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 1819, George Eliot was born. Eliot was a pen name for Mary Ann Evans, who chose to write under a male name in hopes that her novels would be taken more seriously; female authors of the time were frequently stereotyped as writers of mere fluffy romances. Her masterpiece, Middlemarch, tells the stories of several residents of a small English town at a moment of national political upheaval. It's available as an e-book or e-audio from OverDrive, in print, or as an audiobook; the 7-hour BBC television adaptation made in 2005 is available on DVD.
	On this day in 1899, Hoagy Carmichael was born. Carmichael wrote the music to some of our most frequently recorded songs; any one of "Stardust," "Georgia on My Mind," or "Heart and Soul" would make a career to be proud of, and they merely scratch the surface of Carmichael's body of work. After the mid-1950s advent of rock and roll, Carmichael struggled to find success with his newer songs, but his early standards never lost their popularity. Enjoy some of his best work on Hoagy Carmichael Sings Hoagy Carmichael, available for streaming or download at Freegal.
	And on this day in 1913, Benjamin Britten was born. Britten was a towering figure in 20th-century English music, particularly noted for his vocal writing -- operas, song cycles, and choral music. Britten's music was relatively conservative, and he did not embrace the more avant-garde trends of the late 20th century. He was also a skilled conductor, who recorded performances of most of his own major works. Those performances are collected in four large volumes; Britten Conducts Britten is available for streaming at Hoopla.