Today In History
Historical Events
1304 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle – King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold of the war
1925 – Treaty of Nettuno between Italy and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) is signed but is only ratified in 1928
1942 – Legion of Merit Medal authorized by US congress
1948 – Lou Thesz beats Bill Longson, to become NWA wrestling champion
2015 – Hacker group Impact Team announces they have hacked the married dating site Ashley Madison
Famous Birthdays
1803 – Jakob Zeugheer, Swiss composer, born in Zürich, Switzerland (d. 1865)
1933 – José Vicente Asuar, Chilean electronic music composer, born in Santiago, Chile (d. 2017)
1934 – M. Stanton Evans, American cultural commentator, chairman of the American Conservative Union (1971-77) and writer (The Sharon Statement), born in Kingsville, Texas (d. 2015)
1945 – Jake Scott, American College Football Hall of Fame safety (Uni of Georgia; 5×Pro Bowl; 2×First-team All-Pro; Super Bowl 1972 [MVP], 73; Miami Dolphins), born in Greenwood, South Carolina (d. 2020)
1973 – Haakon Magnus, Crown Prince of Norway, born in Oslo, Norway
Famous Deaths
1156 – Toba, 74th Emperor of Japan (1107-23), dies at 53
1927 – Ferdinand I [Meinrad], King of Romania (1914-27), dies of cancer at 61
2005 – James Doohan, Canadian actor (Star Trek), dies from Pulmonary fibrosis at 85
2007 – Bill Flemming, American journalist and sportscaster (ABC’s Wide World of Sports), dies at 80
2019 – Sheila Dikshit (née Kapoor), Punjabi politician (Chief Minister of Delhi, 1998-2013), dies of multiple cardiac arrests at 81
Historical Events
1773 – Scottish settlers arrive at Pictou, Nova Scotia (Canada)
1864 – Battle at Stephenson’s Depot, Virginia: 200 killed or injured
1890 – Snow and hail in Calais, Maine
1944 – British and Canadian troops occupy Hill 67/Ifs/Bras/Frenouville, Normandy
1953 – USSR/Israel recover diplomatic relations
1973 – MLB Chicago White Sox pitcher Wilbur Wood starts and loses both games of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, 12-2 and 7-0
1975 – Murray Schisgal’s stage comedy “All Over Town”, directed by Dustin Hoffman, closes at the Boothe Theatre, NYC, after 233 performances
1975 – India expels three correspondents for The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and Newsweek after they refuse to sign a pledge to comply with government censorship
Famous Birthdays
1811 – James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine and Governor (Jamaica), born in London (d. 1863)
1900 – Maurice Gilliams, Belgian writer and poet (Maria’s Life), born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1982)
1901 – Heinie Manush, American Baseball HOF left fielder (MLB All-Star 1934 Washington Sens; AL batting champion 1926 Detroit Tigers), born in Tuscumbia, Alabama (d. 1971)
1924 – Robert D. Maurer, American scientist and co-inventor of optical fiber, born in St. Louis, Missouri
1928 – Pavel Kohout, Czech-Austrian playwright (Poor Murderer), poet, novelist (I Am Snowing), and dissident (Charter 77), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia
1933 – Cormac McCarthy, American Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (The Road, All the Pretty Horses; No Country for Old Men), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 2023)
1938 – Natalie Wood [Zacharenko], American actress (Miracle on 34th Street; Gypsy; Rebel Without A Cause; West Side Story), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1981)
1952 – Keiko Matsuzaka, Japanese actress (The Sting of Death, The Gate of Youth), born in Tokyo, Japan
1975 – Judy Greer [Evans], American actress (Archer), born in Detroit, Michigan
1982 – Percy Daggs III, American actor (Wallace in “Veronica Mars”), born in Long Beach, California
Famous Deaths
1825 – Joseph-Denis Doche, French organist, composer, and conductor, dies at 58
1866 – Emilio Faà di Bruno, Italian naval captain, goes down with his ship (Re d’italia) in the Battle of Lissa at 46
1945 – Paul Valéry [Ambroise Paul Toussaint Jules Valéry], French author, philosopher and poet (La Jeune Parque), dies at 73
1962 – George MacAulay Trevelyan, English royal historian, dies at 86
1966 – Julien Carette, French actor (Sylvia and the Phantom), dies of burns at 68
1968 – Joseph Keilberth, German conductor (Bayreuther Festival), dies at 60
1998 – June Byers, American professional wrestler (b. 1922)
2009 – Ria Brieffies, Dutch pop singer (Dolly Dots – “Love Me Just a Little Bit More (Totally Hooked on You)”, “P.S.”), dies of lung cancer at 52
2012 – Sir Alastair Burnet [James William Alexander Burnet], British journalist and broadcaster (News at Ten), dies at 84
2015 – Elio Fiorucci, Italian fashion designer, dies at 80