Historical Events
1921 – Mackenzie King is sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Canada
1933 – New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds
1983 – Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman’s record of 29
1984 – Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick and adds 3 assists in Edmonton’s 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history – recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983
1997 – Cricket Women’s World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets
Famous Birthdays
1935 – Russell Watt, New Zealand rugby union wing (9 Tests; Otago, Southland, Wellington), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 2022)
1939 – (William Edwin) “Ed” Bruce, American country singer (“Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”), born in Keiser, Arkansas (d. 2021)
1970 – Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver, born in Osaka, Japan
1974 – James Darling, American football linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles), born in Denver, Colorado
1995 – Flossie, British domestic cat, world’s oldest cat recognized by Guinness World Records, born in Merseyside, England
Famous Deaths
1606 – Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania and Hungary (1605-6), dies at 49
1919 – William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70
1925 – Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60
2017 – Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), dies at 88
2023 – Les McCann, American jazz pianist, soul singer (“Compared to What”), painter, and photographer, dies of pneumonia at 88