Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1832 – Asian cholera reaches Quebec, brought by Irish immigrants, and kills about 6,000 people in Lower Canada
1905 – Norway dissolves union with Sweden (in effect since 1814)
1936 – Charles “Lucky” Luciano is convicted on 62 counts of compulsory prostitution
1965 – Sony Corp introduced its home video tape recorder, priced at $995
1979 – Portugal government of Mota Pinto resigns
2009 – French Open Men’s Tennis: Roger Federer wins his only French title, outclassing Robin Söderling of Sweden 6-1, 7-6, 6-4

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Famous Birthdays

1897 – George Szell, Hungarian-born American conductor (Cleveland Orchestra, 1946-70), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1970)
1910 – Bradford Washburn, American explorer and cartographer, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d. 2007)
1927 – Martin Carter, Guyanese poet and political activist, born in Georgetown, Guyana (d. 1997)
1934 – Samuel Lipman, American pianist and music critic, born in Los Gatos, California (d. 1994)
1945 – Wolfgang Schüssel, Austrian People’s Party politician, born in Vienna, Austria
1946 – Jenny Jones [Janina Stronski], Canadian comedienne (Jenny Jones Show), born in Bethlehem, Palestine

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Famous Deaths

1654 – Giambattista Andreini, Italian playwright and actor (L’adamo), dies at 76
1667 – Thomas de Keyser, Amsterdam master builder/painter, buried
1847 – Adolph Gopel, German mathematician, dies at 35
1915 – Benjamin Lambord, composer, dies at 35
1961 – Robert Griffith, producer of Pajama Game, dies
1994 – Dennis Christopher George Potter, British dramatist (The Singing Detective, Karaoke, Midnight Movie), dies of cancer at 59

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Historical Events

1844 – Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) formed by George Williams in London
1919 – The Republic of Prekmurje ends
1946 – Henry Morgan is 1st to take off shirt on TV
1972 – Gold hits record $60 an ounce in London
1981 – 113th Belmont: George Martens aboard Summing wins in 2:29
1988 – 3 giant turtles found in Bronx sewage plant

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Famous Birthdays

1807 – Adrien-François Servais, Belgian composer, born in Halle, Belgium (d. 1866)
1933 – Heinrich Rohrer, Swiss physicist (tunneling microscope-Nobel 1986), born in Buchs, Switzerland (d. 2013)
1965 – Sally McDermid, Australian softball outfielder (Olympic bronze 1996)
1969 – Sunil Joshi, Indian cricketer (Indian Test left-arm spinner 1996-2001), born in Gadag, Karnataka, India
1975 – Niklas Sundstrom, Ornskoldsvik Swe, NHL left wing (NY Rangers)
1987 – Daniel Logan, New Zealand actor (Boba Fett-Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones), born in Auckland, New Zealand

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Famous Deaths

1730 – Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, Marshal of France, dies at 83
1740 – Alexander Spotswood, British governor of Virginia Colony
1956 – Margaret Wycherly, actress (Claudia), dies at 74
1963 – William Baziotes, American painter (abstract expressionist), dies at 50
1976 – J. Paul Getty, American oil magnate and billionaire (Getty Oil), dies at 83
1996 – Jean Sinclair, teacher/campaigner, dies at 88

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Historical Events

1934 – 1st formal meeting of Baker Street Irregulars (NYC)
1937 – 69th Belmont: Charley Kurtsinger aboard War Admiral wins in 2:28.6
1944 – As part of Operation Tonga, the 1st British gliders touch down on French soil to prepare for the D-Day invasion
1969 – The International communist conference begins in Moscow.
1982 – 114th Belmont: Laffit Pincay Jr aboard Conquistador Cielo wins in 2:28
1993 – Liberian Charles Taylors rebellion kills 550 fugitives

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Famous Birthdays

1640 – Pu Songling, Qing Dynasty Chinese writer (Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio), born in Zibo, Shandong (d. 1715)
1934 – F Curtis Michel, LaCrosse Wisconsin, astronaut
1943 – Ann Craft, researcher/writer
1973 – Daniel Gildenlöw, Swedish musician and songwriter
1978 – Fernando Meira, Portuguese football player
1979 – Pete Wentz, American musician (Fall Out Boy), born in Wilmette, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1568 – Lamoral, Count of Egmont and Philip de Montmorency executed in Brussels, fueling Dutch resistance to Spanish rule
1816 – Giovanni Paisiello, Italian composer (Serva Padrona), dies at 76
1825 – Odysseas Androutsos, hero in the Greek War of Independence
1893 – Mary Ann Shadd Cary, American-Canadian publisher and anti-slavery campaigner, 1st African American newspaper publisher, dies of stomach cancer at 69
1900 – Stephen Crane, author (Red Badge of Courage), dies at 28
2001 – Pedro Laín Entralgo, Spanish writer, medical and humanist

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Historical Events

1850 – Empire Engine Company No 1 organized
1859 – Second Italian War of Independence: Battle of Magenta, results in a French-Sardinian victory under Napoleon III over the Austrians under Marshal Ferencz Gyulai
1919 – US marines invade Costa Rica
1940 – British complete the “Miracle of Dunkirk” by evacuating 338,226 allied troops from France via a flotilla of over 800 vessels including Royal Navy destroyers, merchant marine boats, fishing boats, pleasure craft and even lifeboats
1964 – Test Cricket debut of Geoff Boycott v Australia at Trent Bridge, 48
1973 – A patent for the ATM is granted to Don Wetzel, Tom Barnes and George Chastain

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Famous Birthdays

1700 – Theodoor Verhaegen, Flemish sculptor, born in Mechelen, Belgium (d. 1759)
1912 – Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor (great iron sculptures)
1916 – Fernand Leduc, Canadian painter (The Automatistes)
1930 – Morgana King, American jazz singer and actress (The Godfather, The Godfather Part II), born in Pleasantville, New York (d. 2018)
1948 – Rosemary Joyce, model/actress (Daphne Draper-Search For Tomorrow)
1956 – John Treacy, marathonr (Olympic silver 1984)

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Famous Deaths

1926 – Fred Spofforth, Australian cricket fast bowler (“The Demon” – 18 Tests, 94 wickets @ 18.41), dies of chronic colitis at 72
1937 – Donald Eligon, cricketer, dies of blood poisoning from a nail in his boot at 28
1942 – Reinhard Heydrich, German Nazi leader (head of Bohemia and Moravia and the Reich Main Security Office), dies a week after an assassination attempt at 38
1994 – Thomas Stuart Willan, historian, dies at 84
1994 – Sophie Winter, actress (She’s a Good Fighter), dies at 33
2011 – Andreas P. Nielsen, Danish author and composer (b. 1953)

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Historical Events

1326 – Treaty of Novgorod delineates borders between Russia and Norway in Finnmark
1907 – Centro Escolar University is established by Librada Avelino and Carmen de Luna in Manila, Philippines
1940 – Last British and French troops evacuated from Dunkirk
1946 – International Military Tribunal opens in Tokyo against 28 Japanese war criminals
1956 – 3rd class travel on British Railways ends
1959 – Singapore adopts constitution

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Famous Birthdays

1770 – Manuel Belgrano, Argentine politician and military leader who took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1820)
1898 – Rosa Chacel, spanish novelist
1911 – Olaf Okern, Norwegian Nordic skier (Olympic-medal-1948)
1929 – Werner Arber, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate
1935 – Ted Curson [Theodore], Jazz Trumpeter, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012)
1970 – Julie Masse, French Canadian singer

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Famous Deaths

1861 – Stephen A. Douglas, American politician, US senator from Illinois (Lincoln-Douglas debates), dies at 48
1888 – Cark Reidel, German composer, dies at 60
1912 – Julius A. De Lagnel, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 84
1966 – Alice Calhoun, actress (Flowing Gold, Between Friends), dies at 65
1995 – Jean-Patrick Manchette, French thriller writer (3 to Kill, The Prone Gunman), dies at 52
1997 – Dennis James, American television personality (b. 1917)

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Historical Events

1697 – August, Elector of Saxony becomes Catholic
1914 – Glenn Curtiss flies his Langley Aerodrome
1922 – Suffy McInnis (1st base) ends an errorless string of 1,700 chances
1924 – Snyder Act: US citizenship granted to all American Indians
1925 – NY Yankee Lou Gehrig begins his 2,130 consecutive game streak
1992 – Former NFL NY Giant Coach Bill Parcells undergoes open heart surgery

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Famous Birthdays

1918 – Robert Manry, American copy editor of the Cleveland newspaper editor who sailed the Atlantic (Tinkerbelle), born in Landour, India (d. 1971)
1923 – Lloyd Shapley, Mathematician (2012 Nobel Prize Game Theory), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts (d. 2016)
1935 – Dimitri Kitsikis, Greek turkologist
1944 – Antone Tavares, American RandB musician (Tavares)
1951 – Gilbert Baker, American gay activist, designed the rainbow flag, born in Canute, Kansas (d. 2017)
1956 – Malcolm Garrett, English graphic designer

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Famous Deaths

1901 – George Leslie Mackay, Canadian missionary (b. 1844)
1927 – Friedrich Hegar, Swiss composer, dies at 85
1929 – Charles Coventry, cricketer (13 runs in 2 Tests Eng v S Af 1889), dies
1972 – Franz Philipp, German composer, dies at 81
1997 – Helen Jacobs, American tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles titles, US Open 1932-35), dies of heart failure at 88
2017 – Peter Sallis, British actor (Wallace and Gromit, Last of the Summer Wine), dies at 96

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Historical Events

1907 – -27°F (-33°C), Sarmiento, Argentina (South American record)
1930 – 35th Women’s French Championships: Helen Wills Moody beats Helen Jacobs (6-2, 6-1)
1939 – 1st night game at Phil’s Shribe Park (Pirates 5, Phillies 2)
1953 – KMJ (now KSEE) TV channel 24 in Fresno, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting
1959 – Constitution of Tunisia promulgated (National Day)
1982 – Rickey Henderson is fastest to reach 50 stolen bases in a year

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Famous Birthdays

1886 – Ernst Kurth, Austrian/Swiss musicologist
1898 – Edgar “Cookie” Fairchild, American bandleader (Jerry Colonna Show), born in NYC, New York (d. 1975)
1959 – Alan “Wild”er, English rock vocalist/music (Depeche Mode-Wild!)
1971 – Roldán González, Cuban singer (Orishas)
1973 – Derek Lowe, American baseball player
1975 – James Storm, American professional wrestler

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Famous Deaths

1616 – Tokugawa Ieyasu, Japanese Shogun who founded the first Tokugawa Shogunate and united Japan, dies from natural causes
1710 – David Mitchell, Scottish admiral in the British Royal navy (b. 1642)
1962 – Adolf Eichmann, German Nazi officer (SS-Obersturmbannführer, Holocaust organizer), hanged in Israel at 56
1983 – Charles Tham, of Saxon-Coburg-Gotha, count of Flanders/Prince, dies
1987 – Rashid Karami, 10 time premier of Lebanon, dies in bomb attack at 65
1996 – Sanjiva Reddy, Indian politician, sixth President of India (1977-82), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1902 – Boer War Ends; Treaty of Unity signed, Britain annexes Transvaal
1931 – 7.1 magnitude Earthquake destroys Quetta in modern-day Pakistan: 40,000 dead.
1937 – Brooklyn Dodgers snap NY Giant Carl Hubbell’s 24-game winning streak
1953 – Lebanese president Camille Shamun disbands government
1961 – 6th European Cup: Benfica beats Barcelona 3-2 at Bern
2005 – Mark Felt, former FBI high ranking official revealed as “Deep Throat” source during Watergate investigations in “Vanity Fair” article

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Famous Birthdays

1656 – Marin Marais, French composer, born in Paris (d. 1728)
1931 – John Schrieffer, US physicist (Nobel 1972)
1932 – Ronald Hampel, British CEO (ICI)
1949 – Tom Berenger, actor (Big Chill, Someone to Watch Over Me), born in Chicago, Illinois
1971 – Brad Elberg, CFL running back (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
1977 – Domenico Fioravanti, Italian swimmer

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Famous Deaths

1862 – Robert Hopkins Hatton, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies in battle at 35
1952 – Walter Schellenberg, German lawyer/headed spy (Venlo), dies
1986 – James Rainwater, American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1917)
1987 – Dorothy Patrick, actress (Torch Song, New Orleans, High Wall), dies
2000 – Johnnie Taylor, American RandB and multi-genre singer (Disco Lady, I Believe in You), dies at 66
2001 – Arlene Francis, American television personality (d. 1907)

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Historical Events

1416 – Jerome of Prague burned at the stake for heresy by church Council of Constance
1876 – Ottoman sultan Abd-ul-Aziz is deposed and succeeded by his nephew Murat V.
1925 – Rogers Hornsby replaces Branch Rickey as manager of Cardinals
1947 – Indianapolis 500: Mauri Rose wins in 4:17:52.159 (187.228 km/h)
1959 – 58th Men’s French Championships: Nicola Pietrangeli beats Ian Vermaak (3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1)
1964 – Indianapolis 500: A. J. Foyt wins in 3:23:35.813 (237.137 km/h)

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Famous Birthdays

1220 – Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir, considered the key figure in medieval Rus (1252-63), born in Pereslavl-Zalessky, Vladimir-Suzdal (now Russia) (d. 1263)
1925 – Claude Prey, French composer, born in Fleury sur Andelle (d. 1998)
1945 – Norman Eshley, English actor
1957 – Allison Roe, marathoner (NYC-1981), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1961 – Ella Arolovich, Leningrad USSR, model
1979 – Mike Bishai, Canadian ice hockey player

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Famous Deaths

1944 – Jessie Ralph, actress (Good Earth, San Francisco), dies at 79
1960 – Boris Pasternak, Russian poet and novelist (Doctor Zhivago) (Nobel Prize 1958), dies at 70
1971 – Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer, dies at 85
1972 – Margaret Ruthven Lang, composer, dies at 104
1996 – Leon-Etienne Duval, French prelate and cardinal of the Catholic Church in Algeria, dies at 92
1997 – West Arkeen, American musician, best known for co-writing several Guns N’ Roses songs (It’s So Easy, The Garden), dies of a drug overdose at 36

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Historical Events

1176 – Battle at Legnano: Lombard League beats Frederick Barbarossa and the Holy Roman Empire
1979 – Bishop Abel Muzorewa is sworn in as Zimbabwe’s 1st black PM
1982 – 1st papal visit to Britain since 1531
1982 – “I Know What Boys Like” by The Waitresses hits #62
1990 – Dow Jones average hits a record 2,870.49
2012 – Facebook’s problematic public listing could cost those involved $115 million from technical glitches

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Famous Birthdays

1823 – John H. Balsley, American carpenter (d. 1895)
1929 – Anthony Grant, British MP
1937 – Charles W. Pickering, American judge
1941 – Bob Simon, American TV correspondent (CBS, 60 Minutes), born in the Bronx, New York (d. 2015)
1955 – John Hinckley Jr., American man who attempted to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan in 1981, born in Ardmore, Oklahoma
1973 – Malcolm Allen, Australian swimmer (1995 World C’ships gold 4x200m freestyle relay), born in Wauchope, NSW

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Famous Deaths

1500 – Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer (1st European to round Cape of Good Hope), drowns at 48 or 49
1788 – Jacques Aliamet, French etcher/engraver, dies at 61
1877 – John Lothrop Motley, American historian and author (The Rise of the Dutch Republic), dies at 63
1885 – Alfred von Meissner, Austria physician/writer (Ziska), dies at 63
1985 – Madge West, American actress (McLean Stevenson Show), dies at 93
1994 – Erich Honecker, German politician, Head of State of East Germany (1971-89), dies in Chile at 81

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