June 9
Birthdays:
1981 ~ Natalie Portman (née Nata-Lee Hershlag), Israeli-born actress. She was born at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.
1964 ~ Wayman Tisdale (né Wayman Lawrence Tisdale; d. May 15, 2009), African-American professional NBA basketball player who became a guitarist. He was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He died of cancer three weeks before his 45th birthday in Tucson, Oklahoma.
1963 ~ Johnny Depp (né John Christopher Depp, II), American actor. He was born in Owensboro, Kentucky.
1961 ~ Michael J. Fox (né Michael Andrew Fox), Canadian-American actor. At age 29, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He became a strong advocate for fighting for a cause of this disease. He was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
1961 ~ Aaron Sorkin (né Aaron Benjamin Sorkin), American screenwriter and producer. He was born in Manhattan, New York.
1956 ~ Patricia Cornwell (née Patricia Carroll Daniels), American author of detective and crime novels. She was born in Miami, Florida.
1954 ~ George Pérez (d. May 6, 2022), American artist who brought comic-book heroes to life. He was born in New York, New York. He died of pancreatic cancer at age 67 in Sanford, Florida.
1952 ~ Uzi Hitman (d. Oct. 17, 2004), Israeli musician. He died of a heart attack at age 52.
1939 ~ Charles Webb (né Charles Richard Webb; d. June 16, 2020), American novelist who wrote The Graduate and ran from success. In 1963, when he was 24 years old, The Graduate was published. He spent the rest of his life repudiating the novel. He was born in San Francisco, California. He died 7 days after his 81st birthday in England.
1933 ~ Don Young (née Donald Edwin Young; d. Mar. 18, 2022), American irascible congressman who got Alaska perks. He served as member of the United States House of Representatives from March 1973 until his death 49 years later. He was known for procuring billions of dollars in federal funds for the State, including the infamous “bridge to nowhere”. He was born in Meridian, California. He died at age 88 in flight from Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington, before catching a plane to Alaska. He was declared dead in SeaTac, Washington.
1931 ~ Phoebe Snetsinger (née Phoebe Geddes Bennett, d. Nov. 23, 1999), American birdwatcher. She had identified nearly 8,400 species at the time of her death at age 68 in a car accident in Madagascar. She was born in Lake Zurich, Illinois.
1930 ~ Dorothy Cotton (née Dorothy Lee Forman; d. June 10, 2018), African-American civil rights leader who educated black voters. She was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. She died 1 day after her 88th birthday in Ithaca, New York.
1928 ~ Jackie Mason (né Yacov Moshe Hakohen Maza; d. July 24, 2021), American ex-rabbi who became a comedy icon who made kvetching into comedy gold. He was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He died at age 93 in Manhattan, New York.
1926 ~ Happy Rockefeller (née Margaretta Large Fitler; d. May 19, 2015), American socialite and philanthropist. She was the wife of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, making her the Second Lady of the United States. She was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She died 21 days before her 89th birthday in Pocantico Hills, New York.
1926 ~ Bill Backer (né William Montague Backer; d. May 13, 2016), American adman who taught the world to sing. He is known for coining some of advertisings catchiest slogans and jingles. He created the Coca-Cola campaign and accompanying song, I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He died 27 days before his 90th birthday.
1921 ~ Arthur Hertzberg (né Avraham Hertzberg; d. Apr. 17, 2006), Polish-born American Conservative rabbi and scholar. He died of heart failure at age 84 in Westwook New Jersey.
1916 ~ Robert McNamara (né Robert Strange McNamara; d. July 6, 2009), 8th United States Secretary of Defense who was undone by Vietnam. He served under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson from January 1961 until February 1968. He was a major figure in America’s role in the Vietnam War. Prior to entering politics, McNamara had served as the first president of the Ford Motor Company outside the Ford family since 1906. He was born in San Francisco, California. He died less than a month before his 94th birthday in Washington, D.C.
1915 ~ Les Paul (né Lester William Polsfuss; d. Aug. 12, 2009), American guitarist and inventor. He was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He died at age 94 in White Plains, New York.
1912 ~ Gerald Whitrow (né Gerald James Whitrow; d. June 2, 2000), English mathematician. He died 7 days before his 88th birthday.
1906 ~ Huguette Clark (née Huguette Marcelle Clark; d. May 24, 2011), American tycoon’s daughter who hid for seven decades. She became a recluse and lived in various hospitals for the last 20 years of her life. She is the subject of the book, Empty Mansions, by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. She was born in Paris, France. She died 16 days before her 105th birthday in New York, New York.
1891 ~ Cole Porter (né Cole Albert Porter; d. Oct. 15, 1964), American composer and lyricist. He is best known for his witty, sophisticated songs and musicals. He was born in Peru, Indiana. He died of kidney failure at age 73 in Santa Monica, California.
1875 ~ Sir Henry Dale (né Henry Hallett Dale; d. July 23, 1968), English pharmacologist and recipient of the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in the study of acetylcholine as an agent in the chemical transmission of nerve impulses. He died at age 93.
1861 ~ Pierre Duhem (né Pierre Maurice Marie Duhem; d. Sept. 14, 1916), French mathematician and physicist. He was born in Paris, France. He died at age 55.
1851 ~ Charles Bonaparte (né Charles Joseph Bonaparte; d. June 28, 1921), 46th United States Attorney General. He served under President Theodore Roosevelt. He also served as the 37th Secretary of the Navy in President Roosevelt’s administration. He was born and died in Baltimore, Maryland. He died less than three weeks after his 70th birthday.
1843 ~ Baroness Bertha von Suttner (née Countess Bertha Sophie Felicitas Friefray Kinský; d. June 21, 1914), Austrian novelist and recipient of the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize. She was the first woman to be awarded the Peace Prize. She was born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, Austrian Empire. She died less than 2 weeks after her 71st birthday in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.
1836 ~ Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (née Elizabeth Garrett; d. Dec. 17, 1917), English physician and woman’s rights advocate. She was the first woman in Britain to qualify as a physician and surgeon. She was born in London, England. She died at age 81.
1672 ~ Peter I, Tsar of Russia (d. Feb. 8, 1725). He was also known as Peter the Great. He co-ruled with his older half-brother, Ivan V, for a few years before Ivan’s death in 1696. Peter led a cultural reform in Russia, based on Western’s Europe’s Enlightenment. He married twice. His first wife was Eudoxia Lupukhina (1669 ~ 1731). They married in 1689 and divorced 9 years later. After they divorced, he married Martha Skavronskaya (1684 ~ 1727). They married in 1707. She became known as Catherine I, Empress of Russia after their marriage. He was of the House of Romanov. He was the son of Tsar Alexis I, Tsar of Russia and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. He died at age 52 on the 49thanniversary of his father’s death and the 29th anniversary of his half-brother’s death.
1661 ~ Feodor III, Tsar of Russia (d. May 7, 1682). He was Tsar from 1676 until his death in 1682. He was married twice. His first wife was Agafiya Semyonovna Grushetskaya (1663 ~ 1681). They married in 1680. After her death from complications of childbirth, he married Marfa Apraxina (1664 ~ 1716). They married for only 71 days in 1682. He was of the House of Romanov. He was the son of Alexis I, Tsar of Russia and Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. He died of scurvy about a month before his 21st birthday. His young death sparked the Moscow Uprising of 1682.
1640 ~ Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. May 5, 1705). He reigned from July 1658 until his death 57 years later. He was married three times. His first wife was Infanta Margaret Theresa of Spain (1651 ~ 1674). They married in 1666. They had four children together, only one of whom survived childhood. She is said to have inspired her husband to expel the Jews from Vienna thinking they were to blame for the deaths of her infants. After her death, he married Claudia Felicitas of Austria (1653 ~ 1676). His third wife was Eleonore Magdalena of Neuburg (1655 ~ 1720). They were the parents of Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor and Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor. He was of the House of Habsburg. He was the son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria Anna of Spain. He was Roman Catholic. He died about a month before his 65th birthday.
1595 ~ Władysław IV Vasa, King of Poland (d. May 20, 1648). He ruled over Poland from November 1632 until his death in May 1648. He was known for supporting religious tolerance. He was married twice. His first wife was Cecilia Renata of Austria (1611 ~ 1644). They married in 1637. She died of complications of childbirth. His second wife was Marie Louise Gonzaga (1611 ~ 1667). He was of the House of Vasa. He was the son of Sigismund III, King of Poland and Anne, Archduchess of Austria. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 52. He was succeeded by his half-brother, John II Casimir Vasa, who subsequently married Marie Louise Gonzaga.
1424 ~ Blanche II, Queen of Navarre (d. Dec. 2, 1464). She was the Princess consort of Asturias through her marriage to Henry, Prince of Asturias (1425 ~ 1474). He later became Henry IV, King of Castile. They married in 1440. The marriage was annulled in 1453 on grounds that the marriage was never consummated. She was of the House of Trastámara. She was the daughter of John II, King of Aragon and Blanche I, Queen of Navarre. She was Roman Catholic. She was poisoned at age 40.
Events that Changed the World:
2022 ~ The first hearing by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2017 attack on the Capitol was aired during prime time television. In the opening statements, the committee provided evidence that former president Donald Trump (b. 1946) ignored the urgent advice of his aides, as he tried to engineer a coup to reclaim his presidency. The public hearing included live statements as well as videotaped testimony by various witnesses. Committee Chair, Representative Bennie Thompson (b. 1948) and Co-Chair Liz Chaney (b. 1966) methodically laid out their case that Trump had incited the Capitol attack with claims of fraud and that he refused to intervene as his supporters assaulted police officers and caused severe damage to congressional offices. At least 5 additional prime-time hearings were also scheduled.
1993 ~ Naruhito, Emperor of Japan (b. 1960) married commoner Masako Owada (b. 1963). At the time of their marriage, he was the Japanese Crown Prince.
1978 ~ The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) opened its priesthood to “all worthy men”, thereby ending a 148-year-old policy excluding black men from participating in the liturgy.
1973 ~ Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the 1st Triple Crown winner in 25 years.
1967 ~ Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six-Day War.
1959 ~ The USS George Washington was launched. It is the first American submarine to carry ballistic missiles.
1958 ~ London’s Gatwick Airport was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II (1926 ~ 2022). The airport is actually located just outside of London.
1934 ~ The Disney character Donald Duck first appeared in a movie. The movie was The Wise Little Hen.
1923 ~ Bulgaria’s military took over the government in a coup.
1915 ~ William Jennings Bryan (1860 ~ 1925) resigned as Secretary of State in the Woodrow Wilson administration over a disagreement in the United States’ handling of the sinking of the RHS Lusitania. This event is recounted in Erik Larson’s book, Dead Wake.
1898 ~ China leased Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years.
1815 ~ Luxembourg declared its independence from France.
1732 ~ James Oglethorpe (1696 ~ 1785) was granted a royal charter for the colony of Georgia.
1549 ~ The Church of England adopted the Book of Common Prayer.
1534 ~ Jacques Cartier (1491 ~ 1557) became the first recorded European to discover the St. Lawrence River.
Good-Byes:
2022 ~ Julee Cruise (née Julee Ann Cruise; b. Dec. 1, 1956), American musician and crooner who set the mood for Twin Peaks. She is best known for her 1989 single, Falling, which was used as the theme song for the television drama, Twin Peaks. She was born in Creston, Iowa. She died by suicide at age 65 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
2017 ~ Adam West (né William West Anderson; b. Sept. 19, 1928), American actor and TV star who made Batman a camp classis. He is best known for his role as Batman in the 1960s television show of the same name. He was born in Walla Walla, Washington. He died of leukemia at age 88 in Los Angeles, California.
2016 ~ Richard Shrimsley (b. Jan. 13, 1931), British journalist. He was born in London, England. He died at age 85.
2009 ~ Norman Brinker (né Norman Eugene Brinker; b. June 3, 1931), American restaurateur who pioneered the salad bar. He was born in Denver, Colorado. He died 6 days after his 78th birthday in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
1994 ~ Jan Tinbergen (b. Apr. 12, 1903), Dutch economist and recipient of the 1969 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science. He was born and died in The Hague, Netherlands. He died at age 91.
1989 ~ George Beadle (né George Wells Beadle; b. Oct. 22, 1903), American geneticist and recipient of the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was born in Wahoo, Nebraska. He died at age 85 in Pomona, California.
1982 ~ Elmer Robinson (né Elmer Edward Robinson; b. Oct. 3, 1894), American politician and 33rd Mayor of San Francisco. He served as Mayor from 1948 until 1856. He was born in San Francisco, California. He died at age 87 in Paradise, California.
1981 ~ Allen Ludden (né Allen Packard Ellsworth; b. Oct. 5, 1917), American game show host and husband of Betty White. He was born in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. He died of stomach cancer at age 63 in Los Angeles, California.
1975 ~ Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (né Albert Edward John Spencer; b. May 23, 1892), British peer and grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales. He died 17 days before his 84th birthday.
1974 ~ Miguel Ángel Asturias (b. Oct. 19, 1899), Guatemalan writer and recipient of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He died at age 74 in Madrid, Spain.
1974 ~ Katharine Cornell (b. Feb. 16, 1893), American stage actress. She was born in Berlin, German Empire. She died in Tisbury, Massachusetts at age 81.
1962 ~ Polly Adler (née Pearl Adler; b. Apr. 16, 1900), Russian-born American madam and author. She was born in Yanow, Belarus. She died of cancer at age 62 in Hollywood, California.
1959 ~ Adolf Otto Reinhold Windaus (b. Dec. 25, 1876), German chemist and recipient of the 1928 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on sterols and their relation to vitamins. He was born in Berlin, German Empire. He died at age 82.
1927 ~ Victoria Woodhull (née Victoria California Claflin; b. Sept. 23, 1838), American suffragist. In 1872, she ran for President, however, she was under the constitutionally mandated age for being President at the time. In November 1853, she married Canning Woodhull. She was barely 15 years old at the time. Her husband was an alcoholic and a womanizer, so she divorced him, but kept his name because she had 2 children. She was born in Homer, Ohio. She died in England at age 88.
1923 ~ Princess Helena of the United Kingdom (b. May 25, 1846), member of the British royal family. In 1866, she married Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein. She was of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha until 1917 when the family became known as Windsor. She was the fifth child of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She died at 2 weeks after her 77th birthday.
1911 ~ Carrie Nation (née Carrie Amelia Moore; b. Nov. 25, 1846), American temperance advocate. She was born in Garrard County, Kentucky. She died at age 64 in Leavenworth, Kansas.
1871 ~ Anna Atkins (née Anna Children; b. Mar. 16, 1799), British botanist and photographer. She is considered to be the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images. She died at age 72.
1870 ~ Charles Dickens (né Charles John Huffman Dickens; b. Feb. 7, 1812), British novelist, best known for such novels as Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. He died of a stroke at age 58.
1820 ~ Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia (b. Aug. 7, 1751), Princess consort of Orange. She was the wife of William V, Prince of Orange (1748 ~ 1806). They married in 1767. They were the parents of William I, King of the Netherlands. She was of the House of Hohenzollern. She was the daughter of Prince Augustus William of Prussia and Duchess Luise of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. She died at age 68.
1820 ~ Judith Sargent Murray (née Judith Sargent; b. May 1, 1751), American activist for women’s rights and playwright. She was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts and died in Natchez, Mississippi. She was 69 years old at the time of her death.
1701 ~ Prince Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (b. Sept. 21, 1640), member of the French royal family. Although he was openly bisexual, he was married twice and fathered several children. His first wife was Princess Henrietta of England (1644 ~ 1670). After her death, he married Elizabeth Charlotte of Palatine (1652 ~ 1722). He was the son of Louis XIII, King of France and Archduchess Anne of Austria. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 60.
1572 ~ Jeanne III, Queen of Navarre (b. Nov. 16, 1528). She reigned from May 1555 until her death in 1572. She was married twice. Her first husband was William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg (1516 ~ 1592). They married in 1541. The marriage was annulled 4 years later on grounds that she had been forced into the marriage and it had never been consummated. In 1548, she married Antoine de Bourbon (1518 ~ 1562). When she became Queen, Antoine became king jure uxoris. They were the parents of Henry IV, King of France. She was of the House of Albret. She was the daughter of Henry II, King of Navarre and Margaret of Angoulême. She converted from Roman Catholicism to Reformed Huguenot. She died at age 43.
1505 ~ Hongzhi (b. July 30, 1470), 10th Chinese Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He reigned from September 1487 until his death 18 years later. He died at age 34
68 ~ Nero (b. Dec. 15, 37), Roman Emperor. This is the traditional date ascribed to Nero’s death at age 30. He is believed to have committed suicide.
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