Tuesday, December 20, 2022

December 20

Birthdays:

 

1969 ~ Alain de Botton, Swiss-born British philosopher.  He was born in Zürich, Switzerland.

 

1954 ~ Sandra Cisneros, American author.  She is best known for her 1983 novel The House on Mango Street.  She was born in Chicago, Illinois.

 

1954 ~ Fokko du Cloux (d. Nov. 10, 2006), Dutch mathematician.  He died at age 51 from ALS.

 

1952 ~ Jenny Agutter (née Jennifer Ann Agutter), English actress.  She is best known for her role in the 1971 film Walkabout.

 

1950 ~ Geoffrey Grimmett (né Geoffrey Richard Grimmett), British mathematician.  He is best known for his work in probability theory.  He was born in Birmingham, England.

 

1949 ~ Oscar Gamble (né Oscar Charles Gamble; d. Jan. 31, 2018), African-American professional baseball outfielder who had a big bat and big hair.  He was born in Ramer, Alabama.  He died in Birmingham, Alabama of cancer at age 68.

 

1946 ~ John Spencer (né John Speshock, Jr.; d. Dec. 16, 2005), American actor.  He was best known for his role as Leo McGarry on the television drama West Wing.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died of a heart attack 4 days before his 59th birthday in Los Angeles, California.

 

1946 ~ Uri Geller, Israeli mentalist and magician.  He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel.

 

1946 ~ Dick Wolf (né Richard Anthony Wolf), American television series creator.  He created such shows as the Law and Order franchise.  He was born in New York, New York.

 

1932 ~ John Hillerman (né John Benedict Hillerman; d. Nov. 9, 2017), American actor.  He was born in Denison, Texas.  He died of vascular cardiac disease at age 84 in Houston, Texas.

 

1931 ~ Yossef Gutfreund (d. Sept. 6, 1972), Romanian-born Israeli wrestling judge.  He was murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Olympics in Munich.  He was 40 years old at the time of his death.

 

1926 ~ David Levine (d. Dec. 29, 2009), American caricaturist who skewered his subjects.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.  He died 9 days after his 83rd birthday in Manhattan, New York.

 

1922 ~ Beverly Pepper (né Beverly Stoll; d. Feb. 5, 2020), American sculptor who found beauty in medal.  She is known for her monumental works and land art.  She was born in Brooklyn, New York.  She died at age 97 in Todi, Italy.

 

1917 ~ David Bohm (né David Joseph Bohm; d. Oct 27, 1992), American physicist who contributed greatly quantum theory.  Due to his communist affiliations, he was the subject of a federal investigation in the late 1940s, causing him to leave the United States and he ultimately settled in Great Britain.  He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.  He died of a heart attack at age 74 in London, England.

 

1911 ~ Hortense Calisher (d. Jan. 13, 2009), American author best known for her book, Sunday Jews.  She was the second woman president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  She was born and died in Manhattan, New York.  She died 24 days after her 97th birthday.

 

1902 ~ Prince George, Duke of Kent (d. Aug. 25, 1942).  He was a member of the British royal family.  In 1934 he married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.  He was of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until 11917, when the family became of the House of Windsor.  He was the 4th son of George V, King of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck.  He was killed in a military plane crash during World War II at age 39.

 

1901 ~ Robert J. Van de Graaff (né Robert Jamison Van de Graaff; d. Jan. 16, 1967), American physicist and inventor of the Van de Graaff generator.  He was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  He died in Boston, Massachusetts 27 days after his 65th birthday.

 

1898 ~ Irene Dunne (née Irene Marie Dunn; d. Sept. 4, 1990), American actress.  She was born in Louisville, Kentucky.  She died at age 91 in Los Angeles, California.

 

1894 ~ Sir Robert Menzies (né Robert Gordon Menzies; d. May 15, 1978), Prime Minister of Australia.  He served for 2 for two terms from 1939 to 1941 and 1949 to 1966.  He died of a heart attack at age 83.

 

1890 ~ Jaroslav Heyrovský (d. Mar. 27, 1967), Czech chemist and recipient of the 1959 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.  He was born and died in Prague.  He died at age 76.

 

1888 ~ Yitzhak Baer (d. Jan. 22, 1980), German-Israeli historian.  He was an expert in medieval Spanish Jewish history.  He died a month after his 91st birthday in Jerusalem, Israel.

 

1886 ~ Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman (née Hazel Virginia Hotchkiss; d. Dec. 5, 1974), American tennis player.  Before World War I, she dominated the American tennis scene and won 45 tennis titles during her lifetime.  She was born in Healdsburg, California.  She died 15 days before her 88th birthday in Newton, Massachusetts.

 

1881 ~ Branch Rickey (né Wesley Branch Rickey; d. Dec. 9, 1965), American professional baseball player and executive.  He was born in Portsmouth, Ohio.  He died 11 days before his 84th birthday in Columbia, Missouri.

 

1868 ~ Harvey Firestone (né Harvey Samuel Firestone; d. Feb. 7, 1938), American automobile pioneer and founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.  He was born in Columbiana, Ohio.  He died of coronary thrombosis at age 69 in Miami Beach, Florida.

 

1841 ~ Ferdinand Buisson (né Ferdinand Édouard Buisson; d. Feb. 16, 1932), French pacifist and recipient of the 1927 Nobel Peace Prize.  He was born in Paris, France.  He died at age 90 in Thieuloy-Saint-Antoine, France.

 

1833 ~ Dr. Samuel Mudd, Sr. (né Samuel Alexander Mudd; d. Jan. 10, 1883), American physician, who was convicted of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.  He was sentenced to life imprisonment.  President Andrew Johnson, however, pardoned him after he had spent only a few years in prison.  He was born in Charles County, Maryland.  He died of pneumonia 21 days after his 49th birthday in Waldorf, Maryland.

 

1813 ~ Samuel Kirkwood (né Samuel Jordan Kirkwood; d. Sept. 1, 1894), 14th United States Secretary of the Interior.  He served under Presidents James Garfield and Chester Arthur from March 1881 until April 1882.  Prior to becoming the Secretary of the Interior, he served as a United States Senator from Iowa.  He had also served as the 5th and 9th Governor of Iowa.  He was born in Harford County, Maryland.  He died at age 80 in Iowa City, Iowa.

 

1720 ~ Charles Edward Stuart (d. Jan. 30, 1788), pretender to the British Throne.  He was married to Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern.  He was of the House of Stuart.  He was the son of James Francis Edward Stuart and Maria Clementina Sobieska.  His grandfather was James II, King of England.  He died of a stroke a month after his 67th birthday.

 

1648 ~ Tommaso Ceva (d. Feb. 3, 1737), Italian mathematician and Jesuit priest.  He was born and died in Milan, Italy.  He died at age 88.

 

1537 ~ John III, King of Sweden (d. Nov. 17, 1592).  He was King of Sweden from September 1568 until his death 14 years later.  He was married twice, first to Catherine Jagellonica.  They married in 1562.  After her death, he married Gunilla Bielke in 1585.  He was of the House of Vasa.  He was the son of Gustav I, King of Sweden and Margaret Leijonhufvud.  He died about a month before his 55th birthday.

 

1494 ~ Oronce Finé (b. Aug. 8, 1555), French mathematician and cartographer.  He died at age 60 in Paris, France.

 

Events that Changed the World:

 

2019 ~ The United States Space Force became a new branch of the United States Armed Forces.

 

2007 ~ Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1926 ~ 2022) became the oldest monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1819 ~ 1901), who lived to be 81 years, 7 months and 29 days.

 

1999 ~ Portugal turned over governance of Macau to China.

 

1995 ~ NATO began peacekeeping in Bosnia.

 

1989 ~ The United States sent troops into Panama to overthrow the government of Manuel Noriega (1934 ~ 2017).  It also marked the first combat usage of the Stealth aircraft.

 

1987 ~ The MV Doña Paz, a Philippine-registered passenger ferry, collided with the oil tanker MT Vector.  The ferry was traveling from Letye Island to Manila.  The ferry was overcrowded and there were at least 2,000 passengers who were not listed on the manifest.  Over 4,000 people were believed to have been killed when the ferry sank.  There were only 24 survivors.

 

1971 ~ Doctors Without Borders, an international aid organization, was founded in Paris, France.

 

1957 ~ The Boeing 707 made its maiden flight, becoming the first jet-powered aircraft.

 

1951 ~ The EBR-1 in Arco, Idaho became the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity.  The electricity generated was enough to power four light bulbs.

 

1946 ~ It’s a Wonderful Life was first shown in New York City.

 

1915 ~ The last Australian troops were evacuated from Gallipoli during World War I.

 

1860 ~ South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, setting the stage for the American Civil War.

 

1803 ~ The Louisiana Purchase was completed at a ceremony in New Orleans.

 

1606 ~ The Virginia Company loaded three ships, the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery, with settlers and left England for the New World.  The ships carried the settlers who would found Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent European colony to be settled in what would become the United States.

 

1192 ~ Richard I, King of England (1157 ~ 1199) was captured and imprisoned by Leopold V, Duke of Austria (1157 ~ 1194) on his way home from the Third Crusade.  Richard was returning to England after signing a treaty with Saladin (1137 ~ 1193) ending the Third Crusade.

 

Good-Byes:

 

2014 ~ Bob Lanier (né Robert Clayton Lanier; b. Mar. 10, 1925), American politician and 58th Mayor of Houston, Texas.  He was Mayor from January 1992 until January 1998.  He was born in Baytown, Texas.  He died at age 89 in Houston, Texas.

 

2009 ~ Brittany Murphy (née Brittany Anne Bertolotti; b. Nov. 10, 1977), American actress.  She was born in Atlanta, Georgia.  She died of pneumonia at age 32 in Los Angeles, California.

 

2005 ~ Raoul Bott (b. Sept. 24, 1923), Hungarian-born American mathematician.  He was born in Budapest, Hungary.  He died at age 82 in San Diego, California.

 

1998 ~ Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin (b. Feb. 5, 1914), British biophysicist and recipient of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.  He died at age 84.

 

1997 ~ Denise Levertov (née Priscilla Denise Levertoff; b. Oct. 24, 1923), British-born American poet.  She died in Seattle, Washington at age 74 of complications of lymphoma.

 

1996 ~ Carl Sagan (né Carl Edward Sagan b. Nov. 9, 1934), American astronomer and writer.  He was born in Brooklyn, New York.  He died at of cancer age 62 in Seattle, Washington.

 

1994 ~ Dean Rusk (né David Dean Rusk; b. Feb. 9, 1909), 54th United States Secretary of State.  He served under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from January 1961 until January 1969.  He was born in Cherokee County, Georgia.  He died of heart failure at age 85 in Athens, Georgia.

 

1993 ~ Edwards Deming (né William Edwards Deming; b. Oct. 14, 1900), American statistician and management consultant.  He was born in Sioux City, Iowa.  He died at age 93 in Washington, D.C.

 

1988 ~ Max Robinson (né Maxie Cleveland Robinson, Jr., b. May 1, 1939), African-American journalist.  He was born in Richmond, Virginia.  He died of AIDS at age 49 in Washington, D.C.

 

1983 ~ Mignon McLaughlin (b. June 6, 1913), American journalist and author.  She was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  She died at age 70 in Coral Gables, Florida.

 

1982 ~ Arthur Rubinstein (b. Jan. 28, 1887), Polish-born American pianist.  He died at age 95.

 

1976 ~ Richard J. Daley (né Richard Joseph Daley; b. May 15, 1902), 48th Mayor of Chicago and undisputed and Democratic boss of the city of Chicago.  He was born and died in Chicago, Illinois.  He died of a heart attack at age 74.

 

1973 ~ Bobby Darin (né Walden Robert Cassotto; b. May 14, 1936), American singer-songwriter.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died following heart surgery at age 37 in Los Angeles, California.

 

1971 ~ Roy O. Disney (né Roy Oliver Disney; b. June 24, 1893), American businessman.  Together with his brother, Walt Disney, they created the Walt Disney Company.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He died of a brain seizure at age 78 in Burbank California.

 

1968 ~ John Steinbeck (né John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr.; b. Feb. 27, 1902), American novelist and recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature.  He is best known his novels including The Grapes of WrathOf Mice and MenEast of Eden, and The Red Pony.  He was born in Salinas, California.  He died of heart disease at age 66 in New York, New York.

 

1968 ~ Max Brod (b. May 27, 1884), Czech writer, composer and journalist.  He was a friend of Franz Kafka and is largely responsible for preserving much of Kafka’s writings.  He was born in Prague, Czechia.  He died at age 84 in Tel Aviv.

 

1962 ~ Emil Artin (b. Mar. 3, 1898), German mathematician.  He was married to Natalya Naumovna Yasnaya, also a mathematician.  He was born in Vienna, Austria.  He died of a heart attack at age 64 in Hamburg, Germany.

 

1961 ~ Moss Hart (b. Oct. 24, 1904), American playwright.  He was married to Kitty Carlisle.  He was born in New York, New York.  He died of a heart attack at age 57 in Palm Springs, California.

 

1954 ~ James Hilton (b. Sept. 9, 1900), English novelist best known for his novels, Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips.  He died of liver cancer at age 54 in Long Beach, California.

 

1929 ~ Émile Loubet (né Émile François Loubet; b. Dec. 30, 1838), President of France.  He served as President from February 1899 until February 1906.  He died 10 days before his 91st birthday.

 

1921 ~ Julius Petri (né Julius Richard Petri; b. May 31, 1852), German microbiologist and inventor of the Petri dish.  He died at age 69.

 

1812 ~ Sacagawea (b. May 1788), Native American guide to the Lewis and Clark expedition across the American Northwest.  The exact date of her birth is not known.  Some records indicate that she died in April 1884 at about age 95.

 

1765 ~ Louis, Dauphin of France (b. Sept. 4, 1729).  He was the heir apparent to the French throne, however, he predeceased his father.  He was married twice, first to Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain.  After her death, he married Duchess Maria Josepha of Saxony.  He was of the House of Bourbon.  He was the son of Louis XV, King of France and Marie Laszczyńska.  He died of tuberculosis at age 36.

 

1722 ~ Kangxi Emperor of China (b. May 4, 1654), Fourth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.  He ruled from February 1661 until his death 61 years later.  He was born in Beijing.  He died at age 68.

 

1552 ~ Katharina von Bora (b. Jan. 29, 1499), former nun and wife of Martin Luther.  She died at age 53.

 

1295 ~ Margaret of Provence (b. Spring 1221), Queen consort and wife of King Louis IX of France.  She was of the House of Barcelona.  She was the daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Beatrice of Savoy.  The exact date of her birth is not known, however, she is believed to have been 74 at the time of her death.

 

860 ~ Æthelbald, King of Wessex.  He was King of Wessex for approximately 5 years ~ from 855 until his death on this date in 860.  He was married to Judith of Flanders.  He was of the House of Wessex.  He was the son of Æthelwulf, King of Wessex and Osburh.  The date of his birth is not known.

 

910 ~ Alfonso III, King of Asturias (b. 848).  He reigned as king from 866 until his death 44 years later.  He was married to Jimena of Pamplona.  He was of the Astur-Leonese dynasty.  He was the son of Ordoño of Austurias and Nuña.

 

217 ~ Pope Zephyrinus.  He was Pope from 199 until his death on this date 18 years later.  He is best known for combatting heresies and defending the divinity of Christ.  The date of his birth is not known.


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