Birthdays

I am not a big fan of birthdays, at least not mine. I don't really get what all the fuss is about. However, for the other 364 days of the year, it's kind of fun to look at who shares your birthday and what happened on that day through the years. Here is what I found. I've tried to include a pretty good variety of material.

My birthday shall remain unspecified, but patently obvious to anyone who bothered to click the link. Other than being the most depressing day of 2007 (seriously, click on the link), my birthday was the 117th anniversary of the United Mine Workers of America. Wait, it gets better! It was also the day that Spain ceded the Falkland Islands to England. A day well-celebrated by both of the families who live there today. In 1905, a Russian revolution was sparked by "Bloody Sunday". (Not to be confused with the Bloody Sunday that U2 sang about. That was January 30. I'm glad I wasn't born on that day.) In 1917, President Wilson called for "peace without victory" to end WWI. We all know how that turned out. In 1973, the US Supreme Court delivered the opinion in Roe v. Wade. Thank you Justice Blackmun. Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, plead guilty for the murder of 3 people.

On the lighter side, LA's channel 5 KTLA started broadcasting as the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi. In 1973, George Foreman gave Joe Frazier his first loss causing Howard Cosell to yell: "Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!" One of the greatest exclamations in sport.

Who shares my birthday?
- Linda Blair, she played the possessed girl in The Exorcist
- Sir Francis Bacon, philosopher and an important part of a hearty breakfast
- Lord Byron, the romantic poet. This one is for the ladies.
- Grigori Rasputin, the Russian peasant/psychic/screenwriter who inadvertently hastened the introduction of communism to Russia. Thanks a lot, boyo!
- DW Griffith, the first truly famous American film director. His first hit glorified the KKK.
- Justice Fred Vinson, Supreme Court Justice. Known as one of the weaker intellects to sit on the Court. At least that was what my Constitutional law professor said.
- Sam Cooke, singer of "You Send Me" and "Chain Gang"
- Marcel Dassault, a great aircraft pioneer. I forgive him for being French.
- Jeff Smith, TV chef nicknamed The Frugal Gourmet and former neighbor of my parents.
- The Right Honorable Ramsay MacDonald was not born. But he did become Prime Minister of Great Britain on this day. Winston Churchill said of him: "He has, more than any other man, the gift of compressing the largest number of words into the smallest amount of thought." Ask me Winston Churchill's quote about the traditions of the British Navy.
- John Hurt, creepy English actor. He played the Elephant Man, John Merrick.
-DJ Jazzy Jeff, former celebrity and partner of Will Smith

Unfortunately some people die on this day too:
- Queen Victoria in 1901 after a 63 year reign
- Mike Hawthorn, World Driving Champion in 1958 with Ferrari. Ironically, he died in a street car accident.
- Duke Kahanamoku,The Big Kahuna himself
- Lyndon Baines Johnson, President, but not a very good one.
- Budd Dwyer, politician who shot himself at a press conference he called. He was about to be sentenced on corruption charges.
- Telly Savales, Kojak.

I guess its not such a bad day. I just don't like it being about me.

Below is a video clip of the Foreman/Frazier fight. George Foreman later became known for other achievements including:
- A complete lack of creativity in naming his male children
- Spokesman for Meineke Mufflers
- A popular kitchen appliance that should NOT be used to cook bacon bedside.

You will not hear Howard Cosell's famous line because that footage doesn't get on Youtube. You get a different announcer. Foreman in red and Frazier in white. Frazier was known as a slow starter in fights but it quickly became apparent that this bout would end badly for Smokin' Joe.