Birthdays:
1947 ~ Norman Lebrecht, British author and music critic, best known for his novel, The Song of Names. He was born in London, England.
1934 ~ Giorgio Armani, Italian fashion designer and founder of the Armani Company. He was born in Piacenza, Italy
1933 ~ Frank Kelso (né Frank Benton Kelso, III; d. June 23, 2013), Chief of Operations of the United States Navy from 1990 to 1994. He was born in Fayetteville, Tennessee. He died 18 days before his 80th birthday in Norfolk, Virginia.
1931 ~ Dave Toschi (né David Ramon Toschi; d. Jan. 6, 2018), American dogged detective who hunted the Zodiac serial killer. He was an inspector with the San Francisco Police Department from 1952 to 1987. For many years he had been assigned to the homicide detail. He was born and died in San Francisco, California. He died at age 86.
1931 ~ Tab Hunter (né Arthur Andrew Kelm; d. July 8, 2018), American Hollywood heartthrob who became a gay icon. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He died of cardiac arrest 3 days before his 87th birthday in Santa Barbara, California.
1930 ~ Harold Bloom (d. Oct. 14, 2019), American literary critic who revered the Western canon. He was born in New York, New York. He died at age 89 in New Haven, Connecticut.
1930 ~ Mike Foster, Jr. (né Murphy James Foster, Jr.; d. Oct. 4, 2020), American businessman and 53rd governor of Louisiana. He served in office from January 1996 to January 2004. His paternal grandfather, also named Murphy James Foster, was the 31st Governor of Louisiana. Both governors were born and died in Franklin, Louisiana. Murphy Foster, Jr., died at age 90.
1927 ~ Theodore Maiman (né Theodore Harold Maiman; d. May 5, 2007), American physicist credited with inventing the laser. He was born in Los Angeles, California. He died at age 79 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
1926 ~ Frederick Buechner (né Carl Frederick Buechner), American writer and Presbyterian minister. He was born in New York, New York.
1920 ~ Yul Brynner (né Yuliy Borisovich Briner; d. Oct. 10, 1985), Russian-born actor, best known for his role as Mongkut, the king of Siam in the musical, The King and I. He died at age 65 of lung cancer in Manhattan, New York.
1916 ~ Alexander Prokhorov (d. Jan. 8, 2002), Russian physicist and recipient of the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on lasers. He was born in Peeramon, Queensland, Australia. His parents were Russian revolutionaries who had emigrated from Russia to escape the tsarist government. The family returned to Russia in 1923. He died at age 85 in Moscow, Russia.
1916 ~ Mortimer Caplin (né Mortimer Maxwell Caplin; d. July 15, 2019), American tax attorney and Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from February 1961 until July 1964. He was born in New York, New York. He died in Chevy Chase, Maryland 4 days after his 103rd birthday.
1910 ~ John Paul Stapp (d. Nov. 13, 1999), American fighter pilot, medical researcher, and surgeon. He was known as the “fastest man on Earth.” The drove a rocket-powered sled at a speed of 632 miles per an hour before stopping. His research led to safer seat belts. He was born in Bahia, Brazil where his parents were missionaries. He died at age 89 in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
1903 ~ Rudolf Abel (né William August Fisher; d. Nov. 15, 1971), British-born Russian spy. He was captured in the United States and was later exchanged for Gary Powers in a prisoner exchange. This was recounted in the book and the movie Bridge of Spies. He was born in the United Kingdom. Abel died at age 68 in Moscow, Soviet Union.
1899 ~ Wilfrid Israel (né Wilfrid Berthold Jacob Israel; d. June 1, 1943), Anglo-German businessman and philanthropist. He was born into a wealthy Jewish family and was also active in rescuing many Jews from Nazi Germany. He played a significant role in the Kindertransport. He was killed at age 42 when the civilian plane he was traveling in from Lisbon to Bristol was shot down by a German fighter plane.
1899 ~ E.B. White (né Elwyn Brooks White; d. Oct. 1, 1985), American author, best known for his children’s novels, Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He died in North Brooklin, Maine at age 86.
1882 ~ Jim White (né James Larkin White; d. Apr. 26, 1946), American miner, explorer and park ranger. He discovered the Carlsbad Caverns. He was born in Mason County, Texas. He died at age 63 in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
1881 ~ Isabel Martin Lewis (née Isabel Martin; d. July 31, 1955), 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 74thbirthday.
1881 ~ Clarence B. Kelland (né Clarence Budington Kelland; d. Feb. 18, 1964), American writer who described himself as the “best second-rated writer in America.” He was born in Portland, Michigan. He died at age 82 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
1834 ~ James Abbott McNeill Whistler (d. July 17, 1903), American painter, best known for his painting officially entitled Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, but more commonly known as Whistler’s Mother. He was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. He died in London 7 days after his 69th birthday
1767 ~ John Quincy Adams (d. Feb. 23, 1848), 6th President of the United States. He was President from March 1825 until March 1829. He had previously served as the 8th United States Secretary of State during the James Monroe administration from September 1817 until March 1825. He was born in Braintree, Massachusetts. He died at age 80 in Washington, D.C.
1760 ~ Peggy Shippen (née Margaret Shippen; d. Aug. 24, 1804), American wife of Benedict Arnold. She was also an American Revolutionary War spy. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, British America. She died of cancer at age 44 in London, England.
1657 ~ Frederick I, King of Prussia (d. Feb. 25, 1713). He ruled Prussia from January 1701 until his death 12 years later. He was married three times, first to Elizabeth Henrietta of Hesse-Kassel, then to Sophia Charlotte of Hanover and then to Sophia Louise of Mencklenburg-Schwerin. He was of the House of Hohenzollern. He was the son of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, and Louise Henriette of Orange-Nassau. He died at age 55.
1274 ~ Robert I, King of the Scots (d. June 7, 1329). He was known as Robert the Bruce. He reigned from March 1306 until his death in 1329. He was married twice. His first wife was Isabella of Mar. His second wife was Elizabeth de Burgh. He was of the House of Bruce. He was the son of Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick. He died about a month before his 55th birthday.
Events that Changed the World:
2021 ~ Richard Brandon (b. 1950) and crew flew aboard his VSS Unity space plane more than 50 miles over the New Mexico desert. In doing so, the plane crossed the boundary that the United States military considers the threshold of space.
1973 ~ Varig Flight 820 crashed near Paris, France on its an emergency landing at Orly Airport. A fire had been started in the lavatory, hence the need for the emergency. Of the 134 passengers and crew on the plane, all but 11 were killed. In response to the accident, the FAA banned smoking in airplane bathrooms. It would be several years later before smoking in the cabin would be prohibited.
1972 ~ The first game of the World Chess Championship of 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer (1943 ~ 2008) and defending champion Boris Spassky (b. 1937) began. The last game of the series began on August 31, 1972. Bobby Fischer won the match becoming the 11th World Chess Champion.
1971 ~ The copper mines of Chile became nationalized.
1960 ~ To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (1926 ~ 2016), was first published.
1947 ~ The Exodus 1947 left France on its voyage to what is now Israel. The British Royal Navy subsequently seized the ship and deported all passengers to Europe.
1940 ~ The Vichy France regime was formally established. Philippe Pétain (1856 ~ 1951) was named the Chief of the French State. After World War II, he would be tried and convicted of treason.
1921 ~ Former United States President William Howard Taft (1857 ~ 1930) was sworn in as the 10th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. To date, he is the only person to hold both offices.
1914 ~ Babe Ruth (1895 ~ 1948) made his major league debut with the Boston Red Sox.
1906 ~ Grace Brown (1886 ~ 1906) was murdered by her lover, Chester Gillette (1883 ~ 1908), in what became a sensational murder and formed the inspiration for Theodore Dreiser’s novel, An American Tragedy. Gillette would be found guilty of the murder and was executed 2 years later.
1899 ~ The Fiat Automobile company was founded by Giovanni Agnelli (1866 ~ 1945) in Turin, Italy.
1893 ~ Kōkichi Mikimoto (1858 ~ 1954) successfully began to culture pearls.
1848 ~ The Waterloo rail station in London opened.
1804 ~ United States Vice President Aaron Burr (1756 ~ 1836) mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton (1757 ~ 1804) in a duel. Hamilton would die the following day.
1798 ~ The United States Marine Corps was re-established. It had been disbanded after the American Revolutionary War.
1750 ~ A devastating fire destroyed much of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1740 ~ The Jews were expelled from Little Russia, which is part of modern Ukraine.
1533 ~ Henry VIII, King of England was excommunicated by Pope Clement VII.
1346 ~ Charles IV, Count of Luxembourg (1316 ~ 1378) was elected Holy Roman Emperor.
Good-Byes:
2016 ~ William Powell (b. Dec. 6, 1949), American radical who wrote The Anarchist Cookbook when he was 19 years old. The book was a comprehensive “how-to” guide for insurrectionists. He later tried to atone for his actions in creating the book by co-founding a non-profit organization for handicapped and disabled children. He died of a heart attack while on vacation with his family. He was 66 years old.
2014 ~ Tommy Ramone (né Erdélyi Tamás; b. Jan. 29, 1949), Hungarian-American drummer who defied punk rock. He was the last surviving original member of the Ramones. He was born in Budapest, Hungary. He died of cancer at age 65 in Ridgewood, New York.
2013 ~ Egbert Brieskorn (b. July 7, 1936), German mathematician. He died 4 days after his 77th birthday.
2009 ~ Arturo Gatti (b. Apr. 15, 1972), Italian champion boxer who was known as “The Thunder.” He was most likely murdered by his wife although the circumstances of his death remain unclear. He was born in Cassino, Italy. He died in Ipojuca, Brazil. He was 37 years old.
2009 ~ Paul Hempill (né Paul James Hempill; b. Feb. 18, 1936), the American writer who chronicled the blue-collar South. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He died of throat cancer at age 73.
2008 ~ Chuck Stobbs (né Charles Klein Stobbs; b. July 2, 1929), American baseball pitcher who gave up baseball’s longest home run. On April 17, 1953, he pitched to Mickey Mantle, who blasted a 565-foot hit that is regarded as the longest home run ever. He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. He died in Sarasota, Florida of throat cancer 9 days after his 79th birthday.
2008 ~ Michael DeBakey (né Michel Dabaghi; b. Sept. 7, 1908), Lebanese-American cardiologist, surgeon and inventor, best known for being a pioneer in heart transplants. He made heart transplants seem routine. He was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He died at age 99 in Houston, Texas.
2007 ~ Lady Bird Johnson (née Claudia Alta Taylor; b. Dec. 22, 1912), First Lady of the United States and wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She was born in Karnack, Texas. She died at age 94 in West Lake Hills, Texas.
1989 ~ Sir Laurence Olivier, Baron Olivier (né Laurence Kerr Olivier; b. May 22, 1907), English actor. He died at age 82.
1987 ~ Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman (b. 1900), American rabbi and scholar. He died at age 87.
1983 ~ Ross Macdonald (né Kenneth Millar; b. Dec. 13, 1915), American-Canadian author of detective novels. His parents were Canadian and he was raised in Ontario, Canada. He was born in Los Gatos, California. He died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 67 in Santa Barbara, California.
1976 ~ Eric Baker (b. Sept. 22, 1920), British activist and co-founder of Amnesty International. He died at age 55.
1974 ~ Pär Lagerkvist (né Pär Fabian Lagerkvist, b. May 23, 1891), Swedish author and poet. He was the recipient of the 1951 Nobel Prize in Literature. He died at age 83 in Stockholm, Sweden.
1962 ~Edward Francis Hutton (b. Sept. 7, 1875), American businessman and financier. He was a co-founder of E.F. Hutton & Company. He was born in New York, New York. He died at age 86 in Westbury, New York.
1937 ~ George Gershwin (né Jacob Bruskin Gershowitz, b. Sept. 26, 1898), American composer. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He died at age 38 of a brain tumor in Los Angeles, California.
1920 ~ Eugénie de Montijo (b. May 5, 1826), wife of Napoleon III. She was born in Granada, Spain. She died at age 94 in Madrid, Spain.
1909 ~ Simon Newcomb (b. Mar. 12, 1835), Canadian-born American astronomer and mathematician. He was born in Wallace, Nova Scotia, Canada. He died of cancer at age 74 in Washington, D.C.
1906 ~ Grace Brown (née Grace Mae Brown; b. Mar. 20, 1886), American factory worker and murder victim who inspired Theodore Dreiser’s novel, An American Tragedy. Her boyfriend, Charles Gillette, killed her after he learned that she was pregnant. She was born in South Otselic, New York. She was drowned at age 20 in Big Moose Lake, New York.
1766 ~ Elisabeth Farnese (b. Oct. 25, 1692), Queen consort of Spain and second wife of Philip V, King of Spain. She was of the House of Farnese. She was the daughter of Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg. She died at age 73.
1451 ~ Barbara of Cilli (b. 1392), Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire. She was the second wife of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor. She was of the House of Cilli. She was the daughter of Herman II, Count of Celje and Countess Anna of Schaunberg. The exact date of her birth is not known, but she is believed to have been about 60 or 61 at the time of her death. She died of the plague epidemic in 1451.
1362 ~ Anna of Świdnica (b. 1330s), Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire. She was the 3rd wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. She was also known as Anna von Schweidnitz. She was of the House of Piast. She was the daughter of Henry II, Duke of Świdnica and Katharine of Hungary. The exact date of her birth is not known. She died in childbirth at about age 22 or 23.
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