Today In History
Historical Events
1879 – Madison Square Garden opens in New York, named after 4th President James Madison
1902 – Australia Cricket all out 36 v England, Edgbaston, their lowest ever
1931 – 36th French Championships Men’s Tennis: Jean Borotra wins his only home title; beats fellow Frenchman Christian Boussus 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
1942 – 25th PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Seaview CC: Sam Snead beats Jim Turnesa, 2 and 1 for his first PGA Tour major title
1983 – 37th NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers sweep LA Lakers in 4 games
Famous Birthdays
1904 – Otto “Toby” Hardwicke, American jazz alto saxophone player (The Washingtonians, 1923-28; Duke Ellington Orchestra, 1932-46 – “Sophisticated Lady”; “In A Sentimental Mood”), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1970)
1916 – Bert Haanstra, Dutch filmmaker and director (Fanfare; Glass), born in Holten, Netherlands (d. 1997)
1950 – Edward Barker, English cartoonist, born in Birmingham, England
1989 – Justine Lupe, American actress (Nobody Wants This), born in New York City
1989 – Marco Reus, German football player (Borussia Dortmund, German national team), born in Dortmund, West Germany
Famous Deaths
1665 – Pieter Janz Saenredam, Dutch architectural painter, dies at 67
1983 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1919-26), dies of heart failure at 87
1993 – John Granger, American actor (Advise and Consent), dies at 69
1994 – Sidney Gilliat, English screenwriter (Night Train to Munich) and director, dies at 86
2020 – Brother Ah [Robert Northern], American jazz and world music French hornist, band leader (Gil Evans, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, World Music Ensemble), educator, and radio deejay, dies of respiratory failure at 86
Historical Events
1913 – US 17th amendment (direct election of senators) declared ratified
1937 – Indianapolis 500: Wilbur Shaw and riding mechanic ‘Jigger’ Johnson win race from Ralph Hepburn by 2.16 seconds, closest finish to that point; Johnson last winning riding mechanic
1949 – 31st PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Hermitage CC: Sam Snead beats fellow American Johnny Palmer, 3 and 2; first time reigning Masters champion wins PGA Championship in the same calendar year.
1961 – Arthur Michael Ramsey appointed the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury
1970 – Cathedral of Brasília, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer is dedicated in the Brazilian capital Brasília
1970 – 7.75 Ancash earthquake off the coast of Peru kills 66,000-70,000 people and triggers the world’s deadliest avalanche
2005 – Mark Felt, former FBI high ranking official revealed as “Deep Throat” source during Watergate investigations in “Vanity Fair” article
2015 – 5th Critics’ Choice Television Awards: Silicon Valley wins Best Comedy Series, The Americans win Best Drama Series
Famous Birthdays
1904 – Stan Brenders, Belgian jazz pianist and bandleader, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1969)
1928 – Pankaj Roy, Indian cricket batsman (45 Tests, 5 x 100, HS 173; WR opening partnership [Vinoo Mankad] 413; Bengal), born in Dhaka, Bangladesh (d. 2001)
1937 – Bob Ferry, American basketball forward (St. Louis Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Bullets) and executive (GM Washington Bullets; NBA Exec of the Year 1979, 82), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2021)
1948 – Lynda Bellingham, Canadian-born English actress (Sweeney, Scarlet Tunic), born in Montreal, Quebec, (d. 2014)
1949 – Tom Berenger, American actor (The Big Chill;Someone to Watch Over Me), born in Chicago, Illinois
1954 – Thomas Mavros, Greek soccer striker (36 caps; Panionios FC, AEK Athens), born in Athens, Greece
1960 – Chris Elliott, American screenwriter, comedian, and actor (David Letterman; Cabin Boy, Get A Life), born in New York City
1961 – Lea Thompson, American actress (Back to the Future, Caroline In The City), born in Rochester, Minnesota
1964 – Scotti Hill [Mulvehill], American rock guitarist (Skid Row – “18 And Lie”: “I Remember You”), born in Manhasset, New York
1973 – Tyrone Williams, American NFL defensive back (Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl 31), born in Bradenton, Florida
Famous Deaths
1831 – Samuel Bentham, British mechanical engineer and naval architect, dies at 74
1955 – Jacob Clay, Dutch philosopher and physicist (cosmic rays as charged particles), dies at 63
1981 – Giuseppe Pella, 31st Prime Minister of Italy, dies at 79
1987 – Roy Winsor, American producer (Search for Tomorrow, Love of Life), dies at 75
1997 – Anton Zischka, Austrian writer (Lebendiges Europa), dies at 92
2010 – William A. Fraker, American cinematographer (b. 1923)
2010 – Brian Duffy, British photographer and film producer (b. 1933)
2010 – Rubén Juárez, Argentine bandoneonist, dies of cancer at 62
2014 – Marilyn Beck, American newspaper columnist and entertainment reporter, dies at 85
2021 – Mike Marshall, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1974, 75; NL Cy Young Award 1974; Montreal Expos, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves), dies at 78