MILESTONES: December 13, birthdays for Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, NeNe Leakes

December 13, 2018 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Taylor Swift Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

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Greetings, Brooklyn. Today is the 347th day of the year.

NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA OFFICIALLY RECONCILED ON THIS DAY IN 1991. The two regions signed a treaty of reconciliation and nonaggression, formally ending the Korean War — 38 years after fighting ceased in 1953. This agreement was not hailed as a peace treaty, and the armistice that was signed in July 1953 between the U.N. and North Korea was to remain in effect until it could be transformed into a formal peace.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include Brooklyn-born actor Steve Buscemi, who was born in 1957; singer, actor and former TV host John Davidson, who was born in 1941; Hall of Fame football player Richard Dent, who was born in 1960; hockey manager and former player Sergei Fedorov, who was born in 1969; Oscar Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx, who was born in 1967; reality star and actress NeNe Leakes, who was born in Queens in 1967; actress Wendie Malick, who was born in 1950; singer Ted Nugent, who was born in 1948; Oscar Award-winning actor Christopher Plummer, who was born in 1929; singer Taylor Swift, who was born in 1989; comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke, who was born in 1925; and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who was born in 1950.

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MARY TODD LINCOLN WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1818. She was the wife of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the U.S.

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THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG WAS FOUGHT ON THIS DAY IN 1862. Confederate forces were victorious at the battle in Virginia. Total casualties on both sides estimated at more than 16,000 killed, injured or missing. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside led the Union troops; Gen. Robert E. Lee led the Confederates.

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HEINRICH HEINE WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1797. The German poet, journalist and critic was known for his lyric poetry, which was set to music by the famous composers of his day, including Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert. In 1856, he wrote, “Where books are burnt, people will eventually burn too.” He died in Paris in 1856.

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NEW ZEALAND WAS FIRST SIGHTED BY EUROPEANS ON THIS DAY IN 1642. Capt. Abel Tasman of the Dutch East India Company first sighted New Zealand but was kept from landing by Maori warriors. In 1759, Capt. James Cook landed and claimed formal possession for Great Britain.

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ARCHIE MOORE WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1913. He was one of the most colorful fighters ever, holding the light-heavyweight title for a record nine years. Moore let an aura of celebrity surround him — he lied about his age, ate an unusual diet and spoke out about a variety of political and social issues. Moore died in 1998 in San Diego.

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

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“When words leave off, music begins.”—Heinrich Heine, who was born on this day in 1797