James Grover Thurber was an American cartoonist, humorist, playwright, children's book author, celebrated wit. He was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine, such as "The Catbird Seat", collected in his numerous books, he was one of the most popular humorists of his time, as he celebrated the comic frustrations and eccentricities of ordinary people. He wrote the Broadway comedy The Male Animal in collaboration with his college friend Elliott Nugent, his short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" has been adapted for film twice, once in 1947 and again in 2013. Thurber was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Charles L. Thurber and Mary Agnes "Mame" Thurber on December 8, 1894. Both of his parents influenced his work, his father was a sporadically employed clerk and minor politician who dreamed of being a lawyer or an actor. Thurber described his mother as a "born comedian" and "one of the finest comic talents I think I have known." She was a practical joker and, on one occasion, pretended to be crippled and attended a faith healer revival, only to jump up and proclaim herself healed.

When Thurber was seven years old, he and one of his brothers were playing a game of William Tell, when his brother shot James in the eye with an arrow. He lost that eye, the injury caused him to become entirely blind, he was unable to participate in sports and other activities in his childhood because of this injury, but he developed a creative mind which he used to express himself in writings. Neurologist V. S. Ramachandran suggests that Thurber's imagination may be explained by Charles Bonnet syndrome, a neurological condition which causes complex visual hallucinations in people who have suffered some level of visual loss. From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended Ohio State University where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, it was during this time he rented the house on 77 Jefferson Avenue, which became Thurber House in 1984. He never graduated from the university because his poor eyesight prevented him from taking a mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps course. In 1995 he was posthumously awarded a degree.

From 1918 to 1920, Thurber worked as a code clerk for the United States Department of State, first in Washington, D. C. and at the embassy in Paris. On returning to Columbus, he began his career as a reporter for The Columbus Dispatch from 1921 to 1924. During part of this time, he reviewed books and plays in a weekly column called "Credos and Curios", a title, given to a posthumous collection of his work. Thurber returned to Paris during this period, where he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. In 1925, Thurber moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, getting a job as a reporter for the New York Evening Post, he joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927 as an editor, with the help of E. B. White, his friend and fellow New Yorker contributor, his career as a cartoonist began in 1930 after White found some of Thurber's drawings in a trash can and submitted them for publication. Thurber contributed both his drawings to The New Yorker until the 1950s. Thurber married Althea Adams in 1922, but the marriage, as he wrote to a friend, devolved into “a relationship charming and hurting.”

The marriage ended in divorce in May 1935. They lived in Fairfield County, with their daughter Rosemary, he married Helen Wismer in June 1935. Thurber's behavior became unpredictable in his last year. At a party hosted by Noël Coward, Thurber was taken back to the Algonquin Hotel at six in the morning. Thurber was stricken with a blood clot on the brain on October 4, 1961, underwent emergency surgery, drifting in and out of consciousness; the operation was successful, but Thurber died a few weeks on November 2, aged 66, due to complications from pneumonia. The doctors said his brain was senescent from hardening of the arteries, his last words, aside from the repeated word "God", were "God bless... God damn", according to his wife, Helen. Established in 1997, the annual Thurber Prize honors outstanding examples of American humor. In 2008, The Library of America selected Thurber's story, "A Sort of Genius," first published in The New Yorker, for inclusion in its two-century retrospective of American True Crime.

Two of his residences have been listed on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places: his childhood Thurber House in Ohio and the Sanford-Curtis-Thurber House in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Uniquely among major American literary figures, he became well known for his simple, surrealistic drawings and cartoons. Both his skills were helped along by the support of, collaboration with, fellow New Yorker staff member E. B. White, who insisted that Thurber's sketches could stand on their own as artistic expressions. Thurber drew numerous classic illustrations for The New Yorker; the last twenty years of Thurber's life were filled with material and professional success in spite of his blindness. He published at least fourteen more books, including The Thurber Carnival, Thurber Country, the popular account of the life of New Yorker editor Harold Ross, The Years with Ross. A number of his short stories were made into movies, including The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Many of his short stories are humorous fictional memoir

John Gordon Mein was the first United States ambassador to be assassinated while serving in office. Mein served as the United States Ambassador to Guatemala during the Guatemalan Civil War, he was shot by rebels belonging to the Rebel Armed Forces one block from the U. S. consulate on Avenida Reforma in Guatemala City on August 28, 1968. U. S. officials believed that FAR intended to kidnap him in order to negotiate an exchange, but instead they shot him when he attempted to escape. The rebels had killed two U. S. military aides prior to the assassination of Mein. He is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery, in Washington, D. C. Ambassadors of the United States killed in office Foreign Service Life The Political Graveyard

The Rob Roy Way is a Scottish long distance footpath that runs from Drymen in Stirling to Pitlochry in Perth and Kinross. The path was created in 2002, takes its name from Rob Roy MacGregor, a Scottish folk hero and outlaw of the early 18th century, it traverses countryside that he travelled frequently. The route crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, a geological fault where the Highlands meet the Lowlands. Views from the trail overlook Loch Earn, Loch Venachar and Loch Tay; the way is 127 kilometres in length if the direct route along the southern shore of Loch Tay and the River Tay is followed between Ardtalnaig and Aberfeldy. An optional loop links these places via Amulree: choosing this option increases the length by a further 27 kilometres to 154 kilometres; the Rob Roy Way was designated as one of Scotland's Great Trails by Scottish Natural Heritage in spring 2012, links to two further Great Trails, meeting the Great Trossachs Path near Callander, the West Highland Way just north of Drymen.

The Rob Roy Way shares sections of route with Route 7 of the National Cycle Network, which links Drymen and Pitlochry. Shared sections include the minor road on the south side of Loch Tay and the section following the route of the former Callander and Oban Railway, including Glen Ogle viaduct. Besides Drymen and Pitlochry, the way passes through Aberfoyle, Strathyre, Killin and Aberfeldy. About 3,000 people use the path every year. Web page on Rob Roy Way from VisitScotland Official web site on the Rob Roy Way Independent guide to the route from Walkhighlands