June 11: Comings and Goings

Birthdays are a wonderful daily occurrence in our lives. It is rare to weave through one's day without becoming privy to an announcement or celebration of a birthday or two, whether they belong to family, friends, or other eminent figures. Remembering those who have passed each day is, perhaps, just as noteworthy an endeavor, for if their memories are kept alive, one might argue, so too are their spirits.

Here is a sampling of June 11 honorees:

Birthdays

Shia LaBeouf - He exploded onto the celebrity with his brilliant portrayal of the young golfing amateur, Francis Ouimet, who shocked the world by winning the U.S. Open, in "The Greatest Game Ever Played." Born on this day in 1986 in Los Angeles, he began his career at the age of 10, and then immediately became popular through his work on the Disney Channel series Even Stevens. After his Ouimet role, he starred as the lead in "Disturbia" and "Transformers," and also appeared as Indiana Jones' son in the "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Hugh Laurie - Talk about exploding out of nowhere, did anyone know who Hugh Laurie was before he became Gregory House on the television series, "House?" Born on this date in 1959 in Oxford, England, he achieved fame across the Atlantic in comedy as one half of "Fry and Laurie." He went on to become a cast member in "Blackadder," an historic British television series. Mr. Laurie has been nominated for three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for his "House" portrayal. He has also won two of the latter.

Gene Wilder - He is renowned for two very separate and distinct achievements. First, of course, he is the consummate comedic actor with credits is some of our more celebrated films, including "The Producers," "Young Frankenstein," and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." And then, he was instrumental in launching "Gilda's Club" in honor of his late wife, Gilda Radner, who passed away from ovarian cancer too early in life. The club, opened now in many cities across America, is a place where those stricken with cancer and their families go to heal.

Deaths

John Wayne - Is there a bigger American icon than John Wayne? He is the model for masculinity, toughness, character, and overcoming obstacles. He passed away in 1979, yet remains enormously popular all these years later...a 2009 Harris Poll placed Wayne third among America's favorite film stars. He is closely associated with John Ford, appearing in more than twenty of his films, including "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," "The Quiet Man," "The Searchers," "The Wings of Eagles," and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." He won an Oscar later in his career for his performance in 1969's "True Grit." Incredibly, Wayne played the lead in 142 of his film appearances.

David Brinkley - He was one of our most trusted newscasters for nearly 50 years. From 1956 through 1970, he co-anchored NBC's top rated nightly news program, "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" with Chet Huntley. In 1970, the broadcast was renamed NBC Nightly News, with Brinkley, John Chancellor, and Frank McGee co-anchoring. Later, in the 1980s and 1990s, Brinkley was host of the popular "Sunday This Week." He was also a top commentator on election night coverage throughout his lengthy career.