Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1923 – Mary Katherine Campbell (Ohio), 16, crowned 2nd Miss America 1922-23
1952 – Whitey Ford becomes 5th pitcher to hurl consecutive 1 hitters
1970 – Donald Boyles sets record for highest parachute jump from a bridge, by leaping off of 1,053′ Royal George Bridge in Colorado
1979 – The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) makes its debut.
1981 – Jerry Lewis’ 16th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $31,500,000
2008 – 25th MTV Video Music Awards: Britney Spears and Chris Brown win

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Famous Birthdays

1929 – T. P. McKenna [Thomas Patrick McKenna], Irish actor (Rivals, Holocaust), born in Mullagh, Ireland (d. 2011)
1942 – Alan Oakes, British footballer (Manchester City), born in Winsford, England
1946 – Willie Crawford, American baseball player (Los Angeles Dodgers), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2004)
1972 – Jason Isringhausen, American pitcher (NY Mets), born in Brighton, Illinois
1981 – Gökhan Zan, Turkish footballer, born in Antakya, Hatay, Turkey
1986 – Colin Delaney, American professional wrestler, born in Rochester, New York

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Famous Deaths

1644 – Guido Bentivoglio, Italian statesman (b. 1579)
1719 – John Harris, English writer
1872 – Antoni Stolpe, Polish pianist and composer, dies at 21
1940 – Edmund Rumpler, Austria auto/airplane builder, dies
1991 – Archie N Menzies, playwright/composer (Under Your Hat), dies at 87
2004 – Bob Boyd, American baseball player (b. 1925)

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Historical Events

1543 – French and Turkish fleet occupies Nice
1634 – Battle at Nordlingen ends in Swedish/protestant German defeat
1819 – Thomas Blanchard patents lathe
1972 – Summer Olympics resume in Munich, Germany after massacre of 11 Israeli athletes by Black September Palestinian terrorist organisation
1980 – French runner Chantal Langlacé sets women’s 100k world record (7h 27m 22s) in Amiens, France
1987 – Conjoined twins Benjamin and Patrick Binder separated at John Hopkins Hospital

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Famous Birthdays

1729 – Moses Mendelssohn, German Jewish enlightenment philosopher (Haksalah), born in Dessau, Principality of Anhalt (d. 1786)
1819 – Nicolae Filimon, Romanian writer and critic (Ciocoii Vechi Si Noi), born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 1865)
1911 – Harry Danning, American baseball player, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2004)
1953 – Katherine Cannon, American actress (Father Murphy, Survivors), born in Hartford, Connecticut
1969 – Aaron Pierce, American NFL halfback (NY Giants), born in Seattle, Washington
1971 – Pavel Patera, Czech hockey forward (Team Czech Rep, Olympic gold 1998), born in Kladno, Czech Republic

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Famous Deaths

1974 – Olga Baclanova, actress (Freaks, Docks of NY), dies at 75
1979 – Ronald Binge, British composer (Elizabethan Serenade, Sailing By), dies at 69
1994 – Max Kaminsky, trumpeter, dies at 85
1995 – Buster Mathis, American heavyweight boxer, dies at 52
2003 – Harry Goz, American actor (b. 1932)
2003 – Mohammad Oraz, Iranian mountain climber (b. 1969)

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Historical Events

1781 – French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeat British under Admiral Graves at Battle of the Chesapeake [Battle of the Virginia Capes] in American Revolutionary War
1955 – WKRG TV channel 5 in Mobile, AL (CBS) begins broadcasting
1961 – USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR
1966 – WRLK TV channel 35 in Columbia, SC (PBS) begins broadcasting
1978 – Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter begin Egypt-Isreal peace conference at Camp David
1994 – Kirgizia government resigns

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Famous Birthdays

1695 – Carl Gustaf Tessin, Swedish politician, born in Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1770)
1722 – Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony, born in Dresden Castle, Dresden, Germany (d. 1763)
1944 – Dario Bellezza, Italian poet, born in Rome (d. 1996)
1970 – Brad Hopkins, American NFL tackle (Houston Oilers), born in Columbia, South Carolina
1970 – Liam Lynch, American musician (Sifl and Olly), born in Petersburg, Virginia
1977 – Rosevelt Colvin, American football player, born in Indianapolis, Indiana

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Famous Deaths

1917 – Marian Smoluchowski, Polish physicist (b. 1872)
1920 – Robert Harron, American actor (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance), accidentally shot to death at 27
1942 – François de Labouchère, French aviator of World War II, compagnon de la Libération. (b. 1917)
1978 – Joe Negroni, American rock vocalist (Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers), dies of a brain hemorrhage at 37
1988 – Lawrence Brown, American trombonist (Duke Ellington Orchestra), dies at 81
1997 – Georg Solti, conductor, dead, dies at 84

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Historical Events

1944 – Finland breaks diplomatic contact with Nazi Germany
1961 – Carol Burnett-Richard Hayes Show premieres on CBS radio
1965 – Beatles’ single “Help!” goes #1 and stays #1 for 3 weeks
1967 – 6.5 earthquake of Kolya Dam India, kills 200
1982 – Arson fire engulfs apartment-hotel in LA, 25 die
2002 – Before a U.S. Congressional panel, Doris Roberts testifies that age discrimination is prevalent in Hollywood

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Famous Birthdays

1908 – Edward Dmytryk, director (Carpetbaggers, Young Lions, Caine Mutiny)
1913 – Stanford Moore, US biochemist (Nobel 1977)
1929 – Thomas F Eagleton, (Sen-D-MO, 1968-86/VP candidate-D-1972)
1931 – Mitzi Gaynor [Francesca von Gerber], American actress, singer and dancer (Anything Goes, South Pacific), born in Chicago, Illinois
1948 – Samuel Hui, Hong Kong singer
1979 – Kosuke Matsuura, Japanese racing driver

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Famous Deaths

1709 – Jean-Francois Regnard, French comedic poet/slave in Algeria, dies
1784 – Cesar F Cassini “the Thury”, French astronomer (geodesic labor), dies
1962 – William Clothier, American tennis player (US Open-1906) and 1st president of tennis hall of fame, dies at 80
1990 – Henry Faas, [Wandelganger], Dutch journalist (Volkskrant), dies
1991 – Thomas Tryon, actor (Cardinal)/writer (Other), dies at 65
1993 – Herve Villechaize, actor (Fantasy Island), shoots self to death at 50

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Historical Events

590 – St Gregory I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1189 – Richard the Lionheart is crowned in Westminster. 30 Jews are massacred after the coronation – Richard ordered the perpetrators be executed
1943 – General Castellano signs cease fire treaty in Sicily
1951 – TV soap opera “Search for Tomorrow” debuts on CBS
1972 – American women’s 4 x 100m medley relay team of Melissa Belote, Cathy Carr, Deena Deardurff and Sandy Neilson swim world record 4:20.75 to beat East Germany for gold at the Munich Olympics
1984 – South Africa adopts constitution

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Famous Birthdays

1903 – Willem Kooiman, Dutch theologist/church historian
1917 – Eddie “Brat” Stanky, Phil Rizzuto’s nemisis/2nd baseman (Dodgers)
1923 – Terry Wilson, American actor (Wagon Train, Escape to Witch Mountain), born in Huntington Park, California (d. 1999)
1931 – Rudolf Kelterborn, composer
1953 – Khabib Munir, Syria, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-3 backup)
1982 – Kaori Natori, Japanese singer and model

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Famous Deaths

1653 – Claudius Salmasius, [Claude Saumaise], French linguistic, dies at 65
1720 – Henri de Massue, Marquis de Ruvigny, 1st Viscount Galway, French soldier and diplomat, dies at 72
1935 – Johannes Aengenent, Bishop of Haarlem (1928-35), dies at 62
1983 – Ellie Lambeti, Greek actress (b. 1926)
1994 – Major Lance, American soul singer (The Monkey Time), dies at 55
1995 – Roye England, modeller/museum curator, dies at 88

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Historical Events

1686 – Habsburg armies take Buda from Turks
1967 – KUHI (now KSNF) TV channel 16 in Joplin, MO (CBS) begins broadcasting
1968 – Jerry Lewis’ 3rd Muscular Dystrophy telethon
1969 – Ralph Houk signs 3-year contract to manage New York Yankees at $65,000 a season, then the biggest salary in MLB
1972 – Chicago Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas no-hits San Diego Padres, 8-0
1993 – Central African Republic ex-emperor Bokassa freed

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Famous Birthdays

1931 – Alan K Simpson, minority whip (Sen-R-WY, 1979- )
1931 – Pierre Huyskens, Dutch radio host
1965 – Lennox Lewis, heavyweight boxer (Olympic gold 1988, WBC boxing champ), born in London, England
1968 – Cynthia Watros, American actress
1981 – Katie Teft, gymnast (Olympics 1996), born in Grand Rapids Michigan
1987 – Spencer Smith, American musician (Panic at the Disco)

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Famous Deaths

1606 – Carel van Mander, Flemish painter/art historian, dies at 58
1870 – Charles Victor Arthur Saint-Leon, composer, dies at 48
1942 – Tom Williams, Irish republican (b. 1924)
1994 – Richard M Major, US anti-terror specialist (CIA Red Book), dies at 72
1994 – Roy Castle, English dancer, actor and tv presenter (Dr Who and the Daleks), dies of lung cancer at 62
2007 – Max McNab, National Hockey League executive (b. 1924)

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Historical Events

1864 – Skirmish at Hood evacuated confederates from Atlanta GA
1873 – Cetshwayo ascends to the throne as king of the Zulu nation following the death of his father Mpande.
1972 – American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer beats Russian champion Boris Spassky 12.5-8.5 in Reykjavik, Iceland; most publicised world title match ever played; Fischer 1st American to win title
1973 – Libya nationalizes 51 percent of nine other oil companies’ concessions
2007 – In one of the biggest upsets in college football history, 109,218 fans see Appalachian State’s Corey Lynch block a Jason Gingell 37-yard field goal attempt with 6 seconds remaining to inspire an epic 34-32 win v Michigan at Ann Arbor
2012 – Grenade injures 41 festival celebrants in Paquibato, Philippines

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Famous Birthdays

1922 – Melvin Laird, politician (Rep-R-Mich), US Secretary of Defense (1969-73), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2016)
1931 – Cecil Parkinson, British politician (C), born in Carnforth, North Lancashire (d. 2016)
1953 – Ted Petty, American professional wrestler (d. 2002)
1955 – Bruce Foxton, rock guitarist (Jam)
1976 – Sebastián Rozental, Chilean footballer
1981 – Clinton Portis, American football player

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Famous Deaths

1648 – Marin Mersenne, French mathematician (Number of Mersenne), dies at 59
1687 – Henry More, English philosopher (b. 1614)
1896 – Johannes Habert, composer, dies at 62
1947 – Frederick Russell Burnham, father of the international Scouting movement (b. 1861)
1989 – A Bartlett Giamatti, American President of Yale University and baseball commissioner, dies of heart attack at 51
1998 – Vere Harmsworth, 3rd Viscount Rothermere, English press magnate (The Mail on Sunday), dies of a heart attack at 73

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Historical Events

1422 – Henry VI becomes King of England at the age of 9 months
1881 – 1st US men’s single tennis championships (Newport, Rhode Island)
1907 – Britain, Russia and France form Triple Entente
1970 – WKMJ TV channel 68 in Louisville, Kentucky (PBS) begins broadcasting
1978 – Emily and William Harris plead guilty to 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst
1980 – 80th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Hal Sutton

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Famous Birthdays

1884 – George Al Sarton, Belgian-American chemist and historian, born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1956)
1921 – Raymond Williams, Welsh academic and novelist (Second Generation), born in Llanfihangel Crucorney, Wales (d. 1988)
1954 – Tula, [Barry Kenneth Cossey], England, transsexual (For Your Eyes Only)
1969 – Jonathan LaPaglia, Australian actor
1976 – Vincent Delerm, French singer-songwriter, pianist and composer
1982 – Patrick Nuo, Swiss singer

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Famous Deaths

1056 – Theodora, Byzantine Empress (b. 981)
1604 – Giovanale Ancina, composer, dies at 58
1888 – Mary Ann Nichols, a 42-year-old prostitute, was found stabbed to death in London, 1st of at least five murders by Jack the Ripper
1902 – Mathilde Wesendonk, German author/poetess, dies at 73
1910 – Emils Darzins, composer, dies at 34
1918 – Joe English, Irish/Flemish signaler (WWI), dies at 36

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Historical Events

1791 – Thomas Jefferson responds to Benjamin Banneker’s letter on the issue of slavery
1914 – 1st German plane bombs Paris, 2 killed
1919 – Ernst Toller’s “Die Wandlung” premieres in Berlin
1944 – Soviet troops enter Bucharest, Romania
1960 – Boston 2nd baseman Pete Runnels goes 6-for-7
1995 – Cable News Network joins the internet

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Famous Birthdays

1866 – Georges Minne, Belgian sculptor, born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1941)
1943 – David Henry Maslanka, composer
1949 – Ted Ammon, American financier (d. 2001)
1967 – Barbara Kendall, New Zealand mistral sailor (Olympic gold 1992, silver 1996, bronze 2000), born in Auckland, New Zealand
1970 – Michael Wong Guang Liang, Chinese Malaysian singer
1978 – Swizz Beatz, American rapper/producer

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Famous Deaths

1826 – Theodor Zwetler, Austrian composer, dies at 67
1917 – Uritsky, leader of Petrogradse Czech, dies
1970 – Del Moore, American comedian and actor (Cal-Bachelor Father), dies at 53
1989 – Joe De Santis, dies at 80
1995 – Thomas Chalmers, British broadcaster, dies at 82
2008 – Killer Kowalski, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1926)

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Historical Events

1793 – Slaves in French colony of St Domingue (Haiti) freed
1964 – On Elston Howard Night, Mickey Mantle ties Babe Ruth’s career strikeout record (1,330)
1970 – Black Panthers confront cops in Philadelphia (1 cop killed)
1988 – 45th Venice Film Festival: “The Legend of the Holy Drinker” directed by Ermanno Olmi wins Golden Lion
2002 – 19th MTV Video Music Awards: Eminem and Pink win
2011 – “Tha Carter IV” 9th studio album by Lil Wayne is released

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Famous Birthdays

1862 – Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian poet (Blue Bird, Nobel 1911), born in Ghent, Belgium (d. 1949)
1898 – Preston Sturges [Edmund Biden], American director and screenwriter (Sullivan’s Travels), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1959)
1917 – Isabel Sanford, American actress (Louise-Jeffersons/All in the Family), born in NYC, New York (d. 2004)
1959 – Rebecca De Mornay, Santa Rose Cal, actress (Hand that Rocks Cradle)
1959 – Eddi Reader, rocker (Fairground Attraction-Find My Love)
1981 – Brian Chesky, American internet entrepreneur (CEO of Airbnb), born in Niskayuna, New York

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Famous Deaths

1653 – Gillesz de Hondecoeter, painter/Hostage rights, buried at about 49
1799 – Pius VI, [Giovanni A Braschi], Italian Pope (1775-99), dies at 71
1930 – William Archibald Spooner, English writer (b. 1844)
1977 – Brian McGuire, Australian racing driver, killing practising at Brands Hatch at 31
1994 – Gladys Marea Hartman, athletics Administrator, dies at 74
2003 – Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, Iraqi political leader (b.1939)

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