25 July

Born in 1844 – Thomas Eakins, American painter, sculptor, and photographer.

Above: Starting Out after Rail, 1874

Also, born in 1902, American longshoreman and philosopher Eric Hoffer, who said:

Our passionate preoccupation with the sky, the stars, and a God somewhere in outer space is a homing impulse. We are drawn back to where we came from.

and

We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand. A doctrine that is understood is shorn of its strength.

Previously on July 25, Denys Watkins-Pitchford.