Hunter S. Thompson

Gonzo journalist, anti-hero and role model Hunter S. Thompson was born on July 18, 1937 in Louisville, Kentucky. He appears seven times in A Book of Ages. Jailed for robbery at 18; later turning up as a Caribbean correspondent for Time magazine and El Sportivo; purchasing a mail-order doctorate; running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; showing up as a recurring character in Doonesbury; being arrested for possession of various drugs and various weapons, including a Gatling gun; and, perhaps most significantly, inventing shotgun golf (Olympic certification pending.) Measured against his achievements, most of our lives seem tame and uninteresting, but we are still living. Happy Birthday Hunter.

Uncle Duke

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson reached another level of immortality as Uncle Duke in Doonesbury. Thompson was 36. The character made his first appearance in Garry Trudeau's comic strip on this day in 1974. Thompson appears seven times in A Book of Ages.