1891 – Electric self-starter for automobile patented
1918 – Samuel Riddle buys Man o’War for $5,000
1926 – Greek-Serbian, Croatian and Slavs peace treaty signed
1936 – An unemployed worker, Neils B. Ruud, in Madison, Wisconsin, receives the first unemployment benefit check paid under a State law, for $15
1948 – Phillies commit 8 errors in a baseball game for the 2nd time
1948 – Alger Hiss denies ever being a Communist agent
1985 – 1,400 meatpackers walk off the job at a Geo A Hormel and Co plant
1986 – Bronze pig statue unveiled at Pike Place Market, Seattle
2008 – Canadian Open Women’s Golf, Ottawa Hunt GC: Australian Katherine Hull wins by 1 from Se Ri Pak
2013 – 15 civilians are killed by a Syrian warplane attack in Aleppo
Author: gil7
Today in History for 17th August 2023
Historical Events
1796 – British defeat Batavian navy in Saldanha Bay, South Africa
1960 – Indonesia drops diplomatic relations with Netherlands
1987 – Muhammad Ali elected to “Ring” magazine’s Boxing Hall of Fame
1991 – Royals Warren Cromartie’s 1st major league HR since 1983
2008 – German swimmer Britta Steffen beats American Dara Torres by 0.01 in the 50m to wrap up the 50/100m double at the Beijing Olympics
2016 – German pair Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst upsets Brazilian hometown favourites Ágatha Bednarczuk and Bárbara Seixas 21–18, 21–14 to win the Olympic women’s beach volleyball gold in Rio de Janeiro
Famous Birthdays
1753 – Josef Dobrovský, Czech linguist (d. 1828)
1888 – Monty Wooley, American actor (Pied Piper, The Man Who Came to Dinner), born in NYC, New York (d. 1963)
1906 – Marcello Caetano, last Portuguese prime minister of the Estado Novo regime (1968-1974), born in Graça, Lisbon, Portugal (d. 1980)
1952 – (Terry) “Topper” Price, American blues, jazz and rock vocalist and harmonica player (The Upsetters). born in Plateau, Alabama (d. 2007)
1963 – Jackie Walorski, American politician (Rep-R-Indiana 2013-22), born in South Bend, Indiana (d. 2022)
1986 – Tyrus Thomas, American basketball player, born in Batton, Rouge, Louisiana
Famous Deaths
1153 – Eustace IV of Boulogne, son of Stephen of England (b. 1130)
1635 – Francisco de Moncada, Spanish earl of Osuna, dies at 48
1875 – Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist (Father of Bantu Philology), dies at 48
1972 – Alexander Vampilov, Russian playwright (Elder Son), drowns at 34
1995 – Marjorie Sykes, British educator, peace activist, and Indian independence campaigner, dies at 90
2013 – John Hollander, American poet and literary critic, dies at 83
Famous Deaths for 16th August 2023
1508 – Henry van Stolberg and Wernigerode, German viceroy of Friesland, dies at 41
1786 – Henri-Jacques de Croes, Flemish composer and violinist, dies at 80
1799 – Vincenzo Manfredini, Italian harpsichordist, composer, and music theorist, dies at 61
1870 – Edmund Passy, Swedish composer, dies at 80
1986 – Jaime Saenz, Bolivian poet, novelist, and short story writer (b. 1921)
1991 – Stuart Karl, CEO (Karl Home Video), dies at 38 of skin cancer
1994 – Henry Geldzahler, US critic, dies
2004 – Robert Quiroga, American boxer (b. 1969)
2005 – William Corlett, English children’s writer(b. 1938)
2005 – Joe Ranft, American screenwriter and animator (Toy Story, Cars), dies at 45
Historical Events for 16th August 2023
1954 – 200 pilgrims drown in Farahzad Iran rain storm flood
1969 – Second day of the Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York; performers include Santana, John Sebastian; Mountain, Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, and Jefferson Airplane
1972 – Philip Potter appointed sect-gen of World council of Churches
1988 – Mayor Koch says he plans to wipe out street-corner windshield washers
1991 – John Gutfreund announces his resignation as chief executive of Salomon Brothers amid illegal bidding scandal
2008 – American swimmer Michael Phelps wins his 7th of 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics when he takes the 100m butterfly in Olympic record 50.58; beats Milorad Čavić of Serbia by 0.01
2012 – South African police open fire on striking mine workers and kill at least 34 people
2012 – 113 people are killed and over 200 wounded in a series of attacks across Iraq
2013 – 61 people are killed after the ferry MV Thomas Aquinas sinks in the Philippines
2019 – Huge fire in Chalantika slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, destroys 1,200 houses and leaves up to 10,000 homeless
Today in History for 16th August 2023
Historical Events
1864 – Federal assault on 4th day of battle at Deep Bottom Run, Virginia
1944 – 2nd Canadian Division occupies Falaise, Normandy, during Operation Intractable
1948 – Arabs blow up Latrun pumping station in Jerusalem
1955 – Fiat Motors orders 1st private atomic reactor
1987 – Northwest Airlines 255 plane crashes in Detroit, 156 die (1 lives)
2012 – 113 people are killed and over 200 wounded in a series of attacks across Iraq
Famous Birthdays
1915 – Al Hibbler, American singer (Unchained Melody), born in Tyro, Mississippi (d. 2001)
1933 – Reiner Kunze, German writer (The Lovely Years), born in Oelsnitz, Saxony
1937 – David Anderson, Canadian politician
1948 – Pierre Reid, Canadian politician and teacher
1969 – Andy Milder, American voice actor
1974 – Iván Hurtado, Ecuadorian footballer, born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Famous Deaths
1864 – Victor Girardey, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies in battle at 27
1920 – Sir Norman Lockyer, English physicist, co-founder of helium gas, founder and editor of “Nature” magazinem dies at 84
1969 – Russ Bender, American actor and writer (Amazing Colossal Man; Space Monster, It Conquered the World), dies at 59
1973 – Veda Ann Borg, American model and actress (Kid Galahad, Avalanche, Accomplice), dies of cancer at 58
2006 – Herschel Green, American pilot (b. 1920)
2020 – Georg Volkert, German soccer striker (12 caps, FRG; 1. FC Nürnberg, Hamburger SV, VfB Stuttgart), dies from heart attack complications at 74
Famous Deaths for 15th August 2023
1552 – Hermann of Wied, German Catholic archbishop (b. 1477)
1615 – Mír ‘Imád al-Ḥasaní, Persian calligrapher (Master of the Nasta‘liq style – St. Petersburg Muraqqa), assassinated on Shah’s authorization (b. 1554)
1619 – Miriam Bella, head of Jewish community of Kraków, dies
1953 – Ludwig Prandtl, German physicist (considered the father of aerodynamics – discovered the boundary layer), dies at 78
1956 – Constantine Freiherr von Neurath, German foreign minister, dies at 83
1967 – René Magritte, Belgian surrealist painter (This is Not a Pipe), dies at 68
1969 – Stijn Streuvels [Frank Lateur], Flemish writer (De Vlaschaard), dies at 97
2020 – Henk Wullems, Dutch soccer manager (NAC Breda, SBV Vitesse, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ; Indonesia 1996-98), dies from a Cerebral infarction at 84
2021 – Gerd Müller “Der Bomber”, German soccer striker (62 caps; FIFA World Cup 1974; Bayern Munich 453 games, 398 goals), dies from Alzheimer’s disease at 75
2021 – Gary Woollard, New Zealand rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Wellington), dies at 79
Historical Events for 15th August 2023
1248 – Construction of the new Cologne Cathedral in the Gothic style begins with the laying of the foundation stone by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden (completed 1880)
1891 – San Sebastian Church in Manila, the first all-steel church in Asia, is officially inaugurated and blessed
1950 – Sukarno proclaims the unitary Republic of Indonesia and becomes its 1st President
1971 – Despite crashing out on lap 36, Scotsman Jackie Stewart clinches his second Formula 1 World Drivers Championship at the Austrian Grand Prix at Österreichring; Swiss driver Jo Siffert of the BRM team wins the race
1973 – David Storey’s play “Cromwell” premieres in London
1988 – NYC begins $70 million program to rebuild 900 Bronx apartments
1990 – Phils Terry Mulholland no-hits Giants 6-0 (8th no hitter of 1990)
1992 – Colombo ’92 closes in Genoa, Italy
1994 – South African President Nelson Mandela receives Anne Frank Penning
2019 – Whistleblower releases damaging report on General Electric titled “General Electric, a Bigger Fraud Than Enron” claiming $38 billion accountancy fraud
Today in History for 15th August 2023
Historical Events
1940 – Heavy dogfights above England: 75 German aircraft damaged
1944 – Allied air raid on train in North Netherlands, 32 killed
1960 – CFL’s Calgary Stampeders move into McMahon Stadium
1990 – Phils Terry Mulholland no-hits Giants 6-0 (8th no hitter of 1990)
2008 – German swimmer Britta Steffen beats Australian Libby Trickett by 0.04 to win the blue ribband 100m freestyle gold medal at the Beijing Olympics
2021 – Petrol tanker explosion kills 27 and injures 79 in al-Tleil, Lebanon, amid the country’s continuing economic crisis
Famous Birthdays
1907 – Paul Vincze, Jewish-Hungarian designer of coins and medal, born in Galgagyörk, Hungary (d. 1994)
1917 – Oscar Romero, El Salvador Roman catholic priest who was murdered, born in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador (d. 1980)
1926 – Georgann Johnson, American actress (Marge-Mr Peepers, Star Trek, Midnight Cowboy), born in Decorah, Iowa (d. 2018)
1927 – Wesley Mouzon, American boxer / trainer (Roy Jones Jr), born in Kingstree, South Carolina (d. 2003)
1965 – Rob Thomas, American writer, screenwriter and director (Veronica Mars), born in Sunnyside, Washington
1974 – Natasha Henstridge, Canadian actress (Species), born in Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador
Famous Deaths
1918 – Heinrich Köselitz [Peter Gast], German composer, dies at 64
1975 – Clay Shaw, American businessman and alleged John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracist, dies of lung cancer at 61
2007 – Richard Bradshaw, British opera conductor (Canadian Opera Company, 1989-2007), dies of a heart attack at 63
2010 – James J. Kilpatrick, American newspaper journalist and columnist (60 Minutes), dies at 89
2017 – Vernon “Vern” Ehlers, American politician (Michigan House of Representatives), dies of complications from Alzheimers disease at 83
2020 – Henk Wullems, Dutch soccer manager (NAC Breda, SBV Vitesse, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ; Indonesia 1996-98), dies from a Cerebral infarction at 84
Famous Deaths for 14th August 2023
1785 – John William Fletcher, evangelist, dies
1870 – David Farragut, American Admiral (“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”), dies at 69
1905 – Mohammed Abdoe, Egyptian writing expert (Al’Oerwah al-Woethka), dies
1955 – Herbert Putnam, American Librarian of Congress, dies at 93
1963 – Clifford Odets, American playwright (1961 Award of Merit-Golden Boy), dies at 57
1992 – Norah Phillips, Baroness Phillips, British politician (1st female Whip – UK House of Lords), dies at 82
1992 – Flora Benson, American wife of Ezra Taft Benson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 91
1992 – Tony Williams, American singer (The Platters, 1953-59 – “Only You”; “Great Pretender”), dies at 64
2012 – Ron Palillo, American actor (Arnold Horshack-Welcome Back Kotter), dies from a heart attack at 63
2020 – Thomas Forsyth, Scottish soccer defender (22 caps; Motherwell, Rangers), dies at 71
Historical Events for 14th August 2023
1040 – King Duncan I of Scotland killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth (not murdered in his sleep as in Shakespeare’s play). The latter does succeed him as King.
1820 – 1st US eye hospital, the NY Eye Infirmary, opens in NYC
1848 – Oregon Territory created
1885 – British Criminal Law Amendment Act raises age of consent from 13 to 16, protects against child prostitution
1971 – British begin internment without trial in Northern Ireland
1971 – Cards Bob Gibson, 35, no-hits Pirates, 11-0
1975 – Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich is buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow
1995 – Shannon Faulkner becomes 1st woman to attend the Citadel
2020 – Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda breaks Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year-old 5,000m world record with a run of 12:35.36 at the Diamond League meet in Monaco
2021 – Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Tyler Gilbert throws a no-hitter in his MLB debut, defeating San Diego Padres, 7-0 in Phoenix; record equalling 8th no-hitter of the season