November 30

Birthdays:

 

1985 ~ Kaley Cuoco (née Kaley Christine Cuoco), American actress.  She is best known for her role as Penny on The Big Bang Theory.  She was born in Camarillo, California.

 

1975 ~ Mindy McCready (née Malinda Gayle McCready; d. Feb. 17, 2013), American tortured country singer who fell from grace.  She was born in Fort Myers, Florida.  She died by suicide at age 37 in Heber Springs, Arkansas.

 

1965 ~ Ben Stiller (né Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller), American comedic actor.  He was born in New York, New York.

 

1962 ~ Bo Jackson (né Vincent Edward Jackson), American football and baseball player.  He was named an All-Star in both sports.  He was born in Bessemer, Alabama.

 

1957 ~ Colin Mochrie (né Colin Andrew Mochrie), Canadian comedian and actor.  He is best known for being a part of the improvisational television show Whose Line is it Anyway?  He was born in Kilmarnick, East Ayrshier, Scotland.

 

1957 ~ Margaret Spellings (née Margaret M. Dudar), 8^th United States Secretary of Education.  She served under President George W. Bush from January 2005 until January 2009.  She was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

 

1955 ~ Billy Idol (né William Michael Albert Broad), British musician.  He was born in Stanmore, London, England.

 

1954 ~ Lawrence Summers (né Lawrence Henry Summers), American economist and 27^th President of Harvard University.  He served as the 71^st United States Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton Administration.  He held that office from July 1999 until January 2001.  He was born in New Haven, Connecticut.

 

1952 ~ Mandy Patinkin (né Mandel Bruce Patinkin), American actor.  He is well known for his role as Inigo Montoya in the 1987 movie The Princess Bride.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1947 ~ David Mamet (né David Alan Mamet), American playwright.  He is best known for his play Glengarry Glen Ross.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1936 ~ Abbie Hoffman (né Abbot Howard Hoffman; d. Apr. 12, 1989), American political activist.  He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.  He died by suicide at age 52 in Solebury Township, Pennsylvania.

 

1936 ~ Dmitri Anosov (d. Aug. 5, 2014), Russian mathematician.  He was born and died in Moscow, Russia.  He died at age 77.

 

1931 ~ Bill Walsh (né William Ernest Walsh; d. July 30, 2007), American football player and head coach for the San Francisco 49ers.  He was born in Los Angeles, California.  He died at age 75 in Woodside, California.

 

1930 ~ G. Gordon Liddy (né George Gordon Battle Liddy; d. Mar. 30, 2021), American operative who masterminded the Watergate break-in, that resulted in the scandal that led to the downfall of President Nixon.  He was convicted of burglary and conspiracy as a result of the Watergate break in and served 52 months in federal prisons.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.  He died in Mount Vernon, Virginia at age 90.

 

1929 ~ Dick Clark (né Richard Augustus Wagstaff Clark; d. Apr. 18, 2012), American radio and television personality, best known for hosting American Bandstand.  He was the man who put rock ‘n’ roll on TV.  He was born in Bronxville, New York.  He died at age 82 in Santa Monica, California.

 

1929 ~ Joan Ganz Cooney (née Joan Ganz), American screenwriter.  She was a co-creator of Sesame Street.  She was born in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

1927 ~ Robert Guillaume (né Robert Peter Williams, d. Oct. 24, 2017), African-American actor who refused to be stereotyped.  He is best known for his role as Benson on the television series Soap.  He was born in St. Louis, Missouri.  He died of prostate cancer at age 89 in Los Angeles, California.

 

1926 ~ Richard Crenna (né Richard Donald Crenna; d. Jan. 17, 2003), American actor.  He was born and died in Los Angeles, California.  He died of congestive heart failure at age 76.

 

1926 ~ Andrew Schally (né Andrzej Viktor Schally), Polish-born American endocrinologist and recipient of the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.  He was born in Vilnius, Poland.

 

1925 ~ Maryon Pittman Allen (née Maryon Pittman, d. July 23, 2018), Alabama Senator who foiled George Wallace.  She served as United States Senator for five months, from June 1978 until November 1978, following the death of her husband, Senator James Allen.  Governor George Wallace appointed her to fill her husband’s term, expecting that he would run for that position in a special election.  She refused to step aside, foiling Wallace’s plans.  She was born in Meridian, Mississippi.  She died at age 92 in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

1924 ~ Shirley Chisholm (née Shirley Anita St. Hill; d. Jan. 1, 2005), African-American educator who was the first black congresswoman.  In 1968, she was the first African-American woman elected to Congress.  In 1972, she became the first Black candidate and woman to run for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.  She was born in Brooklyn, New York.  She died at age 80 in Ormond Beach, Florida.

 

1919 ~ Joseph Rogers (né Joseph Wilson Rogers; d. Mar. 3, 2017), American businessman and Waffle House co-founder who put the customer first.  He was born in Jackson, Tennessee.  He died at age 97 in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

1918 ~ Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (d. May 2, 2014), American actor, best known for his role in the TV show, The FBI.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died at age 95 in Slovang, California.

 

1917 ~ Bill Ash (né William Franklin Ash; d. Apr. 26, 2014), Texas-born British writer who served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II.  He was the POW who wouldn’t stop escaping.  He was born in Dallas, Texas.  He died at age 96.

 

1915 ~ Henry Taube (d. Nov. 16, 2005), Canadian-born American chemist and recipient of the 1983 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.  He was born in Neudorf, Saskatchewan, Canada.  He died 14 days before his 90^th birthday in Palo Alto, California.

 

1912 ~ Gordon Parks (né Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks; b. Mar. 7, 2006), African-American photographer and film director.  He was born in Fort Scott, Kansas.  He died at age 93 in Manhattan, New York.

 

1907 ~ Jacques Barzun (né Jacques Martin Barzun; d. Oct. 25, 2012), French-American historian who focused on cultural history.  He died about a month before his 105^th birthday in San Antonio, Texas.

 

1889 ~ Reuvein Margolies (d. Aug. 28, 1971), Hungarian-born Israeli author and Talmudic scholar.  He died at age 81.

 

1889 ~ Edgar Adrian, 1^st Baron Adrian (né Edgar Douglas Adrian; d. Aug. 4, 1977), British electrophysiologist and recipient of the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physiology or medicine for his work on the function of neurons.  He was born in London, England.  He died at age 87 in Cambridge, England.

 

1874 ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery (d. Apr. 24, 1942), Canadian author, best known for Anne of Green Gables.  She was born in New London, Prince Edward Island, Canada.  She died at age 67 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

 

1874 ~ Sir Winston Churchill (né Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, d. Jan. 24, 1965), British statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II.  He was also the recipient of the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature.  He died exactly 70 years after the death of his father, Lord Rudolph Churchill.  Winston was 90 years old at the time of his death.

 

1869 ~ Gustaf Dalén (né Nils Gustaf Dalén; d. Dec. 9, 1937), Swedish physicist and recipient of the 1912 Nobel Prize in Physics.  He died 9 days after his 68^th birthday.

 

1866 ~ Andrey Lyapchev (d. Nov. 6, 1933), Bulgarian attorney and Prime Minister of Bulgaria.  He served as Prime Minister from January 1926 until June 1931.  He died 24 days before his 67^th birthday in Sofia, Bulgaria.

 

1843 ~ Martha Ripley (née Martha George Rogers; d. Apr. 18, 1912), American physician, professor of medicine, and suffragist.  She was the founder of the Maternity Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  She was born in Lowell, Vermont.  She died in Minneapolis, Minnesota at age 68.

 

1835 ~ Mark Twain (né Samuel Langhorne Clemens, d. Apr. 21, 1910), American novelist.  He was born in Florida, Missouri.  He died at age 74 in Redding, Connecticut.

 

1817 ~ Theodor Mommsen (né Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen, d. Nov. 1, 1903), German writer and recipient of the 1902 Nobel Prize in Literature.  He died 29 days before his 86^th birthday.

 

1810 ~ Oliver Winchester (né Oliver Fisher Winchester; d. Dec. 11, 1880), American businessman and manufacturer of the Winchester Repeating Arms.  He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in New Haven, Connecticut.  He died 11 days after his 70^th birthday.

 

1723 ~ William Livingston (d. July 25, 1790), 1^st Governor of New Jersey.  He was Governor from August 1776 until his death on this date 4 years later.  He was also one of the signers of the United States Constitution.  He was born in Albany, New York.  He was 66 years old at the time of his death in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

 

1719 ~ Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (d. Feb. 8, 1772), Princess of Wales through her marriage to Frederick, Prince of Wales.  He died before becoming King, so she was never the Queen Consort.  She was of the House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.  She was the daughter of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst.  She died of throat cancer at age 52.

 

1699 ~ Christian VI, King of Denmark and Norway (d. Aug. 6, 1746).  He reigned as King from October 1730 until his death 16 years later.  He was married to Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.  He was of the House of Oldenburg.  He was the son of Frederick IV, King of Denmark and Louise of Mecklenburg-Glüstrow.  He died at age 46.

 

1667 ~ Jonathan Swift (d. Oct. 19, 1745), Anglo-Irish author and satirist, best known for his novel, Gulliver’s Travels.  He was born and died in Dublin, Ireland.  He died at age 77.

 

1628 ~ John Bunyan (d. Aug. 31, 1688), British theologian, minister and author.  He is best known for his book, The Pilgrim’s Progress.  The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he was baptized on November 30, 1628.  He is believed to have been 59 at the time of his death.

 

1549 ~ Sir Henry Savile (d. Feb. 19, 1622), English mathematician and scholar.  He was one of the scholars to translate the Greek Bible into English.  He died at age 72.

 

1485 ~ Veronica Gambara (d. June 13, 1550), Italian poet and political leader.  She died at age 64.

 

1466 ~ Andrea Doria (d. Nov. 25, 1560), Italian admiral and naval leader.  He died 5 days before his 94^th birthday.

 

1427 ~ Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland (d. June 7, 1492).  He reigned as King of Poland from June 1447 until his death 45 years later.  He was married to Elisabeth of Austria.  He was of the Jagiellon Dynasty.  He was the son of Władysław II Jagiełło and Sophia of Halshany.  He died at age 64.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2018 ~ A 7.0 magnitude struck near Anchorage, Alaska.  There was considerable damage, but no lives were lost.

 

2005 ~ John Sentamu (b. 1949) became the first black archbishop in the Church of England when he became the Archbishop of York.

 

2004 ~ Longtime Jeopardy! contestant, Ken Jennings (b. 1974), lost in his 75^th appearance on the show.  During the course of his long tenure on the show, he accumulated over $2.5 Million.  After the death of long-time Jeopardy! host in 2020, Ken Jennings was selected to become the 1^st interim host.

 

1999 ~ Exxon and Mobil signed a merger agreement, thereby creating ExxonMobil.

 

1995 ~ Operation Desert Storm, the Gulf War, officially ended.

 

1995 ~ President Bill Clinton (b. 1946) became the first United States President to visit Northern Ireland.

 

1993 ~ President Bill Clinton (b. 1946) signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the Brady Bill) into law, which mandated a waiting period and background check for handgun purchases.  The Bill was named after James Brady (1940 ~ 2014), who was a staff member in the Ronald Reagan administration.  James Brady was shot and seriously injured in the same assassination attempt on Reagan’s life.  The law went into effect on February 28, 1994.

 

1982 ~ Michael Jackson’s album, Thriller, was released.

 

1979 ~ The Wall, by Pink Floyd, was released.

 

1971 ~ Iran seized the Greater and Lesser Tunbs from the United Arab Emirates.

 

1967 ~ The Pakistan Peoples Party was founded by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (1928 ~ 1979), who later became its Head of State.

 

1967 ~ The People’s Republic of South Yemen gained its independence from the United Kingdom.

 

1966 ~ Barbados gained its independence from the United Kingdom.

 

1965 ~ Unsafe at Any Speed, by Ralph Nadar (b. 1934) was published.  The book described the dangers of the automobile industry and prompted the passage of the Traffic and Motor Safety Act.

 

1954 ~ In Oak Grove, Alabama, the Hodges meteorite crashed through a house and hit Ann Elizabeth Fowler Hodges (1920 ~ 1972), who was taking a nap.  She was badly bruised, but not killed.  This is the only documented case of a human being hit by a rock from space in the United States.

 

1940 ~ Lucille Ball (1911 ~ 1989) and Desi Arnaz (1917 ~ 1986) eloped.  They divorced 20 years later.

 

1939 ~ The Russo-Finnish Winter War began when Soviet forces crossed into Finland and bombed Helsinki and several other Finnish cities.

 

1936 ~ The Crystal Palace, which had been built in London, England to house the Great Exposition of 1851, was destroyed by fire.

 

1886 ~ The Folies Bergère in Paris staged its first revue-style music hall show.  It introduced an elaborate revue featuring women in sensational costumes.

 

1858 ~ John L. Mason (1832 ~ 1902) patented the Mason jar, thereby allowing a method for the preservation of perishable foods.

 

1804 ~ The Democratic-Republican-controlled United States Senate began impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase (1741 ~ 1811) who was a Federalist.

 

1803 ~ In New Orleans, Louisiana, Spanish representatives officially transferred the Louisiana Territory to France.  Within a month, France transferred the same portion of land to the United State as the Louisiana Purchase.

 

1786 ~ Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg Lorraine (1747 ~ 1792), Grand Duke of Tuscany, promulgated penal reforms abolishing the death penalty, making his country the first state to do such.  He would later go on to become known as Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor.

 

1782 ~ Following the American Revolutionary War, representatives from the United States and from Great Britain met in Paris and signed the preliminary peace articles, that were later formalized as the 1873 Treaty of Paris.

 

1700 ~ At the Battle of Navra, the Swedish army under Charles XII, King of Sweden defeated a much larger Russian army.  Under the calendar in use at the time, this battle occurred on November 19, 1700.  He would be killed during the siege of the fortress of Fredriksten in Norway 18 years later, to the date.

 

1487 ~ Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria-Munich (1447 ~ 1508) promulgated the German Beer Purity law, which stated that beer should be brewed using only three ingredients ~ water, malt and hops.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2018 ~ George H.W. Bush (né George Herbert Walker Bush; b. June 12, 1924), 41^st President of the United States.  He served as President from January 1989 until January 1993.  He was the war hero and president who stood tall on the world stage.  He died in Houston, Texas at age 94.

 

2017 ~ Jim Nabors (né James Thurston Nabors; b. June 12, 1930), American actor who played TV’s most lovable klutz. He is best known for his portrayal of Gomer Pyle, who appeared first on the Andy Griffith Show, then became a spin-off.  He died at age 87.

 

2014 ~ Ian Player (né Ian Cedric Audley Player; b. Mar. 15, 1927), South African game warden who saved the white rhinoceros.  He was the brother of professional golfer Gary Player.  He died of a stroke at age 87.

 

2013 ~ Paul Crouch (né Paul Franklin Crouch; b. Mar. 30, 1934), American televangelist who asked believers to dig deep.  He founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network.  He died at age 79.

 

2007 ~ Evel Knievel (né Robert Craig Knievel; b. Oct. 16, 1938), American stuntman.  He died at age 69.

 

2003 ~ Gertrude Ederle (né Gertrude Caroline Ederle; b. Oct. 23, 1905), American athlete and swimmer.  On August 6, 1926, she became the first woman to swim across the English Channel.  She died at age 98.

 

1998 ~ Margaret Walker (née Margaret Abigail Walker; b. July 7, 1915), African-American poet.  She was a part of the African-American literary moment in Chicago known as the Chicago Black Renaissance.  She died of breast cancer at age 83.

 

1996 ~ Tiny Tim (né Herbert Buckingham Khaury; b. Apr. 12, 1932). American musician.  He died of a massive heart attack at age 64.

 

1979 ~ Zeppo Marx (né Herbert Manfred Marx; b. Feb. 25, 1901), American actor and comedian.  He was the youngest of the Marx brothers.  He was the last surviving Marx brother.  He died of lung cancer at age 78.

 

1979 ~ Laura Gilpin (b. Apr. 22, 1891), American photographer.  She is best known for her portraiture of Native Americans and their culture.  She died at age 88.

 

1961 ~ Sam Zemurray (né Schmuel Zmurri; b. Jan. 18, 1877), Russian-born American businessman who founded the Cuyamel Fruit Company.  He entered into the banana trade, establishing a center in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He was known as Sam the Banana Man.  The story of his rise in the trade was depicted in Rich Cohen’s book, The Fish that Ate the Whale.  He was born in what is present-day Chișinău, Moldavia.  He died in New Orleans at age 84.

 

1944 ~ Albert B. Fall (né Albert Bacon Fall; b. Nov. 26, 1861), 28^th United States Secretary of the Interior.  He served under President Warren G. Harding from March 1921 until March 1923.  He is best known for his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal.  Before joining the Harding Administration, he served as a United States Senator from New Mexico.  He was born in Frankfort, Kentucky.  He died 4 days after his 83^rd birthday in El Paso, Texas.

 

1935 ~ Fernando Pessoa (né Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa; b. June 13, 1888), Portuguese poet.  He was born and died in Lisbon, Portugal.  He died at age 47.

 

1934 ~ Hélène Boucher (b. May 23, 1908), French pilot.  She set several women’s world speed records for flying.  She was killed at age 26 in a plane crash in 1934.

 

1930 ~ Mother Jones (née Mary G. Harris; b. 1837), American labor organizer.  Her actual birthdate is unknown, although she was baptized on August 1, 1837.  May 1 is ascribed to her birth because it is International Labor Day.  She was 93 at the time of her death.

 

1907 ~ Paula Modersohn-Becker (née Paula Becker; b. Feb. 8, 1876), German painter and artist.  She is best known for being the first known female to paint nude self-portraits.  She died at age 31 of a postpartum embolism.

 

1900 ~ Oscar Wilde (né Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde; b. Oct. 16, 1854), Irish author and playwright.  He died at age 46.

 

1836 ~ Pierre-Simon Girard (b. Nov. 4, 1765), French mathematician.  He is known for his work in fluid dynamics.  He was born in Caen, France.  He died 26 days after his 71^st birthday in Paris, France.

 

1830 ~ Pope Pius VIII (né Francesco Saverio Maria Felice Castiglioni; b. Nov. 20, 1761).  He was Pope for a year and a half, from March 31, 1829 until his death on November 30, 1830.  He died 10 days after his 69^th birthday.

 

1718 ~ King Charles XII of Sweden (b. June 17, 1682).  He was killed during the Siege Fredriksten in Norway at age 36.

 

1675 ~ Cecil Calvert, 2^nd Baron Baltimore (b. Aug. 8, 1605), British colonial governor of Maryland.  He died at age 70.

 

1647 ~ Bonaventura Cavalieri (b. 1598), Italian mathematician and astronomer.  The exact date of his birth is not known.

 

1016 ~ King Edmund II of England (b. 993).  He was also known as Edmund Ironside.  He was King of the English from April through November 1016.  It is not clear whether or not he died of an illness or murder.  The exact date of his birth is unknown but he is believed to have been 26 at the time of his death.

November 29

Birthdays:

 

1976 ~ Chadwick Boseman (né Chadwick Aaron Boseman; d. Aug. 28, 2020), African-American actor and Black Panther star who portrayed African-American icons.  He was born in Anderson, South Carolina.  He died at age 43 of colon cancer in Los Angeles, California.

 

1964 ~ Don Cheadle (né Donald Frank Cheadle, Jr.), African-American actor.  He was born in Kansas City, Missouri.

 

1962 ~ Andrew McCarthy (né Andrew Thomas McCarthy), American actor.  He was born in Westfield, New Jersey.

 

1960 ~ Cathy Moriarty, American actress.  She is best known for her role as Vikki LaMotta in the movie Raging Bull. She was born in The Bronx, New York.

 

1959 ~ Richard Borcherds (né Richard Ewen Borcherds), South African mathematician.  He is known for his work in group theory and lattices.  He was the recipient of the 1998 Fields Medal.  He was born in Cape Town, South Africa.

 

1959 ~ Rahm Emanuel (né Rahm Israel Emanuel), American politician.  He was the 23^rd White House Chief of Staff.  He served under President Barack Obama from January 2009 until October 2010.  He then became the Mayor of Chicago in May 2011.  He served as Mayor until May 2019.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1957 ~ Janet Napolitano (née Janet Ann Napolitano), 3^rd Secretary of Homeland Security.  She served under President Obama from January 2009 until September 2013.  She had previously served as the 21^st Governor of Arizona from January 2003 until January 2009.  She was born in New York, New York.

 

1954 ~ Joel Coen, American film director.  He was born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

 

1949 ~ Garry Shandling (né Garry Emmanuel Shandling; d. Mar. 24, 2016), American comedian and actor.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died of a heart attack at age 66 in Santa Monica, California.

 

1947 ~ Petra Kelly (née Petra Karin Lehmann; d. Oct. 1, 1992), German political activist and ecofeminist.  She was killed in a murder-suicide by her partner.  She was 44 years old.

 

1946 ~ Suzy Chaffee (née Suzanne Stevia Chaffee), American Olympic alpine ski racer.  She competed in the 1968 winter Olympics.  She was known as Suzy Chapstick.  She was born in Rutland, Vermont.

 

1942 ~ Stanley Ann Dunham (d. Nov. 7, 1995), American anthropologist and mother of United States President Barack Obama.  She was born in Wichita, Kansas.  She died of cancer 22 days before her 53^rd birthday in Honolulu, Hawaii.

 

1940 ~ Michael G. Crandall (né Michael Grain Crandall), American mathematician best known for his work in differential equations.  He was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

1939 ~ Peter Bergman (né Peter Paul Bergman; d. Mar. 9, 2012), American who pioneered surreal radio comedy.  He is best known for being a member of the Fireside Theater.  He was born in Cleveland, Ohio.  He died of complications from leukemia at age 72 in Santa Monica, California.

 

1932 ~ Jacques Chirac (né Jacques René Chirac; d. Sept. 26, 2019), French politician and 22^nd president of France from May 1995 until May 2007 who defied a rush to war.  Following 9/11, he vowed to stand by the United States against the war on terrorism, however, when United States President George W. Bush sought his assistance in Iraq, Chirac balked.  He was born and died in Paris, France.  He died at age 86.

 

1928 ~ Paul Simon (né Paul Martin Simon; d. Dec. 9, 2003), American politician and United States Senator from Illinois.  He was born in Eugene, Oregon.  He died 10 days after his 75^th birthday in Springfield, Illinois.

 

1928 ~ Yolande Fox (née Yolande Margaret Betbeze; d. Feb. 22, 2016), American Miss America who defied convention.  She became the 1951 Miss America.  Following her year as Miss America, she became a social activist.  She was born in Mobile, Alabama.  She died of lung cancer at age 87 in Washington, D.C.

 

1927 ~ Vin Scully (né Vincent Edward Scully), American sportscaster.  He was born in The Bronx, New York.

 

1920 ~ Joseph Shivers, Jr. (né Joseph Clois Shivers, Jr.; d. Sept. 1, 2014), American chemist and developer of spandex.  He was born in Marlton, New Jersey.  He died at age 93 in Venice, Florida.

 

1919 ~ Sir Frank Kermode (né John Frank Kermode; d. Aug. 17, 2010), British literary critic considered a giant in his field.  He was born on the Isle of Man.  He died at age 90 in Cambridge, England.

 

1918 ~ Madeleine L’Engle (née Madeleine L’Engle Camp; d. Sept. 6, 2007), American author, best known for her children’s novel, A Wrinkle in Time.  She was born in New York, New York.  She died at age 88 in Litchfield, Connecticut.

 

1915 ~ Eugene Polley (d. May 20, 2012), American engineer who invented the TV remote control.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died at age 96 in Downers Grove, Illinois.

 

1912 ~ Sir John Templeton (né John Marks Templeton; d. July 8, 2008), the American-born investor who helped fund the search for God.  In 1968, he took British citizenship and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987.  He was born in Winchester, Tennessee.  He died of pneumonia at age 95 in Nassau, The Bahamas.

 

1912 ~ Viola Smith (née Viola Schmitz; d. Oct. 21, 2020), American trailblazing swing drummer who broke musical boundaries.  She was one of the first female professional drummers.  She was born in Mount Calvary, Wisconsin.  She died in Costa Mesa, California a month before her 108^th birthday.

 

1908 ~ Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (d. Apr. 4, 1972), African-American politician and civil rights leader.  He was the first African-American to serve in the United States Congress from New York State.  He was born in New Haven, Connecticut.  He died at age 63 in Miami, Florida.

 

1898 ~ C.S. Lewis (né Clive Staples Lewis; d. Nov. 22, 1963), Irish author best known for his novels The Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia.  He was born in Belfast, Northern, Ireland.  He died 7 days before his 65^th birthday in Oxford, England.

 

1895 ~ Busby Berkeley (né Berkeley William Enos; d. Mar. 14, 1976), American film director and choreographer.  He was born in Los Angeles, California.  He died at age 80 in Palm Desert, California.

 

1876 ~ Nellie Tayloe Ross (né Nellie Davis Tayloe; d. Dec. 19, 1977), American politician and 14^th Governor of Wyoming.  She was the first woman to be elected to a State office.  She served as Governor from January 1925 until January 1927.  She later served as the 28^th Director of the United States Mint from May 1933 until April 1953.  She was born in St. Joseph, Missouri.  She died 3 weeks after her 101^st birthday in Washington, D.C.

 

1874 ~ Egas Moniz (né António Caetano de Aubre Freire de Resende; d. Dec. 13, 1955), Portuguese neurologist and recipient of the 1949 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.  He died 14 days after his 81^st birthday in Lisbon, Portugal.

 

1873 ~ Suzan Rose Benedict (d. Apr. 8, 1942), American mathematician.  She was the first woman awarded a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Michigan.  She had a long career at Smith University in Massachusetts.  She was born in Norwalk, Ohio.  She died of a heart attack at age 68 in Northampton, Massachusetts.

 

1849 ~ Sir John Ambrose Fleming (d. Apr. 18, 1945), British physicist and inventor of the vacuum tube.  He died at age 95.

 

1843 ~ Gertrude Jekyll (d. Dec. 8, 1932), British horticulturist and garden designer.  She created over 400 gardens in England, Europe and the United States.  She died 9 days after her 89^th birthday.

 

1835 ~ Empress Dowager Cixi (d. Nov. 15, 1908), Chinese ruler.  She effectively controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing Dynasty from 1861 until her death in 1908.  She died 14 days before her 73^rd birthday.

 

1832 ~ Louisa May Alcott (d. Mar. 6, 1888), American novelist.  She is best known for her novels Little Women and Little Men.  She was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on her father’s 33^rd birthday.  She died of a stroke at age 55 in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

1816 ~ Morrison Waite (né Morrison Remick Waite; d. Mar. 23, 1888), 7^th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  He was nominated to the High Court by President Ulysses S. Grant.  He replaced Salmon Chase on the Court.  He was succeeded by Melville Fuller.  He served in office from March 1874 until his death on this date 14 years later.  He was born in Lyme, Connecticut.  He died in Washington, D.C., at age 71.

 

1803 ~ Christian Doppler (né Christian Andreas Doppler; d. Mar. 17, 1853), Austrian physicist and mathematician.  He is best known for his principle known as the Doppler effect, that the observed frequency of a wave depends upon the relative speed of the source and the observer.  He died at age 49 of pulmonary disease.

 

1799 ~ Amos Bronson Alcott (d. Mar. 4, 1888), American philosopher and educator.  He was the father of author Louisa May Alcott, who was born in his 33^rd birthday.  He was born in Wolcott, Connecticut and died at age 88 in Boston, Massachusetts.

 

1627 ~ John Ray (d. Jan. 17, 1705), English naturalist.  He died at age 77.

 

1427 ~ Emperor Yingzong of Ming (d. Feb. 23, 1464), Chinese Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.  He ruled from February 1435 until he was forced to abdicate in favor of his brother in September 1449.  A few years later, he deposed his brother and took over the empire reigning from February 1457 until his death 7 years later.  He died at age 36.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2007 ~ A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Martinique affecting many of the Caribbean islands.

 

1972 ~ Atari released the video game, Pong.

 

1967 ~ United States Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (1916 ~ 2009) announced his resignation following his recommendation to President Lyndon Johnson (1908 ~ 1973) to freeze troop levels and stop bombing in North Vietnam.

 

1963 ~ The Beatles song, I Want to Hold Your Hand, which had been recorded 6 weeks earlier, was release to the public in the United Kingdom.

 

1963 ~ President Lyndon Johnson (1908 ~ 1973) formed the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (1917 ~ 1963).

 

1947 ~ The United Nations General Assembly approved a plan for the partition of Palestine.

 

1929 ~ Admiral Richard E. Byrd (1888 ~ 1957) and his three-member crew became the first persons to fly over the South Pole.

 

1830 ~ The November Uprising, an armed rebellion against Russia’s rule in Poland began.

 

1783 ~ What is believed to have been a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey.

 

1777 ~ San Jose, California was founded as Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe.  It was the first civilian settlement in the area that would later become the state of California.

 

1732 ~ The 6.6 magnitude Irpinia earthquake struck in southern Italy killing nearly 2,000 people.

 

1729 ~ The Natchez Indians, who had been in conflict with the French settlers, massacred over 200 of the French settlers and kidnapped the women and children at Fort Rosalie, near present day Natchez, Mississippi.

 

800 ~ Charlemagne (742 ~ 814) arrived in Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Pope Leo III (d. 816).  Charlemagne protected the Pope from his enemies and thus, became the Holy Roman Emperor.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2019 ~ Irving Burgie (né Irving Louis Burgie; b. July 28, 1924), African-American lyricist who got the world singing Day-O.  He is considered on of the greatest composers of Caribbean music.  He was sometimes known as Lord Burgess. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.  He died in Queens, New York at age 95.

 

2017 ~ Mary Lee Woods (b. Mar. 12, 1924), British mathematician and computer programmer.  She died at age 93.

 

2013 ~ Peter Kaplan (né Peter Wennik Kaplan; b. Feb. 10, 1954), American New York editor who mentored a generation. He is known for modernizing New Journalism for the digital age.  He was born in South Orange, New Jersey.  He died of cancer at age 59 in Manhattan, New York.

 

2009 ~ Harry Hurt (né Hugh Harrison Hurt, Jr.; b. Dec. 13, 1927), American engineer who made motorcycles safer.  He was born in Big Spring, Texas.  He died 2 weeks before his 82^nd birthday in Pomona, California.

 

2008 ~ Jørn Oberg Utzon (b. Apr. 9, 1918), Danish architect who designed the Sydney Opera House in Australia.  He died at age 90.

 

2005 ~ Wendie Jo Sperber (b. Sept. 15, 1958), American actress.  She was born in Los Angeles, California.  She died of breast cancer at age 47 in Sherman Oaks, California.

 

2001 ~ George Harrison (b. Feb. 25, 1943), English musician and member of the Beatles.  He died of lung cancer at age 58.

 

2001 ~ John Knowles (b. Sept. 16, 1926), American author.  He is best known for his novel A Separate Peace.  He died at age 75.

 

1999 ~ Gene Rayburn (né Eugen Peter Jeljenic; b. Dec. 22, 1917), American game show host.  He hosted the Match Game for over 20 years.  He died of congestive heart failure in Gloucester, Massachusetts 23 days before his 82^ndbirthday.

 

1997 ~ Coleman Young (né Coleman Alexander Young; b. May 24, 1918), American politician and Mayor of Detroit.  He served as Mayor from January 1974 until January 1994.  He died of emphysema at age 79.

 

1992 ~ Jean Dieudonné (b. July 1, 1906) French mathematician.  He died at age 86.

 

1991 ~ Frank Yerby (né Frank Garvin Yerby, b. Sept. 5, 1916), African-American historical novelist.  He was born in Augusta, Georgia.  He died of liver cancer at age 75 in Madrid, Spain.

 

1986 ~ Cary Grant (né Archibald Alexander Leach; b. Jan. 18, 1904), British-born American actor.  He died at age 82.

 

1984 ~ Tatyana Pavlovna Ehrenfest (b. Oct. 28, 1905), Dutch mathematician.  She was born in Vienna, Austria.  She about a month after her 79^th birthday in Dordrech, Netherlands.

 

1981 ~ Natalie Wood (née Natasha Nikoleavna Zakkharenko; b. July 20, 1938), American actress.  She died in a mysterious boating accident.  Ostensibly she drowned at age 43, however, in 2012, an investigation into her death was reopened.  Her husband, Richard Wagner, was considered as a “person of interest.”.

 

1980 ~ Dorothy Day (b. Nov. 8, 1897), American journalist and activist.  She died 21 days after her 83^rd birthday.

 

1958 ~ Roy West (né Roy Owen West; b. Oct. 27, 1868), 30^th United States Secretary of the Interior.  He served under President Calvin Coolidge from July 1928 until March 1929.  He was born in Georgetown, Illinois.  He died a month after his 90^th birthday in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1953 ~ Ernest Barnes (né Ernest William Barnes; b. Apr. 1, 1874), English mathematician.  He was also a member of the clergy.  He died at age 79.

 

1943 ~ Bertha Knight Landes (née Bertha Ethel Knight; b. Oct. 19, 1868), 38^th Mayor of Seattle.  She served as Mayor from 1926-1928.  She was the first female mayor of a major United States city.  She was born in Ware, Massachusetts.  She died at age 75 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

 

1924 ~ Giacomo Puccini (b. Dec. 22, 1858), Italian composer best known for his opera Madame Butterfly.  He died 23 days before his 66^th birthday of complications from throat cancer.

 

1872 ~ Horace Greeley (b. Feb. 3, 1811), American journalist and politician.  He is credited with coining the phrase: Go West, Young Man!  He also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.  He was born in Amherst, New Hampshire.  He died at age 61 in Pleasantville, New York.

 

1872 ~ Mary Somerville (née Mary Fairfax; b. Dec. 26, 1780), Scottish mathematician and astronomer.  She died less than a month before her 92^nd birthday.

 

1871 ~ John Bigler (b. Jan. 8, 1805), 3^rd Governor of California.  He served as Governor from January 1852 until January 1856.  He was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  He died at age 66 in Sacramento, California.

 

1780 ~ Maria Theresa (b. May 13, 1717), Austrian wife of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor.  She was the Holy Roman Empress in her own right.  She died at age 63.

 

1759 ~ Nicolaus I Bernoulli (b. Oct. 21, 1687), Swiss mathematician.  He died at age 72.

 

1694 ~ Marcello Malpighi (b. Mar. 10, 1628), Italian astronomer, physician and botanist.  He died at age 66.

 

1590 ~ Philipp Nicodemus Frischlin (b. Sept. 22, 1547), German astronomer, mathematician and writer.  He was arrested in March 1590 for writing libelous letters.  He is believed to have been killed at age 43 from a fall while trying to escape from prison.

 

1543 ~ Hans Holbein the Younger (b. 1497), German artist.  He was the son of artist Hans Holbein the Elder.  The exact date of his birth is not known, but he is believed to have been born 1497.  The exact date of his death is also unknown, but he is believed to have died sometime in October or November 1543.

 

1530 ~ Thomas Wolsey (b. March 1470), British religious figure.  The exact date of his birth is not known.  He died at age 57.

 

1463 ~ Marie of Anjou (b. Oct. 14, 1414), Queen consort of France.  She was the wife of Charles VII, King of France.  She was of the House of Valois-Anjou.  She was the daughter of Louis II, Duke of Anjou and Yolande of Aragon.  She died at age 59.

 

1378 ~ Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (b. May 14, 1316).  He was born and died in Prague.  He died at age 62.

 

1314 ~ King Philip IV of France (b. 1268).  He ruled as king from October 1285 until his death in 1314.  He died at age 46.  The exact date of his birth is not known, but he is believed to have been born between April and June in 1268.

 

1268 ~ Pope Clement IV (né Gui Foucois, b. Nov. 23, 1190).  He was Pope from February 1265 until his death 2 years later.  He died 6 days after his 78^th birthday.

 

561 ~ Chlothar I (b. 497), Frankish king.  The exact date of his birth is not known.

November 28

Birthdays:

 

1967 ~ Anna Nicole Smith (née Vickie Lynn Hogan; d. Feb. 8, 2007), American model, entertainer and television personality.  She was born in Houston, Texas.  She died in Hollywood, Florida of a drug overdose at age 39.

 

1962 ~ Jon Stewart (né Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz), American comedian and host of The Daily Show.  He was born in New York, New York.

 

1959 ~ Judd Nelson (né Judd Asher Nelson), American actor.  He was born in Portland, Maine.

 

1952 ~ S. Epatha Merkerson (née Sharon Epatha Merkerson), American actress.  She is best known for her role as Anita Van Buren on Law and Order.  She was born in Saginaw, Michigan.

 

1950 ~ Ed Harris (né Edward Allen Harris), American actor.  He was born in Englewood, New Jersey.

 

1950 ~ Russell Alan Hulse, American physicist, astronomer and recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics.  He was born in New York, New York.

 

1949 ~ Alexander Godunov (d. May 18, 1995), Russian ballet dancer.  He died at age 45 in West Hollywood, California.

 

1949 ~ Paul Shaffer (né Paul Allen Wood Shaffer), Canadian-American orchestra leader for David Letterman.  He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

 

1944 ~ Rita Mae Brown, American author.  She was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

 

1943 ~ Massimo Tamburini (d. Apr. 6, 2014), Italian designer who made motorbikes into high art.  He was born and died in Rimini, Italy.  He died of lung cancer at age 70.

 

1943 ~ Randy Newman (né Randall Stuart Newman), American composer.  He was born in Los Angeles, California.

 

1936 ~ Gary Hart (né Gary Warren Hartpence), United States Senator from Colorado.  He served in the Senate from January 1975 until January 1987.  He was the front runner in the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination until his run was sidelined over allegations with an extramarital affair with Donna Rice.  He was born in Ottawa, Kansas.

 

1929 ~ Berry Gordy, Jr. (né Berry Gordon, III), American songwriter and founder of Motown Records.  He was born in Detroit, Michigan.

 

1916 ~ Lilian, Princess of Réthy (née Mary Lilian Henriette Lucie Josephine Ghislaine Baels; d. June 7, 2002), 2^nd wife of Leopold III, King of Belgium.  She was born in London, England.  She died at age 85 in Belgium.

 

1908 ~ Claude Levi-Strauss (d. Oct. 30, 2009), French anthropologist and scholar who changed the study of humanity.  He was born in Brussels, Belgium.  He died 29 days before his 101^st birthday in Paris, France.

 

1904 ~ Nancy Mitford (née Nancy-Freeman Mitford; d. June 30, 1973), British novelist.  She was born in London, England.  She died at age 68 in Paris, France.

 

1903 ~ Gladys O’Connor (d. Feb. 21, 2012), Canadian actress.  She was born in London, England.  She died at age 108 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

 

1891 ~ Mabel Alvarez (d. Mar. 13, 1985), American artist.  She was born Oahu, Hawaii.  She died in Los Angeles, California at age 93.

 

1866 ~ Henry Bacon (d. Feb. 16, 1924), American architect who designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  He was born in Watseka, Illinois.  He died of cancer at age 57 in New York, New York.

 

1864 ~ Lindley Garrison (né Lindley Miller Garrison; d. Oct. 19, 1932), 46^th United States Secretary of War.  He served under President Woodrow Wilson from March 1913 until February 1916.  He was born in Camden, New Jersey.  He died at age 67 in Sea Bright, New York.

 

1857 ~ Alfonso XII, King of Spain (d. Nov. 25, 1885).  He reigned from December 1874 until his death 11 years later.  He was known as The Peacemaker.  His first wife was Mari de las Mercedes of Orléans.  After her death, he married Maria Christina of Austria.  He was of the House of Bourbon.  He was the son of Isabella II, Queen of Spain and Infante Francis, Duke of Cádiz.  He died of dysentery 3 days before his 28^th birthday.

 

1853 ~ Helen Magill White (née Helen Magill; d. October 28, 1944), first American woman to earn a Ph.D. in the United States.  She earned her degree in Greek in 1877 from Boston University.  She was born in Providence, Rhode Island.  She died a month before her 91^st birthday in Kittery Point, Maine.

 

1829 ~ Anton Rubinstein (d. Nov. 20, 1894), Russian pianist and composer.  He died 8 days before his 65^th birthday in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire.

 

1820 ~ Friedrich Engels (d. Aug. 5, 1895), German philosopher.  He died at age 74 in London, England.

 

1757 ~ William Blake (d. Aug. 12, 1827), English poet.  He was born in Soho, London, England.  He died in Charing Cross, London, England at age 69.

 

1700 ~ Reverend Nathaniel Bliss (b. Sept. 2, 1764), British astronomer, mathematician, and clergyman.  He died at age 63.

 

1700 ~ Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (d. May 27, 1700), Queen consort of Denmark and wife of Christian VI, King of Denmark.  She was of the House of Hohenzollern.  She was the daughter of Christian Heinrich, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach and Sophie Christiane of Wolfstein.  She died at age 69.

 

1592 ~ Hong Taiji (d. Sept. 21, 1643), 2^nd Chinese Emperor of the Qing dynasty.  He reigned from October 1626 until his death 21 years later.  He died at age 50.

 

1489 ~ Margaret Tudor (d. Oct. 18, 1541), Queen consort of Scots and English wife of James IV, King of Scotland.  He was her 1^st husband.  After his death, she married Archibald Douglas, 6^th Earl of Angus.  They later divorced.  Her 3^rdhusband was Henry Stewart, 1^st Lord Methven.  She was of the House of Tudor.  She was the daughter of Henry VII, King of England and Elizabeth of York.  She died at age 51.

 

1470 ~ Wen Zhengming (d. 1559), leading painter, calligrapher, poet and scholar during the Ming dynasty.  The exact date of his death is not known.  He died at age 88.

 

1293 ~ Yesün Temür (d. Aug. 15, 1328), Chinese and Mongol emperor of the Yuan Dynasty.  He ruled from October 1323 until his death 5 years later.  He was the great-grandson of Kublai Khan.  He died at age 34.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2021 ~ Chanukkah began as sunset.

 

2019 ~ Thanksgiving was observed in the United States.

 

2013 ~ Thanksgivukkah, when the American Thanksgiving Day and Chanukkah coincided.

 

2013 ~ A moderate 5.6 earthquake struck in Iran.

 

2010 ~ Wikileaks released more than 250,000 United States diplomatic cables, including many considered confidential.

 

2002 ~ Suicide bombers blew up an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya.

 

2002 ~ Thanksgiving Day in the United States.

 

1990 ~ British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1925 ~ 2013) resigned as leader of the Conservative Party.  She was succeeded by John Major (b. 1943) as leader of the Conservative Party and as Prime Minister.

 

1989 ~ The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia agreed to give up its monopoly on political power after numerous protests during the Velvet Revolution.

 

1975 ~ East Timor declared its independence from Portugal.

 

1960 ~ Mauritania, a country in northwest Africa, gained its independence.

 

1943 ~ The Tehran Conference was started, which was the first meeting of the primary Allied leaders, including President Franklin Roosevelt (1882 ~ 1945), Winston Churchill (1874 ~ 1965), and Joseph Stalin (1878 ~ 1953), to discuss war strategy during World War II.  The conference lasted for several days, ending on December 1, 1943.

 

1942 ~ A fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, Massachusetts killed over 490 people.

 

1925 ~ The Grand Ole began broadcasting in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

1919 ~ American-born Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor (1879 ~ 1964) was elected as a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.  She was the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.  She would take office on December 1, 1919.

 

1912 ~ Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire.

 

1908 ~ A mine explosion in Marianna, Pennsylvania killed 154 individuals.

 

1907 ~ Louis B. Meyer (1884 ~ 1957) opened his first movie theater in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

 

1895 ~ The first American automobile race took place between Jackson Park in Chicago to Evanston, Illinois.  Frank Duryea (1869 ~ 1967), the winner, completed the 54-mile race after approximately 10 hours.

 

1893 ~ Women were allowed to vote for the first time in the New Zealand general election.

 

1814 ~ The London Times began using the automatic, steam-powered printing press, thereby, allowing newspapers to be published and available to a mass audience.

 

1582 ~ William Shakespeare (1564 ~ 1616) and Anne Hathaway (1555 ~ 1623) paid a bond for their marriage license.

 

1520 ~ Three ships under the command of Ferdinand Magellan (1480 ~ 1521) crossed through what would become known as the Strait of Magellan, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.  They were the first Europeans to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

 

936 ~ Shi Jingtang (892 ~ 942) became the first emperor of China’s short-lived Later Jin during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2020 ~ David Prowse (né David Charles Prowse; b. July 1, 1935), the British weightlifter who embodied Star Wars’ greatest villain.  Due to his 6-foot, 6 inch frame, he is best known for physically portraying Darth Vader in the Star Warsmovies.  He was born in Bristol, England.  He died at age 85 in London, England.

 

2016 ~ Grant Tinker (né Grant Almerin Tinker; b. Jan. 11, 1925), American television producer.  His second wife was Mary Tyler Moore.  He was born in Stamford, Connecticut.  He died at age 90 in Los Angeles, California.

 

2010 ~ Leslie Nielsen (né Leslie William Nielsen; b. Feb. 11, 1926), Canadian-born American dramatic actor who bloomed into a dolt.  He became well known after the success of Airplane!  He died of pneumonia at age 84.

 

1994 ~ Jeffrey Dahmer (né Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, b. May 21, 1960), American serial killer.  He was beaten to death in prison at age 34.

 

1994 ~ Jerry Rubin (né Jerry Clyde Rubin; b. July 14, 1938), American political activist.  He died at age 56 of injuries sustained after having been struck by a vehicle while crossing a street.

 

1993 ~ Garry Moore (né Thomas Garrison Morfit, III; b. Jan. 31, 1915), American game show host.  He died of throat cancer at age 78.

 

1980 ~ Nachum Gutman (b. Oct. 15, 1898), Israeli painter and sculptor.  He died at age 82.

 

1976 ~ Rosalind Russell (née Catherine Rosalind Russell, b. June 4, 1907), American actress.  She was born in Waterbury, Connecticut.  She died at age 69 of breast cancer.

 

1970 ~ Nina Ricci (née Maria Adélaude Nielli, b. Jan. 14, 1883), Italian-born French fashion designer.  She died at age 87.

 

1969 ~ Elbert Frank Cox (b. Dec. 5, 1895), American mathematician.  He was the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics.  He earned his degree at Cornell University.  He was born in Evansville, Indiana.  He died 8 days before his 74^th birthday in Washington, D.C.

 

1962 ~ Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (b. Aug. 31, 1880).  She became queen at age 10, when her father, King William III, died.  She was Queen from November 1890 until she abdicated in favor of her daughter, Juliana, in 1948.  She died at age 82.

 

1960 ~ Richard Wright (né Richard Nathaniel Wright, b. Sept. 4, 1908), African-American author who wrote about race relations.  He is best known for his book, Native Son.  He died of a heart attack at age 52.

 

1954 ~ Enrico Fermi (b. Sept. 29, 1901), Italian American nuclear physicist and recipient of the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on nuclear processes.  He is best known for the development of the first nuclear reactor.  Fermium, a synthetic element created in 1952, was named after Fermi.  He died at age 53 of stomach cancer.

 

1945 ~ Dwight F. Davis, Sr. (né Dwight Filley Davis, b. July 5, 1879), 49^th United States Secretary of War.  He served under President Calvin Coolidge from October 1925 until March 1929.  He was also an American tennis player and is remembered today for founding the Davis Cup in tennis.  He died at age 66.

 

1939 ~ James Naismith (b. Nov. 6, 1861), Canadian-American physician.  He is credited with inventing the game of modern basketball.  He was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada.  He died 22 days after his 78^th birthday in Lawrence, Kansas.

 

1876 ~ Karl Ernst von Baer (b. Feb. 28, 1792), Estonian biologist.  He is considered the founding father of embryology.  He was born in Piibe, Estonia.  He died at age 84 in Tartu, Estonia.

 

1873 ~ Caterina Scarpellini (b. Oct. 29, 1808), Italian astronomer and meteorologist.  One of the craters of Venus is named in her honor.  She died a month after her 65^th birthday.

 

1859 ~ Washington Irving (b. Apr. 3, 1783), American writer.  He is best known for his Rip Van Winkle short stories.  He died at age 76.

 

1794 ~ Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (b. Sept. 17, 1730), Prussian solder who served as an American General in the American Revolution.  He died at age 64.

 

1499 ~ Edward Plantagenet, 17^th Earl of Warwick (b. Feb. 25, 1475), last male member of the House of York.  He was beheaded at age 24 on grounds of treason.

 

1290 ~ Eleanor of Castile (b. 1241), Queen consort of England and first wife of King Edward I of England.  The exact date of her birth is not known.  She is believed to have been about 49 years old at the time of her death.

 

1170 ~ Owain Gwynedd (b. 1080), Welsh king.  The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been about 69 or 70 at the time of his death.

 

939 ~ Lady Ma (b. 890), Chinese noblewoman and wife of Qian Yuanguan, second king of the Chinese state of Wuyue of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom period.  The exact date of her birth is unknown.

 

741 ~ Pope Gregory III (né Gregorius).  He was Pope from February 11, 731 until his death on this date 10 years later.  The date of his birth is not known.