The "capitalist bible" is published, the U.S. Supreme Court issues its ruling on "The Amistad," and Vita Sackville-West and Mickey Spillane were born on this day - with a reading from Sackville-West's "The Land."

The first article calling for the end of slavery is published in the American colonies, and the birthday club includes Juana de Ibarbourou, John McPhee, and Carole Bayer Sager - with a reading from Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace."

Bloody Sunday compels President Johnson to write the Voting Rights Act, and the birthday club includes Luther Burbank, Maurice Ravel, E. L. James, and Bret Easton Ellis - with a reading from one of Burbank's letters on science.

The Dred Scott decision is handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, "aspirin" gets its name, and the birthday club includes Cyrano de Bergerac, Ring Lardner, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez - with a reading from Lardner's "Two Kings and a Pair."

John Cabot gets the charter to explore "lands unknown" in North America, the writing of Nicolaus Copernicus is banned by the Roman Catholic Church, and it is the birthday of Dora Marsden - with a reading from her magazine "The New Freewoman."

The U.S. Constitution goes into effect, Frances Perkins becomes the first woman to serve as a cabinet member for the U.S. President, and the birthday club includes Antonio Vivaldi, Barbara Newhall Follett, and Khaled Hosseini - with a reading from "Kabuliwala" by Rabindranath Tagore.

The Missouri Compromise passes Congress, the world's first national forest was created in Wyoming, "The Star-Spangled Banner" becomes the U.S. national anthem, and it is the birthday of historian Ron Chernow - with a reading from Alice Dunbar Nelson's "A Carnival Jangle."

The U.S. prohibits importation of slaves and the birthday club includes Sholem Aleichem, Kurt Weill, and Theodor Geisel - with a reading from Aleichem's "On the Fiddle."

Yellowstone becomes the world's first national park and the birthday club includes Ralph Ellison and Harry Belafonte - with a reading from Ellison's "Invisible Man."

The birthday club includes Michel de Montaigne, Ben Hecht, Ketti Frings, and Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) - with a reading from Montaigne's "Essays."