Welcome to ON THIS DAY! Each day, we'll look at a few moments from history and popular culture. We'll show you where you can rediscover classic movies and music, or read more about great moments in history. We'll point you to e-books, downloadable and streamable music and film, and e-audio; and of course, we haven't forgotten about physical books or DVDs.

	On this day in 1856, Booker T. Washington was born. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Washington was a major leader in the African-American community. He was the first director of what is now Tuskegee University, and his autobiography, Up From Slavery, is still commonly read today. In 1901, he was invited to dine with President Theodore Roosevelt at the White House, the first African-American to receive such an invitation. The news provoked such condemnation from Southern politicians that it would be thirty years before another African-American was invited for a White House dinner. Deborah Davis tells the story of Washington's dinner with Roosevelt and the fallout in Guest of Honor; it's available as an e-audio from OverDrive, or in print.
	On this day in 1908, Bette Davis was born. In the late 1930s and 1940s, Davis was one of the most popular movie stars in Hollywood, noted for her distinctive voice and the intensity of her performances. She was particularly popular in romantic dramas such as Jezebel and Dark Victory, but also appeared in classics such as All About Eve and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? She was more willing than many actresses to play unsympathetic roles, and one of her early successes came in Of Human Bondage, playing a character that several actresses had rejected as too unlikable. Of Human Bondage is available for streaming at Hoopla.
	And on this day in 1916, Gregory Peck was born. For thirty years, Peck starred in major movies, usually playing noble heroes. He won the Academy Award for playing Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird; his other successful movies ranged from thrillers (Cape Fear) to romantic comedies (Roman Holiday).  He rarely took on villainous roles, with a notable exception being The Boys from Brazil, in which he played Josef Mengele. In the 1977 movie MacArthur, Peck stars as WWII general Douglas MacArthur; it's available fro streaming at Hoopla.