Historical Events
1894 – Claude Debussy’s first orchestral masterpiece “Prélude à l’apres-midi d’un faune” premieres in Paris
1964 – Ballon d’Or: Manchester United striker Denis Law wins award for best European football player; beats Inter midfielder Luis Suárez and Real Madrid winger Amancio Amaro; first Scotsman to win the award
1978 – Thailand adopts constitution
1997 – Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces
2003 – A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits near San Simeon, California.
Famous Birthdays
1883 – Edgard Varèse, French-American composer (Ionisation; Poème électronique), born in Burgundy, France (d. 1965)
1889 – Minor Watson, American actor (Woman of the Year, Viva Cisco Kid), born in Marianna, Arkansas (d. 1965)
1912 – Claudia A. “Lady Bird” Taylor Johnson, American first lady (1963-1969), born in Karnack, Texas (d. 2007)
1946 – Mary McCaslin, American contemporary folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and banjo player (“Prairie In The Sky”), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2022)
1954 – Jayaseelan Naidoo, South African worker’s union leader, born in Durban, South Africa
Famous Deaths
1603 – Mehmed III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1595-1603), dies at 37
1767 – John Newberry, English publisher, dies
1809 – William Cooper, American judge and developer (founded Cooperstown, New York), dies at 55
1987 – Alice Terry [Taaffe], actress (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse), dies
2016 – Bill Price, British audio engineer (Tom Jones; Wings: Sparks; Elton John), and record producer (The Clash; Sex Pistols; Waterboys), dies of cancer at 72