Today In History
Historical Events
1628 – Java: Sultan Agung of Mataram attacks Batavia
1914 – US war reporter Richard H. Davis visits Leuven in Belgium
1955 – Sandy Koufax fans 14 Reds as both teams combine for a record 23 strikeouts
1961 – Francis the Talking Mule is a mystery guest on “What’s My Line”
1965 – The Beatles spend an evening with Elvis Presley at his Los Angeles, California, home
Famous Birthdays
1896 – Leon Theremin, Russian-Soviet electronic musical instruments inventor, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1993)
1908 – Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th US President (Democrat: 1963-69), born in Stonewall, Texas (d. 1973)
1930 – John Daly, British trade union leader (National and Local Government Officers’ Association (NALGO)), born in Clerkenwell, England (d. 1999)
1947 – Barbara Bach [Goldbach], American actress (The Spy Who Loved Me, Force 10 from Navarone), born in Queens, New York
1973 – Dietmar Hamann, German soccer midfielder (59 caps; Bayern Munich, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Manchester City), born in Waldsassen, Germany
Famous Deaths
1981 – Joan Edwards, American pop singer on radio (Your Hit Parade) and television (Joan Edwards Show), dies of a heart attack at 62
2008 – Del Martin [Dorothy Taliaferro], American lesbian activist who was part of the first legal same-sex marriage in California, dies at 87
2010 – Corinne Day, British fashion photographer known for shooting Face magazine’s “3rd Summer of Love” cover, dies of cancer at 48
2015 – George Cleve, Austrian-American conductor (Winnipeg Symphony, 1968-70; San Jose Symphony, 1972-92; San Francisco Midsummer Mozart Festival, 1974-2015), dies of liver failure at 79
2025 – (Randall) “Duke” Cunningham, American Navy fighter pilot (Vietnam) and Republican politician (US Representative from California, 1991-2005) who was convicted of accepting bribes, dies at 83
Historical Events
1569 – Pope Pius V names Cosimo I de’Medici, Duke of Florence as Grand Duke of Tuscany
1626 – Battle of Lutter: Catholic League defeats Danish King Christian IV
1928 – US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Defending champion Helen Wills defeats fellow American Helen Jacobs 6–2, 6–1 for her 5th of 7 US singles crowns
1934 – Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin, and Yip Harburg’s musical “Life Begins at 8:40,” starring Ray Bolger and Luella Gear, opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC, and runs for 237 performances
1950 – First transmission of a TV program from continental Europe airs on the BBC
1960 – Anita Lonsbrough swims a 200 m breaststroke world and Olympic record of 2:49.5
1972 – The Grateful Dead holds a benefit concert for the Springfield Creamery (a yogurt company owned by writer Ken Kesey’s brother) at the Old Renaissance Faire Grounds in Veneta, Oregon
1984 – The USSR performs an underground nuclear test
Famous Birthdays
1809 – Hannibal Hamlin, American attorney and 15th Vice President of U.S. (1861-65), born in Paris, Massachusetts (d. 1891)
1871 – Theodore Dreiser, American novelist (Sister Carie, American Tragedy), born in Terre Haute, Indiana (d. 1945)
1908 – Kurt Wegner, German artist, born in Köln, Germany (d. 1985)
1913 – Donald M. MacKinnon, Scottish philosopher, born in Oban, Scotland (d. 1994)
1916 – Martha Raye [Margaret Reed], American actress (Waikiki Wedding, Martha Raye Show), born in Butte, Montana (d. 1994)
1918 – Simeon Booker Jr., American journalist, author and the first Black reporter to work full-time at The Washington Post (1952-54), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 2017)
1928 – Jack Thompson, British politician (Labour), born in Ashington, England (d. 2011)
1942 – “Chip” Douglas [Hatlelid], American songwriter, arranger, bassist (The Turtles, 1966-67 -“Happy Together”), and record producer (The Monkees), born in San Francisco, California
1961 – Mike Maddux, American Major League Baseball pitcher and coach (Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers; World Series champion), born in Dayton, Ohio
1980 – Stephanie Michelle Steele, American country singer, born in Abilene, Texas
Famous Deaths
1508 – Hieronymus Münzer, German humanist, geographer and physician, toured and wrote about the Iberian peninsula, dies
1664 – Francisco Zurbarán, Spanish painter, dies at 65
1950 – Cesare Pavese, Italian writer (Fuoco Grande), commits suicide at 41
1984 – Bernard Youens [Popley], British actor (Coronation Street, Somewhere in Politics), dies from a heart attack at 69
1991 – Teddy Stauffer, Swiss bandleader “Germany’s swing-king”, dies at 82
1991 – Vince Taylor [Brian Holden], British rock and roll singer (Brand New Cadillac), dies of lung cancer at 52
1995 – Dick Bentley, Australian comedian and actor (The Glums), dies at 88
2015 – Darryl Dawkins, American basketball center (Philadelphia 76ers, NJ Nets; NBA breaking a backboard rule), dies of a heart attack at 58
2020 – David Bryant, English lawn bowler (World Outdoor C’ship singles 1966, 80, 88; 4 x C’wealth Games gold singles), dies at 88
2023 – Franne Lee (née Newman), American Tony Award-winning costume designer (Sweeny Todd; SNL, 1975-80), dies at 81