Georg Friedrich Händel was born on this date in 1685 in Halle, Germany. After studying in Italy for a while, Handel relocated to London in 1712. He changed the spelling of his name to George Frideric Handel (sans umlaut), was naturalized a British subject, and became as thoroughly English as he could. He was extremely famous and very highly thought of in England, where he was best known and honored for his many operas. When he died in 1759, three thousand people attended his funeral.
He is buried in Westminster Abbey in a section known as the Poets' Corner. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first poet to be buried in that area, hence the name, and many, many other poets, dramatists, writers, composers, musicians, and actors of all sorts are among the many buried there and many, many more who have memorials there. (Jane Austen has a wall tablet; Laurence Olivier's ashes are interred there.)
I visited Westminster Abbey a long time ago, and when we got to the Poets' Corner, the tour guide began reciting names and pointing to where the honored ones were buried. He pointed in my direction when he mentioned Handel, and I looked all around to the right and left and back and front and didn't see anything indicating where Handel's remains might be. Finally I looked down and saw to my utter astonishment that I was standing on him.
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