December 14, birthdays for Vanessa Hudgins, Dilma Rousseff, Jackson Rathbone

Brooklyn Today

December 14, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Actress Vanessa Hudgins celebrates her birthday today. Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article titled “Druggist, 72, Braves Death to Beat Tar Out of Gunman, 16.”

The article focused on a man who defended himself as he was robbed at gunpoint.

“Late last night Nathan Holinsky looked death square in the face across the counter of his East New York drugstore — and met the challenge … So Holinsky charged around his counter, slugged the youth with his fist, hit him again in the face and took his gun and his knife. Finally the youngster wriggled free and escaped,” the Eagle reported.

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NOTABLE PEOPLE born on this day include Hall of Fame baseball player CRAIG BIGGIO, who was born in 1965; actress JANE BIRKIN, who was born in 1946; Catholic theologian LEONARDO BOFF, who was born in 1938; former baseball player BILL BUCKNER, who was born in 1949; Oscar Award and Emmy Award-winning actress PATTY DUKE, who was born in 1946; actress VANESSA HUDGENS, who was born in 1988; actress NATASCHA McELHONE, who was born 1969; Olympic gymnast SAMANTHA PESZEK, who was born in 1991; actor JACKSON RATHBONE, who was born in 1984; Brazilian politician DILMA ROUSSEFf, who was born in 1947; and actress DEE WALLACE STONE, who was born in 1948.

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THE SOUTH POLE WAS DISCOVERED ON THIS DAY IN 1911. The elusive object of many expeditions dating from the 17th century, the South Pole was located and visited by Roald Amundsen with four companions and 52 sled dogs. All five men and 12 dogs returned to basecamp safely. Next to visit the South Pole in 1912 was a party of five led by Capt. Robert F. Scott, all of whom perished during the return trip. A search party found their frozen bodies 11 months later.

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HALCYON DAYS BEGIN TODAY. Traditionally, they are the seven days before and the seven days after the winter solstice. To the ancients, it was a time when the halcyon, a fabled bird, calmed the wind and waves — a time of calm and tranquility.

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SHIRLEY JACKSON WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1916. The author was infamous for her 1948 short story “The Lottery,” which was published in The New Yorker. The story about a sinister force at work in small-town America brought controversy, threats and finally praise — as well as an O. Henry Prize. Jackson also wrote the influential horror novel “The Haunting of Hill House.” She died in Vermont in 1965.

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PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON DIED ON THIS DAY IN 1799. The first president of the U.S. died at his home in Mount Vernon shortly before midnight. He had battled a sudden acute respiratory infection and had been bled four times. “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go” were his famous near-dying words. After he confirmed his own burial plans, Washington’s actual last words were, “’Tis well.” He was mourned throughout the U.S. and Europe.

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NOSTRADAMUS WAS BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1503. The French physician is best remembered for his astrological predictions, written in rhymed quatrains. Many believed that his book of prophecies actually foretold the future. He died in France in 1566.

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THE BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETY WILL HOST “Stop and Frisk:

An In-Depth Look at a Contentious Policing Tactic” tonight at 6:30 p.m. Criminologist and criminal justice expert Michael White will delve into his and Henry Fradella’s new book, “Stop and Frisk: The Use and Abuse of a Controversial Policing Tactic,” the first authoritative history and analysis of one of the most controversial policing tactics in modern history. For more information, visit brooklynhistory.org.

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

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“Keep smiling — it takes 10 years off!” — actress Jane Birkin, who was born on this day in 1946