Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1862 – American inventor Richard Jordan Gatling patents the hand cranked Gatling machine gun in Indianapolis
1921 – The Sturmabteilung or SA (the “Brown Shirts”) is formally established by Adolf Hitler
1962 – US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Johnston Island
1989 – Rene Muawad elected president of Lebanon
2014 – Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko orders army reinforcements to key southern and eastern cities to combat potential rebel offensive
2016 – Breeders’ Cup Horse Racing, Santa Anita Racetrack; Day 1 winners: Oscar Performance, Tamarkuz, New Money Honey, Beholder

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Famous Birthdays

1909 – Bert Patenaude, American soccer forward (4 caps; scorer of first hat-trick in World Cup history, 1930), born in Fall River, Massachusetts (d. 1974)
1917 – Leonardo Cimino, Italian-American actor (The Monster Squad, V, Dune, Waterworld, Hudson Hawk), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2012)
1943 – Clark Graebner, American tennis player (US Davis Cup 1968; French Open doubles 1966; US Open runner-up 1967), born in Cleveland, Ohio
1957 – Elena Kats-Chernin, Russian-Australian classical pianist and composer (Wild Swans), born in Tashkent, USSR (now Uzbekistan)
1967 – Asif Mujtaba, Pakistani cricketer (Pakistani lefty batsman), born in Karachi, Pakistan
1987 – T.O.P. [Choi Seung-hyun], Korean singer-songwriter (Big Bang) and actor, born in Seoul, South Korea

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Famous Deaths

1921 – Takasji Hara, Japanese politician, Prime Minister of Japan (1918-21), assassinated by right wing fanatic at 65
1935 – Miklos Radnai, Hungarian composer, dies at 43
1993 – Cornelis T “Cor” van de Molen, Dutch journalist (Beehive), dies at 62
1994 – Alexander Hardie Williamson, British designer (Kilner jar), dies at 87
2005 – Milt Holland [Milton Olshansky], American drummer, percussionist, ethno-musicologist, and tinkle-ist (film Tinkerbell’s tinkle; Bewitched – Samantha’s nose tinkle), dies at 88
2022 – Michael Doyle, Irish-American priest (Pastor of Sacred Heart – Camden, 1974-2020), poet. and anti-war activist (Camden 28), dies at 88

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Historical Events

1665 – Robert Hooke’s landmark work “Micrographia” with drawings using a microscope and coining the word “cell” is published by the Royal Society
1914 – German-British naval battle at Coronel, Chile
1951 – Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella wins first of his 3 National League MVP awards
1956 – Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is formed
1956 – Karnataka (then known as Mysore State) is formed from the merge of Kannada-speaking regions in India
1971 – Eisenhower dollar put into circulation

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Famous Birthdays

1946 – Dennis Muren, American special effects artist (Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), born in Glendale, California
1972 – Glen Murray, Canadian ice hockey right wing (1,009 NHL games; All Star 2003-04; Boston Bruins), born in Halifax, Nova Scotia
1972 – Toni Collette, Australian actress (The Sixth Sense), born in Sydney, New South Wales
1972 – Paul Dickov, Scottish soccer striker and manager (10 caps; Manchester City, Leicester City), born in Livingston, West Lothian
1974 – V. V. S. Laxman, Indian cricket batsman (134 Tests; 8,781 runs @ 45.5; best 281, 2001), born in Hyderabad, Telangana
1992 – Joe Donovan, British pop-indie-rock drummer (Blossoms), born in Stockport, England

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Famous Deaths

1986 – Serge Garant, Canadian composer and conductor (Anerca), dies at 57
1996 – J. R. [Junius Richard] Jayawardene, 2nd President of Sri Lanka (1978-89) and 7th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1977-78), dies at 90
2000 – George Armstrong, English soccer winger and manager (Arsenal 500 games; Kuwait 1988-89), dies of a brain haemorrhage at 56
2008 – Jacques Piccard, Swiss deep sea explorer (one of the first to explore the Mariana Trench), dies at 86
2020 – Billy Tubbs, American college basketball coach (Southwestern Uni, Lamar Uni, Uni of Oklahoma, Texas Christian Uni), dies from leukemia at 85
2022 – Takeoff [Kirsnick Ball], American rapper (Migos), shot and killed at 28

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Historical Events

1968 – Linda Eastman moves to UK permanently
1976 – Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad scores 206 v NZ, aged 19 yrs 141 days (29 fours 1 six)
1984 – Howard Goodall and Melvyn Bragg’s musical “Hired Man” premieres in London
1993 – German unemployment hits national record of 3.5 million
2016 – Lebanon parliament elects Michel Aoun President after 2 1/2 years without a leader
2017 – John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff comments in TV interview that “the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War”, draws criticism

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Famous Birthdays

1835 – Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist (Nobel 1905), born in Berlin (d. 1917)
1922 – Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia (1941-55 and 1993-2004), Chief of State (1960-70), independence campaigner and film producer, born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (d. 2012)
1929 – Bud Spencer, Italian actor (Aladdin, Extralarge, Go For It), born in Borgo Santa Lucia, Naples, Italy (d. 2016)
1960 – Luis Fortuño, Puerto Rican delegate to Congress, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
1970 – Rogers Stevens, American rock guitarist (Blind Melon), born in West Point, Mississippi
1970 – Steve Trachsel, American baseball pitcher (Chicago Cubs), born in Oxnard, California

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Famous Deaths

1659 – John Bradshaw, English judge (b. 1602)
1945 – Wincenty Witoz, Polish politician (Prime Minister of Poland 1920-21, 1923, 1926), dies at 71
1971 – Gerhard von Rad, German old testament expert (Deuteronomium), dies at 70
1990 – Graig Russel, Canadian travel expert/transvestite, dies
2001 – Art Wall Jr, American golfer (Masters 1959), dies of respiratory failure at 77
2020 – Marius Žaliūkas, Lithuanian soccer centre back (25 caps; Hearts, Leeds, Rangers), dies from motor neurone disease at 36

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Historical Events

1270 – The Eighth Crusade and siege of Tunis ended by agreement between Charles I of Sicily (brother to King Louis IX of France, who had died months earlier) and the sultan of Tunis.
1864 – Treaty of Vienna signed to end the Second Schleswig War – Denmark loses control of Schleswig to Prussia, and of Holstein to Austria
1943 – Soviet forces under Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin commenced offensive on the 4th Ukrainian Front
1967 – USSR Kosmos 186 and 188 make 1st automatic docking and Venmera 13 launch
1975 – NY Daily News runs headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead”
1978 – Laura Nickel and Curt Noll find 25th Mersenne prime, 2 ^ 21701-1

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Famous Birthdays

1893 – Charles Atlas [Angelo Siciliano], Italian-American bodybuilder, born in Acri, Cosenza, Italy (d. 1972)
1912 – Preston Lockwood [Reginald], British actor (Time Bandits, Jeeves and Wooster), born in West Ham, Essex (d. 1996)
1928 – Michael Andrews, British painter, born in Norwich, England (d. 1995)
1953 – Kathleen Cody, American actress (Charley and the Angel), born in The Bronx, New York
1954 – Mario Testino, Peruvian-born English fashion photographer, born in Lima, Peru
1969 – Masanori Hikichi, Japanese video game music composer, born in Saitama, Japan

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Famous Deaths

1986 – Andrzej Markowski, Polish composer, dies at 62
1991 – Johan Mekkink, painter, dies
1992 – Joan Mitchell, American painter and printmaker dies of cancer aged 67
1993 – Paul Grégoire, French Canadian Archbishop of Montreal, dies at 82
1998 – Bulldog Turner, American Pro/College Football HOF center (Hardin–Simmons Uni; 7 × First-team All-Pro; 4 x Pro Bowl; Chicago Bears), dies at 79
2020 – Herb Adderley, American Pro Football HOF cornerback (Super Bowl 1967, 68, 71; 5 x Pro Bowl; 4 × First-team All-Pro; Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys), dies from COVID-19 at 81

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Historical Events

1910 – Hamilton running back / kicker Ben Simpson lands CFL record 11 singles in Tigers 14-7 win over Montreal at Montreal AAA Grounds
1950 – British Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance) Stafford Cripps resigns
1958 – Dr F Mason Sones is first doctor to perform a coronary angiogram
1967 – Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni and James Rado’s hippie musical “Hair” opens off-Broadway at the Public Theatre, NYC, for a limited 6-week run
1974 – Law bans discrimination of sex or marital status in credit application
1997 – Iraq’s Revolution Command Council announces that it will no longer allow US citizens and US aircraft to serve with UN arms inspection teams

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Famous Birthdays

1917 – Henry Carlsson, Swedish soccer (Olympic gold 1948), born in Falköping, Västra Götalands län, Sweden (d. 1999)
1923 – Dietrich Manicke, German composer, born in Wurzen, Saxony, Germany (d. 2013)
1951 – Guy Gelso, American rock drummer (Zebra), born in Oakland, California
1973 – Adam Bacher, South African cricket batsman (19 Tests; 13 ODIs), born in Johannesburg, South Africa
1980 – B.J. Sams, American NFL player, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1990 – Kritidi Kharbanda, Indian actress (Googly), born in New Delhi, India

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Famous Deaths

1856 – Carel Sirardus Willem van Hogendorp, Dutch colonial director, dies at 68
1968 – Marius Ulfrstad, Norwegian composer, dies at 78
1981 – William O. Walker, American publisher of Cleveland Call Post, dies at 85
1994 – Andrew Miller-Jones, British TV pioneer (Picture Page; Dressing Up), dies at 84
2010 – George Hickenlooper, American documentary filmmaker, dies at 47
2020 – Slaven Zambata, Croatian soccer forward (31 caps Yugoslavia; Dinamo Zagreb), dies at 80

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Historical Events

1776 – Battle of White Plains: George Washington retreats to New Jersey
1886 – Statue of Liberty dedicated by US President Grover Cleveland, celebrated by first confetti (ticker tape) parade in New York City
1915 – Richard Strauss’ tone poem “Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony)” premieres in Berlin
1953 – Red Barber, resigns as Dodger sportscaster to join Yankees
1955 – Egypt and Saudi Arabia sign defense treaty
1965 – Pope Paul VI proclaims Jews not collectively guilty for crucifixion

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Famous Birthdays

1913 – Peter Glenville, English stage and screen actor and director (Hotel Paradiso, Becket), born in London (d. 1996)
1922 – Simon Muzenda, Zimbabwean politician (1st Vice-President of Zimbabwe), born in Gutu district, Southern Rhodesia (d. 2003)
1936 – Ted Hawkins, American singer and guitarist (“The Next Hundred Years”), born in Biloxi, Mississippi (d. 1995)
1959 – Neville Henry, British rock saxophonist (Blow Monkeys – “Wicked Ways”), born in England
1965 – Jami Gertz, actress (Less the Zero, Crossroads, Solarbabies), born in Chicago, Illinois
1967 – Kevin Macdonald, Scottish film director

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Famous Deaths

1646 – William Dobson, English portrait painter, dies at about 35 (b. 1610)
1877 – Robert Swinhoe, British naturalist (b. 1835)
1879 – Marie Roch Louis Reybaud, French writer (b. 1799)
1997 – Toni Carabillo, writer (Feminist Chronicles), dies of lymphoma at 71
2020 – Miguel Ángel Castellini, Argentine boxer (WBA, lineal light middleweight titles 1976-77), dies from COVID-19 at 73
2020 – Bobby Ball [Harper], British comic, actor, singer and television host (Cannon and Ball; The Last of Summer Wine), dies at 76

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Historical Events

1935 – SDAP and NVV launches “Plan for Work” in Utrect, Netherlands
1985 – Anthony Carter begins NFL streak of 100+ consecutive game receptions
1986 – Paul McCartney releases single “Pretty Little Head”
1992 – Great Britain issues postage stamp on 100th anniversary of JRR Tolkien
2014 – Taylor Swift releases her 5th studio album “1989” (2015 Billboard Album of the Year, Grammy Award for Album of the Year 2016)
2020 – A record 69.5 million Americans have already voted, a week before election day, 50.4% of 2016 total vote

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Famous Birthdays

1811 – Isaac Singer, American inventor (1st practical home sewing machine), born in Pittstown New York (d. 1875)
1865 – Charles Spencelayh, English painter (Why War), born in Rochester, Kent (d. 1958)
1874 – Owen D. Young, American industrialist (RCA) and diplomat (Young Plan), born in Stark, New York (d. 1962)
1942 – Mike Appel, American musician, songwriter and producer (Sir Lord Baltimore; Bruce Springsteen), born in Flushing, Queens, New York
1945 – Carrie Snodgress, American actress (Diary of Mad Housewife), born in Barrington, Illinois (d. 2004)
1980 – Tanel Padar, Estonian singer-songwriter (46th Eurovision Song Contest winner, 2001 – “Everybody”), born in Uhtna, Estonia

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Famous Deaths

1617 – Ralph Winwood, English politician (b. 1563)
1864 – Andreas Randel, Swedish composer, dies at 58
1949 – Ginette Neveu, French child prodigy and concert violinist, dies in a plane crash on São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal at 30
1964 – Sammee Tong, actor (Bachelor Father, Mickey), dies at 63
1977 – Peg Leg Sam [Arthur Jackson], American country blues harmonica player, singer and comedian, dies at 65
1979 – Father Charles Coughlin, Canadian-American Roman Catholic priest and pro-Fascist radio broadcaster, dies at 88

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Historical Events

1529 – Thomas More appointed Lord Chancellor of England
1951 – Winston Churchill re-elected British Prime Minister at the age of 76
1962 – US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Johnston Island
1968 – Striker Antal Dunai scores twice as Hungary outclasses Bulgaria 4-1 to take the men’s football gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics
2012 – China blocks the New York Times from searches and social media in response to an investigation into Premier Wen Jiabao
2015 – World Health Organization classifies processed meat as carcinogenic

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Famous Birthdays

1800 – Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, Prussian general and fieldmarshal, born in Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin (d. 1891)
1934 – Hans-Joachim Rödelius, German composer and musician (Cluster; Harmonia), born in Berlin
1946 – Keith Hopwood, British rock guitarist (Herman’s Hermits – “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”), born in Davyhulme, Manchester, England
1953 – Jennifer Roberson, American sci-fi author (Shapechangers, Sword-Maker), born in Kansas City, Missouri
1962 – Steve Wren, British pop-rock drummer (Then Jericho – “The Motive”), born in Lambeth, London, England
1970 – Bert Emanuel, American NFL wide receiver (Atlanta Falcons), born in Kansas City, Missouri

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Famous Deaths

1671 – Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet, English politician (b. 1593)
1678 – John Jenkins, English composer, dies at about 86
1909 – Itō Hirobumi, Japanese samurai, 1st Prime Minister of Japan (4 terms between 1885 and 1901) and Resident-General of Korea (1905-09), assassinated by a Korean nationalist at 68
1923 – Charles Proteus Steinmetz, German-American electrical engineer (development of alternating current), dies at 58
2018 – György Károly, Hungarian poet and author, dies of cancer at 65
2019 – Robert Evans, American producer and actor (Love Story, The Godfather, Chinatown), dies at 89

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Historical Events

1953 – Cleveland Browns’ QB Otto Graham sets club record with 4 fumbles
1962 – American author John Steinbeck awarded Nobel Prize for Literature
1968 – American swimmer Claudia Kolb wraps up the women’s individual medley double in Mexico City, winning the 400m I/M in Olympic record 5:08.5; she also won the 200m I/M in OR 2:24.7
1984 – King Boudouin opens Museum for Modern Art in Brussels
1985 – Angels announce that they will not offer Rod Carew a new contract
1987 – Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins beat St Louis Cardinals, 4-2 at HHH Metrodome for 4-3 series win and franchise first in Minneapolis; MVP: Twins pitcher Frank Viola

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Famous Birthdays

1877 – Henry Norris Russell, American astronomer (Hertzsprung-Russell diagram), born in Oyster Bay, New York (d. 1957)
1881 – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter (The Three Dancers, Guernica) and sculptor who co-founded the Cubist movement, born in Malaga, Andalusia, Spain (d. 1973)
1898 – Sidney James van den Bergh, Dutch businessman and politician, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1977)
1951 – Richard Lloyd, American guitarist (Television), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1960 – Hong Sang-soo, South Korean filmmaker (Right Now, Wrong Then), born in Seoul
1979 – Milena Roucka, Canadian model and professional wrestler, born in Vancouver, British Columbia

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Famous Deaths

1907 – Edmund Hart Turpin, English composer, dies at 72
1921 – Bat Masterson, American gunfighter in the Wild West, dies of a heart attack at 67
1939 – Cornelis JK van Aalst, president Dutch Business Society, dies at 73
1954 – Marika Stiernstedt, Swedish author (Ulla Bella), dies at 79
1984 – Pascale Ogier, actress (Ghost Dance), dies of a heart attack at 24
1988 – Johnnie Richardson, American RandB musician (Johnnie and Joe), dies at 53

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Historical Events

1931 – Gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years for tax evasion
1944 – US aircraft carrier Princeton sinks at Philippines
1963 – Sandy Koufax is unanimous winner of Cy Young Award
1971 – Harry Drake sets longest arrow flight by a footbow (1 mile 268 yds)
1980 – Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
2004 – 10 people including NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick and 4 family members are killed in a plane crash near Martinsville Speedway in Virginia; plane owned by NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports

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Famous Birthdays

1863 – Manuel Manrique de Lara, Spanish composer (The Oresteia), born in Cartagena, Murcia (d. 1929)
1886 – Delmira Agustini, Uruguayan poet (El Libro Blanco), born in Montevideo, Uruguay (d. 1914)
1887 – Octave Lapize, French cyclist (Tour de France 1910), born in Paris, France (d. 1917)
1904 – Moss Hart, American playwright (You Can’t Take it With You, Act 1), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 1961)
1954 – Malcolm Turnbull, Australian politician, Prime Minister (2015-18), born in Sydney, Australia
1988 – Joshua Shalikar, American actor (Honey I Blew Up the Kid), born in East Brunswick, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1949 – Joaquín Nin, Cuban composer and pianist, father of Anaïs Nin, dies at 70
1966 – Sofya Yanovskaya, Russian mathematician (b. 1896)
1993 – Tonino Nardi, Italian cinematographer (Porte Manifest), dies at 54
1998 – Mary Calderone, American physician and founder (planned parenthood), dies at 94
2003 – Ross Taylor [Robert Murray Taylor], Scottish transplant surgeon who pioneered kidney transplantations in the U.K., dies from cancer of the stomach at 70
2016 – Jorge Batlle Ibáñez, Uruguayan politician, President of Uruguay (2000-2005), dies at 88

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