July 31

Birthdays:

 

1979 ~ B.J. Novak (né Benjamin Joseph Novak), American actor, best known for his role in the TV sit-com, The Office. He was born in Newton, Massachusetts.

 

1967 ~ Elizabeth Wurtzel (née Elizabeth Lee Wurtzel; d. Jan. 7, 2020), American memoirist who chronicled her depression in the 1994 book Prozac Nation.  She was born and died in New York, New York.  She died of breast cancer at age 52 of breast cancer.

 

1965 ~ J.K. Rowling (née Joanne Rowling), British writer of the Harry Potter series.  She was born in Yates, South Gloucestershire, England.

 

1962 ~ Wesley Snipes (né Wesley Trent Snipes), African-American actor.  He was born in Orlando, Florida.

 

1962 ~ Wesley Snipes (né Wesley Trent Snipes), African-American actor.  He was born in Orlando, Florida.

 

1958 ~ Mark Cuban, American billionaire entrepreneur.  He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 

1956 ~ Deval Patrick (né Deval Laurdine Patrick), African-American politician.  He served as the 71^st Governor of Massachusetts.  He was Governor from January 2007 until January 2015.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1952 ~ Faye Kellerman (née Faye Marder), American author of mystery stories.  She was born in St. Louis, Missouri.

 

1951 ~ Evonne Goolagong Cawley (née Evonne Faye Goolagong), Australian tennis player.  She was born in Griffith, Australia.

 

1945 ~ William Weld (né William Floyd Weld), 68^th Governor of Massachusetts.  He was Governor from January 1991 until July 1997.  He was born in Smithtown, New York.

 

1944 ~ Geraldine Chaplin, (née Geraldine Leigh Chaplin), American actress.  She is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin and Oona O’Neill, his 4^th wife.  She was born in Santa Monica, California.

 

1944 ~ Robert Merton (né Robert Cox Merton), American mathematician and recipient of the 1977 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science.  He was born in New York, New York.

 

1943 ~ William Bennett (né William John Bennett), 3^rd Secretary of Education.  He served in the Ronald Reagan administration from February 1985 until September 1988.  He also served as the 1^st Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy during the George H.W. Bush administration from March 1989 until December 1990.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.

 

1932 ~ Eleanor Schano (née Eleanor Martha Schano; d. Nov. 9, 2020), American pioneering television journalist.  She helped crack open the once male-oriented world of broadcasting news when she became the first female weather forecaster in Pittsburgh in 1961.  In 1969, she became the first woman to be the solo news anchor in Pittsburgh.  She was born and died in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She died of Covid-19 at age 88.

 

1926 ~ Hilary Putnam (né Hilary Whitehall Putnam; d. Mar. 13, 2016), American mathematician and computer scientist.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died at age 89 in Arlington, Massachusetts.

 

1924~ Anthony Acevedo (né Anthony Claude Acevedo; d. Feb. 11, 2018), Mexican-American medic who documented the horrors of Nazi concentration camps.  He had been captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge.  He received a Red Cross care package that contained a diary and fountain pen.  He began to meticulously document his Holocaust ordeal.  He was born in San Bernardino, California.  He died at age 93 in Loma Linda, California.

 

1923 ~ Stephanie Kwolek (née Stephanie Louise Kwolek; d. June 18, 2014), American chemist and inventor of Kevlar.  She was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.  She died at age 90 in Wilmington, Delaware.

 

1921 ~ Peter Benenson (né Peter James Henry Solomon; d. Feb. 25, 2005), British barrister who founded Amnesty International.  He was born in London, England.  He died at age 83 in Oxford, England.

 

1919 ~ Primo Levi (né Primo Michele Levi; d. Apr. 11, 1987), Italian chemist and author.  He was a Holocaust survivor and much of his writings reflected his time in Auschwitz concentration camp.  He was born and died in Turin, Italy.  He died by suicide at age 67 by throwing himself down a flight of stairs.

 

1919 ~ Curt Gowdy (né Curtis Edward Gowdy; d. Feb. 20, 2006), American sportscaster.  He covered the Boston Red Sox for over 15 years.  He was born in Green River, Wyoming.  He died of leukemia at age 86 in Palm Beach, Florida.

 

1919~ Robert Morgenthau (né Robert Morris Morgenthau; d. July 21, 2019), American District Attorney who cleaned up New York City.  He served as the District Attorney for New York County/Manhattan from 1975 until his retirement in 2009.  He was born and died in New York, New York.  He died 10 days before his 100^th birthday.

 

1918 ~ Paul Boyer (né Paul Delos Boyer; d. June 2, 2018), American biochemist and 1997 Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry.  He was born in Provo, Utah.  He died of respiratory failure at age 99 in Los Angeles, California.

 

1914~ Raymond Aubrac (né Raymond Samuel; d. Apr. 10, 2012), French hero of the French Resistance.  Following World War II, he became a civil engineer.  He was born in Vesoul, France.  He died at age 97 in Paris, France.

 

1912 ~ Milton Friedman (d. Nov. 16, 2006), American economist and recipient of the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.  He died at age 94 in San Francisco, California.

 

1892 ~ Herbert W. Armstrong (d. Jan. 16, 1986), American evangelist.  He was an early pioneer in radio and televangelism.  He was born in Des Moines, Iowa.  He died at age 93 in Pasadena, California.

 

1880~ Munshi Premchand (né Dhanpat Rai Shrivastava; d. Oct. 8, 1936), Indian writer.  He is best known for his modern Hindi-Urdu literature.  He died at age 56.

 

1867 ~ S.S. Kresge (né Sebastian Spering Kresge; d. Oct. 18, 1966), American merchant and founder of the S.S. Kresge retail organization and the K-Mart and Kresge’s Department Stores.  He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  He died at age 99 in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

 

1860 ~ Mary Vaux Walcott (née Mary Morris Vaux; d. Aug. 22, 1940), American painter.  She is best known for her watercolors of wildflowers.  She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  She died a month after her 80^th birthday in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada.

 

1704 ~ Gabriel Cramer (d. Jan. 4, 1752), Swiss mathematician.  He was born in Geneva, Republic of Geneva.  He died at age 47.

 

1527 ~ Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. Oct. 12, 1576).  He ruled from July 1564 until his death in October 1576.  In 1548, he married Archduchess Maria of Austria.  He was of the House of Habsburg.  He was the son of Ferdinand I, Holy roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary.  He was Roman Catholic.  He was born in Vienna, Archduchy of Austria.  He died at age 49 in the Imperial City of Regensburg.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2006 ~ Fidel Castro (1926 ~ 2016) handed over power of Cuba to his brother, Raúl Castro (b. 1931), in what was intended to be for a temporary period of time.

 

2002 ~ Nine people, including 5 Americans, were killed when a bomb exploded in a cafeteria at the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University.

 

1973 ~ Delta Flight 723 crash landed in the fog at Logan International airport.  Eighty-nine people were killed.  The crash was later determined to have resulted from pilot error.

 

1964 ~ The American space probe, Ranger 7, transmitted pictures of the moon’s surface.

 

1948 ~ The New York International Airport in Idlewild Field was dedicated.  The airport was later renamed and is now known as the John F. Kennedy International Airport.

 

1932 ~ The Nazi Party won more than 38% of the vote in the German elections.

 

1930 ~ The radio mystery series, The Shadow, was first broadcast.

 

1874 ~ Dr. Patrick Francis Healy (1834 ~ 1910) became the first African-American inaugurated as the president Georgetown University, of a predominantly white university.

 

1856~ Christchurch, New Zealand obtained is corporate charter.

 

1790 ~ The first United States patent was issued.  Samuel Hopkins (1743 ~ 1818) was the recipient of the patent for his invention of a potash process.

 

1703 ~ Daniel Defoe (1659 ~ 1731) was placed in a pillory after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet.  He was charged with the crime of seditious libel.

 

1492 ~ The Jews were expelled from Spain by order of the Alhambra Decree, which took effect on this date.  The Alhambra Decree was not formally revoked until December 1968.

 

1009 ~ Pope Sergius IV (d. 1012) became the 142^nd Catholic Pope.  He succeeded Pope John XVIIV (d. 1009).

 

781 ~ The oldest recorded volcanic eruption of Mount Fuji in Japan.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2020 ~ Sir Alan Parker (né Alan William Parker; b. Feb. 14, 1944), eclectic British film director who roamed across genres.  He was born and died in London, England.  He died at age 76 following a long illness.

 

2019 ~ Harold Prince (né Harold Smith Prince; b. Jan. 30, 1928), American stage and Broadway giant who shook up musicals.  He was born in Manhattan, New York.  He died at age 91 in Keflavik, Iceland.

 

2017~ Jeanne Moreau (b. Jan. 23, 1928), French actress.  She was born in Paris, France.  She died at age 89.

 

2016 ~ Seymour Papert (né Seymour Aubrey Papert; b. Feb. 29, 1928), South African mathematician and computer scientist.  He was a pioneer in artificial intelligence.  He was born in Pretoria, South Africa.  He died in Blue Hill, Maine at age 88.

 

2015 ~ Richard Schweiker (né Richard Schultz Schwieker; b. June 1, 1926), 14^th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.  He served in this office under the Ronald Reagan administration from January 1981 until February 1983.  He was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania.  He died in Pomona, New Jersey.  He was 89 at the time of his death.

 

2015 ~ Howard Jones (né Howard Wilbur Jones, Jr.; b. Dec. 30, 1910), American medical doctor who pioneered in vitrofertilization in the United States.  When he turned 65, he refused to stop working, despite having reached the mandatory retirement age at Johns Hopkins University.  Instead, in 1975, he began a gynecological practice with his wife, Georgeanna Jones (1912 ~ 2005), a reproductive endocrinologist, and set up the first in vitro fertilization clinic in the United States.  Elizabeth Carr, born on December 28, 1981, was first “test tube” baby born in the United States.  He was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  He died at age 104 in Norfolk, Virginia.

 

2012 ~ Gore Vidal (né Eugene Louis Vidal; b. Oct. 3, 1925), American author and literary juggernaut who charted America’s decline.  He was born in West Point, New York.  He died at age 86 in Los Angeles, California.

 

2010 ~ Mitch Miller (né Mitchell William Miller; b. July 4, 1911), American musician and entertainer.  He was born in Rochester, New York.  He died 27 days after his 99^th birthday in Manhattan, New York.

 

1993 ~ Baudouin, King of Belgium (b. Sept. 7, 1930).  He ruled Belgium from July 1951 until his death in July 1993.  In 1960, he married Fabiola Fernanda María-de-las-Victoria Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón.  He was of the House of Belgium.  He was the son of Leopold III, King of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden.  He was Roman Catholic.  He died of heart failure at age 62.

 

1966 ~ Isabel Martin Lewis (née Isabel Martin; b. July 11, 1881), American astronomer.  She was the first woman hired by the United States Naval Observatory.  She was born in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.  She died 20 days after her 85^thbirthday.

 

1944 ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (b. June 29, 1900), French pilot and writer, best known for The Little Prince.  During World War II, while on a reconnaissance mission in July 1944, he disappeared and was presumed killed.  He was born in Lyon, France.  He was 44 years old.

 

1895~ Richard Morris Hunt (b. Oct 31, 1827), American architect and designer of the New York Tribune Building.  He was born in Brattleboro, Vermont.  He died in Newport, Rhode Island at age 67.

 

1886 ~ Franz Liszt (b. Oct. 22, 1811), Hungarian composer.  He died at age 74.

 

1875 ~ Andrew Johnson (b. Dec. 29, 1808), 17^th President of the United States.  Had served as the 16^th Vice President during President Abraham Lincoln’s second term.  He took Office following the assassination of Lincoln.  He was the first president to be impeached, which was the result of a bitter disagreement between him and Congress over how to treat the South following the Civil War.  He was born in Elizabethton, Tennessee.  He died at age 66 of complications of a stroke in Greeneville, Tennessee.

 

1867 ~ Catharine Marie Sedgwick (b. Dec. 28, 1789), American novelist of “domestic fiction.”  She was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and died in Boston, Massachusetts at age 77.

 

1750 ~ John V, King of Portugal (b. Oct. 22, 1689).  He ruled from December 1706 until his death in July 1750.  He was known as John the Magnanimous.  He was married to Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria.  He was of the House of Braganza.  He was the son of Peter II, King of Portugal and Maria Sophia of Neuburg.  He was born and died in Lisbon, Portugal.  He died at age 60.

 

1726 ~ Nicolaus II Bernoulli (b. Feb. 6, 1695), Swiss mathematician.  He died of a fever at age 31.

 

1653 ~ Thomas Dudley (b. Oct. 12, 1576), Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  He served as the 3^rd, 7^th, 11^th and 14^th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  He died at age 76 in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

 

1556 ~ Ignatius of Loyola (b. Oct. 23, 1491), Spanish theologian and founder of the Society of Jesus.  He died at age 64.

 

 

July 30

Birthdays:

 

1981 ~ Hope Solo (née Hope Amelia Solo), American professional soccer player.  She was born in Richland, Washington.

 

1978 ~ Brian Sicknick (né Brian David Sicknick; d. Jan. 7, 2021), American police officer who was beaten during the storming and attack of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.  He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  He died at age 42 in Washington, D.C., of what was determined to be “natural causes” despite the beating.

 

1977 ~ Jaime Pressly (née Jaime Elizabeth Pressly), American actress.  She was born in Kinston, North Carolina.

 

1974 ~ Hilary Swank (née Hilary Ann Swank), American actress.  She was born in Lincoln, Nebraska.

 

1969 ~ Simon Baker (né Simon Lucas Baker), Australian actor best known for his role as Patrick Jane on The Mentalist.  He was born in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.

 

1968 ~ Terry Crews (né Terry Alan Crews), American professional football player and actor.  He is best known for his role as Sergeant Terry Jeffords on the television sit-com Brooklyn Nine-Nine.  He was born in Flint, Michigan.

 

1963 ~ Lisa Kudrow (née Lisa Valerie Kudrow), American actress.  She is best known for her roles as Phoebe Buffay on the television sit-com Friends.  She was born in Los Angeles, California.

 

1962 ~ Alton Brown (né Alton Crawford Brown, Jr.), American television personality, food show presenter and chef.  He was born in Los Angeles, California.

 

1961 ~ Laurence Fishburne (né Laurence John Fishburne, III), African-American actor.  He was born in Augusta, Georgia.

 

1960 ~ Richard Linklater (né Richard Stuart Linklater), American film director.  He was born in Houston, Texas.

 

1958 ~ Kate Bush (née Catherine Bush), English singer-songwriter and musician.

 

1956 ~ Delta Burke (née Delta Ramona Leah Burke), American actress.  She is best known for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker on the television sit-com Designing Women.  She was born in Orlando, Florida.

 

1956 ~ Anita Hill (née Anita Faye Hill), American academic and attorney.  She became a household name in 1991 when she testified as a witness against the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings.  She was born in Lone Tree, Oklahoma.

 

1954 ~ Ken Olin (né Kenneth Edward Olin), American actor.  He is best known for his role as Michael Steadman on the television drama Thirtysomething.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1948 ~ Jean Reno (né Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez), Moroccan-French actor.  He was born in Casablanca, Morocco.

 

1947 ~ Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, French virologist who first discovered the HIV virus.  She was the recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work in the identification of HIV and its role in AIDS.  She was born in Paris, France.

 

1947 ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger (né Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger), Austrian-born body builder, actor, and politician.  He was the 38^th Governor of California.  He served as Governor from November 2003 until January 2011.  He married into the Kennedy family when he married Maria Shriver.  They were divorced in 2011.  He was born in Thal, Styria, Allied-occupied Austria.

 

1945 ~ Patrick Modiano (né Jean Patrick Modiano), French author and recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature.  He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

 

1940 ~ Pat Schroeder (née Patricia Nell Scott), American politician and United States Representative from Colorado.  She served in the House from January 1973 until January 1997.  She was the first female Representative elected from Colorado.  She was born in Portland, Oregon.

 

1939 ~ Peter Bogdanovich (d. Jan. 6, 2022), American film critic turned film director.  In the early 1970s, he brought to screen such films as The Last Picture Show, What’s Up Doc?, and Paper Moon.  He was born in Kingston, New York.  He died of Parkinson’s disease in Los Angeles, California at age 82.

 

1939 ~ Eleanor Smeal (née Eleanor Marie Cutri), American women’s rights activist.  She served as the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW).  She was born in Ashtabula, Ohio.

 

1938 ~ Terry O’Neill (né Terence Patrick O’Neill; d. Nov. 16, 2019), British photographer who captured the swinging ’60.  His 2^nd wife was Faye Dunaway.  He was born and died in London, England.  He died of cancer at age 81.

 

1936 ~ Buddy Guy (né George Guy), American blues guitarist and singer.  He was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana.

 

1934 ~ Bud Selig (né Allan Huber Selig), Major League Baseball Commissioner.  He was the 9^th Commissioner of Baseball.  He served in that position from July 1998 until January 2015.  He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

 

1929 ~ Darrell H. Winfield (d. Jan. 12, 2015), American rancher and cowboy who defined the Marlboro Man.  He was the real-life cowboy who appeared in the Marlboro cigarette advertisements.  He was born in Kansas, Oklahoma.  He died at age 85 in Riverton, Wyoming.

 

1924 ~ C.T. Vivian (né Cordy Tindell Vivian; d. July 17, 2020), African-American minister and civil rights activist who preached non-violence.  He was born in Boonville, Missouri.  He died 13 days before his 96^th birthday in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

1922 ~ Mary Doyle Keefe (née Mary Doyle; d. Apr. 21, 2015), American petite model who became “Rosie the Riveter.”  She became a dental hygienist.  She was born in Bennington, Vermont.  She died at age 92 years old in Simsbury, Connecticut.

 

1922 ~ Henry W. Bloch (né Henry Wollman Bloch; d. Apr. 23, 2019), American banker, businessman and co-founder of H&R Block.  He was born and died in Kansas City, Missouri.  He died at age 96.

 

1898 ~ Henry Moore (né Henry Spencer Moore; d. Aug. 31, 1986), English sculptor.  He died a month after his 88^thbirthday.

 

1890 ~ Casey Stengel (né Charles Dillon Stengel; d. Sept. 29, 1975), American professional baseball player and manager.  He was born in Kansas City, Missouri.  He died at age 85 in Glendale, California.

 

1872 ~ Princess Clémentine of Belgium (d. Mar. 8, 1955).  After her marriage in 1910 to Victor, Prince Napoléon, she became known as Princess Napoléon.  HShe was of the House of Witten, a branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  She was the third daughter of Leopold II, King of the Belgians and Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria.  She died at age 82.

 

1863 ~ Henry Ford (d. Apr. 7, 1947), American automobile manufacturer and pioneer.  He founded the Ford Motor Company.  He was also known for being virulently antisemitic.  He was born in Springwells Township, Michigan.  He died at age 83 in Dearborn, Michigan.

 

1818 ~ Emily Brontë (née Emily Jane Brontë; d. Dec. 19, 1848), English novelist.  She is best known for her novels Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.  She died at age 30, probably of tuberculosis.

 

1751 ~ Maria Anna Mozart (née Maria Anna Walburg Ignatia Mozart; d. Oct. 29, 1829), Austrian pianist and older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  She died at age 78.

 

1549 ~ Ferdinando I de’Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (d. Feb. 3, 1609).  He ruled Tuscany from October 1587 until his death.  He is known for issuing edicts of tolerance for Jews.  During the first two years of his reign, he was a cardinal, but he gave up this post in 1589 to marry Christina of Lorraine.  He was of the House of Medici.  He was the son of Cosimo I de’Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Eleanor of Toledo.  He died at age 59.

 

1470 ~ Hongzhi (d. June 9, 1505), 10^th Chinese Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.  He reigned from September 1487 until his death 18 years later.  He died at age 34.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2011 ~ Zara Phillips (b. 1981), oldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth (b. 1926), married Mike Tindall (b. 1978), a former professional rugby player.

 

1976 ~ Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner (b. 1949) won the gold in the decathalon event in the 1976 Summer Olympics.

 

1975 ~ Jimmy Hoffa (1913 ~ 1975) disappeared.  In 1982, on the 7^th anniversary of his disappearance, he was declared legally dead.

 

1974 ~ After being ordered by the United States Supreme Court in the United States v. Nixon, President Richard Nixon (1913 ~ 1994) released the subpoenaed White House tapes that were part of the Watergate scandal.

 

1971 ~ The Apollo 15 Mission Lunar Module, Falcon, landed on the moon with the first Lunar Rover.  The crew consisted of David Scott (b. 1932), James Irwin (1930 ~ 1991), and Alfred Worden (1932 ~ 2020).

 

1966 ~ The Troggs hit, Wild Thing, hit number 1 on the pop charts.

 

1965 ~ President Lyndon Johnson (1908 ~ 1973) signed the Social Security Act of 1965 into law, establishing Medicare and Medicaid.

 

1956 ~ The United States Congress issued a joint resolution, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 ~ 1969) signed, authorizing the words, “In G~d we Trust” as the United States national motto.

 

1945 ~ The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.  There were nearly 1200 crew aboard but only 316 survived.

 

1930 ~ The Uruguayan soccer team defeated Argentina to win the first FIFA World Cup.  The games were played in Montevideo, Uruguay.  The first tournament consisted of thirteen teams: 7 from South America, 4 from Europe and 2 from North America.

 

1866 ~ In New Orleans, Louisiana, the Democratic government ordered police to raid an integrated Republican Party meeting.  Forty people were killed and over 150 others were injured during the raid.

 

1756 ~ The Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia was presented to Elizabeth, Empress of Russia (1709 ~ 1762).

 

1729 ~ The city of Baltimore, Maryland was founded.

 

1627 ~ An earthquake in Gargano, Italy killed about 5,000 people.

 

1419 ~ The first Defenestration of Prague occurred when a crowd of radical Hussites killed seven members of the Prague city council.

 

762 ~ The city of Baghdad, Iraq was founded.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2020 ~ Herman Cain (b. Dec. 13, 1945), African-American businessman.  He ran as a Republican in the 2012 Presidential campaign.  His campaign was derailed after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him.  He had earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.  He was born in Memphis, Tennessee.  He died at age 74 in Stockbridge, Georgia of Covid-19.

 

2019 ~ Nick Buoniconti (né Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti; b. Dec. 15, 1940), American football linebacker who fought to make the paralyzed walk again.  He was a professional football player who played for a number of teams, including the Boston Patriots and the Miami Dolphins.  While playing for the Patriots, he earned his law degree.  After his son was paralyzed in a college football game in 1985, he co-founded the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.  He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts.  He died at age 78 in Bridgehampton, New York.

 

2019 ~ Sherm Poppen (né Sherman Robert Poppen; b. Mar. 25, 1930), American inventor who wanted people to go “snurfing”.  He invented the snowboard and is often called the Grandfather of Snowboarding.  He died at age 89.

 

2018 ~ Ron Dellums (né Ronald Vernie Dellums; b. Nov. 24, 1935), African-American politician and antiwar firebrand who became a liberal icon.  He served as the 48^th Mayor of Oakland, California from January 2007 until January 2011.  He was born in Oakland, California.  He died at age 82 in Washington, D.C.

 

2015 ~ Lynn Anderson (née Lynn Rene Anderson; b. Sept. 26, 1947), American singer.  She was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  She died at age 67 of a heart attack in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

2014 ~ Dick Smith (né Richard Emerson Smith; b. June 26, 1922), American make-up and special-effects artist who transformed Hollywood.  He was born in Larchmont, New York.  He died at age 92 in Los Angeles, California.

 

2013 ~ Berthold Beitz (b. Sept. 26, 1913), German industrialist who saved Jews.  In 1973, he received the Righteous Among the Nations award.  He died at age 99.

 

2012 ~ Maeve Binchy (née Anne Maeve Binchy; b. May 28, 1939), Irish novelist.  She was born and died in Dublin, Ireland.  She died at age 73.

 

2007 ~ Bill Walsh (né William Ernest Walsh; b. Nov. 30, 1931), American professional 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.

 

2007 ~ Ingmar Bergman (né Ernst Ingmar Bergman; b. July 14, 1918), Swedish film director and playwright.  He was born in Uppsala, Uppland, Sweden.  He died 2 weeks after his 89^th birthday in Fårö, Gotland, Sweden.

 

2003 ~ Sam Phillips (né Samuel Cornelius Phillips; b. Jan. 5, 1923), American record producer and founder of Sun Records.  He was born in Florence, Alabama.  He died at age 80 in Memphis, Tennessee.

 

1998 ~ Buffalo Bob Smith (né Robert Emil Schmidt; b. Nov. 27, 1917), American actor and television host best known for hosting The Howdy Doody Show.  He was born in Buffalo, New York.  He died of cancer at age 80 in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

 

1996 ~ Claudette Colbert (née Émilie Claudette Chauchion; b. Sept. 13, 1903), French actress.  She died at age 92.

 

1992 ~ Joe Shuster (né Joseph Shuster; b. July 10, 1914), Canadian-born illustrator who, along with Jerry Siegel, created the comic strip, Superman.  He was born in Toronto, Ontario.  He died 3 weeks after his 78^th birthday in Los Angeles, California.

 

1989 ~ Lane Frost (né Lane Clyde Frost; b. Oct. 12, 1963), American professional bull rider.  He was born in La Junta, Colorado.  He was killed in Cheyenne, Wyoming at age 25 from injuries sustained from being rammed by a bull he had just dismounted.  His life and death were depicted in the 1994 movie 8 Seconds.

 

1985 ~ Julia Robinson (née Julia Hall Bowman; b. Dec. 8, 1919), American mathematician.  She was born in St. Louis, Missouri,  She died at age 65 of leukemia in Oakland, California.

 

1983 ~ Lynn Fontanne (née Lillie Louise Fontanne; b. Dec. 6, 1887), British actress.  She was born in Woodford, Essex, United Kingdom.  She died at age 95 in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin.

 

1963 ~ Patrick J. Hurley (né Patrick Jay Hurley; b. Jan. 8, 1883), 51^st United States Secretary of War.  He served under President Herbert Hoover from December 1929 until March 1933.  He was born in County Waterford, Ireland.  He died at age 80 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

 

1918 ~ Joyce Kilmer (né Alfred Joyce Kilmer; b. Dec. 6, 1886), He is best known for his poem Trees.  He died at age 31 during the Second Battle of Marne during World War I.

 

1908 ~ James Budd (né James Herbert Budd; b. May 18, 1851), 19^th Governor of California.  He served as Governor from January 1895 until January 1899.  He was born in Janesville, Wisconsin.  He died at age 57 in Stockton, California.

 

1900 ~ Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. Aug. 6, 1844).  He was a member of the British royal family.  He was married to the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia.  He was of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  He was the second son and fourth child of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  He died of throat cancer just a week before his 56^th birthday.

 

1898 ~ Otto von Bismarck (née Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismark; b. Apr. 1, 1815), 1^st Chancellor of the German Empire.  He served in that Office from March 1871 until March 1890.  He died at age 83.

 

1875 ~ George Pickett (né George Edward Pickett; b. Jan. 16, 1825), General in the Confederate Army.  He was born in Richmond, Virginia.  He died at age 50 in Norfolk, Virginia.

 

1859 ~ Richard Rush (b. Aug. 29, 1780), 8^th United States Attorney General.  He served under Presidents James Madison and James Monroe.  He held the position of Attorney General from February 1814 until November 1817.  He subsequently went on to serve as the 8^th United States Secretary of the Treasury, from March 1825 until March 1829.  He was born and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He died a month before his 79^th birthday.

 

1718 ~ William Penn (b. Oct. 14, 1644), English founder of the Province of Pennsylvania.  He was born in London, England.  He died at age 73.

 

1700 ~ Prince William, Duke of Gloucester (d. July 24, 1689), member of the British royal family.  He was of the House of Stuart.  He was the son of Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Prince George of Denmark.  He died just 6 days after his 11^th birthday.

 

1683 ~ Infante Maria Theresa of Spain and Portugal (b. Sept. 10, 1638), Queen consort of France and first wife of Louis XVI, King of France.  She was of the House of Habsburg.  She was the daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain and Elisabeth of France.  She died at age 44.

 

579 ~ Pope Benedict I (né Benedictus).  He was Pope from June 575 until his death on this date 4 years later.  The date of his birth is unknown.  He followed Pope John III; Pope Pelagius II succeeded him.  

July 29

Birthdays:

 

1969 ~ Giles Coren (né Giles Robin Patrick Coren), British columnist and food writer.  He was born in Paddington, London, England.

 

1953 ~ Ken Burns (né Kenneth Lauren Burns), American documentary film director.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.

 

1953 ~ Tim Gunn (né Timothy MacKenzie Gunn), American fashion consultant and television host.  He was born in Washington, D.C.

 

1950 ~ Jenny Holzer, American conceptual artist.  She was born in Gallipolis, Ohio.

 

1944 ~ Jim Bridwell (d. Feb. 16, 2018), American renegade rock climber who conquered Yosemite.  He was born in San Antonio, Texas.  He died in Palm Springs California at age 73 from complications of hepatitis, which he acquired from a tattoo in the 1980s.

 

1942 ~ Tony Sirico (né Gennaro Anthony Sirico, Jr.; d. July 8, 2022), The ex-mobster and actor who knew how to play them.  He had been arrested numerous times and spent time in prison before taking up acting.  He is best known for his role as Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri in The Sopranos.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died 3 weeks before his 80^th birthday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

 

1940 ~ Betty Harris, African-American chemist.  She received her Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico.  She is known for her work on the chemistry of explosives.  She was born in Monroe, Louisiana.

 

1938 ~ Peter Jennings (né Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings; d. Aug. 7, 2005), Canadian television journalist.  He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  He died of lung cancer 9 days after his 67^th birthday in New York, New York.

 

1937 ~ Daniel McFadden (né Daniel Little McFadden), American economist and recipient of the 2000 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science.  He was born in Raleigh, North Carolina.

 

1936 ~ Elizabeth Dole (née Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford), United States Senator from North Carolina and wife of Bob Dole.  She served as a United States Senator from January 2003 until January 2009.  She also served as the 20^thUnited States Secretary of Labor during the George H.W. Bush administration from January 1989 until November 1990.  She had previously served as the 8^th United States Secretary of Transportation during the Reagan administration from February 1983 until September 1987.  She was born in Salisbury, North Carolina.

 

1934 ~ Albert Speer, Jr. (d. Sept. 15, 2017), German architect who worked to escape his Nazi father’s legacy.  He was born in Berlin a year after Hitler took power.  He became one of Germany’s most successful architects.  He died at age 83 in Frankfurt, Germany.

 

1932 ~ Nancy Kasselbaum (née Nancy Landon), American politician.  She served as a United States Senator from Kansas from December 1978 until 1997.  She was the daughter of Alf Landon.  After her divorce from her first husband, she married politician Howard Baker.  She was born in Topeka, Kansas.

 

1930 ~ Paul Taylor (né Paul Belville Taylor, Jr.; d. Aug. 29, 2018), American choreographer who found light in darkness.  He was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.  He died of renal failure a month after his 88^th birthday in Manhattan, New York.

 

1925 ~ Harold W. Kuhn (né Harold William Kuhn; d. July 2, 2014), American mathematician.  He was born in Santa Monica, California.  He died 27 days before his 89^th birthday in New York, New York.

 

1924 ~ Black Dahlia (née Elizabeth Short, d. Jan. 15, 1947), American waitress and murder victim.  She was the victim of a gruesome and highly publicized murder, which remains unsolved.  She was born in Hyde Park, Massachusetts.  Her body was found in Los Angeles, California.  She was 22 years old at the time of her death.

 

1917 ~ Rochus Misch (d. Sept. 5, 2013), German bodyguard who defended Hitler to the end.  He served as a bodyguard and telephone operator to Hitler.  He died at age 96 in Berlin, Germany.

 

1915 ~ Francis W. Sargent (né Francis Williams Sargent; d. Oct. 22, 1998), 64^th Governor of Massachusetts.  He served as Governor from January 22, 1969 through January 2, 1975.  He was born in Hamilton, Massachusetts.  He died at age 83 in Dover, Massachusetts.

 

1914 ~ Irwin Corey (d. Feb. 6, 2017), American madcap comedian who mocked expertise.  He was the world’s foremost authority on intellectual doublespeak.  He was born and died in New York, New York.  He died at age 102.

 

1911 ~ Foster Furcolo (né John Foster Furcolo; d. July 5, 1995), 60^th Governor of Massachusetts.  He served as governor from January 1957 to January 1961.  He was born in New Haven, Connecticut and died in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He died 3 weeks before his 84^th birthday.

 

1905 ~ Dag Hammarskjöld (d. Sept. 18, 1961), Swedish economist.  He also served as the 2^nd Secretary-General of the United Nations.  He was killed in a plane crash on a mission to negotiate peace in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in September 1961.  Later that year, he was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, being one of a very few honored with a Nobel Prize after death.  He was 56 at the time of his death.

 

1905 ~ Clara Bow (née Clara Gordon Bow; d. Sept. 27, 1965), American silent film star, known as The It Girl, because of her role in the film It.  She was born in Brooklyn, New York.  She died at age 60 of a heart attack in Culver City, California.

 

1905 ~ Stanley Kunitz (né Stanley Jasspon Kunitz; d. May 14, 2006), American Poet Laureate.  He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.  He died at age 100 in New York, New York.

 

1900 ~ Eyvind Johnson (né Olof Edvin Verner Johsson; d. Aug 25, 1976), Swedish author and recipient of the 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature.  He died in Stockholm, Sweden just 27 days after his 76^th birthday.

 

1898 ~ Isidor Isaac Rabi (né Israel Isaac Rabi, d. Jan. 11, 1988), Hungarian-born American physicist and recipient of the 1944 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of nuclear magnetic resonance.  He died at age 89 in New York, New York.

 

1885 ~ Theda Bara (née Theodosia Burr Goodman; d. Apr. 7, 1955), American silent film actress best known for her role in The Vamp.  She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.  She died of stomach cancer at age 69 in Los Angeles, California.

 

1883 ~ Benito Mussolini (né Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini; d. Apr. 28, 1945), Fascist dictator of Italy.  He served as the 27^th Prime Minister of Italy from October 1922 until July 1943.  He was executed by a firing squad, which consisted of members of the Italian resistance movement.  He was 61.

 

1878 ~ Don Marquis (né Donald Robert Perry Marquis; d. Dec. 29, 1937), American humorist, journalist and author.  He was born in Walnut, Illinois.  He died of a stroke at age 59 in New York, New York.

 

1869 ~ Booth Tarkington (né Newton Booth Tarkington; d. May 19, 1946), American novelist.  He is best known for his novel The Magnificent Ambersons.  He was born and died in Indianapolis, Indiana.  He died at age 76.

 

1861 ~ Alice Roosevelt (née Alice Hathaway Lee, d. Feb. 14, 1884), first wife of Theodore Roosevelt.  She was born in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.  She died of Bright’s Disease just 2 days after giving birth to their only child, named Alice Lee Roosevelt.  She died in Manhattan, New York at age 22.

 

1849 ~ Max Nordau (né Simon Maximilian Südfeld; d. Jan. 23, 1923), Hungarian physician and co-founder, along with Theodor Herzl, of the World Zionist Organization.  He was born in Pest, Kingdom of Hungary (currently known as Budapest, Hungary).  He died at age 73 in Paris, France.

 

1805 ~ Alexis de Toqueville (né Alex Charles Henri Clérel de Tocqueville; d. Apr. 16, 1859), French historian and political scientist.  He is best known for his work, Democracy in America.  He was born in Paris, France.  He died at age 53 of tuberculosis in Cannes, France.

 

1356 ~ Martin the Elder, King of Aragon and King of Sicily (d. May 31, 1410).  He reigned as King of Aragon from May 1396 until his death, and he ruled as King of Sicily from July 1409 until his death a year later.  He was married twice.  His first wife was María López de Luna, with whom he had 4 children, only one of which survived.  His second wife was Margaret of Prades.  There were no children of his second marriage.  He was of the Aragon House of Barcelona.  He was the son of Peter IV, King of Aragon and Eleanor of Sicily.  He was Roman Catholic.  He died at age 53.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2021 ~ The International Space Station temporarily spun out of control, moving 45 degrees out of attitude as a result of an engine malfunction of the Russian module Nauka.

 

1987 ~ British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1925 ~ 2013) and French President François Mitterand (1916 ~ 1996) signed an agreement to build a tunnel under the English Channel.  The Tunnel opened in May 1994 and the first passenger service began in November 1994.

 

1981 ~ Britain’s Prince Charles (b. 1948) and Lady Diana Spencer (1961 ~ 1997) were married in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.  They divorced in 1996.

 

1976 ~ David Berkowitz (b. 1953), who called himself the “Son of Sam”, committed his first murder.

 

1958 ~ President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 ~ 1969) signed into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

 

1957 ~ The International Atomic Energy Agency was established.

 

1948 ~ The Summer Olympics of 1948 opened in London, England.  The games ran through August 14.  It was the first Summer Olympics since 1936.

 

1921 ~ Adolf Hitler (1889 ~ 1945) became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party.

 

1914 ~ The Cape Cod Canal opened.  The Canal connects Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay.

 

1899 ~ The First Hague Convention international treaty was signed.

 

1836 ~ The Arc de Triomphe in Paris was inaugurated.

 

1588 ~ In the naval Battle of Gravelines, the English under the command of Lord Charles Howard (1536 ~ 1624) and Sir Francis Drake (1540 ~ 1596) defeated the Spanish Armada off the coast of Gravelines, France.

 

1565 ~ Mary, Queen of Scots (1542 ~ 1587), married her second husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (1545 ~ 1567), Duke of Albany in Edinburgh, Scotland.  He would be murdered within two years.

 

587 BCE ~ The traditional date ascribed to the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2021 ~ Carl Levin (né Carl Milton Levin; b. June 28, 1934), American long-serving senator who grilled CEOs.  He was a Democrat United States Senator from Michigan who served from January 1979 until January 2015.  He was known for grilling Goldman Sachs at the 2010 hearings into their financial crisis.  He was born and died in Detroit, Michigan.  He died of lung cancer a month after his 87^th birthday.

 

2021 ~ Jon Lindbergh (né Jon Morrow Lindbergh; b. Aug. 16, 1932), American son of aviator Charles Lindbergh who found adventure at sea.  He was an aquanaut who worked as a United States Navy demolition expert.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died of renal cancer less than 3 weeks before his 89^th birthday in Lewisburg, West Virginia.

 

2018 ~ Nikolai Volkoff (né Josip Hrvoje Peruzoviċ; b. Oct. 14, 1947), Yugoslav-born wrestler who played a Soviet villain in the ring.  He died at age 70 in Glen Arm, Maryland.

 

2013 ~ Peter Flanigan (né Peter Magnus Flanigan; b. June 21, 1923), American investment banker and Nixon aide who pioneered education reform.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died in Salzburg, Austria just over a month after his 90^th birthday.

 

2011 ~ Matthew Perry (né Matthew James Perry, Jr.; b. Aug. 3, 1921), African-American Federal District Court Judge and attorney who fought for civil rights.  He was born and died in Columbia, South Carolina.  He died 5 days before his 90^thbirthday.

 

2009 ~ Dina Gottliebová Babbitt (née Annemarie Dina Gottliebová, b. Jan. 21, 1923), Czech-born Auschwitz prisoner who survived by painting.  She had been selected to paint portraits of Romani inmates.  She was born in Brno, Czechia.  She died of stomach cancer at age 86 in Felton, California.

 

2008 ~ Bruce Ivins (né Bruce Edwards Ivins; b. Apr. 22, 1946), American scientist and bio-defense research.  He was the primary suspect in the 2001 anthrax attacks.  He was born in Lebanon, Ohio.  He committed suicide at age 62 after learning that the FBI was about to file charges against him.

 

2007 ~ Tom Snyder (né Thomas James Snyder; b. May 12, 1936), American journalist and talk show host.  He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconcin.  He died of leukemia at age 71 in San Francisco, California.

 

1996 ~ Marcel-Paul Schützenberger (b. Oct. 24, 1920), French mathematician.  He was born and died in Paris, France.  He died at age 75.

 

1994 ~ Dorothy Hodgkin (née Dorothy Mary Crowfoot; b. May 12, 1910), British biochemist and recipient of the 1964 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.  She advanced the technique of X-ray crystallography and was able to confirm the structure of penicillin.  She was born in Cairo, Egypt.  She died of a stroke at age 84.

 

1983 ~ David Niven (né James David Graham Nevin; b. Mar. 1, 1910), British actor.  He was born in London, England.  He died at age 73.

 

1983 ~ Luis Buñuel (b. Feb. 22, 1900), Spanish film director.  He died at age 83 in Mexico City, Mexico.

 

1974 ~ “Mama” Cass Elliot (née Ellen Naomi Cohen; b. Sept. 19, 1941), American singer and member of The Mamas and Papas.  She was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  She died of a heart attack at age 32 in London, England.

 

1913 ~ Tobias Asser (né Tobias Michael Carel Asser; b. Apr. 28, 1838), Dutch lawyer and recipient of the 1911 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the field of private international law.  He was born in Amsterdam, United Kingdom of the Netherlands.  He died at age 75 in The Hague, Netherlands.

 

1900 ~ Umberto I, King of Italy (b. Mar. 14, 1844).  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 24^th birthday.  He was 56 at the time of his assassination.

 

1890 ~ Vincent van Gogh (né Vincent Willem van Gogh; b. Mar. 30, 1853), Dutch painter.  He died by suicide at age 37.

 

1856 ~ Robert Schumann (b. June 8, 1810), German composer.  He was married to composer Clara Schumann.  He died of pneumonia at age 46.

 

1839 ~ Gaspard de Prony (né Gaspard Clair François Marie Riche de Prony; b. July 22, 1755), French mathematician.  His name is one of 72 inscribed in the Eiffel Tower.  He died 7 days after his 84^th birthday.

 

1781 ~ Johann Kies (b. Sept. 14, 1713), German mathematician.  The crater on the moon Kies is named in his honor.  He died at age 67.

 

1692 ~ Sarah Good (née Sarah Solart; b. July 21, 1653), American woman accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials.  She was convicted of witchcraft.  She was born in Wenham, Massachusetts.  She was executed by hanging in Danvers, Massachusetts 8 days after her 39^th birthday.

 

1644 ~ Pope Urban VIII (né Maffeo Barberini; b. Apr. 5, 1568).  He was Pope from August 1623 until his death 21 years later.  The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he was baptized on April 5, 1568.  He died at age 76 in Rome, Papal States.

 

1589 ~ Maria of Palatinate-Simmern (b. July 24, 1561), Duchess of Södermanland.  She was the first wife of Prince Charles, Duke of Södermanland, who later became Charles IX, King of Sweden.  She died, however, before he became king.  She was of the House of Wittelsbach.  She was the daughter of Louis VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse.  She died following a long illness just 5 days after her 28^th birthday.

 

1237 ~ Ingeborg of Denmark (b. 1174), Queen consort of France and second wife of King Philip II of France.  She was of the House of Estridsen.  She was the daughter of Valdemar I, King of Denmark and Sofia of Minsk.  The exact date of her birth is not known, but she is believed to have been about 62 or 63 at the time of her death.

 

1108 ~ Philip I, King of the Franks (b. May 23, 1052).  He ruled from 1059 until his death in 1108.  He was married twice.  His first wife was Bertha of Holland.  His second wife was Bertrade de Montfort.  He was of the House of Capet.  He was the son of Henry I, King of France and Anne of Kiev.  He died at age 56.

 

1099 ~ Pope Urban II (né Ortho de Lagery; b. 1042).  He was Pope from March 1088 until his death 11 years later.  He is best known for initiating the First Crusade, from 1096 to 1099.  He died before the fall of Jerusalem was known in the West.  The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been about 57 at the time of his death.

 

1095 ~ Ladislaus I, King of Hungary (b. 1040).  He ruled Hungary from 1077 until his death in 1095.  He was married to Adelaide of Rheinsfelden.  He was of the Árpád Dynasty.  He was the son of Béla I, King of Hungary and Richeza of Poland.  The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been about 54 or 55 at the time of his death.

 

1030 ~ Olaf II Haraldsson, King of Norway (b. 995).  He ruled Norway from 1015 until his 1028.  He was married to Astrid Olofsdotter of Sweden.  The exact date of his birth is unknown.  He is believed to have been about 34 or 35 at the time of his death.