October 19th

Today is the birthday

… of Bob Strauss, the politico and diplomat. Ambassador Strauss is 93.

… of John le Carré. The author is 80.

… of Peter Max. The artist is 74.

… of John Lithgow. He’s 66. Lithgow has twice been nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar — Terms of Endearment and The World According to Garp.

… of Jeannie C. Riley, singer of the 1968 hit “Harper Valley P.T.A.” She, too, is 66.

… of one of the evil influences in American political life. Grover Norquist is 55.

… of Jennifer Holliday. The Tony Award winner is 51.

… of Evander Holyfield, 49.

… of one-time first daughter Amy Carter. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s little girl is 44.

… of Academy Award nominee for directing Jason Reitman. He’s 34. The nomination was for Juno.

Robert Reed was born on this date in 1932. A fine actor but one who will always be remembered most as the dad on The Brady Bunch. Reed’s best TV role was as Kenneth Preston, son in the excellent early 1960s father-son lawyer drama The Defenders. His father was played by E. G. Marshall. Reed died in 1992.

Winston Hubert McIntosh was born on this date in 1944. A founding member of The Wailers, Peter Tosh also was an international solo star and songwriter. He was shot and killed along with five others by a friend during an argument on September 11, 1987.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 22% (508 points) on Black Monday, October 19, 1987. Shouldn’t they have called it Red Monday?