On This Day

What happened on this day in literary history?

Not a day goes by without something interesting happening in the world of books and writers. Here are some of the events that Susannah thinks are important.

Yesterday
The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse 14 May 1842: The Lady of Shalott is published. read more ...
Today
Front cover of the first issue of The Dawn published by Louisa Lawson 15 May 1888: Louisa Lawson publishes The Dawn. read more ...
Tomorrow
Edgar Allan Poe & his wife, Virginia Clemm Poe 16 May 1836: Edgar Allan Poe marries Virginia Clemm. read more ...
What happened this month?
List View
< February 2026 >
SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday
119181918Muriel Spark is born 219221922Ulysses is published in full 318631863Mark Twain is created 419001900Jacques Prévert is born 519411941Banjo Paterson dies 618651865Isabella Beeton dies 718121812Charles Dickens is born
818191819John Ruskin is born 919441944Alice Walker is born 1019141914Thomas Hardy marries for the second time 1119781978China lifts a ban on books 1218091809Charles Darwin is born 1319241924Edward Bear makes his first appearance 1418951895Oscar Wilde’s final play is first staged
1518671867Fyodor Dostoyevsky marries for the 2nd time 1619071907Giosuè Carducci dies 1718641864AB ‘Banjo’ Paterson is born 1816781678The Pilgrim’s Progress is first published 1918901890Robert Louis Stevenson writes a letter from Sydney 20162016Harper Lee dies 2018771877R.L. Stevenson’s first published work of fiction appears 2119071907W.H. Auden is born
2219731973Charlotte’s Web animated film premiers 2316331633Samuel Pepys is born 2417861786Wilhelm Grimm is born 2519831983Tennessee Williams dies 2618021802Victor Hugo is born 2716931693The first women’s magazine is published 2818201820Sir John Tenniel is born