Wednesday, January 20, 2021

January 20

Birthdays: 

1973 ~ Mathilde of Belgium (née Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d’Udekem d’Acoz), Queen consort of the Belgians and wife of King Philippe of Belgium.  She was born in Uccle, Belgium.

 

1972 ~ Nikki Haley (née Nimrata Randhawa), American politician.  She served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations during the Donald Trump administration from January 2917 through December 2018.  Prior to joining the Trump Administration, she served as Governor of South Carolina.  She was born in Bamberg, South Carolina.

 

1971 ~ Questlove (né Ahmir Khalib Thompson), American musician.  He is the drummer and frontman for the band The Roots, which is the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 

1968 ~ Melissa Rivers (née Melissa Warburg Rosenberg), American actress and television host.  She is the daughter of Joan Rivers.  She was born in Manhattan, New York.

 

1967 ~ Kellyanne Conway (née Kellyanne Elizabeth Fitzpatrick), American political strategist for Donald Trump.  She was born in Atco, New Jersey.

 

1966 ~ Rainn Wilson (né RainnieWilson), American actor, best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on The Office.  He was born in Seattle, Washington.

 

1965 ~ Sophie, Countess of Wessex (née Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones), wife of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II.  She was born in Oxford, England.

 

1956 ~ Bill Maher (né William Maher), American political comedian and television host.  He was born in New York, New York.

 

1948 ~ Natan Sharansky (né Anatoly Borisovich Shcharansky), Ukrainian-born Israeli physicist and politician.  He was born in Stalino, Ukrainian, Soviet Union.

 

1946 ~ David Lynch (né David Keith Lynch), American film director.  He was born in Missoula, Montana.

 

1939 ~ Chandra Wickramasinghe, Sri Lankan mathematician and astronomer.  He was born in Colombo, British Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka.

 

1936 ~ Frances Shand Kydd (née Frances Ruth Roche; d. June 3, 2004), British mother of Diana, Princess of Wales.  She died of Parkinson’s disease at age 68.

 

1931 ~ David Lee (né David Morris Lee), American physicist and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics.  He was born in Rye, New York.

 

1930 ~ Buzz Aldrin (né Edwin Eugene Aldrin), American astronaut and engineer.  He was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

 

1929 ~ Frank Kush (né Frank Joseph Kush; d. June 22, 2017), American tough coach who made Arizona State a football powerhouse.  He was born in Winber, Pennsylvania.  He died at age 88 in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

1929 ~ Arte Johnson (né Arthur Stanton Eric Johnson; d. July 3, 2019), American actor.  He is best known for his role as a regular on the television show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.  He was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  He died at age 90 in Los Angeles, California.

 

1929 ~ Jimmy Cobb (né Wilbur James Cobb; d. May 24, 2020), African-American subtle drummer who laid down the beat on Kind of Blue.  He was the last surviving member of Miles Davis’s First Great Sextet.  He was born in Washington, D.C.  He died of lung cancer at age 91 in Manhattan, New York.

 

1927 ~ Denise McCluggage (d. May 6, 2015), American female racer who shattered stereotypes.  In 1959, she became the first woman to win a sports-car event at the Thompson Raceway in Connecticut.  She was born in El Dorado, Kansas.  She died at age 88 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

 

1926 ~ Patricia Neal (née Patsy Louise Neal; d. Aug. 8, 2010), American actress.  She was married to writer Roald Dahl.  She died in Edgartown, Massachusetts at age 84 of lung cancer.

 

1920 ~ Frederico Fellini (d. Oct. 31, 1993), Italian movie director.  He died of a stroke at age 73.

 

1920 ~ DeForest Kelley (né Jackson DeForest Kelley; d. June 11, 1999), American actor best known for his role as Bones on Star Trek.  He died of stomach cancer at age 79.

 

1914 ~ Gerald Holtom (né Gerald Herbert Holtom; d. Sept. 18, 1985), British artist and designer.  In 1958, he designed the peace symbol logo for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.  He died at age 71.

 

1910 ~ Joy Adamson (née Friederike Victoria Gessner; d. Jan. 3, 1980), Czech conservationist best known for her books about Elsa the lion raised in her home in Africa, including Born FreeLiving Free, and Forever Free.  She was murdered by a former and disgruntled employee just 17 days before her 70th birthday.  Her 2nd husband, George Adamson was also murdered, just 9 years later.

 

1906 ~ Aristotle Socrates Onassis (né Aristotle Socrates Onassis; d. Mar. 15, 1975), Greek shipping magnate and second husband of Jacqueline Kennedy.  He also had a long-term affair with opera singer Maria Callas.  His birth date is sometimes recorded as January 15, 1906.  He died at age 69.

 

1896 ~ George Burns (né Nathan Birmbaum; d. Mar. 9, 1996), American actor and comedian.  He died at age 100.

 

1895 ~ Gábor Szegő (d. Aug. 7, 1985), Hungarian mathematician.  He died at age 90.

 

1894 ~ Harold Gray (né Harold Lincoln Gray; d. May 9, 1968), American cartoonist and creator of Little Orphan Annie.  He died at age 74.

 

1888 ~ Lead Belly (né Huddie William Ledbetter; d. Dec. 6, 1949), African-American folk and blues musician.  He was born in Mooringsport, Louisiana.  He died at age 61.

 

1873 ~ Johannes V. Jensen (né Johannes Vilhelm Jensen; d. Nov. 25, 1950), Danish writer and recipient of the 1944 Nobel Prize in Literature.  He died at age 77.

 

1856 ~ Harriot Stanton Blatch (née Harriot Eaton Stanton; d. Nov. 20, 1940), American suffragist and daughter of women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  She died at age 84.

 

1834 ~ George Dexter Robinson (né George Washington Robinson; d. Feb. 22, 1896), 34th Governor of Massachusetts.  He served as governor from January 1884 until January 1887.  He was an attorney and his most famous client was Lizzie Bordon, who was accused of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892.  He died just over a month after his 62nd birthday.

 

1798 ~ Anson Jones (d. Jan. 9, 1858), the 4th and last President of the Republic of Texas.  He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.  He died by suicide in Houston, Texas just 11 days before his 60th birthday.

 

1775 ~ André-Marie Ampère (d. June 10, 1836), French physicist and mathematician.  The measurement of electric current, the Ampere, is named in his honor.  He died at age 61.

 

1732 ~ Richard Henry Lee (d. June 19, 1794), Early American lawyer, statesman and politician.  He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.  He served as President of the Continental Congress.  He later served as a United States Senator from Virginia from March 1780 until October 1792.  He was born in Westmoreland County in the Colony of Virginia.  He died at age 62.

 

1716 ~ Charles III of Spain (d. Dec. 14, 1788), King of Spain from August 1759 until his death in December 1788, and King of Naples and Sicily from May 1734 until October 1759.  Under his reign, Spain became recognized as a nation instead of a collection of kingdoms and territories.  He was married to Maria Amalia of Saxony (1724 ~ 1760).  He died at age 72.

 

1682 ~ Nicholas Saunderson (d. Apr. 19, 1739), English mathematician.  He was blind.  The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been 57 at the time of his death.

 

1554 ~ Sebastian of Portugal (d. Aug. 4, 1578), King of Portugal and the Algarves.  He reigned from June 1557 until his death in 1578.  He died in the Battle of Alcácer Quibir at age 24.

 

1526 ~ Rafael Bombelli (d. 1572), Italian mathematician.  The exact date of his birth and death is not known, however, he was baptized on January 20, 1526.  He is best known for his work in algebra and was a central figure in the understanding of imaginary numbers.

 

1292 ~ Elizabeth of Bohemia (d. Sept. 28, 1330), Queen consort of Bohemia and first wife of John of Luxembourg.  She died of tuberculosis at age 38.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2021 ~ Inauguration of President Joe Biden (b. 1942) and Vice-President Kamala Harris (b. 1964).  Biden became the 46th President of the United States.

 

2020 ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was observed in the United States.

 

2018 ~ The Second Women’s March, protesting the presidency of Donald Trump, took place in Washington, D.C., as well as in other cities across American.

 

2017 ~ Donald J. Trump (b. 1946) was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.  At the time of his inauguration, he was the oldest person to become president.

 

2009 ~ Barack Obama (b. 1961) was inaugurated as the 44th President and the first African-American President of the United States.

 

2001 ~ George W. Bush (b. 1946) was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States.

 

1993 ~ Bill Clinton (b. 1946) was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the United States.

 

1991 ~ The Sudanese government imposed Islamic law across the country, which worsened the civil war between the country’s Muslim north and the Christian south.

 

1989 ~ George H.W. Bush (1924 ~ 2018) was inaugurated as the 41st President of the United States.

 

1987 ~ Terry Waite (b. 1939), a representative from the Church of England, was kidnapped in Lebanon.  He would be released 4 years later on November 18, 1991.

 

1981 ~ Iran released 52 American hostages who had been held for 444 days.  The release was timed to occur 20 minutes after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the 40th President of the United States.

 

1977 ~ Jimmy Carter (b. 1924) was inaugurated as the 39th President of the United States.

 

1969 ~ Richard Nixon (1913 ~ 1994) was inaugurated as the 37th President of the United States.

 

1965 ~ Lyndon B. Johnson (1908 ~ 1973) was inaugurated into his second term as 36th President of the United States.

 

1961 ~ John F. Kennedy (1917 ~ 1963) was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States.

 

1953 ~ Dwight David Eisenhower (1890 ~ 1969) was inaugurated as the 34th President of the United States.

 

1949 ~ President Harry Truman (1884 ~ 1972) announced his Point Four Program, which was a program designed to provide economic aid to poor countries.  He announced this Program in his inaugural address for a full term as President.

 

1937 ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 ~ 1945) was sworn in for his fourth term as President.  Harry Truman (1884 ~ 1972) became the new Vice President.

 

1942 ~ Senior Nazi officials met at the Wannsee Conference to discuss the implementation of “The Final Solution to the Jewish Question.”

 

1937 ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 ~ 1945) and John Nance Garner (1868 ~ 1967) were sworn in for their second terms as President and Vice President, respectively, of the United States.  This was the first inauguration to take place on January 20, following the ratification of the 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which set the term for the Office to begin on January 20.

 

1936 ~ King Edward VIII (1894 ~ 1972) became King of the United Kingdom.  He would abdicate the throne 11 months later in order to marry Wallis Simpson (1896 ~ 1986).

 

1934 ~ The photographic and electronics company, Fujifilm, was founded in Japan.

 

1929 ~ The first full-length talking motion picture that was filmed outdoors was released.  The movie was called In Old Arizona.

 

1887 ~ The United States Navy was granted permission to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.

 

1841 ~ Great Britain began its occupation of Hong Kong.

 

1783 ~ Great Britain signed a peace treaty with France and Spain officially ending the hostilities relating to the American War of Independence.

 

1649 ~ The trial of King Charles I (1600 ~ 1649) of England for treason and other “high crimes” began.  He was executed 20 days later.

 

1523 ~ Christian II (1481 ~ 1559) was forced to abdicate the throne as King of Denmark and Norway following his slaughter of Swedish nobility.  He was deposed in a rebellion.

 

1265 ~ The First English parliament conducted its first meeting.  It included not only Lords, but also peers, the representatives of the major towns.  It was held by Simon de Montfort (1208 ~ 1265) in the Palace of Westminster, now referred to as the Houses of Parliament.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2018 ~ Paul Bocuse (b. Feb. 11, 1926), French chef who made chefs celebrities.  He died of Parkinson’s disease 22 days before his 92nd birthday.

 

2016 ~ George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld (b. Sept. 13, 1919), British Jewish refugee who became a publishing legend.  He was born in Vienna, Austria, but escaped to England during World War II.  He was born in Vienna, Austria.  He died at age 96 in London, England.

 

2014 ~ Claudio Abbado (b. June 26, 1933), Italian conductor who achieved global presence.  He died at age 80.

 

2013 ~ Larry Selman (b. Apr. 2, 1942), American street philanthropist of Greenwich Village.  He weighed 3 pounds at birth and was not expected to live.  He went on to overcome a mental disability and became a skilled charity fundraiser.  He died at age 70.

 

2012 ~ Etta James (née Jamesetta Hawkins; b. Jan. 25, 1938), American singer hailed as the Queen of Rhythm and Blues.  She died 5 days before her 74th birthday.

 

2011 ~ Reynolds Price (né Edward Reynolds Price, b. Feb. 1, 1933), American novelist who knew the South best.  His first novel, A Long and Happy Life, won the William Faulkner Award.  He was born in Macon, North Carolina.  He died in Durham, North Carolina 12 days before his 78th birthday.

 

2003 ~ Al Hirschfeld (né Albert Hirschfeld; b. June 21, 1903), American illustrator.  He died at age 99.

 

1996 ~ Gerry Mulligan (né Gerald Joseph Mulligan; b. Apr. 6, 1927), American jazz saxophonist and composer.  He died at age 68 following complications of knee surgery.

 

1993 ~ Audrey Hepburn (née Audrey Kathleen Ruston; b. May 4, 1929), Anglo-Dutch actress best known for her role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  She died of cancer at age 63.

 

1990 ~ Barbara Stanwyck (née Ruby Catherine Stevens; b. July 16, 1907), American actress.  She died at age 82.

 

1984 ~ Johnny Weissmuller (né Johann Peter Weißmüller; b. June 2, 1904), Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor, best known for his role as Tarzan in the movies.  He died at age 79 of pulmonary edema.

 

1947 ~ Andrew Volstead (né Andrew John Volstead; b. Oct. 31, 1860), American Republican member of the United States House of Representatives.  He is best known as being the author of the National Prohibition Act of 1919, commonly referred to as the Volstead Act, which authorized prohibition of the sale of alcohol.  He died at age 86.

 

1936 ~ King George V of the United Kingdom and Emperor of India (b. June 3, 1865).  He was King from May 1910 until his death 26 years later.  He was married to Mary of Teck.  He died at age 70.

 

1921 ~ Mary Watson Whitney (d. Sept. 11, 1847), American astronomer from Waltham, Massachusetts.  She was the head of the Vassar Observatory for 22 years and during her tenure and guidance over 100 scientific papers were published.  She died at age 73 of pneumonia.

 

1908 ~ John Ordronaux (b. 1830), American Civil War army surgeon and pioneer in mental health.  The actual date of his birth is not known.

 

1907 ~ Agnes Mary Clerke (b. Feb. 10, 1842), Irish astronomer.  The lunar crater Clerke is named in her honor.  She died 21 days before her 65th birthday.

 

1900 ~ John Ruskin (b. Feb. 8, 1819), English author.  He died 19 days before his 81st birthday.

 

1891 ~ Kalākaua, King of Hawaii (b. Nov. 16, 1836).  He died at age 54.

 

1875 ~ Jean-François Millet (b. Oct. 4, 1814), French painter.  He died at age 60.

 

1848 ~ Christian VIII, King of Denmark (b. Sept. 18, 1786).  He was king of Denmark from from December 1839 until his death 8 years later.  He also served as King of Norway from May through October 1814.  His first wife was Charlotte Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  This marriage ended in divorce.  His second wife was Caroline Amalie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Augustenburg.  He died of blood poisoning at age 61.

 

1837 ~ Sir John Soane (b. Sept. 10, 1753), English architect.  He died at age 83.

 

1819 ~ Charles IV, King of Spain (b. Nov. 11, 1748).  He reigned from December 1788 until he was forced to abdicate in March 1808 in favor of his son, Ferdinand VII.  He was married to Maria Luisa of Parma.  He died at age 70.

 

1745 ~ Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor (b. Aug. 6, 1697).  He ruled from January 1742 until his death 3 years later.  He also reigned as the King of Bohemia from December 1741 until May 1743.  He was married to Maria Amalia of Austria.  He died at age 47.

 

1666 ~ Anne of Austria (b. Sept. 22, 1601), Queen consort of France and wife of King Louis XIII of France.  She was born into the House of Habsburg.  She died at age 64.

 

1612 ~ Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. July 18, 1552).  He ruled as the Holy Roman Emperor from October 1576 until his death in January 1612.  He was regarded as an ineffective leader whose actions led to the Thirty Years’ War.  He died at age 59.

 

1590 ~ Giambattista Benedetti (b. Aug. 14, 1530), Italian mathematician and physicist.  He died at age 59.

 

1189 ~ Shi Zong (b. Mar. 29, 1123), 5th Chinese emperor of the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty.  He ruled from October 1161 until his death in October 1189.  He died at age 65.

 

250 ~ Pope Fabian (b. 200).  He was Pope from January 236 until his murder on this date in 250.  He was murdered when Roman Emperor Decius began persecutions of Christians within the Roman Empire who refused to perform sacrifices to the Roman gods.  The date of his birth is not known.  He is believed to have been about 50 years old at the time of his death.  He was born and died in Rome, Italy.

 

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