Today in History for 12th January 2024

Historical Events

1809 – British take Cayenne (French Guiana) from French (until 1814)
1918 – Montreal Canadien’s center Joe Malone scores 5 goals in a 9-4 win over Ottawa to become the first 20 goal scorer in NHL history; goes on to score 44 regular season goals
1986 – 24th space shuttle (61-C) mission-Columbia 7-launched
1987 – Britain’s Prince Edward resigns from his Royal Marines training
2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
2021 – India’s Supreme Court puts on hold three controversial new farm laws that ignited weeks of protests by farmers in Delhi

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Famous Birthdays

1819 – Zealous Bates Tower, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Cohasset, Massachusetts (d. 1900)
1937 – Marie Dubois, French actress (Wise Guys, Jules and Jim), born in Paris, France (d. 2014)
1941 – “Long” John Baldry, English blues vocalist (“Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll”), born in East Haddon, United Kingdom (d. 2005)
1944 – Viktoria Postnikova, Russian pianist, born in Moscow, Russia
1950 – Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (d. 1992)
1975 – Jocelyn Thibault, Canadian NHL goalie (Montreal Canadiens), born in Montreal, Quebec

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Famous Deaths

1732 – John Horsley, British archaeologist (Britannia Romana) dies (b. 1685)
1909 – Hermann Minkowski, German mathematician (work on relativity – Minkowski spacetime), dies of appendicitis at 44
1947 – Jonas Cohn, German philosopher (Wertwissenschaft), dies at 77
1999 – Leo Cherne, American economist and commentator (All Star News), dies at 86
2009 – Russ Conway, Canadian-American character actor (Richard Diamond Private Eye), dies at 95
2010 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and a leader of the Trotskyist movement in France, dies of cancer caused by the side effects of drugs used to treat AIDS at 63

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Famous Deaths for 11th January 2024

1801 – Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer (Il Matrimonio Segreto), dies at 51
1836 – John Molson, Canadian brewer (founded Montreal brewery Molsons), dies at 72
1896 – Francis Channing Barlow, American lawyer, Union general (US Civil War, meet with General John Brown Gordon at Gettysburg), dies from infuenza complications at 62
1993 – Lacey Fosburgh, author (Closing Time), dies of breast cancer at 50
1997 – Helen Foster Snow, American journalist (reported from China in the 1930s), dies at 89
1999 – Brian Moore, Irish novelist (Catholics, Doctor’s Wife), dies at 77
2002 – Henri Verneuil, French-Armenian playwright and film director (Mélodie en sous-sol), dies at 81
2005 – Jimmy Griffin, American pop singer, guitarist and songwriter, (Bread), and Academy Award winner (“For All We Know”), dies of cancer at 61
2010 – Georgy Garanian, Armenian-Russian jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer, dies of cardiac arrest at 75
2013 – Mariangela Melato, Italian actress (Swept Away; Flash Gordon: Summer Night), dies from pancreatic cancer at 71

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Historical Events for 11th January 2024

1779 – Ching-Thang Khomba is crowned King of Manipur
1966 – “Daktari” African adventure series premieres on CBS TV
1967 – Romeinse Curie installs Council for Pontifical Study commission
1981 – “Tintypes” closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 93 performances
1985 – CDC MMWR publishes guidelines for screening U.S. blood supply for AIDS antibodies with ELISA test that would be available later that year
1987 – NFC Championship, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford: New York Giants beat Washington Redskins, 17-0
1998 – Sidi-Hamed massacre takes place in Algeria, over 100 people are killed.
1998 – 24th People’s Choice Awards: Harrison Ford and Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen and Oprah Winfrey win (TV)
1999 – Marty Schottenheimer resigns as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
2004 – 30th People’s Choice Awards: Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Ray Romano and Jennifer Aniston win (TV)

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Today in History for 11th January 2024

Historical Events

1785 – Continental Congress convenes in NYC
1894 – Donghak Peasant Rebellion begins in Mujiang, Korea over local corruption, sparking the 1st Sino-Japanese War
1969 – “Hooked on a Feeling” by BJ Thomas peaks at #5
1981 – NFC Championship, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Eagles beat Dallas Cowboys, 20-7
1989 – Denver Nuggets’ rookie Jerome Lane misses 7 free throws in a game against Milwaukee, one missed by 2 feet
1992 – Algeria’s President Chadli announces his resignation

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Famous Birthdays

1801 – John Lodge Ellerton, British classical composer (The Bridal of Triermain, Domenica), born in Cheshire, England (d. 1873)
1885 – Alice Paul, American suffragist (National Woman’s Party), born in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey (d. 1977)
1909 – Gunnar Johnsen Berg, Swiss-Danish composer (Cosmogonie), born in Switzerland (d. 1989)
1915 – Veda Ann Borg, American model and actress (Kid Galahad, Avalanche, Accomplice), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1973)
1952 – Kim Hartman, British screen, stage, and radio actress (Allo Allo! – “Helga”), born in Hammersmith, London, England
1952 – Massimo Lopez, Italian comedian

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Famous Deaths

1055 – Constantine IX Monomachos, Emperor of Byzantium, dies
1641 – Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet (b. 1583)
1929 – Julio Antonio Mella, Cuban revolutionary, murdered at about 28
1943 – Carlo Tresca, NY’s Italian newspaper editor/anti-fascist, murdered
1955 – Rodolfo Graziani, Italian Marshal, fascist and Viceroy of Italian East Africa, dies at 72
2009 – David Vine, British sports broadcaster (BBC Match of the Day, World Snooker C’ships, Olympics coverage), dies of a heart attack at 74

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Famous Deaths for 10th January 2024

1542 – Gerardus Noviomagus [Gerrit Geldenhauer], Dutch theologist, die at 59
1833 – António da Silva Leite, Portuguese composer, dies at 73
1846 – Étienne Pivert de Senancour, French writer (De l’Amour), dies at 75
1863 – Lyman Beecher, US Presbyterian clergyman, temperance movement leader (b. 1775)
1941 – Frank Bridge, British violinist andcomposer (Sea), dies at 61
1968 – Howard Smith, American actor (Kiss of Death, Call Northside 777), dies at 74
1994 – Michael Aldridge, British actor (Last of the Summer Wine, Murder in Cathedral), dies at 73
2009 – Sidney Wood Jr, American tennis player (Wimbledon 1931), dies at 97
2017 – Oliver Smithies, British biochemist (2007 Noble Prize for gene targeting), dies at 91
2018 – Wiesje Backer, Dutch ballet dancer, actress. and playwright, dies at 79

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Historical Events for 10th January 2024

1863 – January uprising begins in Poland
1870 – Standard Oil Company created by John D. Rockefeller (30%), his brother and other business partners. Then controlled about 10% of world oil.
1943 – Soviet offensive against German 6th and 4th Armies near Stalingrad
1954 – Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to W H Auden
1965 – WKBD TV channel 50 in Detroit, Michigan (IND) begins broadcasting
1978 – Soyuz 27 launches, carrying 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station
1993 – Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, musical “My Favorite Year”, adapted from the 1982 film, and starring Evan Pappas, Tim Curry, Andrea Martin, and Lainie Kazan, closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater, NYC, after 37 performances and a Tony Award for Martin
2004 – 9th Critics’ Choice Movie Awards: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King wins Best Film
2015 – 57 people are killed after an oil tanker collided with a passenger coach outside of Karachi, Pakistan
2022 – College Football, National Championship, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana: #3 Georgia beats #1 Alabama, 33-18

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Today in History for 10th January 2024

Historical Events

1356 – German Emperor Charles I promulgates the ‘Golden Bull’, to regulate the election of a new king – the most important constitutional document of the Holy Roman Empire
1811 – Louisiana slaves rebel in 2 parishes
1925 – Allies refuse to evacuate the Cologne area of Germany as agreed
1982 – Petra Schneider swims world record 1500 m freestyle (15:43.31)
2003 – NBA announces Charlotte, N.C. is awarded an NBA expansion franchise to be known as the Charlotte Bobcats and start play in 2004-05; eventually changes to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014-15 season
2005 – A mudslide occurs in La Conchita, California, killing 10 people, injuring many more and closing the Highway 101, the main coastal corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles, for 10 days.

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Famous Birthdays

1810 – Jeremiah S. Black, American statesman and lawyer, born in Stony Creek, Pennsylvania (d. 1883)
1938 – Donald Knuth, American mathematician and computer scientist, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1939 – Jared Carter, American poet, born in Elwood, Indiana
1939 – David Horowitz, American author and political commentator, born in NYC, New York
1945 – Colonel DeBeers [Edward Wiskoski], American professional wrestler, born in Saint Joseph, Missouri
1983 – Li Nina, Chinese aerial freestyle skier, born in Benxi, China

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Famous Deaths

1094 – Al-Mustanṣir, 8th Fāṭimid Caliph of Cairo, dies at 64
1662 – Prince Honoré II of Monaco (b. 1597)
1833 – António da Silva Leite, Portuguese composer, dies at 73
1971 – (Gabrielle) “Coco” Chanel, French fashion designer (Chanel), dies at 87
1989 – Donald Voorhees, American conductor (Bell Telephone Hour), dies at 85
2005 – James Forman, American civil rights leader (b. 1928)

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Famous Deaths for 9th January 2024

1543 – Guillaume du Bellay, French diplomat and general, dies at about 52 (b. 1491, exact sate uncertain)
1799 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi, Italian scientist (b. 1718)
1908 – Wilhelm Busch, German poet, dies at 75
1975 – Pyotr Sergeyevich Novikov, Russian mathematician (group theory), dies at 73
1981 – Obdulio Morales, Cuban pianist, conductor, composer, ethno-musicologist, and Afro-Cuban bandleader, dies at 70
1991 – Chris Baay, Dutch actor (Tomorrow It Will Be Better, Klatergoud, Surprise Raid), dies at 86
2011 – Debbie Friedman, American singer-songwriter and arranger of Jewish religious music (“Mi Shebeirach”), dies of pneumonia at 59
2013 – James M. Buchanan, American economist (Nobel Memorial 1986), dies at 93
2020 – Bobby Comstock, American pop-rock singer (The Counts – “Let’s Stomp”), dies at 78
2021 – Vivalyn Latty-Scott, West Indian women’s cricket all-rounder (10 Tests, 25 wickets; Jamaica), dies at 82

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Historical Events for 9th January 2024

1760 – Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat
1792 – Russia and Turkey sign Peace of Jassy
1894 – New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, Massachusetts.
1908 – Muir Woods National Monument, California, established
1937 – Maxwell Anderson’s stage drama “High Tor” premieres at Martin Beck Theatre, NYC; runs for 171 performances, wins Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play
1945 – US soldiers led by General Douglas MacArthur invades Philippines
1951 – Washington Capitals NBA team folds
1977 – Australian Open Men’s Tennis: American Roscoe Tanner wins his first and only Grand Slam event; beats Guillermo Vilas of Argentina 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
2007 – 33rd People’s Choice Awards: Johnny Depp and Jennifer Aniston win (Movie Star) and Patrick Dempsey and Eva Longoria win (TV)
2021 – Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashes in the Java Sea just after take off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 62 on board

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Today in History for 9th January 2024

Historical Events

1493 – Christopher Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids, describing them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted”
1957 – Dutch Newspaper Society expels communist daily paper “Truth”
1967 – “More of the Monkees” second album by The Monkees is released
1995 – Ecuador and Peru involved in boundary fight
2010 – Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: María José Martínez Sánchez and Tommy Robredo of Spain beat British pair Laura Robson and Andy Murray 7-6, 7-5 to clinch a 2-1 win; Spain’s 3rd title
2012 – “Time is Love” single released by Josh Turner (Billboard Song of the Year 2012)

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Famous Birthdays

1620 – Johann Weichmann, German organist, and sacred and secular music composer (Sorgen-Lägerin), born in Wolgast, Pomerania (d. 1652)
1829 – Thomas William Robertson, English playwright (Caste), born in Newark-on-Trent, England (d. 1871)
1910 – Dick Henry Jurgen, American swing music bandleader, born in Sacramento, California (d. 1995)
1914 – Derek Allhusen, English equestrian rider (Olympic gold team, silver Individual eventing 1968), born in London, England (d. 2000)
1956 – Imelda Staunton, British actress (Finding Your Feet, Maleficent), born in Archway, London
1967 – Dave Mcllwain, Canadian NHL center (Pitts Penguins), born in Seaforth, Canada

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Famous Deaths

1895 – Aaron Lufkin Dennison, ‘Father of American watchmaking’, American watch manufacturer and businessman (Tremont Watch Company), dies at 82
1964 – Frank “Big Boy” Goudie, American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist, and upholsterer, dies of cancer at 64
1975 – Pyotr Sergeyevich Novikov, Russian mathematician (group theory), dies at 73
1979 – Avery Claflin, American banker and composer (“Lament for April 15” – income tax form instructions set to music), dies at 80
2008 – William Quinn, Irish Republican Army soldier (b. 1950)
2018 – Karin von Aroldingen, German ballet dancer (NYC Ballet), dies at 76

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