Billy the Kid, also known as William H. Bonney, was born William Henry McCarty Jr. (November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881). He was an American frontier gunfighter, thief and murderer who participated in New Mexico’s Lincoln County War. Bonney is known to have killed eight men. After murdering a blacksmith during an altercation in 1877, Bonney became a wanted man in Arizona Territory and joined a group of cattle rustlers in New Mexico. He took part in the Lincoln County War and joined the Regulators, making him a well-known outlaw in the region. After one of many prison escapes, Bonney was ultimately shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner in 1881. Over the next several decades, legends grew that Bonney had not died that night, and a number of men claimed to be him.
Ada, Countess of Lovelace was a British mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on the Analytical Engine, an early mechanical general-purpose computer invented by Charles Babbage. The engine was to be programmed using punched cards. Lovelace’s notes on the engine include what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine. Specifically, she developed an algorithm to calculate a sequence of Bernoulli numbers. As a result, she is often regarded as the first computer programmer. Lovelace was born on December 10, 1815 and died on November 27, 1852 at the age of 36.
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este and the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Initially he was only third in line to the throne, but after his cousin’s suicide and his father’s unexpected death due to illness, Ferdinand was made the heir to the throne. His assassination in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, precipitated Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war against Serbia. This caused the Central Powers (including Germany and Austria-Hungary) and Serbia’s allies to declare war on each other, starting World War I. Ferdinand was born on December 18, 1863 and died on June 28, 1914.
Grace Hopper was an American computer scientist and United States Navy Rear Admiral. She was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer in 1944. In the 1950s, Hopper invented the first compiler for a computer programming language and helped popularize the idea of machine-independent programming languages—which led to the development of COBOL, one of the first high-level programming languages. She is credited with popularizing the term “debugging” for fixing computer glitches (in one instance, removing a moth from a computer). Owing to her accomplishments and her naval rank, Hopper is sometimes referred to as “Amazing Grace.” She was born on December 9, 1906 and died on January 1, 1992.
Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, political commentator, social justice activist and anarcho-syndicalist advocate. Sometimes described as the “father of modern linguistics,” Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy. He has spent most of his career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and is the author of more than 100 books. In 1967, Chomsky entered public consciousness through his vocal opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and came to be associated with the New Left. He was arrested multiple times for his anti-war activism. Following his retirement from active teaching, he has continued his vocal public activism, including opposition to the Iraq War and support for the Occupy movement. Chomsky remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy, neoliberal capitalism and mainstream news media. He was born December 7, 1928.
Marjane Satrapi is an Iranian-born French graphic novelist, illustrator, film director and children’s book author. She became famous worldwide because of her critically acclaimed autobiographical graphic novels, Persepolis and Persepolis 2. The series describes her childhood in Iran, during and after the Islamic Revolution, and her adolescence in Europe. Satrapi and comic artist Vincent Paronnaud co-directed an animated adaptation, also called Persepolis (2007). Satrapi was born on November 22, 1969.
Jack Vigliatura was the vocalist for For Squirrels, a Florida-based alternative rock band. The band was founded in 1992 by Vigliatura and two childhood friends who had gone off to college together at the University of Florida. Their single “Mighty K.C.” was a minor radio hit, but the band is perhaps most remembered for the tragic touring van accident and claimed the lives of founding members Vigliatura and bassist Bill White, along with tour manager Tim Bender. On the way home from a show in New York, the band’s tour van blew a tire and overturned on Interstate 95 in Georgia. The accident happened less than a month before the release of Example (1995), right as the band was on the cusp of national recognition. After recovering from serious injuries, the two surviving members changed the band’s name to Subrosa and ultimately disbanded in 2001. Vigliatura was born on December 20, 1973 and died on September 8, 1995 at age 21.
It’s been exactly 20 years since the tragic tour van accident. As a high school student just a few years younger than the band members, I remember hearing about the accident on the radio while flipping through CDs at a local music store. You just never know what’s going to happen in life. To get a sense of what the band was like, watch the live performance (and Vigliatura’s mid-song emotional breakdown) of an early version of “Mighty K.C.” in Miami Beach on May 27, 1994. The song is about Kurt Cobain and the many suicides by fans following his death (which went under-reported by the media for fear of escalation). I love this song so much but it always hurts to listen to, especially considering that the lyrics seem to foreshadow the death of Vigliatura and the band the following year. You should also listen to my favorite track “Disenchanted” (and their full album), if you haven’t. ♥ “Into the great unknown / Things are gonna change in our favor.”
Elizabeth “Betty” Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer. She appeared in several smash-hit musical films in the 1940s, including Mother Wore Tights (1947). Grable was celebrated for having the most beautiful legs in Hollywood and studio publicity widely dispersed photos featuring them. Her iconic bathing suit poster for Sweet Rosie O’Grady (1943) made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the Life magazine project 100 Photographs that Changed the World. Grable’s legs were famously insured by her studio for a million dollars with Lloyds of London. She was born on this day in 1916.
Jim Morrison was an American singer-songwriter and poet, best remembered as the lead singer of Los Angeles rock band The Doors. From a young age, “The Lizard King” developed an alcohol dependency that led to his death at the age of 27 in Paris. Morrison is alleged to have died of a heroin overdose, but as no autopsy was performed, the exact cause of his death is still disputed. He was well known for often improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Due to his wild personality and performances, Morrison is regarded by critics and fans as one of the most iconic, charismatic and pioneering frontmen in rock music history. He was born on December 8, 1943.
Shawn Carter, known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer and entrepreneur. He is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America. He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving 17 Grammys for his musical work. Three of his albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996), The Blueprint (2001) and The Black Album (2003), are considered landmarks in the genre. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with 13. As an entrepreneur and investor, Jay-Z is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and the founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, Rocawear and Roc Nation Sports. He also co-owns the sports bar chain 40/40 Club and is a certified NBA and MLB sports agent. Jay-Z is married to American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. He was born on this day in 1969, unless you believe he is immortal, or Illuminati.
Over the past four months, I have played my baby daughter Ramona a wide variety of music to see what she likes. Azure Ray’s “Don’t Leave My Mind” was an early comfort, as were some Simon & Garfunkel classics. But to the surprise of my wife and me, no song has been received with greater enthusiasm and joy than Jay-Z’s 1998 hit “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem).” Ramona loves that song so much and breaks into a big smile each time. We’ve listened to it dozens, if not hundreds, of times at this point. The great bassline and high-pitched voices sampled from the Broadway musical Annie apparently elevate “Hard Knock Life” to perfect children’s song (well, aside from the lyrics).
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright and musician whose career spans more than 50 years. He worked as a comedy writer in the 1950s. In the early 1960s, Allen began performing as a stand-up comic, using the persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful nebbish. By the mid-1960s Allen was writing and directing films, first specializing in slapstick comedies before moving into dramatic material influenced by European art cinema during the 1970s. He is often identified as part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmakers. Allen often stars in his films, typically in the persona he developed as a standup. Of his more than 40 films, three of his best are Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979) and Midnight in Paris (2011). Allen has won four Academy Awards and nine BAFTAs. He performs regularly as a jazz clarinetist at small venues in Manhattan. Allen was born on December 1, 1935.
Note: While Woody Allen’s birthday isn’t until Sunday, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah have collided today. This hasn’t happened since 1888 and may never happen again (unless you think the United States of America, Jewish people and the human race will still be around in 70,000 years or so). On that note, Happy Thanksgivukkah. Or Happy Thanukkah. Or whatever.
Jason Collins is an American professional basketball center, most recently playing for the NBA’s Washington Wizards. He attended Stanford University and was selected in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft. Collins has played for six teams in 12 NBA seasons and is now a free agent. On April 29, 2013, Collins became the first active male professional athlete in a major North American team sport to publicly come out as gay. According to ESPN’s Rick Reilly, “Collins is now the Jackie Robinson of gay athletes and, like Robinson, strong enough for the job. He’s universally loved in the NBA.”
Note: Collins has said that he chose to wear jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, the victim of a gay hate crime in 1998.
Francis I (born Jorge Bergoglio) is the 266th and current Pope of the Catholic Church, elected on March 13, 2013. As such, he is Bishop of Rome, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina of Italian descent, Bergoglio became cardinal in 2001. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the papal conclave elected Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas and the first from the Southern Hemisphere.
Before his election, Bergoglio was considered one of the most conservative cardinals, expressing strong opposition to homosexuality, same-sex marriage, LGBT adoption, contraceptives, abortion and euthanasia. My hope is that, in addition to his unprecedented name choice and humble refusal to stand on an elevated platform, Francis continues to be a pontiff of firsts and break other archaic traditions for the betterment of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics and all seven billion humans on this small planet.
Frank Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter and producer. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. He was born on this day in 1940 and died in 1993.
If you’re reading this, then I guess the world didn’t end. Which means popular interpretations of the Maya calendar and Nostradamus didn’t work out. Shocking!
Ty Cobb was a Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the last six as the team’s player-manager, and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics. Cobb is widely credited with setting 90 MLB records during his career. He still holds several records as of 2012, including the highest career batting average (.367). Cobb’s legacy as an athlete has sometimes been overshadowed by his surly temperament and aggressive playing style. He was born on this day in 1886.
Nostradamus was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties, the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Despite loads of academic whining about popular misinterpretations and deliberate mistranslations of his vague quatrains, Nostradamus has still been credited with predicting many major world events. He was also a famous plague doctor who gave medical advice about preventive measures.
Note: Nostradamus was born on December 14 or 21, 1503. This means his birthday is either today or next week, which precisely coincides with the so-called end of the Maya calendar. So, Happy 509th Birthday, Dr. Apocalypse.
Emily Dickinson was an American poet who lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life. While Dickinson was a prolific private poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly 1,800 poems were published during her lifetime. Dickinson’s poems are unique for the era in which she wrote; they contain short lines, typically lack titles, and often use slant rhyme as well as unconventional capitalization and punctuation. She was born on this day in 1830.
George Custer was a U.S. Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Custer graduated last in his class from West Point, but developed a strong reputation during the Civil War. He is best known for his disastrous final battle, popularly known as “Custer’s Last Stand.” Custer and all the men with him were killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, fighting against a coalition of Native American tribes led by Sitting Bull. Custer was born on this day in 1839.
Bill Nye is an American science educator, comedian, television host and mechanical engineer. He is best known as the host of the Disney/PBS children’s science show Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993-98) and for his many subsequent appearances in popular media as a science educator. His professional entertainment career began with a local sketch comedy television show in Seattle. He was born on this day in 1955.
Note: Nye studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University, where one of his professors was Carl Sagan. “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” – Bill Nye
Jack Vigliatura – No. 915
Jack Vigliatura was the vocalist for For Squirrels, a Florida-based alternative rock band. The band was founded in 1992 by Vigliatura and two childhood friends who had gone off to college together at the University of Florida. Their single “Mighty K.C.” was a minor radio hit, but the band is perhaps most remembered for the tragic touring van accident and claimed the lives of founding members Vigliatura and bassist Bill White, along with tour manager Tim Bender. On the way home from a show in New York, the band’s tour van blew a tire and overturned on Interstate 95 in Georgia. The accident happened less than a month before the release of Example (1995), right as the band was on the cusp of national recognition. After recovering from serious injuries, the two surviving members changed the band’s name to Subrosa and ultimately disbanded in 2001. Vigliatura was born on December 20, 1973 and died on September 8, 1995 at age 21.
It’s been exactly 20 years since the tragic tour van accident. As a high school student just a few years younger than the band members, I remember hearing about the accident on the radio while flipping through CDs at a local music store. You just never know what’s going to happen in life. To get a sense of what the band was like, watch the live performance (and Vigliatura’s mid-song emotional breakdown) of an early version of “Mighty K.C.” in Miami Beach on May 27, 1994. The song is about Kurt Cobain and the many suicides by fans following his death (which went under-reported by the media for fear of escalation). I love this song so much but it always hurts to listen to, especially considering that the lyrics seem to foreshadow the death of Vigliatura and the band the following year. You should also listen to my favorite track “Disenchanted” (and their full album), if you haven’t. ♥ “Into the great unknown / Things are gonna change in our favor.”