Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1945 – Erich Honnecker and Erich Hanke flee nazis
1959 – 11th Emmy Awards: Playhouse 90, Jack Benny Show, Raymond Burr win
1975 – Algiers Accord: Iran and Iraq announce a settlement of their border dispute.
1987 – Belgium ferry “Herald of Free Enterprise” sinks; 192 die
1999 – 20th Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament: Connecticut beats St. John’s, 82-63
2018 – “Highest overdose death rates ever recorded in the US”, 142,000 overdoses in 2016-17 period according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Famous Birthdays

1936 – A “Bram” Stemerdink, Dutch minister of Defense (PvdA)
1940 – Willie Stargell, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder/1st baseman (7-time All Star), born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma (d. 2001)
1946 – Richard Noble, Scottish businessman (land speed record 1983-97), born in Edinburgh
1957 – Edward “Eddie” Deezen, American actor (Grease, I Wanna Hold Your Hand), born in Cumberland, Maryland
1967 – Bennie Dekker, Dutch football player (NEC/AZ/De Graafschap), born in Ermelo, Netherlands
1976 – Ken Anderson, American professional wrestler

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Famous Deaths

1842 – Constanze Mozart, wife of W.A. Mozart (b. 1763)
1854 – Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, British soldier and politician (b. 1778)
1967 – Zoltán Kodály, Hungarian composer (b. 1882)
1969 – Nadya Rusheva, Russian painter (b. 1952)
1994 – Leighton Noble, singer/Bandleader, dies at 81
1996 – Simon Cadell, English actor (Enemy at the Door), dies at 45

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Historical Events

1046 – Persian scholar Naser Khosrow begins the 7 year Middle Eastern journey which he will later describe in his book Safarnama
1910 – Stanley Cup, Dey’s Arena, Ottawa, ON: Montreal Wanderers beat Ottawa Senators, 3-1
1956 – “King Kong” 1st televised
1966 – 11th Eurovision Song Contest: Udo Jurgens for Austria wins singing “Merci, Cherie” in Luxembourg
1977 – 24th ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament: North Carolina beats Virginia, 75-69
2012 – 27 members of Iraq’s security force are killed by gunmen disguised as police in Haditha

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Famous Birthdays

1899 – Patrick Hadley, composer
1905 – Gilroy Roberts, US chief engraver (1948-64)
1918 – Halsey S Colchester, British SAS/spy (MI6)/priest
1920 – Virginia Christine [Ricketts], American actress (Mrs Olson, Tales of Wells Fargo), born in Stanton, Iowa (d. 1996)
1985 – Whitney Port, Cast member of The Hills TV series
1988 – Bjarni Viðarsson, Icelandic footballer

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Famous Deaths

1539 – Nuno da Cunha, Portuguese governor in India (b. 1487)
1732 – Joseph François Salomon, French composer, dies at 82
1829 – John Adams, last surviving HMS Bounty mutineer (b. 1766)
1873 – Marie-Alexis Castillon de Saint-Victor, French composer, dies at 34
1988 – Alberto Olmedo, Argentine comedian (b. 1933)
2000 – Lolo Ferrari [Eve Valois], French adult actress and dancer, dies from an overdose of prescription drugs at 37

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Historical Events

1570 – King Philip II bans foreign Dutch students
1835 – HMS Beagle moves into Bay of Concepcion
1881 – South African president Kruger accepts ceasefire
1897 – William McKinley inaugurated as 25th president of USA
1933 – Franklin D. Roosevelt inaugurated as 32nd US President, pledges to pull US out of the Depression, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”
2018 – Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal are poisoned by nerve agent in Salisbury, England

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Famous Birthdays

1826 – John Buford, American Major General (Union Army), born in Woodford County, Kentucky (d. 1863)
1877 – Alexander Fyodorovich Gedike, composer
1906 – Meindert DeJong American author (d. 1991)
1934 – Janez Strnad, Slovenian physicist
1984 – Kevin O’Brien, Irish cricket batsman (3 Tests; 142 ODIs; 89 T20I; fastest century ever in ODI World Cup, off 50 balls v England 2011), born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland
1993 – Jenna Boyd, American actress

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Famous Deaths

1852 – Nikolai Gogol [Nikolay], Ukrainian-born Russian novelist, humorist, and dramatist (Dead Souls, The Inspector-General), dies at 43
1944 – Louis Capone, New York organized crime figure (b. 1896) (executed)
1994 – John Candy, actor (SCTV, Uncle Buck), dies from a heart attack at 43
2002 – Elyne Mitchell, Australian author (b. 1913)
2005 – Yuriy Kravchenko, Ukrainian statesman (b. 1951)
2009 – George McAfee, American football player, NFL halfback (Chicago Bears), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1794 – 1st performance of Joseph Haydn’s 101st Symphony in D
1853 – US Assay Office in NYC authorized
1869 – 31st Grand National: George Stevens wins his 4th GN aboard 100/7 outsider The Colonel; repeats with back-to-back victories the following year
1905 – Tsar Nicholas II of Russia agrees to summon a ‘consultative assembly’ and concedes other points including an edict of religious toleration, relief for Jews, and the cancellation of certain debts
1991 – Switzerland votes on lowering voting age from 20 to 18
2013 – A 2 year old US girl becomes the first child born with HIV to be cured

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Famous Birthdays

1906 – Krishnarao Shiva Shelvankar, journalist/diplomat
1926 – James Ingram Merrill, American poet/author (Scripts for the Pageant)
1953 – Aleksandr Viktorovich Borodin, Russian cosmonaut
1970 – Scott Keswick, Nevada, gymnast (Coca-Cola-1st-94, Olympics 1996)
1971 – Tyler Florence, American chef, Food Network personality and cookbook author, born in Greenville, South Carolina
1972 – Darren Anderton, English footballer

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Famous Deaths

1920 – Theodor Philipsen, Danish painter, dies at 79
1945 – Koos Speenhoff, Dutch singer, killed in bombing raid at 75
1991 – Johnny Revolta, American golfer (PGA C’ship 1935; 18 PGA Tour titles), dies at 79
1996 – Ludwig Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord, German journalist, dies at 76
2001 – Louis Edmonds, American actor (b. 1923)
2003 – Luis Marden, American photojournalist (b. 1913)

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Historical Events

1925 – SDAP-Second-Faction of parliament demands drastic disarmament
1934 – Union Pacific tests light-weight high-speed passenger train, Omaha
1938 – Landslides and floods cause over 200 deaths (Los Angeles California)
1940 – Soviet armies conquer Tuppura Island, Finland
2002 – 40-year old South African boxer ‘Baby Jake’ Matlala ends his 22-year career with a 7th-round TKO win over Columbia’s Juan Herrera to retain his WBU junior flyweight title in Johannesburg
2016 – Longest non-stop scheduled commercial flight by distance, Emirates A380 flies 14,200km (8,824 miles) Dubai to Auckland in 17 hours, 15 minutes

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Famous Birthdays

1481 – Franz von Sickingen, German knight
1844 – Dr. Schaepman [Herman Schaepman], Dutch poet, Roman Catholic priest, theologian, and politician
1966 – Judith Wiesner, Austrian tennis player (World #12 1997; captain Austria’s Federation Cup team 2001), born in Hallein Austria
1972 – Richard Ruccolo, American actor
1975 – Daryl Gibson, New Zealand rugby union centre (19 caps; Canterbury Crusaders) and coach (NSW Waratahs), born in Lumsden, New Zealand
1984 – Elizabeth Jagger, English model and actress

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Famous Deaths

1729 – Francesco Bianchini, Italian philosopher and scientist, dies at 66
1800 – Christian Friedrich Schale, composer, dies at 86
1868 – Carl Eberwein, German composer and violinist, dies at 81
1887 – August W. Eichler, German botanist (developed a new system of classification of plants to reflect the concept of evolution), dies at 47
1938 – Ben Harney, American composer and “Father of Ragtime Piano” (You’ve Been a Good Old Wagon, But You Done Broke Down), dies of a heart attack at 66
2012 – James Wilson, American criminologist, dies at 80

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Historical Events

1867 – Howard University, Washington, D.C., chartered
1893 – Diplomatic Appropriation Act, authorizes the US rank of ambassador
1937 – US Steel raises workers’ wages to $5 a day
1954 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams fractures his collarbone on the first day of Boston Red Sox spring training; injury keeps him out of Boston lineup until May 15
1963 – 200,000 French mine workers strike
1997 – 5th annual ESPY Awards shown on TV

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Famous Birthdays

1810 – Frederic Chopin, Polish-French pianist and composer (Concert in F Minor), born in Żelazowa Wola, Duchy of Warsaw (d. 1849) (baptismal records 22nd Feb)
1905 – Doris Hare, Welsh actress, born in Bargoed, Glamorgan, Wales (d. 2000)
1921 – Cameron Argetsinger, American auto racing executive (created Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course; F1 US Grand Prix 1961-80), born in Youngstown, Ohio (d. 2008)
1973 – Chris Webber, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 1997, 2000–2003; Washington Bullets/Wizards, Sacramento Kings) and broadcaster (NBA Gametime Live; TNT), born in Detroit, Michigan
1983 – Daniel Carvalho, Brazilian soccer winger (3 caps; Internacional, CSKA Moscow), born in Pelotas, Brazil
1987 – Sammie Bush, Boyton Beach Florida, American RandB singer (“I Like It”)

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Famous Deaths

1884 – Isaac Todhunter, English mathematician (b. 1820)
1928 – Jacob Adolf Hägg, Swedish composer, dies at 77
1929 – Royal H. Weller, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York), dies at 47
1970 – Lucille Hegamin, American singer and entertainer (b. 1894)
1995 – Vladislav Listyev, Russian TV-journalist, murdered at 38
2015 – Minnie Minoso, Cuban baseball left-fielder (9-time MLB All Star; Gold Glove Award 1957, 59, 60; Chicago WS), dies of heart disease at 92

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Historical Events

1892 – St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated
1892 – Britain and US sign treaty on seal hunting in Bering Sea
1964 – “Rugantino” closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 28 performances
1968 – National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Comm) reports against racism and demands aid given to blacks
1976 – American driver Richard Petty wins the only Winston Cup race run on Leap Day, taking the Carolina 500 at Rockingham by 2 laps over Darrell Waltrip
1976 – ABC-TV broadcast premiere of 1965’s hit “The Sound of Music”

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Famous Birthdays

1728 – Robert Bage, English writer (Criticism by Peter Faulkner)
1792 – Karl Ernst von Baler, Russian naturalist (discovered human ovum)
1884 – Alfred Sendrey, American composer and musicologist, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1976)
1904 – Jimmy Dorsey, American orchestra leader (Stage Show), born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania
1944 – Dennis Farina, American actor (Get Shorty, Law and Order, Crime Story), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2013)
1972 – Dave Williams, American singer (Drowning Pool) (d. 2002)

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Famous Deaths

468 – Pope St. Hilarius (461-468), calendar reformer, dies (birth date unknown)
1744 – John Theophilus Desaguliers, French-British natural philosopher and freemason, dies at 60
1944 – Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, President of Finland (b. 1861)
1992 – Johnny Mack, British actor (Time Lord-Dr Who), dies at 70
2000 – Dennis Danell, American artist (b. 1961)
2016 – Edward M. Lawson, Canadian trade unionist and politician, dies at 86

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Historical Events

1838 – Robert Nelson, leader of the Patriotes, proclaims the independence of Lower Canada (today Québec)
1888 – Vincent d’Indy’s Wallenstein-trilogy, premieres
1988 – Pat Verbeek becomes 1st NJ Devil to score 4 goals in an NHL game
2001 – The US Environmental Protection Agency announces that it intends to proceed with implementation of tighter restrictions on sulfur content in diesel fuel; the rule is opposed by many in the refining industry
2016 – 36th Razzies Awards: “Fifty Shades of Grey” wins worst film, worst actor and actress
2019 – YouTube announces it will stops all comments on videos featuring children because of paedophiles leaving inappropriate comments

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Famous Birthdays

1261 – Margaret of Scotland, queen of Norway (d. 1283)
1938 – Martin Olav Sabo, (Rep-D-MN, 1979- )
1945 – Charles “Bubba” Smith, Tx, NFLer (Balt Colts)/actor (Police Academy)
1957 – Ainsley Harriott, British celebrity chef
1973 – Denard Walker, cornerback (Tennessee Oilers)
1979 – Michael Bisping, English mixed martial artist, born in Nicosia, Cyprus

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Famous Deaths

1844 – Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of State, dies in explosion on USS Princeton
1991 – Guillermo Ungo, member of El Salvador junta (1979-80), dies
1993 – Franco Brusati, Italian dir/writer (Bread and Chocolate), dies at 70
1996 – Daniel Chipenda, Angolan politician and field commander, dies at 64
2004 – Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian, writer, and Librarian of Congress (b. 1914)
2014 – Hugo Brandt Corstius, Dutch essayist and mathematician, dies at 78

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Historical Events

1869 – John Menard is 1st African American to make a speech in the US Congress
1956 – Female suffrage granted in Egypt
1962 – South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm’s palace bombed by dissident air pilots in a failed assassination attempt
1965 – France performs Underground nuclear test at Ecker Algeria
1966 – Ice Dance Championship at Davos won by Diane Towler and Bernard Ford of great Britain
1984 – WRC-AM in Washington, D.C. changes call letters to WWRC

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Famous Birthdays

1877 – Walter O Briggs, American entrepreneur and sports team owner (Detroit Tigers 1935-52), born in Ypsilanti, Michigan (d. 1952)
1897 – Marian Anderson, American contralto and celebrated singer (My Lord, What a Morning), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1993)
1907 – Mildred Bailey [Rinker], American jazz singer known as “The Queen of Swing” (Rockin’ Chair, Please Be Kind), born in Teoka, Washington (d. 1951)
1930 – Peter Stone, American writer (d. 2003)
1954 – Neal Schon, American rock guitarist (Journey-Open Arms, Bad English), born in Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma
1973 – Roderick “Pooh” Clark, American RandB singer (High-5)

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Famous Deaths

1706 – John Evelyn, English writer and diarist (Life of Mrs Godolphin), dies at 85
1874 – Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Cuban revolutionary hero, dies at 54
1921 – Schofield Haigh, cricketer (Eng all-rounder 11 Tests 1898-1912), dies
1968 – Frankie Lymon, American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer (The Teenagers), dies at 25 of a heroin overdose
1974 – Pat Brady [Robert Ellsworth O’Brady], American actor (The Roy Rodgers Show, Man from Music Mountain), dies at 57
1991 – Robert-Jan Akkerman, Dutch diplomat (to Tunis), murdered

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Historical Events

1887 – George Lohmann took 1st 8-wkt haul in test cricket, 8-35 at SCG
1942 – German battle cruiser Gneisenau deactivated by bomb
1943 – German assault moves to Beja North Tunisia
1974 – Gold hits record $188 an ounce in Paris
1981 – 3 Anglican missionaries detained in Iran since Aug 1980 are released
1982 – Test Cricket debut of batsman Martin Crowe, playing for New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, run out for 9

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Famous Birthdays

1675 – Johann Philipp Treiber, composer
1845 – Aleksander Rozycki, composer
1852 – John Harvey Kellogg, surgeon, inspired flaked cereal industry
1882 – Walter Lucht, German artillery general (WW I/WW II)
1887 – Benegal Narsing Rau, India, President of UN Security Council (1950)
1907 – Dub Taylor [Walter Clarence Taylor Jr], American character actor (Gunsmoke), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 1994)

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Famous Deaths

1538 – Worp van Thabor, Frisian abbott of Thabor (Chronicon Frisiae), dies
1686 – Godefroi L Comte d’Estrades, French diplomat/marshal, dies at about 78
1839 – Sybil Ludington, American revolutionary heroine (rode to alert militia), dies at 77
1943 – Theodor Eicke, Nazi official (b. 1892)
1977 – Maxime Jacob, composer, dies at 71
2003 – Christian Goethals, Belgian racing driver, dies at 74

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