1751 – Kilian Ignaz von Dientzenhofer, Bohemian Baroque architect (Nepomukkerk, Prague), dies at 62
1832 – Philip Freneau, American poet of the American Revolution (The American Village), dies at 80
1881 – George Edmund Street, English architect, dies at 57
1919 – Horatio Parker, American organist and composer, dies at 56
1930 – Clarence Kummer, American Racing HOF jockey (Preakness Stakes 1920, 25; Belmont Stakes 1920, 28; US Champion Jockey by earnings 1920), dies from pneumonia at 31
1974 – Harry Hooper, American Baseball HOF right fielder (World Series 1912, 15, 16, 18 Boston Red Sox), dies at 87
1982 – Ray Emery, New Zealand cricket all-rounder (2 Tests, 2 wickets, BB 2/52; Auckland, Canterbury), dies at 67
1990 – Paul Tortelier, French concert cellist, composer, and teacher, dies at 76
2000 – James Mitchell, American session baritone saxophonist (The Memphis Horns; Stax Records), dies at 69
2018 – David Austin, English rose breeder (Austin roses), dies at 92
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 18th December 2023
1787 – New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the US constitution
1865 – 1st US cattle importation law passed
1900 – The Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook Narrow-gauge (2 ft 6 in or 762 mm) Railway (now the Puffing Billy Railway) in Victoria, Australia is opened for traffic.
1916 – Battle of Verdun, longest of World War I, officially ends in German defeat after nine months of fighting and almost 1 million total casualties
1963 – Ron Clarke runs world record 10k (28:15.6)
1971 – Three members of the Irish Republican Army die when the bomb they were transporting explodes prematurely in King Street, Magherafelt, County Derry.
1979 – Stuntman Stanley Barrett unofficially breaks the land speed record and the sound barrier in his three-wheeled vehicle the Budweiser Rocket (739.666 mph or Mach 1.01). The speed was never officially recorded and the attempt remains controversial.
1989 – “I Love Lucy” Christmas episode, shown for 1st time in over 30 years
1989 – Athol Fugard’s “My Children, My Africa” premieres in NYC
2012 – Canadian police begin arresting 17 people for ‘the Great Maple Syrup Heist’, for stealing 3,000 tonnes from a storage facility in Quebec
Today in History for 18th December 2023
Historical Events
1773 – A skirmish at Grass Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound results in the deaths of two Māori and nine members of James Cook’s expedition, New Zealand
1774 – Empress Maria Theresa expels Jews from Prague, Bohemia and Moravia
1980 – Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts minister Van Agts abortion laws
1997 – HTML 4.0 is published by the World Wide Web Consortium
1998 – Romantic comedy film “You’ve Got Mail”, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, directed by Nora Ephron, and written by sisters Nora and Delia Ephron, is released
2020 – International body Covax, established to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle income countries, announces deals with vaccine manufacturers and method for countries to share excess vaccines
Famous Birthdays
1835 – Lyman Abbott, American theologian and author, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts (d. 1922)
1860 – Edward Alexander MacDowell, American composer (Indian Suite), born in New York (d. 1908)
1898 – Jacob Kruijt, Dutch sociologist (d. 1975)
1960 – Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean prosecutor and President of South Korea (2022-), born in Seoul, South Korea
1971 – Joe Dziedzic, NHL left wing (Pitts Penguins), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
1987 – Miki Andō, Japanese figure skater
Famous Deaths
1894 – Erastus Flaval Beadle, American publisher (Beadle’s Dime Novels), dies at 73
1930 – Clarence Kummer, American Racing HOF jockey (Preakness Stakes 1920, 25; Belmont Stakes 1920, 28; US Champion Jockey by earnings 1920), dies from pneumonia at 31
1931 – Jack “Legs” Diamond, American gangster and bootlegger, murdered at 34
1971 – Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Russian poet and editor in chief (Novyj Mir), dies at 61
1992 – Charles Leatherland, Baron Leatherland, British journalist and Labour Party politician, dies at 94
2008 – Mark Felt, the infamous “Deep Throat”, American FBI official and whistle blower during the Watergate Scandal dies aged 95
Famous Deaths for 17th December 2023
1899 – Frederick “Freddy” Roberts, son of British field marshal, dies in battle
1917 – Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, 1st qualified woman physician in Britain, first woman mayor (Aldeburgh), dies at 81
1933 – Hans Vaihinger, German philosopher (Side-Studies), dies at 81
1933 – Thubten Gyatso, 13th Dalai Lama, dies at 57
1957 – Dorothy L. Sayers, English novelist (The Nine Tailors), dies at 66
1973 – Charles Greeley Abbot, American astronomer (Solar Constant), dies at 101
1982 – Homer S. Ferguson, American politician (b. 1889)
2011 – Cesária Évora, Cape Verdean morna singer known as “the Barefoot Diva”, dies from respiratory failure at 70
2018 – Galt MacDermot, Canadian musician and composer (Hair), dies at 89
2022 – Elayne Jones, American classical timpanist and civil rights activist, dies at 94
Historical Events for 17th December 2023
1526 – Ferdinand of Austria chosen as King of Bohemia
1895 – George Brownell patents a machine to make paper twine (Mass)
1920 – British Empire receives League of Nations mandate over Nauru
1944 – San Francisco M-Ocean View streetcar resumes service and is extended to Market St
1965 – British government proclaims ends oil-embargo against Rhodesia
1970 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1971 – “Diamonds are Forever”, 7th James Bond film, last starring Sean Conner, also starring Jill St. John is 1st released in West Germany
1971 – Cease fire between India and Pakistan in Kashmir
1988 – NY Islanders break 12 game losing streak, beat Devils 5-2
2017 – Sebastián Piñera wins Chile’s presidential election run-off, returning to office after 4 years
Today in History for 17th December 2023
Historical Events
1807 – France issues the Milan Decree, which confirms the Continental System.
1928 – John McGraw backs NL President John Heydler’s designated hitter idea
1941 – World War II: Beginning of the Siege of Sebastopol.
1978 – Referendum approves new constitution of Rwanda
1983 – The Provisional IRA bombs Harrods department store in London, killing six people and injuring 90
2020 – King Carl XVI Gustaf says Swedish authorities have failed in their response to COVID-19, criticizing the country’s controversial anti-lockdown strategy
Famous Birthdays
1847 – Émile Faguet, French writer and critic (d. 1916)
1914 – Syed Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (prolific batsman of 30’s and 40’s), born in Indore, British India (d. 2005)
1953 – Mark Gane, rocker (M+M), born in Toronto, Ontario
1961 – Sara Dallin, British musician (Bananarama), born in Bristol, England
1973 – Rian Johnson, American filmmaker (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Knives Out), born in Silver Springs, Maryland
1976 – Patrick Müller, Swiss footballer
Famous Deaths
1981 – Edwin Erich Dwinger, German writer (General Vlassov), dies at 83
1983 – Erik Christensen, NHL player
1991 – John Blatnik, (Rep-Minnesota, 1947-75), dies at 80
2009 – Dan O’Bannon, Screenwriter, after a short illness (b.1943)
2010 – Mary Tregear, British museum curator (Ashmolean) and Chinese art historian, dies at 86
2022 – Manuel Muñoz, Chilean soccer striker (26 caps; CSD Colo-Colo), dies at 94
Famous Deaths for 16th December 2023
875 – Ado of Vienne, French archbishop of Vienne, dies at about 75
1669 – Nathaniel Fiennes, English politician (b. circa 1608)
1921 – Camille Saint-Saëns, French composer (Samson et Dalila; Organ Symphony), dies of a heart attack at 86
1944 – Philip Guedalla, English barrister and historian, dies at 55
1985 – Dick Pollard, cricketer (England fast-medium bowler 1946-48), dies
1985 – Paul Castellano, American organized-crime chief, shot dead at a NYC restaurant at 70
1994 – Mary Durack, Australian author and historian (Kings in Grass Castles and Keep Him My Country), dies at 81
2003 – Gary Stewart, American country singer (She’s Actin’ Single), commits suicide by shooting himself in the neck at 59
2006 – Taliep Petersen, South African singer and composer (b. 1950)
2021 – Taniela Moa, Tongan rugby union halfback (20 caps; Auckland Blues, Section Paloise RUFC), dies at 36
Historical Events for 16th December 2023
1922 – NSW all out for 786 against South Australia Cricket
1924 – Hiram Bingham is elected as a Republican to serve in the US Senate forcing him to resign as Governor of Connecticut after serving only one day in office, the shortest term of any Connecticut Governor
1928 – National Football League Championship: Providence Steam Roller (8-1-2) win first past the post title
1944 – German V-2 strikes Antwerp bioscope (638 kill)
1948 – “Lend an Ear” opens at National Theater NYC for 460 performances
1972 – Miami Dolphins become 1st undefeated NFL team (14-0-0)
1995 – The official adoption of the name “Euro”
2012 – A gang rape of a woman on a bus in India that resulted in her death leads to national and international outrage
2012 – Corinthians defeat Chelsea 1-0 to win the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup
2020 – China blocks imports of coal, from Australia, the world’s second biggest market for the world’s biggest coal exporter
Today in History for 16th December 2023
Historical Events
1777 – Virginia becomes 1st state to ratify Articles of Confederation (US 1st constitution)
1883 – Tonkin Campaign: The French capture the citadel in Hanoi
1960 – “Wildcat” opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 172 performances
1979 – Dallas QB Roger Staubach throws 3 TDs and 336 yards in his last NFL regular season game with the Cowboys, a 35-34 win over Washington Redskins at Texas Stadium
1979 – Libya raises crude oil prices, joining four other OPEC nations, which has a dramatic effect on the United States
1987 – Roh Tae Woo elected president of South Korea
Famous Birthdays
1909 – Lall Singh, Indian cricketer (scored 15 and 29 in India’s 1st Test match) (d. 1985)
1916 – Theo Bitter, Dutch painter and set designer (d. 1994)
1931 – Shelby Singleton, American record label owner and producer (Smash Records, Mercury Records), born in Waskom, Texas (d. 2009)
1937 – Joyce Bulifant, American actress (The Mary Tyler Moore Show – “Marie Slaughter”), born in Newport News, Virginia
1950 – Roy Schuiten, Dutch cyclist, born in Zandvoort, Netherlands (d. 2006)
1963 – James Mangold, American filmmaker (Girl, Interrupted; Kate and Leopold; Walk the Line; Logan), born in New York City
Famous Deaths
1783 – Yoriyuki Arima, Japanese mathematician (approximated the value of pi and its square, pi^2), dies at 68
1852 – Henri-Jean Rigel, French composer, music director, and “pianiste de la musique particulière de l’Empereur et Roi” to Napoleon, dies at 80
1920 – Ma Yuanzhang, Chinese Muslim rebel and Sufi master, crushed to death during the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake at an unknown age
1944 – Don Meyer Basketball coach Northern State, Lipscomb, and Hamline
2001 – Stuart Adamson, Scottish rock vocalist and guitarist (The Skids, Big Country), dies at 43
2006 – Don Jardine, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1940)
Famous Deaths for 15th December 2023
1598 – Philip van Marnix, Flemish ruler of St Aldegonde/poet, dies at 58
1621 – Charles d’Albert, duc of Luynes, French courtier, favourite of Louis XIII and Constable of France, dies at 43
1934 – Maggie L. Walker, African-American teacher and businesswoman (1st female Bank President), dies at 69
1953 – Kishio Hirao, Japanese composer, dies at 46
1971 – Paul Pierre Lévy, French mathematician (b. 1886)
1984 – Frank Spedding, Canadian chemist whose uranium extraction process helped make possible the first atomic bomb, dies at 82
1986 – Serge Lifar, Russian-French dancer, choreographer (Paris Opera Ballet), dies at 81
1991 – Ray Smith, British actor (And Then You Die), dies at 55
2008 – León Febres Cordero, Ecuadorian politician (President of Ecuador 1984-88), dies at 77
2011 – Christopher Hitchens, English author and journalist (Vanity Fair, New Statesman), dies of oesophageal cancer aged 62