Today In History
Historical Events
1788 – Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90
1963 – Warren Spahn sets the left-hander strikeout record at 2,382
1985 – South African Defence Force soldiers, traveling in a convoy of more than ten armored vehicles, surround the Thaba-Jabula High School in Soweto and arrest 200 students during a clampdown on school boycotts
1997 – MLB San Diego Padres trade outfielder Rickey Henderson to Anaheim Angels
2014 – Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani is the first woman to win the Fields Medal in mathematics
Famous Birthdays
1898 – Regis Toomey, American actor (Burke’s Law, Petticoat Junction), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1991)
1914 – “Cap’n Jack” McCarthy, American television broadcaster (NYC’s St. Patrick Day Parade, 1949-89; kiddie show host (Popeye)), born in New York City (d. 1996)
1953 – Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgarian economist, Head of the IMF (2019-), born in Sofia, Bulgaria
1973 – Sherman Williams, American NFL running back (Dallas Cowboys), born in Mobile, Alabama
1979 – Román Colón, Dominican baseball player, born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic
Famous Deaths
1721 – Jacques Lelong, French bibliographer, dies at 56
1933 – Paul Hillemacher, French classical pianist, and composer, dies at 80
1974 – Hugo Yarnold, English cricketer (Umpire in 3 Tests for England), dies at 57
1996 – David Randall, British priest and founder of AIDS/HIV center Cara, dies of AIDS at 49
2021 – Nanci Griffith, American singer (“From A Distance”), and songwriter (“Once in a Very Blue Moon”; “Love at the Five and Dime”), dies at 68
Historical Events
1933 – PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Blue Mound CC: Gene Sarazen defeats Willie Goggin, 5 and 4 for 3rd of his 3 PGA C’ship titles; 6th of his 7 majors
1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Japanese forces start the Battle of Shanghai, a three-month conflict involving over one million troops
1951 – Great Britain and Iraq sign a new oil contract
1962 – Bert Campaneris of Daytona Beach (FSL) pitches with both arms and plays all nine positions
1989 – Two hot-air balloons crash at Alice Springs, Australia, killing 13 people
1999 – 32nd San Diego Comic-Con International opens at San Diego Convention Center
2008 – Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice wraps up the medley double at the Beijing Olympics as she swims a world record of 2:08.45 to win the 200 m individual medley gold medal
2016 – American swimmer Michael Phelps ends his career at the Rio Olympics as part of the winning 4 x 100 m medley relay, his record 23rd gold medal
Famous Birthdays
1879 – John Ireland, English composer and pianist (Mai-Dun), born in Bowdon, Cheshire, England (d. 1962)
1895 – Bert Lahr [Irving Lahrheim], American comic and actor (The Wizard of Oz – “Lion”), born in New York City (d. 1967)
1912 – “Big Chief” Russell Moore, Pima-American jazz trombonist (Lionel Hampton; Louis Armstrong), and composer (“Wounded Knee Chant”), born in the Gila River Indian Community, Arizona (d. 1983)
1930 – Wilmer Mizell, American politician (Rep-R-North Carolina 1969-75), and MLB baseball pitcher, 1952-62, 2X All-Star (St. Louis Cardinals and 2 other teams), born in Leakesville, Mississippi (d. 1999)
1939 – Jim Sullivan, American psychedelic-country singer-songwriter and guitarist (U.F.O.), born in Nebraska (d. 1975?)
1962 – Bob Stringer, English executive (CEO Sony Music Entertainment), born in Aylesbury, England
1969 – Alex Fernandez, Cuban-American baseball pitcher (Chicago White Sox), born in Miami, Florida
1973 – Eric Medlen, American NHRA drag racer, born in Oakdale, California (d. 2007)
1984 – Niko Kranjčar, Croatian soccer midfielder (81 caps; Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, QPR), born in Zagreb, Croatia
2000 – Jaemin [Na Jae-min], South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, (NCT; NCT Dream), and actor (Method To Hate You), born in Jeonju, South Korea
Famous Deaths
1382 – Eleanor of Aragon, wife of John I of Castile, dies giving birth to her third child at 24
1617 – Johann Jakob Grynaeus, Swiss Protestant Calvinist clergyman, and theologian, dies at 76
1749 – Johann Elias Schlegel, German critic and dramatic poet, dies at 30
1955 – John Klenner, American pianist, composer, and songwriter (“Just Friends”, “Heartaches”), dies at 56
1992 – Jan Elburg, Dutch poet (Through the Night), dies at 72
2000 – Antony Duff, British WWII submarine commander, diplomat, (1946-80), intelligence officer (Director of MI5, 1985-88), and advocate for the homeless, dies at 80
2006 – Payao Poontarat, Thai Olympic boxer (b. 1957)
2007 – Brian Adams, aka Demolition Crush, American professional wrestler (b. 1964)
2008 – Henri Cartan, French Mathematician, dies at 104
2012 – Joan Roberts [Josephine Seagrist], American radio and stage actress (Oklahoma!), dies of congestive heart failure at 95