May 11 birthdays
1811 CHANG & ENG BUNKER Chinese-thai conjoined twins
The Bunker brothers were conjoined twins whose fame propelled the expression Siamese twins. They were widely exhibited as curiosities. They married sisters and fathered 21 children. The twins died at age 62, first Chang and then Eng several hours later.
1875 HARRIET QUIMBY American aviator
Quimby was the first woman in the US to receive a pilot certificate. In 1912, she became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Quimby fell to her death after being ejected from her seat when her aircraft unexpectedly pitched forward.
1904 SALVADOR DALI Spanish artist
Dali was a surrealist artist known for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images of his work. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, is one of the world’s most famous surrealist works.
1926 FRANK THRING Australian actor
Born in Melbourne, Thring’s early career started in London in theatre productions before he starred in Hollywood films. He was best known for his roles in Ben-hur in 1959 and King of Kings in 1961.
1941 IAN REDPATH Australian cricketer
Redpath played 66 Test matches and five ODIS for Australia between 1964 and 1976, making his Test debut against South Africa in
Melbourne. With a top score of 171, Repath amassed 4737 Test runs at an average of 43.45.
1970 DEAN CAPOBIANCO Australian athlete
Sprinter Capobianco won the Stawell Gift in 1990. He then went on to represent Australia in the 200m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Capobianco made the semifinals in Atlanta.
1982 CORY MONTEITH Canadian actor
Monteith is best known for his role as Finn Hudson in the television series Glee. He had a troubled adolescence involving substance abuse from the age of 13. Monteith died in a hotel room in 2013 from a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol.