Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1942 – Mexico declares war on Nazi-Germany and Japan
1987 – 30 killed in a Texas tornado
1994 – Musical sequel “The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public” closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, NYC, after 16 performances
1996 – “Tartuffe: Born Again” opens at Circle in the Square Theater, NYC; runs for 29 performances
1998 – Lewinsky scandal: a federal judge rules that United States Secret Service agents can be compelled to testify before a grand jury concerning the scandal, involving President Bill Clinton

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Famous Birthdays

1914 – Vance Packard, American journalist and author (The Hidden Persuaders), born in Granville Summit, Pennsylvania (d. 1996)
1939 – Árni Egilsson, Icelandic classical and jazz bassist and composer, born in Reykjavík, Iceland
1955 – Jimmy Lyon, American guitarist (Eddie Money; The Greg Kihn Band), born in Tampa, Florida
1959 – Olin Browne, American golfer (US Senior Open 2011), born in Washington, D.C.
1971 – Corey Croom, NFL running back (NE Patriots)

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Famous Deaths

1801 – Heinrich Gottfried Reichard, German composer, and translator, dies at 58
1842 – Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, Native American poet, dies at 42
1972 – Cecil Day-Lewis, Irish poet (British Poet Laureate 1968-72) and detective writer (Nicholas Blake), dies of cancer at 68
1999 – Alfred Kubel, German politician, dies at 89
2001 – Whitman Mayo, American actor (Grady Wilson-“Sanford and Son”), dies at 70

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Historical Events

1260 – Hao Jing, envoy of Mongol leader Kublai Khan imprisoned by order of the high Chancellor of China, Jia Sidao at the Song Dynasty court of Emperor Lizong while attempting to negotiate with the Song
1966 – James Goldman’s stage drama “The Lion in Winter”, starring Robert Preston, Rosemary Harris, and Christopher Walken, closes at the Ambassador Theatre, NYC, after 92 performances, and a Tony Award win for Harris
1968 – WEKW TV channel 52 in Keene, NH (PBS) begins broadcasting
1983 – 108th Preakness: Donald Miller Jr on Deputed Testamony wins in 1:55.4
2017 – IPL Cricket Final, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad: Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by 1 run; Krunal Pandya 47 (38)

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Famous Birthdays

1835 – Newton Martin Curtis, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in De Peyster, New York (d. 1910)
1844 – Henri Rousseau, French post-impressionist painter (The Dream, The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope), born in Laval, France (d. 1910)
1921 – Reece “Goose” Tatum, American baseball and basketball player (Harlem Globetrotters; Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame), co-founder of the Harlem Magicians, born in El Dorado, Arkansas (d. 1967)
1947 – Jiggs Kalra, Indian food writer “Czar of Indian cuisine”, born in Punjab region, India (d. 2019)
1974 – Fairuza Balk, American actress (The Craft, Gas Food Lodging), born in Point Reyes, California

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Famous Deaths

1886 – Stephen Pearl Andrews, American abolitionist, writer, and individualist anarchist, dies at 74
1980 – Ida Kamińska, Polish stage and screen actress, director, and writer (The Shop on Main Street; Mother Courage and Her Children), dies at 80
1993 – John Holland, American actor (My Fair Lady, Chinatown), dies at 85
1996 – Bobby Tulloch, Scottish ornithologist, and writer (Bobby Tulloch’s Shetland: An islander, his islands and their wildlife), dies at 67
2022 – Marco Cornez, Chilean soccer goalkeeper, (20 caps; FC Deportivo Palestino, Universidad Católica, Everton de Viña del Mar), dies from stomach cancer at 64

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Historical Events

1942 – US Navy 1st permitted black recruits to serve
1969 – US troop capture Hill 937/Hamburger Hill in Vietnam
1972 – “Hard Job Being God” closes at Edison Theater NYC after 6 performances
1984 – Boston’s Roger Clemens beats Twins, 5-4, for his 1st victory
1988 – Howard Stern fans disrupt rival radio station WMMR’s morning DJ John DeBella’s “Louie Louie” parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Famous Birthdays

1843 – Pedro Miguel Marques y Garcia, Spanish violinist and composer, born in Palma, Majorca, Spain (d. 1918)
1902 – Hans Sahl, German American anti-Nazi Jewish writer, born in Dresden, Germany (d. 1993)
1937 – Maria Teresa Horta, Portuguese writer and poet (New Portuguese Letters, My Lady of Me), born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. 2025)
1942 – Lynn Davies, Welsh athlete (Olympic gold long jump 1964), born in Nantymoel, Wales
1976 – Ramón Hernández, Venezuelan baseball player

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Famous Deaths

1597 – Dutch commander Matthijs Heldt, dies in battle
1782 – Carlo Giovanni Testori, Italian violinist, composer, pedagogue, and musicologist (La musica raggionata), dies at 68
1996 – Jack Wyngaard, South African dancer (London City Ballet, 1986-96), dies of a heart attack at 37
2020 – Stephen A. DiMauro, American thoroughbred racing jockey, trainer, breeder and owner (Eclipse Award 1975; Lady Pitt, Dearly Precious, Nassipour, Wajima), dies from cancer at 87
2025 – Barry Fantoni, British novelist, artist and illustrator for Private Eye magazine, dies of a heart attack at 85

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Historical Events

1941 – New Nazi battleship Bismarck leaves Gdynia, Poland
1962 – Indonesian paratroopers land in New Guinea
1974 – Valéry Giscard d’Estaing wins French presidential election
1995 – Emmy 22nd Daytime Award presentation – Susan Lucci loses for 15th time
2018 – Queen Elizabeth II grants the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their marriage

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Famous Birthdays

1795 – Johns Hopkins, American financier and philanthropist (founded Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins University), born in Gambrills, Maryland (d. 1873)
1812 – Felix Zollicoffer, American journalist and Confederate Brigadier General who was killed in the Battle of Mill Springs, born in Maury County, Tennessee (d. 1862)
1864 – Carl Akeley, American taxidermist and naturalist who developed the animal mount process and other techniques for museums, born in Clarendon, New York (d. 1926)
1926 – Paul Cooper, American classical music composer, and educator, born in Victoria, Illinois (d. 1996)
1934 – Ruskin Bond, Indian novelist (Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra), born in Kasauli, British India

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Famous Deaths

1928 – Max Scheler, German philosopher, dies at 53
1994 – Henry Morgan, American comedian and TV panelist (I’ve Got a Secret; Arena), dies of lung cancer at 79
2001 – Susannah McCorkle, American singer (b. 1946)
2021 – Lee Evans, American athlete (Olympic gold men’s 400m, 4x400m relay 1968), dies from stroke complications at 74
2025 – Alice Notley, American poet (Mysteries of Small Houses, Disobedience), dies of a cerebral haemorrhage at 79

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Historical Events

1268 – The Principality of Antioch, a crusader state, falls to the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in the Battle of Antioch
1291 – After 100 years of Crusader control, the last Crusader stronghold of Acre is reconquered and destroyed by the Mamluks under Sultan al-Ashraf Khalil
1889 – Jules Massenet’s opera “Esclarmonde” premieres in Paris
1896 – Khodynka Tragedy: A stampeding crowd on Khodynka Field, Moscow, during the coronation festivities for Russian Tsar Nicholas II, causes the deaths of an estimated 1,300 people
1899 – World Goodwill Day: 26 nations meet at the First Hague Peace Conference

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Famous Birthdays

1921 – Anthony Epstein, English pathologist and virologist (co-discover of the Epstein–Barr virus), born in London, England (d. 2024)
1934 – Dwayne Hickman, American actor (The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; How to Stuff a Wild Bikini), and network executive, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2022)
1958 – Ray Donaldson, NFL center (Dallas Cowboys), born in Rome, Georgia
1970 – Vicky Sunohara, Canadian ice hockey forward (Olympic gold 2002 and 2006) and coach, born in Scarborough, Ontario
1988 – Taeyang [Dong Young-bae], Korean singer (Big Bang), born in Uijeongbu, South Korea

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Famous Deaths

1812 – John Bellingham, English merchant who assassinated British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval, executed by hanging at 42 or 43
1995 – Elizabeth Montgomery, American actress (Bewitched – “Samantha* and “Serena”), dies of cancer at 62
2004 – Lincoln Kilpatrick, American actor (BJ-Leslie Uggams Show), dies at 72
2007 – Roy De Forest, American Funk and Nut Art movement painter, dies at 77
2018 – Philip Tabane, South African jazz guitarist, vocalist, and band leader (Malombo), dies at 84

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Historical Events

1787 – English slave ship Sisters, en route from Africa to Cuba, capsizes killing hundreds
1921 – US President Warren G. Harding opens (via telephone) the 1st Valencia Orange Show in Anaheim, California
1949 – British government recognises Republic of Ireland (previously Irish Free State)
1979 – Emmy 6th Daytime Award presentation, “Ryan’s Hope” wins Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
2023 – Scientists discover comb jellies (ctenophores) are the closest relative to the very first animals that evolved half a billion years ago, by focusing on groups of genes on chromosomes

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Famous Birthdays

1908 – Sigismund Toduţă, Romanian composer, born in Simeria, Romania (d. 1991)
1934 – Earl Morrall, American NFL quarterback (Super Bowl 1970, 72, 73; Pro Bowl 1957, 68; First-team All-Pro 1968, 72; NFL MVP 1968; Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins), born in Muskegon, Michigan (d. 2014)
1936 – Lars Gustafsson, Swedish poet and novelist (The Death of a Beekeeper, The Cracks in the Wall), born in Västerås, Sweden (d. 2016)
1960 – Lou DiBella, American boxing promoter
1977 – Jere Michael, American figure skater (1994 National Jr champ), born in Aspen, Colorado

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Famous Deaths

1695 – Cornelis de Heem, Dutch painter, dies
1888 – Giacomo Zanella, Italian poet (b. 1820)
1986 – Lyudmila Pakhomova, Russian ice dancer (World C’ship gold x 6; Olympic gold USSR 1976; with Alexandr Gorshkov), dies from leukemia at 39
2002 – Joe Black, American baseball pitcher (NgL All-Star 1947, 48, 50 Baltimore Elite Giants; first black pitcher to win World Series game 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers), dies of prostate cancer at 78
2024 – Sid Going, New Zealand rugby union halfback (29 Tests; Northland RU), dies at 80

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Historical Events

1795 – Hedges Treaty: Bataafse Republic becomes French vassal state
1968 – Earthquake kills 47 in Japan
1974 – USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
2019 – British people get drunk more than any other nation, 51 times a year according to the Global Drug Survey, with English-speaking countries drinking the most
2020 – 118-year old American department store JC Penney files for bankruptcy

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Famous Birthdays

1782 – John Sell Cotman, English water color artist, born in Norwich, England (d. 1842)
1887 – Jakob van Hoddis [Hans Davidsohn], German Jewish expressionist poet, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1942)
1964 – John Salley, NBA star (Detroit Pistons)
1968 – Chingmy Yau, Hong Kong actress (Naked Killer), born in Hong Kong
1977 – Emilíana Torrini, Icelandic singer and songwriter (“Jungle Drum”; “Gollum’s Song”), born in Kópavogur, Iceland

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Famous Deaths

1620 – William Adams, English navigator, first ever Western Samurai who life was the basis for novel “Shōgun”, dies in Japan at 55
1955 – James Agee, American author (African Queen, Death in Family), dies at 45
1977 – Edouard Van Remoortel, Belgian conductor (St Louis Symphony, 1958-62), dies at 50
2018 – Michael Slive, American college sports executive (Commissioner SEC 2002-15), dies of prostate cancer at 77
2019 – Bob Hawke, Australian politician and 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (Labor: 1983-91), dies at 89

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Historical Events

1610 – Parliament of Paris appoints 8-year old Louis XIII as French King, following the assassination of his father Henry IV; Louis’ mother and Henry’s widow Marie de’ Medici serves as regent until 1617
1862 – Battle of Drewry’s Bluff (Fort Darling), Virginia
1961 – 36 Unification church couples wed in Korea
2008 – Hollywood fixer Anthony Pellicano is found guilty of 76 counts, including racketeering, wiretapping and wire fraud
2022 – Pope Francis canonizes Dutch Roman Catholic priest and anti-Nazi activist Titus Brandsma (1881-1942) as a saint

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Famous Birthdays

1909 – James Mason, British actor (Lolita, North by Northwest, Bloodline, Boys From Brazil), born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire (d. 1984)
1915 – Paul A. Samuelson, American economist (1970 Nobel Prize for Economics, 1947 John Bates Clark Medal), born in Gary, Indiana (d. 2009)
1923 – Johnny Walker [Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi], Indian actor (Madhumati, Chachi 420), born in Indore, British India (d. 2003)
1944 – Gunilla Hutton, Swedish-American actress (Hee Haw, Petticoat Junction), born in Gothenburg, Sweden
1959 – Andrew Eldritch, British rock singer-songwriter (Sisters of Mercy – Walk Away; Black Planet), born in Ely, England

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Famous Deaths

1714 – Roger Elliott, British general and Governor of Gibraltar
1967 – Jaromír Fiala, Czech composer, dies at 74
1971 – Donald F. Duncan Sr., American entrepreneur (Duncan Toys Company), dies at 78
1984 – Lionel Charles Robbins, British economist, dies at 85
2021 – Fred Martinelli, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Ashland University 1959-93), dies at 92

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Historical Events

1608 – The Protestant Union is founded in Auhausen
1975 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1977 – KC Royals Jim Colborn no-hits Texas Rangers, 6-0
1986 – NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Calgary Flames beat St. Louis Blues, 4 games to 3
1997 – FC Barcelona of Spain win 37th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Paris Saint-Germain of France 1-0 in Rotterdam

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Famous Birthdays

1867 – Kurt Eisner, German socialist politician, revolutionary and journalist (President of the People’s State of Bavaria 1918-19), born in Berlin, Prussia (d. 1919)
1901 – Robert Ritter, German child psychologist who classified the Roma and Sinti populations for persecution under the Third Reich, born in Aachen, German Empire (d. 1951)
1929 – Barbara Branden, Canadian writer and lecturer (The Passion of Ayn Rand, Who is Ayn Rand?), born in Winnipeg (d. 2013)
1965 – Dave Widell, NFL center/guard (Jacksonville Jaguars)
1973 – Anais Granofsky, American-Canadian actress, screenwriter, and director (Lucy Fernandez in “Degrassi”), born in Springfield, Ohio

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Famous Deaths

1906 – Carl Schurz, German revolutionary and statesman (b. 1829)
1983 – Roger J. Traynor, American judge (b. 1900)
1984 – Elmer Riddle, American baseball pitcher (NL wins leader 1943; Cincinnati Reds), dies at 69
2001 – Gil Langley, Australian cricketer (Australian wicket-keeper 1951-56), dies at 81
2003 – William Jackson [Pepper LaBeija], American drag queen and fashion designer, dies of a heart attack at 54

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Historical Events

1652 – Ingen Ryuki is invited to become abbot of Sofukuji Temple in Nagasaki
1864 – -16] Atlanta Campaign: Battle of Resaca, Georgia
1943 – German and Italian forces in Africa surrender
1991 – Apple releases Macintosh operating System 7, codenamed the “Big Bang”
1995 – Chelsi Smith, 21, of USA, crowned 44th Miss Universe Shanna Lynn Moakler, (19-NY), replaces Chelsi Smith as Miss USA

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Famous Birthdays

1883 – Henk Sneevliet, Dutch Communist, editor (Spartacus) and WWII resistance fighter, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1942)
1903 – Alfred Pugsley, English civil engineer (R101 airship), born in London, England (d. 1998)
1912 – Helen Craig, American actress (Snake Pit, They Live by Night), born in San Antonio, Texas (d. 1986)
1927 – Clive Barnes, British-American drama critic (NY Times, 1978-2008; NY Post, 1965-77), born in London, England (d. 2008)
1944 – Son Sook, South Korean screen and theatre actress (Volcano, Guest, Mother), radio host, and politician, born in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea

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Famous Deaths

1831 – Christian Gottfried Körner, German lawyer, dies at 74
1921 – Jean Aicard, French poet and novelist (Jeune Croyances), dies at 73
1972 – Dan Blocker, American actor (Cimarron City – “Tiny”; Bonanza – “Hoss”), dies of a pulmonary embolism at 43
1974 – Denny Shute, American golfer (British Open 1933, PGA C’ship 1936-37), dies at 69
2001 – R.K. Narayan, Indian novelist (Malguidi Days), dies at 94

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