1752 – 1st US fire insurance policy issued in Philadelphia
1919 – Cincinnati Reds Hod Eller no-hits St Louis Cards, 6-0
1928 – General Electric opens 1st TV-station (Schenectady, NY)
1967 – Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark apply for membership of the EEC
1972 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1985 – Booby trap bomb kills 86 people in India
1985 – 56 die and at least 265 are injured at Bradford City football ground in the worst fire in English football history
2000 – India’s population officially reaches 1 billion – Astha Arora named India’s billionth baby
2007 – Pope Benedict XVI canonizes the first Brazilian-born saint, Frei Galvão
2018 – Mass murder-suicide in Margaret River, Australia, grandfather shoots six members of his family and himself
Author: gil7
Today in History for 11th May 2020
Historical Events
1923 – 10 HRs hit in Phillies 20-14 victory over St Louis Cards
1924 – Pulitzer Prize awarded to Robert Frost (New Hampshire)
1924 – Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz and Cie begin their first joint venture (later merge into Mercedes-Benz)
1967 – “Sing, Israel Sing” opens at Brooks Atkinson Theater NYC for 14 performances
1985 – Madonna’s “Crazy For You” single goes #1
2013 – 43 people are killed in two car bombings in Reyhanlı, Turkey
Famous Birthdays
1827 – Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, French sculptor and painter (d. 1875)
1882 – Joseph Marx, Austrian composer/critic
1894 – Martha Graham, American choreographer (Appalachian Spring), Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania (d. 1991)
1920 – Denver Pyle, American actor (The Dukes of Hazzard, The Andy Griffith Show), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1997)
1928 – Yaacov Agam, Israeli sculptor
1977 – Matthew Newton, Australian actor
Famous Deaths
1881 – Henri-Frédéric Amiel, Swiss writer (Journal Intime), dies at 59
1927 – Juan Gris, Spanish cubist painter, dies at 40
2003 – Noel Redding, English bassist (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) (b. 1945)
2011 – Klaus Schlesinger, German writer, dies at 64
2014 – Reg Gasnier, Australian Hall of Fame rugby league player, dies at 74
2014 – Ed Gagliardi, American bass guitarist, dies from cancer at 62
Famous Deaths for 10th May 2020
1818 – Paul Revere, American silversmith and patriot who alerted the colonial militia to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, dies at 83
1820 – Matthäus Stegmayer, Austrian composer, dies at 49
1909 – Johannes de Koo, Dutch journalist and playwright, dies at 67
1920 – John Wesley Hyatt, American inventor who simplified the production of celluloid, dies at 82
1937 – William Tedmarsh, British silent movie actor (Two Beds and No Sleep), dies at 61
1964 – Mikhail Larionov, Russian painter (b. 1881)
1968 – Scotty Beckett, American actor (Our Gang, Listen Darling, Battleground), dies from either an overdose, or as a result from a beating at 38
1971 – Shukichi Mitsukuri, composer, dies at 75
2012 – Evelyn Johnson, American pilot (most flying hours – 57,685), dies at 102
2016 – Louis van Gasteren, Dutch actor and director (The House, De prijs van overleven), dies at 93
Historical Events for 10th May 2020
1427 – Jews are expelled from Bern, Switzerland
1801 – First Barbary War: The Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the United States of America (1st US foreign war)
1861 – Union troops march on state militia in St Louis, Missouri
1893 – 19th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Kunze aboard Lookout wins in 2:39.25
1910 – 36th Kentucky Derby: Fred Herbert aboard Donau wins in 2:06.4
1933 – Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF) forms
1978 – “Angel” opens at Minskoff Theater NYC for 5 performances
1982 – WABC joins ABC’s All Talk radio network
1995 – Real Zaragoza of Spain win 35th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Arsenal of England 2-1 in Paris
2015 – PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Rickie Fowler wins beating Kevin Kisner and Sergio García by 1 stroke in a playoff
Today in History for 10th May 2020
Historical Events
1768 – John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for “The North Briton” severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London.
1916 – Disastrous fire in Ellendale, North Dakolta
1929 – British Open Men’s Golf, Muirfield: Walter Hagen wins 4th Open title, by 6 strokes from fellow American Johnny Farrell
1974 – 7th ABA championship: NY Nets beats Utah Stars, 4 games to 1
1990 – French TGV-train hits record speed of 510.6 kph
2005 – A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 65 feet (20 metres) from U.S. President George W. Bush while giving a speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia, it malfunctions and does not detonate
Famous Birthdays
1843 – Benito Pérez Galdós, Spanish novelist (Episodios Nacionales), born in Las Palmas, Spain (d. 1920)
1922 – David Orr, deputy chairman (Inchcape)/CEO (British Council, Unilever)
1922 – Nancy Walker, American actress (Rhoda, McMillan and Wife), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1992)
1937 – Tamara Press, USSR, shot putter/discus thrower (Olympic gold 1960)
1949 – Michael Larson, American “Press Your Luck” scandal big-winning contestant, born in Lebanon, Ohio (d. 1999)
1953 – Steve Thomas, rocker (Shooting Star)
Famous Deaths
1569 – Juan the Avila, Spanish minister/writer
1696 – Jean de La Bruyère, French writer (The Characters, or the Manners of the Age, with The Characters of Theophrastus), dies at 50
1833 – François Andrieux, French playwright, dies at 74
1989 – Woody Shaw, American jazz musician (b. 1944)
1992 – John Lund, American actor (High Society, Wackiest Ship in the Army), dies at 81
2002 – Lynda Lyon Block, convicted murderer (b. 1948)
Famous Deaths for 9th May 2020
1667 – Marie Louise de Gonzague-Nevers, French Queen of Poland (1645-48), dies at 55
1915 – Anthony Wilding, New Zealand tennis player (Wimbledon 1910-13), dies on the Western Front at 31
1918 – George Coşbuc, Romanian poet, dies at 51
1938 – Thomas B. Thrige, Danish industrialist, dies at 72
1950 – Esteban Terradas i Illa, Catalan mathematician, scientist and engineer, dies at 66
1975 – Philip Dorn, Dutch actor (Enemy Agent, I Remember Mama), dies of a heart attack at 73
1993 – Mary Duncan Sanford, American actress, dies at 98
1995 – Abha Gandhi, servant to Gandhi, dies at 68
2007 – Dwight Wilson, second-to-last Canadian WWI veteran, dies at 106
2014 – Mary Stewart, British sci-fi author (Crystal Cave), dies at 97
Historical Events for 9th May 2020
1816 – Lady Caroline Lamb publishes the Gothic novel “Glenarvon”, a thinly disguised account of her affair with Lord Byron which also depicts her husband William Lamb
1874 – London’s Victoria Embankment opens
1882 – Telegraph Hill RR Co (Cable Cars) in San Francisco organized
1925 – Cornerstone for Hebrew University, Jerusalem, laid
1945 – World War II: The Soviet Union marks Victory Day
1945 – World War II: Hermann Goering is captured by the United States Army
1945 – Czechoslovakia liberated from Nazi occupation (National Day)
1992 – Salem Village Witchcraft Victims’ Memorial dedicated in Danvers (formally Salem Village) to mark 300 year anniversary of trials
1995 – Cleveland Indians tie record of scoring 8 runs before making an out, they beat Twins 10-0
2001 – Accra Sports Stadium Disaster: 129 Ghanian football fans die in a stampede caused by the firing of teargas by police following a decision by the referee in a crucial match between arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko
Today in History for 9th May 2020
Historical Events
1588 – Duke Henri de Guise’s troops occupy Paris
1942 – 67th Preakness: Basil James aboard Alsab wins in 1:57
1980 – 35 motorists die as a Liberian freighter rams a Tampa Bay Bridge
1990 – NHL Prince of Wales Conference Final: Boston Bruins beat Washington Capitals, 4 games to 0
2001 – Accra Sports Stadium Disaster: 129 Ghanian football fans die in a stampede caused by the firing of teargas by police following a decision by the referee in a crucial match between arch-rivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko
2015 – A gun fight erupts in Macedonian town of Kumanovo between police and Albanian separatists adding to the government crisis
Famous Birthdays
1855 – Julius Röntgen, German-Dutch composer, born in Leipzig, Germany (d. 1932)
1912 – Per Imerslund, “The aryan idol” (d. 1943)
1919 – Betty Jameson, American golfer (US Open 1947, Western Open 1942, 54), born in Norman, Oklahoma (d. 2009)
1958 – Esko Rechardt, Finland, yachtsman (Olympic gold 1980)
1970 – Doug Christie, NBA guard/forward (Toronto Raptors)
1980 – Tony Schmidt, German racing driver
Famous Deaths
1760 – Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf, Austrian-born German religious and social reformer, dies at 59
1805 – Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, German poet and playwright, dies at 45
1918 – George Coşbuc, Romanian poet, dies at 51
1957 – Ernest de Silva, Sri Lankan business magnate and philanthropist, dies at 69
1990 – Pauline Frederick, American journalist and author, dies at 84
1993 – Mary Duncan Sanford, American actress, dies at 98
Famous Deaths for 8th May 2020
1473 – John Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English politician (b. 1420)
1782 – Marquis of Pombal, Prime Minister of Portugal (1756-1777), dies at 82
1853 – Joannes P Roothaan, 1st Dutch lt col-gen of Jesuits, dies at 67
1880 – Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (Madame Bovary), dies at 58
1984 – Gino Bianco, Brazilian racing driver (b. 1916)
1993 – Avram Davidson, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Peregrine: Primus, Rork!), dies at 70
1997 – Kai-Uwe Von Hassel, German President of Bundestag (CDU 1969-72), dies
2006 – Iain Macmillan, Abbey Road photographer (b. 1938)
2013 – Taylor Mead, American writer, actor and performer (Factory, Taylor Mead’s Ass), dies at 88
2013 – Jeanne Cooper, American actress (Kay-The Young and Restless), dies at 84
Historical Events for 8th May 2020
1521 – Parliament of Worms installs edict against Martin Luther
1879 – George Selden files for 1st patent for a gasoline-driven automobile
1901 – A British appointed commission estimates today that some 1,250,000 Indians have died after a severe drought, lasting since 1899
1945 – Canadian troops move into Amsterdam
1945 – German General Wilhelm Keitel formally surrenders to the Allies represented by the United States, the UK, France and the Soviet Union in Berlin
1954 – 1st shot-put over 60′ (18.29 m)-Parry O’Brien, Los Angeles, CA
1973 – Ernie Banks fills in for Cubs managerr Whitey Lockman who is ejected during the game, technically becoming baseball’s 1st African American manager
1974 – 50 MPH speed limit in Britain lifted
1985 – 20th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, George Strait, and Reba McEntire win
2018 – Ebola outbreak declared in north-west Democratic Republic of Congo with 2 confirmed cases and 17 deaths