May 1—Born today in 1907, she is instantly identified by three words: God Bless America.
May 2—Born today in 1903, his book on raising children has sold over 50 million copies.
May 3—Born today in 1903, he recorded the best-selling song of all time, which has sold over 100 million copies.
May 4—Born today in 1929, this Belgium-born dancer/actress is one of the few people who received an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, a Golden Globe, and a Grammy award. You may know her as Eliza Doolittle.
May 5—Born today in 1915, this singer/actress was married first to singer Tony Martin, and then (for 53 years, until his death) to bandleader Phil Harris.
May 6—Born today in 1931, the Say Hey Kid is considered by many to be the greatest all-around baseball player of all time.
May 7—Born today in 1885, this old-timer partnered with Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Randolph Scott, and John Wayne.
May 8—Born today in 1895, this Catholic bishop, author of 73 books, held his own against Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra with his early television sermons.
May 9—Born today in 1914, this gaudily-sequined country singer, whose signature songs were I’m Movin’ On and I’ve Been Everywhere, talked the Grand Ol’ Opry brass into letting a new singer named Elvis Presley appear on stage.
May 10—Born today in 1899, according to legend, his first screen test read: can’t sing, can’t act, balding, can dance a little.
May 11—Born today in 1911, this fast-talking comedian starred in an early television Army comedy series.
May 12—Born today in 1928, this pianist/composer wrote many of Dionne Warwick’s hits, including Alfie and Do You Know the Way to San Jose.
May 13—Born today in 1914, this boxer, known as the Brown Bomber is ranked by the International Boxing Research Organization as the Greatest Heavyweight of All Time.
May 14—Born today in 1936, this teen idol/singer/actor/nightclub star died at 37 after an eight-hour open-heart surgery.
May 15—Born today in 1937, this Mexican-American singer’s best-known songs are If I Had a Hammer and Lemon Tree.
May 16—Born today in 1919, this flamboyant pianist was born in Wisconsin and was a mainstay of early television.
May 17—Born today in 1912, he was the Watergate prosecutor who was fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork after both the Attorney General and the Assistant Attorney General resigned their positions after being ordered by President Nixon to fire him.
May 18—Born today in 1928, this quiet, mature Cartwright brother was actually only 13 years younger than Lorne Greene.
May 19—Born today in 1925, this Omaha-born African American became the spokesman for radical American Muslims until he was assassinated in New York City while giving a speech.
May 20—Born today in 1919, he was known as Lonesome George and his catch phrase was, “Well, I’ll be a dirty bird.”
May 21—Born today in 1917, this Canadian actor played a heavy in over 50 movies (including Rear Window) before being chosen by Erle Stanley Gardner to play Gardner’s most famous character.
May 22—Born today in 1938, this actor/director has been married to Paula Prentiss for 48 years.
May 23—Born today in 1933, this Golden Globe-winning British actress/author and star of Dynasty has a sister who is also an author.
May 24—Born today in 1909, this Arkansas congressman
garnered international attention with a drunken episode involving a stripper and the Washington, DC Tidal Basin.
May 25—Born today in 1927, this thriller author wrote the Bourne series, and almost 300 million copies of his books have been printed.
May 26—Born today in 1886, this singer/comedian/actor whose catch phrase was “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet” was often called “the world’s greatest entertainer” in the first half of the 20th century.
May 27—Born today in 1921, this convicted rapist was executed in California’s electric chair after eight stays. He
garnered worldwide sympathy by declaring his innocence in his book Cell 2455, Death Row.
May 28—Born today in 1888, the AP “greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century” was stripped of his Olympic gold medals when it was found that he had been paid to play baseball when he was younger.
May 29—Born today in 1939, this oldest winner of the Indy 500 actually won the race four times, and his son later won it twice.
May 30—Born today in 1908, “The Man of a Thousand Voices” was Jack Benny’s Maxwell car, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, both Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird, Barney Rubble….the list never ends.
May 31—Born today in 1938, this country singer hated his job and told us what we could do with it.
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 to this month’s birthday quiz:
1. Kate Smith
2. Dr. Benjamin Spock
3. Bing Crosby
4. Audrey Hepburn
5. Alice Faye
6. Willie Mays
7. Gabby Hayes
8. Bishop Fulton Sheen
9. Hank Snow
10. Fred Astaire
11. Phil Silvers
12. Burt Bacharach
13. Joe Lewis
14. Bobby Darin
15. Trini Lopez
16. Liberace
17. Archibald Cox
18. Pernell Roberts
19. Malcolm X
20. George Gobel
21. Raymond Burr
22. Richard Benjamin
23. Joan Collins
24. Wilbur Mills
25. Robert Ludlum
26. Al Jolson
27. Caryl Chessman
28. Jim Thorpe
29. Al Unser, Sr.
30. Mel Blanc
31. Johnny Paycheck