Author: gil7

Today in History for 9th February 2024

Historical Events

1922 – Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty
1935 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
1953 – WNEP TV channel 16 in Scranton Wilkes-Barre, PA (ABC) 1st broadcast
1960 – AFL and NFL agree verbally to a no tampering pact
1990 – Namibia’s constitution ratified
2006 – 56th Berlin International Film Festival: “Grbavica” wins the Golden Bear

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Famous Birthdays

1909 – Carmen Miranda, Portuguese vocalist and actress (Copacabana; Date With Judy), born in Marco de Canavezes, Portugal (d. 1955)
1914 – Ralph Herman, American Emmy Award-winning composer (From the Scriptures; Circus Time), orchestra leader, and music director (ABC-TV, 1952-71), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1994)
1927 – Joe Maneri, American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player (Boston Microtonal Society), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2009)
1954 – Christopher Gardner, American entrepreneur
1971 – Johan Mjällby, Swedish footballer
1997 – Catie Waters, American jazz and RandB singer-songwriter, born in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Famous Deaths

1875 – Cecil De Vere, 1st official British chess champion (1866), dies at 28
1964 – Willie Bryant, American jazz singer, bandleader, and disc jockey (Sugar Hill Times), dies of a heart attack at 55
2000 – Beau Jack, American boxer (NYSAC world lightweight champion 1942-44), dies of complications from Parkinson’s disease at 78
2001 – Herbert A. Simon, American political scientist (Nobel Prize in Economics, 1978; Turing Award, 1975), dies at 84
2001 – Herbert Simon, American economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1916)
2009 – Vic Lewis, British jazz guitarist, bandleader, composer, and artist manager (NEMS), and cricket club owner, dies at 89

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Famous Deaths for 8th February 2024

1801 – Johann Chrysostomus Drexel, German composer, dies at 43
1878 – Elias M. Fries, Swedish botanist (System mycologicum), dies at 83
1949 – Franco Leoni, Italian composer, dies at 81
1961 – William Duncan, Scottish actor (Hopalong Rides Again, Thunder Trail), dies at 81
1980 – Nikos Xilouris, Greek folk singer-songwriter, dies of lung and brain cancer at 43
1987 – Bronislawa Wajs [Papuscha], Polish-Romani writer, dies at 78
1994 – Ken Hall, Australian director and producer (Kokoda front line), dies at 92
1999 – Iris Murdoch, Irish-British novelist (“Under the Net”; “The Sea, The Sea”) and philosopher (“The Sovereignty of Good”), dies at 79
2000 – Derrick Thomas, American Pro and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker / end (Pro Bowl 1989–97; First-team All-Pro 1990–92; KC Chiefs), dies of a pulmonary embolism at 33
2002 – Eldon Rudd, American politician (Rep-R-AZ, 1977-87), dies at 81

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Historical Events for 8th February 2024

1649 – Sobornoye Ulozheniye of 1649: Russia adopts new code of laws, consolidating serfdom (OS 29 Jan)
1750 – Minor earthquake in London
1924 – 1st US coast-to-coast radio hookup: General John Joseph Carty speech in Chicago
1929 – KOY-AM in Phoenix Arizona begins radio transmissions
1936 – German alpine skier Christi Cranz wins the inaugural Olympic women’s combined gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games ahead of teammate Käthe Grasegger
1943 – Red Army recaptures Kursk on the eastern front
1945 – Paul Brown agrees to coach the new American football expansion team in Cleveland, which would later be named the Cleveland Browns after their coach
1975 – Caps only got one shot in a period against Islanders
1990 – “60 Minutes” commentator Andy Rooney suspended by CBS for racial remarks attributed to him by a gay magazine
2009 – 51st Grammy Awards: Best Album “Raising Sand” and Record of the Year “Please Read The Letter”, both by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss win

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Today in History for 8th February 2024

Historical Events

1750 – Minor earthquake in London
1776 – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s play “Stella” premieres in Hamburg
1923 – Coal mine explosion at Dawson, New Mexico kills 120
1940 – Lodtz, 1st large ghetto established by Nazis in Poland
1963 – AFL’s Dallas Texans become KC Chiefs
1971 – Pedro Morales beats Ivan Koloff in NY, to become WWF wrestling champ

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Famous Birthdays

1810 – Norbert Burgmüller, German composer, born in Düsseldorf, Germany (d. 1836)
1817 – Richard S. Ewell, US Army officer and Confederate General (Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House), born in Georgetown, Washington D.C. (d. 1872)
1888 – Edith Evans, British actress (Tom Jones, David Copperfield), born in London, England (d. 1976)
1937 – David Montgomery, American born photographer known for his images of the 1960s, born in Brooklyn, New York
1943 – José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado, Brazilian composer, born in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil (d. 2010)
1989 – Julio Jones, American football receiver (First-team All-Pro 2015, 16; 7 × Pro Bowl; Atlanta Falcons), born in Foley, Alabama

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Famous Deaths

1623 – Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, English politician, dies at 80
1942 – Fritz Todt, German construction engineer, Reich Minister for Armaments and Munitions Reichs minister and Head of the Organization Todt, dies in a plane crash at 50
2015 – Filipe Pires, Portuguese pianist, composer (Portugaliae Genesis), and educator, dies at 81
2021 – Mary Wilson, American pop vocalist (Supremes – “Where Did Our Love Go?”), dies at 76
2023 – Charlie Faulkner, Welsh rugby union prop (19 Tests Wales; British and Irish Lions 1977; Pontypool RFC, Barbarian FC) and coach (Newport RFC), dies at 81
2023 – Burt Bacharach, American Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer (“I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”; “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”; “Promises, Promises”), dies at 94

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Famous Deaths for 7th February 2024

1857 – Félix de Merode, Earl of Merode, Belgian minister of War and Finance, dies at 65
1918 – Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev, Russian composer, dies at 68
1957 – Rudolph Reti, Serbian composer, dies at 71
1969 – Bainbridge Crist, American composer, dies at 85
1979 – Josef Mengele ‘the Angel of Death’, German Nazi officer and concentration camp doctor, drowns of the coast of Brazil at 67
1990 – Nathan Wartels, American publisher (Crown), dies at 88 of pneumonia
1991 – John Steinbeck IV, American author and journalist
1999 – Hussein ibn Talal, King of Jordan (1952-99), dies of cancer at 63
2005 – Bob Turner, Canadian Hockey HOF defenseman (Stanley Cup 1956, 57, 58, 59, 60 Montreal Canadiens; 6 x NHL All Star), dies at 71
2019 – Albert Finney, English actor (The Dresser, Under the Volcano), dies at 82

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Historical Events for 7th February 2024

1668 – Dutch Prince William III dances in premiere of “Ballet of Peace”
1836 – “Sketches by Boz” (essays) published by Charles Dickens
1904 – Baltimore catches fire (1500 buildings destroyed in 80 blocks)
1920 – Russian Imperial Navy Admiral Kolchak, leader of anti-communist “White Movement” executed by Bolshevik firing squad in Irkutsk, Russian SFSR
1974 – Grenada gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1987 – US male Figure Skating championship won by Brian Boitano
1993 – NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 23-20; MVP: Steve Tasker, Buffalo Bills, WR
1995 – Bluegrass and country musician Alison Krauss releases her compilation album “Now that I’ve Found You”
2005 – Britain’s Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes 33 seconds
2019 – Measles cases in Europe highest in a decade, tripling in a year to 82,596 according to WHO

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Today in History for 7th February 2024

Historical Events

1653 – Nicolas Fouquet appointed France’s Superintendent of Finances
1908 – Philadelphia Athletics’ manager and owner Connie Mack sells future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell to St Louis Browns for $5,000
1934 – 1st contract for TVA power, Tupelo, Mississippi
1950 – Georges Bidault forms French government
1969 – Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat becomes president of PLO
2021 – Super Bowl LV, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominate defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9; MVP: Tom Brady, TB Bucs, QB; Brady’s record 7th SB win

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Famous Birthdays

1825 – Cristóbal Oudrid, Spanish pianist, conductor, and orchestral and zarzuela composer (Rondeña; El molinero de Subiza), born in Badajoz, Spain (d. 1877)
1878 – Ossip Gabrilovich, Russian-American pianist, conductor (Detroit Symphony, 1918-36), and composer, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1936)
1923 – Martha Holmes, American photographer (d. 2006)
1958 – Michele Drake, playmate (May, 1979), born in La Jolla, California
1978 – Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Nigerian Nollywood actress, born in Lagos
1979 – Daniel Bierofka, German football player and coach, born in Munich, West Germany

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Famous Deaths

1820 – Samuel Adams Holyoke, American composer, dies at 57
1964 – Lillian Copeland, US discus thrower (Olympic gold 1932), dies at 59
1990 – Nathan Wartels, American publisher (Crown), dies at 88 of pneumonia
2020 – Steve Weber, American psychedelic folk guitarist, (The Holy Modal Rounders – “Bird Song”; “You’ve Got the Right String but the Wrong Yo-Yo”),dies at 76
2020 – Li Wenliang, Chinese doctor who tried to raise the alarm over COVID-19, dies of COVID-19 in Wuhan at 34
2021 – Elliot Mazer, American audio engineer and record producer (Chubby Checker; Neil Young), dies of a heart attack at 71

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Famous Deaths for 6th February 2024

1855 – Josef Munzinger, Swiss Federal Councilor, dies at 63
1865 – John Pegram, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies in battle at 33
1945 – Robert Brasillach, French author and journalist (editor in chief of the fascist weekly Je Suis Partout), controversially executed for treason by firing squad at 35
1986 – Dandy Nichols [Daisy Sander], British actress (Till Death Us Do Part, Confessions of a Window Cleaner), dies at 78
1989 – Chris Gueffroy, East German attempted defector (b. 1968)
1991 – Salvador Luria, Italian-American microbiologist (Nobel Prize 1969), dies at 78
2001 – Fulgence Charpentier, French Canadian journalist, dies at 103
2009 – James Whitmore, American actor (The Shawshank Redemption, Give ’em Hell Harry), dies of lung cancer at 87
2012 – Janice Voss, American astronaut (shuttle radar topography mission), dies from breast cancer at 55
2021 – Ken McCaffery, Australian rugby league centre (12 Tests; North Sydney; Queensland), broadcaster (9 Network) and administrator (North Sydney DRLFC), dies at 91

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Historical Events for 6th February 2024

1904 – Japan notifies Russia that in view of Russia’s delaying tactics and provocative military action, Japan is ending negotiations and recalling its members from Moscow
1953 – US controls on wages and some consumer goods lifted
1961 – KOAP TV channel 10 in Portland, OR (PBS) begins broadcasting
1973 – Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer’s musical “Shelter” opens at John Golden Theater, NYC; runs for 31 performances
1974 – US House of Reps begins determining grounds for impeachment of President Richard Nixon
1977 – 4th time New York Rangers shut-out New York Islanders, 4-0
1987 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Jill Trenary
1990 – Groundbreaking begins on Baltimore Orioles’ new $102 million stadium
1995 – Greg Blewett scores his 2nd century in his 2nd Test Cricket
2020 – Antarctica records high temperature of 64.9 F / 18.2 C at Esperanza, Argentina’s research station

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Today in History for 6th February 2024

Historical Events

1920 – Saarland administrated by League of Nations
1941 – Auke Adema wins 6th official Dutch 11 Cities Skating Race (9:19)
1971 – James Saunders (22), a member of the IRA, is shot and killed by the British Army during a gun battle near the Oldpark Road, Belfast
1973 – Bernice Fekete skips her curling rink to 2nd straight 8-ender, Edm
1974 – Dutch speed limit set at 100km due to oil crisis
1996 – Heidi Fleiss scheduled to begin her 7 year jail sentence

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Famous Birthdays

1639 – Daniel Georg Morhof, German writer and scholar, born in Wismar, Germany (d. 1691)
1899 – Ramon Novarro [Jose Samaniegos], Mexican-American actor (Ben-Hur, Mata Hari), born in Durango, Mexico (d. 1968)
1925 – Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Javanese author (Anak semua bangsa), born in Blora Regency, Indonesia (d. 2006)
1929 – Sixten Jernberg, Swedish skier (Olympic gold 1956/60/64), born in Lima, Sweden (d. 2012)
1957 – Simon Phillips, English drummer and record producer (Toto), born in London
1983 – S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer, born in Kothamangalam, India

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Famous Deaths

1699 – Jozef Ferdinand of Bavaria, heir of Spanish king Carlos II, dies of smallpox at 6
1958 – Billy Whelan, Irish soccer forward (4 caps, Republic of Ireland; Manchester United 79 games), dies Munich air disaster at 22
1985 – Charles Briggs, American actor (13 Frightened Girls, Capt Newman), dies at 53
1989 – Nuno Oliveira, Portuguese equestrian, horse trainer, dressage instructor, author (‘baroque’ or ‘classical’ style), dies at 63
2001 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino Communist revolutionary (b. 1953)
2012 – Antoni Tapies, Spanish painter, sculptor and theorist (Dau al Set), dies at 88

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