Knute Kenneth Rockne was a football genius who put his own original stamp on the game with the exploitation of the forward pass, a move that brought finesse and a certain artistry to a game that had been, up to then, a thing of brute force. He did this at a small Catholic college in South Bend, Indiana, which grew, largely on the strength of its football program, into the great University of Notre Dame. Rockne was born on March 4, 1888 in Norway, but landed at Notre Dame after his parents emigrated to Chicago in 1893. It was in a game against the heavily-favored Army team, at West Point, N.Y., in 1913, that Rockne unleashed the forward pass. He was the quarterback, and Gus Dorais the sticky-fingered end, in a game that Notre Dame won, 35-13. Rockne stayed on at ND as coach. In his 13 years as head coach, his teams won 105 games, lost 12 and tied 5. He died in a plane crash in Kansas in 1931. There's a CD-ROM Home Page celebrating the history of Notre Dame football. Its address is http://www.luminair.com/notredam.html.

Model: Rockne's ability to think strategically. If you can't go through the obstacles that confront you in life, go around them. It also helps if, like Rockne, you

Splendid isolation. If you were born on March 4 you are able to live and work in isolation without it bothering you too much. You don't always choose isolation (consciously, anyway). It just happens. Ruled by the number 4 and the planet Uranus, you tend to be dreamy and unconventional.

Productive.You don't feel lonely; you see isolation as a chance to get things done. Even when you could go out and have a great time, you may choose to stay in because you feel you'll enjoy yourself more. You do your best work in isolation, with your concentration at maximum. Since you are comfortable with yourself, you hear no little voices or distractions when alone.

When you do get out. You prefer the company of a few close buddies rather than a room full of acquaintences. Intimacy is very important, and you seek it out in your relationships and surroundings. Not impressed with luxury, you are happiest in modest, comfortable places surrounded by objects from your life. When pressed by crowds or large open spaces, you get insecure.

Kudos. You enjoy sharing your creativity and the results of your work with people you don't know. Hearing secondhand that someone liked your work pleases you even more. If it was said firsthand, you'd be embarassed.

Some advice: Your shyness may endear you to some, but you must learn to be a bit more aggressive. Work on your social skills by interacting more.

Also born on this day: Antonio Vivaldi (Italian composer) Don Pedro of Portugal (observatory and navigation school builder) Margaret Osbourne Dupont (tennis champion) Robert R. Wilson (physicist, designed Fermilab) Alan Sillitoe (British playwright, novelist) Lili Kraus (Austrian pianist) Miriam Makeba (African singer) Matt Cvetic (FBI spy in communist party) Charles Goren (bridge expert, syndicated columnist) George Gamow (physicist, writer) John Garfield (actor) Jim Clark (race car driver) Alice Rivlin (economist)