MILESTONES: April 12 birthdays for Shannen Doherty, Claire Danes, David Letterman

April 12, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle History

Shannen Doherty. Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP, File

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include actress Claire Danes, who was born in 1979; actress Shannen Doherty, who was born in 1971; actor Andy Garcia, who was born in 1956; musician Herbie Hancock, who was born in 1940; actor Dan Lauria, who was born in Brooklyn in 1947; comedian and former talk show host David Letterman, who was born in 1947; actress Sarah Jane Morris, who was born in 1977; actress Jennifer Morrison, who was born in 1979; actor Ed O’Neill, who was born in 1946; actress Saoirse Ronan, who was born in 1994; and singer Brendon Urie, who was born in 1987.

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TODAY IS NATIONAL LICORICE DAY. It is a day to celebrate black licorice, including its history and health benefits.

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FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT DIED ON THIS DAY 1945. With the end of WWII only months away, the nation and the world were stunned by the sudden death of the president shortly into his fourth term of office. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the U.S., was the only president to serve more than two terms — he was elected to four consecutive terms. Roosevelt died in Georgia.

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HENRY CLAY WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1777. The statesman served as the speaker of the House of Representatives and later became the leader of the new Whig Party. He was defeated for the presidency three times. Clay died in Washington, D.C., in 1852.

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TODAY IS WALK ON YOUR WILD SIDE DAY. Time’s wasting, friends. It’s high time you went out and did some things no one expects you to do. Be unpredictable for once. Go to work dressed like a gorilla, get a master’s degree — do something “they” said you’d never ever do.

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THE POLIO VACCINE WAS ANNOUNCED SAFE TO USE ON THIS DAY IN 1955. It was announced that the polio vaccine developed by American physician Dr. Jonas E. Salk was “safe, potent and effective.”

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THE TRUANCY LAW WAS ENACTED ON THIS DAY IN 1853. First enacted in New York, a $50 fine was charged against parents whose children between the ages of 5 and 15 were absent from school.

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THE TV SHOW “21 JUMP STREET” PREMIERED ON THIS DAY IN 1987. Youthful big-city cops busted crime in the local schools and colleges in the FOX police drama that starred Johnny Depp as Tom Hanson, Holly Robinson Peete as Judy Hoffs, Dustin Nguyen as H.T. Loki, Peter DeLuise as Doug Penhall, Frederic Forrest as Captain Jenko, Steven Williams as Capt. Adam Fuller and Richard Grieco as Dennis Booker. It was one of the network’s early hits.

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

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“If it wasn’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.” — David Letterman, who was born on this day in 1947