Birthdays
1784 - Karl Thomas Mozart, the second son, and the elder of the two surviving sons, of Wolfgang and Constanze Mozart. He became a gifted pianist, but before he finished his schooling, however, he left for Livorno in 1797 to begin his apprenticeship with a trading firm.
1866 - H.G. Wells, English writer, famous for producing classics of science fiction, with extraordinary insights into the future. His famous works include The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, War of the Worlds, The Shape of Things to Come and The Island of Dr Moreau.
1874 - Gustav Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst), English composer, famous for his orchestral suite "The Planets", and whose daughter, Imogen Holst, his biographer, is also a composer. He composed across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success. His distinctive compositional style was the product of many influences, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss being most crucial early in his development. The subsequent inspiration of the English folksong revival of the early 20th century, and the example of such rising modern composers as Maurice Ravel, led Holst to develop and refine an individual style.
1931 - Larry Martin Hagman, American actor, film director and producer, famous for TV series Dallas, playing ruthless oil baron J.R. Ewing and the befuddled astronaut Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. His television appearances also included guest roles on dozens of shows spanning from the late 1950s until his death and a reprise of his signature role on the 2012 revival of Dallas.
1934 - Leonard Cohen, CC GOQ (born Leonard Norman Cohen), Canadian singer, songwriter, poet, and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality, and romantic relationships. Cohen was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Hallelujah, uploaded by LeonardCohen. Accessed September 21, 2018.)
1947 - Stephen Edwin King, American author. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, and many have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries, and comic books. King has published 61 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction books. He has also written numerous 200 short stories published in book collections. King is multi-awarded. Some of his awards include: the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, awards for his contribution to literature for his entire bibliography, such as the 2004 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the 2007 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He was awarded with a National Medal of Arts from the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to literature.
1950 - Bill Murray (born William James Murray), American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and writer. Known for his deadpan delivery, he first rose to fame on Saturday Night Live, a series of performances that earned him his first Emmy Award, and later starred in comedy films. He also co-directed Quick Change. Murray later starred in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation, which earned him a Golden Globe and a British Academy Film Award, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He received Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Ghostbusters, Rushmore, Hyde Park on Hudson, St. Vincent, and the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge, for which he later won his second Primetime Emmy Award. Murray received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2016.
Lefties:
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More birthdays and historical events, September 21 - On This Day
Historical Events
1880 - The International Mozart Foundation is established in Salzburg.
1937 - J.R.R. Tolkien's book The Hobbit is published. Its first print run is a 1,500 copies, but this acclaimed fantasy novel has now been published in more than 38 languages and sold more than 50 million copies.
