Monty Python actor Graham Chapman was born on this day
Graham Chapman is best known as one of members of the ‘Monty Python’ surrealist troupe. He was born on this day in 1941. Chapman wrote many of the group’s most famous sketches and took a starring role in their films Holy Grail and Life of Brian.
Chapman decided to become a comedian over studying to be a doctor, and alongside John Cleese write many immortal sketches including the Dead Parrot sketch.
His writing career initially saw him writing for a wide range of television performers including Bill Oddie, Cilla Black, Petula Clark and David Frost. In 1969 he he and Cleese teamed up with Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones to form Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
The absurdist television show ran until 1974 when the group moved onto making movies including The Meaning of Life, Life of Brian and Holy Grail.
After the Python’s disbanded he created the film Yellowbeard. Chapman took the lead role and the movie featured a cavalcade of famous comedians including Marty Feldman, Peter Cook and Cheech & Chong.
Chapman had a long term relationship with writer David Sherlock, the pair met in 1966. Chapman disclosed his homosexuality on a British television program in 1972 making him one of the first celebrities to come out. He was a huge supporter of the Gay Liberation Front and the publication Gay News.
In 1972 Chapman and Sherlock adopted teenage runaway John Tomiczek. The 14 year old’s father agreed to the two men becoming his son’s legal guardian and they remained a presence in his life.
Chapman discovered he had tonsil cancer in 1988 and he passed away on 4th October 1989, aged 48. He was the first member of the Monty python cast to pass away, colleague Terry Jones died in January 2020.
At his memorial service the remaining members of his comedy team lead the congregation in singing his signature tune Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.
Karl Baer, one of the first people to undergo gender surgery, was legally recognised in 1907
German-Israeli Author Karl Baer, who was one of the first transgender people to undergo gender reassignment surgery, was allowed to officially affirm their gender on their official documents on this day in 1907.
Baer was born in 1885 in Germany and underwent surgery in December 1906. Baer also gained the right to marry and did so in 1907. His first wife Beile Halpern died in 1909, and he later married Elza Max.
Like many Jewish people, Baer left Germany with the rise of the Nazi party. He moved to Palestine in 1938 where he worked as an insurance salesman until 1950. He passed away in 1950.
He documented his life in a semi-autobiographical book that was published in 1907. It was called Aus eines Mannes Mädchenjahren, which translates as Memoirs of a Man’s Maiden Years. It was published under a pseudonym so Baer could not be identified. An English translation was published for the first time in 2005.
In 1919 his book was made into a film, but no copies of the film appear to have survived.
Harvey Milk takes office in San Francisco
Harvey Milk began his time in office on this day in 1978. Elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Milk was the first publicly elected official in the USA who was open about their homosexuality.
Milk was assassinated on 27th November 1978 alongside the city’s mayor George Moscone. Both were shot by Dan White who was another city supervisor. Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
During his eleven months in office Milk helped pass a string of ordinances that helped the LGBT community in San Francisco.
Sean Penn won the Academy Award for his portrayal of the politician in the biopic Milk. The films screenwriter Dustin Lance Black also picked up an Oscar.
Harvey Milk’s former camera shop on Castro Street is now the home of the Human Rights Campaign that fights for LGBTIQ+ rights in the USA.
“Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.” is one of many quotes attributed to Milk. He also advocated for all LGBTIQ+ people to come out and be proud of their sexuality.
Prior to his assassination Milk had been receiving a lot of death threats. He recorded his thoughts on tape recording his ‘political will’ saying; “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door”.
This post was first published in 2020.
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