Day Tripping: November 11

Billy Pilgrim

Born in 1922 in Indianapolis, Kurt Vonnegut served in World War II and was captured during the Battle of the Bulge. He survived internment in Dresden during the city’s bombing by hiding in a slaughterhouse meat locker.

After the war, Kurt married and had three children. When his sister died of cancer and her husband died in a train accident, Vonnegut adopted his three young nephews. All that time, Kurt struggled to earn an income by selling short stories and working odd jobs.

“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved. “

Following his first novel, Player Piano in 1952, Kurt was nominated for the Hugo Award for two subsequent novels, The Sirens of Titan, and Cat’s Cradle. Vonnegut didn’t reach fame until his dark humour, Slaughterhouse-Five appeared in 1969.

When he returned to Dresden to research the book, Vonnegut hadn’t realized the vastness of the destruction though he lived through the bombing. Slaughterhouse-Five propelled Kurt Vonnegut to stardom, but the body of his work is eclectic and rich. He remains one of the most beloved American authors of all time.

Today is:

Remembrance day — England, Canada, Australia, and the Commonwealth.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Canada’s first use of the poppy to honour the fallen. It is not worn to glorify war or military might. Rather it symbolizes the harsh truth about the suffering endured by others so we can have these moments to speak our minds.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place, and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below. — John McCrae, Canadian Soldier 1918

Notable Births

1925 — Jonathan Winters: “I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it.”

1960 — Stanley Tucci: “A dream that you don’t fight for can haunt you for the rest of your life.”

K. Barrett Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr. Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Terry Trueman Dr. Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Holly Kellums Michael Burg, MD Lucy Dan Dave Logan

All previous Day Tripping entries are available at the following links:

The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present

A comprehensive directory for Day Tripping