Today is the 402nd birthday of the novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist Cyrano de Bergerac. He is the inspiration behind the play by Edmond Rostand. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 546th birthday of the artist Michelangelo. He is noted as saying “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 94th birthday of the graphic designer and artist Elaine Lustig Cohen. Finding recognition and prominence in the 50s and 60s in a male-dominated business is an accomplishment in itself. Her designs are so very emblematic of the era, you look at them and know exactly when they were created. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the 149th birthday of the artist Piet Mondrian.  My first trip to New York, I made sure to have enough time to visit the Guggenheim, specifically to see a Mondrian in real life.  I was not disappointed.  The visual simplicity plays against the conceptual complexity perfectly.  I loved it even more.  The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 100th birthday of the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island:  Alan Hale Jr. He was a film and theatre actor before landing that role, whole full careers of both. The most interesting facts I discovered while researching him is that I had no idea the number of Gilligan’s Island specials and movies after the series was over. That and he had is own seafood restaurant and travel agency afterward. Brilliant. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 99th birthday of the triple-threat performer Cyd Charisse. Her before/after name change came about more organically than those of her peers, but is still one of the best. The world is a better place because she is in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Fifty-seven years ago today, the film The Last Man on Earth premiered. Since the film is in the public domain, the full version is posted below. You should watch this movie.

Today is the 94th birthday of the composer John Kander. His songs and soundtracks are some of the post popular and immediately recognizable pieces of the last half of the 20th century. The world is a better place because he is in it.

Today is the 120th birthday of the artist William H. Johnson. His primitive style of painting African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance has become the visual record of the jazz and poetry that was created in that period. His works are complexly simple and effortlessly convey entire stories. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 83rd birthday of the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev.  His strength and grace are unparalleled.  The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

This episode is also available as a blog post.