Zoological Society of London commissions poet laureate for animation to mark its 200th anniversaryOver its two centuries, acclaimed writers and artists have found inspiration at London zoo, from Edwin Landseer’s Trafalgar Square lions, to AA Milne’s naming “Winnie” after resident bear Winnipeg, and Sylvia Plath’s poem Zoo Keeper’s Wife.Plath’s husband, Ted Hughes, who would become poet laureate, worked at the zoo briefly as a dish washer, an experience said to have helped fuel his inspiration for The Thought-Fox. Continue reading...
• Elton John turns 79 on March 25, 2026, while actress Sarah Jessica Parker celebrates her 61st birthday on the same day.
• Other notable celebrities sharing March 25 birthdays include Marcia Cross (64), Big Sean (38), Jenny Slate (44), and comedian Nate Bargatze (47).
• The musical icon was recently featured at the 2026 Elton John AIDS Foundation's 34th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party charity event.
• American actress Victoria Pedretti celebrates her 31st birthday on March 23, 2026, continuing her career in psychological thrillers and acclaimed television work.
• Pedretti gained widespread attention for her roles in popular Netflix series, where she anchors narratives with raw emotional intensity and has earned critical praise and a dedicated fanbase.
• The actress was diagnosed with ADHD at age seven and expressed early interest in musical theatre before pursuing her successful acting career.
• Reese Witherspoon turns 50 on March 22, 2026, evolving from 'Legally Blonde' star to influential producer behind hits like 'Big Little Lies' and 'The Morning Show.'
• The Oscar winner has amplified female-driven stories through Reese's Book Club, turning picks into award-winning adaptations and reshaping media tastemaking.
• Fellow celebrities marking birthdays include William Shatner at 95, Cole Hauser at 51 for his 'Yellowstone' role as Rip Wheeler, and Constance Wu at 44.
Show in part a rediscovery of more than 40 mostly forgotten women who plied their trade in the Low CountriesJudith Leyster, an artist of the Dutch golden age, was thought to be about 21 when she painted her self-portrait in 1630. In the picture she presented to the world, Leyster exudes cheerful confidence. Clad in shimmering silks and a stiffly starched lace collar, she leans back in her chair, palette and brushes in hand, a painting by her side.This work, completed in the year she was admitted to a painters’ guild in Haarlem, proclaimed her arrival as an established artist. It was one of the first self-portraits by an artist in the Dutch republic, a device most male painters did not adopt until years later. Continue reading...