Events that happened on this day - January 31st.

This is a small selection of science fiction related events that happened on this day 31st January.

Born on this day in 1914 – Carey Lofton, actor/stuntman (Star Trek, The Invaders, The Satan Bug, Radar Men from the Moon, Flying Disc Man from Mars, The Invisible Monster, The Purple Monster Strikes / The Incredible Hulk, Munster, Go Home!, THX 11 38, Radar Men from the Moon, Flying Disc Man from Mars, Adventures of Superman, The Invisible
Monsters, King of the Rocket Men, The Purple Monster Strikes)

Born on this day in 1921 – John Agar, actor (The Naked Monster, Tarantula, The Twilight Zone, Zontar: The Thing from Venus, Curse of the Swamp Creature, Women of the Prehistoric Planet, Destination Space, Journey to the Seventh Planet, Invisible Invaders, Attack of the Puppet People, The Brain from Planet Arous, Daughter of Dr. Jeykll, The Mole People, The Rocket Man)

On this day in 1999 - Silent Hill released on the PlayStation in North America. I know that Silent Hill is not science fiction but I spent many hours playing this game when it was released here in the UK. I wish I could go back and play this game again for the forst time.

Events that happened on this day – January 30th.

This is a small selection of science fiction related events that have taken place on this day – January 29^th over the years.

Born on this day in 1911 – Hugh Marlowe, actor (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea).

Born on this day in 1914 – John Ireland, actor (War of the Worlds, Salvage 1, The Shape of Things to Come, Planet of the Apes).


Born on this day in 1930 - Daphne Ashbrook, who played Doctor Grace Holloway in Doctor Who - The Movie (1996).

Events that happened on this day – January 29th .

This is a small selection of science fiction related events that have taken place on this day – January 29^th over the years.

Born on this day in 1928 – Peter Byrne, actor (Blakes 7)

Born on this day in 1930 – John Junkin, actor (Journey into the Unknown, The Brain).

On this day in 1970 Bessie the Doctor’s vintage yellow car makes its first appearance.

On this day in 1972 the Ice Warriors return to Doctor Who in The Curse of Peladon.

On this day in 1998 - Resident Evil 2 released on the PlayStation in Japan.

The Outer Limits

On his day in 1965 The Outer Limits ends its television run.

Died on this Day in 2011 - Kenneth Grant

On this day in 2011, occultist Kenneth Grant died. Grant was remarkable for his ability to weave the Mythos created by HP Lovecraft into a fantastically complex system over the course of his nine volume Typhonian Trilogies.

Born on this day in 1942 - Stephen Hawking

Happy birthday to Stephen Hawking, born on this day in 1942. This well known physicist has made  appearances in the world of science fiction notably:

Hosting “Masters of Science Fiction” which debuted in the USA on August 4th 2007.

He played poker with Data, Sir Isaac Newton,  and Albert Einstein in “The Descent Part I” - Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Born on this day in 1908 - William Hartnell, the first Doctor

William Henry Hartnell was born on 8^th January 1908 in St Pancreas, London.

Hartnell was a former boxer and jockey who made his theatre debut in the 1920’s and his film debut in 1932 in “Say It With Music”. He was initially reluctant to play the part of the Doctor in the series but was convinced that he should accept the role by producer Verity Lambert and director Waris Hussein.

Hartnell made his first regular appearance in “An Unearthly Child” Episode 1, on November 23^rd 1963. Ongoing health problems forced him to leave the role and he made his final regular appearance in “The Tenth Planet” Episode 4 on 29^th October 1966.

He was to appear in the shows tenth anniversary story “The Three Doctors” along with Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee. Sadly due to ill health he had to play the part seated and reading his lines from cue cards.

William Hartnell died peacefully in his sleep of heart failure on 23^rd April 1975 in Marden, Kent. He was survived by his wife since 1929, Heather.

Born on This Day in 1924 - Gene L Coon

Gene L Coon

Born on this day in 1924 – Gene L Coon - Star Trek writer and producer for its first two seasons, from “Miri” to “Operation Annihilate” in the first season, and from “Catspaw” to “A Private Little War” in the second.

He is credited with creating the Klingons for the series, he wrote the very first episode that they appeared in “Errand of Mercy”. He is also the creator of the United Federation of Planets Prime Directive which forbids interference with younger civilizations.

He is sometimes credited as Lee Cronin

He died on 8^th July 1973 of lung cancer.

On This Day in 1929-Buck Rogers Cartoon Strip Launches

On this day in 1929 Buck Rogers, the first science fiction comic strip was launched.

The character of Buck Rogers was created by Philip Francis Nowlan in a novella “Armageddon 2419 AD”. It appeared in Amazing Stories in August 1928 in which the characters given name was Anthony. A sequel “The Airlords of Ham” appeared in the March 1929 issue.

The president of the National Newspaper Service syndicate, John F Dille arranged for Nowlan to turn his story into a comic strip for syndication, the first cartoonist to draw for the strip was Dick Calkins, an advertising artist. It was at Dilles’s suggestion that the lead character was given the nickname “Buck”.

The comic strip proved to be such a success with the public that on March 30^th 1930 a Sunday strip was added to be daily weekly offering of the Buck Rogers story.

The Buck Rogers comic strip lead to other newspaper syndicates to launch their own science fiction comic strips including “Flash Gordon” (1934 to 2003) and “John Carter of Mars” (1941 to 1943).

Born on this day January 4th, 1938 Jim Norton, actor

Born on this day in 1938 actor Jim Norton. Like Christopher Neame, W. Morgan Sheppard, Robin Sachs, and Guy Siner, Norton has achieved the trifecta of roles in Star Trek, Doctor Who and Babylon 5.

In Babylon 5 he appeared in

"Grail", (6 July 1994) - Ombuds Wellington
"The Quality of Mercy", (17 August 1994) - Ombuds Wellington
"Confessions and Lamentations", (24 May 1995) - Dr. Lazarenn
"Dust to Dust", (5 February 1996) - Narn Image

In Doctor Who he voiced Major Thomas Kennet in the webcast "Scream of the Shalka".

In Star Trek he played the role of Albert Einstein in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "The Nth Degree" and "Descent".

He is probably best known as Bishop Brennan in the TV comedy Father Ted.