George Orwell’s novel of a dystopian future, 1984, was
published on June 8, 1949. The novel’s all-seeing leader,
known as “Big Brother,” became a universal symbol for
intrusive government and oppressive bureaucracy.
George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
(25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950)
The title page to the 1611 first edition of the authorized
version of the Bible.
The King James Bible, the most famous version of the world’s
most influential book, was published on this day in history,
May 2, 1611.
"The King James, or Authorized, Version of the Bible remains
the most widely published text in the English language,"
according to the British Library.
Commissioned by King James I of England in 1604, it is famed
for its artfully written versions of Old and New Testament tales;
its success bringing the Word of God to English-speaking
commoners; and its influence on the American colonies.
The 80 books of the King James Version include 39 books of
the Old Testament, 14 books of Apocrypha, and the 27 books
of the New Testament.
Portrait of King James I of England (1566-1625). Found in the collection of National Museum Stockholm.
On December 19, 1843, English novelist Charles Dickens’ classic
story “A Christmas Carol”was published.
The first edition sold out by Christmas Eve; by the end of 1844
thirteen editions had been released. Most critics reviewed the
novella favorably.
Charles John Huffam Dickens
(7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870)
"Marley’s Ghost", original illustration by John Leech
from the 1843 edition.
John Leech (August 29, 1817 – October 29, 1864)
illustrator of the first edition.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in
the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace
on December 10, 1901.
The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of
Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives. In his will, Nobel directed that the bulk of his vast
fortune be placed in a fund in which the interest would be
“annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during
the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.”
Although Nobel offered no public reason for his creation of the
prizes, it is widely believed that he did so out of moral regret
over the increasingly lethal uses of his inventions in war.
First award ceremony at the Royal Swedish Academy of
Music.
Swedish chemist Alfred Bernhard Nobel
(21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896)
