Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1606 – Spanish troops under Spinola occupy Fort Rhine Birch
1958 – Britain transfers Christmas Island (south of Java) to Australia
1979 – Nigeria adopts a constitution, and Alhaji Shagari becomes president
1981 – US’s largest private investment bank, Salomon Brothers, is sold to commodities trader Phibro Corporation for $483 million
1990 – Meteorite explodes above Pacific Ocean

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Famous Birthdays

1901 – Jimmie Reese, American baseball infielder and coach (LA Angels Hall of Fame), born in New York City (d. 1994)
1967 – Mike Pringle, American Canadian Football Hall of Fame running back (CFL MOP 1995, 98; Montreal Alouettes), born in Los Angeles, California
1972 – Danielle Scott-Arruda, American volleyball middle blocker (International Volleyball HOF; Olympic silver 2008, 12), born in Baton Rouge Louisiana
1981 – Deborah James, British teacher, journalist, author (You, Me and the Big C), and charity campaigner, born in London, England (d. 2022)
1986 – Jurnee Smollett-Bell, American actress (Lovecraft Country), born in New York City

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Famous Deaths

1500 – John Alcock, English bishop and chancellor (founded Jesus College, Cambridge), dies at about 70
1901 – Abdur Rahman Khan, Emir of Afghanistan (1880-1901)
1947 – Olive Borden, “the Joy Girl,” American silent film and stage actress (Chloe, Love Is Calling You; 3 Bad Men, Fig Leaves), dies of a stomach ailment and pneumonia at 40
1979 – Roy Harris, American composer (When Johnny Comes Marching Home: An American Overture), dies at 81
2019 – Karel Gott, Czech singer ‘Sinatra of the East’, dies at 80

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Historical Events

1520 – Suleiman the Magnificent succeeds his father, Selim I, as Ottoman Sultan and rules until 1566
1965 – LA Dodger Don Drysdale (23-12) wins his 13th straight game, 7 of which are shutouts
1984 – The Kansas City Chiefs set a team record by registering 11 sacks against the Cleveland Browns in a 10-6 victory
1986 – US releases Soviet spy Gennadiy Zakharov
2012 – Car bomb blasts kill at least 32 people across Iraq

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Famous Birthdays

1800 – Decimus Burton, British architect (Hyde Park, Palm House Kew Gardens), born in London, England (d. 1881)
1917 – Yuri “Petrovich” Lyubimov, Soviet director (Taganka Theatre), born in Yaroslavl, Russia (d. 2014)
1933 – Emily “Cissy” Houston (née Drinkard), American Grammy Award-winning soul and gospel singer, and Whitney’s mother, born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2024)
1943 – Jody Powell, American White House press secretary for Jimmy Carter, born in Cordele, Georgia (d. 2009)
1963 – Cristina Marsillach, Spanish actress (Barocco), born in Madrid, Spain

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Famous Deaths

1581 – Hubert Languet, French diplomat and reformer (b. 1518)
1986 – Storm Jameson, English writer and critic, dies at 95
2004 – Justin Strzelczyk, American NFL football offensive tackle, 1990-98 (Pittsburgh Steelers), dies in high speed car crash while being pursued by police at 36; autopsy revealed brain damage due to chronic concussion injuries
2014 – Martin Lewis Perl, American physicist (1995 Nobel Prize for Physics for discovery of the tau lepton particle), dies from a heart attack at 87
2017 – Vladimir Voevodsky, Russian-American mathematician (homotopy theory, motivic cohomology), dies of an aneurysm at 51

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Historical Events

1227 – Pope Gregory IX excommunicates German emperor Frederick II
1789 – US War Department establishes a regular army
1927 – Yankees slugger Babe Ruth ties MLB record by hitting grand slams in consecutive games in New York’s 7-4 win against the Philadelphia A’s and 15-4 rout of the Washington Senators
1957 – NFL NY Giants play their last game at the Polo Grounds, a 9-1 loss to Pittsburgh
2001 – Farm Aid 14 held in Noblesville, Indiana; performers include Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Doobie Brothers, and Martina McBride

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Famous Birthdays

1893 – Phillips Tead, American character actor (The Front Page; Lightnin’; Fighting Blade; The Adventures of Superman – “Professor Pepperwinkle”), born in Somerville, Massachusetts (d. 1974)
1928 – Eric Lubbock, Lord Avebury, English politician and human rights advocate (Liberal MP for Orpington 1962-70), born in Orpington, England (d. 2016)
1956 – James Donald Halsell Jr, American retired USAF officer and astronaut (STS 65, 74, 83, 94), born in West Monroe, Louisiana
1970 – Emily Lloyd [Pack], British actress (Wish You Were Here; Cookie; In Country), born in London, England
1972 – Robert Webb, British actor, comedian, and writer (Jeremy “Jez” Usborne- “Peep Show”), born in Boston, Lincolnshire

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Famous Deaths

1598 – Floris van Pallandt, Dutch Count of Culemborg, dies at about 61
1951 – Bradley Barker, American silent actor and film director, dies at 68
1989 – August A. “Gussie” Busch Jr., American brewing magnate (chairman Anheuser-Busch 1946-75) and baseball executive (owner St. Louis Cardinals 1953-89), dies at 90
2008 – Hayden Carruth, American poet (The Crow and the Heart), dies at 87
2019 – Larry Willis, American jazz pianist and composer, dies of an aneurysm at 76

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Historical Events

1767 – VOC government bans importation of Southeast Asian slaves into the Cape because they are considered dangerous (not observed)
1839 – British Association expedition to Antarctica ships Erebus and Terror set sail from England to attempt to locate the magnetic South Pole
1911 – The NY Highlanders get 13 walks and steal 15 bases, including a record six in one inning, beating the Browns 18-12; each team commits six errors
1962 – Paddington tram depot fire destroys 65 trams in Brisbane, Australia.
2008 – MLB Boston Red Sox retire Johnny Pesky’s jersey (number 6)

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Famous Birthdays

1901 – Ed Sullivan, American newspaper columnist, and television host (The Ed Sullivan Show), born in New York City (d. 1974)
1908 – Marin Goleminov, Bulgarian violinist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Kyustendil, Bulgaria (d. 2000)
1938 – John Schultz, Australian Football HOF ruckman (Brownlow Medal 1960; All Australian 1961; Victoria 24 games; Footscray FC), born in Boort, Australia (d. 2024)
1961 – Michael-James Wixted, American actor (Smith Family), born in Santa Monica, California
1966 – Puri Jagannadh, Indian film director (Pokiri), born in Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh

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Famous Deaths

1884 – Fred Morley, English cricket fast bowler, (4 Tests, 16 wickets, BB 5/56; Nottinghamshire CCC), dies at 33
1965 – Eddie Gribbon, American actor (Keystone Kops), dies after long illness at 75
1993 – Peter De Vries, American author (Reuben, Reuben; The Prick of Noon) and editor (New Yorker), dies at 83
2023 – M. S. Swaminathan, Indian agricultural scientist, leader of the green revolution in India, dies at 98
2024 – Kris Kristofferson, American country singer-songwriter (“Me And Bobby McGee”; “Help Me Make It Through The Night”), and actor (Amerika; Millennium; A Star Is Born), dies at 88

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Historical Events

1942 – The NY Giants beat the Washington Redskins 14-7 without making a first down
1983 – South African workers’ union leader Curnick Ndlovu is freed from prison after 19 years
1992 – ASPCA stops Santeria ceremony in Bronx, halting the sacrifice of 42 animals
2008 – Greg Maddux wins the 355th and final start of his career
2014 – 57 people are killed after Mount Ontake erupts in Japan

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Famous Birthdays

1946 – T.C. Cannon, Native American artist (Kiowa/Caddo), born in Lawton, Oklahoma (d. 1978)
1947 – Mary Jo White, American lawyer and Chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, born in Kansas City, Missouri
1948 – A Martinez, American actor (L.A. Law; Santa Barbara), born in Glendale, California
1983 – Jeon Hye-bin, Korean actress known for “Revolutionary Sisters”, born in Namyangju, South Korea
1984 – Paul Bevan, Australian rules footballer (Sydney Swans), born in Australia

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Famous Deaths

1737 – John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester, English privy councillor, dies at 57
1868 – Alexander Walewski, French earl and Foreign Minister, dies at 58
1955 – Henri Liebrecht, Belgian playwright and journalist, dies at 71
1994 – Gerald Bledsoe, American broadcaster (Soul Alive, WWRL), dies of a heart attack at 51
2012 – Herbert Lom, Czech-born British actor (Pink Panther, Dorian Gray), dies at 95

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Historical Events

1509 – Storm surge causes the second Cosmas and Damian flood in East Friesland and the Netherlands, destroying dykes and devastating coastal towns
1963 – First edition of the New York Review of Books
1974 – Apple Records releases John Lennon’s fifth studio album, “Walls and Bridges,” in the US, featuring the No. 1 single “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” (with Elton John) and “#9 Dream”
2019 – WHO announces 800,000 children in DR Congo will be vaccinated in nine days in the world’s largest measles epidemic that has taken over 3,500 lives
2024 – Poverty in Argentina rises to more than half (52.9%), up from 41.7% in six months, for its population of 46 million, with inflation at 230%, according to new figures

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Famous Birthdays

1750 – Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood, British admiral, born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England (d. 1810)
1823 – Ivan Aksakov, Russian journalist (Denj, Moskvitsh), born in Nadezhdino, Belebey Uyezd, Orenburg Governorate (d. 1889)
1925 – Shirley Wilson, American football coach (Elon University 1967-76; Duke University 1979-82; 88–61–3), born in Madison, North Carolina (d. 2021)
1967 – Craig Janney, American NHL center (Winnipeg Jets), born in Hartford, Connecticut
1968 – Anthony Shadid, New York Times foreign correspondent and two time Pulitzer winner, born in Oklahoma City (d. 2012)

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Famous Deaths

1944 – Ernst Isler, Swiss organist and critic, dies at 64
1945 – Béla Bartók, Hungarian pianist, composer (Concerto for Orchestra), and ethnomusicologist, dies of leukemia at 64
1961 – Juanita Hansen, actress (Fast Company), dies of heart ailment at 67
1989 – Pavlos Bakoyannis, Greek parliament leader, murdered in Rome
2019 – William Joseph Levada, American Catholic prelate, theologian, and educator (Archbishop of San Francisco, 1995-2005; Archbishop of Portland, 1985-95), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1780 – American army officer Benedict Arnold defects to the British
1911 – French battleship Liberté explodes at Toulon Harbor, killing 285
1955 – Detroit outfielder Al Kaline, 20, is the youngest batting champion
1988 – Romanian gymnast Daniela Silivaș wins three gold medals in one day at the Seoul Olympics in the balance beam, floor exercise, and uneven bars events, recording a record-equalling seven perfect scores of 10
2003 – Magnitude 8.0 earthquake strikes just offshore of Hokkaidō, Japan

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Famous Birthdays

1906 – Phyllis Pearsall, British painter and writer (A to Z Map Company), born in London (d. 1996)
1939 – Feroz Khan, Indian actor, producer and director (known as Clint Eastwood of Bollywood), born in Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore, British India (d. 2009)
1942 – Billy Mundi [also Tony Schnasse, born Antonio Salas], American session musician and drummer (The Mothers of Invention, Rhinoceros), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2014)
1943 – (Jules) Gary Alexander, American rock vocalist and guitarist (The Association – “Cherish”), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee
1975 – Mariusz Duda, Polish rock bassist and singer (Riverside), born in Wegorzewo, Poland

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Famous Deaths

1630 – Ambrogio Spinola, Spanish marquis of Balbases, dies at about 61
1924 – (Charlotte) “Lotta” Crabtree, American stage actress, comedian (Little Nell and the Marchioness), and philanthropist, dies at 76
1976 – Red Faber, American Baseball HOF pitcher (World Series 1917; AL ERA leader 1921, 22; Chicago White Sox 1914-33), dies from heart disease at 88
1991 – Viviane Romance [Pauline Ronacher Ortmanns], French actress (Panic, Queen’s Necklace), dies at 79
2016 – Rod Temperton, British pop musician and songwriter (“Boogie Nights”; “Thriller”; “Give Me the Night”; “Yah Mo B There”), dies of cancer at 66

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Historical Events

1929 – James Doolittle completes the first completely “blind” flight, taking off, flying a set course, and landing solely by instruments aboard a Consolidated NY-2 biplane at Mitchel Field in New York
1954 – Yankees tie a record as three of their pinch hitters strike out in one inning
1994 – Parliamentary elections in Ukraine
2015 – Stampede of people during the Hajj kills 717 during the symbolic stoning of the devil at Mina, near Mecca, Saudi Arabia
2021 – Notorious Indian gangster Jitender Maan Gogi is shot dead in a court in Delhi by men posing as lawyers

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Famous Birthdays

1705 – Leopold Joseph Graf Daun, Austrian field marshal, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1766)
1884 – İsmet İnönü, Turkish politician (2nd President of Turkey 1938-50), born in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (d. 1973)
1899 – Eduardo Hernández Moncada, Mexican composer and pianist, born in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (d. 1995)
1929 – Edward M. Lawson, Canadian trade unionist and politician, born in Gerald, Saskatchewan, Canada (d. 2016)
1929 – Erik Lotichius, Dutch composer (Anaitalrax), born in Helden, Netherlands (d. 2015)

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Famous Deaths

1120 – Welf II, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1072)
1997 – Larry Hall, American rocker (Sandy), dies at 57
2002 – Mike Webster, American NFL football center, 1974-90, 9X Pro Bowl, 4X Super Bowl champ (Pittsburgh Steelers), dies of a heart attack at 50; 1st former NFL-er diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)player noted to suffer from
2017 – Joseph M. McDade, American politician (Rep-R-Pennsylvania, 1963-1999), dies at 85
2020 – Keith Hufnagel, American skateboarder (founded skate/clothing company HUF), dies of brain cancer at 46

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Historical Events

1962 – Martin Walser’s play “Esche und Angora” premieres in Berlin
1968 – WKMR TV channel 38 in Morehead, KY (PBS) begins broadcasting
1990 – PBS begins an 11-hour miniseries on the Civil War
2017 – Women are allowed in King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh for the first time during Saudi Arabia’s 87th National Day celebrations
2022 – Russia holds sham referendums in four partly occupied Ukrainian regions, with some Ukrainian citizens forced to vote at gunpoint

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Famous Birthdays

1865 – Emmuska Orczy, Hungarian-born British Baroness and writer (The Scarlet Pimpernel), born in Tarnaörs Hungary (d. 1947)
1867 – Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia and wife of King Alexander I, born in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia (d. 1903)
1871 – Frantisek Kupka, Czech pioneering abstract artist, born in Opočno, Austria-Hungary (d. 1957)
1925 – Barry Linehan, English actor (Bullseye, Dark Places, Witchcraft), born in Romford, England (d. 1996)
1946 – Franz Fischler, Austrian politician and EU’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries (1995–2004), born in Absam, Austria

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Famous Deaths

1764 – Robert Dodsley, English writer (b. 1703)
1797 – Johann Georg Roser, Austrian composer and kapellmeister, dies at 57
1994 – John van Damme, businessman, hanged in Singapore at 59
2004 – Billy Reay, Canadian ice hockey player and coach, dies at 86
2023 – Terry Kirkman, American rock vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist (The Association – “Windy”; “Cherish”), and later substance abuse counselor, dies at 83

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Historical Events

1896 – Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather King George III as the longest reigning monarch in British history
1959 – Chicago White Sox clinch AL pennant
1989 – MLB St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Leon Durham is suspended for 60 days due to drugs
2002 – Solheim Cup Women’s Golf, Interlachen CC: US regains Cup 15½-12½; Rosie Jones gains winning point in her 3 and 2 victory over Karine Icher
2015 – Pope Francis is greeted by President Obama and Vice President Biden as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, for his six-day tour of the US

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Famous Birthdays

1523 – Charles de Bourbon, French cardinal, born in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, France (d. 1590)
1741 – Peter Simon Pallas, German geologist and zoologist (scientific expeditions through Russia and Siberia), born in Berlin (d. 1811)
1892 – Hans Albers, German silent and sound screen actor (Blue Angel; Bombs on Monte Carlo), born in Hamburg, German Empire (d. 1960)
1965 – Andy Cairns, Irish rock singer-songwriter and guitarist (Therapy?), born in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland
1988 – Bethany Dillon, American Christian musician, born in Bellefontaine, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1703 – Vincenzo Viviani, Italian mathematician (Viviani’s theorem), dies at 81
1996 – Ludmilla Chiraeff, Latvian-Canadian ballet dancer, choeographer, and troupe director, dies at 72
2007 – Bodinho, Brazilian footballer (b. 1928)
2008 – Connie Haines [Yvonne Jasme], American pop and big-band singer (Harry James; Abbott and Costello Show; Tommy Dorsey), dies of myasthenia gravis at 87
2010 – Eddie Fisher, American pop singer (“Oh My Papa”: I’m Walking Behind You”), dies from complications from hip surgery at 82

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