August 20th is the birthday

… of Issac Hayes. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is 65.

Isaac Hayes is a multi-faceted talent: songwriter, producer, sideman, solo artist, film scorer, actor, rapper and deejay. He has been hugely influential on the rap movement as both a spoken-word pioneer and larger-than-life persona who’s influenced everyone from Barry White to Puff Daddy. Hayes is best known for his soundtrack to Shaft, one of the first and best “blaxploitation” films, and for the song “Theme from ‘Shaft,’” a Top Ten hit. But his varied resume boasts everything from backing up Otis Redding and writing for Sam and Dave and others at Stax Records in the Sixties to serving as the voice of Chef on South Park in the Nineties.

… of Connie Chung. The newscaster is 61.

… of Robert Plant. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (as part of Led Zeppelin) is 59.

… of Al Roker. The weatherman who’s not half of what he used to be is 53.

… of Joan Allen. The three-time Oscar nominee — Nixon, The Crucible, The Contender — is 51.

Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president, was born on this date in 1833. Until Jenna or Barbara Bush gets the job, Harrison remains the only grandchild of a president to also be president.