March 8 is a very special day

James Phillips

What do Hines Ward, Kat Von D, James Van Der Beek and Micky Dolenz have in widespread?

It’s not members of the subsequent “Masked Singer” forged — they have been all born on March 8.

Why is that important?

It’s in all probability to not most individuals, however March 8 additionally occurs to be my birthday.

On a whim, I made a decision to Google superstar births for March 8. It’s truthfully not a really spectacular record. Famousbirthdays.com had a High 50 record for March 8, and the “celebrities” I named above are all within the High 10.

Hines Ward is an NFL large receiver who’s a two-time Tremendous Bowl winner with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was listed at No. 1. There have been two folks within the High 5 that I had by no means even heard of — Devon Werkheiser (an actor on “Ned’s Declassified”) and Boris Kodjoe (an actor from the “Resident Evil” movies.)

Kat Von D, a star tattoo artist from the present “LA Ink,” got here in at No. 3, whereas Micky Dolenze, a member of the Nineteen Sixties TV band The Monkees was No. 5.

I’m shocked that James Van Der Beek, Dawson Leery from the tv present “Dawson’s Creek,” was as far down as No. 6. The High 10 was completed out by actors Aidan Quinn and Freddie Prinze Jr, first woman Hannah Van Buren and former NBA participant Kenny Smith.

One particular person on the record and I shared the very same birthday — Nick Zano, an actor on “Melrose Place” and the brand new “90210.” For sure, I’ve by no means heard of him, however we have been each born on the identical day in 1978.

In keeping with Wikipedia, the one different noteworthy particular person born on March 8, 1978, was Mohammed Bouyeri, an Islamic Dutch-Moroccan murderer. Bouyeri was a member of the Hofstad Community and is serving a life sentence with out parole for the assassination of Dutch movie director Theo van Gogh, in addition to many others.

After looking out the web, I’ve come to the conclusion that I principally share a birthday with a bunch of D-list celebrities and an murderer. How on the earth have I not cracked this High 50 record?

I didn’t finish my search with superstar birthdays. I additionally wished to see if something main has ever occurred on March 8. It’s undoubtedly not a day that’s been full of rainbows and sunshine through the years.

Occasions which have occurred on March 8 embody:

• 1655 – John Casor turns into the primary legally-recognized slave in England’s North American colonies.

• 1782 – The Gnadenhütten bloodbath occurred. Ninety-six Native Individuals in Gnadenhütten, Ohio, who had transformed to Christianity, are killed by Pennsylvania militiamen in retaliation for raids carried out by different Indians.

• 1817 – The New York Inventory Change is based.

• 1924 – The Fortress Gate mine catastrophe kills 172 coal miners close to Fortress Gate, Utah.

• 1942 – In World Struggle II, The Dutch give up to Japanese forces on Java.

• 1947 – 13,000 troops despatched by the Kuomintang authorities of China arrived in Taiwan after the 228 Incident and launched crackdowns which killed at the very least hundreds of individuals, together with many elites. This became a significant root of the Taiwan independence motion.

• 1966 – A bomb planted by Irish Republicans destroys Nelson’s Pillar in Dublin.

• 1979 – Philips demonstrates the Compact Disc publicly for the primary time.

• 1983 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan calls the Soviet Union an “evil empire.”

• 1999 – The Supreme Courtroom of the US upholds the homicide convictions of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma Metropolis bombing.

On my precise birthday in 1978, the one important occasion listed was the primary radio episode of “The Hitchhiker’s Information to the Galaxy,” by Douglas Adams, was transmitted on BBC Radio 4.

Actually? That’s all. With an occasion that weak, my beginning in all probability rocked the world that day.

On Monday, I flip 43. In my life, I’ve been extremely blessed. I simply wish to take this chance to say “thanks” to everybody who I take into account near me. Household, associates and coworkers have at all times been there for me, and I thanks to your friendship, love and help.

Now, the place are my birthday presents?

James Phillips is editor and writer of the Every day Mountain Eagle. He would like a snow cone machine for his birthday, as a result of his spouse did not get him one for Christmas. He could be reached at 205-221-2840 or [email protected]