Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1863 – Confederate siege of Chattanooga begins
1920 – Alexander Millerand elected president of France
1922 – Berthold Brecht’s “Drum in the Night” premieres in Germany
1933 – Yanks commit 7 errors in 1 game but beat Boston 16-12
1979 – Jane Fonda and 200,000 attend anti-nuke rally in Battery Park, NYC
2019 – US police officer fired after arresting two six-year-olds at a school on charges of misdemeanour battery in Florida

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Famous Birthdays

1771 – Emperor Kokaku of Japan (d. 1840)
1930 – Pyotr Ivanovich Kolodin, cosmonaut (Soyuyz 7, 10, 11 backup)
1948 – “Dangerous” Dan Toler, American rock guitarist (Dickey Betts; Allman Brothers), born in Connersville, Indiana (d. 2013)
1956 – June Forester, American country singer (Forester Sister – “Mama’s Never Seen Those Eyes”; “Men”), born in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
1957 – Tunch Ilkin, American football offensive tackle (Pro Bowl 1988, 89; Pittsburgh Steelers) and broadcaster (Pittsburgh Steelers TV and radio 1998-2020), born in Istanbul, Turkey )d. 2021)
1985 – Hasan Minhaj, American stand-up comedian (Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), born in Davis, California

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Famous Deaths

965 – Aboe a-Taia-H al-Moetanabbi, Arabic royal poet (Diwan), murdered
1988 – Arwel Hughes, Welsh composer, dies at 79
1994 – Alec Dickson, founder of VSO, dies at 80
1996 – Stuart Piggott, British archaeologist best known for his work on prehistoric Wessex, dies at 86
2005 – Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, Puerto Rican activist (Founder of FALN), dies at 72
2020 – Ray Batten, English rugby league back-rower (Great Britain 3, England 3 Tests; Leeds 434 games) and coach (Wakefield Trinity), dies at 75

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Historical Events

1784 – Russian trappers establish a colony on Kodiak Island, Alaska
1864 – Sheridan sets up camp in Harrisonburg, Virginia
1925 – New York left fielder Ben Paschal hits 2 inside-the-park-home runs as the Yankees score an 11-6 home victory over Chicago White Sox
1935 – Boston Braves lose NL record 110th game of year en route to 115
1986 – LA Dodger Fernando Valenzuela is 1st Mexican to win 20 games
1993 – STS-51 (Discovery) lands

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Famous Birthdays

1935 – Harriet King, American Olympic fencer, born in New York City
1939 – Mike Sullivan, American politician (Gov-Wyoming 1987-95), born in Omaha, Nebraska
1962 – Rob Stone, American actor (Kevin-Mr Belvedere), born in Chicago, Illinois
1981 – Ashley Eckstein, American actress (voice of Ahsoka Tan in Star Wars), born in Louisville, Kentucky
1984 – Ross Jarman, English drummer (The Cribs), born in Wakefield, England
1984 – Misha Green, American screen writer, director and producer (Lovecraft Country), born in Sacramento, California

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Famous Deaths

1852 – William Tierney Clark, English civil engineer, dies at 69
1873 – Friedrich Frey-Herosé, Swiss politician, dies at 62
1927 – Giannotto Bastianelli, Italian musician and composer, dies at 44
1960 – Melanie Klein, Austrian-British author and child psychoanalyst (object relations theory), dies at 78
1996 – Mohammed Ben Amhed Abdelghani, Prime Minister of Algeria (1979-84), dies
2004 – Edward Larrabee Barnes, American architect (Walker Art Center), dies at 89

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Historical Events

1904 – The general strike called by the Socialist Party that spread throughout Italy ends
1913 – Turkey and Bulgaria sign peace treaty in Constantinople
1930 – Johann Ostermeyer patents flashbulb
1970 – New York Times starts first modern op-ed page
1990 – Pirate Bobby Bond is 2nd to hit 30 HRs and steal 50 bases in a season (so he can play in 6 decades) because it is a publicity stunt
1993 – Melissa Etheridge releases her break-through second album “Yes I Am”, featuring the single “I’m the Only One”

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Famous Birthdays

1328 – Hongwu, 1st Emperor of Ming Dynasty of China (1368-98), born in Haozhou, Henan Jiangbei, Yuan Empire (d. 1398)
1902 – Howie Morenz, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (Montreal Canadiens, 3-time Stanley Cup winner), born in Mitchell, Ontario (d. 1937)
1947 – Stephen King, American sci-fi and horror author (Carrie; The Shining; Kujo; Misery), born in Portland, Maine
1948 – Michael Finneran, diver (1st perfect 10 on 10m platform)
1980 – Robert Hoffman, American actor
1998 – Tadej Pogačar, Slovenian cyclist (Tour de France 2020, 21), born in Komenda, Slovenia

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Famous Deaths

1520 – Selam I Jawuz, the Barse, poet/cruel sultan of Turkey, dies
1796 – François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers, French general (b. 1769)
1911 – Arab Pasha, “al-Misri” [Pasha Ahmad Arab), Egyptian minister, dies
1953 – Roger Quilter, British composer, dies at 75
1954 – Kokichi Mikimoto, Japanese inventor (b. 1858)
1955 – Jacqueline Reyneke van Stuwe, Dutch author, dies at 84

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Historical Events

1066 – Battle of Fulford, Yorkshire: Harald III Hardrada of Norway defeats Northern Saxon Earls Edwin and Morcar
1848 – The American Association for the Advancement of Science is created.
1876 – Ottawa Football Club forms
1926 – Bugs Moran attempts to assassinate Al Capone in a drive-by shooting but fails
1987 – “Big River” closes at Eugene O’Neill Theater NYC after 1005 performances
2005 – Model Kate Moss is dropped by clothing chain HandM after allegations of drug taking

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Famous Birthdays

1653 – Benedict Schultheiss, German composer, born in Nuremberg, Germany (d. 1693)
1873 – Ferenc Szisz, Hungarian race car driver (winner of the 1st Grand Prix motor racing), born in Szeghalom, Hungary (d. 1944)
1883 – Johannes Gerard van Dillen, Dutch economic historian (Of Wealth and Oligarchists), born in Amsterdam (d. 1969)
1902 – Cesare Zavattini, Italian screenwriter (Ladri di Biciclette), born in Luzzara, Italy (d. 1989)
1943 – Roek Williams [Willemze], Dutch singer (Roek Williams and The Fighting Cats), born in Amsterdam
1956 – Debi Morgan, American actress (All My Children, Cry Uncle), born in Dunn, North Carolina

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Famous Deaths

1703 – Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, Scottish privy councillor, dies at 52
1956 – Theo Frenkel, Dutch actor (Footlights, Hague’s Comedy), dies at 85
1987 – Michael Stewart [Myron Stuart Rubin], American playwright (Hello, Dolly!), dies at 63
1996 – Max Manus, Norwegian resistance fighter and author who specialized in sabotage during World War II, dies at 81
2003 – Gordon Mitchell [Charles Allen Pendleton], American actor and bodybuilder (Sinbad), dies a 80
2011 – Robert Whitaker, British photographer whose work was used on Beatles and Cream album covers, dies at 71

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Historical Events

1904 – Gen Nogi’s assault on Port Arthur: 16,000 Japanese casualties
1921 – US National Championship Men’s Tennis, Germantown CC, Philadelphia: Bill Tilden successfully defends title; beats Wallace F. Johnson 6-1, 6-3, 6-1
1976 – “Going Up” opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 49 performances
1986 – US Federal health officials announce AZT will be available to AIDS patients
1987 – 12th Toronto International Film Festival: “The Princess Bride” directed by Rob Reiner wins the People’s Choice Award
2015 – Farm Aid (30th Anniversary) held in Chicago, Illinois; performers include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Imagine Dragons, Jack Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jamey Johnson, Mavis Staples, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, and Holly Williams

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Lynne Overman, American actor (Reap the Wild Wind), born in Maryville, Missouri (d. 1943)
1948 – Mihai Timofti, director and actor (Lautarii), born in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
1958 – Azumah Nelson, Ghanaian professional boxer, born in Accra, Ghana
1969 – Candy Dulfer, Dutch saxophonist (Lily Was Here), born in Amsterdam, Holland
1972 – David Tamburrino, American speed skater (Olympics 1994), born in Saratoga Springs, New York
1986 – Gerald Ciolek, German professional road racing cyclist, born in Cologne, Germany

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Famous Deaths

1356 – Gautier de Brienne, duke of Athens/French supreme commander, dies
1864 – David Allen Russell, United States Army officer (Union), dies in battle at 43
1906 – Maria Georgina Grey, British writer and founder of the Girls’ Day School Trust (b. 1816)
1973 – Bobby Gilbert, American actor (Some Like It Hot, The Rebel Set), dies of hepatitis at 75
2008 – Alois Pinos, Czech composer, dies at 82
2019 – Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, 2nd President of Tunisia (1987-2011). dies in exile at 83

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Historical Events

1934 – St Louis Brown Bobo Newsom loses no-hitter to Boston in 10, 2-1
1942 – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation authorized for radio service
1973 – German FR and German DR admitted to UN
1976 – Dom Mintoff’s Labour Party wins Malta election
2018 – Amnesty International says 400 civilians have been killed in conflicts between Cameroon soldiers and Anglophone separatists in 2018
2018 – China announces new $60 billion tariffs on US imports, a day after the US imposes $200 billion worth of new tariffs on Chinese goods

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Famous Birthdays

1818 – Marcellus Augustus Stovall, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Sparta, Georgia (d. 1895)
1923 – Queen Anne of Romania [Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma], wife of Michael I King of Romania, born in Paris (d. 2016)
1939 – Naresh Sohal, Indian composer, born in Punjab, India
1955 – Bob Papenbrook, American voice actor, born in San Diego, California (d. 2006)
1969 – Johanna Doderer, Austrian contemporary classical composer, born in Bregenz, Austria
1980 – Charles Hedger, British musician (Cradle of Filth)

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Famous Deaths

1939 – Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Polish writer, painter, and photographer (b. 1885)
1944 – Hendrikus Colijn, Dutch premier (1933-39), dies at 75
1960 – John Evans, English cricket batsman (1 Test) and author (‘The Escaping Club’), dies at 71
1968 – Francis McDonald, American actor (Will-Adv of Champion), dies at 77
1985 – Gerald Holtom, British artist and graphic designer (Nuclear Disarmament (ND) logo, which later became an international peace symbol), dies at 71
1998 – Leonid Kinskey, Russian actor (Casablanca, Duck Soup), dies at 95

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Historical Events

1048 – Battle of Kapetron: night battle between invading Seljuk Turks and Byzantine-Georgian forces of Constantine IX, Byzantines drive back Turks but unable to stop huge plunder
1916 – WWI flying ace The Red Baron of the German Luftstreitkräfte, wins his first aerial combat near Cambrai, France
1927 – Charles Lindbergh visits San Francisco
1949 – 3rd Cannes Film Festival: “The Third Man” directed by Carol Reed wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
1963 – “The Fugitive” starring David Janssen premieres on ABC TV
1993 – Last Russian troops leave Poland.

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Famous Birthdays

1854 – Hans Müller, German music historian and writer, born in Cologne, Germany (d. 1897)
1859 – Frank Dawson Adams, Canadian geologist, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1942)
1890 – Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator famous for his WWII sign-on “There’s good news tonight”, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1972)
1940 – Sotiris Moustakas, Greek actor (Zorba the Greek), born in Limassol, Cyprus (d. 2007)
1968 – Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece
1968 – Valeri Zelepukin, NHL forward (NJ Devils, Team Russia Olympic silver 1998)

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Famous Deaths

1727 – Glückel of Hameln, German businesswoman (b. 1647)
1944 – Friedrich Kussin, German Major-General and commander in Arnhem during Operation Market Garden, dies in battle at 49
1966 – Fritz Wunderlich, German tenor (Stuttgart 1955-58), dies at 35
1980 – Anastasio Somoza Debayle [Tachito], President of Nicaragua (1967-72 and 1974-79), assassinated in Paraguay at 54
1994 – Vitas Gerulaitis, Lithuanian/American tennis player (Australian Open 1977; Wimbledon doubles 1975), dies of carbon monoxide poisoning at 40
2015 – Peter Heatly, Scottish diver and Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation, dies at 91

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Historical Events

1901 – French painter Paul Gauguin settles in Atuona in the Marquesas Islands
1915 – US takes control of customs and finances of Haiti for 10 years
1929 – Police shoot at strikers in Maastricht, 2 killed
2006 – 31st Toronto International Film Festival: “Bella” directed by Alejandro Gomez Monteverde wins the People’s Choice Award
2013 – 21 people are killed by Hurricane Ingrid in Mexico
2020 – Yoshihide Suga confirmed as Prime Minister by the Japanese government after Shinzo Abe stood down due to ill health

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Famous Birthdays

1387 – Henry V, King of England (1413-22) and France (1416-19), born in Monmouth Castle, Monmouth, Principality of Wales (date disputed) (d. 1422)
1922 – Guy Hamilton, British director (Goldfinger), born in Paris (d. 2016)
1926 – Robert Schuller, American Christian televangelist (Glass Cathedral, Hour of Power), born in Alton, Iowa (d. 2015)
1948 – Rosemary Casals, American tennis player (12 Grand Slam doubles titles), born in San Francisco, California
1955 – Yolandita Monge, Puerto Rican singer, born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
1973 – Clint Peay, American soccer defender (Olympic gold 1996), born in Columbia, Maryland

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Famous Deaths

1589 – Michael Baius, Flemish theologian (b. 1513)
1953 – Colin G Fink, US chemist (electro-chemistry), dies
2003 – Sheb Wooley, American vocalist (Purple People Eater, Hee Haw), dies at 82
2007 – Robert Jordan, author of the Wheel of Time series (b. 1948)
2013 – Jackie Lomax, English singer-songwriter (Is This What You Want), dies at 69
2016 – Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Italian President (1999-2006) and Prime Minister (1993-94), dies at 95

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Historical Events

1851 – Saint Joseph’s University is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1947 – RCA releases the 12AX7 miniature dual triode vacuum tube; it is still in production
1973 – Ohio State’s Archie Griffith begins record 31 cons 100 yd rushing
1975 – The French département of Corse (the entire island of Corsica) is divided into two: Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud.
1997 – Oprah Winfrey announces she will continue her show through 2000
2014 – Ewa Kopacz becomes Prime Minister of Poland

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Famous Birthdays

1837 – Leo van Gheluwe, Belgian composer, born in Wannegem-Lede, East Flanders (d. 1914)
1879 – Joseph Lyons, 10th Prime Minister of Australia (1932-39), born in Stanley, Tasmania (d. 1939)
1919 – Nelson Gidding, American screenwriter ( The Andromeda Strain), born in New York (d. 2004)
1926 – Jean-Pierre Serre, French mathematician (1954 Fields Medal), born in Bages, France
1928 – Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader of the 1950-60s hard bop era (The Black Messiah), born in Tampa, Florida (d. 1975)
1972 – Queen Letizia of Spain, Spanish consort to King Felipe VI, born in Oviedo, Spain

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Famous Deaths

1794 – Abraham Clark, American patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence, dies at 68
1930 – Milton Sills, American actor (The Sea Hawk), dies from a heart attack at 48
1978 – Robert Cliche, French Canadian politician and judge (b. 1921)
2007 – Aldemaro Romero, Venezuelan pianist, composer, arranger, and orchestral conductor, dies at 79
2017 – Harry Dean Stanton, American actor, musician, and singer (Lucky, Alien, Cool Hand Luke, The Godfather Part II), dies at 91
2018 – Dudley Sutton, British stage and screen actor (Leather Boys; Brimstone and Treacle; Lovejoy – “Tinker Dill”), dies of cancer at 85

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Historical Events

1862 – Battle at South Mountain: Union troops defeat an outnumbered Confederate force
1937 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt bans US ships from trading arms with China or Japan
1939 – British fleet attacks German U-39 boat
1953 – Yanks clinch 5th straight pennant with 8-5 win over Indians
1956 – IBM introduces the RAMAC 305, 1st commercial computer with a hard drive that uses magnetic disk storage, weighs over a ton
2020 – Israel becomes the 1st country to announce a second national lockdown due to COVID-19, for 3 weeks

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Famous Birthdays

1656 – Thomas Baker, English antiquarian, born in Lanchester, Durham (d. 1746)
1879 – Margaret Sanger, American nurse, birth control proponent and feminist, born in Corning, New York (d. 1966)
1960 – Melissa Leo, American actress (All My Children), born in Manhattan, New York
1971 – Mario Henry, NFL wide receiver (Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons)
1978 – Carmen Kass, Estonian model (estimated to have been the second-highest-paid model in the world in 2002), born in Talinn, Estonia
1981 – Ashley Roberts, American singer (Pussycat Dolls), born in Phoenix, Arizona

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Famous Deaths

1851 – James Fenimore Cooper, American author (Last of Mohicans), dies of dropsy at 61
1974 – Pieter Y Adriani, Dutch tax lawyer, dies at 95
1981 – Yasuji Kiyose, composer, dies at 81
1996 – Joe Elsby Martin, boxing coach, dies at 80
2003 – Yetunde Price, half-sister of Venus and Serena Williams (b. 1972)
2008 – Ştefan Iordache, Romanian actor (b. 1941)

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