Born On This Day: Peter Jackson turns 51 today An New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, who is well known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001 to 2003), adapted from the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. He won international attention early in his career with his "splatstick" horror comedies beginning with Bad Taste (1987) before coming to mainstream prominence with Heavenly Creatures (1994), for which he shared an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination with his wife, Fran Walsh.

In Memoriam: Harry Houdini died 86 years ago today An Austrian-Hungarian-born American stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice as "Harry Handcuff Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he sensationally challenged different police forces to try to keep him locked up. This revealed a talent for gimmickry and for audience involvement that characterised all his work. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to hold his breath inside a sealed milk can.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Henry Winkler turns 67 today An American actor, director, producer and author. Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days. "The Fonz", a leather-clad greaser and auto mechanic, started out as a minor character at the show's beginning, but had achieved top billing by the time the show ended. He currently stars as Sy Mittleman on Childrens Hospital.

In Memoriam: Steve Allen died 12 years ago today An American television personality, musician, actor, comedian, and writer. Though he got his start in radio, Allen is best known for his television career. He first gained national attention as a guest host on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. He became the first host of The Tonight Show and was instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Richard Dreyfuss turns 65 today An American actor best known for starring in a number of films including American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, What About Bob?, Mr. Holland's Opus, and James and the Giant Peach.

In Memoriam: Jean le Rond d'Alembert died 229 years ago A French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. He was also co-editor with Denis Diderot of the Encyclopédie. D'Alembert's formula for obtaining solutions to the wave equation is named after him.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Bill Gates turns 57 today An American business magnate and philanthropist. Gates is the former chief executive and current chairman of Microsoft, the world’s largest personal-computer software company, which he co-founded with Paul Allen. He is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people and was the wealthiest overall from 1995 to 2009, excluding 2008.

In Memoriam: John Wallis died 309 years ago today An English mathematician who is given partial credit for the development of infinitesimal calculus. Between 1643 and 1689 he served as chief cryptographer for Parliament and, later, the royal court. He is also credited with introducing the symbol for infinity. He similarly used for an infinitesimal. Asteroid 31982 Johnwallis was named after him.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: John Cleese turns 73 today An English actor, comedian and writer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report. In the 1960s he became a member of Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus and the four films: And Now for Something Completely Different, The Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.

In Memoriam: Rod Roddy died 9 years ago today An American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on many episodes. Roddy succeeded original announcer Johnny Olson on Price and held the role from 1985 until his death in 2003.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Pat Sajak turns 66 today A television personality, former weatherman, actor and talk show host, best known as the host of the American television game show Wheel of Fortune. Sajak, the son of a Polish American trucking foreman, was born and raised in Chicago.

In Memoriam: Arthur Kornberg died 5 years ago today An American biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1959 for his discovery of "the mechanisms in the biological synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)" together with Dr. Severo Ochoa of New York University.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Nancy Cartwright turns 55 today An American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. She is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons. Cartwright voices other characters for the show, including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders and Kearney.

In Memoriam: Vincent Price died 19 years ago today An American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic performances in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career. His grandfather, Vincent Clarence Price, invented "Dr. Price's Baking Powder," the first cream of tartar baking powder, and secured the family's fortune.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: F. Murray Abraham turns 73 today An American actor. He became known during the 1980s after winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He has appeared in many roles, both leading and supporting, in films such as All the President's Men and Scarface. He is also known for his television and theatre work.

In Memoriam: Rosa Parks died 7 years ago today An African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement". On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to obey bus driver James F. Blake's order that she give up her seat in the colored section to a white passenger, after the white section was filled.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Weird Al Yankovic turns 53 today An American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts. Since his first-aired comedy song in 1976, he has sold more than 12 million albums (as of 2007), and recorded more than 150 parody and original songs.

In Memoriam: Herbert Hauptman died 1 years ago today An American mathematician and Nobel laureate. He pioneered and developed a mathematical method that has changed the whole field of chemistry and opened a new era in research in determination of molecular structures of crystallized materials. Today, Hauptman's direct methods, which he has continued to improve and refine, are routinely used to solve complicated structures.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Deepak Chopra turns 66 today An Indian-born, American physician and writer. Chopra has taught at the medical schools of Tufts University, Boston University and Harvard University. He became Chief of Staff at the New England Memorial Hospital (NEMH) in Massachusetts, before establishing a private practice. In 1985, Chopra met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who invited him to study Ayurveda. Chopra left his position at the NEMH and became the founding president of the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, and was later named medical director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center. In 1996, Chopra and neurologist David Simon founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

In Memoriam: Harold Hopkins died 18 years ago today A renowned British physicist. His Wave Theory of Aberrations, (published by Oxford University Press 1950), is central to all modern optical design and provides the mathematical analysis which enables the use of computers to create the wealth of high quality lenses available today. In addition to his theoretical work, his many inventions are in daily use throughout the world. These include zoom lenses, coherent fibre-optics and more recently the rod-lens endoscopes which 'opened the door' to modern key-hole surgery. He was the recipient of many of the world's most prestigious awards and was twice nominated for a Nobel Prize.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Judge Judy Sheindlin turns 70 today An American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. Since 1996, Sheindlin has presided over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy. Sheindlin passed the New York Bar examination in 1965, and became a prosecutor in the family court system. In 1982 Mayor Ed Koch appointed her a judge, first in criminal court, then later as Manhattan's supervising family court judge in 1986.

In Memoriam: Jack Kerouac died 43 years ago today An American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic spirituality, jazz, promiscuity, Buddhism, drugs, poverty, and travel. Kerouac became an underground celebrity.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Tom Petty turns 62 today An American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T. Wilbury, Jr. and Muddy Wilbury. He has recorded a number of hit singles with the Heartbreakers and as a solo artist, many of which remain heavily played on adult contemporary and classic rock radio.

In Memoriam: Richard Francis Burton died 122 years ago A British geographer, explorer, translator, cartographer, spy, linguist, poet and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian and African languages. Burton's best-known achievements include an unexpurgated translation of One Thousand and One Nights and bringing the Kama Sutra to publication in English.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: John Lithgow turns 67 today An American actor, musician, and author. Currently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio. He also has written and published several books of poetry and children's literature. He appeared in the films The World According to Garp (1982) and Terms of Endearment (1983), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for each. Lithgow is known for his roles as the Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose, Dick Solomon on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, the voice of Lord Farquaad in Shrek, and Arthur Mitchell on Showtime's Dexter, for which he won Golden Globe and Emmy awards.

In Memoriam: Ernest Rutherford died 75 years ago today A New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics. He is considered the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday (1791–1867). In early work he discovered the concept of radioactive half-life, proved that radioactivity involved the transmutation of one chemical element to another, and also differentiated and named alpha and beta radiation, proving that the former was essentially helium ions. This work was done at McGill University in Canada. It is the basis for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry he was awarded in 1908 "for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances".

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Jean-Claude Van Damme turns 52 today A Belgian martial artist, actor, and director best known for his martial arts action films. The most successful of these films include Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989), Universal Soldier (1992), Hard Target (1993), Timecop (1994), Sudden Death (1995), JCVD (2008) and The Expendables 2 (2012). After studying martial arts intensively from the age of ten, Van Damme achieved national success in Belgium as a martial artist and bodybuilder, earning the "Mr. Belgium" bodybuilding title.

In Memoriam: Thomas Edison died 81 years ago today An American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (now Edison, New Jersey) by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large-scale teamwork to the process of invention, and because of that, he is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Eminem turns 40 today An American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group, D12, to mainstream recognition. In addition to being a member of D12, Eminem is also one half of the hip hop duo Bad Meets Evil, with Royce da 5'9". Eminem is one of the best-selling artists in the world and is the best selling artist of the 2000s.

In Memoriam: Frédéric Chopin died 163 years ago today A Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of French-Polish parentage. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music. A renowned child-prodigy pianist and composer, Chopin grew up in Warsaw and completed his music education there; he composed many mature works in Warsaw before leaving Poland in 1830 at age 20.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Angela Lansbury turns 87 today A British actress and singer in theatre, television, and motion pictures. Her career has spanned eight decades and earned an unsurpassed number of performance Tony Awards (tied with Julie Harris and Audra McDonald), with five wins. Her first film appearance was in the film Gaslight (1944) as a conniving maid, for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Among her other films are The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Anastasia (1997).

In Memoriam: Marie Antoinette died 219 years ago today An Archduchess of Austria from 1755 to 1770, a Dauphine of France from 1770 to 1774 and the Queen of France and of Navarre from 1774 to 1792. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa. In April 1770, on the day of her marriage to Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France, she became Dauphine of France. Marie Antoinette assumed the title of Queen of France and of Navarre when her husband, Louis XVI of France, ascended the throne upon the death of Louis XV in May 1774.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Emeril Lagasse turns 53 today An American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and “Bam!” The "Emeril Empire" of media, products and restaurants generates an estimated US$150 million annually in revenue.

In Memoriam: Sai Baba of Shirdi died 94 years ago today Also known as Shirdi Sai Baba (Marathi: शिर्डीचे श्री साईबाबा, Urdu: شردی سائیں بابا), was an Indian guru, yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim devotees as a saint. Many Hindu devotees – including Hemadpant, who wrote the famous Shri Sai Satcharitra – consider him an incarnation of Lord Krishna while other devotees consider him as an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Ralph Lauren turns 73 today An American fashion designer and business executive, best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand. Lauren attended the Salanter Academy Jewish Day School followed by MTA (now known as the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy), before eventually graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957.

In Memoriam: Bing Crosby died 35 years ago today An American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation. A multimedia star, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Paul Simon turns 71 today A musician whose talents in composing, performing, and vocal harmony placed him at the forefront of the singer-songwriters on an international scale. Simon's fame, influence and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel.

In Memoriam: Milton S. Hershey died 67 years ago today An American confectioner, philanthropist, and founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company and the "company town" of Hershey, Pennsylvania. He was honored by the United States Postal Service with a 32¢ Great Americans series postage stamp.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Kirk Cameron turns 42 today An American actor best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains (1985–1992), as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor. In the 1980s and 1990s, Cameron appeared in dozens of television shows and in the films Like Father Like Son and Listen to Me. Recently, he portrayed Cameron "Buck" Williams in the Left Behind film series.

In Memoriam: Robert E. Lee died 142 years ago today A career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War. The son of Revolutionary War officer Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III and a top graduate of the United States Military Academy, Robert E. Lee distinguished himself as an exceptional officer and combat engineer in the United States Army for 32 years.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Luke Perry turns 46 today An American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his mid-twenties at the time. Perry returned to 90210 in 1998 (this time billed as a permanent "Special Guest Star") and remained with the series until its conclusion in 2000.

In Memoriam: Meriwether Lewis died 203 years ago An American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark. Their mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase, establish trade and sovereignty over the natives near the Missouri River, and claim the Pacific Northwest and Oregon territory for the United States before European nations.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Charles Dance turns 66 today An English actor, screenwriter, and film director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. Some of his most high profile roles are Perron in The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Dr Clemens, in Alien 3 (1992), the villain in The Golden Child (1986) and Last Action Hero (1993), and Lord Tywin Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones.

In Memoriam: Christopher Reeve died 8 years ago today An American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist. He achieved stardom for his acting achievements, in particular his motion-picture portrayal of the fictional superhero Superman. On May 27, 1995, Reeve became a quadriplegic after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Virginia.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Tony Shalhoub turns 59 today An American actor. His television work includes the roles of Antonio Scarpacci in Wings and sleuth Adrian Monk in the TV series Monk. He has won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work in Monk. He has also had a successful career as a character actor, with roles in films like Spy Kids, Men in Black, Cars and The Man Who Wasn't There.

In Memoriam: Che Guevara died 45 years ago today Ernesto "Che" Guevara, commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and military theorist. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol of rebellion and global insignia within popular culture.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Chevy Chase turns 69 today An American comedian, writer, and television and film actor. He quickly became a key cast member in the inaugural season of Saturday Night Live, where his Weekend Update skit soon became a staple of the show. Chase is also well known for his portrayal of the character Clark Griswold in four National Lampoon's Vacation films, and for his roles in other successful comedies such as Caddyshack (1980), Fletch (1985), and Three Amigos! (1986).

In Memoriam: John Hancock died 219 years ago today A merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is remembered for his large and stylish signature on the United States Declaration of Independence, so much so that the term "John Hancock" has become, in the United States, a synonym for signature.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!

Born On This Day: Simon Cowell turns 53 today An English A&R; executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol. He is also the owner of the television production and music publishing house Syco. As a judge, Cowell is known for his blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults and wisecracks about contestants and their abilities.

In Memoriam: Edgar Allan Poe died 163 years ago today An American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone.

Download the Are They Dead? Android app now for more information!