Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1800 – Weber’s opera “Das Waldmadchen” premieres in Freiburg
1916 – Mexican and US representatives sign a protocol at Atlantic City, under which Pershing’s troops will withdraw and each nation’s army will guard the border. President Carranza of Mexico will refuse to accept it
1933 – Fred Astaire’s first film, “Dancing Lady,” is released
1956 – Richard Adler and Jerry Ross’ musical “The Pajama Game”, starring John Raitt and Janis Paige, closes at St James Theater, NYC, after 1063 performances, and a Tony Award for Best Musical
2023 – A23a, the world’s biggest iceberg at 4,000 sq km (1,500 sq miles), is on the move again after being grounded in the Weddell Sea for more than 30 years

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Famous Birthdays

1642 – Anne Hilarion de Cotentin, French naval commander and national hero under Louis XIV, Marshal of France, born in Paris, France (d. 1701)
1848 – Lilli Lehmann, German opera singer (Tristan und Isolde), born in Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria (d. 1929)
1936 – Ken Kragen, American television producer (The Smothers Brothers), music artist manager (Lionel Richie; Kenny Rogers), and charity organizer (USA for Africa – “We Are The World”), born in Alameda County, California (d. 2021)
1936 – Frank Caprio, American municipal judge and social media personality (Caught in Providence), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 2025)
1953 – Glenn Withrow, American actor (The Outsiders, Peggy Sue Got Married), born in Highland Heights, Kentucky

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Famous Deaths

1531 – Johannes Oecolampadius, German religious reformer (b. 1482)
1722 – Johann Adam Reincken, German organist and composer, dies at 99
1866 – Paul Gavarni, French caricaturist known for “The Deceit of Women”, dies at 62
1970 – Evgeni Tikotsky, Polish-Belorussian composer, dies at 76
1995 – Woytec Lowski [Woiciech Wiesidlowski], Polish dancer and ballet master, dies at 56

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Historical Events

1944 – Arnold Schoenberg’s “Ode to Napoleon” premieres in NYC
1965 – The Beatles film promotional video clips for 5 of their songs at Twickenham Film Studios to provide to television outlets (in lieu of live appearances)
1989 – Pilots Union give up sympathy strike against Eastern Airlines
1991 – Brigham Young University quarterback Ty Detmer finishes NCAA career with record 4,031 yards passed in a season, and 15,031 yards for career
2003 – Presidents Cup Golf, Fancourt Hotel and CC: US and International team tie, 17-17; after 3 tied playoff holes between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, captains and players decide Cup to be shared

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Famous Birthdays

1815 – William Dennison, American politician (US postmaster general, Governor of Ohio), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1882)
1917 – Hugh L’Etang, British medical writer and editor (The Pathology of Leadership; Ailing Leaders in Power: 1914-1994), born in England (d. 1996)
1941 – Alan Mullery, English soccer player (Fulham, Spurs), manager and pundit, born in London, England
1953 – Martin Kent, Australian cricket batsman (3 Tests, 2 x 50; 5 ODIs; WSC 3 x 100; Queensland), born in Mossman, Australia
1962 – Calvin Hayes, British drummer (Johnny Hates Jazz – “Turn Back the Clock”), born in London, England

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Famous Deaths

1932 – Percy Pitt, English composer (BBC), dies at 63
1948 – Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Soviet composer who composed the anthem used by Azerbaijan during the Soviet period, dies at 63
1979 – Judee Sill, American singer-songwriter (“Crayon Angels”; “Jesus Was A Cross Maker”), dies of a drug overdose at 35
1989 – Armand Salacrou, French playwright, dies at 90
2022 – David Johnson, English soccer forward (8 caps; Liverpool FC, Ipswich Town, Everton, Manchester City), dies at 71

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Historical Events

1908 – 1st US-Japanese baseball game Reach All-Americans defeat Waseda U, 5-0
1967 – USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
1971 – A member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) is killed in a premature bomb explosion in Lurgan, County Armagh
1974 – Test Cricket debut of Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards, at Bangalore
1975 – Juan Carlos I is proclaimed King of Spain as the monarchy is restored after 36 years of dictatorship

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Famous Birthdays

1428 – Richard Neville [16th Earl of Warwick], English nobleman and military commander known as ‘Warwick the Kingmaker’, born in Norwich, England (d. 1471)
1838 – José Augusto Ferreira Veiga, Viscount of Arneiro, Portuguese composer, born in Portuguese Macau (d. 1903)
1924 – Axel Borup-Jørgensen, composer (Nordisk Sommerpastorale; Thalatta! Thalatta!), born in Hjørring, Denmark (d. 2012)
1950 – Art Sullivan [Marc Liénart van Lidth de Jeude], Belgian pop singer-songwriter (“Un océan de caresses”), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 2019)
1955 – James Edwards, American basketball center (NBA C’ship 1989, 90 Detroit Pistons, 1996 Chicago Bulls), born in Seattle, Washington

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Famous Deaths

1946 – Bertie Rose-Innes, cricketer (South Africa’s Test), dies
1988 – Erich Fried, Austrian-British writer, dies at 67
1996 – Mark Lenard, American actor (Mr Spock’s dad Sarek – Star Trek), dies of cancer at 72
2011 – Paul Motian, American jazz drummer (Bill Evans Trio; Keith Jarrett), composer, and bandleader (Electric Bebop Band), dies of bone marrow cancer at 80
2017 – George Avakian, Armenian-American jazz historian, record producer, and label executive who pioneered jazz album and retrospective collection formats, dies at 98

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Historical Events

1818 – Russia’s Tsar Alexander I has his delegation submit a petition to the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle calling for greater civil rights for Jews in Europe, an effort driven by English activist Lewis Way
1953 – WKJG TV channel 33 in Ft Wayne, IN (NBC) begins broadcasting
1967 – Vietnam War: American General William Westmoreland tells news reporters: “I am absolutely certain that whereas in 1965 the enemy was winning, today he is certainly losing.”
2002 – NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.
2013 – “Happy” single is released by Pharrell Williams (Billboard Song of the Year 2014, Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance 2015)

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Famous Birthdays

1870 – Joe Darling, Australian cricket batsman and captain (34 Tests, 21 as captain; 3 x 100s, TS 178; South Australia CA), born in Glen Osmond, Australia (d. 1946)
1934 – Fairuz [Nouhad Haddad], Lebanese singer (“Habbaytak Bissayf”; “Bektob Ismak Ya Habibi”), born in Zuqaq al-Blat, Beirut, State of Greater Lebanon
1941 – David Porter, American producer, arranger and songwriter (“Soul Man”; “Hold On, I’m Coming”), born in Memphis, Tennessee
1942 – Tweety [Pie], Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Bob Clampett and Friz Freleng (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in “A Tale of Two Kitties”
2000 – Isabel May, American actress (Katie Cooper-Alexa and Katie; Veronica Duncan-Young Sheldon), born in Santa Monica, California

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Famous Deaths

1963 – Pierre Blanchar, Algerian actor and director (Magnificent Sinner; Wooden Crosses; Pastoral Symphony), dies from a brain tumor at 71
1969 – Norman Lindsay, Australian artist and novelist (The Magic Pudding), dies at 90
2000 – Manfred Langer, Austrian-Dutch owner of the Amsterdam discotheque iT, dies of cancer at 42
2010 – Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, American visual artist and co-founder of DuSable Museum of African American History, dies at 95
2017 – Rodney Bewes, English actor (The Likely Lads), dies at 79

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Historical Events

1941 – Adm Nomura and Kurusu hands over Japanese last diplomatic note
1961 – WPLG TV channel 10 in Miami, FL (ABC) begins broadcasting
1990 – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher fails to defeat Michael Heseltine’s bid for leadership of the Conservative Party
1993 – 5th College Football Holy War: Boston College beats Notre Dame 41-39 in South Bend (Boston College’s first win in the series)
1995 – Diana, Princess of Wales, admits she cheated on Prince Charles in a TV interview

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Famous Birthdays

1916 – John Elwyn, British painter, born in Adpar, Wales (d. 1997)
1934 – Valentine J. Peter, American priest (Boy’s Town), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2020)
1948 – Kenjiro Shinozuka, Japanese rally driver who won the Dakar Rally 1997, born in Tokyo (d. 2024)
1978 – Nadine Velazquez, American model and actress (My Name is Earl, Flight), born in Chicago, Illinois
1983 – Future [Nayvadius Wilburn], American rapper and singer-songwriter (High Off Life), born in Atlanta, Georgia

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Famous Deaths

1927 – (Carl) Wilhelm Stenhammar, Swedish composer considered the finest Swedish pianist of his time, dies of a stroke at 56
1992 – John Foreman, producer (Prizzi’s Honor), dies at 67 of heart attack
1996 – Bert Geoffrey Achong, Trinidadian pathologist and inventor (electron microscopist), dies at 67
2003 – Kerem Yilmazer, Turkish actor (b. 1945)
2006 – Andre Waters, American football player (b. 1962)

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Historical Events

1816 – Warsaw University is established
1879 – National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders determines what “is” a trotter
1976 – George Harrison releases his single “This Song” on the album “Thirty Three and 1/3” as a direct and humorous response to the “My Sweet Lord”copyright lawsuit
1989 – US beats Trinidad, 1-0 qualifing for 1990 world soccer cup finals it was US’ 1st qualification since 1950
1991 – Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken wins his second American League MVP

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Famous Birthdays

1722 – Benjamin Chew, Chief Justice of colonial Pennsylvania, born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland (d. 1810)
1946 – Joe Correro, American rock drummer (Paul Revere and The Raiders, 1967-71), born in Greenwood, Mississippi
1971 – Andy Sheets, American MLB infielder (Seattle Mariners), born in Baton Rouge, Louisana
1976 – Stylianos Venetidis, Greek soccer player, born in Orestiada, Greece
1977 – Davina Windsor [Lady], English daughter of Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and member of the Royal family, born in London, England

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Famous Deaths

1951 – Pete Hill, American Baseball HOF outfielder (NgL lifetime batting average: .326) and manager (Detroit Stars, Baltimore Black Sox), dies at 69
1983 – Reinout Willem van Bemmelen, Dutch geologist, dies at 79
2001 – Marcelle Ferron, Canadian painter, stained glass artist, and major figure in the Quebec contemporary art scene, dies at 77
2012 – Warren Rudman, American politician (Sen-R-NH, 1980-93), dies at 82
2023 – Joss Ackland, British actor (To Kill a Priest, White Mischief), dies at 95

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Historical Events

1958 – 1st true reservoir in Jerusalem opens
1966 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1971 – China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC
1984 – CFL Grey Cup, Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton: Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 47-17; Winnipeg scores final 44 points of the game
2006 – 71st Iron Bowl: Auburn beats Alabama 22-15 in Tuscaloosa

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Famous Birthdays

1736 – Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch, German composer, born in Zerbst, Anhalt-Zerbst, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1800)
1909 – Johnny Mercer, American singer, Academy Award-winning lyricist (“Moon River”; “That Old Black Magic”; “And the Angels Sing”: Come Rain Or Come Shine”), and record label executive (Capitol Records), born in Savannah, Georgia (d. 1976)
1923 – Ted Stevens, American politician (U.S. Senator from Alaska, 1968-2009), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2010)
1945 – Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan politician, Prime Minister (2018-22) and President (2005-15), born in Weeraketiya, British Ceylon
1953 – Kevin Nealon, American actor (SNL, Hot Shot, Coneheads), born in Bridgeport, Connecticut

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Famous Deaths

1904 – Justus van Maurik, Dutch author and cigar manufacturer, dies at 58
1969 – Léon Jongen, Belgian organist, composer, and academic, dies at 85
1972 – Danny Whitten, American rock guitarist and songwriter (Crazy Horse; Rod Stewart – “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”), dies of a methaqualone overdose at 29
1986 – Gia Carangi, American model (AIDS) (b. 1960)
1990 – Peter Schilperoort, saxophonist/clarinetist, dies

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Historical Events

1917 – Vladimir Lenin defends “temporary” removal of freedom of the press
1966 – Leonids meteor shower peaks at over 150,000 per hour for 20 minutes, a storm so intense that some people think it is the end of the world
1980 – WHHM Television in Washington, D.C., becomes the first African-American public-broadcasting television station
1993 – General Sani Abacha leads a military coup against Ernest Shonekan’s transitional administration and returns the Nigerian government to military control
2001 – 66th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 31-7 in Auburn

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Famous Birthdays

1899 – Douglas Shearer, Canadian film engineer, made technological sound advances in film at MGM, born in Quebec Westmount, Quebec, born in Westmount, Quebec (d. 1971)
1925 – Libby Newman, American artist, born in Rockland, Delaware (d. 2023)
1929 – Sumner White, US yachtsman (Olympic gold 1952), born in New York City (d. 1988)
1938 – Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian folk singer (“Sundown”; “The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald”), born in Orillia, Ontario (d. 2023)
1983 – Ryan Braun, American baseball player (Milwaukee Brewers), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1934 – Joachim Ringelnatz [Hans Bötticher], German writer and artist, dies at 51
1941 – Ernst Udet, German WWI pilot and notable flying ace who helped develop the Luftwaffe under the Nazi Party, commits suicide at 45
1992 – Audre Lorde, American writer, feminist and activist (Black Unicorn), dies of cancer at 58
2006 – Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian soccer forward (Hungary 85 caps, Spain 4; Real Madrid, Budapest Honvéd) and manager (Panathinaikos), dies of pneumonia at 79
2021 – Dave Frishberg, American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and lyricist (“I’m Just A Bill”; “Van Lingle Mungo”), dies at 88

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Historical Events

1798 – Kentucky becomes first state to nullify an act of Congress
1957 – BBC’s 1st pop music show, the “Six-Five Special”, is broadcast from the tiny 2i’s Coffee Bar in London
1959 – Boston business executive Billy Sullivan is awarded eighth and final franchise of developing American Football League (AFL); later branded Boston Patriots
1970 – South Vietnamese Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky defends operations in Cambodia because communist forces could overrun South Vietnam “within 24 hours” if troops operating there were withdrawn
1972 – “Dear Oscar” opens at Playhouse Theater NYC for 5 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1896 – Joan Lindsay, Australian author (Picnic at Hanging Rock), born in St Kilda East, Victoria, Australia (d. 1984)
1908 – Sœur Emmanuelle [Madeleine Cinquin], Belgian-French and honorary Egyptian religious sister (Roman Catholic), human rights worker, and writer (Un pauvre a crié, le Seigneur l’écoute), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 2008)
1930 – Walter Cole [stage name Darcelle XV] American drag performer (Portland’s Darcelle XV Showplace, aged 85 became world’s oldest drag performer), born in Portland, Oregon (d. 2023)
1961 – Bruno Amato, American actor (The Internship), born in Orange, New Jersey
1983 – Britta Steffen, German swimmer (Olympic gold 50/100m 2008), born in Schwedt, Germany

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Famous Deaths

1328 – Prince Hisaaki, 8th Japanese shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate (1289-1308), dies at 52
1668 – Antoon Anselmo, South Netherlands lawyer, dies at about 79
1884 – František Chvostek, Czech-Austrian military physician and medicinal lecturer, dies at 49
1958 – Samuel Hopkins Adams [Warner Fabian], American journalist and muckraker (Great American Fraud), dies at 87
1965 – William Thomas Cosgrave, Irish politician and Fine Gael party leader (President of the Irish Free State, 1922-32), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1813 – Allied troops occupies Groningen
1826 – Dutch Business Me gets monopoly on opium trade in Java/Madura
1936 – Nazi-Germany and Japan sign Anti-Komintern pact
1979 – ABC-TV announces it would broadcast nightly specials on Iran hostage
2005 – 39th Country Music Association Awards: Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson win

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Famous Birthdays

1897 – Aneurin Bevan, Welsh-British politician (Member of Parliament, 1929-60; Minister of Health, 1945-51 – launched NHS), born in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, Wales (d. 1960)
1902 – Jack Ingram, American actor (Law of the West), and stuntman, born in Frankfort, Illinois (d. 1969)
1954 – Ab Bryant, Canadian rock bassist (Chilliwack, 1978-81 – “My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)”), born in Canada
1967 – E-40 [Earl Stevens], American rapper * “Tell Me When to Go”), born in Vallejo, California
1968 – Ol’ Dirty Bastard [Russell Jones], American rapper (Wu Tang Clan), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 2004)

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Famous Deaths

565 – Justinian I (The Great), Byzantinian Emperor (527-565), commissioned Corpus Juris Civilis, important civil law code, dies at 82
655 – Penda of Mercia, Pagan Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia, killed at the Battle of Winwaed and his head cut off at about 49 [b. 606. exact date uncertain]
1931 – C. A. J. van Dishoeck, Dutch publisher, dies at 68
1994 – Elizabeth George Speare, American author (The Witch of Blackbird Pond), dies at 85
1996 – Alger Hiss, former alleged spy/lawyer, dies at 92

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