On this day 140 years ago, Helen Keller was born with full sight and hearing in Alabama. Before the age of two she was stricken with disease and left deaf and blind, but at 24, she became the first deaf…
80 years ago today, the American athlete Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely at 4.5 pounds (2.0 kg). Despite a polio virus, infantile paralysis, and wearing a metal brace that twisted her leg for years, the Tennessee sprinter became the fastest…
On this day 105 years ago, the musician and innovator Les Paul was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin. A natural engineer and phenomenal musician, Lester Polsfuss, as a teen, invented his own speaker and one of the earliest solid body guitars–carving…
On this day, 100 years ago the singer–songwriter and actress Peggy Lee was born in North Dakota. You might know her sultry voice from her 1958 hit single Fever, but she was also nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, including Best…
Happy 65th Birthday to Debra Winger, the Oscar-winning actress who was born in Ohio to a Jewish meat packer. Her performances in three films—An Officer and a Gentleman, Terms of Endearment, and Shadowlands—earned her 3 Best Actress Academy Award nominations.…
200 years ago today, Florence Nightingale was born. The Englishwoman came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing, tending injured soldiers in the Crimean War, and laying the foundation for professional nursing. She studied mathematics and became a trailblazer…
180 years ago today, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the iconic Russian composer was born. Famous for his ballets like The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and The Sleeping Beauty—he also wrote popular classical works including the famous 1812 Overture (the…
On this day 235 years ago, the French-American artist and birdwatcher, John James Audubon was born. As an ornithologist, he documented all types of American birds in great detail and illustrated them in their natural habitats. At age 35 he…
On this day 100 years ago, the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar was born. The Indian musician and Hindustani classical composer was perhaps best known as a major influence on The Beatles’ George Harrison. Introduced to Shankar’s music by The Byrds…
On this day 100 years ago, Jack Webb was born. The actor, screenwriter, director-producer created the iconic police franchise Dragnet, and starred as the Los Angeles detective Sgt. Joe Friday. The series was based on real cases from LAPD police…
