Today In History
Historical Events
1229 – Aragonese army led by James I of Aragon disembarks at Santa Ponça, Majorca, to conquer the island
1961 – USSR performs a nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya, USSR
1964 – Canyonlands National Park is designated as a National Park
1973 – USSR performs a nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya, USSR
1993 – STS-51 (Discovery) launches into orbit
Famous Birthdays
1829 – Charles Dudley Warner, American novelist (Being a Boy), born in Plainfield, Massachusetts (d. 1900)
1896 – Giuseppe Zoppi, Swiss writer (Il Libro Dell’Alpe), born in Broglio, Switzerland (d. 1952)
1954 – Jeff Jarvis, American journalist (This Week in Google, What Would Google Do?), public speaker, and advocate for the Open Web, born in United States
1978 – Baloji [Serge Baloji Tshiani], Belgian-Congolese rapper and film director known for “Omen”, born in Lubumbashi, Zaire
1994 – Elina Svitolina, Ukrainian tennis player (WTA Finals champion 2018), born in Odessa, Ukraine
Famous Deaths
1860 – John Winebrenner, American clergyman (founded Church of God General Conference), dies at 63
1927 – Walther Amelung, German archaeologist, dies at 61
1949 – Harry Burleigh, African American baritone and composer (Five Songs of Laurence Hope), and Springarn Medal winner (1917), dies at 82
1980 – Lillian Randolph, American radio and screen actress (The Great Gildersleeve; Amos ‘n Andy; It’s A Wonderful Life: Roots; The Onion Field), dies of cancer at 81
2020 – Florence Howe, American scholar, writer and co-founder of Feminist Press, dies at 91
Historical Events
1789 – Jean-Paul Marat publishes the first issue of his radical newspaper Le Publiciste Parisien, later called L’Ami du Peuple (The Friend of the People) in Paris
1931 – Inaugural Bledisloe Cup rugby match played between Australia and New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland – NZ win 20-13
1954 – WLBZ TV Channel 2 in Bangor, Maine (NBC) begins broadcasting
1962 – Washington Senator Tom Cheney strikes out a record 21 Orioles in a 16-inning game
1979 – Boston Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski gets his 3,000th hit off NY Yankee Jim Beattie
1991 – Space shuttle STS 48 (Discovery 14) is launched
1999 – Farm Aid 12 held in Bristow, Virginia; performers include Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews Band, Susan Tedeschi, Keb’ Mo’, Deana Carter, and Barenaked Ladies
2021 – US Open Men’s Tennis: Russia’s Daniil Medvedev wins his first major title by shattering Novak Đoković’s hopes of completing a Grand Slam in one-sided 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 final
Famous Birthdays
1917 – Pierre Sévigny, Canadian military officer and politician, born in Quebec, Canada (d. 2004)
1922 – Conrad Shinn, American pilot and the first person to land a plane at the South Pole, born in Leaksville, North Carolina (d. 2025)
1924 – Howard Curtis Nielson, American politician (Rep-R-UT, 1983-91), born in Richfield, Utah (d. 2020)
1925 – Dickie Moore, actor (Expert, Oliver Twist, Little Men), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2015)
1932 – Waqar Hasan, Pakistani cricket batsman (21 Tests, top score 189; member Pakistan’s inaugural Test squad), born in Amritsar, Punjab, India (d. 2020)
1959 – Cindy Rarick, American golfer (5 LPGA Tour titles), born in Glenwood, Minnesota
1965 – John Norwood Fisher, American ska-funk bassist (Fishbone), born in California
1967 – Louis C.K. [Louis Székely] American-Mexican comedian (Louie), born in Washington, D. C.
1973 – Paul Walker, American actor (The Fast and the Furious), born in Glendale, California (d. 2013)
1974 – Nuno Valente, Portuguese soccer defender (32 caps; Porto, Everton), born in Lisbon, Portugal
Famous Deaths
1956 – Sándor Graf Festetics, Hungarian nobleman and politician (Minister of War, 1918-19), dies at 74
1988 – Lauris Norstad, American general (NATO commander) and CEO (Owens-Corning Fiberglass), dies at 71
1994 – Tom Ewell [Sam Yewell Tompkins], American actor (Tom Ewell Show, The Seven Year Itch), dies at 85
1995 – Larry Gales, American jazz double-bassist, dies of leukemia at 59
2001 – Victor Wong, American actor (Big Trouble in Little China), dies of a heart attack at 74
2008 – Bob Quinn, Australian Football Hall of Fame rover (All Australian captain 1947; SA captain 1945-47; Magarey Medal 1938, 45; Port Adelaide FC), dies at 93
2009 – Norman Borlaug, American agronomist (Green revolution – Nobel Peace Prize 1970), dies at 95
2021 – Michel Maïque, French rugby league second rower (8 Tests; FC Lézignan) and politician (Mayor of Lézignan-Corbières 2014-20), dies from acute pancreatitis at 73
2023 – Gordon Kennett, English motorcycle speedway rider (World Pairs C’ship [Malcolm Simmons] 1978; World Championship 1978 runner-up), dies at 70
2023 – Dominique Colonna, French soccer goalkeeper (13 caps; Stade Français, OGC Nice, Reims) and manager (Cameroon 1965-70), dies at 95