2013 Event Author J.K. Rowling announces she is producing a play based on the life of her character Harry Potter; the play tells the previously untold story of life before the boy wizard goes to Hogwarts; the play will premiere in London's West End within the next two years 2007 Death Johnny Hart, cartoonist, creator, comic strips, 'The Wizard of Id', 'B.C.', strips each appeared in over 1,000 newspapers, dies of a stroke while at the drawing table, at age 76 1998 Death Grandpa Jones, country comic/banjo wizard, 'Hee Haw', dies at 84 1990 Death David Rappaport, 3'11' actor (Wizard, LA Law), shoots himself at 38 1987 Death Ray Bolger, actor/dancer (Wizard of Oz), dies at 83 1985 Death Margaret Hamilton, actress, played the Wicked Witch in the 'Wizard of Oz', dies at 82 1979 Death Jack Haley, actor (Wizard of Oz), dies of cancer at 79 1971 Birthday Joan Kenmore, actress, Wizard of Oz 1969 Death Judy Garland, actress (Wizard of Oz, Easter Parade), dies at 47 1969 Death Judy Garland, singer and actress (Wizard of Oz), dies at 48 of an overdose 1967 Death Bert Lahr, Irving Lahrheim, U.S. comic (Wizard of Oz), dies at 72 1956 Event "Wizard of Oz" 1st televised (CBS-TV) 1951 Birthday David Rappaport, born in London, England, 3'11" actor, Wizard, Time Bandits 1949 Death Frank Morgan, actor (Annie Get Your Gun, Wizard of Oz), dies at 59 1949 Death Victor Fleming, director (Wizard of Oz, Gone With Wind), dies at 65 1939 Event "Wizard of Oz" opens at Loew's Capitol Theater in NY 1939 Event "Wizard of Oz" premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood 1938 Event Margaret Hamilton's costume catches fire in filming of "Wizard of Oz" 1937 Birthday Andrew J[efferson V] Offutt, U.S., sci-fi author, Undying Wizard 1931 Birthday Johnny Hart, born in Endicott, New York, cartoonist, creator, comic strips, 'The Wizard of Id', 'B.C.', strips each appeared in over 1,000 newspapers 1923 Birthday Roy Dotrice, Guernsey Channel Island, actor, Wizard 1922 Birthday Judy Garland, born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, actress and singer, Wizard of Oz 1919 Death Frank Lyman Baum, author (Wizard of Oz), dies at 62 1917 Birthday Don Herbert, born in Waconia, Minnesota, scientist/TV host, Watch Mr. Wizard 1912 Birthday A[lfred] E[lton] van Vogt, Canada, sci-fi author, Wizard of Linn 1904 Birthday Ray Bolger, Dorchester Massachusetts, actor/dancer, Wizard of Oz 1903 Event "Wizard of Oz," premieres in New York City 1902 Birthday Margaret Hamilton, born in Cleveland, Ohio, actress, Wicked Witch in the 'Wizard of Oz' 1884 Death Paul Charles Morphy, U.S. lawyer/chess wizard, dies at 47 1883 Birthday Victor Fleming, born in Pasadena, California, director, Wizard of Oz, Gone With Wind 1869 Birthday Charley Grapewin, Xenia, Ohio, actor, Wizard of Oz, Libeled Lady
