Historical Events
1837 – Ralph Waldo Emerson gives his famous “The American Scholar” speech to Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, declares American literary independence from Europe
1843 – Liberty Party nominates James Birney as presidential candidate
1900 – Brooklyn pitcher Brickyard Kennedy walks 6 straight Philadelphia Phillies in 2nd inning of the Superbas’ 9-4 loss at Washington Park; Kennedy still achieves his 4th 20-win season
1935 – Russian miner Aleksey Stachanov digs 102 tons of coal in under 6 hours, using a jackhammer
1945 – The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies
Famous Birthdays
1920 – James Lanphier, American actor (Flight of Lost Balloon), born in Hempstead, New York (d. 1969)
1929 – Julio Ramon Ribeyro, Peruvian writer, born in Lima, Peru (d. 1994)
1931 – Jean Béliveau, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (Hart Trophy 1956, 64; Art Ross Trophy 1956; Conn Smythe Trophy 1965; record 17 Stanley Cups), born in Trois-Rivieres Quebec (d. 2014)
1970 – Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen consort of Jordan, born in Kuwait City
1974 – Jeremy O’Day, American CFL offensive linebacker (Toronto Argonauts) and manager, born in Buffalo, New York
Famous Deaths
1590 – Floris Thin, Dutch politician and land advocate of Utrecht, dies
1942 – Georg Von Bismarck, German major general, (Africa Corps), dies in Battle of Alam el Halfa at 51
1976 – Kornelis Heiko Miskotte, Dutch theologist (If the Gods Keep Silent), dies at 81
2009 – Maria de Lourdes Martins, Portuguese pianist and composer, dies at 83
2011 – Valery Rozhdestvensky, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 23), dies at 72