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Births on December 18

Peter Wessel Zapffe
1899Dec, 18

Peter Wessel Zapffe

Peter Wessel Zapffe, Norwegian philosopher and author (d. 1990)
Peter Wessel Zapffe (December 18, 1899 – October 12, 1990) was a Norwegian metaphysician, author, artist, lawyer and mountaineer. He is often noted for his philosophically pessimistic and fatalistic view of human existence. His system of philosophy was inspired by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, as well as his firm advocacy of antinatalism. His thoughts regarding the error of human life are presented in the essay "The Last Messiah" (Norwegian: Den sidste Messias, 1933). This essay is a shorter version of his best-known and untranslated work, the philosophical treatise "On the Tragic" (Om det tragiske, 1941).

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Events on 1899

  • 2Feb

    Canberra

    The Australian Premiers' Conference held in Melbourne decides to locate Australia's capital city, Canberra, between Sydney and Melbourne.
  • 4Feb

    Battle of Manila (1899)

    The Philippine-American War begins with the Battle of Manila.
  • 6Feb

    Treaty of Paris (1898)

    Spanish-American War: The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain, is ratified by the United States Senate.
  • 6Mar

    Aspirin

    Bayer registers "Aspirin" as a trademark.
  • 18Apr

    Royal charter

    The St. Andrew's Ambulance Association is granted a royal charter by Queen Victoria.