Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1903 – The Wright brothers attempt to fly the Wright Flyer for the first time at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
1960 – Australia v West Indies 1st Test Cricket at the Gabba ends in a tie
1977 – Test Cricket debut of Pakistan spin bowling great Abdul Qadir v England in 1st Test at Lahore
1978 – China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor, PRC
1994 – Construction begins on the Three Gorges Dam, China
1998 – 64th Heisman Trophy Award: Ricky Williams, Texas (RB)

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Famous Birthdays

1681 – Giuseppe Valentini, Italian violinist, poet, and composer, born in Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany (now Italy) (d. 1753)
1853 – Henry Wood, English cricket wicket-keeper (4 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 134no; Kent CCC, Surrey CCC), born in Dartford, England (d. 1919)
1870 – Dirk Jan de Geer, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1926-29, 39-40), born in Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1960)
1915 – Ruth Railton, British musical director (National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, 1948-65), born in Kent, England (d. 2001)
1952 – Germain Houde, French Canadian actor, born in Petit-Saguenay, Quebec
1966 – Carl Herrera, Trinidadian-born Venezuelan NBA forward, 1991-99 (San Antonio Spurs, and 2 other teams), born in Trinidad and Tobago

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Famous Deaths

1417 – John Oldcastle, English nobleman and pro-protestant Lollard leader, whom Shakespeare based his Falstaff character on, hanged for heresy at 39
1799 – George Washington, American Founding Father, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during War for Independence and 1st President of the United States (1789-97), dies at 67
1806 – John Breckinridge, American lawyer (5th United States Attorney General) and politician (U.S. Senator from Kentucky), dies at 46
1860 – George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Peelite: 1852-55) and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1841-46), dies at 76
1918 – Sidónio Pais, Portuguese politician (4th President of Portugal, 66th Prime Minister of Portugal), murdered at 46
2000 – George Sholty, American harness driver (2,934 career wins; $20 million+ purse money), dies at 68

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Historical Events

1545 – Council of Trent (19th ecumenical council) opened by Pope Paul III
1961 – “The Young Ones” directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring Cliff Richard, Robert Morley and Carole Gray premieres in London
1983 – KYA-AM in San Francisco CA changes call letters to KOIT
1985 – Australian cricketer David Boon’s 1st Test century, 123 v India at Adelaide
2013 – “Beyoncé” 5th studio album by Beyoncé is released
2022 – First nuclear fusion reaction in a laboratory setting, replicating the same energy that powers the sun – announced by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California

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Famous Birthdays

1877 – Mykola Leontovych, Ukrainian composer (Carol of the Bells), born in Selevyntsi, Podolia, Russian Empire (d. 1921)
1918 – Bill Vukovich, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500, 1953-4), born in Fresno, California (d. 1955)
1936 – J. C. Martin, American baseball player, born in Axton, Virginia
1943 – Arturo Ripstein, Mexican film director (El Lugar Sin Limites, Foxtrot), born in Mexico City
1953 – Thomas E. Sanders, American aerial cameraman (Living Daylights), born in San Pedro, California (d. 2017)
1974 – Chris Lewis, CFL safety (Calgary Stampeders)

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Famous Deaths

1908 – Augustus Le Plongeon, French-American photographer and antiquitarian, dies at 83
1929 – Knut Algot Håkanson, Swedish composer, dies at 42
1931 – Gustave le Bon, French psychologist (b. 1840)
1975 – Hendrik Johan Kruls, Dutch general and chief military authority (1944-46), dies at 73
2008 – Horst Tappert, German director, actor and former SS member (Derrick), dies of diabetes at 85
2019 – Roy Loney, American rock singer (Flamin’ Groovies, 1965-71), dies of multiple organ failure at 73

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Historical Events

1958 – Indian leg spin bowler Subhash “Fergie” Gupte takes 9-102 v W Indies at Kanpur
1970 – Polish government proclaims price rise
1980 – Apple makes its initial public offering on the US stock market – 38 years later it would become the first US company valued at over $1 trillion
1997 – Carlos the Jackal, “professional revolutionary”, goes on trial in Paris
1997 – Florida releases Alex Arias, the last original Marlin
2001 – Winona Ryder is arrested on shoplifting charges in Beverly Hills, California

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Famous Birthdays

1887 – Nigel Haig, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; 1,000 runs and 100 wickets 1921, 27, 29 Middlesex CCC), born in London, England (d. 1966)
1920 – Dick James [Leon Vapnick], British dance band vocalist and Beatles’ music publisher (Northern Songs), born in London, England (d. 1986)
1926 – Laurie Davidson, New Zealand yacht designer (Black Magic 1995; Team New Zealand 2000; America’s Cup HOF 2007), born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2021)
1964 – Sabu [Terry Michael Brunk], American professional wrestler, born in Staten Island, New York
1966 – Jim Sandlak, NHL right wing (Vancouver Canucks), born in Kitchener, Ontario
1967 – Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Japanese video game music composer, born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

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Famous Deaths

1882 – Robert Morris, 1st successful African American lawyer and abolitionist, dies at 59
1920 – Paul Lacôme, French composer, dies at 82
1971 – Jack Barnhill, Northern Ireland senator, assassinated
1998 – Mo Udall, American politician (Rep-D-AZ, 1961-91), dies at 76
2003 – Heydar Aliyev [Heydər Əliyev], Soviet-Azerbaijani politician (President of Azerbaijan, 1983-2003), dies at 80
2022 – Mike Leach, American college football coach (Texas Tech 2000-09, Washington State University 2012-19, Mississippi State 2020-22), dies from complications due to a heart condition at 61

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Historical Events

1572 – Spanish troops begin siege of Haarlem
1862 – Battle of Fredricksburg in Virginia begins between Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside
1913 – “Mona Lisa” recovered two years after it was stolen from the Louvre Museum
1937 – Italy withdraws from League of Nations
1975 – MLB New York Yankees make great trade getting Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis and Ken Brett from Pittsburgh Pirates for George “Doc” Medich
2004 – 70th Heisman Trophy Award: Matt Leinart, USC (QB)

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Famous Birthdays

1904 – Joe Coral [Joseph Kagarlitski], British bookmaker (Gala Coral Group), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1996)
1926 – Richard Devon, American character actor (Magnum Force, Battle of Blood Island), born in Glendale, California (d. 2010)
1948 – Chester Thompson, American session and touring drummer and percussionist (Frank Zappa; Genesis; Chester Thompson Trio), born in Baltimore, Maryland
1957 – Mike Mesaros, American bassist (The Smithereens, 1980-2005 and 2016-present – “Only A Memory”), born in New Jersey
1973 – Ralph Intranuovo, Canadian NHL center (Edmonton Oilers), born in East York, Toronto, Ontario
1978 – Celine Sciamma, French film director (Tomboy), born in Paris, France

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Famous Deaths

1857 – Castil-Blaze [Francois Henri Joseph Blaze], French composer and music critic, dies at 73
1941 – Charles Émile Picard, French mathematician, died at 85
1971 – Maurice “Mac” McDonald, American fast-food pioneer (b. 1902)
1983 – Szymon Laks, Polish composer (head of prisoners orchestra at Auschwitz), dies at 82
2009 – Richard O’Brien, British Industrial relations expert (Manpower Services Commission), dies at 89
2013 – Barbara Branden, Canadian writer, dies from a lung infection at 84

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Historical Events

1831 – “Spirit of the Times” begins publishing in New York City, the premier sports journal of the 19th century
1899 – Delta Sigma Phi fraternity founded at City College of New York, to spread “the principles of friendship and brotherhood among college men, without respect to race or creed.”
1960 – Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine awarded to Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet and Peter Medawar for work on tissue grafting
1986 – France performs nuclear test
1993 – Dow Jones hits record 3740.67
1995 – 1st meeting of NBA expansion teams, Raptors beat Grizzlies 93-81

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Famous Birthdays

1794 – James Wolfe Ripley, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Windham County, Connecticut (d. 1870)
1891 – Leonie “Nelly” Sachs, German-Swedish poet and playwright (O the Chimneys – Nobel Prize for Literature 1966), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1970)
1952 – Susan Dey, American actress (1st Love, Partridge Family, LA Law), born in Pekin, Illinois
1961 – Mark McKoy, Canadian track star (world record 50m indoor, Olympic gold 1992), born in Georgetown, British Guiana
1964 – Bobby Flay, American celebrity chef, restaurateur and TV personality (Iron Chef America; Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction), born in NYC, New York
1977 – Emmanuelle Chriqui, Canadian actress

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Famous Deaths

1826 – Benedikt Schack, Bohemian-born composer and singer and friend of Mozart, dies at 68
1896 – Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist who invented dynamite and founded the Nobel Prize ceremony on this date, dies at 63
2003 – Sean McClory, Irish actor (The Californians, My Chauffeur), dies at 79
2019 – Jim Smith, English soccer midfielder and manager (Birmingham City, QPR, Portsmouth, Derby County), dies at 79
2019 – Jean Pagé, Canadian sports journalist (host: ‘La Soirée du hockey’ and ‘110%’), dies from prostate cancer at 73
2021 – Michael Nesmith, American rock guitarist (The Monkees), and singer-songwriter (“Different Drum”), dies of heart failure at 78

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Historical Events

1856 – The Iranian city of Bushehr surrenders to occupying British forces.
1907 – First Christmas Seals sold (Wilmington, Delaware, post office)
1958 – Robert W. Welch Jr and 11 other men meet in Indianapolis to form the conservative and anti-Communist John Birch Society
1961 – “Let It Ride” closes at Eugene O’Neill Theater NYC after 68 performances
1970 – OPEC meeting in Caracas establishes 55 percent as minimum tax rate and demands that posted prices be changed to reflect changes in foreign exchange rates
1973 – Sunningdale Agreement in Northern Ireland

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Famous Birthdays

1717 – Johann Winckelmann, German archaeologist (History of Ancient Art), born in Stendal, Prussia (d. 1768)
1901 – Carol Dempster, American actress, born in Duluth, Minnesota (d. 1991)
1933 – Milt Campbell, American decathlete (Olympic gold 1956), born in Plainfield, New Jersey (d. 2012)
1954 – Jack Sonni, American guitarist (Dire Straits, 1985-88), born in Indiana, Pennsylvania (d. 2023)
1957 – Donny Osmond, American singer (Osmond Brothers, Donnie and Marie), born in Ogden, Utah
1958 – Rikk Agnew, American guitarist (The Adolescents), born in Newport Beach, California

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Famous Deaths

1437 – Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1410-37), dies at 70
1971 – Ralph Bunche, American diplomat, UN delegate and 1st person of color to win the Nobel Peace Prize (1950), dies at 67
1975 – William A. Wellman, American director (Ox Bow Incident), dies at 79
1982 – Joey Forman, American actor (Sid Caesar Show, Joey Bishop Show), dies at 53
1996 – Anne Bolt, photo-journalist and trade unionist, dies at 84
2007 – Thore Skogman, Swedish entertainer, dies at 76

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Historical Events

1710 – Battle of Brihuega in the War of the Spanish Succession: British General James Stanhope captured by French and Spanish forces
1921 – Eamon de Valera publicly repudiates Anglo-Irish Treaty
1974 – Irish Republican Socialist Party forms
1991 – Charles Strouse and Richard Maltby, Jr’s musical “Nick and Nora” opens at Marquis Theater, NYC; runs for 9 performances
1993 – 30 killed at religious rebellion in Algeria
2022 – Iran announces first known execution of a protester from recent anti-government unrest, after convicting a man in a revolutionary court of “moharebeh” (enmity against God)

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Famous Birthdays

1715 – Jan Althuysen, Frisian vicar and poet (Frisianche rymlery), born in Franeker, Netherlands (d. 1763)
1888 – Paul Cavanagh, British actor (The Woman in Green, Tarzan and his Mate), born in Chislehurst, England (d. 1964)
1894 – E. C. Segar, American cartoonist (Popeye), born in Chester, Illinois (d. 1938)
1941 – Geoff Hurst, English soccer striker (49 caps; FIFA World Cup 1966; West Ham United 411 games, Stoke City), born in Ashton-under-Lyne, England
1947 – Gregg Allman, American Hammond organist, guitarist and vocalist (The Allman Brothers Band – “Whipping Post”), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2017)
1982 – Chrisette Michele [Payne], American RandB and soul singer-songwriter (“Be OK”; “Epiphany”), born in Central Islip, New York,

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Famous Deaths

1967 – Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr., 1st African-American astronaut and U.S. Air Force major, dies in a crash of an F-104 Starfighter while training at 32
1982 – Frank Wijngaarde, Suriname journalist and pro-democracy advocate murdered by the military
1990 – Martin Ritt, American actor and director (The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, Slugger’s Wife, End of the Game), dies at 76
1994 – Israel Aaron Maisels, South African lawyer and communal leader, dies at 89
2019 – Caroll Spinney, American puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street (1969-2018), dies at 85
2021 – Lars Høgh, Danish soccer goalkeeper (8 caps; OB 603 games) and GK coach (Denmark, Brøndby IF), dies from pancreatic cancer at 62

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Historical Events

1724 – Tumult of Thorn – religious unrest was followed by the execution of nine Protestant citizens and the mayor of Thorn (Toruń) by Polish authorities.
1902 – Britain and Germany issue an ultimatum to Venezuela demanding that President Cipriano Castro pay claims for damages caused during his takeover of the government in 1899
1931 – After scoring 226 in 1st Test in Brisbane, Don Bradman belts 219 for NSW against the visiting South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground
1932 – 1st gyro-stabilized vessel to cross Atlantic arrives in NY
1971 – An off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment is shot dead by members of the Irish Republican Army in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
2017 – Unrest in West Bank and Gaza, schools closed and a general strike in response to America’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

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Famous Birthdays

1869 – Frank Laver, Australian cricket medium pace bowler (15 Tests, 37 wickets, BB 8/31) and baseball player (first Australian national team), born in Castlemaine, Australia (d. 1919)
1909 – Jacob Kainen, American painter and curator, born in Waterbury, Connecticut (d. 2001)
1924 – Bent Fabric [Fabricius-Bjerre], Danish pianist and composer (Alley Cat), born in Frederiksberg, Denmark (d. 2020)
1971 – Stephanie D’Abruzzo, American actress, puppeteer (Avenue Q; Sesame Street), and cabaret singer, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1979 – Jennifer Carpenter, American actress (Debra Morgan-Dexter), born in Louisville, Kentucky
1987 – Aaron Carter, American singer, rapper and songwriter, born in Tampa, Florida (d. 2022)

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Famous Deaths

1870 – Mykhailo Verbytsky, Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest and composer (Prostachka; The State Anthem of Ukraine), dies at 55
1917 – [Aloysius] Ludwig Minkus, Austrian violinist, and ballet composer (St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres, 1871-86; La Bayadère), dies at 91
1990 – Peter Mieg, Swiss composer, dies at 84
1990 – Horst Bienek, German writer and director (The First Polka), dies at 60
2018 – Belisario Betancur, Colombian politician, President of Colombia (1982-86), dies at 95
2019 – Denis Lalanne, French sports journalist (‘Le grand combat du XV de France’; ‘Rugbymania: French flair attitude’), dies at 93

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Historical Events

1160 – Jean Bodels “Jeu de St Nicholas” premieres in Arras
1732 – 1st play in American colonies acted by professional players in New York
1964 – “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” 1st airs on TV
1969 – Oscar Brown, Jr’s musical “Buck White”, starring Muhammad Ali, closes at George Abbott Theatre, NYC, after 7 performances
1988 – Merv Hughes takes 13 wickets v WI at the WACA but Australia lose
2018 – Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry explodes for franchise-record 238 yards and 4 touchdowns in 30-9 win v Jacksonville Jaguars in Nashville; 99-yard TD run ties Dallas Cowboys HOF RB Tony Dorsett’s longest run in NFL history

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Famous Birthdays

1814 – Juan Prim, Spanish general and politician (Prime Minister, 1869-70), born in Reus, Catalonia (d. 1870)
1890 – Dion Fortune, British occultist and author (Psychic Self-Defence, The Mystical Qabalah), born in Llandudno, Wales (d. 1946)
1948 – Marius Müller-Westernhagen, German rocker (Stinker), born in Düsseldorf, Germany
1951 – Gerry Francis, English footballer and manager, born in Chiswick, London
1976 – Colleen Haskell, American television personality (Survivor: Borneo 2000 contestant), born in Bethesda, Maryland
1979 – Luke Letlow, American businessman and politician, elected to US House of Representatives for Louisiana, but died before taking office, born in Monroe, Louisiana (d. 2020)

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Famous Deaths

1779 – Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, French painter, dies at 80
1855 – William John Swainson, English naturalist and artist, dies at 66
1991 – Jack Hunter {John Averona], American big band vocalist (Elliot Lawrence Orchestra – “Apple Blossom Time”), dies at 72
1992 – (Karl) Yngve Sköld, Swedish organist, pianist, and composer, dies at 93
2019 – Jo Ann Washam, American golfer (Women’s PGA C’ship 1975 3rd; 3 LPGA Tour titles), dies at 69
2022 – Mills Lane, American boxing referee (Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II 1997; International Boxing HOF) and television personality (‘Judge Mills Lane’), dies at 85

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Historical Events

1492 – Christopher Columbus is the first European to sight Hispaniola (modern Dominican Republic and Haiti)
1941 – Patrick Hamilton’s “Angel Street” premieres in NYC
1941 – US aircraft carrier Lexington and 5 heavy cruisers leave Pearl Harbor
1955 – Historic bus boycott begins in Montgomery, Alabama by Rosa Parks and other civil rights activists
1957 – NYC is first US city to legislate against racial or religious discrimination in housing market (Fair Housing Practices Law)
1975 – NASA launches space vehicle S-196, it failed

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Famous Birthdays

1914 – Hans Hellmut Kirst, German author (The Lieutenant Must Be Mad), born in Osterode, Germany (d. 1989)
1932 – James Cleveland, American gospel singer, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1991)
1940 – Peter Pohl, Swedish writer, born in Hamburg, Germany
1947 – Rick Wills, British bass guitarist (Peter Frampton, 1972-74: Foreigner, 1977-91), born in Cambridge, England
1951 – Tom Purtzer, American golfer (5 PGA Tour titles), born in Des Moines, Iowa
1965 – Johnny Rzeznik, American singer, songwriter and guitarist (Goo Goo Dolls), born in Buffalo, New York

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Famous Deaths

1745 – Christoph Förster, German composer, dies at 52
1965 – Joseph Erlanger, American physiologist (shock therapy-Nobel 1944), dies of heart disease at 91
1995 – Bill Bruton, American baseball outfielder (NL stolen bases leader 1953-55 Milwaukee Braves), dies of a heart attack at 70
2001 – Peter Blake, New Zealand yachtsman (Whitbread Round the World Race 1989-90; America’s Cup 1995, 2000) and Special Envoy UN Environment Program, killed by pirates on the Amazon River at 53
2008 – Nina Foch, Dutch-American actress (The Ten Commandments, Spartacus, An American in Paris), dies from complications of myelodysplastic syndrome at 84
2008 – Beverly Garland [Fessenden], American actress (My Three Sons, Scarecrow and Mrs. King), dies at 82

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