Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1727 – Spain underwrites Preliminairy of Paris
1915 – US National Championship Women’s Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: American based Norwegian Molla Bjurstedt beats Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 for her first of 4 straight US singes titles
1953 – Alec Bedser takes 14-99 (7-55 and 7-44) v Australia
1960 – “Alley-Oop” by Dyna-Sores peaks at #59
1987 – Daniel Buettner, Bret Anderson, Martin Engel and Anne Knabe complete cycling journey of 15,266 mi from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Argentina
2012 – A series of bombings across Iraq kill 93 and wound 300 people

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1893 – Dorothy L. Sayers, English novelist (The Nine Tailors), born in Oxford, England (d. 1957)
1929 – Ralph McQuarrie, American conceptual designer (Star Wars, E.T.), born in Gary, Indiana (d. 2012)
1935 – Jeanne-Claude, French artist (Running Fence), born in Casablanca, French Morocco
1951 – Howard Leese, American guitarist, record producer, and musical director (Heart), born in Hollywood, California
1962 – Ally Sheedy [Alexandria], American actress (Wargames, Breakfast Club), born in NYC, New York
1964 – Jennifer Gillom, American WNBA center and forward (Phoenix Mercury/Olympic gold 1988), born in Abbeville, Mississippi

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1899 – [Robert] Lawson Tait, Scottish-born pioneering surgeon performed first salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy, dies at 54
1995 – David Parry, guitarist, dies 53
1998 – Birger Ruud, Norwegian 90m ski jumper (Olympic gold 1932, 36), dies at 86
2005 – Lane Smith, American actor (b. 1936)
2016 – Ofelya Hambardzumyan, Armenian folk singer, dies at 91
2017 – Anita Pallenberg, Italian model and actress credited as the muse of the Rolling Stones, dies of complications of hepatitis C. at 75

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1775 – 1st naval battle of Revolution-Unity (US) captures Margaretta (Br)
1875 – 9th Belmont: Bobby Swim aboard Calvin wins in 2:42.25
1944 – Churchill/Marshall/Arnold visit Montgomery’s HQ in Chateau de Creully
1944 – British 12th airborne battalion and the 13th and 18th Hussars attack and capture Bréville
1950 – 2 Air France DC-4s crash near Bahrain, about 100 die
1963 – “Cleopatra” directed by Joseph Mankiewicz and starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton premieres in NYC, then most expensive film ever made

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1577 – Paul Guldin, Swiss astronomer and mathematician (Guldinus theorem), born in Mels, Switzerland (d. 1643)
1924 – George H. W. Bush, 41st US President (R, 1989-93) and 43rd US Vice President (R, 1981-89), born in Milton, Massachusetts
1957 – Timothy Busfield, American actor (30 Something, West Wing), born in East Lansing, Michigan
1967 – Icíar Bollaín, Spanish actress, director and screenwriter, born in Madrid
1968 – Scott Aldred, American MLB pitcher (Minnesota Twins), born in Flint, Michigan
1992 – Ryan Malgarini, American actor (Freaky Friday), born in Renton, Washington

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1616 – Cornelis F Schuyt, Dutch organist/composer (Madrigalen), dies
1761 – Meinrad Spiess, German composer, dies at 77
1789 – Jean E Liotard [Turk], Swiss painter (Maria-Theresia), dies
1990 – Terence O’Neill, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (Ulster Unionist Party: 1963-69), dies of cancer at 75
1998 – Theresa Merritt [Hines], American singer and actress (The Wiz, That’s My Mama), dies of skin cancer at 75
2015 – Monica Lewis, American jazz singer and film actress (Box Office, Affair with a Stranger), dies at 93

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1941 – 2nd great raid on Jews of Amsterdam
1974 – Mel Stottlemyre sets an American League record by making his 272nd consecutive start without pitching a game in relief
1977 – 109th Belmont: Jean Cruguet riding Seattle Slew wins in 2:29.6
1981 – Cannibal Issei Sagawa kills Dutch student
1982 – Larry Holmes TKOs Gerry Cooney in 13 for heavyweight boxing title
1995 – Rondell White has six hits and hits for the cycle in 13-innings

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1911 – Russ Hodges, American sportscaster (NY Mets, SF Giants; Wednesday Night Fights), born in Dayton, Tennessee (d. 1971)
1924 – Ed Farhat, American professional wrestler, born in Detroit (d. 2003)
1949 – Tom Pryce, British racing driver, born in Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales (d. 1977)
1965 – Gioia Bruno, Italian-American rocker (Exposé), born in Bari, Puglia, Italy
1965 – Manuel Uribe Garza, Mexican man who suffered from morbid obesity (peak weight of 600 kg), born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (d. 2014)
1976 – Tai Anderson, American musician (bass player for Third Day), born in Georgia

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1808 – Giovanni Battista Cirri, Italian cellist and composer, dies at 83
1927 – William Attewell, English cricket bowler (England in 10 Tests 1884-1891), dies at 65
1969 – John L. Lewis, American labour leader, formed Congress of Industrial Organizations, dies at 89
1997 – Thalassa Cruso, English-American gardening expert (The Mike Douglas Show, The Tonight Show), dies of Alzheimer’s at 88
2006 – Bruce Shand, father of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (b. 1917)
2015 – Ron Moody [Ronald Moodnick], British composer, singer and actor (12 Chairs, Oliver!), dies at 91

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1863 – Battle of Brice’s Crossroads, Miss; Nathan Bedford Forrest w/3500 defeats 8000 Feds
1904 – British Open Men’s Golf, Royal St George’s GC: Jack White wins his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of runners-up James Braid and J.H. Taylor, both former champions
1940 – French government moves to Bordeaux
1968 – “Danny Thomas Hour” last airs on NBC-TV
1982 – Battle of Sultan Yakoub – 3 IDF members captured
2018 – Actor Vince Vaughn arrested for drunk driving and resisting arrest near Los Angeles

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1891 – Al Dubin, Swiss-American songwriter (Tiptoe Thru the Tulips), born in Zürich, Switzerland (d. 1945)
1941 – Shirley Owens Alston, singer (Shirelles-Soldier Boy), born in Passaic, New Jersey
1951 – Burglinde Pollak, German DR, pentathlete (Olympic bronze 1972)
1968 – The D.O.C. [Tracy Curry], American rapper and producer (N.W.A.), born in Dallas, Texas
1968 – Kevin Donnalley, NFL guard/tackle (Houston/Tennessee Oilers)
1973 – David Friedman, American child actor (Little House on the Prairie), born in Los Angeles, California

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1654 – Alessandro Algardi, Italian sculptor and architect, dies at 58
1982 – Addie “Micki” Harris, American singer (Shirelles – “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”; “Soldier Boy”), dies of a heart attack at 42
2002 – Benjamin Ward, 1st African American NYC Police Commissioner, dies at 75
2004 – Graeme Kelling, British pop guitarist (Deacon Blue), dies at 47
2007 – Charley Harper, American modernist artist, dies of pneumonia at 84
2007 – Augie Auer, Meteorologist and television presenter (b. 1940)

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

721 – Odo of Aquitaine defeats a Umayyad Muslim army at the Battle of Toulouse
1900 – In China, Boxers destroy the race course in Peking, a few miles from the legations and the center and symbol of diplomatic social life and Western privilege
1985 – French Open Men’s Tennis: Sweden’s Mats Wilander wins 4th career Grand Slam title; beats Czech star Ivan Lendl 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
1993 – “Tout capour ca!” (1993) premieres in France
2007 – French Open Women’s Tennis: Justine Henin wins her 3rd consecutive French singles crown; beats Ana Ivanović of Serbia 6-1, 6-2
2010 – 44th CMT Music Awards: Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban win

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1898 – Curzio Malaparte [Kurt E. Suckert], Italian author (Kaputt)
1924 – Peter Heatly, Scottish diver and Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation, born in Leith, Scotland (d. 2015)
1962 – Eddie Lundon, British rock guitarist, singer , and songwriter (China Crisis – “Wishful Thinking”), born in Kirby, Liverpool, England
1975 – Carolyne Lepage, Canadian 48 kg judoka (Olympics 1996), born in Montreal, Quebec
1980 – Udonis Haslem, American basketball player
1982 – Christina Stürmer, Austrian singer, born in Linz, Austria

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1825 – Pauline Bonaparte, Corsican duchess of Parma and Guastalla, sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, dies at 44
1911 – Carrie Nation, American temperance advocate, dies at 64
1950 – Edward Asahel Birge, American pioneer in limnology, dies at 98
1952 – Adolf Busch, German composer (b. 1891)
1989 – George Beadle, US Biologist and Nobel Laureate (biochemical genetics), dies at 85
1996 – Bert Schierbeek, Dutch writer and poet (Cross Roads), dies at 77

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1815 – 39 German states unite under Act of Confederation
1856 – Pitcairn Islanders arrive on Norfolk Island
1931 – Suriname Work Committee under Louis Doedel forms in Paramaribo
1968 – New colonial constitution for Bermuda adopted
2003 – Senior PGA Championship Men’s Golf, Aronimink GC, PA: John Jacobs wins his only Champions Tour major title with a 2 stroke margin to runner-up Bobby Wadkins
2017 – UN states Islamic State forces have shot and killed hundreds of fleeing civilians during battle for Mosul, Iraq in past two weeks

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1812 – Spyridon Xyndas, Greek composer, born in Corfu, Greece (d. 1896)
1915 – Gustaaf Vincent Willem van Hemert tot Dingshof, Dutch Mayor of Maarn, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1994)
1915 – Julian Ridsdale, British politician (C), Member of Parliament for Harwich (1954-92) (d. 2004)
1916 – Francis Crick, English molecular biologist who co-discovered DNA’s structure and 1962 Nobel laureate, born in Northampton, England (d. 2004)
1941 – George Pell, Australian Catholic Cardinal and treasurer of the Vatican, convicted and then acquitted of child sex abuse, born in Ballarat, Australia
1979 – Derek Trucks, American guitarist and founder of Grammy Award-winning The Derek Trucks Band (Tedeschi Truck Band), born in Jacksonville, Florida

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1476 – George Neville, English archbishop and statesman
1742 – Omobono Stradivari, Italian violin maker, son of Antonius, dies at 62
1794 – G A Borger, writer, dies
1865 – Joseph Paxton, English architect, gardener and MP (Crystal Palace), dies at 61
1934 – Dorothy Dell [Goff], American child actress (Little Miss Marker, Wharf Angel), dies in a road accident at 19
1948 – Sammy Carter, Australian cricket wicketkeeper (28 Tests, 65 dismissals), dies at 70

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1494 – Treaty of Tordesillas: Spain and Portugal divide the new world along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa
1546 – England signs Peace of Andres with Scotland/Ireland
1798 – Jews of Pesaro Italy fast commemorating murder of Jews
1881 – 15th Belmont: T. Costello aboard Saunterer wins in 2:47
1944 – Canadian 50th Division occupies Bayeux during the Normandy invasion
1998 – 52nd Tony Awards: “The Lion King” and ‘”Art” win

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1911 – Silas Roy Crain, American gospel singer (founder of The Soul Stirrers Gospel Quartet), born in Augustine, Texas (d. 1996)
1911 – Brooks Stevens, American automotive designer (1949 Hydra-Glide Harley; 1963 Jeep Wagoneer), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1995)
1928 – David Malcolm Lewis, English historian, expert in Greek Epigraphy, born in London (d. 1994)
1940 – Tom Jones [Woodward], Welsh pop singer (“What’s New, Pussycat?”; “Delilah”), and TV personality (The Voice UK), born in Pontypridd, Wales
1958 – Francesca Thyssen, Swiss art collector, born in Lausanne, Switzerland
1964 – Graeme Labrooy, Sri Lankan cricket fast bowler (9 Tests, 27 wickets; 44 ODIs; chairman of selectors; international match referee), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1654 – Giambattista Andreini, Italian playwright and actor (L’adamo), dies at 76
1723 – Miguel Lopez, Spanish composer and organist, dies at 64
1779 – William Warburton, English critic and Bishop of Gloucester (b. 1698)
1784 – Jean-Baptiste Canavas [Canvasso], Italian composer and cellist, dies at 71
1826 – Joseph von Fraunhofer, German physicist (b. 1787)
1992 – Bob Sweeney, director/actor (Toby Tyler), dies of cancer at 73

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1905 – French Foreign minister Delcasse resigns on German request
1925 – Walter Chrysler founds automobile manufacturer Chrysler Corporation
1932 – 37th Women’s French Championships: Helen Wills Moody beats Simonne Mathieu (7-5, 6-1)
1983 – Nicaragua expels 3 US diplomats
1984 – Video game Tetris is first released in the Soviet Union by Alexey Pajitnov
1993 – Punsalmaagiyn Otsjirbat recognized as President of Mongolia

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1236 – Wen Tianxiang, Prime Minister of China and scholar-general in the last years of the Southern Song Dynasty, born in Ji’an, China (d. 1283)
1840 – William Francis Bartlett, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Haverhill, Massachusetts (d. 1876)
1951 – Noritake Takahara, Japanese racing driver
1953 – Ken Calvert, American politician (Rep-R-California 1993-), born in Corona, California
1974 – Sonya Walger, British actress
1984 – Noor Sabri, Iraqi footballplayer

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1799 – Patrick Henry, American Revolutionary and Founding Father famous for his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, dies at 63
1943 – Karl Landsteiner, Austrian immunologist and pathologist (Nobel 1930), dies at 74
1955 – Max Meldrum, Scottish-Australian painter (founder of Australian Tonalism), dies at 79
1967 – Edward G Givens Jr, Major USAF/astronaut, dies in an car crash at 47
1974 – Blanche Yurka, actress (Tale of 2 Cities, Cry of Werewolf), dies at 86
2017 – Paul Zukofsky, American violinist and conductor (Cappricio), dies from non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 73

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1257 – Kraków, Poland, receives city rights.
1806 – 1st trotter to break 3 minute mile (Yankee)
1965 – “Wooly Bully” by Sam the Sham and Pharaohs hits #2
1969 – Race riot in Hartford, Connecticut
1977 – Los Angeles Dodgers retire Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman and manager Walter Alston’s #24
1984 – Indira Gandhi orders an attack on Sikh’s holiest site, the Golden Temple in Amritsar

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1771 – Willem Frederik van Bylandt, Dutch military officer, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1855)
1939 – Margaret Drabble, British author (Needle’s Eye), born in Sheffield, England
1955 – Edino Nazareth Filho, Brazilian football player
1964 – Rick Riordan, American author (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), born in San Antonio, Texas
1973 – Lamon Brewster, American boxer (WBO heavyweight title 2004-2006), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
1981 – Jade Goody, English television personality (Big Brother), born in London (d. 2009)

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

754 – Eoda, English speaking bishop of Utrecht, murdered
1868 – Anselm Hüttenbrenner, Austrian composer, dies at 73
1910 – O. Henry [William Sydney Porter], American short story writer (Cabbages and Kings), dies of cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes complications and an enlarged heart at 47
1923 – George H. Breitner, Dutch impressionist painter, dies at 65
1980 – Lauritz Lauritzen, German politician, dies at 70
2020 – Kurt Thomas, American gymnast (first American male to win gold medal at World Championships, floor 1978; floor, horizontal bars 1979), dies from a stroke at 64

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1769 – A transit of Venus is followed five hours later by a total solar eclipse, the shortest such interval in history
1887 – Pasteur Institute founded by French biologist Louis Pasteur in Paris
1945 – 6th US Marine division occupies Orokoe Peninsula Okinawa
1949 – “Cavalcade of Stars” debuts (DuMont); Jackie Gleason made host in 1950
1982 – Israel attacks targets in south Lebanon
1991 – 1st post WW II non-communist government in Albania

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1878 – Frank Buchman, American theologist (Moral Re-Armament), born in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania (d. 1961)
1910 – Jacques Berque, French Islamic scholar, born in Frenda, Algeria (d. 1995)
1919 – Dorothy Howell Rodham, Mother of US First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2011)
1965 – Mick Doohan, Australian motorcycle racer (5-time 500cc world champion), born in Gold Coast, Queensland
1965 – Beau Allred, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians), born in Mesa, Arizona
1992 – Dino Jelusić, Croatian singer, born in Požega, Croatia

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1872 – Stanisław Moniuszko, Polish conductor, composer (Straszny dwór – The Haunted Manor), and teacher, dies at 53
1916 – Mildred J. Hill, American composer and musician (“Happy Birthday To You”), dies at 56
1966 – Blanche Knopf, American publisher, president of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and wife of publisher Alfred A. Knopf Sr., dies at 71
1969 – Rafael Osuna, Mexican tennis player (US Nat C’ship 1963), dies in an airline crash at 30
1989 – Andor Kovács, Hungarian classical guitarist, and composer, dies at 60
1997 – Johnny “Hammond” Smith, American jazz and bop organist (Wild Horses Rock Steady), dies of cancer at 63

More Famous Deaths »