Curated playlist

1966 births

George MorikawaBoxing manga Hajime no Ippo began in 1989, and its creator George Morikawa still has not finished it.
Adam SandlerAdam Sandler once made a Western comedy that critics almost universally panned. On the 6th of January 2016, Netflix announced that the film, The Ridiculous 6, had been watched more times in thirty days than any other movie in the service's…
Janet JacksonJanet Jackson was seen at the 1983 American Music Awards wearing a hoop earring with a key attached to it. She has worn variations of that earring in music videos and live shows ever since. The pair she wore between 1987 and 1990 is now on…
Yoshinori KitaseYoshinori Kitase set Final Fantasy X in Southeast Asia to widen what "fantasy" could mean.
David CameronDavid Cameron's last words in the Commons were "I was the future once." He said them in July 2016.
Mary Elizabeth McGlynnMary Elizabeth McGlynn won a 2007 award for voicing Major Motoko Kusanagi.
Masaharu IwataGame composer Masaharu Iwata sometimes appeared in credits as REZON, a name from a childhood TV hero's car.
J. J. AbramsJ. J. Abrams wrote his first film score at age 16 for a horror movie. The 1982 low-budget film was called Nightbeast.
Mike TysonBy age 13, Mike Tyson had been arrested 38 times. At 20 he became the youngest heavyweight champion ever.
Dikembe MutomboDikembe Mutombo came to Georgetown to become a doctor, not a basketball star. A coach changed those plans entirely.
Grigori PerelmanGrigori Perelman turned down a million dollars. He had already refused the Fields Medal, math's top honor.
Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'Connor once walked into the Grammy Awards with the logo of the hip hop group Public Enemy painted on her shaved head. She was protesting because the first-ever Best Rap Performance award was being handed out off-screen. The…
Kentaro MiuraKentaro Miura made his first manga at ten and handed it out to classmates. It grew into Berserk, a dark fantasy series.
Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter applied to King's College, Cambridge, and the college said no. She was rejected "because officials were afraid that she would leave mid-term to pursue an acting career." The fear was well founded. Born in 1966, she…
Jeff BuckleyJeff Buckley finished exactly one studio album before he died, and it was called Grace. It came out in 1994. Decades later, Rolling Stone placed it on three separate lists of the 500 greatest albums. In 2014, the Library of Congress added…
David X. CohenDavid X. Cohen has a middle initial that stands for nothing at all. He is an American television writer, and his name appears on episodes of both The Simpsons and Futurama. Those two shows sit at the center of a career that began somewhere…
RomárioRomário told reporters he would finish Uruguay, then scored both goals in a 2-0 win.
Rik SmitsRik Smits appeared in the 1988 comedy Coming to America. Cameras filmed his 1987 Marist game at Madison Square Garden.
Dan the AutomatorDan the Automator is the stage name of Daniel M. Nakamura, an American record producer. His credits include a song for the 1997 film Scream 2. They also include a 2024 album for the Black Keys. Between those two points sit rap records,…
Kouji MoriAfter Berserk's author died in 2021, Kouji Mori offered to finish the story. He says Kentaro Miura told him the ending.
Paul HollywoodIn 2008, Paul Hollywood made a loaf that was said to be the most expensive bread in Britain. It was an almond and roquefort sourdough. The roquefort came from a French specialist at £15 per kilo, and the flour came from a miller in…
Jeremy BlausteinJeremy Blaustein translated Metal Gear Solid into English. He also has credits on Silent Hill 2 and Suikoden II.
Jon FavreauJon Favreau named his company after the golem of Jewish folklore. It can protect or destroy, like technology.
Kenji KamiyamaKenji Kamiyama began his anime career as a background painter.
David ChalmersWhy does seeing red feel like anything at all? Philosopher David Chalmers named this the hard problem of consciousness.
Hristo StoichkovHristo Stoichkov led an underdog Bulgaria past defending champions Germany at the 1994 World Cup.
Enzo ScifoEnzo Scifo was only 18 when he played at the 1984 European Championship. He was the youngest player yet in its finals.
Zaw ZawZaw Zaw once washed dishes in Tokyo's Ginza district. By the early 2010s his group earned around $500 million a year.
Mikhail MishustinMikhail Mishustin became Russia's prime minister without a single vote against him.
Roman AbramovichRoman Abramovich paid roughly $100 million in 1995 for a stake in the Russian oil company Sibneft. He bought it in partnership with Boris Berezovsky, at a price far below what the asset was worth. A decade later, in 2005, he sold that same…