Today In History
Historical Events
1778 – British forces kill 17 to 40 Stockbridge Indian fighters in Bronx during Revolution
1842 – US President John Tyler authorizes the establishment of the US Naval Observatory
1904 – US National Championship Men’s Tennis, Newport, RI: Holcombe Ward beats William Clothier 10-8, 6-4, 9-7 for his lone major singles title
1935 – Russian miner Aleksey Stachanov digs 102 tons of coal in under 6 hours, using a jackhammer
1988 – Bomb attack destroys the Khotso House, the office of the South African Council of Churches
Famous Birthdays
1879 – Viktor Alexandrovich Uspensky, Russian composer and ethnomusicologist, born in Kaluga, Russia (d. 1949)
1918 – Lucrecia Roces Kasilag, Filipina composer (Filiasiana), concert pianist, and educator (Bayanihan Dance Company), born in San Fernando, Philippines (d. 2008)
1949 – Jim Fassel, American football coach (University of Utah 1985–89; New York Giants 1997-2003), born in Anaheim, California (d. 2021)
1959 – Tony DeFranco, Canadian pop singer (The DeFranco Family – “Heartbeat – It’s a Lovebeat”), born in Port Colborne, Ontario
1984 – Charl Schwartzel, South African golfer (US Masters 2011), born in Johannesburg, Gauteng
Famous Deaths
1616 – Gemignano Capilupi, Italian choral music composer, dies at 43
1654 – Ole Worm, Danish physician, dies at 66
1997 – Dodi Fayed, Egyptian businessman, died in a car crash in Paris with Diana, Princess of Wales,at 42
2007 – Karloff Lagarde, Mexican professional wrestler, dies at 79
2015 – Colin Hope, British Industrialist (Turner and Newall), dies at 83
Historical Events
1909 – Swedish runner Thure Johansson runs world record marathon of 2:40:34.2 in Stockholm
1920 – Detroit radio station 8MK (now WWJ, 950AM) is the first to broadcast a news program on the air
1954 – WMTW TV channel 8 in Portland-Poland Spring, Maine (ABC) begins broadcasting
1965 – The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy Aircraft makes its first flight
1979 – Donald McHenry named to succeed Andrew Young as US UN ambassador
1992 – Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Cleveland, Ohio, on WNCX 98.5 FM
1997 – “Gin Game” closes at Lyceum Theater in NYC after 144 performances
2019 – India removes citizenship status from 1.9 million people in state of Assam, leaving them off its new National Register of Citizens
Famous Birthdays
1871 – James E. Ferguson, American Democratic politician and Texan Governor (1915-17), born in Salado, Texas (d. 1944)
1879 – Yoshihito [Taishō], 123rd Emperor of Japan (1912-26) during the Taishō era, born in Tōgū Palace, Tokyo, Japan (d. 1926)
1899 – Paul E Garber, American founder/1st curator of National Air and Space Museum, born in Atlantic City, New Jersey (d. 1992)
1912 – Ramon Vinay, Chilean operatic tenor, born in Chillán, Chile (d. 1996)
1924 – Klaus Hashagen, German composer (Ars Nova Ensemble Nürnberg), born in Java, Indonesia (d. 1998)
1934 – Nikos Xanthopoulos, Greek actor, born in Athens, Greece (d. 2023)
1946 – Tom Coughlin, American NFL coach (New York Giants; 2004-15) and executive (Jacksonville Jaguars; 2017-19), born in Waterloo, New York
1975 – Takahiro Suwa, Japanese professional wrestler (Pro Wrestling NOAH), born in Kagoshima, Japan
1984 – Ted Ligety, American alpine skier (2x Olympic Golds), born in Salt Lake City, Utah
1999 – Shamar Joseph, West Indian cricket fast bowler (Test BB 7/68 v Australia 2024; Guyana), born in Baracara, Guyana
Famous Deaths
1422 – Henry V, King of England (1413-22) and France (1416-19), dies at 36 after being weakened by dysentery and heatstroke
1688 – John Bunyan, English minister and author (The Pilgrim’s Progress), dies at 59
1940 – Johanna “Annie” Bakker, Dutch revue-artist, singer and actress, dies at 58
1946 – Paul August von Klenau, Danish opera composer, and conductor, dies at 63
1967 – Michael Fitzmaurice, American radio actor (Superman, Reported Missing, 14 Hours), dies of lymphoma at 59
1968 – Dennis O’Keefe, American actor (Suspicion), dies of lung cancer at 60
1979 – E J “Tiger” Smith, English cricket wicket-keeper (11 Tests, 20 dismissals; Warwickshire CCC) and umpire (8 Tests 1933-38), dies at 93
1995 – John Erik Jonsson, American businessman and Mayor of Dallas, dies at 93
2006 – Mohamed Abdelwahab, Egyptian soccer left back (19 caps; African Cup of Nations 2006; Al Ahly SC, Aluminium Nag Hammâdi), dies from a heart defect at 22
2017 – Ann Jellicoe, British theater director and playwright (The Knack), dies at 90