SCIFIPEDIA:This Day in SCI FI/July 2007

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Welcome to the Archive for July, 2007

You may need to purge the cache to see the changes you make here.
You may also see the archive for 2007 or the entire archive for This Day in SCI FI

July 1

Genevieve Bujold is born (1942). Oscar nominee Genevieve starred as Susan Wheeler, the MD who uncovers a hideous medical conspiracy in the screen version of Robin Cook's Coma (1978). Her résumé also includes David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers (1988), The Last Flight of Noah's Ark (1980), and a dual role in Brian DePalma's Hitchcock-inspired Obsession (1976). Genevieve was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

David Prowse is born (1935). David is the famous unseen (and unheard) actor behind the mask of Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). His other genre work includes The Horror of Frankenstein (1970, as The Monster), A Clockwork Orange (1971, as Julian), Vampire Circus (1972, as Strongman), Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974, as The Creature), Jabberwocky (1977, as Red Herring and Black Knight) and the miniseries The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1981, as Hotblack Desiato's Bodyguard). Elsewhere on television, David has appeared on Doctor Who (1963, episode "The Time Monster," as The Minotaur), The Tomorrow People (episode "The Medusa Strain," as Android) and Space: 1999 (episode "The Beta Cloud," as Cloud Creature). David was born in Bristol, England.

Charles Laughton is born (1899). Charles was the compelling human being behind the monstrous visage in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). He was also Sir William Porterhouse in The Old Dark House (1932), Dr. Moreau in Island of Lost Souls (1933) and Sir Simon de Canterville/The Ghost in The Canterville Ghost (1944). Charles was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 2

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines opens in U.S. theaters (2003). Arnold Schwarzenegger headlines the third outing in the Terminator series. This time, an advanced Terminator model, the T-X (played by Kristanna Loken), is sent through time to terminate Kate Brewster (Claire Danes) and John Connor (Nick Stahl). Directed by Jonathan Mostow (Breakdown, U-571) and written by John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris (Primeval, Catwoman), the big-budget picture scores a box-office success.

Yancy Butler is born (1970). Yancy has played cyborg Sergeant Eve Edison in the series Mann & Machine (1992), Kate in Doomsday (1999), Hannah in Basilisk: The Serpent King (2006), and Lisa Gerou in Perversions of Science (1997, episode "Given the Heir"). She starred as Detective Sara Pezzini in Witchblade (2001–2002). Butler was born in New York, New York.

Terry Rossio is born (1960). Along with fellow screenwriter Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio has worked on the three Pirates of the Caribbean films. Rossio has worked mainly in the scifi/fantasy genre. His screenplay contributions have included Little Monsters, Aladdin, The Puppet Masters, Godzilla, Small Soldiers, Shrek, Treasure Planet, and Deja Vu. Rossio was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 3

Back to the Future opens (1985). Director Robert Zemeckis (Contact, Death Becomes Her) kicks off what will become a smash-hit time-tripping trilogy. The movie, for which Steven Spielberg acts as an executive producer, takes in a bundle at the summer box office and makes a big-screen star of television's Michael J. Fox, who later returns for both sequels.

Carol Ohmart is born (1927). Carol was voted Miss Utah of 1946, but genre fans remember her as Annabelle Loren, the sexy, duplicitous wife who tries to off her husband, Vincent Prince, in William Castle's original House on Haunted Hill (1958). Her other credits include The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe (1974), and the stranger-than-strange cult fave Spider Baby (1964). Carol was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Tom Cruise is born (1962). Tom played the vampire Lestat in Interview with the Vampire (1994), and Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006). Other genre parts include the trippy Vanilla Sky (2001) and a recent pair for director Steven Spielberg, Minority Report (2002) and War of the Worlds (2005). Tom was born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV in Syracuse, New York.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 4

Whale Rider opens in US theaters (2003). This 2002 release from New Zealand captured hearts as an 11-year-old Maori girl, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes, shows her fitness as future leader of her people. Castle-Hughes received an Oscar nomination as Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Scary Movie 2 opens (2001). The Wayans brothers exercise their spoof muscles again with SM2, the second in what would become a horror comedy franchise. This time, they are ably assisted by Chris Elliott and Tim Curry, two of the finest in the funny-or-frightening sweepstakes.

John Clough (1960) is born. Actor John Scott Clough has several genre outings on his resume, including Dean Koontz's Phantoms (1998), the telefilm Asteroid (1997), Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes (1994), Bad Dreams (1988), and an episode of Quantum Leap (1993). Clough was born in Nederlander, Colorado.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 5

Ronald D. Moore is born (1964). Screenwriter and producer Ronald D. Moore is best known for his work as an executive producer for Battlestar Galactica and as a writer or producer on three Star Trek series. Moore was born in Chowchilla, California.

Panic in Year Zero! opens (1962). This disaster film centered around a family who must start over following a nuclear attack, and was directed by Ray Milland, who also starred, along with Jean Hagen and Frankie Avalon.

Tom Welling weds Jamie White (2002). Former model Tom Welling, best known for playing Clark Kent on the series Smallville, weds Jamie White, also a model.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 6

Burt Ward is born (1946). Burt played the ward of Bruce Wayne and was also Batman's sidekick, Robin, in the series Batman (1966). He also appeared in Alien Force (1996) and in Homeboys in Outer Space (1996, episode "Adventures of Ratman and Gerbil," as Gerbil). Burt was born Burt Gervis in Los Angeles, California.

Janet Leigh is born (1927). Janet, though briefly seen, remains an immortal image for her short turn in Psycho (1960). She was also Gerry Bennett in Night of the Lepus (1972), Kathy Williams in The Fog (1980), herself in The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985), and Norma in Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998). Janet's additional credits include appearances on Ghost Story (1972, episode "Death's Head," as Carol) and The Twilight Zone (1985, episode "Rendezvous in a Dark Place," as Barbara LeMay). Janet was born Jeanette Helen Morrison in Merced, California.

Nancy Davis is born (1923). Before she began molding the minds of America's youth with her "Just Say No" campaign against drugs (in her role as First Lady, alongside fellow thespian-turned-politician Ronald Reagan), Nancy was involved with Donovan's Brain (1953, as Janice Cory). Nancy was born Anne Francis Robbins in New York City, New York.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 7

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle dies (1930). Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literary works have been very influential in the genre. His novels and short stories have been adapted repeatedly into such films as The Hound of the Baskervilles (1915, 1920, 1931, and 1988), Terror by Night (1946), The Lost World (1925, 1960, and 1992) and The Last Vampyre (1992, television). He will always be most associated with Sherlock Holmes, the fictional consulting detective. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Jon Pertwee is born (1919). Pertwee belongs to an elite club. He was the third man to play the Doctor, portraying the eponymous scientist from 1970–74 in the cult British television series Doctor Who. Pertwee was born in Chelsea, London, England.

Robert A. Heinlein is born (1907). The "A" is for "Anson," by the way, and Robert is sometimes credited as Anson McDonald, Lyle Monroe, John Riverside, Caleb Saunders, or Simon York. Heinlein's fame derives from his prolific efforts as an SF writer, and much of his work has found its way to film. His best-known works include Have Spacesuit -- Will Travel, The Puppet Masters (adapted into the film The Puppet Masters, 1994), Rocket Ship Galileo (adapted into the film Destination Moon, 1950), Starship Troopers (adapted into the film Starship Troopers, 1997) and Stranger in a Strange Land. Heinlein is also known as a writer of future history and juvenile fiction. He was born in Butler, Missouri.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 8

Jay Chattaway is born (1946). Fans don't get to see Jay often, but they do get to hear from him. He's the composer who gave life to the soundtracks of Silver Bullet (1985), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987, television), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993, television) and Star Trek: Voyager (1995, television). Jay was born in Monongahela, Pennsylvania.

Jeffrey Tambor is born (1944). Jeffrey has been in the horror comedy Saturday the 14th (1981) and has provided the voice of Dr. Zin in Jonny's Golden Quest (1993, television) and Jonny Quest vs. the Cyber Insects (1995, television). His most significant effort in the genre, however, has been in Max Headroom (1987, as Murray). Jeffrey was born in San Francisco, California.

Marty Feldman is born (1933). One-of-a-kind funnyman Marty—writer, actor and producer—will always be remembered by genre fans as Igor, the twisted assistant to Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks's classic Young Frankenstein (1974). Marty, who died in 1982, was born in London, England.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 9

Dean R. Koontz is born (1945). Dean is the scribe behind such popular horror novels as Phantoms, Whispers, Watchers, and Demon Seed. Many of his titles have made it to either television or the big screen. Dean himself acted as a producer on the film adaptation of Phantoms (1998) and on the miniseries version of his Intensity (1997).

Brian Dennehy is born (1938). Brian was the fire chief in It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977, a.k.a. Ants!), Walter in Cocoon (1985), Leo McCarthy in F/X (1986), Lowell Davidson in Netforce (1999, miniseries), and Andy Goodman in Category 6: Day of Destruction (2004). Brian was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Susan Cabot is born (1927). B-movie legend Susan is best remembered as Janice Starlin, the cosmetics company executive whose experiments in youth rejuvenation transform her into The Wasp Woman in Roger Corman's 1960 thriller. Her other genre credits include War of the Satellites (1958) and The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1958). Susan, who died in 1986, was born Harriet Shapiro in Boston, Massachusetts.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 10

Nick Adams is born (1931). Nicholas Aloysius Adamshock's acting career included a handful of genre appearances, such as in the movies Kaijû Daisenso (Godzilla vs. Monster Zero) and Die, Monster, Die! (both 1965) and the TV series The Outer Limits and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (both 1964). He was born in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, and died February 7, 1968.

Universal Soldier opens (1992). This sci-fi film from director Roland Emmerich features action stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers reanimated in a secret army project after having died in battle.

Fred Gwynne is born (1926). Frederick Hubbard Gwynne earned genre immortality for his comedic take on Frankenstein's Monster in the television series The Munsters (1964, as Herman Munster). He also played avuncular neighbor Jud Crandall in Pet Sematary (1989, adapted from the book by Stephen King). He was born in New York, New York, and he died July 2, 1993.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 11

Contact opens (1997). Based on a novel by astronomer and astrobiologist Carl Sagan, Contact stars Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, and David Morse, and was directed by Robert Zemeckis. Its story of first contact with aliens grew from the work of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).

Cordwainer Smith is born (1913). Born Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger, author Cordwainer Smith is remembered for his series of far-future tales collectively known as the The Instrumentality of Mankind, featuring the "underpeople," humanoids created from the genetic legacy of other creatures, such as cats, cows, and even eagles. Smith was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and died in 1966.

Stephen Lang is born (1952). Lang has appeared in genre efforts Project X (1987), The Possession of Michael D. (1995), and A Town Has Turned to Dust (1998, television). A Town Has Turned to Dust was filmed from an original Rod Serling script, years after Serling's death. Lang was born in New York, New York.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 12

Michelle Rodriguez is born (1978). Michelle Rodriguez is an American actor and voice artist, well known as Ana-Lucia Cortez, a pivotal character on the popular series Lost. She first came to public notice in the film Girlfight, and reached a much wider audience with The Fast and the Furious. In 2002, she had a prominent sci-fi role as Rain Ocampo in the movie Resident Evil.

Reign of Fire opens (2002). Reign of Fire, a fantasy movie from director Rob Bowman, starred Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Izabella Scorupco, and Gerard Butler in the tale of a near future when dragons ravage the Earth.

Tod Browning is born (1882). Genre legend Tod Browning was either the producer or director or writer (or any combination) behind these gems of their period: The Unknown (1927), London After Midnight (1927), Dracula (1931), Freaks (1932), Mark of the Vampire (1935), and The Devil-Doll (1936). Most of all, Browning is known for his unforgettable work on Dracula and his contribution to the vampire archetype. He was born Charles Albert Browning in Louisville, Kentucky.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 13

Ashley Scott is born (1977). Ashley Scott is an American actress who made her film debut in Artificial Intelligence: AI in 2001. She appeared in the James Cameron TV series Dark Angel as Asha Barlow, and in the Birds of Prey series (2002) as Helena Kyle. Scott was born in Metaire, Louisiana.

Harrison Ford is born (1942). Ford's contributions as Han Solo in the Star Wars films—Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983)—and as Indiana Jones, the archeologist-adventurer in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) make him one of the most beloved stars of the genre. Ford also starred in Blade Runner (1982) and even had an appearance in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982, as a principal, scenes deleted). On genre television, he has appeared in The Intruders (1970). Ford was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Patrick Stewart is born (1940). Patrick Stewart portrayed Captain Jean-Luc Picard on television (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and in films—Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). He also appeared as Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men (2000) and subsequent X-outings, as Gurney Halleck in Dune (1984), as Leondegrace in Excalibur (1981), and as Number One on The Simpsons (1989, episode "Homer the Great"). He has also contributed greatly as a voice artist. Stewart was born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 14

Ingmar Bergman is born (1918). Bergman is the Swedish master filmmaker behind the classic The Seventh Seal (1957).

Harry Dean Stanton is born (19261). Harry Dean Stanton has built a fine career with numerous genre-related appearances, including Red Dawn (1984), Repo Man (1984), UFOria (1981), Dream a Little Dream (1989), Escape from New York (1981), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Alien Autopsy (2006), The Green Mile (1999), and Alien (1979). Stanton was born in West Irvine, Kentucky.

Joseph L. Green is born (1931). Perhaps best known for his short fiction, SF and mystery author Joseph L. Green worked for NASA as the Deputy Chief of the Education Office at the Kennedy Space Center. His novels include The Loafers of Refuge (1965), Gold the Man (1971), Conscience Interplanetary (1972), The Horde, and Star Probe (both 1976).

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 15

Patrick Wayne is born (1939). American actor and son of movie icon John Wayne, Patrick Wayne has appeared in a handful of genre films, such as The People That Time Forgot and Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, as well as making appearances in shows such as Fantasy Island (1981–1983), MacGyver (1988), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1989), and They Came from Outer Space (1991). Wayne was born in Los Angeles, California.

Brigitte Nielsen is born (1963). Nielsen was a warring Amazon in Red Sonja (1985), and portrayed Agnes in 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor (1991). The tall Dane also appeared as Ladera in Galaxis (1985). She was born in Helsinger, Denmark.

Stan Kirsch is born (1968). Stanley Benjamin Kirsch is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He starred in the TV series Riders in the Sky but is better known for his stint on Highlander as Richie Ryan from 1992 to 1997. He left the show as a regular cast member in the fifth season finale, but made a later guest appearance in the series finale. He has appeared on JAG, Family Law, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, and Friends. He directed and produced Straight Eye: The Movie (2004). Kirsch was born in New York, New York.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 16

Jerry Doyle is born (1956). Doyle is chiefly known as the top security guy on Babylon 5, Michael Garibaldi. He has also provided the voice for Captain Simian in Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys (1996). Doyle was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Barbara Stanwyck is born (1907). Not usually thought of as a genre gal, Stanwyck has indeed sashayed into the realm. She was Ann Mitchell in Meet John Doe (1941), Leona Stevenson in Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) and Irene Trent in The Night Walker (1964). Stanwyck was born in Brooklyn, New York, and died January 20, 1990.

Corey Feldman is born (1971). Feldman has had a lengthy career in the genre, having started quite young in the business. He was Tommy in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Pete in Gremlins (1984), Clarke "Mouth" Devereux in The Goonies (1985), Edgar Frog in The Lost Boys (1987), the voice of Donatello in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), Phlegm in Stepmonster (1993), Caleb Verdoux in Bordello of Blood (1996), and Siegal in Legion (1998). On television, Feldman has appeared on Tales from the Crypt (1989, playing Todd in episode "The Assassin"), on Sliders (1995, playing Reed Michener in episode "The Electric Twister Acid Test") and on The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998, playing Chris Draven in episode "Brother's Keeper"). Feldman was born in Reseda, California.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 17

Mars landing by Viking 1 (1976). After a ten-month cruise to Mars, the Viking 1 Orbiter reached Mars orbit. Viking 1 was the first of two spacecraft sent to Mars as part of NASA's Viking program. After a few weeks in orbit, the Viking 1 Lander touched down in western Chryse Planitia (named Gold Field).

J. Michael Straczynski is born (1954). Joseph Michael Straczynski (known as JMS), is the writing, directing, creating, producing powerhouse behind the television series Babylon 5 (1994) and "Crusade" (1999). He was also a staff writer for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983, television) and She-Ra: Princess of Power (1986, television). He served as a story editor for both The Twilight Zone (1985, television) and The Real Ghostbusters (1986, television) and was the writer for the television production of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1989).

Donald Sutherland is born (1934). Veteran actor Donald Sutherland has appeared in these genre efforts: Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965), Billion Dollar Brain (1967), Day of the Locust (1975, as Homer Simpson), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Buffy the vampire Slayer (1992, as Merrick) and The Puppet Masters (1994). Sutherland was born in New Brunswick, Canada.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 18

Elizabeth McGovern is born (1961). American actor Elizabeth McGovern has had a few roles that fans of horror and science fiction films appreciate: The Changeling (1994) and The Handmaid's Tale (1990). McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois.

Paul Verhoeven is born (1938). Paul Verhoeven is the director of such films as RoboCop (1987), Total Recall (1990), Starship Troopers (1997), and Hollow Man (2000). He also served as director on the television series The Hitchhiker (1983). He was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Hume Cronyn is born (1911). Hume Cronyn portrayed Gerard in Phantom of the Opera (1943), Frank Riley in *batteries not included (1987), and Joe Finley in Cocoon (1985) and Cocoon: The Return (1988). Cronyn was born in London, Ontario, Canada, and died June 15, 2003.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 19

Day of the Dead opens (1985). Director George A. Romero finally gets around to concluding his Dead trilogy with Day of the Dead. This time, the flesh-eating zombies outnumber the living by 40,000 to 1. In an underground compound, a band of scientists work feverishly to save humanity, but a companion group of militarist goons are growing increasingly impatient—and potentially violent. As usual, Romero keeps the atmosphere as tense as it is gruesome.

George Dzundza is born (1945). Dzundza is a familiar face, if not a familiar name, to many genre fans. He was the adulterous Cully Sawyer in 'Salem's Lot (1979), Frank Dileo in Something Is Out There (1988) and Colonel Carter Burgess, Jr. in Species II (1998). Dzundza also provided the voice for Perry White in Superman: The Animated Series (1996). Dzundza was born in Rosenheim, Germany.

Richard Jordan is born (1938). Robert Anson Jordan has had some quiet but memorable roles in the genre. He was the sandman Francis who pursued his former sandman chum Michael York in Logan's Run (1976) and he was the stalwart Duncan Idaho in Dune (1984). Jordan also portrayed Grock in Solarbabies (1986). Jordan was born in New York City, New York.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 20

Josh Holloway is born (1969). Holloway is best known for his role as James "Sawyer" Ford on the hit series Lost. Early acting roles include appearances on Angel and Walker, Texas Ranger, and film roles in Sabretooth, and Dr. Benny. Holloway was born in San Jose, California.

Diana Rigg is born (1938). Rigg is eternally the brilliant and dangerous Mrs. Emma Peel of the television series The Avengers. She has also portrayed Edwina Lionheart in Theatre of Blood (1973) and Miss Hardbroom in The Worst Witch (1986, television). Rigg is sometimes credited as Dame Diana Rigg. She was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.

First lunar landing (1969). NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong takes one small step for a man, and a giant leap for mankind, onto the lunar surface. This historical accomplishment transforms humanity from an earthbound species into one with interplanetary aspirations, and fuels the imaginations of future space travelers around the world.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 21

Don Knotts is born (1924). Jesse Donald Knotts, an American actor best known for his comedy roles, such as Barney Fife in the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, and landlord Ralph Furley on the television sitcom Three's Company, also starred in a series of comedy movies with a genre twist, including The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), and Pleasantville (1998). Knotts was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, and died on February 24, 2006.

Josh Hartnett is born (1978). Leading man Joshua Daniel Hartnett garnered admiration for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), and has since starred in numerous films, including Wicker Park (2004), Sin City (2005), and The Black Dahlia (2006). Hartnett was born in San Francisco, California.

Robin Williams is born (1952). Although better known for comedy, Williams has plenty of genre experience, including the portrayal that kicked off everything—Mork from Ork, which began as a guest appearance on Happy Days that evolved into his own star vehicle, Mork and Mindy (1978). Williams also portrayed the King of the Moon in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988, credited as Ray DiTutto), Alan Parrish in Jumanji (1995), Professor Philip Brainard in Flubber (1997), Andrew Martin in Bicentennial Man (1999), and Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum (2006). Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 22

Paul Schrader is born (1946). Paul is the director of Cat People (1982) and Witch Hunt (1994, television). He also wrote a script for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), which was rejected. Schrader was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Terence Stamp is born (1939). Terence Stamp is one of those universal veterans. His genre work includes his portrayal of John Soames The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970), Hu-Man (1975), General Zod in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980), Taskinar in Monster Island (1981), the Devil in The Company of Wolves (1984, uncredited), William Harcourt in Alien Nation (1988), Joe Hartman in Mindbender (1995) and Chancellor Valorum in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). Stamp was born in Stepney, London, England.

Danny Glover is born (1947). Glover portrayed Lieutenant Mike Harrigan in Predator 2 (1990), Detective David Tapp in Saw (2004), and appeared in the SCI FI Channel's Legend of Earthsea (2004). He also provided the voice of Barbados in Antz (1998), as well as voice work in numerous other films. Glover was born in San Francisco, California.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 23

Coneheads opens in U.S. theaters (1993). Coneheads is a 1993 comedy based on a Saturday Night Live sketch. The film stars Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin as an alien family, the Coneheads, whose ship crashlands on Earth.

Catwoman opens in U.S. theaters (2004). Catwoman starred Halle Berry in the title role. The film was a critical and box office failure.

Gardner Dozois is born (1947). Gardner Dozois is an award-winning short story writer and novelist who won the Hugo Award numerous times during his tenure as editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 24

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace opens in U.S. theaters (1987). The fourth Superman film starring Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman, this film was directed by Sidney J. Furie, and writing credits go to Christopher Reeve, Lawrence Konner, and Mark Rosenthal. Gene Hackman returned as Lex Luthor and also voiced Nuclear Man. The Quest for Peace would be the final Superman film until 2006's Superman Returns.

Lynda Carter is born (1951). Carter will forever be known as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in the television series Wonder Woman (1976). Carter's true name is Lynda Jean Cordoba and she was born in Phoenix, Arizona.

John D. MacDonald is born (1916). John D. MacDonald, best known as the creator of Travis McGee and as a prolific writer of mystery, action, and suspense novels, also created some enjoyable science fiction outings, such as his time-shifting novel The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 25

Nan Grey is born (1918). Nan has appeared in the genre efforts Dracula's Daughter (1936, as Lili) and The Invisible Man Returns (1940, as Helen Munson). Nan was born in Houston, Texas.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life opens in U.S. theaters (2003). Based on the Tomb Raider video game series, this followup film to Lara Croft: Tomb Raider stars Angelina Jolie and Gerard Butler and is competently directed by Jan de Bont (Speed).

The Viking 1 Orbiter photographs what becomes known as the Face on Mars (1976).

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 26

Stanley Kubrick is born (1928). Master filmmaker Kubrick put a whole new spin on outer space with his groundbreaking feature, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and later created a horror classic when he cast a maniacal Jack Nicholson in his 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining. Among Kubrick's other masterpieces are A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Stanley, who died in 1999, was born in New York, New York.

Jason Robards is born (1922). Two-time Oscar winner Jason Robards has starred in such popular genre titles as Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981), A Boy and His Dog (1975), and Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971). His television projects include The Day After (1983) and an episode of the 1972 series Ghost Story. Jason was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Aldous Huxley is born (1894). Aldous Leonard Huxley disturbed everyone with his dystopic vision in his novel Brave New World (1932). It is the work for which he is best known, but he also wrote other novels of high caliber, such as Point Counter Point (1928), After Many a Summer Dies the Swan (1939), Ape and Essence (1948), and Island (1962). Dystopia and disillusionment are predominant themes throughout much of his work, and he had a profound impact on the genre. Huxley was born in Godalming, England.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 27

Jerry Van Dyke is born (1931). The younger brother of Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Van Dyke is also an American actor, best known to genre fans for his starring role in My Mother the Car, a sitcom about a man whose deceased mother talks to him through a 1928 Porter automobile. Van Dyke, married to Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family), was born in Danville, Illinois.

Julian McMahon is born (1968). Julian Dana William McMahon is an Australian actor with several prominent roles to his name. He is currently known as Dr. Christian Troy on the FX Network series Nip/Tuck. His first prominent role was in the series Profiler on which he played Detective John Grant. He has also played the role of Cole Turner on the series Charmed. His biggest movie role has been in the role of Dr. Victor Von Doom in the film version of Fantastic Four. McMahon was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later opens (1998). Twenty years after the debut of John Carpenter's seminal Halloween, genre heroine Jamie Lee Curtis was coaxed into returning to her role as Laurie Strode, the victimized sister of indestructible masked killer Michael Myers. Director Steve Miner (a graduate of the big-screen Friday the 13th series) also casts newcomers Josh Hartnett (The Faculty) and Michelle Williams (Species).

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 28

Bruce Abbott is born (1954). Bruce is a genre regular who starred in the original Re-Animator (1985) as well as its sequel, Bride of Re-Animator (1990). His other credits include Prophecy II (1998), Bad Dreams (1988), The Demolitionist (1995), and the short-lived television series version of The Net. Bruce was born in Portland, Oregon.

Brian May is born (1934). Brian is the composer who scored these genre films: Mad Max (1979), Nightmares (1980), The Road Warrior (1981), Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), and Dr. Giggles (1992). Brian was born in Adelaide, South Australia.

Grant Williams dies (1985). Grant will be forever remembered as Scott Carey, the diminutive hero of the classic The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). He also starred in Brain of Blood (1972), The Doomsday Machine (1967), The Leech Woman (1960), and The Monolith Monsters (1957). His television credits include episodes of the original The Outer Limits (episode, "The Brain of Colonel Barham") and The Munsters. Grant was born in 1930 in New York, New York.

Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.

July 29

Wil Wheaton is born (1972). Wil Wheaton, best known to sci-fi fans for his role as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wheaton has reinvented himself as an Internet personality and author known for his humor and wit. Wheaton was born in Burbank, California.

David Warner is born (1941). David has been in a wide variety of genre titles, including Scream 2 (1997), John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness (1995), Waxwork (1988), The Company of Wolves (1984), The Omen (1976), Nightwing (1979), Tron (1982), and the 1992 remake of The Lost World. He played Jack the Ripper in Time After Time (1979) and the monster in a 1984 made-for-television version of Frankenstein. This busy thespian also portrayed Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and Sir John Talbot in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989). David was born in Manchester, England.

Lloyd Bochner is born (1924)