July 22nd

Bob Dole is 86 today.

Oscar-winning actress Louise Fletcher, Nurse Ratched, is 75.

Tom Robbins is 73 today.

He’s known for novels such as Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976), Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas (1994), and Villa Incognito (2003). He says that when he starts a book, he has no idea of what the story will be. He never outlines and never revises. He just works on each sentence until he thinks it’s perfect, sometimes for more than an hour, and then he moves on to the next one. He said, “I’m probably more interested in sentences than anything else in life.”

The Writer’s Almanac

69. How old is Jeopardy host Alex Trebek today?

One-time supporting actor Oscar nominee Albert Brooks, Danny Glover and The Eagles Don Henley all turn 62 today

Two-time Oscar nominee for best actor Willem Dafoe, aka the Green Goblin, aka Jesus, is 54.

David Spade is 45.

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on July 22nd in 1890. She lived until January 22, 1995. According to The Writer’s Almanac:

There’s a cocktail named after her and it’s popular in bars on the East Coast (order a “Rose Kennedy”). It has vodka, club soda, and a splash of cranberry juice — which gives it a “rose” color. It’s served with a wedge of lemon or lime and is especially popular at gay bars, reportedly, because it’s low in calories.