Today in History for 4th May 2024

Historical Events

1471 – Battle of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, final battle between the Houses of Lancaster and York: Prince of Wales, Edward of Westminster killed and King Edward IV returns to his throne, restoring political stability to England until his death in 1483
1776 – Rhode Island declares independence from Great Britain
1859 – The Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge linking the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England.
1866 – Woodward’s Gardens opens to the public in San Francisco
1917 – A flotilla of US destroyer ships arrive in Queenstown, Ireland, to aid in convoying ships to England
1970 – National Guard kills 4 student anti-war protesters at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio

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Famous Birthdays

1822 – Charles Boucher de Boucherville, Premier of Quebec, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1915)
1923 – Eric Sykes, British radio, stage and television comedy writer, actor and director (Goon Show; Sykes and A…), born in Oldham, Lancahsire, England (d. 2012)
1926 – Gerlind Reinshagen, German writer, born in Konigsberg, Germany
1949 – John Force, American drag racer (16 NHRA Championships), born in Bell Gardens, California
1954 – Julie Budd, American singer (“Child of Plenty”), born in Brooklyn, New York
1992 – Courtney Jines, American actress (Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over), born in Fairfax, Virginia

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Famous Deaths

1937 – Noel Rosa, Brazilian guitrist, mandolin player, and songwriter, dies of tuberculosis at 26
1961 – Anita Stewart, American silent film actress (South of Hell Mountain), producer, and mystery novelist, dies of a heart attack at 66
1980 – Kay Hammond, British actress (Blithe Spirit, 5 Golden Hours), dies at 71
2009 – Jane Randolph, American actress (Cat People, Railroaded!), dies of complications after hip surgery at 93
2018 – Edwin G. Burrows, American historian and professor, dies at 74
2022 – Gerhard Mans, Namibian rugby union utility back (27 Tests; Orange Free State RFU, South West Africa RFU), dies at 60

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Famous Deaths for 3rd May 2024

1010 – Ansfried, 9th bishop of Utrecht (995-1010)/saint, dies at about 69
1679 – James Sharp, English archbishop (assassinated) (b. 1613)
1703 – Eglon van de Down, still-life painter, dies
1969 – Karl Freund, German cinematographer and film director (Dracula, I love Lucy, The Mummy), dies at 79
1987 – Dalida [Yolande Christina Gigliotti], French-Italian actress (The Sixth Day), singer (Bambino), and Miss Egypt 1954, commits suicide at 54
2000 – John Joseph Cardinal O’Connor, Catholic Archbishop of New York (b. 1920)
2008 – Uroš Krek, Slovenian composer, dies at 85
2011 – Sergo Kotrikadze, Georgian footballer (b. 1936)
2018 – Bob Prewitt, American college basketball coach (SMU Mustangs), dies at 93
2018 – Joe Scannella, American football coach (Oakland Raiders, Montreal Alouettes, Cleveland Browns), dies at 89

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Historical Events for 3rd May 2024

1822 – Society for the Propagation of the Faith founded in Lyon, France
1921 – Northern Ireland is created under the UK Government of Ireland Act partitioning off six north eastern counties with a Protestant majority
1943 – Pulitzer prize awarded to Upton Sinclair for his novel “Dragon’s Teeth” about the Nazi rise to power
1946 – International military tribunal in Tokyo begins
1959 – Tiger’s Charlie Maxwell hits 4 consecutive HRs in a doubleheader
1965 – KTCI TV channel 17 in St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN (PBS) 1st broadcast
1967 – African American students seize finance building at Northwestern University
1973 – Chicago’s Sears Tower, world’s tallest building (443 m), tops out
1980 – 106th Kentucky Derby: Jacinto Vasquez on Genuine Risk wins in 2:02
1997 – 123rd Kentucky Derby: Gary Stevens aboard Silver Charm wins in 2:02.3

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Today in History for 3rd May 2024

Historical Events

738 – Maya ruler 18 Rabbit of Copán is captured and beheaded by ruler Cauac Sky from the rival city of Quiriguá
1910 – Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States is renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
1921 – West Virginia imposes 1st state sales tax
1926 – US Marines land in Nicaragua (9 months after leaving), stay until 1933
1928 – Japanese atrocities in Jinan, China
1997 – 123rd Kentucky Derby: Gary Stevens aboard Silver Charm wins in 2:02.3

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Famous Birthdays

1662 – Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, German architect, born in Herford, Germany (d. 1736)
1924 – Tom O’Horgan, American musical theater director (Hair; Jesus Christ Superstar), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2009)
1944 – Pete Staples, British rock bassist (Troggs – “Wild Thing”; “Love Is All Around”), born in Andover, Hampshire, England
1970 – Ted Crowley, American hockey defenseman (Olympics 1994), born in Concord, Massachusetts
1977 – Mashima Hiro, Japanese Mangaka of Rave Master and Fairy Tail, born in Nagano, Japan
1977 – Ryan Dempster, Canadian baseball player, born in Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada

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Famous Deaths

1841 – Cornelis T Elout, Dutch minister of Finance the Navy and Colonies, dies at 74
1955 – Rudolf Schlichter, German artist and writer, dies at 64
1976 – Ernie Nevers, American College, Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback, coach (Stanford, Chicago Cardinals), dies of heart and kidney ailments at 72
1991 – Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer and composer (b. 1907)
2018 – Alfonso Dhlakama, Mozambican politician and opposition leader (RENAMO), dies of a heart attack at 65
2023 – Linda Lewis [Fredericks], British pop-rock-soul singer-songwriter, and guitarist (“Rock-a-Doodle-Doo”), dies at 72

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Famous Deaths for 2nd May 2024

1973 – Alan Carney [David Boughal], American actor (Zombies on Broadway, Take it from Me), dies at 61
1990 – William Levi Dawson, American composer, choirmaster, and musicologist, dies at 90
1990 – William L. Dawson, American choir director, composer (Negro Folk Symphony), educator, and musicologist, dies at 90
1991 – Ronald McKie, Australian author (The Mango Tree), dies at 81
1992 – Margareth Wallmann, Austrian opera director, dies at 88
1997 – Queen Mother Moore, African-American civil rights activist and humanitarian, dies at 98
2015 – Ruth Rendell, English thriller writer (Inspector Wexford novels), dies at 85
2018 – Gord Brown, Canadian politician (MP, 2004–2018), dies of a heart attack at 57
2018 – Herman Krebbers, Dutch violinist, concert master, and music teacher, dies at 94
2021 – Tommy West [Picardo], American record producer (Jim Croce; Anne Murray), and singer-songwriter, dies of complications from Parkinson’s disease at 78

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Historical Events for 2nd May 2024

1345 – “Quaden Maendach” in Ghent: battles between fullers and weavers
1536 – Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, is arrested and taken to the Tower of London
1703 – Portugal signs treaty with England to become a Great Covenant
1783 – Architect Pierre Charles L’Enfant is promoted by brevet to Major of Engineers in recognition of his service to American liberty
1917 – Cin Fred Tooney and Chic’s Hippo Vaughn pitch duel no-hitter, Vaughn gives up 2 hits and a run in 10th, so Cin wins 1-0
1926 – US military intervenes in Nicaragua
1967 – Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Terry Sawchuk makes 40 saves as Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 in Game 6 to take title, 4-2
1968 – Roger Sessions’ 8th Symphony premiers in New York City with William Steinberg conducting the New York Philharmonic
1972 – 126 killed in an electrical fire in Sunshine Silver mine, Kellogg, Idaho
2018 – E. coli outbreak linked to Romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona, reports the first fatality with 121 cases across 25 US states

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Today in History for 2nd May 2024

Historical Events

1936 – Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and family flee Abyssinia
1960 – Harry Belafonte’s 2nd Carnegie Hall performance (New York City)
1984 – New York Yankees Don Mattingly’s single breaks up Chicago White Sox pitcher Lamarr Hoyt’s perfect game bid, at Comiskey Park
1987 – 113th Kentucky Derby: Chris McCarron aboard Alysheba wins in 2:03.4
1992 – Allen Toussaint’s musical revue “High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club” closes at the Helen Hayes Theater, NYC, after 13 performances
1995 – Serbian missiles exploded in the heart of Zagreb, killing six

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Famous Birthdays

1901 – Willi Bredel, German writer, born in Hamburg (d. 1964)
1902 – Erin O’Brien-Moore, American actress (Peyton Place, Our Little Girl), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1979)
1929 – Luc Ferrari, French composer, born in Paris (d. 2005)
1929 – Edward Levy, American composer, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2002)
1945 – Bianca Jagger [Blanca Pérez-Mora Macías], Nicaraguan model and socialite who married Mike Jagger, born in Managua, Nicaragua
1950 – Randy Colley (Moondog Rex), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), born in Alexander City, Alabama (d. 2019)

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Famous Deaths

1250 – Toeransa, sultan of Egypt, murdered
1985 – Milton S Eisenhower, US diplomat, dies at 85
1991 – Leib Lensky, dies at 82
2009 – Marilyn French, American author (The Women’s Room), dies at 79
2018 – Bill Torrey, Canadian ice hockey executive (New York Islanders, Florida Panthers), dies at 83
2018 – Wang Danfeng, Chinese actress, dies at 93

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Famous Deaths for 1st May 2024

1277 – Stefanus IV Uros I de Great, King of Serbia (1243-76), dies
1813 – Jean-Baptiste Bessières, French marshal (killed in combat) (b. 1768)
1979 – Taisto Mäki, Finnish athlete (WR 2 miles, 5,000m and 10,000m simultaneously 1939-42), dies at 68
1984 – Jüri Lossmann, Estonian athlete (Olympic silver marathon 1920), dies at 93
1986 – Hylda Baker, English comedy actress (b. 1905)
1991 – Richard Thorpe, American director (Jailhouse Rock, Night Must Fall), dies at 95
1994 – Imre Gyöngyössy, Hungarian filmmaker (The Revolt of Job), dies of a heart attack at 64
2008 – Anthony Mamo, Malta’s first President (b. 1909)
2018 – Robert B. Kennedy, American politician (Massachusetts House of Representatives, 1975–1979), dies at 78
2022 – Régine [Zylberberg], French singer and nightclub owner, dies at 92

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Historical Events for 1st May 2024

1776 – Adam Weishaupt founds secret society of Illuminati
1864 – -8] Battle at Alexandria, Louisiana (Red River Campaign)
1912 – The Beverly Hills Hotel opens on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California
1940 – Summer Olympics (scheduled for Helsinki) are cancelled by the Finnish OC because of WWII
1945 – About 1,000 citizens of Demmin in Germany, commit suicide provoked by occupation by Soviet Red Army
1950 – Mayor of Brussels reluctantly bans May Day parade
1979 – Home rule introduced to Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)
1982 – 108th Kentucky Derby: Ed Delahoussaye wins aboard Gato Del Sol, the first of consecutive Derby victories (1983 Sunny’s Halo)
1984 – Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac) files for bankruptcy
1992 – Oakland outfielder Rickey Henderson steals his 1,000th MLB career base in A’s 7-6 win at Detroit

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Today in History for 1st May 2024

Historical Events

1919 – “L’Ordine Nuovo” Italian socialist weekly newspaper established in Turin by Antonio Gramsci, Angelo Tasca and Palmiro Togliatti
1928 – Drunken fascist Erich Wichman attacks VARA-radio transmitter
1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation to form the American Motors Corporation
1963 – Indonesia takes control of Irian Jaya (west New Guinea) from the Netherlands
1996 – “Ideal Husband” opens at Barrymore Theater NYC for 308 performances
2000 – Barry Bonds is first MLB player to hit a homer into San Francisco Bay as Giants beat Mets, 10-3; hits 35 there during his SF career

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Famous Birthdays

1924 – Terry Southern, American writer and screenwriter (Dr. Strangelove, Easy Rider), born in Alvarado, Texas (d. 1995)
1954 – Ray Parker Jr, American rock guitarist and vocalist (Ghostbusters), born in Detroit, Michigan
1966 – Johnny Colt [Charles Brandt], American rock bassist (Black Crowes), born in Cherry Point, North Carolina
1966 – Armando Reynoso, Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks), born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico
1967 – Yael Arad, Israeli middleweight judoka (first Israeli to win an Olympic medal – silver 1996), born in Tel Aviv, Israel
1984 – David Backes, American ice hockey center (NHL All Star 2011; Olympic silver 2010; St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Famous Deaths

1971 – Glenda Farrell, American actress (Golddiggers of 1935: Grand Slam; Exposed), dies of lung cancer at 66
1982 – Gene Sheldon, actor (Bernardo-Zorro), dies at 72
1986 – Hugo Peretti, American songwriter and record producer, dies at 69
1989 – Antonio Janigro, Italian cellist (Zagreb Soloists), dies at 71
1996 – Ivo Rudolph Jarosy, German-British film scholar and exhibitor, dies at 74
2017 – Janet Pilgrim, American early playmate model for Playboy (July 1955, Dec 1955, Oct 1956), dies at 82

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