Individuals born on this date with an emphasis on American history and culture, including pop culture.
… was born on this date in 1913.
Lombardi is the legendary football coach. You know — the one the Super Bowl trophy is named for.
Some Lombardisms:
Vince Lombardi died in 1970 at age 57.
… was born 84 years ago today. We know her as Judy Garland. She was just under 5-feet tall and the need for weight-control lead her to drugs, which controlled much of her adult life. She died of a barbiturate overdose at age 47.
Ms. Garland was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for A Star is Born (1955) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Judgment at Nuremberg (1962). She won a special “Juvenile Oscar” for The Wizard of Oz (1940).
… is 72 today. He debuted in the Disney Silly Symphony cartoon “The Wise Little Hen” on this date in 1934. (Donald Duck is one of three Disney characters with an “official” birthday. The others are Mickey and Minnie, who debuted on November 18, 1928.)
Donald Duck actually appeared in more theatrical cartoons than Mickey Mouse — 128. Donald’s middle name is Fauntleroy.
Q: Why does Donald Duck wear a towel when getting out of the shower when he usually doesn’t even wear pants?
A: Donald puts a towel when he gets out of the shower to dry off! When he gets out of the shower he’s pretty wet and doesn’t want to drip water all over the bathroom floor.
Seriously, Donald Duck was created as a human-like character. He reacts to many situations the same way that a man would. Since a man would normally wrap a towel around his waist when stepping out of the shower, so does Donald.
Q: What are the names of Donald Duck’s nephews? Who was their mother?
A: Donald’s nephews are Huey, Dewey, and Louie. They made their debut in the Donald Duck Sunday comic page on October 17, 1937, and first appeared on film in “Donald’s Nephews” in 1938. Huey wears red, Dewey wears blue, and Louie wears green.Their mother was Donald’s sister, Dumbella Duck.
… of Lester William Polfus, who is 91 today. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as Les Paul.
The name Les Paul is synonymous with the electric guitar. As a player, inventor and recording artist, Paul has been an innovator from the early years of his life. Born Lester William Polfus in 1915 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Paul built his first crystal radio at age nine – which was about the time he first picked up a guitar. By age 13 he was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist and working diligently on sound-related inventions. In 1941, Paul built his first solid-body electric guitar, and he continued to make refinements to his prototype throughout the decade. He also worked on refining the technology of sound, developing revolutionary engineering techniques such as close miking, echo delay and multitracking. All the while he busied himself as a bandleader who could play both jazz and country music.
… of Dick Vitale. He’s 67, baby! Not exactly a diaper dandy.
… of Michael J. Fox — 45.
… of West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin — also 45.
… of twice nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar (in two remarkably disparate roles) Johnny Depp. He’s 43.
… of Queen (aka Princess) (aka Senator) Padmé Naberrie Amidalais. She’s also known as Evey Hammond (V for Vendetta), Sara (Cold Mountain), Sam (Garden State) and Alice (Closer). That’s Natalie Portman. She’s all of 25.
… is 81 today. And they say the good die young.
… was born on this date in 1925. The 3-feet 7-inch Gaedel came to bat for the St. Louis Browns in 1951. He was, according to Browns owner Bill Veeck, “the best darn midget who ever played big-league ball.”
Read about Gaedel’s time at the plate, told as the first chapter of Veeck’s autobiography, Veeck as in Wreck — “When Eddie went into that crouch, his strike zone was just about visible to the naked eye. I picked up a ruler and measured it for posterity. It was 1½ inches. Marvelous.”
… was born on this date in 1867.
For more than 70 years, Frank Lloyd Wright showed his countrymen new ways to build their homes and see the world around them. He created some of the most monumental, and some of the most intimate spaces in America. He designed everything: banks and resorts, office buildings and churches, a filling station and a synagogue, a beer garden and an art museum.
PBS has a locator to the more than 60 Wright buildings open to the public. It includes building names, locations, photographs and maps.
… the voice of Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Private Snafu, Sylvester, Tweety, Yosemite Sam, Pepe Le Pew, Foghorn Leghorn, Speedy Gonzalez, Marvin Martian, Wile E. Coyote, Tasmanian Devil, Barney Rubble, Tom, Jerry, Woody Woodpecker’s laugh and Jack Benny’s Maxwell automobile was born on this date in 1908.
Blanc was in a serious automobile accident in 1961 that left him comatose. Unable to bring him out of the coma for weeks, in desperation the doctor finally said to him, “How are you today, Bugs Bunny?” Blanc reportedly answered, “Eh…just fine, Doc,” in his Bugs voice and began to recover.
Mel Blanc died in 1989. His epitaph reads: “That’s All Folks!”
Were he still alive, John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, would be 89 today.
… of Jerry West, 68 today. West was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
… of John Fogerty, 61 today. Fogerty was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 with Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The Dionne Quintuplets were born in Corbeil, Ontario, Canada, 72 years ago today. Read what NewMexiKen has reported previously about the Quints.
… was born near Prague, Oklahoma, on this date in 1888. His Sac and Fox given name was Wa-Tho-Huk (Bright Path). We know him as Jim Thorpe.
Thorpe was named by ESPN as the 7th greatest athlete of the 20th century (after Jordan, Ruth, Ali, Brown, Gretsky and Owens). Read the biographical essay, Thorpe preceded Deion, Bo.
A couple of items from the biography:
… of Ian McKellen. Gandalf and Sir Leigh Teabing is 67 today. McKellen has been nominated for two Oscars, one each for best actor and best supporting actor.
… of Frank Oz. The voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Cookie Monster, Bert, Grover, Yoda and so many more, is 62 today.
… of Mike Myers. Austin Powers and Shrek is 43.
Miles Davis was born on this date in 1926. The web site for JAZZ A Film By Ken Burns has a brief introduction to Miles Davis.
Babe Ruth hit the 714th (and last) home run of his career on this date in 1935.
… was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on this date 65 years ago. That’s Bob Dylan, of course.
From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
Bob Dylan is the pre-eminent poet/lyricist and songwriter of his time. He re-energized the folk-music genre, brought a new lyrical depth to rock and roll when he went electric, and bridged the worlds of rock and country by recording in Nashville. As much as he’s played the role of renegade throughout his career, Dylan has also kept the rock and roll community mindful of its roots by returning often to them. With his songs, Dylan has provided a running commentary on a restless age. His biting, imagistic and often cryptic lyrics served to capture and define the mood of a generation. For this, he’s been elevated to the role of spokesmen – and yet the elusive and reclusive Dylan won’t even admit to being a poet. “I don’t call myself a poet because I don’t like the word,” he has said.
From the All Music Guide entry by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:
Bob Dylan’s influence on popular music is incalculable. As a songwriter, he pioneered several different schools of pop songwriting, from confessional singer/songwriter to winding, hallucinatory, stream-of-conscious narratives. As a vocalist, he broke down the notions that in order to perform, a singer had to have a conventionally good voice, thereby redefining the role of vocalist in popular music. As a musician, he sparked several genres of pop music, including electrified folk-rock and country-rock. And that just touches on the tip of his achievements. Dylan’s force was evident during his height of popularity in the ’60s — the Beatles’ shift toward introspective songwriting in the mid-’60s never would have happened without him — but his influence echoed throughout several subsequent generations. Many of his songs became popular standards, and his best albums were undisputed classics of the rock & roll canon. Dylan’s influence throughout folk music was equally powerful, and he marks a pivotal turning point in its 20th century evolution, signifying when the genre moved away from traditional songs and toward personal songwriting. Even when his sales declined in the ’80s and ’90s, Dylan’s presence was calculable.
… the first passenger railroad in the U.S. began service between Baltimore and Ellicott’s Mills, Maryland, in 1830. That’s 13 miles.
… the first telegraph message was transmitted by Samuel F. B. Morse in 1844. Sent from Washington to Baltimore it said, “What hath God wrought!”
… the Brooklyn Bridge opened on this date in 1883. Click here for every fact you ever needed to know about this landmark.
… the first Major League Baseball night game was played in Cincinnati in 1935. The Reds beat the Phillies 2-1. The Reds played seven night games that year (one against each National League opponent).
Tommy Chong, he’s Chong of Cheech and Chong, is 68.
“Radar,” that is Gary Burghoff, is 63.
… of Peter Matthiessen (79) and Garry Wills (72). The Writer’s Almanac has a good essay on each today, or you can hear Garrison Keillor tell you about these two fine writers.
… of Joe Cocker. He’s 62. Deadwood’s Timothy Olyphant is 38.
And James Stewart was born on this date in 1908. Stewart received five best actor Oscar nominations in his long career, but won only for The Philadelphia Story in 1941.
But the big birthday news is that today, May 20, 2006, Cher is 60.
It’s their birthday. Not as much fun as last year when Winger (50) + Korbut (50) = Fonda (100), but here’s the info.
Henry Fonda was born May 16, 1905, in Grand Island, Nebraska. Seems hard to believe but Fonda was only nominated for an acting Oscar twice — for Grapes of Wrath and On Golden Pond. He won for the latter in 1982, a few months before his death. Particular favorite Fonda films (other than those two): 12 Angry Men, Mister Roberts, My Darling Clementine (he played Wyatt Earp), The Ox-Bow Incident (with sidekick Harry Morgan, aka Col. Sherman Potter) and, maybe best of all, as Clarence Earl Gideon in Gideon’s Trumpet (made when Fonda was 75).
Actress Debra Winger and gymnast Olga Korbut both turn 51 today. Winger has been nominated for the best actress Oscar three times — Shadowlands (1993), Terms of Endearment (1983) and An Officer and a Gentleman (1982). Korbut is the Belarusian gymnast who, pixie-like, revolutionized gymnastics. She became it’s first TV superstar while winning three gold medals and one silver at the 1972 Olympic Games. For a few days she was the talk of the planet.
Elsewhere, Studs Terkel is 94, Pierce Brosnan is 53, Janet Jackson is 40, Gabriela Sabatini is 36 and Tori Spelling is 33.
Woody Herman (1913) and Billy Martin (1928) were born on May 16.
… was born on this date in 1856. Mr. Baum is, of course, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, first published in September 1900. The Library of Congress has an interesting enough online exhibit about Baum and Oz. It’s curious to contrast the drawings from the original by W.W. Denslow with our own images so indelibly formed by the 1939 film.
… of George Lucas. He’s 62. Lucas has twice received a writing Oscar nomination and a directing nomination for the same film (American Graffiti and Star Wars). He’s won none. He did get that Thalberg Award though.
… of David Byrne. He’s 54. Byrne is an inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Talking Heads. An excerpt:
Among the most adventuresome bands in rock history, the Talking Heads drew from funk, minimalism, and African and Brazilian music in promulgating a new sound that was both visionary and visceral. They were invariably challenging and inventive, using infectious rhythms as a form of sorcery to introduce their ever-expanding audience to exotic influences from abroad that they might otherwise have never heard. In so doing, they helped pave the way – along with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno – for the “world music” phenomenon of the Eighties and beyond.
… of Cate Blanchett. She’s 37. Nominated for best actress for Elizabeth, Ms. Blanchett won the supporting actress Oscar for playing an even more famous redhead, Kate Hepburn, in The Aviator.
… of Sofia Coppola. She’s 35. Ms. Coppola was nominated for three Oscars for Lost in Translation — best picture, best director and best original screenplay. She won for the writing.
Frank Sinatra died on this date in 1998. He probably died because it was also the date of the last Seinfeld episode and what was the point of going on.
… of Bea Arthur. Maude is 84.
… of Harvey Keitel. He’s 67. Keitel was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance in Bugsy.
… of Stevland Morris. He’s 56.
Only 12 when he began to record for Motown, Steveland Morris grew up on vinyl in the public eye.
His first hit, “Fingertips – Pt. 2,” under the name of Little Stevie Wonder, rose to No. 1 as an R&B shouter in the mold of Ray Charles.. He then steered toward ballads with “I Was Made to Love Her” (1967) and “For Once in My Life” (1968).
After turning 21, Wonder wrested artistic control over his career from the Motown hit-making factory; the results were such No. 1 hits as “Superstition” (1972), “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1973), “I Wish” (1976) and “Sir Duke” (1977).
Many of his ‘70s songs dealt with politics and ghetto life, but by the ‘80s he had returned to more predictable material, such as “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1984) and “Part-Time Lover” (1985).
… of Joe Louis, born on May 13, 1914. (He died in 1981.)
When some called Louis “a credit to his race,” sportswriter Jimmy Cannon responded, “Yes, Louis is a credit to his race — the human race.”
He also was a credit to boxing, which often contributes to the worst in the human race. His championship reign, from 1937 until he retired in 1949, is the longest of any heavyweight. With his powerful left jab, his destructive two-fisted attack that he released with accuracy at short range, and his capacity for finishing a wounded opponent, the 6-foot-1½ fighter defeated all 25 of his challengers, another record.
Louis also was a winner with women. Though married four times, including twice to his first wife, he discreetly enjoyed the company of both African-American and white women, including Lena Horne, Sonja Henie and Lana Turner. (ESPN.com)
… of Richard Steven Valenzuela, born on May 13, 1941.
In the course of his short life, Ritchie Valens left a lasting impact on rock and roll with the classic rocker “La Bamba.” A high-energy reworking of an old Mexican wedding song, its driving simplicity foreshadowed garage-rock, frat-rock and punk-rock. Ironically, “La Bamba” was the B-side of “Donna,” a paean to Valens’ girlfriend that rose to #2 on Billboard’s singles chart. “La Bamba” also charted, peaking at #22. This double-sided smash is one of the greatest rock and roll singles of the Fifties. (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Valens was killed in 1959 in the plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. He was 17.
… of Mike Wallace; 88 today. 60 Minutes is the only place where the average age is higher than that of the College of Cardinals.
… of Glenda Jackson; 70 today. Ms. Jackson has four Oscar nominations, two of them winners for best actress — Women In Love and A Touch of Class.
… of Albert Finney; he’s 70 as well. Finney has been nominated for an Oscar five times, but no wins.
… of Sonny Curtis; 69 today. Curtis started out with Buddy Holly but earned fame as a songwriter — I Fought the Law and the Law Won. It’s Curtis who wrote — and who sang — Love Is All Around. You know, the theme song from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
Who can turn the world on with her smile?
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?
Well it’s you girl, and you should know it
With each glance and every little movement you show it
Love is all around, no need to fake it.
You can have the town, why don’t you take it.
You’re gonna make it after all
… of James L. Brooks; he’s 66. Brooks won Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay for Terms of Endearment. He received nominations in various categories for Broadcast News, Jerry Maguire and As Good as It Gets, too. For my money, I like his work as executive producer of Mary Tyler Moore and, of course, The Simpsons.
… of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Richie Furay; 62 today. Furay, Dewey Martin, Bruce Palmer, Stephen Stills and Neil Young were the founders of Buffalo Springfield.
There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
… of Candace Bergen; she’s 60. Ms. Bergen was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1980 for Starting Over.
… of Billy Joel; 57 today. If you need a couple notes of Billy Joel, click here.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Robert Johnson was born on this date in 1911.
Though he recorded only 29 songs in his brief career – 22 of which appeared on 78 rpm singles released on the Vocalion label, including his first and most popular, “Terraplane Blues” – Johnson nonetheless altered the course of American music. In the words of biographer Stephen C. LaVere, “Robert Johnson is the most influential bluesman of all time and the person most responsible for the shape popular music has taken in the last five decades.” Such classics as “Cross Road Blues,” “Love In Vain” and “Sweet Home Chicago” are the bedrock upon which modern blues and rock and roll were built.
Or, as Eric Clapton put it in the liner notes to the Johnson boxed-set, “Robert Johnson to me is the most important blues musician who ever lived….I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice, really.”
Eric Hilliard Nelson would have been 66 today. (He died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1985.)
I went to a Garden Party
To reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories
and play our songs again.
When I got to the Garden Party
They all knew my name
But no one recognized me
I didn’t look the same.
But it’s all right now.
I learned my lesson well.
You see you can’t please everyone
So you got to please yourself.
Rick Nelson, “Garden Party” (1971)
… was born on this date in 1884. NewMexiKen presents this excerpt from the Truman diary:
January 6, 1947 — Arose at 5:45 A.M.[,] read the papers and at 7:10 walked to the station to meet the family. Took 35 minutes. It was a good walk. Sure is fine to have them back. This great white jail is a hell of a place in which to be alone. While I work from early morning until late at night, it is a ghostly place. The floors pop and crack all night long. Anyone with imagination can see old Jim Buchanan walking up and down worrying about conditions not of his making. Then there’s Van Buren who inherited a terrible mess from his predecessor as did poor old James Madison. Of course Andrew Johnson was the worst mistreated of any of them. But they all walk up and down the halls of this place and moan about what they should have done and didn’t. So-you see. I’ve only named a few. The ones who had Boswells and New England historians are too busy trying to control heaven and hell to come back here. So the tortured souls who were and are misrepresented in history are the ones who come back. It’s a hell of a place.
Still is.
Orson Welles was born on this date in 1915. To many who grew up with television, Welles was simply the larger-than-life spokesman for Paul Masson Wines — “We will sell no wine before its time.” But at age 23 Welles had scared thousands of Americans with his realistic radio production of War of the Worlds. At 25 he wrote, produced, directed and starred in what many consider the best film ever made, Citizen Kane. For that film alone, he was nominated for the Oscar for best actor, best director, best original screenplay and best picture (he won, with Herman Mankiewicz, for screenplay). Welles was nominated for the best picture Oscar again the following year — The Magnificent Ambersons.
The New York Times has this to say about Welles when he died in 1985:
Despite the feeling of many that his career – which evoked almost constant controversy over its 50 years – was one of largely unfulfilled promise, Welles eventually won the respect of his colleagues. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Film Institute in 1975, and last year the Directors Guild of America gave him its highest honor, the D. W. Griffith Award.
His unorthodox casting and staging for the theater gave new meaning to the classics and to contemporary works. As the ”Wonder Boy” of Broadway in the 1930’s, he set the stage on its ear with a ”Julius Caesar” set in Fascist Italy, an all-black ”Macbeth” and his presentation of Marc Blitzstein’s ”Cradle Will Rock.” His Mercury Theater of the Air set new standards for radio drama, and in one performance panicked thousands across the nation.
In film, his innovations in deep-focus technology and his use of theater esthetics – long takes without close-ups, making the viewer’s eye search the screen as if it were a stage – created a new vocabulary for the cinema.
