Category: On This Day

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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Historical Events

1914 – US President Woodrow Wilson is persuaded by Argentina, Brazil, and Chile to accept mediation in the conflict with Mexico
1927 – Spain routes 20,000 soldiers to Morocco (uprising Rifkabylen)
1972 – Hans-Werner Grosse glides 907.7 miles (1,461 km) in an AS-W-12
1976 – Portugal adopts new constitution
2022 – First airport for electric flying cars and large drones, built by Urban-Air Port, begins operations in Coventry, England

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Famous Birthdays

1840 – James Dearing, U.S. Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Campbell County, Virginia (d. 1865)
1862 – Edward Grey, British Liberal statesman and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1905-16), born in London (d. 1933)
1949 – James Fenton, English poet and journalist, born in Lincoln, England
1973 – Barbara Rittner, German tennis star (1992 Schenectady), born in Krefeld, West Germany
1980 – Bruce Martin, New Zealand cricketer, born in Whangarei, New Zealand

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Famous Deaths

1840 – Siméon-Denis Poisson, French mathematician (Poisson distribution) and physicist, dies at 58
1875 – Trinley Gyatso, 12th Dalai Lama of Tibet, dies at 18
1939 – John Foulds, British cellist, musicologist, and composer (World Requiem; Three Mantras), dies in Calcutta of cholera at 58
1975 – Mike Brant, Israeli pop singer (“Laisse-moi t’aimer” (“Let Me Love You”)), commits suicide at 28
1988 – Clifford D. Simak, American sci-fi author (Hugo, Way Station), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1877 – Last federal occupying troops withdraw from the South (New Orleans)
1967 – 21st NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers beat SF Warriors, 4 games to 2
1981 – US ends grain embargo against USSR
1982 – Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by Mike Durbin
1996 – “Jack-Night on Town with John Barrymore” opens at Belasco for 12 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1804 – Thomas Oliver Selfridge, American naval officer who served during the Mexican-American War and the Civil War, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1902)
1897 – Manuel Ávila Camacho, 45th President of Mexico (1940-46), born in Teziutlán, Puebla, Mexico (d. 1955)
1942 – Valeri Abramovich Voloshin, Russian pilot cosmonaut, born in Yangiyul, Tashkent
1950 – Rob Hyman, American rock singer-songwriter, keyboardist, melodica and accordion player (The Hooters – “All You Zombies”; “And We Danced”), born in Meriden, Connecticut
1963 – Mano Solo [Emmanuel Cabut], French singer, born in Châlons-sur-Marne, France (d. 2010)

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Famous Deaths

1617 – Carlo Concino, French marquis of Ancre/state advisor, murdered
1941 – Karin Boye, Swedish writer (Kallocain) commits suicide at 40
1947 – Willa Cather, American Pulitzer-Prize winning author (One of Ours; My Ántonia), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage while battling cancer at 73
1955 – Alfred Polgar, Austrian writer and theater critic (Yes and No!), dies at 79
1965 – Louise Dresser, actress (State Fair, Ship Comes In, Mammy), dies at 86

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Historical Events

1937 – New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell’s first start of season, a 3-0 win over the Boston Bees, is his 17th straight win; streak continues for league record 24 victories in a row
1950 – Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Pete Babando scores Cup-winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 as Detroit Red Wings beat NY Rangers, 4-3 for a 4-3 series win
1968 – Ernest Gold and Anne Croswell’s musical “I’m Solomon”, starring Dick Shawn, opens at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC; runs for 7 performances
1977 – Dr Allen Bussey completes 20,302 yo-yo loops
2015 – Kawhi Leonard is named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the first time

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Famous Birthdays

1889 – Charles Warrell, English schoolteacher and creator of the I-Spy books, born in Farmborough, Somerset (d. 1995)
1891 – Sergei Prokofiev, Russian composer (Peter and the Wolf; Alexander Nevsky), born in Sontsovka, Russian Empire (now Sontsivka, Ukraine) (d. 1953)
1960 – Steve Clark, English rock guitarist (Def Leppard), born in Hillsborough, England (d. 1991)
1981 – Lady Gabriella Kingston, British royal and writer, born in St Mary’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
1995 – Gigi Hadid [Jelena Noura Hadid], American fashion model, born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1933 – Tim Keefe, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (Triple Crown 1888; MLB record 0.86 ERA, single season 1880; NY Giants), dies at 76
1984 – (William) “Red” Garland, American jazz pianist (Miles Davis Quintet), dies of a heart attack at 60
2007 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician and 1st President of Russian Federation (1991-99), dies of congestive heart failure at 76
2011 – Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs (PvdA), dies at 86
2022 – Orrin Hatch, American politician (US Senator from Utah (R), 1977-2019) longest-serving Utah US Senator, dies at 88

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