Category: Uncategorized

Updated December 28, 2011, 1:28 pm

 

On Dec. 29, On Dec. 29, 1940, during World War II, Germany began dropping incendiary bombs on London.

On Dec. 29, 1808, Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States and the first American president to be impeached, was born. Following his death on July 31, 1875, his obituary appeared in The Times.

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1170	Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in England.
1808	Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, was born in Raleigh, N.C.
1845	Texas was admitted to the union as the 28th state.
1851	The first American Young Men’s Christian Association was organized, in Boston.
1890	U.S. troops killed as many as 400 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee, S.D.
1916	Gregory Rasputin, the monk who had wielded powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of noblemen.
1940	Germany began dropping incendiary bombs on London during World War II.
1996	War-weary guerrilla and government leaders in Guatemala signed an accord ending 36 years of civil conflict.
1998	Khmer Rouge leaders apologized for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed 1 million lives.
1999	The Nasdaq composite index closed above 4,000 for the first time, ending the day at 4,041.46.
2007	The New England Patriots became the first NFL team in 35 years to finish the regular season undefeated when they beat the New York Giants 38-35 to go 16-0.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Patricia Clarkson turns 52 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

Actor Jon Voight turns 73 years old today.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

1932	Inga Swenson, Actress (“Benson”), turns 79
1934	Tom Jarriel, Broadcast journalist, turns 77
1936	Mary Tyler Moore, Actress, turns 75
1946	Marianne Faithfull, Rock singer, turns 65
1947	Ted Danson, Actor (“Cheers”), turns 64
1959	Paula Poundstone, Comedian, turns 52
1963	Sean Payton, Football coach, turns 48
1967	Andy Wachowski, Director (“Matrix” films), turns 44
1972	Jude Law, Actor, turns 39
1974	Mekhi Phifer, Actor (“ER”), turns 37
1979	Diego Luna, Actor, turns 32

 

Historic Birthdays

Andrew Johnson 12/29/1808 – 7/31/1875 17th President of the United States (1865-69). Go to obituary »

75	William Gaddis 12/29/1922 – 12/16/1998 American novelist
76	Klaus Fuchs 12/29/1911 – 1/28/1988 German-born American physicist and spy
86	Jess Willard 12/29/1881 – 12/15/1968 American prizefighter
56	William Mitchell 12/29/1879 – 2/19/1936 U.S. Army officer and early advocate of a separate air force
96	Pablo Casals 12/29/1876 – 10/22/1973 Spanish cellist and conductor
88	William Gladstone 12/29/1809 – 5/19/1898 English statesman and four-time prime minister (1868-74, 1880-85, 1886, 1892-94)
59	Charles Goodyear 12/29/1800 – 7/1/1860 American inventor; pioneered commercial use of rubber
76	Charles Macintosh 12/29/1766 – 7/25/1843 Scottish chemist and inventor
42	Jeanne-Antoinette Pompadour 12/29/1721 – 4/15/1764 French mistress of Louis XV

 

Updated December 27, 2011, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 28, 1981, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American test-tube baby, was born in Norfolk, Va.

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On Dec. 28, 1905, Earl “Fatha” Hines, the father of modern jazz piano, was born. Following his death on April 22, 1983, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1694	Queen Mary II of England died after five years of joint rule with her husband, King William III.
1832	John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down over differences with President Andrew Jackson.
1846	Iowa became the 29th state to be admitted to the Union.
1897	“Cyrano de Bergerac,” a play by Edmond Rostand, premiered in Paris.
1905	The forerunner of the NCAA, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, was founded in New York City.
1945	Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance.
1958	The Baltimore Colts won the NFL championship, defeating the New York Giants 23-17 in overtime at Yankee Stadium, in what has been dubbed the greatest football game ever played.
1973	Alexander Solzhenitsyn published “Gulag Archipelago,” an expose of the Soviet prison system.
1982	A black man was mortally wounded by a police officer in a Miami video arcade, setting off three days of race-related disturbances that left another man dead.
2005	Former top Enron Corp. accountant Richard Causey pleaded guilty to securities fraud and agreed to help pursue convictions against Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling.
2008	The Detroit Lions completed an 0-16 season, the NFL’s worst ever, with a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Comedian Seth Meyers (“Saturday Night Live”) turns 38 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Actress Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek”) turns 79 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

1922	Stan Lee, Comic book creator (“Spider-Man,” “The Incredible Hulk”), turns 89
1931	Martin Milner, Actor (“Adam-12”), turns 80
1934	Maggie Smith, Actress, turns 77
1938	Charles Neville, Rock singer, musician (The Neville Brothers), turns 73
1944	Johnny Isakson, U.S. senator, R-Ga., turns 67
1946	Mike Beebe, Governor of Arkansas, turns 65
1946	Tim Johnson, U.S. senator, D-S.D., turns 65
1946	Edgar Winter, Rock singer, musician, turns 65
1954	Denzel Washington, Actor, turns 57
1960	Ray Borque, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 51
1964	Malcolm Gets, Actor, turns 47
1972	Patrick Rafter, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 39
1972	Adam Vinatieri, Football player, turns 39
1976	Brendan Hines, Actor (“Lie to Me”), turns 35
1978	John Legend, R&B singer, turns 33
1979	James Blake, Tennis player, turns 32
1981	Sienna Miller, Actress, turns 30
1990	David Archuleta, Singer (“American Idol”), turns 21

Historic Birthdays

Earl “Fatha” Hines 12/28/1905 – 4/22/1983 American jazz pianist, bandleader and composer. Go to obituary »

57	Manuel Puig 12/28/1932 – 7/22/1990 Argentine novelist and screenwriter
88	Lew Ayres 12/28/1908 – 12/30/1996 American actor
58	Carl-Gustaf Rossby 12/28/1898 – 8/19/1957 Swedish meteorologist
61	Sir Arthur Eddington 12/28/1882 – 11/22/1944 English astrophysicist
77	William Draper Harkins 12/28/1873 – 3/7/1951 American chemist
89	Frederick Pethick-Lawrence 12/28/1871 – 9/10/1961 English women’s suffrage movement leader
67	Woodrow Wilson 12/28/1856 – 2/3/1924 28th President of the United States (1913-21)
82	Edward Levy-Lawson Burnham 12/28/1833 – 1/9/1916 English creator of London Daily Telegraph newspaper
45	Thomas Henderson 12/28/1798 – 11/23/1844 Scottish astronomer

Updated December 26, 2011, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 27, 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin, who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal.

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On Dec. 27, 1901, Marlene Dietrich, the magnetic movie star and singer who was considered an international symbol of glamour, was born. Following her death on May 6, 1992, her obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1831	British naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a voyage to the Pacific Ocean aboard the HMS Beagle. Darwin’s discoveries during the nearly five-year journey helped form the basis of his theories on evolution.
1927	The musical “Show Boat,” with music by Jerome Kern and libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II, opened at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City.
1932	Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City.
1945	The World Bank was created with an agreement signed by 28 nations.
1947	The children’s TV program “Howdy Doody” debuted on NBC.
1949	Queen Juliana of the Netherlands granted sovereignty to Indonesia after more than 300 years of Dutch rule.
1968	Apollo 8, the first spaceflight to orbit the moon, returned to Earth.
1970	“Hello, Dolly!” closed on Broadway after a run of 2,844 performances.
1979	Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. Babrak Karmal succeeded President Hafizullah Amin, who was overthrown and executed.
1985	Naturalist Dian Fossey, who had studied gorillas in the wild, was found hacked to death at a research station in Rwanda.
2001	U.S. officials announced that Taliban and al-Qaida prisoners would be held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
2004	Viktor Yushchenko won a runoff in Ukraine’s presidential election, completing the country’s “Orange Revolution.”
2005	Indonesia’s Aceh rebels formally abolished their 30-year armed struggle for independence under a peace deal born out of the 2004 tsunami.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Emilie de Ravin (“Lost”) turns 30 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels turns 28 years old today.

AP Photo/Paul Bereswill

1931	Scotty Moore, Rock musician, turns 80
1939	John Amos, Actor, turns 72
1943	Cokie Roberts, Broadcast journalist, turns 68
1944	Mick Jones, Rock musician (Foreigner), turns 67
1948	Gerard Depardieu, Actor, turns 63
1952	Tovah Feldshuh, Actress, turns 59
1956	Karen Hughes, Former White House aide, turns 55
1959	Andre Tippett, Football Hall of Famer, turns 52
1964	Theresa Randle, Actress, turns 47
1969	Sarah Vowell, Author, turns 42
1974	Masi Oka, Actor (“Heroes”), turns 37
1979	Carson Palmer, Football player, turns 32
1988	Hayley Williams, Rock singer (Paramore), turns 23

Historic Birthdays

Marlene Dietrich 12/27/1901 – 5/6/1992 German-born American actress. Go to obituary »

59	Louis Bromfield 12/27/1896 – 3/18/1956 American novelist and essayist
95	Cyrus Eaton 12/27/1883 – 5/9/1979 Canadian-born American industrialist and philanthropist
93	Sir Mackenzie Bowell 12/27/1823 – 12/10/1917 Canadian prime minister
72	Louis Pasteur 12/27/1822 – 9/28/1895 French biologist and chemist; invented pasteurization process
84	Sir George Cayley 12/27/1773 – 12/15/1857 English aerial navigator
62	William Johnson 12/27/1771 – 8/4/1834 American Supreme Court justice
58	Johannes Kepler 12/27/1571 – 11/15/1630 German astronomer

Updated December 25, 2011, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 26, 1941, Winston Churchill became the first British prime minister to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress.

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On Dec. 26, 1893, Mao Tse-tung, the Chinese statesman who led the communist revolution in China and became its first communist leader, was born. Following his death on Sept. 9, 1976, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1799	George Washington was eulogized by Col. Henry Lee as “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
1865	James H. Nason of Franklin, Mass., received a patent for a coffee percolator.
1893	Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong was born in Hunan province.
1908	Jack Johhnson became the first black heavyweight boxing champion when he knocked out Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia.
1917	The U.S. government took over operation of the nation’s railroads.
1944	Tennessee Williams’ play “The Glass Menagerie” premiered at the Civic Theatre in Chicago.
1947	Heavy snow blanketed the Northeast, burying New York City under 25.8 inches of snow in 16 hours; the severe weather was blamed for some 80 deaths.
1972	Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, died in Kansas City, Mo., at age 88.
1996	Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colo. The slaying remains unsolved.
2004	Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts broke Dan Marino’s single-season touchdown pass record when he threw his 48th and 49th of the season in a victory over San Diego.
2006	Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States, died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 93.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actor-rock singer Jared Leto turns 40 years old today.

AP Photo/Joel Ryan

Rock singer Chris Daughtry (“American Idol”) turns 32 years old today.

AP Photo/Jason DeCrow

1933	Caroll Spinney, Actor (Big Bird on “Sesame Street”), turns 78
1935	Abdul “Duke” Fakir, R&B singer (The Four Tops), turns 76
1936	Phil Spector, Record producer, turns 75
1945	John Walsh, TV host (“America’s Most Wanted”), turns 66
1947	Carlton Fisk, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 64
1954	Ozzie Smith, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 57
1955	Evan Bayh, Former U.S. senator, D-Ind., turns 56
1956	David Sedaris, Humorist, turns 55
1963	Lars Ulrich, Rock musician (Metallica), turns 48

Historic Birthdays

Mao Tse-tung 12/26/1893 – 9/9/1976 Chinese statesman and leader of his nation’s communist revolution. Go to obituary »

64	Leopold Mannes 12/26/1899 – 8/11/1964 American co-developer of Kodachrome film
88	Henry Miller 12/26/1891 – 6/7/1980 American novelist
93	Sir Norman Angell 12/26/1872 – 10/7/1967 English economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner
79	George Dewey 12/26/1837 – 1/16/1917 American naval commander
69	Dion Boucicault 12/26/1820 – 9/18/1890 Irish-born American playwright and actor
79	Charles Babbage 12/26/1791 – 10/18/1871 English mathematician and inventor
54	Thomas Gray 12/26/1716 – 7/30/1771 English poet

Updated December 24, 2011, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 25, 1991, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on TV to announce his resignation as the eighth and final leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.

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On Dec. 25, 1918, Anwar el-Sadat, the Egyptian president who won the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating a peace treaty with Israel, was born. Following his death on Oct. 6, 1981, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

336	The first recorded celebration of Christmas on Dec. 25 took place in Rome.
1066	William the Conqueror was crowned king of England.
1776	Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, N.J.
1818	“Silent Night” was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria.
1821	Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross, was born in Oxford, Mass.
1868	President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to everyone involved in the Southern rebellion that resulted in the Civil War.
1926	Hirohito became emperor of Japan, succeeding his father, Emperor Yoshihito.
1977	Comedian Charlie Chaplin died at age 88.
1989	Ousted Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were executed.
1989	Former New York Yankees player and manager Billy Martin, 61, died when the pickup truck he was riding in crashed.
1991	Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on TV to announce his resignation as the eighth and final leader of a Communist superpower that had already gone out of existence.
1995	Singer Dean Martin died at age 78.
2006	Soul singer James Brown died at age 73.
2009	Passengers aboard a Northwest Airlines flight foiled an attempt to blow up the plane as it was landing in Detroit by seizing suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian accused of trying to set off explosives in his underwear.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Sissy Spacek turns 62 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Actress CCH Pounder (“The Shield”) turns 59 years old today.

AP Photo/Matt Sayles

1945	Gary Sandy, Actor (“WKRP In Cincinnati”), turns 66
1946	Jimmy Buffet, Rock musician, turns 65
1946	Larry Csonka, Football Hall of Famer, turns 65
1948	Barbara Mandrell, Country singer, turns 63
1950	Karl Rove, Former White House aide, turns 61
1954	Annie Lennox, Rock singer (Eurythmics), turns 57
1958	Rickey Henderson, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 53
1958	Christina Romer, Former chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers, turns 53
1971	Dido, Rock singer, turns 40
1980	Ryan Shaw, R&B singer, turns 31

Historic Birthdays

Anwar el-Sadat 12/25/1918 – 10/6/1981 Egyptian president (1970-81); signed historic peace treaty with Israel. Go to obituary »

50	Rod Serling 12/25/1924 – 6/28/1975 American television writer and producer
86	Cab Calloway 12/25/1907 – 11/18/1994 American jazz composer, singer and bandleader
57	Humphrey Bogart 12/25/1899 – 1/14/1957 American actor
55	Robert Ripley 12/25/1890 – 5/27/1949 American newspaper cartoonist; founded “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!”
91	Conrad Hilton 12/25/1887 – 1/3/1979 American businessman; founded Hilton Hotels chain
42	Franz Rosenzweig 12/25/1886 – 12/10/1929 German-Jewish philosopher
71	Maurice Utrillo 12/25/1883 – 11/5/1955 French painter
62	Louis Chevrolet 12/25/1878 – 6/6/1941 French-born American automobile designer
90	Clara Barton 12/25/1821 – 4/12/1912 Founder of the American Red Cross

Updated December 23, 2011, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 24, 1992, President Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five others in the Iran-Contra scandal.

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On Dec. 24, 1907, I. F. Stone, the American journalist famous for his witty commentary in his newsletter, “I.F. Stone’s Weekly”, was born. Following his death on June 18, 1989, his obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1814	The War of 1812 officially ended as the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium.
1851	Fire devastated the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroying about 35,000 volumes.
1865	The Ku Klux Klan was founded as a private social club by several Confederate Army veterans in Pulaski, Tenn.
1871	Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida” had its world premiere in Cairo, Egypt, to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal.
1906	Canadian physicist Reginald A. Fessenden became the first person to broadcast a music program over radio, from Brant Rock, Mass.
1920	Enrico Caruso gave his last public performance, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
1943	President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces during World War II.
1992	President George H.W. Bush pardoned former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five others in the Iran-Contra scandal.
2002	Laci Peterson was reported missing from her Modesto, Calif., home, by her husband, Scott, who was later convicted of murdering her and their unborn son.
2009	The Senate passed health care legislation, 60-39, in the chamber’s first Christmas Eve vote since 1895.
2009	A woman jumped barriers in St. Peter’s Basilica and knocked down Pope Benedict XVI as he was walking down the main aisle to begin Christmas Eve Mass; the pope was unhurt.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

TV personality Ryan Seacrest (“American Idol”) turns 37 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

Singer Ricky Martin turns 40 years old today.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

1927	Mary Higgins Clark, Mystery writer, turns 84
1940	Anthony Fauci, Public health official, turns 71
1946	Jeff Sessions, U.S. senator, R-Ala., turns 65
1966	Diedrich Bader, Actor (“The Drew Carey Show”), turns 45
1973	Stephenie Meyer, Author (“Twilight” series), turns 38

Historic Birthdays

I. F. Stone 12/24/1907 – 6/18/1989 American journalist. Go to obituary »

60	William Paterson 12/24/1745 – 9/9/1806 Irish-born American governor of New Jersey
58	Kit Carson 12/24/1809 – 5/23/1868 American frontiersman and folk hero
65	Matthew Arnold 12/24/1822 – 4/15/1888 English poet and social critic
73	Michael Curtiz 12/24/1886 – 4/10/1962 Hungarian-born American film director
22	Georges-Marie Guynemer 12/24/1894 – 9/11/1917 French World War I combat pilot
60	Baby Dodds 12/24/1898 – 2/14/1959 American jazz musician
70	Howard Hughes 12/24/1905 – 4/5/1976 American manufacturer and aviator
67	Ava Gardner 12/24/1922 – 1/25/1990 American actress

Updated December 22, 2011, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 23, 1986, the experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the first non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling as it landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

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On Dec. 23, 1867, Sarah Breedlove Walker, the American businesswoman and philanthropist considered to be the first black female millionaire , was born. Following her death on May 25, 1919, her obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1783	George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief of the Army and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, Va.
1788	Maryland passed an act to cede a parcel of land for the seat of the national government, part of which later became the District of Columbia.
1823	The poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement C. Moore was first published, in the Troy (N.Y.) Sentinel.
1941	American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese during World War II.
1948	Former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese war leaders were executed in Tokyo.
1972	The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 in an NFL playoff game on a last-second touchdown catch by Franco Harris that was dubbed the “immaculate reception.”
1995	A fire in Dabwali, India, killed 540 people, including 170 children, during a year-end party being held near the children’s school.
1997	A federal jury in Denver convicted Terry Nichols of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.
2003	The government announced the first suspected case of mad cow disease in United States.
2003	A jury in Chesapeake, Va., sentenced teen sniper Lee Boyd Malvo to life in prison, sparing him the death penalty.
2004	Former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland pleaded guilty to a corruption charge. (He served 10 months in prison.)
2009	The parents who pulled the “balloon boy” hoax in hopes of landing a reality TV show, were sentenced to jail by a judge in Fort Collins, Colo.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Susan Lucci (“All My Children”) turns 65 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

Japanese Emperor Akihito turns 78 years old today.

AP Photo/Koji Sasahara

1924	Bob Kurland, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 87
1935	Paul Hornung, Football Hall of Famer, turns 76
1940	Jorma Kaukonen, Rock musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), turns 71
1943	Harry Shearer, Actor, comedian (“The Simpsons”), turns 68
1948	Jack Ham, Football Hall of Famer, turns 63
1949	Adrian Belew, Rock musician, producer, turns 62
1964	Eddie Vedder, Rock singer (Pearl Jam), turns 47
1978	Victor Martinez, Baseball player, turns 33
1983	Hanley Ramirez, Baseball player, turns 28

Historic Birthdays

Sarah Breedlove Walker 12/23/1867 – 5/25/1919 American philanthropist. Go to obituary »

41	Robert Barclay 12/23/1648 – 10/3/1690 English-born American Quaker leader
71	James Gibbs 12/23/1682 – 8/5/1754 Scottish architect
41	Jean-Francois Champollion 12/23/1790 – 3/4/1832 French historian and linguist
38	Joseph Smith 12/23/1805 – 6/27/1844 American founder of the Mormon Church
75	Oscar Solomon Straus 12/23/1850 – 5/3/1926 American member of President Wilson’s cabinet
68	James Buchanan Duke 12/23/1856 – 10/10/1925 American tobacco magnate
84	Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko 12/23/1858 – 4/25/1943 Russian playwright
76	Emil Brunner 12/23/1889 – 4/6/1966 Swiss theologian

Updated December 21, 2011, 1:28 pm

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On Dec. 22, 1864, during the Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman sent a message to President Lincoln from Georgia, saying, “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.”

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On Dec. 22, 1907, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, the British stage actress , was born. Following her death on June 14, 1991, her obituary appeared in The Times.

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On This Date

By The Associated Press

1858	Opera composer Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca, Italy.
1864	During the Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman sent a message to President Abraham Lincoln from Georgia, saying, “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.”
1894	French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial that triggered worldwide charges of anti-Semitism. (He was eventually vindicated.)
1912	Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson, was born Claudio Alta Taylor in Karnack, Texas.
1941	British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in Washington, D.C., for a wartime conference with President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1944	During the Battle of the Bulge, Germany demanded the surrender of American troops at Bastogne, Belgium; Brigadier Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe reportedly replied: “Nuts!”
1984	New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shot four black youths on a Manhattan subway, claiming they were about to rob him.
1990	Lech Walesa took the oath of office as Poland’s first popularly elected president.
2000	Pop singer Madonna married film director Guy Ritchie in Scotland. (The couple divorced in 2008.)
2001	Richard C. Reid, a passenger on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami, tried to ignite explosives in his shoes, but was subdued by flight attendants and fellow passengers.
2005	Astronomers announced the discovery of two more rings encircling the planet Uranus.
2010	President Barack Obama signed a law allowing gays for the first time in history to serve openly in America’s military.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actor Hector Elizondo turns 75 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

Actor Ralph Fiennes turns 49 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

1922	Jim Wright, Former House speaker, turns 89
1943	Paul Wolfowitz, Former World Bank president, turns 68
1944	Steve Carlton, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 67
1945	Diane Sawyer, Broadcast journalist (“Good Morning America”), turns 66
1946	Rick Nielsen, Rock musician (Cheap Trick), turns 65
1949	Robin Gibb, Singer (The Bee Gees), turns 62
1951	Jan Stephenson, Golfer, turns 60
1960	Luther Campbell, Rapper (2 Live Crew), turns 51
1973	Heather Donahue, Actress (“The Blair Witch Project”), turns 38
1989	Jordin Sparks, R&B singer (“American Idol”), turns 22

Historic Birthdays

Dame Peggy Ashcroft 12/22/1907 – 6/14/1991 English actress. Go to obituary »

88	James Oglethorpe 12/22/1696 – 6/30/1785 English founder of the British colony of Georgia
91	Jean Henri Fabre 12/22/1823 – 10/11/1915 French entomologist
87	Thomas Higginson 12/22/1823 – 5/9/1911 American abolitionist
80	Frank Kellogg 12/22/1856 – 12/21/1937 American secretary of state
65	Giacomo Puccini 12/22/1858 – 11/29/1924 Italian composer
67	Filippo Tommaso Marinetti 12/22/1876 – 12/2/1944 Italian-born French novelist, poet, and dramatist; founded Futurist artistic movement
82	Giacomo Manzu 12/22/1908 – 1/17/1991 Italian sculptor