Today in History for 20th April 2023

Historical Events

1810 – The Governors of Caracas declares the national sovereignty from Spain
1871 – US 3rd Enforcement Act (President can suspend writ of habeas corpus)
1899 – David Beatty is appointed executive officer of the HMS Barfleur, a small battleship and flagship of the China Station
1942 – German occupiers forbids Dutch access to their beach
1968 – Pierre Trudeau sworn in as Canada’s 15th Prime Minister
1972 – Virgil Thomson’s final opera, “Lord Byron”, with libretto by Jack Larson, first performance at Lincoln Center, New York City

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Famous Birthdays

1705 – Balthasar Schmid, German composer and printer, born in Nuremberg, Bavaria (d. 1749)
1915 – Joseph Wolpe, South African psychotherapist, born in Johannesburg, South Africa (d. 1997)
1963 – Aubrey de Grey, British biomedical gerontologist, born in London
1964 – Andy Serkis, English actor (Gollum in Lord of the Rings), born in London, England
1965 – Kostas Hatzidakis, Greek politician (New Democracy Party), born in Rethymno, Greece
1965 – Adrian Fernández, Mexican racing driver and co-owner of the Fernandez Racing team, born in Mexico City

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Famous Deaths

1887 – Muhammad Sharif Pasha, Egyptian statesman (b. 1826)
1912 – Bram Stoker, Irish theater manager and author (Dracula), dies at 64
1971 – Cecil Parker, British actor (The Lady Vanishes, Indiscreet, Tale of 2 Cities), dies at 73
1973 – Elisabeth Hauptmann, German writer (co-author of The Threepenny Opera), dies at 75
1995 – Tessie O’Shea, Welsh stage and screen entertainer, dies at 81
1996 – Christopher Robin Milne, bookseller, dies at 75

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Famous Deaths for 19th April 2023

1770 – Esprit Antoine Blanchard, French composer, dies at 74
1895 – Victor J van Hinsbergh, South Neth engraver (PTT-stempels), dies at 70
1916 – Ephraim Shay, American inventor of Shay type of geared steam locomotive, dies at 76
1930 – Georges-Casimir Dessaulles, Canadian senator (b. 1827)
1930 – Charles Scribner II, American magazine and book publisher, dies at 75
1937 – William Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, English historian and explorer (Spitzbergen), dies at 81
1980 – Ethel Wilson, actress (Aunt Harriet-Aldrich Family), dies at 88
1988 – Kwon Ki-ok, first Korean female pilot (b. 1901)
1993 – David Koresh [Vernon Howell], American cult leader (Davidians), dies shot at 33
2004 – John Maynard Smith, English biologist (b. 1920)

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Historical Events for 19th April 2023

1619 – Theatrum Anatomicum opens in Amsterdam
1775 – New England militiamen begin the siege of Boston, hemming in the British army garrison
1919 – French assembly decides on 8 hour work day
1943 – Jews refuse to surrender the Warsaw Ghetto to SS officer Jürgen Stroop, who then orders its destruction, beginning the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
1959 – Uprising in La Paz Bolivia, fails
1964 – Rightist coup in Laos, Suvanna Phuma remains premier
1968 – Belgian construction workers strike
1982 – Sally Ride is named the 1st American woman astronaut
1999 – The German Bundestag returns to Berlin.
2013 – Boston bombing suspects killed and captured in Boston after 4 days

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Today in History for 19th April 2023

Historical Events

1775 – New England militiamen begin the siege of Boston, hemming in the British army garrison
1825 – 33 patriotic exiles return to Uruguay
1924 – “National Barn Dance” premieres on WLS Chicago
1953 – WAFB TV channel 9 in Baton Rouge, LA (CBS) begins broadcasting
1982 – 86th Boston Marathon: American Alberto Salazar claims men’s title in 2:08:51; Charlotte Teske of West Germany wins women’s section in 2:29:33
2018 – US Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois (D)) is the first parent to bring a baby into the Senate chambers, a day after the Senate votes to allow babies on the chamber’s floor

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Famous Birthdays

1939 – Ali Khamenei [Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei], 2nd Supreme Leader of Iran (1989-) and the 3rd President of Iran (1981-89), born in Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran
1950 – Marc Demeyer, Belgian road racing cyclist (Paris-Brussel 1974), born in Avelgem, Belgium (d. 1982)
1950 – Earl Gardner, American jazz trumpeter (Saturday Night Live), born in NYC, New York
1964 – Scott Kamienicki, American baseball pitcher (NY Yankees), born in Mount Clemens, Michigan
1968 – Brent Mayne, American baseball catcher (NY Mets), born in Loma Linda, California
1977 – Lucien Mettomo, Cameroonian footballer (2002 World Cup), born in Douala, Cameroon

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Famous Deaths

1768 – Filippo della Valle, Italian sculptor, dies at about 70
1862 – Louis Powell Harvey, US governor of Wisconsin, drowns
1930 – Charles Scribner II, American magazine and book publisher, dies at 75
1987 – Maxwell D. Taylor, American army general, (WWII Commander 101st airborne), Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff 1962-64), dies at 85
2005 – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish jazz bassist (b. 1946)
2008 – Alfonso López Trujillo, Colombian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, dies at 72

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Famous Deaths for 18th April 2023

1636 – Julius Caesar, English lawyer and judge, dies at 78
1684 – Gonzales Coques, Flemish painter, dies at 69
1794 – Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain, dies at 80
1800 – Pieter Fouquet, Dutch art merchant (Atlas of Fouquet), dies at 71
1855 – Jean-Baptiste Isabey, French painter, dies at 88
1955 – Eugen Herrigel, German philosopher and scholar (early pioneer of Zen in Europe), dies at 70
1993 – Masahiko Kimura, Japanese judoka, dies at 75
1996 – Michael Leander, English songwriter and record producer, dies at 54
1999 – Gian-Carlo Rota, Italian-born American mathematician and philosopher, dies at 66
2022 – Janez Matičič, Slovenian pianist. conductor, and pedagogue, dies at 95

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Historical Events for 18th April 2023

1907 – Fairmont Hotel opens in San Francisco
1912 – Tripolitan War: in continuing hostilities, Turkey closes the Dardanelles Straits after an Italian naval bombardment of the coastline
1935 – Netherlands election (Musserts NSB wins 8% of vote)
1953 – Revival of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s musical “Pal Joey”, starring Harold Lang and Vivienne Segal, closes at Broadhurst Theater, NYC, after 540 performances, winning 3 Tony Awards
1968 – San Francisco’s Old Hall of Justice demolished
1983 – A lone suicide bomber kills 63, at US Embassy in Lebanon
1994 – 98th Boston Marathon: Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya wins 2nd straight title in 2:07:15; Uta Pippig of Germany claims women’s race in 2:21:45
2016 – Laureus World Sports Awards, Palais am Funkturm, Berlin, Germany: Sportsman: Novak Đoković; Sportswoman: Sernea Williams; Team: New Zealand Men’s National Rugby Union team
2017 – British Prime Minister Teresa May announces she will seek a “snap” election
2021 – 12-team European Super League is announced to widespread condemnation amongst governments, non-involved clubs, press and fans; amidst the furore all 6 EPL clubs withdraw within 3 days

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Today in History for 18th April 2023

Historical Events

1676 – Sudbury, Massachusetts, attacked by Indians
1946 – US recognizes Tito’s Yugoslavia government
1964 – Artisans strike in Belgium ends
1987 – Pat Knauff, France sets 1-leg downhill ski speed record (115.012 mph)
2017 – British Prime Minister Teresa May announces she will seek a “snap” election
2021 – 12-team European Super League is announced to widespread condemnation amongst governments, non-involved clubs, press and fans; amidst the furore all 6 EPL clubs withdraw within 3 days

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Famous Birthdays

1918 – Róbert Zimonyi, Hungarian rowing coxswain (Olympic gold USA men’s eight 1964; bronze Hungary coxed pair 1948), born in Sárvár, Hungary (d. 2004)
1923 – Leif Panduro, Danish writer (‘k Have varnish on traditions), born in Frederiksberg, Denmark (d. 1977)
1923 – Beryl Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle, British engineer, politician and CEO (Equal Opportunities Comm), born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex (d. 2015)
1928 – Howard S. Becker, American sociologist, born in Chicago, Illinois
1947 – Walt Richmond, American rock keyboardist (The Tractors; J.J. Cale; Bob Seger; Eric Clapton), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
1987 – Sandra Lyng Haugen, Norwegian singer (Play My Drum), born in Mosjøen, Norway

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Famous Deaths

1800 – Pieter Fouquet, Dutch art merchant (Atlas of Fouquet), dies at 71
1928 – Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński, Polish pianist, composer, and conductor, dies of a heart attack at 58
1938 – Richard Terry, English organist and musicologist, dies at 73
1996 – Michael Leander, English songwriter and record producer, dies at 54
2020 – François Lafortune Jr., Belgian rifle shooter (7 x Olympic Games 1952-1976, 50m Rifle, Prone Position), dies from Parkinson’s disease at 87
2022 – Harrison Birtwistle, British contemporary classical composer (The Minotaur; The Mask of Orpheus), dies at 87

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Famous Deaths for 17th April 2023

1630 – Christian I, German Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg who led an army of 21,000 Bohemians at the Battle of White Mountain, dies at 61
1696 – Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, French writer (b. 1626)
1840 – Hannah Webster Foster, American author (The Coquette; or, The History of Eliza Wharton), dies at 81
1910 – Ignacio Mariscal, Mexican lawyer and diplomat (Secretary of Foreign Affairs), dies at 80
1941 – Al Bowlly, South African-British dance band vocalist (“Midnight, The Stars, And You”), and bandleader, dies in a German bombing raid of London at 43
1998 – Linda McCartney (née Eastman), American photographer, musician (Wings) and wife of Paul McCartney, dies of breast cancer at 56
2004 – Soundarya, Indian actress (b. 1971)
2008 – Aimé Césaire, French Martinican poet and politician, dies at 94
2011 – Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer and songwriter (b. 1948)
2011 – Eric Gross, Austrian-Australian pianist, composer (Na shledanou v Praze (Good-bye in Prague); Moonscape), conductor, and educator (University of Sydney, 1960-91), dies at 84

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Historical Events for 17th April 2023

1387 – Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” characters begin their pilgrimage to Canterbury (according to scholars)
1492 – Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the “Indies” with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered.
1711 – Charles VI becomes Holy Roman Emperor after the death of his brother Joseph I
1797 – Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of the largest invasions of Spanish territories in America
1853 – Johan Rudolf Thorbecke’s government in the Netherlands resigns
1860 – Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight out brutal 2 hour, 27 minute draw near Farnborough, England; police stop fight acknowledged as first world title bout
1961 – 33rd Academy Awards: “Apartment” wins best film, Burt Lancaster and Elizabeth Taylor win best actor, actress
1964 – Jerrie Mock becomes 1st woman to fly solo around the world
1987 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
2015 – Jazz composer and musician John Coltrane is awarded a posthumous Special Citation by the Pulitzer Prize board

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Today in History for 17th April 2023

Historical Events

1941 – Egyptian steamer SS Zamzam attacked and later scuttled by German cruiser Atlantis (all on board rescued)
1960 – American Samoa sets up a constitutional government
1983 – 1st National Coin Week begins
1984 – Braves pitcher Pascual Perez suspended due to cocaine usage
1993 – STS-56 (Discovery) lands
2018 – Protests across India at the rape and murder of an 8-year old Muslim girl in Kathua, Bengalu

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Famous Birthdays

1710 – Henry Erskine, 10th Earl of Buchan, British Freemason (d. 1767)
1863 – Johannes Petrus Boskaljon, Curacaoian composer and conductor, born in Willemstad (d. 1936)
1905 – Arthur Lake [Arthur William Silverlake], American actor (Blondie, Topper), born in Corbin, Kentucky (d. 1987)
1938 – David Dilks, British historian and vice-chancellor (Hull U), born in Foleshill, Coventry
1954 – Roddy Piper, Canadian pro wrestler (WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight C’ship 1992; World Tag Team C’ship [Ric Flair] 2006), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (d. 2015)
1961 – Norman Cowans, Jamaican cricketer (England fast bowler in 19 Tests 1982-85), born in St. Mary, Jamaica

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Famous Deaths

818 – Bernhard I, King of Italy, dies
1630 – Christian I, German Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg who led an army of 21,000 Bohemians at the Battle of White Mountain, dies at 61
1713 – David Hollatz, Pomeranian dogmatician (b. 1648)
1835 – William Henry Ireland, English forger (Shakespearean manuscripts), dies
1996 – Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren, philosopher, dies at 86
2004 – Edmond Pidoux, Swiss writer (L’histoire de Jonas), dies at 95

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