CoM Moderators

1773 - A skirmish at Grass Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound results in the deaths of two Māori and nine members of James Cook's expedition, New Zealand 1961 - For second consecutive year, AP names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year 1991 - DeForest Kelly (Dr McCoy on Star Trek) gets a star in Hollywood 1996 - The Oakland, California school board passes a resolution officially declaring "Ebonics" a language or dialect 2002 - Governor of California Gray Davis announces the state faces a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier 2012 - Six health workers dispensing polio vaccinations are gunned down in Pakistan 2020 - International body Covax, established to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle income countries, announces deals with vaccine manufacturers and method for countries to share excess vaccines 2022 - Cinderella's glass slipper is a witty literary joke by Charles Perrault, poking fun at French King Louis XIV's love of shoes and Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, according to Scottish professor Genevieve Warwick More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1898 - First automobile speed record set of 63 kph (39 mph) by French Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat of Paris 1968 - Musical-fantasy film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", co-written by Roald Dahl and director Ken Hughes, starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes, with songs by Sherman and Sherman, premieres in NYC 1969 - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", 6th James Bond Film starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg, premieres in London 1979 - Stuntman Stanley Barrett unofficially breaks the land speed record and the sound barrier in his three-wheeled vehicle the Budweiser Rocket (739.666 mph or Mach 1.01). The speed was never officially recorded and the attempt remains controversial. 2018 - Nevada becomes the first US state with a female-majority legislature with new appointments taking it to 51% More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1927 - Roméo LeBlanc, Canadian politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (1995-99), born in Memramcook, New Brunswick (d. 2009) 1939 - Sandro Lopopolo Italian lightweight boxer (Olympic-Silver-1960), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2014) 1963 - Karl Dorrell, American football coach, born in Alameda, California 1972 - Lawrence Wong, Singapore economist and politician, Prime Minister (2024-), born in Singapore 2001 - Billie Eilish, American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1633 - Theodoor Galle, Flemish engraver, buried at 62 1832 - Philip Freneau, American poet of the American Revolution (The American Village), dies at 80 1990 - Paul Tortelier, French concert cellist, composer, and teacher, dies at 76 2002 - Wayne Owens, former U.S. Congressman (D-Utah) (b. 1937) 2007 - Jack Linkletter, American TV host (Haggis Baggis, Hootenanny), dies at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1938 - Utrecht Central Station destroyed by fire 1989 - Brazil elects conservative Fernando Collor de Mello as president 1992 - "A Christmas Carol" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 22 performances 2007 - Republic of Lakotah asserts independence from the United States 2013 - Angela Merkel is elected Chancellor of Germany for a third term 2015 - Martin Shkreli, CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals is arrested on fraud charges in New York by the FBI 2019 - Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf sentenced to death in absentia for high treason 2021 - Discovery of the first true millipede (Eumillipes persephone) with 1,000 legs found down a drill hole in Western Australia is published in "Scientific Reports" More Historical Events »

Historical Events 283 - St. Caius begins his reign as Catholic Pope 1843 - Henry Cole, founder of London's VandA Museum, commissions printing of the 1st Christmas card 1914 - Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv by Turkish authorities 1991 - Pittsburgh Penguins score team record 8 goals in one period in 2nd session of 10-2 win over NHL expansion San Jose Sharks 2019 - Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf sentenced to death in absentia for high treason More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1869 - Nikolai Ivanovich Kazanli, Russian composer, born in Tiraspol, Russian Empire (d. 1916) 1893 - Erwin Piscator, German stage director (Der Stellvertreter), born in Greifenstein-Ulm, German Empire (d. 1966) 1903 - Ray Noble, English jazz bandleader, songwriter ("The Very Thought of You"; "Goodnight, Sweetheart"), composer, and actor, born in Brighton, Sussex, England (d. 1978) 1914 - Syed Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (prolific batsman of 30's and 40's), born in Indore, British India (d. 2005) 1923 - Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian of Christianity, born in Arkon, Ohio(d. 2006) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1962 - Thomas Mitchell, American Academy Award-winning actor (Gone With The Wind; High Noon), dies of bone cancer at 70 1962 - Carl Diem, German sports executive (Sec Gen Organising Committee 1936 Berlin Olympics; creator Olympic torch relay), dies at 80 1982 - Big Joe Williams, American Delta blues singer-songwriter, and nine-string guitarist ("Baby, Please Don't Go"), dies at 79 2006 - Larry Sherry, American baseball pitcher (World Series MVP 1959, LA Dodgers), dies at 71 2022 - Manuel Muñoz, Chilean soccer striker (26 caps; CSD Colo-Colo), dies at 94 More Famous Deaths »

1767 - Van Ritter von Glucks opera "Alceste" premieres 1826 - Benjamin W. Edwards rides into Mexican controlled Nacogdoches, Texas and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia. 1838 - Battle of Blood River: Zulu impis defeated by Voortrekkers in South Africa (Great Trek) 1850 - Ships the Charlotte-Jane and the Randolph bring the first of the Canterbury Pilgrims to Lyttelton, New Zealand 1897 - 1st submarine with an internal combustion engine demonstrated 1940 - WWII: British air raid on Mannheim, Germany 1989 - Protest breaks out in Timişoara in response to an attempt by the government to evict dissident Hungarian pastor, László Tőkés. 2012 - Corinthians defeat Chelsea 1-0 to win the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1877 - Anton Bruckner reluctantly steps in to conduct the premiere of his "Symphony No. 3," dedicated to Richard Wagner; it is a critical disaster and undergoes many revisions 1923 - National Football League Championship: undefeated Canton Bulldogs (11-0-1) repeat as champions 1962 - Nepal establishes its constitution and becomes a Constitutional Hindu Monarchy 1990 - Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected President of Haiti 1993 - Jule Styne, Norman and Bob Merrill's musical "Red Shoes", based on the 1948 film, opens at Gershwin Theater, NYC; runs for 5 performances More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1915 - Georgy Sviridov, Soviet Russian neo-romantic composer (The Blizzard; Time; Forward!), born in Fatezh, Kursk Governorate, Russian Empire (d. 1998) 1944 - N!xau [ǂToma], Namibian farmer and actor (The Gods Must Be Crazy), born in Tsumkwe, Namibia (d. 2007) 1946 - Adriaan van Dis, Dutch author (Promised Country), born in Bergen aan Zee, Netherlands 1971 - Laurence Cottle, Welsh session rock, jazz, and jazz-fusion bass guitarist and composer (Earthworks; Alan Parsons Project; Black Sabbath), born in Swansea, Wales 1979 - Trevor Immelman, South African golfer (US Masters 2008), born in Cape Town, Western Cape More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 882 - John VIII, Italian Pope (872-82), dies 1921 - Camille Saint-Saëns, French composer (Samson et Dalila; Organ Symphony), dies of a heart attack at 86 1984 - Debs Garms, American baseball utility (World Series 1944 St. Louis Cardinals; NL batting champion 1940 Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 77 2006 - Taliep Petersen, South African singer and composer (b. 1950) 2020 - Kálmán Sóvári, Hungarian soccer defender (17 caps; Újpesti Dózsa, VM Egyetértés), dies at 79 More Famous Deaths »

1791 - First US law school is established at the University of Pennsylvania 1914 - Serbian troops retake Belgrade in Austria-Hungary 1969 - San Francisco Fire Department replaces leather helmets with plastic ones 1980 - ZBZ Sangha registered after 5 yrs of administrative hassles in Warsaw 1986 - CIA director William J. Casey suffers a cerebral seizure 1993 - Y-12 crashes at Phonesavanh, Laos: 18 killed 2024 - Five members of the "Bali Nine", arresting for smuggling drugs out of Indonesia in 2005, return to Australia after serving nearly 20 years in prison 2024 - More than 50 people are killed in Gaza in Israeli airstrikes as the death toll for Palestinians killed in the Israel-Gaza War surpasses 45,000 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1930 - Occasional leg-spin bowler Don Bradman takes his 1st of only 2 Test cricket wickets when he traps West Indian batsman Ivan Barrow lbw for 27 in the 1st Test in Adelaide 1984 - USSR launches Vega 1 for rendezvous with Halley's Comet 2011 - ESPN and the NCAA extend their TV rights deal through 2023-24, giving the network worldwide multi-media rights to 24 NCAA championships for various sports; deal worth $500m 2015 - 1,000 schools closed in Los Angeles after a email threat, supposedly from jihadists 2019 - Raiders play their final NFL game in Oakland conceding 17 unanswered 2nd half points to go down 20-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars; team to play out of Las Vegas in 2020 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 130 - Lucius Verus, Roman emperor, born in Rome, Italy (d. 169) 1925 - Jack Rothstein, British concert violinist (London Czech Trio), conductor (Viennese Orchestra of London), and session player (The Beatles - "I Am the Walrus"; "Within You Without You"; Paul McCartney - “Here Today”), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2001) 1938 - Bob Foster, American boxer (world light-heavyweight champion 1968-74), born in Lubbock, Texas (d. 2015) 1939 - Dave Clark, British rock drummer, singer-songwriter, and producer (Dave Clark Five - "Glad All Over"), born in Tottenham, Middlesex, England 1948 - David Gwillim, English actor (Island at Top of the World), born in Plymouth, Devon, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1924 - T. Frank Appleby, American politician (U.S. House of Representatives - (R) New Jersey, 1921-23), dies at 60 1947 - George L. Funke, Dutch botanist (Flower Physiology), dies after an operation at 50 1994 - Hans de Jong, Dutch conductor (De Damrakkertjes; Amsterdams Vrouwenkoor), dies at 86 2001 - Russ Haas, American professional wrestler, dies of a heart attack at 27 2003 - Keith Magnuson, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (NHL All Star 1971, 72; Chicago Black Hawks), dies in a motor vehicle accident at 56 More Famous Deaths »

1575 - Polish Parliament selects Istvan Bathory as king of Poland 1702 - The Forty-seven Ronin (leaderless samurai), under the command of Ōishi Kuranosuke, avenge the death of their master in Japan 1977 - Test Cricket debut of Pakistan spin bowling great Abdul Qadir v England in 1st Test at Lahore 1983 - Biographical drama film "Silkwood", directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher premieres 1984 - Sportscaster Howard Cosell retires from Monday Night Football 1993 - Muslim fundamentalists murder 12 Croats and Bosnians in Algeria 1997 - Revival of Arthur Miller's dramatic play "A View From the Bridge", starring Anthony LaPaglia, Allison Janney, and Brittany Murphy. opens at the Criterion Theater, NYC; runs for 239 performance, wins 2 Tony and 4 Drama Desk Awards 2017 - The Walt Disney Company buys most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1925 - Alban Berg's first opera "Wozzeck" premieres with the Berlin State Opera in Berlin, Germany 1944 - Beginning of Liese-Aktion: Germany tries to recruit Dutch men for the Germany labor force 1969 - "Leaving on a Jet Plane" single sung by Peter, Paul and Mary, written by John Denver, hits #1 on US Billboard's Hot Top 100 1975 - WCPR (Brooklyn New York pirate radio station) begins broadcasting on 1620 AM 1988 - Spanish General strike to protest austerity measures More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1895 - George VI, King of the United Kingdom (1936-52), born in Norfolk, England (d. 1952) 1901 - Paul I, King of Greece (1947-64), born at Tatoi Palace in Parnitha, Kingdom of Greece (d. 1964) 1927 - Koss Rietkerk, Dutch internal minister (VVD) (1982-86), born in Boskoop, Netherlands (d. 1986) 1927 - Richard Cassilly, American tenor, born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1998) 1975 - Tamecka Dixon, American WNBA guard (LA Sparks), born in Linden, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1417 - John Oldcastle, English nobleman and pro-protestant Lollard leader, whom Shakespeare based his Falstaff character on, hanged for heresy at 39 1998 - Annette Strauss, American philanthropist, dies at 74 2012 - Kenneth Kendall, British broadcaster (BBC News, Treasure Hunt), dies from a stroke at 88 2017 - Lones Wigger, American competitive rifle shooter (Olympic gold/silver-1964, 72), dies at 80 2017 - Yú Guāngzhōng [Yu Kwang-chung], Taiwanese poet, essayist, and translator (Nostalgia), dies from respiratory failure at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months, hoping to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit 1570 - Sweden and Denmark signs Peace of Stettin 1643 - English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire. 1895 - First complete performance of Gustav Mahler's 2nd Symphony ("Resurrection"), in Berlin, Germany, conducted by the composer 1979 - Strikes against price increases in Gdańsk, Poland 1982 - Australian Open Men's Tennis: South African Johan Kriek wins 2nd straight Australian title; repeats previous year's win over American Steve Denton 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 1990 - Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Cathy Rigby, opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC; runs for 45 performances 2023 - COP28 in Dubai ends with agreement from 190 counties to begin “transitioning away from fossil fuels”, a compromise but still the first to directly address an end to fossil fuels More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1930 - French government of André Tardieu falls for the second time 1997 - 63rd Heisman Trophy Award: Charles Woodson, Michigan (CB) 2013 - "Beyoncé" 5th studio album by Beyoncé is released 2014 - Fatou Bensouda, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, criticizes UN Security Council for its lack of action over war crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan 2018 - Apple announces new $1 billion campus in Austin, Texas and expansion in other US cities More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1941 - Elizabeth Pochoda, American journalist who helped revitalize Vanity Fair magazine, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2025) 1950 - Heather North, American actress (The Barefoot Executive; voice of Velma in "Scooby-Doo"), born in Pasadena, California (d. 2017) 1961 - Irene Sáez, Venezuelan beauty queen crowned Miss Universe 1981 and politician, born in Chacao, Miranda, Venezuela 1967 - NeNe Leakes (née Linnethia Johnson), American television personality (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), actress, and fashion designer, born in Queens, New York City 1991 - Dermot Kennedy, Irish singer-songwriter ("Power Over Me"; "Giants"), born in Rathcoole, County Dublin, Ireland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1204 - Maimonides [Moses Ben Maimon], Sephardic Jewish philosopher, astronomer and physician (Mishneh Torah), dies in Cairo at 69 1978 - Frits Slomp, Dutch pastor and resistance fighter (aided people in hiding during WWII), dies at 80 1987 - Peter Birch, American dancer, choreographer (Jane Froman's USA Canteen), and director (Captain Kangaroo), dies of a heart attack at 65 1997 - Harry Glaß, German ski jumper (Olympic bronze 1956), dies at 67 2007 - Mark Partridge, Rhodesian politician More Famous Deaths »

1822 - Mexico officially recognized as an independent nation by US 1932 - USSR and China resume diplomatic relations 1955 - The first prototype of the hovercraft is patented by British engineer Christoper Cockerell 1961 - Nazi German army officer Adolf Eichmann is found guilty of war crimes in Israel 1963 - Kenya (formerly British East Africa) declares independence from the United Kingdom 1982 - $9,800,000 in cash stolen from money transport car in NYC 1988 - PLO leader Yasi Arafat accepts Israel's right to exist 2016 - Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo claims award for the 4th time; record winning margin of 429 from Lionel Messi More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1969 - Comedy film "The Magic Christian", starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in London, England 1991 - Tampa Bay Buccaneer Dexter Manley retires after failing drug test 2000 - US Supreme Court releases its 5-4 decision in Bush v. Gore, settling the recount dispute in Florida's 2000 presidential election in George W. Bush's favor, thus handing him the presidency over Al Gore 2020 - Chinese leader Xi Jinping says the country will reduce its carbon intensity by 65% by 2030 2021 - Dutchman Max Verstappen wins Formula 1 Drivers' C'ship for Red Bull with a controversial last lap win over Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1887 - Kurt Magnus Atterberg, Swedish composer, born in Gothenburg, Sweden (d. 1974) 1928 - Chinghiz Aitmatov, Soviet-Kyrgyz author and best-known figure in Kyrgyzstan's literature (Jamila), born in Kirghiz ASSR, Soviet Union (d. 2008) 1941 - Terry Kirkman, American rock vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist (The Association - "Windy"; "Cherish"), and later substance abuse counselor, born in Salina, Kansas (d. 2023) 1952 - Ajit De Silva, Sri Lankan cricket spin bowler (4 Tests), born in Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka 1959 - Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Indian cricketer (big-hitting Indian opener), born in Madras, India More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1788 - Joseph Gibbs, English composer and organist, dies at 88 1912 - Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria (regent for nephews King Ludwig II and King Otto), dies at 91 1965 - Johnny Lee, American actor (Song of the South, The Amos 'n' Andy Show), dies from a heart attack at 67 1970 - Doris Blackburn, Australian politician (Member of the Australian Parliament for Bourke), dies at 81 1998 - Lawton Chiles, U.S. Senator from Florida (1971-89) and Governor of Florida (1991-98), dies at 68 More Famous Deaths »

1572 - Spanish troops begin siege of Haarlem 1688 - King James II captured in Kent, after trying to flee to France upon the arrival of William of Orange 1941 - Japanese occupy Guam 1941 - Axis powers Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy declare war against the United States 1970 - Start of the 1st Test match at the WACA, Australia v England 1987 - Test debut of Carl Hooper, WI v India at Bombay 1993 - 59th Heisman Trophy Award: Charlie Ward, Florida State (QB) 2017 - Six wildfires in Southern California now cover area larger than New York City and Boston combined More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1477 - Duchess Maria of Burgundy ends the 'Great Privilege' in states of The Netherlands 1948 - WMC TV channel 5 in Memphis, Tennessee (NBC) begins broadcasting 1969 - Libya adopts constitution 1993 - 59th Heisman Trophy Award: Charlie Ward, Florida State (QB) 2000 - 66th Heisman Trophy Award: Chris Weinke, Florida State (QB) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1882 - Max Born, German physicist (quantum mechanics, Nobel 1954), born in Breslau, Germany (d. 1970) 1954 - Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson, Icelandic rock guitarist (Dense Time), and electronic engineer, born in Reykjavík, Iceland 1966 - Terry Sharpe, Irish rocker (The Adventures, Starjets-Starjets), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland 1987 - Natalia Gordienko, Moldovan singer and dancer, born in Chișinău, Moldova 1988 - Tim Southee, New Zealand cricketer, born in Whangarei, New Zealand More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1582 - Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Spanish noble and diplomat (governor of the Netherlands (1567–1573)), dies at about 75 1884 - Samuel Greene, American naval commander inboard USS Monitor during the Battle of Hampton Roads, commits suicide at 45 1938 - Christian Lous Lange, Norwegian pacifist and internationalist (Nobel Peace Prize 1921), dies at 69 1968 - Nadine Riga, American actress, dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 59 2024 - Mamiya Michio, Japanese composer (Narukami; Grave of the Fireflies), dies at 95 More Famous Deaths »

1688 - King James II flees London 1768 - The first of 100 weekly "numbers" of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which are bound into three volumes in 1771, is published in Edinburgh, Scotland 1913 - Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore becomes the first non-European to be presented with the Nobel Prize for Literature for "Gitanjali" 1939 - KNVB celebrates 50th anniversary 1954 - Linus Pauling wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research into the nature of the chemical bond and its applications 1963 - Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta receive the 1963 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on the technology of high polymers 1971 - West German Chancellor Willy Brandt receives the Nobel Peace Prize 1994 - 60th Heisman Trophy Award: Rashaan Salaam, Colorado (RB) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1718 - Laurence Eusden is appointed British Poet Laureate under George I 1899 - Delta Sigma Phi fraternity founded at City College of New York, to spread "the principles of friendship and brotherhood among college men, without respect to race or creed." 1946 - German/Swiss novelist Hermann Hesse wins the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his inspired writings which, while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style" 1958 - The first domestic passenger jet flight using a Boeing 707, with National Airlines flying a leased Pan Am 707 from New York to Miami 1981 - The United Nations General Assembly approves Pakistan's proposal for establishing nuclear free-zone in South Asia. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1588 - Isaac Beeckman, Dutch scientist and philosopher, born in Middelburg, Netherlands (d. 1637) 1897 - Karl H. Waggerl, Austria writer (Power of Love), born in Bad Gastein, Austria (d. 1973) 1925 - Jean Byron [Imogene Audette Burkhart], American actress (The Patty Duke Show), born in Paducah, Kentucky (d. 2006) 1941 - Fionnula Flanagan, Irish actress (Rich Man Poor Man), born in Dublin, Ireland 1974 - Meg White, American drummer (The White Stripes), born in Grosse Point Farms, Michigan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1917 - Mackenzie Bowell, 5th Prime Minister of Canada (1894-96), dies of pneumonia at 93 1951 - Algernon Blackwood, English novelist (The Willows), dies at 82 1992 - Dan Maskell, English tennis commentator (b. 1908) 1997 - Gershon Kingsley [Götz Ksinski], German-American composer, electronic music pioneer, and Moog synthesizer player (Popcorn), dies at 97 1999 - Lex Goudsmit, Dutch actor (Fiddler on the Roof, Thomas en Senior op het spoor van Brute Berend), dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1640 - Settler Hugh Bewitt banished from Mass colony when he declares himself to be free of original sin 1824 - Battle of Ayacucho (Candorcangui), Peru defeats Spain 1907 - First Christmas Seals sold (Wilmington, Delaware, post office) 1967 - Nicolae Ceaușescu becomes President of Romania (overthrown in 1989) 1978 - First game of Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL): Chicago Hustle vs. Milwaukee Does 1990 - 23rd NAACP Image Awards: "Coming to America" wins Outstanding Motion Picture 2012 - The Social Liberal Union Party and Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta win by a landslide in the parliamentary elections 2019 - Chilean Air Force plane lost on flight to Antarctica with presumed loss of 38 lives More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1974 - Howard Cosell briefly interviews rocker John Lennon, and Frank Gifford chats with California governor Ronald Reagan, during halftime of Monday Night Football broadcast from the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California 1988 - Premiere of fact based crime drama film "Mississippi Burning" 2016 - South Korean MPs vote to impeach President Park Geun-hye 2019 - US officials "deliberately misled" the public on progress of the Afghanistan war, hid that it was a lost cause, according to The Washington Post analysis of the "Afghanistan Papers" 2023 - 89th Heisman Trophy Award: Jayden Daniels, LSU (QB) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1787 - John Dobson, English architect, born in High Chirton, North Shields, England (d. 1865) 1902 - Rab Butler, British politician who favoured appeasement, born in Attock Serai, British India (d. 1982) 1904 - Roger Wolcott Sperry, American neurobiologist (1981 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, work with split-brain research), born in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 1994) 1965 - Brad Savage, American actor (Red Dawn), born in Livonia, Michigan 1974 - Wendy Dillinger, American female soccer player and coach, born in St. Charles County, Missouri More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1674 - Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, English statesman, lawyer, chief advisor to Charles I, and Lord Chancellor to Charles II, dies at 65 1775 - Pietro Gnocchi, Italian sacred music composer, choir director Brescia Cathedral, 1723-33 and 1762-75), priest, historian, and geographer, dies at 86 2004 - David Brudnoy, American radio personality (b. 1940) 2014 - José Feghali, Brazilian concert pianist (Van Cliburn Gold Medalist, 1985), takes his own life at 53 2023 - Frank Wycheck, American football tight end (Pro Bowl 1998, 99, 2000; Washington Redskins, Houston/Tennessee Oilers-Titans), dies after a fall at 52 More Famous Deaths »

1914 - Battle of the Falkland Island: British Royal Navy destroys a German battle squadron 1952 - First TV acknowledgment of a pregnancy in the "I Love Lucy" episode "Lucy is Enceinte," which incorporates Lucy's real-life pregnancy into the storyline 1961 - Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain scores 78 points in a 151-147 triple-overtime defeat to the LA Lakers at Philadelphia Civic Center, the third-highest individual game total in NBA history 1982 - "Sophie's Choice", directed by Alan J. Pakula and based on William Styton's 1979 novel of the same name, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline, is released (Academy Awards Best Actress 1983) 2004 - Cuzco Declaration is signed in Cuzco, Peru, establishing the Union of South American Nations 2019 - Sanna Marin becomes Finland's youngest-ever Prime Minister at the age of 34 2022 - Iran announces first known execution of a protester from recent anti-government unrest, after convicting a man in a revolutionary court of "moharebeh" (enmity against God) 2024 - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resigns and flees to Moscow after rebel forces sweep into the capital city of Damascus More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1925 - George S. Kaufman and Irving Berlin's musical "The Cocoanuts" starring the Marx Brothers opens at the Lyric Theatre, NYC; runs for 276 performances 1973 - 39th Heisman Trophy Award: John Cappelletti, Penn State (RB) 1974 - Soyuz 16 returns to Earth 2007 - 73rd Heisman Trophy Award: Tim Tebow, Florida (QB) 2022 - Canadian pop singer Celine Dion reveals via Instagram that she has been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disorder More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1741 - Maximilien Gardel, French ballet dancer and choreographer (Menuet Reine), born in Mannheim, Electorate of the Palatinate, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1787) 1822 - Luther Prentice Bradley, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 1910) 1965 - Carina Lau, Hong Kong actress and singer (Days of Being Wild), born in Suzhou, China 1967 - Ron George, American linebacker (Minnesota Vikings), born in Heidelberg, Germany 1989 - Drew Doughty, Canadian hockey defenseman (Stanley Cup 2012, 14 LA Kings; Olympic gold 2010, 14; Norris Trophy 2016), born in London, Canada More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1625 - Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, Queen consort of Sweden as the wife of King Charles IX, dies at 52 1680 - Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester, English politician (b. 1606) 1989 - Hans Hartung, German-French painter, dies at 85 2008 - Oliver Postgate, English animator, puppeteer and writer, dies at 83 2021 - Lars Høgh, Danish soccer goalkeeper (8 caps; OB 603 games) and GK coach (Denmark, Brøndby IF), dies from pancreatic cancer at 62 More Famous Deaths »

1937 - Russian chess player Alexander Alekhine recaptures his final world title from Dutch grand master Max Euwe by a large margin (+10−4=11) 1941 - Japanese Emperor Hirohito signs a declaration of war on the United States and the British Empire 1966 - A fire at an army barracks in Erzurum, Turkey kills 68 people. 1973 - Orioles sell pitcher Eddie Watt to the Phillies 1988 - A 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Spitak, Armenia, kills 25,000 to 50,000 people and leaves up to 500,000 homeless 2006 - A Tornado strikes Kensal Green in northwest London, seriously damaging around 150 properties 2018 - Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is elected the new leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union party, replacing Angela Merkel 2024 - Restored Notre Dame Cathedral re-opens after the 2019 fire with a VIP ceremony attended by world leaders in Paris, France More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1703 - Great storm of 1703 hits Southern England - thousands killed, Royal Navy losses 13 ships and around 1,500 seamen 1924 - German election (Social Democrats win, Nazis and Communists lose) 1941 - The Imperial Japanese Navy, with 353 planes, attacks the US fleet at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, killing 2,403 people 1964 - George Harrison changes his music publishing company's name from Mornyork to Harrisongs 2020 - Australian states celebrate "Freedom Day" easing COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria and New South Wales More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1557 - Girolamo Trombetti [Cavallari], Italian singer, trombonist, composer (Sustinuimus pacem), and maestro di cappella (San Giovanni de Monti, 1591-1628), baptized in Bologna, Papal States (d. 1628) 1830 - Luigi Cremona, Italian mathematician (grafostatica), born in Pavia, Italy (d. 1903) 1935 - Jean-Claude Casadesus, French conductor (Orchestre national de Lille, 1976-2016), born in Paris, France 1954 - Bertín Osborne, Italian entertainer, born in Madrid, Spain 1988 - Emily Browning, Australian actress (Ghost Ship), born in Melbourne, Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1498 - Alexander Hegius, German humanist and pioneering teacher of Erasmus and Pope Adrian VI, dies at about 65 1775 - Charles Saunders, British admiral, First Lord of the Admiralty, dies at about 60 1956 - Huntley Gordon, Canadian actor, dies at 77 1996 - Jose Donoso, Chilean writer (The Place Without Limits), dies at 72 2019 - Denis Lalanne, French sports journalist ('Le grand combat du XV de France'; 'Rugbymania: French flair attitude'), dies at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1723 - Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI's Pragmatic Sanction with the Diet of Hungary recognizes the King's daughters as successors 1862 - US President Abraham Lincoln orders hanging of 39 Santee Sioux Indians 1903 - Sumatra Atjehs guerilla leader Panglima Polim surrenders 1914 - German troops over run Lodz 1922 - 1st electric power line commercial carrier in US, Utica, NY 1973 - Bahrain's constitution goes into effect 1984 - Helena Suková snaps Martina Navratilova's 74-match winning streak 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the semi finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne; ends Navratilova's hopes of completing the Grand Slam 2022 - Donald Trump's real estate company Trump Organization convicted of tax fraud in New York More Historical Events »