Today CCXLV

Birthdays:

• Zdenek Fibich, composer of classical music, including chamber works, symphonic poems, three symphonies, at least seven operas, melodramas, liturgical music including a mass, and a large cycle, almost 400 pieces, of piano works, among other works, December 21, 1850 – October 15, 1900


• Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi, composer of sacred music, December 21, 1872 - October 12, 1956


• Blagoje Bersa, composer and music pedagogue, December 21, 1873 - January 1, 1934


• Jan Lukasiewicz, mathematician, whose major mathematical work centred on mathematical logic; he worked on multi-valued logics, including his own three-valued propositional calculus, December 21, 1878 - February 13, 1956


• Hermann Joseph [H. J.] Muller, geneticist and educator, best known for his work on the physiological and genetic effects of radiation; he was awarded the 1946 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery that mutations can be induced by x-rays, December 21, 1890 – April 5, 1967


• Leroy Robertson, composer and music educator, December 21, 1896 – July 25, 1971


• Joshua Gibson, catcher in the Negro Leagues; he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, December 21, 1911 - January 20, 1947


• Heinrich Theodor Böll, writer, awarded the 1972 Nobel Prize for Literature, December 21, 1917 – July 16, 1985


• Jean Gascon CC, opera director, actor, and administrator, the artistic director of the Stratford Festival of Canada from 1968 to 1974, December 21, 1920 – April 13, 1988


• Maila Syrjäniemi, aka Maila Nurmi, actress, who portrayed Vampira in films and as a television horror host, 1921


• Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martinez Hoya, aka Alicia Alonso, prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer, 1920


• Pinkus Wilchinski, aka Paul Wilchin, aka Paul Winchell, ventriloquist and voice actor, December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005


• John Guilbert Avildsen, film director, whose movies include Joe and The Karate Kid, 1935


• Phillip John PHIL Donahue, talk show host, married to Marlo Thomas, 1935


• Jane Fonda, actress, writer, political activist, former model, and fitness guru, 1937


• Frank Vincent Zappa, composer, guitarist, singer, film director, and satirist, December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993


• Ray Hildebrand, singer, Paul in the pop singing duo, Paul & Paula, 1940


• Reinhard Friedrich Michael Mey, singer-songwriter, ["Liedermacher"], 1942


• Carla Thomas, singer, "the Queen of Memphis Soul," 1942


• Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor, pianist, and composer, 1944


• Carl Dean Wilson, musician, the youngest of the three brothers who made up the core of The Beach Boys; he was the lead guitarist, December 21, 1946 – February 6, 1998


• Paco de Lucía, flamenco guitarist, a leading proponent of the New Flamenco style, 1947


• Samuel Leroy Jackson, actor, 1948


• David Arthur DAVE Kingman, former MLB outfielder; he was a three-time All-Star, and twice led the NL in home runs, with 48 in 1979, and 37 in 1982, 1948


• Jeffrey Katzenberg, film producer and CEO of DreamWorks Animation SKG, 1950


• Joaquín Andújar, former MLB right-handed starting pitcher, who was a four-time All-Star and a 1984 Gold Glove Award winner, 1952


• Betty Wright, soul and R&B singer, 1953


• Jane Kaczmarek, actress, Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, 1955


• Thomas Anthony TOM Henke, known as The Terminator, former MLB pitcher, one of the most dominant closers during the late 1980's and early 1990's, who struck out 9.8 batters per 9 innings pitched over his career, 1957


• Raymond RAY Romano, actor, comedian, and voice actor, 1957


• Delorez Florence Griffith, aka Florence FLO-JO Griffith-Joyner, athlete, still holder of the World Records in the 100-metre and 200-metre race, as of 2006, December 21, 1959 – September 21, 1998


• Andrew James Van ANDY Slyke, former MLB outfielder, and the current first base coach for the Detroit Tigers, 1960


• Andrew Thomlinson, aka Andy Dick, actor and comedian, known for his roles on NewsRadio and Less Than Perfect, 1965


• Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland, television and film actor, known for his role as Jack Bauer on 24, 1966


• Karri Turner, television actress, who played Lieutenant Harriet Sims Roberts on JAG, 1966


• Julie Delpy, actress and screenwriter, 1969


• LaTroy Hawkins, MLB relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, 1972


• Dustin Michael Hermanson, MLB right-handed relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, 1972


• Paloma Herrera, principal ballet dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, 1975

R.I.P.:

• Giovanni Boccaccio, author and poet, a friend and correspondent of Petrarch, and author of a number of notable works including On Famous Women and The Decameron, June 16, 1313 – December 21, 1375


• Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen, polar explorer and anthropologist, June 7, 1879 – December 21, 1933


• Frank Billings Kellogg, politician and statesman, awarded the 1929 Nobel Peace Prize, December 22, 1856 – December 21, 1937


• Francis Scott Key [F. Scott] Fitzgerald, novelist and short story writer, who finished four novels, left a fifth unfinished, and wrote dozens of short stories that treat themes of youth, despair, and age, September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940


• George Smith Patton, Jr., soldier, a leading U.S. Army general in World War II; in his 36-year Army career, he was an advocate of armored warfare and commanded major units of North Africa, Sicily, and the European Theater of Operations, November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945


• Eric Coates, composer and violist, August 27, 1886 – December 21, 1957


• Stuart STU Erwin, actor, February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967


• Richard Long, actor, known for his leading roles on The Big Valley and Nanny and the Professor, and for several appearances as Gentleman Jack Darby on Maverick; he played private detective Rex Randolph as a series lead on both Bourbon Street Beat and 77 Sunset Strip, December 17, 1927 - December 21, 1974


• Joseph Aloysius ALLAN Dwan, motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter, April 3, 1885 – December 21, 1981


• Nikolaas NIKO Tinbergen, ethologist and ornithologist, who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Karl von Frisch and Konrad Lorenz, April 15, 1907 – December 21, 1988


• Albert King, blues musician, April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992


• Nathan Mironovich Milstein, violinist, December 31, 1903 — December 21, 1992


• Elrod Jerome Hendricks, MLB catcher and coach, in a 12-year career; in 711 games played, he was a .220 hitter with 62 home runs and 230 RBI; in 602 games as a catcher, he collected 2783 outs, 228 assists, 31 double plays, and committed only 29 errors for a .990 fielding percentage, December 22, 1940 – December 21, 2005