On this Day... November 3

CEBU, Philippines – In 1507, Mona Lisa got toothache, four years after she started sitting for Leonardo da Vinci. Her elderly husband, Francesco del Gioconda, had commissioned the painting for his dining room, and had paid for twelve violinists to serenade his young wife throughout the sittings. Da Vinci preferred to paint on dark, thundery evenings, and after walking to his studio one evening in the rain La Gioconda developed toothache and three teeth had to be pulled. Leonardo had replacement teeth from corpses fitted to a copper band, but her gums proved too sensitive for her to wear the device. The Gioconda smile was ruined, and the painting was never completely finished.

• In 1083, the shortest queen of England died. She was Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, and she was only four feet two inches tall. Because William was illegitimate, she at first refused to marry him, but he ambushed her outside church one day, swung her around by the hair, and threw her into the mud, where he beat and kicked her. They married soon after, around 1053, and had four sons and five daughters. Their marriage was a model of fidelity, and after Matilda died William built her an elaborate tomb and mourned her for the rest of his life.

— from Today’s the Day! By Jeremy Beadle

In Christian history

• In 1818, Pliny Fisk set sail for Palestine. Ordained by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Fisk was the first American missionary to travel to the Near East.

— from This Day in Christian History By William D. Blake

In the Philippines

• In 1934, “Bannawag,” a leading weekly Ilokano Magazine which is considered as one foundation of the existence of contemporary Ilokano literature, was founded. “Bannawag,” an Iloko word meaning "dawn," contains serialized novels, comics, short stories, poetry, essays, news features, and entertainment news, among others. Its first issue had a production run of 10,000 copies with a selling price of 10 centavos per copy. Magdaleno A. Abaya of Candon, Ilocos Sur, a member of the editorial staff of the then Graphic Magazine, brought the idea of the magazine to Don Ramon Roces, the owner-publisher of Graphic Magazine. Roces also owned other vernacular magazines which included “Liwayway,” “Bisaya,” and “Hiligaynon.” Don Ramon Roces gave his consent on the condition that the first issues were only for a try-out, that after one or two months without improvement in the sales, it would be stopped. The “Bannawag” was an instant success beyond Roces' belief. Through the years, the magazine underwent significant metamorphosis from its content, color, quality of paper used, page layout, and other aspects to keep up with the times. These changes made the magazine more prestigious in its tasks in bringing entertainment, information, and inspiration to millions of readers depicting the different aspects of the Ilokano character. Notably, “Bannawag” was picked by the Department of Education as one of the important references of the educational system in Ilocano-speaking areas in the country.

— www.kahimyang.info

In Cebu

• In 1784, a Bishop’s decree confirmed the establishment of Samboan, Cebu as a parish under the patronage of San Miguel Arcangel. Samboan was created as a parish by royal orders on January 28, 1780. At one time, it was under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Tanjay, Negros Oriental.

— from Cebuano Studies Center, University of San Carlos