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634 - Muslim forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid capture Damascus, 1st major city of Eastern Roman Empire taken by the Rashidun Caliphate 1559 - Five Spanish ships sink in storm off Tampa, about 600 die 1854 - Henry Meyer patents sleeping rail car 1870 - Siege of Paris by Prussian forces begins (lasts until January 28, 1871) 1893 - New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote 1945 - Lord Haw Haw (William Joyce) is sentenced to death in London 1995 - The Washington Post and The New York Times publish the Unabomber's manifesto 1997 - Guelb El-Kebir massacre in Algeria leaves 53 people dead More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1870 - Siege of Paris by Prussian forces begins (lasts until January 28, 1871) 1893 - New Zealand becomes the first country to grant all women the right to vote 1912 - Pius X encyclical Singular quadam, against interconfess unions 1981 - Simon and Garfunkel reunite for a concert in Central Park, NYC, 2022 - Banks in Lebanon close for three days after a series of hold-ups by people trying to obtain their own money, frozen amid the country's economic crisis More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1770 - Johann Georg Repsold, German scientific instrument maker, astronomer, and fireman, born in Wremen, Duchy of Bremen, Holy Roman Empire (now Germany) (d. 1830) 1910 - Arthur Mullard, English actor, comedian and singer (Romany Jones), born in London (d. 1995) 1913 - Helen Ward [Wiltschek], American jazz singer (Benny Goodman Orchestra, 1934-36; Bob Crosby; Harry James), born in New York City (d. 1998) 1959 - Marshall Jefferson, American musician 'father of house music' (Move your Body), born in Chicago, Illinois 1998 - Trae Young, American NBA player (Atlanta Hawks), born in Lubbock, Texas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1736 - Feofan Prokopovich, Russian Orthodox theologian and Archbishop of Novgorod, dies at 55 1930 - Hendrik Zwaardemaker, Dutch physiologist (invented the olfactometer), dies at 73 1952 - Giuseppe Zoppi, Swiss writer (Presento il mio Ticino), dies at 56 1986 - Vivian Duncan, American vaudevillian (Duncan Sisters), actress (Topsy and Eva), dies of complications from Alzheimer's disease at 89 2023 - Buddy Teevens, American college football coach (Dartmouth College 1987-91, 2005-23; Uni of Maine, Tulane Uni, Stanford University), dies from injuries sustained in road accident at 66 More Famous Deaths »

1919 - Hurricane tides reach 16 feet above normal drowning 280 people along US Gulf Coast 1930 - Philadelphia A's win AL Championship for the second year in a row 1948 - Communist Madiun Uprising in Dutch Indies (Muso/Sjarifudin) 1954 - Cleveland Indians clinch AL pennant, beating Tigers (3-2) 1962 - Charlie Finley is denied permission to move the A's to Dallas-Fort Worth 1976 - Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong's funeral takes place in Beijing, China 1979 - Briitish rock band "The Who" plays first of five concerts at Madison Square Garden, New York City 2024 - Tupperware Brands, maker of plastic kitchenware since 1948, files for bankruptcy in Florida More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1810 - Chile declares independence from Spain, celebrated today as Chile's National Day 1990 - A 500-pound, 6-foot Hershey's Kiss is displayed at 1 Times Square, New York City 1993 - 18th Toronto International Film Festival: "The Snapper," directed by Stephen Frears, wins the People's Choice Award 2014 - Eight people (including two children) are shot dead in Bell, Florida 2022 - Hurricane Fiona makes landfall near Punta Tocón on Puerto Rico's southwest coast as a Category 1 storm with 85 km/h winds, causing catastrophic flooding More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1912 - Sarah Palfrey Cooke, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1941, 45), born in Sharon, Massachusetts (d. 1996) 1932 - Nikolay Rukavishnikov, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 10, 16, 33), born in Tomsk, Russia (d. 2002) 1949 - Kerry Livgren, American progressive rock guitarist and songwriter (Kansas - "Carry On Wayward Son"; "Dust in the Wind"), born in Topeka, Kansas 1953 - Betsy Boze, American academic (9th president of The College of The Bahamas), born in Shreveport, Louisiana 1956 - Chris Hedges, American journalist and author (War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning), born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1783 - Benjamin Kennicott, English churchman and Hebrew scholar, dies at 65 1904 - Herbert von Bismarck, German politician, son of Otto, dies at 54 1997 - Harry Boyne, British parliamentary journalist, dies at 87 2017 - Zurab Sotkilava, Soviet Georgian operatic tenor (the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, 1965-74), and pedagogue (Moscow Conservatory), dies of pancreatic cancer at 80 2024 - Rolf Wolfshohl, German road cyclist (Vuelta a España 1965; World Cyclo-cross C'ship 1960, 61, 63), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1906 - Playing as "Sullivan," Columbia University junior Eddie Collins debuts with the A's 1944 - Dutch begin railroad strike against German occupiers 1956 - Yankees clinch pennant number 22 with Mantle's 50th home run of the year 1958 - US performs a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1966 - Cleveland pitchers set an AL record by striking out 19 batters in the first 9 innings 2003 - Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins presents his poetry at the Art Institute of Chicago's Rubloff Auditorium 2015 - US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports 2015 Northern Hemisphere summer hottest on record 2024 - Al-Qaeda jihadists attack the international airport complex outside Mali's capital, Bamako, leaving at least 60 people dead More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1961 - Minnesota Vikings' first NFL game; beat Chicago Bears 37-13 1977 - Dave Kingman hits his first Yankee home run, and Reggie hits two more 1994 - 19th Toronto International Film Festival: "Priest," directed by Antonia Bird, wins the People's Choice Award 2004 - Tamil is declared the first classical language of India 2010 - Final episode of soap opera "As the World Turns" is broadcast, ending a 54-year run More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1853 - Clemens Baeumker, German historian (Patristischen Philosophie), born in Paderborn, Germany (d. 1924) 1909 - Kenneth Darling, British Army Commander-in-chief Allied Forces, born in Bengal Presidency, British India (d. 1998) 1923 - John Rigby Hale, British linguist and historian, born in Ashford, Kent (d. 1999) 1965 - Yuji Naka, Japanese video game programmer (Sonic the Hedgehog), born in Hirakata, Japan 1983 - Jennifer Peña, American Tejano/Latin pop singer, born in San Antonio, Texas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1862 - William Edwin Starke, Confederate brigadier general, dies in battle at about 48 1984 - Richard Basehart, American actor (Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Rage), dies following several strokes at 70 1994 - Iris Adrian, American actress (Blue Hawaii, Bluebeard), dies at 82 2006 - Al Casey, American rock and session guitarist (Duane Eddy; The Wrecking Crew), dies at 69 2015 - Everett C. Parker, American activist, communications director and founder of the United Church of Christ, dies at 102 More Famous Deaths »

1597 - Albert VII Archduke of Austria's Spanish forces lose control of the city of Amiens to French King Henry VI 1955 - US Auto Club forms to oversee four major auto racing categories 1955 - Bauer and Berra hit home runs in the 9th, beating the Red Sox 5-4 and taking over first 1962 - Brian Kilby wins the marathon in 2:23:18.8 at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games 1988 - Javed Miandad completes 211, his fifth Test cricket double century, against Australia 1992 - FCC votes to allow competition for local phone service 2007 - Solheim Cup Women's Golf, Halmstad GK, Sweden: US retains Cup 16-12; after trailing by a point, the US dominates the singles 8½-3½ 2016 - Chris Sharma free solos Alasha in Mallorca, Spain, the world's first 9a+ (5.15a) deep-water solo route More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1926 - Hurricane in Florida and Alabama kills 372 1940 - Leo Durocher is suspended from Ebbets Field for "inciting a riot" 1940 - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Selective Training and Service Act, the first US peacetime draft 1996 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Panama City, Florida, on WTBB 97.7 FM 1999 - First-ever season of "Big Brother" reality show begins on the Veronica channel in the Netherlands More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1812 - Robert Fortune, Scottish botanist and plant hunter (established East India tea company in India), born in Kelloe, Scotland (d. 1880) 1832 - George Washington Custis Lee, American Major General (Confederate Army), born in Fort Monroe, Virginia (d. 1913) 1940 - Hamiet Bluiett, American jazz baritone saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer (World Saxophone Quartet - "Hattie Wall'), born in Brooklyn, Illinois (d. 2018) 1953 - Alan Barton, English musician (Black Lace, Smokie), born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England (d. 1995) 1973 - Alexander Vinokourov, Russian-Kazakhtani road cyclist, born in Petropavl, Kazakh S.S.R. More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1736 - Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, Dutch-German-Polish physicist, inventor and scientific instrument maker, who invented the thermometer and the Fahrenheit scale, dies at 50 1983 - Roy Andries de Groot, Dutch-British-American culinary writer and wine critic, takes his own life at 73 1984 - Richard Brautigan, American novelist and poet (Trout Fishing in America), takes his own life at 49 [exact date estimated based on forensic investigation] 1992 - Millicent Fenwick, American politician (Rep-R-NJ 1975-82), dies at 82 2016 - Dorothy Cann Hamilton, American businesswoman and founder of the French Culinary Institute, dies in a car accident at 67 More Famous Deaths »

1590 - Giambattista Castagna is elected as Pope Urban VII 1916 - First use of tanks in warfare, Britain's Mark I "Little Willies" at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Battle of the Somme 1943 - Benito Mussolini forms a rival anti-monarchist fascist government in Italy and soon returns to power as a German puppet state 1970 - Officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in Northern Ireland vote narrowly in favour of remaining unarmed 1991 - Canadian Open Women's Golf (du Maurier Classic), Vancouver GC: Nancy Scranton wins by 3 shots from Debbie Massey 2005 - Marc Quinn's controversial statue "Alison Lapper Pregnant" is unveiled in Trafalgar Square in England 2015 - EU Migrant Crisis: Hungary seals its border with Serbia with a razor-wire fence, stranding thousands of migrants 2021 - US gymnasts, including Simone Biles, testify against former team doctor Larry Nassar at a Senate Committee hearing, criticizing a system that allowed it to happen More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1882 - British General Garnet Wolseley occupies Cairo, Egypt 1902 - Chicago Cubs infielders Tinker, Evers, and Chance turn their first double play together in a 6-3 win over Cincinnati 1983 - The first Costco store opens in Seattle, Washington 1984 - Sharlene Wells (20) of Utah is crowned 58th Miss America 1985 1995 - St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith sets record of 1,554 double plays More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1909 - Carlos Estrada, Uruguayan composer and conductor, born in Montevideo, Uruguay (d. 1970) 1912 - Gisela Hernández [Gonzalo], Cuban composer (Diálogo), and music educator, born in Cardenas, Cuba (d. 1971) 1923 - David Kraehenbuehl, American composer (March of the Trolls), pianist, teacher (Yale), and music theorist (Journal of Music Theory), born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (d. 1997) 1925 - Erika Köth, German operatic coloratura soprano (Salzburg Festival, 1955–64), born in Darmstadt, Germany (d. 1989) 1925 - Gösta Jonsson, Swedish saxophonist, accordion player and bandleader, born in Kungsholmen, Stockholm, Sweden (d. 1984) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1893 - Thomas Hawksley, English civil engineer (Nottingham Gas Light and Coke Company; Nottingham Waterworks Company), dies at 86 1984 - Jack Ikin, English cricketer (England opener 1946-55), dies at 66 2001 - Fred de Cordova, American film and TV producer (Tonight Show), dies at 90 2010 - Arrow [Alphonsus Cassell], Montserratian soca singer-songwriter ("Hot, Hot, Hot"), dies of cerebral cancer at 60 2025 - Marilyn Knowlden, American child actress (A Woman Rebels, David Copperfield), dies at 99 More Famous Deaths »

1862 - Battle at Crampton's Gap: Union troops win a tactical victory over Confederate forces 1913 - Route for the Lincoln Highway is announced, the first paved coast-to-coast highway across the United States, with terminal points in New York City and San Francisco 1923 - Jack Dempsey recovers after being knocked through the ropes in the first round to knock out Argentine challenger Luis Firpo in the second round in front of 83,000 at the Polo Grounds in NYC 1951 - St. Louis Browns' Bob Nieman homers on his 1st two career at-bats 1973 - Israeli Air Force shoots down 13 Syrian MIG-21s 1992 - First subway car is completed for export from the US to Taiwan 1996 - Tara Dawn Holland (23) of Kansas is crowned 70th Miss America 1997 1999 - Polyvinyl Record Co. releases debut album by the Midwest emo trio American Football; the eponymous record, later known as LP1, becomes a cult favorite and influential within the music genre More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1515 - Battle at Marignano ends after two days in a French and Venetian victory over a Swiss army 1957 - Ira Levin's stage comedy "No Time for Sergeants," based on Mac Hyman's novel, starring Andy Griffith and featuring Don Knott, closes at the Alvin Theatre in NYC after 796 performances 1960 - Joseph-Desiré Mobutu launches a bloodless coup d'état in the Congo, declaring President Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Patrice Lumumba to be "neutralised" and establishing a new government of university graduates 1964 - WCVE TV channel 23 in Richmond, Virginia (PBS) begins broadcasting 1989 - Calgary Flames become the first NHL team to play in USSR, win 4-2 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1804 - John Gould, British ornithologist and bird artist, born in Lyme Regis, Dorset (d. 1881) 1904 - Anton Zischka, Austrian writer (Lebendiges Europa), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1997) 1915 - Douglas Kennedy, American actor (Dark Passage, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold), born in New York City (d. 1973) 1946 - Pete Agnew, Scottich rock bassist (Nazareth - "Love Hurts"), born in Dunfermline, Scotland 1961 - Antonia De Sancha, English actress and lover of British MP David Mellor, born in London More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1712 - Giovanni Domenico Cassini, Italian French mathmetician and astronomer (discovered four moons of Saturn), dies at 87 1966 - Gertrude Berg, American actress (Molly Goldberg-Goldbergs), dies at 66 1982 - Grace Kelly, American actress (Rear Window) and Princess of Monaco, dies in a car crash at 52 2002 - Roberto Cavanagh, Argentine polo player (Olympic gold 1936), dies at 87 2025 - Pat Crowley, American actress (Money from Home, There's Always Tomorrow, Please Don't Eat the Daisies), dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1858 - Hamburg-America steamship, SS Austria, catches fire and sinks, killing 449 passengers and crew 1944 - Amon Göth removed as head of Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp by the SS for stealing state property 1954 - MLB Cincinnati Reds first baseman Ted Kluszewski scores a run in his record 17th consecutive game in 5-4 road loss to Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field 1982 - Jim LeFebvre reaches 6 hits in one baseball game 1985 - Composer John Williams introduces the Today Show's new theme song, "The Mission" 2005 - The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City premieres the exhibition "Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel" 2017 - Actress Rebel Wilson awarded $4.56 million in damages in libel case against Bauer Media in Melbourne, largest defamation payout in Australia 2019 - US actress Felicity Huffman sentenced to 14 days in prison for her role in the college admissions scandal More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1501 - Michelangelo begins work on his statue of David, a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture 1968 - Albania withdraws from the Warsaw Pact 1988 - Gilbert is measured as the strongest hurricane ever in the Western Hemisphere, 26.13 barometer 1996 - Phil Simmons scores 171 and takes 6-14 for Leics v Durham 2023 - Rise in overdose deaths from fentanyl laced stimulants mark the "fourth wave" of the overdose crisis in the US, according to UCLA research More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1475 - Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois, Italian aristocrat, born in Rome, Papal States (d. 1507) 1877 - Stanley Lord, Captain of the SS Californian the night of the Titanic disaster, born in Bolton, Lancashire, England (d. 1962) 1894 - Anton Roosjen, Dutch politician and NCRV-chairman, born in Aalsmeer, Netherlands (d. 1978) 1897 - Gaspar Cassadó, Spanish cellist and composer, born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 1966) 1942 - Béla Károlyi, Hungarian Romanian-American gymnastics coach (Nadia Comăneci, Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug), born in Kolozsvár, Hungary (d. 2024) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1967 - Varian Fry, American journalist and recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations", dies at 59 1989 - Yamada Koun, Zen teacher Sanbo Kyodan line, dies at 82 1991 - Ferry Barendse, Dutch trumpeter, composer, and singer (Ramblers), dies at 80 2025 - Mary Rose Oakar, American politician and the first Arab American woman in Congress (Rep-D-Ohio 1977-93), dies at 85 2025 - Akiko Tsuruga, Japanese jazz Hammond B-3 organist, pianist, and composer, dies at 58 More Famous Deaths »

1789 - Jean-Paul Marat publishes the first issue of his radical newspaper Le Publiciste Parisien, later called L'Ami du Peuple (The Friend of the People) in Paris 1931 - Inaugural Bledisloe Cup rugby match played between Australia and New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland - NZ win 20-13 1954 - WLBZ TV Channel 2 in Bangor, Maine (NBC) begins broadcasting 1962 - Washington Senator Tom Cheney strikes out a record 21 Orioles in a 16-inning game 1979 - Boston Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski gets his 3,000th hit off NY Yankee Jim Beattie 1991 - Space shuttle STS 48 (Discovery 14) is launched 1999 - Farm Aid 12 held in Bristow, Virginia; performers include Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews Band, Susan Tedeschi, Keb' Mo', Deana Carter, and Barenaked Ladies 2021 - US Open Men's Tennis: Russia's Daniil Medvedev wins his first major title by shattering Novak Đoković's hopes of completing a Grand Slam in one-sided 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 final More Historical Events »