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3/14/2022: Critics’ Choice Awards Winners

PLUS: Pokémon Payday, Boxing With Caitlyn Jenner, and Brady Returns

Mar 14, 2022

Today is Monday, March 14, 2022

It is the 73rd day of the year.

292 days remain.

HIT LIST

Journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud has died while covering the war in Ukraine. Two other journalists are believed to be hospitalized from Russian fire.

No word on whether Renaud was on the ground for a specific news outlet, but he had contributed to the New York Times in the past.

One of the injured journalists is believed to be Juan Arredondo.

The casualties were sustained in Irpin.

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DEATH CAMEL: Two men in Tennessee are dead after a camel escaped its zoo enclosure and attacked them.

Law enforcement was called to the scene. As soon as officers began treating the victims, the camel attacked their squad car. In response, the officers “put the camel down for the safety of everyone on scene,” according to the police report.

MEANWHILE: Wildlife maintenance officers in Montana have put down three mountain lions that were threatening the bighorn sheep population on Wild Horse Island, located in Montana’s Flathead Lake.

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WELL THIS SUCKS: Customs officials in Philadelphia intercepted six shipments of leeches from Bulgaria last week.

Nearly 300 leeches were tallied in total, and were en route to Connecticut, Florida, and Illinois.

Officials seized the shipments, which violated the US Endangered Species Act.

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An Atlanta area high school coach is facing suspension – for defending himself from a female student who brought a gun to school!

The incident went down last August: Kenneth Miller and police officers confronted the student for her behavior. That’s when she got upset and hit Miller with a stapler. In response, Miller restrained the student until the officers could engage.

It was only after the altercation the student’s gun was discovered.

At first, Miller was fired outright, which was later turned into a suspension. Months later, he’s still suspended.

A statement for the school district accused Miller of “an escalation of a physical altercation with a student in crisis.”

WORTH NOTING: The student hit him first!

ALSO WORTH NOTING: SHE HAD A GUN!!

Watch the news clip and bodycam footage:

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Now might be a good time to go to your mom’s attic and find that shoebox of old Pokemon cards.

A first edition 1999 Charizard Number 4 card (whatever that means) sold last week for $336,000 through Heritage Auctions.

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Uber and Lyft have been at war with state governments for years over how they classify their staff as contractors – which allow the drivers to keep more of their earnings and give them increased flexibility. Liberal legislators want to force these companies to instead pay minimum wages and health benefits.

Now, a new ride-hailing app is appealing to that crowd, with a fleet of drivers that promises an hourly wage and full benefits to its staff.

It’s called Alto, and is debuting the service in San Francisco. All its vehicles are Buick Enclaves. Alto says its fleet will be electric next year.

There are currently 50 cars in service.

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A Milwaukee woman and her three siblings now hold the record for highest combined ages.

Geraldine Bulger is 100. Her sister Marjorie is 97. And her brothers Robert and Richard are 93 and 92. All told, including the days since their last birthdays, that’s nearly 384 years in combined ages.

Guinness World Records certified the milestone late last year.

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CHARTS

Weekend Box Office:

10. Marry Me: $345k (up from 11)

9. Cyrano: $390k (down from 8)

8. Scream: $445k (up from 10)

7. Jackass Forever: $1.1 million (stayed at 7)

6. Sing 2: $1.5 million (stayed at 6)

5. Death on the Nile: $2.5 million (stayed at 5)

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home: $4 million (stayed at 4)

3. Dog: $5.3 million (stayed at 3)

2. Uncharted: $9.2 million (stayed at 2)

1. The Batman: $66 million (stayed at 1)

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DEATHS

TRACI BRAXTON has died.

The singer, and sister of TONI BRAXTON, passed away after a year of battling Esophageal cancer.

She was 50.

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ODALIS PEREZ has died.

The former MLB pitcher passed away Thursday night after falling off a ladder in his home. An exact cause of death is not yet known.

He was 44.

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BOBBIE LEE NELSON has died.

The pianist, singer and older sister of WILLIE NELSON passed away on March 10. No cause of death was shared.

She was 91.

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BRENT RENAUD has died.

The award-winning journalist and former New York Times contributor was killed by Russian forces near Kyiv. He was reportedly shot in the neck when Russian troops opened fire on a car, according to Chief of Police Andrey Nebitov.

He ws 51.

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WILLIAM HURT has died.

The award-winning actor passed away Sunday of natural causes, according to a social media post by his son, Will.

In May 2018, it was revealed that Hurt had terminal prostate cancer that had spread to the bone.

He was 71.

Hurt’s passing comes one week before his 72nd birthday.

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RELATIONSHIPS

GRIMES, 33, is dating WikiLeaks leaker CHELSEA MANNING, 34.

A source confirmed the news to Page Six, saying the pair have been living together in Austin.

The news comes after Grimes revealed she and ELON MUSK broke up a second time, shortly after welcoming their daughter.

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SICK BAY

HAILEY BIEBER was hospitalized with a brain condition that doctors think may be linked to COVID-19.

The 25-year-old was admitted to a Palm Springs area hospital last week after suffering a “medical emergency.”

As many may remember, her husband, JUSTIN BIEBER, had the virus a few weeks ago.

OVER THE WEEKEND: Hailey confirmed the news, saying she suffered stroke-like symptoms due to a small blood clot in her brain.

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WWE superstar BIG E broke his neck during a match on Friday night.

After being dropped on his head, E was taken out of the arena by stretcher and rushed to a nearby hospital.

E later told fans via social media that he is expected to make a full recovery. No word on whether he will be able to return to the wrestling ring.

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WEDDINGS

NFL star PATRICK MAHOMES, 26, and fitness trainer BRITTANY MATTHEWS, also 26, tied the knot Saturday in Hawaii.

The Chiefs QB posted a photo of the newlyweds on his Instagram, captioning it “Mr. & Mrs. Mahomes.”

The pair got engaged in September 2020.

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THE SWAMP

Former President BARACK OBAMA has covid.

On Twitter, he said, “Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted,” with a reminder to get vaccinated.

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Speaker NANCY PELOSI said during a gathering of House Democrats that not only is government spending not responsible for inflation, but that government spending is reducing the national debt.

WORTH NOTING: No.

“It’s important to dispel some of those who say, well it’s [meaning inflation] the government spending. No, it isn’t. The government spending is doing the exact reverse, reducing the national debt. It is not inflationary,” she said.

WATCH:

Breaking911 @Breaking911

PELOSI: "When we're having this discussion, it's important to dispel some of those who say, well it's the government spending. No, it isn't. The government spending is doing the exact reverse, reducing the national debt. It is not inflationary."

WORTH ASKING: If insane levels of government spending doesn’t drive inflation, why not keep borrowing and printing and stop collecting taxes altogether?

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LOTTERY

No winner for Friday night’s Mega Millions drawing. Tuesday night’s drawing will be for a $22 million jackpot or a $14.5 million cash payout.

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No winner for Saturday night’s Powerball drawing. Tonight’s drawing will be for a $124 million jackpot or an $81.9 million cash payout.

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SHOWBIZ NEWS

The 27th annual Critics’ Choice Awards aired live last night from the Fairmount Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Actor TAYE DIGGS returned as host -- a gig he has held since 2019.

And the winners are…

Film

Picture -- “The Power of the Dog”
Actor -- Will Smith, “King Richard”
Actress -- Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Supporting Actor -- Troy Kotsur, "CODA"
Supporting Actress -- Ariana DeBose, "West Side Story"
Young Actor/Actress -- Jude Hill, "Belfast"
Acting Ensemble -- "Belfast"
Comedy -- “Licorice Pizza”
Foreign Language -- “Drive My Car”
Animated Feature -- “The Mitchells vs the Machines”
Director -- Jane Campion, “Power of the Dog”
Song -- No Time to Die, “No Time To Die”
Score -- Hans Zimmer, “Dune”
Hair & Makeup -- “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Costume Design -- Jenny Beavan, “Cruella”
Production Design -- Patrice Vermette & Zsuzsanna Sipos, “Dune”
Cinematography -- Ari Wegner, “The Power of the Dog”
Editing -- Sarah Broshar & Michael Kahn, “West Side Story”
Adapted Screenplay -- Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”
Original Screenplay -- Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast”
Visual Effects -- “Dune”

Drama

Series -- “Succession”
Actor -- Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game”
Actress -- Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
Supporting Actor -- Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
Supporting Actress -- Sarah Snook, “Succession”

Comedy

Series -- “Ted Lasso”
Actor -- Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”
Actress -- Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Supporting Actor -- Brett Goldstein, "Ted Lasso"
Supporting Actress -- Hannah Waddingham, "Ted Lasso"

Limited Series & Movie Made for TV

Best Limited Series -- “Mare of Easttown”
Best Movie Made for TV -- “Oslo”
Actor -- Micheal Keaton, “Dopesick”
Actress -- Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown”
Supporting Actor -- Murray Bartlett, "The White Lotus"
Supporting Actress -- Jennifer Coolidge, "The White Lotus"

Foreign Language Series -- “Squid Game”

Animated Series -- “What If…?”

Talk Show -- “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

Comedy Special -- “Bo Burnham: Inside”

WORTH NOTING: The BAFTAs also took place last night. The big winner there was “The Power of the Dog.”

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ALEC BALDWIN claims his contract for the film “Rust” makes him “untouchable” when it comes to lawsuits in connection with HALYNA HUTCHINS death.

His lawyers claim the deal protects him from any financial responsibility in connection with her tragic death and appear to lay blame on Hutchins.

In the docs, which were obtained by TMZ, Baldwin states that Hutchins is the one who told him how to position the gun, “to the point where it was directed toward her.” His lawyers continued on saying that by giving said instructions, she was “under the belief that the gun was ‘cold’.”

As previously reported, MATTHEW HUTCHINS and his son are suing Baldwin and others for wrongful death.

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CHER is apologizing to fans for her social media absence.

The 75-year-old tweeted that she has been “MIA” due to some “personal problems.” She did not speak on it further.

Fans responded with wishes of “peace,” “healing” and “comfort.”

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JUSSIE SMOLLETT claims he is only in jail because of his skin color.

He also claims that the judge was trying to make an example of him with the sentence he handed down.

WORTH NOTING: The judge told Smollett that he gave him the sentence he did as a way to deter others from falsifying police reports. So yes, he was making an example of him…but not in the way Smollett would like it to be.

ALSO: It was proven beyond a reasonable doubt -- in multiple ways -- that Smollett orchestrated the hate crime. So why is he shocked that there would be consequences for his illegal and selfish actions?

AND: His sentence has to do with his lack of remorse for wasting police resources in a city that is already failing to keep up with crime. Not to mention the publicity tour he went on following the fake attack where he cried to every journalist who would listen.

FINALLY: Every single family member, friend, fellow actor, etc that went to bat for him potentially put their career on the line. Though some continue to support his claims of innocence, his sister JURNEE SMOLLETT started a #FreeJussie movement.

WORTH ASKING: Should actual victims of assault -- of any kind -- sue Smollett for lying and taking time and resources away from their cases? Not to mention the doubt that has likely been placed in people’s minds when hearing stories similar to this one going forward.

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SANDRA BULLOCK says she’s taking a break form showbiz.

While promoting her new flick “The Lost City” at SXSW, Bullock said, “I am just going to take some time to be a mom” once the promo tour is done. Later, she said she would stay on hiatus until her kids are deep into their teenage years.

WORTH NOTING: Bullock is notoriously tight-lipped about her family life, but some back of the napkin math suggests her two kids are around 10 and 12.

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CASTING CALL

AMY SCHUMER is back on the small screen, starring in “Life & Beth,” for Hulu.

The scripted show is the comedian’s first return since her Comedy Central show, “Inside Amy Schumer” ended in 2016.

“Life & Beth” follows Beth (Schumer), a 40-year-old woman who lives in Manhattan and has a dull boyfriend (KEVIN KANE) and difficult relationship with her mom (LAURA BENANTI). A sudden family tragedy sends her back home where she reconnects with old friends and has flashbacks to her formative years, per the official description.

The series, which premieres on March 18, also stars MICHEAL CERA.

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QUAVO wants to take on the role formerly played by WESLEY SNIPES in the reboot of “White Men Can’t Jump.”

As previously reported, rapper JACK HARLOW — who has no acting experience whatsoever — has been cast as Billy Hoyle, who was played by WOODY HARRELSON in the original film.

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CARDI B has backed out of the $30 million film “Assisted Living,” just days before filming was set to begin.

Sources told Deadline that the whole thing has been “temporarily scrapped” following the rapper dropping out.

As for Cardi’s reason, insiders told the outlet it's due to “overextension.”

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Netflix has shut down “The Baby-Sitters Club” after only two seasons.

The series follows the friendship and adventures of seven friends as they start their own babysitting business in Stoneybrook, CT.

While there was a devoted fan following, the series did not attract a wide enough audience, according to the streamer.

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FRANK GRILLO is set to star in “Dirty.”

The plot for the thriller flick is being kept under wraps, according to Deadline.

Grillo’s role will be announced at a later date.

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CNN will launch its new subscription streaming service on March 29.

CNN+ will be available for $5.99 per month, but early subscribers will get a 50% lifetime discount if they sign up in the first four weeks.

CHRIS WALLACE, WOLF BLITZER, JAKE TAPPER, DON LEMON, ANDERSON COOPER and other news figures will have shows on the platform.

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COURT CASES

DESHAUN WATSON will not face criminal charges in connection with the sexual misconduct accusations made against him.

The NFL QB was accused of groping, touching himself and making inappropriate comments and requests by more than 20 women over the past few years.

A grand jury in Texas declined to indict Watson on Friday.

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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS

KIM KARDASHIAN and PETE DAVIDSON are Instagram official.

The reality star posted a series of snaps featuring Davidson, with the caption “Whose car are we gonna take?!”

WORTH NOTING: KANYE WEST claims he bought the coat Kim is wearing in the pictures.

ALSO: Pete was not tagged in the post because his Instagram is still deactivated.

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KANYE WEST claims that he has received texts from PETE DAVIDSON bragging about sleeping with KIM KARDASHIAN.

In a video posted Sunday, Ye tells the camera “At this point it’s going too far. God, please. The boyfriend texts me, antagonizing me, bragging about being in bed with my wife.”

THE TEXTS: “SNL” writer DAVE SIRUS posted screenshots of the text conversation on Instagram, which showed Pete telling Ye that he isn’t going to let the rapper bully them anymore. He also told Ye to “Grow the f**k up.”

Ye responded asking Pete where he is, which is when Pete texted, “In bed with your wife.”

The pair continued to go back and forth with Pete suggesting they meet up in person. To which Ye replied “You don’t scare me bro.”

Pete then appeared to switch his tune offering to help Ye with his mental health.

No word on how Kim feels about the exchange.

SPEAKING OF KIM: Ye is not happy with Kim either. He pleaded with his ex to stop “antagonizing” him by allowing their 8-year-old daughter, NORTH WEST, to post videos on TikTok.

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CAITLYN JENNER is hosting a Celebrity Boxing event in Florida.

Sources told Page Six that Celebrity Boxing hired Jenner as a way to “pave a path for transgender athletes to participate in the sport.”

WORTH REMEMBERING: Jenner participated in a charity boxing event in 2009 for the Dream Foundation. The match aired on an episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

SPEAKING OF KUWTK: It has been confirmed that Jenner will NOT appear in the family’s new Hulu series.

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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS

PRINCE HARRY and MEGHAN MARKLE will miss PRINCE PHILIP’s memorial service amid security concerns.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes told Page Six that the pair “will not be returning to the UK in late March, but hope to visit [QUEEN ELIZABETH] as soon as possible.”

As previously reported, Harry has been battling the Home Office over protection for himself and his family in the UK.

WORTH ASKING: Will The Queen ever get to meet Harry’s daughter LILIBET, who was named in her honor?

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SPORTS

Paralympic athlete OKSANA MASTERS won her 15th overall medal Friday for the biathlon women’s 12.5km sitting competition — the longest event, per NBC Sports.

The 32-year-old upset KENDALL GRETSCH, who took home silver, by 5.8 seconds.

The new medal is Masters’ fifth in the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

Team USA celebrated her win on Twitter, writing that she “MASTERED IT.”

WORTH NOTING: Masters was named one of PEOPLE’s Women Changing the World for her work inspiring others with disabilities.

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TOM BRADY was in the stands as soccer star CRISTIANO RONALDO scored a hat trick in Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday.

With his second goal of the game, Ronaldo became the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with goal No. 806. He now has 807.

Following the game, the two G.O.A.T.s exchanged pleasantries on the field.

SPEAKING OF TOM: On Sunday evening the superstar QB took to Twitter to announce his un-retirement. Less than two months after announcing his retirement, Brady shocked the sports world by announcing that he will be returning for another season in Tampa Bay. It will be his 23rd season.

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DAY OF THE YEAR

National Children’s Craft Day

National Learn About Butterflies Day

National Pi Day

National Potato Chip Day

National Write Down Your Story Day

National Napping Day

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ON THIS DATE

1592 - This date is known as “Ultimate Pi Day.”

On this date at 6:53 am is the largest correspondence between calendar dates and significant digits of pi (3.141592653…)

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1794 - Eli Whitney is issued a patent for his invention of the cotton gin.

The contraption quickly and efficiently separated cotton fibers from cotton seeds, which eliminated much of the need for manual human labor.

The textile industry quickly took off following the invention -- but the demand for slave labor increased, since there was more cotton needed to be put through the gins.

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1899 - Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin receives an American patent for his rigid airship design.

The Zeppelin blimp was first patented in Germany, and called a Lenkbarer Luftfahrzug, or "steerable air-cruising train."

In World War I, they would become formidable warships for Germany, used for scouting and bombing missions. The most famous Zeppelin disaster was the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937.

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1950 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation releases its first "Ten Most Wanted" list.

The initiative was meant to inform average citizens of the worst criminals out on the run.

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1964 - Jack Ruby is sentenced to death.

Ruby was found guilty of murdering with malice Lee Harvey Oswald, who was captured following the shooting of President Kennedy.

His sentence was handed down on live TV, a first in US history.

In October of 1966, the Texas Court of Appeals reversed the decision, and Ruby died in prison from lung cancer 3 months later.

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1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev becomes president of the Soviet Union.

He would eventually oversee the Soviet regime's collapse before the end of the following year.

His election was free compared to the standards of the previous decades. He had been a popular politician whose agenda centered on decentralizing Communist Party control.

He would resign as the Soviet Union dissolved, at the hands of his own reforms.

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2006 - Mike Wallace retires from “60 Minutes.”

He hosted the news program for 37 years.

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2018 - A twin study conducted by NASA finds that Scott Kelly is no longer identical to his twin brother after spending one year in space.

The study found that 7% of Scott’s genes were altered. He was also slightly taller than his twin due to the lack of gravity in space.

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2019 - Google employee Emma Karuka Iwao breaks the world record for calculating the most digits of Pi.

She computed Pi to 31.4 trillion decimal points.

The previous record was 22.4 trillion digits, set in 2016.

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BIRTHDAYS

Simone Biles - Olympic gymnast - 25

Ansel Elgort - actor, “Divergent” & “The Fault in Our Stars” - 28

Kailyn Lowry - reality star, “Teen Mom” - 30

Steph Curry - basketball player - 34

Sammi Giancola - reality star, “Jersey Shore” - 35

Taylor Hanson - 1/3 of the band Hanson - 39

Daniel Gillies - actor, “The Vampire Diaries” & “Saving Hope” - 46

Brian Quinn - comedian - 46

Grace Park - actress, “A Million Little Things” - 48

Aamir Khan - actor, “3 Idiots” & “Like Stars on Earth” - 57

Billy Crystal - actor, “When Harry Met Sally” & “City Slickers” - 74

Quincy Jones - music producer - 89

Michael Caine - actor, “The Dark Knight” & “The Prestige” - 89

Born On This Date

Tom Coburn - politician - 1948 (d. 2020)

S. Truett Cathy - founder of Chick-fil-A - 1921 (d. 2014)

Hank Ketcham - cartoonist, Dennis the Menace - 1920 (d. 2001)

Albert Einstein - physicist - 1879 (d. 1955)

Lucy Hobbs Taylor - first woman dentist - 1833 (d. 1866)

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