Historical Events
1712 – The Riot Act takes effect in Great Britain.
1940 – Billboard publishes its 1st singles record chart – “I’ll Never Smile Again” by Tommy Dorsey, with vocal by Frank Sinatra is #1
1942 – Time magazine puts Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich on its cover
1944 – Flying Fortresses of US 8th Air Force attack Leipzig/Dessau
1948 – Lou Thesz beats Bill Longson, to become NWA wrestling champion
1977 – Flash flood hits Johnstown, Pennsylvania, kills 80 and causes $350 million damage
Famous Birthdays
1744 – Henri Hamal, Belgian organist and composer, born in Liège (d. 1820)
1895 – László Moholy-Nagy, Hungarian painter, photographer, and sculptor (d. 1946)
1908 – [Vincent] Mad Dog Coll, Irish-American mob hitman, born in Gweedore, Ireland (d. 1932)
1918 – Cindy Walker, American songwriter (“Dream Baby”; “You Don’t Know Me”) and country singer, born in Mart, Texas (d. 2006)
1924 – Hans Lodeizen [Johannes A. Frederik], Dutch poet (Inner Self), born in Naarden, Netherlands (d. 1950)
1945 – Paul Valéry [Ambroise Paul Toussaint Jules Valéry], French author, philosopher and poet (La Jeune Parque), born in Sète, Hérault (d. 1945)
Famous Deaths
1160 – Peter Lombard, French theologian
1636 – John Oldham, English-born Puritan settler in Massachusetts, murdered by Indians at 44
1908 – Federico Chueca, Spanish composer, dies at 62
1940 – Y G Van de Peat, Dutch director of employment, commits suicide
1944 – Claus von Stauffenberg, German antifascist colonel (attempted to assassinate Hitler), dies by firing squad at 36
1968 – Joseph Keilberth, German conductor (Bayreuther Festival), dies at 60