Martin Van Buren and Eddie Murphy's First Starring Role - This Day in History – Dec 5th

Future 8^th President of U.S. Van Buren is born

Back in 1782, Kinderhook, NY welcomed Martin Van Buren, who would in the future become the 8^th President of the U.S.  When Mr. Van Buren was 25, he married Ms. Hannah Hoes, his Dutch cousin.  Martina and Hannah had five children before she died from tuberculosis after 12 years of marriage.

Van Buren was successful in the following political route: 

• U.S. Senate in 1821
• Governor of New York 1828 (4 months)
• Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson Administration 1828
• Minister of Great Britain 1831
• Vice President under Andrew Jackson 1832
• Presidency 1836

In 1837, Van Buren’s political career started to diminish as, according to history.com, “A financial crisis in 1837 plunged the country into depression. Van Buren's ineffective response to the crisis, his refusal to pursue annexation of Texas and his anti-slavery leanings caused the pro-slavery, pro-expansionist Democratic Party to split during the election of 1840. Van Buren lost that campaign to Whig William Henry Harrison. He tried and failed to get the Democratic nomination in 1844 and in 1848 ran as the Free-Soil Party candidate on an anti-slavery, anti-annexation platform, but lost again.

Defeated, Van Buren retired to his hometown of Kinderhook, New York in 1849.”

Van Buren died at the age of 54 in 1862.

Actor, Comedian debuts in Beverly Hill Cop

Back in 1984, the movie “Beverly Hills Cop” debut with actor, comedian Eddie Murphy in his 1st starring role in the memorable role of Axel Foley, the wisecracking street-wise Police Detective.  Special note: Eddie Murphy is the son of a Brooklyn Police Officer.

According to boxofficemojo, this movie $316,360,478 worldwide and pushed Murphy into Hollywood fame as one of its highest paid actors. Mr. Murphy would star in other movies such as:

• 48 hours
• Harlem Nights
• The Nutty Professor
• Boomerang
• Shrek
• Tower Heist

History.com stated that, “Murphy earned his first Academy Award nomination, in the Best Supporting Actor category, for his performance as the drug-addicted R&B singer James "Thunder" Early in 2006'sDreamgirls, based on the award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Murphy, who had a recording career in the 1980s that included the hit single "Party All the Time," performed his own musical numbers in Dreamgirls.”

Please note: at this moment there is a developing story that 48-year-old, Eddie Murphy has died in a snowboarding accident in Zermatt, Switzerland.  Until this is confirmed we can just pray that this is not true.

Here is a link to the story:

http://eddie.murphy.mediafetcher.com/news/top_stories/actor_skiing.php

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/van-buren-is-born?catId=9