Author: gil7

Historical Events

1340 – Rotterdam Netherlands founded
1654 – Louis XIV crowned King of France
1958 – Battles between Turkish and Greeks Cypriots break out
1965 – Gemini 4 completes 62 orbits
1969 – Supergroup Blind Faith’s debut performance in Hyde Park, London, featuring Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Steve Baler and Rick Grech
1980 – Jeff Norman runs world record 50k (2:48:06)

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Famous Birthdays

1502 – John III, King of Portugal and the Algarves (1521-57), born in the Palace of Alcáçova, Lisbon, Portugal (d. 1557)
1899 – John Hawkes, Australian tennis player (Australasian C’ship singles, doubles, mixed doubles 1926), born in Geelong, Victoria (d. 1990)
1910 – Marion Post Wolcott, American photographer during the Great Depression, born in Montclair, New Jersey (d. 1990)
1940 – Tom Jones [Woodward], Welsh pop singer (“What’s New, Pussycat?”; “Delilah”), and TV personality (The Voice UK), born in Pontypridd, Wales
1964 – Judie Aronson, American actress
1974 – David Filoni, American director, producer, and screenwriter (Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-20 TV series); The Mandalorian), born in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1358 – Ashikaga Takauji, Japanese shogun (b. 1305)
1800 – Willem Arnold Alting, Dutch administrator (Governor-General of Dutch East Indies, 1780-97), dies at 75
1893 – Johann Schrammel, Austrian composer, dies at 43
1942 – Alan Blumlein, English electronics engineer, dies at 38
2009 – Kenny Rankin, American singer-songwriter (“Peaceful”), dies of lung cancer at 69
2021 – John McDonnell, American track, cross country coach (University of Arkansas 1972–2008; 40 x NCAA C’ships; 8 x NCAA Triple Crown; 30 x NCAA coach of the year), dies at 82

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Historical Events

1816 – 10″ of snowfall in New England, part of a “year without a summer” which followed the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia
1901 – British Open Men’s Golf, Muirfield: Scotsman James Braid wins first of 5 Open titles by 3 strokes from Harry Vardon of Jersey
1925 – French Championships Men’s Tennis: René Lacoste wins 1st of 3 French titles, beating fellow Frenchman Jean Borotra 7-5, 6-1, 6-4
1982 – Bernard Glassman installed as abbot of Zen Center of NY
1992 – WLAF World Bowl 2, Olympic Stadium, Montreal: Sacramento Surge beats Orlando Thunder, 21-17
2017 – Korean singer T.O.P is rushed to hospital after a suspected overdose while serving mandatory military service

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Famous Birthdays

1891 – István Kardos, Hungarian composer, born in Debrecen, Hungary (d. 1975)
1949 – Holly Near, American folk singer, actress and activist, born in Ukiah, California
1955 – Sandra Bernhard, American stand-up comic and actress (The King of Comedy; Roseanne – “Nancy”), born in Flint, Michigan
1961 – Bill Bates, American football safety (Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, XXX; Pro Bowl 1984; Dallas Cowboys), born in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
1966 – Sean Yseult [Shauna Reynolds], American rock bassist (White Zombie – “More Human Than Human”), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
1969 – Douglas Lee Mitchell, American heavy metal artist (Southgang), born in Miles, Michigan

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Famous Deaths

1861 – Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, Italian politician who advocated for unification (First Prime Minister of Italy 1861), dies at 50
1974 – Blanche Yurka, actress (Tale of 2 Cities, Cry of Werewolf), dies at 86
1976 – J. Paul Getty, American oil magnate and billionaire (Getty Oil), dies at 83
1993 – Peter Tazelaar, adjutant of Dutch queen Wilhelmina, dies at 73
1994 – Willie Humphrey, American jazz clarinetist, dies at 93
2006 – Hilton Ruiz, Puerto Rican-American bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz pianist, dies from injuries sustained in a fall at 54

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Historical Events

1942 – An explosion at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant kills 48 people
1982 – “Murphy’s Law” by Cheri hits #39
1987 – Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation and allows wins game
2010 – French Open Women’s Tennis: Francesca Schiavone of Italy wins her first and only Grand Slam title; beats Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 7-6
2012 – American gubernatorial recall election is held in Wisconsin. Governor Scott Walker wins and becomes the first governor to survive a recall election.
2018 – American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. named 2017 top earning sportsperson by Forbes with $285 million

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Famous Birthdays

1823 – George Thorndike Angell, American lawyer and advocate for the humane treatment of animals (ASPCA), born in Southbridge, Massachusetts (d. 1909)
1916 – Jack Sutherland, Scottish journalist, born in Aberdeen, Scotland (d. 1996)
1941 – Martha Argerich, Argentine-Swiss classical piano prodigy (concert debut at age 8; Chopin Competition winner, 1964), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
1953 – Kathleen Kennedy, American film producer (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park) President of Lucasfilm (2012-), born in Berkeley, California
1977 – Christian Martucci, American musician (Stone Sour), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1983 – Bill Bray, American MLB player, born in Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Famous Deaths

1118 – Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester
1915 – Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, French artist and sculptor, killed fighting in WWI at 23
1916 – Horatio Kitchener, British General who commanded British forces during the Battle of Omdurman (Sudan) and the Second Boer War who became British Secretary of State for War during WWI (1914-16), drowns at 65 after the HMS Hampshire struck a German mine
1978 – John Meulenhoff, Dutch publisher, dies at 71
2012 – Barry Unsworth, British novelist, dies from lung cancer at 81
2015 – Tariq Aziz, Iraqi politician and close adviser to Saddam Hussein, dies at 79

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Historical Events

1873 – 1st contract workers of British-Indies Co arrive in Suriname
1917 – Most Excellent Order of British Empire inaugurated by King George V to recognise the efforts of his people in WWI
1934 – Dr Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin, is knighted
1943 – St Louis Card Mort Cooper pitches his 2nd consecutive 1 hitter
1982 – “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” released in USA
1990 – Greyhound Bus files bankruptcy

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Famous Birthdays

1915 – Modibo Keïta, 1st President of Mali (1960-68), born in Bamako Coura, Upper Senegal and Niger (d. 1977)
1930 – Bill Treacher, British actor (EastEnders, 1985-96 – “Arthur Fowler”), born in London, England (d. 2022)
1932 – John Drew Barrymore, American actor (Pantomine Quiz), born in Beverly Hills, California (d. 2004)
1954 – Raphael Ravenscroft, British session saxophone player (Gerry Rafferty – “Baker Street”; Maxine Nightingale; Roger Waters), born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England (d. 2014)
1973 – Antonio Anderson, defensive tackle (Dallas Cowboys)
1976 – Alexei Navalny, Russian political activist and opposition leader of the Progress Party, born in Butyn, Soviet Union (d. 2024)

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Famous Deaths

1918 – Charles W. Fairbanks, 26th Vice President of the United States (Republican: 1905-09) and Senator, dies of nephritis at 66
1926 – Fred Spofforth, Australian cricket fast bowler (“The Demon” – 18 Tests, 94 wickets @ 18.41), dies of chronic colitis at 72
1951 – Serge Koussevitzky, Russian-American conductor (Boston Symphony, 1924-49), dies at 76
1954 – Harold Hoffman, American politician (Governor of New Jersey 1935-38), dies at 58
1960 – Lucien Littlefield, American actor (Blondie), dies at 64
1985 – John Ringling North, American circus director (Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus from 1937-43), dies at 81

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