June 10 - Happy Birthday, Maurice Sendak

On this day in 1928, Maurice Bernard Sendak was born.

Maurice Sendak was an American author and illustrator, perhaps best known for his book, Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963. He is also known for such works as In the Night Kitchenand Outside Over There, while also illustrating Little Bear

His love of books began as a child, after developing health problems causing him to be confined to his bed. His decision to become an illustrator occurred after watching Walt Disney's Fantasia at the age of 12. At the beginning of his career, he created window displays for the well-known toy store, F.A.O. Schwartz.

 

Some of Sendak's work was of concern to parents when it was first published, as his characters (from Where the Wild Things Are) were somewhat grotesque in appearance (a big difference from Little Bear). Yet there were others who absolutely adored the work.

Sendak once recounted a tale of a gift he'd received from a young boy, with a small drawing on the card. He sent a card back with a picture of a Wild Thing on it. After a while he got a letter back from the boy's mother, relaying that the boy "loved your card so much he ate it". Sendak found it to be one of the highest compliments he'd ever received.

Sendak passed away May 8, 2012, after suffering a stroke. He will always be remembered for the wonderful stories he brought to the world, for parents and children alike.

Today is also Alcoholics Anonymous Founders Day, Ball Point Pen Day, and Iced Tea Day!

Here are some interesting things that happened on this day in history:

- Valse Dimitri was crowned Russian Tsar for 1st time in 1605.
- Benjamin Franklin's kite was struck by lightning in 1752 - what a shock!
- The Constitutional Act was enacted by the British Parliament in 1791, dividing the Province of Canada into two parts, Upper and Lower Canada.

- The first Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge took place in 1829.
- Myall Creek Massacre in Australia: 28 Aboriginal Australians were murdered in the Myall Creek Massacre in Australia in 1838.
- Georg F B Reiman proposes that space is curved in 1854.
- The Patinoire Québec (skating rink) was transformed for the summer into the Jardin Tivoli in 1901. American actors presented plays there.
- Inaugural service for the United Church of Canada, a union of Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist churches, was held in Toronto in 1925.
- Dr. Robert Smith & William Wilson of Akron formed Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935.
- Canada declared war on Italy in 1940.
- Politician Ernest Preston Manning, leader of the Reform Party, was born in Edmonton in 1942.
- Saab produced its first automobile in 1947.
- Douglas Jung was elected Conservative MP for a Vancouver riding in 1957, becoming the first Chinese Canadian to hold elected federal office.
- "Tales From The Crypt," debuted on HBO in 1989.

- Burger King began using Newman's Own Salad Dressing in 1990.
- In 1999, the Reform Party announced that 65% of its members had voted to pursue the development of a new political party, dubbed the "united alternative."
- The Spirit Rover was launched in 2003, beginning NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission.

Stay tuned for our next, "On This Day in History"!