Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1923 – Gustav Stresemann becomes premier of German coalition government
1944 – Jackie Gleason-Les Tremayne show premieres on NBC radio
1953 – US President Dwight Eisenhower establishes Government Contract Compliance Committee
1977 – Randy Bachman quits band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, they then disband
1988 – US beats Jamaica 5-1 in 2nd round of 1990 world soccer cup
1997 – San Diego Padres trade Rickey Henderson to Anaheim Angels

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Famous Birthdays

1422 – William Caxton, English printer and translator, 1st to print in the English language (Histories of Troy), born in Kent, England (d. 1492) birth date disputed
1717 – Christoph Nichelmann, German composer and harpsichordist, born in Treuenbrietzen, Germany (d. 1762)
1748 – Pieter L. van de Kasteele, Dutch politician and patriot, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1810)
1888 – Gleb W. Derujinsky, Russian-American sculptor, born in Smolensk, Russia (d. 1975)
1926 – Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary, Prime Minister (1959-76) and President (1976-2008), born in Birán, Holguin Province (d. 2016)
1973 – Eric Medlen, American NHRA drag racer, born in Oakdale, California (d. 2007)

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Famous Deaths

1895 – Christian Bernhard Tauchnitz, German publisher (T Edition), dies at 79
1897 – Antonius von der Linde, Dutch German librarian, dies at 63
1900 – Collis P. Huntington, American business tycoon and railroad executive (Central Pacific Railroad, Southern Pacific Railroad), dies at 78
1973 – Ben van Eysselsteijn, Dutch playwright (Arid Earth), dies at 75
1982 – Joe Tex [Joseph Arrington Jr.], American soul musician (“Hold What You’ve Got”; “I Gotcha”), dies at 49
1992 – Jan Elburg [Joannes G], Dutch poet (Geen letterheren), dies at 72

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Historical Events

3 – Venus-Jupiter in conjunction-Star of Bethlehem
1588 – Radboud Castle on Medemblik harbor in North Holland surrenders to the Spanish army
1991 – Creditors vote to support Greyhound Bus reorganization plan
1994 – Members of the Major League Baseball Players Association go on strike leading to cancellation of World Series for only the second time in MLB history (1904); labour dispute
2016 – Italian jockey Frankie Dettori aboard Predilection rides his 3,000th British winner at Newmarket
2021 – Bennu Asteroid, size of the Empire State Building, now has 1-in-1,750 chance of hitting Earth in 2182, according to data from NASA’s OSIRIS-REX spacecraft

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Famous Birthdays

1920 – Percy Mayfield, American singer (Please Send Me Someone to Love)
1922 – Lord Colinbrook, British government minister
1925 – Robin Nicholson, English metallurgist, born in Warwickshire, England
1940 – Alexander Yossifov, Bulgarian conductor and composer (Back To The Beginning), born in Sofia, Bulgaria (d. 2016)
1960 – Laurent Fignon, French cyclist (1983 and 1984 Tour de France), born in Paris (d. 2010)
1961 – Roy Hay, British guitarist (Culture Club – “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”)

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Famous Deaths

1812 – Jean-Joseph Rodolphe, Alsatian composer, dies at 81
1941 – Bobby Peel, English cricket all-rounder (20 Tests, 3 x 50, 101 wickets, BB 7/31; Yorkshire CCC), dies at 84
1985 – Marcel Mihalovici, Romanian-French composer, dies at 86
1990 – Dorothy Mackaill, actress (Love Affair), dies of kidney failure at 87
1999 – John Rigby Hale, British linguist and historian, dies at 75
2008 – Donald Erb, American composer known for large orchestral works, dies at 81

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Historical Events

1949 – 1st Naples-Capri swim, 17 miles (27 km) (Giovanni Gambi)
1960 – Chad declares Independence from France
1965 – “Help!” a musical comedy film featuring the Beatles released in the US
1970 – Future Baseball HOF pitcher Jim Bunning becomes 2nd Cy Young Award winner to win 100 games in both NL and AL; Phillies beat Houston 6-5 at Astrodome
1980 – Yanks Reggie Jackson hits his 400th HR off Chicago’s Britt Burns
1980 – Angola revises its constitution

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Famous Birthdays

1888 – Owen Nares [Ramsay], British actor and manager (Maiden Erleigh), born in Maiden Erlegh, Berks, England (d. 1943)
1925 – Robert Linn, American composer, born in San Francisco (d. 1999)
1927 – Raymond Leppard, British-American harpsichordist, conductor (Indianapolis Symphony, 1987-2001; BBC Northern Symphony, 1973-80), and composer (Lord Of The Flies), born in London, England
1956 – June Daugherty, American women’s college basketball coach (Boise State Uni, Uni of Washington, Washington State University), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 2021)
1984 – Lucas Di Grassi, Brazilian racing driver
1985 – Grace Adams-Short, British reality television contestant

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Famous Deaths

1578 – Pedro Nunes [Nonius], Port mathematician/astronomer (nonius), dies
1614 – Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter, dies at 61
1868 – Halfdan Kjerulf, Norwegian composer (Brudefaerden i Hardanger), dies at 52
1868 – Thaddeus Stevens, US Radical Republican congressional leader (Rep-R-Pennsylvania 1849-53 1859-68), dies at 76
1919 – Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist, steel tycoon, philanthropist and one of the richest Americans ever, dies of bronchial pneumonia at 83
1994 – Dorothy Grenfell Williams, radio producer and broadcaster, dies at 60

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Historical Events

1948 – Bradman scores 133* Aust v Lancashire, 216 mins, 17 fours
1954 – Sir Gordon Richards retires as a jockey with record 4,870 wins
1986 – Marquis Theater opens at 1535 Broadway NYC
1995 – Dodgers leading 2-1 in 9th forfeit game to Cards, fans become unruly
1997 – Anaheim Angels Tony Phillips arrested for purchasing cocaine
2014 – Unrest breaks out in Ferguson, Missouri after the death of African American Michael Brown by a policeman.

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Famous Birthdays

1793 – Heinrich August Neithardt, composer
1893 – Viscount Dunrossil, Scotland, Gov Gen of Australia (1959-61)
1921 – Leonard Lickorish, dir-gen (British Tourist Authority)
1949 – Gene Johnson, American country singer (Diamond Rio – “Meet in the Middle”), born in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania
1971 – Paul Newlove, rugby league player
1997 – Kylie Jenner, American model, TV and social media personality (Keeping Up with the Kardashians), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1784 – Allan Ramsay, Scottish painter, dies at 70
1896 – Otto Lilienthal, German aircraft pioneer, dies
1932 – Rin Tin Tin, American Hollywood shepherd dog (Clash of the Wolves), dies at 13
1963 – Ernst Wetter, Member of the Swiss Federal Council, dies at 85
1987 – Calvin Culver, actor (Score), dies
1995 – Fay Honey Knopp, American activist (founded a Quaker ministry for men and women in prisons), dies of complications from ovarian cancer at 76

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Historical Events

378 – Battle of Adrianople: Goth army defeats Roman forces under Emperor Valens
1726 – Netherlands signs Covenant of Hannover
1925 – Only time Babe Ruth pinch-hit for, Bobby Veach flies out
1969 – Kander and Ebbs’ musical “Zorba” closes at Imperial Theater, NYC, after 305 performances
2012 – The death toll from the Philippines’ floods rise to 70
2019 – Landslide from torrential rain kills 59 in Mon state, Myanmar, with 80,000 in emergency evacuation sites

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Famous Birthdays

1690 – Lorenzo Zavateri, Italian violinist and composer, born in Bologna (d. 1764)
1726 – Francesco Cetti, Italian Jesuit priest and scientist, born in Mannheim, Germany (d. 1778)
1872 – Archduke Joseph August of Austria, Austrian field marshal, born in Alcsút, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary (d. 1962)
1946 – Jim Kiick, American football running back (Super Bowl 1972, 73; AFL All-Star 1968, 69; Miami Dolphins), born in Lincoln Park, New Jersey (d. 2020)
1968 – Gillian Anderson, American actress (The X-Files, Bleak House), born in Chicago, Illinois
1972 – Juanes [Juan Esteban Aristizábal], Colombian singer and songwriter, winner of 24 Latin Grammy Awards, born in Carolina del Príncipe, Antioquia, Colombia

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Famous Deaths

117 – Trajan, Roman Emperor (98-117 AD) who rebuilt Rome and expanded the empire, dies from edema at 63
1738 – Pierre Drevet, French engraver, dies at 75
1848 – Frederick Marryat, English captain and author (Mr Midshipman Easy), dies
1994 – Toby Rowland, American theatrical manager, dies at 77
2000 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-American economist (Nobel Prize in Economics, 1994, for game theory), and educator (University of California, Berkeley, 1964-90), dies of a heart attack at 80
2014 – Edwin “Ed” Nelson, American actor (Peyton Place, A Long Came a Spider), dies of heart failure at 85

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Historical Events

1829 – French government of De Polignac forms
1860 – Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in NYC
1950 – Florence Chadwick swims English Channel (13:23)
1953 – US and South Korea initial a mutual security pact
1960 – Ivory Coast declares independence
1992 – Fermín Cacho wins Spain’s first ever Olympic gold medal in a running event when he takes out the 1,500m at the Barcelona Games

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Famous Birthdays

1571 – John Ward, English composer, born in Canterbury, England (d. 1638)
1919 – Dino De Laurentiis, producer (King Kong), born in Torre Annunziata, Italy
1976 – Tawny Cypress, American stage and screen actress (Unforgettable), born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey
1984 – Devon McTavish, American footballer
1994 – Lauv [Ari Staprans Leff]. American singer-songwriter, and record producer (“I Like Me Better”), born in San Francisco, California
1995 – Malin Reitan, Norwegian singer

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Famous Deaths

1827 – George Canning, British Prime Minister (Tory: 1827) and Foreign Secretary, dies in office at 57
1828 – Carl Peter Thunberg, Swedish naturalist, dies at 84
1982 – Hermine Heijermans, author (Snikken en Smartlapjes), dies at 80
1982 – Eric Brandon, British racing driver, dies at 62
1997 – Duncan Swift, jazz pianist, dies at 74
2003 – Maki Ishii, Japanese composer, dies at 66

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Historical Events

1927 – Peace Bridge between US and Canada dedicated
1948 – Delfo Cabrera of Argentina wins dramatic marathon in 2:34:51.6 at the London Olympics
1961 – Cosmonaut Gherman Titov circles Earth for a full day in Vostok 2
1981 – “The Washington Star” ceases all operations after 128 years of publication
1983 – Grete Waitz of Norway wins inaugural women’s marathon at the 1st world athletics championships in Helsinki, Finland
1988 – Writers guild ends its 6 months strike

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Famous Birthdays

1783 – Princess Amelia, youngest child of King George III of United Kingdom, born in Royal Lodge, Windsor (d. 1810)
1914 – Ted Moore, South African-British cinematographer (James Bond), born in Western Cape, South Africa (d. 1987)
1926 – Stan Freberg, American satirist/ad executive/cartoon voice (Bertie), born in Los Angeles, California
1963 – Patrick Kennedy, son of US President JFK (lives only 3 days)
1967 – Jason Grimsley, American baseball pitcher (California Angels), born in Cleveland, Texas
1982 – Yana Klochkova, Ukrainian swimmer, born in Simferopol, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

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Famous Deaths

1106 – Henry IV, Roman German king and Emperor (1056/84-1105), dies at 54
1816 – Dionysius Godefridus van der Keessel, Dutch jurist (Theses Selectae, Select Theses on the Laws of Holland and Zeeland), dies at 77
1902 – Rudolf von Bennigsen, German lawyer and politician, dies at 78
1974 – Rosario Castellanos, Mexican poet (Balún Canán), dies in an electrical accident at 49
1992 – John Anderson, American actor (Psycho, Ride the High Country, Legend of Wyatt Earp), dies of heart attack at 69
1996 – Anne Kristen, actress (Truth or Dare, Rachel-Dr Finlay), dies at 59

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Historical Events

1962 – Jamaica becomes independent after 300 years of British rule
1965 – Beatles release their 5th UK album – “Help!”
1981 – Argentine ex-president Isabel Peron freed
1985 – 19th NASA Space Shuttle Mission (51-G): Challenger 8 lands at Edwards AFB
1989 – Boston Red Sox retire Baseball Hall of Fame left fielder, 1st baseman Carl Yastrezemski’s #8
1994 – Algerian Muslim fundamentalists threaten school/Universities

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Famous Birthdays

1180 – Go-Toba, 82nd Emperor of Japan, born in Kyōto, Japan (d. 1239)
1922 – Freddie Laker, CEO (Laker airlines)
1943 – Jon Postel, American computer scientist (d. 1998)
1960 – Aldo Jones [Albert Mansis], American rockabilly bassist and singer (Ben Vaughn Combo), born in Yonkers, New York (d. 2001)
1978 – Marisa Miller, American model
1995 – Amy Forsyth, Canadian actress (The Gilded Age, CODA), born in Ontario

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Famous Deaths

1666 – Tsjerk Hiddes de Vries, Dutch admiral, dies in battle at 43
1895 – George Frederick Root, American songwriter (The Battle Cry of Freedom), dies at 74
1986 – William J Schroeder, (longest-survivor with permanent artificial) heart, dies at 54, after 620 days with Jarvik VII man-made pump)
1991 – Roland Michener, 20th Governor General of Canada (1967-74), dies at 91
1996 – Muhammad al-Badr, magnate of Northern Yemen (1962), dies
2018 – Joël Robuchon, French chef, world record for Michelin stars (32), dies of cancer at 73

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Historical Events

1953 – “From Here to Eternity” based on book by James Jones, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1954)
1984 – Toronto designated hitter Cliff Johnson hits MLB record 19th career pinch-hit HR in Blue Jays 4-3 win over Baltimore Orioles
2007 – Atlanta left-hander Tom Glavine becomes only the 23rd pitcher in MLB history to reach the 300 win milestone as the Braves beat Cubs, 8-3
2012 – 19 people are killed by Kurdish rebels in Hakk
2014 – Obama signs The Iron Dome Bill providing $225 million in additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense
2015 – Fishing boat carrying around 600 migrants sinks of the coast of Libya, 373 rescued

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Famous Birthdays

1880 – Gertrude E Durden Rush, American composer, and playwright (Black Girls Burden), born in Navasota, Texas (d. 1962)
1901 – Claude Autant-Lara, French film director (Four Bags Full, Rouge et noir), born in Luzarches, Val-d’Oise, France (d. 2000)
1902 – Irene Rice Pereira, American abstract artist, born in Chelsea, Massachusetts (d. 1971)
1953 – Samantha Sang [Cheryl Lau Sang], Australian pop singer (Emotion), born in Melbourne
1969 – Kenny Irwin Jr., American auto racer (USAC National Midget Champion 1996; NASCAR 87 starts), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2000)
1975 – Stéphanie Szostak, French-American Actress (Dinner for Schmucks; A Million Little Things), born in Paris, France

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Famous Deaths

1889 – Willem Ruys J. Dz, Dutch ship owner, dies at 80
1929 – Millicent Fawcett, English suffragist, dies at 82
1987 – Zygmunt Mycielski, Polish composer, music writer and editor (Ruch Muzyczny, 1957-68), dies at 79
1994 – Terry Hibbitt, English footballer, dies at 47
1996 – Frank Marcus, German playwright and critic, dies at 68
2000 – Dudley Randall, African-American poet who founded the pioneering publishing house “Broadside Press”, dies at 84

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Historical Events

1265 – Battle of Evesham: English prince Edward beats Simon de Montfort the younger
1347 – English troops conquer Fort Calais
1636 – Johan Mauritius appointed governor of Dutch Brazil
1914 – US declares neutrality on the outbreak of WWI
1946 – An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 hits northern Dominican Republic. 100 are killed and 20,000 are left homeless.
1958 – The Billboard Hot 100 is published for the 1st time, with “Poor Little Fool” by Ricky Nelson at #1

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Famous Birthdays

1904 – Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author (Ferdydurke, Pornography), born in Małoszyce, Russian Empire (d. 1969)
1906 – Marie-Jose von Saksen-Coburg, Belgian Princess (last Queen of Italy), born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 2001)
1913 – Robert Hayden, African-American poet (Those Winter Sundays), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1980)
1928 – Udham Singh, India, field hockey player (Olympic gold 1952, 56, 64), born in Sansarpur, India (d. 2000)
1939 – Frank Vincent, American actor (The Sopranos), born in North Adams, Massachusetts (d. 2017)
1973 – Peter Tsekenis, Australian soccer midfielder (Olyroos, Olympics 1996)

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Famous Deaths

1265 – Hugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer, killed in the Battle of Evesham (b. 1223)
1476 – Jacob van Armagnac-Pardiac, French duke of Nemours, beheaded
1938 – Pearl White, American actress/stunt woman (Perils of Pauline), dies at 49
1975 – John Baragrey, American actor (Creeper, The Loves of Carmen), dies of a stroke at 57
1978 – Frank Fontaine, American comedian (Crazy Guggenheim), dies at 58
2013 – Sandy Woodward [John Forster], English admiral (British Naval Task Force, Falklands War), dies at 81

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