According to her alma mater, Howard University in Washington, D.C., singer Roberta Flack was born in 1940, not 1939. Several sources give her birth year as 1939 — and that’s what we had. Sorry for making you out to be older than you really are, Roberta.
Jane Goodall turns 75 today.She was born in 1934 — same as Hammerin’ Hank Aaron and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf.
One of two extant telescopes used by Galileo is in the U.S. on exhibit. Here’s the story.Here’s the telescope, which will be on display at Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, part of an exhibit opening April 4th, "The Medici and the Age of Astronomy."
Heh: a slideshow.Those cut-ups at The Times!
And nobody seemed to mind.
A journalist from the U.K. Spectator travels to the home of reclusive author J.D. Salinger and finds a writer who doesn’t want to meet people in "What I Heard at J.D. Salinger’s Doorstep."
Barack and Michelle Obama visit Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip yesterday at Buckingham Palace.
That’s what this report from the BBC says.
New GM head is named Fritz.
René Descartes was born on this day in 1596. He’s still being talked about in the 21st century. Even his head makes the news.Descartes was French, but he died in Sweden in 1650. Fans from his native country went to Sweden in 1666 and moved his body back to France. Along the way a bone and a finger were taken as souvenirs, and his head disappeared.
LeBron James sinks an incredible shot during an interview with 60 Minutes.Here’s the full show.
Norah Jones turns 30 today, and maybe it’s a sign of The Modern Age that her big peak (so far) was already seven years ago, when she released the hit album Come Away With Me. It’s not clear what she’s up to these days. Her official site lists nothing in the “Tour” section and still says “copyright 2007.”Come Away With Me won eight Grammy Awards, so she’s still averaging better than one Grammy per year.
We’re testing something new on Who2: photos.Our photo set of teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson seems to be an early favorite with users.Other photo sets currently up include Jessica Alba, Malia Obama, and Natasha Richardson.
In one of the most bizarre casting revelations in recent Hollywood memory, MGM and the Farrelly brothers are closing in on the actors who will become the new Three Stooges. And their choices to play the updated versions of three impetuous nitwits who whack each other over the head with lead pipes? Oscar-wining actors Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, along with Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey. So says MTV.
“I had avoided getting married pretty good for, like, 23 years, and I — honestly, whether this happened or not — I secretly felt that men who were married admired me… like I was the last of the real gunslingers, you know what I’m saying?”Dave Letterman got married.
“A fracture of the third medio of the right clavicle,” say race organizers.Armstrong’s take: “I think for the Tour [de France], it’s a very big problem.”
Speaking of Dr. Wu: Turns out that one guy — Phil Woods — played the alto sax solos on “Dr. Wu” and on Billy Joel’s tune “Just the Way You Are.””Wu” was 1975, “JTWYA” was 1977. (Woods comments on the latter here.)
Dr. Chu brings certain assets that none of his peers or predecessors have had: a Nobel Prize, a YouTube following (for his lectures on climate change) and an unofficial theme song (“Dr. Wu” by Steely Dan). He is a major celebrity in Taiwan, where scientific achievement is rewarded with rock star status. From a NY Times profile of Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu.
The Chicago Tribune has ’em.
Hobbyists build their own Captain Kirk chairs from Star Trek.”Sitting in it,” said Mr. Bradshaw, the graphic designer, “I find myself striking an action pose quite unconsciously.”