were not very well off. But his father recognized musical talent in Giuseppe and bought him a spinet (an upright harpsichord), which he kept for the rest of his life.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, October 9, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, October 9, 2026

It’s the birthday of composer Camille Saint-Saens, born in Paris (1835). He was a child prodigy, with perfect pitch and a fantastic memory. He learned the piano and organ, and played the music of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart in recitals.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, October 8, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, October 8, 2026

It’s the birthday of the comic book writer and essayist Harvey Pekar, born in Cleveland, Ohio (1939). He is the creator of American Splendor, one of the first-ever autobiographical comic book series, which was eventually made into a movie starring Paul Giamatti.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, October 7, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, October 7, 2026

It’s the birthday of poet and author Diane Ackerman, born Diane Fink in Waukegan, Illinois (1948) (books by this author). She has a knack for blending science and literary art; she wrote her first book of poetry entirely about astronomy.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, October 6, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Today is the birthday of spy novelist Joseph Finder (1958). He was born in Chicago, but spent his childhood living in a variety of locations all over the world. His first language was Farsi, which he learned as a small boy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, October 5, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, October 5, 2026

The first televised presidential address aired on this date in 1947. President Harry Truman broadcast the speech from the White House, and his subject was food conservation.

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The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, October 4, 2026

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, October 4, 2026

This date marks the first formal run of the Orient Express in 1883. The train was the brainchild of Georges Nagelmackers, a Belgian banker’s son.

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