Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832 – 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His books represent the “rags to riches” element of the American Dream.
He died as a pauper.
The White House Speechwriter Who Refused to be Fired
To be fair, Peter had a demanding boss. Few people were harder to please than President Lyndon B. Johnson. The temperamental president was quick to find fault with anyone at any time. Anyone trying to work in the White House in those days could easily feel like a swimmer in shark-infested waters. If Peter had…
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Mark Twain’s Thoughts On Turning Tom Sawyer Into a Play
Mark Twain was at the height of his popularity when he received a request to dramatize Tom Sawyer. The director of a theater company asked the author’s permission to use his name in association with the production. He concluded his letter by offering Twain a free ticket to see the performance.
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The Disaster That Haunted An Unlikely Hero
The weather couldn’t have been better for travel. As Charlie made his way home by train, neither he nor his fellow passengers had any clue that they were headed toward an unspeakable tragedy that would go down in history as the terrible Stapleton rail crash.
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Commonplace Fun Facts 