January 17th

Happy Birthday, First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama!

Born this day in 1814, English author, Ellen Price Wood. Wood began her career by writing stories for the magazines, Bentley's Miscellany and Colburn's. East Lynne was Wood's first novel, published in 1861. To say this novel was successful would be an understatement. It was translated into many languages and Leo Tolstoy journaled ,"Reading Mrs. Wood's wonderful novel In The Maze." The novel was adapted to the stage at least nine times and a 1931 screen adaptation was nominated for Best Picture that year. Wood wrote over 30 novels in her lifetime. In 1867, she launched the magazine Argosy. Wood used this publication to introduce new stories for which her public hungered. Wood remained editor of Argosy until her death in 1887.

This is the final paragraph of Mrs. Wood's obituary as it appeared in The Times:
"Of late years Mrs. Wood's health had been somewhat precarious, and she led a very retired life, almost restricted to the intercourse of intimate friends or relations. A sharp attack of bronchitis during the severe weather that followed Christmas completely prostrated her, and nothing but her indomitable will and natural energy permitted hope of her recovery. The sudden change at the beginning of the week was fatal to her, and she passed away about 4 o'clock on Thursday morning. Mrs Wood leaves behind her several sons, one of whom inherits the literary tendencies of his mother, and a daughter. Mrs. Wood's pen was active up to the last, and we believe that among her papers are two complete unpublished stories."

Now, to find her lesser-known novels or stage a new production of East Lynne!

Born this day in 1922, the grand and glorious actor, Betty White! We know her work from the television series, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" during the 1970's to "The Golden Girls" of the 1980's and in May of 2010, at age 88, White hosted "Saturday Night Live"; their oldest host to date. It would remiss to not mention White's advocacy for animals. So Happy Birthday, Betty White. Thank you!

January 16th

Born this day in 1932, Dian Fossey. A primatologist. Fossey's study of gorillas changed our perception of primates. She observed gorillas in their environment and it was her life mission to save these amazing beings. Fossey was fierce in her protection of the gorillas. In 1985, Fossey was brutally murdered in the same way that her beloved gorillas were killed for trade. Go to www.gorillafund.org for more information about Dian Fossey and to find out how to help adopt a gorilla in the mist." Let us be humble, and always in awe of those beings so perfect. Let us help protect all of "Mother Herth."

On this day in 2005, at age 66, Adriana Ilieseu became the oldest woman to give birth.

January 15th

Born this day in 1810, Abigail(Abby) Kelley Foster. An ultra-radical Abolitionist. She spent her life organizing, fund-raising and lecturing for the Anti-Slavery Movement and the Suffrage Movement. Born and raised in Massachusetts to a Quaker family, who believed in education for all ten of their children. In 1837, Kelley began her work as an abolitionist in Lynn, Mass. collecting signatures for a petition to end slavery in Washington DC. Soon Abby Kelley was lecturing calling for an end to slavery. She would share the graphic truth of what slavery truly meant to the human beings living the daily horror. Babies sold out of the arms of their mothers; male owners raping their the female slaves, husband and wives sold away from each other. Turning human beings into an objects to own. Kelley was the first woman to lecture in a "mixed" audience(meaning men and women) and with freed slaves and this is why some called her a "Jezebel". But, Kelley wasn't bothered with such non-sense. Kelley spoke to her audience until they understood exactly why the time had come to end the terror of slavery. Kelley also spoke for the Suffrage movement, ten years before Seneca Falls Convention in 1849. Kelley was a strong influence for Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone. Though, when the 15th Amendment was voted into law without "gender" in the wording; there was a falling out. Kelley continued to fund raise and lecture for women's rights. Even when her health was at risk, Abigail Kelley Foster could not rest until all were free.

Born this day in 1862, Loie Fuller, a pioneer in modern dance and theatrical lighting design. Creating her own dance costumes made of silk and then designing a light show that illuminated her talents for her thrilled audience. (youtube has great videos of Fuller)

January 14th

Born this day in 1912, Tillie Lerner Olsen. Olsen is credited with being among the first generation of feminist writers. In her youth, Olsen dropped out of high school and held many working class jobs: waitress, domestic worker and meat trimmer. She was once jailed for trying to unionize the packing house workers and charged with "making a loud and unusual noise." She began to write at nineteen, capturing the harsh realities of her life. The first chapter of her first novel was published in The Partisan Review in 1934 and, from this, Olsen received a contract with Random House. She was unable to complete the novel because she needed to care for her family. In 1961, she was finally published. The volume included four short stories about working class women: "I Stand Here Ironing","O, Yes", and "Hey Sailor, What Ship?" and the fourth, also the title of the book, was "Tell Me A Riddle." She was awarded the O. Henry Award that year for "best short story." In 1974 the novel she began in 1934 was completed and published under the title, Yonnondio: From the Thirties.
Olsen wrote a non-fiction volume, Silences--a study of the silent times in a writer's life (be it writer's block, the struggle of the working-class writer (especially women) or simply finding the time to fulfill themselves artistically.) Olsen points out that all of the females that had been successful up to this time were either single or they had a nanny to care for their children. But, in those times of silence, the study of daily reality forms in an artist's heart and mind, filling each page, shattering the silence.

To read the full text of "I Stand Here Ironing," click this link: http://members.multimania.co.uk/shortstories/olsenironing.html

On this day in 1697, in Massachusetts, the Colony officially regretted the Salem Witch Hunt, and made an offering by fasting for the day.

Also on this day in 1976, "The Bionic Woman" portrayed by Lindsay Wagner, premiered on ABC television station.

January 13th

Born this day in 1810--Ernestine Rose, an atheist-feminist, individual-feminist and abolitionist. Each label listed is a choice Ernestine made in living a life of freedom as a woman. After seeking legal redress to get out of an arranged marriage, Rose eventually chose a husband on her own. The couple immigrated to America and settled in New York City in 1836. In the same year a "married woman's act" was introduced to seek civil and property rights for married women in the State of New York. Rose wrote a petition and collected signatures in support of the new legislation. Alas, with only five signatures, the first petition did not help the doomed bill when it was voted on in the state legislatures of New York in 1838. [This was the first petition ever submitted in favor of women's rights.] Rose continued collecting signatures and submitting petitions for the next ten years and in 1849 these rights became law!

Ernestine Rose is a member of the "pantheon of great American women" which included Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth. Though lesser known than some of her contemporaries, Ernestine Rose believed in truth, justice and liberty for all.

On this day in 1972, Bernice Gera won her suit against The National Association Baseball League. In 1967, Gera entered a six week course at Florida Baseball School training for umpires. She excelled in training, but when she applied to work as an umpire Gera was rejected; stating that she did not meet the physical requirements of the job.
On June 24th, 1972, Gera umpired her first professional game. A double hitter. She resigned between games. No one would cooperate with her on the field.

On this day in 1559, Elizabeth Tudor, was crowned Queen of England. Her mother (Anne Boleyn) was the first wife that Elizabeth's father King Henry VIII had beheaded on trumped up charges of adultery (although her real crime was in not providing the king with a male heir.)