Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1964 – Hindu-Muslim rioting breaks out in the Indian city of Calcutta – now Kolkata – resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people.
1971 – In a high profile NHL trade, the Montreal Canadiens obtain future Hockey Hall of Fame left wing Frank Mahovlich from Detroit, in exchange for Bill Collins, Guy Charron and Mickey Redmond
1980 – Judd Woldin’s musical “King of Schnorrers”, based on Israel Zangwill’s novel, closes at Playhouse Theater, NYC, after 63 performances
1995 – 26 HNL teams unanimously ratify agreement to end NHL strike
2012 – Italian cruiseliner Costa Concordia runs aground at Isola de Giglio, Italy, causing 32 deaths
2021 – President Donald Trump is impeached by the US House of Representatives voting 232-197, for “incitement of insurrection”, first time in history a US President is impeached twice

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Famous Birthdays

1808 – Salmon P. Chase, American politician and jurist (Senator and Governor of Ohio, US Chief Justice 1864-73), born in Cornish, New Hampshire (d. 1873)
1878 – Lionel Groulx, Canadian nationalist, born in Vaudreuil, Quebec, Canada (d. 1967)
1938 – Shiv Kumar Sharma, Indian santoor (100-string dulcimer-like instrument) master, and composer, born in Jammu, British India (d. 2022)
1943 – Richard Moll, American actor (Night Court – “Bull”; House – “Big Ben”; Dungeonmaster), born in Pasadena, California (d. 2023)
1968 – Chara [Miwa Watabiki], Japanese singer and actress (Swallowtail Butterfly), born in Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
1989 – Triinu Kivilaan, Estonian model, pop-rock singer and bassist (Vanilla Ninja, 2004-05 and 2020-22), born in Viljandi, Estonia

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Famous Deaths

1363 – Meinhard III of Gorizia-Tyrol (b. 1344)
1797 – Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern, Queen of Prussia as wife of Frederik II the Great, dies at 81
1916 – Victoriano Huerta, Mexican general who seized power in a coup and installed himself as dictator and President of Mexico (1913-14), dies cirrhosis of the liver or possibly cancer at 65
1983 – John McHugh, actor (Unspeakable), dies of a heart attack at 69
2002 – Kurt Brüggemann, German composer, conductor, and music educator, dies at 93
2016 – Brian Bedford, English actor (Anthony-Coronet Blue), dies at 80

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Historical Events

1809 – British take Cayenne (French Guiana) from French (until 1814)
1918 – Montreal Canadien’s center Joe Malone scores 5 goals in a 9-4 win over Ottawa to become the first 20 goal scorer in NHL history; goes on to score 44 regular season goals
1986 – 24th space shuttle (61-C) mission-Columbia 7-launched
1987 – Britain’s Prince Edward resigns from his Royal Marines training
2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.
2021 – India’s Supreme Court puts on hold three controversial new farm laws that ignited weeks of protests by farmers in Delhi

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Famous Birthdays

1819 – Zealous Bates Tower, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Cohasset, Massachusetts (d. 1900)
1937 – Marie Dubois, French actress (Wise Guys, Jules and Jim), born in Paris, France (d. 2014)
1941 – “Long” John Baldry, English blues vocalist (“Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll”), born in East Haddon, United Kingdom (d. 2005)
1944 – Viktoria Postnikova, Russian pianist, born in Moscow, Russia
1950 – Ricky Ray Rector, American murderer (d. 1992)
1975 – Jocelyn Thibault, Canadian NHL goalie (Montreal Canadiens), born in Montreal, Quebec

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Famous Deaths

1732 – John Horsley, British archaeologist (Britannia Romana) dies (b. 1685)
1909 – Hermann Minkowski, German mathematician (work on relativity – Minkowski spacetime), dies of appendicitis at 44
1947 – Jonas Cohn, German philosopher (Wertwissenschaft), dies at 77
1999 – Leo Cherne, American economist and commentator (All Star News), dies at 86
2009 – Russ Conway, Canadian-American character actor (Richard Diamond Private Eye), dies at 95
2010 – Daniel Bensaïd, French philosopher and a leader of the Trotskyist movement in France, dies of cancer caused by the side effects of drugs used to treat AIDS at 63

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Historical Events

1785 – Continental Congress convenes in NYC
1894 – Donghak Peasant Rebellion begins in Mujiang, Korea over local corruption, sparking the 1st Sino-Japanese War
1969 – “Hooked on a Feeling” by BJ Thomas peaks at #5
1981 – NFC Championship, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Eagles beat Dallas Cowboys, 20-7
1989 – Denver Nuggets’ rookie Jerome Lane misses 7 free throws in a game against Milwaukee, one missed by 2 feet
1992 – Algeria’s President Chadli announces his resignation

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Famous Birthdays

1801 – John Lodge Ellerton, British classical composer (The Bridal of Triermain, Domenica), born in Cheshire, England (d. 1873)
1885 – Alice Paul, American suffragist (National Woman’s Party), born in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey (d. 1977)
1909 – Gunnar Johnsen Berg, Swiss-Danish composer (Cosmogonie), born in Switzerland (d. 1989)
1915 – Veda Ann Borg, American model and actress (Kid Galahad, Avalanche, Accomplice), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1973)
1952 – Kim Hartman, British screen, stage, and radio actress (Allo Allo! – “Helga”), born in Hammersmith, London, England
1952 – Massimo Lopez, Italian comedian

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Famous Deaths

1055 – Constantine IX Monomachos, Emperor of Byzantium, dies
1641 – Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet (b. 1583)
1929 – Julio Antonio Mella, Cuban revolutionary, murdered at about 28
1943 – Carlo Tresca, NY’s Italian newspaper editor/anti-fascist, murdered
1955 – Rodolfo Graziani, Italian Marshal, fascist and Viceroy of Italian East Africa, dies at 72
2009 – David Vine, British sports broadcaster (BBC Match of the Day, World Snooker C’ships, Olympics coverage), dies of a heart attack at 74

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Historical Events

1356 – German Emperor Charles I promulgates the ‘Golden Bull’, to regulate the election of a new king – the most important constitutional document of the Holy Roman Empire
1811 – Louisiana slaves rebel in 2 parishes
1925 – Allies refuse to evacuate the Cologne area of Germany as agreed
1982 – Petra Schneider swims world record 1500 m freestyle (15:43.31)
2003 – NBA announces Charlotte, N.C. is awarded an NBA expansion franchise to be known as the Charlotte Bobcats and start play in 2004-05; eventually changes to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014-15 season
2005 – A mudslide occurs in La Conchita, California, killing 10 people, injuring many more and closing the Highway 101, the main coastal corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles, for 10 days.

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Famous Birthdays

1810 – Jeremiah S. Black, American statesman and lawyer, born in Stony Creek, Pennsylvania (d. 1883)
1938 – Donald Knuth, American mathematician and computer scientist, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1939 – Jared Carter, American poet, born in Elwood, Indiana
1939 – David Horowitz, American author and political commentator, born in NYC, New York
1945 – Colonel DeBeers [Edward Wiskoski], American professional wrestler, born in Saint Joseph, Missouri
1983 – Li Nina, Chinese aerial freestyle skier, born in Benxi, China

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Famous Deaths

1094 – Al-Mustanṣir, 8th Fāṭimid Caliph of Cairo, dies at 64
1662 – Prince Honoré II of Monaco (b. 1597)
1833 – António da Silva Leite, Portuguese composer, dies at 73
1971 – (Gabrielle) “Coco” Chanel, French fashion designer (Chanel), dies at 87
1989 – Donald Voorhees, American conductor (Bell Telephone Hour), dies at 85
2005 – James Forman, American civil rights leader (b. 1928)

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Historical Events

1493 – Christopher Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids, describing them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted”
1957 – Dutch Newspaper Society expels communist daily paper “Truth”
1967 – “More of the Monkees” second album by The Monkees is released
1995 – Ecuador and Peru involved in boundary fight
2010 – Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: María José Martínez Sánchez and Tommy Robredo of Spain beat British pair Laura Robson and Andy Murray 7-6, 7-5 to clinch a 2-1 win; Spain’s 3rd title
2012 – “Time is Love” single released by Josh Turner (Billboard Song of the Year 2012)

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Famous Birthdays

1620 – Johann Weichmann, German organist, and sacred and secular music composer (Sorgen-Lägerin), born in Wolgast, Pomerania (d. 1652)
1829 – Thomas William Robertson, English playwright (Caste), born in Newark-on-Trent, England (d. 1871)
1910 – Dick Henry Jurgen, American swing music bandleader, born in Sacramento, California (d. 1995)
1914 – Derek Allhusen, English equestrian rider (Olympic gold team, silver Individual eventing 1968), born in London, England (d. 2000)
1956 – Imelda Staunton, British actress (Finding Your Feet, Maleficent), born in Archway, London
1967 – Dave Mcllwain, Canadian NHL center (Pitts Penguins), born in Seaforth, Canada

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Famous Deaths

1895 – Aaron Lufkin Dennison, ‘Father of American watchmaking’, American watch manufacturer and businessman (Tremont Watch Company), dies at 82
1964 – Frank “Big Boy” Goudie, American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist, and upholsterer, dies of cancer at 64
1975 – Pyotr Sergeyevich Novikov, Russian mathematician (group theory), dies at 73
1979 – Avery Claflin, American banker and composer (“Lament for April 15” – income tax form instructions set to music), dies at 80
2008 – William Quinn, Irish Republican Army soldier (b. 1950)
2018 – Karin von Aroldingen, German ballet dancer (NYC Ballet), dies at 76

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Historical Events

1811 – Louisiana slave revolt by Charles Deslondes at German Coast
1877 – Crazy Horse and his Sioux warriors fight their last battle with the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain (Montana Territory).
1947 – General George Marshall becomes US Secretary of State
1949 – “My Romance” closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 95 performances
1982 – Johnny Cash Parkway opens in Hendersonville, Tennessee
1995 – Philadelphia Phillies 12-time All Star third baseman Mike Schmidt is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

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Famous Birthdays

1814 – Johannes Kneppelhout, Dutch writer, born in Leiden, Netherlands (d. 1885)
1917 – Peter Taylor, American novelist, born in Trenton, Tennessee (d. 1994)
1936 – Robert May, Baron May of Oxford, Australian-born British scientist, born in Sydney, Australia
1937 – Robert Moran, American composer (Trinity Requiem), born in Denver, Colorado
1964 – Marc Quinn, English artist (Alison Lapper Pregnant), born in London, England
1985 – Sam Levison, American actor and filmmaker (created TV show Euphoria)

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Famous Deaths

1934 – Alexandre Stavisky, French swindler, dies
1944 – William Kissam Vanderbilt II, member of the Vanderbilt family (b. 1878)
1972 – Kenneth Patchen, American writer (See You in the Morning), dies at 60
1986 – Yaroslav Seifert, Czech poet (Nobel 1984), dies at 84
2010 – Tony Halme, Finnish boxer and politician (b. 1963)
2014 – Ben Garrido Blaz, American politician (Rep-R-Guam, 1985-93), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1566 – Antonio “Michele” Ghislieri is elected Pope Pius V
1894 – William K.L. Dickson captures “Fred Ott’s Sneeze” as a motion picture at Thomas Edison’s Black Mariah Studio, West Orange, New Jersey
1915 – World War I: Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm approves strategic bombing of Britain, but forbids bombing London, fearing his relatives in the royal family might be killed
1966 – Gene Kiniski beats Lou Thesz in St Louis, to become NWA wrestling champion
1991 – Saddam Hussein prepares his troops for what he says will be a long violent war against the US
1991 – “Nia Peeples Party Machine” premieres on TV

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Famous Birthdays

1502 – Gregory XIII [Ugo Boncompagni], Italian pope (1572-85) who introduced the Gregorian (New Style) calendar in 1582, born in Bologna, Papal States (d. 1585)
1903 – Alan Napier, British actor (The Sword in the Stone, Batman), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1988)
1907 – Nicanor Zabaleta, Spanish harpist, born in San Sebastián, Spain (d. 1993)
1921 – John Lanigan, Australian operatic tenor (Covent Garden), born in Seddon, Victoria (d. 1996)
1958 – Linda Kozlowski, American actress (Crocodile Dundee), born in Fairfield, Connecticut
1958 – Donna Rice Hughes, American author and speaker, born in New Orleans, Louisiana

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Famous Deaths

1537 – Alessandro de’ Medici, Duke of Florence, Italian ruler of Florence (1532-37), assassinated by his friend and cousin at 26
1901 – James Dunwoody Bulloch, Confederacy’s chief foreign agent in Great Britain during the American Civil War, dies at 77
1943 – Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American physicist, electrical engineer and inventor who developed alternating current and the Tesla Coil, dies at 86
1984 – Alfred Kastler, French physicist (Nobel 1966 – Hertzian resonances within atoms), dies at 81
2001 – James Carr, American soul singer (“To Love Somebody”; “Dark End of the Street”), dies of lung cancer at 58
2021 – Tommy Lasorda, American Baseball Hall of Fame manager (World Series 1981, 88; NL Manager of the Year 1983, 88; LA Dodgers 1976-96), dies of a heart attack at 93

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Historical Events

1930 – Australian cricket icon Don Bradman scores 452 not out for New South Wales v Queensland in Sydney; then world record individual score in a first-class match; runs scored in 415 minutes
1947 – Ray Lindwall smashes 100 v England in MCG Test
1974 – In response to the 1973 energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States.
1985 – NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers beat Chicago Bears, 23-0
1986 – British Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine resigns after the ‘Westland affair’
2002 – Daniel Bedingfield returns to No.1 on the UK singles chart for the second time with Gotta Get Thru This

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Famous Birthdays

1525 – Caspar Peucer, German reformer, born in Bautzen, Germany (d. 1602)
1945 – Barry John, Welsh rugby player, born in Cefneithin, United Kingdom
1964 – Mark O’Toole, English musician (Frankie Goes to Hollywood – “Relax”), born in Liverpool, England
1974 – Juan Roque, American football tackle (Detroit Lions), born in San Diego, California
1975 – Jason King, English radio DJ (Radio 1), born in Tenbury Wells, United Kingdom
1982 – Eddie Redmayne, English actor (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Theory of Everything), born in London

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Famous Deaths

1592 – John Casimir of Simmern, German prince and regent for his nephew, Elector Frederick IV (b. 1543)
1734 – John Dennis, English dramatist whose thunder was stolen (b. 1657)
1885 – Peter C Asbjornsen, Norwegian fairy tale writer, dies at 72
1975 – Noel Madison, actor (Jitterbugs, Black Raven), dies at 77
1985 – Robert W. Welch Jr., American businessman who founded the conservative John Birch Society, dies at 85
2006 – Lou Rawls, American soul singer-songwriter and producer (“You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine”), dies of cancer at 72

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Historical Events

1757 – Failed assassination attempt on French King Louis XV by Damiens
1929 – Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia
1943 – Teams agrees to start season later due to WW II
1976 – In retaliation for the Reavey and O’Dowd killings, the South Armagh Republican Action Force shoot dead 10 Protestant civilians after stopping their minibus in County Armagh
1981 – Late night television news program “Nightline” with Ted Koppel extended from 20 mins to 30 mins
2018 – Kitwe in Zambia bans shaking hands and the sale of fresh food in attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak

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Famous Birthdays

1892 – Anne Morrison Chapin, American playwright, actress, (The Wild Westcotts), and screenwriter (The Sailor Takes A Wife), born in Shoals, Indiana (d. 1967)
1932 – Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher and author (Name of the Rose), born in Alessandria, Piedmont (d. 2016)
1942 – Dany Sava [Danielle Savalle], French actress (Moon Pilot), born in Paris, France
1965 – Vinnie Jones, English-born Welsh footballer and actor, born in Watford, United Kingdom
1985 – Michael Cuccione, Canadian actor, born in Burnaby, Canada (d. 2001)
1986 – Deepika Padukone, Indian model, actress, and activist (Om Shanti Om, Cocktail, Piki), born in Copenhagen, Denmark

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Famous Deaths

1713 – Jean Chardin, French explorer (Middle East and India), dies at 69
1960 – Pavel Parenago, Soviet scientist and astronomer (stellar astronomy) dies at 53
1976 – Mal Evans, British Beatles roadie and personal assistant, dies in a confrontation with police at his Los Angeles home at 40
1981 – Guy Paquinet, French jazz trombonist, and bandleader, dies at 77
2010 – Kenneth Noland, American Color Field painter, dies of kidney cancer at 85
2019 – Eric Haydock [Haddock], British rock bassist (The Hollies, 1962-66 – “”Look Through Any Window”), dies at 75

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Historical Events

274 – St Eutychian begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1781 – Andre Méchain discovers M80 (globular cluster in Scorpio)
1934 – 1st Dutch talkie movie, Jan Teunissen’s “Willem of Orange” premieres
1948 – Burma declares independence from UK
1969 – France begins arms embargo against Israel
1981 – Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green’s musical “Peter Pan”, starring Sandy Duncan, closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 578 performances

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Famous Birthdays

1878 – Augustus John, Welsh painter (d. 1961)
1910 – Arthur Villeneuve, Quebec painter (d. 1990)
1932 – Carlos Saura, Spanish director
1933 – Ed Jenkins, American politician (Rep-D-GA, 1977-93), born in Young Harris, Georgia (d. 2012)
1973 – Harmony Korine, American film director and artist, born in Bolinas, California
1982 – Paulo Ferrari, Argentinian soccer defender (Rosario Central, River Plate) and manager (Rosario Central, San Martín SJ) , born in Rosario, Argentina

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Famous Deaths

1966 – Marcel Tabuteau, French-American oboist (Philadelphia Orchestra, 1915-54), dies at 78
1991 – Leo Wright, American jazz saxophone and flute player (Dizzy Gillespie; “Blues Shout”; “I Left My Heart In San Francisco”), dies of a heart attack at 57
2003 – Yfrah Neaman, Israeli-British concert violinist, and pedagogue, dies of cancer at 79
2004 – Joan Aiken, English writer of children’s books (The Whispering Mountain), dies at 79
2012 – Gatewood Galbraith [Louis], lawyer, American political activist, iconic Kentucky political figure, dies from pneumonia at 64
2022 – Joan Copeland, American film and TV soap actress (“Roseland”; “Search for Tomorrow”), dies at 99

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