February 4th is the birthday

… of Conrad Bain. The actor (Maude, Diff’rent Strokes) is 84.

… of John Steel. The Animals drummer (and therefore Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee) is 66.

Inductees: Eric Burdon (vocals; born May 11, 1941), Chas Chandler (bass; born December 18, 1938), Alan Price (keyboards; born April 19, 1942), John Steel (drums; born February 4, 1941), Hilton Valentine (guitar; born May 22, 1943)

The Animals were part of the budding, homegrown U.K. blues scene of the early Sixties and one of the most noteworthy bands of the British Invasion. Formed in Newcastle-on-Tyne, a port city and coal-mining hub in northeast England, the Animals reflected their upbringing with brawling, blues-based rock and roll. The group derived its inspiration – and much of its early repertoire – from American blues and R&B sources, adapting them to their native British working-class sensibility. Eric Burdon was among the best white R&B singers of the Sixties. His gruff, soulful vocals brought out the anguish in such anthems as “It’s My Life” and “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” The band’s sound was also heavily defined by Alan Price’s organ playing, which provided dramatic accents and a blues-jazz atmosphere. The other founding members – guitarist Hilton Valentine, bassist Chas Chandler and drummer John Steel – balanced Burdon’s earthiness and Price’s melodic finesse.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

… of David Brenner. The comedian is 62 today.

… of Dan Quayle. The former VP is 60.

… of Alice Cooper. The rocker is 59.

Well we got no choice all the girls and boys
Makin’ all that noise ’cause they found new toys
Well we can’t salute ya can’t find a flag
If that don’t suit ya that’s a drag
School’s out for summer school’s out forever
School’s been blown to pieces
No more pencils no more books no more teacher’s dirty looks yeah

… of Lawrence Taylor. The NFL hall-of-famer is 48. NewMexiKen was at RFK the night Lawrence Taylor ended Joe Theismann’s career by smashing his leg. There were great linebackers before Taylor, but he was the first of the new breed.

A dominant force on defense, Taylor was named first-team All-Pro in each of his first nine seasons. His ability to dominate a game with his attack style changed the outside linebacker position from a read-and-react posture to an aggressive mode.

An intense player, he had the speed to run past offensive linemen and the strength to out-muscle them.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

… of Clint Black. The country music star is 45.

Ain’t it funny how a melody can bring back a memory,
Take you to another place and time,
Completely change your state of mind.

It’s also the birthday of Rosa Parks. The soul of the civil rights movement was born on this date in 1913.

Byron Nelson, the golfer who once won 11 PGA events in a row, 18 in one year and 52 overall including five majors, was born on this date in 1912. He retired in 1946 at age 34.

Charles Lindbergh was born on this date in 1902.

And George Washington was elected the first President of the United States on this date in 1789 when all 69 electors voting cast their ballot for him. John Adams was second with 34, becoming Vice President. (Each elector had two votes.) Coming in third with nine votes was?