June 9: 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 May 26 honorees:

Birthdays

Natalie Portman - She is widely known for her role as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but Ms. Portman has exquisitely managed her film career beyond that, balancing challenging and distinctive roles along the way. Born in Jerusalem on this day in 1981, she broke through at the age of 13 in the film "Leon." Since, she completed a bachelor's degree in psychology at Harvard while working on Star Wars, received great acclaim in her Golden Globe Award performance in "Closer" with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, has performed beautifully on stage in New York, and has jumped in to directing as well.

Johnny Depp - He is one of our most eclectic actors, weaving effortlessly, and sometimes bombastically, through dramatic and comedic films. Mr. Depp, born on this day in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1963, is an actor's actor and has been nominated for three Academy Awards. He's also won Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Of late, he has captured imagination as Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film series, but he has also starred in many other critically acclaimed films, such as "Edward Scissorhands," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," "Finding Neverland," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," "Ed Wood," and now, "Public Enemies." Remarkably, films featuring Johnny Depp have grossed over $2.2 billion in the United States alone.

Michael J. Fox - He's made a remarkable transformation from the height of celebrity to distinguished spokesperson for the fight against Parkinson's disease, which he contracted in 1991. Born on this day in 1961 in Edmonton, his most famous roles include Marty McFly from the "Back to the Future" trilogy; Alex Keaton from Family Ties, for which he won three Emmy Awards, and Mike Flaherty from Spin City, for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Deaths

Allen Ludden - There's an entire generation who feel they know Allen Ludden personally. He is best known as game show host for "Password," which he brought into people's homes every day for 11 years. He also hosted GE College Bowl to great acclaim. Mr. Ludden. Famously married to comedienne Betty White for many years, was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right next to hers. Allen Ludden passed away on this day in 1981 from stomach cancer. He was 63 years old.