Edgar Allen Poe | The Musings of a Public Historian

Hello all!

First off, Happy Bastille Day! This holiday occurs every year on the 14th to commemorate the storming of the prison in 1789. July 14th is also known as the Fete de la Federation which occurred a year later in 1790. Learn more about the background of both of these events in this article from BBC news.

Photo Credit: Alison Nastasi, Flavorwire

This article from Flavorwire introduces us to some of the world’s smallest museums and galleries, including one museum (which is really no larger than a closet) in Alabama dedicated to Edgar Allen Poe. We think you’ll agree that these would definitely make for some interesting places to visit.

Photo Credit: Napoleon Sarony

If Nikola Tesla was still alive, he would have celebrated his 157th birthday on July 10th. A great inventor and visionary, Tesla is unfortunately not as well-known as his contemporaries such as Thomas Edison since others often took credit for his ideas. Linked here is an article with 13 quotes made by Tesla throughout his life on everything from the mysteries of life to gender equality. Be sure to also check out this comic from The Oatmeal detailing why Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived.

BBC One’s newest documentary/drama series, The White Queen, is focused around the life of Elizabeth Woodville who was the wife of Edward the IV, a key player in the War of the Roses. You can find out more about her here. Phillipa Gregory, the author whose novel created the basis for the new series talks more about the research that went into the book and subsequent series in this article.

Although it’s a bit overdue, we would like to wish America a very happy 237th Birthday. Linked above and in this companion article are 50 fun facts about the United States. We also want to give a shout out to Canada, who celebrated their birthday on July 1st. Read more about their independence day here.

Last but not least, here’s a link to an article on 11 famous works of art that were never actually completed. The list includes the The Silmarillion by Tolkien (a novel later completed by his son Christopher) as well as Mozart’s Requiem.

Until next week!