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Maria Mitchell, the first professional female astronomer in the United States, was born on this day in 1818. Mitchell was raised in a Quaker community, which was one of the few groups that felt women should have equal educational opportunities as men. She had the notable discovery that sunspots are “whirling vertical cavities” and not, as thought at the time, clouds. 
DIY skirts!  Learn how to design and sew the skirt of your dreams at this two-day Columbia Museum of Art workshop. For adults and teens, no experience required.  To register, call 803.343.2208 or to go www.columbiamuseum.org
Life is not a having and a getting, but a being and a becoming.” Myrna Loy would have been 103 today. She used her fame in the 1930s-40s to champion the rights of black actors and to give them dignity onscreen, rather than the stereotypes they often played at the time.
The University of South Carolina’s Summer II Chorus will perform Handel’s Judas Maccabeus August 3 & 5 in Rutledge Chapel on the historic Horseshoe. 

Concert time is 4pm on Sunday and 7:30 pm on Tuesday.  Both concerts are free and open to the public.  For more information, call 803.777.5369 or go to music.sc.edu

Handel drew his inspiration for this work from the Maccabean Revolt in the second century BC.  It was first performed in 1747 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London.

Martha Stewart’s birthday is today. Bake a cake entirely out of the flour you hand-milled from your personal wheat crop and decorate it with homemade buttercream frosting and fruit from your organic orchard to celebrate.
Today is the 52nd birthday of Meg Whitman, former President and CEO of eBay. Since resigning from eBay in March 2008, she is considering a run for Governor of California in 2010.
Dame Miriam Rothschild, a leading entomologist and zoologist, was born on this day in 1908. Scientifically, she was a foremost expert on fleas and was the first person to figure out the biology of how fleas jump. Socially, she campaigned for the legalization of homosexuality in the U.K. in the 1960s and was a vegetarian—she refused to wear any form of leather or fur.
Lucille Ball’s birthday is today…she clashed with CBS execs after they tried not to let her have a pregnancy storyline in her show. They finally caved, but still wouldn’t allow her to say “pregnant.” Throughout the episode, they had to refer to her as “expecting” instead.
Grandma Moses was born 148 years ago today. She started painting in her 70s after arthritis made it difficult for her to continue her art of embroidery. She went on to become one of America’s most popular folk artists and lived to the age of 101.
Mark the date:  08/08/08 with Gallery 80808. Vista Studios artists present a new exhibition from 8:08am to 8:08pm.  Details at www.gallery80808vistastudios.com.

McKissick Museum presents This Far by Faith: Carolina Camp Meetings, an African American Tradition.  Blacks and whites in the antebellum South traveled great distances to attend religious gatherings held at campgrounds and led by circuit preachers.  Many of these camps are still active today.  Free; 8:30am-5pm, Monday-Friday; 11am-3pm, Saturday.

Australian Wedding Gown designer Leeanne Collova will debut her 2009 collection at Bella Vista Bridal on Gervais Street.  Call 803.251.3336 to make an appointment for the show.
Shop local, eat fresh at the All-Local Farmer’s Market, 8am-noon at Gervais & Vine in The Vista.  Be sure to say hello to Donna Mills of Floral & Hardy, one of the women we profile this month!
Join the Pet Paloosa at Earth Fare all day, with a dog wash, dog-themed crafts, and a hot dog stand.  Five percent of your checkout total will be donated to The Humane Society. www.humanesc.org
Janie Porter Barrett was born on this day in 1865. She founded the Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls, a rehabilitation center for troubled girls which was centered on self-reliance and self-discipline. It became a model for other similar schools and was extremely successful—the majority of students found jobs and had families after leaving the facility. It became integrated in 1965 and still exists today under the name of the Barrett Learning Center.
Mary Gove Nichols was born 198 years ago, today. She traveled the country speaking about women’s health and anatomy, but was scorned by many of her time for her belief in “free love” instead of marriage, which Nichols considered to be the “annihilation of women.” She believed that health, freedom and sexual liberation were all linked was an outspoken advocate for all three.
Let the games begin: Edventure children’s museum celebrates the Olympics with EdLympics, including a torch lighting ceremony and a parade of flags. Find the week’s schedule at www.edventure.org.
Today would have been the 91st birthday of Gladys Bentley, a Harlem Renaissance blues singer. Openly lesbian during her early career (she dressed in tuxedos and top hats with a drag queen chorus line singing back-up and flirted with female patrons), during the McCarthy era, she put on dresses, married a man and claimed that taking female hormones had “cured” her, in order to avoid being put on trial.  
Left-hander’s Day is today. Approximately 7-10% of the population is left-handed, and left-handed females are rarer than males. Joan of Arc, Queen Victoria, Eudora Welty, Greta Garbo and Ruth Bader Ginsberg are some of these unique, southpawed females.
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (often known as L.E.L.), a poet, was born on this day in 1802. While her poetry has not withstood the test of time, she was respected by her contemporaries for paving the way for other female writers. Christina G. Rossetti and Elizabeth Barrett Browning were just a few of her literary admirers who wrote tributes to her.
Julia Child, former assistant in the OSS’s Secret Intelligence division and celebrity chef and author, would have been 96 today.  Her legendary persona and accessible recipes made her a pop culture icon.
Seventh Day Adventists host a discussion on the history and traditions of the Sabbath.  6:30pm at the South Carolina Archives & History Center Auditorium, 8301 Parklane Road. Hosted by Sensible Living. More information at sensibleliving.org or call 800.837.3139.
Bring your dog to Pupcakes Pet Boutique on Devine Street 9am-6pm and have his/her portrait made by Bridget Clarke Photography.   Dog owners will receive a portrait.  All photgraphed dogs will be eligible for the 2009 Pooch Pin-Up Calendar. Only 32 spots are available--pre-registration required, along with a donation of $25 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: South Carolina Chapter, Team In Training.  Contact Marie Lipton, Pupcakes Pet Boutique; 803.461.0236;  www.pupcakesboutique.net
Traffic alert:  it’s move-in day for freshmen at the University of South Carolina.
Join the marathon party to mark 20 years: The South Carolina State Museum will be open for 20 hours of free programs, music, movies, stargazing and more, 9am to 5am. www.museum.state.sc.us.
Madonna turns 50 today. From “Like a Virgin” to “4 Minutes,” she manages to push the envelope on the issue of sexuality and proves to be an enormous influence to society (Kabbalah, anyone?) while putting out an endless stream of shake-your-booty tunes.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Mae West, stage and screen actress, who pushed the social limits on female sexuality, was born on this day in 1893.
Tango for Therapy helps patients cope with Parkinson’s Disease.  Research shows that the tango can be a tool to control symptoms.  Join world-renowned dance team Orlando Farias and Lilliana Toleme for the Grand Gala fundraiser at the Old Mill in Lexington, 7-9pm, tangofortherapy.com.
In The Kite, a Lebanese girl is promised in marriage to a stranger, but she falls in love with the Israeli soldier guarding the border between her and her husband-to-be.  Free matinee, 2pm at The Nickelodeon, nickelodeon.org.

The University of South Carolina community band gives adults 50+ the chance to learn an instrument and perform in a group setting. No prior musical experience is needed.  A class for members interested in learning to play jazz will be added this year. Contact Dr. Jeremy Lane at 803.777.1501 or  jlane@mozart.sc.edu, More information at www.congareeband.com.

Coco Chanel, the revolutionary designer who liberated women from centuries of corsets with simple, menswear inspired fashions, was born 125 years ago today. “The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”

Come to a dinner at Terra and support local farmers and help them raise money to attend the Slow Food world event, Terra Madre, in Turin, Italy.

Dinner begins at 7pm and features local foods paired with wines.  Tickets are $75, available online at slowfoodcolumbia.blogspot.com  or email slowfoodcolumbia@hotmail.com.

Slow Food preserves food traditions and promotes local farmers, chefs and producers.  

Can 17-year-old Nazneen escape her arranged marriage and control her own destiny?  Brick Lane follows this woman from Bangladesh to London in a movie about cultural clashes that ultimately proves to be a love story.  At The Nickelodeon, for show times go to www.nickelodeon.org.
Celebrate the remarkable life of Celia Mann, a freed slave and woman homeowner in Columbia’s earliest years.  The Jubilee Festival of Heritage brings a day of art and entertainment on August 23 to the Mann-Simons Cottage.  Details at historiccolumbia.org.
A South Carolina breakfast plate and food fresh from the farm:  The All-Local Farmers’ Market at Rosewood Market, corner of Rosewood and Maple in Shandon.
The Animal Protection League hosts a silent auction to benefit their animal shelter.  At the Medallion Conference Center, 3715 Garners Ferry Road.  Call Judy Kinney at 803.788.2644 for advance tickets.
Today is Women’s Equality Day or Susan B. Anthony Day—it’s the 88th anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, allowing women the right to vote.
Today is also the 73rd birthday of Geraldine Ferraro, the first and only (so far) female Vice Presidential candidate for a major political party. In 1984 Walter Mondale selected her as his running mate in the campaign against Ronald Reagan. She went on to serve as a U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Commission of Human Rights under President Clinton’s administration, and also worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
Home opener:  USC women’s soccer team hosts East Carolina, 5pm at Stone Stadium.  www.gamecocksonline.com.

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