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25.6 (BJ Rose's Task - This Day In History)
"July 7 - 1941 Einsatzkommando 3 begins the systematic slaughter of Lithuanian Jewry". Just so happens I have a book related to this, Thanks to My Mother by Schoschana Rabinovici. However, it isn't very easy finding contemporary books that take place in Lithuania, so for part B could I choose a book that takes place in Eastern Europe, but not necessarily in Lithuania? Or, could I read another book about the Holocaust that takes place elsewhere in Europe?
Please let me know if these will work. :o)My birthday is March 27th. On that day is this entry:
1942 Japanese still residing in California are told they must evacuate within 24 hours of receiving orders.
So I could read:
Part A. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka AND
Part B. either Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
or
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Cait wrote: "Please let me know if these will work. :o)My birthday is March 27th. On that day is this entry:
1942 Japanese still residing in California are told they must evacuate within 24 hours of receiv..."
I want to change my birthday to March 27!
My birthday is July 16th. One of the events on this date is that the last Russian Tsar and his family were executed. Anyone know any good books about this?
Kathryn wrote: "My birthday is July 16th. One of the events on this date is that the last Russian Tsar and his family were executed. Anyone know any good books about this?"I've been wanting to read The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar.
Well the two events that I thought I'd be able to find the most for were:October 15th:
1888 The "From Hell" letter sent by Jack the Ripper is received by the investigators.
I'm thinking about a book about Jack the Ripper..any ideas?
1917 Mata Hari Dutch dancer/German spy executed by firing squad in Paris
..I know you said no deaths..but this is more than just a death. Would this event work to use? I found a few books about her.
My birthday is March 4th. This used to be the day presidents were inaugurated, I believe there are about 30 presidents inaugurated on this day. Can I read a book about one of these presidents for part A or does it have to be about their inauguration specifically?
Oh no, I feel like if no deaths are allowed, then a lot of things would be out. Like the executions or orders to kill all the Jews or the tons of other things that have happened that involve death.
Kathryn wrote: "Oh no, I feel like if no deaths are allowed, then a lot of things would be out. Like the executions or orders to kill all the Jews or the tons of other things that have happened that involve death."I think she means the lines that say "so and so died on this day".
Diane wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Oh no, I feel like if no deaths are allowed, then a lot of things would be out. Like the executions or orders to kill all the Jews or the tons of other things that have happened tha..."That is what I was thinking. Just making sure!
Nazi Leaders were sentenced at the Nuremburg Trials on my birthday. Does anyone know of any books that are fairly readable about the Nuremburg trials?
If births and deaths are ruled out, are marriages allowed?
Kathryn, you could read any book with Anastasia in it.
event: The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C..I wonder if I could read a bunch of Nat'l Geographics to add up to at least 100 pages.
One of the events on my birthday is that Anne Frank starts keeping her diary (June 14th), so I want to read: Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife. So can I then read any book that takes place in Europe, or does it have to be Netherlands specifically?
I must have the luck of something on my side because I think this is interesting:1925 Jury selection took place in John T Scopes evolution trial
1925 Scopes Trial: In Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called "Monkey Trial" begins with John T. Scopes, a young high school science teacher, accused of teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee state law.
I take it this means I could read a book about the actual trial for PART A (read one in school AGES ago, very fascinating) and for PART B I am a little confused on how this one translates. I am thinking there are 3 possible options (confirm if my thinking is on):
1. Read a book about evolution from a modern perspective (past 1950)
2. Read a novel written set after 1950 that has evolution as an important theme or plot point (have no idea on earth what that would be)
3. Read a book set in Tennessee (or must it be Dayton specifically?)
Do I have this right? I may see what else I have going on in my history, but I just wanted to get an example to make sure I "get" the task.
According to the site, on my birthday (Sept. 19) in 1846, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning eloped. Could I read a book of her poems and a book of his poems for this task?
Ms Anderson wrote: "According to the site, on my birthday (Sept. 19) in 1846, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning eloped. Could I read a book of her poems and a book of his poems for this task?"Lucky duck!!!
Another option:I have something about Emma Goldman. Now does it have to cover this particular action (she did a lot in her life) or can it just be a book about her? Then what would I do for the second part?
Jamie and Kathryn, I just read The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar and I really liked it! The conclusion was a bit fantastic but the details of the family's last days were well done.
Anyone have any good suggestions on finding historical fiction novels about specific historical figures? I seem to be coming up with mostly biographies or kids' books, but I'd prefer a good historical novel instead. Specifically, I'm looking for something with Susan B. Anthony if anyone knows of one off hand.
19 DEC 1776 Thomas Paine publishes his first "American Crisis" essay A: Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations
B: Globalization and Human Rights
OK?
Tanja wrote: "Fiona, there's a Shakespeare mystery - Interred with Their Bones"Would that be ok for Part B then Tanja?
Can I get help with my task? I honestly don't want to read another soldier WWII this season (maybe next!) nor am I interested in reading Tarzan.Jan 27
March 24, 1930 Planet Pluto is namedI would like to read The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet AND Is Pluto a Planet?: A Historical Journey through the Solar System.
Do these work?
Let's see... November 18th:1307 William Tell shoots apple off his son's head
1477 The First English Printing press
1883 Standard time zones established by railroads in US and Canada
1911 Britain's first seaplane flies
1928 Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse debuts in NY in"Steamboat Willie"
**1936 Main span of Golden Gate Bridge joined
1940 New York City's Mad Bomber places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated Edison.
Any ideas? Maybe something about the Golden Gate Bridge and then something that takes place in California? (Or would it need to be San Francisco specifically?)
EDIT: I'm thinking The Gate: The True Story of the Design and Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge... Anyone have any books they just LOVED that take place in San Fransisco?
You folks in the East and earlier time zones are awake and functioning LONG before this west-coast gal! I should have waited till this morning to post my task!! Working through your questions now, but here's a general answer to the 'births/deaths' topic:My purpose here was to avoid the general 'Jane Doe was born' or 'John Doe died on this date' type of choice (Diane was right on-target with her response!). But executions and assassinations are definitely big events in history, so yes, they're acceptable choices for this task, as are horrors like the Holocaust and the genocide in Darfur. Also, if a book focuses on the death of one person but the main topic of the book is a huge catastrophe (as in the Johnstown Flood scenario I mentioned in Example 1), that's also OK.
Two more general comments: There are so many really good fiction books out there that cover all aspects of history; so the choice is totally yours as to whether you read one non-fiction/one fiction, or both non-fiction or both fiction.
Part A does not have to be the specific event mentioned (altho it certainly can be), but if not, it must be the same topic
Part B can be several things: same topic as in Part A (earthquake or volcano eruption or assassination or a holocaust/genocide, etc) OR a different event that takes place in the same area of the world (doesn't have to be same country) as the event in Part A
OK, I've had my morning coffee, so on to the specific questions!
Sara <3 - If you're interested in a nonfiction book on Disney, I recommend Walt Disney: An American Original. It's a full history of Disney's beginnings right up until his death. Very fascinating! And you could read another book about Mickey Mouse himself!
Tanja wrote: "Can I get help with my task? I honestly don't want to read another soldier WWII this season (maybe next!) nor am I interested in reading Tarzan.Jan 27"
1186 Henry VI, the son and heir of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I, weds Constance of Sicily. (Something to do with Royal Family and Henry VI)
1416 Republic of Dubrovnik, as a first state in Europe, outlaw slavery (You could read Roots - Alex Haley to do with Slavery Tanja)
1894 Midwinter Fair opens in Golden Gate Park
1948 The first locomotive to carry 1,000,000 pounds (450,000 kg) operates
Diane - yes to both questionsJamie - yes on an execution or assassination
Cait - you've chosen some great books!
Yes on Part A (which I've added to my wishlist!)
Part B - Yes on Snow Falling on Cedars
I have not read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, but it sounds like the focus is mainly on events in the 1940s, which would make it a Part A book. If at least half of it focuses on events in the '80s, you're good to go.
Jan 27* 1880 Thomas A. Edison receives a U.S. patent for the electric incandescent light bulb.
* 1888 The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C.
* 1926 John Logie Baird makes the first television broadcast.
Not sure what fiction books would support any of those events.
Tanja wrote: "Fiona, there's a Shakespeare mystery - Interred with Their Bones"Interred with Their Bones is another name for The Shakespeare Secret which I have read Tanja. The The Shakespeare Curse is the 2nd book of hers. Which is why I wanna read that 1.
Oh it is, Fiona?! Ooooh! I recently bought that book for a BUCK! Couldn't resist the price and I heard it's really good!http://blog.shakespearegeek.com/2008/...
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
Shakespeare in Love: A Screenplay
Chasing the Bard
Tanja wrote: "Oh it is, Fiona?! Ooooh! I recently bought that book for a BUCK! Couldn't resist the price and I heard it's really good!http://blog.shakespearegeek.com/2008/......"
Tanja, I can say it was truly a good book. I read it last month.
Would this be acceptable:(Mar15): 1975 Bundy victim Julie Cunningham disappears from Vail CO
For Part A, could I read a book (fictional or non-fictional) about a Serial Killer pre-1950?
For Part B, could I read Evil at Heart, which centers around a fictional Serial Killer (post-1950) named Gretchen Lowell?
Nicole wrote: "Another option:I have something about Emma Goldman. Now does it have to cover this particular action (she did a lot in her life) or can it just be a book about her? Then what would I do for the s..."
Emma Goldman: READ Ragtime!!!!!!!! It is such an amazing book!
I was researching the Romanov's on Amazon Kindle and there are a lot of books about this event. I think I will pick two and read both of my books about this event. I can't believe something so interesting happened on my birthday. Hitler committed suicide on my sisters birthday. I always thought she was lucky because she could say something so interesting happened on her birthday. Now I can say the Romanov's were assassinated on my birthday!
The Romanovs are VERY intriguing esp in regards to Anastasia! That probably was one of my favorite moments to read about for Russian History. There's something mystical about them. Sad they were assassinated :(Wanna switch birthdays? ;)
Tanja wrote: "The Romanovs are VERY intriguing esp in regards to Anastasia! That probably was one of my favorite moments to read about for Russian History. There's something mystical about them. Sad they were as..."lol, umm, I think I will keep mine. I read a book once about this girl who had lost her memory and some people assumed she was Anastasia. And then I heard later that Anastasia for sure died but it is possible one of her sisters might have lived (don't remember which one). I have always thought this was facinating.
Ms Anderson wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Another option:I have something about Emma Goldman. Now does it have to cover this particular action (she did a lot in her life) or can it just be a book about her? Then what would..."
I read it already! but thanks for the ideas.
I think I am just a little lost on this one. I get it and then I don't at the same time. I feel like one of my students. LOL
Can someone help me please... something that happened on my birthday in 1949 - was the first snowfall was recorded in Los Angeles, CA. So what do I do now?
Alicia wrote: "My birthday is March 4th. This used to be the day presidents were inaugurated, I believe there are about 30 presidents inaugurated on this day. Can I read a book about one of these presidents for..."Alicia, there are lots of entries on March 4th for inauguration of a president OR for a significant event in the presidency (one mentions Pres. Washington & Congress). Just choose one pre-1950 and as long as that president or the topic of the event is a significant part of the book, you're fine. Then for Part B, any presidency or any significant event in the United States would work.
Coralie wrote: "If births and deaths are ruled out, are marriages allowed?"Oh, you're a sneaky dickens!
Yes, as long as the book doesn't end with the wedding.
So for mine Part A could be Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips (author is National Geographic) and Part B could be Reading National Geographic?
Ok:1633 The Holy Office in Rome forces Galileo Galilei to recant his scientific view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe.
So, what is confusing me is the book about the event vs the contemporary book, or do you actually mean contemporary EVENT?!
Could I read
Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love and 1634: The Galileo Affair or do both of those books only fulfill part A? If those books only work for Part A, what would work for Part B, a different book about the Vatican, or heresy or Galileo?
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Angels & Demons (other topics)The Da Vinci Code (other topics)
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (other topics)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (other topics)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jim Butcher (other topics)James Dalessandro (other topics)
Nicole Mones (other topics)
James R. Green (other topics)
Schoschana Rabinovici (other topics)
Go to this website: http://www.datesinhistory.com/
Scroll to your birth month and click on the day of your birth
A. Read a book about an event that took place on that day in history (other than births or deaths), or a book about the topic of that event. For Part A, events must be prior to 1950
AND
B. Read a contemporary book (1950 to present) that takes place in the same area of the world as Book A, OR covers the same topic as Book A
C. When posting, include the event you chose from the website, along with the books you read.
(Example 1: On May 31: 1889 Johnstown Flood: Over 2,200 people die after a dam break sends a 60 ft. (18-meter) wall of water over the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
So you could read a book about the Johnstown Flood for Part A, and one about the dams/levees giving way & flooding New Orleans after Katrina for Part B.
(Example 2: On May 31: 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great) (19th dynasty) becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. For Part A you could read a book about Ramses II, about pharaohs, or about Ancient Egypt in general, such as "Ramesses:Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh","The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt" or The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt AND for Part B something like "The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit" or "The Places In-Between"