Today In History
Historical Events
1347 – English troops under Edward III conquer Calais, becomes strategic town for the English during Hundred Years’ War
1636 – Johan Maurits is appointed governor of Dutch Brazil
1936 – American athlete Jesse Owens wins his second gold medal at the Berlin Olympics, defeating German Luz Long in the long jump final with an Olympic record
1964 – North Vietnam purportedly engages US Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin for a second time, resulting in US Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting authority to assist any Southeast Asian nation facing “communist aggression”; a later investigation deems the second attack never happened as shipboard communications were misinterpreted
2019 – Gunman kills 9 and injures 27 at a bar in Dayton, Ohio, in the second mass shooting in 24 hours in the US
Famous Birthdays
1805 – William Rowan Hamilton, Irish astronomer and mathematician, born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1865)
1932 – (Calvin) “Scotty” Stoneman, American bluegrass fiddler (The Stoneman Family; The Kentucky Colonels), born in Galax, Virginia (d. 1973)
1943 – Laura Biagiotti, Italian fashion designer known as the “Queen of Cashmere”, born in Rome, Italy (d. 2017)
1955 – Charles D. Gemar, American former NASA astronaut (STS-38, 48, 62) and lieutenant colonel (United States Army), born in Yankton, South Dakota
1962 – Joey Huffman, American rock keyboard and organ player (Soul Asylum), born in Pikeville, Kentucky
Famous Deaths
1204 – Boniface of Montferrat, margrave of Montferrat, murdered
1578 – Sebastian, King of Portugal (1557-78), assumed killed at the Battle of Three Kings in Morroco at 24
1904 – Arnold Krug, German composer, dies at 54
1995 – Dick Bartell, American baseball shortstop (MLB All Star 1933, 37; Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants), dies from Alzheimer’s disease at 87
1996 – Geoff Hamilton, English gardener and journalist (BBC Gardener’s World), dies of a heart attack at 59
Historical Events
1666 – Hurricane hits Guadeloupe, Martinique, and St. Christopher, killing thousands
1693 – Date traditionally ascribed to Dom Pérignon’s invention of Champagne
1917 – Pravda calls for the killing of all capitalists, priests, and officers
1948 – Hungary’s Olga Gyarmati wins the first ever Olympic women’s long jump competition at the London Games
1983 – 16th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Hotel San Diego
1992 – In its debut at the Barcelona Olympics the badminton singles gold medals are both won by Indonesian athletes, whilst both men’s and women’s doubles go to South Korea
2019 – Car explosion kills 20 and injures 47 in Cairo, Egypt, in a terrorist-related incident
2019 – British Open Women’s Golf, Woburn GC: Hinako Shibuno of Japan wins her maiden major title in her first LPGA event; beats American Lizette Salas by 1 stroke
Famous Birthdays
1290 – Leopold I, “The Glorious”, Duke of Austria and Styria, member of the House of Habsburg, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1326)
1664 – Louis Lully, French musician and son of Jean-Baptiste Lully, born in Paris, France (d. 1734)
1890 – Erich Weinert, German communist writer, born in Magdeburg (d. 1953)
1912 – David Raksin, American composer renown for his work in film and TV (Laura; Modern Times), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2004)
1912 – Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish architect, humanitarian, and diplomat during World War II (saved 10,000s of Jews), born in Lidingö Municipality, Sweden (d. 1952)
1938 – Judith S. Kaye, American jurist and the first female chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals (1993-2008), born in Monticello, New York (d. 2016)
1954 – Donald Gibb, American character actor (Revenge of the Nerds, Bloodsport), born in New York City (d. 2026)
1955 – Charles D. Gemar, American former NASA astronaut (STS-38, 48, 62) and lieutenant colonel (United States Army), born in Yankton, South Dakota
1960 – Dean Malenko, American professional wrestler and 4x WCW Cruiserweight champion (2x 1996; 1997; 1998), born in America
1970 – Bret Baier, American political correspondent (Fox News), born in Rumson, New Jersey
Famous Deaths
1476 – Jacob van Armagnac-Pardiac, French duke of Nemours, beheaded
1966 – Howard Jackson, American film score composer (It Happened One Night), dies at 66
1991 – Jeri Southern [Genevieve Hering], American jazz singer (“You Better Go Now”; “Joey”), dies of a heart attack at 64
1999 – Victor Mature, American actor (I Wake Up Screaming, Samson and Delilah), dies from leukemia at 86
2004 – Kenneth Couzens, British Deputy Chairman of British Coal Board and significant figure during Miners Strike, dies at 79
2012 – Arnie Risen, Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA All-Star 1952-55; NBA C’ship 1951, 57; Rochester Royals, Boston Celtics), dies at 87
2013 – Art Donovan, American NFL HOF defensive tackle, 1950-61 (4 x Pro Bowl, 2 x Champion – Baltimore Colts and 2 other teams), and US Marine (WWII – Iwo Jima), dies from a respiratory ailment at 89
2014 – James Brady, U.S. press secretary (wounded during Reagan assassin attempt), dies at 73
2015 – Les Munro, New Zealand WWII pilot (Dambusters Raid), dies at 96
2022 – Neil Castles, American auto racer (NASCAR Grand National East Series Champion 1972; NASCAR Cup Series 51 x top 5, 178 x top 10 finishes), dies at 87