Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1836 – Worst English avalanche kills 8 of 15 buried (Lewes Sussex)
1884 – Netherlands recognizes King Leopold II’s Congo Free State
1972 – Belgium recognizes German DR
1978 – Ballon d’Or: Hamburg’s English forward Kevin Keegan wins his 1st of 2 consecutive trophies as best football player in Europe; beats Barcelona striker Hans Krankl and Anderlecht winger Rob Rensenbrink
1988 – Bulgaria stops jamming Radio Free Europe after more than 3 decades
2002 – Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya.

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Famous Birthdays

1555 – Johann Arndt, German Lutherian theologist
1874 – Max Ettinger, Jewish-German composer (Jiddische Requiem), born in Lwow, Poland (d. 1951)
1917 – Earl of Inchcape, English large landowner/industrialist (PandO)
1962 – Bill Self, American basketball coach
1970 – Mike Salmon, NFL/WLAF safety (Houston Oilers, Rhein Fire, SF 49ers)
1982 – Terji Skibenæs, Faroese guitarist, (Týr)

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Famous Deaths

1858 – Alexandre Pierre Francois Boely, composer, dies at 73
1991 – Edward M Love, choreographer/dancer, dies of AIDS at 43
2002 – George Roy Hill, American film director (b. 1922)
2015 – Stevie Wright, British-born Australian singer with the Easybeats (Friday on my Mind), dies at 68
2015 – Meadowlark Lemmon, American basketball star (Harlem Globetrotters), dies at 83
2015 – Haskell Wexler, American cinematographer and director, dies at 93

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Historical Events

1568 – Uprising of Morisco’s against suppression in Granada
1945 – CFP franc and CFA franc created
1948 – Hungarian cardinal József Mindszenty arrested
1967 – BBC broadcasts “Magical Mystery Tour”
1977 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1997 – The Soufriere Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat explodes, creating a small tsunami offshore.

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Famous Birthdays

1633 – Charles E Biset, Flemish painter, baptised
1853 – René Bazin, French novelist (d. 1932)
1859 – Johan F van Bemmelen, Dutch zoologist
1942 – Vinicio Cerezo, President of Guatemala (1986-91), born in Guatemala City
1968 – Mideon [Dennis Knight], American professional wrestler, born in Clearwater, Florida
1978 – Kaoru Sugayama, Japanese volleyball player, born in Iwanuma, Japan

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Famous Deaths

1530 – Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, Timurid founder and 1st Emperor of the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent (1526-30), dies at 47
1827 – Jan David Holland, composer, dies at 81
1950 – James Stephens, Irish poet (Crock of Gold), dies at 68
1960 – Eduard Ludwig, German architect (Hansa quarter, Berlin), dies at 54
1974 – Jack Benny [Benjamin Kubelski], American comedian (Jack Benny Show), dies of pancreatic cancer at 80
1980 – Tony Smith, American sculptor (b. 1912)

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Historical Events

1599 – The city of Natal, Brazil, is founded.
1621 – Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony (now in Massachusetts) forbids game playing on Christmas
1905 – V Herbert/H Blossoms musical “Mlle Modiste” premieres in NYC
1946 – Constitution accepted in Taiwan
1954 – WSFA TV channel 12 in Montgomery, AL (NBC) begins broadcasting
1973 – The ARPANET crashes when a programming bug causes all ARPANET traffic to be routed through the server at Harvard University, causing the server to freeze.

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Famous Birthdays

1698 – Jacobus Houbraken, Dutch engraver/illustrator
1815 – Temistocle Solera, composer
1915 – Pete Rugolo, bandleader/arranger (Fugitive)
1946 – Gene Lamont, American baseball player and manager
1964 – Anil Kaul, Amritsar India, Canadian badminton player (Olympics 1996)
1971 – Terry Vaughn, CFL receiver (Calgary Stampeders), born in Sumter, South Carolina

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Famous Deaths

820 – Leo V, the Armenian, Byzantine gen/Emperor (813-20), murdered
1758 – James Hervey, English clergyman (b. 1714)
1765 – Antonio Tonelli, composer, dies at 79
1784 – Yosa Buson, Japanese painter (b. 1716)
1848 – Johan Erik Nordblom, Swedish composer, dies at 60
1951 – Harry T Moore, Florida NAACP official, killed by bomb

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Historical Events

1515 – Thomas Wolsey appointed Lord Chancellor of England
1818 – Christmas carol “Silent Night” composed by Franz Xaver Gruber is first sung at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria
1910 – Luisa Tetrazzini sings to 250,000 people at Lotta’s Fountain, San Francisco
1921 – Ottawa’s Harry Broadbent scores in 10-0 Senators blowout of the Montreal Canadiens; first in 16-game NHL record goal-scoring streak; Charlie Simmer’s 13 game streak (1979) is considered modern-day record
1964 – Shooting begins on “The Cage” the pilot for Star Trek
2003 – Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid’s busy Chamartín Station.

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Famous Birthdays

1698 – William Warburton, English writer and Bishop of Gloucester, born in Newark-on-Trent, United Kingdom (d. 1779)
1932 – On Kawara, Japanese conceptual artist, born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan (d. 2014)
1944 – Oswald Gracias, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bombay, born in Bombay Presidency
1965 – Winston Moss, NFL linebacker (Seattle Seahawks), born in Miami, Florida
1968 – Joe Scuderi, Australian cricketer (South Australian all-rounder), born in Ingham, Australia
1986 – Riyo Mori, Japanese actress and model (Miss Universe 2007), born in Shizuoka, Japan

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Famous Deaths

427 – Archbishop Sisinnius I of Constantinople
1548 – Maximilian of Egmond, Dutch count/stadholder of Frisia, dies
1813 – Empress Go-Sakuramachi of Japan (b. 1740)
1972 – Ernst Kreuder, German writer (The Attic Pretenders), dies at 69
1992 – Peyo [Pierre Culliford], Belgian cartoonist (The Smurfs), dies of heart attack at 64
1993 – Alexander Mackendrick, British/US director (Lady Killers), dies at 81

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Historical Events

962 – Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed city of Aleppo, recovering the tattered tunic of John the Baptist
1482 – The Peace of Atrecht (now Arras) concluded between Louis XI of France and Maximilian of Austria, ending the War of the Burgundian Succession
1751 – France sets plan to tax clergymen
1832 – Dutch troops in Antwerp surrender
1940 – John Van Druten’s “Old Acquaintance” premieres in NYC
1962 – Cuba starts returning US prisoners from Bay of Pigs invasion

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Famous Birthdays

1923 – Milt Okun, American music producer and arranger (John Denver, Peter, Paul and Mary), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2016)
1924 – Floyd Kalber, American television journalist and anchorman (NBC Weekend News Anchor-1973), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2004)
1971 – Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite, born in Hampshire (d. 2017)
1974 – Agustín Delgado, Ecuadorian footballer, born in Ambuquí, Ecuador
1977 – Jari Mäenpää, Finnish guitarist and singer, born in Finland
1978 – Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan baseball player, born in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela

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Famous Deaths

1568 – Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England
1744 – Élisabeth Charlotte d’Orléans, Duchess of Lorraine, dies at 68
1946 – John A. Sampson, American gynecologist (b. 1873)
1967 – Ruth Fuller Sasaki, American Zen teacher (1st Zen Institute of America), dies at 75
1984 – Joan Lindsay, Australian author (b. 1896)
2013 – Mikhail Kalashnikov, Russian general and inventor of the AK-47, dies at 94

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Historical Events

1715 – English pretender to the throne James III lands at Peterhead
1890 – Cornwallis Valley Railway begins operation between Kingsport and Kentville, Nova Scotia.
1952 – French government of Pinay, resigns
1956 – “New Faces of 1956” closes at Barrymore Theater NYC after 221 performances
1990 – Israeli ferry capsizes killing 21 US servicemen
1997 – Hunter Tylo awarded $4 million in Melrose Place breach of contract

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Famous Birthdays

1694 – Hermann Samuel Reimarus, German philosopher and writer, born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1768)
1768 – John Crome (Old Crome), English landscape artist, born in Norwich, England (d. 1821)
1896 – Nikolay Semyonovich Tikhonov, Russian poet, born in St Petersburg, Russia
1946 – Rick Nielsen, American rock vocalist/guitarist (Cheap Trick), born in Rockford, Illinois
1967 – Sean Foster, WLAF wide receiver (Rhein Fire)
1969 – Myriam Bédard, Canadian biathlete, born in Loretteville, Quebec City

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Famous Deaths

1337 – Daito Kokushi, leader of O-To-Kan Rinzai school in Japan, dies at 54
1419 – Pope John XXIII [Baldassare Cossa], Italian Pope (1410-15), dies at 81
1788 – Percivall Pott, English physician and surgeon (b. 1714)
1828 – Rachel Jackson, wife of 7th US President Andrew Jackson, dies of heart failure
1939 – Ma Rainey, “Mother of the Blues”, US blues singer/composer, dies at 53
2006 – Elena Mukhina, Russian gymnast (b. 1960)

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Historical Events

1906 – British Parliament pass two important pieces of social legislation: The Trades Disputes Bill, legalizing peaceful picketing, and The Workingmen’s Compensation Act, broadening employers’ liability for accidents
1920 – Jerome Kern/BG DeSylva’s musical “Sally” premieres in NYC
1981 – Cincinnati beats Bradley 75-73 in 7 OTs (NCAA record)
1991 – Soviet Union formally dissolves as 11 of 12 republics sign treaty forming Commonwealth of Independent States
1999 – The Spanish Civil Guard intercepts a van loaded with 950 kg of explosives that ETA intended to use to blow up Torre Picasso in Madrid.
2012 – “Gangnam Style” by Psy becomes the first video to reach one billion views on YouTube

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Famous Birthdays

1874 – Juan Bautista Sacasa, President of Nicaragua (1932-36), born in León, Nicaragua
1926 – Pedro Gonzales-Gonzalez, American actor (Rio Bravo), born in Aguilares, Texas (d. 2006)
1931 – David Baker, American composer (Reflections) and educator, born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2016)
1932 – Edward Hoagland, American essayist, born in New York City, New York
1955 – Kazuyuki Sekiguchi, Japanese musician, born in Agano, Niigata Prefecture
1957 – Lisa Gerritsen, American actress (Bess-The Mary Tyler Moore Show), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1549 – Marguerite of Navarre, Queen of Navarre, wife of Henry II of Navarre, dies at 57
1674 – Rutger van Haersolte, viceroy of Overijsselse, dies at about 66
1907 – Oskar Lassar, German dermatologist (public baths), dies at 58
1948 – Seishiro Itagaki, Japanese General/min of War, hanged
1996 – Margaret E Rey, author of children’s books, dies at 90
2013 – Eli Beeding, American Air Force Captain and rocket test pilot, dies at 85

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Historical Events

1892 – Pneumatic automobile tire patented, Syracuse, NY
1907 – Explosion at Yolande Alabama, coal mine kills 91
1912 – Paul Claudels “L’Annonce Faite à Marie” premieres in Paris
1918 – Eugene O’Neill’s “Moon of the Caribees” premieres in NYC
1944 – Archbishop De Young and bishop Huibers condemn black market
1978 – H. R. Haldeman, Nixon’s White House Chief of Staff released from jail

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Famous Birthdays

1758 – Othon Joseph Vandenbroek, composer (d. 1832)
1833 – Samuel Mudd, American physician (imprisoned for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth), born in Charles Country, Maryland (d. 1833)
1861 – Ivana Kobilca, Slovenian painter, born in Ljubljana, Slovenia (d. 1926)
1943 – Angel Tompkins, American actress (Gloria-Search), born in Albany, California
1972 – Scott Slutzker, American football tight end (Indianapolis Colts), born in Oakland, California
1983 – Adrián Varela, Mexican singer, born in Culiacán, Mexico

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Famous Deaths

860 – King Ethelbald of Wessex
1022 – Elvira Mendes, wife of Alfonso V of Castile (b. 996)
1679 – Johan Maurits, count of Nassau-Siegen, dies at 75
1965 – Egon Freiherr von Eickstedt, German anthropologist (classified human into races), dies at 73
2009 – Mairoon Ali, Trinidadian comedienne and actress (b. 1954)
2017 – Bernard Francis Law, disgraced American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church (1982-2002), dies at 86

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Historical Events

1861 – Battle of Black Water (American Civil War)
1884 – Italy recognizes King Leopold II’s Congo Free State
1922 – Theresa Vaughn, 24, confesses in court in Sheffield, England, to being married 61 times over 5 years in 50 cities in three countries
1941 – US Office of Censorship created to control info pertaining to WW II
1978 – Indira Gandhi ambushed in India
1984 – Scotty Bowman wins his 691st regular season game, the most wins by any coach in NHL history

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Famous Birthdays

1714 – John Winthrop, American astronomer (d. 1779)
1902 – Ralph Richardson, English actor (Anna Karenina, Doctor Zhivago), born in Cheltenham, England (d. 1983)
1957 – John Gulager, American film director and actor (He Was a Quiet Man), born in NYC, New York
1959 – Kathryn “Furu” Carpenter, Marshall Mich, fencer-epee (Olympics 1996)
1964 – Beatrice Dalle, French actress (Betty Blue, Sabbath), born in Breast
1982 – Tero Pitkamaki, Finnish javelin thrower

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Famous Deaths

1741 – Vitus Bering, Danish navigator and explorer (explored Bering Strait and Alaska coast), dies after being shipwrecked at 60
1814 – Joseph Bramah, Inventor and Locksmith, notably invented the beer pump
1878 – Bayard Taylor, American author and poet (b. 1825)
1953 – Robert A. Millikan, American physicist (Nobel 1923), dies at 85
1982 – Dwight Macdonald, American social critic (b. 1906)
1993 – Michael Clarke, drummer (Byrds), dies of liver failure at 49

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Historical Events

1949 – Philadelphia Eagles beat LA Rams 14-0 in NFL championship game
1970 – Polish uprising fails
1971 – Three members of the Irish Republican Army die when the bomb they were transporting explodes prematurely in King Street, Magherafelt, County Derry.
1977 – Dutch Antilles: premier Boy Rozendal points independence off
1980 – Vietnam adopts constitution
1980 – Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts minister Van Agts abortion laws

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Famous Birthdays

1635 – Antonius Matthaeus, Dutch lawyer/historian
1760 – Knud L Rahbek, Danish literary (Om sku skuespillerkunsten)
1913 – Donald Phillips, pianist/composer
1948 – Edmund “Ed” Kemper, American serial killer, born in Burbank, California
1966 – Steve Dullaghan, rocker (Primitives-Lovely, Lump of Coal)
1972 – Raymond Herrera, American drummer (Fear Factory) and businessman

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Famous Deaths

1799 – Jean-Étienne Montucla, French mathematician, dies at 74
1919 – Horatio William Parker, composer, dies at 56
1975 – Theodosius Dobzhansky, Russian-American genetist, evolutionary biologist and author (Mankind Evolving), dies at 75
2000 – Stan Fox, American race car driver (b. 1952)
2002 – Wayne Owens, former U.S. Congressman (D-Utah) (b. 1937)
2008 – Mark Felt, the infamous “Deep Throat”, American FBI official and whistle blower during the Watergate Scandal dies aged 95

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