Updated December 20, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 21, 1988, a terrorist bomb exploded aboard a Pan Am Boeing 747 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.
On Dec. 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin, the Soviet statesman who was leader of the Communist Party and dictator of the Soviet Union for 25 years , was born. Following his death on March 5, 1953, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1620 Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower went ashore for the first time at present-day Plymouth, Mass. 1879 Soviet dictator Josef Stalin was born Josef Dzhugashvili in Gori, Georgia. 1898 Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the radioactive element radium. 1913 The first crossword puzzle was published, in the New York World. 1937 The Disney animated feature film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” had its world premiere in Los Angeles. 1948 Ireland became an independent republic. 1958 Charles de Gaulle was elected the first president of France’s Fifth Republic. 1968 Apollo 8 was launched on a mission to orbit the moon. 1970 Elvis Presley met with President Richard M. Nixon in the Oval Office to discuss fighting drugs. 1971 The U.N. Security Council chose Kurt Waldheim to succeed U Thant as secretary-general. 1978 Police in Des Plaines, Ill., arrested John W. Gacy Jr. and began unearthing the remains of 33 men and boys he was later convicted of murdering. 1991 Eleven of the 12 former Soviet republics proclaimed the birth of the Commonwealth of Independent States. 1995 The city of Bethlehem passed from Israeli to Palestinian control. 1996 After two years of denials, House Speaker Newt Gingrich admitted violating House ethics rules. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor Samuel L. Jackson turns 63 years old today.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
1926 Joe Paterno, Former college football coach, turns 85 1928 Ed Nelson, Actor, turns 83 1935 Phil Donahue, Talk show host, turns 76 1937 Jane Fonda, Actress, turns 74 1938 Larry Bryggman, Actor, turns 73 1943 Albert Lee, Rock musician, turns 68 1944 Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor, turns 67 1950 Jeffrey Katzenberg, Movie producer, turns 61 1954 Chris Evert, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 57 1955 Jane Kaczmarek, Actress (“Malcolm in the Middle”), turns 56 1957 Ray Romano, Actor, comedian (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), turns 54 1959 Steve Spagnuolo, Football coach, turns 52 1965 Andy Dick, Actor, comedian, turns 46 1966 Kiefer Sutherland, Actor (“24”), turns 45 1969 Julie Delpy, Actress, director, turns 42 1974 Karrie Webb, Golfer, turns 37 Historic Birthdays
Joseph Stalin 12/21/1879 – 3/5/1953 Soviet dictator (1941-53). Go to obituary »
? Masaccio 12/21/1401 – //1428
Italian artist84 Robert Brown 12/21/1773 – 6/10/1858
Scottish botanist76 Benjamin Disraeli 12/21/1804 – 4/19/1881
Two-time English prime minister (1868,1874-80)72 Frederick Bonfils 12/21/1860 – 2/2/1933
American publisher of the Denver Post84 Henrietta Szold 12/21/1860 – 2/13/1945
American Jewish leader; founded Hadassah (Women’s Zionist Organization of America)90 Dame Rebecca West 12/21/1892 – 3/15/1983
English journalist and novelist35 Josh Gibson 12/21/1911 – 1/20/1947
American baseball player59 Andre Eglevsky 12/21/1917 – 12/4/1977
Russian-born American ballet dancer and instructor67 Heinrich Boll 12/21/1917 – 7/16/1985
German novelist and Nobel Prize winner
Category: Uncategorized
On This Day: December 20
Updated December 19, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 20, 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, sending troops into Panama to topple the government of General Manuel Noriega.
On Dec. 20, 1881, Branch Rickey, the American baseball executive famous for creating the farm team system and hiring the first black players, was born. Following his death on Dec. 9, 1965, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1790 The first successful cotton mill in the United States began operating at Pawtucket, R.I. 1803 The Louisiana Purchase was completed as the territory was formally transferred from France to the United States during ceremonies in New Orleans. 1864 Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, Ga., as Union Gen. William T. Sherman continued his “March to the Sea.” 1879 Thomas Edison privately demonstrated his incandescent light at Menlo Park, N.J. 1946 The Frank Capra film “It’s A Wonderful Life” had a preview showing for charity at New York City’s Globe Theatre, a day before its official premiere. 1963 The Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays. 1976 Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley died at age 74. 1989 The United States sent troops into Panama to topple the government of Manuel Noriega. 1999 The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples are entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded couples. 2002 Trent Lott resigned as Senate Republican leader two weeks after igniting a political firestorm with racially charged remarks. 2005 New York City transit workers began a three-day strike. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
New York Mets third baseman David Wright turns 29 years old today.
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Actor Jonah Hill turns 28 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
1932 John Hillerman, Actor (“Magnum P.I.”), turns 79 1933 Jean Carnahan, Former U.S. senator, D-Mo., turns 78 1945 Peter Criss, Rock musician (Kiss), turns 66 1946 Uri Geller, Illusionist, turns 65 1946 Sonny Perdue, Former governor of Georgia, turns 65 1946 Dick Wolf, TV producer (“Law and Order” shows), turns 65 1948 Alan Parsons, Rock musician, turns 63 1957 Billy Bragg, Rock singer, turns 54 1966 Chris Robinson, Rock singer (The Black Crowes), turns 45 1981 Roy Williams, Football player, turns 30 1982 David Cook, Singer (“American Idol”), turns 29 1990 JoJo, Singer, turns 21 Historic Birthdays
Branch Rickey 12/20/1881 – 12/9/1965 American baseball executive. Go to obituary »
43 Dan Leno 12/20/1860 – 10/31/1904
English entertainer69 Harvey Firestone 12/20/1868 – 2/7/1938
American industrialist87 Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman 12/20/1886 – 12/5/1974
American tennis champion83 Sir Robert Menzies 12/20/1894 – 5/16/1978
Australian prime minister (1939-41, 1949-66)91 Irene Dunne 12/20/1898 – 9/4/1990
American actress65 Robert Van de Graaff 12/20/1901 – 1/16/1967
American physicist and inventor89 Max Lerner 12/20/1902 – 6/5/1992
American educator and columnist86 Sidney Hook 12/20/1902 – 7/12/1989
American social philosopher69 Jean Marchand 12/20/1918 – 8/28/1988
Canadian politician
On This Day: December 19
Updated December 18, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 19, 1984, Britain and China signed an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997.
On Dec. 19, 1906, Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet statesman who was the leader of the Soviet Union for 18 years, was born. Following his death on Nov. 10, 1982, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1732 Benjamin Franklin began publishing “Poor Richard’s Almanac.” 1776 Thomas Paine published his first “American Crisis” essay, writing: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” 1777 Gen. George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, Pa., to camp for the winter. 1843 Charles Dickens’ Yuletide tale, “A Christmas Carol,” was first published in Britain. 1907 A coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pa., killed 239 workers. 1946 War broke out in Indochina as troops under Ho Chi Minh launched widespread attacks against the French. 1972 Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, ending the Apollo program of manned lunar landings. 1974 Nelson A. Rockefeller was sworn in as vice president, replacing Gerald R. Ford, who became president when Richard M. Nixon resigned. 1984 Britain and China signed an accord returning Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. 1986 The Soviet Union announced it had freed dissident Andrei Sakharov from internal exile and pardoned his wife, Yelena Bonner. 1997 “Titanic,” the second highest-grossing movie of all-time, opened in American theaters. 2000 The U.N. Security Council voted to impose broad sanctions on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers unless they closed terrorist training camps and surrendered U.S. embassy bombing suspect Osama bin Laden. 2003 Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi agreed to halt his nation’s drive to develop nuclear and chemical weapons. 2005 Afghanistan’s first democratically elected parliament in more than three decades convened. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal turns 31 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
Actress Jennifer Beals turns 48 years old today.
AP Photo/Peter Kramer
1933 Cicely Tyson, Actress, turns 78 1934 Al Kaline, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 77 1941 Maurice White, R&B musician (Earth, Wind and Fire), turns 70 1943 James Jones, Former national security adviser, turns 68 1943 Elaine Joyce, Actress, turns 68 1944 Richard E. Leakey, Palaeontologist, turns 67 1944 Alvin Lee, Rock singer (Ten Years After), turns 67 1944 Tim Reid, Actor (“WKRP in Cincinnati”), turns 67 1955 Rob Portman, U.S. senator, R-Ohio, turns 56 1957 Kevin McHale, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 54 1960 Mike Lookinland, Actor (“The Brady Bunch”), turns 51 1964 Randall McDaniel, Football Hall of Famer, turns 47 1967 Criss Angel, Magician, turns 44 1969 Kristy Swanson, Actress, turns 42 1971 Amy Locane, Actress, turns 40 1972 Alyssa Milano, Actress (“Charmed,” “Who’s the Boss?”), turns 39 1972 Warren Sapp, Football player, turns 39 1985 Lady Sovereign, Rapper, turns 26 Historic Birthdays
Leonid Brezhnev 12/19/1906 – 11/10/1982 Russian statesman. Go to obituary »
80 Charles-Julien Brianchon 12/19/1783 – 4/29/1864
French mathematician55 Edwin Stanton 12/19/1814 – 12/24/1869
American Secretary of War under President Lincoln78 A.A. Michelson 12/19/1852 – 5/9/1931
German-born American physicist83 Barry Byrne 12/19/1883 – 12/17/1967
American architect74 Fritz Reiner 12/19/1888 – 11/15/1963
Hungarian-born American conductor80 Sir Ralph Richardson 12/19/1902 – 10/10/1983
English actor92 George Davis Snell 12/19/1903 – 6/6/1996
American geneticist and Nobel Prize winner75 Jean Genet 12/19/1910 – 4/15/1986
French novelist47 Edith Piaf 12/19/1915 – 10/11/1963
French singer and actress
On This Day: December 18
Updated December 17, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 18, 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first civilian nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went online.
On Dec. 18, 1888, Robert Moses, the American public servant who supervised the construction of many New York landmarks, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Shea Stadium , was born. Following his death on July 29, 1981, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1787 New Jersey became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. 1886 Baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb was born in Narrows, Ga. 1892 Peter Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia. 1915 President Woodrow Wilson, widowed the year before, married Edith Bolling Galt. 1944 The Supreme Court upheld the wartime relocation of Japanese-Americans. 1957 The first nuclear facility in the United States to generate electricity, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, went online. 1958 The world’s first communications satellite was launched by the United States aboard an Atlas rocket. 1969 Britain’s Parliament abolished the death penalty for murder. 1972 The United States began the heaviest bombing of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. 1987 Ivan F. Boesky was sentenced to three years in prison for plotting Wall Street’s biggest insider-trading scandal. 2003 A judge in Seattle sentenced confessed Green River killer Gary Ridgeway to 48 consecutive life terms. 2003 A jury in Chesapeake, Va., convicted teenager Lee Boyd Malvo of two counts of murder in the Washington-area sniper shootings. (He was later sentenced to life in prison without parole.) 2008 A U.N. court in Tanzania convicted former Rwandan army Col. Theoneste Bagosora of genocide and crimes against humanity for masterminding the killings of more than half a million people in a 100-day slaughter in 1994. 2009 Reality TV stars Jon and Kate Gosselin, parents of eight children, divorced. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor Brad Pitt turns 48 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
Rock musician Keith Richards (Rolling Stones) turns 68 years old today.
AP Photo/Donald Traill
1927 Ramsey Clark, Former U.S. attorney general, turns 84 1946 Steven Spielberg, Director, producer, turns 65 1950 Leonard Maltin, Movie critic, turns 61 1953 Elliot Easton, Rock musician (The Cars), turns 58 1955 Ray Liotta, Actor, turns 56 1968 Rachel Griffiths, Actress, turns 43 1970 Cowboy Troy, Country singer, rapper (“Nashville Star”), turns 41 1970 DMX, Rapper, turns 41 1971 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 40 1978 Katie Holmes, Actress, turns 33 1980 Christina Aguilera, Singer, turns 31 Historic Birthdays
Robert Moses 12/18/1888 – 7/29/1981 American public works planner; supervised construction of Lincoln Center and Shea Stadium. Go to obituary »
83 Sir J. J. Thompson 12/18/1856 – 8/30/1940
English physicist50 Francis Ferdinand 12/18/1863 – 6/28/1914
Austrian archduke60 Paul Klee 12/18/1879 – 6/29/1940
Swiss painter74 Ty Cobb 12/18/1886 – 7/17/1961
American baseball player82 Dame Gladys Cooper 12/18/1888 – 11/17/1971
English actress70 George Stevens 12/18/1904 – 3/8/1975
American film director78 Willy Brandt 12/18/1913 – 10/8,9/1992
German statesman56 Betty Grable 12/18/1916 – 7/2/1973
American actress
On This Day: December 17
Updated December 16, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful man-powered airplane flight, near Kitty Hawk, N.C.
On Dec. 17, 1894, Arthur Fiedler, the American conductor who conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra , was born. Following his death on July 10, 1979, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1933 In the first NFL championship game, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 at Wrigley Field. 1944 The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of excluding Japanese-Americans from the West Coast. 1957 The United States successfully test-fired the Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time. 1969 The U.S. Air Force closed its Project “Blue Book” by concluding there was no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings. 1969 An estimated 50 million viewers watched singer Tiny Tim marry Miss Vicky on NBC’s “Tonight Show.” 1975 Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford. (She was paroled in 2009.) 1989 The animated TV series “The Simpsons” premiered on Fox. 1992 President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in separate ceremonies. 1996 Kofi Annan of Ghana became United Nations secretary-general. 2004 President George W. Bush signed into law the largest overhaul of U.S. intelligence-gathering in 50 years. 2005 President George W. Bush acknowledged he’d personally authorized a secret eavesdropping program in the U.S. following Sept. 11. 2010 Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old fruit vendor frustrated with harassment by local officials, set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. His act of defiance set off nationwide protests that brought down longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and soon spread to the rest of the Arab world. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor Bill Pullman turns 58 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg
Actress Milla Jovovich turns 36 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
1937 Art Neville, Rock musician, singer (The Neville Brothers), turns 74 1945 Chris Matthews, Broadcast journalist, turns 66 1946 Eugene Levy, Actor (“American Pie” movies, “SCTV”), turns 65 1949 Paul Rodgers, Rock singer (Bad Company), turns 62 1953 Barry Livingston, Actor (“My Three Sons”), turns 58 1956 Peter Farrelly, Director, producer, turns 55 1958 Mike Mills, Rock musician (R.E.M.), turns 53 1974 Sarah Paulson, Actress, turns 37 1974 Giovanni Ribisi, Actor, turns 37 1975 Bree Sharp, Rock singer, turns 36 1978 Chase Utley, Baseball player, turns 33 Historic Birthdays
Arthur Fiedler 12/17/1894 – 7/10/1979 American conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. Go to obituary »
87 Sir Roger L’Estrange 12/17/1616 – 12/11/1704
English journalist and pamphleteer51 Domenico Cimarosa 12/17/1749 – 1/11/1801
Italian composer80 Joseph Henry 12/17/1797 – 5/13/1878
American scientist84 John Greenleaf Whittier 12/17/1807 – 9/7/1892
American poet and abolitionist65 Ford Madox Ford 12/17/1873 – 6/26/1939
English novelist and editor75 Mackenzie King 12/17/1874 – 7/22/1950
Canadian prime minister (1921-26, 1926-30, 1935-48)60 Edwin Cohn 12/17/1892 – 10/1/1953
American biochemist83 Erskine Caldwell 12/17/1903 – 4/11/1987
American author
On This Day: December 16
Updated December 15, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 16, 1950, President Truman proclaimed a national state of emergency in order to fight “Communist imperialism.”
On Dec. 16, 1901, Margaret Mead, the American anthropologist who authored 44 books and over 1000 articles , was born. Following her death on Nov. 15, 1978, her obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1653 Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. 1773 The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea overboard to protest tea taxes. 1809 Napoleon Bonaparte was divorced from the Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate. 1811 The first of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes, with an estimated magnitude of 7.7, struck the central Mississippi Valley. 1916 Gregory Rasputin, the monk who had wielded powerful influence over the Russian court, was murdered by a group of noblemen. 1917 Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke was born in Minehead, England. 1944 The Battle of the Bulge during World War II began as German forces launched a surprise counterattack against Allied forces in Belgium. 1985 Reputed organized-crime chief Paul Castellano was shot to death outside a New York City restaurant. 1990 Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president of Haiti in the country’s first democratic elections. 1991 The U.N. General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism. 1998 President Bill Clinton ordered a sustained series of airstrikes against Iraq by American and British forces in response to Saddam Hussein’s continued defiance of U.N. weapons inspectors. 2000 President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to become the first African-American secretary of state. 2007 British forces formally handed over to Iraq responsibility for Basra, the last Iraqi region under their control. 2009 Iran test-fired a missile capable of hitting Israel and parts of Europe. 2010 Larry King concluded his CNN talk show after 25 years. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Broadcast journalist Lesley Stahl (“60 Minutes”) turns 70 years old today.
AP Photo/Evan Agostini
Actor Benjamin Bratt turns 48 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg
1936 Morris Dees, Civil rights attorney, turns 75 1937 Joyce Bulifant, Actress, turns 74 1938 Liv Ullmann, Actress, turns 73 1943 Steven Bochco, TV producer (“NYPD Blue,” “Hill Street Blues”), turns 68 1948 Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois, turns 63 1949 Billy Gibbons, Rock musician (ZZ Top), turns 62 1968 Peter Orszag, Former White House budget director, turns 43 Historic Birthdays
Margaret Mead 12/16/1901 – 11/15/1978 American anthropologist. Go to obituary »
50 Catherine of Aragon 12/16/1485 – 1/7/1536
English queen41 Jane Austen 12/16/1775 – 7/18/1817
English novelist58 Francois Boieldieu 12/16/1775 – 10/8/1834
French composer61 Josephine Shaw Lowell 12/16/1843 – 10/12/1905
American social reformer51 Hans Buchner 12/16/1850 – 4/5/1902
German bacteriologist88 George Santayana 12/16/1863 – 9/26/1952
Spanish-American philosopher and poet81 Sir John Berry Hobbs 12/16/1882 – 12/21/1963
English athlete73 Sir Noel Coward 12/16/1899 – 3/26/1973
English actor and playwright96 V.S. Pritchett 12/16/1900 – 3/20/1997
English author61 James McCracken 12/16/1926 – 4/29/1988
American operatic tenor56 Ludwig van Beethoven 12/16/1770 – 3/26/1827
German composer and pianist
On This Day: December 15
Updated December 14, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 15, 1916, the French defeated the Germans in the World War I Battle of Verdun.
On Dec. 15, 1892, J. Paul Getty, the American businessman and oil tycoon who controlled the Getty Oil Company, was born. Following his death on June 6, 1976, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1890 Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, S.D., during a clash with Indian police. 1916 The French defeated the Germans in the World War I Battle of Verdun. 1938 Ground was broken for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. 1939 The movie “Gone With the Wind” had its world premiere in Atlanta. 1944 Bandleader Glenn Miller’s U.S. Army plane disappeared over the English Channel. 1961 Former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court. 1966 Movie producer Walt Disney died at age 65. 1989 A popular uprising that led to the downfall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu began in Romania. 2003 The late Sen. Strom Thurmond’s family acknowledged Essie Mae Washington-Williams’ claim that she was Thurmond’s illegitimate mixed-race daughter. 2004 American telecommunications giants Sprint Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc. announced they would merge in a $35 billion deal. 2005 Millions of Iraqis turned out to choose a parliament in a mostly peaceful election. 2009 The Washington, D.C. City Council voted to legalize same-sex marriage. 2010 The U.N. Security Council gave a unanimous vote of confidence to the government of Iraq by lifting 19-year-old sanctions on weapons and civilian nuclear power. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actor Don Johnson (“Miami Vice”) turns 62 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles
Actor Adam Brody (“The O.C.”) turns 32 years old today.
AP Photo/Peter Kramer
1933 Tim Conway, Comedian (“The Carol Burnett Show”), turns 78 1939 Cindy Birdsong, Singer (The Supremes), turns 72 1940 Nick Buoniconti, Football Hall of Famer, turns 71 1942 Dave Clark, Rock musician, producer (The Dave Clark Five), turns 69 1952 Julie Taymor, Director, turns 59 1954 Mark Warner, U.S. senator, D-Va., turns 57 1963 Helen Slater, Actress, turns 48 Historic Birthdays
J. Paul Getty 12/15/1892 – 6/6/1976 American oil tycoon. Go to obituary »
31 Nero 12/15/AD 37 – 6/9/AD 68
Roman emperor67 George Romney 12/15/1734 – 11/15/1802
English portrait painter75 Joseph Moses Levy 12/15/1812 – 10/12/1888
English newspaperman; founded the London newspaper Daily Telegraph85 Franklin Sanborn 12/15/1831 – 2/24/1917
American journalist and biographer91 Gustave Eiffel 12/15/1832 – 12/28/1923
French civil engineer and designer of the Eiffel Tower43 Niels Ryberg Finsen 12/15/1860 – 9/24/1904
Danish physician, founder of modern phototherapy and Nobel prize winner76 Charles Duryea 12/15/1861 – 9/28/1938
American automobile inventor70 Maxwell Anderson 12/15/1888 – 2/28/1959
American playwright65 Kaare Klint 12/15/1888 – 3/28/1954
Danish architect and furniture designer78 Harold Abrahams 12/15/1899 – 1/14/1978
English athlete and Olympic gold medalist
On This Day: December 14
Updated December 13, 2011, 1:29 pm
On Dec. 14, 1981, Israel annexed the Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967.
On Dec. 14, 1919, Shirley Jackson, the American writer best known for her story “The Lottery”, was born. Following her death on Aug. 8, 1965, her obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1819 Alabama joined the Union as the 22nd state. 1861 Prince Albert, husband of Britain’s Queen Victoria, died in London. 1911 Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South Pole. 1946 The United Nations General Assembly voted to establish the U.N. headquarters in New York City. 1979 The album “London Calling” by the Clash was released. 1981 Israel annexed the Golan Heights, seized from Syria in 1967. 1985 Wilma Mankiller became the first woman to lead a major American Indian tribe as she took office as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. 1993 A Colorado judge struck down as unconstitutional the state’s voter-approved ban on gay rights laws. 2000 The Federal Trade Commission unanimously approved the $111 billion merger of America Online and Time Warner. 2006 South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon was sworn in as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations. 2008 An Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad; Bush was not hit. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actress Vanessa Hudgens (“High School Musical” movies) turns 23 years old today.
AP Photo/Denis Poroy
Actress KaDee Strickland (“Private Practice”) turns 36 years old today.
AP Photo/Jeff Christensen
1946 Patty Duke, Actress, turns 65 1946 Michael Ovitz, Former Walt Disney Co. president, turns 65 1946 Stan Smith, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 65 1965 Craig Biggio, Baseball player, turns 46 1969 Natascha McElhone, Actress (“Californication”), turns 42 1978 Patty Schnyder, Tennis player, turns 33 Historic Birthdays
Shirley Jackson 12/14/1916 – 8/8/1965 American author. Go to obituary »
62 Nostradamus 12/14/1503 – 7/2/1566
French astrologer and physician54 Tycho Brahe 12/14/1546 – 10/24/1601
Danish astronomer63 James Bruce 12/14/1730 – 4/27/1794
Scottish explorer of Ethiopia77 Pierre du Pont 12/14/1739 – 8/6/1817
French economist72 Louis Marshall 12/14/1856 – 9/11/1929
American lawyer and activist67 Roger Fry 12/14/1866 – 9/9/1934
English artist and art critic96 James Doolittle 12/14/1896 – 9/27/1993
American aviator and World War II army general55 Lee Remick 12/14/1935 – 7/2/1991
American actress
