Author: gil7

Historical Events

1864 – Second Battle of Newtonia (American Civil War), Newton County, Missouri
1906 – Belgian-British “Union Minière du Haut Katanga” mining company created in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo
1948 – Flag of Israel is adopted
1975 – Venezuela and foreign oil companies agree on nationalization as of January 1, 1976
2020 – Global COVID-19 cases increased by a record 500,000 for the first time, rising 25% in less than two weeks, according to Reuters

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Famous Birthdays

1718 – Ignacije Szentmartony, Croatian Jesuit missionary and geographer, born in Kottori, Kingdom of Hungary (d. 1793)
1909 – Josef Gingold, Russian-American violinist (Primrose Quartet; Cleveland Orchestra, 1947-60) and pedagogue (Indiana University, 1960-95), born in Brest-Litovsk, Russian Empire (now Brest, Belarus) (d. 1995)
1949 – Caitlyn Jenner [born Bruce Jenner], American athlete (Olympic gold decathlon 1976), TV personality (‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’) and prominent transgender figure, born in Mt Kisco, New York
1967 – Kevin Macdonald, Scottish film director, known for “Touching the Void”, born in Glasgow, Scotland
1974 – Braden Looper, American baseball pitcher (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Weatherford, Oklahoma

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Famous Deaths

1627 – Jahangir, 4th Mughal Emperor of India (1605-27), dies at 58
1708 – Prince George of Denmark, Prince Consort of Anne of England, dies at 55
1973 – Taha Hussein, Egyptian writer (b. 1889)
1996 – William Downie Forrest, Scottish foreign correspondent (Spanish Civil War, WWII), dies at 94
1997 – Toni Carabillo, writer (Feminist Chronicles), dies of lymphoma at 71

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Historical Events

1931 – Chuhei Numbu of Japan, sets then long jump record at 26′ 2½”
1957 – WPTA TV channel 21 in Fort Wayne, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting
1986 – Paul McCartney releases single “Pretty Little Head”
1992 – Tipper Gore, wife of future Vice President Al Gore, admits to covering the clock on her VCR with black tape so she doesn’t have to watch it blink
2024 – A long-lost waltz by Frédéric Chopin is reportedly rediscovered after 200 years at the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan

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Famous Birthdays

1842 – Giovanni Giolitti, 5x Prime Minister of Italy (1892-93, 1903-05, 1906-09, 1911-14, 1920-21), born in Mondovì, Kingdom of Sardinia (d. 1928)
1944 – Bob Flick, American folk musician (The Brother Four – “Greenfields”), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
1951 – K. K. Downing, British rock guitarist (Judas Priest – “Breakin’ The Law”), born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England
1964 – Mary T. Meagher, American swimmer (3 x Olympic gold 100/200m butterfly, 4x100m medley 1984; WR 100/200m butterfly 1981), born in Louisville, Kentucky
1986 – Matty Pattison, South African footballer (Whickham), born in Johannesburg, South Africa

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Famous Deaths

1617 – Ralph Winwood, English politician (b. 1563)
1789 – John Cook, American farmer and Governor of Delaware (b. 1730)
1935 – Ernest Eldridge, British auto racer (world land speed record 1924 at Arpajon, France; 1 mile −145.89 mph), dies from pneumonia at 40
1999 – Charlotte Perriand, French architect and furniture designer (Unité d’habitation), dies at 96
2006 – Joe Niekro, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1979; NL wins leader 1979; Houston Astros; World Series 1987; NY Yankees), dies from a brain aneurysm at 61

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Historical Events

740 – An earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing damage to city walls and buildings
1926 – Belgium stabilizes current value of franc (5 franc becomes 1 “Belga”)
1968 – KMIR TV channel 36 in Palm Springs, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1972 – Edwin Land introduces the first truly instant camera the Polaroid SX-70 camera at an event in Miami, Florida
1981 – British rock band Queen and David Bowie release their serendipitous collaborative single “Under Pressure”

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Famous Birthdays

1886 – Hermann Unger, German composer, music journalist, pedagogue and administrator (Rheinische Musikschule), born in Kamenz, Germany (d. 1958)
1930 – John Arden, English novelist and playwright (Left Handed Liberty), born in Barnsley, England (d. 2012)
1965 – Kelly Rowan, Canadian actress (Kirsten Cohen in “The O.C.”), born in Ottawa, Ontario
1967 – Shelly Stokes, American softball catcher (Olympic gold 1996), born in Sacramento, California
1981 – Sam Brown, American comedian (The Whitest Kid U’Know), born in Sandwich, Massachusetts

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Famous Deaths

1902 – Elizabeth Cady Stanton, American women’s rights activist, abolitionist and writer, dies of heart failure at 86
1975 – Herman van San, Belgian classical and electro-acoustic composer, dies at 46
1990 – Guus Jansen, Dutch pianist, Hammond organist, and popular song composer (“Net als Toen” – Eurovison, 1957), dies at 79
2004 – Bobby Ávila, Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman (MLB All-Star 1952, 54, 55; AL batting champion 1954; Cleveland Indians), dies of diabetes and lung ailment at 80
2005 – David Townsend, American session and touring RandB guitarist (Isley Brothers; Port Authority; Surface – “Shower Me With Your Love”), and songwriter, dies at 50

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Historical Events

1666 – Brandenburg, Brunswick, Denmark and The Netherlands form anti-French Quadruple Alliance
1930 – Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) begins 1st scheduled US transcontinental air service between NYC and Los Angeles, California; 30 hour trip includes overnight stop in Kansas City, Missouri
1984 – “Give My Regards to Broad Street” premieres (Gotham Theater-NYC)
1990 – NY Daily News goes on strike (lasts through March, 1991)
2024 – MLB World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman hits 1st ‘walk-off’ grand slam in World Series history in 6-3 win over New York Yankees in 10 innings at Dodger Stadium

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Famous Birthdays

1884 – Eduardo Barrios, Chilean novelist (The Love-Crazed Boy), born in Valparaíso, Chile (d. 1963)
1912 – Jack Kent Cooke, Canadian entrepreneur, NFL team owner (Washington Redskins), born in Hamilton, Canada (d. 1997)
1973 – Steve White, American football defensive end (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Memphis, Tennessee
1975 – Zadie Smith, British novelist (White Teeth; On Beauty; Swing Time), born in Brent, London, England
1981 – Austin John Winkler, American rock singer (Hinder, 2001-13), and songwriter, born in Oklahoma City

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Famous Deaths

1647 – Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist (inventor of barometer), dies at 39
1760 – George II [Georg August], King of Great Britain and Ireland (1727-60), Elector of Hanover, dies of thoracic aortic dissection at 76
1806 – Henry Knox, American general (Continental Army and later the United States Army) and 1st US Secretary of War (1785-94), dies at 56 after swallowing a chicken bone which lodged in his throat and caused a fatal infection
1895 – Charles Hallé, Anglo-German pianist, conductor and founder (Halle Orchestra), dies at 76
2022 – Brian Robinson, English cyclist (Tour de France: first Briton to finish 1955; first stage winner 1957), dies at 91

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