Brooklyn Boro

MILESTONES: August 17 birthdays for Robert De Niro, Belinda Carlisle, Jorge Posada

August 17, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle History
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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include Oscar-winner Robert De Niro, who was born in 1943; Oracle Corporation co-founder Larry Ellison, who was born in 1944; “Valley Girl” director Martha Coolidge, who was born in 1946; “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, who was born in 1949; guitar virtuoso Eric Johnson, who was born in 1954; Go-Go’s co-founder Belinda Carlisle, who was born in 1958; “The Corrections” author Jonathan Franzen, who was born in 1959; Oscar-winner Sean Penn, who was born in 1960; NFL head coach Jon Gruden, who was born in 1963; “Blue Bloods” star Donnie Wahlberg, who was born in 1969; International Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Courier, who was born in 1970; former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who was born in 1971; San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay, who was born in Brooklyn in 1986; and figure skater Gracie Gold, who was born in 1995.

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FULL STEAM AHEAD: Robert Fulton began the first American steamboat trip on this day in 1807. The 150-mile journey from Albany to New York City took 32 hours. Although his efforts were labeled “Fulton’s Folly” by his detractors, his success allowed him to begin commercial service the following year.

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STAR OF THE CENTURY: Maureen O’Hara was born 100 years ago today. The red-haired Dubliner starred in countless films, often as an independent, outspoken woman. She appeared in many John Ford films, often with John Wayne —most famously “The Quiet Man” (1952). Other famous films include “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “How Green Was My Valley,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Parent Trap.” She received an honorary Oscar in 2014 and died in 2015.

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

 

Quotable:

“People tend to view history as if it were another planet and think the modern world was invented in 1963. I don’t agree.”

— Julian Fellowes, who was born on this day in 1949

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