Births today include, among others, 11th Emperor of the Song Dynasty – born Zhao Shen, before taking the title Emperor Xiaozong didn’t have to suffer people singing, ‘Happy Birthday’ to him from 1127. Shimazu Tadatsune ruler of Satsuma was a bit wrinkly when born in 1576. Competitor to Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit on the temperature scale, Anders Celsius didn’t overheat upon his arrival in 1701. Founding father of the United States – Robert Robert Livingston‘s parents were quite inventive with his name in 1746. First President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann prayed for the day in 1874. Founder of Panasonic, Kōnosuke Matsushita tuned in for the first time in 1894. Also born that year, founder of nutritional company bearing his surname – Forrest Clell Shaklee started feeding. Norwegian of the day, chemist and Nobel laureate Lars Onsager started experiencing the wave function from 1903. Newsreader/broadcaster Robert Dougall started twitching in 1913. Robert Emil Schmidt, also known as Buffalo Bob Smith the faux cowboy with his hand up a puppets bottom whilst hosting ‘Howdy Doody’, started to make his presence known from 1917. Also born that year, seizing control was corporate raider and CE of Lonhro – Roland ‘Tiny’ Rowland. Harry ‘Buster’ Merryfield or Uncle Albert in classic BBC sitcom ‘Only Fools and Horses’, sailed through in 1920. Other half to Eric Morecombe, straightman Ernest Wiseman who managed to abbreviate that to Ernie Wise, couldn’t see the join in 1925. Also born that year actor from Daktari, James Marshall Thompson became the show-off. British television producer mentioned five days ago in the second paragraph – Verity Ann Lambert was born between the wars, in 1935 to be precise. Actor mentioned last week in the second paragraph – Rodney Bewes found the prize of arms in 1937. Darts commentator Anthony Julian ‘Tony’ Green bounced out in 1939. Star of various martial art films Lee Jun-fan or Bruce Lee, had the right stance in 1940. Also born that year, actor John Alderton was more downstairs than upstairs. Critically acclaimed, (somehow), guitarist and singer, who shacked up in George Frederic Handel’s pad in London, Johnny Allen Hendrix or as his A&R man knew him – James Marshall ‘Jimi’ Hendrix, amplified the noise in 1942. Australian crim Arthur Stanley ‘Neddy’ Smith freed himself in 1944, but has been banged up since 1989. Singer with The Shangri-Las, Elizabeth “Betty” Weiss wasn’t leader of the pack in 1946. Actor I know from his time on classic British series ‘Minder’ – Michael “Meic” Povey had a flash cut on the umbilical cord in 1950. Alternative comedian Brian Arthur John Smith was a grumpy young baby in 1954. Actress Patricia McPherson was part of the new generation in 1954. Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko who was Prime Minister of Ukraine – before being sent down for embezzlement and abuse of power, (a politician doing this? Surely not!), came through in 1960. Given we’ve had King, Queen and Prince in the charts we also saw Princess, (or rather Desirez Heslop), arrive in 1961. Actress and ex-Mrs Mike Tyson, Robin Simone Givens had a face to die for according to her parents in 1964. One half of parent killing brothers, Erik Galen Menéndez was actually grateful to his mum in 1970. English rapper Michael Geoffrey ‘Mike’ Skinner aka ‘The Streets’ thought, ‘let’s push things forward’ in 1978. Not wanting to be left out fellow English rapper Stephen Paul Manderson or ‘Professor Green’, joined in back in 1983.
Death wise, we start way back in 8BC where we see poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, or just Horace, stop writing odd odes. First King of the Franks – Clovis I stopped redrawing the map in 511. Inventor of the threshing machine Andrew Miekle probably thrashed about a bit in 1811. Geologist and palaeontologist Jean Albert Gaudry not only got to get a close up view of earth, but he also started fossilising in 1908. Co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records, Alan Ross McWhirter didn’t set any records given he was 50 when assassinated in 1975. Subject of 2008 film, Harvey Milk went sour in 1978. Classic radio DJ Alan Leslie ‘Fluff’ Freeman wasn’t ‘alright’ after 2006. Creator of sports drink Gatorade – James Robert Cade was more than dehydrated in 2007. Also expiring that year, actor born William Hendrickson Moor III before going onto be known as Bill Moore found he entered another world. Seventh Prime Minister of India Vishwanath Pratap Singh was very honest about his death in 2008. Film director Henry Kenneth Alfred ‘Ken’ Russell joined the devils in 2011. Bodie, (or was it Doyle?) from The Professionals, Lewis Collins didn’t get to crash through any more cardboard boxes given he was carried in a pine one back in 2013. Crime writer Phyllis Dorothy (P.D.) James, Baroness James of Holland Park came to the end of her particular chapter in 2014. Finally, marine biologist/animator responsible for bringing SpongeBob SquarePants to life – Stephen McDannell Hillenburg had closure in 2018.
With thanks to http://www.onthisday.com for filling in the gaps.
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