Today in History for 13th May 2021

Historical Events

1890 – Lord Salisbury offers Helgoland to Germany in exchange for Zanzibar, Uganda and Equatoria
1943 – German and Italian forces in Africa surrender
1943 – German occupiers attempt to confiscate all radios in the Netherlands
1960 – Phillies lose 3rd consecutive 1-0 game
2001 – 47th British Academy Television Awards: “Da Ali G Show” Best Comedy, “Clocking Off” Best Drama
2019 – The Tradition Senior Men’s Golf, Greystone G andCC: Steve Stricker wins his first career major title by 6 strokes ahead of Billy Andrade, Paul Goydos and David Toms

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Famous Birthdays

1933 – Alden Ashforth, composer
1935 – Nigel Butterley, Australian pianist and composer (The True Samaritan), born in Sydney, Australia
1937 – Teddy Randazzo, American pop singer-songwriter (I’m on the Outside Looking In), born in NYC, New York (d. 2003)
1957 – Claudie Andre-Deshays, French cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-24)
1969 – André Schmechta, German musician (X Marks the Pedwalk, Scarecrow), born in Germany
1981 – Sunny Leone, Canadian born Indian American model and actress, born in Sarnia, Ontario

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Famous Deaths

1742 – Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (b. 1719)
1835 – John Nash, British town planner/architect (Regent’s Park), dies
1963 – Alois Hudal, Austrian bishop who helped Nazi war criminals escape trial, dies at 77
1984 – Stanislaw Ulam, Polish mathematician, dies at 75
2011 – Bruce Ricker, American jazz and blues documentarian (b. 1942)
2013 – Joyce Brothers, American psychologist, dies from respiratory failure at 85

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Today in History for 12th May 2021

Historical Events

1784 – Ratified copies of the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War exchanged between US and Great Britain, in Paris
1897 – Battle at Thessalie: Turkish army beats Greece
1910 – Second NAACP conference in NYC
1950 – Darius Milhaud’s opera “Bolivar” premieres in Paris
1979 – Chris Evert’s 125-match winning streak on clay comes to an end
2019 – Manchester City beats Brighton, 4-1 to claim back-to-back English Premier League titles with 98 points, 1 ahead of runners-up, Liverpool

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Famous Birthdays

1921 – Giovanni Benelli, Italian archbishop (Florence) and Papal candidate
1929 – Sam Nujoma, Namibian revolutionary and politician, first President of Namibia (1990-2005), born in Ongandjera, Soutwest Africa
1936 – Klaus Doldinger, German jazz saxophonist (Passport) and composer for film, born in Berlin, Germany
1977 – Graeme Dott, Scottish snooker player, born in Larkhall, Scotland
1977 – Monique de Bruin, American fencer-foil (Olympics 1996), born in Portland, Oregon
1978 – Josh Phelps, American baseball player, born in Anchorage, Alaska

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Famous Deaths

1382 – Johanna I, Queen of Naples/Provence, dies
1967 – Julius Kalas, Czech composer, dies at 64
1980 – Lillian Roth [Rutstein], American singer and actress (Animal Crackers, Alice Sweet Alice), dies at 69
1999 – Penny Santon [Pierina Burlando], American actress (Fletch, Roll Out, Matt Houston), dies at 82
2016 – Julius La Rosa, American singer (fired by Arthur Godfrey on the air), dies at 86
2017 – Mauno Koivisto, President of Finland (1982-94), dies at 93

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Today in History for 11th May 2021

Historical Events

1310 – Fifty-four members of the Knights Templar are burned at the stake in France for being heretics
1925 – Communist Party of Holland splits
1942 – Japanese troops conquer Kalewa
1965 – West Indies becomes 1st holders of the Frank Worrell Cricket Trophy
1976 – Last broadcast of “Marcus Welby, MD” on ABC-TV
1983 – Aberdeen of Scotland win 23rd European Cup Winner’s Cup against Real Madrid of Spain 2-1 in Gothenburg

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Famous Birthdays

1733 – Victoire of France, daughter of king Louis XV (d. 1799)
1858 – Carl Hauptmann, German writer, born in Obersalzbrunn (d. 1921)
1905 – Marjorie Sykes, peace campaigner
1940 – Juan Downey, Chilean video artist (d. 1993)
1954 – John Gregory, English football manager
1973 – Dean Pullar, Cobram Victoria Australia, diver (Olympics 1996)

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Famous Deaths

1779 – John Heart, American farmer (signed US Declaration of Independence), dies at about 68
1924 – Moses Walker, American baseball catcher (first African-American open about his heritage to play MLB; Toledo Blue Stockings), dies at 66
1935 – Edward Herbert Thompson, American archaeologist (Mayan civilization), dies at 78
1960 – John D. Rockefeller Jr., American financier and philanthropist, dies of pneumonia at 86
1981 – Odd Hassel, Norwegian chemist (Nobel 1969 – the study of the three-dimensional geometric structure of molecules), dies at 83
1986 – Fritz Pollard, American football player, dies at 92

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Today in History for 10th May 2021

Historical Events

1768 – John Wilkes is imprisoned for writing an article for “The North Briton” severely criticizing King George III. This action provokes rioting in London.
1967 – Rolling Stones Keith Richards, Brian Jones and Mick Jagger arrested on drug charges
1973 – Establishment of Frente Polisario in Mauritania
1985 – Challenger transports back to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly AFB
1993 – Premier Lubbers opens Terminal West on Schiphol
2018 – New record auction price for a Latin American artwork of $9.76 million for Diego Rivera’s “The Rivals”

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Famous Birthdays

1931 – Ettore Scola, Italian director and screenwriter (A Special Day), born in Trevico, Campania (d. 2016)
1938 – Merritt Ranew, baseball player
1965 – Rony Seikaly, NBA center (Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors)
1970 – Gabriela Montero, Venezuelan-American pianist, born in Caracas
1977 – Henri Camara, Senegalese footballer
1993 – Charice Pempengco, Filipino singer

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Famous Deaths

995 – Boudouin, bishop of Utrecht
1864 – James Clay Rice, lawyer/Union brigadier general, dies in battle at 34
1864 – Thomas Greeley Stevenson, Union brigadier general, dies at about 27
1982 – Jean C M Picart le Doux, French designer, dies
1992 – Sylvia Syms [Blagman], American jazz singer (Hello Dolly, Flower Drum Song), dies of a heart attack at 74
1995 – Harold Berens, comedian, dies at 92

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Today in History for 9th May 2021

Historical Events

1766 – John Byron back in England after trip around the world
1966 – China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC
1977 – Patty Hearst let out of jail
1989 – NY Mets Kevin Elster, errors after 88 errorless games at shortstop
1992 – Armenian forces capture Shusha, marking a major turning point in the Karabakh War
1994 – Mass murderer Joel Rifkin found guilty in New York

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Famous Birthdays

1540 – Maharana Pratap, Rajput king of Mewar (1572-1597), born in Kumbhargal Fort, Mewar (d. 1597)
1924 – Gerard Wernars, Dutch graphic designer (Library stamps 1991)
1939 – Bruce Mather, Canadian pianist and composer, born in Toronto, Ontario
1944 – Richard Furay, American singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Buffalo Springfield; Poco), born in Yellow Springs, Ohio
1957 – John Stuper, baseball pitcher (St Louis Cardinals)
1969 – Amber [Marie-Claire Cremers], Dutch-born German singer-songwriter, born in Ubbergen, the Netherlands

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Famous Deaths

1884 – Hermanus Willem Witteveen, Dutch theologist, dies at 69
1915 – Anthony Wilding, New Zealand tennis player (Wimbledon 1910-13), dies on the Western Front at 31
1942 – Graham McNamee, American early sportscaster (1st Rose Bowl), dies at 53
1970 – Andrew Watson Myles, Canadian politician, dies at 86
1987 – Obafemi Awolowo, Nigerian statesman and nationalist, dies at 78
1995 – Marshall Royal, American jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist (Count Basie Orchestra), dies at 82

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Today in History for 8th May 2021

Historical Events

1881 – Henry Morton Stanley signs the first of many contracts with the Congolian monarch
1907 – Boston’s Big Jeff Pfeffer no-hits Cincinnati Reds, 6-0
1926 – Fire breaks out in Fenway Park, home of Boston Red Sox baseball team
1979 – The Cure release their debut album “Three Imaginary Boys” (Boys Don’t Cry in US, Australia)
1994 – President Clinton announces US will no longer repatriate boat people
2018 – Ebola outbreak declared in north-west Democratic Republic of Congo with 2 confirmed cases and 17 deaths

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Famous Birthdays

1828 – Sharbel Makhluf, Lebanese Maronite monk, born in Bekaa Kafra, North Governorate, Lebanon (d. 1898)
1895 – Jose Gomez [Joselito el Gallo], bullfighter
1948 – Don “Red” Young, American session, touring keyboard and piano player, band leader, and jazz Hammond B3 organist, born in Fort Worth, Texas
1952 – Beth Henley, actress/playwright (Miss Firecracker), born in Jackson, Mississippi
1976 – Martha Wainwright, Canadian-American musician and songwriter, born in Montréal, Quebec
1983 – Matt Willis, British singer

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Famous Deaths

1864 – James Samuel Wadsworth, gen-mjr (Union), dies in battle at 56
1947 – Harry Gordon Selfridge, American-born department store founder (b. 1858)
1975 – Avery Brundage, CEO (Intl Olympic Committee, 1952-72), dies at 87
1984 – Gino Bianco, Brazilian racing driver (b. 1916)
1999 – Dana Plato, American actress (Kimberly-Diff’rent Strokes), dies at 34
2008 – Eddy Arnold, American country music singer (“Make The World Go Away”; “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye”), dies at 89

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Today in History for 7th May 2021

Historical Events

1867 – Blacks stage ride-in to protest segregation in New Orleans
1943 – Dutch men 18-35 obliged to report to labor camps
1966 – Mamas and Papas “Monday Monday” hits #1
1980 – Yugoslav President Josip Tito is buried
1992 – Constitutional amendment barring mid-term congressional raises passes
2013 – The Dow Jones Industrial average and SandP 500 set record highs

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Famous Birthdays

1763 – Józef Antoni Poniatowski, Polish general and marshal of France, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1813)
1861 – Rabindranath Tagore, Indian philosopher, poet, writer (Nobel Prize for Literature 1913), born in Calcutta, British India (d. 1941)
1897 – Kitty McKane (Godfree), English tennis player (Olympic gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze-1920, 24), born in Bayswater, England (d. 1992)
1944 – Richard O’Sullivan, British comedy actor (Man About the House), born in Chiswick, London
1974 – Breckin Meyer, American voice actor and actor (Robot Chicken), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
1976 – Nicholas Butcher, field hockey midfielder/forward (Olympics 1996), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1092 – Remigius de Fécamp, first bishop of Lincoln (b. unknown)
1539 – Ottaviano Petrucci, Italian printer, dies at 73
1922 – Max Wagenknecht, German composer, dies at 64
1942 – Felix Paul von Weingartner, Austria conductor/composer, dies at 79
1976 – Alan Baxter, American actor (Big Town Girl, Rags to Riches), dies at 67
2009 – David Mellor, English cutlery designer (b. 1930)

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Today in History for 6th May 2021

Historical Events

1902 – British SS Camorta sinks off Rangoon; 739 die
1935 – Pulitzer prize awarded to Audrey Wurdemann (Bright Ambush)
1945 – World War II: Axis Sally delivers her last propaganda broadcast to Allied troops (first was on December 11, 1941).
1979 – Fred Markham set a bicycle speed record of 818 kph over 200 m
1995 – 121st Kentucky Derby: Gary Stevens on Thunder Gulch wins in 2:01.2
2017 – France bans too thin fashion models and makes labeling of digitally enhanced photos mandatory

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Famous Birthdays

1758 – Maximilien Robespierre, French revolutionary (President of the National Convention, Member of Committee of Public Safety), born in Arras, France (d. 1794)
1904 – Harry Martinson, Swedish novelist and poet (Trade Wind-Nobel 1974), born in Jämshög, Sweden (d. 1978)
1932 – Günther Hauk, German composer, born in Chemnitz, Germany (d. 1979)
1951 – Samuel Doe, President of Liberia (d. 1990)
1963 – Alessandra Ferri, British ballerina (American Ballet Theater)
1983 – Adrianne Palicki, American actress (Friday Night Lights, Agents of Shield), born in Toledo, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1502 – James Tyrrell, alleged murderer of the Princes in the Tower (executed)
1841 – John Thomson, Scottish composer, dies at 35
1873 – José Antonio Páez, President of Venezuela (1830-35), dies at 82
1993 – Minnie Gentry, actress (Def by Temptation), dies in NY at 77
2006 – Grant McLennan, co-founder of Australian band The Go-Betweens (b. 1958)
2015 – Errol Brown, British-Jamaican singer-songwriter (Hot Chocolate – “You Sexy Thing”), dies at 71

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Today in History for 5th May 2021

Historical Events

1640 – English Short Parliament rises
1956 – World championships of judo are 1st held in Tokyo
1966 – Borussia Dortmund of West Germany win 6th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Liverpool of England 2-1 in Glasgow
1969 – Pulitzer prize awarded to Norman Mailer (Armies of the Night)
1978 – Cincinnati Red Pete Rose becomes 14th player to get 3,000 hits
1987 – Detroit Tigers are 11 games back in AL, but go on to win AL East

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Famous Birthdays

1854 – Antonio Smareglia, Italian composer, born in Pula, Austria-Hungary (d. 1929)
1932 – Will Hutchins, American actor (Sugarfoot, Hey Landlord), born in Atwater, California
1955 – Robert Feld, National Scrabble Champion (1990), born in Nashville, Tennessee
1976 – Sage Stallone, American actor (Rocky V) and the eldest son of Sylvester Stallone, born in Los Angeles, California
1981 – Danielle Christine Fishel, American actress (Topanga-Boy Meets World), born in Mesa, Arizona
1985 – Terrence Wheatley, American football player (New England Patriots), born in Walnut Creek, California

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Famous Deaths

1672 – Samuel Cooper, English painter (b. 1609)
1859 – Peter G L Dirichlet, German mathematician, dies at 53
1892 – Jan Nepomuk Škroup, Czech composer, dies at 80
1892 – August Wilhelm von Hofmann, German chemist (b. 1818)
1988 – Tamara Pos, Suriname/Dutch activist
1989 – Frank Easton, cricket wicket-keeper (NSW 1933-39), dies

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Today in History for 4th May 2021

Historical Events

1818 – Netherlands and Britain sign treaty against illegal slave handling
1871 – 1st baseball league game (National Association of Baseball Players), (Ft Wayne 2, Cleveland 0) Deacon Jim White gets 1st hit, a double
1933 – Pulitzer prize awarded to Archibald Macleish (Conquistador)
1940 – 21 “not neutral” Nazis and communists arrested in Netherlands
1972 – “The Don’t Make A Wave Committee,” a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to the “Greenpeace Foundation”
1991 – ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Doug Kent

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Famous Birthdays

1921 – John van Kesteren, Dutch tenor (Komische Oper, West-Berlin), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2008)
1928 – Maynard Ferguson, Canadian jazz trumpeter (Roulette), born in Verdun, Quebec (d. 2006)
1949 – Zal Cleminson, Scottis guitarist (Alex Harvey Band), born in Glasgow
1957 – Peter Sleep, Australian cricketer (Australian leg-spin all-rounder 1979-90), born in Penola, Australia
1973 – Edward Hervey, Canadian NFL wide receiver (Dallas Cowboys), born in Houston, Texas
1984 – Kevin Slowey, American baseball player, born in Conroe, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1594 – Paul Buys, Grand Pensionary of Holland, dies at 62
1900 – Augustus Pitt Rivers, English archaeologist, dies at 73
1924 – Edith Nesbit, British children books author (The Story of the Treasure Seekers, Five Children and It), dies at 65
1929 – Henry Morton Dunham, composer, dies at 75
1980 – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and leader of Yugoslavia (1943-80), dies at 87
2013 – Otis Bowen, American politician, US Sec of Health and Human Services (1985-89), dies at 95

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