Today In History
Historical Events
1888 – Scottish vet John Boyd Dunlop patents pneumatic bicycle tyre
1969 – Eastside race riot in Jacksonville, Florida
1993 – Brian Friel’s stage drama “Wonderful Tennessee” closes at Plymouth Theater, New York City, after 9 performances
2003 – A bankruptcy court approves MCI’s reorganization plans, essentially clearing the telecommunications company to exit bankruptcy
2018 – In a landmark verdict, the Pakistani Supreme Court acquits a Christian woman of blasphemy against the prophet Mohammed after eight years on death row
Famous Birthdays
1875 – Seerp Anema, Dutch poet and writer (From Holland’s Coasts; Modern Art and Degeneration), born in Barradeel, Minnertsga, Nethelands (d. 1961)
1883 – Anthony Wilding, New Zealand tennis player (Wimbledon 1910-13), born in Christchurch, New Zealand (d. 1915)
1950 – Antonio Taguba, US Army Major General, born in Manila, Philippines
1964 – Marco van Basten, Dutch soccer striker (58 caps; Ajax, AC Milan) and manager (Netherlands 2004–08, Ajax, Heerenveen, AZ), born in Utrecht, Netherlands
1978 – Zachary Knighton, American actor (Happy Endings), born in Alexandria, Virginia
Famous Deaths
1664 – William Frederick of Nassau-Dietz, Dutch Stadtholder of Friesland, dies as the result of an accident with a pistol at 51
1959 – Jean Cabannes, French physicist who worked on optics, discovered Cabannes-Daure effect, dies at 75
2010 – Maurice Lucas, American basketball forward (NBA C’ship 1977 Portland Trail Blazers; NBA All-Star 1977–79, 83; ABA All-Star 1976 Kentucky Colonels), dies at 58
2011 – Manfred Mayrhofer, Austrian Indo-European philologist (Indo-Iranian languages), dies at 85
2020 – Marius Žaliūkas, Lithuanian soccer centre back (25 caps; Hearts, Leeds, Rangers), dies from motor neurone disease at 36
Historical Events
1799 – Francisco Goya is appointed first court painter at the Spanish court in Madrid, the highest honor for a Spanish painter
1956 – Rear Admiral G. J. Dufek becomes the first American to set foot on the South Pole
1967 – Nguyễn Văn Thiệu takes oath of office to become the first President of the Second Republic of South Vietnam
1979 – Western Airlines Flight 2605, a DC-10, crashes at Mexico City International Airport, killing 72
1985 – Last day in Test cricket for Pakistan’s Zaheer Abbas
1994 – The single “Creep” is released by TLC, their first No.1 in the US (Billboard Song of the Year 1995)
2003 – Mahathir Mohamad resigns as Prime Minister of Malaysia and is replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, marking an end to Mahathir’s 22 years in power
2020 – New Zealand Rugby Union team routs Australia 43-5 in Sydney to retain the Bledisloe Cup (2-1) for the 18th straight series; Wallabies’ largest-ever defeat by All Blacks
Famous Birthdays
1291 – Philippe de Vitry, French composer and poet, born in Paris, France (d. 1361)
1933 – Phil Goyette, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1957-60 Montreal Canadiens; Lady Byng Memorial Trophy 1970) and coach (New York Islanders), born in Lachine, Canada (d. 2026)
1946 – Stephen Rea, Irish film and stage actor (Crying Game, Michael Collins), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
1951 – François Bracci, French soccer defender (18 caps; Olympique de Marseille, RC Strasbourg, FC Bordeaux), born in Beinheim, France (d. 2023)
1963 – Rob Schneider, American actor (Saturday Night Live; Men Behaving Badly), born in San Francisco, California
1963 – Mikkey Dee [Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou], Swedish rock musician and drummer [Motörhead; Scorpions], born in Gothenburg, Sweden
1964 – The Boogeyman [Marty Wright], American professional wrestler, born in Phoenix, Arizona
1974 – Natasja Saad, Danish hip hop and reggae artist, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2007)
1979 – Simão Sabrosa, Portuguese soccer winger (85 caps; Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Benfica, Atlético Madrid, Espanyol), born in Vila Real, Portugal
1980 – Eddie Kaye Thomas, American actor (American Pie, American Wedding), born in New York City
Famous Deaths
1147 – Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, English politician and illegitimate son of King Henry I, dies at about 57
1556 – John Sleidanus, German humanist and historian (Commentary), dies at 50
1765 – Duke of Cumberland, English politician/uncle of George III, dies
1950 – Jozef C Bittremieux, Belgian theologist (Virgin and Mother of God), dies at 72
1975 – SD Burman, Indian singer and film music composer (Zindagi Zindagi), dies at 69
1988 – John Houseman, Romanian actor (The Paper Chase, Rollerball, The Fog), dies of spinal cancer at 86
1990 – Graig Russel, Canadian travel expert/transvestite, dies
1994 – Lester Sill, American pioneer music publisher (Leiber and Stoller; Lee Hazlewood), and record label executive (Philles Records; Colpix; Colgems), dies at 76
1995 – Henry Percy, 11th Duke of Northumberland, British peer, and godchild of Elizabeth II dies from heart failure after drug overdose at 42
2009 – Ron Gowans, Australian jazz saxophonist, dies of cancer at 83