Today is the 115th birthday of the socialite, bon vivant, and literary muse Stephen Tennant. The characters Cedric Hampton in Love in a Cold Climate, Miles Malpractice in Vile Bodies, and Lord Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited are based on him. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 128th birthday of the artist Joan Miro.  I was first introduced to his work in the college library.  I did take Art History classes, so it could have actually been course-related, instead of my usual library extra curricular “studying.”  I was drawn to his vibrant colors and primitive and almost abstract characters.  His work has influenced generations of artist and empowered them to depict the world a bit differently.  The world is a better off place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 78th birthday of Edie Sedgwick. She died 49 years ago. Strange to think.  She will always be young.  I am not exactly sure why It Girls tend to end up cautionary tales of what happens when you fly to close to the sun, but they do. Maybe in order to be an It Girl, it requires quite a bit of excess (money, drugs, alcohol, etc) and it is hard to get away from those things without scars. Whatever the reason, she was irreverent, insolent, and gorgeous. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the 128th birthday of the silent film actor Harold Lloyd. That clock scene is one of the most famous silent film scenes ever created. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 91st birthday of the second Darrin Stephens: Dick Sargent. He was part of my favorite show as a kid:  Bewitched. It had everything:  magic, eccentric family members, great home decor, a crazy neighbor, an awesome family doctor, and the man that witnessed it all like the exasperated voice-of-reason mortal that we would have been if we were there. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 89th birthday of the artist Fernando Botero. Is art and subjects are immediately recognizable and that is what makes him one of the most interesting living artists. The world is a better place because he was in it.

Today is the 88th birthday of the woman who has as much drive and determination as she did talent and it showed:  Jayne Mansfield. She created her signature style and color to be easily memorable and quickly identifiable.  Brilliant marketing. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the 72nd birthday of the domestic terrorism victim Addie Mae Collins. An innocent little girl killed because adult men were afraid of things they didn’t know or understand. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the birthday of the 99th birthday of Barbara Hale. She played Della Street on Perry Mason, which if you haven’t watched lately, you should. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she left.

Today is the 71st birthday of the the model/designer/style icon Tina Chow. Her mixing of high and low fashion, minimalism, and androgynous styles was one of the first examples of an influence that is still felt today. In the 70s and 80s, she knew everyone and everyone knew her. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.