Thursday, September 21, 2006

Spotlight
Happy birthday to Larry Hagman, who for 12 years played J.R. Ewing, the man the world loved to hate. The actor who went from playing bumbling astronaut Tony Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie to sleazy oil tycoon J.R. on Dallas turns 75 today. Once a heavy smoker and drinker, Hagman has stopped smoking and in 1996 he underwent a liver transplant. Since then, he has also made a name for himself in his philanthropic work, acting as a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation and the Great American Smokeout.

Quote
"I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to be anywhere. I'm not kidding." — Larry Hagman

Today's News

• Saddam Hussein: new judge ousts Iraqi dictator from genocide trial (story)
• Saturn: new ring discovered by Cassini spacecraft during occultation of the sun (story)
• music: lessons help children develop better memories (story)
• Arctic Ocean: ice cover melts, ship route from Europe to North Pole uncovered (story)

Today's History

• Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus: editorial in the New York Sun addressed an 8-year-old's doubts (1897)
• People's Republic of China: was founded by Mao Zedong and his Communist Party (1949)
• Malta: gained independence from the UK (1964), as did Belize (1981)

Today's Birthdays

• H.G. Wells: writer/historian, War of the Worlds (1866-1946)
• Stephen King: author of Misery and The Shining (59)
• Bill Murray: actor, Ghostbusters, Lost in Translation (56)
• Ricki Lake: talk-show host (38)
• Nicole Richie: co-star of The Simple Life (25)