Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1861 – Riot occurs between prosecessionist and Union supporters in Knoxville TN
1864 – Skirmish at Port Walthall Junction, Virginia (Drewry’s Bluff)
1885 – John E W Thompson named US minister to Haiti
1956 – Battle at Oran, Algeria, kills 300
2007 – Ehud Netzer of Hebrew University announces he has discovered the tomb of Herod the Great at Herodium, West Bank
2018 – Iran-Contra figure Oliver North announced as the new President of the US National Rifle Association

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Famous Birthdays

1826 – Varina Howell Davis, First Lady of the Confederate States (1862-65), born in Natchez, Mississippi (d. 1906)
1931 – Nel Ginjaar-Maas, Dutch under-secretary of Education (VVD), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2012)
1945 – Wim A. Mateman, Dutch politician (CDA), born in Aalten, Netherlands
1945 – Christy Moore, Irish folk singer and songwriter, born in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland
1973 – Paolo Savoldelli, Italian cyclist
1978 – Brian Clevinger, American author

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Famous Deaths

1736 – John Weldon, composer, dies at 60
1887 – C. F. W. Walther, American Lutheran theologian (b. 1811)
1929 – Joseph “Top Toad” Giunta, US gangster, murdered by Al Capone
2007 – Yahweh ben Yahweh, American cult leader (b. 1935)
2007 – Octavian Paler, Romanian writer and journalist (b. 1926)
2018 – Tore Torell, Norwegian magician, dies of cancer at 76

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Historical Events

1909 – Indian nationalist Sri Aurobindo acquitted in the Alipore Bomb Case in Calcutta, India
1935 – Pulitzer prize awarded to Audrey Wurdemann (Bright Ambush)
1961 – 87th Kentucky Derby: John Sellers aboard Carry Back wins in 2:04
1986 – France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll
1994 – Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait sets fire to the couch on Tonight Show
2013 – 10 people are killed and 26 people are injured after a wave of attacks across Iraq

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Famous Birthdays

1501 – Marcellus II [Marcello Cervini], Italian humanist and Pope (1555, 22 days), born in Montefano, Marche, Papal States (d. 1555)
1895 – Fidél Pálffy, Hungarian Nazi (d. 1946)
1922 – Alan Ross, editor (London Magazine)
1926 – Gilles Grégoire, Quebec politician, co-founder of the Parti Québécois (d. 2006)
1939 – Anthony Blacker, master-general of Ordnance
1969 – Mark Thomas, NFL defensive end (Carolina Panthers, Packers, Bears)

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Famous Deaths

1124 – Balak, Emir of Aleppo, murdered
1540 – Jean Luis Vives, Spanish theory/humanist/reformer, dies at 48
1814 – George Joseph Vogler, composer, dies at 64
1841 – John Thomson, composer, dies at 35
1994 – Moses Rosen, Chief Rabbi of Romania (1948-94), dies at 81
2014 – Jimmy Ellis, American boxer and WBA heavyweight champion, dies from dementia at 74

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Historical Events

1862 – French army intervenes in Puebla, Mexico: Cinco de Mayo
1864 – Atlanta Campaign: 5 days fighting begins at Rocky Face Ridge
1920 – Polish troops occupy Kiev
1930 – Amy Johnson takes off – first woman to fly solo from England to Australia
1941 – Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Addis Ababa
1987 – Detroit Tigers are 11 games back in AL, but go on to win AL East

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Famous Birthdays

1900 – Mervyn A. Ellison, British astronomer (spectrohelioscope), born in Fethard-on-Sea, County Wexford, Ireland (d. 1963)
1903 – James Beard, American culinary expert and author (Delights and Prejudices), born in Portland, Oregon (d. 1985)
1904 – Gordon Richards, British jockey (winner of 4,870 races), born in Donnington Wood, Telford (d. 1986)
1905 – Arnold Meijer, Dutch leader of fascist Dutch National and Black Front, born in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands (d. 1965)
1905 – Robert Houben, Belgian politician (Minister of Public health 1958), born in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (d. 1992)
1966 – Mike Stapleton, Canadian NHL center (Winnipeg Jets), born in Sarnia, Ontario

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Famous Deaths

1766 – Jean Astruc, French physician and scholar (b. 1684)
1931 – Glen Kidston, British aviator and racing driver (b. 1899)
1956 – Karel Rudolph Gallas, Dutch lexicographer (French Dictionary), dies at 88
1985 – Sir Donald Bailey, British civil engineer (b. 1901)
1993 – Irving Howe, American writer and critic (Dissent), dies at 72
2004 – Ritsuko Okazaki, Japanese singer-songwriter (Kanashii Jiyū / Koi ga, Kiete Yuku), dies at 44

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Historical Events

1922 – KNX-AM in Los Angeles CA begins radio transmissions
1927 – Nicaragua agrees to a US supervised presidential election in 1928
1945 – German forces in Bavaria surrender unconditionally to American commander Jacob L. Devers
1949 – Air crash at Turin, 31 killed including Torino soccer team
1978 – Russian leader Brezhnev visits West-Germany
2012 – 14 decapitated bodies and 9 hung from a bridge are found in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico

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Famous Birthdays

1870 – Alexandre Benois, Russian artist, born in St Petersburg, Russia (d. 1960)
1929 – Sydney M. Lamb, American linguist (Stratificational grammar), born in Denver, Colorado
1965 – Adrie Bogers, Dutch soccer player (Willem II), born in Breda, Netherlands
1971 – Luiz Garcia Jr., Brazilian racing driver, born in Brasilia, Brazil
1977 – Emily Perkins, Canadian actress (Hiccups), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
1985 – Ravi Bopara, English cricketer, born in Forest Gate, London

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Famous Deaths

1884 – Maria Anna of Savoy, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, dies at 80
1938 – Carl von Ossietzky, German pacifist and writer (Nobel Peace Prize 1935), dies at 48
1996 – Stanley William Reed, cineaste, dies at 85
1997 – Alvin “Alvy” Moore, American comic actor (Green Acres, Scream, Intruder), dies of heart failure at 75
2011 – Sada Thompson, American actress (Family, Pursuit of Happiness), dies at 83
2012 – MCA [Adam Yauch], Beastie Boys vocalist, dies from cancer at 47

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Historical Events

1943 – US 1st armour division occupies Mateur Tunisia
1943 – Strike against obligatory labor camps ends, after 200 killed
1944 – “Meet Me in St Louis” opens on Broadway
1960 – Musical “Fantasticks” by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, premieres in NYC (world’s longest running musical)
1965 – Cambodia drops diplomatic relations with the US
1997 – 42nd Eurovision Song Contest: Katrina and the Waves for United Kingdom wins singing “Love Shine a Light” in Dublin

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Famous Birthdays

1913 – Earl Blackwell, American society impresario (Celebrity Register), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1995)
1916 – Pierre Emmanuel [Noël Mathieu], French poet (Sodome), born in Gan, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France (d. 1984)
1942 – Věra Čáslavská, Czech gymnast (7 Olympic gold 1964, 68), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 2016)
1949 – Ron Wyden, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon (1981-96), born in Wichita, Kansas
1960 – Amy Steel, American actress (April Fool’s Day), born in Pennsylvania
1971 – James Roberson, American football defensive end (Rhein Fire), born in Bartow, Florida

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Famous Deaths

1758 – Benedict XIV, [Prospero L Lambertini], Pope (1740-58), dies at 83
1863 – Elisha Franklin “Bull” Paxton, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 35
1893 – Josef Rudolf Zavrtal, composer, dies at 73
1921 – Théodore Pilette, Belgian racing driver, dies at 36
1991 – Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer and composer (b. 1907)
2008 – Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, Spanish former Primer Minister (b. 1926)

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Historical Events

1808 – Uprising against French occupation begins in Madrid
1928 – KPQ-AM in Wenatchee WA begins radio transmissions
1936 – 62nd Kentucky Derby: Ira Hanford aboard Bold Venture wins in 2:03.6
1980 – Joseph Doherty and 3 other IRA men arrested for murder
1993 – “5 Guys Named Moe” closes at Eugene O’Neill Theater NYC after 445 performances
2013 – 100 people are killed by the Syrian Army in a raid on al-Bayda, Baniyas

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Famous Birthdays

1768 – Jean-Louis-Marc Alibert, French dermatologist, born in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aveyron, France (d. 1837)
1901 – Willi Bredel, German writer, born in Hamburg (d. 1964)
1915 – Margaret “Peggy” Mount, British actress (Oliver!, Panic in the Parlor), born in Southend-On-Sea, Essex, England (d. 2001)
1945 – Bianca Jagger, Nicaraguan model and socialite who married Mike Jagger, born in Managua, Nicaragua
1945 – Judge Dread, English reggae musician, born in Kent, England (d. 1998)
1986 – James Kirk, Canadian actor (She’s the Man), born in Vancouver, British Columbia

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Famous Deaths

373 – Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria (b. 298)
1937 – Arthur Somervell, English composer, dies at 73
1945 – Joe Corbett, American baseball player, dies at 69
1963 – Tomas Vackar, composer, dies at 17
1969 – Franz JHMM von Papen, German chancellor (1932), dies at 89
2018 – Wang Danfeng, Chinese actress, dies at 93

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Historical Events

1863 – Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled first opens its doors
1884 – Catcher Moses Walker is acknowledged as the first African-American to play major league baseball joining the Toledo Blue Stockings
1944 – Surprise attack on Weteringschans Amsterdam, fails
1963 – Gloria Steinem’s expose on Playboy bunny working conditions published in “Show” magazine
1991 – West Indian batsman Gordon Greenidge plays his last Test innings, scoring 43 vs Australia in Antigua
2017 – Billy Corgan agrees to purchase the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)

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Famous Birthdays

1545 – Franciscus Junius, French-Dutch calvinist theologist and vicar, born in Bourges, France (d. 1602)
1942 – Jean Saubert, American alpine ski racer (Giant Slalom silver, Slalom bronze medal 1964 Olympics), born in Roseburg, Oregon (d. 2007)
1946 – Nick Fortuna, American rock bassist (The Buckinghams), born in Chicago, Illinois
1955 – Nick Feldman, English musician
1971 – Ethan Albright, NFL long snapper (Pro Bowl 2007), born in Greensboro, North Carolina
1985 – Drew Sidora, American actress

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Famous Deaths

1965 – Spike Jones [Lindley Armstrong Jones], American bandleader (Der Fueher’s Face, Cocktails For Two), dies from emphysema at 53
1968 – Jack Adams, Canadian NHL center, coach and general manager (Hockey Hall of Fame), dies at 73
1981 – Clarence A Bacote, historian/political scientist, dies at 75
1984 – Gordon Jenkins, orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour), dies at 73
1992 – Sharon Redd, American house music and urban contemporary singer (b. 1945)
2010 – Rob McConnell, Canadian jazz composer/arranger and valve trombonist (b. 1935)

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Historical Events

1748 – Ceasefire at Aken ends
1857 – San Jose State University forms
1907 – Honolulu, Hawaii becomes an independent city.
1919 – Phillies beat Brooklyn Dodgers 9-0 in 20 innings
1980 – Terrorists seize Iranian Embassy in London
1984 – Strong winds cause a 30 min delay in Toronto Blue Jays game

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Famous Birthdays

1883 – David John de Lloyd, composer
1941 – Johnny Farina, rocker (Santo and Johnny)
1946 – Karl XVI Gustav F H, King of Sweden (1973- )
1959 – W. Thomas Smith, Jr, American author and columnist
1959 – Kamaran Abdalla, Iraq/Engl/Neth actor (Goede Tijden Selechte Tijden)
1983 – Troy Williamson, American football player

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Famous Deaths

1439 – Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, English military leader (b. 1382)
1696 – Robert Plot, English naturalist, dies at 55
1943 – Beatrice Potter Webb, British sociologist, economist ( founded London School of Economics) and writer (My Apprenticeship), dies at 85
1989 – Yi, Bang-ja, Crown Princess of Korea (b. 1901)
1996 – David Michael Ifshin, British political campaign organiser, dies at 46
2017 – Ueli Steck, Swiss mountain climber, dies in a climbing accident in Nepal at 40

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Historical Events

1784 – Premiere of Mozart’s Sonata in B flat, K454 (Vienna)
1813 – Ist US Rubber patent granted to Jacob F Hummel
1910 – Ex-US President Theodore Roosevelt visits Amsterdam
1961 – ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” debuts
1963 – LPGA Titleholders Championship, Augusta CC: Marilynn Smith beats Mickey Wright by 1 shot in 18-hole playoff
1976 – Minister Irene Vorrink begins fluoridating Dutch drinking water

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Famous Birthdays

1907 – Tino Rossi, Ajaccio France, singer (Deux Amours, Marlene)
1922 – Parren J Mitchell, (Rep-D-MD, 1971- )
1950 – Debbie Stabenow, American politician
1960 – Joseph Guzaldo, actor (Stir Crazy), born in Chicago, Illinois
1968 – Browning Nagle, NFL quarterback (NY Jets, Atlanta Falcons)
1977 – Claus Jensen, Danish footballer

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Famous Deaths

1743 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French writer (b. 1658)
1813 – Christian Danner, German violinist and composer, dies at 55
1905 – Ignatio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (Danzas Cubanas), dies at 57
1936 – Florentinus M Wibaut, Amsterdam social alderman, dies at 76
1979 – Julia Perry, American composer (Soul Symphony), dies at 55
2010 – Johannes Fritsch, German composer, dies at 68

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Historical Events

1788 – Maryland becomes 7th state to ratify US constitution
1923 – Wembley Stadium opens – Bolton Wanderers vs West Ham United (FA Cup)
1961 – Lt Col Gueorgui Mossolov takes E-66A to 34,714 m altitude
1994 – Freddy Thielemans sworn in as Mayor of Brussels, Belgium
2018 – Indian government announces electricity has now reached every Indian village
2018 – World’s largest child sacrifice, 140 remains uncovered by archaeologists near Trujillo, Peru, dating back 550 years to Chimú civilisation

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Famous Birthdays

1753 – Franz K Achard, German physicist and chemist, born in Berlin (d. 1821)
1757 – Claus Nielsen Schali, Danish violinist and composer, born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1835)
1942 – Mike Brearley, English cricketer (outstanding England captain 1977-81), born in Harrow, Middlesex, England
1948 – Terry Pratchett, English author of fantasy novels (Discworld), born in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire (d. 2015)
1953 – Julie Cole, LPGA golfer
1974 – Sergei Stas, NHL defenseman (Team Belarus, Olympics 1998)

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Famous Deaths

1498 – Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, English politician
1978 – Mohammed Daoud Khan, 1st President of Afghanistan (1973-78) and Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1953-63), dies at 68
1989 – Olaff J de Landell [JB van Sparwoude], Dutch writer, dies at 77
1997 – Ann Lane Petry, American journalist and author (Street), dies at 88
2007 – Robert “Dabbs” Greer, American actor (Gunsmoke, The Green Mile, Little House on Prairie), dies of a kidney and heart ailment at 90
2016 – Jenny Diski, English writer (Stranger on a Train), dies of cancer at 68

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