Today In History
Historical Events
1573 – Spain begins the siege of Alkmaar in the Netherlands
1598 – Deed of Transfer proclaims the Netherlands’ independence
1942 – Transport #22 departs with French Jews to Nazi-Germany
1968 – After five years, the Soviet Union once again jams Voice of America radio
2017 – Chile’s Constitutional Court approves a bill to ease the country’s total abortion ban
Famous Birthdays
1908 – M. M. Kaye, British writer (The Far Pavilions), born in Shimla, India (d. 2004)
1913 – Diana Churchill, English actress (Spider, Sally Bishop, Housemaster), born in Wembley, England (d. 1994)
1951 – Char Margolis, American psychic medium, television personality and podcast host (CharVision), born in Detroit, Michigan
1975 – Simon Katich, Australian cricketer, born in Middle Swan, Australia
1984 – Alizée Jacotey, French pop singer (“Moi… Lolita”), born in Ajaccio, France
Famous Deaths
1919 – Laurence Doherty, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1902-06, US Nationals 1903), dies of toxemia at 43
1952 – Isaac Sadeh, Polish-born leader of Jewish commando force (Palmach), dies at 62
1963 – John Gunn, English cricket medium pace bowler (6 Tests, 18 wickets, BB 5/76; Nottinghamshire CCC), dies at 87
1971 – George Jackson, American criminal, author, and Black Guerrilla Family gang founder, shot to death during attempted San Quentin, California prison escape at 29
1991 – Oswald von Nell-Breuning, German theologist and philosopher, dies at 101
Historical Events
1968 – After five years, the Soviet Union once again jams Voice of America radio
1975 – Three-truck pile-up kills 10 and injures 26 on French highway
1977 – American water skier Donna Patterson Brice sets women’s high speed record 111.11 mph at Long Beach, California
1986 – Red Sox Spike Owen scores 6 runs in a 24-5 rout of the Cleveland Indians
1994 – Royal Air Maroc ATR-42 crashes at Agadir, killing 44
2008 – American pair Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh dominate China’s Tian Jia and Wang Jie 21-18, 21-18 in the beach volleyball final to repeat their gold medal from Athens; they don’t lose a set in the competition
2019 – 74,155 fires caused by land clearing are burning in the Amazon rainforest, the most ever recorded, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research
2023 – Saudi border guards are accused of killing hundreds of migrants, shooting them as they try to cross into the country from Yemen in a report by Human Rights Watch
Famous Birthdays
1892 – Charles Vanel, French actor and director (Wages of Fear), born in Rennes, France (d. 1989)
1909 – C. Dillon Douglas, US Secretary of Treasury (1961-65), born in Geneva, Switzerland (d. 2003)
1914 – Doug Wright, English cricket spin bowler (34 Tests, 108 wickets; Kent), born in Sidcup, England (d. 1998)
1932 – Melvin Van Peebles, American stage and screen actor, director (Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song; Sophisticated Gent), composer, and novelist, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2021)
1941 – Alberto Mario González, Argentine soccer forward (19 caps; Unión Española Santiago, CA Boca Juniors, Atlanta Buenos Aires), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2023)
1945 – Jerry DaVanon, American baseball player, born in Oceanside, California
1951 – Eric Goles, Chilean mathematician and computer scientist, born in Antofagasta, Chile
1957 – Budgie [Peter Edward Clarke], English rock drummer (Siouxsie and the Banshees; The Creatures), born in St. Helens, Lancashire, England
1984 – Vestards Šimkus, Latvian concert pianist, improviser, and composer, born in Jūrmala, Latvia
1986 – Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thai businesswoman and politician, Prime Minister of Thailand (2024-), born in Bangkok, Thailand
Famous Deaths
1935 – John Hartley, English tennis player (Wimbledon 1879-80), dies at 86
1940 – Ernest Thayer, American poet who wrote the famous baseball poem “Casey”, dies at 77
1979 – Giuseppe Meazza, Italian footballer, dies at 68
1980 – Jack Cheetham, South African cricket batsman and captain (24 Tests; Western Province), dies at 60
1994 – Danitra Vance, American comedienne (SNL, 1985), and actress (Jumpin’ At The Boneyard), dies of breast cancer at 40
1995 – Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Indian physicist (Nobel Prize 1983 for work on structure and evolution of the stars), dies at 84
1999 – Leo Castelli, Italian-American art dealer, dies at 91
2007 – Siobhan Dowd, English-Irish writer known for “Bog Child”, dies of cancer at 47
2013 – Sid Bernstein, American music producer, and concert promoter (Beatles; Rolling Stones), dies at 95
2022 – David Armstrong, English soccer midfielder (3 caps; Middlesbrough 359 games, Southampton 222 games), dies at 67