Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1932 – Goofy, aka Dippy Dawg, 1st appears in ‘Mickey’s Revue’ by Walt Disney
1968 – Gateway Arch in St Louis dedicated
1972 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1977 – 21st European Cup: Liverpool beats Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 at Rome
1986 – Ferry boat Shamia sinks on Maghna River Bangladesh, 600 killed
2018 – Harvey Weinstein turns himself in to New York police to face charges of rape, a criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct

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Famous Birthdays

1889 – Gilardo Gilardi, Argentine composer, pianist and conductor (La leyenda del urutaú, Réquiem, Misa de Gloria), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1963)
1923 – John Weitz, American author and fashion designer (Friends in High Places), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2002)
1932 – John Gregory Dunne, American writer (Up Close and Personal, True Confessions), born in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 2003)
1955 – Alistair Burt, British Conservative Party politician, born in Bury, Lancashire, England
1971 – Justin Henry, American actor (Kramer vs Kramer, 16 Candles), born in Rye, New York
1984 – Marion Raven, Norwegian singer and songwriter (M2M), born in Lørenskog, Norway

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Famous Deaths

992 – Mieszko I first lord and knight of Poland, duke of Polans (b. circa 935)
1789 – Anders Dahl, Swedish botanist (b. 1751)
1924 – Lyubov Popova, Russian avant-garde artist and painter, dies at 35
1946 – Patty Smith Hill, American composer, teacher and songwriter (Happy Birthday to You), dies at 78
2010 – Alexander Belostenny, Ukrainian basketball player (b. 1959)
2017 – Sir Alistair Horne, British historian and journalist (A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954–1962), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1928 – Record 12 future Hall of Famers take the field, as Yanks beat A’s 9-7
1954 – 1st rocket attains 150 mi (241 km) altitude, White Sands, New Mexico
1956 – Conclusion of the Sixth Buddhist Council on Vesak Day, marking the 2,500 year anniversary after the Lord Buddha’s Parinibbāna
2003 – Auckland Blues beat defending champion Canterbury Crusaders, 21-17 at Eden Park, Auckland for their 3rd Super 12 Rugby title
2015 – Indianapolis 500: Juan Pablo Montoya wins in 3:05:56.5286 (259.653 km/h)
2018 – US President Donald Trump cancels summit with North and South Korea because of hostile statements from North Korea

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Famous Birthdays

1619 – Philips Wouwerman, Dutch painter, born in Haarlem, Netherlands (d. 1668)
1908 – Michael Roberts, English historian, born in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire (d. 1996)
1911 – Barbara West, English survivor of the Titanic sinking, born in Bournemouth, Dorset, England (d. 2007)
1928 – Peter Griffiths, British politician (C), controversially won his seat (1964), born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire (d. 2013)
1956 – Helen Terry, rocker (Now You’re Mine)
1963 – Kathy Leander, Swiss singer

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Famous Deaths

1826 – Friedrich Fesca, composer, dies at 37
1918 – Evan Williams, American oratorio tenor, dies at 50
1994 – John Barrington Wain, author, dies at 69
2000 – Kurt Schork, American reporter (b. 1947)
2004 – Milton Shulman, Canadian author and critic (b. 1913)
2010 – Tapen Chatterjee, Bengali actor from India (b. 1937)

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Historical Events

1932 – Sir Hubert Ferdinand Opperman sets 24 hr record of 860 mi, 367 yds
1940 – 1st great dogfight between Spitfires and Luftwaffe
1953 – WHIZ TV channel 18 in Zanesville, OH (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
1962 – Joe Pepitone 2nd Yankee to hit 2 HRs in 1 inning (Joe DiMaggio)
2015 – 60th Eurovision Song Contest: Mans Zelmerlow for Sweden wins singing “Heroes” in Vienna
2018 – Hamburg, Germany, becomes the first city to ban diesel cars on some roads

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Famous Birthdays

1848 – Helmuth J L von Moltke, German general/chief of staff (WWI)
1914 – Alec Dickson, founder (VSO)
1951 – Antonis Samaras, Greek politician
1958 – Mitch Albom, American writer
1974 – Matt Hindle, Canadian bobsledder, born in Calgary, Alberta
1979 – Rasual Butler, American basketball player

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Famous Deaths

1524 – Ismail I, Shah of Persia, converted Iran from Sunni to Shi’ah, dies at 36
1684 – Adriaen Backer, Amsterdams painter buried at about 48
1965 – David Smith, sculptor, dies
1975 – Jackie “Moms” Mabley, comedienne (Amazing Grace), dies at 81
1996 – Scott Fischer, American high altitude climber, dies of exposure on Mount Everest at 40
2009 – Roh Moo-hyun, 16th President of the Republic of Korea (b. 1946)

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Historical Events

1916 – French troops occupy parts of Fort Douaumont Verdun
1933 – World Trade Day/National Maritime Day 1st celebrated
1947 – 1st US ballistic missile fired
1979 – Canadians elect conservatives, Joseph Clark replaces Pierre Trudeau as the 16th Prime Minister of Canada
1998 – Lewinsky scandal: a federal judge rules that United States Secret Service agents can be compelled to testify before a grand jury concerning the scandal, involving President Bill Clinton
2016 – TV series “Preacher”, developed by Evan Goldberg, Sam Catlin, and Seth Rogen, premieres on AMC

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Famous Birthdays

1780 – Jan Emmanuel Dulezalek, composer
1923 – Aline Griffith, American-born Spanish aristocrat, Countess of Romanones, spy and author, born in New York, United States (d. 2017)
1924 – Charles Aznavour [Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian], French-Armenian singer (Monsieur Carnavel, Tin Drum), born in Paris, France (d. 2018)
1956 – Lucie Brock-Broido, American poet and academic (Noctuary), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
1966 – Donald Royal, NBA forward (Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic)
1975 – Salvador Ballesta, Spanish Footballer.

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Famous Deaths

1667 – Alexander VII [Fabio Chigi], Italian Pope (1655-67), dies at 68
1851 – Mordecai Manuel Noah, American writer, journalist (b. 1755)
1885 – Victor Hugo, French author (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables), dies at 83
1972 – Margaret Rutherford, English actress (Murder Ahoy, VIP’s), dies at 80
1977 – Marius Monnikendam, Dutch choir composer, dies at 80
1998 – John Derek, American actor, director and photographer (Knock on Any Door, All the King’s Men, Rogues of Sherwood Forest), dies at 71

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Historical Events

1897 – Yerkes Observatory 40″ (1m) refractor used for 1st time
1983 – 108th Preakness: Donald Miller Jr on Deputed Testamony wins in 1:55.4
1985 – Israel exchanges 1,150 prisoners with the PFLP-GC in return for 3 Israeli soldiers
1988 – 113th Preakness: Eddie Delahoussaye aboard Risen Star wins in 1:56.2
1998 – Indonesian president Suharto resigns after 31 years in power
2005 – English FA Cup Final, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (71,876): Arsenal beats Manchester United, 5-4 on penalties after 0 – 0 (a.e.t.); Gunners’ 10th title

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Famous Birthdays

1825 – George Lafayette Beal, American politician and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Norway, Maine (d. 1896)
1860 – Willem Einthoven, Dutch physiologist and inventor of the electrocardiodiogram (Nobel Prize in Medicine 1924), born in Semarang, Dutch East Indies (d. 1927)
1929 – Paul Winslow, cricketer (big-hitter for South Africa, 108 v England 1955)
1944 – Janet Dailey, American author
1957 – Judge Reinhold, actor (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), born in Wilmington, Delaware
1976 – Deron Miller, American rock musician

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Famous Deaths

987 – Louis V, last Carlovingians King of France (966-987), dies
1481 – Christian I, king of Denmark/Norway/Sweden, dies
1647 – Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft, poet/playwright (Warenar), dies at about 65
1812 – Joseph Wolfl, composer, dies at 38
1957 – Aleksandr Vertinsky, Russian singer (b. 1889)
2008 – Brian Keenan, Irish Provisional IRA member who played a key role in Northern Ireland’s peace process (1998), dies of cancer at 66

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Historical Events

1861 – North Carolina becomes 11th and last state to secede from the Union
1895 – 1st commercial movie performance (153 Broadway, NYC)
1926 – Thomas Edison says Americans prefer silent movies over talkies
1972 – 5th ABA Championship: Indiana Pacers beat NY Nets, 4 games to 2
1985 – 38th Cannes Film Festival: “When Father Was Away on Business” directed by Emir Kusturica wins the Palme d’Or
2018 – K-pop boy band BTS are the first Koreans to perform at the Billboard Music Awards

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Famous Birthdays

1772 – William Congreve, English officer (design fire rocket)
1883 – Paul Arntzenius, Dutch painter, graphic artist and etcher, born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1965)
1921 – John Harrison, British vice admiral/surgeon
1967 – Ramzi Yousef, Kuwaiti-born Pakistani terrorist
1971 – Tony Stewart, American race car driver
1981 – Iker Casillas, Spanish footballer

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Famous Deaths

1503 – Lorenzo de Medici, Italian patron (b. 1463)
1751 – Domingo Miguel Bernaube Terradellas, Spanish composer, dies at 38
1834 – Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert de Motier, nobleman, dies
1917 – Philipp von Ferrary, Italian philatelist (b. 1850)
1940 – Amar Singh, Indian cricketer (of pneumonia Indian pace bowler 1932-36), dies at 29
1956 – Andre Eugene Maurice Charlot, actor (Summer Storm), dies

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Historical Events

1883 – William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody opened Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in Omaha, Nebraska
1906 – Federated Boys’ Club (Boys’ Club of America) organizes
1973 – 98th Preakness: Ron Turcotte aboard Secretariat wins in 1:54 – fastest Preakness race ever (recognized 2012)
1988 – Carlos Lehder Rivas, of Colombia’s Medellin drug cartel, is convicted in Florida for smuggling more than 3 tons of cocaine into US
2005 – TV political comedy “The Thick of It” created by Armando Iannucci, starring Peter Capaldi and Chris Langham premieres on BBC 4
2007 – English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (89,826): Chelsea beats Manchester United, 1 – 0 (a.e.t.); Didier Drogba scores 116′ winner for Blues’ 4th title

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Famous Birthdays

1839 – Alice Mary Smith, composer
1883 – Henricus WJM Keuls, Dutch lawyer/poet (Dancing Lamp)
1939 – Francis R Scobee, Wash, USAF/astronaut (STS 41C, 51L-Chal disaster)
1939 – Nancy Kwan, Hong Kong-born American actress (Flower Drum Song, World of Suzie Wong), born in Hong Kong
1940 – Frank Lorenzo, airline executive (Continental, Texas Air, Eastern)
1953 – Shavarsh Karapetyan, Soviet Armenian finswimmer

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Famous Deaths

1637 – Isaac Beeckman, Dutch scientist and philosopher, dies at 48
1903 – Arthur Shrewsbury, English cricketer (1277 runs at 35 47 in 23 Tests), dies at 47
1992 – Hans Vogt, German composer, dies at 81
1996 – Margaret Rawlings, actress (Roman Holiday), dies at 89
2001 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
2016 – Morley Safer, Canadian American TV newscaster (60 Minutes), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1291 – After 100 years of crusader control, Acre is the last crusader stronghold reconquered and destroyed by the Mamluks under Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil
1889 – Jules Massenet’s opera “Esclarmonde” premieres in Paris
1899 – World Goodwill Day-26 nations meet in 1st Hague Peace Conference
1959 – “Castin’ My Spell” by Johnny Otis Show hits #52
1980 – Belgium 3rd government of Martens forms
2014 – Swiss voters reject a $25 per hour minimum wage

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Famous Birthdays

1891 – Rudolf Carnap, philosopher (German Logical Positivist)
1905 – Eric Zeisl, Austrian American composer, born in Vienna (d. 1959)
1927 – Richard Body, British politician (C), born in Eton, Buckinghamshire
1930 – Warren B Rudman, (Sen-R-NH, 1980- )
1948 – Felix MH Troch, Flemish actor and director (Gekkenbriefje)
1950 – Rodney Milburn Jr, USA, hurdler (Olympic gold 1972)

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Famous Deaths

1900 – Jean Gaspard Felix Ravaisson-Mollien, French philosopher (b. 1813)
1910 – Eliza Orzeszkowa, Polish novelist (Dziurdziowie), dies at 68
1949 – James T Adams, US historian (Pulitzer 1921)
1967 – Andy Clyde, Scottish actor (The Real McCoys, Lassie), dies from natural causes at 75
1995 – Alexander Gudonov, Russian dancer/actor (Witness), dies at 45
2009 – Dolla American Rapper a.k.a. Roderick Anthony Burton II (b.1987)

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Historical Events

1579 – Artois, Henegouwen and French-Flanders sign Treaty, the Peace of Parma recognizing Spanish Duke van Parma as land guardian
1903 – Cleveland Indians beat NY Highlanders 9-2 in Columbus Ohio
1990 – “Cheers” star Kelsey Grammer sentenced to jail for 30 days for DWI
1994 – Bakili Muluzi’s UDF wins Malawi presidents/parliamentary election
2014 – The center-right Hindu Nationalist Party, the BJP, wins landslide election victory in India
2015 – A mudslide hits the alpine town of Salgar in Western Colombia killing over 50 people

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Famous Birthdays

1888 – A P “Tich” Freeman, cricket leg-spinner (legend for Kent and England)
1941 – David Howell Cope, composer
1945 – D A S Pennefather, Maj-General/Commandant (General Royal Marines)
1954 – Michael Roberts, jockey
1976 – José Guillén, Dominican baseball player
1985 – Matt Ryan, American football player

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Famous Deaths

1395 – Constantine Dragas, Serbian ruler of a semi-independent realm
1888 – Giacomo Zanella, Italian poet (b. 1820)
1945 – Sasaki Shigetsu Sokei-an, founder 1st Zen Institute of America, dies
1945 – Jan van Geenen, resistance fighter, dies
1960 – Ioannis Georgiadis, Greek fencer (Olympic 1896 gold), dies at 84
2016 – Guy Clark, American country singer (Heartbroke), dies at 74

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Historical Events

1771 – The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called “The Regulators”, occurs in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina.
1817 – Mississippi River steamboat service begins
1894 – Fire in Boston destroys baseball stadium and 170 other buildings
1972 – “Don’t Play Us Cheap” opens at Barrymore Theater NYC for 164 performances
1974 – Helmut Schmidt becomes West German Chancellor
2013 – Pope Francis calls for ethical financial reform to fight speculation

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Famous Birthdays

1857 – Juan Morel Campos, composer
1906 – Ernie McCormick, cricketer (Australian quickie of late 30’s)
1910 – Olga Berggolts, Russian poet (d. 1975)
1920 – Dave Philley, Texas, Major League Baseball switch-hitter (record 9 straight pinch hits), born in Paris, France (d. 2012)
1927 – Nílton Santos, Brazilian footballer, (d. 2013)
1980 – Melanie Lofton, American Journalist

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Famous Deaths

1778 – Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, English diplomat (b. 1718)
1926 – Mehmed VI Vahideddin (Mohammed Osman), last sultan of Turkey, dies
1932 – William Pember Reeves, politician/poet, dies
1944 – Max Brand, [Frederick Schiller Faust], western author, dies
1954 – Werner Bischof, Swiss photographer, dies accidentally at 38
2001 – Brian Pendleton, English musician (The Pretty Things) (b. 1944)

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