Displaying items by tag: Oct10 - Freedom From Religion Foundation - Freedom From Religion Foundation http://ffrf.org Sun, 25 Jan 2015 06:19:05 -0600 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb Thelonious Monk http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/16608-thelonious-monk http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/16608-thelonious-monk Thelonious Monk





dbarker@ffrf.org (Dan Barker) Freethought of the Day Fri, 10 Oct 1980 00:00:00 -0500
Fridtjof Nansen http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/14590-fridtjof-nansen http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/14590-fridtjof-nansen Fridtjof Nansen

“. . . the religion of one age is, as a rule, the literary entertainment of the next. . .”

On this date in 1861, explorer Fridtjof Nansen was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, and was educated at Kristiania University. Nansen took his first voyage in 1882 to the Greenland Sea, then was appointed Curator of the Bergen Natural History Museum, where he met leading scientists and became a Darwinist. He made headlines in Norway when he skied across the mountains from Bergen to Kristiania to take part in sports competitions. While working on his doctorate in zoology, Nansen became the first person to cross Greenland on skis. From 1893 to 1896, Nansen led a famous expedition to the Arctic. Although not quite reaching the north pole, he became an international celebrity. Nansen helped negotiate the peaceful split between Norway and Sweden in 1905, then became Norway's first ambassador to Great Britain. A professor of zoology at Kristiania University for several years after his voyage, he returned to the university as Rector Magnificus. Nansen wrote up his exploits in The Norwegian North Polar Expedition (1893-1896) and Northern Mists (1911). In the early 1920s when famine struck the Soviet Union, Nansen overcame diplomatic difficulties to engineer a successful prisoner swap between Russia and Germany-Austria-Hungary, involving more than 400,000 prisoners. For this humanitarian feat he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922. He worked not only with the League of Nations but the International Red Cross, which used Nansen's name on a special passport for refugees deprived by Lenin of their nationality during the Russian civil war. Refugees such as Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff and Chagall came to the west bearing the Nansen passport. After the award, Nansen brokered an "ethnic separation" between fighting Turks and Greeks, arranging a population exchange. Nansen was considered an outspoken agnostic. He was given a state funeral. D. 1930.

ftod@imagehat.com (FTOD Admin) Freethought of the Day Fri, 10 Oct 1980 00:00:00 -0500
Henry Cavendish http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/14589-henry-cavendish http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/14589-henry-cavendish Henry Cavendish

“As to Cavendish's religion, he was nothing at all.”

On this date in 1731, chemist/physicist Henry Cavendish was born in Nice, France, to an English family. Educated at Cambridge, he devoted the study of his life to chemistry. Among his contributions: discerning the composition of water and of the atmosphere, taking the first accurate measurement of the mass of the earth, and isolating hydrogen ("inflammable air"). Considered morbidly shy, especially of women, he left his female servant his meal orders in writing. He was one of England's wealthiest men by the age of 40 due to inheritances. His one social outlet was the Royal Society Club. Although he made numerous experiments, Cavendish published only 20 articles. A century after his experiments in electricity, James Maxwell discovered Cavendish's work and published it for the first time. Cavendish did not attend church, and was an agnostic. D. 1810.

Harold Pinter http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/14588-harold-pinter http://ffrf.org/news/day/dayitems/item/14588-harold-pinter Harold Pinter



Julia Sweeney http://ffrf.org/news/day/famous-freethinkers-secular-stars/honorary-board/item/14587-julia-sweeney http://ffrf.org/news/day/famous-freethinkers-secular-stars/honorary-board/item/14587-julia-sweeney Photo — Brent Nicastro
“It took me years, but letting go of religion has been the most profound wake up of my life. I feel I now look at the world not as a child, but as an adult. I see what's bad and it's really bad. But I also see what is beautiful, what is wonderful. And I feel so deeply appreciative that I am alive. How dare the religious use the term 'born again.' That truly describes freethinkers who've thrown off the shackles of religion so much better!”

On this date in 1961, comedian and author Julia Sweeney was born in Spokane, Wash., into a devout Roman Catholic family. For much of her childhood, she wanted to be a nun. After majoring in economic studies at the University of Washington, Julia instead became an accountant for Columbia Pictures and United Artists. Having a knack for comedy and mimicry, Julia signed up for a class with the improvisational comedy troupe, "The Groundlings," where she was discovered by "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels. She was on that show for four hit seasons, from 1990-1994, and introduced the popular character, "Androgynous Pat." In 1994, Julia made the movie, "It's Pat." After her brother, Michael, then Julia, were both diagnosed with cancer, she wrote and starred in the play, "God Said, Ha!" The film version won the Golden Space Needle Award for best director and the recording was nominated for a Grammy. She has made frequent TV guest appearances, served as a creative consultant on "Sex and the City," and has appeared in many movies, including "Clockstoppers" (2002), "Beethoven's 4th" (2001), "Beethoven's 3rd" (2000), "Stuart Little" (1999), "Pulp Fiction" (1994), "Coneheads" (1993), and "Honey, I Blew Up the Kids" (1992). Her very funny monolog about adopting her daughter from China, "In the Family Way," debuted in 2003. In October 2004 she debuted her newest monolog, "Letting Go of God," about her journey from Roman Catholic schoolgirl to atheist, and is working on a book of the same title for Henry Holt & Co. Her goal for the book is that it make it into the "inspirational" section in airport bookstores: "Why isn't there a book about someone losing their faith and it being this beautiful experience?" she asked The Los Angeles Times (May 1, 2003). For information on booking tickets for this fabulous and scathingly brilliant play, go to her website.

ftod@imagehat.com (FTOD Admin) Honorary Board Fri, 10 Oct 1980 00:00:00 -0500