CoM Moderators

1818 - US Senate ratifies Rush-Bagot Agreement, limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes 1854 - Franz Liszt's symphonic poem "Mazeppa" premieres at the Court Theatre in Weimar 1924 - 1st radio-transmission of wireless: Mattheus Passion 1940 - New York Yankees dedicate a plaque to Jacob Ruppert in Monument Park, Yankee Stadium 1977 - Alex Haley finds his Roots in Juffure, Gambia 1982 - Queen Elizabeth proclaims Canada's new constitution 1983 - Steve Garvey sets NL record by playing in 1,118 consecutive games 2003 - Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens, admitting 10 new member states to the European Union More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1853 - First passenger railway opens in India from Bori Bunder (Bombay) to Thane (34 km) 1986 - To dispel rumors he's dead, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi appears on TV 1987 - August Wilson's "Fences" wins 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2014 - South Korean ferry MV Sewol sinks on route Incheon to Jeju, 304 drown, mostly students. National controversy erupts over rescue efforts and actions of crew and owner. 2017 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wins referendum on 18-article constitutional reform package More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1820 - Georg Curtius, German classical linguist, born in the Free Imperial City of Lübeck (d. 1885) 1897 - Milton Cross, American radio announcer (Metropolitan Opera's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, 1931-75), born in New York City (d. 1975) 1947 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar [Lew Alcindor], American Basketball Hall of Fame center (6 x NBA champion; NBA Finals MVP 1971, 1985; 6 × NBA MVP; 19 × NBA All-Star), born in New York City 1954 - John Bowe, Australian racing driver, born in Devonport, Tasmania 1963 - Nick Berry, British actor (EastEnders, Heartbeat), born in Woodford, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1904 - Maximilian Kronberger, German poet, dies at 16 1985 - Scott Brady [Gerald Tierney], American actor (Shotgun Slade, China Syndrome, Gremlins, Johnny Guitar), dies of pulmonary fibrosis at 60 2007 - Kevin Granata, American professor of Engineering (b. 1961) 2007 - Gaetan Duchesne, Canadian hockey player (b. 1962) 2010 - Rasim Delic, Bosnian military chief of staff and war criminal (b. 1949) More Famous Deaths »

1658 - Battle of Dharmat won by future Moghul emperor Aurangzeb, who defeats his brother and designated heir Dara Shikoh 1861 - Federal army of 75,000 volunteers is mobilized by President Abraham Lincoln at the start of the American Civil War 1865 - Mobile, Alabama is captured by Union forces after a siege led by General Canby 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 1986 - Viv Richards century off 56 balls v England in Antigua Test Cricket 1994 - Jazz singer Tony Bennett records a session for "MTV's Unplugged" series at Sony Studios, NYC, featuring the Ralph Sharon trio, and guest appearances by Elvis Costello, and k.d.lang; album release wins 2 Grammy Awards 1997 - Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams 2020 - South Korea is 1st country to hold a general election under COVID-19, President Moon Jae-in's ruling Democratic party wins in a landslide More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1250 - Kublai is acclaimed the Great Khan by a Mongol Great Council 1502 - Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres, new Governor of the Indies, lands in Hispaniola, replacing Christopher Columbus 1900 - An early 50 mile race is won by an electric car in over 2 hrs 1960 - Guy Carawan sings "We Shall Overcome" to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh, popularizing the song as a protest anthem 1989 - Hillsborough disaster: 96 people are crushed to death and 766 are injured at Hillsborough Football Stadium in Sheffield, England, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1469 - Guru Nanak, Founder of the religion of Sikhism and the 1st Sikh Guru, born in Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi, Punjab, Pakistan (d. 1539) 1766 - Friedrich Bouterwek, German philosopher and critic, born in Oker, Hanover, Germany (d. 1828) 1922 - Harold Washington, 1st African American Mayor of Chicago (Democrat: 1983-87), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1987) 1959 - Emma Thompson, British actress (Henry V, Howards End, Oscar 1992), born in London, England 1982 - Seth Rogen, Canadian actor and writer (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Interview), born in Vancouver, British Columbia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1962 - Esther Minciotti, Italian actress, dies at 73 1974 - Giovanni D'Anzi, Italian pianist and songwriter (with Alfredo Bracchi - "Malinconia d'amore", "El Biscella"), dies at 68 1991 - Marjorie Warfield, American stage, radio, and silent film actress, dies of pneumonia at 88 1991 - Martin Ashe, American actor, dies at 81 2002 - William Leonard "Will" Reed, British pianist and composer, dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1847 - Persia and Ottoman Turkey sign 2nd Treaty of Erzurum 1922 - Irish Republican Army rebels occupy the Four Courts (government buildings) in Dublin 1931 - Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 2-0 for a 3-2 series win; Canadiens' back-to-back Championships 1972 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army explodes 24 bombs in towns and cities across Northern Ireland 1980 - First Cubans of the Mariel boatlift sail to Florida 1988 - Michael Rupert and Jerry Colker's musical "Mail" opens at Music Box Theater, NYC; runs for 37 performances 1992 - Revival of Frank Loesser's musical "Guys and Dolls" starring Nathan Lane opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC, runs for 1,143 performances, and wins 4 Tony Awards 2012 - J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels, launches her website "Pottermore" More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1828 - Noah Webster registers the copyright for the publication of the first American dictionary titled "An American Dictionary of the English Language" 1917 - Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Cicotte no-hits St Louis Browns, 11-0 1941 - King Peter leaves Yugoslavia 1950 - Doorne's Auto factory opens in Netherlands 1972 - Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz's musical review "That's Entertainment" opens at Edison Theater, NYC; runs for 4 performances More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1889 - James Stephenson, British actor (Letter, Espionage Agent, Nancy Drew), born in Selby, Yorkshire, England (d. 1941) 1900 - Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian opera singer and actor (Merry Andrew; Rock-a-Bye Baby), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1969) 1925 - Abel Muzorewa, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979-80), born in Umtali, Manicaland, Southern Rhodesia (d. 2010) 1951 - Julian Lloyd Webber, English cellist (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), born in London 1977 - Rob McElhenney, American actor, screenwriter and producer known for "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Welcome to Wrexham", born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1922 - Cap Anson, American Baseball HOF first baseman (NL batting champion 1881, 88; 8 × NL RBI leader; Chicago White Stockings/Colts) and manager (Philadelphia A's, Chicago White Stockings/Colts, NY Giants), dies from a glandular ailment at 69 1935 - Emmy Noether, German mathematician known for her contributions to abstract algebra, dies at 53 1988 - Herbert Reynolds Inch, American composer and teacher, dies at 83 2008 - Miguel Galvan, Mexican actor/comedian. (b. 1957) 2012 - John Herbert "Jonathan" Frid, Canadian actor (Barnabas Collins-Dark Shadows), dies of pneumonia at 87 More Famous Deaths »

1882 - Anti-Semitic League forms in Prussia 1909 - In Constantinople the primarily Albanian First Army Corps seizes the parliament building and telegraphs offices, forcing the Ottoman statesman Hilmi Pasha to resign 1928 - 1st trans atlantic flight Europe-US (Fitzmaurice-von Hunefeld-Köhl) 1964 - 36th Academy Awards: "Tom Jones" (Best Film), Patricia Neal (Hud), and Sidney Poitier (Lilies of the Field) win; Poitier is the first Black actor in a leading role to win a competitive Oscar 1975 - Christian Falange kills 27 Palestinians, begins Lebanese civil war 1983 - Undefeated middleweight boxer Tony Ayala gets 35 years on sex assault 1990 - Final episode of Pat Sajak's late night TV show on CBS 1997 - Rare double doubleheader played in the same city Giants vs Mets and Oakland A's vs Yankees in NY after rain previous day More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1918 - Electrical fire kills 38 mental patients at Oklahoma State Hospital 1944 - Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4 in overtime for a 4-0 series sweep; Canadiens' first SC triumph since 1931 1960 - The US Department of Defense places "Transit 1B," the first navigational satellite, in orbit around Earth 1981 - Washington Post journalist Janet Cooke wins Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing; she later admits story was a hoax and returns the prize 2014 - Kenyan Wilson Kipsang wins the London Marathon More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1570 - Guy Fawkes, English Catholic conspirator who was convicted in the "Gunpowder Plot" to blow up the British Parliament, born in York, England (d. 1606) 1937 - John Contiguglia, American concert pianist (as duo with his identical twin, Richard), born in Auburn, New York 1939 - Barbara-Rose Collins, American politician (Rep-D-Michigan), born in Detroit, Michigan 1954 - Niels Olsen, Danish singer and songwriter (The Olsen Brothers; Eurovision Song Contest, 2000), born in Odense, Denmark 1971 - Jeroen Thesseling, Dutch death metal fretless bassist (Pestilence; Obscura), born in the Netherlands More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1826 - Franz Danzi, German composer and cellist, dies at 62 1827 - Hugh Clapperton, Scottish explorer of Africa, dies at Sokoto, at 38 1936 - Milton Brown, American swing bandleader, dies at 32 1997 - Foffie Williams, West Indian cricket all-rounder (4 Tests; 9 wickets, 1 x 50; Barbados), dies at 83 2016 - Jeremy Steig, American jazz flutist ("Howlin' for Judy"; "Wayfaring Stranger"), dies of cancer at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1869 - North Carolina legislature passes anti-Ku Klux Klan Law 1931 - Spanish voters reject the monarchy 1946 - LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Louise Suggs wins her first major title by 2 strokes from Eileen Stulb 1955 - Polio vaccine tested by Jonas Salk announced to be 'safe and effective' and is given full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration 1957 - Jim Spalding set a 2,088 pin nine-game bowling record 1961 - Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into space and orbit Earth, aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft 1975 - Six Catholic civilians are killed in a Ulster Volunteer Force gun and grenade attack on Strand Bar in Belfast, North Ireland 1980 - Milwaukee beats Boston Red Sox, 18-1 (Cooper and Money hit grand slams) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1943 - Allies conquer Soussa, North-Africa 1954 - Belgian Van Houtte government resigns 1982 - 3 CBS employees shot to death in NYC parking lot 2002 - Pedro Carmona becomes interim President of Venezuela during the military coup against Hugo Chávez. 2024 - Music festival Coachella kicks off, headlined by Lana Del Ray, Tyler The Creator, Doja Cat and No Doubt More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1777 - Henry Clay, American politician known as "the Great Compromiser", Speaker of the House, Senator and Secretary of State (1825-29), born in Hanover County, Virginia (d. 1852) 1839 - Nikolay Przhevalsky, Russian naturalist and explorer (East and Central Asia), born in Kimborovo, Russia (d. 1888) (OS 31 March) 1899 - Chief Thundercloud [Victor Daniels], Cherokee actor (The Lone Ranger; Colt .45), born in Muskogee, Indian Territory (d. 1955) 1912 - Harold Maguire, British air marshal, born in Kilkishen, Ireland (d. 2001) 1953 - Tony James, English rock bassist (Sigue Sigue Sputnik - Love Missile F-111), born in Shepherds Bush, London More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 352 - Julius I, pope (337-52), dies 1788 - Carl Joseph Toeschi, German composer, dies at 56 1898 - Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Roman catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Quebec, dies at 78 1981 - Hans Chemin-Petit, German composer, dies at 78 1996 - Marthe Robert, French essayist and translator who influenced Sigmund Freud, dies at 82 More Famous Deaths »

1926 - Flemish Economic Covenant (VEV) forms in Ghent 1941 - Nazi occupiers in Netherlands confiscate Jewish assets 1952 - The Battle of Nanri island takes place. 1955 - Garfield Sobers starts run of 85 uninterrupted Test Cricket appearances for West Indies 1993 - 450 prisoners riot at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, and continue for ten days, citing grievances about prison conditions and the forced vaccination of Nation of Islam prisoners (for tuberculosis) 1996 - Revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "The King and I", starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy, premieres at Neil Simon Theater, NYC; runs for 781 performances 2021 - 74th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) held virtually: "Nomadland" best film, Chloé Zhao best director, Frances McDormand, Anthony Hopkins best acting awards 2024 - Vietnamese real estate tycoon Truong My Lan sentenced to death for embezzlement, bribery and banking violations worth 304 trillion dong ($12.46 billion), the country's largest-ever fraud case More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1564 - Liege Prince-Bishop Robert van Bergen resigns 1868 - The Shogunate is abolished in Japan 1972 - Fantasy Records releases "Mardi Gras", the seventh and final studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival 1999 - Neil Jenkins converts a Scott Gibbs try to give Wales a famous, 32-31 win over England at Wembley Stadium; allows Scotland to win final Five Nations Rugby Championship; reverts to 6 teams in 2000 2019 - Israel's Beresheet spacecraft, the first privately-funded mission to the moon, crashes on the moon More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1838 - Joseph Leopold Röckel, German-British composer, music publisher, and teacher, born in London, England (d. 1908) 1920 - Emilio Colombo, Italian Prime Minister (1970-72), born in Potenza, Basilicata (d. 2013) 1930 - Joseph Burnett-Stuart, British CEO (Robert Fleming Holdings), born in the UK (d. 2010) 1951 - Françoise Hampson, British academic and human rights lawyer, born in Bolton, England (d. 2025) 1955 - Michael Callen, American AIDS activist, singer-songwriter, and author, born in Rising Sun, Indiana (d. 1993) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1839 - John Galt, Scottish novelist (Annals of the Parish), dies at 59 1961 - Francis de Bourguignon, Belgian pianist (accompanist to Nellie Melba), and contemporary classical composer, dies at 70 1985 - Enver Hoxha, Albanian post-war communist leader and dictator of Albania (1944-85), dies at 76 1991 - Tom Rosqui, American stage and screen character actor (The Godfather - "Rocco Lampone"), dies of cancer at 62 2016 - Emile Ford, Caribbean-born British singer and engineer (first black male singer to top UK charts), dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1589 - Spanish troops conquer Geertruidenberg after the garrison of English and Dutch troops surrenders 1957 - Jordan's Arabist government of Suleiman Nabulsi is forced to resign after escalating policy disputes with the royal family 1964 - Demolition begins in Upper Manhattan, New York City on Polo Grounds sports stadium (home to MLB Giants, 1891-1957, Mets, 1962-63, and NFL Jets, 1960-63) to clear way for housing project 1968 - 40th Academy Awards: "In the Heat of the Night", Rod Steiger and Katharine Hepburn win 1979 - Soyuz 33 launched with a Russian and a Bulgarian 2005 - At 16 years, 271 days James Vaughan scores for Everton in a 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park; becomes youngest goalscorer in EPL history 2016 - 80th US Masters Tournament: England's Danny Willett wins his first major title, 3 strokes ahead of Lee Westwood and defending champion Jordan Spieth 2024 - South Korea's liberal opposition party wins landslide majority in the country's general election - a defeat for President Yoon Suk Yeol, amid claims he was brought down by a spring onion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1916 - The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) is founded in New York City 1962 - Houston Colt .45s make their MLB debut with an 11-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Colt Stadium; outfielder Román Mejías hits a pair of 3-run homers 1974 - Golda Meir resigns as Israel's Prime Minister 2005 - At 16 years, 271 days James Vaughan scores for Everton in a 4-0 win against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park; becomes youngest goalscorer in EPL history 2010 - Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes near Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board including President Lech Kaczyński More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1569 - Emilia van Nassau, daughter of William I of Orange and Anna of Saxony, born in Cologne, Germany (d. 1629) 1704 - Benjamin Heath, English classical scholar, born in Exeter, Devon, England (d. 1766) 1833 - James Edward Rains, American lawyer and Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1862) 1970 - Enrico Ciccone, Canadian NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks), born in Montreal, Quebec 1987 - Hayley Westenra, New Zealand soprano and UNICEF ambassador, born in Christchurch, New Zealand More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1956 - Clarence Beaumont, 1st batter in 1st World Series, dies at 75 1968 - Gustavs Celmins, Latvian politician, dies at 69 1989 - Joan Barry, dies at 85 1992 - Cecil "Cec" Linder, Polish-Canadian actor (Goldfinger, Quatermass and the Pit), dies at 71 2010 - Ryszard Kaczorowski, Polish statesman is killed in the crash of a Polish Air Force Tu-154 at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1917 - Battle of Arras begins 1973 - Otto Kerner, former governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme 1980 - Los Angeles Kings tie NHL record with two shorthanded playoff goals (vs NY Islanders) 1984 - 56th Academy Awards: "Terms of Endearment", Robert Duvall and Shirley Maclaine win 1992 - Record 18 golfers shoot in 60s in Masters round 1 (old record 12) 1992 - William O Studeman, becomes deputy director of CIA 2021 - Uganda opposition party National Unity Platform Party, headed by Bobi Wine, claims 623 people have been abducted and tortured by the government of President Yoweri Museveni 2023 - Kuwaiti media outlet, Kuwaiti News unveils virtual news presenter on Twitter speaking Arabic, using artificial intelligence (although China was the 1st in 2018) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1595 - Spanish Mendaña and Queirós Expedition departs Callao, Peru, led by Alvaro de Mendan accompanied by 378 men, women and children in four ships to colonise the Solomon Islands (find Marquesas instead) 1914 - "World, the Flesh and the Devil," the first color film, is shown in London 1973 - Otto Kerner, former governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme 2017 - Suicide car bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia kills at least 17, Al-Shabaab group claim responsibility 2024 - Simon Harris becomes Ireland's youngest taoiseach at 37 after the resignation of Leo Varadkar More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1773 - Étienne Aignan, French writer, born in Beaugency, France (d. 1824) 1895 - Rudolf Kattnigg, Austrian composer, born in Carinthia, Austria (d. 1955) 1917 - Vincent O'Brien, Irish racehorse trainer (6 x Epsom Derby; 2 x British champion trainer; only British Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky 1970), born in Churchtown, Ireland (d. 2009) 1946 - Alan Knott, English cricket wicket-keeper (1967-81), born in Belvedere, Kent 1967 - Graeme Lloyd, Australian baseball pitcher (World Series 1996, 98 NY Yankees; Olympic silver 2004), born in Geelong, Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1865 - Thomas Alfred Smyth, Irish/US Union general-major, dies at 32 1879 - Ernst Richter, German musical theorist and composer, dies at 70 1882 - Dante Gabriel Rossetti, English Pre-Raphaelite poet and painter, dies at 53 1992 - Ruth Hammond, American Broadway actress, dies in her sleep at 96 2020 - Jocelyn Barrow, British race relations campaigner (Card) and 1st black female governor of the BBC, dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1759 - British troops chase French out of Masulipatam, India 1933 - Manchester Guardian warns of unknown Nazi terror 1939 - King Zog I of Albania flees after Italy invades 1941 - In his 4th title defense in 9 weeks Joe Louis beats Tony Musto by TKO in the 9th round at the Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri to retain NYSAC heavyweight boxing crown 1972 - Alvin Kallicharran scores 100* in his 1st Test Cricket innings v NZ 1983 - In front of a live audience of 20 tourists, David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty disappear 1989 - California Angels pitcher Jim Abbott, born without his right hand, makes MLB debut, lasting only 4 2/3 innings 2018 - 82nd US Masters Tournament: Patrick Reed wins his first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Rickie Fowler More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1796 - Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, proves the quadratic reciprocity law (the ability to determine the solvability of any quadratic equation in modular arithmetic) 1963 - Detroit Tigers claim young pitcher Denny McLain on waivers from the Chicago White Sox; McLain goes on the win Cy Young Award 1968, 69 and American League MVP 1968 1964 - Unmanned Gemini 1 launched 1966 - American Football League votes in 36-year-old Al Davis as commissioner after Joe Foss resigns; appointment lasts 3 months when AFL merges with NFL 2007 - 71st US Masters Tournament: Zach Johnson wins his first major title, 2 strokes ahead of Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini and Tiger Woods More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1902 - Arthur Wellard, English cricket all-rounder (2 Tests, 7 wickets, BB 4/81; Somerset CCC), born in Southfleet, England (d. 1980) 1921 - Jan Novák, Czech classical composer and contemporary Latin poet, born in Nová Říše, Moravia, First Czechoslovak Republic (d. 1984) 1944 - Hywel Bennett, Welsh, actor (Family Way, Shelley), born in Garnant, Wales (d. 2017) 1966 - Mark Blundell, British auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1992), born in London, England 1984 - Kirsten Storms, American actress (General Hospital; Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century), born in Orlando, Florida More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1537 - Willem Aerts, Flemish architect and sculptor (Bruges School), dies 1942 - Alfred Mombert, German poet, dies at 70 1994 - François Rozet, French Canadian actor (b. 1899) 1997 - Charles Hayes, American politician (Rep-D-IL, 1983-93), dies at 79 1997 - Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter ("Wedding Bell Blues"; "Stoned Soul Picnic"; "And When I Die"), dies of ovarian cancer at 49 More Famous Deaths »

1655 - Fabio Chigi replaces Pope Innocent X as Pope Alexander VII 1724 - Johann Sebastian Bach's "St John Passion" premieres on Good Friday at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany) 1939 - Italy invades Albania 1978 - Guttenberg bible sells for $2,000,000 in New York City 1984 - Detroit Tiger Jack Morris no-hits Chicago White Sox, 4-0 1999 - The World Trade Organization rules in favor of the United States in its long-running trade dispute with the European Union over bananas 2012 - Joyce Banda becomes President of Malawi 2019 - Retiring NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) and Dwyane Wade (Miami) play their final home games, both victories; Magic Johnson sensationally quits as LA Lakers president of basketball operations; Houston Rockets convert NBA record 27 three-point field goals in 149-113 win over Phoenix More Historical Events »

Historical Events 611 - Forces from Maya city Calakmul invade and conquer the neighbouring city of Palenque, holding it as a vassal state for five years 1865 - Battle of Farmville, Virginia 1979 - Houston Astro Ken Forsch no-hits Atlanta Braves, 6-0, becoming with his brother Bob Forsch the only MLB siblings to accomplish the feat 1983 - WIBC Championship Tournament in Las Vegas, attracts 75,480 women bowlers for 83-day event 2022 - Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi transfers power to an eight-member council to negotiate with the Houthis in attempt to end country's seven-year civil war More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1727 - Michel Adanson, French botanist known for his work on plant classifications, born in Aix-en Provence, France (d. 1806) 1873 - John McGraw, American Baseball Hall of Fame infielder/manager (manager NY Giants World Series champions 1905, 21-22), born in Truxton, New York (d. 1934) 1882 - Bert Ironmonger, Australian cricket spin bowler (14 Tests; 74 wickets @ 17.97; Queensland, Victoria), born in Pine Mountain, Australia (d. 1971) 1889 - Gabriela Mistral [Lucila Godoy Alcayaga], Chilean poet (Nobel Prize for Literature, 1945), educator and diplomat, born in Vicuña, Chile (d. 1957) 1909 - Robert Charroux, French writer (Legacy of the Gods, The Mysterious Past), born in Payroux, France (d. 1978) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1880 - Diederich Krug, German pianist and composer (Le petit Chevalier), dies at 60 1986 - Leonid Kantorovich, Russian Soviet economist (Father of linear programming, Nobel Prize for Economics 1975), dies at 74 1997 - Luis Aloma, Cuban baseball player, dies at 73 2020 - Herb Stempel, American game show contestant and television industry whistleblower (Twenty-One), dies at 93 2023 - Ian Bairnson, Scottish session and touring guitarist (Alan Parsons Project; Kate Bush), dies at 69 More Famous Deaths »

1634 - Heeren XIX (the directors of the Dutch West India Company) ask "to secure Eylands Curacao" 1843 - William Wordsworth is appointed British Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria 1973 - Indian troops invade Sikkim 1984 - Members of Cameroon's Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya. 1987 - Middleweight World Boxing Championship bout: Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada 2006 - New Zealand Sign Language is made an official language of New Zealand 2014 - 49th Academy of Country Music Awards: George Strait, Jason Aldean, and Miranda Lambert win 2015 - 77th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Wisconsin, 68-63; Blue Devils' point guard Tyus Jones, 23 points More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1924 - Italy fascists receives 65% of vote of parliament 1976 - 1st quadrophonic movie track: "Ladies and Gentlemen the Rolling Stones" 1977 - Judge rules Beatles 1962 Hamburg album can be released 1987 - Middleweight World Boxing Championship bout: Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada 1997 - The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Gil Morgan wins first of 3 Champions Tour majors by 6 strokes from Isao Aoki More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1917 - Leonora Carrington, British-Mexican Surrealist artist, born in Clayton-le-Woods, England (d. 2011) 1928 - James Watson, American molecular biologist who co-discovered DNA's structure, with Francis Crick (Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, 1962), geneticist and zoologist, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2025) 1929 - Art Taylor, American jazz drummer (Bud Powell, Red Garland, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd), bandleader (Taylor's Wailers), and writer (Notes and Tones), born in New York City (d. 1995) 1968 - Vanessa Lann, American composer (Dancing to an Orange Drummer), born in Brooklyn, New York 1996 - Myha'la [Herrold], American actress (Industry, Leave the World Behind), born in San Jose, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1348 - Laure de Noves, "Petrarch's Laura", Italian muse of poet Petrarch, wife of Count Hugues II de Sade, dies of the plague at about 38 (b. 1310) 1998 - Tammy Wynette [Virginia Pugh], American country singer ("Stand By Your Man"), dies at 55 2004 - Niki Sullivan, American guitarist (The Crickets), dies of a heart attack at 66 2019 - Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, American Democratic Senator from South Carolina (1966-2005) and Governor of South Carolina (1959-63), dies at 97 2020 - James Drury, American actor (The Virginian), dies of natural causes at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1881 - Transvaal regains independence under British suzerainty 1939 - Alexander Gretchaninov's 5th Symphony premieres at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia with Leopold Stowkowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra 1949 - 60 year old St Anthony's Hospital in Effingham, Illinois, catches fire, killing 77 people 1974 - Last day of Test cricket for Garfield Sobers and Rohan Kanhai 1984 - Galt MacDermot and William Dumaresq's musical "The Human Comedy", based on the novel by William Saroyan, opens at Royale Theater, NYC; runs for 13 performances 1992 - WrestleMania VIII, Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN (62,167): Hulk Hogan defeats Sid Justice by DQ; Randy Savage beats Ric Flair for WWF Heavyweight title 2004 - 66th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Georgia Tech, 82-73; Huskies' forward Emeka Okafor named tournament Most Outstanding Player 2021 - 82nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Baylor Bears become second consecutive first-time NCAA champions with 86–70 over previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1881 - Transvaal regains independence under British suzerainty 1946 - 100th Grand National: Capt. Robert Petre wins aboard 25/1 shot Lovely Cottage; first true GN since 1940 due to World War II; last on a Friday 2012 - Severe storms in Argentina kill 14 people 2012 - International internet group Anonymous hack several Chinese bureaus in opposition to censorship 2016 - 35th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut defeats Syracuse, 82–51; Huskies' power forward Breanna Stewart, 24 points More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1830 - Alexander Muir, Scottish-Canadian composer (The Maple Leaf Forever), born in Lesmahagow, Scotland (d. 1906) 1920 - Rafiq Zakaria, Indian politician and Islamic religious cleric, born in Nala Sopara, British India (d. 2005) 1943 - Max Gail, American Emmy Award winning actor (Barney Miller - "Wojo"; D.C. Cab: General Hospital; 42), born in Detroit, Michigan 1950 - Paul Oscher, American blues musician (Muddy Waters Blues Band), born in Brooklyn, New York 1973 - Spencer Folau, Tongan, American football offensive lineman (Baltimore Ravens), born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1723 - Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Austrian Baroque architect under the Habsburgs (Schönbrunn Palace), dies at 66 1735 - William Derham, English clergyman, natural theologian and scientist, dies at 77 1935 - Emil Młynarski, Polish conductor and composer, dies at 64 2023 - Ian McIntosh, Zimbabwean rugby union coach (South Africa 1993-94; Natal), dies at 84 2025 - Heikki Hasu, Finnish Nordic skier (Olympic gold individual 1948, 4×10k relay 1952; silver individual 1952), dies at 99 More Famous Deaths »

1932 - Charles G. King, University of Pittsburgh isolates Vitamin C, using adrenal samples provided by Hungarian Albert Szent-Györgyi 1945 - The Holocaust: US forces liberate the Ohrdruf concentration camp in Germany, the first such camp to be liberated by the US Army 1959 - Mali Federation founded, consisting of Senegal and French Sudan (dissolved 1960) 1972 - First electric power plant fueled by garbage begins operating 1988 - Largest crowd (55,438) at an MLB Opening Day game at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium; Reds win over St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 in 12 innings 1992 - 146th Grand National: 14/1 shot Party Politics, ridden by Welsh jockey Carl Llewellyn wins by 2½ lengths from Romany King 1994 - Netscape Communications founded as Mosaic Communications 1997 - Second Defense Meteorological Satellite Program weather satellite is launched aboard a Titan II rocket More Historical Events »