August 18

Birthdays:

1978~ Andy Samberg (né Andrew David Samberg), American actor.

1974~ Nicole Krauss, American novelist.  She was married to author Jonathan Safran Foer for 10 years, from 2004 to 2014.

1970~ Malcolm-Jamal Warner, American actor best known for his role as Theo on The Cosby Show.

1969~ Edward Norton (né Edward Harrison Norton), American actor.  He was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

1969~ Christian Slater (né Christian Michael Leonard Slater), American actor.

1961~ Timothy Geithner (né Timothy Franz Geithner), 75^thSecretary of the United States Treasury.  He served in President Obama’s first administration from January 2009 through January 2013.

1958~ Madeleine Stowe (née Madeleine Marie Stowe), American actress.

1957~ Denis Leary (né Dennis Colin Leary), American actor and comedian.  He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.

1952~ Patrick Swayze (né Patrick Wayne Swayze; d. Sept. 14, 2009), American actor and dancer.  He died of pancreatic cancer a month after his 57^thbirthday.

1943~ Martin Mull (néMartin Eugene Mull), American actor and comedian.

1936~ Robert Redford (né Charles Robert Redford, Jr.), American actor.

1934~ Roberto Clemente (né Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker; d. Dec. 31, 1972), Puerto Rican baseball player who was killed an in plane crash during a humanitarian mission delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.  He was 38 years old.

1933~ Roman Polanski (né Rajmund Roman Thierry Polański), Polish-born director.  He was the husband of slain actress Sharon Tate.  He has been a fugitive from the United States since 1978.  He fled the country after having pled guilty to statutory rape.

1932~ Luc Montagnier (né Luc Antoine Montagnier), French microbiologist and recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

1927~ Rosalynn Carter (née Eleanor Rosalynn Smith), First Lady of the United States and wife of President Jimmy Carter.

1925~ Brian Aldiss (né Brian Wilson Aldiss; d. Aug. 19, 2017), British author who wrote darkly imaginative science fiction.  He died 1 day after his 92^ndbirthday.

1920~ Shelley Winters (née Shirley Schrift; d. Jan. 14, 2006), American actress best known for her role in The Poseidon Adventure.  She died of heart failure at age 85.

1917~ Caspar Weinberger (né Caspar Willard Weinberger; d. Mar. 28, 2006), American politician and 15^thUnited States Secretary of Defense.  He served as Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan from January 1981 until November 1987.  He had previously served as the 10^thUnited States Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.  He died of pneumonia at age 88 in Bangor, Maine.

1914~ Lucy Ozarin (née Lucy Dorothy Ozarin; d. Sept. 17, 2017), American United States Navy lieutenant commander and psychiatrist.  She was one of the first female psychiatrists in the Navy. She died a month after her 103^rdbirthday.

1904~ Max Factor, Jr. (néFrancis Factor; d. July 7, 1996), Polish-born cosmetics entrepreneur.  He died of a heart attack at age 91.

1902~ Margaret Murie (née Margaret Thomas; d. Oct. 19, 2003), American environmentalist and author.  She is known as the Grandmother of the Conservation Movement.  She died at age 101.

1834~ Marshall Field (d. Jan. 16, 1906), American merchant and founder of Marshall Field’s and Company, a famous department store in Chicago.  He was born in Massachusetts.  He died at age 71 from pneumonia.

1830~ Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria (d. Nov. 21, 1916).  He reigned in Austria from December 1848 until his death in 1916. He died at age 86.

1807~ Charles F. Adams, Sr. (néCharles Francis Adams; d. Nov. 21, 1886), American diplomat.  He was the son of President John Quincy Adams and the grandson of President Adams.  He was born and died in Boston, Massachusetts. He died at age 79.

1803~ Nathan Clifford (d. July 25, 1881), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  He was nominated to the High Court by President James Buchanan.  He served on the Court from January 1858 until his death on this date 23 years later.  He replaced Benjamin Curtis and was succeeded by Horace Gray.  Prior to his appointment to the High Court, he served as the 19^thUnited States Attorney General.  He served as Attorney General during the James Polk administration.  He was born in Rumney, New Hampshire and died in Cornish, Maine.  He died 24 days before his 78^thbirthday.

1792~ John Russell, 1^stEarl Russell (d. May 28, 1878), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.  He served as Prime Minister for two terms, the first from June 1846 to February 1852 and again from October 1865 until June 1866.  Both terms were during the reign of Queen Victoria.  He died at age 85.

1774~ Meriwether Lewis (d. Oct. 11, 1809), American explorer, who, along with William Clark, lead the famous Lewis and Clark expedition and the Oregon Trail. He also served as the 2^ndGovernor of the Louisiana territory.  He died under mysterious circumstances that might either have been murder or suicide.  He was 35 years old.

1750~ Antonio Salieri (d. May 7, 1825), Italian composer.  He died at age 74.

1685~ Brook Taylor (d. Dec. 29, 1731), English mathematician.  He died at age 46.

1587~ Virginia Dare (d. unknown), the first English child born in North America.  She was the granddaughter of John White, the governor of the Roanoke colony.  When he returned to the colony on this date in 1590, following a supply trip to England, the Roanoke colony was gone.

Events that Changed the World:

1983~ Hurricane Alicia struck the Texas coast killing 22 people.

1963~ James Meredith (b. 1933) became the first African American to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

1958~ The controversial novel, Lolilta, by Vladimir Nabokov (1899 ~ 1977) was published in the United States.

1938~ President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 ~ 1945) dedicated the Thousand Island Bridge, which connected New York State with Ontario, Canada over the St. Lawrence River.

1920~ The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified thereby guaranteeing woman’s right to vote.

1868~ French astronomer Pierre Janssen (1824 ~ 1907) discovered helium.

1826~ Major Gordon Laing (1794 ~ 1826) became the first European and non-Muslim to enter Timbuktu.  He was killed about a month later, shortly after leaving Timbuktu, by Tuareg raiders.

Good-Byes:

2019~ Kathleen Blanco (née Kathleen Babineaux; b. Dec. 15, 1942), American politician and 54^thGovernor of Louisiana.  She was the first female Governor of Louisiana.  She served from January 2004 through January 2008, during which Hurricane Katrina swept through the State.  She was born in New Iberia, Louisiana.  She died of cancer at age 76.

2018~ Kofi Annan (né Kofi Atta Annan; b. Apr. 8, 1938), Ghanaian United Nations leader who pushed for humanitarian intervention.  He was a diplomat and 7^thSecretary-General of the United Nations.  He served as Secretary-General from January 1997 through December 2006.  He died at age 80.

2014~ Don Pardo (né Dominick George Pardo; b. Feb. 22, 1918), American radio and television announcer who became one of televisions most recognizable voices. His career spanned over 70 years. He was born in Westfield, Massachusetts. He died at age 96.

2009~ Robert Novak (né Robert David Sanders Novak; b. Feb. 26, 1931), American journalist.  He died at age 78 of complications due to brain cancer.

2009~Kim Dae-jung (b. Jan. 6, 1925), President of South Korea.  He served in Office from February 1998 through February 2003.  He was the recipient of the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize.  He died at age 85.

1994~ Richard Synge (né Richard Laurence Millington Synge; b. Oct. 28, 1914), British biochemist and recipient of the 1952 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.  He died at age 79.

1990~ B.F. Skinner (né Burrhus Frederick Skinner; b. Mar. 20, 1904), American psychologist.  He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts at age 86.

1981~ Anita Loos (née Corinne Anita Loos; b. Apr. 26, 1889), American writer. She is best known for her comic novel, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.  She died at age 92.

1940~ Walter Chrysler (né Walter Percy Chrysler, b. Apr. 2, 1875), American automobile pioneer and founder of the Chrysler company.  He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 65.

1919~ Joseph E. Seagram (néJoseph Emm Seagram; b. Apr. 15, 1841), Canadian politician, philanthropist and founder of the Seagram Company, Ltd.  He died at age 78.

1886~ Eli Whitney Blake, Sr. (b. Jan. 27, 1795), American engineer and inventor of the Mortise lock.  He was the nephew of inventor Eli Whitney.  He died at age 91.

1850~ Honoré de Balzac (b. May 20, 1799), French novelist.  He died at age 51.

1765~ Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. Dec. 8, 1708).  He reigned as the Holy Roman Emperor from September 1745 until his death 20 years later.  He was married to Maria Theresa of Austria.  He died at age 56.

1620~ Wanli Emperor (b. Sept. 4, 1563), 14^thEmperor of the Ming dynasty.  He died 17 days before his 57^thbirthday.

1559~ Pope Paul IV (né Gian Pietro Carafa; b. June 28, 1476).  He was Pope from May 1555 until his death 4 years later in August 1559.  He was 83 years old.

1503~ Pope Alexander VI (né Roderic Liançoi i de Borja; b. Jan. 1, 1431).  He was Pope from August 11, 1492 until his death 11 years later.  He died at age 72.

1276~ Pope Adrian V (né Ottobuono de’Fieshi; b. 1220). He was Pope for approximately 1 month, from July 11 until his death on this date.  The exact date of his birth is unknown.

1227~ Genghis Khan (b. 1162), leader of the Mongol Empire. He is believed to have been about 65 at the time of his death.  This date of his birth is unknown.

1095~ King Olaf I of Denmark (b. 1050).  The date of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been about 45 at the time of his death.

440~ Pope Sixtus III.  He was Pope from July 31, 432 until his death on this date 8 years later. The date of his birth is unknown.