6word Portrait: Jackie Robinson

Broke baseball's color barrier; changed America.



Born 100 years ago today (d. 1972)

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Baseball-Reference page

6word Portrait: Franklin D. Roosevelt

Led America through Great Depression, WWII



Born this day in 1882 (d. 1945)

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Quotes

6word Portrait: W.C. Fields

Never gave suckers an even break.


Born this day in 1880 (d. 1946)

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6word Portrait: Claes Oldenburg

Whimsically turned everyday objects into sculptures.

Born 90 years ago today.

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WikiArt

Gallery

6word Portrait: Mikhail Baryshnikov

Russian "Misha" defined balletic virtuosity, defected.



Born this day in 1948.

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Video

6word Portrait: Bob Uecker

Must be in the front row.

Born 85 years ago today.

Wikipedia 

Video

6word Portrait: Virginia Woolf

Who's afraid of her incisive prose?



Born this day in 1882 (d. 1941)

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Quotes

6word Portrait: John Belushi

SNL, Animal House, Blues Brothers, forever.

Born 70 years ago today (d. 1982)

Wikipedia 

IMDB

Video

6word Portrait: Ernie Kovacs

Inventive comedian introduced, influenced TV zaniness.



Born 100 years ago today (d. 1962)

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Video

6word Portrait: Sergei Eisenstein

Russian Battleship Potemkin director pioneered montage.

Born this day in 1898 (d. 1948)

Wikipedia

Battleship Potemkin online
(Click CC to get English subtitles)

6word Portraits: Plácido Domingo

Spanish tenor with 60-year opera career.


Born this day in 1941

Wikipedia

Video

6word Portrait: George Burns

'God'ly radio/TV/film comedian lived to 100.

Born this day in 1896 (d. 1996)

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Video

6word Portrait: Edgar Allen Poe

Gothic author/poet quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”



Born 210 years ago today (d. 1949)

Wikipedia

"The Raven" online

6word Portrait: Danny Kaye

"Kid From Brooklyn" later in Skokie. 



Born this day in 1911 (d. 1987)

Wikipedia

IMDB

6word Portrait: Betty White

TV star longer than any woman. 



Born this day in 1922

Wikipedia

IMDB

6word Portrait: Sade

British Nigerian songstress a "Smooth Operator"



Born 60 years ago today.

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Video

6word Portrait: Drew Brees

Saints quarterback; most NFL passing yards



Born 40 years ago today.

Wikipedia

Statistics

6word Portrait: Andy Rooney

"A Few Minutes with" his thoughts.

Born 100 years ago today (d. 2011)

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Video

6word Portrait: Gwen Verdon

Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity, Chicago actress/dancer

Born this day in 1925 (d. 2000)

Wikipedia 

IMDB

IBDB

6word Portrait: Haruki Murakami

Wrote Kafka on the Shore, 1Q84

Born 70 years ago today.

Wikipedia 

His website

6word Portrait: Clarence Clemons

"The Big Man joined the band."



Born this day in 1942 (d. 2011)

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Video

6word Portrait: George Foreman

The heavyweight champion of electric grills. 



Born 70 years ago today. 

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Video

6word Portrait: Joan Baez

Preeminent female folk singer and activist.



Born this day in 1941

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Video

6word Portrait: Elvis Presley

The King of Rock and Roll.

Born this day in 1935 (d. 1977)

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Video

6word Portrait: Jon Lester

Beat lymphoma; won three championship rings.



Born 35 years ago today.

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Baseball-Reference.com

6word Portrait: Syd Barrett

Early creative force behind Pink Floyd. 



Born this day in 1946 (d. 2006)

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Video

6word Portrait: Diane Keaton

Earned Best Actress as Annie Hall



Born this day in 1946

Wikipedia

AllMovie.com filmography

6word Portrait: Helmut Jahn

Chicago-based architect known for flashy style. 



Born this day in 1940. 

Wikipedia

Gallery of buildings

6word Portrait: J. R. R. Tolkien

His Lordly storytelling become Hobbit forming. 



Born this day in 1892 (d. 1973)

Wikipedia

The Tolkien Society

6word Portrait: Christopher Durang

Absurdist playwright won Tony in 2013. 



Born 70 years ago today.

Wikipedia

IBDB Broadway Credits

6word Portrait: Grandmaster Flash

Pioneering "Message" rapper with Furious Five.



Born (as Joseph Saddler) on this day in 1958.

Wikipedia

Video