Today in History for 22nd April 2025

Historical Events

1164 – Raynald of Dassel names Guido di Crema as anti-pope Paschalis III
1745 – Austria and Bavaria sign Peace Treaty of Füssen, ending Bavaria’s participation (on the French side) in the War of the Austrian Succession
1906 – New rule puts umpire in sole charge of all game balls
1954 – US Senate Army-McCarthy televised hearings begin
1978 – Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by Earl Anthony

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Famous Birthdays

1858 – Ethel Smyth, English composer, born in Sidcup, Kent (d. 1944)
1927 – (Lorenzo) “Laurel” Aitken, Cuban-Jamaican singer and one of the pioneers of Caribbean pop and ska music, born in Havana, Cuba (d. 2005)
1962 – Carol Van Dijk, Dutch-Canadian singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Bettie Serveert – “Dust Bunny”), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
1970 – Regine Velasquez, Filipina pop singer and actress, born in Tondo, Philippines
1977 – Aaron Fink, American guitarist (Breaking Benjamin, 2002-11), born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

835 – Kūkai, Japanese Buddhist monk and poet (founded Shingon school of Buddhism), dies at 60
1890 – Magnus Huss, Swedish physician who coined the word alcoholism and was the first to define it as a disease, dies at 82
1988 – Irene Rich, American actress (Beau Brumell, Champ), dies at 96
2005 – Erika Fuchs, German translator, dies at 98
2008 – Paul Davis, American country-rock-pop singer-songwriter and piano player (“I Go Crazy”; “65 Love Affair”), dies of a heart attack at 60

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Today in History for 21st April 2025

Historical Events

1920 – John Galsworthy’s “Skin Game” premieres in London
1970 – The Principality of Hutt River (previously Hutt River Province) secedes from Australia – it remains unrecognised by Australia or other nations
1994 – The first discoveries of extrasolar planets are announced by astronomer Alexander Wolszczan
2004 – Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Elton John, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Bette Midler, and Little Jimmy Scott
2012 – Two trains in Sloterdijk, Netherlands, injure 117 people in a head on collision

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Famous Birthdays

1930 – Don Tyson, American businessman, founder of Tyson Foods, born in Olathe, Kansas (d. 2011)
1936 – James Dobson, American evangelist and founder of Focus on the Family, born in Shreveport, Louisiana
1959 – Jerry Only [Gerald Caiafa Jr], American musician (Misfits), born in Lodi, New Jersey
1975 – Danyon Loader, New Zealand swimmer (Olympic gold 200/400m freestyle 1996), born in Dunedin, New Zealand
1978 – Jukka Nevalainen, Finnish heavy metal drummer (Nightwish, 1997-2014), born in Kitee, Finland

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Famous Deaths

1821 – Thursday October Christian, son of Fletcher Christian (leader of the historical mutiny on the Bounty), dies at 40
1836 – Samuel Slater, English-American industrialist who brought the textile industrial revolution to America, dies at 67
1939 – Herman Finck, British conductor (Palace Theatre (London), 1900-20), theater and light classical composer (In The Shadows), dies at 66
1958 – Manuel Infante, Spanish composer and conductor, dies at 74
2001 – David Hollestelle, Dutch baritone singer (Dutch Radio Chorus), dies at 84

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Today in History for 20th April 2025

Historical Events

1610 – Only recorded performance of William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth”, during the playwright’s lifetime, at the Globe theater, by astrologer Simon Foreman
1916 – Chicago Cubs play their 1st game at Weeghman Park (now Wrigley Field) and beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6
1950 – Baltimore, Maryland’s Memorial Stadium opens – Orioles of International League
1960 – “From A to Z” opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 21 performances
1997 – Cubs beat NY Mets, ending the NL’s worst opening losing streak of 14 straight games

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Famous Birthdays

1938 – Betty Cuthbert, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m 1956; 400m 1964), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2017)
1953 – Sebastian Faulks, British novelist (The Girl at the Lion d’Or), born in Donnington, Berkshire
1965 – Kostas Hatzidakis, Greek politician (New Democracy Party), born in Rethymno, Greece
1971 – Tina Cousins, English singer (Mysterious Times), born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England
1983 – Tan France, English fashion designer and TV personality (Queer Eye), born in Doncaster, England

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Famous Deaths

1935 – Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, English fashion designer, dies at 71
1962 – Jesse G. Vincent, American engineer (designed 1st V-12 engine, Packard automobiles) dies at 82
1995 – Milovan Djilas, Yugoslavian politician and writer (The New Class), dies at 83
2018 – Avicii [Tim Bergling], Swedish musician, DJ, remixer and record producer (“Levels”; “Wake Me Up”; “Sunshine”), commits suicide at 28
2021 – Idriss Déby, Chadian politician and military officer (President of Chad, 1990–2021), dies of injuries inflicted on a battlefield at 68

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Today in History for 19th April 2025

Historical Events

1937 – 41st Boston Marathon won by Walter Young of Canada in 2:33:20
1983 – France performs nuclear test
1989 – Gun turret explodes on USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors
1990 – Marla Maples appears on ABC’s Prime-Time
2020 – Turkey passes Iran to become the Middle Eastern country with the most COVID-19 cases with 86,306 infections, Iran continues to have the most deaths

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Famous Birthdays

1660 – Sebastián Durón, Spanish composer, born in Brihuega, Guadalajara, Spain (d. 1716)
1861 – Edward Vermeulen, Flemish writer, born in Beselare, Belgium (d. 1934)
1937 – Joseph Estrada, Filipino actor and 13th President of the Philippines (1998-01), born in Tondo, Philippines
1962 – Gerhard Mans, Namibian rugby union utility back (27 Tests; Orange Free State RFU, South West Africa RFU), born in Karasburg, Namibia (d. 2022)
1987 – Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player (5 Grand Slam singles titles), born in Nyagan, Russia

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Famous Deaths

1739 – Nicholas Saunderson, English scientist and mathematician, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics Cambridge University, dies at 57
1992 – Alice Mary Riley, entertainer, dies of cancer at 51
2012 – Levon Helm, American drummer and singer (The Band – “Up On Cripple Creek”; “The Weight”), and actor (Coal Miner’s Daughter; The Right Stuff), dies from throat cancer at 71
2012 – Greg Ham, Australian rock saxophonist and flutist (Men At Work – “Who Can It Be Now”), dies under mysterious circumstances at 58
2022 – Mike Gregory, English darts player (BDO World C’ship 1992 runner-up), dies from dementia at 65

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Today in History for 18th April 2025

Historical Events

1899 – John McGraw, at 26, has his managerial debut as Oriole manager
1955 – 1st Bandoeng Conference opens in Indonesia, attended by 29 nations – first international assembly of Asian-African nations
1966 – Bill Russell becomes first African American coach in NBA history (Boston Celtics)
1991 – US Census Bureau said it failed to count up to 63 million in 1990 census
2017 – British Prime Minister Teresa May announces she will seek a “snap” election

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Famous Birthdays

1944 – Rudy Shackelford, American organist, composer, and musicologist, born in Newport News, Virginia
1947 – Dorothy Lyman, American actress (All My Children. 1981-83 -“Opal”; Mama’s Family – “Naomi”), and director, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
1949 – Geoff Bodine, American race car driver, born in Chemung, New York
1956 – Melody Thomas Scott, American actress (The Young and the Restless, 1979-present – “Nikki Newman”), born in Los Angeles, California
1979 – Matthew Upson, English footballer (England national team World Cup 2010), born in Eye, England

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Famous Deaths

1674 – John Graunt, English statistician and founder of science of demography, dies at 53
1689 – George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, Welsh judge, dies at 43
2012 – Robert O. Ragland, American film score composer (The Thing With Two Heads), dies at 80
2013 – Storm Thorgerson, British graphic designer and music video director (Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, The Cranberries), dies of cancer at 69
2024 – Wally Harris, Canadian ice hockey referee (6 x Stanley Cup series; first NHL Director of Officiating), dies at 88

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Today in History for 17th April 2025

Historical Events

1492 – Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the “Indies” with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered.
1684 – Dutch East India Company signs treaty with Sultan Hadji of Banten (Java) to aid him in a civil war with his father in exchange for sole right to trade in the Sultanate
1977 – Christian-democrats win Belgium parliamentary election
1983 – Grete Waltz runs female world record marathon (2:25:29)
2017 – 121st Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Geoffrey Kirui takes men’s title in 2:09:37; Edna Kiplagat women’s champion in 2:21:52

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Famous Birthdays

1622 – Henry Vaughan, English poet (Silex Scintillans), born in Newton St. Bridget, Brecknockshire, Wales (d. 1695)
1845 – Isabel Barrows, American editor and penologist (Conference on Negro Question), born in Irasburg, Vermont (d. 1913)
1947 – Linda Martin, Irish singer and TV presenter, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
1961 – Norman Cowans, Jamaican cricketer (England fast bowler in 19 Tests 1982-85), born in St. Mary, Jamaica
1971 – David Oliver, Canadian NHL right wing (Edmonton Oilers), born in Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada

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Famous Deaths

858 – Benedict III, Italian Pope (855-58), dies
1713 – David Hollatz, Pomeranian dogmatician (b. 1648)
1948 – Johan Paul van Limburg Stirum, Dutch diplomat (Governor General of the Dutch East Indies 1916-21), dies at 75
1987 – Cecil Harmsworth King, Irish-British owner of Mirror Group Newspapers, dies at 86
2003 – Robert Atkins, American cardiologist, known for the Atkins diet, dies at 72

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Today in History for 16th April 2025

Historical Events

1912 – Pirates turn a rare 5-3-7 doubleplay (left fielder covers 2nd base)
1922 – Annie Oakley sets women’s record by breaking 100 clay targets in a row
1980 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1981 – “Copperfield” opens at ANTA Theater NYC for 13 performances
1985 – “Grind” opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 79 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1697 – Johann Gottlieb Gorner, German composer, born in Penig, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1778)
1935 – Bobby Vinton, American pop singer, known as “The Polish Prince” (“Roses Are Red (My Love)”; “Blue Velvet”; “My Melody Of Love”), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1963 – Saleem Malik, Pakistani cricketer (memorable Pakistani and Essex batsman), born in Kayerpora, Lahore, Pakistan
1968 – Grace Kim, South Korean-American tennis star, born in South Korea
1975 – Joanna Ławrynowicz, Polish classical pianist, born in Warsaw, Poland

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Famous Deaths

1879 – Peter Kosler, German-Slovenian lawyer and cartographer who made the first map of Slovene land (Kosler’s Map), dies at 55
1938 – Steve Bloomer, English footballer (b. 1874)
1989 – Tawfieq Yusuf Awwaad, Lebanese writer, dies
2011 – Paul Des Marais, American composer, dies at 90
2011 – Harold Volkmer, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri, dies at 80

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Today in History for 15th April 2025

Historical Events

1862 – American poet Emily Dickinson first corresponds with author and future literary mentor Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a relationship that lasts the rest of her life
1971 – John Kander and Fred Ebbs’ musical “70, Girls, 70”, starring Hans Conried and Mildred Natwick, opens at Broadhurst Theater, NYC; runs for 35 performances
1991 – East-Europe Bank forms in London
1992 – Lincoln Hospital in Bronx. New York loses its accreditation
2023 – Indian Atiq Ahmed, former lawmaker and convicted criminal, assassinated live on TV along with his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, while under police guard

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Famous Birthdays

1874 – Johannes Stark, German physicist (Stark Effect; Nobel Prize in Physics -1919), and Nazi sympathizer, born in Schickenhof, German Empire (d. 1957)
1892 – Corrie ten Boom, Dutch author (The Hiding Place) and Holocaust survivor, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1983)
1940 – Jeffrey Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare, English novelist, born in Finsbury, London
1947 – Cristina Husmark Pehrsson, Swedish politician, born in Uddevalla, Sweden
1970 – Flex Alexander, American actor and comedian (Mark ‘Flex’ Washington in “One to One”), born in New York City, New York

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Famous Deaths

1854 – Arthur Aikin, English scientist and writer (b. 1773)
1943 – Raffaele Casimiri, Italian composer, and musicologist dies at 62
1997 – Sam Moskowitz, American writer and historian of science fiction, dies at 76
1999 – Harvey Postlethwaite, British engineer and racing car designer, dies at 55
2008 – Krister Stendahl, Swedish Lutheran theologian and bishop, dies at 86

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Today in History for 14th April 2025

Historical Events

1862 – Battle of Fort Pillow, Tennessee
1872 – Dominion Lands Act passed: Canada’s Homestead Act
1910 – Pan American Union forms
1991 – 55th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Welshman Ian Woosnam wins his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of José María Olazábal; 4th straight year the Masters champion is from the UK
2013 – 33 people are killed after a bus tumbled off a cliff in Trujillo, Peru

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Famous Birthdays

1897 – Olga Chekhova, Russian-German actress (Italian Strawhat, Cry of the Children), born in Aleksandropol, Erivan Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1980)
1907 – Otto Frans Antoine Hubert van Nispen, Dutch mayor (Pannerden), born in Pannerden, Netherlands (d. 1992)
1945 – Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, 8th Prime Minister of Samoa, born in Lepa, Samoa
1949 – John Shea, American actor (Honeymoon, New Life, Lois and Clark), born in North Conway, New Hampshire
1975 – Avner Dorman, Israeli composer (Variations Without A Theme; Dialogues of Love), conductor, and educator, born in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

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Famous Deaths

1910 – Mikhail Vrubel, Russian Symbolist painter, one of the first modern Russian artists (The Demon Cast Down), dies from the effects of syphilis at 54
1917 – L. L. Zamenhof, Polish physician and linguist (Esperanto), dies at 57
1965 – Perry Edward Smith, US murderer (In Cold Blood), hanged at 36
1986 – Horst Bastian, German writer and screenwriter, dies at 46
2008 – Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish jazz pianist (Seven Days Of Falling), dies in scuba diving accident at 44

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Today in History for 13th April 2025

Historical Events

1865 – Raleigh, North Carolina, captured by Union forces
1904 – Battle of Oviumbo (in modern Namibia): Herero tribesmen rise up against German colonists
1920 – 1st woman US Civil Service Commissioner, Helen Hamilton appointed
1989 – “Welcome to the Club” opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 12 performances
2000 – “When Louis Met…” documentary by Louis Theroux premieres on BBC2 in the UK featuring Jimmy Saville

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Famous Birthdays

1891 – Nellallitea “Nella” Larsen [Nellie Walker], African-American Harlem Renaissance novelist (Quicksand, Passing), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1964)
1927 – Maurice Ronet, French film actor, director, and writer (Frantic, Sphinx, Circle of Love), born in Nice, France (d. 1983)
1954 – Niels Olsen, Danish singer and songwriter (The Olsen Brothers; Eurovision Song Contest, 2000), born in Odense, Denmark
1960 – Bob Casey, Jr., American lawyer and politician (Senator-D-Pennsylvania 2007-), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
1963 – Mark Leiter, American baseball pitcher (SF Giants), born in Joliet, Illinois

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Famous Deaths

1970 – William H. Johnson, African-American artist of the Harlem Renaissance (Flowers; Training for War), dies of pancreatic hemorrhage at 67
1984 – Ralph Kirkpatrick, American musician, musicologist and harpsichordist (Domenico Scarlatti), dies at 72
1994 – Taleb Ali al-Suheil, Iran sheik, murdered in Lebanon at 64
1995 – Edward Henderson, British diplomat, dies at 77
2005 – Yuri Anatoyevich Ponomaryov, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz 18 backup), dies at 73

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