Today in History for 2nd June 2024

Historical Events

1763 – Pontiac’s Rebellion: At what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, Chippewas capture Fort Michilimackinac by diverting the garrison’s attention with a game of lacrosse, then chasing a ball into the fort
1862 – Raid at Early’s: Maryland towards Washington, D.C.
1902 – British naval officer David Beatty is appointed captain of the cruiser HMS Juno
1967 – Capitol Records releases The Beatles’ album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in the US; it is their first album with identical track listings in US and UK, and goes to number one for 15 weeks in US, 22 weeks in UK
1985 – LPGA Championship Women’s Golf, Jack Nicklaus GC: Nancy Lopez wins by 8 shots from fellow American Alice Miller
2020 – UK death toll from COVID-19 passes 50,000 (50,032) according to its Office of National Statistics

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Famous Birthdays

1740 – Marquis de Sade, French philosopher and writer (Justine) and where the words sadism and sadist are derived from, born in Paris, France (d. 1814)
1941 – William Guest, American soul singer (Gladys Knight Show), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2015)
1941 – Stacy Keach, American actor (Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer), born in Savannah, Georgia
1968 – Jon Culshaw, British comedian and impressionist
1972 – Simon Staho, Danish film director
1972 – Wentworth Miller, American actor

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Famous Deaths

1575 – Pieter Aertsen [Long Worm], painter, dies at about 65
1873 – François George-Hainl, French cellist and composer, dies at 65
1913 – Alfred Austin, English poet laureate of England (Garden), dies at 78
1948 – Viktor Brack, German Nazi physician and war criminal, executed by hanging at 43
1990 – Frederick Mellinger, founder of Fredericks of Hollywood, dies at 76
1998 – Sylvester Ritter (Junkyard Dog), American professional wrestler, dies at 45

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Famous Deaths for 1st June 2024

1873 – Joseph Howe, Canadian politician (3rd Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia), dies at 68
1938 – Ödön von Horváth, Hungarian writer (A Child of Our Time), dies at 36
1942 – Vladislav Vančura, Czech writer (Rozmarné léto), dies at 50
1970 – Giuseppe Ungaretti, Italian poet (Hermeticism) and journalist, dies at 82
1973 – Harvey S. Firestone Jr, American tire manufacturer, dies at 75
1983 – Anna Seghers [Netty Reiling], German author (The 7th Cross), dies at 82
1983 – Charles Tham, of Saxon-Coburg-Gotha, count of Flanders/Prince, dies
1991 – David Ruffin, American soul musician and early lead singer for The Temptations (My Girl; Ain’t Too Proud to Beg), dies of a drug overdose at 50
1992 – Howard Ralston, actor (Pollyana), dies
1996 – Stephen Jones, English art historian, dies of cancer at 41

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Historical Events for 1st June 2024

1543 – Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius publishes “De humani corporis fabrica (On the fabric of the human body in seven books)” a major step forward in understanding human anatomy [date is representative as exact date of publication unknown]
1888 – California gets its 1st seismograph
1890 – US census at 62,622,250
1920 – Dutch soccer club RKSV forms in Volendam; merges with FC Volendam in 1977
1945 – WLB-AM in Minneapolis Minn changes call letters to KUOM
1979 – Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India.
1989 – 62nd National Spelling Bee: Scott Isaacs wins spelling spoliator
1994 – Indiana guard Reggie Miller drills an NBA Playoff record 5 three-pointers in the 4th quarter of the Pacers’ 93-86 win over host New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals
1997 – Hugo Banzer wins the Presidential elections in Bolivia.
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

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Today in History for 1st June 2024

Historical Events

1660 – Mary Dyer is hanged for defying a law banning Quakers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
1958 – The Riverside International Raceway in Southern California opens with three 500-mile races in one weekend; Eddie Gray wins the Crown America 500 for NASCAR Grand National cars
1967 – Mayor-council form of government instituted for Washington, D.C.
1975 – LPGA Championship Women’s Golf, Pine Ridge GC: Kathy Whitworth wins her 3rd LPGA C’ship by 1 stroke from Sandra Haynie
1997 – LA Dodger Wilton Guerrero’s bat breaks, revealing it is corked
2022 – US Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, assumes post of Commandant, becoming 1st female commander of US military branch

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Famous Birthdays

1776 – George Schetky, Scottish-American cellist, music teacher, and composer, born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1831)
1882 – John Drinkwater, English poet and playwright (Abraham Lincoln), born in Leytonstone, Essex (d. 1937)
1892 – Samuel L M Barlow II, American composer (Mon Ami Pierrot), born in New York City (d. 1982)
1922 – Povel Ramel, Swedish entertainer (d. 2007)
1965 – Olga Nazarova, Russian athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1988, 92; World C’ship gold 4x400m relay 1991), born in Moscow, Russia
1990 – Carlota Ciganda, Spanish golfer (US Open 2018 3rd; 2 LPGA Tour titles), born in Pamplona, Spain

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Famous Deaths

1943 – Wilfrid B. Israel, Jewish activist
1954 – Martin Andersen Nexø, Danish writer (Pelle Erobreren), dies at 84
1973 – Helen Parkhurst, American educator (The Dalton Plan), dies at 86
1995 – Prudence Hyman, English dancer, dies at 80
1999 – Christopher Cockerell, English engineer and inventor (Hovercraft), dies at 88
2008 – Tommy Lapid, Israeli journalist and politician (b. 1931)

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Famous Deaths for 31st May 2024

1198 – Moses ben Solomon Ha-Cohen, rabbi of Mainz, dies
1551 – Aristotele “Basiano” da Sangallo, Italian set designer, dies
1747 – Andrei Osterman, Russian statesman (b. 1686)
1891 – Antoine-Aimé Dorion, Canadian politician and jurist (joint premier of Canada 1858, 1863-64), dies at 73
1960 – Willem Elsschot [Alfons Josephus de Ridder], Flemish writer (Kas), dies at 78
2000 – Johnnie Taylor, American RandB and multi-genre singer (“Disco Lady”; “I Believe In You”), dies at 66
2009 – Danny La Rue, Irish drag entertainer, dies at 81
2010 – William A. Fraker, American cinematographer (b. 1923)
2017 – Jiří Bělohlávek, Czech conductor (Czech Philharmonic, 1990-92 and 2012-17; Prague Philharmonia, 1993-2005; BBC Symphony, 2006-12), dies of cancer at 71
2019 – Roky Erickson [Roger Kynard], American musician (The 13th Floor Elevators – “Starry Eyes”; “Don’t Slander Me”), dies at 71

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Historical Events for 31st May 2024

1417 – Jacoba of Bavaria becomes countess of Holland/Zealand/Henegouwen
1821 – Cathedral of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, 1st US Catholic cathedral, is dedicated in Baltimore, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe
1868 – Dr James Moore (UK) wins 1st recorded bicycle race, (2k) velocipede race at Parc fde St Cloud, Paris
1891 – Work on Trans-Siberian railway begins
1910 – Cape of Good Hope becomes part of Union of South Africa
1930 – British Amateur Championship, Men’s Golf, St. Andrews Links: Bobby Jones scores a 7 and 6 win over Englishman Roger Wethered for the first leg of his Grand Slam
1961 – US President John F. Kennedy visits Charles de Gaulle in Paris
1980 – “Love Stinks” by J. Geils Band peaks at #38
1990 – 63rd National Spelling Bee: Amy Marie Dimak wins spelling fibranne
1992 – 46th Tony Awards: “Dancing at Lughnasa” (play) and “Crazy For You” (musical) win

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Today in History for 31st May 2024

Historical Events

1919 – Indianapolis 500: Howdy Wilcox accompanied by riding mechanic Leo Banks win; driver Arthur Thurman dies in a crash on lap 45; lap 96, Louis LeCocq and riding mechanic Robert Bandini wrecked in turn 2, both burned to death
1975 – Larry Grossman and Hal Hackady’s historical musical comedy “Goodtime Charley”, based on King Charles VII of France, and starring Joel Grey, closes at Palace Theater, NYC, after 104 performances
1990 – BPAA US Women’s Bowling Open won by Dana Miller-Mackie
2008 – Super Rugby Final, Christchurch: Canterbury Crusaders claim their 7th title with a 20-12 win over NSW Waratahs; Dan Carter kicks 4 penalties and a dropped goal for the home team
2021 – Peru says its COVID-19 death toll is three times higher than its official count (180,764 vs 68,000), making it one of the hardest hit countries per capita
2023 – Latvia elects its Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics as President – first openly gay leader of a Baltic state

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Famous Birthdays

1838 – Henry Sidgwick, English philosopher (Wife at University), born in Skipton, Yorkshire, England (d. 1900)
1900 – Helma Wolf-Catz, Dutch author (Undercurrent, Coral Reef) (d. 1979)
1914 – Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer, best known for his film scores in the Godzilla films, born in Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan (d. 2006)
1950 – Edward Barker, English cartoonist, born in Birmingham, England
1955 – Tommy Emmanuel, Australian-American acoustic guitarist (Stevie’s Blues), born in Muswellbrook, New South Wales
1990 – Erik Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player (NHL – San Jose Sharks)), born in Landsbro, Sweden

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Famous Deaths

1957 – John Kilbane, American featherweight boxer and World Featherweight Champion (1912-23), dies at 68
1993 – Spuds Mackenzie [real name Honey Tree Evil Eye “Evie”], American advertisement dog for Bud Light beer, dies at 9
1993 – John Granger, American actor (Advise and Consent), dies at 69
1994 – Herva Nelli, Italian-born American soprano, dies at 85
2005 – Jaime Mendoza-Nava, Bolivian-American composer and conductor, dies at 79
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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Famous Deaths for 30th May 2024

1770 – François Boucher, French painter (b. 1703)
1945 – Irma Laplasse, Flemish farmer/nazi collaborator, executed
1957 – Toivo R Pekkanen, Finnish writer (Black Ecstasy), dies
1966 – Bob Thompson, African American painter, dies of a drug overdose at 28
1967 – Claude Rains, British actor (Invisible Man, Casablanca), dies at 77
1977 – Claire Goll, German-French writer, dies at 86
1981 – Don Ashby, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1955)
1994 – Marcel Bich, Italian-French baron and pen manufacturer (Bic), dies at 79
2008 – Boris Shakhlin, Russian gymnast (Olympic gold, 1956, 1960, 1964; World Champion, 1958; European Champion, 1955), dies at 76
2013 – Elliot del Borgo, American music educator (SUNY/Crane School of Music, 1966-95) and composer (1980 Winter Olympics), dies at 74

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Historical Events for 30th May 2024

1814 – Napoleonic Wars: War of the Sixth Coalition – the Treaty of Paris (1814) is signed returning French borders to their 1792 extent.
1925 – British mariners shoot on demonstrators
1937 – Memorial Day Massacre: Chicago Police Department shoot and kill 10 unarmed demonstrators during the “Little Steel Strike” in the United States
1946 – United flight 521 crashes on takeoff at LaGuardia Airport (NY) 42 die
1953 – French Championships Women’s Tennis: Maureen Connolly beats fellow American Doris Hart 6-2, 6-4 for the 2nd leg of her Grand Slam
1954 – Emile Zatopek runs world record 5K (13:57.2)
1977 – Cleveland Indian Dennis Eckersley no-hits California Angels, 2-0
1980 – 1st papal visit to France since 1814
1981 – LA Dodgers are quickest to get 1,000,000 attendance in a season in only 22 games
2019 – Austria appoints its first female chancellor Brigitte Bierle to head caretaker government after fall of the coalition government

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Today in History for 30th May 2024

Historical Events

1591 – Spanish troops in Zutphen surrender to Dutch and English forces under Maurice of Nassau
1832 – Evariste Galois give his theory on free assembly (dies in duel May 31)
1949 – 33rd Indianapolis 500: After finishing runner-up the previous 2 years, Bill Holland finally wins giving car owner Lou Moore his 3rd consecutive Indy victory; 1947-48 winner Mauri Rose fired after the race for ignoring team orders
1966 – The Beatles release single “Paperback Writer” / “Rain” in US; “Rain” featured experimental studio tricks of slowed down bass and drums tracks, and backwards vocals in the fade out
1973 – George Harrison releases his fourth studio album “Living in the Material World” in the US
2017 – Car bomb outside ice cream shop in Baghdad kills 17, Islamic State claim responsibility

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Famous Birthdays

1718 – Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, British politician, born in Fairford, Gloucestershire (d. 1793)
1814 – Eugène Charles Catalan, French-Belgian mathematician (worked on continued fractions, descriptive geometry, number theory and combinatorics), born in Bruges, Belgium (d. 1894)
1867 – Arthur Vining Davis, American industrialist and CEO (Alcoa-1910-57), born in Sharon, Massachusetts (d. 1962)
1936 – Ruta Lee, actress (Operation Eichmann, Marjorie Morningstar)
1963 – Helen Patricia Sharman, Great Britain, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-12)
1980 – Steven Gerrard, English footballer

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Famous Deaths

1416 – Jerome of Prague, Czech radical Christian teacher burned at the stake for heresy by church Council of Constance
1964 – Eddie Sachs, American auto racer (b. 1927)
1987 – Melvin “Turk” Murphy, American Dixieland jazz trombonist, dies at 71
1994 – Agostino Di Bartolomei, Italian footballer (b. 1955)
2016 – Rick MacLeish, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1974, 75; Philadelphia Flyers; NHL All Star 1977, 78), dies of meningitis at 66
2020 – [Nicolas] Michael Angelis, English actor (Thomas and Friends, Boys from the Black Stuff), dies of a heart attack at 76

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