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What is Europe? Lessons from the Past
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Isaac Newton publishes his Principia
In England, Isaac Newton publishes his groundbreaking Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, detailing his findings in physics and calculus. This publication was one of the hallmarks of the Enlightenment era, as it created or expanded upon academic fields of study. -
George Gordon, Lord Byron is born
Lord Byron, in his short 36 years of life, was at the forefront of the Romantic movement, leaving behind him a legacy of the Byronic Hero, military campaigns, and the practice of drinking from skulls. He travelled widely, from Italy, to Switzerland, to Greece. -
Carl von Clausewitz' "On War" is published
German general and political theorist Carl von Clausevitz's work, "On War," examining the background and maneuvering of wars is published. His work is based on his observations of the Napoleonic wars in particular. -
Emile Zola publishes "Au Bonheur des Dames"
French writer Emile Zola puts out "Au Bonheur des Dames," a book about industrialization -- the "machine on the brink of explosion" -- wrapped around a compelling love story. This work reflects the perpetual struggle between factory owners and small business owners in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. -
Oscar Wilde goes to trial for sodomy
Irish author Oscar Wilde, author of "The Picture of Dorian Gray," is put on trial for sodomy after being accused by the angry, aristocratic father of his lover. Society's instant recoil from the celebrated author demonstrates the values of Victorian period England. -
"Diary of a Young Girl" is published
The journal of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl in Amsterdam during Adolf Hitler's regime, documents her experiences living in a secret attic for nearly two years as she and her family hid from ethnic persecution. Her journal entries reflect the conditions of total war, and the antics of a totalitarian state under a charismatic dictator.
