Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1782 – British garrison in Menorca surrenders to French and Spanish fleet as part of the American Revolutionary War
1932 – American speed skater Jack Shea wins the 1,500m at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics; clinches sprint double after also taking out the 500m
1966 – BBC opens a relay radio station on Ascension Island
1989 – Kareem Abdul-Jabar becomes 1st NBA player to score 38,000 points
1997 – Brook Lee from Hawaii, crowned 46th Miss USA (en route to Miss Universe)
2008 – A major tornado outbreak across the Southern United States leaves at least 58 dead, the most since the May 31, 1985 outbreak that killed 88.

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Famous Birthdays

1856 – Otto Brahm, German critic/founder (Neue Deutsche Rundschau)
1948 – Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish football manager and player, born in Sunne, Sweden
1950 – Ann Sexton, American vocalist (You’re Gone too Long), born in Greenville, South Carolina
1976 – Brian Moorman, American football player, born in Wichita, Kansas
1980 – Brad Fitzpatrick, American programmer, born in Iowa, United States
1987 – Darren Criss, American actor and singer-songwriter (Glee, The Assassination of Gianni Versace), born in San Francisco, California

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Famous Deaths

1937 – Lou [Andreas-]Salome, Russian/German author (Eroticism), dies at 75
1981 – Ella Grasso, Governor of Connecticut (b. 1919)
1983 – Derk Roemers, Dutch union leader/politician (soc dem), dies at 67
1998 – Timothy “Tim” Kelly, American guitarist (Slaughter), dies in a car accident at 35
1999 – Neville Bonner, the first Indigenous Australian to become a member of the Parliament of Australia, dies at 76
2004 – John Hench, American animator (b. 1908)

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Historical Events

1903 – Stanley Cup: Montreal AAA beat Winn Victorias, 2 games to 1 and 1 tie
1939 – Glenn Cunningham (top miler) says 4-min mile beyond human effort
1948 – After winning the men’s downhill, French alpine skier Henri Oreiller takes the combined gold medal at the St. Moritz Winter Olympics; becomes most successful athlete at these Games with a slalom bronze
1979 – “Co-Ed Fever,” TV Comedy, debut and cancelled that outing on CBS
2001 – NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 38-17; MVP: Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders, QB
2014 – Same-sex marriage is legalized in Scotland

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Famous Birthdays

1494 – Francois Rabelais, French satirist (Gargantua and Pantagruel), born in La Devinière, Touraine, Kingdom of France (d. 1553)
1549 – Eustache du Caurroy, composer
1688 – Pierre De Marivaux, writer (Marianne), born in Paris, France
1881 – Fernand Léger, French painter (d. 1955)
1969 – Duncan Coutts, Canadian bassist (Our Lady Peace)
1969 – Joe Sacco, Medford, NHL right wing (Anaheim Mighty Ducks), born in Medford, Massachusetts

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Famous Deaths

1222 – Willem I, earl of Holland (1203-22), dies
1774 – Charles Marie de La Condamine, French mathematician and geographer (b. 1701)
1943 – Frank Calder, 1st NHL president, dies
1994 – Han Jansen, Dutch painter, dies at 62
2009 – Lux Interior, Frontman of the garage rock band The Cramps (b. 1946)
2018 – John Mahoney, British-born American actor (Fraiser, Frantic, 8 Men Out), dies of throat cancer at 77

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Historical Events

1377 – Mass execution of population (between 2,500 and 5,000) of Cesena, Italy, by Breton troops of Giovanni Acuto under the command of Robert, Cardinal of Geneva, acting as the legate of Pope Gregory XI
1900 – Gubernatorial candidate William Goebel is assassinated in Frankfort, Kentucky
1916 – Tristan Tzara publishes the Dada manifesto in Zurich, Switzerland
1933 – Marinus van der Lubbe departs to Berlin
1933 – German Minister Hermann Goering bans social-democratic newspaper Vorwarts
2018 – Moscow has its heaviest snowfall in a day on record, killing one and bringing down 2,000 trees

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Famous Birthdays

1338 – Jeanne de Bourbon, wife of Charles V of France (d. 1378)
1811 – Horace Greeley, editor (“Go west, young man”)
1891 – Peter H “Paul” Huf, actor and director (Great Neth Stage)
1904 – Roger Makins, diplomat
1960 – B J Jefferson, American actress (Ronnie Laurance-Another World), born in Dallas Texas
1978 – Adrian R’Mante, American actor (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody), born in Tampa, Florida

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Famous Deaths

1116 – King Coloman of Hungary (b. 1070)
1961 – Viscount Dunrossil, Gov-Gen of Australia (1959-61), dies at 67
1969 – C. N. Annadurai, Indian politician and 1st Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, dies of cancer at 59
2005 – Ernst Mayr, German-American biologist (evolutionary theory), dies at 100
2008 – Douglas Fraser, Scottish pilot (b. 1916)
2012 – Christopher Samuel Youd, British sci-fi writer, dies at 89

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Historical Events

1349 – By this date at least 200 people a day were being buried in London as a result of the Black Death
1802 – 1st leopard exhibited in US, Boston (admission 25 cents)
1829 – Madman Jonathan Martin sets York Cathedral on fire, does £60,000 damage
1927 – Harry Tierney/Joseph McCarthy’s “Rio Rita” premieres in NYC
1952 – Hubert de Givenchy presents his first collection in Paris with Bettina Graziani opening the show
1955 – 1st presidential news conference on network TV-Eisenhower on ABC

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Famous Birthdays

1925 – Michel Philippot, French composer and musicologist, born in Verzy, France (d. 1996)
1929 – Reiner Bredemeyer, composer
1932 – Robert Mandan, American actor best known for his role as Chester Tate in US sitcom “Soap”, born in Clever, Missouri (d. 2018)
1942 – Barry Diller, founder (Fox-TV)
1954 – Ina Garten, American author and TV cooking show host (Barefoot Contessa, Food Network), born in Brooklyn, New York
1966 – Andrei Chesnokov, Russian tennis star

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Famous Deaths

1512 – Hatüey, Taíno chief known as Cuba’s First National Hero, is burned alive by Spanish colonialists
1660 – Gaston, Duke of Orleans, brother of French King Louis XIII, dies at 51
1867 – Forceythe Willson, American poet (The Old Sergeant), dies at 29
1941 – Johannes Schlaf, German writer and translator, dies at 78
1952 – Johann Babtist Thaller, German composer, dies at 79
1969 – Giovanni Martinelli, opera singer (NY Met), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1662 – Dutch garrison on Formosa surrenders to Chinese pirates
1954 – Scapino Ballet Studio in Amsterdam destroyed by fire
1960 – Australian Championships Men’s Tennis: In a classic all-Australian final Rod Laver beats Neale Fraser 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 8-6; Laver’s first Grand Slam title win
1965 – Former world heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson beats Canadian George Chuvalo by unanimous decision in a 12-round non-title clash at New York’s Madison Square Garden; ‘The Ring’ names bout Fight of the Year.
1980 – “Call Me” single released by Blondie (Billboard Song of the Year 1980)
1993 – NY Judge Sol Wachtler indicted for harassing Joy Silverman

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Famous Birthdays

1761 – Christian Hendrik Persoon, South African mycologist (d. 1836)
1791 – Charles J Sax, Belgian music instrument builder
1807 – William Bowen Campbell, American politician and Civil War Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Sumner County, Tennessee (d. 1867)
1906 – Hildegarde, Adell Wisc, night club vocalist (I’ll Be Seeing You)
1968 – Mark Recchi, Canadian NHL right wing (Montreal Canadiens), born in Kamloops, Canada
1972 – Richard Becker, American baseball outfielder (Minnesota Twins), born in Aurora, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1902 – Salomon Jadassohn, German pianist and composer, dies at 70
1958 – Clinton Joseph Davisson, dies
1966 – Nicholas Piantanida, sets balloon flight record and dies in descent
1987 – Alessandro Blasetti, Italian film director (b. 1900)
1997 – Herb Caen, American columnist (SF Chronicle), dies of lung cancer, at 80
2005 – George Douglass Milne, British peer, soldier and artist dies at 95

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Historical Events

1893 – “Westminster Gazette” begins publishing
1934 – FDR devalues US dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce
1961 – NATO secretary-general Paul-Henri Spaak says he’ll resign
1972 – Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev becomes 11th King of Nepal
1978 – “Elvis: The Legend Lives!” opens at Palace Theater NYC for 101 performances
2000 – Alaska Airlines flight 261 MD-83, experiencing horizontal stabilizer problems, crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Mugu, California, killing all 88 persons aboard.

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Famous Birthdays

1901 – Blaž Arnič, Slovenian composer, born near Mount Raduha, Austria-Hungary (d. 1970)
1915 – Garry Moore, [Thomas Garrison Morfit], Balt, host (I’ve Got a Secret)
1915 – Bobby Hackett, American jazz cornetist and orchestra leader (Air time ’57), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 1976)
1964 – Jeff Hanneman, American musician (Slayer), born in Oakland, California (d. 2013)
1968 – Michael Sinclair, American football defensive end (Seattle Seahawks), born in Galveston, Texas
1974 – Bob Mulder, Dutch football player (Appingedam, FC Groningen), born in Delfzijl, Netherlands

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Famous Deaths

1398 – Emperor Sukō (b. 1334)
1942 – Henry Larkin, American baseball player (b. 1860)
1967 – Eddie Tolan, American sprinter the “Midnight Express” (1932 Olympics), dies at 58
1970 – Slim Harpo [James Moore], American blues musician (I’m a King Bee, Baby Scratch My Back), dies of a heart attack at 46
1974 – Paul Haesaerts, Flemish architect/painter (Flandre), dies at 72
2007 – Lee Bergere, American actor (Star Trek, Soap, Dynasty), dies at 82

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Historical Events

1804 – Scottish explorer Mungo Park leaves England seeking source of Niger River
1858 – Charles Halle founds Halle Orchestra in Manchester, England
1933 – Grimmett takes 7-86 for SA in Qld 2nd inn, 13-135 for match
1945 – “Wilhelm Gustloff” torpedoed off Danzig by Soviet sub-c 9,400 die
1961 – Bobby Darin is youngest performer to headline a TV special on NBC
1962 – UN General Assembly censures Portugal over Angola

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Famous Birthdays

1915 – Pierre Wissmer, Swiss composer/theory (Capitaine Bruno)
1922 – Pal Jardanyi, composer
1928 – Harold Prince, US producer/director (West Side Story, Evita)
1931 – John Crosbie, Canadian politician
1943 – Sandy Deane, American rocker (Jay and the Americans), born in Brooklyn, New York
1981 – Dimitar Berbatov, Bulgarian footballer, born in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

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Famous Deaths

1384 – Louis II, Count of Flanders, dies at 53
1881 – Jaak Nikolaas Lemmens, Flemish composer, dies at 58
1975 – Boris Blacher, German composer (Purloined Letter), dies at 72
2005 – Martyn Bennet, Canadian musician (b. 1971)
2015 – Ezra Sims, American composer of microtonal music, dies at 88
2015 – Carl Djerassi, Austrian-born American chemist and father of the contraceptive pill, dies at 91

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Historical Events

1802 – First celebration of Burns night, in honor of poet Robert Burns’s birthday by The Mother Club in Greenock (later realized his actual birthday 25th January)
1943 – New Zealand cruiser Kiwi collides with Japanese submarine I-1 at Guadalcanal
1951 – “Where’s Charley?” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 56 performances
1966 – Neil Simons, Coleman and Fields’ musical “Sweet Charity” premieres
1989 – Game-winning RBI, official statistic dropped after 9 years of use NY Mets Keith Hernandez is the all-time leader with 129
1991 – Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi meet after 28 years

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Famous Birthdays

1900 – Marco Tajcevic, composer
1908 – Adam Clayton Powell, (Rep-D-NY, 1945-70)
1926 – Abdus Salam, theoretical physicist
1964 – Andre Reed, NFL wide receiver (Buffalo Bills)
1973 – Jason Schmidt, Lewiston ID, pitcher (Atlanta Braves)
1975 – Hendrik Dreekmann, German tennis star

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Famous Deaths

1824 – Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, Countess of Albany, dies at 71
1995 – Richard Burnell, British rower (Olympic gold 1948), dies at 77
1995 – Chris de Marigny, painter/designer, dies at 52
2002 – Harold Russell, Canadian actor (Best Years of Our Life, Dogtown), dies from a heart attack at 88
2004 – Otto Wilhelm Fischer, Austrian actor (Helden, Ich suche dich), dies of kidney disease at 88
2007 – Barbaro, American thoroughbred racehorse (b. 2003)

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Historical Events

1945 – Dutch airplanes dump pamphlets on Java
1952 – Australian Championships Men’s Tennis: Ken McGregor wins his first and only Grand Slam event; upsets fellow Australian Frank Sedgman 7-5, 12-10, 2-6, 6-2
1958 – Construction began on 1st private thorium-uranium nuclear reactor
1980 – 37th Golden Globes: “Kramer vs. Kramer”, Dustin Hoffman and Sally Field win
1984 – Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record point scoring streak ends at 51 games when Oilers beaten 4-2 by LA Kings; Gretzky totals 61-92-153 during the period
1984 – 41st Golden Globes: Terms of Endearment, Tom Courtenay, Robert Duvall, and Shirley MacLaine win

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Famous Birthdays

1918 – Wilson Ferreira Aldunate, Uruguayan politician/human rights worker
1927 – Anthony Garner, director (Conservative Central Office)
1963 – Danny Spitz, heavy metal guitarist (Anthrax-Protest and Survive)
1964 – Dwight Stone, NFL receiver/running back (Car Panthers, GB Packers)
1974 – Zack Bronson, safety (San Francisco 49ers)
1975 – David Zingler, American writer

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Famous Deaths

1547 – Henry VIII, King of England (1509-47), dies at 55
1817 – Friedrich Ludwig Æmilius Kunzen, German composer, dies at 55
1908 – Sidney Paget, British illustrator (Sherlock Holmes), dies at 47
1950 – Nikolai Luzin, Russian mathematician, dies at 66
1972 – Dino Buzzati, Italian writer (The Tartar Steppe), dies at 67
2015 – Louise Lopez, American singer (Odyssey), dies at 81

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Historical Events

1896 – Tasmania bowl out Victoria for 65 for their 1st ever innings victory
1934 – Australian Championships Men’s Tennis: Englishman Fred Perry wins his only Australian title; beats Jack Crawford of Australia 6-3, 7-5, 6-1
1939 – First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning
1982 – Los Angeles Kings set an NHL record with their 6th consecutive tied game, a 4-4 deadlock against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers
1996 – 15 day old conjoined twins separate:Sarah Morales survives, Sarahi dies
2013 – 20 police officers have been killed in a series of bomb attacks in Kandahar, Afghanistan

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Famous Birthdays

1805 – Maria Anna of Bavaria, queen consort of Saxony (d. 1877)
1868 – Cato Engelen-Sewing, Dutch soprano prima donna (Dutch Opera), born in Amsterdam (d. 1961)
1920 – Helmut Zacharias, German violinist (d. 2002)
1928 – Hans Modrow, a German politician, premier of East Germany
1931 – Mordecai Richler, Montreal author, (Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz)
1944 – Kevin Coyne, English musician, born in Derby (d. 2004)

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Famous Deaths

1629 – Hieronymus Praetorius, composer, dies at 68
1901 – Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer (Rigoletto, La Traviata), dies at 77
1994 – Eddie Calhoun, American jazz bassist, dies at 72
1995 – Halsey S Colchester, British SAS/MI6-spy/priest, dies at 76
1996 – Tommy Mitchell, cricket (Derbyshire leg-spin, 5 Tests for Eng), dies
2006 – Johannes Rau, 8th President of Germany (b. 1931)

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