February 4

in History

Septimius Severus Dies — An emperor's last wish goes unheeded

York, EnglandClassical

211

Septimius Severus Dies

An emperor's last wish goes unheeded

At Eboracum, modern-day York in northern England, Emperor Septimius Severus breathed his last while preparing to campaign against the Caledonians of Scotland. Born in Roman Africa, he had fought his way to the throne and held it with iron determination. On his deathbed, he instructed his quarreling sons Caracalla and Geta to make peace and rule together. They ignored him, and within a year Caracalla murdered his brother in their mother's arms.

211 AD

Slavery — The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French First Republic.

Modern

1794

Slavery

The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French First Republic.

The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French First Republic. It would be reestablished in the French West Indies in 1802.

1794 AD

Jacques Prevert Was Born — France's poet of the everyday and eternal

Neuilly-sur-Seine, FranceEarly 20th Century

1900

Jacques Prevert Was Born

France's poet of the everyday and eternal

Jacques Prevert was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, destined to become one of the most beloved poets in the French language. His verses, accessible and deeply humane, became staples of French school curricula. As a screenwriter, he crafted the poetic realist masterpiece Les Enfants du Paradis. Prevert's gift was making the ordinary extraordinary, finding in the streets of Paris and the faces of lovers a poetry that spoke to everyone.

1900 AD