Author: gil7

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Historical Events for 29th May 2026

1328 – French King Philip VI of Valois crowned at the Cathedral in Reims, France
1592 – The Korean navy, led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin, repels a Japanese fleet in the Battle of Sacheon, the first use of a Korean Turtle Ship
1943 – Algiers Allied Planning Conference between Winston Churchill, George C. Marshall and General Dwight D. Eisenhower finalizes the plan for the Italian Campaign
1954 – British runner Diane Leather becomes first woman to run the mile in under 5 minutes; 4:59.6 at Alexander Sports Ground in Birmingham, England
1954 – French Championships Women’s Tennis: Maureen Connolly retains her title; beats Ginette Bucaille of France 6-4, 6-1
1982 – Pentagon plans first strategy to fight a nuclear war
2004 – World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
2012 – Thousands march in protest in Johannesburg against Brett Murray’s controversial painting “The Spear”, part of the artist’s Hail to the Thief II exhibition that criticizes South Africa’s ruling party

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Today in History for 29th May 2026

Historical Events

1919 – Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, that when light passes a large body, gravity will bend the rays confirmed by Arthur Eddington’s expedition to photograph a solar eclipse on the island of Principe, West Africa
1943 – Algiers Allied Planning Conference between Winston Churchill, George C. Marshall and General Dwight D. Eisenhower finalizes the plan for the Italian Campaign
1969 – Britain’s Trans-Arctic expedition makes 1st crossing of Arctic Sea ice
1970 – Soviet dissident Zhores Medvedev is arrested and taken to a psychiatric hospital in Kaluga sparking protests
1983 – Indianapolis 500: Tom Sneva wins his first Indy 500; represents record 7th Indy victory for chief mechanic George Bignotti

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Famous Birthdays

1929 – Peter Higgs, English theoretical physicist (Nobel Prize for Physics, 2013), born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England (d. 2024)
1946 – Fernando Buesa Blanco, Spanish politician, member of the Basque Parliament (1984-2000) and Deputy General of Álava (1987-91), born in Bilbao, Spain (d. 2000)
1962 – Eric Davis, American baseball outfielder (World Series 1990 Cincinnati Reds; MLB All-Star 1987, 89; Gold Glove 1987, 88, 89), born in Los Angeles, California
1970 – Natarsha Belling, Australian news presenter, born in Mudgee, Australia
1983 – Richard Jackson, American actor (Ryan Meyers-Saved by the Bell), born in Redlands, California

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Famous Deaths

1973 – P. Ramlee, Malaysian film actor, director, singer and songwriter, dies of a heart attack at 44
1996 – Jeremy Sinden, English actor (Chariots of Fire, Ascendancy, Harem), dies at 45
1998 – Eric Atkinson, West Indian cricket fast bowler (8 Tests, 25 wickets, BB 5/42; Barbados), dies at 70
2021 – Keith Mullings, American boxer (WBC and lineal light middleweight titles 1998), dies at 53
2024 – Manfred Wolke, German boxer (Olympic gold GDR welterweight 1968), dies at 81

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