Today In History
Historical Events
1540 – Emperor Charles declares all privileges of Ghent ended
1636 – Prince Frederick Henry occupies Schenkenschans fortress after a nine-month siege during the Dutch Revolt
1965 – Australian government announces it would send troops to Vietnam
1986 – NFL Draft: Auburn running back Bo Jackson first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2016 – “H.O.L.Y” single released by Florida Georgia Line (Billboard Song of the Year, 2016)
Famous Birthdays
1837 – Georges Boulanger, French general and politician, born in Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, France (d. 1891)
1882 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch artist (The Blue Barge) and resistance fighter, born in Leens, Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1945)
1954 – Jake Burton Carpenter, American snowboarder (founder Burton Snowboards; one of the inventors of modern day snowboard), born in New York City (d. 2019)
1983 – Sam Jones III, American actor (Smallville), born in Boston, Massachusetts
2007 – Infanta Sofía of Spain, Princess of Spain, second in the line of succession to the Spanish throne, born in Madrid, Spain
Famous Deaths
1712 – Juan Bautista Jose Cabanilles, Spanish organist and composer, dies at 67
1928 – Henrich Federer, Swiss writer (I Switch Off The Light), dies at 61
1967 – Anthony Mann, American film actor and director (El Cid, Winchester ’73, The Glenn Miller Story), dies from a heart attack at 60
1999 – Perry Ford [Brian Pugh], British pop singer, session musician and songwriter (The Ivy League – “Tossing And Turning”), dies at 65
2012 – Amarillo Slim, American professional poker player, dies at 83
Historical Events
1644 – Farm leader Li Zicheng becomes Emperor of China and flees Peking
1707 – English and Scottish parliaments accept Act of Union; creates the United Kingdom of Great Britain (comes into being 1st May)
1854 – Ashmun Institute (later Lincoln University), in Hinsonville, Pennsylvania, receives its charter from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, making it the 1st degree-granting Black college in US
1862 – 100,000 federal troops prepare to march into Corinth, Mississippi
1864 – The Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York
1953 – Milwaukee Braves’ Joe Adcock is 1st to homer into New York’s Polo Grounds center field bleachers
1995 – KC Royal John Nonely is 70th to HR on his 1st at bat
1996 – Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Fresno, California on KFRR 104.1 FM
Famous Birthdays
1584 – Melchior Teschner, German composer, born in Wschowa, Poland (d. 1635)
1893 – Harold Urey, American physical chemist (Deuterium, Nobel 1934), born in Walkerton, Indiana (d. 1981)
1912 – Richard Carlson, American stage and screen actor (All I Desire,; I Led 3 Lives), screenwriter and director (Riders to the Stars), born in Albert Lea, Minnesota (d. 1977)
1930 – Alf Valentine, Jamaican cricketer (great West Indian lefty spinner), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 2004)
1933 – Darijan Božič, Slovenian composer and conductor, born in Slavonski Brod, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (d. 2018)
1950 – Debbie Stabenow, American politician (Senator-D-Michigan 2001-), born in Gladwin, Michigan
1951 – Rick Burleson, American Major League Baseball shortstop (Boston Red Sox, California Angels; 4x All-Star, Gold Glove Award, Red Sox Hall of Fame), born in Lynwood, California
1960 – Phil King, British rock bassist (Lush; Jesus and Mary Chain; The Fallen), born in London
1974 – Anggun [Sasmi], Indonesian-French pop, rock, and world music singer-songwriter (Snow in the Sahara; In Your Mind), television personality, and U.N. global ambassador, born in Jakarta, Indonesia
1984 – Phạm Văn Quyến, Vietnamese former footballer considered one of the most promising young Vietnamese players, born in Hưng Nguyên, Vietnam
Famous Deaths
1951 – Jules Verstraete [Julien Gustave de Graef], Flemish actor (rubber, The Three Wishes), dies at 67
1975 – Michael John Shea, American First Lieutenant US Marine Corps, one of the last soldiers killed in Vietnam, dies at 25
1982 – Herbert Collum, German organist (Kreuzkirche, Dresden, 1935-82), harpsichordist, composer, and conductor, dies at 67
1993 – Cy Howard, American director, producer and screenwriter (My Friend Irma, Lovers and Other Strangers), dies from heart failure at 77
2008 – Michael “Micky” Waller, British blues and rock drummer (Long John Baldry; Jeff Beck Group), dies of liver failure at 66
2013 – John La Montaine, American composer, dies at 93
2018 – Luis García Meza Tejada, Bolivian general and dictator, dies at 88
2019 – Gino Marchetti, Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end (Pro Bowl x 11), dies of pneumonia at 93
2020 – Trevor Cherry, English soccer defender (27 caps; Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City) and manager (Bradford City), dies at 72
2021 – Billie Hayes [Brosch], American stage, film, and television actress Li’l Abner – “Mammy Yokum”; Witchiepoo), dies at 96