Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1934 – Edwin Hubble photo shows as many galaxies as Milky Way has stars
1946 – 1st helicopter licensed for commercial use (NYC)
1949 – WAGA TV channel 5 in Atlanta, GA (CBS) begins broadcasting
1996 – “Fargo” directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi released in the US
2022 – President Joe Biden announces the US is banning Russian oil imports with UK phasing out imports by the end of the year

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Famous Birthdays

1726 – Richard Howe, British admiral, born in London (d. 1799)
1902 – Jennings Randolph, American politician, Senator from West Virginia (1958-85), last living member of the Congress to have served during the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration, born in Salem, West Virginia (d. 1998)
1922 – Carl Furillo, American baseball outfielder (NL Batting Champ 1953; MLB All-Star 1952, 53; World Series 1955, 59; Brooklyn/LA Dodgers), born in Stony Creek Mills, Pennsylvania (d. 1989)
1936 – Sue Ane Langdon, actress (Bachelor Father, Arnie), born in Paterson, New Jersey
1975 – Peggy Zina [Panagiota-Calliope Chrysicopoulou], Greek pop and modern laika singer, and piano player, born in Athens, Greece

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Famous Deaths

1819 – Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge, American doctor, Massachusetts militia officer, member of the Massachusetts legislature, dies at 80
1869 – Hector Berlioz, French composer (Symphonie fantastique), dies at 65
1919 – Auguste Tolbecque, French cellist, instrument maker, and composer, dies at 88
1976 – Alfons Rebane, Estonian military officer during WWII and MI6 intelligence officer, dies at 67
1993 – Joop Scheltens, TV host/director (Explore Your Place), dies at 69

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Historical Events

1939 – Glamour magazine begins publishing
1945 – Yugoslavia government of Josep Broz Tito forms
1959 – “Bells Are Ringing” closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 925 performances
1998 – 19th Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament: Connecticut beats Syracuse, 69-64
2024 – Sweden officially joins NATO as the alliance’s 32nd member, abandoning its 200-year policy of neutrality

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Famous Birthdays

1556 – Guillaume du Vair, French writer and thinker, born in Paris (d. 1621)
1844 – Anthony Comstock, American anti-vice crusader and philatelist, born in New Canaan, Connecticut (d. 1915)
1942 – Paul Preuss, American sci-fi author (Medusa Encounter, Starfire), born in Albany, Georgia
1960 – Ivan Lendl, Czech-American tennis player (world #1 270 weeks; 8 x Grand Slam singles title winner; 5 x Tour Finals, 2 x WCT Finals), born in Ostrava, Czech Republic
1967 – Randel “Randy” Guss, American musician and drummer (Toad the Wet Sprocket), born in Detroit, Michigan

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Famous Deaths

1810 – Albertus Henricus Wiese, governor-general of Netherlands Indies, dies at about 48
1891 – Franz von Miklosich, Slovenian philologist, dies at 77
1964 – Franz Alexander, Hungarian-American pioneering psychoanalyst (pioneered psychosomatic medicine), dies at 73
1991 – Greta Schoon, German poet, and kindergarten teacher, dies at 81
2002 – Abdul Mati [Matias Klarwein], French artist known for his works used on music album covers (Santana’s Abraxus; Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew; Osibisa’s Heads; Jon Hassel’s Dream Theory), dies at 69

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Historical Events

1882 – Monarch Milan Obrenovic of Serbia crowns himself king
1904 – The Japanese fleet bombards Vladivostok, the major Russian port on the Pacific
1933 – Poland occupies the free city of Danzig (Gdańsk)
1976 – 23rd ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament: Virginia beats North Carolina, 67-62
1978 – Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and his lawyer shot by a militant white supremacist sniper in Georgia, leaving Flynt crippled and wheelchair bound

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Famous Birthdays

1898 – (Johanne) “Jo” Vincent, Dutch concert soprano (St. Matthew’s Passion; Benjamin Britten’s Spring Symphony), and voice teacher, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1989)
1916 – Virginia Gregg, American radio and screen actress, singer and double bassist, born in Harrisburg, Illinois (d. 1986)
1966 – Maurice Ashley, American chess player and commentator (1st Black Grandmaster), born in St. Andrews, Jamaica
1970 – Edward Berger, German film director (All Quiet on the Western Front; Conclave), born in Wolfsburg, West Germany
1976 – Ken Anderson, American professional wrestler also known as “Mr. Kennedy” (WWE Smackdown!; TNA iMPACT! Wrestling), born in Wisconsin Rapids

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Famous Deaths

1490 – Ivan the Young, Russian Prince of Moscow, heir of Ivan III of Russia, and ruler of Tver by marriage to Maria of Tver, dies at 32
1954 – Louis Zimmermann, Dutch violinist (1st concert master of Amsterdam Symphony), composer, and educator, dies at 80
1967 – Nelson Eddy, American baritone (Phantom of the Opera), dies at 65
1984 – Ian Cromb, New Zealand cricket all-rounder (5 Tests, 1 x 50, 8 wickets; Canterbury), dies in a car accident at 78
1994 – Max Schubert, Australian pioneering winemaker (Penfolds), dies at 89

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Historical Events

1858 – Abolitionists establish “Crispus Attucks Day” in Boston
1959 – Iran and US sign economic and military treaty
1970 – “Airport” based on the book by Arthur Hailey, directed by George Seaton and starring Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin is released
1994 – Jefffesron Airplane/Starship singer Grace Slick arrested for pointing a gun at a cop
2019 – Japanese architect Arata Isozaki wins architecture’s Pritzker Prize

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Famous Birthdays

1817 – Austen Henry Layard, British archaeologist and diplomat (work in Mesopotamia including rediscovery of Nineveh), born in Paris, France (d. 1894)
1921 – Elmer Valo, American baseball outfielder (one of only 4, four-decade MLB players 1939-61; Philadelphia, KC Athletics), born in Rybník Czechoslovakia (d. 1998)
1932 – Earl Woods, American author (father of Tiger Woods; 2 x books about upbringing and coaching), born in Manhattan, Kansas (d. 2006)
1948 – Eddy Grant, Guyanese–British reggae singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (“Electric Avenue”), born in Plaisance, British Guiana
1973 – Nicole Pratt, Australian tennis star (1995 Futures Australia), born in Mackay, Queensland

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Famous Deaths

1950 – Sid Grauman, American entrepreneur, established the Chinese Theatre and Egyptian Theatre, dies from coronary occlusion at 70
1994 – Abdullah Al-Sallal, President of Yemen (1962-67), dies
2006 – Richard Kuklinski, American mafia hit man, dies at 70
2010 – Peter Woodcock, Canadian serial killer who killed three children, dies in prison at 71
2018 – Hayden White, American “literary criticism” historian (Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe), dies at 89

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Historical Events

1841 – Dion Boucicault’s stage comedy “London Assurance” opens at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, London
1845 – James K. Polk inaugurated as 11th US President
1970 – Jacksonville is 1st college basketball team to avg 100+ pts per game
1995 – Replacement NY Yankees beat NY Mets 2-1
2023 – Andrew Tate’s legal team states he has a dark spot on his lung, sparking rumors about lung cancer

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Famous Birthdays

1889 – Oren E. Long, American politician and 10th Territorial Governor of Hawai’i (1951-3), born in Altoona, Kansas (d. 1965)
1907 – Maria Branyas, 2nd oldest American-Catalan supercentenarian (117 years, 168 days), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2024)
1909 – Harry B. Helmsley, American billionaire real estate developer (purchased Empire State Building, 1961), born in New York City (d. 199)
1938 – Alpha Condé, Guinean politician (President of Guinea, 2010-21), born in Boke, Lower Guinea
1973 – Jasper Somsen, Dutch jazz double bassist, composer and producer, born in was born Bennekom, Netherlands

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Famous Deaths

1193 – Saladin, 1st Sultan of Egypt and Syria and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, dies of fever at about 55
1868 – Jesse Chisholm, American pioneer of the Chisholm Trail (b. 1805)
1927 – Ira Remsen American chemist, Johns Hopkins first Chemistry professor, dies at 81
1945 – Lucille La Verne, American actress (b. 1872)
2007 – Natalie Bodanya [Bodanskaya], American soprano, dies at 98

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Historical Events

1838 – Rebellion at Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada
1851 – Congress authorizes smallest US silver coin (3 cent piece)
1863 – Free city delivery replaces zone postage; 449 letter carriers hired
1939 – Mahatma Gandhi begins a fast in Bombay to protest against autocratic rule in India
2020 – World Bank pledges $12 billion in emergency aid for developing countries dealing with COVID-19

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Famous Birthdays

1838 – George William Hill, American astronomer (calculated Moon’s orbit) and considered to be the greatest master of celestial mechanics of his time, born in New York (d. 1914)
1851 – Alexandros Papadiamantis, Greek author (The Murderess), born in Skiathos, Greece (d. 1911)
1911 – Jean Harlow [Harlean Carpentier], American actress and 1930s’ sex goddess (Dinner at 8; Bombshell), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1937)
1923 – (Arthel) “Doc” Watson, American Grammy Award-winning bluegrass, folk, and blues guitarist, songwriter, and singer, born in Deep Gap, North Carolina (d. 2012)
1929 – Jim Tunney, American football official (Super Bowl VI, XI, XII; record 29 post-season assignments), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2024)

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Famous Deaths

1806 – Heinrich Christian Boie, German author and editor, dies at 61
1926 – Cyril Metodej Hrazdira, Czech composer and conductor, dies at 58
1994 – Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, Polish-Israeli composer and music editor, dies at 75
2008 – Norman “Hurricane” Smith, British sound engineer (The Beatles, 1962-65), producer (Pink Floyd; The Pretty Things), and musician (“Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?”; “Don’t Let It Die”), dies at 85
2014 – William R. Pogue, American astronaut, dies at 84

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Historical Events

1121 – Dirk VI becomes count of Holland
1968 – USSR launches space probe Zond 4; fails to leave Earth orbit
1988 – The flaming basketball is adopted as NBA franchise Miami Heat’s official logo from over 13,000 entries; Mark Henderson submits the winning entry
1998 – Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter’s moon Europa has a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice
2024 – Brit Music Awards: Raye wins a record six Brits, including album and song of the year, with Kylie Minogue awarded Global Icon

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Famous Birthdays

1927 – John Romanides, Greek Eastern Orthodox priest and professor, born in Piraeus, Greece (d. 2001)
1929 – Sir Donald Gosling, British entrepreneur (Central Car Parks; National Car Parks), yachtsman, and WWII Royal Navy veteran, born in South London, England (d. 2019)
1941 – John Cornell, Australian screenwriter (Paul Hogan Show; Crocodile Dundee), and director (Crocodile Dundee II), born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia (d. 2021)
1956 – Eusebio Pedroza, Panamanian boxer (WBA featherweight champion 1978-85), born in Panama City, Panama (d. 2019)
1962 – Morioka Hiroyuki, Japanese science fiction writer, born in Kobe, Japan

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Famous Deaths

1074 – Yorimichi Fujiwara, Japanese imperial courtier and regent for three emperors (1016-68), dies at about 82 (b. 992)
1829 – Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, conspirator and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence (b. 1768)
1921 – Champ Clark, American politician (b. 1850)
1974 – Salvador Puig Antich, Spanish anarchist (b. 1948)
1981 – Tony Gulotta, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1927 3rd), dies at 78

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Historical Events

1859 – Present seal of San Francisco adopted (its 2nd)
1903 – Major League Baseball Rules Committee rule that pitcher’s mound must not be more than 15 inches higher than the baselines or home plate
1970 – Kreisky’s Social Democrats win Austrian parliamentary election
1995 – 37th Grammy Awards: “All I Want to Do” by Sheryl Crow; “Streets of Philadelphia” by Bruce Springsteen win
1999 – Daryll Cullinan scores South African cricket record 275no in the drawn 1st Test against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland; Gary Kirsten 128

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Famous Birthdays

1835 – Matthias Joseph Scheeben, German theologist (Natur und Gnade), born in Meckenheim (d. 1888)
1923 – Péter Kuczka, Hungarian writer, poet, and editor of science fiction, born in Székesfehérvár, Hungary (d. 1999)
1944 – Mike D’Abo, British rock vocalist (Manfred Mann – “Mighty Quinn”; Jesus Christ Superstar – “Herod”), and songwriter (“Handbags and Gladrags”), born in Betchworth, Surrey, England
1970 – Yolanda Griffith, American Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame center (Olympic gold 2000, 04; WNBA Finals MVP 2005, Sacramento Monarchs; 8 × WNBA All-Star), born in Chicago, Illinois
1977 – Esther Cañadas, Spanish supermodel who has worked with Donna Karen and Balenciaga, born in Alicante, Spain

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Famous Deaths

1898 – George Bruce Malleson, English officer in India and author, dies at 72
1950 – Alfred Korzybski, Polish-American scientist and philosopher, dies at 70
1952 – Mariano Azuela, Mexican novelist (The Flies, The Bosses), dies at 79
1972 – Violet Trefusis, English writer and socialite who had a famous affair with writer Vita Sackville-West, dies at 77
2019 – Eusebio Pedroza, Panamanian boxer (WBA featherweight champion 1978-85), dies of pancreatic cancer at 62

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Historical Events

1870 – The Bulgarian Exarchate (Orthodox Church) is established by decree of Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz of the Ottoman Empire
1974 – US and Egypt re-form diplomatic relations after 7 years
1981 – Calvin Murphy (Hou), sets NBA record with 78 consecutive free throws
1998 – First flight of the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the first unmanned aerial vehicle certified to file its own flight plans and fly regularly in US civilian airspace
2024 – Ghana passes new legislation making it illegal to identify as LGBTQ+

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Famous Birthdays

1704 – Louis Godin, French astronomer and seismologist who travelled to Peru, born in Paris (d. 1760)
1854 – Juliusz Zarębski, Polish pianist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Zhytomyr, Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire (d. 1885)
1930 – Frank Malzone, American baseball third baseman (8 × MLB All-Star; 3 × Gold Glove Award; Boston Red Sox), born in the Bronx, New York (d. 2015)
1957 – John Turturro, American actor (Brain Donor, Color of Money, Jungle Fever), born in Brooklyn, New York
1957 – Ainsley Harriott, English celebrity chef (Read Steady Cook), born in London

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Famous Deaths

1737 – Hercule Brehy, Flemish composer and organist, dies at 63
1796 – Friedrich Wilhelm Rust, German violinist and composer, dies at 56
1979 – Jane Hylton [Audrey Gwendolene Clark], British actress (Adv of Sir Lancelot, Daybreak), dies of a heart attack at 52
1994 – Buster Holmes, American chef and New Orleans restaurateur, dies at 88
1999 – Bill Talbert, American tennis player (9 x Grand Slam doubles titles; US Open singles 1944, 45 runner-up; International Tennis HOF), dies at 80

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Historical Events

1816 – Dutch regain Suriname from the French after the defeat of Napoleon
1973 – American Indian Movement occupy Wounded Knee in South Dakota
1996 – First appearance of Pokémon in the role-playing video game “Pocket Monsters Red and Green” for Game Boy in Japan
1998 – 12th Soul Train Music Awards: Puff Daddy, Whitney Houston win
2003 – Rowan Williams is enthroned as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.

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Famous Birthdays

1867 – Irving Fisher ‘ America’s greatest economist’ (Fisher’s Theory of Interest, Monetarism), born in Saugerties, New York (d. 1947)
1901 – Horatio Luro, American horse trainer (43 x stakes winners; Decidedly, Northern Dancer), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1991)
1950 – Julia Neuberger, British rabbi, born in Hampstead, United Kingdom
1957 – Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, screenwriter and creator of “Ed, Edd n Eddy”, born in Toronto, Ontario
1970 – David White, American NFL linebacker (Buffalo Bills), born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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Famous Deaths

1942 – Karel Doorman, Dutch rear-admiral (Java Sea), KIA at 52
1977 – Allison Hayes, American model and actress (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), dies of leukemia or lead poisoning at 47
1995 – Philip Sherrington, opus Dei Priest, dies at 51
1998 – J. T. Walsh, American actor (Good Morning, Vietnam, Pleasantville), dies of a heart attack at 54
2025 – Boris Spassky, Russian chess player (world champion 1969-72), dies at 88

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