A Christmas Carol is an 1843 novella by Charles Dickens, illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man. Dickens wrote the story during a period when the British were exploring and re- evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols, and newer customs such as Christmas trees. His Christmas stories (including three before and four after this one) were influenced by those of other authors, including Washington Irving and Douglas William Jerrold. Parts of the novella point out the misery that poor children often endured; Dickens had recently witnessed appalling conditions for children working in the Cornish tin mines. He gave 128 public readings of A Christmas Carol, including his farewell performance in 1870, the year of his death. (Full article...).
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1725: J. S. Bach led the first performance of the Christmas cantata Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110, making laughter audible in singing. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unser_Mund_sei_voll_Lachens,_BWV_110> 1990: British computer programmer Tim Berners-Lee introduced WorldWideWeb, the world's first web browser and WYSIWYG HTML editor. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldWideWeb> 2000: Russian president Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill officially adopting a new national anthem, with music by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov originally composed for the anthem of the Soviet Union. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_anthem_of_Russia> 2024: After the loss of aircraft systems, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed near Aktau International Airport while attempting to perform an emergency landing after being hit by a Russian defense missile. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan_Airlines_Flight_8243> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: yes, Virginia: (originally and chiefly US, idiomatic, humorous) Used to express that something is true, despite skepticism by some people. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yes%2C_Virginia> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: I think the destiny of all men is not to sit in the rubble of their own making but to reach out for an ultimate perfection which is to be had. At the moment, it is a dream. But as of the moment we clasp hands with our neighbor, we build the first span to bridge the gap between the young and the old. At this hour, it’s a wish. But we have it within our power to make it a reality. If you want to prove that God is not dead, first prove that man is alive. --Rod Serling <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rod_Serling> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
