Fauja Singh is a British centenarian marathon runner of PunjabiSikh descent. Born in India, he did not develop the ability to walk until he was five years old. He immigrated to England in the 1990s and ran his first marathon at age 89. Now 102 years old, Singh is a world record holder in his age bracket. His marathon record for age 90-plus, recorded in 2003 at age 92, is 5 hours 40 minutes. In 2004, Singh was featured in an Adidas advertising campaign alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali. On February 24, 2013 (just five weeks shy of his 102nd birthday), Singh retired from competitive running after completing the 10-kilometer Hong Kong marathon. He was born on this day in 1911.
Note: ESPN published a compelling Outside the Lines feature on Singh called “The Runner” on February 22, 2013. Happy April Fools’ Day!
Cy Young was a Major League Baseball (MLB) player. During his 22-year career (1890-1911), he pitched for five different teams, most notably the Boston franchise (Americans/Red Sox). Young established numerous pitching records, some of which have stood for a century. He still holds the MLB records for most wins (511), career innings pitched (7,355), career games started (815) and complete games (749). One year after Young’s death in 1955, the Cy Young Award was created to honor the previous season’s best pitcher. He was born on this day in 1867.
Quentin Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is best known for Pulp Fiction (1994), a neo-noir crime film widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. Tarantino’s work, which often employs nonlinear storylines and satirical violence, includes Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill (2003, 2004) and Inglourious Basterds (2009). His most recent and highest grossing film is Django Unchained (2012). Tarantino has received many industry awards, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and two BAFTAs. He was born on this day in 1963.
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, producer and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 films in a career spanning 57 years. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Kurosawa directed approximately one film per year, including a number of highly regarded films such as Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961). In 1990, he accepted the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was born on March 23, 1910.
Harry Houdini was an Austrian-Hungarian-born American stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts in the early 1900s. For most of his career, Houdini was a headline act in vaudeville. His career began with handcuff-escape gimmicks and expanded to include shackles, chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers and underwater straitjackets. Houdini was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent magicians who gave practitioners a bad name. He was also quick to sue anyone who pirated his own escape stunts. He died, somewhat mysteriously, of a ruptured appendix on this day in 1926.
Gordie Howe is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. During his 33-year professional hockey career, he played right wing for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons (1947-1971) and won four Stanley Cups (1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955). An ambidextrous player, Howe led the NHL in scoring six times and was named MVP six times. He is often referred to as “Mr. Hockey,” and is one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
Troy Polamalu is a strong safety in the National Football League (NFL). He has won two Super Bowls (2005 and 2008) with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been selected for the Pro Bowl seven times. Polamalu’s hair is his most distinguishing characteristic, allowing him to be easily spotted on the field. He is of American Samoan descent, went to high school in Oregon and has a million-dollar insurance policy for his hair.
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed “Lady Day,” she pioneered a new vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists. Holiday is perhaps most celebrated for singing “Strange Fruit,” a protest song that became one of her standards and was made famous with her 1939 recording. She died on this day in 1959.
Moses Malone is a former ABA/NBA player who played from 1974-1995, with the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers and several other teams. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and won an NBA championship in 1983. He played the center/power forward position and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
Note: This is 8-bit character #13 of the 13 greatest NBA players of all time.
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting race records in the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2⁄5) and the Belmont Stakes (2:24) that still stand today. He’s the greatest racehorse of all time, in part due to his freakishly huge 22-pound heart.
Note: The 144th Belmont Stakes was run on Saturday, June 9. But few cared because favorite I’ll Have Another—who could have become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978—was retired on Friday after an injury.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Lew Alcindor) is a former NBA player with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, from 1969-1989. Known for his legendary skyhook, he played the center position and is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points.
Note: This is 8-bit character #5 of the 13 greatest NBA players of all time.
Leopold II was the king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels, Leopold is remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State, a large, privately controlled colonial region in Central Africa. He extracted a fortune from the Congo during the late 1800s, through the collection of ivory, and by forcing the population to collect sap from rubber plants. His harsh regime was responsible for the deaths of 10 million people. He was born on this day in 1835.
Booker T. Washington was an African-American educator, reformer and adviser to Republican presidents. He was the dominant figure in the black community in the U.S. from 1890 until his death in 1915. Representing the last generation of black American leaders born in slavery, he spoke on behalf of those who had lost their ability to vote through disfranchisement by southern legislatures. He was born on this day in 1856.
The 45th Vice President of the United States (1993-2001), under President Bill Clinton, and the Democratic candidate in the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Gore is also an environmental activist who wrote An Inconvenient Truth. He has founded several nonprofits including the Alliance for Climate Protection, and received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in climate change activism. A well-known animatronic human, Gore was “born” tomorrow in 1948.
I’m pretty tired of creating 8-bit versions of famous white dudes in suits, so this character is based on a Futurama version of Al Gore (plus his South Park superhero cape). In the 31st century, Gore is First Emperor of the Moon. You guys, I’m serial. I’m super-serial. Lockbox.
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer. His genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Leonardo is the archetype of the Renaissance Man.
A Dutch post-Impressionist painter whose vivid work had a far-reaching influence on 20th century art. He is also famous for his mental illness. In 1888, he famously cut off part of his left ear after a confrontation with his friend Paul Gauguin. He died on this day in 1890, largely unknown, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Now his paintings sell for $100 million.
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.
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.
Harry Houdini – No. 530
Harry Houdini was an Austrian-Hungarian-born American stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts in the early 1900s. For most of his career, Houdini was a headline act in vaudeville. His career began with handcuff-escape gimmicks and expanded to include shackles, chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers and underwater straitjackets. Houdini was keen to uphold professional standards and expose fraudulent magicians who gave practitioners a bad name. He was also quick to sue anyone who pirated his own escape stunts. He died, somewhat mysteriously, of a ruptured appendix on this day in 1926.
Happy Halloween! Today Heidi and I are in Florence, Italy. We are currently traveling across Europe on a whirlwind vacation.