MILESTONES: April 28 birthdays for Penelope Cruz, Jorge Garcia, Jessica Alba

April 28, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle History

Penelope Cruz. Andrew Medichini/AP

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include former Secretary of State James Baker, who was born in 1930; former Yankees closer Pedro Ramos, who was born in 1935; “Viva Las Vegas” star Ann-Margret, who was born in 1941; comedian and talk show host Jay Leno, who was born in 1950; former Allman Brothers Band member Chuck Leavell, who was born in 1952; “Battlestar Galactica” star Mary McDonnell, who was born in 1952; Sonic Youth founder Kim Gordon, who was born in 1953; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, who was born in 1960; Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, who was born in 1964; “Lost” star Jorge Garcia, who was born in 1973; Oscar-winner Penelope Cruz, who was born in 1974; and “Sin City” star Jessica Alba, who was born in 1981.

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FOUNDER’S DAY: James Monroe was born on this day in 1758. The fifth president of the U.S. (1817-1825) was born in Virginia and fought in the American Revolution. Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, is named after him, as is the Monroe Doctrine, which opposed further European colonialism in the Americas. He died in 1831 and was, along with John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, one of three presidents to die on Independence Day. He was also the last president never to be photographed.

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SOUTHERN CHARM: Harper Lee was born on this day in 1926. The Alabama native wrote the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winner “To Kill A Mockingbird,” one of the most beloved novels of all time. The film version, starring Gregory Peck as the heroic Atticus Finch, won three Academy Awards. Lee’s only other novel, “Go Set a Watchman,” was released in 2015. She died in 2016.

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

Quotable:

“The Washington Bullets are changing their name. They don’t want their team to be associated with crime. From now on, they’ll just be known as the Bullets.”

— Jay Leno, who was born on this day in 1950