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- Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine was born on 11 March 1895 in Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse, German Empire [now Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany]. She died on 16 November 1903 in Skierniewice, Congress Poland, Russian Empire [now Skierniewice, Poland].
- Her Imperial Highness, The Grand Duchess Olga Nicholaievna Romanov was born on November 15, 1895 at Tsarskoe Selo. She was the oldest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and the Empress Alexandra. She has 3 younger sisters - Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia - and one younger brother Alexei. Olga was the most like her father, the Tsar Nicholas the Second, with chestnut-blonde hair and blue eyes. She was the more thoughtful of her sisters and very intelligent, but she was sometimes difficult, and argued with her mother, Empress Alexandra. Olga was extremely close to her younger sister Tatiana, who was 18 months younger then her. Tatiana and Olga shared a bedroom and were called "The Big Pair", while Olga's other two younger sisters - Maria and Anastasia - were called "The Little Pair." Olga was going to maybe marry Price Carol of Romania, but Olga didn't want to leave Russia. "I am Russian and I mean to remain Russian!" So Olga did not marry Prince Carol. When World War I started Olga, her sister Tatiana and her Mother the Empress Alexandra became War nurses. During the War Olga became more aware of the resentment that the Russian people had for her family. Also During the war she had a mental breakdown. When her father abdicated, for himself and Alexei, Olga and her family were prisoners of the Revolution, in Tobolsk. After that, Olga's father, mother and sister Maria went to Ekaterinburg, leaving Olga with her sisters Tatiana and Anastasia and her younger brother Alexei. Olga and her sisters took care of Alexei because he got very hurt before her father, mother and sister left. After Alexei was well enough to be moved, Olga, Tatiana, Anastasia, Alexei and some of their employees went to Ekaterinburg, to be with their parents and Maria. In Ekaterinburg the Romanov's lived in a place called "The House of Special Purpose." Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia all shared a room, while her father, mother, and Alexei shared. On July 17, 1918 the Romanovs, their Doctor, and others where set up in a basement in "The House of Special Purpose." Then, 11 executors entered and started firing. Olga and her family and servants all died. Olga was only 23 years old when she died. But, when they found the bodies of the Romanovs and their servants they realized they are missing two, Alexei and either Maria, Tatiana, or Anastasia. Recently the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia canonized the Romanovs as saints.
- Lawrence Peyton born in Hartford, Kentucky in 1895. Handsome, wavy haired athletic star of many silent drama, comedy and westerns, first starred at the age of 18 in a short western 'The Range Deadline' made at the Nestor Film Company in 1913, followed with the Majestic Motion Picture Company in 1914, he's perhaps best remembered in the supporting role as Gaspard in 'Joan the Woman' directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Geraldine Farrar for the Paramount Co in 1916, and as James Montague in the comedy/western series 'Buck Parvin' directed by William Bertram and starring Art Acord at the American Film Company in 1915-16, he was last seen in 'Rosalind at Redgate' directed and starred Ruth Stonehouse at Universal released a year after his death, killed in action in France during WW1 he was only 23.
- José Gómez 'Gallito' was born on 8 May 1895 in Gelves, Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain. He died on 16 May 1920 in Talavera de la Reina, Madrid, Spain.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Carl-Gustaf Florin was born on 11 September 1895 in Visby, Gotland, Sweden. He was a cinematographer, known for Kärleken segrar (1916), Aktiebolaget Hälsans gåva (1916) and Nattens barn (1916). He died on 30 September 1920 in Sabbatsbergs hospital, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.- George Gipp was born on 18 February 1895 in Laurium, Michigan, USA. He died on 14 December 1920 in South Bend, Indiana, USA.
- Frans Enwall was born on 24 May 1895 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Värmlänningarna (1921) and Bodakungen (1920). He died on 3 September 1923 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.
- Don Likes was born on 1 July 1895 in San Diego, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Sandy (1918), A Phantom Husband (1917) and Wooden Shoes (1917). He died on 22 December 1923 in California, USA.
- Frances Burnham was born on 19 April 1895 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Love Thief (1916), Who's Your Servant? (1920) and The Price Woman Pays (1919). She was married to Noble Warren Sheldon. She died on 10 July 1924 in Monrovia, California, USA.
- Louis Zborowski was born on 20 February 1895 in Mayfair, London, England, UK. He died on 19 October 1924 in Monza, Milan, Lombardia, Italy.
- James Byron Warner was the younger brother of H.B. Warner and the son of Charles Warner, a prominent English stage actor, whose own father James Warner, whom J.B. was named after, was also a famous actor.
Born in Nebraska in 1895, the handsome J.B. joined the Warner family profession, though--unlike his older brother--he never appeared on the Broadway stage. He made his debut as "Jim Warner" in Knickerbocker Star Features' Crooked Road (1916) before appearing as "James Warner" in 1917 in two pictures for Falcon Features, The Secret of Black Mountain (1917) and The Lady in the Library (1917). Moving west to California, he signed with Universal Pictures in 1920 and began appearing in such horse operas as The Tough Tenderfoot (1920), billed now as "James B. Warner." In his third film at Universal, Blazing the Way (1920), he had top billing. It was his last headliner at Univeral.
After a couple of pictures for independent outfits, Warner appeared as a supporting player to western superstar Tom Mix in For Big Stakes (1922) at Fox. For Metro Pictures he headlined the western Big Stakes (1922), directed and produced by Clifford S. Elfelt. Beginning with his second film at Metro, Flaming Hearts (1922), he was billed as "J.B. Warner", a name likely to evoke his more famous brother, who was a top player in the movies and on the Broadway stage.
At Metro J.B. headlined six westerns, all of them produced by Elfelt. He then moved on to Sunset Productions, where he starred in eight low-budget westerns produced by Anthony J. Xydias, most of which were released in 1924.
Warner's career remains a "What if", as the handsome young actor never did mature into one of the "wax works" of the silent era his brother H.B. played in Billy Wilder's 1950 Hollywood classic, Sunset Blvd. (1950). Not yet 30, J.B. died on November 9, 1924, in Los Angeles, California, from tuberculosis. - Michel Floresco was born on 3 December 1895 in Husci, Romania. He was an actor, known for La goutte de sang (1924), Amie d'enfance (1922) and Le gardien du feu (1924). He died on 14 September 1925 in Venice, Italy.
- Mary Thurman was born Mary Christiansen on April 27, 1895, in Richfield, Utah. She was one of seven children raised in the Mormon faith. Sadly her father passed away when she was nine. Mary attended the University of Utah and got a job as a teacher. In 1915 she took a trip to Hollywood. A talent scout saw her and she became one of the famous Mack Sennett bathing beauties. She also began appearing in Sennett's comedy shorts. Mary started out as an extra and quickly worked her way up to leading lady. Between 1916 and 1918 she made more than twenty films. Mary married her childhood sweetheart Victor E. Thurman but the couple divorced in 1919. Mary costarred with Rosco "Fatty" Arbuckle in Leap Year and with William Desmond in The Prince And Betty.
Although she had become a popular comedienne she dreamed of being a serious actress. She signed with producer Allan Dwan who cast her in the 1920 drama In The Heart Of A Fool. Her performance got rave reviews. Allan would direct Mary in several more films including The Sin of Martha Queed and A Broken Doll. Off screen Mary and Allan fell in love and were engaged for a short time. In the fall 1925 she began work on the movie Down Upon The Suwanee River. While filming in Florida she came down with a serious case of pneumonia. She struggled with the illness for months and passed away on December 22, 1925. Mary was only thirty years old. Her mother and her best friend, actress Juanita Hansen, were by her side when she died. Mary was buried in Richfield City Cemetery in her hometown of Richfield, Utah. - Writer
- Music Department
Sergei Esenin was born on 3 October 1895 in Konstantinovo, Ryazan Governorate, Russian Empire [now Ryazan Oblast, Russia]. He was a writer, known for Poj pesnyu, poet (1973), The Hollow (2007) and Mongol Shuudan: Moskva (1996). He was married to Sophia Tolstaya, Isadora Duncan, Zinaida Reich and Anna Izryadnova. He died on 28 December 1925 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia].- Actor
- Producer
Hollywood's original Latin Lover, a term that was invented for Rudolph Valentino by Hollywood moguls. Alla Nazimova's friend Natacha Rambova (nee Winifred Hudnut) became romantically involved with Rudy and they lived together in her bungalow from 1921 (during the filming of Camille) until they eloped to Mexico on May 13, 1922 believing that his divorce from Jean Acker was official. After their re-marriage two years later she left him because he signed a contract that barred her from being involved in his pictures and wasn't allowed on set. She went to Nice to live with her parents and never entered their new mansion, Falcon Lair. He began to date sexy Pola Negri and was also linked to Vilma Banky. While he was touring to promote his last film, an editorial in the Chicago Tribune accused him of "effeminization of the American male". He defended his manhood by challenging the article's writer to a boxing match; it never took place, but another writer for the paper did enter the ring on behalf of the author who would not be named, and Valentino defeated him. He died shortly afterward while he was in New York attending the premiere of his last film. He collapsed in his hotel on August 15, 1926 and died on August 23, after an operation that led to an infection. 80,000 mourners nearly caused a riot at his New York funeral. Another funeral followed in California.- Clémence Valpreux was born on 9 February 1895 in Paris, France. She died on 20 November 1926 in Paris, France.
- Charles Emmett Mack was born on 25 November 1895 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Driven (1923), Dream Street (1921) and Old San Francisco (1927). He was married to Marianne Lovera (actress). He died on 17 March 1927 in Riverside, California, USA.
- Tom Kerrick was born on 14 July 1895 in Tucson, Arizona, USA. He was an actor, known for Men in the Raw (1923). He died on 27 April 1927 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Harry Lamberts-Paulsen was born on 31 May 1895 in Hamburg, Germany. He was an actor, known for Der Meister der Welt (1927), The Beggar from Cologne Cathedral (1927) and Zwei blaue Jungen (1917). He died on 20 June 1928 in Berlin, Germany.
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Script and Continuity Department
James T. O'Donohoe was born on 10 March 1895 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and assistant director, known for The Hawk's Nest (1928), The Lady of the Harem (1926) and Serenade (1921). He was married to Laska Winter. He died on 27 August 1928 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Meta Seinemeyer was born on 5 September 1895 in Berlin, Germany. She was an actress, known for Der Freischütz (1918). She was married to Frieder Weißmann. She died on 19 August 1929 in Dresden, Germany.
- Dave Winter was born on 11 April 1895 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Pink Tights (1920), Stranger Than Fiction (1921) and The Poverty of Riches (1921). He died on 5 November 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Dave Dyas was born on 11 April 1895 in Missouri, USA. He died on 5 November 1929.
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Gustaw Cybulski was born on 22 January 1895 in Stynawa Wyzna, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Verkhnya Stinava, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine]. He was a director and actor, known for Janko zwyciezca (1921). He died on 18 January 1931 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.- Art Director
- Production Designer
Alexander Ferenczy was born on 16 January 1895 in Budapest, Hungary. He was an art director and production designer, known for A 111-es (1920), The Gypsy Baron (1927) and Das Bildnis (1923). He died on 5 March 1931 in Neubabelsberg, Brandenburg, Germany.- Ben Swor Jr. was born on 20 February 1895 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for The Carnation Kid (1929) and The Sock Exchange (1928). He died on 3 June 1931 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Louis John Bartels was born on 19 October 1895 in Bunker Hill, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Nothing But the Truth (1929), Sin Takes a Holiday (1930) and The Florodora Girl (1930). He was married to Martha Wood. He died on 4 March 1932 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Dennis Neilson-Terry was born on 21 October 1895 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for 77 Park Lane (1931), The House of the Arrow (1930) and The Flight of the King (1922). He was married to Mary Glynne. He died on 14 July 1932 in Bulawayo, South Rhodesia.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Al Wilson was born on 1 December 1895 in Harrisburg, Kentucky, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Flyin' Thru (1925), The Cloud Rider (1925) and Won in the Clouds (1928). He was married to Ruth Mitchell. He died on 5 September 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Nepotism certainly has had its advantages in Hollywood, none more so than in the cinematic career of Jack Pickford, whose famous older sis, "America's Sweetheart" Mary Pickford, saw to it that Jack had every advantage her star weight could muster. In Jack's case, it only added fuel to a self-starting tragic fire.
The youngest of three children, if Jack was christened with the extremely common name of John (aka Jack) Smith, his life would resemble anything but. Born in Toronto, Canada, on August 18, 1896, his middle sister was minor actress Lottie Pickford (née Charlotte Smith, (1893-1936)). Both younger children were prompted by their actress/mother, Charlotte Smith, to follow Mary (née Gladys Louise Smith) into show business after her husband (also John Charles Smith), an alcoholic, deserted the family.
A child actor on the theatre stage, it was Mary who got both her baby brother and baby sister into the Biograph film company as steady fixtures starting in 1909. They all appeared in scores of short films for D.W. Griffith -- Jack's list included Wanted, a Child (1909), To Save Her Soul (1909), The Smoker (1910), Muggsy Becomes a Hero (1910), Sweet Memories (1911), As a Boy Dreams (1911), The Speed Demon (1912), Heredity (1912), The Sneak (1913) and Home, Sweet Home (1914). Lottie had her own lead pictures, including The Pilgrimage (1912) and They Shall Pay (1921). Mary, Jack and Lottie all appeared together in the films Sweet Memories (1911) and Fanchon, the Cricket (1915), among others. Jack occasionally worked for other film companies, as he did when he played the title role in Giovanni's Gratitude (1913) for Reliance; and starred in The Making of Crooks (1915), The Hard Way (1916), The Conflict (1916) and Cupid's Touchdown (1917) for Selig Polyscope,
Jack followed along with sister Mary when she left Biograph and moved to the Famous Players Film Company (later Paramount Pictures) in 1914, and proved a personable light leading man. When Mary signed her famous million-dollar contract with First National in 1917, one of her stipulations was that Jack receive a lucrative contract as well. He appeared with Mary in such films as A Girl of Yesterday (1915) and Poor Little Peppina (1916), and starred on his own as lovelorn Bill Baxter in Seventeen (1916); as Pip in Great Expectations (1917); as Jack in The Dummy (1917); and as Tom Sawyer in both Tom Sawyer (1917) and Huck and Tom (1918); as well as the title roles in His Majesty, Bunker Bean (1918), Mile-a-Minute Kendall (1918) and Sandy (1918) (all co-starring lovely Louise Huff, and the films Freckles (1917), The Girl at Home (1917), What Money Can't Buy (1917) and Jack and Jill (1917).
The young man, however, just couldn't stay out of trouble. A 1918 stint in the Navy Reserve to straighten up proved disastrous when Jack, among others, was accused of accepting bribes from draftees who wanted light shore duty and stay out of front-line action. With the help of his family, he avoided a court martial, was exonerated and received a general discharge -- more than he deserved.
Earning a modicum of naïve "boy-next-door" success, Jack went on to produce a few of his own films (Burglar by Proxy (1919), Garrison's Finish (1923) and In Wrong (1919)), as well as co-direct (with Alfred E. Green) a couple of Mary's films (Through the Back Door (1921) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921)). Some of Jack's better silents during the "Roaring 20's" included The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come (1920), The Man Who Had Everything (1920), Waking Up the Town (1925), The Goose Woman (1925), Brown of Harvard (1926) and the classic Beatrice Lillie backstage comedy vehicle Exit Smiling (1926) as a young leading man of the troupe.
Tragically, Jack's obsessive taste for the high life quickly took over. A ne'er-do-well playboy and constant carouser, his scandalous private life aroused more public interest than his on-camera work in light romantic films. He picked up severe alcohol, drug and gambling addictions to accommodate his partying decadence with bouts of syphilis adding to the complications. Jack's wedded life was anything but blissful. All three wives were Ziegfeld girls at one time. His stormy marriage to despondent, drug-addicted first wife, actress Olive Thomas, ended after four years when the 25-year-old died by swallowing mercury bichloride. His next two marriages to legendary Broadway musical star Marilyn Miller and minor actress Mary Mulhern also ended quickly due to his acute alcoholism.
By the late 1920s Jack was completely undependable and, with the advent of sound, his career ground to a screeching halt, despite Mary's continued attempts to rescue it. Jack's health deteriorated considerably after this letdown. His last two films were the (lost) silent feature (with talking sequences) The Dancer Upstairs (2002) co-starring Olive Borden and a lead in the short film All Square (1930).
He died aged 36 on January 3, 1933, in Paris. The cause was listed as "progressive multiple neuritis", but it was almost certainly precipitated by his chronic alcoholism-- a tragic and seemingly unnecessary end for a young man who chose to tarnish the silver platter readily handed to him. Sister Lottie too fell into extreme excess and died in 1936 at age 43 of alcohol-related causes. Jack later earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.- Vernon Elkins was born on 14 June 1895 in Corsicana, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for The Lady Fare (1929). He died on 13 February 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Cinematographer
- Director
- Writer
Beginning his career at age 13 as a stagehand for D.W. Griffith, George W. Hill worked his way up through cinematography and screenwriting to finally begin directing films in the early 1920s. His later films took on a stark, brutally realistic atmosphere and were renowned for their effective use of shadows in the lighting as in The Big House (1930), considered to be his masterpiece. He was found dead in his beach house in 1934, victim of an apparent suicide.- Writer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Tom Buckingham was born on 25 February 1895 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and director, known for The Cyclone Rider (1924), Troubles of a Bride (1924) and Lure of the Night Club (1927). He was married to Jane Buckingham. He died on 7 September 1934 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Emil Nuchberg was born on 1 April 1895 in Posha, Hungary. He was an actor, known for The Katzenjammer Kids (1912), They Plan a Trip to Germany (1912) and School Days (1912). He died on 12 September 1934 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- Francelia Billington was born in Dallas, Texas, where she was raised on a ranch and became an expert horsewoman. The pretty young Texan was also on stage from a young age and soon journeyed to Hollywood and became a star of westerns and melodramas, first working with the Kalem Film Co. in 1912, then moving on to Reliance-Majestic and Thanhouser the following year. She starred in many films for legendary director D.W. Griffith and later joined Universal Pictures, where she worked with such directors as Rupert Julian and Rex Ingram, She didn't confine herself to just horse operas, though. One of her best roles was in Erich von Stroheim's epic Blind Husbands (1919)). She also starred alongside her husband Lester Cuneo in many westerns in the 1920s. He committed suicide after their marriage broke up in 1925, and she died of tuberculosis at the tragically-young age of 39.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Fridolf Rhudin was born on 10 October 1895 in Munkfors, Värmlands län, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Muntra musikanter (1932), Kronans kavaljerer (1930) and Fridolf i lejonkulan (1933). He died on 6 March 1935 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.- Director
- Cinematographer
Ulysses D. Nicholas was born on 8 August 1895 in Mobile, Alabama, USA. Ulysses D. was a director and cinematographer, known for Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies (1940). Ulysses D. was married to Viola Harden Nicholas. Ulysses D. died on 17 April 1935 in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, USA.- Nancy Bevington was born on 5 December 1895 in Strand, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Rebecca the Jewess (1913), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1909) and The Sins of Youth (1919). She was married to Ernest G. Batley. She died on 20 June 1935 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK.
- Abraham Landau was born on 25 December 1895. He died on 24 October 1935 in Newark, New Jersey, USA.
- Barney Hellum was born on 1 December 1895 in Stavanger, Norway. He was an actor, known for Horsefeathers (1928), The Beef-Steaks (1928) and Money Balks (1928). He died on 22 December 1935 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Conchita Supervia was born on 9 December 1895 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She was an actress, known for Evensong (1934) and I Don't Want to Talk About It (1993). She died on 30 March 1936 in London, England, UK.- Actor
- Cinematographer
- Writer
Birger Pohjanheimo was born on 1 November 1895 in Pori, Finland. He was an actor and cinematographer, known for Nuori luotsi (1913), Salainen perintömääräys (1914) and Se kolmas (1914). He died on 16 July 1936 in Helsingin pitäjä, Finland.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Stephen Roberts was born on 23 November 1895 in Summersville, West Virginia, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Romance in Manhattan (1934), Pink Elephants (1926) and Hanging Fire (1926). He was married to Vee Eva Wolf. He died on 17 July 1936 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Gilbert Holmes was born on 15 June 1895 in Miles City, Montana, USA. He was an actor, known for Quick Triggers (1928), The Big Town Round-Up (1921) and The Arizona Cyclone (1928). He died on 17 August 1936 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- June Caprice was born Helen Elizabeth Lawson in Arlington, Massachusetts on November 19, 1895. Her parents, Anna and Peter Lawson, were both born in Norway. June was educated at the Boston Conservatory of Music and began her acting career on the stage. At age 16 the blue-eyed blonde won a Mary Pickford lookalike contest and was then discovered by producer William Fox, who offered her a contract and promised to make her one of Hollywood's biggest stars. In 1916 she made her film debut in "Caprice Of The Mountains." She had starring roles in more than a dozen films at Fox including "A Small Town Girl", "Child Of The Wild", and "Every Girl's Dream", almost always cast as a innocent ingenue. The petite actress was just five feet two inches tall and weighed 105 pounds. She appeared on numerous magazine covers and by 1918 was getting more fan mail than any other actress at the studio. During World War I she volunteered as a nurses aid.
After leaving Fox in 1919 she starred in the dramas "Rogue and Romance" and "The Love Cheat." She also modeled for Coca Cola calendars. In 1920 June married Harry F. Millarde, who had directed her in several films; soon after she decided to quit acting. Her final role was in the 1921 serial "The Sky Ranger." She gave birth to daughter June Elizabeth on June 29, 1922, and for the next decade she devoted herself to being a wife and mother. Tragically, in 1931 her husband Harry died from a heart attack, and she and her daughter moved in with her parents in Los Angeles. Then in her late thirties she was diagnosed with cancer; her health quickly deteriorated and she died on November 9, 1936 at only 40 years old. She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Her 14-year-old daughter June Elizabeth Millarde was raised by her grandparents; she later changed her name to Toni Seven and became a model and actress. - Lottie Pickford was born on 9 June 1895 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was an actress, known for Fanchon, the Cricket (1915), White Roses (1910) and A Strange Meeting (1909). She was married to John William Lock, Russel O. Gillard, Allan Forrest and Alfred Rupp. She died on 9 December 1936 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Antonio Gil Varela 'Varillas' was born on 14 November 1895 in Madrid, Spain. He was an actor and director, known for La reina mora (1937), La reina mora (1923) and Nobleza de corazones (1925). He died on 26 January 1937.
- British aircraft designer RJ Mitchell was born Reginald Joseph Mitchell in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in 1895. His father was a school headmaster and owned a printing business. RJ, as he came to be known, got interested in aviation while attending high school, and began making and flying his own model airplanes. It wasn't long before he developed a reputation among his fellow students for being "mad" about aircraft. When he turned 16 he entered an apprenticeship with a firm that designed locomotives. He started at the workshop where the engines were built and eventually worked his way up to the drawing office, meanwhile taking evening classes in drawing, mechanics and higher mathematics.
In 1917, after finishing his apprenticeship, he applied to be assistant to Hubert Scott-Pain, the owner and chief designer of Supermarine Aviation Works in Southampton, and was accepted. In less than a year he was promoted to assistant to the works manager. In 1918 he married Florence Dayson, the headmistress of a childrens school. They had one son.
In 1919 the 24-year-old Mitchell was made chief designer, and the next year chief engineer. For almost 20 years Mitchell was to design and develop more than 20 aircraft for the company. Supermarine, established in 1912, had specialized in manufacturing seaplanes--or, as they were called back then, "flying boats"--and Mitchell improved on the company's already solid reputation in that field. He designed an armed flying boat called the Southampton--based on an earlier craft he had designed called the Swan--and the British military establishment was so impressed with Mitchell's design and concept of the plane that it ordered six of them before the first one had even been built. When the craft made its debut in March 1925, it lived up to everyone's expectations. The RAF equipped six of its squadrons with the Southampton and it remained in service for more than ten years, making Britain a pioneer in marine aviation and, incidentally, turning Supermarine into an extremely profitable concern.
Branching out into high-speed aircraft design, Mitchell developed the Sea Lion, a small biplane flying boat that won the 1922 Schneider Trophy race with an average speed of more than 145 mph. He entered the race the next year, but was tremendously impressed with another entry, the American Curtiss seaplane, which won the race. Mitchell began developing a series of "float" planes, and eventually came out with a series of four streamlined craft. One of them, the S5, won the Schneider trophy in 1927; its successor, the S6, took it in 1929 and the final one, the legendary S6B, won the race in 1931, with an average speed of 340 mph (it eventually set a world speed record of 407.5 mph). In 1932 Mitchell was awarded the CBE for his contribution to high-speed flight.
The quality and innovations of Mitchell's craft made him the top aircraft designer in Britain, and Supermarine signed him to an unheard-of ten-year contract in 1923. In 1927 he was made technical director for the company. He was so valuable to the firm that when Vickers took over Supermarine in 1928, one of the non-negotiable terms of its purchase was that Mitchell would be bound to the new company, without having the option to leave on his own, until 1933.
Mitchell's best-known aircraft, however, was the legendary Spitfire--the name was coined by the company, not Mitchell, and he hated it--fighter, which he began developing in 1934 and completed in 1936 and which is now considered a masterpiece that combined speed, maneuverability, agility and streamlined design; it has been termed by many experts "the plane that won the war for Britain". Unfortunately, however, Mitchell never saw the plane fly in combat--he died of cancer in Southampton, England, on June 11, 1937. - Christopher Braathen was born on 29 June 1895 in Eker, Norway. He was married to Molly Mullens. He died on 1 August 1937 in Oslo, Norway.
- Vladimir Zazubrin was born on 6 June 1895 in Penza, Russian Empire [now Russia]. Vladimir was a writer, known for Izbushka na Bajkale (1926), Krasnyi gas (1924) and The Chekist (1992). Vladimir died on 28 September 1937 in Moscow, Soviet Union [now Russia].