May 30
Birthdays:
1974 ~ CeeLo Green (né Thomas DeCarlo Callaway), African-American singer-songwriter. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
1971 ~ Idina Menzel (né Idina Kim Mentzel), American actress and singer. She was born in New York, New York.
1958 ~ Ted McGinley (né Theodore Martin McGinley), American actor best known for his role as Jefferson D’Arcy on Married with Children. He was born in Newport Beach, California.
1955 ~ Jonathan Idema (né Jonathan Keith Idema; d. Jan. 21, 2012), American con man who ran a torture chamber. He was a former United States army special reserve operations non-commissioned officer. He was convicted of running a private prison in Afghanistan and tortured civilians he claimed to be terrorists. He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. He died of AIDS at age 55 in Bacalar, Mexico.
1951 ~ Stephen Tobolowsky (né Stephen Harold Tobolowsky), American actor and director. He was born in Dallas, Texas.
1945 ~ Gladys Horton (née Gladys Catherine Horton; d. Jan. 26, 2011), African-American singer who was the Motown star who made the song Please, Mr. Postman famous. She was born in Gainesville, Florida. She died at age 65 in Sherman Oaks, California.
1943 ~ James Chaney (né James Earle Chaney; d. June 21, 1964), African-American civil rights activist who was murdered during Freedom Summer. He was born in Meridian, Mississippi. He was murdered in Philadelphia, Mississippi 22 days after his 21st birthday.
1934 ~ Aleskei Leonov (d. Oct. 11, 2019), Soviet Russian cosmonaut who, in March 1965, made the first spacewalk. He stayed outside the space capsule during the Voskhod 2 mission for just over 12 minutes. He died at age 85 in Moscow, Russia.
1927 ~ Clora Bryant (née Clora Larea Bryant; d. Aug. 25, 2019), African-American jazz trumpet virtuoso who was set back by sexism. She performed with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. She was born in Denison, Texas. She died at age 92 in Los Angeles, California.
1927 ~ Joan Birman (née Joan Sylvia Lyttle), American mathematician known for her work in braid theory and knot theory. She was born in New York, New York.
1926 ~ Christine Jorgensen (né George William Jorgensen, Jr.; d. May 3, 1989), American transgender woman. She is the first American to have sex reassignment surgery. She was born in the Bronx, New York. She died of cancer 3 weeks before her 63rd birthday in San Clemente, California.
1924 ~ Norbert Schemansky (d. Sept. 7, 2016), American Olympic gold medalist who received little acclaim at home. He was an Olympian weightlifter who competed in the 1948, 1952, 1960, and 1964 Olympics. During his 27-year weight-lifting career, he shattered 26 world records. During his career, however, there were no endorsements and no money for athletes and weightlifting was virtually unknown in the American public. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. He died at age 92 in Dearborn, Michigan.
1922 ~ Gil Clancy (né Gilbert Thomas Clancy, d. Mar. 31, 2011), American Hall of Fame Boxer and trainer and boxing commentator. He was born in New York, New York. He died at age 88 in Lynbrook, New York.
1915 ~ Maxine Powell (née Maxine Blair; d. Oct. 14, 2013), African-American mentor who gave polish to Motown’s stars. She was an etiquette instructor and talent agent. She was born in Texarkana, Texas. She died at age 98 in Southfield, Michigan.
1912 ~ Julius Axelrod (b. Dec. 29, 2004), American biochemist and recipient of the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was born in New York, New York. He died at age 92 in Bethesda, Maryland.
1910 ~Harry Bernstein (né Harry Louis Bernstein; d. June 3, 2011), British-born journalist and author. He is best known for his book, The Invisible Wall, which described his life as a Jewish young child in a small town in England. This book was published when he was 96 years old. He died just 4 days after his 101st birthday in New York, New York.
1909 ~ Benny Goodman (né Benjamin David Goodman; d. June 13, 1986), American clarinetist and bandleader. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He died of a heart attack 14 days after his 77th birthday in New York, New York.
1908 ~ Mel Blanc (né Melvin Jerome Blank; d. July 10, 1989), American voice actor known for creating the voices of many cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Sylvester the Cat. He was born in San Francisco, California. He died of heart disease and emphysema at age 81 in Los Angeles, California.
1908 ~ Hannes Alfvén (né Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén; d. Apr. 2, 1995), Swedish physicist and recipient of the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics. He died at age 86.
1903 ~ Countee Cullen (né Countee LeRoy Porter; d. Jan. 9, 1946), African-American poet and author. He was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He died at age 42 of high blood pressure and uremic poisoning.
1899 ~ Cornelia Otis Skinner (d. July 9, 1979), American writer and actress. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. She died in New York, New York at age 80. She is buried in Fall River, Massachusetts.
1869 ~ Grace Andrews (d. July 27, 1951), American mathematician. She was one of only 2 women listed in the first edition of American Men of Science in 1906. She died at age 82.
1846 ~ Peter Carl Fabergé (d. Sept. 24, 1920), Russian goldsmith and jeweler. He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He died at age 74.
1845 ~ Amadeo I, King of Spain (d. Jan. 18, 1890). He ruled over Spain from November 1870 until February 1873. He abdicated the throne in February 1873 and Spain became a republic. He left Spain and returned to Italy, where he became the Duke of Aosta. He was married twice. His first wife was Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo (1847 ~ 1876). His second wife was Maria Letizia Bonaparte (1866 ~ 1926). He was of the House of Savoy. He was the son of Victor Emmanuel II, King of Italy and Adelaide of Austria. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 44.
1814 ~ Eugène Charles Catalan (d. Feb. 14, 1894), Belgian mathematician. He died at age 79.
1757 ~ Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth (d. Feb. 15, 1844), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He was in Office from March 1801 until May 1804 during the reign of King George III. He died at age 86.
1653 ~ Claudia Felicitas, Archduchess of Austria (d. Apr. 8, 1676), Holy Roman Empress consort and second wife of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1640 ~ 1702). They married in 1673. It was a happy marriage. She was of the House of Habsburg. She was the daughter of Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria and Anna de’Medici. She died of tuberculosis at age 22.
1464 ~ Barbara of Brandenburg (d. Sept. 4, 1515), Queen consort of Bohemia and wife of Vladislaus II, King of Bohemia. He was her second husband; she was his first wife. They were married by proxy in 1476 and it was a purely political marriage. Vladislaus never saw Barbara and immediately tried to have the marriage dissolved, thus she was the Queen consort in name only. During their marriage, he secretly married his second wife in 1490. The marriage between Barbara and Vladislaus, however, was not legally dissolved until 1500. Barbara’s first husband was Henry XI, Duke of Głogów (1435 ~ 1476). They married in 1472, when she was just 8 years old. Henry was about 30 years her senior. She was of the House of Hohenzollern. She was the daughter of Albrecht III, Elector of Brandenburg and Anna Saxony. She died at age 51.
1423 ~ Georg von Peuerbach (b. Apr. 8, 1461), German-Austrian mathematician and astronomer. He died at age 37 in Vienna, Duchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire.
1201 ~ Theobald I, King of Navarre (d. July 8, 1253). He reigned Navarre from 1234 until his death in 1253. He was also known as Theobald the Posthumous. His father had died a week before he was born. He was married three times. His first wife was Gertrude of Dagsbury (d. 1225). They married in 1220. He was her second husband. He repudiated her 2 years later. His second wife was Agnes of Beaujeu (d. 1231), whom he married in 1223. His third wife was Margaret of Bourbon (d. 1256). He was of the House of Blois. He was the son of Theobald III, Count of Champagne and Blanche of Navarre. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 52.
1010 ~ Emperor Renzong of Song (d. Apr. 30, 1063), 4th Chinese emperor of the Song Dynasty. He died a month before his 53rd birthday.
Events that Changed the World:
2022 ~ Memorial Day observed in the United States.
2012 ~ Former Liberian president Charles Taylor (b. 1948) was sentenced to 50 years in prison for his role in crimes against humanity committed during the Sierra Leone Civil War.
2011 ~ Memorial Day was celebrated in the United States.
2005 ~ American student from Alabama, Natalee Holloway (b. 1986), disappeared while on a high school trip to Aruba. She was believed to have been murdered. In January 2012, an Alabama judge declared her legally dead.
1998 ~ A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, killing at an estimated 5,000 people.
1982 ~ Spain joined NATO.
1972 ~ Members of the Japanese Red Army carried out a massacre at the Lod Airport (currently known as the Ben Gurion Airport) in Tel Aviv, Israel. Twenty-four people were killed and over 75 others were injured.
1967 ~ The eastern region of Nigeria declared its independence as the Republic of Biafra. This declaration sparked a civil war, and after two and a half years, after many of its citizens were murdered, Biafra reintegrated into Nigeria.
1942 ~ During World War II, 1000 British bombers launched a 90-minute attack on Cologne, Germany.
1922 ~ The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated.
1913 ~ A peace treaty was signed ending the First Balkan War. The newly aligned Slavic nations of Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece had driven out Turkish forces that had been in the Balkans region of southeastern Europe.
1911 ~ The first Indianapolis 500 automobile race ended. Ray Harroun (1879 ~ 1968) was the winner of this first race.
1899 ~ Pearl Hart (1871 ~ 1955), a female outlaw, robbed a stagecoach just outside of Globe, Arizona.
1806 ~ Andrew Jackson (1767 ~ 1845) killed Charles Dickinson (1780 ~ 1806) in a duel after Dickinson accused Rachel Jackson (1767 ~ 1828), Andrew’s wife, of bigamy.
1635 ~ The Peace of Prague was signed effectively ending the civil aspects of the Thirty Years’ War.
1574 ~ Henry III (1551 ~ 1589) became King of France.
1536 ~ Henry VIII, King of England (1491 ~ 1547) married Jane Seymour (1508 ~ 1537). She would die the following year of complications from childbirth.
1431 ~ During the Hundred Years’ War, Joan of Arc (1412 ~ 1431) was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, by an English-dominated tribunal.
70 ~ The date ascribed during the Siege of Jerusalem when Titus and his Roman legions breached the Second Wall surrounding the city. The Jewish defenders were forced to retreat to the First Wall.
Good-Byes:
2022 ~ Paul Vance (né Joseph Paul Florio; b. Nov. 4, 1929), American songwriter who struck gold with Itsy Bitsy. He wrote the song about “an itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini” for his young 2-year-old daughter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He died at age 92 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
2020 ~ Bobby Morrow (né Bobby Joe Morrow; b. Oct. 15, 1935), American sprinting champion who ran from the spotlight. He won 3 gold medals at the 1956 Olympics. He was born in Harlingen, Texas. He died at age 84 in San Benito, Texas.
2019 ~ Leon Redbone (né Dickran Gobalian; b. Aug. 26, 1949), Cyprian-born American musician. He was born in Nicosia, Cyprus. He died of complications of dementia at age 69 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
2016 ~ Charles M. Harper (né Charles Michael Harper; b. Sept. 23, 1927), American CEO who made healthy eating mainstream. He led ConAgra Foods from 1975 to 1993. After suffering from a heart attack in 1985, he radically changed his diet and developed Healthy Choice frozen foods. He was born in Michigan. He died at age 88.
2015 ~ Beau Biden (né Joseph Robinette Biden, III; b. Feb. 3, 1969), American son of President Joseph Biden who dedicated his life to public service. He served as the 44th Attorney General of Delaware. He was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He died in Bethesda, Maryland. He had suffered from brain cancer and was 46 years old at the time of his death.
2015 ~ Jim Bailey (né James William Bailey; b. Jan. 10, 1938), American entertainer and female impersonator who became a diva. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died of complications of pneumonia at age 77 in Los Angeles, California.
2012 ~ Jack Twyman (né John Kennedy Twyman; b. May 21, 1934), All-Star professional basketball player who sent on off-court example. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He died 11 days after his 78th birthday in Cincinnati, Ohio.
2012 ~ Sir Andrew Huxley (né Andrew Fielding Huxley; b. Nov. 22, 1917), English physiologist and biophysicist. He was the recipient of the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was also half-brother of writer Aldous Huxley. He was born in London, England. He died at age 94 in Cambridge, England.
2011 ~ Rosalyn Sussman Yalow (née Rosalyn Sussman; b. July 19, 1921), American medical physicist and recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the development of the Radioimmunoassay technique. She was born in New York, New York. She died at age 89 in The Bronx, New York.
2009 ~ Ephraim Katzir (né Efraim Katchalski; b. May 16, 1916), Israeli biophysicist. He also served as the 4th President of Israel. He was President from May 1973 until May 1978. He was born in Kiev, Russian Empire. He died 14 days after his 93rd birthday in Rehovot, Israel.
1993 ~ Marge (née Marjorie Lyman Henderson; b. Dec. 11, 1904), American cartoonist. She was the creator of Little Lulu. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She died of lymphoma at age 88 in Elyria, Ohio.
1989 ~ Claude Pepper (né Claude Denson Pepper; b. Sept. 8, 1900), American politician and Democrat United States Senator from Florida. He served as a Senator from November 1936 until January 1951. He later became a Member of the United States House of Representatives from January 1963 until his death 26 years later. He was born in Dudleyville, Alabama. He died at age 88 of stomach cancer in Washington, D.C.
1986 ~ Perry Ellis (né Perry Edwin Ellis, b. Mar. 3, 1940), American fashion designer. He was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. He died at age 46 in Manhattan, New York.
1975 ~ Steve Prefontaine (né Steve Roland Prefontaine; b. Jan. 25, 1951), American runner. He was born in Coos Bay, Oregon. He died at age 24 in a car accident in Eugene, Oregon.
1971 ~ Marcel Dupré (b. May 3, 1886), French organist and composer. He died 27 days after his 85th birthday.
1967 ~ Claude Rains (né William Claude Rains, b. Nov. 10, 1889), English actor. He is best known for his role in Casablanca. He was born in London, England. He died of an abdominal hemorrhage in Laconia, New Hampshire at age 77.
1960 ~ Boris Pasternak (b. Feb. 10, 1890), Russian writer and recipient of the 1958 Nobel Peace Prize. The Communist Party forced him to decline the award. His descendants were able to accept the Prize in his name in 1988. He is best known for his novel, Dr. Zhivago. He was born in Moscow, Russian Empire. He died of lung cancer at age 70.
1947 ~ Georg Ludwig von Trapp (né Georg Johannes Ludwig Ritter von Trapp; b. Apr. 4, 1880), Austro-Hungarian navy officer and patriarch of the von Trapp family. His family’s story inspired the movie, The Sound of Music. He died of lung cancer at age 67 in Stowe, Vermont.
1926 ~ Vladimir Skeklov (b. Jan. 9, 1864), Russian mathematician and physicist. He died at age 62.
1912 ~ Wilber Wright (b. Apr. 16, 1867) American inventor, pioneer in aviation and airplane designer. He, along with his brother, Orville, invented the airplane and founded the Wright Company. He was born in Millville, Indiana. He died of typhoid fever at age 45 in Dayton, Ohio.
1911 ~ Milton Bradley (b. Nov. 8, 1836), American businessman and founder of the Milton Bradley Company. He was born in Vienna, Maine and died in Springfield, Massachusetts at age 74.
1901 ~ Victor D’Hondt (b. Nov. 20, 1841), Belgian mathematician. He was born and died in Ghent, Belgium. He died at age 59.
1865 ~ John Catron (b. Jan. 7, 1786), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was nominated to the High Court by President Andrew Jackson. He served on the Court from March 8, 1937 until his death in Nashville, Tennessee at age 79. The seat was established for him, and after he left the Court, the seat was abolished to prevent President Andrew Johnson from appointing any further members on the Court.
1778 ~ Voltaire (né François-Marie Arouet; b. Nov. 21, 1694), French writer and philosopher. He was born and died in Paris, France. He died at age 83.
1770 ~ François Boucher (b. Sept. 29, 1703), French painter. He was born and died in Paris, France. He died at age 66.
1744 ~ Alexander Pope (b. May 21, 1688), English writer and poet. He was born in London, England. He died 9 days after his 56th birthday.
1730 ~ Arabella Churchill (b. Feb. 23, 1648), English mistress of James II, King of England (1633 ~ 1701) and mother of 4 of his children, all of whom had the surname of FitzJames. She died at age 82.
1670 ~ John Davenport (b. Apr. 9, 1597), English-American clergyman and co-founder of the New Haven Connecticut colony. He died of apoplexy at age 73 in Boston, British America.
1640 ~ Sir Peter Paul Rubens (b. June 28, 1577), Flemish painter and diplomat. He was knighted by both Philip IV, King of Spain and Charles I, King of England. He died 29 days before his 63rd birthday.
1593 ~ Christopher Marlowe (b. Feb. 26, 1564), English playwright. He was stabbed to death in a barroom brawl at age 29. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he was baptized on February 26.
1590 ~ Camilla Martelli (b. 1545), second wife of Cosimo I de’Medici (1519 ~ 1547). She had been his mistress prior to their marriage in 1570. She was the daughter of Antonio Martelli and Elisabetta Soderini. The exact date of her birth is not known. She is believed to have been about age 44 or 45 at the time of her death.
1574 ~ Charles IX, King of France (b. June 27, 1550). He was King from December 1560 until his death at age 23 in 1574. He was married to Elisabeth of Austria (1554 ~ 1592). They married in 1570. He was of the House of Valois-Angoulême. He was the son of Henry II, King of France and Catherine de’Medici. He died 28 days before his 24thbirthday, most likely of tuberculosis. He was succeeded by his brother, Henry III.
1431 ~ Joan of Arc (b. Jan. 6, 1412), French military figure and Roman Catholic saint. She led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years’ War. She was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake. She was approximately 19 years old as the exact date of her birth is unknown, although Jan. 6 is commonly accepted as her birthdate.
1252 ~ Ferdinand III, King of Castile and León (b. 1200). He reigned from August 1217 until his death 35 years later. He was married twice. His first wife was Elisabeth of Hohenstaufen (1203 ~ 1235). She was also known as Elisabeth of Swabia, but after her marriage was renamed Beatrice. They married in 1219. They were the parents of Alfonso X, King of Castile. His second wife was Joan, Countess of Ponthieu (1220 ~ 1279). They married in 1237. He was her first husband. He was of the Castilian House of Ivrea. He was the son of Alfonso IX, King of Castile and Berengaria of Castile. He was Roman Catholic. The exact date of his birth is not known, but he was about 51 or 52 at the time of his death. In 1671, he was canonized as Saint Ferdinand by Pope Clement X.
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