October 11, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

In wake of all the recent news about the new Bond film that is to make an appearance shortly, I thought it might be interesting to see one of the older Bond films, and thanks to Netflix, found just what I was looking for. Only the second one in the Bond film franchise, this is quite the specimen for the classic and formulaic plot of every Bond movie. The inimitable Sean Connery is the suave James Bond who owns every scene be it in boxer shorts or in tailored suits.

Almost fifty years later, movie-making has come a long way in getting sophisticated with the cinematography and other technical skills, but the basic formula for a Bond film hasn’t changed all that much. This one, in particular, had everything from women in bikinis to belly-dancing outfits, to catfights, sex tapes and novel gizmos that must have surely seemed like the space-age at the time!

All this to say that I’m ready to see Daniel Craig do his thing in the upcoming Bond film, Skyfall.

Updated October 10, 2012, 2:28 pm

On Oct. 11, 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard.

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On Oct. 11, 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt, the American first lady, social reformer, diplomat and author, was born. Following her death on Nov. 7, 1962, her obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1811 The first steam-powered ferryboat was put into operation between New York City and Hoboken, N.J.

1884 First lady Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City.

1958 The lunar probe Pioneer 1 was launched; it failed to go as far as planned, fell back to Earth and burned up in the atmosphere.

1968 Apollo 7 was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard.

1975 “Saturday Night Live” debuted on NBC.

1986 President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev opened two days of talks on arms control and human rights in Reykjavik, Iceland.

1991 Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, law professor Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her; Thomas reappeared before the panel to denounce the proceedings as a “high-tech lynching.”

1998 Pope John Paul II canonized the first Jewish-born saint of the modern era: Edith Stein, a Catholic nun killed at Auschwitz.

2001 Trinidad-born writer V.S. Naipaul won the Nobel Prize in literature.

2002 The Senate joined the House in approving the use of America’s military might against Iraq.

2002 Former President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his 1970s Middle East diplomacy.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Jane Krakowski (“30 Rock”) turns 44 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

Actress Emily Deschanel (“Bones”) turns 36 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

1925 Elmore Leonard, Author, turns 87

1927 William Perry, Former defense secretary, turns 85

1950 Patty Murray, U.S. senator, D-Wash., turns 62

1961 Steve Young, Football Hall of Famer, turns 51

1962 Joan Cusack, Actress, turns 50

1966 Luke Perry, Actor (“Beverly Hills 90210”), turns 46

1971 MC Lyte, Rapper, turns 41

1985 Michelle Trachtenberg, Actress, turns 27

Historic Birthdays

Eleanor Roosevelt 10/11/1884 – 11/7/1962 American First Lady (1933-44), diplomat and social reformer.Go to obituary »

64 James Barry 10/11/1741 – 2/22/1806
Irish painter

62 John Thadeus Delane 10/11/1817 – 11/22/1879
British editor

73 Harlan Fisk Stone 10/11/1872 – 4/22/1946
American jurist; associate justice (1925-41) and chief justice (1941-6) of U.S. Supreme Court

84 Francois Mauriac 10/11/1885 – 9/1/1970
French writer

68 Charles Revson 10/11/1906 – 8/24/1975
American business entrepeneur; founded Revlon cosmetics line

78 Joseph W. Alsop Jr. 10/11/1910 – 8/28/1989
American journalist

79 Jerome Robbins 10/11/1918 – 7/29/1998
American choreographer

1811	The first steam-powered ferryboat was put into operation between New York City and Hoboken, N.J.
1884	First lady Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City.
1958	The lunar probe Pioneer 1 was launched; it failed to go as far as planned, fell back to Earth and burned up in the atmosphere.
1968	Apollo 7 was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard.
1975	“Saturday Night Live” debuted on NBC.
1986	President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev opened two days of talks on arms control and human rights in Reykjavik, Iceland.
1991	Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, law professor Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her; Thomas reappeared before the panel to denounce the proceedings as a “high-tech lynching.”
1998	Pope John Paul II canonized the first Jewish-born saint of the modern era: Edith Stein, a Catholic nun killed at Auschwitz.
2001	Trinidad-born writer V.S. Naipaul won the Nobel Prize in literature.
2002	The Senate joined the House in approving the use of America’s military might against Iraq.
2002	Former President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for his 1970s Middle East diplomacy.

1925	Elmore Leonard, Author, turns 87
1927	William Perry, Former defense secretary, turns 85
1950	Patty Murray, U.S. senator, D-Wash., turns 62
1961	Steve Young, Football Hall of Famer, turns 51
1962	Joan Cusack, Actress, turns 50
1966	Luke Perry, Actor (“Beverly Hills 90210”), turns 46
1971	MC Lyte, Rapper, turns 41
1985	Michelle Trachtenberg, Actress, turns 27

64	James Barry 10/11/1741 – 2/22/1806 Irish painter
62	John Thadeus Delane 10/11/1817 – 11/22/1879 British editor
73	Harlan Fisk Stone 10/11/1872 – 4/22/1946 American jurist; associate justice (1925-41) and chief justice (1941-6) of U.S. Supreme Court
84	Francois Mauriac 10/11/1885 – 9/1/1970 French writer
68	Charles Revson 10/11/1906 – 8/24/1975 American business entrepeneur; founded Revlon cosmetics line
78	Joseph W. Alsop Jr. 10/11/1910 – 8/28/1989 American journalist
79	Jerome Robbins 10/11/1918 – 7/29/1998 American choreographer