Orvon Grover “Gene” Autry,  who gained fame as a singing cowboy on the radio, in movies, and on television for more than three decades beginning in the early 1930s was born in Tioga, Texas on September 29, 1907.  From 1934 to 1953, Autry appeared in 93 films and 91 episodes of The Gene Autry Show television series. He personified the straight-shooting hero—honest, brave, and true—and profoundly touched the lives of millions of Americans.  Autry was also one of the most important figures in the history of country music, considered the second major influential artist of the genre’s development after Jimmie Rodgers. In addition to his signature song, “Back in the Saddle Again”, Autry is still remembered for his Christmas holiday songs, “Here Comes Santa Claus”, which he wrote, “Frosty the Snowman”, and his biggest hit, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Find more on Gene Autry on hoopla.

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra,  29 September 1547 (assumed) – 23 April 1616),  often simply called Cervantes, was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His major work, Don Quixote, considered to be the first modern European novel,  is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written. His influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes (“the language of Cervantes”).He was dubbed El Príncipe de los Ingenios (“The Prince of Wits”). Joust at windmills in the library.

Stan (9/29/1923-11/26/2005) and Jan Berenstain (7/26/1923-2/24/2012), often called The Berenstains, were American writers and illustrators best known for creating the children’s book series The Berenstain Bears. In an interview about the books, the Berenstains said that a big reason behind their inspiration was some of the difficulties parents faced, as well as some childhood tribulations when they were kids themselves. The Berenstains also noted there were some issues which seemed to appear in every generation, such as kids throwing tantrums in public places, which made important subject matter for their stories. However, they deliberately wanted to steer clear of overly heavy issues, such as violence. After the birth of their son Michael in 1951, the couple published The Berenstains’ Baby Book, which dealt with the issues of pregnancy and child-rearing. Although containing practical advice, the book used humor and reminded parents not to take every situation too seriously. They would go on to publish another two books on parenting, How to Teach Your Children About Sex Without Making a Complete Fool of Yourself and Have a Baby, My Wife Just Had a Cigar!. Find the Berenstain Bears at the library.