September 12 Dateline

Birthdays

1494 - King Francis I of France, King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who died without a son.

1570 - Henry Hudson, English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. In 1609, he landed in North America on behalf of the Dutch East India Company and explored the region around the modern New York metropolitan area. Looking for a Northwest Passage to Asia on his ship Halve Maen ("Half Moon"), he sailed up the Hudson River, which was later named after him, and laying the foundation for Dutch colonization of the region. On his final expedition, while still searching for the Northwest Passage, Hudson became the first European to see Hudson Strait and the immense Hudson Bay.

1725 - Guillaume Joseph Hyacinthe Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de la Galaisière, French astronomer who discovered several nebulae and was appointed to the Royal Academy of Sciences. He made unsuccessful attempts to observe the 1761 and 1769 transits of Venus from India.

1892 - Alfred Abraham Knopf Sr., American publisher and founder of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. His contemporaries included the likes of Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer, and (of the previous generation) Frank Nelson Doubleday, J. Henry Harper and Henry Holt. Knopf paid special attention to the quality of printing, binding, and design in his books, and earned a reputation as a purist in both content and presentation.

1942 - Linda Ann Gray, American actress, director, producer and former model, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. on the CBS television drama series Dallas, for which she was nominated for the 1981 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The role also earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations. On stage, Gray starred as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate in the West End of London in 2001, then on Broadway the following year. In 2007, she starred as Aurora Greenaway in the world premiere production of Terms of Endearment at the Theatre Royal, York and stayed with the production when it toured the United Kingdom.

1943 - Philip Michael Ondaatje, CC FRSL, Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller Prize, the Booker Prize, and the Prix Médicis étranger.Michael Ondaatje, Writer, A famous quote from M. Ondaatje: “She had always wanted words, she loved them, grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape. Whereas I thought words bent emotions like sticks in water.” The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje Interview: We can't Rely on One Voice. Uploaded by Louisiana Channel. Accessed September 12, 2017.)

1957 - Rachel Ward, AM (born Rachel Claire Ward), English-born Australian actress, film director, television director, and screenwriter. Her big break came in 1983, when she starred opposite Richard Chamberlain as the lead role portraying Meggie Cleary in the television miniseries The Thorn Birds, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film.  Also in 1983, U.S. audiences voted Ward one of the world's 10 most beautiful women.

1957 - Hans Florian Zimmer, German film score composer and record producer. His works are notable for integrating electronic music sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements. He has composed music for over 150 films. His works include The Lion King, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1995, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Interstellar, Gladiator, Crimson Tide, Inception, Dunkirk, and The Dark Knight Trilogy. He has received four Grammy Awards, three Classical BRIT Awards, two Golden Globes, and an Academy Award. Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the United Kingdom before moving to the United States. He is the head of the film music division at DreamWorks studios and works with other composers through the company that he founded, Remote Control Productions, formerly known as Media Ventures.  Lion King Opening Scene - Circle of Life 1440p 60 fps. Uploaded by YapChagi. Accessed September 12, 2019. The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [1994]. Accessed July 25, 2023.)

Lefties:
None known

 

 

More birthdays and historical events, September 12 - On This Day 

Historical Events

1840 - Robert Schumann marries Clara Wieck, daughter of his teacher, Friedrich Wieck, who opposed the marriage. 

1846 - Elizabeth Barrett, one of the most respected poets of the Victorian era, elopes with English playwright Robert Browning. They live happily in Florence, Italy, where her health improves until her death in 1861.

September 11 Dateline

Birthdays

 

1862 - William Sydney Porter, American short story writer better known by his pen name O. Henry. Born in North Carolina, he moved to Texas in 1882, where he met his wife, Athol Estes, with whom he had two children. After the death of his wife in 1902, Porter moved to New York, where he soon remarried. It was while he was in New York that Porter's most intensive writing period occurred, writing 381 short stories. Porter's works include "The Gift of the Magi", "The Duplicity of Hargraves", and "The Ransom of Red Chief". His stories are known for their surprise endings and witty narration. Porter also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His legacy includes the O. Henry Award, an annual prize awarded to outstanding short stories. (The Gift of Love by O. Henry (1978 film). YouTube, uploaded by tainlor. Accessed September 11, 2020.)

 

1885 - D.H. Lawrence (born David Herbert Lawrence), English novelist, short story writer and poet. Notable books include: Sons & Lovers, The Rainbow, Women in Love and Lady Chatterley's Lover. His collected works represent, among other things, an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation. Some of the issues Lawrence explores are sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity, and instinct. (Brief Biography of D.H. Lawrence. Uploaded by Bahri Ancer. The Travels of D.H. Lawrence. Uploaded by Her Aeolian Harp. Access September 18, 2022) 

1935 -  Arvo Pärt or Paert, Estonian composer of classical and religious music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-invented compositional technique, tintinnabuli.  Pärt's music is in part inspired by Gregorian chant. His most performed works include Fratres, Spiegel im Spiegel, and Für Alina. Perhaps being a chorister, aside from Spiegel, my personal favourite is Da pacem Domine (Give Peace, Lord), a choral composition by Arvo Pärt on the Latin prayer for peace, first composed in 2004 for four voices. From 2011 to 2018, Pärt was the most performed living composer in the world, and the second most performed in 2019. The Arvo Pärt Centre, in Laulasmaa, was opened to the public in 2018. (De profundis. (Latin: Out of the Depths, a cry of anguish) Arvo Pärt. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Accessed September 11, 2017. Arvo Pärt- Für Alina. YouTube, uploaded by playingmusiconmars. Accessed September 11, 2018. YouTube, uploaded by Sally Maer. Accessed September 11, 2025. (Spiegel im Spiegel)

1940 - Brian Russell de Palma, American film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. His prominent films include mainstream box office hits such as Carrie (1976), Dressed to Kill (1980), Scarface (1983), The Untouchables (1987), and Mission: Impossible (1996), as well as cult favorites. De Palma is often cited as a leading member of the New Hollywood generation of film directors. His directing style  at times bears the influence of filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard. 

1946 - Julie Covington, English singer and actress, best known for recording the original version of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" which she sang on the 1976 concept album Evita. She won the first Edinburgh Festival Fringe Best Actress Award. (Don't Cry for me Argentina, YouTube, uploaded by MrHaggis64. Accessed September 11, 2011.)

1962 - Kristy McNichol (born Christina Ann McNichol), retired American actress, comedian, producer, and singer. She is known for such roles as Angel in the film Little Darlings, Polly in the film Only When I Laugh, and Barbara Weston in the TV sitcom Empty Nest. She won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal of teenage daughter Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the TV drama Family. McNichol retired from acting in 2001.

1967 - Harry Connick Jr. (born Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr.), American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and TV host. He has sold over 28 million albums worldwide. He has had seven top 20 US albums, and ten number-one US jazz albums, earning more number-one albums than any other artist in US jazz chart history. Connick's best-selling album in the US is his Christmas album When My Heart Finds Christmas. His highest-charting album is his release Only You (2004), which reached No. 5 in the US and No. 6 in Britain. He has won three Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards.

Lefties:
Author D.H. Lawrence 
Actress Kristy McNichol

 

More birthdays and historical events, September 11 - On This Day 

 

Historical Events

1792 - The Hope Diamond, known as Louis XIV's French Blue, is stolen along with with other crown jewels. It now resides in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C..

1840 - Robert Schumann presents his fiancee Clara Wieck with his Liederkreis song cycle as a gift on the eve of their wedding.