History Blog

February 22

Happy Birthday RIP George Washington(1732–1799) ; Dominick “Don” Pardo–96 Robert Jonathan Demme–70 Julius Erving–64 Julie Walters–64 Ellen Greene–63 Kyle MacLachlan–55 Jeri Ryan(Zimmerman)–46 James Blount–40 Drew Barrymore–39 ; 1879 – In Utica, New York, Frank Woolworth opens the first of many of five and dime Woolworth stores ; 1935 – It became illegal for airplanes to fly over the White House.

February 21

Happy Birthday RIP Eddi-Rue McClanahan(1934–2010) Eunice Waymon(“Nina Simone” 1933–2003) ; David Geffen–71 Alan Rickman–68 Anthony Daniels–68 Ellen Tyne Daly–68 Christine Ebersole–61 Allen “Kelsey” Grammer–59 John “Jack” Coleman–56 Christopher Atkins Bomann–53 William “Billy” Baldwin–51 Jennifer Love Hewitt–35 Brendan Sexton III–34 Ellen Page–27 ; 1878 – The first telephone directory was issued, by the District Telephone Co. of New Haven, Connecticut.

February 20

Happy Birthday RIP Ansel Adams(1902–1984) Kurt Cobain(1967–1994) Robert Altman(1925–2006) ; Gloria Vanderbilt–90 Sidney Poitier–87 Sandy Duncan–68 John W. Geils–68 Ivana Trump(Zelnickova)–65 Patricia Hearst–60 Cindy Crawford–48 Lili Taylor–47 Calpernia Addams–43 Brian Littrell–39 Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty–26 ; 1792 – President George Washington signed an act creating the U.S. Post Office.

February 19

Happy Birthday RIP Lee Marvin(1924–1987) Johann “Falco” Hölzel (1957–1998) ; William “Smokey” Robinson–74 Jeff Daniels–59 Ray Winstone–57 Prince Andrew Windsor–54 Seal Samuel–51 Justine Bateman–48 Benicio del Toro Sánchez–47 Haylie Duff–29 ; 1878 – Thomas Edison received a patent for his phonograph.

February 18

Happy Birthday John “Barry” Humphries(“Dame Edna”)–80 Mary Ann Mobley–75 Rene Russo–60 Lou Diamond Phillips(Upchurch)–52 Michael Jordan–51 Denise Richards–43 Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Connell–40 Joseph Gordon-Levitt–33 Paris Hilton–33 ; 1933 – Newsweek magazine was first published ; 1992 – Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison

February 17

Happy Birthday John “Barry” Humphries(“Dame Edna”)–80 Mary Ann Mobley–75 Rene Russo–60 Lou Diamond Phillips(Upchurch)–52 Michael Jordan–51 Denise Richards–43 Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Connell–40 Joseph Gordon-Levitt–33 Paris Hilton–33 ; 1933 – Newsweek magazine was first published ; 1992 – Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced in Milwaukee to life in prison

February 16

Happy Birthday RIP Edgar John Bergen(1903–1978) Eugene Hugh Beaumont(1909–1982) Salvatore “Sonny”  Bono(1935–1998) ; James Ingram–62 Levardis “LeVar” Burton–57 John McEnroe Jr.–55 Sarah Clarke–42 Johnathan Tartaglia–36 ; 1968 – The nation’s first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated in Haleyville, Alabama.

February 15

Happy Birthday RIP Cesar Romero(1907–1994) Chris Farley(1964–1997) Harvey Korman(1927–2008) ; Melissa Manchester–63 Joyce Frankenberg(“Jane Seymour”)–63 Matt Groening–69 Janice Dickinson–59 Christopher McDonald–59 Jane Richman(“Jane Child”)–47 Alexandrea “Alex” Borstein–43 ; 1764 – The city of St. Louis Missouri was established and incorporated.

February 14

Happy Birthday RIP “Jack Benny”(Benjamin Kubelsky 1894–1974) Edward Platt(1916–1974) Victor Morrow(1929–1982) Gregory Hines(1946–2003) ; Hugh Downs–93 Florence Henderson–80 Michael Bloomberg–72 Raymond Teller–66 Alan Hunter–57 “Meg Tilly”(Margaret Chan)–54 Alfred “Freddie” Highmore–22 ; 1929 – Saint Valentine’s Day massacre: Seven people, six of them gangster rivals of Al Capone’s gang, are murdered in Chicago, Illinois.

February 13

Happy Birthday Brigadier General Charles “Chuck” Yeager–91 Marilyn “Kim” Novak–81 George Segal–80 Gerald “Jerry” Springer–70 “Stockard Channing”(Susan Stockard)–70 Peter Gabriel–64 Robert “Robbie” Williams–40 Mena Suvari–35 ; 1931 – New Delhi becomes the capital of India.