Isabelle Eberhardt, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and Chaim Potok were born on this day - with a reading from Eberhardt's notebook.

The Anti-Discrimination Law of 1945 is passed - the first of its kind in the U.S., and it is the birthday of Otis Blackwell - with a reading from Elizabeth Peratrovich's testimony to the territorial government of Alaska.

Christopher Columbus writes a wildly misinformed letter describing the places he'd seen in 1492 and 1493 and it is the birthday of Susan B. Anthony - with a reading from Anthony's "On the Campaign for Divorce Law Reform."

"The Pale Blue Dot," QWERTY, and Carl Bernstein's birthday - with a reading from Anne Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall."

ASCAP is formed, the fire bombing of Dresden begins, Australia apologizes to the Stolen Generations, and Eleanor Farjeon and Kate Roberts were born on this day - with a reading from Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein."

An observation on what it means to be a reader

Celebrating the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, and Judy Blume - with a reading from Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address.

"Gerrymandering" begins, GM makes UAW a cohesive labor union, the Seabed Arms Control Treaty is signed, and Joy Williams and Mo Willems celebrate their birthdays - with a reading from Willams, "The Quick and the Dead."

The birthday club includes William Allen White and Boris Pasternak - with a reading from White's editorial apologizing for an earlier piece in which he angrily asked "What's the Matter with Kansas?"

I'm back