The Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom and legendary damsel in distress in Nintendo’s Mario series. She was always in another castle.
Pope Benedict XVI – No. 108
For Pentecost Sunday, here’s the pope. A native of Germany, Pope Benedict XVI is the 265th and current pope. His papacy began in 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II. During his reign in Vatican City, he has restored the use of red leather papal shoes and other fancy papal fashions.
Ganesha – No. 107
The elephant-headed Hindu deity is widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and patron of the arts and sciences. He is associated with intellect, wisdom and writing. Like Vishnu, he has an extra set of arms.
Ray Charles – No. 106
A pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s. He died on this day in 2004. “Georgia on My Mind” is one of his best.
Malcolm X – No. 105
An African-American Muslim minister and human rights activist. As a spokesman for the Nation of Islam he taught black supremacy. After he left the Nation of Islam in 1964, he became a Sunni Muslim, but was assassinated a few months later while giving a speech. Here is a relevant song: “Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine.
Martin Luther King Jr. – No. 104
Prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He worked to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience. When he was assassinated in 1968, his efforts had been refocused on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War. Watch King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech or listen to “Let Freedom Ring” by Flocabulary.
P.S. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Muammar Gaddafi – No. 103
The ruler of Libya since a military coup in 1969, when he overthrew King Idris and established the Libyan Arab Republic. In early February 2011, major political protests against Gaddafi’s government broke out in Libya and turned into a civil war. Four months later, the situation in war-torn Libya hasn’t improved. But today is Gaddafi’s 69th birthday.
Update: At a press conference today, President Obama said it’s “just a matter of time” before Gaddafi is removed from power.
Julius Caesar – No. 102
Roman general who played a critical role in building the Roman Empire. He had a long-term relationship with Cleopatra but could not marry her under Roman law. He was assassinated by a group of senators, led by Brutus, on the Ides of March. Et tu, Brute?
Cleopatra – No. 101
The last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a family of Greek origin that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great’s death. She had a long-term relationship with Julius Caesar and represented herself as the reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Isis.
Benjamin Franklin – No. 100
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America and inventor of the lightning rod and bifocals. Now he is on the $100 bill, so I’m making him my 100th 8-bit character. It’s all about the benjamins.
In mostly unrelated news, I launched my first website exactly 14 years ago today.
Link (The Legend of Zelda) – No. 99
The main protagonist in Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda series of video games. Created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamot, this magical swordsman has been traveling through Hyrule, attempting to save Princess Zelda and her kingdom, since 1986. I love the music from the original Zelda game. A lot.
Donkey Kong – No. 98
A giant ape, created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who stars in a series of Nintendo games. In the original 1981 video game, Jumpman (now known as Mario) had to rescue Lady (now known as Pauline) from this barrel-throwing ape.
Marilyn Monroe – No. 97
Norma Jeane was born on this day in 1926. She became a cultural icon and American sex symbol. Yankees star Joe DiMaggio was one of her three husbands. She allegedly had affairs with both John and Robert Kennedy. She died of a barbiturate overdose in 1962, but conspiracy theories about the nature of her death abound.
Audrey Hepburn – No. 96
A glamorously elfin British actress and UNICEF humanitarian. She was a film and fashion icon of the 20th century and possibly the loveliest actress to ever grace the silver screen.
Joan of Arc – No. 95
A peasant girl who became a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. Claiming divine guidance, she led the French army to important victories during the Hundred Years’ War. She was burned at the stake on this day in 1431.
John F. Kennedy – No. 94
The 35th President of the United States. JFK was born on this day in 1917. He was assassinated in 1963 as he traveled in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. I remain fascinated by the many conspiracy theories.
V.I.N.CENT. L.F. 396 (The Black Hole) – No. 92
I loved this floating, sharpshooting robot from the 1979 Disney film The Black Hole when I was a kid. In the year 2130, V.I.N.CENT. is aboard an exploratory spaceship, the USS Palomino, when the crew discovers a black hole with a lost ship just outside its event horizon.
This is my third and last day at WebVisions 2011 in Portland, Oregon.
Batman – No. 91
The Dark Knight is a DC Comics superhero who first appeared in 1939. By day he is billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne; by night he is a caped crime-fighter with no actual superpowers. He successfully defeats Gotham City villains by being an excellent detective and martial artist who’s unbelievably rich.
César Chávez – No. 109
A Mexican-American labor leader who dedicated his life to social justice and used nonviolent methods to fight for the rights of migrant farm workers in the southwestern United States. He founded and led the first successful farm workers’ union in U.S. history. In 1994, Chávez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
I can’t help but think of Batman when I see the United Farm Workers logo (Aztec eagle) in 8-bit form. Oh well.