Category: On This Day

Historical Events

1929 – US President Calvin Coolidge establishes Grand Teton National Park
1941 – Cowboys’ Amateur Association of America organized (California)
1954 – First typesetting machine (photo engraving) used in Quincy, Massachusetts
2013 – A rocket launched from the Gaza strip into Israel ends the ceasefire since November 2012
2025 – First death from measles in the US occurs in Texas in a decade, and the first child to die in 22 years amid an outbreak affecting 124 people

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Famous Birthdays

1939 – Josephine Tewson, British actress (Keeping Up Appearances; Last Of The Summer Wine, 2003-10), born in Hampstead, England (d. 2022)
1945 – Peter Brock, Australian auto racer (3 x Australian Touring Car C’ship; 9 x Bathurst 500/1000; 9 x Sandown Endurance), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 2006)
1950 – Billy Steinberg, American lyricist and songwriter (with Tom Kelly – “Like A Virgin”; “True Colors”; “I Touch Myself”), born in Palm Springs, California (d. 2026)
1957 – David Muldrow Beasley, American politician, born in Darlington, South Carolina
1959 – Rolando Blackman, American basketball guard (NBA All-Star 1985, 86, 87, 90; Dallas Mavs, NY Knicks; Italian Cup MVP 1996 Olimpia Milano), born in Panama City, Panama

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Famous Deaths

1802 – Esek Hopkins, American Revolutionary War admiral and Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy, dies at 83
1933 – Princess Thyra, Danish princess, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark, dies at 79
1960 – Aleksandar Belic, Serbian linguist, dies at 83
2008 – Glory Mukwati, Zimbabwean politician
2023 – Fred Shabel, American basketball coach (Connecticut Huskies 1963-67) and executive (AD University of Pennsylvania 1967-75; Comcast Spectacor), dies at 90

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Historical Events

1925 – US Men’s Figure Skating championship won by Nathaniel Niles
1961 – Paul Bikle in glider climbs from 1,208 m at release to record altitude of 1,410m
1961 – Niagara ends St Bonaventura’s 99-game home college basketball win streak
1968 – 10th Daytona 500: Cale Yarborough driving for Wood Brothers Racing wins by less than a second from LeeRoy Yarbrough; grid set exclusively by qualifying times
1995 – PBA National Championship Won by Scott Alexander

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Famous Birthdays

1735 – Ernst Wilhelm Wolf, German composer, born in Grossen Behringen, Thuringia, Electorate of Saxony (d. 1792)
1902 – Max Kommerell, German literary critic (Die Gefangenen), born in Münsingen, Germany (d. 1944)
1966 – Nancy O’Dell, American reporter and television personality (Entertainment Tonight), born in Sumter, South Carolina
1980 – Christy Knowings, American actress and member of the “All That” sketch comedy show (1997-2000), born in the Bronx, New York
1985 – Benji Marshall, New Zealand rugby league halfback-five eighth (31 Tests; Wests Tigers, St. George, South Sydney) and coach (Wests Tigers), born in Whakatane, New Zealand

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Famous Deaths

1655 – Daniel Heinsius, Flemish scholar and poet (Poetics), dies at 74
1860 – Chauncey Allen Goodrich, American clergyman, educator and lexicographer (edited Webster’s Dictionary), dies at 69
1953 – Jesus Garcia Leoz, Spanish orchestral and film composer (The Sun Comes Out Every Day), dies at 49
1996 – Marion Farouk Political scientist-Sluglett, dies at 59
2009 – Ian Carr, Scottish jazz musician (Nucleus), dies after suffering Alzheimer’s disease at 75

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Historical Events

1857 – LA Vineyard Society organized
1950 – Labour wins UK parliamentary election by 5 seats
1956 – Walter Piston’s 5th Symphony, commissioned by the Juilliard School of Music for their 50th anniversary, premiere performance by the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Jean Morel
1999 – State of Arizona executes convicted murderer and bank robber, German national Karl LaGrand, despite international legal action by Germany to save him
2020 – Scientists identify the first animal that doesn’t need oxygen to breathe: a tiny parasite living in salmon tissue, reported in the journal PNAS

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Famous Birthdays

1910 – Clyde Hart, American swing and bebop jazz piano player and arranger (Stuff Smith; Lionel Hampton; Roy Eldridge), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1945)
1917 – Myra Taylor (née Render), American jazz singer (“Spider and the Fly”; Wild Women of Kansas City), songwriter, and actress, born in Bonner Springs, Kansas (d. 2011)
1940 – Denis Law, Scottish soccer striker (55 caps; Manchester United 309 games; Ballon d’Or 1964; World Soccer World XI 1964), born in Aberdeen, Scotland (d. 2025)
1956 – Eddie Murray, American MLB Hall of Fame first baseman, 8x All-star, 3x Golden Glove (Baltimore Orioles, 1977-88 and 96; L.A. Dodgers, 1989-91 and 97, and three other teams), born in Los Angeles, California
1981 – Mohammad Sami, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (36 Tests, 85 wickets, BB 5/36; Karachi, Kent CCC, Sussex CCC), born in Karachi, Pakistan

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Famous Deaths

1856 – Nikolai Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician (Lobachevskian geometry), dies at 63
1919 – Josephine McGill, composer, dies at 41
1990 – Malcolm Forbes, American publisher of Forbes magazine, politician, and son of B.C. Forbes, dies of a heart attack at 70
2011 – Anant Pai, Indian educationalist and creator of comics (b. 1929)
2012 – Jan Berenstain [Janice Marian Grant], American children’s literature author (The Berenstain Bears), dies from a stroke at 88

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Historical Events

1854 – Great Britain and Orange Free state sign Convention of Bloemfontein
1966 – Military coup in Syria ends Bitar government
2007 – A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, England, killing one person and injuring 22. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents.
2014 – 56th Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr. breaks a 55-race winless streak to win his 2nd Great American Race
2019 – Sri Lanka becomes first Asian cricket team to clinch a Test series in South Africa chasing down 197 in the 2nd Test in Port Elizabeth; Kusal Mendis 84no, Oshada Fernando 75no

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Famous Birthdays

1615 – Nicolas Fouquet, French politician and Superintendent of Finances (1653-61) who became fabulously wealthy and later imprisoned for maladministration of state funds, born in Paris (d. 1680)
1744 – Mayer Amschel Rothschild, German Jewish banker and founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty, born in Frankfurt (d. 1812)
1803 – John Sutter, German-Swiss-American colonist who established Sutter’s Fort in what is now Sacramento and where gold was first discovered in California, born in Kandern, Margraviate of Baden, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1880)
1933 – Donna J. Stone, American poet (Wielder of Words), born in Ohio (d. 1994)
1947 – Shakira Caine, British-Guyanese actress and model (Man Who Would Be King), born in St. Cuthbert’s Mission, British Guiana

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Famous Deaths

1792 – Joshua Reynolds, English portrait painter (Simplicity), dies at 68
1974 – Florence Rice, American actress (Fast Company, Double Wedding, Riding on Air), dies from lung cancer at 67
2012 – Bruce Surtees, American cinematographer (Dirty Harry, Lenny), dies at 74
2016 – Lennie Baker, American rock saxophonist musician (Sha Na Na, 1970-99), dies at 69
2020 – Stefan Florenski, Polish soccer defender (11 caps; Górnik Zabrze), dies at 86

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Historical Events

1860 – Shoe-making workers of Lynn, Massachusetts, strike successfully for higher wages
1928 – First solo flight from England to Australia lands in Darwin 15½ days after takeoff, piloted by Australian aviator Bert Hinkler
1936 – Sonja Henie of Norway follows up her Winter Olympics victory with an incredible 10th consecutive women’s World Championship figure skating gold medal in Paris, France
1960 – German skier Georg Thoma becomes the first non-Nordic athlete to win the Nordic combined event at the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics
1982 – NYC Mayor Koch announces he will run for NY governor (unsuccessful)

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Famous Birthdays

1542 – Santino Garsi da Parma, Italian lutenist and composer, born in Parma, Papal States (d. 1604)
1920 – Del Wood [Adelaide Hazelwood], American country musician, born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1989)
1950 – Miou-Miou [Sylvette Herry], French actress (Dog Day, My Other Husband), born in Paris, France
1969 – Joaquín Cortés, Spanish dancer, born in Córdoba, Spain
1971 – Mohammed Sylla, Guinean football player (Willem II, FC Martigues), born in Conakry, Guinea (d. 2010)

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Famous Deaths

1968 – Omer CFL Tulippe, Belgian geographer, dies at 71
2001 – John Farley, American folk singer and guitarist (Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death), dies at 61
2002 – Charles “Chuck” Jones, American animator and cartoonist best known for his work with Warner Bros. (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Porky Pig), dies of congestive heart failure at 89
2024 – Jean-Guy Talbot, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (7 x Stanley Cup Montreal Canadiens; 6 x NHL All Star) and coach (St. Louis Blues, NY Rangers), dies at 91
2025 – Joe Fusco, American College Football HOF coach (Westminster College 1972-90), dies at 87

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Historical Events

1173 – Pope Alexander III canonizes Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury
1782 – US Congress resolves establishment of a US mint
1916 – Battle of Verdun begins with a German offensive, leads to an estimated 1 million casualties, and becomes the longest battle of the entire war (9 months)
1988 – Televangelist Jimmy Swaggert confesses his sins to his congregation
1997 – “Empire Strikes Back, special edition” premieres

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Famous Birthdays

1929 – Henry Kloss, American audio engineer (acoustic loudspeaker), born in Altoona, Pennsylvania (d. 2002)
1939 – Richard Beymer, American stage actor and singer (West Side Story; Diary of Anne Frank), born in Avoca, Iowa
1950 – Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopian diplomat, President of Ethiopia (2018-), born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
1961 – Christopher Atkins, American actor (Peter-Dallas, Blue Lagoon), born in Rye, New York
1969 – Tony Meola, American footballer, born in Belleville, New Jersey

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Famous Deaths

1790 – Johann Friedrich Klöffler, German composer, dies at 64
1901 – George Francis FitzGerald, Irish mathematician (b. 1851)
2011 – Bernard Nathanson, American abortionist turned pro-life activist (b. 1926)
2015 – Aleksei Gubarev, Soviet-Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz 17, 28), dies at 83
2023 – Amancio Amaro, Spanish soccer outside right (42 caps; Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Madrid), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1869 – Tennessee Governor W C Brownlow declares martial law in Ku Klux Klan crisis
1873 – British Naval Officer John Moresby is the first European to discover Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, claims it for the United Kingdom
1877 – 1st cantilever bridge in US completed, Harrodsburg, Kentucky
1944 – World War II: The “Big Week” began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers
1994 – Pope John Paul II demands juristic discrimination of homosexuals

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Famous Birthdays

1809 – Henry Walton Wessells, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Lietchfield, Connecticut (d. 1889)
1883 – Shiga Naoya, Japanese novelist (Road Through Dark Night), born in Ishinomaki, Japan (d. 1971)
1934 – Bobby Unser, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1968, 1975, 1981; USAC C’ship 1968, 1974), born in Colorado Springs (d. 2021)
1985 – Julia Volkova, Russian pop singer (t.A.T.u. -single, “All the Things She Said”), born in Moscow
2003 – Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer-songwriter (“Driver’s License”), born in Temecula, California

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Famous Deaths

1903 – Charles Doolittle, American general (Union volunteer), dies at 70
1995 – John Humphreys Whitfield, British scholar of Italian language and literature, dies at 88
2001 – Rosemary DeCamp, American radio, film, and television character actress (Love That Bob – “Margaret”, That Girl – “Mrs. Marie”; The Partridge Family – “Amanda Renfrew”), dies of pneumonia at 90
2005 – Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), commits suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 67
2025 – David L. Boren, American politician (Governor of Oklahoma 1975-79; Sen-D-Oklahoma 1979-94), dies at 83

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Historical Events

1869 – US Assay Office in Boise, Idaho authorized
1953 – William Inge’s “Picnic” premieres in NYC
2018 – Syrian government forces bombard Gouta in deadliest day in 3 years, killing over 100 civilians
2018 – Nigeria says 110 girls missing, presumed kidnapped by Boko Haram after attack on school in Dapchi, Yobe state
2019 – Vatican confirms secret church guidelines for children of priests

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Famous Birthdays

1473 – Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer who theorized that planets revolve around the sun (Heliocentric theory), born in Toruń, Royal Prussia, Kingdom of Poland (d. 1543)
1906 – Grace Williams, Welsh composer (Penillion), and first British woman to score a feature film (Blue Scar), born in Barry, Wales (d. 1977)
1925 – Leslie Laing, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold men’s 4x400m relay 1952 WR 3:03.9), born in Linstead, Saint Catherine, Jamaica (d. 2021)
1964 – Jennifer Doudna, American biochemist (2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for CRISPR Gene Editing), born in Washington D.C.
1971 – Glyn Milburn, American football running back/kick returner (First-team All-Pro 1999; Pro Bowl 1995, 99; Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears), born in Los Angeles, California

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Famous Deaths

1941 – Hamilton Harty, Irish composer and conductor called “the prince of accompanists”, dies at 61
1943 – Lynne Overman, American actor (Reap the Wild Wind), dies from a heart attack at 55
1980 – (Ronald) “Bon” Scott, Australian rock musician, singer, and lyricist (AC/DC -“It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)”), dies of acute alcohol poisoning at 33
2000 – Marin Goleminov, Bulgarian violinist, composer, and pedagogue, dies at 91
2008 – Yegor Letov, Russian rock poet, songwriter, and singer (Grazhdanskaya Oborona), dies of heart failure at 43

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Historical Events

1735 – First opera performed in America, “Flora,” in Charleston, South Carolina
1856 – The American Party (Know-Nothings) convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate its first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore.
1900 – Battle at Paardeberg, 1,270 British killed/injured
1970 – US President Richard Nixon launches the “Nixon doctrine”
2019 – Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei says “There’s no way the US can crush us” in interview with BBC, saying his daughter’s arrest politically motivated

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Famous Birthdays

1836 – Ramakrishna [Gadadhar Chatterji], Indian mystic and yogi (preached unity of religions), born in Kamarpukur, British India (d. 1886)
1884 – Burton “Burt” Mustin, American actor (All in the Family, The Andy Griffith Show), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1977)
1929 – Len Deighton, British spy novelist (The IPCRESS File; An Expensive Place to Die), cookbook writer, and illustrator, born in Marylebone, London
1939 – Maxine Clair, American poet and novelist (Rattlebone, October Suite), born in Kansas City, Kansas (d. 2025)
1957 – Vanna Marie White, American television host (Wheel of Fortune), born in Conway, South Carolina

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Famous Deaths

1861 – Louis C Luzac, Dutch minister of Internal Affairs, dies at 74
1915 – Frank James, American outlaw (member of the James-Younger gang), dies at 72
1933 – James J. Corbett, American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1892-97), dies of liver cancer at 66
1993 – Kerry Von Erich, American professional wrestler, commits suicide at 33
1996 – Nicholas Beriozoff, Lithuanian-British dancer, choreographer and ballet master, dies at 89

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Historical Events

1865 – Union forces led by William T. Sherman capture the state capital of Columbia, South Carolina. The city is ablaze by nightfall, fanned by high winds devastating much of the city. It is not known which side started the fires.
1955 – KTVF TV channel 11 in Fairbanks, AK (CBS/ABC) begins broadcasting
1967 – Kosmos 140 (Soyuz Test) launches into Earth orbit
1987 – New York Yankees Don Mattingly wins highest salary arbitration ($1,975,000 per year)
2017 – Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal “GSA Today”

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Famous Birthdays

1774 – Raphaelle Peale, American painter (After the Rain, 1823), born in Annapolis, Maryland (d. 1825)
1945 – Roy Black, American defense attorney known for representing William Kennedy Smith and Jeffrey Epstein, born in Forest Hills, New York (d. 2025)
1950 – Rickey Medlocke, American rock guitarist, vocalist, and drummer (Blackfoot, 1969-97 – “Highway Song”‘ “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme”; Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1971-72 and 1996-present), born in Jackson, Florida
1968 – Aaron Blaise, American animator, painter, and film director (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Brother Bear, The Lion King), born in Burlington, Vermont
1969 – David Klingler, American NFL quarterback (Oakland Raiders, Cin Bengals), born in Houston, Texas

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Famous Deaths

1612 – Ernest of Bavaria, Prince-elector-archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne, dies at 57
1951 – Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan, Armenian composer, dies at 94
1997 – Zein Isa, Palestinian militant imprisoned in the United States for the honor killing of his daughter
2003 – Frank Thistlethwaite, English academic and Vice Chancellor (University of East Anglia), dies at 87
2025 – Gerd Stern, American poet of the Beat era, multi-media artist (USCO), and cheese monger, dies at 96

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