MILESTONES: August 22, birthdays for James Corden, Dua Lipa, Giada De Laurentiis
NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actor ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE, who was born in 1967; musician, singer and songwriter TORIS AMOS, who was born in 1963; actor TY BURRELL, who was born in 1967; former astronaut GERALD PAUL CARR, who was born in 1932; talk show host and actor JAMES CORDEN, who was born in 1978; chef, cookbook author and TV personality GIADA DE LAURENTIIS, who was born in 1970; U.S. Sen. CORY GARDNER, who was born in 1974; actress VALERIE HARPER, who was born in 1941; TV journalist STEVE KROFT, who was born in 1945; Hall of Fame baseball player PAUL MOLITOR, who was born in 1956; former football coach BILL PARCELLS, who was born in 1941; author E. ANNIE PROULX, who was born in 1935; actress and comedian KRISTIN WIIG, who was born in 1973; actress CINDY WILLIAMS, who was born in 1948; and Hall of Fame baseball player CARL YASTRZEMSKI, who was born in 1939.
****
DOROTHY PARKER WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1893. The acclaimed poet, critic and author was known as the “wittiest woman in America.” During her career, Parker wrote for Vanity Fair, The New Yorker (for whom she was an original contributor) and other top periodicals, and was one of the founding members of the elite literary group the Algonquin Round Table. Strong, albeit subtle, critiques of sexism were prevailing themes in her works, along with critiques of all other forms of social inequality. Parker was found dead in her New York City residential hotel in 1967.
****
THE BATTLE OF STALINGRAD BEGAN ON THIS DAY IN 1942. Having captured Sevastopol on the Crimea on July 2 after an eight-month siege, the Germans began an offensive to capture Stalingrad. During this five-month battle, the city of 500,000 people dwindled to a population of 1,515. In the fighting, Russia lost 750,000 troops, the Germans 400,000, the Romanians nearly 200,000 and the Italians 130,000 — a total of 1.48 million dead. The last German strongholds at Stalingrad surrendered to the Russian army on Feb. 2, 1943.
****
JOHN LEE HOOKER WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1917. The blues rocker sang at church, learned some guitar and bounced through a few stops in the South before his career took off in Detroit with his first single, 1948’s “Boogie Chillen.” An instant classic, the song established Hooker’s distinctive guitar work and signature growling groove, a style that formed the spiritual link between blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Hooker continued to record and tour until late in life. In 1991, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died in California in 2001.
****
THE VIETNAM CONFLICT BEGAN ON THIS DAY IN 1945. Less than a week after the Japanese surrender ended World War II, a team of Free French parachuted into southern Indochina in response to a successful coup by Communist guerrilla Ho Chi Minh in the French colony.
****
Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.
****
“Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.” — composer Claude Debussy, who was born on this day in 1862
Leave a Comment
Leave a Comment