On this day in 1963, comedian Conan O’Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. His family traces its ancestry back to County Kerry, though they descend from pre-Civil War era immigrants. O’Brien studied history and literature at Harvard University, where he eventually graduated magnum cum laude. During his time at Harvard, he was president of the Harvard Lampoon humor … [Read more...] about April 18, 1963
August 8, 1961
U2's guitar player "The Edge" was born David Evans in Essex, England on this day in 1961. His family moved to Dublin a year later, and in 1976 after spotting a note at school about starting a band, The Edge teamed up with Bono. After their debut album in 1980, "Boy," U2 began to gather a great deal of attention. For a short period in 1981, he considered leaving the band, but … [Read more...] about August 8, 1961
May 25, 1961
President John F. Kennedy stated that the United States would be the first to put a man on the moon saying, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth,” in a special address to Congress on May 25, 1961. Later, in a speech at Rice University, he said: “We … [Read more...] about May 25, 1961
January 25, 1961
On January 25th, 1961 President Kennedy gave a live televised news conference - a first in American politics. Setting the general trend for future presidential press conferences, Kennedy gave prepared remarks and then fielded questions from reporters. The topics covered ranged from relations with Cuba and famine in the Congo to the national concerns of voting rights and food … [Read more...] about January 25, 1961
December 10, 1960
On this day in 1960, actor Kenneth Branagh was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At the age of nine, he relocated to England with his family to escape the Troubles. He quickly picked up an English accent to avoid bullying in school. He attributes his love of words to his Irish heritage and has remarked "I don't think you can take Belfast out of the boy." Branagh is best known … [Read more...] about December 10, 1960