Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1908 – Serbia and Montenegro sign anti-Austria-Hungarian pact
1947 – Larry MacPhail resigns as Yank GM after final game of World Series
1954 – Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Ad Sinarum gentem
1979 – Ferrari driver Jody Scheckter retires with tyre trouble in US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen; becomes first South African to claim World Formula 1 Drivers title; wins by 4 points from race winner Gilles Villeneuve
1993 – Massive Muslim demonstration in Xining, China, 12 killed
2012 – 13 people are killed after a Sudanese military aeroplane crashes near Khartoum

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Famous Birthdays

1901 – Souvanna Phouma, Prince and Prime Minister of Laos (1951–54, 1956–58, 1960 and 1962–75), born in Luang Phrabang, Laos (d. 1984)
1910 – Henry P. McIlhenny, American philanthropist (d. 1986)
1921 – John Arthur Giles Gere, English art historian (Pre-Raphaelite painter)
1943 – Oliver North, US colonel (Irangate), born in San Antonio, Texas
1956 – Julio Pezua, Pervian-American jockey
1987 – Jeremy Brockie, Australian footballer

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Famous Deaths

1368 – Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, son of Edward III of England, dies at 29
1780 – Patrick Ferguson, Scottish army officer and rifle inventor (Ferguson flintlock rifle), dies in battle at 36
1990 – J Teengs Gerritsen, resistance fighter, dies
1991 – Leo Durocher, baseball player and manager (Dodgers, Giants), dies at 86
2005 – Charles Rocket, American actor (b. 1949)
2008 – Leslie Hardman, Jewish Orthodox rabbi (b. 1913)

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Historical Events

1499 – French King Louis XII occupies Milan
1861 – Revolt of Russian student shuts down university of Petersburg
1866 – 1st train robbery in US (Reno Brothers take $13,000)
1946 – 90°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in Oct
1948 – KHJ TV channel 9 in Los Angeles, CA (IND) begins broadcasting
1973 – Yom Kippur War begins as Syria and Egypt attack Israel

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Famous Birthdays

1882 – Karol Maciej Szymanowski, Timoshovka Ukraine, composer (Stabatmater)
1935 – Charito Solis, Filipino actress (d. 1998)
1946 – Lloyd Doggett, American attorney and politician (US Representative, Democrat, Texas), born in Austin, Texas
1965 – Cynthia Meyer, NY, Canadian trap shooter (Olympics 1996)
1972 – Daniel Cavanagh, English rock musician (Anathema), born in Liverpool, England
1974 – Brian Kelly, American soccer midfielder (Olympic gold 1996), born in Mission Viejo, California

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Famous Deaths

1214 – Alfonso VIII de Edele, king of Castile, dies
1651 – Heinrich Albert, German composer (Arien oder Melodien), dies at 47
1855 – August Leopold Crelle, German inventor and mathematician (1st Prussian Railway), dies at 75
1940 – Ferdinando Liuzzi, composer, dies at 55
1951 – Otto Fritz Meyerhof, German-born physician and biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1884)
1973 – Dennis Price, English actor ( Kind Hearts and Coronets, Separate Tables), dies at 58 (b. 1915)

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Historical Events

1693 – Haarlem people’s revolution due to food shortages
1750 – Carlo Goldoni’s “Il Teatro Comico” premieres in Venice
1945 – Indonesian army forms
1957 – 11th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum: NY Rangers left wing Dean Prentice scores a goal and has 2 assists as All-Stars beat Montreal Canadiens, 5-3
1976 – MLB expansion draft: Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays pick 30 unprotected AL players; Ruppert Jones OF (Seattle) and Bob Bailor OF (Toronto) are first picks
1992 – NY senator Alphonse D’Amato filibusters for 15 hours 20 mins

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Famous Birthdays

1458 – Kazimierz de Saint, Polish ruler/saint
1836 – George Washington Gordon, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Pulaski, Tennessee (d. 1911)
1884 – Hendrik W Tilanus, Dutch artillery officer/politcian (CHU 1939-63)
1954 – Duncan Regehr, Alberta Canada, actor (Wizards and Warriors)
1967 – Guy Pearce, Anglo-Australian actor
1967 – Ellie Gibson, golfer (1994 PING-Cellular One-5th), born in Corpus Christi, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1837 – Hortense de Beauharnais, French queen of Netherlands (1806-10), dies at 54
1878 – George B. Vashon, American, lawyer, academic and poet, first African American lawyer, dies of yellow fever at 54
1941 – Louis Brandeis, American lawyer and associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, dies at 84
1997 – Andrew Keir, Scottish character actor (Rob Roy, Absolution, Blood Hunt, Catholics), dies at 71
2007 – Walter Kempowski, German writer (German Chronicle), dies at 78
2015 – Chantal Akerman, Belgium film director (Akermania, Je Tu II Elle), dies at 65

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Historical Events

1911 – 1st escalator installed on the London Underground at Earl’s Court Station
1958 – 12th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum: Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard scores twice and brother Henri the winner as Montreal Canadiens beat All-Stars, 6-3
1964 – 3 cars of a commuter train derails in South Africa killing 81
1967 – St Louis Cardinals beat Boston Red Sox, 2-1 in Game 1 of Baseball World Series at Fenway Park; first Fall Classic since 1948 not to feature Yankees, Giants or Dodgers; Cards win series, 4-3
1970 – WFYI TV channel 20 in Indianapolis, IN (PBS) begins broadcasting
2012 – 19 people are killed after being buried by a landslide in Yunnan, China

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Famous Birthdays

1796 – John Richardson, Canadian writer (Wacousta, or the prophecy)
1865 – Max Halbe, German playwright (Jugend), born in Güttland, Gdańsk (d. 1944)
1880 – Damon Runyon, American journalist and writer (Guys and Dolls-based on his work), born in Manhattan, Kansas (d. 1946)
1929 – Leroy Van Dyke, Spring Fork Mo, country singer (Walk on By)
1946 – Susan Sarandon, American actress (Dead Man Walking, The Client) also known for her social and political activism, born in Queens, New York
1963 – A C Green, NBA forward (Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks)

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Famous Deaths

1864 – Joseph Montferrand, French-Canadian logger and strong man, dies at 61
1903 – Otto Weininger, Austrian philosopher (b. 1880)
1951 – Willie Moretti, American gangster (b. 1894)
1961 – Benjamin (Fedchenkov), Bishop of the Russian Church and Orthodox missionary, dies at 81
2005 – Stanley K. Hathaway, American politician (27th Governor of Wyoming), dies at 81
2014 – Paul Revere, American musician, dies from cancer at 76

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Historical Events

1906 – William Vaughan Moody’s “Great Divide” premieres in NYC
1936 – NY Yankees set new attendance record of 64,482 in Game 3 of World Series at Yankee Stadium; 66,669 following day Game 4; win series v NY Giants, 4-2
1962 – Wally Schirra in Sigma 7 launched into Earth orbit
1974 – Future Basketball Hall of Fame guard Jerry West (“Mr. Clutch”) retires after 14 NBA seasons with the LA Lakers; West has 25,192 career points; averages 29.1 ppg in 153 playoff games
1988 – WBMW-FM, Washington, D.C. changes calls to WJFK and begins airing Howard Stern
1993 – Battle at TV station Ostankino, Moscow townhall, about 25 killed

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Famous Birthdays

1716 – Giovanni Battista Beccaria, Italian physicist (d. 1781)
1890 – Henry Hull, actor (Tobacco Rd, Boys Town, High Sierra), born in Louisville, Kentucky
1919 – Boyd Bradfield Upchurch, [John Boyd], American sci-fi author (IQ Merchant)
1928 – Erik Bruhn, Copenhagen Denmark, dancer (National Ballet of Canada)
1934 – Harold Ralph Henning, PGA golfer (1966 Texas Open), born in Johannesburg, South Africa
1970 – Tyji Armstrong, NFL tight end (Tampa Bay Bucs)

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Famous Deaths

1838 – Black Hawk (chief), Leader of the Sauk Native American tribe (b. 1767)
1929 – Jeanne Eagels, American actress and former Ziegfeld Girl (Rain, Under False Colors), dies of a drug overdose at 39
1941 – Wilhelm Kienzl, Austria composer (Kuhreigen), dies at 84
1971 – Leah Baird, writer (Jungle Bride), dies of anemia at 88
1975 – Bauke Tuinstra, Fries notary/writer (Ealse and I), dies at 75
2000 – John Grant, British politician (b. 1932)

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Historical Events

1263 – The battle of Largs fought between Norwegians and Scots.
1949 – USSR recognizes People’s Republic of China
1954 – Former French possession of Chandernagore made part of West Bengal, India
1961 – “Ben Casey” premieres on NBC-TV
1968 – St. Louis pitcher Bob Gibson establishes a new Baseball World Series mark by striking out 17 batters as the Cardinals beat Detroit, 4-0 in Game 1 of the Fall Classic
2004 – American Samoa joins the North American Numbering Plan

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Famous Birthdays

1704 – Frantisek Ignac Antonin Tuma, composer
1873 – Stephen Warfield Gambrill, U.S. Congressman for Maryland’s 5th District (d. 1924)
1929 – Kenneth Leighton, composer
1932 – Ruairí Ó Brádaigh, Irish paramilitary and political leader of Sinn Féin, born in Longford, Ireland (d. 2013)
1953 – Ernest Bai Koroma, Sierra Leonean politician, President of Sierra Leone (2007-), born in Makeni, Sierra Leone
1968 – Mark James Crear, 110m hurdler (Olympic silver 1996), born in San Francisco, California

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Famous Deaths

1629 – Antonio Cifra, Italian composer (b. 1584)
1629 – Pierre the Barulle, French cardinal/founder (French Oratorio), dies
1782 – Charles Lee, British and U.S. general (b. 1732)
1956 – George Bancroft, American actor (Texas, Stagecoach, Little Men), dies at 74
1993 – William Berger, Austrian American actor (Face to Face, Adventure of Hercules), dies of prostate cancer at 65
1996 – Ivan Mark Waller, mountaineer, dies at 89

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Historical Events

1874 – Rotterdam opens drinking water pipes
1921 – WJZ, Newark NJ begins broadcasting
1955 – WORA TV channel 5 in Mayaguez, PR (TCI) begins broadcasting
1961 – Premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich’s 12nd Symphony
1977 – Brazilian soccer great Pelé plays his final game for the New York Cosmos in an exhibition against Santos in front of 75,000 at Giants Stadium; 1,281 goals in 1,363 games
1991 – Soviet Union suspends petroleum product exports as its fuel shortages grow

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Famous Birthdays

1865 – Paul Dukas, French composer (d. 1935)
1885 – Louis Untermeyer, American poet/critic (Immortal Poems, Story Poems), born in NYC, New York
1944 – Barbara Parritt, US soul singer (Toys-Lover’s Concerto)
1948 – Ellen McIlwaine, blues singer (Honky Tonky Angel), born in Nashville, Tennessee
1953 – Greta Waitz, Norwegian marathon runner (1st female world marathon champion 1983), born in Oslo, Norway (d. 2011)
1973 – Jana Henke, German swimmer

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Famous Deaths

976 – Al-Hakam II, Moors kalief of Cordoba, dies
1943 – Anton JT Koreman, resistance fighter, executed at 27
1945 – Walter B Cannon, US physiologist (Traumatic Shock), dies at 73
1961 – Donald Cook, American actor (Too Young To Go Steady), dies at 60
1965 – Gareth Hughes, Welsh actor (Midnight Girl), dies at 71
1997 – Gul Mohammed, world’s shortest man (22.1″/56.16 cm), dies at 36

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Historical Events

1649 – Last Swedish troops vacate Prague
1944 – Dutch General Mine Workers Union (ABWM) forms
1962 – James Meredith registers for classes at University of Mississippi
1963 – 56th Postmaster General: John A Gronouski of Wis takes office
1988 – Louise Ritter, US, jumps 6’8″ to win Olympic gold medal
1990 – Chicago White Sox beat Seattle 2-1 in last game at Comiskey Park

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Famous Birthdays

1832 – Frederick Sleigh “Bobs” Roberts, British gov of Natal (Ireland-Boer war)
1894 – Dirk J Bush, Dutch-American mathematician (Concise History of Mathematics)
1898 – Felix Kersten, Baltic-German/Finnish masseuse (Heinrich Himmler)
1905 – Nevill Francis Mott, English physicist (Nobel Prize 1977), born in Leeds, England (d. 1996)
1946 – Sylvia Peterson, US vocalist (Chiffons-He’s So Fine)
1965 – Kathleen Madigan, American comedian

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Famous Deaths

1572 – Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía and Jesuit priest, dies at 61
1712 – Johann Michael Zacher, composer, dies at 61
1961 – Onésime Gagnon, French Canadian politician, lieutenant-governor of Québec (b. 1888)
1990 – Michel Leiris, French cultural anthropologist, dies at 89
1991 – Nancy Welford, entertainer, dies at 87
2003 – Yusuf Bey, Black Muslim leader (b. 1935)

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Historical Events

1953 – Milton Berle Show premieres
1955 – Arthur Millers “View From The Bridge” premieres in NYC
1957 – NY Giants play and lose their last game at Polo Grounds (9-1 to Pitts)
1958 – “Texan” debuts on CBS-TV
1979 – “Lonesome Loser” by Little River Band peaks at #6
1996 – “Delicate Balance” closes at Plymouth Theater NYC

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Famous Birthdays

1746 – Ernst Ludwig Gerber, composer
1794 – William Michael Rooke, composer
1866 – Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Ukrainian historian and statesman, born in Chełm, Congress Poland (d. 1934)
1939 – Molly Haskell, American film critic
1944 – Torben Jensen, Danish actor (Taxa, Hayfever, Watch Me Fly, Guldregn)
1948 – Theo Jörgensmann, German jazz clarinetist

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Famous Deaths

1964 – Robert Burton, American actor (The Big Heat, Compulsion, A Man Called Peter), dies from cancer at 69
1970 – Edward Everett Horton, American actor and narrator (Bulwinkle Show), dies at 84
1992 – Paul Jabara, singer/actor (Last Dance), dies of AIDS at 44
1996 – Shūsaku Endō, Japanese writer (Sea and Poison, Silence), dies at 73
1998 – Tom Bradley, Mayor of Los Angeles (D-1973-93), dies at 80
2005 – Austin Leslie, American chef, the “Godfather of Fried Chicken” (b. 1934)

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Historical Events

1448 – Christian I is crowned king of Denmark.
1920 – 8 White Sox indicted, threw 1919 World Series (Black Sox scandal)
1968 – Alberto Giolani of Italy roller skates record 23.133 miles in 1 hr
1970 – “Words and Music” debuts on NBC-TV
1996 – 1st ODI played in Kenya between home team and Sri Lanka
1996 – Joyce Giraud, crowned 8th Ms Venus Swimwear

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Famous Birthdays

1852 – Henri Moissan, French chemist who isolated the element “fluorine” from its compounds (Nobel 1906), born in Paris (d. 1907)
1882 – Jack Fournier, 2nd baseman (1917-18 NY Yankees)
1914 – Jim Boyd, American country and western musician (Men of the West) (d. 1993)
1958 – Angella Issajenko, Jamaica, 4X100m relayer (Olympic silver 1984)
1962 – Anne-Marie Fox, playmate (Feb, 1982), born in Los Angeles, California
1976 – Fedor Emelianenko, Russian mixed martial artist

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Famous Deaths

876 – Louis the German, King of Eastern Francia (b. 804)
1657 – Emilia Secunda Antwerpiana, daugher of Willem of Orange, dies at 75
1965 – Eddie Gribbon, actor (Keystone Kops), dies after long illness
1996 – Bob Gibson, American folk musician, dies at 64
2003 – Althea Gibson, American golfer and 1st African American tennis champion in a major event, dies at 76
2003 – Elia Kazan, Greek-American film director (Streetcar Named Desire), dies at 94

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