CoM Moderators

1858 - Government of India transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown 1880 - British Parliament officially adopts Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) 1914 - Belgian government receives German ultimatum 1928 - Benito Mussolini signs peace treaty with Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 1991 - Space shuttle STS 43 (Atlantis 9) launched 2018 - Japanese newspaper "Yomiuri Shimbun" reveals Tokyo Medical University has been tampering with female entrance exams to ensure under 30% accepted 2020 - Islamic State stages a jail break at a prison in Afghan city of Jalalabad, placing bombs at its entrance, results in 20 hr gunfight, 29 deaths and over 300 prisoners at large 2022 - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the first speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, prompting condemnation from the Chinese Communist Party More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1931 - Referendum in favor of autonomous status for Spanish Catalonia garners 99.5% of the vote; about 75% of eligible voters participate 1943 - Sunderland seaplanes sink U-706 and U-106 1959 - Future Hall of Fame 1st baseman Willie McCovey hits 1st of his 521 MLB home runs in SF Giants 5-3 win v Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 - American swimmer Michael Phelps wins an unprecedented third consecutive gold medal in the 200m individual medley in 1:54.27 at the London Olympics 2018 - Apple becomes the first American publicly listed company to reach $1 trillion in value More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1925 - John McCormack, Canadian ice hockey player, born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (d. 2017) 1928 - Malcolm Hilton, English cricket slow left-arm (4 Tests), born in Chadderton, Lancashire (d. 1990) 1948 - Andy Fairweather Low, Welsh session and touring guitarist (Amen Corner; Roger Waters; Eric Clapton; George Harrison), born in Ystrad Mynach, Wales 1949 - James Fallows, American writer and journalist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1972 - Jimmy Pop [James Franks], American rock singer and musician (The Bloodhound Gang - "The Bad Touch"), born in Trappe, Pennsylvania More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1823 - Lazare Carnot, French politician, engineer and mathematician known as the Organizer of Victory in the French Revolutionary Wars, dies at 70 1922 - Mina Kruseman, Dutch author and feminist, dies at 82 1992 - Michel Berger [Hamburger], French singer-songwriter, and record producer. dies of a heart attack at 44 2003 - Mike Levey, American TV infomercials host, dies of cancer at 55 2020 - Leon Fleisher, American pianist and conductor (Annapolis Symphony 1970-82), dies of cancer at 92 More Famous Deaths »

1954 - South African Natives Resettlement Act comes into effect, empowering the government to remove Africans from any area within and adjacent to the magisterial district of Johannesburg 1968 - Canada begins replacing silver with nickel in its coins 1996 - American athlete Michael Johnson wins 200 m at the Atlanta Olympics in a world record 19.32 seconds to become the first man to complete the 200-400 m double 2004 - A supermarket fire kills 396 people and injures 500 in Asunción, Paraguay 2010 - US Senior Open Men's Golf, Sahalee CC: Berhard Langer of Germany wins by three strokes ahead of runner-up Fred Couples 2010 - 200 m x 250 m photo mosaic commemorating the life of Filipino President Corazon Aquino is unveiled near Quirino Grandstand at Luneta Park, Manila 2023 - Former US President Donald Trump is indicted by special counsel Jack Smith on charges of conspiring to defraud the country and prevent the peaceful transfer of power 2023 - South America experiences a winter heatwave, with Vicuña in Chilean Andres reaching 100°F (37.78°C), the warmest day in northern Chile for 72 years More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1664 - Battle of St. Gotthard, West Hungary: Imperial Army led by Count Raimondo Montecuccoli defeats Ottoman forces under Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha 1924 - MLB Brooklyn Robins pitcher Dazzy Vance strikes out an MLB record 7 consecutive batters and 14 overall in a 4-0 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs at Ebbets Field 1968 - Coronation of Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei 1992 - American sprinter Gail Devers wins an incredibly close blanket finish in the women's 100m at the Barcelona Olympics, with 5 athletes within 0.06 seconds of Devers (10.82) 2022 - First grain ship leaves Ukrainian port of Odesa in a UN-brokered deal, breaking a months-long Russian blockade to help alleviate the global shortage More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1642 - Ahmed II, 21st Sultan of Turkey (1691-95), born in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (d. 1695) [or born Feb 25, 1643] 1933 - Ko Un, South Korean poet, born in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province 1948 - Bob Spink, British politician (MP for Castle Point in Essex), born in Haworth, Worth Valley, Yorkshire 1956 - Tom Leykis, American radio personality (The Tom Leykis Show), born in The Bronx, New York 1964 - Adam Duritz, American rock singer-songwriter, and keyboardist (Counting Crows - "Mr. Jones"; "Accidentally in Love"), born in Baltimore, Maryland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1252 - Giovanni da Pian del Carpine [John of Plano Carpini], Italian friar, explorer and diplomat (1st European traveller to give account of the Mongol Empire), dies (b. c. 1185) 1980 - Patrick Depailler, French Formula 1 driver (b. 1944) 1988 - John Dearden, American cardinal (1969-88) and archbishop of Detroit, dies at 80 1990 - Lotta Hitschmanova, Canadian humanitarian (founder of the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada), dies at 80 2024 - Craig Shakespeare, English soccer coach (WBA, Leicester CIty) and midfielder (Walsall 284 games), dies from cancer at 60 More Famous Deaths »

1221 - Emperor Go-Horikawa, aged only 10 years old, ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan 1566 - Great Britain executes Agnes Waterhouse, the first British woman convicted of witchcraft in Chelmsford, England 1923 - Albert Einstein speaks about pacifism in Berlin 1940 - SV Urk Dutch soccer team forms 1973 - Led Zeppelin has more than $200,000 in cash stolen from a safe deposit box at the New York Hilton hotel 1990 - South Africa Communist Party begins first legal conference 1994 - Jesse Timmendequas rapes and murders Megan Kanka, 7, resulting in Megan's Law 2018 - Hun Sen's Cambodian People’s Party claims to have won all 125 seats in the country's general election amid widespread criticism of a sham vote More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Macon, Georgia (Stoneman's Raid) 1913 - Independence of the Principality of Albania recognized by the Conference of London 1961 - Bob Dylan is not seriously injured in car accident in New York City 1989 - Philadelphia Phillies retire #32 in honor of pitcher Steve Carlton 2021 - Following Simone Biles' withdrawal, teammate Sunisa Lee becomes first Hmong-American Olympic champion in any sport, winning women's artistic individual all-around gymnastics gold in Tokyo More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1870 - George Dixon, Canadian boxer (World Bantamweight title, 1892; World Featherweight champion, 1891-97 and 1898-1901; 1st Black athlete to win a World C'ship in any sport), born in Halifax, Nova Scotia (d. 1908) 1938 - Don Wert, American baseball third baseman (MLB All Star and World Series 1968 Detroit Tigers), born in Strasburg, Pennsylvania (d. 2024) 1956 - Ronnie Musgrove, American politician (Governor of Mississippi 2000-04), born in Tocowa, Mississippi 1971 - Monica Calhoun, American actress (The Best Man), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1990 - Shin Se-kyung, South Korean actress (Deep Rooted Tree), born in Yangcheon, South Korea More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1886 - Solomon Gazfried, Ukrainian rabbi and author (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch), dies (b. 1804) 1900 - Umberto I of Italy, King of Italy (1878-1900), shot four times and assassinated by Italian-American anarchist Gaetano Bresci at 56 1976 - Mickey Cohen, American gangster (Cohen crime family), dies at 62 1982 - Cor Kieboom, Dutch president of Feyenoord football club, dies at 81 1996 - Aruna Asaf Ali, Indian independence activist and politician (first Mayor of Delhi), dies at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1893 - Vizcaya Bridge, the largest transporter bridge in the world designed by Basque architect Alberto de Palacio, opens over the River Ibaizabal 1904 - Rafael Reyes becomes dictator of Colombia after losing Panama 1942 - The Zionist partisans in Poland form the Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (ZOB) or Jewish Fighting Organization 1980 - Peru adopts a constitution, and Fernando Belaúnde Terry becomes president 1984 - 23rd modern Olympic Games open in Los Angeles 1988 - Israeli diplomats arrive in Moscow for first visit in 21 years 1989 - NASA's Lewis Research Center in Cleveland announces new high-temperature superconductors able to operate at 33 to 37 gigahertz 2008 - Historic Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier burns down for a second time in 80 years More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1849 - Memnon is the first clipper to reach San Francisco from New York during the Gold Rush, arriving after a voyage of 120 days 1864 - Second day of the Battle of Deep Bottom Run, Virginia 1898 - Spanish American War: U.S. Army occupies Ponce and declares victory in Puerto Rico over Spanish forces 1917 - Silent Parade organized by James Weldon Johnson, 10,000 African Americans march on Fifth Avenue in NYC to protest against lynching 2019 - Evian Championship Women's Golf, Evian Resort GC: South Korean Ko Jin-young wins her second major title of the season by two strokes from Shanshan Feng, Jennifer Kupcho and Kim Hyo-joo More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1165 - Ibn al-'Arabi, Muslim mystic and philosopher (The Meccan Revelations), born in Murcia, Spain (d. 1240) 1930 - David "Junior" Kimbrough, American bluesman, born in Hudsonville, Mississippi (d. 1998) 1939 - Barry Ashbee, Canadian NHL ice hockey defenseman, 1965, 1969-74 (Stanley Cup - Philadelphia Flyers), and coach, 1974-77 (Flyers), born in Weston. Ontario 1974 - Hannah Waddingham, British actress (Ted Lasso; Game of Thrones, 2015-16), and musical theater singer, born in London, England 1990 - Soulja Boy [DeAndre Cortez Way], American rapper (Crank That (Soulja Boy)), born in Chicago, Illinois More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1837 - John Ross, British composer and organist, dies at 73 1863 - James Deshler, American Confederate general, dies after ammunition explodes at 30 1869 - Jan Evangelista Purkyně, Czech anatomist (b. 1787) 1965 - Minor Watson, American actor (Woman of the Year, Viva Cisco Kid), dies at 75 2015 - Clive Rice, South African cricket all-rounder (WSC 1978-79, ODI 1991; Nottinghamshire), dies from a brain tumour at 66 More Famous Deaths »

1900 - German Kaiser Wilhelm II delivers his "Hun" speech at Bremerhaven, addressing German troops departing to suppress the Boxer Rebellion in China, later used as propaganda in World War I 1914 - Roda JC soccer team forms in Kerkrade 1954 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Keller GC: Chick Herbert scores a 4 and 3 win over defending champion Walter Burkemo in the Tuesday final 1955 - Israeli passenger plane shot down above Bulgaria, killing 58 1988 - Baseball star Tommy John commits a record three errors on one play as the Yankees rout the Brewers 16-3 1995 - 28th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at San Diego Convention Center 2015 - Fiat Chrysler fined record $105 million by US regulators over their number of car recalls 2017 - Reince Priebus resigns as Chief of Staff to US President Donald Trump after just over 6 months, making it the shortest non-interim tenure More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1909 - Orville Wright successfully tests the Wright Military Flyer, the world's first military airplane, with a record flight of 1 hour, 12 minutes, and 40 seconds, flying approximately 64 km (40 mi) 1945 - Cubs purchase pitcher Hank Borowy from NY Yankees 1973 - Walter Blum becomes the sixth jockey to ride 4,000 winners 1984 - Montreal Expos first baseman Pete Rose collects his record 3,503rd career single, passing Ty Cobb with a hit off former Phillies teammate Steve Carlton at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia 2024 - Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus retains her 400 m freestyle crown at the Paris Olympics in 3:57.49, defeating Canada's Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky of the US More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1880 - Joe Tinker, American Baseball HOF shortstop (World Series 1907, 08 Chicago Orphans/Cubs) and manager (Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs), born in Muscotah, Kansas (d. 1948) 1921 - Émile Genest, French Canadian actor (The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Les Plouffe), born in Quebec City, Canada (d. 2003) 1931 - Jerry Van Dyke, American actor (My Mother the Car, Coach), born in Danville, Illinois (d. 2018) 1935 - Billy McCullough, Northern Irish footballer, born in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland 1970 - Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Danish actor (Game of Thrones), born in Rudkøbing, Denmark More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1864 - John Putnam Chapin, American politician and 10th Mayor of Chicago (1846-47), dies at 54 1952 - W de Basil [US Voskresenski], Russian ballet dancer, dies 1958 - Claire Chennault, American aviator and military leader (Flying Tigers), dies at 64 2008 - Isaac Saba Raffoul, Mexican Businessman (b. 1923) 2024 - Carlos Alvarado, Costa Rican soccer goalkeeper (25 caps; LD Alajuelense), dies at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1775 - US Continental Congress creates United States Post Office (U.S.P.O.) in Philadelphia under Benjamin Franklin 1903 - Horatio Nelson Jackson, Sewall K. Crocker, and a bulldog named Bud complete the first automobile trip across the United States, traveling from San Francisco to New York in a two-cylinder Winton in 63 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes 1914 - Philippe Thys of Belgium wins 12th Tour de France 1948 - "Babe Ruth Story" premieres; Babe Ruth makes his final public appearance 1953 - Tour de France: Louison Bobet of France wins first of 3 consecutive Tour general classification events 1982 - Karen Dianne Baldwin, 18, of Canada is crowned 31st Miss Universe 2014 - Brian Ortega's victory over Mike De La Torre is overturned to "No Contest" after testing positive for drostanolone 2020 - Italian football giants Juventus win their ninth straight Serie A title with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi in a 2-0 win over Sampdoria More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1971 - Apollo 15 launches (Scott and Irwin) for the fourth manned landing on the Moon 1972 - Rockwell receives NASA contract to construct Space Shuttle 1981 - New York Mayor Ed Koch is given the Heimlich maneuver in a Chinese restaurant 1994 - Turkish Air Force bombs Kurds in Iraq, killing 70 2017 - Great Britain announces it will ban gasoline and diesel cars by 2040 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1906 - Irena Iłłakowicz, Polish agent of Intelligence, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1943) 1911 - Jerry Burke, American easy-listening pianist and organ player (Lawrence Welk Orchestra, 1934-65), born in Marshalltown, Iowa (d. 1965) 1928 - Stanley Kubrick, American director (2001 A Space Odyssey, Dr Strangelove, Lolita), born in The Bronx NY (d. 1999) 1928 - Elliott Erwitt [Elio Romano], French-American photographer (Gimme Shelter), and documentarian, born in Paris, France (d. 2023) 1942 - Vladimír Mečiar, 1st and 3rd Prime Minister of Slovakia, born in Zvolen, Slovakia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1973 - Hans Albert Einstein, Swiss-American professor and engineer, dies of a heart attack at 69 1987 - Jim Bishop, American journalist and author (The Day Lincoln was Shot), dies at 79 1988 - Fazlur Rahman, Pakistani modernist scholar, dies at 68 2009 - Merce Cunningham, American choreographer (Acrobat in Every Soul is a Circus), dies at 90 2021 - Ally Dawson, Scottish soccer defender (5 caps; Glasgow Rangers) and manager (Hamilton Academical), dies at 63 More Famous Deaths »

1922 - ATandT begins broadcasting on WBAY (NYC, later WEAF, WNBC, WRCA, and WFAN) 1956 - Pittsburgh Pirates' Roberto Clemente hits MLB's first and only walk-off inside-the-park grand slam for a 9-8 win over visiting Chicago Cubs at Forbes Field 1963 - Belgian Senate accepts law on language regulations 1993 - Romantic comedy film "Sleepless in Seattle," starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and co-written and directed by Nora Ephron, is released 1997 - Howard Stern is fired from radio station KEGL in Dallas, Texas 2012 - The double-dip recession in the UK economy continues with a fall of 0.7% in GDP in the second quarter of 2012 2021 - Evian Championship Women's Golf, Evian Resort GC: Australian Minjee Lee recovers from seven shots behind to defeat South Korea’s Lee6 Jeongeun in a playoff for her first major title 2023 - Scientists say a crucial Atlantic Ocean current is near collapse as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could reach its tipping point in the middle of this century More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1956 - 46 die in a collision between the SS Andrea Doria and the MS Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket 1990 - Roseanne Barr sings the National Anthem at Cincinnati Reds-San Diego Padres MLB game 1992 - 25th Olympic Games open in Barcelona, Spain 1994 - Jordan and Israel end 46-year state of war (Washington, D.C.) 2016 - England fast bowler Jimmy Anderson becomes the first quick to take 50 wickets against all other seven major Test cricket-playing nations during the second Test against Pakistan in Manchester More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1639 - Thomas Tompion, English clockmaker (cylinder tunnel), born in Northill, Bedfordshire, England (d. 1713) 1945 - Jim Price, America session and touring horn player, and arranger (Rolling Stones; Bonnie and Delaney; Joe Cocker), born in Fort Worth, Texas 1948 - Brian Stableford, British sci-fi author (Day of Wrath), born in Shipley, Yorkshire, England 1949 - Denman Maroney, American jazz pianist and composer (Hyperpiano), born in New Jersey 1955 - Bantubonke Holomisa, South African Minister of Defense of Transkei, born in Mqanduli, Eastern Cape More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1987 - Alex Sadkin, American audio engineer, and record producer (Grace Jones; Thompson Twins), dies in a car crash in The Bahamas at 38 1998 - Tiny Rowland [Roland Fuhrop], German-British businessman and corporate raider (owned The Observer, tried to take over Harrods), dies of cancer at 80 2008 - Tracy Hall, American inventor (b. 1919) 2017 - Barbara Sinatra, American model and philanthropist, dies at 90 2024 - Pascal Danel [Jean-Jacques Pascal], French pop singer-songwriter ("Kilimandjaro"), dies at 80 More Famous Deaths »

1651 - Anthony Johnson, a free African American, receives grant of 250 acres in Virginia 1905 - Tsar Nicholas II (Russia) and Emperor Wilhelm II (Germany) sign the Björkö Treaty, whereby each country agrees to come to the other's defense if attacked by European powers 1908 - After days of discussion with his ministers, Sultan Abdul Hamid of Turkey announces he is restoring the liberal constitution of 1876 and will become more responsive to demands of dissidents 1929 - New York to San Francisco foot race ends after 2½ months; the winner is 60-year-old Monteverde 1936 - 118°F (48°C) recorded in Minden, Nebraska (state record) 1967 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Columbine CC: Don January wins his only major title in 18-hole playoff with Don Messengale (69-71) 1990 - Ms. Magazine hits newsstands again after an 8-month hiatus 1991 - Ottawa Rough Riders Board of Directors resigns More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1673 - Edmund Halley enters The Queen's College, Oxford, as an undergraduate 1915 - Excursion ship Eastland capsizes in Lake Michigan, killing 852 people 1964 - Race riot in Rochester, New York, kills 4 1966 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Firestone CC: American Al Geiberger wins his only major title by 4 shots from Dudley Wysong 2022 - Pope Francis arrives in Edmonton, Canada, to begin a penitential trip to meet with and apologize to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities for their treatment at church-run residential schools More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1929 - Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), born in KIngston, Jamaica (d. 2017) 1944 - Jim Armstrong, Irish rock guitarist (Them - "Here Comes The Night"), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland 1961 - Kerry Dixon, English footballer, 1979-97, and manager, born in Luton, England 1965 - Joe Oliver, American MLB catcher (Cincinnati Reds), born in Memphis, Tennessee 1982 - Anna Paquin, Canadian-born New Zealand Oscar-winning actress (The Piano, True Blood), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1240 - Konrad von Thüringen, German fifth Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights 1908 - Vicente Acosta, Salvadoran poet, dies at 41 (b. the same day 1867) 1936 - Georg Michaelis, German lawyer and politician (Chancellor of German Empire and Prime Minister of Prussia, July-November 1917), dies at 78 1980 - Uttam Kumar, Indian actor (b. 1926) 2023 - Leny Andrade, Brazilian samba, bossa nova and jazz singer, dies of Lewy body dementia at 80 More Famous Deaths »

685 - John V begins his reign as Catholic Pope 1812 - Battle of Mogilev: first significant fighting during Napoleon's invasion of Russia results in minor French victory 1877 - First telephone and telegraph line in Hawaii is completed 1904 - Ice cream cone is created during the St. Louis World's Fair, reputedly first by Charles E. Menches 1917 - Cleveland Metropolitan Park District established in Greater Cleveland, Ohio 1929 - The Fascist government in Italy bans the use of foreign words 1965 - The Beatles' single "Help" is released in the UK 2024 - Hottest day on Earth: average global temperature of 17.15°C (62.87°F) surpasses record set the previous day, according to EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service More Historical Events »

1253 - Jews are expelled from Vienne, France, by order of Pope Innocent IV 1874 - Aires de Ornelas e Vasconcelos is appointed Archbishop of the Portuguese colonial enclave of Goa 1900 - First Pan-African Congress meets in London, organized by Trinidadian Henry Sylvester Williams, makes plea for African self-government 1942 - Adolf Hitler's Directive number 45: order for army to advance on Stalingrad 1966 - John Pennel pole vaults a record of 5.34 meters 1993 - David Boon completes his 17th Test cricket century with a score of 107 at Headingley 1997 - The US State Department rules that Turkey's agreement to purchase $23 billion worth of natural gas from Iran does not violate the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act 2008 - Cape Verde joins the World Trade Organization, becoming its 153rd member 2009 - 42nd San Diego Comic-Con International opens at San Diego Convention Center 2022 - WHO declares monkeypox to be a public health emergency of international concern with 16,000 cases in 75 countries More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1777 - King Louis XVI of France and his Foreign Minister clandestinely agree to supply the United States with munitions during the American Revolution 1777 - Polish military leader Casimir Pulaski arrives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, to volunteer in the Continental Army cavalry 1858 - Jewish Disabilities Removal Act passes in British Parliament 1870 - Emperor Napoleon III appoints Empress Eugénie de Montijo as Regent of France 2015 - Supreme Court rejects Bill Cosby's petition against a civil case of his alleged sexual assault of 15-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1974 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1825 - Richard Hol, Dutch composer, organist and conductor, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 1904) 1921 - Peter Twiss, British test pilot (breaking the World Air Speed Record and being the first person to exceed 1,000 mph in flight), born in Lindfield, Sussex (d. 2011) 1950 - Kaity Tong, Chinese-American news anchor (WPIX), born in Qingdao, China 1979 - Perro Aguayo, Jr., Mexican professional wrestler (CMLL), born in Mexico City (d. 2015) 1986 - Reece Ritchie, English actor (The Outpost), born in Lowestoft, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1932 - Alberto Santos-Dumont, Brazilian balloonist, airship builder, and aviator (1st plane flight in Europe), dies by suicide at 59 1948 - D.W. Griffith, American film director and producer (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 73 1964 - Jan de Vries, Dutch scholar of Germanic linguistics and Germanic mythology, dies at 74 1996 - Hamilton Fish IV, American politician (Rep-R-NY, 1969-95), dies at 70 2011 - Amy Winehouse, British singer-songwriter ("Stronger Than Me"; "Rehab"), dies from alcohol poisoning at 27 More Famous Deaths »

1298 - English defeat the Scots at the Battle of Falkirk 1632 - Foundation laid in Madrid for Buen Retiro Palace for King Philip IV 1923 - 17th Tour de France won by Henri Pelissier of France 1926 - 108°F (42°C), Troy, NY (state record) 1954 - US Virgin Islands adopt constitution (Revised Organic Act) 1984 - 22nd Federation Cup Women's Tennis, São Paulo, Brazil: Czech pair Hana Mandlíková and Helena Suková beat Australians Elizabeth Sayers and Wendy Turnbull 6-2, 6-2 for a 2-1 victory 1997 - "One Piece," world's best-selling manga and comic series, written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, first appears serialized in "Weekly Shōnen Jump" in Japan 2014 - European Union claims that Israel "has the right to defend itself," but says civilian casualties in Gaza are unacceptable 2019 - India's lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 successfully takes off from Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota aiming to be fourth nation to soft-land on the moon 2022 - Droupadi Murmu is the first tribal politician to be elected President of India (head of state, without executive powers) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 259 - Saint Dionysius elected as Pope, succeeding Sixtus II 1950 - Frank Worrell completes 261 v England at Trent Bridge 1950 - King Leopold returns to Belgium after 6 years in exile 1960 - Cuba nationalizes all US-owned sugar factories 1991 - Jeffrey Dahmer confesses to killing 17 men in 1978 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1844 - William Archibald Spooner, English Oxford Don and reverend and inventor (spoonerisms), born in London, England (d. 1930) 1878 - Lucien Febvre, French historian (Un destin: Martin Luther), born in Nancy, France (d. 1956) 1882 - Edward Hopper, American painter (Nighthawks, House by the Railroad), born in Upper Nyack, New York (d. 1967) 1967 - Rhys Ifans [Evans], Welsh actor (Notting Hill; The Replacements; Enduring Love), and rock singer (The Peth), born in Haverfordwest, Wales 1972 - Colin Ferguson, Canadian actor known for "Eureka", born in Montreal, Quebec More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1794 - Jean-Benjamin de La Borde, French composer, dies at 59 1826 - Giuseppe Piazzi, Italian astronomer (found 1st asteroid-Ceres), dies at 80 1864 - William H. T. Walker, American Major General (Confederate Army), killed in action at 47 during the Atlanta Campaign 2005 - Eugene Record American songwriter and singer (The Chi-Lites) (b. 1940) 2008 - Joe Beck, American session and jazz guitarist (Don Sebesky; Gil Evans; Gato Barbieri; Esther Phillips), and bandleader, dies of lung cancer at 62 More Famous Deaths »

230 - St Pontianus begins his reign as Catholic Pope 1545 - The first landing of French troops onto the coast of the Isle of Wight during the French invasion 1588 - First engagement between the English fleet and the Spanish Armada off the Eddystone Rocks 1913 - The Egyptian government announces a new constitutional system and electoral law 1940 - VARA-management accepts Rost of Tonningens demands 1962 - 160 civil right activists jailed after demonstration in Albany, Georgia 1970 - Libya orders confiscation of all Jewish property 1972 - Two passenger trains collide head-on killing 76 (Seville, Spain) 1977 - Sanjiva Reddy is elected sixth President of India unopposed 2015 - On This Day changes its domain name and brand from HistoryOrb.com to OnThisDay.com More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1941 - 200 Jewish Torahs are burned in Ukraine 1952 - "The Quiet Man" film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara is released in the UK 1964 - Race riots in Singapore between Chinese and Malay groups, 23 killed, 454 injured 1973 - France performs nuclear test at Mururoa Atoll in the Pacific 1991 - British Open Men's Golf, Royal Birkdale GC: Australian 1-2 with Ian Baker-Finch winning his only major championship, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Mike Harwood More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1810 - Henri V. Regnault, French physicist and chemist, born in Aachen (d. 1878) 1909 - Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards, English Egyptologist, born in London (d. 1996) 1920 - Constant [Nieuwenhuys], Dutch painter (Uprising of Homo Ludens), and sculptor, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2005) 1926 - Rahimuddin Khan, Pakistani general and Governor of Balochistan (1978-84), born in Qaimganj, British India (d. 2022) 1989 - Rory Culkin, American actor (Signs), born in New York City More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1910 - Johan Peter Selmer, Norwegian composer, dies at 66 1970 - Mikhail Gerasimov, Russian anthropologist and sculptor (b. 1907) 1986 - Virginia Hewitt, American actress (Carol-Space Patrol), dies of cancer at 60 2010 - Ralph Houk, American baseball catcher, coach, manager and executive (World Series champion 1947, 52-53, coach, 58; mgr 1961-62; NY Yankees), dies at 90 2022 - Uwe Seeler, German soccer striker (72 caps West Germany; Hamburger SV 476 games, 404 goals), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1654 - Anglo-Portuguese treaty is reinforced, England guarantees Portugal’s independence and receives trade concessions 1712 - The Riot Act takes effect in Great Britain 1793 - Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completes the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico 1926 - A convention of the Methodist Church votes to allow women to become priests 1943 - Jacques Lusseyran is arrested by the Gestapo after being betrayed by a fellow member of the French resistance 1951 - Talal bin Abdullah (42) is coronated as King of Jordan, after the assassination of his father 1963 - Verne Gagne beats Crusher Lisowski in Minneapolis, to become NWA champ 1981 - Irene Sáez, of Venezuela, crowned 30th Miss Universe 1982 - Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings: 11 British soldiers and 7 military horses killed in Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb attacks during military ceremonies in London 2020 - Scientists find evidence of volcanoes on Venus, showing the planet is not as dormant as previously thought (Nature Geoscience) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 514 - St Hormisdas elected as Pope succeeding Pope Sympowerus 1942 - Barbados dismiss Trinidad for 16 in 69 minutes, Derek Sealy taking 8-8; West Indian cricket domestic first class record 1961 - Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley's musical "Stop The World - I Want To Get Off" premieres at Queen's Theater in London's West End 1963 - US Open Women's Golf, Kenwood CC: Mary Mills wins her first of 3 major titles by 3 strokes ahead of runners-up Louise Suggs and Sandra Haynie 2015 - British Open Men's Golf, St. Andrews: American Zach Johnson wins in a 4-hole play-off with Australian Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1513 - Gaspar Schetz, Dutch nobleman and financier (royal treasurer general of the Habsburg Netherlands), born in Antwerp, Duchy of Brabant, Holy Roman Empire (now Belgium) (d. 1580) 1663 - Pierre Drevet, French engraver, born in Loire-sur-Rhône, Lyon (d. 1738) 1945 - John Lodge, British bassist, vocalist, and songwriter (The Moody Blues - "I'm Just A Singer"; "Gemini Dream"), born in Birmingham, England 1973 - Peter Forsberg, Swedish NHL center (Colorado Avalanche), born in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden 1976 - Andrew Stockdale, Australian rock musician (Wolfmother), born in Brisbane, Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1964 - Anna Vyrubova, Russian lady-in-waiting, the best friend and confidante of Tsaritsa Alexandra Fyodorovna, dies at 80 1984 - Gail Kubik, American composer (Gerald McBoing Boing), dies at 69 1999 - Sandra Gould, American actress (b. 1916) 2015 - Elio Fiorucci, Italian fashion designer, dies at 80 2022 - Douglas Mitchell, Canadian Football Hall of Fame executive (CFL Commissioner 1984-88), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »