The ultimate canvass,
His final frontier,
Laid out for transformation,
Like a Faust-made pact with the devil.

Anthony van Dyck, Flemish Baroque artist, was born on this day in 1599.

William Shatner, American actor, famous for his role as James T. Kirk, was born today in 1931.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and statesman, died on this day in 1832.