Almanac - Wednesday March 13, 2024

La Meri, one of the world’s greatest ethnological dancers, was born today in 1898. She learned native dances all over the world, and founded the Ethnologic Dance Theater.

Susan Gerbi, a biochemist, was born today in 1944. She helped devise a method to map the start site of DNA replication and researched the role of hormones in certain cancers.

on this day in 2020 – Breonna Taylor is killed by police officers who were forcibly entering her home in Louisville, Kentucky; her death sparked extensive protests against racism and police brutality.

Also on this day in history….

1639 – Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.

1781 – William Herschel discovers Uranus.

1845 – Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist.

1862 – The Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves is passed by the United States Congress, effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.

1930 – The news of the discovery of Pluto is announced by Lowell Observatory.

today’s birthday’s also include….

1798 – Abigail Fillmore, American wife of Millard Fillmore, 14th First Lady of the United States (d. 1853)

1860 – Hugo Wolf, Slovene-Austrian composer (d. 1903)

1874 – Ellery Harding Clark, American jumper, coach, and lawyer (d. 1949)

1884 – Hugh Walpole, New Zealand-English author and educator (d. 1941)

1892 – Janet Flanner, American journalist and author (d. 1978)

1907 – Dorothy Tangney, Australian politician (d. 1985)

1908 – Myrtle Bachelder, American chemist and Women's Army Corps officer (d. 1997)

1910 – Sammy Kaye, American saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1987)

1911 – L. Ron Hubbard, American author, founder of Scientology (d. 1986)

1913 – William J. Casey, American politician, 13th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1987)

1921 – Al Jaffee, American cartoonist (d. 2023)

1933 – Diane Dillon, American illustrator

1939 – Neil Sedaka, American singer-songwriter and pianist

1940 – Candi Staton, American singer-songwriter

1941 – Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (d. 2001)

1942 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet and author (d. 2008)

1946 – Yonatan Netanyahu, American-Israeli colonel (d. 1976)

1950 – Charles Krauthammer, American physician, journalist, and author (d. 2018)

1950 – William H. Macy, American actor, director, and screenwriter

1951 – Charo, Spanish-American singer, guitarist, and actress

1953 – Deborah Raffin, American actress (d. 2012)

1954 – Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, Guyanese-English politician and diplomat

1955 – Olga Rukavishnikova, Russian pentathlete

1956 – Dana Delany, American actress and producer

1962 – Terence Blanchard, American musician, composer, and conductor

1971 – Annabeth Gish, American actress

1971 – Adina Porter, American actress

1972 – Common, American rapper and actor

1982 – Izi Castro Marques, Brazilian basketball player

1982 – Nicole Ohlde, American basketball player

1983 – Kaitlin Sandeno, American swimmer

1984 – Geeta Basra, Indian actress

1989 – Peaches Geldof, English columnist, television personality, and model (d. 2014)

1992 – Lucy Fry, Australian actress

1992 – Kaya Scodelario, English actress

1995 – Mikaela Shiffrin, American skier

1997 – Pyper America, American model, actress, and musician

2004 – Coco Gauff, American tennis player