Gustav Holst (1874–1934) was an English composer, arranger and
teacher, best known for his orchestral suite The Planets. He had
originally hoped to become a pianist, but was prevented by neuritis in
his right arm. Unable to support himself as a composer, he played the
trombone professionally and later became a teacher. He was musical
director at Morley College from 1907 until 1924, and pioneered music
education for women at St Paul's Girls' School, where he taught from
1905 until his death. He also founded a series of annual Whitsun music
festivals, which ran from 1916 for the remainder of his life. As a
composer, it was not until the international success of The Planets in
the years immediately after the First World War that he became a well-
known figure. In his later years his style of composition struck many as
too austere, and his brief popularity declined. Nevertheless, he was a
significant influence on a number of younger English composers,
including Michael Tippett and Benjamin Britten. Apart from The Planets
and a handful of other works, his music was generally neglected until
the 1980s, since when recordings of much of his output have been
available.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Holst>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1860:
Second Opium War: Anglo-French forces earned a decisive victory
against Qing dynasty troops in the Battle of Palikao, allowing them to
capture Beijing.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Palikao>
1897:
The New York Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper,
published an editorial by Francis Pharcellus Church stating, "Yes,
Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", that has become a part of popular
Christmas lore in the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_Virginia,_there_is_a_Santa_Claus>
1933:
Salvador Lutteroth ran the first Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha
Libre event in Mexico City, the world's oldest continuously operating
professional wrestling promotion.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consejo_Mundial_de_Lucha_Libre>
1939:
Romanian Prime Minister Armand Călinescu was assassinated in
Bucharest by pro-Nazi members of the Iron Guard.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armand_C%C4%83linescu>
1999:
A 7.6 Mw earthquake struck Jiji, Nantou County, Taiwan, killing
2,416 people, injuring over 11,000 others and causing about
NT$300 billion in damage.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/921_earthquake>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
infanticide:
The murder of an infant.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/infanticide>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
הַלְּלוּיָהּ I did my best, it wasn't much I
couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I've told the truth, I didn't come to
fool you. And even though it all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord
of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.
--Leonard Cohen
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leonard_Cohen>