1229 – Albert, Bishop of Riga/Albert of Buxhoeveden, founder of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, dies at about 68
1830 – W Waiblinger, writer, dies
1861 – Lola Montez, Irish-born adventurer (b. 1821)
1990 – Charles Hernu, French politician (Minister of Defense, 1981-85; Mayor of Villeurbanne, 1977-90), and environmental antagonist, dies at 66
1990 – Anna Arnold Hedgeman, African-American social activist (NYC cabinet), dies at 90
2000 – Philip Jones, British classical trumpeter (Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, 1951-86), and educator, dies at 71
2002 – Queenie Leonard, American actress (b. 1905)
2004 – Ray Stark, American stage and film producer, dies at 88
2006 – Clarence Ray Allen, American murderer (b. 1930)
2022 – Yvette Mimieux, American actress (Time Machine; Where the Boys Are; Light in the Piazza), dies at 80
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 17th January 2024
1718 – Avalanche destroys every building in Leukerbad, Switzerland; kills 53
1904 – Anton Chekhov’s play “Cherry Orchard” opens at Moscow Art Theater
1959 – “Say, Darling” closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 332 performances
1966 – B-52/KC-135 tankers crash near Spanish coast at Palomares, 7 die
1973 – New Philippine constitution names Marcos president for life
1973 – City of Amsterdam decides to support Hanoi
1978 – After a tumultuous final tour the Sex Pistols break up as a band, which is announced the following day
1991 – Operation Desert Storm begins, with US-led coalition forces bombing Iraq, during the Gulf War
2012 – LeBron James becomes youngest player in NBA history to record 20,000 career points during the Miami Heat’s 92-75 victory over Golden State; James, 28 years, 17 days, passes Kobe Bryant, 29 years, 122 days
2016 – Fourth Democratic presidential candidates debate: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clash over healthcare and gun control in Charleston, South Carolina
Today in History for 17th January 2024
Historical Events
1893 – Franco-Russian Alliance is signed
1971 – At a party conference in Dublin, Sinn Féin end their 65 year abstentionist policy and agree that any elected representative could take their seat at the Dáil
1973 – New Philippine constitution names Marcos president for life
1983 – 10th American Music Awards: John Cougar, Rick Springfield, and Olivia Newton-John win
1986 – 2nd Sundance Film Festival: “Smooth Talk” wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
1995 – Australia beat Australia A 2-0 to win cricket’s World Series Cup
Famous Birthdays
1867 – Carl Laemmle, German-born film executive (d. 1939)
1927 – Eartha Kitt, American singer (Santa Baby), dancer, activist, and actress (Batman – “Catwoman”), born in North, South Carolina (d. 2008)
1934 – Sydney Hodkinson, Canadian-American classical composer and educator (Eastman School, 1973-99), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2021)
1954 – Susan Kiefel, Australian lawyer and judge, born in Cairns, Australia
1959 – Susanna Hoffs, American actress and musician (Bangles-Walk Like an Egyptian), born in Los Angeles, California
1982 – Alex Varkatzas, American heavy metal singer (Atreyu), born in Orange County, California
Famous Deaths
1661 – Andres Malong, Philippines rebel leader, executed
1933 – John Hodges, Australian cricket fast bowler (2 Tests [first 2 played], 6 wickets; Victoria), dies at 77
1996 – Giles Playfair, English writer, dies at 85
2008 – Rod Allen [Bainbridge] British pop-rock singer and bassist (Fortunes – “You’ve Got Your Troubles”; “Here It Comes Again”), dies of cancer at 63
2010 – Jyoti Basu, Indian Communist politician, dies at 95
2016 – Dale “Buffin” Griffin, English rock drummer (Mott The Hoople – “All Young Dudes”), and producer (BBC’s John Peel sessions), dies from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at 67
Famous Deaths for 16th January 2024
1817 – Antonín Volánek, Czech organist and composer, dies at 55
1913 – Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, American aeronaut and inventor, dies at 80
1971 – Philippe Thys, Belgian cyclist (three times winner of Tour de France), dies at 81
1972 – David Seville [Ross Bagdasarian], American songwriter (“Come On A-My House”), singer (Alvin and The Chipmunks – “Witch Doctor”), and actor (Rear Window), dies at 52
1986 – Herbert W. Armstrong, American evangelist, author, and publisher (b. 1892)
1993 – Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Icelandic strength athlete (b. 1960)
1994 – Stephen Kritsick, veterinarian (Good Morning America), dies at 42
1997 – Ennis Cosby, son of Bill Cosby, murdered on LA highway at 29
2002 – Eddie Meduza, Swedish composer (b. 1948)
2016 – Gary Loizzo, American rock guitarist and singer (American Breed – “Bend Me, Shape Me”), dies of pancreatic cancer at 70
Historical Events for 16th January 2024
929 – Caliphate of Cordoba is established by Emir Abd-al-Rahman III
1501 – Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral and 6 ships set off from Kannur, India, on their return voyage to Lisbon
1905 – Stanley Cup, Dey’s Arena, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators rout Dawson City (Yukon), 23-2 for 2-0 series sweep; most lopsided challenge playoff game in history; Frank McGee 14 goals
1918 – Austria and Germany are disrupted by strikes as people express impatience with leaders continuing the war
1945 – Scottish 52nd land division and 1st Commando brigade-assault at Heinsberg
1963 – Tennessee Williams’ play “Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore” premieres in America on Broadway, NY
1976 – “Donny and Marie” [Osmond] musical variety show premieres on ABC TV
1979 – Bakhtiar government established by the Shah in Iran, will preside until unrest in the country subsides
2002 – UN Security Council unanimously establishes an arms embargo and freezes assets of Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida, and the members of the Taliban
2005 – 62nd Golden Globes: “The Aviator”, Leonardo DiCaprio and Hilary Swank win
Today in History for 16th January 2024
Historical Events
1939 – The Irish Republican Army (IRA) begins a 14 month long bombing campaign in England
1949 – KNBH (now KNBC) TV channel 4 in Los Angeles, CA (NBC) 1st broadcast
1970 – Curt Flood files a civil lawsuit challenging baseball’s reserve clause
1972 – Super Bowl VI, Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, LA: Dallas Cowboys beat Miami Dolphins, 24-3; MVP: Roger Staubach, Dallas, QB
1985 – “Playboy” announces end of stapling centerfolds
2016 – First ever flower grown in space – a zinnia aboard the International Space Station using NASA Veggie system
Famous Birthdays
1672 – Francesco Mancini, Neapolitan composer, born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, Spanish Empire (d. 1737)
1928 – Pilar Lorengar [Lorenza Pilar García], Aragones soprano, born in El Gancho, Zaragoza, Spain (d. 1996)
1938 – Michael Pataki, American actor (Get Christie Love), born in Youngstown, Ohio
1950 – (Kemji) “Damo” Suzuki, Japanese rock singer (Can; Damo Suzuki’s Network), born in Japan
1950 – Jesse Dizon, American actor, born in Oceanside, California
1996 – Jennie Kim, South Korean singer and actress (Blackpink), born in Seoul, South Korea
Famous Deaths
1917 – George Dewey, U.S. Admiral of the Navy, won Battle of Manila Bay, dies at 79
1919 – Jaroslav Jeremiáš, Czech pianist and composer, dies at 19
1924 – Maurice de Plessys, French poet (Palace Occidental), dies at 59
1942 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Governor General of Canada (1911-16), dies at 91
1979 – Peter Butterworth, British actor and comedian (Carry On), dies of a heart attack at 63
1998 – Dimitris Horn, Greek actor (A Girl in Black), dies of cancer at 66
Famous Deaths for 15th January 2024
1672 – John Cosin, English clergyman, dies at 77
1876 – Eliza Johnson, U.S. First Lady (b. 1810)
1902 – Alpheus Hyatt, American zoologist and paleontologist, dies at 63
1972 – Margaret “Daisy” Ashford, British child author who wrote “The Young Visiters” (Mister Salteena’s Plan) aged 9, dies at 90
1978 – Jack Jackson, British trumpeter, dance band bandleader, and influential BBC disc jockey, dies at 71
1989 – Wilf Slack, English cricketer, dies while playing cricket in Gambia at 34
1995 – Sollie McElroy, American RandB singer (The Flamingos. 1953-54 – “Golden Teardrops”), dies at 61
2004 – Gus Suhr, American baseball first baseman (1,435 MLB games Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies; only player to be sued by a fan injured after struck by a foul ball), dies at 98
2014 – Joachim Nowotny, German writer, dies at 80
2020 – Chris Darrow, American country-rock pioneer, singer-songwriter, guitarist, fiddler, bassist, and banjo plucker (Kaleidoscope; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1967-70), dies from complications following a stroke at 75
Historical Events for 15th January 2024
1559 – Elizabeth I crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey
1586 – Battle at Boxum: Spanish troops under Tassis beat state army
1927 – Tennessee Supreme Court overturns (on a technicality) John T. Scopes’ guilty verdict for teaching evolution in the “Scopes monkey trial”, but the law itself remains in force
1935 – Clifford Odets’ first produced play “Waiting for Lefty” premieres in NYC
1936 – Nonprofit Ford Foundation incorporates
1943 – 1,000 workers complete air conditioning system for Pentagon
1965 – Soviet underground nuclear test creates the atomic lake Chagan, Kazakhstan
1972 – TV drama “Emergency” with Randolph Mantooth and Robert Fuller premieres on NBC TV
1986 – Living Seas opens (Disneyland)
2021 – Global death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic passes 2 million (true total likely much higher)
Today in History for 15th January 2024
Historical Events
1552 – France signs secret treaty with German Protestants
1927 – Tennessee Supreme Court overturns (on a technicality) John T. Scopes’ guilty verdict for teaching evolution in the “Scopes monkey trial”, but the law itself remains in force
1937 – Spanish Civil War: Second Battle of the Corunna Road ends after both forces withdraw
1964 – Teamsters negotiate 1st national labor contract
1975 – Space Mountain opens at Disney World in Orlando, Florida
1997 – Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with Mir Space Station
Famous Birthdays
1885 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player, born in Sandborn, Illinois (d. 1968)
1888 – Joseph Henabery, American director (Cobra), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1976)
1893 – Dragisa Cvetkovic, Serbian politician (Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1939-41), born in Niš, Kingdom of Serbia (d. 1969)
1905 – Torin Thatcher, British actor (Houdini, Isranbul, Lady Godiva), born in Bombay Presidency, British India (d. 1981)
1964 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer, born in Suomussalmi, Finland
1974 – Mike Minter, American football safety (Carolina Panthers) and college coach (Campbell University 2013-23), born in Cleveland, Ohio
Famous Deaths
69 – Galba [Servius Sulpicius Galba], 6th emperor of Rome (68-69), lynched by his successor Otho at 70
1953 – Patrick Vretblad, Swedish composer, dies at 76
1969 – Theodor Werner, German painter, dies at 82
1981 – Emanuel Celler, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York), dies at 92
1989 – Wilf Slack, English cricketer, dies while playing cricket in Gambia at 34
2001 – Bob Braun, American TV and radio personality (Dotty Mack Show), dies at 71
Famous Deaths for 14th January 2024
1766 – Frederick V, King of Denmark-Norway (1746-66), dies at 42
1887 – Peter Donders, Dutch Roman Catholic missionary to Suriname, dies at 77
1937 – Jaishankar Prasad, Hindi poet, dramatist and novelist, dies at 47
1959 – G. D. H. Cole, English political theorist and socialist, dies at 69
1991 – Gordon Bryant, Australian politician (b. 1914)
1996 – Jacques LeBrun, French yachtsman (Olympic gold Snowbird class 1932), dies at 85
1999 – Aldo van Eyck, Dutch architect (City Hall), dies at 80
2007 – Darlene Conley, American actress (The Bold and the Beautiful), dies at 72
2008 – Judah Folkman, Surgeon that developed Angiogenesis (b. 1933)
2018 – Marlene VerPlanck [Pampinella], American jazz and pop vocalist, dies of pancreatic cancer at 84