Today In History
Historical Events
1824 – General Lafayette returns to the US
1984 – West Indies complete 5-0 series annihilation of England
1993 – Nigerian presidential election
1995 – Shannon Faulkner becomes the first woman to attend The Citadel
2023 – Former US President Donald Trump and 18 others, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, are indicted by a grand jury in Atlanta on felony charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia
Famous Birthdays
1738 – Leopold Hofmann, Austrian composer and kapellmeister (Cathedral of St. Stephan, 1772-93), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1793)
1910 – Pierre Schaeffer, French electronics engineer and composer, born in Nancy, France (d. 1995)
1926 – (Armando) “Buddy” Greco, American jazz and pop singer (“Ooh! Look-A There, Ain’t She Pretty”; “The Lady Is A Tramp”), pianist, and television personality (Away We Go), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2017)
1947 – Danielle Steel, American author (Rememberance, Zoya, Star, Daddy), born in New York City
1983 – Mila Kunis, Ukrainian-American actress (Friends with Benefits; That ’70s Show – “Jacki'”), born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine SSR, Soviet Union
Famous Deaths
1975 – Joris Baers, Belgian priest and librarian (founded magazine Boekengids), dies at 87
1988 – Robert Calvert, South African-British writer and musician (Hawkwind), dies of a heart attack at 43
2000 – Cuan McCarthy, South African cricketer (36 Test wkts for South Africa, 1 career no-ball), dies at 71
2009 – Lawrence Lucie, American jazz guitarist (Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong), and educator (Manhattan College, 1974-2004), dies at 101
2020 – Angela Buxton, English tennis player (French C’ships, Wimbledon women’s doubles 1956 [with Althea Gibson]), dies at 85
Historical Events
1040 – King Duncan I of Scotland is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth, who succeeds him as king (not murdered in his sleep as in Shakespeare’s play)
1758 – Battle of Zorndorf: Prussia defeats Russia, with thousands killed
1825 – Dutch King William I expels foreign students
1915 – British transport Royal Edward is sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1,000
1932 – Brooklyn Dodgers reliever Johnny Quinn, 49, becomes the oldest pitcher to win an MLB game in a 2-1, 10th-inning victory over the NY Giants at the Polo Grounds
1937 – China declares war on Japan
1981 – George Foster hits his 8th home run into the red seats at Riverfront
2024 – Tropical Storm Ernesto becomes a hurricane, bringing strong winds and rain to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, taking out power supplies
Famous Birthdays
1575 – Robert Hayman, English poet, born in Wolborough, Newton Abbot, Devon (d. 1629)
1642 – Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, monarch of Florence (1670-1723), born in Pitti Palace, Florence, Tuscany (d. 1723)
1895 – Jack Gregory, Australian cricket all-rounder (24 Tests, 2 x 100, 7 x 50, 85 wickets, BB 7/69; NSW CA), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1973)
1903 – Millard Mitchell, Cuban actor (12 O’Clock High, Gunfighter), born in Havana, Cuba (d. 1953)
1926 – (Armando) “Buddy” Greco, American jazz and pop singer (“Ooh! Look-A There, Ain’t She Pretty”; “The Lady Is A Tramp”), pianist, and television personality (Away We Go), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2017)
1943 – Barrie Leadbeater, English cricketer and umpire, born in Harehills, Leeds
1945 – Jennifer d’Abo, British entrepreneur who turned around retail chain Rymans, born in London (d. 2003)
1962 – Jerry Foltz, American golfer and commentator (Golf Channel), born in Las Vegas, Nevada
1975 – Mike Vrabel, American NFL linebacker (Super Bowl 2001, 03, 04, New England Patriots) and coach (Tennessee Titans 2018-20), born in Akron, Ohio
1983 – Lamorne Morris, American actor known for “New Girl” and “Fargo”, born in Chicago, Illinois
Famous Deaths
1040 – King Duncan I of Scotland, killed in battle at ca. 39 years
1573 – SaitÅ Tatsuoki, Japanese warlord (b. 1548)
1870 – David Farragut, American Admiral (“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”), dies at 69
1943 – Joe Kelley, American Baseball HOF left fielder (NL stolen base leader 1896 Baltimore Orioles) and manager (Cincinnati Reds, Boston Doves), dies at 71
1970 – Vano Muradeli, Soviet Georgian composer (The Great Friendship; Our Leader), and pedagogue, dies at 62
1992 – (Samuel) “Tony” Williams, American pop singer (The Platters, 1953-59 – “Only You”; “Great Pretender”), dies at 64
2000 – Cuan McCarthy, South African cricketer (36 Test wkts for South Africa, 1 career no-ball), dies at 71
2005 – Christmas Tinto, South African ANC and UDF leader, dies at 79
2010 – Terje Stigen, Norwegian author (Det siste paradiset), dies at 88
2025 – Dawie Snyman, South African rugby union utility back (10 Tests; Western Province RFU), dies at 76