June 5 Dateline

Birthdays

1879 - Marcel Lucien Tournier, French harpist and composer, and teacher who composed important solo repertory for the harp that expanded the technical and harmonic possibilities of the instrument.  (Tournier's Étude de concert "Au matin" interpreted by Naoko Yoshino. Uploaded by N. Yoshino. Accessed June 5, 2019.)

1883 - John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes CB FBA, British economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments.

1939 - Margaret Drabble, English novelist, biographer, and critic, best known as a consummate chronicler of the city of London. (Margaret Drabble chats about her work with Australian broadcaster, writer & journalist Ramona Koval. Uploaded by WheelerCentre. Accessed June 5, 2018.)

1941 - Martha Argerich, Argentine classical concert pianist. She is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of all time. (The History of Martha Argerich. She started playing the piano at age three. She gave her debut concert in 1949 at the age of eight, playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor and Beethoven's First Piano Concerto in C major. M. Argerich at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors. YouTube, uploaded by Altenburg Arts. Accessed June 5, 2026. The Life of Legendary Classical Pianist Martha Argerich. ABC Classic. Accessed June 5, 2020.))

1949 - Ken Follett, CBE, FRSL (born Kenneth Martin Follett), Welsh novelist, author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold more than 160 million copies of his works. Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists.

Leftie:
None known 

 

Death:

2023 - Singer & songwriter Astrud Gilberto.

More birthdays and historical events today, 5 June - On This Day.  

 

 

 

Feature:

 
Classical concert pianist Martha Argerich performing Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, with Charles Dutoit, conducting.  Interesting links: Martha Argerich honoured at Kennedy Centre 2016. and Martha Argerich on a Remarkable Career. 

Historical Events

1851 - Uncle Tom's Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly, Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery epic, beings its serialization in the National Era abolitionist paper.

1963 - British Minister John Profumo resigns, after finally admitting to a liaison with Christine Keeler, a call-girl. He then worked for over 40 years at Toynbee Hall, a charity for the elderly in White Chapel, for which he was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire).

June 4 Dateline

Birthdays

470/469 - 399 B.C. - Socrates, Greek philosopher from Athens (his birth date is uncertain), credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, and as being the first moral philosopher of the Western ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, he made no writings, and is known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers writing after his lifetime, particularly his students Plato and Xenophon. Aristophanes, a playwright, is the main contemporary author to have written plays mentioning Socrates during Socrates' lifetime, though a fragment of Ion of Chios' Travel Journal provides important information about Socrates' youth.

1738 - King George III, King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death in 1820. He was the first of the Hanoverian line to actually be born in England at Norfolk House, London.  Due to his love of agriculture, he was popularly known as "Farmer George."  He was concurrently Duke and Prince-elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg ("Hanover") in the Holy Roman Empire before becoming King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was a monarch of the House of Hanover, but unlike his two predecessors, he was born in Great Britain, spoke English as his first language, and never visited Hanover.

1907 - Catherine Rosalind Russell, American actress, comedian, screenwriter and singer, known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as for her portrayals of Mame Dennis in Auntie Mame and Rose in Gypsy (1962). She won all five Golden Globes for which she was nominated. Russell won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a 1953 Musical as Ruth in the Broadway show Wonderful Town. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress four times. Aside from her comedic roles, Russell was known for playing dramatic characters, especially wealthy, dignified, ladylike women. She attributed her long career to the fact that, although playing classy and glamorous roles, she never became a sex symbol.

1924 - Dennis Weaver, American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. Weaver's two most famous roles were as Marshal Matt Dillon's trusty partner Chester Goode/Proudfoot on the CBS western Gunsmoke and as Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on the NBC police drama McCloud. He starred in the 1971 television film Duel, the first film of director Steven Spielberg. He is also remembered for his role as the twitchy motel attendant in Orson Welles' film Touch of Evil.

1966 - Cecilia Bartoli, Cavaliere OMRI, Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best known for her interpretations of the music of Bellini, Mozart and Rossini, and for her performances of lesser-known music from the Baroque and Classical periods. She is known for having the versatility to sing both soprano and mezzo roles. (Listen to Bartoli sing Mozart's "Voi che sapete" from The Marriage of Figaro. Live in Italy, with  Jean-Yves Thibaudet, pianist. Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza, June 1998 ).

1975 - Angelina Jolie, American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards, she has been named Hollywood's highest-paid actress multiple times. Her starring role as the video game heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider established her as a leading Hollywood actress. She continued her action-star career, and received critical acclaim for her performances in the dramas A Mighty Heart and Changeling, which earned her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her biggest commercial success came with the fantasy picture Maleficent. As a public figure, Jolie has been cited as one of the most powerful and influential people in the American entertainment industry, and as the world's most beautiful woman by various media outlets.

Lefties:
Actress Angelina Jolie

 

More birthdays and historical events today, 4 June - On This Day. 

Historical Events

 

1783 - The Montgolfier brothers launch their paper-lined silk balloon at Anonay in France. It is the first hot-air balloon. 

1914 - Jean Sibelius conducts the first performance of his symphonic poem Oceanides, Op 73, at the Norfolk Festival in Connecticut.