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1868 - Time zone: New Zealand officially adopts a standard time to be observed nationally 1898 - French government of Dupuy forms 1920 - Warren G. Harding is elected President of the United States, defeating Democrat candidate James M. Cox 1960 - New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris beats teammate Mickey Mantle for American League MVP Award, 225-222; second-closest vote ever 1977 - Microbiologist Carl R. Woese and scientists from the University of Illinois announce the identification of methanogens, a form of microbial life dating back some 3.5 billion years, which they name Archaea 1992 - First test flight of Airbus A330 1995 - "Sacrilege" opens at Belasco Theater NYC for 21 performances 2023 - Apple Records release the last Beatles song "Now and Then" as a double A-sided single, backed with their first "From Me To You"; the new song was built from an unfinished 1978 John Lennon demo and 1995 attempt to complete it that had been abandoned due to technical issues, resolved by new technology More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1898 - Austro-Hungarian Jewish activist Theodor Herzl arrives in Jerusalem 1949 - The Netherlands recognizes its former colony Indonesia as a sovereign state at conclusion of the Round Table Conference at the Hague, Netherlands 1974 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR 1995 - Spanish Broadcasting System buys NY radio station WPAT-FM for $83.5M 2017 - Jerome Powell nominated by US President Donald Trump to be next Chair of the Federal Reserve More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1734 - Daniel Boone, American frontiersman and explorer (US Hall of Fame 1915), born in Reading, Pennsylvania (d. 1820) 1919 - Warren Stevens, American actor (Richard Boone Show), born in Clark's Summit, Pennsylvania (d. 2012) 1932 - Romano Mazzoli, American politician (Rep-D-KY, 1971-95), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 2022) 1932 - Melvin Schwartz, American Physicist and Nobel Laureate (neutrinos - subatomic particles with no electric charge and virtually no mass), born in New York City (d. 2006) 1942 - (Roberta) "Bobbi" Gibb, American runner (unsanctioned era female winner of Boston Marathon, 1966-68), lawyer, writer, and sculptor, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1981 - Kenneth Oakley, English Anthropologist, paleontologist and geologist whose method for the relative dating of fossils using fluorine content was instrumental in exposing the Piltdown Man hoax, dies at 70 2000 - Robert Cormier, American author known for "The Chocolate War" and "I Am the Cheese", dies at 75 2000 - Sue Ryder, Baroness Ryder of Warsaw and Cavendish, British volunteer with Special Operations Executive in the Second World War, dies at 76 2002 - Charles Sheffield, American author and physicist (b. 1935) 2004 - Gerrie Knetemann, Dutch road cyclist (World Road Race Champion 1978; Amstel Gold Race 1974, 85), dies from a heart attack at 53 More Famous Deaths »

1870 - US Weather Bureau begins operations (24 locations) 1956 - Delhi becomes a union territory of India 1968 - MLB Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain is named unanimous AL Cy Young Award winner after finishing MLB season, 31-6 for World Series winning Tigers 1970 - Fire at Club Cinq-Sept Discotheque in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, France, kills 146, as all emergency exits were padlocked 1972 - 1st gay themed TV movie - "That Certain Summer" 1987 - New York City Marathon: Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya wins men's race, 2:11:01; English runner Priscilla Welch women's champion, 2:30:17 2012 - Acid is poured over a 15-year-old girl by her parents after being seen talking to a young man in an "honour killing" in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan 2018 - Google employees stage mass walkout to protest the company's handling of sexual harassment More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1914 - Pope Benedictus Xv's encyclical Ad beatissimi, against integrity 1914 - German-British naval battle at Coronel, Chile 1937 - Stalinists execute by shooting Pastor Paul Hamberg and seven members of Azerbaijan's Lutheran community (including three women). 1959 - WOV-AM in NYC changes call letters to WADO 2012 - Scientists detect evidence of light from the universe's first stars, estimated to have formed 500 million years after the Big Bang More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1871 - Stephen Crane, American novelist (Red Badge of Courage), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 1900) 1945 - Rick Grech, British rock musician (Blind Faith; Traffic), born in Bordeaux, France (d. 1990) 1967 - Tina Arena, Australian pop singer and songwriter ("Don't Ask"), born in Melbourne, Australia 1971 - Harutyun Arzumanyan, Armenian orchestral and opera conductor, born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR 1975 - Scott "Skippy" Chapman, American musician (Code of Ethics), born in Memphis, Tennessee More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1817 - Giovanni Zanotti, Italian composer, dies at 79 1835 - William Motherwell, Scottish poet and civil servant, dies at 38 1978 - Giuseppe Berto, Italian writer (Heaven Sees Red), dies at 63 2001 - Warren Amling, American College Football Hall of Fame guard (Ohio State), dies at 76 2003 - Joji "George" Kawaguchi Japanese jazz drummer and bandleader, dies at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1924 - World Savings Day is established during the first International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks) in Milan, Italy, to promote the importance of saving 1959 - USSR and Egypt sign contracts to build the Aswan High Dam 1967 - Nguyễn Văn Thiệu takes oath of office to become the first President of the Second Republic of South Vietnam 1988 - Journalists demand greater press freedom in Yugoslavia 1991 - Palestinians attend the US Middle East peace talks in Madrid, Spain 2016 - MIT Engineers announce they have engineered spinach plants to detect explosive materials in groundwater and send an email alert via a connected system 2017 - John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff's comments in a TV interview that “the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War" draws criticism 2020 - England beats Italy 34-5 in Rome to clinch 29th Six Nations Rugby Championship; halfback Ben Youngs becomes the second England player to earn his 100th test cap More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1587 - Leiden University Library opens its doors after its founding in 1575 1867 - Australia's first royal tour begins as Prince Albert, son of Queen Victoria, arrives in Adelaide, South Australia 1950 - "The Big Cat" Earl Lloyd becomes the first African-American to play a game in the NBA, scoring 6 points on debut for the Washington Capitols 1967 - Nguyễn Văn Thiệu takes oath of office to become the first President of the Second Republic of South Vietnam 1982 - Musical revue "Rock 'n Roll!: The First 5,000 Years" closes at St James Theatre in New York City after 9 performances More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1945 - Brian Doyle-Murray, American comedian and actor (Groundhog Day), born in Chicago, Illinois 1950 - Jane Pauley, American newscaster (Today, NBC Weekend), born in Indianapolis, Indiana 1961 - Alonzo Babers, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1984), born in Montgomery, Alabama 1966 - Koji Kanemoto, Japanese wrestler (NJPW/AAA/UWA, Tiger Mask, King Lee), born in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan 1981 - Selina (Jiaxuan) Ren, member of Taiwanese girl-group S.H.E, born in Shilin, Taipei, Taiwan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1733 - Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg, dies at 57 1941 - Herwarth Walden, German art writer and critic, dies in a Soviet prison at 63 1986 - Robert S. Mulliken, American chemist and physicist (Nobel 1966), dies at 90 2007 - Edgar Ngoyi, South African anti-apartheid activist and ANC leader who spent 17 years in Robben Island Prison, dies at 81 2018 - Lord Skelmersdale [Roger Bootle-Wilbraham], British politician and horticulturalist who created Britain's first toad tunnel, dies of a stroke at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1866 - Jesse James' gang robs bank in Lexington, Missouri ($2000) 1888 - John J. Loud patents the ballpoint pen 1894 - Daniel Cooper patents the time clock 1956 - Dodgers sell Ebbets Field to a real estate group; they agree to stay until 1959, with an option to stay until 1961 1970 - Northern Ireland Prime Minister James Chichester-Clark meets with British Home Secretary Reginald Maulling to discuss matters related to reforms and security 1975 - King Juan Carlos I assumes power in Spain 1983 - The first democratic elections are held in Argentina after seven years of military rule 2011 - Czech tennis player Petra Kvitová beats Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7–5, 4–6, 6–3 in the WTA Championship decider in Istanbul, Turkey More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1953 - Dr Albert Schweitzer and US Army General George Marshall win the Nobel Peace Prize 1963 - Sandy Koufax wins the National League MVP award 1967 - USSR Kosmos 186 and 188 make the first automatic docking and Venera 13 launches 1970 - KVEW TV channel 42 in Kennewick, Washington (ABC), begins broadcasting 2023 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects calls for a ceasefire with Hamas, saying “this is a time for war” amid Israeli ground forces moving into the Gaza strip More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1934 - Keith Barnes, Australian rugby league fullback (17 Tests, 10 as captain; Balmain RLFC), born in Port Talbot, Wales (d. 2024) 1935 - Michael Winner, English film producer and director (Big Sleep, Death Wish), born in London, England (d. 2013) 1967 - Leonidas Kavakos, Greek concert violinist and conductor, born in Athens, Greece 1970 - James Pedro, American lightweight judoka (Olympic bronze 1992, 96), born in Danvers, Massachusetts 1975 - Maria Thayer, American actress (Accepted; Strangers With Candy), born in Portland, Oregon More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1883 - Johann Vesque von Püttlingen, Austrian lawyer and composer, dies at 80 1914 - Ernst Stadler, German poet (Der Aufbruch), dies fighting in WWI at 31 1928 - Oscar Sonneck, American editor (The Musical Quarterly), musicologist, and librarian (Library of Congress, 1902-17), dies at 55 1996 - Leon Lewis, US radio talk show host (WMCA, 1970-80), dies at 81 2006 - Clifford Geertz, American anthropologist (symbolic anthropology), dies at 80 More Famous Deaths »

1591 - Giovanni A. Facchinetti is elected as Pope Innocent IX 1709 - England and the Netherlands sign the anti-French First Barrier Treaty ("Barrieretraktaat") 1920 - Ed Barrow is appointed general manager of the New York Yankees 1924 - Musical revue "Dixie to Broadway" opens at Broadhurst Theater 1954 - Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser disbands the Muslim Brotherhood 1964 - The Star of India sapphire and other jewels are stolen from the American Museum of Natural History in New York 1967 - Expo 67 closes in Montreal, Canada 1969 - Tom Seaver is voted National League Cy Young Award More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1913 - Floods in El Salvador kill thousands 1936 - Ella Fitzgerald and the Chick Webb Orchestra record "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini)"; it becomes a staple in her repertoire as a launching point for scat vocals 1963 - Edgar Kaufmann Jr. deeds his family property Fallingwater (1935), designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy 1989 - NYC MTA opens 63rd street extension to subway 2020 - India records more than 8 million COVID-19 cases, the second country after the US, with a death toll of 120,527 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1815 - Ľudovít Štúr, Slovak politician and author of Slovak language, born in Uhrovec, Austrian Empire (d. 1856) 1940 - Connie Mack III, American politician (US Senator from Florida, 1989-2001; US Representative from Florida, 1983-89), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1951 - Guy Gelso, American rock drummer (Zebra), born in Oakland, California 1967 - Rufus Sewell, English actor (A Knight's Tale, Middlemarch), born in London, England 1978 - Kelly Smith, English football player (Arsenal Ladies), born in Watford, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1853 - Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmermann, French pianist, music teacher, and composer, dies at 68 1950 - Gustav V, King of Sweden (1907-1950), dies at 92 1991 - Maria Monica, silent film actress, dies 2015 - Murphy Anderson, American comic artist (DC Comics), dies at 89 2020 - J. J. Williams, Welsh rugby union winger (30 caps Wales, 7 British and Irish Lions; Grand Slam 1976, 78), dies at 72 More Famous Deaths »

1911 - Bill Dobbie of Calgary Tigers kicks 10 singles in a game 1918 - Czechoslovakia gains independence as Austria-Hungary breaks up 1965 - Pope Paul VI proclaims Jews are not collectively guilty for crucifixion 1966 - Belgian runner Gaston Roelants sets a new world record in the one-hour run, covering 20,664 m (12.84 mi) 1979 - Dick Howser, the best Yankees manager by win-loss percentage (.636), returns to New York, replacing Billy Martin 2001 - Indie cult hit film "Donnie Darko", starring Jake Gyllenhaal, is released 2017 - Twin car bomb attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia, kill at least 27; Islamist militant group al-Shabab claim responsibility 2024 - UK records its lowest-ever fertility rate of 1.44 children per woman in 2023, with 591,072 births in England and Wales, the lowest in 172 years More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1864 - Second Battle of Newtonia (American Civil War), Newton County, Missouri 1906 - Belgian-British "Union Minière du Haut Katanga" mining company created in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo 1948 - Flag of Israel is adopted 1975 - Venezuela and foreign oil companies agree on nationalization as of January 1, 1976 2020 - Global COVID-19 cases increased by a record 500,000 for the first time, rising 25% in less than two weeks, according to Reuters More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1718 - Ignacije Szentmartony, Croatian Jesuit missionary and geographer, born in Kottori, Kingdom of Hungary (d. 1793) 1909 - Josef Gingold, Russian-American violinist (Primrose Quartet; Cleveland Orchestra, 1947-60) and pedagogue (Indiana University, 1960-95), born in Brest-Litovsk, Russian Empire (now Brest, Belarus) (d. 1995) 1949 - Caitlyn Jenner [born Bruce Jenner], American athlete (Olympic gold decathlon 1976), TV personality ('Keeping Up with the Kardashians') and prominent transgender figure, born in Mt Kisco, New York 1967 - Kevin Macdonald, Scottish film director, known for "Touching the Void", born in Glasgow, Scotland 1974 - Braden Looper, American baseball pitcher (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Weatherford, Oklahoma More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1627 - Jahangir, 4th Mughal Emperor of India (1605-27), dies at 58 1708 - Prince George of Denmark, Prince Consort of Anne of England, dies at 55 1973 - Taha Hussein, Egyptian writer (b. 1889) 1996 - William Downie Forrest, Scottish foreign correspondent (Spanish Civil War, WWII), dies at 94 1997 - Toni Carabillo, writer (Feminist Chronicles), dies of lymphoma at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1915 - Andrew Fisher is replaced as Labour Prime Minister by William 'Billy' Hughes, who will advocate a more active role for Australians in the war 1955 - "Rebel Without a Cause", directed by Nicholas Ray, starring James Dean and Natalie Wood, is released 1957 - WOWL TV channel 15 in Florence, AL (NBC/CBS) begins broadcasting 1962 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1962 - Black Saturday during the Cuban Missile Crisis: An American spy plane is shot down over Cuba and the navy drops warning depth charges on Soviet submarines 1984 - France performs nuclear test at Mururoa Atoll 2013 - American Serena Williams wins her 4th season ending tennis title; beats Li Na of China 2–6, 6–3, 6–0 in the WTA Championship final in Istanbul, Turkey 2023 - Taylor Swift releases her “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” album, beating her own Spotify record for most streams in a day More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1931 - Chuhei Numbu of Japan, sets then long jump record at 26' 2½" 1957 - WPTA TV channel 21 in Fort Wayne, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting 1986 - Paul McCartney releases single "Pretty Little Head" 1992 - Tipper Gore, wife of future Vice President Al Gore, admits to covering the clock on her VCR with black tape so she doesn't have to watch it blink 2024 - A long-lost waltz by Frédéric Chopin is reportedly rediscovered after 200 years at the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1842 - Giovanni Giolitti, 5x Prime Minister of Italy (1892-93, 1903-05, 1906-09, 1911-14, 1920-21), born in Mondovì, Kingdom of Sardinia (d. 1928) 1944 - Bob Flick, American folk musician (The Brother Four - "Greenfields"), born in Indianapolis, Indiana 1951 - K. K. Downing, British rock guitarist (Judas Priest - "Breakin' The Law"), born in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England 1964 - Mary T. Meagher, American swimmer (3 x Olympic gold 100/200m butterfly, 4x100m medley 1984; WR 100/200m butterfly 1981), born in Louisville, Kentucky 1986 - Matty Pattison, South African footballer (Whickham), born in Johannesburg, South Africa More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1617 - Ralph Winwood, English politician (b. 1563) 1789 - John Cook, American farmer and Governor of Delaware (b. 1730) 1935 - Ernest Eldridge, British auto racer (world land speed record 1924 at Arpajon, France; 1 mile −145.89 mph), dies from pneumonia at 40 1999 - Charlotte Perriand, French architect and furniture designer (Unité d'habitation), dies at 96 2006 - Joe Niekro, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1979; NL wins leader 1979; Houston Astros; World Series 1987; NY Yankees), dies from a brain aneurysm at 61 More Famous Deaths »

1366 - Comet 55P/1366 U1 (Tempel-Tuttle) approaches within 0.0229 astronomical units of Earth 1912 - Woolwich Foot Tunnel under the Thames river in England opens 1913 - Dictator Victoriano Huerta elected president of Mexico 1957 - USSR fires Defense Minister Marshal Georgy Zhukov 1966 - US aircraft carrier Oriskany catches fire at Gulf on Tonken, 43 die 1969 - WHMA (now WJSU) TV channel 40 in Anniston, AL (CBS) 1st broadcast 2000 - Laurent Gbagbo takes over as president of Côte d'Ivoire following a popular uprising against President Robert Guéï 2015 - "Spectre", 24th James Bond film, directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig premieres in London More Historical Events »