Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1566 – Foundation stone laid for the new city of La Valletta in Malta by Knights Hospitaller Grand Master Jean de Valette
1860 – First Taranaki War: Battle of Waireka begins in New Zealand between Europeans and Māori
1981 – France performs nuclear test
1993 – 13th Golden Raspberry Awards: “Shining Through” wins
2022 – Actor Will Smith issues an apology on Instagram to Oscars host Chris Rock for slapping him live on stage during the ceremony

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Famous Birthdays

1741 – Johann Andre, German composer, born in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1799)
1902 – Jaromír Vejvoda, Czech composer (Beer Barrel Polka), born in Zbraslav, Czech Republic (d. 1988)
1922 – Joey Maxim, American boxer (World Light Heavyweight Champion 1950-52), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2001)
1947 – Bruce Gilbert, English producer (China Syndrome, 9 to 5, On Golden Pond), born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England
1975 – Will Cain, American radio and TV journalist (The Will Cain Show ), born in Sherman, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1566 – Siegmund Freiherr von Herberstein, Austrian diplomat, dies at 79
1949 – Grigoras Dinicu, Romanian violin virtuoso and composer, dies at 59
1962 – Hugo Wast, Argentine writer (b. 1883)
1979 – Emmett Kelly, American circus clown (Weary Willy), dies at 80
2001 – Vlastimir Nikolovski, Macedonian composer and pedagogue, (The Serdar), dies at 74

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Historical Events

1957 – 29th Academy Awards: “Around World in 80 Days”, Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner win
1972 – Venera 8 launches to explore Venus
1976 – Washington, D.C. underground Metro opens
1977 – 583 die in aviation’s worst ever disaster when two Boeing 747s collide at Tenerife airport in Spain
1986 – Disney-MGM Studio Tour groundbreaking

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Famous Birthdays

972 – Robert II of France [the Pious, the Wise], King of the Franks (996-1031), born in Orléans, France (d. 1031)
1809 – Georges Eugene, Baron Haussmann, French administrator and architect, born in Paris (d. 1891)
1886 – Sergey Kirov [Kostrikov], Russian Bolshevik leader and politician (First Secretary (Mayor) of Leningrad, 1926-34), born in Urzhum, Russia (d. 1934)
1957 – Billy MacKenzie, Scottish rock vocalist (The Associates – “Affectionate Punch”), born in Dundee, Scotland (d. 1997)
1985 – Ram Charan, Indian actor who works mainly in Teluga cinema (RRR, Rangasthalam), born in Tamil Nadu, India

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Famous Deaths

1986 – Cass Canfield, US publisher, dies at 88
1991 – Ralph Bates, British actor (Persecution, Graveyard), dies at 50
1992 – Easley Blackwood, Sr, American expert bridge player, and writer, dies at 89
2017 – David Storey, British novelist and playwright (This Sporting Life), dies at 83
2023 – Wim de Bie, Dutch comedian, satirist, and writer (van Kooten and de Bie – The Simplistic Covenant), dies of complications from Parkinson’s disease at 83

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Historical Events

1940 – “The Fifth Column”, a play by Ernest Hemingway and adapted by Benjamin Glazer premieres in NYC courtesy of the Theater Guild
1954 – US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island
2017 – Mass protests in Chile over country’s privatised pension system
2018 – US soldier receives world’s first penis and scrotum transplant at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland
2020 – American cases of COVID-19 exceed all other countries on this date, with 81,578 cases and 1,180 deaths (New York Times)

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Famous Birthdays

1896 – Rudolf Dassler, German entrepreneur (founder sportswear company Puma), born in Herzogenaurach, Germany (d. 1974)
1898 – Renzo Massarani, Italian-Brazilian composer and music critic, born in Mantova, Italy (d. 1975)
1929 – Charles Dumont, French songwriter (“Non, je ne regrette rien”, “Mon Dieu”), and singer, born in Cahors, France (d. 2024)
1936 – Fred Parris, American doo-wop singer and songwriter (The Five Satins – “In The Still Of The Night”), born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 2022)
1977 – Sylvain Grenier, Canadian professional wrestler (WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown!), born in Montreal, Québec

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Famous Deaths

1736 – Georg Balthasar Schott, German composer, dies at 49
1857 – Wei Yuan, Chinese scholar and geographer of Qing Dynasty, dies at 62
1924 – Augusto (de Oliveira) Machado, Portuguese composer (Lauriane; Camões es os Luziadas), dies at 78
1973 – Noël Coward, English playwright (Hay Fever; Private Lives), director (In Which We Serve -1942 Academy Award), actor and singer, dies of heart failure at 73
1995 – Eazy-E [Eric Lynn Wright], American rapper (N.W.A.), dies from AIDS-related illness at 30

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Historical Events

1863 – Skirmish at Brentwood, Tennessee
1927 – 86th Grand National: 8/1 favourite Sprig wins; ridden by jockey Ted Leader, trained by his father Tom Leader
1937 – Washington Daily News is 1st US newspaper with perfumed advertising page
1954 – 26th Academy Awards: “From Here to Eternity” best film, William Holden and Audrey Hepburn best actor, actress
1974 – Chipko forest conservation movement begins in Reni Village, Western Himalayas, India, when local woman Gaura Devi hugs a tree to prevent its logging

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Famous Birthdays

1786 – Giovanni Battista Amici, Italian astronomer, physicist and botanist, born in Modena, Duchy of Modena and Reggio (now Italy) (d. 1863)
1909 – Jay Blackton, American conductor and arranger (Guys and Dolls; Oklahoma!), born in New York City (d. 1994)
1965 – Avery Johnson, American NBA point guard, analyst for CBS Sports, and coach (1999 NBA champion, 2006 Coach of the Year), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1973 – Anthony Barness, English footballer
1981 – Casey Neistat, American YouTube star and co-founder of Beme, born in Gales Ferry, Connecticut

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Famous Deaths

1979 – Anton Heiller, Austrian organist and composer, dies at 55
1991 – Eileen Joyce, pianist, dies at 78
2006 – Rocío Dúrcal, Spanish pop and mariachi singer, and actress, dies of uterine cancer at 61 (b. 1944)
2012 – Larry Stevenson [Richard], American skateboard innovator, dies from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease at 81
2022 – John Chapple, British army officer (Chief of General Staff, 1988-92), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1379 – First War of the Guelderian Succession ends when Matilda and the Heeckerens are defeated by the Duchy of Jülich, forcing her to resign her rights to the Duchy of Guelders to her half-sister Maria’s son, William
1853 – Anti-slavery newspaper “The Provincial Freeman” first published in Windsor, Ontario, edited by Samuel Ringgold Ward and Mary Ann Shadd Cary, first black woman publisher in North America
1876 – 38th Grand National: Joe Cannon aboard 25/1 chance Regal wins by a neck from Congress
1933 – Peter I Island incorporated as a Norwegian dependency
1944 – 76 Allied officers escape Stalag Luft 3 (Great Escape)

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Famous Birthdays

1848 – Honoré Beaugrand, French Canadian journalist, newspaper publisher (La Patrie), and politician (Mayor of Montreal, 1885-87), born in Saint-Joseph-de-Lanoraie, Quebec, Canada East (d. 1906)
1850 – Silas K. Hocking, British novelist and Methodist preacher (Her Benny), born in Cornwall, England (d. 1935)
1866 – Jack McAuliffe, Irish-American boxer and undefeated World Lightweight champion (1886-93), born in Cork, Ireland, United Kingdom (d. 1937)
1909 – Clyde Barrow, American bank robber and outlaw (Bonnie and Clyde), born in Ellis County, Texas (d. 1934)
1923 – Murray Hamilton, American character actor (Rich Man Poor Man, Anatomy of a Murder), born in Washington, North Carolina (d. 1986)

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Famous Deaths

1455 – Nicholas V [Tommaso Parentucelli], Italian Pope (1447-55), dies at 57
1955 – John W. Davis, American politician and United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, dies at 81
1993 – Erik Andriesse, Dutch painter (skulls, skeletons, flowers), dies at 35
2007 – Henson Cargill, American country music singer (“Skip a Rope”, “The Most Uncomplicated Goodbye I Ever Heard”), dies while undergoing surgery at 66
2021 – Richard Stoker, British pianist and composer (Antic Hay; Ecco homo), dies at 82

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Historical Events

1857 – Elisha Otis installs his first elevator at 488 Broadway in New York City
1939 – 1st performance of Béla Bartók’s 2nd Violin Concerto at the Concertgebow, Amsterdam with Zoltán Székely on violin and Willem Mengelberg conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra
1988 – Geffen Records releases “Chalk Mark In A Rain Storm”, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s 13th studio album
2007 – After some initial hesitation, Emma Watson signs on to appear as Hermione in the final three Harry Potter films
2020 – New York confirmed as new center of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US with 20,875 cases (5,707 in the last day) and 157 deaths

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Famous Birthdays

1919 – Carl Graffunder, American mid-century modernist architect in Minnesota, born in Rock Island, Illinois (d. 2013)
1933 – Hayes Jenkins, American figure skater (Olympic gold singles 1956; World C’ship gold 1953-56), born in Akron, Ohio
1937 – Craig Breedlove, American auto racer (5 x world land speed record holder; first to reach 500mph (800km/h) and 600mph (970km/h), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2023)
1944 – George Scott, MLB first baseman, 1966-79 (Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and 2 other teams), born in Greenville, Mississippi, (d. 2013)
1972 – Jonas Bjorkman, Swedish tennis player (World #1 doubles 2001; 9 x Grand Slam doubles titles; Davis Cup 1994, 97, 98; Tour Finals 1994, 2006), born in Vaxjo Sweden

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Famous Deaths

1680 – Nicolas Fouquet, French politician and Superintendent of Finances (1653-61) who became fabulously wealthy and later imprisoned for maladministration of state funds, dies in jail in Pinerolo at 65
1881 – Nikolay Rubinstein, Russian pianist, conductor, and composer, dies at 45
1979 – Philip Bourneuf, actor (Big Night, Frankenstein), dies at 71
2006 – Sarah Caldwell, American conductor/opera director (Flagstaff), dies at 82
2015 – Lil’ Chris [Hardman], British rock singer (Checkin’ It Out), takes his own life at 24

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Historical Events

1692 – Emperor Leopold I names Duke Earnest August of Braunschweig, king
1929 – 88th Grand National: Robert W. H. Everett wins aboard 100/1 outsider Gregalach
1975 – AIAW Women’s Basketball Tournament, Delta State beats Immaculata 90-81 in Harrisonburg
1992 – Herb Gardner’s stage drama “Conversations with My Father”, starring Judd Hirsch and Tony Shalhoub, opens at Royale Theatre, NYC, runs for 462 performances and a Tony Award for Hirsch
2024 – British runner Jasmin Paris is the first woman and 20th person to complete one of the world’s hardest ultramarathons, the Barkley Marathons in Tennessee, with one minute and 39 seconds to spare

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Famous Birthdays

1459 – Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1508-19, established Hapsburg dynasty in Spain), born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria (d. 1519)
1908 – Jack Crawford, Australian tennis player (6 Grand Slam singles titles), born in Urangeline, NSW (d. 1991)
1921 – Wilhelmus Norbert Schmelzer, Dutch foreign minister (KVP), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2008)
1931 – Billy Vessels, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1952, University of Oklahoma), born in Cleveland, Oklahoma (d. 2001)
1932 – Leo “Bud” Welch, American gospel and Delta blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (“You Can’t Hurry God”; “Cadillac Baby”), born in Sabougla, Mississippi (d. 2017)

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Famous Deaths

1838 – Hendrik Fagel de Jonge, Dutch-English baron and diplomat (Fagel collection National Library of the Netherlands and Trinity College), dies at 73
2009 – Jade Goody, English reality TV Star and Entrepreneur, dies of cancer at 27
2016 – Eli Louw, South African politician (Minister of Transport), dies at 88
2017 – Francine Hughes Wilson, American domestic abuse victim “The Burning Bed” who changed pubic perceptions, dies at 69
2020 – Stan Bronstein, American rock saxophonist (Elephant’s Memory), dies at 81

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Historical Events

1925 – Tennessee Governor Austin Peay passes the “Butler Act,” making Tennessee the first state to outlaw teaching the theory of evolution (repealed in 1967)
1934 – Fire destroys Hakodate, Japan, killing about 1,500
1948 – “Stop the Music” with Bert Parks premieres on ABC radio
1953 – NBA record 106 fouls and 12 players foul out (Boston-Syracuse)
1985 – Canadian Rick Hansen sets off on his ‘Man in Motion’ world tour in his wheelchair raising money for spinal research, from Oakridge Mall, Vancouver (successfully completes May 1987)

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Famous Birthdays

927 – Taizu [Zhao Kuangyin], Founder and 1st Emperor of the Song Dynasty (960-976) who reunified most of China by conquering the states of Southern Tang, Later Shu, Southern Han and Jingnan, born in Luoyang, Henan, China (d. 976)
1768 – Joseph Fourier, French mathematician (mathematical theory of heat conduction) and Egyptologist, born in Auxerre, France (d. 1830)
1887 – Edwin Scharff, German sculptor, and educator, deemed “entartete” (degenerate) by Nazi regime, born in Neu-Ulm, Gemrany (d. 1955)
1915 – Dude Martin [John Stephen McSwain], American country and Western swing singer, bandleader, radio and early television personality, born in Plainsburg, California (d. 1991) [Note: some sources cite date as 11, and some as 15]
1939 – Tommy Davis, American baseball utility (3 x MLB All Star; World Series 1963; NL batting champion 1962, 63 LA Dodgers), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2022)

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Famous Deaths

1801 – Andrea Lucchesi, Italian organist, composer, and Kapellmeister for the Court of Bonn (1774-94), dies at 59
1864 – Luke Howard, British manufacturing chemist and meteorologist (nomenclature system for clouds), dies at 91
2014 – Jack Fleck, American golfer (US Open 1955), dies at 92
2017 – Chuck Barris, american TV game show producer and host (Gong Show), dies at 87
2024 – Ron Harper, American actor (Planet of the Apes (TV series); Wendy and Me), dies at 91

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Historical Events

1934 – Rudolf Kuhnold demonstrates radar in Kiel Germany
1937 – England beats Scotland, 6-3 at Murrayfield, Edinburgh to clinch the Home Nations Rugby Championship and Triple Crown
1942 – Convoy PQ13 departs Reykjavik Iceland to Russia
1951 – Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded
1973 – NBC TV premiere of pilot episode of “Police Story”, based on Los Angeles Police Dept. Joseph Wambaugh’s writings

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Famous Birthdays

1823 – Ned Buntline [Edward Judson Sr.], American publisher, journalist, and writer, born in Harpersfield, New York (d. 1886)
1833 – Henry Southwick Perkins, American composer, educator, and founder of Music Teachers’ National Association, born in Stockbridge, Vermont (d. 1914)
1940 – Gianpiero Moretti, steering wheel designer (Momo), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2012)
1951 – Curt Smith, American author, media host, speech writer for President George H. W. Bush, and authority on baseball broadcasting (The History of Baseball and the White House), born in Caledonia, New York
1974 – Andrzej Pilipiuk, Polish humoristic fantasy and science fiction writer (Pan Samochodzik series, Ivanov the Wizard), born in Warsaw, Poland

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Famous Deaths

457 – Siyah Chan K’awil, 11th ruler of the Maya city of Tikal, dies
1866 – Rikard Nordraak, Norwegian composer, dies at 23
1963 – Karl Otten, German Expressionist writer, dies at 73
1990 – Maurice Cloche, French film director and screenwriter, dies at 82
2020 – Borislav Stanković, Serbian Basketball Hall of Fame administrator (International Basketball Federation secretary general 1976-2002), dies at 94

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Historical Events

1914 – Stanley Cup, Arena Gardens, Toronto ON: Toronto HC (NHA) defeat Victoria Aristocrats (PCHA), 2-1 for a 3-0 series sweep; final series of the “challenge” era
1956 – Biggest NBA margin of victory – Minn Lakers-133, St Louis Hawks-75
1984 – STS 41-C vehicle moves to launch pad
1995 – Arizona begins using new telephone area code 520, outside of Phoenix
1995 – Finnish Social Democratic Party wins parliamentary election

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Famous Birthdays

1914 – Fred Clark, American actor (Burns and Allen, Auntie Mame, Hazard), born in Lincoln, California (d. 1968)
1933 – Renee Taylor [Wexler], American actress (Jack Paar Show; The Nanny – “Sylvia”), born in New York City
1953 – Lord Blair of Boughton [Ian Blair], British police officer who was Metropolitan police commissioner during the 7/7 London terror attacks, born in Chester, England (d. 2025)
1971 – Dalton James, American actor (My Father, The Hero; Beverly Hills 90201 – “Mark”), born in Sacramento, California
1983 – Matt Sydal [Matthew Korklan], American professional wrestler (WWE Raw, AEW Dark), born in St. Louis, Missouri

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Famous Deaths

1263 – Hugo of St-Cher/a S Caro, French cardinal, dies
1623 – Uesugi Kagekatsu, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1556)
1717 – John Campbell, 1st Earl of Breadalbane and Holland, Scottish royalist
1969 – Theodor Schaefer, Czech composer, dies at 65
2003 – Michael Mathias Prechtl, German illustrator, dies at 76

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