Today in history

• 1866

  Gerard Manley Hopkins: Hopkins composed the ascetic poem The Habit of Perfection but shortly after decided to give up poetry for lent. [Oxford, United Kingdom]

• 1867

  Ruben Dario: On January the 18th, 1867 Ruben Dario is born in Ciudad Darío, Matagalpa, Nicaragua [Ciudad Darío, Matagalpa, Nicaragua]

• 1882

  Alan Alexander Milne: Alan Alexander Milne was born in 1882 in Kilburn, London. The author of the Winnie the Pooh children's books was brought up by his teacher father in a public school. [Kilburn, London, United Kingdom]

• 1892

  Rudyard Kipling: On the 18th of January 1892 Kipling marries Carrie Balestier in London [London, United Kingdom]

• 1936

  Rudyard Kipling: On the 18th of January 1936 at the age of 70 Rudyard Kipling dies [Middlesex, London, England, United Kingdom]

• 1945

  Primo Levi: On the 18th of January 1945 Levi is liberated by the Red Army from Auschwitz [Auschwitz, Poland]

Featured news

Eliot Poetry Prize / Burns Sidelined / Grant For Byron’s Statue – Poetry News Roundup January 17th

This week on My Poetic Side we look at the winner of this year’s TS Eliot Prize for poetry, the reasons why Robert Burns is being side-lined, and the grant to preserve Lord Byron’s statue. TS Eliot Poetry Prize 2025 Peter Gizzi has been announced as the winner of this year's TS Eliot prize for poetry with his book Fierce Elegy, which the judges have described as “Transcendental beauty”. The ...

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