Sunday, November 4, 2012

Brian Cobby

Actor and voice artist -- via The Argus. Best known as the voice of England's "Speaking Clock" for decades. His was the voice that would give you the correct time when you called for it on the telephone.

John Hessler aka Big John

Former MLB pitcher -- via legacy.com. He pitched six games for the Astros in 1978.

Han Suyin

Writer -- via the Guardian. Her best-remembered work is the novel "A Many-Spendoured Thing," which became the 1955 movie "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" and the theme song associated with it. Her support and later apologia for Mao and the Cultural Revolution gained her many detractors.

Gae Aulenti

Architect -- via the New York Times. Responsible for the Musee d'Orsay.

John Cooper Fitch

Race driver and inventor -- via the New York Times. The barrels filled with sand at the off-ramps? Those are Fitch Inertial Barriers. To date, it is estimated that they have saved 17,000 lives.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

Les Mueller

Former MLB pitcher -- via NBC. On July 25, 1945, he pitched 19 and 2/3 innings against the A's. He got two weeks off after this unprecedented feat.


Barouh V. Berkovits

Bioengineer; worked on the pacemaker and the defibrillator -- via dignitymemorial.com.

Ahmad Ghabel

Islamic scholar and dissident -- via The Atlantic.

Gabrielle Roth

Dancer and musician -- via the Huffington Post.



Cesare Canevari

Film producer, director, screenwriter, editor, and actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. Responsible for the bizarre spaghetti Western "Matalo!" and many other exploitation films.