“Oft times one day is better than sometimes a whole year.” William Caxton (1422–1491)

Each day of the year commemorates the anniversaries of famous birthdays, significant events in history and popular culture, holidays and festivals. On May 19, Anne Boleyn was beheaded for adultery (1536), the infamous Pol Pot was born (1915), Thomas Edison spoke on the radio for the first time (1926), and Marilyn Monroe, sewn into a flesh-colored, beaded dress, sang a sultry version of “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden (1962).

Dateline is a book of days for the twenty-first century, an illustrated guide to every day of the year that can be used as both a reference and an entertaining bedside companion. A comprehensive introduction details the history of the calendar and how the 365-day year came about, while the twelve chapters introduce each month of the year, explaining the significance of each—the meaning of the name and how it evolved, and the associations each month holds in myth and religion. With one day per page, you can use Dateline to look up great moments in history, the births and deaths of famous people, holidays and religious festivals, saint’s days, and myths and legends as well as related articles and anecdotes, quotations, and illustrations.