Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1630 – French troops occupy Pinerolo Piedmont
1933 – Kroll Opera in Berlin opens
1973 – After a 5½ year run soap “Love is a Many Splendored Thing” ends
1980 – 18-year old American tennis star Tracy Austin wins her only WTA Tour Championship; upsets Martina Navratilova in the final 6–2, 2–6, 6–2 in NYC
2015 – British entertainer James Corden becomes the host of “The Late Late Show” on CBS; hosts the program through 2023
2021 – First ever tweet by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey “just setting up my twttr” sells for $2.9 million in digitally autographed version

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Famous Birthdays

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)
1971 – Alexander Selivanov, NHL right wing (Tampa Bay Lightning), born in Moscow, Russia
1975 – Rita Grande, Napoli Italy, tennis star (3rd round 1996 Aust Open)
1976 – Dougie Lampkin, English motorcycle trials rider (7 x world outdoor champion; 4 x indoor world champion), born in Silsden, England
1981 – Tony Peña, Jr., Dominican baseball player
1990 – Eugenie, Princess of York and daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, born in London

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Famous Deaths

1962 – Josef van Schaik, Dutch lawyer and politician (Vice-Premier of Netherands), dies at 80
1995 – Alan Barton, English singer (Smokie, Black Lace), dies in a bus crash at 41
1995 – Russell Reading Braddon, Australian author, dies at 74
2001 – Rowland Evans, American news reporter (CNN-Evans and Novak), dies at 79
2021 – Julié Pomagalski, French snowboarder (World C’ship gold snowboard cross 1999), dies in an avalanche at 40
2022 – Madeleine Albright (née Korbell), American diplomat (UN Delegate, 1993-97), and 1st female US Secretary of State (1997-2001), dies of cancer at 84

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Historical Events

1936 – “The Great Ziegfeld” directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring William Powell and Luise Rainer premieres in Los Angeles (Best Picture 1937
1971 – 6th Academy of Country Music Awards: Merle Haggard and Lynn Anderson win
1986 – HBO launches boxing’s heavyweight-title-unification-tournament
1994 – South African government and ANC take power in Ciskei homeland
2021 – Sanctions imposed on Chinese officials over rights abuses against Uighurs in China by EU, UK, US and Canada
2022 – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party reaches a deal with opposition New Democratic Party to stay in power till 2025

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Famous Birthdays

1609 – John II Casimir Vasa [Jan Kazimierz], King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1648-68), born in Kraków, Poland (d. 1672)
1720 – Nicolas-Henri Jardin, French architect who introduced Neoclassical architecture to Denmark, born in St. Germain des Noyers (d. 1799)
1925 – Colin Spedding, British biologist and animal welfare advocate (d. 2012)
1934 – Orrin Hatch, American politician (US Senator from Utah (R), 1977-2019) longest-serving Utah US Senator, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2022)
1941 – Jeremy Clyde, English pop singer and guitarist (Chad and Jeremy – “A Summer Song”) and actor (The Iron Lady), born in Dorney, Buckinghamshire
1946 – Laraine Ashton, fashion models’ agent (London)

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Famous Deaths

1758 – Jonathan Edwards, American Christian preacher, philosopher, and theologian (Original Sin), dies at 54
1771 – Gottlieb Rabener, German author (Vom Misbrauch of the Satire), dies at 56
1959 – Olga Knipper. Russian-Soviet stage actress, and wife of Anton Chekhov, dies at
1996 – Don Murray, American drummer (The Turtles), dies from post-operative complications at 50
1996 – Robert Franklin Overmyer, astronaut (STS 5, STS 51-B), dies at 59
2017 – Francine Hughes Wilson, American domestic abuse victim “The Burning Bed” who changed pubic perceptions, dies at 69

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Historical Events

1702 – Queen Anne addresses English parliament
1860 – English novelist George Eliot finishes her novel “The Mill on the Floss” in Wandsworth, London
1871 – 33rd Grand National: Irish 1868 winner The Lamb claims second GN at 11/2; ridden by Tommy Pickernell
1963 – Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay is closed
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)
2019 – Bangladeshi woman with two uteruses safely gives birth to twins 26 days after giving birth to another child

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Famous Birthdays

1880 – Hans Hofmann, German-American painter (Search for the Real), born in Weißenburg, Germany (d. 1966)
1911 – John Paxton, American screenwriter and producer (On The Beach, Kotch, Farewell My Lovely), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1985)
1913 – Ghita Ionescu, Romanian politician scientist (Communism in Romania), born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 1996)
1939 – Kathleen Widdoes, actress (Without a Trace), born in Wilmington, Delaware
1944 – Marie-Christine Barrault, actress (Stardust Memories), born in Paris, France
1969 – Ali Daei, Iranian footballer

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Famous Deaths

1768 – Jan Jacob Mauricius, Dutch governor-general of Suriname (1742-51), dies at 75
1844 – Leopold van Sasse van Ysselt, Dutch nobleman and politician, dies at 65
1920 – Federigo Tozzi, Italian writer and journalist (Torre, Tre Croci), dies from pneumonia at 37
1945 – Arthur Nebe, German SS officer and Holocaust perpetrator who took part in assassination plot against of Adolf Hitler, executed by hanging at 50
1970 – Marlen Haushofer, Austrian writer (The Wall), dies at 49
2001 – Chung Ju-yung, Korean industrialist (b. 1915)

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Historical Events

1896 – Marines land in Nicaragua to protect US citizens
1942 – Major German assault on Malta
1948 – First live televised symphony performances: Eugene Ormandy leads Philadelphia Orchestra on CBS, followed 90 minutes later by Arturo Toscanini leading the NBC Orchestra on NBC
1973 – Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame, 11 weeks after his death in a plane crash
1986 – New York City passes its first lesbian and gay rights legislation
2021 – Severe one-in-a-hundred-year flooding in Sydney and the surrounding state of New South Wales prompts evacuation orders

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Famous Birthdays

1890 – Lauritz Melchior, Danish-American baritone tenor (National Symphony), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 1973)
1896 – Hal Walker, director (I Married Joan), born in Ottumwa, Iowa (d. 1972)
1903 – Edgar Buchanan, American actor (Petticoat Junction), born in Humansville, Missouri (d. 1979)
1911 – Mieke Verstraete [Maria Augustina De Graef], Belgian-Dutch actress (Pleasantly Settled), born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1990)
1928 – Anthony Blond, British publisher (The Publishing Game, Book Book), born in Sale, Cheshire (d. 2008)
1984 – Winta [Efrem], Eritrean-Norwegian RandB singer (Hot Romance (Rok With You); Nails on Chalkboard), born in Oslo, Norway

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Famous Deaths

1874 – Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish waltz composer, and musical director (Tivoli Gardens, 1843-72), dies at 63
1918 – Lewis A. Grant, American Civil War General (b. 1828)
1934 – Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Queen consort of William and Regent of the Netherlands, dies at 76
1974 – [Lavinia] Marian Fleming Poe, African American advocate in Virginia, dies at 83
1979 – Mino Pecorelli, Italian journalist, shot dead in Rome at 50
1999 – Roy L. Johnson, American admiral (WW II-Pacific Ocean, commanded Seventh Fleet 1960s), dies at 93

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Historical Events

1917 – Victor Herbert and Harry Blossom’s operetta “Eileen”, loosely based on a novel by Herbert’s grandfather, premieres at Shubert Theater, New York City
1946 – Nikolai Mikhailovich Schwernik succeeds Kalinin as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
1953 – 25th Academy Awards: “Greatest Show on Earth”, Gary Cooper and Shirley Booth win (1st time televised)
1965 – Stoica becomes president and Ceausescu party leader of Romania
1981 – Buffalo Sabres beat Toronto Maple Leafs 14-4
2016 – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Synder and starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, first premieres in Mexico City

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Famous Birthdays

1593 – Georges de la Tour, French painter of candlelit scenes, born in Vic-sur-Seille, Duchy of Lorraine (d. 1652)
1917 – Constantin “Dinu” Lipatti, Romanian classical pianist and composer, born in Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania (d. 1950)
1930 – Bill Henderson, American jazz singer (“Señor Blues”), and actor (Dreams – “Torpedo”), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2016)
1975 – Antonio Daniels, NBA guard (Vancouver Grizzlies)
1982 – Brad Jones, Australian footballer
1999 – Tatum McCann, American actress

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Famous Deaths

1797 – Philip Hayes, English composer, dies at 58
1897 – Antoine T. d’Abbadie, French explorer (Ethiopia), dies at 87
1945 – Fritz Fromm, German supreme commander of Reserve army, executed
1995 – Gerard Tebroke, 5/10 km-dasher, dies at 45
1999 – Bob Cato, American photographer, graphic artist and Grammy Award-winning album cover designer (Columbia Records; United Artists), of complications of Alzheimer’s disease at 75
2009 – Ion Dolănescu, Romanian singer and politician (b. 1944)

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Historical Events

978 – Edward the Martyr, the teenage King of England, is murdered, possibly arranged by his stepmother Queen Ælfthryth, by Corfe Castle
1532 – English parliament bans payments by English church to Rome
1850 – Henry Wells and William Fargo form American Express in Buffalo
1909 – Russia and Bulgaria reach an agreement in which late 19th century Russian financial claims are cancelled to meet compensation due to Turkey from Bulgaria
1963 – France performs underground nuclear test at Ecker, Algeria
2019 – Italian charity ship Mare Jonio rescues 50 migrants off the coast of Libya

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Famous Birthdays

1893 – Costante Girardengo, Italian cyclist, born in Novi Ligure, Italy (d. 1978)
1905 – Thomas Townsend Brown, American scientist (d. 1985)
1937 – Mark Donohue, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500, 1972), born in Haddon Township, New Jersey (d. 1975)
1940 – Mark Medoff, American playwright, director, actor and professor (Children of a Lesser God), born in Mount Carmel, Illinois (d. 2019)
1949 – Starr Danias, American ballerina (Turning Point), born in New York City
1960 – Guy Carbonneau, Sept-iles, NHL center (Dallas Stars)

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Famous Deaths

1583 – King Magnus of Livonia (b. 1540)
1972 – Jimmy Carroll, American pianist (Most Important People), dies at 58
1984 – Charlie Lau, White Sox coach/renowned hitting instructor, dies at 50
1990 – Robin Harris, American comedian and actor (House Party, Mo’ Better Blues), dies of a heart attack at 36
2011 – Jet Harris [Terence Harris], English rock bassist (Drifters), dies of cancer at 71
2022 – John Clayton, American sports journalist/reporter (The Pittsburgh Press, The News Tribune; ESPN), dies at 67

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Historical Events

1190 – Crusades complete massacre of Jews of York England
1924 – Netherlands and USSR begin talks over USSR recognition
1932 – Montreal Canadiens center Howie Morenz registers his 334th career point with an assist in a 10-4 win v NY Americans; passes Cy Denneny as NHL leader for career points
1993 – 19th People’s Choice Awards: Kevin Costner and Demi Moore win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen and Candice Bergen win (TV)
2013 – Stacy Lewis wins the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup and becomes the number one ranked woman golfer in the world
2019 – PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland wins biggest cheque in golf ($2.25m) by 1 stroke from Jim Furyk

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Famous Birthdays

1789 – Edmund Kean, British Shakespearean tragic actor (Shylock), born in London, England (d. 1833)
1888 – Paul Ramadier, French politician (d. 1961)
1901 – Eisaku Satō, Prime Minister of Japan (1963-72) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1974), born in Tabuse, Yamaguchi, Japan (d. 1975)
1918 – Józef Franczak, Polish soldier and anti-communist resistance fighter who was the last cursed soldiers, born in Kozice Górne, Kingdom of Poland (d. 1963)
1953 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino communist revolutionary (d. 2001)
1967 – Chris Luongo, American NHL defenseman (NY Islanders), born in Detroit, Michigan

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Famous Deaths

1989 – Merritt Butrick, American actor (Shy People, Square Pegs), dies of AIDS at 29
1993 – Skip Young, American actor (Smokey and Hotwire Gang, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), dies at 62
1996 – Terry Stafford, American singer (b. 1941)
2002 – Paul Runyan, American golfer (PGA C’ship 1934, 38; Ryder Cup 1933, 35), dies at 93
2012 – Pope Shenouda III, Egyptian Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, dies from prostate cancer at 88
2015 – Bob Appleyard, English cricketer (superb England off-spinner, brief career), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1731 – Treaty of Vienna signed by Prince Eugene of Savoy, Count Sinzendorf and Count Gundacker, Thomas Stahremberg and the British envoy to Vienna, Sir Thomas Robinson.
1948 – Jazz musician Billie Holiday is released early from Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Virginia due to good behavior
1949 – KFMB TV channel 8 in San Diego, CA (CBS) begins broadcasting
1991 – Worlds Ladies’ Figure Skating Champ in Munich won by Kristi Yamaguchi
2014 – 55th SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament: Florida beats Kentucky, 61-60
2020 – COVID-19 study by London Imperial College showing migration approach could lead to 250,00 deaths in UK, over 1 million in US, prompts strategy changes from both countries

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Famous Birthdays

1902 – Lucie Rie, Austrian-born British potter, born in Vienna (d. 1995)
1922 – Harding Lemay, American writer (head writer for soap “Another World”), born in North Bangor, New York (d. 2018)
1940 – Keith Rowe, English improvisational tabletop guitarist (AMM; M.I.M.E.O.) and painter, born in Plymouth, England
1942 – Jerry Jeff Walker [Ronald Clyde Crosby], American country music singer and songwriter (“Mr. Bojangles”), born in Oneonta, New York (d. 2020)
1951 – Ritchie Teeter, American drummer (The Dictators, 1976-79; Twisted Sister, 1980-81), born in the USA (d. 2012)
1968 – Ananya Khare, Indian actress and teacher

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Famous Deaths

1629 – Emilia van Nassau, daughter of William I of Orange and Anna of Saxony, dies at 59
1841 – Félix Savart, French surgeon and physicist (Law of Biot and Savart), dies at 49
1975 – Richard W. DeKorte, American politician (b. 1936)
1984 – John Hoagland, American photographer (b. 1947)
2001 – Bob Wollek, French race car driver (b. 1943)
2004 – Vilém Tauský, Czech conductor (BBC Concert Orchestra, 1956-66), opera director and educator (Guildhall School of Music and Drama, 1966-92), and composer, dies at 93

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Historical Events

1855 – Louisiana establishes 1st health board to regulate quarantine
1993 – In a landmark case, Mohamed Tabet, police commissioner of Casablanca, is convicted of sexually abusing over 1,500 women and sentenced to death
1997 – France beats Scotland, 47-20 at Parc des Princes, Paris to claim an 11th outright Five Nations Rugby Championship and 5th Triple Crown; fly-half Christophe Lamaison lands 6 penalties and 3 conversions
2013 – Justin Timberlake releases his 3rd studio album “The 20/20 Experience” (2013 Billboard Album of the Year)
2013 – 16 people are killed by a fireworks accident in Tlaxcala, Mexico
2017 – Dutch elections; Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s centre-right VVD party win 33 seats vs against 20 for right wing Geert Wilder’s Party of Freedom

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Famous Birthdays

1821 – Johann Josef Loschmidt, Austrian scientist (d. 1895)
1913 – Lex Goudsmit, Dutch actor (Fiddler on the Roof, Thomas en Senior op het spoor van Brute Berend), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1999)
1916 – Geert Lubberhuizen, Dutch publisher (Busy Bee), born in Schoten, Netherlands (d. 1984)
1961 – Craig Ludwig, American NHL defenseman (Dallas Stars), born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin
1964 – Rockwell [Kennedy Gordy], American rock vocalist (Somebody’s Watching Me), born in Detroit, Michigan
1972 – Mark Hoppus, American rock singer and bass player (+44; blink-182), born in Ridgecrest, California

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Famous Deaths

1891 – Théodore de Banville, French writer, dies at 67
1983 – Rebecca West [Cicely Isabel Fairfield], English author (Meaning of Treason), dies at 90
1983 – José Luis Sert, Spanish-American architect and urban developer, dies at 80
2011 – Smiley Culture [David Victor Emmanuel], British reggae singer (“Police Officer”; “Cockney Translation”), dies from a self-inflicted stab wound at 48
2022 – Lu Liang-Huan, Taiwanese golfer (British Open 1971 runner-up), dies at 85
2023 – Dorothy Bohm, German-born British pioneering street photographer, dies at 98

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Historical Events

1874 – English FA Cup Final, Kennington Oval, London: Oxford University beats Royal Engineers, 2-0
1962 – Disarmament conference opens in Geneva without France
1967 – JFK’s body moved from temporary grave to a permanent memorial
1991 – English Court of Appeal frees “Birmingham 6” who had been unjustly sentenced in August 1975 to life imprisonment
1996 – Australia beat West Indies by 5 runs in amazing cricket World Cup semi
1997 – The Chinese city of Chongqing (formerly Chunking) is upgraded to a centrally administered municipality

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Famous Birthdays

1895 – François Louis Ganshof, Belgian medieval historian, born in Bruges, Belgium (d. 1980)
1939 – Stavros Xarhakos, Greek composer and conductor, born in Athens, Greece
1967 – Vijay Yadav, Indian cricket wicket-keeper (1 Test, 3 dismissals, HS 30; Haryana), born in Gonda, India
1972 – Antowain Smith, American NFL running back (Buffalo Bills), born in Millbrook, Alabama
1978 – Pieter van den Hoogenband, Dutch swimmer
1994 – Ansel Elgort, American actor (Fault in our Stars), born in New York City

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Famous Deaths

1986 – Edith Atwater, American actress (Phyllis-Love on a Rooftop), dies at 74
1992 – Ralph James, American actor (Orson-Mork and Mindy), dies at 67
1997 – Lucy Kroll, American talent agent, dies at 87
1997 – John Curtis Jr, American executive (Luby’s Cafe), commits suicide at 49
2002 – Cherry Wilder [Cherry Barbara Grimm], New Zealand sci-fi author (Nearest Fire), dies at 71
2012 – Pierre Schoendoerffer, French Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter (The Anderson Platoon), dies from surgical complications at 83

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