Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1933 – 37th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:31:01.6
1939 – 43rd Boston Marathon won by Ellison Brown in 2:28:51.8; his second victory in the event
1981 – New York Islander Dennis Potvin’s 3 playoff power-play goals vs Edmonton Oilers tie NHL record
1995 – 99th Boston Marathon: Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya claims 3rd straight title in 2:09:22; Uta Pippig of Germany wins 2nd consecutive women’s event in 2:25:11
1997 – NJ Devil Martin Brodeur is 2nd NHL goalie to score in a playoff game

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1863 – Johannes Petrus Boskaljon, Curacaoian composer and conductor, born in Willemstad (d. 1936)
1885 – Isak Dinesen [Karen Blixen-Finecke], Danish baroness and writer (Out of Africa), born in Rungsted, Zealand, Denmark (d. 1962)
1956 – Elizabeth Lindsey, American explorer, filmmaker (Then There Were None), and actress (China Beach; The Byrds of Paradise), born in Oahu, Territory of Hawaii
1962 – Nancy Hogshead, American swimmer (Olympic gold 1984), born in Iowa City
1980 – Lee Hyun-il, South Korean badminton player, born in Seoul

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1967 – Giorgio Cesana, Italian coxswain (Olympic gold 1906), dies at 75
1987 – Dick Shawn [Richard Schulefand], American character actor and comedian (The Producers – “L.S.D.”; Maid to Order), suffers a fatal heart attack on stage in San Diego on stage at 57
2008 – Danny Federici, American rock organist, accordionist, and glockenspieler (E Street Band), dies of melanoma at 58
2011 – Everard Goodman, English real estate developer (Tops Estates), dies at 79
2024 – Raman Subba Row, English cricket batsman (13 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 137; Surrey CCC, Northamptonshire CCC), dies at 92

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1853 – First passenger railway opens in India from Bori Bunder (Bombay) to Thane (34 km)
1986 – To dispel rumors he’s dead, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appears on TV
1987 – August Wilson’s “Fences” wins 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
2014 – South Korean ferry MV Sewol sinks on route Incheon to Jeju, 304 drown, mostly students. National controversy erupts over rescue efforts and actions of crew and owner.
2017 – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wins referendum on 18-article constitutional reform package

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1820 – Georg Curtius, German classical linguist, born in the Free Imperial City of Lübeck (d. 1885)
1897 – Milton Cross, American radio announcer (Metropolitan Opera’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, 1931-75), born in New York City (d. 1975)
1947 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar [Lew Alcindor], American Basketball Hall of Fame center (6 x NBA champion; NBA Finals MVP 1971, 1985; 6 × NBA MVP; 19 × NBA All-Star), born in New York City
1954 – John Bowe, Australian racing driver, born in Devonport, Tasmania
1963 – Nick Berry, British actor (EastEnders, Heartbeat), born in Woodford, England

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1904 – Maximilian Kronberger, German poet, dies at 16
1985 – Scott Brady [Gerald Tierney], American actor (Shotgun Slade, China Syndrome, Gremlins, Johnny Guitar), dies of pulmonary fibrosis at 60
2007 – Kevin Granata, American professor of Engineering (b. 1961)
2007 – Gaetan Duchesne, Canadian hockey player (b. 1962)
2010 – Rasim Delic, Bosnian military chief of staff and war criminal (b. 1949)

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1250 – Kublai is acclaimed the Great Khan by a Mongol Great Council
1502 – Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres, new Governor of the Indies, lands in Hispaniola, replacing Christopher Columbus
1900 – An early 50 mile race is won by an electric car in over 2 hrs
1960 – Guy Carawan sings “We Shall Overcome” to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh, popularizing the song as a protest anthem
1989 – Hillsborough disaster: 96 people are crushed to death and 766 are injured at Hillsborough Football Stadium in Sheffield, England, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1469 – Guru Nanak, Founder of the religion of Sikhism and the 1st Sikh Guru, born in Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi, Punjab, Pakistan (d. 1539)
1766 – Friedrich Bouterwek, German philosopher and critic, born in Oker, Hanover, Germany (d. 1828)
1922 – Harold Washington, 1st African American Mayor of Chicago (Democrat: 1983-87), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1987)
1959 – Emma Thompson, British actress (Henry V, Howards End, Oscar 1992), born in London, England
1982 – Seth Rogen, Canadian actor and writer (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Interview), born in Vancouver, British Columbia

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1962 – Esther Minciotti, Italian actress, dies at 73
1974 – Giovanni D’Anzi, Italian pianist and songwriter (with Alfredo Bracchi – “Malinconia d’amore”, “El Biscella”), dies at 68
1991 – Marjorie Warfield, American stage, radio, and silent film actress, dies of pneumonia at 88
1991 – Martin Ashe, American actor, dies at 81
2002 – William Leonard “Will” Reed, British pianist and composer, dies at 91

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1828 – Noah Webster registers the copyright for the publication of the first American dictionary titled “An American Dictionary of the English Language”
1917 – Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Cicotte no-hits St Louis Browns, 11-0
1941 – King Peter leaves Yugoslavia
1950 – Doorne’s Auto factory opens in Netherlands
1972 – Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz’s musical review “That’s Entertainment” opens at Edison Theater, NYC; runs for 4 performances

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1889 – James Stephenson, British actor (Letter, Espionage Agent, Nancy Drew), born in Selby, Yorkshire, England (d. 1941)
1900 – Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian opera singer and actor (Merry Andrew; Rock-a-Bye Baby), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1969)
1925 – Abel Muzorewa, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979-80), born in Umtali, Manicaland, Southern Rhodesia (d. 2010)
1951 – Julian Lloyd Webber, English cellist (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), born in London
1977 – Rob McElhenney, American actor, screenwriter and producer known for “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Welcome to Wrexham”, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1922 – Cap Anson, American Baseball HOF first baseman (NL batting champion 1881, 88; 8 × NL RBI leader; Chicago White Stockings/Colts) and manager (Philadelphia A’s, Chicago White Stockings/Colts, NY Giants), dies from a glandular ailment at 69
1935 – Emmy Noether, German mathematician known for her contributions to abstract algebra, dies at 53
1988 – Herbert Reynolds Inch, American composer and teacher, dies at 83
2008 – Miguel Galvan, Mexican actor/comedian. (b. 1957)
2012 – John Herbert “Jonathan” Frid, Canadian actor (Barnabas Collins-Dark Shadows), dies of pneumonia at 87

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1918 – Electrical fire kills 38 mental patients at Oklahoma State Hospital
1944 – Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4 in overtime for a 4-0 series sweep; Canadiens’ first SC triumph since 1931
1960 – The US Department of Defense places “Transit 1B,” the first navigational satellite, in orbit around Earth
1981 – Washington Post journalist Janet Cooke wins Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing; she later admits story was a hoax and returns the prize
2014 – Kenyan Wilson Kipsang wins the London Marathon

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1570 – Guy Fawkes, English Catholic conspirator who was convicted in the “Gunpowder Plot” to blow up the British Parliament, born in York, England (d. 1606)
1937 – John Contiguglia, American concert pianist (as duo with his identical twin, Richard), born in Auburn, New York
1939 – Barbara-Rose Collins, American politician (Rep-D-Michigan), born in Detroit, Michigan
1954 – Niels Olsen, Danish singer and songwriter (The Olsen Brothers; Eurovision Song Contest, 2000), born in Odense, Denmark
1971 – Jeroen Thesseling, Dutch death metal fretless bassist (Pestilence; Obscura), born in the Netherlands

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1826 – Franz Danzi, German composer and cellist, dies at 62
1827 – Hugh Clapperton, Scottish explorer of Africa, dies at Sokoto, at 38
1936 – Milton Brown, American swing bandleader, dies at 32
1997 – Foffie Williams, West Indian cricket all-rounder (4 Tests; 9 wickets, 1 x 50; Barbados), dies at 83
2016 – Jeremy Steig, American jazz flutist (“Howlin’ for Judy”; “Wayfaring Stranger”), dies of cancer at 73

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1943 – Allies conquer Soussa, North-Africa
1954 – Belgian Van Houtte government resigns
1982 – 3 CBS employees shot to death in NYC parking lot
2002 – Pedro Carmona becomes interim President of Venezuela during the military coup against Hugo Chávez.
2024 – Music festival Coachella kicks off, headlined by Lana Del Ray, Tyler The Creator, Doja Cat and No Doubt

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1777 – Henry Clay, American politician known as “the Great Compromiser”, Speaker of the House, Senator and Secretary of State (1825-29), born in Hanover County, Virginia (d. 1852)
1839 – Nikolay Przhevalsky, Russian naturalist and explorer (East and Central Asia), born in Kimborovo, Russia (d. 1888) (OS 31 March)
1899 – Chief Thundercloud [Victor Daniels], Cherokee actor (The Lone Ranger; Colt .45), born in Muskogee, Indian Territory (d. 1955)
1912 – Harold Maguire, British air marshal, born in Kilkishen, Ireland (d. 2001)
1953 – Tony James, English rock bassist (Sigue Sigue Sputnik – Love Missile F-111), born in Shepherds Bush, London

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

352 – Julius I, pope (337-52), dies
1788 – Carl Joseph Toeschi, German composer, dies at 56
1898 – Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Roman catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Quebec, dies at 78
1981 – Hans Chemin-Petit, German composer, dies at 78
1996 – Marthe Robert, French essayist and translator who influenced Sigmund Freud, dies at 82

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1564 – Liege Prince-Bishop Robert van Bergen resigns
1868 – The Shogunate is abolished in Japan
1972 – Fantasy Records releases “Mardi Gras”, the seventh and final studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival
1999 – Neil Jenkins converts a Scott Gibbs try to give Wales a famous, 32-31 win over England at Wembley Stadium; allows Scotland to win final Five Nations Rugby Championship; reverts to 6 teams in 2000
2019 – Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft, the first privately-funded mission to the moon, crashes on the moon

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1838 – Joseph Leopold Röckel, German-British composer, music publisher, and teacher, born in London, England (d. 1908)
1920 – Emilio Colombo, Italian Prime Minister (1970-72), born in Potenza, Basilicata (d. 2013)
1930 – Joseph Burnett-Stuart, British CEO (Robert Fleming Holdings), born in the UK (d. 2010)
1951 – Françoise Hampson, British academic and human rights lawyer, born in Bolton, England (d. 2025)
1955 – Michael Callen, American AIDS activist, singer-songwriter, and author, born in Rising Sun, Indiana (d. 1993)

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1839 – John Galt, Scottish novelist (Annals of the Parish), dies at 59
1961 – Francis de Bourguignon, Belgian pianist (accompanist to Nellie Melba), and contemporary classical composer, dies at 70
1985 – Enver Hoxha, Albanian post-war communist leader and dictator of Albania (1944-85), dies at 76
1991 – Tom Rosqui, American stage and screen character actor (The Godfather – “Rocco Lampone”), dies of cancer at 62
2016 – Emile Ford, Caribbean-born British singer and engineer (first black male singer to top UK charts), dies at 78

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1916 – The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) is founded in New York City
1962 – Houston Colt .45s make their MLB debut with an 11-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Colt Stadium; outfielder Román Mejías hits a pair of 3-run homers
1974 – Golda Meir resigns as Israel’s Prime Minister
2005 – At 16 years, 271 days James Vaughan scores for Everton in a 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park; becomes youngest goalscorer in EPL history
2010 – Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes near Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board including President Lech Kaczyński

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1569 – Emilia van Nassau, daughter of William I of Orange and Anna of Saxony, born in Cologne, Germany (d. 1629)
1704 – Benjamin Heath, English classical scholar, born in Exeter, Devon, England (d. 1766)
1833 – James Edward Rains, American lawyer and Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1862)
1970 – Enrico Ciccone, Canadian NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks), born in Montreal, Quebec
1987 – Hayley Westenra, New Zealand soprano and UNICEF ambassador, born in Christchurch, New Zealand

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1956 – Clarence Beaumont, 1st batter in 1st World Series, dies at 75
1968 – Gustavs Celmins, Latvian politician, dies at 69
1989 – Joan Barry, dies at 85
1992 – Cecil “Cec” Linder, Polish-Canadian actor (Goldfinger, Quatermass and the Pit), dies at 71
2010 – Ryszard Kaczorowski, Polish statesman is killed in the crash of a Polish Air Force Tu-154 at 90

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1595 – Spanish Mendaña and Queirós Expedition departs Callao, Peru, led by Alvaro de Mendan accompanied by 378 men, women and children in four ships to colonise the Solomon Islands (find Marquesas instead)
1914 – “World, the Flesh and the Devil,” the first color film, is shown in London
1973 – Otto Kerner, former governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme
2017 – Suicide car bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia kills at least 17, Al-Shabaab group claim responsibility
2024 – Simon Harris becomes Ireland’s youngest taoiseach at 37 after the resignation of Leo Varadkar

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1773 – Étienne Aignan, French writer, born in Beaugency, France (d. 1824)
1895 – Rudolf Kattnigg, Austrian composer, born in Carinthia, Austria (d. 1955)
1917 – Vincent O’Brien, Irish racehorse trainer (6 x Epsom Derby; 2 x British champion trainer; only British Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky 1970), born in Churchtown, Ireland (d. 2009)
1946 – Alan Knott, English cricket wicket-keeper (1967-81), born in Belvedere, Kent
1967 – Graeme Lloyd, Australian baseball pitcher (World Series 1996, 98 NY Yankees; Olympic silver 2004), born in Geelong, Australia

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1865 – Thomas Alfred Smyth, Irish/US Union general-major, dies at 32
1879 – Ernst Richter, German musical theorist and composer, dies at 70
1882 – Dante Gabriel Rossetti, English Pre-Raphaelite poet and painter, dies at 53
1992 – Ruth Hammond, American Broadway actress, dies in her sleep at 96
2020 – Jocelyn Barrow, British race relations campaigner (Card) and 1st black female governor of the BBC, dies at 90

More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events

1796 – Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, proves the quadratic reciprocity law (the ability to determine the solvability of any quadratic equation in modular arithmetic)
1963 – Detroit Tigers claim young pitcher Denny McLain on waivers from the Chicago White Sox; McLain goes on the win Cy Young Award 1968, 69 and American League MVP 1968
1964 – Unmanned Gemini 1 launched
1966 – American Football League votes in 36-year-old Al Davis as commissioner after Joe Foss resigns; appointment lasts 3 months when AFL merges with NFL
2007 – 71st US Masters Tournament: Zach Johnson wins his first major title, 2 strokes ahead of Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini and Tiger Woods

More Historical Events »

Famous Birthdays

1902 – Arthur Wellard, English cricket all-rounder (2 Tests, 7 wickets, BB 4/81; Somerset CCC), born in Southfleet, England (d. 1980)
1921 – Jan Novák, Czech classical composer and contemporary Latin poet, born in Nová Říše, Moravia, First Czechoslovak Republic (d. 1984)
1944 – Hywel Bennett, Welsh, actor (Family Way, Shelley), born in Garnant, Wales (d. 2017)
1966 – Mark Blundell, British auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1992), born in London, England
1984 – Kirsten Storms, American actress (General Hospital; Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century), born in Orlando, Florida

More Famous Birthdays »

Famous Deaths

1537 – Willem Aerts, Flemish architect and sculptor (Bruges School), dies
1942 – Alfred Mombert, German poet, dies at 70
1994 – François Rozet, French Canadian actor (b. 1899)
1997 – Charles Hayes, American politician (Rep-D-IL, 1983-93), dies at 79
1997 – Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter (“Wedding Bell Blues”; “Stoned Soul Picnic”; “And When I Die”), dies of ovarian cancer at 49

More Famous Deaths »