Today CXLII - Happy Anniversary, Sinéad and Mike

Birthdays:

• Luigi Galvani, physician and physicist, discovered that muscle and nerve cells produce electricity, and is credited with the discovery of bioelectricity; he coined the term animal electricity to describe whatever it was that activated the muscles of his specimens; the Galvanic cell, the galvanometer and galvanization are named after him, as is Galvani crater, on the Moon, September 9, 1737 – December 4, 1798


• Vice-Admiral William Bligh, FRS, RN, officer of the British Royal Navy and colonial administrator, best known for the famous mutiny that occurred against his command, September 9, 1754 – December 7, 1817


• Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, aka Leo Tolstoy, novelist, philosopher, anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, and moral thinker, regarded as one of the greatest of all novelists, known for his masterpieces War and Peace and Anna Karenina, September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910


• Maximilian Goldmann, aka Max Reinhardt, director and actor, September 9, 1873 - October 31, 1943


• Frank Leroy Chance, MLB first baseman and manager, led the Chicago Cubs to four NL Championships in five years, from 1906 to 1910; part of the infield trio known as Tinker to Evers to Chance; the first player ever ejected from a World Series game; inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, September 9, 1877 - September 15, 1924


• Colonel Harland David Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, September 9, 1890 – December 16, 1980


• Arthur Grossman, aka Arthur Freed, lyricist and Hollywood film producer, began his career in vaudeville, and he appeared with the Marx Brothers; began to write songs, and was eventually hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he wrote lyrics for numerous films; in 1939 he was promoted to the position of producer, and helped elevate MGM as the studio of the musical, September 9, 1894 - April 12, 1973


• Francis FRANKIE Frisch, MLB switch-hitting second baseman, started in the majors with the New York Giants in 1919 without playing in the minor leagues; played at both third and second base early in his career, but by 1923 he was the Giants' full-time second baseman; became player-manager of the Cardinals in 1933, and was named to the NL's first three All-Star teams from 1933 to 1935; had a career .316 batting average, with 2880 hits, 1532 runs, 105 home runs, 1244 RBI, and 419 stolen bases; elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947, September 9, 1898 - March 12, 1973


• Waite Charles Hoyt, MLB right-handed pitcher; in 1927, he had a record of 22 wins and 7 losses for the New York Yankees, with an ERA of only 2.64; finished his career with a win-loss record of 237–182 and an ERA of 3.59 over 21 seasons; worked as a broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds for 24 years; inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969, September 9, 1899 – August 25, 1984


• James NEIL Hamilton, actor, got his big break from D.W. Griffith in The White Rose in 1923; famous for his role as Commissioner Gordon on the Batman TV series, September 9, 1899 – September 24, 1984


• James Hilton, novelist, achieved literary success at an early age; his first novel, Catherine Herself, was published in 1920; several of his books were made into movies, including Lost Horizon, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, and Random Harvest; he won an Oscar in 1942 for his work on the screenplay of Mrs. Miniver, September 9, 1900 - December 20, 1954


• Hans Georg Dehmelt Ph.D., physicist, co-developed the ion trap; shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physics in 1989, for his work on ion traps, with Wolfgang Paul, 1922


• Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, physician and medical researcher, the co-recipient, with Baruch S. Blumberg, of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on kuru, the first prion disease discovered, 1923


• Bettejane JANE Greer, movie actress, best known for her role as Kathie Moffat in Out of the Past, September 9, 1924 – August 24, 2001


• Clifford Parker CLIFF Robertson III, actor, whose career in films and television spans over half a century, known for performances in PT 109 (chosen by John F. Kennedy to portray him), The Best Man, Charly, for which he won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor, Picnic, Autumn Leaves, Too Late the Hero, Three Days of the Condor, Obsession, J. W. Coop, Star 80, and, more recently, as Uncle Ben Parker in Spider-Man and its two sequels; awarded an Emmy for his leading role in an 1965 episode of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre entitled The Game, 1925


• Elvin Ray Jones, jazz drummer; as well as his hundreds of live performances and recordings, he played the role of outlaw Job Cain in the 1971 "western rock opera," Zachariah, September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004


• Chaim Topol, aka Topol, theatrical and film performer, came to prominence in the role of Tevye the milkman in the musical Fiddler on the Roof; after scoring an enormous success on the London stage, he appeared in the 1971 film version of the play, for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, 1935


• Otis Ray Redding, Jr., soul singer, best known for his posthumous hit single, (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay; wrote many of his own songs, often with Steve Cropper; played at the Monterey Pop Festival; recorded many successful albums and songs; died in a plane crash, September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967


• Inez Foxx, R & B and soul singer, sang lead vocal in a duo with her brother Charlie Foxx, who sang backup and played guitar; their most successful record was Mockingbird, released in 1963, making the Top 10 on both the rhythm and blues and pop charts, and later covered by James Taylor and Carly Simon, 1942


• Dione LaRue, aka Dee Dee Sharp, R&B singer, who began her career recording back-up vocals in 1961; in 1962, she began a string of very successful Hot 100 Top 10 hits, including Mashed Potato Time, 1945


• Bruce Palmer, musician, famous for playing bass guitar in Buffalo Springfield; inducted with his bandmates into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, September 9, 1946 – October 1, 2004


• Garry Lee Maddox, former MLB centre fielder, known for his outstanding defense; won Gold Glove Awards from 1975 to 1982; had his best year as a hitter in 1976, with a .330 batting average; in 1986, was honored with the Roberto Clemente Award, 1949


• Tom Wopat, actor and singer; on TV, played Luke Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, and Jeff in Cybill; in 2005, appeared in the Broadway revival of the Glengarry Glen Ross; now involved in a music career, singing rock and roll, country music and, on his last two albums, standards; was nominated for a Tony Award in 1999 for his role in the revival of Annie Get Your Gun, 1951


• David Allan DAVE Stewart, musician and record producer, best known for his work in The Eurythmics, 1952


• Angela Cartwright, actress, made her first film appearance at 3 years old; appeared for seven seasons in the TV series Make Room For Daddy; played Brigitta von Trapp in the film The Sound of Music; was Penny Robinson in the TV series Lost in Space, as well as appearing in the 1998 movie version, 1952


• Jeffrey Alan Combs, character actor and voice actor, best known for his horror film roles and his appearances playing a number of characters in the Star Trek franchise; his best known film role is Dr. Herbert West, a character in Re-Animator and its two sequels; appeared as Vorta clone Weyoun on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, on which he also had a recurring role as the Ferengi Brunt; on Star Trek: Enterprise, he had a recurring role as Shran, an Andorian military officer; voiced The Scarecrow in Batman: The Animated Series and The Question in Justice League Unlimited, 1954


• Pierre-Laurent Aimard, pianist, particularly committed to contemporary music, 1957


• Hugh John Mungo Grant, actor, 1960


• Mario Batali, chef and restaurateur, has starred in four Food Network shows, 1960


• Adam Richard Sandler, actor, comedian, producer, singer, and guitarist, 1966


• Anna Hotop, aka Anna Malle, actress, September 9, 1967 – January 25, 2006


• Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr., actor and musician, has appeared in more than 40 films, and is known for his role as Elliot in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and his part in the movie Cloak & Dagger; performs with the band The Blueheelers, 1971


• Michael William MIKE Hampton, MLB starting pitcher with the Atlanta Braves, 1999 and 2001 All-Star: 2000 NL Championship Series MVP; led NL in winning percentage in 1999 at .846; in 2003, became the first pitcher ever to win the Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award in the same season, 1972


• Felix Rodríguez, MLB relief pitcher for the Washington Nationals, 1972


• Michelle Ingrid Williams, actress, appeared in Dawson's Creek, later moving to drama films, such as Brokeback Mountain, for which she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, 1980

RIP:

• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, post-Impressionist painter, art nouveau illustrator, and lithographer, who recorded the bohemian lifestyle of Paris at the end of the 19th century; charaterized as an artist whose remarkable powers of observation were matched by a profound sympathy with humanity, November 24, 1864 – September 9, 1901


• Albert Goodwill Spalding, professional baseball player, and founder of the sporting goods manufacturer which bears his name; in 1871, joined the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association, winning 205 games and losing only 53 as a pitcher, and batting .323 as a hitter; after the NA folded, joined the Chicago White Stockings of the newly formed National League in 1876, winning 47 games; elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Old Timer's Committee in 1939, September 2, 1850 – September 9, 1915


• Johan Jonatan JUSSI Björling, tenor, admired for his innate musicality and his seemingly effortless technique, known as the "Swedish Caruso," February 5, 1911 – September 9, 1960


• Jacob Leonard JACK Warner, film producer, president and driving force behind Warner Brothers Studios, August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978


• John Howard Griffin, author, wrote two major novels, The Devil Rides Outside and Nuni, during a decade of blindness between 1947 and 1957, the result of injuries sustained during service in World War II [he regained his vision]; he darkened his skin to experience segregation in the Deep South in 1959, going to Mississippi and and spending over a month traveling across the Deep South, immersing himself in Southern black society, writing of his experiences along the way; his despairing tale of his treatment by whites as a "tenth class citizen" was first published as a series of articles by Sepia magazine; in 1961, it was published as Black Like Me; throughout his life, he lectured and wrote on race relations and social justice, June 16, 1920 - September 9, 1980


• Paul John Flory Ph.D., chemist, known for his prodigious volume of work in the field of polymers, or macromolecules, whose contributions to the field of polymer science are best summarized in his text, Principles of Polymer Chemistry; was awarded the 1974 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his fundamental achievements, both theoretical and experimental, in the physical chemistry of the macromolecules, June 19, 1910 – September 9, 1985


• Roger Maxwell DOC Cramer, MLB centre fielder, played for four AL teams from 1929 to 1948, July 22, 1905 – September 9, 1990


• Helen O'Connell, singer, actress, and dancer, joined the Jimmy Dorsey band in 1939, achieving her best selling records in the early forties with Green Eyes, Amapola, and Tangerine, May 23, 1920 – September 9, 1993


• Patrick O'Neal, television, stage, and film actor, and restaurateur; during World War II, he directed short training films while in the Air Force; after the war, he moved to New York and studied at the Actor's Studio and Neighborhood Playhouse; in the 1960's, he received critical praise for his leading role on Broadway in Night of the Iguana, September 26, 1927 – September 9, 1994


• William Smith BILL Monroe, musician, whose career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader, developed the style of country music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the Blue Grass Boys; his professional career began in the 1930's when he and his older brothers began performing as a trio, the Monroe Brothers; as a mandolin player, he displayed a virtuosity previously unknown in country music on his instrument; in 1945, he hired Earl Scruggs, who similarly elevated the role of the banjo - this version of the Blue Grass Boys, which also included singer/guitarist Lester Flatt, made the first recordings that featured all the elements that later came to be known as bluegrass music; more than 150 musicians played in the Blue Grass Boys over the years, many later becoming stars in their own right; inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970, the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor as an inaugural inductee in 1991, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence in 1997, the only performer honored in all three, September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996


• Oliver BURGESS Meredith, actor, best known as trainer Mickey in the Rocky films and as The Penguin in the television series Batman; appeared in four different starring roles in the TV series The Twilight Zone: in the Time Enough at Last, he played a henpecked bank teller who only wants to be left alone with his books - when he takes a lunch break to read in the bank vault, he is saved from a nuclear war that destroys the world, only to lose his ability to read when his eyeglasses are broken; in Mr. Dingle, the Strong, he played the subject of a space alien's experiment on human nature; in Printer's Devil, he portrayed the Devil, while in The Obsolete Man, he portrayed a deeply religious man, sentenced to death in a future, dystopic totalitarian society, November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997


• Don Richard RICHIE Ashburn, MLB centre fielder, spent 12 of his 15 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1948 through 1959; led the National League twice in batting average, and routinely led the league in fielding percentage; played for the Chicago Cubs in 1960 and 1961; upon his retirement from the 1962 New York Mets, with a .308 lifetime batting average, he became a radio and TV color commentator for the Phillies starting in 1963; elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1995, March 19, 1927 - September 9, 1997


• James Augustus CATFISH Hunter, MLB right-handed starting pitcher between 1965 and 1979, won 21 or more games five years in a row from 1971 to 1975, and tied for the major league lead in wins in 1974 with 25 and 1975 with 23; led the major leagues in ERA in 1974 while winning the AL Cy Young Award; earned five World Series championship rings; threw a perfect game in 1968; was an eigth-time All-Star; as one of the first free agents of the modern era, he signed with the New York Yankees, appearing in 3 further World Series, and winning 2; selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999


• Norma Roman, aka Ruth Roman, actress, obtained bit parts in several films before being cast in the title role in the 1945 thirteen-episode serial Jungle Queen; as a stage actress, she won the Sarah Siddons Award in 1959 for her work in Chicago theatre, December 22, 1922 – September 9, 1999


• Larry Hovis, singer and actor best known for playing POW Sgt. Andrew Carter on sitcom Hogan's Heroes; beginning in the 1990's, he taught drama at Texas State University-San Marcos, February 20, 1936 – September 9, 2003


• Teller Ede, aka Edward Teller Ph.D., nuclear physicist, known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb;" was an early member of the Manhattan Project charged with developing the first atomic bombs; he made a serious push to develop the first fusion-based weapons as well, but these were deferred until after World War II; was a co-founder of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and was both its director and associate director for many years; was a prominent advocate of Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative,
  January 15, 1908 – September 9, 2003


• Roland Sherwood ERNIE Ball, a pioneer maker of guitar strings used over the past 40 years by many famous guitarists; in the 1950's, he was the first industry figure to notice and exploit the trend for electric guitarists to buy lighter gauge banjo strings to replace the heavier gauge guitar strings which were then the standard, which led to his development of the so-called 'slinky' string sets which became his trademark; also credited as the developer of the first modern acoustic bass guitar, introduced under the Earthwood label in 1972; Music Man, an American guitar, bass guitar, and amplifier manufacturer, is a division of the Ernie Ball Corporation, 1930 - September 9, 2004