News and Notes
Commentary From the Editors
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Richard Brautigan, Happy 75th Birthday, You Brick-Swapping Son Of a Gun
San Francisco author Richard Brautigan, dead lo these many years, would still only be 75 today.He was born, like Sonny Bono and the Dalai Lama, in 1935. Brautigan's biggest book was Trout Fishing in America, published in 1967.
Brautigan shot himself in 1984 with a gun he had swapped for a brick. (What a tale!)
Labels: Landmark Birthdays, Richard Brautigan
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 11:48 AM0 comments 
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tall, Kindly, Corrupt Farmer-Cop Turns 70
James Cromwell, who played kindly Farmer Hoggett in the 1995 movie Babe -- and not-so-kindly Police Captain Smith in LA Confidential (1997) -- was born on this day in 1940.
What a fascinating career he's had. His height (6' 7") hasn't kept Cromwell from playing a variety of real-life characters, from Britain's Prince Philip (in The Queen, 2006) to George Bush the elder (in W, 2008).
He was a pretty good physical match for Bush, who was often described as "lanky" -- although Cromwell had 5 inches on the actual 6' 2" president.
Cromwell also likes fun T-shirts, it seems.
He's not done with the real-life characters, either. The IMDB says that later this year he'll play Pius XII -- the controversial World War II-era pope.
More photos of James Cromwell >>
Credit: Daniel Padilla (top); photos supplied by WENN.
Labels: George Bush, James Cromwell, Landmark Birthdays, Prince Philip
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 5:11 AM0 comments
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Buzz Aldrin 80th Birthday - PHOTOS
Buzz Aldrin -- moon-walking hero and one of our favorite astronauts -- was born on this day in New Jersey in 1930.A few birthday photos from his Apollo 11 days:
Buzz Aldrin's official Apollo 11 photo portrait from NASA.
Training for ocean capsule recovery with Apollo 11 partners Neil Armstrong (center) and Mike Collins. This shot was on 24 May 1969, two months before the mission. All three men were born in 1930.
Hours from liftoff. The astronauts have their traditional breakfast of steak and eggs before the launch of Apollo 11 on 16 June 1969. From left: unidentified, Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin, flight crew operations chief Donald "Deke" Slayton.
Walking on the moon. This shot never gets old. Photo of Buzz Aldrin by Neil Armstrong, who can be seen as a tiny reflection in Aldrin's helmet. What a couple of studs.
This shot never gets old, either. Buzz Aldrin with his wife, Lois, tooling in a convertible in Beverly Hills in 2009 -- a few months before the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11.
Happy birthday, Mr. Aldrin!
Where's Buzz? >>
(All photos provided by NASA, except the convertible shot credit to FayesVision/WENN)
Labels: Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin, Landmark Birthdays, Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 7:54 AM0 comments
Friday, January 08, 2010
Elvis Presley PHOTOS Over Time
Photos of Elvis Presley, in honor of his 75th birthday.
Elvis Presley as a cheeky young lad, near the start of his career. He began performing in earnest in 1954 and by 1956 was a national success.
Elvis Presley in the 1957 movie Jailhouse Rock. Presley played Vince Everett, a singing ex-con making his way to fame in the music industry. It was his third musical for MGM, after Love Me Tender (1956) and Loving You (1957).
Elvis in an extremely convincing surfing publicity photo for the 1961 movie Blue Hawaii. Elvis played Chadwick Gates, a good-hearted surfer dude who had just gotten out of the Army. (As had Elvis, who served from 1958-60.)
Elvis Presley marries Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on 1 May 1967. (She's now the actress Priscilla Presley.) She was 21, Elvis 32. Their only child, Lisa Marie Presley, was born on 1 February 1968.
Elvis Presley performing in his famous "comeback" special on NBC TV in 1968.
Elvis Presley in concert in the mid-1970s. Note the late-era Elvis signature studded outfit and scarf.
An Elvis memorial marker from Graceland, his home in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis died there in 1977 at the very young age of 42 after two decades of international fame.
But not to end on a low note. Instead, here's a shot of Elvis in his mature prime, performing in the late 1960.
See still more photos of Elvis Presley >>
(Photos supplied by WENN)
Labels: Elvis Presley, Landmark Birthdays
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 6:51 AM1 comments
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Happy 55th Birthday, Mr. Bean!
Another few decades and he'll be a has-bean. (Nyuk!)
Rowan "Mr. Bean" Atkinson turns 55 today.
Mr. Bean himself turned 20 on January 1st, by the way. But for all the Mr. Bean talk, it's still as the mush-mouthed preacher in Four Weddings and a Funeral that we love Atkinson best.
More Rowan Atkinson photos >>
(Credit: Jeroene Mantel / WENN)
Labels: Landmark Birthdays, Mr. Bean, Rowan Atkinson
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 8:08 AM0 comments
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Happy 35th Birthday, Bradley Cooper
Happy birthday to you, The Hangover star Bradley Cooper. You were born on this day in 1975.
Dude, still looking good!
More photos of Bradley Cooper >>
(Photo credit: WENN)
Labels: Bradley Cooper, Landmark Birthdays, The Hangover
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 5:11 AM0 comments
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Happy 65th Birthday, General Wesley Clark
Happy 65th birthday to General Wesley Clark, the commander who led NATO forces to victory in Kosovo in 1999. He was a Democratic candidate for president in 2004. And he was born on this day in 1944.
Learn more about Wesley Clark >>
(Photo credit: Tina Paul / WENN)
Labels: Landmark Birthdays, Wesley Clark
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 1:01 PM0 comments
Monday, December 21, 2009
Julie Delpy Turns 40
Ethereal actress Julie Delpy turns 40 years old today.
That's Delpy at center above, with her parents at the 2007 Edinburgh Film Festival. Here's a slighly more glam shot from the 2005 Academy Awards:
(Photo credit: WENN)
Labels: Julie Delpy, Landmark Birthdays
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 5:28 AM0 comments
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Happy 50th Birthday, Allison Janney
The West Wing star was born in Boston in 1959. Which gives us the chance to run this truly unflattering photo from the "Broadway Bares Strip-A-Thon" for charity last June.
More flattering photos here.
(Photo: Joseph Marzullo/WENN.)
Labels: Allison Janney, Landmark Birthdays
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 10:17 AM0 comments
Friday, September 18, 2009
300 Years of Dictionary-Writing Studliness
Happy 300th birthday, Samuel Johnson.Labels: Landmark Birthdays, Samuel Johnson
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 10:34 AM0 comments
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Happy 70th, George Hamilton
Glowing bronze actor George Hamilton turns 70 today. He was born this day in 1939, the same year as another master of suave aging: George Lazenby.Here's an awkward photo from April. The caption: "George Hamilton being asked for money by a homeless person outside Mr. Chow restaurant. Beverly Hills, California."
And here's Hamilton looking even bronzer.
(Photo credit: MeetTheFamous/WENN)
Labels: George Hamilton, George Lazenby, Landmark Birthdays
Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 12:12 PM0 comments
