1865: Alice Comes to America
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, his pseudonym. It was published in America for the time on this day in 1865. The story of a little girl following a white rabbit through a rabbit hole and into a “wonderland” is considered one of the best examples of literary nonsense. Copies of the first edition with illustrations created by John Tenniel sold out quickly and the story has never gone out of print. It is estimated that there have been over 100 editions of the book and translated to at least that many languages as well. The story is often confused with the book’s sequel, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There which came out in 1871. The setting in the second book is not Wonderland, but many film adaptations of the stories have combined elements and characters from both stories. The most recent films inspired by the stories have been Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) followed by the sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).
1942: Here’s Looking at You Kid
On this day in 1942, of all the gin joints in the world, Ingrid Bergman walked into Humphrey Bogart’s in the World War II classic, Casablanca. The movie’s premiere was in New York. The film wouldn’t open nationally until January 23, 1943. Directed by Michael Curtiz, Casablanca is known for its iconic quotes like “Round up the usual suspects” and “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” it was nominated for eight Academy Awards and took home three including Best Actor.
Birthdays
- 1922: Charles M. Schulz (cartoonist)
- 1933: Robert Goulet (actor)
- 1938: Rich Little (comedian)
- 1939: Tina Turner (singer)
- 1969: Shawn Kemp (basketball player)
- 1981: Natasha Bedingfield (singer)
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