December 30 is the birthday of Indian-English author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate RUDYARD KIPLING (1865-1936).

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,

and the women come out to cut up what remains,

jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains

and go to your gawd like a soldier.

Kipling "was an English journalist, novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. His works of fiction include the Jungle Book duology (The Jungle Book, 1894; The Second Jungle Book, 1895), Kim (1901), the Just So Stories (1902) and many short stories, including 'The Man Who Would Be King'(1888). His poems include 'Mandalay' (1890), 'Gunga Din' (1890), 'The Gods of the Copybook Headings' (1919), 'The White Man's Burden' (1899), and 'If—' (1910). He is seen as an innovator in the art of the short story. His children's books are classics; one critic noted 'a versatile and luminous narrative gift.'"

December 30 is the birthday of English artist and occultist AUSTIN OSMAN SPARE (1886-1956).

"Darken your room, shut the door, empty your mind. You are still in great company."

Spare "was an English artist and occultist who worked as both a draughtsman and a painter. Influenced by symbolism and Art Nouveau, his art was known for its clear use of line, and its depiction of monstrous and sexual imagery. In an occult capacity, he developed magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self." (Wikipedia)

To see samples of Spare’s art, CLICK HERE.

December 30 is the birthday of Russian composer DMITRY KABALEVSKY (1904-1987)

"Beauty evokes kindness."

Kabalevsky "was a Soviet composer, conductor, pianist and pedagogue of Russian gentry descent. He helped set up the Union of Soviet Composers in Moscow and remained one of its leading figures during his lifetime. He was a prolific composer of piano music and chamber music; many of his piano works were performed by Vladimir Horowitz. He is best known in Western Europe for his Second Symphony, the 'Comedians' Galop' from The Comedians Suite, Op. 26 and his Third Piano Concerto." (Wikipedia)

December 30 is the birthday of English organist and conductor SIR DAVID WILLCOCKS (1919-2015).

Willcocks' arrangements of Christmas carols for the King's College Choir of Cambridge are considered exemplary, and those arrangements are now performed by choirs around the world.

December 30 is the birthday of Czech painter and printmaker JAN KUBÍČEK (1927-2013).

Kubíček was "one of the most radical Central European exponents of constructivist and concrete art. He also spent more than a decade illustrating children's books for Czechoslovakia's main publishing house Albatros and designed iconic film posters and book covers throughout the 1960s. Moreover, having passed through a significant Lettrism phase during the early 1960s, he left behind an impressive body of photographs, illustrations and graphic art for which he received the 1999 Vladimír Boudník Award." (Wikipedia)

To see samples of Kubíček’s art, CLICK HERE.