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2009: July 7

Whew! I'm sure Joan of Arc was happy to find that today in 1456. 25 years after she was put to death, that she was acquitted of heresy.

Austrian composer Gustav Mahler (watch the spelling, or it could get messy!) was born today in 1860.

Today in 1863 the United States instituted the first military draft. If you had $100 to spare, though, one could buy an exemption...

Academy Award-winning director George Cukor was born today in 1899. I preferred his comedies over his literary adaptations. A friend and I were just talking about Born Yesterday (1950) near the end of June.

The "dean of science fiction", author Robert_A._Heinlein was born today in 1907.

Tharah! The third Doctor (of Doctor Who fame) - John Pertwee was born on this date in 1919.

Former Tonight Show bandleader and still-practicing musician Doc Severinsen turns 82 today.

Sliced bread? Why, the first loaves of pre-sliced bread were sold on this date in 1928 in Chillicoths, Missouri.

Gear! Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey) was born today in 1940.

Cultural parasite (ie film critic) Joel Siegel turns 64 today. Let's see if Variety pans him...

Just crazy enough that it had to be in California -- today, back in 1946, Howard Hughes nearly died when his experimental XF-11 spy plane crashed in Beverly Hills. On the same day, but over in San Francisco, future actor Joe Spano (who I'll likely always think of as Lt. Henry Goldblume from Hill Street Blues) was born.

Film and television actress Shelley Duvall (1949) turns 60 today.

Actress and comedienne Mo Collins (1965) is 44 today.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan (1966) turns 43 today.

Having just driven out the dictatorial regime of the Shah of Iran, on this date in 1980 Iran placed itself under an even more oppressive regime as sharia - Islamic Law - was instituted there.

A series of four terrorist bombings in London's transportation system happened on this date in 2005.

In 2007, the Western Black Rhinoceros was declared extinct.

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