May 8: Birthdays and Deaths

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 8 honorees:

Birthdays

Enrique Iglesias - Some offspring of famous people have difficulty managing the expectations and eventual results of their own careers. Enrique Iglesias, born on this day in 1975 in Madrid, is having no such difficulty. He began earnestly as a Latin American singing sensation, and transitioned easily to the mainstream English language market complete with a heartthrob image and long relationship with tennis star Anna Kournikova. Iglesias has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide.

Don Rickles - The so-called "Mr. Warmth" became popular later in life than most entertainers, so he's not letting go of the limelight so easily, still performing into his eighties. Born on this day in Queens, New York in 1926, his career took off thanks to the influence of two superstars, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson. Mr. Rickles made his first appearance on "The Tonight Show" in 1965, and followed it with more than 100 additional appearances.

Melissa Gilbert - She was the phenomenally popular Laura Ingalls on the dramatic television series, "Little House on the Prairie" with Michael Landon for 10 successful years as a child actress. Born on this day in 1964 in Los Angeles, Ms. Gilbert was only 10 years old when she launched into the public consciousness. She has maintained a busy acting career, mainly on television, and served two tours of duty as president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Deaths

Eddy Arnold - You don't get any more country than Eddy Arnold, who passed away on this day in 2008 at the age of 90. A member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Mr. Arnold was the personification of country music for more than 50 years during his prolific career, and even today after his death. He sold nearly 90 million records, and boasts 28 number one songs on Billboard's Country Singles chart.

Iain Macmillan - Sometimes even the relatively unknown can be famous for something. Few know his name, but Mr. Macmillan was the British photographer who took the cover photograph for The Beatles' Abbey Road album in 1969. His path to that moment was charted rather innocently after he used a photo of Yoko Ono in a book he published in 1966. She then invited him to photograph an exhibit, ultimately introduced him to John Lennon, and the rest is history. Iain Macmillan passed away on this day in 2006 at the age of 68.