The Original “Blogger”
Today is Samuel Pepys’ birthday.
Samuel Pepys is the quintessential diarist. He was certainly not the first person to keep a diary, but he is, perhaps the most famous. He kept his diary for ten years, beginning on January 1, 1660, and detailed not only famous events, but also the daily trivia of his life, including such mundane things as what he ate or wore that day. His diary has been an invaluable tool to historians studying the period.
As I look at my archives, stretching back a mere eight years or so, I find myself wondering if researchers of the future will be referencing our blogs to gain historical context for major events. And, perhaps, even the movies we watched, the things we ate, and other, more trivial bits of cultural ephemera. I have to admit, especially in reference to my own blog, the thought makes me smile a bit.
You can find an on-line, blog-like version of Samuel Pepy’s Diary by clicking the link.
