October 15 birthdays
70BC VIRGIL Roman poet
A poet of the Augustan period, Virgil penned three of the five most famous poems in Latin literature. His work has had a deep influence on Western literature, most notably Dante’s Divine Comedy, in which Virgil appears as the author’s guide through Hell and Purgatory.
1844 FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE German philosopher
Prominent elements of Nietzsche’s philosophy include his radical critique of truth in favour of perspectivism. In his later work, he became increasingly preoccupied with the creative powers of the individual.
1915 YITZHAK SHAMIR Israeli prime minister
Shamir was the seventh prime minister of Israel and served two terms – 1983–1984 and 1986–1992. Shamir was defeated by Yitzhak Rabin’s Labour, and in 1993, stepped down from the leadership of his Likud Party.
1920 MARIO PUZO American author
Puzo is best known for his novel, The Godfather, which he later co-adapted into a film trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola. He received Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay for the first and second movies.
1943 PENNY MARSHALL
American actor/director Marshall came to notice in the 1970s for her portrayal of Laverne Defazio in the television sitcom, Laverne &
Shirley. She received three Golden Globe Award nominations for the role. Her directorial credits include the movie, Big.
1951 ROSCOE TANNER American tennis player
Tanner’s highest singles world ranking of his career was No. 4, which he achieved in July, 1979. He won the January Australian Open in 1977 (one of two held that year) and was runner-up to Bjorn Borg at the 1979 Wimbledon Championships.
1953 TITO JACKSON
American singer
Tito was an original member of The Jackson 5, who rose to fame in the late 1960s and 1970s on the Motown label with hits including ABC and I’ll Be There. He was the third of 10 children.