The Linguist’s Calendar: March 8

August Schleicher

March 8 
 
1827: Birth (in Berlin) of Wilhelm Bleek, the “father of Bantu philology.”
 
1850: August Schleicher becomes Professor of Classical Philology and Literature in Prague.
 
1866: The Société de Linguistique de Paris is officially founded.
 
2001: Southampton’s mayor marks the European Year of Languages by releasing 500 helium balloons outside the city’s West Quay shopping center.