September 26 is the birthday of U.S.-born English poet, playwright, critic NS Nobel Prize laureate T.S. ELIOT (1888-1965). Eliot, the ultimate highbrow poet, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, although he spoke with the most distinguished British accent.

"It is self-evident that St. Louis affected me more deeply than any other environment has ever done. I feel that there is something in having passed one's childhood beside the big river, which is incommunicable to those people who have not. I consider myself fortunate to have been born here, rather than in Boston, or New York, or London."

To hear Eliot read “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock,” CLICK HERE.

September 26 is the birthday of American activist and photographer LEWIS HINE (1874-1940) His work for the National Child Labor Committee was often dangerous. As a photographer, he was frequently threatened with violence or even death by factory police and foremen. At the time, the immorality of child labor was meant to be hidden from the public. Photography was not only prohibited but also posed a serious threat to the industry. To gain entry to the mills, mines and factories, Hines was forced to assume many guises. At times he was a fire inspector, postcard vendor, bible salesman, or even an industrial photographer making a record of factory machinery. To see samples of his work, CLICK HERE.

September 26 is the birthday of French painter THÉODORE GÉRICAULT (1791-1824). He was a French painter and lithographer, whose best-known painting is The Raft of the Medusa. Despite his short life, he was one of the pioneers of the Romantic movement. To see three outstanding examples of his art, CLICK HERE.

September 26 is the birthday of the most awesome GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937), a composer who died much too young. He was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928), the songs 'Swanee' (1919) and 'Fascinating Rhythm' (1924), the jazz standards 'Embraceable You' (1928) and 'I Got Rhythm' (1930), and the opera Porgy and Bess (1935), which included the hit 'Summertime.

To see Gershwin play “I Got Rhythm,” CLICK HERE.

September 26 is the birthday of American comic strip pioneer and animator WINSOR MCKAY (1867-1934). In his drawing, McCay made bold, prodigious use of linear perspective, particularly in detailed architecture and cityscapes. He textured his editorial cartoons with copious fine hatching, and made color a central element in Little Nemo. His comic strip work has influenced generations of cartoonists and illustrators. The technical level of McCay's animation—its naturalism, smoothness, and scale—was unmatched until the work of Fleischer Studios in the late 1920s, followed by Walt Disney's feature films in the 1930s. He pioneered inbetweening, the use of registration marks, cycling, and other animation techniques that were to become standard. To see samples of his art, CLICK HERE.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 50 years ago today, on September 26, 1969, the Beatles released their last album, ABBEY ROAD. To learn more, CLICK HERE.