MILESTONES: June 14, birthdays for Boy George, Kevin McHale, Donald Trump

June 14, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle

Boy George. AP Photo/Frank Augstein

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include singer Boy George, who was born in 1961; screenwriter Diablo Cody, who was born in 1978; actress Yasmine Bleeth, who was born in 1968; actress Marla Gibbs, who was born in 1931; actor Kevin McHale, who was born in 1988; Olympic speed skater Eric Heiden, who was born in 1958; actress Traylor Howard, who was born in 1966; actor Will Patton, who was born in 1954; actor Eddie Mekka, who was born in 1952; and President Donald Trump, who was born in 1946.

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HARRIET BEECHER STOWE was born on this day in 1811. Stowe is best known as the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” a novel published in 1852 which boosted anti-slavery sentiment in the North ahead of the Civil War. In her personal life, Stowe worked for the abolitionist movement and housed runaway slaves in her home as part of the Underground Railroad. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was the bestselling book of the 19th century, outsold only by the Bible.

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THE MARINER 5 SPACECRAFT was launched from Cape Canaveral on this day in 1967. The probe reached Venus, where its experiments determined that the gaseous planet’s atmosphere is 72.5-87.5 percent carbon dioxide. Mariner 5 is now defunct and orbiting the sun.

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THE U.S. ARMY was established by the Second Continental Congress on this day in 1775. The oldest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Army was formed to fight British troops, with George Washington appointed as its commander.

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“It’s a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something the best people have always done” — Harriet Beecher Stowe, who was born on this day in 1811.