1890 – Gottfried Keller, German-Swiss novelist and poet, dies at 70
1897 – Levin Goldschmidt, German business law expert, dies at 1897
1972 – Max Zehnder, Swiss composer, dies at 70
1976 – Carmelo Soria, Spanish diplomat assassinated in 1976 by the Chilean DINA
1982 – Patrick Dewaere, French actor (Les Valseuses, Get Out Your Handkerchiefs), commits suicide at 35
1991 – Robert Motherwell, American painter (Elegies to Spanish Rep), dies at 76
1999 – John F. Kennedy Jr, American magazine publisher (George), lawyer and son of JFK, dies in a plane crash at 38
2001 – Terry Gordy, American professional wrestler, dies at 40
2007 – Tom Brooks, Australian cricket umpire (23 Tests 1970-78), dies at 88
2022 – Hobie Billingsley, American ISHOF diving coach (Indiana University 1959-89; 6 x NCAA team championships; US Olympic team 1968, 72, 76), dies from myasthenia gravis at 95
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 16th July 2026
1439 – Kissing is banned in England to stop the spread of the Black Death
1863 – Utrecht-Swells railway opens
1897 – The South African Committee, investigating the Jameson Raid releases its report finding that it was conducted almost implicitly through the support and encouragement of Cecil Rhodes and the mining houses in the Transvaal
1920 – General Amos Fries is appointed as the first U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Service Chief
1950 – Single-day 16-team home run record set at 37 (NL-25, AL-12)
1960 – 205,000 (record sports attend) see Brazil-Uruguay World Cup soccer
1994 – Wendy Wasserstein’s stage play “The Sisters Rosensweig,” starring Madeline Kahn, closes at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, NYC, after 556 performances
2023 – Jam rock band Dead and Company, an outgrowth of the Grateful Dead, plays the final show of its final concert tour, at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California
Today in History for 16th July 2026
Historical Events
1548 – La Paz, Bolivia, is founded
1945 – Australian Services win third Victory Test Cricket by four wickets
1967 – LPGA Championship Women’s Golf, Pleasant Valley CC: Kathy Whitworth wins by 1 stroke from Shirley Englehorn
1990 – Bridgette LeAnn Wilson, 17, of Oregon, 8th crowned Miss Teen USA
2004 – Martha Stewart is sentenced to five months in prison plus five months in home confinement for lying to federal investigators
Famous Birthdays
1715 – Charles de Rohan, Prince de Soubise, Marshal of France, born in Paris (d. 1787)
1919 – Choi Kyu-hah, President of South Korea, born in Wŏnju, South Korea (d. 2006)
1950 – Dennis Priestley, English darts player (PDC World Champion 1994), born in Mexborough, England
1967 – Roger Duffy, American NFL guard and center (NY Jets), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1977 – Jamie Kern Lima, American entrepreneur, co-founder of IT Cosmetics, and first female chief executive officer of a L’Oréal brand (Forbes’ list of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women”), born in Seattle, Washington
Famous Deaths
1342 – King Charles I of Hungary and Croatia, dies at about 53 (exact birth date unknown, 1288)
1879 – Edward Deas Thomson, British-Australian politician, chancellor of the University of Sydney, and member of the Legislative Council of NSW, dies at 79
1981 – Harry Chapin, American folk-rock singer-songwriter (“Taxi”; “Cat’s In The Cradle”), dies in car crash at 38
1991 – Frank Rizzo, American politician (Mayor-D-Philadelphia, 1972-80), dies of a heart attack at 70
2025 – Barrie Robran, Australian Football HOF forward (AFL Legend Status; North Adelaide FC 201 games; Magarey Medal 1968, 70, 73), dies at 77
Famous Deaths for 15th July 2026
1411 – Johannes Parvus [Jean Petit], French theologist, dies
1782 – Robert Wainwright, English composer and church organist, dies at 33
1857 – Carl Czerny, Czech-Austrian pianist, composer (Schule der Virtuosen), student of Ludwig van Beethoven, and teacher of Franz Liszt, dies at 66
1940 – Robert Wadlow, American who was world’s tallest known person (8’11.1″), dies at 22
1982 – Bill Justis, American musician and producer (Raunchy), dies of cancer at 58
1986 – Florence Halop, American actress (Night Court, 1985-86 -“Florence”; St Elsewhere, 1984-85), dies of lung cancer at 63
1992 – Johnny Martin, Australian cricketer (NSW and Australian bowler), dies at 60
1993 – Bobby Kent, alleged Florida bully murdered by his friends (b. 1973)
2003 – Elisabeth Welch, American born British-based singer (“Stormy Weather”, “Over the Moon”), and actress, dies at 99
2011 – Googie Withers, English actress and dancer (The Lady Vanishes), dies at 94
Historical Events for 15th July 2026
971 – According to legend, English saint Swithun is reburied inside Winchester Cathedral against his wishes, and a terrible storm proceeds to rain for 40 days and 40 nights
1500 – Baglione family massacre at the “Blood Wedding” of Astorre Baglione and Lavinia Colonna in Perugia
1926 – VPRO (Free-thinking Protestant Radio Broadcast) forms
1928 – 22nd Tour de France: Defending champion Nicolas Frantz of Luxembourg holds yellow jersey from start to finish; his Alcyon team has all 3 podium positions
1945 – PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Moraine CC: Byron Nelson wins his fifth and final major title and second PGA title; he defeats former MLB player Sam Byrd 4 and 3
1971 – US President Richard Nixon announces he will visit the People’s Republic of China
1979 – Morarji Desai resigns as Prime Minister of India
2018 – Senior Players Championship Men’s Golf, Exmoor CC: Fijian Vijay Singh wins in a playoff with Jeff Maggert on second extra hole
Today in History for 15th July 2026
Historical Events
1939 – Clara Adams is the first woman to complete a commercial round-the-world flight from New York, lasting 16 days and 19 hours
1945 – PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Moraine CC: Byron Nelson wins his fifth and final major title and second PGA title; he defeats former MLB player Sam Byrd 4 and 3
1974 – American TV news reporter Christine Chubbuck shoots herself live on WXLT-TV in Sarasota, Florida; first person to commit suicide in a live broadcast
1994 – Gyula Horn sworn in as premier of Hungary
2018 – Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: Novak Đoković wins his fourth Wimbledon title beating South African Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6
Famous Birthdays
1837 – Stephanie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, German-born Queen of Portugal (1858-59), born in Krauchenwies Castle, Sigmaringen (d. 1859)
1904 – Dorothy Fields, American lyricist (“I’m In The Mood For Love”; “The Way You Look Tonight”), born in Allenhurst, New Jersey (d. 1974)
1959 – Vincent Lindon, French actor (The Measure of a Man), born in Paris, France
1961 – Lolita Davidovich, Canadian actress (Blaze, Jungle2Jungle), born in London, Ontario
1968 – Eddie Griffin, American comedian (Black Dynamite), born in Kansas City, Missouri
Famous Deaths
1411 – Johannes Parvus [Jean Petit], French theologist, dies
1798 – Gaetano Pugnani, Italian violinist and composer, dies at 66
1959 – Ernest Bloch, Swiss-American composer (Schelomo; Israel; Avodath Hakodesh), and educator (UC Berkeley, 1941-52), dies of cancer at 78
1992 – Hammer DeRoburt, First President of Nauru, dies at 69
2022 – Herbert W. Franke, Austrian scientist, writer, and computer art pioneer, dies at 95
Famous Deaths for 14th July 2026
664 – Deusdedit of Canterbury, Archbishop of Canterbury (655-664), 1st Anglo-Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury
1762 – Cornelis Hop, Amsterdams regent and diplomat, dies at 77
1789 – Bernard-René de Launay, French governor of the Bastille prison, murdered during the storming of the Bastille (b.1740)
1876 – Thomas Hazlehurst, English Methodist chapel builder, dies at 60
1902 – William Still, African-American abolitionist, businessman and conductor of the Underground Railroad, dies at 80
1953 – Richard von Mises, Austrian scientist and mathematician (probability theory), dies at 70
1980 – Felix Berezin, Russian physicist and mathematician (Berezin integral), dies at 49
1984 – Ernest Tidyman, American author and screenwriter (Shaft; The French Connection), dies at 56
2000 – Meredith MacRae, American actress (Petticoat Junction. 1966-70- “Billie Jo”; My Three Sons, 1964-66 – “Sally”), and talk show host, dies of brain cancer at 55
2022 – Pleun Strik, Dutch soccer defender (8 caps, FIFA World Cup 1974 runner-up; PSV Eindhoven 270 games), dies at 78
Historical Events for 14th July 2026
1535 – Emperor Charles V conquers Tunis
1876 – British battleship HMS Thunderer boiler explodes during full-power sea trial near Portsmouth, England; 45 sailors killed and 40 injured
1927 – First commercial airplane flight in Hawaii
1949 – Czech tennis stars Jaroslav Drobný and Vladimir Černík defect while playing in a tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland; Drobny accepts Egyptian citizenship
1955 – Two killed and many dazed by lightning strikes at Ascot racecourse in England
1987 – Rookie of the Year Award is renamed to honor Jackie Robinson
2008 – “The Dark Knight” directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, premieres in New York
2019 – Senior Players Championship Men’s Golf at Firestone CC: Retief Goosen of South Africa birdies the final two holes to secure his first Champions Tour win by two strokes over Jay Haas and Tim Petrovic
Today in History for 14th July 2026
Historical Events
1914 – NL’s Boston Braves start their climb from last place to a World Series sweep
1948 – Palmiro Togliatti, leader of the Italian Communist Party, is shot near to the Italian Parliament in an assassination attempt
1963 – 50th Tour de France: French cyclist Jacques Anquetil wins his 3rd consecutive general classification event; first rider to win Tour 4 times
1969 – A 67-year-old Catholic civilian dies after being attacked by RUC officers in Dungiven; many consider this the first death of “The Troubles”
1986 – US Open Women’s Golf, NCR CC: Jane Geddes wins by two strokes in an 18-hole Monday playoff with South African-born Sally Little
Famous Birthdays
924 – Murakami, 62nd Emperor of Japan (946-67) who fathered 19 Imperial sons and daughters, born in Heian Kyō, Japan (d. 967)
1893 – Spencer Williams, American director, writer and actor (The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show), born in Vidalia, Louisiana (d. 1969)
1952 – George E. Lewis, American trombonist avant-garde jazz, electronic and contemporary classical composer, born in Chicago, Illinois
1970 – Mark Brandenburg, American baseball pitcher (Texas Rangers), born in Houston, Texas
1977 – Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, born in Solna, Sweden
Famous Deaths
1614 – Camillus de Lellis, Italian Roman Catholic saint (founder of the Ministers of the Sick), dies at 64
1789 – Bernard-René de Launay, French governor of the Bastille prison, murdered during the storming of the Bastille (b.1740)
1923 – Louis Ganne, French conductor and operetta composer (Les saltimbanques (The Acrobats)), dies at 61
2008 – Henki Kolstad, Norwegian actor (b. 1915)
2023 – Nick Benedict, American actor (Days of Our Lives, 1993-2001 – “Curtis”; The Pistol: Birth of a Legend; All My Children – “Phillip”), dies from complications of spinal surgery on his 77th birthday
Famous Deaths for 13th July 2026
939 – Leo VII, Italian Pope (936-39), dies
1621 – Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and cardinal-archbishop of Toledo, dies at 61
1628 – Robert Shirley, English adventurer (b. 1581)
1640 – Henry Casimir I, Dutch count of Nassau-Dietz and Stadholder of Freisland, dies a day after being injured at the Battle of Hulst at 28
1844 – Johann Baptist Gansbacher, Austrian composer, dies at 66
1903 – August Reissmann, Prussian composer, dies at 77
1973 – Willy Fritsch, German actor (Spies, Women in the Moon), dies from a heart attack at 72
1981 – Kirby Stone, American jazz combo leader (Kirby Stone Four – “Baubles Bangles and Beads”), dies at 63
2007 – Zdeněk Lukáš, Czech composer, dies at 78
2013 – Cory Monteith, Canadian actor and singer (Glee; Monte Carlo), dies of heroin and alcohol overdose at 31