December 12 Dateline

Birthdays

1821 - Gustave Flaubert, French novelist, famous for his debut novel Madame Bovary. Fllaubert was highly influential and considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. He was  also known for his scrupulous devotion to his style and aesthetics. He mixed with other great writers oft he period, including George Sand.  (Literature - Gustave Flaubert, uploaded by The School of Life. Accessed Dec 12, 2018)

1863 - Edvard Munch, Norwegian artist whose best known painting, The Scream, has become one of the most iconic images of world art.  His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inheriting a mental condition that ran in the family. Studying at the Royal School of Art and Design in Kristiania (today’s Oslo), Munch began to live a bohemian life under the influence of nihilist Hans Jæger, who urged him to paint his own emotional and psychological state ('soul painting'). From this would presently emerge his distinctive style. (  How Edvard Munch's "The Scream" Became an Icon. Uploaded bySothesby's. Accessed December 12, 2018. Edvard Munch: The Life of an Artist. This video is designed for students and those wanting an introduction into art history. Uploaded by Artist in School. Accessed  December 12, 2019) 

1887 - Kurt Atterberg, Swedish composer and engineer. Atterberg composed nine symphonies (or ten if the Symphony for Strings, Op. 53, is included). His Ninth Symphony entitled Sinfonia Visionaria was, like Beethoven's, scored for orchestra and chorus with vocal soloists. His output also includes six concertante works (including his Rhapsody, Op. 1, and a cello concerto), nine orchestral suites, three string quartets, a Sonata in B minor, five operas and two ballets.   (Kurt Atterberg's  Symphony No 1, Op 3 in B minor, 1910, uploaded by Gunnar Frederikson. Accessed Dec 12, 2018)

1892 - Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, American juvenile book packager, children's novelist, and publisher. She was responsible for some 200 books over her literary career. She wrote the plot outlines for many books in the Nancy Drew series, using characters invented by her father, Edward Stratemeyer. Adams also oversaw other ghostwriters who wrote for these and many other series as a part of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, and rewrote many of the novels to update them starting in the late 1950s. 

1915 - Frank Sinatra, American singer, actor, and producer. He was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. His bright blue eyes earned him the popular nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes". Sinatra led a colorful personal life, and was often involved in turbulent affairs with women. He was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. He was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. (F. Sinatra - "Fly Me to the Moon", uploaded by Halerman444. Accessed December 12, 2013.)

1927 - Honor Blackman, English actress, known for her roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers, Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, Julia Daggett in Shalako and Hera in Jason and the Argonauts. She is also known for her role as Laura West in the ITV sitcom The Upper Hand (1990–1996). Blackman also appeared on television in various number of episodes, such as Never the Twain with Donald Sinden and Windsor Davies as vet Veronica Barton. In singing, Blackman has released recordings  with The Avengers co-star Patrick Macnee of "Kinky Boots", referring to the boots she wore in the show, a surprise hit. After her appearance in Goldfinger, she recorded a full album of songs titled Everything I've Got. She also released a 45 of "Before Today"/"I'll Always Be Loving You" (CBS 3896), which were featured in the musical play Mr & Mrs. In 1983 she sang as Juno in a special TV production of Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. Blackman appeared in the Doctor Who audio drama The Children of Seth, in which she plays the role of Anahita, released in December 2011.

1938 - Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero), American Pop singer, former actress, and top-charting Female Vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw.

1962 - Tracy Austin (Tracy Ann Austin Holt), American tennis champion, former World No. 1 professional tennis player. She won three Grand Slam titles; the women's singles titles at the 1979 and 1981 US Opens, and the mixed doubles title at the Wimbledon Championships in 1980.

Lefties:
None known

Death:
2020 - John le Carré, British author of espionage novels.

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

Historical Events

1800 - Washington D.C. becomes the capital of the United States, replacing the interim capital Philadelphia.

1804 - Spain declares war on Great Britain, having been persuaded by Napoleon to join France.  

 
1901 - Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal in Newfoundland. Later studies show that the signal, sent from a very powerful transmitter in Cornwall, England, must have bounced off the ionosphere twice to traverse that distance.  

1913 - Mona Lisa, the famous masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci, is located in a former Louvre employee's hotel room in Florence two years after it was stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris.  

1939 - Synthetic fiber nylon goes into commercial production at the company's new Seaford plant in Delaware, U.S. The inventor is Wallace Carothers of DuPont.      




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 12, 2023. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.