Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1784 – 1st US ship to trade with China, “Empress of China”, sails from NY
1918 – Germany claims Baltic states, Finland and Ukraine from Russia
1920 – 1st artificial rabbit used at a dog race track (Emeryville, California)
1952 – Germany takes the Olympic bobsleigh double with gold in the 4-man event at the Oslo Winter Games; Adreas Ostler and Lorenz Niebert score their 2nd gold medals after winning the 2-man a week earlier
1958 – Australian swimmer Jon Konrads sets 6 world records in 2 days
2015 – 57th Daytona 500: Joey Logano wins event for 2nd time after taking lead with 10 laps to go; is ahead of Kevin Harvick before caution flag on last lap ends race in his favour

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Famous Birthdays

1839 – Francis Pharcellus Church, American editor and publisher (d. 1906)
1896 – Edvin Wide, Swedish 10K runner (Olympic silver 1924)
1904 – Peter Hurd, Roswell NM, painter (Portrait of Jose Herrera)
1938 – Pierre Vallières, French-Canadian politician, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1995)
1959 – Kyle MacLachlan, American actor (Blue Velvet, Dune, Twin Peaks), born in Yakima, Washington
1974 – Aaron Gavey, Canadian NHL center (Tampa Bay Lightning), born in Greater Sudbury, Canada

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Famous Deaths

1750 – Pietro Filippo Scarlotti, composer, dies at 71
1875 – Charles Lyell, British geologist (Elements of Geology), dies at 77
1914 – Valliamma Mudaliar, took part in Indian passive resistance, dies of a fever contracted in prison
1945 – Osip Brik, Russian writer (b. 1888)
1973 – Jean-Jacques Bertrand, 21st Premier of Quebec (1968-70), dies at 56
1998 – Jose Maria de Areilza, Sp minister of foreign affairs (1975-76), dies

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Historical Events

1564 – Philip II routes Cardinal Granvelle to Franche-Comte
1963 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1971 – Series of tornadoes cuts through Miss and La killing 117
1974 – Israeli forces leave western Suez
1980 – Liechtenstein becomes the smallest country to produce an Olympic champion as Hanni Wenzel wins the women’s giant slalom at the Lake Placid Winter Games
1989 – Pete Rose meets with Commissioner Ueberroth to discuss his gambling

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Famous Birthdays

1902 – Arthur D Nock, English/American historian (St Paul)
1910 – Douglas R S Bader, British pilot (WWII)
1915 – Ann Sheridan, American actress (They Drive by Night, Dodge City, Another World), born in Denton, Texas (d. 1967)
1939 – Richard Beymer, Avoca IA, actor (West Side Story, Diary of Anne Frank)
1961 – Abhijit Banerjee, American economist, 2019 Nobel Prize for Economics, born in Mumbai, India
1969 – James Dean Bradfield, Welsh singer-songwriter (Manic Street Preachers), born in Pontypool, Wales

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Famous Deaths

1471 – John of Rokycan, Czech Catholic archbishop
1595 – Robert Southwell, English Jesuit/poet, hanged
1899 – Sir George Bowen, British provincial governor and 5th Governor of New Zealand (1868-73), dies at 77
1996 – H. L. Gold, American sci-fi writer and editor, dies at 81
1999 – Gertrude B. Elion, American biochemist and drug researcher who developed groundbreaking leukemia and herpes drug treatments (Nobel 1988), dies at 81
2005 – Eugene Scott, American religious broadcaster (b. 1929)

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Historical Events

1811 – Austria declares bankruptcy
1922 – Marc Connelly and George Kaufman’s “To the Ladies” premieres in NYC
1931 – Congress allows California to build Oakland-Bay Bridge
1950 – WOL-AM in Washington, D.C. swaps calls with WWDC
1959 – The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
2016 – US primary elections: South Carolina Republican Primary – Donald Trump wins with 32.5%

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Famous Birthdays

1901 – Jimmy Yancey, American boogie-woogie jazz and blues pianist, born in Chicago, Illinos (d. 1951) [birth year disputed – documentation ranges from 1894-1903]
1908 – Rosalind Laura Burke, aviatrix
1940 – Christoph Eschenbach, German-born pianist and conductor, born in Breslau, Germany
1943 – Mike Leigh, dramatist/director (High Hopes, Secrets and Lies)
1963 – Darek Oleszkiewicz [formerly known as Oles], Polish jazz bassist, composer (Los Angeles Jazz Quartet), and educator, born in Wrocław, Poland
1976 – Fulvia di Domenico, Italian jazz and world music singer-songwriter, born in Rome, Italy

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Famous Deaths

702 – K’inich Kan B’alam II, king of the Maya state of Palenque (b. 635)
1408 – Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, English statesman, dies at 66
1907 – Henri Moissan, French chemist who isolated the element “fluorine” from its compounds (Nobel 1906), dies of appendicitis at 54
1995 – Shlomo Averbach, Rabbi, buried in Jerusalem, 250,000 attend
1999 – Sarah Kane, English playwright (b. 1971)
2016 – Peter Mondavi, American winemaker (Charles Krug – Napa Valley), dies at 101

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Historical Events

1920 – Netherlands joins League of Nations
1950 – Groundbreaking ceremony held for Mississippi Vocational College (later Mississippi Valley State University)
1987 – Minnesota sheriff’s office arrest FBI’s most wanted, Thomas G. Harrelson
1995 – Michael Tippett’s “Rose Lake,” premieres
2007 – Three Salvadoran deputies to the Central American Parliament and their driver are murdered in Guatemala
2007 – Blogging website Tumblr is founded by David Karp in New York

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Famous Birthdays

1894 – Herb Pennock, hall of fame pitcher (Yankees, 243 career wins)
1903 – Sadiq Hidajat, Persian writer (Blind Person Owl), (d. 1951)
1912 – Adolf Rudnicki, Polish writer (Niekochana)
1944 – Jan Bart Klaster, mythologist (Slogan)
1961 – Justin Fashanu, English footballer (d. 1998)
1975 – Raymond Graanoogst, Suriname/Dutch soccer player (FC Utrecht)

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Famous Deaths

1957 – Maurice Garin, Italian-born French road bicycle racer (winner of Tour de France in 1903), dies at 85
1968 – Ralph Dunn, actor (Mr Rudge-Norby), dies at 65
1985 – Elizabeth Julesberg, author (Dick and Jane), dies
2001 – Stanley Kramer, American producer/director (Inherit the Wind), dies at 87
2007 – Celia Franca, Canadian ballet dancer, founder of National Ballet of Canada, dies at 85
2008 – Teo Macero [Attilio Joseph Macero], American jazz saxophonist, composer and record producer (Miles Davis), dies at 82

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Historical Events

1849 – 1st regular steamboat service to California starts (or 02/28)
1915 – Germany begins a blockade of Britain
1930 – Luigi Pirandello’s “Come Tu Mi Vuoi” premieres in Milan
1951 – Netherlands Radio School forms
1960 – VIII Winter Olympic Games open in Squaw Valley, California
1973 – Belgian Emiel Puttemans runs 3,000m indoor record 7:39.2

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Famous Birthdays

1920 – Bill Cullen, Pitts, TV game show host (over 20 different games)
1925 – Marcel Barbeau, Quebec artist
1934 – Skip Battin, American singer-songwriter (The Byrds), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2003)
1946 – Michael Buerk, British newsreader
1954 – John Travolta, American actor (Grease, Pulp Fiction), born in Englewood, New Jersey
1970 – Susan Egan, American actress, born in Seal Beach, California

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Famous Deaths

1745 – Nicola Fago, Italian baroque composer, dies at 67
1788 – John Whitehurst, English clockmaker and scientist, dies at 75
1906 – John Batterson Stetson, American hat manufacturer, dies at 75
1993 – Edward S “Ted” Haworth, US set designer (Sayonara, Marty), dies at 76
1997 – Eric Fenby, English composer and president (Delius Society), dies at 90
2008 – Mickey Renaud, Canadian professional ice hockey player (b. 1988)

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Historical Events

1865 – -18] Battle of Charleston, South Carolina
1878 – 1st telephone exchange in San Francisco opens with 18 phones
1885 – Bismarck gives Carl Peters’ firm management of East-Africa
1905 – Frances Willard becomes 1st women honored in National Statuary Hall
1931 – 1st telecast of a sporting event in Japan (baseball)
1996 – 1st full ODI for the Netherlands, v NZ, cricket World Cup Nolan Clarke makes ODI debut for Netherlands at age 47

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Famous Birthdays

1796 – Philipp Franz von Siebold, German physician (d. 1866)
1821 – Lola Montez, Irish dancer and courtesan, born in Grange, Ireland (d. 1861)
1848 – Louisa Lawson, Australian suffragist and writer (d. 1920)
1908 – Staats Cotsworth, American actor (Hamlet, Peyton Place), born in Oak Park, Illinois (d. 1979)
1916 – Raf Vallone, Italian actor (El Cid, 2 Women, Greek Tycoon), born in Tropea, Italy (d. 2002)
1972 – Valeria Mazza, Argentinian model and businesswoman, born in Rosario, Argentina

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Famous Deaths

1841 – Ferdinando Carulli, Italian composer, dies at 70
1854 – John Martin, English painter and engraver, dies at 64
1987 – Hal K. Dawson, American actor (Another Language, Wells Fargo), dies at 90
1990 – Marc Clement, actor (Career Opportunities, Sluggers Wife), dies at 39
2007 – Maurice Papon, French Nazi collaborator, dies at 92
2018 – Beatricce “Beebe” Freitas [nee Botty], American pianist, organist, and voice teacher (Hawaii Opera Theatre), dies at 79

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Historical Events

1892 – Opera “Werther” by Jules Massenet premieres in Vienna
1946 – 1st commercially designed helicopter tested, Bridgeport, Connecticut
1946 – “The Duchess Misbehaves” closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 5 performances
1980 – American speed skater Eric Heiden wins 5,000m in Olympic record 7:02.29; second of record 5 gold medal sweep of events at Lake Placid
2001 – Mathieu Schneider of the Los Angeles Kings becomes the first defenseman in history to score a goal against all 30 NHL teams as LA beats Minnesota, 4-0
2004 – The Pittsburgh Penguins lose their 12th consecutive home game, a NHL record

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Famous Birthdays

1519 – Gaspard de Coligny, Huguenot leader/French admiral
1543 – Kano Eitoku, Japanese painter (d. 1590)
1868 – Wilhelm Schmidt, German anthropologist/linguist (Anthropos)
1920 – Lee Russell, vocalist (Vincent Lopez), born in Cleveland, Ohio
1935 – Robin Clark, chemist (FRS)
1995 – Denzel Curry, American rapper, singer, and composer (Unlocked), born in Carol City, Florida

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Famous Deaths

1803 – Jan V clav Stich, Bohemian composer, dies at 56
1912 – St. Nikolai of Japan, Eastern Orthodox priest (b. 1836)
1933 – Archie Jackson, Australian cricket batsman (8 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 164), dies from tuberculosis at 23
1963 – Friedrich Dessauer, German physicist (radiologist), dies at 81
1978 – E. Roland Harriman, American financier (b. 1895)
1979 – Nematullah Nassiri, Iran general/head of Savak, executed

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Historical Events

1768 – 1st mustard manufactured in America advertised, Philadelphia
1950 – Walt Disney’s animated film “Cinderella” premieres in Boston
1950 – WM Inge’s “Come Back, Little Sheba” premieres in NYC
1980 – Wayne Gretzy assists on NHL-record-tieing 7 goals
2009 – 51st Daytona 500: Matt Kenseth wins shortened race; called off with 48 laps to go after a severe rainstorm hits the track
2014 – Polish ski jumper Kamil Stoch wins his 2nd gold medal of the Sochi Winter Olympics in the men’s large hill event; also wins normal hill gold

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Famous Birthdays

1783 – Johann Nepomuk Poissl, Bavarian composer, born in Rattiszell, Bavaria (d. 1865)
1904 – Antonin Magne, French cyclist (Tour de France 1931, 34)
1938 – Lord Justice Ward, British judge
1953 – Derek Conway, British MP
1969 – Josh Marshall, American journalist and blogger (Talking Points Memo), born in St. Louis, Missouri
1969 – Brian Williams, MLB pitcher (Detroit Tigers, Astros), born in Lancaster, South Carolina

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Famous Deaths

1911 – Theodor Escherich, German pediatrician (b. 1859)
1919 – Pieter K Pel, Dutch internist (Pel-Ebstein fever), dies at 66
1939 – Foppe G Scheltema, Dutch lawyer, dies at 47
1974 – Kurt Magnus Atterberg, Swedish composer, dies at 86
1988 – Neil R. Jones, American sci-fi writer (Space War, Twin Worlds), dies at 78
1996 – Margaret Courtenay, Welsh actress, singer and entertainer (Royal Flash, Duet for One), dies of cancer at 72

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Historical Events

1940 – British merchant vessel fleet is armed
1941 – Carson McCuller’s “Reflections in a Golden Eye” published
1942 – Japanese parachutists land near oil center Palembang, Sumatra
1950 – Moroney scores cricket twin centuries for Australia at Johannesburg
1973 – Muhammad Ali beats British heavyweight boxing champion Joe Bugner by unanimous points decision in 12 rounds at Las Vegas Convention Centre
2019 – Explosive-packed vehicle rams paramilitary convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir killing at least 40. Islamic group Jaish-e-Mohammad claim responsibility.

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Famous Birthdays

1824 – Winfield Scott Hancock, American politician and Major General (Union Army), born in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania (d. 1886)
1916 – Marcel Bigeard, French general
1944 – Alan Parker, English director (Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express), born in London, England (d. 2020)
1963 – John Marzano, American baseball catcher (Seattle Mariners), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1970 – Simon Pegg [Buckingham], English comedian and actor (Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible), born in Brockworth, England
1977 – Cadel Evans, Australian road cyclist (Tour de France 2011; UCI World Road Race C’ships 2009), born in Katherine, Australia

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Famous Deaths

1528 – Edzard I the Great, count of Austria-E Frisia (1494-1528), dies at 66
1714 – Maria Luisa of Savoy, Queen consort of Spain to Philip V (1701-14), dies tuberculosis at 25
1780 – William Blackstone, English jurist (Blackstone’s Commentaries), dies at 56
1841 – Antun Sorkocevic, composer, dies at 65
1873 – Charles Samvei Bovy-Lysberg, Swiss pianist and composer, dies at 51
2003 – Dolly the sheep, first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell dies young form a progressive lung disease aged 6

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Historical Events

1258 – Baghdad, then a city of 1 million, falls to the Mongols as the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed, tens of thousands slaughtered, ending the Islamic Golden Age
1907 – English suffragettes storm British Parliament and 60 women are arrested
1917 – Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari is arrested in Paris on suspicion that she is a German spy
1993 – Merlene Ottey runs world record 200m indoor (21.87 sec)
2014 – Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu is first to break 100 points barrier in the short program (101.45 points) at the Sochi Winter Olympics, on way to the men’s singles gold medal
2019 – Suicide attack on bus carrying Iranian military’s Revolutionary Guard kills 23 in Sistan-Baluchestan province, separatist group Jaish al-Adl claim responsibility

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Famous Birthdays

1874 – Hendrik Spiekman, Dutch journalist and politician (social-democratic)
1923 – Chuck Yeager, American test pilot who was the 1st man to break the sound barrier, born in Myra, West Virginia (d. 2020)
1944 – Jerry Springer, English-born US talk show host (Jerry Springer Show), born in London, England
1962 – Hugh Dennis, English comedian and actor (Not Going out), born in Kettering, England
1964 – Ylva Johansson, Swedish politician, born in Huddinge Municipality, Sweden
1997 – Michael Jackson Jr., son of Michael Jackson, born in Beverly Hills, California

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Famous Deaths

1629 – Girolamo Giacobbi, composer, dies at 61
1963 – Harry Steers, bowling hall of famer, dies
1964 – Ken Hubbs, 2nd baseman (Chicago Cubs), dies in plane crash at 22
2008 – Henri Salvador, French Caribbean singer, dies at 90
2015 – John McCabe, British composer and pianist, dies at 75
2017 – Seijun Suzuki, Japanese cult film director, dies at 93

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