March 23, 1910: Akira Kurosawa (黒澤 明) is born.

A happy 112th birthday to this cinematic pioneer, who, in 1990, was awarded an Academy Honorary Award for “cinematic accomplishments that have inspired, delighted, enriched and entertained worldwide audiences and influenced filmmakers throughout the world.” Numerous directors have cited Kurosawa as having influenced their own work, including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, and Ingmar Bergman. 

His most popular films, often depicting samurai and Japanese warlords, include Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Rashomon, Kagemusha, and Ran. Not coincidentally, some of his films also inspired or were directly remade as westerns (The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of Dollars from Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, respectively).

Various World’s Fair/World Expo Posters, 1876-1958.

October 11, 1910: Theodore Roosevelt becomes the first president to fly in an airplane.

As if being a war hero, winning a Nobel Peace Prize, mastering judo, and becoming the youngest American president in history weren’t enough achievements, Theodore Roosevelt was also the first president to fly. While campaigning, Roosevelt crossed paths with Archibald Hoxsey, a pilot for the Wright Brothers, and was offered a ride. The ride went smoothly, but Hoxsey nearly lost his job for pulling such a dangerous stunt. 

(Incidentally, Roosevelt was also the first U.S. president to be submerged in a submarine.)