Category: On This Day

Historical Events

626 – Battle at Constantinople: Slavic/Persians/Avarenvloot defeated
1820 – 1st potatoes planted in Hawaii
1944 – IBM dedicates the first program-controlled calculator, the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (known best as the Harvard Mark I)
1957 – Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1957
1991 – Manhattan Cable final day of amnesty to return illegal cable boxes
1994 – “Hedda Gabler” closes at Criterion Theater NYC after 33 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1751 – Wilhelmina FS, Princess of Prussia/Orange/wife of Willem V
1826 – Carl AE Ahlqvist, [A Oksanen], Finnish poet (Suomalainen Runousoppi)
1932 – Edward Hardwicke, British actor (Sherlock Holmes), born in London, England (d. 2011)
1941 – Thomas F Hartnett, American politician (Rep-R-SC, 1981-86), born in Charleston, South Carolina
1958 – Larisa Karlova, Ukrainian team handball player (Olympic gold 1976, 80), born in Kyiv, Ukraine
1973 – Kevin Muscat, Australian soccer defender (Olyroos, Olympics 1996), born in Crawley, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1798 – Johann Gottlieb Sollner, composer, dies at 65
1943 – Gustav Schmidt, German lt-general, dies in battle
1953 – Abner Powell, American baseball player, dies at 92
1978 – Franz Alphons Wolpert, German composer, dies at 60
1992 – Titti Sotto, Cuban composer (La Esquina Habanera), dies
2004 – Colin Bibby, English ornithologist (b. 1948)

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Historical Events

258 – St Sixtus II ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1941 – Detroit Tigers pitcher Al Benton collects 2 sacrifices in an inning, a MLB record; wins 11-2 vs Cleveland Indians
1967 – Pope Paul VI publishes constitution Pro comperto sane
1973 – Roberto Clemente, Warren Spahn, Billy Evans, Monty Irvin, Mickey Welch and High Pockets Kelly are inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY
1979 – Marcus Hooper, 12, becomes then youngest person to swim English Channel
2015 – Republican Presidental nomination race begins with debate between 7 lesser ranked candidates in Cleveland, Ohio

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Famous Birthdays

1875 – Marcel Labey, composer
1934 – Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob, UK, sci-fi author (Chthon, Phthor)
1937 – Charlie [Charles Edward] Haden, American jazz double-bassist (Liberation Music Orchestra), born in Shenandoah, Iowa (d. 2014)
1938 – Carry Tefsen, Dutch actress (Say A)
1940 – Mukhu Aliyev, Russian politician, President of Dagestan
1969 – Roberto Lanckohr, soccer player (MVV)

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Famous Deaths

1853 – Josif Josifovich Genishta, composer, dies at 57
1886 – Wilhelm Scherer, German literature historian, dies at 45
1893 – Jean-Jacques Challet-Venel, member of the Swiss Federal Council (b. 1811)
1946 – Blanche Bingley-Hillyard, British tennis player (Wimbledon 1886, 89, 94, 97, 99-1900), dies at 82
1965 – Nancy Carroll, actress (Alice-Aldrich Family), dies at 60
1993 – Milt Thompson, American astronaut (Dynasoar, X-15), NASA test pilot and chief-engineer, dies at 67

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Historical Events

1420 – Duke John VI of Bavaria visits Dutch mystic Lidwina (Christ’s bride)
1837 – 1st ascent of Mt Marcy (5,344′) highest in Adirondack, NY
1948 – A Swedish sweep of the medals in the 3000m steeplechase at the London Olympics with Tore Sjöstrand taking gold ahead of team mates Erik Elmsäter and Göte Hagström
1964 – Beatles record “Leave My Kitten Alone”
1982 – PGA Championship, Southern Hills CC: Raymond Floyd fires an opening round 9-under-par 63, tying the tournament 18-hole record
2001 – Cleveland Indians tie a MLB record in erasing a 12 run Seattle lead to win 15-14, also preventing the Mariners from reaching a record 117 season wins

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Famous Birthdays

1623 – Antonio Cesti, Italian composer, singer and musician, born in Arezzo (d. 1669) baptismal date
1866 – Alfred Holy, Czech composer and harpist, born in Oporto (d. 1948)
1960 – Mike Nocito, American rocker (Johnny Hates Jazz), born in Wiesbaden, West Germany
1974 – Frankie Hejduk, soccer defender (Olympic gold 1996), born in La Mesa, California
1986 – Paula Creamer, American golfer (US Open 2010), born in Mountain View, California
1993 – Suzuka Ōgo, Japanese actress

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Famous Deaths

1964 – Art Ross, Canadian hockey player and executive (b. 1886)
1972 – Frederic Tozere, actor (Mr Phillips-Stanley), dies at 71
1992 – Jeff Porcaro, drummer (Toto-Africa), dies of cardiac arrest at 38
2005 – Jim O’Hora, American football coach (b. 1915)
2006 – Susan Butcher, American sled dog champion (b. 1954)
2018 – Charlotte Rae, American character actress, comedian, singer and dancer (Edna-Facts of Life), dies at 92

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Historical Events

1855 – John Bartlett publishes “Familiar Quotations”
1956 – Indonesia says it will not pay debts to the Netherlands
1967 – British pirate radio station Radio 355 resigns air
1973 – NY Yankees pitcher Lindy McDaniel puts in one of the best relief stints in MLB history, entering in 2nd inning, allows only 1 run in 13 innings in 3-2 win v Detroit Tigers
1994 – 27th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Hyatt Regency
2014 – Hamas and Israel agree to another 72 hour ceasefire

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Famous Birthdays

1776 – Wenzel Sedlak, Bohemian clarinetist and composer, born in Jezbořice, Bohemia (d. 1851)
1873 – Damaso Berenguer, Spanish soldier and politician (122nd Prime Minister of Spain), born in San Juan de los Remedios, Cuba (d. 1953)
1902 – Wild Bill Hallahan, American baseball player, born in Binghamton, New York (d. 1981)
1904 – Theodore Newton, American actor (Ace of Aces, Voltaire), born in Lawrenceville, New Jersey (d. 1963)
1938 – Ellen Schrecker, American college professor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1963 – Andrew Bartlett, Australian politician

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Famous Deaths

1060 – Henry I, King of the Franks (1031-60), dies at 52
1895 – Marcellus Augustus Stovall, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 76
1920 – Vladimir Rebikov, Russian pianist and composer, dies at 54
2003 – Frederick Chapman Robbins, American pediatrician and virologist and Nobel Prize laureate 1954, dies at 86
2004 – Sir Kenneth Couzens, British Deputy Chairman of British Coal Board and significant figure during Miners Strike, dies at 79
2011 – Mark Duggan is shot by police in London at 29, sparking widespread riots

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Historical Events

1952 – Italian Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari clinches Formula 1 World Drivers Championship by winning German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring
1957 – British offensive against imam Galeb Ben Ali of Oman
1960 – For the only time in MLB history teams exchange managers as Detroit trades Jimmy Dykes (44-52) for Cleveland’s Joe Gordon (49-46)
1966 – South African government bans Beatle records
1986 – First NFL ‘American Bowl’ exhibition game at London’s Wembley Stadium, Chicago Bears beat Dallas Cowboys 17-6
2014 – At least 13 Palestinians reported killed in ongoing air raids and tank shelling by Israel

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Famous Birthdays

1824 – William Burnham Woods, American politician, judge, and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Newark, Ohio (d. 1887)
1930 – James Komack, American writer, director and actor (Courtship of Eddie’s Father), born in NYC, New York (d. 1997)
1940 – Joseph Dorfman, Israeli composer, born in Odessa, Ukraine (d. 2006)
1940 – Lance Alworth, American NFL hall of famer (Charger, Cowboys), born in Houston, Texas
1972 – Travis Hall, NFL defensive tackle (Atlanta Falcons), born in Sodoltna, Alaska
1976 – Troy Glaus, American baseball infielder (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Tarzana, Los Angeles

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Famous Deaths

1839 – Dorothea von Schlegel, German novelist (Florentin), dies at 74
1879 – Joseph Severn, English painter (b. 1793)
1954 – Colette, [Sidonie-Gabrielle], French novelist (Vagabonde), dies at 81
1973 – Richard Marshall, U.S. Army general (b. 1895)
1993 – James Donald, Scottish actor (Bridge on River Kwai, Vikings, In Which We Serve, Way Ahead), dies of stomach cancer at 76
2004 – Henri Cartier-Bresson, French photographer, dies at 95

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Historical Events

1907 – Legendary pitcher Walter Johnson at 19 begins his 21 year Baseball Hall of Fame playing career with Washington with 3-2 loss v Detroit
1973 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame 3rd baseman George Brett gets his 1st MLB hit on debut for the Kansas City Royals in 3-1 win v Chicago WS
1996 – The star-studded United States men’s basketball team beats Yugoslavia 95-69 to win the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics
2012 – American swimmer Rebecca Soni becomes first woman to win the 200m breaststroke twice with a world record 2:19.59 at the London Olympics
2018 – Oldest library in Germany confirmed unearthed in Cologne dating to 2AD, possibly held 20,000 scolls
2019 – Saudi Arabia announces news rules for women including allowing them to travel independently abroad without a male guardian’s permission

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Famous Birthdays

1896 – Lorenzo Herrera, Venezuelan singer and composer, born in Caracas, Venezuela (d. 1960)
1910 – Lawrence Josset, British engraver, born in Cambridgeshire, England (d. 1995)
1924 – Joe Harnell, American musician, composer and arranger, born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2005)
1931 – Philippa Schuyler, African-American child prodigy and composer, born in Harlem, New York (d. 1967)
1982 – Hélder Postiga, Portuguese footballer, born in Vila do Conde, Portugal
1983 – Nick Diaz, American MMA fighter, born in Stockton, California

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Famous Deaths

1799 – Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, French inventor, dies at 54
1815 – Guillaume Brune, French marshal, dies at 52
1869 – Alexandrine Tinne, Dutch explorer/photographer, murdered at 30+
1920 – Ormer Locklear, American stunt pilot (b. 1891)
1988 – Joe Carcione, American consumer advocate (The Green Grocer), dies at 73
2015 – Forrest Bird, American aviator and inventor (1st respirators and ventilators), dies at 94

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Historical Events

1664 – Battle at St Gotthard: Earl Raimondo Montecucculi beats Ahmed Kiprulu
1842 – Rotherhithe Tunnel under the Thames opens
1852 – San Francisco Methodists establish 1st black church, Zion Methodist
1855 – Castle Clinton in NYC opens as 1st US receiving station for immigrants
1861 – Brazil recognizes Confederacy
1881 – US Quarantine Station authorized for Angel Island, San Francisco Bay

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Famous Birthdays

1923 – Yoshinao Nakada, Japanese composer, born in Shibuya, Tokyo (d. 2000)
1933 – Richard Lloyd Jones, British secretary (Welsh Office 1985–93)
1946 – Fiona Stanley, Australian epidemiologist (Telethon Institute for Child Health Research), born in Little Bay, Sydney, Australia
1960 – Chuck D [Chuck Ridenhour], US rapper (Public Enemy), born in Queens, New York
1963 – Demián Bichir, Mexican-American actor (A Better Life), born in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico
1969 – David Wain, American actor and director (Wet Hot American Summer), born in Shaker Heights, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1628 – Francesco Gonzaga, composer, dies at 37
1846 – Peter Ritter, German cellist and composer, dies at 83
1986 – Robert Wolfgang Schnell, German writer, dies at 70
1989 – John Ogdon, English pianist/composer, dies at 52
2005 – Al Aronowitz, American music journalist (b. 1928)
2010 – Lolita Lebrón, Puerto Rican nationalist (b. 1919)

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Historical Events

1941 – U-boats sink and damage 21 allied ships this month (80,521 tons)
1948 – American swimmer Wally Ris wins the coveted 100m freestyle gold medal at the London Olympics beating team mate Alan Ford by 0.4 seconds
1961 – PGA Championship, Olympia Fields CC: Jerry Barber wins his only major title in a Monday 18-hole playoff with Don January (67-68)
1983 – Dutch July average temperature is 20.1°C; warmest July since 1852
1988 – Jose Canseco is 1st to hit 30 HRs in 1st 3 years
1994 – Stockholm averages 21.5°C; the warmest July since 1855

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Famous Birthdays

1808 – Frederick Crouch, English-born composer, born in London, England (d. 1896)
1830 – František Zdeněk Skuherský, Czech composer, born in Opočno, Bohemia (d. 1892)
1860 – Mary Vaux Walcott, American artist and naturalist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1940)
1916 – Verdun Scott, NZ cricketer and rugby player, born in Devonport, Auckland (d. 1980)
1927 – Walter Vogt, Swiss writer (Wüthrich) and psychiatrist, born in Zurich (d. 1988)
1939 – John R. West, rock guitarist (Gary Lewis and Playboys-This Diamond Ring), born in Uhrichsville, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1648 – Benedictus J van Haeften, poet (Regia thru Crucis), dies at about 60
1917 – Francis Ledwidge, Irish poet (b. 1881)
1961 – Jesse Harper, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Notre Dame), dies at 77
1992 – G Harold Carswell, supreme court justice candidate 1970, dies at 72
2001 – Friedrich Franz, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (b. 1910)
2016 – Seymour Papert, South African mathematician, dies at 88

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Historical Events

1911 – 9th Tour de France won by Gustave Garrigou of France
1926 – Albanian boundaries deduced
1946 – 1st rocket attains 100 mi (167 km) altitude, White Sands, New Mexico
1959 – In his major league debut, SF Giant Willie McCovey goes 4-for-4
1965 – Duke Ellington’s “Golden Brown and the Green Apple” premieres
1968 – Wash Senator Ron Hansen makes 1st unassisted triple-play in 41 years

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Famous Birthdays

1893 – Fatima Jinnah, Mother of Pakistan, sister and close adviser of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, born in Karachi, Bombay Presidency, British India (d. 1967)
1936 – István Zelenka, Swiss composer, born in Budapest, Hungary
1938 – Hervé de Charette, French politician, born in Paris
1940 – Clive Sinclair, British computer inventor (ZX Spectrum), born in Richmond, Surrey
1947 – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-American body builder, actor (Terminator) and politician (38th Governor of California), born in Thal, Austria
1964 – Alek Keshishian, Lebanese-American film director (Madonna: Truth or Dare), born in Beirut, Lebanon

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Famous Deaths

1718 – William Penn, English Philosopher, Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania (No cross, no crown), dies at 73
1916 – Albert Neisser, German physician who discovered the bacterias that cause gonorrhea and leprosy, dies of septicemia at 61
1970 – George Szell, Hungarian-born American conductor (Cleveland Orchestra, 1946-70), dies at 73
1979 – Beppie Nooij, Dutch actress and director (Red Sien, Zeemansvrouwen), dies at 60
1980 – Norman Lloyd, American pianist, author and composer, dies at 70
1991 – Leonardus S van Egerat, travel expert, dies at 68

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Historical Events

1864 – American Civil War: Confederate spy Belle Boyd is arrested by Union troops and detained at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C.
1967 – Moderate quake (6.5) strikes Caracas Venezuela causing severe damage
1968 – Washington, D.C. Ron Hansen makes unassisted triple play vs Cleve
1988 – FDIC bails out 1st Republic Bank, Dallas, with $4 billion
1990 – 28th Tennis Fed Cup: USA beats USSR in Atlanta Georgia (2-1)
1992 – “Chinese Coffee” closes at Circle in Sq Theater NYC after 18 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1830 – Alvan Cullom Gillem, American Major General (Union Army), born in Gainesboro, Tennessee (d. 1875)
1889 – Karl Otten, German Expressionist writer, born in Oberkrüchten (d. 1963)
1924 – Robert Horton [Meade Howard Horton Jr.], American actor and singer (Kings Row, Wagon Train, Arena), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2016)
1957 – Virginia Maria “Ginni” Rometty, American chairwoman, president and CEO of IBM, born in Chigago, Illinois
1972 – Wil Wheaton, American actor (Star Trek Next Generation-Wesley, Stand By Me), born in Burbank, California
1991 – Miki Ishikawa, American actress

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Famous Deaths

1108 – King Philip I, King of the Franks 1059, 1060-1108), dies at 56
1891 – Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, father of Bengali prose (Exile of Sita), dies at 70
1900 – Umberto I, Italian King (1878-1900) assassinated by Gaetano Bresci
1974 – “Mama” Cass Elliot, American rock vocalist (Mamas and The Papas), dies from a heart attack in London at 32
1983 – Luis Buñuel, director (Monk), dies of cirrhosis of liver at 83
1996 – Aruna Asaf Ali, Indian independence activist and politician (first Mayor of Delhi), dies at 88

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