Wednesday writing prompts

Roughly every 5 years the Atacama desert in Chile is in bloom, but not in this picture. (Image by Katrin Schulz from Pixabay)

I missed another week, so here is another list of dates, this time for the second half of the month, for you to research and brainstorm for yourselves.

Choose a topical date or an evergreen, and consider writing an article, a short story, or something longer. There’s time, after all.

16 August
  • Twenty years ago next year, on 16 August 2002, the Africa Women’s Peace Train left Kampala for Johannesburg.
17 August
  • Evergreen: Black Cat Appreciation Day
19 August
  • Evergreen: World Humanitarian Day
  • One hundred and twenty-five years ago next year, on 19 August 1897, the first electric taxis drove in London.
20 August
  • Moveable Evergreen: 20 August 2022 is World Honeybee Day
21 August
  • Fifty years ago next year, on 21 August 1972, the first hot air balloon flight over the Alps.
  • Ten years ago next year, on 21 August 2012, 20 people died of Ebola in the Congo.
22 August
  • Sixty years ago next year, on 22 August 1962, failed assassination attempt on Charles de Gaulle.
  • Sixty years ago next year, on 22 August 1962, first nuclear powered ship Savannah completed her maiden voyage, from Yorktown VA to Savannah, GA
  • One hundred years ago next year, on 22 August 1922, Michael Collins was killed, aged 31.
23 August
  • Fifteen years ago next year, on 23 August 2007, a hashtag was used for the first time in a Tweet.
  • Five years ago next year, on 23 August 2017, was the last time the Atacama desert in Chile bloomed. It is due to bloom again in 2022/2023.
25 August
  • Ten years ago next year, on 25 August 2012, Neil Armstrong died from heart surgery complications, aged 82.
26 August
  • Evergreen: National Dog Day
28 August
  • Seventy-five years ago next year, on 28 August 1947, bullfighter Manolete was killed by a bull, aged 30.
29 August
  • Forty years ago next year, on 29 August 1982. Ingrid Bergman died on her 67th birthday.
  • Thirty years ago next year, on 29 August 1992, English children’s author Mary Norton (The Borrowers) died, aged 88.
  • Seventy-five years ago next year, on 29 August 1947, F1 driver James Hunt was born in Belmont, Surrey.
  • Twenty-five years ago next year, on 29 August 1997, Netflix was founded.
30 August
  • Five years ago next year, on 30 August 2017, Terry Pratchett’s unfinished works were destroyed by steamroller, as per his instructions.
31 August
  • Evergreen: National Matchmaker Day
  • One hundred and twenty-five years ago next year, on 31 August 1897, Thomas Edison patented the kinetoscope, a device that produced moving pictures.
  • Twenty-five years ago next year, on 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash.
Over to you…

… and don’t forget to come back and let me know if and what you did, and how it fared.