Birthdays
1860 - Gustav Mahler, Austro-Bohemian late-Romantic composer and conductor, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th century Austro-German tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. While in his lifetime his status as a conductor was established beyond question, his own music gained wide popularity only after periods of relative neglect which included a ban on its performance in much of Europe during the Nazi era. After 1945 his compositions were rediscovered by a new generation of listeners; Mahler then became one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers, a position he has sustained into the 21st century. In 2016, a BBC Music Magazine survey of 151 conductors ranked three of his symphonies in the top ten symphonies of all time.
1887 - Marc Zakharovich Chagall, Russian-French painter of Belarusian Jewish origin. An early modernist, he was associated with several major artistic styles and created works in virtually every artistic format, including painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints.
1911 - Gian Carlo Menotti, Italian opera composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors, along with over two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular taste. He won a Pulitzer Prize twice, for The Consul (1950) and for The Saint of Bleecker Street (1955). He founded the noted Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of the Two Worlds) in Spoleto in 1958 and its American counterpart, Spoleto Festival USA, in 1977. In 1986 he commenced a Melbourne Spoleto Festival in Australia, although he withdrew after three years. (Amahl and the Night Visitors - Ash Lawn Opera. Dress Rehearsal. Uploaded by Cherokee Rose Productions. Accessed July 7, 2017.)
1915 - Yul Brynner (born Yuliy Borisovich Briner), Russian-American actor, singer, and director, considered one of the first Russian-American film stars. He became widely known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical The King and I, for which he won two Tony Awards, and later won an Academy Award for the film adaptation. He played the role 4,625 times on stage and became known for his shaved head, which he maintained as a personal trademark long after adopting it for The King and I. Brynner also starred as Ramesses II in the epic The Ten Commandments. He played General Bounine in the film Anastasia, the gunman Chris Adams in The Magnificent Seven and its first sequel Return of the Seven, and the android "The Gunslinger" in Westworld and its sequel Futureworld. Brynner also worked as a model, television director and photographer, and was the author of several books.
1922 - Pierre Cardin (born Pietro Cardin), Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for his avant-garde style and his Space Age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical. He founded his fashion house in 1950 and introduced the "bubble dress" in 1954.
He was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1991 and FAO Goodwill Ambassador on 16 October 2009.
1940 - Ringo Starr, MBE (nee Richard Starkey), English musician, member drummer of The Beatles group, singer, songwriter and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles group. He occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album, including "Yellow Submarine", "With a Little Help from My Friends" and their cover of "Act Naturally". He also wrote and sang the Beatles' songs "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden", and is credited as a co-writer of others.
1941 - Bill Edgar Oddie, OBE, English writer, comedian, composer, musician, artist, birder, conservationist, television presenter and actor. He became famous as one of The Goodies.
A birder since his childhood, Oddie has established a reputation as a naturalist, conservationist, and television presenter on wildlife issues. Some of his books are illustrated with his own paintings and drawings. His wildlife programmes for the BBC include: Springwatch/Autumnwatch, How to Watch Wildlife, Wild in Your Garden, Birding with Bill Oddie, Britain Goes Wild with Bill Oddie and Bill Oddie Goes Wild.
Leftie:
Ringo Starr, Musician
More birthdays and historical events today, 7 July - On This Day.
Historical Events
1898 - The U.S. formally annexes Hawaii at the invitation of members of the Republic of Hawaii when US President William McKinley signs the Newlands Resolution.
1967 - Sir Francis Chichester is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, after completing his single-handed voyage around the world. It should be noted that Sir Francis Drake was also knighted in the same way by Queen Elizabeth I. Her Majesty used the same sword, recognising the historical significance.
