Historical Events
705 – Greek pope John VII chosen as successor to John VI
1905 – British East African Protectorate becomes colony of Kenya
1939 – US recognizes Francisco Franco’s government in Spain at end of Spanish civil war. Pope Pius XII congratulates Generalissimo Franco’s victory in Spain
1946 – The Malayan Union is formed as a federation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca
1992 – Battleship USS Missouri, on which the Japanese surrender took place, decommissioned
2001 – 20th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Notre Dame beats Purdue, 68-66; Fighting Irish forward Ruth Riley is named Most Outstanding Player
Famous Birthdays
1621 – Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, ninth Nanak, 9th of 10 Guru of the Sikhs, born in Amritsar, India (d. 1675)
1911 – Joe Fortenberry, American basketball forward (captain Olympic gold 1936), born in Leo, Texas (d. 1993)
1932 – Gordon Jump, American actor (Arthur Carlson-WKRP, Growing Pains), born in Dayton, Ohio (d. 2003)
1940 – Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist and political activist, founder of the Green Belt Movement, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (2004) and Indira Gandhi Peace Prize (2006), born in Ihithe village, Kenya (d. 2011)
1949 – Sammy Nelson, Irish soccer left back (51 caps Northern Ireland; Arsenal), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
1980 – Bryan Buffinton, actor (Bill Lewis Jr-Guiding Light), born in Ridgewood, New Jersey
Famous Deaths
1799 – Narciso Casanovas, composer, dies at 52
1960 – Piet[er O] Bakker, Dutch journalist/writer (Ciske), dies at 62
1979 – Bruno Coquatrix, French music impresario (b. 1910)
1990 – Russell Vis, American Greco-Roman wrestler (Olympic gold freestyle lightweight 1924), dies at 89
1996 – Alfredo Nobre Coast, Prime Minister of Portugal (1978), dies
2004 – Nilo Soruco, Bolivian singer and songwriter, dies at 76