Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1950 – South African world bantamweight boxing champion Vic Toweel sets a record for knockdowns in a title fight against Englishman Danny Sullivan in Johannesburg; Sullivan floored 14 times in 10 rounds before fight stopped
1960 – Paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey discovers 1.4 million year old Homo erectus (Olduvai Hominid 9) in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
1970 – Michael Tippett’s opera “The Knot Garden” premieres in London
1974 – MLB Rules Committee changes long time philosophy to permit the use of cowhide, rather than just horsehide in the manufacture of baseballs
2001 – Davis Cup Tennis, Melbourne: Nicolas Escudé defeats Wayne Arthurs of Australia 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 to give France a 3-2 victory; 9th French title, despite not playing a single match on home soil
2013 – China launches its first moon rover mission

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Famous Birthdays

1728 – Ferdinando Galiani, Italian economist (Della Moneta), born in Chieti, Italy (d. 1787)
1813 – Jacob Rosenhaim, Jewish-German composer, born in Mannheim, Germany (d. 1894)
1869 – Jonas Cohn, German philosopher (Theory of the Dialects), born in Görlitz, Germany (d. 1947)
1947 – Andy Rouse, British auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1981; British Saloon Car C’ship 1975, 83-85; Britcar 1985), born in Dymock, Gloucestershire, England
1948 – T. C. Boyle, American novelist (World’s End), born in Peekskill, New York
1954 – Dan Butler, American actor (Bob “Bulldog” Briscoe-Frasier), born in Huntington, Indiana

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Famous Deaths

1463 – Albert VI, Archduke of Austria, dies at 44
1814 – Marquis de Sade, French philosopher and writer (Justine), dies at 74. The words sadism and sadist are derived from his name.
1980 – Romain Gary, Lithuanian-born French writer (b. 1914)
1993 – Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord, shot to death by Colombian Police at 44
2005 – Van Tuong Nguyen, Australian drug smuggler (hanged) (b. 1980)
2020 – Pat Patterson, Canadian pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame; creator Royal Rumble), dies from cancer at 79

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Historical Events

1956 – Romanian canoeist Leon Rotman wins the men’s C-1,000m gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics; claims the singles double after also winning the C-1 10,000m gold
1963 – Nagaland becomes a state of the Indian union
1974 – Boeing 727 crashes in Upperville Virginia, 92 died
1990 – Iraq accepts Bush’s offer for talks
2007 – T. C. Williams High School’s newly constructed basketball court is named after Earl Lloyd
2015 – In the largest deal ever for a MLB pitcher, Boston Red Sox land one of the biggest catches of the off-season, signing free agent David Price for 7 years and $217 million

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Famous Birthdays

1716 – Etienne-Maurice Falconet, French sculptor patronized by Madame de Pompadour, born in Paris, France (d. 1791)
1814 – August Rockel, German composer, born in Graz (d. 1876)
1883 – Romanos Melik’yan, Armenian composer, born in Kizlyar, (d. 1935)
1906 – Jean Cartan, French composer, born in Nancy (d. 1932)
1908 – Georgios Kasassoglou, Greek musician (d. 1984)
1943 – Orton Enderlein, German [GDR] luger (Olympic gold women’s singles 1964; World C’ships gold 1965, 67)), born in Trünzig, Sachsen, Germany

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Famous Deaths

1433 – Emperor Go-Komatsu of Japan, 100th Emperor of Japan, dies at 56
1945 – Harvey Bartlett Gaul, American composer, dies at 64
1975 – Nick Kenny, American columnist/songwriter (Nick Kenny Show), dies at 80
1987 – Donn Fulton Eisele, American Air force officer and astronaut, dies of a heart attack at 57
1997 – Stéphane Grappelli, French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, dies at 89
2016 – Elisabeth Carron, American soprano (“The Saint of Bleecker Street”; New York City Opera, 1958-73), dies at 94

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Historical Events

722 – Pope Gregory II names Boniface as missionary bishop
1928 – Australian cricket legend Don Bradman makes an inauspicious Test debut; scores 18 and 1 vs England in 1st Test in Brisbane; dropped to 12th man for 2nd Test
1929 – CFL Grey Cup, AAA Grounds, Hamilton: Hamilton Tigers take their 4th title; beat Regina Roughriders, 14-3
1939 – Paul Osborn’s “Mornings at 7” premieres in NYC
1992 – Intercity-train derailed at Village chief, 5 die
2015 – Pope Francis urges peace while visiting controversial mosque in Bangui’s PK5 district in Central African Republic

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Famous Birthdays

1809 – Thomas Molleson Mudie, English composer, born in London (d. 1876)
1911 – Jorge Negrete [Moreno], Mexican singer and actor (The Rebel, La madrina del diablo), born in Guanajuato, Mexico (d. 1953)
1922 – Robert Evett, composer
1944 – Dian Parkinson [Dianna Lynn Batts], American model (The Price Is Right) and Miss USA 1965, born in Jacksonville, North Carolina
1964 – David Wood, NBA forward (Dallas Mavericks)
1983 – Andy Akinwolere, English television presenter

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Famous Deaths

1016 – Edmund II, Ironsides, King of the Saxons (1016), dies at 27
1694 – Marcello Malpighi, Italian physician who founded the science of microscopic anatomy, dies at 66
1894 – Joseph E. Brown, American attorney and politician (42nd Governor of Georgia), dies at 73
1935 – Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet and writer (The Book of Disquiet), dies at 47
1977 – Miloš Crnjanski, Serbian poet (Seobe), dies at 84
1996 – Koji Kobayashi, industrialist, dies at 89

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Historical Events

1516 – Treaty of Freiburg: French/Swiss “eternal” peace treaty
1791 – Chatham Islands sighted by HMS Chatham commanded by William Broughton
1945 – “The Lost Weekend”, based on Charles R. Jackson’s novel, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman premieres in Los Angeles (Academy Awards Best Picture 1946)
1970 – England cricket batsman Colin Cowdrey reaches 22 on Day 3 of the drawn 1st Test against Australia in Brisbane to become Test Cricket’s leading run scorer; passes countryman Wally Hammond’s world Test-record aggregate of 7,249 runs
1992 – CFL Grey Cup, SkyDome, Toronto: Calgary Stampeders beat Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 24-10: MVP QB Doug Flutie, 33 of 49 for 480 yards, 2 TDs
2010 – “Rolling in the Deep” single is released by Adele (Billboard Song of the Year 2011, Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year 2012)

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Famous Birthdays

1899 – Genevieve Tobin, American actress (Zaza, Great Gambini, Uncertain Lady), born in NYC, New York (d. 1995)
1954 – Joel Coen, American filmmaker (Fargo, No Country for Old Men), born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
1971 – Gena Lee Nolin, American actress and model (Baywatch), born in Duluth, Minnesota
1972 – Jamal Mashburn, American NBA forward (Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks), born in The Bronx, New York City
1973 – Craig Glassock, Australian cricketer (NSW wicket-keeper 1994-95), born in Mona Vale, New South Wales, Australia
1982 – Gemma Chan, English actress (Crazy Rich Asians), born in London, England

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Famous Deaths

1695 – James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount Stair, Scottish lawyer and statesman (b. 1619)
1847 – Marcus Whitman, American physician and missionary (Oregon Trail), killed at 45
1985 – Rik Jacobs, Flemish stage manager, dies at 71
1985 – Bill Scott, American voice actor, producer and writer (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle), dies of a heart attack at 65
2007 – Ralph Beard, American basketball guard (Olympic gold 1948; NBA All Star 1951; life ban point shaving scandal 1951), dies at 79
2010 – Mario Monicelli, Italian film director (b. 1915)

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Historical Events

1864 – 3rd day of Battles at Waynesboro/Jones’s Plantation, Georgia
1914 – World War I: Following a war-induced closure in July, the New York Stock Exchange re-opens for bond trading.
1956 – Photography begins on “… and God Created Women”
1964 – 1965 NFL Draft: Tucker Frederickson from Auburn University first pick by New York Giants
2010 – CFL Grey Cup, Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton: Montreal Alouettes retain Championship with 21-18 win over Saskatchewan Roughriders; Alouettes’ quarterback Anthony Calvillo’s 3rd title
2019 – European parliament declares a climate emergency

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Famous Birthdays

1704 – Jacob Mossel, Dutch Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1750-61), born in Enkhuizen, Dutch Republic (d. 1761)
1883 – Paul Hastings Allen, American composer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1952)
1887 – Bobby Watson, American comedian (Hitler Gang, Boys Town), born in Springfield, Illinois (d. 1965)
1887 – Ernst Röhm, German army officer and chief organizer of Adolf Hitler’s Storm Troopers (Sturmabteilung, or SA; Brownshirts), born in Munich (d. 1934)
1953 – Nadezhda Olizarenko, USSR, 800m/1500m runner (Olympic gold 1980)
1977 – Angela Stanford, American golfer (Evian C’ship 2018), born in Fort Worth, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1170 – Owain Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd (c. 1100)
1912 – Walter Benona Sharp, American oil tycoon, dies at 41
1927 – C. E. A. Wichmann, German-Dutch geologist, dies at 76
1962 – Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Queen of the Netherlands (1890-1948), dies at 82
1983 – Christopher George, American actor (Chisum, Heist), dies of heart attack at 52
1994 – Al Levitt, American jazz drummer, dies at 63

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Historical Events

1809 – Berners Street hoax: Theodore Hook bets he can make any address the most talked-about in London, proceeds to win by bringing London to a standstill
1863 – -29] Battle at Fort Esperanza, Texas
1889 – Hermann Sudermann’s “Ehre” premieres in Berlin
1980 – Soyuz T-3 carries 3 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station, launched
1987 – Young man survives 7 attempts at suicide in Somerset, England
2018 – US accuses Nicaragua’s Vice-President Rosario Murillo, wife of President Daniel Ortega of human rights abuses and imposes sanctions

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Famous Birthdays

1741 – Jean-Pierre Duport, French composer (d. 1818)
1750 – Anton Thadaus Johann Nepomuk Stamitz, German violinist and composer, baptised in Deutschbrod, Bohemia (now Havlíčkův Brod, Czech Republic), (d. between 1798–1809)
1935 – Al Jackson, Jr., American session drummer, known as “The Human Time Keeper” (Stax; Booker T. and MGs – “McLemore Avenue”), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 1975)
1954 – Kimmy Robertson, American actress (Lucy Moran in TV series Twin Peaks), born in Hollywood, California
1957 – Caroline Kennedy. American attorney and diplomat ,daughter of JFK and Jackie Kennedy, born in New York City
1960 – Kevin Henkes, American children’s book writer/illustrator (Caldecott Medal), born in Racine, Wisconsin

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Famous Deaths

1916 – James Cutler Dunn Parker, composer, dies at 88
1944 – Leonid Isaakovich Mandelshtam, Russian physicist (b. 1879)
1977 – John Little McClellan, American lawyer and politician (Sen-D-Ark), dies at 81
1981 – Lotte Lenya, Austrian singer/actress (From Russia With Love), dies of cancer at 83
2006 – Bebe Moore Campbell, American author (b. 1950)
2014 – P. D. James [Phyllis Dorothy], Baroness James of Holland Park, English crime and mystery writer (Cover Her Face, Death in Holy Orders), dies at 94

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Historical Events

1688 – Duke of Savoye signs on to League of Augsburg
1716 – 1st lion exhibited in America in Boston
1894 – King Lafia “Absalamu” of Nikki signs accord with France
1949 – CFL Grey Cup, Varsity Stadium, Toronto: Montreal Alouettes beat Calgary Stampeders, 28-15 for their first Championship
1953 – WJHL TV channel 11 in Johnson City, TN (CBS) begins broadcasting
2018 – Ukraine declares martial law in areas bordering Russia after Russia seizes three of its naval vessels

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Famous Birthdays

1906 – Sandro Fuga, Italian composer and painist, born in Mogliano, Veneto (d. 1994)
1927 – Ernie Coombs, American-Canadian children’s entertainer (Mr. Dressup), born in Lewiston, Maine (d. 2001)
1938 – Rodney Jory, Australian physicist, born in Adelaide, Australia
1962 – Mike Johnson, American NFL inside linebacker (Detroit Lions), born in Southport, North Carolina
1964 – Jeff Jaeger, American NFL kicker (Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears), born in Tacoma, Washington
1985 – Lil’ Fizz [Dreux Pierre Frédéric], American singer (B2K), born in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Famous Deaths

399 – Siricius, Pope (384-99) and Saint whose feast day is November 26, dies at about 65
1717 – Daniel Purcell, British composer (b. 1664)
1855 – Adam B Mickiewicz, Polish poet (Polish Legion), dies at 56
1971 – Joe Adonis, US crime-syndicate boss in NY and NJ, dies at 68
1993 – Mart Kempers, Dutch graphic artist and sculptor, dies at 69
2010 – Palle Huld, Danish actor (b. 1912)

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Historical Events

1897 – Spain grants Puerto Rico autonomy
1948 – KING TV channel 5 in Seattle, WA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1958 – Senegal becomes an autonomous state in French Community
1976 – O.J. Simpson gains 273 yards for Buffalo vs Detroit
1979 – Pat Summerall and John Madden broadcast a game together for the first time, a pairing that lasts 22 years and becomes one of the most well-known partnerships in TV sportscasting history
1983 – Soyuz T-9 returns to Earth, 149 days after take-off

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Famous Birthdays

1752 – Johann Friedrich Reichardt, German composer, born in Königsberg, East Prussia (d. 1814)
1881 – Pope John XXIII [Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli], 261st Pope (1958-63), born in Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy (d. 1963)
1914 – Eddie Boyd, American blues pianist and singer (“Five Long Years”), born in Mississippi (d. 1994)
1953 – Monique St Pierre, German model, Playboy model (Nov 1978, Playmate of Year 1979), born in Weisbaden, Germany
1957 – Bob Ehrlich, Jr., former Maryland governor
1979 – Michael Lehan, American National Football League player

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Famous Deaths

1750 – Francesco Feroci, composer, dies at 77
1948 – Charles D. Brown, American actor (Eve Knew Her Apples), dies at 61
1951 – Raden Mas Noto Soeroto, Javanese poet (Wayang Songs), dies at 63
1959 – Jean Grémillon, French film director, dies at 58
1968 – Marcel Labey, French conductor and composer, dies at 93
1971 – Hank Mann, American actor (City Lights, Smoky, Dawn Trail, Fugitive Road), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1916 – Mexican and US representatives sign a protocol at Atlantic City, under which Pershing’s troops will withdraw and each nation’s army will guard the border. President Carranza of Mexico will refuse to accept it
1965 – Marshal Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu becomes President of Zaire
1977 – France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
2014 – “Take Your Time” single is released by Sam Hunt (Billboard Song of the Year 2015)
2017 – Militant gunmen attack a Sufi mosque in Bir al-Abed on the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, killing 305 people, government retaliates bombing the area
2020 – Scotland’s parliament votes to become the first country to make period products free

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Famous Birthdays

1740 – John Bacon, English sculptor
1801 – Ludwig Bechstein, German poet (d. 1860)
1833 – Antoine Labelle, Quebec catholic priest (d. 1891)
1888 – Cathleen Nesbitt, British actress (The Farmer’s Daughter), born in Belfast, Ireland (d. 1982)
1944 – Claudia Dreifus, interviewer/author (7 Stories)
1978 – Katherine Heigl, actress (Grey’s Anatomy), born in Washington, D.C.

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Famous Deaths

1807 – Joseph Brant [Thayendanegea], Mohawk leader, dies at 64
1953 – Robert Lightfoot, English theologist and exegetist, dies at 70
1956 – Guido Cantelli, Italian conductor, dies in a plane crash at Orly Airport, Paris at 36
1960 – Salomon “Sam” de Wolff, Dutch zionist and socialist theorist, dies at 82
1993 – Germaine Emilie Madame Gres Krebs, haute Couturist, dies at 89
2004 – Arthur Hailey, English novelist (Hotel, Airport), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1700 – Cardinal Francesco Albani elected Pope Clemens XI
1876 – Columbia, Harvard and Princeton form Intercollegiate Football Association
1903 – Colorado Governor James Peabody sends the state militia into the town of Cripple Creek to break up a miners’ strike.
1963 – “Tambourines to Glory” closes at Little Theater NYC after 24 performances
2014 – Magnus Carlsen defends his World Chess Championship title after defeating Vishy Anand
2015 – President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia bans “Khatna”, the Islamic ritual practice of genital mutilation of young girls

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Famous Birthdays

1402 – Jean de Dunois “Bastard of Orléans”, French soldier who fought with Joan of Arc (d. 1468)
1909 – Nigel Tranter, Scottish author and historian (River Realm, Robert the Bruce), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2000)
1914 – Emmett Ashford, American MLB umpire (first certified black umpire in organised baseball), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1980)
1961 – Nicolas Bacri, Frenck classical music composer, born in Paris
1974 – Tyrus McCloud, American football linebacker (Baltimore Ravens), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1979 – Kelly Brook, English actress/model, born in Rochester, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1829 – Ritta and Christina Parodi, Sardinian siamese twins, die at 8 months
1932 – Percy Pitt, English composer (BBC), dies at 63
1962 – Gloria Gordon, actress (My Friend Irma), dies at 81
1974 – Páll Ísólfsson, Icelandic organist and composer, dies at 81
1987 – Alton Adams, American composer (1st black bandmaster in the United States Navy), dies at 98
2020 – David Dinkins, American politician (1st African American Mayor of NYC 1990-93), dies at 93

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