Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1911 – City of Almaty in Russian Turkestan is destroyed by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake
1920 – Boston Red Sox baseball club owner Harry Frazee announces agreement to sell slugger Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 in cash and a $350,000 loan; start of the 84 year “Curse of the Bambino”
1967 – WJAN TV channel 17 in Canton, OH (IND) begins broadcasting
1976 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley beats Renata Tomanova of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 6-2 for her 3rd straight home singles title
1987 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Famous Birthdays

1777 – Louis Poinsot, French mathematician and physicist (invented geometrical mechanics), born in Paris, France (d. 1859)
1870 – Henry Handel Richardson [Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson], Australian novelist (Richard Mahoney), born in East Melbourne, Australia (d. 1946)
1939 – (Gwendolyn) Dianne Brooks, American RandB, jazz, session and touring vocalist (Three Playmates – “Sugah Wooga”; solo – “Walking On My Mind”; Anne Murray), born in New Jersey (d. 2005)
1940 – Tsutomu Hanahara, Japanese freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold flyweight 1964), born in Shimonoseki, Japan (d. 2024)
1957 – Frank Dicopoulos, American actor (Frank Cooper Jr in “Guiding Light”), born in Akron, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1028 – Fujiwara Michinaga, Japanese regent (wrote world’s oldest autographic diary), dies (b. 966)
1927 – Carle David Tolmé Runge, German mathematician and physicist, dies at 70
1968 – Earl Swope, American jazz and big band trombonist (Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Jimmy Dorsey, Louie Bellson), dies at 45
1979 – Conrad Hilton, American hotel mogul (Hilton Hotels, world’s 1st international hotel chain), dies at 91
2015 – Allie Sherman, American football coach (Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1953-56 CFL; New York Giants 1961–68), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1920 – Responding to global fear of communism caused by the Russian Revolution, US Attorney General Palmer authorizes raids across the country on unionists and socialists
1923 – Ku Klux Klan surprise attack on black residential area Rosewood Florida, 8 killed (compensation awarded in 1995)
1933 – Ijmuider fishing strike begins (till July 11th)
1983 – Several African National Congress (ANC) members detained in Swaziland decide to leave the country voluntarily for Mozambique.
2019 – United States international Christian Pulisic becomes the most expensive American soccer player when he moves from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea for £57.6M ($73M); remains at Dortmund on loan until the end of the season

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Famous Birthdays

1908 – Jānis Ķepītis, Latvian pianist, conductor, and composer, born in Beverīna, Latvia (d. 1989)
1937 – Imerio Massignan, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France Mountains classification 1960, 61), born in Altavilla Vicentina, Italy (d. 2024)
1964 – Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (Olympic gold 1984, 4-division world champion), born in Norfolk, Virginia (d. 2019)
1982 – Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greek race walker (Olympic gold 20k 2004), born in Preveza, Greece
1985 – Heather O’Reilly, American soccer midfielder (231 caps; FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015; Olympic gold 2004, 08, 12), born in East Brunswick, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1973 – Joe Harriott, Jamaican-British be-bop and free-form jazz, and world-fusion alto saxophonist (Abstract; Indo-Jazz), dies of cancer at 44
1975 – Theo Osterkamp, German fighter pilot, dies at 82
1996 – Karl Targownik, Hungarian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, dies at 80
2007 – Teddy Kollek, Israeli politician (Mayor of Jerusalem), dies at 95
2020 – Grant Weatherstone, Scotland rugby union winger (16 caps; Edinburgh District), dies at 88

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Historical Events

1954 – Rose and Cotton Bowl are 1st sport colorcasts
1993 – Blockbuster Bowl 3: Stanford beats Penn State, 24-3
1993 – 79th Rose Bowl: #7 Michigan beats #9 Washington, 38-31
2007 – Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, joining 20 other official languages
2007 – 36th Fiesta Bowl: #9 Boise State beats #7 Oklahoma, 43-42 (OT)

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Famous Birthdays

766 – Ali al-Rida [Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī], 8th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam and descendant of the prophet Muhammad, born in Medina, Abbasid Caliphate (d. 818) [approximate birthdate]
1711 – Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier whose unit is considered one of the worst in European history due to insubordination and plundering, born in Reggio di Calabria (d. 1749)
1848 – John W. Goff, American lawyer and judge known for his part in the Catalpa Rescue, born in Gorey, Ireland (d. 1924)
1890 – Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and founder of the Anton Melik Geographical Institute (The Geography of Slovenia), born in Črna Vas, Austrio-Hungarian Empire (d. 1966)
1970 – Gabriel Jarret, American actor (Real Genius, Apollo 13), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1957 – Seán South, Irish Republican Army volunteer, killed during the Brookeborough Raid, at 28
1994 – Arthur Porritt, New Zealand athlete (Olympic bronze 100m 1924) and 11th governor-general of New Zealand 1967-72, dies at 93
1996 – Orapin Chaiyakan, first Thai woman elected to the Parliament of Thailand, dies at 91
2006 – Dawn Lake, Australian TV comedienne, dies at 78
2015 – Jeff Golub, American jazz guitarist (Avenue Blue; Rod Stewart), dies of a rare brain disease at 59

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Historical Events

406 – “The Great Invasion” sees a vast horde of Vandals, Alans, and Suebi cross the Rhine at Mainz, beginning the invasion of Gaul
1968 – Record high barometric pressure (1083.8 mb, 32 inches) recorded at Agata in Siberia, Soviet Union; eclipsed in December 2001
1969 – Congo-Brazzaville becomes People’s republic, under major Ngouabi
1984 – Test Cricket debut of Mohammad Azharuddin, v England at Calcutta
1998 – US movie box office hits record $6.24 billion for year

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Famous Birthdays

1928 – Hugh McElhenny, American Pro/College Football HOF halfback (University of Washington; 5 × First-team All-Pro; 6 × Pro Bowl; Minnesota Vikings, SF 49ers), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2022)
1936 – Jerry Sturm, American football tackle (AFL All-Star 1964, 66; Denver Broncos, NO Saints), born in English, Indiana (d. 2020)
1949 – Susan Shwartz, American author, born in Youngstown, Ohio
1949 – Ellen Datlow, American editor, born in New York City
1954 – Alex Salmond, Scottish politician (Scottish National Party) First Minister of Scotland (2007-14), born in Linlithgow, Scotland (d. 2024)

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Famous Deaths

1510 – Bianca Maria Sforza, wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, dies at 38
1987 – Leo Steiner, American restaurateur and co-owner of the Carnegie Deli, dies at 48 (b. circa 1939)
1991 – Georges Poulet, French-Belgian critic (Temps Humain), dies at 89
1993 – Arthur Dreifuss, director and producer (Murder in Amsterdam), dies at 85
2022 – Sergei Bautin, Belarusian ice hockey defenceman (Olympic gold Unified Team 1992; Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks), dies at 55

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Historical Events

1672 – Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden, Netherlands
1924 – Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces the existence of other galaxies at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society
1958 – French franc devalued
1997 – An abandoned building collapses on NY’s 42nd St, no one hurt
2006 – Madrid Barajas International Airport is bombed.

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Henry George Ley, British organist, composer, and teacher (Eton, 1926-45), born in Chagford, England (d. 1962)
1934 – Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury
1945 – Vernon Wells, Australian actor (Commando; Mad Max: The Road Warrior), born in Rushworth, Australia
1953 – Daniel T. Barry, American engineer and NASA astronaut (STS 72), born in Norwalk, Connecticut
1965 – David Baker, UK cyclist, born in Sheffield, England

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Famous Deaths

1947 – Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86
1968 – Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician and 1st Secretary-General of the United Nations (1946-52), dies at 72
1995 – Doris Grau, American script supervisor, actress and voice artist (Point Blank, King Kong), dies from respiratory failure at 71
1998 – Johnny Moore, American singer (The Drifters) (b. 1934)
2019 – Johnny Ward, English rugby league hooker (4 Tests Great Britain, 3 England; Castleford 262 games), dies at 78

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Historical Events

1921 – Mackenzie King is sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Canada
1933 – New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds
1983 – Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman’s record of 29
1984 – Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick and adds 3 assists in Edmonton’s 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history – recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983
1997 – Cricket Women’s World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets

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Famous Birthdays

1935 – Russell Watt, New Zealand rugby union wing (9 Tests; Otago, Southland, Wellington), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 2022)
1939 – (William Edwin) “Ed” Bruce, American country singer (“Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”), born in Keiser, Arkansas (d. 2021)
1970 – Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver, born in Osaka, Japan
1974 – James Darling, American football linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles), born in Denver, Colorado
1995 – Flossie, British domestic cat, world’s oldest cat recognized by Guinness World Records, born in Merseyside, England

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Famous Deaths

1606 – Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania and Hungary (1605-6), dies at 49
1919 – William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70
1925 – Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60
2017 – Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), dies at 88
2023 – Les McCann, American jazz pianist, soul singer (“Compared to What”), painter, and photographer, dies of pneumonia at 88

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Historical Events

1947 – Chic Cards beat Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 in NFL championship game
1973 – US President Nixon signs Endangered Species Act into law
1981 – Warner-Elektra-Atlantic raises price of 45 records from $1.68 to $1.98
1984 – TV soap “Edge of Night” ends 28 year run
1984 – Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old

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Famous Birthdays

1738 – Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky, German composer, born in St. Martin im Innkreis, Duchy of Bavaria (d. 1767)
1842 – Calixa Lavallee, Canadian composer (O Canada), born in Verchères, British Province of Canada (d. 1891)
1908 – Lew Ayres, American actor (All Quiet on Western Front; Holiday; Dr Kildare (films); Johnny Belinda), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1996)
1938 – Dick Sudhalter, American jazz trumpeter, and writer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2008)
1970 – Elizabeth McIntyre, Miss West Virginia (1996), born in Dunbar, West Virginia

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Famous Deaths

1793 – Louis earl of Bylandt, Dutch admiral, dies at about 75
1949 – Hervey Allen, American writer and poet (Anthony Adverse), dies at 60
1999 – Clayton Moore, American actor (The Lone Ranger), dies at 85
2001 – William X. Kienzle, American novelist (b. 1928)
2020 – Fou Ts’ong, Chinese-British concert pianist, dies of COVID-19 at 86

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Historical Events

1943 – Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower and Bedell Smith
1979 – Sire Records releases “Pretenders”, the debut album of The Pretenders, in US
1981 – USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
1983 – Propane gas fire devastated 16 blocks of Buffalo
1995 – Australian cricketer David Boon completes his 21st Test Cricket century (110 v SL, MCG)

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Famous Birthdays

1911 – Anna Russell, English music satirist and composer, born in London, England (d. 2006)
1918 – Gale Cleven, American WWII pilot (100th Bomb Group), portrayed by Austin Butler in “Masters of the Air”, born in Lemmon, South Dakota (d. 2006)
1950 – Jack van Gelder, Dutch sport commentator and TV presenter (football commentator in “Aunt Rita’s Feast”), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
1971 – Duncan Ferguson, Scottish soccer striker (7 caps; Everton 230 games, Newcastle Utd) and manager (Everton 2019, 22), born in Stirling, Scotland
1973 – Wilson Cruz [Echevarría], American stage and screen actor (My So Called Life; Party of Five), born in Brooklyn, NYC

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Famous Deaths

1737 – William Bowyer, English printer to the Royal Society, known as ‘the learned printer’, dies at 38
1923 – Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect who designed and built the Eiffel Tower, dies at 91
1955 – Alfred Carpenter, English Royal Navy soldier, dies at 74
1957 – Alan Bridge, actor (Hail the Conquering Hero), dies at 66
1999 – Bernard Chacksfield, British Air Vice-Marshal, dies at 86

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Historical Events

268 – Saint Dionysius, Roman Pope (259-260), dies
1825 – Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December]
1979 – Soviet special forces take over the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan
1993 – Antonov-26 crashes in Gyumri, Armenia, killing 36 people
2012 – China opens the world’s longest high speed rail route from Beijing to Guangzhou

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Famous Birthdays

1820 – Gustavus Adolphus Smith, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (d. 1885)
1837 – George Dewey, American admiral, naval hero in Battle of Manila Bay, born in Montpelier, Vermont (d. 1917)
1855 – Arnold Mendelssohn, German composer, born in Ratibor, Province of Silesia (now Poland) (d. 1933)
1945 – John Walsh, American activist and television host (America’s Most Wanted), born in Auburn, New York
1948 – Chris Chambliss, American baseball first baseman (MLB All Star 1976; World Series 1977, 78 NY Yankees; AL Rookie of the Year 1971 Cleveland Indians), born in Dayton, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1530 – Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, Timurid founder and 1st Emperor of the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent (1526-30), dies at 47
1918 – Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65
1974 – Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59
1980 – (John) “Peck” Kelley, American jazz pianist and bandleader (Peck’s Bad Boys), dies from complications of Parkinson’s disease at 82
1997 – Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek philosopher and economist, dies at 75

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Historical Events

274 – Roman Emperor Aurelian dedicates a temple to Sol Invictus in Rome, on supposed day of the winter solstice, fulfilling vow made during campaign in Palmyra
1818 – First known Christmas carol, “Silent Night, Holy Night” (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht’), is sung in Austria
1921 – Last major Potlatch (ceremony) by Chief Daniel Cranmer (Kwakwaka’wakw) from Alert Bay, British Columbia. Twenty-six people arrested, their masks and regalia sold by Canadian government.
2012 – 27 people are killed after an Antonov An-72 plane crashes near Shymkent, Kazakhstan
2016 – Russian military defence plane crashes into the Black Sea after takeoff from Sochi airport, killing all 92 on board

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Famous Birthdays

1932 – Mabel King (née Washington) American stage and screen actress and singer (What’s Happening!!; The Wiz), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1999)
1938 – Duane Armstrong, American painter (Fields of Grass), born in Fresno, California
1957 – Chris Kamara, English soccer midfielder (Swindon Town FC, Brentford FC) and commentator (Sky Sports), born in Middlesbrough, England
1975 – Marcus Trescothick, English cricket batsman (76 Tests, 14 x 100s, HS 219; 123 ODIs; Somerset CCC), born in Keynsham, England
1978 – Jeremy Strong, American actor (Succession), born in Boston, Massachusetts

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Famous Deaths

1976 – Frankie Darro [Frank Johnson], American actor (Radio Ranch, Wild Boys of the Road, Valley of Wanted Men), dies of a heart attack at 58
1989 – Billy Martin, American baseball second baseman (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1951, 52, 53, 56; NY Yankees) and manager (World Series 1977 NY Yankees), killed in a car accident at 61
2006 – James Brown, American RandB, gospel, soul and funk singer-songwriter known as ‘The Godfather of Soul’ (“Sex Machine”; “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”; “Hot Pants”), dies of heart failure at 73
2021 – John Gleeson, Australian rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Queensland 25 games; Wynnum-Manly, Brothers RLFC), dies at 82
2021 – Janice Long (née Chegwin), British radio host (Crash FM; BBC), dies of pneumonia at 66

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