1908 in the United States
Encyclopedia
Incumbents
- PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
: Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
(RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) - Vice PresidentVice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
: Charles W. FairbanksCharles W. FairbanksCharles Warren Fairbanks was a Senator from Indiana and the 26th Vice President of the United States ....
(RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) - Chief JusticeChief Justice of the United StatesThe Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
: Melville FullerMelville FullerMelville Weston Fuller was the eighth Chief Justice of the United States between 1888 and 1910.-Early life and education:... - Speaker of the House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
: Joseph Gurney CannonJoseph Gurney CannonJoseph Gurney Cannon was a United States politician from Illinois and leader of the Republican Party. Cannon served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1911, and historians generally consider him to be the most dominant Speaker in United States history, with such...
(RRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-Illinois) - CongressUnited States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
: 60th60th United States CongressThe Sixtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907 to March 4, 1909, during the last two years of... - Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
- Elihu RootElihu RootElihu Root was an American lawyer and statesman and the 1912 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the prototype of the 20th century "wise man", who shuttled between high-level government positions in Washington, D.C...
Events
January
- January 1 – A ball signifying New Year's DayNew Year's DayNew Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
drops in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
for the first time. - January 11 – Grand Canyon National MonumentGrand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
is designated (becomes a National Park in February 1919). - January 13 – A fire at the Rhoads Opera HouseRhoads Opera HouseThe Rhoads Opera House, located in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, caught fire on January 13, 1908 during a church-sponsored stage play. The fire started when a kerosene lamp was knocked over, lighting gasoline from a stereoscopic machine. The stage and auditorium were located on the 2nd floor and all...
in Boyertown, PennsylvaniaBoyertown, PennsylvaniaBoyertown is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,940 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
, kills 170 people. The tragedy is a catalyst for stricter fire safety laws nationwide. - January 15 – The Alpha Kappa Alpha SororityAlpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
(the first Greek-letter organization by and for black college women) is established. - January 21 – New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
passes the Sullivan OrdinanceSullivan OrdinanceThe Sullivan Ordinance was a municipal law passed on January 21, 1908, in New York City by the board of aldermen, barring women from smoking in public. The ordinance was quickly enforced, with Katie Mulcahey arrested on January 22, but was vetoed by the Mayor, George Brinton McClellan, Jr., only...
, making it illegal for women to smoke in public, only for it to be vetoed by the mayor.
February
- February 12 – The first around-the-world car race1908 New York to Paris RaceThe 1908 New York to Paris Race was an automobile competition consisting of drivers attempting to travel from New York to Paris. This was a notable challenge given the state of automobile technology and road infrastructure at the time. Only three of six contestants completed the course...
, begins in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. - February 12 – Division of MilitiaMilitia (United States)The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
Affairs with the War DepartmentUnited States Department of WarThe United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
. - February 18 – JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese immigration to the U.S.A. is forbidden. - February 25 – The Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola UniversityBiola UniversityBiola University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located near Los Angeles. Biola's main campus is in La Mirada in Los Angeles County, California. In addition, the university has several satellite campuses in Chino Hills, Inglewood, San Diego, and Laguna Hills.-...
) is founded.
March
- March 4 – The Collinwood School FireCollinwood School FireThe Collinwood school fire of Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1908, was one of the deadliest disasters of its type in the United States...
, near Cleveland, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, U.S.A., kills 174.
April
- April 8 – Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
votes to establish the Harvard Business SchoolHarvard Business SchoolHarvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. - April 19 – The Garfield Park ConservatoryGarfield Park ConservatoryGarfield Park is a site located in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. It was designed as a pleasure ground by William LeBaron Jenney and is the oldest of the three great original Chicago West Side parks .It is home to the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the largest and...
in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, designed by Jens JensenJens Jensen (landscape architect)Jens Jensen was a Danish-American landscape architect.-Early life:Jens Jensen was born near Dybbøl in Slesvig, Denmark, in 1860, to a wealthy farming family. For the first nineteen years of his life he lived on his family's farm, which cultivated his love for the natural environment...
, opens to the public for the first time. - April 24 – The seventh deadliest tornado in U.S. history strikes the towns of Amite, Louisiana, Pine, Louisiana and Purvis, MississippiPurvis, MississippiPurvis is a city in Lamar County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,164 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lamar County. The Town of Purvis was incorporated on February 25, 1888 and was founded by...
, killing 143 and injuring 770.
May
- May 10 – Mother's Day is observed for the first time, at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West VirginiaGrafton, West VirginiaGrafton is a city in, and county seat of, Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 5,489 at the 2000 census. The only two national cemeteries in West Virginia are located in Grafton. Mother's Day was founded in Grafton on May 10, 1908; the city is the home to the International Mother's...
.
June
- June 20 – The Georgia Tech Alumni AssociationGeorgia Tech Alumni AssociationThe Georgia Tech Alumni Association is the official alumni association for the Georgia Institute of Technology . Originally known as the Georgia Tech National Alumni Association, it was chartered in June 1908 and incorporated in 1947. Its offices have been in the L. W. "Chip" Roberts, Jr...
is chartered in Atlanta, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
July
- July 22 – The automobileAutomobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturing company Fisher BodyFisher BodyFisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company...
is founded. - July 26 – Attorney General Charles Joseph BonaparteCharles Joseph BonaparteCharles Joseph Bonaparte was an American lawyer and political activist from Maryland who served in the Cabinet of President Theodore Roosevelt. Bonaparte was Secretary of the Navy and then Attorney General. While Attorney General, he created the Bureau of Investigation...
issues an order to immediately staff the Office of the Chief Examiner (later renamed the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
).
August
- August 31 – A charter is granted for Wayland Literary and Technical Institute in Plainview, Texas (now Wayland Baptist UniversityWayland Baptist UniversityWayland Baptist University is private, coeducational Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas, U.S.A. Wayland Baptist has a total of fourteen campuses in four additional Texas cities, five other states, and the country of Kenya. On August 31, 1908, the university was chartered by the state of...
).
September
- September 16 – William C. DurantWilliam C. DurantWilliam Crapo "Billy" Durant was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry, the founder of General Motors and Chevrolet who created the system of multi-brand holding companies with different lines of cars....
founds the company which eventually becomes General MotorsGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. - September 17 – At Ft. Myer, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, U.S.A. Thomas SelfridgeThomas SelfridgeThomas Etholen Selfridge was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and the first person to die in a crash of a powered airplane. He was a passenger while Orville Wright was piloting the aircraft.-Biography:...
becomes the first person to die in an airplane crash. The pilot, Orville Wright, is severely injured in the crash but recovers. - September 27 – Henry FordHenry FordHenry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
produces his first Model TFord Model TThe Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
automobile.
October
- October 1 - The launch price for the Ford Model T is set as $850.
- October 13 - The Church of the NazareneChurch of the NazareneThe Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
is organized officially at Pilot Point, TexasPilot Point, TexasPilot Point is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,538 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pilot Point is located at ....
as the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. This is the official "birthday" of the denomination. - October 14 – The Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
win the 1908 World Series1908 World SeriesThe 1908 World Series matched the defending champion Chicago Cubs against the Detroit Tigers in a rematch of the 1907 Series. In this first-ever rematch of this young event, the Cubs won in five games for their second consecutive title....
defeating the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in Game 5. They have failed to do so ever since.
November
- November 3 – 1908 Presidential election: Republican William Howard TaftWilliam Howard TaftWilliam Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
defeats Democrat William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
. - November 24 – The first credit unionCredit unionA credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
in the United States begins operation in Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New HampshireManchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
.
Undated
- The American Temperance UniversityAmerican Temperance UniversityAmerican Temperance University opened in 1893 in the planned town of Harriman, Tennessee, which was developed as a community with no alcoholic beverages permitted. In its second year of operation the institution enrolled 345 students from 20 states. However, it closed in 1908. Those who attended...
closes. - The Converse Rubber Shoe Company (also known as the Boston Rubber Shoe Company) is formed in Malden, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. - The first upright vacuum cleanerVacuum cleanerA vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
is invented by James Murray Spangler and the rights sold later in the year to The Hoover CompanyThe Hoover CompanyThe Hoover Company started out as an American floor care manufacturer based in North Canton, Ohio. It also established a major base in the United Kingdom and for most of the early-and-mid-20th century, it dominated the electric vacuum cleaner industry, to the point where the "hoover" brand name...
.
January – March
- January 1 – Bill TapiaBill TapiaUncle Bill “Tappy” Tapia is an American musician, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, of Portuguese parents. At age 10, Tapia was already a professional musician, playing “Stars and Stripes Forever” for World War I troops in Hawaii....
, Musician - January 14 – Russ ColumboRuss ColumboRuggiero Eugenio di Rodolpho Colombo , known as Russ Columbo, was an American singer, violinist and actor, most famous for his signature tune, "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love", his compositions "Prisoner of Love" and "Too Beautiful For Words", and the legend surrounding his early...
, Singer, bandleader, and composer (d. 1934) - January 27 – Oran "Hot Lips" PageOran PageOran Thaddeus Page was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader born in Dallas, Texas, United States. He was better known as Hot Lips Page by the public, and Lips Page by his fellow musicians...
, Jazz musician (d. 1954) - February 2 – Justice M. ChambersJustice M. ChambersColonel Justice Marion Chambers was a United States Marine Corps officer who received the Medal of Honor for actions in World War II during the Iwo Jima campaign.-Biography:...
, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1982) - February 17 – Red BarberRed BarberWalter Lanier "Red" Barber was an American sportscaster.Barber, nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", was primarily identified with radio broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four decades with the Cincinnati Reds , Brooklyn Dodgers , and New York Yankees...
, Baseball announcer and sports journalist (d. 1992) - February 26 – Tex AveryTex AveryFrederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
, Cartoonist (d. 1980) - February 29 – Dee Brown, Writer and historian (d. 2002)
- March 4 – T.R.M. Howard, African-American civil rights leader & surgeon (d. 1976)
- March 13 – Walter AnnenbergWalter AnnenbergWalter Hubert Annenberg was an American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat.-Early life:Walter Annenberg was born to a Jewish family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 13, 1908. He was the son of Sarah and Moses "Moe" Annenberg, who published The Daily Racing Form and purchased The Philadelphia...
, Publisher and philanthropist (d. 2002) - March 20 – Frank StantonFrank StantonFrank Nicholas Stanton was an American broadcasting executive who served as the president of CBS between 1946 and 1971 and then vice chairman until 1973. He also served as the chairman of the Rand Corporation from 1961 until 1967.Along with William S. Paley, Stanton is credited with the...
, Businessman (d. 2006) - March 22 – Louis L'AmourLouis L'AmourLouis Dearborn L'Amour was an American author. His books consisted primarily of Western fiction novels , however he also wrote historical fiction , science fiction , nonfiction , as well as poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into movies...
, Author (d. 1988) - March 26 – Henry (Hank) SylvernHenry (Hank) SylvernHenry "Hank" Sylvern was born in Brooklyn, NY. Hank was a U.S. radio personality who was also involved in early TV shows some of which are listed below:-External...
, Radio personality (d. 1964) - March 29 – Arthur O'ConnellArthur O'ConnellArthur O'Connell was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in films in 1941 and television programs...
, Actor (d. 1981)
April – June
- April 2 – Buddy EbsenBuddy EbsenBuddy Ebsen was an American character actor and dancer. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies and as the title character in the 1970s detective series Barnaby Jones, and played Barnaby Jones in the movie...
, Actor and dancer (d. 2003) - April 4 – Ernestine Gilbreth CareyErnestine Gilbreth CareyErnestine Moller Gilbreth Carey was an American author.-Biography:Born in New York City, she was the daughter of Lillian Moller Gilbreth and Frank Bunker Gilbreth, early 20th-century pioneers of time and motion study and what would now be called organizational behavior...
, Author (d. 2006) - April 4 – Frances Ford SeymourFrances Ford SeymourFrances Ford Seymour was a socialite, the second wife of actor Henry Fonda and the mother of actors Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda.-Early life:...
, Socialite (d. 1950) - April 5 – Bette DavisBette DavisRuth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, Actress (d. 1989) - April 6 – John P. DaviesJohn P. DaviesJohn Paton Davies, Jr. was an American diplomat and Medal of Freedom recipient. He was one of the China Hands, whose careers in the Foreign Service were destroyed by McCarthyism and the reaction to the fall of China....
, Diplomat (d. 1999) - April 15 – eden ahbezEden Ahbezeden ahbez was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential on the hippie movement...
, Musician (d. 1995) - April 20 – Lionel HamptonLionel HamptonLionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
, African-American musician and bandleader (d. 2002) - April 25 – Edward R. MurrowEdward R. MurrowEdward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
, Journalist (d. 1965) - April 29 – Jack WilliamsonJack WilliamsonJohn Stewart Williamson , who wrote as Jack Williamson was a U.S. writer often referred to as the "Dean of Science Fiction" following the death in 1988 of Robert A...
, Science fiction author (d. 2006) - May 20 – James StewartJames Stewart (actor)James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
, Actor (d. 1997) - May 23 – John BardeenJohn BardeenJohn Bardeen was an American physicist and electrical engineer, the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in Physics twice: first in 1956 with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for the invention of the transistor; and again in 1972 with Leon Neil Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer for a...
, Physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991) - May 25 – Theodore RoethkeTheodore RoethkeTheodore Roethke was an American poet, who published several volumes of poetry characterized by its rhythm, rhyming, and natural imagery. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1954 for his book, The Waking.-Biography:...
, Poet (d. 1963) - May 30 – Mel BlancMel BlancMelvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
, Voice actor (d. 1989) - May 31 – Don AmecheDon AmecheDon Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
, Actor (d. 1993) - June 18 – Bud CollyerBud CollyerBud Collyer was an American radio actor/announcer who became one of the nation's first major television game show stars...
, Voice actor and game show host (d. 1969) - June 20 – Billy WerberBilly WerberWilliam Murray Werber was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Athletics , Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants...
, Baseball player (d. 2009) - June 26 – William F. KnowlandWilliam F. KnowlandWilliam Fife Knowland was a United States politician, newspaperman, and Republican Party leader. He was a U.S. Senator representing California from 1945 to 1959. He served as Senate Majority Leader from 1953-1955, and as Minority Leader from 1955-1959. He was defeated in his 1958 run for...
, Politician and newspaperman (d. 1974) - June 27 – Bill KennedyBill Kennedy (actor)Willard "Bill" Kennedy was an American actor, voice artist, and host of the long-running Detroit-based television show, Bill Kennedy at the Movies. He began his career as a staff announcer in radio; Kennedy's voice narrates the opening of the television series Adventures of...
, Actor (d. 1997) - June 29 – Leroy AndersonLeroy AndersonLeroy Anderson was an American composer of short, light concert pieces, many of which were introduced by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler...
, Composer (d. 1975)
July – September
- July 12 – Milton BerleMilton BerleMilton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, Comedian (d. 2002) - July 25 – Kathryn EamesKathryn EamesKathryn Eames was an American cinema, television and stage actress. She worked for more than 50 years as an actress.-Early life:...
, Actress (d. 2004) - July 27 – Joseph Mitchell, Writer (d. 1996)
- August 2 – Al AlquistAl Alquist-Biography:Born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of a Swedish immigrant who worked for the railroads, he was barely a teenager when he started carrying water to railroad work crews. He became a timekeeper, switchman, brakeman and conductor, before serving with the Army Air Forces during World War II...
, California politician (d. 2006) - August 9 – A. I. BezzeridesA. I. BezzeridesA.I. " Buzz" Bezzerides, , was an American novelist and screenwriter, best known for writing Noir and Action motion pictures, especially several of Warners' "social conscience" films of the 1940s....
, Screenwriter (d. 2007) - August 16 – William MaxwellWilliam Keepers Maxwell, Jr.William Keepers Maxwell, Jr. was an American novelist and editor.-Life:Maxwell was born in Lincoln, Illinois, and as a child, he survived the 1918 Influenza epidemic. He attended the University of Illinois and Harvard University...
, Novelist and editor (d. 2000) - August 16 – Orlando ColeOrlando ColeOrlando Cole was a cello teacher who taught two generations of soloists, chamber musicians, and first cellists in a dozen leading orchestras, including Lynn Harrell, Daniel Lee, David Cole, Ronald Leonard, Lorne Munroe, Peter Stumpf, Anne Martindale Williams, Michael Grebanier, and Marcy Rosen.In...
, Classical cellist and educator (d. 2010) - August 20 – Al LopezAl LopezAlfonso Ramon "Al" Lopez was an American catcher and manager in Major League Baseball, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977....
, Baseball player and manager (d. 2005) - August 27 – Lyndon Johnson, 36th President (d. 1973)
- August 28 – Roger Tory PetersonRoger Tory PetersonRoger Tory Peterson , was an American naturalist, ornithologist, artist, and educator, and held to be one of the founding inspirations for the 20th century environmental movement.-Background:...
, Naturalist, artist and educator (d. 1996) - August 31 – William SaroyanWilliam SaroyanWilliam Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
, Writer (d. 1981) - September 4 – Richard WrightRichard Wright (author)Richard Nathaniel Wright was an African-American author of sometimes controversial novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction. Much of his literature concerns racial themes, especially those involving the plight of African-Americans during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries...
, African-American author (d. 1960) - September 6 – Korczak ZiolkowskiKorczak ZiólkowskiKorczak Ziolkowski was the Polish American designer and sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial.-Early life:...
, Sculptor (d. 1982) - September 7 – Paul BrownPaul BrownPaul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
, Football coach (d. 1991) - September 7 – Michael E. DeBakeyMichael E. DeBakeyMichael Elias DeBakey was a world-renowned Lebanese-American cardiac surgeon, innovator, scientist, medical educator, and international medical statesman...
, Surgeon and medical researcher (d. 2008) - September 10 – Raymond ScottRaymond ScottRaymond Scott was an American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor....
, Composer, bandleader, electronic music pioneer (d. 1994) - September 13 – Mae QuestelMae QuestelMae Questel was an American actress and vocal artist best known for providing the voices for the animated characters, Betty Boop and Olive Oyl. She began in vaudeville, and played occasional small roles in films and television later in her career, most notably the role of Aunt Bethany in 1989's...
, Actress (d. 1998) - September 15 – Penny SingletonPenny SingletonPenny Singleton was an American film actress. Born Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was the daughter of an Irish-American newspaperman Benny McNulty — from whom she received the nickname "Penny" because she was "as bright as a penny".During her sixty...
, Actress (d. 2003) - September 29 – Eddie TolanEddie TolanThomas Edward "Eddie" Tolan , nicknamed the "Midnight Express", was an American track and field athlete who compete in the Sprints. He set world records in the 100 yard dash and 100 meters event and Olympic records in the 100 meters and 200 meters events...
, Athlete (d. 1967)
October – December
- October 6 – Carole LombardCarole LombardCarole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
, Actress (d.1942) - October 9 – Lee WileyLee WileyLee Wiley was an American jazz singer popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Wiley was born in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. While still in her early teens, she left home to pursue a singing career with the Leo Reisman band. Her career was temporarily interrupted by a fall while horseback riding...
, Jazz singer (d. 1975) - October 14 – Ruth HaleRuth Hale (playwright and actress)Ruth Hale was an American playwright and actress.Hale was born in Granger, Utah and was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
, Playwright and actress (d. 2003) - October 20 – Carl Stuart Hamblen, Musician and presidential candidate (d. 1989)
- October 22 – John GouldJohn Gould (columnist)John Thomas Gould was an American humorist, essayist, and columnist who wrote a column for the Christian Science Monitor for over sixty years from a farm in Lisbon Falls, Maine...
, Humorist, essayist, and columnist (d. 2003) - November 12 – Harry BlackmunHarry BlackmunHarold Andrew Blackmun was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 until 1994. He is best known as the author of Roe v. Wade.- Early years and professional career :...
, Judge (d. 1999) - November 18 – Imogene CocaImogene CocaImogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
, Actress (d. 2001) - November 20 – Alistair CookeAlistair CookeAlfred Alistair Cooke KBE was a British/American journalist, television personality and broadcaster. Outside his journalistic output, which included Letter from America and Alistair Cooke's America, he was well known in the United States as the host of PBS Masterpiece Theater from 1971 to 1992...
, English-born journalist (d. 2004) - November 23 – Nelson S. BondNelson S. BondNelson Slade Bond was an American author who wrote extensively for books, magazines, radio, television and the stage....
, Science fiction writer (d. 2006) - November 29 – Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was an American politician and pastor who represented Harlem, New York City, in the United States House of Representatives . He was the first person of African-American descent elected to Congress from New York and became a powerful national politician...
, Politician (d. 1972) - December 3 – Edward UnderdownEdward UnderdownEdward Underdown was an english theatre, cinema and television actor. He was born in London.Early theatre credits include: Words and Music, Nymph Errant, Stop Press and Streamline ....
, Actor (d. 1989) - December 4 – Alfred HersheyAlfred HersheyAlfred Day Hershey was an American Nobel Prize-winning bacteriologist and geneticist.He was born in Owosso, Michigan and received his B.S. in chemistry at Michigan State University in 1930 and his Ph.D. in bacteriology in 1934, taking a position shortly thereafter at the Department of Bacteriology...
, Bacteriologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997) - December 7 – Slim Bryant, Country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist
- December 11 – Elliott CarterElliott CarterElliott Cook Carter, Jr. is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1930s, and then returned to the United States. After a neoclassical phase, he went on to write atonal, rhythmically complex music...
, Composer - December 17 – Willard LibbyWillard LibbyWillard Frank Libby was an American physical chemist noted for his role in the 1949 development of radiocarbon dating, a process which revolutionized archaeology....
, Chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980) - December 23 – Sol CarterSol CarterSolomon Mobley "Buck" Carter was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1931 season...
, Baseball player (d. 2006)
Deaths
- May 14 – John O'Connell, baseball player (b. 1872)
- April 20 – Henry Chadwick, English-born baseball writer and historian (b. 1824)
- June 13 – Henry Lomb, German-American optician, co-founder of Bausch & Lomb (b. 1848)
- June 14 – Frederick StanleyFrederick Stanley, 16th Earl of DerbyFrederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...
, founder of the Stanley Cup (b. 1841) - June 24 – Grover ClevelandGrover ClevelandStephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
, 22nd and 24th President (b. 1837) - July 3 – Joel Chandler HarrisJoel Chandler HarrisJoel Chandler Harris was an American journalist, fiction writer, and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Harris was born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a plantation during his teenage years...
, author (b. 1848) - July 10 – Phoebe KnappPhoebe KnappPhoebe Knapp was a composer of music for hymns and an organist.Knapp was born in New York City. Her parents were Walter C. Palmer and Phoebe Worrall Palmer...
, hymn composer (b. 1839) - August 26 – Tony PastorTony PastorTony Pastor was an American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner who became one of the founding forces behind American vaudeville in the mid-to-late nineteenth century...
, vaudeville and theater impresario (b. 1837) - September 17 – Thomas SelfridgeThomas SelfridgeThomas Etholen Selfridge was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and the first person to die in a crash of a powered airplane. He was a passenger while Orville Wright was piloting the aircraft.-Biography:...
, army officer & first aviation casualty (b. 1882) - October 30 – Caroline AstorCaroline Webster Schermerhorn AstorCaroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor was a prominent American socialite of the last quarter of the 19th century. Famous for being referred to later in life as "the Mrs. Astor" or simply "Mrs. Astor", she was the wife of real estate heir William Backhouse Astor Jr...
, socialite (b. 1830)