Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1914 – Ypres, Belgium, burned by German bombing
1928 – “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel first performed publicly (Paris)
1931 – Ferde Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite” premieres
1967 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1981 – SD Charger Dan Fouts passes for 6 touchdowns vs Oakland (55-21)
2005 – Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1913 – Cecilia Muñoz-Palma, first female Philippine Supreme Court Justice (d. 2006)
1950 – Little Steven, [Van Zandt], Asbury Park NJ, rocker (Born to Run)
1958 – Jamie Lee Curtis, American actress (Halloween, True Lies), born in Los Angeles, California
1961 – Mariel Hemingway, Ketchum Id, actress (Personal Best, Civil Wars)
1966 – Brian Robbins, American actor (Eric-Head of the Class), born in Brooklyn, New York
1978 – Karen O [Orzolek], American singer (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), born in Busan, South Korea

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1318 – Mikhail Yaroslavich, Russian prince (b. 1271)
1782 – John de Mol, porcelein manufacturer, dies
1920 – Manuel Pérez y Curis, Uruguayan poet (b. 1884)
1982 – Max Deutsch, Austrian-French composer, dies at 90
1983 – Michael Conrad, American actor (Delvecchio, Hill St Blues), dies of cancer at 58
1998 – Stu Unger, American poker player (b. 1953)

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1813 – Stettin surrenders to allied armies
1824 – First Jewish Reform congregation forms, Charleston, South Carolina
1953 – Authorities at the British Natural History Museum announce the “Piltdown Man” skull, one of the most famous fossil skulls in the world, is a hoax
1955 – KTVO TV channel 3 in Ottumwa-Kirksville, IA (ABC) begins broadcasting
1994 – 1st-class cricket debut of Andrew Symonds (Queensland v NSW, SCG)
2004 – 56th NASCAR Sprint Cup: Kurt Busch wins

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1495 – John Bale, English bishop and anti-catholic playwright (Kynge Johan), born in Cove, Suffolk, England (d. 1563)
1870 – Stanley Jackson, English cricketer (captain of England, governor of Bengal), born in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, Yorkshire, England (d. 1947)
1898 – René Magritte, Belgian surrealistic painter (This is Not a Pipe)
1932 – Jim Ringo, NFL center (Green Bay, Philadelphia)
1966 – Jerry Fontenot, NFL center/guard (Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints)
1987 – Brian Douwes, Dutch kickboxer and martial artist

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1922 – Ricardo Flores Magón, Mexican anarchist (b. 1874).
1963 – Luis Cernuda, Spanish poet (Perfil del Aire), dies at 61
1972 – Karel Haba, Czech composer and violinist, dies at 74
1981 – Harry Von Zell, TV announcer (Burns and Allen), dies at 75
1986 – Marcelino Sanchez, American actor (b. 1957)
1995 – Noel Jones, British diplomat (b. 1940)

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1194 – Palermo, Sicily, is conquered by Emperor Henry VI
1866 – First national convention of Grand Army of Republic (veterans’ org)
1944 – Amsterdam: Vondelpark closed because of kappen of trees
1967 – Mets pitcher Tom Seaver (16-12) is named NL Rookie of Year
1981 – Russian Anatoly Karpov retains world chess championship
1982 – Drew Barrymore at age 7 hosts “Saturday Night Live”

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1867 – Vicente Ripolles, composer
1916 – William John Elwyn Davies, painter
1956 – Mark Gastineau, NFL end (NY Jets, Pro Bowl 1981-85)
1970 – Joe Zaso, American actor, born in Queens, New York City
1974 – Kirk Reynolds, Canadian trap shooter (Olympics 1996), born in Outlook, Saskatchewan, Canada
1986 – Aaron Yan, Taiwanese singer and actor, born in Taipei, Taiwan

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1437 – Thomas Langley, bishop of Durham, cardinal and lord chancellor (b. 1363)
1936 – Jose A Primo de Rivera, Spanish lawyer and politician (founder of Spanish Falange), executed at 33
1973 – Allan Sherman, American parody singer and songwriter (Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah), dies from emphysema at 48
1986 – William Bradford Huie, American writer and publisher, dies at 76
2010 – Chalmers Johnson, American political scholar and author (b. 1931)
2012 – William Grut, Swedish pentathlete, dies at 98

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1879 – National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders determines what “is” a trotter
1990 – Greyhound files reoganization plan so they can be traded publicly
1991 – Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken wins his 2nd AL MVP
1996 – Albert Belle, signs record five-year, $55 million with White Sox
1997 – McCaughey septuplets born to Bobbi McCaughey in Des Moines, Iowa. First set of septuplets to survive infancy.
2018 – Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn arrested in Japan for financial misconduct

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1918 – Hendrik Christoffel Van de Hulst, Utrecht the Netherlands, Dutch astronomer who correctly predicted the existence of the 21 cm hyper-fine line of neutral atomic hydrogen in interstellar space
1944 – Dennis Hull, Canadian ice hockey player
1955 – Gloria Guida, Merano Italy, Miss Teenage Italy (1974)
1956 – Ann Curry, American journalist
1970 – Bhupinder Singh Jr, cricketer (Punjab and Indian ODI batsman)
1977 – Lady Davina EAB Windsor, daughter of English prince Richard

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

498 – Anastasius II, Pope (496-8) dies. Referred to by Dante in his Inferno XI, 8-9
1983 – Tom Evans, English bass guitarist (Badfinger) (b. 1947)
1990 – Sun Li-jen, Chinese general (b. 1900)
1994 – Dedrick Gobert, American actor (Boyz ‘n the Hood), shot to death at 22
1998 – Ted Fujita, Japanese-born American meteorologist (b. 1920)
2010 – Pat Burns, Canadian hockey coach (b. 1952)

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1883 – Standard time zones forms by railroads in US and Canada
1932 – 5th Academy Awards: Fredric March and Wallace Beery in 1st ever tie for Best Actor. “Grand Hotel” and Helen Hayes also win.
1943 – 444 British bombers attack Berlin
1985 – Enterprise (OV-101) flies from Kennedy Space Center to Dulles Airport
1997 – Willem de Kooning painting “Two Standing Women” sold for $4,182,500
2018 – Apec Summit in Papa New Guinea fails to produce a joint agreement for first time in two decades after US and China clash on definition of trade

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1803 – Cornelis Broere, Dutch Roman Catholic priest and poet, born in Amsterdam (d. 1860)
1928 – Mickey Mouse, Disney cartoon strip character
1942 – Jeffrey Siegel, pianist (Chicago Symphony), born in Chicago, Illinois
1964 – Seth Joyner, NFL linebacker (Ariz, Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl 31)
1969 – Raghib Ismail, American NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Oakland Raiders), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey
1974 – Chloë Sevigny, American actress

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1170 – Albrecht I “Bear”, 1st margrave of Brandenburg (1150-70), dies at 70
1603 – Elisabeth van Nassau, daughter of Willem and Juliana van Stolberg, dies at 61
1887 – Gustav Fechner, German psychologist and physicist (Weber–Fechner law), dies at 86
1971 – [Herman] Junior Parker, American blues singer and musician (Mystery Train), dies during brain operation at 39
1987 – Jacques Anquetil, French road cyclist (Tour de France 1957, 61-64; first 5-time winner), dies of stomach cancer at 53
1999 – Doug Sahm, American country singer (Texas Tornadoes-Dinero), dies at 58

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1933 – Marx brothers film “Duck Soup” directed by Leo McCarey and starring the Marx Brothers is released in the US
1956 – Syracuse fullback Jim Brown, scores NCAA record of 43 pts (vs Colgate)
1967 – French author Régis Debray sentenced to 30 years in Bolivia
1967 – Davy Jones of the Monkees opens a boutique, Zilch I, in Greenwich Village, New York
1989 – Student demonstration in Prague put down by riot police, leading to an uprising (the Velvet Revolution) that will topple the communist government on Dec. 29
2013 – Giorgi Margvelashvili becomes the President of Georgia

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1787 – Michele Carafa, composer
1892 – Max Deutsch, Austrian-French composer, born in Vienna (d. 1982)
1895 – Gregorio López y Fuentes, Mexican author (d. 1966)
1925 – Colin Campbell Mitchell, soldier
1944 – Danny DeVito, American actor (Taxi, Ruthless People, Twins), born in Neptune Township, New Jersey
1955 – Peter Cox, rocker (Go West-Call Me, Don’t Look Down)

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1608 – Adolf, count of Nassau-Siegen, dies in battle at 22
1865 – James McCune Smith, African-American doctor and abolitionist, dies at 52
1905 – Adolphe [Adolf Wilhelm August Karl Friedrich], Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1890-1905), dies at 88
1968 – Mervyn Peake, British writer and illustrator (Gormenghast books), dies at 57
1991 – Paul Reid Roman, actor (Aviator, Blue Knight), dies of cancer at 55
2004 – Alexander Ragulin, Russian ice hockey player (Olympic gold 1964, 68, 72), dies at 63

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1907 – 12th Iron Bowl: Auburn and Alabama tie 6-6 in Birmingham
1957 – “Copper and Brass” closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 36 performances
1972 – British Prime Minister Edward Heath warns against a Unilateral Declaration of Independence
1976 – René Levesque’s Parti Québécois wins elections in Quebec
1993 – Russian President Yeltsin shuts Lenin museum
2008 – 60th NASCAR Sprint Cup: Jimmie Johnson wins

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1643 – Jean Chardin, French explorer (Middle East and India), born in Paris (d. 1703)
1892 – Tazio Nuvolari, Italian racing driver, born in Castel d’Ario, Italy (d. 1953)
1922 – José Saramago, Portuguese writer and Nobel laureate, born in Azinhaga, Santarém, Portugal (d. 2010)
1940 – Chris Balderstone, cricket batsman (England, belated faced WI in 1976)
1973 – Joe Hudepohl, American 800m freestyle relay (Olympic gold 1996)
1974 – Eric Judy, American musician (Modest Mouse)

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1512 – Jemme Herjuwsma, Fries rebel, beheaded
1613 – Trajano Boccalini, Italian satirist (b. 1556)
1766 – Dominikus Zimmermann, Bavarian Baroque architect and painter (Liebfrauenkirche), dies at 81
1968 – Greet Hofmans, faith healer of Dutch queen Juliana, dies at 74
1971 – Edie Sedgwick, American actress (Andy Warhol) and socialite, dies at 28
1973 – Alan Watts, writer/popularizer of Zen, dies in Calif

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1914 – Italian socialist Benito Mussolini founds newspaper Il Populo d’Italia
1924 – Dutch Christian Radio Society (NCRV) forms
1972 – Small Astronomy Satellite Explorer 48 launched to study gamma rays
1991 – Ricky Pierce (Seattle) begins NBA free throw streak of 75 game
1992 – Praveen Amre scores century on Test Cricket debut (103 v SA, Durban)
2015 – Holly Holm defeats UFC Champion Ronda Rousey in an upset in Melbourne, Australia

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1746 – Joseph Quesnel, French Canadian composer and playwright (d. 1809)
1913 – Arthur Haulot, Belgian journalist (d. 2005)
1937 – William E “Little Willie” John, [Woods], US RandB singer (Fever)
1968 – Ol’ Dirty Bastard [Russell Jones], American rapper (member of Wu Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2004)
1982 – D. J. Fitzpatrick, National Football League kicker
1998 – Hinako Shibuno, Japanese golfer (Women’s British Open 2019), born in Okayama Prefecture, Japan

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1280 – Albertus Magnus the Great, German leader/bishop Regensburg, dies at 87
1916 – Luis Muñoz Rivera, Puerto Rican journalist (founded Federalist Party), dies at 57
1919 – Mohammad Farid, an influential Egyptian political figure.
1995 – Kristian Lundin, record producer, dies at 22
2004 – John Morgan, Canadian comedian (b. 1930)
2004 – Ben Cami, Flemish writer and poet (Rose from Mud), dies at 84

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1775 – -15] Floods ravage Dutch coast provinces
1919 – Red Army captures Omsk, Siberia
1965 – George Abbott Theater (Adelphi, 54 St) at 152 W 54th NYC, demolished
1986 – SEC imposes a record $100 million penalty against Ivan Boesky
2012 – CFBDSIR 2149-0403 is discovered, the closest rogue planet to earth (100 light-years away)
2018 – New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom wins NL Cy Young Award; his 10 wins fewest ever by a Cy Young winner in a non-strike-shortened season; MLB-leading 1.70 ERA; 29 consecutive start streak longest in MLB history

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1883 – Nikolaos Plastiras, Greek premier (1945, 50, 51-52)
1893 – Carlo Emilio Gadda, Italian writer, born in Milan (d. 1973)
1907 – Pedro Arrupe, Spanish priest/Jesuit
1923 – Margaret Courtenay, Welsh actress, singer and entertainer (Royal Flash, Duet for One), born in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales (d. 1996)
1944 – Scherrie Payne, American singer (Supremes-Incredible)
1972 – Aaron Taylor, NFL guard (Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl 31)

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1831 – Ignaz Joseph Pleyel, Austrian-French composer and piano builder, dies at 74
1860 – Feliks Ostrowski, Polish pianist and composer, dies at 58
1915 – Booker T. Washington, educator/organizier, dies at 59 in Tuskegee Ala
1917 – William Smith, British deserter in France, executed at 20
1992 – Joop Van Nellen, soccer/trainer (DHC/”We go to Rome!”), dies
2000 – Robert Trout, American newscaster (ABC), dies at 91

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1854 – “New Era” sinks off New Jersey coast with loss of 300
1909 – 259 miners die in a fire at St Paul Mine at Cherry, Illinois
1916 – Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes is expelled from the Labor Party over his support for conscription
1965 – “Yarmouth Castle” burns and sinks off Bahamas, killing 89
1995 – “GoldenEye”, 17th James Bond film, starring Pierce Brosnan for the first time and Judi Dench as M, released
2000 – The Beatles release their compilation album “1” (2001 Billboard Album of the Year)

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1792 – Edward John Trelawny, English traveler and author (Adv of Younger Son), born in London (d. 1881)
1804 – Theophilus Hunter Holmes, Lieutenant General (Confederate Army), born in Sampson County, North Carolina (d. 1880)
1935 – George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, born in The East End, Co. London
1952 – Art Malik, Pakistani-born English actor
1967 – Jimmy Kimmel, American TV host and producer (Jimmy Kimmel Live!), born in Brooklyn, New York
1971 – John Francis Zingg, rocker (4 Fun-Unbelievable Fun Boys), born in Boston, Massachusetts

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1877 – Pietro Antonio Coppola, Italian composer, dies at 83
1896 – Antonio Peña y Goñi, Spanish composer, dies at 50
1939 – Lois Weber, American film director who became the first woman to direct a full feature-length film (The Merchant of Venice) and the first to own her own studio, dies of a stomach ulcer at 60
1958 – Bart van der Leck, Dutch painter (Style), dies at 81
1979 – Dimitris Psathas, Greek playwright (b. 1907)
1997 – André Boucourechliev, French composer (b. 1925)

More Famous Deaths »