August 21, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Updated August 20, 2012, 2:28 pm

On Aug. 21, 1959, President Eisenhower signed an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union.

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On Aug. 21, 1904, Count Basie, who was one of the leading big-band leaders of American jazz was born. Following his death on April 26, 1984, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1831 Nat Turner launched a short-lived, violent slave rebellion in Virginia.

1858 The first of seven debates between U.S. Senate candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas took place in Ottawa, Ill.

1878 The American Bar Association was founded in Saratoga, N.Y.

1904 Jazz musician and bandleader William “Count” Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J.

1959 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union.

1983 Philippine opposition leader Benigno S. Aquino Jr., ending a self-imposed exile in the United States, was shot dead moments after stepping off a plane at Manila International Airport.

1987 Sgt. Clayton Lonetree, the first Marine ever court-martialed for spying, was convicted in Quantico, Va., of passing secrets to the KGB.

1991 A hard-line coup against Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev collapsed in the face of a popular uprising led by Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin.

2002 A jury in San Diego convicted David Westerfield of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam. (He was later sentenced to death.)

2006 British prosecutors announced that 11 people had been charged in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic jetliners bound for the United States.

2009 Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to lift a ban that prohibited sexually active gays and lesbians from serving as ministers.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actresss Kim Cattrall (“Sex and the City”) turns 56 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

Actress Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) turns 23 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

1932 Melvin Van Peebles, Actor, director, turns 80

1938 Kenny Rogers, Country singer, turns 74

1939 Clarence Williams III, Actor (“The Mod Squad”), turns 73

1941 Jackie DeShannon, Singer, turns 71

1946 Margaret Chan, World Health Organization director general, turns 66

1951 Harry Smith, Broadcast journalist, turns 61

1956 Jon Tester, U.S. senator, D-Mont., turns 56

1970 Carrie-Anne Moss, Actress, turns 42

1975 Alicia Witt, Actress, turns 37

Historic Birthdays

Count Basie 8/21/1904 – 4/26/1984 American pianist and composer.Go to obituary »

57 Philip II 8/21/1165 – 7/14/1223
French Capetian king

55 St. Francis De Sales 8/21/1567 – 12/28/1622
French Roman Catholic bishop of Geneva

79 Jean-Baptiste Greuze 8/21/1725 – 3/21/1805
French painter

74 August Bournonville 8/21/1805 – 11/30/1879
Danish director of the Danish Royal Ballet

71 Frank Andrew Munsey 8/21/1854 – 12/22/1925
American newspaper and magazine publisher

25 Aubrey Beardsley 8/21/1872 – 3/16/1898
English illustrator; leader in the Aestheticism movement

52 Roark Bradford 8/21/1896 – 11/13/1948
American novelist and short-story writer

20 Albert Ball 8/21/1896 – 5/7/1917
English World War I fighter pilot

88 Friz Freleng 8/21/1906 – 5/26/1995
American movie animator

1831	Nat Turner launched a short-lived, violent slave rebellion in Virginia.
1858	The first of seven debates between U.S. Senate candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas took place in Ottawa, Ill.
1878	The American Bar Association was founded in Saratoga, N.Y.
1904	Jazz musician and bandleader William “Count” Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J.
1959	President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union.
1983	Philippine opposition leader Benigno S. Aquino Jr., ending a self-imposed exile in the United States, was shot dead moments after stepping off a plane at Manila International Airport.
1987	Sgt. Clayton Lonetree, the first Marine ever court-martialed for spying, was convicted in Quantico, Va., of passing secrets to the KGB.
1991	A hard-line coup against Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev collapsed in the face of a popular uprising led by Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin.
2002	A jury in San Diego convicted David Westerfield of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Danielle van Dam. (He was later sentenced to death.)
2006	British prosecutors announced that 11 people had been charged in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic jetliners bound for the United States.
2009	Leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to lift a ban that prohibited sexually active gays and lesbians from serving as ministers.

1932	Melvin Van Peebles, Actor, director, turns 80
1938	Kenny Rogers, Country singer, turns 74
1939	Clarence Williams III, Actor (“The Mod Squad”), turns 73
1941	Jackie DeShannon, Singer, turns 71
1946	Margaret Chan, World Health Organization director general, turns 66
1951	Harry Smith, Broadcast journalist, turns 61
1956	Jon Tester, U.S. senator, D-Mont., turns 56
1970	Carrie-Anne Moss, Actress, turns 42
1975	Alicia Witt, Actress, turns 37

57	Philip II 8/21/1165 – 7/14/1223 French Capetian king
55	St. Francis De Sales 8/21/1567 – 12/28/1622 French Roman Catholic bishop of Geneva
79	Jean-Baptiste Greuze 8/21/1725 – 3/21/1805 French painter
74	August Bournonville 8/21/1805 – 11/30/1879 Danish director of the Danish Royal Ballet
71	Frank Andrew Munsey 8/21/1854 – 12/22/1925 American newspaper and magazine publisher
25	Aubrey Beardsley 8/21/1872 – 3/16/1898 English illustrator; leader in the Aestheticism movement
52	Roark Bradford 8/21/1896 – 11/13/1948 American novelist and short-story writer
20	Albert Ball 8/21/1896 – 5/7/1917 English World War I fighter pilot
88	Friz Freleng 8/21/1906 – 5/26/1995 American movie animator