Astrid Kirchherr (born May 20, 1938) is a German photographer and artist and is well known for her association with the Beatles, and her photographs of the band’s original members – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best – during their early days in Hamburg. Kirchherr is credited with inventing the Beatles’ moptop haircut although she disagrees. Kirchherr met artist Sutcliffe in Hamburg in 1960, where he was playing bass with the Beatles, and was later engaged to him, before his death in 1962. Although Kirchherr has taken very few photographs since 1967, her early work has been exhibited around the world, including at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has published three limited-edition books of photographs.
My wife has a special affection for Stuart Sutcliffe and Astrid Kirchherr. As I was creating 8-bit Astrid, I was struck by how random the selection and order of my pixel art characters has been. It’s funny that after 990 characters, the only member of the Beatles I’ve created as pixel art is John Lennon (and that was back in 2011). Though I did create 8-bit Yoko Ono in 2015. This Beatles deficit wasn’t particularly deliberate; I guess I just haven’t yet been inspired to get around to the others. Anyway, here’s Astrid.
Sammy Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer. Primarily a dancer and singer, he was also an actor of stage and screen, comedian, musician and impressionist, noted for his impersonations of actors, musicians and other celebrities. Davis’s film career began as a child in 1933. In 1954, he lost his left eye in a car accident, and several years later, he converted to Judaism. In 1960, he appeared in the Rat Pack film, Ocean’s 11. After a starring role on Broadway in 1956’s Mr. Wonderful, he returned to the stage in 1964’s Golden Boy. In 1966 he had his own TV variety show, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show. As an African-American during the pre-Civil Rights era, Davis was a victim of racism throughout his life and was a large financial supporter of the Civil Rights movement. Davis had a complex relationship with the black community, and drew criticism after physically embracing President Richard Nixon in 1972. Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP.
Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820 – August 13, 1910) was a celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing. She came to prominence while serving as a manager of nurses trained by her during the Crimean War, where she organized the tending to wounded soldiers. She gave nursing a highly favorable reputation and became an icon of Victorian culture, especially in the persona of “The Lady with the Lamp” making rounds of wounded soldiers at night. In 1860, Nightingale laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. It was the first secular nursing school in the world. In recognition of her pioneering work in nursing, the Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses, and the Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international distinction a nurse can achieve, were named in her honor, and the annual International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on her birthday.
Martha Jane Canary (or Cannary), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and professional scout, known for her claim of being an acquaintance of “Wild Bill” Hickok, and fighting against Native Americans. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have always exhibited kindness and compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character, contrasted with her daredevil ways, helped make her a noted frontier figure. Calamity Jane was also known for her habit of wearing men’s attire. She was born on May 1, 1852 and died on August 1, 1903.
Edward “Duke” Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist and bandleader of a jazz orchestra, which he led from 1923 until his death in a career spanning over 50 years. Born in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s onward, and gained a national profile through his orchestra’s appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. Often collaborating with others, Ellington wrote more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, with many of his works having become standards. Due to his inventive use of the orchestra, or big band, and thanks to his eloquence and charisma, Ellington is considered to have elevated the perception of jazz as an art form. His reputation continued to rise after he died, and he was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for music in 1999.
Oskar Schindler (April 28, 1908 – October 9, 1974) was a German industrialist, spy, and member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories, which were located in occupied Poland and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. He is the subject of the 1982 novel Schindler’s Ark, and the subsequent 1993 film Schindler’s List, which reflected his life as an opportunist initially motivated by profit who came to show extraordinary initiative, tenacity and dedication to save the lives of his Jewish employees. By 1945, Schindler had spent his entire fortune on bribes and black-market purchases of supplies for his Jewish workers. He moved to West Germany after the war, where he was supported by assistance payments from Jewish relief organizations.
Michael Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American hip-hop recording artist, activist and occasional actor from Atlanta, Georgia. Mike made his debut on “Snappin’ and Trappin’,” from Stankonia (2000) by Outkast. Mike has since released five full-length albums as a solo artist. In 2012, he released R.A.P. Music, produced entirely by American rapper-producer El-P. In 2013, the two subsequently formed a duo, branding themselves Run the Jewels, They have since released Run the Jewels (2013) and Run the Jewels 2 (2014), with Run the Jewels 3 forthcoming in 2016. Mike is also known as a social and political activist, focusing on subjects including social equality, police brutality and institutional racism. He has been featured in the films 20 Funerals, Idlewild and ATL.
Killer Mike has been a visible and vocal supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. On November 23, 2015, Killer Mike sat down with Sanders in Atlanta to discuss topics ranging from gun control to democratic socialism. I enjoyed the entire hour-long conversation, but particularly part 3 of 6 about America’s rigged economy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Three months later, on February 16, 2016, Killer Mike gave a powerful eight-minute speech at the Bernie Sanders rally at Morehouse College in Atlanta. Mike and Sanders are good people genuinely trying to change our world for the better.
Harper Lee, born Nelle Harper Lee (April 28, 1926 – February 19, 2016), was an American novelist widely known for To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). Immediately successful, it won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and has become a classic of modern American literature. Though Lee had only published this single book, in 2007 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to literature. She was also known for assisting her childhood friend Truman Capote in his research for the book In Cold Blood (1966). The plot and characters of To Kill a Mockingbird are loosely based on Lee’s observations of an event that occurred near her Monroeville, Alabama hometown in 1936, when she was 10 years old. The novel deals with the irrationality of adult attitudes towards race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s, as depicted through the eyes of two children.
Note: Lee died in her sleep three days ago, on on the morning of February 19, 2016, aged 89. Last year another novel, Go Set a Watchman (2015), written in the mid-1950s, was controversially published as a “sequel,” though it was later confirmed to be To Kill a Mockingbird‘s first draft.
Andy Murray is a Scottish professional tennis player, currently ranked world No. 3. He started playing tennis at the age of three, entered his first competitive tournament at age five and was playing league tennis by the time he was eight. Murray won the junior U.S. Open in 2004 and turned professional the following year. He has since won the 2012 U.S. Open and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships in men’s singles. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Murray won a gold medal in singles, defeating Roger Federer. From 2008 to 2015, Murray was the runner-up in six Grand Slam finals, losing three each to Federer and Novak Djokovic. Murray was born on May 15, 1987.
Tony Hawk, nicknamed “The Birdman,” is an American professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk is well-known for completing the first documented 900 and is widely considered one of the most successful and influential pioneers of modern vert skateboarding. His series of licensed video game titles have been published by Activision since 1999. In 2002, Hawk created the Boom Boom HuckJam, an extreme sports exhibition and tour that was launched in Las Vegas. Throughout his career, Hawk has made numerous appearances in films, other media and his own series of video games. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities, including his own Tony Hawk Foundation that helps to build skateparks in underprivileged areas. Hawk was born on May 12, 1968.
Josip Broz Tito was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman, serving in various roles from 1943 until his death in 1980. During World War II he was the leader of the Partisans, often regarded as the most effective resistance movement in occupied Europe. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was seen by most as a benevolent dictator due to his economic and diplomatic policies. He was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad. Viewed as a unifying symbol, Tito’s internal policies maintained the peaceful coexistence of the nations of the Yugoslav federation. From 1943 until his death, he held the rank of Marshal of Yugoslavia, serving as the supreme commander of the Yugoslav military, the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). Tito was the chief architect of the second Yugoslavia, a socialist federation that lasted from 1943 to 1991-92. Despite being one of the founders of Cominform, soon he became the first Cominform member to defy Soviet hegemony and the only one to manage to leave Cominform and begin with its own socialist program. Tito was born on May 7, 1892 and died on May 4, 1980.
One detail from Tito’s life that particularly fascinates me is his top-secret underground nuclear bunker in present-day Bosnia. I am a sucker for subterranean lairs, bomb shelters and the like. And this guy was way into them. According to The Telegraph: “In the early 1950s, Josip Broz Tito, the late leader of the former Yugoslavia, ordered the building of a secret bunker that would safeguard the country’s ruling class in case of a nuclear attack. Located 900 feet (270 m) underground, near the Bosnian town of Konjic, the 26-year project was only completed in 1979, the year before Tito died, and it was built at a cost equivalent to just under £3 billion ($4.6 billion). According to AP, if restocked with supplies it would still serve its purpose – allowing 350 people to live and work for six months without ever coming outside.”
Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson’s performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create “pound for pound” rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. Robinson was 85-0 as an amateur with 69 of those victories coming by way of knockout, 40 in the first round. He turned professional in 1940 at the age of 19 and by 1951 had a professional record of 128-1-2 with 84 knockouts. From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak, the third longest in professional boxing history. Renowned for his flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring, Robinson is credited with being the originator of the modern sports “entourage.” After his boxing career ended, Robinson attempted a career as an entertainer, but struggled, and was challenged financially until his death. Robinson was born on May 3, 1921 and died on April 12, 1989. In 2006, he was featured on a United States Postal Service commemorative stamp.
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, an avant-garde filmmaking movement, although his own films have taken a variety of approaches. Known as a provocateur, he is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential directors in world cinema. Von Trier suffers periodically from depression, and also from various fears and phobias, including an intense fear of flying. As he quipped in an interview, “basically, I’m afraid of everything in life, except filmmaking.” His first feature was The Element of Crime (1984). Von Trier’s filmography also includes Breaking the Waves (1996); Dancer in the Dark (2000), starring Björk as Selma; Antichrist (2009) and Melancholia (2011). He was born on April 30, 1956.
Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer often referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and Lady Ella. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. In addition to her singing career, Fitzgerald appeared in movies and on popular television shows. Her musical collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Bill Kenny and the Ink Spots were some of her most notable acts outside of her solo career. After her passing, Fitzgerald’s influence lived on through her 14 Grammy Awards, National Medal of Arts, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and tributes in the form of stamps, music festivals and theater namesakes. Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 and died on June 15, 1996.
Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole, also called Bruddah Iz (Brother Iz), was a Hawaiian musician, entertainer and sovereignty activist. His voice became famous outside Hawai’i when his album Facing Future was released in 1993. His medley of “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” (previously sung by Judy Garland/Louis Armstrong) was subsequently featured in several films, television programs and TV commercials. Through his skillful ukulele playing and incorporation of other genres (such as jazz and reggae), Kamakawiwo’ole’s music remains a very strong influence in Hawaiian music. He was born on May 20, 1959 and died on June 26, 1997 from obesity-related health problems (he weighed as much as 767 pounds).
I chose Iz as pixel art character No. 808 because 808 is the Hawai’i area code, and 808 is supposedly used as the penal code for disturbing the peace. I guess I’m saying that it’s a good idea to listen to “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” really loud every now and then. Though I think something more violent might be appropriate to accompany the outrage and injustice of yesterday’s Ferguson grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. In his testimony, Wilson, a white police officer, describes Brown, an unarmed black teenager, as “like a demon.” Wilson won’t even go to trial, and so St. Louis burns.
Kevin Garnett is an American professional basketball power forward and center. He has played for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007), Boston Celtics (2007-2013) and Brooklyn Nets (2013-present). Garnett is a 15-time NBA All-Star and won the All-Star MVP award in 2003. In 2004, he led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). After spending 12 seasons with the Timberwolves, Garnett was traded to the Celtics in a blockbuster trade in 2007. In his first season with Boston, he helped lead them to the 2008 NBA championship and was named Defensive Player of the Year. In the 2000 Summer Olympics, Garnett won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men’s national basketball team.
Dominika Cibulková is a Slovak professional tennis player. She is currently ranked No. 10 on the WTA Tour. Known for her quick and aggressive style of play and diminutive height, she has won four career singles titles. Cibulková has reached the quarterfinals or better of all four Grand Slam tournaments. The most notable achievement of her career to date was a finals appearance at the 2014 Australian Open. Cibulková became the first female Slovak to reach the championship round of a Grand Slam. She was born on May 6, 1989.
After the retirement of Kim Clijsters in 2012, I was looking for a new favorite women’s tennis player to root for. I can’t cheer for the insufferable shrieking banshees of women’s tennis (e.g., Sharapova, Azarenka, Serena Williams), as I am somewhat inclined to agree with tennis great Martina Navratilova that grunting or screaming during play “is cheating, pure and simple.” Some women’s players I like include Sloane Stephens (WTA no. 18), Australia’s Samantha Stosur (WTA no. 17) and Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard (WTA no. 13), but Dominika Cibulková is my favorite. Happy Wimbledon!
Tony Parker is a French professional basketball point guard for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. He played for two years in the French basketball league before being selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2001 NBA Draft. Parker helped the Spurs win three NBA championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007—and was the 2007 NBA Finals MVP. Employing his pace and high field goal percentage to great effect, Parker has been named to six NBA All-Star games. He was also named the FIBA EuroBasket 2013 MVP following his team’s victory over Lithuania in the gold medal game. Parker is also a music artist with his own music album TP.
Katharine Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage and television. Known for her headstrong independence and spirited personality, Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years and received four Academy Awards for Best Actress—a record for any performer. In 1999, Hepburn was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star in Hollywood history. In the middle of her career, Hepburn found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters, such as in The African Queen (1951), a persona the public embraced. Three more Oscars came for her work in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968) and On Golden Pond (1981). She remained active into old age, making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87. She was born on this day in 1907 and died on June 29, 2003 at the age of 96.
Chris Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. Since being selected in the 2005 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets, Paul has been an NBA Rookie of the Year (2006), a seven-time All-Star, an All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a multiple-time All-NBA and All-Defensive team honoree. He has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national basketball team. On August 21, 2013, Paul was elected the National Basketball Players Association president. He was born on this day in 1985.
Note: After LeBron James and Kevin Durant, CP3 is probably the third-best player in the NBA right now. Honorable mentions go to Steph Curry, Derrick Rose (if he ever gets 100% healthy again), Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kevin Love, Joakim Noah, Dwight Howard, James Harden and Carmelo Anthony—in some order. Oh, and maybe Kobe Bryant?
Astrid Kirchherr – No. 990
Astrid Kirchherr (born May 20, 1938) is a German photographer and artist and is well known for her association with the Beatles, and her photographs of the band’s original members – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best – during their early days in Hamburg. Kirchherr is credited with inventing the Beatles’ moptop haircut although she disagrees. Kirchherr met artist Sutcliffe in Hamburg in 1960, where he was playing bass with the Beatles, and was later engaged to him, before his death in 1962. Although Kirchherr has taken very few photographs since 1967, her early work has been exhibited around the world, including at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has published three limited-edition books of photographs.
My wife has a special affection for Stuart Sutcliffe and Astrid Kirchherr. As I was creating 8-bit Astrid, I was struck by how random the selection and order of my pixel art characters has been. It’s funny that after 990 characters, the only member of the Beatles I’ve created as pixel art is John Lennon (and that was back in 2011). Though I did create 8-bit Yoko Ono in 2015. This Beatles deficit wasn’t particularly deliberate; I guess I just haven’t yet been inspired to get around to the others. Anyway, here’s Astrid.