Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1916 – Austrian forces capture Mount Lovćen, Serbia. Serbian army retreats, evacuating to Greek island of Corfu
1917 – Guy Bolton and PG Wodehouse’s “Have a Heart” premieres in New York
1919 – 3 year old German communist party (Spartacus) crushed
1989 – 140 nations agree to ban chemical weapons (poison gas, etc)
1999 – American comedian Jon Stewart succeeds Craig Kilborn as host of late-night talk and satirical news program “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central in US
2022 – Quebec announces it will impose a healthcare tax on unvaccinated adults who are accounting for 50% of ICU cases (scrapped Feb 2022)

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Famous Birthdays

1322 – Emperor Kōmyō of Japan, 2nd Northern Emperor (1336-48), born in Japan (d. 1380)
1449 – Domenico Ghirlandajo, Italian Renaissance painter and teacher of Michelangelo, born in Florence (d. 1494)
1818 – John Reese Kenly, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1891)
1905 – John Henry Jacques, English co-operative retailer and politician, born in Ashington, Northumberland (d. 1995)
1915 – Robert Blair Mayne, British soldier, co-founder Special Air Service (d. 1955)
1956 – Big Bank Hank [Henry Lee Jackson] American rapper (The Sugarhill Gang – “Rapper’s Delight”), born in The Bronx, New York City (d. 2014)

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Famous Deaths

1650 – Paul Hallman, composer, dies at 49
1763 – Caspar Abel, German theologian, historian, and poet (b. 1676)
1928 – Thomas Hardy, English novelist (Far from the Madding Crowd) and poet, dies near Dorchester at 87
1973 – Rudolf Kubin, Czech cellist, dies a day after 64th birthday
1995 – John AG Gere, English art historian (Raphael and his Circle), dies at 73
2016 – Gilberto Mendes, Brazilian composer, dies at 93

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Historical Events

1863 – 1st underground railway opens in London
1890 – Edward Macdowell’s “Lancelot and Elaine” premieres
1946 – UN General Assembly meets for 1st time in London
1967 – PBS (the National Educational TV) begins as a 70 station network
1980 – Last broadcast of “The Rockford Files” on NBC
2005 – A mudslide occurs in La Conchita, California, killing 10 people, injuring many more and closing the Highway 101, the main coastal corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles, for 10 days.

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Famous Birthdays

1840 – Louis Nazaire Bégin, French Canadian archbishop and cardinal, born in Lévis, Canada (d. 1925)
1931 – Peter Barnes, English writer, born in Manchester, United Kingdom (d. 2004)
1933 – Akira Miyoshi, Japanese composer, born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 2013)
1945 – Rod Stewart, British singer (“Maggie Maey”; “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”; “Downtown Train”), and model railroad designer, born in London, England
1972 – Brian Lawler, American professional wrestler, born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2018)
1982 – Josh Ryan Evans, American actor, born in Hayward, California (d. 2002)

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Famous Deaths

1761 – Edward Boscawen, British admiral in the Royal Navy, dies at 49
1862 – Samuel Colt, American inventor and industrialist (Colt 6 shot revolver), dies of gout at 47
1956 – Karl L Schmidt, German/Swiss theologist (Urchristentum), dies at 64
1970 – Pavel Belyayev, Soviet fighter pilot and cosmonaut (Voskhod II), dies at 44
2017 – Tony Rosato, Italian-born Canadian comedian (SCTV, Saturday Night Live), dies at 63
2018 – Doreen Tracey, British-born American performer (Mickey Mouse Club-Mouseketeer), dies at 74

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Historical Events

1858 – Anson Jones, the last President of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide
1868 – Last convict ship the Hougoumont arrives in Fremantle, ending 80 years of penal transportation to Australia
1894 – William K.L. Dickson’s motion picture “Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze” aka “Fred Ott’s Sneeze” receives first US copyright for the format; it was filmed a few days earlier at Edison Studio, West Orange, New Jersey
1954 – Bert Olmstead of the Montreal Canadiens, ties NHL record of 8 points in game
1967 – Georgia legislature seats Representative Julian Bond
1970 – Constitution of Singapore enacted

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Famous Birthdays

1851 – Giuseppe Gallignani, Italian composer and conductor, born in Faenza, Emilia-Romagna, Papal State (now Italy) (d. 1923)
1914 – Derek Allhusen, English equestrian (Olympic gold 1968), born in Chelsea, London (d. 2000)
1925 – Abdelhamid ben Hadouga, Algerian writer, born in Mansoura, Algeria (d. 1996)
1931 – Algis Budrys, Lithuanian-American sci-fi author (Man of Earth), born in Kaliningrad, Russia (d. 2008)
1945 – Frank Biondi, American businessman (HBO), born in NYC, New York
1952 – Eva Leonie “Eveline” Herfkens, Dutch civil servant, diplomat, and politician (PvdA), born in The Hague, Netherlands

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Famous Deaths

1893 – Mohara, Arab ivory/slave trader, dies in battle and is eaten
1933 – Daphne Akhurst Cozens, Australian tennis player (Australasian C’ship singles 1925, 26, 28, 29, 30), dies of ectopic pregnancy at 29
1936 – John Gilbert [Pringle], American silent film screenwriter, director (Love’s Penalty), and actor, known as “The Great Lover” (The Merry Widow The Big Parade; Flesh and the Devil), dies of a heart attack at 38
1958 – Paul Fechter, German writer (Der Zauberer Gottes), dies at 77
1971 – Elmer Flick, American Baseball HOF outfielder (AL batting champion 1905; NL RBI leader 1900; 2 × AL stolen base leader; Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Bronchos/Naps), dies at 94
1990 – Spud Chandler, American baseball player (AL MVP 1943), dies at 82

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Historical Events

1746 – “Bonnie Prince Charlie”, Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s troops occupy Stirling, Scotland [NS=Jan 19]
1798 – 11th Amendment ratified, judicial powers construed
1902 – New York state assemblyman Francis G. ​Landon gets a bill passed to criminalize men turning around on a street and “looking at a woman in that way”
1949 – “Make Mine Manhattan” closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 429 performances
1971 – 29 pilot whales beach themselves and die at San Clemente Island, California
1993 – NBC offers “The Tonight Show” to David Letterman

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Famous Birthdays

1788 – Archduke Rudolph of Austria, Austrian clergyman and noble, born in Florence, Tuscany (d. 1831)
1830 – Hans von Bülow, German pianist and composer, born in Dresden, Germany (d. 1894)
1836 – Lawrence Alma Tadema, Dutch-British painter, husband of Laura Epps, born in Dronryp, the Netherlands (d. 1912)
1912 – Rudolf George Escher, Dutch composer (True Face of Peace), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1980)
1928 – May Wynn [Donna Lee Hickey], American actress (Caine Mutiny, Noah’s Ark), born in NYC, New York
1940 – Cristy Lane, American country music and gospel singer, born in Peoria, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1456 – St. Laurence Justinian [Lorenzo Giustiniani], Italian catholic bishop and 1st Patriarch of Venice, dies at 74
1651 – Giovanni Battista Gagliano, Italian composer, dies at 56
1986 – Mansel Treharne Thomas, Welsh composer, dies at 76
1993 – Hakija Turajlic, Bosnian vice-premier, murdered
2008 – Clyde Otis, American songwriter and music producer (b. c. 1924)
2010 – Monica Maughan, Australian actor (b. 1933)

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Historical Events

1610 – Galileo Galilei discovers the first three moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa and Ganymede
1890 – African American inventor William Purvis receives a patent for the fountain pen
1933 – 1st edition of People and Fatherland published in Netherlands
1964 – Bahamas becomes self-governing
1985 – Revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “The King and I”, still starring Yul Brynner opens at Broadway Theater, NYC; runs for 191 performances
1994 – South Africa beat Australia in the Sydney Test by 5 runs

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Famous Birthdays

1903 – Vladimir Alexandrovich Vlasov, Russian composer and conductor, born in Moscow (d. 1986)
1911 – (Thelma) “Butterfly” McQueen, American actress (Gone With The Wind; Flame of Barbary Coast), born in Tampa, Florida (d. 1995)
1925 – Gerald Durrell, British naturalist, zoologist and writer (My Family and other Animals), born in Jamshedpur, British India (d. 1995)
1929 – Mario Bergamaschi, Italian soccer midfielder (5 caps; Calcio Como, A.C. Milan, U.C. Sampdoria), born in Crema, Italy (d. 2020)
1949 – Marshall Chapman, American country singer, born in Spartanburg, South Carolina
1962 – Aleksandr Dugin, Russian politician, born in Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

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Famous Deaths

1721 – Rochus Aerts, Flemish sculptor, dies [or 1739]
1743 – Anne Sophie Reventlow, Queen of Denmark and Norway (1721-30), dies at 49
1767 – Thomas Clap, American academic, 1st president of Yale University, dies at 63
1922 – Antonio Scontrino, Italian composer, dies at 71
1935 – Alfred Ewing, Scottish Physicist (magnetic properties of metals, hysteresis), dies at 79
1943 – Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American physicist, electrical engineer and inventor who developed alternating current and the Tesla Coil, dies at 86

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Historical Events

1017 – Cnut the Great crowned King of England in London by Lyfing, Archbishop of Canterbury
1617 – English court favorite George Villiers is made Earl of Buckingham by King James I
1781 – Battle of Jersey: Major Francis Peirson and his men defeat invading French troops
1896 – 1st US women’s 6-day bicycle race starts, Madison Square Garden
1929 – Alexander I establishes a royal dictatorship in Yugoslavia
2009 – Israel begins an assault on the Gaza Strip

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Famous Birthdays

1811 – Charles Sumner, American leading Reconstruction senator, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1874)
1916 – Vincent Serventy, Australian writer and conservationist, born in Armadale, Australia (d. 2007)
1936 – Ebo Taylor, Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat musician and composer, born in Cape Coast, Gold Coast
1952 – Larry Booker (Moondog Spot), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), born in Louisiana, United States (d. 2003)
1969 – Nick A’Hern, Australian 20k walker (Olympics 22-92, 96), born in Swansea, United Kingdom
1978 – Nikki Einfeld, Canadian coloratura soprano, born in Manitoba

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Famous Deaths

1849 – Hartley Coleridge, English poet, dies at 52
1960 – Erik Lindahl, Swedish economist (Theory of Money and Capital), dies at 68
1993 – Elisabeth, arch duch of Austria/princess of Liechtenstein, dies at 70
1997 – Ian Peter Leslie Smith, British journalist, dies at 52
2007 – Roberta Wohlstetter, military historian and strategist (b. 1912)
2021 – Bobby Few, American jazz pianist and vocalist, dies at 85

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Historical Events

1925 – James Gleason and Richard Tabers “Is zat so?” premieres in NYC
1942 – 55 German tanks reach North-Africa
1969 – Creedence Clearwater Revival release their second album “Bayou Country”, featuring singles “Good Golly, Miss Molly” and “Proud Mary”
1972 – US President Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on a manned space shuttle
1976 – In retaliation for the Reavey and O’Dowd killings, the South Armagh Republican Action Force shoot dead 10 Protestant civilians after stopping their minibus in County Armagh
1995 – Bill Fitch becomes the 5th coach in NBA history to register 850 career victories with the LA Clippers’ 95-93 home win over Philadelphia 76’ers at the LA Memorial Sports Arena

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Famous Birthdays

1888 – George “Rube” Foster, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1915, 16; no-hitter 1916; Boston Red Sox), born in Lehigh, Oklahoma (d. 1976)
1932 – Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher and author (Name of the Rose), born in Alessandria, Piedmont (d. 2016)
1938 – Leo Avery, Abbot of Quarr Abbey, born in Wakefield, United Kingdom (d. 1996)
1969 – Marilyn Manson [Brian Warner], American shock-rock singer-songwriter (Marilyn Manson – “The Dope Show”; “Tainted Love”), artist and actor, born in Canton, Ohio
1973 – Phil Joel, Australian bassist (Newsboys), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1987 – Kristin Cavallari, American actress, born in Denver, Colorado

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Famous Deaths

1740 – Antonio Lotti, Italian opera composer, dies at about 72
1858 – Joseph Radetzky von Radetz, Czech field marshal, dies at 91
1904 – Karl Alfred Ritter von Zittel, German geologist and paleontologist (Libya), dies at 64
1986 – Ilmari Salminen, Finnish athlete (Olympic gold 10,000m 1936), dies at 83
2003 – Massimo Girotti, Italian actor (Last Tango in Paris, In the Name of the Law), dies of a heart attack at 84
2006 – Lord Merlyn-Rees, British politician (b. 1920)

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Historical Events

871 – Battle at Reading: Ethelred of Wessex defeated by Danish invasion army
1932 – State of siege proclaimed in Honduras
1947 – “Show Boat” closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 417 performances
1968 – Leo Fender sells Fender Guitars for $13 million to CBS
1970 – Walter Cronkite ends hosting weekly documentary
2001 – Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of his wife’s hair during a row

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Famous Birthdays

1807 – Baltasar Saldoni, Spanish composer and musicologist, born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 1889)
1901 – C. L. R. James [Cyril Lionel Robert James], Trinidadian historian (The Black Jacobins), journalist, intellectual and socialist, born in Tunapuna, Trinidad (d. 1989)
1925 – Johnny Lujack, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1947; National C’ship 1943, 46-47; Notre Dame; Pro Bowl 1950-51; Chicago Bears), born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania
1944 – Alan Sutherland, New Zealand rugby union number 8 (10 caps; Marlborough), born in Blenheim, New Zealand (d. 2020)
1968 – Mike Wilpolt, American football player and coach, born in Broomfield, Colorado
1986 – Steve Slaton, American football player, born in Levittown, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1874 – Thomas Gregson, Premier of Tasmania (b. 1798)
1931 – Roger Connor, American Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman (career HR record 138 stood for 23 years; NL batting champion 1885; NL RBI leader 1889; NY Giants), dies of a stomach illness at 73
1931 – Arthemus “Art” Acord, American silent film actor and rodeo champion (Arizona Kid, Hard Fists), commits suicide by poison at 40
1991 – Berry Kroeger, actor (Demon Seed), dies of kidney failure at 78
2007 – Gren, Welsh newspaper cartoonist (b. 1934)
2021 – Gregory Sierra, American stage and screen actor (Barney Miller – “Chano”), dies of cancer at 83

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Historical Events

1746 – “Bonnie Prince Charlie”, Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s army leaves Glasgow, Scotland [NS=Jan 14]
1825 – Scottish factory owner Robert Owen buys 30,000 acres in Indiana as site for New Harmony utopian community
1952 – “Dragnet” with Jack Webb premieres on NBC TV
1979 – Australian Open Men’s Tennis: Guillermo Vilas of Argentina wins 3rd Grand Slam title; beats Australian John Marks 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
1993 – “The Comeback”, QB Frank Reich leads Buffalo Bills back from a 32-point deficit, to defeat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime in a wild card playoff game, the greatest comeback ever in NFL history
2013 – 42nd Fiesta Bowl: #5 Oregon beats #7 Kansas State, 35-17

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Famous Birthdays

1916 – Antonio Estévez, Venezuelan composer and conductor (Cantata Criolla), born in Calabozo, Guárico, Venezuela (d. 1988)
1921 – John Russell, American actor (Pale Rider, Rio Bravo), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1991)
1973 – Dan Harmon, American voice actor, producer and writer (Rick and Morty, Community), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1975 – Thomas Bangalter, French DJ (Daft Punk – “Get Lucky”), born in Paris, France
1989 – Kōhei Uchimura, Japanese gymnast (Olympic gold all-round 2012; team, all-round 2016; World C’ships 10 x gold), born in Kitakyushu, Japan
1989 – Anya Rozova [Anya Kop], Russian American model and America’s Next Top Model contestant, born in Leningrad, USSR

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Famous Deaths

1501 – Ali Sjir Neva’i [Fani], Turkish poet/author, dies at 59
1931 – Joseph J C Joffre, French marshal, dies at 78
1943 – Sir Walter James, Premier of Western Australia, dies at 79 (b. 1863)
1988 – William Cagney, American producer and actor (Torrid Zone), brother of James Cagney, dies of a heart attack at 82
2014 – Saul Zaentz, American record company executive (Fantasy), and film producer (One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; Amadeus; The Unbearable Lightness Of Being; The English Patient), dies of Alzheimer’s disease complications at 92
2018 – Konrad Ragossnig, Austrian classical guitarist and lutenist, dies at 85

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Historical Events

1890 – Record 19.2 feet alligator shot in Louisiana by American businessman Edward Avery McIlhenny
1909 – 1st official Dutch 11 city skate (Minne Hoekstra in 13:50)
1939 – 5th Sugar Bowl: #1 TCU beats #6 Carnegie Tech, 15-7
1941 – World War II: German bombing severely damages the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales
1961 – 27th Sugar Bowl: #2 Mississippi beats Rice, 14-6
1985 – Nevada Las Vegas basketball gives coach Jerry Tarkanian his 600th career victory with a 142-140 win over Utah State in triple overtime; total of 282 points breaks NCAA men’s record of 275 set in 1976

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Famous Birthdays

1873 – Thérèse de Lisieux, French Roman-Catholic nun (d. 1897)
1907 – Salvador Ley, Guatemalan pianist, composer, and educator (National Conservatory; Westchester Conservatory), born in Guatemala City, Guatemala (d. 1985)
1928 – Vaughn Beals, CEO (Harley Davidson motorcycle), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
1945 – Slobodan Praljak, Bosnian Croat general and war criminal, born in Čapljina, Independent State of Croatia (d. 2017)
1954 – Henry Bonilla, American politician (US House of Representatives (R) from Texas, 1993-2007), born in San Antonio, Texas
1965 – Greg Swindell, American baseball pitcher (World Series 2001; MLB All Star 1989; Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks), born in Fort Worth, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1918 – Sybe Kornelis Bakker, Dutch Christian socialist and reformed preacher, dies at 42
1923 – Sam Carter, African American resident of Rosewood Florida, lynched in the Rosewood Massacre
1971 – Lloyd Hall, African-American chemist and pioneer in food chemistry (science of food preservation), dies at 76
1994 – Sammy Taft, Canadian businessman (coined term “hat trick”), dies at 81
2012 – Gordon Hirabayashi, American sociologist and opponent to Japanese-American internment, dies after Alzheimer’s disease at 93
2020 – Grant Weatherstone, Scotland rugby union winger (16 caps; Edinburgh District), dies at 88

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