Today in History for 22nd December 2023

Historical Events

1894 – French officer Alfred Dreyfus court-martialed for treason, triggers worldwide charges of anti-Semitism (Dreyfus later vindicated)
1905 – Arrest of St Petersburg Soviet members leads to an uprising of Moscow workers and fighting in the street
1956 – Colo is born, the first gorilla to be bred in captivity at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, Ohio
1984 – Test Cricket debut of Craig McDermott, v WI at the MCG
1994 – Italian government of Silvio Berlusconi resigns
1996 – St Louis Blues’ right wing Brett Hull scores his 26th NHL career hat trick to reach 500 career goals in a 7-4 win over the LA Kings; with father Bobby Hull, first father/son combo to each record 500 goals

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1546 – Kuroda Yoshitaka, Japanese daimyō, born in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (d. 1604)
1887 – Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician (number theory), born in Erode, British India (d. 1920)
1903 – Marc Lavry [Levin], Latvian-Israeli composer (Emek; Independence Symphony; Song of Songs], and conductor, born in Riga, Latvia (d. 1967)
1930 – Bill Jenkins, American engine builder and drag racer (Motorsports Hall of Fame of America), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012)
1944 – Steve Carlton, American Baseball HOF pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 1972, 77, 80, 82; Triple Crown 1972; 10 x MLB All Star; St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies), born in Miami, Florida
1957 – Susan Powter, Australian-born American motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer, and author (The Susan Powter Show), born in Sydney, Australia

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1893 – Johann Czerski, German chaplain, dies at 80
1951 – Powell Weaver, American composer, dies at 61
1966 – Lucy Burns, American suffragist (National Woman’s Party) and women’s rights advocate, dies at 87
1985 – D. Boon, American singer and guitarist (The Minutemen) (b. 1958)
2003 – Dave Dudley, American country singer (Six Days on the Road), dies at 75
2007 – Adrian Cristobal, Filipino writer (b. 1932)

More Famous Deaths »

Famous Deaths for 21st December 2023

1755 – Caspar Ruetz, German composer, dies at 47
1864 – Archduke Louis of Austria, 14th child of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and Feldmarschal-Leutnant of Austrian Imperial Army, dies at 80
1914 – Arthur Jones, England cricket all-rounder and captain (12 Tests, 3 wickets, 15 catches; Nottinghamshire CCC), dies from tuberculosis at 42
1920 – Claude Tozer, Australian doctor and cricketer (dashing NSW batsman), shot to death by a patient at 30
1921 – Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback, American politician and publisher (2nd African American governor – Governor of Louisiana (R) 1872-73), dies at 84
1927 – Jack Saunders, cricketer (79 wickets-14 Tests for Aust 1902-08), dies
1942 – Franz Boas, German-American anthropologist and linguist (Mind of Primitive Man), dies at 84
1959 – Rosanjin, Japanese calligrapher, restaurateur and ceramicist (b. 1883)
2013 – Lars Edlund, Swedish composer, dies at 91
2021 – (Wilbert) Billy Davis, American tennis player (11 x American Tennis Association Titles), dies of congestive heart failure at 91

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events for 21st December 2023

1872 – Phileas Fogg completes his round the world trip in 80 days, in Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days”
1919 – J. Edgar Hoover persuades US to deport 250 alien radicals, including anarchist and feminist Emma Goldman and her husband to Russia
1929 – Coco the Clown first appears for Bertram Mills Circus in Manchester, England
1942 – US Supreme court declares Nevada separation legal
1980 – Harold Carmichael ends NFL streak of 127 consecutive game receptions
1991 – 95 share in Madrid Spain $1.3 billion lottery (#47996)
1996 – Pakistan all out 67 to lose to Tasmania by an inning
2012 – Rapper Flavor Flav opens Flavor Flav’s Chicken and Ribs causal restaurant in Sterling Heights, Michigan – closes July 2013
2020 – Governor of California Gavin Newson says there are now no intensive care beds left in Southern California or the San Joaquin Valley
2022 – Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Washington, DC, meets with US President Joe Biden at the White House, and addresses Congress

More Historical Events »

Today in History for 21st December 2023

Historical Events

1919 – J. Edgar Hoover persuades US to deport 250 alien radicals, including anarchist and feminist Emma Goldman and her husband to Russia
1936 – Master batsman Don Bradman has a rare embarrassment – a 2nd consecutive Test duck (0), as England dismisses Australia for 80 in the 2nd Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
1939 – Adolf Hitler names Adolf Eichmann leader of “Referat IV B”, responsible for evictions and Jewish immigration
1976 – Patricia R Harris named secretary of HUD
1988 – Lockerbie disaster: A terrorist bomb destroys Pan Am Flight 103 mid-air, over Scotland; killing all 259 passengers and crew on board, and 11 people on the ground
1989 – New Zealand is the first country to set a formal inflation target (0-2%) for how much prices should rise each year. Similar targets are subsequently adopted by most developed countries.

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1923 – Wataru Misaka, American basketball point guard (first non-white player, first player of Asian descent in BAA [later known NBA]; NY Knicks), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 2019)
1943 – André Arthur, Canadian radio host and politician, born in Quebec City, Canada
1957 – John Geddert, American gymnastics coach (US head coach London Olympic Team 2012), born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan (d. 2021)
1964 – Joey Kocur, NHL right wing (Vancouver Canucks), born in Calgary, Alberta
1971 – Matthieu Chedid, French musician, born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France
1989 – Mark Ingram Jr., American football running back (Heisman Trophy 2009, U of Alabama; NFL Pro Bowl 2014, 17, 19; New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens), born in Hackensack, New Jersey

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1900 – Roger Wolcott, American political figure, 39th Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1847)
1998 – Ernst Gunther Schenck, German doctor who joined the Sturmabteilung in 1933 {b. 1904)
2010 – David Hennessy [Lord Windlesham], British politician (C) (Leader of the House of Lords 1973-4) and TV executive, dies at 78
2010 – Enzo Bearzot, Italian football player and manager (b. 1927)
2016 – Weston Noble, American music educator and conductor (Luther College, 1948-2005), dies at 94
2021 – (Wilbert) Billy Davis, American tennis player (11 x American Tennis Association Titles), dies of congestive heart failure at 91

More Famous Deaths »

Famous Deaths for 20th December 2023

910 – Alfonso III the Great, King of Leon, Galicia and Asturias, dies
1929 – Emile Loubet, French premier (1892)/president (1899-1906), dies at 90
1944 – JW Ummels, Dutch resistance fighter, dies in Sachsenhausen concentration camp at unknown age
1948 – Ladha Ramji, cricketer (bro of Amar Singh, Test Ind 1933-34), dies
1973 – Bobby Darin [Walden Robert Cassotto], American singer (“Mack the Knife”; “Splish-Splash”; “Beyond the Sea”), and actor, dies of a heart attack at 37
1989 – Audrey Christie, American actress (Splendor in the Grass, Fair Exchange), dies at 77
1992 – Peter Brocco, American actor blacklisted in the 1950’s (Spartacus: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest), dies of a heart attack at 89
2019 – Junior Johnson, American auto racer and team owner (Daytona 500 1960; NASCAR Hall of Fame), dies from Alzheimer’s disease at 88
2021 – Kimera Bartee, American MLB outfielder.1996-2001 (Detroit Tigers, and 2 other teams), and coach, 2017-21 (Pittsburgh Pirates, and 2 other teams), dies of an undiagnosed brain tumor at 49
2022 – Denny Doyle, American MLB baseball second baseman, 1970-77 (Philadelphia Phillies, and 1 other team), dies at 78

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events for 20th December 2023

1192 – Richard the Lionhearted captured near Vienna by Leopold of Austria on his way home from the Third Crusade (released 1194)
1780 – Britain declares war on Holland
1894 – England beat Australia by 10 runs in the 1st six-day Test Cricket, Australia needed 177 to win, all out at 166 on 6th day
1920 – Bert Collins scores 104 on Test Cricket debut v England SCG
1922 – Polish parliament selects Stanislaw Wojcieckowski as president
1962 – Pop singing group the Osmond Brothers debut on “The Andy Williams Show”
1975 – Pope Paul VI names Johannes Willebrands Archbishop of Utrecht
1985 – Denis Potvin passes Bobby Orr as NHL defenseman scorer (916 points)
1987 – 76th Davis Cup: Sweden beats India in Gothenburg (5-0)
2022 – The ruling Taliban suspend university education for female students in Afghanistan, part of a wider crackdown on women’s rights in the country

More Historical Events »

Today in History for 20th December 2023

Historical Events

1780 – Britain declares war on Holland
1850 – Hawaiian post office established
1862 – Confederate raid on Union supplies at Holly Springs, Mississippi
1946 – Darius Milhaud’s 2nd Symphony, premieres with the Boston Symphony conducted by the composer; the work was commissioned as a memorial to the wife of group’s music director Serge Koussevitzky
1955 – Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales
1985 – Position of American Poet Laureate established (Robert Warren is 1st)

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1819 – John Geary, American lawyer and politician (1st SF postmaster; 1st mayor), born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania (d. 1873)
1909 – Vakkom Majeed, Indian freedom fighter and politician, born in the Kingdom of Travancore (d. 2000)
1946 – Lesley Judd, British child actress, dancer, television presenter (Blue Peter, 1972-79), and radio host (BBC’s Woman’s Hour, 1982-88), born in London, England
1956 – Guy Babylon, American keyboard player (Elton John) and arranger, born in New Windsor, Maryland (d. 2009|)
1976 – Adam Powell, Welsh computer programmer and game designer (Neopets), born in Newport, Wales
1996 – Hannah Green, Australian golfer (Women’s PGA C’ship 2019), born in Perth, Western Australia

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1679 – Johan Maurits, Dutch nobleman, Prince of Nassau-Siegen (1964-79), Governor of Dutch Brazil (1637-43), and military leader (Eighty Years War; Dutch-Portuguese War), dies at 75
1986 – Joe DeSa, American baseball player (b. 1959)
1991 – Helene Heigh, American actress (Undercover Woman; Teen Age Thunder; 9 to 5), dies at 86
1995 – Adone Zecchi, Italian composer and conductor (Corale Euridice; Orchestra Bolognese de Camera), dies at 91
1996 – Carl Sagan, American scientist, astronomer and author (Broca’s Brain, Cosmos, Contact) known for his research on extraterrestrial life, dies of pneumonia after suffering from myelodysplasia at 62
2015 – Patricia Elliott, American actress (Renee-Empire, One Life to Live), dies at 77

More Famous Deaths »

Famous Deaths for 19th December 2023

1925 – José Ignacio Quintón, Puerto-Rican composer (El coquí; Requiem por Angel Mislán), dies at 44
1929 – Lemon Henry “Blind Lemon” Jefferson, American blues singer and guitarist, dies at 36
1941 – L M Dovator, Russian general, dies in battle
1990 – Basil Henson, actor (Change Partners), dies of stroke at 71
1996 – Marcello Mastroianni, Italian actor (8½; La Dolce Vita; Dark Eyes; The Pizza Triangle), dies of pancreatic cancer at 72
2003 – Peter Carter-Ruck, English lawyer (b. 1914)
2005 – Vincent Gigante, Italian-American mafioso, dies at 77
2008 – Carol Chomsky, American linguist and education specialist (b. 1930)
2008 – Dock Ellis, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1968-79, All-Star (Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, and 3 other teams), dies of liver issues at 63
2009 – Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Iranian dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah (b. 1922)

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events for 19th December 2023

1487 – Opening ceremony of the sixth Great Temple of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) 4,000 prisoners of war are sacrificed to Aztec gods over four days
1642 – 4 of Abel Tasman’s crew killed at Wharewharangi (Murderers) Bay by Māori; Tasman’s ships depart without landing
1675 – King Philip’s War: Combined colonial millitias stake massive attack against the Great Swamp Fort, owned by the Narragansetts, totally destroying the settlement and killing or displacing hundreds of non-combatant women and children
1870 – After 31 days at sea in a small boat, William Halford and 3 others reach the island of Kauai, Hawaii to seek help for the shipwrecked USS Saginaw. A capsize in the breakers meant only Halford survived.
1974 – “The Man with the Golden Gun”, 9th James Bond film, starring Roger Moore, Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee, premieres in London
1975 – British guitarist Ron Wood joins the Rolling Stones
1980 – Comedy film “9 to 5” starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin is released
2001 – Argentine economic crisis: December 2001 riots – Riots erupt in Buenos Aires after Domingo Cavallo’s corralito measures restrict the withdrawal of cash from bank deposits.
2004 – World’s largest indoor water park Tropical Islands Resort, opens in the Aerium, an old airship hanger, in the world’s largest free-standing hall, south of Berlin, Germany
2007 – The Lakotah people, a Native American tribe, proclaim independence and withdraw all their treaties with the United States. Establish the Republic of Lakotah, as a separate country.

More Historical Events »

Today in History for 19th December 2023

Historical Events

1828 – Report by US Vice President John C. Calhoun defending the rights of states to nullify federal laws is presented to the South Carolina legislature but it takes no action
1942 – Robert Stroud, convicted murdered, transferred to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, where he becomes known as “Birdman of Alcatraz”
1986 – Jack Morris agrees to salary arbitration with former team Tigers and accuses owners of collusion against free agency
1988 – Unexploded WW II bomb found in Frankfurt, Germany-5,000 evacuated
2000 – Ballon d’Or: Real Madrid’s Portuguese midfielder Luís Figo is named best football player in Europe ahead of Juventus midfielder Zinedine Zidane and Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko
2023 – “Science” names anti-obesity medications that mimic the hormone GLP-1, containing semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), their breakthrough of the year

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1817 – James Jay Archer, Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (d. 1864)
1894 – Paul Dessau, German orchestral, film, and theater composer and conductor (Adventures of Casanova; Deutsches Miserere; Never Trust a Woman), born in Hamburg, German Empire (d. 1979)
1929 – Herman T M Lauxtermann, Dutch 2nd chamber member (VVD)
1970 – Zac Foley, English rock bassist (EMF “Unbelievable”), born in Gloucester (d. 2002)
1975 – Jon Smith, British writer
1988 – Peter Winn, English footballer

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1807 – Friedrich Melchior, baron von Grimm, German writer (b. 1723)
1819 – Thomas Fremantle, British naval officer, dies at 54
1938 – Stephen Warfield Gambrill, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland), dies at 65
1939 – Eric Fogg, English composer, dies under a train at 36
1993 – Anthonius AM “Ton” Kors, writer (Time of Anton de Lange), dies at 47
2005 – Vincent Gigante, Italian-American mafioso, dies at 77

More Famous Deaths »