Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1840 – American Charles Wilkes discovers the Shackleton Ice Shelf in Antarctica
1959 – Leonard Spigelgass’ “Majority of One” premieres in NYC
1965 – Pegasus 1 launched to detect micro-meteors
1973 – West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st time since 1955 without Garfield Sobers
2021 – Athens and parts of Greece covered in unusual heavy snowfall

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Famous Birthdays

1953 – André St. Laurent, Canadian NHL hockey forward, 1973-90 (New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, and 2 other teams), born in Rouyn, Quebec
1953 – George Martin, NFL defensive end, 1975-88 (NY Giants), born in Greenville, South Carolina
1958 – Ice-T [Tracy Marrow], American rapper (“O.G. Original Gangster”), and actor (New Jack City; Tank Girl; Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), born in Newark, New Jersey
1961 – Andy Taylor, British rock guitarist (Duran Duran – “Hungry Like the Wolf”; The Power Station), born in Tynemouth, England
1965 – Lucinda Riley, Northern Irish historical fiction and romance author (The Seven Sisters series, The Hidden Girl, The Italian Girl, The Angel tree), born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland (d. 2021)

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Famous Deaths

1531 – Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer, dies at 78
1857 – Auguste-Gaspard-Louis Desnoyers, French engraver, dies at 77
1933 – Archie Jackson, Australian cricket batsman (8 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 164; NSWCA), dies from tuberculosis at 23
1968 – (James) Healey Willan, British-Canadian organist, composer, and educator, dies at 87
2023 – Chuck Jackson, American pop and RandB singer (“Any Day Now”; “I Don’t Want to Cry”; “I Keep Forgettin'”), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1764 – St. Louis, Missouri founded as a French trading post by Pierre Laclède
1804 – New Jersey becomes last northern state to abolish slavery
1991 – Freighter with dynamite explodes in Phang Nga Thailand, 120 die
1991 – Daily market volatility as Hussein mentions withdrawal, but Bush calls his offer a “cruel hoax”
2018 – German figure skaters Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot set new ISU best free skating score of 159.31 on their way to pairs gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

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Famous Birthdays

1835 – Alexander Stuart Webb, American Union general (medal for gallantry at Battle of Gettysburg), born in New York City (d. 1911)
1883 – Sax Rohmer [Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward], English author (Dr Fu Manchu novels), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1959)
1909 – Harold Beeley, British diplomat to the Arab world, born in Manchester, England (d. 2001)
1923 – Yelena Bonner, Soviet dissident and wife of Andre Sakharov, born in Merv, Turkmenistan, Soviet Union (d. 2011)
1968 – Axelle Red [Fabienne Demal], Belgian pop and soul singer-songwriter (“Sensualité”, “Parce que c’est toi”),human rights activist, and UNICEF ambassador, born in Hasselt, Belgium

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Famous Deaths

1713 – Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, English politician and philosopher, dies at 41
1839 – Chevalier de Lorimier, Quebec notary (b. 1803)
1943 – Victor Harris, American organist, composer, conductor (St. Cecilia Society, 1902-36), vocal coach, and educator, dies at 73
1961 – Maribel Vinson, American figure skater (9 time US National Champion) and coach, dies in a plane crash at 49
2025 – Gran Hamada [Hiroaki Hamada], Japanese professional wrestler (New Japan Pro-Wrestling), dies at 74

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Historical Events

1804 – Karadjordje leads the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire
1992 – Kieren John Perkins swims world record 800m freestyle (7:46.60)
1998 – Authorities in the United States announce that Eric Robert Rudolph is a suspect in an Alabama abortion clinic bombing
2013 – A suicide bombing kills 4 police officer and injures 5 in Dagestan
2023 – Rapper and musician Pharrell Williams appointed menswear designer for Louis Vuitton

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Famous Birthdays

1870 – Bob Quinn, American baseball executive (owner Boston Red Sox 1923–33; part owner Boston Braves 1936–45; President National Baseball Hall of Fame 1948–51), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 1954)
1932 – Peter Ball, British Church of England clergyman (Bishop of Gloucester. 1992-93; Bishop of Lewes, 1977-92), and convicted sex offender, born in West Sussex, England (d. 2019)
1941 – Donna Shalala, American educator and politician, US Secretary of Health under Bill Clinton (Rep-Florida 2019-21), born in Cleveland, Ohio
1953 – Wayne Siegel, American electro-acoustic contemporary classical composer, based in Denmark, born in Los Angeles, California
1994 – Becky Hill, English singer (The Voice UK, 2012; “Remember”), born in Bewdley, England

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Famous Deaths

1820 – Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, son of French King Charles X, assassinated by a Bonapartist at 42
1831 – Henry Maudslay, English inventor of the metal lathe, dies at 59
1857 – Johannes Bernardus van Bree, Dutch violinist, composer and conductor, dies at 56
1990 – Tony Holiday, German singer, dies of complications from AIDS at 38
2021 – Peter Martinček van Grob, Slovakian contemporary classical composer and conductor, dies at 58

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Historical Events

1867 – Work begins on the covering of the Senne, burying Brussels’s primary river and creating the modern central boulevards
1881 – The feminist newspaper La Citoyenne is first published in Paris by activist Hubertine Auclert
1934 – Soviet steamship SS Chelyuskin sinks in the Arctic Ocean after being crushed by ice packs near Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea
1979 – Formation of Guardian Angels crime fighters in New York City
1990 – 50 killed at Inkatha-UDF battle in Natal, South Africa

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Famous Birthdays

1879 – Sarojini Naidu, Indian freedom fighter and poet, born in Hyperbad, India (d. 1949)
1909 – M. Vasalis [Margaretha Droogleever Fortuyn-Leenmans], Dutch poet (Phoenix), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1998)
1910 – William Shockley, American physicist who helped invent the transistor (1956 Nobel), who was also known for his racist eugenics views, born in London, England (d. 1989)
1912 – Margaretta Scott, British actress (Crescendo, Where’s Charley, Counterblast), born in Westminster, London (d. 2005)
1970 – Ruben Brown, American football guard (9 × Pro Bowl; Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears), born in Englewood, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1130 – Honorius II [Lamberto], Pope (1124-30), dies
1897 – Joseph O. Shelby, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 66
1958 – Dame Christabel Pankhurst, a leading suffragette (English) “Queen of the mob” (b.1880)
1991 – Ron Pickering, British athletics coach (GB 1964 Summer Olympics) and broadcaster (BBC), dies after a heart bypass operation at 60
2025 – Jim Guy Tucker, American attorney, businessman, and politician (Governor of Arkansas, 1992-96; US Representative form Arkansas, 1977-79), convicted of conspiracy and mail fraud in Whitewater Scandal (1996), dies of complications of colitis at 81

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Historical Events

1984 – East German luger Steffi Martin wins the first of 2 consecutive women’s singles gold medals at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; also wins in Calgary (1988)
1988 – US Navy frigate USS Yorktown bumped by Russian frigate Bezzavetny in the Black Sea in dispute over right of innocent passage
2007 – A gunman opens fire in a mall in Salt Lake City, killing five people in the Trolley Square shooting
2017 – 70th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): “La La Land” Best Film, Damien Chazelle Best Director, Best Actors Casey Affleck / Emma Stone
2023 – India opens the first part of what will be its longest expressway linking Mumbai with New Delhi over 1,386-kilometer (861 mile)

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Famous Birthdays

1830 – Stephen Wilcox, American inventor of steam generators for power stations and ships (Babcock and Wilcox), born in Westerly, Rhode Island (d. 1893)
1904 – Ted Mack, American TV host (The Original Amateur Hour), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 1976)
1914 – Nello Celio, Swiss politician, born in Quinto, Switzerland (d. 1995)
1945 – Roman Tam [Pak-sin], Hong Kong singer knownn as the “Grand Godfather of Cantopop”, born in Baise, Guangxi, China (d. 2002)
1980 – Enver Gjokaj, American actor (Dollhouse; Agent Carter), and inventor, born in Orange County, California

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Famous Deaths

1837 – Ludwig Borne [Loeb Baruch], German-Jewish writer, dies at 50
1896 – Isaac Murphy, American jockey, 628 wins on 1,412 mounts (44.5%), dies at 35
2000 – Oliver [William Swofford], American pop singer (“Good Morning Starshine”), dies of cancer at 54
2022 – William Kraft, American timpanist, percussionist (Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble), conductor, and composer (The Demise of Suriyodhaya; Avalanche), dies at 98
2025 – Patrick Barclay, English sportswriter (The Times, The Guardian-Observer, Sunday Telegraph, The Independent; Sky Sports), dies at 77

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Historical Events

1928 – II Winter Olympic Games open in St Moritz, Switzerland
1949 – “Lovesick Blues” single is released by Hank Williams (Cashbox “Best Hillbilly Record of the Year,” Billboard Song of the Year 1949)
1953 – J. Styne and Bob Hilliard’s musical “Hazel Flagg” opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 190 performances
1975 – TV drama “Sarah T: Portrait of A Teenage Alcoholic” starring Linda Blair, premieres on US network NBC
1984 – Wayne Gretzky sets NHL short handed season scoring record at 11

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Famous Birthdays

1557 – John Wtenbogaert, Dutch theologist (Kerckelicke history), born in at Utrecht (d. 1644)
1917 – Richard Jock Kinneir, British graphic designer (modern road signs), born in Hampshire, England (d. 1994)
1918 – Margaret Heldt, American hairdresser who created the beehive hairstyle, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2016)
1933 – Mildred Sampson, New Zealand distance runner (world marathon record 3:19:33 1964), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1956 – Raoul Björkenheim, American avant-garde jazz guitarist, born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1797 – Antoine Dauvergne, French composer, dies at 83
1943 – Bess Houdini, American-German stage assistant and wife of Harry Houdini, dies from heart attack at 67
1967 – A. J. Muste, Dutch-born American pacifist and labor activist, dies at 82
1975 – Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy soldier and statesman, assassinated (b. 1931)
1999 – Jaki Byard, American jazz pianist (Charlie Mingus), saxophonist, drummer, composer, arranger, and educator, dies from an unsolved gunshot at 76

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Historical Events

1878 – Pact of Zanjón signed between Cubans rebels and the Spanish bringing the 10 Years War to an end
1933 – -54°F (-48°C), Seneca, Oregon (state record)
1939 – “Stagecoach” western film directed by John Ford, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne, premieres in Miami
1974 – Judy Ikenberry wins 1st Us women’s marathon (2:55:17)
1993 – “Michael Jackson Talks to Oprah Winfrey” airs on ABC and draws an astounding 39.3 rating/56 share, with 90 million people watching

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Famous Birthdays

1937 – Ronnie Rondell Jr., American stuntman known for appearing on the cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, born in Hollywood, California (d. 2025)
1942 – Alfred Gager, Austrian soccer midfielder (6 caps; Austria Wien, FC Wacker Wien), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2022)
1942 – Howard Mudd, American football OL (Pro Bowl 1966–68; All-Pro 1967-68; SF 49ers, Chicago Bears) and coach (Super Bowl 2006; OL Indianapolis Colts), born in Midland, Michigan (d. 2020)
1951 – Zeudi Araya, Eritrean actress (Hearts and Armour, La peccatrice), born in Dekemhare, British Eritrea
1987 – Yuja Wang, Chinese-American award-winning pianist known for her charismatic stage presence (Rachmaninoff Marathon), born in Beijing, China

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Famous Deaths

1127 – William IX, the Troubadour, Frankish nobleman (Duke of Aquitaine, Gascony, Count of Poitou, 1086-1127), Crusader, and poet, dies at 55
1887 – Ellen Wood, English author (Pomeroy Abbey), dies at 73
1917 – Émile Pessard, French pianist, concert and comic opera composer, and teacher (Maurice Ravel, Jacques Ibert), dies at 73
1951 – Joseph Bovet, Swiss composer and conductor (Fribourg folk music), dies at 71
1995 – Kenton Kilmer, American writer, dies of cancer at 85

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Historical Events

1682 – Thomas Otway’s “Venice Preserved” premieres in London
1979 – Walter Hill’s crime drama film “The Warriors”, based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel, is released in the United States, sparking gang violence at many theaters and a halt to the film’s marketing campaign
1990 – Spacecraft Galileo flies by Venus at an altitude of 10,000 miles (16,000 km) in a gravity assist maneuver to gain speed on its way to Jupiter
1990 – “Bradys” return to TV for 6 episodes on CBS TV
2021 – WHO team investigating origin of COVID-19 in Wuhan say it is “extremely unlikely” that it leaked from a local research lab

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Famous Birthdays

1900 – Walter Page, American jazz double bassist, saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie Orchestra), born in Gallatin, Missouri (d. 1957)
1903 – Georg Trexler, German composer, choirmaster, and organist (St. Trinitatis, Leipzig, 1930-70), born in Pirna, Germany (d. 1979)
1927 – Joe Maneri, American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player (Boston Microtonal Society), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 2009)
1944 – Alice Walker, American novelist (The Color Purple, Meridian), born in Putnam County, Georgia
1964 – Rachel Bolan [James Southworth], American musician and songwriter (Skid Row), born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1583 – Jeseph Sanalbo, Jewish convert in Rome, burned at stake
1916 – Hynek Vojáček, Czech composer, dies at 90
1973 – Max Yasgur, American dairy farmer, and owner Woodstock Festival site in Bethel, New York, dies of a heart attack at 53
2001 – Reginald Marsh, British actor (Sicilians: It Happened Here), dies at 74
2002 – Margaret Rose, British princess and Countess of Snowdon, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, dies of a stroke at 71

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Historical Events

1575 – University of Leiden established by William I of Orange, given the motto “Praesidium Libertatis” (oldest university in Netherlands)
1916 – French cruiser “Admiral Charner” torpedoed off Syrian coast, kills 374
2013 – 29 people are killed and 69 are injured in a series of Iraq bombings
2014 – Ole Einar Bjørndalen equals the Winter Olympics medal record with 12
2014 – Netherlands sweeps the medals in the men’s 5,000m speed skating at the Sochi Winter Olympics; Sven Kramer retains title ahead of teammates Jan Blokhuijsen and Jorrit Bergsma

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Famous Birthdays

1813 – Jacob Georg Agarah, Swedish botanist, born in Lund, Sweden (d. 1901)
1828 – Jules Verne, French novelist known as the “Father of Science Fiction” (Around the World in 80 days), born in Nantes, France (d. 1905)
1928 – Jack Larson, American actor (The Adventures of Superman – “Jimmy Olsen”), screenwriter, and librettist (Virgil Thomson’s “Lord Byron”), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2015)
1956 – Dave Meros, American progressive rock bassist (Spock’s Beard), born in Salinas, California
1961 – Sammy Llanas, American rock singer-songwritrer (Bodeans, 1983-2011 – “Closer To Free”), born in Wisconsin

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Famous Deaths

1265 – Hulagu Khan, Mongol ruler, grandson of Genghis Khan (besieged and pillaged Baghdad) (b. 1217)
1599 – Robert Rollock, Scottish educator (1st Regent of Edinburgh University), dies
1993 – Franz Schnyder, Swiss director (10th of May), dies at 82
1995 – Wilhelm J. Soukop, Austrian-British sculptor, dies at 88
2012 – Gunther Plaut, German-Canadian rabbi, dies at 99

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Historical Events

1795 – Dutch Prince William V accepts British occupation of Dutch Indies
1817 – Baltimore becomes the 1st American city lit by gas street lamps with the first turned on at Market and Lemon Streets (currently Baltimore and Holliday Streets)
1857 – French writer Gustave Flaubert is acquitted on a charge of obscenity for his work “Madame Bovary”
1903 – VVV ’03 soccer club is established in the Dutch southeastern city of Venlo
1973 – Iggy Pop and The Stooges release their influential 3rd album “Raw Power”

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Famous Birthdays

1809 – Frederik Paludan-Muller, Danish Romantic poet (Danserinden), born in Kerteminde, Denmark (d. 1876)
1877 – Julius Curtius, German Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic (1929-31) and Minister for Economic Affairs (1926-29), born in Duisburg, Prussia (d. 1948)
1895 – Irving Aaronson, American jazz pianist and big band bandleader, born in New York City (d. 1963)
1945 – Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (In the Name of the Father, Inception), born in Warrington, England (d. 2011)
1959 – Sammy Lee, English footballer (Liverpool), born in Liverpool, England

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Famous Deaths

1965 – Nance O’Neil, American actor (Cimarron, Royal Bed, Rogue Song), dies at 90
1970 – Abe Attell, American boxer known as “The Little Hebrew” and World Featherweight Champion (1906-12), dies at 86
1997 – Danil Shafran, Soviet-Russian concert cellist, dies at 74
2020 – Harold Strachan, South African writer, anti-apartheid activist, and explosives expert, dies of liver disease complications at 94
2020 – Nexhmije Pagarusha, Albanian singer ‘the Nightingale of Kosovo’ and actress, dies at 86

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