Rant #2,351: Birthday

It's April, my favorite month of the year.

In just a few weeks, I will turn the page over on another year, and since I love birthdays, I just love April.

Several other people of note have their birthdays during this month, namely today, April 10, the 100th day of the year.

Let's take a peak at eight of them, names you might know for one reason or another.

Going way back to 1915, Harry Morgan was born today. One of the great character actors of the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of the main players in the "M*A*S*H" TV show, but I remember him most from his role on the late 1960s-early 1970s version of "Dragnet," where he played family man Bill Gannon versus the direct and abrupt Joe Friday, played by Jack Webb. Morgan died in 2011.

In 1921, Chuck Connors was born, and he was one of the first athletes to successfully cross over into movies and television after his playing days were over. He is one of just 13 men to play both Major League Baseball and in the National Basketball Association, but the statuesque actor is best known for his role as Lucas McCain in TV's "The Rifleman." He died in 1992.

Jane Kean, born in 1923, had a long career as an actress and singer, but she is probably best known as being one of the actresses who portrayed Trixie Norton in the long-running "The Honeymooners" franchise, playing the perpetual fourth wheel to the other characters on the show, the Kramdens (Jackie Gleason and Sheila McRae) and Ed Norton (Art Carney). She was in the musical revival of the series in the mid to late 1960s. She died in 2013).

Omar Sharif, born in 1932, was the first Egyptian actor to make a name for himself in Hollywood. Being featured in numerous films, including "Lawrence of Arabia," his starring roles in "Funny Girl" and "Funny Lady" opposite Barbra Streisand, caused a great stir during the late 1960s, as the Egyptian Sharif and the Jewish Streisand shared emotions and love during one of the most decisive and divisive periods in Middle East history. He died in 2015.

Long-time baseball player and executive Bob Watson was born on this date in 1948. Not only did Watson make a solid name for himself as a baseball player, scoring Major League Baseball's millionth run, but he served as an executive with the New York Yankees, where he and Gene Michael built the dominating Bronx Bombers teams of the 1990s, which featured Derek Jeter.

Another great baseball player born on this day was Ken Griffey Sr., who was born today in 1950. A member of the Cincinnati Reds teams of the "Big Red Machine" era, Griffey, an excellent player himself, is the father of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.

William Alvin Moody was born in 1954, and if you don't recognize that name, you might best know him as pro wrestling valet and manager Paul Bearer. Paired with The Undertaker, Bearer added to the fun with his otherworldly appearance, elevating his protege to the heights of that business, a level The Undertaker remains at to this day. Bearer died in 2013.

Brian Setzer was born in 1959, and this musician, the leader of the Stray Cats, brought rockabilly back to prominence during his long career, with several hits, including "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut." I went to high school with him, and when I was doing celebrity interviews, he told his manager he knew me--he knew my sister better--but he never spoke with me. To this day, I have no idea why.

So there you have it, eight prominent human beings that were born on the 100th day of the year--or at least most years, leap years make it the 101st day of the year.

They all have left a mark on our culture, and all of these people are memorable in their own special way.

Heck, not to be too deep about it, but as I am writing this, someone is being born somewhere in the world who might change the face of this word sometime in the future, for better or worse.

That is something to think about, if only briefly ... let's move on with our day--

Heck, I still have 18 days to go before my big day, so I have to let myself enjoy my last few days at 61 years of age in peace.