BIRTHDAYS: Paula Abdul (Birthday 19th June) – American Singer & Choreographer, Biography of Paula Abdul on Birth Details, Personal Life, Achievements.

Paula Abdul

Paula Abdul is famous for her contribution in Pop-music, choreography and as a television personality.

Birth details of Paula Abdul

• Paula Abdul was born on 19th June in the year 1962.
• Abdul birth place is San Fernando Valley.
• Her father Harry Abdul was a Syrian Jewish, but he was reared up in Brazil and then moved to U.S.
• Paula Abdul was a businessman and she used to own sand and gravel business and also a trader of livestock.
• Paula Abdul mother, Lorraine Rykiss, was a pianist and she was also associated with film director Billy Wilder as an assistant.
• Paula has one sister, Wendy.

Early Life of Paula Abdul

• Paula Abdul got inspired towards the limelight area in media with few personalities like Fred Astaire, Debbie Allen, Bob Fosse, and especially, Gene Kelly for his performance in classic film “Singin' in the Rain”
• When she was only eight years old, he opted for her dance career.
• Paula Abdul became the famous as an honor student and cheerleader in her school, Van Nuys High School.
• At her age of fifteen, Paula Abdul was honored with scholarship to a dance camp, close vicinity to Palm Spring.
• During 1978, she gave her performance in “Junior High School”, which was a low-budget independent musical release.
• Abdul did her course in Broadcasting from California State University, Northridge.
• During Paula Abdul study, she was firstly chosen as a cheerleader out of 700 other candidates and she became one of the known faces among the team of Laker girls of Los Angeles.
• Within the time frame of three months, Paula Abdul got promoted as a head choreographer.
• Then after six months, Paula Abdul completely devoted herself in choreography career leaving conventional school study aside.

Married Life of Paula Abdul

• Paula’s first husband was Emilio Estevez, with whom Paula Abdul spent her marital life from the year 1992 to 1994.
• Then Paula Abdul tied her knot with Brad Beckerman in the year 1996 and he by profession is a sportswear designer. They got divorced in the year 1998.

Achievements of Paula Abdul

• Paula Abdul has choreographed many music videos in the whole year of 1980.
• Among her other achievements, she choreographed several videos for Janet Jackson.
• During 1995, she launched “Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance!” It was a hip-hop style, fast paced workout musical video. It was again re-launched on 2003.
• In the year 2005, she again released fitness cum dance video, “Cardio Cheer”, meant for teenage cheerleader.
• Then in the film “Big”, she choreographed sequence for Tom Hank in a giant keyboard scene.
• Paula Abdul career take a positive shape with her achievements in Jerry McGuire, The Running Man, American Beauty, Oliver Stone's The Doors, Coming to America.
• Paula Abdul television achievements include American Music Awards, the Academy Awards, The Tracey Ullman Show and in various television commercial like The King's touchdown celebration.

Singing achievement of Paula Abdul

• Paula Abdul debuted in singing with the album,” Forever Your Girl” in the year 1988.
• The album reached the honor of multi-platinum during the spring and summer of 1989. Then Paula Abdul album “Shut Up and Dance” launched.
• Then Paula Abdul was honored with Grammy award for “Opposites Attract” and here she introduced one cat named MC Skat Kat, which is animated.
• In the year 1991, her album “Spellbound” released and it was a smash hit. About 13 millions copies were circulated worldwide for this album.
• In the same year, Paula Abdul did her television commercial for the product “Diet Coke”. In the advertisement, she danced with digital image of Gene Kelly, who happens to be her role model.
• Then in the year 1995, her album “Head Over Heels” released and it received very mixed criticism from the listener.
• Paula Abdul famous CD of “Paula Abdul: Greatest Hits” was launched on 2000 by the Virgin record.

Other participation of Paula Abdul

• In the year 2002, Paula Abdul became honorable judge of a reality TV program, American Idol. Two more fellow judges along with her were Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell.
• In the year 2006, Paula Abdul decided to stay as a Judge in this same television reality show for coming three more years.
• Then Paula Abdul was cordially invited by Simon Cowell to judge another television talent hunt show of UK, “X factor”.
• In the meantime, Paula Abdul one of the most popular CD “Greatest Hits: Straight Up!” was launched by Virgin on 2007.
• Bravo cable television launched a reality show named,”Hey Paula”, showing regular life of Paula Abdul.
• Nowadays, Paula has a plan to launch her own perfume brand, named ‘Sexy Thoughts”.

BIRTHDAYS: Roger Ebert (Birthday 18th June) – Famous American Film Reviewer, Biography of Roger Ebert on Birth Details, Personal Life, Career.

Roger Ebert

• Roger Ebert is one of the eminent name in the filed of American film review.
• Roger became famous from his review write-up in Chicago Sun-Times .
• It is a weekly journal and Roger Ebert is attached with it from 1967.

Birth details of Roger Ebert

• Roger Ebert was born on 18th June, 1942 and his birth place was at Urbana in Illinois.
• Annabel (née Stumm) was Roger Ebert mother and Walter H. Ebert was his father.
• Ebert grandparents were the immigrants to German.

Marital Life of Roger Ebert

• In 18th June 1992, Roger Ebert tied his knot with trail attorney Chaz Hammersmith.
• Roger Ebert has one step daughter and one step son.
• Ebert also has 4 step grandchildren.

Early life of Roger Ebert

• When Roger Ebert was studying in Urbana High School, he started becoming keen to journalism.
• Roger Ebert started writing for “The News-Gazette in Champaign” as a sport writer during his school days.
• Though his career in writing started with the letter he drafted as a comment for science fiction fanzines.
• With the passing year, Roger Ebert became co-editor for the newspaper “The Echo”, which was a journal for his own high school.
• Roger Ebert acquired his undergraduate degree at Urbana-Champaign from University of Illinois.
• Then Roger Ebert also worked as an editor for the newspaper “The Daily Illini”.
• Simultaneously, he took the fellowship of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
• In 1961, his one of the first movie review brought out by the newspaper “The Daily Illini” and it was for the movie “La dolce vita”.
• With the honor of Rotary International Fellowship, Roger Ebert acquired graduation in English from the University of Cape Town.
• Roger Ebert completed his doctorate in English from University of Chicago.
• Then Roger Ebert became feature reporter in Sun-Times.

Career of Roger Ebert

• Roger Ebert started his professional life as a critic from Chicago Sun Times in 1967.
• Then Roger Ebert left his imprint as a reviewer after writing about Night of the Living Dead [8] in Reader’s Digest.
• Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel from Chicago tribune started working as a host in a film review called “Sneak previews” and it was a weekly broadcast by local broadcasting station WTTW of Chicago in 1975.
• This local show became popular and chosen by PBS for National broadcasting in 1982.
• Then along with his co-host Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert became popular face in TV program named “Siskel & Ebert at the Movies” and he hosted it for 23 years.
• But with the sad demise of the Siskel, Roger Ebert had to look for other co-host to run this TV show.
• After several auditioning, Roger Ebert chose Richard Roeper for this position.
• This program was then named as “Ebert & Roeper at the Movies” from 2000.
• Though he can not host this show anymore from middle of 2006 due to some medical problem which did not allow him to speak, but still his name is there in the title.
• In his long term critique career, Roger Ebert has done many audio commentaries for DVD. Few examples of his famous work for popular films were like Casablanca, Crumb, Dark City, Citizen Kane, Floating Weeds etc.
• Also for the film “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls”, Roger Ebert wrote screenplay along with audio commentaries.
• During the time of Academy Awards, Ebert along with his co-host Roeper made his presence in the pre-award ceremony show,” An Evening at the Academy Awards: The Arrivals”.
• His presence made the fashion announcement and red carpet interviews more worthwhile.
• Roger Ebert also presented “An Evening at the Academy Awards: the Winners”, which was actually the post-award ceremony.

More Achievements of Roger Ebert

• When Roger Ebert was teenager, he was completely grabbed with the writing of articles on science fiction fandom, fanzines which also included Richard A. Lupoff's Xero.
• Ebert along with the Director Russ Meyer (who also directed the movie Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and screenplay written by Ebert), contributed in the movie “Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens, Up!.”
• In 1996, Roger Ebert gave his appearance in “Pitch”, which was the documentary film by Canadian Director, Kenny Hotz.

Later life of Roger Ebert

• Roger Ebert was detected with papillary thyroid cancer at the beginning of 2002.
• In the month of February 2002, medical practitioners at Northwestern Memorial Hospital were being able to eradicate the cancer but with clean margin.
• Unfortunately, Roger Ebert had to again undergo surgery for salivary gland in 2003 and had to undergo radiation therapy as a follow up treatment in the same year, which harshly affected his voice.
• Again Roger Ebert had to undergo surgery for removing cancer near his right jaw in 2006.
• After battling such a painful condition, Roger Ebert lost his voice but he did not stop reviewing with the help of his writing.

Few remarkable reviews written by him in recent days for the movies are:

1. Casino Royale
2. Shrek the Third
3. Zodiac
4. Ratatouille etc.

BIRTHDAYS: Newt Gingrich (Birthday 17th June) – American Politician, Biography of Newt Gingrich on Birth Details, Personal Life, Achievements

Newt Gingrich

• Newt Gingrich or Newton Leroy Gingrich has left his imprint to the life of American as a great politician.
• Newt served United States House of representative as a speaker from the year 1995 to 1999.
• Newt Gingrich was chosen as “Person of The Year” by Times Magazines for his ever-remembered leading role in republican revolution.
• During the time of his major contribution as a speaker, Newt Gingrich stood as the spokesperson of the republic opinion and he did it against Bill Clinton.

Birth details and Personal life of Newt Gingrich

• Newt Gingrich was born on 17th June, 1943 at Harrisburg in Pennsylvania.
• Newt was a first baby of 19 year old Newton Searles McPherson and 16 year old Kathleen Daugherty.
• Gingrich mother single handedly reared him up until she got married to Robert Gingrich.
• Robert Gingrich adopted Newt.
• Candace Gingrich was his half-sister who took birth when Newt already turned young adult.
• Candace Gingrich became gay and lesbian activist in her lifetime.
• As Newt belonged to a military family, he had to move to other cities and completed his study from different military schools.
• In 1961, he ultimately successfully acquired his graduation certificate from Baker High School located at Columbus in Georgia.
• In 1965, He did his B.A degree from Emory University in Atlanta.
• From the Tulane University in New Orleans, he completed M.A. in 1968 and in 1971 he completed his PhD in Modern European History.
• Gingrich started his career as history professor in University of West Georgia located at Carrollton in Georgia. He was there from 1970 to 1978 as an untenured professor.
• Newt Gingrich also took class of Renewing American Civilization at Kennesaw State University in the year 1993.

Marital details of Newt Gingrich

• Newt Gingrich knotted tie with three separate women in his life.
• First, Newt Gingrich got married to his high school geometry teacher, Jackie Battley, when he was only 19years old.
• In 1977, Newt divorced Jackie Battley when he got involved with Ann Manning and it also ended up in 1981.
• In the same year, Newt Gingrich got married to Marianne Ginther and this relation lingered up to the year 2000.
• In 2000, he got again involved with 33 year old Callista Bisek who is also a congressional staffer and tied his knot in the same year.
• Jackie and Kathy are his two daughters from his first marriage.

Election challenges of Newt Gingrich

• During the time of 1974 and 1976, Gingrich stood against Jack Flynt who was known as conventional democratic.
• Flynt for the first time experienced real challenge after the Gingrich stood against him for the two times. Though it was evident Flynt was serving congress from the time of 1955.
• Gingrich chose to re-elect for the six times from the district.
• In 1990 during the House Election, Newt won over David Worley. David Worley was strict democrat and Newt Gingrich lost this election only 974 votes.

Other Achievements of Newt Gingrich

• Gingrich established Congressional Aviation and Space Caucus and also the Congressional Military Reform Caucus (MRC) during the year 1981.
• Newt Gingrich contributed in the establishment of the Conservative Opportunity Society in the year 1983.This group comprised of young and conservative blood of House Republicans.
• In the same year, Gingrich claimed the dismissal of Gerry Studds and Dan Crane who were representative members of the group. Newt Gingrich claimed this due to their performance in Congressional Page sex scandal.
• During the campaign session in 1994, in order to gather the distant wings of Republican party by moving the Democratic policies, Gingrich introduced his and Dick Armey’s contract with America.
• This contract was duly singed by Gingrich and other members of Republic for the sake of House of Representatives.
• This contract became popular due to its support in term limits welfare reform, balanced budget law, tougher crime laws etc.

Negative image of Newt Gingrich

• Newt Gingrich was convicted with the 84 ethic charges which included tax exempt in those college courses which are going on for political purpose.
• In the year 1997, he was claimed to be removed as a Speaker by some House Republicans. It was on air that this was a complete conspiracy, and blameworthy for this were few backbenchers like Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mark Souder of Indiana, Steve Largent of Oklahoma.

After Congressional Life

• After so much so controversial existence in Congressional life, Gingrich has several other contributions in US history.
• Newt is senior member of “think tank American Enterprise Institute” and this institute deal with the issues like Information technology, health care, the military and the politics.
• Newt Gingrich was addressed as a prime contributor in Fox News Channel. Many a time, he even hosted for this channel and appeared as guest.
• Gingrich was honored for writing a book “Rediscovering God in America”.

Recent life of Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich even showed his interest to become nominee in Presidency for 2008 republican during the time of 2005 and 2007.

BIRTHDAYS: Tim Allen (Birthday on 13th June) – Famous American Actor, Biography of Tim Allen on Personal Life, Career, Childhood.

Introduction

Who don’t remember the great sitcom ever Home Improvement, Tim Allen got his fame from this series and became the comedian that people were looking for at that time. The real name of Tim Allen is Timothy Allen Dick. He was born on 13th June 1953 in the city of Denver Colorado. His father Gerald M. Dick was a real state agent whereas his mother Martha Katherine was a community service worker. His father died in a car accident at this time Tim was only 11 years old. After the death of his father his mother married to her college time sweetheart who was a successful business executive at that time. Later on Tim joined the theatre classes and received the honory degree from there.

Tim Allen Career and Success

Tim Allen talent as a comedian came out to be on screen when Tim Allen was casted as the main character in the sitcom series Home Improvement. After such a huge success of the home improvement Tim reached the apex of fame soon. After some time Tim Allen was starred in the highest gross income film named The Santa Claus which added another milestone to his career. After some time Tim Allen again made a huge mark in his career by providing his voice in the blockbuster movie toy story. Apart from Tim Allen great success acting career Tim also formed his race team with Steve Saleen and the race driver which was Bob Bondurant. Because of his great acting talent and the spectacular performances he was assigned the rank no. 48 in the Comedy Central: 100 greatest stands up comedian of all time. Tim is also having the star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Because if Tim Allen great voice over to the Disney animations he is also regarded as the Disney’s great star.

Tim Allen Personal Life

As far as the personal life of this great actor is concerned he was arrested thrice because of his indulgence with the buying and sells of the drugs which include cocaine and marijuana. Tim Allen life were full of police and success however Tim Allen married to Laura Deibel in the year 1984 however they later on divorced in the year 2003. After his divorce from his first wife Laura Tim Allen married to Jane Hajduk. Tim Allen gave his great voice in all the toy movies that are produced till date.

BIRTHDAYS: Tupac Shakur (Birthday 16th June) – American Rapper, Biography of Tupac Shakur on Birth Details, Career, Achievements.

Tupac Shakur

Famous by the name of Makaveli and 2Pac, Tupac Shakur was a great American rapper. Those nicknames were actually his special stage names.

Birth Details of Tupac Shakur

• Tupac Shakur was born on 16th June 1971 at the place of East Harlem which is situated at Manhattan in New York City.
• His name was after the famous name of Tupac Amaru II, who was revolutionist in Incan.
• Tupac Shakur belonged to a political family.
• Afeni Shakur was his mother who was actively attached with Black Panther Party of New York during end of 1960 and beginning of 1970.
• When the revolutionary incident on his mother due to the acquisition of more than 150 charges in Panther 21 court case took place, he was born just after a month
• Tupac Shakur had to face lot many hurdles in his early life because of all those incidents.
• His Godfather who was also a high ranking Black panther, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt., was suspected for the murder of a school teacher during the time of 1968, though it was overturned later on.
• Sekyiwa was his half-sister who is two years younger than him.
• Mopreme "Komani" Shakur was his step brother who often came to accompany Tupac in his recording.

Early stage of career of Tupac Shakur

• Tupac Shakur got admitted to "127th Street Ensemble’ which was very popular in Harlem.
• Shakur first achievement in acting was as the role of Travis and he played this role in “A Raisin in the Sun”.
• Tupac Shakur completed his second year of study from the institute, Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School.
• Then Tupac Shakur shifted to Baltimore School for the Arts to learn art of acting and his entire family also relocated to the same city, Baltimore.
• He also studied poetry, jazz and ballet in the same school.
• Though he could not afford to wear modern and classy clothes like others in his institution but he became one of the most famous identity due to his sense of humor, friendly attitude and supreme power in creating rap every time.
• Tupac Shakur considered as the most talented rapper in his school after wining many rap competition and he was accompanied in his success thoroughly by his friend, Dana "Mouse" Smith.
• During these days, he also acted in Shakespeare Plays.
• Tupac Shakur also performed as a Mouse King in “The Nutcracker”.
• Shakur got closely bonded with Jada Pinkett who became famous as Jada Pinkett Smith later on.
• In “Tupac: Resurrection”, Tupac acclaimed his friendship as a bonding from heart and Jada called him as his brother.
• After the relocation of his family to Marin City of California during 1988, Tupac became the member Ensemble Theater Company (ETC) with the wish of availing career in the field of entertainment.
• Tupac Shakur also got admission to Tamalpais High School there.

Later career of Tupac Shakur

• As his mother was crack addicted, Tupac Shakur has to again move into the home of Leila Steinberg along with his friend Ray Luv and he was only seventeen years old then.
• Tupac Shakur was dropped from the high school.
• Leila Steinberg played the role of a mentor to his life.
• Leila Steinberg arranged a concert with Shakur Group which was named as Strictly Dope.
• After attending this concert, Atron Gregory signed him and established as rap-group named Digital Underground.
• During 1990, Tupac was appointed as a roadie and back-up dancer in this new group.

Achievement of Tupac Shakur

• Tupac Shakur debutant professional release was “Same Song” from the album “This is an EP Release”, which is the second contribution of Digital Underground in the music field.
• Tupac Shakur also debuted in music video for “Same Song”.
• Then he performed for the “Sons of the P” album from Digital Underground.
• Tupac solo debutant was the “2Pacalypse now” album, which was found to be difficult to get marketed. Then two executives of “Interscope Records “, Tom Whalley and Ted Field agreed to circulate the album.
• In 1993, he released his next record Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z which gave two hits "I Get Around” and “Keep Ya Head Up".
• At the end of 1993, he formed a group along with his friend by the name of “Thug Life”.
• Tupac Shakur included his stepbrother Mopreme Shakur, Macadoshis, Rated R and Big Syke as his team member.
• Tupac first album from this group Thug Life Vol1 released on 26th September 1994.

More details about Tupac Shakur

Due to few controversial activities, Tupac Shakur’s life did not go smooth. After a huge contribution in rap song, this great soul died on 13th September, 1996.

BIRTHDAYS: Helen Hunt (Birthdays 15th June) – American TV Actress, Biography on Helen Hunt Personal Life, Career & Achievements, Awards.

Helen Hunt

Helen Hunt was born on 15th June 1963 in the Culver City, California. Helen Hunt was the daughter of Jane Elizabeth and Gordon Hunt. She spent some part of her childhood in the New York City and in the later years of life Helen Hunt joined the University of California at Los Angeles. She got the acting talent which she showed in many movies and sitcoms that she did during her career span.

Helen Hunt Career & Achievements

Helen Hunt started to work in child actress role by many appearances in the series Mary Taylor Moore Show. However along with the appearance role in many series she also did usual character in the succession The Swiss Family Robinson. Helen hunt also did the appearance in the series The Fact of Life in which she played the role of the marijuana smoking classmate. She also acted in the St. Elsewhere. Along with these spectacular roles in the various series she did Bill: on his own this was the show which gave Helen Hunt the fame and recognition that is needed by an aspiring actor. However after this show Helen Hunt also got another show which made her known among all the people throughout America and gave her huge fan following the name of that series was “Mad About You”. This series took Helen to the apex of her popularity. Later on in her life she did a movie among which was As Good As It Gets made this actress to won the Academy Award. After Helen Hunt won the Academy Awards she took a short break from the movies to do the role of Viola in the Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. After some time she returned with a bang in the movies she did the movie called Dr. T & the women, Pay it forward with actor Haley Joel Osment and Kevin Spacey, What woman wants with actor Mel Gibson, Cast Away with actor Tom Hanks. Among all these movies Helen showed her acting talent which made Helen Hunt distinguished among other actresses.

Helen Hunt Personal Life

As far as the personal life of Hunt is concerned Helen Hunt got married to actor Hank Azaria their married lived long till the year 1999 to 2000. After her marriage Helen Hunt got engaged in love relationship with Matthew Carnahan from the year 2001 and they had one daughter which was born in the year 2004.

Awards for Helen Hunt

Along with Academy Award Helen also bagged Golden Globe Award and the Emmy Award. However Helen is the only actress who has won four Emmy Awards in consecutive years. And along with Emmy’s Helen Hunt also won four Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.

BIRTHDAYS: Donald Trump (Birthday 14th June) – American Famous Business Men, Biography on Donald Trump Strength & Abilities.

Introduction:

Donald Trump was born on the 14th June 1946 in the city of New York. His father Fredrick C. Trump was a self made millionaire who by business was a real estate builder and developer whereas her mother Mary was a homemaker who raised five kids including Donald as well. Donald passed his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania in the year 1968. In his personal life Donald married to a New York fashion model named Winkimayr in the year 1977 by the marriage they had three kids however they divorced in 1991. After his divorce Donald Trump married to Marla Maples in the year 1993 however Donald Trump divorced to her too in the year 1999 from this marriage Donald had one kid.

Donald Trump Works

The entrepreneurial skills of Donald are assumed to be learned from his father. Donald Trump father who was forced to run his family business at the age of 11 learned many things by himself which further got inherited in Donald. In the earlier 2000s Donald made the most luxurious building of all time by his name which was made with the motive to identify them as the only international symbol for wealth and privileges. Being deeply master in Donald Trump work Donald also summoned the court to look after that no one else use his name in the business of real estate this action of him shows that how seriously he take his work.

Donald Trump Strength & Abilities

The strength of Donald that made him so successful as businessman was his ability to get something from nothing the example of the Commodore make this clear where he showed his business skills and made profit where other seemed impossibility. There are many philosophy of business that Donald moulds according to the circumstances. One of such thing was that in time of competitions when other competitors lowered the prices he knew the psychology of his clients and instead of dropping the price he raised and instead of facing failure he faced success this is his quality which keep him distinguished from other businessman of his time.

Donald Trump on Television

Donald trump also associated with the great show named The Apprentice. In which Donald Trump used to give chance to the people who want to make their bones in the business field like his business in television Donald Trump also got success through this show as well.

BIRTHDAYS: George H.W. Bush (Birthday 12th June) – 41st American President, Biography on Personal Life, Political Career of George H.W. Bush.

George H.W. Bush

George H.W. Bush was born on 12th June 1924 at the 173 Adam Street in Milton Massachusetts. After his birth his family moved to Greenwich Connecticut. He started his education at the Greenwich Country Day School later on he joined The Philip Academy where he held many important leadership posts like being the president of the student class and the secretary of the student council as well. George H.W. Bush also remained the active member of the school newspaper’s editorial board.

George H.W. Bush Inclination

The attack on the Pearl Harbor in the year 1941 shook George H W Bush and forced him to join the Navy after his graduation from the Pearl Academy. After the 10 months training he was commissioned and he became the youngest naval aviator of his time.

George H.W. Bush Personal Life

George got married to Barbara Pierce on Jan 6th 1945 after his return from the world war that was he into. By the marriage he had six kids among which the elder son was name George Walker Bush.

George H.W. Bush Political Presence

Bush always wanted to something great for the country and he had great interest in policy making so he approached for the Senate seat from Texas but he faced failure in this election because of the strategic approach of his opposition member Ralph Yarborough. The single failure could not stop Bush from aiming high however George H.W. Bush was appointed for the house of representative seat in the year 1966. This win made him the first republican who represented Houston.

George H.W Bush also served as the Vice president under the presidency of Ronald Regan. After the assassination of Ronald Regan bush won the presidential election and took the initiative of the welfare of the country. George H W Bush became the 41st president of the United States of America. During his government he did many great jobs which were totally in the favor of the country. Among such great tasks one was the American with disabilities act of 1990. After some time bush also reauthorized the Clean Air Act which was also considered as one of the noble task of his reign.

The major incidents that took place under his reign were the USA’s invasion in Panama and the Persian Gulf War. However NAFTA was another great incident that took place under his reign.

BIRTHDAYS: Shia LaBeouf (Birthday 11th June) – Biography of Shia LaBeouf on Career Achievements, Awards, Personal Life.

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf was born on the 11 June 1986 in Los Angeles, California since his mother was a Jew and she used to do different jobs for the nurturing of his son so Shia was brought up in a Jewish environment. The name of the actor has Hebrew translation which says “gift from the god”. His father used to be addicted to drug and they both used to smoke marijuana together when Shia was only10. As far as his school studies are concerned Shia LaBeouf was admitted to as African-American school and along with it he also joined the theatre in 32nd Street Visual and Performing Arts Magnet school at Los Angeles popularly known as LAUSD. However after his high school Shia LaBeouf was opted for the Yale University but he refused and gave reason that he is getting education that you don’t get at any school.

CAREER AND ACHIEVEMENTS

In the starting years Shia used to do standup comedy in the local comedy clubs where he used to do comedy as well as dirty talking which made him recognized later on he found one manager through the yellow pages an agreed him to work for her. Later on he started his career from a Disney Channel’s weekly program Even Steven. Later on he again appeared on the Disney’s series named tru confessions in which he played the role of a mentally challenged kid, this show made Shia popular among the teens and kids as well. For this series he was also awarded the Daytime Emmy Award. Later on he did movie Holes with reputated stars like Sigourney Weaver, Jon Vought and Tim Blake Nelson his work in the movie Holes made Steven Spielberg his fan who resembled Shia with young Tom Hanks. Later on in his life he was given the role which is like the dream job for every new aspiring actor to work under Steven Spielberg. The movie was Transformer which showed that this actor has got the guts to make it big in the movie world. Shia LaBeouf is also appearing in the movie Indiana Jones that is going to be released in the year 2008.

AWARDS

Shia LaBeouf has won the BAFTA award for the rising star this award proved his entry in the showbiz which also proved that this guy is going to be a great star of tomorrow. Apart from BAFTA Shia has won many other awards which make him a great actor some of them are Gijo`n International Film Festival for best actor. Shia LaBeouf also bagged the Hollywood Film Award, Newport International Film Festival for the movie let’s love hate. In Sundance Film Festival he bagged special jury award.

BIRTHDAYS: John Edward (Birthday June 10th) – American politician, Biography on John Edward, Political Career, Personal Life, Achievements.

John Edward is one of the most prominent figures of American politics. John Edward served the country as the Senator of the North Carolina from the year 1999-2005. Because of John Edward talent and his abilities which he showed as a senator John Edward was nominated for the designation of Vice president in the year 2004. John Edward came into power by defeating the Republican Lauch Faircloth in the 1998 senate elections. This was the time when john came into power and holds the responsibility of North Carolina. John Edward established a committee which was named as One American Committee for which he draw full time after the failure at the 2004 vice president’s election.

JOHN EDWARD EARLY LIFE

John Edward was born on 10th June 1953 in Seneca South Carolina to Wallace Reid Edwards and Catherine Juanita “Bobbie” Edward. John Edward mother has a roadside antique business whereas his father used to work as a floor mill worker. Later on her mother started to work as a postal letter carrier when his father left the job. John Edward was the first person in the family who joined college. John Edward was a good footballer in his high school. John Edward married to Elizabeth Anania who was his four year senior they both married in the year 1977 and had four kids however one son named Wade was killed in a car accident.

JOHN EDWARD ACHIEVEMENTS AS A LAWYER

After completing John Edward law school Edward clerked for a federal judge and after sometime in the year he became associate at Nashville in the year 1978. In the later year of his life John Edward faced a lawsuit which made him distinguished from his fellows. In the case Edward sued the American Red Cross three times and alleging transmission of AIDS through unsafe blood products.
John Edward also recorded his first pod cast in the year 2005 with his wife. However on December 28, 2008 john officially made Edward candidacy for the president public. However while making this public Edward also made John Edward plans go public as well in which John told that his main concern will be on poverty, global warming and withdrawing troops from Iraq. The time period as a senator was regarded as the time in which he did most for the people of the North Carolina. While John Edward proclamation for his candidacy he showed that he thinks for the country sincerely.

BIRTHDAYS: Johnny Depp (Birthday June 9th) American Famous Actor. Biography on Johnny Depp, Career, Awards & Achievements.

Who not remember the handsome pirate Jack Sparrow in the English blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp made the character of Jack Sparrow go immortal on screen. Johnny Depp was born as John Christopher Depp on 9th June in the year 1963 in Kentucky. Johnny depp mother was waitress and father was a hard working civil engineer. In the year 1978 his parents got divorced which forced Johnny to do self harm. During an interview the actor admitted that his self harm to his body is like a journal in some way. By the age of 12 Johnny was playing with the local garage bands. The first band Johnny Depp played was in the honor of his girlfriend Meredith. In the later time Johnny deep played with the band called The Kids in which they later on moved out for Los Angeles they changed their name to Six Gun Method later on the band split before any kind of deal. After this Johnny started to play with the band called Rock City Angels in which Johnny Depp co-wrote the song called Marry which became the debut song of the album Young Man’s Blues.

JOHNNY DEPP EARLY CAREER

In the earlier phase of his life as an actor Johnny first role came up as the FOX TV Series named 21 Jump Street in which Johnny Depp played the lead role. This single show made Johnny Depp a famous figure among the teen which is almost like an idol for them. Johnny Depp started his film career in the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street which was released in the year 1984. Later came the big movie which proved that Depp has got it all when it come to quality performance which Johnny Depp showed in the movie pirates of the Caribbean: the curse of black pearl. The character of Jack Sparrow that Johnny Depp played in the movie gathered huge crowds to the theaters. However the role played by him in the movie Sweeney Todd was greatly appreciated by the fans in the movie this showed that Johnny can play such character with an ease.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS of JOHNNY DEPP

Johnny Depp because of his spectacular performances in his movies was nominated three times for the Academy Award in the year 2004, 2005 and in 2008 for the movies pirates of the Caribbean, finding never land and Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street respectively. However Johnny Depp was also nominated for the critics’ choice for the same movies this proved that his work is really appreciatable by the critics as well. Johnny Depp won two awards one Golden Globe for the movie Sweeny Todd and second is Actor’s Guild Award for the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

BIRTHDAYS: Frank Lloyd Wright (Birthday June 8th) – American Famous Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright Biography, Career, Achievements & Awards.

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the famous architects that America has ever known. Frank Lloyd Wright was born on the 8th June 1867 at Richland center, Wisconsin of United States of America. Being born at the family of the strongly willed parents Frank was also like her mother of strong will and determination. The graduation of this great architect was under shadow because there is not any evidence of Frank Lloyd Wright graduation at Madison High School. In the year 1886 Frank Lloyd Wright got admitted to the Wisconsin University as a special student during Frank Lloyd studies he also worked with a college professor of civil engineering. However in the later year of 1890 Frank Lloyd Wright was given responsibility of all the residential design work of the firm of Adler& Sullivan in which Frank used to work. By the year 1901 Wright completed almost 50 among which most of the houses were of Oak Park.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT WORKS

Frank Lloyd Wright was remembered for the innovation that he used to put in his projects. Frank Lloyd Wright designed many spectacular designs for the residential houses which made him famous as a notable architect. The many famous projects that he worked upon are as:

PRAIRIE HOUSE

It was the time of between 1900 and 1917 that his design known as to be Prairie house which gain acceptance and popularity among the people of Chicago because the design was made by considering the land of Chicago and which really compliments the land of that place. Unity Temple is one of the trademarks of Frank Lloyd Wright flawless work that he designed. The Westcott House was another example of Frank Lloyd Wright excellence in designing however this was the only Prairie design house that was built in Ohio.

GRAY CLIFF

The period from 1926 to 1929 was marked by the Gray cliff design that was designed by this genius architect. The design of Gray cliff showed his innovation and his preciseness in Frank Lloyd Wright work. The Gray cliff’s largest building that was designed by the Wright was the house of the Isabelle R. Martin.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT WORKS

Among another master piece of Wright includes Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in the New York City, The Price tower of the Oklahoma City and the famous Child of the Sun project is among some of Frank Lloyd Wright good projects that Wright worked out.
On 9th April the master architect died in Phoenix a place in Arizona. In his lifetime he received the golden award by the Royal institute of British Architects. A postage stamp was also started of by his name in the year 1966 considering his contribution in the field of the architecture.

BIRTHDAYS: Dean Martin (Birthday June 7th) – Famous American Actor, Biography of Dean Martin, Personal Life, Career Achievements, Awards.

Dean Martin was one of the most prominent figures that the entertainment industry had at that time. Dean Martin was as an Italian-American singer an actor and a comedian as well. Dean Martin sang many songs which ruled the charts. Dean Martin was born on 7th June 1917 in the Ohio state of the United States of America. Dean left the school at 10th grade and said that the reason for leaving the school was that Dean Martin thinks that the Dean Martin was smarter than the teacher. Dean after leaving the school did many petty jobs like Dean Martin used to deliver bootleg liquor, work in steel mills, at the age of 15 Dean Martin became a boxer famous as kid crocett which left him with many times broken knuckles, permanently spllitted lips. However in the later year as a boxer Dean Martin used to knock out the matches which used to gather huge crowds. After some time dean left boxing and started to work as a roulette in an illegal casino along with it Dean Martin started so sing with the local bands and billed himself as Dean Martini his singing was mostly influenced by the Bing Crosby and Harry mills. In the year 1940 Dean Martin started to sing Sammy Watkins who was the band leader. On Watkins suggestion dean changed his name to Dean Martin.

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS

In the later years dean met the comic Jerry Lewis and they become good friends. They both did a show together in the 500 Club of Atlantis cities where they were not accepted and as a result they were warned by the owner of the club. The very same evening they both come up with an unprepared play which made the audience roll off their seats. This came as to be a success in their life. They both were tagged in a Paramount picture named My Friend Irma. But later on the partnership split due to some arguments between the two comic geniuses. Later on Dean Martin came out to be with a solo film named Ten thousand Bedrooms which proved out to be a box office failure. Later on in the movie The Young Lions Dean Martin worked with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift which made him a reputable actor.

LATER YEARS OF HIS LIFE

Dean Martin later on emerged with The Dean martin Show which made him popular again in the people. In Dean Martin life struggle Dean Martin married three beautiful women and had eight kids from them. But Dean Martin established himself as a great comedian and an actor in the later years of his life after great struggle and problems that Dean Martin faced. On25th Dec 1995 Dean Martin died at his house at Beverly hills, California, United states.

BIRTHDAYS: Sandra Bernhard (Birthday June 6th) – Famous American Actress & Comedian, Biography on Sandra Bernhard Career, Awards & Honors.

Sandra Bernhard started of her career as a stand up comedian but later on Sandra Bernhard is mostly renowned as a good actress, comedian and an author. Sandra Bernhard born in the city of Flint, Michigan in the united states of America on 6th June 1955. In the starting years Sandra Bernhard used to do stand up comedy in which she mostly criticizes the political figures and the celebrity culture. Being good at Sandra Bernhard comedy skills Bernhard got the 97th rank in the comedy central’s 100 top stand up comedians of all times. In the earlier times of her Bernhard used to do work in a salon as a manicurist. Sandra Bernhard spent many years in different countries like when she was small kid her family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in the later year of the life Sandra Bernhard spent some time in the Israel as well when she was 19 she returned back to Los Angeles.

SANDRA BERNHARD STARTING CAREER

Sandra Bernhard career started with The Comedy Store where she became the immensely popular. Later on Sandra Bernhard was casted as the supporting player in The Richard Pryor Show. Later on Sandra Bernhard career took a flight when Bernhard was casted in the movie The King of Comedy in which she showed Sandra Bernhard spectacular performance and won the National Society of Film Critics Award for best Supporting Actress. This was the turning point of her life however Sandra Bernhard remained in controversies for Bernhard friendship betrayals with the pop sensation Madonna. However in the later years Sandra Bernhard started her own show called I Am your Women along with it Sandra Bernhard also released her own album which was not a success and really disappointed her fans as well. Sandra Bernhard also did an off Broadway show which was named as the Without You I’m Nothing later on it was turned into a movie.

OTHER WORKS

In the later year Sandra Bernhard also posed nude for the magazine Playboy. Along with various stuffs Sandra Bernhard also wrote a book called Confession of a Pretty Lady, love, love and love, May I kiss you on lips, miss Sandra. Sandra Bernhard varied albums which were released most were not success but some did really well for her. Some of Sandra Bernhard album were I am your women, hero worship, the love machine any many more.

BIRTHDAYS: Kenneth Gorelick (Birthday June 5th) – Famous American saxophonist, Biography on Kenneth Gorelick Career, Awards & Honors

Kenneth Gorelick, a person who is famous among the people for the beautiful tunes that Kenneth Gorelick forms through his Saxophone. Most of the people know Kenneth Gorelick by Kenneth Gorelick stage name which is Kenny G. Kenneth was born on 5th June 1956 in Seattle Washington; Kenny became fond of Saxophone when Kenneth Gorelick saw someone playing the saxophone on The Ed Sullivan Show this was the first time when Kenneth first heard it and after this Kenneth Gorelick started to learn it from the local trumpeter named Gerald Pfister. However the craze didn’t remain confined to learning Kenneth used to practice playing it along with the playing records and Kenneth Gorelick always tried to emulate what was playing on the record.

THE FAILURE

The failure that came to Kenneth and which made Kenneth Gorelick practice more seriously was at the time when he got failed for the Jazz Band of Franklin High School but Kenneth Gorelick determination of Kenneth made Kenneth Gorelick to selected the next year.

INSTURUMENTS MASTER

Instruments that Kenneth mostly played are Soprano saxophone and along with it the master of saxphone also likes to play alto and tenor saxophone. Kenneth is supposed to be a master at playing saxophone and Kenneth Gorelick is immensely famous in America among the saxophone lovers. The popularity of Kenneth’s saxophone talent can be estimated from the huge popularity of Kenneth Gorelick album Dutone which set Kenneth Gorelick as in most established saxophonist’s list that America has. Along with the soothing saxophone Kenneth also loves to play the flute as well.

OTHER INTERESTS

The great saxophonist married to a Lyndie Benson Kenneth Gorelick has two children from this marriage and like the dad they both have inclination toward the saxophone and piano. The master saxophonist’s talent is not only confined to just saxophone he also plays golf and was awarded with the number 1 musician golfer award. However along with the playing golf and saxophone Kenneth also fly to some of the events as Kenneth Gorelick is a good pilot as well.

ROCKING ALBUMS

Kenneth Gorelick has made many album which rocked the charts for long times. Some of the famous albums that Kenneth composed and made the people to refresh their senses through his music are Gravity, Duotone, silhouette, Breathless, paradise, the moment. Kenneth Gorelick also gave chartbuster albums that rocked the people some of them are The Essential Kenny G, Kenny G- greatest hits, the greatest holidays classic etc are Kenneth Gorelick famous albums which made Kenny as the extraordinary saxophonist.

BIRTHDAYS: Angelina Jolie (Birthday June 4th) – Famous American actress, Biography of Angelina Jolie, Career, Awards & Achievements

Angelina Jolie, an actress who is ruling the hearts of millions throughout the globe needs no introduction. Angelina Jolie was born on 4th June 1975 in the city of Los Angeles, California, USA. This actress belong to the family of talented actors Angelina Jolie father was John Voight and mother Marcheline Bertrand not only this Angelina Jolie is the god daughter of Jacqueline Bisset and Maximilian Schell. Angelina’s parents separated in the year 1976, Angelina Jolie and her brother were nurtured by her mother but Angelina Jolie acting urge was abandoned at this time. In her childhood Angelina liked to watch movies with her mother but Angelina Jolie was not greatly influenced by Angelina father. After some time Angelina’s family shifted back to LA where she decided to bring this desire to an end and Angelina Jolie joined the Lee Strasburg Theatre Institute where angelina jolie sharpen angelina jolie acting skills for two years and later on enrolled in the Beverly Hills High School.

BEFORE ACTING

Before coming to big screen Angelina did many other works which took angelina jolie closer to her dream that’s acting. angelina jolie worked as a model at the age of 14 angelina jolie did modeling in the USA and Europe as well for the Finnese Model Management. angelina jolie also did many music videos which include the name like Meat Loaf, Lenny Kravitz, Antonello Vendetti and the lemonheads.

ACTING CAREER

Angelina’s career started when angelina jolie first played a role in angelina five brother’s five student films, but the professional movie career that started from the year 1993 is still rocking the world. The movie angelina jolie did as a lead actress was Cyborg 2 which was a low budget movie however angelina jolie first Hollywood movie was Hackers which came in the year 1995 did not make up big at the Box Office. But the movie Foxfire showed that this actress has the ability to do different types of role with elegance. The movie that won Angelina an Oscar as a supporting actress was Girl, Interrupted this movie won her the Critic choice as well and through this movie Angelina showed and proved her metal in the showbiz. Angelina jolie tremendous performance can be seen in the movies like Tomb Raider, Gia, A mighty heart and much more the list is long. Angelina also owns a golden globe award for her spectacular performance in Gia which was the mini series.
angelina jolie married to Brad Pitt however there remained many controversies related to this marriage but considering the public opinion Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie make a great couple onscreen.

BIRTHDAYS: Lalaine Vergara Paras (Birthday June 3rd) – American Famous Actress and Singer, Lalaine Biography, Personal Details, Career, Achievements

Lalaine Vergara Paras better known as Lalaine was born on 3rd June 1987 in the city of California in the house of Filipino parents. Lalaine Vergara Para is the fourth among her three older siblings. The actress is better known among the people as the best friend of Lizzy McGuire, a Disney’s series which made Lalaine to reach in the households through this series. The name of the role was Miranda which made Lalaine Vergara Para to won nomination for various awards however the actress has many other talents instead of acting Lalaine has recorded her music albums. Apart from an accomplished singer and a television actor Lalaine vergara paras has a talent of songwriting and not only this, this 20 year old actress has also worked in four television films.

ROLES IN TELEVISION

Lalaine vergara paras has marked her mark in the television industry as Miranda but now the actress needs no introduction, Lalaine vergara works speaks for her. Lalaine vergara paras music album Inside Story which was released in the year 2003 has showed that this young actress has loads of talent in her. Lalaine’s second album which is not released yet is Haunted. Lalaine vergara paras has a great talent of songwriting which Lalaine showed in her album (some of her songs were included by her in her albums). Apart from album Lalaine vergara paras has also recorded soundtracks like Pixel effect and I wish.

FASHION SENSE

The funky dress up of Lalaine keeps her apart from the crowd. The actress herself say that Lalaine vergara paras is a bit tomboy when Lalaine vergara paras dress up and also that Lalaine is a jeans loving girl however whatever Lalaine vergara paras puts on look fashionable. The great fashion sense of Lalaine has made her noticed and made her featured in numerous fashion magazines some of which are seventeen, Bop and Ignite, Teen People etc.
Lalaine vergara paras has been associated with many charity events. The charity events like for AIDS and NSYNC’s challenge for youth. Lalaine’s acting talent is visible in the television film like Annie in which Lalaine vergara paras played the character of Kate. The other movies in which Lalaine showed Lalaine vergara talent is Royal Kill which was released in the year 2008 the character played by Lalaine was of Jan. However there are few other movies in which Lalaine showcased Lalaine vergara paras talent are, you Wish, Promised Land and Lalaine vergara Best Movie. The many roles played by Lalaine are mainly of supporting actress and Lalaine vergara paras was nominated for best supporting actress award for the character of Miranda but Lalaine has flair of being the star of tomorrow.

BIRTHDAYS: Justin Long (Birthday June 2nd) American Famous Actor. Justin Long Biography, Career & Achievements, Awards

Justin Long Born on 2nd June 1978 at Fairfield, Connecticut, USA Justin Long the son of a stage actress mother and a teacher father. Justin Long was the second among three kids at home. Justin Long studied at Vassar College where Justin was the member of the Sketch Comedy and participated in various plays like butterflies are free however Justin Long left college before its completion to chase his career. Justin Long urge for acting made him work in Sacred Heart University in Fairfield as an acting instructor in Connecticut of small children’s group.

MOVIE S DONE

Justin Long Long showed the great talent of Justin Longin acting in the movies like Jeepers Creepers, Crossroads, Dodgeball Justin long is the gut who have the boyish looks which appeals to the teen and the youth such flair of Justin Long acting has made Justin Long to nominate in the Teen Choice Award for the movie Accepted, Live free or Die Hard, The Break up and Idiocracy.
There are any movies in which Justin Long has showed Justin Long talent as a computer geek or better say master hacker but in real life Justin Long admits that Justin Long is computer illiterate. Justin Long in has many movies under his belt some movies of Justin long have made him famous among the people.

TELEVISION APPEARANCE

Justin along with acting in movies has been a regular actor in the NBC TV series Ed in which Justin Long played a really confused and maladjusted high school boy named Warren Cheswick. Accepted was the movie which showed Justin Long to the people as the main lead actor and which further made him nominated for various awards including Teen Choice and Saturn awards which are among the most reputed award.

OTHER PARTICIPATIONS

However Justin Longin played many good roles and made Justin mark in the movies Justin Long did but long before all this he was well known to the people as the part of the depiction of a Macintosh’s get a Mac campaign. This get a Mac campaign has made Justin Long to reach in every house and later on which made Justin Long way in their hearts. As far as the actors better half is concerned right now Justin Long in is found dating Drew Barrymore.

BIRTHDAYS: Marilyn Monroe (Birthday June 1st) – Famous American actress, Biography Marilyn on Marilyn Monroe Career, Awards and Honors

Every time the name Marilyn Monroe appeared on the silver screen it made the people go crazy such was the flair of the Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was born on 1st June 1926. Marilyn Monroe real name was Norma Jeanne later on her named changed to Marilyn who ruled the heart of millions for many year and still ruling. Marilyn Monroe before becoming the heart throbs of the million of people had faced many problems in Marilyn Monroe childhood. From seeing Marilyn Monroe mother at mental asylum to her nurturing in many foster houses, Marilyn Monroe had seen it all. Marilyn was while living with her mother-in-law met with the army photographer who snapped her photos for the YANK magazine later on Marilyn signed a contract with the Blue Book modeling agency and became one of the most famous models of the Blue Book.
Marilyn Monroe came into attention of talent scout Ben Lyon who arranged her agreement with the 20th Century FOX. The contract was of six months but Marilyn Monroe was not given any work in spite of minor roles in scudda hoo! Scudda hay! In this tenure so Marilyn Monroe returned back to modeling after six months. After Marilyn Monroe return Marilyn posed nude photographs which were featured in Playboy magazine’s first edition. However in the coming years Marilyn Monroe proved herself as an actress in the movie Niagara in the year 1953 Marilyn Monroe acting talent in the movie made her critically famous.
Marilyn Monroe made a distinctive mark in the history of the Hollywood as a A-list actress by the movies gentlemen prefer blondes, how to marry a millionaire and the movie dumb blonde made Marilyn Monroe mark onscreen and around the globe.

Marilyn Monroe Productions

Marilyn Monroe established her own production company in New York. The Monroe production left the FOX entertainment back in the race when the seven year itch tops the box office. The second movie under Monroe’s production was the prince and the showgirl which won Marilyn Monroe the David De Donatello which is assumed to be equivalent to the Academy award.
Later on the biggest hit of Marilyn Monroe career arrived which was some like it hot which showed her ravishing persona again on the silver screen. In the later year on 5th August 1962 Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her house in California however the mystery remained how Marilyn Monroe died. She was interred in crypt on 8th August 1962. A legend and a multi talent actress found dead shocked the whole of the entertainment industry and especially the Hollywood where this gem belonged. Marilyn Monroe awesome performances are still remembered by the people and many aspiring actress.

BIRTHDAYS: Idina Menzel (Birthday May30th) – Famous Actress, Biography of Idina Menzel on Career, Personal Life, Famous Albums.

Idina Menzel who is popular for her performances as Elphaba in Wicked and Maureen in Rent was born in New York on May 30, 1971 to Stuart and Helene Mentzel. While Stuart is a pajama salesman and Helene is a therapist.

Idina Menzel name was borrowed from her great grandmother named Ida. She has only one younger sister Cara. Because of mispronunciation Idina Menzel has changed her surname from Menzel to Mentzel forever.

Idina always wanted to be a singer as she was very fond of singing due to which she started taking the classical vocal training at a very small age. Even in the class five Idina Menzel sang ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ in the summer camp from which she became popular and after that Idina Menzel played a role of Dorothy in ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ and Mabel in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’.

Career of Idina Menzel:

Career in theatre of Idina Menzel:

Menzel began her career at the age of 15 years when her parents get divorced due to which Idina Menzel started working as a wedding and a bar singer to raise her living. She continued this job until she holds a degree in Drama from the Tisch School of fine arts. Idina Menzel has also done graduation from Syosset High School in New York.

Idina Menzel did a Broadway production ‘Rent’ in 1995 which helped her in getting the Best Actress Award. After the success of ‘Rent’ all over she never looked back and featured in many plays for which she has nominated and gets the awards. Based on the ‘Gregory Maguire novel’ she started singing in a Broadway production ‘Wicked’ with her fellow actress named ‘Kristin Chenoweth’ whose music is given by ‘Stephen Schwartz’ and ‘Winnie Holzman’. In 2004 she had won a Tony Award as the best actress for the role ‘Elphaba’ in ‘Wicked’.

After signing with the Warner Records she planned to make a new album for which Idina Menzel decided to write and records the songs of its own.

Career in movies of Idina Menzel:

Idina Menzel also did role of appearance in various movies like ‘Just A Kiss’, ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’, ‘Tollbooth’, ‘Water’, ‘Enchanted’ and ‘Rent’. Idina Menzel cut two albums — ‘Still I Can’t Be Still’ which was released on September 15, 1998 and second was ‘Here’ which was released on 10th February, 2004 consisting of six songs.

Personal Life of Idina Menzel:

After 7 years of dating Menzel married to an actor and a co-star in the film ‘Rent’ named Taye Diggs on January 11, 2003 and when they tie a knot their Rent fans started calling them as Tidina.


After the name of the famous Jazz performers they named their cats Ella and Coltrane as ‘Jazz Cats’ and also they have a Yorkshire terrier, a young woman named Sammie
Who suffered from immunodeficiency disease for whom Menzel worked with the Kids Wish Network and take Idina Menzel at the premier of the film ‘Enchanted’.

After their marriage both of them together performed in ‘You Call My Name’, in Broadway musical ‘The Wild Party’, in a film called ‘Just A Kiss’ and in a musical video ‘The Minuet’.

Famous Albums of Idina Menzel:

In 2007 Idina Menzel did a role of character’s best friend in the film Enchanted starring Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon and James Marsden. After this she has started working on Idina Menzel third album called ‘I Stand’ which is launched in U.S. in April 2008.

Also Idina Menzel show stopping performance of the song “Defying Gravity” was again re-recorded and remixed which afterwards become the top 5 hit on the Billboard Dance Chart.

Idina’s albums for her fans are available at EBay, Half.com, and Amazon.com. Her first album ‘Still I Can’t Be Still’ is full of adventurous sex, love and tales of life in the big city.

BIRTHDAYS: Walter Whitman (Birthday May 31st) – Famous Poet, Walter Whitman Biography on Awards, Career.

A renowned poet who is best known for Walter Whitman poetries ‘Leaves of Grass’, ‘I Sing The Body Electric’, ‘Song of Myself’ was born in New York on May 31,1819 to Walter Whitman and Louisa Van Velsor.

Whitman was the second son among the eleven brothers and sisters of which one brother had died at the age of six months. Due to the bad financial situation of Walter Whitman family he attended the school only up to eleven years of age. As he had a great love for nature and was inspired by the authors like Hegel, Emerson, he started writing poems.

Walter Whitman started his career at the age of seventeen when he started teaching in the one-room school. Walter never looked back and continues with his jobs like printer’s apprentice and journeyman printer. From 1846 to 1848 Walter remains an editor for the newspaper called the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. In 1848 Whitman went to New Orleans where he was appointed as an editor for the New Orleans Crescent.

As Walter Whitman was inspired by mankind’s new faith and high expectations Walter Whitman decided to write his thoughts in the form of poems which was later named as the book called “Leaves of Grass”. It was published in 1855 and after that Walt Whitman never looked back. He also wrote the American Epic called “The Song of Hiawatha”.

During the civil war he wrote a book known as “Memoranda during the War”. Whitman worked as a clerk in the attorney general’s office where his chief declared the Whitman’s book, “Leaves of Grass” as an indecent book.

Among many poems his famous poems are “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed” and “O Captain! My Captain”. In 1873 due to the paralytic attack Whitman gives up his work. In his last years Walter Whitman did not lose his hope and a new edition of” Leaves of Grass” was published. After that “Specimen Days and collect” and “November Boughs “were published.

Walter Whitman life was so simple and he even wrote the novel in three days for the money. He believed that between the poet and society there is a symbiotic relation and it is seen in Whitman poems especially in the “Song of Myself”. He had a great faith in all the religions due to which he was invited to write on the spiritualism in 1874.

Whitman had involved in sexual relationships with men out of which Doyle who was a bus conductor, Oscar Wilde and the Edward Carpenter. He also had a relation with a woman with a New York actress named Ellen Grey .Whitman had six children out of which two are dead and in his last years of life he always talked about his girlfriends and sweethearts and accept that he had a love affair.

Walt Whitman was named by different names like “poet of democracy”, “a brilliant impresario of the archetype”. Walter Whitman was considered as the imaginative father and the mother for every American .Even his birthday has been celebrated like the birth of Jesus. Whitman was so inspired by the poets Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Adrienne Rich and Gary Snyder so much that he adopted their lifestyle and wrote his poems like a free bird.

Before Walter Whitman death in 1891 in Camden in New Jersey he sums up all his struggles in writing the “Leaves of Grass” which was also known as “Deathbed” edition. Walter Whitman wrote so many poems due to which he always remembered as the “All American Writer”.

BIRTHDAYS: Miles Davis (Birthday May 26th) – Famous American Jazz Musician, Biography of Miles Davis on Career, Awards, Gifts & Honors.

Miles Davis Biography

Introduction: Miles Davis was a leading American Jazz musician and performer of the mid- twentieth century.

Background Information of Miles Davis:

• Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 at Alton, Illinois.
• Davis father was a dentist and mother, a pianist.
• Miles died at the age of 65 following a bout of pneumonia in Santa Monica, California.
  

Career of Miles Davis:

• Davis started his musical lessons in his early teens with immense support from his family.
• At seventeen, he was a member of a musical band called “Blue Devils”.
• In 1944, Miles Davis got into Julliard School of Music, New York on a scholarship.
• In 1945, Miles Davis began recording with Charlie Parker’s quintet for Savoy Records.
• Miles Davis solo career as a trumpeter began in 1948 when he performed at a jazz club in New York.
• In 1949, Miles Davis nonet recorded with Capitol Records and the musical pieces were compiled as an album in “The Birth of the Cool”.
• Davis career suffered a setback due to drug abuse during the early 1950’s.
• Miles hit back in 1955 with his dynamic performance at the Newport Jazz Festival which lead to a ontract with Columbia Records.
• Miles Davis liaison with Columbia Records lasted for thirty long years.

Here is a list of some of Miles Davis chart topping albums that he released with Columbia Records:

1. Round about Midnight (1956)
2. Miles Ahead (1957)
3. Kind of Blue (1959)
4. Miles Davis In Person (1961)
5. Miles Smiles (1966)
6. In a Silent Way (1969)
7. Bitches Brew (1969)
8. Right Off (1971)
9. Miles Davis at Fillmore (1970)
10. On the Corner (1972)
11. Get Up With It (1975)
12. The Man With the Horn (1981)
13. You’re Under Arrest (1985)

• In 1986, Miles Davis released an album under Warner Bros label titled “Tutu”.
• Davis recordings with Columbia Records is archived and compiled in “Miles Davis: The Columbia Years 1955-1985” released in 1988.
• In 1992, his last studio recording “Doo-Bop” was released posthumously.

Awards and Honors for Miles Davis:

• 1961- Grammy Award for “Sketches of Spain” in the “Jazz Composition of More than Five Minutes Duration” Category.
• 1971- Grammy Award for “Bitches Brew” in the “Best Jazz Performance, Large Group or Soloist with Large Group” category.
• 1983- Grammy for “We Want Miles” in the “Best Jazz Instrumental Performance” category.
• 1983- “Miles Ahead: A Tribute to an American Music Legend” is held at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
• 1984- Miles’ artwork is put up on a high profile exhibition held in New York’s Tower Gallery.
• 1984- Awarded the coveted Sonning Award.
• 1986- Grammy Award for his album “Tutu”.
• 1993- Grammy Award (posthumous) for “Doo-Bop” in the “Best Rhythm & Blues Instrumental Performance” category.
• 2002- Miles Davis’ album “Kind of Blue” receives its third platinum certification.
• 2003- Miles Davis’ album “Bitches Brew” receives platinum certification.
• 2006- Miles Davis is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• 1990- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Miles Davis won eight Grammy’s in all in different categories.

BIRTHDAYS: Bob Dylan (Birthday May 24th) – Famous American Singer, Song Writer, Composer of Folk & Rock. Biography on Career, Awards & Honors.

Introduction: Bob Dylan is one of the most prominent singers, songwriters and composers in the folk, rock, blues and country genre.

Background Information of Bob Dylan:

•Bob Dylan was born on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. Bob birth name is Robert Allen Zimmerman
•He also has a Hebrew name: Zushe ben Avraham. His ancestors were Turkish Jews.
•Bob Dylan showed keen interest in music from a very young age.
•In high school he formed several bands like “The Shadow Blaster” and “The Golden Chords” and his performances were influenced by Rock “n” Roll.
•Bob attended the University of Minnesota and gradually developed a liking for folk music.
•While still in college, he performed at local coffee houses and adopted a new name- “Bob Dylan”.
•In 1965, he married Sara Lowndes and went on to have four children with her.
•The couple divorces and he remarried Carolyn Dennis and had a daughter with her too.
•Bob Dylan went through his second divorce in 1992.

Career of Bob Dylan:

•A few years after dropping out of college, Bob Dylan shifted to New York where he performed in clubs and on radio.
•As Bob Dylan got more exposure, he was discovered by a producer from Columbia Records while playing the harmonica for another album.
•Bob Dylan made his debut with “Bob Dylan” which released on Columbia Records in 1962.
•The album did not do well but his mentors continued to have faith in him.
•In 1963, he came out with another album “The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan” which met with a lot of success.
•Most of the songs from that album including containing “Blowin’ In the Wind”, “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” went on to be all-time classics.
•In 1963, he performed at the Newport Folk Festival along with many other folk singers to take the folk-protest movement further.
•In 1963, The Byrds released a folk-rock version of his “Mr.Tambourine Man” which went on to be a chart-topper for a very long time.
•Dylan track “Like a Rolling Stone” proved to be a chartbuster in 1965.
•Bob performed at one of the most memorable musical tours with “The Band” in Sweden in 1966.
•In 1974, he toured again with “The Band” following the release of Bob Dylan album “Planet Waves”.
•In 1994, he featured in “MTV Unplugged” with MTV.

Here is a list of some of Bob Dylan most notable hits:

•Like a Rolling Stone
•Mr. Tambourine Man
•The Times They Are A-Changing
•Tangled Up in Blue
•Visions of Johanna
•It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
•Blowin’ in the Wind
•Highway 61 Revisited
•Subterranean Homesick Blues
•Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Awards and Honors of Bob Dylan:

•Bob Dylan Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982.
•Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
•Bob Dylan Was honored with Commander des Arts et des Letters in 1990.
•Bob Won Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards in 1991.
•Received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1997.
•Bob Dylan Won the Polar Music Prize in 2000.
•Dylan Won Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Things Have Changed” in 2000.
•Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.
•Bob Dylan Won Prince of Asturias Awards in 2007.
•Won Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards in 2008.
•Bob Dylan won eleven Grammy Awards in his career in different categories for different songs.

Many of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. These include (along with the year of induction):

•Bringing It All Back Home (2006)
•Highway 61 Revisited (2002)
•Mr. Tambourine Man (2002)
•Blonde on Blonde (1999)
•Like a Rolling Stone (1998)
•Blowin' in the Wind (1994)

Songs that were inducted to the coveted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are:

•Blow in' in the Wind
•The Times They Are a-Chan gin’
•Like a Rolling Stone
•Subterranean Homesick Blues
•Tangled Up in Blue

BIRTHDAYS: Drew Carey (Birthday May 23rd) – American Actor, Comedian, Biography on Drew Carey Career, Awards, Achievements & Honors.

Drew Carey Biography

Introduction: Drew Carey is an American actor, stand-up comedian and a television show host.

Background Information of Drew Carey:

• Drew Carey was born on May 23, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Carey birth name is Drew Allison Carey. Drew Carey has two older brothers.
• Drew Carey attended James Ford Rhodes High School where he was member of the marching band.
• Later, Drew Carey studied at Kent State University but he quit mid-way due to poor grades.
• While in college Drew Carey also became a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.
• Drew went on to join the United States Marine Corps Reserve and stayed there for six years. Drew Carey in engaged to be married to Nicole Jaracz.
• After his stint with the Marines, he dabbled with waiter and banking jobs before entering showbiz.

Career of Drew Carey:

• Drew Carey attempted comedy after a friend encouraged him to do so.
• Drew landed a job as an MC at the Cleveland Comedy Club following a stand-up comedy competition.
• In 1988, he took part in the national talent search competition called “Star Search” which brought Drew Carey into the limelight.
• Drew Carey impressive comedy act on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” landed him many other contracts and offers.
• “14th Annual Young Comedians Special” and “Late Night with David Letterman” are some of Crews other television appearances.
• In 1994, Drew Carey began writing his own comedy scripts which he performed “Drew Carey: Human Cartoon”.
• Drew Carey success as a comedian landed him roles in many films and television series like Cone heads (1993), “The Good Life” (1994) and “The Gaby Hoffman Show” (as a writer).
• In 1995, he launched Drew Carey own show “The Drew Carey Show” with co-producer Helford.
• The show Carey a huge success and completed nine seasons.
• In 1998, Drew hosted another successful game show “Whose Line is it anyway?”
• As a spin-off to “Whose Line is it anyway?” he featured in “Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show” in 2004.
• Drew Carey was one of the initiators of a group called “Improv Aall-Stars”.
• Carey also hosted game shows like “The Price is Right” and “Power of Ten” in 2207 and 2008.
• In 2006, Travel Channel signed him to host “Drew Carey’s Sporting Adventures”.
• Drew Carey made a guest appearance on the House Part version of the video game “The Sims”.
• Drew appeared in small roles in movies like “Cone heads” (1993), “The Aristocrats”(2005) and “Fuck” (2005).
• Drew Carey also lent his voice for “Robots” (1993)
• Carey autobiography, Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined came out in 1997.

Awards and honors for Drew Carey

• Cable Ace Award for Best Writing “Drew Carey: Human Cartoon”
• Listed among the "10 Hottest New Faces of '95" by TV Guide.
• Cleveland State University offered Drew Carey an honorary PhD degree in 2000.[53]
• 2000, 2001: Won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Television Performer for “The Drew Carey Show”.
• Carey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.
• Comedy Central ranked Drew Carey #84 on its list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time in 2004.

BIRTHDAYS: Notorious B.I.G (Birthday May 21st) – American Rapper, Biography of Notorious B.I.G, Career, Personal Achivements.

Introduction: Notorious B.I.G also known by many other names was an American rapper.

Background Information of B.I.G:

• Notorious B.I.G was born on 21 May, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York.
• B.I.G birth name is Christopher George Letore Wallace.
• As a popular figure, he was also referred to as Biggie Smalls, The King of New York, The Black, Frank White, Big Poppa, Frankie Baby and B.I.
• B.I.G studied at George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn, New York but was a high-school drop-out.
• When he was young, B.I.G made a living by selling drugs.
• After being in prison for a few months, he left the risky business and self-recorded a sample of hip-hop tracks on a tape.
• B.I.G tracks were played by the local radio station.
• In August 1994, B.I.G married Faith Evans and had one son from the marriage.
• B.I.G also has a daughter from a previous relationship.
• Though he was not a conventional good looker, he managed to impress everyone with his voice and talent.
• B.I.G was killed by unknown assailants in a tragic shootout on March 9, 1997.

Career of B.I.G:

• B.I.G was discovered by Sean Combs (P. Diddy) and landed a contract with Bad Boy Records.
• In 1993, he made his debut as a soloist with “Party and Bullshit” which was part of “Who’s the Man”.
• In 1994, he came out with “Ready to Die” which achieved phenomenon success and received a platinum certificate.
• In 1995, he delivered another hit single which featured remixes of “One More Chance” and topped the Billboard R&B charts.
• In 1995 and 1996, he featured in Junior Mafia’s “Player’s Anthem”, “Get Money” and the Bad Boy Remix of “Only You”.
• B.I.G last album “Life after Death” was released posthumously just a few days after his murder.
• B.I.G became a big name in Hip-Hop even at the young age of 25.
• B.I.G key to popularity was his deep baritone voice.

Professional Achievements:

• B.I.G solo track “Mo Money, Mo Problems” made it to the top ten hits in the UK.
• 1995- Received the Billboard Magazine Award for hip-hop artist of the year.
• B.I.G also launched his own clothing line in 1996 by the name of “Brooklyn Mint”.
• “Life After Death” which was released after his death, received a diamond certification.
• 2004- Was nominated for the Black Reel Award in the “Best Song” category for “Tupac: Resurrection”.

BIRTHDAYS: Tommy John (Birthday May 22nd) – Famous Baseball Player, Biography of Tommy John on Awards, Baseball Career & Awards.

Introduction: Tommy John is a high-ranked baseball player best known for his indomitable spirit and victory over physical limitations.

Background Information of Tommy John:

• Tommy John was born on May 22, 1943 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Tommy John birth name is Thomas Edward John Jr.
• Tommy is fondly known as “TJ” or “Tommy”. Tommy John attended the Gerstmeyer High School in Terre Haute.
• In 1970, he walked down the aisle with Sally Simmons. Tommy John lives with his wife and four children.

Career of Tommy John:

• Tommy was an exceptionally good base-ball player while still in school.
• At 20, Tommy made his Major League debut with the Cleveland Indians on 6 September, 1963.
• After initial hiccups of Tommy John switched to the Chicago White Sox and played for them till 1972.
• Tommy John made his mark has a left-handed pitcher during his initial years.
• John career suffered a setback when the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm got severely damaged.
• Dr. Frank Jobe performed a complex but successful surgery which came to be known as the “Tommy John Surgery”.
• After a long period of recovery, he was back on the field in 1976.
• Tommy John scored most of his wins after the surgery much to everyone’s surprise.
• Tommy determination and ability to overcome of Tommy John physical deficit makes him an inspirational figure for sportsmen.
• Since the invention of this revolutionary surgery, many players have benefited from it.
• In 1989, Tommy decided to retire. Tommy John also managed the Bridgeport Bluefish in the Atlantic League since 2006.

Teams and Organizations of Tommy John:

Throughout his sporting career, Tommy John has played with the following teams and organizations:

• Cleveland Indians (1963-1964)
• Chicago White Sox (1965-1971)
• Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-1978)
• New York Yankees (1979-1982, 1986-1989)
• California Angels (1982-1985)
• Oakland A’s (1985)

Tommy John Player Profile:

• Height 6’3”
• Weight 185
• Batting Hand Right
• Throwing Hand Left
• Win-Loss 288-231
• ERA 3.34
• Strike-outs 2245
• Position Pitcher
• MLB seasons 26
  

Awards and Honors for of Tommy John:

In his career, Tommy John was nominated for the following titles and awards:

• Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1981)
• National League Player of the Month (April, 1974)
• NL Comeback Player of the Year (1976)

Here is a list of professional achievements, awards and honors that have been bestowed upon him:

• 1976- Received Hutch Award for displaying exceptional courage and dedication to the sport.
• 1981- Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
• 1968, 1978, 1979 and 1980- selected to play in Major League All-Star games.
• 1977 and 1979- Runner-up for the coveted Cy Young Award.

BIRTHDAYS: Philip Michael Thomas (Birthday May 26th) – American Actor with Multi Talent, Biography on Famous Philip Michael Thomas Career, Awards.

Introduction: Philip Michael Thomas is a multi-talented American actor best known for his detective role in “Miami Vice”.

Background Information of Philip Michael Thomas:

•Philip Michael Tomas was born on May 26, 1949 in Columbus, Ohio.
•Michael Thomas is a rich ethnic mix of German, Irish, Native and African American parentage. Philip Michael Thomas studied at the University of California at Riverside, California.
•Tomas is sometimes fondly referred to as “Phil” or “PMT”.
•Philip has a spiritual bent of mind and spends time doing Yoga and meditation.
•Though he had a series of live-in relationships, he never married.
•Philip Michael Thomas has seven children in all from different partners. Philip Michael Thomas resides in Florida.

Career of Philip Michael Thomas

•Philip Michael Thomas acting career started at Broadway in 1971 with the A Pulitzer Prize winning play “No Place to Be Somebody”.
•Michael Thomas first television appearance was in an episode for “Toma” in 1973.

Philip other notable television roles include:

•"Good Times" (1974)
•"Police Woman" (1974)
•"Medical Center" (1969)
•Wonder Woman (1978)
•Starsky and Hutch (1978)
•"Trapper John, M.D." (1979)
•Philip Michael Thomas portrayal of detective Ricardo Tubbs in the 1984 television series “Miami Vice” earned him a lot of fan-following.
•Thomas is also known for his soulful musical compositions ranging across Gospel, R&B, Pop and Rock.
•Philip Michael Thomas two successful albums “Livin’ the Book of My Life”(1985) and “Somebody”(1988) were released under Starship Records Label.
•In 2007, he so-produced “Sacha”, that met with phenomenal success on Broadway.

Thomas is currently working on Philip Michael Thomas autobiography and official website.

•Philip Michael Thomas was selected to be brand ambassador for Nextones, a cell phone entertainment company.
•Michael dubbed for Lance Vance, a video game character for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
•In 1994, he was also part of a Psychic Reader’s Network in Florida- a venture that lead to a lot of controversy.
•Philip Michael Thomas played a cop in two episodes of the 1997 television drama series “Nash Bridges”

Some of Philip Michael Thomas significant movie appearances include:

•The Wizard of Speed and Time (Sep-1989)
•The Dark (27-Apr-1979)
• Roots: The Next Generations (18-Feb-1979)
•Sparkle (1976)
•Coonskin (1-Aug-1975)
•Mr. Ricco (28-Jan-1975)

Awards and Honors of Philip Michael Thomas:

•Philip Michael Thomas Nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Drama for Miami Vice in 1986.
•Philip Nominated for TV Land Award for Coolest Crime Fighting Team for "Miami Vice" in 2006.

Quotable Quotes:

•“Once you get to the mountain top that's where you really begin to climb”.
•“Some people never live a day in a lifetime. I live a lifetime in a day”.

BIRTHDAYS: James Stewart (Birthday May 20) – American Legendary Film Actor, Famous James Stewart Biography on Acting Career, Awards.

James Stewart Biography

Introduction:

•James Stewart was a legendary and highly honored American stage and film actors.
•Apart from being an outstanding actor, James Stewart was a Brigadier General in the US Air Force.

Background Information of James Stewart:

•James Stewart was born on 20 May, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
• James Stewart birth name is James Maitland Stewart. James Stewart had two younger sisters.
•Even though James Stewart belonged to a business family, music always had a strong presence.
•James Stewart aspired for career aviation but ended yo studying architecture at the Princeton University.
• James Stewart was involved with musical groups and performances even during his academic years.
• James Stewart married Gloria Hatrick McLean in 1949 after World War II.
•Gloria already had two sons from a previous marriage and the couple went on to have twin daughters.
•James Stewart was single again after his wife’s demise in 1994. James Stewart was an active philanthropist and contributed largely to social welfare
• James Stewart died at the age of 89 on 2 July 1997 in California following a cardiac arrest and a pulmonary embolism.

Acting Career James Stewart:

•James Stewart acting career started on the Broadway in 1932 with “Goodbye Again”.
•This followed with bigger roles in “Page Miss Glory” and “Yellow Jack” which motivated him to take up acting full-time.
•With the help of his friend and room-mate Henry Fonda, James Stewart auditioned and landed a contract with MGM.
•After a couple of failed films like “The Murder Man” and “Rose Marie”, James Stewart bagged a good role in “After the Thin Man”.
•In 1936, Margaret Sullivan helped him get a lead opposite her in “Next Time We Love” and also helped with his acting.
•They both came together again in 1940 with “The Shop Around the Corner”

Some of his most notable and memorable movies are:

•Rear Window (1954)
•It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
•Vertigo (1958)
•Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
•Harvey（1950）
•The Philadelphia Story (1940)
•Anatomy of a Murder（1959）
•The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
•Rope（1948）
•In 1982, James Stewart acted in the first made-for-cable movie “Right of Way”.
•In the 1980’s, James Stewart played elderly characters on screen and actedin several television movies.
•In the 1990s, James Stewart lent his voice for Campbell's Soups commercials and "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West".

Military Career James Stewart:

•James Stewart served in the United States Air Force from 1941–1968.
• James Stewart was part of the action during World War I1 and the Vietnam War.
• James Stewart rose to the rank of Brigadier General and one many military awards and honors before he retired.

The list of awards and medals is as follows:

•Distinguished Service Medal
•French Croix de Guerre with Palm
•Distinguished Flying Cross
•Air Medal
•Army Commendation Medal
•Armed Forces Reserve Medal

Awards and Honors James Stewart:

•1941- Academy Award in Best Actor category for “The Philadelphia Story”
•1985- Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
•1965- Golden Globes Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement.
•1965- Golden Globe Award in “Best TV Actor – Drama” category for “Hawkins”.
•NYFCC Awards for in “Best Actor” category for “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and “Anatomy of a Murder” in 1939 and 1950 respectively.
•1959 - Volpi Cup Best Actor at Venice Film Festival for “Anatomy of a Murder”.
•1963 - Silver Bear Best Actor Award at Berlin International Film Festival for “Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation”
•1982- Honorary Golden Bear Award for Lifetime Achievement at Berlin International Film Festival.
•Lifetime Achievement Awards by Screen Actors Guild Awards, American Film Institute’s and National Board of Review in 1968, 1980 and 1990 respectively.
• James Stewart was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
•James Stewart has his hand imprints in the premises of Grumman’s Chinese Theatre.
•His jacket form his Military days has been showcased at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.
• James Stewart uniform is preserved in the American Air Museum at the Museum at Duxford, England.
• James Stewart was awarded an honorary degree by the Princeton University in 1947.
• James Stewart was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award by the Princeton University for outstanding public service in 1990.
• James Stewart received the “The Pennsylvania Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts" in 1967.
•James Stewart was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame.
• James Stewart received the Golden Boot Award for recognizing and encouraging new acting talent.
• James Stewart has a life-size statue of himself erected in Indiana, Pennsylvania along with an entire museum dedicated to his contribution.
•Indiana also has an airport named after him in his honor.
•President Ronald Reagan presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on 23 May 1985.
•A monument was erected in Los Angeles in his memory at Griffith Park where James Stewart used to conduct a relay marathon every year.
•Since 2003, "The James M. Stewart Good Citizenship Award" is awarded to outstanding Boy Scouts.
•A 41-cent commemorative postage stamp was issued in his honor in 2007.

BIRTHDAYS: Henry Kissinger (Birthday May 27th) – American Bureaucrat Biography, info on Henry Kissinger Education, Political Career.

Henry Kissinger Biography

Introduction:

• Henry Kissinger is an American bureaucrat and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• Henry was the 56th Secretary of State (1973-1977)
• Henry Kissinger was also Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969- 1975).

Background Information of Henry Kissinger:

• Kissinger was born on May 27, 1923 in Fuerth, Germany.
• Henry Kissinger birth name is Henry Alfred Kissinger.
• His family moved to New York, United States in 1938 following political disturbances in Germany.
• Henry Kissinger was naturalized a citizen in 1943. Henry Kissinger had a failed marriage with Ann Fleischer with whom he has two children.
• •Henry married Nancy Maginnes with whom he currently lives.
  

Education of Henry Kissinger:

• Henry Kissinger attended Washington Heights and George Washington High School in his early years.
• Henry attended night school and worked during the day.
• Henry Kissinger was drafted into the U.S Army while he was studying at the City College of New York.
• In the late 1940’s, he went to Harvard College where he earned his B.A. degree summa cum laude.
• Henry Kissinger also got his M.A and PhD degrees form Harvard University.

Career Info of Henry Kissinger:

• Kissinger stayed on at Harvard as a faculty member from 1954 until 1971.
• Henry Kissinger held important positions at the Department of Government and the Center for International Affairs.
  

Here is a list of Kissinger’s designations at Harvard:

• Associate Director of the Center of International Affairs (1957- 1960).
• Study Director of Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy (1955 - 1956)
• Director of the Special Studies Project for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (1956 - 1958)
• Director of the Harvard International Seminar from (1951 - 1971)
• Director of the Harvard Defense Studies Program (1958 - 1971).

Political Career of Henry Kissinger:

• Kissinger has served as Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
• Henry Kissinger was National Security Advisor for President Nixon. Henry Kissinger has an eminent role in the U.S foreign policy from 1969 to 1977.
• The policy of détente that improved relations between U.S and the Soviet Union was his initiation.
• Kissinger had a role to play in the temporary ceasefire between U.S and Vietnam.
• During 1967, he was consultant on foreign policy to the White House as well as the State Department.
• Henry Kissinger utilized this position in initiating and mediating peace talks between Washington and Hanoi.
• He also had a hand in the bombings in Cambodia to target Vietnam People's Army.
• Henry Kissinger received a lot of negative criticism for his indifference during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
• Kissinger had a significant role to play in restoring peace between Israel, Egypt and Syria during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
• Henry Kissinger supported John F. Kennedy’s policies regarding the U.S-Cuban relationship.
• After an active, successful and somewhat controversial political career; Kissinger founded his own consulting firm called “Kissinger Associates”

Amongst his most noted profiles as a consultant are:

• Department of State (1965-68)
• United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (1961-68)
• Rand Corporation (1961-68)
• National Security Council (1961-62)
• Weapons Systems Evaluation Group of the joint Chiefs of Staff (1959-60)
• Operations Coordinating Board (1955)
• Director of the Psychological Strategy Board (1952)
• Operations Research Office (1951)
• Chairman of the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America (1983-84).

Awards and Honors to Henry Kissinger:

Owing to his outstanding contribution in the field of academics, politics and World Peace, Kissinger has received the following awards:

• Guggenheim Fellowship (1965-66)
• The Woodrow Wilson Prize for the best book in the fields of government, politics and international affairs (1958)
• Nobel Peace Prize (1973)
• The American Institute for Public Service Award (1973)
• The International Platform Association Theodore Roosevelt Award (1973)
• The Veterans of Foreign Wars Dwight D. Eisenhower Distinguished Service Medal (1973)
• The Hope Award for International Understanding (1973)
• The Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977)
• The Medal of Liberty (1986)

BIRTHDAYS: Grace Jones (Birthday May 19th) – American Actress, Singer & Song Writer, Biography on Grace Jones Awards, Career, Famous Birthday Info

Introduction:

Grace Jones is a multi-talented Jamaican- American lady who has made a mark as a:

• Supermodel
• Actress
• Singer
• Songwriter.
  

As a model and fashion icon, Grace Jones reinforced the idea that “black is beautiful”.

Background Information of Grace Jones:

• Grace Jones was born on May 19, 1948 in Spanish Town, Jamaica.
• Jones birth name is Grace Mendoza.
• Grace Jones family moved to Syracuse, New York while she was still in her teens.
• Jones studied theatre at the Syracuse University in New York.
• After a series of failed relationships, Grace Jones married a bodyguard who she later divorces.
• Grace Jones has a son with Jean-Paul Goude- her one time beau.
• In 1996, Grace Jones married a man who was 3 decades younger than her.
• Since 2007, Jones has been living in Tivoli Gardens.
  

Career of Grace Jones:

• Before Grace Jones stepped into movies and music, Grace was already a successful model in Paris.
• Grace Jones androgynous looks and figure made her a gay- cult icon in America.
• Jones subsequently earned the title “Queen of Gay Discos”.
• Grace association with Island Records led to a series of hit disco albums and singles, some of which include:

1. Portfolio (1977)
2. Fame (1978)
3. 3.Muse (1979)

Grace Jones constantly renewed her singing style and some of her New Wave music include:

1. Warm Leatherette (1980)
2. Nightclubbing (1981)
3. Slave to the Rhythm (1985)
4. Bulletproof Heart (1989)
   

Along with Jones music, she also overhauled her appearance and looks frequently which gave her a new identity in the industry.

• "I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect for You)", "Love on Top of Love", "Killer Kiss" are among her chart topping creations.
• As a contralto vocalist, Jones sings in monotones as well as soprano mode.
• Grace Jones has a well-developed vocal range and versatile style.
• Her live concerts were marked by outrageous costumes and iconic style statements.
• Grace Jones sang the OST for a television series- “The Avengers” in 1998.
• In 2000, Grace came out with another hit song “The Perfect Crime”.
• Jones performed stage shows and concerts with Pavarotti to support the cause of Angolan refugees in Zambia.
• After a hiatus from music, she hit back with “Slave to the Rhythm” in 2004.
• In 2006, she also walked the ramp for Diesel as a celebrity model.
• Grace Jones first proper movie role was in “Conan the Destroyer” (1984)
• She also acted in a James Bond movie “A View to Kill” in 1985.
• Her other movies include “Vamp” (1986), “Boomerang” (1992) and “Wolf Girl” (2001).
  

Grace Jones also appeared on various television shows and series like:

1. A One Man Show (1982)
2. Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988)
3. Wolf Girl (2001)
4. Shaka Zulu: The Citadel (2001)
5. Hercules
   

Awards and honors to Grace Jones:

• Grace Jones Nominated by Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actress for “Conan the Destroyer” in 1985.
• Jones Nominated by Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actress for “A View to Kill” in 1986.
• Grace Nominated by Saturn Awards for Best Supporting Actress for “Vamp” in 1987.
• Grammy Awards nomination for Best Long Form Music Video for her One Man Show in 1984.
• MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Female Video for "Slave to the Rhythm" in 1986.

BIRTHDAYS: Megan Denise Fox (Birthday May 16th) – American Actress Megan Denise Fox Biography on Personal Life, Career, Achievements,Awards & Rewards.

Megan Denise Fox Biography

Birth Details of Megan Denise Fox

Megan Denise Fox was born on May 16, 1986. Megan Denise Fox birth place is in Rockwood, Tennessee.

Importance of Megan Denise Fox

Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model.

Personal Details of Megan Denise Fox

Megan Denise Fox ancestors are a mix of French, Irish and Native American. Megan Denise Fox mother is Darlene Tonachio. Megan Denise Fox is director of Tennessee Tourism. But Megan Denise Fox belonged to a poor family.

Career and Achievements of Megan Denise Fox

Megan Denise Fox started getting trained in dance and drama when she was only 5 years old. In Kingston, Megan Denise Fox used to attend classes for learning dance nearby located community center. Megan Denise Fox was a part of the swim team of Kingston Clippers and chorus of Kingston Elementary School's. Megan Denise Fox moved to Florida with her family at the age of ten. In Florida, Megan Denise Fox took her complete training and completed successfully her high school education. Fox's dancing and modeling talent started getting recognized by the in the entertainment world, at the age of thirteen. Megan Denise Fox began shaping her career in acting as well as modeling after gathering fame all over the country, through winning various honors and awards in American Modeling and Talent Convention.

In 2001, Megan Denise Fox made was a new-face in the film Holiday in the Sun. Megan Denise Fox played the role of a pampered inheritrix (Brianna Wallace) and a jealous, competitor of Ashley Olsen, the other actor in the film. In 2003, Megan Denise Fox also made special appearances on “Ocean Ave”, Two and a Half Men and What I like about You, The Help. In 2004, Megan Denise Fox acted in “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” with Lindsay Lohan. Megan Denise Fox also portrayed her first role in a TV series on “Hope & Faith”, and in that series she played role of Sydney Shanowski from 2004 to 2006.
In 2007, Megan Denise Fox got the major role of Megan Denise Fox career when she got the main character of Mikaela Banes in real life action film “Transformers”. It was based on the cartoon and toy story.

During 2007 June, Megan Denise Fox performed roles in “How to Lose Friends” & “Alienate People”. It also starred Kirsten Dunst and Jeff Bridges. Recently Megan Denise Fox has finished with her role in “Hollywood starlet”. The movie will be released by the end of this year. Megan Denise Fox appeared in, November 2005, issue of the popular men's magazine FHM. Megan Denise Fox also modeled for FHM for the March 2007 issue. Megan Denise Fox has been a popular face of the cover pages of many magazines like GQ - June 2007 issue of, Maxim - July 2007 issue, and Arena- September 2007 issue. In 2008, Megan Denise Fox was chosen the Hottest Woman on this earth by one world famous magazine FHM, defeating Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba. Megan Denise Fox is sponsored by Agency of The Gersh.
Recently in 2007, Fox has got engaged to Brian Austin Green. He is also an actor and portrayed in the movie 90210, Beverly Hills, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Tattoo Tale for Megan Denise Fox

Megan Denise Fox has got nine tattoos on her various part of the entire body. Megan Denise Fox explains that she get tattooed when she is emotional for something. Megan Denise Fox tattoos include a sign of encouragement on her neck and small poetry on her ribcage. The name of her boyfriend, Brian, is on her secret organ. Megan Denise Fox has a picture of Marilyn Monroe's face on her right arm.

Awards and Rewards for Megan Denise Fox

• Megan Denise Fox career in modeling and acting began in 1999.
• Megan Denise Fox won many awards in the American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
• In 2001 she initiated Megan Denise Fox acting career with the film “Holiday in The Sun”.
• In 2004, Megan Denise Fox worked in other films like “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” “Crimes of Fashion”, and the TV series “The Help”.
• Megan Denise Fox gained huge popularity for her role in the television series “Hope & Faith” in 2004 and for film Transformers in 2007.
• Megan Denise Fox was chosen "the sexiest woman in the world" for the year 2008 in an online poll conducted by the men's magazine FHM.

BIRTHDAYS: George Strait (Birthday May 18th) – American Musician, George Strait Biography on Personal Life, Career, Awards & George Strait Achivements

George Strait Biography

Birth Details of George Strait

George Strait was born on May 18, 1952. Strait was born in Poteet, Texas, but brought up in Pearsall, Texas.

Importance of George Strait

George Strait is an American country music singer.

Early Life of George Strait

George Strait nickname is “King George,". Strait father, John Byron Strait was professionally a junior high school mathematics teacher. The family had a 2,000 acre cattle ranch outside of Big Wells, Texas. George Strait parents got divorced when he was in third standard. George Strait mother left with her daughter and George Strait and his brother lived with their father. George Strait initiated his interest in music, playing with a rock band in Pearsall High School. George Strait was extremely influenced by the country singers, like, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Bob Wills and Hank Williams.

After graduating from high school, George Strait eloped with his high school girlfriend, his love Norma.

They got married in Mexico. On October 6, 1972, George and Norma gave birth to their first child, Jennifer.

Career and Achievements of George Strait

In 1971, George Strait joined in the US Army. While George Strait was stationed in Hawaii, George Strait performed with an Army-sponsored band, “Rambling Country.” George Strait was discharged from his job in army in 1975. George Strait decided to return to his studies.

George Strait enrolled himself at Southwest Texas State University, in San Marcos, Texas. In 1979, George Strait completed graduation in agriculture. George Strait is also known as the "King of Country.” Some of his critics also designate him as a living legend.

Barroom ballads, western swing music, honky-tonk style, fresh yet traditional country western music style were the unique styles of George Strait which made him popular.

George Strait received CMA Entertainer of the year in 1989 and 1990. George Strait also got ACM Entertainer of the year award in 1990. George Strait is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. George Strait has made a record by getting nominated for more CMA awards than any other artist. Presently in 2008, George Strait is holding the largest Number One hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

As compared to all other music charts, George Strait has a total of fifty-six Number one hits overall, breaking record at the moment. George Strait released 38 hit albums out of which 12 multi platinum, 22 platinum and four gold gave him a rank only behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles. The prestigious RIAA have certified his albums at 68× platinum, which earned 58.5 million in the United States. George Strait best-selling album is Pure Country in 1992. It sold 6 million copies.

His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box in 1995, which sold 2 million copies the RIAA, rated Strait as the eleventh best-selling recording artist in the United States. George Strait has acted in many feature films. George Strait acted in “The Soldier” in 1982, “Mystery, Alaska and Pure Country in 1992. George Strait also did a role in The Horse Whisperer (1998) and Grand Champion (2002). Pure Country has been portrayed George Strait in the lead role as "Dusty". George Strait was a famous country singer who strays far from his country culture and traditions. The movie provided the opportunity for George Strait to adopt a rock-and-roll approach. The soundtrack to the album, also named Pure Country, released many hit singles for him.

Later Life of George Strait

On May 14, 1981, George Strait and Norma gave birth to their son George Strait, Jr., named "Bubba." Their first child, daughter Jennifer was killed in an automobile accident in 1986, when she was thirteen years old. George Strait set up a foundation, in the memory of his daughter. The Jennifer Lynn Strait Foundation still donates money to children's charities in the San Antonio, Texas. His son, Bubba, has done his graduation from Texas A&M University. George Strait is pursuing a career as a PRCA team roping competitor. George Strait is fond of fishing, playing golf, and riding motorcycles in leisure time. George Strait is a member of the PRC and plays with his son Bubba in team roping competitions. George Strait is also a big fan of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

BIRTHDAYS: Dennis Lee Hopper (Birthday May 17th) – American Actor & Director, Dennis Lee Hopper Biography on Career, Awards & Dennis Achievements.

Birth Details of Dennis Lee Hopper
•Dennis Lee Hopper was born in Dodge City, Kansas, on May 17, 1936.

Personal Details of Dennis Lee Hopper
•Dennis Lee Hopper parents are Marjorie Mae and Jay Millard Hopper.
•Dennis family later moved to San Diego. His mother was professionally a lifeguard instructor and his father was a manager in an office.
•Hopper studied at Wooster School, Danbury, Connecticut. Hopper is an American actor and film-maker.
•After Dennis Lee Hopper high school he went to Helix High School, La Mesa, California.

Importance of Dennis Lee Hopper
•Dennis Lee Hopper is best known for his roles in Blue Velvet, Hoosiers, Speed, Apocalypse Now and Easy Rider.

Career and Achievements of Dennis Lee Hopper
•Dennis Lee Hopper inclination towards acting enhanced and he decided to choose a career in acting, studying at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California.
•So, Lee further studied in Actors Studio in New York City in New York for five years.
•Vincent Price, whose was passionate for art became close friend of Hopper with same interest.
•Both were fond of the plays of William Shakespeare.
•Hopper made his debut initially on television, in Richard Boone show Medic in 1955 playing a young epileptic.
•Hopper played a role in “Rebel without a Cause” (1955) and “Giant” (1956) James Dean.
•Dean died in a car accident in 1955.
•Hopper was badly affected by his death. Hopper refused directions for several days and got involved in confrontation with Henry Hathaway.
•Due to the incident, Dennis Lee Hopper was blacklisted from films for many years.
•Dennis Lee Hopper acted in many television shows such as Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, The Defenders, The Big Valley, The Time Tunnel, The Rifleman and Combat.
•Hopper also became a skilled professional photographer.
•Lee photography became part of many prestigious exhibitions.
•Dennis also a great painter and a talented poet.
•Hopper was keenly interested Pop Art and used to collect famous work of art.
•Hopper had purchased a print of Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans for $75.
•Hopper portrayed a supporting role in a film “Cool Hand Luke” (1967).
•Hopper got opportunity to act in some of the major films like “The Sons of Katie Elder” (1965) and “True Grit (1969).
•In both the films, he worked with John Wayne and later in collaboration with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson and made “Easy Rider”.
•The film had a deep impact on Hollywood establishment. The film characterized the generation of the Vietnam War.
•It is one of the most unbeaten films ever made.
•Hopper won world wide recognition as the director of the film for his refined methods and innovative editing.
•In 1971, Hopper made a film “The Last Movie”.
•The film was rejected by audiences and critics during its first release in New York City and so did not enter national release.
•Dennis Lee Hopper married Michelle Phillips in 1970.
•They were divorced after a week of their wedding.
•Dennis Lee Hopper gained a lot of negative publicity which lead to the failure of “The Last Movie” Hopper started acting in many low budget and European films such as Mad Dog Morgan (1976), Tracks (1976), and The American Friend (1977).
•“Apocalypse Now” (1979) became a blockbuster, Hopper returned to prominence with the film.
•Hopper gained recognition in 1980 for his directing and acting in Out of the Blue.

Long Love Life of Dennis Lee Hopper
•Hopper was married five times.
•Dennis has four children
•Lee was married to Brooke Hayward in 1961.
•But they divorced in 1969.
•They had a daughter, Marin Hopper.
•Hopper married Michelle Phillips on 31 October 1970.
•They divorced on 8 November 1970. Again he married Daria Halprin in 1972, but divorced in 1976.
•The couple gave birth to a daughter Ruthanna Hopper in 1974.
•Dennis Lee Hopper was married to Katherine LaNasa on 17 June 1989.
•They again divorced in 1992 giving birth to son Henry Lee Hopper in 1990
•Dennis Lee Hopper is presently married to Victoria Duffy on 13 April, 1996.
•The couple has a daughter Galen Hopper born in 2003.

Great Work of Dennis Lee Hopper
•Some of his recent work is:
o Inside Deep Throat (2005) a documentary.
o The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005),
o Sketches of Frank Gehry (2005),
o E-Ring (2005) a TV series.
o Mem-o-re (2005),
o Americano (2005),
o Land of the Dead (2005),
o 10th & Wolf (2006).

BIRTHDAYS: Eddy Arnold (Birthday May 15th) – American Music Singer, Eddy Arnold Biography, Career & Achievements, Eddy Arnold Personal Life.

Eddy Arnold Biography

Birth details of Eddy Arnold

•Eddy Arnold Was born on May 15, 1918.

Importance of Eddy Arnold

•Eddy Arnold was an American country music singer.

Early Life of Eddy Arnold

• Eddy Arnold had lost his parents and his family farm in his childhood.
•At the age of 18, he left home to carve a niche in the music world.

Career and Achievements of Eddy Arnold

• Eddy Arnold had to face many challenges of life to gain recognition in the music world. Finally, Eddy Arnold got a job as the lead male vocalist for a band called Pee Wee King band.
•By the year 1943, Eddy Arnoldreached the image of a “solo star” on the Grand Ole Opry.
•In the same year, Eddy Arnold signed a contract by RCA Victor.
•All of his early records earned well but a very big hit in 1946 broke all the records with "That's How Much I Love You."
•In many other countries and amongst the western singers of that time, Eddy Arnold was popular by a nickname: "The Tennessee Plowboy."
•Col. Tom Parker use to manage the career of Eddy Arnold.
•Soon Eddy Arnold began to dominate country music.
•In 1947-48, 13 of the top 20 songs were sung by Eddy Arnold only.
•Gradually, Eddy Arnold started singing from radio to television.
•Eddy Arnold was successful in the new media.
•In 1955, the pop-oriented records of "Cattle Call" and "The Richest Man (In the World)", became popular outside the country also.
•Due to the increasing popularity of rock and roll, his record sales came down in 1950s.
•But in association with Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold kept trying to entertain his fans by using pop-sounding, string-laced arrangements.
•The style that later became popular as the Nashville sound.
•In 1964, Jerry Purcell became Eddy Arnold manager.
•Now Eddy Arnold’s ambition was to spread carrying his music to a larger number of audiences.
•Already recorded by several other artists, “Make the World Go Away” were an average song until recorded by Eddy Arnold.
•In the recording the direction of producer Chet Atkins, arrangement by Bill Walker's and the talents of the singer Anita Kerr, and pianist Floyd Cramer, combined together to rendition of the song "Make the World Go Away".
•The song exploded as an international hit.
•Bill Russell's played an important role in providing background for 16 upcoming hits of Eddy Arnold by the late 1960s.
• Eddy Arnold started doing shows with symphony orchestras in all the major cities.
•In New York, prestigious Carnegie Hall was wedged for two concerts.
• Eddy Arnold became a popular personality amongst the Hollywood crowd.
• Eddy Arnold worked with RCA Victor since the 1940s, which he left in 1970. Eddy Arnold left the label to record four albums for MGM Records.
•One hit "If The Whole World Stopped Lovin'" was not satisfactory, so, Eddy Arnold returned to RCA Victor.
•Eddy Arnold recorded two albums called “Eddy” and the hit single "Cowboy".
• Eddy Arnold performed his last show on May 16, 1999, in Las Vegas.
• Eddy Arnold retired from active singing after few more releases.
•But he recorded a new RCA album, “After All These Years” in 2005 when Eddy Arnold was 87 years old.
• Eddy Arnold became the member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.
•Eddy Arnold was selected the first Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year, in 1966. Eddy Arnold was awarded the Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award in 1985.
•In his complete career, Eddy Arnold has sold over 85 million records.
•Out of which, 147 songs on the charts, hits on Billboard's "Country Singles" chart.
•Eddy Arnold recordings have a huge variety of songs for mothers and children.
•It also includes hymns, show tunes, and novelty numbers.
•But even today, Eddy Arnold is popularly known for Eddy Arnold love songs.
• Eddy Arnold was ranked 22 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003.

Later Life of Eddy Arnold

• Eddy Arnold married, Sally Gayhart in November 1942.
•The couple had a son and a daughter.
•They were named Dickie and Jo Ann respectively.
• Eddy Arnold died on May 8, 2008 in Franklin in Tennessee.
•It happened a week before his 90th birthday.
• Eddy Arnold and Sally were also blessed with two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

BIRTHDAYS: Irving Berlin (Birthday May 11th) – American Composer, Irving Berlin Biography, Career & Achievements, Irving Berlin Awards

Irving Berlin Personal details

• Irving Berlin was born on May 11, 1888, in Temun, Siberia.
• Berlin had to leave his place with his family.
• They shifted to America to escape the Russian persecution of Jews. In 1983, they reached New York and settled in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
• In Irving Berlin childhood days, Irving had to face poverty so he started working rather than attending school.
• Berlin died on September 22, 1989 in New York City
  

Career and Achievements of Irving Berlin

• Berlin used to earn by singing on street corners.
• Afterwards Irving Berlin was able to get a job as a singing waiter at the Pelham Cafe.
• When he was free from work, use to write songs.
• In 1907, he published "Marie from Sunny Italy," signing the work I, and become popular for it.
• Berlin in his youth remained in music industry but also use to work for jobs available. Finally he ound a job as a lyricist for the music-publishing company of Waterston & Snyder.
• Berlin’s "Alexander's Ragtime Band" became a stunning hit and was rewarded with the title "King of Tin Pan Alley" in 1911.
• A gifted musician in Berlin developed a unique musical style by playing only on the black keys.
• Irving Berlin composed most of his early songs in the key of F-sharp.
• By using a transposing keyboard, Berlin was able to compose his songs in various keys.
• Berlin become one of the most successful and popular songwriters of the 1920’s. Amazingly, he did not have any formal training of musician also.
• Irving Berlin founded Music Box Theater in collaboration with Joseph N. Schenck and Sam Harris in 1921. Berlin use to perform on stages his revues and musical comedies.
• Irving performed a show, Face the Music in 1932. The Broadway musical, “Annie Get Your Gun” in 1946 was a hue success and he was highly honored for it.
• Berlin's spread his musical talents to Hollywood, by giving the lyrics for musical hit films such as “Top Hat” (1935), and “Holiday Inn” (1942).
• A song from Holiday Inn, "White Christmas," is bestseller in history. It was written during World War II.
• Berlin's songs proved influential also for the nation, political rallies during the world wars.
• Irving Berlin also served the army in World War by writing patriotic songs for the show “Yip, Yip Yaphank” (1918).
• In 1942 he also wrote “This Is the Army”.
• The performance earned more than ten million dollars and was given to the Army Relief Fund. Berlin's most patriotic song, "God Bless America," written during World War I, was a sensation at that time to invoke patriotism.
• Berlin also wrote love ballads of the century which became excessively popular.
• Irving wrote "When I Lost You" in memory of his first wife. She died within a year of marriage.
• Some other songs like "What'll I Do," "Always," and "Remember" were written for his second wife, Ellin Mackay.
  

Awards for Irving Berlin

• Irving Berlin had received many awards during his life.
• Berlin received an Oscar as well as Gold Medal ordered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was an idol of American popular music.
• Irving Berlin was honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews for "advancing the aims of the conference to eliminate religious and racial conflict", in 1944. He was also honored by the New York YMHA as one of "12 outstanding Americans of the Jewish faith."
• Irving was rewarded with a special Congressional gold medal in 1954 for the song "God Bless America" by President Eisenhower.
• All the money raised by the song God Bless America included millions of dollars and donated for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts at that time.
• Irving Berlin was extremely skilled as a composer, despite a lack of education and formal training. Many of the songs of Berlin become an integral part of the drapery of American life. Morton Gould, president of ASCAP, said that "Irving Berlin's music will last not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year, but always." On his 100th birthday.

BIRTHDAYS: Jr.George Walton Lucas (Birthday 14th May) American Famous Film Director. George Walton Lucas Biography, Career & Achievements

Jr.George Walton Lucas Birth Details

• Place of Jr.George Walton Lucas was in Modesto in California on May 14, 1944.

Jr.George Walton Lucas Personal Details

• George Walton Lucas father is Sr. George Walton Lucas and his mother is Dorothy Ellinore Bomberger Lucas.
• George had a dream of becoming a car racer since his childhood but a serious accident in his high school days forced him to set his mind in other way.
• So George Walton Lucas started attending community regular college.
• Lucas tied his knot with film editor Marcia Lou Griffin in 1969.
• She was also honored with Oscar Awards due to her editing work on the Star Wars films. The couple adopted a daughter, Amanda, in 1981 but divorced in 1983.
• Lucas had adopted two more children named Katie and Jett.

Career and Achievements of Jr.George Walton Lucas

• George Walton Lucas then decided to go for learning camera techniques and cinematography.
• A popular filmmaker famously known as Bruce Baillie became ideal of Lucas when he was 19 years old.
• George Walton Lucas was also impressed by the perfection of Stan Brakhage, Jordan Belson, and Bruce Conner.
• George Walton started watching art movies. Lucas joined the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts.
• It was one of the first universities to have a complete separate institution dedicated to motion picture film.
• During the passing time in USC, Lucas was highly influenced as well as impressed by the course on Filmic-Expression lectured at the institute by filmmaker Lester Novros.
• The course was based on the non-descriptive substances of Film, e.g. - light, color, space, movement, and time.
• Another motivation was the Serbian montages
• George Walton got impressed by Slavko Vorkapich, later served Hollywood in make brilliant sequence of montages for attributes of studio at MGM and Paramount.
• Lucas watched many movies during his classes.
• George Walton was mainly interested in the films of the National Film Board of Canada like Arthur Lipsett's 21-87, Jean-Claude Labrecque's “60 Cycles”.
• George Walton watched the films of Norman McLaren
• George also saw documentaries made by Claude Jutra.
• Owing to all the impressive films influence Lucas developed very deep interest in pure kind of a cinema and decided directing in 16 mm non-character non-story visual tone poems as well as cinema verite.
• Some of them were entitled as as “Look At Life, “Herbie”, “1:42.08”, “The Emperor”, “Anyone Lived in a Pretty (how) Town”, “filmmaker”, and “6-18-67”.
• Walton was keenly interested in editing and camera work.
• George liked being with the name of filmmaker and not as a director.
• George Walton Lucas first love was visual abstract films that are empowered to create emotions only through cinema.
• Lucas rediscovered the American Zoetrope studio in collaboration with Coppola.
• George wanted to create an ambience for filmmakers to make films as per their own rules, and regulations, and enough feasibility rather than over poking of the Hollywood studio system.
• His great monetary success of the films, “American Graffiti” (1973) and “Star Wars” (1977) helped him to build his own studio named Lucas film, located at Marin County, in Northern California. “Skywalker Sound” and “Industrial Light & Magic” are subdivisions of Lucas film.
• These work on the audio and visual effects of the films.
• Lucas film Games which was again changed its name to Lucas Arts, is a leading name in the gaming-industry.
• The studio for animation named Pixar was also one of the sub-division of Lucas film studio.
• It was based on graphics research responsible for adding groundbreaking effects in films like “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and “Young Sherlock Holmes”.
• Lucas and director Steven Spielberg were good friends in their college time. The friendship resulted in collaborations on the Indiana Jones movies like “Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)”, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984), “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989), and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008).
  

Awards for Jr.George Walton Lucas

• The American Film Institute gave Lucas “The Life Achievement Award” on June 9, 2005.
• Lucas was named as number 100 "Greatest American" and this name was given by the world-famous Discovery Channel on June 5, 2005.
• George Walton was also awarded in 1991 with the honor of the Academy's Irving G. Thalberg Award.
• Lucas donated US$1 million in order to aid in the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall located in Washington D.C.
• George Lucas also gave donation to USC of $175 million to expand the film school. It is one of the largest donations to USC by one person and also a largest gift.

BIRTHDAYS: Stevie Wonder (Birthday May 13th) American Singer & Musician Biography, Stevie Wonder Personal Details, Career, Awards, Achievements

Stevie Wonder Biography

Personal details of Stevie Wonder

•Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950 in Saginaw in Michigan. Stevie Wonder is an American singer and songwriter.
•Stevie Wonder can play multiple instruments and Stevie Wonder is also a record producer. Stevie Wonder is a celebrity of 20th century popular music.
•Stevie Wonder has composed and sung more than thirty top ten hits. Stevie Wonder is son of Lula Mae Hardaway and Calvin Judkins.
• Stevie Wonder was a premature child, and Stevie Wonder had to stay inside the incubator for a certain period of time which caused cataracts in each eye and so he is blind from infancy.
•In 1962 when Stevie Wonder was only twelve years old; Stevie Wonder got the introduction to Ronnie White who was the famous Motown act “The Miracles”.
•Stevie Wonder mother and Morris came to Motown Records. Berry Gordy, who was then CEO of Motown, get impressed by Stevie Wonder and signed him by addressing him with the title of “Little Stevie Wonder”.

Achievements and Career of Stevie Wonder

•Stevie Wonder performed his first and foremost main hit, "Fingertips” in the year 1963.
•The song was a number one popular music on the US pop charts and gathered a lot of fame for Stevie.
•It featured Stevie Wonder on vocals, bongos, harmonica, and drums.
• Stevie Wonder sung many other songs in 1960s, which became very popular. Some of these are: "With a Child's Heart", "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"and "Blowin' in the Wind".
•Stevie Wonder also worked in the songwriting department and composed songs for Motown.
•Stevie Wonder also made a record on instrumental jazz and launched an album in 1968.
•The tracks were mainly based on solos in harmonica. The album was entitled "Eivets Red now and this is the "Stevie Wonder" spelled backwards.
•The album did not gain the expected popularity. It only takes the place of 66 on the US Pop charts
•It became 11 on the US Adult Contemporary charts. It was again released in the form of CD in 1995, and became popular this time.
•Another album, “A Time 2 Love” was released in 2005.
•Stevie Wonder is father of seven children, from his two marriages and other relationships. In 1970, Stevie Wonder married Motown singer Syreeta Wright but they divorced in 1972. In 2001, Stevie Wonder again married fashion designer Kai Milla Morris.
•Aisha Morris, who inspired his father Stevie to write the hit single "Isn't She Lovely”, is a fantastic singer.
•Aisha has mostly accompanied Stevie Wonder on his song recordings.
• Stevie Wonder is blessed with two sons from Kai Milla Morris.
•The older is Kailand and the younger is named Mandla Kadjay Carl Stevie land Morris.
•Many of Stevie Wonder's albums reached the Top Ten in the United States or the United Kingdom.

Some of those albums are :

• Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius,
• Talking Book Inner visions,
• Fulfillingness' First Finale ,
• Songs in the Key of Life,
• Journey through the Secret Life of Plants Soundtrack
• Hotter than July
• Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium
• The Woman in Red Soundtrack
• In Square Circle
• Conversation Peace
• A Time to Love.

•Some of the most talented musicians and singers who confessed being influenced by the singing of Stevie wonder include names like:

Gloria Estefan,
Alicia Keys
Michael Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Carrie Underwood
Tori Amos
Kanye West
George Michael,
Nik Kershaw
Anthony Kiedis
Avia, Mariah Carey
Mary J. Blige
Sting, John Ondrasik
India.Arie
Kuhbumser
John Legend
Musiq Soulchild
Jason Kay (Jamiroquai)
Beyoncé Knowles
John Farnham
Jon Gibson
Aaliyah
Babyface
Justin Timberlake
Craig
Donell Jones and many others.

•It is globally acknowledged by wonder’s fans that Stevie Wonder songs are quite difficult to sing.
• Stevie Wonder is credited to bring synthesizers to the front position of popular music.
•Stevie Wonder also developed many innovative sound and texture.

Awards for Stevie Wonder

•Stevie Wonder was honored with 25 Grammy Awards in his career.
•One of these was awarded for “lifetime achievement”.
•Academy Award was won for Best Song
•Stevie Wonder got the famous title for both the Songwriters halls of fame and Rock & Roll.
•In 1977, he got the album of Stevie Wonder year award. For “Songs in the Key of Life”.
•In 1999, Stevie Wonder was awarded for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
•Stevie Wonder was also awarded for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) in the same year.
•In 2006, Stevie Wonder got an award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

BIRTHDAYS: George Clooney (Birthday May 6th) – Hollywood Super Star, Biography, George Clooney Career, Awards and Honors

George Clooney Biography

George Clooney is one of the few Hollywood super-stars who have made a mark as:

• Actor
• Director
• Producer
• Screenwriter.

Despite George Clooney glamorous status, George Clooney has contributed significantly to cause of “World Peace” and has earned the title of “Messenger of Peace” by the United Nations in January, 2008.

George Clooney Background Information:

George Clooney was born on May 6, 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky. George Clooney birth name is George Timothy Clooney. George Clooney is Irish American. Due to strong family links in showbiz, George Clooney got exposed to acting and performing at an early age. Having moved often in his childhood,

George Clooney attended the following schools and Universities:

• Blessed Sacrament School in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky
• St. Michael's School in Columbus
• Western Row School in Mason
• St. Susanna school in Mason
  
• Augusta High School in Augusta
• Northern Kentucky University (1979-1981)
• University of Cincinnati.
  

In school, George Clooney was an avid sportsperson. George Clooney was married briefly to actress Talia Balsam and does not have any children. George Clooney is an active environmentalist.

George Clooney Career

George Clooney started is acting career in 1984 with a medical comedy E/R. George Clooney played a variety of roles in television series like “The Facts of Life”, The Golden Girls”, “Roseanne”, “Baby Talk” and “ Sisters”. George Clooney big breakthrough came with his role as Dr. Doug Ross on NBC drama ER (1994-99). George Clooney established himself in Hollywood with notable performances in “From Dusk Till Dawn”, “One Fine Day” and “The Peacemaker”. George Clooney also played the lead in “Batman & Robin”, “Out of Sight”, and “Three Kings”. After he left “ER” in 1999, George Clooney acted exclusively in Hollywood movies.

Some of his blockbuster films include:

• The Perfect Storm
• Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Ocean's Eleven (2001),
• Ocean's Twelve ( 2004)
• Ocean's Thirteen (2007).
• “Syriana” (2005)
• “The Good German”

In 2002, George Clooney made his directorial debut with “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” which won him critic acclaim. George Clooney produced, directed and acted in “Good Night, and Good Luck” in 2005.

George Clooney Awards and Honors:

In 2006, George Clooney won an Oscar for his role in “Syriana”. People’s magazine has voted George Clooney for being “The Sexiest Man Alive” in 1997 and 2006. In 2006, George Clooney also received the “American Cinametheque Award”. George Clooney film “Good Night and Good Luck” also won the "Cinema for Peace 2006 Most Valuable Film Award".

BIRTHDAYS: Tony Hawk (Birthday May 12th) – American Skateboarder Biography, Personal Details, Tony Hawk Multitasking Career

Tony Hawk Biography

Tony Hawk Birth Details

Tony Hawk was born on May 12, 1968.

Tony Hawk Importance

Tony Hawk is one of the greatest American skateboarders in the history of the sport. Tony Hawk showed his first skills on a board at the age of nine. Since then Tony Hawk has persistently challenged the sport. Tony Hawk is known for the discovery of many tricks for aerial skateboard like Stalefish, Mc Hawk and Madonna. Tony Hawk invented and introduced over 80 other tricks. The most famous being the first skater in the record, which combines two and a half rotations or 900° in the air.

Tony Hawk Personal details

Tony Hawk’s mother was Nancy, professor of a college and father was Frank Hawk, U.S. Navy officer (retired). Tony Hawk is the youngest of one brother, Steve, and two sisters, Lenore and Patricia Tony. Tony Hawk has declared himself as the "coolest kid". Tony Hawk wrote that he was desperate, unfocused, and fond of becoming aloof from the crowd.

Tony Hawk was 9 years old when one day his brother gave a start to his hidden skills, by giving him a fiberglass banana board, which is blue in color. Tony Hawk got married on April 1990 to Cindy Dunbar. But they got legally separated in 1993. Their son’s name is Hudson (Riley) Hawk, whose birthday is on December 6, 1992. Tony Hawk again tied his knot with Erin Lee from 1996 to 2004.

Spencer, born on 26 July 1999 and Keegan, born on 18 March 2001, are two sons from his second marriage. Tony Hawk married Lhotse Merriam on 12 January, 2005. The couple is currently expecting their first child, to be delivered in June 2008.

Tony Hawk Career

Some of the tricks invented by Tony Hawk are:

Air walk, Stale Fish, shuvit feeble grind, Gymnast Plant, Madonna, Frontside cab, Ollie 540, Frontside blunt, 720, Varial 720, The 900. All these tricks marked the upcoming level of his rise to fame, settling his status as a household name. Tony Hawk retired from competitive skateboarding after some time but is still skating and performing.

In 1994, the industry of skateboarding suffered a slowdown. The vertical skateboarding also became declined in popularity due to the hike of street skating. So, Tony Hawk ventured with ex-Powell Peralta pro Per Welinder in his Birdhouse Project, and it is presently popular as “Birdhouse Skateboards”.

Tony Hawk Multitasking career

Tony Hawk is also proprietor of his TV production and Film Company called 900 Film. Tony Hawk also started “Hawk Clothing”, including a footwear and apparel brand available majorly at Kohl's. Tony Hawk had also organised Boom Boom HuckJam tour which was among the most mentionable sports tour and included sports like BMX, skateboarding, and Freestyle Motocross.

The tour covered USA in the year 2003, 2004, and 2005 it consists of the tour Six Flags parks across the country. Tony Hawk also released a popular series of video game on skateboarding; named Tony Hawk's skateboarding or Tony Hawk's Pro Skater during the year 1999. With the Tony Hawk license 10 games are released till today. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is among the current which was landed in the market with its own individuality in October 2007.

In the year 2000, Tony Hawk penned downs his autobiography with the help of Sean Mortimer. It was named as HAWK: Occupation: Skateboarder. It took place in 18 numbers in the list of New York Times bestseller. After his autobiography, Tony Hawk then jotted down his next book, named Between Boardslides and Burnout, which was a road journal.

In March 2007, he produced his trendiest roller coaster which is named as Tony Hawk's Big Spin. Tony also ventured one non-profit organization or NGO, famous as Tony Hawk Foundation

Its objective is to provide financial and other kind of assistance to underprivileged people in order to design a skateboard parks. Having started in 2002, the Foundation donated several million dollars in order to assist as a grant and assistance. Tony Hawk has founded another organization called Athletes for Hope during the month of April in 2007. It is a public charity that was launched on ABC's Good Morning America and ESPN.

It is comprised of eleven members who are philanthropic athletes namely:

• Andre Agassi,
• Muhammad Ali,
• Lance Armstrong,
• Warrick Dunn,
• Jeff Gordon,
• Mia Hamm,
• Andrea Jaeger,
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
• Mario Lemieux,
• Alonzo Mourning,
• Cal Ripken,
  

Along with Jr. Athletes is for Hope for the establishment of liaison between athletes, businesses, and individuals, which are involved in community and charitable reasons.

BIRTHDAYS: Fred Astaire (Birthday May 10th) – American Dancer, Actor & Singer Biography, Fred Astaire Career, Achievements & Rewards

Birth Details

• Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 10, 1899.

Importance

•Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, actor, singer and choreographer.

Personal life

•Fred Astaire father’s name was Frederic Austerlitz, a brewer by trade and was a Catholic.
•Astaire mother, Johanna Geilus was born in the United States but was a German.
•“Astaire” was a name adopted by Fred and his sister Adele in 1905, during the dance, speaking, and singing preparation for developing an act called vaudeville.

Career

•Fred Astaire complete career lasted for seventy-six years, during which he made thirty-one musical films.
•Fred made ten films which transformed and revolutionize the industry of entertainment. He mainly worked in association with Ginger Rogers in making films.
•Fred Astaire was the greatest dancer of the twentieth century.
•Astaire is still known to have been the most dominant and leading dancer in the history of film and television musicals performances.
•Fred and Adele signed a major contract when they played the famed Orpheum circuit all over the United States, including Omaha.Fred and Adele performed on Broadway and on the London stage in shows such as Lady Be Good, Funny Face and The Band Wagon in 1920’s and enormously applauded by the theater crowd all over the Atlantic.
•They break up in 1932, when Adele married, Lord Charles Cavendish and Fred went on to achieve success while considering offers from Hollywood.

Achievements and rewards

•In 1933 Fred went through RKO Pictures screen test report on Astaire, but the test was clearly disappointing.
•In 1933 only, he appeared in his Hollywood debut where Fred Astaire acted as a dancer with Joan Crawford in the successful musical film “Dancing Lady”.
•Astaire was initially not willing to become part of another dancing team, but he was convinced by the public appeal of the Astaire-Rogers pairing and therefore decided to pursue the pairing.
•Gradually, Fred Astaire made a total of ten musical films with Ginger Rogers.
•The choreography of Astaire and Hermes Pan, assisted in transforming dance in a revolutionary element of the Hollywood film musical.
•Till today the Astaire-Rogers series are among the top films of the 1930s.
•Some of these are:
o The Gay Divorcee (1934),
o Roberta (1935),
o Top Hat (1935),
o Follow the Fleet (1936),
o Swing Time (1936),
o Shall We Dance (1937),
o Carefree (1938).

•The partnership made them achieve the unexpected stardom.
•Characteristically, an Astaire film would contain a solo performance by Astaire which he called his "sock solo," a dance routine with a romantic, comedy, dance partner. Rogers is considered to have been Astaire's greatest dance partner.
•As compared to the later partners such as Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, Vera Ellen, and Eleanor Powell who displayed superior as well as technical dance ability
•Ginger Rogers had an incomparable style and talent.
•Ginger Rogers while dancing conveyed the impression that dancing with Fred is the most thrilling experience that anyone can think of.
•Astaire introduced some of the most popular songs, Irving Berlin's "Isn't it a Lovely Day", "Cheek to Cheek" and "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" from Top Hat (1935),
•"Let's Face the Music and Dance" from Follow the Fleet (1936) and "Change Partners" from Carefree (1938).
•He also performed

o Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight" from Swing Time (1936)
o the Gershwins' "They Can't Take That Away From Me" from Shall We Dance (1937),
o "A Foggy Day" and "Nice Work if You Can Get it" from A Damsel in Distress (1937).

•Fred also commenced Johnny Mercer's "One for My Baby" from The Sky's the Limit (1943) and "Something's Gotta Give" from Daddy Long Legs (1955) along with Harry Warren and Arthur Freed's "This Heart of Mine" from Ziegfeld Follies (1946).
•Some of the films done by Fred were:

o You'll Never Get Rich (1941) ,
o Holiday Inn (1942)
o You Were Never Lovelier (1942) ,
o The Sky's the Limit (1943),
o Yolanda and the Thief (1945),
o Ziegfeld Follies (1946),
o Blue Skies (1946),
o Easter Parade (1948),
o The Barkleys of Broadway (1949).

BIRTHDAY: Ann B. Davis (Birthday May 3rd) – Famous American Television Actress, Biography of Ann B. Davis, Television Career, Awards, Honors

Ann B. Davis

Ann B. Davis is a prominent television actress of yesteryears who has several programs and awards to her credit.

Ann B. Davis Background Information:

Ann B Davis was born on May 3rd 1926 in Schenectady, New York, USA. Ann B. Davis Birth Name is Ann Bradford Davis. Ann B. Davis has a twin sister named Harriet. Ann B. Davis attended Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Later, Ann B. Davis went on to study theatre at the University of Michigan. Ann B Davis graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Ann B. Davis is currently based in San Antonio, Texas. Since 1974, Ann B. Davis has been a part of an Episcopalian religious community in Denver. Ann B. Davis is involved with the church missions and charity work after retiring from showbiz.

Ann B. Davis Career

Ann B. Davis shot to popularity after her portrayal as Charmaine Schultz in “The Bob Cummings Show”. Ann B Davis also appeared in commercials for the Ford Motor Company. Ann B. Davis role as a housekeeper named Alice in “The Brady Brunch” television series also won Ann B Davis a lot of acclaim and recognition. In 1995, Ann B. Davis essayed a role of truck-driver "Schultzy" – named after her original character Charmaine Schultz for “The Brady Bunch Movie”.

In the 1980’s Davis was the brand ambassador for “Minute Rice”. The popularity of Alice the housekeeper landed her many commercials for household products even after retirement. Ann B. Davis carried her “Brady Bunch” legacy forward by featuring in “The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady After All These Years” In 2000, Susanne Spoke played her character in “Growing Up Brady”. The maid’s blue and white uniform has become the hallmark of her career.

Ann B. Davis Awards and Honors:

• Ann B Davis received a standing ovation at the TV Land Pop Culture Award on the 5th annual TV Land Awards.
• Ann B. Davis won an Emmy Award in the “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” category for "The Bob Cummings Show" in 1958 and 1959.
• In 2007, Ann B Davis won the Pop Culture Award for her role in “The Brady Bunch”.
• Ann B Davis won the TV Land Award for the “Favorite Made-for-TV Maid” in 2004 and 2006.

BIRTHDAY: Bing Crosby (Birthday May 3rd) – Famous American Singer, Biography of Bing Crosby, Bing Crosby Career, Awards, Honors, Achievements

Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby was a renowned American singer and actor who have a long list of movies and awards to his credit.

Bing Crosby Background Information:

Bing Crosby was born on May 3, 1903 in Tacoma, Washington. Bing Crosby birth name was Harry Lillis Crosby. “Bing” was actually a nick-name given by a neighbor. Bing Crosby has six other siblings- four brothers and two sisters. Bing Crosby father and mother had an English and Irish lineage respectively. The Bing Crosby family moved to Spokane, Washington in 1906. While in Spokane, Bing Crosby worked part-time in an auditorium where he was inspired by the performances of Al Jolson. Bing Bing Crosby studied law at the Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. That was when Bing Crosby joined a local band called “Musicaladars” along with some high-school students.

The band met with phenomenal success and he dropped out of school for a singing career. Bing Crosby lost his first wife to ovarian cancer in 1952 and had four children from that marriage. After a series of link-ups Bing Crosby married Kathryn Grant in 1957 and went on to have three children from her. Bing Crosby also had a history of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana abuse in his early days but quit after a lung surgery in 1974. Bing Crosby was also an avid sportsperson. Bing Crosby died of a massive heart attack while playing golf in Madrid, Spain on October 14, 1977. Bing Crosby was 74 at the time of his death.

Bing Crosby Career:

Bing Crosby was discovered in 1926 by a popular bandleader Paul Whiteman who instantly hired him. The first song Bing Crosby recorded was “I’ve Got The Girl”. The band was rechristened “The Rhythm Boys” and Bing Crosby became a popular figure in the music industry. Bing Crosby first hit was “Ol’Man River” which came out in 1928. Bing later left the “Rhythm Boys” and signed up with Brunswick Records and came out with many hit songs with them. Eventually, Bing Crosby parted with the band members and the company to establish a solo musical career.

From the 1930-1950’s Bing Crosby ruled the roost with chart-toping numbers and hit solos. Bing Crosby popularity also landed him roles in 79 movies. Bing Crosby made his radio debut with the Carl Fenton Orchestra. Bing Crosby hosted NBC’s Kraft Music Hall for ten years. It was due to him that the word “crooner” came to exist in popular music. In 1942, Bing Crosby delivered his biggest musical hit- “White Christmas”. Bing Crosby stayed at #1 position on the charts for 11 consecutive weeks. Other Academy award winning songs by Crosby include "Sweet Leilani" (1937), "White Christmas" (1942), "Swinging on a Star" (1944), "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (1951) — and won an acting Oscar for Going My Way (1944).

Bing Crosby Awards and honors:

• Inducted in the radio and popular music divisions of National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame . Spokane has a theatre named after Bing Crosby. His statue, memorabilia and awards are on display at the Crosby Student Center in Gonzaga University. Was given the coveted Bob Jones Award by the United States Golf Association for outstanding sportsmanship in Golf. Bing Crosby won the first ever Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1962.
• In 2007, Bing Crosby was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. Bing Crosby was recognized by yank magazine for doing most of American G.I. morale during World War II as a person. In 1948, Bing Crosby was voted as the "most admired man alive". In 1945, Bing Crosby won as Oscar for “Best Actor in Leading Role” for “Going My Way”.

Bing Crosby Career in Radio

• The Radio Singers (1931, CBS), sponsored by Warner Brothers, 6 nights a week, 15 minutes.
• The Cremo Singer (1931-1932, CBS), 6 nights a week, 15 minutes.
• Unsponsored (1932, CBS), initially 3 nights a week, then twice a week, 15 minutes.
• Chesterfield's Music that Satisfies (1933, CBS), broadcast two nights, 15 minutes.
• Bing Crosby Entertains for Woodbury Soap (1933-1935, CBS), weekly, 30 minutes.
• Kraft Music Hall (1935-1946, NBC), Thursday nights, 60 minutes until Jan. 1943, then 30 minutes.
• Armed Forces Radio (1941-1945; World War II).
• Philco Radio Time (1946-1949, ABC), 30 minutes weekly.
• Chesterfield (1949-1952, CBS), 30 minutes weekly.
• The Minute Maid Show (1949-1950, CBS), 15 minutes each weekday morning; Bing as disc jockey.
• The General Electric Show (1952-1954, CBS), 30 minutes weekly.
• The Bing Crosby Show (1954-1956, CBS), 15 minutes, 5 nights a week.
• A Christmas Sing with Bing (1955-1962, CBS, VOA and AFRS), 1 hour each year, sponsored by the Insurance Company of North America.
• Ford Road Show (1957-1958, CBS), 5 minutes, 5 days a week.
• The Crosby-Clooney Show (1960-1962, CBS), 20 minutes, 5 mornings a week, with Rosemary Clooney.

EVENTS: World Athletics Day (May 5th) - World Athletics Day History, Activities, Events, World Athletics Day 2008.

World Athletics Day 2009

The World Athletics Day is organized by the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation). All events and expenses are sponsored by the IAAF. World Athletics Day was celebrated for the first time in 1996. World Athletics Day is celebrated on any chosen date in the month of May every year. 212 IAAF member federations participate in this event. National authorities for school sports are roped in to promote sports in schools.

World Athletics Day Purpose:

World Athletics Day is celebrated world-wide to:
•Popularize sports among the youth
•Promote Athletics as the primary sport in schools and institutions
•Encourage and introduce new talent and youngsters in the field of athletics.

World Athletics Day Activities and Events::

•A grand motivational prize is announced for the lucky draw winner among the winning national youth athletes.
•The grand prize usually involves a fully-paid visit to an international sports meet held anywhere in the world.
•Gifts such as posters, T-shirts, pins are distributed among the participating member federations.
•An IAAF World Athletics Day Diploma is presented to all participating athletes.
•Programs are conducted to encourage the promotion of Athletics as an International Sport.
•Championship events are organized in each category for pre-determined age groups.
•The winners of championships get an opportunity to enter the field of Athletics and take it up as a profession.
•The competitions and events are targeted at youth aged 17 or lower.

World Athletics Day 2008:

•This year the events are hosted by Ocean Athletics Track and Field Club.
•World Athletics Day 2008 will be held on May 7.
•The World Athletics Day event will be presided over by White Rock Mayor Judy Forster.
•Special invitees for the event include Linda Hepner, Councillor for Surrey.
•The ceremony will be announced and conducted by Thelma Wright and Lynn Kanuka.
•The High School Invitation Meet will feature competent athletes from Lower Mainland in all events.
•A special event- The Home Depot Community Kid’s Sprint Races will also be held in the evening.

GRAND PRIZE:

Here are a few examples of the lucky-draw prizes:
YEAR PRIZE
1998 : Return ticket to Johannesburg, accommodation, meals and entry ticket to the meet
2007: IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan from 25 Aug-2 Sept, 2007.
2008: Invitation to attend Hercules Meeting in Monaco on July 29, 2008.

SUCCESSES:

World Athletics Day is now over ten years old and has met with the following successes:
•Encouragement of Athletics in schools in IAAF member nations.
•Discovery of new talent and youth in the field of Athletics.
•Motivation of young athletes through prizes and incentives.
•Offering professional opportunities to young athletes.

EVENTS: Coal Miners Day 2009 – Coal Miners Day Objectives, Initiatives, Coal Miners Day Activities for Safety and Unity of Coal Miners

Coal Miners Day 2009

Just as there is a “day” for everything else, why not have one for the coal-miners!

Coal Miners Day BACKGROUND:

These are some of the important features of Coal-miners day: Coal-miner’s day is a relatively new concept. The announcement for the same was made in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The trend was started by Governor Edward G. Rendell. In 2007, he officially marked 19 Dec as “Coal-Miners Day”. The Governor made this decision in acknowledgement of the importance of the coal miners’ place in the society. The increasing number of mining accidents and deaths drew attention towards safety laws.


The following bodies collaborated to take up the cause of safety and unity of the miners:

• The administration
• The legislature
• Labor unions
• Mining companies
  

Coal Miners Day Objectives:

In an attempt to strengthen the safety laws for miners, the following points were proposed on Coal-miners Day: Updating of the law that remains unmodified for over 40 years. Prompt implementation of the new bills. Handling the responsibility for the safety of the mines to respective owners/operators. Creating a seven-member Mine Safety Board to outline regulations and rules. Introduce new technologies to enhance safety measures. Verification and updates of underground mine maps to avoid accidents.

INITIATIVES (CASE STUDY):

Since the past years, the following changes have been made to enhance and ensure safety of miners: Induction of safety officials to examine mine permits applications and reject them if any fallacy in safety measures is observed. Underground mine maps to be validated and verified prior to conducting mining operations. Increasing the distance between active and abandoned mine from 200 feet to 500 feet to reduce the probability of accidents. Replacement of old equipment and induction of state-of-art safety equipment and technology. Conducting regular awareness, training and teaching programs for mining personnel at all levels.

GOVERNOR’S PERSPECTIVE:

The Governor commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Darr Coal Mine Disaster on Coal Miners Day. He acknowledged the significance of coal in the history and economy of Pennsylvania. He paid a tribute to all the miners who had lost their lived in mine disasters and urged others to learn from these unfortunate incidents.

Coal Miners Day Activities and Events:

Coal Miners Day is celebrated mostly in the United States in the following manner: Events and programs to honor and acknowledge the contribution and sacrifices of miners. Paying tribute to all miners who have lost their lives and their families. Acknowledging the great professional risk that miners encounter everyday. Analyzing the efficacy of safety measures in conferences.

EVENTS: World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd) – World Press Freedom Day, Freedom of Press, Freedom of Expression under Declaration of Human Rights.

World Press Freedom Day 2009

What is World Press Day?

World Press Freedom Day is a day observed all over the world on May 3 to create awareness of the importance of freedom of the press, freedom of expression constituted under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Proclaimed and designated by the UN General Assembly in 1993, the World Press Day is celebrated every year on 3rd of May.

World Press Day Objective

•The objective of the World Press Freedom Day is to remind our governmental and non-governmental organizations and the civil society of the vital role of the liberty or freedom of press in strengthening democracies and promoting development around the world.
•The World Press Day is marked by the speech, debates and discussion events.
•Speech by the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General is delivered on the World Press Day.
•There are panel discussion with eminent journalists and reporters, ministers involving general public sometime on the Media to generate awareness and importance of the World Press Day.
•The discussion provides opportunity to debate issues such as the freedom and responsibilities of the press.
•The foremost agenda nowadays is safety and security of journalists. Emphasis is laid on efforts of government and corporate to control media.
•The Internet and its governance as well as the capacity of media to effect and improve socio-economic development by increasing awareness, eradication of poverty are major issues of debate and discussion on this World Press Day.
•There are many conferences all over the world which are based on various selective themes like press freedom and its governance, terrorism coverage by press and media, the role of media in the countries which had conflicts.

World Press Day Significance

•Freedom of expression and press has severe limitations like murder, kidnapping, pressure, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, and the destruction of facilities.
•The World Press Day is emphasized to enforce stringent punishments for such acts, prompt investigations and quick punishment.

Achievements

•World Press Freedom Prize by UNESCO is awarded to a deserving individual or an organization or institution that has given an excellent contribution to the promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world.
•The award was decided for the first time in 1997.
•The World Press Day wants to convey that “The rights to life and to liberty and integrity and security of person and also to freedom of expression are fundamental human rights that are recognized and guaranteed by international conventions and instruments.” (UNESCO Resolution, General Conference, 1997).
•So, all of us should have the knowledge of our fundamental rights.

How is World Press Day celebrated?

All over the world, the world press freedom day serves as an occasion to inform all the communities of violations of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of opinion. The World Press Day is a reminder of daring death and sacrifices or jail of many journalists, to bring daily news for the general public.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Press Freedom Day is a day of to promote and suggest initiatives in favor of the freedom of the press. It is a World Press Day to assess the state of press freedom throughout the world.

It also preaches us and our governments to respect their commitments to press freedom. The primary goal of the World Press Day is to increase awareness of the importance of freedom of the press amongst all the communities of the world. It is a World Press Day of substantial debate among professionals of press and media on the issues of professional ethics. On the World Press Day, we can pay homage to the journalists who have lost their lives in their profession.

Believe it or not but freedom of press is considered to be a foundation of human rights. It is the keystone of guarantee of other freedoms. It promotes transparency and good governance to ascertain that society enjoys the statute of justice. Freedom of the press is a link between understanding and knowledge.It plays a vital role in the swapping of ideas between nations and cultures leading to the true perceptive and permanent cooperation.

EVENTS: International Sun Day (May 3rd) – International Sun Day Significance, Celebrations by NASA, Case Study.

What is International Sun Day?

•International Sun day has been celebrated over the past seven years on May 3, 2008.
•The day is sponsored and celebrated by NASA.

Significance

•Its Sun-Earth connection education forum organizes and coordinates events to highlight NASA Sun-Earth Connection research and discoveries.
•Sun-Earth Day is during the March equinox.

Celebration Strategy

•The celebration strategy is to involve schools students of senior secondry section like IX, XII and the general public also.
•Many junior sections of the schools are also invited to participate in Solar Week in spring 2008 to learn about solar science, solar energy and to choose the career option.
•The celebration on the day is marked by the celestial events, such as total solar eclipses and the Transit of Venus, and Sun-Earth Day during the March Equinox.
•They participate in space science activities, demonstrations, and various interactive sessions and quiz with space scientists.
•You can also register yourself to receive a monthly update from NASA about Sun-Earth Day events.
•Science centers, museums, Sun-Earth Connection missions, the Exploratorium, NASA Connect, and others in association with each other, produce webcasts, multi-media, and print resources that can be used by the students, professors, other educational institute all over the world.
•They also impart training for professional development of students who opt for professional courses and their educators, museum personnel, amateur astronomers, etc., so they can take advantage of resources of NASA.
•A collaborated approach organizes multiple programs every year following a common theme.

Case Study

•During the solar week, in the schools there’s a message board where students as well as whole class can submit questions to solar scientists.
•In the year 2006, on the world international day there was a NASA led expedition to study the total solar eclipse in collaboration with the scientists and researchers across the globe
•On the day, during the event stunning images of sun and earth and the latest observations from satellites, are used to give a virtual trip of the Sun.
•There are discussions on its various types of activity and its impact and influence on the Earth.
•The day is a wonderful opportunity to take part in an interactive, internet session to on various inquisitive interesting topics to know out how one can view close-up, real-time, images of the Sun from home.
•You can also discover more about the Sun and its upcoming effects on our lives.
•One of main goals of the day is to help scientists understand the interactions between the Sun and the Earth's environment, which will definitely facilitate them to predict the Sun's activity and motion, and thus, space weather conditions.

Birthdays: Randy Travis (Birthday May 4th) – American Country Singer, Randy Travis Biography on Singing Career, Personal Life, Awards & Honors.

Randy Travis Biography

Randy Travis Introduction:

Randy Travis is a popular American Country singer with an impressive list of hit albums and singles to his credit.

Randy Travis Background Information:

Randy Travis was born on May 4, 1959 in Marshville, North Carolina, USA. Randy Travis birth name is Randy Bruce Tray wick. Randy Travis had five other siblings. Randy Travis had a history of drug abuse and juvenile delinquency by the time he was a teenager. Randy Travis is a high-school drop-out and was sentenced to jail. It is only after a club manager offered to hire Randy Travis as a singer, did Randy Travis take to a singing career. Randy Travis later moved in and married the same manager, Elizabeth “Lib” Hatcher.

Randy Travis Singing Career:

Randy Travis shot to fame following the release of his hit album “Storms of Life” by Warner Bros in 1986. Randy Travis achieved the status of a platinum singer and a neotraditionalist in the field of Country music. Randy Travis hit single “Three Wooden Crosses” topped the charts and earned him many awards. Randy Travis also dabbled in gospel music for Dream Works Records after he quit Warner Bros.

Randy Travis acted for the first time on television in “Wind in the Wire” (1992). Randy Travis also featured in many movies and television series during his career. Most of Randy Travis films were Westerns. Randy Travis has more than a dozen albums to his name. Randy Travis volunteered to participate in “Voices That Care”, a campaign to raise money for the troops during the Gulf War.

Some of his hit albums include:

• You and You Alone
• Inspirational Journey (2000)
• Rise and Shine(2002)
• Passing Through (2004).
• "Glory Train" (2005)
• "Songs of the Season" ( 2007),
• "Around the Bend"(2008).
  

Randy Travis Hit Singles:

Some of his hit singles include:

• "No Place Like Home"
• "Diggin' Up Bones."
• "Forever and Ever, Amen"
• "Whisper My Name."
• "Out of My Bones"
• "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man."

Randy Travis Awards and Honors:

•Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1988 and 1989.
•Dove Awards for Gospel singing.
•In 2003, Randy Travis ranked #13 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music

BIRTHDAYS: Roscoe Lee Browne (Birthday May 2nd), American Actor & Director, Roscoe Lee Browne Biography on Acting Career, Awards & Honor, Achievements

Roscoe Lee Browne Biography

Roscoe Lee Browne was a revered American actor and director who won many awards for his work. He was also known for his dynamic and impressive personality.

Roscoe Lee Browne Background Information:

Roscoe Lee Browne was born on May 2, 1925 in Woodbury, New Jersey, USA. Roscoe Lee Browne succumbed to cancer at the age of 81 on April 11, 2007 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Roscoe Lee Browne graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1946. Roscoe Lee Browne completed his postgraduate education from Middlebury College in Vermont, Columbia University in New York City, and at the University of Florence in Italy. As an athlete, Roscoe Lee Browne won the Amateur Athletic Union championship for middle-distance running. Roscoe Lee remained a bachelor all his life. Roscoe Lee Browne dabbled in wine-trade for a while before quitting it for an acting profession.

Roscoe Lee Browne Acting career:

Roscoe Lee Browne started his career with a role in Julius Caesar for Shakespeare’s Film Festival in New York. Roscoe Lee Browne bagged his first movie role in “The Connection” (1961). Even in cameo roles, Roscoe Lee Browne succeeded in showcasing his versatile talent. His rich baritone voice made him a popular choice for narrations, dubbings and recordings. Even after entering movies, Roscoe Lee Browne continued to do theatre by acting in Shakespeare plays and Broadway.

Throughout Roscoe Lee Browne career, Roscoe Lee Browne steered away from the stereotypical negative characters that blacks were often cast in. “A Hand is On the Gate: An Evening of Negro Poetry and Folk Music” marked his first on-stage directorial debut in 1966. During the civil rights revolution, Roscoe Lee Browne chose to deliver public messages through his performances and themes in plays. Roscoe Lee Browne toured all over the US for a poetry performance piece called “Behind the Broken Words” along with another actor Anthony Zerbe.

Roscoe Lee Browne also featured in several television programs and series including:

• That Was the Week That Was (1964).
• Mannix
• All in the Family
• Good Times
• Sanford and Son
• The Cosby Show
• Soap (1979 - 1981)
• Benson.
• Kingpin (voice)
• Spider-man (voice)

As an actor and voice artist, Roscoe Lee Browne most acclaimed movies were:

• Topaz (Alfred Hitchcock)
• The Liberation of L.B. Jones (William Wyler)
• Babe (narrator)
• Babe: Pig in the City (narrator)
  

Roscoe Lee Browne Awards and Honors:

• Roscoe Lee Browne won the Emmy Award in 1986 for his role as Professor Foster in “The Cosby Show”.
• Obie Award (1965) - Best Performance for his role Babu in the play Benito Cereno
• Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards in Best Actor category for his roles as Makak Derek Walcott's The Dream on Monkey Mountain (1970) and as Bynum Walker in Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1989)
• Inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1977

Roscoe Lee Browne Films

• Black Like Me (1964)
• Graham Greene's The Comedians (1967)
• Up Tight! (1968)
• Topaz (1969)
• The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)
• The Cowboys (1972)
• Cisco Pike (1972)
• The World's Greatest Athlete (1973)
• Superfly TNT (1973)
• Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
• Logan's Run (1976)
• Legal Eagles (1986)
• Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
• The Mambo Kings (1992)
• Naked in New York (1993)
• Morgan's Ferry (1999)

Roscoe Lee Browne Voice work

• The Ra Expeditions (1972)
• Logan's Run (1976)
• The Story of Star Wars (1977)
• Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (1987)
• Oliver & Company (1988)
• Babe (1995)
• Galapagos: Beyond Darwin (1996)
• Haiti: Harvest of Hope (1997)
• Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
• Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1995-1998)
• The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story (2000)
• Treasure Planet (2002)
• Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006)
• Epic Movie (2007)
• Smiley Face (2007)
• Proud Family (2003)

Roscoe Lee Browne Awards and recognition

• Obie Award (1965) - Best Performance for his role as the deceitful, mutinous slave Babu in the Robert Lowell play Benito Cereno
• Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards - Best Actor Award for his roles as Makak the mountain hermit in Derek Walcott's The Dream on Monkey Mountain (1970) and the voodoo priest Bynum Walker in Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1989)
• Inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1977

Roscoe Lee Browne Television Career

Eastside/Westside (1963) That Was The Week That Was (1964) NET Playhouse (1967) The Invaders (1968) Mannix (1968) Espionage (1968) Name of the Game (1969) The Outcasts (1969) The Name of the Game (1971) Insight (1971) Bonanza (1972) All in the Family (1972) Sanford and Son (1972) The Streets of San Francisco (1973) Good Times (1974) Barney Miller (1975) Starsky and Hutch (1977) Maude (1977) Miss Winslow and Son (1979) Soap (1979-1981) Hart to Hart (1981) Santa Barbara (1980s)

Falcon Crest (1980s) The Cosby Show (1980s) Benson (1980s) Magnum, P.I. (1983) 227 (1987) Highway to Heaven (1988) Falcon Crest (1988) Ring Raiders (1989) Columbo (1990) Father Dowling Mysteries (1990) A Different World (1992) SeaQuest DSV (1993) The John Larroquette Show (1994) New York Undercover (1996) Hope Island (1999) ER (1999) The Wild Thornberrys (1999) The Shield (2002) Law & Order (2003) Will and Grace (2004) Side Order of Life (2007)

BIRTHDAYS: Katy Smith (Birthday May 1st) – American Singer, Katy Smith Biography, Background, Musical Career, Katy Smith Radio Career, Awards, Honors.

Katy Smith Biography

Katy Smith was a popular American singer also known for her appearances on radio and television.

Katy Smith Background Information:

Kate Smith was born on May1, 1907 in Greenville, Virginia. Katy Smith birth name is Kathryn Elizabeth Smith. Katy Smith showed keen interest in singing and dancing form a very early age. Katy Smith was a Roman Catholic by faith. Katy Smith remained a spinster all her life. Before Katy Smith got into showbiz, Katy Smith performed in local theatres and nightclubs. Katy Smith died of diabetes in Raleigh, North Carolina at the age of 79.

Katy Smith Musical Career:

In 1926, a New York City show producer cast Katy Smith in Broadway shows like “Honeymoon Lane”, “Hit the Deck” and “Flying High”. Katy Smith got her big break as a singer in 1930 after being discovered by the vice president of Columbia Records, Ted Collins. With his help, Katy Smith was able to showcase her talent through the radio.

Katy Smith radio career was a phenomenal success and spanned over a record length of time.
Katy Smith played a small part in “The Big Broadcast” by Paramount Pictures. In 1932, Katy Smith went to produce and act in Katy Smith own film, “Hello Everybody!” Katy Smith autobiography, “Living in a Great Big Way” released in 1938. Katy Smith performed at many live concerts and clubs during the last decade of her career.

Katy Smith Radio Career:

As a star on the radio, Katy Smith hosted and featured in the following shows on-air:

• Kate Smith Sings – an NBC series
• Kate Smith and Her Swanee Music (1931-33),
• The Kate Smith Matinee (1934–35);
• The Kate Smith New Star Revue (1934–35);
• Kate Smith's Coffee Time (1935–36
• The Kate Smith A&P Bandwagon (1936–37).
• The Kate Smith Hour (1937–45).

Katy Smith Hit Singles:

Here is a list of her popular, chart-topping singles:

• “God Bless America” for Irving Berlin’s “This is the Army” (1943).
• When the Moon comes Over the Mountain (her theme song)
• River, Stay 'Way from My Door (1931)
• The Woodpecker Song (1940)
• The White Cliffs of Dover (1941)
• I Don't Want to Walk Without You (1942)
• There Goes That Song Again (1944)
• Seems Like Old Times (1946)
• Now Is the Hour (1947).
  

During 1950-1960, Katy Smith produced many hit musical albums among which are:

• Kate Smith at Carnegie Hall (1963)
• How Great Thou Art (1965)
• America’s Favorites: Kate Smith/Arthur Fiedler/Boston Pops (1967).
  

Katy Smith Awards and Honors:

• On October 8, 1987, Katy Smith statue was installed outside the Spectrum in Philadelphia because Katy Smith was considered a “good luck charm” for the Philadelphia Flyers.
• In 1982, Katy Smith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan.
• Katy Smith was posthumously inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999.

John Brown (Birthday May 9th) – John Brown Biography, John Brown is a Revolutionary, Politician, Philanthropist, Historical Impact, Contribution

John Brown Biography

John Brown Introduction:

While discussing the history of America, it is impossible to overlook the contributions of John Brown. He was:
•A revolutionary who helped to shape the nation.
•A controversial political and historical figure.
•A philanthropist who contributed to the abolishment of black slavery.
•A key element in the events leading to the Civil War.

John Brown Background Information:

•John Brown was born on May 9, 1800 in Torrington, Connecticut
•John Brown had seven other siblings. John Brown belonged to a conventional evangelical Calvinist family.
•The John Brown family moved to Hudson, Ohio when John Brown was only five.
•At 16, John Brown moved to Massachusetts in an attempt to become a Congregation minister but did not make it.
•John Brown married Dianthe Lusk in 1820 with whom he fathered 7 children.
•After the death of his first wife, John Brown married Mary Ann Day with whom he fathered 13 children.
•John Brown dabbled in many vocations including running a tannery, farming, cattle breeding and wool trade before he dedicated his life to the abolishment of slavery.
•John Brown was charged with treason and hanged on December 2, 1859.

John Brown Historical Impact and Contribution:

•The raid conducted by John Brown at Harper’s Ferry sparked a violent outburst and eventually led to a war.
•On October 16, 1859, Brown lead 21 men "army of liberation" on a raid of the federation armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia.
•John Brown aim was to arm the slaves with weapons in order to initiate a slave revolt.
•John Brown death raised debates and protests regarding the moral and ethical issues regarding slavery.
•It was this mass furor that lead to the Civil War.
•In 1847, Frederick Douglass and John Brown came together for the very first time in Springfield, Massachusetts.
•In 1849, Brown stayed with a community of the black peoplein North Elba, New York.
•John Brown granted 50 landed estate to black family units to authorize and cultivate the dry land.
• John Brown also decided to demonstrate his own farm to guide the blacks by his illustration and to act as a "kind father to them."

Conclusion:

•The contributions made by John Brown cannot be neglected in demolishing the slavery from the America.
•The fact that John Brown was a white man fighting for the black slaves, only underlines his nobility and philanthropic concerns.

Historical Perspectives:

Due to his aggressive and rebellious approach, John Brown has earned many contradicting titles. Here are a few examples of how eminent historians have described him:
•“Father of Terrorism”
•“Misguided Fanatic”
•“The most controversial of all 19th century Americans”.
•“Though a white gentleman, [Brown] is in sympathy a black man, and as deeply interested in our cause, as though his own soul had been pierced with the iron of slavery."
•"He did not recognize unjust human laws, but resisted them as he was bid . . . .,"
•"No man in America has ever stood up so persistently and effectively for the dignity of human nature. . . ."

Harry S Truman (Birthday 8th May) - Harry America’s thirty Third (33rd) President, Political Career, Political Contribution & Impact as President.

Harry S Truman Biography

Introduction:

Harry s. Truman was America’s thirty-third President of USA.

Harry s. Truman Background Information:

Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri on May 8, 1884. His parents were John Anderson and Martha Ellen Truman. Harry S. Truman was the eldest of three siblings.

Harry s. Truman spent his childhood in Grandview, Independence and Kansas City. Harry s. Truman graduated from high school in 1901. Harry s. Truman worked as a timekeeper for a railroad construction contractor and as a clerk before returning to his father’s farm. Harry s. Truman served in the Missouri National Guard for six years. Harry s. Truman served in the military during World War I in 1917 and expressed his willingness to serve in World War II but was not allowed to do so. During his career in the army, Harry s. Truman attained a high rank of Colonel. Harry s. Harry s. Truman married his childhood sweetheart Bess Wallace on June 28, 1919, Harry s. Truman had one daughter from that marriage. After failing in business, Harry s. Truman dealt with debts and bankruptcy for many years. Harry S. Truman died on December 26, 1972.

Harry s. Truman Political Career:

In 1922, Harry s. Truman was elected to be one of three judges of the Jackson County Court. Harry s. Truman became presiding judge in 1926 and retained that position till 1934.

In 1934, Harry s. Truman was elected to the United States Senate. As chairman of the Senate Special Committee Harry s. Truman was responsible for Investigating the National Defense Program. In July 1944, Harry s. Truman competed with President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the office of Vice President with. On January 20, 1945, Truman took over the vice-presidential office. On April 12, 1945, Truman took the Presidential oath after President Roosevelt’s death.

Harry s. Truman Contribution and Impact as President:

Harry s. Truman participated in a conference at Potsdam, Germany and led the defeated nation to a war with Japan. Harry s. Truman was influential in the atomic bombing on Japan on August 6 and 9, 1945. United Nations was founded during his presidency. Harry s. Truman leadership and policy initiatives also lead to strained relationships between Soviet Union and America. Harry s. Truman Doctrine wanted to provide military aid to communist insurgencies countries. The Marshall Plan was aimed at revival of European economies to avoid communist influence.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization built a military barrier confronting the Soviet-dominated part of Europe. Harry s. Truman had a key role to play in the war between North and South Korea. Truman worked significantly towards restoring peace and stability in post-war America. Harry s. Truman also introduced the New Deal social programs to involve the governments in order to have a wider public reach. Harry s. Truman issued orders against racial discrimination in employment avenues. Harry s. Truman also established a Committee on Civil Rights. Harry s. Truman was reelected as President in 1948. Harry s. Truman resigned from presidential office and retired in January 1953. Harry s. Truman founded a library wherein he made all his papers accessible for historical and scholarly reference.

Gary Cooper (Birthday 7th May) – American Actor, Gary Cooper Biography, Acting Career, Awards, Honor.

Gary Cooper Biography

Gary Cooper Background Details:

Gary Cooper was born on 7 May 1901 in Helena, Montana, USA Gary Cooper birth name is Frank James Cooper Gary Cooper was born to Alice and Charles Cooper. Gary Cooper went to Duns table School in England and graduated from Iowa College in Grinnell, Iowa. Gary Cooper married Sandra Shaw in December, 1933 and has one child from that marriage. Gary Cooper succumbed to prostate cancer on 13 May 1961 at Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA Coop, Cowboy Cooper, The Montana Mule and Studs are few of his nicknames.

Gary Cooper Acting Career:

Gary Cooper started acting while still in school and did small theatre roles. Gary Cooper first proper role was in a small film made by Hans Tissler. Gary Cooper started with small roles in films like The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) ,Wings (1927) and It (1927). Gary Cooper is best remembered for his roles in Westerns. In 1930, Gary Cooper returned from Europe after a long sabbatical and changed his name to “Cary Grant” to reach out to his audience. In 1957, Gary Cooper and another actress got the very first escalator in a cinema installed in Rex Theatre, Paris. Beau Geste (1939) was Gary Cooper most honored film. Gary Cooper acting career spans over 107 movies.

Gary Cooper has played the lead in 82 films out of which 14 were silent movies and 20 were westerns. Gary Cooper was also part of movies based on Earnest Hemingway’s novels- A Farewell to Arms (1932) and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943). Gary Cooper has played the lead in six biographical movies. Gary Cooper founded his own production company, International Pictures in collaboration with Samuel Goldwyn. After a brief lull period, he made a comeback at the age of fifty-one with High Noon (1952). Some of Gary Cooper popular films include The Pride of the Yankees (1942), Casanova Brown (1944), Saratoga Trunk (1945). Gary Cooper self-produced films include: The Hanging Tree (1959), They Came to Cordura (1959) and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959).

Gary Cooper Awards and Honors:

In 1966, Gary Cooper was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in. Featured on one of four 25 cent US commemorative postage stamps. Gary Cooper won Oscars for his roles as Will Kane from High Noon (1952) and Sgt. Alvin York from Sergeant York (1941). Gary Cooper was voted the 18th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Gary Cooper was voted the 42nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine. Named the #11 Greatest Actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute

Gary Cooper Personal Quotes

“Until I came along all the leading men were handsome, but luckily they wrote a lot of stories about the fellow next door”. “If you hit the mark with two out of every five movies you'll keep the wheels of the cycle turning”.

EVENTS: May 25th World Meteorological Day – World Meteorological Organization Objectives, Significances, Themes.

World Meteorological Day- Significance

World Meteorology Day is observed on 23 March every year.
Commemorates the founding of the World Meteorological Organization by the WMO Convention in 1950
Marks a significant occasion for the World Meteorological Organization.
Is celebrated by 188 members of the World Meteorological Organization worldwide.
In 1951, the WMO was designated a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO)
IMO was founded in 1873 and established in 1950.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of United Nations dealing with:
Meteorology (weather and climate),
Operational hydrology
Geophysical sciences

World Meteorological Day- Objectives

World Meteorological Day is celebrated keeping in mind the following aims:
To promote global cooperation in the establishment of meteorological observation stations.
To promote establishment of stations for hydrological and geophysical observations.
To promote maintenance and upkeep of observation stations and equip them adequately with resources for research and equipment.
To promote the establishment and maintenance of systems for the rapid exchange of meteorological and related information
To promote standardization of meteorological and related observations and to ensure the uniform publication of observations and statistics
To increase the scope of meteorology to other areas like aviation, shipping, water problems, agriculture and other human activities;
To promote development in operational hydrology and encourage close co-operation between Meteorological and hydrological Services;
To promote research and training in meteorology and in related fields.
To promote international collaboration in research and training.
World Meteorological Day – Message

World Meteorological Day is celebrated to deliver the following messages to the public:

Provide information for better understanding of climatic variability and change.
Assist in understanding the impact of meteorology on environment and surroundings.
Ways to implement climatic application to address environmental concerns.

World Meteorological Day – Themes

Let us now observe WMO themes that have been adopted in the past five years:

Year Theme
2003 Our future climate

2004 Weather, climate, water in the information age
2005 Weather, climate, water and sustainable development
2006 Preventing and mitigating natural disasters
2007 Polar meteorology:
Understanding global impacts

World Meteorology Day-2008

In 2008, the celebrations will take place on the 25th of May at the Secretariat.
2008 marks the Centenary of The Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology which was established in 1908.
The event will mark the importance of the work of the Bureau through the past 100 years, and the linkages it has with WMO in ensuring weather services are appropriate to the needs of the community.
Awards will be given to staff members who have served for more than 30 years.
A new book, "Weather Prophets of South Australia" will be released at the function which deals with the works, projects and contribution of the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
The World Meteorology Day Centenary function will be held at on 26 March 2008 at the Bureau of Meteorology, Kent Town.

EVENTS: May 22nd International Day for Biodiversity – History, Objectives, Themes of International Day for Biodiversity.

International Day for Biodiversity Background:

International Day for Biodiversity was first celebrated on 29 December, 1994.

From year 2001 onwards, the date shifted to 22 May.
International Day for Biodiversity marks the date of adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of flora and fauna that make up an ecosystem.
Preservation of these ecosystems is vital to natural balance and our existence.
The biggest challenge in conservation and management of ecosystems in lack of public awareness and knowledge.
Ecosystems are constantly depleting due to growing human population and activities.

International Day for Biodiversity Objective:

The United Nations declared May 22 as the "International Day for Biological Diversity".
The aim is to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity related issues.
Every year a different theme is adopted to emphasize upon a certain aspect of Biodiversity.
International Biodiversity Day is celebrated in all countries across the globe.
Events and programs are organized based on the annual theme.
International Day for Biodiversity Themes:

Let us look at some themes that have been adopted in the past few years for the International Day for Biodiversity.
YEAR THEME
2002 -Forest biodiversity
2003 Biodiversity and poverty alleviation
2004 Food, Water and Health for All
2005 Life Insurance for our Changing World
2006 Protect Biodiversity in Drylands
2007 Biodiversity and Climate Change
2008 Biodiversity and Agriculture

The International Day for Biological Diversity - 22 May 2008

Biodiversity and Agriculture is the chosen theme for 2008.
Biodiversity and ecosystems form the basis or all agriculture and livestock.
Agriculture is one of the many human activities that have had a major impact on ecosystems in the past years.
Agriculture contributes to biodiversity but can also disturb existing ecosystems.
The aim is to promote sustainable agriculture that works towards preservation of ecosystems.
Sustainable agriculture will ensure enough food and means of livelihood for the exponentially growing population in the present century.
Production and maintenance of agricultural goods and food Biodiversity is essential.
Sustainable agriculture enhanced by biodiversity.
This involves careful and efficient use of resources like water, land, soil and fertilizers Sustainable agriculture uses water, land and nutrients efficiently, while producing lasting.

International Day for Biodiversity Proposals:

Policymakers and consumers must contribute to ascertain that farmers and agricultural producers are motivated and equipped to adopt sustainable agricultural practices.
Awareness about modifying food choices also goes a long way.
Ecosystems and biodiversity can also be conserved by proper landscape level planning