Kuma Elizabeth Ohi, born February 9, 1911 in Chicago, Illinois, became the first Japanese American female to practice law in the United States in 1937.
She was detained after the attack on Pearl Harbor, but Arthur Goldberg, the attorney for whom Ohi was working as a clerk, intervened. She served as an ensign in the US Navy, and afterwards moved to Washington, DC. She became an attorney at the Office of Management and Budget and the US Department of Labor.
Back to the Future and Fright Night each won three Saturn Awards at the annual ceremony held by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films on May 28, 1986. Ladyhawke won two awards.
Back to the Future won Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actor for Michael J. Fox for his performance as Marty McFly, and Best Special Effects for Kevin Pike.
Fright Night won Best Horror Film, Best Supporting Actor for Roddy McDowall for his performance as Peter Vincent, and Best Writing for Tom Holland (not of Spider-man fame).
Ladyhawke won Best Fantasy Film and Best Costumes for Nana Cecchi.
Anne Ramsey won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Mama Fratelli in The Goonies.
Back to the Future won an Oscar for Special Effects and nominated for three more, but since this was a Steven Spielberg movie, it had more of a wider appeal to audiences than the others at the Saturn Awards. None of the science fiction, fantasy, and horror films that year were nominated for any acting Oscars. Of the ones that did receive nominations, they were only nominated for the technical awards.
Eric Shinseki was born November 28, 1942 in Lihue, Kaua'i, Hawai'ian territory to a family of Japanese ancestry. His grandparents emigrated from Hiroshima to Hawai'i in 1901.
Taking inspiration from his uncles, he graduated from the US Military Academy in 1965 and was commissioned as second lieutenant. He served two tours in the Vietnam War. The first was with the 9th and 25th Infantry Divisions as an artillery observer; and then as commander of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 5th Calvary.
He was injured by a land mine, but recovered and returned to active duty in 1971. For his service, he was awarded three Bronze Star Medals and two Purple Hearts.
He became the first Asian American four-star general. In 2009, the US Senate unanimously confirmed Shinseki as the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, becoming the first Asian American to hold the position. He resigned in 2014 after a scandal involving the Veteran Health Administration.
Yo-Yo Ma, born October 7, 1955 in Paris, France to Chinese parents, is a renowned solo cellist who has performed with orchestras around the world. He has recorded over 90 albums and has won 19 Grammy Awards.
He began playing cello at age four with his father. He was seven years old when he and his parents moved to Boston and then New York City. He continued to study at Julliard School before transferring to Harvard University for a liberal arts education.
He has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. Ma has received the National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Kennedy Center Honors.
George Lucas's third movie in the Star Wars saga, Return of the Jedi, was released in US theaters May 25, 1983. It opened to positive reviews and received numerous awards. It won a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects. It was nominated for Best Art Direction, Best Original Score for John Williams, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Sound.
Of course, the nominations for the top Oscars were reserved for the dramas and biopics. Terms of Endearment is a good movie, and I've seen The Right Stuff, but were they better than Return of the Jedi for Best Picture? I can tell you which one I've seen more than once. No plans to see any of the others.
John Williams's score lost to Bill Conti's score for The Right Stuff? Yeah, right. The Oscar committee stands by its "no horror, no science fiction" movies for any of the acting awards. Good thing the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror films gives due credit. Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher won Saturns for their acting prowess.
Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, born May 24, 1990 in the previous Soviet Union, went into space aboard SpaceX Crew-9 to the International Space Station, as mission specialist in September 2024. He participated in Expedition 72 and planned to spend a month in space, but due to the problems with the spacecraft, his stay was extended.
He spent 171 days in space, returning to Earth in March 2025.
John Cho, born June 16, 1972 in Seoul, South Korea, immigrated to Los Angeles, California when he was six years old. Cho starred as Hikaru Sulu in the reboot of the Star Trek series. He also appeared in the American Pie series and Harold & Kumar series.
He starred in Searching, the first mainstream Hollywood thriller with an Asian American lead actor.
