Historical Events
1639 – Academie Française begins Dictionary of French Language
1928 – 1st solo flight from England to Australia takes off from Croydon, piloted by Australian aviator Bert Hinkler (arrives 15 ½ days later)
1940 – Walt Disney’s second feature length movie, “Pinocchio” premieres (NYC)
1965 – US begins regular bombing and strafing of N Vietnam
1971 – Switzerland votes for national women’s suffrage in a referendum
1995 – Last day of Test Cricket cricket for Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting
Famous Birthdays
1875 – Walter Courvoisier, composer
1896 – Harold Hoffman, (Gov-NJ), born in South Amboy, New Jersey
1919 – Jock Mahoney [Jacques Joseph O’Mahoney], American actor and stuntman (Dallas, Yancy Derringer, Day of Fury), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1989)
1958 – Matt Ridley, British science writer
1958 – (Manuel) Mijares, Mexican Latin-pop, folk, and Mariachi vocalist (Maria Bonita), born in Mexico City, Mexico
1971 – Marvin Graves, CFL quarterback (Montreal Alouettes)
Famous Deaths
1609 – Ferdinand I, cardinal/ruler of Toscane, dies
1857 – Félix de Merode, Earl of Merode, Belgian minister of War and Finance, dies at 65
1931 – Ion Vidu, Romanian composer and conductor, dies at 67
1948 – Red McKenzie, American jazz singer (played comb-with-tissue-paper), dies at 48
1990 – Alfredo M. Santos, First Four-star General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, World War II hero (b. 1905)
2021 – Pedro Gomez, American sports journalist (ESPN 2003-21), dies at 58