On this day in 1953, Watson, Crick, Wilkins, and Franklin published their revolutionary paper on the double helix shape of human DNA. As such, today is often celebrated as “DNA Day” in academic circles. 

Watson and Crick had come up with a shape for DNA in 1951, but after showing it to Rosalind Franklin, had to start over. She had alerted them that their design was impossible because of the way water molecules and amino acids interact. They discovered the new shape in February of 1953 and published their findings quickly in the hopes of beating a rival, Linus Pauling, to the discovery. It probably goes without saying that this was a major advancement in genomics!

On this day in 1998, the Red Hat Society was founded. The Red Hat Society calls themselves a ‘playgroup for women’ with their central mission to connect women for the purpose of having fun in spaces away from the everyday duties of careers, caring for loved ones, and housework. They grew largely by word of mouth in their first few years, growing from a small group of friends to 70 thousand members all over the world today. 

Today is the birthday of Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen of Jazz. Ella was born in 1917 in Virginia, but moved to Yonkers when she was just a few years old. New York is where Fitzgerald would grow up. A bright student, she was more fond of dancing than singing. It wasn’t until she entered a talent show, Amatuer Nights at the Apollo Theater, at age 17, that she discovered she may have a thing with this singing. She was originally going to do a dance number, but after seeing a sister duo do a dance, she thought she’d have a better shot at winning the talent show by singing. 

She was right. She took first prize and a few months later opportunities began sprouting up. 

Ella achieved great success over multiple decades, deftly adapting to the shifts in musical taste, and using nostalgia for her early recording days toward the end of her career. The song that put her on the map was her version of the nursery rhyme “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” but it’s her rendition of “Mack the Knife” from the live album Ella in Berlin which sticks with most people. Her scatting and be-bopping truly shine in the track and it’s no wonder one of her 13 Grammys were awarded for that number. And naturally she also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Ella was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and National Medal of Arts bestowed by Congress in 1987. Her last appearance was in 1990 in London to perform with the Count Basie Orchestra for the launch of Jazz FM, and she passed away six years later, at the age of 79, a full life lived. 

And today is the birthday of Walter de la Mare, English writer of novels, short stories, and poems. He wrote for adults and children alike, his writing often tinged with supernatural elements from ghosts to subtle psychological horrors. He is the author of the poem “The Listeners” which is our poem today. 

Walter de la Mare