Historical Events
1914 – Panama Canal opens (under cost)
1936 – Marshall Wayne and Elbert Root make it an American 1-2 in the 10m platform diving at the Berlin Olympics
1944 – US 12 Army corps enters Le Mans through Orleans
1964 – Mayor Daley declares “Ernie Banks Day” in Chicago
1985 – P. W. Botha gives the “Rubicon” Speech in Durban, South Africa, dissapointing many by refusing to consider immediate and major reforms in the country’s apartheid system
2006 – Der Spiegel, Spiegel Online, publishes documents confirming German writer Günter Grass’ membership of the Waffen-SS in World War II
Famous Birthdays
1740 – Matthias Claudius, German poet (d. 1815)
1872 – Shri Aurobindo [Aurobindo Ghose], Indian guru and nationalist, born in Calcutta, British India (d. 1950)
1948 – Patsy Gallant, Canadian pop singer (It’ll All Come Around), born in Campbellton, Canada
1970 – Ben Silverman, American TV executive
1972 – Ben Affleck, American actor (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor), born in Berkeley, California
1989 – Joe Jonas, American singer (Jonas Brothers)
Famous Deaths
1038 – Stefanus I, [Arpad], 1st king of Hungary, dies
1369 – Philippa of Hainault, Queen consort of Edward III of England
1714 – Constantin Brâncoveanu, Prince of Wallachia (b. 1654)
1968 – Edward Kilenyi, Sr. [Ede Kilényi], composer and teacher (Clipped Wings, Outside the Law), dies at 84
1978 – Harrison Kerr, American composer, dies at 80
2010 – James J. Kilpatrick, American newspaper journalist and columnist (60 Minutes), dies at 89