1892 – Matthias de Vries, Dutch linguist (spelling), dies at 71
1928 – Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden (1907-18), dies at 71
1955 – Marion Eugene Bauer, American composer, dies at 57
1967 – Joe Orton, EBritish actor and dramatist (Prick Up Your Ears), is murdered by his partner Kenneth Halliwell at 34
1969 – Abigail Folger, American coffee magnate (Folgers), murdered
1978 – James Gould Cozzens, American novelist (1949 Pulitzer-Guard of Honor), dies at 74
1979 – Raymond Washington, founder of Los Angeles, California gang, the Crips
1991 – Corrie Hartong, dance pioneer, dies
2003 – Gregory Hines, American actor and dancer (White Nights, Taps), dies of liver cancer at 57
2006 – James van Allen, American physicist (discovered Van Allen radiation belts), dies at 91
Author: gil7
Historical Events for 9th August 2020
378 – Battle of Adrianople: Goth army defeats Roman forces under Emperor Valens
1726 – Netherlands signs Covenant of Hannover
1841 – Erie boat in Buffalo NY catches fire; 242 die
1901 – 34-35°N/98-99°W open for US colonization
1920 – Bulgarian and allied Peace of Neuilly-sur-Seine goes into effect
1930 – Percy Williams runs world record 100m (10.3 sec)
1953 – Premier Mohammed Abdullah of Kashmir fired
1967 – KYAY TV channel 39 in West Monroe, LA (IND) begins broadcasting
1988 – Cubs beat Mets 6-4 in their 1st official night game at Wrigley Field
1995 – South Africa celebrates the first National Women’s Day
Today in History for 9th August 2020
Historical Events
1862 – Berlioz’ opera “Beatrice et Benedict” premieres in Baden-Baden
1864 – Battle of Ft Morgan Alabama
1915 – British attack at Chanak Bair at Gallipoli during WWI
1937 – Ranger (US) easily beats Endeavour II (England) in race 4 to wrap up the 17th America’s Cup yachting series, 4-0; it’s the final competition for 21 years
1944 – Smokey Bear debuts as spokeman for fire prevention
1966 – The Beatles release their “Yellow Submarine” single and its album “Revolver” in the US
Famous Birthdays
1808 – William Thomas Ward, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Amelia County, Virginia (d 1878)
1923 – Gerrit Kouwenaar, Dutch journalist and poet, born in Amsterdam (d. 2014)
1942 – David Steinberg, Canadian comedian and director (End), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
1949 – Brie Howard-Darling, American musician, artist and cake designer (Boxing Gandhis, Fanny), born in Stockton, California
1962 – Jim Johnson, New Hope, NHL defenseman (Washington Capitals)
1973 – Jay Hagood, tackle (NY Jets)
Famous Deaths
1896 – Otto Lilenthal, aircraft pioneer, killed during a glider test at 48
1987 – Kees de Galan, Dutch economist, dies at 55
1992 – Jan van Baal, antropologist/gov Dutch New Guinea, dies
1996 – Sir Frank Whittle, English RAF engineer air officer and inventor of the turbojet engine, dies at 89
1997 – Robert Satanowski, Polish opera conductor and general, dies at 79
2000 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-born economist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1920)
Famous Deaths for 8th August 2020
1909 – William Miller, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 89
1921 – Juhani Aho, Finnish journalist and writer (Panu, Tuomio), dies at 59
1980 – Aga Yahya Khan, Pakistan military/politician, dies at 63
1982 – Ferre Grignard, Belgian pop singer/painter (Crucified Jesus), dies
1982 – Hermine Heijermans, author (Snikken en Smartlapjes), dies at 80
1988 – Alan Napier, British actor (The Sword in the Stone, Batman), dies at 85
1992 – Alison L Gertz, US aids-activist, Esquire women of year, dies of aids at 26
1993 – Lou van Raised, impresario, dies at 77
1996 – Didi Duprat, French guitarist, dies at 69
2006 – Michael Hurd, British composer and musicologist known for his choral music (Jonah-Man Jazz), dies at 77
Historical Events for 8th August 2020
1839 – Beta Theta Pi is founded in Oxford, Ohio.
1882 – Snow falls on Lake Michigan
1916 – A’s set AL record with 19th consecutive loss on road
1924 – British-Russian trade agreement signed
1968 – Jarry Park is approved by Mayor Jean Drapeau for interim use by Expos
1970 – NY Yankees honor Casey Stengel, retiring his number 37 (BTG was there)
1984 – “Rink” closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 204 performances
2012 – 16 people are killed from flooding from heavy rain in Manilla, Philippines
2017 – The Walt Disney Company announces plans to create its own streaming service, cancelling ties with Netflix
2019 – Nuclear accident at Russian nuclear-weapon testing site at closed city Sarov kills five scientists in mysterious circumstances
Today in History for 8th August 2020
Historical Events
1567 – Duke of Alva’s army enters Brussels, Belgium
1844 – Brigham Young chosen as head of Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) following the death of Joseph Smith
1989 – New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange resigns after 5 years on a no confidence issue
1997 – The UN approves a sale-price formula for Iraqi crude oil sales under the oil-for-food plan
2012 – China announces that it plans to close 23 rare earth mines and up to 50 smelting companies
2018 – Malaysia charges former prime minister Najib Razak with three counts of money laundering
Famous Birthdays
1866 – Matthew A Henson, 1st African American to reach North Pole (Jun 4 1909)
1880 – Earle Page, Australian politician (d. 1961)
1934 – Julian Dixon, American politician (Rep-D-California, 1979-2000), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2000)
1951 – Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian politician, President of Egypt (2012-13), leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, born in El Adwah, Egypt (d. 2019)
1963 – Stephen Walkom, Canadian ice hockey official and executive
1995 – Malin Reitan, Norwegian singer
Famous Deaths
1719 – Christoph Ludwig Agricola, German landscape painter, dies at 51
1788 – Louis FAD Duke the Richelieu, French marshal, dies at 92
1827 – George Canning, British Prime Minister (Tory: 1827) and Foreign Secretary, dies in office at 57
1944 – Michael Wittman, German soldier and tank ace, dies at 30
1988 – Félix Leclerc, French Canadian singer and composer (Moi, mes souliers), dies at 74
1996 – Nevill Francis Mott, British physicist (1977 Nobel Prize for Physics for work on amorphous semiconductors), dies at 90
Famous Deaths for 7th August 2020
1798 – Johann Gottlieb Sollner, composer, dies at 65
1820 – Élisa Bonaparte, Corsican monarch of Lucca and sister of Napoleon, dies at 43
1821 – Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of King George IV (1820-21), dies at 53
1834 – Joseph Marie Jacquard, French weaver and inventor (b. 1752)
1848 – Jöns Jakob Berzelius, Swedish chemist, dies at 68
1957 – Oliver Hardy, American comedian (Laurel and Hardy films), dies at 65
1970 – Harold Haley, American judge, shot dead in courthouse shootout in San Rafael at 67
1978 – Franz Alphons Wolpert, German composer, dies at 60
1999 – Brian Connell, British writer and broadcaster, dies at 83
2011 – Marshall Grant, American bassist (Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Two), dies at 83
Historical Events for 7th August 2020
1428 – Valais witch trial proceedings begin in Valais Canton, Switzerland, first organized witch trials
1760 – Ft Loudon, Tennessee surrenders to Cherokee Indians
1942 – Dutch resistance bombs Rotterdam railway
1978 – Eddie Mathews, Addie Joss and Larry MacPhail are inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY
1984 – The US collects its first Olympic gold medal in women’s basketball history with a 85-55 win over South Korea in the final at the LA Games
1991 – American team of Carl Lewis, Mike Marsh, Leroy Burrell and Dennis Mitchell set 4 x 100m relay world record of 37.67 seconds in Zürich, Switzerland
2005 – In one of cricket history’s closest Tests, and despite a brave unbeaten 43 from Australian tail-ender Brett Lee, England sneaks a 2-run win in series turning 2nd Test at Edgbaston
2007 – San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds hits his 756th career home run to break Hank Aaron’s long-standing MLB record
2010 – Hampered by a back injury Indian cricket batsman VVS Laxman scores a brave, unbeaten 103 to guide India to a 5 wicket win v Sri Lanka in Colombo; draw series
2017 – England breaks 19-year drought in home Test cricket series against South Africa; beat Proteas by 177 in 4th Test at Old Trafford; Moeen Ali 75no and 5/69
Today in History for 7th August 2020
Historical Events
1814 – Pope Pius VII reinstates the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
1908 – The first train to travel the length of New Zealand’s North Island ‘main trunk line’, leaves Wellington
1914 – Russia invades East Prussia
1944 – US 3rd Army reaches suburbs of Brest, Brittany
2010 – Hampered by a back injury Indian cricket batsman VVS Laxman scores a brave, unbeaten 103 to guide India to a 5 wicket win v Sri Lanka in Colombo; draw series
2015 – US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump says in a CNN interview that news anchor Mergyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever”
Famous Birthdays
1897 – Franz J Weinrich, [Heinrich Lerse], German writer (Himmlisches)
1926 – Stan Freberg, American satirist/ad executive/cartoon voice (Bertie), born in Los Angeles, California
1926 – Amo Houghton, American politician (Rep-R-New York), born in Corning, New York
1939 – Verna Bloom, American actress (After Hours, Badge 373), born in Lynn, Massachusetts (d. 2019)
1963 – Harold Perrineau Jr., American actor, born in Brooklyn, New York
1971 – Dominic Cork, British cricketer (England all-rounder Hat-trick v WI 1995), born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
Famous Deaths
1106 – Henry IV, Roman German king and Emperor (1056/84-1105), dies at 54
1821 – Caroline of Brunswick, Queen Consort of King George IV (1820-21), dies at 53
1938 – Konstantin S Stanislavski, Russian director (S Method), dies at 75
1987 – Nobusuke Kishi, Prime Minister of Japan (1957-60), dies at 90
1994 – Larry Martyn, comedy actor (b. 1934)
1997 – Douglas Gray, Scottish record and film producer, dies at 74
Famous Deaths for 6th August 2020
1221 – Dominicus, Italian religious order founder (Dominicans)
1893 – Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1811)
1914 – Ellen Axson Wilson, US 1st Lady (1913-14), dies during Woodrow Wilson’s 1st term of Bright’s Disease at 54
1943 – Tom Garrett, cricketer (last survivor of 1st Test in 1877), dies
1948 – Cyril Walker, English golfer (US Open 1924), dies of pleural pneumonia at 55
1963 – Tom Keene, American actor (Our Daily Bread), dies of cancer at 68
1996 – Hernan Siles Zuazo, President of Bolivia (1956-60, 1982-85), dies at 82
2002 – Edsger Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist (b. 1930)
2012 – Ruggiero Ricci, American composer and violinist (Paganini), dies from heart failure at 94
2018 – Joël Robuchon, French chef, world record for Michelin stars (32), dies of cancer at 73