On this day in 1930, the character of The Shadow entered radio broadcasting history by showing up as the narrator of the Detective Story Hour. With his popularity on the rise, it was only natural for the mysterious man with the ability to cloud mens' minds to branch out on his own, and a cultural icon was born. [Source: Wikipedia.org]
The venerable Don Murray did what he could in taking a stand against the Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). Murray was born on this day in 1929. [Source: IMDB.com]
That big fella up there on the left is none other than Ted Cassidy, and -- for the record -- he lurked his way into Star Trek history with the portrayal of Ruk in the first season episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" For those of you keeping score, he also went on to play Bigfoot (twice) in the mid-70's SciFi series The Six Million Dollar Man. Though he's no longer with us, Cassidy was born on this day in 1932.
Don't let the man's dour expression fool you: as an actor, Geoffrey Lewis knows exactly what he's doing. With over four decades in the entertainment business, Lewis popped up in all kinds of projects, including guest roles aboard Ark II, The Six Million Dollar Man, Quark, Amazing Stories, The Lawnmower Man, The X-Files (pictured above), and Odyssey 5. Though he's no longer with us, Lewis was born on this day in 1935.
The lovely France Nuyen has a solid relationship with genre projects. She's probably best remembered for her appearance aboard NBC's seminal Star Trek series, but she's also visited Dimension 5 (1966); The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973); Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (1973); The Six Million Dollar Man; Deathmoon (1978); Automan; and The Outer Limits. Nuyen was born on this day in 1939. [Source: IMDB.com]
For reasons subject to some debate amongst serious film historians, the 1970's served up some rather bleak cinematic Science Fiction, one of the oft-overlooked being Z.P.G. (aka Zero Population Growth) (1972). It was restored and rereleased by Kino Lorber in 2017 and probably deserves another look by serious fans of the genre. In it, the lovely Geraldine Chaplin defies the rules set down by society and has a child all of her own. Chaplin was born on this day in 1944. [Source: IMDB.com]
Aboard Galactica 1980, Barry Van Dyke (picture above left) played Lt. Dillon for all of the program's ten-episode run. The actor also found fandom as part of Gemini Man, Wonder Woman, The Powers of Matthew Star, and Airwolf. Van Dyke was born on this day in 1951.
Alan Autry found himself battling some of those dastardly space Intruders for Dan Curtis Productions. Autry was born on this day in 1952. [Source: IMDB.com]
James Read doesn't boast all that much SciFi to his portfolio available on IMDB.com, but he did play Jaffen in a special two-part episode -- "Workforce" -- of Star Trek: Voyager. Read was born on this day in 1953.
Wow. What a career one must have to star in not one but two massively successful sci-fi franchises! Michael Biehn first came onto screens as Kyle Reese, a soldier from our future sent back in time to save Sarah Connor from The Terminator who'd come back to kill her. And what a great introduction to the series he gave us! Then, a few years later, James Cameron brought the star into the Aliens franchise, giving him a star-turn as Corporal Hicks, who fights the aliens side-by-side with Sigourney Weaver. Biehn was born on this day back in 1956.
Screen veteran Al Sapienza boasts a massive resume, having been a part of over 200 productions. Genre fans might recognize from his work in Dark Skies, The Burning Zone, Warehouse 13, Sanctuary, Arrow, The Flash, or Ascension (pictured above). Sapienza was born on this day in 1956.
Dirk Blocker is a veteran character actor who has made appearances aboard such progams as Salvage 1, Beyond Westworld, Starman (1984), Quantum Leap, and The X-Files. Blocker was born on this day in 1957. [Source: IMDB.com]
Actor and convicted tax cheat Wesley Snipes did the crime and served his time, but SciFi fans know him best as former icicle Simon Phoenix who came out of the deep freeze to find himself going mano-a-mano against supercop John Spartan in 1993's Demolition Man. Snipes was born on this day in 1962.
Though I loathe the woman's politics and her first Harry Potter book was a bit of a snore for me, J.K Rowling earns my respect for instilling in young people everywhere the love of literature. Rowling was born on this day in 1965. [Source: IMDB.com]
I was never much a fan of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and that's mostly because I'm a Superman traditionalist: just gimme Big Blue in his suit fighting the forces that would destroy our world, not this mamby pamby tongue-in-cheek romance stuff. Still, ya gotta "respect the S" as they say, so join me in wishing Dean Cain a Happy Birthday! He was born on this day in 1966.
Gattaca (1997) is one of those rare SciFi films that -- year after year -- keeps popping up in research I do to update SciFiHistory.Net. In it, Loren Dean played Antonio Freeman (pictured), one of the picture's successful criminal investigators. Dean was born on this day in 1969.
Not every actress gets the chance to "act in space," but -- if they do -- we definitely try to draw attention to their work here at SciFiHistory.Net. Such is the case with lovely Christina Cox: she played Jen Crane aboard ABC's Defying Gravity for its short-lived season. The actress has also booked roles in genre properties such as First Wave, The Outer Limits, Earth: Final Conflict, Code Name: Eternity, Stargate: SG-1, Mutant X, Andromeda, The Chronicles of Riddick, Stargate: Atlantis, and Elysium. That is an impressive resume indeed! Cox was born on this day in 1971.
As an urchin, the lovely Tami Stronach enjoyed her big screen debut in the cinematic Fantasy The NeverEnding Story (1984). Stronach was born on this day in 1972. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Emilia Fox played 'Morgause' aboard the BBC's popular Merlin series. Otherwise it looks like her resume is full of period pieces and mainstream procedurals. Fox was born on this day in 1974. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Annie Parisse enjoyed a guest spot aboard Fox TV's stellar Fringe during that show's run. Parisse was born on this day in 1975. [Source: IMDB.com]
To most folks, that quiet and unassuming face belongs to the equally quiet and unassuming 'Ryan' on NBC's long-running office as played by actor B.J. Novak ... but to Marvel fans he's remembered as 'Alistair Smythe' from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Novak was born on this day in 1979. [Source: IMDB.com]
In The Butterfly Effect 2, Eric Lively played Nick Larson (pictured above), a man whose brain tumor grants him the ability to alter history by studying related pictures. Lively was born on this day in 1981.
Shirtless or not, young Charlie Carver continues to turn heads in genre entertainment with his work aboard The Leftovers and Teen Wolf. Carver was born on this day in 1988. [Source: IMDB.com]
While building her resume in the entertainment business, Alexis Knapp has given SciFi a try with a role aboard The Anomaly (2014). Knapp was born on this day in 1989. [Source: IMDB.com]
The multi-talented Zelda Williams has brought her gifts with such properties as Teen Wolf, The Legend Of Korra (animated), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (animated), and Stitchers. Williams was born on this day in 1989. [Source: IMDB.com]
On this day in 1969 (in Mexico), Mission Stardust enjoyed a theatrical release. The SciFi feature starred Lang Jeffries and Essy Persson, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A team of astronauts is sent to the moon to rescue an alien who is seeking help to save her dying race. They are attacked by a force of bandit robots and discover that enemy spies are out to kill the alien."
"A team of astronauts is sent to the moon to rescue an alien who is seeking help to save her dying race. They are attacked by a force of bandit robots and discover that enemy spies are out to kill the alien."
Premiering theatrically on this day in 1981 (two years after it was completed) in West Germany, The Day Time Ended probably came and went pretty quickly. Here's the film's plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Aliens visit the solar-powered house of a middle-class family, and the house is suddenly sucked into a time warp that transports it back to prehistoric times."
"Aliens visit the solar-powered house of a middle-class family, and the house is suddenly sucked into a time warp that transports it back to prehistoric times."
Aside from being a die-hard SciFi enthusiast, I'm fascinated by the U.F.O. phenomenon. One of the very best films exploring what may or may not have happened to launch America's fascination with flying saucers was the SciFi/Telefilm Roswell which aired on this day back in 1994. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Beginning at a 30-year reunion for members of a military nuclear bomb unit, flashbacks are presented that follow the attempts of Major Jesse Marcel to discover the truth about strange debris found on a local rancher's field in July of 1947. Told by his superiors that what he has found is nothing more than a downed weather balloon, Marcel maintains his military duty until the weight of the truth, however out of this world it may be, forces him to piece together what really occurred. Adapted from real-life events portrayed in the book _UFO Crash at Roswell_ by Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt."
"Beginning at a 30-year reunion for members of a military nuclear bomb unit, flashbacks are presented that follow the attempts of Major Jesse Marcel to discover the truth about strange debris found on a local rancher's field in July of 1947. Told by his superiors that what he has found is nothing more than a downed weather balloon, Marcel maintains his military duty until the weight of the truth, however out of this world it may be, forces him to piece together what really occurred. Adapted from real-life events portrayed in the book _UFO Crash at Roswell_ by Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt."
On this day in 2009 (in Brazil), The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations went back to the well exploring how certain events are linked together in the space/time continuum. The feature starred Chris Carmack and Rachel Miner, and here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"Sam Reide uses his power to time travel to solve the mystery of his girlfriend's death."
"Sam Reide uses his power to time travel to solve the mystery of his girlfriend's death."
On this day in 2014 (in China), the animated Dragon Nest: Warriors' Dawn premiered in theatres. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary for the Fantasy feature:
"Lambert joins the Dragon Slayers' League to save Altera from the Black Dragon."
"Lambert joins the Dragon Slayers' League to save Altera from the Black Dragon."
On this day in 2014 (in Australia), audiences were treated to another look at the Apocalypse with These Final Hours. The feature starred Jessica De Gouw and David Field, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A self-obsessed young man makes his way to the party-to-end-all-parties on the last day on Earth, but ends up saving the life of a little girl searching for her father. Their relationship ultimately leads him on the path to redemption."
"A self-obsessed young man makes his way to the party-to-end-all-parties on the last day on Earth, but ends up saving the life of a little girl searching for her father. Their relationship ultimately leads him on the path to redemption."
On this day in 2015, Extinction served up another look at mankind's curious ending. The feature starred Jeffrey Donovan and Matthew Fox, and here's the plot summary as detailed on IMDB.com:
"And suddenly, overnight, the world came to a halt. Two men, two survivors, one kid, and hatred that separates them. A place forgotten by everyone, including the creatures that inhabit the Earth... until now."
"And suddenly, overnight, the world came to a halt. Two men, two survivors, one kid, and hatred that separates them. A place forgotten by everyone, including the creatures that inhabit the Earth... until now."
On this day in 1998, Stargate: SG-1 aired "Thor's Chariot." This served as the sixth episode of the long-running program's second season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"O'Neill and the team return to Cimmeria, the planet where they destroyed Thor's Hammer to help Teal'c escape. They find that the Goa'uld have invaded and many of the people are dead. Can they help to find Thor's weapons to fight off the invasion before they are all captured or killed?"
"O'Neill and the team return to Cimmeria, the planet where they destroyed Thor's Hammer to help Teal'c escape. They find that the Goa'uld have invaded and many of the people are dead. Can they help to find Thor's weapons to fight off the invasion before they are all captured or killed?"
It all began right here: on this day in 2001, Cybergirl premiered on television. According to our friends at TV.com, here's the plot summary for Episode 1:
"Cybergirl, a human prototype, crash lands on Earth and begins to find out what real humans are about."
"Cybergirl, a human prototype, crash lands on Earth and begins to find out what real humans are about."
On this day in 2005, USA Network's sci-fi-lite program The 4400 aired the eighth episode of its second season, an hour working under the title "Rebirth." Here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"A male 4400 originally from Rwanda repairs bad chromosomes of unborn. Kyle is utterly despaired as he suddenly remembers what he did during his blackout. Richard attends a co-veteran's funeral. Diana makes a hard family decision."
"A male 4400 originally from Rwanda repairs bad chromosomes of unborn. Kyle is utterly despaired as he suddenly remembers what he did during his blackout. Richard attends a co-veteran's funeral. Diana makes a hard family decision."
On this day in 2011, TNT's Falling Skies took the fight to the enemy with an hour titled "What Hides Beneath." Here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"The 2nd Mass. prepares to take the fight to the invaders with an assault on one of their bases."
"The 2nd Mass. prepares to take the fight to the invaders with an assault on one of their bases."
On this day in 2015, Syfy aired the eighth episode of Dark Matter's first season. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the relevant plot summary:
"The crew stops at a space station to refuel and rest, but Six has a different agenda - revenge."
"The crew stops at a space station to refuel and rest, but Six has a different agenda - revenge."
On this day in 2015, Syfy's original series Killjoys aired "Kiss Kiss, Bye Bye." This served as the seventh episode to the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by Syfy.com:
"The quest for D'avin's missing memories results in a confrontation that will change the team -- and potentially kill them."
"The quest for D'avin's missing memories results in a confrontation that will change the team -- and potentially kill them."
On this day in 2017, Stitchers aired "Dreamland." This served as the eighth episode of the program's third season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"An ex-Air Force officer is found murdered by what seems like a UFO, and the trail leads to a former co-worker and renowned UFO expert."
"An ex-Air Force officer is found murdered by what seems like a UFO, and the trail leads to a former co-worker and renowned UFO expert."
On this day in 1956, the SciFi/Radio drama X Minus One aired "Student Body." This served as the long-running program's sixty-second episode, and here's the plot summary compliments of the Old Time Radio Downloads website:
"A small animal on a far planet is most adaptable, eating almost anything in sight. Then the mice disappear, eventually being replaced by something much better!"
"A small animal on a far planet is most adaptable, eating almost anything in sight. Then the mice disappear, eventually being replaced by something much better!"
