Link Salads – Link Salads

Stephen King typing outside a hobbit house as Martian tripods cross the landscape, marking three literary connections to 21 September.

Martians to Middle-earth to Misery

Published 2026-09-21

Some dates seem to acquire a literary life of their own, and 21 September has an unusually impressive collection of connections. We begin in 1866, with the birth of H. G. Wells. Wells became one of the defining figures of early science fiction, imagining time travel, invisible men and, most famously, an invasion from Mars […]

Daily Link Salad

Turning Torso in Malmö at night with a spiralling road and crossing red and white traffic light trails.

Malmö Turning

Published 2026-09-03

Some dates seem to have a theme running through them. 3 September is a day for turning. On 3 September 1967, Sweden carried out one of the most extraordinary changes in its motoring history. On Dagen H — Högertrafikomläggningen, the right-hand traffic reorganisation — the country switched from driving on the left-hand side of the […]

Daily Link Salad

A night scene in the Arizona desert near Lowell Observatory shows a long-eared dog leaping toward two glowing planets in the sky. Uranus appears larger and turquoise-blue, while Pluto is smaller and pale. Stars form a dog-bone constellation above the observatory dome, with desert rocks and cacti surrounding the scene.

Pluto, Uranus and a Dog in the Arizona Desert

Published 2026-03-13

Some dates produce connections almost automatically.13 March is one of those. Three astronomical milestones line up neatly on the same day. 1781 — William Herschel discovers Uranus in Bath. 1855 — Birth of Percival Lowell. 1930 — Discovery of Pluto is announced from Lowell Observatory in Arizona. Astronomers deliberately chose 13 March for the announcement […]

Daily Link Salad

Pixel-art Super Mario–style go-kart race in the Mushroom Kingdom where a suited 1960s advertising executive resembling Don Draper leads the race while other suited executives drive behind him while distracted on their mobile phones.

Happy Mad MAR10 Day

Published 2026-03-10

Happy MAR10 Day 🍄 (Super Mario Bros., 1985) Happy Birthday Jon Hamm (1971) — Don Draper, Mad Men Happy Anniversary ☎️ — first telephone call (1876) Mario, Mad Men, and the Telephone Today’s Link Salad connects three very different moments in cultural and technological history. First, MAR10 Day — widely celebrated as Mario Day, because […]

Daily Link Salad