Category: On This Day

Historical Events

558 – Dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses, Justinian I immediately orders it rebuilt
1949 – 75th Kentucky Derby: Steve Brooks aboard Ponder wins in 2:04.2
2006 – On the final day of the Premier League season, Thierry Henry scores a hat-trick against Wigan Athletic in the last match played at Highbury
2011 – 137th Kentucky Derby: John Velazquez aboard Animal Kingdom wins in 2:02.04
2017 – MTV becomes the first major awards show to adopt gender-neutral categories, with Emma Watson winning Best Film Actor and Millie Bobby Brown winning Best TV Actor

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Famous Birthdays

1892 – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and leader of Yugoslavia (1943-80), born in Kumrovec, Hrvatsko Zagorje, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (d. 1980)
1936 – Jimmy Ruffin, American soul singer (“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”), born in Collinsville, Mississippi (d. 2014)
1959 – Michael E. Knight, American actor (Tad Martin in “All My Children”), born in Princeton, New Jersey
1960 – Arnon Ohad, Israeli pilot and first officer of EI Al flight 1862 that crashed in Bijlmer Amsterdam, born in Israel
1964 – Leslie O’Neal, NFL defensive end and 6x Pro-Bowl selection (San Diego Chargers, St Louis Rams), born in Little Rock, Arkansas

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Famous Deaths

973 – Otto I, the Great, East Frankish king and Holy Roman Emperor (962-973), dies at 60
2018 – Mikhail German, Russian writer, dies at 85
2018 – Jeremy D. Safran, Canadian-born American clinical psychologist, is killed during a burglary
2020 – Brian Bolus, English cricket batsman (7 Tests @ 41.33; Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire), dies at 86
2021 – Martín Pando, Argentine soccer forward (11 caps; Argentinos Juniors, River Plate), dies at 86

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Historical Events

1916 – Belgian troops march into Kigali, German East Africa
1945 – General Johannes Blaskowitz surrenders German troops in Netherlands
1987 – American televangelist Jim Bakker and Rich Dortch dismissed from Assemblies of God after revelations of an alleged rape of a church secretary
1987 – Miroslav Mihailovic begins 54 hours of telling jokes
2008 – Chaiten Volcano erupts in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people

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Famous Birthdays

1758 – Maximilien Robespierre, French revolutionary (President of the National Convention, Member of Committee of Public Safety), born in Arras, France (d. 1794)
1843 – Grove Karl Gilbert, American geologist (investigated Lake Bonneville, Utah), born in Rochester, New York (d. 1918)
1925 – Patrick Meaney, British businessman and CEO (Rank Organization), born in Wandsworth, London (d. 1992)
1947 – Ronald Rivest, American computer scientist (RSA cryptography), born in Schenectady, New York
1953 – Michelle Courchesne, Quebec politician and former President of the Treasury Board, born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec

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Famous Deaths

850 – Ninmyō, 54th Emperor of Japan (833-50) during the Heian period, dies at 41
1727 – Catharine I of Russia [Marta Samuilovna], wife of Peter the Great, dies at about 42
1985 – Pete Desjardins, American diver (Olympic gold 10m platform, 3m springboard 1928), dies at 78
2014 – Geoffrey Maitland Smith, British accountant (Sir Charles Clore; Paul McCartney) and businessman (CEO of Sears, 1978-95), dies at 81
2018 – Cirilo Bautista, Filipino writer and poet, dies at 76

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Historical Events

1494 – On his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus sights Jamaica and lands at Discovery Bay
1864 – Battle of Wilderness, Virginia (Germanna Ford, Wilderness Tavern)
1938 – MLB Philadelphia Phillies Harold Kelleher pitcher faces 16 batters in 6th, as Cubs score 12 runs, both marks are NL records off one hurler in a single inning
1990 – 35th Eurovision Song Contest: Toto Cutugno for Italy wins singing “Insieme: 1992” in Zagreb
1991 – A riot breaks out in the Mt. Pleasant section of Washington, D.C. after Salvadoran man is shot by police

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Famous Birthdays

1883 – Charles “Chief” Bender, American Baseball HOF pitcher (only indigenous American in BHOF; World Series 1910, 11, 13; no-hitter 1910; Philadelphia A’s), born in Crow Wing County, Minnesota (d. 1954)
1915 – Richard Rovere, American political journalist (Goldwater Caper), born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 1979)
1924 – Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, Argentine film director (Monday’s Child), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1978)
1950 – Googoosh [Faegheh Atashin (فائقه آتشین)], Persian singer and actress, born in Sarcheshmeh Street, Tehran, Iran
1982 – Jay Bothroyd, English footballer (striker for J1 League club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo), born in London

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Famous Deaths

1945 – Peter Van Pels, Jewish Refugee (b. 1926)
1964 – Howard Zahniser, American environmental activist (father of Wilderness Act), dies of heart failure at 58
1995 – Anthony Wagner, English Officer of Arms at the College of Arms and author on heraldry, dies at 86
2000 – Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (Tour de France 1938, 48; Giro d’Italia 1936-7, 46), dies of a heart attack at 85
2012 – Raman Surendranath, Indian cricket fast bowler (11 Tests, 26 wickets), dies at 75

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Historical Events

1883 – John Gordon Cashman publishes the first edition of the “Vicksburg Evening Post” in Mississippi
1942 – Battle of Coral Sea begins (1st naval battle fought solely in air) between Japanese, US and Australian navies and air forces
1959 – First Grammy Awards: Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald win major awards
1966 – The Soviet government signs an agreement with Fiat to build an automobile factory in the Soviet Union
2019 – 145th Kentucky Derby: stewards disqualify first-across-the-line Maximum Security for interference; longshot Country House declared winner; first DQ in race history for race infraction

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Famous Birthdays

1938 – Gillian Tindall, British historian and novelist (The Fields Beneath, Fly Away Home), born in London (d. 2025)
1949 – Zal Cleminson, Scottish guitarist (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band), born in Glasgow, Scotland
1956 – Barrie Masters, British pub-rock singer (Eddie and the Hot Rods), born in Rochford, Essex, England (d. 2019)
1977 – Mariano Pernía, Argentine soccer left back (11 caps Spain; Independiente, Recreativo, Getafe, Atlético Madrid), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
1984 – Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladeshi cricket all-rounder (6 Tests, 1 x 50, 5 wickets, BB 3/84; Khulna Division), born in Khulna, Bangladesh (d. 2007)

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Famous Deaths

1566 – Luca Ghini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1490)
1855 – Camille Pleyel, Austrian pianist, piano manufacturer, and music publisher, dies at 66
1953 – T. Tertius Noble, English composer, dies at 85
1984 – Bob Clampett, American cartoonist (b. 1913)
1994 – Karl Francis Hettinger, American police officer (Onion Field survivor), dies at 59

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Historical Events

1815 – Battle at Tolentino: Austria beats King Joachim of Naples
1855 – Antwerp-Rotterdam railway officially opens
1952 – “Call Me Madam” closes at the Imperial Theater in NYC after 644 performances
1954 – WHA TV channel 21 in Madison, Wisconsin (PBS) begins broadcasting
1994 – Wim Kok and the Labour Party win Dutch general election

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Famous Birthdays

1729 – Florian Leopold Gassmann, Bohemian composer, born in Brüx, Kingdom of Bohemia (d. 1774)
1849 – Jacob Riis, Danish-American social reformer and “muck raking” reporter (NY Tribune, NY Evening Sun), born in Ribe, Denmark (d. 1914)
1895 – Cornelius Van Til, Dutch philosopher and Christian apologist, born in Grootegast, Netherlands (d. 1987)
1915 – Stu Hart, Canadian pro wrestler and trainer (founder Stampede Wrestling; sons Bret and Owen Hart), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (d. 2003)
1949 – Albert Sacco Jr., American chemical engineer and astronaut (STS 73), born in Boston, Massachusetts

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Famous Deaths

1442 – Engelbert I Nassau-Dillenburg (counsellor to Duke of Burgendy), dies at 71 or 72
1737 – Abraham Patras, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1735-37), dies at 65
1988 – Johannes Driessler, German organist and composer, dies at 67
1994 – Milford Dolliole, American pioneer jazz drummer, dies at 90
2006 – Pramod Mahajan, Indian politician (b. 1949)

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Historical Events

1876 – The April Uprising breaks out in Bulgaria
1878 – US stops minting the 20-cent coin due to public confusion with the quarter
1887 – Hannibal Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film (used in Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope)
1953 – Hussein I installed as King of Jordan
1998 – 124th Kentucky Derby: Kent Desormeaux aboard Real Quiet wins in 2:02.20

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Famous Birthdays

1660 – Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian baroque composer (Tigrane), born in Palermo, Sicily, Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire (d. 1725)
1860 – Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist and father of modern political Zionism (World Zionist Organization), born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (d. 1904)
1910 – Laurie Nash, Australian cricket fast-bowler (2 Tests, 10 wickets) and VFL player and coach (South Melbourne), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1986)
1954 – Elliot Goldenthal, American concert, theater, and Academy Award-winning film score composer (Frida; Juan Darién – A Carnival Mass), born in Brooklyn, New York City
1984 – Saulius Mikoliūnas, Lithuanian footballer, born in Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR

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Famous Deaths

2001 – Gina Mastrogiacomo, American actress (Goodfellas), dies at 39
2012 – Junior Seau, American Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker (12 x Pro Bowl; 6 × First-team All-Pro; NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1992; SD Chargers), commits suicide at 43
2013 – Jeff Hanneman, American haevy metal guitarist (Slayer), dies from liver failure at 49
2017 – Abelardo Castillo, Argentine writer and novelist, dies at 82
2018 – Wang Danfeng, Chinese actress, dies at 93

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Historical Events

1795 – King of Hawaiʻi Kamehameha I defeats Kalanikupule and conquers island of Oʻahu at Battle of Nuʻuanu [approx. date]
1957 – Vanguard TV-1 booster test reaches an altitude of 121 miles (195 km)
1967 – Anastasio Somoza Debayle becomes President of Nicaragua
1969 – Houston Astros hurler Don Wilson blanks Reds, 4-0 for second career no-hitter, at Crosley Field in Cincinnati
2007 – The Los Angeles May Day mêlée occurs, in which the Los Angeles Police Department’s response to a May Day pro-immigration rally becomes a matter of controversy

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Famous Birthdays

1831 – Emily Stowe, Canadian suffragist and first woman licensed to practise medicine in Canada, born in Norwich Township, Oxford County, Ontario (d. 1903)
1924 – Enriko Josif, Serbian composer and pedagogue (Lyric Symphony), born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (d. 2003)
1927 – Greta Andersen, Danish swimmer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle, silver 4×100m freestyle 1948), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2023)
1955 – András Törőcsik, Hungarian soccer forward (45 caps; Újpest Dozsa FC, Montpellier), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2022)
1970 – Damon Diletti, Australian field hockey goal keeper (Olympic silver 1992; Champions Trophy gold 1999), born in Perth, West Australia

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Famous Deaths

1679 – Esaias Reusner, German lutenist and composer, dies at 43
1913 – John Barclay Armstrong, Texas Ranger and U.S. Marshal (b. 1850)
1957 – Grant Mitchell, American actor (Great Lie, Laura, Cairo, Conflict), dies at 82
2018 – Chuck Missler, American evangelist and author, dies at 83
2021 – Al Jamison, American football offensive lineman (AFL All Star 1961, 62; AFL C’ship 1960, 61; Houston Oilers), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1492 – Spain announces it will expel all Jews
1945 – Concentration camp Munchen-Allag freed
1977 – Revival of musical revue “A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green” closes at Little Theatre, NYC after 92 performances
1997 – Big Ben stops at 12:11 PM for 54 minutes
2012 – Manchester City defeats Manchester United 1-0 in what is claimed to be the biggest match in English Premier League history

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Famous Birthdays

1723 – Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French zoologist and naturalist (Ornithologie), born in Fontenay-le-Comte (d. 1806)
1909 – Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands (1948-80), born in Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2004)
1913 – Bernard Sendall, British deputy director general of the Independent Television Authority and author (Independent Television in Britain), born in Malvern, England (d. 1996)
1936 – Bernie Clifton [Quinn], British comedian (Oswald the Ostrich), born in St Helens, Lancashire, England
1982 – Kirsten Dunst, American actress (Interview with the Vampire, Spider-Man), born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1848 – Friedrich Freiherr Gagern, German Dutch army commandant, dies at 53
1942 – J. C. Arthur, American botanist (studied parasitic fungi rusts), dies at 92
1983 – Joel H. Hildebrand, American chemist and educator (research led to new treatments for divers with the ‘bends’ through the use of helium and oxygen breathing mixtures), dies at 101
1998 – Nizar Qabbani, Syrian poet (b. 1926)
2007 – Gordon Scott [Werschkul], American actor (Tarzan series), dies at 80

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Historical Events

1540 – Emperor Charles declares all privileges of Ghent ended
1636 – Prince Frederick Henry occupies Schenkenschans fortress after a nine-month siege during the Dutch Revolt
1965 – Australian government announces it would send troops to Vietnam
1986 – NFL Draft: Auburn running back Bo Jackson first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2016 – “H.O.L.Y” single released by Florida Georgia Line (Billboard Song of the Year, 2016)

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Famous Birthdays

1837 – Georges Boulanger, French general and politician, born in Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, France (d. 1891)
1882 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch artist (The Blue Barge) and resistance fighter, born in Leens, Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1945)
1954 – Jake Burton Carpenter, American snowboarder (founder Burton Snowboards; one of the inventors of modern day snowboard), born in New York City (d. 2019)
1983 – Sam Jones III, American actor (Smallville), born in Boston, Massachusetts
2007 – Infanta Sofía of Spain, Princess of Spain, second in the line of succession to the Spanish throne, born in Madrid, Spain

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Famous Deaths

1712 – Juan Bautista Jose Cabanilles, Spanish organist and composer, dies at 67
1928 – Henrich Federer, Swiss writer (I Switch Off The Light), dies at 61
1967 – Anthony Mann, American film actor and director (El Cid, Winchester ’73, The Glenn Miller Story), dies from a heart attack at 60
1999 – Perry Ford [Brian Pugh], British pop singer, session musician and songwriter (The Ivy League – “Tossing And Turning”), dies at 65
2012 – Amarillo Slim, American professional poker player, dies at 83

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Historical Events

1920 – Azerbaijan SSR joins USSR (1st time)
1940 – Glenn Miller records the song “Pennsylvania 6-5000” in NYC; tune is named after phone number of the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan
1966 – David Diamond’s 5th Symphony premieres with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein; the work was dedicated to the conductor
2019 – Disney says Marvel film “Avengers: Endgame” made estimated $1.2 billion worldwide, first film to make more than 1 billion on opening
2024 – A worse than usual rainy season across East Africa due to El Nino kills at least 155 people in Tanzania and 60 in Kenya with hundreds of thousands displaced

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Famous Birthdays

1757 – Claus Schall, Danish violinist and composer, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1835)
1927 – Garry Weston, English businessman (Associated British Foods), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2002)
1952 – Chuck Leavell, American session and touring keyboardist (The Allman Brothers Band; Rolling Stones; Sea Level), and forest conservationist (The Tree Man), born in Birmingham, Alabama
1961 – Cathy Gerring, American golfer (3 x LPGA Tour wins; Solheim Cup 1990), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana
1978 – Nate Richert, American actor (Harvey-Sabrina), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Famous Deaths

1716 – Louis de Montfort, French catholic priest and saint who preached Mariology (Secret of the Rosary; True Devotion to Mary), dies at 43
1843 – William Wallace, Scottish mathematician (rights of Wallace), dies at 74
1955 – Lode Cantens, Flemish playwright (Gnomes of the City), dies at 43
1992 – Francis Bacon, Irish-British abstract painter (Study for a Pope), dies at 82
2025 – Mike Peters, Welsh rock singer (The Alarm – “Rain In the Summertime”; Big Country, 2010-13), dies of blood cancer at 66

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