Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1909 – Oldest still-operating NHL franchise is officially established as J. Ambrose O’Brien and Jack Laviolette create the “Club de Hockey Canadien,” known today as the Montreal Canadiens
1920 – 1st Pro football playoff game Buffalo-7, Canton-3 at Polo Grounds, NYC
1948 – Heitor Villa-Lobos’ folk operetta “Magdalena” closes at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC, after 88 performances
1964 – Test Cricket debut of Ian Chappell, v Pakistan MCG, 11, 0-49, 0-31
1968 – Following a civil rights march in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, there is a violent clash between Loyalists and those who are taking part in the march

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Famous Birthdays

1908 – Alfred Hershey, American biologist, worked with bacteriophages (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1969), born in Owosso, Michigan (d. 1997)
1920 – Jeanne Manford, American gay rights activist, born in Flushing, New York (d. 2013)
1938 – Yvonne Minton, Australian-British soprano, born in Sydney, Australia
1955 – Cassandra Wilson [née Fowlkes], American jazz singer-songwriter, born in Jackson, Mississippi
1961 – Frank Reich, American NFL quarterback (Buffalo Bills) and coach (Indianapolis Colts 2018-20), born in Freeport, New York

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Famous Deaths

1807 – Prince Hall, activist/Masonic leader, dies in Boston
1959 – Rosetta Duncan, American vaudevillian (Duncan Sisters), actress (Topsy and Eva), and songwriter (Remeberin’). dies in an auto accident at 65
1976 – W. F. McCoy, Northern Irish politician (b. 1886)
2000 – H. C. Artmann, Austrian writer, dies at 79
2019 – Bob Willis, English cricket fast bowler and captain (90 Tests, 325 wickets; 64 ODIs; Surrey CCC, MCC, Warwickshire CCC, Northern Transvaal), dies of prostate cancer at 70

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Historical Events

1914 – Dutch army opens fire on interned Belgian soldiers: 8 killed
1923 – First Congressional open session broadcast via radio (Washington, D.C.)
1953 – Robert Wright and George Forrest’s musical “Kismet” opens at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC; runs for 583 performances, wins Tony Award for Best Musical
1978 – “King of Hearts” closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 48 performances
1984 – Bhopal disaster: A Union Carbide pesticide plant leaks 45 tons of methyl isocyanate and other toxic compounds in Bhopal, India, officially killing 2,259 – other estimates are as high as 16,000 (including later deaths) and over half a million injured

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Famous Birthdays

1755 – Gilbert Stuart, American portrait painter (unfinished portrait of George Washington), born in Saunderstown, Rhode Island (d. 1828)
1908 – Edward Underdown, British actor (Beat the Devil, Thunderball), born in London, England (d. 1989)
1914 – Edward “Corky” Cornelius, American jazz trumpeter (Benny Goodman; Gene Krupa), born in Cicero, Indiana (d. 1943)
1918 – Abdul Haris Nasution, Indonesian army general, born in Koetanopan, North Sumatera, Dutch East Indies (d. 2000)
1933 – Rosalind Knight, British stage and screen actress (Friday Night Dinner – “Horrible Grandma”), born in Marylebone (now Westminster), England (d. 2020)

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Famous Deaths

1973 – Emile Christian, American jazz trombonist, dies at 78
1999 – John Archer [Ralph Bowman], American actor (Destination: Moon, White Heat, Blue Hawaii), dies of lung cancer at 84
2004 – Shiing-Shen Chern, Chinese mathematician (b. 1911)
2016 – Gigliola Frazzoni, Italian operatic soprano, dies at 93
2023 – Myles Goodwyn, Canadian rock guitarist, singer and songwriter (April Wine – “You Could Have Been a Lady”), and record producer, dies at 75

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Historical Events

1961 – Fidel Castro declares he’s a Marxist and will lead Cuba to Communism
1973 – Capital Centre (USAir Arena) opens in Landover Maryland; NBA’s Washington Bullets beat Seattle SuperSonics, 98-96 in opening game; arena demolished 2002
1984 – Miami quarterback Dan Marino breaks NFL single-season touchdown pass record when he throws his 37th in the Dolphins’ 45-34 loss to the Raiders; finishes season with 48 TD passes
2014 – Hong Kong pro-democracy activists clash with police as they try to surround the government’s headquarters in some of the worst violence since the protests began
2020 – The UK becomes the first western country to authorize a vaccine for COVID-19, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine

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Famous Birthdays

1920 – Robert Moevs, American composer, born in La Crosse, Wisconsin (d. 2007)
1927 – Jim David, American NFL defensive back (Pro Bowl 1954-59; NFL Champion 1952-53, 57; Detroit Lions), born in Florence, South Carolina (d. 2007)
1931 – Masaaki Hatsumi, Japanese founder and head of the Bujinkan Organization, born in Noda, Chiba, Japan
1939 – Harry Reid, American attorney and politician (U.S. Senator from Nevada, 1987-2017; U.S. House of Representatives, 1983-87), born in Searchlight, Nevada (d. 2021)
1947 – Ntare V [Charles Ndizeye], final King of Burundi (1966), born in Gitega, Burundi, Ruanda-Urundi (d. 1972)

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Famous Deaths

1831 – Traugott Maximilian Eberwein, German composer, and Kapellmeister (Court of Schwartzberg-Rudolstadt, 1817-31), dies at 56
1918 – Edmond Rostand, French poet and dramatist (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies during the flu epidemic at 50
1935 – James Henry Breasted, American Egyptologist and anthropologist, dies at 70
2020 – Pamela Tiffin, American actress (One, Two, Three; Viva Max!), dies at 78
2020 – Rafer Johnson, American decathlete (Olympic gold 1960), dies from stroke complications at 86

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Historical Events

1918 – Yugoslavia declares independence with a monarchy proclaimed in Belgrade
1956 – Australian women’s 4 x 100m relay team of Norma Croker, Betty Cuthbert, Fleur Mellor and Shirley Strickland de la Hunty run world record 44.65 to win the gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics; Cuthbert’s 3rd gold of the Games
1975 – US President Gerald Ford visits People’s Republic of China
1984 – 50th Heisman Trophy Award: Doug Flutie, Boston College (QB)
2014 – “U2 Minus 1” performs at Times Square, NYC for World AIDS Day; Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin of Coldplay each sing two songs in place of injured frontman Bono

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Famous Birthdays

1921 – Ralph Manza, American actor (Banacek, Mama Malone, Newhart), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2000)
1929 – Emily McLaughlin, American actress (Jessie Brewer in “General Hospital”), born in White Plains, New York (d. 1991)
1929 – Dick Shawn [Richard Schulefand], American character actor and comedian (Producers, Maid to Order, Angel), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1987)
1979 – Angelique Bates, American Actress (All That), born in Los Angeles, California
1982 – Riz Ahmed, British-Pakistani actor (The Night Of), rapper (Swet Shop Boys), and social activist, born in Wembley, London

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Famous Deaths

1602 – Kobayakawa Hideaki, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1582)
1943 – Damrong Rajanubhab, Thai prince, son of King Mongkut and brother of King Chulalongkorn and historian, dies at 81
1974 – Teddy Knox, British comedian (The Cromwells; Nervo and Knox), dies at 78
1996 – Irving Gordon, American songwriter (“Unforgettable”; “Me, Myself, And I”), dies of multiple myeloma cancer at 81
2010 – Alojz Srebotnjak, Slovenian composer, dies at 79

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Historical Events

1922 – First speed test of the first genuine Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō
1955 – “Pipe Dream” opens at Shubert Theater, NYC; runs for 245 performances
1966 – Barbados gains independence from Great Britain (National Day)
1988 – Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co. buys RJR Nabisco for $25 billion
2014 – Australia experiences its hottest spring and second-hottest November recorded

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Famous Birthdays

1813 – Louise-Victorine Ackermann, French poet (works characterized by a deep sense of pessimism), born in Paris (d. 1890)
1920 – Virginia Mayo [Jones], American actress (The Best Years of Our Lives, Out of the Blue, White Heat), born in St Louis, Missouri (d. 2005)
1953 – (Alphonso) Mike Espy, American lawyer and politician (US Representative for Mississippi, 1987-93 (D); Secretary of Agriculture, 1993-94), born in Yazoo City, Mississippi
1970 – Yayuk Basuki, Indonesian tennis player and politician, born in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
1974 – Marcellus Wiley, American football defensive end (Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro 2001 Buffalo Bills) and broadcaster (ESPN, Fox, Dan Patrick Podcast Network), born in Compton, California

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Famous Deaths

1996 – Tiny Tim [Herbert Khaury], American musician (“Tiptoe Through The Tulips”), dies of a heart attack at 64
2000 – Scott Smith, Canadian rock bassist (Loverboy – “Working for the Weekend”), drowns in sailing accident near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at 45
2007 – Engin Arık, Turkish nuclear physicist, dies at 59
2011 – William L. Waller, American politician and ex-Governor of Mississippi, dies at 85
2022 – Murray Halberg, New Zealand athlete (Olympic gold 5000m 1960; WR 2 miles: 8:30.0 1961; WR 3 miles: 13.10.0 1961), dies at 89

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Historical Events

1864 – Battle of Spring Hill: Confederate troops under John Bell Hood fail to attack Union forces under John M. Schofield
1897 – First motorcycle race in Surrey, England, is won by Charles Jarrot
1966 – First NBA game at Oakland Coliseum Arena; San Francisco Warriors defeat Chicago Bulls 108-101
1995 – US President Bill Clinton lifts ban on exports of oil from the Alaskan North Slope; the ban was imposed after the oil embargo by Arab oil producers in 1973
1998 – In a classic all-Spanish final, Àlex Corretja puts on a stunning comeback to beat Carlos Moyá 3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 7–5 and win his only ATP Tour World Championship tennis title in Hanover, Germany

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Famous Birthdays

1872 – Anna von Mildenburg, Austrian Wagnerian soprano, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1947)
1874 – Antonio Egas Moniz, Portuguese neurosurgeon (Nobel Prize 1949 for developing lobotomy procedure), born in Avanca, Portugal (d. 1955)
1891 – Julius Raab, Austrian politician (Chancellor 1953-61), born in Sankt Pölten, Austria (d. 1964)
1891 – Richard Frank Donovan, American composer, born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 1970)
1899 – Genevieve Tobin, American actress (Zaza, Great Gambini, Uncertain Lady), born in New York City (d. 1995)

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Famous Deaths

917 – Radboud, bishop of Utrecht/Deventer (900-17)/saint, dies
1997 – Heikki Savolainen, Finnish pommel horse gymnast (Olympic medalist, 1928-52, including gold, 1948), and medical doctor, dies at 90
2003 – Larry Booker (Moondog Spot), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), dies of a heart attack at 51
2007 – Roger Smith, American Chairman and CEO of General Motors), dies at 82
2017 – Heather North, American actress (The Barefoot Executive; voice of Velma in “Scooby-Doo”), dies of bronchiolitis at 71

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Historical Events

1918 – Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates as German Emperor and King of Prussia while in exile in Amerongen, Netherlands
1939 – Soviet government revokes Russian-Finnish non-aggression treaty
1975 – “As the World Turns” and “The Edge of Night”, the final two American soap operas that had resisted going to pre-taped broadcasts, air their last live episodes
1982 – “Pirates of Penzance” closes at the Uris Theater in New York City after 772 performances
2012 – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” first of the Hobbit film series, directed by Peter Jackson, starring Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen, premieres in Wellington, New Zealand

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Famous Birthdays

1700 – Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen consort of Denmark and Norway (1730-46), born in Castle Schonberg, Bavaria (d. 1770)
1777 – Augsut Kestner, German art collector and diplomat, born in Hanover, Germany (d. 1853)
1811 – Maximilian II of Bavaria, King of Bavaria (1848-64), born in Munich (d. 1864)
1925 – József Bozsik, Hungarian footballer (Budapest Honvéd), born in Kispest, Hungary (d. 1978)
1972 – Paulo Figueiredo, Angolan soccer midfielder (38 caps; CD Santa Clara 256 games), born in Malanje, Angola

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Famous Deaths

741 – Syrian Catholic Pope Saint Gregory III
1716 – Gisbert Cuper, Dutch classicist and historian, dies at 72
1921 – ʻAbdu’l-Bahá, Persian successor and head of the Bahá’í Faith (1892-1921) from his father Baháʼu’lláh, dies at 77
1971 – Alexander “Papa” Lightfoot, American blues singer and harmonica player, dies of respiratory failure at 47
1987 – Choh Hao Li, Chinese-American bio-chemist (isolated growth hormones), dies at 74

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Historical Events

1815 – City of Kraków (Poland) declared a free republic state by the Congress of Vienna
1826 – English chemist John Walker invents friction matches
1920 – First American superhero film, “The Mark of Zorro,” directed by Fred Niblo and starring Douglas Fairbanks, is released in New York
1963 – The Convention on the Unification of Certain Points of Substantive Law on Patents for Invention is signed at Strasbourg
1971 – Soviet Mars 2 becomes 1st spacecraft to crash land on Mars

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Famous Birthdays

1894 – Amphilochius of Pochayiv [Yakov Varnavovich Golovatyuk], Ukrainian Orthodox Christian saint, born in Mala Ilovytsya, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine (d. 1971)
1898 – Fredric Warburg, British publisher (Animal Farm) and author, born in Paddington, London (d. 1981)
1917 – Buffalo Bob Smith [Robert Emil Schmidt], American TV host (Howdy Doody), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1998)
1932 – Benigno Aquino Jr, Philippine opposition leader who was assassinated, born in Concepcion, Philippines (d. 1983)
1960 – Tim Pawlenty, American politician, Governor of Minnesota (2003-11), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Famous Deaths

1899 – Guido Gezelle, Flemish priest and poet, dies at 69
1930 – Johnny Tyldesley, English cricket batsman (31 Tests, 4 x 100, 9 x 50, HS 138; Lancashire CCC), dies at 57
1968 – Gino Roncaglia, Italian composer, dies at 85
1973 – Frank Christian, American jazz trumpeter, dies at 86
2024 – Maria Alexandru, Romanian table tennis player (World C’ship gold women’s doubles 1961, 1973, 1975), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1913 – Russian kingdom forbids Polish congregation of speakers
1917 – NHL forms with Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators and Quebec Bulldogs; National Hockey Association disbands
1941 – Lebanon independence first proclaimed by France
1945 – Charlie “Bird” Parker leads a recording session with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis for the Savoy label, marketed as the “greatest jazz session ever”
2018 – First multidrug randomized control trial to treat Ebola started in Democratic Republic of Congo announced by the WHO

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Famous Birthdays

1436 – Princess Catherine of Portugal [Infanta Catarina], Portuguese princess, nun, writer, and daughter of King Edward of Portugal and his wife Eleanor of Aragon, born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. 1463)
1754 – Georg Forster, German writer, naturalist (A Voyage Round the World) and revolutionary, born in Nassenhuben (Mokry Dwór), Royal Prussia, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (d. 1794)
1928 – Don Tregonning, Australian tennis player and coach, born in Melbourne, Victoria
1973 – John Zimmerman, American pairs skater (with partner Steigler), born in Birmingham, Alabama
1987 – Summer Lee, American politician (1st back woman elected to Congress for Pennsylvania (D) 2023-), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

666 – Yeon Gaesomun dictator of Goguryeo (other sources indicate death date as 664 or 665)
1504 – Isabella I, Queen of Castile (1479-1504), patron of Christopher Columbus, who initiated the Spanish Inquisition with husband Ferdinand II of Aragon, dies at 53
1957 – Aleksei M Remizov, Russian author (Iveren), dies at 80
1994 – Nimrod Workman, American folk singer, dies at 99
2017 – Julia Mullock, American architect, artist, and (disputed) princess of Korea, dies at 90

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Historical Events

1949 – Gene Autry’s single “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” appears on music charts after songwriter Johnny Marks adapts a poem written by his brother-in-law Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward department stores
1973 – Bloodless military coup ousts Greek President George Papadopoulos
1979 – Revival of Frank Loesser’s 1956 musical “The Most Happy Fella” closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 53 performances
2012 – 100th CFL Grey Cup, Rogers Center, Toronto: Toronto Argonauts defeat Calgary Stampeders, 35-22; Argos owner David Braley first team boss to win back-to-back Grey Cups with 2 different teams (also 2011 champion BC Lions
2019 – Louis Vuitton (LVMH) buys jeweler Tiffany and Co. for over $16 billion

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Famous Birthdays

1741 – Johann Christian Frischmuth, German composer, born in Schwabhausen, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1790)
1964 – Mark Lanegan, American grunge-rock singer-songwriter (Screaming Trees; Queens of the Stone Age), born in Ellensburg, Washington (d. 2022)
1967 – Rodney Sheppard, American guitarist (Sugar Ray), born in Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
1971 – Dominic Cummings, English political strategist (Vote Leave campaign), born in Durham, England
1981 – Xabi Alonso, Spanish soccer midfielder (114 caps; Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich), born in Tolosa, Spain

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Famous Deaths

1785 – Richard Glover, British poet, dies at about 73
1939 – Wilfred Trotter, English surgeon who was a pioneer in neurosurgery, popularized the concept of herd instinct, and was an authority in cancers of the head and neck, dies at 67
1963 – Alexander Marinesko, Soviet captain of the S-13 submarine, which sank the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff, dies of cancer at 50
2010 – Peter Christopherson, British rock musician (Throbbing Gristle; Psychic TV), commercial and music video director, dies at 55
2024 – Earl Holliman, American actor (The Rainmaker; Police Woman; Tribes; Cry Panic), pop singer, and animal rights activist, dies at 96

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