Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1947 – Chic Cards beat Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 in NFL championship game
1973 – US President Nixon signs Endangered Species Act into law
1981 – Warner-Elektra-Atlantic raises price of 45 records from $1.68 to $1.98
1984 – TV soap “Edge of Night” ends 28 year run
1984 – Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old

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Famous Birthdays

1738 – Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky, German composer, born in St. Martin im Innkreis, Duchy of Bavaria (d. 1767)
1842 – Calixa Lavallee, Canadian composer (O Canada), born in Verchères, British Province of Canada (d. 1891)
1908 – Lew Ayres, American actor (All Quiet on Western Front; Holiday; Dr Kildare (films); Johnny Belinda), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1996)
1938 – Dick Sudhalter, American jazz trumpeter, and writer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2008)
1970 – Elizabeth McIntyre, Miss West Virginia (1996), born in Dunbar, West Virginia

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Famous Deaths

1793 – Louis earl of Bylandt, Dutch admiral, dies at about 75
1949 – Hervey Allen, American writer and poet (Anthony Adverse), dies at 60
1999 – Clayton Moore, American actor (The Lone Ranger), dies at 85
2001 – William X. Kienzle, American novelist (b. 1928)
2020 – Fou Ts’ong, Chinese-British concert pianist, dies of COVID-19 at 86

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Historical Events

1943 – Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower and Bedell Smith
1979 – Sire Records releases “Pretenders”, the debut album of The Pretenders, in US
1981 – USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
1983 – Propane gas fire devastated 16 blocks of Buffalo
1995 – Australian cricketer David Boon completes his 21st Test Cricket century (110 v SL, MCG)

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Famous Birthdays

1911 – Anna Russell, English music satirist and composer, born in London, England (d. 2006)
1918 – Gale Cleven, American WWII pilot (100th Bomb Group), portrayed by Austin Butler in “Masters of the Air”, born in Lemmon, South Dakota (d. 2006)
1950 – Jack van Gelder, Dutch sport commentator and TV presenter (football commentator in “Aunt Rita’s Feast”), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
1971 – Duncan Ferguson, Scottish soccer striker (7 caps; Everton 230 games, Newcastle Utd) and manager (Everton 2019, 22), born in Stirling, Scotland
1973 – Wilson Cruz [Echevarría], American stage and screen actor (My So Called Life; Party of Five), born in Brooklyn, NYC

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Famous Deaths

1737 – William Bowyer, English printer to the Royal Society, known as ‘the learned printer’, dies at 38
1923 – Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect who designed and built the Eiffel Tower, dies at 91
1955 – Alfred Carpenter, English Royal Navy soldier, dies at 74
1957 – Alan Bridge, actor (Hail the Conquering Hero), dies at 66
1999 – Bernard Chacksfield, British Air Vice-Marshal, dies at 86

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Historical Events

268 – Saint Dionysius, Roman Pope (259-260), dies
1825 – Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December]
1979 – Soviet special forces take over the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan
1993 – Antonov-26 crashes in Gyumri, Armenia, killing 36 people
2012 – China opens the world’s longest high speed rail route from Beijing to Guangzhou

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Famous Birthdays

1820 – Gustavus Adolphus Smith, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (d. 1885)
1837 – George Dewey, American admiral, naval hero in Battle of Manila Bay, born in Montpelier, Vermont (d. 1917)
1855 – Arnold Mendelssohn, German composer, born in Ratibor, Province of Silesia (now Poland) (d. 1933)
1945 – John Walsh, American activist and television host (America’s Most Wanted), born in Auburn, New York
1948 – Chris Chambliss, American baseball first baseman (MLB All Star 1976; World Series 1977, 78 NY Yankees; AL Rookie of the Year 1971 Cleveland Indians), born in Dayton, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1530 – Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, Timurid founder and 1st Emperor of the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent (1526-30), dies at 47
1918 – Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65
1974 – Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59
1980 – (John) “Peck” Kelley, American jazz pianist and bandleader (Peck’s Bad Boys), dies from complications of Parkinson’s disease at 82
1997 – Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek philosopher and economist, dies at 75

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Historical Events

274 – Roman Emperor Aurelian dedicates a temple to Sol Invictus in Rome, on supposed day of the winter solstice, fulfilling vow made during campaign in Palmyra
1818 – First known Christmas carol, “Silent Night, Holy Night” (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht’), is sung in Austria
1921 – Last major Potlatch (ceremony) by Chief Daniel Cranmer (Kwakwaka’wakw) from Alert Bay, British Columbia. Twenty-six people arrested, their masks and regalia sold by Canadian government.
2012 – 27 people are killed after an Antonov An-72 plane crashes near Shymkent, Kazakhstan
2016 – Russian military defence plane crashes into the Black Sea after takeoff from Sochi airport, killing all 92 on board

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Famous Birthdays

1932 – Mabel King (née Washington) American stage and screen actress and singer (What’s Happening!!; The Wiz), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1999)
1938 – Duane Armstrong, American painter (Fields of Grass), born in Fresno, California
1957 – Chris Kamara, English soccer midfielder (Swindon Town FC, Brentford FC) and commentator (Sky Sports), born in Middlesbrough, England
1975 – Marcus Trescothick, English cricket batsman (76 Tests, 14 x 100s, HS 219; 123 ODIs; Somerset CCC), born in Keynsham, England
1978 – Jeremy Strong, American actor (Succession), born in Boston, Massachusetts

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Famous Deaths

1976 – Frankie Darro [Frank Johnson], American actor (Radio Ranch, Wild Boys of the Road, Valley of Wanted Men), dies of a heart attack at 58
1989 – Billy Martin, American baseball second baseman (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1951, 52, 53, 56; NY Yankees) and manager (World Series 1977 NY Yankees), killed in a car accident at 61
2006 – James Brown, American RandB, gospel, soul and funk singer-songwriter known as ‘The Godfather of Soul’ (“Sex Machine”; “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”; “Hot Pants”), dies of heart failure at 73
2021 – John Gleeson, Australian rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Queensland 25 games; Wynnum-Manly, Brothers RLFC), dies at 82
2021 – Janice Long (née Chegwin), British radio host (Crash FM; BBC), dies of pneumonia at 66

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Historical Events

1798 – Russia and Britain sign Second anti-French Coalition
1932 – Arturo Alessandri wins presidential election in Chile
1941 – First ships of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo’s Pearl Harbor fleet return to Japan
1950 – National Football League Championship, Cleveland Stadium: Cleveland Browns beat LA Rams, 30-28; Cleveland has 5 interceptions, Rams 1
1990 – Expos trade Tim Raines to the White Sox for Iván Calderón and Barry Jones

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Famous Birthdays

1791 – Eugène Scribe, French dramatist (Bertrand et Raton), born in Paris, France (d. 1861)
1809 – (Christopher) “Kit” Carson, American frontiersman, Indian fighter and army officer, born in Madison County, Kentucky (d. 1868)
1955 – Anwar Khan, Pakistani cricketer (bowled four overs for Pakistan 1979), born in Karachi, Pakistan
1980 – Tomas Kalnoky, American musician (Streetlight Manifesto), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia
1984 – Jehnny Beth [Camille Berthomier], French musician, singer-songwriter (John and Jehn; Savages; To Love Is to Live), born in Poitiers, France

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Famous Deaths

1959 – Edmund Goulding, British screenwriter and film director (Grand Hotel, Dark Victory, Nightmare Alley), dies during heart surgery at 68
1963 – Raphaël Verwilghen, Belgian architect, and urban planner, dies at 78
1975 – Tilly Losch, Austrian dancer and actress (Duel in the Sun; Garden of Allah), dies at about 71 (birth date disputed)
2002 – Laci Peterson, American murder victim, dies at 27
2024 – Richard Perry, American record producer (Harry Nilsson; Ringo Starr; Carly Simon; Leo Sayer; The Pointer Sisters), dies of cardiac arrest at 82

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Historical Events

1751 – France sets plan to tax clergymen
1912 – First “Keystone Kops” silent slapstick comedy film, entitled “Hoffmeyer’s Legacy” is released
1913 – President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Reserve Act, establishing the modern central banking system of the United States to manage the money supply and promote financial stability
1942 – Allies air attack on Den Helder, Netherlands
1951 – National Football League Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Los Angeles Rams beat Cleveland Browns 24-17; first coast-to-coast televised NFL title game

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Famous Birthdays

1819 – Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman, born at The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1889)
1922 – Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete (Olympic gold shot put, discus; bronze high jump 1948), born in Rang-du-Fliers, Pas-de-Calais, France (d. 2001)
1945 – Ron Bushy, American rock drummer (Iron Butterfly – “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2021)
1954 – Brian Teacher, American tennis player (Australian Open 1980), born in San Diego, California
1981 – Beth [Elisabeth Rodergas Cols], Spanish singer and actress, born in Súria, Catalonia

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Famous Deaths

1575 – Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. 1531)
1948 – Hideki Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister during WW II (1941-44), hanged for war crimes at 63
1970 – Bessie Abramowitz Hillman, Russian-American labor leader and founder of Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, dies at 71
2018 – (Ann) “Honey” Lantree, British rock drummer (The Honeycombs), dies at 75
2020 – James E. Gunn, American sci-fi author (The Listeners, Station in Space, Immortal), dies at 97

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Historical Events

1894 – Claude Debussy’s first orchestral masterpiece “Prélude à l’apres-midi d’un faune” premieres in Paris
1964 – Ballon d’Or: Manchester United striker Denis Law wins award for best European football player; beats Inter midfielder Luis Suárez and Real Madrid winger Amancio Amaro; first Scotsman to win the award
1978 – Thailand adopts constitution
1997 – Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces
2003 – A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits near San Simeon, California.

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Famous Birthdays

1883 – Edgard Varèse, French-American composer (Ionisation; Poème électronique), born in Burgundy, France (d. 1965)
1889 – Minor Watson, American actor (Woman of the Year, Viva Cisco Kid), born in Marianna, Arkansas (d. 1965)
1912 – Claudia A. “Lady Bird” Taylor Johnson, American first lady (1963-1969), born in Karnack, Texas (d. 2007)
1946 – Mary McCaslin, American contemporary folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and banjo player (“Prairie In The Sky”), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2022)
1954 – Jayaseelan Naidoo, South African worker’s union leader, born in Durban, South Africa

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Famous Deaths

1603 – Mehmed III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1595-1603), dies at 37
1767 – John Newberry, English publisher, dies
1809 – William Cooper, American judge and developer (founded Cooperstown, New York), dies at 55
1987 – Alice Terry [Taaffe], actress (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse), dies
2016 – Bill Price, British audio engineer (Tom Jones; Wings: Sparks; Elton John), and record producer (The Clash; Sex Pistols; Waterboys), dies of cancer at 72

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Historical Events

1948 – 1949 NFL Draft: University of Pennsylvania linebacker/center Chuck Bednarik is selected first by Philadelphia Eagles
1948 – O’Neil Place in the Bronx erroneously renamed O’Neill Place
1976 – Patricia R Harris named secretary of HUD
1983 – NCAA rules rescinded last 2-minute men’s basketball free throw rule
1991 – El Sayid Nosair acquitted of killing Meir Kahane

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Famous Birthdays

1728 – Hermann Friedrich Raupach, German composer, born in Stralsund, kingdom of Sweden (d. 1778)
1914 – Ivan Generalić, Croatian painter, born in Hlebine, Croatia (d. 1992)
1942 – Carla Thomas, American soul and RandB singer (“Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)”; with Otis Redding – “Tramp”), born in Memphis, Tennessee
1955 – Jane Kaczmarek, American actress (Lois in “Malcolm in the Middle”), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1982 – Mike Gansey, American basketball player, born in Olmsted Falls, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1504 – Bertold von Henneberg-Römhild, German archbishop and elector (b. 1442)
1755 – Caspar Ruetz, German composer, dies at 47
1873 – Francis Garnier, French explorer, dies at 34
1937 – Ted Healy [Ernest Nash], American vaudeville, stage, and screen actor, comedian (Mad Love, San Francisco, Soup to Nuts), and developer of the Three Stooges, dies from complications of alcoholism at 41
2006 – Scobie Breasley, Australian jockey (b. 1914)

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Historical Events

1192 – Richard the Lionhearted captured near Vienna by Leopold of Austria on his way home from the Third Crusade (released 1194)
1862 – -Jan 3rd] Vicksburg campaign
1865 – De Clear-Alkmaar railway opens
1956 – Military coup under colonel Simbolon in Sumatra
1979 – Garry Sherman and Peter Udell’s musical “Comin’ Uptown”, based on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, and starring Gregory Hines, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 45 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1925 – Vlastimir Nikolovski, Macedonian composer, born in Prileb, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (now North Macedonia) (d. 2001)
1946 – Dick Wolf, American television series creator (Miami Vice, Law and Order), born in New York City
1956 – Guy Babylon, American keyboard player (Elton John) and arranger, born in New Windsor, Maryland (d. 2009|)
1957 – Billy Bragg, English folk-rock singer-songwriter (“Greetings To The New Brunette”; “Sexuality”; “California Stars”), born in Barking, Essex, England
1990 – JoJo [Joanna Levesque], American pop singer-songwriter (“Too Little Too Late”; “Baby It’s You”), born in Brattleboro, Vermont

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Famous Deaths

1723 – Augustus Quirinus Rivinus, German physician and botanist, dies at 71
1768 – Carlo Innocenzo Fragoni, Italian poet, dies at 76
1819 – Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis, French composer, dies at 50
1976 – Walter Fitzgerald, actor (Adv of Sadie, Fallen Idol), dies at 80
1996 – Carl Sagan, American scientist, astronomer and author (Broca’s Brain, Cosmos, Contact) known for his research on extraterrestrial life, dies of pneumonia after suffering from myelodysplasia at 62

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Historical Events

1835 – HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin aboard arrives in New Zealand
1910 – 1st US city ordinance requiring white and black residential areas in Baltimore
1920 – King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander I of Greece and a plebiscite
1984 – Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sign the Sino-British Joint Declaration to transfer Hong Kong back to China in 1997
1993 – Marsha Norman, Bob Merrill, and Jule Styne’s fairy tale musical “Red Shoes”, directed by Stanley Donen, closes at Gershwin Theater, NYC, after 5 performances; loses nearly $8 million

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Famous Birthdays

1853 – Charles Fitzpatrick, Canadian politician who was the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec and 5th Chief Justice of Canada, born in Quebec City, Canada (d. 1942)
1902 – Leonard Hirsch, Irish violinist and orchestra leader (RAF Symphony Orchestra), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1995)
1906 – H. Allen Smith, American humorist and author (Low Man on Totem Pole), born in McLeansboro, Illinois (d. 1976)
1909 – W.A. Criswell, American Baptist pastor, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, born in Eldorado, Oklahoma (d. 2002)
1973 – Zulfiya Zabirova, Uzbek road cyclist Olympic gold time trial 1996; UCI World C’ship gold 2002), born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

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Famous Deaths

1737 – James Louis Sobieski, Crown Prince of Poland, dies at 70
1996 – Marcello Mastroianni, Italian actor (8½; La Dolce Vita; Dark Eyes; The Pizza Triangle), dies of pancreatic cancer at 72
1997 – Masaru Ibuka, Japanese electronics industrialist (Sony Corp), dies at 89
2012 – Robert Bork, American lawyer, government official (US Solicitor General, 1973-77), jurist (US Court of Appeals, 1982-88), rejected Supreme Court nominee (1987), and professor (Yale), dies from heart disease at 85
2020 – Rosalind Knight, British stage and screen actress (Friday Night Dinner – “Horrible Grandma”), dies at 87

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