Gene Roddenberry, writer and producer, is best known for the creation of the Star Trek television series. He took inspiration for the creation of the series from books such as Gulliver’s Travels. Star trek was highly influential and led to the production of other television series and several movies. The first episode of Star Trek was premiered on television on September 8th 1966.

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry was born in Texas, USA on August 19^th 1921. Two year after he was born his family moved to Los Angeles, California. Roddenberry served as a pilot with the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war he served as an airline pilot until 1949.

Roddenberry joined the Los Angeles Police in 1949 and began writing scripts for television. He left the police and became a freelance writer in 1953. He contributed to programmes such as Dr Kildare, and Have Gun—Will Travel. In 1964 he created Star Trek, which premiered in 1966 and ran for three seasons.

Roddenberry was subsequently involved in the Star Trek feature films and the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. He died in 1991 and some of his ashes were flown into space on the Space Shuttle Columbia. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2010.

Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, died aged 70 in the year 1991 On This Day.

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William Miller was a Baptist preacher who was a native of the United States. He believed that the Earth’s destruction by fire at Christ’s Second Coming would occur sometime in 1843/1844. In 1822 he wrote: ‘I believe that the second coming of Jesus Christ is near, even at the door, even within twenty-one years,—on or before 1843’.

Miller spent years studying the Bible and particularly the prophecies of Daniel. His studies led him to predict that the Second Coming of Jesus would occur on October 22^nd 1844. The day came and went and the world didn’t end as William Miller had predicted. It became known as the Great Disappointment and led to the formation of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

The Great Disappointment occurred when the world didn’t end as predicted by Baptist preacher William Miller in the year 1844 On This Day.

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Seventh Day Adventist Church Chichester Road

Hans Asperger, after whom Asperger Syndrome is named was a native of Austria. He was a medical professor, paediatrician and child psychologist who is reported to have studied more than 400 children. He published the first definition of Asperger Syndrome in 1944. Because of the children’s ability to talk in great detail about their favourite subject, Asperger referred to them as ‘little professors’.

Hans Asperger was born Johann Friedrich Karl Asperger in Vienna on February 18^th 1906. He studied medicine at the University of Vienna and was awarded a medical degree in 1931. In 1944 he published a definition of autistic psychopathy. He outlined a pattern of behaviour and abilities which included: ‘lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversations, intense absorption in a special interest, and clumsy movements’. His studies did not attract worldwide attention until after his death.

Hans Asperger, after whom Asperger Syndrome is named, died aged 74 in Vienna, Austria in the year 1980 On This Day.

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Autism Awarness Ribbon

Jack Lynch was a sportsman and politician who served two terms as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. Prior to entering politics Lynch had a successful sporting career in Gaelic Games. He won All-Ireland medals in both Hurling and football.

Jack Lynch was born John Mary Lynch in Cork City Ireland on August 15^th 1917. He was educated locally and having studied law was called to the bar in 1945. On the sports field Lynch won five All-Ireland hurling medals with Cork (1941-4 and 1946). He won an All-Ireland football medal with cork in 1945.

The Fianna Fáil political party asked Jack Lynch to stand as a candidate in the General Election of 1948. He was elected as TD for the Cork Borough constituency. He was returned to Dáil Éireann for the constituency at each subsequent election until his retirement in 1981.

Jack Lynch served in several ministries before being elected Taoiseach in 1966. As Taoiseach he had to deal with the outbreak of civil unrest and the collapse of the Government of Northern Ireland. In 1970 he dismissed two cabinet members during the Arms Crisis. Lynch developed the idea of a power sharing administration between Unionists and Nationalists as a solution to the Northern Ireland problem.

In 1973 Jack Lynch signed the EEC accession treaty. He was defeated in the General Election which followed and went into opposition for four years. He was returned as Taoiseach in the General Election of 1977 but resigned in 1979. He retired from politics in 1981.

Jack Lynch died at the age of 82 in the year 1999 On This Day.

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Department of Taoiseach by Nico Kaiser on 2012-10-22 14:04:54