Author: gil7

Today in History for 12th December 2023

Historical Events

1958 – Indian leg spin bowler Subhash “Fergie” Gupte takes 9-102 v W Indies at Kanpur
1970 – Polish government proclaims price rise
1980 – Apple makes its initial public offering on the US stock market – 38 years later it would become the first US company valued at over $1 trillion
1997 – Carlos the Jackal, “professional revolutionary”, goes on trial in Paris
1997 – Florida releases Alex Arias, the last original Marlin
2001 – Winona Ryder is arrested on shoplifting charges in Beverly Hills, California

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Nigel Haig, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; 1,000 runs and 100 wickets 1921, 27, 29 Middlesex CCC), born in London, England (d. 1966)
1920 – Dick James [Leon Vapnick], British dance band vocalist and Beatles’ music publisher (Northern Songs), born in London, England (d. 1986)
1926 – Laurie Davidson, New Zealand yacht designer (Black Magic 1995; Team New Zealand 2000; America’s Cup HOF 2007), born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2021)
1964 – Sabu [Terry Michael Brunk], American professional wrestler, born in Staten Island, New York
1966 – Jim Sandlak, NHL right wing (Vancouver Canucks), born in Kitchener, Ontario
1967 – Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Japanese video game music composer, born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

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Famous Deaths

1882 – Robert Morris, 1st successful African American lawyer and abolitionist, dies at 59
1920 – Paul Lacôme, French composer, dies at 82
1971 – Jack Barnhill, Northern Ireland senator, assassinated
1998 – Mo Udall, American politician (Rep-D-AZ, 1961-91), dies at 76
2003 – Heydar Aliyev [Heydər Əliyev], Soviet-Azerbaijani politician (President of Azerbaijan, 1983-2003), dies at 80
2022 – Mike Leach, American college football coach (Texas Tech 2000-09, Washington State University 2012-19, Mississippi State 2020-22), dies from complications due to a heart condition at 61

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Famous Deaths for 11th December 2023

1888 – John Rylands, English cloth merchant and philanthropist (Rylands and Sons, Manchester’s 1st multi-millionaire), dies at 87
1950 – Leslie Comrie, New Zealand astronomer and computing pioneer, dies at 57
1953 – Albert Coates, English conductor and composer (Eagle; Pickwick), dies at 78
1964 – Percy Kilbride, American stage and screen actor (The Egg and I; Ma and Pa Kettle films), dies at 76
1978 – Vincent du Vigneaud, American chemist and (1955 Nobel Prize for Chemistry – for work on sulphur compounds), dies at 77
1990 – Fernand Collin, Belgian economist and banker, dies at 92
1995 – Arthur Mullard, English actor, comedian and singer (Romany Jones), dies at 82
1998 – [James] Lynn Strait, American singer (Snot), dies in a car accident at 30
2014 – Hans Wallat, German opera conductor, dies at 85
2016 – Sid O’Linn, South African cricketer (soccer for South Africa 1947, cricket 1960), dies at 89

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Historical Events for 11th December 2023

1665 – “Messiah” Sjabtai Tswi festival in Smyrna
1862 – Battle of Fredricksburg in Virginia begins between Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside
1909 – Canadian Football exhibition game played in Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, Hamilton Tigers beat Ottawa Rough Riders, 11-6 before 15,000
1926 – Leo O’Connor is unbeaten on 143 as Queensland wins their first Sheffield Shield match by 5 wickets vs NSW at the Sydney Cricket Ground
1947 – Bob Hilliard and Sigman’s musical “Angel in the Wings” opens at Coronet Theater NYC for 308 performances
1981 – Wash Capitals biggest margin of victory (9) beating Toronto 11-2
1990 – 13 die in 83 vehicle accident in Chattanooga Tn I-75, due to fog
2016 – Kyrgyzstan votes in a referendum to change the constitution to give the government more power
2019 – Militants attack army base in Ates, Niger, killing at least 71. Islamic State claim responsibility.
2022 – Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman’s musical “Some Like It Hot”, based on the 1959 feature film comedy, opens at the Shubert Theatre, NYC; garners 13 Tony Award nominations

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Today in History for 11th December 2023

Historical Events

1572 – Spanish troops begin siege of Haarlem
1862 – Battle of Fredricksburg in Virginia begins between Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside
1913 – “Mona Lisa” recovered two years after it was stolen from the Louvre Museum
1937 – Italy withdraws from League of Nations
1975 – MLB New York Yankees make great trade getting Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis and Ken Brett from Pittsburgh Pirates for George “Doc” Medich
2004 – 70th Heisman Trophy Award: Matt Leinart, USC (QB)

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Famous Birthdays

1904 – Joe Coral [Joseph Kagarlitski], British bookmaker (Gala Coral Group), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1996)
1926 – Richard Devon, American character actor (Magnum Force, Battle of Blood Island), born in Glendale, California (d. 2010)
1948 – Chester Thompson, American session and touring drummer and percussionist (Frank Zappa; Genesis; Chester Thompson Trio), born in Baltimore, Maryland
1957 – Mike Mesaros, American bassist (The Smithereens, 1980-2005 and 2016-present – “Only A Memory”), born in New Jersey
1973 – Ralph Intranuovo, Canadian NHL center (Edmonton Oilers), born in East York, Toronto, Ontario
1978 – Celine Sciamma, French film director (Tomboy), born in Paris, France

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Famous Deaths

1857 – Castil-Blaze [Francois Henri Joseph Blaze], French composer and music critic, dies at 73
1941 – Charles Émile Picard, French mathematician, died at 85
1971 – Maurice “Mac” McDonald, American fast-food pioneer (b. 1902)
1983 – Szymon Laks, Polish composer (head of prisoners orchestra at Auschwitz), dies at 82
2009 – Richard O’Brien, British Industrial relations expert (Manpower Services Commission), dies at 89
2013 – Barbara Branden, Canadian writer, dies from a lung infection at 84

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Famous Deaths for 10th December 2023

1508 – René II, Duke of Lorraine, dies at 57
1524 – Henry van Zutphen, Dutch Augustine/Luthern minister, burned to death
1746 – Teodorico Pedrini, also known as De Lige, Italian Vincentian priest, musician, composer, and missionary at the imperial court of China (1711-46), dies at 75
1946 – Walter Johnson, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (3 x Triple Crown of Pitching; World Series 1924; AL MVP 1913, 24; Washington Senators), dies from a brain tumour at 59
1988 – Richard Castellano, American actor (The Godfather, Lovers and Other Stranger), dies at 55
1992 – Dan Maskell, English tennis commentator (b. 1908)
1993 – Maroun Bagdadi, Lebanese film director (Little Wars, Veiled Man), dies in an accident at 43
1995 – Phillip Piratin, British communist MP, dies at 88
1996 – John Duffey, bluegrass guitarist, dobro, and mandolin player (Country Gentlemen), dies of a heart attack at 62
2012 – Iajuddin Ahmed, Bangladeshi President, dies from heart surgery complications at 81

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Historical Events for 10th December 2023

1899 – -15] British “Black Week” due to defeats in South Africa
1911 – Belgium poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck is presented in absentia with the Nobel Prize for Literature
1926 – 1st radio broadcast in the Sprinfield area (WCBS)
1941 – Japanese troops overrun Guam
1942 – An early report of the Holocaust prepared by the Polish government-in-exile, using information obtained by Witold Pilecki, is addressed to UN member states
1956 – Establishment of The People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, MPLA (from Portuguese: Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola), left-wing party that has ruled since independence from Portugal
1980 – Soyuz T-3 returns to Earth
1983 – Raul Alfonsin inaugurated as Argentina’s 1st civilian president
1988 – Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine presented to Gertrude B. Elion, George H. Hitchings and James W. Black for development of new drugs
2016 – Terrorist bomb attacks outside a stadium in Istanbul kill 38 and injure 166

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Today in History for 10th December 2023

Historical Events

1831 – “Spirit of the Times” begins publishing in New York City, the premier sports journal of the 19th century
1899 – Delta Sigma Phi fraternity founded at City College of New York, to spread “the principles of friendship and brotherhood among college men, without respect to race or creed.”
1960 – Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine awarded to Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet and Peter Medawar for work on tissue grafting
1986 – France performs nuclear test
1993 – Dow Jones hits record 3740.67
1995 – 1st meeting of NBA expansion teams, Raptors beat Grizzlies 93-81

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Famous Birthdays

1794 – James Wolfe Ripley, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Windham County, Connecticut (d. 1870)
1891 – Leonie “Nelly” Sachs, German-Swedish poet and playwright (O the Chimneys – Nobel Prize for Literature 1966), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1970)
1952 – Susan Dey, American actress (1st Love, Partridge Family, LA Law), born in Pekin, Illinois
1961 – Mark McKoy, Canadian track star (world record 50m indoor, Olympic gold 1992), born in Georgetown, British Guiana
1964 – Bobby Flay, American celebrity chef, restaurateur and TV personality (Iron Chef America; Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction), born in NYC, New York
1977 – Emmanuelle Chriqui, Canadian actress

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Famous Deaths

1826 – Benedikt Schack, Bohemian-born composer and singer and friend of Mozart, dies at 68
1896 – Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist who invented dynamite and founded the Nobel Prize ceremony on this date, dies at 63
2003 – Sean McClory, Irish actor (The Californians, My Chauffeur), dies at 79
2019 – Jim Smith, English soccer midfielder and manager (Birmingham City, QPR, Portsmouth, Derby County), dies at 79
2019 – Jean Pagé, Canadian sports journalist (host: ‘La Soirée du hockey’ and ‘110%’), dies from prostate cancer at 73
2021 – Michael Nesmith, American rock guitarist (The Monkees), and singer-songwriter (“Different Drum”), dies of heart failure at 78

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Famous Deaths for 9th December 2023

1674 – Edward Hyde 1st earl of Clarendon, English PM (1660-67), dies at 65
1793 – Yolande de Polastron, Duchess de Polignac, French aristocrat, dies at 44
1814 – Jose Angel Lamas, Venezuelan composer, dies at 39
1925 – Eugène Gigout, French organist (St Augustin de Paris, 1863-1925), and composer (10 pièces pour orgue), dies at 81
1930 – Rube Foster, American Baseball HOF manager and executive (Negro National League pennant 1920–22, 26; Chicago American Giants), dies from insanity at 51
1957 – Carswell Adams, sportscaster (Your Sports Special), dies
1974 – Jorge Croner de Vasconcelos, Portuguese composer, dies at 64
1982 – Paul Godwin, Polish-Dutch violinist, dies at 80
1998 – Archie Moore, American light-heavyweight boxing champion (1952-60), dies at 84
2014 – José Feghali, Brazilian concert pianist (Van Cliburn Gold Medalist, 1985), takes his own life at 53

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Historical Events for 9th December 2023

1854 – Alfred Tennyson’s poem “Charge of the Light Brigade” is published in “The Examiner”
1899 – Boer War: During Siege of Ladysmith, Boers storm King’s Post and Caesar’s Camp – driven back
1907 – Gustav Mahler departs Vienna for America
1951 – West German voters approve merger of 3 states to form Baden-Wurttemberg
1968 – The Derry Citizen’s Action Committee (DCAC) calls for a halt to all marches and protests for a period of one month
1974 – Dow Jones index hits 570.01
1985 – SF 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice begins NFL streak of 274 consecutive games with a reception in a 27-20 loss to LA Rams at Candlestick Park
1990 – Houston scores most points against Cleveland, Oilers 58, Browns 14
2006 – Jigme Singye Wangchuk, King of Bhutan abdicates the throne
2018 – Winter storm hits US south east killing three, leaving hundreds of thousands without power, cancelling over 1,000 flights

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Today in History for 9th December 2023

Historical Events

1856 – The Iranian city of Bushehr surrenders to occupying British forces.
1907 – First Christmas Seals sold (Wilmington, Delaware, post office)
1958 – Robert W. Welch Jr and 11 other men meet in Indianapolis to form the conservative and anti-Communist John Birch Society
1961 – “Let It Ride” closes at Eugene O’Neill Theater NYC after 68 performances
1970 – OPEC meeting in Caracas establishes 55 percent as minimum tax rate and demands that posted prices be changed to reflect changes in foreign exchange rates
1973 – Sunningdale Agreement in Northern Ireland

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Famous Birthdays

1717 – Johann Winckelmann, German archaeologist (History of Ancient Art), born in Stendal, Prussia (d. 1768)
1901 – Carol Dempster, American actress, born in Duluth, Minnesota (d. 1991)
1933 – Milt Campbell, American decathlete (Olympic gold 1956), born in Plainfield, New Jersey (d. 2012)
1954 – Jack Sonni, American guitarist (Dire Straits, 1985-88), born in Indiana, Pennsylvania (d. 2023)
1957 – Donny Osmond, American singer (Osmond Brothers, Donnie and Marie), born in Ogden, Utah
1958 – Rikk Agnew, American guitarist (The Adolescents), born in Newport Beach, California

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Famous Deaths

1437 – Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1410-37), dies at 70
1971 – Ralph Bunche, American diplomat, UN delegate and 1st person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1950), dies at 67
1975 – William A. Wellman, American director (Ox Bow Incident), dies at 79
1982 – Joey Forman, American actor (Sid Caesar Show, Joey Bishop Show), dies at 53
1996 – Anne Bolt, photo-journalist and trade unionist, dies at 84
2007 – Thore Skogman, Swedish entertainer, dies at 76

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