History Blog

February 17

Happy Birthday RIP Mary Ann Mobley(1937–2014) John Barry Humphries(“Dame Edna” 1934–2023) ; Rene Russo–70 Richard Karn–68 Lou Diamond Phillips(Upchurch)–62 Michael Jordan–61 Denise Richards–53 Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Connell–50 Joseph Gordon-Levitt–43 Paris Hilton–43 Chord Overstreet–35 ; 1819 – The United States House of Representatives passes the Missouri Compromise ; 1933 – Newsweek magazine was first published and sold to consumers at news stands across the country

February 16

Happy Birthday RIP Edgar John Bergen(1903–1978) Eugene Hugh Beaumont(1909–1982) Salvatore “Sonny” Bono(1935–1998) James Ingram(1952–2019) Lisa Loring(DeCinces 1958–2023) ; William Katt–73 Janice Dickinson–69 Levardis “LeVar” Burton Jr–67 Tracy Marrow(Ice T)–66 John McEnroe–65 Christopher Eccleston–60 Sarah Clarke–52 John Tartaglia–46 Elizabeth Olsen–35 ; 1968 – The nation’s first 911 emergency telephone system was inaugurated in Haleyville, Alabama

February 15

Happy Birthday RIP Cesar Romero Jr(1907–1994) Christopher Farley(1964–1997) Harvey Korman(1927–2008) ; Melissa Manchester–73 Joyce Frankenberg(“Jane Seymour”)–73 Matthew Groening–70 Christopher McDonald–69 Jane Richman(“Jane Child”)–57 Alexandrea “Alex” Borstein–53 ; 1764 – The city of St. Louis Missouri was established and incorporated ; 1985 – The iconic movie “Breakfast Club” was released and became a legendary cult film documenting five high school student stereotypes

February 14

Happy Birthday RIP “Jack Benny”(Benjamin Kubelsky 1894–1974) Edward Platt(1916–1974) Victor Morrow(Morozoff 1929–1982) Gregory Hines(1946–2003) Florence Henderson(1934–2016) Hugh Downs(1920–2020) ; Michael Bloomberg–82 Raymond Teller–76 Alan Hunter–67 “Meg Tilly”(Margaret Chan)–64 Simon Beckingham(“Pegg”)–54 Alfred “Freddie” Highmore–32 ; 1849 – In New York City, James Knox Polkbecomes the first serving President of the United States to have his photograph taken. ; 1991– Silence of the Lambs opens and later is first thriller/horror film to win “big five” Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role(Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress in a Leading Role(Jodie Foster), Best Director(Jonathan Demme), Best Screenplay(Ted Tally)

February 13

Happy Birthday RIP “Tennessee” Ernest Ford(1919–1991) Brigadier General Charles “Chuck” Yeager(1923–2020) George Segal Jr(1934–2021) Gerald “Jerry” Springer(1944–2023); Marilyn “Kim” Novak–91 “Stockard Channing”(Susan Stockard)–80 Peter Gabriel–74 Neal McDonough–58 Robert “Robbie” Williams–50 Mena Süvari–45 Daniel Portman–32 ; 1960 – Black college students stage the first of the Nashville sit-ins at three lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee.

February 12

Happy Birthday RIP Charles Darwin(1809–1882) Abraham Lincoln(1809–1865) Forrest Tucker(1919–1986) Lyon “Lorne” Greene(1915–1987) “Franco Zeffirelli”(Gianfranco Corsi 1923–2019) ; Joe Don Baker–88 Judith Blume(Sussman)–86 Frederick “Michael” Ironside–74 Michael McDonald–72 Joanna Kerns(DeVarona)–71 James “Zach” Grenier–70 Arsenio Hall–68 Josh Brolin–56 Darren Aronofsky–55 Jesse Spencer–45 Enver Gjokaj –44 Christina Ricci–44 ; 1909 – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in New York ; 1963 – Construction begins on the Gateway Arch in St. Louis Missouri

February 11

Happy Birthday RIP Thomas Alva Edison(1847-1931) Éva Gábor(1919–1995) Leslie Nielsen(1926–2010) Burton “Burt” Reynolds Jr(1936–2018) ; Tatiana Blacker(“Tina Louise”)–90 Sheryl Crow–62 Jennifer Aniston–55 Brandy Norwood–45 Matthew Lawrence–44 Natalie Dormer–42 Taylor Lautner–32 ; 1938 – BBC Television produces the world’s first ever science fiction television program, an adaptation of a section of the Karel Čapek play R.U.R., that coined the term “robot”

February 10

Happy Birthday RIP James “Jimmy” Durante(1893–1980) Jerrald “Jerry” Goldsmith(1929–2004) ; Robert Wagner Jr–94 Roberta Flack–87 Mark Spitz–74 George Stephanopoulos–63 Laura Dern–57 Elizabeth Banks(Mitchell)–50 Thomas Schilling–42 Emma Roberts–33 ; 1870 – The YWCA is founded in New York City ; 1940 – Tom and Jerry make their debut with “Puss Gets the Boot” cartoon.

February 9

Happy Birthday RIP Carmen Miranda(Maria Miranda da Cunha 1909–1955) ; Carole King(Klein)–82 Joseph “Joe” Pesci–81 Maria “Mia” Villiers-Farrow–79 Judith Light(Licht)–75 James Jackson Bullock–69 Colin Egglesfield–51 Zhāng Zǐyi(章子怡)–45 Thomas Hiddleston–43 David Gallagher–39 Rose Arbuthnot-Leslie–37 ; 1942 – Year-round Daylight saving time is re-instated in the United States as a wartime measure to help conserve energy resources ; 1964 – The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a “record-busting” audience of 73 million viewers

February 8

Happy Birthday RIP Julia “Lana” Turner (1921–1995) Audrey Meadows Allen (Cotter 1922–1996) John “Jack” Lemmon III (1925–2001) James Byron Dean.(1931–1955) Gary Coleman (1968–2010) ; John Williams–92 Edward “Ted” Koppel–84 Nicholas “Nick” Nolte–83 Robert Klein–82 Brooke Adams–75 Mary Steenburgen–71 John Grisham Jr–69 Ethan Phillips–69 Vincent Neil Wharton–63 Mary McCormack–55 Seth Green–50 Liam McIntyre–42 James “Jim” Verraros–41 ; 1910 – The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated by William D. Boyce ; 1960 – The first eight brass star plaques are installed in the Hollywood Walk of Fame near Hollywood and Gower