Today in History: Born on August 8

1387

Henry V, British king famous for his victory at Agincourt, France.

1631

John Dryden, the first official Poet Laureate of Great Britain (1668 to 1700).

1633

Isaak Walton, author of the classic The Compleat Angler.

1896

Jean Piaget, psychologist who did pioneering work on the development of children's intellectual faculties.

1899

P.L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books.

1927

Robert Shaw, actor and writer.

1928

Bob Cousey, Hall of Fame basketball player and coach of the Boston Celtics.

1933

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, Japanese actress and bestselling children's author (Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window); established Japan's first TV talk show, Tetsuko no Heya (Tetsuko's Room), breaking with traditional subservient depiction of Japanese women.

1945

Ken Norton, heavyweight boxing champ.

1945

Rosemary Elizabeth "Posy" Simmonds, award-winning British newspaper cartoonist (The Silent Three, Gemma Bovery, Tamara Drewe) and author / illustrator of children's books (Fred, The Chocolate Wedding).

1957

Melanie Griffith, film and TV actress (Working Girl, Milk Money).

1958

Amanda Bearse, film and TV actress (Married with Children).

1961

Amy Stiller, stand-up comedian, film and TV actress (Little Fokkers, The King of Queens).

1963

Whitney Houston, model, singer ("Saving All My Love for You"), actress (The Bodyguard); listed in 2009 Guinness World Records as most awarded female act of all time.

1964

Hoda Kotb, Daytime Emmy-winning TV news anchor and host.

1968

Gillian Anderson, film and TV actress (The X-Files).

1970

Chris Cuomo, TV journalist and anchor.

1983

Ashley Johnson, film (The Help) and TV actress (Growing Pains), video game voice-overs (The Last of Us).

Dispatches: 35th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon

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