June 10 Dateline

Birthdays

1863 - Louis Marie-Anne Couperus, Dutch novelist and poet, considered to be one of the foremost figures in Dutch literature. His oeuvre contains a wide variety of genres: lyric poetry, psychological and historical novels, novellas, short stories, fairy tales, feuilletons and sketches. 

1901 - Frederick Loewe, originally German Friedrich (Fritz) Löwe, Austrian-American composer. He collaborated with lyricist Alan Jay Lerner on a series of Broadway musicals, including Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, and Camelot, all of which were made into films, as well as the original film musical, Gigi (1958), which was first transferred to the stage in 1973. (My Fair Lady: Wouldn't it be loverly and Camelot)

1915 - Saul Bellow, Canadian-born American writer, Nobel Prize Laureate. For his literary work, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. Many of his stories are both sad and funny at the same time. Typical is his novel Humboldt's Gift, a comic book that won him Pulitzer Prize in 1976. (Saul Bellow Interview. Uploaded by Electric Cereal. Accessed June 10, 2017.)

1921 - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.  Born in Corfu, he later served in the Royal Navy as midshipman then lieutenant during WWII. In 1947, he married Princess Elizabeth, six years before her coronation as Queen of the British Empire. Prince Philip is the patron of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme, said to have around quarter of a million young people taking part at any time. Four areas of competition: Expedition, Skills, Physical Recreation and Service.

1922 - Judy Garland, American actress, singer and dancer. During a career that spanned 45 years, she attained international stardom as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Famous as Dorothy Gale in Wizard of Oz. Judy Garland singing the now immortal "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Uploaded by Movieclips. Accessed June 10, 2012. Judy Garland: The Greatest... By Michelle Bell. Accessed June 10, 2018. 

1926 - Lionel Charles Jeffries, English actor, screenwriter, and director. He appeared primarily in films and received a Golden Globe Award nomination during his acting career. His acting career reached a peak in the 1960s with leading roles in other films like Two-Way Stretch, The Trials of Oscar Wilde, Murder Ahoy! (opposite Margaret Rutherford), First Men in the Moon and Camelot. Jeffries turned to writing and directing children's films, including a well regarded version of The Railway Children (1970) and The Amazing Mr Blunden.

 

Leftie:
Actress Judy Garland

 

 

More birthdays and historical events today, 10 June - On This Day.  

 

Historical Events

1776 - The Continental Congress appoints a committee to write a Declaration of Indpendence for what will become the United States of America.

1865 - Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde is first performed in Munich under the direction of Hans von Bulow.

June 9 Dateline

Birthdays

1781 - George Stephenson, British civil engineer and mechanical engineer, inventor of the steam locomotive. Renowned as the "Father of Railways", Stephenson was considered by the Victorians a great example of diligent application and thirst for improvement. Self-help advocate Samuel Smiles particularly praised his achievements.

1843 - Baroness Bertha von Suttner (born Bertha Felicitas Sophie Freifrau von Suttner), Austrian-Bohemian pacifist and novelist. She is credited in influencing Alfred Nobel for creating the Nobel Prize, herself a 1905 recipient, becoming the second female Nobel laureate (the first being Marie Curie for Nobel Prize in Physics), the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and the first Austrian laureate.

1865 - Carl August Nielsen, Danish musician, conductor and violinist, widely recognized as his country's most prominent composer. (Nielsen: 6. Sinfonie (»Sinfonia semplice«) ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Paavo Järvi. Uploaded by Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Accessed June 9, 2019.)

1891 - Cole Albert Porter, American musical-comedy composer and lyricist/songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied his grandfather's wishes and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn to musical theatre. (The Words and Music of Cole Porter - 1920s, 30s, 40s (Past Perfect) [Full Album]. YouTube, uploaded by Past Perfect Vintage Music. Accessed June 9, 2018.) 
 
1922 - George Axelrod, American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is best known for his playAmerican screenwriter, producer, playwright and film director, best known for his play, The Seven Year Itch, which was adapted into a movie of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe.

1956 - Patricia Cornwell, American crime writer. She is known for her best-selling novels featuring medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, of which the first was inspired by a series of sensational murders in Richmond, Virginia, where most of the stories are set.

1961 - Michael J. Fox (born Michael Andrew Fox) OC, Canadian-American actor, comedian, author, film producer. He starred in the Back to the Future trilogy in which he portrayed Marty McFly. He rose to prominence for portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom Family Ties. Fox achieved further recognition as protagonist Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film trilogy (1985–1990). The trilogy's critical and commercial success led to Fox headlining several films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He returned to television on the ABC sitcom Spin City, where he portrayed the lead role of Mike Flaherty from 1996 to 2000.

1961 - Aaron Benjamin Sorkin, American screenwriter, director, producer, and playwright. His works include the Broadway plays A Few Good Men, The Farnsworth Invention and To Kill a Mockingbird; the television series Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Newsroom; and the films A Few Good Men, The American President, Charlie Wilson's War, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs. For writing The Social Network, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, among other awards. He received two additional Oscar nominations for Moneyball and Molly's Game.

1963 - Johnny Depp, American actor, producer, and musician. He has been nominated for ten Golden Globe Awards, winning one for Best Actor for his performance of the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Actor, among other accolades. He is regarded as one of the world's biggest film stars. He has been listed in the 2012 Guinness World Records as the world's highest-paid actor, with earnings of US$75 million. Depp has collaborated on eight films with director, producer, and friend Tim Burton. He was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2015. Depp has also worked as a musician..

Lefties:
Statesman Robert S. McNamara
Composer Cole Porter

 

More birthdays and historical events today, 9 June - On This Day. 

Historical Events

68 C.E. - Roman Emperor Nero, commits suicide before he can be executed by the Roman Senate.

1790 - Philadelphia Spelling Book by John Barry becomes the first book to be copyrighted in the U.S.