History Blog

Category Archives: History

October 19

Happy Birthday RIP “LaWanda Page”(Alberta Peal 1920–2002) “Robert Reed”(John Rietz 1932–1992) Harris Glenn Milstead(“Divine” 1945–1988) ; John Lithgow–69 Patricia Ireland–69 Jennifer Holliday–54 Amy Carter–47 Randolph “Trey” Parker III–45 Christopher Kattan–44 Desmond Harrington–38 ; 1987 – “Black Monday” the stock market crashed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points, or -22.6 percent in value, the largest one-day percentage drop (worse than 1929 at -12.82%)

October 18

Happy Birthday RIP George Campbell Scott(1927–1999)  Peter Boyle Jr(1935–2006)  ; Charles “Chuck” Berry–88 Dawn Wells–76 Michael Ditka–75 Pamela Dawber–63 Martina Navratilova–58 Erin Moran–54 Jean-Claude Van Damme(Varenberg)–54 Zachary Efron–27 ; 1867 – United States takes possession of Alaska after purchasing it from Russia for $7.2 million. Celebrated annually in the state as Alaska Day ; 1898 – United States takes possession of Puerto Rico.

October 17

Happy Birthday RIP Edward Montgomery Clift(1920–1966) “Rita Hayworth”(Margarita Cansino 1918–1987) Thomas Poston(1921–2007) ; James Seals–72 Michael McKean–67 Margaret “Margot” Kidder–66 George Wendt–66 Norman Macdonald–51 David “Ziggy” Marley–46 Marshall Mathers(“Eminem”)–42 David Matthew Macfadyen–40 Chris Lowell–30 Maximillian Irons–29 ; 1919 – RCA is incorporated as the Radio Corporation of America

October 16

Happy Birthday RIP Oscar Wilde(1854–1900) Michael Conrad(1925–1983) ; Angela Lansbury–89 Leonard Barrie Corbin–74 Suzanne Somers(Mahoney)–68 Timothy Robbins–56 Kim Wayans–53 Michael Balzary(“Flea”)–52 Johnathan Mayer–37 Brea Grant–33  ; 1923 – The Walt Disney Company is founded by Walt Disney and his brother, Roy Disney.

October 15

Happy Birthday RIP “Mark Lenard” aka Sarek(Leonard Rosenson 1924–1996) ; Lido “Lee” Iacocca–90 Linda Lavin–77 Carole Penny Marshall–72 Richard Carpenter–68 Sarah Ferguson–55 Emeril Lagasse III–55 Dominic West–45 William “Billy” Unger–19 ; 1878 – The Edison Electric Light Company begins operation (later General Electric) in Schenectady ; 1951 – The first episode of I Love Lucy, an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley, airs on the Columbia Broadcasting System.

October 14

Happy Birthday RIP David Dwight Eisenhower(1890–1969) Lillian Gish(1893–1993) Charles Everett Koop(1916–2013) ;  Sir Roger Moore–87 Ralph Lauren(Lifschitz)–75 Harry Anderson–62 Gregory Evigan–61 Thomas Dolby(Robertson)–56 Isaac Mizrahi–53 Stephen Coogan–49 Karyn White–49 Usher Raymond IV–36 Maximillion Thieriot–26 ; 1964 – civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.

October 13

Happy Birthday RIP Margaret Thatcher(Roberts 1925–2013) ; Paul Simon–73 Grady Demond Wilson–68 Samuel “Sammy” Hagar–67 Olive Marie Osmond–55 Kathleen “Kate” Walsh–47 Sacha Baron Cohen–43 Branden Williams–40 Ashanti Douglas–34 ; 1843 – In New York City, Henry Jones and 11 others found B’nai B’rith (the oldest Jewish service organization in the world).

October 12

Happy Birthday RIP Luciano Pavarotti(1935–2007) ; Chris Wallace–67 Susan Anton–64 Christopher Botti–52 Glenn Soukesian(“Colton Ford”)–52 Hugh Jackman–46 Adam Rich–46 Joshua Hutcherson–22 ; 1998 – Matthew Shepard, a gay student at University of Wyoming, died five days after he was beaten, robbed and left tied to a wooden fence post outside of Laramie Wyoming.

October 11

Happy Birthday RIP Anna Eleanor Roosevelt(1884–1962) ; Daryl Hall(Hohl)–68 David Morse–61 Joan Cusack–52 Sean Patrick Flanery–49 Luke Perry(Coy Luther Perry III)–48 Jane Krajkowski–46 Stephen Moyer(Emery)–45 Matthew Bomer–35 Trevor Donovan Neubauer–36 ; 1975 – The NBC sketch comedy/variety show Saturday Night Live debuts with George Carlin as the host and Andy Kaufman, Janis Ian and Billy Preston as guests.

October 10

Happy Birthday RIP Helen Hayes(Brown 1900–1993) Ibson Dana Elcar(1927–2005) Christopher Penn(1965–2006) ; “Peter Coyote”(Rachmil Cohon)–73 Benjamin Vereen(Middleton)–68 David Lee Roth–60 Tanya Tucker–56 Julia Sweeney–55 Bradley Whitford–55 Jodi Marzorati(“Benson”)–53 Mario Lopez Jr–41 ; 1871 – The Great Chicago Fire: Chicago burns after a barn accident. The fire lasts from October 8 to October 10.