May 29
Birthdays:
1959 ~ Rupert Everett (né Rupert James Hector Everett), British actor. He was born in Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk, England.
1958 ~ Annette Bening (née Annette Carol Bening), American actress. She was born in Topeka, Kansas.
1941 ~ Bob Simon (né Robert David Simon; d. Feb. 11, 2015), American television foreign correspondent who was it all. He was killed at age 73 from head injuries sustained when the taxicab he was traveling in crashed. He was born and died in New York, New York.
1939 ~ Al Unser (né Alfred Unser; d. Dec. 9, 2021), American Indy 500 champ who brought glory to a racing dynasty. His brother and son also raced in the Indy 500. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He died of cancer at age 82 in Chama, New Mexico.
1938 ~ Fay Vincent (né Francis Thomas Vincent, Jr.), 8th Commissioner of Baseball. He served as Commissioner from September 1989 until September 1992. He was born in Waterbury, Connecticut.
1934 ~ Robert Laughlin (né Robert Moody Laughlin; d. May 28, 2020), American anthropologist and linguist who spend decades in the Mexican state of Chiapas, where he meticulously documented and helped revitalize indigenous Mayan languages. He was a curator at the Smithsonian Institution. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey. He died a day before his 86th birthday of complications from Covid-19 in Arlington, Virginia.
1932 ~ Doreen Simmons (née Doreen Sylvia Clarke; d. Apr. 23, 2018), British teacher who made it big in the world of sumo. She was best known for her English radio commentary on Sumo wrestling. She was born in Nottingham, England. She died at age 85 in Tokyo, Japan.
1929 ~ Peter Higgs (né Peter Ware Higgs), English physicist and recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the mass of subatomic particles. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
1927 ~ Samuel Katz (d. Oct. 31, 2022), American doctor and virologist who developed the measles vaccine. He was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. He died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at age 95.
1922 ~ Raymond Plank (d. Nov. 8, 2018), American tax expert who became an oil giant. He was the founder and Chairman of the Apache Corporation, an oil and gas company. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died at age 96.
1920 ~ John Harsanyi (né Harsányi János Károly; d. Aug. 9, 2000), Hungarian-born American economist and recipient of the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He was born in Budapest, Hungary. He died at age 80 in Berkeley, California.
1918 ~ David Rees (d. Aug. 16, 2013), Welsh mathematician. He died at age 95.
1917 ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy (d. Nov. 22, 1963), 35th President of the United States. He served as President from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was assassinated at age 46 in Dallas, Texas.
1914 ~ Tenzing Norgay (né Namgyl Wangdi; d. May 9, 1986), Nepalese Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary on the climb up Mount Everest in May 1953. He reached the summit on his 39th birthday. He died 20 days before his 72ndbirthday.
1912 ~ Pamela Hansford Johnson, Baroness Snow (d. June 19, 1981), British novelist, poet, and social critic. She was born and died in London, England. She died 20 days after her 69th birthday.
1911 ~ George Szekeres (d. Aug. 28, 2005), Hungarian mathematician and husband of Esther Szekeres (1910 ~ 2005). His family left Hungary during World War II. He died within hours of his wife. He was born in Budapest, Hungary. He was 94 years old in Adelaide, Australia.
1906 ~ T.H. White (né Terence Hanbury White; d. Jan. 17, 1964), English author best known for his novel The Once and Future King about the King Arthur legend. He was born Bombay, British India. He died of heart failure at age 57 while aboard a ship in Athens, Greece.
1903 ~ Bob Hope (né Leslie Townes Hope; d. July 27, 2003), English-American comedian and actor. He was born in London, England. He died at age 100 in Los Angeles, California.
1874 ~ G.K. Chesterton (né Gilbert Keith Chesterton; d. June 14, 1936), English novelist. He was born in London, England. He died 16 days after his 63rd birthday.
1736 ~ Patrick Henry (d. June 6, 1799), Early American patriot and politician. He served as the first and sixth Governor of Virginia. He was born in Studley, Virginia, British America. He died 8 days after his 63rd birthday. In Red Hill, Charlotte County, Virginia.
1675 ~ Humphry Ditton (d. Oct. 15, 1715), English mathematician. He died at age 40.
1568 ~ Virginia de’Medici (d. Jan. 15, 1615), member of the Medici family. In 1568, she married Cesare d’Este, Duke of Modena (1562 ~ 1628). She was of the House of Medici. She was the daughter of Cosimo I de’Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Camilla Martelli. She died at age 46.
1421 ~ Charles, Prince of Viana (d. Sept. 23, 1461). He is sometime called Charles IV, King of Navarre, but his reign is in dispute. In 1439, he married Agnes of Cleves (1422 ~ 1448). He was of the House of Trastámara. He was the son of John II, King of Aragon and Blanche I, Queen of Navarre. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 40.
Events that Changed the World:
2023 ~ Memorial Day observed in the United States.
2022 ~ A Nepal Tara Airplane carrying 22 people went missing and crashed at the mouth of the Lamche River. The plane was flying from Pokhara to Jomson, a mountain resort town in central Nepal. A search and rescue operation had to be called off due to snowfall.
2017 ~ Memorial Day observed in the United States.
2012 ~ A 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit northern Italy.
2008 ~ A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Iceland.
2005 ~ Danica Patrick (b. 1982) became the first woman to lead the Indy 500.
2004 ~ The National World War II Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C.
1990 ~ Boris Yeltsin (1931 ~ 2007) was elected president of the Russian Soviet Federate Socialist Republic.
1982 ~ The British defeated Argentine forces at the Battle of Goose Green during the Falklands War. The battle had begun the day before.
1973 ~ Tom Bradley (1917 ~ 1998) was elected as the first African-American mayor of Los Angeles, California.
1953 ~ Sir Edmund Hillary (1919~2008) and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay (1914 ~ 1986) became the first known people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. They reached the summit on Norgay’s 39th birthday.
1942 ~ All Jews of occupied Paris France were ordered to wear identifying yellow stars.
1919 ~ Albert Einstein’s theory of general relative was tested, and confirmed, by Sir Arthur Eddington (1882 ~ 1944) and Andrew Crommelin (1865 ~ 1939).
1914 ~ The Ocean liner the RMS Empress of Ireland sank in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence following a collision with the Norwegian ship the SS Storstad. Over 1000 people were killed in the collision.
1913 ~ Igor Stravinsky’s ballet, The Rite of Spring, premiered in Paris and caused a riot.
1903 ~ In the May Coup, Alexander I, King of Serbia (1876 ~ 1903) and his wife, Draga, Queen consort (1867 ~ 1903) were assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand organization.
1886 ~ The first advertisement for Coca-Cola appeared in the Atlantic Journal.
1848 ~ Wisconsin became the 30th State of the Union.
1790 ~ Rhode Island and Providence Plantations became the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution.
1660 ~ Charles II (1630 ~ 1685) was restored to the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
1453 ~ Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II (1432 ~ 1481) captured Constantinople after a 53-day siege. This effectively ended the Byzantine Empire.
1328 ~ Philip VI (1293 ~ 1350) was crowned King of France.
Good-Byes:
2021 ~ B.J. Thomas (né Billy Joe Thomas; b. Aug. 7, 1942), American singer-songwriter. He was born in Hugo, Oklahoma. He died of lung cancer in Arlington, Texas at age 78.
2021 ~ Gavin MacLeod (né Allan George See; b. Feb. 28, 1931), American actor best known for his role as Captain Merrill Stubing on The Love Boat. He was also a Christian television host. He was born in Mount Kisco, New York. He died at age 90 in Palm Desert, California.
2017 ~ Manuel Noriega (b. Feb. 11, 1934), Panamanian dictator. He was born and died in Panama City, Panama. He died following complications of brain surgery at age 83.
2015 ~ Doris Hart (b. June 20, 1925), American tennis champion who beat the odds. She was a World Number 1 tennis player who was active in the 1940s and ‘50s. She was one of just three players to have a “boxes set” of Grand Slam titles by winning the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles from all four Grand Slam events. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She died 22 days before her 90th birthday in Coral Gables, Florida.
2013 ~ Andrew Greeley (b. Feb. 5, 1928), American Catholic maverick priest who chided his church. He also wrote novels of straying priests and detective thrillers. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He died at age 85 in Chicago, Illinois.
2012 ~ Doc Watson (né Arthel Land Watson; b. Mar. 3, 1923), American guitarist who was blind. He was born in Deep Gap, North Carolina. He died at age 89 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
2011 ~ Bill Clements (né William Perry Clements, Jr.; b. Apr. 13, 1917), 42nd and 44th Governor of Texas. He served his first time from January 1979 through January 1983, and his second term from January 1987 through January 1991. He had previously served briefly as the United States Secretary of Defense during the Richard Nixon administration, from May 1973 until July 1973. He was born and died in Dallas, Texas. He died at age 94.
2010 ~ Dennis Hopper (né Dennis Lee Hopper; b. May 17, 1936), American actor. He was born in Dodge City, Kansas. He died of prostate cancer just 12 days after his 74th birthday in Los Angeles, California.
2008 ~ Harvey Korman (né Harvey Herschel Korman; b. Feb. 15, 1927), American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role on The Carol Burnett Show. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He died at age 81 in Los Angeles, California.
2004 ~ Archibald Cox, Jr. (b. May 17, 1912), American lawyer and First Special Prosecutor for the Watergate hearings. He also served as the 31st United States Solicitor General under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. He died 12 days after his 92nd birthday in Brooksville, Maine.
1998 ~ Barry Goldwater (né Barry Morris Goldwater; b. Jan. 2, 1909), American politician and 1964 presidential candidate. He was a United States Senator from Arizona from January 1969 until January 1987. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona Territory. He died at age 89 in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
1995 ~ Margaret Chase Smith (née Margaret Madeline Chase; b. Dec. 14, 1897), American politician and United States Senator from Maine. She served main as Senator from January 1949 until January 1973. She was born and died in Skowhegan, Maine. She died at age 97.
1979 ~ Mary Pickford (née Gladys Marie Smith; b. Apr. 8, 1892), Canadian silent film actress and co-founder of United Artists. She was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She died at age of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 87 in Santa Monica, California.
1970 ~ John Gunther (b. Aug. 30, 1901), American journalist and author. He is best known for his 1949 memoir, Death Be Not Proud, which chronicled the death of his young son from a brain tumor. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. Gunther died of liver cancer at age 68.
1958 ~ Juan Ramón Jiménez (b. Dec. 23, 1881), Spanish writer and recipient of the 1956 Nobel Prize in Literature. He died at age 76 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
1951 ~ Fanny Brice (née Fania Borach; b. Oct. 29, 1891), American singer and actress. She was born in New York, New York. She died at age 59 of a cerebral hemorrhage in Los Angeles, California.
1942 ~ John Barrymore (né John Sidney Blyth; b. Feb. 14, 1882), American actor and member of the Barrymore acting dynasty. His birthdate is sometimes listed as Feb. 15, 1882. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died at age 60 in Los Angeles, California.
1919 ~ Robert Bacon (b. July 5, 1860), 39th United States Secretary of State. He served under President Theodore Roosevelt for 38 days, from January 1909 until March 1909. He was from Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He died at age 58 of blood poisoning following surgery in New York, New York.
1911 ~ Sir W.S. Gilbert (né William Schwenck Gilbert; b. Nov. 18, 1836), English dramatist and lyricist who worked with composer Sir Arthur Sullivan to create operettas, such as the Pirate of Penzance. He was born in London, England. He died of a heart attack at age 74 while teaching 2 young women how to swim.
1892 ~ Bahá’u’lláh (b. Nov. 12, 1817), Persian born religious leader and founder of the Bahá’í faith. He died at age 74.
1868 ~ Levi Lincoln, Jr. (b. Oct. 25, 1868), 13th Governor of Massachusetts. He served as Governor from May 1825 until January 1834. He was born and died in Worcester, Massachusetts. He died at age 85.
1866 ~ Winfield Scott (b. June 13, 1786), American Army General. He was known as “Old Fuss and Feathers” and served on active duty for over 53 years. During the course of his military career, he commanded forces in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the Mexican-American War, the Second Seminole War, and the American Civil War. He was born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. He died 15 days before his 80th birthday in West Point, New York.
1829 ~ Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet (b. Dec. 17, 1778), English chemist. He is known for inventing the Davy Lamp. He died at age 50 from complications following a stroke in Geneva, Switzerland.
1814 ~ Joséphine de Beauharnais (b. June 23, 1763), first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte. She died 24 days before her 51stbirthday.
1790 ~ Israel Putnam (b. Jan. 7, 1718), American general. He made his name at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Danvers, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America. He died at age 72 in Brooklyn, Connecticut.
1660 ~ Frans van Schooten (b. 1615), Dutch mathematician. He was born and died in Leiden, Dutch Republic. The exact date of his birth is unknown. He is believed to have been about age 44 or 45 at the time of his death.
1424 ~ Hongxi (b. Aug. 16, 1378), 4th Chinese Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He died at age 46.
1379 ~ Henry II, King of Castile and León (b. Jan. 13, 1334). He ruled from March 1366 until April 1367. He was the first king of Castile and León. He was known as Henry the Fratricide. He became king after deposing and murdering his half-brother, Peter the Cruel. He was the king involved in the Ferdinand War and the Hundred Years’ War. He was known for his cruelty to the Jews. In 1350, he married Juana Manuel (1339 ~ 1381). They were the parents of John I, King of Castile. He was of the House of Trastámara. He was one of many illegitimate sons of Alfonso XI, King of Castile and his mistress, Eleanor de Guzmán. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 45.
1332 ~ Princess Mary of Woodstock (b. Mar. 11, 1279), member of the British royal family. She never married and became a Benedictine nun. She was of the House of Plantagenet. She was the seventh named daughter of Edward I, King of England and Eleanor of Castile. The exact date of her death is not known, but she is believed to have died age 53 on May 29, 1332.
1259 ~ Christopher I of Denmark (b. 1219). He ruled Demark from 1252 to 1259. He was married to Margaret Sambiria (1230 ~ 1282). They married in 1248. They were the parents of Eric V, King of Denmark. He was of the House of Estridsen. He was the son of Valdemar II, King of Denmark and Berengaria of Portugal. He was Roman Catholic. He died unexpectedly after taking Holy Communion, leading to speculation that he had been poisoned. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been about 39 or 40 at the time of his death.
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