By Cynthia Charlene Greason
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has been a leading man in films of several genres and starred in many major box-office successes, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s. His films have grossed more than $5.4 billion in North America and more than $9.3 billion worldwide. Ford is the recipient of various accolades, including the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an Honorary César, and an Honorary Palme d’Or, in addition to an Academy Award nomination.
Ford made his film debut in an uncredited appearance in Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966) and went on to play supporting roles in such films as Journey to Shiloh (1968), Getting Straight (1970), American Graffiti (1973), and The Conversation (1974). He gained worldwide fame for his starring role as Han Solo in the epic space opera film Star Wars (1977), a role he reprised in four sequels over the next four decades. The multimedia franchise became a global cultural phenomenon. Ford is also known for his portrayal of the titular character in the popular media franchise Indiana Jones, beginning with the action-adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He played the character in four additional sequels over the next four decades and also starred as Rick Deckard in the cult science fiction film Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), and portrayed Jack Ryan in the spy thriller films Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994).
Ford’s on-screen career spans six decades in both film and television. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a detective who envelopes himself in the Amish community in the crime thriller Witness (1985). Ford has also starred in films such as The Mosquito Coast (1986), Working Girl (1988), Presumed Innocent (1990), Regarding Henry (1991), The Fugitive (1993), Sabrina (1995), The Devil’s Own (1997), Air Force One (1997), Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), Random Hearts (1999), What Lies Beneath (2000), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Firewall (2006), Morning Glory (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011) 42 (2013), The Age of Adaline (2015), and The Call of the Wild (2020). Ford has since starred in the Paramount+ western series 1923 (2022–present) and the Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking (2023–present).
Outside of acting, Ford is a licensed pilot; he has often assisted the emergency services in rescue missions near his home in Wyoming, and he chaired an aviation education program for youth from 2004 to 2009. Ford is also an environmental activist, having served as the inaugural vice chair of Conservation International since 1991.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Born
- John Clare (poet) –
- Gustav Freytag (novelist) –
- David Garroway (television personality) –
- Bob Crane (actor) –
- Frank Ramsey (basketball player) –
- Patrick Stewart (actor) –
- Harrison Ford (actor) –
- Cameron Crowe (film director & writer) –
- Bobby Carpenter (hockey player) –
Died
- Gabriel Lippmann (physicist) –
- Davey Allison (race car driver) –
- Yousuf Karsh (photographer) –
- Red Buttons (actor) –
- George Steinbrenner (businessman, former owner of the New York Yankees) –
Events
- The American Continental Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, establishing the procedure for the creation of new states–
- Current U.S. patent numbering system began–
- The first official cat show took place, in London–
- Theodore Roosevelt laid the corner stone for a new county courthouse in Mineola, New York, and spoke of the need for honesty in government. While he was talking, one man had his pockets picked of $140 and another man lost $103–
- Women competed in modern Olympics for the first time–
- Gold discovered near Cochrane, Ontario–
- Stratford Festival’s first production, Ontario–
- Blackout strikes NYC at 9:34 P.M. and lasts until the next day. The sweltering evening turn into a night of near total chaos. Police arrest some 3,200 looters–
- Montreal hosted the first baseball All-Star Game outside the U.S.–
- Ken Jennings, a software engineer from Salt Lake City, won his 30th straight game on Jeopardy! which brought his earnings to $1,004,960. He was the first contestant to pass the $1 million mark.–
- A Maine fisherman caught a half-brown, half-orange lobster. The odds of catching this kind of lobster are 1 in 50 million–
Weather
- 112 degrees F in Mio, Michigan–
- Dover, Delaware, received 8.5 inches of rain, over a 24-hour period–
- A lightning strike on a power line in Westchester County in New York triggered a 24-hour power blackout in New York City–
- The temperature reached 106 degrees F in Chicago, Illinois–
- Tornado touched down near Pikes Peak, Colorado–
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