Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1814 – British attack Fort Ontario, Oswego, New York
1908 – 34th Kentucky Derby: Arthur Pickens aboard 66-1 chance Stone Street wins in muddy track conditions; 2:15.20 slowest Derby in history
1938 – MLB Philadelphia Phillies Harold Kelleher pitcher faces 16 batters in 6th, as Cubs score 12 runs, both marks are NL records off one hurler in a single inning
1980 – Siege at Iranian Embassy in London ends as the SAS and police storm the building
1990 – 35th Eurovision Song Contest: Toto Cutugno for Italy wins singing “Insieme: 1992” in Zagreb

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Famous Birthdays

1680 – Giuseppe Porsile, Neapolitan composer, born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, Spanish Empire (d. 1750)
1873 – Leon Czolgosz, American anarchist and assassin of US President William McKinley, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1901)
1904 – Gordon Richards, British jockey (26 x British flat racing Champion Jockey; 4,870 race wins), born in Donnington Wood, Telford (d. 1986)
1921 – Sonja Oosterman, Dutch pop singer and lyricist (De Marketentsters en De Musketiers), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2008)
1936 – Patrick Gowers, British choral and film score composer (Viri Galilaei; Hamlet; Smiley’s People), born in Islington, England (d. 2014)

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Famous Deaths

1678 – Anna M van Schurman, Dutch poet, spoke 10 languages, dies at about 70
1808 – Pierre Jean George Cabanis, French physiologist, dies at 50
1864 – John Marshall Jones, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies in battle at 43
1996 – Bernard Benjamin Gillis [Kyanski] British jurist (High Court , 1964-80), dies at 89
2000 – Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (Tour de France 1938, 48; Giro d’Italia 1936-7, 46), dies of a heart attack at 85

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Historical Events

1868 – World’s largest book, the “Kuthodaw Inscription Shrines,” recording the whole of Buddhist scriptures on 729 marble tablets, is completed and opened to the public in Mandalay, Burma
1919 – Demonstrates organised by students erupt in China, after news from the Paris Peace Conference that the Allies intend to give Shangtung to Japan
1958 – Alberto Lleras Camargo chosen as president of Colombia
2002 – 128th Kentucky Derby: Victor Espinoza aboard War Emblem wins in 2:01.13
2013 – 39 people are killed at a funeral in Wukari, Nigeria

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Famous Birthdays

1893 – Edgar Dearing, American actor (Pollyanna, Abraham Lincoln, Free and Easy), born in Ceres, California (d. 1974)
1921 – Edo Murtić, Croatian painter, born in Velika Pisanica, Bjelovar, Croatia (d. 2005)
1933 – J. Fred Duckett, American sports announcer (Houston Astros, Rice University, US Track and Field) and teacher, born in Houston, Texas (d. 2007)
1989 – Rory McIlroy, Irish golfer (Masters 2025; US Open 2011, British Open 2014, PGA C’ship 2012, 14; FedEx Cup 2016, 19, 22), born in Holywood, Northern Ireland
1994 – Pauline Ducruet, daughter of HSH Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, born in Princess Grace Hospital Centre, La Colle, Monaco

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Famous Deaths

1859 – Joseph Diez Gergonne, French mathematician, dies at 87
1919 – Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak politician, French army general (WWI), Czecho-Slovak nationalist resistance leader, aviator, and astronomer, dies in a plane crash at 38
1971 – Donald Dexter Van Slyke, American chemist (Micromanometric analysis), dies at 88
1975 – Moe Howard [Moses Horowitz], American actor and comedian (The 3 Stooges), dies at 77
1999 – Brinsley Ford, British art historian and CEO (National Art Collections Fund), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1765 – 1st North American medical college opens in Philadelphia
1830 – First regular steam train passenger service in the US starts in South Carolina, with U.S.-built locomotive “The Best Friend of Charleston”
1867 – Hudson’s Bay Company gives up all claims to Vancouver Island
1900 – 26th Kentucky Derby: Jimmy Boland aboard Lieut Gibson wins in 2:06.25
2018 – Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan becomes NFL’s first $30m per season player after agreeing to $150m contract extension

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Famous Birthdays

1895 – Ernst Kantorowicz, German-American historian (Laudes regiae), born in Posen, Prussia (d. 1963)
1920 – John Lewis, American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer (Modern Jazz Quartet, 1952-97), born in La Grange, Illinois (d. 2001)
1964 – Ron Hextall, Canadian ice hockey goalie (Vezina and Conn Smyth Trophy 1987) and executive (GM Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins), born in Brandon, Manitoba
1968 – Shane Minor, American country music singer, born in Modesto, California
1979 – Genevieve Nnaji, Nigerian actress and director (Lionheart), born in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria

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Famous Deaths

1763 – George Psalmanazar, British impostor (b. 1679)
1764 – Francesco Algarotti, Italian art collector and encyclopedist (Viaggio in Russia), dies at 53
1983 – Armando José Fernandes, Portuguese neoclassical composer, dies at 76
2005 – Pierre Moerlen, French rock-jazz fusion drummer and percussionist (Gong; Mike Oldfield), dies at 52
2008 – Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, Spanish former Primer Minister (b. 1926)

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Historical Events

1876 – Ross Barnes hit 1st home run in National League
1906 – 32nd Kentucky Derby: Roscoe Troxler aboard Sir Huon wins in 2:08.8
1968 – 22nd NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 2
1981 – Radio Shack re-releases Model III TRSDOS 1.3 with 2 fixes
1999 – John Elway announces his retirement from the NFL

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Famous Birthdays

1844 – Elijah McCoy, Canadian-American inventor of African descent, notable for his 57 US patents (lubrication of steam engines), born in Colchester, Ontario (d. 1929)
1904 – Georgi Dimitrov, Bulgarian composer, born in Belogradchik, Bulgaria (d. 1979)
1929 – Edward Levy, American composer, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2002)
1973 – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, German film director and screenwriter (The Lives of Others), born in Cologne, Germany
1987 – Nana Kitade, Japanese singer and songwriter, born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

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Famous Deaths

373 – Athanasius, Greek early church Father, theologian and Patriarch of Alexandria (298-373) (b. 298)
1985 – Bridget D’Oyly Carte, British theater and hotel director, dies of lung cancer at 77
1990 – Oleg Anatolyevich Yakovlev, Russian cosmonaut, dies at 49
1992 – Wilbur Mills, American politician (US Representative from Arkansas, 1939-77), famous for his involvement in a sex scandal with Fanne Foxe, dies at 82
2017 – Leo Thorsness, American Vietnam War pilot (Medal of Honor), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1759 – British fleet occupies Guadeloupe, West Indies, capturing it from France
1795 – Kamehameha I, King of Hawaiʻi defeats Kalanikupule and conquers island of Oʻahu at Battle of Nuʻuanu [approx. date]
1921 – Drusian sultan Pasja al-Atrasj elected governor of Suwayda
1947 – Radar for commercial and private planes is first demonstrated
1954 – WAPA TV channel 4 in San Juan, PR (NBC/SFN) begins broadcasting

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Famous Birthdays

1915 – Archie Williams, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m 1936), born in Oakland, California (d. 1993)
1928 – Raoul Servais, Belgian cartoonist and filmmaker (Harpya, Palme d’Or 1979), born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 2023)
1930 – Little Walter [Marion Walter Jacobs], blues singer-songwriter and harmonica player, born in Marksville, Louisiana (d. 1968)
1941 – Juraj Hatrík, Slovak composer (Monumento malinconico; Dispute Over a Plastered Dwarf), and educator, born in Orkucany, Slovak Republic (d. 2021)
1987 – Shahar Pe’er, Israeli tennis player (5 WTA singles titles), born in Jerusalem, Israel

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Famous Deaths

1896 – Nasr-ed-Din, shah of Persia (184.-96), murdered at 65
1963 – Lope K. Santos, Filipino writer and Father of the Philippine National Language and Grammar, dies at 83
1971 – Glenda Farrell, American actress (Golddiggers of 1935: Grand Slam; Exposed), dies of lung cancer at 66
2014 – Assaf Dayan, Israeli actor (He Walked Through the Fields), dies at 68
2017 – Mike Lowry, American politician (Rep-D-WA, 1979-89, Governor of Washington 1993-97), dies at 78

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Historical Events

1665 – Naval battle in Bay of Barbados between attacking Dutch fleet led by Michiel de Ruyter damages ships but fails to take the English-held fort
1962 – NASA civilian pilot Joseph A. Walker takes X-15 to 75,190 m
1962 – LPGA Titleholders Championship Women’s Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 8th major title in a playoff with Ruth Jessen
1988 – NY Yank Dave Winfield gets his 29th RBI of April-Sets AL and ties ML Rec
2000 – Pope John Paul II canonizes Polish nun Sister Faustina [Helena Kowalska] as a Catholic saint

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Famous Birthdays

1912 – Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado, Deputy Prime Minister of Spain (1976-81) and Minister of Defense (1977-79), born in Madrid (d. 1995)
1931 – Bill Clay, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri), born in St. Louis, Missouri
1969 – Joey Restivo, American pop-rock percussionist (Linear – “Sending All My Love”), born in Brooklyn, New York
1982 – Cleo Higgins, British singer and actress (Cleopatra), born in Birmingham, England
1983 – Yamini, Tamil singer, born in India

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Famous Deaths

535 – Amalaswintha, queen of Ostrogoths, murdered in the bath at about 37
1660 – Peter Scriverius, Dutch lawyer and historian, dies at 84
1976 – Edvard Fliflet Braein, Norwegian composer (Ut mot havet (Out To Sea); Anne Pedersdotter), dies at 51
2005 – Ron Todd, British trade unionist (TGWU General Secretary, 1985-92), dies at 78
2015 – Ben E. King [Nelson], American soul singer (Stand By Me), dies at 76

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Historical Events

1540 – Emperor Charles declares all privileges of Ghent ended
1707 – English and Scottish parliaments accept Act of Union; creates the United Kingdom of Great Britain (comes into being 1st May)
1964 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1991 – “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” single released by Alan Jackson (ASCAP Award Country Song of the Year, 1992; Billboard Song of the Year, 1991)
1995 – Longest sausage ever, at 28.77 miles, made in Kitchener, Ontario

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Famous Birthdays

1896 – Walter Mehring, German writer (Die Gedichte, Lieder und Chansons des Walter Mehring), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1981)
1901 – G. O. Sayles, English historian, born in Chesterfield, England (d. 1994)
1932 – King Hu, Chinese film director and actor (wuxia films), born in Beijing, Republic of China (d. 1997)
1947 – Sam Francis, American far-right conservative columnist and editor (The Washington Times, 1991-95), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee (d. 2005)
1954 – Deborah Iyall, American artist and singer (Romeo Void), born in Soap Lake, Washington

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Famous Deaths

1943 – Joseph Achron, Lithuanian-American concert violinist and composer (Golem Suite), dies at 56
1975 – Darwin Judge, USMC-corporal, 1 of last US soldiers killed in Vietnam
1982 – Herbert Collum, German composer, dies at 67
1997 – Peter Tali Coleman, Governor of American Samoa (1956-61, 1978-85, 1989-93), dies at 77
2020 – Trevor Cherry, English soccer defender (27 caps; Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City) and manager (Bradford City), dies at 72

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Historical Events

1253 – -May 7th) Utrecht destroyed by fire
1796 – Armistice of Cherasco between Sardinia and Napoleon Bonaparte at Cherasco, Piedmont gives France territories of Piedmont, Savoy and Nice
1988 – NJ Devils set all time playoff mark for penalty minutes
1997 – Ringo Starr’s fourth All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce, Gary Brooker, Simon Kirke, and Mark Rivera
2022 – Russian missiles strike Ukrainian city of Kyiv during a visit by UN Secretary-General António Guterres

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Famous Birthdays

1922 – Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist (The Guns of Navarone), born in Shettleston, Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1987)
1933 – Oliver “Bops Junior” Jackson, American jazz drummer, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1994)
1944 – Alice Waters, American chef (Chez Panisse, farm-to-table movement), born in Chatham Borough, New Jersey
1968 – Howard Donald, British pop musician (Take That – “Back For Good”), born in Droylsden, Lancashire, England
1968 – Andy Flower, Zimbabwean cricket wicketkeeper and captain (63 Tests, 12 x 100, HS 232no, 160 dismissals; Mashonaland, Essex CCC, South Australia), born in Cape Town, South Africa

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Famous Deaths

1946 – Louis Bachelier, French mathematician who pioneered mathematical finance introducing Brownian motion, dies at 76
1978 – Mohammed Daoud Khan, 1st President of Afghanistan (1973-78) and Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1953-63), dies at 68
1995 – Andrew Salkey, Panamanian-born novelist, dies at 67
1999 – John Stears, British Academy Award-winning film special effects expert (Dr. No; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Star Wars), dies following a stroke at 64
2007 – Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, German physicist and philosopher, dies at 94

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Historical Events

1773 – British Parliament passes the Tea Act (Boston won’t like this)
1911 – Indian passive resistance in South Africa is suspended when General Jan Smuts enters into negotiations with Mahatma Gandhi
1950 – Musical revue “Tickets, Please” opens at Coronet Theater, later transferring to the Mark Hellinger Theatre, NYC; runs for 245 performances
1981 – Paul McCartney’s rock band Wings breaks-up
1997 – “Stanley” closes at Circle in the Square Theater, NYC

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Famous Birthdays

1903 – Frank Belknap Long, American writer (Rim of the Unknown), born in New York City (d. 1994)
1903 – Hans Kosterlitz, German-British biochemist (endorphins), born in Berlin (d. 1996)
1971 – Craig Keith, American football tight end (Jacksonville Jaguars), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
1972 – Maura West, American actress (As the World Turns), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
1989 – Emily Rios, American actress (Andrea Cantillo-Breaking Bad), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1881 – Ludwig von Benedek, Austrian general, dies at 76
1952 – Guido Castelnuovo, Italian mathematician, dies at 86
1994 – John Preston, American writer (Gay House, Big Gay Book), dies at 48
1999 – Cyril Washbrook, English cricket batsman (37 Tests, 6 x 100, HS 195; Lancashire CCC), dies at 84
2009 – Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean actress and model, dies at 25

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Historical Events

1949 – Transjordan is officially renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
1990 – Texas Rangers Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller’s record of pitching 12 one-hitters in 1-0 win over Chicago White Sox at Arlington Stadium
1992 – “Metro” closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 13 performances
2008 – NFL Draft: University of Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long first pick by Miami Dolphins
2012 – 70 people are killed by rocket attacks by the Syrian Army on the city of Hama

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Famous Birthdays

1718 – Esek Hopkins, American Revolutionary War admiral and Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy, born in Scituate, Rhode Island (d. 1802)
1938 – Maurice Williams, American doo-wop singer, and songwriter (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs – “Stay”), born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (d. 2024)
1961 – Joan Chen [Chen Chong], Chinese-American actress (Heaven and Earth, The Last Emperor), born in Shanghai, China
1974 – Adil Ray, English radio presenter (BBC Asian Network), born in Birmingham, England
1981 – Matthieu Delpierre, French footballer, born in Nancy, France

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Famous Deaths

1784 – (Honora) “Nano” Nagle, Irish Catholic educator and religious order founder (Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, aka Presentation Sisters), dies of tuberculosis at about 66.
1970 – Paul Celan, Romanian-born writer, dies at 49
1983 – Vaughn Taylor, American character actor (Jailhouse Rock; Johnny Jupiter; Psycho), dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 73
1991 – Richard Hatfield, Canadian politician (26th Premier of New Brunswick), dies at 60
2019 – David McNee, Scottish law enforcement officer (City of Glasgow/Strathclyde Police Chief Constable, 1971-77; Metropolitan Police Commissioner, 1977-82), dies at 94

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