1660 – Louis d’Ailleboust de Coulonge, French engineer and Governor of New France (1648-51, acting 1657-58), buried at 47 or 48
1676 – Uggla, Swedish admiral (Öland), dies in battle
1729 – Matthaeus de Cock, governor general of Dutch Indies (1725-29), dies at about 65
1825 – Lady Elizabeth Finch-Hatton, British aristocrat and subject of the David Martin painting “Dido Elizabeth Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray”, dies at 65
1969 – Ivar Ballangrud, Norwegian speed skater (Olympic gold 5,000m 1928; 500m, 5,000m 10,000m 1936), dies at 65
1987 – Rashid Karami, Lebanese statesman (elected Prime Minister 8 times between 1958-87), assassinated by a bomb rigged in his helicopter at 65
1994 – Juan J H Rovira, Spanish general, murdered
1997 – Nikolai Tikhonov, Soviet politician (Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union 1980-85), dies at 92
2001 – Queen Aiswarya of Nepal, killed by her son Dipendra in the Nepalese Royal Massacre at 51
2008 – Tommy Lapid, Israeli journalist and politician (b. 1931)
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 1st June 2026
1862 – General Robert E. Lee assumes command after Joe Johnston is injured at Seven Pines
1913 – The Serbian government concludes a ten-year treaty with Greece against Bulgaria; Serbia wishes to pursue Macedonian aspirations with Greece’s help
1955 – Tunisian nationalist leader Habib Bourguiba returns to Tunisia after imprisonment and exile in France
1970 – MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn reprimands Houston Astros pitcher Jim Bouton for writing the memoir *Ball Four*, a candid season-long diary that Kuhn deems “detrimental to baseball”
1975 – John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical “Chicago” opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 947 performances
1987 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Phil Niekro beats Detroit Tigers, 9-6 for his 314th MLB victory; combines with Joe Niekro (216) for most combined wins by brothers in baseball history (530)
2007 – Jack Kevorkian is released from prison after serving eight years of his 10-25 year prison term for the 1998 second-degree murder of Thomas Youk
2018 – Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy forced out of office by a no-confidence vote in parliament, filed by Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez
Today in History for 1st June 2026
Historical Events
1831 – British explorer James Clark Ross discovers the magnetic North Pole on the west coast of Boothia peninsula
1888 – California gets its 1st seismograph
1941 – Germany occupies Crete after Allied evacuation
1975 – LPGA Championship Women’s Golf, Pine Ridge GC: Kathy Whitworth wins her 3rd LPGA C’ship by 1 stroke from Sandra Haynie
1979 – Los Angeles passes its first homosexual rights bill
Famous Birthdays
1804 – Mikhail Glinka, Novosspaskoye Russian composer (Kamarinskaya; Ruslan and Ludmilla), born in Novospasskoye, Smolensk, Russian Empire (d. 1857) [birth OS=May 20]
1952 – Şenol Güneş, Turkish soccer goalkeeper (31 caps; Trabzonspor) and manager (Trabzonspor, Bursaspor, Beşiktaş, Turkey), born in Trabzon, Turkey
1968 – Larry Centers, American NFL fullback (Pro Bowl 1995, 96, 2001; All-Pro 1996; Super Bowl 2003; Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, NE Patriots), born in Tyler, Texas
1974 – Alanis Morissette, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and musician (Jagged Little Pill, “Ironic”; “You Oughta Know”), born in Ottawa, Ontario
1975 – James Storm, American pro wrestler (TNA World Heavyweight Champion 2011; record 7 x TNA World Tag Team Champion), born in Franklin, Tennessee
Famous Deaths
1710 – David Mitchell, Scottish admiral in the British Royal navy (b. 1642)
1740 – Samuel Werenfels, Swiss theologian (reasonable orthodoxy), dies at 83
1769 – Edward Holyoke, American academic and 9th President of Harvard University, dies at 79
1841 – David Wilkie, British painter, dies at 55
1992 – Howard Ralston, actor (Pollyana), dies
Famous Deaths for 31st May 2026
1831 – Samuel Bentham, British mechanical engineer and naval architect, dies at 74
1955 – Jacob Clay, Dutch philosopher and physicist (cosmic rays as charged particles), dies at 63
1981 – Giuseppe Pella, 31st Prime Minister of Italy, dies at 79
1987 – Roy Winsor, American producer (Search for Tomorrow, Love of Life), dies at 75
1997 – Anton Zischka, Austrian writer (Lebendiges Europa), dies at 92
2010 – William A. Fraker, American cinematographer (b. 1923)
2010 – Brian Duffy, British photographer and film producer (b. 1933)
2010 – Rubén Juárez, Argentine bandoneonist, dies of cancer at 62
2014 – Marilyn Beck, American newspaper columnist and entertainment reporter, dies at 85
2021 – Mike Marshall, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1974, 75; NL Cy Young Award 1974; Montreal Expos, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves), dies at 78
Historical Events for 31st May 2026
1913 – US 17th amendment (direct election of senators) declared ratified
1937 – Indianapolis 500: Wilbur Shaw and riding mechanic ‘Jigger’ Johnson win race from Ralph Hepburn by 2.16 seconds, closest finish to that point; Johnson last winning riding mechanic
1949 – 31st PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Hermitage CC: Sam Snead beats fellow American Johnny Palmer, 3 and 2; first time reigning Masters champion wins PGA Championship in the same calendar year.
1961 – Arthur Michael Ramsey appointed the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury
1970 – Cathedral of Brasília, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer is dedicated in the Brazilian capital Brasília
1970 – 7.75 Ancash earthquake off the coast of Peru kills 66,000-70,000 people and triggers the world’s deadliest avalanche
2005 – Mark Felt, former FBI high ranking official revealed as “Deep Throat” source during Watergate investigations in “Vanity Fair” article
2015 – 5th Critics’ Choice Television Awards: Silicon Valley wins Best Comedy Series, The Americans win Best Drama Series
Today in History for 31st May 2026
Historical Events
1879 – Madison Square Garden opens in New York, named after 4th President James Madison
1902 – Australia Cricket all out 36 v England, Edgbaston, their lowest ever
1931 – 36th French Championships Men’s Tennis: Jean Borotra wins his only home title; beats fellow Frenchman Christian Boussus 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
1942 – 25th PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Seaview CC: Sam Snead beats Jim Turnesa, 2 and 1 for his first PGA Tour major title
1983 – 37th NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers sweep LA Lakers in 4 games
Famous Birthdays
1904 – Otto “Toby” Hardwicke, American jazz alto saxophone player (The Washingtonians, 1923-28; Duke Ellington Orchestra, 1932-46 – “Sophisticated Lady”; “In A Sentimental Mood”), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1970)
1916 – Bert Haanstra, Dutch filmmaker and director (Fanfare; Glass), born in Holten, Netherlands (d. 1997)
1950 – Edward Barker, English cartoonist, born in Birmingham, England
1989 – Justine Lupe, American actress (Nobody Wants This), born in New York City
1989 – Marco Reus, German football player (Borussia Dortmund, German national team), born in Dortmund, West Germany
Famous Deaths
1665 – Pieter Janz Saenredam, Dutch architectural painter, dies at 67
1983 – Jack Dempsey, American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1919-26), dies of heart failure at 87
1993 – John Granger, American actor (Advise and Consent), dies at 69
1994 – Sidney Gilliat, English screenwriter (Night Train to Munich) and director, dies at 86
2020 – Brother Ah [Robert Northern], American jazz and world music French hornist, band leader (Gil Evans, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, World Music Ensemble), educator, and radio deejay, dies of respiratory failure at 86
Famous Deaths for 30th May 2026
1744 – Alexander Pope, English poet (The Rape of the Lock, translation of Homer), dies at 56
1770 – François Boucher, French painter (b. 1703)
1975 – Michel Simon, Swiss actor (Panic, Plague, Two of Us), dies at 80
1978 – Jean Deslauriers, Canadian violin prodigy, conductor (CBC, 1935-78), and composer, dies at 68
1980 – Carl Radle, American bass guitarist (Derek and the Dominoes), dies of a kidney infection at 37
1988 – Ella Raines, American actress (Uncle Harry, Runaround, Impact, Brute Force), dies of throat cancer at 67
2000 – Tex Beneke, American bandleader and musician (b. 1914)
2003 – Mickie Most [Michael Hayes], British record producer (Herman’s Hermits; The Nashville Teens; Donovan; Lulu), dies of stomach cancer at 64
2015 – Azmat Rana, Pakistan cricket batsman (1 Test, top score 49; 2 ODIs), dies at 63
2019 – Frank Lucas, American drug kingpin (fictionalised in 2007 film “American Gangster”), dies at 88
Historical Events for 30th May 2026
1832 – Evariste Galois give his theory on free assembly (dies in duel May 31)
1923 – Howard Hanson’s 1st Symphony “Nordic” premieres
1963 – Indianapolis 500: Parnelli Jones takes his only Indy 500 win despite his car spewing oil from a cracked overflow tank for many laps
1967 – King Hussein of Jordan visits Cairo
1997 – Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden becomes president of NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs
2005 – Gordon Ramsay first appears on US television in cooking competition show “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox
2009 – Super Rugby Final, Pretoria: Morné Steyn kicks 5 conversions and 2 penalties as the Bulls thump the Chiefs (Waikato, NZ), 61-17
2015 – English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (89,283): Arsenal beats Aston Villa, 4-0; Gunners’ 12th title
Today in History for 30th May 2026
Historical Events
1904 – The Japanese Army capture the City of Dairen after landing troops along the south coast of Manchuria
1946 – United flight 521 crashes on takeoff at LaGuardia Airport (NY) 42 die
1959 – Indianapolis 500: Rodger Ward earns first of 2 career Indy 500 victories as a record 16 cars complete full 500 miles; for the first time all cars required to have roll bars
1972 – 3 Japanese PFL terrorists kills 24, wound 72 at Tel Aviv’s Lod Intl airport
2010 – Indianapolis 500: Scotsman Dario Franchitti driving for Target Chip Ganassi Racing wins his 2nd Indy title ahead of Dan Wheldon and Marco Andretti
Famous Birthdays
1812 – John Alexander McClernand, American politician and Major General (Union Army), born in Breckinridge County, Kentucky (d. 1900)
1938 – Lone Koppel, Danish operatic soprano (Danish Royal Theatre, 1962-93) and avant garde rock singer (Savage Garden), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
1949 – P.J. Carlesimo, American basketball coach (Seton Hall University; Portland TBs, GS Warriors, OKC), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
1950 – Paresh Rawal, Indian Bollywood actor (Woh Chokri, Woh Chokri), born in Bombay, India
1984 – Matt Maguire, Australian rules footballer (St Kilda Football Club, Brisbane Lions), born in Victoria, Australia
Famous Deaths
1770 – François Boucher, French painter (b. 1703)
1923 – Camille Chevillard, French composer, dies at 63
1978 – Jean Deslauriers, Canadian violin prodigy, conductor (CBC, 1935-78), and composer, dies at 68
1989 – Claude Pepper, American politician (Rep-D-FL, 1963-89), dies at 88
2006 – David Lloyd, New Zealand botanist, dies from apparent poisoning by acrylamide, a common laboratory chemical, at 68
Famous Deaths for 29th May 2026
1405 – Philippe de Mézières, advisor to Charles V of France
1750 – Giuseppe Porsile, Neapolitan composer, dies at 70
1814 – Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of France (1804-14) and Queen of Italy (1805-10) as the first wife of Napoleon I, dies of pneumonia at 50
1883 – Marianne, Princess of the Netherlands, wife of Prince Albert of Prussia (dissolved 1849), Dutch unconventional princess who left her marriage, dies at 73
1885 – Alfred Meissner, Austrian poet (Ziska), dies at 62
1921 – Horace Porter, American Brigadier General (Union Army), dies at 84
1935 – Josef Suk, Czech violinist (Bohemian String Quartet, 1891-1933), composer (Asrael Symphony; Ripening; Serenade for Strings), and educator, dies at 61
1973 – Voltaire “Volly” De Faut; American jazz reed player (New Orleans Rhythm Kings; Jean Goldkette), dies at 69
1973 – P. Ramlee [Teuku Puteh], Malaysian actor, filmmaker, pop singer and musician, dies of a heart attack at 44
1977 – Ba Maw, Burmese politician, lawyer, and first Burma Premier (1937-9), dies at 84