SCIFIPEDIA:This Day in SCI FI/August 2007

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August 1

Jason Momoa is born (1979). Jason Momoa is an American actor, best known in the role of Ronon Dex on the series Stargate Atlantis. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and shortly after moved to Norwalk, Iowa, returning to Hawaii to attend college and start his career as a fashion model and actor.

Raymond A. Palmer is born (1910). Ray Palmer, editor and pulp writer, is credited with publishing the first fanzine, "The Comet," in 1930. Science fiction writer Gardner Fox, who in 1961 created a superhero called the Atom (DC Comics), named the Atom's secret identity after Palmer. Palmer died in 1977.

Edd Cartier is born (1914). Edward Daniel Cartier—known as Edd Cartier—was a classic magazine illustrator of the pulp era. As editor John W. Campbell's top choice of illustrator for L. Ron Hubbard's stories in Unknown, Cartier was recognized for his style and the touches of humor he included in his artwork.

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August 2

Chain Reaction opens in theaters (1996). Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, and Rachel Weisz star in Chain Reaction, which involves government conspiracy, a scientific invention of great value, and a secret underground laboratory, filled in with the maximum number of chase scenes the budget would allow. Directed by Andrew Davis.

Madeline Smith is born (1949). British actress Madeline Smith appeared in Hammer's Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969), The Vampire Lovers (1970), and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973). Her other credits include Theatre of Blood (1972), The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972), and the James Bond film Live and Let Die (1973).

Robert Holdstock is born (1948). Robert Holdstock won the World Fantasy Award in 1985 for his novel Mythago Wood. Other novels include Eye Among the Blind, Where Times Winds Blow, and Necromancer. His short stories are collected in In the Valley of the Statues and The Bone Forest. Holdstock was born in Kent, England.

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August 3

Evangeline Lilly is born (1979). Nicole Evangeline Lilly is a Canadian actress born in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. She is best known in the role of Kate Austen on the series Lost.

John Landis is born (1950). Landis's work in the genre has been prodigious. His directing and producing credits include An American Werewolf in London (1981), Thriller (1983, music video), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Amazon Women on the Moon (1987), Innocent Blood (1992), Weird Science (1994, series), Here Come the Munsters (1995, series), and The Lost World (1999, television). Landis has even done a little acting: Schlock (1971, as The Banana Monster), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973 , as Jake's Friend), Death Race 2000 (1975, as Mechanic), An American Werewolf in London (1981, uncredited as Man Being Smashed into a Window), Psycho IV: The Beginning (1991, as Mike), Sleepwalkers (1992, as Lab Technician) and Vampirella (1996, as Astronaut #1). Landis was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Clifford D. Simak is born (1904). Clifford David Simak worked as a newspaperman for most of his life, writing fiction on the side from 1931. The author of several very fine novels, Simak's short fiction generally received more acclaim. His short story "The Big Front Yard" (1959) won a Hugo Award, and "Grotto of the Dancing Deer" (1980) won both the Hugo and the Nebula. Simak, who was born in Millville, Wisconsin, died April 24, 1988.

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August 4

The Descent opens in U.S. theaters (2006). The Descent is a British horror film written and directed by Neil Marshall, which opened in UK theaters on July 8, 2005. The story follows a group of women who explore a cave system in the Appalachian mountains. After a cave-in traps them underground, strange creatures began to hunt and devour them.

Daniel Dae Kim is born (1968). Daniel Dae Kim is best known in the role of Jin-Soo Kwon on the series Lost but has numerous other genre appearances to his credit, including Hulk, Spider-Man 2, The Cave, Brave New World, and Momentum, and roles in the series The Pretender, Fantasy Island, Star Trek: Voyager, and Charmed. He also starred in the short-lived series Crusade and had recurring roles on Angel and Star Trek: Enterprise. Daniel was born in Busan, South Korea.

Andy Hallett is born (1975). Andy Hallett is best known in the role of the musical green demon Lorne in the series Angel (2000–2004). Andy was born in Osterville, Massachusetts.

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August 5

Sir Alec Guinness dies (2000). This accomplished actor and Oscar winner gained genre immortality when he played Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars (1977) as well as in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). Guinness also starred as a blind butler in Murder by Death (1976), as Jacob Marley's ghost in Scrooge (1970), as Sigmund Freud in the romantic fantasy Lovesick (1983), and was featured in Steven Soderbergh's eerie Kafka (1991). Guinness was born in London, England, on April 2, 1914.

Kathleen Sky is born (1943). Kathleen Mckinney Goldin is the author of one of the earliest original novels based on the Star Trek: The Original Series, Vulcan! as well as several other novels, some in collaboration with Stephen Goldin.

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August 6

M. Night Shyamalan is born (1970). American screenwriter and director M. Night Shyamalan became well known for writing, directing, and producing the Academy Award–nominated paranormal thriller The Sixth Sense. Shyamalan followed up with more genre fare: Unbreakable(2000), Signs (2002), The Village(2004), and Lady in the Water (2006). Shyamalan was born in Pondicherry, India.

Sir Cedric Hardwicke is born (1964). Acclaimed British actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke, knighted in 1934 for outstanding performances on the London stage, lent some class to The Ghoul (1933), On Borrowed Time (1939, as Death), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), and Invisible Agent (1942). He contributed the superb opening narration to George Pal's production of The War of the Worlds (1953). Born in Lye, Worcestershire, England, Hardwicke died on February 19, 1893.

Piers Anthony is born (1934). Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is probably best known for his humorous fantasy series set in the magical land of Xanth. Piers has written numerous other fantasy series, as well as science fiction, erotic fantasy, and nonfiction. Piers was born in Oxford, England.

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August 7

John Glover is born (1944). Actor John Glover is well known as Lionel Luthor, the father of troubled lad Lex Luthor in the TV series Smallville. Other genre-related film roles include Bryce Cummings in Scrooged, Daniel Clamp in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and Doctor Jason Woodrue in Batman and Robin. Television appearances include guest spots on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Brimstone. He also gave voice to The Riddler in Batman: The Animated Series. Glover was born in Salisbury, Maryland.

Jerry Pournelle is born (1933). Author Jerry Eugene Pournelle has numerous popular science fiction novels to his credit, often in the military SF vein. His collaborations with Larry Niven, such as The Mote in God's Eye (1974), Inferno (1976), and Footfall (1985), were particularly well received. He has served as president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Pournelle was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Cirroc Lofton is born (1978). Actor Cirroc Lofton is best known to genre fans as the son of Captain Benjamin Sisko, Jake Sisko, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Lofton was born in Los Angeles, California, and began acting at the age of nine in small roles.

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August 8

Dustin Hoffman is born (1937). Two-time Oscar winner Dustin starred with Sharon Stone in the ill-fated underwater alien drama Sphere (1998), then raced the clock to stop a deadly disease on the loose in Outbreak (1995). His credits also include playing Captain Hook in Spielberg's Hook (1991) and Mumbles in Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy (1990). Dustin was born in Los Angeles, California.

The Lost World opens (1925). The original, silent-screen version of Arthur Conan Doyle's adventure about an expedition that discovers a hidden, prehistoric world featured special effects that were extremely impressive for their day, by Willis O'Brien. The Lost World was remade in 1960, and again in 1993.

Dino De Laurentiis is born (1919). Dino's is the hand that produced such genre films as King Kong Lives (1986), Cat's Eye (1985), Dune (1984), Conan the Destroyer (1984), The Dead Zone, (1983), Amityville II: The Possession (1982), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Flash Gordon (1980), the 1976 remake of the SF classic King Kong, as well as the camp sci-fi masterpiece Barbarella (1968).

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August 9

Melanie Griffith is born (1957). Melanie Griffith, the Oscar-nominated daughter of Hitchcock heroine Tippi Hedren and wife of Antonio Banderas, has appeared in such thrillers as Pacific Heights (1990) and Brian De Palma's Body Double (1984), and in an episode of television's updated Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She also played a futuristic mercenary in the cult favorite Cherry 2000 (1987). Griffith was born in New York, New York.

Sam Elliott is born (1944). During his time off from Westerns, Sam managed to make two horror flicks—the eco-thriller Frogs (1972) and the supernatural The Legacy (1979), in which he starred with his wife, Katharine Ross (The Stepford Wives). Elliott was born in Sacramento, California.

John Varley is born (1947). Author John Varley is a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning science fiction author known both for outstanding short fiction, such as "The Persistence of Vision," and popular novels, such as the Titan, Wizard, Demon trilogy. Varley was born in Austin, Texas.

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August 10

The Others opens in U.S. theaters (2001). Nicole Kidman and Christopher Eccleston star in The Others, a supernatural thriller written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar.

Gillian Anderson is born (1968). Actor Gillian Anderson is best known for her role as Dana Scully on the TV series The X-Files. Anderson also lent her voice to Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke and made guest appearances on The Simpsons, Frasier, and Harsh Realm. She was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Curt Siodmak is born (1902). Curt was a prolific writer-director of SF films during the Golden Age of cinema. His film writing credits include The Tunnel (1935, credited as Kurt Siodmak), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Ape (1940), Black Friday (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), The Wolfman (1941), Invisible Agent (1942), Son of Dracula (1943, story), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944, story), The Beast with Five Fingers (1946), Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949), Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, aka Invasion of the Flying Saucers (1956), Creature with the Atom Brain (1955), and Riders to the Stars (1954). His work as a director includes Tales of Frankenstein (1958), and his credits as both writer and director include Devil's Messenger (1961, though he received credit only as a writer), Love Slaves of the Amazons (1957), Curucu, Beast of the Amazon (1956), The Magnetic Monster (1953), and Bride of the Gorilla (1951). He also wrote the novel Donovan's Brain, which inspired three film adaptations: The Lady and the Monster (1944), Donovan's Brain (1953), and Ein Toter sucht seinen Mšrder, aka The Brain (1962). He also wrote the novel Hauser's Memory, which inspired a 1970 TV movie of the same name, and created the TV series 13 Demon Street (1959). Curt was born in Dresden, Germany.

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August 11

Pulse opens in U.S. theaters (2006). Pulse is the Wes Craven adaptation of a 2001 Japanese horror movie by Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

Zoom opens in U.S. theaters (2006). Zoom, directed by Peter Hewitt, brings comedy star Tim Allen in to train budding superheroes at a private academy.

Stuart Gordon is born (1947). Gordon is the stylish, over-the-top writer/director known by genre fans for his adaptations of two H. P. Lovecraft tales: Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986). His directing filmography includes Space Truckers (1997), Castle Freak (1995), Robot Jox (1991), Dolls (1986), and a 1990 version of Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. Stuart's screenwriting credits include The Dentist (1996) and Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers (1993). Gordon was born in Chicago, Illinois.

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August 12

SCIFIPEDIA:This Day in SCI FI/August 12, 2007

August 13

Friday the 13th, Part 3-D opens (1982). Camp Crystal Lake's Jason Voorhees takes summer audiences into a new dimension of terror when the third entry in the Friday the 13th series. The highlight of the movie's 3-D gimmick is a flying eyeball projected at the audience straight from the socket of one of the masked killer's nubile victims.

H. G. Wells dies (1946). Genre master H. G. Wells was the scribe behind such indisputable (and often-filmed) classics as The Invisible Man, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Shape of Things to Come, The Time Machine, Empire of the Ants, Food of the Gods, First Men in the Moon, and The War of the Worlds. Wells was born in 1866 in Bromley, Kent, England.

Metropolis opens (1927). Fritz Lang's silent masterpiece about a dystopian worker future sets a new standard for cinematic SF.

Alfred Hitchcock is born (1899). Hitchcock was one of the true shapers of the horror genre. His contributions include Psycho and The Birds.

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August 14

Alice Ghostley is born (1926). Alice Ghostley is best known as the eccentric, eternally befuddled witch Esmeralda on Bewitched (1964). She has also appeared on the series Small Wonder (1985, as Ida Mae Brindle) and on Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974, episode "Bad Medicine," as Dr. Agnes Temple). Ghostley was born in Eve, Missouri.

Steve Martin is born (1945). Martin has infused a bit of humor into the genre. His efforts have been immortalized in such films as L.A. Story (1991, as Harris K. Telemacher; he also wrote and executive produced), Little Shop of Horrors (1986, as Orin Scrivello, D.D.S.), All of Me (1984, as Roger Cobb), and The Man with Two Brains (1983, as Dr. Michael Hfhuruhurr; he also co-wrote the screenplay, with George Gipe and Carl Reiner). Martin was born in Waco, Texas.

Halle Berry is born (1966). Oscar-winning actor Halle Berry is probably best known to sci-fi fans for her portrayal of Storm (aka Ororo Munroe) in the X-Men movies. She also starred as Catwoman in the ill-fated 2004 movie. Berry was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

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August 15

The Wizard of Oz opens (1939). This enduring fantasy, about a girl from Kansas and her unforgettable Technicolor trip over the rainbow, becomes an icon of movie history for generation after generation. L. Frank Baum's novel undergoes numerous movie and TV adaptations in the years following, including Tin Man from the SCI FI Channel, a six-hour miniseries slated for a December 2007 premiere.

Natasha Henstridge is born (1974). Natasha portrayed the half-alien, half-human being Sil in Species (1995) and Eve, a clone of Sil, in Species II (1998). She has also appeared on The Outer Limits (as Emma, episode "Bits of Love") and on Homeboys in Outer Space (as Zima, episode "Hapy Happy, Droid Droid, or Amma Sees Red"). Natasha was born in Springdale, Newfoundland, Canada.

Ben Affleck is born (1972). Since winning an Oscar for co-writing Good Will Hunting, Ben has starred in such genre titles as the end-of-the-world saga Armageddon (1998) and the screen adaptation of Dean Koontz's Phantoms (1998). Early on, he appeared as a bit player in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). Ben was born in Berkeley, California.

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August 16

Julie Newmar is born (1935). Although three different actresses played Catwoman on the original Batman TV series, for many fans Julie is the only true Catwoman. Her episodes: "Batman Displays His Knowledge," "Catwoman Goes to College," "Scat! Darn Catwoman," "That Darn Catwoman," "The Catwoman Goeth," "The Sandman Cometh," "The Bat's Kow Tow," "The Cat's Meow," "Ma Parker," "The Cat and the Fiddle," "Hot Off the Griddle," "Better Luck Next Time," "The Purr-fect Crime." Aside from the criminally minded, feline femme fatale, Julie also portrayed robot Rhoda Miller in the series My Living Doll (1964), Dr. Zarma in Evils of the Night (1985), Lady Elaine in Deep Space (1987) and appeared in Robo-Chic (1989). Julie has also appeared on The Powers of Matthew Star (1982, episode "The Triangle), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979, as Zarina, episode "Flight of the War Witch," parts one and two), Jason of Star Command (1979), The Bionic Woman (episode "Black Magic), Bewitched (as Ophelia, episode "Eight Year Itch Witch"), Star Trek (as Eleen, episode "Friday's Child") and The Twilight Zone (as Miss Devlin, episode "Of Late, I Think of Cliffordville"). Julie was born in Los Angeles, California.

Angela Bassett is born (1958). Steely-eyed Angela is a veteran of such genre efforts as F/X (1986, as TV Reporter), Critters 4 (1991, as Fran), Innocent Blood (1992, as U.S. Attorney Sinclair), Vampire in Brooklyn (1995, as Rita), Strange Days (1995, as Lornette "Mace" Mason), Supernova (1999, as Kaela Evers) and Cosm (1999). She also appeared in Alien Nation (episode "Eyewitness News," as Renee Longstreet) and Nightmare Cafe (episode "Sanctuary for a Child," as Evelyn). Angela was born in New York, New York.

James Cameron is born (1954). James is a one-man genre juggernaut. He has been the writer, director, and/or producer of these genre titans: The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Alien Nation (1988, uncredited), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) and Strange Days (1995). He also has contributed to these efforts: Piranha II: The Spawning (1981, director), Android (1982, design consultant), Escape from New York (1981, matte artist), Galaxy of Terror (1981, second unit director), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980, miniature constructor), Martian Mania - The True Story of The War of the Worlds (1998, host), Apollo 13 (1995, visual effects consultant). Whew. James was born James Francis Cameron in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada.

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August 17

Shane Briant is born (1946). Shane Briant acted in several Hammer films such as Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (1972) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973) before he subsequently moved to Australia. In Australia, he was one of the stars of the popular Mission: Top Secret series. Briant was born in London, England.

Time Trax's Darien Lambert is born (2116). Actor Dale Midkiff's alter ego, future cop Darien Lambert, tracks down criminals who try to escape into the past and sends them back to the future for justice.

Robert De Niro is born (1943). De Niro, though not a genre regular, has appeared in Brazil (1985) as Harry Tuttle, in Angel Heart (1987) as Louis Cypher, in Frankenstein (1994) as the monster, and in Stardust (2007) as Captain Shakespeare. He also provided voice work in Shark Tale (2004) and Arthur and the Minimoys (2006).

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August 18

Roman Polanski is born (1933). Roman Polanski, famed director and alleged pedophile, can list Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) on his résumé. As an actor, he had an uncredited appearance in Andy Warhol's Blood for Dracula (1974, as Man in Tavern). Roman was born in Paris, France.

Brian W. Aldiss is born (1925). Brian is the author best known for the Helliconia trilogy: Helliconia Summer, Helliconia Winter, Helliconia Spring. His 1973 novel, Billion Year Spree, a history of time travel (the title of which was later expanded to Trillion Year Spree), won a Hugo in 1986. Aldiss was born in East Dereham, Norfolk, England.

Shelley Winters is born (1922). Two-time Oscar winner Shelley has a rich screen résumé that includes roles in such genre titles as Purple People Eater (1988), Tentacles (1977), Roman Polanski's The Tenant (1976), What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), The Mad Room (1969), and the classic Night of the Hunter (1955). Her television credits include movies like The Initiation of Sarah (1978) and The Devil's Daughter (1972), as well as an episode of the original Batman series in which she played the villainous Ma Parker. Shelley was born in East St. Louis, Illinois.

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August 19

Adam Arkin is born (1957). Adam is best known to the genre for his regular appearances as Adam on the series Northern Exposure (1990). He also made an uncredited appearance as Kelly Scott's boyfriend in Lake Placid (1999). But don't worry that he's being denied credit where it's due. He did earn a genre credit in Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998), as Will Brennan. He has also appeared on the series Perversions of Science (1997, episode "Dream of Doom" as Paul Danko) and The Twilight Zone (1985, episode "A Matter of Minutes," as Michael Wright). Adam was born in New York, New York.

Jonathan Frakes is born (1952). Jonathan's work in the genre hardly needs an introduction. He is famed for his portrayal of Commander William T. Riker in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation and in the Star Trek films that arose out of that series, not to mention occasional directing credits. He is also the voice of Xanatos on the animated series Gargoyles (1994). Jonathan has also appeared on The Twilight Zone (1985, episode "But Can She Type?" as Single Guy) and on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (episode, "Defiant"). Jonathan was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Diana Muldaur is born (1938). Diana is three times a Star Trek doctor, and is one of the few to have not only multiple Trek characters to her credit, but to have them on separate series. She guest-starred in the Star Trek episodes "Is There In Truth No Beauty" as Dr. Miranda Jones and "Return to Tomorrow" as Dr. Ann Mulhall. She also portrayed Chief Medical Officer Commander Katherine Pulaski on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989). Her other genre work includes series appearances on The Incredible Hulk (1978, episode "Sanctuary") and The Invaders (1967, episode "The Life Seekers"). Diana was born in New York, New York.

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August 20

Greg Bear is born (1952). Greg Bear made headway in the world of SF print media in 1985 with the publication of two novels, Eon (the tale of an asteroid time-travel portal) and Blood Music (the story of a scientist who introduces nanomachines into DNA, with troubling results).

H. P. Lovecraft is born (1890). Howard Phillips Lovecraft's writing has not only mesmerized readers but, as film adaptations, has terrorized moviegoers of many generations. His works, directly authored or adapted, include In the Mouth of Madness (1995), Lurking Fear (1994), Necronomicon (1994), The Resurrected (1992, based on the story "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), The Unnamable (1998), From Beyond (1986), Re-Animator (1985), The Dunwich Horror (1970), The Crimson Cult (1968), The Shuttered Room (1967), Die, Monster, Die! (1965), and The Haunted Palace (1963, based on the story "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"). Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island.

James Marsters is born (1962). James Marsters is best known for his role as the vampire Spike on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. Marsters was born in Greenville, California.

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August 21

Kim Cattrall is born (1956). Kim is a perennial genre favorite, and her related résumé is most impressive. Her film work includes Modern Vampyres (1999, as Ulrike), Creature (1998, miniseries, as Amanda), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991, as treacherous Lieutenant Valeris) and Mannequin (1987, as Emmy). Her television work includes The Outer Limits (1995, episode "Re-Generation" as Rebecca), The Incredible Hulk (1978, episode "Kindered Spirits" as Gabrielle), The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977, episode "Voodoll Doll" parts 1 and 2, as Marie Claire), and Logan's Run (1977, episode "Half Life," as Rama II).

Patricia McCormack is born (1945). Patty gave a classic performance as Rhoda Penmark, the precocious little girl born with murderous intent in the original stage version and, later, the 1956 screen adaptation of The Bad Seed. She also appeared in the horror movie Mommy (1995), and has numerous television appearances to her credit. Patty was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Peter Weir is born (1944). Peter, who first became known as a director of such eerie, enigmatic art-house fare as The Last Wave (1977) and Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), most recently was at the helm of the off-beat fantasy The Truman Show (1998). Peter was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

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August 22

Mimic opens in US theaters (1997). An entomologist (Mira Sorvino) takes arms against a sea of mutant cockroaches in the New York City subway system. director by Guillermo del Toro, who also helmed fantasy Pan's Labyrinth (2006), comic-book adaptation Hellboy (2004), and artsy vampire flick Cronos (1993).

Carrie-Anne Moss is born (1967). Actress and former model Carrie-Anne Moss is best known for her role as Trinity in The Matrix film trilogy. Moss was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Will Shetterly is born (1955). Writer of comics and fantasy novels, Shetterly is also the creator of Captain Confederacy. His best-known novels are Dogland (1997) and two young adult novels set in Terri Windling's Borderland universe, Elsewhere (1991) (winner of the Minnesota Book Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy) and Nevernever (1993). His other novels include Cats Have No Lord (1985), Witch Blood (1986), and Chimera (2000).

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August 23

Rick Springfield is born (1949). Rick made a musical splash pining away for another guy's girl, and he might also be singing the laments of near-misses in his thespian endeavors. He was the son of Commander Adama on television's Battlestar Galactica (1978), but despite such prestigious parentage, he was slain by a Cylon in the first half of the pilot episode. He was the lead in another film-to-series effort that went on to flourish without him. It was Rick, not the wavy blond Geraint Wyn Davies, who originated the role of vampire detective Nick Knight in the telefilm Nick Knight (1989), which later was resurrected as the series Forever Knight. Rick has made appearances in such other genre gems as Wonder Woman (episodes "Screaming Javelins" and "Amazon Hot Wax") and The Incredible Hulk (episode "The Disciple," as Mike Roark). Rick was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Fay Wray and Robert Riskin are married (1942). Fay, King Kong's size-inappropriate main squeeze, married top-notch Hollywood screenwriter Robert Riskin (It Happened One Night, Lost Horizon) on this day in 1942.

Barbara Eden is born (1934). Barbara, everyone's favorite genie, is known to generation after generation for her navel-baring role on television's I Dream of Jeannie. Her other television credits include The Stepford Children (1987), A Howling in the Woods (1971), and The Stranger Within (1974), in which she was impregnated by an alien life-form. Her big-screen appearances include Seven Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962), and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). Barbara was born in Tucson, Arizona.

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August 24

Hayden Panettiere is born (1989). Hayden Panettiere stars in NBC's ensemble drama series Heroes, which follows the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities. Panettiere plays Claire Bennet, a high school cheerleader in Odessa, Texas, who learns through trial and error that her flesh is indestructible. Panettiere was born in Palisades, New York.

Rupert Grint is born (1988). Rupert Grint is best known for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films. Grint was born in Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, England.

Jennifer Lien is born (1974). Jennifer Lien played the young Ocampan, Kes, in the series Star Trek: Voyager in 1995. Lien also voiced the role of Elle on the animated Men in Black: The Series. She was born in Chicago, Illinois.

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August 25

Bela Lugosi and Hope Lininger are married (1955). Bela Lugosi, the world's most famous vampire, marries his fourth wife, Hope Lininger, on this day in 1955. Less than a year later, when Lugosi passed away, Hope would be there to ensure that he was buried in accordance with his final wishes—attired in his full Dracula costume and cape.

John Badham is born (1939). Director John Badham has been at the helm of several popular genre movies, including the 1979 version of Dracula, starring Frank Langella and Laurence Olivier. John's other projects include Short Circuit (1986), WarGames (1983), the made-for-television Reflections of Murder (1974), and episodes of two early-1970s series—The Sixth Sense and Night Gallery. John was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.

Amelia Earhart set three records for women flyers on August 25, 1932: the first non-stop U.S. crossing, the longest distance record, and a coast-to-coast record time.

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August 26

Yvette Vickers is born (1936). One of the ruling screen queens of the genre, Yvette probably is most famous for her portrayal of Honey Parker, trampy vamp and the other woman in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958). She is also memorable for her hypervixen, white-trash turn in Attack of the Giant Leeches (1960, as Liz Walker). She also sashayed through the film Evil Spirits (1990). Yvette was born in Kansas City, Missouri.

Michael Jeter is born (1952). Actor Michael Jeter was cherished by younger audiences for his role as Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street (2000 – 2003). Film roles include The Fisher King (1991), Jurassic Park III (2001), The Green Mile (1999), and The Gift (2000). Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, and died June 19,2007).

John Brunner dies (1995). John Kilian Huston Brunner was an acclaimed writer. Some of his most talked-about work includes Stand on Zanzibar (1968), The Jagged Orbit (1969), The Sheep Look Up (1972), and The Shockwave Rider (1975). Brunner was born September 24, 1934, in Preston Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire, England.

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August 27

Diana Scarwid is born (1955). Diana Scarwid is perhaps best known to genre fans for her role as Karen Tyler in the series Wonderfalls (2004). Other television appearances include The X-Files, Lost, and the miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998), as well as a role in the film What Lies Beneath (2000). Scarwid was born in Savannah, Georgia.

Dean Devlin is born (1962). Dean Devlin is a screenwriter and producer known for writing the Stargate movie and Independence Day. Devlin also helped developed the story and served as a producer of the SCI FI Channel miniseries The Triangle. Most recently he has written the film Isobar with Roland Emmerich, which is due in 2007. Devlin was born in New York City, New York.

The Astronaut's Wife opens in U.S. theaters (1999). Written and directed by Rand Ravich, The Astronaut's Wife featured a great collection of performers—Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Nick Cassavetes, Samantha Eggar, Blair Brown, Clea DuVall, and Joe Morton.

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August 28

Jack Vance is born (1916). John Holbrook Vance is a writer known for his stylized fantasy fiction, such as the Lyonesse trilogy. Among his numerous accolades are multiple Hugo awards, Nebula awards, and World Fantasy awards. A prolific author, Vance also specialized in planetary romances that feature wide-open worlds filled with aliens and alien humans that have fractured into strange cultures and habits. Big Planet is a prime example. The Vance Integral Edition collects all Vance's works, including his work as mystery writer. Vance was born in San Francisco, California.

Amanda Tapping is born (1965). Amanda Tapping helped launch the show that was to become U.S. television's longest-running science fiction series, Stargate SG-1, in her role as Captain Samantha "Sam" Carter. Tapping was born in Rochford, Essex, England, and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Daniel Stern is born (1957). Daniel appeared as Ben Frankenstein in Tim Burton's Frankenweenie (1984), as The Reverend in C.H.U.D. (1984), and as Glen Stevenson in Little Monsters (1989). He also provided the voice of the narrator in the episode "Three Men and a Comic Book" on The Simpsons (1989). Daniel was born in Bethesda, Maryland.

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August 29

The Fly opens in theaters (1958). Producer-director Kurt Neumann brings to the screen the often-retold tale of the dangers of scientific experiments upon oneself. This version, based on George Langelaan's The Fly, starred David Hedison, Patricia Owens, and Vincent Price.

William Friedkin is born (1939). Director Friedkin is the man behind the classic 1973 screen adaptation of William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist. His subsequent credits include The Guardian (1990) and Sorcerer (1977) as well as episodes of Tales from the Crypt and the new Twilight Zone (episode "Nightcrawlers"). Friedkin was born