Today In History
Historical Events
1896 – James Dunham murders six people in Campbell, California
1943 – British PM Winston Churchill and US General George C. Marshall fly from the US to North Africa
1977 – George Willig climbs the South Tower of NYC’s World Trade Center, famously fined 1 cent for each of 110 stories he climbed
1982 – 26th European Cup: Aston Villa beats Bayern Munich 1-0 at Rotterdam
2004 – 12th UEFA Champions League Final: Porto beats AS Monaco 3-0 at Gelsenkirchen
Famous Birthdays
1893 – Eugene Goossens, British conductor and composer (Perseus), born in London, England (d. 1962)
1895 – Paul Lukas, Hungarian actor (Watch on the Rhine, Sphynx), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1971)
1895 – Dorothea Lange, American documentary photographer, born in Hoboken, New Jersey (d. 1965)
1913 – Peter Cushing, English actor (Dracula, Star Wars, Dr Who), born in Kenley, Surrey, England (d. 1994)
1946 – Neshka Robeva, Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast (World C’ship 3 x silver, 1 x bronze 1969) and coach (World, European and Olympic competition, 294 medals), born in Rousse, Bulgaria
Famous Deaths
1944 – Cyril Francois, South African cricket all-rounder (5 Tests, 252 runs, 6 wickets), dies in a motor accident at 46
1947 – Nellie Neilson, PhD, American historian, first woman published in the American Historical Review, and the first female president of the American Historical Association, dies at 74
2002 – Mamo Wolde, Ethiopian marathoner (Olympic gold 1968), dies at 69
2017 – Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-American national security advisor to President Carter (1977-1981), dies at 89
2020 – Richard Herd, American actor (V: The Final Battle), dies of cancer at 87
Historical Events
1898 – 32nd Belmont: F Littlefield aboard Bowling Brook wins in 2:32
1946 – NY Yankee Mel Ott retires from playing to become a manager only after going 2-for-42 and hitting .048
1959 – Wreck of WWII bomber ‘Lady Be Good’ in the Libyan Desert is reached by a recovery team from US Air Force’s Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli; plane had crashed returning from initial mission on 1943
1972 – Joe Frazier TKOs Ron Stander in 5 for heavyweight boxing title
1974 – During a David Cassidy concert at London’s White City, a 14-year-old is trampled, and dies four days later
2000 – NHL Eastern Conference Final: New Jersey Devils beat Philadelphia Flyers, 4 games to 3
2021 – A super blood moon, the first total lunar eclipse in two years, is visible across the Pacific
2024 – Indianapolis 500: Defending champion Josef Newgarden of Team Penske passes Pato O’Ward in turn three on the final lap for back-to-back Indy victories
Famous Birthdays
1773 – Hans Georg Nägeli, Swiss composer, born in Wetzikon, Switzerland (d. 1836)
1867 – Mary of Teck, Queen of Great Britain and consort of George V, born in Kensington Palace, London (d. 1953)
1895 – Paul Lukas, Hungarian actor (Watch on the Rhine, Sphynx), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1971)
1908 – Vera Van [Webster], American radio and dance band singer, born in Marion, Ohio (d. 2006)
1916 – Moondog [Louis Thomas Hardin], American composer, musician and poet, born in Marysville, Kansas (d. 1999)
1949 – Philip Michael Thomas, American actor (Miami Vice – “Tubbs”), born in Columbus, Ohio
1961 – Tarsem Singh, Indian commercial and film director (The Fall, Dear Jassi), born in Jalandhar, India
1966 – Helena Bonham Carter, British actress (Harry Potter, Fight Club, The King’s Speech, Enid, The Wings of the Dove), born in London, England
1979 – Elisabeth Harnois, American actress (CSI), born in Detroit, Michigan
1981 – Irini Merkouri, Greek-Romani pop and laïka singer, born in Ilion, Greece
Famous Deaths
604 – Augustine of Canterbury, 1st Archbishop of Canterbury and apostle to England, dies (or 605)
1421 – Mehmed I, Ottoman Sultan (1413-21). B. 1389.
1871 – Aimé Maillart, French opera composer (Les Dragons de Villars), dies at 54
1944 – Jacob J. Hage, Dutch farmer and WW II resistance fighter, executed at 23
1947 – Nellie Neilson, PhD, American historian, first woman published in the American Historical Review, and the first female president of the American Historical Association, dies at 74
1954 – Franz Pfemfert, German journalist and writer, dies at 74
1995 – Severn Darden, American actor (Luv; The President’s Analyst; Saturday the 14th), dies at 65
1997 – Jack Jersey [de Nijs], Dutch pop singer (The Four Sweeters; Jack and Woody; The Losers), songwriter, and record producer, dies of cancer at 55
2004 – Dullah Omar, South African attorney and UDF-leader, dies at 69
2020 – Stanley Ho, Chinese casino tycoon who transformed Macao, dies at 98