Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1515 – Thomas Wolsey appointed Lord Chancellor of England
1914 – German plane drops bombs on Dover, England
1941 – First ships of admiral Nagumo’s Pearl Harbor fleet return to Japan
1953 – Wellington-Auckland (NZ) express train swept away in flood kills 166
1997 – The Dominican Republic becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty
1999 – Opening of St Peter’s Holy Door by Pope John Paul II in approach of 3rd millennium

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Famous Birthdays

1880 – Johnny Gruelle, American cartoonist, children’s book writer and creator of Raggedy Ann, born in Arcola, Illinois (d. 1939)
1910 – William “Bill” Pickering, NASA scientist (JPL), born in Wellington, New Zealand (d. 2004)
1931 – Jill Bennett, British actress (Lady Jane, Concrete Jungle), born in Penang, Straits Settlements (d. 1990)
1946 – Brenda Howard, American bisexual activist, born in The Bronx, New York City (d. 2005)
1967 – Mikhail Shchennikov, Russian race walker, born in Yekaterinburg, Russia
1968 – Joe Scuderi, Australian cricketer (South Australian all-rounder), born in Ingham, Australia

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Famous Deaths

1707 – Noel Coypel, French painter, dies at 78
1926 – Johan Castberg, Norwegian politician (Castbergian Child Laws protecting extra-martial children), dies at 64
1941 – Siegfried Alkan, German composer, dies at 83
1955 – Nana Bryant, American stage and screen actress (Ladies of the Chorus; Harvey; Brewster’s Millions), dies at 67
1994 – Buddy Ace, [Jimmie Lee Land] American Texas blues singer, dies of a heart attack while performing at 57
2006 – Braguinha [Carlos Alberto Ferreira Braga], Brazilian songwriter, dies at 99

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Historical Events

1690 – English astronomer John Flamsteed observes Uranus without realizing it’s undiscovered
1907 – 1st all-steel passengar railroad coach completed, Altoona, Pennsylvania
1921 – Gangster Carlo Gambino enters the United States as an illegal immigrant on the SS Vincenzo Florio
1933 – Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe sentenced to death for setting the German Reichstag on fire
1946 – Highest ridership in NYC subway history (8.8 million passengers)
1970 – NYC World Trade Center reaches highest point (411 m)

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Famous Birthdays

1897 – Julien Carette, French actor (Sylvia and the Phantom), born in Paris, France (d. 1966)
1935 – Paul Hornung, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1956, Notre Dame; Pro Bowl 1959, 60, Green Bay Packers), born in Louisville, Kentucky
1936 – Claude Albert Coppens, Belgian pianist, born in Schaerbeek, Belgium
1951 – Anthony Phillips, English guitarist (Genesis, 1967-70), born in London, England
1962 – Jerry Reynolds, NBA guard/forward (Milwaukee Bucks), born in French Lick, Indiana
1979 – Kenny Miller, Scottish football player, born in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

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Famous Deaths

1652 – John Cotton, Puritan clergyman in Massachusetts Bay colony, dies at 68
1962 – George Saiko, Austrian writer, dies at 70
1997 – Keith Bentley, English international racing cyclist, dies at 72
2010 – Fred Hargesheimer, American World War II pilot (b. 1916)
2015 – Alfred G. Gilman, American scientist (1994 Nobel Prize for G-protein discoveries), dies at 74
2022 – Txetxu Rojo, Spanish soccer forward (18 caps; Athletic Bilbao 413 games) and manager (Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo, Osasuna, Real Zaragoza), dies at 75

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Historical Events

1894 – French officer Alfred Dreyfus court-martialed for treason, triggers worldwide charges of anti-Semitism (Dreyfus later vindicated)
1905 – Arrest of St Petersburg Soviet members leads to an uprising of Moscow workers and fighting in the street
1956 – Colo is born, the first gorilla to be bred in captivity at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, Ohio
1984 – Test Cricket debut of Craig McDermott, v WI at the MCG
1994 – Italian government of Silvio Berlusconi resigns
1996 – St Louis Blues’ right wing Brett Hull scores his 26th NHL career hat trick to reach 500 career goals in a 7-4 win over the LA Kings; with father Bobby Hull, first father/son combo to each record 500 goals

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Famous Birthdays

1546 – Kuroda Yoshitaka, Japanese daimyō, born in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (d. 1604)
1887 – Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician (number theory), born in Erode, British India (d. 1920)
1903 – Marc Lavry [Levin], Latvian-Israeli composer (Emek; Independence Symphony; Song of Songs], and conductor, born in Riga, Latvia (d. 1967)
1930 – Bill Jenkins, American engine builder and drag racer (Motorsports Hall of Fame of America), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2012)
1944 – Steve Carlton, American Baseball HOF pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 1972, 77, 80, 82; Triple Crown 1972; 10 x MLB All Star; St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies), born in Miami, Florida
1957 – Susan Powter, Australian-born American motivational speaker, nutritionist, personal trainer, and author (The Susan Powter Show), born in Sydney, Australia

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Famous Deaths

1893 – Johann Czerski, German chaplain, dies at 80
1951 – Powell Weaver, American composer, dies at 61
1966 – Lucy Burns, American suffragist (National Woman’s Party) and women’s rights advocate, dies at 87
1985 – D. Boon, American singer and guitarist (The Minutemen) (b. 1958)
2003 – Dave Dudley, American country singer (Six Days on the Road), dies at 75
2007 – Adrian Cristobal, Filipino writer (b. 1932)

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Historical Events

1919 – J. Edgar Hoover persuades US to deport 250 alien radicals, including anarchist and feminist Emma Goldman and her husband to Russia
1936 – Master batsman Don Bradman has a rare embarrassment – a 2nd consecutive Test duck (0), as England dismisses Australia for 80 in the 2nd Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
1939 – Adolf Hitler names Adolf Eichmann leader of “Referat IV B”, responsible for evictions and Jewish immigration
1976 – Patricia R Harris named secretary of HUD
1988 – Lockerbie disaster: A terrorist bomb destroys Pan Am Flight 103 mid-air, over Scotland; killing all 259 passengers and crew on board, and 11 people on the ground
1989 – New Zealand is the first country to set a formal inflation target (0-2%) for how much prices should rise each year. Similar targets are subsequently adopted by most developed countries.

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Famous Birthdays

1923 – Wataru Misaka, American basketball point guard (first non-white player, first player of Asian descent in BAA [later known NBA]; NY Knicks), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 2019)
1943 – André Arthur, Canadian radio host and politician, born in Quebec City, Canada
1957 – John Geddert, American gymnastics coach (US head coach London Olympic Team 2012), born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan (d. 2021)
1964 – Joey Kocur, NHL right wing (Vancouver Canucks), born in Calgary, Alberta
1971 – Matthieu Chedid, French musician, born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France
1989 – Mark Ingram Jr., American football running back (Heisman Trophy 2009, U of Alabama; NFL Pro Bowl 2014, 17, 19; New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens), born in Hackensack, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1900 – Roger Wolcott, American political figure, 39th Governor of Massachusetts (b. 1847)
1998 – Ernst Gunther Schenck, German doctor who joined the Sturmabteilung in 1933 {b. 1904)
2010 – David Hennessy [Lord Windlesham], British politician (C) (Leader of the House of Lords 1973-4) and TV executive, dies at 78
2010 – Enzo Bearzot, Italian football player and manager (b. 1927)
2016 – Weston Noble, American music educator and conductor (Luther College, 1948-2005), dies at 94
2021 – (Wilbert) Billy Davis, American tennis player (11 x American Tennis Association Titles), dies of congestive heart failure at 91

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Historical Events

1780 – Britain declares war on Holland
1850 – Hawaiian post office established
1862 – Confederate raid on Union supplies at Holly Springs, Mississippi
1946 – Darius Milhaud’s 2nd Symphony, premieres with the Boston Symphony conducted by the composer; the work was commissioned as a memorial to the wife of group’s music director Serge Koussevitzky
1955 – Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales
1985 – Position of American Poet Laureate established (Robert Warren is 1st)

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Famous Birthdays

1819 – John Geary, American lawyer and politician (1st SF postmaster; 1st mayor), born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania (d. 1873)
1909 – Vakkom Majeed, Indian freedom fighter and politician, born in the Kingdom of Travancore (d. 2000)
1946 – Lesley Judd, British child actress, dancer, television presenter (Blue Peter, 1972-79), and radio host (BBC’s Woman’s Hour, 1982-88), born in London, England
1956 – Guy Babylon, American keyboard player (Elton John) and arranger, born in New Windsor, Maryland (d. 2009|)
1976 – Adam Powell, Welsh computer programmer and game designer (Neopets), born in Newport, Wales
1996 – Hannah Green, Australian golfer (Women’s PGA C’ship 2019), born in Perth, Western Australia

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Famous Deaths

1679 – Johan Maurits, Dutch nobleman, Prince of Nassau-Siegen (1964-79), Governor of Dutch Brazil (1637-43), and military leader (Eighty Years War; Dutch-Portuguese War), dies at 75
1986 – Joe DeSa, American baseball player (b. 1959)
1991 – Helene Heigh, American actress (Undercover Woman; Teen Age Thunder; 9 to 5), dies at 86
1995 – Adone Zecchi, Italian composer and conductor (Corale Euridice; Orchestra Bolognese de Camera), dies at 91
1996 – Carl Sagan, American scientist, astronomer and author (Broca’s Brain, Cosmos, Contact) known for his research on extraterrestrial life, dies of pneumonia after suffering from myelodysplasia at 62
2015 – Patricia Elliott, American actress (Renee-Empire, One Life to Live), dies at 77

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Historical Events

1828 – Report by US Vice President John C. Calhoun defending the rights of states to nullify federal laws is presented to the South Carolina legislature but it takes no action
1942 – Robert Stroud, convicted murdered, transferred to Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, where he becomes known as “Birdman of Alcatraz”
1986 – Jack Morris agrees to salary arbitration with former team Tigers and accuses owners of collusion against free agency
1988 – Unexploded WW II bomb found in Frankfurt, Germany-5,000 evacuated
2000 – Ballon d’Or: Real Madrid’s Portuguese midfielder Luís Figo is named best football player in Europe ahead of Juventus midfielder Zinedine Zidane and Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko
2023 – “Science” names anti-obesity medications that mimic the hormone GLP-1, containing semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), their breakthrough of the year

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Famous Birthdays

1817 – James Jay Archer, Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (d. 1864)
1894 – Paul Dessau, German orchestral, film, and theater composer and conductor (Adventures of Casanova; Deutsches Miserere; Never Trust a Woman), born in Hamburg, German Empire (d. 1979)
1929 – Herman T M Lauxtermann, Dutch 2nd chamber member (VVD)
1970 – Zac Foley, English rock bassist (EMF “Unbelievable”), born in Gloucester (d. 2002)
1975 – Jon Smith, British writer
1988 – Peter Winn, English footballer

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Famous Deaths

1807 – Friedrich Melchior, baron von Grimm, German writer (b. 1723)
1819 – Thomas Fremantle, British naval officer, dies at 54
1938 – Stephen Warfield Gambrill, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland), dies at 65
1939 – Eric Fogg, English composer, dies under a train at 36
1993 – Anthonius AM “Ton” Kors, writer (Time of Anton de Lange), dies at 47
2005 – Vincent Gigante, Italian-American mafioso, dies at 77

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Historical Events

1773 – A skirmish at Grass Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound results in the deaths of two Māori and nine members of James Cook’s expedition, New Zealand
1774 – Empress Maria Theresa expels Jews from Prague, Bohemia and Moravia
1980 – Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts minister Van Agts abortion laws
1997 – HTML 4.0 is published by the World Wide Web Consortium
1998 – Romantic comedy film “You’ve Got Mail”, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, directed by Nora Ephron, and written by sisters Nora and Delia Ephron, is released
2020 – International body Covax, established to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle income countries, announces deals with vaccine manufacturers and method for countries to share excess vaccines

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Famous Birthdays

1835 – Lyman Abbott, American theologian and author, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts (d. 1922)
1860 – Edward Alexander MacDowell, American composer (Indian Suite), born in New York (d. 1908)
1898 – Jacob Kruijt, Dutch sociologist (d. 1975)
1960 – Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean prosecutor and President of South Korea (2022-), born in Seoul, South Korea
1971 – Joe Dziedzic, NHL left wing (Pitts Penguins), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
1987 – Miki Andō, Japanese figure skater

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Famous Deaths

1894 – Erastus Flaval Beadle, American publisher (Beadle’s Dime Novels), dies at 73
1930 – Clarence Kummer, American Racing HOF jockey (Preakness Stakes 1920, 25; Belmont Stakes 1920, 28; US Champion Jockey by earnings 1920), dies from pneumonia at 31
1931 – Jack “Legs” Diamond, American gangster and bootlegger, murdered at 34
1971 – Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Russian poet and editor in chief (Novyj Mir), dies at 61
1992 – Charles Leatherland, Baron Leatherland, British journalist and Labour Party politician, dies at 94
2008 – Mark Felt, the infamous “Deep Throat”, American FBI official and whistle blower during the Watergate Scandal dies aged 95

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Historical Events

1807 – France issues the Milan Decree, which confirms the Continental System.
1928 – John McGraw backs NL President John Heydler’s designated hitter idea
1941 – World War II: Beginning of the Siege of Sebastopol.
1978 – Referendum approves new constitution of Rwanda
1983 – The Provisional IRA bombs Harrods department store in London, killing six people and injuring 90
2020 – King Carl XVI Gustaf says Swedish authorities have failed in their response to COVID-19, criticizing the country’s controversial anti-lockdown strategy

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Famous Birthdays

1847 – Émile Faguet, French writer and critic (d. 1916)
1914 – Syed Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (prolific batsman of 30’s and 40’s), born in Indore, British India (d. 2005)
1953 – Mark Gane, rocker (M+M), born in Toronto, Ontario
1961 – Sara Dallin, British musician (Bananarama), born in Bristol, England
1973 – Rian Johnson, American filmmaker (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Knives Out), born in Silver Springs, Maryland
1976 – Patrick Müller, Swiss footballer

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Famous Deaths

1981 – Edwin Erich Dwinger, German writer (General Vlassov), dies at 83
1983 – Erik Christensen, NHL player
1991 – John Blatnik, (Rep-Minnesota, 1947-75), dies at 80
2009 – Dan O’Bannon, Screenwriter, after a short illness (b.1943)
2010 – Mary Tregear, British museum curator (Ashmolean) and Chinese art historian, dies at 86
2022 – Manuel Muñoz, Chilean soccer striker (26 caps; CSD Colo-Colo), dies at 94

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Historical Events

1777 – Virginia becomes 1st state to ratify Articles of Confederation (US 1st constitution)
1883 – Tonkin Campaign: The French capture the citadel in Hanoi
1960 – “Wildcat” opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 172 performances
1979 – Dallas QB Roger Staubach throws 3 TDs and 336 yards in his last NFL regular season game with the Cowboys, a 35-34 win over Washington Redskins at Texas Stadium
1979 – Libya raises crude oil prices, joining four other OPEC nations, which has a dramatic effect on the United States
1987 – Roh Tae Woo elected president of South Korea

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Famous Birthdays

1909 – Lall Singh, Indian cricketer (scored 15 and 29 in India’s 1st Test match) (d. 1985)
1916 – Theo Bitter, Dutch painter and set designer (d. 1994)
1931 – Shelby Singleton, American record label owner and producer (Smash Records, Mercury Records), born in Waskom, Texas (d. 2009)
1937 – Joyce Bulifant, American actress (The Mary Tyler Moore Show – “Marie Slaughter”), born in Newport News, Virginia
1950 – Roy Schuiten, Dutch cyclist, born in Zandvoort, Netherlands (d. 2006)
1963 – James Mangold, American filmmaker (Girl, Interrupted; Kate and Leopold; Walk the Line; Logan), born in New York City

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Famous Deaths

1783 – Yoriyuki Arima, Japanese mathematician (approximated the value of pi and its square, pi^2), dies at 68
1852 – Henri-Jean Rigel, French composer, music director, and “pianiste de la musique particulière de l’Empereur et Roi” to Napoleon, dies at 80
1920 – Ma Yuanzhang, Chinese Muslim rebel and Sufi master, crushed to death during the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake at an unknown age
1944 – Don Meyer Basketball coach Northern State, Lipscomb, and Hamline
2001 – Stuart Adamson, Scottish rock vocalist and guitarist (The Skids, Big Country), dies at 43
2006 – Don Jardine, Canadian professional wrestler (b. 1940)

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Historical Events

1903 – NY Wall Street vendor Italo Marchiony [Marcioni] granted patent for a mound for making ice cream cones
1969 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band, play their only European gig – appearing in UNICEF charity concert at London’s Lyceum Ballroom, band is augmented by Bonnie and Delaney and guitarist George Harrison
1973 – Pirates of Caribbean ride opens at Disneyland
2011 – Barry Bonds is sentenced to 30 days of house arrest, two years of probation and 250 hours of community service, for an obstruction of justice conviction stemming from a grand jury appearance in 2003
2018 – Egyptian Archaeologists announce discovery of 4,400 year old tomb of Fifth Dynasty priest in Saqqara pyramid complex near Cairo
2020 – MacKenzie Scott announces she has given away more than $4 billion to 384 nonprofit organizations across the US

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Pieter Geyl, Dutch historian (History of the Dutch Tribe), born in Dordrecht, Netherlands (d. 1966)
1907 – Gordon Douglas [Brickner], American film director (Our Gang; Laurel and Hardy; Young At Heart; Way…Way Out; Tony Rome; They Call Me Mister Tibbs!), born in NYC (d. 1993)
1922 – (Albert) “Alan” Freed, American disc jockey and concert promoter who popularized the term “rock-n-roll”, and payola scandal figure, born in Windber, Pennsylvania (d. 1965)
1930 – Edna O’Brien, Irish novelist and short story writer (Girl with Green Eyes, Casualties of Peace), born in Tuamgraney, County Clare, Ireland
1939 – Nicolaus A. Huber, German composer, born in Passau, Germany
1986 – Snejana Onopka, Ukrainian supermodel, born in Sievierodonetsk, Soviet Union

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Famous Deaths

1715 – George Hickes, English linguist (Old German Philology), dies at 73
1990 – Betty Warren, British actress (Passport to Pimlico), dies at 83
1990 – Jean Paige, American silent film actress (Capt Blood; Black Beauty), dies at 95
1999 – George Elrick, Scottish-British singer (“I Like Bananas Because They Have No Bones”), and broadcaster known as ‘The Smiling Voice of Radio’ (BBC’s “Housewives’ Choice”), dies at 95
2010 – Bob Feller, American Baseball HOF pitcher (8 x MLB All Star; AL Triple Crown 1940; 3 x no-hit games; Cleveland Indians), dies from leukemia at 92
2021 – Bridget Hanley, American actress (Here Come the Brides – “Candy Pruitt”), dies of Alzheimer’s disease complications at 80

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