B. F. Skinner died today – 17 years ago

U.S. behaviorist B. F. Skinner was born as Burrhus Frederic "Fred" Skinner on March 20, 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. He said, “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten." [Don’t tell that to the test takers… and makers.]... Mr. Skinner died in 1990 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

French writer Honoré de Balzac was born on May 20, 1799 in Tours, France. He said, “Behind every great fortune there is a crime." [Hmmmm.]... Mr. de Balzac died in 1850 in Paris, France.

U.S. federal judge Billings Learned Hand, usually known as Learned Hand, was born on January 27, 1872 in Albany, New York. He said, “In the end it is worse to suppress dissent than to run the risk of heresy." [Absolutely! Without argument, how can truth be know?]... Mr. Hand died in 1961 in New York City, New York.

U.S. writer and playwright Clifford Odets was born on July 18, 1906 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He said, “There are two kinds of marriages - where the husband quotes the wife and where the wife quotes the husband." [Don’t quote me on that.]... Mr. Odets died in 1963 in Los Angeles, California.

U.S. screenwriter Anita Loos was born as Corinne Anita Loos on April 26, 1888 in Mount Shasta, Sisson, California. She wrote the novel “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. She said, “The rarest of all things in American life is charm. We spend billions every year manufacturing fake charm that goes under the heading of public relations. Without it, America would be grim indeed." [Does that go for charm bracelets, too?]... Ms. Loos died in 1981 in New York City, New York.