Top 10 February 14 Birthdays

10. February 14, 1972: Rob Thomas. The lead singer of Matchbox Twenty had the Number 1 song in the world at the turn of the 21st Century, "Smooth," with guitar licks from Carlos Santana.

9. February 14, 1907: Johnny Longden. Once the all-time winningest jockey, he won the Triple Crown aboard Omaha in 1943.

8. February 14, 1882: John Barrymore. "The Great Profile" was considered the greatest American actor of his time. Brother of Lionel and Ethel, and grandfather of Drew.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1916: Edward Platt. He played the Chief of CONTROL on Get Smart.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1927: Lois Maxwell. She played Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond films from 1962 to 1985.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1929: Vic Morrow. Starred on the TV show Combat! but his greatest contribution to acting may be his daughter, Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1934: Florence Henderson. Mrs. Brady.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1942: Andrew J. Robinson. He played the Scorpio Killer in the 1st Dirty Harry film, and got so much hate mail, he changed his Screen Actors Guild name: He had, until then, been listed as Andy Robinson.

He played President John F. Kennedy in "Profile In Silver," the best episode of any post-1964 revival of The Twilight Zone (and that counts the 1983 film which led to Vic Morrow's death). He sounded like JFK, but he looked like Liberace. He then starred as Liberace in the 1st film made after his death, and nailed it. But he may be best remembered for playing Elim Garak, the Cardassian spy on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1944: Alan Parker. He directed Midnight Express, Fame, Pink Floyd -- The Wall, Mississippi Burning, Angela's Ashes and The Life of David Gale. That's a very wide range.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1946: Gregory Hines. One of the greatest dancers of the 2nd half of the 20th Century, he made a believable big-city cop alongside Billy Crystal (believe it) in the 1986 film Running Scared.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1948: Raymond Joseph Teller. This half of magic/acting duo Penn & Teller doesn't use his first name, his middle name, or his voice, but he's still on this list.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1960: Meg Tilly. She might not be as well-known as her sister Jennifer, but in The Big Chill, she proved herself a better actress.

7. February 14, 1824: Winfield Scott Hancock. The Union General was one of the heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg. In 1880, he was the Democratic nominee for President, and came very close to winning.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1941: Donna Shalala. She was President Bill Clinton's Secretary of Health and Human Services. She also served in Congress from a Florida district, and as President of Hunter College, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Miami.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1941: Paul Tsongas. He served Massachusetts in both houses of Congress, and finished 2nd to Clinton in Democratic Primary delegates in 1992.

Somewhat Honorable Mention: February 14, 1942: Michael Bloomberg. As Mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013, he turned back a lot of the progress that had been made in the 1990s. The schools got worse, the garbage situation went from good to bad, and the social stratification of the City became almost unbearable. And the demolition of the original Yankee Stadium, a fearful possibility before he became Mayor, became a reality under his Administration. That, alone, was enough that I will never forgive him.

But he has my thanks for 2 things: His opposition to guns, and his part in taking down Bernie Sanders during the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primaries, thus helping Joe Biden win the nomination, beat Donald Trump, and save America from fascism.

6. February 14, 1959: Renée Fleming. Not only one of the greatest living opera singers, but a pioneer in the study of how music affects mental health.

5. February 14, 1913: Woody Hayes. Yes, he was physically abusive. But he won, and he did it without cheating, and he graduated his players.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1913: Mel Allen. The Voice of the Yankees, born the same day as Woody. And the same day as Jimmy Hoffa and Bishop James Pike, both of whom famously disappeared (though Pike was quickly found). How about that?

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1931: Bernie Geoffrion. "Boom-Boom" is often credited with inventing hockey's slap shot. He was named to 11 All-Star Games, and helped the Montreal Canadiens win 6 Stanley Cups.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1951: Kevin Keegan. "Mighty Mouse" may have been short, but he was one of the best English soccer players of his generation. He starred for Liverpool FC, then went to Hamburger SV in Germany, and became one of the earliest British players to succeed on the European continent, winning the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) as World Player of the Year in 1978 and 1979 His managerial career has been less successful.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1960: Jim Kelly. He led the Buffalo Bills into 4 Super Bowls. And... let's move on.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1972: Drew Bledsoe. He led the New England Patriots into a Super Bowl. And wasn't that bad. Then he got hit by Mo Lewis. And... let's move on.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1973: Steve McNair. He led the Tennessee Titans into a Super Bowl. And nearly won it. And... let's move on.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1978: Richard Hamilton. "Rip" helped the University of Connecticut win a National Champion. A 3-time All-Star, he helped the Detroit Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship.

4. February 14, 1819: Christopher Latham Sholes. He invented the typewriter.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1859: George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. He invented the Ferris wheel.

3. February 14, 1894: Jack Benny. Well! One of the masters of comedy.

2. February 14, 1944: Carl Bernstein. He and Bob Woodward, writing for The Washington Post, helped bring down President Richard Nixon.

Honorable Mention: February 14, 1921: Hugh Downs. One of TV's longest-lasting journalists, he co-hosted The Today Show on NBC and 20/20 on ABC -- on each, for a time, with Barbara Walters.

1. February 14, 1911: Willem Johan Kolff. The Dutch doctor fought in the Resistance against the Nazis and invented the artificial kidney. Put those 2 together, and it's enough to put him at Number 1.

Still alive as of this writing: Robinson, Teller, Tilly, Shalala, Bloomberg, Fleming, Keegan, Kelly, Bledsoe, Hamilton, Bernstein. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 February 4 Birthdays

Image
Honorable Mention: February 4, 1920: Janet Waldo.  You might not know her name or her face, but you know her voice. Or, rather, her voices: She voiced Judy Jetson, the adult version of Pebbles Flintstone (and her grandmother, Wilma's mother, Pearl Slaghoople), Goldilocks, Precious Pupp's owner Granny Sweet, Alice of  Alice in Wonderland , Penelope Pitstop, Josie McCoy of  Josie and the Pussycats , an animated version of Morticia Addams, Little Red Riding Hood, both Gretel and the Witch who tormented Hansel and Gretel, and, in her last role, Mrs. Tobbis on  King of the Hill . Somewhat Honorable Mention: February 4, 1902: Charles Lindbergh.  Yeah, he was a hero in 1927. By 1938, he was a Nazi sympathizer. Somewhat Honorable Mention: February 4, 1959: Lawrence Taylor.  The New York Giant linebacker has been called the best defensive player in football history. He's also been called an addict and a felon, and let's leave it at that. Dishonorable Mention: Februa...
Read more

Top February 17 Birthdays

Image
  Honorable Mention: February 17, 1924: Margaret Truman Daniel.  The only child of President Harry Truman, she wanted to be an opera singer. A scathing review of a 1950 concert in  The Washington Post  led to a nasty response from her father. Fortunately, she found something she was very good at: Writing murder mystery novels set in Washington, D.C. Somewhat Honorable Mention: February 17, 1981: Paris Hilton.  Just because she's frequently self-centered doesn't mean she's a rotten person. And she's gotten pretty far on what little talent she has. 10. February 17, 1929: Chaim Potok.  A rabbi who proved equally adept at writing history and novels, both about how Jewish people fit into both their own world and the larger world around them. 9. February 17, 1942: Huey P. Newton.  One of the most misunderstood Americans of the late 20th Century, as co-founder of the Black Panther Party, he started support programs including food banks, clothing banks, medica...
Read more

Top 10 January 16 Birthdays

Image
Dishonorable Mention: January 16, 1821: John C. Breckinridge.  Vice President of the United States under President James Buchanan, he was elected to the U.S. Senate from his home State of Kentucky in 1860 -- and then was expelled from the Senate for accepting a commission as a General in the Confederate Army. He later served as the Confederate's Secretary of War. Say what you want about Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney and Mike Pence, but none of them ever betrayed our country while serving as Vice President. Breckinridge did. 10. January 16, 1902: Eric Liddell.  Contrary to his portrayal by Ian Charleson in the film Chariots of Fire, the Scottish sprinter, who refused to compete on Sundays due to his religious beliefs, already knew a heat for the 100 meters would be held on a Sunday before he left for the 1924 Olympics in Paris. He had plenty of time to properly prepare for the 400 meters, which fit his schedule, and which he won. He also won the Bronze Med...
Read more