Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1710 – British troops occupy Port Royal, Nova Scotia
1964 – New York Yankees fire manager Yogi Berra, one day after losing the World Series
1973 – The Gulf Six (Iran, Iraq, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar) unilaterally raise the posted price of Saudi Light marker crude oil by 17 percent
1994 – “Addams Family” actor Raul Julia suffers a stroke
2017 – Storm formed from Hurricane Ophelia lashes Ireland, killing three people

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Famous Birthdays

1714 – Giovanni Arduino, Italian geologist who established 1st system of stratigraphic chronology, born in Caprino Veronese, Republic of Venice (d. 1795)
1906 – Dino Buzzati, Italian writer (The Tartar Steppe), born in San Pellegrino, Belluno, (d. 1972)
1944 – Paul Durcan, Irish poet (The Beckett at the Gate, Six Nuns Die in Convent Inferno), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 2025)
1945 – Paul Monette, American writer and LBT activist, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts (d. 1995)
1980 – Sue Bird, American basketball guard (record 508 WNBA games, Seattle Storm; Olympic gold 2004, 08, 12, 16, 20), born in Syosset, New York

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Famous Deaths

1883 – Samuel Jameson Gholson, American jurist and Brigadier General in the Confederate Army, dies at 75
1946 – Joachim von Ribbentrop, Nazi foreign minister and war criminal, hanged at 53
1958 – Michalis Souyioul [Michail Sougioultzoglou], Greek composer and songwriter, chiefly for theater and film, dies of a stroke at 52
1981 – Moshe Dayan, Israeli military leader and politician (Minister of Defense 1967-74), dies of a heart attack at 66
1990 – Jorge Bolet, Cuban-born American pianist known for his performances of the work of Franz Liszt, dies at 75

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Historical Events

1660 – Asser Levy is granted a butcher’s license for kosher meat in New Amsterdam
1968 – American sprinter Wyomia Tyus wins her second consecutive Olympic 100 m title with a world record of 11.08 seconds, beating teammate Barbara Ferrell by 0.08 seconds for the gold medal at the Mexico City Games
1979 – The NY Knicks retire Walt Frazier’s number 10, the second number retired by the Knicks
1987 – The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England
2000 – Larry David’s comedy show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” debuts on HBO

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Famous Birthdays

1934 – N. Ramani, Indian flutist, born in Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, British India (d. 2015)
1935 – Bobby Morrow, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay 1956), born in Brownsville, Texas (d. 2020)
1953 – Larry Miller, American comedian and actor (Larry-Pursuit Of Happiness), born in New York City
1968 – Didier Deschamps, French footballer and manager who won the World Cup for France both as captain (1988) and as manager (2018), born in Bayonne, France
1980 – Tom Boonen, Belgian cyclist (2005 World Road Race Champion), born in Mol, Belgium

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Famous Deaths

1891 – William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, American Major General (Confederate Army), dies at 54
1910 – Larkin Goldsmith Mead, American sculptor who worked in Florence, dies at 75
1991 – Hotze de Roos, Dutch children’s book writer (Chameleon series), dies at 81
1993 – Ken E. Jones, musician (New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra), dies of AIDS at 34
2003 – Ben Metcalfe, Canadian environmental activist (helped found Greenpeace), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1865 – Cheyennes and Arapahos sign “peace treaty” then chased out Colorado
1911 – Largest baseball crowd ever 38,281 (Polo Grounds) see Giants beat A’s, 2-1 (gate is record $77,379)
1947 – Dutch Queen Wilhelmina gives golden award to general Eisenhower
1975 – US President Gerald Ford escapes injury when his limousine is struck broadside
2017 – Spanish government says it will impose direct rule on Catalonia after the region voted for independence in a referendum

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Famous Birthdays

1907 – Allan Jones, American actor and singer (A Day at the Races, Showboat), born in Old Forge, Pennsylvania (d. 1992)
1918 – Thelma Long, Australian tennis player (Australian C’ship singles 1952, 54; 12 x doubles; 4 x mixed doubles; French C’ship mixed doubles 1956), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2015)
1927 – Roger Moore, British actor (The Saint, James Bond), born in London (d. 2017)
1944 – Udo Kier, German actress (Warhol Dracula, Warhol Frankenstein), born in Lindenthal, Cologne, Germany
1991 – Shona McGarty, British singer and actress (Whitney Dean in “EastEnders”), born in Hertfordshire, England

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Famous Deaths

1256 – Kujō Yoritsugu, 5th Japanese shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan (1244-52), dies at 16
1669 – Antonio Cesti, Italian composer, singer and musician, dies at 46
1919 – Wilhelm von Siemens, German industrial/son of Werner, dies
2006 – Maurice Grosse, British paranormal investigator known for the ‘Enfield Haunting’ case, dies at 87
2023 – Andy Bean, American golfer (PGA C’ship 1980, 89 runner-up; British Open 1983 runner-up; 11 x PGA Tour titles), dies from complications of double lung transplant surgery at 70

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Historical Events

1812 – Battle of Queenstown Heights: British forces defeat United States forces attempting to invade Canada
1903 – Victor Herbert and by Glen MacDonough’s operetta “Babes in Toyland” premieres at Majestic Theater, New York City
1993 – MLB National League Championship: Philadelphia Phillies beat Atlanta Braves, 4 games to 2
2005 – English playwright Harold Pinter is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature
2012 – 15 people are killed by a market suicide bombing in Darra Adam Khel, Pakistan

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Famous Birthdays

1794 – Anselm Hüttenbrenner, Austrian composer, born in Graz, Austria (d. 1868)
1881 – George Bacovia [Vasiliu], Romanian poet and composer (Plumb), born in Bacău, Romania (d. 1957)
1903 – Jens Bjerre Jacobsen, Danish organist, and composer (Mosaïque musicale), born in Aarhus, Denmark (d. 1986)
1958 – Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabian progressive journalist, author, and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel who was brutally murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, born in Medina, Saudi Arabia (d. 2018)
1960 – Peter Keisler, American lawyer and acting Attorney General of the United States (2007), born in Hempstead, New York

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Famous Deaths

1959 – Rudolf Mengelberg, Dutch composer and musicologist (Concert Amsterdam), dies at 67
1990 – Lê Ðức Thọ, Vietnamese revolutionary general, politician and negotiator in Paris (1975), dies at 78
2005 – Vivian Malone Jones, American civil rights activist (b. 1942)
2008 – Guillaume Depardieu, French actor (Damien in “Versailles”, Fred in “The Apprentices”), dies of pneumonia at 37
2011 – Barbara Kent, Canadian born – U.S. silent film actress and WAMPAS Baby Stars (b.1907)

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Historical Events

1861 – Confederate ironclad Manassas attack Union’s Richmond on Mississippi
1901 – Theodore Roosevelt renames the “Executive Mansion” as “The White House”
1970 – Rock Memorabilia Auction at Filmore East
1994 – Iranian Fokker F28 explodes between Isfahan and Tehran, killing 66
1999 – Pervez Musharraf takes power in Pakistan from Nawaz Sharif through a bloodless coup

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Famous Birthdays

1897 – Inez Courtney, American stage and screen actress (The 13th Man; Crime Ring; The Raven), born in Amsterdam, New York (d. 1975)
1928 – Al Held, American painter and sculptor (hard edge-style), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2005)
1950 – Dave Freudenthal, American economist and politician (31st Governor of Wyoming), born in Thermopolis, Wyoming
1969 – Dave Chaytors, CFL defensive tackle (British Columbia Lions), born in Calgary, Alberta
1975 – Lex Lang, American actor (Power Rangers), born in Hollywood, California

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Famous Deaths

1924 – Anatole France [Jacques Anatole Thibault], French writer (Thaïs, Wickerwork Woman, Nobel 1921), dies at 80
1996 – Trevor Illtyd williams, scientific writer, dies at 75
2001 – Quintin Hogg, British politician, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, dies at 94 (b. 1907)
2015 – Eugene Louw, South African minister of Internal affairs and Defense, dies at 84
2015 – Joan Leslie, American actress (High Sierra, Yankee Doodle Dandy), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1873 – Toronto Argonaut Football Club 1st game losing to U of Toronto
1943 – Baseball World Series: NY Yankees become first team to win 10 Championships; beat St. Louis Cardinals, 2-0 at Sportsman’s Park for 4 games to 1 series triumph
1958 – “Goldilocks” opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 161 performances
1969 – American blues musician Muddy Waters involved in a car crash that kills 3
1972 – MLB National League Championship: Cincinnati Reds beat Pittsburgh Pirates, 3 games to 2

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Famous Birthdays

1902 – Jayaprakash Narayan, Indian freedom fighter and political leader, born in Sitab Diyara, British India (d. 1979)
1926 – Jean Alexander, British actress (Hilda Ogden in “Coronation Street”), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2016)
1940 – Bruce McTavish, New Zealand boxing referee (World Boxing Council Referee of the Year 2013, 15, 17), born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2025)
1950 – Patty Murray, American politician (U.S. Senator from Washington), born in Bothell, Washington
1968 – Claude Lapointe, Canadian NHL center (Calgary Flames), born in Lachine, Quebec, Canada

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Famous Deaths

1960 – Richard Cromwell [LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh], American actor (Jezebel, Riot Squad), dies of cancer at 50
1994 – Maja Bulgakova, Ukrainian actress (Krylja), dies in auto-accident at 62
2013 – Erich Priebke, German Nazi SS commander and war criminal responsible for the Ardeatine massacre of 335 Italians in Rome, dies in prison of natural causes at 100
2015 – Dean Chance, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1964, 67; Cy Young Award 1964; no-hitter 1967; LA / California Angels, Minnesota Twins), dies at 74
2024 – Kevin Bowring, Welsh rugby union coach (Wales 1995-98), dies from a heart attack at 70

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Historical Events

1902 – American outlaw Tom Horn’s murder trial begins, and he is eventually found guilty and sentenced to death
1911 – The KCR East Rail commences service between Kowloon and Canton
1938 – Germany completes its annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland
1977 – Amnesty International wins the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing its significant role in human rights activism
1981 – Anwar Sadat’s funeral service held in Cairo

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Famous Birthdays

1738 – Benjamin West, Anglo-American painter (Death of General Wolfe), born in Springfield, Province of Pennsylvania (d. 1820)
1854 – Gerónimo Giménez, Spanish composer, born in Seville, Spain (d. 1923)
1905 – Jane Winton, American actress (Hell’s Angel, Patsy, Don Juan), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1959)
1913 – Johnny Downs, American stage and screen actor, dancer, singer, and TV host, (Our Gang; Swing, Sister, Swing!; The Mad Monster), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1994)
1973 – Zach Thornton, American soccer goalkeeper (8 caps; MLS GK of the Year: 1998, 2009), born in Baltimore, Maryland

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Famous Deaths

1723 – William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1665)
1930 – Adolf Engler, German botanist who worked on plant taxonomy and phytogeography (The Natural Plant Families), dies at 86
1991 – Stephen J Falat, dies after long illness at 34
2016 – Donn Fendler, American author and public speaker, who survived a week in the wilderness aged 12, dies at 90
2023 – Terry Dischinger, American College Basketball HOF guard (Purdue; 3 x NBA All-Star; NBA Rookie of the Year 1963 Baltimore Bullets; Detroit Pistons; Olympic gold 1960), dies at 82

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Historical Events

1986 – US Senate convicts US District Judge Harry E. Claiborne, making him the fifth federal official to be removed from office through impeachment after he is criminally convicted of tax evasion
1991 – San Jose Sharks beat Calgary 4-3 for their first NHL win
1992 – Action thriller film “Under Siege,” directed by Andrew Davis and starring Steven Seagal in his most famous role, is released
2014 – Patrick Modiano wins the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature
2017 – American economist Richard Thaler is awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics

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Famous Birthdays

1823 – Mary Ann Shadd Cary, American-Canadian anti-slavery campaigner, suffragist and 1st African American newspaper publisher (“The Provincial Freeman”), born in Wilmington, Delaware (d. 1893)
1884 – Helene Deutsch [Rosenbach], Polish-American psychoanalyst, born in Przemyśl, Poland (d. 1982)
1904 – Carl Parrish, American composer, born in Plymouth, Pennsylvania (d. 1965)
1966 – David Cameron, British Prime Minister (Conservative: 2010-16), born in London, England
1972 – Roman Oben, American football tackle (NY Giants), born in Cameroon

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Famous Deaths

1047 – Clemens II [Suitger], Pope (1046-47), dies (b. 1005)
1962 – Lulu McConnell, American vaudeville, radio, and television comedienne (It Pays To Be Ignorant), dies at 80
1983 – Suh Seok-jun, South Korea Deputy Prime Minister, killed (one of 21 victims) in Rangoon bombing at about 45
2011 – Pavel Karelin, Russian ski jumper (b. 1989)
2014 – Carolyn Ashley Kizer, American writer, dies from complications of dementia 89

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Historical Events

1480 – Great Stand on the Ugra River: Standoff between forces of Akhmat Khan, Khan of the Great Horde, and Ivan III, Grand Prince of all Rus, ends with a Tatar-Mongol retreat, leading to the disintegration of the Horde
1815 – Joachim Murat’s French forces land at Pizzo, Italy
1955 – World’s most powerful aircraft carrier, USS Saratoga, launched
1984 – NBC premieres the TV movie “The Burning Bed,” based on Francine Hughes
1994 – Aleta Sill wins the BPAA US Women’s Bowling Open

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Famous Birthdays

1895 – Juan Perón, Argentine military officer and President of Argentina (1946-55, 73-74), born in Buenos Aires (d. 1974)
1916 – Spark Matsunaga, United States Senator from Hawaii (1977-90), born in Kukuiula, Hawaii (d. 1990)
1919 – Mac Anderson, New Zealand cricketer (played in 1st NZ-Aust Test 1946), born in Westport, West Coast, New Zealand (d. 1979)
1929 – Betty Boothroyd, English politician (1st female Speaker of the UK House of Commons 1992-2000), born in Dewsbury, England (d. 2023)
1965 – Martin Mayhew, American NFL cornerback (Tampa Bay Bucs), born in Daytona Beach, California

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Famous Deaths

1869 – Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States (Democrat: 1853-57), dies from severe cirrhosis of the liver, at 64
1904 – Gustav Ratzenhofer, Austrian sociologist and general, dies at 62
1991 – Natalia Ginzburg, Italian writer (Sounds of the Night), dies at 75
2023 – Agneta Andersson, Swedish sprint canoer (Olympic gold K-1 500 1984, K-2 500 1984, 96; World C’ship gold K-2 500 1993), dies from cancer at 62
2024 – Pat Fischer, American football cornerback (First-team All-Pro 1964, 69; Pro Bowl 1964, 65, 69; St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Redskins), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1864 – Battle of Darbytown Road, Virginia (until October 13)
1891 – British Open Men’s Golf, St Andrews: Hugh Kirkaldy wins by 2 strokes from brother Andrew Kirkaldy and Willie Fernie; last Open contested in a single day over 36 holes
1950 – US forces invade North Korea by crossing 38th parallel
1957 – KOAC TV channel 7 in Corvallis, OR (PBS) begins broadcasting
2019 – Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology awarded to Peter Ratcliffe, William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza for discovering how cells sense oxygen

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Famous Birthdays

1907 – Tutta Rolf, Norwegian actress (Whalers), born in Kristiania, Norway (d. 1994)
1936 – Charles Dutoit, Swiss conductor (Montreal Symphony, 1977-2002; Orchestre National de France. 1991-2001; Royal Philharmonic, 2009-18), born in Lausanne, Switzerland
1938 – Mal Lucas, Welsh soccer right-half who played 4 internationals; Leyton Orient FC, Norwich City FC, Torquay United FC, born in Wrexham, Wales (d. 2024)
1951 – John Mellencamp, American rock singer-songwriter (“Jack and Diane”; “Small Town”; “Pink Houses”), co-founder of Farm Aid, and actor (Falling From Grace), born in Seymour, Indiana
1967 – Toni Braxton, American RandB singer-songwriter (“Un-Break My Heart”), born in Severn, Maryland

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Famous Deaths

290 – [Christian] Sergius, Roman soldier and martyred saint, decapitated
1911 – John Hughlings Jackson, English neurologist and epilepsy researcher, dies at 76
2011 – Ramiz Alia, Communist leader and first President of Albania (1982-92), dies at 85
2016 – Johnny Gleeson, Australian cricket spin bowler (29 Tests, 93 wickets, BB 5/61; NSW CA), dies at 78
2024 – Emily “Cissy” Houston (née Drinkard), American Grammy Award-winning soul and gospel singer, and Whitney’s mother, dies of complications of Alzheimer’s disease at 91

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