Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1859 – Great auroral display in the US
1975 – American television game show “Three for the Money,” hosted by Dick Enberg, debuts on NBC-TV but is cancelled after 8 weeks
2004 – Asteroid 4179 Toutatis passes within four lunar distances of Earth
2006 – US Representative Mark Foley resigns after allegations of inappropriate emails to House pages are introduced
2020 – Ben Ainslie wins the Olympic gold medal in the Laser class, beating previous Laser Olympic champion Robert Scheidt

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Famous Birthdays

1753 – Johann Gottfried Schicht, German composer, born in Reichenau, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1823)
1899 – Billy Butlin, South African-British holiday camp promoter (Butlins), born in Cape Town, Cape Colony (d. 1980)
1941 – Don Nix, American ‘Memphis Soul’ saxophonist (Last Night), born in Memphis, Tennessee
1951 – Andrés Caicedo, Colombian writer (¡Que viva la música!), born in Cali, Colombia (d. 1977)
1972 – Oliver Gavin, British auto racer (5 x American Le Mans Series class C’ships; 5 x 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins; 6 x 12 Hours of Sebring class wins; Corvette Racing), born in Huntingdon, England

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Famous Deaths

1867 – Sterling “Old Pap” Price, American lawyer, U.S. Army Brigadier General and politician (11th Governor of Missouri), dies at 58
1889 – Louis Faidherbe, French general and colonel administrator in Senegal, dies at 71
1900 – Samuel Fenton Cary, American politician and temperance movement leader (Rep-IR-Ohio), dies at 86
2009 – Pavel Popovich, Ukrainian cosmonaut (Vostok IV; Soyuz 14), dies at 78
2016 – Shirley Jaffe [née Sternstein], American abstract artist (Four Squares Black; Pandora’s Box), dies at 92

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Historical Events

1920 – Dirk Fock is appointed as governor-general of the Dutch East Indies
1920 – Eight Chicago White Sox baseball players are indicted by a grand jury, charged with fixing the 1919 World Series in the infamous “Black Sox scandal”
1931 – 200,000 demonstrators demand a declaration of war on Japan in Peking
1956 – “Johnny Carson Show” TV variety last airs on CBS-TV
2009 – The military junta leading Guinea, headed by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, sexually assaults, kills, and wounds protesters during a protest rally at Stade du 28 Septembre

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Famous Birthdays

1849 – Dudley Allen Sargent, American physician and educator (Harvard U gymnasium), born in Belfast, Maine (d. 1924)
1909 – Wiesje Bouwmeester, Dutch actress (Doodzonde), born in Watergraafsmeer, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (d. 1979)
1928 – “Tuli” Naphtali Kupferberg, American poet and singer (Fugs), born in New York City (d. 2010)
1953 – Jim Diamond, Scottish singer-songwriter (“I Should Have Known Better”), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2015)
1954 – George Lynch, American rock guitarist (Lynch Mob – “Wicked Sensations”), born in Spokane, Washington

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Famous Deaths

1509 – Siwara/Sjoerd Aylva, Fries army leader (siege of Franeker)
1993 – Gustavo Brillembourg, Venezuelan-American tax corporate lawyer, dies in a climbing accident at 35
2009 – Ulf Larsson, Swedish stage and television comedian, actor, and director, dies from an aortic aneurysm at 53
2021 – Tommy Kirk, American actor (Old Yeller), dies at 79
2022 – William ‘Bill’ Plante, American journalist and White House correspondent (CBS, 1981-2016), dies of respiratory failure at 84

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Historical Events

1590 – Pope Urban VII dies 13 days after being chosen as Pope, making his reign the shortest papacy in history
1919 – British troops withdraw from the North Russian town of Arkhangelsk after fighting Bolsheviks/Soviets
1974 – Rome: fourth Bishop Synod in Rome
2006 – MLB Boston Red Sox honor former player Johnny Pesky by officially naming Fenway Park’s right-field foul pole “Pesky’s Pole”
2018 – India’s Supreme Court overturns a 158-year-old rule, Section 497, decriminalizing adultery because it is discriminatory against women

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Famous Birthdays

1792 – George Cruikshank, English caricaturist and illustrator (Grimms’ Fairy Tales), born in London, England (d. 1878)
1881 – Ernest Williams, American composer, born in Wayne County, Indiana (d. 1947)
1918 – Martin Ryle, English radio astronomer (Astronomer Royal 1972-82, Nobel Prize for Physics 1974), born in Brighton, England (d. 1984)
1940 – Benoni Beheyt, Belgian road cyclist (UCI World C’ship gold Road Race 1963), born in Zwijnaarde, Belgium
1949 – Jahn Teigen, Norwegian pop-rock singer (Popol Ace; Eurovison Song Contest, 1978, 1982 and 1983), born in Tønsberg, Norway (d. 2020)

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Famous Deaths

1404 – William of Wykeham, chancellor/Bishop of Winchester, dies
1735 – Peter Artedi, Swedish biologist (“father of ichthyology” study of fish), accidentally falls into a canal and drowns at 30
1935 – Alan Gray, British composer, dies at 79
1986 – Cliff Burton, American rock bassist (Metallica), dies in bus crash at 24
2009 – Donald Fisher, American businessman (co-founder of The Gap), dies of cancer at 81

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Historical Events

1904 – Charles Klein’s “The Music Master” premieres in New York City
1982 – Larry Grossman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green’s musical “A Doll’s Life” closes at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, NYC, after 5 performances
1989 – Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze calls for the total destruction of Soviet and US chemical weapons
1997 – An earthquake strikes the Italian regions of Umbria and Marche, causing part of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi to collapse
2019 – WHO announces 800,000 children in DR Congo will be vaccinated in nine days in the world’s largest measles epidemic that has taken over 3,500 lives

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Famous Birthdays

1688 – Willem ‘s-Gravesande, Dutch mathematician and physicist, born in s-Hertogenbosch, Duchy of Brabant (d. 1742)
1932 – Giacomo Manzoni, Italian composer, born in Milan, Italy
1945 – Louise Beaudoin, French Canadian politician, born in Quebec City, Quebec
1956 – Steve Butler, American auto racer (USAC Silver Crown Champion 1988, 1992; USAC Sprint Car Champion 1986-88, 1990), born in Amarillo, Texas
1979 – Jaycie Phelps, American gymnast (Olympic gold team 1996), born in Indianapolis, Indiana

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Famous Deaths

1023 – Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine (1012-23), dies at about 58
1620 – Taichang Emperor [Zhu Changluo], 14th Emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, dies at 38
1944 – Ernst Isler, Swiss organist and critic, dies at 64
1982 – Alec Hurwood, Australian cricket spin bowler (2 Tests, 11 wickets, BB 4/22; Queensland), dies at 80
2006 – Tokyo Rose [Iva Toguri D’Aquino], American-born Japanese propagandist (WWII), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1944 – Operation Market Garden ends in Allied failure as the last British and Polish paratroopers are evacuated from Oosterbeek near the city of Arnhem
1956 – Transatlantic telephone cable goes into operation from Newfoundland to Oban
1966 – 413 spectators, the smallest Yankee Stadium crowd, watch the White Sox win 4-1
1981 – The Rolling Stones begin their sixth US tour at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia
2000 – American basketball player Vince Carter steals the ball and jumps over 7 foot 2 inch Frédéric Weis at the 2000 Summer Olympics, known in France as “le dunk de la mort” (the dunk of death)

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Famous Birthdays

1881 – Lu Xun, Chinese writer of modern Chinese literature, born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, Qing dynasty China (d. 1936)
1905 – Red Smith, American sportscaster and columnist (Pulitzer 1976, Fight Talk), born in Green Bay, Wisconsin (d. 1982)
1920 – Sergei Bondarchuk, Soviet director (Destiny of a Man, War and Peace), born in Belozerka, Ukraine (d. 1994)
1921 – Remy C. van de Kerckhove, Flemish poet, born in Mechelen, Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1958)
1984 – Matt Carle, American ice hockey player, born in Anchorage, Alaska

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Famous Deaths

1630 – Ambrogio Spinola, Spanish marquis of Balbases, dies at about 61
1918 – Mikhail Alekseev, Russian general (Tsar Nicholas II’s Chief of Staff), dies of a heart attack at 60
1918 – John Ireland, Irish-American archbishop of St Paul (1888-1918), dies at 80
1959 – Helen Broderick, American comedienne and actress (Swing Time; Top Hat), dies at 68
2012 – Andy Williams, American pop singer (“Moon River”; “Days of Wine and Roses”; “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”), dies from bladder cancer at 84

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Historical Events

1850 – A Papal bull is issued, establishing the Roman Catholic hierarchy in England
1951 – USSR performs a nuclear test
1975 – OPEC announces a 15% increase in government revenue per barrel
2019 – Nancy Pelosi announces a formal impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump, arguing that he tried to enlist a foreign power for his own political gain
2024 – Former US retail giant Kmart confirms it is closing its last full-scale store in mainland US in Bridgehampton, New York

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Famous Birthdays

1801 – Mikhail Ostrogradsky, Russian physicist and mathematician, born in Poltava Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1862)
1833 – Henry Alanson Barnum, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Jamesville, New York (d. 1892)
1912 – Donald “Don” Porter, American actor (Gidget, The Ann Sothern Show), born in Miami, Oklahoma (d. 1997)
1939 – Sonny Turner, American singer (The Platters, 1959-70 – “With This Ring”, The Metrotones), born in Fairmont, West Virginia (d. 2022)
1959 – Denis “Piggy” D’Amour, Canadian heavy metal guitarist and songwriter (Voivod), born in Quebec (d. 2005)

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Famous Deaths

768 – Pepin III, the short, King of France, dies at 53
1621 – Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Polish military commander (b. 1560)
1875 – William Walker, American composer (The Southern Harmony), dies at 66
2001 – Sir Ruthven Wade, British Air Chief marshal (Royal Air Force), dies at 81
2017 – Albert Innaurato, American playwright and stage director (Age in Soho; Gemini), dies at 70

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Historical Events

1821 – Fall of Tripolitsa: Greek forces massacre 6,000 to 15,000 Muslim and Jewish civilians during the Greek War of Independence
1982 – Columbia Records releases “The Nylon Curtain,” singer-songwriter Billy Joel’s eighth studio album
1990 – PBS begins an 11-hour miniseries on the Civil War
2017 – US President Donald Trump withdraws invitation to the White House for NBA champions Golden State Warriors after Stephen Curry says he doesn’t want to attend
2024 – Israel launches airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, killing more than 490 people

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Famous Birthdays

1771 – Kōkaku [Morohito], 119th Emperor of Japan (1779-1817), born in Kyōto, Japan (d. 1840)
1897 – Walter Pidgeon, Canadian actor (Mrs Miniver, Madame Curie), born in Saint John, New Brunswick (d. 1984)
1916 – Aldo Moro, Italian Prime Minister (1963-68 and 1974-76), born in Maglie, Italy (d. 1978)
1984 – Nathan Jendrick, American fitness trainer, health instructor, and author, born in Tacoma, Washington
2002 – Maleah Joi Moon, American Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning singer and stage actress known for “Hell’s Kitchen”, born in Franklin Township, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1764 – Robert Dodsley, English writer (b. 1703)
1835 – Vincenzo Bellini, Italian opera composer (La Sonnambula, Norma), dies at 33
1987 – O. B. McClinton, American country singer (Man needs a woman), dies at 47
2010 – Malcolm Douglas, Australian conservationist (b. 1941)
2017 – Charles Bradley, American RandB and funk singer, known as ‘The Screaming Eagle of Soul’, dies of stomach cancer at 68

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Historical Events

1905 – US Open Men’s Golf, Myopia Hunt GC: Willie Anderson wins his third consecutive Open title, and his record fourth overall, two strokes ahead of runner-up Alex Smith
1968 – KMTC (now KDEB) TV channel 27 in Springfield, MO (IND) begins broadcasting
1987 – US TV series “Full House,” starring Bob Saget and John Stamos, premieres
1993 – A Transair Georgian Airlines Tu-154 is shot down by a missile in Sukhumi, Georgia
2013 – Angela Merkel and the Christian Democrats win a third term with their best result since 1990 in the German federal elections

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Famous Birthdays

1601 – Anna of Austria, Spanish princess, Austrian archduchess, Queen of France as wife of Louis XIII and regent of France (1643-51) for her son Louis XIV, born in Benavente Palace, Valladolid, Spain (d. 1666)
1822 – Eppa Hunton, American representative and Brigadier-General who fought in most ANV campaigns, born in Warrenton, Virginia (d. 1908)
1931 – Fay Weldon [Franklin Birkinshaw], British feminist, novelist (Praxis; The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil), playwright, and screenwriter, born in Birmingham, England (d. 2023)
1958 – Neil Cavuto, American television commentator (Fox), born in Westbury, New York
1961 – Kofi Burbridge, American blues-rock keyboardist and flute player (Derek Trucks Band, 1999-2019; Tedeschi Trucks Band, 2010-2019), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2019)

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Famous Deaths

1345 – Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Leicester (b. 1281)
1978 – Lina Carstens, German actress (Homeland, Broken Jug), dies at 85
1993 – Margaret MacDonald ‘Bobo’, Scot-born maid to Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 89
1994 – (John Edward) “Teddy” Buckner, American Dixieland jazz trumpeter, dies at 85
2025 – Henry Jaglom, American actor, screenwriter and director (Last Summer in the Hamptons, Always), dies at 87

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Historical Events

1823 – Moroni first appears to Joseph Smith, according to Smith
1971 – AL OKs Washington Senator move to Arlington (Texas Rangers)
1988 – Mike Tyson smashes TV camera outside his Bernardsville, New Jersey home
2001 – Deep Space 1 flies within 2,200 km of Comet Borrelly
2018 – American singer-songwriter Paul Simon closes his “Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour” at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, NYC

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Famous Birthdays

1809 – Sophia Hawthorne, American writer, painter and illustrator, born in Salem, Massachusetts (d. 1871)
1868 – Olga Knipper, Russian-Soviet stage actress, and wife of Anton Chekhov, born in Glazov, Russian Empire (d. 1959)
1938 – Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Icelandic composer (Time and Water), born in Reykjavik, Iceland (d. 2019)
1970 – Michael O’Shea, Canadian CFL linebacker (Toronto Argonauts), born in North Bay, Ontario
1988 – Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistani politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs, son of PM Benazir Bhutto, born in Karachi, Pakistan

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Famous Deaths

1629 – John Pieterszoon Coen, Dutch merchant and Governor-General of the East Indies, dies at 42
1748 – John Balguy, English clergyman and moral philosopher, dies at 62
1974 – Jacqueline Susann, American author (Valley of the Dolls), dies of cancer at 56
2010 – Geoffrey Burgon, British jazz trumpeter, and film, television and concert composer (City Adventures), dies at 69
2017 – Liliane de Bettencourt, French heir to L’Oreal and richest woman in the world from 2016, dies at 94

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Historical Events

1688 – French troops occupy Palts
1975 – David Bowie’s single “Fame” goes #1 for two weeks
1984 – Suicide car bomb attacks US Embassy annex in Beirut, killing 23
2011 – United States ends its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing gay men and women to serve openly in the armed forces
2014 – New Zealand’s National Government wins a third term in the elections despite allegations of corruption and revelations about state surveillance

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Famous Birthdays

1833 – Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian journalist, soldier and pacifist (Nobel Peace Prize 1907), born in Milan, Lombardy (d. 1918)
1922 – Frank Comstock, American big band and pop orchestral arranger (Les Brown; Doris Day; Warner Bros; Brian Setzer), film and television composer (Rocky and His Friends; Adam-12), and recording artist (Project: Comstock – Music from Outer Space), born in San Diego, California (d. 2013)
1967 – Gunnar Nelson, American rock vocalist and guitarist (Nelson – “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection”), born in Santa Monica, California
1968 – Norah Vincent, American journalist and author (Self-Made Man, Voluntary Madness), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2022)
1990 – John Tavares, Canadian ice hockey player (New York Islanders), born in Mississauga, Ontario

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Famous Deaths

1648 – Ivan Lukačić, Croatian composer, dies at 61
1863 – Benjamin Hardin Helm, American attorney and Confederate brigadier general and Abraham Lincoln’s brother-in-law, dies at the Battle of Chickamauga at 33
1896 – Johan Gottfried Conradi, Norwegian composer, choral conductor, musicologist, and pedagogue (Christiania Borgerskolen, 1860-90), dies at 76
2005 – Tobias Schneebaum, American writer, anthropologist and explorer dies at 83
2025 – Jim Mitchum, American actor (Thunder Road, Blackout), dies at 84

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