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The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, July 26, 2025

Posted on July 26, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

Today is the birthday of English author Aldous Huxley, born in Godalming, Surrey (1894). He was the grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley, a scientist and man of letters who was known as “Darwin’s bulldog” for his defense of the theory of evolution. Huxley wrote a few novels that satirized English literary society, and these established him as a writer.

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, July 25, 2025

Posted on July 25, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It was on this day in 1897 that Jack London set off for the Klondike Gold Rush. Gold was discovered a year earlier, in August of 1896, on the Klondike River, near Dawson City in the Yukon. But the news took a while to reach the United States. In July of 1897, a boat from the Yukon arrived in Seattle, and the passengers had bags of gold. Immediately, newspapers were covered in the headline “GOLD!” and soon 100,000 men dropped everything to head north.

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, July 24, 2025

Posted on July 24, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of French novelist Alexandre Dumas, born in Villers-Cotterêts, France (1802). He wrote swashbuckling adventure novels like The Three Musketeers (1844) and The Count of Monte Cristo (1844). He started writing fiction at a time when publishers used fiction to sell newspapers.

The Writer’s Almanac for Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Posted on July 23, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It was on this day in 1903 that the Ford Motor Company sold its first car, a two-cylinder Model A. It was sold to a Chicago dentist named Ernst Pfenning, who paid $850 for it. The Model A was painted red, with a seat that fit two people, and no roof. It reached 28 mph at top speed.

The Writer’s Almanac for Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Posted on July 22, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of the painter Edward Hopper, born in Nyack, New York (1882). By the time he was 12, he was already six feet tall. He was skinny, gangly, made fun of by his classmates, painfully shy, and spent much of his time alone drawing.

The Writer’s Almanac for Monday, July 21, 2025

Posted on July 21, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of writer Ernest Hemingway, born in Oak Park, Illinois (1899). In July of 1925, he visited Pamplona, Spain, for the Festival of San Fermín, a weeklong celebration that included bullfighting and the famous Running of the Bulls. Hemingway and his wife arrived a few days early to get tickets, and he needed a way to spend the time; so on this day in 1925, on his 26th birthday, he began his first novel.

The Writer’s Almanac for Sunday, July 20, 2025

Posted on July 20, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of the Italian humanist, scholar, and poet Francesco Petrarca, better known as Petrarch, born in Arezzo, Italy (1304). He’s usually considered to have lived just before the Italian Renaissance movement in art and literature began, but he was one of the most important influences on Renaissance artists and writers.

The Writer’s Almanac for Saturday, July 19, 2025

Posted on July 19, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It was on this day 60 years ago, the first part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy came out, The Fellowship of the Ring. It was the sequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, which came out in 1937. Tolkien had written The Hobbit for his own amusement and didn’t expect it to sell well. It’s the story of Bilbo Baggins — a small, human-like creature with hairy feet — who goes on an adventure through Middle Earth and comes back with a magical ring.

The Writer’s Almanac for Friday, July 18, 2025

Posted on July 18, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

Today is the birthday of Rolihlahla “Nelson” Mandela, born in Mvezo, South Africa (1918). He was the first member of his family to attend school, and that’s where his British teachers gave him a new name: Nelson. Since childhood, Mandela had heard stories of his ancestors’ courage.

The Writer’s Almanac for Thursday, July 17, 2025

Posted on July 17, 2025 - Writer's Almanac

It’s the birthday of fiction writer Shmuel Yosef Agnon, who wrote under S.Y. Agnon, born in Galicia in what is now Ukraine (1888). He spoke Yiddish at home, and read Hebrew and German.

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