Historical Events
1965 – The USSR launches Luna 5 with the goal of becoming the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, but it crashes during its landing attempt
1992 – 37th Eurovision Song Contest: Linda Martin for Ireland wins singing “Why Me” in Malmo
2018 – Dam bursts after heavy rains near Solai, Kenya, killing at least 41
2019 – English clubs create football history by taking all 4 final spots in Europe’s 2 major competitions; Chelsea and Arsenal qualify in Europa Cup after ‘miracle’ Champions League wins for Liverpool and Spurs
2019 – Pope Francis introduces new rules on reporting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, criticized for not going far enough
Famous Birthdays
1783 – Alexander Ross, Canadian fur trader, born in Morayshire, Scotland (d. 1856)
1855 – Julius Röntgen, German-Dutch composer, born in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1932)
1936 – Albert Finney, English actor (The Dresser, Under the Volcano), born in Salford, England (d. 2019)
1955 – Kermit the Frog, Muppet character created by Jim Henson, protagonist of “The Muppet Show”, “born” in Leland, Mississippi
1975 – Chris Diamantopoulos, Canadian actor (The Three Stooges; Silicon Valley), and cartoon Voice (Mickey Mouse, 2013-present), born in Toronto, Ontario
Famous Deaths
1745 – Tomaso Antonio Vitali, Italian composer and violinist, dies at 82
1850 – Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, French physicist and chemist, dies at 71
1966 – Alfred Mendelsohn, Romanian composer, and conductor (Romanian National Opera, 1944-63), and teacher, dies at 56
1979 – Lan Adomian, Russian-born American composer, dies at 73
2019 – Alvin Sargent, American Academy Award-winning screenwriter for “Julia” (1977) and “Ordinary People” (1980), dies at 92