March 1 - Born today in 1904, this popular bandleader’s plane disappeared over the English Channel in 1944.
March 2 - Born today in 1904, his first book was about seeing bizarre things on Mulberry Street.
March 3 – Born today in 1911, she was known as the Platinum Blonde and the Blonde Bombshell, and she died at the age of 26.
March 4 - Born today in 1888, this Norwegian college football coach who popularized the forward pass was killed in a plane crash in 1931.
March 5 – Born today in 1908, this Englishman won an Oscar in 1964 for playing an elocution teacher in a musical based on a George Bernard Shaw play.
March 6 – Born today in 1905, this “King of Western Swing” led the Texas Playboys.
March 7 – Born today in 1934, this rotund Today show weatherman created Ronald McDonald.
March 8 – Born today in 1939, this pitcher wrote the first “tell-all” book about drugs, sex, and alcohol in major league baseball.
March 9 – Born today in 1918, this hard-boiled detective author was the creator of Mike Hammer, and in 1980, seven of the fifteen all-time best-selling fiction books in the US were written by him.
March 10 – Born today in 1928 in Alton, Illinois, he was captured in England two months after assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
March 11 – Born today in 1903, this North Dakota bandleader’s autobiography was called Wunnerful, Wunnerful, and his follow-up book was called Ah-One, Ah-Two!
March 12 - Born today in 1931, this black child actor frequently stole the show in the Our Gang comedies.
March 13 – Born today in 1939, this “Happy Birthday Sweet 16”rock-and-roller is also a classical pianist.
March 14 – Born today in 1948, this four-time Oscar host starred in City Slickers.
March 15 – Born today in 1933, she was the second female Supreme Court Justice.
March 16 – Born today in 1926, this wacky comedian began as half of a two-man team before a famous breakup that left his partner a member of the Rat Pack.
March 17 – Born today in 1919, this calypso singer was the first African-American to have his own television variety show.
March 18 - Born today in 1911 in Summum, Illinois, this popular western sidekick made over 120 movies with Gene Autry, Charles Starrett (the Durango Kid), and Roy Rogers.
March 19 – Born today in 1916, this popular author wrote The Chapman Report, The Seven Minutes, and The People’s Almanac.
March 20 – Born today in 1906, this bandleader-turned-actor married his vocalist and saw his son become a rock and roll star, thanks to their weekly TV show.
March 21 – Born today in 1930, this overweight Broadway and film actor became a famous chef.
March 22 – Born today in 1908, this western novelist wrote over 100 books, many of which chronicled the adventures of the Sackett family.
March 23 – Born today in 1912, this scientist who designed the V-2 combat rocket for Germany in WWII later became an American citizen, and is now regarded as the father of the US space program.
March 24 – Born today in 1915, he single-handedly made professional wrestling a headliner in the early days of television.
March 25 – Born today in 1911, this Chicagoan-turned-Texan assassinated an assassin.
March 26 – Born today in 1911, this Mississippi playwright legally changed his name to the name of a state.
March 27 – Born today in 1924, this jazz singer won three Grammy awards and is best known for her 1959 hit “Broken-Hearted Melody.”
March 28 – Born today in 1905, this zoologist hosted the TV show Wild Kingdom for 17 years.
March 29 – Born today in 1937, this presidential brother endorsed his own brand of beer.
March 30 – Born today in 1927, he hosted a game show that starred Paul Lynde, Charlie Weaver, and a host of other comedians.
March 31 - Born today in 1934, he will always be remembered as television’s Dr. Kildare.
Dan Hughes and his wife Kathy own the Kaleidoscope Art Studio in Rantoul, which offers classes and self-directed workshops for both children and adults. Please visit their website at room200.com. Dan is a Parkland College retiree. He was the general manager of the college radio station and an instructor in broadcasting. He also wrote, produced, and hosted The Parkland Challenge, a popular local television quiz program for high school academic bowl teams. He has written books on metal detecting and adult softball, and he does weekly podcasts (internet radio shows that can be listened to anytime). Email Dan at danhughes@juno.com, and check out his website at danhughes.net.
Answers:
1 – Glenn Miller
2 – Dr. Seuss
3 – Jean Harlow
4 – Knute Rockne
5 – Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady)
6 – Bob Wills
7 – Willard Scott
8 – Jim Bouton (Ball Four)
9 – Mickey Spillane
10 – James Earl Ray
11 – Lawrence Welk
12 – Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas
13 – Neil Sedaka
14 – Billy Crystal
15 – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
16 – Jerry Lewis
17 – Nat King Cole
18 – Smiley Burnette (“Frog”)
19 – Irving Wallace
20 – Ozzie Nelson
21 – James Coco
22 – Louis L’Amour
23 – Wernher von Braun
24 – Gorgeous George
25 – Jack Ruby
26 – Tennessee Williams
27 – Sarah Vaughan
28 – Marlin Perkins
29 – Billy Carter
30 – Peter Marshall (Hollywood Squares)
31 – Richard Chamberlain