Today In History
Historical Events
1868 – San Francisco Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals forms in San Francisco, California
1950 – 1st opening night-game, Cards beat Pirates, 4-2
1963 – Dr. James Campbell performs the first human nerve transplant
1974 – Red Brigade kidnaps Italian attorney general Mario Sossi
1996 – In Lebanon, at least 106 civilians are killed when the Israel Defense Forces accidentally shell the UN compound at Quana.
Famous Birthdays
1918 – Róbert Zimonyi, Hungarian rowing coxswain (Olympic gold USA men’s eight 1964; bronze Hungary coxed pair 1948), born in Sárvár, Hungary (d. 2004)
1925 – Bob Hastings, American actor (McHale’s Navy; All in the Family), born in Brooklyn, New York City(d. 2014)
1946 – Tommy Shannon [Smedley], American blues-rock bassist (Johnny Winter; Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble), born in Tucson, Arizona
1950 – Kenny Ortega, American film and television producer (High School Musical trilogy), born in Palo Alto, California
1966 – Valeri Kamensky, Russian NHL left wing (Avalanche, Olympic silver 1998), born in Voskresensk, Russia
Famous Deaths
1587 – John Foxe, English historian (Book of Martyrs), dies
1674 – John Graunt, English statistician and founder of science of demography, dies at 53
1960 – Emory Johnson, American actor and director (Phantom Express, Shield of Honor), dies at 66
1974 – John Henry Lewis, American boxer (World Light-Heavyweight champion, 1935-38), dies of emphysema and Parkinson’s at 59
1997 – Edward Barker, English cartoonist, dies at 46
Historical Events
1738 – Real Academia de la Historia (“Royal Academy of History”) founded in Madrid
1869 – 1st international cricket match, held in San Francisco, won by California
1922 – Netherlands soccer team defeats Denmark 2-0
1939 – Hubert Pierlot forms Belgian government
1946 – Jackie Robinson debuts as second baseman for the Montreal Royals, the minor league affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers
1956 – Egypt and Israel agree to a cease fire
1966 – 70th Boston Marathon: Kenji Kimihara of Japan wins in 2:17:11; American Bobbi Gibb first woman in 3:21:40 (unsanctioned)
2013 – 28th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Heart; Albert King; Randy Newman; Public Enemy; Rush; Donna Summer; Quincy Jones; and Lou Adler
Famous Birthdays
1786 – Franz Xaver Schnyder von Wartensee, Swiss composer, born in Lucerne, Switzerland (d. 1868)
1813 – James McCune Smith, African-American doctor and abolitionist, born in Manhattan, New York (d. 1865)
1889 – Jessie Street, Australian suffragette and aboriginal rights fighter, born in Ranchi, Bihar, Bengal Presidency, British Raj (d. 1970)
1910 – Jamie Whitten, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi), born in Cascilla, Mississippi (d. 1995)
1915 – Joy Davidman, American poet, writer and wife of C. S. Lewis, born in New York City (d. 1960)
1927 – Jim De Courcy, Australian cricketer (Australian batsman 1953), born in Newcastle, New South Wales (d. 2000)
1929 – Peter Hordern, British Conservative Party politician known for promoting monetarism, born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2024)
1937 – Joaquim Carvalho, Portuguese soccer goalkeeper (6 caps; Sporting CP), born in Barreiro, Portugal (d. 2022)
1968 – Jorge Rodríguez, Mexican soccer midfielder (40 caps; CD Toluca 201 games), born in Toluca, Mexico (d. 2024)
1974 – Madeleine Peyroux, American French jazz and blues singer-songwriter, born in Athens, Georgia
Famous Deaths
1863 – Job Plimpton, American composer and organ builder, dies at 79
1917 – Moritz von Bissing, Prussian general, dies at 73
1947 – Benny Leonard, American boxer (world lightweight title 1917-25), dies from a heart attack at 51
1949 – Will Hay [William Thomson Hay], British comedian, actor and amateur astronomer, dies from a stroke at 60
1956 – Floyd Smith, American aviator and inventor of the modern parachute, dies at 71
1996 – Hubert Opperman, Australian road cyclist, politician (multi-distance world records), dies of heart failure at 91
2013 – Storm Thorgerson, British graphic designer and music video director (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, The Cranberries), dies of cancer at 69
2015 – Joseph Lechleider, American electrical engineer (invented DSL/high speed internet technology), dies at 82
2020 – François Lafortune Jr., Belgian rifle shooter (7 x Olympic Games 1952-1976, 50m Rifle, Prone Position), dies from Parkinson’s disease at 87
2022 – Sid Mark [Fliegelman], American disc jockey and ‘Frank-ophile’ (The Sounds of Sinatra, 1960-2022), dies at 88