Today CCXVIII

Birthdays:

• Benedictus de Spinoza, aka Baruch Spinoza, lens crafter and philosopher, considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy and one of the definitive ethicists; his writings reveal considerable mathematical training and facility, November 24, 1632 – February 21, 1677


• Carl Theodorus Pachelbel, aka Charles Theodore Pachelbel, composer, organist, and harpsichordist of the late Baroque era, the son of Johann Pachelbel, November 24, 1690 – September 15, 1750


• Franz Xaver Gruber, primary school teacher and church organist; he composed the melody to the carol Silent Night, Holy Night, the lyrics for which were written by Josef Mohr, November 25, 1787 – June 7, 1863


• W. B. BAT Masterson, buffalo hunter, U.S. Army scout, gambler, frontier lawman, U.S. Marshal, and sports editor and columnist for a New York newspaper, November 24, 1853 or 1856 – October 25, 1921


• 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


• Alfred Ernest AL Christie, motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter, October 23, 1881 – April 14, 1951


• Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, historian, Labor Zionist leader, and the second and longest serving president of Israel [1952 - 1963], November 24, 1884, Poltava, Ukraine - April 23, 1963


• Dale Carnegie, writer and the developer of courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills, the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, November 24, 1888 - November 1, 1955


• Fredrick Arthur [F. A.] Willius, research cardiologist, and the author of hundreds of essays, books, and textbooks in his field, November 24, 1888 - 1972


• Irwin Allen, television and film producer nicknamed "The Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genre, also known for creating a number of popular television series, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991


• Joseph Michael DUCKY Medwick, MLB left fielder, who played for 17 years, finishing with a lifetime .324 batting average; a 10-time All-Star, he won the NL Triple Crown and the NL MVP award in 1937; he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1968, by the Veterans Committee, November 24, 1911 – March 21, 1975


• Kirby Grant Hoon, Jr., aka Kirby Grant, musician and actor; he was a child prodigy violinist, a singer, and dance band leader; a long-time B movie actor, he is remembered today for playing the title role in the television series Sky King, November 24, 1911 - October 30, 1985


• Garson Kanin, writer and director of plays and films, November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999


• Theodore Shaw TEDDY Wilson, jazz pianist, November 24, 1912 - July 31, 1986


• Geraldine Fitzgerald, actress, a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame, November 24, 1913 – July 17, 2005


• Forrest J Ackerman, science fiction fan, collector of science fiction-related memorabilia, editor-writer of the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, author, actor, producer, and literary agent, 1916


• Howard Green Duff, radio and stage performer, film and TV actor, November 24, 1913 – July 8, 1990


• William Frank Buckley, Jr., author, conservative journalist, and commentator, who founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, and hosted the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999; he is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist, whose work appears in more than 300 newspapers, and has also authored many books, both fiction and non-fiction, including books on writing, speaking, history, political thought and sailing, 1925


• Simon van der Meer, accelerator physicist, who invented the concept of stochastic cooling in colliders, making possible the discovery of the W particle and the Z particle; as a result, he and Carlo Rubbia shared the 1984 Nobel Prize in Physics, 1925


• Tsung-Dao Lee , physicist, well known for creating the Lee Model, the field of relativistic heavy ion physics, and that of nontopological solitons and soliton stars in quantum field theory, as well as the solution for the theta-tau puzzle in particle physics; he and C. N. Yang shared the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics, 1926


• Robert Bartmess BOB Friend, former MLB right-handed starting pitcher from 1951 to 1966; he was a three-time All-Star, 1956, 1958, and 1960, tied for 1st in the league in wins in 1958, with 22, and led the league in ERA in 1955, at 2.83; he ended his career with a 197-230 record and a 3.58 ERA, with 1734 career strikeouts in 3611 innings pitched, with 36 shutouts in 163 complete games; in 602 career games, he gave up 1438 earned runs and hit 46 batters, 1930


• Alfred Garyevich Schnittke, composer, November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998


• Randolph Peter PETE Best, the original drummer for The Beatles; he was first invited to join the band in 1959, later rejoining for their 1960–1961 residency in Hamburg; he stayed until shortly after their first audition for EMI in 1962, but was fired on August 16th of that year, replaced by Ringo Starr, 1941


• Donald DUCK Dunn, bass guitarist, record producer, and songwriter, the bassist for Booker T. & the MG's, 1941


• William BILLY Connolly, CBE, comedian, musician, and actor, 1942


• William DWIGHT Schultz, stage, television, known for his roles as "Mad" Murdock on The A-Team, and Reginald Barclay on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and the film Star Trek: First Contact, 1947


• Stephen Wayne STEVE Yeager, former MLB catcher, who played for 15 seasons, 1948


• Clement CLEM Burke, percussionist, 1955


• Denise Michelle Crosby, actress, known for her portrayal of Tasha Yar on the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, on which she later guest starred as Romulan Commander Sela; her father was Dennis Crosby, and her grandfather was Bing Crosby, 1957


• Alain Chabat, actor and director, 1958


• Amanda Wyss, actress, 1960


• Edgar Meyer, bassist, whose styles include bluegrass, newgrass, jazz, and classical; he has worked as a session musician in Nashville, as part of various chamber groups, and as a composer and arranger; on his self-titled 2006 release, he performs accompanied only by himself on a wide variety of instruments, including his usual piano and double bass, and guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin, and dobro, 1960


• Calvin John CAL Eldred, former MLB pitcher, who played for 14 seasons, retiring after the 2005 season, 1967


• Colin Lewes Hanks, actor, who appeared on Roswell and Band of Brothers, 1977


• Katherine Marie Heigl, actress, known for her roles on Roswell and Grey's Anatomy, 1978

R.I.P.:

• Manuel Cardoso, composer and organist, baptized December 11, 1566 – November 24, 1650


• Johann Adam Reincken, aka Jan Adams Reinken, organist, April 27, 1623 - November 24, 1722


• Thayendanegea, aka Joseph Brant, Mohawk leader and British military officer during the American Revolutionary War, c. 1742 – November 24, 1807


• Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, inventor of the Maxim Gun, the first portable, fully automatic machine gun, and the mousetrap, February 4, 1840 - November 24, 1916


• Doris "Dorie" Miller, cook in the United States Navy, and a hero during the attack on Pearl Harbor; he was the first black man to be awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy's second highest honor, October 12, 1919 – November 24, 1943


• Guido Cantelli, conductor, April 27, 1920 – November 24, 1956


• Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, aka Diego Rivera, painter and muralist, the husband of Frida Kahlo, December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957


• Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood CH, lawyer, politician, and diplomat, one of the architects of the League of Nations, and a defender of it, awarded the 1937 Nobel Peace Prize, September 14, 1864 – November 24, 1958


• Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of John F. Kennedy, October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963


• George Ranft, aka George Raft, film actor, known for his portrayals of gangsters in crime dramas in the 1930's and 1940's, September 26, 1895 – November 24, 1980


• Joseph Vernon BIG JOE Turner, Jr., blues singer, May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985


• Farrokh Bulsara, aka Freddie Mercury, rock musician and songwriter, best known as the frontman, pianist, and vocalist for Queen, and for his powerful vocal abilities and charisma as a live performer, September 5, 1946 – November 24, 1991


• Paul Charles Caravello, aka Eric Carr, musician, the drummer for KISS from 1980 until his death, July 12, 1950 - November 24, 1991


• Warren Edward Spahn, MLB left-handed pitcher, who played for 21 seasons; he won 20 games in 13 different seasons, and compiled a 23-7 record at age 42; he threw two no-hitters, won 3 ERA titles, appeared in 14 All-Star games, and holds the National League record for career home runs by a pitcher with 35; he led the National League in wins eight times; he won the 1957 Cy Young Award; he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, his first year of eligibility, April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003


• Arthur Hailey, novelist, author of such books as In High Places, Hotel, Airport, and Wheels, April 5, 1920 – November 24, 2004


• Noriyuki PAT Morita, actor, best known for the roles of Arnold on Happy Days and Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid movies, June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005