Historical Events
1521 – Emperor Charles V bans wooden buildings in Amsterdam
1780 – John Hancock becomes the first Governor of Massachusetts
1944 – Battle at Samar-island
1962 – American author John Steinbeck awarded Nobel Prize for Literature
1963 – Beatles begin their 1st full foreign tour in Karlstad, Sweden
1968 – Chicago recognizes Jean Baptiste Pointe de Sable as its 1st settler
Famous Birthdays
1612 – James Graham, Marquis of Montrose “the Great Montrose”, Scottish general and poet, born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1650)
1825 – Johann Baptist Strauss Jr., Austrian composer (Waltz King), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1899)
1843 – Gleb Uspensky, Russian author (Power of the Soil), born in Tula, Russian Empire (d. 1902)
1909 – Whitner “Whit” Bissell, American actor (Time Machine, Soylent Green, The Magnificent Seven), born in NYC, New York (d. 1996)
1929 – Peter Rohmkorf, German writer, born in Dortmund, Germany (d. 2008)
1964 – Pat Swilling, American NFL defensive end and linebacker (Oakland Raiders), born in Toccoa, Georgia
Famous Deaths
1647 – Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist (inventor of barometer), dies at 39
1957 – Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, Irish sci-fi writer (Time and Gods), dies at 79
1973 – Abebe Bikila, Ethiopian distance athlete (Olympic gold marathon 1960 WR [barefoot], 64 WR; Africa’s first WR breaking athlete in any sport), dies of a brain haemorrhage at 41
2000 – Don Brooks, American session and touring harmonica player (Waylon Jennings; Ken Burns’ “The Civil War”), dies of leukemia at 53
2013 – Bill Sharman, American Basketball HOF guard (8 × NBA All-Star; 4 x NBA C’ship; Boston Celtics) and coach (NBA C’ship 1972 LA Lakers), dies from stroke complications at 87
2019 – Chou Wen-chung, Chinese-American composer (Mode of Shang), dies at 96