870 – Skirmish at Englefield: Ethelred of Wessex beats a section of the Viking Great Heathen Army, camped at Reading
1911 – Marie Curie receives her second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, for her work with radioactivity
1923 – BBC begins using Big Ben’s chimes as an interval signal
1957 – Amateur Athletic Union awards American sprinter Bobby Morrow the James E. Sullivan Award
1975 – 42nd Sugar Bowl: #3 Alabama beats #7 Penn State, 13-6
1986 – Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 97
1996 – 63rd Orange Bowl: #6 Nebraska beats #10 Virginia Tech, 41-21
1997 – 27th Fiesta Bowl: #10 Kansas State beats #14 Syracuse, 35-18
Author: gil7
Today in History for 31st December 2025
Historical Events
406 – “The Great Invasion” sees a vast horde of Vandals, Alans, and Suebi cross the Rhine at Mainz, beginning the invasion of Gaul
1968 – Record high barometric pressure (1083.8 mb, 32 inches) recorded at Agata in Siberia, Soviet Union; eclipsed in December 2001
1969 – Congo-Brazzaville becomes People’s republic, under major Ngouabi
1984 – Test Cricket debut of Mohammad Azharuddin, v England at Calcutta
1998 – US movie box office hits record $6.24 billion for year
Famous Birthdays
1928 – Hugh McElhenny, American Pro/College Football HOF halfback (University of Washington; 5 × First-team All-Pro; 6 × Pro Bowl; Minnesota Vikings, SF 49ers), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2022)
1936 – Jerry Sturm, American football tackle (AFL All-Star 1964, 66; Denver Broncos, NO Saints), born in English, Indiana (d. 2020)
1949 – Susan Shwartz, American author, born in Youngstown, Ohio
1949 – Ellen Datlow, American editor, born in New York City
1954 – Alex Salmond, Scottish politician (Scottish National Party) First Minister of Scotland (2007-14), born in Linlithgow, Scotland (d. 2024)
Famous Deaths
1510 – Bianca Maria Sforza, wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, dies at 38
1987 – Leo Steiner, American restaurateur and co-owner of the Carnegie Deli, dies at 48 (b. circa 1939)
1991 – Georges Poulet, French-Belgian critic (Temps Humain), dies at 89
1993 – Arthur Dreifuss, director and producer (Murder in Amsterdam), dies at 85
2022 – Sergei Bautin, Belarusian ice hockey defenceman (Olympic gold Unified Team 1992; Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks), dies at 55
Famous Deaths for 30th December 2025
1460 – Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, claimant to the English throne killed in Battle of Wakefield at 49 (b. 1411)
1591 – Pope Innocent IX [Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti], 230th Catholic pope (1591), dies at 72
1621 – Saint Job of Maniava, Ukrainian Orthodox Saint (b. 1550)
1895 – LP Hartley, British writer, dies
1982 – Alberto Vargas, Peruvian-American painter, primarily of “pin-up girls”, dies at 86
1995 – Clarence Satchell, American funk saxophonist (Ohio Players – “Fire”;”Love Rollercoaster”), dies of a brain aneurysm at 55
2010 – Roger Milliken, American millionaire (CEO of Milliken and Company), dies at 95
2012 – Carl Woese, American microbiologist (defining the Archaea) and academic, dies of pancreatic cancer at 84
2015 – Donald Barron, Scottish accountant and CEO (Midland Bank), dies at 94
2018 – Larry Austin, American classical and electronic composer and educator, dies at 88
Historical Events for 30th December 2025
1621 – English King James I tears the Protestation of Parliament from the records, objecting to Parliament commenting on a foreign marriage alliance
1672 – Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden, Netherlands
1896 – Stanley Cup, Granite Rink, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Ernie McLea scores a hat-trick as Montreal Victorias beat Winnipeg Victorias, 6-5; first SC Challenge game played outside of Montreal
1917 – -37°F (-38°C) in Lewisburg, WV (state record)
1953 – Queen Elizabeth II visits the Tūrangawaewae marae in New Zealand, home of the Māori Kīngitanga movement
1973 – AFC Championship, Miami Orange Bowl: Miami Dolphins beat Oakland Raiders, 27-10
1979 – English Progressive rock group, Emerson, Lake and Palmer break up
1997 – In the worst incident in Algeria’s insurgency, the Wilaya of Relizane massacres, 400 people are killed from four villages.
Today in History for 30th December 2025
Historical Events
1672 – Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden, Netherlands
1924 – Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces the existence of other galaxies at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society
1958 – French franc devalued
1997 – An abandoned building collapses on NY’s 42nd St, no one hurt
2006 – Madrid Barajas International Airport is bombed.
Famous Birthdays
1887 – Henry George Ley, British organist, composer, and teacher (Eton, 1926-45), born in Chagford, England (d. 1962)
1934 – Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury
1945 – Vernon Wells, Australian actor (Commando; Mad Max: The Road Warrior), born in Rushworth, Australia
1953 – Daniel T. Barry, American engineer and NASA astronaut (STS 72), born in Norwalk, Connecticut
1965 – David Baker, UK cyclist, born in Sheffield, England
Famous Deaths
1947 – Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86
1968 – Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician and 1st Secretary-General of the United Nations (1946-52), dies at 72
1995 – Doris Grau, American script supervisor, actress and voice artist (Point Blank, King Kong), dies from respiratory failure at 71
1998 – Johnny Moore, American singer (The Drifters) (b. 1934)
2019 – Johnny Ward, English rugby league hooker (4 Tests Great Britain, 3 England; Castleford 262 games), dies at 78
Famous Deaths for 29th December 2025
1634 – John Albert Vasa, Polish bishop, dies at 22
1737 – Joseph Saurin, French mathematician (b. 1659)
1926 – Rainer Maria Rilke, Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist (Ana, The City, Duino Elegies), dies at 51
1975 – Euell Gibbons, American outdoorsman and proponent of natural diets (b. 1911).
1984 – Sidney Garfield, American physician and pioneer of health maintenance organizations (Kaiser Permanente), dies at 78
2008 – Freddie Hubbard, American jazz trumpet player (b. 1938)
2018 – Bill Watson, Australian cricketer (NSW and Australian opening batsman mid-1950s), dies at 87
2019 – LaDell Andersen, American college basketball coach (Utah State, BYU), dies at 90
2023 – Maurice Hines, American tap-dancer, choreographer, actor, and theater director, dies at 80
2024 – George Folsey Jr., American film editor (Coming to America; The Blues Brothers), dies of complications of pneumonia at 85
Historical Events for 29th December 2025
1911 – Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty
1944 – Belgian Walloon Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle sentenced to death
1955 – NHL officials wear new vertically striped black-and-white sweaters for the first time in Montreal Canadiens’ 5-2 win over Toronto Maple Leafs
1957 – National Football League Championship, Briggs Stadium, Detroit: Detroit Lions beat Cleveland Browns, 50-14; Lions score 2 touchdowns in each quarter
1965 – The Supremes release single “My World is Empty Without You”
1992 – Governor Cuomo grants Jean Harris (Scarsdale Diet Dr killer) clemency
1994 – Australian cricket’s spin king Shane Warne dismisses England’s Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm for a famous hat-trick in 2nd Test win in Melbourne
1998 – Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over a million people
Today in History for 29th December 2025
Historical Events
1921 – Mackenzie King is sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Canada
1933 – New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds
1983 – Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman’s record of 29
1984 – Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick and adds 3 assists in Edmonton’s 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history – recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983
1997 – Cricket Women’s World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets
Famous Birthdays
1935 – Russell Watt, New Zealand rugby union wing (9 Tests; Otago, Southland, Wellington), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 2022)
1939 – (William Edwin) “Ed” Bruce, American country singer (“Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”), born in Keiser, Arkansas (d. 2021)
1970 – Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver, born in Osaka, Japan
1974 – James Darling, American football linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles), born in Denver, Colorado
1995 – Flossie, British domestic cat, world’s oldest cat recognized by Guinness World Records, born in Merseyside, England
Famous Deaths
1606 – Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania and Hungary (1605-6), dies at 49
1919 – William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70
1925 – Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60
2017 – Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), dies at 88
2023 – Les McCann, American jazz pianist, soul singer (“Compared to What”), painter, and photographer, dies of pneumonia at 88
Famous Deaths for 28th December 2025
1779 – Gennaro Manna, Italian composer, dies at 64
1808 – Anne Horton, scandalous English Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn, wife of Prince Henry, brother of George III, dies at 65
1948 – Mahmoud El Nokrashy Pasha, Egyptian politician and the 27th Prime Minister of Egypt (1946-48), assassinated at 60 by veterinary student and Muslim Brotherhood member Abdel Meguid Ahmed Hassan
1961 – Edith Wilson, American 1st lady (1915-21) second wife of Woodrow Wilson, dies at 89
1977 – Charlotte Greenwood, American actress (Oklahoma; Moon Over Miami), dies at 87
1982 – Frederick Douglass Hall, American composer, dies at 84
1990 – Walter Burle Marx, Brazilian pianist and composer, dies at 88
2006 – Komei Abe, Japanese composer, dies at 95
2012 – Emmanuel Scheffer, Israeli soccer coach (Israel 1968–70, 78–79; only World Cup appearance 1970), dies at 88
2019 – Carley Ann McCord, American sports reporter (Cox Sports TV; in-game host New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Saints), dies in a plane crash at 30
Historical Events for 28th December 2025
1915 – Today the British Cabinet recognizes the true nature of the war by deciding to institute compulsory military service, with single men to be conscripted before married ones
1926 – Imperial Airways begins mail and passenger service from England to India
1949 – 20th Century Fox announces it will produce TV programs
1953 – WLBT TV channel 3 in Jackson, Mississippi (NBC) begins broadcasting
1964 – Premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich’s cantata “The Execution of Stepan Razin”
1984 – Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress party wins the general election in India
1994 – American country singer Tammy Wynette admitted to the hospital with bile duct infection
2019 – Jihadist fundamentalist group al-Shabaab sets off a truck bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing at least 84 people and wounding over 150