Historical Events
1099 – Crusaders set fire to Mara, Syria
1915 – Earthquake in Avezzano, Italy kills 29,800
1939 – Belgian premier signs Burgos Treaty for trade relations with Franco’s Spain
1972 – Bernice Gera wins anti-discrimination case against the National Baseball Congressl, initiated March 15, 1971 to be allowed to umpire
1987 – West German police arrest Mohammed Ali Hamadi, suspect in 1985 hijacking
2016 – Record Powerball lottery held in America – $1.6 billion, (3 winning tickets)
Famous Birthdays
1925 – Gwyneth “Gwen” Verdon, American actress, singer and dancer (Cotton Club, Sweet Charity), born in Culver City, California (d. 2000)
1943 – William Duckworth, American composer (Time Curve Preludes), teacher (Bucknell, 1973-2011), and internet pioneer (PitchWeb), born in Morganton, North Carolina (d. 2012)
1947 – Chris Thomas, British sound engineer and record producer (Beatles; Pink Floyd; Procol Harem; Elton John; The Pretenders), born in Brentford, Middlesex, England
1967 – George Paterson, Scottish rock singer-songwriter (Donaldson, Moir and Paterson (DMP) – Natural Anthems)
1969 – Katarzyna Nowak, tennis star (1994 Futures France), born in Łódź, Poland
1970 – Frank Kooiman, soccer player (Sparta)
Famous Deaths
1691 – George Fox, founder of Quakers, dies at 66
1796 – John H. D. Anderson, Scottish scientist and inventor (b. 1726)
1929 – Wyatt Earp, American frontiersman and marshal who participated in the gunfight at the OK Corral, dies at 80
1939 – Jacob Ruppert Jr., American Baseball HOF executive (owner New York Yankees 1915-39; signed Babe Ruth; built Yankee Stadium), dies from phlebitis at 71
1988 – Chiang Ching-huo, president of Taiwan (1978-88), dies at 69
2009 – Mansour Rahbani, Lebanese composer and lyricist (b. 1925)