who was born in 1864 and died in 1949 at the age of 85, was one of the pre-eminent German composer-conductors of the 20th century. People still debate his association with the Nazi party, but most believe the Nazis adopted Strauss and his music simply because both Strauss and his music were "German." Strauss had little sympathy for the Nazis. In fact, one of his operas, "Die Schweigsame Frau," with a libretto by Stefan Zweig, was banned by the Nazis in 1935 because Zweig was Jewish, and Strauss himself was fired as head of Vienna's Reichsmusikkammer and his music banned for a year, because his daughter-in-law and his grandsons were of Jewish ancestry. Young Strauss was playing the piano by the age of four, composing by the age of six, and studying theory and composition by age eleven. At the age of 20, he made his conducting debut, without rehearsal, in Munich in 1884. He became a conductor for the Munich Opera and a musical assistant for the Bayreuth Festivals. A conductorship at Weimar enabled him to achieve a measure of fame with the performance of his tone poem, "Don Juan" in 1888. In 1911, his opera, "Der Rosenkavalier," brought him a good deal of wealth, but, in 1914, Strauss lost his entire fortune in London financial markets. After World War I, his lot improved. He continued composing, founded the Salzburg Festivals with the impresario Max Reinhardt, and became co-director of the Vienna Opera. After War II, he was welcomed back into the musical world with a festival in London, organized by Sir Thomas Beecham.

MODEL: Strauss's erserverance. Keep at it, whatever it is you do, and do it well, and you will win in the end.

Push the envelope. If you were born on June 11, you are a pioneer with the courage to explore new territories and ideas, to go further than others. Some describe you as aggressive and very methodical in your explorations. Ruled by the number 2 and the moon, you have a good imagination and are an excellent team player.

Meet Mr. Fear. You study your field of interest carefully, mastering the details and recognizing the limitations of your knowledge. Fear of the unknown is not a barrier but an impetus to push on. And push on you do, whether you're interest is sports, science, art, language, music, or seemingly mundane things like building better relationships. Natural elements--earth, air, water, fire-- are common themes in your quest.

Diehard. Unlike most Geminis, you don't have a scattered variety of interests. You focus on one thing with intense, competitive determination. Never giving up, backing down or retiring, you hope to go out in a blaze of glory. Becoming a huge success is not your main goal. For you, being in the game, performing for all it's worth is as good as winning.

Getting too big. If you should find yourself a leader, you generally try to keep the group's best interests at heart. But you must beware of stomping past society's boundaries. Others may find this arrogant and irresponsible, and feelings of antagonism and envy erupt.

Some advice: Don't get so involved with your explorations that you forget your family and friends. Stay humble; don't let your small successes give you a big head.

Also born on this day: Hazel Scott (jazz singer) Gary Fencik (Bears defensive back) Adrienne Barbeau (actress) Jacques Cousteau (oceanographer, film producer) Jeanette Rankin (first US congresswoman) Shelly Manne (jazz drummer, bandleader) Gene Wilder (actor) Richard Strauss (German composer) William Styron (novelist) Vince Lombardi (Packers football coach) Jackie Stewart (Scottish auto racer)