Walter Cronkite: Further Proof 1916 Was a Good Year

Walter Cronkite was an icon in my field, journalism. When he died recently, I learned that he had been born on Nov. 4, 1916.

Birthdates in 1916 have always caught my attention because my mother was born on June 18, 1916. Some years ago I discovered that my Aunt Thelma and my adopted Aunt Lee, both now 93, and my adopted Aunt Helen, were all born that year. (Aunt Lee was my Uncle Martin's sister and Aunt Helen was my husband's mother's best friend.)

This got me to wondering what other famous people besides Cronkite were born in 1916. One notable on the list at http://www.nndb.com/lists/915/000105600/ is Gregory Peck. About 10 years ago I attended his engaging benefit performance for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre at the Folly Theatre in Kansas City.

Other performers on the list are Kirk Douglas, Olivia de Havilland, Glenn Ford, Jackie Gleason, Betty Grable, Van Johnson, Dinah Shore and Keenan Wynn. Writers included James Herriott, Shelby Foote and Irving Wallace.

Here's to 1916. It truly was a very good year.