1343 – St. George’s Night Uprising in Estonia
1633 – Sweden and Protestant German monarchy form Union of Heilbronn
1918 – Raid of Zeebrugge; the British navy attempts to block German vessels from leaving port by sinking obsolete ships – mostly fails
1942 – 4-day allied bombing on Rostock begins
1943 – British and US offensive directed at Tunis and Bizerta
1954 – Hammerin’ Hank Aaron hits 1st of his 755 homers
1996 – Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Reno NV on KRZQ 96.5 FM
2001 – Fatboy Slim releases single “Weapon of Choice”, music video directed by Spike Jonze starring Christopher Walken dancing
2013 – 21 people are killed during violent unrest in Xinjiang, China
2013 – West Indian cricketer, Chris Gayle, smashes the fastest century in history (30 balls)
Author: gil7
Today in History for 23rd April 2023
Historical Events
1798 – Dutch emperor accepts new Constitution
1919 – US Major League Baseball opens a reduced 140-game season
1959 – 1st heliport in Britain opens in London
1967 – Soyuz 1 launched; Vladimir Komarov becomes 1st in-flight casualty
1969 – ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Jim Chestney
1997 – 32nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks and Dunn, George Strait, and Patty Loveless win
Famous Birthdays
1629 – Jan Commelin, Dutch botanist and director of Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, born in Leiden, Netherlands (d. 1692)
1747 – Abbé Alexandre-Auguste Robineau, French composer and painter, born in Paris (d. 1828)
1908 – Myron Waldman, American animator (Fleischer Studio), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2006)
1948 – Pascal Quignard, French author (Les Ombres), born in Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure, France
1949 – Joyce DeWitt, American actress (Janet Wood-Three’s Company), born in Wheeling, West Virginia
1988 – Alistair Brownlee, British triathlete (Olympic gold 2012, 16), born in Dewsbury, England
Famous Deaths
1014 – Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, dies in battle at Clontarf
1728 – Tomas de Torrejon y Velasco, Spanish composer based in Peru, dies at 83
1880 – Raden Saleh [Raden Saleh Sjarif Boestaman], Indonesian romantic painter, dies at about 69
1915 – Rupert Brooke, British WW I poet (Lithuania, The Soldier), dies at 27
1929 – Rudolf Nilsen, Norwegian poet (Hverdagen), dies of tuberculosis at 28
2006 – Susan Browning, American actress (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman – “Pat”), dies at 65
Famous Deaths for 22nd April 2023
1521 – Juan de Padilla, Spanish Roman Catholic missionary, killed at 52
1699 – Hans Erasmus Aßmann Abschatz, German poet and nobleman, dies at 53
1821 – John Crome [Old Crome], English landscape painter and etcher, dies at 52
1833 – Richard Trevithick, English inventor (steam locomotive), dies at 62
1844 – Henri-Montan Berton, French composer, dies at 76
1865 – Francis Washburn, US Union colonel/gen major, dies of injuries
1877 – James P. Kirkwood, American civil engineer, dies at 70
1899 – Ned Gregory, Australian cricket batsman (1 Test; first recognised Test in 1877), dies at 59
1930 – Jeppe Aakjær, Danish poet and novelist (Bondens Søn), dies at 63
2000 – Toon Hermans, Dutch poet (Kolderliedjes), dies at 83
Historical Events for 22nd April 2023
1500 – Pedro Álvares Cabral is the first european to discover Brazil, landing near Monte Pascoal, claims it for Portugal
1804 – Gioachino Rossini performs as a singer in Imola, Italy, aged only 12 years old
1871 – All German Jews emancipated after the German Constitution adopted by its last state Bavaria
1893 – Paul Kruger elected President of Transvaal for the third time
1971 – Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 10 launched
1981 – Almost 1 million West German metal workers go on strike
1991 – Frank Thomas is 1st White Sox to homer at new Comiskey Park
1993 – Holocaust Memorial Museum dedicated in Washington, D.C.
1993 – Seattle Mariner Chris Basio no-hits Boston Red Sox
2000 – The Big Number Change takes place in the United Kingdom
Today in History for 22nd April 2023
Historical Events
1526 – 1st slave revolt in North America at San Miguel de Gualdape, a Spanish settlement (now part of South Carolina)
1964 – World’s Fair at Flushing Meadow, Corona Park, NY opens
1983 – Stern mag announces major historical find-discovery of 60 volume personal diaries written by Adolf Hitler (turned out to be a hoax)
2010 – NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford first pick by St. Louis Rams
2018 – Monte Carlo Tennis Masters: Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to extend his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11)
2019 – Marvel film “Avengers: Endgame” directed by Anthony and Joe Russo starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and an ensemble cast, premieres in Los Angeles
Famous Birthdays
1844 – Lewis Powell, American Confederate soldier who was part of the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln and who attempted to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward, born in Randolph, Alabama (d. 1865)
1935 – Dick Conway, New Zealand rugby union flanker/#8 (10 Tests; Otago RFU, Bay of Plenty RU), born in Whakatāne, New Zealand (d. 2022)
1939 – Jason Miller, American actor and writer (Exorcist, Light of Day), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania (d. 2001)
1967 – Sherri Shepherd, American comedian, actress, and television personality The View, 2007-14), born in Chicago, Illinois
1969 – Bobby Olive, NFL wide receiver (Indianapolis Colts)
1978 – Jason Stollsteimer, American singer (The Von Bondies)
Famous Deaths
1833 – Richard Trevithick, English inventor (steam locomotive), dies at 62
1883 – Octave Fouque, French pianist and composer, dies at 38
1951 – Stanley Ridges, British-born actor (possessed, Sgt York, Mr Ace), dies at 59
1967 – Tom Conway {Sanders], British radio and screen actor (The Falcon’s Brother; I Cheated The Law; The Betty Hutton Show), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 62
1990 – Albert Salmi, American stage and screen character actor (Caddyshack; The Brothers Karamazov; Bus Stop), kills terminally ill wife and self at 62
2001 – Ludvig Nielsen, Norwegian organist, composer, choir director, and conductor (Nidaros Cathedral, 1935-76), dies at 95
Famous Deaths for 21st April 2023
1792 – Tiradentes, Brazilian revolutionary and independence fighter (Inconfidência Mineira) considered a national hero, hanged, drawn and quartered in Rio de Janeiro at 45
1918 – Manfred von Richthofen [The Red Baron], German World War I fighter ace, dies at 25 after his plane is shot down
1985 – Tancredo Neves, president-elect of Brazil, dies at 75
1986 – Salah Jaheen, Egyptian poet and cartoonist, dies at 55
1988 – I. A. L. Diamond, Hollywood screenwriter (1960 Acad Award-Apartment), dies at 67
1996 – Rodney Meredith Thomas, English architect and painter, dies at 93
1997 – Andres Rodriguez, Paraguayan president (1989-93), dies
1998 – Jean Francois Lyotard, French philosopher and sociologist (b. 1924)
2005 – Heinz Kluncker, German trade union leader (ÖTV (Öffentliche Dienste, Transport und Verkehr – Public service, transport and traffic) president, 1964-82)., dies at 80
2020 – Milt Sunde, American NFL guard (Pro Bowl 1966; NFL Champion 1969; Minnesota Vikings), dies from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease at 78
Historical Events for 21st April 2023
1862 – Ellen Price Wood’s “East Lynne” premieres in Boston
1865 – Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train leaves Washington
1914 – US marines occupy Vera Cruz, a major Mexican port; they will stay for 6 months
1928 – “The Passion of Joan of Arc”, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, starring Renée Jeanne Falconetti and Eugène Silvain, is released in Denmark
1940 – 1st $64 Question, “Take It or Leave It,” on CBS Radio
1945 – WWII: Allied troops occupy German nuclear laboratory in Haigerloch
1945 – WWII: Soviet army arrives at outskirts of Berlin, Germany
1961 – French army revolts in Algeria
1985 – Bomb attacks in NATO/AEG-Telefunken building in Brussels
2010 – “Shrek Forever After” directed by Mike Mitchell with voices by Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival
Today in History for 21st April 2023
Historical Events
1796 – Napoleon and the French defeat the Piedmontese at Battle of Mondovi
1961 – Dirk Stikker chosen as secretary general of NATO
1965 – New York World’s Fair reopens for 2nd and final season
1970 – The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) is formed; it attempts to appeal to Catholics and Protestant to unite in support of moderate policies
1987 – Dow Jones Average soared 664.7; 2nd biggest one-day gain in history
1996 – PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Hale Irwin beats Japan’s Isao Aoki by 2 strokes for his first of 4 Senior PGA Championships
Famous Birthdays
1488 – Ulrich von Hutten, German knight, scholar and poet (led Imperial Knights against Roman Catholic Church), born in Schlüchtern, Hesse (d. 1523)
1555 – Ludovico Carracci, Italian painter, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1619)
1936 – Anthony Joseph Gnazzo, American electronic composer (First Things First), born in Plainville, Connecticut
1947 – John Weider, bassist (Family-Family Entertainment)
1971 – Alexander Kravchenko, Russian professional poker player
1975 – Danyon Loader, New Zealand 200m and 400m swimmer (2 Olympic gold medals 1996), born in Dunedin, New Zealand
Famous Deaths
1719 – Philippe de la Hire, French mathematician and historian (b. 1640)
1930 – Robert Bridges, English poet (Testament of beauty) and British Poet Laureate (1913-30), dies at 85
1993 – Hal Schumacher, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1933; MLB All-Star 1933, 35; New York Giants), dies at 82
1996 – A H Kardar, cricketer (3 Tests for India and 23 for Pak 1946-58), dies
2017 – Ugo Ehiogu, English soccer defender (4 caps; Aston Villa, Middlesborough), dies from cardiac arrest at 44
2018 – Verne Troyer, American actor (Mini-Me in Austin Powers movies), dies at 49
Famous Deaths for 20th April 2023
1164 – Victor IV [Ottaviano Montecello], Italian antipope (1159-64), dies
1900 – Alexandre Falguière, French sculptor and painter, dies at 68
1956 – Jaap Vranken, Dutch organist and composer (Stabat mater), dies at 59
1965 – Dick Wessel, American actor (Dick Tracy vs Cueball, Beware of Blondie), dies of heart attack on 52nd birthday
1968 – Marion Weeks, American silent film actress, and Ziegfield Follies singer and dancer, dies of stroke at 81
1991 – Sean O’Faolain [J Whelan], Irish writer (Nest of Simple), dies at 91
1995 – Sunil Jayasinghe, Sri Lankan wicketkeeper (1979 World Cup), suicide
1995 – Milovan Djilas, Yugoslavian politician and writer (The New Class), dies at 83
2014 – Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, American boxer (famous murder conviction overturned after 19 years imprisonment), dies of prostate cancer at 76
2018 – Allan B. Swift, American broadcast journalist and politician (US Representative for Washington (D), 1979-95), dies at 82
Historical Events for 20th April 2023
1939 – Ted Williams’ first MLB hit comes off of NY Yankees fellow future HOF’er Red Ruffing in Boston’s 2-0 opening day defeat at Yankee Stadium, NYC
1951 – Velsen city council demands investigation of police collaborators
1963 – 10th National Film Awards (India): “Dada Thakur” wins the Golden Lotus
1981 – Rocker Papa John Phillips arrested for drug possession
1985 – ATF raid on The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord compound in northern Arkansas
1987 – US deports Karl Linnas to USSR, charged with Nazi war crimes
1987 – 91st Boston Marathon: Toshihiko Seko of Japan wins 2nd title in 2:11:50; Rosa Mota of Portugal claims women’s event in 2:25:21; her first of 3 race victories
1994 – Serbian army bombs hospital in Goradze Bosnia, 47 killed
1997 – 27th Easter Seal Telethon raises $47,392,682
2021 – Record number of new COVID-19 cases reported (5.24 million) in one week around the world according to WHO, with a third in India