It is the birthday of science fiction author Daniel Keyes (1927). Keyes authored "Flowers for Algernon” which won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1960.

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It’s the birthday of American Novelist Valerie Sayers, 1952, whose advice to young writers is, "Have some fun. What the hell."

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On this day in 1960 Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila became the first Black African to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport.

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It’s the birthday of Sir Alexander Fleming, born in Scotland in 1881. He was a bacteriologist and discovered the antibacterial properties of penicillin.

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It’s the 87th birthday of poet, novelist, and environmentalist Wendell Berry. He believes that art is not the most important thing in life, and you must keep it in perspective.

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On this day in 1964 the bodies of three murdered civil rights workers were found in Mississippi. The murders influenced passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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"Much of our lives involves the word 'no….But art is the big yes. In art, you get a chance to make something where there was nothing." –Marvin Bell, poet, born 1937.

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On this day in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, not on the fourth of July as is popularly believed.

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It’s the birthday of Maria Mitchell, born in 1818. A devoted anti-slavery activist and suffragette, she became the first acknowledged female astronomer.

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Today is the birthday of poet Kim Addonizio, born in 1954. We feature her poem “High Desert, New Mexico.”

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