Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1797 – Joseph Haydn’s song “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (God Save Emperor Francis) premieres in Vienna
1947 – Record 100.5-kg sailfish caught, C W Stewart, Galapagos Islands
1982 – Wayne Gretzky scores 153rd point of season, breaking NHL record
1984 – Finnish cross-country skier Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen wins the 5k gold medal at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; 2nd of 3 individual medal sweep, also winning 10k and 20k events
1989 – 5 Pakistani Muslim rioters killed protesting “Satanic Verses” novel
1989 – 50th PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Larry Mowry wins only career major title; beats Miller Barber and Al Geiberger by 1 stroke

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Famous Birthdays

1218 – Kujo Yoritsune, Japanese shogun (d. 1256)
1804 – Heinrich Lenz, German physicist (d. 1865)
1907 – Clifton C. Edom, American photojournalism educator (d. 1991)
1944 – Desmond Nuttall, English educator
1955 – Chet Lemon [Chester Earl Lemon], American baseball player, born in Jackson, Mississippi
1978 – Gethin Jones, British (Welsh) television presenter, born in Cardiff, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1804 – Immanuel Kant, German philosopher (Zum ewigen Frieden), dies at 79
1837 – Ludwig Borne [Loeb Baruch], German-Jewish writer, dies at 50
2003 – Vali Myers, Australian painter, dies at 72
2004 – Robert A. Bruce, American cardiologist and pioneer (exercise cardiology), dies at 87
2011 – Peter Alexander [Ferdinand Maximilian Neumayer], Austrian actor and singer (Who Wants to Sleep?), dies at 84
2017 – Al Jarreau, American jazz singer (Moonlighting), dies at 76

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Historical Events

1905 – Pope Pius X publishes encyclical Vehementer nos
1932 – 73°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in February
1964 – Beatles 1st live appearance in US; Washington, D.C. Coliseum
1968 – Jeffrey Kramer survives 76-m jump, Washington Bridge, Hudson River New York
1997 – Bill Parcells becomes head coach of NY Jets
2016 – Riot between rival drug cartels at a prison in Monterrey, Mexico, leaves 52 dead

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Famous Birthdays

1774 – Hans Järta, Swedish political activist (d. 1847)
1821 – Auguste-Édouard Mariette, French Egyptologist (d. 1881)
1893 – Johan C P Alberts, Dutch literary (Festival)
1908 – Vivian [Ernest] Fuchs, geologist/explorer (British Antarctic Survey)
1915 – Mervyn Levy, artist/critic
1925 – Virginia E Johnson, doctor and sexologist (Masters and Johnson)

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Famous Deaths

1755 – Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist (b. 1675)
1762 – Johann Tobias Krebs, composer, dies at 71
1862 – Elizabeth Siddal, British poet and artist (b. 1829)
1894 – Pasqual Juan Emilio Arrieta y Corera, composer, dies at 70
1996 – Kebby Musokotwane, prime minister of Zambia in (1985-89), dies
2008 – Frank Piasecki, American aeronautical designer and helicopter aviation pioneer, dies at 88

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Historical Events

1923 – SDAP speaks out against allied occupation of the Ruhr
1986 – “John Lennon: Live in NYC” album is released posthumously
2008 – NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: NFC beats AFC, 42-30; MVP: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings, RB
2018 – Tottenham Hotspur edge Arsenal, 1-0 at Wembley Stadium in front of English Premier League record single-game attendance of 83,222 fans
2019 – The eight centrally owned and operated team Alliance of American Football gets underway; Orlando Apollos beat Atlanta Legends, 40-6 at Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, FL
2019 – 61st Grammy Awards: Childish Gambino first rapper to win Best Song and Best Record for “This Is America”, best album “Golden Hour” Kacey Musgraves

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Famous Birthdays

1904 – John Farrow, Australian director and actor (Botany Bay, Wake Island), born in Sydney, New South Wales (d. 1963)
1931 – Gerhard Rosenfeld, German opera and film score composer, born in Königsberg (d. 2003)
1936 – Sylvia Williams, museum director/curator
1946 – Kenneth “Kenny” Edwards, American musician and singer-songwriter (The Stone Poneys, Bryndle), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2010)
1964 – Roger Reijners, Dutch football coach and player (MVV), born in Roemond, Netherlands
1975 – Kool Savas, German rapper, born in Aachen, Germany

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Famous Deaths

1774 – Florian Leopold Gassmann, Bohemian composer, dies at 44
1876 – Reverdy Johnson, American politician and jurist (Dred Scott v. Sandford), dies at 79
1948 – Ewart Astill, England cricket all-rounder (9 Tests, Leicestershire), dies at 59
1992 – Mau Kopuit, Dutch editor-in-chief (New Israeli Weekly Newspaper), dies
1995 – Paul Monette, American writer, dies of AIDS at 49
2020 – Waqar Hasan, Pakistani cricket batsman (21 Tests, top score 189; member Pakistan’s inaugural Test squad), dies at 87

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Historical Events

1674 – English reconquer NY from Netherlands
1900 – Dwight Davis establishes a new tennis trophy, the Davis Cup
1918 – US Army chaplain school organizes at Ft Monroe, Virginia
1960 – AFL and NFL agree verbally to a no tampering pact
1986 – Marvin Johnson stops Leslie Stewart in 7 rounds in Indianapolis to win WBA light heavyweight boxing title; record 3rd time he regains a version of light heavyweight crown
1990 – Doina Melinte runs world indoor record 1.5k (4:00:27) and mile (4:17:13)

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Famous Birthdays

1874 – Vsevolod Meyerhold [Karl Kasimir Theodor], Russian theatrical director and actor (Houligan), born in Penza Oblast, Russian Empire (d. 1940)
1885 – Alban Maria Johannes Berg, a Lulu of a composer!, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1935)
1924 – George Guest, British organist
1955 – Jim J. Bullock, American actor (Monroe-Too Close for Comfort), born in Casper, Wyoming
1984 – Han Kyung, Chinese singer (Super Junior), born in Mudanjiang, China
1989 – Gia Farrell, American singer

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Famous Deaths

1765 – Elisabetta de Gambarini, English composer, dies at 33
1973 – Vasiliki Maliaros, Greek actress (b. 1883)
1977 – Gaus, an orangutan who lived to be 59
2008 – Scott Halpin, a one time drummer of The Who.
2018 – Liam Miller, Irish soccer midfielder (21 caps; Sunderland, Hibernian), dies of pancreatic cancer at 36
2018 – Reginald “Reg” E Cathey, American actor (The Wire, Oz, House of Cards), dies of lung cancer at 59

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Historical Events

1933 – 1st flight of all-metal Boeing 247
1974 – Soap opera “Secret Storm” ends a 20 year run
1982 – Dodgers trade Davey Lopes to A’s breaking up the longest-playing infield (Cey-Russell-Lopes-Garvey)
1992 – “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred peaks at #1
1995 – 6.4 earthquake at Trujillo, Colombia (46+ killed)
2002 – XIX Winter Olympic Games open in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

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Famous Birthdays

1876 – Paula Modersohn-Becker, German “entartet” painter
1900 – John Cameron, Scottish judge, born in London (d. 1996)
1906 – Artur Balsam, Polish/US pianist (Begeleidde Menuhin, Milstein)
1930 – Arlan Stangeland, (Rep-R-MN, 1977-1991), (d. 2013)
1971 – William “Will” Turpin, American musician (Collective Soul) and producer (Gooey Music), born in Fairbanks, Alaska
1981 – Myriam Montemayor Cruz, Mexican singer

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Famous Deaths

1296 – Przemysł II, King of Poland (1295-96), dies at 38
1611 – Jan H Van Linschoten, traveller/writer (Reys-Gheschrift), dies
1907 – Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom, Dutch chemist (fasenleer), dies at 52
1910 – Hans Jæger, Norwegian writer and political activist (b. 1854)
1994 – Ken Hall, Australian director and producer (Kokoda front line), dies at 92
1995 – William Fulbright, US politician, dies

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Historical Events

1948 – “Cradle Will Rock” closes at Mansfield Theater NYC after 34 performances
1969 – Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat becomes president of PLO
1976 – FCC raids and shuts down pirate radio station WCPR (Brooklyn New York)
1987 – Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” single goes #1
1990 – Karachi police kill 22 anti-nationalistic demonstrators
2019 – First reports of poisonous homemade alcohol killing people in the Indian states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, will go on to kill about 100

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Famous Birthdays

1612 – Thomas Killigrew, English humorist/playwright/leader (King’s Men)
1934 – King Curtis [Curtis Ousley], American musician, bandleader and saxophonist (Memphis Soul Stew), born in Fort Worth, Texas (d. 1971)
1954 – Miguel Ferrer, actor (Robocop, NCIS LA), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2017)
1962 – Eddie Izzard, British actor and comedian
1973 – Juwan Howard, NBA forward/center (Washington Bullets/Wizards)
1988 – Nick Costa, American jazz drummer, born in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1862 – František Jan Škroup, Czech composer (Kde domov můj? – Czech national anthem), dies at 61
1948 – Red McKenzie, American jazz singer (played comb-with-tissue-paper), dies at 48
1954 – Jan Adam Maklakiewicz, composer, dies at 54
1959 – Napoleon Lajorie, baseball player, dies at 83
1995 – William Harry “Billy” Jones, American rock guitarist (The Outlaws), dies of self-inflicted gunshot at 45
1999 – Hussein ibn Talal, King of Jordan (1952-99), dies at 63

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Historical Events

1855 – British government of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston forms
1862 – General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Henry in Tennessee
1904 – Japan notifies Russia that in view of Russia’s delaying tactics and provocative military action, Japan is ending negotiations and recalling its members from Moscow
1926 – NFL rules college students ineligible until college classes graduates
1969 – Jerry Herman’s “Dear World” opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 132 performances
1971 – Bernard Watt (28), a Catholic civilian, is shot and killed by the British Army (BA) during street disturbances in Ardoyne, Belfast

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Famous Birthdays

1838 – Yisrael Meir Kagan [Chofetz Chayim], Belarusian rabbi, born in Dzyatlava, Belarus (d. 1933)
1866 – Karl Sapper, German traveller and natural historian (d. 1945)
1889 – Karel Wellens, Flemish painter, born in Lummen, Belgium (d. 1958)
1964 – Gordon Downie, Canadian rock singer-songwriter and musician (The Tragically Hip), born in Amherstview, Ontario (d. 2017)
1981 – Calum Best, American model, born in San Jose, California
1983 – S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer, born in Kothamangalam, India

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Famous Deaths

1612 – Christopher Clavius, calendar reformer, dies (birth date unknown)
1793 – Carlo Goldoni, Italian playwright and librettist (Belisario, Servant of Two Masters), dies at 85
1855 – Josef Munzinger, Swiss Federal Councilor, dies at 63
1965 – Jack Wagner, American actor (The Razor’s Edge, Under Two Flags, Jive Junction), dies from a heart attack at 68
1985 – Charles Briggs, actor (13 Frightened Girls, Capt Newman), dies at 53
1993 – Arthur Ashe, American tennis player (3 Grand Slam singles titles), dies of AIDS related pneumonia at 49

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Historical Events

1859 – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexander John Cuza as the United Principalities
1897 – Marcel Proust meets Jean Lorrain in a pistol duel
1956 – VII Winter Olympic Games close in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
1958 – Clifton R Wharton confirmed as 1st US African American foreign minister (to Romania)
2004 – Rebels from the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front capture the city of Gonaïves, starting the 2004 Haiti rebellion
2017 – Romanian government scraps corruption degree after 6 days of mass demonstrations

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Famous Birthdays

1748 – Christian Gottlob Neefe, German composer, conductor and tutor of Beethoven, born in Shimnitz, Saxony (d. 1798)
1952 – Daniel Balavoine, French singer -songwriter, born in Alençon, France (d. 1986)
1955 – Mike Heath, American baseball player, born in Tampa, Florida
1971 – Dianne Norman, Canadian basketball forward (Olympics 1996), born in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada
1976 – Abhishek Bachchan, Indian actor, born in Mumbai, India
1986 – Billy Sharp, English footballer, born in Sheffield, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1745 – Coelestin Praelisauer, composer, dies at 49
1907 – Ludwig Thuille, Austrian composer (sextet for piano and wind quintet), dies of a heart attack at 45
1917 – Paul Rubens, English musical comedy composer, (Miss Hook of Holland), dies at 41
1987 – William Collier [Charles F Gall Jr], American stage and film actor and producer, dies at 84
2008 – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Indian guru who developed Transcendental Meditation, dies at 90
2016 – Bodil Malmsten, Swedish writer (The Price of Water in Finistère), dies at 71

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Historical Events

1794 – French National Convention proclaims abolition of slavery
1922 – First part of Katherine Mansfield’s short story “The Garden Party” appears in the Saturday Westminster Gazette
1959 – Israel begins exporting copper ore
1972 – Dutch speed skater Ard Schenk wins the 5,000m at the Sapporo Winter Olympics; also wins the 1,500m and 10,000m gold medals
1988 – Despite union calls to end the strike, rank-and-file seamen at major British ports refuse to return to work
1998 – Bill Gates gets a pie thrown in his face in Brussels, Belgium

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Famous Birthdays

1778 – A. P. de Candolle, Swiss botanist (d. 1841)
1889 – Walter Catlett, American actor (Climax, Front Page, Tale of 2 Cities), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1960)
1916 – Colin Morris, playwright/documentary filmmaker
1950 – Philip Ehart, rock drummer (Kansas)
1970 – Todd Peterson, NFL kicker (Seattle Seahawks)
1976 – Chen Kun, Chinese actor (Painted Skin), born in Chongqing, China

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Famous Deaths

856 – Hrabanus Maurus, East France, archbishop of Mainz, dies
1189 – Gilbert of Sempringham, English monastery founder/saint, dies
1781 – Willem Crul, British admiral (West-Indies), dies in battle during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War at 59
1992 – Fred Slyter, dialogue coach, dies after long illness at 56
2013 – Theresia van der Pant, Dutch sculptor, dies at 88
2016 – Edgar Whitcomb, American politician and Governor of Indiana (1969-73), dies at 98

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Historical Events

1870 – US state of Iowa ratifies the 15th Amendment of the United States Constitution allowing suffrage for all races and colour
1900 – Gubernatorial candidate William Goebel is assassinated in Frankfort, Kentucky
1944 – World War II: United States troops capture the Marshall Islands.
1989 – Military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay
1992 – Labor strike at Royal Canadian Mint ends
1993 – General Hospital’s Tristan Rogers convicted of drunk driving

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Famous Birthdays

1870 – Franklin Dyall, British actor (Easy Virtue, Atlantic), born in Liverpool, England (d. 1950)
1920 – Tony Gaze, Australian racing driver
1956 – Lee Ranaldo, American musician (Sonic Youth)
1966 – Danny Morrison, New Zealand cricket fast bowler (48 Tests, 160 wickets; 96 ODIs, 126 wickets) and broadcaster (TVNZ, Sky Sports, Radio Sport), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1969 – Retief Goosen, South African golfer (US Open 2001, 04), born in Pietersburg, Limpopo Province
1982 – Alan Gurr, Australian V8 Supercar driver

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Famous Deaths

1909 – Johann Georg Herzog, composer, dies at 86
1922 – Christiaan R de Wet, South African Boer general, dies at 67
1983 – Tullio Campagnolo, Italian racing cyclist and inventor (quick release skewer patent; founder bicycle component company Campagnolo), dies at 81
1984 – Ravindra Mhatre, Indian diplomat, murdered at 48 by Kashmiri terrorists in Birmingham, England
2015 – Sir Martin Gilbert, British historian (Winston Churchill biography), dies at 78
2015 – Charlie Sifford, American golfer (first African-American to join PGA Tour, 2 titles), dies of a stroke at 92

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