Today In History
Historical Events
1688 – French troops occupy Palts
1975 – David Bowie’s single “Fame” goes #1 for two weeks
1984 – Suicide car bomb attacks US Embassy annex in Beirut, killing 23
2011 – United States ends its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the armed forces
2014 – New Zealand’s National Government wins a third term in the elections despite allegations of corruption and revelations about state surveillance
Famous Birthdays
1833 – Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian journalist, soldier and pacifist (Nobel Peace Prize 1907), born in Milan, Lombardy (d. 1918)
1922 – Frank Comstock, American big band and pop orchestral arranger (Les Brown; Doris Day; Warner Bros; Brian Setzer), film and television composer (Rocky and His Friends; Adam-12), and recording artist (Project: Comstock – Music from Outer Space), born in San Diego, California (d. 2013)
1967 – Gunnar Nelson, American rock vocalist and guitarist (Nelson – “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection”), born in Santa Monica, California
1968 – Norah Vincent, American journalist and author (Self-Made Man, Voluntary Madness), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2022)
1990 – John Tavares, Canadian ice hockey player (New York Islanders), born in Mississauga, Ontario
Famous Deaths
1648 – Ivan Lukačić, Croatian composer, dies at 61
1863 – Benjamin Hardin Helm, American attorney and Confederate brigadier general and Abraham Lincoln’s brother-in-law, dies at the Battle of Chickamauga at 33
1896 – Johan Gottfried Conradi, Norwegian composer, choral conductor, musicologist, and pedagogue (Christiania Borgerskolen, 1860-90), dies at 76
2005 – Tobias Schneebaum, American writer, anthropologist and explorer dies at 83
2025 – Jim Mitchum, American actor (Thunder Road, Blackout), dies at 84
Historical Events
1859 – George Simpson patents the electric range
1861 – Battle of Lexington, MO, is captured by Union
1938 – Emlyn Williams’ semi-autobiographical comedic play “The Corn is Green” premieres in London and runs for 600 performances
1943 – Liberator bomber sinks U-338
1970 – Jim Morrison is found guilty of “open profanity and indecent exposure” after allegedly exposing himself at a concert in Miami in 1969
1989 – Musical “Miss Saigon,” created by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, premieres in London
2001 – In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, US President George W. Bush declares a “war on terror”
2018 – Woman shoots seven people, killing three and herself, at a Rite Aid distribution center near Baltimore, Maryland
Famous Birthdays
1877 – Armand Marsick, Belgian composer, born in Liège, Belgium (d. 1959)
1896 – Fjodor Panfjorov, Russian author (Volga), born in Pavlovka, Russia (d. 1960) [NS=Oct 2]
1923 – Geraldine Clinton Little, Irish poet (A Little Bouquet), born in Northern Ireland (d. 1997)
1941 – Sylvester [J. Pussycat Sr.,], Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Friz Freleng (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in “Notes to You”
1948 – Chuck Panozzo, American rock bassist (Styx), born in Chicago, Illinois
1954 – Silvio Leonard, Cuban 100m runner (Olympic silver 1980), born in Cienfuegos, Cuba
1968 – Eric Turner, American football safety (First-team All-Pro 1994; Pro Bowl 1994, 96; NFL interceptions co-leader 1994; Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens), born in Ventura, California (d. 2000)
1968 – Tim Rogers, Australian singer and songwriter (“You Am I”), born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia,
1971 – Henrik Larsson, Swedish soccer striker (106 caps; Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona, Helsingborgs IF), born in Helsingborg, Sweden
1989 – Malachi Kirby, English actor (Small Axe), born in London, England
Famous Deaths
1630 – Claudio Saracini, Italian composer, dies at 44
1863 – Jacob Grimm, German philologist, folklorist and editor of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”, dies at 78
1908 – Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (Spanish Dancer), dies at 64
1933 – Annie Besant, English social reformer and supporter of Indian independence, dies at 85
1974 – Carlyle Blackwell Jr, American actor (The Pilgrim Lady, The Triumph of the Rat), dies at 71
1996 – Paul Erdos, Hungarian mathematician, dies of a heart attack at 83
1999 – Willy Millowitsch, German actor (National Lampoon’s European Vacation), dies from heart failure at 90
2011 – Robert Whitaker, British photographer whose work was used on Beatles and Cream album covers, dies at 71
2021 – Billy Maxwell, American golfer (US Amateur C’ship 1951; Ryder Cup 1963; 7 x PGA Tour wins), dies at 92
2025 – Marian Burros, American food writer best known for her plum torte recipe (NYT Cooking, The Summertime Cookbook), dies at 92