Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1857 – Baseball decides 9 innings constitutes an official game, not 9 runs
1872 – -8°F (-22°C) in Boston, Massachusetts
1900 – Battle at Poplar Grove South Africa, President Kruger flees
1967 – Clark Gesner’s musical “You’re a Good Man” premieres in NYC
1974 – “USS Monitor”, Union Ship sunk in 1862 during US Civil War, restored at Cape Hatteras
1977 – Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party wins elections

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Famous Birthdays

1898 – Jan Bata, Czech shoe manufacturer
1924 – Kobo Abe, playwright (Woman, the Dunes), born in Tokyo, Japan
1953 – Kenny Aronoff, American drummer (John Mellencamp), born in Albany, New York
1955 – Tommy Kramer, American football player, born in San Antonio, Texas
1960 – Joe Carter, American MLB outfielder (MLB All-Star 1991–94, 96; World Series 1992, 93; Silver Slugger Award 1991, 92; Toronto Blue Jays), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1969 – Matt Blundin, American quarterback (KC Chiefs, Detroit Lions), born in Darby, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

203 – Perpetua and Felicitas, Christian martyrs (perhaps after 209)
1959 – Ichirō Hatoyama, Japanese politician, Prime Minister (1954-56), dies at 76
1973 – Andre de Meulemeester, Belgium WW I pilot [Eagle of Flanders], dies at 78
1979 – Klaus Egge, Norwegian composer (Fanitullen), dies at 72
2013 – Kenny Ball, English jazz musician, dies of pneumonia at 82
2018 – Reynaldo Bignone, Argentine politician and human rights violator, 41st President (1982–1983), dies of a hip fracture and heart failure at 90

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Historical Events

1665 – Philosophical Transactions of Royal Society starts publishing
1775 – 1st Negro Mason in north America initiated, Boston
1831 – Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “La Sonnambula” premieres in Milan
1922 – GB Shaw’s “Back to Methusaleh III/IV” premieres in NYC
1957 – Centenary of Dred Scott slavery court decision marked by rediscovery of Scott’s grave
1999 – 20th Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament: Connecticut beats St. John’s, 82-63

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Famous Birthdays

1899 – Jay C Flippen, American actor (Jet Pilot, The Killing, Thunder Bay), born in Little Rock, Arkansas (d. 1971)
1917 – Roy Scott, cricketer (one Test NZ v England 1947, 18, 1-74)
1919 – Maurice Grosse, British paranormal investigator (d. 2006)
1926 – Ann Curtis, 400m/800m US swimmer (Olympics 2 gold-1948), (d. 2012)
1927 – William J Bell, soap opera creator (Young and Restless), born in Chicago, Illinois
1966 – Cliff Meidl, American sprint kayak (Olympics 1996 and 2000), born in Manhattan Beach, California

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Famous Deaths

1962 – Rezső Kókai, Hungarian pianist, composer, musicologist, and pedagogue, dies at 56
1967 – Nelson Eddy, American baritone (Phantom of the Opera), dies at 65
1996 – Herb Hall, American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, dies at 88
2007 – Ernest Gallo, American winemaker (b. 1909)
2016 – Nancy Reagan [Anne Frances Robbins], US First Lady (1981-89), dies at 94
2017 – Alberto Zedda, Italian opera conductor and musicologist, dies at79

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Historical Events

1651 – South Sea dike in Amsterdam breaks after storm
1924 – King Hussein of Hedzjaz appoints himself kalief
1977 – 3rd People’s Choice Awards: John Wayne and Barbra Streisand win (Motion Picture) and Telly Savalas and Mary Tyler Moore win (TV)
1993 – Fokker 100 crashes at Skopje Macedonia, 81 die
1995 – Graves of Tsar Nicholas II and family found in St Petersburg
2016 – US air strike kills 150 Al-Shabaab militants north of Mogadishu, Somalia

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Famous Birthdays

1921 – Berkley Bedell, (Rep-D-IA, 1975- )
1942 – Michael “Mike” Resnick, American sci-fi author (Sideshow; Eros Ascending), born in Chicago, Illinois
1947 – (Samuel) “Eddie” Hodges, American stage and screen actor and singer (“High Hopes”, The Music Man – “Gary, Indiana”; Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
1951 – Rodney Hogg, cricketer (prolific Australian wicket-taker 1978-84)
1974 – Matt Lucas, English comedian
1978 – Kimberly McCullough, California, actress (Robin-General Hospital)

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Famous Deaths

1967 – Georges Vanier, French Canadian soldier and 19th Governor General of Canada, dies at 78
1981 – Brenda De Banzie, actress (39 Steps, Hobson’s Choice), dies at 64
1990 – Gloria Carter Spann, US President Jimmy Carter’s sister, dies of cancer at 63
1991 – Trijntje Jansma-Boskma, oldest person in Netherland, dies at 109
1993 – Peter Bierdrager, Dutch Fokker’s-test pilot, dies in air crash
2016 – Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer (invented email and the @ sign), dies at 74

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Historical Events

1238 – Battle of the Sit River: Mongol forces of Batu Khan overcome Russians under Yuri II of Vladimir-Suzdal near Yaroslavl in Russia, ending Russian resistance
1790 – France is divided into 83 départements, which cut across the former provinces in an attempt to dislodge regional loyalties based on noble ownership of land
1934 – Easter Cross on Mt. Davidson (San Francisco) dedicated
1983 – U.S. Public Health Service’s publishes its guidelines for blood donors and AIDS
1995 – Michael Johnson runs world record 400m indoor (44.63 sec)
2013 – 11 children are killed after a bus collides a truck in the Jalandhar district, India

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Famous Birthdays

1819 – Charles Oberthur, German composer and harpist, born in Munich (d. 1895)
1873 – John H. Trumbull, 54th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut (d. 1961)
1883 – Maude Fealy, American actor and drama coach (The Ten Commandments), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 1971)
1940 – Volodymyr Morozov, Ukrainian flatwater canoer
1945 – Frank Novak, American actor, born in Chicago, Illinois
1984 – Kevin O’Brien, Irish cricket batsman (3 Tests; 142 ODIs; 89 T20I; fastest century ever in ODI World Cup, off 50 balls v England 2011), born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland

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Famous Deaths

1303 – Daniel of Moscow, Russian Saint, Grand Prince of Muscovy (b. 1261)
1561 – Carlo Carafa, Italian cardinal, dies at 41
1583 – Bernard Gilpin, English clergyman, “Apostle of the North” (b. 1517)
1959 – Maxey Long, American athlete (b. 1878)
1995 – Eden Ahbez [George Aberle], American songwriter (“Nature Boy”; “Lonely Island), dies in a car accident at 86
2021 – Mark Pavelich, American NHL forward (Olympic gold 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’; NY Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, San Jose Sharks), dies at 63

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Historical Events

468 – St Simplicius elected to succeed Catholic Pope Hilarius
1803 – Colégio Militar is founded in Portugal by Colonel Teixeira Rebello.
1849 – US Home Department (later renamed the Department of the Interior) established by Congress
1980 – France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
1984 – NY Islanders score their most goals (11) vs Tor Maple Leafs (6)
1992 – Gas explodes in coal mine at Zonguldak Turkey, 263 die

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Famous Birthdays

1915 – George Brian Snape, businessman/rugby league entrepreneur
1929 – Nicos Mamangakis, composer
1937 – Bobby Driscoll, American Academy Juvenile Award-winning actor (Song Of The South; The Window), born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (d. 1968)
1954 – John Lilley, American rock guitarist and dobro player (The Hooters – “All You Zombies”; “And We Danced”), born in West Chester, Pennsylvania
1978 – Jeff Hanson, American singer-songwriter, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 2009)
1979 – Patrick Renna, American actor

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Famous Deaths

1707 – Aurangzeb, 6th Mughal Emperor (1658-1707), dies at 88
1766 – Gregor Joseph Werner, composer, dies at 73
1959 – Lou Costello, American comedian and actor (The Abbott and Costello Show), dies from a heart attack at 52
2004 – Cecily Adams, American actress and casting director (b. 1958)
2013 – Bobby Rogers, American vocalist, dies from complications from diabetes at 73
2021 – Yuri Rozanov, Russian sports broadcaster (NTV Plus, Match TV; TEFI Award 2012), dies from cancer at 59

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Historical Events

1789 – Pennsylvania ends prohibition of theatrical performances
1807 – US Congress bans the slave trade within the US, effective January 1, 1808
1867 – Jesse James’ gang robs bank in Savannah Missouri, 1 killed
1918 – Joe Malone goes scoreless in Montreal Canadiens’ 5-3 season-ending loss to Toronto Arenas; finishes the first NHL season with 44 goals, a record that stands until 1944-45
1968 – Men’s Figure Skating Champions in Geneva won by Emmerich Danzer of Austria
1970 – Reprise Records releases “Ladies of the Canyon”, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s 3rd studio album

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Famous Birthdays

1545 – Thomas Bodley, England, diplomat/scholar
1909 – Jan Fabricius, Dutch playwright
1922 – Bill Quackenbush, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman (8 x NHL All-Star; Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings) and coach (Princeton), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 1999)
1923 – Robert H Michel, (Rep-R-IL, 1957- )
1943 – (Daniel) Tony Meehan, British rock drummer (Vipers; Drifters: Shadows), born in Hampstead, North West London, England (d. 2005)
1971 – Amber Smith, actress (Faithful, Funeral, Mirror Has 2 Faces), born in Tampa, Florida

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Famous Deaths

986 – Lotharius, King of France (954-86), dies at 44
1867 – French-Andries Durlet, Belgian sculptor and architect, dies at 50
1895 – Berthe MP Morisot, French painter/aquarelliste, dies at 54
1986 – Zafer Masri, mayor of Nablus, murdered
1994 – Tengiz Abuladze, filmmaker, dies at 70
2005 – Martin Denny, American musician (Exotica), dies at 93

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Historical Events

1914 – Dutch Minister of war H Colijn named director of British Petroleum
1944 – Massive strikes in northern Italian towns
1953 – KAUZ TV channel 6 in Wichita Falls, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
1989 – Charlie Francis, coach of disqualified sprinter Ben Johnson tells federal inquiry into Canada’s greatest sports scandal Johnson knowingly used steroids since 1981; Johnson first across line Olympic 100m 1988
2017 – Charo is revealed as a contestant on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars
2018 – Earliest evidence for figural tattoos (bull and sheep) on two naturally mummified bodies from Egypt’s predynastic period (3351-3017BC) published in “Journal of Archaeological Science”

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Famous Birthdays

1810 – Frederic Chopin, Polish-French pianist and composer (Concerto in F Minor), born in Żelazowa Wola, Duchy of Warsaw (d. 1849) (baptismal record states 22nd Feb)
1895 – Duke Keats, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame centre (WCHL First-Team All-Star 1921-26; Edmonton Eskimos; NHL: Chicago Black Hawks), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1972)
1939 – Leo Brouwer, Cuban composer, conductor and musician, born in Havana
1943 – Akinori Nakayama, Japanese gymnast (6 x Olympic gold 1968, 72; 7 x World C’ships gold 1966, 70), born in Nagoya, Japan
1967 – Aron Winter, Dutch soccer midfielder and coach (84 caps; Ajax, Lazio, Inter), born in Paramaribo, Suriname
1976 – Travis Kvapil, American auto racer (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion 2003), born in Janesville, Wisconsin

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Famous Deaths

1899 – Gyorgy Apponyi, Hungarian politician, dies at 90
1980 – John Jacob Niles, American composer and singer, dies at 87
1993 – Terry Frost, American actor (Waterfront, Dead Man’s Trail), dies at 86
1994 – Timothy Andrew James Souster, British composer, dies at 51
2005 – Peter Malkin Israeli secret agent, dies at 77
2009 – Ken Henry, American speed skater (Olympic gold 500m 1952), dies at 80

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Historical Events

1882 – 1st US college cooperative store opens, at Harvard University
1931 – Canadian Rugby Union adopts the forward pass
1959 – “Goldilocks” closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 161 performances
1959 – Men’s World Figure Skating Championship in Colorado Springs won by David Jenkins USA
1960 – VIII Winter Olympic Games close in Squaw Valley, California
2019 – YouTube announces it will stops all comments on videos featuring children because of paedophiles leaving inappropriate comments

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Famous Birthdays

1155 – Henry the Young King, son of Henry II of England (d. 1183)
1409 – Elisabeth II of Bohemia (d. 1442)
1841 – Adrien Albert Marie de Mun, French politician (d. 1914)
1942 – Brian Jones, British blues and rock guitarist, organist and sitar player (Rolling Stones, 1962-69), born in Gloucestershire, England (d. 1969)
1957 – Phil Gould, British rock drummer and percussionist (Level 42 – “Something About You”), born in Hong Kong
1972 – Rory Cochrane, American actor

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Famous Deaths

1963 – Theodore Newton, American actor (Voltaire, Ace of Aces), dies at 58
1985 – Ray Ellington, English singer (b. 1916)
1995 – Max Rudolf, conductor, dies at 92
2004 – Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian, writer, and Librarian of Congress (b. 1914)
2011 – Peter Gomes, Harvard University Chaplain (b. 1942)
2021 – Johnny Briggs, English actor (Mike Baldwin on Coronation Street), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1856 – 18th Grand National: George Stevens wins aboard 25/1 Freetrader; first of Stevens’ record 5 GN victories
1879 – Russian Chemist Constantin Fahlberg discovers saccharin (artificial sweetener)
1900 – In London, the Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet, results in a Labour Representative Committee and eventually the modern Labour Party in 1906
1984 – Worker’s union leader Billy Nair freed in South Africa
1990 – Final day of the rum ration in the Royal New Zealand Navy
2010 – Central Chile is hit with an 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

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Famous Birthdays

1831 – Hiram Bond Everest, American co-founder of The Vacuum Oil Company (d. 1913)
1893 – Joseph Messner, Austrian organist and composer, born in Schwaz, Tyrol (d. 1969)
1920 – Reg Simpson, English cricket batsman (27 Tests; best 156no v Australia 1951), born in Sherwood, Nottinghamshire (d. 2013)
1930 – Paul von Ragué Schleyer, American chemist
1939 – Kenzō Takada, Japanese fashion designer (Kenzo), born in Himejo, Japan (d. 2020)
1970 – Matthias Lechner, German art director, born in Mannheim, Germany

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Famous Deaths

1805 – Stefan Paluselli, Austrian choirmaster, composer, and monk, dies at 57
1958 – Harry Cohn, CEO (Columbia Pictures), dies of a heart attack
1970 – Marie Dionne, one of the French Canadian Dionne quintuplets (b. 1934)
1980 – George Tobias, American actor (Bewitched), dies at 78
2002 – Spike Milligan, Irish-British actor and comedian (The Goon Show, 3 Musketeers), dies of kidney failure at 83
2012 – Tina Strobos, Dutch physician and resistor to Nazi occupation, dies from cancer at 91

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Historical Events

1907 – Louis Botha Het Volk Party wins a majority in the election in Transvaal, South Africa
1923 – Italian nationalist and fascists merge (blue-shirts and black-shirts)
1924 – Trial against Adolf Hitler for treason in “Beer Hall Putsch” begins in Munich, Germany
1946 – 2 killed and 10 wounded in race riot in Columbia, Tennessee
1986 – Evert van Benthem wins 14th Frisian 11-Cities skating race (6:55:16)
1987 – Tower Commission probes Iran-Contra affair

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Famous Birthdays

1876 – Agustín Pedro Justo, President of Argentina (1932-38) during the Infamous Decade, born in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos (d. 1943)
1887 – Stefan Grabinski, Polish writer (d. 1936)
1928 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, Prime Minister of Israel (2001-2006), born at Kfar Malal (d. 2014)
1938 – Evagoras Pallikarides, Cypriot freedom fighter, born in Tsada, Cyprus (d. 1957)
1955 – Rupert Keegan, English Formula One racing car driver, born in Essex, England
1979 – Corinne Bailey Rae, English singer, born in Leeds, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1889 – Karl Davydov, Russian cellist (b. 1838)
1896 – Arsène Houssaye, French novelist and poet, dies at 80
1933 – Princess Thyra, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark (b. 1853)
1961 – Karl Albiker, German sculptor (Problem of the Plastic), dies at 83
1991 – (Bulee) “Slim” Galliard, American jazz singer, musician, songwriter (“Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)”), and actor, dies of cancer at 75
2004 – Shankarrao Chavan, Indian politician (b. 1920)

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