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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

infanticide: The murder of an infant. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/infanticide

___________________________ 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