18 June 2017
Interesting tidbits:
1178 – Five monks from Canterbury reported to the abbey's chronicler, Gervase, that shortly after sunset on June 18, 1178, they saw "the upper horn of the moon split in two". What they say could have been the Giordano Bruno crater being formed. It is believed that the current oscillations of the Moon's distance from the Earth - on the order of meters - are a result of this collision.
1858 – Charles Darwin received a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace that included nearly identical conclusions about evolution as Darwin's own, prompting Darwin to publish his theory.
1898 - The first amusement pier opened in Atlantic City, NJ.
1903 - The first transcontinental auto trip began in SF. It arrived in NYC 3-mo later.
1928 – Aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. she was a passenger. Wilmer Stultz was the pilot and Lou Gordon the mechanic. On May 20, 1932, the fifth anniversary of Lindberg’s famous flight, Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
1983 – Space Shuttle program: STS-7, Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.
2006 – The first Kazakh space satellite, KazSat is launched.
2009 – The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a NASA robotic spacecraft is launched.
Today's birthday crew:
1891 – Mae Busch, Australian actress (Laurel and Hardy films).
1904 – Keye Luke, Chinese-American actor best known for playing Lee Chan, the "Number One Son" in the Charlie Chan films, the original Kato in the 1939-1941 Green Hornet film serials, and Master Po in the television series Kung Fu. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal, and MGM and was one of the most prominent Asian actors of American cinema in the mid-twentieth century.
1913 – Robert Mondavi, American winemaker.
1915 – Red Adair, American oilfield firefighter .
1920 – Ian Carmichael, English actor (Lord Peter Wimsey).
1926 – Allan Sandage, American astronomer.
1927 – Paul Eddington, English actor (Yes Minister).
1934 – Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Japanese manga artist. His works include Tetsujin 28-go, Giant Robo, Akakage, Babel II, Sally the Witch, Princess Comet, and adaptations of the Chinese classics Outlaws of the Marsh and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
1937 – Bruce Trigger, Canadian archaeologist, anthropologist and ethnohistorian.
1940 – Michael Sheard, English actor most known for playing villains. His most prominent film role was that of Admiral Ozzel in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). In addition, Sheard appeared in six DR Who stories, appearing with the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh Doctors. He provided a DVD commentary for the 1975 Doctor Who adventure Pyramids of Mars, in which he appeared, and he also worked with Eighth Doctor Paul McGann, in "The Stones of Venice", a Doctor Who audio drama produced by Big Finish Productions. He was a regular guest at both Doctor Who and Star Wars conventions over the years in the UK and the US.
1942 – Nick Tate, Australian actor (Space 1999).
1942 – Paul McCartney, British musician.
1947 – Linda Thorson, Canadian actress best known for playing Tara King in The Avengers (1968–69). For her role in The Avengers, Thorson received a special BAFTA at the 2000 BAFTA TV Awards along with the other three actresses from the series, Honor Blackman, Joanna Lumley and Diana Rigg.
1980 – Tara Platt, American voice actress (supporting characters in anime).
Happy birthday guys!