Died On This Date: Mar 3

Costello, Lou (Louis Francis Cristillo)
b. March 6, 1906 d. March 3, 1959
Actor, Comedian. He is best remembered for his partnership with Bud Abbott. Currently, he and Bud Abbott are the only non-sports figures honored in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, for their famous "Who's on First" routine. He tried to mention his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey, in virtually every television show and movie. Born Louis Francis Cristillo in Paterson, he began work at MGM and Warner

Kaye (Kaminski), Danny (David Daniel)
b. January 18, 1913 d. March 3, 1987
Actor, Comic, Humanitarian. His multi-talents led him to success in every facet of show business. Danny Kaye excelled at comedy, impersonation, acting and singing both popular and classical music. His career lasted for over fifty years, from acting on stage in the Catskills to Broadway, early radio and then television. His parents were Russian immigrants and he was born David Daniel Kaminski in Brooklyn the third son and the only one born in the United States.

Wilkes, Henry
b. 1845 d. March 3, 1888
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He was a prisoner of war. He served as a Landsman in the Union Navy. His citation reads "Wilkes served on board the U.S. Picket Boat No. 1 in action, 27 October 1864, against the Confederate ram, Albemarle, which had resisted repeated attacks by our steamers and had kept a large force of vessels employed in watching her. The picket boat, equipped with a spar torpedo, succeeded in passing the enemy pickets within 20 yards without being discovered.

Frawley, William Clement
b. February 26, 1887 d. March 3, 1966
Veteran character actor, best known for his portrayal of Lucille Ball’s gruff landlord ‘Fred Mertz’ on the groundbreaking 1950’s television sitcom “I Love Lucy.” By the time Frawley came to “I Love Lucy” he was a veteran of vaudeville, Broadway and over 100 Hollywood films. He was born William Clement Frawley on February 26, 1887 in Burlington, Iowa. In his youth he sang in the St. Paul’s Catholic Church choir, played at the Burlington Opera House.

Sabin, Albert B.
b. August 26, 1906 d. March 3, 1993
Medical Pioneer. Developer of the oral, live virus polio vaccine. Approximately 100 million European children were the first to receive Dr. Sabin's oral polio vaccine in 1960 following worldwide preliminary trials. Between 1962-64 about 100 million US residents received the oral vaccine. Worldwide use of the vaccine is estimated to have prevented about 5 million cases of paralytic polio and 500,000 deaths from 1965-66.

Thomas Jr., Boots (Ernest Ivy)
b. March 10, 1924 d. March 3, 1945
United States Marine Corps Sergeant. One of the six Marines who raised the first American flag on Mount Surabachi on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. This flag was later replaced by the flag in the famous flag raising photography taken by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press. Sergeant Thomas was killed in action on March 3, 1945.

Murray, Arthur
b. April 4, 1895 d. March 3, 1991
Dance Pioneer, Actor, Author. A well-known dance instructor, he also appeared in films and on television. He appeared in the films, "Jiggs And Maggie In Society" (1947), "You Can't Take It With You" (1938), and wrote for the film, "Cuban Rhythm" (1941). He also appeared on television's "What's My Line?" (1960), and had his own television show, "The Arthur Murray Party" from 1950 to 1960.

Peale, Raphael
b. February 17, 1774 d. March 3, 1825
Artist. Born Raphaelle Peale in Annapolis, Maryland, the fifth child, though eldest surviving, of Charles Willson Peale and his first wife Rachel Brewer. As with all the Peale children, Raphael was trained by his father as an artist. Early in his career, the pair collaborated on portraits. On some commissions, Raphael painted miniatures while his brother, Rembrandt, painted full size portraits. In 1792, he made a trip to South America in order to collect specimens for the Peale's Museum.

Borglum, Gutzon
b. March 25, 1871 d. March 3, 1941
Artist. Best known for being the Mount Rushmore sculptor. He was born John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum in Idaho to a Danish immigrant who embraced the Mormon religion and immediately acquired two wives who were sisters. When Borglum was 4, his father, a frontier doctor, left the church, discarding young Borglum's mother so he could return to society with only one wife and a brood of children.

Williams, Jack
b. October 18, 1924 d. March 3, 1945
World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served in the United States Navy during World War II as a Pharmacist's Mate Third Class in the United States Naval Reserve. BHe was awarded the CMOH for his bravery in the Invation of Iwo Jima island on March 3, 1945. His citation reads "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the 3d Battalion 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division, during the occupation of Iwo Jima.

Gilbert, Ray
b. September 5, 1912 d. March 3, 1976
Composer, songwriter. Gilbert worked on the films "Hey There, It's Yogi Bear" (1964), "Playgirl" (1954), "Sombrero" (1953), "Nancy Goes To Rio" (1950), "Melody Time" (1948), "Sog of The South" (1946), "Make Mine Music" (1946), "The Three Caballeros" (1945), "Moonlight And Cactus" (1944) and "The Gray Ranchero" (1948).

Stone Jr., Lester Raymond
b. June 4, 1947 d. March 3, 1969
Viet Nam Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during the Viet Nam War in the United States Army as a Sergeant in the 1st Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division (Americal). He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery west of Landing Zone Liz, Republic of Vietnam, on March 3, 1969.

Wilson, Alfred Mac
b. January 13, 1948 d. March 3, 1969
Viet Nam Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served during the Viet Nam War in the United States Marine Corps as a Private First Class in Company M, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery at Fire Support Base Cunningham in the Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, on March 3, 1969. His citation reads “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman.

Jeffries, Jim (James) J.
b. April 15, 1875 d. March 3, 1953
World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Born on a farm in Carroll, Ohio, he began his fight career in Southern California at the age of 15. Nearly 6'2" and 214 pounds in his prime, Jeffries could absorb staggering amounts of punishment, wearing down his opponents before finishing them off with a right to the stomach-left-hook to the jaw combination. His technique won him the nickname "The Boilermaker". He won the World Heavyweight Title from Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899.

Luther, James Hezikiah
b. January 24, 1841 d. March 3, 1916
Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Corporal in the Union Army in Company D, 7th Massachusetts Infantry. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action on May 3, 1863 at Fredericksburg, Virginia. His citation reads "Among the first to jump into the enemy's rifle pits, he himself captured and brought out three prisoners."

Pearce, Alice
b. October 16, 1917 d. March 3, 1966
Actress. Making a career out of a post-nasal drip, this scene-stealing character comedienne was one of the best Broadway and Hollywood had to offer. It's too bad, then, that she wasn't utilized in films more often for this slight, chinless, parrot-faced, squawky-voiced bundle of (kill) joy could draw laughs from a well with a mere sniffle, gulp, or stare. Plaintive Alice Pearce was born in New York City, the only child of a bank vice-president.