Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1813 – First reference to pineapple cultivation in Hawaii in diary entry by Francisco de Paula Marin
1863 – City of Dublin leases part of Cattle Market for 100,000 years
1939 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Joan Tozzer
1941 – British communist newspaper “Daily Worker” banned
1981 – “Shakespeare’s Cabaret” opens at Bijou Theater New York City for 54 performances
1990 – Bob Goodenow succeeds Alan Eagleson as NHL players association executive director

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Famous Birthdays

1926 – Raf Reymen, Flemish actor (Huisvuil, Het glas water), born in Gent, Flanders, Belgium (d. 1990)
1971 – Tommy Puett, actor (Tyler-Life Goes On, America’s Top 10), born in Gary, Indiana
1974 – Jerald Sowell, fullback (NY Jets)
1981 – Ivan Ergić, Serbian footballer
1988 – Felipe Neto, Brazilian vlogger (YouTube), born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1990 – Jacob Smith, American actor

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Famous Deaths

1955 – Archie Hahn, American sprinter, dies at 74
1963 – Franz Jung, German writer and political activist, dies at 74
1975 – Ernst Gernot Klussmann, German composer, dies at 73
1977 – Sandro Penna, Italian poet, dies at 70
2007 – U;Nee, Korean pop artist (b. 1981)
2015 – Waldemar Kmentt, Austrian operatic tenor (Vienna State Opera, 1951-2005), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1156 – According to legend, freeholder Lalli slays English crusader Bishop Henry with an axe on the ice of Lake Köyliönjärvi in Finland
1869 – Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes 1st woman to testify before US Congress
1937 – -45°F (-43°C), Boca, California (state record)
1985 – Super Bowl XIX, Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA: San Francisco 49ers beat Miami Dolphins, 38-16; MVP: Joe Montana, SF, QB
1987 – UK Police crackdown on soccer hooligans in biggest operation against violence around football stadiums
1993 – Bill Clinton (D) inaugurated as 42nd US President

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Famous Birthdays

1716 – Carlos III, King of Spain (1759-88) and King of Naples and Sicily (1734-59), born in Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Spain (d. 1788)
1873 – Charles A Ellwood, American sociologist/psychologist
1925 – Ernesto Cardenal, Nicaraguan Catholic priest, politician and writer, born in Granada, Nicaragua
1928 – Peter Donat, Canadian-American actor (Flamingo Road, Different Story), born in Kentville, Canada (d. 2018)
1970 – Marvin Benard, American baseball outfielder (SF Giants), born in Bluefields, Nicaragua
1981 – Crystal Lowe, Canadian actress and model, born in Vancouver, British Columbia

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Famous Deaths

882 – Louis II/III the Younger, German king (876-82), dies
1156 – Bishop Henry, patron saint of Finland
1727 – John van Bylevelt, Catholic apostole, dies
1952 – Arthur Farwell, American composer, dies at 74
1988 – Philippe de Rothschild, French race-car driver and manager (Bordeaux Vineyard), dies at 86
2018 – Howard Lew Lewis, English comedian and actor (Maid Marian and Her Merry Men and Brush Strokes), dies at 76

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Historical Events

1932 – Charlie Conacher becomes 1st Toronto Maple Leaf to score 5 goals in a game, 1st coming at 7 seconds of game
1952 – PGA approves allowing black participants
1958 – Canadian Football Council renamed Canadian Football League
1967 – Herr Karl Tausch writes shortest will “Vse Zene” (All to wife)
1987 – Guy Hunt becomes Alabama’s 1st Republican governor since 1874
1991 – 48th Golden Globes: Dances with Wolves, Jeremy Irons, and Kathy Bates wins

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Famous Birthdays

1816 – Henry Gray, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), (d. 1892)
1837 – William Williams Keen, surgeon (brain)
1952 – Dewey Bunell, British-American musician (America-Daisy Jane), born in Borough of Harrogate, United Kingdom
1967 – Christine Tucci, American actress (Amanda Cory-Another World), born in Katonah, New York
1979 – Wiley, English Rapper (Grime), born in Bow, London
1981 – Lucho González, Argentine footballer, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Famous Deaths

1795 – Maria Teresa Agnesi, composer, dies at 74
1874 – August Heinrich Hoffmann, German writer, dies at 75
1901 – Albert, 4th duc de Broglie, Prime Minister of France (1873-74, 1977), dies at 79
1993 – William LeMassena, actor (All that Jazz), dies of lung cancer at 76
2013 – Earl Weaver, American hall of fame MLB manager, dies from a heart attack at 82
2018 – Olivia Cole, American actress (Roots, Backstairs at the White House), dies of a heart attack at 75

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Historical Events

474 – Leo II briefly becomes Byzantine emperor
1535 – Francisco Pizarro founds the city of Lima in Peru
1919 – The Paris peace conference (aka the Versailles peace conference) opens to draw up the treaties formally ending the Great War (WWI)
1977 – Pakistan cricket all-rounder Imran Khan takes 6 for 63 in the Australian 2nd innings for a match total of 12 to lead his side to an easy 8 wicket 3rd Test win in Sydney
1991 – Longest tennis match at the Australian Open, Boris Becker beats Italy’s Omar Camporese in 5 hours and 11 mins
2004 – NFC Championship, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia: Carolina Panthers beat Philadelphia Eagles, 14-3

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Famous Birthdays

885 – Daigo, 60th Emperor of Japan (897-930), born in Kyōto, Japan (d. 930)
1904 – Henri-Georges Adam, French engraver and sculptor (Grand Nude), born in Paris, France (d. 1967)
1918 – Adriano Mandarino Hypolito, Brazilian priest, born in Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil (d. 1996)
1952 – R. Stevie Moore, American singer, songwriter, and home recording pioneer, born in Nashville, Tennessee
1972 – Mike Lieberthal, American MLB catcher (Philadelphia Phillies), born in Glendale, California
1975 – Derek Smith, American football linebacker (Washington Redskins), born in American Fork, Utah

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Famous Deaths

1769 – Hakuin Ekaku, Zen teacher (reformer of Rinzai school), dies in Japan
1892 – Anton Anderledy, Swiss Superior General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1819)
1977 – Carl Zuckmayer, German/Swiss/US playwright (Second Wind), dies at 80
1991 – Hamilton Fish III, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York), dies at 102
1997 – Paul Tsongas, (Sen-D-Mass), dies at 55
2000 – Jester Hairston, American actor (That’s My Mama, Amen), dies at 98

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Historical Events

1864 – General James Longstreet’s command ends heavy fighting at Dandridgem, Tennessee
1882 – 1st Dutch female physician Aletta Jacobs opens her office
1954 – 4th NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Conference beats Western Conference, 20-9; MVP: Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles, LB
1982 – Czech tennis star Ivan Lendl scores a 6–7, 2–6, 7–6, 6–2, 6–4 win over American Vitas Gerulaitis to claim his first of 5 ATP Masters Grand Prix titles at Madison Square Garden, NYC
1986 – 2nd Sundance Film Festival: “Smooth Talk” wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic
1991 – Iraq fires 8 Scud missiles on Israel

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Famous Birthdays

1789 – August Neander, German theologian (d. 1850)
1806 – James Madison Randolph, Jefferson’s grandson and the 1st to be born in the White House, born in Washington, D.C.
1891 – Marjorie Gateson, American actress (One Man’s Family), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1977)
1927 – Michael Herford Wooller, TV/film producer
1969 – Lukas Moodysson, Swedish film writer and director, born in Lund, Sweden
1985 – Simone Simons, Dutch singer (Epica), born in Hoensbroek, Netherlands

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Famous Deaths

1617 – Pieter C Bockenberg, Dutch historian, dies at 68
1911 – Francis Galton, British anthropologist and geneticist (eugenics), dies at 88
1917 – Hendrik Goeman Borgesius, Dutch politician, dies at 70
1996 – Charles Henry Madge, English poet and founder of Mass-Observation, dies at 83
2003 – Balint Vazsonyi, Hingarian pianist (b. 1936)
2020 – Morimichi Takagi, Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman (NPB All-Star 1966–67, 73, 79; Chunichi Dragons), dies at 78

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Historical Events

1581 – English parliament passes laws against Catholicism
1749 – Hoax article advertising fictitious theatrical performer “The Bottle Conjuror” drew huge crowds to the Haymarket Theatre, London, whose inevitable non-appearance caused a riot. It’s alleged the Duke of Montagu perpetrated the fiasco to win a bet
1900 – The United States Senate accepts the Anglo-German treaty of 1899 in which the United Kingdom renounces its claims to the Samoan islands
1941 – War Department forms first Army Air Corps squadron for black cadets
1980 – Paul McCartney is arrested at Tokyo International Airport for possession of marijuana; he is sent to jail for nine days before being deported
1990 – 2 Bank of Credit and Commerce members plea guilty to money laundering

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Famous Birthdays

1853 – Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov, Russian philosopher, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1900)
1941 – Richard Bohringer, French actor (Diva, I Married a Shadow), born in Paris, France
1947 – Magdalen Nabb, British author, born in Lancashire, United Kingdom (d. 2007)
1964 – Gail Graham, Canadian golfer (2 LPGA Tour titles), born in Vanderhoof, British Columbia
1971 – Josh Evans, American actor (Ricochett, The Doors), and film producer, born in New York City
1980 – Albert Pujols, Dominican MLB 1st baseman (NL MVP 2005, 2008-9)), born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

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Famous Deaths

1919 – Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves, President of Brazil (b. 1848)
1942 – Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Governor General of Canada (1911-16), dies at 91
1962 – Emanuel Stickelberger, Swiss writer (Holbein in England), dies at 77
1988 – Andrija Artuković, Croatian war criminal (b. 1899)
2005 – Marjorie Williams, American journalist (b. 1958)
2018 – Dave Holland, English heavy metal rocker (Judas Priest-Breakin’ the Law), dies at 69

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Historical Events

1943 – 1st transport of Jews from Amsterdam to concentration camp Vught
1944 – European Advisory Commission decides to divide Germany
1970 – Riots break out in the Ardoyne area of Belfast
1987 – Police officer who mistakenly shot and paralysed an innocent woman in Brixton, UK, is cleared of all criminal charges
1990 – Golden State coach Don Nelson becomes 2nd man in NBA history to appear in 1,000 games both as a player and coach (joining Lenny Wilkens) as the Warriors lose to the Indiana Pacers, 144-105
1997 – Seattle’s Sam Perkins ties Jeff Hornacek’s NBA single-game record by connecting on 8 straight 3-point field goals during Sonics’ 122-78 win over visiting Toronto; Seattle also sets an NBA steals record with 27

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Famous Birthdays

1892 – Frank Hutchens, New Zealand-born composer working in Australia, born in Leeston, New Zealand (d. 1965)
1897 – Xu Zhimo, Chinese poet (d. 1931)
1909 – Gene Krupa, American jazz and big band drummer (Benny Goodman, Sing Sing Sing), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1973)
1912 – Michel Debré, French politician, born in Paris, France (d. 1996)
1913 – Alexander Marinesko, captain of the S-13 submarine, which sank the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff (d. 1963)
1975 – Greg Loveridge, New Zealand cricketer (NZ leg-spinner, did not bowl v Zim 1996), born in Palmerston North, New Zealand

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Famous Deaths

1755 – Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia, composer, dies at 83
1949 – Pompeo Aloisi, Italian baron, diplomat and senator, dies at 63
1998 – Gulzarilal Nanda, Indian politician and economist. temporary Prime Minister of India (1964, 1966), dies at 99
2000 – Arkan [Željko Ražnatović], Serbian paramilitary leader, dies at 47
2005 – Dan Lee, Canadian animator (b. 1969)
2018 – Joe Frank [Joseph Langermann], American radio personality (KCRW), dies of cancer at 79

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Historical Events

1343 – Arnost of Pardubice becomes the first Archbishop of Prague (and the last bishop of Prague)
1952 – “Today Show” premieres with Dave Garroway and Jack Lescoulie on NBC-TV
1953 – Vaughan William’s “Sinfonia Antartica” premieres in Manchester
1975 – 17-year-old Lesley Whittle is kidnapped in Shropshire, England
1985 – Martina Navratilova is 3rd to win 100 tennis tournaments (Connors and Evert)
1985 – British pound sinks to record low $US1.11

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Famous Birthdays

1806 – Sir Charles Hotham, Governor of Victoria, born in Dennington, United Kingdom (d. 1855)
1906 – Walter Knape, German conductor and composer, born in Bernburg, Germany (d. 2000)
1921 – Ken Sailors, American professional basketball player (popularized and may have invented the jump shot), born in Bushnell, Nebraska (d. 2016)
1931 – Juraj Pospisil, Czech composer, born in Olomouc, Czech Republic (d. 2007)
1936 – Clarence Carter, American singer (Thread the Needle), born in Montgomery, Alabama
1949 – Mary Robison, American writer (Why Did I Ever), born in Washington, D.C.

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Famous Deaths

1817 – Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, French composer, dies at 87
1819 – John Wolcot, English satirist (Peter Pindar), dies at 80
1902 – Cato M. Guldberg, Norwegian mathematician and chemist (law of mass action), dies at 65
2007 – Barbara Kelly, Canadian-born actress (What’s My Line?, United Kingdom), dies at 83
2007 – Darlene Conley, American actress (The Bold and the Beautiful), dies at 72
2008 – Judah Folkman, Surgeon that developed Angiogenesis (b. 1933)

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Historical Events

1942 – Henry Ford patents a method of constructing plastic auto bodies
1976 – American inventor Ray Kurzweil and the National Federation of the Blind unveil the Kurzweil Reading Machine, the first omni-font optical character recognition system
1989 – Jerry Parks, Oklahoma defensive back, charged with shooting a teammate
1989 – Computers across Britain hit by “Friday the 13th”/Jerusalem virus
1998 – CBS pays $4 billion to televise AFC games for 8-years
2018 – Early-morning ballistic missile alert sent across Hawaii in error, revoked after 38 minutes

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Famous Birthdays

1804 – John Pringle Nichol, Scottish Astronomer and educator
1906 – Zhou Youguang [Zhou Yaoping], Chinese language scholar (father of pinyin), born in Changzhou (d. 2017)
1955 – Trevor Rabin, South African rock guitarist and film score composer (Yes), born in Johannesburg, South Africa
1972 – Vitaly Scherbo, Belarusian gymnast (6 Olympic gold medals Barcelona 1992), born in Minsk, Belarus
1972 – Richard Woodley, NFL cornerback (Detroit Lions)
1979 – Jill Wagner, American Actor

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Famous Deaths

1860 – William Mason, American politician, dies at 73
1979 – Donny Hathaway, American rocker (Ghetto), commits suicide at 33
1985 – Carol Wayne, Johnny Carson’s teatime movie hostess, dies at 42
1996 – Willian Myuon Bany Guerrilla leader, dies
2009 – Patrick McGoohan, American-born Irish actor, writer, and director (The Prisoner, Secret Agent/ Danger Man), dies at 80
2017 – Dick Gautier, American stage and screen actor (Get Smart, Bye Bye Birdie), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1900 – Freeland Colony founded in US
1954 – Austria’s worst avalanche-kills 200; 9hrs later 2nd one-kills 115
1957 – Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) founded with Martin Luther King Jr. as leader at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta
1962 – Operation Chopper begins, America’s first combat mission in the Vietnam War
1963 – Spin bowler Bobby Simpson takes 5-57 for Australia v England
1972 – Tigers sign a lease to build a $126M domed stadium (doesn’t happen)

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Famous Birthdays

1871 – Paul Guthnick, German astronomer
1910 – Luise Rainer, German-American actress and 1st actor to win multiple Academy Awards (The Great Ziegfeld 1936, The Good Earth 1937), born in Düsseldorf, Germany (d. 2014)
1914 – Edward John Gurney, American politician, US senator (1969-74), born in Portland, Maine (d. 1996)
1923 – Ira Hayes, Pima Native American soldier, born in Sacaton, Arizona (d. 1955)
1982 – Chris Ray, American baseball player, born in Tampa, Florida
1996 – Sarahi Morales, Mexican Siamese twin (died on Jan 27, 1996), born in Tijuana, Mexico

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Famous Deaths

1777 – Hugh Mercer, Scottish military officer (fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War), dies of his wounds at the Battle of Princeton at 50
1956 – Norman Kerry, American actor (Air Eagles, Phantom of the Opera), dies at 61
2003 – Dean Amadon, American ornithologist, dies at 90
2003 – Kinji Fukasaku, Japanese director (b. 1930)
2003 – Leopoldo Galtieri, dictator of Argentina (b. 1926)
2012 – Sadao Bekku, Japanese classical and film composer (Matango), dies at 89

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