Sir Alexander Fleming  (August 6, 1881 – March 11, 1955)

Sir Alexander Fleming (above) was a young bacteriologist when
an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments
of modern medicine on September 28, 1928. Having left a plate
of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that
a mold that had fallen on the culture had killed many of the
bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum,
similar to the kind found on bread.

In 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called
penicillin to cure bacterial infections.

On February 28, 1983, the celebrated sitcom M*A*S*H bows out
after 11 seasons, airing a special two-and-a-half hour episode
watched by 77 percent of the television viewing audience. It was
the largest percentage ever to watch a single TV show up to that
time.

Set near Seoul, Korea, behind the American front lines during
the Korean War, M*A*S*H was based on the 1968 novel by Richard
Hooker and the 1970 film produced by 20th Century Fox and
directed by Robert Altman. Its title came from the initials for the
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (left) and lifelong friend and political advisor,
Basil O’Connor counting dimes sent in to the White House for the
March of Dimes, 1944. O’Connor helped establish the foundation.         

   

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, an adult victim of polio, established the
National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which he later renamed
the March of Dimes Foundation, on January 3, 1938. A predominantly childhood disease in the early 20th century, polio wreaked havoc
among American children every summer. The virus, which affects
the central nervous system, flourished in contaminated food and
water and was easily transmitted. Those who survived the disease usually suffered from debilitating paralysis into their adult lives. In
1921, at the relatively advanced age of 39, Roosevelt contracted
polio and lost the use of his legs. With the help of the media, his
Secret Service and careful event planning, Roosevelt managed to
keep his disease out of the public eye, yet his personal experience inspired in him an empathy with the handicapped and prompted him
to the found the March of Dimes.

Trinidad "Trini" López III (May 13, 1937 – August 11, 2020)

Trini Lopez was an American singer, guitarist, and actor. His first album
included a version of "If I Had a Hammer", which earned a Golden Disc
for him. His other hits included "Lemon Tree", "I’m Comin’ Home, Cindy"
and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl". He designed two guitars for the Gibson
Guitar Corporation, which are now collectors’ items. He died at Desert
Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, California after suffering  from complications of COVID-19.

Trini Lopez as seen in the 1967 movie “The Dirty Dozen”.