Today's Birthdays and History

Today in History

• Gregorian calendar: was adopted by Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain; the Julian calendar ended the previous day, October 4, and the intervening 10 days were deleted (1582)
• Mata Hari: Dutch courtesan was executed by the French for espionage (1917)
• Pierre Laval: Vichy France PM was executed for treason (1945)
• Andy Green: RAF pilot drove at supersonic speed on land in Nevada (1997)

Today's Birthdays

• Vergil (70 BCE-19 BCE): poet who wrote the Aeneid
• Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900): German philosopher who wrote about the Übermensch, or superman
• P.G. Wodehouse (1881-1975): writer who created Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves
• Penny Marshall (65): actor/director, Laverne & Shirley, Big
• Tanya Roberts (52): Actress (Charlie's Angels, That 70's Show)