Today In History
Historical Events
1748 – Amsterdam establishes municipal postal service
1962 – Lee Harvey Oswald arrives by train in Oldenzaal, Netherlands
1973 – At Paris air show, Tupolev 144, a Soviet supersonic airliner (“Concorde-ski”), crashes, 15 killed
2001 – US Open Women’s Golf, Pine Needles Lodge and GC: Defending champion Karrie Webb of Australia repeats by 8 strokes ahead of runner-up Se Ri Pak; largest margin in 21 years
2014 – US President Barack Obama announces his plan for a $1 billion fund to increase deployment of US troops to Europe
Famous Birthdays
1913 – Pedro Mir, Dominican poet laureate (There Is a Country in the World, To Julia with No Tears), born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic (d. 2000)
1914 – (Ronald George) “Tim” Woodman, British WWII RAF pilot and squadron leader, born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England (d. 1996)
1962 – Susannah Constantine, British fashion guru (What Not to Wear), born in London, England
1965 – Jeff Blumenkrantz, American theatrical composer, actor, and podcaster, born in Long Branch, New Jersey
1986 – Tomas Verner, Czech ice skater, born in Písek, Czech Republic
Famous Deaths
1858 – Julius Reubke, German organist, pianist, and composer (Sonata on the 94th Psalm in c), dies of tuberculosis at 24
1995 – Dilys Powell, English film critic and travel writer (Descent from Parnassus), dies at 93
2003 – Felix de Weldon, Austrian-American sculptor (Marine Corps War Memorial), dies at 96
2019 – Agustina Bessa-Luís, Portuguese writer (A Sibila), dies at 96
2023 – Jim Hines, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1968), dies at 76
Historical Events
1935 – French liner SS Normandie sets Atlantic crossing record of four days, three hours and 14 minutes on her maiden voyage
1937 – Josh Gibson hits a home run just 2 feet below the rim of Yankee Stadium (580′ drive)
1939 – “Beer Barrel Polka” by Will Glahe hits #1 on the pop singles chart
1944 – 76th Belmont: G. L. Smith riding Bounding Home wins in 2:32.2
1964 – Ringo Starr collapses from tonsillitis and pharyngitis, just before the Beatles embark on a World Tour
1987 – “Little Shop of Horrors” released in France
2019 – US federal government departments and Congress begin anti-trust investigations into large tech companies including Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon
2025 – IPL Cricket Final, Ahmedabad: Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings by 6 runs for their first title; Player of the Match: Krunal Pandya (RCB) 2/17
Famous Birthdays
1723 – Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, Italian-Austrian physician and naturalist interested in entomology (Entomologia Carniolica), born in Cavalese, Italy (d. 1788)
1750 – Frédéric Thiéme, French composer, born in Reims, France (d. 1802)
1864 – Ransom Eli Olds, American auto (Oldsmobile) and truck (REO) manufacturer, born in Geneva, Ohio (d. 1950)
1928 – Donald Judd, American minimalist sculptor and artist, born in Excelsior Springs, Missouri (d. 1994)
1929 – Chuck Barris, TV game show producer and host (Gong Show), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2017)
1931 – Lindy Remigino, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m 1952), born in Elmhurst, Queens, New York (d. 2018)
1935 – Ted Curson, American jazz trumpeter, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012)
1940 – Richard Edwards, West Indian cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 18 wickets; Barbados), born in Christ Church, Barbados
1951 – Jill Biden (née Jacobs), American educator, second wife of US President Joe Biden, and First Lady of the United States (2021-25), born in Hammonton, New Jersey
1961 – Dana Drábová, Czech nuclear scientist and head of the State Office for Nuclear Safety (1999-2025), born in Czechoslovakia (d. 2025)
Famous Deaths
1864 – James P. McMahon, US Union colonel (164th NY), dies in the Battle of Cold Harbour at about 29
1865 – Okada Izō, Japanese samurai (b. 1838)
1898 – Nikolai Afanisev, Russian violinist and composer, dies at 77
1975 – Ozzie Nelson, American big band leader, radio and television actor and producer (The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), dies from cancer at 69
1981 – Eric Dalton, South African cricket batsman (15 Tests, top score 117), dies at 74
1991 – Takeshi Nagata, Japanese geophysicist, dies at 78
2000 – Merton Miller, American economist, recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (1990), dies at 77
2004 – Victor Reuther, American labor leader (United Automobile Workers union), dies at 92
2019 – Agustina Bessa-Luís, Portuguese writer (A Sibila), dies at 96
2021 – F. Lee Bailey, American criminal defense attorney (Sam Sheppard; Boston Strangler; Patty Hearst; OJ Simpson), dies at 87