Disproving Astrology
© 1996 by Laurie D. T. Mann
Some people take astrology very seriously. I think it's mostly
bunk. Astrology seems to postulate that people born on the same
day in different years have similar characteristics. All you need
to do is look at a database with birthdays and see that it ain't so.
July 9
The July 9 birthdays are taken from
the Internet Movie Database
- Brian Dennehy 1938 (Big guy on Cocoon, Elizabeth Dennehy's father)
- James Hampton 1936 (Hapless bugler on F Troop)
- Tom Hanks 1956 (From X-dresser to Oscar winner in about 13 years,
obvious attendee of the "Sally Field Nice Folks Finish First" school, living
ex-wife)
- Dean Koontz 1945 (Horror writer, great moustache)
- Kelly McGillis 1957 (Witness and The Accused - fine actress
who should be working more!)
- Richard Roundtree 1937. (Shaft. John Shaft.)
- Fred Savage 1976 (Comic actor & Jay Leno look-alike)
- O.J. Simpson 1947 (Former good guy, "allegedly" a double murderer,
dead ex-wife)
- Jimmy Smits 1955 (Major talent who deserves better parts than he gets)
- John Tesh 1952 (With Smits & Savage, three of the most impressive
jaws anywhere, not a bad entertainment anchor or piano player, living ex-wife)
August 15
These birthdays were compiled by Irene Stuber for
A Calendar of Women
of Achievement and Herstory
- Ann Pamela Cunningham, 1816, organized and supervised the
all-woman task of purchasing Mount Vernon, home of George Washington that
the State of Virginia and the US government were not interested in acquiring.
Had to overcome the prejudices against women engaging in such activies.
- Florence Kling Harding, 1860, often credited with inspiring
her husband's political career, was known as the Duchess. Rumors persist
that she caused her husband's death to save the nation embarrassment after
the Teapot Dome scandals. There is no proof of it.
- Ethel Barrymore, 1879, of the Royal Family of the Theatre
(Colt-Drew-Barrymore). Reigning queen of the stage for more than 50 years.
Won a 1944 Academy Award for her work in None but the Lonely Heart.
- Edna Ferber, 1885, American novelist whose works centered
around a pantheon of strong women starting out with So Big in 1924 which
won the Pulitzer Prize. Her books Show Boat, Cimarron, Saratoga Trunk,
Giant and Ice Palace were all made into popular movies. Called a
"woman's writer," her works are being dismissed today as fluff pieces, but
they all contain serious themes and accurate portrayals of the time and place.
An enormously successful writer, she never received critical respect because,
some say, her characters were strong females who were triumphant in the end
"testif(ying) to her belief in female determination and autonomy."
- Gerty Theresa Radnitz Cori, 1896, Czech-American biochemist,
co-winner of 1947 Nobel prize in physiology, who along with her husband
jointly made discoveries regarding glucose.
- Lillian Carter, 1898, known as Miss Lillian during her son
Jimmy's Presidency, served with the Peace Corps in India 1966-68. Her son
called her the most liberal woman in Georgia.
- Martha Foley, 1899, co-edited influential magazine
Story that first published many authors of the day. Edited the Best
American Short Stories series of books for 35 years.
- Georgette Heyer, 1902, English author of nearly 60 books
mostly about the Regency period.
- Julia Child, 1912, chef, TV personality, and author who
popularized and demystified French cuisine. Bon Appetit!
- Phyllis Schlafly, 1924, lawyer, political activist and author, led
fight against ERA from 1972 to 1982. She did, in her career, what she
criticized other women for doing.
- Linda Ellerbee, 1944, journalist.
- Kathyrn Whitmore, 1946, first woman mayor of Houston.
Ferber, Ellerbee and Schlafly have the same birthday. The mind boggles!
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