Almanac - Tuesday March 5, 2024

Born on this day in 1882 – Dora Marsden, English author and activist (d. 1960) She’s been arrested for demonstrating for a Womens right to vote in Britain and she was editor of the magazine The Freewoman

Louise Pearce, one of the foremost pathologists of the early 20th century, was born today in 1885. She found a cure for trypanosomiasis in 1919 and researched the African sleeping sickness.

Geraldyn Cobb, an aviation pioneer, was born today in 1931. She was part of the "Mercury 13," a group of women selected to undergo physiological screening tests at the same time as the original Mercury Seven astronauts, as part of a private, non-NASA program.

Also on this day in history….

1616 – Nicolaus Copernicus's book On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres is added to the Index of Forbidden Books 73 years after it was first published

1836 – Samuel Colt patents the first production-model revolver, the .34-caliber.

1946 – Cold War: Winston Churchill coins the phrase "Iron Curtain" in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri.

1970 – The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations.

1974 – Yom Kippur War: Israeli forces withdraw from the west bank of the Suez Canal.

…and if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday To You! You share your special day with…

1637 – Jan van der Heyden, Dutch painter and engineer (d. 1712)

1723 – Princess Mary of Great Britain (d. 1773)

1834 – Marietta Piccolomini, Italian soprano (d. 1899)

1871 – Rosa Luxemburg, Polish-Russian economist and philosopher (d. 1919)

1876 – Elisabeth Moore, American tennis player (d. 1959)

1882 – Dora Marsden, English author and activist (d. 1960)

1887 – Heitor Villa-Lobos, Brazilian guitarist and composer (d. 1959)

1898 – Zhou Enlai, Chinese politician, 1st Premier of the People's Republic of China (d. 1976)

1908 – Rex Harrison, English actor (d. 1990)

1920 – Virginia Christine, American actress (d. 1996)

1935 – Letizia Battaglia, Italian photographer and journalist

1937 – Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigerian general and politician, 5th President of Nigeria

1938 – Lynn Margulis, American biologist and academic (d. 2011)

1939 – Samantha Eggar, English actress

1947 – Clodagh Rodgers, Northern Irish singer and actress

1948 – Elaine Paige, English singer and actress

1949 – Tom Russell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1952 – Robin Hobb, American author

1953 – Katarina Frostenson, Swedish poet and author

1954 – Marsha Warfield, American actress

1955 – Penn Jillette, American magician, actor, and author

1956 – Adriana Barraza, Mexican actress

1956 – Teena Marie, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2010)

1957 – Ray Suarez, American journalist and author

1958 – Andy Gibb, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1988)

1959 – Talia Balsam, American actress

1963 – Joel Osteen, American pastor, author, and television host

1966 – Aasif Mandvi, Indian-American actor, producer, and screenwriter

1968 – Theresa Villiers, English lawyer and politician, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

1969 – M.C. Solaar, Senegalese-French rapper

1973 – Nicole Pratt, Australian tennis player, coach, and sportscaster

1973 – Špela Pretnar, Slovenian skier

1974 – Eva Mendes, American model and actress

1975 – Jolene Blalock, American model and actress

1977 – Taismary Agüero, Cuban-Italian volleyball player

1978 – Kimberly McCullough, American actress, singer, and dancer

1981 – Karolina Wydra, Polish-American actress and model

1987 – Anna Chakvetadze, Russian tennis player

1988 – Jovana Brakočević, Serbian volleyball player

1994 – Daria Gavrilova, Russian-Australian tennis player

1996 – Taylor Hill, American model

1997 – Milena Venega, Cuban rower

1999 – Yeri, South Korean singer and actress