Today In History
Historical Events
1635 – Spanish marshal Piccolomini conquers Schenkenschans
1939 – Fifth Dutch government of Prime Minister Hendrikus Colijn falls
1943 – US President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces the end of coffee rationing in the US
1983 – NASA launches Telstar-3A
1988 – Jordan cancels $1.3 billion development plan in West Bank
Famous Birthdays
1456 – Jacopo Sannazaro, Italian poet (Arcadia), born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples (now Italy) (d. 1530)
1745 – Peter Ludwig von der Pahlen, Baltic German courtier, general and military governor of St Petersburg, born in Palmse, Estonia (d. 1826)
1900 – Maurice Johnstone, British brass band composer, born in Manchester, England (d. 1976)
1942 – Marty Brennaman, American sportscaster, born in Portsmouth, Virginia
1954 – Hugo Chávez, President of Venezuela (1998-2013), born in Sabaneta, Barinas State, Venezuela (d. 2013)
Famous Deaths
1960 – Enrique Amorim, Uruguayan author (La victoria no viene sola), dies at 60
1990 – Jill Esmond, English actress (13 Women, My Pal Wolfe, FP 1), dies at 82
1994 – Bernard Delfont, Russian-British impresario (Thorn EMI), dies at 84
2007 – Karl Gotch, Belgian professional wrestler (b. 1924)
2013 – William Scranton, American Republican Party politician and diplomat, dies from a cerebral hemorrhage at 96
Historical Events
1330 – Battle of Velbuzd: Serbian forces defeat Bulgarian army
1563 – French army recaptures Le Havre after the English garrison surrenders after a siege
1794 – French Revolutionary figure Maximilien Robespierre and 22 other leaders of “the Terror” are guillotined to thunderous cheers in Paris
1794 – Joséphine de Beauharnais, future Empress of the French and first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, is released from prison five days after the execution of her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais
1967 – Pirate radio station 390 (Radio Invicta) in England closes down
2013 – 39 people are killed after a bus veers off a bridge in Avellino Province, Italy
2018 – Carr Fire reaches Redding, California, with the death toll at 5, having burned 80,000 acres
2019 – Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is revealed as the first guest editor for UK Vogue in 103 years for its September 2019 issue
Famous Birthdays
1866 – Beatrix Potter, English children’s author and illustrator (The Tale of Peter Rabbit), born in London (d. 1943)
1902 – Vibart Wight, West Indian cricket batsman (2 Tests; v/c WI first touring team v England 1928), born in Georgetown, British Guiana (d. 1969)
1914 – Carmen Dragon, American composer (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), and conductor (Hollywood Bowl Symphony), born in Antioch, California (d. 1984)
1925 – Baruch Samuel Blumberg, American scientist, (1976 Nobel laureate for Physiology or Medicine for work on Hepatitis B), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2011)
1931 – Johnny Martin, Australian cricket left-arm bowler (1960’s), born in Wingham, Australia (d. 1992)
1947 – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, American blues musician (“Cypress Garden”) and juke joint proprietor (Blue Front Cafe), born in Bentonia, Mississippi.
1949 – Randall Wallace, American screenwriter and film producer (Braveheart), born in Jackson, Tennessee
1956 – Carol Higgins Clark, American suspense novelist (Regan Reilly series), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2023)
1957 – Scott Pelley, American author (Truth Worth Telling) and reporter for CBS News (60 Minutes, CBS Evening News), born in San Antonio, Texas
1981 – Michael Carrick, English footballer, born in Wallsend, England
Famous Deaths
1741 – Antonio Vivaldi, Italian Baroque composer (The Four Seasons), dies at 63
1967 – Karl W. Richter, American air force pilot during the Vietnam War (youngest to shoot down a MiG), shot down at 24
1976 – Lucie Mannheim, German singer and actress (39 Steps), dies at 77
1990 – Jill Esmond, English actress (13 Women, My Pal Wolfe, FP 1), dies at 82
1994 – Ralph Herman, American Emmy Award-winning composer (From the Scriptures; Circus Time), orchestra leader, and music director (ABC-TV, 1952-71), dies after a stroke at 80
1997 – Rosalie Crutchley, British actress (Armchair Theatre: Black Limelight, Four Weddings and a Funeral), dies at 77
1999 – Rudolf Halaczinsky, German composer, dies at 78
2015 – James Jude, American thoracic surgeon (developed CPR), dies at 87
2024 – Martin Phillipps, New Zealand new wave singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Chills – “Heavenly Pop Hit”, “Pink Frost”), dies of liver failure at 61
2025 – Ryne Sandberg, American Baseball HOF infielder (10 × MLB All-Star; NL MVP 1984; 9 × Gold Glove Award; Chicago Cubs) and manager (Philadelphia Phillies, 2013-15), dies of prostate cancer at 65