Advanced search

Alexander Münninghoff was born on 13 April 1944 in Posen, Germany. He was a writer, known for Legacy (2023), De stamhouder (2017) and De wereld draait door (2005). He died on 28 March 2020 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

"She's got it," Mariska Veres sang in the enormously popular Shocking Blue song "Venus." Mariska most certainly had it--a sensuous and charismatic stage presence that could transfix an audience with an absolute minimum of effort.

A striking brunette beauty with long, jet-black hair, sparkling eyes, a sweetly comely face and a voluptuous figure, Veres was further blessed with an exceptionally captivating strong and sultry voice. She was born on October 1, 1947, in the Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. Her father was gypsy Hungarian violinist Lajos Veres and her mother was born in Germany to French and Russian parents. Mariska often accompanied her father on piano. She began her music career in 1963 as a singer with the guitar band Les Mysteres. She was a member of the groups The Blues Fighters, The Bumble Bees, Danny and His Favorites, General Four and The Motowns prior to becoming the lead singer for the Dutch rock band Shocking Blue in 1968 (she replaced original lead singer Fred de Wilde). Shocking Blue scored a massive international success with the song "Venus," enjoyed a steady succession of Dutch radio hits for four years straight, and recorded several albums before splitting up in 1974. Veres went on to a less successful solo career (her lone hit song was "Take Me High" in 1975). Shocking Blue reunited in 1984 for a back-to-the-60's rock concert festival. Mariska was the lead singer for the jazz outfit the Shocking Jazz Quintet in the early 1990s and fronted a new version of Shocking Blue from 1993 to 2006.

Mariska Veres died from cancer at the tragically young age of 59 on December 2, 2006; she is much loved and missed by her many fans all over the world.

Anna Pavlovna Pavlova was born on February 12, 1881, in Ligovo, near St. Petersburg, Russia. She was an illegitimate daughter to parents of a Russian-Jewish background. Her real father was a wealthy businessman named Lazar Polyakov. Her mother, Lyubov Fedorovna Pavlova, was a poor peasant. Her mother's husband, Mathwey (Mathew) Pavlov, was a retired soldier, who died when Anna was only two years old. Although she was registered under the name of Pavlova, her father Lazar Polyakov took good care of young Anna and also paid for her tuition at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg.

Young Anna Pavlova was raised by her grandmother at her villa in Ligovo, an upscale suburb of St. Petersburg. There she became acquainted with aristocratic society and attended ballet performances at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. From a young age, Pavlova had a dream of becoming a ballerina but she was rejected at the age of eight and practiced at home for two years. At the age of 10 she auditioned again and was admitted by Marius Petipa to the ballet class at the Imperial Ballet school in St. Petersburg. There she practiced ballet routines for eight hours daily and also studied music, having perfect pitch. As a ballet student, Pavlova adopted a strict diet with emphasis on fish and vegetables and followed that diet throughout her life. She lived at the boarding school of the Imperial Ballet until her graduation at the age of 18. Tamara Karsavina and 'Matilda Kshesinskaya' were among her classmates. Pavlova made her debut on September 19, 1899 and worked with the Mariinsky Ballet from 1899 to 1907. She shared the role of Gizelle with 'Matilda Kshesinskaya'. Her partner and choreographer was Mikhail Fokin. He choreographed Pavlova's best known showpiece "The Dying Swan" on the music of Camille Saint-Saëns. In 1908, Sergei Diaghilev hired Pavlova and Mikhail Fokin for his "Ballets Russes" (Russian Seasons) in Paris and London.

In 1904, Anna Pavlova met Victor D'Andre, a French-Russian aristocrat, who loved her at once. D'Andre was a businessman in St. Petersburg. At one time he was accused of embezzlement and imprisoned. Pavlova bailed him out of prison, then paid all his debts and legal expenses. D'Andre and Pavlova privately married in 1911. Victor D'Andre became her impresario and they formed a touring ballet troupe. In 1912 Pavlova and D'Andre bought Ivy House, Golders Green in Hampstead, London, which was their home for the rest of her life. On her expensive estate Pavlova kept a pond with swans, alluding to her favourite role. At her home Pavlova established a dance school which catered to her touring troupe. Initially her troupe had only eight Russian dancers. Later, with the growing success and popularity of Anna Pavlova, her troupe grew to sixty dancers and staff, all managed by D'Andre.

Pavlova made her Metropolitan Opera House debut in 1910, and toured America and Europe before her brief final return to Russia. She made her last appearance in St. Petersburg in 1913 and spent the rest of her life on tour. Pavlova toured all over the world including Europe, Asia, North and Central America, and Australia. Pavlova was able to make eight to nine performances per week and had a great interest in performing for inexperienced audiences in remote rural areas around the world. Her performances in Mexico, India, Japan and Australia were legendary. She was overworked and exhausted by her late 40s, but still danced vigorously. She gave over four thousand ballet performances during the years between 1913-1930. In January of 1931, Pavlova contracted double pneumonia on a train to Haage and her condition deteriorated rapidly. Dying, she looked at her swan costume. She died on January 23, 1931, in Haage, Netherlands. Her remains were buried in the Novodevichy Convent Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.

Pavlova's infinite finesse, delicacy and emotional dimension were captured by artist Valentin Serov, who painted her famous 1909 life-size portrait. Pavlova is depicted in her favorite role as a white swan on a blue background.

Slobodan Milosevic (20 August 1941 - 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who served as the president of Serbia within Yugoslavia from 1989 to 1997 (originally the Socialist Republic of Serbia, a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, from 1989 to 1992) and president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000. Formerly a high-ranking member of the League of Communists of Serbia (SKS) during the 1980s, he led the Socialist Party of Serbia from its foundation in 1990 until 2003.

Ko van Dijk was born on 25 July 1916 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor and director, known for Dagboek van een herdershond (1978), Uilenspiegel (1973) and Pygmalion (1976). He was married to Pia van den Hurk, Barry Verkaaik, Teddy Schaank, Ellen de Thouars, Elly Van Stekelenburg and Emmy Scholte. He died on 6 May 1978 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Niek Pancras was born on 20 June 1938 in Waarland, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor, known for Transport (1983), Laat maar zitten (1988) and Medisch Centrum West (1988). He died on 27 June 2010 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Max Croiset was born on 13 August 1912 in Blaricum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor, known for A Dog of Flanders (1960), De laatste dagen van een eiland (1942) and Village by the River (1958). He was married to Jeanne Verstraete. He died on 7 April 1993 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Victor Colani was born on 30 October 1895 in Zittau, Saxony, Germany. He was an actor, known for Echte Perlen (1919), Das Haus gegenüber (1918) and Die Blitzzentrale (1921). He died on 25 November 1957 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Ben van Os was born in 1944 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. He was a production designer and art director, known for Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003), The Libertine (2004) and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989). He died on 2 July 2012 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Dolf de Vries was born on 11 July 1937 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor and writer, known for Dossier Verhulst (1986), Black Book (2006) and Onderweg naar morgen (1994). He was married to Lout. He died on 5 December 2020 in The Hague, Netherlands.

Dien van Straalen was born in 1947 in Zoetermeer, Netherlands. Dien van was a costume designer, known for Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003), The Libertine (2004) and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989). Dien van died on 9 July 2010 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Wik Jongsma was born on 4 April 1943 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor, known for Goede tijden, slechte tijden (1990), Medisch Centrum West (1988) and L'homme d'Amsterdam (1976). He was married to Pauline van Rhenen. He died on 7 November 2008 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Beppie De Vries was born on 13 April 1893 in Nieuwer-Amstel, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress, known for De jantjes (1922), Kee en Janus naar Parijs (1924) and Oranje Hein (1925). She died on 9 June 1965 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Born in 1927, Frans Zwartjes did not turn to filmmaking until age 41, in 1968, when he embarked on a series of several dozen black and white experimental shorts over 3 years. Previously he had been a musician, a violin maker and a painter. In his youth he had also been a viola performer with the Netherlands Opera. Abandoning the grind of later concert practice, he worked for a while as a nurse in a psychiatric facility. He investigated the potential of film as a recording medium during the next stage of his career, when he wanted to document exhibitions of his own art and those by his friends. He also taught film to students, encouraging them to work with cheap low contrast stock, one's own surroundings and people you knew (such as his wife) as actors. After 1973, Zwartjes began to use the more common color stock,and later to add more dialogue and story to his visuals. He has now produced full length features.But he continues to innovate and surprise.

Tonke Dragt was born on 12 November 1930 in Batavia, Batavia, Dutch East Indies [now Jakarta, Indonesia]. Tonke was a writer, known for De zevensprong (1982), De brief voor de koning (2008) and The Letter for the King (2020). Tonke died on 12 July 2024 in The Hague, Netherlands.

Wieteke van Dort was born on 16 May 1943 in Soerabaja, Soerabaja, Dutch East Indies [now Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia]. She was an actress and writer, known for De Stratemakeropzeeshow (1972), J.J. de Bom voorheen: 'De kindervriend' (1979) and Oebele (1968). She was married to Theo Moody. She died on 15 July 2024 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Gaston van Erven was born on 13 February 1944 in Goirle, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. He was an actor, known for Vrienden voor het leven (1991), Medisch Centrum West (1988) and Onderweg naar morgen (1994). He died on 12 April 2019 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Slobodan Praljak was born on 2 January 1945 in Capljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. He was a director and writer, known for Povratak Katarine Kozul (1989), Blesan i Tulipan (1976) and Jegulje putuju u Sargasko more (1979). He was married to Kacusa Babic. He died on 29 November 2017 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Sacha Bulthuis was born on 24 May 1948 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress, known for AmnesiA (2001), Little Crumb (1999) and TBS (2008). She was married to Aus Greidanus. She died on 15 October 2009 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Hans Culeman was born on 26 September 1927 in Rhaunen, Germany. He was an actor, known for Floris (1969), Een ochtend van zes weken (1966) and De overval (1962). He died on 17 January 1974 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Mieke Verstraete was born on 20 March 1911 in Antwerpen, Belgium. She was an actress and writer, known for Maigret (1964), Kermis in de Regen (1962) and Voor donderdagavond twaalf uur Mylord (1957). She was married to Richard Flink and Kees Brusse. She died on 17 December 1990 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Sibbelee made his acting debut in 1937 at the tender age of 18 when he starred in the movie "Pygamalion" which was his breakthrough, he then appeared in more movies including "Veertig jaren", "Vadertje Langbeen" in 1938 and "Morgen gaat 't beter" in 1939, he studied at the "High Civic School" in his hometown from 1934 to 1936, he then studied at the "University of Amsterdam" from 1936 to 1942 for course medical science with a degree, then transferred to Academy of Music and Dance where he graduated in 1945. He continued developing his acting skills by acting in films and television series and was famous for having roles as a respectful, reliable, smart and strong character. He stepped down from at the moment acting in movies in the mid-1940s partly due "World War II". He came back to screen again in the 1948 movie "Nederlands in zeven lesson". He rose the prominence in the 1950s, 1960s, especially 1970s when started acting in action movies in his golden years of acting, he was famous of having a role of a neighbor in the movie "Blue movie" released in 1971. He was also famous for having roles as police officer in films and series including "Q&Q", "Grijpstra en de Gier", "Joep Meloen" and "De lift". He was known for having a role as Police chief in the series "Bassie en Adriaan en de Plaaggeest" and as B1 in the serie "Bassie en Adriaan en het geheim van de sleutel" and "Bassie en Adriaan en de Diamant". He continued acting in series and movies in the 1980s, he was famous when he starred in the Dutch series "Zeg 'ns Aaa as Jimmie Sol from 1981 to 1986. His last television series was in 1990 called "De brug" and his last movie was "Eline Vere" which was released in 1991 and unfortunately had to step down his acting career when suffering from rheumatism. He unexpectedly died on the 18th February, 1992 in The Hague at the age of 73. He was commonly one of the finest Dutch actors of all time, Apart from that he was also an artist, bassist, clown, imitator and comedian, he joined the "Dutch Comedy" in 1950 at the age of 32 to hone his skills. He appeared in the comedy show "De Mounties".

Milan Babic was born on 26 February 1956 in Kura, PR Croatia, Yugoslavia [now Kura, Croatia]. He died on 5 March 2006 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Anton Mussert was born on 11 May 1894 in Werkendam, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. He died on 7 May 1946 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.

Jurriaan Andriessen was born on 15 November 1925 in Haarlem, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He was a composer and director, known for Flanagan (1975), The Assault (1986) and Village by the River (1958). He died on 23 August 1996 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.