Enrico Caruso died today – 86 years ago

Italian singer Enrico Caruso was born on February 25, 1873 in Naples, Italy. He said, “Watermelon—it's a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face." [I’ll wash my face with water, thank you very much!]... Mr. Caruso died in 1921 in Naples, Italy.

U.S. educator Horace Mann was born on May 4, 1796 in Franklin, Massachusetts. He said, “Much that we call evil is really good in disguises; and we should not quarrel rashly with adversities not yet understood, nor overlook the mercies often bound up in them.” [Uh-huh!]... Mr. Mann died in 1859 in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He said, “Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.” [Uh-huh!]... Mr. Bell died in 1922 in Beinn Bhreagh, Nova Scotia.

U.S. writer Paul Goodman was born on September 9, 1911 in New York City, New York. He said, “It rarely adds anything to say, 'In my opinion'—not even modesty. Naturally a sentence is only your opinion; and you are not the Pope." [In my opinion, I think that I believe that this is mostly a true statement... Yep!]... Mr. Goodman died in 1972.

U.S. actress Totie Fields was born as Sophie Feldman on May 7, 1930 in Hartford, Connecticut. She said, “I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is fourteen days.” [You’re just not doing it right.]... Ms. Fields died in 1978 in Los Angeles, California.

U.S. writer William S. Burroughs was born on February 5, 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri. He said, “A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what's going on.” [Are they spying on me again?]... Mr. Burroughs died in 1997 in Lawrence, Kansas.

French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup-en-Brie, France. He said, “Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation.” [So artistically true... but I'll stick with my camera anyway.]... Mr. Cartier-Bresson died in 2004 in Céreste, France.