REMEMBERING April 9 birthdays
1336 TIMUR Turkic conqueror
Timur founded the Timurid Empire in and around modernday Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. As an undefeated commander, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders and tacticians in history.
1867 CHRIS WATSON Australian Prime Minister
Australia’s third prime minister, Watson remains the youngest to hold the position. He was 37 when he attained the position on April 27, 1904. Watson’s government lost a confidence motion and he was replaced by George Reid on August 18, 1904.
1909 ROBERT HELPMANN Australian actor/dancer
Helpmann was a ballet dancer, actor, director and choreographer. After early work in Australia, he moved to England in 1932, where he joined Vic-Wells Ballet. Helpmann died in Sydney in 1986, and was given a state funeral.
1918 JORN UTZON Danish architect
In 1957, Utzon won a competition to design the Sydney Opera House. When the building was declared a World Heritage Site in 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have achieved such recognition in his lifetime.
1926 HUGH HEFNER American publisher
Hefner was the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine. The first issue, published in 1953, featured
Marilyn Monroe in a nude calendar shoot and sold more than 50,000 copies. Hefner is interred in the crypt next to Monroe.
1957 SEVE BALLESTEROS Spanish golfer
Ballesteros won five major championships during his career: The Masters in 1980 and 1983, and The Open in 1979, 1984 and 1988. He caught the eye of the golfing world when, in 1976, he finished second at The Open at the age of 19.
1990 KRISTEN STEWART
American actor
The world’s highest-paid female actor in 2012, Stewart first gained notice at age 12, playing Jodie Foster’s daughter in the film Panic Room. Stewart was Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga film series.