“Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men,” and “Arthur Ashe,” - This Day in History – Feb 6th

Steinbeck’s classic novel, Of Mice and Men is published

Back in 1937, author, John Steinbeck, published the classic novel, which detailed the lives of two migrant workers special relationship, “Of Mice and Men.”  This book would later become a three-act-play and then a successful Hollywood movie as well.  Mr. Steinbeck would also gain success from his other literary work, “The Grapes of Wrath,” in which he would win a Pulitzer Prize.  

History.com acknowledged that, “His work after World War II, including Cannery Row and The Pearl, continued to offer social criticism but became more sentimental. Steinbeck tried his hand at movie scripts in the 1940s, writing successful films like Forgotten Village (1941) and Viva Zapata (1952). He also took up the serious study of marine biology and published a nonfiction book, The Sea of Cortez, in 1941. His 1962 nonfiction book, Travels with Charlie, describes his travels across the United States in a camper truck with his poodle, Charlie. Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize in 1962 and died in New York in 1968.”

Tennis Champion Arthur Ashe dead at 49

Back in 1993, social activist and tennis champion, Arthur Ashe died from complications of AIDS at the age of 49. Mr. Ashe is the only African-American man to win both the U.S. and Australian Opens along with the Wimbledon.  

According nytimes.com, “He was hospitalized after he suffered paralysis of his right arm, the one that served up 26 aces the day he became the 1968 United States Open champion. The surgery and a subsequent biopsy revealed the presence of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection linked to AIDS.” 

Ms. Ashe contracted AIDS back in 1988.  History.com stated that, “It was believed he contracted the HIV virus from a tainted blood transfusion following a 1983 heart operation. Ashe kept his medical condition private until April 1992, when a newspaper informed him of its intention to run an article about his illness. Ashe decided to pre-empt the article and held a news conference to announce he had AIDS. He spent the remainder of his life working to raise awareness about the disease. In 1997, the U.S. Tennis Association announced it would name the new center court stadium at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, the Arthur Ashe Stadium.”

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/freed-us-slaves-depart-on-journey-to-africa?catId=6