It's the birthday of writer and naturalist John Muir (books by this author), born in Dunbar, Scotland (1838). When he was 11 years old, his family moved to America and started a farm in Wisconsin. He was working as a sawyer in Indianapolis when he had a terrible accident in the shop: An awl pierced his right eye, and he went completely blind, temporarily. When his eyesight returned, he quit his job and went out to Yosemite in California. He spent the rest of his life traveling and advocating for the preservation of wilderness. His books include Studies in the Sierra (1874), Our National Parks (1901), The Yosemite (1912), and Travels in Alaska (1915).
He said, "One day's exposure to mountains is better than cartloads of books." 
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