Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1665 – English King Charles II declares war on Netherlands
1830 – Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” premieres in Venice
1970 – Jacksonville is 1st college basketball team to avg 100+ pts per game
1991 – Iraq releases 6 US, 3 British and 1 Italian POW
1994 – 4 Arab terrorist founded guilty of bombing the World Trade Center
2013 – British TV drama “Broadchurch” created by Chris Chibnall, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman premieres on ITV

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Famous Birthdays

1921 – Dinny Pails, Australian tennis player (Australian C’ship 1947), born in Nottingham, England (d. 1986)
1949 – Carroll Baker, Canadian country singer and songwriter, born in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
1975 – Antti Aalto, Finnish ice hockey player
1976 – Vic Wunderle, American archer
1984 – Ai Iwamura, Japanese actress
1992 – Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, daughter of Albert II, Prince of Monaco

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Famous Deaths

1805 – Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French painter, dies at 79
1872 – Johannes Carsten Hauch, Danish poet (b. 1790)
1973 – Samuel Tolansky, British scientist and expert on spectroscopy (b. 1907)
1984 – Geoffrey Lumsden, British actor (b. 1914)
1993 – Nicholas Ridley, Lord Ridley of Liddesdale, English politician, Minister of Finance, dies at 64
2020 – Robert Shavlakadze, Georgian high jumper (Olympic gold high jump for Soviet Union 1960), dies at 86

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Historical Events

1837 – Congress increases US Supreme Court membership from 7 to 9
1882 – NY Steam Corp begins distributing steam to Manhattan buildings
1885 – American Telephone and Telegraph (ATandT) incorporates
1894 – 4th and last British government of Gladstone resigns
1965 – The Temptations’ “My Girl” reaches #1
2012 – Lorry crash in east Guinea kills 50 and injures 27

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Famous Birthdays

1678 – Madeleine de Verchères, French Canadian heroine (d. 1747)
1882 – Charles Ponzi [Carlo], Italian con-man (Ponzi scheme in the US), born in Lugo, Italy (d. 1949)
1973 – Tisha Venturini, Modesto California, soccer midfielder (Olympics 1996)
1973 – Jim Mills, tackle (San Diego Chargers)
1979 – Patrick Renna, American actor
1982 – Colton Orr, Canadian ice hockey player

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Famous Deaths

1908 – Karl Josef Rudolph Cornely, German Jesuit biblical scholar, dies at 77
1943 – George Thomson, cricketer (all-rounder-6 Tests for Eng 1909-10), dies
1994 – Anita Morris, actress (Nine), dies of cancer at 50
1996 – Leo Malet, French crime novelist, dies at 86
2008 – Giuseppe Di Stefano, Italian operatic tenor, dies at 86
2012 – Ronnie Montrose, American rock guitarist (Montrose, Gamma), dies from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 64

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Historical Events

1868 – University of Illinois opens
1929 – US Congress creates Court of Customs and Patent Appeals
1933 – Sanriku earthquake of 8.4 and tsunami hit Japan, country’s most powerful earthquake in 180 years
1940 – The first televised intercollegiate track meet is seen in NYC on W2XBS; NYU wins the meet presented live from Madison Square Garden
1988 – Dutch Liberal Party merged with SDP
2017 – US Attorney General Jeff Sessions recuses himself from the investigation into Trump campaign contacts with Russia after revelations he met Russian ambassador

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Famous Birthdays

1459 – Adrian VI [Adriaan F Boeyens], Netherlands, Pope (1522-23)
1760 – Camille Desmoulins, French journalist/pamphleteer/revolution leader
1779 – Joel Roberts Poinsett, American statesman and botanist (d. 1851)
1966 – Judith Wiesner, Austrian tennis player (World #12 1997; captain Austria’s Federation Cup team 2001), born in Hallein Austria
1979 – Damien Duff, Irish soccer winger (100 caps, Republic of Ireland; Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Fulham), born in Dublin, Ireland
1980 – Lance Cade, American pro wrestler (WWE Tag Team Champion [with Trevor Murdoch] 2005), born in Carroll, Iowa (d. 2010)

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Famous Deaths

1127 – Charles, the Good, Count of Flanders, murdered
1943 – Alexandre Yersin, Swiss French bacteriologist (discovered bubonic plague bacillus), dies at 79
1959 – Eric Blore, British actor (Great Gatsby, Bowery to Baghdad, Abie’s Irish Rose, Love Happy), dies at 70
1977 – Eugénie Brazier, French chef who was the 1st woman to earn 3 Michelin stars (1933), and the 1st person earn 3 Michelin stars for 2 restaurants, dies at 81
2009 – Chris Finnegan, British boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1968), dies of pneumonia at 64
2012 – Nydia Ecury, celebrated Afro-Dutch writer, translator and actress (Kantika pa Mama Tera), dies at 86

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Historical Events

705 – John VII begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1954 – US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15 megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll, which accidentally became the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the US
1973 – Pink Floyd release their album “Dark Side of the Moon”, since sold over 45 million copies
1983 – Alpine skier Tamara McKinney becomes the first American woman to top the overall World Cup standings with 225 points
1996 – Atlanta’s Lenny Wilkens becomes first coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 career victories when the Hawks beat Cleveland Cavaliers, 74-68
2016 – US primary elections: Super Tuesday – both Republican Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton win seven state races each

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Famous Birthdays

1445 – Sandro Botticelli, Florentine Renaissance painter (Birth of Venus), probable date of birth
1920 – Howard Nemerov, American 3rd US poet laureate/novelist (Blue Swallows)
1926 – Cesare Danova, Italian-American actor (Tentacles, Viva Las Vegas, Garrison’s Gorillas), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1992)
1973 – Jack Davenport, English actor (Pirates of the Caribbean), born in London, England
1978 – Donovan Patton, Guamanian television star
1994 – Justin Bieber, Canadian singer and musician (Baby, Sorry, What Do You Mean?), born in London, Ontario

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Famous Deaths

1233 – Thomas, Count of Savoy, dies at 55
1244 – Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Fawr, son of Welsh leader Llywelyn the Great, dies trying to escape from the Tower of London (b. 1200)
1792 – Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1765-90) and Holy Roman Emperor (1790-92), dies at 44
1896 – Vittorio Dabormida, Italian general who fought in the Italo-Ethiopian War, dies in the Battle of Adwa at 53
1995 – Vladislav Listyev, Russian journalist, murdered at 38
1996 – Margaret McKay, British politician, dies at 85

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Historical Events

1922 – KHQ-AM in Spokane WA begins radio transmissions
1924 – US begins intervention in Honduras
1925 – Longest win streak in Toronto Maple Leaf history (9 games)
1959 – Ice Pairs Championship at Colorado Springs won by Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul of Canada, their 3rd title
1969 – Ladies Figure Skating Champion in Colorado Springs won by Gabriele Seyfert of Great Britain
2012 – 54th Daytona 500: Rain affected race stopped for 2 hours because of fuel on track; Matt Kenseth leads for final 34 laps to win

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Famous Birthdays

1896 – Philip Showalter Hench, American physician (Nobel Prize 1950 for cortisone), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1965)
1931 – Jack Thieuloy, French writer, born in Beaucaire (d. 1996)
1947 – Stephanie Beacham, England, (Devil’s Widow, Schizo, Dallas, Colbys)
1952 – Eddie Manion, saxophonist
1970 – Daniel Handler, American writer, better known as Lemony Snicket
1971 – Tristan Louis, American writer

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Famous Deaths

1786 – John Gwynn, English architect and engineer (b. 1713)
1912 – Bill Storer, English cricket wicket-keeper (6 Tests 1897-99), dies
1949 – Stanley Marchant, English composer, dies at 65
1974 – Mees Toxopeus, Dutch rescue-vessel captain, dies at 89
1979 – Mr Ed, talking horse, dies
2008 – Mike Smith, English musician (The Dave Clark Five), dies at 64

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Historical Events

1879 – Russian Chemist Constantin Fahlberg discovers saccharin (artificial sweetener)
1964 – The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.
1983 – Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland set indoor mile record of 3:49.78
2003 – Rowan Williams is enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.
2013 – 17 Afghan militia are killed by Taliban insurgents in an attack in the Andar District
2019 – First gun control legislation for 25 years passed by US House of Representatives, with new federal background checks

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Famous Birthdays

1878 – Alvan T. Fuller, 50th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
1912 – Kusumagraj, Indian writer (d. 1999)
1934 – Vincent Fourcade, French interior designer, born in Paris, France (d. 1992)
1951 – Stathis Psaltis, Greek actor, born in Velo, Greece (d. 2017)
1960 – Andres Gomez, Ecuadorian tennis player (Madrid Grand Prix-1990), born in Guayaquil, Ecuador
1966 – Pete Smith, American baseball player (Atlanta Braves, NY Mets), born in Abington, Massachusetts

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Famous Deaths

1666 – Luisa de Guzmán, Queen of Portugal (1640-56), dies at 52
1964 – Orry-Kelly, Australian costume designer (b. 1897)
1994 – Roosevelt Holts, American blues singer and guitarist, dies at 89
2008 – William F. Buckley Jr, American conservative author and commentator (National Review, Firing Line), dies of a heart attack at 82
2015 – Boris Nemtsov, Russian politician, dies at 55, shot four times in Moscow
2019 – Nathaniel Taylor, American actor (Rollo-Sanford and Sons), dies at 80

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Historical Events

1839 – 1st Grand National steeplechase, Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool: Jem Mason wins aboard 5/1 favourite Lottery
1949 – USAF plane began 1st nonstop around-the-world flight
1965 – Dutch government of Marijnen falls
1981 – French Train Grande Vitesse averages 380 kph on trial run
1987 – Wash blocks 20 Indiana shots tying NBA regulation game record
2019 – More than 4,500 complaints of child sexual abuse against migrant children received by US Health Department, Department of Justice received 1,300 more

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Famous Birthdays

1838 – Wendelin Weißheimer, German composer and conductor, born in Osthofen (d. 1910)
1845 – Alexander III, Russian tsar (1881-94), born in the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, Russian Empire (3/10 NS)
1928 – Ariel Sharon, Israeli general and politician, Prime Minister of Israel (2001-2006), born at Kfar Malal (d. 2014)
1960 – Jaz Coleman, British musician (Killing Joke), born in Cheltenham, United Kingdom
1968 – J. T. Snow, American baseball infielder (NY Yankees, California Angels), born in Long Beach, California
1973 – Marshall Faulk, American NFL running back (Indianapolis Colts), born in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Famous Deaths

1577 – Erik XIV, King of Sweden (1560-69), dies of arsenic poisoning at 43
1883 – Alexandros Koumoundouros, Greek politician, Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1817)
1963 – Artturi Leinonen, Finnish journalist and writer (Kati), dies at 74
1973 – Doc Hayes, American basketball coach (Southern Methodist University 1947-67), dies in an auto accident at 67
1994 – Leopold “Hans” Kohr, Austrian social philosopher, dies at 84
1997 – Nuccio Bertone, Italian automobile designer, dies at 82

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Historical Events

1358 – Dalmatie flees Venice
1911 – Victor Herbert’s opera “Natoma” premieres at Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1924 – Marie Boyd scores 156 points in Maryland HS basketball game (163-3)
1986 – Thousands of Egyptian military police riot, destroy 2 luxury hotel
1998 – Switzerland’s 1st legal brothel opens in Zurich
2018 – Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen wins gold in women’s 30k at Pyeongchang Winter Olympics; brings her total Games medal haul to 15, most won by any athlete in Winter Games history

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Famous Birthdays

1890 – Myra Hess, concert pianist, born in London, England
1901 – Federico Ghisi, composer
1907 – Mary Coyle Chase, playwright (Harvey-Pulitzer Prize)
1918 – Rena Kyriakou, Greek pianist (d. 1994)
1944 – Karen Grassle, American actress (Caroline-Little House on Prairie), born in Berkeley, California
1973 – Julio José Iglesias, Spanish singer

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Famous Deaths

1719 – Giovanni Maria Casini, Italian composer, dies at 66
1919 – Josef Christiaens, Belgian racing driver (b. 1879)
1978 – Daniel “Chappie” James Jr, retired Air Force general, dies at 58
1992 – John E Allen Jr, actor (1 2 3), dies
1993 – Jan D Boeke, Dutch organist/conductor, dies
2013 – C Everett Koop, American pediatric surgeon, health administrator and 13th US Surgeon General (1982-89), dies at 96

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Historical Events

1597 – Flemish painter Frederick of Valckenborch becomes porter of Frankfurt-on-Main
1917 – German plan to get Mexican help in WW I exposed (Zimmerman telegram)
1924 – Mahatma Gandhi released from jail
1952 – Norway goes 1-2 in the men’s ski jumping event at the Oslo Winter Olympics with Arnfinn Bergmann winning gold ahead of teammate Torbjørn Falkanger
1983 – Dow Jones closes above 1100 mark for 1st time
2018 – Men’s big air snowboarding event makes Olympic debut at Pyeongchang; Canada’s Sébastien Toutant is inaugural gold medallist

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Famous Birthdays

1842 – Arrigio Enrico Boito, composer
1885 – Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Polish writer and painter (d. 1939)
1909 – Michael Francis Morris Lindsay, orientalist
1940 – Theo Bosch, Dutch humanist/architect (Nieuwmarkt, Amsterdam)
1954 – Plastic Bertrand [Roger François Jouret], Belgian singer (Ça plane pour moi), born in Brussels, Belgium
1973 – Alexei Kovalev, NHL right wing (NY Rangers), born in Moscow, Russia

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Famous Deaths

1924 – Edmond Picard, French-Belgian lawyer and writer (Ambidextre journalist), dies at 87
1929 – André Charles Prosper Messager, French organist, composer and conductor (Les Deux Pigeons, Véronique), dies at 75
1990 – Malcolm Forbes, American publisher of Forbes Magazine, dies of a heart attack at 70
1991 – Marcella Markham, dies of breast cancer at 68
1994 – Jean Sablon, French singer-songwriter, dies at 87
1998 – Henny Youngman, American comedian and violinist (Take my wife … please), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1792 – Humane Society of Massachusetts incorporated (erected life-saving stations for distressed mariners)
1904 – United States acquires control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million
1987 – Russian Writers Union accepts Boris Pasternak posthumous as member
2007 – A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, England, killing one person and injuring 22. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents.
2008 – B-2 Spirit of the USAF crashes at Guam. Crew survives but aircraft written off, the most expensive air crash in human history (aircraft alone cost $1.2Bn). B-2 had a perfect safety record before the crash; not one B-2 ever crashed.
2019 – Clashes on Venezuelan border kills two as its country’s officials try to stop aid getting in

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Famous Birthdays

1723 – Richard Price, Welsh philosopher (d. 1791)
1824 – Herman N van der Tuuk, Dutch philologist (Tobasch’ Grammar)
1920 – John St Aubyn, 4th Baron St Levan, English peer (St Michael’s Mount), born in London (d. 2013)
1937 – David Ward, president (Law Society)
1940 – Jermyn P Brooks, CEO (Price Waterhouse Europe)
1980 – Rafael Payare, Venezuelan conductor (San Diego Symphony, 2019-present), born in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela

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Famous Deaths

1821 – John Keats, English Romantic poet (Ode to a Grecian Urn), dies of tuberculosis at 25
1934 – Edward Elgar, English composer (Coronation Ode, Pomp and Circumstance), dies of colorectal cancer at 76
1969 – Madhubala [Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi], Indian actress regarded as “The Venus of Indian Cinema”, dies of a heart condition at 36
1994 – Stuart Berger, doctor (Immune Power Diet), dies from obesity at 40
1995 – James Herriot [Alfred Wight], Scottish author (All Creatures Great and Small), dies at 78
1996 – George Alan Dawson, jazz drummer/teacher, dies at 66

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