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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 »

Historical Events 740 - An earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing damage to city walls and buildings 1926 - Belgium stabilizes current value of franc (5 franc becomes 1 "Belga") 1968 - KMIR TV channel 36 in Palm Springs, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting 1972 - Edwin Land introduces the first truly instant camera the Polaroid SX-70 camera at an event in Miami, Florida 1981 - British rock band Queen and David Bowie release their serendipitous collaborative single "Under Pressure" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1886 - Hermann Unger, German composer, music journalist, pedagogue and administrator (Rheinische Musikschule), born in Kamenz, Germany (d. 1958) 1930 - John Arden, English novelist and playwright (Left Handed Liberty), born in Barnsley, England (d. 2012) 1965 - Kelly Rowan, Canadian actress (Kirsten Cohen in "The O.C."), born in Ottawa, Ontario 1967 - Shelly Stokes, American softball catcher (Olympic gold 1996), born in Sacramento, California 1981 - Sam Brown, American comedian (The Whitest Kid U'Know), born in Sandwich, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1902 - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, American women's rights activist, abolitionist and writer, dies of heart failure at 86 1975 - Herman van San, Belgian classical and electro-acoustic composer, dies at 46 1990 - Guus Jansen, Dutch pianist, Hammond organist, and popular song composer ("Net als Toen" - Eurovison, 1957), dies at 79 2004 - Bobby Ávila, Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman (MLB All-Star 1952, 54, 55; AL batting champion 1954; Cleveland Indians), dies of diabetes and lung ailment at 80 2005 - David Townsend, American session and touring RandB guitarist (Isley Brothers; Port Authority; Surface - "Shower Me With Your Love"), and songwriter, dies at 50 More Famous Deaths »

1925 - Rightist German ministers disavows Treaty of Locarno 1941 - 16,000 Jews massacred in Odessa, Ukraine 1968 - East German swimmer Roland Matthes wins the 200m backstroke gold medal in Olympic record 2:09.6 at the Mexico City Games; wraps up backstroke double 1984 - "Give My Regards to Broad Street" premieres (Gotham Theater-NYC) 2004 - Fidel Castro, Cuba's President, announces that transactions using the American Dollar will be banned by November 8 2016 - Paul Beatty becomes the 1st American to win the Man Booker Prize for his novel "The Sellout" 2017 - The first fossil of an ichthyosaur (a marine reptile, 152 million years old) is found in India, according to a report published in the PLOS ONE science journal 2021 - Elon Musk makes a record $25 billion in one day pushing his estimated worth to $255.2 billion, likely making him the richest person ever according to Forbes More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1666 - Brandenburg, Brunswick, Denmark and The Netherlands form anti-French Quadruple Alliance 1930 - Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) begins 1st scheduled US transcontinental air service between NYC and Los Angeles, California; 30 hour trip includes overnight stop in Kansas City, Missouri 1984 - "Give My Regards to Broad Street" premieres (Gotham Theater-NYC) 1990 - NY Daily News goes on strike (lasts through March, 1991) 2024 - MLB World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman hits 1st 'walk-off' grand slam in World Series history in 6-3 win over New York Yankees in 10 innings at Dodger Stadium More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1884 - Eduardo Barrios, Chilean novelist (The Love-Crazed Boy), born in Valparaíso, Chile (d. 1963) 1912 - Jack Kent Cooke, Canadian entrepreneur, NFL team owner (Washington Redskins), born in Hamilton, Canada (d. 1997) 1973 - Steve White, American football defensive end (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Memphis, Tennessee 1975 - Zadie Smith, British novelist (White Teeth; On Beauty; Swing Time), born in Brent, London, England 1981 - Austin John Winkler, American rock singer (Hinder, 2001-13), and songwriter, born in Oklahoma City More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1647 - Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist (inventor of barometer), dies at 39 1760 - George II [Georg August], King of Great Britain and Ireland (1727-60), Elector of Hanover, dies of thoracic aortic dissection at 76 1806 - Henry Knox, American general (Continental Army and later the United States Army) and 1st US Secretary of War (1785-94), dies at 56 after swallowing a chicken bone which lodged in his throat and caused a fatal infection 1895 - Charles Hallé, Anglo-German pianist, conductor and founder (Halle Orchestra), dies at 76 2022 - Brian Robinson, English cyclist (Tour de France: first Briton to finish 1955; first stage winner 1957), dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1856 - Constitution of South Australia is adopted 1885 - "World Championship" Baseball Series, Cincinnati Base Ball Grounds: St. Louis Browns beat Chicago White Stockings 13–4 in Game 7; disputed series tied at 3-3-1 1924 - Christian General Feng Joe Siang occupies Beijing 1954 - Britain's Mike Hawthorn wins the season-ending Spanish Grand Prix at Pedralbes; Argentine Maserati driver Juan Manuel Fangio wins his second Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship by 17 points from countryman José Froilán González 1956 - The Associated Press names Cincinnati manager Birdie Tebbetts the National League Manager of the Year 1970 - Nancy Walker creates Ida Morgenstein role on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" 1986 - Great Britain cuts diplomatic relations with Syria 2018 - Indian cricketer Virat Kohli becomes the 12th and the fastest to score 10,000 runs in one day international matches, taking just 205 innings More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1899 - Battle of Rietfontein, South Africa: Boers vs. British army 1913 - Joe Tinker fired as Cincinnati Reds manager 1956 - Margaret Towner becomes the first woman to be ordained into the Presbyterian Church in the US (PCUSA) 1976 - First Toronto International Film Festival opens 2021 - COVID-19 cases in Eastern Europe surpass 20 million, with Russia, Ukraine, and Romania among the top five countries reporting deaths globally More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1939 - Uri Sharvit, Israeli composer, born in Jerusalem 1954 - Perry Lee "Tiny" Tavares, American rocker, born in Providence, Rhode Island 1960 - Wolfgang Güllich, German rock climber, born in Ludwigshafen, West Germany (d. 1992) 1962 - Jay Novacek, American NFL tight end (Dallas Cowboys), born in Martin, South Dakota 1984 - Kaela Kimura, Japanese model and singer (Rirura Riruha), born in Adachi, Tokyo More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1869 - Joseph Jackson Lister, British optician who perfected the optical microscope by designing the achromatic objective lens, dies at 83 1952 - Frederick Jacobi, American composer, dies at 61 1994 - Alexandr Nikolaievich Shelepin, dir of KGB (1958-61), dies 2008 - Ankie Peypers, Dutch author and poet, dies at 80 2020 - Kevin McCarra, Scottish sports journalist (The Guardian, Scotland on Sunday, The Times), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 62 More Famous Deaths »

1702 - Battle of Bay of Vigo: Dutch and English fleet destroy and occupy Spanish silver fleet and French squadron 1944 - First Central Kitchen opens in Amsterdam 1952 - Charlie Chaplin's "Limelight", starring himself and Claire Bloom, with an appearance by Buster Keaton, premieres in New York City; Not released in Los Angeles until 1972, winning Chaplin his only competitive Academy Award for original score 1953 - WTRF TV channel 7 in Wheeling-Steubenville, WV (CBS) 1st broadcast 1962 - WCIV TV channel 4 in Charleston, South Carolina (NBC) begins broadcasting 1977 - New York City Marathon: defending champion Bill Rodgers wins in 2:11:38; Miki Gorman retains women's title in 2:43:10 1998 - Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat agree to the Wye River Memorandum, resuming implementation of the stalled Oslo II Accord which established a level of self-government for Palestine; signed at the White House, In Washington D.C. 2022 - Brock Purdy plays against the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing for 66 yards and an interception More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1850 - First US National Women's Rights convention opens in Brinley Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts 1853 - Maastricht-Aken railway in Netherlands opens 1971 - Three Catholic civilians are shot dead by the British Army during an attempted robbery in Newry, County Down 1989 - Browns' Bernie Kosar sets club record with a 97-yard TD pass 2007 - Rounder Records releases "Raising Sand", a collaborative album by American bluegrass singer Alison Krauss and British rock vocalist Robert Plant; tops the chart in Norway, peaks at #2 in US, UK, and Sweden More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1794 - Joseph Panny, Austrian violinist and composer, born in Kollmitzberg, Austria (d. 1838) 1805 - John Russell Bartlett, American linguist and historian known for his "Dictionary of Americanisms", born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 1886) 1941 - Igor Smirnov, Transnistrian politician, President of breakaway region of Moldova, born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Soviet Union 1945 - Kim Larsen, Danish rock singer ("In the Middle of the Night"), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2018) 1991 - Mako of Akishino, Japanese former princess of the imperial family who gave up her title upon marriage, born in Toyko More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1928 - François Victor Alphonse Aulard, French historian, dies at 79 1944 - Charles Glover Barkla, English physicist (1917 Nobel Prize for Physics for X-ray scattering), dies at 67 1950 - Al Jolson [Asa Yoelson], American-Lithuanian jazz singer and silent film actor (Mamie, Swanee), dies at 64 1995 - Gavin Ewart, English poet (Pleasures of the Flesh), dies at 79 2020 - W. C. Gorden, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Jackson State University, 1976-91, record 119–48–5), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

362 - The temple of Apollo at Daphne, outside of Antioch, is destroyed in a mysterious fire 1932 - Charles de Broqueville becomes premier of Belgium 1979 - Deposed Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi arrives in NYC for medical treatment 1980 - 4th government of Martens forms in Belgium 1988 - Elton John sells out Madison Square Garden in New York City for a record 26th time 2001 - MLB American League Championship: New York Yankees beat Seattle Mariners, 4 games to 1 2019 - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agree deal to jointly control former Kurdish territory in Northern Syria 2024 - Construction of the cube-shaped Mukaab skyscraper, designed to be the world's largest building, standing 400 meters tall and wide, begins in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1884 - International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C. adopts Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) worldwide and creates 24 international time zones with longitude zero at the Greenwich Meridian 1930 - Blake and Razaf's "Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1930" premieres in NYC 1938 - Chester Carlson conducts the first successful experiment in electrophotography and later sells it to the Haloid Company, now known as Xerox Corporation, which names it xerography 1968 - Apollo 7 returns to Earth 1997 - NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet is knocked unconscious and gets 2 stitches after plexiglass falls on her watching a game More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1894 - Méi Lánfāng [Lan], Chinese opera performer known as "Queen of Peking Opera" for his portrayal of female roles, born in Beijing, China (d. 1961) 1908 - Helmut Gollwitzer, German anti-Nazi theologian and pacifist, born in Pappenheim, Bavaria (d. 1993) 1920 - Timothy Leary, American psychologist and advocate for psychedelic drug use, born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 1996) 1952 - Greg Hawkes, American rock keyboardist (The Cars - "Shake it Up"; "Drive"), born in Fulton, Maryland 1974 - Tim Kinsella, American singer-songwriter (Cap'n Jazz; Owls), and visual artist, born in Chicago, Illinois More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1792 - Guillaume Le Gentil, French astronomer, dies at 67 1871 - Roderick Murchison, Scottish Geologist (Silurian system), dies at 79 1937 - Frank Damrosch, German-American author and music teacher (founded New York Musical Institute of Musical Art, later Julliard), dies at 88 2001 - Helmut Krackowizer, Austrian motorcycle racer and journalist ("Motorcycle Sport", "The History of Famous Makes of Motorcycle"), dies from a heart attack at 80 2020 - Matt Blair, American football linebacker (6 × Pro Bowl 1977–82; First-team All-Pro 1980; Minnesota Vikings), dies from dementia complications at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1899 - Battle of Elandslaagte, Natal (Boers vs. British Army) 1915 - First transatlantic radiotelephone message, Arlington, Virginia, to Paris 1947 - Dutch Dakota explodes near Copenhagen, killing 16 people 1950 - Tom Powers of Duke scores six touchdowns 1966 - 116 children and 28 adults die as a coal waste heap slides and engulfs a school in Aberfan, South Wales 2001 - MLB National League Championship: Arizona Diamondbacks beat Atlanta Braves 4-1 2003 - Images of Eris are taken by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz, leading to the discovery of the dwarf planet 2024 - Australian independent indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe shouts at King Charles, "You are not our king" and "This is not your land" during the king's visit to the Australian Parliament in Canberra More Historical Events »