Dutch poet, literary critic, & essayist Albert Verwey was born #OTD in 1865.
Verwey was a central figure in the Dutch literary movement known as the Tachtigers, which sought to revolutionize Dutch poetry by emphasizing individualism, emotion, and innovative language and form. The Tachtigers rejected the conventional poetic styles & themes of their time, advocating for a more personal and introspective approach to poetry.
Scottish astronomer Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming was born #OTD in 1857.
Fleming's most significant contributions came in the field of stellar classification. She developed a system for classifying stars based on their spectra, which became known as the Harvard Classification Scheme. In 1890, she published the first catalog of stellar spectra, which contained over 10,000 stars classified according to her system.
"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain."
Life, p. 6 - Collected Poems (1993)
American lyric poet Emily Dickinson died #OTD in 1888. Although she wrote 1789 poems, only a few of them were published in her lifetime, all anonymously, and some perhaps without her knowledge.
Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made).
The elliptical orbits of planets were indicated by calculations of the orbit of Mars. The third law expresses that the farther a planet is from the Sun, the slower its orbital speed, and vice versa.
I never felt so much
Since I have felt at all
The tingling smell and touch
Of dogrose and sweet briar,
Nettles against the wall,
All sours and sweets that grow
Together or apart
In hedge or marsh or ditch…
15 May 1513: Charles Brandon, later Duke of #Suffolk and husband to Mary Tudor, Queen of #France, is created Viscount Lisle #otd (Parliamentary Art Collection)
Die Vernichtung der ungarischen Juden beginnt. Bis zum 9.7.1944 werden über 400.000 von ihnen nach Auschwitz verschleppt und vernichtet, insgesamt ermorden die Nazis mehr als 500.000 Juden aus Ungarn.
#OnThisDay, 15 May 1946, Camilla Williams makes her operatic debut as Cio-Cio San with the New York City Opera. She is the first Black woman to sign a contract with a major US opera company.
15 May 1539: George Wishart preaches at St Nicholas Bristol #otd allegedly stating: "that Christ nother hath nor could merite for hyme ne yett for us".
Executed March 1546 at St Andrews, having forgiven the executioner with a kiss on the cheek
15 May 1536: Anne Boleyn & her brother George stand trial #otd before a jury of peers- the prosecution’s evidence is weak ... but the outcome is certain.
14 May 1633: Henry Jeanes of New Inn Hall, Oxford, proceeds MA #otd Known as a student for his skills at disputation, he became minister at Chedzoy #Somerset. he published much, but this 1650 one below is one of my favourite titles (eebo)
14 May 1561: Thomas Woodhouse committed to the Fleet prison #otd for saying Mass. Pastorally active in gaol, he was executed on 19 June 1573, by which time he was a Jesuit and is counted the protomartyr of England for the Society.
14 May 1586: Henry Spelman, future historian & philologist enters Lincoln's Inn #otd . There he started on his lifelong interest in history. In 1617 he would be given a commission to determine unsettled titles in #Ireland (NPG)