Author: gil7

Today in History for 1st January 2024

Historical Events

630 – Prophet Muhammad sets out with an army 10,000 strong to conquer Mecca
1840 – 1st recorded bowling match in US, Knickerbocker Alleys, NYC
1893 – The railway line from Germiston to Pretoria, South Africa, is opened to traffic
1946 – Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces he is not a god
1984 – NYC transit fare rises from 75 cents to 90 cents
2003 – 89th Rose Bowl: #8 Oklahoma beats #7 Washington State, 34-14

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Famous Birthdays

1600 – Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (d. 1649)
1622 – Isaac Sweers, Dutch fleet admiral, born in Nijmegen, Dutch Republic (d. 1673)
1784 – William Beale, English composer and baritone, born in Lankrake, Cornwall (d. 1854)
1876 – Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (d. 1933)
1967 – Spencer Tunick, American photographer (large-scale nude installations), born in Middletown, New York
1969 – Christi Paul, American news anchor

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Famous Deaths

874 – Hasan al-Askari, 11th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, dies at 27
1730 – Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, English Tory statesman, dies at 82
1923 – Willie Keeler, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (highest career AB-per-strikeout ratio in MLB history; NL batting champion 1897, 98 Baltimore Orioles), dies of tuberculosis at 50
1992 – Constantin Poustochkine, Dutch jazz musician and critic, dies at 81
2011 – Charles Fambrough, American jazz bassist (Jazz Messengers), dies at 60
2020 – Marty Grebb, American rock session and touring keyboardist (The Buckinghams; Bonnie Raitt), dies at 74

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Famous Deaths for 31st December 2023

1302 – Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1238)
1535 – William Skeffington, Lord Deputy of Ireland (b. 1465)
1877 – Alberto Mazzucato, composer, dies at 64
1907 – Jules de Trooz, Belgium politician and Prime Minister of Belgium (1907), dies in office at 50
1948 – Malcolm Campbell, British motor racer (world land and water speed record holder), dies of a stroke at 63
1968 – George Lewis [Joseph Zenon], American jazz clarinetist and bandleader (Bunk Johnson; Preservation Hall Jazz Band; “Burgundy Street Blues”), dies at 68
1996 – Wesley Addy, American actor (Kiss Me Deadly, Bostonians, Loving), dies at 83
1997 – Dominique de Menil, French-American arts patron (Menil Collection Houston) and human rights advocate, dies at 89
2015 – Dal Richards, Canadian musician, bandmaster and composer (discovered Michael Bublé), dies at 96
2022 – Benedict XVI [Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger], German Catholic Pope (2005-13), dies at 95

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Historical Events for 31st December 2023

1660 – James II of England is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France.
1805 – End of French Republican calendar; France returns to Gregorianism
1969 – Congo-Brazzaville becomes People’s republic, under major Ngouabi
1974 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley retains her title; beats Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-2
1978 – Iran shah names Chapour Bakhtiar premier
1978 – Taiwan’s final day of diplomatic relations with US
1988 – Pittsburgh NHL center Mario Lemieux accounts for all his team’s goals in Penguins 8-6 win over the NJ Devils; famously scores 5 goals, each in a different way: even strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot and empty net; also 3 assists
1994 – This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC-11 to UTC+13 and UTC-10 to UTC+14, respectively.
1995 – “Paul Roebson” closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 14 performances
2016 – Chris Ofili is appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to art

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Today in History for 31st December 2023

Historical Events

1564 – William I of Orange demands freedom of religious conscience for his subjects in dramatic speech to the Council of State
1904 – First New Year’s Eve celebration held in Times Square, New York City
1944 – World War II: Hungary declares war on Germany.
1951 – 1st battery to convert radioactive energy to electricity announced
1958 – 47th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Brisbane (3-2)
1974 – New York Yankees sign Cy Young Award winner Jim “Catfish” Hunter for 5 years for a record $3.75 million from the Oakland A’s

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Famous Birthdays

1870 – Tom Connolly, American Baseball HOF umpire (AL-record 8 x World Series), born in Manchester, England (d. 1961)
1877 – Lawrence Beesley, English journalist and author, born in Wirksworth, United Kingdom (d. 1967)
1939 – Afaq Hussain, Pakistani cricketer (Pakistani off-spinner in 2 Tests 1961-64), born in Lucknow, India (d. 2002)
1947 – Burton Cummings, Canadian rock singer-songwriter, and keyboardist (Guess Who – “These Eyes”), born in Winnipeg, Canada
1948 – René Robert, Canadian ice hockey winger (NHL All Star 1972-73, 74-75; Buffalo Sabres 1st 100 point player 1974-75), born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (d. 2021)
1964 – Michael McDonald, American actor-comedian, born in St. Louis, Missouri

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Famous Deaths

1880 – Arnold Ruge, German political philosopher and writer, dies at 78
1969 – Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian operatic bass buffo singer (Metropolitan Opera, 1940-62), and actor (Merry Andrew; Rock-a-Bye Baby), dies at 69
1983 – Frank Link, actor (Burns and Schreiber Comedy Show), dies at 46
1991 – Felicja Blumental, Polish-Brazilian concert pianist (Villa-Lobos’ Piano Concerto No. 5; Penderecki’s Partita for Harpsichord), dies at 83
1995 – Eduardo Hernández Moncada, Mexican composer and pianist, dies at 96
2015 – Natalie Cole, American pop vocalist (‘Pink Cadillac”; “Miss You Like Crazy”), dies at 65

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Famous Deaths for 30th December 2023

1662 – Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria and Regent of the Tyrol, dies at 34
1769 – Nicholas Taaffe, 6th Viscount Taaffe, Austrian soldier (b. 1685)
1896 – José Rizal, Filipino nationalist and novelist (‘Noli Me Tángere’, ‘El Filibusterismo’), executed by firing squad at 35
1899 – James Paget, English surgeon (disease of Paget), dies at 85
1966 – Christian Herter, American Republican politician, 59th Governor of Massachusetts (1953-57) and US Secretary of State (1959-61), dies at 71
1999 – Sarah Knauss, American, once considered the world’s oldest living person (b. 1880)
2010 – Per Oscarsson, Swedish actor (b. 1927)
2012 – Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian neurologist (Nobel 1986), dies at 103
2018 – Larry Austin, American classical and electronic composer and educator, dies at 88
2022 – Barbara Walters, American broadcast journalist and 1st female nightly network news anchor (Today; 20/20; ABC-TV; The View), dies at 93

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Historical Events for 30th December 2023

1896 – Filipino nationalist José Rizal is executed by firing squad in Manila by the Spanish
1906 – The All-India Muslim League is founded in Dacca, East Bengal, British India Empire, later laid down the foundations of Pakistan
1922 – Creation of the USSR formally proclaimed in Moscow from the Bolshoi Theatre, organized as a union (U) of Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian and Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republics (SSR).
1926 – Chicago Tribune reports the Tigers threw a 4-game series to the White Sox in 1917 to help Chicago win the pennant (never substantiated)
1958 – French franc devalued
1969 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1971 – A member of the Irish Republican Army is killed in a premature bomb explosion in Santry, Dublin.
1977 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Evonne Goolagong Cawley wins her 6th career Grand Slam title; beats fellow Australian Helen Gourlay Cawley 6-3, 6-0
1986 – Ballon d’Or: Dynamo Kyiv’s Ukrainian forward Igor Belanov is named best football player in Europe ahead of Barcelona striker Gary Lineker and Real Madrid forward Emilio Butragueño
1995 – Lowest ever UK temperature recorded of -27.2°C iat Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands, equaling the record set at Braemar, Aberdeenshire on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982

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Today in History for 30th December 2023

Historical Events

1892 – Dr Miles V Lynk, physician, publishes 1st Black medical journal
1933 – Jack Badcock scores 274 v Victoria, Tasmania’s 1st double-ton
1950 – “Sixty Minute Man” record single released by The Dominoes (Billboard Song of the Year 1951)
1958 – French franc devalued
1980 – Ballon d’Or: Bayern Munich forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is named best European football player; beats German international teammate Bernd Schuster of FC Barcelona and Saint-Étienne midfielder Michel Platini
2004 – A fire in the República Cromagnon nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina kills 194.

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Famous Birthdays

1934 – Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury
1945 – Vernon Wells, Australian actor
1945 – John Kevin Moorhouse, test pilot
1959 – Alfie Anido, Filipino model and actor (Temptation Island), born in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines (d. 1981)
1963 – Chandler Burr, American journalist (US New and World Report), author (A Separate Creation; The Emperor of Scent), and museum curator (Department of Scent Art), born in Chicago, Illinois
1984 – LeBron James, American basketball forward (NBA C’ship and MVP 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020; 16 × NBA All-Star; Olympic gold 2008, 12; Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers), born in Akron, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1944 – Romain Roland, French writer/pacifist (Nobel 1915), dies at 78
1947 – Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86
1973 – Henri-Paul Busser, composer, dies at 101
1994 – Lloyd James Austin, Australian linguist and literary scholar, dies at 79
2012 – Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian neurologist (Nobel 1986), dies at 103
2015 – Donald Barron, Scottish accountant and CEO (Midland Bank), dies at 94

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Famous Deaths for 29th December 2023

1170 – Thomas Becket, English Archbishop of Canterbury (1162-70), assassinated by 4 knights of King Henry II at 52
1737 – Joseph Saurin, French mathematician (b. 1659)
1871 – Ferdinand Marcucci, Italian harpist and composer, dies at 71
1891 – Leopold Kronecker, German mathematician (Tensor of Kronecker), dies at 68
1915 – C. B. Hawley, American organist and composer, dies at 57
1993 – Yvonne Desportes, French composer (Seven Abstract Poems), dies at 86
1997 – Pat Clarke, British cyclist, dies at 82
2003 – Dinsdale Landen, British actor (The Mask of Janus), dies at 71
2014 – Ivor Richardson, New Zealand judge (NZ Court of Appeals), dies at 84
2020 – Phyllis McGuire, American pop vocalist (McGuire Sisters – “Sincerely”; “Sugartime”), dies at 89

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Historical Events for 29th December 2023

1782 – 1st nautical almanac in US published by Samuel Stearns, Boston
1812 – The USS Constitution under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three hour battle
1837 – Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo
1899 – British fleet seizes German Imperial Mail Steamer Bundesrath accused of carrying contraband
1900 – General Viljoen surprise attack British garrison to Helvetia
1940 – Worst German air raid on London as over 10,000 bombs including the 1st incendiary bombs are dropped on the city as part of the Blitz
1949 – 1st UHF television station operating regular basis Bridgeport, Connecticut
1974 – AFC Championship, Oakland Coliseum: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Oakland Raiders, 24-13
1983 – Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman’s record of 29
1989 – Riots break-out after Hong Kong decides to forcibly repatriate Vietnamese refugees.

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Today in History for 29th December 2023

Historical Events

1922 – Dutch Constitution proclaimed
1939 – First flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber prototype
1944 – Belgian Walloon Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle sentenced to death
1968 – AFL Championship, Shea Stadium, NYC: New York Jets beat Oakland Raiders 27-23; Joe Namath 3 TD passes sparks Jets to win
1994 – Bangladesh government of Zia resigns
1997 – Cricket Women’s World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets

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Famous Birthdays

1809 – William Ewart Gladstone, British statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Liberal: 1868-74, 1880-86, 1892-94), born in Liverpool, England (d. 1898)
1936 – Eduard Martsevich, Soviet-Russian actor and People’s Artist of the RSFSR, born in Tbilisi, USSR (d. 2013)
1947 – Vincent Winter, Scottish child actor, born in Aberdeen, United Kingdom (d. 1998)
1963 – Ulf Kristersson, Swedish politician (Prime Minister of Sweden 2022-), born in Lund, Sweden
1977 – Jimmy Journell, American baseball player, born in Springfield, Ohio
1978 – Kieron Dyer, English football player, born in Ipswich, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1919 – William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70
1982 – Sol C Siegel, American film producer (A Letter To Three Wives, High Society, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), dies of a heart attack at 79
1995 – Philip Idenburg, Dutch statistician, dies at 94
1996 – Pennar Davies, Welsh poet, author and theologian, dies at 85
2001 – Takashi Asahina, Japanese conductor (b. 1908)
2016 – Chris Cannizzaro, American baseball player, dies at 78

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