Author: gil7

Historical Events

1766 – 1st fire escape patented, wicker basket on a pulley and chain
1869 – American Museum of Natural History opens in New York City
1979 – 205th and final episode of “All in the Family”; followed by “Archie Bunker’s Place” for 4 seasons
1993 – Indians’ Carlos Baerga is 1st to switch hit HRs in same inn (vs Yanks)
2000 – 153rd Grand National: Irish 10/1 shot Papillon, ridden by jockey Ruby Walsh and trained by his father Ted Walsh wins by 1¼ lengths from Mely Moss
2016 – 31st Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Steve Miller, and N.W.A

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Famous Birthdays

1756 – Joseph Gehot, Belgian composer, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1820)
1865 – Ted Wainwright, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; Yorkshire CCC), born in Sheffield, England (d. 1919)
1893 – Grace Cunard, American silent screen actress (Untamed, Resurrection), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 1967)
1905 – George Baxter, French actor (Flying Saucer, Lili, Caged), born in Paris, France (d. 1976)
1955 – Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist (The Poisonwood Bible), born in Annapolis, Maryland
1972 – Katrina Powell, Australian field hockey striker (252 caps; Olympic gold 1996, 2000; World Cup gold 1998; Champions Trophy gold 1997, 99, 2003) and coach (Australia women), born in Canberra Australia

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Famous Deaths

1931 – Eric Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet (Nobel Prize for Literature 1931), dies at 66
1969 – Arthur Walter Kramer, American composer, dies at 78
1981 – Omar Bradley, American WWII General (Invasion of Normandy) and 1st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1949-53), dies of cardiac arrhythmia at 88
1982 – Katherine Rawls, American diver (Olympic silver 3m springboard 1932, 36) and swimmer (Olympic bronze 4×100m freestyle 1936), dies from cancer at 64
1992 – Daniel Bovet, Swiss-Italian pharmacologist (1957 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, discovered chemotherapeutic agents including antihistamines0, dies at 85
1993 – Arleen Whelan, American film actress (Kidnapped), dies of a stroke at 78

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Historical Events

1118 – Pope Gelasius II is excommunicated by Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, forcing him to flee Rome and rule in exile
1584 – Ieper surrenders to Duke of Parma
1933 – University Bridge, Seattle opens for traffic
1959 – Radar 1st bounced off Sun, Stanford Calif
1963 – Yugoslavia proclaimed a Socialistic republic
1970 – MLB Milwaukee Brewers (former Seattle Pilots) 1st game, lose to Angels 12-0

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Famous Birthdays

1775 – Francis Cabot Lowell, American mill owner (founded 1st raw cotton-to-cloth textile mill), born in Newburyport, Massachusetts (d. 1817)
1916 – Anthony Caruso, American character actor best known for playing villains (The Desperate Mission, The Wonderful County), born in Frankfort, Indiana (d. 2003)
1929 – “Crazy” Joe Gallo, American mobster, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1972)
1960 – Tracy Silverman, American contemporary classical and jazz acoustic and electric 6-string violinist (Turtle Island String Quartet), composer, and pedagogue, born in Peekskill, New York
1964 – Joe Durant, American golfer (4 PGA Tour titles), born in Pensacola, Florida
1972 – Lovett Purnell, American NFL football wide receiver, 1996-2001 (New England Patriots, and 2 other teams), born in Seaford, Delaware

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Famous Deaths

1614 – El Greco, Greek-born artist working in Spain (b. 1541)
1651 – Lennart Torstenson, Swedish soldier and engineer (b. 1603)
1920 – Karl Binding, German jurist whose writings were used to justify the Holocaust, dies at 79
1936 – Marilyn Miller [Mary Ellen Reynolds], American Broadway dancer, singer, and actress (Ziegfeld Follies), dies from complications of nasal surgery at 37
1997 – Sam Parks Jr., American golfer (US Open 1935), dies at 87
2021 – James Hampton, American actor (F Troop – “Bugler Dobbs”; Teen Wolf), writer, and director, dies from Parkinson’s disease complications at 84

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Historical Events

1896 – First modern Summer Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece; American athlete James Connolly becomes the first modern Olympic champion when he wins the triple jump (then 2 hops and a jump); later places 3rd in long jump and 2nd in high jump
1903 – In Holland, railroad and dock workers go out on strike, but the government passes anti-strike bills, calls out troops, and promptly ends the strike on the 13th April
1939 – US and UK agree on joint control of Canton and Enderbury Is (Pacific)
1954 – US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island
1986 – Soccer ball juggled non-stop for 14:14 hrs
1987 – 22nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Hank Williams Jr, Randy Travis, and Reba McEntire win

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Famous Birthdays

1773 – James Mill, Scottish philosopher and historian (History of British India), born in Angus, Scotland (d. 1836)
1886 – “Smokey” Joe Williams, American Baseball HOF pitcher (NgL, Mexico, Caribbean 1905-32; no-hitter 1919 NY Lincoln Giants), born in Seguin, Texas (d. 1951)
1890 – André-Louis Danjon, French astronomer (invented Danjon astrolabe), born in Caen, France (d. 1967)
1924 – Charlie Rouse, American hard bop tenor saxophonist (Thelonious Monk Quartet; Sphere), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1988)
1960 – Warren Haynes, American rock and blues guitarist (The Allman Brothers Band), born in Asheville, North Carolina
1965 – Rica Reinisch, German DR, 100m/200m backstroke (Olympic gold 1980)

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Famous Deaths

912 – Nottker “the Stamelaar”, benedictine monk/poet, dies at about 71
1605 – John Stow, English historian (Survey of London), dies
1902 – Gleb Uspensky, Russian author (Power of the Soil), dies at 58
1989 – Elizabeth Becker-Pinkston, American diver (Olympic gold 3m springboard 1924; 10m platform 1928), dies at 86
2014 – Jacques Castérède, French composer and pianist (Pandora’s Box), dies at 87
2016 – Dennis Davis, American jazz, rock and funk drummer (Roy Ayers; David Bowie, 1975-80; Stevie Wonder), dies of cancer at 66

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