George Sand's birthday

Author George Sand (aka Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin, Baronne Dudevant) was born on this day in 1804. She wore men’s clothing and smoked in public, pushing the early 19th century social boundaries. Novelist Ivan Turgenev said of her, "What a brave man she was, and what a good woman."

Marie Bonaparte's birthday

Psychoanalyst Marie Bonaparte was born today in 1882. The great-grand-niece of Napoleon I of France, Marie was a Princess by title. Her interest in (and financial backing of) psychoanalysis was a great instigator in its popularity. Her wealth enabled Sigmund Freud to escape Nazi Germany and it was to her that Freud said, “The great question that has never been answered and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, is ‘What does a woman want?’” Bonaparte also conducted extensive research on female orgasms.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's birthday

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, best known as the writer of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” was born on this day in 1860. The short story illustrated the cultural views on women’s mental and physical health in the 19th century. Gilman experienced what is now believed to be severe post-partum depression after the birth of her only child, which inspired the tale. The great-niece of influential humanists Harriet Beecher Stowe, Catharine Beecher and Isabella Beecher Hooker, Gilman believed that economic independence was the only thing that could really bring freedom to women, making them equal to men.

Fun Third Block Party

Get a jump on summer with the Fun Third Block Party starting at 7pm on the corner of Summit and Lindsay streets in downtown Greensboro, across from the Greensboro Historical Museum. Black and Blue will headline the event. 336.274.4595

Independence Day

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Happy Independence Day.

Fun Fourth Street Festival

Celebrate your independence at the Fun Fourth Street Festival, a Greensboro tradition since 1975. The parade starts at 9:30am, followed by a children’s village, amusement rides, craft vendors, music and the ever-popular beer garden. 336.274.4595

Uncle Sam Jam

Oak Hollow Lake Festival Park is the site of High Point’s Uncle Sam Jam, which kicks off the entertainment at 5pm, followed by fireworks at 9:45. The event, which also offers crafts and food, is free, but parking is $10. 336.883.3483

Pops Concert and Fireworks Spectacular

At 6:30pm, head over to Grimsley High School for the News & Record’s Pops Concert and Fireworks Spectacular. The Greensboro Concert Band will provide patriotic music from 7:30-8:30, with fireworks lighting up the sky at 9:30.

Veronica Guerin's borthday

Veronica Guerin was born on this day in 1958—watch Cate Blanchett portray the Irish journalist in the heartbreaking namesake film, Veronica Guerin. Her life and death inspired fellow Dubliners to crack down on the growing drug trade and clean up the city for good.

Eastern Music Festival

For six weeks, 200 of the country’s top young musicians will descend on Greensboro, bringing with them a talented roster of performers, both classical and contemporary. Accompanying the school is a calendar of standout performances, from violin concertos to the blues. See what the Eastern Music Festival has to offer in its 47th season. Performances begin July 5 and run through August 2, at Guilford College and Triad Stage. easternmusicfestival.org

Frida Kahlo's borthday

“I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” Artist Frida Kahlo was born on this day in 1907.

Artemisia Gentileschi's borthday

Today is the 415th birthday of Artemisia Gentileschi, an Early Italian Baroque painter, who is now considered to be one of the most talented painters (besides Caravaggio) of the era. She was the first female painter to become a member of the Academy of Art and Design in Florence, and one of the first females to paint religious and historical themes in a time when these things were considered beyond a woman’s reach.

Noon at the ‘Spoon

Get a little culture on your lunch hour. Noon at the ‘Spoon features “The Faraway/Nearby,” a collection of landscapes and urban views. Enjoy complimentary beverages and baked goods from Great Harvest Bread Co. 336.334.5770

After Work Network

Networking events can be so intimidating. The GMA’s After Work Network makes it easy and interactive, not to mention lucrative. Employees of GMA-member companies are invited to attend the event, which will take place at First Citizens Bank downtown starting at 5pm. mygma.org.

Ann Radcliffe's borthday

Author Ann Radcliffe was born today in 1764. Considered the pioneer of the gothic novel, her stories of heroic young girls exploring mysterious and dangerous locales became very popular and influenced the work of writers like Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott. Read Austen’s Northanger Abbey for examples of imitation and parody of her work.

Aphra Behn's borthday

Aphra Behn was born on this day in 1640. She was one of the first women to earn a living as a writer. Behn’s work was revolutionary, discussing race and female sexuality—something not touched upon by the predatory Libertine male writers of her time. Virginia Woolfe said of her, “All women together, ought to let flowers fall upon the grave of Aphra Behn...for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.”

Piedmont Triad Omnium

Choose your speed – you can race with the cyclists at the Piedmont Triad Omnium, a series of bike races in Davidson County, or meander through uptown Lexington at the Summer Night Stroll, where you can shop, dine and listen to local music. Either way you’ll be in the heart of the action. 336.249.0383

Bayou Bash

Join Greensboro Beautiful in the Bog Garden for Bayou Bash, recreating an evening in the bayou with live Cajun music, storytelling and a rain room to help you keep cool. Family-friendly and free, this event starts at 5pm.

Simone Veil's borthday

Simone Veil, France’s former Minister of Health, was born on this day in 1927. Veil was a Holocaust survivor (she, her mother and sister were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau) who went on to build a good life and political career, despite losing her father, brother and mother during the Holocaust. She pushed the notable laws of making access to contraceptives easier (1974) and legalizing abortion (1975) and went on to become President of the European Parliament (1979-1982) and still continues to be socially and politically active.

Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin

Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin played guitar with Muddy Waters in the ‘70s. Hear the blues musician and his band for free on the founder’s lawn at Guilford College at 6pm as part of the Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park program of EMF Fringe.

Maggie L. Walker's birthday

Maggie L. Walker, the first female founder/president of a bank in the US, was born on this day in 1887 to a former slave and an abolitionist. She worked her entire life trying to make life better for African Americans and women—the founding of her bank was due to her idea that people should pool their money together to help each other. Her bank, St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, still exists today as the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company in Richmond, VA.

synerG’s Making Connections Around the Table

synerG’s Making Connections Around the Table continues with a visit from Moses Cone Health System president and CEO Tim Rice. This bimonthly dinner program is sponsored in part by American Express. synerg.org.

Ida B. Wells' birthday

On this day in 1862 Ida B. Wells was born. Wells fought for equality of women and African Americans—especially the equality of African American women in the suffragist movement. 71 years before Rosa Parks, Wells refused to give up her seat on a train, and when they made her move, she sued the railway company. She won her case in the local court but lost when the railroad took it to the Tennessee Supreme Court.  Her refusal to stand in the back of suffragist parades garnered her more media attention for her causes. As a further landmark for her time, Wells was one of the first married women to keep her own last name after marriage.

Seneca Falls Convention anniversary

Today is the 160th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention—the first women’s rights convention in the United States.

African-American Independence Day

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum in Sedalia will celebrate African-American Independence Day with a program from noon to 5pm. Learn more about North Carolina’s African-American heritage. www.nchistoricsites.org/chb/

Amelia Earhart Day

Amelia Earhart Day honors the birthday of the woman who took aviation and feminism to new heights.

Tomato Day

I say tomato, you say tomata -- venture over to the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market for Tomato Day. Sample more than 20 different types of tomatoes grown right here in the Triad.  The day starts at 6am and ends at noon, when you get to vote on your favorite!

Modern dance

A concert of modern dance, “Multiple Exposure: New Work by North Carolina Choreographers” will be presented at 7:30 pm in the Black Box Theatre of Elon University’s Center for the Arts, 203 Williamson Avenue, Elon. 

Professional dancers will present 12 original dance pieces involving athletic brilliance as well as stimulating artistic expression. 

Admission will be free and open to the public; a voluntary donation will be requested with all proceeds going to the dancers.  For travel directions, go to:  http://www.unc.edu/~uekral/Elon/DirectionsElonCFA.htm. 

Bridal festival

It’s wedding season, and Castle McCullough is getting into the spirit with a bridal festival from 6 to 9pm. Brides can register at castlemccullough.com for a free ticket and information about the top wedding vendors who will be onsite. 336.887.5413

Endangered Species of NC class

Discover the wild side of North Carolina at Bur Mil Park.  At 6:30pm the park will be putting on a fun and informative class on the Endangered Species of NC. Bring the whole family and learn how you can help maintain the wildlife of this beautiful region.