Historical Events
1888 – Scottish vet John Boyd Dunlop patents pneumatic bicycle tyre
1969 – Eastside race riot in Jacksonville, Florida
1993 – Brian Friel’s stage drama “Wonderful Tennessee” closes at Plymouth Theater, New York City, after 9 performances
2003 – A bankruptcy court approves MCI’s reorganization plans, essentially clearing the telecommunications company to exit bankruptcy
2018 – In a landmark verdict, the Pakistani Supreme Court acquits a Christian woman of blasphemy against the prophet Mohammed after eight years on death row
Famous Birthdays
1875 – Seerp Anema, Dutch poet and writer (From Holland’s Coasts; Modern Art and Degeneration), born in Barradeel, Minnertsga, Nethelands (d. 1961)
1883 – Anthony Wilding, New Zealand tennis player (Wimbledon 1910-13), born in Christchurch, New Zealand (d. 1915)
1950 – Antonio Taguba, US Army Major General, born in Manila, Philippines
1964 – Marco van Basten, Dutch soccer striker (58 caps; Ajax, AC Milan) and manager (Netherlands 2004–08, Ajax, Heerenveen, AZ), born in Utrecht, Netherlands
1978 – Zachary Knighton, American actor (Happy Endings), born in Alexandria, Virginia
Famous Deaths
1664 – William Frederick of Nassau-Dietz, Dutch Stadtholder of Friesland, dies as the result of an accident with a pistol at 51
1959 – Jean Cabannes, French physicist who worked on optics, discovered Cabannes-Daure effect, dies at 75
2010 – Maurice Lucas, American basketball forward (NBA C’ship 1977 Portland Trail Blazers; NBA All-Star 1977–79, 83; ABA All-Star 1976 Kentucky Colonels), dies at 58
2011 – Manfred Mayrhofer, Austrian Indo-European philologist (Indo-Iranian languages), dies at 85
2020 – Marius Žaliūkas, Lithuanian soccer centre back (25 caps; Hearts, Leeds, Rangers), dies from motor neurone disease at 36