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1802 - French Protestant church becomes state-supported and -controlled 1913 - China's National Assembly opens in Peking, the first free democratic parliament in Chinese history 1945 - 1945 NFL Draft: Charley Trippi from University of Georgia first pick by Chicago Cardinals 1965 - India and Pakistan forces engage in a border fight 1975 - 47th Academy Awards: "The Godfather Part II", Ellen Burstyn and Art Carney win 1989 - Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is arrested in Mexico and charged with kidnapping, murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena, drug trafficking and other crimes 1994 - MLB outfielder Darryl Strawberry enters Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California for substance abuse rehabilitation 1994 - Atlanta Brave Kent Mercker no-hits Dodgers, 6-0 2006 - 159th Grand National: 11–1 Irish shot Numbersixvalverde, ridden by Niall Madden wins by 6 lengths from defending champion Hedgehunter 2013 - 163 people are killed and 50,000 are displaced after tribal violence erupts in Darfur, Sudan More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1766 - 1st fire escape patented, wicker basket on a pulley and chain 1869 - American Museum of Natural History opens in New York City 1979 - 205th and final episode of "All in the Family"; followed by "Archie Bunker's Place" for 4 seasons 1993 - Indians' Carlos Baerga is 1st to switch hit HRs in same inn (vs Yanks) 2000 - 153rd Grand National: Irish 10/1 shot Papillon, ridden by jockey Ruby Walsh and trained by his father Ted Walsh wins by 1¼ lengths from Mely Moss 2016 - 31st Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Steve Miller, and N.W.A More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1756 - Joseph Gehot, Belgian composer, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1820) 1865 - Ted Wainwright, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests; Yorkshire CCC), born in Sheffield, England (d. 1919) 1893 - Grace Cunard, American silent screen actress (Untamed, Resurrection), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 1967) 1905 - George Baxter, French actor (Flying Saucer, Lili, Caged), born in Paris, France (d. 1976) 1955 - Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist (The Poisonwood Bible), born in Annapolis, Maryland 1972 - Katrina Powell, Australian field hockey striker (252 caps; Olympic gold 1996, 2000; World Cup gold 1998; Champions Trophy gold 1997, 99, 2003) and coach (Australia women), born in Canberra Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1931 - Eric Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet (Nobel Prize for Literature 1931), dies at 66 1969 - Arthur Walter Kramer, American composer, dies at 78 1981 - Omar Bradley, American WWII General (Invasion of Normandy) and 1st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1949-53), dies of cardiac arrhythmia at 88 1982 - Katherine Rawls, American diver (Olympic silver 3m springboard 1932, 36) and swimmer (Olympic bronze 4×100m freestyle 1936), dies from cancer at 64 1992 - Daniel Bovet, Swiss-Italian pharmacologist (1957 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, discovered chemotherapeutic agents including antihistamines0, dies at 85 1993 - Arleen Whelan, American film actress (Kidnapped), dies of a stroke at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1498 - Crowd storms Savonarola's convent San Marco Florence, Italy 1862 - Grant defeats Confederates at Battle of Shiloh, Tenn, Island #10 falls 1917 - J.M. Barrie's play "The Old Lady Shows Her Medals" premieres in London 1976 - Chinese Politburo fires vice-premier Deng Xiaoping 1985 - Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Alice Miller shoots a final round 67 (−5) to win her only major title, 3 strokes ahead of Jan Stephenson of Australia 1996 - Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya hits the fastest ODI fifty off 17 balls vs Pakistan in Singapore 1997 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Ft Myers , Florida on WRXK 96.1 FM 2018 - Vegas Golden Knights suffer a 7-1 end of regular season defeat at Calgary but finish with an NHL expansion team record 51 victories; previous record 33 by Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers 1993-94 2020 - China ends its lockdown of Wuhan, the city at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic after 76 days as the country reports no new deaths for the 1st time 2020 - Australia's highest court overturns the child sexual abuse conviction of Catholic Cardinal George Pell More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1118 - Pope Gelasius II is excommunicated by Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, forcing him to flee Rome and rule in exile 1584 - Ieper surrenders to Duke of Parma 1933 - University Bridge, Seattle opens for traffic 1959 - Radar 1st bounced off Sun, Stanford Calif 1963 - Yugoslavia proclaimed a Socialistic republic 1970 - MLB Milwaukee Brewers (former Seattle Pilots) 1st game, lose to Angels 12-0 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1775 - Francis Cabot Lowell, American mill owner (founded 1st raw cotton-to-cloth textile mill), born in Newburyport, Massachusetts (d. 1817) 1916 - Anthony Caruso, American character actor best known for playing villains (The Desperate Mission, The Wonderful County), born in Frankfort, Indiana (d. 2003) 1929 - "Crazy" Joe Gallo, American mobster, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1972) 1960 - Tracy Silverman, American contemporary classical and jazz acoustic and electric 6-string violinist (Turtle Island String Quartet), composer, and pedagogue, born in Peekskill, New York 1964 - Joe Durant, American golfer (4 PGA Tour titles), born in Pensacola, Florida 1972 - Lovett Purnell, American NFL football wide receiver, 1996-2001 (New England Patriots, and 2 other teams), born in Seaford, Delaware More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1614 - El Greco, Greek-born artist working in Spain (b. 1541) 1651 - Lennart Torstenson, Swedish soldier and engineer (b. 1603) 1920 - Karl Binding, German jurist whose writings were used to justify the Holocaust, dies at 79 1936 - Marilyn Miller [Mary Ellen Reynolds], American Broadway dancer, singer, and actress (Ziegfeld Follies), dies from complications of nasal surgery at 37 1997 - Sam Parks Jr., American golfer (US Open 1935), dies at 87 2021 - James Hampton, American actor (F Troop - "Bugler Dobbs"; Teen Wolf), writer, and director, dies from Parkinson’s disease complications at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1652 - Cape Colony, the first European settlement in South Africa, is established by the Dutch East India Company under Jan van Riebeeck 1865 - Battle of High Bridge, fought near Farmville, Virginia (Appomattox Campaign), inconclusive result (US Civil War) 1889 - George Eastman begins selling Kodak flexible roll film for the first time 1941 - German bombardment of Piraeus (munitions ship explodes) 1957 - NYC ends trolley car service 1973 - Federal court rules in favor of the Smothers Brothers in breach of contract lawsuit against CBS-TV, awarding them $776,300 USD 1982 - Columbia returns to Kennedy Space Center from White Sands 1991 - 145th Grand National: In Canadian distillery Seagram's final year of race sponsorship, New Zealand-bred chestnut gelding Seagram wins, ridden by Nigel Hawke 1992 - British Radio Authority licenses Virgin and TV-AM radio licenses 2002 - France beats Ireland 44-5 at Stade de France, Saint Denis to complete a Grand Slam and win the Six Nations Rugby Championship; their 13th title More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1896 - First modern Summer Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece; American athlete James Connolly becomes the first modern Olympic champion when he wins the triple jump (then 2 hops and a jump); later places 3rd in long jump and 2nd in high jump 1903 - In Holland, railroad and dock workers go out on strike, but the government passes anti-strike bills, calls out troops, and promptly ends the strike on the 13th April 1939 - US and UK agree on joint control of Canton and Enderbury Is (Pacific) 1954 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island 1986 - Soccer ball juggled non-stop for 14:14 hrs 1987 - 22nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Hank Williams Jr, Randy Travis, and Reba McEntire win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1773 - James Mill, Scottish philosopher and historian (History of British India), born in Angus, Scotland (d. 1836) 1886 - "Smokey" Joe Williams, American Baseball HOF pitcher (NgL, Mexico, Caribbean 1905-32; no-hitter 1919 NY Lincoln Giants), born in Seguin, Texas (d. 1951) 1890 - André-Louis Danjon, French astronomer (invented Danjon astrolabe), born in Caen, France (d. 1967) 1924 - Charlie Rouse, American hard bop tenor saxophonist (Thelonious Monk Quartet; Sphere), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1988) 1960 - Warren Haynes, American rock and blues guitarist (The Allman Brothers Band), born in Asheville, North Carolina 1965 - Rica Reinisch, German DR, 100m/200m backstroke (Olympic gold 1980) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 912 - Nottker "the Stamelaar", benedictine monk/poet, dies at about 71 1605 - John Stow, English historian (Survey of London), dies 1902 - Gleb Uspensky, Russian author (Power of the Soil), dies at 58 1989 - Elizabeth Becker-Pinkston, American diver (Olympic gold 3m springboard 1924; 10m platform 1928), dies at 86 2014 - Jacques Castérède, French composer and pianist (Pandora's Box), dies at 87 2016 - Dennis Davis, American jazz, rock and funk drummer (Roy Ayers; David Bowie, 1975-80; Stevie Wonder), dies of cancer at 66 More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events 1896 - First modern Summer Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece; American athlete James Connolly becomes the first modern Olympic champion when he wins the triple jump (then 2 hops and a jump); later places 3rd in long jump and 2nd in high jump 1903 - In Holland, railroad and dock workers go out on strike, but the government passes anti-strike bills, calls out troops, and promptly ends the strike on the 13th April 1939 - US and UK agree on joint control of Canton and Enderbury Is (Pacific) 1954 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island 1986 - Soccer ball juggled non-stop for 14:14 hrs 1987 - 22nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Hank Williams Jr, Randy Travis, and Reba McEntire win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1773 - James Mill, Scottish philosopher and historian (History of British India), born in Angus, Scotland (d. 1836) 1886 - "Smokey" Joe Williams, American Baseball HOF pitcher (NgL, Mexico, Caribbean 1905-32; no-hitter 1919 NY Lincoln Giants), born in Seguin, Texas (d. 1951) 1890 - André-Louis Danjon, French astronomer (invented Danjon astrolabe), born in Caen, France (d. 1967) 1924 - Charlie Rouse, American hard bop tenor saxophonist (Thelonious Monk Quartet; Sphere), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1988) 1960 - Warren Haynes, American rock and blues guitarist (The Allman Brothers Band), born in Asheville, North Carolina 1965 - Rica Reinisch, German DR, 100m/200m backstroke (Olympic gold 1980) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 912 - Nottker "the Stamelaar", benedictine monk/poet, dies at about 71 1605 - John Stow, English historian (Survey of London), dies 1902 - Gleb Uspensky, Russian author (Power of the Soil), dies at 58 1989 - Elizabeth Becker-Pinkston, American diver (Olympic gold 3m springboard 1924; 10m platform 1928), dies at 86 2014 - Jacques Castérède, French composer and pianist (Pandora's Box), dies at 87 2016 - Dennis Davis, American jazz, rock and funk drummer (Roy Ayers; David Bowie, 1975-80; Stevie Wonder), dies of cancer at 66 More Famous Deaths »

456 - Saint Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop 1242 - Russian Prince of Novgorod Alexander Nevsky defeats the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of the Ice 1894 - 11 strikers killed in riot at Connellsville, Penn 1922 - WDZ-AM in Decatur IL begins radio transmissions 1967 - '76er Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record of 41 rebounds 1970 - WSNS TV channel 44 in Chicago, IL (IND) begins broadcasting 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 2009 - 44th Academy of Country Music Awards: Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley win 2009 - North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks 2021 - Italy scraps its 1914 film censorship law that could ban films on moral and religious grounds More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1975 - American tennis #1 Chris Evert wins her 3rd WTA Tour Championship at the Los Angeles Sports Arena; beats Martina Navratilova 6-4, 6-2 1990 - NY Rangers beat NY Islanders 2-1 in 1st game of preliminary 1991 - Space Shuttle STS 37 (Atlantis 8) launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida 1992 - The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Lee Trevino win his second Champions Tour major by 1 stroke from Jack Nicklaus 1996 - John Bobbitt is put under house arrest in Las Vegas for 120 days 2009 - Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Brittany Lincicome eagles the final hole to win her first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Cristie Kerr More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1882 - Don Blackie, Australian cricket spin bowler (3 Tests, 14 wickets, BB 6/94; Victoria), born in Bendigo, Australia (d. 1955) 1886 - Jacques Handschin, Swiss musicologist (Der Toncharakter), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1955) 1901 - Alexander Alexeieff, Russian-French painter and graphic artist, born in Kazan, Russia (d. 1982) 1906 - Grady Sutton, American actor (The Bank Dick; The Pruitts of Southhampton), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee (d. 1995) 1917 - Richard Yardumian, American composer (Come Creator Spirit), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1985) 1956 - Diamond Dallas Page, American professional wrestler, born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1617 - Alonso Lobo, Spanish composer (Versa est in luctum), dies at 62 1908 - Gaetano Coronaro, Italian conductor, pedagogue, and composer (La Creola), dies at 55 1969 - Shelby Storck, American television producer, dies at 52 1994 - Marlon Riggs, American writer, director and producer (Ethnic notions), dies at 37 2005 - Dale Messick [Dalia Messick], American comic strip artist (Brenda Starr, Reporter), dies at 98 2011 - Baruch Samuel Blumberg, American scientist, (1976 Nobel Laureate for Physiology or Medicine, for work on Hepatitis B), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1737 - Anthony van Heim installed as Dutch pension advisor 1818 - Congress decides on the US flag: 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars 1945 - World War II: Soviet forces liberate Hungary from German occupation, establishing their own communist satellite state. This was celebrated as Liberation Day until 1989. 1957 - Heitor Villa-Lobos' 10th Symphony premieres French Radio National Orchestra, conducted by the composer, in Paris 1964 - Deposed President João Goulart leaves Brazil under threat of arrest, moves into life of exile in Uruguay, and later Argentina 1973 - World Trade Center, then the world's tallest building, opens in New York (110 stories). Later destroyed in 9/11 terrorist attacks. 1987 - "Always and Forever" second studio album by Randy Travis (Billboard Album of the Year 1988) 1996 - Revival of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's stage drama "Inherit the Wind", starring George C. Scott and Charles Durning, opens at Royale Theater, NYC; runs for 45 performances 1999 - The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Graham Marsh of Australia wins his second Champions Tour major by 3 strokes from Larry Nelson 2011 - 73rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Butler, 53-41; Huskies' point guard Kemba Walker scores 16 points More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1552 - Maurice, Elector of Saxony begins an alliance with Russian Anikey Stroganov 1833 - St Etienne-Lyons railway fully opens in France 1862 - Peninsular Campaign, launched in southeastern Virginia, aimed at capturing Richmond during US Civil War begins, Confederate victory (US Civil War) 1900 - Assassination attempt on Prince of Wales, later British King Edward VII when shot by Jean-Baptiste Sipido in protest over Boer war 1969 - Haskell Karp receives the 1st temporary artificial heart, implanted by surgeon Denton Cooley at Texas Heart Institute in Houston 1975 - British sitcom "The Good Life" starring Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith debuts on BBC One More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1740 - Wolfgang Nicolaus Haueisen, German organist, composer, and pedagogue, born in Oehrenstock, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1804) 1945 - Bryan Andrews, New Zealand cricketer (NZ medium-pacer, toured Australia 1973-74), born in Christchurch, New Zealand 1949 - Larry Lingle, American rock guitarist (The Four Seasons, 1979-93), born in Kansas City, Missouri 1952 - Gregg Hansford, Australian motorcycle racer (10 x GP wins) and touring car racer (Bathurst 1993), born in Brisbane, Australia (d. 1995) 1957 - Kelso, American racehorse, born in Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky (d. 1983) 1963 - David Gavurin, English pop guitarist and songwriter (The Sundays - "Here's Where the Story Ends"; "Summertime"), born in the UK More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1617 - John Napier, Scottish mathematician and inventor (logarithms), dies from effects of gout at 67 1734 - Johann C van Erckel, old Catholic theologist, dies at about 79 1947 - William O'Donnell, Irish politician (Teachta Dála, 1943-47), dies at 71 1951 - Al Christie, Canadian-born pioneering film director and producer (Nestor Film Company), dies at 69 1987 - C. L. Moore, American science fiction and fantasy writer (Judgment Night), dies at 76 1988 - Ludwig Stiel, German pianist, composer, and conductor, dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1924 - Istanbul's Ottoman Topkapi Palace is converted into a museum on orders of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 1933 - 1st airplane flight over Mt Everest 1941 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warns Soviet leader Joseph Stalin that a German invasion is imminent 1955 - The American Civil Liberties Union announces it will defend Allen Ginsberg's book "Howl" against obscenity charges 1965 - 1st atomic powered spacecraft (snap) launched 1984 - Bombay beat Delhi on 1st innings to win Ranji Trophy 1996 - Cricketer Rahul Dravid makes his international debut for India in an ODI against Sri Lanka 2016 - ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Eden Gardens, Kolkata: Hayley Matthews with 66 from 45 balls leads West Indies to 149/2; beat Australia 148/5 by 4 wickets with 2 balls to spare 2017 - 79th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina defeats Gonzaga, 71–65; Tar Heels point guard Joel DeWayne Berry II, 22 points 2022 - The Taliban government bans cultivation of opium in Afghanistan, with consequences for world supply as it produces 80% More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1834 - The generals in the Greek War of Independence stand trial for treason. 1860 - Start of the Pony Express, delivers mail by horse and rider relay teams between St Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California 1965 - 1st atomic powered spacecraft (snap) launched 1976 - 130th Grand National: John Burke wins aboard Rag Trade; equal record 4th winner trained by Fred Rimell and 2nd winner owned by Pierre Raymond Bessone 2000 - 62nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Florida, 89-76; Spartans only top-4 seed to advance to the Final Four 2004 - Islamic terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks are trapped by the police in their apartment and kill themselves More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1485 - Lieven van der Maude [Livius Ammonius], South Netherland poet and Carthusian monk, born in Ghent, Habsburg Netherlands (d. 1556) 1918 - Sixten Ehrling, Swedish pianist, conductor (Royal Opera of Stockholm, 1953-60; Detroit Symphony, 1963-73), and educator (Juilliard, 1973-87), born in Malmö, Sweden (d. 2005) 1926 - Andrew Keir, Scottish character actor (Rob Roy, Absolution, Blood Hunt, Catholics), born in Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scotland (d. 1997) 1963 - Tsuyoshi Sekito, Japanese video game composer, born in Osaka, Japan 1988 - Peter Hartley, English footballer (Motherwell), born in Hartlepool, England 2003 - Elsie Fisher, American actress (Eighth Grade), born in Riverside, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1990 - Sarah Vaughan, American jazz and pop singer ("Body and Soul; "Broken Hearted Melody"), often known as "Sassy" and "The Divine One", dies of lung cancer at 66 1990 - Katharine Balfour, American actress (Love Story), dies of ALS at 69 2007 - Marion Eames, Welsh novelist, dies at 86 2007 - Eddie Robinson, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Grambling 408 wins), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 88 2015 - Andrew Porter, British organist, opera director, music critic, and librettist, dies at 86 2020 - Tom Dempsey, American NFL kicker (Pro Bowl, First-team All-Pro 1969; New Orleans Saints; longest winning field goal, 63 yards), dies of COVID-19 complications at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1884 - London prison for debtors closed 1921 - Albert Einstein lectures in New York City on his new "Theory of Relativity" 1963 - USSR launches Luna 4; missed Moon by 8,500 km 1972 - Tennessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings" premieres in NYC 1973 - CBS radio begins on the hour news, 24 hours a day 1986 - Paul Coffey of the Edmonton Oilers scores his 47th and 48th goals of the season in an 8-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks to break Bobby Orr's NHL record for most goals by a defenseman 1995 - NY Police Department and NY Transit Police merge into one organization 2000 - Atlanta center Ray Ferraro scores a goal and added 2 assists as the Thrashers end an NHL record 17-game home winless streak (0-15-2) with a 5-4 win against the visiting New York Islanders 2001 - New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens becomes American League all-time strikeout leader, recording his 3,509th K in a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals; Walter Johnson previous record 3,508 Ks 2022 - Ukraine liberates the entire Kyiv region from retreating Russian forces More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1845 - H L Fizeau and Leon Foucault take 1st photo of the Sun 1930 - 1st NY-Bermuda airplane flight lands in Bermuda 1958 - Wind speed reaches a record 450 kph in tornado, Wichita Falls, Texas 1968 - "2001 A Space Odyssey" directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, premieres at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C. 1995 - North and Western Colorado begins using new area code 970 1995 - Longest strike in American major league sports history (232 days) ends as MLB owners accept players’ offer to return to work without a contract; MLB is first major pro sports league to lose an entire postseason due to labor struggles More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1878 - Émilie Charmy, French avant-garde artist, born in Saint-Etienne, France (d. 1974) 1930 - Girolamo Arriego, Italian composer, born in Palermo, Italy 1947 - Paquita la del Barrio [Francisca Viveros Barradas], Mexican traditional ranchera, bolero, and contemporary singer, born in Alto Lucero, Veracruz, Mexico (d. 2025) 1970 - Tammi Reiss, American actress and former WNBA guard (Utah Starzz), born in New York 1971 - ZEEBRA [Hideyuki Yokoi], Japanese hip hop artist, born in Tokyo, Japan 1975 - Deedee Magno Hall, Filipino-American rocker (Party-Rodeo, That's Why), born in Portsmouth, Virginia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1932 - Bill Pickett, American rodeo performer (invented bulldogging), dies after being kicked in the head by a bronco at 61 1937 - Nathan Birnbaum, Austrian writer (Gottes Volk;; Der Ruf), and philosopher (early Zionist, later anti-Zionist), dies at 72 1953 - Jean Epstein, French director (Vive la Vie), dies at 56 1973 - Jascha Horenstein, Russian-born American conductor, dies at 74 1994 - Richard Davies, actor (Pvt Buckaroo), dies of a heart attack at 79 2018 - Susan Anspach, American actress (Grace-Yellow Rose, Hair, Five Easy Pieces, Play It Again Sam), dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1724 - Jonathan Swift publishes "Drapier's Letters" a series of seven pamphlets against a privately minted copper coinage Swift saw as inferior and corrupt 1900 - 1st edition of Dutch newspaper "The People" 1941 - Pro-German Rashid Ali al-Ghailani grabs power in Iraq 1966 - "Hold On, I'm Comin'" single released by Sam and Dave 1973 - Despite a final round, 5-3 loss to Montreal, Boston Bruins center Phil Esposito wins his third consecutive NHL scoring title with 130 points from 55 goals and 75 assists in the 78-game season 1976 - Conrail takes over operations from six bankrupt railroads in the northeastern U.S.. 1978 - Philippine College of Commerce becomes the Polytechnic University of the Philippines by presidential decree 1982 - Quebec center Peter Šťastný scores 4th career hat trick and 4 assists, and his brother Marián adds 5 assists to lead the Nordiques to an 8-5 win at Boston 2007 - Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Morgan Pressel wins by 1 from Brittany Lincicome, Catriona Matthew and Suzann Pettersen; youngest-ever winner of an LPGA major at 18 years, 313 days 2019 - Major archaeological site announced discovered on a reef in the middle of Lake Titicaca, in Andes, dated 8th and 10th centuries AD from Tiwanaku state More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1857 - Herman Melville publishes the novel "The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade" on April Fool's Day in New York 1946 - Tsunamis generated by a quake in Aleutian Trench strike Hilo, Hawaii 1946 - Van Acker forms Belgian government (without CVP) 1947 - 1st Jewish immigrants to Israel disembark at Port of Eilat 1948 - Fast bowler Hines Johnson has match figures of 10-96 on debut in West Indies 4th cricket Test win v England in Kingston, Jamaica; first fast bowler to take 10 wickets in a single Test for West Indies 1986 - Ranji Trophy Men's Cricket, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi: Delhi beats Haryana by innings and 141; Manoj Prabhakar 113, Kirti Azad 107, Mohinder Amarnath 194, Ajay Sharma 110 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1643 - Christian Demelius, German composer and kapellmeister, born in Schlettau, Electorate of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1711) 1917 - Leon Janney (Ramon), American actor (Charly, Stolen Paradise, Hawk), born in Ogden, Utah (d. 1980) 1946 - Manfred Stengl, Austrian luger (Olympic gold men's doubles 1964), born in Salzburg, Austria (d. 1992) 1964 - John Morris, English cricket batsman (3 Tests, 8 x ODIs; Derbyshire CCC, Durham CCC, Nottinghamshire CCC), born in Crewe, England 1974 - Hugo Ibarra, Argentine soccer right back (11 caps; Colón, Boca Juniors), born in El Colorado, Formosa, Argentina 1982 - Taran Killam, American comedian, actor, and writer (Saturday Night Live, 2010-16; Single Parents), born in Culver City, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1993 - Wayne Mack, American sportscaster (New Orleans Saints, Tulane University) and actor (Storyville), dies of cancer at 68 2000 - Alexander Mackenzie Stuart, Baron Mackenzie-Stuart, Scottish jurist, dies at 75 2001 - Olivia Barclay, British astrologer (revival of traditional forms of astrology in the late 20th century), dies at 81 2007 - Hans Filbinger, German politician (CDU), dies at 93 2018 - Steven Bochco, American TV producer and co-creator of Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue, dies at 74 2024 - Joe Flaherty, American-Canadian Emmy Award-winning screenwriter and actor (SCTV; Freaks and Geeks), dies at 82 More Famous Deaths »

1796 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's dramatic play "Egmont" premieres in Weimar 1865 - General Pickett moves to 5 Forks, abandoning the defense of Petersburg 1883 - 1st performance of Caesar Franck's symphonic poem for orchestra "Le Chasseur Maudit" (The Accursed Huntsman) at the Salle Érard in Paris 1885 - Great Britain declares Bechuanaland a protectorate 1917 - The Danish West Indies are officially ceded to the US for $25 million and renamed the Virgin Islands 1923 - Occupying French soldiers fire on workers when surrounded at Krupp auto factory in Essen, Germany; 6 die, dozens wounded 1966 - USSR launches Luna 10, 1st lunar orbiter 1972 - Final day of the rum ration in the Royal Canadian Navy 1985 - WrestleMania I, Madison Square Garden, NYC: Hulk Hogan and Mr T beat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorf 1987 - 49th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Syracuse, 74-73; Hoosiers' guard Keith Smart hits game-winner in final seconds, intercepts full court pass at the last second More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1865 - Battle of Boydton, Virginia (White Oaks Roads, Dinwiddie C H) 1905 - 67th Grand National: Frank Mason victorious aboard Kirkland; first Welsh-trained horse to win the event 1923 - Stanley Cup Final, Denman Arena, Vancouver, BC: Ottawa Senators (NHL) edge Edmonton Eskimos (WCHL), 1-0 for a 2-0 series sweep 1976 - NJ Court rules Karen Anne Quinlan may be disconnected from respirator 1991 - St. Louis Blues' future Hockey Hall of Fame right wing Brett Hull scores his 86th goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Minnesota North Stars; 3rd best total in NHL history 1994 - Chicago White Sox assigns former NBA superstar Michael Jordan to the Birmingham Barons of Class AA Southern League; returns to NBA after one season More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1909 - Robert Brasillach, French author and journalist (editor in chief of the fascist weekly Je Suis Partout), born in Perpignan, France (d. 1945) 1918 - Ted Post, American television and film director (Gunsmoke; Beneath the Planet of the Apes; Magnum Force), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2013) 1944 - Mick Ralphs, British rock guitarist (Mott the Hoople - "All The Young Dudes"; Bad Company - "Can't Get Enough"), born in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England 1952 - Dermot Morgan, Irish actor and comedian (Father Ted Crilly-Father Ted), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 1998) 1958 - Pat McGlynn, Scottish pop guitarist (Bay City Rollers), born in Edinburgh, Scotland 1975 - Adam Green, American film director More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1547 - Francis I, King of France (1515-47), dies complaining about the weight of the crown at 52 1703 - Johann Christoph Bach, German harpsichordist and composer, dies at 60 1869 - Allan Kardec, French author and founder of Spiritism, dies at 64 2014 - Charles Keating, American district attorney (Los Angeles California), dies at 90 2020 - Cristina [Monet Zilkha], American dance-pop singer songwriter (Sleep It Off), dies at 64 2020 - Richard Friedman, American psychoanalyst who proved sexual orientation biological, dies at 79 More Famous Deaths »

1916 - Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens (NHA) beat Portland Rosebuds (PCHA), 2-1 for a 3-2 series victory 1922 - KGY-AM in Olympia WA begins radio transmissions 1935 - Newfoundland changes time to 3½ hrs W of Greenwich, repeats 44 sec 1939 - First flight of the Australian C.A.C. CA-16 Wirraway military aircraft 1961 - The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is signed at New York 1970 - Columbia Records releases jazz artist Miles Davis's influential double album "Bitches Brew"; it becomes his highest-charting title, wins a Grammy, and earns him his first gold record 1980 - Mark Medoff's "Children of a Lesser God" premieres in NYC 1986 - PGA Tournament Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: John Mahaffey wins by 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Larry Mize 1991 - 1st exhibition baseball games at Joe Robbie Stadium (Yanks-Orioles) 2013 - North Korea declares it is at a state of war with South Korea More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1814 - Napoleonic Wars: Sixth Coalition forces march into Paris after defeating Napoleon 1865 - -4] Battle at 5 Forks, Virginia 1952 - 6th Tony Awards: "The Fourposter" (play) and "The King and I" (musical) win 1987 - Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" sells for a record £22.5 million ($39.7 million) 1992 - Man accidentally backs into Oakland A's Jose Canseco's $225,000 Lamborghini 2012 - American Mega Millions lottery hits a world record lottery amount of 640 million dollars More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1922 - Peter Jona Korn, German composer, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1998) 1927 - Wally Grout, Australian cricket wicketkeeper (51 Tests, 187 dismissals, 3 x 50s), born in Mackay, Australia (d. 1968) 1940 - Jim Criner, American college football coach (Boise State, Iowa State, Scottish Claymores), born in Lurton, Arkansas 1971 - Mari Holden, American cyclist (World C'ship gold road time trial 2000; Olympic silver 2000), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1974 - Martin Love, Australian cricketer (high scoring Queensland batsman, Aust 1995), born in Mundubbera, Australia 1984 - Samantha Stosur, Australian tennis player (US Open singles 2011; 9 x Grand Slam doubles titles; Tour Finals doubles 2005, 06), born in Brisbane, Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1871 - Louise, Dutch-born Queen of Sweden and Norway, dies at 42 1959 - Daniil Andreev, Russian writer, poet and Christian mystic, dies at 52 1972 - Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator famous for his WWII sign-on "There's good news tonight", dies of pneumonia at 81 1978 - Larry Young [aka Khalid Yasin], American hard-bop and jazz-fusion Hammond B-3 organist (Unity), dies from several untreated illnesses, including pneumonia, at 37 1992 - Art Hannes, American actor and announcer, dies of a respiratory ailment at 72 2008 - Dith Pran, Cambodian photojournalist, survivor of the Cambodian genocide, and subject of the movie "The Killing Fields", dies of pancreatic cancer at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1632 - Treaty of Saint-Germain is signed, returns Quebec to French control after the English seized it in 1629 1864 - Union General Steeles troops reach Arkadelphia, Arkansas 1934 - Bank of Travail in Belgium, socialist workers' movement bankrupt 1960 - Darius Milhaud's 9th Symphony, premieres by the Fort Lauderdale Symphony Orchestra and with conductor Mario di Bonaventura 1971 - 1st Lt William L Calley Jr found guilty in My Lai (Vietnam) massacre 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1998 - WrestleMania XIV, FleetCenter, Boston, MA: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's wins his first WWF Heavyweight tile against Shawn Michaels 1999 - 61st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Duke, 77-74; Huskies' first title in first title game 2013 - 23 people are killed by coordinated bombings on Shiite mosques in Iraq 2022 - BA.2 version of Omicron is now the dominant form of COVID-19 in America according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1806 - Construction is authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway 1879 - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.'s opera "Jevgeni Onegin", based on the novel by Alexander Pushkin, premieres Maly Theatre in Moscow, Russia 1945 - World War II: Last day of V-1 flying bomb attacks on England 1951 - 23rd Academy Awards: "All About Eve", Judy Holliday and José Ferrer win 1968 - Teri Garr guest stars in "Assignment: Earth" episode of the original Star Trek TV series 1987 - 7th Golden Raspberry Awards: "Howard the Duck" wins More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1888 - James E. Casey, American businessman and founder (United Parcel Service), born in Candelaria, Nevada (d. 1983) 1898 - Cecil Arthur Lewis, British fighter pilot and writer, born in Birkenhead, England (d. 1997) 1907 - (Abram) "Abe" Lincoln, American sweet jazz trombonist (Paul Whiteman; Ozzie Nelson), and Dixieland jazz revivalist, born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (d. 2000) 1944 - John Suchet, British TV journalist (Independent TV News), and classical music presenter (Classics FM), born in Paddington, London, England 1948 - (Walter) "Bud" Cort, American actor (M*A*S*H(film); Brewster McCloud; Harold and Maude), born in New Rochelle, New York 1973 - Brad Bridgewater, American swimmer (Olympic gold 200m backstroke 1996), born in Charleston, West Virginia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1837 - Maria Fitzherbert, English morganatic wife of King George IV, dies at 80 1959 - Sara Wennerberg-Reuter, Swedish composer, dies at 84 1972 - J. Arthur Rank, British industrialist and film magnate, dies at 81 1982 - "Fatty" George [Pressler], Austrian swing jazz clarinettist, dies of a heart attack at 54 1992 - Paul Henreid, Austrian-American actor (Casablanca, Now, Voyager), dies at 84 2009 - Andy Hallett, American actor and singer (b.1975) More Famous Deaths »

1854 - Great Britain and France declare war on Russia, expanding the Crimean War 1927 - Majestic Theater opens at 245 W 44th St, NYC; designed with a modern Spanish exterior and French revival style interior by architect Herbert J. Krapp, it is largest of 3 theater and hotel development cuilt by Irving Chanin 1949 - English astronomer Fred Hoyle coins the term "Big Bang" in a BBC radio talk while actually arguing for the alternative "steady-state" theory 1953 - 107th Grand National: Bryan Marshall wins aboard Irish 8-year old Early Mist; first of 3 consecutive GN victories for trainer Vincent O'Brien 1959 - 11 days after Tibet uprising, China dissolves Tibet's government and installs Panchen Lama 1977 - 39th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Marquette beats North Carolina, 67-59; Warriors' first title; coach Al McGuire retires 1985 - STS 51-D vehicle moves to launch pad 1990 - US President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal 2007 - Sri Lankan cricket fast bowler Lasith Malinga produces unprecedented sequence of 4 wickets in 4 balls, as South Africa scrambles to a 1-wicket Super 8's ICC World Cup win in Guyana 2019 - European parliament bans single-use plastics, including cutlery and straws by 2021 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1953 - "New Faces (of 1952)" closes at Royale Theater NYC after 365 performances 1969 - Greek poet and Nobel Prize laureate Giorgos Seferis makes a famous statement on the BBC World Service opposing the junta in Greece 1992 - 6th American Comedy Award: Cathy Ladman, Judy Watkins, Billy Crystal 1993 - Type II supernova detected in M81 (NGC 3031) 2023 - Chris Sharma completes the first redpoint of Sleeping Lion in Siurana, Spain, a 9b+ (5.15c) route 2024 - Bus crash kills 45 Easter pilgrims from Botswana in South Africa, with one child surviving a 50 meter drop off the Mmamatlakala bridge, near Mokopane More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1741 - Johann Andre, German composer, born in Offenbach, Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1799) 1907 - Irving "Swifty" Lazar, American talent agent, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1993) 1919 - Tom Brooks, Australian cricket umpire (23 Tests 1970-78), born in Paddington, Australia (d. 2007) 1926 - Polly Umrigar, Indian cricket all-rounder and captain (59 Tests, 12 x 100, HS 223, 35 wickets; Bombay, Gujarat), born in Solapur, India (d. 2006) 1945 - Hans Brunhart, Leader of Liechtenstein (1978-93), born in Balzers, Liechtenstein 1973 - Umaga [Edward Fatu], Samoan-American professional wrestler, born in American Samoa (d.2009) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1847 - Mariano Rodríguez de Ledesma, Spanish composer, dies at 67 1865 - Albert G Bilders, Dutch landscape painter, dies at 26 1941 - Virginia Woolf, British author (Jacob's Room, To the Lighthouse), commits suicide at 59 1984 - Benjamin Mays, African-American educator (Morehouse, Howard University) and civil rights leader, dies at 89 1991 - Carlos Montalbán, Mexican-American character actor (Bananas), dies at 86 1992 - Josef Matej, Czech composer, dies at 70 More Famous Deaths »