1934 – Earnest L. Wolzogen, German writer (That tolle Komtess), dies at 79
1946 – Grigory Semyonov, Russian counter-revolutionary (executed) (b. 1890)
2001 – Ivor Spencer-Thomas, English farmer, entrepreneur and inventor, dies at 94
2004 – Fred Lawrence Whipple, American astronomer (dirty-snowball theory), dies at 97
2005 – James H. Scheuer, American politician (Rep-D-NY, 1965-73, 75- 93), dies of heart and kidney failure at 85
2007 – Augustine Harris, British Bishop of Middlesbrough, dies at 89
2013 – Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and playwright (Nobel Prize in Literature 1995), dies at 74
2015 – Oliver Sacks, English Neurologist and author (Awakenings), dies at 82
2015 – Wes Craven, American filmmaker (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream), dies at 76
2019 – Valerie Harper, American actress (The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Rhoda), dies of cancer at 80
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 30th August 2023
1757 – Battle at Gross Jagerndorf: Russian army beats Prussia [OS=Aug 19]
1800 – Gabriel Prosser leads a slave rebellion in Richmond, Virginia
1862 – Battle of Altamont-Confederates beat Union forces in Tennessee
1932 – Hermann Goering elected President of the German Reichstag
1939 – General Reijnders appointed supreme commander of Dutch army
1961 – Oriole Jack Fisher walks 12 LA Angels in a 9 inning game
1982 – PLO leader Yasser Arafat leaves Beirut
1984 – 12th NASA Space Shuttle Mission (41D): Discovery 1 launches for a 6-day excursion
1991 – Dan O’Brien sets US decathlon record with 8,812 points
1993 – “Late Show with David Letterman” debuts on CBS, from the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC; Bill Murray is his first guest, Billy Joel performs
Today in History for 30th August 2023
Historical Events
1843 – 1st time African-Americans participate in a national political convention (Liberty Party)
1918 – Czechoslovakia forms independent republic
1954 – Hurricane Carol kills 68 on the US East Coast
1983 – 8th NASA Space Shuttle Mission: Challenger 3 launches for a 6-day excursion
1986 – Soviet authorities arrested Nicholas Daniloff (US News World Report)
1987 – Yves Pol of France runs complete marathon backwards (3:57:57)
Famous Birthdays
1809 – Adolf Friedrich Hesse, German composer, born in Wrocław, Poland (d. 1863)
1913 – Thomas F. Torrance, Scottish Protestant theologist, born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China (d. 2007)
1918 – Ted Williams, American Baseball HOF outfielder (last player to bat over .400 in single season; 19 x MLB All Star; AL MVP 1946, 49; Triple Crown 1942, 47 Boston Red Sox), born in San Diego, California (d. 2002)
1921 – Angelo Dundee, American boxing trainer and cornerman (Muhammad Ali 1960–81 and 15 other world boxing champions), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012)
1963 – Paul Oakenfold, British record producer and DJ, born in Mile End, London
1966 – Michael Michele, American actress (Nikki-Central Park West), born in Evansville, Indiana
Famous Deaths
1580 – Emanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy (1553-80, regained lands of Savoy), dies at 52
1981 – Vera-Ellen [Westmeier Rohe], American actress and dancer (White Christmas; Big Leaguer; On the Town), dies of cancer at 60
1984 – Wesley Lau, American actor (Lt Anderson-Perry Mason), dies at 63
1989 – Joe Collins, American baseball first baseman (World Series 1949–53, 56; New York Yankees), dies at 66
2007 – Charles Vanik, American politician (Rep-D-Ohio 1955-81), dies at 94
2008 – Tommy Bolt, American golfer (US Open 1958), dies at 92
Famous Deaths for 29th August 2023
1935 – Charles Lee Williams, English composer (Gloucester Cathedral), dies at 82
1946 – J E Feenstra, Nazi military police commandant, executed
1977 – Jean Hagen, actress (Dead Ringer, Shaggy Dog, Arena), dies at 54
1979 – Mary Marquet, French actress (Landru, Paris Canaille), dies at 84
1991 – Kathryn Cravens, American early news correspondent, dies at 92
1995 – Harry Broadhurst, British Royal Air Force commander and flying ace of the Second World War, dies at 89
2001 – Francisco Rabal, Spanish actor (b. 1926)
2007 – Banarsi Das Gupta, Indian 4th Chief Minister of Haryana (1975-77), dies at 89
2008 – Geoffrey Perkins, British comedy producer (b. 1953)
2009 – Frank Gardner, Australian auto racer (European F5000 1971; British Touring Car Championship 1967-68, 73), dies at 77
Historical Events for 29th August 2023
1854 – Self-governing windmill patented by American inventor Daniel Halladay
1920 – An American sweep of the medals in the women’s 3m springboard diving event at the Antwerp Olympics; Aileen Riggin wins gold ahead of teammates Helen Wainwright and Thelma Payne
1937 – MLB Philadelphia A’s Bob Johnson is 2nd to get 6 RBIs in an inning (1st)
1944 – 15,000 American troops liberating Paris march down Champs Elysees
1958 – Cliff Richard and the Drifters release single “Move It”, Richards debut single. Credited as 1st British Rock n Roll song.
1972 – SF Giant Jim Barr retires 1st 20 batters he faces added to last 21 he retired 6 days earlier for record 41 in a row
1992 – Largest wrestling crowd outside US – 75,000 at Wembley Stadium, London
1997 – Netflix is founded by Marc Randolph and Reed Hasting in Scotts Valley, California as an online DVD rental business
2004 – Athens Olympic marathon is run on same route as 1896 Games, start at site of the Battle of Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens: Stefano Baldini of Italy wins men’s gold in 2:10:55
2014 – Riots break out in Guinea following rumours that health workers are deliberately transmitting the Ebola virus to locals
Today in History for 29th August 2023
Historical Events
1930 – The last 36 remaining inhabitants of St Kilda are voluntarily evacuated to other parts of Scotland.
1967 – Yanks longest day, Red Sox take 1st game 2-1 in 9, Yanks win 2nd game in 20, 4-3 a total of 8 hours and 19 minutes
1987 – Houston Astro MLB player Nolan Ryan passes the 200-strikeout barrier for record 11th time
1992 – Irish rock band U2 plays the 1st of two sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, NYC
2011 – “Tha Carter IV” 9th studio album by Lil Wayne is released
2012 – Banana Spider venom is found to be effective in relieving erectile dysfunction
Famous Birthdays
1843 – David B. Hill, American politician and Governor of New York (1885-91), born in Montour Falls, New York (d. 1910)
1844 – Edward Carpenter, English poet and philosopher (Civilisation, Its Cause and Cure), born in Hove, Sussex, England (d. 1929)
1905 – Arndt Pekurinen, Finnish pacifist, executed without a trial for his beliefs, born in Juva, Finland (d. 1941)
1954 – Julio Fernandez, Cuban-American jazz guitarist (Spyro Gyra, 1984-present), born in Havana, Cuba
1963 – Elizabeth Fraser, Scottish singer (Cocteau Twins – “Heaven OR Las Vegas”), born in Grangemouth, Scotland
1974 – Jay Onrait, Canadian sports broadcaster (TSN, Fox Sports 1), born in Athabasca, Alberta
Famous Deaths
1893 – Aleksey Apukhtin, Russian poet (Stichotvorenia), dies at 52 [OS=8/17]
1931 – David Abercrombie, Abercrombie and Fitch founder, dies at 64
1980 – Louis Darquier de Pellepoix, French politician and Nazi collaborator (anti-Semite minister in WWII Vichy government), dies at 92
1987 – Lee Marvin, American actor (Paint Your Wagon, Cat Ballou), dies of a heart attack at 63
2002 – Alan MacNaughtan, Scottish actor (To Serve Them All My Days), dies at 82
2007 – Pierre Messmer, French politician (Prime Minister of France 1972-74 under Georges Pompidou), dies at 91
Famous Deaths for 28th August 2023
683 – K’inich Janaab’ Pakal [Sun Shield], Ajaw of the Maya city-state of Palenque, dies at 80
1528 – Pedro Navarro, Navarrese general and engineer (invented the land mine), dies (b. c. 1460)
1903 – August Labitzky, Bohemian composer, dies at 70
1933 – Helen Dunbar, American actress (b. 1863)
1943 – Boris III, Tsar of Bulgaria (1918-43), dies of heart failure at 49; likely caused by poisoning but by whom remains a mystery
1964 – Lumsden Hare, Irish actor (Oregon Trail, Desert Fox, Young Bess), dies at 89
1982 – Geoff Chubb, South African cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 21 wickets; Border), dies at 71
1990 – Larry Jackson, American baseball pitcher (5 × MLB All-Star; MLB wins leader 1964; St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies), dies from cancer at 59
2017 – Bobby Boyd, American NFL cornerback (5 × All-Pro 1964–1968; NFL interceptions leader 1965; Baltimore Colts), dies of bladder cancer at 79
2022 – Manzoor Hussain, Pakistani field hockey striker (Olympic gold 1986; World Cup gold 1978, 82; 175 caps, 86 goals), dies at 63
Historical Events for 28th August 2023
1898 – Caleb Bradham renames his carbonated soft drink “Pepsi-Cola”.
1918 – Tris Speaker suspended for season due to assault on umpire Tom Connolly
1939 – Netherland mobilizes
1966 – 27th Venice Film Festival: “The Battle of Algiers” directed by Gillo Pontecorvo wins Golden Lion
1988 – 70 killed in crash of three Italian air force fighters at air show at Ramstein, Germany
1990 – Stefan Edberg (#1 seeded player) loses in 1st round to Alex Volkov
1994 – 94th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Tiger Woods
2011 – Canadian Open Women’s Golf, Hillsdale CC: Brittany Lincicome wins by 1 stroke from Michelle Wie and Stacy Lewis
2017 – Kenya brings in world’s toughest ban on plastic bags with possible US$38,000 fine and four years in jail
2018 – Aretha Franklin lies in state at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit in a 24 carat coffin
Today in History for 28th August 2023
Historical Events
1862 – Belle Boyd released from Old Capital Prison in Washington, D.C.
1921 – Babe Ruth starts streak of an extra-base hit in 9 straight games
1967 – Boston signs 1st free-agent outfielder Ken Harrelson for $75,000 bonus
1987 – Mike Schmidt passes Ted Williams and Willie McCovey with 522 HRs
1990 – Stefan Edberg (#1 seeded player) loses in 1st round to Alex Volkov
1994 – 1st Japanese gay pride parade
Famous Birthdays
1842 – Willem Linnig The Younger, Flemish painter and graphic artist, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1890)
1881 – Arne Eggen, Norwegian organist and composer, born in Trondheim, Norway (d. 1955)
1931 – John Shirley-Quirk, British operatic bass-baritone (Death in Venice), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2014)
1938 – Maurizio Costanzo, Italian television journalist (Maurizio Costanzo Show), born in Rome, Italy (d. 2023)
1947 – Alice Playton, American actress (Who Killed Mary Whats ‘er Name), born in NYC, New York
1970 – Jaime Fields, NFL/WLAF linebacker (KC Chiefs, Scotland Claymores), born in Compton, California (d. 1999)
Famous Deaths
1539 – Lieven Pain, Flemish, beheaded at about 75
1654 – Axel Oxenstierna, Swedish statesman (Lord High Chancellor and regent of Sweden), dies at 71
1678 – John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, English soldier (b. 1602)
1757 – David Hartley, English philosopher and Founder of the Associationist School of Psychology, dies at 51
1839 – William Smith, British geologist who is credited with creating the first nationwide geological map (Strata Identified by Organized Fossils), dies at 70
1953 – Nikolai Golovanov, Russian conductor and composer (Bolshoi Opera), dies at 61
Famous Deaths for 27th August 2023
1208 – Irene Angelina, daughter of Isaac II Angeles, dies
1635 – Lope Félix de Vega Carpio, Spanish playwright and poet (Angelica, Arcadia), dies at 72
1758 – Barbara of Portugal [Maria Madalena Bárbara Xavier Leonor Teresa Antónia Josefa], Queen of Spain, dies at 46
1930 – Didericus van Epen, Dutch genealogist (Dutch Patriarch, dies at 62
1958 – Ernest Lawrence, American nuclear scientist and inventor (Cyclotron – Nobel 1939), dies at 57
1967 – Henri-Georges Adam, French painter/cartoonist/sculptor, dies at 63
1975 – Bob Scholl, American doo-wop vocalist (Mello-Kings – “Tonite, Tonite”), dies in a boating accident at 41
1996 – Alexander Lanusse, military President of Argentina (1971-73), dies
2007 – Emma Penella, Spanish actress, dies at 76
2009 – Sergey Mikhalkov, Soviet writer and poet, dies at 96