Historical Events
1942 – Cuba declares war on Germany, Japan and Italy
1972 – Operation Lion’s Den: US Navy bombards Haiphong Harbor, North Vietnam from the sea, firing over 700 rounds in 33 minutes
1979 – Warrenpoint ambush: 18 British Army soldiers killed when Provisional IRA explode two roadside bombs as a British convoy passes Narrow Water Castle
1988 – Dodger Tommy Lasorda wins 1,000th game as manager tops Philadelphia, 4-2
2004 – Timothy Mack vaults an Olympic record 5.95m to win the pole vault gold medal from fellow American Toby Stevenson (5.90m) at the Athens Olympics
2015 – Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos names top Supreme Court judge, Vassiliki Thanou caretaker Prime Minister – Greece’s 1st female Prime Minister
Famous Birthdays
1665 – John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, English politician, born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (d. 1751)
1871 – Theodore Dreiser, American novelist (Sister Carie, American Tragedy), born in Terre Haute, Indiana (d. 1945)
1911 – Kathleen “Kay” Walsh, British actress (The Horse’s Mouth, Oliver Twist), born in Chelsea, London, England (d. 2005)
1941 – Cesária Évora, Cape Verdean Grammy Award-winning morna singer (Voz d’Amor), known as “the Barefoot Diva”, born in Mindelo, Cape Verde (d. 2011)
1959 – Juan Fernando Cobo, Colombian artist, born in Cali, Colombia (d. 2024)
1972 – The Great Khali [Dalip Singh], Indian-born American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, India
Famous Deaths
1521 – Josquin Des Prez, French composer, dies between 66 and 71 [birthdate uncertain]
1963 – W. E. B. Du Bois, American civil rights activist, writer (Souls of Black Folk) and co-founder of the NAACP, dies in Accra, Ghana, at 95
1980 – Douglas Kenney, American humorist (co-founded the magazine National Lampoon), dies at 33
1987 – Scott La Rock [Sterling], American hip-hop DJ (Boogie Down Productions), shot to death at 25
1991 – Vince Taylor [Brian Holden], British rock and roll singer (Brand New Cadillac), dies of lung cancer at 52
2023 – Pat Corrales, American baseball catcher (Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, SD Padres) and manager (Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians), dies at 82