#OtD 13 Apr 1890 Black Philadelphia docker and IWW member, Ben Fletcher, was born. Joining the IWW in 1913, he organised a multiracial union on the Philadelphia docks when many unions were still segregated. Learn more in our podcast: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e73-ben-fletcher/

#OTD 2012 Visiting Oslo. Seeing so many electric cars together felt like the future.

#Otd in 1964. Sidney Poitier becomes the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the 1963 film "Lillies of the Field" https://youtu.be/qCzTyxXPy1o?si=msTnLGGBdeafniVC

To have carved on the days of our vanity
A sun
A ship
A star
A cornstalk

Also a few marks
From an ancient forgotten time
A child may read…

—“A Work for Poets”: the final poem written by George Mackay Brown (1921–1996), who died #OTD, 13 April

Published in CARVE THE RUNES: Selected Poems (Polygon, 2021)

https://birlinn.co.uk/product/carve-the-runes/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_13

#OnThisDay, 13 Apr 1985, Danuta Danielsson hits a neo-Nazi with her handbag in Växjö, Sweden. Yes, that photo by Hans Runesson.

Danuta had been born in Poland in 1947, after her Jewish mother had survived a concentration camp.

13 Apr 1605: John Bull composer awarded an extra £40 p.a. #otd by James VI & I for organ-playing in addition to singing (OU/Bridgeman) #music

13 Apr 1646: The City of #Exeter surrenders to General Fairfax #otd (Colchester & Ipswich Museums)

13 Apr 1682: Richard Butler, 5th son of the Duke of Ormond & Elizabeth Preston, and 1st Earl of Arran is appointed Lord Deputy of #Ireland #otd during the absence of his father, the Lord Lieutenant

13 Apr 1742: The first ever performance of G. F. Handel's Messiah oratorio takes place in #Dublin #otd at Neal’s #music hall Fishamble St (NPG)

#OnThisDay, 13 Apr 1933 Ruth Bryan Owen is appointed US ambassador to Denmark.
As well as being the first woman to be appointed as a US Ambassador, Owen had been the first woman elected to Congress by the state of Florida in 1928.

Earlier in the 1920s she had been one of a number of women directing films in the silent era.

13 Apr 1519: b. Catherine de Medici, Queen of #France, who the kept Valois monarchy in place during the Wars of Religion #otd

13 Apr 1011: Viking ransom of £48,000 for St. Alphege, Archbishop of #Canterbury is set #otd (image from ClerkofOxford)

13 Apr 1593: b. Thomas Wentworth, future lord deputy #Ireland at Chancery Lane #London #otd on what was Good Friday (NPG) Beheaded 12 May 1641 on Tower Hill.

13 Apr 1603: Richard Field #Jesuit having reconsecrated the cathedral of the Holy Trinity #Waterford celebrates high mass there #otd

13 Apr 1534: John Hilsey #Dominican & George Browne #Augustinian (& future Archbishop of #Dublin) appointed to visit all friaries in #England #otd (BM) #itsclosingtime

13 Apr 1662: Catherine of Braganza leaves #Portugal #otd en route to marry Charles II (NPG) #royalwedding

43 years ago today
Glenn Danzig with the Misfits and Henry Rollins at the Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood, April 13, 1982

Photo by Glen E. Friedman

#OtD 12 Apr 1934 workers at the Electric Auto-Lite company in Toledo, Ohio, went on strike. The Toledo Auto-Lite strike heavily involved unemployed workers and is one of the most important strikes in US labour history. Read its history in this book: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/en-gb/products/strike-jeremy-brecher

#OTD 12 April 1910 Charles E Ramsey married Deora Maud Maddox in Enid, Oklahoma. They had a large age difference and the marriage was troubled, especially with Charley, a grain buyer, being overly fond of alcohol. They had two sons, but the youngest died at about two years old. Deora sought a divorce. She married a builder, George Larue Atkinson, and moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. The older son, Clifford, joined his stepfather after training as an architect. Deora was the youngest sister of my great-grandmother.
#genealogy