The Black Cat was an American fiction magazine launched in 1895 by
Herman Umbstaetter. It published only short stories, and was known for
originality and for promoting new writers. It was quickly successful,
aided by the popularity of "The Mysterious Card", by Cleveland Moffett,
which appeared in an early issue, selling out two print runs. Two of
its best-known contributors were Jack London, whose 1899 story "A
Thousand Deaths" sold just as he was about to give up attempting to
become a writer, and Henry Miller, whose first published works were
several short fiction critiques published in 1919. The magazine's
ownership changed in 1912 and 1919 as its circulation declined, and it
initially ceased publication in 1920. It was revived in 1922 by William
Kane, but in early 1923, with estimated circulation down to only 15,000,
it ceased publication for good. The magazine's icon, a black cat that
appeared on almost every cover (example pictured), was drawn by the
founder's wife, Nelly Umbstaetter.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Cat_%28US_magazine%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1723:
Johann Sebastian Bach directed the first performance of his
cantata Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz in Leipzig.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erforsche_mich,_Gott,_und_erfahre_mein_Herz,_BWV_136>
1863:
American Civil War: Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the 54th
Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the first African-American
military units in the Union Army, spearheaded an assault on Fort Wagner,
South Carolina.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/54th_Massachusetts_Infantry_Regiment>
1949:
Francisco Javier Arana, the chief of the Guatemalan armed
forces, was killed in a shootout with supporters of President Juan José
Arévalo.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Javier_Arana>
2019:
An arson attack at the studio of Kyoto Animation in Japan led
to the deaths of 36 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Animation_arson_attack>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
tag team:
1. (professional wrestling) A group of wrestlers who work together as a
team. Only one is in the ring at any given time, and they change places
by "tagging" each other with a gesture like a high five.
2. (by extension) Two or more people acting alternately to accomplish
some task. [...]
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tag_team>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
What passed for society was a loud, giddy whirl of thieves and
pretentious hustlers, a dull sideshow full of quacks and clowns and
philistines with gimp mentalities.
--Hunter S. Thompson
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hunter_S._Thompson>
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