21st March: Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on this date in 1685. Some facts about him:

1. He was born in the town of Eisenach, Germany, to Johann Ambrosius Bach and Maria Elisabeth Lammerhirt. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the director of the town musicians, and all his uncles were professional musicians. In fact, he came from a long line of musicians.
2. He was orphaned at the age of ten and went to live with his older brother. He got into trouble there by copying an old musical score (blank scores were expensive).
3. He married twice and had twenty children, although only a few survived to adulthood. Only one of his sons did not become an organist.
4. He once challenged someone to a duel - not with guns, but with keyboards. Each musician was to set to the other a series of musical tasks, including themes to improvise and styles to imitate. King Augustus decided to offer a prize of 500 Talers to the winner. Bach's prospective opponent, Louis Marchand, came to the conclusion that he stood no chance of winning and was likely to be humiliated, so on the day of the contest, he legged it to Paris by stagecoach. The noblemen from Dresden who turned up to watch the contest, were treated to a recital by Bach instead. Sadly, Bach didn't get the prize money, since it had been stolen by a servant.
5. Bach's talent as a composer wasn't appreciated during his lifetime. He was a working musician whose career encompassed a series of jobs. Relations with employers weren't always good. In 1705, Bach walked 200 miles from Arnstadt to Lübeck to hear organist Dietrich Buxtehude play. He was only granted four weeks leave from his position as organist in Arnstadt but ended up taking off four months, without permission. Another employer sent him to prison for trying to resign.
6. Bach was into numerology. In mystical numerology the letters of his surname added up to 14, and if he added his initials, JS, the total was 41. These two numbers are hidden countless times within the notes and musical structure of Bach’s works. More obvious examples are 14 Canons in the Goldberg Variations and 14 Contrapuncti in the Art of Fugue.
7. Bach was most famous for his religious music, but he also wrote some secular pieces including a piece about Coffee. It was called 'Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht' ('Be still, stop chattering') and was most likely first performed in a Leipzig coffee house.
8. Translated into English, BACH means STREAM (ruscello/torrente). In German, the name Bach spells out four musical notes (B —B flat, A—A natural, C—C natural, H—B natural).
9. Despite being born in the same year and only about 130 kilometres (81 mi) apart, Bach and Handel never met. It wasn't for want of trying, on Bach's part, at least. In 1719, Bach made the 35-kilometre (22 mi) journey from Köthen to Halle to try and meet up with Handel, but Handel had left the town.
10. There's another coincidence concerning Bach and Handel and that was that they both had trouble with their eyes and were both operated on by the same eye surgeon, John Taylor. In those days this would have meant without anaesthetic. Taylor wasn't particularly good and in both cases, the surgery went wrong. Handel's vision got worse for the last ten years of his life, while Bach went blind and died a few months later of a stroke.

20th March: Henrik Ibsen

On this date in 1828 Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian playwright whose works include Ghosts and A Doll’s House, was born. Ten pearls of his wisdom:

1. A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.
2. It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians.
3. A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.
4. The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.
5. Never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.
6. Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed.
7. I don't imagine you will dispute the fact that at present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over.
8. To live is to war with trolls.
9. How can I hold you close enough?
10. Anyone who's sold herself for somebody else once isn't going to do it again.

19th March: Spring!

Spring is most definitely in the air, so let's have some spring quotes.

1. Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!' Robert Orben
2. Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" Robin Williams
3. it's spring when the world is puddle-wonderful. e e cummings
4. March is a tomboy with tousled hair, a mischievous smile, mud on her shoes and a laugh in her voice. Hal Borland
5. Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again. Gustav Mahler
6. The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. Harriet Ann Jacobs
7. You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming. Pablo Neruda
8. To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. George Santayana
9. In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. Mark Twain
10. Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world. Virgil Kraft

18th March: Aruba National Day

Today is Aruba's Flag and Anthem Day. 10 facts about Aruba:

1. Both the Flag and the National Anthem (Aruba Dushi Tera) were adopted on 18 March 1976 and this date is celebrated as a national holiday. The colours on the flag are symbolic - blue for the sea, Yellow for abundance and the island's historic gold industry, red for brazilwood and patriotism, white for the white sand beaches and purity. The red star represents the island and the four points of the Compass, with the island having drawn people from around the world. The horizontal yellow stripes denote the free and separate position Aruba enjoys within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
2. Its capital is Oranjestad. Other major towns are Paradera, San Nicolas, Noord, Santa Cruz, and Savaneta.
3. There are no rivers on the island and very low rainfall - so it has been necessary to desalinate seawater to get enough drinking Water. The desalination plant is the third largest in the world. Mineral content is strictly controlled to provide a clean flavour and, among locals, an icy glass of fresh, purified seawater is called a Balashi Cocktail.
4. The highest point is Mount Jamanota at 188 meters (617 ft) above sea level. From here, and from the next two highest points, Arikok and the Hooiberg, it's possible to see the coast of Venezuela, which is only nine miles away.
5. The main industries are tourism, petrol refining and the export of aloe. The aloe plant appears on the country's coat of arms.
6. Another plant found on the island is the divi-divi tree. These trees are bent into fantastic shapes by the prevailing winds, and there is a local saying, “follow the bend of the divi-divi trees and they’ll lead you to town”.
7. Animals you'll find there include the Aruba Island Rattlesnake and Aruban Burrowing Owl. Both of these appear on the country's currency.
8. Sarah-Quita Offringa, the Women’s PWA World Champion Freestyle Windsurfer and holder of many records including youngest woman to become world champion, is from Aruba.
9. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands.
10. The official languages are Dutch and since 2003, Papiamento, the predominant language on Aruba. It is a creole language, also spoken on Bonaire and Curaçao. It incorporates words from Portuguese, West African languages, Dutch, and Spanish.

17th March: Hell's Angels

The Hell's Angels Motorcycle Corporation was founded on this date in 1948. Here are some facts about the Hell's Angels you may not be aware of:

1. It's not a gang, it's a club - the full title is Hell's Angels Motorcycle Corporation (HAMC). It's the world's largest motorcycle club and has charters all over the world, including Argentina, Greece, Iceland, Russia, and Turkey.
2. It began in 1948 after the Hollister riot in 1947 in which existing motorcycle clubs took part. Otto Friedli, a member of one of these clubs, a club called The Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, split to form his own. The name "Hell's Angels" was suggested to him by Arvid Olsen, his associate, who'd served in the Flying Tigers' "Hell's Angels" squadron in China during World War II. According to a Howard Hughes film, this squadron was famous for its dangerous feats of aviation.
3. The first charter outside the USA was formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1961. They arrived in the UK in 1969 when two charters formed in London - the "South London" and "East London", which amalgamated to form one London charter a few years later. The London Angels provided security at a number of UK Underground festivals.
4. The Hell's Angels have a website. www.hells-angels.com.
5. Fancy becoming a Hell's Angel member? If you have a valid driver's license, a motorcycle over 750cc, are not a child molester, policeman or prison officer you might be in with a chance. Prospective members first become "hang arounds" who attend the occasional event. They may then be invited to become an "Associate" for a couple of years, then a "prospect" where they can participate more but don't get to vote. During this period they are being evaluated for suitability by their peers, and may visit all the local charters (eg in their state) to make themselves known to the people with the power to vote them in. Finally, they must be unanimously voted in. They then become full members, usually by a formal induction, and are entitled to wear the full set of membership patches. The step of attaining full membership is sometimes referred to as "being patched".
6. However, if you're not a white male, forget it. Officially, the club is not racist, although according to founding member Sonny Barger, "we probably have enough racist members that no black guy is going to get in it". There is, however, a black motorcycle club called the East Bay Dragons. Its founder, Tobie Levingston, and Barger are said to be good friends and sometimes ride together. There's also a club for women, called the Leather and Lace Motorcycle Club.
7. The Hells Angels have a system of patches similar to military medals. All members will wear the death's head logo patch, one identifying which charter they belong to and one stating their rank in the organisation (eg. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant at Arms). Others identify specific or significant actions or beliefs of each biker. The meanings of may of them aren't known to people outside the organisation. Some wear one with "1%" on it, which originates from a comment made by American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) that 99% of motorcyclists were law-abiding citizens.
8. Common nicknames for the club are the "H.A.", "Red & White" (from the colours of the patches), and "81" (from the positions in the alphabet of the letters H and A).
9. The Hell's Angels tried to sue Disney. In 2007 they filed a suit against the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group alleging that they'd used the name and logo of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation without permission in a film called Wild Hogs. They settled out of court when Disney assured the Angels the references would not appear in the film.
10. The club's motto is "Angels Forever, Forever Angels". There's also an unofficial one, "When we do right, nobody remembers. When we do wrong, nobody forgets." For despite their sometimes fearsome reputation and being considered an organised crime syndicate by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Hell's Angels often raise money for charities, such as The Red Cross Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and various veteran’s and children’s charities - but people often aren't aware of that.

16th March: Bacchanalia: Feast of drunken revelry

In ancient Rome, today was the Bacchanalia, a festival of drunken revelry. It celebrated the god Bacchus, god of wine, intoxication, freedom and ecstasy. What better way to honour him than to get blind drunk? Today, some quotes and quips about drunkenness:

1. Many things can be preserved in alcohol. Dignity is not one of them.
2. A nose goes into a bar and orders a drink. The barman says, “Sorry, I can’t serve you - you’re already off your face.”
3. If you don't drink, how will your friends know you love them at 2am?
4. Life is not a fairy tale. If you lose your shoe at midnight, you're drunk.
5. You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on.
6. A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts.
7. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila floor.
8. Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. Ernest Hemingway
9. You are drunk when You feel sophisticated but you are not able to pronounce it.
10. Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk. Sir Francis Chichester

15th March: Jupiter

The ides of every month were sacred to the god Jupiter in Ancient Rome, so, for the Ides of March, here are 10 facts about the god Jupiter:

1. Jupiter was the king of the gods - his equivalent in Greek mythology was Zeus. The Romans had more holidays dedicated to Jupiter than to any other god.
2. As well as the ides being sacred to him, a white lamb would be sacrificed to him on the nundinae, the "market" days of a calendar cycle, the equivalent of once a week, by his high priestess.
3. Jupiter had a high priest, or Flamen Dialis, who had a seat in the senate, and there were a number of things he was forbidden to do, which included taking his clothes off, or even his hat off, outdoors so Jupiter would never see him naked; he was not allowed to ride a Horse or see the army outside the sacred boundary of Rome, or to come into contact with corpses, funerals, funeral fires, or raw meat.
4. The Romans believed Jupiter granted them supremacy because they had honoured him more than any other race had done.
5. An alternative name for Jupiter was Jove, which is where the expression, "By Jove!" came from, when the consuls swore their oath of office in Jupiter's name. The name Jupiter evolved from The Latin name Iuppiter, meaning "Father Sky God".
6. Jupiter was the son of Saturn and the brother of Neptune and Pluto. When Saturn died, the world was divided up, apparently amicably, by the brothers. Pluto got the underworld, Neptune the sea and Jupiter the sky.
7. Jupiter was married to Juno but was a notorious womaniser. His legitimate children by Juno were Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus, but in addition he fathered Apollo and Diana (by Leto), Mercury (by Maia), Venus (by Dione), Hercules (by Alceme), Perseus (by Danae), Helen of Troy, Castor and Pollux (by Leda) and Minerva (who sprang out of his head).
8. The symbols of Jupiter are the Lightning bolt and the eagle. Roman coins often depicted an eagle with a lightning bolt in its talons. His sacred tree was the Oak.
9. Jupiter's name was adopted as the name of the planet Jupiter; the adjective "jovial" originally described people born under the planet. They were reputed to be jolly, optimistic, and buoyant in temperament.
10. In Latin languages, the word for Thursday, eg. jeudi in French, jueves in Spanish, are also derived from Jupiter.