1. What day of the week were you born? Tell us how you found out.
2. What has happened in recorded history on your birth date (day and month)? Tell us how you found out, and list five events.
3. What famous people have been born on your birth date? Tell us how you found out, and list five of them.
4. Put your responses in your own blog post, in a comment on this blog post, or in a status or comment on Facebook.

Here is my info:

1. I was born on Friday, January 18th, 1980. Found this by just searching Google for my birthdate.
2. Events on my birthday. Found this by using Wikipedia’s entry for January 18th. Those articles are a treasure trove of info.
   • 1535 – Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded Lima, the capital of Peru.
   • 1896 – The X-ray machine is exhibited for the first time.
   • 1911 – Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania stationed in San Francisco harbor, the first time an aircraft landed on a ship.
   • 1990 – Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry is arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting.
   • 1993 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is officially observed for the first time in all 50 states.
3. Famous people I share my birthday with. Found at the same place as I found the events.
   • 1882 – A. A. Milne, English author of “Winnie the Pooh” (d. 1956)
   • 1904 – Cary Grant, English actor (d. 1986)
   • 1913 – Danny Kaye, American actor (d. 1987)
   • 1955 – Kevin Costner, American actor
   • 1971 – Jonathan Davis, American singer from the band KoЯn

My wife’s entry is exactly the same, except she was born a year later which puts her birth date on a Sunday.

Joseph & Emily (Troka) Zalewski

History from our family trees for this week. As always, this information is available on the Dates & Anniversaries page.

June 20th

Happy Fathers Day to my dad and all of my male ancestors! This is also my last non-father’s day, or my father-to-be day.

June 21st

1891 – Married – Johann THIELKE & Wilomene RATHKE – Johann and Minnie are my great-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married in Milwaukee Co., Wisconsin. This was Minnie’s second marriage and, as far as I know, Johann’s first. My great-grandfather, Arthur THIELKE, is their only child that I am aware of. Johann passed away in 1927 and Minnie in 1929. They are both buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Grafton, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin.

1894 – Born – Margaret S BRAATZ – Margaret is my great-grandaunt on my father’s side. She was born in Philips, Price Co., Wisconsin, the older sister to my great-grandmother, Agnes (BRAATZ) CORRIGAN. According to my info, she married Louis PETERSON. She passed away on 2 Dec 1974 at Munising, Alger Co., Michigan and is buried in Ashland, Wisconsin.

1931 – Born – Robert John ZALEWSKI – Robert is my great uncle on my father’s side. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, younger brother of my grandfather, Richard ZALEWSKI. He married Elizabeth PFEIFFER and had 4 children. He passed away not long after my grandfather on 7 Sep 1999 in Bowie, Prince Georges Co., Maryland.

June 23rd

1615 – Born – Richard CUTTS – Richard is my wife’s 10th-great-grandfather on her mother’s side. He was born in Portsmouth, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire. In 1649 he married Eleanor ALDERSEY. My wife’s ancestor is their daughter Margaret CUTTS. Richard passed away on 10 May 1675 in Portsmouth.

1809 – Born – Sophia Elizabeth STRASSMAN – Sophia is my 4th-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born in Wahmbeck, Hanover, Germany. She married Frederick MUHM in 1844 in New York State before moving to Wisconsin. They had 2 children, including my ancestor Peter MUHM. She passed away on 23 Nov 1869 in Germantown, Washington Co., Wisconsin and is supposedly buried nearby at Christ Evangelical Cemetery in Dheinsville, Washington Co., Wisconsin. We looked for her headstone a few years back and did not find it, though it may be missing or very worn by now.

1873 – Born – Emma Jane FIRMENICH – Emma is my great-great-grandmother on my father’s side. She was born at Wrightstown, Brown Co., Wisconsin, the 4th of 13 children for Mathias & Paulina FIRMENICH. She married Thomas CORRIGAN in 1892 and had 9 children. The last child, Sadie,  was actually born on the day Thomas died. She married twice more before she passed away on 28 Apr 1941 in Ashland, Ashland Co., Wisconsin. She is buried there next to Thomas at St. Agnes Cemetery.

June 24th

1800 – Born – Rachel MINK – Rachel is my wife’s 4th-great-grandmother on her father’s side. She was born in Virginia and married her husband, Peyton WEY, there at Lovettsville in Loudon Co. They later traveled to Ohio and then to Wisconsin where Rachel passed away on 24 Dec 1870 at West Fork, Richwood Co., Wisconsin.

June 25th

1908 – Born – Mary Elizabeth WEY – Mary is my wife’s 3rd-great-grandmother on her father’s side, daughter to Rachel and Peyton above. She was born in Ohio. She married Jesse TONEY in 1851 in Preble Co., Ohio. She passed away on 25 Jun 1908 at West Fork, Richwood Co., Wisconsin.

1919 – Married – Joseph ZALEWSKI & Emily TROKA – Joseph and Emily are my great-grandparents on my father’s side. They were married at St. Hedwig’s Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They had 3 children from 1920-1931. Emily died early at the age of 45 in 1941. They are buried together at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee.

June 26th

1778 – Married – Christoph DIETER & Elisabeth VENNINGER – Christoph and Elisabeth are my wife’s 4th-great-grandparents on her father’s side. They were married at Evangelisch, Adelshofen, Heidelberg, Baden, Germany. They had 7 children, including her ancestor, Frederick DIETER. Christoph died in 1863 and Elisabeth in 1876. They are both buried in Richland Co., Wisconsin.

1929 – Died – Wilomene C RATHKE – Minnie is my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born 1 Sep 1857 in Pommerania, Prussia. She married Johann THIELKE in 1891 (above) and had one child. She is buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Grafton, Wisconsin.