REMEMBERING
May 16 birthdays
1861 H. H. HOLMES American serial killer
Despite confessing to 27 murders (including of some people who were verifiably still alive), Holmes was convicted and sentenced to death for the killing of his accomplice and business partner. However, it is thought he killed at least eight people.
1905 HENRY FONDA American actor
Fonda made his mark as a Broadway actor before making his Hollywood debut in 1935.
His film credits include Jezebel, The Grapes of Wrath, and 12 Angry Men. He is the father of actors Jane and Peter Fonda.
1919 LIBERACE American pianist
A child prodigy, Liberace enjoyed a career spanning more than 40 years of concerts, recordings, television, films, and endorsements. At the height of his fame from the 1950s to the 1970s, Liberace was the highest-paid entertainer in the world.
1931 HANA BRADY Czech Holocaust victim
At just 13 years of age, Brady died in the gas chambers at the German concentration camp of Auschwitz, in the occupied territory of Poland in 1944.
She is the subject of the 2002 nonfiction children’s book Hana’s Suitcase, written by Karen Levine.
1941 ALDRICH AMES American spy
Ames was a CIA officer turned KGB double agent who was convicted of espionage in 1994. At the time of his arrest, he had compromised more highly classified CIA assets than any other officer in history.
1955 OLGA KORBUT Belarusian gymnast
Nicknamed the Sparrow from Minsk, Korbutt won four gold and two silver medals at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games where she competed for the Soviet Union. She was the inaugural inductee in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
1966 JANET JACKSON
American singer
The 10th and youngest child of the Jackson family, she began her career performing at the MGM Grand. Since then, she has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide as a solo artist.