Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1906 – First freight delivery tunnel system begins operation underneath Chicago
1944 – Operation Dragoon: Allied troops land in Provence
1945 – A riot ensues in San Francisco as the city celebrates the end of WWII
1993 – 75th PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Inverness GC: Paul Azinger wins his first major title in a playoff with Greg Norman of Australia
2016 – Anita Włodarczyk of Poland sets a world record of 82.29 m to win the women’s hammer throw gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; Zhang Wenxiu (China) wins silver, and Sophie Hitchon (Great Britain) wins bronze

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Famous Birthdays

1910 – Leslie Coffelt, American White House Police officer, killed in the line of duty during an assassination attempt on Harry Truman, born in Oranda, Virginia (d. 1950)
1946 – Jimmy Webb, American singer and songwriter (“MacArthur Park”; “Up Up and Away”), born in Elk City, Oklahoma
1952 – Ger Hoeymakers, Dutch rock guitarist (Franc Boeijen Group), born in Sevenum, Netherlands
1977 – Martin Biron, Canadian American ice hockey goaltender, born in Lac-Saint-Charles, Quebec
1981 – Song Ji-hyo, South Korean actress (Running Man), born in Pohang, South Korea

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Famous Deaths

1196 – Conrad II, Duke of Swabia (b. 1173)
1615 – Cornelis C. Vrancx, Flemish poet and writer (Comfort of Soles), dies
1988 – Mohammed Zia ul-Haq, Pakistani general and politician (President of Pakistan 1978-88), killed in plane crash at 64
2014 – Jay Adams, American skateboarder (Z-Boys; Skateboarding HOF), dies of a heart attack at 53
2022 – Pete Carril, American basketball coach (13 × Ivy League champion, Princeton University), dies at 92

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Historical Events

1824 – General Lafayette returns to the US
1984 – West Indies complete 5-0 series annihilation of England
1993 – Nigerian presidential election
1995 – Shannon Faulkner becomes the first woman to attend The Citadel
2023 – Former US President Donald Trump and 18 others, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, are indicted by a grand jury in Atlanta on felony charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia

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Famous Birthdays

1738 – Leopold Hofmann, Austrian composer and kapellmeister (Cathedral of St. Stephan, 1772-93), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1793)
1910 – Pierre Schaeffer, French electronics engineer and composer, born in Nancy, France (d. 1995)
1926 – (Armando) “Buddy” Greco, American jazz and pop singer (“Ooh! Look-A There, Ain’t She Pretty”; “The Lady Is A Tramp”), pianist, and television personality (Away We Go), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2017)
1947 – Danielle Steel, American author (Rememberance, Zoya, Star, Daddy), born in New York City
1983 – Mila Kunis, Ukrainian-American actress (Friends with Benefits; That ’70s Show – “Jacki'”), born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine SSR, Soviet Union

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Famous Deaths

1975 – Joris Baers, Belgian priest and librarian (founded magazine Boekengids), dies at 87
1988 – Robert Calvert, South African-British writer and musician (Hawkwind), dies of a heart attack at 43
2000 – Cuan McCarthy, South African cricketer (36 Test wkts for South Africa, 1 career no-ball), dies at 71
2009 – Lawrence Lucie, American jazz guitarist (Fletcher Henderson, Louis Armstrong), and educator (Manhattan College, 1974-2004), dies at 101
2020 – Angela Buxton, English tennis player (French C’ships, Wimbledon women’s doubles 1956 [with Althea Gibson]), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1788 – Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90
1963 – Warren Spahn sets the left-hander strikeout record at 2,382
1985 – South African Defence Force soldiers, traveling in a convoy of more than ten armored vehicles, surround the Thaba-Jabula High School in Soweto and arrest 200 students during a clampdown on school boycotts
1997 – MLB San Diego Padres trade outfielder Rickey Henderson to Anaheim Angels
2014 – Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani is the first woman to win the Fields Medal in mathematics

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Famous Birthdays

1898 – Regis Toomey, American actor (Burke’s Law, Petticoat Junction), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1991)
1914 – “Cap’n Jack” McCarthy, American television broadcaster (NYC’s St. Patrick Day Parade, 1949-89; kiddie show host (Popeye)), born in New York City (d. 1996)
1953 – Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgarian economist, Head of the IMF (2019-), born in Sofia, Bulgaria
1973 – Sherman Williams, American NFL running back (Dallas Cowboys), born in Mobile, Alabama
1979 – Román Colón, Dominican baseball player, born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic

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Famous Deaths

1721 – Jacques Lelong, French bibliographer, dies at 56
1933 – Paul Hillemacher, French classical pianist, and composer, dies at 80
1974 – Hugo Yarnold, English cricketer (Umpire in 3 Tests for England), dies at 57
1996 – David Randall, British priest and founder of AIDS/HIV center Cara, dies of AIDS at 49
2021 – Nanci Griffith, American singer (“From A Distance”), and songwriter (“Once in a Very Blue Moon”; “Love at the Five and Dime”), dies at 68

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Historical Events

1905 – King Leopold II opens Antwerp Central Station in Belgium
1936 – American diver Marjorie Gestring wins the 3 m springboard gold at the Berlin Olympics, becoming the youngest Olympic gold medalist at 13 years and 268 days
1979 – “Whoopee!” closes at ANTA Theatre in New York City after 204 performances
1988 – Boston Red Sox beat Tigers 9-4 for an AL record 23rd consecutive win at home
2014 – World Health Organization (WHO) gives its ‘cautious blessing’ to the use of experimental drugs to treat the Ebola virus

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Erwin Schrodinger, Austrian physicist and Nobel Laureate (wave mechanics), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1961)
1910 – Heinrich Sutermeister, Swiss opera composer (Romeo und Julia; Raskolnikov; Das Flaschenteufel), born in Feuerthalen, Switzerland (d. 1995)
1925 – George Wetherill, American scientist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2006)
1946 – Ken Caillat, American record producer and audio engineer (Fleetwood Mac), born in the USA
1982 – Alexandros Tzorvas, Greek soccer goalkeeper (16 caps; Panathinaikos, Apollon Smyrnis), born in Athens, Greece

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Famous Deaths

1849 – Albert Gallatin, Swiss-American politician and diplomat (4th US Secretary of the Treasury1801-14), dies at 88
1991 – Irene Campbell, British actress/dancer (Wicker Man, St Justice), dies
2004 – George Yardley III, American Basketball Hall of Fame forward (6 × NBA All-Star 1955–60; first player to score 2,000 points in a season; Fort Wayne Pistons), dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at 75
2020 – Melvin F. Stute, American thoroughbred racehorse trainer (Preakness Stakes 1986, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies 1986, Breeders’ Cup Sprint 1987), dies at 93
2023 – Atanas Golomeev, Bulgarian basketball center (FIBA EuroBasket Top Scorer 1973 Academic Sofia, 1975 Levski Sofia; FIBA European Selection 1971, 73, 75, 77), dies at 76

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Historical Events

1929 – Russian-Chinese border fights
1950 – 17th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 17, Philadelphia 7 (88,885 attendees)
1978 – Funeral of Pope Paul VI is held in Vatican
1980 – Mohammed Ali Radjai is appointed premier of Iran
1982 – The South African Defence Force (SADF) raids Southern Angola

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Famous Birthdays

1833 – Kido Takayoshi, Japanese politician, samurai and leader of the Meiji Restoration, born in Chōshū, Nagato province, Japan (d. 1877)
1837 – Marie François Sadi Carnot, President of France (1887-94), born in Limoges, France (d. 1894)
1900 – Philip Phillips, American archaeologist focusing on the Lower Mississippi Valley, born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1994)
1913 – Paul Dupuis, French Canadian actor (The Fortress; Passport to Pimlico), born in Montréal, Québec (d. 1976)
1950 – Glenn Jarrett, American auto racer (67 x NASCAR starts) and broadcaster (TNN, Speed Channel. MRN), born in Conover, North Carolina

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Famous Deaths

1589 – Maarten Schenck van Nydeggen, military commander for the Dutch Republic, dies in an assault on Nijmegen at about 49
1844 – Jernej Kopitar, Slovene philologist and linguist (Slavic Grammatica), dies at 63
1951 – Ebbe Hamerik, Danish opera composer (Stepan; Marie Grubbe), drowns in a sailing accident at 52
1995 – Alonzo Church, American mathematician whose work provided foundation for computer science, dies at 92
2003 – Diana Mitford, British biographer, famous beauty, wife of Oswald Mosley and one of the Mitford sisters, dies at 93

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Historical Events

1566 – Protestant Iconoclasm “Beeldenstorm” (Iconoclastic Fury) begins in the European Low Countries
1897 – Automobile Club of Great Britain is established (now called the Royal Automobile Club)
1980 – Canadian Open Women’s Golf (Peter Jackson Classic), Richelieu Valley GC: Pat Bradley wins by one from JoAnn Carner for her first of six major titles
1984 – Ian Ferguson of New Zealand wins two canoeing gold medals in the one day, winning the K-1 500 and K-2 500 with Paul MacDonald at the Los Angeles Olympics; he wins K-4 1000 the next day
2014 – Israeli and Palestinian officials agree to a 72-hour ceasefire proposed by Egypt

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Famous Birthdays

1645 – Eusebio Kino, Italian Catholic missionary and explorer in Mexico and Arizona, born in Segno, Bishopric of Trent (d. 1711)
1654 – Bernard Nieuwentyt, Dutch philosopher and physician, born in West-Graftdijk, North Holland (d. 1718)
1794 – Leopold Zunz, German Jewish scholar (Science of Judaism), born in Detmold (d. 1886)
1893 – Douglas Moore, American organist, pianist, songwriter (“Goodnight Harvard”), and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer (Giants in the Earth; The Ballad of Baby Doe), born in Cutchogue, Long Island, New York (d. 1969)
1957 – Fred Ho [Houn], American jazz baritone saxophonist, composer (Year of the Tiger), playwright, writer and social activist, born in Palo Alto, California (d. 2014)

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Famous Deaths

1911 – Carl Lumbye, Danish composer, dies at 70
1948 – Andrew Brown, Scottish football coach (b. 1870)
1960 – Oswald Veblin, mathematician
1976 – Ray “Crash” Corrigan, American actor (Crash Corrigan’s Ranch), dies at 74
1987 – Raquel Torres, actress (Duck Soup, Sea Bat), dies

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Historical Events

1915 – British naval officer David Beatty is confirmed in the rank of vice-admiral
1944 – WWII: US Army 79th and 90th divisions enter Le Mans, France
1978 – USSR performs an underground nuclear test
1987 – LA Rams beat Dallas Cowboys 28-27 in London (NFL expo)
2020 – Brazil surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 deaths, the world’s second highest, with over 3 million recorded cases

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Famous Birthdays

1847 – Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo, Queen consort of Spain (1870-73), born in Paris (d. 1876)
1888 – Hans Oster, German major general, spy and “July 20th” plotter, born in Dresden, German Empire (d. 1945)
1935 – George Leotsakos, Greek composer and musicologist, born in Athens, Greece (d. 2024)
1938 – Dick Anthony Williams, American actor (Our Family Honor), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2012)
1972 – Robert Peal, American dance skater (with Margot Contois), born in Chicago, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1613 – Giovanni Righi, Italian composer, dies at 36
1890 – Eduard von Bauernfeld, Austrian comedic playwright, dies at 88
1969 – George Preston Marshall, American Pro Football HOF team owner (Washington Redskins 1933-69), dies at 72
1982 – Alexandre Alexeieff, Russian-French filmmaker (pinscreen animation) and artist, dies at 81
2023 – (Jaime Royal) “Robbie” Robertson, Canadian-Mohawk singer-songwriter and rock guitarist (The Band – “The Weight”; “Up On Cripple Creek”), and soundtrack composer (Martin Scorsese films), dies of prostate cancer at 80

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Historical Events

1914 – Montenegro declares war on Germany
1930 – MLB St. Louis Cardinals are 12 games back in the NL and go on to win the pennant
1938 – Great Trek Centenary Celebrations commence; the Great Trek was a migration involving Boers leaving the Cape Colony and settling in the interior of South Africa
1992 – Germany goes through the field hockey competition undefeated to win gold with a 2-1 victory over Australia in the men’s final at the Barcelona Olympics
2004 – John Elway is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

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Famous Birthdays

1899 – Victor Young, American violinist, arranger, orchestra leader, and composer (“Street of Dreams”; “Love Letters”; “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You”), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1956)
1908 – Chivu Stoica, Romanian politician (Premier of Romania 1955-61), born in Smeeni, Romania (d. 1975)
1928 – Ken Scowcroft, English insurance magnate and founder of Swinton Insurance (1957), born in England (d. 2018)
1977 – Szilárd Németh, Slovak soccer striker (58 caps; Slovan Bratislava, Middlesborough, Alemannia Aachen), born in Komárno, Slovakia
1979 – Richard Harwood, British cellist, born in Portsmouth, England

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Famous Deaths

1863 – Angus MacAskill known as ‘Giant MacAskill’, circus performer (b.1825)
1969 – Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer, German human biologist and Nazi physician, dies at 73
1988 – Félix Leclerc, French Canadian singer and composer (Moi, mes souliers), dies at 74
1992 – Alison L. Gertz, American aids-activist, Esquire women of year, dies of aids at 26
2018 – Richard Searby, Australian right-hand man of Rupert Murdoch and Chairman of News Corporation, dies at 87

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Historical Events

1620 – Astronomer Johannes Kepler’s mother is arrested for witchcraft
1900 – Diamond workers in Amsterdam strike
1903 – Tommy Corcoran sets an MLB record for shortstops by recording 14 assists in Cincinnati’s 4-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals
1991 – Courts rules Manuel Noriega may access some secret US documents
1993 – Revival of Lerner and Loewe’s musical “Camelot,” with Robert Goulet as King Arthur, closes at Gershwin Theater, NYC, after 56 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1282 – Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, youngest daughter of King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile, born in Rhuddlan Castle, Denbighshire, Wales (d. 1316)
1930 – Veljo Tormis, Estonian composer, specializing in choral music (Curse Upon Iron (Raua needmine)), born in Kuusalu, Estonia (d. 2017)
1961 – Yelena Davydova, Russian gymnast (Olympic gold USSR All-round, Team 1980), coach (Canadian Women’s Artistic Team 2012) and international judge (Rio Olympics 2016), born in Voronezh, Russia
1979 – Abigail Spanberger, American politician, intelligence officer, and first female governor of Virginia (D-2026), born in Red Bank, New Jersey
1998 – Jalen Hurts, American football quarterback (NCAA C’ship 2018 University of Alabama; Super Bowl LIX MVP 2025 Philadelphia Eagles), born in Houston, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1799 – John Bacon, English sculptor – most successful public sculptor of his time, dies at 58
1885 – Anthony Modderman, Dutch politician (Minister of Justice, 1879-83), dies at 46
1917 – Squadron Commander E.H. Dunning, first pilot to land his aircraft on a moving ship. (b. 1891)
1944 – Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Paraguayan classical guitarist and composer (La Catedral), dies at 59
2022 – Anatoli Vassilyevich Filipchenko, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz 7; Soyuz, 16), dies at 94

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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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