Historical Events
1900 – Freeland Colony founded in US
1954 – Austria’s worst avalanche-kills 200; 9hrs later 2nd one-kills 115
1957 – Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) founded with Martin Luther King Jr. as leader at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta
1962 – Operation Chopper begins, America’s first combat mission in the Vietnam War
1963 – Spin bowler Bobby Simpson takes 5-57 for Australia v England
1972 – Tigers sign a lease to build a $126M domed stadium (doesn’t happen)
Famous Birthdays
1871 – Paul Guthnick, German astronomer
1910 – Luise Rainer, German-American actress and 1st actor to win multiple Academy Awards (The Great Ziegfeld 1936, The Good Earth 1937), born in Düsseldorf, Germany (d. 2014)
1914 – Edward John Gurney, American politician, US senator (1969-74), born in Portland, Maine (d. 1996)
1923 – Ira Hayes, Pima Native American soldier, born in Sacaton, Arizona (d. 1955)
1982 – Chris Ray, American baseball player, born in Tampa, Florida
1996 – Sarahi Morales, Mexican Siamese twin (died on Jan 27, 1996), born in Tijuana, Mexico
Famous Deaths
1777 – Hugh Mercer, Scottish military officer (fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War), dies of his wounds at the Battle of Princeton at 50
1956 – Norman Kerry, American actor (Air Eagles, Phantom of the Opera), dies at 61
2003 – Dean Amadon, American ornithologist, dies at 90
2003 – Kinji Fukasaku, Japanese director (b. 1930)
2003 – Leopoldo Galtieri, dictator of Argentina (b. 1926)
2012 – Sadao Bekku, Japanese classical and film composer (Matango), dies at 89