Today In History
Historical Events
1905 – Great General Strike in Russia begins and lasts 11 days
1935 – Anti-fascist People’s Front forms in Brussels
1955 – MLB New York Yankees begin a 16-game exhibition tour in Japan
1990 – Baseball World Series: Cincinnati beats A’s 2-1 at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum to sweep Oakland and win Reds’ fifth title; MVP: Reds’ pitcher José Rijo
2025 – Demolition crews remove facade of the East Wing of the White House for construction of a new ballroom, despite initial announcement that the existing building would not be touched
Famous Birthdays
1901 – Adelaide Hall, American-English musical theatre, cabaret, and jazz singer (Cotton Club; “Creole Love Call” with Duke Ellington), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 1993)
1920 – Janet Jagan [née Rosenberg], America-born Guyanese politician and the first female president of Guyana (1997-99), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2009)
1943 – Dunja Vejzović, Croatian soprano, born in Zagreb, Croatia
1967 – Susan Tully, British television director and actress (Michelle Fowler in “EastEnders”), born in London
1981 – Willis McGahee, American football running back (Pro Bowl 2007, 11; Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos), born in Miami, Florida
Famous Deaths
1970 – Patrick Wymark [Cheeseman], British actor (Skull; Tomb of Ligeia), dies of a heart attack at 44
1994 – Ivan Sviták, Czech philosopher and poet, dies at 69
1995 – Jack Rose, American screenwriter (The Seven Little Foys), dies at 83
2006 – Frank Vicari, American jazz, session, and touring saxophonist (Maynard Ferguson; Woody Herman; Tom Waits; Saturday Night Live), dies at 75
2020 – Bruno Martini, French soccer goalkeeper (31 caps; Auxerre, Nancy, Montpellier), dies from heart failure at 58
Historical Events
1576 – Spanish troops occupy and plunder Maastricht
1911 – Norwegian Roald Amundsen sets out on a race to the South Pole
1973 – Mariette Hartley appears on “The Bob Newhart Show” in the episode “Have You Met Miss Dietz?”
1981 – Bomb attack on a synagogue in Antwerp, Belgium, leaves one person dead and injures 80
1986 – Tupolev-134 crashes in Southern Africa
1992 – David Houghton scores Zimbabwe’s first Test century (121 vs. India on debut)
2024 – Egypt is declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization, becoming the third country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the 44th worldwide
2025 – Demolition crews remove facade of the East Wing of the White House for construction of a new ballroom, despite initial announcement that the existing building would not be touched
Famous Birthdays
1435 – Andrea Della Robbia, Italian sculptor, nephew of Luca, born in Florence (d. 1525)
1832 – Ellen Hardin Walworth, American author, lawyer, activist, and founding member of Daughters of the American Revolution, born in Jacksonville, Illinois (d. 1915)
1917 – Jean-Pierre Melville, French filmmaker (A Cop), born in Paris, France (d. 1973)
1942 – Earl Hindman, American actor (Home Improvement – “Wilson”; Ryan’s Hope, 1975-89 – “Bob Reid”), born in Bisbee, Arizona (d. 2003)
1959 – Shuping Wang, Chinese doctor who exposed China’s HIV crisis, born in Fugou County, Henan, China (d. 2019)
1961 – Michie Tomizawa, Japanese voice actress (Sailor Moon), born in Maruko, Japan
1964 – Kamala Harris, American lawyer, politician and 49th Vice President of the United States (2021-) who was the 1st African-American, Asian-American attorney general of California, born in Oakland, California
1969 – Chantel Tremitiere, American WNBA guard (Sacramento Monarchs), born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania
1969 – Laurie Daley, Australian rugby league footballer (Canberra Raider), born in Junee, Australia
1979 – Paul O’Connell, Irish rugby player and coach, born in Limerick, Ireland
Famous Deaths
1910 – David B. Hill, American politician and Governor of New York (1885-91), dies at 67
1913 – Daniel David Palmer, Canadian founder of chiropractic (1897 Palmer School of Chiropractic), dies of typhoid fever at 68
1964 – Herbert Hoover, American politician and 31st President of the United States (Republican: 1929-33), dies in NY at 90
1968 – Lightfoot Solomon Michaux, African-American TV preacher, dies at 84
1968 – Bud Flanagan [Chaim Reuben Weintrop], English comedian (duo with Chesney Alley), dies at 72
1995 – Bernadette Hingley, British Anglican priest, one of 1st women to be ordained in England, dies of cancer at 47
2006 – Frank Vicari, American jazz, session, and touring saxophonist (Maynard Ferguson; Woody Herman; Tom Waits; Saturday Night Live), dies at 75
2013 – Leon Ashley [Walton], American country music singer-songwriter (“Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)”), and record label owner, dies at 77
2014 – Spyros Zagoraios, Greek folk singer (“Stis Larisis To Potami”, “Atonement”), dies at 86
2019 – Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., Filipino politician (President of the Senate of the Philippines. 2000-01; Senator, 1987-92 and 1998-2010), dies at 85