If they were still alive today....

...it would be the birthday of the following famed folks:


Grand French impressionist painter Pierre- Auguste Renoir would be 170 today.

(Above:  Self-portrait, 1885 and below, Danse à la ville - 1883)



Widely-considered to be the greatest operatic tenor ever, Enrico Caruso would be 138.
Below, singing "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La Boheme....105 years ago!




The great Jim Backus would be 98.  He was more than a comedian...he was a fine dramatic actor as well, as evidenced by his performance as James Dean's father in Rebel Without a Cause.





Zeppo Marx, the "straight man" Marx brother would be 110.










Lovely Hawaiian singer Wini Shaw would be 101 today.  She was given the lead in one of Busby Berkeley's most elaborate (and bizarre!) musical numbers, "The Lullaby of Broadway" in Gold Diggers of 1935.  It's in two parts....aw, live it up!  Watch the whole damn thing!!







Über-sexist tennis pro Bobby Riggs would be 93.  He famously faced-off against Billie Jean King in 1973 in a much-watched, televised tennis match at the Houston Astrodome.  He won.




"Comedian" Carrot Top would be 46....oh wait...he's still alive, isn't he?  Grrrrr.....