Today In History
Historical Events
1941 – New Nazi battleship Bismarck leaves Gdynia, Poland
1962 – Indonesian paratroopers land in New Guinea
1974 – Valéry Giscard d’Estaing wins French presidential election
1995 – Emmy 22nd Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 15th time
2018 – Queen Elizabeth II grants the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their marriage
Famous Birthdays
1795 – Johns Hopkins, American financier and philanthropist (founded Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins University), born in Gambrills, Maryland (d. 1873)
1812 – Felix Zollicoffer, American journalist and Confederate Brigadier General who was killed in the Battle of Mill Springs, born in Maury County, Tennessee (d. 1862)
1864 – Carl Akeley, American taxidermist and naturalist who developed the animal mount process and other techniques for museums, born in Clarendon, New York (d. 1926)
1926 – Paul Cooper, American classical music composer, and educator, born in Victoria, Illinois (d. 1996)
1934 – Ruskin Bond, Indian novelist (Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra), born in Kasauli, British India
Famous Deaths
1928 – Max Scheler, German philosopher, dies at 53
1994 – Henry Morgan, American comedian and TV panelist (I’ve Got a Secret; Arena), dies of lung cancer at 79
2001 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
2021 – Lee Evans, American athlete (Olympic gold men’s 400m, 4x400m relay 1968), dies from stroke complications at 74
2025 – Alice Notley, American poet (Mysteries of Small Houses, Disobedience), dies of a cerebral haemorrhage at 79
Historical Events
1793 – Netherlands captures French island of St Maarten (held until 1795)
1992 – Amy Fisher shoots Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the face in an altercation over an affair with her husband, in Massapequa, New York
1993 – Boeing 727 crashes into mountain at Medellín, Colombia, kills 132
1993 – Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 3,500 for 1st time (3,500.03)
1995 – World’s youngest doctor, Balamurali Ambati, 17, graduates from Mount Sinai
2012 – UEFA Champions League Final, Munich: Chelsea beats Bayern Munich, 4-3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time; Blues’ first title
2013 – Sweden defeats Switzerland to win the 2013 World Ice Hockey Championship
2021 – New York City begins re-opening after 423 days (March 2020) with the COVID-19 death toll at 33,000
Famous Birthdays
1864 – Carl Akeley, American taxidermist and naturalist who developed the animal mount process and other techniques for museums, born in Clarendon, New York (d. 1926)
1868 – John Fillmore Hayford, American Geodesist who established the theory of isostasy and founded the modern science of geodesy (precise measurements of the shape of the earth), born in Rouses Point, New York (d. 1925)
1909 – Sir Nicholas Winton, British humanitarian (‘British Schindler’ – saved 669 children from Nazis), born in London (d. 2015)
1935 – Fritz Rudolf Fries, German writer, born in Bilbao, Spain (d. 2014)
1936 – Elisabeth Schwartz, Austrian pairs figure skater (Olympic gold 1956)
1942 – Frank Froehling, American tennis player (US C’ships 1963 runner-up; doubles, mixed doubles 1965 runner-up), born in Islamorada, Florida (d. 2020)
1946 – André the Giant, French pro wrestler (WWF World Heavyweight C’ship 1988; WWF World Tag Team C’ship [with Haku] 1989), born in Grenoble, France (d. 1993)
1949 – Archie Manning, American football quarterback (New Orleans Saints; 2 x Pro Bowl; Saints Hall of Fame), born in Drew, Mississippi
1965 – Joshua Beckett [Joshua Rifkind], American actor (Marshall Chronicles), born in Beverly Hills, California
1986 – Eric Lloyd, American actor (Charlie Calvin in the “Santa Clause” franchise), born in Glendale, California
Famous Deaths
1895 – Jose Marti y Perez, Cuban poet (Versos sencillos) essayist and politician (fought for independence from Spain), dies fighting the Battle of Dos Rios at 42
1918 – Gervais Raoul Lufbery, French-American World War I fighter pilot and flying ace, dies at 33
1971 – Bernard Wagenaar, Dutch-American composer (3 Songs for Chinese), dies at 76
1993 – Ranga Sohoni, Indian cricket all-rounder (4 Tests, top score 29 no, 2 wickets), dies from a heart attack at 75
1994 – Luis Ocaña, Spanish road cyclist (Tour de France 1973; Vuelta a España 1970), commits suicide at 48
1997 – Millie, dog of US President George H. W. Bush (Millie’s Book), dies at 12
1999 – James Blades, British classical percussionist, and educator, dies at 97
2002 – John Gorton, Australian politician, 19th Prime Minister of Australia (1968-71), dies at 90
2005 – Henry Corden, American actor and voice artist (b. 1921)
2025 – Alice Notley, American poet (Mysteries of Small Houses, Disobedience), dies of a cerebral haemorrhage at 79