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Historical Events 1672 - Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden, Netherlands 1924 - Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces the existence of other galaxies at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society 1958 - French franc devalued 1997 - An abandoned building collapses on NY's 42nd St, no one hurt 2006 - Madrid Barajas International Airport is bombed. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1887 - Henry George Ley, British organist, composer, and teacher (Eton, 1926-45), born in Chagford, England (d. 1962) 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 (Commando; Mad Max: The Road Warrior), born in Rushworth, Australia 1953 - Daniel T. Barry, American engineer and NASA astronaut (STS 72), born in Norwalk, Connecticut 1965 - David Baker, UK cyclist, born in Sheffield, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1947 - Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86 1968 - Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician and 1st Secretary-General of the United Nations (1946-52), dies at 72 1995 - Doris Grau, American script supervisor, actress and voice artist (Point Blank, King Kong), dies from respiratory failure at 71 1998 - Johnny Moore, American singer (The Drifters) (b. 1934) 2019 - Johnny Ward, English rugby league hooker (4 Tests Great Britain, 3 England; Castleford 262 games), dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1911 - Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty 1944 - Belgian Walloon Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle sentenced to death 1955 - NHL officials wear new vertically striped black-and-white sweaters for the first time in Montreal Canadiens' 5-2 win over Toronto Maple Leafs 1957 - National Football League Championship, Briggs Stadium, Detroit: Detroit Lions beat Cleveland Browns, 50-14; Lions score 2 touchdowns in each quarter 1965 - The Supremes release single "My World is Empty Without You" 1992 - Governor Cuomo grants Jean Harris (Scarsdale Diet Dr killer) clemency 1994 - Australian cricket's spin king Shane Warne dismisses England's Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm for a famous hat-trick in 2nd Test win in Melbourne 1998 - Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over a million people More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1921 - Mackenzie King is sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Canada 1933 - New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds 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 1984 - Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick and adds 3 assists in Edmonton's 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history - recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983 1997 - Cricket Women's World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1935 - Russell Watt, New Zealand rugby union wing (9 Tests; Otago, Southland, Wellington), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 2022) 1939 - (William Edwin) "Ed" Bruce, American country singer ("Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"), born in Keiser, Arkansas (d. 2021) 1970 - Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver, born in Osaka, Japan 1974 - James Darling, American football linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles), born in Denver, Colorado 1995 - Flossie, British domestic cat, world's oldest cat recognized by Guinness World Records, born in Merseyside, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1606 - Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania and Hungary (1605-6), dies at 49 1919 - William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70 1925 - Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60 2017 - Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), dies at 88 2023 - Les McCann, American jazz pianist, soul singer ("Compared to What"), painter, and photographer, dies of pneumonia at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1915 - Today the British Cabinet recognizes the true nature of the war by deciding to institute compulsory military service, with single men to be conscripted before married ones 1926 - Imperial Airways begins mail and passenger service from England to India 1949 - 20th Century Fox announces it will produce TV programs 1953 - WLBT TV channel 3 in Jackson, Mississippi (NBC) begins broadcasting 1964 - Premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's cantata "The Execution of Stepan Razin" 1984 - Rajiv Gandhi's Congress party wins the general election in India 1994 - American country singer Tammy Wynette admitted to the hospital with bile duct infection 2019 - Jihadist fundamentalist group al-Shabaab sets off a truck bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing at least 84 people and wounding over 150 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1947 - Chic Cards beat Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 in NFL championship game 1973 - US President Nixon signs Endangered Species Act into law 1981 - Warner-Elektra-Atlantic raises price of 45 records from $1.68 to $1.98 1984 - TV soap "Edge of Night" ends 28 year run 1984 - Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1738 - Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky, German composer, born in St. Martin im Innkreis, Duchy of Bavaria (d. 1767) 1842 - Calixa Lavallee, Canadian composer (O Canada), born in Verchères, British Province of Canada (d. 1891) 1908 - Lew Ayres, American actor (All Quiet on Western Front; Holiday; Dr Kildare (films); Johnny Belinda), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1996) 1938 - Dick Sudhalter, American jazz trumpeter, and writer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2008) 1970 - Elizabeth McIntyre, Miss West Virginia (1996), born in Dunbar, West Virginia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1793 - Louis earl of Bylandt, Dutch admiral, dies at about 75 1949 - Hervey Allen, American writer and poet (Anthony Adverse), dies at 60 1999 - Clayton Moore, American actor (The Lone Ranger), dies at 85 2001 - William X. Kienzle, American novelist (b. 1928) 2020 - Fou Ts'ong, Chinese-British concert pianist, dies of COVID-19 at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1703 - England and Portugal sign Methuen-Asiento-trade agreement 1939 - 1st American skimobiles (North Conway, NH) 1943 - France transfers most of her powers in Lebanon to Lebanese government 1960 - France performs nuclear test 1960 - 1961 NFL Draft: Tommy Mason from University of Tulane first pick by Minnesota Vikings 1986 - Musical "Les Misérables" opens in the US at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. 1996 - Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul. 2001 - The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1943 - Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower and Bedell Smith 1979 - Sire Records releases "Pretenders", the debut album of The Pretenders, in US 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1983 - Propane gas fire devastated 16 blocks of Buffalo 1995 - Australian cricketer David Boon completes his 21st Test Cricket century (110 v SL, MCG) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1911 - Anna Russell, English music satirist and composer, born in London, England (d. 2006) 1918 - Gale Cleven, American WWII pilot (100th Bomb Group), portrayed by Austin Butler in "Masters of the Air", born in Lemmon, South Dakota (d. 2006) 1950 - Jack van Gelder, Dutch sport commentator and TV presenter (football commentator in "Aunt Rita's Feast"), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands 1971 - Duncan Ferguson, Scottish soccer striker (7 caps; Everton 230 games, Newcastle Utd) and manager (Everton 2019, 22), born in Stirling, Scotland 1973 - Wilson Cruz [Echevarría], American stage and screen actor (My So Called Life; Party of Five), born in Brooklyn, NYC More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1737 - William Bowyer, English printer to the Royal Society, known as 'the learned printer', dies at 38 1923 - Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect who designed and built the Eiffel Tower, dies at 91 1955 - Alfred Carpenter, English Royal Navy soldier, dies at 74 1957 - Alan Bridge, actor (Hail the Conquering Hero), dies at 66 1999 - Bernard Chacksfield, British Air Vice-Marshal, dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1825 - Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December] 1877 - Socialist Labor Party of North America holds 1st national convention 1878 - 1st US store to install electric lights, Philadelphia 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 1976 - AFC Championship, Oakland Coliseum: Oakland Raiders beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-7 1988 - Anti African student rebellion in Nanjing, China 1990 - Senior Professional Baseball Association folds 1991 - Militant Sikhs kill 55 and wounds 70 in India More Historical Events »

Historical Events 268 - Saint Dionysius, Roman Pope (259-260), dies 1825 - Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December] 1979 - Soviet special forces take over the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan 1993 - Antonov-26 crashes in Gyumri, Armenia, killing 36 people 2012 - China opens the world’s longest high speed rail route from Beijing to Guangzhou More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1820 - Gustavus Adolphus Smith, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (d. 1885) 1837 - George Dewey, American admiral, naval hero in Battle of Manila Bay, born in Montpelier, Vermont (d. 1917) 1855 - Arnold Mendelssohn, German composer, born in Ratibor, Province of Silesia (now Poland) (d. 1933) 1945 - John Walsh, American activist and television host (America's Most Wanted), born in Auburn, New York 1948 - Chris Chambliss, American baseball first baseman (MLB All Star 1976; World Series 1977, 78 NY Yankees; AL Rookie of the Year 1971 Cleveland Indians), born in Dayton, Ohio More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1530 - Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, Timurid founder and 1st Emperor of the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent (1526-30), dies at 47 1918 - Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65 1974 - Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59 1980 - (John) "Peck" Kelley, American jazz pianist and bandleader (Peck's Bad Boys), dies from complications of Parkinson's disease at 82 1997 - Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek philosopher and economist, dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1000 - Monarch Istvan crowned king of Hungary 1688 - British King James II lands in Ambleteuse, France 1899 - Shelling on besieged Ladysmith during the Boer War includes one shell containing a plum pudding 1921 - Last major Potlatch (ceremony) by Chief Daniel Cranmer (Kwakwaka’wakw) from Alert Bay, British Columbia. Twenty-six people arrested, their masks and regalia sold by Canadian government. 1930 - Tasmania all out 280, WI 2-139 at Hobart Crowd 2,500 1942 - Soviet artillery and tank battle on German armies at Stalingrad 1973 - Arab oil ministers cancel January 5 percent production cut; Saudi Arabian oil minister promises 10 percent OPEC production rise 1997 - For 1st time US movie box office receipts pass $6 billion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian dedicates a temple to Sol Invictus in Rome, on supposed day of the winter solstice, fulfilling vow made during campaign in Palmyra 1818 - First known Christmas carol, "Silent Night, Holy Night" (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht'), is sung in Austria 1921 - Last major Potlatch (ceremony) by Chief Daniel Cranmer (Kwakwaka’wakw) from Alert Bay, British Columbia. Twenty-six people arrested, their masks and regalia sold by Canadian government. 2012 - 27 people are killed after an Antonov An-72 plane crashes near Shymkent, Kazakhstan 2016 - Russian military defence plane crashes into the Black Sea after takeoff from Sochi airport, killing all 92 on board More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1932 - Mabel King (née Washington) American stage and screen actress and singer (What's Happening!!; The Wiz), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1999) 1938 - Duane Armstrong, American painter (Fields of Grass), born in Fresno, California 1957 - Chris Kamara, English soccer midfielder (Swindon Town FC, Brentford FC) and commentator (Sky Sports), born in Middlesbrough, England 1975 - Marcus Trescothick, English cricket batsman (76 Tests, 14 x 100s, HS 219; 123 ODIs; Somerset CCC), born in Keynsham, England 1978 - Jeremy Strong, American actor (Succession), born in Boston, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1976 - Frankie Darro [Frank Johnson], American actor (Radio Ranch, Wild Boys of the Road, Valley of Wanted Men), dies of a heart attack at 58 1989 - Billy Martin, American baseball second baseman (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1951, 52, 53, 56; NY Yankees) and manager (World Series 1977 NY Yankees), killed in a car accident at 61 2006 - James Brown, American RandB, gospel, soul and funk singer-songwriter known as 'The Godfather of Soul' ("Sex Machine"; "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag"; "Hot Pants"), dies of heart failure at 73 2021 - John Gleeson, Australian rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Queensland 25 games; Wynnum-Manly, Brothers RLFC), dies at 82 2021 - Janice Long (née Chegwin), British radio host (Crash FM; BBC), dies of pneumonia at 66 More Famous Deaths »

1924 - School in Babb's Switch, Oklahoma, catches fire, 36 die 1963 - Greeks and Turks riot in Cyprus 1973 - Ferryboat capsized off coast of Equador, drowning 200 1974 - The Sporting News bestows St Louis Cardinals outfielder Lou Brock their MLB Player of the Year Award 1977 - "Ghost to the Post", Raiders tight end Dave Casper ("The Ghost") catches a 42-yard reception to set up the Raiders' tying field goal near the end of regulation (Raiders win in OT) 1984 - Palace coup in Mauritania 1989 - Charles Taylor starts the First Liberian Civil War when he enters the country at the head of the guerrilla group National Patriotic Front of Liberia to overthrow President Samuel Doe 1991 - Ballon d'Or: Marseille forward Jean-Pierre Papin is named Europe's best football player; first from the French League to win the trophy More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1798 - Russia and Britain sign Second anti-French Coalition 1932 - Arturo Alessandri wins presidential election in Chile 1941 - First ships of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's Pearl Harbor fleet return to Japan 1950 - National Football League Championship, Cleveland Stadium: Cleveland Browns beat LA Rams, 30-28; Cleveland has 5 interceptions, Rams 1 1990 - Expos trade Tim Raines to the White Sox for Iván Calderón and Barry Jones More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1791 - Eugène Scribe, French dramatist (Bertrand et Raton), born in Paris, France (d. 1861) 1809 - (Christopher) "Kit" Carson, American frontiersman, Indian fighter and army officer, born in Madison County, Kentucky (d. 1868) 1955 - Anwar Khan, Pakistani cricketer (bowled four overs for Pakistan 1979), born in Karachi, Pakistan 1980 - Tomas Kalnoky, American musician (Streetlight Manifesto), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia 1984 - Jehnny Beth [Camille Berthomier], French musician, singer-songwriter (John and Jehn; Savages; To Love Is to Live), born in Poitiers, France More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1959 - Edmund Goulding, British screenwriter and film director (Grand Hotel, Dark Victory, Nightmare Alley), dies during heart surgery at 68 1963 - Raphaël Verwilghen, Belgian architect, and urban planner, dies at 78 1975 - Tilly Losch, Austrian dancer and actress (Duel in the Sun; Garden of Allah), dies at about 71 (birth date disputed) 2002 - Laci Peterson, American murder victim, dies at 27 2024 - Richard Perry, American record producer (Harry Nilsson; Ringo Starr; Carly Simon; Leo Sayer; The Pointer Sisters), dies of cardiac arrest at 82 More Famous Deaths »

1815 - "Emma" novel by Jane Austen is published by John Murray in London 1941 - Japan begins assault on Rangoon, Burma 1962 - AFL Championship, Jeppesen Stadium, Houston: Dallas Texans beat Houston Oilers, 20-17; Tommy Brooker lands winning 25-yard field goal in overtime 1966 - Britain's rock TV show "Ready Steady Go" last program 1970 - USSR performs nuclear test 1990 - Comedy "Lettice and Lovage" closes at Barrymore Theater, NYC after 284 performances 1997 - Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson is quickest to reach 500 wins (682 games) 2016 - United Nations Security Council adopts a landmark resolution demanding a halt to all Israeli settlement in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. Resolution 2334 was moved by New Zealand, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela and passed 14-0 with a US abstention. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1751 - France sets plan to tax clergymen 1912 - First "Keystone Kops" silent slapstick comedy film, entitled "Hoffmeyer's Legacy" is released 1913 - President Woodrow Wilson signs the Federal Reserve Act, establishing the modern central banking system of the United States to manage the money supply and promote financial stability 1942 - Allies air attack on Den Helder, Netherlands 1951 - National Football League Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Los Angeles Rams beat Cleveland Browns 24-17; first coast-to-coast televised NFL title game More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1819 - Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman, born at The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1889) 1922 - Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete (Olympic gold shot put, discus; bronze high jump 1948), born in Rang-du-Fliers, Pas-de-Calais, France (d. 2001) 1945 - Ron Bushy, American rock drummer (Iron Butterfly - “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2021) 1954 - Brian Teacher, American tennis player (Australian Open 1980), born in San Diego, California 1981 - Beth [Elisabeth Rodergas Cols], Spanish singer and actress, born in Súria, Catalonia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1575 - Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (hanged) (b. 1531) 1948 - Hideki Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister during WW II (1941-44), hanged for war crimes at 63 1970 - Bessie Abramowitz Hillman, Russian-American labor leader and founder of Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, dies at 71 2018 - (Ann) "Honey" Lantree, British rock drummer (The Honeycombs), dies at 75 2020 - James E. Gunn, American sci-fi author (The Listeners, Station in Space, Immortal), dies at 97 More Famous Deaths »

1890 - Cornwallis Valley Railway begins operation between Kingsport and Kentville, Nova Scotia. 1894 - Claude Debussy's first orchestral masterpiece "Prélude à l'apres-midi d'un faune" premieres in Paris 1930 - Convention of Economic Rapprochement/Oslo Agreesments signed between some European countries in response to the Great Depression 1940 - World War II: Himarë is captured by the Greek army. 1942 - World War II: Adolf Hitler signs the order to develop the V-2 rocket as a weapon 2017 - UN Security Council votes 15 to 0 for additional sanctions on North Korea, including measures to slash the country's petrol imports by up to 90% 2018 - Partial shutdown of US federal government begins 2022 - US Drug Enforcement Administration says it seized enough fentanyl in 2022 to kill every American, more than 379 million doses More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1894 - Claude Debussy's first orchestral masterpiece "Prélude à l'apres-midi d'un faune" premieres in Paris 1964 - Ballon d'Or: Manchester United striker Denis Law wins award for best European football player; beats Inter midfielder Luis Suárez and Real Madrid winger Amancio Amaro; first Scotsman to win the award 1978 - Thailand adopts constitution 1997 - Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces 2003 - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits near San Simeon, California. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1883 - Edgard Varèse, French-American composer (Ionisation; Poème électronique), born in Burgundy, France (d. 1965) 1889 - Minor Watson, American actor (Woman of the Year, Viva Cisco Kid), born in Marianna, Arkansas (d. 1965) 1912 - Claudia A. "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson, American first lady (1963-1969), born in Karnack, Texas (d. 2007) 1946 - Mary McCaslin, American contemporary folk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and banjo player ("Prairie In The Sky"), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2022) 1954 - Jayaseelan Naidoo, South African worker's union leader, born in Durban, South Africa More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1603 - Mehmed III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (1595-1603), dies at 37 1767 - John Newberry, English publisher, dies 1809 - William Cooper, American judge and developer (founded Cooperstown, New York), dies at 55 1987 - Alice Terry [Taaffe], actress (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse), dies 2016 - Bill Price, British audio engineer (Tom Jones; Wings: Sparks; Elton John), and record producer (The Clash; Sex Pistols; Waterboys), dies of cancer at 72 More Famous Deaths »

1864 - US Civil War: General Sherman's Union Army captures Savannah, Georgia, which surrenders to him, at the end of his March To the Sea Campaign 1933 - Dried human blood serum is first prepared at the University of Pennsylvania 1951 - Pioneering telenovela "Sua Vida Me Pertence" premieres in Brazil 1958 - Charles de Gaulle wins a seven-year term as the first President of the Fifth Republic of France 1962 - Angolin leaves Comecon 1966 - USSR launches Luna 13; soft-landed in Oceanus Procellarum 1990 - Steve and Mark Waugh complete 464* partnership for NSW v WA 2020 - Hawaiian vocalist Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's official music video for his rendition of Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's "Over the Rainbow" reaches a billion views on YouTube More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1948 - 1949 NFL Draft: University of Pennsylvania linebacker/center Chuck Bednarik is selected first by Philadelphia Eagles 1948 - O'Neil Place in the Bronx erroneously renamed O'Neill Place 1976 - Patricia R Harris named secretary of HUD 1983 - NCAA rules rescinded last 2-minute men's basketball free throw rule 1991 - El Sayid Nosair acquitted of killing Meir Kahane More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1728 - Hermann Friedrich Raupach, German composer, born in Stralsund, kingdom of Sweden (d. 1778) 1914 - Ivan Generalić, Croatian painter, born in Hlebine, Croatia (d. 1992) 1942 - Carla Thomas, American soul and RandB singer ("Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes)"; with Otis Redding - "Tramp"), born in Memphis, Tennessee 1955 - Jane Kaczmarek, American actress (Lois in "Malcolm in the Middle"), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1982 - Mike Gansey, American basketball player, born in Olmsted Falls, Ohio More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1504 - Bertold von Henneberg-Römhild, German archbishop and elector (b. 1442) 1755 - Caspar Ruetz, German composer, dies at 47 1873 - Francis Garnier, French explorer, dies at 34 1937 - Ted Healy [Ernest Nash], American vaudeville, stage, and screen actor, comedian (Mad Love, San Francisco, Soup to Nuts), and developer of the Three Stooges, dies from complications of alcoholism at 41 2006 - Scobie Breasley, Australian jockey (b. 1914) More Famous Deaths »

1448 - Pope Nicholas V appoints Rudolf of Diepholt, Bishop of Utrecht, as cardinal 1823 - Play "Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus" by Helmina von Chézy with incidental music by Franz Schubert premieres in Vienna 1915 - WWI: ANZAC troops complete their withdrawal from Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula 1941 - Free France under adm Muselier occupies St-Pierre et Miquelon 1985 - Denis Potvin passes Bobby Orr as NHL defenseman scorer (916 points) 1991 - "Father of the Bride" film comedy starring Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, and Martin Short, premieres; film is a re-make of 1950 vehicle for Spencer Tracy and ELizabeth Taylor 1999 - Portugal returns Macau to China 2018 - New figures show average US male weighs 198 pounds and stands 5 feet 9 inches, women 171 pounds and 5 feet 4 inches More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1192 - Richard the Lionhearted captured near Vienna by Leopold of Austria on his way home from the Third Crusade (released 1194) 1862 - -Jan 3rd] Vicksburg campaign 1865 - De Clear-Alkmaar railway opens 1956 - Military coup under colonel Simbolon in Sumatra 1979 - Garry Sherman and Peter Udell's musical "Comin' Uptown", based on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", and starring Gregory Hines, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 45 performances More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1925 - Vlastimir Nikolovski, Macedonian composer, born in Prileb, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (now North Macedonia) (d. 2001) 1946 - Dick Wolf, American television series creator (Miami Vice, Law and Order), born in New York City 1956 - Guy Babylon, American keyboard player (Elton John) and arranger, born in New Windsor, Maryland (d. 2009|) 1957 - Billy Bragg, English folk-rock singer-songwriter ("Greetings To The New Brunette"; "Sexuality"; "California Stars"), born in Barking, Essex, England 1990 - JoJo [Joanna Levesque], American pop singer-songwriter ("Too Little Too Late"; "Baby It's You"), born in Brattleboro, Vermont More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1723 - Augustus Quirinus Rivinus, German physician and botanist, dies at 71 1768 - Carlo Innocenzo Fragoni, Italian poet, dies at 76 1819 - Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis, French composer, dies at 50 1976 - Walter Fitzgerald, actor (Adv of Sadie, Fallen Idol), dies at 80 1996 - Carl Sagan, American scientist, astronomer and author (Broca's Brain, Cosmos, Contact) known for his research on extraterrestrial life, dies of pneumonia after suffering from myelodysplasia at 62 More Famous Deaths »

1487 - Opening ceremony of the sixth Great Temple of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City) 4,000 prisoners of war are sacrificed to Aztec gods over four days 1910 - Rayon 1st commercially produced in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania 1934 - Japan agrees to naval treaty of 1922 and 1930 1975 - The Red Hand Commandos, a very secretive Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, explode a no-warning car bomb in Dundalk, killing 2 civilians and wounding 20 1981 - Romuald Spasowski, Polish ambassador to the United States defects to show support for the Solidarity movement amid a crackdown 1983 - The original FIFA World Cup trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, is stolen from the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro 2004 - World's largest indoor water park Tropical Islands Resort, opens in the Aerium, an old airship hanger, in the world's largest free-standing hall, south of Berlin, Germany 2018 - Houston Rockets set NBA single-game record with 26 three-pointers in 136-118 victory over Washington Wizards; 8 players hit from deep as Rockets shoot 26-of-55 (47.3%); James Harden leads charge, shooting 6-of-11 on 3s More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1835 - HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin aboard arrives in New Zealand 1910 - 1st US city ordinance requiring white and black residential areas in Baltimore 1920 - King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander I of Greece and a plebiscite 1984 - Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sign the Sino-British Joint Declaration to transfer Hong Kong back to China in 1997 1993 - Marsha Norman, Bob Merrill, and Jule Styne's fairy tale musical "Red Shoes", directed by Stanley Donen, closes at Gershwin Theater, NYC, after 5 performances; loses nearly $8 million More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1853 - Charles Fitzpatrick, Canadian politician who was the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec and 5th Chief Justice of Canada, born in Quebec City, Canada (d. 1942) 1902 - Leonard Hirsch, Irish violinist and orchestra leader (RAF Symphony Orchestra), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1995) 1906 - H. Allen Smith, American humorist and author (Low Man on Totem Pole), born in McLeansboro, Illinois (d. 1976) 1909 - W.A. Criswell, American Baptist pastor, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, born in Eldorado, Oklahoma (d. 2002) 1973 - Zulfiya Zabirova, Uzbek road cyclist Olympic gold time trial 1996; UCI World C'ship gold 2002), born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1737 - James Louis Sobieski, Crown Prince of Poland, dies at 70 1996 - Marcello Mastroianni, Italian actor (8½; La Dolce Vita; Dark Eyes; The Pizza Triangle), dies of pancreatic cancer at 72 1997 - Masaru Ibuka, Japanese electronics industrialist (Sony Corp), dies at 89 2012 - Robert Bork, American lawyer, government official (US Solicitor General, 1973-77), jurist (US Court of Appeals, 1982-88), rejected Supreme Court nominee (1987), and professor (Yale), dies from heart disease at 85 2020 - Rosalind Knight, British stage and screen actress (Friday Night Dinner - "Horrible Grandma"), dies at 87 More Famous Deaths »

1773 - A skirmish at Grass Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound results in the deaths of two Māori and nine members of James Cook's expedition, New Zealand 1961 - For second consecutive year, AP names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year 1991 - DeForest Kelly (Dr McCoy on Star Trek) gets a star in Hollywood 1996 - The Oakland, California school board passes a resolution officially declaring "Ebonics" a language or dialect 2002 - Governor of California Gray Davis announces the state faces a record budget deficit of $35 billion, roughly double the figure reported during his reelection campaign one month earlier 2012 - Six health workers dispensing polio vaccinations are gunned down in Pakistan 2020 - International body Covax, established to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low and middle income countries, announces deals with vaccine manufacturers and method for countries to share excess vaccines 2022 - Cinderella's glass slipper is a witty literary joke by Charles Perrault, poking fun at French King Louis XIV's love of shoes and Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, according to Scottish professor Genevieve Warwick More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1898 - First automobile speed record set of 63 kph (39 mph) by French Count Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat of Paris 1968 - Musical-fantasy film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", co-written by Roald Dahl and director Ken Hughes, starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes, with songs by Sherman and Sherman, premieres in NYC 1969 - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", 6th James Bond Film starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg, premieres in London 1979 - Stuntman Stanley Barrett unofficially breaks the land speed record and the sound barrier in his three-wheeled vehicle the Budweiser Rocket (739.666 mph or Mach 1.01). The speed was never officially recorded and the attempt remains controversial. 2018 - Nevada becomes the first US state with a female-majority legislature with new appointments taking it to 51% More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1927 - Roméo LeBlanc, Canadian politician, 25th Governor General of Canada (1995-99), born in Memramcook, New Brunswick (d. 2009) 1939 - Sandro Lopopolo Italian lightweight boxer (Olympic-Silver-1960), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2014) 1963 - Karl Dorrell, American football coach, born in Alameda, California 1972 - Lawrence Wong, Singapore economist and politician, Prime Minister (2024-), born in Singapore 2001 - Billie Eilish, American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter (When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1633 - Theodoor Galle, Flemish engraver, buried at 62 1832 - Philip Freneau, American poet of the American Revolution (The American Village), dies at 80 1990 - Paul Tortelier, French concert cellist, composer, and teacher, dies at 76 2002 - Wayne Owens, former U.S. Congressman (D-Utah) (b. 1937) 2007 - Jack Linkletter, American TV host (Haggis Baggis, Hootenanny), dies at 70 More Famous Deaths »