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Updated July 9, 2012, 2:28 pm
On July 10, 1940, during World War II, the 114-day Battle of Britain began as Nazi forces began attacking southern England by air. By late October, Britain managed to repel the Luftwaffe, which suffered heavy losses.
On July 10, 1943, Arthur Robert Ashe, the tennis star who was the first black man to win a major championship, was born. Following his death on Feb. 6, 1993, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1832 President Andrew Jackson vetoed legislation to re-charter the Second Bank of the United States. 1850 Vice President Millard Fillmore became president following the death of Zachary Taylor. 1890 Wyoming became the 44th state. 1943 U.S. and British forces invaded Sicily during World War II. 1951 Armistice talks aimed at ending the Korean War began at Kaesong. 1962 The Telstar communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. 1964 The album “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles was released. 1973 The Bahamas became independent after three centuries of British colonial rule. 1985 Coca-Cola Co., bowing to pressure from irate customers after the introduction of New Coke, said it would resume selling its old formula. 1991 Boris Yeltsin took the oath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic. 1992 A federal judge in Miami sentenced former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega to 40 years in prison on drug and racketeering charges. 1999 The U.S. women’s soccer team won the World Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. 2006 Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev was killed when a dynamite-laden truck in his convoy exploded. 2011 Britain’s best-selling Sunday tabloid the News of the World, brought down by a phone-hacking scandal, published it last issue. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actress Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”) turns 40 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg
Actor Adrian Grenier (“Entourage”) turns 36 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg
1921 Jake LaMotta, Boxing Hall of Famer, turns 91 1927 William Smithers, Actor, turns 85 1931 Jerry Herman, Broadway composer (“Hello Dolly”), turns 81 1939 Mavis Staples, R&B, gospel singer, turns 73 1945 Ron Glass, Actor (“Barney Miller”), turns 67 1945 Virginia Wade, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 67 1947 Arlo Guthrie, Folk singer, turns 65 1954 Andre Dawson, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 58 1954 Neil Tennant, Rock singer (Pet Shop Boys), turns 58 1958 Bela Fleck, Banjo player (Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), turns 54 1970 Gary LeVox, Country singer (Rascal Flatts), turns 42 1980 Thomas Ian Nicholas, Actor, turns 32 1980 Jessica Simpson, Singer, turns 32
Historic Birthdays
Arthur Robert Ashe 7/10/1943 – 2/6/1993 Tennis champion.Go to obituary »
54 John Calvin 7/10/1509 – 5/27/1564
French theologian56 Sir William Blackstone 7/10/1723 – 2/14/1780
English jurist and author68 Robert Chambers 7/10/1802 – 3/17/1871
Scottish author and publisher73 Camille Pissarro 7/10/1830 – 11/13/1903
French Impressionist painter74 Adolphus Busch 7/10/1839 – 10/10/1913
German-born American business leader and brewer86 Nikoli Tesla 7/10/1856 – 1/7/1943
Serbian-American inventor and researcher68 Finley Peter Dunne 7/10/1867 – 4/24/1936
American journalist and humorist51 Marcel Proust 7/10/1871 – 11/18/1922
French novelist79 Mary McLeod Bethune 7/10/1875 – 5/18/1955
American educator and civil rights advisor to Franklin Roosevelt86 Carl Orff 7/10/1895 – 3/29/1982
German composer and musical innovator55 Kurt Alder 7/10/1902 – 6/20/1958
German Nobel Prize-winning chemist (1950)71 Jorge Icaza 7/10/1906 – 5/26/1978
Ecuadorian novelist and playwright
Did I mention that I once stood in line behind Boman Irani, the actor, in a Starbucks on Broadway in NYC and tentatively said to him, “Excuse me, but are you the Bollywood actor?” To which he replied, “Yes, my name is Boman Irani.” Needless to say, shaking hands with celebrity has the universal effect of being in awe of doing just that, and also needless to say, it begets the tendency of becoming a follower of the person’s work.
But truth be told, I wasn’t even aware of this movie of Mr. Irani’s that apparently came out two years ago– most likely around the same time that I had my little celebrity encounter! And so, two years later, it was very pleasant to stumble onto this offbeat film starring Boman Irani in the lead role. And I’m very glad that I did– not just because I met the man (and was momentarily in awe of him!), but also because it is a truly funny movie that is a pointedly tongue-in-cheek satire on the state of affairs in India, in particular on the multi-layered corruption that permeates everything and everyone. The other reason I found it highly entertaining is owing to the fact that Mr. Irani’s character skillfully portrays the Hyderabadi style of Hindi or Deccani speech and mannerisms.
The director, Shyam Benegal, is a much respected Indian filmmaker, known more for his non-commercial films from the 80s, and it is therefore quite remarkable and refreshing to see a quality production from him after a long time. Incidentally, I happen to have another personal story linked to Mr. Benegal as well, or rather, to his wife, I must say. At the wedding of my aunt, it seems that Mrs. Benegal spotted me and remarked to someone that “Shyam would be delighted to put her in his movies.” Well, I was all of fifteen, and that idea was never pursued at that time or later, but it certainly made for a good story!
But back to this one, it is both entertaining and also sadly thought-provoking in how something as essential as running water cannot be considered a given amenity; rather, it is to be fought for tooth and nail and with all the wherewithal one can muster with an establishment that couldn’t care less about one’s welfare. Such is the case in many a small village in India, and the hope is that a movie like this one will bring to the fore in a satirical manner the gross atrocities of corrupt governments and those who run them.
Updated July 8, 2012, 2:28 pm
On July 9, 1896, William Jennings Bryan caused a sensation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with his “cross of gold” speech denouncing supporters of the gold standard. Bryan went on to win the party’s nomination.
On July 9, 1929, Hassan II, who ruled Morocco from 1961 to 1999, was born. Following his death on July 23, 1999, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1776 The Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington’s troops in New York. 1816 Argentina declared independence from Spain. 1850 Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, died in Washington, D.C., after serving only 16 months in office. 1896 William Jennings Bryan denounced supporters of the gold standard with his “cross of gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 1974 Former Chief Justice Earl Warren died at age 83. 1992 Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton tapped Sen. Al Gore of Tennessee to be his running mate. 1995 The rock band the Grateful Dead played their last concert, at Soldier Field in Chicago, after a 30-year run, much of it spent on the road. (Lead guitarist Jerry Garcia died the following month.) 1997 Boxer Mike Tyson was banned from the ring and fined $3 million for biting opponent Evander Holyfield’s ear. 2002 The baseball All-Star game in Milwaukee finished in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings when both teams ran out of pitchers. 2004 A Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded the CIA had provided unfounded assessments of the threat posed by Iraq that the Bush administration relied on to justify going to war. 2011 South Sudan became the world’s newest nation, officially breaking away from Sudan after two civil wars over five decades that had cost millions of lives. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor Tom Hanks turns 56 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
Actor Chris Cooper turns 61 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
1927 Ed Ames, Actor, singer, turns 85 1932 Donald Rumsfeld, Former defense secretary, turns 80 1938 Brian Dennehy, Actor, turns 74 1942 Richard Roundtree, Actor, turns 70 1945 Dean Koontz, Author, turns 67 1947 O.J. Simpson, Football Hall of Famer, turns 65 1952 John Tesh, Musician, TV personality, turns 60 1955 Jimmy Smits, Actor, turns 57 1955 Lindsey Graham, U.S. senator, R-S.C., turns 57 1957 Kelly McGillis, Actress, turns 55 1959 Jim Kerr, Rock singer (Simple Minds), turns 53 1964 Courtney Love, Rock singer, turns 48 1971 Scott Grimes, Actor, turns 41 1973 Enrique Murciano, Actor (“Without a Trace”), turns 39 1975 Jack White, Rock musician (The White Stripes), turns 37 1976 Fred Savage, Actor (“The Wonder Years”), turns 36
Historic Birthdays
Hassan II 7/9/1929 – 7/23/1999 Moroccan king (1961-99)Go to obituary »
40 Thomas De La Warr 7/9/1577 – 6/7/1618
English official; one of the founders of the Virginia colony48 Thomas Davenport 7/9/1802 – 7/6/1851
American inventor; developed successful electric motor48 Elias Howe 7/9/1819 – 10/3/1867
American inventor of the sewing machine56 Ottorino Respighi 7/9/1879 – 4/18/1936
Italian composer66 Mikhail Borodin 7/9/1884 – 5/29/1951
Russian Comintern agent88 Samuel Eliot Morison 7/9/1887 – 5/15/1976
American biographer and historian67 Dorothy Thompson 7/9/1893 – 1/30/1961
American journalist and writer92 Albert Wedemeyer 7/9/1897 – 12/17/1989
American military leader during W. W. II87 Carmen Franco 7/9/1900 – 2/6/1988
Spanish consort of Francisco Franco57 Mervyn Peake 7/9/1911 – 11/17/1968
English novelist, poet, playwright and illustrator89 Edward Heath 7/9/1916 – 7/17/2005
British prime minister (1970-1974)
