Today In History
Historical Events
1927 – Noël Coward’s stage comedy “The Marquise”, starring Marie Tempest, closes at the Criterion Theatre, London, after 129 performances
1982 – Israel and Syria stop fighting in Lebanon
2001 – Saudi Arabia seizes ownership, effective June 7, of the 1.6-million-barrels-per-day IPSA pipeline that had carried Iraqi crude oil to the Saudi Red Sea port of Mu’jiz prior to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait
2006 – French Open Men’s Tennis: Rafael Nadal of Spain wins his 2nd straight French title; beats Roger Federer 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6
2018 – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accepts migrant rescue ship Aquarius with 629 people on board after Italy refuses it
Famous Birthdays
1924 – Ed Farhat, American professional wrestler, born in Detroit (d. 2003)
1927 – Beryl Grey [Groom], English prima ballerina (Sadler’s Wells/Royal Ballet, 1941-57), artistic director, and dance teacher, born in Highgate, London, England (d. 2022)
1932 – Athol Fugard, South African playwright known for his anti-apartheid themes (The Blood Knot), born in Middelburg, South Africa (d. 2025)
1948 – Anthony Nelson, British Labour politician, born in Hamburg, Germany
1950 – Palhinha, Brazilian soccer forward (16 caps; Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Atlético Mineiro) and manager (SC Corinthians, União São João, Al-Tai), born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil (d. 2023)
Famous Deaths
1183 – Henry the Young King, son of Henry II of England, crowned aged 15 during his father’s lifetime, dies as the result of dysentery at 28
1937 – R. J. [Reginald Joseph] Mitchell, British aircraft designer (Supermarine Spitfire), dies of cancer at 42
1987 – Ralph Guldahl, American golfer (US Masters 1939, US Open 1937-38), dies at 75
1992 – Scotty Sachs, actor (Hanoi Hilton), dies of gunshot wounds at 39
2025 – John Robbins, American advocate for vegetarianism and author of “Diet for a New America”, dies of complications of post-polio syndrome at 77
Historical Events
1231 – Harderwijk (Netherlands) becomes a city
1905 – Pennsylvania Railroad debuts the fastest train in the world, capable of traveling from NY to Chicago in 18 hours
1921 – Brazil adopts women’s suffrage
1938 – French Championships Men’s Tennis: American Don Budge beats Roderich Menzel of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 for the 2nd leg of his Grand Slam
1951 – NY Times reports the NYC subway will auction off unclaimed items left behind on the trains
1988 – 120th Belmont Stakes: Eddie Delahoussaye aboard Risen Star wins in 2:26.6
1992 – US Olympic baseball team plays 1st exhibition game, beat Venezuela 20-0
2006 – French Open Men’s Tennis: Rafael Nadal of Spain wins his 2nd straight French title; beats Roger Federer 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6
Famous Birthdays
1867 – Charles Fabry, French physicist, discoverer of ozone layer in upper atmosphere, born in Marseille, France (d. 1945)
1874 – Richard Stöhr, Austrian composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1967)
1908 – George Paine, English cricket spin bowler (4 Tests, 17 wickets; Warwickshire CCC), born in London, England (d. 1978)
1927 – Josef Anton Reidl, German contemporary classical and electro-acoustic composer, born in Munich, Germany (d. 2016)
1937 – Luciana Paluzzi, Italian-American actress (Five Fingers, Thunderball), born in Rome, Italy
1939 – Christina Crawford, American actress and author (Mommie Dearest), born in Los Angeles, California
1945 – Adrienne Barbeau, American actress (Maude, Swamp Thing), born in Sacramento, California
1954 – John Dyson, Australian cricket batsman (30 Tests, 2 x 100, HS 127no; NSW), born in Sydney, Australia
1991 – Daniel Howell, English YouTuber and presenter (Dan and Phil, The Internet Takeover), comedian, and author (You Will Get Through This Night), born in Wokingham, England
1997 – Kodak Black [Bill Kapri], American rapper (Dying To Live), born in Pompano Beach, Florida
Famous Deaths
1249 – Aleydis of Schaarbeek, Flemish prioress, mystic and saint, dies
1488 – James III, King of Scots (1460-88), killed in battle or assassinated soon after at Milltown near Bannockburn at 36
1879 – William, Prince of Orange, Dutch crown prince of the Netherlands, dies of typhus at 39
1913 – Machmud Shevket Pasha, Turks grand vizier, murdered
1924 – Theodore Dubois, French composer, dies at 86
1992 – Scotty Sachs, actor (Hanoi Hilton), dies of gunshot wounds at 39
1993 – Muriel C. Bradbrook, English writer (Rise of Common Player), dies at 84
2005 – Ghena Dimitrova, Bulgarian operatic soprano, dies of cancer at 64
2006 – George Washington, American boxing trainer (Riddick Bowe; Mark Breland), dies of heart failure at 79
2017 – Rosalie Sorrels, American traditional folk singer-songwriter (“Up Is A Nice Place To Be”; “Nevada Moon”), dies at 83