CoM Moderators

1862 - After the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Union forces under Flag Officer David Farragut request the surrender New Orleans, LA, despite being largely defenseless armed mobs reuse 1961 - Unmanned Mercury test explodes on launch pad 1962 - Cleve sends Harry Chiti to Mets for a player to be named later, on June 15 the Mets send Chiti back to Cleveland 1962 - Lion and Tiger Veldt at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is dedicated (Cleveland, Ohio) 1971 - About 200,000 anti-Vietnam War protesters march on Washington, D.C. 1976 - Portugal adopts new constitution 1977 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1988 - American news program "Nightline" goes on location to Jerusalem Israel 1994 - King Azlan Shah of Malaysia resigns 2009 - Elijah Wood is honored with the Midnight Award by the San Francisco International Film Festival More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1846 - Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War 1926 - Persian cossack officer Reza Chan crowns himself Shah Palawi 1946 - Christopher Fry's "Phoenix too Frequent" premieres in London 1961 - Belgium government of Gaston Eyskens falls over the Unitary Law 1961 - Robert Noyce patents integrated circuit 1990 - 25th Academy of Country Music Awards: George Strait, Clint Black, and Kathy Mattea win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1502 - Georg Major, German Protestant theologian, born in Nuremberg, Germany (d. 1574) 1882 - Fred McLeod, Scottish golfer (US Open 1908), born in North Berwick, Scotland (d. 1976) 1901 - Ernst Gernot Klussmann, German composer, born in Hamburg, GermanyGerman Empire (d. 1975) 1906 - Zoltán Gárdonyi, Hungarian composer, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1986) 1921 - Jean Mogin, Belgian poet (Pastures of Silence), and playwright, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1986) 1981 - Anja Pärson, Swedish alpine skier, born in Umeå, Sweden More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1264 - Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester, English crusader, dies at about 69 [birthdate uncertain c. 1195] 1605 - Naresuan, King of Siam (b. 1555) 1926 - Ellen Key, Swedish author and feminist (Courageous Woman), dies at 76 1976 - Margaret Bannerman, actress (Great Defender), dies at 79 2019 - Manuel Lujan Jr., American politician (Rep-R-NM, 1969-89), dies at 90 2023 - Harry Belafonte, Jamaican-American Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning calypso singer ("Banana Boat Song"), actor (Buck and the Preacher), and human rights activist, dies of congestive heart failure at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1655 - Piedmontese Easter Massacre: Troops of Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, slaughter upwards of 4,000 Waldensian civilians for non-compliance with the Edict of 25 January 1655, which called for the expulsion or conversion of non-Catholic householders in Piedmont, Duchy of Savoy 1841 - Inventor and engineer Squire Temple of Utica, New York, granted a patent for an iron truss bridge 1865 - Fire alarm and police telegraph system put into operation in San Francisco 1895 - Canadian-American adventurer Joshua Slocum sets sail from Boston, Massachusetts on a solo around-the-world voyage aboard 'Spray', an 11.2-m oyster sloop 1962 - 1st Lockheed A-12 is taxi tested 1969 - US B-52's drop 3,000 ton bombs at Cambodian boundary 1979 - US State of Georgia designates Ray Charles' rendition of "Georgia On My Mind" (written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell) as official state song 1996 - The UN and Iraq end a third round of negotiations over Iraq's possible sale of $1 billion of oil for 90 days for a 180-day trial period 2018 - US President Donald Trump hosts his first state dinner for visiting French President Emmanuel Macron 2023 - India surpasses China as the worlds most populous country according to UN estimates, with 1,425,775,850 people (estimated to reach 1.7 billion by 2064) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1915 - Pittsburgh Rebels' Frank Allen no-hits St Louis Terriers (Federal League), 2-0 1963 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1969 - Marshall Lin Biao named Mao's designated successor as the sole Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China 1975 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1996 - 31st Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Patty Loveless win 2023 - Tucker Carlson, Fox News most popular prime-time host, is fired from the cable network More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1822 - Erastus Barnard Tyler, American businessman, merchant, and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in West Bloomfield, New York (d. 1891) 1828 - Robert Brank Vance, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina (1873-85), born in Buncombe, North Carolina (d. 1899) 1889 - Lyubov Popova, Russian avant-garde artist and painter, born in Ivanovskoe, Moscow (d. 1924) 1889 - Stafford Cripps, British Labour politician, born in London (d. 1952) 1954 - Thomas Jennefelt, Swedish composer, chiefly of choral works (A Warning To The Rich; Villarosa Sequences), born in Stuvsta, Sweden 1992 - Sean Rademaker, American actor (Kirkland Harrison-Another World), born in Washington, D.C. More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1961 - (Joseph) Rosario Bourdon, French Canadian-American cellist, violinist, conductor, arranger and musical director (Victor Talking Machine Company, 1905-31; Symphonique de Montréal, 1935-44), dies at 76 1967 - Frank Overton, American actor (Fail Safe; 12 O'Clock High (TV series, not film)), dies of a heart attack at 49 1983 - Rolf Stommelen, German auto racer (24 Hours of Daytona 1968, 78, 80, 82; 61 x F1 GP), dies in a racing accident at 39 1986 - Wallis Simpson [Duchess of Windsor], American divorcee whom British King Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry, dies at 89 2011 - Sathya Sai Baba, Indian guru, spiritual figure, dies at 84 2011 - Colin Snedden, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (1 Test; Auckland), dies at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1789 - President-elect George Washington moves into Franklin House, New York, first official resident of a US President 1849 - Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky and members of the Petrashevsky Circle are arrested in St. Petersburg 1860 - Democratic convention in Charleston, South Carolina divided over slavery 1924 - British Empire Exhibition opens at Wembley, London 1931 - US gangster film "The Public Enemy" starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow premieres 1952 - Crude oil pipeline from Kirkuk, Iraq to Banias, Syria completed 1959 - 1st heliport in Britain opens in London 1985 - Brooklyn College soccer team wins Nepal's invitational 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 10 points in his last game as a Laker in a 121-117 win over Seattle SuperSonics at the LA Forum 2015 - Kawhi Leonard is named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the first time More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1597 - William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance 1867 - Queen Victoria and Napoleon III turn down plans for a channel tunnel 1989 - NFL Draft: #1 pick UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman by Dallas Cowboys 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 10 points in his last game as a Laker in a 121-117 win over Seattle SuperSonics at the LA Forum 1991 - Björn Borg loses 6-2, 6-3 to Jordi Arrese after an 8 year lay off without practising or playing any exhibition matches 1993 - Peter Townshend's musical "Tommy" premieres in NYC More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1141 - King Malcolm IV of Scotland, nicknamed Virgo "the Maiden" King of Scots (1141 April-May), born in Scotland (d. 1165) 1747 - Abbé Alexandre-Auguste Robineau, French composer and painter, born in Paris (d. 1828) 1893 - Frank Borzage, American director (7th Heaven, Strange Cargo), born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1962) 1930 - Michael Bowen, British Roman Catholic Archbishop (Southwark), born in Gibraltar 1936 - John D'Arcy, New Zealand cricketer (NZ Test batsman on 1958 England tour), born in Christchurch New Zealand 1963 - Magnús Ver Magnússon, Icelandic powerlifter (World's Strongest Man 1991, 94, 95, 96), born in Egilsstaðir, Iceland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1897 - Clement Harris, English composer, killed fighting in the Greco-Turkish war at 25 1971 - William V. S. Tubman, Liberian politician (President of Liberia 1944-71), dies at 76 1986 - Jim Laker, English cricket spin bowler (46 Tests; 193 wickets; world best 19-90 4th Test v Australia 1956), dies from complications of gall bladder surgery at 64 1992 - Satyajit Ray, Indian director (Distant Thunder, Agantuk), dies at 70 2020 - Bernardino Lombao, Spanish handballer (Atlético de Madrid 1967-69), coach (Nat basketball teams) and TV presenter (De Olimpia a Los Ángeles, Objetivo 92), dies at 81 2021 - Bill Whittington, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1979), dies in a plane crash at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1164 - Raynald of Dassel names Guido di Crema as anti-pope Paschalis III 1793 - President Washington attends opening of Rickett's, 1st circus in US 1823 - Baltic Club (Exchange) forms in London 1969 - Robin Knox-Johnston ends 312 days of non-stop sailing to become the 1st person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe 1977 - Shimon Peres becomes Acting Prime Minister of Israel 1983 - Stern mag announces major historical find-discovery of 60 volume personal diaries written by Adolf Hitler (turned out to be a hoax) 1986 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1992 - Plane crash at Perris Valley Airport California, kills 16 parachutists 1993 - Seattle Mariner Chris Basio no-hits Boston Red Sox 2000 - In a pre-dawn raid, federal agents seize six-year-old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1893 - Francis Dhanis army occupies Kasongo 1959 - Yankee Whitey Ford strikes out 15, beating Senators, 1-0 in 14 innings 1962 - Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Dick Duff scores the winner as Toronto Maple Leafs beat Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1 for a 4-2 series victory 1977 - Shimon Peres becomes Acting Prime Minister of Israel 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1990 - NFL Draft: University of Illinois quarterback Jeff George first pick by Indianapolis Colts More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1864 - Phil May, English cartoonist, born in Wortley, Leeds (d. 1903) 1920 - Jos de Haes, Flemish philological and poet (Misery of the Word), born in Leuven, Belgium (d. 1974) 1926 - Charlotte Rae, American character actress, (Facts Of Life - "Edna"), comedian, singer and dancer, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 2018) 1933 - Anthony Llewellyn, Welsh-American scientist and NASA astronaut, born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 2013) 1943 - Steve Dunne, New Zealand cricket umpire (39 Tests; 100 ODIs), born in Dunedin. Otago 1955 - Arthur Baker, American music producer (Afrika Banbaataa; Planet Rock; New Order), born in Boston, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1648 - Catharina Belgica of Nassau and Countess and Regent of Hanau-Münzenberg, Dutch daughter of William I of Orange, dies at 69 1827 - Thomas Rowlandson, English artist and caricaturist, dies at 70 1896 - Thomas Meik, Scottish civil engineer, dies at 84 2003 - Martha Griffiths, U.S. Congresswoman, dies at 91 2008 - Cameron Argetsinger, American auto racing executive (created Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course; F1 US Grand Prix 1961-80), dies from a stroke at 87 2019 - Dave Samuels, American vibraphonist (Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance), dies at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1922 - The first Aggie Muster is held as a remembrance for fellow Aggies who had died in the previous year 1940 - 1st $64 Question, "Take It or Leave It," on CBS Radio 1967 - Evangelical Broadcasting begins in Netherlands 1975 - 79th Boston Marathon: American Bill Rodgers wins men's section in race record 2:09:55; Liane Winter of West Germany women's champion in 2:42:24 (female world record) 1976 - Swine Flu vaccine, for non-epidemic, enters testing 1977 - Billy Martin pulls Yankee line-up out of a hat, beats Blue Jays 8-6 1987 - Milwaukee Brewers lose after 13th straight victory to start season 1989 - Thousands of Chinese crowd into Beijing's Tiananmen Square cheering students demanding greater political freedom 1995 - British sitcom "Father Ted" written by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, starring Dermot Morgan premieres on Channel 4 1997 - Ashes of psychologist and author Timothy Leary and "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry launched into space orbit More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1892 - Black longshoremen strike for higher wages in St Louis, Missouri 1930 - "All Quiet on the Western Front" based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Louis Wolheim and Lew Ayres premieres in Los Angeles (Academy Awards Outstanding Production 1930) 1976 - Swine Flu vaccine, for non-epidemic, enters testing 1982 - Dr Michael E Bakey performs 1st successful heart implant 1984 - "Nightline" reverts from 1 hour to ½ hour format 2020 - Health Secretary Matt Hancock and UK government come under criticism for lack of personal protective equipment and testing for COVID-19 (despite pledge to test 100,000 a day only 19,000 done April 20th) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1912 - Marcel Camus, French film director (Orfeu Negro), born in Chappes, France (d. 1982) 1959 - Michael Timmins, Canadian musician (Cowboy Junkies), born in Montreal 1966 - Judy Diduck, ice hockey defenseman (Canada, Olympics 1998) 1971 - Samantha Druce, British swimmer, youngest woman to swim English Channel 1978 - Branden Steineckert, American drummer (Rancid; The Used), born in Pocatello, Idaho 1980 - Jeff Keppinger, American baseball player More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1910 - Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens], American author (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), dies at 74 1958 - Manuel Infante, Spanish composer and conductor, dies at 74 1989 - James Kirkwood, American actor, author and playwright (A Chorus Line, P. S. Your Cat Is Dead!), dies of cancer at 64 1996 - Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, sportscaster, LV bookmaker (The NFL Today; fired for racist remarks), dies of a heart attack at 77 2001 - David Hollestelle, Dutch baritone singer (Dutch Radio Chorus), dies at 84 2013 - Shakuntala Devi, Indian writer and mental calculator known as the "Human Computer", stops calculating at 83 due to complications from severe respiratory problems More Famous Deaths »

1818 - Napoleon Bonaparte bids emotional farewell to his old guard at Palace of Fontainebleau 1896 - John Philip Sousa's operetta "El Capitan" premieres on Broadway at Broadway Theatre, NYC 1912 - Tiger Stadium in Detroit opens, Tigers beat Cleveland Indians 6-5 1936 - 40th Boston Marathon won by Ellison Brown in 2:33:40.8 1982 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army explode bombs in Belfast, Derry, Armagh, Ballymena, Bessbrook and Magherafelt; 2 civilians are killed and 12 injured 1987 - US deports Karl Linnas to USSR, charged with Nazi war crimes 1997 - "Gin Game" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 144 performances 2004 - In Iraq, 12 mortars are fired on Abu Ghraib Prison by insurgents, killing 22 detainees and wounding 92. 2007 - Johnson Space Center Shooting: A man with a handgun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas before killing a male hostage and himself. 2023 - Colombian President Gustavo Petro meets with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1818 - Napoleon Bonaparte bids emotional farewell to his old guard at Palace of Fontainebleau 1914 - US President W Wilson, having dispatched more naval ships to Mexico, asks a joint session of Congress to approve armed force if necessary; Congress approves 1947 - Frederik IX becomes King of Denmark 1962 - NASA civilian pilot Neil Armstrong takes X-15 to 63,250 m 1963 - -30] All Africa Conferences of Churches opens in Kampala Uganda 1975 - 29th Tony Awards: "Equus" (play) and "The Wiz" (musical) win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1904 - Bruce Cabot, American actor (Diamonds are Forever, King Kong), born in Carlsbad, New Mexico (d. 1972) 1919 - Richard Hillary, Australian Spitfire pilot and author (The Last Enemy), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1943) 1924 - Leslie Phillips, British stage and screen, screen, and radio actor (Carry On; Harry Potter films), born in Tottenham, England (d. 2022) 1936 - Pauli Ellefsen, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (1981-85), born in Miðvágur, Vágar, Faroe Islands (d. 2012) 1943 - Edie Sedgwick, American actress (Ciao Manhattan) and socialite, born in Santa Barbara, California (d. 1971) 1971 - Terry Smith, NFL wide receiver (Indianapolis Colts), born in Clemson, South Carolina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1912 - Bram Stoker, Irish theater manager and author (Dracula), dies at 64 1935 - Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, English fashion designer, dies at 71 1951 - Ivanoe Bonomi, Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1873) 1968 - Mabel Stark, American tiger trainer "crazy Mabel", found dead after her suicide at 79 1998 - Trevor Huddleston, English Anglican bishop in South Africa and anti-apartheid activist (wrote Naught for Your Comfort), dies at 84 2015 - Bob St. Clair, American NFL football player, 1953-63 (San Francisco 49ers), known as "The Geek", dies at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1775 - New England militiamen begin the siege of Boston, hemming in the British army garrison 1825 - 33 patriotic exiles return to Uruguay 1919 - French assembly decides on 8 hour work day 1928 - New York Yankees are out of 1st place for 1st time since May 1926 1956 - 1st MLB baseball game in New Jersey - Brooklyn Dodgers beat Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City 1993 - After a 51 day siege by the FBI 76 Branch Davidians die in a fire near Waco Texas (accident, suicide, tear gas are disputed causes) 1995 - Oklahoma City bombing: Timothy McVeigh sets a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168. including 19 children, and injuring 500 2015 - Boat carrying approx. 850 migrants is shipwrecked in the Mediterranean between Italian and Libya, with only 27 migrants rescued. 2020 - UK COVID-19 death toll reaches 16,060 (hospitals only), as "The Sunday Times" criticizes Boris Johnson's government's response, saying they "sleepwalked into disaster" 2022 - US Biden administration restores climate impacts and community say to the National Environmental Policy Act, previously removed by Donald Trump More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1933 - FDR announces US will leave gold standard 1941 - Bulgarian troops invade Macedonia 1943 - Bicycle Day - Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann deliberately takes LSD for the first time 1966 - In 1st regular season game at Anaheim Stadium, Angels lose 3-1 to Chic 1987 - Jacqueline Blanc, sets women's downhill ski speed rec (124.902 mph) 1999 - 103rd Boston Marathon: Joseph Chebet of Kenya takes men's title in 2:09:52; 3-peat for Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia in women's race in 2:23:25 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1939 - Ellen Weston, American actress (Betty-SWAT), born in New York City 1944 - James Heckman, American economist (Nobel Prize 2000), born in Chicago, Illinois 1953 - Sara Simeoni, Italian high jumper (Olympic gold 1980), born in Rivoli Veronese, Italy 1962 - Al Unser Jr., American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1992, 94), born in Albuquerque, New Mexico 1978 - James Franco, American actor (The Disaster Artist), born in Palo Alto, California 1987 - Courtland Mead, American actor (Dragonworld), born in Mission Viejo, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1529 - John Cuspinianus [Spiessheimer], German physician, dies at about 55 1906 - Spencer Gore, British tennis player (1st Wimbledon singles champion 1877), dies at 56 1945 - J P Heyboer, resistance fighter, executed 1956 - Ernst Robert Curtius, German literature historian, dies at 70 1975 - Percy Lavon Julian, African American chemist who received 130 patents, pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants, dies at 76 2005 - Ruth Hussey, American actress (Another Thin Man), dies at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1861 - Colonel Robert E. Lee turns down offer to command Union armies (US Civil War) 1881 - Natural History Museum opens in South Kensington, England 1904 - 8th Boston Marathon won by Michael Spring in 2:38:04.4 1916 - Edith Wharton is appointed Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest award, for her contribution to the war effort 1939 - Franz von Papen becomes German ambassador in Turkey 1942 - "Stars and Stripes" paper for US armed forces starts 1945 - 1 armed outfielder, St Louis Brown Pete Gray, 1st game he goes 1 for 4 1955 - 1st "Walk"/"Don't Walk" lighted street signals installed 1958 - A United States federal court rules that poet Ezra Pound is to be released from an insane asylum. 2017 - British Prime Minister Teresa May announces she will seek a "snap" election More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1924 - 1st crossword puzzle book published by Simon and Schuster 1938 - 42nd Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:35:34.8; his second victory in the event 1946 - Rome, Auerbach and Horwitt's musical "Call Me Mister" opens at National Theater, NYC; runs for 734 performances 1946 - Jackie Robinson debuts as 2nd baseman for the Montreal Royals 1983 - KMO-AM in Tacoma Wash changes call letters to KAMT (now KKMO) 1984 - Joan Benoit runs world record female marathon (2:22:43) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1842 - Antero Tarquínio de Quental, Portuguese poet (Beatrice), born in Ponta Delgada, Portugal (d. 1891) 1888 - Arnold Lunn, British skier (created the modern Alpine slalom race), born in Madras, India (d. 1974) 1946 - (Alexander) "Skip" Spence, Canadian guitarist and vocalist (Moby Grape - "Omaha"), born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada 1963 - Eric McCormack, Canadian-American actor (Will and Grace), born in Toronto, Ontario 1970 - Rico Brogna, American MLB baseball player (Detroit Tigers), born in Turners Falls, Massachusetts 1988 - Vanessa Kirby, English actress (Princess Margaret in The Crown), born in London, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1610 - Robert Parsons, English jesuit (A Letter Disclosure), dies at 63 1845 - Nicolas Théodore de Saussure, Swiss chemist, dies at 77 1882 - Henry Cole, English inventor and civil servant, 1st director of the VandA Museum, promoter of 1851 Great Exhibition, dies at 73 1976 - Mahmoud Younis, Suez Canal nationalization engineer, dies at 65 1985 - Gertrude Caton-Thompson, English archaeologist (Zimbabwe, So Arabia), dies at 97 1990 - Robert D Webb, American director and actor (Love Me Tender, Jackals), dies at 87 More Famous Deaths »

1711 - Charles VI becomes Holy Roman Emperor after the death of his brother Joseph I 1758 - Francis Williams, 1st US black college graduate, publishes poems 1797 - Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of the largest invasions of Spanish territories in America 1860 - Champion of England Tom Sayers and American John Heenan fight out brutal 2 hour, 27 minute draw near Farnborough, England; police stop fight acknowledged as first world title bout 1865 - Mary Surratt is arrested as a conspirator in Abraham' Lincoln's assassination 1875 - Modern Snooker invented by Sir Neville Chamberlain, a bored British officer in Jabalpur, India 1969 - People's Democracy activist Bernadette Devlin becomes the youngest woman Member of Parliament ever elected to Westminster at 21 years old 1979 - Four Royal Ulster Constabulary officers are killed by a Provisional Irish Republican Army van bomb in Bessbrook, County Armagh; the bomb is believed to be the largest PIRA bomb used up to that point 1979 - Brian Clark's stage drama "Whose Life is it Anyway?" starring Tom Conti and Phillip Bosco, and directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, opens at the Trafalgar Theatre, NYC; runs for 223 performances, winning Conti a Tony Award 1983 - 1st National Coin Week begins More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1961 - 65th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:39; his 2nd event title 1967 - Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti beats American Emile Griffith in a 15 round points decision to win world middleweight crown at Madison Square Garden; start of famous trilogy of fights between the pair 1969 - Mont Expos Bill Stoneman no-hits Phillies, 7-0 1969 - The Band (formerly The Hawks), perform their 1st concert, at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, California 1979 - Four Royal Ulster Constabulary officers are killed by a Provisional Irish Republican Army van bomb in Bessbrook, County Armagh; the bomb is believed to be the largest PIRA bomb used up to that point 1981 - New York Islander Dennis Potvin's 3 playoff power-play goals vs Edmonton Oilers tie NHL record More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1865 - Ursula Ledóchowska, Polish-Austrian Catholic saint and foundress of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, born in Loosdorf, Austrian Empire (d. 1939) 1912 - Isador Caplan, British lawyer and Aldeburgh Festival pioneer, born in Blackpool, England (d. 1995) 1914 - George Davis, American art director (20th Century Fox), born in Kokomo, Indiana (d. 1984) 1961 - Frank J. Christensen, American labor leader, born in Chicago, Illinois 1970 - Redman [Reginald Noble], American rapper, born in Newark, New Jersey 1983 - Stanislav Chistov, Russian ice hockey player, born in Chelyabinsk, Russia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1962 - Louise Fazenda, American vaudeville, and silent and sound screen actress (Mack Sennett comedies), dies of cerebral hemorrhage at 66 1971 - Carmen Lombardo, Canadian musician, dies at 67 1974 - Vinnie Taylor, rocker (Canned Heat), dies of a drug overdose 1997 - Allan Francovich, American documentarian 2013 - Deanna Durbin [Edna Mae Durbin], Canadian actress and vocalist (Every Sunday, Three Smart Girls, 100 Men and a Girl), dies at 91 2021 - Fred Arbanas, American football tight end (All-AFL 1962–67; Super Bowl 1970; Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs), dies at 82 More Famous Deaths »

1849 - Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "Le prophète" premieres in Paris 1917 - 21st Boston Marathon won by Bill Kennedy in 2:28:37.2 1943 - 40 NZ bombers attack Haarlem, Netherlands (85 killed) 1948 - Organization for European Economic Cooperation (EEC) forms in Paris 1962 - 66th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:48; second straight win and 3rd title overall 1962 - Brazil nationalizes US businesses 1975 - Cambodian Red Khmer occupy Phnom Penh 1992 - NY Rangers win team record 50th game 1994 - Circus performers Marissa Young (24) and Matt Richardson (21) wed 2020 - New study claims a multi-decade megadrought is already under way in the western US, published in journal "Science" More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1949 - Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: 3-peat for Toronto Maple Leafs as they beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4 game series sweep 1972 - Two British soldiers are shot dead by the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) in separate incidents in Derry 1987 - British Conservative MP Harvey Proctor appears at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London charged with gross indecency 2003 - Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting 10 new member states to the European Union 2018 - Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper and non-classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music with his album "Damn" 2020 - 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment in 4 weeks (5.2 million in the last week), wiping out 9 1/2 years of job gains More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1927 - Peter Mark Richman, American actor (Andrew-Dynasty), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1948 - Robert Kirby, British music arranger (Nick Drake), born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire (d. 2009) 1963 - Hu Na, Chinese tennis star, born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China 1979 - Sixto Peralta, Argentine footballer, born in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina 1984 - Claire Foy, English actress (The Crown), born in Stockport, England 1994 - Midori Francis, American actress (Dash and Lily), born in Lakewood, New Jersey) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1090 - Sikelgaita, Lombard princess, wife of Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, who often went into battle, armed, dies at about 50 1915 - Nelson W. Aldrich, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, dies at 73 1981 - Eric Hollies, English cricket spin bowler (13 Tests, 44 wickets; dismissed Donald Bradman for 0 in his final Test innings), dies at 68 1991 - David Lean, English film director (Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, Ryan's Daughter), dies of pneumonia at 83 2010 - Daryl Gates, LAPD Chief, dies at 83 2023 - Eddie Colquhoun, Scottish soccer centre back (11 caps; Sheffield United 363 games), dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1450 - Battle of Formigny: French defeat the English decisively in the Hundred Years' War, paving the way for the capture of English strongholds in Normandy 1621 - Hugo Grotius arrives in France after escaping prison in a book chest 1912 - 16th Boston Marathon won by Mike Ryan in race record 2:21:18.2 1915 - Manuel de Falla's ballet "El Amor Brujo" premieres in Madrid 1945 - British Army liberates Nazi concentration camp Bergen-Belsen 1947 - Operations begin at Radio Netherlands World radio 1963 - Steve Allen's musical "Sophie", based on the life of American singer, and comic actress Sophie Tucker, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 8 performances 1991 - Sacramento Kings set NBA record, losing 35th consecutive game on road 1997 - America Online (AOL) begins service in Japan 2012 - TV comedy drama "Girls" created by and starring Lena Dunham premieres on HBO More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1902 - Pope Leo XIII encyclical "On Church in US" 1921 - Black Friday in Britain: leaders of transport and rail unions announce a decision not to call for strike action in support of the miners; despite widespread feeling decision a breach of solidarity and a betrayal of the miners 1923 - 1st sound on film public performance shown at Rialto Theater (NYC) 1941 - 1st helicopter flight of 1 hr duration, Stratford, Ct 1972 - Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Carole King, and Quincy Jones perform benefit concert for George McGovern for President campaign at the Forum in Inglewood, California 1988 - Meteorite explode above Indonesia More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1588 - Claudius Salmasius [Claude Saumaise], French linguist, born in Semur-en-Auxois, France (d. 1653) 1772 - Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, French naturalist, born in Étampes, France (d. 1844) 1894 - Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953-64), born in Kalinovka, Russia (d. 1971) 1908 - Eden Ahbez [George Aberle], American songwriter ("Nature Boy"; "Lonely Island"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1995) 1937 - Conrad Russell, 5th Earl Russell, British historian, born in Harting, West Sussex (d. 2004) 1955 - Jeff Golub, American jazz guitarist (Avenue Blue; Rod Stewart), born in Copley Township, Ohio (d. 2015) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1754 - Jacopo Riccati, Italian mathematician (Riccati equation), dies at 77 1863 - Jan Nepomuk Kanka, Czech composer, dies at 90 1865 - Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President (Republican: 1861-65), dies from gunshot wounds at 56 1984 - Tommy Cooper, British comedian and magician, collapses and dies on stage at 61 1991 - Marjorie Warfield, American stage, radio, and silent film actress, dies of pneumonia at 88 2010 - Jack Herer, American author and cannabis activist, dies at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1570 - Polish Calvinists, Lutherans and Hernhutters unify against Jesuits 1756 - Governor Glen of South Carolina protests against 900 Acadia indians 1841 - 1st detective story published, Edgar Allan Poe's "Murders in Rue Morgue" (April 1841) 1861 - Formal Union surrender of Fort Sumter (US Civil War) 1890 - Pan American Day-1st conference of American states (Washington, D.C.) 1950 - 1st edition of British comic "Eagle" 1956 - Ampex Corp demonstrates 1st commercial videotape recorder 1958 - Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 2 with space dog Laika aboard burns up during reentry into Earth's atmosphere 1992 - UN imposes embargo against Libya takes effect 1994 - Turner Classic Movies cable channel launches; media mogul Ted Turner hosts ceremony in NYC's Times Square district at 6PM marking "the exact centennial anniversary of the first public movie showing in New York City" More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1915 - Dutch merchant navy ship Katwijk sunk by Germany torpedo 1978 - David Hare's play "Plenty" premieres in London 2021 - Former Minnesota police officer who shot Daunte Wright with a gun instead of a taser is arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter, 2021 - Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodón no-hits the Cleveland Indians, 8-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago 2021 - Coinbase becomes the first major cryptocurrency company to trade shares on the New York Stock Exchange 2021 - Human cells grown in monkey cells for 20 days reported by US-Chinese team at the Salk Institute in "Cell" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1721 - William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, English army leader, born in London (d. 1765) 1827 - Augustus Pitt Rivers, English archaeologist, born in Bramham cum Oglethorpe, Wetherby, Yorkshire (d. 1900) 1931 - John Clarke, American actor (Days of Our Lives -"Mickey"), born in South Bend, Indiana (d. 2019) 1933 - Morton Subotnick, American electronic music composer (Silver Apples of the Moon; A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur), born in Los Angeles, California 1946 - Tom Monteleone, American writer (Dark Star and Illumination) 1966 - David Justice, American baseball player (Atlanta Braves), born in Cincinnati, Ohio More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1685 - Thomas Otway, English playwright and poet (Venice Preserv'd), dies at 33 1813 - Joachim Nicolas Eggert, Swedish violinist and composer, dies of tuberculosis at 34 1924 - Roland Napoléon Bonaparte, French prince and president of the Société de Géographie, dies at 65 1964 - Rachel Carson, American marine biologist, conservationist and author (Silent Spring), dies of a heart attack at 56 1978 - Joe Gordon, American Baseball HOF 2nd baseman (World Series 1938, 39, 41, 43 NY Yankees; 1948 Cleveland Indians; AL MVP 1942; 9 x MLB All Star), dies of a heart attack at 63 2007 - Don Ho, Hawaiian-American pop and Hawaiian music singer ("Tiny Bubbles"; "Ain't No Big Thing!"), dies of heart failure at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1055 - Bishop Gebhard van Eichstattt named Pope Victor II 1560 - Giovanni, son of Italian mathematician Girolamo Cardano is executed for poisoning his wife, despite his father's efforts to save him 1908 - Groundbreaking for Philadelphia's Shibe Park, home of MLB Athletics (AL), 1909-54, MLB Phillies (NL), 1938-70, and NFL Eagles, 1940-57 1921 - Foundation of the Spanish Communist Workers' Party. 1934 - 4.7 million US families report receiving welfare payments 1976 - 1st NBA playoff game for Cleveland Cavliers, they lose 100-95 to Washington 1992 - Great Chicago Flood - Chicago's underground tunnels flood 1992 - Lou Carnesecca retires as coach of St John's basketball team 1996 - Ottawa Senators eliminate Stanley Cup Champs NJ Devils from playoff 1997 - 61st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his first major title, a record 12 strokes ahead of Tom Kite; 4-round total 270 (−18) is tournament record More Historical Events »