Curated playlist
1927 births
- Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on Holy Saturday, the 16th of April 1927, and was baptised the same day. For years as a cardinal, he said what he wanted most was a quiet life in his house in Pentling, a Bavarian village…
- Allen NewellAllen Newell helped build what is widely regarded as the first true AI program, the Logic Theorist.
- John Lynch (historian)Historian John Lynch went from British Army service to decades studying Spanish America's revolutions.
- Brigitte MassinWhich composers did musicologist Brigitte Massin write about most? Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven.
- Cesar ChavezCesar Chavez was born Cesario Estrada Chavez on the 31st of March 1927 and died on the 23rd of April 1993. Many Mexican Americans came to speak of him as a "folk saint." California farm owners saw something else entirely, a communist…
- Steve DitkoSteve Ditko covered Spider-Man's face because it looked too young. He reasoned a full mask would add mystery.
- John Boardman (art historian)John Boardman took over the Oxford chair once held by vase expert John Beazley. He widened it to Persia and China.
- Marvin MinskyIn 1951, Marvin Minsky built the first randomly wired neural network learning machine. He called it SNARC.
- Eldar RyazanovEldar Ryazanov first refused to direct a comedy. He wanted to make serious films, but Carnival Night was a hit.
- Stanley WolpertStanley Wolpert quit engineering after landing in Bombay two weeks after Gandhi was shot.
- Earl StromNBA referee Earl Strom once ejected a team mascot, believed to be a first. Benny the Bull charged the court in 1974.
- Vladimir MotylOut of favor with Soviet officials, director Vladimir Motyl was still invited to make White Sun of the Desert.
- John McCarthy (computer scientist)John McCarthy coined the term "artificial intelligence" in the summer of 1956. He also created the language Lisp.
- Correlli BarnettMichael Heseltine gave every Cabinet member a copy of Correlli Barnett's The Lost Victory.
- Daniel Patrick MoynihanDaniel Patrick Moynihan once shined shoes in Penn Station, which now has a train hall named for him.
- Charles RosenPianist Charles Rosen wrote his first book because a record sleeve note embarrassed him. It won a National Book Award.