Today’s an average day for births and a bit of a slow one for deaths – bearing that in mind, we start with Gaius Octavius or Augustus Caeser the first Roman Emperor who had a straight arm waving about from 63BC. Mongol Emperor and founder of the Yuan dynasty in China, Kublia Khan arrived at 1215. King Ferdinand VI of Spain cheered up this day each year from 1713. Star gazer Johann Franz Enche spied the light for the first time in 1791. Cocaine and morphine addled surgeon William Stewart Halstead had his initial introduction to hospitals in 1852. 11th of 12 children and founder of company bearing his name, (which is still going strong today), Robert Bosch engineered his way into the world back in 1861. Queen consort of Serbia Draginja ‘Draga’ Obrenović, (formerly Mašin), was no longer a baby in waiting from 1864. Writer of books about The Scarlet Pimpernel – Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála ‘Emmuska’ Orczy de Orci blended in well with her family from 1865. Given we came out of the largest pandemics for years with loads of asymptomatic carriers, here we see cook born Mary Mallon, but known as ‘Typhoid Mary’ didn’t try to hoodwink anyone over her birthday from 1869. Engineer who co-founded car company bearing his name, (with his brothers) – Alfieri Maserati wasn’t as temperamental as his cars from 1887. 38th Prime Minister of Italy – Aldo Romeo Luigi Moro was apolitical in 1916. Eight time married, (some people never seem to learn from their mistakes), Joseph Yule Jr., or Mickey Rooney as he was also known left the hide out in 1920. Saxophonist John William Coltrane was settin’ the pace in 1926. Blind American singer/songwriter, (no, not Stevie Wonder), but Ray Charles, (Robinson), had plenty of crying time in 1930. Bollywood actor Prem Chopa gave it his all in 1935. Henry Calthorpe Blofeld, or ‘Blowers’ to his cricketing fans didn’t stump his parents when born in 1939. Spanish crooner, (of who I can only name one hit he’s responsible for, and that’s one too many), Julio José Iglesias de la Cuevaor, or just Julio Iglesias, released himself on the world in 1943. One time beaded haired children’s television presenter, now in a select group of Liberal Democrats within the House of Lords, Floella Benjamin went to play school a few years after arriving in 1949. Also born that year, ‘The Boss’ – Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen came to be born in the USA. Tony B.Liar’s Mrs, (the one who opened No. 10’s front door to the world in her nightdress with dishevelled hair, but unfortunately minus the fag dangling from her mouth), Theresa Cara ‘Cherie’ Blair, (née Booth), started representing herself from 1954. Former Blue Peter presenter and ghost hunter – Yvette Paula Fielding didn’t scare her parents in 1968. Northern whinger and idiot abroad Karl Pilkington will be moping about the place given he’s now hit 51. Actor Anthony Dwane Mackie found freedomland in 1978.
People at the other end of their life include, Pope Linus who drew the short straw in 79. Eleventh Grand Master of the Knights Templar – Robert de Sablé left the other ten Knights battle it out in 1193. Dead Norwegian of the day, botanist/bishop Johan Ernst Gunnerus found he wasn’t late for his funeral in 1773. Opera composer Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini didn’t have a long drawn out death scene with someone stood over him singing a song in 1835. Businessman who named a university in Texas after himself, William Marsh Rice certainly wasn’t Hoppin’ John in 1900. Grandfather to the rather painful sounding Emma Freud, Sigismund Schlomo, (Sigmund), Freud vacated his sofa in 1939. Actor William ‘Billy’ Gilbert Barron, sneezed his last in 1971. Writer of Psycho Robert Albert Bloch departed this crowded earth in 1994. Singer/songwriter born Robert Burns, but went onto be known as Robert C. Christie Hunter managed to go to heaven in 2019. Finally, actress Estelle Louise Fletcher left the cuckoos nest in 2022.
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