Happy Birthday RIP Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer (1927–1959) Mary “Billie” Burke(1884–1970) ; John Glover Jr–80 Wayne Knight–69 Paul Bruce Dickinson–66 David Duchovny–64 Michael Shannon–50 Charlize Theron–49 Eric Johnson–45 Randy Wayne Frederick–43 ; 1782 – George Washington orders the creation of the Badge of Military Merit to honor soldiers wounded in battle. It is later renamed to the more poetic Purple Heart ; 1981 – The Washington Star ceases all operations after 128 years of publication

Happy Birthday RIP Robert Mitchum(1917–1997) Andy Warhola(1928–1987) Lucille Ball(1911–1989) Barbara Windsor(Deeks 1937–2020) ; Manoj Nelliyattu “M Night” Shyamalan–54 Vera Farmiga–51 Soleil Moon Frye–48 Melissa George–48 Karl Davies–42 Christopher Anton Ploszczansky–38 ; 1926 – In New York City, the Warner Bros.’ Vitaphone system premieres with the movie Don Juan starring John Barrymore ; 1945 – the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, that instantly killed an estimated 66,000 people in the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare ; 1965 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law.

Happy Birthday RIP John Huston(1906–1987) Selma Diamond(1920–1985) Neil Armstrong(1930–2012) “John Saxon”(Carmine Orrico 1935–2020) Jeannette “Ja’net” DuBois 1945–2020) : Loni Anderson–79 Maureen McCormick–68 ; 1926 – Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping ; 1957 – “American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark, made its network TV debut on ABC network

Happy Birthday RIP Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon(Queen Mother 1900–2002) Anita Page(Pomares 1910–2008) Louis Armstrong(1901–1971) Richard Belzer(1944–2023) ; William Robert “Billy Bob” Thornton–69 Barack H. Obama II–63 Daniel Dae Kim–56 Meghan Duchess of Sussex “Markle”–43 Abigail Spencer–43 ; 1977 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the United States Department of Energy ; 1993 – A federal judge sentences Los Angeles Police Department officers Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell to 30 months in prison for violating motorist Rodney King’s civil rights.

Happy Birthday “Tony Bennett”(Anthony Benedette 1926–2013) ; “Martin Sheen”(Ramon Estevez)–84 Martha Stewart(Kostyra)–83 John Landis–74 Jay Waverly North Jr–73 Molly Hagan–63 Thomas Brady Jr–47 Tommy Dewey–46 Nicole Evangeline Lilly–45 ; 1923 – Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th president of the United States, one day after President Warren G. Harding died of a heart attack ; 1977 – Tandy Corporation announces the TRS-80, one of the world’s first mass-produced personal computers

Happy Birthday RIP Jacob “Jack” Warner(1892–1978) Myrna “Loy” Williams(1905–1993) Beatrice Straight(1914–2001) John Carroll O’Connor(1924–2001) Peter O’Toole(1932–2013) Wesley Craven(1939–2015) ; Joanna Cassidy(Caskey)–79 Patrick Lilley(“Butch Patrick”)–71 Patricia Apollonia Kotero–65 Mary-Louise Parker–60 Samuel Worthington–48 Edward Furlong–47 ; 1790 – The first United States Census is conducted ; 1870 – Tower Subway, the world’s first underground tube railway, opens in London, England, United Kingdom

Happy Birthday RIP Jerome “Jerry” Garcia(1942–1995) Yves Mathieu-Saint-Laurent(1936–2008) Dominic “Dom” DeLuise(1933–2009) ; Giancarlo Giannini–82 Samuel Mendes–59 “James St James”(James Clark)–58 Tempestt Bledsoe–51 Joseph Jason Momoa–45 “Max Carver”(Robert Maxwell Martensen)–36 Jack O’Connell–34 ; 1981 – MTV begins broadcasting in the United States and airs its first video, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles!

Happy Birthday RIP Theodore Cassidy(1932–1979) Geoffrey Lewis(1935–2015) ; Michael Biehn–68 Wesley Snipes–62 Joanne “J.K.” Rowling–59 Dean “Cain” Tanaka–58 Rudolf Martin–57 Loren Dean Jovicic–55 Emily “Eve” Best–53 Benjamin “B.J.” Novak–45 Charlie Carver Martensen–36 ; 1930 – The radio mystery program “The Shadow” airs for the first time ; 1948 – At Idlewild Field in New York City, New York International Airport (later renamed JFK International Airport) is dedicated

Happy Birthday RIP Henry Ford(1863–1947) Riccardo DiGuglielmo(Dick Wilson “Mr Whipple” 1916–2007) David Sanborn(1945–2024) ; Sid Krofft(Cydus Yolas)–95 Paul Anka–83 Arnold Schwarzenegger–77 Delta Burke–68 Catherine “Kate” Bush–66 Laurence Fishburne III–63 Lisa Kudrow–61 Vivica A. Fox–60 Simon Baker–55 Christopher Nolan–54 Michael “Tom” Green–53 Hilary Swank–50 Jaime Pressly–47 Damon Wayans Jr–42 ; 1965 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Social Security Act of 1965 into law, establishing Medicare. Social Security Act was signed by FDR August 14 1935

Happy Birthday RIP Clara Bow(1901–1965) “Theda Bara”(Theodosia Goodman 1885–1955) Peter Jennings(1938–2005) David Warner(1941–2022) Genaro “Tony” Sirico Jr(1942–2022) ; “Robert Fuller”(Leonard Lee)–91 Gary “Geddy Lee” Weinrib–71 Ian Roberts–59 Rodney Allen Rippy–56 Richard “Wil” Wheaton III–52 Stephen Dorff–51 Allison Mack–42 ; 1914 – Transcontinental telephone service began with the first phone conversation between New York and San Francisco ; 1957 –Jack Paar debuted as host of NBC’s “Tonight” show. The first modern day Talk Show.