On this day: the birth of a theatre star

Fred and Adele Astaire, circa 1906.

Adele Astaire, stage star and sister of her movie star brother, Fred, was born in Omaha, Nebraska on the 10th of September, 1896. Her birth name was Adele Marie Austerlitz, but the surname was changed to make her sound more “American”. As a child, she and her brother moved to New York to attend the Alviene Master School of the Theatre and Academy of Cultural Arts.

In 1921

Three years Fred’s senior, Adele was actually the more successful stage performer of the two siblings. However her brother went on to find Hollywood fame, and while Adele considered moving into film, she abandoned the plan, admitting to being intimidated by her brother.

Astaire married twice (her first husband died in this thirties), and had three children. She was considered the more personable of the two siblings.

She died in January of 1981, at the age of eighty-four.

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On this day: the birth of Strongheart

In 1921 X

Strongheart, a German Shepherd, was born on the 1^st of October, 1917. Originally trained as a police dog for Germany in World War One, he went on to become a movie star in America.

Originally named Etzel von Oeringen, his owner fell into poverty at the end of the war and sent him to the United States in 1920, where he was renamed at the suggestion of a studio.

Brawn of the North

Strongheart’s film credits include 1921’s The Silent Call and 1922’s Brawn of the North.

His last film was 1927’s The Return of Boston Blackie.

As the star of a book in 1926.

The dog was accidentally burnt by studio lights, which caused him to develop a tumour. He died in June 1929.

On this day: Northern Ireland’s parliament opened in 1921

On the 22nd of June, 1921, Robinson and Cleaver Department Store in Belfast was photographed decorated for the State Opening of the first Northern Ireland parliament.

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