Sally Ride Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Kung Fu Panda star Jack Black is set to read for CBeebie’s Bedtime Stories, followed by Joanne Froggatt, Justin Fletcher and Tom Hardy.Black will kickstart the Easter weekend editions of the show on Friday, March 29, with a reading of Pom Pom Is Super, written by Sophy Henn.Per an official description, the book “tells the story of Pom Pom the panda, who is excited to have his friends come round to play. When they arrive in superhero costumes, Pom Pom thinks he would like to be super too – but he’s not quite sure what he’s super at! With the help of his friends, he soon finds his talents.”Following on from Black on Saturday, March 30, Downton Abbey actress Joanne Froggatt will read Like A Girl by Lori Degman and illustrated by Mara Penny.

José Sarria, a San Francisco trailblazer who was the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States, will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

Anna May Wong is getting her own quarter!

Silent era movie icon Anna May Wong is now a different kind of star. Starting Monday, her image will appear on new quarters, making her the first Asian American to appear on US currency.

EJ Panaligan editor As part of a new initiative, the United States Mint will honor Anna May Wong, star of movies such as “Shanghai Express,” by making her the first Asian American featured on U.S. currency, placing her likeness on quarters with production starting Oct. 18. The printed quarter shows an image of Wong resting on her hand, serving as a tribute to what most consider the first Chinese American movie star. She was born in 1905 in Chinatown, Los Angeles and died in 1961 of a heart attack in her Santa Monica home. Wong started her career in the entertainment business at 14 years old, talking her way into her first movie role. In the following years, she rose to stardom as among the first Asian American stars in Hollywood and appeared in more than 50 films. Though the quarter seeks to pay tribute to her career in the film industry, it also acknowledges the difficulties that came her way trying to land meaningful roles as an Asian American actress during a time where racial discrimination and commonplace practices of putting white actors in “yellowface” to portray Asian characters was prevalent. In addition, Wong’s characters were often killed in the films she acted in, which she once joked about, saying that she had already “died a thousand deaths.”

William Shatner is getting candid about his experience.

When he was an undergrad at Harvard, author and historian Eric Cervini’s first encounter with queer history surprisingly did not come from a book.

mourn and reflect on the legacy of “Star Trek” icon Nichelle Nichols, those who have actually traveled into the final frontier are honoring the actress’ pivotal work in getting women and people of color into NASA’s astronaut program. On Paramount+, alongside all of Nichols’ “Star Trek” adventures, the documentary “Woman in Motion” chronicles how Nichols used her fame as Enterprise officer Lt. Uhura to challenge NASA to seek out a more diverse set of astronauts during the development of its space shuttle program, leading to a partnership between the space agency and Nichols’ program Women in Motion.

Pioneering ‘Star Trek’ actress Nichelle Nichols has died aged 89. Her role as lieutenant Nyota Uhura on the bridge of the show’s starship was a seen as a groundbreaking representation of black Americans in Hollywood. She passed away Saturday (30.

Maya Angelou, the first coins in its American Women Quarters Program.Angelou, an American author, poet and Civil Rights activist, rose to prominence with the publication of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” in 1969. Angelou, who died in 2014 at the age of 86, was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 by President Barack Obama.The quarter design depicts Angelou with outstretched arms.

Maya Angelou, the first coins in its American Women Quarters Program.Angelou, an American author, poet and Civil Rights activist, rose to prominence with the publication of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” in 1969. Angelou, who died in 2014 at the age of 86, was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 by President Barack Obama.The quarter design depicts Angelou with outstretched arms.

Sally Ride, the first American woman and first known LGBTQ person to travel to space, will become the first openly LGBTQ person to appear on U.S. currency.The U.S.