MILESTONES: December 4, birthdays for Tyra Banks, Skip Bayless, Jeff Bridges

December 4, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Tyra Banks Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include comedian and actor Fred Armisen, who was born in 1966; actor Max Baer Jr., who was born in 1937; model, actress and talk show host Tyra Banks, who was born in 1973; Oscar Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges, who was born in 1949; singer and musician Chris Hillman, who was born in 1944; Grammy Award-winning rapper and music executive Jay-Z, who was born in Brooklyn in 1969; Oscar Award-winning actress Marisa Tomei, who was born in Brooklyn in 1964; Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Wettig, who was born in 1951; and jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, who was born in 1955.

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TODAY IS ST. BARBARA’S DAY. Traditionally on the feast day of St. Barbara, a young girl places a twig from a cherry tree in a glass of water. If it blooms by Christmas Eve, she is certain to marry the following year. Because the narratives of her life and martyrdom are considered fictitious by historians, St. Barbara was dropped from the General Roman Calendar in 1969.

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THE MARY CELESTE SHIP WAS DISCOVERED ON THIS DAY IN 1872. The English cargo ship Dei Gratia saw a ship under sail apparently out of control near the Azore Islands. After failing to get an answer from the vessel, the American brigantine Mary Celeste, members of the Dei Gratia boarded the ship and discovered a mystery: despite half a year’s supply of food and water, all personal belongings — even pipes — still aboard and with the cargo intact, the ship’s captain, his family and the crew had disappeared without a trace. The final entry in the ship’s logbook was Nov. 24 and recorded a position 700 miles away. Some minor damage and a missing lifeboat suggested a hasty abandonment, but for no clear reason. Numerous investigations and theories abounded, but the nautical mystery has never been solved. A young Scottish doctor, Arthur Conan Doyle, was intrigued enough to write the first (but not last) fictional story on the incident: “J. Habakuk Jephson’s Statement.”

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FRANCISCO FRANCO WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1892. The Spanish military dictator led the 1936 coup that toppled the government of the Republic of Spain and led to a three-year-long civil war that took perhaps 500,000 lives. He was ruled as El Caudillo (“The Chief”) until his death in Spain in 1975.

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THIS WEEK IS COOKIE EXCHANGE WEEK. This week celebrates a delicious holiday tradition. Host a cookie exchange party this week and try new recipes or share personal favorites with others. Have yourself a merry little party with delicious cookies, recipes and good times with great people.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

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“Belief in oneself and knowing who you are, I mean, that’s the foundation for everything great.” — Jay-Z, who was born on this day in 1969