Jerry Stiller was born on this day in 1927. He portrayed one of television comedy’s greatest characters, Frank Costanza.
Jerry Stiller
Category: On This Day
Keith David
Actor Keith David was born on this day in 1955 in Harlem. His is known for roles in such films as “Platoon,” “There’s Something About Mary,” and “The Thing.” He is also known for his part in what some describe as the greatest fight scene in movie history, brawling with Rowdy Roddy Piper in “They Live.”
Jake the Snake
Pro Wrestling Superstar Jake “The Snake” Roberts was born on this day in 1955. His given name is Aurelian Smith Jr., but has been known in the ring as Jake Smith, El Diablo, and the Texan.
Mr. T
Some might argue that he was the greatest actor of his generation, at least the greatest actor of his generation who had a mohawk, myriad gold chains and feather earrings. He was my hero when I was in Grade 8, watching Clubber Lang in “Rocky III” and B.A. Baracus in “The A-Team.” Mr. T was born on this day in 1952.
Rick Rypien
Former Vancouver Canuck Rick Rypien was born on this day in 1984. He died in 2011. Rypien was a player of great promise, a smaller guy who delighted the crowd by fighting, and beating, bigger opponents. Sadly, the promise remained unfulfilled. He suffered from mental health problems, specifically depression, and tragically, he took his own life last summer. Please check out the website mindcheck.ca and learn more about how together we can fight back against depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Bono
Bono was born Paul Hewson on this day in 1960 in Dublin, Ireland. He took the stage name of Bono Vox as the lead singer of U2, which rose to fame as one of the biggest rock bands of all time. Beyond rock’n’roll, Bono is an outspoken activist and supporter of many humanitarian causes.
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May the Fourth Be With You
(Hey, Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song?
On this day in 1975 B.J. Thomas had the longest title of a number one song at the top of the “Billboard” popular music chart. The song was “(Hey, Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song?” (source: On-This-Day.com )
David Letterman
The reigning King of late night television, David Letterman, was born on this day in 1947. David plans to retire from “The Late Show” in 2015.
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Louie Louie
April 11 is “Louie Louie Day.” Richard Berry was born on this day in 1935, and would go on to write Louie Louie, one of rock’s most beloved songs and one of the most covered songs in the world. The most celebrated version of “Louie Louie” was recorded by The Kingsmen in 1963, the same year that Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded a competing version. Over the years the song would be recorded hundreds of times by groups as diverse as Heavy Metal and Marching Bands. The song was even investigated by the FBI over concerns that the lyrics were obscene. After testing the recordings at various RPMs, the FBI concluded that the lyrics were “incomprehensible at any speed.”
Danny Gallivan
Danny Gallivan was born on this day in 1917. He was the greatest hockey play-by-play broadcaster in history and a master of the English language. Danny Gallivan was the voice of the Canadiens through the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Whether you were a fan of the Montreal Canadiens or not, for those over 40 you cannot help but smile when you hear clips from his calls featuring such greats as Guy Lafleur, Serge Savard and Yvon Cornoyer. Hockey fans who are under 40 should take any opportunity to take in some old audio or video clips featuring Danny and some of his classic “Gallivanisms.” The “Savardian Spin-o-rama,” “cannonading shots” and making saves in “rapier like fashion” are just a few. When Mr. Gallivan died in 1993 the hockey world lost one of the all time greats.
On this day in history: Hank Aaron Became the Home Run King
It is difficult for us today to understand the significance of April 8, 1974. On that day in Atlanta, Henry Aaron hit his 715th career home run in Major League Baseball. In doing so Aaron surpassed the record of the legendary Babe Ruth, a record that had stood for 40 years.
That it was the Bambino`s record that was broken was massive. Babe Ruth still holds a place in the pantheon of Baseball icons. However, in 1974 the Babe was, in the minds of most Americans, the greatest ball player, if not the greatest athlete, of all time. The home run mark of 714 seemed unassailable when it was set in the 1930`s. But even more significant than the record was the colour of the skin of the man who broke it. Hank Aaron was black. For an African-American, a negro as he would have been known for most of his career, to break the greatest record in sports, was unthinkable. Hank Aaron still has the letters to prove it:
Hank Aaron has the letters tucked away in his attic, preserved these last 40 years. He’s not ready to let them go.
He almost has them memorized by now, but still he carefully opens them up and reads every word, as if he wants to feel the pain.
“You are (not) going to break this record established by the great Babe Ruth if I can help it,” one of them reads. “Whites are far more superior than jungle bunnies. My gun is watching your every black move.”
Yes, Aaron even saved the death threats, the ones that vowed to end his life if he dared break Ruth’s cherished all-time home run record. (USA TODAY)
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