Historical Events
1782 – Rama I succeeds King Taksin of Siam (modern day Thailand), who is overthrown in a coup d’état
1909 – 1st credit union forms in US
1941 – 8th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Craig Wood wins his first major title, 3 strokes ahead of runner-up Byron Nelson; Masters’ first wire-to-wire champion
1958 – 22nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Arnold Palmer wins the first of his 4 Masters titles, 1 stroke ahead of Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins; first of his 7 major titles
1965 – Intelsat 1 (“Early Bird”) 1st commercial geosynchronous communications satellite launched
1972 – The Scarman Tribunal Report, an inquiry into the causes of violence during the summer of 1969 in N Ireland, is published, finding that the Royal Ulster Constabulary had been seriously at fault
Famous Birthdays
1815 – Friedrich Robert Volkmann, German composer, born in Lommatzsch, Saxony (d. 1883)
1819 – Johann A H Scheler, Belgian librarian
1892 – Lowell Thomas, Woodington Ohio, newscaster (High Adventure)
1902 – Veniamin Kaverin, Russian writer (d. 1989)
1940 – Donald Myrick, American saxophonist (“If Leaving Me Is Easy, One More Night), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1993)
1988 – Fabrice Muamba, Anglo-Congolese footballer
Famous Deaths
912 – Nottker “the Stamelaar”, benedictine monk/poet, dies at about 71
1605 – John Stow, English historian (Survey of London), dies
1975 – Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese political and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (1928-1975), dies at 87
1985 – Mark Lothar, German composer (The Story of the Lazy Bear), dies at 82
1993 – Divya Bharati, “Baby Doll” Indian Bollywood actress (Diwana), dies at 19 by mysteriously falling from her husband’s apartment
1996 – Greer Garson, British actress (Goodbye Mr Chips, Mrs Miniver), dies at 92