Happy Birthday, Donald!

Today is Donald Duck’s Birthday and so, we honor him on his own special ‘day’. He was ‘born’ Donald Fauntleroy Duck in the animated film “The Wise Little Hen”. To honor this glorious fowl, please do not eat, hunt or otherwise disparage ducks. It is the right thing to do.  Happy Birthday, Donald.

Other birthdays throughout history include: 1981,Natalie Portman, actress seen in Star Wars as Queen Amidala (who?); 1963, Johnny Depp, the once cute and still versatile actor (I love it when he is all cleaned up); Back to the Future (among others) actor and Parkinson’s activist, Michael J. Fox, 1961; Sportscaster, Dick Vitale, 1940; Robert Cummings, 1908, can be seen in the classic movie, Dial M for Murder; Composer/songwriter, Cole Porter, 1891, had written scores of scores including music for Anything Goes and Kiss Me, Kate; and George Stephenson, 1781, was a civil and mechanical engineer who is credited with inventing the steam locomotive.

On this day in history: 1980-Richard Pryor attempted to take his life by setting himself on fire. Idiot. In 1973, Secretariat won the Triple Crown. Only 11 horses have done so since 1919 and none since 1978. In 1909, Alice Huyler Ramsey, began a cross country trek with three friends in a Maxwell 30 automobile. She drove from Manhattan, NY to San Francisco, CA. The first woman to do so. She said, “Good driving has nothing to do with sex. It’s all above the collar.”  She credited AAA with aiding in her successful passage.  In 1860, Maleaska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter, by Ann S. Stephens was published. It would be the first in a 321 series of stories printed by Beadle and Adams. In 1790, the first book to be copyrighted in the US, Philadelphia Spelling Book by John Barry hit the presses. In 68 (yes, 68, not 1868 or 1968, just 68), Nero, Roman Emperor, committed suicide to evade death by flogging, a sentence passed by the Senate.