Claude Rains, English-American actor (d. 1967)
William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 – 30 May 1967) was a British actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. After his American film debut as Dr. Jack Griffin in The Invisible Man (1933), he appeared in such highly regarded films as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Wolf Man (1941), Casablanca and Kings Row (both 1942), Notorious (1946), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).
He was a Tony Award winning actor and was a four-time nominee for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Rains was considered to be "one of the screen's great character stars" who was, according to the All-Movie Guide, "at his best when playing cultured villains". During his lengthy career, he was greatly admired by many of his acting colleagues, such as Bette Davis, Vincent Sherman, Ronald Neame, Albert Dekker, Peter O'Toole, John Gielgud, Charles Laughton and Richard Chamberlain.
1889Nov, 10
Claude Rains
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Events on 1889
- 8Jan
Punched card
Herman Hollerith is issued US patent #395,791 for the 'Art of Applying Statistics' — his punched card calculator. - 30Jan
Mayerling Incident
Archduke Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown, is found dead with his mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera in the Mayerling. - 23Mar
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is established by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Qadian, British India. - 2May
Treaty of Wuchale
Menelik II, Emperor of Ethiopia, signs the Treaty of Wuchale, giving Italy control over Eritrea. - 6May
Exposition Universelle (1889)
The Eiffel Tower is officially opened to the public at the Universal Exposition in Paris.