Today In History
Historical Events
1906 – US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Helen Homans beats Maud Barger-Wallach 6-4, 6-3 for her lone major singles title
1927 – New York future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig hits 3 HRs in Yankees’ 11-4 victory over Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park
1975 – Rocker Alice Cooper falls off the stage in Vancouver and breaks six ribs
1983 – US Supreme Court ruled Congress could not veto presidential decisions
2010 – Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: Gorillaz, Muse, and Stevie Wonder headline; other performers include Vampire Weekend, Snoop Dogg; Shakira, Willie Nelson, Ray Davies and The Pet Shop Boys
Famous Birthdays
1668 – Giambattista Vico, Italian philosopher and historian (New Science), born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples (d. 1744)
1824 – Carl Reinecke, German pianist, composer and teacher (Undine Sonata), born in Altona, Duchy of Holstein, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1910)
1859 – Florentinus M Wibaut, Amsterdams social alderman (building of houses), born in Vlissingen, Netherlands (d. 1936)
1943 – James Levine, American conductor (Metropolitan Opera, 1976-2017), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2021)
1972 – Selma Blair, American actress (Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde), born in Southfield, Michigan
Famous Deaths
1956 – Reinhold Glière, Russian-Soviet composer, dies at 81
1996 – Ray Lindwall, Australian cricket fast bowler (61 Tests, 228 wickets @ 23.03), dies from a stroke at 74
1997 – Betty Shabazz, American educator and civil rights activist who was the widow of Malcolm X, dies from burns suffered in a fire started by her young grandson at 63
2006 – Aaron Spelling, American television producer (Charlie’s Angels, Dynasty), dies at 83
2019 – Dave Bartholomew, American RandB, rock, and jazz musician, composer, producer, and songwriter (“I Hear You Knocking”; “Ain’t That A Shame”; “Walkin’ To New Orleans”), dies at 100
Historical Events
1848 – A bloody workers’ insurrection erupts in Paris as laborers and radicals rise against the newly proclaimed Second Republic after the closure of the National Workshops during the June Days uprising
1919 – Nitti government forms in Italy
1945 – Last organized Japanese defiance broken (Tarakan)
1954 – 122°F (50°C), Overton, Nevada (state record until June 29, 1994)
1992 – Emmy 19th Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 13th time
2011 – NBA Draft: Duke point guard Kyrie Irving first pick Cleveland Cavaliers
2014 – Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is re-elected President of Mauritania
2018 – Explosion at a rally in Addis Ababa after speech by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed kills two and injures 150
Famous Birthdays
1879 – William Ewart Berry, British peer and newspaper publisher (The War Illustrated, The Sunday Times), born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales (d. 1954)
1887 – John Finley Williamson, American choral conductor (Westminster Choir College, 1920-58), born in Canton, Ohio (d. 1964)
1888 – Lee Moran, American actor (Circus Clown), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1961)
1894 – Edward VIII, King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India (Jan 20th, 1936 until his abdication on Dec 11th, 1936), born in Richmond, England (d. 1972)
1901 – Paul Verhoeven, German actor and director (Das kleine Hofkonzert), born in Unna, Germany (d. 1975)
1902 – Mathias Wieman, German actor (The Blue Light; Fear), born in Osnabrück, Germany (d. 1969)
1938 – Alan Vega [Bermowitz] American punk rock vocalist (Suicide – “Ghost Rider”; “Dream Baby Dream”; Cubist Blues), and visual artist, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2016)
1976 – Paola Suarez, Argentinian tennis star (1995 Futures-Buenos Aires), born in Pergamino, Argentina
1979 – LaDainian Tomlinson, American Pro Football HOF running back (NFL MVP and NFL Offensive Player of the Year 2006 SD Chargers; 3 × First-team All-Pro; 5 x Pro Bowl), born in Rosebud, Texas
1988 – Chellsie Memmel, American gymnast (World C’ship gold all-round 2005), born in West Allis, Wisconsin
Famous Deaths
1611 – Henry Hudson, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son John, and seven other crew members are set adrift in Hudson Bay by mutineers on his ship ‘Discovery’ and never seen again
1901 – Charles Kensington Salaman, British pianist and synagogue music composer, dies at 87
1959 – Jean Gallon, French composer, dies at 80
1971 – Walter Schulthess, Swiss composer, dies at 76
1995 – Jack Schroer, American rock saxophonist (Van Morrison’s The Caledonia Soul Orchestra), dies at 51
2003 – Maynard Jackson, American lawyer and the first African American mayor of Atlanta (1974-82; 1990-94), dies of a heart attack at 65
2006 – Luke Graham, American wrestler, dies at 66
2015 – Helmuth Lohner, Austrian stage and screen actor and stage director (Mrs. Warren’s Profession), dies at 82
2017 – Gabe Pressman, American television journalist (WNBC-TV, 1956-72; 1980-2017) and 11x Emmy Award winner, dies at 93
2023 – Jimmy Kim, American taekwondo practitioner (Olympic gold heavyweight 1988; World Cup gold 1987), dies at 56