May 17

in History

Poet-Monk Jien Was Born — A Buddhist voice in medieval Japan

Kyoto, JapanMedieval

1155

Poet-Monk Jien Was Born

A Buddhist voice in medieval Japan

In Kyoto, Jien was born into the powerful Fujiwara clan, destined to become one of Japan's most distinguished poet-monks. He would rise to lead the Tendai school of Buddhism while composing poetry of luminous beauty and writing 'Gukansho,' a groundbreaking historical work that interpreted Japanese history through Buddhist philosophy. His dual mastery of religious thought and literary art made him one of the most remarkable intellectuals of the Kamakura period.

1155 AD

Chicago, Illinois, United StatesEarly 20th Century

1900

Wizard of Oz Printed

Dorothy and Toto begin their magical journey

The first copies of L. Frank Baum's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' rolled off the presses, introducing the world to Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Illustrated by W. W. Denslow in vibrant color, the story of a Kansas girl swept by a cyclone into a magical land became an instant sensation and launched a literary franchise of fourteen Oz books. Its 1939 film adaptation would become one of the most beloved movies in cinema history.

1900 AD

Highest court of jurisdiction in the USLate 20th Century

1954

Supreme Court of the United States

The U.

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on questions of U.S. constitutional or federal law. It also has original jurisdiction over a narrow range of cases, specifically "all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party".

1954 AD