On This Day
1455 – Traditionally the date of publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type.[5]
The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42) was the earliest major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe. It marked the start of the “Gutenberg Revolution” and the age of printed books in the West. The book is valued and revered for its high aesthetic and artistic qualities[1] as well as its historical significance. It is an edition of the Latin Vulgate printed in the 1450s by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, in present-day Germany. Forty-nine copies (or substantial portions of copies) have survived. They are thought to be among the world’s most valuable books, although no complete copy has been sold since 1978.[2][3] In March 1455, the future Pope Pius II wrote that he had seen pages from the Gutenberg Bible displayed in Frankfurt to promote the edition, and that either 158 or 180 copies had been printed (he cited sources for both numbers).
The 36-line Bible, said to be the second printed Bible, is also referred to sometimes as a Gutenberg Bible, but may be the work of another printer.
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484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.[1]
Huneric, Hunneric or Honeric (died December 23, 484) was King of the (North African) Vandal Kingdom (477–484) and the oldest son of Gaiseric. He abandoned the imperial politics of his father and concentrated mainly on internal affairs. He was married to Eudocia, daughter of western Roman Emperor Valentinian III (419–455) and Licinia Eudoxia. The couple had one child, a son named Hilderic.
Huneric was the first Vandal king who used the title King of the Vandals and Alans. Despite adopting this style, and that of the Vandals of maintaining their sea-power and their hold on the islands of the western Mediterranean, Huneric did not have the prestige that his father Gaiseric had enjoyed with other states.
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1705 – George Frideric Handel’s opera Nero premiered in Hamburg.[3]
Nero
General
The success of Almira prompted the Gänsemarkt management to follow it almost immediately with a second Handel setting, Die durch Blut und Mord erlangete Lieb; oder, Nero (“The love obtained through blood and murder; or, Nero”) generally known as Nero, again based on a Feustking libretto.[29] The libretto survives intact, but the music is entirely lost. Dean and Knapp record that a copy of Handel’s manuscript score was held in the library of the Hamburg impresario J.C. Westphal until 1830, when it was sold and thereafter disappeared. The whole work incorporates 20 ensembles and 57 arias.[30]
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Born On This Day
1133 – Al-Zafir, Fatimid caliph (d. 1154)[19]
Abū Manṣūr Ismāʿīl ibn al-Ḥāfiẓ (Arabic: أبو منصور إسماعيل بن الحافظ, February 1133 – April 1154), better known by his regnal name al-Ẓāfir bi-Aʿdāʾ Allāh (الظافر بأعداء الله, lit. ’Victor over God’s Enemies’)[1] or al-Ẓāfir bi-Amr Allāh (الظافر بأمر الله, lit. ’Victorious by the Command of God’),[2] was the twelfth Fatimid caliph, reigning in Egypt from 1149 to 1154, and the 22nd imam of the Hafizi Ismaili sect.
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1103 – Emperor Toba of Japan (d. 1156)
Emperor Toba (鳥羽天皇, Toba-tennō, February 24, 1103 – July 20, 1156) was the 74th Emperor of Japan,[1] according to the traditional order of succession.[2]
Toba’s reign spanned the years from 1107 through 1123.[3]
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1259 – Infanta Branca of Portugal, daughter of King Afonso III of Portugal and Urraca of Castile (d. 1321)[25]
Blanche of Portugal (25 February 1259 in Santarém,[1] – 17 April 1321 in Burgos; Branca Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈbɾɐ̃kɐ] in Portuguese and Blanca in Spanish), was an infanta, the firstborn child of King Afonso III of Portugal and his second wife Beatrice of Castile. Named after her great-aunt Blanche of Castile,[1] queen of France, Blanche was the Lady of Las Huelgas, Montemor-o-Velho, Alcocer and Briviesca, the city which she founded.
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FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
This Day in Tech History
Interesting Facts
Word Genius: Word of the Day
Possibly offensive!
John C. Dvorak & Adam Curry: Hilarious 😂 memes you missed. Special offer. No Agenda Newsletter
By Sara Crocoll Smith, Book Cave: Plants with a Dark Side: 6 Must-Read Botanical Gothic Books
By Scott LaPierre, Book Cave: Recommended Christian Finance Books from the Author of a Christian Finance Book and Workbook
By Emily Matchar, Smithsonian Magazine: A Brief History of the Mason Jar Around since 1858, the home canning classic is a sought after item for pandemic gardeners.
How to use social media for accountability
Outer accountability is a powerful habit-change tool—and not just for Obligers. Accountability can take many forms; some people feel accountable to a to-do list or an app like the Happier app, others are more likely to meet their aims with a coach, doctor, or friend checking in on them.
When used in the right way, social media can also provide outer accountability. For example, if you’re participating in the Go Outside 23 in 23 Challenge, you might:
Make a public commitment to your resolution to go outside every day. Knowing that your friends and family (and even strangers) are aware of your resolution can help you stick to it.
Remember that “Go Outside” entries in the Happier app count toward unlocking a donation to One Tree Planted. By going outside, you help bring more trees into the world (and if you don’t go outside, those trees might not get planted). Learn more about their work on their social media accounts.
Share a daily photo from your time outside, using #Outside23in23. Your posts might encourage other people to join, or if they’re private, you’ll have a wonderful record by the end of the year.
Follow @gretchenrubin and @hereisthehappinessproject for challenge updates, habit-building tips, and inspiration for getting outside.
Respond to comments or posts with tips and encouragement. Engaging in this way can help you feel connected to the community participating in the challenge.
Look at other people’s #Outside23in23 posts for fresh ideas. We’ve loved seeing these photos shared by participants in the challenge.
Buster the cockatoo story time with Dad: Went to the park
John Crist – Men From LA vs. Men From the South – What Are We Doing?
Nat Geo Wild: Some Bunny to Love (Full Episode) | Critter Fixers
Recipes
By Irvin Lin, The Spruce Eats: Why I Traded My Oven Mitts for Welding Gloves If Rapicca Welding Gloves can handle a kiln, they can handle an oven
By Justine Lee, The Kitchn: 11 Recipes That Make Your Egg the Star
By Betty Crocker Kitchens: Turkey Sausage, Pepper and Onion Skillet
By Betty Crocker Kitchens: Baking Fun with Kids in the Kitchen
Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.
DamnDelicious
RecipeTinEats
- Mango bars with lime glaze January 17, 2025Summery Mango Bars! A jammy layer of fresh mango sandwiched between a coconut biscuit base and crumbly topping, finished with a lime glaze. Stellar flavour combination that screams of summer! That mango layer is everything – juicy and generous. The annual mango recipe! I intended to kick off this post by cheerfully introducing it as... […]Nagi
- Creamy Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Risoni (orzo) January 15, 2025The name’s a tongue twister, but this dish is a breeze to make! Goat cheese and roasted red peppers are the shortcuts for this creamy, smoky risoni recipe. Under $20 for 4 servings, ready in 20 minutes. Serve as a meal or side — it’s like a Mediterranean risotto! Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 20 January 20, 2025Picture of the day Scientific diagram of arteries, veins, and capillaries. Also shows cross-sectional area differences.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for January 19 January 19, 2025Picture of the day Hellenic pond turtle (Emys orbicularis hellenica), Butrint Archaeological Park, Albania
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Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!
Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?