Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1021 – Synod of Pavia: emperor Henry II convicts married priest
1836 – As part of their homeward journey on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin returns to Bahia in Brazil
1852 – San Francisco Methodists establish 1st black church, Zion Methodist
1881 – US Quarantine Station authorized for Angel Island, San Francisco Bay
1933 – NY’s future Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell sets MLB record for consecutive scoreless innings at 45 1/3 as Giants lose 3-1 v Boston Braves
1944 – US troops enter Tessy-sur-Vir

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1814 – Ivan Gagarin, Russian Jesuit and founding editor of Études, born in Moscow (d. 1882)
1882 – Vaclav Klicka, Czech composer, born in Prague (d. 1953)
1930 – Julie Bovasso, American actress (Willie and Phil, Just Me and You), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1991)
1960 – Micheál Martin, Irish politician, Prime Minister of Ireland (2020-), born in Cork, Ireland
1961 – Brad Faxon Jr, American golfer (8 PGA Tour titles), born in Oceanport, New Jersey
1987 – Sébastien Pocognoli, Belgian footballer, born in Seraing, Belgium

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1580 – Albrecht Giese, German politician and diplomat (b. 1524)
1787 – Alfonso Liguori, Italian bishop and theologian, dies at 90
1883 – Karl Wilhelm Dindorf, classic scholar, dies
1980 – Strother Martin, American actor (Cool Hand Luke, Slapshot), dies of heart attack at 61
1986 – Willem Klein, variety artist, dies at about 73
2016 – Franciszek Macharski, Polish Cardinal, Archbishop of Krakow (1978-2005), dies at 87

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1751 – Fire in Stockholm destroys 1,000 houses
1879 – The first cable connection between South Africa and Europe is laid by the British electrical engineer Charles Tilston Bright as part of his project to link the British Empire with growing telecommunications technologies
1948 – American swimmer Wally Ris wins the coveted 100m freestyle gold medal at the London Olympics beating teammate Alan Ford by 0.4 seconds
1983 – US Open Women’s Golf, Cedar Ridge CC: Australian Jan Stephenson wins her 3rd major title; beats JoAnne Carner and Patty Sheehan by 1 stroke
1987 – A rare, class F-4 tornado rips through Edmonton, Alberta, killing 27 people and causing $330 million in damage
2007 – Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and longest-running British Army operation ever, comes to an end

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1939 – Norm Snead, American NFL quarterback (4-time Pro Bowl; Philadelphia Eagles), born in Halifax County, Virginia
1953 – Ted Baillieu, Australian Politician, Premier of Victoria (2010-13), born in Melbourne, Australia
1953 – Jimmy Cook, South African cricket opening batsman (3 Tests), born in Johannesburg, Transvaal
1962 – Troy Murray, Canadian NHL center, broadcaster (Chicago Black Hawks), born in Calgary, Alberta
1969 – Richard Griffith, NFL tight end (Jacksonville Jaguars)
1972 – Chris Weinke, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 2000, Florida State; Carolina Panthers), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1972 – Rollie Hemsley, American baseball catcher (5-time MLB All Star), dies of a heart attack at 65
1985 – Murray Chapple, New Zealand cricketer (NZ Test batsman through the 1950’s), dies at 55
1992 – G Harold Carswell, supreme court justice candidate 1970, dies at 72
1993 – Baudouin, king of Belgium (1951-93), dies at 62 from heart problems
1997 – Edith Fore, pitchwoman (I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!), dies at 81
2000 – Hendrik Christoffel Van de Hulst, Dutch astronomer (correctly predicted the existence of the 21 cm hyper-fine line of neutral atomic hydrogen in interstellar space), dies at 81

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1178 – Frederick I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor, crowned King of Burgundy
1913 – Conclusion of 2nd Balkan War
1951 – Ty Cobb testifies before the Emanuel Celler committee, denying that the reserve clause makes peons of baseball players
1981 – Simon Gray’s “Quartermaine’s Terms” premieres in London
1991 – Heavy metal band Metallica release their single “Enter Sandman”
2012 – Indian power grid failure leaves over 300 million without electricity

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1825 – Chaim Aronson, Lithuanian inventor and academic, born in Seredžius, Lithuania (d. 1893)
1914 – Lord Killanin, Irish 6th International Olympic Committee President (1972-80), born in London (d. 1999)
1924 – William H. Gass, American novelist and philosopher (Omensetter’s Luck), born in Fargo, North Dakota (d. 2017)
1947 – William Atherton, American actor (Real Genius, Ghostbusters, Class of 44), born in Orange, Connecticut
1981 – Hope Solo, American soccer player (US women’s national team goalkeeper), born in Richland, Washington
2002 – Prince Hridayendra of Nepal, Nepalese royal, born in Kathmandu, Nepal

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1771 – Thomas Gray, English poet, dies at 54
1976 – Emil Solomon “Solly” Sachs, South African socialist, dies in London
1990 – Ian Gow, British Conservative parliament leader, murdered
1997 – Bảo Đại, last Emperor of Vietnam (1926-45) and Chief of State of South Vietnam (1949-55), dies at 85
2007 – William Balchin, English geographer, dies at 91
2019 – Nick Buoniconti, American NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins) and sportscaster (NBC), dies at 78

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1585 – University of Franeker/ University of Friesland opens in the Netherlands
1927 – Phil Mead scores his 100th 100, Hampshire v Northants
1940 – SV. Urk Dutch soccer team forms
1943 – Nazi’s evacuate Hollandsche Theater in Amsterdam
2013 – €103 million of diamonds is stolen from the Carton Intercontinental Hotel, Cannes, France
2015 – Zion Harvey became the first paediatric patient to receive a double hand transplant at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1758 – Antonius van Gils, Dutch RC theologist (opposed Enlightenment)
1843 – Johannes Schmidt, German linguist (d. 1901)
1884 – Ralph A. Bard, U.S. Navy Undersecretary (d. 1975)
1919 – Miltos Sachtouris, Greek poet (d. 2005)
1955 – Dave Stevens, American illustrator
1973 – Stephen Dorff, actor (I Know My Name is Steven), born in Atlanta, Georgia

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1887 – Agostino Depretis, Italian statesman, Prime Minister of Italy (1876-78, 1778-79, 1881-87), dies at 74
1906 – Alexandre Luigini, French composer (Ballet égyptien), dies at 56
1922 – Edward Gailliard, Flemish linguist and archaeologist, dies at 81
1954 – Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater (World Alllround Speed Skating champion 1905), dies at 75
1973 – Norm Smith, Australian rules footballer and coach (b. 1915)
2003 – Johnny Walker [Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi], Indian actor (Madhumati, Chachi 420), dies at 82

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1790 – Henry James Pye appointed as British Poet Laureate by King George III
1851 – Total solar eclipse captured on a daguerreotype photograph
1937 – Richard Moore scores 316 for Hampshire against Warwickshire
1959 – Hawaii’s 1st US election sends 1st Asian-Americans to Congress
1964 – Ranger 7 launched toward the Moon; sends back 4308 TV pictures
1973 – Skylab 3’s astronauts (Bean, Garriott and Lousma) launched

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1804 – Ludwig A Feuerbach, German philosopher (Man is what he eats)
1927 – John Ashbery, American poet (Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror), born in Rochester, New York (d. 2017)
1930 – David “Junior” Kimbrough, American bluesman, born in Hudsonville, Mississippi (d. 1998)
1943 – Larry Elkins, football player (Houston Oilers)
1960 – Yōichi Takahashi, Japanese mangaka of Captain Tsubasa and Hungry Heart Wild Striker
1985 – Dustin Milligan, Canadian actor, born in Yellowknife, Canada

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

450 – Theodosius II, the Younger, Eastern Roman emperor (408-450), dies after a riding accident at 49
1540 – Thomas Cromwell, English chief minister for King Henry VIII, executed for treason and heresy at 54 or 55
1838 – Bernhard Henrik Crusell, Swedish-Finnish composer, dies at 62
1895 – Edward Beecher, American theologian, dies at 91
1996 – Harold Fox, American fashion designer and musician, dies at 86
2007 – Jim LeRoy, Airshow pilot (b. 1961)

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1836 – The ship the “Duke of York” arrives with the first colonists at Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
1909 – Orville Wright tests 1st US Army airplane, flying 1h12m40s
1924 – VIII Summer Olympic Games close in Paris, France
1931 – Grasshoppers in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota destroyed thousands of acres of crops
1946 – 45th Women’s French Championships: Margaret Osborne beats Pauline Betz (1-6, 8-6, 7-5)
1953 – Vatican disallows priest holiday work in factory

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1768 – Charlotte Corday, French revolutionary who murdered Jean-Paul Marat in a bath, born in Saint-Saturnin, France (d. 1793)
1886 – Ernst May, German architect and city planner (New Frankfurt), born in Frankfurt am Main (d. 1970)
1931 – Khieu Samphan, Cambodian communist politician, born in Rumduol, Svay Rieng, French Protectorate of Cambodia
1944 – Barbara Thompson, British jazz saxophonist and composer, born in Oxford, England
1949 – David Muse, American rocker (Firefall – “You Are The Woman”), born in Rome, Georgia
1974 – Pete Yorn, American musician (Musicforthemorningafter), born in Pompton Plains, New Jersey

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1841 – Mikhail Lermontov, Russian poet and writer (Demon and other poems), dies at 26
1944 – Victor Jean Leonard Vreuls, composer, dies at 68
1974 – Lightnin’ Slim [Otis Hicks], American Louisiana blues electric guitarist, singer, and songwriter (“Bad Luck And Trouble”), dies of stomach cancer at 64
1976 – Ray Brennan, retired US Air Force captain, American Legion bookkeeper and the 1st American to die of “Legionnaire’s Disease”, dies of an apparent heart attack at 61
1986 – Leroy Holmes, American orchestra leader (The Tonight Show, 1956-57), dies at 72
1993 – Reggie Lewis, NBA star (Boston Celtics), dies of heart failure at 27

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1926 – Philippines government asks USA for a plebiscite on independence
1945 – Japanese government disregards US ultimatum
1948 – Leo Durocher returns to Ebbets Field as a NY Giant
1965 – Republic of Maldives gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1984 – Expos Pete Rose ties Ty Cobb with his 3,502nd single
2005 – Space Shuttle program: STS-114 Mission – Launch of Discovery, NASA’s first scheduled flight mission after the Columbia Disaster in 2003

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1895 – Jane Bunford, Britain’s tallest-ever person measuring 2.41 metres (7 ft 11 in) at the time of her death, born in Bartley Green, Northfield, Birmingham (d. 1922)
1899 – Carel C. van Essen, Dutch archaeologist (Italian and Roman art), born in Amsterdam (d. 1963)
1934 – Anthony Gilbert, British composer, born in London
1943 – Roger Smalley, British-Australian composer, born in Swinton, Lancashire (d. 2015)
1954 – Vitas Gerulaitis, Lithuanian/American tennis player (Australian Open 1977; Wimbledon doubles 1975), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1994)
1987 – Miriam McDonald, Canadian actress (Degrassi: The Next Generation), born in Oakville, Ontario

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1342 – Charles I Robert van Anjou, King of Hungary (1307-42), dies
1957 – Carlos Castillo Armas, Dictator and President of Guatemala (1954-57), assassinated by a palace guard with leftist sympathies at 42
1987 – Joe Liggins, American pianist and vocalist (The Honeydripper), dies at 71
2004 – Sipho Gumede, South African jazz legend, lung cancer (birthdate unknown)
2015 – Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, dies in a coma at 22
2018 – Simegnew Bekele, Ethiopian dam engineer (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam), murdered at 53

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1585 – Amsterdam bans 45 roman catholics
1913 – A meeting in Johannesburg, called by the South African Native National Congress, now African National Congress, is attended by a large number of people from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland
1938 – Jewish artisans not allowed in Germany
1942 – German troops strike at Tsym Lyanskaja
1964 – “Here’s Love” closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 338 performances
2012 – The 2012 Summer Olympics begin (Opening ceremony 27th)

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1860 – Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught, born in Potsdam, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1917)
1883 – Alfredo Casella, Italian composer and conductor (La Giara), born in Turin, Italy (d. 1947)
1901 – Lila Lee, American actress (Midnight Girl, Blood and Sand), born in Union Hill, New Jersey (d. 1973)
1908 – Jack Gilford, American actor (Save the Tiger, Cocoon, Arthur 2), born in NYC, New York (d. 1990)
1961 – Bobbie Eakes, American actress (The Bold and the Beautiful), born in Warner Robins, Georgia
1985 – Nelson Piquet Jr., Brazilian auto racer (Formula E champion 2014-15), born in Heidelberg, West Germany

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1918 – Carlos Guido y Spano, Argentine poet (Mexico, canto epico), dies
1955 – Ilmari Hannikainen, Finnish composer, drowns during a sailing trip at 62
1986 – Theodore H “Ted” Lyons, pitcher (Chicago White Sox), dies at 85
1987 – Malcolm Baldrige, American businessman and US Secretary of Commerce (1981-87), dies of internal injuries at 64
2007 – Bernd Jakubowski, German goalkeeper (b. 1952)
2009 – Stanley Middleton, British novelist (Holiday, Three Wise Men), dies at 89

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1411 – Battle of Harlaw, one of the bloodiest battles in Scotland, takes place
1833 – HMS Beagle departs Maldonado, Uruguay
1943 – Operation Gomorrah: RAF begins bombing Hamburg (till 3rd August), creating a firestorm and killing 42,600 people
1967 – The Beatles sign a petition in Times to legalize marijuana
1994 – 32nd Tennis Fed Cup: Spain beats USA in Frankfurt Germany (3-0)
2001 – Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the last Tsar of Bulgaria when he was a child, is sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria, becoming the first monarch in history to regain political power through democratic election to a different office.

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1807 – Ira Aldridge, famed 19th century African American Shakespearian actor (Othello), born in NYC, New York (d. 1867)
1904 – Leo Arnaud, French-American composer (Bugler’s Dream), born in Lyon, France (d. 1991)
1914 – Frank Silvera, Jamaican-American actor (High Chaparral, Killer’s Kiss, Fear and Desire), born in Kingston, Jamaica (d. 1970)
1939 – Walt Bellamy, American Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA All-Star 1962–65; NBA Rookie of Year 1962; Olympic gold 1960), born in New Bern, North Carolina (d. 2013)
1950 – Sam Behrens, actor (Jake Meyer-General Hospital, Sunset Beach, LA Law)
1990 – Evan James Springsteen, American rocker and Bruce Springsteen’s son, born in Los Angeles, California

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1931 – Willem Treub, Dutch economist and politician, dies at 75
1947 – Ernest Austin, composer, dies at 72
1962 – Victor Moore, comedian, dies of heart attack at 86
1974 – Ernest Milton, actor (Julius Caesar, Cat Girl), dies at 84
2009 – E. Lynn Harris, American Author (b. 1955)
2011 – Frank Dietrich, German politician (b. 1966)

More Famous Deaths »

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

More Historical Events »

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

More Famous Birthdays »

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

More Famous Deaths »