HAPPY PHILEAS FOGG WAGER DAY!
Today we celebrate the day that Phileas Fogg accepted the wager to travel around the world in 80 days and, on the evening of October 2, 1872, left London with his valet to embark on his adventure.
The hero of Around The World in 80 Days, Fogg was brave, adventurous, curious, precise, and punctual. He traveled light and knew geography. He journeyed through Egypt, Italy, India, China, Singapore, Japan, and the U.S.A., taking advantage of the huge transformations occurring in transportation in the late 19th century.
Jules Verne is one of our favorite authors. Among his best-known works are Journey to the Centre of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and The Mysterious Island.
Although Fogg is a fictional character, he is world famous for his exploits. He wagered £20,000—about half his fortune—on the notion he could circumnavigate the Earth within 80 days.
(That’s about £2,834,272.54 today, according to the online calculator. Which is $3,764,417.80 in US currency.)
Conrad Veidt, David Niven, Simon Callow, Steve Coogan, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Praed, and David Tennant have played the character of Phileas Fogg on film.
As world—and time—travelers, Dan and Freddie can appreciate Fogg’s ingenuity in navigating through perilous situations, finding solutions, and always maintaining dignity and a sense of humor along the way.
www.CineHunden.com
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SOURCES
Jules Verne | Biography & Facts | Britannica
Phileas Fogg Wager Day in 2024/2025 - When, Where, Why, How is Celebrated? (holidayscalendar.com)
PHILEAS FOGG WIN A WAGER DAY - December 21, 2024 - National Today
Phileas Fogg Wager Day – Fun Holiday (timeanddate.com)
Value of 1872 British pounds today | UK Inflation Calculator (in2013dollars.com)