Today's Birthdays
Those born on this date are under the sign of Aquarius. They include:
soldier/Vermont folk hero Ethan Allen in 1738;
Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson in 1824;
Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin in 1869;
Roger Nash Baldwin, founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, in 1884;
musician Lead Belly in 1888;
fashion designer Christian Dior in 1905;
high-wire walker Karl Wallenda in 1905;
actor Telly Savalas in 1922;
actor Paul Scofield in 1922;
comedian Benny Hill in 1924;
disc jockey Robert "Wolfman Jack" Smith in 1938;
golfer Jack Nicklaus in 1940 (age 85);
opera star Placido Domingo in 1941 (age 84);
musician Richie Havens in 1941;
musician Mac Davis in 1942;
musician Edwin Starr in 1942;
actor Jill Eikenberry in 1947 (age 78);
musician Jim Ibbotson (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) in 1947 (age 78);
musician Billy Ocean in 1950 (age 75);
former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke in 1950 (age 75);
former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in 1951 (age 74); Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 1953;
artist Jeff Koons in 1955 (age 70);
actor Robby Benson in 1956 (age 69);
actor Geena Davis in 1956 (age 69);
Basketball Hall of Fame member Hakeem Olajuwon in 1963 (age 62);
musician Jam Master Jay (Run-DMC) in 1965;
actor Karina Lombard in 1969 (age 56);
actor Ken Leung in 1970 (age 55);
musician Mark Trojanowski (Sister Hazel) in 1970 (age 55);
musician Cat Power in 1972 (age 53);
musician Chris Kilmore (Incubus) in 1973 (age 52);
musician Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton (Spice Girls) in 1976 (age 49);
actor Jerry Trainor in 1977 (age 48);
actor Izabella Miko in 1981 (age 44);
actor Luke Grimes in 1984 (age 41);
actor Nick Gehlfuss in 1985 (age 40).
Twenty-three. Probably should have known Paul Schofield. I was iffy on Ethan Allen, so I didn't count him.
The patriot or the furniture salesman?
Well, they're the same guy, except he was dragged into the furniture business in 1932. Or at least his memory was.
And I'm not sure Ethan Allen was a patriot so much as a muckraker and an opportunist.
But he was no particular fan of recent birthday boy Benedict Arnold, to be sure.