December 8 Dateline

Birthdays

1542 - Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, reigned over Scotland from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567.

1765 -  Eli Whitney, American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South. His invention made upland short cotton into a profitable crop, which strengthened the economic foundation of slavery in the United States. Despite the social and economic impact of his invention, Whitney lost many profits in legal battles over patent infringement for the cotton gin. He turned his attention into securing contracts with the government in the manufacture of muskets for the newly formed United States Army. He continued making arms and inventing until his death in 1825.

1865 - Jean Sibelius (born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius), Finnish composer and violinist of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely recognized as his country's greatest composer and, through his music, is often credited with having helped Finland to develop a national identity during its struggle for independence from Russia. The core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies, which, like his other major works, are regularly performed and recorded in his home country and internationally. His other best-known compositions are Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the Violin Concerto, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite). (Sibelius - Finlandia op. 26 (Opening of the new Helsinki music hall). Conducted by Jukka-Pekka Saraste. YouTube, uploaded by Lhargy. Accessed December 8, 2014.)

1882 - Manuel Ponce, Mexican composer active in the 20th century (violinist Ray Chen plays Ponce's "Estrellita" ("Little Star"). Accessed December 8, 2018.) His work as a composer, music educator and scholar of Mexican music connected the concert scene with a mostly forgotten tradition of popular song and Mexican folklore. Many of his compositions are strongly influenced by the harmonies and form of traditional songs.

1886 - Diego Rivera, (December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the Mexican mural movement in Mexican art. Between 1922 and 1953, asided from Mexico City, Rivera painted murals in other places: Chapingo, Cuernavaca, San Francisco, Detroit, and New York City. In 1931, a retrospective exhibition of his works was held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Rivera had a volatile marriage with fellow Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. (Diego Rivera " Man At The Crossroads". Produced by James Ayala & John Riveaux. Uploaded by welles2000. Accessed Nobember 8, 2013.)

1894 - James Grover Thurber, American author, cartoonist, journalist, humourist, playwright, and celebrated "wit". He was best known for his cartoons and short stories, published mainly in The New Yorker and collected in his numerous books. Thurber was one of the most popular humorists of his time and celebrated the comic frustrations and eccentricities of ordinary people. His works have frequently been adapted into films, including The Male Animal, The Battle of the Sexes, based on Thurber's "The Catbird Seat", and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (adapted twice, in 1947 and in 2013).

1925 - Sammy Davis, Jr. (Samuel Davis George, Jr.), American singer, actor, entertainer, who has been called "the greatest entertainer ever to grace a stage in these United States." After reuniting with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1987, Davis toured with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Liza Minnelli internationally, before his death in 1990. Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for his television performances. He was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987, and in 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

1939 - Sir James Galway, Irish flutist (Sir J. Galway: Living legend of the flute, uploaded by Wright Music Management. Accessed December 8, 2018.)

1953 - Kim Basinger (Kimila Ann Basinger), American actress, singer and former fashion model. She starred in several made-for-television films, including a remake of From Here to Eternity, before making her feature debut in the drama Hard Country. Hailed as a sex symbol of the 1980s and 1990s, Basinger came to prominence for her performance of Bond girl Domino Petachi in Never Say Never Again. She subsequently received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her role in The Natural, starred in the erotic cult classic 9½ Weeks, and played Vicki Vale in Tim Burton's blockbuster Batman, which remains the highest-grossing film of her career. For her femme fatale portrayal in L.A. Confidential, Basinger won the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Leftie:

Actress Kim Basinger

 

More birthdays and historical events, December 8 - On This Day

Historical Events

1915 - Jean Sibelius conducts the premiere of his Symphony No. 5 in Helsinki on his 50th birthday.

1941 - The U.S. declares war on Japan, the day after the Japanese bombing of the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

1980 - John Lennon, English musician and singer-songwriter, is shot dead by a crazed fan, 25 year old Mark David Chapman.

1987 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. President Ronald Reagan sign a treaty in Washington to eliminate all short- and medium-range nuclear weapons in Europe. This is the first agreement between the two superpowers to reduce arms.

 

Video Credit:

 Sibelius: Symphony No. 7 (Full) - H. Karajan. Uploaded by GreatClassicREcords. Accessed December 8, 2017



Resources:

1. Asiado, Tel. The World's Movers and Shapers. New Hampshire: Ore Mountain Publishing House (2005)
2. Britannica. www.britannica.com
3. Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 19th Ed. London: Chambers Harrap, 2011
4. Dateline. Sydney: Millennium House, (2006)
5. Grun, Bernard. The Timetables of History, New 3rd Revised Ed. Simon & Schuster/Touchstone (1991)
6. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org


(c) June 2007. Updated December 8, 2023. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.