Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1890 – African American inventor William Purvis receives a patent for the fountain pen
1956 – Indian batsman Vinoo Mankad scores 231 v NZ, 413 opening stand with Roy
1974 – Gasoline rationing begins in the Netherlands
1990 – Lynn Jennings runs world record indoor 5km indoor at 15:22.64
2001 – 27th People’s Choice Awards: Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Drew Carey and Jennifer Aniston win (TV)

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Famous Birthdays

1827 – Sandford Fleming, Scottish-Canadian engineer; introduced Universal Standard Time, born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland (d. 1915)
1948 – Steve Sheetz, American businessman, philanthropist and chief executive of Sheetz convenience stores (1984-95), born in Altoona, Pennsylvania (d. 2026)
1965 – Five for Fighting [Vladimir John Ondrasik], American soft rock-pop pianist, singer-songwriter, and record producer (“Superman (It’s Not Easy)”; “100 Years”), born in Los Angeles, California
1977 – John Gidding, American architect and TV host (Designed to Sell), born in Istanbul, Turkey
1991 – Eden Hazard, Belgian soccer midfielder (126 caps; Lille, Chelsea 245 games, Real Madrid), born in La Louvière, Belgium

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Famous Deaths

1783 – William Tans’ur, English hymnist, dies at 76
1892 – Muḥammad Tawfīq Pasha, Khedive of Egypt (1879-92), dies at 39
1974 – Charles Alfred Coulson, British chemist (theoretical), dies at 63
1980 – Sarah Selby, American actress (Tower of London), dies at 74
2015 – Tadeusz Konwicki, Polish writer (Bohin Manor) and film director, dies at 88

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Historical Events

1938 – Bronze memorial statue of explorer Henry Hudson erected in the Bronx, New York
1980 – The beginning of the first GPS epoch
2009 – Israel begins an assault on the Gaza Strip
2013 – The NHL reaches an agreement to end a 113 day lockout
2021 – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says country’s five-year economic plan has failed at opening of a rare meeting of the Workers’ Party

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Famous Birthdays

1595 – Claude Favre de Vaugelas, Savoyard grammarian and man of letters, born in Meximieux, Duchy of Savoy (d. 1650)
1853 – Clement Reid, English geologist and paleobotanist, first to suggest a drowned land bridge between Britain and Europe (now called Doggerland), born in London (d. 1916)
1899 – Sophie-Carmen “Sonia” Eckhardt-Gramatté, Russian-Canadian pianist and composer, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1974)
1970 – John Gerak, NFL tight end/guide (Minnesota Vikings, St Louis Rams), born in Youngstown, Ohio
1982 – Gilbert Arenas, American basketball player, born in Tampa, Florida

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Famous Deaths

1541 – Bernard van Orley, Flemish royal painter of Hungary, dies at about 52
1852 – Louis Braille, French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for the blind, dies of tuberculosis at 43
1958 – Josephine CMA, princess of Belgium/nun, dies at 85
1995 – Joe Slovo, Latvian-South African attorney and politician (Secretary General of SACR), dies at 68
2008 – Yunus Mahomed, South African lawyer and activist (UDF), dies at 57

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Historical Events

1781 – British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia
1970 – 23,000 Belgian mine workers strike
1972 – Largest crowd at Cleveland Arena (Cavs vs Lakers-11,178)
2020 – Iran pulls out of the 2015 nuclear deal, will not limit its uranium enrichment
2023 – Pocahontas revealed as the 12th great-grandmother of actor Edward Norton on PBS’s “Finding Your Roots”

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Famous Birthdays

1661 – Jacob Balthasar Schutz, German composer, born in the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1700)
1828 – August Valentine Kautz, German-American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Baden, Germany (d. 1895)
1888 – George “Rube” Foster, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1915, 16; no-hitter 1916; Boston Red Sox), born in Lehigh, Oklahoma (d. 1976)
1939 – Bridget Parker, British equestrian 3 day event (Olympic gold 1972), born in Northumberland, England
1980 – Bennie Joppru, National Football League tight end, born in Dickinson, North Dakota

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Famous Deaths

1968 – Jean Murat, French actor (Eternal Rain, Carnival Flanders), dies at 79
1996 – Jay Arena, American pediatrician (Duke Poison Center Director, inventor of the child-proof safety cap), dies at 86
2005 – Danny Sugerman, American music manager (The Doors), dies of lung cancer at 50
2007 – Momofuku Ando, Taiwanese-Japanese inventor of instant noodles and cup noodles, dies of heart failure at 96
2024 – (Derek) “Del” Palmer, English session and touring bassist, and sound engineer (Kate Bush), dies at 71

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Historical Events

1725 – Benjamin Franklin arrives in London [OS=Dec 24 1724]
1945 – US jeep-aircraft carrier Ommaney Bay sinks after Japanese kamikaze attack
1947 – Arthur Schwartz, Ira Gershwin, and George S. Kaufman’s musical “Park Avenue” closes at the Shubert Theater, NYC, after 72 performances
1951 – Korean War: Chinese forces recapture Seoul
1987 – Sixteen die in a train crash in Chase, Maryland

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Famous Birthdays

1839 – Carl Humann, German engineer and self-made archaeologist who discovered the Pergamon altar, born in Steele, Prussia (d. 1896)
1882 – Aristarkh Lentulov, Russian artist, born in Nizhny Lomov, Russia (d. 1943)
1965 – Yvan Attal, Israeli-French actor (Love Without Pity) and director (The Accusation), born in Tel Aviv, Israel
1970 – Sean Lumpkin, American NFL safety (New Orleans Saints), born in Golden Valley, Minnesota
1998 – Liza Soberano, Filipino-American actress (Forevermore; Everyday I Love You), born in Santa Clara, California

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Famous Deaths

1729 – Joseph de Montesquiou earl d’Artagnan, French lt-general, dies at 77
1898 – Frantisek Pivoda, Czech composer, dies at 73
1955 – G. G. van der Hoeven, Dutch editor-in-chief (NRC newspaper), dies at 82
2004 – Joan Aiken, British writer of children’s books (The Whispering Mountain, The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase), dies at 79
2010 – Johan Ferrier, Surinamian politician (b. 1910)

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Historical Events

1911 – City of Almaty in Russian Turkestan is destroyed by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake
1920 – Boston Red Sox baseball club owner Harry Frazee announces agreement to sell slugger Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 in cash and a $350,000 loan; start of the 84 year “Curse of the Bambino”
1967 – WJAN TV channel 17 in Canton, OH (IND) begins broadcasting
1976 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley beats Renata Tomanova of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 6-2 for her 3rd straight home singles title
1987 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Famous Birthdays

1777 – Louis Poinsot, French mathematician and physicist (invented geometrical mechanics), born in Paris, France (d. 1859)
1870 – Henry Handel Richardson [Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson], Australian novelist (Richard Mahoney), born in East Melbourne, Australia (d. 1946)
1939 – (Gwendolyn) Dianne Brooks, American RandB, jazz, session and touring vocalist (Three Playmates – “Sugah Wooga”; solo – “Walking On My Mind”; Anne Murray), born in New Jersey (d. 2005)
1940 – Tsutomu Hanahara, Japanese freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold flyweight 1964), born in Shimonoseki, Japan (d. 2024)
1957 – Frank Dicopoulos, American actor (Frank Cooper Jr in “Guiding Light”), born in Akron, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1028 – Fujiwara Michinaga, Japanese regent (wrote world’s oldest autographic diary), dies (b. 966)
1927 – Carle David Tolmé Runge, German mathematician and physicist, dies at 70
1968 – Earl Swope, American jazz and big band trombonist (Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Jimmy Dorsey, Louie Bellson), dies at 45
1979 – Conrad Hilton, American hotel mogul (Hilton Hotels, world’s 1st international hotel chain), dies at 91
2015 – Allie Sherman, American football coach (Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1953-56 CFL; New York Giants 1961–68), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1920 – Responding to global fear of communism caused by the Russian Revolution, US Attorney General Palmer authorizes raids across the country on unionists and socialists
1923 – Ku Klux Klan surprise attack on black residential area Rosewood Florida, 8 killed (compensation awarded in 1995)
1933 – Ijmuider fishing strike begins (till July 11th)
1983 – Several African National Congress (ANC) members detained in Swaziland decide to leave the country voluntarily for Mozambique.
2019 – United States international Christian Pulisic becomes the most expensive American soccer player when he moves from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea for £57.6M ($73M); remains at Dortmund on loan until the end of the season

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Famous Birthdays

1908 – Jānis Ķepītis, Latvian pianist, conductor, and composer, born in Beverīna, Latvia (d. 1989)
1937 – Imerio Massignan, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France Mountains classification 1960, 61), born in Altavilla Vicentina, Italy (d. 2024)
1964 – Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (Olympic gold 1984, 4-division world champion), born in Norfolk, Virginia (d. 2019)
1982 – Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greek race walker (Olympic gold 20k 2004), born in Preveza, Greece
1985 – Heather O’Reilly, American soccer midfielder (231 caps; FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015; Olympic gold 2004, 08, 12), born in East Brunswick, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1973 – Joe Harriott, Jamaican-British be-bop and free-form jazz, and world-fusion alto saxophonist (Abstract; Indo-Jazz), dies of cancer at 44
1975 – Theo Osterkamp, German fighter pilot, dies at 82
1996 – Karl Targownik, Hungarian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, dies at 80
2007 – Teddy Kollek, Israeli politician (Mayor of Jerusalem), dies at 95
2020 – Grant Weatherstone, Scotland rugby union winger (16 caps; Edinburgh District), dies at 88

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Historical Events

1954 – Rose and Cotton Bowl are 1st sport colorcasts
1993 – Blockbuster Bowl 3: Stanford beats Penn State, 24-3
1993 – 79th Rose Bowl: #7 Michigan beats #9 Washington, 38-31
2007 – Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, joining 20 other official languages
2007 – 36th Fiesta Bowl: #9 Boise State beats #7 Oklahoma, 43-42 (OT)

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Famous Birthdays

766 – Ali al-Rida [Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī], 8th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam and descendant of the prophet Muhammad, born in Medina, Abbasid Caliphate (d. 818) [approximate birthdate]
1711 – Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier whose unit is considered one of the worst in European history due to insubordination and plundering, born in Reggio di Calabria (d. 1749)
1848 – John W. Goff, American lawyer and judge known for his part in the Catalpa Rescue, born in Gorey, Ireland (d. 1924)
1890 – Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and founder of the Anton Melik Geographical Institute (The Geography of Slovenia), born in Črna Vas, Austrio-Hungarian Empire (d. 1966)
1970 – Gabriel Jarret, American actor (Real Genius, Apollo 13), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1957 – Seán South, Irish Republican Army volunteer, killed during the Brookeborough Raid, at 28
1994 – Arthur Porritt, New Zealand athlete (Olympic bronze 100m 1924) and 11th governor-general of New Zealand 1967-72, dies at 93
1996 – Orapin Chaiyakan, first Thai woman elected to the Parliament of Thailand, dies at 91
2006 – Dawn Lake, Australian TV comedienne, dies at 78
2015 – Jeff Golub, American jazz guitarist (Avenue Blue; Rod Stewart), dies of a rare brain disease at 59

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Historical Events

406 – “The Great Invasion” sees a vast horde of Vandals, Alans, and Suebi cross the Rhine at Mainz, beginning the invasion of Gaul
1968 – Record high barometric pressure (1083.8 mb, 32 inches) recorded at Agata in Siberia, Soviet Union; eclipsed in December 2001
1969 – Congo-Brazzaville becomes People’s republic, under major Ngouabi
1984 – Test Cricket debut of Mohammad Azharuddin, v England at Calcutta
1998 – US movie box office hits record $6.24 billion for year

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Famous Birthdays

1928 – Hugh McElhenny, American Pro/College Football HOF halfback (University of Washington; 5 × First-team All-Pro; 6 × Pro Bowl; Minnesota Vikings, SF 49ers), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2022)
1936 – Jerry Sturm, American football tackle (AFL All-Star 1964, 66; Denver Broncos, NO Saints), born in English, Indiana (d. 2020)
1949 – Susan Shwartz, American author, born in Youngstown, Ohio
1949 – Ellen Datlow, American editor, born in New York City
1954 – Alex Salmond, Scottish politician (Scottish National Party) First Minister of Scotland (2007-14), born in Linlithgow, Scotland (d. 2024)

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Famous Deaths

1510 – Bianca Maria Sforza, wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, dies at 38
1987 – Leo Steiner, American restaurateur and co-owner of the Carnegie Deli, dies at 48 (b. circa 1939)
1991 – Georges Poulet, French-Belgian critic (Temps Humain), dies at 89
1993 – Arthur Dreifuss, director and producer (Murder in Amsterdam), dies at 85
2022 – Sergei Bautin, Belarusian ice hockey defenceman (Olympic gold Unified Team 1992; Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks), dies at 55

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Historical Events

1672 – Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden, Netherlands
1924 – Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces the existence of other galaxies at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society
1958 – French franc devalued
1997 – An abandoned building collapses on NY’s 42nd St, no one hurt
2006 – Madrid Barajas International Airport is bombed.

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Henry George Ley, British organist, composer, and teacher (Eton, 1926-45), born in Chagford, England (d. 1962)
1934 – Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury
1945 – Vernon Wells, Australian actor (Commando; Mad Max: The Road Warrior), born in Rushworth, Australia
1953 – Daniel T. Barry, American engineer and NASA astronaut (STS 72), born in Norwalk, Connecticut
1965 – David Baker, UK cyclist, born in Sheffield, England

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Famous Deaths

1947 – Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86
1968 – Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician and 1st Secretary-General of the United Nations (1946-52), dies at 72
1995 – Doris Grau, American script supervisor, actress and voice artist (Point Blank, King Kong), dies from respiratory failure at 71
1998 – Johnny Moore, American singer (The Drifters) (b. 1934)
2019 – Johnny Ward, English rugby league hooker (4 Tests Great Britain, 3 England; Castleford 262 games), dies at 78

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Historical Events

1921 – Mackenzie King is sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Canada
1933 – New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds
1983 – Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman’s record of 29
1984 – Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick and adds 3 assists in Edmonton’s 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history – recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983
1997 – Cricket Women’s World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets

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Famous Birthdays

1935 – Russell Watt, New Zealand rugby union wing (9 Tests; Otago, Southland, Wellington), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 2022)
1939 – (William Edwin) “Ed” Bruce, American country singer (“Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”), born in Keiser, Arkansas (d. 2021)
1970 – Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver, born in Osaka, Japan
1974 – James Darling, American football linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles), born in Denver, Colorado
1995 – Flossie, British domestic cat, world’s oldest cat recognized by Guinness World Records, born in Merseyside, England

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Famous Deaths

1606 – Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania and Hungary (1605-6), dies at 49
1919 – William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70
1925 – Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60
2017 – Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), dies at 88
2023 – Les McCann, American jazz pianist, soul singer (“Compared to What”), painter, and photographer, dies of pneumonia at 88

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