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Writer's Almanac

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 11, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 11, 2019

It’s the birthday of psychologist William James (1842), who said, “Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 10, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 10, 2019

It was on this day in 1776 that a 77-page pamphlet called “Common Sense” was published. It made the case that the American colonies should declare independence from Great Britain.

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 9, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 9, 2019

Today is the 18th birthday of Apple’s iTunes and the 12th birthday of the iPhone! Both were announced on this day, one in 2001 and the other in 2007.

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 8, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 8, 2019

It’s the birthday of the late Stephen Hawking (1942), who said, “My goal is simple. It is a complete understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 7, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 7, 2019

It’s the birthday of writer Zora Neale Hurston (1891), best known for her 1937 novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 7, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 7, 2019

It’s the birthday of writer Zora Neale Hurston (1891), best known for her 1937 novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 6, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 6, 2019

It’s the birthday of author Elizabeth Strout (1956), whose short story collection “Olive Kitteridge” won the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 and was turned into an HBO mini-series in 2014.

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 5, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 5, 2019

It was on this day in 2007 that the man who invented instant ramen and Cup Noodles, Momofuku Ando, died at the age of 96.

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 4, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 4, 2019

It’s the birthday of Louis Braille (1809), who invented a system of six raised dots that could be read by blind people such as himself.

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The Writer’s Almanac for January 3, 2019

The Writer’s Almanac for January 3, 2019

On this date in 1870, work began on the Brooklyn Bridge. At least 20 workers died during its construction.

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