A KING AND A LADY

August 31 in history:

The King of England died in France on this date in 1422.  King Henry V was 35, and had been on the throne for nine years.  Henry died of dysentery while leading a military campaign in France.

The Princess of Wales died in France on this date in 1997. Princess Diana, formerly Lady Diana Spencer, was 36, and had been divorced from Prince Charles for just one year.  Diana and two others died after their car crashed into a pillar inside a Paris tunnel, as the car was trying to outrun photographers.  Despite conspiracy theories suggesting Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were murdered, official inquests concluded that the car’s driver was negligent and apparently drunk.

Alan Jay Lerner wrote the lyrics to popular musicals about a king (“Camelot”) and a “Lady” (“My Fair Lady”).  Lerner was born August 31st, 1918.

The Lady of the Lake is the leading female character in the musical “Spamalot,” based on the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”  Sara Ramirez won a Tony Award in 2005 for originating the role of the Lady on Broadway.  Ramirez, born August 31st, 1975, is known to television viewers as Dr. Callie Torres on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

A BROZ BY ANY OTHER NAME

January 13th in history:

On January 13th, 1953, Josip Broz, the prime minister of Yugoslavia, took on a new job title.  That day, he became the president of Yugoslavia, and held the job until his death in 1980.  Broz was better known by the title “Marshal Tito.”

Another man from Eastern Europe took an important leadership position on January 13th of 1964.  Polish Bishop Karol Wojtyla officially became the Archbishop of Krakow.  Fourteen years later, Wojtyla took on a new job, and a new name: Pope John Paul II.

Actor Patrick Dempsey is better known to many TV fans by the title “Dr. McDreamy” on the series “Grey’s Anatomy.”  Dempsey was born on January 13, 1966 — making him exactly four years older than “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes (1970).  It’s also the birthday of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, alias “Elaine”, “Old Christine” and “Veep” (1961).