John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
(3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973
English writer and philologist J.R.R. Tolkien was the author of
the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The great success of these two books led directly to a popular resurgence of the genre. This has caused him to be popularly
identified as the "father" of modern fantasy literature—or, more
precisely, of high fantasy.
ED DANAHUE
Apollo 8 crew (from left) Frank Borman, William Anders, and James Lovell.
Richard Wayne “Dick” Van Dyke is 97 years old today.
On December 13, 1925, Dick Van Dyke, the actor who would
become known for his performances in such movie classics
as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as well as the
popular 1960s TV sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, was born
in West Plains, Missouri.
Van Dyke, who was raised in Danville, Illinois, served in the
Army Air Force during World War II and in the 1950s took
various acting jobs and hosted a series of TV game shows.
In 1960, he starred on Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie, a role
which earned him a Tony Award. The following year, he
signed on to play comedy writer Rob Petrie on The Dick
Van Dyke Show.
1964
Initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966.
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Legendary game show
host Bob Barker is celebrating his 99th birthday today.
Kirk Douglas
( Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020)
Kirk Douglas made his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha
Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. He was known for serious
dramas, including westerns and war films. During his career,
he appeared in more than 90 films and was known for his
explosive acting style. He was named by the American Film
Institute the17th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood
cinema and was the highest-ranked living person on the list.
Kirk Douglas in the film "Spartacus" (1960)
The War Wagon (1967) a Western heist film with Kirk Douglas
and John Wayne.
