Sunday, May 16, 2010

eidetic \ahy-DET-ik\, adjective:

1. Of, pertaining to, or constituting visual imagery vividly experienced and readily reproducible with great accuracy and in great detail.
2. Marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and exacting recall especially of visual images.

Eidetic was coined by German psychologist Erich Jaensch in 1924 from the Greek eidetikos, "pertaining to images or knowledge." Eidetic memory is similar to photographic memory.
Trivia
What are helicopter parents?

• Overanxious parents who hover over their children and monitor all aspects of their lives.

History

• Marie Antoinette: married Louis XVI of France when they were 14 and 15 years of age, respectively (1770)
• Edgar Allan Poe: writer of the macabre wed his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia (1836)
• cademy Awards: Emil Jannings, Janet Gaynor and Wings were the winners at the first awards ceremony (1929)
• Annie Get Your Gun: Irving Berlin musical opened on Broadway, starring Ethel Merman (1946)
• Junko Tabei: became the first woman to scale Mt. Everest (1975)

Berfdays

• Studs Terkel (1912-2008): historian, author of The Good War; plus editors Anne O'Hare McCormick (1882-1954) and Walter Yust (1894-1960)
• Pierce Brosnan (57): actor and social activist, 4-time James Bond, The Ghost Writer; also, actors Henry Fonda (1905-1982), George Gaynes (93), Harry Carey, Jr. (89), Debra Winger (55), Mare Winningham (51), David Boreanaz and Tracey Gold (both 41), Tori Spelling (37), Megan Fox (24) and Melanie Lynskey (33)
• Janet Jackson (44): rock singer; plus, musicians Woody Herman (1913-1987), Liberace (1919-1987), Betty Carter (1930-1998), Billy Cobham (66), Boyd Tinsley (46) and Krist Novoselic (45)
• Olga Korbut (55): Olympic gold-medal winner in gymnastics; other athletes born on this date include Billy Martin (1928-1989) and Gabriela Sabatini (40)