Today in History for 24th April 2020

Historical Events

1596 – Pacificatie of Ireland drawn
1908 – Mr and Mrs Jacob Murdock become 1st to travel across US by car, they leave LA in a Packard and arrive in NYC in 32d-5h-25m
1965 – “Comedy in Music-Opus 2” closes at John Golden NYC after 192 performances
1990 – US 66th manned space mission STS 31 (Discovery 10) launches into orbit
1992 – Vinson Pike fined £1000 for distributing obscene computer pictures
1997 – “Steel Peer” opens at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC for 76 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1845 – Carl Spitteler, Swiss poet (Prometheus and Epimetheus; Nobel 1919), born in Liestal, Switzerland (d. 1924)
1909 – Irven Spence, American animator, born in Lincoln, Nebraska (d. 1995)
1958 – Brian Paddick, British former deputy assistant commissioner and most senior openly gay police officer, born in London
1961 – Roger Mayweather, American boxer, (WBA and lineal super featherweight titles 1983-84, WBC light welterweight 1987-89; IBO light welterweight; IBO welterweight 1994-95), born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (d. 2020)
1971 – Ken Klee, NHL defenseman (Washington Capitals), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
1977 – Carlos Beltrán, Puerto Rican baseball player, born in Manatí, Puerto Rico

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Famous Deaths

1935 – Paul Klengel, composer, dies at 80
1936 – Finley Peter Dunne, American journalist and humorist (Mr Dooley), dies at 68
1943 – Gerardus H de Hare, socialist vicar, dies at 63
1983 – Rolf Stommelen, German race car driver (b. 1943)
1993 – Oliver Tambo, South African lawyer, anti-apartheid politician and co-founder (African National Congress), dies of a stroke at 75
1997 – Pat Paulsen, American comedian (Smothers Brothers Show) and presidential candidate , dies at 69

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Famous Deaths for 23rd April 2020

1728 – Tomas de Torrejon y Velasco, composer, dies at 83
1786 – Alexander Cozens, English water colors painter, dies at about 68
1792 – Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian and adventurer, dies at 50
1905 – Karel Komzák II, Viennese composer, dies at 54
1915 – Rupert Brooke, British WW I poet (Lithuania, The Soldier), dies at 27
1960 – Cornelis Jan Bakkerr, Dutch/US nuclear physicist, dies
1979 – Blair Peach, New Zealand-born anti-fascist (b. 1946)
1986 – Harold Arlen [Hyman Arluck], American composer (Over the Rainbow), murdered at 81
2015 – Sawyer Sweeten, American actor (Everyone Loves Raymond), commits suicide at 19
2016 – Banharn Silpa-archa, Prime Minister of Thailand (1995-96), dies at 83

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Historical Events for 23rd April 2020

1516 – Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria endorses “The German Beer Purity Law” (Reinheitsgebot) and adds to it standards for the sale of beer
1597 – William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance
1705 – Richard Steele’s “Tender Husband” premieres in London
1838 – English steamship “Great Western” crossing Atlantic docks in NYC
1861 – Robert E. Lee named commander of Virginia Confederate forces (US Civil War)
1891 – Jews are expelled from Moscow, Russia
1949 – Chinese Red army conquers Nanjing
1964 – James Baldwin’s play “Blues for Mr Charlie” premieres in NYC
1965 – Launch of 1st Soviet communications satellite
1991 – USSR grants republics right to secede under certain conditions

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Today in History for 23rd April 2020

Historical Events

1849 – Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky and members of the Petrashevsky Circle are arrested in St. Petersburg
1860 – Democratic convention in Charleston, South Carolina divided over slavery
1953 – General Charles P Cabell, USAF, becomes deputy director of CIA
1955 – “Kismet” closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 583 performances
2009 – Gamma ray burst (GRB) 090423 is observed for 10 seconds, the most distant object of any kind and also the oldest known object in the universe
2013 – West Indian cricketer, Chris Gayle, smashes the fastest century in history (30 balls)

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Famous Birthdays

1708 – Friedrich von Hagedorn, German poet (Versuch einiger Poem), born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1754)
1715 – Johann Friedrich Doles, German composer, pupil of J. S. Bach, born in Steinbach-Hallenberg, Germany (d. 1797)
1838 – Alfred Verwee, Flemish painter, born in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Belgium (d. 1895)
1904 – Leslie French, British actor and singer (Death in Venice, More than a Miracle), born in Bromley, Kent, England (d. 1999)
1957 – Kenji Kawai, Japanese film score composer, born in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
1970 – Sadao Abe, Japanese actor (Team Medical Dragon), born in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

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Famous Deaths

725 – Wihtred, King of Kent (c. 692-725)
990 – Ekkehart II, [Palatinus], monk to St-Gallen/poet, dies
1812 – Franz Sebastian Haindl, composer, dies at 85
1986 – Otto Preminger, Austrian director and producer (Advise and Consent, Anatomy of Murder), dies at 79
1996 – Jean Victor Allard, Canadian army general, dies at 82
2003 – Fernand Fonssagrives, French photographer, dies at 92

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Famous Deaths for 22nd April 2020

1930 – Jeppe Aakjær, Danish poet and novelist (Bondens Søn), dies at 63
1962 – Solomon Pimsleur, French composer, dies at 61
1978 – Will Geer [William Aughe Ghere], American actor (Salt of the Earth, The Waltons), dies at 76
1995 – Don Pullen, pianist/composer, dies at 53
1996 – Erma Bombeck, American humorist (The Grass is Greener over the Septic Tank), dies at 69
1999 – Apostolos Nikolaidis, Greek singer (first Greek artist to record or re-record the authentic, “prohibited” rebetika songs in the early 1970s with their original lyrics), dies at 60
2000 – Alexander H. Cohen, Broadway producer (Beyond the Fringe), dies at 79
2004 – Pat Tillman, American football player and U.S. Army Ranger killed in action at 27
2011 – Moin Akhter, Pakistani actor (b. 1950)
2019 – Dave Samuels, American vibraphonist (Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance), dies at 70

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Historical Events for 22nd April 2020

1145 – 19th recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet
1793 – President Washington attends opening of Rickett’s, 1st circus in US
1876 – First official National League baseball game is played; Boston Red Stockings beat Philadelphia Athletics, 6-5 at the Jefferson Street Grounds, Philadelphia
1966 – USSR performs underground nuclear test
1967 – Martial Law goes into effect in Greece
1969 – 1st human eye transplant performed
1970 – NY Met Jerry Grote sets record of 20 put outs by a catcher
1993 – Seattle Mariner Chris Basio no-hits Boston Red Sox
1993 – “Who’s Tommy” opens at St James Theater NYC for 899 performances
2018 – Liverpool’s Egyptian soccer forward Mohamed Salah is named Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year

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Today in History for 22nd April 2020

Historical Events

1955 – KC Athletic’s 1st game, beat Tigers 6-2
1969 – Joe Frazier KOs Dave Zyglewick in 1 for heavyweight boxing title
1981 – 10,000 copper workers in Chile strike
1982 – Launch of STS-3-Lousma and Fullerton [03/23]
1983 – Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
2012 – TV political comedy “Veep” created by Armando Iannucci, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Anna Chlumsky premieres on HBO

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Famous Birthdays

1927 – Pascal Bentoiu, Romanian composer, born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 2016)
1931 – Simon “Siem” Vroom, Dutch actor (The Lift, Bridge Too Far, Mysteries), born in Beemster, Noord-Holland (d. 1985)
1931 – Bruce Dickson, Canadian ice hockey player (Olympic gold 1952), born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
1963 – Sean Lock, British comedian and actor (British Comedy Award, 2000), born in Chertsey, Surrey
1967 – Sherri Shepherd, American comedian and actress
1971 – Milos Holan, Bilovec Cze, NHL defenseman (Anaheim Mighty Ducks)

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Famous Deaths

1941 – Arthur Briscoe, cricketer (South African batsman in 2 Tests), dies
1967 – Tom Conway, Russian actor (Mark Saber, Betty Hutton Show), dies at 62
1983 – Earl “Fatha” Hines, American jazz pianist and bandleader (Deep Forest), dies at 79
1985 – Paul H. Emmett, American chemical engineer (b. 1900)
2003 – Martha Griffiths, U.S. Congresswoman (b. 1912)
2013 – Richie Havens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist, dies from a heart attack at 72

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Famous Deaths for 21st April 2020

1821 – Thursday October Christian, son of Fletcher Christian (leader of the historical mutiny on the Bounty), dies at 40
1878 – Temistocle Solera, composer, dies at 62
1948 – Carlos Lopez Buchardo, Argentine composer, dies at 66
1968 – Toby Halicki, car-crash film producer 48, killed shooting stunt
1982 – Joe Sawyer, actor (Biff O’Hara-Adventures of Rin Tin Tin), dies at 80
1987 – Edith S Green, (Rep-D-Ore), dies at 77
1992 – Robert Harris, American criminal and murderer, executed in a gas chamber at 39 in San Quentin State Prison, California
1996 – Zora Arkus-Duntov, engineer, dies at 86
2000 – Neal Matthews, Jr., American singer (The Jordanaires), dies at 70
2007 – Parry O’Brien, American shot putter (Olympic golds 1952, 1956, silver 1960), dies at 75

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Historical Events for 21st April 2020

1789 – John Adams sworn in as 1st US Vice President (9 days before Washington)
1863 – Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, enters garden of Rivden near Baghdad. He makes his declaration as a Messenger of God during the 12 days spent there
1908 – Frederick Cook claims to reach North Pole (He didn’t)
1910 – Cleve Naps play 1st game at League Park, lose to Det Tigers 5-0
1974 – 28th Tony Awards: River Niger and Raisin win
1980 – 84th Boston Marathon: Bill Rodgers wins 3rd straight event and 4th overall title in 2:12:11; Jacqueline Gareau of Canada women’s winner in 2:34:28; Rosie Ruiz disqualified for not running the entire course
1982 – Atlanta Braves win their 13th straight game
1987 – Brewers lose, ending AL season-opening winning streak at 13 games
1991 – Rosa Mota wins 4th World Cup female marathon (2:26:14)
1996 – Wayne James scores 99 and 99 and ct 11 stp 2 in Logan Cup Final

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Today in History for 21st April 2020

Historical Events

1453 – Turkish fleet sinks ships Golden Receiver in Constantinople
1820 – Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted is the first to identify electromagnetism, when he observes a compass needle
1878 – Ship Azor leaves Charleston with 206 blacks for Liberia
1945 – Allied troops occupy German nuclear laboratory
1945 – US 7th Army reaches Nuremberg
1956 – Elvis Presley’s 1st hit record, “Heartbreak Hotel”, becomes #1

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Famous Birthdays

1908 – Louis Hostin, French weightlifter (Olympic gold 1932, 36), born in Saint-Étienne, France (d. 1998)
1919 – Franc [Franklin E] Essed, Suriname agricultural eng, Oper Grasshopper)
1921 – Jack Fletcher, American actor (Calucci’s Department, Once Upon a Mattress), born in Forest Hills, New York (d. 1990)
1948 – Gary A Condit, (Rep-D-California)
1953 – Ed Fiori, American golfer (4 PGA Tour titles), born in Lynwood, California
1954 – Ebiet G. Ade, Indonesian singer

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Famous Deaths

1073 – Alexander II, [Anselmo da Baggio], Pope (1061-73), dies
1898 – Louis Théodore Gouvy, French-German composer, dies at 78
1946 – Robert Graham, cricketer (3 wkts for South Africa in 2 Tests 1898-99), dies
1971 – François Duvalier “Papa Doc”, Dictator of Haiti (1957-71), dies at 64
1988 – I. A. L. Diamond, Hollywood screenwriter (1960 Acad Award-Apartment), dies at 67
1989 – James Kirkwood, American actor, author and playwright (A Chorus Line, P. S. Your Cat Is Dead!), dies of cancer at 64

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