Author: gil7

Historical Events

1856 – The Great Bell is cast for the Great Clock of Westminster, London (Big Ben)
1908 – St. Louis Cardinals’ Johnny Lush pitches a second career no-hitter in a 2-0 win over the Brooklyn Superbas; a change in MLB rules makes this unofficial as the game was shortened by rain
2008 – A military junta led by Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz stages a coup in Mauritania, overthrowing President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
2015 – American comedian Jon Stewart hosts late-night talk and satirical news program “The Daily Show” for the last time
2018 – PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi announces she will step down

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Famous Birthdays

1886 – Inez Milholland, American suffragist (National Woman’s Party), labor lawyer and socialist, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1916)
1906 – Ken Strong, American College/Pro Football HOF fullback/halfback (NYU; NFL C’ship 1934 NY Giants; 4 × First-team All-Pro), born in West Haven, Connecticut (d. 1979)
1916 – E. Michael Burke, sports executive (President New York Yankees, New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden), born in Enfield, Connecticut (d. 1987)
1938 – Igor Mikhailovich Luchenok, Belarusian composer and teacher, born in Minsk, Belarus (d. 2018)
1946 – Roh Moo-hyun, South Korean politician (President of South Korea 2003-8), born in Bongha Village, South Korea (d. 2009)

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Famous Deaths

1657 – Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Polish-Lithuanian military leader of Zaporozhian Cossacks (organized rebellion of Ukrainian Cossacks against the Polish), dies (b. c. 1595)
1695 – François de Harlay de Champvallon, Archbishop of Paris, dies at 69
1914 – Ellen Axson Wilson (née Ellen Louise Axson), American artist and First Lady (US, 1913-14; New Jersey, 1911-13), dies of Bright’s Disease during President Woodrow Wilson’s 1st term, at 54
1976 – Gregor Piatigorsky, Ukrainian-American cellist, dies at 73
1991 – Roland Michener, 20th Governor General of Canada (1967-74), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1864 – Battle of Mobile Bay won by the Union Navy, led by Rear Admiral David Farragut with the cry “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
1975 – Stevie Wonder signs a 7-year, 7-album contract with a $13 million advance with Motown Records
1994 – British rocker Billy Idol admitted to the hospital after drug overdose in Los Angeles, California
2005 – Discovery of Skull 5, the earliest complete Homo erectus skull aged 1.8 million years, at Dmanisi, Georgia, by archaeologist David Lordkipanidze, site of the first known hominins to leave Africa
2024 – British graffiti artist Banksy begins a series of animal artworks around London with a goat near Kew Bridge

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Famous Birthdays

1704 – William Allen, American loyalist, Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania and Mayor of Philadelphia, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1780)
1900 – Bodi Rapp [Johanna Goetmakers], Dutch mezzo-soprano and teacher, born in Almelo, Netherlands (d. 1977)
1914 – Anita Colby, American model, author and actress (Mary of Scotland, Cover Girl, Pepsi Cola Playhouse), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1992)
1963 – Mark Strong [Marco Salussolia], English stage and screen actor (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; A View from a Bridge; 1917), born in Islington, London
1997 – Yungblud [Dominic Harrison], English singer-songwriter (Weird!) and actor, born in Doncaster, England

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Famous Deaths

1977 – Charles Carson, British actor (Cry the Beloved Country), dies at 91
1991 – Soichiro Honda, Japanese engineer who founded Honda Motor Company, dies of liver cancr at 84
2005 – Raul Roco, Philippine senator (b. 1941)
2022 – Jô Soares, Brazilian comedian, late night television talk show host, author (O Xangô de Baker Street – A Samba for Sherlock), and jazz musician, dies at 84
2022 – Michael Howard, 21st Earl of Suffolk and 14th Earl of Berkshire (House of Lords, 1956-99), dies at 87

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Historical Events

1347 – English troops under Edward III conquer Calais, becomes strategic town for the English during Hundred Years’ War
1636 – Johan Maurits is appointed governor of Dutch Brazil
1936 – American athlete Jesse Owens wins his second gold medal at the Berlin Olympics, defeating German Luz Long in the long jump final with an Olympic record
1964 – North Vietnam purportedly engages US Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin for a second time, resulting in US Congress passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, granting authority to assist any Southeast Asian nation facing “communist aggression”; a later investigation deems the second attack never happened as shipboard communications were misinterpreted
2019 – Gunman kills 9 and injures 27 at a bar in Dayton, Ohio, in the second mass shooting in 24 hours in the US

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Famous Birthdays

1805 – William Rowan Hamilton, Irish astronomer and mathematician, born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1865)
1932 – (Calvin) “Scotty” Stoneman, American bluegrass fiddler (The Stoneman Family; The Kentucky Colonels), born in Galax, Virginia (d. 1973)
1943 – Laura Biagiotti, Italian fashion designer known as the “Queen of Cashmere”, born in Rome, Italy (d. 2017)
1955 – Charles D. Gemar, American former NASA astronaut (STS-38, 48, 62) and lieutenant colonel (United States Army), born in Yankton, South Dakota
1962 – Joey Huffman, American rock keyboard and organ player (Soul Asylum), born in Pikeville, Kentucky

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Famous Deaths

1204 – Boniface of Montferrat, margrave of Montferrat, murdered
1578 – Sebastian, King of Portugal (1557-78), assumed killed at the Battle of Three Kings in Morroco at 24
1904 – Arnold Krug, German composer, dies at 54
1995 – Dick Bartell, American baseball shortstop (MLB All Star 1933, 37; Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants), dies from Alzheimer’s disease at 87
1996 – Geoff Hamilton, English gardener and journalist (BBC Gardener’s World), dies of a heart attack at 59

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Historical Events

1778 – Teatro alla Scala opens in Milan
1798 – Battle of the Nile: British Admiral Horatio Nelson forces the remnants of the French fleet to surrender, concluding a decisive victory for the British, who capture or destroy 11 French ships of the line and 2 frigates
1936 – American sprinter Jesse Owens wins the 100 m in 10.3 seconds in front of Adolf Hitler in a famous race at the Berlin Olympics, the first of four gold medals he wins at the Games
1970 – The second NFL work stoppage ends with NFL and Players’ Association agreeing to a 4-year, $19.1 million deal
1979 – Sam Snead, at 67 years, 2 months, and 7 days, sets the record for the oldest player to make the cut in a major – PGA Championship at Oakland Hills CC

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Famous Birthdays

1938 – Terry Wogan, British broadcaster (Eurovision Song Contest, Blankety Blank), born in Limerick, Ireland (d. 2016)
1964 – Kevin Elster, American baseball infielder (Texas Rangers), born in San Pedro, California
1976 – Troy Glaus, American baseball infielder (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Tarzana, Los Angeles
1979 – Kris Jenkins, American NFL defensive tackle (Pro Bowl (20-03, 06, 08; All-Pro 2002-03; Carolina Panthers, New York Jets), born in Ypsilanti, Michigan
1986 – Charlotte Casiraghi, Daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco, born in Princess Grace Hospital Centre, La Colle, Monaco

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Famous Deaths

1993 – James Donald, Scottish actor (Bridge on River Kwai, Vikings, In Which We Serve, Way Ahead), dies of stomach cancer at 76
1994 – Hidalgo Moya, American architect and designer (Skylon), dies at 74
2006 – Warren Barker, American Emmy Award-winning composer (My World and Welcome To It), dies at 83
2018 – Moshe Mizrahi, Israeli film director (Madame Rosa), dies of pneumonia at 86
2021 – Jocelyne Bourassa, Canadian golfer (LPGA Rookie of the Year 1972; Canadian Open 1973), dies at 74

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