1889 Erle Stanley Gardner - US novelist and lawyer who wrote the Perry Mason series of books. Gardner attended college in Indiana but dropped out and moved to Southern California. He worked as a typist in a law firm for three years, before becoming an attorney himself. As a trial lawyer in Ventura, he started turning his law practice experience into short stories, which he successfully submitted to pulp magazines. His stories included detailed descriptions of court and the antics of trial attorneys. Gardner used to write 200,000 words a month, as well as devoting two days a week to his law practice. He completed more than 80 Perry Mason novels, as well as writing two other detective series. Perry Mason first appeared in 1933 in the book, The Case of the Velvet Claws. In 1943, Perry Mason became a radio serial, which was part crime show, and part soap opera. Perry Mason then moved to television in 1957, while the soap opera portion of the radio series was spun off into the TV soap The Edge of Night

When I was a stay-at-home mom, I used to watch it. It was only on for 1/2 hour. I didn't know that it was a Perry Mason spinoff until years after it was cancelled.

1912 Art Linkletter - TV host (House Party, Kids Say the Darndest Things, The Art Linkletter Show, People Are Funny) He was born Arthur Gordon Kelly at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

I went to school with a kid named Sammy who was a prankster and always made jokes. He'd been chosen to be on Kids Say the Darndest Things and when he was on stage he clammed up and barely said anything. I remember watching him on TV and thinking that wasn't the Sammy everyone knew. He seemed really shy. I think Linkletter got a little frustrated with him.