Today In History
Historical Events
1925 – Rightist German ministers disavows Treaty of Locarno
1941 – 16,000 Jews massacred in Odessa, Ukraine
1950 – Dutch NSB leader C van Gelderen sentenced to life
1955 – Tappan sells the first microwave oven
1960 – Cuba nationalizes all remaining US businesses
Famous Birthdays
1926 – Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano opera singer (Britten’s “War Requiem”), born in Leningrad, Russia (d. 2012)
1969 – Josef Beránek, Czech ice hockey center (Olympic Gold 1998; Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers), born in Litvinov, Czech Republic
1980 – Ilana Goldfogel, American pairs skater (with partner Erik Schulz), born in Denver, Colorado
1990 – Mirim Lee, South Korean golfer (ANA Inspiration 2020), born in Seoul, South Korea
2000 – Iris Law, British social media personality and model (Burberry SS24, Versace Eyewear 2024), born in London
Famous Deaths
1047 – Magnus I Godhi, king of Norway/Denmark (1035-47), dies
1415 – Robert of Bar, Count of Marle, French knight, dies in the Battle of Agincourt at 24 or 25 [birthday uncertain]
1968 – Rudolf Forster, Austrian actor (Threepenny Opera), dies at 83
1992 – Adelino Da Palma Carlos, Prime Minister of Portugal (1974), dies
2013 – Hal Needham, American stuntman known for “Smokey and the Bandit” and “The Cannonball Run”, dies from cancer at 82
Historical Events
1780 – John Hancock elected the first Governor of Massachusetts in a landslide with over 90% of the vote
1906 – US inventor Lee de Forest patents “Audion”, a 3-diode amplification valve which proved a pioneering development in radio and broadcasting
1911 – London’s last horse drawn omnibus made its way from London Bridge Station to Moorgate
1947 – Bradman scores 156 for South Australia v India, 152 mins, 22 fours
1957 – Cosa Nostra crime boss Albert Anastasia is murdered in a barber’s chair in New York City, probably by fellow mobster Joe Gallo
1986 – International Red Cross ousted from South Africa
2004 – Fidel Castro, Cuba’s President, announces that transactions using the American Dollar will be banned by November 8
2012 – The double dip recession in the UK economy ends with growth of 1.0% in GDP in the third quarter of 2012, with help from the London Olympic Games
Famous Birthdays
1510 – Renée of France, French princess and Duchess of Ferrara, born in Château de Blois, Touraine, France (d. 1574)
1782 – Levi Lincoln, Jr., American lawyer and 13th Governor of Massachusetts (1825-34), born in Worcester, Massachusetts (d. 1868)
1825 – Johann Baptist Strauss Jr., Austrian composer (Waltz King), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1899)
1879 – Mayhew Lester Lake, American conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and educator, born in Southville, Massachusetts (d. 1955)
1927 – Franklin “Bud” Held, American field athlete (2 x WR javelin; first to throw 800-gram javelin over 80m), born in Los Angeles, California
1955 – Danny Darwin, American baseball pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Bonham, Texas
1959 – Chrissy Amphlett, Australian singer-songwriter (Divinyls – “I Touch Myself”), born in Geelong, Victoria, Australia (d. 2013)
1961 – Franck Amsallem, French jazz pianist, arranger, composer, singer and educator, born in Oran, French Algeria
1962 – Nick Hancock, British television presenter (They Think It’s All Over), born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England
1968 – Corey Miller, American NFL linebacker (NY Giants), born in Pageland, South Carolina
Famous Deaths
1647 – Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist (inventor of barometer), dies at 39
1806 – Henry Knox, American general (Continental Army and later the United States Army) and 1st US Secretary of War (1785-94), dies at 56 after swallowing a chicken bone which lodged in his throat and caused a fatal infection
1936 – Jaime de Magalhães Lima, Portuguese author and poet (Salmos do Prisoneiro), dies at 76
2010 – Lisa Blount, American actress (An Officer and a Gentleman) and short film producer (The Accountant), dies at 53
2013 – Hal Needham, American stuntman known for “Smokey and the Bandit” and “The Cannonball Run”, dies from cancer at 82
2022 – Pierre Soulages, French abstract painter (Peinture 130×102 cm, 22 juillet 2020), dies at 102
2023 – Zdeněk Mácal, Czech conductor (Milwaukee Symphony, 1986-95; New Jersey Symphony, 1992-2003; Czech Philharmonic, 2003-07), dies at 87
2024 – Phil Lesh [Chapman], American rock bassist (Grateful Dead – “Box of Rain”), dies at 84
2025 – Sharon Camp, American reproductive rights advocate, public policy expert and founder of Women’s Capital Corporation, dies at 81
2025 – Manuel Lapuente, Mexican soccer forward (13 caps; Necaxa, Puebla) and manager (Mexico 1997–2000; CONCACAF Champions’ Cup 1991; Puebla, 2006 América), dies at 81