Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1567 – War of Religion breaks out in France – Huguenots try to kidnap King Charles IX
1650 – Henry Robinson opens 1st marriage bureau (England)
1793 – Tennis is 1st mentioned in an English sporting magazine
1962 – “Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show” debuts on ABC-TV
1978 – “Flying High,” debuts on CBS
2018 – Rapper Kanye West announces on Twitter he is changing his name to Ye

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Famous Birthdays

1511 – Michael Servetus, Spanish theologian and physician (Christianism Rostituta), born in Villanueva or Tudela, Spain (d. 1553)
1758 – Horatio Nelson, British admiral and hero of Trafalgar, born in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk (d. 1805)
1928 – Ankie [Johanna A Hoving-]Peypers, Dutch author and poet
1936 – Silvio Berlusconi, Italian media tycoon and politician, Prime Minister of Italy (1994-5, 2001-6, 2008-11), born in Milan, Italy
1944 – Torben Jensen, Danish actor (Taxa, Hayfever, Watch Me Fly, Guldregn)
1955 – Benoît Ferreux, French actor (Murmur of the Heart), born in Bordeaux, France

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Famous Deaths

1364 – Charles, Duke of Brittany
1900 – Samuel Fenton Cary, American politician and temperance movement leader (Rep-IR-Ohio), dies at 86
1937 – Ray Ewry, American track and field athlete (8 Olympic golds 1900, 04, 08), dies at 63
1980 – Bindo Maserati, Italian auto engineer and businessman (manager Maserati Racing; founder O.S.C.A. Racing), dies at 97
1995 – George Chesterman Phillips, British naval officer, dies at 90
2009 – Sperantza Vrana, Greek actress (b. 1926 or 1932)

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Historical Events

1569 – Istanbul experiences its greatest fire of the century after a blaze that starts in a Jewish bakery goes on to destroy 36,000 buildings over eight days
1940 – Bud Brennan, a fan at Memorial Stadium, races out of stands and attempts to tackle Tom Harmon at 3-yard line, Harmon easily evades Brennan
1958 – France adopts constitution
1982 – 1st reports appear of death from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules
1991 – “Commish” debuts on ABC-TV
1993 – Dennis Martínez is 7th to win 100 games in AL and NL

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Famous Birthdays

1571 – Michael Praetorius [Schultze], German organist and composer (Syntagma; In Dulce Jublio), born in Creuzberg, Saxony (d. 1621) [birthdate approximate]
1698 – Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis, French mathematician and astronomer (Système de la nature), born in Saint-Malo, France (d. 1759)
1796 – David Walker, African-American abolitionist (Appeal to Colored Citizens), born in Wilmington, North Carolina (d. 1830)
1873 – Julian Coolidge, American mathematician (Study-Segre school), born in Brookline, Massachusetts (d. 1954)
1972 – Dita Von Teese, American burlesque artist
1982 – Dustin Penner, Canadian hockey player

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Famous Deaths

1104 – Pedro I, king of Navarra and Aragon, dies
1781 – William Henry Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of Rochford, British diplomat and statesman (b. 1717)
1810 – John Archer, American Congressman who received the 1st medical diploma issued on US continent (1768), dies at 69
1942 – Eva Thatcher, American actress, dies at 80
1947 – Francisco Santiago, Filipino pianist, composer (Taga-ilog Symphony), conductor, and pedagogue, dies at 58
1952 – Paul Hastings Allen, American composer, dies at 68

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Historical Events

1864 – Battle at Pilot Knob (Ft Davidson) American Civil War, Missouri: 1700 killed/injured
1879 – British Open Men’s Golf, St Andrews: Scotsman Jamie Anderson wins by 3 shots from countrymen Jamie Allen and Andrew Kirkaldy; 3rd consecutive title
1964 – Findings of the Warren Commission into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy released, finds Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone
1987 – Atlanta Braves Phil Niekro’s final MLB appearance, he surrenders for 5 runs in 3 innings against the San Francisco Giants
2020 – Border fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan forces over disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh kills at least 23
2021 – RandB artist R. Kelly is convicted on nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking after a six-week trial in New York

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Famous Birthdays

1601 – Louis XIII, King of France (1610-43), born in Palace of Fontainebleau, France (d. 1643)
1927 – Boris Porena, Italian composer, poet, and writer, born in Rome
1939 – Carol Lynn Pearson, American poet and writer
1953 – Mata Amritanandamayi, Indian religious leader
1969 – Robert Jones, NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys)
1996 – Daeg Faerch, Danish-born Canadian actor

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Famous Deaths

1404 – William of Wykeham, chancellor/Bishop of Winchester, dies
1921 – Engelbert Humperdinck, German opera composer (Hänsel und Gretel), dies at 67
1972 – S. R. Ranganathan, Indian mathematician (b. 1892)
1977 – Willis Bouchey, American character actor (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance), dies at 70
1998 – Doak Walker, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1948; Pro Bowl 1950-51, 53–55; First-team All-Pro 1950–51, 53–54; Detroit Lions), dies from ski accident injuries at 71
2008 – Mahendra Kapoor, Indian singer (b. 1934)

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Historical Events

1792 – Marc-David Lasource begins accusing Maximilien Robespierre of wanting a dictatorship for France
1890 – US stops minting $1 and $3 gold coin and 3 cent piece
1950 – Because of forest fire in Br Columbia, blue moon appears in England
1954 – Yogi Berra plays his only game at 3rd and Mickey Mantle plays shortstop
1957 – Dag Hammarskjöld re-elected secretary-general of UN
2017 – The video game Fortnite: Battle Royale is released, eventually becoming one of the most popular games worldwide

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Famous Birthdays

1907 – Ralph Michael, British actor (Quest, Doctor in the House), born in London (d. 1994)
1942 – Kent McCord, American actor (Officer Jim Reed- “Adam 12”), born in Los Angeles, California
1955 – Carlene Carter, American country singer (“I Fell in Love”), born in Nashville, Tennessee
1976 – Tyler Denk, American model and reality show contestant, born in Columbus, Ohio
1979 – Fuifui Moimoi, New Zealand (Tongan) rugby league footballer, born in Nuku’alofa, Tonga
1988 – Kiira Korpi, Finnish figure skater, born in Tampere, Finland

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Famous Deaths

1023 – Godfried I, duke of Neth-Lutherans, dies
1846 – Thomas Clarkson, English abolitionist (Negro Emancipation), dies at 86
1937 – Bessie Smith, American blues singer known as the “Empress of the Blues” (recorded over 200 songs), dies of injuries sustained in car crash at 43
1964 – Calvin Thomas, actor (Judge Hunter-One Man’s Family), dies at 79
1994 – Jessie Kesson, Scottish writer and radio producer, dies at 77
2006 – Byron Nelson, American golfer (winner 5 major titles; record 19 tournaments 1945), dies of a blood disorder at 94

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Historical Events

955 – Bishop Ratherius of Luik flees
1639 – Suzuki Shosan, Samurai monk of Zen Buddhism, found awakening
1861 – Secretary of US Navy authorizes enlistment of slaves
1979 – “Evita” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 1568 performances
1980 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1988 – Pope John Paul II beatifies Friar Junípero Serra (founder of 1st Californian missions)

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Famous Birthdays

1683 – Jean-Philippe Rameau, French composer (Traite), baptized in Dijon, France (d. 1764)
1902 – Ernst von Salomon, German writer (Kette Der Tausend Kraniche), born in Kiel, Germany (d. 1972)
1927 – Sir Colin Davis, British conductor (Covent Garden, 1970-85; Bavarian Radio Symphony, 1983-93; London Symphony, 1995-2006), born in Weybridge, Surrey (d. 2013)
1939 – Leon Brittan, British politician, Home Secretary and member of the European Commission, born in London (d. 2015)
1946 – Gil Morgan, American golfer (7 PGA Tour titles, 3 Champions Tour majors), born in Wewoka, Oklahoma
1947 – John Fiddler, English rock vocalist and guitarist (British Lions), born in Darlaston, Wednesbury, England

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Famous Deaths

1792 – Adam Gottlob Moltke, Danish statesman, dies at 81
1970 – Erich Maria Remarque, German novelist (All Quiet on the Western Front), dies at 72
1980 – Lewis Milestone, Moldovan film director (b. 1895)
1980 – John Bonham, English rock drummer (Led Zeppelin), dies from asphyxiation after heavy alcohol intake at 32
2003 – Aquila al-Hashimi, Iraqi politician (b. 1953)
2019 – Paul Badura-Skoda, Austrian pianist (Mozart interpretation), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1951 – USSR performs nuclear test
1965 – Belgium Victor Leemans elected chairman of European Parliament
1971 – Eyskens-Cools disbands Belgium parliament
1974 – Al Kaline, Detroit Tiger, is 12th to get 3,000 hits
1990 – East Germany leaves Warsaw Pact
1990 – Supreme Soviet gives approval to switch to free market

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Famous Birthdays

1564 – William Adams, English navigator and 1st ever Western Samurai, born in Gillingham, Kent, England (d. 1620)
1892 – Adélard Godbout, Canadian politician (15th Premier of Québec), born in Saint-Éloi, Quebec, Canada (d. 1956)
1898 – Howard Florey, Australian pathologist and pharmacologist who purified penicillin (Nobel 1945), born in Adelaide, South Australia (d. 1968)
1923 – Theodore “Fats” Navarro, American jazz trumpet player, born in Key West, Florida (d. 1950)
1979 – Ross Mathews, American television personality and comedian (The Tonight Show), born in Mount Vernon, Washington
1984 – Szilvia Molnar, Swedish writer

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Famous Deaths

1180 – Manuel I Komnenos, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (1143-80), dies at 61
1896 – Percy McDonnell, Australian cricket batsman (19 Tests, 3 x 100s), dies of cardiac failure at 35
1945 – Hans Geiger, German physicist (co-inventor of the Geiger counter), dies at 62
1968 – Harry Robert Wilson, American composer, dies at 67
1990 – Jay Currin, stuntman/actor (Back to the Beach, Serial), dies at 34
2008 – Irene Dailey, American actress (Another World, Grissom Gang), dies of colon cancer at 88

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Historical Events

1889 – Nintendo Koppai (Later Nintendo Company, Limited) founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce and market the playing card game Hanafuda
1961 – 1st movie to become a TV series, “How to Marry a Millionaire” premieres
1979 – Jane Fonda and 200,000 attend anti-nuke rally in Battery Park, NYC
1982 – Amin Gemayel sworn in as President of Lebanon
2019 – US police officer fired after arresting two six-year-olds at a school on charges of misdemeanour battery in Florida
2020 – President Donald Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power after the US November election at a White House press conference

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Famous Birthdays

1895 – Miron Merzhanov, Soviet architect (d. 1975)
1920 – Gerard W Taylor, South African/British surgeon
1934 – John Mortimore, English soccer defender (Chelsea 249 games) and manager (Portsmouth, Benfica, Real Betis), born in Farnborough, England (d. 2021)
1975 – Jaime Bergman, American model and actress
1977 – Matthieu Descoteaux, Canadian ice hockey player
1979 – Red, rapper (Another Bad Creation), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1974 – Robbie Mcintosh, Scottish drummer (Average White Band), overdoses at 24
1987 – Louis Kentner, Hungarian-British pianist and composer, dies at 87
1994 – Dalton Reed, American soul singer, dies of heart failure at 42
1994 – Alec Dickson, founder of VSO, dies at 80
1997 – Abe Gibron, head coach (Chicago Bears), dies at 72
2002 – Vernon Corea, Sri Lankan pioneer radio broadcaster, died at 75

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Historical Events

1905 – US Open Men’s Golf, Myopia Hunt GC: Willie Anderson wins his 3rd consecutive Open title, and his record 4th overall, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Alex Smith
1910 – Saskatchewan Rugby Football Union forms with an initial 9 team competition
1958 – KTVK TV channel 3 in Phoenix, AZ (ABC) begins broadcasting
1969 – China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC
2002 – Solheim Cup Women’s Golf, Interlachen CC: US regains Cup 15½-12½; Rosie Jones gains winning point in her 3 and 2 victory over Karine Icher
2004 – “Lost” created by J.J. Abrams and starring Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly debuts on ABC in the US

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Famous Birthdays

1864 – Lodewijk van Deyssel, Dutch writer (A Love Affair), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1952)
1870 – Charlotte Cooper, British tennis player (1st female Olympic champion 1900; Wimbledon 1895-96, 98, 1901, 08), born in Ealing, England (d. 1966)
1953 – Richard Fairbrass, English singer and bassist (Right Said Fred), born in Kingston upon Thames, England
1956 – Debby Boone, American singer (You Light Up My Life), born in Hackensack, New Jersey
1961 – Catherine Oxenberg, American actress (Dynasty; Overexposed), born in NYC, New York
1969 – Marian Chlad, Czech soccer player (FC Groningen), born in Teplice, Czechoslovakia

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Famous Deaths

1840 – Anne Lister, English diarist ‘the 1st modern lesbian’, dies of a fever at 49
1956 – Frederick Soddy, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate, dies at 79
1975 – Patricia Doyle, actress (Wuthering Heights), dies at 60
1994 – Leonard Feather, British jazz critic and musician, dies at 80
1997 – Eric William Hunter Christie, barrister, dies at 77
2021 – Orlando Martínez, Cuban boxer (Olympic gold bantamweight 1972), dies at 77

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Historical Events

1921 – A storage silo at a BASF fertiliser producing plant explodes in Oppau, Germany, 500—600 killed
1950 – George Marshall sworn in as the 3rd Secretary of Defense of the United States
1951 – Emil Zatopek runs 15,000m in record 44 min, 54.6 sec
1970 – “Monday Night Football” created by Roone Arledge, premieres on ABC – Browns 31, Jets 21
1973 – Jackson Pollocks painting “Blue Poles” sold for $2,000,000
1988 – Mike Tyson smashes TV camera outside his Bernardsville, New Jersey home

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Famous Birthdays

1866 – H. G. Wells, English sci-fi author (War of the Worlds, Kipps), born in Bromley, Kent (d. 1946)
1898 – Tushar Kanti Ghosh, Indian journalist and world’s oldest and longest serving newspaper editor
1941 – Tony Moon, American doo-wop singer, arranger, guitarist (Dante and the Evergreens – “Alley Oop”), producer, and songwriter (“Soldier of Love”), born in Los Angeles, California
1969 – Jason Christiansen, pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Omaha, Nebraska
1970 – Michael O’Shea, Canadian CFL linebacker (Toronto Argonauts), born in North Bay, Ontario
1973 – Oswaldo Sanchez, Mexican footballer

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Famous Deaths

1974 – Jacqueline Susann, American author (Valley of the Dolls), dies of cancer at 56
1988 – Robert Gwathmey, artist, dies at 85
1993 – Fernand Ledoux, Belgian-French actor (L’Homme de Londres), dies at 96
1996 – Sabine Zlatin, Polish-born French nurse, who tried save Izieu children from Nazis, dies at 89
2000 – Bryan Smith, Man who ran over Stephen King (b. 1957)
2011 – Troy Anthony Davis, American high-profile death row inmate and human rights activist (executed) (b. 1968)

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Historical Events

1792 – French defeat Prussians at Valmy
1854 – Battle of the Alma: British, French and Ottoman alliance defeat the Russian Empire in the 1st major battle of the Crimean War
1873 – Panic sweeps NY Stock Exchange (railroad bond default/bank failure) NY shut banks for 10 days due to a bank scandal
1983 – Cryptographic Communications System and Method (RSA) patented
1986 – Wichita State Shockers blow a 35-3 lead; lose 36-35 to Morehead State
2011 – The United States ends its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing gay men and women to serve openly for the first time.

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Famous Birthdays

1832 – Johann Joseph Abert, German composer, born in Gastorf, Bohemia (d. 1915)
1920 – Jay Ward, American cartoonist (Rocky and his Friends, Bullwinkle), born in Berkeley, California (d. 1989)
1927 – Clarice Taylor, American actress (Nurse Bailey-Nurse), born in Buckingham County, Virginia (d. 2011)
1950 – James P[aul] Blaylock, American sci-fi author (Elfin Ship, Homunculus), born in Long Beach, California
1990 – John Tavares, Canadian ice hockey player (New York Islanders), born in Mississauga, Ontario
1995 – Sammi Hanratty, American actress

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Famous Deaths

1639 – John Meursius [van Meurs], historian, dies at 60
1773 – Pieter de Swart, architect (Delfts Port Rotterdam), dies at 63
1939 – Paul Bruchési, French Canadian Catholic archbishop of Montreal, dies at 83
1973 – Glenn Strange, American actor (Sam the Bartender-Gunsmoke), dies at 74
1995 – Walter Haas Jr., American businessman and sports team owner (Levi Strauss and Co, Oakland A’s), dies of prostate cancer at 79
2009 – John Hart, American actor (The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Captain Africa), dies from complications of dementia at 91

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