Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1836 – Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains, arrives at Walla Walla, Oregon Country (now US state of Washington)
1931 – Future Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman Lou Gehrig hits his 3rd grand slam in 4 days and 6th homer in consecutive games in NY Yankees’ 5-1 win v Boston Red Sox
1954 – Paramount Pictures releases “Rear Window”, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly
1972 – Japanese gymnast Sawao Kato wins the parallel bars gold medal at the Munich Olympics, his 3rd gold of the Games including team and individual all-round victories
2019 – Hurricane Dorian makes landfall on Elbow Cay in the Abaco islands, northern Bahamas as a category five storm with winds of 180mph (285km/h)

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Famous Birthdays

1920 – Richard Farnsworth, American actor (Misery, Havana, Sylvester), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2000)
1926 – Abdur Rahman Biswas, President of Bangladesh, 1991-96, born in Shaistabad, Bengal Presidency, British India (d. 2017)
1965 – Hardy Nickerson, American football linebacker (Pro Bowl 1993, 96–99; All-Pro 1993, 96-97, 99; Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Bucs), born in Compton, California
1972 – Louise Dobson, Australian field hockey fullback (Olympic gold 1996; Champions Trophy gold 1997, 99, 2003), born in Shepparton, Australia
1977 – David Albelda, Spanish soccer midfielder (51 caps; Valencia CF 351 games), born in La Pobla Llarga, Spain

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Famous Deaths

1256 – Kujo Yoritsune, 4th Japanese shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate (1226-44), dies at 38
1995 – Ernest Marke, Sierra Leonean seaman and club owner, dies at 93
2015 – Dean Jones, American actor (Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, The Love Bug), dies at 84
2021 – Jim Fuller, American college football coach and athletics administrator (coach 1977-83; AD 2003-08 Jacksonville State University), dies from COVID-19 at 76
2023 – William B. Richardson, American Democratic politician and diplomat who was Governor of New Mexico (2003-11), Representative of New Mexico (1983-97) and US Ambassador to the UN (1997-98), dies at 75

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Historical Events

1837 – Ralph Waldo Emerson gives his famous “The American Scholar” speech to Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, declares American literary independence from Europe
1843 – Liberty Party nominates James Birney as presidential candidate
1900 – Brooklyn pitcher Brickyard Kennedy walks 6 straight Philadelphia Phillies in 2nd inning of the Superbas’ 9-4 loss at Washington Park; Kennedy still achieves his 4th 20-win season
1935 – Russian miner Aleksey Stachanov digs 102 tons of coal in under 6 hours, using a jackhammer
1945 – The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies

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Famous Birthdays

1920 – James Lanphier, American actor (Flight of Lost Balloon), born in Hempstead, New York (d. 1969)
1929 – Julio Ramon Ribeyro, Peruvian writer, born in Lima, Peru (d. 1994)
1931 – Jean Béliveau, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (Hart Trophy 1956, 64; Art Ross Trophy 1956; Conn Smythe Trophy 1965; record 17 Stanley Cups), born in Trois-Rivieres Quebec (d. 2014)
1970 – Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen consort of Jordan, born in Kuwait City
1974 – Jeremy O’Day, American CFL offensive linebacker (Toronto Argonauts) and manager, born in Buffalo, New York

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Famous Deaths

1590 – Floris Thin, Dutch politician and land advocate of Utrecht, dies
1942 – Georg Von Bismarck, German major general, (Africa Corps), dies in Battle of Alam el Halfa at 51
1976 – Kornelis Heiko Miskotte, Dutch theologist (If the Gods Keep Silent), dies at 81
2009 – Maria de Lourdes Martins, Portuguese pianist and composer, dies at 83
2011 – Valery Rozhdestvensky, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 23), dies at 72

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Historical Events

1904 – American runner Thomas Hicks wins the marathon gold medal with a time of 3:28:53 over a 40 km course at the St. Louis Olympics
1926 – Jack Hobbs scores 316 not out at Lord’s (Surrey vs. Middlesex)
1949 – WTVN (now WSYX) TV channel 6 in Columbus, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting
1956 – White mob prevents enrollment of Black students at Mansfield High School, Texas
1991 – Mike Powell of the US sets a long jump record of 29 ft 4½ in (8.95 m)

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Famous Birthdays

1902 – Arnold Maria Walter, Canadian composer, born in Hanušovice, Moravia, Austria-Hungary (d. 1973)
1912 – Edward Mills Purcell, American physicist (Nobel Prize for Physics 1952 for nuclear magnetic resonance), born in Taylorville, Illinois (d. 1997)
1922 – Regina Resnik, American mezzo-soprano (Sieglinde-Bayreuth), born in New York City (d. 2013)
1927 – Geoffrey Beene, American fashion designer (8 Coty Awards), born in Haynesville, Louisiana (d. 2004)
1976 – Mike Koplove, American baseball player (Team USA 2008), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1181 – Alexander III [Orlando Bandinelli], Italian Pope (1159-81), dies
1999 – Raymond Poïvet, French cartoonist, dies at 89
2005 – Andor Kovach, Romanian composer (Médée), dies at 90
2022 – Gheorghe Berceanu, Romanian Greco-Roman wrestler (Olympic gold light-flyweight 1972, silver 1976; World C’ship gold 1969, 72), dies at 72
2023 – Gennady Sapunov, Russian Greco-Roman wrestler (World C’ship gold lightweight 1963, 65; silver 1966) and coach (Soviet GR wrestling team 1979-90), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1756 – Frederick II of Prussia leads an Anglo-Prussian alliance into Saxony, beginning the Seven Years’ War
1862 – US Bureau of Engraving and Printing begins operation
1932 – United Cigar Stores shuts 800 shops
2003 – Skype Technologies releases its pioneering video-conferencing software
2013 – Actor Gary Sinise is named an honorary Marine by the Commandant of the Marine Corps

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Famous Birthdays

1891 – Michael Chekhov, Russian-American actor (Abie’s Irish Rose, Rhapsody), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1955)
1905 – Lan Adomián, Russian-American-Mexican composer, and Spanish Civil War fighter (Lincoln Brigade), born in Moghiler-Podolsk, Russia (d. 1979)
1915 – Nathan Pritikin, American nutritionist and inventor, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1985)
1920 – Charles White, American actor (Airport 95, Serpico), born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey (d. 2005)
1928 – Charles Gray, British actor (Clay-Rawhide, Diamonds Are Forever, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), born in Bournemouth, Hampshire (d. 2000)

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Famous Deaths

1093 – Hugh I, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1057)
1910 – Johan Eilerts de Haan, Dutch naval officer and explorer (Lucie River, Suriname), dies, likely due to malaria, at 44
1960 – Hazza el-Majali, Prime Minister of Jordan is assassinated
1975 – Éamon de Valera, Irish republican politician and President of Ireland (1937-48, 51-54, 57-59), dies at 92
2016 – Gene Wilder [Jerome Silberman], American actor (Blazing Saddles; Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; Silver Streak; Young Frankenstein), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1859 – A geomagnetic storm causes the Aurora Borealis to shine so brightly that it is seen clearly over parts of the USA, Europe, and even as far afield as Japan
1884 – MLB pitcher Mickey Welch sets a record for most consecutive batters struck out to begin a game, striking out the first nine men he faces
1942 – Swedish runner Gunder Hägg sets a world record of 8:01.2 in the 3000 m
1950 – Earle and Roy Mack purchase 54% of the Philadelphia A’s from Connie Mack Jr.
1986 – Bolivian President Víctor Paz Estenssoro calls a state of siege

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Famous Birthdays

1829 – Albert Dietrich, German composer and conductor, born in Meissen, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1908)
1952 – Guy Nadon, Canadian actor (L’ange gardien), born in Montréal, Québec
1961 – Jennifer Coolidge, American actress and comedian (Legally Blonde film series; Christopher Guest films), born in Boston, Massachusetts
1965 – Satoshi Tajiri, Japanese video game designer (Game Freak, creator of the Pokémon franchise), born in Setagaya, Japan
1982 – (Margaret) LeAnn Rimes [Cibrian], American country singer (“Blue”; “How Do I Live”), born in Jackson, Mississippi

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Famous Deaths

1677 – Wallerant Vaillant, French painter and engraver, dies at 54
1963 – Bernard Silver, American co-inventor of the barcode, dies of leukemia at 38
1978 – Bruce Catton, American historian and writer (Civil War), dies at 78
1987 – John Huston, US/Irish actor and director (Maltese Falcon), dies at 81
2024 – (Herman) “Pete” Wade, American country and pop session guitarist (Nashville A-Team; Lynn Anderson – “Rose Garden”; Crystal Gayle – “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”), dies of complications after hip surgery at 89

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Historical Events

1828 – Uruguay gains independence during Brazil-Argentina peace talks
1917 – Indians set club record by stealing eight bases in a game
1942 – Soviet woman sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko arrives in Washington D.C., the first Soviet citizen welcomed at the White House by Eleanor Roosevelt
1979 – Warrenpoint ambush: 18 British Army soldiers are killed when the Provisional IRA explodes two roadside bombs as a British convoy passes Narrow Water Castle
2012 – First interplanetary human voice recording broadcast from Mars Rover Curiosity

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Famous Birthdays

1630 – Maria van Oosterwijck, Dutch flower painter, born in Nootdorp, Netherlands (d. 1693)
1669 – Anne Marie of Orléans, Queen of Italy, born in Château de Saint-Cloud, France (d. 1728)
1896 – Leon Theremin, Russian-Soviet electronic musical instruments inventor, born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1993)
1941 – Harrison Page, American character actor (Sledge Hammer!; C.P.O. Sharkey), born in Atlanta, Georgia
1971 – Julian Cheung Chi-Lam, singer (A Modern Love Story) and actor (Return Of The Cuckoo), born in North Point, British Hong Kong

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Famous Deaths

1910 – Clement of Maasdijk, 1st Dutch aircraft death
1965 – Le Corbusier [Charles Jeanneret], Swiss French architect, city planner and artist (Urbanisme), dies at 77
2009 – Virgilio Savona, Italian jazz singer and composer (Quartetto Cetra – “Un bacio a mezzanotte”; “Crapa pelada”), dies of complications from Parkinson’s disease at 89
2020 – Dick Ritger, American ten-pin bowler (Tournament of Champions 1970, 79 runner-up; 20 career PBA Tour titles), dies at 81
2020 – Lute Olson, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Uni of Iowa 1974-83; NCAA Division I Tournament 1997, Uni of Arizona 1983-2008), dies from stroke complications at 85

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Historical Events

1987 – Paul Molitor goes 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 39 consecutive games
1991 – Royal Brett Saberhagen no-hits White Sox 7-0
2011 – The 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s all-new composite airliner, receives certification from the EASA and the FAA
2014 – Israel and Hamas accept another ceasefire
2021 – Two bomb blasts from suicide bombers at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan, kill at least 60 civilians and 13 US soldiers amid international efforts to evacuate citizens from the country

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Famous Birthdays

1596 – Frederick V, Elector Palentine (1610-23), King of Bohemia (1619-20), defeated at Battle of White Mountain, born in Deinschwang, Palatinate (d. 1632)
1885 – Gene Gauntier [Liggett], American silent film screenwriter and actress, born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1966)
1925 – Jack Hirshleifer, American economist, educator, and author, born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2005)
1946 – Chantal Renaud, Québécoise yé-yé singer, songwriter, actress and writer, born in Quebec, Canada
1951 – Robert Torricelli, American politician (Rep-D-New Jersey, 1983-97, Senator-New Jersey 1997-2003), born in Paterson, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1956 – Alfred Wagenknecht, German-American Marxist activist who helped establish the American Communist Party, dies at 75
2000 – Akbar Adibi, Iranian engineer and professor (electronics and VLSI technology), dies at 61
2003 – Wayne Andre, American jazz and session trombonist, dies at 72
2015 – P J Kavanagh [Patrick Joeseph], British poet, actor and journalist (The Perfect Stranger), dies at 84
2023 – Tony Roberts, American College Football HOF broadcaster (play-by-play announcer Notre Dame Fighting Irish football 1980-2006), dies at 94

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Historical Events

1908 – National Association of Colored Nurses forms in New York City, and Martha Minerva Franklin of Connecticut is elected president
1914 – German troops in occupied Belgium begin the six-week “Sack of Louvain,” destroying historical buildings and killing hundreds of civilians
1917 – US National Championship Men’s Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Robert Lindley Murray beats Nathaniel W. Niles 5-7, 8-6, 6-3, 6-3 for first of 2 straight US singles titles
1921 – Yankees pitcher Harry Harper hits three batters in an inning, tying the record
1967 – Paraguay adopts its constitution

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Famous Birthdays

1934 – Valery Bykovsky, USSR cosmonaut (Vostok V; Soyuz 22; Soyuz 31), born in Pavlovsky Posad, Soviet Union (d. 2019)
1941 – Mario Corso, Italian soccer winger (23 caps; Inter Milan 413 games) and coach (Lecce, Inter), born in Verona, Italy (d. 2020)
1956 – Matt Aitken, English songwriter and rocker (Stock Aitken and Waterman-Road Block), born in Coventry, England
1962 – Shahid Mahboob, Pakistani cricketer (batted in one Test for Pakistan 1989), born in Karachi, Pakistan
1994 – Josh Flitter, American actor (Air Buddies movies), born in Ridgewood, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1967 – George Lincoln Rockwell, American far-right political activist. founder and leader of the American Nazi Party, assassinated by former party member John Patler at 49
1979 – Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, Mexican archaeologist who excavated Palenque, dies at 73
1996 – Sylvia Fisher, Australian operatic soprano (Albert Herring Opera), dies at 86
2001 – Ken Tyrrell, English race driver and founder of Tyrrell Racing, dies at 77
2006 – Vijay Mehra, Indian cricket batsman (8 Tests, 2 x 50; Delhi, Eastern Punjab, Railways), dies at 68

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Historical Events

1751 – Thomas Colley is executed in England for drowning a supposed witch
1858 – Richmond “Daily Dispatch” reports 90 Black individuals arrested for learning
1912 – District of Alaska becomes an organized incorporated territory of the United States
1997 – 97th US Amateur Golf Championship won by Joel Kribel
2019 – Britain’s Prince Andrew denies knowing his friend Jeffrey Epstein was involved in sexual trafficking of underage girls after public accusations made against him

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Famous Birthdays

1890 – Franz Philipp, German composer, born in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (d. 1972)
1890 – Jean Rhys [Ella Gwendolyn Rees Williams], British writer (Voyage in the Dark), born in Roseau, Dominica (d. 1979)
1951 – Oscar Hijuelos, American novelist (The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love), born in New York City (d. 2013)
1977 – Jürgen Macho, Austrian footballer, born in Vienna, Austria
1986 – Arian Foster, American football running back (First-team All-Pro 2010, 12; 4 × Pro Bowl; NFL rushing TD leader 2010, 12; Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins), born in Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Famous Deaths

1540 – Parmigianino [Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola,], Italian painter (Madonna of the Long Neck), dies at 37
1982 – Jack Siedle, South African cricketer (batted in 18 Tests for South Africa), dies at 79
1987 – Malcolm Kirk “King Kong Kirk”, English professional wrestler, dies of a heart attack in the ring at 51
1996 – Robert Tewdwr Moss, English journalist and travel writer, found dead at 34
2020 – Pascal Lissouba, Congo politician, 1st democratically-elected President of the Republic of the Congo (1992-97), dies at 88

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Historical Events

1938 – England scores 7-903 declared against Australia, with Len Hutton scoring 364
1957 – US performs a nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site
1982 – USSR performs a nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
2004 – Winning pitcher Lisa Fernandez (4-0) leads the US to the softball gold medal at the Athens Olympics, beating Australia 5-1
2017 – India’s toll from swine flu rises above 1,000 for the year, with 22,186 cases reported

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Famous Birthdays

1754 – Louis XVI, King of France (1774-93) eventually guillotined, born in Versailles, Yvelines, France (d. 1793)
1917 – Tex Williams, American country-western singer, born in Ramsey, Illinois (d. 1985)
1949 – Shelley Long, American actress (Diane in Cheers, Money Pit), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana
1954 – Halimah Yacob, Singaporean politician (1st female President of Singapore (2017-), born in Singapore
1964 – Kong Hee, Singaporean founder and Senior Pastor of the City Harvest movement in Asia, born in Singapore

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Famous Deaths

1927 – Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, executed in Massachusetts
1957 – Eugène Schueller, French chemist, founder of L’Oréal, dies at 76
1989 – Yusef Hawkins, shot by 30 whites in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn NY in a racially motivated attack
2006 – Jacques Wildberger, Swiss composer (In My End is My Beginning), dies at 84
2015 – Jean Darling, American child actress (Our Gang), dies at 93

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