1580 – Emanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy (1553-80, regained lands of Savoy), dies at 52
1808 – Joseph Anton Bauer, Czech harpsichordist and composer, dies at 83
1844 – Francis Baily, English astronomer and describer of “Baily’s Beads” during solar eclipse, dies at 70
1856 – John Ross, Scottish naval officer and Artic explorer (he rediscovered Baffin Bay), dies at 79
1919 – Jóhann Sigurjónsson, Icelandic writer (Dr Rung), dies at 39
1950 – Ralph Hancock, Welsh garden designer (Rockefeller Center), dies at 57
1974 – Abraham Schierbeek, Dutch biologist (Leeuwenhoek), dies at 87
1986 – Ellis Achong, West Indian cricket spin bowler (6 Tests, 8 wickets; Trinidad; 1st of Chinese descent to play a Test match), dies at 82
2019 – Franco Columbu, Italian bodybuilder, powerlifter, actor and author (Mr. Olympia 1976, 81), dies at 78
2022 – Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1985-91), dies after an unspecified long and grave illness at 91
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 30th August 2024
1590 – Tokugawa Ieyasu enters Edo Castle (Traditional Japanese date: August 1, 1590)
1799 – Batavian fleet surrenders to British navy during Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland
1890 – President Benjamin Harrison signed the first U.S. law requiring inspection of meat products
1906 – NY Highlander Joe Doyle debuts pitching back-to-back shut-outs
1932 – Hermann Goering elected President of the German Reichstag
1933 – Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar forms secret police (PIDE)
1951 – US and Philippines sign mutual defense pact
1986 – 43rd Venice Film Festival: “Le rayon vert” directed by Eric Rohmer wins Golden Lion
2012 – A blast in the Xiaojiawan coal mine, China, kills 26 miners with 21 missing
2013 – 15 people are killed by a liquid ammonia leak at a cold storage plant in Shanghai, China
Historical Events for 28th August 2024
1830 – 1st American built locomotive, “Tom Thumb” races a horse-drawn car from Stockton and Stokes stagecoach company from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills. Let history record that due to mechanical problems the horse won!
1937 – Toyota Motors becomes an independent company
1964 – Race riot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sparked by police reaction to domestic dispute fueled traffic tie-up; riot and looting continues for 3 days, with 2 killed, hundreds injured and $4M of damage in the city’s North Philadelphia neighborhood
1970 – “I’ll Be There” single by The Jackson 5 is released (Billboard Song of the Year 1970)
1972 – American 4 x 100m freestyle relay team of David Edgar, John Murphy, John Heidenreich and Mark Spitz swim a world record 3:26.42 to beat Soviet Union for the gold medal at the Munich Olympics
1986 – Bolivia president Victor Paz Estensoro calls state of siege
1991 – Lexington Ave IRT subway train derails at Union Square, 5 die
1994 – Canadian Open Women’s Golf (du Maurier Classic), Ottawa Hunt GC: Martha Nause wins by 1 from Michelle Mcgann
1997 – Belgian amusement park riders were stuck upside down for 90 minutes
2004 – Led by San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginóbili Argentina beats Italy 84-69 for the Olympic basketball gold medal in Athens; star-studded US team takes bronze
Today in History for 28th August 2024
Historical Events
1922 – Albert von Tilzer and Neville Fleesons musical “The Gingham Girl” premieres in NYC
1952 – Yakov Malik succeeds Valerian Zorin as Soviet Foreign Minister
1960 – White Sox Ted Kluzewski’s 3-run HR is disallowed as umpire called time
1984 – USSR performs underground nuclear test
1986 – Largest wrestling crowd in Canada (69,300) at Toronto Stadium
2017 – Matt Vogel makes his debut as the voice of Kermit the Frog in “Muppet Thought of the Week” video
Famous Birthdays
1612 – Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn, Dutch scholar, born in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands (d. 1653)
1824 – Carel van Nispen of Sevenaer, Dutch Catholic politician, born in Zevenaar, Netherlands (d. 1884)
1840 – Alexander Cameron Sim, Scottish merchant, born in Aberlour, Scotland (d. 1900)
1841 – Louis Le Prince, French artist and original inventor of the motion picture camera sometimes called “the father of cinematography”, born in Metz, France (d. 1890)
1884 – Peter Fraser, British-born New Zealand statesman and 24th Prime Minister of New Zealand (1940-49), born in Hill of Fearn, Scotland (d. 1950)
1989 – Trixie Mattel [Brian Firkus], American drag queen, singer-songwriter, comedian, and television personality (The Trixie and Katya Show), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Famous Deaths
1646 – Fulvio Testi, Italian poet (Poesie liriche), dies at 53
1680 – Joan Cererols, Catalan musician, composer and monk, dies at 57
1910 – Paolo Mantegazza, Italian neurologist and anthropologist, dies at 78
1916 – Francis Warre-Cornish, English writer and scholar, dies at 77
1990 – Larry Jackson, American baseball pitcher (5 × MLB All-Star; MLB wins leader 1964; St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies), dies from cancer at 59
2010 – William P. Foster, notable band director and founder of the Marching 100 of Florida AandM University
Famous Deaths for 27th August 2024
1830 – Louis Henri, Prince of Condé, commits suicide at 74
1887 – Wilhelm Volkmar, German composer, dies at 74
1963 – Allama Mashriqi, Pakistani scholar and politician (b. 1888)
1965 – Gerald Bond, South African cricketer (South Africa 1938-39), dies at 56
1979 – Bolesław Szabelski, Polish organist and composer, dies at 82
1981 – Joan Edwards, American pop singer on radio (Your Hit Parade) and television (Joan Edwards Show), dies of a heart attack at 62
1991 – Gordon Heath, actor (Sapphire, Staircase, Animal Farm), dies
2006 – Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Indian film director (b. 1922)
2009 – Virgilio Savona, Italian jazz singer and composer (Quartetto Cetra – “Un bacio a mezzanotte”; “Crapa pelada”), dies of complications from Parkinson’s disease at 89
2019 – Dawda Kairaba Jawara, Gambian Prime Minister (1962-70) and 1st President of the Gambia (1970-94), dies at 95
Historical Events for 27th August 2024
1569 – Pope Pius names Cosimo I de Medici as grand duke of Tuscany
1828 – Uruguay gains independence during Brazil-Argentina peace talks
1902 – US National Championship Men’s Tennis, Newport, RI: Defending champion William Larned beats Englishman R.F. Doherty 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 8-6
1932 – 200,000 English textile workers strike
1955 – Sandy Koufax fans 14 Reds, both teams combine for record 23 strikeouts
1965 – The Beatles spend an evening with Elvis Presley, at his Los Angeles, California home
1979 – Warrenpoint ambush: 18 British Army soldiers killed when Provisional IRA explode two roadside bombs as a British convoy passes Narrow Water Castle
2004 – German kayaker Birgit Fischer wins gold in K-4 500m and silver in K-2 500m in Athens; first woman in any sport to win gold medals at 6 different Olympics, gold 24 years apart, and 1st person to win 2 or more medals in 5 different Games
2013 – “Gravity”, directed and co-written by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney premieres at the Venice Film Festival
2015 – Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos names top Supreme Court judge, Vassiliki Thanou caretaker Prime Minister – Greece’s 1st female Prime Minister
Today in History for 27th August 2024
Historical Events
1942 – Cuba declares war on Germany, Japan and Italy
1972 – Operation Lion’s Den: US Navy bombards Haiphong Harbor, North Vietnam from the sea, firing over 700 rounds in 33 minutes
1979 – Warrenpoint ambush: 18 British Army soldiers killed when Provisional IRA explode two roadside bombs as a British convoy passes Narrow Water Castle
1988 – Dodger Tommy Lasorda wins 1,000th game as manager tops Philadelphia, 4-2
2004 – Timothy Mack vaults an Olympic record 5.95m to win the pole vault gold medal from fellow American Toby Stevenson (5.90m) at the Athens Olympics
2015 – Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos names top Supreme Court judge, Vassiliki Thanou caretaker Prime Minister – Greece’s 1st female Prime Minister
Famous Birthdays
1665 – John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, English politician, born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (d. 1751)
1871 – Theodore Dreiser, American novelist (Sister Carie, American Tragedy), born in Terre Haute, Indiana (d. 1945)
1911 – Kathleen “Kay” Walsh, British actress (The Horse’s Mouth, Oliver Twist), born in Chelsea, London, England (d. 2005)
1941 – Cesária Évora, Cape Verdean Grammy Award-winning morna singer (Voz d’Amor), known as “the Barefoot Diva”, born in Mindelo, Cape Verde (d. 2011)
1959 – Juan Fernando Cobo, Colombian artist, born in Cali, Colombia (d. 2024)
1972 – The Great Khali [Dalip Singh], Indian-born American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, India
Famous Deaths
1521 – Josquin Des Prez, French composer, dies between 66 and 71 [birthdate uncertain]
1963 – W. E. B. Du Bois, American civil rights activist, writer (Souls of Black Folk) and co-founder of the NAACP, dies in Accra, Ghana, at 95
1980 – Douglas Kenney, American humorist (co-founded the magazine National Lampoon), dies at 33
1987 – Scott La Rock [Sterling], American hip-hop DJ (Boogie Down Productions), shot to death at 25
1991 – Vince Taylor [Brian Holden], British rock and roll singer (Brand New Cadillac), dies of lung cancer at 52
2023 – Pat Corrales, American baseball catcher (Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, SD Padres) and manager (Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians), dies at 82
Famous Deaths for 26th August 2024
1595 – Antonio, Prior of Crato, claimant to the throne of Portugal (b. 1531)
1813 – Daniel Gottlob Turk, German composer, dies at 63
1871 – Charles Scribner, American magazine and book publisher, dies of typhoid fever at 50
1930 – Leonidas “Lon” Chaney, American actor nicknamed “the man of a 1000 faces” (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera), dies after long illness at 47
1978 – José Manuel Moreno, Argentine footballer, dies at 62
1989 – Irving Stone, American writer (Love is Eternal, Lust for Life), dies at 86
1993 – Rockin Dopsie Sr. [Alton Jay Rubin], American zydeco singer, and accordion player, dies of a heart attack at 61
1996 – Catherine Hall, British nurse who raised the professional profile of nursing and to establish its central role in health care, dies at 73
2000 – Lynden Pindling, Bahamas ‘Father of the Nation’ Prime Minister of Bahamas (1967-92), dies at 70
2001 – Louis Muhlstock, Canadian painter, dies at 97
Historical Events for 26th August 2024
1748 – The first Lutheran denomination in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium, is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1846 – Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah” premieres at the Birmingham Festival in England
1937 – Pumping to build Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay is finished
1961 – Official International Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto
1970 – Minister of Home Affairs Robert Porter resigns from the Stormont government (North Ireland parliament)
1980 – Pete Comita replaces Tom Peterson as bassist of American rock band Cheap Trick
1985 – French government denies knowledge of bombing of the Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland New Zealand
1997 – Beni-Ali massacre in Algeria; 60-100 people killed
2014 – Israel and Hamas accept another ceasefire
2019 – Meeting of the G7 agrees on $20 million aid package to fight fires in the Amazon in Biarritz
Today in History for 26th August 2024
Historical Events
1874 – 16 blacks kidnapped from Gibson County Jail and lynched in Trenton, Tennessee
1916 – Philadelphia Athletic’s Bullet Joe Bush no-hits Cleveland, 5-0
1966 – Baltimore Orioles Roznovsky and B.Powell are 4th to hit consecutive pinch HRs
1971 – MLB Baltimore Orioles’ Don Buford struck out 5 times in a game
1985 – French government denies knowledge of bombing of the Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland New Zealand
1986 – Rosa Mota of Portugal wins the women’s Stuttgart marathon (2:28:38)
Famous Birthdays
1891 – Ferdinand Bruckner [Theodor Tagger], Austrian-German playwright (Races), born in Sofia, Bulgaria (d. 1958)
1901 – Jimmy Rushing, American jump blues singer, known as “Mr. Five By Five” (Count Basie Orchestra, 1935-48), and pianist, born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (d. 1972)
1919 – Ronny Graham [Stringer], American composer, lyricist, screenwriter (M*A*S*H (TV series), and actor (Chico and the Man; Mel Brooks films), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1999)
1942 – Keith Alison, American session and touring guitarist (Paul Revere and The Raiders, 1968-75), and songwriter, born in Coleman, Texas (d. 2021)
1953 – David Hurley, Australian politician (Governor General of Australia 2019-, Governor of New South Wales 2014-19), born in Wollongong, Australia
1960 – Ola Ray, American model, Playboy playmate (Jun, 1980) and actress (girlfriend in Thriller music video), born in St Louis, Missouri
Famous Deaths
1770 – Domingos dos Reis Quita, Portuguese playwright and poet, dies at 42
1813 – Theodor Körner, German soldier and poet (Zriny, Sword Song), dies fighting in the Napoleonic wars at 21
1813 – Daniel Gottlob Turk, German composer, dies at 63
1921 – Ludwig Thoma, German writer, dies at 54
1981 – Walter “Foots” Thomas, American saxophonist, flutist, and arranger (Cab Calloway Orchestra), dies from cancer at 74
1995 – Olimi III, African king of Toro (Uganda), dies at 49