"It is not miserable to be blind; it is miserable to be incapable of enduring blindness."

John Milton
(12/09/1608 – 11/08/1674)
English writer

"The law is an adroit mixture of customs that are beneficial to society, and could be followed even if no law existed, and others that are of advantage to a ruling minority, but harmful to the masses of men, and can be enforced on them only by terror."

Peter Kropotkin
(12/09/1842 – 02/08/1921)
Russian writer

"I am a poor man, but I would gladly give ten shillings to find out who sent me the insulting Christmas card I received this morning."

George Grossmith
(12/09/1847 – 03/01/1912)
English comic actor

"Watch out w'en you'er gittin all you want. Fattenin' hogs ain't in luck."

Joel Chandler Harris
(12/09/1848 – 07/03/1908)
US writer ("Uncle Remus")

"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."

Dolores Ibarruri
(12/09/1895 – 11/12/1989)
Spanish communistleader

"Anything that's white is sweet.
Anything that's brown is meat.
Anything that's grey don't eat."

Hermione Gingold
(12/09/1897 – 05/24/1987)
English actor, on airline food

"She ate so many clams that her stomach rose and fell with the tide."

Louis Kronenberger
(12/09/1904 – 04/30/1980)
US writer

"I fought fire with oil."

Dalton Trumbo
(12/09/1905 – 09/10/1976)
US writer (Johnny Got His Gun)

"It is easier to get forgiveness than permission."

Grace Murray Hopper
(12/09/1906 – 01/01/1992)
US programmer, inventor of COBOL

"I was only saying to the Queen the other day how I hate name-dropping."

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
(12/09/1911 – 05/07/2000)
US actor

"My trademarks are a hoarse, grating voice and the face of a retired pugilist: small narrowed eyes set in puffy features which look as though they might, years ago, have lost on points."

Broderick Crawford
(12/09/1911 – 04/26/1986)
US actor

"There are instances where it is in the best interests of the nation not to vote the will of the people."

"Tip" O’Neill
(12/09/1912 – 01/05/1994)
US house speaker

"Why can't a woman be more like a dog, huh? So sweet, loving, attentive."

Kirk Douglas
(12/09/1918 – )
US actor (father of Michael Douglas)

"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing."

Redd Foxx
(12/09/1922 – 10/11/1991)
US comic, actor

"Ricardo Montalban is to improvisational acting what Mount Rushmore is to animation."

John Cassavetes
(12/09/1929 – 02/03/1989)
US director

"We need a president who's fluent in at least one language."

Buck Henry
(12/09/1930 – )
US actor, writer (SNL)

"A pitiful, rancorous, attacking moron."

Morton Downey, Jr.
(12/09/1933 – 03/12/2001)
US talk show host, actor, composer (wrote Wipe Out and Pipeline!), on Howard Stern

"The one we keep pitching and there are no takers is The Fabulous Baker Boys Go To Hawaii. There don't seem to be any takers on that one!"

Beau Bridges
(12/09/1941 – )
US actor (son of Lloyd Bridges, brother of Jeff Bridges)

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've suffered for my music ... now it's your turn."

Neil Innes
(12/09/1944 – )
English actor, musician (Bonzo Dog Band, Rutles)

"In America, you watch TV and think that's totally unreal, then you step outside and it's just the same."

Joan Armatrading
(12/09/1950 – )
Saint Kitts singer

"She has this Jayne Mansfield body and a horrifyingly great brain."

John Malkovich
(12/09/1953 – )
US actor, on Uma Thurman

"I don't want my album coming out with a 'G' rating. Nobody would buy it."

Donny Osmond
(12/09/1957 – )
US singer (brother of Marie Osmond)

"I know as actors our job is usually to shed our skins, but I think as people our job is to become who we really are and so I would like to salute the men and women who brave ostracism, alienation and a life lived on the margins to become who they really are."

Felicity Huffman
(12/09/1962 – )
US actor (married to William H. Macy)