Leopold II was the king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels, Leopold is remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State, a large, privately controlled colonial region in Central Africa. He extracted a fortune from the Congo during the late 1800s, through the collection of ivory, and by forcing the population to collect sap from rubber plants. His harsh regime was responsible for the deaths of 10 million people. He was born on this day in 1835.
Booker T. Washington was an African-American educator, reformer and adviser to Republican presidents. He was the dominant figure in the black community in the U.S. from 1890 until his death in 1915. Representing the last generation of black American leaders born in slavery, he spoke on behalf of those who had lost their ability to vote through disfranchisement by southern legislatures. He was born on this day in 1856.
The 34th President of the United States and a five-star general in the United States Army. During World War II, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. As president, he was a moderate conservative who continued New Deal agencies, expanded Social Security and launched the Interstate Highway System. He died on this day in 1969.
Note: This is 8-bit U.S. president #11 of 43.
Joseph Kony is the head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan guerrilla group operating in several African nations. While initially enjoying strong public support, the LRA turned on its own supporters, supposedly to “purify” the Acholi people and turn Uganda into a theocracy. Kony proclaims himself the spokesperson of God and a spirit medium. He has ordered the abduction of over 66,000 children to become soldiers and sex slaves.
Kony was recently popularized by the manipulative Kony 2012 viral campaign from the controversial group Invisible Children. See the Visible Children blog for a critical view of Kony 2012.
Ludwig van Beethoven is a German composer and virtuoso pianist. He is one of the most famous and influential of all composers, and is an important figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras. His hearing began to deteriorate in his late twenties, yet he continued to compose, conduct and perform, even after becoming completely deaf. He died on this day in 1827.
Helen Keller is an American author and political activist. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The story of how Keller’s teacher broke through the isolation and helped her learn to communicate is the basis for the play and film The Miracle Worker. A prolific author, Keller was outspoken in her opposition to war and campaigned for women’s suffrage, workers’ rights and socialism.
Helen Keller is one of a trio of American women activists (along with Clara Barton and Harriet Tubman) that recently appeared to my girlfriend in a dream.
Clara Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse and humanitarian. During the American Civil War and many subsequent international wars, Barton tended to wounded soldiers. In 1881, she founded and became the first president of the American Red Cross, a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization.
Clara Barton is one of a trio of American women activists (along with Harriet Tubman and Helen Keller) that recently appeared to my girlfriend in a dream.
Harriet Tubman was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, she made 13 missions to rescue more than 70 slaves using the Underground Railroad. She later helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry, and in the post-war era struggled for women’s suffrage.
Harriet Tubman is one of a trio of American women activists (along with Clara Barton and Helen Keller) that recently appeared to my girlfriend in a dream.
A prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women’s rights movement to introduce women’s suffrage into the United States. She was one of the important advocates in leading the way for women’s rights to be acknowledged and instituted in the American government. She died on this day in 1906 at age 86.
In early March 1945, Anne Frank died at age 15 in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. She later became of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Her diary documents her experiences hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II and chronicles two years of her life, from 1942 to 1944. Frank gained international fame posthumously after her diary was published in 1947.
An American martial artist and actor. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he rose to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do. As a result of his “tough guy” image, an Internet phenomenon began in 2005 known as Chuck Norris facts, ascribing various implausible or even impossible feats to Norris. He was born tomorrow in 1940.
An Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, poet and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. Like fellow Italian Leonardo da Vinci, he is an archetypal Renaissance man. Michelangelo was considered the greatest living artist in his lifetime. His best-known works include David, the Pietà and the frescos in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. He was born on this day in 1475.
The leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa) band of Nez Perce (or Niimíipu) during General Oliver O. Howard’s attempt to forcibly remove “non-treaty” Nez Perce from the Wallowa Valley of northeastern Oregon to a reservation in Idaho during the late 1800s. For his principled resistance to the removal, Chief Joseph became renowned as a humanitarian and peacemaker. He was born yesterday in 1840.
With apologies to Kurt Vonnegut: This is I. This is me. This is the author of this site. Today I am celebrating 365 days of pixel art with my most self-indulgent 8-bit character of all. I was born on this day in 1979. This year on 3/3 I celebrate 33 revolutions around the sun. For many years I called Pennsylvania home, but I’ve lived in Oregon since 2001. My three cats are Eli, Tanuki and The King.
Theodor Seuss Geisel is an American writer, poet and cartoonist known for his children’s books written under the pen name Dr. Seuss. His children’s books include Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and 43 more. His picture books are often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme and frequent use of trisyllabic meter. Geisel was born on this day in 1904.
Note: Geisel’s birthday has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association. “Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living,” said Dr. Seuss.
A former Soviet statesman, having served as head of state of the Soviet Union from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991. Gorbachev also led the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. His attempts at Soviet reform and collaboration with U.S. President Ronald Reagan contributed to the end of the Cold War. Gorbachev was born into a peasant Ukrainian-Russian family on this day in 1931.
I once had a sarasa comet goldfish that was all white with a red splotch on the top of his head. I named him Gorbachev. He reformed the corrupt political climate of the 10-gallon aquarium.
Linus Pauling was an American chemist, biochemist, peace activist and author. He ranks among the most important scientists of the 20th century. Pauling was one of the first scientists to work in the fields of quantum chemistry and molecular biology. A graduate of Oregon State University and winner of two Nobel Prizes, he was born on this day in 1901 in Portland, Oregon.
P.S. “Do unto others 20% better than you would expect them to do unto you, to correct for subjective error.” – Linus Pauling
Mister Rogers was an American educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, author and television host. Rogers created and hosted Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968-2001), which featured his gentle, soft-spoken personality and directness to his audiences. As a kid in the 1980s, I watched countless episodes of his show on PBS. He died on this day in 2003.
P.S. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.” – Fred Rogers
Update: Listen to “Garden of Your Mind (Mister Rogers Remixed)” from PBS Digital Studios.
A controversial artist and leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. Warhol’s works explore the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement. His studio (The Factory) was a famous gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy patrons. He died on this day in 1987.
Al Gore – No. 386
The 45th Vice President of the United States (1993-2001), under President Bill Clinton, and the Democratic candidate in the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Gore is also an environmental activist who wrote An Inconvenient Truth. He has founded several nonprofits including the Alliance for Climate Protection, and received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in climate change activism. A well-known animatronic human, Gore was “born” tomorrow in 1948.
I’m pretty tired of creating 8-bit versions of famous white dudes in suits, so this character is based on a Futurama version of Al Gore (plus his South Park superhero cape). In the 31st century, Gore is First Emperor of the Moon. You guys, I’m serial. I’m super-serial. Lockbox.