It’s the semiquincentennial of President James Monroe, born on 28 April in 1758.Monroe is remembered for a lot of things (including, endlessly, the Monroe Doctrine). But at Who2 HQ we tend to think of him as the first non-Founding Father president.
Happy 100th birthday, Edward R. Murrow.You stud.
Yikes! Actor Wesley Snipes given three years in prison for not paying his taxes.
Yesterday we were chatting about Wallis Simpson, the somewhat slippery woman for whom King Edward VIII gave up his crown.
Guy Trundle, Guy Trundle, Guy Trundle!Seductive king-buster Wallis Simpson died 22 years ago today. The anniversary is just a convenient excuse to shout “Guy Trundle” — the most deliciously seedy name in the history of romantic scandals.
Actor Ivan Dixon died last month, says the LA Times. We missed the story until just now.Dixon played “Kinch” on the series Hogan’s Heroes. But he had a fascinating (if less-heralded) career after that.On the trivia front: That Times obit says he also was the stunt double for Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones.
Happy birthday (probably) to William Shakespeare!
Hillary Rodham Clinton has won the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania. With 99% of precincts reporting, she leads Barack Obama 55%-45%. See the final numbers at PennLive.
Pennsylvania’s day to vote has arrived. Here are a few places to look for results and breaking news:The combined political news page of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily NewsPrimary coverage from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (and the paper’s Early Returns blog)
Naturalist and adventurer John Muir was born 170 years ago today, in 1838.Muir was an early explorer of California (on foot, incidentally) and was the force behind the creation of Yosemite National Park. He’s also the guy on the California quarter. (As an aside, see our own cranky take on quarters and heroes.)