1205 – Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans
1494 – The first Mass in the New World is celebrated at La Isabela, Hispaniola
1690 – Joseph I, later Holy Roman Emperor and son of Emperor Leopold I, becomes King of the Romans
1861 – NYC mayor proposes NY become a free city, trading with North and South
1903 – Dutch Press museum opens in Amsterdam
1953 – The first Asian Socialist Conference opens in Burma
1969 – The Supremes release single “I’m Livin’ In Shame”
1994 – US figure skating champion Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by Tonya Harding’s bodyguard at the US Championships in Detroit
2009 – Dakota Fanning receives the Rising Star Award at the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival
2014 – College Football, 16th BCS National Championship, Rose Bowl, Pasadena: #1 Florida State beats #2 Auburn, 34-31
Author: gil7
Today in History for 6th January 2023
Historical Events
1017 – Cnut the Great crowned King of England in London by Lyfing, Archbishop of Canterbury
1617 – English court favorite George Villiers is made Earl of Buckingham by King James I
1781 – Battle of Jersey: Major Francis Peirson and his men defeat invading French troops
1896 – 1st US women’s 6-day bicycle race starts, Madison Square Garden
1929 – Alexander I establishes a royal dictatorship in Yugoslavia
2009 – Israel begins an assault on the Gaza Strip
Famous Birthdays
1811 – Charles Sumner, American leading Reconstruction senator, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1874)
1916 – Vincent Serventy, Australian writer and conservationist, born in Armadale, Australia (d. 2007)
1936 – Ebo Taylor, Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat musician and composer, born in Cape Coast, Gold Coast
1952 – Larry Booker (Moondog Spot), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), born in Louisiana, United States (d. 2003)
1969 – Nick A’Hern, Australian 20k walker (Olympics 22-92, 96), born in Swansea, United Kingdom
1978 – Nikki Einfeld, Canadian coloratura soprano, born in Manitoba
Famous Deaths
1849 – Hartley Coleridge, English poet, dies at 52
1960 – Erik Lindahl, Swedish economist (Theory of Money and Capital), dies at 68
1993 – Elisabeth, arch duch of Austria/princess of Liechtenstein, dies at 70
1997 – Ian Peter Leslie Smith, British journalist, dies at 52
2007 – Roberta Wohlstetter, military historian and strategist (b. 1912)
2021 – Bobby Few, American jazz pianist and vocalist, dies at 85
Famous Deaths for 5th January 2023
1592 – Willem II, Duke of Gulik/Kleef/Gelre, dies at about 75
1933 – Calvin Coolidge [Silent Cal], 30th US President (Republican: 1923-29), dies of coronary thrombosis at 60
1946 – George “Slim” Summerville, American actor (All Quiet on the Western Front, Keystone Cops), dies of a stroke at 53
1970 – Max Born, German physicist (quantum mechanics, Nobel 1954), dies at 87
1970 – Cyril Fagan, Irish astrologer and author, dies at 73
2003 – Roy Jenkins, British MP (Labour, Liberal Democrats) and President of the European Commission (1977-81), dies at 82
2012 – Don Carter, American pro bowler (6 x Bowler of the Year; first athlete to earn $1m in single endorsement deal [Ebonite International]), dies from pneumonia and emphysema at 85
2013 – Sybil Michelow, South-African contralto and composer, dies at 87
2014 – Carmen Zapata, American actress (Hagen, Viva Valdez, Man and the City), dies at 86
2022 – Olga Szabó-Orbán, Romanian fencer (World C’ship gold women’s foil individual 1962, team 1969; Olympic silver individual 1956, bronze team 1968, 72), dies at 83
Historical Events for 5th January 2023
1477 – Battle of Nancy: Swiss Confederacy led by René II decisively defeats the Duchy of Burgundy, 7,000+ killed including the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold
1527 – Felix Manz, a leader of the Anabaptist congregation in Zürich, is executed by drowning. (b. 1498)
1709 – The Great Frost begins during the night, a sudden cold snap that remains Europe’s coldest ever winter. Thousands are killed across the continent and crops fail in France.
1822 – Central America proclaims annexation to Mexican Empire
1930 – Bonnie Parker meets Clyde Barrow for the first time at Clarence Clay’s house
1952 – Darius Milhaud’s “West Point Suite”, marking the US Military Academy’s sesquicentennial, premieres at Carnegie Hall, NYC
1970 – 23,000 Belgian mine workers strike
1972 – NYC transit fare rises from 30 cents to 35 cents
1972 – US President Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on a manned space shuttle
1973 – Netherlands recognizes German DR
Today in History for 5th January 2023
Historical Events
1925 – James Gleason and Richard Tabers “Is zat so?” premieres in NYC
1942 – 55 German tanks reach North-Africa
1969 – Creedence Clearwater Revival release their second album “Bayou Country”, featuring singles “Good Golly, Miss Molly” and “Proud Mary”
1972 – US President Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on a manned space shuttle
1976 – In retaliation for the Reavey and O’Dowd killings, the South Armagh Republican Action Force shoot dead 10 Protestant civilians after stopping their minibus in County Armagh
1995 – Bill Fitch becomes the 5th coach in NBA history to register 850 career victories with the LA Clippers’ 95-93 home win over Philadelphia 76’ers at the LA Memorial Sports Arena
Famous Birthdays
1888 – George “Rube” Foster, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1915, 16; no-hitter 1916; Boston Red Sox), born in Lehigh, Oklahoma (d. 1976)
1932 – Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher and author (Name of the Rose), born in Alessandria, Piedmont (d. 2016)
1938 – Leo Avery, Abbot of Quarr Abbey, born in Wakefield, United Kingdom (d. 1996)
1969 – Marilyn Manson [Brian Warner], American shock-rock singer-songwriter (Marilyn Manson – “The Dope Show”; “Tainted Love”), artist and actor, born in Canton, Ohio
1973 – Phil Joel, Australian bassist (Newsboys), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1987 – Kristin Cavallari, American actress, born in Denver, Colorado
Famous Deaths
1740 – Antonio Lotti, Italian opera composer, dies at about 72
1858 – Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Czech field marshal, dies at 91
1904 – Karl Alfred Ritter von Zittel, German geologist and paleontologist (Libya), dies at 64
1986 – Ilmari Salminen, Finnish athlete (Olympic gold 10,000m 1936), dies at 83
2003 – Massimo Girotti, Italian actor (Last Tango in Paris, In the Name of the Law), dies of a heart attack at 84
2006 – Lord Merlyn-Rees, British politician (b. 1920)
Famous Deaths for 4th January 2023
1428 – Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, ‘The Warlike’ (b. 1370)
1612 – Henry L Spieghel, Dutch merchant/writer, dies at 62
1831 – Nikola P Neofit Rilski, Bulgaria abbot/poet, dies at 37
1910 – Leon Delagrange, French aviation pioneer, dies
1920 – Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish novelist (Episodios Nacionales), dies at 76
1990 – Alberto Lleras Camargo, president of Colombia (1945-46, 58-62), dies
1994 – Michiel P “Michael” Gorsira, Gov of Curacao (1951-67), dies at 80
1996 – Ramon Vinay, Chilean operatic tenor, dies at 83
1999 – Iron Eyes Cody [Espera Oscar de Corti], Italian-American actor (Keep America Beautiful, Black Gold, Ernest Goes to Camp), dies at 91
2007 – Helen Hill, American independent filmmaker (b. 1970)
Historical Events for 4th January 2023
1881 – Johannes Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture” premieres in Breslau
1894 – France ratifies Duple Alliance with Russia
1958 – NZ team led by Edmund Hillary reaches the South Pole, the 1st to reach the Pole overland using motor vehicles and the 1st since Amundsen in 1911 and Scott in 1912
1976 – The Ulster Volunteer Force shoot dead 6 Catholic civilians in 2 coordinated attacks in County Armagh, North Ireland
1991 – Jan Krzystof Bielecki becomes premier of Poland
2000 – A day after accepting the head coaching position at the New York Jets, Bill Belichick resigns and moves to the New England Patriots
2005 – Adam Gilchrist of Australia becomes the most prolific century scoring wicket keeper in cricket history when he smashes 113 from just 120 balls in the 3rd Test against Pakistan in Sydney
2007 – The 110th United States Congress convenes and elects Nancy Pelosi as the 1st female Speaker of the House
2008 – Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Americans Serena Williams and Mardy Fish beat Serbian pair Novak Đoković and Jelena Janković 7-6, 6-2 for an unassailable 2-0 lead, and the 5th US title
2012 – 78th Orange Bowl: #23 West Virginia beats #14 Clemson, 70-33
Today in History for 4th January 2023
Historical Events
871 – Battle at Reading: Ethelred of Wessex defeated by Danish invasion army
1932 – State of siege proclaimed in Honduras
1947 – “Show Boat” closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 417 performances
1968 – Leo Fender sells Fender Guitars for $13 million to CBS
1970 – Walter Cronkite ends hosting weekly documentary
2001 – Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of his wife’s hair during a row
Famous Birthdays
1807 – Baltasar Saldoni, Spanish composer and musicologist, born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 1889)
1901 – C. L. R. James [Cyril Lionel Robert James], Trinidadian historian (The Black Jacobins), journalist, intellectual and socialist, born in Tunapuna, Trinidad (d. 1989)
1925 – Johnny Lujack, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1947; National C’ship 1943, 46-47; Notre Dame; Pro Bowl 1950-51; Chicago Bears), born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania
1944 – Alan Sutherland, New Zealand rugby union number 8 (10 caps; Marlborough), born in Blenheim, New Zealand (d. 2020)
1968 – Mike Wilpolt, American football player and coach, born in Broomfield, Colorado
1986 – Steve Slaton, American football player, born in Levittown, Pennsylvania
Famous Deaths
1874 – Thomas Gregson, Premier of Tasmania (b. 1798)
1931 – Roger Connor, American Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman (career HR record 138 stood for 23 years; NL batting champion 1885; NL RBI leader 1889; NY Giants), dies of a stomach illness at 73
1931 – Arthemus “Art” Acord, American silent film actor and rodeo champion (Arizona Kid, Hard Fists), commits suicide by poison at 40
1991 – Berry Kroeger, actor (Demon Seed), dies of kidney failure at 78
2007 – Gren, Welsh newspaper cartoonist (b. 1934)
2021 – Gregory Sierra, American stage and screen actor (Barney Miller – “Chano”), dies of cancer at 83
Famous Deaths for 3rd January 2023
1437 – Catherine of Valois, Queen of Henry V of England, dies at 35
1907 – Josef Foerster, Czech composer, and music teacher, dies at 73
1914 – Stephane Raoul Pugno, composer, dies at 62
1920 – Zygmunt Janiszewski, Polish mathematician, dies at 31
1980 – Amos Milburn, American RandB singer and pianist, dies at 52
1986 – Jens Bjerre, Danish composer, dies at 82
1994 – Heather Sears, British actress (b. 1935)
2004 – Des Corcoran, Premier of South Australia (b. 1928)
2008 – Werner Dollinger, German politician and economist (b. 1918)
2010 – Professor Sir Ian Brownlie, International law specialist
Historical Events for 3rd January 2023
1825 – Scottish factory owner Robert Owen buys 30,000 acres in Indiana as site for New Harmony utopian community
1942 – American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command forms
1948 – Australian cricket batting maestro Don Bradman completes dual Test centuries (132 and 127* [26th Test 100]) in 3rd Test v India in Melbourne
1961 – An explosion at the Nuclear Reactor Testing Station in Idaho Falls kills three operators
1977 – Former Home Secretary Roy Jenkins announces his intention to be Britain’s first President of the European Commission
1987 – Aretha Franklin is the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1988 – Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night premieres on Cinemax; concert performance includes James Burton; Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and k.d. lang)
1992 – Australian cricket batsman David Boon scores an unbeaten 129 in drawn 3rd Test against India in Sydney; his 11th Test century
2014 – Cambodian garment workers go on strike demanding a wage increase
2019 – 116th US Congress convenes in Washington, D.C., electing Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House of Representatives for the second time