Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1956 – Commencement of the Irish Republican Army’s Border Campaign.
1957 – Willem J Kolff and his team at Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic removed the heart from a dog and replaced it with a pneumatic pump which kept the dog alive for 90 minutes, proving the viability of the artificial heart
1979 – President of Pakistan, Zia-ul-Haq, confers Nishan-e-Imtiaz on Nobel laureate Dr Abdus Salam.
1992 – Julia Kurotchkina, 18, of Russia, crowned 42nd Miss World
1997 – Florida releases Alex Arias, the last original Marlin
2017 – Democrat Doug Jones defeats Republican Roy Moore for Alabama Senate seat in upset win marked by allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore

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Famous Birthdays

1937 – Philip Ledger, British organist, composer, conductor, and academic (King’s College Cambridge), born in Bexhill-on-Sea, England (d. 2012)
1949 – Ricardo Luis Carreras, American bantamweight boxer (Olympic bronze 1972), born in NYC, New York
1970 – Mädchen Amick, American actress (Shelly Johnson-Twin Peaks), born in Reno, Nevada
1971 – Toni Hodgkinson, 800m (Olympics 1996), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1976 – Lloyd Owusu, English-Ghanaian football player, born in Slough, England
1990 – Victor Moses, Nigerian footballer, born in Lagos, Nigeria

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Famous Deaths

1858 – Jacques Viger, French Canadian politician, 1st mayor of Montreal (1833-36), dies at 71
1933 – Theodore Moses Tobani, German composer, dies at 78
1968 – Walter Robins, cricketer (19 Tests for England 64 wkts), dies
1977 – Baroness Clementine Spencer-Churchill (nee Hozier), widow of Sir Winston, dies at 92
1995 – James Altgens, JFK assassination photographer, dies at 76
2007 – Ike Turner, American musician (“Rocket 88”; Ike and Tina Turner – “A Fool in Love”; “Proud Mary”), dies of cocaine overdose at 76

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Historical Events

1908 – Frederick Delius’ orchestral work “In a Summer Garden” premieres in London
1946 – Spain suspended from UN
1951 – Joe DiMaggio announces his retirement from baseball
1970 – Start of the 1st Test match at the WACA, Australia v England
1975 – Great Yankee trade getting Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis and Ken Brett from Pirates for George “Doc” Medich
1980 – The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (known as either CERCLA or Superfund) is enacted by the U.S. Congress.

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Famous Birthdays

1838 – Emil Rathenau, German industrialist (AEG), born in Berlin (d. 1915)
1922 – Dilip Kumar [Muhammad Yusuf Khan], Indian Bollywood actor known as the “Tragedy King” and one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema (Jwar Bhata), born in Peshawar, British India
1931 – Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Indian leader of the Rajneesh movement, born in Kuchwada Village, Raisen district, Bhopal State, British India (d. 1990)
1954 – Sylvester Clarke, West Indian cricket fast bowler (11 Tests, 42 wickets), born in Christ Church, Barbados (d. 1999)
1973 – Valentina Lisitsa, Ukrainian-American concert, pianist born in Kiev, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
1979 – Rider Strong, American actor, writer and director (Boy Meets World), born in San Francisco, California

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Famous Deaths

1573 – Alardus/Eilard de Waterlant, duke of Alva, hanged
1959 – Jim Bottomley, American baseball player, dies at 59
1978 – Paul O’Dea, American baseball player (b. 1920)
2014 – Hans Wallat, German opera conductor, dies at 85
2017 – Aline Griffith, American-born Spanish aristocrat, Countess of Romanones, spy and author, dies at 94
2017 – Keith Chegwin, English television presenter and actor, dies at 60

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Historical Events

1938 – CFL Grey Cup: In repeat of last year, Toronto Argonauts defeat Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 30-7 to retain Championship
1982 – CDC report on a transfusion recipient who developed AIDS symptoms
1986 – Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel accepts 1986 Nobel Peace Prize
1995 – Ricky Ponting makes 96 on Test Cricket debut (Aust v Sri Lanka, WACA)
2001 – “The Fellowship of the Ring” Lord of the Rings film directed by Peter Jackson and starring Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen premieres in London
2016 – Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature at a ceremony he does not attend in Stockholm

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Famous Birthdays

1805 – Joseph Škoda, Bohemian physician, born in Pilsen, Kingdom of Bohemia (d. 1881)
1822 – César Franck, Belgian composer and organist (Symphonic Variations), born in Liège, Belgium (d. 1890)
1934 – Howard Martin Temin, American geneticist (Nobel 1975), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1994)
1951 – Ellen Nikolaysen, Norwegian singer (You Made Me Feel I Could Fly), born in Oslo, Norway
1965 – (Joseph) “J” Mascis, American rock singer and guitarist (Dinosaur Jr), born in Amherst, Massachusetts
1972 – Dimitri Tikovoi, French pop, rock, and dance musician and record producer, born in Paris

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Famous Deaths

949 – Herman I, Duke of Swabia
1938 – Mario Pilati, Italian composer, dies at 35
1968 – Karl Barth, Swiss theologist/minister (Kirchliche Dogma), dies at 82
1988 – Dick Clair, American comedian (Clair and McMahon, Facts of Life), dies of AIDS
1994 – Robert Blum, Swiss composer, dies at 94
2000 – Marie Windsor [Emily Marie Bertelson], American actress (The Bounty Hunter, Double Deal), dies of congestive heart failure at 80

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Historical Events

1907 – First Christmas Seals sold (Wilmington, Delaware, post office)
1931 – Spain becomes a republic
1988 – The Michael Hughes Bridge in Sligo, Ireland is officially opened.
1995 – 61st Heisman Trophy Award: Eddie George, Ohio State (RB)
2005 – “Brokeback Mountain” film released, directed by Ang Lee, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, based on story by Annie Proulx
2019 – World Anti-Doping Agency bans Russia from all major sporting events including 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 football World Cup in Qatar for manipulating laboratory data

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Famous Birthdays

1930 – Buck Henry [Zuckerman], American screenwriter and comedian (SNL, Get Smart), born in NYC, New York
1935 – David Houston, American country music singer (Almost Persuaded), born in Bossier City, Louisiana (d. 1993)
1941 – Beau Bridges, American actor (Hotel New Hampshire, 5th Musketeer), born in Los Angeles, California
1946 – Shatrughan Sinha, Indian actor (Dostana) and politician (Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha 2009-19), born in Patna, Bihar, British India
1972 – Fabrice Santoro, Tahitian tennis star, born in Tahiti, French Polynesia
1976 – Chris Booker, American baseball player, born in West Virginia

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Famous Deaths

1625 – Ubbo Emmius [van Embden], Dutch-Frisian humanist and historian, dies at 78
1641 – Anthony van Dyck, Flemish painter, dies at 42
1887 – Mahmadu Lamine, Senegalese marabout and military leader
1974 – George Carew, cricketer (4 Tests for WI between 1935 and 1949), dies
2003 – Paul Simon, American politician (U. S. House of Representatives, 1975-85; U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1985-97), dies at 75
2006 – Freddie Marsden, English rock drummer (Gerry and the Pacemakers), dies at 66

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Historical Events

1915 – John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields” appears anonymously in “Punch” magazine
1941 – Chełmno extermination camp opens, 50 kilometres from Łódź, Poland
1990 – Indians agree to a lease new ballpark in Gateway (Jacobs Field)
1997 – 8th Billboard Music Awards: LeAnn Rimes and Spice Girls win
2009 – Bombings in Baghdad, Iraq kill 127 and injure 448.
2018 – US President Donald Trump announces John Kelly will be stepping down as White House Chief of Staff at the end of the year

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Famous Birthdays

1811 – Louis Schindelmeisser, German clarinetist and composer, born in Königsberg, Prussia (d. 1864)
1882 – Manuel Ponce, Mexican composer (Estrellita), born in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico (d. 1948)
1920 – Ronald Gulliford, English educationalist (Dean of the Faculty of Education, Birmingham University 1979-81), born in Manchester (d. 1997)
1923 – Joe Burke, American baseball executive (president KC Royals 1981-92), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1992)
1929 – Ali Bongo [William Oliver Wallace], British comedy musician and magician (President of The Magic Circle – Shriek of Araby), born in England (d. 2009)
1949 – Ray Shulman, British musician, born in Portsmouth

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Famous Deaths

1680 – Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester, English politician (b. 1606)
1768 – Jean Denis Attiret, French Jesuit missionary and painter, dies at 66
1982 – Andre Kamperveen, Suriname minister, murdered
1983 – Keith Holyoake, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (National: 1960-72), dies of a stroke at 79
1984 – Robert Jay Mathews, White Nationalist (b. 1953)
2019 – Paul Volcker, American economist and Chairman of the US Federal Reserve (1979-87), dies at 92

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Historical Events

1926 – Gas refrigerator patented
1971 – An off duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment is shot dead by members of the Irish Republican Army in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
1994 – 5th Billboard Music Awards: Ace of Base and Mariah Carey win
1995 – American rock band The Grateful Dead break up
2020 – Breaking, the competitive form of breakdancing, confirmed as an Olympic sport for the Paris 2024 games
2020 – Bob Dylan sells his entire songwriting catalog of more than 600 songs to the Universal Music Publishing Group for over $300 million

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Famous Birthdays

1918 – Jórunn Viðar, Icelandic pianist and composer, born in Reykjavík, Iceland (d. 2017)
1926 – Victor Kermit Kiam II, American businessman (Remington shavers) and NFL owner (Patriots), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2001)
1932 – François Lafortune Jr., Belgian shooter (competed at 7 Olympic Games 1952-1976, 50m Rifle, Prone Position), born in Visé, Belgium (d. 2020)
1957 – Geoff “Henry” Lawson, Australian cricket player, fast bowler (1980-89) and coach of Pakistan, born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
1967 – Tino Martinez, American MLB baseball first baseman, 1990-2005; All-Star 1995, 1997; World Series 1996, 98–2000 (Seattle Mariners, NY Yankees, and 2 other teams), born in Tampa, Florida
1977 – Dominic Howard, English drummer (Muse), born in Stockport, England

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Famous Deaths

1295 – Gilbert de Clare, 7th Earl of Hertford, English politician (b. 1243)
1874 – Constantin von Tischendorf, German biblical scholar (b. 1815)
1927 – Albert Griffiths (“Young Griffo”), Australian boxer (World Featherweight champion 1890-92), dies of apoplexy at 56
2006 – Jay McShann, American musician (b. 1910)
2014 – Ken Weatherwax, American actor, dies from a heart attack at 59
2020 – Chuck Yeager, American test pilot who was the 1st man to break the sound barrier, dies at 97

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Historical Events

1845 – Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity is founded at Yale College.
1939 – Cole Porter’s musical “Du Barry Was A Lady” opens at 46th Street Theatre, NYC; runs 408 performances
1973 – Gerald Ford sworn-in as first unelected Vice President, succeeds Spiro Agnew who resigned over corruption allegations
1978 – Spain adopts constitution
2017 – Skirball wildfire near Los Angeles closes the Interstate 405 as thousands forced to evacuate
2018 – Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry explodes for franchise-record 238 yards and 4 touchdowns in 30-9 win v Jacksonville Jaguars in Nashville; 99-yard TD run ties Dallas Cowboys HOF RB Tony Dorsett’s longest run in NFL history

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Joseph Lamb, American ragtime composer, born in Montclair, New Jersey (d. 1960)
1917 – Irv Robbins, Canadian-American entrepreneur (co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2008)
1918 – Willem Oosterheers, resistance fighter
1991 – CoCo Vandeweghe, American tennis player (US Open doubles 2018; US Federation Cup 2017), born in Rancho Santa Fe, California
1993 – Elian Gonzalez, Cuban boy at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, born in Cuba
1996 – Stefanie Scott, American actress (Quinn Brenner-Insidious: Chapter 3) and singer (New Girl in Town), born in Chicago, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1882 – Alfred Escher, Swiss politician and railroad entrepreneur (b. 1819)
1940 – Charlie Hime, cricketer (one Test for South Africa 1895), dies
1987 – James Dobson, actor (Impulse, Jet Attack, Okinawa), dies
1989 – Gabor Jodal, Romanian composer, dies at 76
1994 – Gian Maria Volontè, Italian actor (Fistful of Dollars), dies at 61
2017 – William H. Gass, American novelist and philosopher (Omensetter’s Luck), dies at 93

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Historical Events

1775 – At Fort Ticonderoga, Henry Knox begins his historic transport of artillery to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1925 – CFL Grey Cup, Landsdowne Park, Ottawa: Ottawa Senators win first title; beat Winnipeg Tammany Tigers, 24-1
1957 – NYC is first US city to legislate against racial or religious discrimination in housing market (Fair Housing Practices Law)
1974 – 1st World Football League Bowl, Birmingham Americans beat Florida
1982 – PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Don January wins his lone Champions Tour major title by 1 stroke over Julius Boros
1991 – “Catskills on Broadway” opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 452 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1820 – Afanasy Fet, Russian poet, born in Mtsensk, Russia (d. 1892)
1852 – Thomas Laub, Danish organist and composer, born in Langå, Denmark (d. 1927)
1875 – Arthur Currie, Canadian soldier (fought in WWI), born in Napperton, Ontario (d. 1933)
1901 – Walt [Walter Elias] Disney, American animator, (Mickey Mouse), producer and co-founder of Walt Disney Co., born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1966)
1966 – Niege Dias, Brazilian tennis star, born in Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil
1984 – Chris Solinsky, American distance runner, born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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Famous Deaths

1955 – Paul Harvey, American actor (Spellbound, Calamity Jane, Heldorado, Jamboree), dies at 73
1974 – Henry Wadsworth, American actor (The Thin Man, Applause, Fast and Loose), dies at 77
1984 – Adam Malik, Third Vice President of Indonesia (b. 1917)
1991 – Richard Speck, American mass murderer (raped and killed 8 student nurses in 1966), dies a day before his 50th birthday
2016 – Mogens Camre, Danish politician (Folketing (Danish Parliament), 1968-1987, 3 days in 2007; European Parliament, 1999-2009, dies at 80
2017 – Johnny Hallyday [Jean-Philippe Smet], French singer and actor known as the “Elvis Presley of France,” dies from lung cancer at 74

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Historical Events

1489 – Battle of Baza – Spanish army captures Baza from Moors
1954 – The first Burger King is opened in Miami, Florida, USA
1955 – Bernardus Johannes Alfrink installed as Archbishop of Utrecht
1986 – US launches its Fleet Satellite Communications System (Fltsatcom-7)
1993 – Johann Koss skates world record 5K (6:35.53)
2014 – Mosconi Cup nine-ball pool, Blackpool, England: Team Europe beats US, 11-5 for 5th straight title; MVP: Niels Feijen (Netherlands)

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Famous Birthdays

1713 – Gasparo Gozzi, Italian critic and dramatist, born in Venice (d. 1786)
1913 – Robert Adler, Austrian-American inventor (remote control for television), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2007)
1944 – Dennis Wilson, American drummer and vocalist (Beach Boys), born in Hawthorne, California (d. 1983)
1956 – Blagoi Blagoyev, Bulgarian weightlifter (World C’ship gold – 90kg 1991, 92, 93; Olympic silver – 82.5kg 1976), born in Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria
1974 – Tadahito Iguchi, Japanese baseball second baseman and manager (first Japanese position player to win World Series 2005, Chicago White Sox; Chiba Lotte Marines), born in Tokyo, Japan
1975 – Marci Miller [Jobson], American soccer midfielder and coach (17 caps; coach Baylor), born in St. Charles, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1371 – Reinald III, the Fat Duke, duke of Gelre (1343-61), dies at 38
1954 – Nina Vasar, wife of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, dies
1994 – Robert Jesse Charleston, museum curator, dies at 78
1996 – Willard Parker, American actor (Kiss Me Kate, What A Woman), dies at 84
1997 – Richard Vernon, British actor (Gandhi, Hard Days Night), dies at 72
2007 – Friedrich Zehm, German pianist and composer, dies at 85

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Historical Events

1833 – Oberlin College in Ohio, the first truly coeducational college, opens
1883 – 48th US Congress (1883-85) convenes
1926 – Manchester Guardian (German Reichswehr/Red Army work together)
1960 – Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner’s “Camelot” opens at Majestic Theater, NYC; runs for 873 performances
1971 – India invades West Pakistan claiming hundreds of lives and starting the full scale Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
1980 – Don Sutton, the winningest pitcher in Los Angeles Dodgers history, signs a 4-year contract with Houston; Astros career shortened by a patellar fracture; returns to Dodgers in 1988 after stints with 3 other MLB clubs

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Famous Birthdays

1838 – Octavia Hill, British reformer, leader of open-space movement, born in London, England (d. 1912)
1926 – Hans Otte, German composer and pianist (The Book of Sounds, Book of Hours), born in Plauen, Germany (d. 2007)
1951 – Riki Choshu [Mitsuo Yoshida], Japanese pro wrestler (NJPW/All-Japan), born in Tokuyama, Yamaguchi, Japan
1979 – Rainbow Sun Francks, Canadian actor (Stargate Atlantis), born in Toronto, Ontario
1982 – Michael Essien, Ghanaian soccer midfielder (58 caps; Chelsea, Lyon), born in Accra, Ghana
1990 – Christian Benteke, Belgian soccer striker (93 caps; Genk, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Aston Villa), born in Kinshasa, Zaire

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Famous Deaths

1890 – Billy Midwinter, English-Australian cricket all-rounder (8 Tests Australia, 4 England), dies of insanity at 39
1905 – John Bartlett, American writer and publisher (compiled Familiar Quotations), dies at 85
1949 – Elin Pelin, Bulgarian writer (The Gerak Family; Earth), dies at 72
1957 – Frank Gannett, American newspaper publisher (Gannett), dies at 81
1992 – Harry Ellerbe, actor (House of Usher, Magnetic Monster), dies at 91
2001 – Grady Martin, American country music guitarist (The Nashville A-Team), dies at 72

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