1683 – 13 Mennonite families from Germany found Germantown, Philadelphia
1917 – Battle of Passchendaele: Canadian troops capture the village of Passchendaele in the Third Battle of Ypres, after 250,000 casualties on both sides
1925 – Greek premier Papanastasiou orders gen Pangulos arrested
1948 – Paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey finds the first partial fossil skull of Proconsul africanus, an ancestor of apes and humans on Rusinga Island, Kenya
1958 – US nuclear sub USS Seawolf remains a record 60 days under the north pole
1978 – Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven” film premieres starring Richard Gere
1988 – Oakland A’s sweep Boston Red Sox in 4 games for AL pennant
1996 – Lois and Clark (fictional characters) wed
2002 – Pope John Paul II canonizes Opus Dei founder Josemaría Escrivá as a Catholic saint
2015 – Nobel prize for Physics awarded to Takaaki Kajita (Japan) and Arthur McDonald (Canada) for work on neutrinos
Author: gil7
Today in History for 6th October 2023
Historical Events
1866 – 1st train robbery in US (Reno Brothers take $13,000)
1908 – Tigers beat White Sox, 7-0 to win AL pennant
1962 – US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Johnston Island
1966 – LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is first declared illegal in state of California, other states follow
1995 – BPAA US Women’s Open won by Cheryl Daniels
2018 – Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed and sworn onto the US Supreme Court amid protests and after an FBI investigation
Famous Birthdays
1820 – Jenny Lind, Swedish soprano known as the ‘Swedish Nightingale’, born in Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1887)
1927 – Alice Bauer, American golfer (co-founder LPGA), born in Eureka, South Dakota (d. 2002)
1946 – Tony Greig, English cricket captain, all-rounder (1972-77) and commentator, born in Queenstown, South Africa (d. 2012)
1962 – Rich Yett, baseball player
1970 – Amy Jo Johnson, American actress and singer
1982 – MC Lars [Andrew Nielsen], American hip-hop artist (iGeneration)
Famous Deaths
1017 – Wang Dan, Chinese politician in the Song dynasty and grand councilor (1006-17), dies at 59 or 60
1874 – Thomas Tellefsen, Norwegian pianist and composer, dies at 50
1893 – Ford Madox Brown, British painter, dies at 72
1973 – Dennis Price, English actor (Kind Hearts and Coronets, Separate Tables), dies at 58 (b. 1915)
2001 – Arne Harris, American television sports director, dies at 67
2022 – Judy Tenuta, American stand-up comedienne and accordion player, dies of ovarian cancer at 72
Famous Deaths for 5th October 2023
1606 – Philippe Desportes, French poet (b. 1546)
1707 – Daniel Speer, German composer, dies at 71
1933 – Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich, Russian WWI general, dies at 71
1954 – Oscar Charleston, American Baseball HOF CF (NgL Triple Crown 1921 St. Louis Giants, 1924, 25 Harrisburg Giants) and manager (NgL WS 1933, 35, 36 Pittsburgh Crawfords), dies of a stroke at 57
1992 – Paul Acket, Dutch publisher (Music Express) and impresario (North Sea Jazz Festival), dies of lung cancer at 69
1995 – Dick Henry Jurgen, American swing bandleader, and songwriter (“Elmer’s Tune”), dies of cancer at 85
1997 – Andrew Keir, Scottish character actor (Rob Roy, Absolution, Blood Hunt, Catholics), dies at 71
2000 – Sidney R. Yates, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois), dies at 91
2004 – Maurice Wilkins, New Zealand-born English physicist (Nobel 1962-X-ray diffraction studies of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) proved crucial to the determination of DNA’s molecular structure by James D. Watson and Francis Crick), dies at 87
2012 – Keith H.S. Campbell, British biologist, dies at 58
Historical Events for 5th October 2023
1632 – Henry Casimir I appointed viceroy of Groningen
1864 – Most of Calcutta destroyed by cyclone, approx 60,000 die
1915 – Bulgaria enters World War I as one of the Central Powers.
1945 – Queen Wilhelmina visits Rotterdam
1954 – 10th General Conference on Weights and Measures opens, will define the Kelvin as the primary unit of temperature (after William Thomson, Lord Kelvin)
1963 – 17th NHL All-Star Game, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs tie All Stars, 3-3; MVP: Frank Mahovlich, Toronto, LW
1964 – San Francisco Fire Department Museum dedicated
1991 – Fresno State ties NCAA football record with 49 points in a quarter (2nd), as they route New Mexico, 94-17 at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno
1991 – Military transport plane crashes at Jakarta, 133 dies
2018 – Banksy work “Girl With Balloon” automatically shreds moments after being sold for 1 million pounds in London, renamed “Love is in the Bin”
Today in History for 5th October 2023
Historical Events
1946 – Newcastle United equals English Football League record for biggest winning margin in a 13-0 thrashing of Newport in a Division 2 match at St. James’ Park; Len Shackleton scores 6, Charlie Wayman 4 for the Toon
1950 – “Pardon Our French” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 100 performances
1960 – KEYC TV channel 12 in Mankato, MN (CBS) begins broadcasting
1976 – MLB expansion draft: Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays pick 30 unprotected AL players; Ruppert Jones OF (Seattle) and Bob Bailor OF (Toronto) are first picks
1990 – Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Kevin Stevens has 2 goals and 4 assists in 7-4 opening-night win against the Washington Capitals at Capital Centre to set NHL record for most points in a season opener (6)
2017 – “The New York Times” publishes investigation into sexual harassment behaviour by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein
Famous Birthdays
1795 – Alexander Keith, Scottish-Canadian politician (4th Mayor of Halifax) and brewer (founder of the Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery), born in Halkirk, Caithness, Highland, Scotland (d. 1873)
1875 – Cyril Rootham, English organist, composer, and educator born in Redland, Bristol (d. 1938)
1930 – George “Skip” Homeier, American actor (Boys Ranch, Beachhead, Dan Raven, Interns), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2017)
1958 – Brent W. Jett Jr, American naval officer and NASA astronaut (STS 72, sk:81), born in Pontiac, Michigan
1970 – Audie Pitre, American bass guitarist (Acid Bath), born in Lousiana (d. 1997)
1972 – Thomas Roberts, American news anchor, born in Towson, Maryland
Famous Deaths
1934 – Jean Vigo, French actor and director (Zero For Conduct, L’Atlante), dies of complications from tuberculosis at 29
1972 – Ivan Yefremov, Russian paleontologist (originator of the concept of taphonomy) and author (Andromeda Nebula), dies at 64
2003 – Denis Quilley, British actor (Anything Goes, The Lady’s Not For Burning, Masada), dies from liver cancer at 75
2011 – Charles Napier, American actor (Night Stalker, Rambo), dies at 75
2015 – Grace Lee Boggs (née Grace Chin Lee), American philosopher, author (The Next American Revolution), civil rights activist and feminist, dies at 100
2019 – Marcello Giordani, Italian tenor (Metropolitan Opera, 1993-2008), dies of a heart attack at 56
Famous Deaths for 4th October 2023
1590 – Cujacius [Jacques Cujas], French lawyer, dies at about 68
1597 – Sarsa Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1550)
1830 – Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, Prussian Generalfeldmarschall, dies at 71
1863 – Gerrit Schimmelpenninck, Dutch politician (1st Dutch PM as Chairman of the Council of Ministers 1848), dies at 69
1961 – Benjamin (Fedchenkov), Bishop of the Russian Church and Orthodox missionary, dies at 81
1970 – Curtis Turner, American auto racer (184 NASCAR races over 17 years, 17 wins), dies in aeroplane crash at 46
1975 – May Sutton, American tennis player (first American woman to win Wimbledon singles title 1905), dies at 89
1982 – Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr, Iraqi fieldmarshal and President of Iraq (1968-79), dies at 68
2013 – Võ Nguyên Giáp, Vietnamese general (Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam War) and politician, dies at 102
2013 – Akira Miyoshi, Japanese composer (Conversations; A Diary of the Sea), dies at 80
Historical Events for 4th October 2023
1209 – Pope Innocent II crowns German king Otto of Wittelsbach
1809 – Spencer Perceval becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after William Cavendish-Bentinck, Duke of Portland retires due to ill health
1906 – Chicago Cubs beat Pittsburg Pirates, 4-0 to end MLB season at 116-36 with .763 winning percentage; unmatched since
1911 – 1st escalator installed on the London Underground at Earl’s Court Station
1959 – Dmitri Shostakovich’s 1st Cello concert premieres in Leningrad
1965 – Pope Paul VI becomes 1st Catholic Pope to leave Italy since 1809, and 1st to visit Western Hemisphere, spending 14 hours in NYC to address the UN, meet with US President Lyndon Johnson, visit the World’s Fair and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and celebrate mass at Yankee Stadium
1986 – NY Yankees closer Dave Righetti saves both doubleheader games at Fenway Park for 5-3 and 3-1 wins v Boston; Righetti’s MLB record 46th save
1997 – Farm Aid 10 concert in Texas cancelled due to weak ticket sales and moved to Illinois
1999 – “Breathe” single released by Faith Hill (Billboard Song of the Year 2000)
2012 – Turkey’s parliament approves cross-border military operations in Syria
Today in History for 4th October 2023
Historical Events
1777 – Battle of Germantown: Gen George Washington’s troops attack and are defeated by the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania
1938 – Baseball World Series: NY Yankees win third straight championship; beat Chicago Cubs, 8-3 at Yankee Stadium for 4-0 sweep
1944 – British troops land on Greek mainland
1964 – 3 cars of a commuter train derails in South Africa killing 81
1991 – The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature.
2022 – NY Yankees slugger Aaron Judge breaks Roger Maris’s AL single season HR record when he slams his 62nd homer in a 3-2 loss against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas
Famous Birthdays
1888 – Oscar Mathisen, Norwegian speed skater (5-time World Champion all-round), born in Kristiania, Norway (d. 1954)
1892 – Engelbert Dollfuss, Austrian right-wing politician (Chancellor, 1932-34), killed by Nazis, born in Texingtal, Austria (d. 1934)
1911 – Mary Two-Axe Earley, Mohawk elder and human rights advocate (fought against women’s status under the Indian Act), born on the Kahnawà:ke reserve, Quebec (d. 1996)
1932 – Milan Chvostek, Canadian television director
1957 – Kyra Schon, American actress (Night Of The Living Dead), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1959 – Chris Lowe, English rock keyboardist (One Under The Eight, Pet Shop Boys), born in Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Famous Deaths
1904 – Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, French sculptor (designed the Statue of Liberty), dies of tuberculosis at 70
1935 – Barbados Joe Walcott, Barbadian boxer (World Welterweight champion 1901-06; first Black to hold that title), dies in a car accident at 62
1971 – Edit Angold, German actress (Suspense, Molly, Blue Angel), dies at 76
1990 – Avis Bunnage, British actress (Rising Damp, Coronation Street), dies at 67
1996 – Tim N Gidal Gidalewitsch, photojournalist, dies at 87
2021 – Alan Kalter, American television announcer (Late Show with David Letterman, 1995-2015), dies at 78
Famous Deaths for 3rd October 2023
1564 – Christophorus Fabritius [Christoffel Smit], calvinist vicar, burned
1703 – Richard Saab, Amersfoorts rebel leader, beheaded
1952 – Alfred Neumann, German playwright (Devil), dies at 56
1957 – Bernard Maybeck, American architect (Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco), dies at 95
1982 – Roger Claessen, Belgian soccer striker (17 caps; Standard de Liège), dies at 41
1988 – Franz Josef Strauss, German politician, Minister of Defense (1956-62), dies at 73
1996 – Thomas ap Rees, British botanist, dies in a cycling accident at 65
2004 – John Cerutti, American baseball pitcher (Toronto Blue Jays) and broadcaster (Rogers Sportsnet), dies of ventricular arrhythmia at 44
2006 – Alberto Ramento, Filipina bishop (b. 1937)
2008 – Aurel Stroe, Romanian composer, dies at 76
Historical Events for 3rd October 2023
1143 – Cardinal Guido elected Pope Coelestinus II
1899 – J S Thurman patents motor-driven vacuum cleaner
1918 – Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria abdicates the throne in favour of his eldest son Tsar Boris III
1941 – Adolf Hitler says Russia is “already broken and will never rise again” in a broadcast to the German people
1960 – New York Yankees beat rival Boston Red Sox, 8-7 at Yankee Stadium, ending season on 15 game winning streak and MLB record 193 HRs
1961 – Noël Coward’s musical “Sail Away”, starring Elaine Stritch, opens at Broadhurst Theater, NYC; runs for 167 performances
1965 – Dual Melbourne Cup winning Australian jockey Pat Glennon rides French colt Sea Bird to victory in the Prix de l’Arc De Triomphe to claim an impressive double after the thoroughbred’s English Derby win
2004 – Final game in Montreal Expos team history is played in NYC against the Mets at Shea Stadium, an 8-1 defeat; Jamey Carroll scores the final Expos run and Endy Chavez is the last Expos batter
2021 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady becomes NFL’s all-time leader in career passing yardage in 19-17 win vs NE Patriots at Gillette Stadium: Brady 22-43 for 269 yards to pass Drew Brees’ high of 80,358
2022 – Ringo Starr postpones five dates of his All-Starr Band tour in Canada due to his testing positive for COVID-19