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Barbara Eden, American film/stage/television actress and singer particularly remembered for her starring role in the sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie", is 91 today.  Robert M. Solow, American economist, founding father of neoclassical growth theory, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1987, is 98 today.

On this day in 2012 English novelist and childrens writer Nina Bawden died aged 87. She wrote over 55 books, mostly aimed at children , and had huge success with many being adapted by the BBC for childrens television drama. Nina was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987 and the publicly voted Lost man Booker Prize in 2010. She is one of the very few writers who has served as a Judge on the Booker Prize panel and also made the shortlist at some point. Bawden also was the recipient of a Golden Pen award. Her many books include On the run(1964), The Witchs daughter (1966), Carries War (1973), The Peppermint pig (1975), Circles of deceit (1987- Nominated for a Booker Prize) and The Outside Child (1989). So a great deal of career success and accomplishment but much heartache, personal woes and tragedy in her personal life. Nina married twice. She had two sons by her first marriage, one of whom Nicholas committed suicide in 1981 . In 2002 Nina was badly injured in the Potters bar rail crash .Her husband a former managing director of the BBC World Service Austen Kark, died in the crash.. Ninas testimony about the crash and its causes formed a huge part of the David Hare play 'The Permanent way' about the disaster. In March 2012 just five months before her own death , Perdita -Ninas daughter by her second marriage died, becoming the second of her three children she outlived.

Congrats @arghton ans @Summer in Transylvania 1922 - Steve Wochy/Induratana Paribatra 1923 - William P. Murphy/Lily Ebert 1924 - Juan Ponce Enrile/Vera Molnar 1925 - Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III /Soňa Červená 1926 - Emmanuel Kardinal Wamala/Betsy Jolas 1927 - Bud Grant/Rosalynn Carter 1928 - Hans Blix/Line Renaud 1929 - Peter Higgs/Yaoyi Kusama 1930 - Armin Mueller-Stahl/Peggy King 1931 - Mário Zagallo/Eva Queler

Shelley Long, American film and television actress popular for films such as "Night Shift", "Irreconcilable Differences", "The Money Pit" and "Troop Beverly Hills" and for her performance as Diane Chambers in the NBC sitcom "Cheers", is 73 today.  Queen Noor of Jordan, American activist and philanthropist who was the fourth wife of King Hussein of Jordan from 1978 until his death in 1999, is 71 today.

(Wiki) Jamey Rootes has died at the age of 55. Wording on the death notice points to suicide. Mr. Rootes was the former President of the Houston Texans from 2005 until retiring in 2021. He was also a former GM/CEO of multiple soccer teams, both MLS and NWSL. The Houston Texans would not exist as they currently do today if not for this man and his work.

On this day in 2010 professional american bodybuilder Bruce Randall, who won the Mr Universe contest in 1959, died aged 79. He famously slimmed down from 425 pounds to 223 pounds after intense and extensive dieting and training.

Vera Miles... a hit for your future pools.

Jenkins.... Chap with the wings there....... Five rounds rapid. -- Brigadier Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart

Behind the EU information wall, but too good not to share, Clayton Jacobson, inventor of the Jet Ski, has died at 88: https://www.havasunews.com/free_access/jet-ski-inventor-clayton-jacobson-dies-at-88/article_07ba53c4-225b-11ed-9cd5-1b903d5d77d6.html

Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace died on this day 717 years ago, aged 35. In 1297, Wallace (along with Andrew Moray) led the Battle of Stirling Bridge against the English, whom had invaded the year before. Wallace and Moray's troops were outnumbered by about 3,000- during the battle, the bridge collapsed under the weight of the army, causing many English soldiers to drown. This caused English leader John de Warenne to lose faith in troops and retreat. For this, Wallace and Moray were given the title "Guardians of the Kingdom of Scotland", and Wallace was knighted later that year (Moray had been killed in battle by then). In July 1298, Wallace led another battle at Falkirk, once again greatly outnumbered by the English (with a majority of paid Welsh mercenaries). This time, the English decisively won, killing Wallace's second-in-command (John de Graham). Wallace resigned as Guardian due to this, giving his title to Robert de Brus (later King Robert I). Little is known of Wallace's activities after this. In early August of 1305, Wallace was captured by the English in Robroyston, and taken to London. He was charged with treason against King Edward I, to which he replied "I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject". After this sham trial, Wallace was stripped naked, dragged through the streets, and then hanged. He was released from the noose before he suffocated- and he was neutered and disemboweled while still alive and forced to watch his innards burn. A merciful beheading is what finished him off, and his head was put on a pike on London Bridge. His limbs were scattered and displayed across the country. In 1995, he was famously portrayed by Mel Gibson in Braveheart. This is considered one of the most historically inaccurate films (its Wikipedia article has a full section going into its inaccuracies).

It's hilarious. The Tories lose the election and one half of the party claim it's because of the reputational damage done to the party by Boris Johnson and the other half of the party claim it's because of the unnecessary infighting and coup on Boris Johnson. There's literally no way to reason with Mad Nad, Jacob or BoJo. But none of this will end up mattering because the brain dead public will give that lovely Liz Truss a chance to fix all the problems of the past 10 years that she definitely wasn't involved in making.

What a stupid fucking thread! Paul Bearer. Deathlist.net

Congratulations, @arghton! 1922 Mildred T. Stahlman / Ronald Blythe 1923 Judith Hemmendinger / Bob Barker 1924 Countess Marianne Bernadotte of Wisborg / Leslie Phillips 1925 Ruth Slenczynska / Johnny Lujack 1926 Gudrun Ure / David Frankham 1927 Barbara Rush / Harry Belafonte 1928 Ruth Westheimer / Jayanta Mahapatra 1929 Joan Plowright / Don January 1930 Sandra Day O'Connor / Thomas Patten Stafford 1931 Barbara Barrie / Hal Linden

Confirmed on FB by the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.

As usual with most things TV at the time, Sydney Newman was right. The Pilot has a far gruffer take on the Doctor, dressed in a suit and tie and barking at everyone. In the actual episode, Hartnell plays his lines more distrustful of strangers than evil kidnapper, and adds in his traditional "hmms" "haws" and giggles. The Susan character was drawing Rorschach hexagons on paper and amping up the weird alien stuff too. Plus, shitloads went wrong - from boom mics appearing to, yes, wobbly sets. It's a curio, but the decision to refilm it with the characters written as friendlier, and the thing sharper, was 100% the correct decision. Else we wouldn't be talking about it nearly 60 years later.

The rest of the staff also didn't notice the new games teacher, Mr B Wayne, was famous either, but did appreciate the mysterious cuts in crime numbers all the same.

Surely the rest of the staff must have cottoned on. Mrs Kent! I'd have bloody noticed!

Are you Joan Collins?

She’s probably an angry bird now.

The Duchess of Kent has given a rare interview , this time to the Sunday Telegraphs Camilla Tominey.

Mocked and belittled in prison by Ed Kemper, an altogether higher class of serial-killing psycho. "[Mullin] had a habit of singing and bothering people when somebody tried to watch TV, so I threw water on him to shut him up. Then, when he was a good boy, I'd give him peanuts. Herbie liked peanuts. That was effective because pretty soon he asked permission to sing. That's called behavior modification treatment" Though I'm sure he'll miss him now he's gone.

She may get a prime time slot, but being a loser doesn't look good to the American people. All her political capital is gone.

Some kind of an update as it seems that April video was from April 2021 instead of April 2022. Performed at the Palomino Festival a week ago.

TV Show host and wildlife expert Jim Fowler dead at 87 years: https://www.walb.com/2019/05/09/longtime-naturalist-albanian-jim-fowler-dies/