1849 – Elizabeth Blackwell becomes 1st woman in the US to earn a medical degree graduating from New York’s Geneva Medical College
1855 – 1st bridge over the Mississippi River in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota, opens; today made by the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge
1879 – US National Archery Association forms in Crawfordsville, Indiana
1958 – “Body Beautiful” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 60 performances
1958 – Dictator Marcos Perez Jiménez flees Venezuela, Larrazabal takes power
1962 – British intelligence officer Kim Philby defects to USSR
1976 – The results to U.S. advice columnist Ann Landers’ question (if they could do it all over, would parents still become parents) state that 70% of 10,000 responding parents were negative about being parents
1993 – Indian Airlines B737 crashes at Aurangabad, killing 61
1998 – Michael Jordan scores in double figures for 800th consecutive game in a 100-98 OT win over New Jersey; adds 40 more double-figure scoring games to his NBA record before retiring for the second time (1998)
2018 – American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond abruptly retires from touring after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease
Author: gil7
Today in History for 23rd January 2024
Historical Events
1265 – 1st English Parliament not summoned by the monarch formally convened (some authorities)
1904 – Ålesund Fire: the Norwegian coastal town Ålesund is devastated by fire, leaving 10,000 people homeless and one person dead. Kaiser Wilhelm II funds the rebuilding of the town in Jugendstil style.
1969 – Cream releases their last album “Goodbye”
1973 – 23rd NBA All-Star Game, Chicago Stadium: East beats West, 104-84; MVP: Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics, C
1994 – Bernie Kosar is 2nd QB to throw TD passes in AFC and NFC Champ games
2005 – “Numb3rs”, starring Rob Morrow and David Krumholtz, debuts on CBS
Famous Birthdays
1786 – Auguste de Montferrand, French architect, born in Trocadéro, Paris (d. 1858)
1919 – Hans Hass, Austrian zoologist and underwater scientist, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2013)
1941 – (Perry) “Buddy” Buie, American rock songwriter, and record producer (Atlanta Rhythm Section – “So Into You”; “Imaginary Lover”), born in Marianna, Florida (d. 2015)
1961 – Fausto Gresini, Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer (125cc World C’ship 1985, 87) and team manager (Aprilia Racing, Gresini MotoGP), born in Imola, Italy (d. 2021)
1967 – Robert Globb, Slovenian politician (Prime Minister of Slovenia 2022-), born in Šempeter pri Gorici, Yugoslavia
1971 – Kevin Mawae, American football center (Seattle Seahawks), born in Savannah, Georgia
Famous Deaths
1866 – Thomas Love Peacock, English satirical writer (headlong Hill), dies at 80
1936 – Clara Butt, English alto singer (Country of Hope and Glory), dies at 62
1972 – Big Maybelle [Mabel Smith], American RandB singer (A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On; Candy), dies from complications of diabetes at 47
2001 – Eugene [Brother Jack] McDuff, American jazz organist (George Benson, Brother Jack), dies of heart failure at 74
2017 – Gorden Kaye, British actor (Allo Allo), dies at 75
2021 – Larry King [Zeiger], American radio and TV host (“Larry King Live”, CNN), dies of sepsis and renal failure at 87
Famous Deaths for 22nd January 2024
1750 – Franz Xaver Josef von Unertl, Bavarian politician (b. 1675)
1959 – A J Else Mauhs, German/Dutch actress (Hamlet, Nora), dies at 73
1967 – Robert Henriques, English writer (100 Hours to Suez), dies at 61
1975 – Klaas Voskuil, Dutch journalist, dies at 79
1994 – Jean-Louis Barrault, French stage actor, director and producer (Les Enfants du Paradis), dies at 83
1995 – Christopher Francis Palmer, British composer, orchestrator, and musicologist, dies of AIDS complications 48
1997 – Ian Munro, British medical journalist, humanitarian and cricketer, dies at 73
2000 – Anne Hébert, French Canadian author and poet (Kamouraska), dies at 83
2014 – Roy Cicala, American sound engineer (Record Plant Studios (NYC) – Jimi Hendrix; John Lennon; Frank Sinatra), dies at 74
2022 – Don Wilson, American rock guitarist (The Ventures – “Hawaii 5-0 Theme”; “Walk, Don’t Run”), dies at 88
Historical Events for 22nd January 2024
1472 – Great comet of 1471 (C/1471 Y1) becomes the closest comet in modern times, coming within 10 million kilometers of Earth
1517 – Ottoman forces take Cairo, capital of the Mamluk Sultanate
1931 – Sir Isaac Isaacs is sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia
1945 – Burma highway reopens
1953 – 1953 NFL Draft: Harry Babcock from University of Georgia first pick by San Francisco 49ers
1969 – Orbiting Solar Observatory 5 launched into earth orbit
1987 – Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer shoots and kills himself at a press conference on live national television, leading to debates on boundaries in journalism
1994 – 51st Golden Globes: Schlinder’s List, Tom Hanks, and Holly Hunter win
1998 – STS 89 (Endeavour 12) launches into orbit
2018 – Netflix becomes the largest digital media and entertainment company in the world worth $100 billion
Today in History for 22nd January 2024
Historical Events
1528 – England and France declare war on Emperor Charles V
1924 – KGO-AM in San Francisco CA begins radio transmissions
1940 – 1st radio broadcast of “Road to Happiness” on CBS
1964 – World’s largest cheese (15,723 kg) manufactured in Wisconsin for New York’s World Fair
1994 – 45th NHL All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, NYC: East beats West, 9-8; MVP: Mike Richter, NY Rangers, G
2017 – Chile declares a State of Emergency and requests international assistance as wildfires rage out of control
Famous Birthdays
1654 – Richard Blackmore, English physician and writer (d. 1729)
1921 – André Hodeir, French classical and jazz violinist, and composer, born in Paris (d. 2011)
1925 – Leslie Silver, English paint manufacturer, Chairman of Leeds United, born in London, England (d. 2014)
1952 – Ace Vergel, Filipino actor (d. 2007)
1955 – Thomas David Jones, United States astronaut (STS 59, 68, 80, sk: 98), born in Baltimore, Maryland
1973 – George Noga, CFL linebacker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
Famous Deaths
1536 – Bernhard Knipperdolling, German religious leader (b. 1495)
1954 – Princess Margaret of Prussia, Queen consort-elect of Finland, dies at 81
1978 – Oliver Leese, British World War II general, dies at 83
1988 – Parker Fennelly, actor (Kettles on Old MacDonald’s Farm), dies at 96
2005 – Rose Mary Woods, American secretary to Richard Nixon (claimed to have erased part of Watergate tapes by accident), dies at 87
2021 – Tony Jones, American NFL tackle (Super Bowl 1997, 98; Second-team All-Pro 1994; Pro Bowl 1998; Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos), dies at 54
Famous Deaths for 21st January 2024
1118 – Pope Paschal II, born Raniero (1099-1118), dies
1683 – Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st earl of Shaftesbury, English statesman who tried to bar Catholic James II from throne (Lord Chancellor 1672-73), dies at 61
1731 – Thomas Woolston, English theologian (b. 1669)
1870 – Alexander Herzen, Russian writer (b. 1812)
1891 – Calixa Lavallee, Canadian composer (O Canada), dies at 48
1903 – Hermanus Schaepman ‘the doctor’, Dutch poet, Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and politician, dies at 58
1959 – Lamar Stringfield, American composer, dies at 61
1981 – Allyn Joslyn, American actor (They Won’t Forget; Cafe Society), dies at 79
1993 – Charlie Gehringer, American Baseball HOF 2nd baseman (6 x MLB All Star; World Series 1935; AL MVP and batting champion 1937; Detroit Tigers), dies at 89
2015 – Waldemar Kmentt, Austrian operatic tenor (Vienna State Opera, 1951-2005), dies at 85
Historical Events for 21st January 2024
1793 – Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for “high treason” by the newly created French Parliament (Convention nationale), during the French Revolution
1908 – “Sullivan Ordinance” is passed in NYC, making it illegal for a woman to smoke in public places. It was vetoed 2 weeks later by mayor George B. McClellan Jr.
1930 – Boston Bruins become first team in NHL history to score 100 goals in a season, in a 5-1 win over Chicago at Boston Garden; Cooney Weiland scores Bruins’ 100th goal in their 26th game of the year
1941 – Australian and British troops attack Tobruk, Libya
1961 – “Conquering Hero” closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 8 performances
1973 – 23rd NFL Pro Bowl, Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas: AFC beats NFC, 33-28; MVP: O. J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills, RB
1980 – Gold hits record $850 an ounce
1992 – Bill Cowher becomes the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming only the second head coach of the team since 1970 (Chuck Noll)
2010 – LA Lakers forward Kobe Bryant becomes the youngest NBA player to reach 25,000 career points at 31 years, 151 days; beats Wilt Chamberlain by 35 days
2013 – 30 people are killed in a car bombing in Salamiyeh, Syria
Today in History for 21st January 2024
Historical Events
1749 – Verona Philharmonic Theatre destroyed by fire. Rebuilt 1754.
1900 – The second contingent of Canadian troops sails from Halifax to fight in South Africa against the Boers
1948 – Three of the greats of cricket make their debut in a drawn 1st Test match at Bridgetown, Barbados; Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Everton Weekes for the West Indies, and Jim Laker for England
1972 – Mizoram, formerly part of Assam, creates an Indian union territory
1978 – Bee Gees’ album “Saturday Night Fever” goes #1 for 24 weeks
1990 – 41st NHL All-Star Game, Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA: Wales beats Campbell, 12-7; MVP: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, C
Famous Birthdays
1878 – Egon Friedell, Austrian journalist, actor and writer (Kleine Portratgalerie, Der Partylowe), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1938)
1888 – Herbie Collins, Australian cricket all-rounder and captain (19 Tests, 1,352 runs @ 45.06, 4 x 100s), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1959)
1937 – George Flynn, American pianist, composer (Trinity), and teacher (Columbia; DePaul), born in Miles City, Montana
1971 – Tommy Puett, actor (Tyler-Life Goes On, America’s Top 10), born in Gary, Indiana
1980 – Aubrie Rippner, tennis star (1995 USTA National Girls 18), born in Los Angeles, California
1988 – Felipe Neto, Brazilian vlogger (YouTube), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Famous Deaths
1118 – Pope Paschal II, born Raniero (1099-1118), dies
1519 – Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Spanish explorer executed on charges of treason at about 42 [birthdate undocumented, born c. 1475; exact death date uncertain, may have been as early as 15 January)
1815 – Matthias Claudius, German poet (Death and the Maiden), and journalist (Der Wandsbecker Bote), dies at 74
1881 – Wilhelm Matthias Naeff, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1802)
1942 – Henryk Opieński, Polish violinist, conductor, choral director, composer (Zygmunt August and Barbara), and musicologist (Moniuszko), dies at 72
2005 – John L. Hess, American journalist (b. 1917)
Famous Deaths for 20th January 2024
820 – Muslim jurist Abu Abdallah M ibn Idris al-Sjafi’i, dies
1779 – David Garrick, English actor, producer and writer (Aboan-Oroonoko), dies at 61
1949 – Joseph Cuypers, architect Dutch (Amsterdam Stock Exchange), dies at 87
1954 – Fred Root, English cricket fast bowler (3 Tests, 8 wickets; Derbyshire CCC, Worcestershire CCC), dies at 63
1973 – Amilcar Cabral, Bissau-Guinean nationalist leader, fought for Guinea Bissau independence, murdered at 51
1982 – Marc Demeyer, Belgian road racing cyclist (Paris-Brussels 1974), dies at 31
1992 – Fitzhugh Lee, American vice-admiral (WW II – Navy Cross x2), dies at 86
2002 – Carrie Hamilton, American actress (Fame), dies at 38
2015 – Edgar Froese, German musician (Tangerine Dream), dies at 70
2016 – David G. Hartwell, American editor and anthologist, dies at 74
Historical Events for 20th January 2024
1840 – Dutch King Willem II crowned
1840 – Dumont D’Urville discovers Adélie Land, Antarctica
1868 – Florida constitutional convention meets in Tallahassee
1910 – Stanley Cup, Dey’s Arena, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators outclass Edmonton HC, 13-7 for a 2-0 sweep of challenge series
1925 – The Soviet and Japan sign a convention resuming relations: Russia agrees to limit revolutionary activity of the Third Communist International, while Japan agrees to leave the Sakhalin
1949 – J. Edgar Hoover gives Shirley Temple a tear gas fountain pen
1953 – 1st US telecast transmitted to Canada from Buffalo, New York
1982 – Piet Dankert elected chairman of European Parliament
1989 – George H. W. Bush inaugurated as 41st US President, Dan Quayle becomes 44th Vice President
2013 – NFC Championship, Georgia Dome, Atlanta: San Francisco 49ers beat Atlanta Falcons, 28-24