Category: On This Day

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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Historical Events

1683 – 13 Mennonite families from Germany found Germantown, Philadelphia
1912 – Pirates’ Owen “Chief” Wilson hits a record 36th triple of the season
1961 – USSR performs nuclear tests at Kapustin Yar and Novaya Zemlya, USSR
1969 – MLB American League Championship: Baltimore Orioles beat Minnesota Twins, 3 games to 0
1978 – Iraq declares Ayatollah Khomeini an undesirable person

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Famous Birthdays

1706 – Pieter Steyn, Dutch grand pensionary (1749-72), born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1772)
1926 – Cyril Reuben, Welsh classical and session violinist (London Symphony), born in Splott, Cardiff, Wales (d. 1996)
1936 – Anna Quayle, British actress (A Hard Day’s Night, Stop the World – I want to Get Off), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2019)
1960 – Richard Jobson, Scottish filmmaker (New Town Killers), art-punk rock singer-songwriter (Skids – “Scared to Dance”), and TV presenter, born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland
1986 – Olivia Thirlby, American actress (Juno, Dredd), born in New York City

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Famous Deaths

1979 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (North and South, Pulitzer Prize 1956), dies of a cerebral aneurysm at 68
1981 – Anwar Sadat, 3rd President of Egypt (1970-81, Nobel 1978), assassinated by fundamentalist army officers at 62
1999 – Patrick Reilly, British diplomat, ambassador to Paris and Moscow who stopped double agent Kim Philby becoming head of the UK Secret Service, dies at 90
2006 – Puck Brouwer, Dutch athlete (b. 1930)
2009 – Douglas Campbell, Scottish born Canadian actor (b. 1922)

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Historical Events

1683 – 13 Mennonite families from Germany found Germantown, Philadelphia
1912 – Pirates’ Owen “Chief” Wilson hits a record 36th triple of the season
1961 – USSR performs nuclear tests at Kapustin Yar and Novaya Zemlya, USSR
1969 – MLB American League Championship: Baltimore Orioles beat Minnesota Twins, 3 games to 0
1978 – Iraq declares Ayatollah Khomeini an undesirable person

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Famous Birthdays

1706 – Pieter Steyn, Dutch grand pensionary (1749-72), born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1772)
1926 – Cyril Reuben, Welsh classical and session violinist (London Symphony), born in Splott, Cardiff, Wales (d. 1996)
1936 – Anna Quayle, British actress (A Hard Day’s Night, Stop the World – I want to Get Off), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2019)
1960 – Richard Jobson, Scottish filmmaker (New Town Killers), art-punk rock singer-songwriter (Skids – “Scared to Dance”), and TV presenter, born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland
1986 – Olivia Thirlby, American actress (Juno, Dredd), born in New York City

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Famous Deaths

1979 – Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (North and South, Pulitzer Prize 1956), dies of a cerebral aneurysm at 68
1981 – Anwar Sadat, 3rd President of Egypt (1970-81, Nobel 1978), assassinated by fundamentalist army officers at 62
1999 – Patrick Reilly, British diplomat, ambassador to Paris and Moscow who stopped double agent Kim Philby becoming head of the UK Secret Service, dies at 90
2006 – Puck Brouwer, Dutch athlete (b. 1930)
2009 – Douglas Campbell, Scottish born Canadian actor (b. 1922)

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Historical Events

1908 – Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh beats the Detroit Tigers 6-1 for his 40th victory of the MLB season, forcing the AL pennant race to the final day
1963 – Little Richard joins the Everly Brothers’ tour
1963 – Hyde St Pier reopens as a State Historical Park
1964 – KIXE TV channel 9 in Redding, CA (PBS) begins broadcasting
2001 – MLB’s Atlanta Braves become the first professional sports team to win 10 consecutive division titles after defeating the Marlins 20-3 to clinch the NL East title; NBA’s Boston Celtics (1957-65) and LA Lakers (1982-90) both win 9 in a row

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Famous Birthdays

1758 – Thomas Greatorex, English composer, born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England (d. 1831)
1894 – Bevil Rudd, South African athlete (Olympic gold 400m 1920), born in Kimberley, South Africa (d. 1948)
1935 – Jimmy Binks, English cricket wicket-keeper (England twice v India 1964), born in Hull, Yorkshire, England
1942 – Richard Street, American RandB musician (The Temptations, 1971-93 – “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2013)
1952 – Imran Khan, 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan (2018-2022) and cricket all-rounder (88 Tests, 3,807 runs, 362 wickets), born in Lahore, Pakistan

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Famous Deaths

1805 – Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, British general and colonial administrator (leading British general in the American War of Independence), dies of fever at 66
1954 – Oscar Charleston, American Baseball HOF CF (NgL Triple Crown 1921 St. Louis Giants, 1924, 25 Harrisburg Giants) and manager (NgL WS 1933, 35, 36 Pittsburgh Crawfords), dies of a stroke at 57
1997 – Brian Pillman, American professional wrestler, dies at 35
2001 – Lou Zara, American writer (Stump the Authors), dies at 91
2006 – Jennifer Moss, English Actress (b. 1945)

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Historical Events

1777 – Battle of Germantown: Gen George Washington’s troops attack and are defeated by the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania
1944 – British troops land on Greek mainland
1992 – Bijlmer Air Disaster: El Al cargo plane crashes into an apartment building in Bijlmer, Amsterdam, killing at least 47 people
1994 – Soyuz TM-20 launches
2003 – Red Raiders’ quarterback B.J. Symons sets a Big 12 Conference record with 8 touchdown passes, leading Texas Tech to a convincing 59-28 win over Texas A and M

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Famous Birthdays

1880 – Damon Runyon, American journalist and writer (Guys and Dolls-based on his work), born in Manhattan, Kansas (d. 1946)
1887 – Francis Bull, Norwegian writer (Norsk literature historian), born in Oslo, Norway (d. 1974)
1895 – Giovanni Brunero, Italian road cyclist (Giro d’Italia General classification 1921, 22, 26), born in San Maurizio Canavese, Italy (d. 1934)
1903 – Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Austrian nazi (SS/SD), born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria-Hungary (d. 1946)
1952 – Anita Luceete Defrantz, American rower (Olympic bronze 1976; first female vice-president IOC executive committee), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1749 – Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier whose unit is considered one of the worst in European history due to insubordination and plundering, dies in captivity at 38
1904 – Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, French sculptor (designed the Statue of Liberty), and painter, dies of tuberculosis at 70
1943 – Richard T. Ely, American economist and author (Ground under our feet), dies at 89
1993 – Fran Carlon, dies of cancer at 80
2018 – Hamiet Bluiett, American jazz baritone saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer (World Saxophone Quartet – “Hattie Wall’), dies at 78

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Historical Events

1974 – Future Basketball Hall of Fame guard Jerry West (“Mr. Clutch”) retires after 14 NBA seasons with the LA Lakers; West scores 25,192 career points and averages 29.1 ppg in 153 playoff games
1993 – Battle at TV station Ostankino, Moscow town hall; about 25 killed
2004 – New England Patriots win their 18th consecutive NFL game, beating the Buffalo Bills 31-17 at Ralph Wilson Stadium; Tom Brady goes 17-for-30 for 298 yards and two touchdowns
2015 – Host nation England crashes out of the Rugby World Cup in the pool stage, losing to Australia 33-13 at Twickenham; Bernard Foley scores 2 tries and kicks 4 penalties and 3 conversions for the Wallabies
2021 – Pandora Papers investigation reveals secret wealth of 30 current and former world leaders including Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Czech PM Andrej Babis and former UK PM Tony Blair

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Famous Birthdays

1938 – Dave Obey, American politician (US Representative from Wisconsin, 1969-2011), and lobbyist, born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma
1939 – Velibor Vasović, Serbian soccer sweeper (32 caps Yugoslavia; Partizan Belgrade, Ajax) and manager (Partizan, PSG, Red Star Belgrade), born in Požarevac, Serbia (d. 2002)
1944 – Roy Horn, German-American Las Vegas entertainer (Siegfried and Roy), born in Nordenham, Germany (d. 2020)
1946 – (Richard) “Biff” Henderson, American television personality (Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman), born in Durham, North Carolina
1950 – Pamela Hensley, American actress (Buck Rogers in 25th Century), born in Glendale, California

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Famous Deaths

1703 – Pieter van Wooden, Amersfoorts rebel leader, beheaded
1919 – Daniel Brink Towner, American hymn composer (“He’s A Friend of Mine”; “Though the Fig Tree Shall Not Blossom”), and music director, dies at 69
1990 – Stefano Casiraghi, Italian speedboat racer, businessman and husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, dies in a motor boat race at 30
2022 – Charles Fuller, American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (A Soldier’s Play; Zooman and the Sign; The Brownsville Raid), and screenwriter (A Soldier’s Story; A Gathering of Old Men), dies at 83
2023 – Bob Wagner, American college football coach (University of Hawaiʻi 1988-95), dies at 76

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Historical Events

1908 – Cleveland Naps and future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Addie Joss hurl a classic perfect game, beating Ed Walsh and the Chicago White Sox 1-0
1910 – Henry Wijnmalen flies to an altitude of 2,800 meters, setting a world record
1972 – Montreal Expos pitcher Bill Stoneman no-hits the New York Mets 7-0 at Parc Jarry, the first MLB no-hitter ever pitched in Canada
1977 – Austrian Ferrari driver Niki Lauda finishes fourth in the US Grand Prix East at Watkins Glen to clinch his second Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship, while Englishman James Hunt wins the race
1988 – In a season-ending 7-5 win in St. Louis, NY Mets outfielder Kevin McReynolds sets an MLB record by stealing 21 bases without being caught during the season

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Famous Birthdays

1832 – Edward Burnett Tylor, English anthropologist (Primitive Culture), born in London (d. 1917)
1873 – Stephen Warfield Gambrill, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland), born in Savage, Maryland (d. 1938)
1879 – Wallace Stevens, American poet (Ideas of Order), born in Reading, Pennsylvania (d. 1955)
1933 – Dimiter Khristov, Bulgarian composer, born in Sofia, Bulgaria (d. 2017)
1963 – Keith Bradshaw, Australian cricket administrator (Secretary and Chief Executive Marylebone Cricket Club; CEO South Australian Cricket), born in Hobart, Australia (d. 2021)

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Famous Deaths

1564 – Andreas Vesalius [Andries van Wesel], Flemish physician and anatomist (De humani corporis fabrica), dies after being shipwrecked at 49
1892 – Ernest Renan, French philosopher, historian and scholar of religion, dies at 69
1916 – Benjamin Kidd, English sociologist (Social Evolution), dies of heart disease at 58
1958 – Marie Stopes, British birth control pioneer, dies at 77
1970 – Bo Linde, Swedish neo-classical composer, dies at 37

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