..   ..   ..    CELEBRATIONS ON DECEMBER 31st    ..   ..   ..    New Year's Eve (Gregorian Calendar),   also known as NYE,   First Night,   or Old Year's Night (Gregorian Calendar) ....         Universal Hour of Peace Day ..         World Peace Meditation Day ..         Festival de Iemanja Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ..         Make Up Your Mind Day ..         Unlucky Day ..         No Interruptions Day ..         Leap Second Time Adjustment Day Hogmanay, Scotland, Scottish New Year (3-4) ..         The seventh day of Christmas in Western Christianity ..         Feast of St. Sylvester I (Roman Catholic Church) ..         Feast of Eastern Orthodox Church (Apodosis of Christmas) ..          CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK      Christmas Week,   December 25th through January 6th ..         Kwanzaa,   December 26th through January 1st ..         The Twelve Days of Christmas,   December 25th through January 6th ..         . Christmas Bird Count Week,   December 14th through February 5th ..         New Years Run,   December 29th through January 1st ..               .. ..        PADDY's JOKES OF THE DAY    .. Heading into this New Year,   I thought about the evils of drinking,     So I decided to give up thinking.     - Unknown         .. ..          LILLY's DRINKS OF THE DAY    ..     Two today,   both Champagne based...     - 1 -     MIMOSA ..     One part champagne,     one Part orange juice,     Ensure both ingredients are well chilled,   then mix together into the glass.   Serve cold.           - 2 -     BUCK'S FIZZ ..     1 2/3 oz. Champagne,     3 1/3 oz. Orange Juice,     Pour orange juice into flute   and gently add champagne.     Stir gently.     Garnish with orange twist (optional).       .. ..        SCOTTY's TOASTS OF THE DAY    ..     - 1 -     "Should auld acquaintance be forgot,     And never brought to min',     Should auld acquaintance be forgot,     And days of auld lang syne.     For auld lang syne,   my dear,     For auld lang syne,     We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,     For auld lang syne.         And here's a hand,   my trusty fierce,     And gie's a hand o' thine,     And we'll tak' a right guid willie-waught,     For auld lang syne.     For auld lang syne,   my dear,     For auld lang syne,         We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,     For auld lang syne.     And surely ye'll be your pint stowpt,     And surely I'll be mine,     And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,     For auld lang syne.     For auld lang syne,   my dear,     For auld lang syne,     We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,     For auld lang syne."     - Robert Burns             - 2 -     "May the best of this year be the worst of next."     - Traditional Irish         .. .. .. ..
  ..   ..   ..   HISTORICAL EVENTS ON DECEMBER 31st    ..     406 80,000 Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine at Mainz, beginning an invasion of Gaul         535 Byzantine General Belisarius completes the conquest of Sicily, defeating the Ostrogothic garrison of Syracuse, (Palermo) and ending his consulship for the year         765 Coffin of Ho-tse Shen-hui interred in a stupa built in China         870 Skirmish at Englefield: Ethelred of Wessex beats Danish invasion army         1225 The Lý Dynasty of Vietnam ends after 216 years by the enthronement of the boy emperor Tran Thai Tong, husband of the last Ly monarch, Ly Chieu Hoang, starting the Trần Dynasty         1229 James I of Aragon the Conqueror enters Medina Mayurqa (now known as Palma, Spain) thus consummating the Christian reconquest of the island of Majorca         1492 100,000 Jews expelled from Sicily         1501 The First Battle of Cannanore commences         1502 Cesare Borgia (son of pope Alexander VI) occupies Urbino         1564 Willem van Orange demands freedom of conscience/religion         1600 The British East India Company is chartered         1604 Admiral Steven van der Haghen's fleet reaches Bantam         1621 Hungarian King Bethlen Gabor/Ferdinand II sign Treaty of Mikulov         1660 James II of England is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France         1669 France & Brandenburg sign secret treaty         1670 France & England sign Boyne-treaty         1680 Amsterdam opera at Leidsegracht opens         1687 The first Huguenots set sail from France to the Cape of Good Hope         1688 Pro-James II-earl of Devonshire occupies Nottingham         1695 A window tax is imposed in England, causing many shopkeepers to brick up their windows to avoid the tax         1700 Frisia & Groningen adopt Gregorian calendar, the next day is is 1/12/1701           ..     ..   1708 Great Alliance captures Bridge         1711 Duke of Marlborough fired as English army commander         1744 James Bradley announces discovery of Earth's nutation motion (wobble)         1745 Bonnie Prince Charlies army meets with de Esk         1756 Russia joins the Alliance of Versailles         1758 British expeditionary army occupies Goree (Dakar) Senegal         1759 Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum and starts brewing Guinness         1762 Mozart family moves from Vienna to Salzburg         1775 Battle of Quebec of the American Revolutionary War, British forces repulse an attack by Continental Army General Richard Montgomery         1776 Rhode Island establishes wage & price controls to curb inflation: Limit is 70 cents a day for carpenters, 42 cents for tailors         1779 English fleet beat Dutch Merchant vessels         1781 Bank of North America, 1st US bank opens         1783 Import of African slaves banned by all of the Northern states         1790 Efimeris, the oldest Greek newspaper of which issues have survived till today is published for the first time         1805 End of French Republican calendar; France returns to Gregorianism         1831 Gramercy Park is deeded to New York City, New York         1841 Alabama becomes first state to license dental surgeons         1853 A dinner party is held inside a life-size model of an Iguanodon created by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and Sir Richard Owen in south London, England, United Kingdom         1857 Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa, then a small logging town, as the capital of Canada         1859 Dutch colony in Dutch Indies counts 4,800 slaves         1861 22,990 mm of rain falls in Cherrapunji Assam in 1861, world record         1862 Battle of Stone's River (Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennesse) in American Civil War begins         1862 Abraham Lincoln signs an act that admits West Virginia to the Union, thus dividing Virginia in two during the American Civil War         1862 Skirmish at Parker Cross Roads, Tennessee         1862 Union ironclad ship "Monitor" sinks off Cape Hatteras, NC         1870 J D Schneiter patents rocket mail in France, (not done)         1878 Karl Benz, working in Mannheim, Germany, filed for a patent on his first reliable two-stroke gas engine, and he was granted the patent in 1879         1879 Cornerstone laid for Honolulu's Iolani Palace (only royal palace in US)         1879 Gilbert and Sullivan's Opera "Pirates of Penzance," premieres in NYC         1879 Thomas Edison demonstrates incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey         1890 Ellis Island (NYC) opens as a US immigration depot         1896 25th auto built in US         1897 Brooklyn's last day as a city, it incorporates into NYC (1/1/1898)           ..     ..   1902 Boers & British army sign peace treaty         1904 The first New Year's Eve celebration is held in Times Square, then known as Longacre Square, in New York, New York         1906 French, British, & Italian treaty concerning rights on Abyssinia         1906 Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar signs the Persian Constitution of 1906         1907 For the first time a ball drops at Times Square to signal new year due to fireworks ban         1907 G Mahler conducts the Metropolitan Opera         1909 Manhattan Bridge opens         1910 US tobacco industry produced 9 billion cigarettes in 1910         1911 Marie Curie receives her 2nd Nobel Prize         1914 Colonel Jacob Ruppert & Cap Huston purchase NY Yankees for $460,000         1917 Dutch Social-democratic trade union NVV counts 159,450 members         1918 Kid Gleason replaces Pants Rowland as White Sox manager         1920 Roy Park makes 1st-ball duck in only Test Cricket inn, v Eng at MCG         1921 Last San Francisco firehorses retired         1923 First transatlantic radio broadcast of a voice, Pittsburgh-Manchester         1923 BBC begins using Big Ben chime ID         1923 H Tierney & J McCarthy's musical "Kid Boots," premieres in NYC         1923 The chimes of Big Ben are broadcast on radio for the first time by the BBC         1924 Hubble announces existence of distant galaxies         1925 14th congress of CPSU decides to accelerate industry         1927 Ponsford scores 336 against SA, giving him 1146 for month         1929 Pope Pius XI publishes encyclical Divini illius magistri         1930 Pontifical encyclical Casti connubii against mixed marriages         1930 US tobacco industry produced 123 billion cigarettes in 1930         1932 John P O'Brien sworn-in as mayor of NYC         1934 Helen Richey becomes 1st woman to pilot an airmail transport         1935 CPH becomes Dutch Communist Party         1935 Charles Darrow patents Monopoly         1938 Dr R N Harger's "drunkometer," 1st breath test, introduced in Indiana         1938 Dutch national debt hits ƒ3,986,629,805.70         1939 25 U boats sunk this month (81,000 ton)         1939 Dutch national debt hits ƒ4,218,553,180.99         1940 37 U boats sunk this month (213,000 ton)         1941 Young Park (2) in the Bronx named in honor of Samuel Young         1942 60 U boats sunk this month (330,000 ton)         1942 Battle in Barents Sea         1942 Potatoes rationed in Holland         1943 NYC's Times Square greets Frank Sinatra at Paramount Theater         1944 48 people die in a train accident in Ogden, Utah         1944 Japanese army evacuates harbor city Akyab         1944 Hungary declares war on Nazi Germany in World War II         1944 Operation Nordwind, the last major German offensive on the Western Front in World War II begins         1945 Bradman scores 112, his 1st post-War century, SA v Aust Services         1945 Ratification of UN Charter completed         1946 French troops leave Lebanon         1946 President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II         1948 Dutch police actions up Java gone on strike         1949 18 countries recognize Republic Indonesia         1950 Jockeys W Shoemaker & Joe Culmone set record of 388 wins in a year           ..     ..   1951 First battery to convert radioactive energy to electrical announced         1951 The Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Europe         1953 Hulan Jack sworn in as Manhattan Borough president         1953 WFBC (now WYFF) TV channel 4 in G'ville-Spartanburg, SC (NBC) begins         1953 Willie Shoemaker shatters record, riding 485 winners in a year         1955 "Vamp" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 60 performances         1955 General Motors becomes the first U.S. corporation to make over US$1 billion in a year         1955 The General Motors Corporation becomes the first U.S. corporation to make over $1 billion USD in a year         1957 AAU awards Bobby Morrow, James Sullivan Memorial Trophy         1958 47th Davis Cup, USA beats Australia in Brisbane (3-2)         1958 Cubans dictator Batista flees         1958 International Geophyscial Year ends         1958 Willie Shoemaker becomes the first jockey to win national riding championship 4X         1960 The farthing coin ceases to be legal tender in the United Kingdom         1961 "lrma La Douce" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 527 performances         1961 Debut performance of the Beach Boys (using the name Beach Boys)         1961 Failed coup by Syrian group in Lebanon         1961 Green Bay Packers shutout NY Giants 37-0 in NFL championship game         1961 Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than $12 billion         1961 RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, launches its first national television service         1962 "Match Game" debuts on NBC with host Gene Rayburn         1962 American Basketball League announces suspension of operation         1962 Dutch leave New Guinea         1962 Katanga becomes part of Democratic Republic of Congo         1962 Ohio ends suit against Reds when they agree to stay in Cin for 10 yrs         1963 Chicago Bears win NFL championship         1963 Dear Abby show premieres on CBS radio (runs 11 years)         1963 Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir played music together for the 1st time         1963 The Central African Federation officially collapses and splits into Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia         1964 Donald Campbell (UK) sets world water speed record (276.33 mph)         1964 Indonesia proclaims expelled from the UN         1965 Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begins a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko         1966 Monkee's "I'm a Believer" hits #1 & stays there for 7 weeks         1966 Pirate Radio 390 (Radio Invicata) off England, resumes transmitting         1966 Test Cricket debut of Bishen Singh Bedi, India v WI Calcutta, 2-92         1966 Toboggan Chutes begin operation in Cleveland Metroparks         1967 "Henry, Sweet Henry" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 80 perfs         1967 First NBA game at Great Western Forum, LA Lakers beat Houston 147-118         1967 Oakland Raiders beat Houston Oilers 40-7 in AFL championship game         1967 Packers beat Cowboys 21-17 in NFL championship game (-13°F)         1967 The Youth International Party, popularly known as the "Yippies", is founded         1968 First supersonic airliner flown (Russian TU-144)         1968 First test flight of Tupolev TU 144         1968 NY Jets win AFL championship         1969 Congo-Brazzaville becomes People's republic, under major Ngouabi         1970 Congress authorizes Eisenhower dollar coin         1970 Paul McCartney files a lawsuit to disolve Beatles         1970 President Allende nationalizes Chilean coal mines         1970 Would have been start of Aust/Eng Test Cricket at MCG, washed out         1971 KAID TV channel 4 in Boise, ID (PBS) begins broadcasting         1971 Lt. General Robert E Cushman, Jr, USMC, ends term as deputy director of CIA         1972 39th Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma 14 beats Penn State 0         1972 Leap second day, also in 1973-79, 1987         1972 Miami Dolphins beat Pittsburgh Steelers 21-7 in AFC championship game         1972 Washington Redskins beat Dallas Cowboys 26-3 in NFC championship game         1973 40th Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame 24 beats Alabama 23         1973 61st Australian Mens Tennis, John Newcombe beats O Parun (63 67 75 61)         1973 Johan Cruyff chosen European soccer Player of year         1974 41st Sugar Bowl, Nebraska 13 beats Florida 10         1974 Free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter signs $3M 5 year NY Yank contract         1974 Gold legal in US, Franklin Mint strikes Panama's Gold 100 balboa coin         1974 Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks join Fleetwood Mac         1974 NY Yankees sign Jim "Catfish" Hunter to 5 yrs for record $3.75 million         1974 Popular Electronics displays Altair 8800 computer           ..     ..   1975 42nd Sugar Bowl, Alabama 13 beats Penn State 6         1976 TV soap "Somerset" ends 6 year run         1976 The Cars played their 1st gig         1977 "Bubbling Brown Sugar" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 766 perfs         1977 "Man of La Mancha" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 124 performances         1977 Amir Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah becomes leader of Kuwait         1977 Cambodia drops diplomatic relations with Vietnam         1977 Donald Woods, a banned white editor flees South Africa         1977 Ted Bundy escapes from jail in Colorado         1977 WFAT (Bkln NY pirate radio station) begins broadcasting on 1620 AM         1978 "Magic Show" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 1859 performances         1978 "Runaways" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 199 performances         1978 CIA director, Admiral Stansfield Turner retires from the Navy         1978 Iran shah names Chapour Bakhtiar premier         1978 Taiwan's final day of diplomatic relations with US         1979 Winterland Rock Concert Hall in San Francisco closes after 556 concerts         1980 A Jewish owned hotel in Nairobi Kenya is bombed killing 18         1980 NY Islanders greatest shutout margin (9-0) vs Chicago Black Hawks         1980 Senegal president Leopold Senghor resigns         1981 A coup d'état in Ghana removes President Hilla Limann's PNP government and replaces it with the Provisional National Defence Council led by Flight lieutenant Jerry Rawlings         1981 CNN Headline News debuts         1981 Lt. Jerry Rawlings becomes head of Ghana, suspends constitution         1981 Netherlands unemployment hits record 475,000         1982 CBS Mystery Theater final episode on radio after 8 years         1982 NBC radio cancels almost all of its network daily features         1982 TV soap "Doctors" ends 19 year run         1983 Brunei gains complete independence from Britain         1983 In Nigeria a coup d'état led by Major General Muhammadu Buhari ends the Second Nigerian Republic, Nigeria's National Assembly dissolves         1983 Jose Happart installed as mayor of Voeren Belgium         1983 The AT&T Bell System is broken up by the United States Government         1984 Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen loses his arm in a car crash         1984 NYC subway gunman Bernhard Goetz surrenders to police in NH         1984 Rajiv Gandhi takes office as India's 6th PM succeeds his mom, Indira         1984 Test Cricket debut of Mohammad Azharuddin, v England at Calcutta         1984 US leaves UNESCO         1986 A fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, kills 97 and injures 140         1986 Russian TU-144 flies for 1st time faster than sound         1986 WIS-AM in Columbia SC changes call letters to WVOC (now WOMG)         1988 First Winter Ascent of Lhotse (8,516m) by Krzysztof Wielicki (solo)         1988 Pittsburgh Penguins' Mario Lemieux becomes the only National Hockey League player to score goals in five different ways - even strength, shorthanded, power play, penalty shot, and empty net, during a 8-6 win over the New Jersey Devils         1989 "Me & My Girl" closes at Marquis Theater NYC after 1420 performances         1989 "Threepenny Opera" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 65 perfs         1989 Fog Bowl, Heavy fog rolls in on Bears 20-12 victory over Eagles         1989 Jockey Kent Desormeaux sets record with 598 wins in a year         1990 Iraq begins a military draft of 17 year olds         1990 Sci-Fi Channel on cable TV begins transmitting         1990 United Somali Congress seizes Presidential Palace         1991 All official Soviet Union institutions have ceased operations by this date and the Soviet Union is officially dissolved         1991 CPN, Communist Party of Netherland, last day of existance         1991 Daniel R McCarthy elected NY Yankee managing general partner         1991 Dow Jones closes at record high 3168.83         1991 J Donald Crump resigned as CFL Commissioner         1991 USSR, last day of existence         1992 Czechoslovakia is peacefully dissolved in what is dubbed by media as the Velvet Divorce, resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia         1992 Target date for Europe's single market         1993 Barbra Striesand does her first live public concert in 20 years         1994 First snowless December in Baltimore Maryland         1994 Anti Apartheid Group of Netherlands (AABN) disbands         1994 The First Chechen War, Russian army began a New Year's storm of Grozny         1994 This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC−11:00 to UTC+13:00 and UTC−10:00 to UTC+14:00, respectively         1995 "Danny Gans on Broadway" closes at Neil Simon NYC         1995 "Having Our Say" closes at Booth Theater NYC after 308 performances         1995 "Heiress" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 340 performances         1995 "Paul Roebson" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 14 performances         1995 "Racing Demon" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC after 48 perfs         1995 "Tempest" closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 71 performances         1995 62nd Sugar Bowl, Virginia Tech beats Texas         1995 Cartoonist Bill Watterson ends his "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strip         1995 Matthew Elliott scores separate cricket century same day for Victoria         1997 Intel cuts price of Pentium II-233 MHz from $401 to $268         1997 Marv Levy, retires as coach of Buffalo Bills         1997 Microsoft buys Hotmail E-mail service         1997 More Swedes died than were born in 1997, 1st time since 1809         1997 Orlando Hernandez, half-brother of pitcher Livan, defects from Cuba         1997 South Africa & US surgeons separate Zambian Siamese twins joined at the head         1998 US movie box office hits record $6.24 billion for year         1998 The European Exchange Rate Mechanism freezes the values of the legacy currencies in the Eurozone, and establishes the value of the euro currency         1999 First President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigns from office, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor         1999 Five hijackers, who had been holding 155 hostages on an Indian Airlines plane, leave the plane with two Islamic clerics that they had demanded be freed         1999 The United States Government hands control of the Panama Canal (as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone) to Panama. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties         2004 The official opening of Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper at that time in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 ft)         2007 Bocaue Fire. Seven people injured when a fire razed several fireworks stores in the Municipality of Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines         2007 The Massive Big Dig construction project in Boston, Massachusetts ends         2009 At least six people are killed by a gunman at a shopping centre in Espoo, near Helsinki         2009 Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occur         2011 NASA succeeds in putting the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the moon         2011 United States President Barack Obama signs the National Defense Authorization Act into law         .. ..
 SCOTTY's QUOTES OF THE DAY    ..     - 1 -     "The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind"     - Humphrey Bogart     - 2 -     "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in.     A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves"     - Bill Vaughan             .. ..          PADDY's BEER OF THE DAY    ..     Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale,   brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing.     It is an American IPA with an ABV of 6.8%.         .. ..          LILLY's WINES OF THE DAY    ..     - 1 -     Salon blanc de blancs.     It is a Champagne from Champagne, France,   priced at approximately $350 per bottle.         - 2 (A little easier on the wallet) -     Gosset NV Brut Excellence.   It is a Champagne priced at approximately $40 per bottle.         .. ..          FAMOUS BIRTHS ON DECEMBER 31st    ..     695 Muhammad bin Qasim, Syrian general (d. 715)         1378 Callistus III, (Alfonso the Borja), Pope (1455-58) (d. 1458)         1491 Jacques Cartier, French explorer (d. 1557)         1514 Andreas Vesalius, Belgian anatomist (Fabrica) (d. 1564)         1540 Silvio Antoniano, Italian cardinal, theologist (Tre libri)         1552 Simon Forman, English occultist and astrologer (d. 1611)         1572 Emperor Go-Yōzei of Japan, (d. 1617)         1585 Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, Spanish military leader, 24th Governor of the Duchy of Milan (d. 1645)         1668 Herman Boerhaave, Dutch physician, botanist (d. 1738)         1704 Carl Gotthelf Gerlach, German organist (d. 1761)         1720 Charles Edward Stuart, Italian husband of Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern (d. 1788)         1724 Franz Joseph Oehlschlagel, composer         1738 Charles Cornwallis, First Marquess Cornwallis, English general "fire when ready Gridley", 3rd Governor-General of India (d. 1805)         1741 Gottfried August Bürger, German poet d.(1794)         1741 Isabella Maria, Princess of Parma, wife of future Holy Roman emperor (d. 1763)         1763 Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, French admiral (d. 1806)         1776 Johann Spurzheim, German physician (d. 1832)         1799 Thomas Taglichsbeck, composer         1805 Marie d' Flavigny Agoult (Daniel Stern), French author (Knife) (d. 1876)         1815 George Gordon Meade, American Major General (Union Army) (d. 1872)         1818 Maria J Small-Gartmann, actress         1825 Francis Trowbridge Sherman, Brigadeer General (Union volunteers) (d. 1905)         1826 Henry Hiles, composer         1830 Alexander Smith, Scottish poet (d. 1867)         1830 Isma'il Pasha, Egyptian politician, Kedive of Egypt (1863-79) (d. 1895)         1838 Emile Loubet, premier, president of France (1892, 1899-1906)         1846 Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis, Dutch anarchist (Right for all)         1846 Richard Kleinmichel, composer         1851 Henry Carter Adams, American economist (d. 1921)         1855 Giovanni Pascoli, Italian classicist poet (d. 1912)         1857 King Kelly, American baseball player (d. 1894)         1859 Max Fiedler, composer         1860 Joseph S. Cullinan, American oil industrialist, co-founder (Texaco) (d. 1937)         1863 Alfredo Panzini, Italian author (Dizionario Moderno)         1864 Robert Grant Aitken, American astronomer (Binary Stars) (d. 1951)         1869 Henri Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Nord, French impressionist painter (Odalisque) (d. 1954)         1870 Thomas Connolly, MLB baseball umpire for 50 years         1874 Ernest Austin, composer         1877 Lawrence Beesley, English journalist and author (d. 1967)         1878 Elizabeth Arden, Canadian businesswoman, founder (Elizabeth Arden, Inc.) (d. 1966)         1878 Horacio Quiroga, Uruguayan-Argentinian author, poet (El Crimen del Otro), and playwright (d. 1937)         1880 Fred Beebe, American baseball player (d. 1957)         1880 George Marshall, American general and politician (Marshall Plan), 50th United States Secretary of State (Nobel Prize laureate 1953) (d. 1959)         1881 Colin G Fink, American chemist (electro chemistry)         1881 Jacob Israel de Haan, Dutch poet, writer (Pipelines, Jewish Song)         1881 Max Pechstein, German "entartet" painter, graphic artist (The Bridge) (d. 1955)         1882 Ben Jones, American horse trainer (Citation, Whirlaway)         1882 David Cohen, Dutch historian, chairman (Jewish Council)         1882 Martin O'Meara, Irish-Australian soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1935)         1884 Bobby Byrne, American baseball player (d. 1964)         1885 Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1970)         1892 Jason Robards Sr, American actor (Acapulco)         1893 J M Blankenberg, South African cricketer         1893 Max Lamberty, Flemish sociologist, author (Flemish Resurrection)         1894 Ernest John Moeran, British composer         1894 Pola Negri (Barbara A Chalupiec), Polish-American actress (Madame Dubarry)         1896 Ronald Adam, English actor (Phantom Shot)         1897 Rhys Williams, Welsh actor (Nightmare, Okinawa, Cross My Heart)         1899 Gaston Glass, Paris France, film executive         1899 Silvestre Revueltas, Mexican composer (Sensemaya), conductor, and violinist (d. 1940)           ..     ..   1901 Júlia Báthory, Hungarian designer(d. 2000)         1901 Nikos Ploumpidis, Greek activist (d. 1954)         1902 Lionel Daunais, Canadian singer-songwriter (d. 1982)         1904 Chuck Gardiner, English NHL goalie (Vezina winner)         1904 Nathan Milstein, Russian concert violinist (Phila Orch 1942)         1904 Umm Kulthum, Egyptian singer-songwriter and actress (d. 1975)         1905 Guy Mollet, French socialist premier (1956-57)         1905 Jule Styne, English-American composer (1954 Acad Award, 1968 Tony) (d. 1994)         1905 Tadeusz Breza, writer         1906 Erna Bogen, Hungarian foils (Olympic-bronze-1932)         1908 Marko Rothmuller, composer         1908 Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian Holocaust survivor, nazi hunter (Wiesenthal Center) (d. 2005)         1909 Jonah Jones, American trumpet player (d. 2000)         1910 Carl Dudley, American director and producer (d. 1973)         1910 Dick Kollmar, American actor (Broadway Spotlight, Guess What)         1910 Roy Rowland, film director         1911 Dal Stivens, Australian author (d. 1997)         1912 John Frost, Indian-English Major General (d. 1993)         1914 Pat Brady, American actor (Roy Rodgers Show)         1915 Sam Ragan, American journalist, author, and poet (d. 1996)         1916 Suzy Delair, French actress (Utopia, White Paws)         1917 Wilfrid Noyce, English mountaineer (d. 1962)         1918 Virginia Davis, American actress (d. 2009)         1919 Tommy Byrne, American baseball player (d. 2007)         1920 Rex Allen, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1999)         1921 Lynn Compton, American jurist (Sirhan Sirhan prosecutor) and commissioned officer (Easy Company, 101st Airborne) (d. 2012)         1922 Joan McCracken, American actress (Claudie Story of a Marriage)         1922 Rex Allen, American cowboy singer (Dr Baxter-Frontier Doctor)         1924 Taylor Mead, American actor         1924 Victoria Draves, American platform, springboard diver (Olympic-gold-1948)         1926 Billy Snedden, Australian politician (d. 1987)         1927 Dieter Noll, writer         1928 Amarillo Slim (Thomas Preston), American hall of fame professional poker player (1971 World Series main event) (d. 2012)         1928 Hugh McElhenny, NFL halfback (SF, Minnesota, Giants, Detroit)         1928 Ross Barbour, American singer (4 Freshmen)         1928 Siné, French cartoonist         1928 Veijo Meri, writer         1929 Mies Bouman, Dutch television hostess (Open the Village)         1929 Peter Barker Howard, cricketer         1929 Peter May, English cricketer         1929 Sidney Greenbaum, grammarian         1930 Ala Odetta (Odetta Holmes), American singer-songwriter (Sanctuary), guitarist, and actress (d. 2008)         1930 Jaime Escalante, Bolivian-American educator (d. 2010)         1931 Bob Shaw, Irish sci-fi author (Orbitsville, Ragged Astronauts, Vertigo) (d. 1996)         1932 George Schlatter, TV producer (Laugh-in)         1933 Edward Bunker, American author, screenwriter, and actor (d. 2005)         1934 Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan, Indian Islamic scholar         1934 Noel Tyl, American astrologer         1935 Peter Allan, Australian cricketer         1935 Rolf Haufs, writer         1937 Anthony Hopkins, Welsh-American actor (Elephant Man, Hannibal, Magic, Bounty) and composer         1937 Avram Hershko, Israeli biologist (Nobel Prize laureate)         1937 Barry Hughes, Welsh footballer and manager         1937 Nicolas Born, writer         1938 Atje Keulen-Deelstra, Dutch speed skater (world champ)         1938 Henricus G Wijmans, Dutch graphic artist         1938 Rosalind Cash, American actress (Omega Man, Wrong is Right) and singer (d. 1995)         1939 Afaq Hussain, Pakistani cricketer         1939 Willye White, American long jumper (Oly-silver-56, appeared in 5 Olympics)         1940 Mani Neumeier, German drummer and singer (Guru Guru)         1940 Oleg Anatolyevich Yakovlev, Russian cosmonaut         1941 Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager         1941 Milkha Singh, Indian cricketer         1941 Sarah Miles, English actress (Ryan's Hope, Big Sleep, Venom)         1941 Sean S. Cunningham, American director, screenwriter, and producer         1941 Sir Alex Ferguson, Scottish football manager         1942 Andy Summers, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (The Police, Zoot Money's Big Roll Band)         1943 Ben Kingsley, English actor (Gandhi, Betrayal, Maurice, Schindler's List)         1943 John Denver, American singer-songwriter (Rocky Mt High, Country Boy), guitarist (The John Denver Band, Chad Mitchell Trio), and actor (d. 1997)         1943 Pete Quaife, English bass player (The Kinks) (d. 2010)         1944 Neil Ross, English-American voice actor         1944 Taylor Hackford, American director (Devil's Advocate) and producer         1945 Barbara Carrera, Nicaraguan actress and model         1945 Claude D Marks, Argentina Argent, FALN member (FBI most wanted)         1945 Connie Willis, American author         1945 Diane von Fürstenberg, Belgian-American fashion designer         1945 Taylor Hackford, director (Idolmaker, Officer & a Gentleman)         1945 Vernon Wells, Actor (Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior)         1946 Barbara Carrera, Managua Nicaragua, actress (Angelica-Dallas)         1946 Pius Ncube, Zimbabwean Archbishop, human rights advocate         1947 Burton Cummings, Canadian keyboard player and songwriter (The Guess Who)         1947 Rita Lee, Brazilian singer-songwriter and actress (Os Mutantes)         1947 Tim Matheson, American actor (Animal House, Fletch, Up the Creek)         1948 Donna Summer, American singer-songwriter (Love to Love You Baby, On the Radio) (d. 2012)         1948 Joe Dallesandro American actor (Heat, Trash, AW Frankenstein)         1948 René Robert, Canadian ice hockey player, NHL         1948 Tony Hamilton, rocker (Aerosmith)         1948 Viktor Mikhailovich Afanasieyv, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-11, TM-18)         1949 Ellen Datlow, American anthologist and editor         1949 Seub Nakhasathien, Thai environmentalist (d. 1990)         1949 Susan Shwartz, American author         1950 Inge Helten, German sprinter (Olympic-bronze-1976)           ..     ..   1950 Robert Bryan Gilder, American PGA golfer (1980 Canadian Open)         1951 Fermin Goytisolo, Musician (KC & the Sunshine Band)         1951 Michael Allen Bantom, American basketball player (Olympic-silver-1972)         1951 Tom Hamilton, American bass player and songwriter (Aerosmith)         1952 Vaughan Jones, New Zealand mathematician         1953 James Remar, American actor (48 Hours, Rent-a-Cop, Cotton Club)         1953 Jane Badler, American actress (Fine Gold, Easy Kill, V)         1953 Michael Hedges, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1997)         1954 Alex Salmond, Scottish politician, 4th First Minister of Scotland         1954 Hermann Tilke, German race car driver, engineer, racing circuit architect         1955 Dawood Ibrahim, Indian crime boss         1956 Martin Joseph Fettman, American Astronaut (STS 58)         1956 Steve Rude, American writer and comic illustrator         1957 David Allen Ogrin, American PGA golfer (1994 Byron Nelson-2nd)         1958 Bebe Neuwirth, American actress (Lilith-Cheers, Jumanji)         1958 Geoff Marsh, Australian cricketer         1959 Alfie Anido, Filipino actor (d. 1981)         1959 Baron Waqa, Nauruan politician and musician         1959 Bebe Neuwirth, American actress (Lilith-Cheers, Damn Yankees)         1959 Liveris Andritsos, Greek basketball player         1959 Paul Westerberg, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Replacements)         1959 Phill Kline, American politician         1959 Ron Bennington, American radio host         1959 Val Kilmer, American actor (Top Secret, Top Gun, Willow, The Doors)         1960 Broderick Dyke, Australia, tennis star         1960 John Allen Muhammad, American murderer (d. 2009)         1960 Steve Bruce, English footballer         1961 Joanna Johnson, actress (Caroline-Bold & Beautiful)         1961 Nina Li, Chinese actress         1961 Rick Aguilera, American baseball player, pitcher (Minnesota Twins)         1962 Don Diamont, American actor (Brad-Young & Restless)         1962 Heather McCartney, American-English potter, activist         1962 Tyrone Corbin, American basketball player, NBA forward (Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks)         1963 Ed Simmons, NFL tackle (Washington Redskins)         1963 Konishiki Yasokichi, American sumo wrestler         1963 Scott Ian, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death, The Damned Things, Damnocracy)         1964 Denis Hickey, Australian cricketer         1964 Klari MacAskill, Hungarian kayaker (Olympics-5-92, 96)         1964 Liz Masakayan, American WPVA volley (Best of Beach-3rd-1994)         1964 Lowri Turner, British TV presenter         1964 Michael McDonald, American comedian (MADtv, actor (The Heat), and director         1964 Winston Benjamin, West Indian cricketer         1965 Julie Doucet, Canadian underground cartoonist         1965 Li Gong, Chinese actress (2046)         1965 Michelle Dobek, American golfer (1995 GHP Heartland Classic-45th)         1965 Nicholas Sparks, American author (The Notebook)         1965 Tony Dorigo, English footballer         1966 Lisa Joyner, American journalist         1966 Paula Barbieri, model, actress (Dangerous), girlfriend of OJ Simpson         1967 Brad Daluiso, NFL place kicker (NY Giants)         1968 Gerry Dee, Canadian comedian and actor         1968 Luciano Szafir, Brazilian actor         1969 Are Kalvø, Norwegian author         1969 Dominik Diamond, Scottish newspaper columnist, television and radio host         1969 Lance Reddick, American actor         1969 Martha Byrne, actress (Lily-As the World Turns)         1970 Bryon Russell, American basketball player, NBA forward (Utah Jazz)         1970 Carlos Morales Quintana, Spanish husband of Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark         1970 Chandra West, Actress (White Noise)         1970 Dan Howe, Canadian canoeist (Olympics-96)         1970 Danny McNamara, English singer-songwriter (Embrace)         1970 Dunstan Anderson, NFL defensive end (Dolphins, NO Saints, Rhein Fire)         1970 Edwin Huizinga, Dutch soccer player (SC Heerenveen, Emmen)         1970 Jorge Alberto da Costa Silva, Brazilian footballer         1970 Michel Brunet, Canadian ice dancer (1996 Canadians-2nd)         1970 Sven Kretschmer, German footballer         1971 Brent Barry, American basketball player, NBA guard (LA Clippers)         1971 Erin Warren, American luger (Olympics-1994)         1971 Esteban Loaiza, Mexican baseball player         1971 Heath Shuler, NFL quarterback (Washington Redskins, NO Saints)         1971 Ricardo López Felipe, Spanish footballer         1972 Chris Parker, NFL running back (Jacksonville Jaguars)         1972 Cole Ford, NFL kicker (Oakland Raiders)         1972 Joseph Mulrey McIntyre, American singer-songwriter (New Kids on the Block) and actor         1972 Kelvin Kinney, defensive end (Washington Redskins)         1973 Crystal Knight, American porn actress and model         1973 Curtis Myden, Canadian 200m & 400m swimmer (Oly-2 bronze-96)         1973 George Jones, NFL running back (Pittsburgh Steelers)         1973 Hiroyuki Miura, hockey defenseman (Team Japan 1998)         1973 Malcolm Middleton, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (Arab Strap)         1973 Shandon Anderson, American basketball player         1974 Mario Aerts, Belgian cyclist         1974 Ryan Sakoda, Japanese American professional wrestler         1974 Tony Kanaan, Brazilian race car driver         1975 Cole Ford, kicker (Oakland Raiders)         1975 Rami Alanko, Finnish ice hockey player         1975 Rob Penders, Dutch footballer         1975 Sander Schutgens, Dutch runner         1975 Toni Kuivasto, Finnish footballer           ..     ..   1976 Craig Reucassel, Australian comedian, member of The Chaser         1976 Luis Carreira, Portuguese motorcycle racer (d. 2012)         1976 Steve Byers, Actor (Immortals)         1977 Donald Trump Jr., American businessman, son of Donald and Ivana Trump         1977 Ildiko Kecan, Hungarian Model, Miss Hungary Universe (1997)         1977 PSY, South Korean singer-songwriter (Gangam Style), producer, and dancer         1977 Wardy Alfaro, Costa Rican footballer         1978 Papoose, American rapper         1979 Bob Bryar, American drummer (My Chemical Romance, Gerardolopoly)         1979 Elaine Cassidy, Irish actress (The Others)         1979 Paul O'Neill, English race car driver         1980 Carsten Schlangen, German runner         1980 Jesse Carlson, American baseball player         1980 M-Dogg 20, American wrestler         1980 Matt Cross, American professional wrestler         1980 Richie McCaw, New Zealand rugby union player         1981 Jason Campbell, American football player         1981 Matthew Pavlich, Australian rules footballer         1982 Craig Gordon, Scottish footballer         1982 Julio DePaula, Dominican baseball player         1982 Luke Schenscher, Australian basketball player         1982 The Rocket Summer, American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer         1983 Mariana Renata, French-Indonesian actress         1984 Brittany Beede, American wrestler and model         1984 Paul Rodriguez, American skateboarder and actor         1984 Édgar Lugo, Mexican footballer         1985 Jan Smit, Dutch singer         1985 Jonathan Horton, American gymnast         1986 Bronson Pelletier, Canadian actor         1987 Danny Holla, Dutch footballer         1987 Javaris Crittenton, American basketball player         1987 Émilie Le Pennec, French gymnast         1988 Jada Stevens, Adult film Actress         1989 Roisin Kelly, Actress (Children of the Mist: The Lost Tribe)         1990 Patrick Chan, Canadian figure skater         1991 Bojana Jovanovski, Serbian tennis player         1991 Camila Giorgi, Italian tennis player         1992 Caroline Kovac, Actress (Silent Night)         1992 Lauren Mandel, Actress (Sweet Jesus)         1993 Sandra Itzel, Actress (El Color de la Esperanza)         1994 Fynn McKay, Actor (Crashing the Wake)         1995 Gabby Douglas, American gymnast         1997 Samantha Sadoff, Actress (Monsters University)         1999 Emman Buquid, Chef (Junior MasterChef: Pinoy Edition)         2000 Makoa Dacascos, Actor (Final Approach)         2005 Lakshmi Tatma, Indian deformed girl         .. ..
.. ..        PADDY's WHISKEY OF THE DAY    ..     - 1 -     The Dalmore 40 Year OId Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky,   Priced at approximately $3000 per 500ml bottle           - 2 (A little Easier on the Wallet) -     Johnnie Walker Blue Label Whisky,   Priced at approximately $200 per bottle         .. ..          LILLY's NEWS OF THE DAY    ..     42-year-old Florida man whose car became stuck  while he was driving along some railroad tracks  was wearing nothing but an inside-out shirt.     OCALA, Fla., Dec. 31  - Ocala police said the man,    whose name was not released because he was not arrested,    was driving his 2005 Mitsubishi Gallant along some railroad tracks  when the vehicle became stuck in gravel and bushes about 1:30 a.m. Thursday,  The (Ocala) Star-Banner reported Friday.     Investigators said the man tried to call for help by honking his horn  but the noise was not heard  and police were not called until about 7:49 a.m.     Police said they arrived to find the man was wearing nothing but an inside-out knit shirt.     The man said he has driven by the railroad tracks before without incident.    When asked why he was nude from the waist down,   he said: "No reason."     Officers said the man's ill mother,   for whom he is the only caretaker,   was a factor in deciding not to charge him with obstructing   or interfering with a railroad track.     "I won't do this again," the man said.         .. ..          FAMOUS DEATHS ON DECEMBER 31st    ..     192 Lucius AA Commodus, Emperor of Rome (180-192) (b. 161)         335 Silvester I, Catholic Pope & Saint         406 Godagisel, King of the Vandals, dies in battle         439 Melania the Younger, Roman monastery founder, saint         1164 Margrave Ottokar III of Styria (b. 1124)         1194 Leopold V, Duke of Austria, killed at a tournament (b. 1157)         1297 Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford, English soldier (b. 1249)         1302 Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1238)         1382 Daigaku, Zen teacher, 46th head of Engakuji         1384 John Wycliffe, English theologian, religious reformer, bible translator (b. c. 1328)         1424 Thomas Beaufort, First Duke of Exeter, English military leader (b. 1377)         1460 Edmund, Earl of Rutland, brother of Kings Edward IV of England and Richard III of England, executed (b. 1443)         1460 Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, English politician (b. 1400)         1510 Bianca Maria Sforza, Italian wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1472)         1535 William Skeffington, English politician, Lord Deputy of Ireland (b. 1465)         1568 Shimazu Tadayoshi, Japanese warlord (b. 1493)         1575 Pierino Belli, Italian soldier and jurist (b. 1502)         1583 Thomas Erastus, Swiss physician and theologian (b. 1524)         1610 Ludolph van Ceulen, German-Dutch mathematician (b. 1540)         1616 Jacques Le Maire, pirate, explorer (Lemaire Strait)         1647 Giovanni Maria Trabaci, composer         1650 Dorgon, Chinese emperor (b. 1612)         1652 Frances Cecil, 2nd wife of English earl of Shaftesbury         1655 Janusz Radziwiłł, Polish–Lithuanian noble and magnate (b. 1612)         1673 Oliver St John, English politician and judge (b. 1598)         1679 Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, Italian physiologist and physicist (b. 1608)         1691 Dudley North, English economist (b. 1641)         1691 Robert Boyle, Irish chemist and physicist (b. 1627)         1705 Catherine of Braganza (b. 1638)         1719 John Flamsteed, English First Astronomer Royal (b. 1646)         1733 Hubert K Poot, Dutch poet (Akkerleven)         1742 Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine (b. 1661)         1775 Richard Montgomery, General in Continental Army during American Revolutionary War, dies in the battle of Quebec         1799 Jean-François Marmontel, French historian and author (b. 1723)         1802 Francis Lewis, Welsh-American merchant, signer (Declaration of Indedepndence)         1802 Hugo Franz Karl Alexander von Kerpen, composer         1809 Franz Ignaz Beck, composer         1818 Jean-Pierre Duport, composer         1848 Oliver Shaw, composer         1859 Luigi Ricci, composer         1862 James Edward Rains, American lawyer, Confederate brig-gen, dies in the Battle of Stone's River         1862 Joshua Woodrow Sill, American Union brig-general, dies in Battle of Stone's River         1872 Aleksis Kivi (Stenvall), Finnish author, poet (Kanervala) (b. 1834)         1876 Catherine Labouré, French saint (b. 1806)         1877 Alberto Mazzucato, composer         1877 JD Gustave Courbet, French painter (Baigneuses) (b. 1819)         1882 Leon Michel Gambetta, French attorney, premier (1881-82)         1888 Samson Raphael Hirsch, German rabbi (b. 1808)         1889 Ion Creangă, Romanian author (fairy tales) and educator (b.1837)         1890 Pancha Carrasco, Costa Rican war heroine (b. 1826)         1891 Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Nigerian bishop (b. 1809)         1893 Jacob G de Scheffer, Dutch vicar, theologist         1894 Thomas Joannes Stieltjes, Dutch mathematician (Stieltjes-integral) (b. 1856)         1896 Leland Hone, English cricketer           ..     ..   1907 Jules de Trooz, Belgium Prime Minister         1909 Spencer Trask, American financier and philanthropist (b. 1844)         1910 Archibald Hoxsey, American aviator (b. 1884)         1910 John Moisant, American aviator (b. 1868)         1916 Ernst Rudorff, composer         1920 Albert Roelofs, Dutch painter, etcher         1921 Boies Penrose, American lawyer and U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (b. 1860)         1936 Miguel de Unamuno Jugo, Spanish author, poet (Cancionero), and philosopher (b. 1864)         1936 William FA Ellison, Irish clergyman, astronomer         1938 Richard N Roland Holst, Dutch artist, painter         1941 Sigwart Aspestrand, composer         1945 Donald Douglas II         1946 Frits (Frederik H) Tartaud, Dutch actor         1947 Franz X Ritter von Epp, German General (SW Africa)         1948 Malcolm Campbell, English race car driver (b. 1885)         1950 Charles Koechlin, French composer (Jungle Book, dies at 83         1950 Karl Renner, Austrian Chancellor, President (1918-20, 45-50)         1951 Maxim M Litvinov, (Meyer H Wallach), Russian diplomat         1951 Philipp A Kohnstamm, Dutch philosopher, physicist         1953 Albert Plesman, Dutch aviation pioneer, founder (KLM) (b. 1889)         1954 Peter Van Anrooy, conductor, composer (Piet Hein Rhapsodie)         1958 Gustav Hermann Unger, composer         1960 Germaine Loosveldt, Flemish actress (Trees die Upright)         1960 Semyon Semyonovich Bogatiryov, composer         1964 Bobby Byrne, American baseball player (b. 1884)         1964 Henry Maitland Wilson, First Baron Wilson, English field marshal (b. 1881)         1964 Ólafur Thors, Icelandic politician, 8th Prime Minister of Iceland (b. 1892)         1966 Chief Nipo Strongheart, Native American actor (Pony Soldier)         1966 Pieter C A Geyl, historian (History of Dutch Race)         1967 Arthur Mailey, Australian cricketer         1968 Carl Oscar Ahues, German International Chess Master (1950)         1968 George Louis Francis Lewis, American clarinet player, composer (b. 1900)         1968 Sabin V Dragoi, composer         1969 Salvatore Baccaloni, opera singer, actor (Full of Life)         1970 Cyril M Scott, English composer, author (Alchemist)         1971 Marin Sais, American actress (b. 1890)         1971 Peter Deuel, American actor (Gidget, Love on a Rooftop), commits suicide (b. 1940)         1971 Vikram Sarabhai, Indian physicist (b. 1919)         1972 Henry Gerber, German-American activist, founder (Society for Human Rights) (b. 1892)         1972 Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican baseball player (Pittsburg Pirates), dies in a plane crash (b. 1934)         1975 Donal Michalsky, composer           ..     ..   1977 Nora Marlowe, actress (Sara-Gov & JJ)         1977 Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah, ruler of Kuwait (b. 1924)         1980 Arthur Wellard, English cricketer         1980 Marshall McLuhan, Canadian cultural philosopher (b. 1911)         1980 Raoul Walsh, American director (High Sierra) (b. 1887)         1981 Frantisek Chaun, composer         1983 Bill Hunt, Australian cricketer         1983 Frank Link, actor (Burns & Schreiber Comedy Show)         1985 Alexander Matheson, New Zealand cricketer         1985 Ricky Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet) (b. 1940)         1985 Sam Spiegel, Academy Award winning producer (Betrayal)         1986 Lester Albert Trimble, composer         1986 Lloyd Haynes, actor (Pete Dixon-Room 222)         1986 Raj Narain, Indian politician (b. 1917)         1987 Jerry Turner, American journalist (b. 1929)         1987 (Gordon) Randall (P D) Garrett, author (Lord Darcy)         1988 Nicolas Calas, Greek-American poet and critic (b. 1907)         1990 Dalton Cathey         1990 George Allen, American NFL football coach (LA Rams, Wash Redskins) (b. 1918)         1990 Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect (Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station) (b. 1891)         1990 Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 12, 18A) (b. 1928)         1993 Arthur Dreifuss, director, producer (Murder in Amsterdam)         1993 Brandon Teena, American Transsexual murder victim (b. 1972)         1993 Lambert Fokkema, founder Dutch Export Combination         1993 Thomas J Watson Jr, president of IBM (1956-71), diplomat         1993 Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Georgian politician, First President of Georgia (1991-1993), suicide (b. 1939)         1994 BAM "Bob" Schreiner, airline owner (S Aviation Group)         1994 Harri Webb, poet         1994 Leigh Bowery, Australian-English singer, actor, designer (b. 1961)         1994 Leo Fuchs, Polish-American Yiddish actor (Story of Ruth)         1994 Thomas J Watson Jr, CEO (IBM)         1994 Woodrow "Woody" Strode, American rugby player, decathlete, actor (Oil, Posse, Cotton Club, Vigilante) (b. 1914)         1995 Calvin & Hobbes, (comic strip)         1995 John Powell, campaigner         1996 Ann Susan Hills, freelance journalist         1996 David Sinclair, actor (Love & Hate)         1996 Frederico Davia, opera singer         1996 Michael Roberts, historian         1996 Phillip Edmund Clinton Manson-Bahr, tropical mediciner         1997 Billie Dove, American actress (b. 1903)         1997 Dominique de Menil, arts patron, human rights advocate         1997 Floyd Cramer, American pianist (Nashville Sound) (b. 1933)         1997 Lillian Billie Dove Bohney, actress         1997 Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, American son of Robert F. Kennedy, dies in ski accident (b. 1958)         1999 Elliot Richardson, American lawyer and politician, 69th United States Attorney General (b. 1920)           ..     ..   2000 Alan Cranston, American journalist and politician (b. 1914)         2000 Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane, American-Israeli rabbi and scholar (b. 1966)         2000 José Greco, Italian-American flamenco dancer and choreographer (b. 1918)         2001 Eileen Heckart, American actress (b. 1919)         2002 Kevin MacMichael, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Cutting Crew) (b. 1951)         2003 Arthur R. von Hippel German-American physicist (b. 1898)         2004 Gérard Debreu, French economist and mathematician (Nobel Prize laureate) (b. 1921)         2005 Enrico Di Giuseppe, American tenor (b. 1932)         2005 Phillip Whitehead, British politician (b. 1937)         2006 George Sisler Jr., American baseball executive (b. 1917)         2006 Seymour Martin Lipset, American sociologist (b. 1922)         2007 Bill Idelson, American actor, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1919)         2007 Ettore Sottsass, Austrian-Italian architect and designer (b. 1917)         2007 Kathryn Ish, American actress (b. 1936)         2007 Markku Peltola, Finnish actor and singer (b. 1956)         2007 Michael Goldberg, American painter (b. 1924)         2007 Milton L. Klein, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1910)         2007 Tommy Dickson, Irish footballer (b. 1929)         2007 Tony Elliott, American football player (b. 1959)         2008 Donald E. Westlake, American author (b. 1933)         2009 Cahal Daly, Irish cardinal and philosopher(b. 1917)         2009 Justin Keating, Irish journalist and politician (b. 1930)         2010 Per Oscarsson, Swedish actor (b. 1927)         2010 Raymond Impanis, Belgian cyclist (b. 1925)         2011 Omus Hirshbein, classical music impresario and music director         2012 Alasdair Liddell, English businessman (b. 1949)         2012 Annapurna Maharana, Indian activist (b. 1917)         2012 Béla Csécsei, Hungarian educator and politician (b. 1952)         2012 Günter Rössler, German photographer and journalist (b. 1926)         2012 James B. Reuter, American-Filipino priest and journalist (b. 1916)         2012 Jean-Henri Roger, French director, screenwriter, and actor (b. 1949)         2012 Konstantin Kobets, Russian general (b. 1939)         2012 Larry Bowie, American football player (b. 1939)         2012 Peter Ebert, German director (b. 1918)         2012 Susana Dalmás, Uruguayan politician (b. 1948)         2012 Tarak Mekki, Tunisian businessman and politician (b. 1958)         ..     ..