Monday, March 14, 2022

March 14

Pi Day

 

Birthdays:

 

1997 ~ Simone Biles (née Simone Arianne Biles), African-American gymnast.  She was born in Columbus, Ohio.

 

1960 ~ Sir Christopher Clark (né Christopher Munro Clark), Australian historian.  He was born in Sydney, Australia.

 

1958 ~ Albert II, Prince of Monaco (né Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi).  He became the Prince of Monaco in April 2005, after the death of his father.  In 2011, he married Charlene Wittstock.  He is of the House of Grimaldi.  He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and actress Grace Kelly.

 

1951 ~ Jerry Greenfield, American businessman and co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.

 

1948 ~ Billy Crystal (né William Edward Crystal), American actor and comedian.  He was born in New York, New York.

 

1947 ~ William Jefferson (né William Jennings Jefferson), African-American politician from Louisiana.  He served as a member of the United House of Representatives.  His career ended in a corruption scandal and conviction.  He served 5 years in Federal prison.  He was born in Lake Providence, Louisiana.

 

1942 ~ Sandra Kay Yow (d. Jan. 24, 2009), American women’s basketball coach who championed her sport.  She was born in Gibsonville, North Carolina.  She died of breast cancer at age 66 in Cary, North Carolina.

 

1942 ~ Edward Tufte (né Edward Rolf Tufte), American statistician.  He was born in Kansas City, Missouri.

 

1934 ~ Eugene Cernan (né Eugene Andrew Cernan; d. Jan. 16, 2017), American pilot and astronaut who became the last man to walk on the moon.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died at age 82 in Houston, Texas.

 

1933 ~ Sir Michael Caine (né Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr.), British actor.  He was born in London, England.

 

1933 ~ Quincy Jones (né Quincy Delight Jones, Jr.), American singer-songwriter, trumpet player and producer.  He is the father of actress Rashida Jones.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1932 ~ Jane Maas (née Jane Anne Brown; d. Nov. 16, 2018), American adwoman who blazed a trail in the MadMen era.  She is best known for heading the “I Love New York” campaign.  She was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.  She died at age 86 in Charleston, South Carolina.

 

1928 ~ Frank Borman (né Frank Frederick Borman, II), American astronaut.  He was the commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to orbit the moon.  He was born in Gary, Indiana.

 

1925 ~ William Clay Ford, Sr. (d. Mar. 9, 2014), the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford.  William Clay Ford was the executive who kept the Fords in the Ford Motor Company.  He was born in Detroit, Michigan.  He died five days before his 89th birthday in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan.

 

1923 ~ Diane Arbus (née Diane Nemerov; d. July 26, 1971), American photographer.  She was born and died in Manhattan, New York.  She committed suicide at age 48.

 

1920 ~ Hank Ketcham (né Henry King Ketcham; d. June 1, 2001), American cartoonist and creator of Dennis the Menace.  He was born in Seattle, Washington.  He died at age 81 in Carmel, California.

 

1916 ~ Horton Foote (né Albert Horton Foote, Jr.; d. Mar. 4, 2009), American award-winning playwright who was considered an American Chekhov.  He was born in Wharton, Texas.  He died 10 days before his 93rd birthday in Hartford, Connecticut.

 

1914 ~ Lee Petty (né Lee Arnold Petty; d. Apr. 5, 2000), American racecar driver and father of racer Richard Petty.  He was born in Randleman, North Carolina.  He died 3 weeks after his 86th birthday of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in Greensboro, North Carolina.

 

1912 ~ W. Graham Claytor, Jr. (né William Graham Claytor, Jr; d. May 14, 1994), 15th United States Secretary of the Navy.  He served during the administration of Jimmy Carter, from August 1979 until January 16, 1981.  He was born in Roanoke, Virginia.  He died at age 82 in Bradenton, Florida.

 

1912 ~ Les Brown (né Lester Raymond Brown; d. Jan. 4, 2001), American saxophonist and bandleader.  He was born in Reinerton, Pennsylvania.  He died at age 88 in Pacific Palisades, California.

 

1912 ~ W. Willard Wirtz (né William Willard Wirtz, Jr.; d. Apr. 24, 2010), 10th United States Secretary of Labor.  He served under Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from September 1962 until January 1969.  He was born in DeKalb, Illinois.  He died at age 98 in Washington, D.C.

 

1899 ~ K.C. Irving (né Kenneth Colin Irving; d. Dec. 13, 1992), Canadian businessman and founder of Irving Oil.  He was born in Bouchtouche, New Brunswick, Canada.  He died at age 93 in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada.

 

1882 ~ Wacław Sierpiński (d. Oct. 21, 1969), Polish mathematician.  He was born and died in Warsaw, Poland.  He died at age 87.

 

1880 ~ Princess Thyra of Denmark (d. Nov. 2, 1945), Danish princess.  She was of the House of Glücksburg.  She was the daughter of Frederick VIII, King of Denmark and Louise of Sweden.  She never married.  She died at age 65.

 

1879 ~ Albert Einstein (d. Apr. 18, 1955), German-born American physicist and recipient of the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics.  He was born in Ulm, Germany.  He died just over a month after his 76th birthday in Princeton, New Jersey.

 

1868 ~ Emily Murphy (née Emily Gowan Ferguson; d. Oct. 27, 1933), Canadian lawyer and activist.  She was the first female magistrate in Canada and the British Empire.  She was born in Cookstown, Ontario, Canada.  She died at age 65 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

 

1863 ~ Casey Jones (né Jonathan Luther Jones; d. Apr. 30, 1900), American railroad engineer who died in a train wreck in Vaughn, Mississippi, when his train, the Cannonball Express, collided with a stalled freight train.  He gave his life to prevent a crash and to save the lives of his passengers.  He was the only fatality in the crash.  He was born in Cayce, Kentucky.  He was 37 years old at the time of his death in Vaughan, Mississippi.

 

1854 ~ Paul Ehrlich (d. Aug. 20, 1915), German physician and recipient of the 1908 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.  He is known for developing the Gram Stain, which helps to identify bacteria.  He is also credited for finding a cure to syphilis.  He died of a heart attack at age 61.

 

1854 ~ Thomas R. Marshall (né Thomas Riley Marshall; d. June 1, 1925), 28th Vice President of the United States.  He served under President Woodrow Wilson from March 1913 until March 1921.  He was born in North Manchester, Indiana.  He died of a heart attack at age 71 in Washington, D.C., just 3 months after leaving Office.

 

1844 ~ Umberto I, King of Italy (d. July 29, 1900).  He ruled Italy from January 9, 1878 until his assassination on July 29, 1900.  He was married to Margherita of Savoy.  He was of the House of Savoy.  He was the son of Victor Emanuele II, King of Italy and Adelaide of Austria.  He was born on his father’s 24th birthday.  He was 56 at the time of his assassination.

 

1833 ~ Lucy Hobbs Taylor (née Lucy Beaman Hobbs; d. Oct. 3, 1910), the first American woman to graduate from dental school in the United States.  She graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1866.   She had been denied entry into the Eclectic Medical College due to being a woman.  She was privately tutored in the art of dentistry in Iowa, albeit with a diploma.  Later, the Ohio College of Dental Surgery waived the gender requirement for her, and she was admitted in to the school.  She was born in Constable, New York.  She died at age 77 in Lawrence, Kansas.

 

1820 ~ Victorio Emanuele II, King of Italy (b. Jan. 9, 1878), first king of a united Italy since the 6th century.  He reigned Italy from March 1861 until his death 17 years later.  He was married twice.  His first wife was Adelaide of Austria.  After her death, he married Rosa Vercellana.  He was of the House of Savoy.  He was the son of Charles Albert, King of Sardinia and Maria Theresa of Austria.  He died in Rome, Italy at age 57.

 

1816 ~ William Marsh Rice (d. Sept. 23, 1900), American businessman and founder of Rice University in Houston, Texas.  He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, but moved to Texas to seek his fortune, which he made in land investments.  He lived in Houston for many years, but in 1882, he moved to New York City, where he lived for the rest of his life.  He was murdered at age 84 in a plot hatched by his former attorney in an attempt to forge his will.

 

1813 ~ Joseph P. Bradley (né Joseph Philo Bradley; d. Jan. 22, 1892), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  He was nominated to the High Court by President Ulysses S. Grant.  His seat was established with his nomination.  He was succeeded by George Shiras.  He served on the Court from March 1870 until his death 22 years later.  He was born in Berne, New York.  He died at age 78 in Washington, D.C.

 

1807 ~ Josephine of Leuchtenberg (d. June 7, 1876), Queen consort of Sweden and Norway.  She was married to Oscar I, King of Sweden and Norway.  She was of the House of Beauharnais.  She was the daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais and Princess Augusta of Bavaria.  She was born in Milan, Italy.  She died at age 69 in Stockholm, Sweden.

 

1804 ~ Johann Strauss, Sr. (d. Sept. 25, 1849), Austrian composer.  He died at age 45.

 

1800 ~ James Bogardus (d. Apr. 13, 1874), American inventor and architect.  He was a pioneer in cast-iron architecture.  He was born in Catskill, New York.  He died a month after his 74th birthday in New York, New York.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2018 ~ The toy chain, Toys-R-Us, filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, which ultimately led to its liquidation.  The store had been in existence since its founding in 1948.

 

1995 ~ Astronaut Norman Thagard (b. 1943) became the first American astronaut to ride into space aboard a Russian launched vehicle when he was aboard Soyuz TM-21.

 

1978 ~ In Operation Litani, the Israeli Defense Force invaded and occupied southern Lebanon.

 

1967 ~ The body of President John F. Kennedy (1917 ~ 1963) was moved to his permanent burial place at Arlington National Cemetery.

 

1964 ~ A Dallas, Texas jury found Jack Ruby (1911 ~ 1976) guilty of killing Lee Harvey Oswald (1939 ~ 1963), the presumed assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1917 ~ 1963).

 

1942 ~ Penicillin was first used successfully to treat a medical patient.

 

1927 ~ Pan American Airways began operations.  It was the largest international air carrier in the United States until its collapse in 1991.  It ceased its operations on December 4, 1991.

 

1903 ~ President Theodore Roosevelt (1858 ~ 1919) established the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.

 

1900 ~ The Gold Standard Act was ratified thereby placing United States currency on the gold standard.

 

1885 ~ The Mikado, an operetta by W.S. Gilbert (1836 ~ 1911) and Arthur Sullivan (1842 ~ 1900), premiered in London, England.

 

1794 ~ Eli Whitney (1765 ~ 1925) patented the cotton gin.

 

1780 ~ During the American Revolutionary War, Spanish forces captured Fort Charlotte in Mobile, Alabama, which was the last British frontier post capable of causing harm to New Orleans in Spanish Louisiana.

 

1590 ~ Henry, King of Navarre (1553 ~ 1610) and the Huguenots defeated the forces of the Catholic League under the Duc de Mayenne (1554 ~ 1611) at the Battle of Ivry during the French Wars of Religion.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2019 ~ Birch Bayh (né Birch Evan Bayh, Jr.; b. Jan. 22, 1928), American farmer who became a Senate giant.  He served as a United States Senator from Indiana from January 1963 until January 1981.  He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana.  He died at age 91 in Easton, Maryland.

 

2018 ~ Stephen Hawking (né Stephen William Hawking; b. Jan. 8, 1942), English theoretical physicist and author.  He was the visionary physicist who brought cosmology to the masses.  Hawking was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease as a young man.  His life story was depicted in the 2014 movie, The Theory of Everything.  He died at age 76.

 

2013 ~ Jim Barrett (né James L. Barrett; b. Nov. 8, 1926), California vintner who bested the French.  He was the owner of Chateau Montelena, which won the 1976 Chardonnay competition.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died at age 86 in San Francisco, California.

 

2010 ~ Peter Graves (né Peter Duesler Aurness; b. Mar. 18, 1926), American actor.  He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He died of a heart attack 4 days before his 84th birthday in Los Angeles, California.

 

2009 ~ Millard Kaufman (b. Mar. 12, 1917), American screenwriter and co-creator of Mr. Magoo.  He was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  He died of heart failure following heart surgery 2 days after his 92nd birthday in Los Angeles, California.

 

1995 ~ William Fowler (né William Alfred Fowler; b. Aug. 9, 1911), American physicist and recipient of the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics.  He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  He died at age 83 in Pasadena, California.

 

1989 ~ Edward Abbey (né Edward Paul Abbey; b. Jan. 20, 1927), American author and environmental activist.  He died at age 62 of complications following surgery.

 

1989 ~ Zita of Bourbon-Parma, (b. May 9, 1892), Empress consort of Austria and Queen consort of Hungary.  She was married to Charles I, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary.  She was of the House of Bourbon-Parma.  She was the daughter of Robert I, Duke of Parma and Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal.  She died at age 96.

 

1976 ~ Busby Berkeley (né Berkeley William Enos; b. Nov. 29, 1895), American film director and choreographer.  He was born in Los Angeles, California.  He died at age 80 in Palm Desert, California.

 

1975 ~ Susan Hayward (née Edythe Marrenner; b. June 30, 1917), American actress.  She was born in Brooklyn, New York.  She died at age 57 of brain cancer in Beverly Hills, California.

 

1973 ~ Chic Young (né Murat Bernard Young; b. Jan. 9, 1901), American cartoonist.  He created the comic strip Blondiein September 1930.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died of a pulmonary embolism at age 72 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

 

1932 ~ George Eastman (b. July 12, 1854), American inventor and pioneer in the field of photography.  He founded the Eastman Kodak Company.  He was born in Waterville, New York.  He committed suicide at age 77 in Rochester, New York.

 

1919 ~ Johan Vaaler (b. Mar. 15, 1866), Norwegian inventor and patent clerk.  He is often identified as the individual who invented the Paper clip.  He died 1 day before his 53rd birthday in Oslo, Norway.

 

1918 ~ Lucretia Garfield (née Lucretia Rudolph; b. Apr. 19, 1832), First Lady of the United States and wife of President James A. Garfield.  She was born in Garrettsville, Ohio.  She died at age 85 in South Pasadena, California.

 

1900 ~ Lucinda Hinsdale Stone (née Lucinda Hinsdale; b. Sept. 30, 1814), American education, women’s rights activist and philanthropist.  She was born in Hinesburg, Vermont.  She died at age 85.

 

1883 ~ Karl Marx (b. May 5, 1818), German philosopher and political theorist.  He is best known for his book Das Kapital.  He died at age 64.

 

1811 ~ Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (b. Sept. 28, 1734), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.  He was Prime Minister from October 1768 until January 1770 during the reign of King George III.  He died at age 75.

 

1647 ~ Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (b. Jan. 28, 1584).  He was the sovereign Prince of Orange from 1625 until his death.  He was married to Amalia of Solms-Braunfeis.  He was the son of William, Prince of Orange, also known as William the Silent, and Louise de Coligny.

 

1571 ~ John II Sigismund Zápolya, King of Hungary (b. July 7, 1540).  He reigned from 1540 to 1551.  He was of the House of Zápolya,  He was the son of John Zápolya and Isabella Jagiellon.  He died of an illness at age 30.

 

1457 ~ Zhu Qiyu (b. Sept. 21, 1428), 7th Chinese Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.  He died at age 28, possibly of murder.

 

313 ~ Emperor Huai of Jin (b. 284).  Chinese Emperor of the Jin Dynasty.  He was executed by the ruler of the Xiongnu state of the Han Zhao.  The exact date of his birth is not known.


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