Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1874 – Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos is appointed the Archbishop of the Portuguese colonial enclave of Goa
1968 – Fred Blasie wins 5th wrestling world championship belt
1972 – 1st Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) is launched
1984 – KC Royals Dan Quisenberry gets his 200th career save
1989 – British Open Men’s Golf, Royal Troon: American Mark Calcavecchia wins his only major title in first ever 4-hole aggregate playoff with Australians Greg Norman and Wayne Grady
2013 – 19 people are killed and 22 are injured after a tour bus collides with a truck in Saraburi, Thailand

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Famous Birthdays

1902 – Walter Burle Marx, Brazilian pianist and composer, born in São Paulo, Brazil (d. 1990)
1950 – Blair Thornton, Canadian rock guitarist (Bachman-Turner-Overdrive), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
1961 – Antoine Carr, American NBA forward and center (Utah Jazz), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1961 – Martin Gore, English rocker (Depeche Mode-Just Can’t Get Enough), born in Dagenham, Essex, England
1965 – Slash [Saul Hudson], English-American rock guitarist and songwriter (Guns N’ Roses-Sweet Child o’ Mine), born in London, England
1986 – Nelson Philippe, French racing driver, born in Valence, France

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Famous Deaths

1844 – Christian Gobrecht, 4th US chief engraver (1840-44), dies in office
1955 – Betsy van Es, Flemish actress (Un soir de joie), dies at 55
1988 – Jahangir Khan, Indian cricket fast bowler (4 Tests India; Pakistan selector), dies at 78
1994 – Henry William Collins, English artist, dies at 84
2009 – Danny McBride, American musician (Sha Na Na), dies at 63
2020 – Jean Brankart, Belgian cyclist (Tour de France 1955, Giro d’Italia 1958 runner-up; Belgium national track pursuit champion 1956, 58, 59), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1865 – Underarm slow right arm bowler V E Walker takes 10-104 in an innings for Middlesex v Lancashire in a county cricket match at Old Trafford, Manchester
1923 – 17th Tour de France won by Henri Pelissier of France
1943 – US forces led by General George S. Patton liberate Palermo, Sicily
1979 – 66th Tour de France won by Bernard Hinault of France
1990 – British Open Men’s Golf, St Andrews: Englishman Nick Faldo wins the 2nd of his 3 Open Championships by 5 strokes from runners-up Mark McNulty and Payne Stewart
1997 – The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario

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Famous Birthdays

1892 – John MacBryan, cricketer (one Test Eng v South Africa 1924 DNBat, DNbowl)
1907 – Zubir Said, Singaporean composer who composed Singapore’s national anthem (d. 1987)
1914 – Cecil Effinger, American composer, born in Colorado Springs, Colorado (d. 1990)
1916 – Gino Bianco, Brazilian racing driver (d. 1984)
1921 – William Roth, American politician (Sen-R-Delaware, 1971-2001), born in Great Falls, Montana (d. 2003)
1944 – Sparky Lyle, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1973, 76, 77; World Series 1977, 78; AL Cy Young Award 1977; NY Yankees), born in DuBois, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1852 – Auguste Marmont, French marshal, dies at 77
1864 – James Birdseye Mcpherson, US Union gen-major, dies in battle at 35
1922 – John Motley Morehead III, American chemist (commercial production of calcium carbide, important for welding), dies at 67
1990 – Preben Neergaard, Danish actor (Mordskab), dies of cancer at 70
1996 – Peter Ludwig, German businessman and art collector, dies at 71
2000 – Carmen Martín Gaite, Spanish author, dies at 74

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Historical Events

1966 – Gemini X returns to Earth
1970 – Clay Kirby has a no-hitter going for 8 inn, but is lifted for a pinch hitter, Reliever Jack Baldschun gives up 3 hits and Padres lose, 3-0
1987 – Guns and Roses debut album “Appetite for Destruction” is released, and becomes the best-selling debut album of all time with more than 30 million copies sold
1990 – Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” is performed where the Berlin Wall once stood
2002 – Telecom giant WorldCom files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the then largest such filing in United States history
2013 – 12 people are killed in a clash between two Muslim families in Lanao del Sur, Philippines

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Famous Birthdays

1882 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian artist (d. 1967)
1895 – H G “Nummy” Deane, South African cricket Test captain (1927-31)
1908 – Harold “Jug” McSpaden, American golfer, course designer (17 PGA Tour wins), born in Monticello, Kansas (d. 1996)
1943 – Edward Herrmann, actor (Day of the Dolphin, Reds), born in Washington, D.C.
1945 – Lydia Shum, Hong Kong comedian and actress (d. 2008)
1960 – Matt Mulhern, American actor (Biloxi Blues), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1540 – John I Zapolyai, prince of Transsylvania/king of Hungary, dies
1948 – Donald Nichols Tweedy, American composer, dies at 58
1982 – Dave Garroway, American TV host (Today Show, 1951-61), dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound at 69
1985 – Mickey Shaughnessy, actor (Chicago Teddy Bears), dies at 65
1996 – James Tye, safety expert, dies at 74
2001 – Steve Barton, American actor (b. 1954)

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Historical Events

1304 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle – King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold of the war
1901 – Morocco signs an agreement with France fixing Morocco’s frontier with Algeria, a French colony
1930 – 106°F (41°C), Washington, D.C. (district record)
1932 – Franz von Papen launches a coup against the Prussian government
1965 – NY Yankee pitcher Mel Stottlemyre hits an inside-the-park grand slam
1969 – Apollo 11 lunar module carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin lands on the surface of the Moon; Aldrin and Armstrong walk on the moon seven hours later; Michael Collins remains in orbit in the lunar module

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Famous Birthdays

1600 – Simon Ives, English court composer (d. 1662)
1943 – Dennis Yost, American vocalist (The Classics IV), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2008)
1950 – Tantoo Cardinal, Canadian actress
1967 – Jon Normile, fencer (Olympics 1996), born in Cleveland, Ohio
1975 – Aimee Mullins, American Paralympic athlete/official (US Olympic Chef de Mission 2012), born in Allentown, Pennsylvania
1996 – Ben Simmons, Australian basketball point guard (2016 NBA Draft: #1 pick Philadelphia 76ers), born in Melbourne, Victoria

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Famous Deaths

1597 – Franciscus Raphelengius [French of Ravelingen], Neth publisher, dies
1607 – Paulus Merula, Dutch lawyer and historian (Historia Belgica), dies at 48
1893 – Tom Kelly, Australian cricketer (two Tests for Australia 1877-79, 64 runs), dies at 49
1936 – Jose Sanjurjo, Spanish general (Morocco) and high director, dies at 64
1985 – Bruno de Finetti, Italian probabilist statistician and actuary, dies at 79
2006 – Ted Grant, British Trotskyist (b. 1913)

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Historical Events

1908 – Dutch football club Feyenoord is established in Rotterdam as Wilhelmina; reverts to SC Feijenoord 1912; updated to SC Feyenoord 1974 and to Feyenoord Rotterdam 1978
1920 – Babe Ruth hits his 30th home run of the 1920 baseball season, breaking his own single-season record. He would attain 54 throughout the season, before breaking that record the next year.
1941 – BBC World Service begins playing V(ictory) (“…-” in Morse code) (opening of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 5th symphony)
1976 – Allman Brother’s roadie Scooter Herring sentenced to 75 years for providing drugs for the group, based on Gregg Allman’s testimony
2009 – The Wesley Impact: black spot the size of Earth discovered on Jupiter after unknown object crashed onto the planet
2009 – British Open Men’s Golf, Turnberry: American Stewart Cink wins his only major championship by 6 strokes in a 4-hole playoff with 5-time champion Tom Watson

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Famous Birthdays

1742 – Jean-Baptiste Davaux, French classical composer, born in La Côte-Saint-André, France (d. 1822)
1827 – Mangal Pandey, Indian Sepoy (soldier) in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry (B.N.I.) regiment of the British East India Company, born in Nagwa, Ballia district, India (d. 1857)
1928 – John Bratby, English painter and writer (Breakdown), born in Wimbledon, London (d. 1992)
1972 – Tamarie Ivie, Ananheim CA, female infielder (Colo Silver Bullets)
1977 – Ed Smith, English cricketer
1979 – Luke Young, English footballer

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Famous Deaths

1742 – William Somervile, English poet (b. 1675)
1907 – Hector H Malot, French lawyer/author (Alone in the World), dies at 77
1922 – Cornelis Adrianus Pekelharing, Dutch physician, dies on 74th birthday
1955 – Koos [Jacobus Jan] Vorrink, Dutch politician and socialist (SDAP/AJC/PvdA), dies at 64
1984 – Faina Ranevskaya, Russian actress (b. 1896)
1990 – Herbert Nelson, actor (Guilding Light), dies of a stroke at 76

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Historical Events

1334 – The bishop of Florence blesses the first foundation stone for the new campanile (bell tower) of the Florence Cathedral, designed by the artist Giotto di Bondone
1944 – British troops occupy Bourquebus hill range, Normandy
1948 – “Marinka” opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 168 performances
1974 – World’s tallest structure, 646 metre Polish radio mast, completed
1986 – Videotapes released showing Titanic’s sunken remains
2014 – The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) call 18,000 additional reserves soldiers in campaign against Gaza

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Famous Birthdays

1862 – Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich, Russian WWI general, born in Moscow, Russian Empire (d. 1933)
1864 – Ricarda Huch, German writer and historian “First Lady of German humanism”, born in Braunschweig (d. 1947)
1928 – Simon Vinkenoog, Dutch writer and poet, born in Amsterdam (d. 2009)
1935 – Jayendra Saraswathi, Hindu religious leader (69th Shankaracharya Guru), born in Irulneeki, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu (d. 2018)
1970 – John Kalin, CFL safety (Calgary Stampeders)
1993 – Taemin [Lee Tae-min], South Korean pop singer-songwriter, dancer (Shinee – “Sherlock”; solo – “Danger”; Super M), and actor, born in Seoul, South Korea

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Famous Deaths

1831 – Thomas Greatorex, English composer, dies at 72
1833 – Joseph Comb, missionary to Moluccas, dies at 63
1990 – Karl Menninger, American psychiatrist (Menninger Clinic), dies at 96 of cancer
2001 – James Hatfield, American author (b. 1958)
2002 – Victor Emery, British theoretical physicist (b. 1933)
2008 – Khosrow Shakibai, Iranian actor (Hamoun), dies at 64

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Historical Events

1933 – After successfully crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the Lithuanian research aircraft Lituanica crashes in Germany under mysterious circumstances
1945 – Potsdam Conference: Harry Truman, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill hold 1st post-World War II meeting
1951 – Leopold III, King of the Belgians, abdicates in favour of his son Boudouin I
1961 – John Chancellor becomes news anchor of “Today Show”
1987 – 10 teens die in Guadalupe River flood (Comfort, Tx)
1987 – “Les Miserables” opens at Imperial Theatre, Tokyo

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Famous Birthdays

1839 – Ephraim Shay, American inventor of Shay type of geared steam locomotive, born in Huron, Ohio (d. 1916)
1876 – Maxim M Litvinov [Meyer H Wallach], Russian diplomat
1928 – Jean Muir, British fashion designer and dressmaker, born in London (d. 1995)
1942 – Gale Garnett, New Zealand singer (We’ll Sing in the Sunshine), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1960 – Robin Shou, Hong Kong Chinese-American martial arts actor (Mortal Kombat, Beverly Hills Ninja), born in British Hong Kong
1978 – Ricardo Arona, Brazilian mixed martial artist, born in Niterói, Brazil

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Famous Deaths

1025 – Boleslaw I Chobry [the brave], duke/king of Poland, dies
1903 – James McNeill Whistler, American-British painter (Whistler’s Mother), dies at 69
1941 – Emil Barth, German revolutionary (Social Democratic Party), dies at 62
1955 – Bronislaw Zygmunt Szulc, composer, dies at 73
1985 – Czesław Marek, Polish composer, dies at 93
1987 – Yujiro Ishihara, Japanese actor (b. 1934)

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Historical Events

1945 – Australian Services win 3rd Victory Test Cricket by 4 wickets
1960 – George Crowe sets record of 12 pinch hit HRs with a runner on
1987 – Said Aouita runs world record 2000m (4:50.81)
1990 – Bridgette LeAnn Wilson, 17, of Oregon, 8th crowned Miss Teen USA
1994 – Spanish fishing boats sink a French fishing boat over fishing rights
2008 – 79th All Star Baseball Game: AL wins 4-3 at Yankee Stadium, New York

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Famous Birthdays

1910 – Stan McCabe, Australian cricket batsman (39 Tests, batting av. 48.21, top score 232), born in Grenfell, New South Wales (d. 1968)
1921 – Trevor Illtyd Williams, scientific writer, born in Bristol, England (d. 1996)
1928 – Ray Thornton, American politician (Democratic U.S. Representative for Arkansas), born in Conway, Arkansas (d. 2016)
1959 – Gary Anderson, NFL placekicker (Philadelphia Eagles), born in Parys, Orange Free State, South Africa
1970 – William Van Landingham, American baseball pitcher (SF Giants), born in Columbia, Tennessee
1974 – Michelle Chandler, Australian basketball point guard (Olymp-bronze-96), born in Geelong, Victoria, Australia

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Famous Deaths

276 – Mark Annius Florianus, emperor of Rome (276), murdered
1647 – Masaniello [Tommaso Aniello], Italian fisherman and leader of the 1647 Naples revolt against the rule of Habsburg Spain, assassinated by a group of grain merchants at 27
1686 – John Pearson, English theologian (b. 1612)
1976 – Carmelo Soria, Spanish diplomat assassinated in 1976 by the Chilean DINA
1984 – Billy Williams, singer (Your Show of Shows), dies at 73
2017 – George A. Romero, American Canadian filmmaker “Father of the Zombie Film” (Night of the Living Dead), dies at 77

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Historical Events

1500 – Baglione family massacre at the “Blood Wedding” of Astorre Baglione and Lavinia Colonna in Perugia
1806 – Zebulon Pike begins his journey to explore the American Southwest
1912 – American athlete Jim Thorpe is placed in top 4 in all 10 events, for an Olympic record 8,413 points to win the Decathlon gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics, medal stripped 1913 (played pro baseball), reinstated 1982
1959 – The US steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in United States history.
1996 – Southern Mexico hit with 6.5 earthquake
2005 – “Wedding Crashers”, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, premieres

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Famous Birthdays

1704 – August Gottlieb Spangenberg, founder of Moravian Church in North America
1849 – Moritz Heuzenroeder, German pianist and composer who settled in Australia, born in Ottersberg, Germany (d. 1897)
1889 – Marjorie Rambeau, American actress (Primrose Path, Torch Song), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1970)
1892 – Walter Benjamin, German literature critic/writer
1966 – Irene Jacob, actress (Red, Othello)
1973 – Brian Austin Green, American actor (David-Beverly Hills 90210), born in Van Nuys, California

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Famous Deaths

1750 – Vasily Tatishchev, Russian statesman, dies at 73
1782 – Farinelli, Italian singer, dies at 77
1789 – Jacques Duphly, French composer and harpsichordist, dies at 74
1856 – Margaretha J de Neufville, author (The Kidnap), dies at 81
1987 – Jack O’Hagan, cricketer and composer (Our Don Bradman), dies at 88
1997 – Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer (Versace), shot and murdered by Andrew Cunanan at 50

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Historical Events

1698 – The Darien scheme begins with five ships, bearing about 1,200 people, departing Leith for the Isthmus of Panama
1934 – 116°F (47°C), Orogrande, New Mexico (state record, broken on June 27, 1994)
1998 – Violence erupts in Richmond, South Africa, reflecting underlying political tensions between supporters of the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party
2008 – “The Dark Knight” directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, premieres in New York
2015 – Harper Lee’s 2nd novel “Go Set A Watchman”, an early 1957 version of “To Kill A Mocking Bird” goes on sale in 70 countries
2018 – US President Donald Trump calls the EU a “trade foe” in interview with CBS ahead of meeting with Russian President Putin

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Famous Birthdays

1878 – Donald Meek, Scottish-American actor (You Can’t Take It with You, Stagecoach), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1946)
1918 – Arthur Laurents, American playwright (West Side Story, Gypsy), born in NYC, New York
1923 – Frances Lear, American Woman’s magazine publisher (Lears), born in Larchmont, New York (1995)
1957 – Peter Webb, NZ cricketer (batsman against West Indies 1980)
1966 – Matthew Fox, American actor (Party of 5, Lost), born in Abington, Pennsylvania
1985 – Lee Kwang-soo, South Korean actor (Inseparable Bros ), born in Namyangju, South Korea

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Famous Deaths

1223 – King Philip II of France (1180-1223) dies at 57
1774 – James O’Hara, 2nd Baron Tyrawley and Kilmaine, British field marshal (b. 1682)
1790 – Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon, Austrian field marshal, dies at 73
1827 – Augustin-Jean Fresnel, French physicist (optics), dies at 39
1943 – Johannes “Frits” Bakker Sr, Dutch actor, dies at 74
2000 – William Roscoe Estep, American Baptist historian (b. 1920)

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