879 – Pope John VIII gives blessings to duke Branimir and to Croatian people, considered to be international recognition of the Croatian state
1793 – Curacao Island Council forbids criticism of House of Orange
1911 – French troop enter Fez in Morocco to quell anti-European agitation
1943 – Fastest 9 inning AL baseball night game (89 mins), Chicago White Sox beat visiting Washington Senators, 1-0
1972 – Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is damaged by a vandal
1978 – Yamada Mumon Roshi appointed head of Zen Rinzai Sect
1980 – “Star Wars Episode V – Empire Strikes Back”, produced by George Lucas opens in cinemas in UK and North America
1990 – 43rd Cannes Film Festival: “Wild at Heart” directed by David Lynch starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern wins the Palme d’Or
2001 – French Taubira law officially recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
2019 – More than 600 people, 75% children, identified as HIV in a month in Sindh province, Pakistan, thought to be due to use of infected needles
Author: gil7
Today in History for 21st May 2024
Historical Events
1863 – Siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana, begins
1964 – Fire in Belgian resort kills 19
1968 – Nuclear-powered sub USS Scorpion, with 99 men, reported missing and is later found at the bottom of the ocean off Azores
1972 – “Lost in the Stars” based on the novel “Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 39 performances
1977 – Stevie Wonder’s single “Sir Duke”, a tribute to Duke Ellington and other musical influences of Wonder’s, begins a 3-week run at #1
1977 – Revival of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s musical “Fiddler on the Roof”, starring Zero Mostel, closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC, after 167 performances
Famous Birthdays
1920 – Anthony Steel, British actor and singer (Malta Story, The Wooden Horse), born in London, England (d. 2001)
1923 – Armand Borel, Swiss mathematician (d. 2003)
1943 – Vincent Crane [Cheesman], British rock Hammond organist, and songwriter (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown – “Fire”), born in Reading, Berkshire, England (d. 1989)
1943 – John Dalton, British rock bass player (The Kinks, 1969-76 -“Lola”; “Celluloid Heroes”), born in Enfield, Middlesex, England
1952 – Mr. T [Lawrence Tureaud], American actor (A-Team, Rocky III, T and T), born in Chicago, Illinois
1979 – Jamie Hepburn, Scottish politician, Member of the Scottish Parliament, born in Glasgow, Scotland
Famous Deaths
1771 – Christopher Smart, English poet and journalist (Ceremony of Carols), dies at 49
1895 – Franz von Suppé, Austrian composer (Poet und Bauer), dies at 76
1990 – Moelvi Mohammed Farouk, Indian spiritual leader, murdered
1992 – Elizabeth David, British cookbook writer (English Bread and Yeast Cookery), dies after a series of strokes at 72
1995 – Les Aspin, American politician, (Rep-D-Wisc, 1971-93) US Secretary of Defense (1993-95), dies of stroke at 56
2023 – Ray Stevenson, Northern Irish actor (King Arthur, Rome), dies at 58
Famous Deaths for 20th May 2024
1444 – Bernardino of Siena, Italian priest and Franciscan missionary, dies at 63
1449 – Peter, Duke of Coimbra and writer (Virtuosa Benfeitoria), dies at 56
1939 – Joe Carr, American Pro Football HOF contributor (NFL President 1921-39), dies from a heart attack at 59
1942 – Hector Guimard, French Art Nouveau architect and designer (entrances to Paris Metros),
1956 – Max Beerbohm, English caricaturist, writer and parodist (Saturday Review), dies at 83
1985 – George Memmoli, American actor (Earl-Hello Larry), dies at 46
2002 – Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist and popular science writer, dies of cancer at 60
2007 – Norman Von Nida, Australian golfer, coach, broadcaster (British Open 1948 3rd), dies at 93
2018 – Carol Mann, American golfer (1964 Western Open, 1965 US Open), dies at 77
2021 – Florian Pilkington-Miksa, English rock drummer (Curved Air), and sculptor, dies of pneumonia at 70
Historical Events for 20th May 2024
1882 – Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy sign the Triple Alliance
1910 – Funeral for Britain’s King Edward VII held in Westminster Abbey, has one of the largest assemblages of European royalty
1961 – 86th Preakness: Johnny Sellers aboard Carry Back wins in 1:57.6
1961 – White mob attacks “Freedom Riders” in Montgomery, Alabama
1963 – Sukarno appointed president of Indonesia
1980 – Drummer Peter Criss quits rock band Kiss
1985 – US began broadcasts to Cuba on Radio Marti
1988 – Howard Stern fans disrupt rival radio station WMMR’s and DJ John DeBella’s “Louie Louie” parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1989 – Toonces The Cat takes the wheel on “Saturday Night Live”
2015 – 5 major world banks (JPMorgan, Barclays, Citigroup, RBS and UBS) fined US$5.7bn for manipulating currency markets – some of the largest ever fines
Today in History for 20th May 2024
Historical Events
1217 – Second Battle of Lincoln fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
1347 – Rienzo calls Rome for people’s tribunal
1903 – Britain’s House of Commons begins a debate on the charges of poor administration and ill treatment of natives in Belgium’s colony in the Congo Free State
1911 – Edwin Boaler Alletson hits 189 in 90 mins Notts v Sussex
1967 – BBC bans the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” because of drug references
1973 – 2 motorcycle racers killed and a dozen injured in a crash during the 1973 Nations Grand Prix in Monza,Italy
Famous Birthdays
1726 – Francis Cotes, English painter (d. 1770)
1922 – Clifford Charles Butler, English physicist (hyperon and meson types of particles) and vice chancellor of Loughborough University, born in Reading, England (d. 1999)
1936 – Anthony Zerbe, Cal, actor (Harry-O, Centennial, They Call Me Mr Tibbs)
1943 – Al Bano [Albano Carrisi], Italian-Albanian pop singer, actor, and winemaker, born in Cellino San Marco, Italy
1943 – Iain Vallance [Baron Vallance of Tummel], CEO (British Telecom)
1964 – Earl Charles Spencer, English peer, brother of Diana, Princess of Wales, born in London, England
Famous Deaths
1722 – Sébastien Vaillant, French botanist, dies at 52
1942 – Hector Guimard, French Art Nouveau architect and designer (entrances to Paris Metros),
1949 – Randolph West, American biochemist, known for the Dakin-West reaction (b. 1890)
1989 – Gilda Radner, American comedian and actress (SNL, 1975-80; Haunted Honeymoon), dies of ovarian cancer at 42
2007 – Norman Von Nida, Australian golfer, coach, broadcaster (British Open 1948 3rd), dies at 93
2009 – Lucy Gordon, British model and actress (b. 1980)
Famous Deaths for 19th May 2024
1526 – Emperor Go-Kashiwabara, 104th Emperor of Japan (1500-26), dies at 63
1567 – Juan Bautista de Toledo, Spanish architect (El Escorial), dies (b. c. 1515)
1845 – Maria EJ Versfelt, mistress of general Moreau/marshal Ney, dies at 68
1895 – Jose Marti y Perez, Cuban poet (Versos sencillos) essayist and politician (fought for independence from Spain), dies fighting the Battle of Dos Rios at 42
1912 – Bolesław Prus, Polish writer (The Outpost), dies at 64
1943 – Kristjan Raud, Estonian painter and one of the founders of the Estonian National Museum, dies at 77
1969 – Coleman Hawkins, American jazz musician who virtually created tenor saxophone for jazz, dies at 64
1970 – Tadeusz Breza, Polish writer (The Bronze Gate), dies at 64
2004 – Mary Dresselhuys, Dutch actress (b. 1907)
2014 – Sante Kimes ‘Dragon Lady’, American convicted con artist and murderess, dies at 79
Historical Events for 19th May 2024
1585 – Spain confiscates English ships in Spanish harbors – beginning of the The Anglo-Spanish War
1930 – White women win voting rights in South Africa
1944 – German defense line in Italy collapses
1959 – The USS Triton, the first submarine with two nuclear reactors, is completed
1972 – 25th Cannes Film Festival: “The Working Class Goes to Heaven” directed by Elio Petri and “The Mattei Affair” directed by Francesco Rosi jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
1981 – Pirate Jim Bibby gives up a leadoff single to Brave Terry Harper, then retires next 27 batters
1982 – Sophia Loren jailed in Naples, Italy for tax evasion
1990 – “Elvis” TV Drama about early life of Elvis Presley last airs on ABC
2012 – UEFA Champions League Final, Munich: Chelsea beats Bayern Munich, 4-3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at the end of extra time; Blues’ first title
2021 – New York Yankees pitcher Cory Kluber no-hits Texas Rangers, 2-0 at Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
Today in History for 19th May 2024
Historical Events
1892 – National Society of Colonial Dames of America founded
1911 – Maurice Ravel’s opera “L’heure espagnole” premieres at the Opéra-Comique in Paris
1987 – 1st American Comedy Award: Johnny Carson and Betty White
1992 – Englishman Dave Gauder, 224 lbs, pulls 196 ton jumbo jet, 3 inches
1992 – 27th Amendment ratified, prohibits Congress from raising its salary
2019 – PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Bethpage State Park: Defending champion Brooks Koepka leads wire-to-wire; wins despite 5 bogeys on last 8 holes by 2 strokes from world #1 Dustin Johnson
Famous Birthdays
1908 – Percy Williams, Canadian athlete (Olympic gold 100m / 200m 1928), born in Vancouver, British Columbia (d. 1982)
1939 – Tomasz Sikorski, Polish minimalist composer (Solitude of Sounds), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1988)
1946 – Michele Placido, Foggia Italy, actor (La Lupa, Poliziotti)
1970 – K. J. Choi, South Korean golfer (Players C’ship 2011; 8 PGA Tour titles), born in Wando, South Korea
1971 – Psicosis [Dionicio Castellanos Torres], Mexican professional wrestler, born in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
1972 – Aleksandr Golubev, Russian speed skater (Olympic gold 500m 1994), born in Karavaievo, Russia
Famous Deaths
1303 – Ivo of Kermartin, Catholic saint and patron of Brittany, dies at 49
1526 – Emperor Go-Kashiwabara, 104th Emperor of Japan (1500-26), dies at 63
1795 – Josiah Bartlett, American physician and statesman (signed US Declaration of Independence), dies at 65
1971 – Ogden Nash, American humorous poet (I’m a Stranger Here Myself, Masquerade Party), dies at 68
1998 – Sōsuke Uno, Japanese prime minister (b. 1922)
2007 – Dean Eyre, New Zealand politician (b. 1914)
Famous Deaths for 18th May 2024
1692 – Elias Ashmole, English antiquarian and collector (Ashmolean Museum), dies at 74
1697 – Guillaume Dumanoir, French composer, dies at 81
1930 – João Marcelino Arroio, Portuguese composer (Amor de Perdiçâo), dies at 68
1981 – Arthur O’Connell, American actor (Mr Peepers, Second Hundred Years), dies at 73
1995 – Robert Harris, British actor (Big Caper, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Laughing Anne), dies at 95
1999 – Betty Robinson, American runner, dies at 87
2013 – Steve Forrest, American actor (SWAT), dies at 87
2017 – Jacque Fresco, American industrial designer and founder of the Venus Project, dies at 101
2018 – Jacques Guyonnet, Swiss composer, dies at 85
2021 – Charles Grodin, American stage and screen actor (Heartbreak Kid; Midnight Run; Ishtar: Beethoven series), writer, and talk show host, dies of bone marrow cancer at 86
Historical Events for 18th May 2024
1848 – Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany
1863 – US General Ulysses S. Grant begins siege on Vicksburg, Mississippi; after 47 days of battle siege, Confederate Lt. General John C. Pemberton’s troops surrender
1922 – Dutch 2nd Chamber agrees to 48 hour work week (was 45 hrs)
1933 – Tennessee Valley Act (TVA) Act signed by FDR, to build dams
1943 – Allied bombers attack Pantelleria, an Italian island 100 km southwest of Sicily
1953 – American Jacqueline Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier
1955 – Queen Juliana opens E55 fair in Amsterdam, Netherlands
1964 – US Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional to deprive naturalized citizens of citizenship if they return to home country for more than 3 years
1971 – US President Richard Nixon rejects 60 demands of Congressional Black Caucus
1991 – France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll