Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1675 – Cornelia/Dina Olfaarts found not guilty of witchcraft
1862 – Astronomer Alvan Graham Clark makes first observation of Sirius B (first known white dwarf star) in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts while testing his new telescope
1918 – A series of accidental collisions on a misty Scottish night leads to the loss of two Royal Navy submarines with over a hundred lives, and damage to another five British warships.
1925 – Australasian Championships Men’s Tennis, Sydney: James Anderson of Australia wins 2nd straight Australasian crown; beats countryman Gerald Patterson 11-9, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
1982 – Gustafson skates world record 10 km (14:26.59)
1993 – Australian Open Men’s Tennis: American Jim Courier retains title; repeats previous year’s win over Stefan Edberg 6-2, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5

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Famous Birthdays

1517 – Gioseffo Zarlino, composer
1797 – Franz Schubert, Austrian composer (Unfinished Symphony), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1828)
1802 – Jan C J van Speijk, Dutch naval hero
1818 – William Raine Peck, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1871)
1927 – Lorraine Warren (née Moran), American paranormal investigator (Amityville haunting), born in Monroe, Connecticut (d. 2019)
1986 – Yves Makabu-Makalambay, Congolese football goalkeeper, born in Brussels, Belgium

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Famous Deaths

1580 – Henry, King of Portugal, Cardinal, Epilepticus and Regent. Reigned 1578-80 (b. 1512)
1960 – Lowell Gilmore, American actor (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Living Christ Series), dies at 53
1972 – Howard Barlow, American conductor (Voice of Firestone), dies at 79
1974 – Glenn Morris, olympian/actor (Tarzan’s Revenge), dies at 61
2009 – Erland von Koch, Swedish composer, dies at 98
2013 – Timir Pinegin, Russian sailor (Olympic gold 1960), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1800 – US population: 5,308,483; African American population 1,002,037 (18.9%)
1835 – Richard Lawrence misfires at President Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C. in 1st attempted assassination of a US President
1862 – USS Monitor, the US Navy’s 1st ironclad warship launched
1933 – Australian Championships Men’s Tennis: Jack Crawford wins his 3rd straight Australian title; beats Keith Gledhill of the US 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2
1994 – Péter Lékó becomes the youngest chess grand master.
2019 – Peter Paul Rubens’s 1608 drawing “Nude Study of Young Man with Raised Arms” sells for $8.2 million at auction in New York

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Famous Birthdays

1687 – [Johann] Balthasar Neumann, German architect, baptized
1829 – Alfred Cummings, American Brigadier-General (Confederate Army), born in Augusta, Georgia (d. 1910)
1917 – Paul Frère, Belgian racing driver and motorsport journalist, born in Le Havre, France (d. 2008)
1918 – Jarl Andre Bjerke [Bernhard Borge], Norwegian poet and writer, born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1985)
1935 – Richard Brautigan, American novelist and poet (Trout Fishing in America), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 1984)
1942 – Marty Balin [Buchwald], American singer (Jefferson Airplane/Starship), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2018)

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Famous Deaths

1846 – Joseph Carpue, English surgeon who pioneered early plastic surgery in England, dies at 81
1948 – Herb Pennock, pitcher (NY Yankees)/GM (Phillies), dies
1958 – Earnest H Heinkel, German airplane builder (WWII), dies at 70
1976 – Percy Tyson “Plum” Lewis, South African cricketer (pair in only Test for South Africa), dies at 91
1995 – Gerald Durrell, British naturalist, zoologist and author (My Family and Other Animals), dies at 70
1997 – Frank Tejeda, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas), dies at 51

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Historical Events

1732 – Paris churchyard of Saint-Medard closed after Jansenistic ritual
1942 – 1st broadcast of Roy Plomley’s “Desert Island Discs” on BBC radio
1957 – Graham Greene’s “Potting Shed” premieres in NYC
1975 – First American Annual Comedy Awards, hosted by Alan King
1979 – NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: NFC beats AFC, 13-7; MVP: Ahmad Rashād, Minnesota Vikings, WR
2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the 1st non-Spanish player to captain Real Madrid, making his 500th appearance for the club

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Famous Birthdays

1950 – Max Carl [Gronenthal], American rock singer and musician ( Grand Funk Railroad, 2000-present; 38 Special, 1987-92), born in Platte Center, Nebraska
1953 – Lynne McGranger, Australian actress (Home and Away), born in Sydney, New South Wales
1955 – John Tate, American heavyweight boxer (Olympic bronze 1968)
1960 – Steve Sax, American MLB 2nd baseman, NL rookie of the year, 1981, 5x all-star (LA Dodgers, 1981-88; NY Yankees, Chicago White Sox), born in West Sacramento, California
1968 – Edward Burns, American actor, director, writer (Brothers McMullen, Saving Private Ryan), born in Queens, New York
1971 – Jamal Fountaine, American NFL defensive end (SF 49ers, Atlanta Falcons), born in San Francisco, California

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Famous Deaths

1965 – John Larkin, American actor (Saints and Sinners, The Satan Bug, 12 O’Clock High), dies of heart attack at 52
1973 – Ludwig Stössel, Austrian actor (Man With a Camera, The Pride of the Yankees), dies at 89
1980 – Jimmy Durante, American actor, comedian and singer known as “the schnozzola” (The Durante-Moore Show, Jimmy Durante Show), dies of pneumonia at 86
1998 – Joseph Alioto, mayor of San Francisco (b. 1916)
1999 – Lili St. Cyr, American dancer (b. 1918)
2010 – Tom Brookshier, American football player and sportscaster, dies of cancer at 78

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Historical Events

1561 – By Edict of Orleans French persecution of Huguenots is suspended
1916 – Opera “Goyescas” premieres in New York City
1918 – Finnish Civil War: Rebels seized control of the capital, Helsinki, and members of the Senate of Finland go underground.
1973 – “Barnaby Jones” premieres on CBS TV
1990 – “Independent on Sunday” begins publishing in London
1996 – 12th Sundance Film Festival: “Welcome to the Dollhouse” wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic

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Famous Birthdays

1878 – Walter Kollo, German composer of operettas, Singspiele, and popular songs (Der Juxbaron), born in Neidenburg, Kingdom of Prussia. (d. 1940)
1910 – Arnold Moss, American actor (Loves of Carmen, Kim, Quebec, Viva Zapata), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1989)
1943 – Dick Taylor, English rock guitarist (The Pretty Things – “S.F. Sorrow”), born in Dartford, England
1975 – David Zingler, American writer
1975 – Julian Dean, Waihi NZ, team pursuit cyclist (Olympics 1996)
1980 – Jesse James, American drug dealer and fugitive, born in Hollywood, California

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Famous Deaths

1256 – Willem II, earl of Holland/German emperor (1238, 47-56), dies at 22
1681 – Richard Allestree, English royalist churchman (b. 1619)
1932 – Franz Xavier Arens, composer, dies at 75
1942 – Pablo Luna, Spanish composer (De España vengo), dies at 61
2006 – Henry McGee, British actor and comedian (No, That’s Me Over Here!, The Benny Hill Show), dies at 77
2008 – Bengt Lindström, Swedish artist, dies at 82

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Historical Events

1909 – The Young Left is founded in Norway
1982 – Los Angeles Kings set an NHL record with their 6th consecutive tied game, a 4-4 deadlock against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers
1988 – Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves nomination of Judge Anthony Kennedy to US Supreme Court
1996 – 15 day old conjoined twins separated: Sarah Morales survives, Sarahi dies
2013 – 29th Sundance Film Festival: “Fruitvale Station”, directed by Ryan Coogler, wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
2019 – Australian Open Men’s Tennis: Novak Đoković of Serbia wins his record 7th Australian singles title; beats Spaniard Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3

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Famous Birthdays

1585 – Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch painter (d. 1634)
1903 – Otto P. Weyland, American military figure (d. 1979)
1942 – Kate Wolf [Allen], American folk singer-songwriter (“Love Still Remains”; “Across the Great Divide”), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1986)
1953 – Bob Mintzer, American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader (Yellowjackets), born in New Rochelle, New York
1958 – James Grippando, American novelist
1972 – Bryant Young, American football defensive tackle (San Francisco 49ers), born in Chicago Heights, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1851 – Karl Moser, German composer, dies at 77
1893 – James G. Blaine, US Secretary of State (1881 and 1889-92) known as the “Plumed Knight”, dies at 62
1922 – Giovanni Verga, Italian writer (I Mala Voglia), dies at 81
1989 – Bayani Casimiro, Filipino dancer and actor [Okey Ka Fairy Ko!], dies at 70
1993 – André the Giant, French pro wrestler (WWF World Heavyweight C’ship 1988; WWF World Tag Team C’ship [with Haku] 1989), dies of congestive heart failure at 49
2003 – Louis Archambault, Quebec sculptor (b. 1915)

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Historical Events

1913 – Jim Thorpe relinquishes his 1912 Olympic medals for playing 2 seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics
1961 – 1st woman personal physician to a US President – Janet G. Travell (to John F. Kennedy)
1982 – For the first time since the 1930s, the unemployed population in UK rises above three million
1990 – Boston Red Sox hires Elaine Weddington as asst GM (highest-ranking African American female in a major-league front office)
2004 – Mydoom , the most destructive computer worm (so far), first sighted on computers in North America. Goes on to cause $38 billion in damages.
2005 – Glendale train crash: Two trains derail killing 11 and injuring 200 in Glendale, California, near Los Angeles.

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Famous Birthdays

1920 – Derek Bond, British actor (Nicholas Nickelby, Armchair Theatre), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2006)
1932 – George H Clements, first Roman Catholic Priest to adopt a child.
1936 – Sal Buscema, American comic book artist
1943 – Jean Knight [Caliste], American soul, funk and RandB singer (Mr. Big Stuff), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1965 – Tim McDonald, American football safety (San Francisco 49ers), born in Fresno, California
1968 – Chris Pringle, New Zealand cricket fast bowler (14 Tests; 64 ODI), born in Auckland, New Zealand

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Famous Deaths

1948 – Ignaz Friedman, Polish pianist and composer, dies at 65
1967 – Albert Rémy, French actor (Grand Prix, The 400 Blows, The Train), dies at 51
1968 – Yvor Winters, American poet (b. 1900)
1977 – Margaret Hayes, American actress (Blackboard Jungle, Robert Montgomery Presents), dies from cancer and hepatitis at 60
1995 – Vic Buckingham, English soccer player/trainer (Ajax), dies at 79
2003 – John Browning, American pianist (Leventritt Award-1956), dies at 69

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Historical Events

1787 – Shays’ Rebellion suffers a setback when debt-ridden farmers, led by Capt Daniel Shays, fail to capture an arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts
1819 – University of Virginia chartered by Commonwealth of Virginia, with Thomas Jefferson one of its founders
1844 – Recontre between Reps Weller and Shriver, US House of Representative
1895 – New Haven Symphony Orchestra of Connecticut performs its first concert
1959 – 1st transcontinental commercial jet flight (American) (LA to NY for $301)
1988 – Ramsewak Shankar sworn in as President of Suriname

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Famous Birthdays

1891 – Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, British actress (The Devil Rides Out), born in London, England (d. 1992)
1928 – Eduard Shevardnadze, President of Georgia (1995-2003) and Soviet Foreign Minister (1985-90), born in Mamati, Georgia (d. 2014)
1953 – The Honky Tonk Man [Wayne Farris], American professional wrestler, born in Bolivar, Tennessee
1963 – Carl Fysh, British pop-rocker (Brother Beyond – “Can You Keep a Secret?”)
1967 – Randy McKay, Canadian NHL right wing (Stanley Cup 1998, 2000; NJ Devils; 932 NHL games), born in Montreal, Quebec
1970 – Milt Stegall, American football player (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), born in Cincinnati, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1733 – Reinier V van Hompech, Dutch gen-maj cavalry, dies
1970 – Eiji Tsuburaya, Japanese television writer and producer (Ultraman) (b. 1901)
1981 – Adele Astaire [Lady Charles Cavendish], American dancer and entertainer, sister of Fred Astaire (Last Man on Earth, Millie), dies at 82
1992 – Mahmoud Riad, Secretary-General of Arab League (1972-79), dies
2001 – Margaret Scriven, English tennis player (French C’ships 1933-34), dies at 88
2019 – Florence Knoll Bassett, American furniture designer (Knoll), dies at 101

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Historical Events

1939 – Spanish government moves to Figueras
1976 – Cleveland Cavaliers biggest margin victory-43 pts (beat Milwaukee 132-89)
1987 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Hana Mandlíková of Czechoslovakia wins her 4th and final Grand Slam singles crown; beats Martina Navratilova 7-5, 7-6
1990 – LAs’ Pat Riley becomes the 13th and fastest coach to reach the 500-victory plateau as the Lakers down the Indiana Pacers, 120-111; Riley (500-184) surpasses Don Nelson (500-317) to reach milestone
2001 – Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson resigns
2006 – After losing the federal election to Stephen Harper, Paul Martin resigns as leader of the Liberal party

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Famous Birthdays

1919 – Nora Beloff, English journalist and author, born in London, United Kingdom (d. 1997)
1931 – Maria Piątkowskacka, Polish athlete (WR 4 x 100m relay 1964), born in Goleni, Moldova (d. 2020)
1946 – Michael Ontkean, Canadian actor (Rookies, Slap Shot, Twin Peaks), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
1967 – Phil LaMarr, American voice actor, born in Los Angeles, California
1968 – Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast (Olympic gold all-round 1984), born in Fairmont, West Virginia
1983 – Scott Speed, American race car driver, born in Manteca, California

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Famous Deaths

1473 – Conrad Paumann, German blind organist/composer, dies
1960 – John Miljan, American actor (The Ten Commandments, Possessed, Final Extra, Susan Lenox), dies at 67
1989 – George Knudson, Canadian golfer (8 PGA Tour titles; Masters 1969 runner-up), dies of lung cancer at 51
1993 – Thurgood Marshall, 1st African American supreme court justice (1967-91), dies 84
2005 – June Bronhill, Australian singer (b. 1929)
2020 – Juan José Pizzuti, Argentine soccer striker and manager (12 caps; Racing Club de Avellaneda), dies at 92

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Historical Events

393 – Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor
1912 – The International Opium Convention is signed at The Hague
1973 – Helgafell, island of Heimaey Iceland erupts for 1st time in 7,000 yrs
1979 – NY/SF Giants / New York Mets center fielder Willie Mays elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
2003 – Final communication between Earth and NASA space probe Pioneer 10
2011 – NFC Championship, Soldier Field, Chicago: Green Bay Packers beat Chicago Bears, 21-14

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Famous Birthdays

1841 – Benoît-Constant Coquelin, French actor, born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France (d. 1909)
1878 – Rutland Boughton, British composer (The Immortal Hour), born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire (d. 1960)
1898 – Randolph Scott, American actor (Ride the High Country, Last of the Mohicans, Western Union), born in Orange County, Virginia (d. 1987)
1970 – Richard Šmehlik, Czech NHL defenseman (Buf Sabres, Olympic gold 1998), born in Ostrava, Czech Republic
1984 – Arjen Robben, Dutch football player, born in Bedum, Netherlands
1985 – Doutzen Kroes, Dutch supermodel, born in Eastermar, Netherlands

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Famous Deaths

1898 – W. A. Remy [Wilhelm Mayer], Austro-Bohemian composer, dies at 66
1978 – Jack Oakie, American actor (The Great Dictator, 1974 Photoplay Award), dies at 74
1995 – Ken Hill, English playwright and director, dies at 57
2012 – Anthony Capo, DeCavalcante crime family hitman and informant, dies from heart attack at 52/53
2015 – Ernie Banks, American baseball shortstop, 1st baseman and hall of famer known as “Mr Cub” as he played all 19 of his seasons with the Chicago Cubs, dies of a heart attack at 83
2021 – Hal Holbrook, American stage and screen Tony and Emmy award-winning actor (All the President’s Men; “Mark Twain Tonight!”), dies at 95

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Historical Events

1889 – Columbia Phonograph was formed in Washington, D.C.
1955 – Norwegian government of Einar Gerhardsen forms
1965 – US launches TIROS 9 weather satellite
1969 – “Celebration” opens at Ambassador Theater NYC for 110 performances
2007 – The jury portion of the trial against Robert Pickton, accused of being Canada’s worst serial killer, opens in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.
2012 – NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: New York Giants beat San Francisco 49ers, 20-17 (OT)

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Famous Birthdays

1929 – Ron Richards, British record producer (Gerry and The Pacemakers; The Hollies), born in London (d. 2009)
1929 – Rita Gillespie, British pioneering TV director, born in London, England (d. 1994)
1943 – Marília Pêra, Brazilian actress (Better Days Ahead, Pixote), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (d. 2015)
1964 – Maria Ellingsen, Icelandic actress (Katrina-Santa Barbara), born in Reykjavik, Iceland
1973 – Rogerio Ceni, Brazilian footballer, born in Paraná, Brazil
2179 – Hikaru Walter Sulu, Fictional Star Trek character, born in San Francisco, California

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Famous Deaths

1781 – Johann Siebenkas, composer, dies at 66
1919 – Carl Larsson, Swedish painter (Midwinter Sacrifice – Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts), dies at 65
1921 – Captain George Streeter, American riverboat captain and circus owner (b. 1837)
1951 – Eastwood Lane, American composer, dies at 71
1967 – Jobyna Ralston, actress (Wings, Girl Shy, Freshman), dies at 66
2007 – Abbé Pierre, French priest (b. 1912)

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