October 25, 1915: Franz Kafka, a 32-year-old Czech and Jewish novelist, publishes Die Verwandlung -- in English, "The Metamorphosis." It becomes his most famous work, both during and after his lifetime. In works like this and The Trial, he wrote of surreal situations, to the point that surreal situations became known, after his death, as "Kafkaesque."
The opening line, in its original German, is, "Als Gregor Samsa eines Morgens aus unruhigen Träumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem Bett zu einem ungeheueren Ungeziefer verwandelt." Kafka never gave an interview to an English-language publication, so exactly what Gregor turned into, only he knew for sure.
In 1933, Scottish writer Willa Muir produced the 1st English translation. Her interpretation of the opening line: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect." And, ever since, the most common interpretation has been that of an insect, usually a cockroach.
But that might not be correct. Ungeziefer literally means "unclean animal not suitable for sacrifice," and "ungeheueren Ungeziefer" has been translated elsewhere as "monstrous vermin." Which could mean a rat, or a mouse, or some other rodent.
At any rate, Gregor is disgusted by what he's become, and so is his family. He ends up neglected, and dies of starvation. And, in a final insult, the family is better off without him.
Kafka died on June 3, 1924, in Klosterneuburg, Austria, only 40 years old. He had developed laryngeal tuberculosis, preventing him from eating. So, in a twist that could be considered Kafkaeque, he died the same way Gregor Samsa did: From starvation.
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October 25, 1915 was a Monday. There were no scores on this historic day: Baseball season had just ended, football was in midweek, the professional hockey season didn't start until early December, and professional basketball barely existed.
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