ON THIS DAY

On this day in 1868, the Russian writer and political thinker Maxim Gorky was born, and I know next to nothing about him other than he had a quirky-sounding name: Gorky.

On this day in 1930, the Turkish cities Constantinople and Angora were officially renamed Istanbul and Ankara. I genuinely believe the world was poorer for it, for no other reason than I just like the way Constantinople sounds. However, Angora for Ankara isn’t such a deal breaker for me. Honestly, I could go either way with that one.

On this day in 1963, Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds was released, and a flock of seagulls never seemed so innocent since. When traumatised audiences left the Odeon Theatre at the UK premiere in Leicester Square, they were greeted by the sound of screeching and flapping birds from loudspeakers hidden in the trees to terrify them further.

But far more important than these three random historical tidbits is the fact that both my grandmother, who happened to make the best apple pie and cheesecake, and a very close family friend of mine—who first introduced me to opera after taking me to see Rossini's The Barber of Seville at the Bristol Hippodrome—were both born on this day.

I mean, seriously, what’s Gorky done for me lately?