July 15 Birthday
Rembrandt van Rijn, born this day in 1606 in Leiden, was the greatest painter of the Dutch Golden Age. He produced over 600 paintings, 300 etchings, and 2,000 drawings. He went bankrupt in 1656 after living beyond his means, and was forced to sell his house and collection at auction. His common-law wife Hendrickje Stoffels was summoned before the church council for "living in sin." He died in 1669, buried in an unmarked grave. His later works — the self-portraits, The Jewish Bride, The Return of the Prodigal Son — are among the most emotionally profound paintings ever made. Nixon announced on July 15, 1971, that he would visit China — the first time a US president had acknowledged the possibility since the Communist revolution. The announcement was made on television simultaneously in the US and China. It was a complete surprise to the American public and to most of the government. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger had made a secret trip to Beijing the previous week. The visit reshaped the Cold War. People born on July 15 fall under the zodiac sign of Cancer. The birthstone is Ruby and the birth flower is Larkspur. Historical events on July 15 include 1971: President Nixon announces he will visit China, 1976: Jimmy Carter nominated at Democratic National Convention, 2006: Twitter publicly launched after Jack Dorsey sends first tweet in March. Famous people born on July 15 include Rembrandt van Rijn (1606), Iris Murdoch (1919), Linda Ronstadt (1946).