Born On This Date

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Remembering Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy on his birthday. The sci-fi legend was born on March 26, 1931 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Full Name: Leonard Nimoy [Leonard Simon Nimoy]
Nationality: American
Profession: Actor
Why Famous: Commander Spock (Star Trek); not to be confused with Dr Benjamin Spock.

Born: March 26, 1931
Star Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Died: February 27, 2015 (aged 83)
Cause of Death: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Married Life
1954-02-21 Actor Leonard Nimoy (22) weds actress Sandra Zober
1989-01-01 Actor Leonard Nimoy (57) weds actress Susan Bay

Historical Events in the Life of Leonard Nimoy
1992-04-15 William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy & DeForest Kelley inducted into National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame

 

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Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams

Nationality: American
Profession: Playwright

He was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright in 1948 whose works include The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Born: March 26, 1911
Star Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Columbus, Mississippi, USA

Died: February 25, 1983 (aged 71)



Historical Events in the Life of Tennessee Williams

1944-12-26 Tennessee Williams' play "Glass Menagerie" premieres in Chicago
1945-03-31 Tennessee Williams' "Glass Menagerie" premieres in NYC
1947-12-03 Tennessee Williams' "Streetcar Named Desire" premieres in NYC
1948-05-03 Pulitzer prize awarded to James Michener & Tennessee Williams
1951-02-03 Tennessee Williams' "Rose Tattoo" premieres in NYC
1951-09-18 "A Streetcar Named Desire", directed by Elia Kazan and based on Tennessee Williams' 1947 play of the same name, starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, is released
1953-03-19 Tennessee Williams' "Camino Real" premieres in NYC
1955-03-24 Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" opens for 694 performances
1955-05-02 Pulitzer prize awarded Tennessee Williams for (Cat on Hot Tin Roof)
1957-03-21 Tennessee Williams' "Orpheus Descending" premieres in NYC
1959-03-10 Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" premieres in NYC
1961-12-28 Tennessee Williams' "Night of the Iguana" premieres in NYC
1963-01-16 Tennessee Williams' "Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore" premieres
1972-04-02 Tennessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings" premieres in NYC

 

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Robert Frost

Robert Frost

Nationality: American
Profession: Poet
Why Famous: A Boy's Will, North of Boston

Born: March 26, 1874
Star Sign: Aries
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA

Died: January 29, 1963 (aged 88)

Married Life

1895-12-19 Poet Robert Frost (21) weds Elinor Miriam White in Lawrence, Massachusetts

Historical Events in the Life of Robert Frost

1924-05-11 Pulitzer Prize awarded to Robert Frost (New Hampshire)
1961-01-20 Robert Frost recites "Gift Outright" at JFK's inauguration
1963-02-19 Robert Frost wins Bollingen Prize
1978-03-22 Robert Frost Plaza, at California, Drumm & Market, San Francisco, dedicated

 

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Vince Vaughn

Vince Vaughn

Nationality: American
Profession: Actor

Born: March 28, 1970 (48 years old)
Star Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

 

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Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

Full Name: Lady Gaga [Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta]
Nationality: American
Profession: Singer-Songwriter
Why Famous: Rose to prominence with her debut album The Fame (2008), a critical and commercial success.

Best known for her flamboyant and diverse contributions to the music industry via her fashion, live performances, and music videos.

She is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with global album and single sales of 27 million and 125 million.

Born: March 28, 1986 (32 years old)
Star Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA

 

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Sam Walton

Sam Walton

Full Name: Sam Walton
Nationality: American
Profession: Entrepreneur and Founder of Walmart

Why Famous: As the founder of the iconic retail store Walmart, and also Sam's Club, Walton was for many years the richest person in the United States.

Born: March 29, 1918
Birthplace: Kingfisher, Oklahoma, USA
Star Sign: Aries

Died: April 5, 1992 (aged 74)
Cause of Death: Multiple myeloma

Married Life
1943-02-14 Walmart founder Sam Walton (24) weds Helen Robson (23)

Historical Events in the Life of Sam Walton
1962-07-02 Sam Walton opens his first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas

 

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John Major

John Major

Full Name: John Major
Nationality: English
Profession: British Prime Minister

Why Famous: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. Prior to holding these positions, Major worked in the cabinet of Margaret Thatcher, briefly holding the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

In his first year, Major presided over British involvement in the Gulf War in March 1991 and negotiated the Maastricht Treaty in December 1991. In 1992 he led the Conservatives to a reduce majority in the House of Commons but won the most votes in British history, at 14,000,000. He also took the UK out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism after Black Wednesday on September 16, 1992. This led to a loss of confidence the Conservative Party and Major was not able to regain a lead in the polls again.

Major began the Northern Ireland peace process in the mid-1990s. Despite these successes, Major's government suffered and he resigned as party leader in 1995 though was re-elected. At the 1997 general election, the Labour Party led by Tony Blair won a landslide victory and Major resigned as Prime Minister.

Born: March 29, 1943 (75 years old)
Birthplace: Carshalton, England, United Kingdom
Star Sign: Aries

 

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Lucy Lawless

Lucy Lawless

Full Name: Lucy Lawless
Nationality: New Zealand
Profession: Actress & Singer
Why Famous: New Zealand actress, activist and musician best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series "Xena: Warrior Princess".

Also widely known for her role as Number Three on the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" series, and for the role of Lucretia on the television series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand", its prequel "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena", and its sequel "Spartacus: Vengeance".

Born: March 29, 1968 (50 years old)
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Star Sign: Aries

Married Life
1998-05-28 "Xena: The Warrior Princess" Lucy Lawless (30) weds executive producer Rob Tapert (43) at Saint Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California

Historical Events in the Life of Lucy Lawless
1995-09-04 Cult TV series "Xena: Warrior Princess" starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor debuts in the US

 

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Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh

Full Name: Vincent van Gogh
Nationality: Dutch
Profession: Painter
Why Famous: Considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt.

Van Gogh was a largely self-taught artist who remained poor and unknown throughout his life. Today, his paintings are some of the most expensive in the world. Van Gogh's "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" sold for $82.5 million and "Irises" for $53.9 million.

He is known as much for his unstable psychological health, including famously cutting off his own ear, as he is for his huge body of post-Impressionist paintings (e.g. "Sunflowers" and "The Starry Night"), drawings, and sketches.

Born: March 30, 1853
Birthplace: Groot-Zundert, Netherlands
Star Sign: Aries

Died: July 29, 1890 (aged 37)
Cause of Death: Suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound

Historical Events in the Life of Vincent van Gogh
1888-12-23 Vincent van Gogh cuts off his left ear with a razor, after argument with fellow painter Paul Gauguin, and sends to a prostitute for safe keeping
1890-07-27 Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh shoots himself in Auvers-sur-Oise, dies of injuries 2 days later
1901-03-17 At a show in Paris 71 Vincent van Gogh paintings cause a sensation, 11 years after his death
1987-03-30 Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" sells for a record 22.5 million pounds ($39.7 million)
1987-11-11 Van Gogh's "Irises" sells for record $53.6 million at auction
1990-05-15 "Portrait of Doctor Gachet" by Vincent Van Gogh sells for $82.5 million
1998-11-19 Vincent van Gogh's "Portrait of the Artist Without Beard" sells at auction for $71.5 million

 

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Ingvar Kamprad

Ingvar Kamprad

Full Name: Ingvar Kamprad
Nationality: Swedish
Profession: Entrepreneur and Founder of IKEA

Why Famous: Ingvar Kamprad founded Swedish ready-to-assemble furniture company IKEA in 1943 when he was just 17.

Starting as a mail order company, Ikea introduced flat pack furniture in 1956 and opened its first physical store in Älmhult, Sweden in 1958.

Ikea first expands overseas to Norway, then in 1985 opens its first US store, by 1998 it has opened in China. Ikea currently (2018) employees 139,000 co-workers in 44 countries and generates annual sales of more than 27 billion EURO.

In 1986 Ingvar Kamprad retires from managing the brand but stays on as an advisor

Born: March 30, 1926
Birthplace: Pjätteryd, Sweden
Star Sign: Aries

Died: January 27, 2018 (aged 91)

 

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Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton

Full Name: Eric Clapton
Nationality: English
Profession: Rocker, Blues Guitarist and Singer-Songwriter
Why Famous: One of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.

Clapton has received 18 Grammy Awards and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004, he was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music.

Born: March 30, 1945 (73 years old)
Birthplace: Ripley, Surrey, England
Star Sign: Aries

Married Life

1979-05-19 Guitarist Eric Clapton marries Patti Boyd
2002-01-01 Legendary guitarist Eric Clapton (56) weds Melia McEnery (25) at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Surrey, London

Historical Events in the Life of Eric Clapton

1965-03-13 Jeff Beck replaces Eric Clapton of the Yardbirds
1968-09-06 Eric Clapton records guitar tracks for George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
1969-09-13 Plastic Ono Band's (John, Yoko & Eric Clapton) 1st live performance
1974-06-09 Supergroup Blind Faith's (Eric Clapton, Windwood, Baker) 1st concert
1993-02-24 35th Grammy Awards: Tears in Heaven, Eric Clapton wins
1999-01-11 26th American Music Awards: Celine Dion & Eric Clapton win

 

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Celine Dion

Celine Dion

Full Name: Celine Dion [Céline Marie Claudette Dion]
Nationality: Canadian
Profession: Singer

Why Famous: Celine Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world before releasing the English-language album "Unison", which made her a North American and eventually global pop star.

She is renowned for her technically skilled and powerful vocals.

Born: March 30, 1968 (49 years old)
Birthplace: Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada
Star Sign: Aries

Married Life

1994-12-17 Queen of Pop Céline Dion (26) weds her manager Rene Angelil (52) at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada

Historical Events in the Life of Celine Dion

1988-04-30 33rd Eurovision Song Contest: Celine Dion for Switzerland wins singing "Ne partez pas sans moi" in Dublin
1999-01-11 26th American Music Awards: Celine Dion & Eric Clapton win

 

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Logan Paul

Logan Paul

Full Name: Logan Paul
Nationality: American
Profession: YouTube Star and Actor
Why Famous: One of the most successful YouTubers, he and his younger brother Jake Paul gained fame initially on the short-video service Vine, and then eventually on YouTube. He currently has 15 million subscribers.

In December 2017 and January 2018 Paul attracted significant controversy when he uploaded a vlog in which he filmed the body of a suicide victim at the Aokigahara forest in Japan, one of the most notorious suicide spots in the world. He subsequently issued an apology.

Born: April 1, 1995 (23 years old)
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Star Sign: Aries

Historical Events in the Life of Logan Paul

2018-01-11 YouTube issues sanctions against vlogger Logan Paul after he posted footage of suicide victim's body in Japan in December

RICH KID OF YOUTUBE How Logan Paul makes ‘£800,000 every month’ to finance his lifestyle of super cars, luxury escapes and a £4.8million California mansion
Thanks to his endorsements and millions of YouTube hits, Logan Paul is worth around £8million at 22

Paul owns this £4.8million, five-bedroom mansion in LA's upmarket Rancho Estate area

 

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Charlemagne

Charlemagne

Full Name: Charlemagne
Nationality: Frank
Profession: Holy Roman Emperor

Why Famous: Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire, and spurred the Carolingian Renaissance. Sometimes called the 'Father of Europe'.

Born: April 2, 742
Birthplace: Liège, Frankish Kingdom
Star Sign: Aries

Died: January 28, 814 (aged 71)
Cause of Death: Pleurisy

Historical Events in the Life of Charlemagne

0768-10-09 Charlemagne and his brother Carloman I are crowned Kings of The Franks
0771-12-05 Charlemagne becomes the sole King of the Franks after the death of his brother Carloman
0774-04-06 Charles the Great (Charlemagne) confirmed the gift to the Pope of the territories belonging to Ravenna made by his father Pepin the Short at Quiercy-sur-Loire in 753
0778-08-15 Battle of Roncevaux Pass: Roland, commander of the rearguard of Charlemagne's army is defeated by the Basques
0794-06-01 Charles the Great (aka Charlemagne) opens general synod in Frankfurt
0800-11-23 Charlemagne arrives in Rome to investigate the alleged crimes of Pope Leo III.
0800-12-01 Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican.
0800-12-25 Pope Leo III crowns Charles the Great (Charlemagne), Roman Emperor

 

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Giacomo Casanova

Giacomo Casanova

Full Name: Giacomo Casanova
Nationality: Italian
Profession: Adventurer, Writer and famous Lover

Why Famous: Giacomo Casanova is remembered for his love affairs, in popular culture his name is now synonymous with "womanizer".

However Casanova was the epitome of the eighteenth century gentleman, learned, adventurous and a great traveller. Throughout his life he worked as a spy, professional gambler and librarian. His biography "Story of My Life" was published after his death.

Born: April 2, 1725
Birthplace: Venice, Italy
Star Sign: Aries

Died: June 4, 1798 (aged 73)
Historical Events in the Life of Giacomo Casanova
1755-07-26 Giacomo Casanova is arrested in Venice for affront to religion and common decency and imprisoned in the Doge's Palace
1755-09-12 Giacomo Casanova is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment in Venice without trial for affront to religion and common decency
1756-10-31 Giacomo Casanova escapes from prison in Venice by climbing onto the roof
2010-02-18 Bibliothèque nationale de France purchases the memoirs of Giacomo Casanova a for €7 million

 

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Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender

Born: April 2, 1977

Michael Fassbender was born in Heidelberg, Germany, to a German father, Josef, and an Irish mother, Adele (originally from Larne, County Antrim, in Northern Ireland). Michael was raised in the town of Killarney, Co. Kerry, in south-west Ireland, where his family moved to when he was two years old. His parents ran a restaurant (his father is a chef).

Fassbender is based in London, England, and became known in the U.S. after his role in the Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009). In 2011, Fassbender debuted as the Marvel antihero Magneto in the prequel X-Men: First Class (2011); he would go on to share the role with Ian McKellen in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). Also in 2011, Fassbender's performance as a sex addict in Shame (2011) received critical acclaim. He won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards. In 2013, his role as slave owner Edwin Epps in slavery epic 12 Years a Slave (2013) was similarly praised, earning him his first Oscar nomination, for Best Supporting Actor. 12 Years a Slave marked Fassbender's third collaboration with Steve McQueen, who also directed Hunger and Shame. In 2013, Fassbender appeared in another Ridley Scott film, The Counsellor (2013). In 2015, he portrayed Steve Jobs (2015) in the Danny Boyle-directed biopic of the same name, and played Macbeth (2015) in Justin Kurzel's adaptation of William Shakespeare's play. For the former, he has received Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actor. As well as acting, Fassbender produced the 2015 western Slow West (2015), which he also starred in.

 

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Marvin Gaye

Full Name: Marvin Gaye
Nationality: American
Profession: Singer
Why Famous: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You, I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Born: April 2, 1939
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., USA
Star Sign: Aries

Died: April 1, 1984 (aged 45)
Cause of Death: Gunshot wound

Historical Events in the Life of Marvin Gaye

1973-08-28 "Let's Get It On" 13th studio album by Marvin Gaye is released
1973-08-28 “Let’s Get It On” single released by Marvin Gaye (Billboard Song of the Year 1973)
1990-09-28 Marvin Gaye gets a star on Hollywood's walk of fame
2015-03-10 The family of Marvin Gaye win a record $7.3 million lawsuit for music copyright infringement against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I.

 

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Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger

Full Name: Heath Ledger
Nationality: Australian
Profession: Actor
Why Famous: Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight

Born: April 4, 1979
Star Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Died: January 22, 2008 (aged 28)
Cause of Death: Drug overdose

Historical Events in the Life of Heath Ledger

1999-03-31 "10 Things I Hate About You", a modernization of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, is released
2005-12-09 "Brokeback Mountain", starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, is released
2008-07-14 "The Dark Knight" directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, premieres in New York
2009-02-22 Heath Ledger posthumously wins Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor, for his performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight"

 

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Robert Downey Jr

Robert Downey Jr

Full Name: Robert Downey Jr
Nationality: American
Profession: Actor
Why Famous: Best known for wide variety of films like The Avengers and Iron Man 3 which grossed over $500 million at the box office worldwide.

Born: April 4, 1965 (53 years old)
Star Sign: Aries
Birthplace: NYC, New York, USA

Married Life

1992-05-29 Actor Robert Downey Jr (27) weds actress and singer Deborah Falconer (26)
2004-04-26 Model-actress Deborah Falconer (38) divorces actor Robert Downey Jr (39) due to irreconcilable differences after 12 years of marriage
2005-08-27 Actor Robert Downey Jr (40) weds producer Susan Levin (31) at the Windy Dune Estat in Amagansett, New York

Historical Events in the Life of Robert Downey Jr

2008-05-02 The critically acclaimed "Iron Man" film starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, is released
2010-04-26 "Iron Man 2", directed by Jon Favreau, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, premieres in Los Angeles
2012-04-11 "The Avengers", directed by Joss Whedon and starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlet Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Rennner, premieres in Los Angeles
2013-04-18 "Iron Man 3", directed by Shane Black, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, premieres in London
2015-04-13 "Avengers: Age of Ultron", directed by Joss Whedon, starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner, premieres in Los Angeles
2015-08-04 Robert Downey Jr. named the world's highest paid actor by Forbes Magazine (earning $80 mil). 4 non-Hollywood actors make the top 10.
2017-06-28 "Spider-man: Homecoming" directed by Jon Watts starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. premieres in Los Angeles

 

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Graham Norton

Graham Norton

Full Name: Graham Norton
Nationality: Irish
Profession: TV Host and Comedian
Why Famous: Known for his flamboyant and innuendo-laden comedic style, Norton has hosted his eponymous BBC chat show since 2007. For his role as host he has won five BAFTA TV Awards.

In addition to his television role he is a host on BBC Radio and is the BBC commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Born: April 4, 1963 (55 years old)
Star Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Clondalkin, Republic of Ireland

Historical Events in the Life of Graham Norton

2015-05-10 61st British Academy Television Awards: "The Graham Norton Show" Best Comedy, "Happy Valley" Best Drama