On this day

December 19, 1944

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from December 19, 1944

Notable Births

William Christie (musician)

1944William Christie, American-French harpsichord player and conductor[†]

William Lincoln Christie is an American-born French conductor and harpsichordist. He is a specialist in baroque and classical repertoire and is the founder of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants.

Mitchell Feigenbaum

1944Mitchell Feigenbaum, American physicist and mathematician (died 2019)[†]

Mitchell Jay Feigenbaum was an American mathematical physicist whose pioneering studies in chaos theory led to the discovery of the Feigenbaum constants.

Martin Hume Johnson

1944Martin Hume Johnson, English physiologist and academic[†]

Martin Hume Johnson is a British scientist who is emeritus professor of Reproductive Sciences in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (PDN) at the University of Cambridge.

Richard Leakey

1944Richard Leakey, Kenyan paleontologist and politician (died 2022)[†]

Richard Erskine Frere Leakey was a Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist and politician. Leakey held a number of official positions in Kenya, mostly in institutions of archaeology and wildlife conservation. He was director of the National Museum of Kenya, founded the NGO WildlifeDirect, and was the chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service. Leakey served in the powerful office of cabinet secretary and head of public service during the tail end of President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi's government.

Alvin Lee

1944Alvin Lee, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2013)[†]

Alvin Lee was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter, who was best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the blues rock band Ten Years After.

Tim Reid

1944Tim Reid, American actor and director[†]

Timothy Lee Reid Sr. is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon (1983–87), Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister (1994–99) and William Barnett on That '70s Show (2004–06).

1944Steve Tyrell, American singer-songwriter and producer[†]

Steve Tyrell is an American singer and record producer. He won a 2004 Grammy Award as the producer of the Rod Stewart studio album Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III. He also hosts a jazz radio program on KKJZ at California State University, Long Beach.

Zal Yanovsky

1944Zal Yanovsky, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2002)[†]

Zalman Yanovsky was a Canadian folk-rock musician and restaurateur. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky and teacher Nechama Yanovsky. He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964.

Notable Deaths

Abbas II of Egypt

1944Abbas II of Egypt (born 1874)[†]

Abbas Helmy II was the last Khedive of Egypt and the Sudan, ruling from 8 January 1892 to 19 December 1914. In 1914, after the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in World War I, the nationalist Khedive was removed by the British, then ruling Egypt, in favour of his more pro-British uncle, Hussein Kamel, marking the de jure end of Egypt's four-century era as a province of the Ottoman Empire, which had begun in 1517.

Rudolph Karstadt

1944Rudolph Karstadt, German businessman (born 1856)[†]

Rudolph Karstadt was a German entrepreneur.