1792 – Opening of 1st legislative assembly of Lower Canada in Quebec city
1914 – Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv by Turkish authorities
1924 – 1st US diesel electric locomotive enters service, Bronx, NY
1957 – The largest trade in NHL history at the time in terms of quantity; Chicago Black Hawks move Nick Mickoski, Jack McIntyre, Bob Bailey and Hec Lalonde to Detroit Red Wings for Earl Reibel, Billy Dea, Bill Dineen and Lorne Ferguson
1978 – OPEC raises oil prices by 18% and agrees on a 14.5% petroleum price increase for 1979, to be implemented quarterly
1988 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1992 – Gen Suwa finds tooth of 4.4 million year old Australopithecus ramidus
2005 – Anti-WTO protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong
2012 – 17 people are killed and 70 are injured by a blast in a market in the Khyber Agency, Pakistan
2015 – Libyan warring political factions sign a UN-brokered deal to form a unified government
Author: gil7
Today in History for 17th December 2020
Historical Events
1933 – Spain’s 2nd government of Lerroux forms
1965 – Astrodome opens, 1st event is Judy Garland and The Supremes concert
1986 – American mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski is arrested at a roadblock
1988 – USS Tennessee, 1st sub to carry Trident 2 missiles, commissioned
1996 – “In My Bed” single released by Dru Hill (Billboard Song of the Year 1997)
2017 – “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” takes more than $450m worldwide in its opening weekend, 2nd largest opening in North America ($220m)
Famous Birthdays
1824 – Thomas Starr King, NY, Unitarian clergyman (Christianity and Humanity)
1892 – Sam Barry, American basketball coach (d. 1950)
1911 – William Roerick, American actor (The Wasp Woman, Guiding Light), born in Hoboken, New Jersey (d. 1995)
1936 – Frank Martinus Arion [F Efraim M], Antilles, writer (Double Play)
1975 – Nick Farrell, boxer (Olympics 1996), born in East York, Ontario
1992 – Thomas Law, British Actor
Famous Deaths
1957 – Dorothy L. Sayers, English novelist (The Nine Tailors), dies at 66
1975 – Noble Sissle, jazz musician, dies at 86
1982 – Philipp Jarnach, French composer, dies at 90
1996 – Wayne Barlow, American composer, dies at 84
1999 – Rex Allen, American actor and singer-songwriter known as the “the Arizona Cowboy” (Dr Baxter-Frontier Doctor), dies at 78
2009 – Jennifer Jones [Phyllis Isley], American actress (Farewell to Arms), dies of natural causes at 90
Famous Deaths for 16th December 2020
1751 – Leopold II of Anhalt-Dessau, Prussian general (b. 1700)
1951 – Dorothy Dix [Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer], American journalist and columnist, dies at 81
1976 – Réal Caouette, French Canadian politician (Social Credit Party of Canada), dies at 59
1991 – Fred Scott, American vocalist and actor (Melody of the Plains, Vincent Lopez), dies at 89
1993 – Bentri Seddik, Algerian court judge, murdered at 46
1997 – Richard Warwick, actor (Johnny Dangerously, Sebastine, If), dies at 52
2001 – Stuart Adamson, Scottish rock vocalist and guitarist (The Skids, Big Country), dies at 43
2006 – Taliep Petersen, South African singer and composer (b. 1950)
2010 – Mary Jane Odell, American politician and journalist, Iowa Secretary of State, dies at 87
2011 – Nicol Williamson, Scottish actor (Excalibur), dies of esophageal cancer at 75
Historical Events for 16th December 2020
1908 – 1st credit union in US forms (Manchester NH)
1926 – Kenesaw Mountain Landis renewed 7-years as baseball commissioner
1927 – Australian cricket’s batting maestro Don Bradman makes his 1st-class debut for NSW v South Australia at the Adelaide Oval finishing Day 1 on 65 not out
1938 – Adolf Hitler institutes the state decoration and civil order of merit, Cross of Honour of the German Mother
1950 – Child star Shirley Temple announces her retirement from films aged 22
1951 – NBC premiere of “Dragnet” in black and white
1967 – “Playtime”, French film directed by Jacques Tati, starring himself, is released
1978 – Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter’s recognition of People’s Republic of China
1979 – “An American Christmas Carol” directed by Eric Till starring Henry Winkler premieres in the US
1981 – Dutch Van Agt’s 2nd government falls
Today in History for 16th December 2020
Historical Events
755 – An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion during Chinese Tang Dynasty
1392 – Nanboku-chō – Emperor Go-Kameyama abdicates in favor of rival claimant Go-Komatsu.
1850 – Ships the Charlotte-Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand
1950 – “Let’s Make an Opera” closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 5 performances
1956 – “Fanny” closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 888 performances
1993 – “Red Shoes” opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 5 performances
Famous Birthdays
1485 – Catherine of Aragon, Spanish princess, 1st wife of Henry VIII, Queen of England (1509-33), born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1536)
1775 – Jane Austen, English novelist (Pride and Prejudice), born in Steventon, England (d. 1817)
1819 – Robert Selden Garnett, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1861)
1916 – Udom Patpongsiri, property developer
1930 – Bill Young, American politician (Congress, 1993-2013), born in Harmarville, Pennsylvania (d. 2013)
1947 – Vincent Matthews, American 400m dash (Olympic gold 1972)
Famous Deaths
1914 – Ivan Zajc, Croatian composer and conductor, dies at 82
1926 – William Larned, American tennis player (US Nationals 1901-02, 07-11), dies of a self inflicted gun shot wound at 53
1973 – Syd Barnes, cricketer (13 Tests for Australia 1938-48), dies
1998 – William Gaddis, American writer (b. 1922)
2007 – Dan Fogelberg, American rocker (Same Old Lang Syne), dies at 56
2010 – Melvin E. Biddle, American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1923)
Famous Deaths for 15th December 2020
1230 – Ottokar I, king of Bohemia (1197-1230), dies
1515 – Afonso de Albuquerque, Portuguese admiral, Duke of Goa and Viceroy of Portuguese India, dies at sea in sight of Goa at around 62
1950 – Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian freedom fighter and statesman, dies at 75
1975 – Mukhtar Ashrafi, Soviet-Uzbek composer, dies at 63
1979 – Bern Hoffman, actor (Major Dell Conway), dies at 66
1991 – Ray Smith, British actor (And Then You Die), dies at 55
1994 – Henry Phelps Brown, British historian and economist, dies at 88
1996 – Guiseppe Dossetti, politician/priest, dies at 83
2011 – Andy Carey, third baseman for 1950s New York Yankees, dies at 80
2015 – Ken Pogue, Canadian actor (Adderly, Katts and Dog), dies of cancer at 81
Historical Events for 15th December 2020
1612 – German Astronomer Simon Marius is 1st to observe Andromeda galaxy through a telescope
1791 – 1st US law school established at University of Pennsylvania
1863 – Skirmish at Bean’s Station, Tennessee (Knoxville Campaign)
1864 – Battle of Nashville, Tennessee
1864 – Raid on Stoneman: Abingdon and Glade Springs, Virginia
1874 – 1st reigning king to visit US is the King of Hawaii, received by President Grant
1919 – Fiume (Rijeka) declares it’s Independence
1939 – “Gone With the Wind”, drama film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, premieres in Atlanta (Best Picture 1940, inflation not adjusted highest-grossing film of all time)
1941 – North Africa: allied assault up Italians Gazala-posing
1980 – Premier Queddei troops conquers Chad capital N’djamena
Today in History for 15th December 2020
Historical Events
1935 – National Football League Championship, University of Detroit Stadium: Detroit Lions beat New York Giants, 26-7; Lions first title
1944 – Bandleader, Major Glenn Miller, lost over English Channel
1967 – The Silver Bridge collapses over the Ohio River in the US, killing 46 people
1969 – San Francisco Fire Department replaces leather helmets with plastic ones
1982 – Sao Tome and Principe constitution approved
2017 – Anita Hill is appointed to lead a Hollywood commission on sexual harassment, spearheaded by Kathleen Kennedy
Famous Birthdays
1848 – Edwin Blashfield, American painter who decorated the dome of Library of Congress, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1936)
1862 – Jack ‘The Nonpareil’ Dempsey, Irish boxer (first holder of World Middleweight Championship 1886-90), born in Curran, County Kildare (d. 1895)
1949 – Ton Sijbrands, Dutch world checkers champion, born in Amsterdam
1954 – Justin Ross, American actor (Sinatra, Chorus Line, Fan, Quick Change), born in Brooklyn, New York
1959 – Heidi Bohay, Somerset NJ, actress (Megan-Hotel)
1978 – Henrietta Nagyova, Nove Zamky Slovakia, tennis star (ITF/Cali-COL)
Famous Deaths
1230 – Ottokar I, king of Bohemia (1197-1230), dies
1892 – Charles Balmer, German composer, dies at 75
1901 – Elias Álvares Lobo, Brazilian composer, dies at 67
1951 – Eric Drummond, British 1st Secretary-General of the League of Nations (1919-33), dies at 75
1972 – Edward Earle, Canadian actor (Charlie Chan-Meeting at Midnight), dies at 90
2005 – Stan Leonard, Canadian golfer (3 PGA Tour titles), dies of heart failure at 90
Famous Deaths for 14th December 2020
872 – Adrian II, Italian Pope (867-72) the last married pope, dies at ~80
1476 – Vlad III the Impaler, Wallachian prince, killed in battle at 45
1735 – Thomas Tanner, English bishop and antiquarian (b. 1674)
1788 – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, German composer, dies at 74
1920 – George “The Gipper” Gipp, American football player (Notre Dame), dies of a streptococcal throat infection and pneumonia at 25
1966 – Emma Dunn, English American actress (You Can’t Fool Your Wife), dies at 91
1985 – Charlie Bachman, American College Football Hall of Fame guard and coach (Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan State), dies at 93
1990 – Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn und Taxis, German businessman, dies at 64
1998 – Norman Fell, American actor (Three’s Company, The End, Graduate), dies of bone marrow cancer at 74
2013 – Peter O’Toole, Irish actor (Lord Jim, Beckett, Lawrence of Arabia), dies at 81
Historical Events for 14th December 2020
1600 – Olivier van Noort sinks Spanish galleon San Diego at Bay of Manila, 350 die
1862 – Battle of Kinston, fought in Lenoir County, North Carolina begins (Goldsboro Expedition), Union victory (US Civil War)
1941 – Japan and Thailand sign a treaty of alliance
1950 – Baseball owners choose Lou Perini (Braves), Phil Wrigley (Cubs), Del Webb (Yankees), and Ellis Ryan (Indians) to select new commissioner
1961 – Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John” is 1st country song to get a gold record
1971 – Golden Gate Bridge lights out all night due to power failure
1980 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1990 – Louis Jordan’s revue “Five Guys Named Moe” premieres in London
1991 – Ferry boat Salem Express sinks in the Red Sea, 476 killed
1995 – Musical “Les Miserables” opens at Cable Hall, Helsinki