Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1942 – US and USSR sign Lend-Lease agreement during WW II
1976 – Anti-apartheid advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza arrested in South Africa
1977 – Dutch marines rescued hostages from a Moluccan held train in Holland
2009 – The World Health Organization declares H1N1 swine flu to be a global pandemic, the first such incident in over forty years
2012 – Two earthquakes in Afghanistan trigger landslides that kill more than 80 people

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Famous Birthdays

1904 – Alan Roth, American orchestra leader (Milton Berle Show), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1972)
1921 – Beatrice “Fiet” van Ommeren-Samson, Suriname writer, born in Paramaribo, Suriname (d. 2012)
1922 – Erving Goffman, American sociologist (presentation of self in everyday life), born in Mannville, Alberta, Canada (d. 1982)
1933 – Gene Wilder [Jerome Silberman], American actor, (Blazing Saddles; Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; Silver Streak; Young Frankenstein), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 2016)
1955 – Tony Allcock, English bowls player (World Singles Champion (1986-87, 2002), born in Leicestershire

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Famous Deaths

1249 – Aleydis of Schaarbeek, Flemish prioress, mystic and saint, dies
1882 – Louis Désiré Maigret, French Catholic prelate, dies at 77
1936 – Robert E. Howard, American pulp fiction author (Conan the Barbarian), commits suicide aged 30
1997 – Thalassa Cruso, English-American gardening expert (The Mike Douglas Show; The Tonight Show), dies of Alzheimer’s at 88
2005 – VVasco Gonçalves, Portuguese army officer and 103rd Prime Minister of Portugal (1974-75), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1768 – Riot breaks out in Boston after customs officials seize sloop owned by John Hancock for alleged customs violation
1942 – Nazis kill all inhabitants of Lidice, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (now Czech Republic) which had been implicated in the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, Nazi controller of Bohemia and Moravia, to “teach the Czechs a final lesson of subservience and humility”; over 170 adult men were executed by firing squad on site, women and children were sent to concentration camp gas chambers, and the village was burned down and plowed under
1950 – Germany doesn’t annex Oder-Neissegrens
1990 – Senior Tournament Players Championship Men’s Golf, Dearborn CC: Jack Nicklaus wins his second of 8 Champions Tour majors by 6 strokes from Lee Trevino
2007 – Novelty dance song “I’m a Gummy Bear” by German band Gummibär released

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Famous Birthdays

1803 – Henry Darcy, French hydraulic engineer (Darcy’s Law), born in Dijon, France (d. 1858)
1920 – Zbyněk Vostřák, Czech composer (While We Are Falling Asleep), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 1985)
1926 – Willem Oltmans, Dutch investigative journalist and author (Outlawed; Free as a Bird), born in Huizen, Netherlands (d. 2004)
1936 – Graham Carleton Greene, British publisher (Jonathon Cape), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2016)
1942 – Janet Vogel, American doo-wop soprano (Skyliners – “Since I Don’t Have You”), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1980)

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Famous Deaths

1906 – Richard Seddon, New Zealand politician (longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand, 1893-1906), dies at 61
1971 – Virginia True Boardman, American actress of the silent era (A Blind Bargain; The Lady Lies), dies of a heart attack at 82
2001 – Princess Leila Pahlavi of Iran, youngest daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, dies at 31
2011 – Jeanne Bice, American entrepreneur (Quacker Factory clothes), dies of cancer at 71
2020 – Harry Glickman, American journalist, promoter and sports executive (co-founder NBA Portland Trail Blazers, President 1987-94), dies at 96

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Historical Events

1727 – Wreck of Dutch ship Zeewijk on the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia, with the loss of 72 lives, 82 survivors eventually build a boat and sail to Batavia (Jakarta)
1958 – HM Queen Elizabeth II officially opens London Gatwick Airport, (LGW), Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom.
1970 – Harry Blackmun sworn in as US Supreme Court Justice
1985 – NBA Championship, Boston Garden: Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics, 111-100 for a 4 games to 2 series victory; Finals MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1993 – Tickets for Indians 1st season in Jacobs Field go on sale

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Famous Birthdays

1810 – Carl Otto Ehrenfried Nicolai, German composer, one of the founders of the Vienna Philharmonic, born in Königsberg, Prussia (d. 1849)
1943 – Charles Saatchi, Iraqi English magnate and art collector (founded advertising company Saatchi and Saatchi), born in Baghdad, Iraq
1956 – Patricia Cornwell, American author (Kay Scarpetta crime novels), born in Miami, Florida
1961 – Aaron Sorkin, American screenwriter and playwright (A Few Good Men; The West Wing), born in New York City
1975 – Paul Agostino, Australian soccer forward (18 caps; 1860 Munich 248 games), born in Adelaide, Australia

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Famous Deaths

1901 – Walter Besant, English writer and philanthropist (Rebel Queen), dies at 64
1921 – Luis María Drago, Argentine statesman and author of Drago Doctrine, dies at 62
1967 – Stefan Boleslaw Poradowski, Polish composer, dies at 64
1994 – Angela Lakeberg, American siamese twin, dies at 11 months
2002 – Hans Janmaat, Dutch politician and party leader (CP, CD), dies of heart failure at 67

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Historical Events

1941 – British and French troops overthrow the pro-German Syrian government
1964 – “The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)”, recorded by 1960s American pop singers, Jan and Dean, is released
1975 – Two passenger trains collide near Munich, Germany, killing 35 people
1984 – “Ghostbusters”, American supernatural comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson premieres
2008 – French Open Men’s Tennis: Rafael Nadal equals Björn Borg’s Open era record of 4 consecutive French titles; outclasses Roger Federer 6-1, 6-3, 6-0

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Famous Birthdays

1759 – Thomas Dunham Whitaker, British topographer, born in Rainham, Norfolk (d. 1821)
1814 – Charles Reade, English novelist (Cloister and Hearth), born in Ipsden, Oxfordshire (d. 1884)
1912 – Harry Holtzman, American abstract artist, born in New York City (d. 1987)
1930 – Michael Codron, British theatrical producer (plays of Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard), born in London
1932 – Ray Illingworth, English cricket spin bowler and captain (61 Tests; 122 wickets, 1,836 runs @ 23.24; Yorkshire CCC, Leicestershire CCC), born in Pudsey, England (d. 2021)

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Famous Deaths

1476 – George Neville, English archbishop and statesman
1621 – Anne de Xainctonge, French saint and founder of the Society of the Sisters of Saint Ursula of the Blessed Virgin, dies at 53
1924 – Andrew Irvine, English mountain climber (climbing accident) (b. 1902)
1988 – Russell Harty, broadcaster, dies
1992 – Alfred Uhl, Austrian composer, dies at 83

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Historical Events

1937 – Time magazine publishes the second of the only two known photos taken of the United States Supreme Court in session
1948 – Communist complete takeover of Czechoslovakia; President Bernes resigns
1971 – Soviet Soyuz 11 crew completes 1st transfer to orbiting Salyut space station
1980 – Jeff Norman runs world record 50k (2:48:06)
1981 – French Open Men’s Tennis: Björn Borg of Sweden wins 11th and final career Grand Slam title; Open era record 6th French title; beats Ivan Lendl 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1

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Famous Birthdays

1884 – Julius P. Hoste, Belgian journalist, daily newspaper publisher (Last News), and politician (Minister of Education, 1936-38; Senator 1949-54), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1954)
1938 – Ian St John, Scottish soccer forward (21 caps; Motherwell; Liverpool 425 games), manager (Motherwell, Portsmouth) and broadcaster (ITV: Saint and Greavsie), born in Motherwell, Scotland (d. 2021)
1958 – Christopher Marcantel, actor (Chip-Nurse, Loving), born in Smithtown, New York
1967 – Dave Navarro, American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter, (Jane’s Addiction – “Just Because”; Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1993-98), born in Santa Monica, California
1970 – Mike Modano, American Hockey Hall of Fame center, 1989-2011, 8X All-Star (Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings), born in Livonia, Michigan

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Famous Deaths

1854 – Charles Baudin, French admiral (b. 1792)
1945 – Rubén M. Campos, Mexican novelist (Claudio Oranos) and musicologist (El folklore y la musica mexicana), dies at 69
1987 – John Blofeld, writer/translator/Zen practitioner, dies at 73
1996 – [Francis] Max Factor, American CEO of Max Factor Cosmetics, dies at 91
1996 – Noel Walton Bott, British engineer (father of wave energy), dies at 88

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Historical Events

1816 – 10″ of snowfall in New England, part of a “year without a summer” which followed the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia
1889 – Great Fire in Seattle destroys 25 downtown blocks
1932 – The Revenue Act of 1932 is enacted, creating the first gas tax in the United States, at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon (1/4 ¢/L) sold
1944 – World War II: All Major League Baseball games are cancelled in honor of the D-Day landings in northern France
1992 – WLAF World Bowl 2, Olympic Stadium, Montreal: Sacramento Surge beats Orlando Thunder, 21-17

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Famous Birthdays

1879 – Patrick Abercrombie, English architect and town planner, born in Ashton upon Mersey, Cheshire, England (d. 1957)
1886 – Paul Dudley White, American heart specialist, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts (d. 1973)
1950 – Chantal Akerman, Belgian feminist filmmaker (Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, Je Tu II Elle), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 2015)
1975 – Staci Keanan [Anastasia Love Sagorsky], American actress (My Two Dads, Step by Step), born in Devon, Pennsylvania
1987 – Kyle Falconer, Scottish rock singer-songwriter (The View), born in Dryburgh, Dundee, Scotland

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Famous Deaths

1730 – Alain Emmanuel de Coëtlogon, Marshal of France, dies at 83
1836 – Anthony of Saxony, King of Saxony (1827-36), dies at 80
1934 – Max Pallenberg [Pollack], Austrian extempore farce actor (Morn to Midnight), husband of operetta star Fritzi Massary, dies in air crash at 56
1994 – Peter Graves, British actor (Paradise Lagoon, Admirable Crichton), dies at 82
1996 – Jean Sinclair, South African campaigner, founder member and first president of the Black Sash in 1955, dies at 88

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Historical Events

1257 – Kraków, Poland, receives city rights.
1507 – England and Netherlands sign trade agreement
1915 – 47th Belmont: George Byrne aboard The Finn wins in 2:18.6
1948 – “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend” single released by Stan Jones
1998 – A strike begins at the General Motors parts factory in Flint, Michigan, that quickly spreads to five other assembly plants (the strike lasted seven weeks)

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Famous Birthdays

1695 – Johann Conrad Schlaun, German baroque architect (Schloss Münster), born in Nörde, Warburg, Germany (d. 1773)
1765 – Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German mathematician, born in Simmozheim (d. 1831)
1884 – Claude Jennings, Australian cricket batsman (6 Tests, HS 32; South Australia, Queensland), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1950)
1931 – Jerzy Prokopiuk, Polish philosopher and anthroposopist, born in Warsaw (d. 2021)
1952 – Monnette Sudler, American jazz guitarist (Sounds of Liberation), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2022)

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Famous Deaths

1568 – Willem Key, Flemish Renaissance painter, dies at about 47
1906 – Eduard von Hartmann, German philosopher known for “Philosophy of the Unconscious”, dies at 64
1939 – Elijah Beardsworth, British world quick shaving champion, dies
1970 – “Jopie” Pengel [Johan A], Premier of Suriname (1963-69), dies at 54
1997 – J Anthony Lukas, writer (Pulitizer, Common Ground), suicide at 64

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Historical Events

1824 – First free press (without government approval) founded in Australia – the Hobart Town Gazette by ex-convict Andrew Bent
1850 – Empire Engine Company No. 1 organized, in San Francisco, California
1928 – French Championships Men’s Tennis: Henri Cochet wins his 2nd of 4 home titles; beats countryman René Lacoste 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3
1963 – First broadcast of “Pop Go the Beatles” on BBC radio
2024 – US President Joe Biden introduces immediate restrictions on the southern border, limiting illegal migrant crossings to 2,500 a day

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Famous Birthdays

1922 – Irwin Bazelon, American composer (Duo for Viola), born in Evanston, Illinois (d. 1995)
1928 – Lloyd Lambert, American bassist (Guitar Slim), born in Thilbodaux, Louisiana (d. 1995)
1929 – Karolos Papoulias, President of Greece (2005-15), born in Ioannina, Greece (d. 2021)
1970 – Gary Lynagh, Australian rower (World C’ship gold Lwt quad scull 1991, Lwt double scull 1992, 93), born in Brisbane, Australia
1972 – Derian Hatcher, American ice hockey defenseman (NHL All Star 1997 Dallas Stars), born in Sterling Heights, Michigan

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Famous Deaths

1809 – Nicolai Arbraham Abildgaard, Danish painter/architect, dies at 65
1997 – Johnny “Hammond” Smith, American jazz and bop organist (Wild Horses Rock Steady), dies of cancer at 63
2007 – Freddie Scott, American singer and songwriter (“Cry To Me”), dies at 74
2013 – Cornelius “Nini” Harp, American doo-wop singer (The Marcels – “Blue Moon”), dies at 73
2018 – Georgann Johnson, American actress (Marge-Mr Peepers, Star Trek, Midnight Cowboy), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1906 – Belgian King Leopold II claims Congo as his private possession
1932 – John McGraw, who came to NY in 1902, resigns as manager of Giants
1968 – Poor Peoples March on Washington, D.C.
2010 – Canadian sportscaster Ron MacLean saves a man from drowning in the Delaware River in Philadelphia
2019 – US President Donald Trump begins a three-day visit to the UK by calling London Mayor Sadiq Khan “a stone cold loser” after Khan called Trump’s language that of a 20th century fascist

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Famous Birthdays

1540 – Charles II Archduke of Austria, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1590)
1910 – Paulette Goddard [Marion Levy], American actress (Great Dictator), born in Whitestone Landing, Long Island (d. 1990)
1931 – Raúl Castro, Cuban revolutionary, politician (First Secretary 2011-21) and brother of Fidel Castro, born in Biran, Holguin, Cuba
1958 – Ibrahim Hussein, Kenyan marathon runner (Boston Marathon-1988, 91, 92), born in Kapsabet, Kenya
1968 – Saffron [Samantha Sprackling], Nigerian-British singer (Republica), born in Lagos, Nigeria

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Famous Deaths

1898 – Samuel Plimsoll, English politician and social reformer (invented Plimsoll line for ships), dies at 74
1992 – William Gaines, American publisher (Mad Magazine), dies at 70
2004 – Quorthon [Thomas Forsberg], Swedish heavy and Viking metal musician, and record producer (Bathory), dies of a congenital heart issue at 38
2011 – Jack Kevorkian, American pathologist and right-to-die activist, dies of a thrombosis at 83
2018 – Miguel Cardinal Obando y Bravo, Nicaraguan clergyman (Archbishop of Managua, 1970-2005; 1st Central American cardinal, 1985), dies at 92

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Historical Events

1625 – Prince Frederick Henry sworn in as viceroy of Holland/Zealand
1881 – Haarlem-Zandvoort Railway opens
1901 – Benjamin Adams arrested for playing golf on Sunday (NY)
1953 – Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey, London, England
2018 – Ringo Starr’s thirteenth All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Steve Lukather, Gregg Rolie, Colin Hay, Graham Gouldman, Gregg Bissonette, and Warren Ham

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Famous Birthdays

1940 – John O’Shea, Welsh rugby union prop (5 Tests Wales, 1 British and Irish Lions; Cardiff RFC 213 games), born in Weston-Super-Mare, England (d. 2024)
1940 – Christopher Bernau, actor (Guiding Light), born in Santa Barbara, California
1948 – Jerry Mathers, American actor (Leave It To Beaver – “Theodore ‘Beaver’ Cleaver”; The Trouble with Harry), born in Sioux City, Iowa
1967 – Kenny Atkinson, American basketball head coach (Brooklyn Nets 2016-19; Director Player Development, Houston Rockets 2007–08), born in Huntington, New York
1970 – Karen Mok, Hong Kong actress and singer (Around the World in 80 Days), born in Hong Kong

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Famous Deaths

1968 – R. Norris Williams, American tennis player (US National C’ship 1914, 16; survived sinking of RMS Titanic), dies of emphysema at 77
1996 – Amos Tversky, Israeli psychologist (b. 1937)
2003 – Fred Blassie, American professional wrestler (b. 1918)
2004 – Loyd Sigmon, American radio broadcaster, sound engineer, and inventor (“Sig Alert” for traffic and emergency notices), dies from complications of Parkinson’s disease at 95
2023 – Kaija Saariaho, Finnish electro-acoustic and contemporary classical composer (L’Amour de loin (Love from Afar); Circle Map), dies of brain cancer at 70

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