Born On This Day: Anthony Hopkins turns 75 today A Welsh actor of film, stage, and television, and a composer. Considered to be one of the greatest living actors, Hopkins is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs and its sequel, Hannibal. Other prominent film credits include The Mask of Zorro, The Lion in Winter, Magic, The Elephant Man, 84 Charing Cross Road, Dracula, Legends of the Fall, The Remains of the Day, Amistad, Nixon, The World's Fastest Indian, and Fracture.

In Memoriam: Ricky Nelson died 27 years ago today An American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor, starring alongside his family in the long-running television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966), as well as co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks' Western feature film Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1957 and 1973 including "Poor Little Fool", which holds the distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard magazine's then newly created Hot 100 chart.

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Born On This Day: Tiger Woods turns 37 today An American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No. 1, he is the highest-paid professional athlete in the world, having earned an estimated US$90.5 million from winnings and endorsements in 2010. Woods turned professional in 1996, and by April 1997 he had already won his first major, the 1997 Masters. He first reached the number one position in the world rankings in June 1997.

In Memoriam: Saddam Hussein died 6 years ago today The fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and later, the Baghdad-based Ba'ath Party and its regional organisation Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region, which espoused ba'athism, a mix of Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, Saddam played a key role in the 1968 coup, later referred to as the 17 July Revolution, that brought the party to long-term power of Iraq.

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Born On This Day: Mary Tyler Moore turns 76 today An American actress, primarily known for her roles in television sitcoms. Moore is best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–77), in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis, and for her earlier role as Laura Petrie (Dick Van Dyke's wife) on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66). She also appeared in a number of films, most notably 1980's Ordinary People, in which she played a role that was the polar opposite of the television characters she had portrayed, and for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

In Memoriam: Freddie Hubbard died 4 years ago today An American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop. Hubbard started playing the mellophone and trumpet in his school band at Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Trumpeter Lee Katzman, former sideman with Stan Kenton, recommended that he begin studying at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Music with Max Woodbury, the principal trumpeter of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

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Born On This Day: Stan Lee turns 90 today An American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. In collaboration with several artists, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and many other fictional characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books.

In Memoriam: Eduard Strauss died 96 years ago today An Austrian composer who, together with brothers Johann Strauss II and Josef Strauss made up the Strauss musical dynasty. The family dominated the Viennese light music world for decades, creating many waltzes and polkas for many Austrian nobility as well as dance-music enthusiasts around Europe. He was affectionately known in his family as 'Edi'. His style was individual and did not attempt to emulate the works of his other brothers or his contemporaries.

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Born On This Day: John Amos turns 73 today An American actor and former football player best known for his role as James Evans Sr. on the hit television series Good Times. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades.

In Memoriam: Amy Vanderbilt died 38 years ago today An American authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best selling book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. The book, later retitled Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, has been updated and is still in circulation today. The most recent edition was edited by Nancy Tuckerman and Nancy Dunnan. Its longtime popularity has led to it being considered a standard of etiquette writing.

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Born On This Day: John Walsh turns 67 today An American television personality, criminal investigator, human and victim rights advocate and the host, as well as creator, of America's Most Wanted. Walsh is known for his anti-crime activism, which he became involved with following the murder of his son, Adam, in 1981; in 2008, the late serial killer Ottis Toole was named as the killer of Walsh's son.

In Memoriam: Curtis Mayfield died 13 years ago today An American soul, R&B and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music.

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Born On This Day: Annie Lennox turns 58 today A Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s as part of the New Wave band The Tourists, she went on to achieve major international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Lennox is the most recognized female artist at the Brit Awards, winning a total of eight awards. Lennox embarked on a solo career in the 1990s with her debut album, Diva (1992), which produced several hit singles including "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass".

In Memoriam: Charlie Chaplin died 35 years ago today An English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work in the United States during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I. Chaplin used mime, slapstick and other visual comedy routines, and continued well into the era of the talkies, though his films decreased in frequency from the end of the 1920s. His most famous role was that of The Tramp, which he first played in the Keystone comedy Kid Auto Races at Venice in 1914.

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Born On This Day: Ryan Seacrest turns 38 today A radio host as well as a television host and producer. He has his own production company named "Ryan Seacrest Productions". Ryan started his radio career at the early age of 15 while working on a radio station in Atlanta called "WSTR" and he made his first appearance on TV hosting "Radical Outdoor Challenge". Seacrest got his biggest role on TV in 2002 when he accepted to be Co-host with Brian Dunkleman in "American Idol" and in 2003 he was the only host since Dunkleman left the show.

In Memoriam: Frank Stanton died 6 years ago today An American broadcasting executive who served as the president of CBS between 1946 and 1971 and then vice chairman until 1973. Along with William S. Paley, Stanton is credited with the significant growth of CBS into a communications powerhouse. He was also known for his keen sense of corporate style, that ranged from the standards he espoused as a broadcasting executive, to the design of everything from the company's current headquarters (Black Rock) to corporate stationery.

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Born On This Day: Susan Lucci turns 66 today An American actress, television host, author and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama All My Children. The character is considered an icon, and Lucci has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the highest-paid actor in daytime television.  In 1996, TV Guide ranked Lucci number 37 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.

In Memoriam: Oscar Peterson died 5 years ago today A Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career. He is considered to have been one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, having played thousands of live concerts to audiences worldwide in a career lasting more than 60 years.

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Born On This Day: Samuel L. Jackson turns 64 today An American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor, Morgan Freeman, and the director Spike Lee. After gaining critical acclaim for his role in Jungle Fever in 1991, he appeared in films such as Patriot Games, Amos & Andrew, True Romance and Jurassic Park. In 1994, he was cast as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, and his performance received several award nominations.

In Memoriam: George S. Patton died 67 years ago today An officer in the United States Army best known for his leadership as a general during World War II. He also developed a reputation for eccentricity and for sometimes-controversial gruff outspokenness—such as during his profanity-laced speech to his expeditionary troops. He was on the U.S. 1912 Olympic pentathlon team and also designed the U.S. Cavalry's last combat saber: the "Patton Saber" (the M-1913). In 1916 he led the first-ever U.S. motorized-vehicle attack during the Mexican Border Campaign. In World War I, he was the first officer assigned to the new United States Tank Corps and saw action in France.

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Born On This Day: Diane Sawyer turns 67 today The current co host of Good Morning America. She has been in front of the cameras since 1978 starting her TV journalist career with CBS Morning News. Since then she became a correspondent and co anchor of 60 minutes.

In Memoriam: Beatrix Potter died 69 years ago today An English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.

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Born On This Day: Jonah Hill turns 29 today An American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. He is best known for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, Funny People, Get Him to the Greek, Moneyball, and 21 Jump Street. He made his feature film debut in I Heart Huckabees (2004). Hill was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his dramatic turn in Moneyball.

In Memoriam: Brittany Murphy died 3 years ago today An American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys. She voiced Luanne Platter on the animated TV series King of the Hill. Her final film, Something Wicked, is slated to be released on December 12, 2012.

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Born On This Day: Criss Angel turns 45 today An American magician and illusionist. He is best known for starring in the television show, Criss Angel Mindfreak and his live performance illusion show Criss Angel Believe in artistic collaboration with Cirque du Soleil at the Luxor casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In Memoriam: Alois Alzheimer died 97 years ago today A German psychiatrist and neuropathologist and a colleague of Emil Kraepelin. Alzheimer is credited with identifying the first published case of "presenile dementia", which Kraepelin would later identify as Alzheimer's disease.

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Born On This Day: Brad Pitt turns 49 today An American actor and film producer. Pitt has received four Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one Golden Globe. He has been described as one of the world's most attractive men, a label for which he has received substantial media attention. Pitt first gained recognition as a cowboy hitchhiker in the road movie Thelma & Louise (1991). His first leading roles in big-budget productions came with A River Runs Through It (1992), Interview with the Vampire (1994), and Legends of the Fall (1994).

In Memoriam: W. Mark Felt died 4 years ago today An agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who retired as the Bureau's Associate Director in 1973. After denying his involvement with reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein for 30 years, Felt revealed himself to be the Watergate scandal's whistleblower, "Deep Throat" on May 31, 2005. During the early investigation of the Watergate scandal (1972–1974), and shortly after the death of longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover on May 2, 1972, Felt was the Bureau's Associate Director, the second-ranking post in the FBI.

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Born On This Day: Eugene Levy turns 66 today A Canadian actor and writer. He is known for his work in Canadian television series, American movies, and television movies. He is the only actor to have appeared in all eight of the American Pie films, as Noah Levenstein. Levy was appointed to the Order of Canada on June 30, 2011.

In Memoriam: Kim Jong-il died 1 years ago today The supreme leader of North Korea (DPRK) from 1994 to 2011. Kim Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, the fourth-largest standing army in the world.

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Born On This Day: Billy Gibbons turns 63 today An American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959 Gibson Les Paul guitar known as Pearly Gates. Gibbons has a bass vocal range, spanning E♭1 to E♭5, one of the widest ranges in rock. He is noted for using an old five peso Mexican coin as a guitar plectrum and use of pinch harmonics in his solos.

In Memoriam: Colonel Sanders died 32 years ago today An American businessman and restaurateur who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant chain. Sanders passed through several professions in his lifetime, with mixed success. He first served his fried chicken in 1930 in the midst of the Great Depression at a gas station he owned in North Corbin, a small city in south eastern Kentucky. With a flair for promotion and dedication to providing quality fast food, Sanders oversaw his franchise in becoming one of the largest in the world.

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Born On This Day: Don Johnson turns 63 today An American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges. More recently, Johnson played Kenny Powers' father on the HBO series, Eastbound & Down.

In Memoriam: Walt Disney died 46 years ago today An American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, international icon, and philanthropist, well known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O. Disney, he was co-founder of Walt Disney Productions, which later became one of the best-known motion picture producers in the world.

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Born On This Day: Vanessa Hudgens turns 24 today An American actress and singer. Hudgens rose to prominence playing Gabriella Montez in the High School Musical series. Hudgens has also appeared in various films and television series for the Disney Channel. She had her feature film debut in the 2003 film Thirteen, a teenage drama in which Hudgens had a supporting role. She had mainstream success following the release of the High School Musical trilogy, and her relationship with co-star Zac Efron was heavily publicized. In 2009, she earned critical acclaim for her role in the film Bandslam.

In Memoriam: George Washington died 213 years ago One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later as the new republic's first President. He also presided over the convention that drafted the Constitution. Washington was elected president as the unanimous choice of the 69 electors in 1788, and he served two terms in office. He oversaw the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the wars raging in Europe and won acceptance among Americans of all types.

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Born On This Day: Taylor Swift turns 23 today An American singer-songwriter. Raised in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift's eponymous debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. "Our Song", her third single, made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number one song on the country chart. She received a Best New Artist nomination at the 2008 Grammy Awards.

In Memoriam: Grandma Moses died 51 years ago today Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as "Grandma Moses", was a renowned American folk artist. She is often cited as an example of an individual successfully beginning a career in the arts at an advanced age. Her family and friends called her either "Mother Moses" or "Grandma Moses", and although she first exhibited as "Mrs. Moses", the press eagerly dubbed her "Grandma Moses", which stuck. LIFE magazine celebrated her 100th birthday by featuring her on its September 19, 1960 cover. Grandma Moses' paintings were used to publicize numerous American holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and Mother's Day.

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Born On This Day: Bob Barker turns 89 today A former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.

In Memoriam: Ike Turner died 5 years ago today An American musician, songwriter, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk. Most popularly known for his 1960s work with his then wife Tina Turner in the Ike & Tina Turner revue.

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Born On This Day: John Kerry turns 69 today The senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior United States Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to President George W. Bush.

In Memoriam: Bettie Page died 4 years ago today An American model who became famous in the 1950s for her pin-up photos. Often referred to as the "Queen of Pinups", her jet black hair, blue eyes, and trademark bangs have influenced artists. Page was "Miss January 1955", one of the earliest Playmates of the Month for Playboy magazine.

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Born On This Day: Agnes Nixon turns 85 today An American writer and producer. She attended Northwestern University, and is best known as the creator of soap operas such as One Life to Live and All My Children. Having a key role in the production of these programs, she was either executive producer or consulting producer for both shows for many years: on One Life to Live from 1968 to 1975, and All My Children from 1970 to 1981.

In Memoriam: Alfred Nobel died 116 years ago today A Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, and armaments manufacturer. He was the inventor of dynamite. Nobel also owned Bofors, which he had redirected from its previous role as primarily an iron and steel producer to a major manufacturer of cannon and other armaments. Nobel held 350 different patents, dynamite being the most famous. He used his fortune to posthumously institute the Nobel Prizes.

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Born On This Day: Kirk Douglas turns 96 today An American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Paths of Glory (1957), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Spartacus (1960), Lonely Are the Brave (1962), and Tough Guys (1986) He is No.17 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time.

In Memoriam: Ralph Bunche died 41 years ago today An American political scientist and diplomat who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s mediation in Palestine. He was the first person of color to be so honored in the history of the Prize. He was involved in the formation and administration of the United Nations and in 1963, received the Medal of Freedom from President John F. Kennedy.

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Born On This Day: Nicki Minaj turns 30 today A Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, songwriter, and voice actress. Minaj rose to prominence when she released her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release.

In Memoriam: John Lennon died 32 years ago today An English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Together with Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.

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Born On This Day: Larry Bird turns 56 today An American former NBA basketball player, coach, and team president. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale. Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times.

In Memoriam: Harry Morgan died 1 years ago today An American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both December Bride (1954–1959) and Pete and Gladys (1960–1962); Officer Bill Gannon on Dragnet (1967–1970); Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey (1972–1974); and Colonel Sherman T. Potter in M*A*S*H (1975–1983) and AfterMASH (1983–1984). Morgan also appeared in more than 100 films.

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