MILESTONES: May 3, birthdays for Eric Church, Frankie Valli, Christina Hendricks

May 3, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle

Eric Church. Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include football player Joseph Addai, who was born in 1983; actor Rob Brydon, who was born in 1965; actor Bobby Cannavale, who was born in 1970; country singer Eric Church, who was born in 1977; TV personality and sportscaster Greg Gumbel, who was born in 1946; rapper Desiigner, who was born in Brooklyn in 1997; actress Christina Hendricks, who was born in 1975; actor Dule Hill, who was born in 1975; U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, who was born in 1943; singer Frankie Valli, who was born in 1934; Politician David Vitter, who was born in 1961; and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, who was born in 1949.

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JAMES BROWN WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1933. The singer and songwriter began singing gospel while in reform school. He quickly moved into pop music and by the early 1960s was a hugely successful performer. Transcending musical genres, he called himself the “Godfather of Soul” but was equally prominent in rock, gospel and rhythm and blues. He was a spectacular dancer and showman, known for outlandish costumes and energy-filled performances. The “hardest-working man in show business” died in 2006 in Georgia.

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NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1469. The Italian writer and statesman was the author of “The Prince,” a book of advice for a ruler that prescribes strong, absolute government. Machiavelli died in Italy in 1527.

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PETE SEEGER WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1919. The legendary American folk singer and songwriter and political activist is credited with saving folk music from obscurity. His notable works include “If I Had a Hammer” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.” A social justice activist, he popularized “We Shall Overcome,” which later became the civil rights movement’s anthem. Seeger was blacklisted for decades for a McCarthy-era conviction of contempt of Congress, which was eventually overturned. He was later awarded the National Medal of Arts, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received two Grammys before his death in 2014 in New York City.

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“CBS EVENING NEWS” PREMIERED ON THIS DAY IN 1948. The news program began as a 15-minute telecast with Douglas Edwards as anchor. Walter Cronkite succeeded him in 1962 and expanded the show to 30 minutes. Dan Rather anchored the newscasts upon Cronkite’s retirement from 1981 to 2005. Katie Couric assumed the anchor seat in 2006 and Scott Pelley, who currently serves as its host, came to the helm in 2011.

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WILLIAM INGE WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1913. The award-winning American playwright is best known for “Come Back, Little Sheba,” “Picnic” and “Bus Stop.” Inge received a Pulitizer Prize for “Picnic” and an Oscar for his original screenplay of “Splendor in the Grass.” Inge committed suicide in California in 1973.

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

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“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” — Niccolo Machiavelli, who was born on this day in 1469