CoM Moderators

1501 - Construction begins on Portugal's Jerónimos Monastery, designed by architect Diogo de Boitaca to commemorate the return of Vasco da Gama from India 1953 - The first Asian Socialist Conference opens in Burma 1967 - United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta. 1980 - Phil Flyers set NHL record of 35 straight games without a defeat 1980 - AFC Championship, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Houston Oilers, 27-13 1987 - Astronomers at University of California see 1st sight of birth of a galaxy 1991 - Qian Hong swims female world record 50m butterfly (27.30 sec) 1994 - US figure skating champion Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by Tonya Harding's bodyguard at the US Championships in Detroit 1997 - "It's a Slippery Slope" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC 2019 - 76th Golden Globes: "The Americans", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Green Book", Glenn Close and Rami Malek among the winners More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1930 - Australian cricket icon Don Bradman scores 452 not out for New South Wales v Queensland in Sydney; then world record individual score in a first-class match; runs scored in 415 minutes 1947 - Ray Lindwall smashes 100 v England in MCG Test 1974 - In response to the 1973 energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States. 1985 - NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers beat Chicago Bears, 23-0 1986 - British Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine resigns after the 'Westland affair' 2002 - Daniel Bedingfield returns to No.1 on the UK singles chart for the second time with Gotta Get Thru This More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1525 - Caspar Peucer, German reformer, born in Bautzen, Germany (d. 1602) 1945 - Barry John, Welsh rugby player, born in Cefneithin, United Kingdom 1964 - Mark O'Toole, English musician (Frankie Goes to Hollywood - "Relax"), born in Liverpool, England 1974 - Juan Roque, American football tackle (Detroit Lions), born in San Diego, California 1975 - Jason King, English radio DJ (Radio 1), born in Tenbury Wells, United Kingdom 1982 - Eddie Redmayne, English actor (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Theory of Everything), born in London More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1592 - John Casimir of Simmern, German prince and regent for his nephew, Elector Frederick IV (b. 1543) 1734 - John Dennis, English dramatist whose thunder was stolen (b. 1657) 1885 - Peter C Asbjornsen, Norwegian fairy tale writer, dies at 72 1975 - Noel Madison, actor (Jitterbugs, Black Raven), dies at 77 1985 - Robert W. Welch Jr., American businessman who founded the conservative John Birch Society, dies at 85 2006 - Lou Rawls, American soul singer-songwriter and producer ("You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"), dies of cancer at 72 More Famous Deaths »

1919 - German Workers' Party forms, precursor to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi) 1927 - MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis begins 3-day public hearing on charges that 4 games played between Chicago and Detroit in 1917 had been thrown to White Sox 1929 - Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia 1960 - Continental League, a proposed third baseball major league, gets an assurance of congressional support from NY Senator Kenneth Keating 1969 - "Maggie Flynn" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 82 performances 1976 - Cambodia is renamed "Democratic Kampuchea" 1992 - Revival of Arthur Miller's dramatic play "The Crucible" closes at Belasco Theater, NYC, after 32 performances 1993 - Washington state executes Westley Allan Dodd by hanging (first legal hanging in America since 1965) 1996 - Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone 2018 - Kitwe in Zambia bans shaking hands and the sale of fresh food in attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1757 - Failed assassination attempt on French King Louis XV by Damiens 1929 - Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia 1943 - Teams agrees to start season later due to WW II 1976 - In retaliation for the Reavey and O'Dowd killings, the South Armagh Republican Action Force shoot dead 10 Protestant civilians after stopping their minibus in County Armagh 1981 - Late night television news program "Nightline" with Ted Koppel extended from 20 mins to 30 mins 2018 - Kitwe in Zambia bans shaking hands and the sale of fresh food in attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1892 - Anne Morrison Chapin, American playwright, actress, (The Wild Westcotts), and screenwriter (The Sailor Takes A Wife), born in Shoals, Indiana (d. 1967) 1932 - Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher and author (Name of the Rose), born in Alessandria, Piedmont (d. 2016) 1942 - Dany Sava [Danielle Savalle], French actress (Moon Pilot), born in Paris, France 1965 - Vinnie Jones, English-born Welsh footballer and actor, born in Watford, United Kingdom 1985 - Michael Cuccione, Canadian actor, born in Burnaby, Canada (d. 2001) 1986 - Deepika Padukone, Indian model, actress, and activist (Om Shanti Om, Cocktail, Piki), born in Copenhagen, Denmark More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1713 - Jean Chardin, French explorer (Middle East and India), dies at 69 1960 - Pavel Parenago, Soviet scientist and astronomer (stellar astronomy) dies at 53 1976 - Mal Evans, British Beatles roadie and personal assistant, dies in a confrontation with police at his Los Angeles home at 40 1981 - Guy Paquinet, French jazz trombonist, and bandleader, dies at 77 2010 - Kenneth Noland, American Color Field painter, dies of kidney cancer at 85 2019 - Eric Haydock [Haddock], British rock bassist (The Hollies, 1962-66 - ""Look Through Any Window"), dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1903 - Topsy the elephant is electrocuted by her owners at Luna Park, Coney Island and filmed by Edison Manufacturing movie company 1904 - Stanley Cup, Aberdeen Pavilion, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa HC beats Winnipeg Rowing Club, 2-0 for 2-1 challenge series victory 1942 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US Army Chief of Staff General Marshall fly to Florida 1942 - 4th NFL All Star Game, Polo Grounds, NYC: Chicago Bears beat NFL All-Stars, 35-24 1953 - KTSM TV channel 9 in El Paso, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting 1963 - Soviet Luna (4) reaches Earth orbit but fails to reach Moon 1981 - "Frankenstein" opens and closes on Broadway 1998 - Anton Chekov's dramatic play "Ivanov", translated and adapted by David Hare, closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater, NYC, after 51 performances 2009 - Phil Taylor, with a 7–1 victory in the final over Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld wins his 12th PDC World Darts title, his 14th in all; his 110.94 average remains a record for the PDC World Darts Championship final 2018 - Truck hits a train near Kroonstad city, South Africa killing 19 passengers More Historical Events »

Historical Events 274 - St Eutychian begins his reign as Catholic Pope 1781 - Andre Méchain discovers M80 (globular cluster in Scorpio) 1934 - 1st Dutch talkie movie, Jan Teunissen's "Willem of Orange" premieres 1948 - Burma declares independence from UK 1969 - France begins arms embargo against Israel 1981 - Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Sandy Duncan, closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 578 performances More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1878 - Augustus John, Welsh painter (d. 1961) 1910 - Arthur Villeneuve, Quebec painter (d. 1990) 1932 - Carlos Saura, Spanish director 1933 - Ed Jenkins, American politician (Rep-D-GA, 1977-93), born in Young Harris, Georgia (d. 2012) 1973 - Harmony Korine, American film director and artist, born in Bolinas, California 1982 - Paulo Ferrari, Argentinian soccer defender (Rosario Central, River Plate) and manager (Rosario Central, San Martín SJ) , born in Rosario, Argentina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1966 - Marcel Tabuteau, French-American oboist (Philadelphia Orchestra, 1915-54), dies at 78 1991 - Leo Wright, American jazz saxophone and flute player (Dizzy Gillespie; "Blues Shout"; "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"), dies of a heart attack at 57 2003 - Yfrah Neaman, Israeli-British concert violinist, and pedagogue, dies of cancer at 79 2004 - Joan Aiken, English writer of children's books (The Whispering Mountain), dies at 79 2012 - Gatewood Galbraith [Louis], lawyer, American political activist, iconic Kentucky political figure, dies from pneumonia at 64 2022 - Joan Copeland, American film and TV soap actress ("Roseland"; "Search for Tomorrow"), dies at 99 More Famous Deaths »

1653 - The Coonan Cross Oath is taken in the Saint Thomas Christian community in an effort to avoid submission to Portuguese rule in India 1872 - 1st patent list issued by US Patent Office 1890 - 1st US college-level dairy school opens at University of Wisconsin 1933 - Minnie D. Craig becomes the first female elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first female to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States. 1969 - Rep Adam Clayton Powell Jr seated by Congress 1971 - 1st AFC Championship, Memorial Stadium, Baltimore: Baltimore Colts beat Oakland Raiders, 27-17 1973 - A 12-man syndicate led by Michael Burke and George Steinbrenner III buys MLB's New York Yankees from CBS for US$10 million 1985 - Israel government confirms resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews 2007 - National Express has its worst ever coach crash just outside Heathrow Airport. 2019 - Chinese Chang'e-4 spacecraft becomes the first ever to touch down on the far side of the Moon More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1893 - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's final opera "Iolanta", is first performed outside of Russia in Hamburg, Germany 1945 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visits France 1984 - Syria frees captured US pilot after appeal from Jesse Jackson 1993 - "Catskills on Broadway" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 452 performances 2004 - Panthers kicker John Kasay ties NFL-playoff record with 5 field goals to lead Carolina to a 29-10 win over Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of playoffs in Charlotte, North Carolina 2022 - Scotsman Peter Wright wins his second PDC World Darts Championship; beats Michael Smith of England, 7-5 at the Alexandra Palace in London More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1698 - Pietro Metastasio, Italian poet (d. 1782) 1900 - Maurice Jaubert, French composer, born in Nice (d. 1940) 1932 - Mara Corday [Marilyn Joan Watts], American actress, model and Playboy Playmate (Foxfire, Black Scorpion), born in Santa Monica, California 1950 - Rick MacLeish, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1974, 75; Philadelphia Flyers; NHL All Star 1977, 78), born in Lindsay, Ontario (d. 2016) 1969 - Nikki Nelson, American country singer (Highway 101 - "Cry Cry Cry"; "Whose Lonely Now"), born in La Mesa, California 1980 - Liya Kebede, Ethiopian model More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1761 - Willem de Fesch, Dutch violinist and composer (Joseph), dies at 73 1965 - Julius Tannen, American vaudeville comedian, dies at 84 1975 - Milton Cross, American radio announcer (Metropolitan Opera's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, 1931-75), dies of a heart attack at 87 1995 - Gerard W. Taylor, South African-British surgeon, dies at 74 2002 - Al Smith, American baseball outfielder and third baseman (3-time MLB All Star; Cleveland Indians), dies at 73 2014 - Phil Everly, American rock and roll singer-guitarist (The Everly Brothers - "Bye, Bye Love"; "Wake Up Little Susie"; "When WIll I Be Loved"), dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1814 - Lord Byron completes "The Corsair", a long tale in verse 1893 - 1st US commemoratives and 1st US stamp to picture a woman issued (Queen Isabella, patron of Columbus) 1928 - 14th Rose Bowl: Stanford beats Pittsburgh, 7-6 1944 - 1st use of helicopters during warfare (British Atlantic patrol) 1950 - 16th Sugar Bowl: #2 Oklahoma beats #9 LSU, 35-0 1972 - An anti-internment rally is held in Belfast, North Ireland 1990 - Sting joins pro wrestling's legendary "4 Horsemen" (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson) 2001 - 67th Sugar Bowl: #3 Miami beats #7 Florida, 37-20 2002 - Eduardo Duhalde is appointed interim President of Argentina by the Legislative Assembly. 2006 - 35th Fiesta Bowl: #4 Ohio State beats #5 Notre Dame, 34-20 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1929 - US and Canada agree to preserve Niagara Falls 1942 - Japanese troops occupy Manila, Philippines 1955 - 1st "Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later on CBS) 1968 - KBHK TV channel 44 in San Francisco, California (IND) begins broadcasting 1987 - 16th Fiesta Bowl: #2 Penn State beats #1 Miami, 14-10 1989 - UCLA beats Arkansas Razorbacks, 17-3 to win the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas; record 7th consecutive football bowl game victory for the Bruins More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1886 - Apsley Cherry-Garrard, English Antarctic explorer (d. 1959) 1902 - Dan Keating, Irish republican (d. 2007) 1929 - Allen Sapp, Canadian Cree artist, born at Red Pheasant Reserve, Saskatchewan (d. 2015) 1955 - Tex Brashear, American voice actor 1959 - Kirti Azad, Indian cricket all-rounder (7 Tests; 25 ODIs) and politician, born in Darbhanga, India 1968 - Anky van Grunsven, Dutch equestrian rider (Olympic gold dressage 2000, 04, 08; World C'ship gold 1994, 2006), born in Erp, Netherlands More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1915 - (Károly) "Karl" Goldmark, Hungarian-Viennese violinist and composer (Rustic Wedding Symphony; The Queen of Sheba; Sakuhtala), dies at 84 1977 - Erroll Garner, American jazz pianist (Misty), dies at 53 2003 - Eric Jupp, British-born musician, dies at 80 2007 - A. Richard Newton, Australian-born technology pioneer and professor, dies at 55 2014 - Elizabeth Jane Howard, English novelist, dies at 90 2022 - Larry Biitner, American MLB baseball outfielder, 1970-83 (Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and 2 other teams), dies of cancer at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1622 - Papal Chancery adopts Jan 1 as beginning of the year (was Mar 25) 1852 - National debt of Britain and Ireland is 765,126,582 pounds 1891 - French troops occupy Nioro, West-Sudan, 3000 killed 1914 - Northern and Southern Nigeria united in British colony of Nigeria 1925 - 11th Rose Bowl: Notre Dame beats Stanford, 27-10 1944 - Army defeats Navy 10-7 in football "Arab Bowl," Oran, North Africa 1958 - European Economic Community, better known as the European Common Market starts operation 1964 - KNMT TV channel 12 in Walker, MN (CBS) begins broadcasting 1995 - "A Tuna Christmas" closes at Booth Theater NYC after 20 performances 2004 - St. Louis head coach Joel Quenneville records his 300th NHL win with the Blues, a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Savvis Center, St. Louis; Quenneville is Blues coaching games and wins leader More Historical Events »

Historical Events 630 - Prophet Muhammad sets out with an army 10,000 strong to conquer Mecca 1840 - 1st recorded bowling match in US, Knickerbocker Alleys, NYC 1893 - The railway line from Germiston to Pretoria, South Africa, is opened to traffic 1946 - Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces he is not a god 1984 - NYC transit fare rises from 75 cents to 90 cents 2003 - 89th Rose Bowl: #8 Oklahoma beats #7 Washington State, 34-14 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1600 - Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (d. 1649) 1622 - Isaac Sweers, Dutch fleet admiral, born in Nijmegen, Dutch Republic (d. 1673) 1784 - William Beale, English composer and baritone, born in Lankrake, Cornwall (d. 1854) 1876 - Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (d. 1933) 1967 - Spencer Tunick, American photographer (large-scale nude installations), born in Middletown, New York 1969 - Christi Paul, American news anchor More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 874 - Hasan al-Askari, 11th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, dies at 27 1730 - Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, English Tory statesman, dies at 82 1923 - Willie Keeler, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (highest career AB-per-strikeout ratio in MLB history; NL batting champion 1897, 98 Baltimore Orioles), dies of tuberculosis at 50 1992 - Constantin Poustochkine, Dutch jazz musician and critic, dies at 81 2011 - Charles Fambrough, American jazz bassist (Jazz Messengers), dies at 60 2020 - Marty Grebb, American rock session and touring keyboardist (The Buckinghams; Bonnie Raitt), dies at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1660 - James II of England is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France. 1805 - End of French Republican calendar; France returns to Gregorianism 1969 - Congo-Brazzaville becomes People's republic, under major Ngouabi 1974 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley retains her title; beats Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-2 1978 - Iran shah names Chapour Bakhtiar premier 1978 - Taiwan's final day of diplomatic relations with US 1988 - Pittsburgh NHL center Mario Lemieux accounts for all his team's goals in Penguins 8-6 win over the NJ Devils; famously scores 5 goals, each in a different way: even strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot and empty net; also 3 assists 1994 - This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC-11 to UTC+13 and UTC-10 to UTC+14, respectively. 1995 - "Paul Roebson" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 14 performances 2016 - Chris Ofili is appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to art More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1564 - William I of Orange demands freedom of religious conscience for his subjects in dramatic speech to the Council of State 1904 - First New Year's Eve celebration held in Times Square, New York City 1944 - World War II: Hungary declares war on Germany. 1951 - 1st battery to convert radioactive energy to electricity announced 1958 - 47th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Brisbane (3-2) 1974 - New York Yankees sign Cy Young Award winner Jim "Catfish" Hunter for 5 years for a record $3.75 million from the Oakland A's More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1870 - Tom Connolly, American Baseball HOF umpire (AL-record 8 x World Series), born in Manchester, England (d. 1961) 1877 - Lawrence Beesley, English journalist and author, born in Wirksworth, United Kingdom (d. 1967) 1939 - Afaq Hussain, Pakistani cricketer (Pakistani off-spinner in 2 Tests 1961-64), born in Lucknow, India (d. 2002) 1947 - Burton Cummings, Canadian rock singer-songwriter, and keyboardist (Guess Who - "These Eyes"), born in Winnipeg, Canada 1948 - René Robert, Canadian ice hockey winger (NHL All Star 1972-73, 74-75; Buffalo Sabres 1st 100 point player 1974-75), born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (d. 2021) 1964 - Michael McDonald, American actor-comedian, born in St. Louis, Missouri More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1880 - Arnold Ruge, German political philosopher and writer, dies at 78 1969 - Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian operatic bass buffo singer (Metropolitan Opera, 1940-62), and actor (Merry Andrew; Rock-a-Bye Baby), dies at 69 1983 - Frank Link, actor (Burns and Schreiber Comedy Show), dies at 46 1991 - Felicja Blumental, Polish-Brazilian concert pianist (Villa-Lobos' Piano Concerto No. 5; Penderecki's Partita for Harpsichord), dies at 83 1995 - Eduardo Hernández Moncada, Mexican composer and pianist, dies at 96 2015 - Natalie Cole, American pop vocalist ('Pink Cadillac"; "Miss You Like Crazy"), dies at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1896 - Filipino nationalist José Rizal is executed by firing squad in Manila by the Spanish 1906 - The All-India Muslim League is founded in Dacca, East Bengal, British India Empire, later laid down the foundations of Pakistan 1922 - Creation of the USSR formally proclaimed in Moscow from the Bolshoi Theatre, organized as a union (U) of Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian and Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republics (SSR). 1926 - Chicago Tribune reports the Tigers threw a 4-game series to the White Sox in 1917 to help Chicago win the pennant (never substantiated) 1958 - French franc devalued 1969 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1971 - A member of the Irish Republican Army is killed in a premature bomb explosion in Santry, Dublin. 1977 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Evonne Goolagong Cawley wins her 6th career Grand Slam title; beats fellow Australian Helen Gourlay Cawley 6-3, 6-0 1986 - Ballon d'Or: Dynamo Kyiv's Ukrainian forward Igor Belanov is named best football player in Europe ahead of Barcelona striker Gary Lineker and Real Madrid forward Emilio Butragueño 1995 - Lowest ever UK temperature recorded of -27.2°C iat Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands, equaling the record set at Braemar, Aberdeenshire on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1892 - Dr Miles V Lynk, physician, publishes 1st Black medical journal 1933 - Jack Badcock scores 274 v Victoria, Tasmania's 1st double-ton 1950 - "Sixty Minute Man" record single released by The Dominoes (Billboard Song of the Year 1951) 1958 - French franc devalued 1980 - Ballon d'Or: Bayern Munich forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is named best European football player; beats German international teammate Bernd Schuster of FC Barcelona and Saint-Étienne midfielder Michel Platini 2004 - A fire in the República Cromagnon nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina kills 194. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1934 - Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury 1945 - Vernon Wells, Australian actor 1945 - John Kevin Moorhouse, test pilot 1959 - Alfie Anido, Filipino model and actor (Temptation Island), born in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines (d. 1981) 1963 - Chandler Burr, American journalist (US New and World Report), author (A Separate Creation; The Emperor of Scent), and museum curator (Department of Scent Art), born in Chicago, Illinois 1984 - LeBron James, American basketball forward (NBA C'ship and MVP 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020; 16 × NBA All-Star; Olympic gold 2008, 12; Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers), born in Akron, Ohio More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1944 - Romain Roland, French writer/pacifist (Nobel 1915), dies at 78 1947 - Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86 1973 - Henri-Paul Busser, composer, dies at 101 1994 - Lloyd James Austin, Australian linguist and literary scholar, dies at 79 2012 - Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian neurologist (Nobel 1986), dies at 103 2015 - Donald Barron, Scottish accountant and CEO (Midland Bank), dies at 94 More Famous Deaths »

1782 - 1st nautical almanac in US published by Samuel Stearns, Boston 1812 - The USS Constitution under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three hour battle 1837 - Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo 1899 - British fleet seizes German Imperial Mail Steamer Bundesrath accused of carrying contraband 1900 - General Viljoen surprise attack British garrison to Helvetia 1940 - Worst German air raid on London as over 10,000 bombs including the 1st incendiary bombs are dropped on the city as part of the Blitz 1949 - 1st UHF television station operating regular basis Bridgeport, Connecticut 1974 - AFC Championship, Oakland Coliseum: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Oakland Raiders, 24-13 1983 - Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman's record of 29 1989 - Riots break-out after Hong Kong decides to forcibly repatriate Vietnamese refugees. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1922 - Dutch Constitution proclaimed 1939 - First flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber prototype 1944 - Belgian Walloon Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle sentenced to death 1968 - AFL Championship, Shea Stadium, NYC: New York Jets beat Oakland Raiders 27-23; Joe Namath 3 TD passes sparks Jets to win 1994 - Bangladesh government of Zia resigns 1997 - Cricket Women's World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1809 - William Ewart Gladstone, British statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Liberal: 1868-74, 1880-86, 1892-94), born in Liverpool, England (d. 1898) 1936 - Eduard Martsevich, Soviet-Russian actor and People's Artist of the RSFSR, born in Tbilisi, USSR (d. 2013) 1947 - Vincent Winter, Scottish child actor, born in Aberdeen, United Kingdom (d. 1998) 1963 - Ulf Kristersson, Swedish politician (Prime Minister of Sweden 2022-), born in Lund, Sweden 1977 - Jimmy Journell, American baseball player, born in Springfield, Ohio 1978 - Kieron Dyer, English football player, born in Ipswich, United Kingdom More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1919 - William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70 1982 - Sol C Siegel, American film producer (A Letter To Three Wives, High Society, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), dies of a heart attack at 79 1995 - Philip Idenburg, Dutch statistician, dies at 94 1996 - Pennar Davies, Welsh poet, author and theologian, dies at 85 2001 - Takashi Asahina, Japanese conductor (b. 1908) 2016 - Chris Cannizzaro, American baseball player, dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1832 - John C. Calhoun becomes 1st VP to resign (differences with President Jackson) 1914 - Turks are repulsed by the Russians after fighting in Armenia for weeks 1915 - San Francisco City Hall dedicated by Mayor James Rolph 1934 - Film "Bright Eyes" premieres starring Shirley Temple and featuring the song "On the Good Ship Lollipop" 1968 - Israeli assault on Beirut Airport 1969 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1970 - Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) adopts constitution 1972 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1984 - Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old 1994 - American country singer Tammy Wynette admitted to the hospital with bile duct infection More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1816 - American Colonization Society organizes 1904 - 1st daily wireless weather forecasts published (London) 1905 - Intercollegiate Athletic Association of US founded (becomes NCAA in 1910) 1926 - Victoria all out for 1107 against NSW at the MCG Crowd 22,348 1963 - "Jennie" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 82 performances 2002 - LinkedIn is founded by Reid Hoffman and others in Mountain View, California More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1865 - Félix Vallotton, Swiss-French painter and writer (Chaste Suzanna), born in Lausanne, Switzerland (d. 1925) 1902 - Shen Congwen, Chinese writer (Long River), born in Zhen'gan, Hunan Province (d. 1988) 1929 - Terry Sawchuk, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender (4-time Vezina Trophy and Stanley Cup winner), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 1970) 1942 - Arild Hetleøen, Norwegian soccer central defender (4 caps; SK Brann), born in Bergen, Norway (2023) 1962 - Michel Petrucciani, French jazz pianist (100 Hearts), born in Orange, France (d. 1999) 1972 - Kevin Stitt, American politician, Governor of Oklahoma (2019-), born in Milton, Florida More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1663 - Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician and physicist (light defraction), dies at 45 1859 - Thomas Babington Macaulay, English poet (Ivy), historian (The History of England), and politician (British India education reform), dies of a heat attack at 59 1978 - Harry Winston, US jeweler for the "rich and famous", dies at 82 1984 - Sam Peckinpah, American film director (The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs), dies of cardiac arrest at 59 1995 - Harold Collison, British trade unionist (agriculture workers), dies at 86 2017 - Recy Taylor, American sexual assault victim, dies at 97 More Famous Deaths »

1934 - Musical revue "Thumbs Up", including music and lyrics by Vernon Duke, James Hanley, and Ira Gershwin (among others), premieres at the St. James Theatre, NYC; runs for 156 performance 1954 - Gian Carlo Menotti's Pulitzer Prize winning opera "The Saint of Bleecker Street" opens at Broadway Theater in ,NYC; runs for 92 performances 1960 - 1961 NFL Draft: Tommy Mason from University of Tulane first pick by Minnesota Vikings 1961 - Belgium and Congo resume diplomatic relations 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1983 - Propane gas fire devastated 16 blocks of Buffalo 1991 - Bengals hire Dave Shula as youngest NFL coach (32) 1996 - Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul. 2000 - Pittsburgh Penguins center and part-owner Mario Lemieux scores a goal and 2 assists in his return to the NHL after more than 3 years out with injury problems and lingering cancer issues; Penguins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-0 2002 - Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1862 - Battle of Elizabethtown, Kentucky 1943 - Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower and Bedell Smith 1960 - France performs nuclear test 1960 - 1961 NFL Draft: Tommy Mason from University of Tulane first pick by Minnesota Vikings 1974 - Dear Abby show ends run on CBS radio after 11 years 1983 - Ballon d'Or: Juventus' French midfielder Michel Platini claims first of 3 trophies for Europe's best football player ahead of Liverpool midfielder Kenny Dalgleish and Vejle BK striker Allan Simonsen More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1748 - William Marshall, Scottish fiddle composer (The Marchioness of Huntly; The Nameless Lassie), music publisher (A Collection of Strathspey Reels), and clockmaker, born in Fochabers, Scotland (d. 1833) 1884 - Bernard van Dieren, Dutch composer (Diaphony; Chinese Symphony), critic, and music writer, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1936) 1944 - Mick Jones, English rock guitarist (Foreigner - "I Want to Know What Love Is"), born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England 1972 - Charles Way, NFL fullback (NY Giants) 1985 - Logan Bailly, Belgian football goalkeeper 1985 - Paul Stastny, Canadian ice hockey center (NHL All-Rookie 2007; NHL All-Star 2011; Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, LV Golden Knights), born in Quebec City, Quebec More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1812 - Joanna Southcott, an English self-described religious prophetess. 1992 - Cardew "the Cad" [Douglas] Robinson, English comedian (Alfie), dies at 75 1994 - Sadi de Gorter, Dutch author/diplomat (Abscess), dies at 82 1995 - Al Barlick, American Baseball Hall of Fame umpire (7 x World Series; 7 x MLB All Star games), dies at 80 1997 - Anthea Joseph, British music promoter, dies at 57 2020 - José Luiz Carbone, Brazilian soccer midfielder (6 caps; São Paulo, Internacional, Botafogo) and coach (Fluminense, Guarani), dies from liver cancer at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1925 - 1st East-West Shrine Bowl game of college football 'all-stars' played before 25,000 fans at Ewing Park, San Francisco. Proceeds continue to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. 1940 - JA Fields/J Chodorov's "My Sister Eileen," premieres in NYC 1954 - "The Shadow" airs for last time on radio 1968 - Bruin Ted Green sets NHL penalty record of 3 minors, 2 majors and 2 game misconducts in a game against NY Rangers in NY's Madison Square Garden 1968 - Led Zeppelin's concert debut in Denver as opener for Vanilla Fudge 1972 - Ballon d'Or: Bayern Munich defender Franz Beckenbauer wins award for best European football player ahead of tied fellow German duo of Gerd Müller and Günter Netzer 1973 - Horror film "The Exorcist" based on book and screenplay by William Peter Blatty, starring Linda Blair, rated X, premieres - 1st horror film to be nominated for Best Picture 1975 - Crowd of 85,661 attend the 1st day of the Australia vs West Indies MCG cricket test 1991 - Gun of Jack Ruby, killer of Lee Harvey Oswald, sells for $220,000 at auction 2003 - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake devastates southeast Iranian city of Bam, killing tens of thousands and destroying the citadel of Arg-é Bam. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1854 - Treaty of Medicine Creek signed by Nisqually, Puyallup and Coast Salish peoples with Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Governor of Washington Territory, giving up 2.5 million acres to preserve fishing and gathering rights 1870 - The 12.8-km long Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps is completed. 1954 - National Football League Championship, Cleveland Municipal Stadium: Cleveland Browns thrash Detroit Lions, 56-10; Browns' placekicker Lou Groza makes 8 extra points, a new title game record 1962 - Dmitri Shostakovich's opera "Katerina Ismailova" premieres in Moscow 1967 - Ballon d'Or: Ferencváros forward Flórián Albert wins award for best European football player ahead of Manchester United midfielder Bobby Charlton and Celtic winger Jimmy Johnstone 1968 - Bruin Ted Green sets NHL penalty record of 3 minors, 2 majors and 2 game misconducts in a game against NY Rangers in NY's Madison Square Garden More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1935 - Gnassingbé Eyadéma, General and President of Togo (1967-2005), born in Kozah, Togo (d. 2005) 1942 - Antonio Juliano, Italian soccer midfielder (13 caps; Napoli 394 games, Bologna), born in Naples, Italy (d. 2023) 1966 - Rickey Dixon, American College Football Hall of Fame cornerback (Jim Thorpe Award 1987; Oklahoma Sooners; Cincinnati Bengals, LA Raiders), born in Dallas, Texas (d. 2020) 1970 - Krissada Terrence, Thai-American pop singer and actor, born in Thailand 1974 - Tiffany Brissette, American actress (Vicki-Small Wonder), born in Paradise, California 1986 - Kit Harington [Christopher Catesby Harington], English actor (Game of Thrones), born in London, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1837 - Martinus van Marum, Dutch physician and inventor (constructed largest electrostatic machine in the world), dies at 87 1916 - Bernhard Scholz, composer, dies at 81 1965 - Nico Donkersloot, Dutch literary and writer, dies at 63 1985 - Dian Fossey, American zoologist (Gorillas in the Mist), murdered in Rwanda at 53 2016 - George S. Irving [Shelasky], American broadway singer and actor (Dumplings), dies at 94 2020 - Jim McLean, Scottish soccer forward (Hamilton Academical, Clyde, Dundee) and manager (Dundee United 1971-93), dies from dementia at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1194 - Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI crowned King of Sicily in Palermo Cathedral 1553 - Battle of Tucapel: Mapuche rebels under Lautaro defeats the Spanish conquistadors and exetutes the governor of Chile Pedro de Valdivia. 1818 - 1st known Christmas carol ("Silent Night, Holy Night" - "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) sung (Austria) 1900 - Arthur Schnitzler's novel "Leutnant Gustl" ("None But The Brave") banned in Germany due to its unflattering portrait of military protocol 1911 - Edward Knoblock's "Kismet" premieres in NYC 1923 - Imperial Theater opens at 249 W 45th St NYC 1951 - West Indies wrap up 6 wicket defeat of Australia on first Christmas Day of Test cricket, the 3rd day of 3rd Test at the Adelaide Oval 1973 - Arab oil ministers cancel January 5 percent production cut; Saudi Arabian oil minister promises 10 percent OPEC production rise 1979 - Ballon d'Or: Hamburg's English forward Kevin Keegan wins his 2nd consecutive trophy as best football player in Europe; beats Bayern Munich forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ajax sweeper Ruud Krol 1994 - "Comedy Tonight" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 8 performances More Historical Events »