Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1823 – Eugene Scribes opera “Le Menteur Veridique” premieres in Paris
1899 – Transvaal British Uitlanders ask Queen Victoria for aid
1917 – Yankee lefty George Mogridge no-hits Red Sox 2-1 at Fenway
1969 – Car firm British Leyland launch the Austin Maxi in Oporto Portugal
2007 – Iceland announces that Norway will shoulder the defense of Iceland during peacetime
2018 – Ed Sheeran’s “÷” is the best-selling album of 2017, selling 6.1 million copies, according to IFPI

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Famous Birthdays

1706 – Giovanni Battista Martini, Italian Conventual Franciscan friar and composer, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1784)
1766 – Robert Bailey Thomas, American journalist and founder (The Farmer’s Almanac), born in Grafton, Massachusetts (d. 1846)
1845 – Carl Spitteler, Swiss poet (Prometheus and Epimetheus; Nobel 1919), born in Liestal, Switzerland (d. 1924)
1927 – Seymour Bernstein, American concert pianist, teacher, and composer, born in Newark, New Jersey
1933 – Claire Davenport, English actress (The Elephant Man), born in Sale, Cheshire, England (d. 2002)
1945 – Larry Tesler, American computer scientist (invented copy, cut, paste), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2020)

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Famous Deaths

1185 – Antoku Taira, emperor of Japan (1180-85), drowns
1928 – Ferdinand Hummel, German composer, dies at 72
1998 – Mel Powell [Epstein], American composer (Duplicates: A Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra – Pulitzer Prize for Music, 1990), dies from liver cancer at 75
2004 – Estée Lauder [Josephine Esther Mentzer], American entrepreneur (Estée Lauder cosmetics), dies of cardiopulmonary arrest at 97
2016 – Jan Henrik Kayser, Norwegian concert pianist (Grieg Prize, 1978), dies at 83
2017 – Benjamin Barber, American political theorist (Jihad vs. McWorld), dies at 77

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Historical Events

1798 – Dutch emperor accepts new Constitution
1919 – US Major League Baseball opens a reduced 140-game season
1959 – 1st heliport in Britain opens in London
1967 – Soyuz 1 launched; Vladimir Komarov becomes 1st in-flight casualty
1969 – ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Jim Chestney
1997 – 32nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks and Dunn, George Strait, and Patty Loveless win

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Famous Birthdays

1629 – Jan Commelin, Dutch botanist and director of Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, born in Leiden, Netherlands (d. 1692)
1747 – Abbé Alexandre-Auguste Robineau, French composer and painter, born in Paris (d. 1828)
1908 – Myron Waldman, American animator (Fleischer Studio), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2006)
1948 – Pascal Quignard, French author (Les Ombres), born in Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure, France
1949 – Joyce DeWitt, American actress (Janet Wood-Three’s Company), born in Wheeling, West Virginia
1988 – Alistair Brownlee, British triathlete (Olympic gold 2012, 16), born in Dewsbury, England

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Famous Deaths

1014 – Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, dies in battle at Clontarf
1728 – Tomas de Torrejon y Velasco, Spanish composer based in Peru, dies at 83
1880 – Raden Saleh [Raden Saleh Sjarif Boestaman], Indonesian romantic painter, dies at about 69
1915 – Rupert Brooke, British WW I poet (Lithuania, The Soldier), dies at 27
1929 – Rudolf Nilsen, Norwegian poet (Hverdagen), dies of tuberculosis at 28
2006 – Susan Browning, American actress (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman – “Pat”), dies at 65

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Historical Events

1526 – 1st slave revolt in North America at San Miguel de Gualdape, a Spanish settlement (now part of South Carolina)
1964 – World’s Fair at Flushing Meadow, Corona Park, NY opens
1983 – Stern mag announces major historical find-discovery of 60 volume personal diaries written by Adolf Hitler (turned out to be a hoax)
2010 – NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford first pick by St. Louis Rams
2018 – Monte Carlo Tennis Masters: Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to extend his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11)
2019 – Marvel film “Avengers: Endgame” directed by Anthony and Joe Russo starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and an ensemble cast, premieres in Los Angeles

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Famous Birthdays

1844 – Lewis Powell, American Confederate soldier who was part of the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln and who attempted to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward, born in Randolph, Alabama (d. 1865)
1935 – Dick Conway, New Zealand rugby union flanker/#8 (10 Tests; Otago RFU, Bay of Plenty RU), born in Whakatāne, New Zealand (d. 2022)
1939 – Jason Miller, American actor and writer (Exorcist, Light of Day), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania (d. 2001)
1967 – Sherri Shepherd, American comedian, actress, and television personality The View, 2007-14), born in Chicago, Illinois
1969 – Bobby Olive, NFL wide receiver (Indianapolis Colts)
1978 – Jason Stollsteimer, American singer (The Von Bondies)

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Famous Deaths

1833 – Richard Trevithick, English inventor (steam locomotive), dies at 62
1883 – Octave Fouque, French pianist and composer, dies at 38
1951 – Stanley Ridges, British-born actor (possessed, Sgt York, Mr Ace), dies at 59
1967 – Tom Conway {Sanders], British radio and screen actor (The Falcon’s Brother; I Cheated The Law; The Betty Hutton Show), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 62
1990 – Albert Salmi, American stage and screen character actor (Caddyshack; The Brothers Karamazov; Bus Stop), kills terminally ill wife and self at 62
2001 – Ludvig Nielsen, Norwegian organist, composer, choir director, and conductor (Nidaros Cathedral, 1935-76), dies at 95

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Historical Events

1796 – Napoleon and the French defeat the Piedmontese at Battle of Mondovi
1961 – Dirk Stikker chosen as secretary general of NATO
1965 – New York World’s Fair reopens for 2nd and final season
1970 – The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) is formed; it attempts to appeal to Catholics and Protestant to unite in support of moderate policies
1987 – Dow Jones Average soared 664.7; 2nd biggest one-day gain in history
1996 – PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Hale Irwin beats Japan’s Isao Aoki by 2 strokes for his first of 4 Senior PGA Championships

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Famous Birthdays

1488 – Ulrich von Hutten, German knight, scholar and poet (led Imperial Knights against Roman Catholic Church), born in Schlüchtern, Hesse (d. 1523)
1555 – Ludovico Carracci, Italian painter, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1619)
1936 – Anthony Joseph Gnazzo, American electronic composer (First Things First), born in Plainville, Connecticut
1947 – John Weider, bassist (Family-Family Entertainment)
1971 – Alexander Kravchenko, Russian professional poker player
1975 – Danyon Loader, New Zealand 200m and 400m swimmer (2 Olympic gold medals 1996), born in Dunedin, New Zealand

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Famous Deaths

1719 – Philippe de la Hire, French mathematician and historian (b. 1640)
1930 – Robert Bridges, English poet (Testament of beauty) and British Poet Laureate (1913-30), dies at 85
1993 – Hal Schumacher, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1933; MLB All-Star 1933, 35; New York Giants), dies at 82
1996 – A H Kardar, cricketer (3 Tests for India and 23 for Pak 1946-58), dies
2017 – Ugo Ehiogu, English soccer defender (4 caps; Aston Villa, Middlesborough), dies from cardiac arrest at 44
2018 – Verne Troyer, American actor (Mini-Me in Austin Powers movies), dies at 49

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Historical Events

1810 – The Governors of Caracas declares the national sovereignty from Spain
1871 – US 3rd Enforcement Act (President can suspend writ of habeas corpus)
1899 – David Beatty is appointed executive officer of the HMS Barfleur, a small battleship and flagship of the China Station
1942 – German occupiers forbids Dutch access to their beach
1968 – Pierre Trudeau sworn in as Canada’s 15th Prime Minister
1972 – Virgil Thomson’s final opera, “Lord Byron”, with libretto by Jack Larson, first performance at Lincoln Center, New York City

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Famous Birthdays

1705 – Balthasar Schmid, German composer and printer, born in Nuremberg, Bavaria (d. 1749)
1915 – Joseph Wolpe, South African psychotherapist, born in Johannesburg, South Africa (d. 1997)
1963 – Aubrey de Grey, British biomedical gerontologist, born in London
1964 – Andy Serkis, English actor (Gollum in Lord of the Rings), born in London, England
1965 – Kostas Hatzidakis, Greek politician (New Democracy Party), born in Rethymno, Greece
1965 – Adrian Fernández, Mexican racing driver and co-owner of the Fernandez Racing team, born in Mexico City

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Famous Deaths

1887 – Muhammad Sharif Pasha, Egyptian statesman (b. 1826)
1912 – Bram Stoker, Irish theater manager and author (Dracula), dies at 64
1971 – Cecil Parker, British actor (The Lady Vanishes, Indiscreet, Tale of 2 Cities), dies at 73
1973 – Elisabeth Hauptmann, German writer (co-author of The Threepenny Opera), dies at 75
1995 – Tessie O’Shea, Welsh stage and screen entertainer, dies at 81
1996 – Christopher Robin Milne, bookseller, dies at 75

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Historical Events

1775 – New England militiamen begin the siege of Boston, hemming in the British army garrison
1825 – 33 patriotic exiles return to Uruguay
1924 – “National Barn Dance” premieres on WLS Chicago
1953 – WAFB TV channel 9 in Baton Rouge, LA (CBS) begins broadcasting
1982 – 86th Boston Marathon: American Alberto Salazar claims men’s title in 2:08:51; Charlotte Teske of West Germany wins women’s section in 2:29:33
2018 – US Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois (D)) is the first parent to bring a baby into the Senate chambers, a day after the Senate votes to allow babies on the chamber’s floor

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Famous Birthdays

1939 – Ali Khamenei [Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei], 2nd Supreme Leader of Iran (1989-) and the 3rd President of Iran (1981-89), born in Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran
1950 – Marc Demeyer, Belgian road racing cyclist (Paris-Brussel 1974), born in Avelgem, Belgium (d. 1982)
1950 – Earl Gardner, American jazz trumpeter (Saturday Night Live), born in NYC, New York
1964 – Scott Kamienicki, American baseball pitcher (NY Yankees), born in Mount Clemens, Michigan
1968 – Brent Mayne, American baseball catcher (NY Mets), born in Loma Linda, California
1977 – Lucien Mettomo, Cameroonian footballer (2002 World Cup), born in Douala, Cameroon

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Famous Deaths

1768 – Filippo della Valle, Italian sculptor, dies at about 70
1862 – Louis Powell Harvey, US governor of Wisconsin, drowns
1930 – Charles Scribner II, American magazine and book publisher, dies at 75
1987 – Maxwell D. Taylor, American army general, (WWII Commander 101st airborne), Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff 1962-64), dies at 85
2005 – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish jazz bassist (b. 1946)
2008 – Alfonso López Trujillo, Colombian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, dies at 72

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Historical Events

1676 – Sudbury, Massachusetts, attacked by Indians
1946 – US recognizes Tito’s Yugoslavia government
1964 – Artisans strike in Belgium ends
1987 – Pat Knauff, France sets 1-leg downhill ski speed record (115.012 mph)
2017 – British Prime Minister Teresa May announces she will seek a “snap” election
2021 – 12-team European Super League is announced to widespread condemnation amongst governments, non-involved clubs, press and fans; amidst the furore all 6 EPL clubs withdraw within 3 days

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Famous Birthdays

1918 – Róbert Zimonyi, Hungarian rowing coxswain (Olympic gold USA men’s eight 1964; bronze Hungary coxed pair 1948), born in Sárvár, Hungary (d. 2004)
1923 – Leif Panduro, Danish writer (‘k Have varnish on traditions), born in Frederiksberg, Denmark (d. 1977)
1923 – Beryl Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle, British engineer, politician and CEO (Equal Opportunities Comm), born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex (d. 2015)
1928 – Howard S. Becker, American sociologist, born in Chicago, Illinois
1947 – Walt Richmond, American rock keyboardist (The Tractors; J.J. Cale; Bob Seger; Eric Clapton), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
1987 – Sandra Lyng Haugen, Norwegian singer (Play My Drum), born in Mosjøen, Norway

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Famous Deaths

1800 – Pieter Fouquet, Dutch art merchant (Atlas of Fouquet), dies at 71
1928 – Henryk Melcer-Szczawiński, Polish pianist, composer, and conductor, dies of a heart attack at 58
1938 – Richard Terry, English organist and musicologist, dies at 73
1996 – Michael Leander, English songwriter and record producer, dies at 54
2020 – François Lafortune Jr., Belgian rifle shooter (7 x Olympic Games 1952-1976, 50m Rifle, Prone Position), dies from Parkinson’s disease at 87
2022 – Harrison Birtwistle, British contemporary classical composer (The Minotaur; The Mask of Orpheus), dies at 87

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Historical Events

1941 – Egyptian steamer SS Zamzam attacked and later scuttled by German cruiser Atlantis (all on board rescued)
1960 – American Samoa sets up a constitutional government
1983 – 1st National Coin Week begins
1984 – Braves pitcher Pascual Perez suspended due to cocaine usage
1993 – STS-56 (Discovery) lands
2018 – Protests across India at the rape and murder of an 8-year old Muslim girl in Kathua, Bengalu

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Famous Birthdays

1710 – Henry Erskine, 10th Earl of Buchan, British Freemason (d. 1767)
1863 – Johannes Petrus Boskaljon, Curacaoian composer and conductor, born in Willemstad (d. 1936)
1905 – Arthur Lake [Arthur William Silverlake], American actor (Blondie, Topper), born in Corbin, Kentucky (d. 1987)
1938 – David Dilks, British historian and vice-chancellor (Hull U), born in Foleshill, Coventry
1954 – Roddy Piper, Canadian pro wrestler (WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight C’ship 1992; World Tag Team C’ship [Ric Flair] 2006), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (d. 2015)
1961 – Norman Cowans, Jamaican cricketer (England fast bowler in 19 Tests 1982-85), born in St. Mary, Jamaica

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Famous Deaths

818 – Bernhard I, King of Italy, dies
1630 – Christian I, German Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg who led an army of 21,000 Bohemians at the Battle of White Mountain, dies at 61
1713 – David Hollatz, Pomeranian dogmatician (b. 1648)
1835 – William Henry Ireland, English forger (Shakespearean manuscripts), dies
1996 – Jose Luis Lopez Aranguren, philosopher, dies at 86
2004 – Edmond Pidoux, Swiss writer (L’histoire de Jonas), dies at 95

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Historical Events

1956 – 60th Boston Marathon won by Antti Viskari of Finland in race record 2:14:14
1972 – Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz’s musical review “That’s Entertainment” closes at Edison Theater, NYC, after 4 performances
1978 – “History of the American Film” closes at ANTA NYC after 21 performances
2012 – 116th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Wesley Korir wins men’s section in 2:12:40; Sharon Cherop first woman in 2:31:50
2014 – Real Madrid defeat Barcelona to win its 19th Copa del Rey trophy
2021 – Raúl Castro confirms he is resigning as Cuban Communist Party leader, ending his family’s six decade leadership of Cuba

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Famous Birthdays

1897 – Jaap Vranken, Dutch organist and composer (Stabat Mater), born in Utrecht, Netherlands (d. 1956)
1897 – Arthur Charles Ernest Hoérée, Belgian-French composer, born in St. Gilles, Brussels, Belgium (d. 1986)
1938 – Gordon Wilson, Scottish politician (Leader of the Scottish National Party), born in Govan, Glasgow (d. 2017)
1965 – Caren Kemner, American volleyball outside hitter (Olympic bronze 1992, 96), born in Quincy, Illinois
1970 – Fran Robinson, American actress (Lauren-Charlie and Company), born in California
1975 – Nick Pickard, British actor, born in Surrey, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1995 – Arthur English, British comedian and actor (Malachi’s Cove, Are You Being Served?), dies of complications from emphysema at 75
1999 – Alexander “Skip” Spence, Canadian-American guitarist, singer and songwriter (Jefferson Airplane), dies of lung cancer at 52
2005 – Kathleen “Kay” Walsh, British actress (The Horse’s Mouth, Oliver Twist), dies in a fire at 93
2011 – Gerry Alexander, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (25 Tests, top score 108, 90 dismissals), dies at 82
2019 – Fay McKenzie, American actress and singer (The Party, Sierra Sue), dies at 101
2021 – Mike Mitchell, American rock guitarist (The Kingsmen -“Louie, Louie”), dies on his 77th birthday

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Historical Events

69 – Battle at Bedriacum, North-Italy
1952 – Franklin National Bank issues 1st bank credit card
1970 – Libyan leader Gadaffi launches “Green Revolution”
1988 – Meteorite explode above Indonesia
1989 – Sue Marchiano wins 3rd World Cup female marathon (2:30:48)
1991 – Sacramento Kings set NBA record, losing 35th consecutive game on road

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Famous Birthdays

1820 – Evander McNair, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Laurel Hill, North Carolina (d. 1902)
1875 – James J. Jeffries, American heavyweight boxer, born in Carroll, Ohio (d. 1953)
1887 – Mike Brady, American golfer (US Open 1911, 19 runner-up; 9 PGA Tour titles), born in Brighton, Massachusetts (d. 1972)
1894 – Bessie Smith, American blues singer known as the “Empress of the Blues” (recorded over 200 songs), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee (d. 1937)
1944 – John Wilbraham, British classical, baroque, and session trumpeter (Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields; English Chamber Orchestra; The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour), and educator, born in Bournemouth, England (d. 1998)
1947 – Cristina Husmark Pehrsson, Swedish politician, born in Uddevalla, Sweden

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Famous Deaths

1954 – Arthur Fickenscher, American microtonal composer, and educator (University of Virginia, 1920-41), dies at 82
1967 – Totò [Antonio De Curtis], Italian actor (Motorizzate; Noi Duri) commonly referred to as the most popular Italian comedian of all time, dies from a heart attack at 69
1989 – Hu Yaobang, Chinese communist official and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (1982-87), dies of a heart attack at 73
1990 – Ulrich Becher, German writer and playwright, dies at 80
2003 – Reg Bundy, British performer, dies at 56
2017 – Clifton James, American actor (Live and Let Die, Silver Streak), dies at 96

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