Time Lines And Contemporaries

June 15, 2003 1:52 PM

My Contemporaries Are Cooler Than Yours: Actually, it can become quite depressing to find out exactly who belongs to your generation. I mean, Howie Mandell, Bill Gates, Sandra Bernhard, Margot Hemingway, Kevin Costner and Joe Jackson? Give me a break. Which, thankfully, WhoWhatWhen, an interactive timeline generator, does quite nicely. Perfect for paranoids who like beginning sentences with "Surely it's no coincidence that in that very same year..." [Via LinkFilter.]
posted by MiguelCardoso (46 comments total)

I'm sorry, but heavy demand on this site is preventing you from accessing the database. Please try again later

Stop clicking, you greedy mob!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:01 PM on June 15, 2003

Oh, sorry... I thought you wanted us to follow the link...

My birthyear appears to be the nexus of popular culture.

Witness:

Born in 1959:
John McEnroe, Kato Kaelin, David Hyde Pierce, Emma Thompson, Danny Bonaduce, Magic Johnson, David Koresh, Jim McMahon, Jason Alexander, Fred Couples, Marie Osmond, Weird Al Yankovic, Daryl Hannah, Tracey Ullman, Bebe Neuwirth

Died in 1959:
Frank Lloyd Wright, Cecil B. De Mille
Lou Costello, Errol Flynn, George Reeves, Billie Holiday, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens

posted by jpburns at 2:16 PM on June 15, 2003

What great compant we keep, jp!
posted by dash_slot- at 2:44 PM on June 15, 2003

company
posted by dash_slot- at 2:45 PM on June 15, 2003

pat benetar, alex van halen, geddy lee, robert cray, david lee roth (hilariously noted to be a "rocker" where others are termed "musician") and marshall crenshaw. i'm in some fairly elite company!
posted by quonsar at 3:30 PM on June 15, 2003

Madonna is only a few months older than me. I watch HER go thru the aging process and I can't believe I'm on the same track. Wah.
posted by konolia at 4:20 PM on June 15, 2003

Apparently Dec. 13 is not a popular day to be born. All I got was Dick Van Dyke and Ted Nugent. Oh, and Pope Sixtus V, big whoop.
posted by RylandDotNet at 4:22 PM on June 15, 2003

1975: Tiger Woods, Drew Barrymore.

Also, the Vietnam War ended, and two of the three stooges died.
posted by xyzzy at 4:32 PM on June 15, 2003

Is it significant that more "important" figures died in the year I was born than were born? Although the list of those born was longer than the list of those dying, I do not consider US-only sportspersons do be significant historical figures.

What is with the description of Princess Diana as "England's Rose" What does that mean?
posted by dg at 4:36 PM on June 15, 2003

Princess Diana was often referred to as England's Rose for some reason. When she died, Elton John reworked the Candles in the Wind lyrics, changing "Goodbye Norma Jean" to "Goodbye English Rose" in her honor, and performed this version at some memorial concert. It was on the radio a few times.
posted by xyzzy at 4:40 PM on June 15, 2003

The sadder part is that my contemporaries are also cooler than me.
posted by Space Coyote at 5:11 PM on June 15, 2003

I heard that Dick Van Dyke had to change his birth name in order to be considered "acceptable" to modern audiences...his original name being, of course, Penis Van Lesbian.

It's an old joke.
posted by davidmsc at 5:21 PM on June 15, 2003

Oh gawd, I never realised that Sid Vicious died before I was even born. I'll just give up and go home now, I'll think.
posted by Jimbob at 5:57 PM on June 15, 2003

OK, what was the problem with Joe Jackson exactly?
posted by alumshubby at 6:05 PM on June 15, 2003

Think about this: hippy was ten years old when punk was born. I go up to capitol hill and I still see moussed out mohawks on kids in multi-zippered plaid pants. Punk--stick a fork in it: It's done.
posted by y2karl at 6:08 PM on June 15, 2003

For 1968 we have 6 baseball players, 1 tennis player, 2 actors (cuba gooding, anthony michael hall) and 1 celebrity (lisa marie presley). As far as I know, none of them are members of MetaFilter. Make your own conclusions.
posted by ashbury at 6:21 PM on June 15, 2003

Hey, Monica Lewinsky and I share the same birthdate. Explains alot, really.
posted by drezdn at 6:30 PM on June 15, 2003

I always knew I was born on the (mumble)th anniversary of JFK being shot (my mom heard the reminder in the car on the way to the hospital), but I didn't realize Aldous Huxley and CS Lewis died that very same day, that very same year.

Very cool.
posted by notsnot at 6:37 PM on June 15, 2003

Princess Diana was often referred to as England's Rose for some reason.
Yeah, I knew that - it just seems a ridiculous way to describe someone. You know - actor, baseball player, writer, politician, England's Rose? Just a weird way to sum up someone's life.
posted by dg at 6:52 PM on June 15, 2003

For me, birth year:

Born:

• Kurt Cobain
• Anna Nicole Smith

Died:

• Carl Sandburg
• Dorothy Parker
• Basil Rathbone
• John Coltrane
• Otis Redding

posted by tpoh.org at 6:57 PM on June 15, 2003

Ah, yes, another excuse to haul out the fact that MY birthdate is a movie. Bla bla bla...

Joe Jackson's only problem is he's a month older than me, and always looked a LOT older. On the good side, I can say "listen to me, I'm older than you (by 4 weeks)" to Bill Gates. Never know when I might need that.
posted by wendell at 7:08 PM on June 15, 2003

Ha. No one was born the same year as me. I am my own generation.
posted by dagnyscott at 7:22 PM on June 15, 2003

Since the link seems to be Mefi'd (still, or again) let me offer this: Miguel, you had me with that list, right up to the point you said "Joe Jackson." I mean, come on! Joe Jackson??? He's not God or anything, but to throw him into a list - nay, even the same sentence - with Howie friggin' Mandell... it's inexcusable. My concept of "Miguel the cultured cosmopolite" has suffered greatly today.
posted by soyjoy at 7:56 PM on June 15, 2003

Hey, Monica Lewinsky and I share the same birthdate. Explains alot, really.

Can somebody please give drezdn a cigar?
posted by ashbury at 7:57 PM on June 15, 2003

Well, I was feeling pretty damn old for a while, living in a college town and all. Then I went to this page and found out Rudy from the Cosby Show is a month older than I am.
posted by Space Coyote at 8:15 PM on June 15, 2003

Here's one that might be a cosmic spitball: Dennis Rodman was born the day Gary Cooper died. As if Rodman is not the anti-Cooper!
posted by billsaysthis at 8:15 PM on June 15, 2003

Hee hee, alumshubby and soyjoy: It's personal; don't worry. I can't stand Joe Jackson - he tries so damn hard to be a bluesman and a jazz musician; to be black and American and all he is is a thoroughly English, boring ex-new wave lounge singer - with the most annoying, bawling pseudo-emoting voice I've ever heard. He is Elvis Costello without Bacharach's phone number.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:32 PM on June 15, 2003

Jesus, now you're gonna start in on Elvis, too? As if his pre-Bacharach career was some kind of warm-up?

Miguel, tell me this all just one of your elaborate teases.
posted by soyjoy at 8:58 PM on June 15, 2003

Speaking of the E, it was one day and fifty years ago that Elvis Presley graduated from L.C. Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Or two days and fifty years ago, depending on your time zone--it's still Sunday, the 15th here on the West Coast as I write this.
posted by y2karl at 10:07 PM on June 15, 2003

1975: Drew Barrymore, Tiger Woods and xyzzy.

Hey, that last one is pretty impressive.

There seems to be a fair bit of sarcasm mixed in amongst the "occupation" field--Anna Nicole Smith and Lisa Marie Presley are both merely listed as "celebrities" (famous for being famous--Andy Warhol is in heaven, smiling) Andy Gibb is listed as "Musician, substance abuser" (You can get paid for that?) and they left the "heh" out of "Monica Lewinsky, presidential--heh--friend." And of course, Rush Limbaugh puts the question mark in "Entertainer?". (As does Kathie Lee Gifford--guess they're interchangeable.)
posted by arto at 10:46 PM on June 15, 2003

On one hand, I was born on the same day as Michelangelo and Cyrano de Bergerac.

On the other, Ed McMahon and Shaquille O'Neal.

Further proof that astrology is bullshit.
posted by interrobang at 11:07 PM on June 15, 2003

Man, I just got a sweet deal on a hand truck.
posted by dong_resin at 1:03 AM on June 16, 2003

Add me to the list of those who think Joe Jackson doesn't deserve such disparagement. And neither does Elvis Costello, dammit... though it's true, for both of them the voice is the weakest part.

Joe's autobio is actually really good.
posted by litlnemo at 1:05 AM on June 16, 2003

Anyone else have an exact celebrity contemporary, born on the same date and same year? Mine is Jacob Dylan (of the Wallflowers, and Bob's son). He doesn't apparently rate Who What When-- I'm not even that fond of his work myself. He's alright, but not one of my particular favorites. Those of us born on Dec. 9 have to kinda stretch for cool celebrities, though. The best we've got is John Malkovich and the Worf guy from Star Trek. And we keep trying to forget about Donny Osmond.
posted by Shoeburyness at 1:31 AM on June 16, 2003

uma thurman and pancho villa ! together at last !
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:16 AM on June 16, 2003

You can use All Music Guide and IMDb for this, as well. Just change the last four digits in the links below to your liking:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=CASS70305151941&sql=DBY1975

http://us.imdb.com/BornInYear?1975

Hey, I'm the same age as Lil' Kim and Angelina Jolie!
posted by soundofsuburbia at 4:28 AM on June 16, 2003

As I'm much too young to have famous contemporaries... here's a list of the people who died in my year of birth;

EB White, Henry Cabot Lodge, Phil Silvers, Orson Welles, Yul Brynner, Dian Fossey, Roger Maris, Ricky Nelson, Karen Ann Quinlan.

And people born on the same day of their respective years as me;

Alexis de Toqueville, Benito Mussolini, Dag Hammarskjold, Geddy Lee.


Quite proud for some reason of having de Toqueville and Mussolini in there, one an advocate of pluralist democracy, the other a Fascist dictator.
posted by knapah at 4:39 AM on June 16, 2003

The "reason" for Princess Diana's nickname "England's Rose": Prince Charles referred to her as an "English Rose," which is a nice compliment in England. Bernie Taupin reworked the original lyrics to "Candle in the Wind" to make the reference.

Oh yes, Dag Hammarskjold checked out in my birth year, as did Chico Marx and Grandma Moses. Pretty nice company. But it's the check-ins that frighten: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Heather Locklear (siddown you guys, she isn't the national anthem), and Michael J. Fox. But again, there's Greg LeMond...
posted by datawrangler at 4:47 AM on June 16, 2003

I knew I was born on the same day as Bush I, but I had no idea I shared a birthday with "Marv Albert: Sportcaster; biter".
posted by JoanArkham at 4:52 AM on June 16, 2003

Focusing on the whens you were born your missing the post, it's about when you were a live, and whom/what/when was alive with you; being apart of history together.
posted by thomcatspike at 6:17 AM on June 16, 2003

JoanArkham:

Don't forget Irwin Allen. Oh, and me.

(It's funny, my wife and I found out that I shared one with Bush I, and she with Gorbachev. Well, it was funny when there was a Cold War...)
posted by jpburns at 6:34 AM on June 16, 2003

I will never let my husband forget that he shares the same birthdate - day and year - with Brian Boytano.
posted by rainbaby at 6:57 AM on June 16, 2003

Tina Yothers and Monica Lewinsky. I'm living in a South Park episode.
posted by witchstone at 7:51 AM on June 16, 2003

Now, if we're gonna rip on musicians whose voices are their weakest parts, I gotta nominate Bob Dylan. Brilliant songwriter, excruciating singer.
posted by alumshubby at 10:54 AM on June 16, 2003

Born in 1980:

Michelle Kwan
Macaulay Culkin
Me

Michelle is cool, but Macaulay? Uhm, no.

Died in 1980:

Colonel Harland David Sanders
Mae West
Alfred Hitchcock
Erich Fromm
Jesse Owens
Jay Silverheels
Shah of Iran Shah
Peter Sellers
Steve McQueen
John Lennon
John Henry Bonham
posted by eclectica at 11:17 AM on June 16, 2003

Keshia Knight Pulliam
posted by corpse at 12:16 PM on June 16, 2003