Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1853 – Franklin Pierce, the President-elect of the United States at the time, and his family are involved in a train wreck in Massachusetts
1893 – Great Northern Railway connects Seattle with east coast
1925 – Mussolini forms a cabinet composed entirely of Fascists in Italy
1947 – Pan American Airlines offers a round-the-world-ticket, the first commercial airline to do so
1965 – Geoff Boycott takes 3-47 against South Africa, his best Test bowling
1972 – US female Figure Skating championship won by Janet Lynn

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Famous Birthdays

1903 – Boris Blacher, German composer (Orchester-Ornament), born in Yingkou, China (d. 1975)
1903 – Stanley Smith, American actor (Honey, King of Jazz, Soup to Nuts), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1974)
1934 – Harry M. Miller, Australian entrepreneur, born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2018)
1963 – Paul Brindley, English pop bassist (Sundays, Can’t Be Sure)
1965 – Tim McDonald, NFL player (SF 49ers), born in Fresno, California
1969 – Nick A’Hern, Australian 20k walker (Olympics 22-92, 96), born in Swansea, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1922 – Jakob Rosanes, German mathematician (algebraic geometry and invariant theory), dies at 79
1928 – Alvin Kraenzlein, American track and field athlete (4 Olympic gold 1900), dies at 51
1960 – Erik Lindahl, Swedish economist (Scope and Means), dies at 68
1960 – Edith Barstow, American choreographer (Frankie Laine Time, The Gem of the Ocean), dies at 54
1967 – Arnhem “Tata” Joseph Weiss, “the Zigeunerbaron,” buried
1981 – A. J. Cronin, Scottish writer (Citadel, Shining Victory), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1638 – Petition in Recife Brazil leads to closing of their 2 synagogues
1905 – Charles Perrine announces discovery of Jupiter’s 7th satellite, Elara
1946 – “Show Boat” opens at Ziegfeld Theater NYC for 417 performances
1972 – Largest crowd at Cleveland Arena (Cavs vs Lakers-11,178)
1976 – “MacNeil-Lehrer Report” premieres on PBS
1997 – “Show Boat” closes at Gershwin Theater NYC

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Famous Birthdays

1858 – Gustaf af Geijerstam, Swedish author (Boken om Lillebror), born in Hed socken (d. 1909)
1936 – Florence King, American humorist, born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2016)
1940 – Michael Rose, British army officer, born in British India
1957 – Kevin Hastings, Australian rugby league footballer, born in Surry Hills, Australia
1967 – J. H. Wyman, American film producer and director (Almost Human), born in Oakland, California
1969 – Paul McGillion, Scottish actor, born in Paisley, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1589 – Catherine de’ Medici, Queen mother of France, dies at 69
1796 – Samuel Huntington, American politician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, dies at 64
1891 – Guillaume L Baud, Dutch minister of Colonies (1848-49), dies at 89
1971 – Columbus O’Donnell Iselin, American oceanographer, dies at 66
1981 – Harold C Urey, US chemist (Deuterium, Nobel 1934), dies at 87
1998 – Georgi Sviridov, Soviet neoromantic composer, dies of a heart attack at 82

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Historical Events

1893 – US President Cleveland grants amnesty to Mormon polygamy
1966 – WFLD TV channel 32 in Chicago, IL (IND) begins broadcasting
1967 – Donald Campbell is killed while driving a Bluebird K7, a jet-powered boat, on Coniston Water; Campbell was trying to beat his own speed record
1971 – Dr Melvin H Evans inaugurated as 1st elected governor of Virgin Is
1971 – Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to relatives of Kent State victims
1975 – Montreal Canadiens shutout Washington Capitals 10-0

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Famous Birthdays

1832 – George Tryon, British admiral (d. 1893)
1905 – Sterling Holloway, American actor (The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, The Aristocats, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree), born in Cedartown, Georgia (d. 1992)
1956 – Bernard Sumner [Albrecht], English rock guitarist, vocalist (Joy Division and New Order), born in Salford, England
1957 – Patty Loveless, [Ramey], singer (Blue Side of Town), born in Pikeville, Kentucky
1969 – Lindsay Kennedy, American actor (Jeb-Little House on the Prairie), born in Atlanta, Georgia
1989 – Graham Rahal, American race car driver, born in Columbus, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1944 – Kaj Munk, [Harald Leininger], anti-fascist writer (Kaj Munk), dies
1947 – Forrest Reid, Irish author/critic (Young Tom, Apostate), dies at 71
1960 – Albert Camus, French author (Stranger), dies in an auto accident at 46
1962 – Hans Lammers, German SS officer (b. 1879)
1986 – Christopher Isherwood, English novelist (Lions and Shadows), dies at 81
2011 – Gerry Rafferty, British musician and songwriter (b. 1947)

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Historical Events

1338 – Jacob of Arteveld elected mayor of Ghent
1888 – 1st wax drinking straw patented, by Marvin C Stone in Washington, D.C.
1914 – Kelman/Cushing/Heath’ musical “Sari,” premieres in NYC
1961 – US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba
1985 – Leontyne Price makes her final operatic appearance in a televised performance of “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
1993 – “Christmas Carol” closes at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 22 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1719 – Francisco José Freire, Portuguese historian (d. 1773)
1897 – Pola Negri, [Barbara A Chalupiec], Polish-American stage actress (Madame Dubarry), born in Lipno, Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire (d. 1987)
1923 – Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, Australian actor, pilot and radio announcer, born in Coogee, New South Wales, Australia (d. 2009)
1944 – Blanche d’Alpuget, Australian novelist, biographer and second wife of Bob Hawke
1953 – Angelo Parisi, French heavyweight judo (Olympic gold 1980)
1965 – Mark Dewey, pitcher (SF Giants), born in Grand Rapids Michigan

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Famous Deaths

1670 – George Monck, English general, dies at 61
1923 – Jaroslav Hašek, Czech writer (Good Soldier Schweyk), dies at 39
1974 – Gino Cervi, Italian actor (Les Miserables, Naked Maja), dies at 72
1992 – Judith Anderson, actress (Star Trek 3), dies of pneumonia at 93
1994 – Roel Bazen, Dutch sound technician (Van Kooten and The Bie), dies at 48
2007 – Janos Furst, Hungarian orchestral conductor (b. 1935)

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Historical Events

1831 – Liberator, abolitionist newspaper, begins publishing in Boston
1956 – 42nd Rose Bowl: #2 Michigan State beats #4 UCLA, 17-14
1960 – Roger Sessions’ 4th Symphony, premieres
1969 – “Soviet Sport” calls Emile Zatopek a public enemy
1983 – Ken Anderson of Cincinnati completes record 20 consecutive passes
1994 – “Shakespeare after My Father” closes at Helen Hayes NYC after 266 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1909 – Rene Etiemble, French literature historian (Parlez-vous Franglais)
1912 – Andre Ameller, composer
1940 – S. R. S. Varadhan, Indian-American mathematician
1964 – Christopher John Gray, priest
1967 – Harlon Barnett, NFL safety (Minnesota Vikings)
1971 – Taye Diggs, American actor

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Famous Deaths

1951 – Sir William Campion, Governor of Western Australia (b. 1870)
1981 – David Lynch, singer (Platters-My Prayer), dies at 51
1996 – Thornton Page, astrophysicist, dies at 82
2007 – Sergio Jiménez, Mexican actor (b. 1937)
2007 – Richard Newton, Australian-born technology pioneer and professor (b. 1951)
2012 – Gordon Hirabayashi, civil rights activist and WWII internment opponent dies after Alzheimer’s disease at 93

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Historical Events

1863 – Franz Schubert’s “Missa Solemnis,” premieres in Leipzig
1935 – 1st Orange Bowl: Bucknell beats Miami (FL), 26-0
1954 – Yugoslav parliament chairman/VP Milovan Djilas criticize communism
1971 – 37th Orange Bowl: #3 Nebraska beats #5 LSU, 17-12
1981 – Greece is 10th country to join European Economic Community
1987 – 53rd Orange Bowl: #3 Oklahoma beats #9 Arkansas, 42-8

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Famous Birthdays

1827 – William Lewis “Old Tige” Cabell, Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1883 – Ichirō Hatoyama, Japanese politician, Prime Minister (1954-56), born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 1959)
1915 – Francois Bondy, writer
1937 – Adam Wiśniewski-Snerg, Polish author (d. 1995)
1968 – John de Visser, soccer player (SC Heerenveen)
1989 – Daniel Ricciardo, Australian auto racer (Monte Carlo GP 2018), born in Perth, Western Australia

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Famous Deaths

1944 – Sir Edward Lutyens, British architect who designed New Delhi (b. 1869)
1958 – David Broekman, musican (Think Fast), dies at 55
2006 – Hugh McLaughlin, Irish publisher and inventor (b. 1918)
2007 – Darrent Williams, American football player (b. 1982)
2015 – Donna Douglas, American actress (Elly May Clampett-The Beverly Hillbillies), dies of pancreatic cancer at 82
2016 – Vilmos Zsigmond, Hungarian-born American cinematographer (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1229 – James I of Aragon the Conqueror enters Medina Mayurqa (Palma) consummating Christian conquest of the island of Majorca
1695 – A window tax is imposed in England, causing many shopkeepers to brick up their windows to avoid the tax.
1963 – Dear Abby show premieres on CBS radio (runs 11 years)
1972 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Margaret Court beats Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6-4, 7-5 for her record 11th and final Australian singles crown
1976 – TV soap “Somerset” ends 6 year run
1997 – Marv Levy, retires as coach of Buffalo Bills

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Famous Birthdays

1514 – Andreas Vesalius [Andries van Wesel], Flemish-Netherlandish physician and anatomist (De humani corporis fabrica), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1564)
1881 – Colin G Fink, American chemist (electro chemistry), born in Hoboken, New Jersey
1902 – Lionel Daunais, Quebec singer and composer, born in Montreal, Canada (d. 1982)
1956 – Steve Rude, American comics artist, born in Madison, Wisconsin
1964 – Michael McDonald, American actor-comedian, born in St. Louis, Missouri
1964 – Klari MacAskill, Canadian kayaker (Olympics-5-92, 96), born in Budapest, Hungary

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Famous Deaths

1799 – Jean-François Marmontel, French historian and writer, dies at 76
1864 – George Mifflin Dallas, American politician (11th Vice President of the United States) and United States Minister to Russia, dies at 72
1967 – Arthur Mailey, cricketer (10-66 and Aust v Gloucestershire 1921), dies
1968 – George Louis Francis Lewis, composer, dies at 16
2005 – Enrico di Giuseppe, American tenor, dies at 73
2007 – Milton L. Klein, Canadian politician (b. 1910)

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Historical Events

1813 – Danzig surrenders to allied armies
1873 – American Metrological Society forms (NYC) weights, measures and money
1933 – Jack Badcock scores 274 v Victoria, Tasmania’s 1st double-ton
1944 – King George II of Greece, abdicates his throne, appointing Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens as Regent in 1945
2005 – Tropical Storm Zeta forms in the open Atlantic Ocean, tying the record for the latest tropical cyclone ever to form in the North Atlantic basin
2013 – NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Washington Redskins

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Famous Birthdays

39 – Titus, 10th Roman Emperor (79-81) and conqueror of Jerusalem, born in Rome (d. 81)
1928 – Bo Diddley, [Ellas Bates], Miss, rock `n’ roll pioneer (Bo Diddley)
1953 – Daniel T Barry, PhD/MD/astronaut (STS 72), born in Norwalk, Connecticut
1959 – Josée Verner, French Canadian politician
1978 – Tyrese, American singer and actor
1987 – Jake Cuenca, Filipino actor and commercial model

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Famous Deaths

1894 – Amelia Jenks Bloomer, suffragist (Bloomers named for her), dies at 76
1967 – Vincent Massey, Canadian diplomat, 1st Canadian-born Governor General of Canada (1952-59), dies at 80
1992 – Caesar [Caesar] Domela, painter/son of Ferdinand D Nieuwenhuis, dies
1996 – Robert Grant Ferris, British politician, dies at 89
2000 – Julius J. Epstein, American screenwriter (Casablanca), dies at 91
2010 – Per Oscarsson, Swedish actor (b. 1927)

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Historical Events

1806 – Thomas Dibdin’s pantomime “Harlequin and Mother Goose” starring Joseph Grimaldi, in his most famous clown performance, opens at the Covent Garden Theatre, London
1852 – Emma Snodgrass arrested in Boston for wearing pants
1945 – Montreal right wing Maurice Richard scores twice in Canadiens’ 5-4 loss to Chicago Black Hawks to record his 100th NHL career goal; reaches mark in just 145 games, then fastest in history; since broken by Mike Bossy, 100 goals in 129 games
1972 – “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” film written and directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinki premieres in West Germany
2013 – Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says barrel bombs on Aleppo have killed 517 people since 15th December
2013 – 7-time world F1 motor racing champion Michael Schumacher suffers a serious head injury in a ski accident in the French Alps; his condition still remains unclear

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Famous Birthdays

1856 – Thomas J Stieltjes, Dutch mathematician (Stieltjes integral), born in Zwolle, Netherlands (d. 1894)
1938 – Jon Voight, American actor (Deliverance, Midnight Cowboy), born in Yonkers, New York
1952 – Nikolai Andrianov, Soviet/Russian gymnast (Olympic gold 1972, 76, 80), born in Vladimir, Russia (d. 2011)
1960 – Katerina Didaskalou, Greek actress, born in Athens, Greece
1965 – David Delfino, American hockey goaltender (Team Italy 1998), born in Boston, Massachusetts
1975 – Jaret Wright, American baseball player, born in Anaheim, California

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Famous Deaths

1619 – Antoine Arnauld, French lawyer (Philippica), dies
1910 – Reginald “R.F.” Doherty, British tennis player (4-time Wimbledon champion), dies of neurasthenia at 38
1916 – Grigori Rasputin, Russian monk and confidant of Russian Tsar Nicholas II, assassinated by conservative Russian aristocrats at 45
1929 – Wilhelm Maybach, German automobile designer (b. 1846)
1953 – Violet MacMillan, American Broadway theatre actress(b. 1887)
1984 – Leo Robin, lyricist, dies of heart failure at 84

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Historical Events

1944 – Leonard Bernstein’s musical “On the Town” premieres in NYC
1963 – “Double Dublin” closes at Little Theater NYC after 4 performances
1984 – Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress party wins election in India
1987 – In Arkansas R Gene Simmons kills 2, later bodies of 14 of his relatives are found at his home near Dover Ark
1989 – Earthquake at Newcastle Australia, 11 die
2015 – Japan and South Korea reach agreement over WWII “comfort women”, Japan apologies and pays 1bn yen compensation

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Famous Birthdays

1805 – Tomas Genoves y Lapetra, composer
1921 – Eddy Doorenbos, Dutch vocalist/pianist/guitarist
1922 – Nyron Sultan Asgarali, cricketer (West Indian opening bat 1957)
1931 – Georg “Org” Marais, South African economist/underminister of Finance
1938 – Bruce Yarnell, American actor (Outlaws), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1973)
1982 – Cedric Benson, American football player, born in Midland, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1673 – Joan Blaeu, Dutch cartographer/publisher (Atlas Major), dies at 77
1795 – Eugenio Espejo, Ecuadorian scientist (b. 1747)
1862 – Joaquim Casimiro Junior, composer, dies at 54
1948 – Mahmud Nokrashy Pasha, PM of Egypt (19..-48), assassinated
1959 – Ante Pavelić, Croatian leader of Nazi Germany puppet Independent State of Croatia, dies from wounds received in an attempted assassination two years earlier at 70
2001 – Samuel A. Goldblith, American food scientist (b. 1919)

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