Prolific children’s author and illustrator Mercer Mayer was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 30, 1943, during World War II. His American Navy father moved the family to Honolulu, Hawaii, when he was 13 and Mayer attended high school there. Pursuing his dream of being an illustrator for children’s books, Mayer moved to New … Continued
Canadian businessman, writer, comedian and actor Steve Smith, AKA Red Green, was born December 24, 1945 in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in that city. Smith married his high school girlfriend Morag in 1966 and the couple celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary in 2015. After stints at different jobs, Morag and Steve Smith turned to … Continued
TV journalist, baby boomer, and new septuagenarian senior citizen Diane Sawyer was born December 22, 1945 in the small town of Glasgow, Kentucky. She was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where her father Erbon “Tom” Sawyer served as a judge and later as a Republican politician. Diane Sawyer’s entertainment career began during her last year of … Continued
Baby boomer and future Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson (nee Ernest Lee) was born December 17, 1945 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Raised by his grandmother after his mother died when he was less than 6 months old, Hudson grew up in poverty. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Benton Harbor High School in 1964, … Continued
Comedian, actor, song and dance man (Richard) Dick Van Dyke was born December 13, 1925 in West Plains, Missouri; older brother to actor Jerry Van Dyke. Below, Dick Van Dyke with co-star Shirley MacLaine in the funny 1960’s comedy What A Way to Go (1964). (What a Way to Go! 1964 Movie Trailer) In a … Continued
Gospel, R&B, soul & pop singer Dionne Warwick was born Marie Dionne Warrick in East Orange, New Jersey on December 12, 1940. Her mother Lee Drinkard managed and later sang with her brothers and sisters in a successful gospel group known as The Drinkard Singers. (Dionne Warwick 1973 Photo: Allan Warren) Aside from singing with … Continued
Baby boomer and Canadian historical, fantasy, sci-fi and horror fiction author Pauline Gedge was born December 11, 1945 in Auckland, New Zealand. On her website paulinegedge.com, Pauline Gedge recounts a tangled history of moving back and forth between cities and even continents, starting when Pauline was just 6 years old when the Gedge family moved … Continued
Baby Boomer Trivia From December 1945: General Patton Dies, Bells of St. Mary’s Debuts, & The Slinky Success U.S. General George S. Patton Jr., commander of the 3rd and 7th Armies during World War II, died on December 21, 1945 at age 60 – 12 days after suffering a broken neck and spinal cord injury … Continued
New Canadian septuagenarian senior citizen, neurologist and former astronaut Roberta Bondar, was born December 4, 1945 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. (Roberta Bondar 1991 Photo: JSC/NASA) Like many female baby boomers growing up in the 1950’s and 70′, Roberta Bondar was a girl guide. Atypically for female baby boomers, she was also a science geek … Continued
With Christmas and other traditional gift-giving events coming up fast as the holidays approach, the question of what to get Mom/Dad, Grandpa/Grandma for a gift arises. It’s not easy to buy presents for seniors, who are often all about down-sizing vs accumulating more “things”. (Blue Hydrangea Flower & You Are Loved Card Photo: Nicole Wilcox … Continued