June 6

Birthdays:

1956~ Björn Borg (né Björn Rune Borg), Swedish tennis player.

1955~ Sandra Bernhard, American actress.

1952~ Harvey Fierstein (né Harvey Forbes Fierstein), American actor and playwright.

1944~ Phillip Allen Sharp, American geneticist and molecular biologist. He was the recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

1943~ Richard Smalley (d. Oct. 28, 2005), American chemist and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.  He died of leukemia at age 62.

1936~ Levi Stubbs (né Levi Stubbles, d. Oct. 17, 2008), African-American soulful baritone who helped define the Motown sound.  He was the lead singer of The Four Tops.  He died at age 72.

1933~ Heinrich Rohrer (d. May 16, 2013), Swiss physicist and recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics.  He died 21 days before his 80^th birthday.

1925~ Maxine Kumin (d. Feb. 6, 2014), American Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who wrote about her farm.  She died in Warner, New Hampshire.  She was 88 years old.

1923~ V.C. Andrews (née Cleo Virginia Andrews, d. Dec. 19, 1986), American author, illustrator and painter.  She was best known for writing in the Gothic horror genre.  She died of breast cancer at age 63.

1919~ Peter Carington, 6^th Baron Carrington, English politician and 6^th Secretary General of NATO.

1918~ Edwin G. Krebs (né Edwin Gerhard Krebs, d. Dec. 21, 2009), American biochemist and recipient of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.  He was 91 years old.

1917~ Kirk Kerkorian (né Kerkor Kerkorian, d. June 15, 2015), American businessman and high-rolling investor who shook up Las Vegas.  He is known for having been one of the most important figures in shaping Las Vegas.  He built the world’s largest hotels in Las Vegas, including the International Hotel, the MGM Grand Hotel and the MGM Grand. He died a week after his 98^th birthday.  He was 98 years old.

1913~ Mignon McLaughlin (d. Dec. 20, 1983), American journalist and author. She died at age 70.

1906~ Max August Zorn (d. Mar. 9, 1993), German mathematician.  He died of congestive heart failure at age 86.

1892~ Donald F. Duncan, Sr. (d. May 15, 1971), American toymaker and founder of the Duncan Toys Company.  He was killed in a car accident 22 days before his 79^thbirthday.

1875~ Thomas Mann (né Paul Thomas Mann, d. Aug. 12, 1955), German novelist and recipient of the 1929 Nobel Prize for Literature.  He died at age 80.

1872~ Alexandra Feodorovna (née Alix of Hess and by Rhine, d. July 17, 1918), German-born wife and Tsarina of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.  She was assassinated at age 46.

1868~ Sir Robert Falcon Scott (d. Mar. 29, 1912), English explorer and leader of the Scott expedition to the South Pole.  After reaching the South Pole, he and several other members of his expedition died of exhaustion and cold.  He was 43 years old.

1867~ David T. Abercrombie (né David Thomas Abercrombie, d. Aug. 29, 1931), American businessman and co-founder of the clothing store, Abercrombie and Fitch.  He died at age 64.

1857~ Aleksandr Lyapynov (d. Nov. 3, 1918), Russian mathematician.  He committed suicide at age 61 following the death of his wife, who had died of tuberculosis.

1850~ Karl Ferdinand Braun (d. Apr. 20, 1918), German physicist and recipient of the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics.  He died at age 67.

1799~ Alexander Pushkin (d. Feb. 10, 1837), Russian poet.  He died at age 37 from injuries sustained in a duel with his brother-in-law.

1756~ John Trumbull (d. Nov. 10, 1843), American painter.  Much of his work was done during the period of the American Revolution.  He died at age 87.

1755~ Nathan Hale (d. Sept. 22, 1776), American patriot during the American Revolutionary War.  He was a captain in the Continental Army.  He was hanged by the British as a spy.  Before he died, he stated: I only regret that I have but one life to give my country.  He was 21 years old.

1599~ Diego Valázquez (d. Aug. 6, 1660), Spanish painter.  The exact date of his birth is not known, but he was baptized on June 6, 1599.  He died at age 61.

1553~ Bernardino Baldi (d. Oct. 10, 1617), Italian mathematician.  He died at age 64.

1436~ Regiomontanus (né Johannes Müller von Königsberg, d. July 6, 1476), German mathematician and astronomer.  He died a month after his 40^th birthday.

Events that Changed the World:

1984~ The video game Tetriswas released.

1982~ The 1982 Lebanon War began when forced under Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon (1928 ~ 2014) invaded southern Lebanon in the Operation Peace for the Galilee.

1946~ The National Basketball Association (NBA) was created.  There were initially 11 teams in the league.

1944~ D-Day, when Allied troops landed on the German-held coast of Normandy in France during World War II.

1934~ The Securities Act of 1933 was signed into law, thereby creating the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

1933~ The first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey.

1932~ The Revenue Act of 1932 was enacted, thereby creating the first gas tax in the United States.  Gas was taxed at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon.

1912~ The volcano Novarupta in what is now Alaska began to erupt.

1892~ The Chicago commuter rail line, affectionately referred to as the El, began operation.

1892~ President Benjamin Harrison (1833 ~ 1901) became the first United States President to attend a baseball game while in office.  He attended a game, hosted by the Washington Senators against the Cincinnati Reds.  The home team lost.

1889~ The Great Seattle Fire destroyed downtown Seattle.

1862~ During the Battle of Memphis, Union forces captured the city from the Confederate Army.

1844~ The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London, England.

1833~ President Andrew Jackson (1767 ~ 1845) became the first United States President to ride on a train.

1752~ A fire destroyed over 18,000 homes in Moscow, Russia.

1683~ The Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University in England opened as the world’s first university museum.

1654~ King Charles X Gustav of Sweden (1622 ~ 1660) succeeded his abdicated cousin Queen Christina (2626 ~ 1689) to the Swedish throne.  She abdicated the throne to convert to Catholicism.

1586~ Sir Francis Drake’s forces raided St. Augustine in Spanish-controlled area that is now Florida.

1523~ Gustav Vasa (1496 ~ 1560) was crowned king of Sweden.

Good-Byes:

2015~ Ronnie Gilbert (née Ruth Alice Gilbert, b. Sept. 7, 1926), American folksinger who was blacklisted in the 1950s during a period of anti-communist sediment due to her left-wing sympathies. She was one of the original members of The Weavers.  She was 88 years old.

2013~ Thomas Ridley Sharpe (b. Mar. 30, 1928), British novelist who fused satire and smut.  He died at age 85.

2013~ Esther Williams (née Esther Jane Williams, b. Aug. 8, 1921), American athlete who swam to Hollywood stardom.  She was also an actress.  She was 91 years old.

2013~ Jerome Karle (né Jerome Karfunkle, b. June 18, 1918), American chemist and recipient of the 1985 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the direct analysis of crystal structures using X-ray scattering techniques. He died 12 days before his 95^th birthday.

2009~ Jean Dausset (b. Oct. 19, 1916), French immunologist and recipient of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He died at age 92.

2006~ Billy Preston (né William Everett Preston, b. Sept. 2, 1946), American singer-songwriter and musician.  He died of kidney disease at age 59.

2005~ Anne Bancroft (née Anna Maria Louisa Italiano, b. Sept. 17, 1931), American actress.  She is best known for her role as Mrs. Robinson in the movie The Graduate.  She died of uterine cancer at age 73.

1997~ Magda Gabor (née Magdolna Gábor, b. June 11, 1915), Hungarian-American actress and sister to Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor.  She died 5 days before her 82^nd birthday.

1996~ George Davis Snell (b. Dec. 19, 1903), American geneticist and recipient of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was born in Massachusetts.  He died at age 92 in Bar Harbor, Maine.

1991~ Stan Getz (né Stanley Gayetski, b. Feb. 2, 1927), American saxophonist.  He died of liver cancer at age 64.

1979~ Jack Haley (né John Joseph Haley, b. Aug. 10, 1898), American actor best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz.  He was born in Boston, Massachusetts.  He died of a heart attack at age 81.

1976~ J. Paul Getty (né Jean Paul Getty, b. Dec. 15, 1892), American industrialist and founder of the Getty Oil Company. His name-sake grandson, who had been kidnapped 5 months earlier, was found alive on Getty’s 81^st birthday.  He died at age 83.

1968~ Robert F. Kennedy (né Robert Francis Kennedy, b. Nov. 20, 1925), American politician.  He was the 64^th Attorney General of the United States.  He served during the presidency of his brother, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson.  He died from gunshot wounds sustained a day earlier.  He was 42 years old.

1961~ Carl Jung (né Carl Gustav Jung, b. July 26, 1875), Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist.  He died at age 85.

1948~ Louis Lumière (b. Oct. 5, 1864), French movie director.  He and his brother Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas Lumière (1862 ~ 1954) are considered the first film directors.  Louis died at age 83.  Auguste died at age 91.

1948~ Charles Nash (né Charles William Nash, b. Jan. 28, 1864), American automobile entrepreneur and founder of the Nash Motors company.  He died at age 84.

1947~ James Agate (né James Evershed Agate, b. Sept. 9, 1877), English author and critic.  He died of heart disease at age 69.

1946~ Gerhard Johann Robert Hauptmann (b. Nov. 15, 1862), German dramatist and novelist.  He was the recipient of the 1912 Nobel Prize in Literature.  He died at age 83.

1941~ Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (b. Dec. 25, 1878), Swiss-born American racecar driver and co-founder of the Chevrolet Car Company. He died at age 62 as a result of complications from leg surgery.

1922~ Lillian Russell (née Helen Louise Leonard, b. Dec. 4, 1860), American actress.  The year of her birth is sometimes listed as 1861.  She died at age 60 or 61.

1898~ Eli Lilly (b. July 8, 1838), American industrialist and pharmaceutical chemist.  He was the founder of Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company.  He died of cancer about a month before his 60^th birthday.

1891~ Sir John A. Macdonald (néSir John Alexander Macdonald, b. Jan. 11, 1815), 1^st Prime Minister of Canada.  He served as Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Victoria, from October 1878 until June 1891.  He died at age 76.

1862~ Thomas Dyer (b. Jan. 13, 1805), 18^th Mayor of Chicago.  He was mayor from 1856 until 1857.  He died at age 57.

1832~ Jeremy Bentham (b. Feb. 15, 1748), English philosopher, jurist and social reformer.  He died at age 84.

1799~ Patrick Henry (b. May 29, 1736), Early American patriot and politician.  He served as the first and sixth Governor of Virginia.  He died 8 days after his 63^rd birthday.