Tuesday, April 12, 2022

April 12

Birthdays:

 

1979 ~ Claire Danes (née Claire Catherine Danes), American actress.  She was born in Manhattan, New York.

 

1956 ~ Andy García (né Andrés Arturo García Menéndez), Cuban-American actor.  He was born in Havana, Cuba.

 

1954 ~ Jon Krakauer, American author.  He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts.

 

1950 ~ David Cassidy (né David Bruce Cassidy; d. Nov. 21, 2017), American teen idol who felt trapped by fame.  He was best known for his role as Keith Partridge in the 1970s television musical-sitcom, The Partridge Family.  In early 2017, he announced that he was suffering from dementia.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died of kidney and liver failure at age 67 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

 

1949 ~ Scott Turow (né Scott Frederick Turow), American attorney and author.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1947 ~ Tom Clancy (né Thomas Leo Clancy, Jr.; d. Oct. 1, 2013), American author of political thrillers who spoke the military’s language.  He was born and died in Baltimore, Maryland.  He died at age 66 of heart failure.

 

1947 ~ David Letterman (né David Michael Letterman), American television talk show host.  He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.

 

1946 ~ Ed O’Neill (né Edward Leonard O’Neill), American actor best known for his role as Al Bundy on the television sit-com Married … With Children.  He was born in Youngstown, Ohio.

 

1940 ~ Herbie Hancock (né Herbert Jeffrey Hancock), African-American jazz musician.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1937 ~ Dennis Banks (d. Oct. 29, 2017), Anishinaabe Native American civil rights leader who fought for native rights.  In 1968, he co-founded the American Indian Movement.  He was born on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. He died of complications of pneumonia following heart surgery in Rochester, Minnesota.  He was 80 years old.

 

1933 ~ Montserrat Caballé (née María de Montserrat Viviana Concepción Caballé I Folch; d. Oct. 6, 2018), Spanish soprano who became an opera superstar.  She epitomized the prima donna and had a very hot temper.  She was born and died in Barcelona, Spain.  She died at age 85.

 

1932 ~ Tiny Tim (né Herbert Buckingham Khaury, d. Nov. 30, 1996). American musician.  He was born in Manhattan, New York.  He died of a massive heart attack at age 64 in Minneapolis Minnesota.

 

1926 ~ Jane Withers (d. Aug. 7, 2021), American 1930s child star who played apple-cheeked scamps.  She was the anti-Shirley Temple star who was known for playing tomboyish brats.  She was born in Atlanta, Georgia.  She died at age 95 in Burbank, California.

 

1923 ~ Ann Miller (née Johnnie Lucille Collier; d. Jan. 22, 2004), American actor and dancer.  She was born in Chireno, Texas.  She died of lung cancer at age 80 in Los Angeles, California.

 

1916 ~ Beverly Cleary (née Beverly Atlee Bunn; d. Mar. 25, 2021), American children’s author who hooked generations of young readers fall in love with books.  She created Henry Higgins and Ramona Quimby in children’s literature.  She was born in McMinnville, Oregon.  She died 17 days before her 105th birthday in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

 

1914 ~ Gretel Bergmann (née Margarethe Bergmann; d. July 25, 2017), German-born Jewish field and track athlete who was banned by the Nazis from participating in the 1936 Summer Olympics.  At the June 1936 Olympic trials, she beat her rivals with a jump of 5 feet 3 inches; but was forbidden to compete in the Olympics and her jump was scrubbed from the record books.  She was born in Laupheim, Germany.  She died at age 103 in Queens, New York.

 

1903 ~ Jan Tinbergen (d. June 9, 1994), Dutch economist and recipient of the 1969 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science.  He was born and died in The Hague, Netherlands.  He died at age 91.

 

1898 ~ Lily Pons (né Alice Joséphine Pons; d. Feb. 13, 1976), French-born American soprano.  She died of pancreatic cancer at age 77 in Dallas, Texas.

 

1884 ~ Otto Meyerhof (né Otto Fritz Meyerhof; d. Oct. 6, 1951), German physician and biochemist.  He was the recipient of the 1922 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on muscle metabolism.  He fled Germany and the Nazi regime in 1938.  In 1940, he emigrated to the United States.  He died at age 67 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

 

1883 ~ Imogen Cunningham (d. June 23, 1976), American photographer.  She is best known for her botanical photographs and nudes.  She was born in Portland, Oregon.  She died at age 93 in San Francisco, California.

 

1874 ~ William B. Bankhead (né William Brockman Bankhead; d. Sept. 15, 1940), politician from Alabama.  He served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from June 1936 until his death on September 15, 1940.  He was born in Sulligent, Alabama.  He died of an abdominal hemorrhage at age 66 in Washington, D.C.

 

1852 ~ Ferdinand von Lindemann (né Carl Louis Ferdinand von Lindemann; d. Mar. 6, 1939), German mathematician.  He was born in Hannover, German Confederation.  He died at age 86 in Munich, Germany.

 

1796 ~ George N. Briggs (né George Nixon Briggs; d. Sept. 12, 1861), 19th Governor of Massachusetts.  He was governor from January 1844 until January 1851.  He was born in Adams, Massachusetts.  He died at age 65 of an accidental self-inflicted gun injury in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

 

1794 ~ Germinal Pierre Dandelin (d. Feb. 15, 1847), Belgian mathematician.  He died at age 52.

 

1777 ~ Henry Clay, Sr. (d. June 29, 1852), 9th United States Secretary of State.  He served under President John Quincy Adams from March 1825 until March 1929.  He had also served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.  He was born in Hanover County, Virginia.  He died at age 75 in Washington, D.C.

 

1748 ~ Antoine Laurent de Jussieu (d. Sept. 17, 1836), French botanist.  He is credited with developing the classification for flowering plants.  He was born in Lyon, France.  He died at age 88 in Paris, France.

 

1577 ~ Christian IV of Denmark and Norway (d. Feb. 28, 1648).  He ruled as King from April 1588 until his death in February 1648.  He married twice.  His first wife was Anne Catherine of Brandenburg.  After her death, he married Kirsten Munk, a member of a wealthy but untitled noble.  She was the mother of their twelve children.  He was of the House of Oldenburg.  He was the son of Frederick II, King of Denmark and Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  He died at age 70.

 

1484 ~ Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (d. Aug. 3, 1546), Italian architect.  He designed St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He died at age 61.

 

1116 ~ Richeza of Poland (d. after Dec. 1156), Queen consort of Sweden and Grand Princess consort of Minsk.  She was married three times.  Her first husband was Magnus the Strong, known as King of Sweden.  After his death, she married Volodar Glebovich, Grand Prince of Minsk.  After several years of marriage, they divorced and she married Sverker I, King of Sweden.  She was of the House of Piast.  She was the daughter of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland and Salomea of Berg.  The exact date of her death is not known.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2020 ~ Easter Sunday.

 

2018 ~ It was anticipated that Cape Town, South Africa would run out of water, thus this was deemed to be Day Zero, and most of the water taps will be turned off.

 

2014 ~ A wildfire in Valparaíso, Chile destroyed over 2,000 homes.  At least 16 people were killed by the fire.

 

2002 ~ A female suicide bomber blew herself up in Jerusalem, killing 7 and wounding 104 others.

 

1983 ~ Harold Washington (1922 ~ 1987) was elected the first African-American mayor of Chicago.

 

1961 ~ Yuri Gagarin (1934 ~ 1968), the Soviet astronaut, became the first person to orbit the earth.

 

1955 ~ The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk (1914 ~ 1995), was declared safe and effective.

 

1945 ~ Harry S. Truman (1884 ~ 1972) was sworn in as the 33rd President of the United States following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 ~ 1945).

 

1934 ~ One of the strongest surface wind gusts in the world was recorded at 231 miles per hour on Mount Washington, New Hampshire.  It was surpassed in April 1996, when winds from tropical Cyclone Olivia were recorded at 253 miles per hour.

 

1865 ~ During the American Civil War, Mobile, Alabama fell to the Union Army.

 

1861 ~ The American Civil War began when Confederate forces began firing on Fort Sumter in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.

 

1633 ~ Galileo (1564 ~ 1642) was convicted of heresy for his belief that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

 

1606 ~ The Union Jack was adopted as the flag of Great Britain.

 

1204 ~ During the Fourth Crusade, Crusaders breached the walls of Constantinople and entered the city, which they then completely occupied.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2020 ~ Anthony Causi (b. 1972), American sports photographer.  He worked for the New York Post and captured the highs and lows of such sports teams as the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants, Jets and the Knicks.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.  He died of complications of Civid-19 at age 48.

 

2020 ~ Doug Sanders (né George Douglas Sanders; b. July 24, 1933), American flamboyant professional golfer who partied with Frank Sinatra.  He was born in Cedartown, Georgia.  He died in Houston, Texas at age 86.

 

2020 ~ Sir Stirling Moss (né Stirling Craufurd Moss; b. Sept. 17, 1929), British racecar driver who chased danger.  He was born and died in London, England.  He died at age 90 following a long illness.

 

2019 ~ Georgia Engel (née Georgia Bright Engel; b. July 28, 1948), American actress.  She is best known for her role as Georgette Franklin Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.  She was born in Washington, D.C.  She died at age 70 in Princeton, New Jersey.

 

2019 ~ Forrest Gregg (né Alvis Forrest Gregg; b. Oct. 18, 1933), American football lineman who exemplified Wisconsin Green Bay Grit.  He was born in Birthright, Texas.  He died at age 85 of complication of Parkinson’s Disease in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

2009 ~ Marilyn Chambers (née Marilyn Ann Briggs; b. Apr. 22, 1952), American pornographic actress.  She began her career as a baby model for Ivory Snow detergent.  She was born in Providence, Rhode Island.  She died of a cerebral hemorrhage 10 days before her 57th birthday in Santa Clara, California.

 

2009 ~ Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (né Eve Kosofsky; b. May 2, 1950), American academic scholar who pioneered “queer theory.”  She was born in Dayton, Ohio.  She died of breast cancer less than 3 weeks before her 59th birthday in New York, New York.

 

2001 ~ Harvey Ball (né Harvey Ross Ball; b. July 10, 1921), American illustrator who created the Smiley Face.  He was born and died in Worcester, Massachusetts.  He died of liver failure at age 79.

 

2000 ~ Ronald Lockley (né Ronald Mathias Lockley; b. Nov. 8, 1903), Welsh ornithologist and naturalist.  His 1964 book, The Private Life of the Rabbit, inspired Richard Adam’s novel Watership Down.  He was born in Cardiff, Wales.  He died at age 96 in Auckland, New Zealand.

 

1997 ~ George Wald (né George David Wald; d. Nov. 18, 1906), American neurologist and recipient of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died at age 90 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

1989 ~ Abbie Hoffman (né Abbot Howard Hoffman; b. Nov. 30, 1936), American political activist.  He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.  He died by suicide at age 52 in Solebury Township, Pennsylvania.

 

1989 ~ Sugar Ray Robinson (né Walker Smith, Jr.; b. May 3, 1921), African-American professional boxer.  He was born in Ailey, Georgia.  He died less than a month before his 68th birthday in Los Angeles, California.

 

1981 ~ Joe Louis (né Joseph Louis Barrow; b. May 13, 1914), American professional boxer.  He was born in LaFayette, Alabama.  He died of cardiac arrest a month before his 67th birthday in Paradise, Nevada.

 

1977 ~ Philip K. Wrigley (né Philip Knight Wrigley; b. Dec. 5, 1894), American chewing gum manufacturer and baseball executive.  He inherited the Wrigley company and the Chicago Cubs from his father.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage at 82 in resort home in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

 

1975 ~ Josephine Baker (née Freda Josephine McDonald; b. June 3, 1906), American-born French actress, activist and humanitarian.  She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but as an African-American, was not able to perform in America.  She became a French citizen and was able to become a well-known and respected artist.  She supported the French Resistance during World War II.  She was born in St. Louis, Missouri.  She died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 68 in Paris, France.

 

1971 ~ Igor Tamm (b. July 8, 1895), Russian physicist and recipient of the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of Cherenkov radiation.  He died at age 75 in Moscow, Russia.

 

1945 ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt (né Franklin Delano Roosevelt; b. Jan. 30, 1882), 32nd United States President.  He served in Office from March 1933 until his death on this date in 1945.  He is the only President to have been elected for 3 terms full terms.  He was born in Hyde Park, New York.  He died at age 63 shortly into the beginning of his 4th term in Warm Springs, Georgia.

 

1933 ~ Zelia Nuttall (née Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall; b. Sept. 6, 1857), American archeologist and historian.  She specialized in pre-Aztec Mexican cultures.  She was born in San Francisco, California.  She died at age 75 in Mexico City, Mexico.

 

1912 ~ Clara Barton (née Clarissa Harlowe Barton; b. Dec. 25, 1821), American nurse and founder of the American Red Cross.   She was known as the “Angel of the Battlefield”.  She was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts.  She died at age 90 in Glen Echo, Maryland.

 

1878 ~ Boss Tweed (né William Magear Tweed; d. Apr. 3, 1823), American political figure.  He was known as the Boss of Tammany Hall, a corrupt political machine in New York City.  He was born and died in New York, New York.  He died in jail of pneumonia 9 days after his 55th birthday.

 

1684 ~ Niccolò Amati (b. Sept. 3, 1596), Italian instrument and violin maker.  He was the grandson of Andrea Amati, the founder of the Amati family of violin makers.  He was born and died in Cremona, Italy.  He died at age 87.

 

1555 ~ Joanna of Castile (b. Nov. 6, 1479), Queen of Castile and Queen of Aragon, which ultimately were united to become modern Spain.  She was the wife of Philip I, King of Castile, also known as Philip the Handsome.  She was of the House of Trastámara.  She was the daughter of Isabella I, Queen of Castile and Ferdinand, King of Aragon.  daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.  She was known as Joanna the Mad, as she may have been mentally ill.  She was born in Toledo, Castile.  She died at age 75 in Tordesillas, Castile.

 

1530 ~ Joanna la Beltraneja (b. Feb. 21, 1462), Queen consort of Portugal and second wife of Afonso V of Portugal, King.  She was of the House of Trastámara.  She was ostensibly the daughter of Henry IV, King of Castile, and Joan of England, although there is some question as to whether or not Henry was her biological father.  She died at age 68.

 

1256 ~ Margaret of Bourbon (b. 1217), Queen consort of Navarre.  She was the third wife of Theobald I, King of Navarre.  She was of the House of Dampierre.  She was the daughter of Archambaud VIII of Bourbon and Alice of Forez.  The exact date of her birth is not known.  She died at about age 38 or 39.

 

1167 ~ Charles VII, King of Sweden (b. 1130).  He ruled Sweden from 1161 until his assassination in 1167.  He was married to Christina Hvide.  He was of the House of Sverker.  He was the son of Sverker I and an unnamed mother.  The date of his birth is unknown.  He was assassinated at about age 37.

 

352 ~ Pope Julius I.  He was Pope from February 337 until his death on this date 15 years later.  The date of his birth is unknown.


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