B.B. King (1925 - 2015)

B.B. King B.B. King spread joy to millions by giving them the blues. The iconic musician, along with his ever-present guitar Lucille, spent nearly 70 years thrilling audiences and spreading the music he learned as a poverty-stricken youth in the Mississippi Delta all over the world. King, 89, died in Las Vegas, his attorney announced […]

B.K.S. Iyengar (1918 - 2014)

B.K.S. IYENGAR Yoga Master. Born Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja, he was noted as one of the world’s best-known yoga gurus. Referred to as “the father of modern yoga”, he founded the style of Iyengar Yoga which established him as an International teacher. In a 2002 article, the New York Times profiled “no one has done more […]

Babe Adams (1882 - 1968)

Babe Adams Charles Benjamin “Babe” Adams (May 18, 1882 – July 27, 1968) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Noted for his outstanding location control, his career average of 1.29 walks per 9 innings pitched was the second […]

Babe London (1901 - 1980)

Motion picture and film actress. Appeared in the films “Sex Kittens Go To College” (1960), “Pleasure Treasure” (1951), “Scrambled Brains” (1951), “Hazard” (1948), “Joan of Arc” (1948), “Road To Rio” (1947), “Jackass Mail” (1942), “Our Wife” (1931), “Scrambled Eggs” (1925), “Merely Mary Ann” (1920), and “The Expert Eloper” (1919). She also appeared in the television […]

Babe Paley (1915 - 1978)

Born Barbara Cushing in Boston, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of world-renowned brain surgeon Dr. Harvey Cushing, who was professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins, Harvard and Yale universities, and Katharine Stone Crowell Cushing. Her older sisters both married into money and prestige: Minnie Cushing was the second wife of Vincent Astor, and Betsey Cushing […]

Babe Ruth (1895 - 1948)

Babe Ruth An American baseball outfielder and pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1914 to 1935. Nicknamed “The Bambino” and” The Sultan of Swat”, he began his career as a stellar left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York […]

Babette Cole (1950 - 2017)

Babette Cole (Jersey, 10 September 1950 – 15 January 2017) was an English children’s writer and illustrator. Babette Cole was born on Jersey in the Channel Islands. She attended the Canterbury College of Art (now the University for the Creative Arts) and received first-class BA Honours. She worked on such children’s programmes as Bagpuss (working […]

Badja Djola (1948 - 2005)

Actor.  He played tough guy roles in films such as “The Main Event” (1979),  Penitentary” (1979), “Night Shift” (1982), “Light Ship” (1986),  “Mississippi Burning” (1988), “The Serpent and the Rainbow” (1989), “The Last Boy Scout” (1990), “Rosewood” (1997), “The Player’s Club” (1998), “Hurricane” (1999),  and “Slipdreams” (2005),  and on TV shows including “The X-Files”. Cause […]

Bailey Robertson (1970 - 1970)

Indiana basketball star and basketball alumnus of the tradition-rich Indianapolis Crispus Attucks High School. Known affectionately as “Flap,” he set many scoring records at Indiana Central College (currently known as The University of Indianapolis). His younger brother and protege, Oscar (“The Big O),” became a 2-time Indiana high school state champion, 1956 Indiana “Mr. Basketball,” […]

Bairbre Dowling (1953 - 2016)

Actress. Born into a family of entertainers, her father was Irish theater actor and director Vincent Dowling, her mother was actress Brenda Doyle. She followed her parent’s career path and marked her motion picture debut playing ‘Star’ in the John Boorman Science Fiction picture “Zardoz” (1974), which starred Sean Connery. She experienced a starring role […]

Baldwin Cooke (1888 - 1953)

Comedian. Vaudeville performer and comedic film character actor, most notably in Laurel and Hardy short comedies. He and his wife previously worked with Stan Laurel on stage before Laurel became popular in motion pictures. Probably best remembered as the harassed next-door neighbor in “Perfect Day” (1929). (bio by: Theologianthespian)

Ballington Booth (1857 - 1940)

Born in Brighouse, England, Ballington Booth was the second child of William and Catherine Booth, founders of The Salvation Army in 1878. As a teenager, he began preaching at Salvation Army open-air meetings, where he would often end by singing and playing his concertina. He became a Colonel in The Salvation Army at the age […]

Balthus (1908 - 2001)

Artist. He is internationally renowned and revered as one of the greatest realist painters of the 20th century. Like most geniuses, he was a controversial eccentric who was a deliberate enigma and self-styled recluse with only very rare contact with the public. The French-born, Polish artist died at his chateau in a small village near […]

Balto (1919 - 1933)

In January 1925 doctors realized that a potentially deadly diphtheria epidemic was poised to sweep through Nome’s young people. The only serum that could stop the outbreak was in Anchorage, Alaska, approximately 1,000 miles (1609 km) away. The engine of the only aircraft that could quickly deliver the medicine was frozen and would not start. […]

Bambi Allen (1938 - 1973)

Actress. Motion picture and television figure of the 1960s and 1970s who was popular in mainly low-budget exploitation films. She is best known for her appearence in the 1969 cult drive-in hit “Satan’s Sadists.” (bio by: A.J. Marik)

Bamie Roosevelt (1855 - 1931)

Bamie Roosevelt was born in a brownstone home at 28 East 20th Street in New York City on January 18, 1855. She was the eldest child of businessman/philanthropist Theodore “Thee” Roosevelt (1831—1878) and socialite Martha Stewart “Mittie” Bulloch (1835—1884). In addition to brother Theodore Jr. (T.R.) (1858—1919), Bamie’s siblings were socialite Elliott Bulloch Roosevelt (1860—1894) […]

Banister Fletcher (1970 - 1899)

Architect. Professor of Architecture at King’s College and Master of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters from 1889 to 1890. He co-authored ‘A History of Architecture’ with his eldest son Sir Banister Flight Fletcher. Also author of ‘A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method.’

Barbara Allyne Bennet (1970 - 2016)

American Actress. During a career that spanned more than five decades, Bennet worked in front of and behind the camera. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a B.A. in theater, then moved to New York City, where she appeared in several Broadway plays before moving to Hollywood in the 1970s to pursue a […]

Barbara Angie Rose Baxley (1923 - 1990)

Actress. Born in Porterville, California, she had many television and film roles, being best remembered for portraying Sally Field’s mother in “Norma Rae” (1979). She began her career on Broadway in 1948 and made her film debut in “East of Eden” (1955). Her other films included “The Savage Eye” (1959), “Nashville” (1975), “All That Glitters” […]

Barbara Ann Scott (1928 - 2012)

Scott was the youngest of three children born to Canadian Army Colonel Clyde Rutherford Scott and Mary (née Purves) of Sandy Hill, Ottawa. She began skating at the age of seven with the Minto Skating Club, coached by Otto Gold and Sheldon Galbraith. At age nine, Scott switched from regular schooling to tutoring 2 1/2 […]

Barbara Bates (1925 - 1969)

Movie and TV actress of the 1940s and 50s. After winning a local beauty contest, she won a trip to Hollywood where she met Cecil Coen, a publicist for UA whom would later be her first husband. Her second husband was William Reed. After some bit parts and a cover of Yank magazine in 1945, […]

Barbara Baxley (1923 - 1990)

Barbara Baxley (January 1, 1923 – June 7, 1990) was an American actress and singer. Barbara Angie Rose Baxley was born in Porterville, California, the daughter of Emma (née Tyler) and Bert Baxley. A life member of the Actors Studio, Barbara Baxley also studied acting under the tutelage of Sanford Meisner at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School […]

Barbara Bel Geddes (1922 - 2005)

Actress. Born to theatrical set designer and producer Norman Bel Geddes and Helen Belle Sneider in New York City. Her father recreated the family name as Bel Geddes incorporating his wife’s name into their surname. Bel Geddes made her theatrical debut at 18 in 1940 in a summer-stock production of “The School for Scandal.” She […]

Barbara Berjer (1920 - 2002)

Actress. She was born Barbara Berger but changed her last name to Berjer for the proper pronunciation. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from DePaul University in 1943. She moved to New York City and pursued a successful acting career in daytime television. She played Bridget Connell on “Another World” from 1985 to […]

Barbara Billingsley (1915 - 2010)

Barbara Billingsley Actress.  Born Barbara Lillian Combes, she attended Los Angeles Junior College in the mid 1930s and then moved to New York City, where she worked as a model.  In 1945 she received a contract from MGM, and she appeared in several films during the late 1940s and 1950s, sometimes without screen credit.  In […]

Barbara Brier (1925 - 2005)

Actress. Born in Topeka, Kansas, she appeared on stage, on television, and in films. Among her films are, “I Surrender Dear” (1948), “An Old- Fashioned Girl” (1949), “Shamrock Hill” (1949), “Manhattan Angel” (1949), and “Hard, Fast And Baeutiful” (1951). She was also a Hollywood costume designer and the first runner up in the 1945 Miss […]

Barbara Britton (1919 - 1980)

Barbara Maurine Brantingham was born September 26, 1919, in Long Beach, California. Her involvement with stage productions began when she was 14. She attended Polytechnic High School and Long Beach City College, majoring in speech with the intention of working as a speech and drama teacher. While in school she began to show an interest […]

Barbara Bush (1925 - 2018)

Barbara Bush In the days leading up to First Lady Barbara Bush’s death, at the age of 92, news reports about her condition often mentioned that she had Graves’ disease.1-3 Those unfamiliar with this thyroid disorder could have been left with the impression that the disorder might have contributed to her death. That is simply not […]

Barbara Cason (1929 - 1990)

Barbara Cason, Barbara Cason was Dennis Patrick’s beloved wife and an accomplished character actress in her own right.  She too was one of the most recognizable faces on television in the 70s and 80s making guest appearances on numerous programs, in addition to a successful career she had in film and theatre.  She was recognizable for her […]

Barbara Colby (1939 - 1975)

Actress.  She starred on the series “Phyllis,” with Cloris Leachman. She appeared twice on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” as a prostitute, and also appeared on “Columbo,” and “The Odd Couple.” She and actor James Kiernan were walking to their parked car after teaching an acting class in Los Angeles, when they were gunned down […]