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Historical Events 1771 - Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to Britain 1983 - Houston is 1st NBA team to be held scoreless in an overtime Portland Trail Blazers out score them 17-0 and win 113-96 1993 - Johan Koss skates a world record 5 km in 6:38.77 2006 - Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president 2021 - Lloyd Austin confirmed as defense secretary by the US Senate, and the first Black head of the Pentagon More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1871 - Léon Jessel, German light classical and operetta composer (The Parade of the Tin Soldiers; Schwarzwaldmädel (The Black Forest Girl)), born in Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland) (d. 1942) 1945 - Michael Cristofer, American actor and writer (Little Drummer Girl, Shadow Box), born in Trenton, New Jersey 1977 - Jono Gibbes, New Zealand rugby union flanker (8 caps; Chiefs) and coach (Ulster, La Rochelle), born in Henderson, New Zealand 1980 - Ben Moody, American guitarist (Evanescence, 1995-2003 -"Bring Me To Life"), born in Little Rock, Arkansas 1984 - Maceo Rigters, Dutch footballer, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1666 - Shah Jahan, 5th Mughal Emperor of India (1628-58) who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, dies at 74 1959 - A J Else Mauhs, German/Dutch actress (Hamlet, Nora), dies at 73 1992 - Ali Amini, Iranian politician and government official (Prime Minister, 1961-62; Ambassador to US, 1956-58; Member of Parliament, 1947-49), dies at 87 2016 - Anthony Simmons, British writer and film director (The Optimists of Nine Elms), dies at 93 2020 - John Karlen, American actor (Harvey Lacey-Cagney and Lacey), dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1324 - Zen Buddhist religious debate between Tendai and Shingon 1904 - Leos Janacek's opera "Jenůfa" premieres at the National Theatre in Brno, Moravia, Austria-Hungary 1943 - Soviet forces reconquer Gumrak airport near Stalingrad 1964 - Carl Rowan named director of US Information Agency 1989 - Wayne Gretzky passes Marcel Dionne to become NHL's 2nd all time scorer 2013 - 18 people are killed and 24 are injured after a bus falls down a ravine in Yungas, Bolivia 2018 - AFC Championship, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough: New England Patriots beat Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20 2025 - 79 people are killed in a hotel fire in the ski resort town of Balu in north-west Turkey, with 51 injured More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1077 - German King Henry IV petitions Pope Gregory VII for forgiveness 1938 - Dutch government starts obligatory unemployment insurance 1957 - KSAT TV channel 12 in San Antonio, TX (ABC) begins broadcasting 1993 - Nigerian singer Fela Kuti arrested on suspicion of murder 2020 - World's oldest asteroid impact at 2.2 billion years old found in Yarrabubba, Western Australia, may have ended an ice age, reported in "Nature Communications" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1891 - Nikolai Golovanov, Russian conductor and composer (Bolshoi Opera), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1953) 1905 - "Ossie" O.S. Stevens Nock, British railway writer, born in Sutton, England (d. 1994) 1952 - Mike Krukow, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1986 SF Giants; Chicago Cubs) and broadcaster (KNBR [with Duane Kuiper] SF Giants), born in Long Beach, California 1981 - Ivan Ergić, Serbian soccer midfielder (11 caps; FC Basel 202 games), born in Šibenik, Croatia 1981 - David F. Sandberg, Swedish film director (Lights Out, Shazam!), born in Jönköping, Sweden More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1851 - (Gustav) Albert Lortzing, German Spieloper composer and actor (Zar und Zimmerman), dies at 49 1894 - Guillaume Lekeu, Belgian composer (Épithalame), dies of typhoid fever at 24 1928 - George Washington Goethals, American army general and civil engineer who supervised the construction of the Panama Canal, dies at 69 2005 - Parveen Babi, Indian actress (b. 1955) 2015 - Waldemar Kmentt, Austrian operatic tenor (Vienna State Opera, 1951-2005), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1801 - John Marshall is appointed Chief Justice of the United States 1950 - "Dance Me a Song" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 35 performances 1954 - Herman Wouk's stage drama "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial", adpated from his novel "The Caine Mutiny", starring Henry Fonda, and directed by Charles Laughton, premieres at the Plymouth Theatre, NYC; runs for 415 performances 1982 - Piet Dankert elected chairman of European Parliament 2008 - "Breaking Bad," created by Vince Gilligan and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, premieres on AMC 2019 - AFC Championship, Arrowhead Stadium, KC: New England Patriots beat Kansas City Chiefs, 37-31 OT 2021 - Dan Campbell is appointed head coach of the Detroit Lions 2025 - Republican Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States of America, and JD Vance as the 50th Vice-President; Trump is oldest person to take the office, and joins Grover Cleveland as only the second elected to non-consecutive White House terms, the event is held indoors due to inclement weather More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1947 - Nova Scotia Supreme Court rules against case of black woman Viola Desmond - ejected from a cinema seat in New Glasgow reserved for whites and arrested in landmark case (pardoned 2010) 1958 - A group attempting the 1st surface crossing of Antarctic join up at the South Pole 1965 - Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain 1969 - University of Arizona reports 1st optical identification of a pulsar found in Crab Nebula 1972 - Number of people out of work and claiming unemployment benefit in UK rises to over 1 million More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1893 - Georg Åberg, Swedish athlete (Olympic silver triple jump; bronze long jump 1912), born in Norrköping, Sweden (d. 1946) 1916 - Walter Bartley, English biochemist, born in Brighton, London (d. 1994) 1920 - Peter Clemoes, British historian, born in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom (d. 1996) 1937 - Dorothy Provine, American actress (The Roaring 20's; That Darn Cat: Who's Minding The Mint?), and singer, born in Deadwood, South Dakota (d. 2010) 1968 - Fantastic Negrito [Xavier Dphrepaulezz], American blues singer-songwriter (The Last Days of Oakland; Please Don't Be Dead), born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 250 - Fabian, Pope (236-50), Bishop of Rome and saint, dies a martyr during persecutions by the Emperor Decius 1191 - Frederick VI, Duke of Swabia (b. 1167) 1838 - Pierre-Louis Hus-Desforges, French composer and cellist, dies at 64 1964 - Jan Rychlik, Czech percussionist, and composer of orchestral, jazz, and film music, dies at 47 2018 - Naomi Parker Fraley, American who inspired "Rosie the Riveter" poster, dies at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1825 - Ezra Daggett and nephew Thomas Kensett patent food storage in tin cans 1884 - Jules Massenet's opera "Manon" premieres in Paris 1927 - British government decides to send troops to China 1997 - 54th Golden Globes: The English Patient, Geoffrey Rush, and Brenda Blethyn win 2002 - "Tuck Rule Game" AFC Divisional Playoff Game; with under 2 minutes to play New England Patriots trail Oakland Raiders, 13-10 in a driving snowstorm, when a Tom Brady fumble ruled an incomplete pass. Patriots win 16-13 in overtime 2020 - NFC Championship, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California: San Francisco 49ers beat Green Bay Packers, 37-20 2021 - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says China is committing genocide in its repression of Uighurs and other Muslim people 2022 - Major report on antimicrobial resistance shows 4.95m deaths worldwide associated with drug-resistant bacteria, making untreatable infections now a leading cause of death More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1968 - Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill calls for "a new endeavour by organisations in Northern Ireland to cross denominational barriers and advance the cause of better community relations" 1979 - John N Mitchell (former US Attorney General) released on parole from federal prison 1984 - California Supreme Court rejects the request of quadriplegic Elizabeth Bouvia's to starve herself to death in a public hospital 2017 - High-rise building collapses in Tehran, killing 20 firefighters 2024 - Actor Alec Baldwin indicted by a grand jury on involuntary manslaughter charges over the 2021 fatal shooting on a movie set More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1906 - Lanny Ross, American radio singer (Show Boat; The Swift Show), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1988) 1944 - Peter Lynch, American legendary investor who coined the phrase "invest in what you know", born in Newton, Massachusetts 1953 - Richard Legendre, Canadian tennis player and politician, born in Montreal, Quebec 1957 - Kenneth McClintock, Puerto Rican politician, born in London, England 1969 - Edwidge Danticat, Haitian-American author, born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1847 - Charles Bent, American fur trader and Governor of New Mexico Territory for 100 days (1846-47), killed at 47 1915 - Anna Leonowens, Anglo-Indian travel writer, educator, social activist, and co-founder of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, dies at 83 1990 - (Alberto) Semprini, British pianist and radio broadcaster (BBC's Semprini Serenade), dies at 81 2015 - Anne Kirkbride, English actress (Deirdre-Coronation Street), dies of breast cancer at 60 2022 - Gaspard Ulliel, French actor (Hannibal Rising; Saint Laurent), dies from head injuries suffered in helmet-less skiing accident at 37 More Famous Deaths »

1562 - The Council of Trent is reopened by Pope Pius IV for its third (and final) session 1896 - First demonstration of an X-ray machine in the US (New York City) 1960 - Capital Airlines Flight 20 crashes in Virginia, killing all 50 people on-board 1973 - Orlando Cepeda is 1st player signed as MLB designated hitter by Boston Red Sox 1974 - Science fiction TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man" premieres on ABC, starring Lee Majors 1980 - Price of gold reaches $850 an ounce 1992 - Comedian Pat McCormick injured in a car accident 2017 - Baseball Hall of Fame adds Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1775 - The West India Committee founded in London by London sugar merchants and Caribbean planters. Initially instrumental in promoting slavery, later aided campaign to end slavery. 1896 - First college basketball game with 5 players on each side is conducted by the University of Iowa; invites student athletes from University of Chicago for an experimental game; Chicago beats Iowa 15-12 1983 - Dick Motta becomes the 5th NBA coach to record 600 wins as his Dallas Mavericks defeat the Golden State Warriors, 112-102 in Oakland, California 2009 - "We Are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington prior to Barack Obama's inauguration attracts an estimated crowd of 400,000; performers include: Beyoncé, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Stevie Wonder 2024 - US city of Lexington starts a new tourism campaign aimed at extraterrestrial travelers by beaming a welcome message into space via an infrared laser More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1872 - Paul Léautaud [Maurice Boissard], French writer and theatre critic (Petit ami), born in Paris, France (d. 1956) 1922 - Bob Bell, American clown, born in Flint, Michigan (d. 1997) 1941 - David Ruffin, American soul musician and early lead singer for The Temptations ("My Girl"; "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"), born in Whynot, Mississippi (d. 1991) 1950 - Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 2019) 1993 - Morgan York, American actress (Cheaper by the Dozen) and narrative podcaster (Halfmoon Chronicles), born in Burbank, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1918 - Bohuslav Jeremiáš, Czech composer, dies at 58 1986 - Claire James, American actress (Jack Armstrong), dies at 65 1995 - Ron Luciano, American baseball umpire in the American League (1969-79), dies at 57 1996 - Jos Kunst, Dutch composer, dies at 60 2021 - Josep Mestres-Quadreny, Spanish composer, dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1562 - French regent Catherine de' Medici issues the Edict of St Germain recognizing Huguenots in France 1746 - Battle of Falkirk Muir, the Jacobites under Charles Stuart defeat Hanoverian forces 1779 - Captain James Cook's last notation in Discovery's ship's log 1911 - Failed assassination attempt on French Prime Minister Aristide Briand in the French Assembly 1934 - NY Giants reward National League MVP pitcher Carl Hubbell with a huge $18,000 contract 1939 - Ed Barrow is elected Yankee president succeeding deceased J Ruppert 1995 - Revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Carousel" closes at the Beaumont Theater, NYC after 322 performances 2003 - 8th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Chicago Best Picture More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1827 - Duke of Wellington appointed British supreme commander 1863 - Civil War skirmish near Newtown, Virginia 1937 - LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins inaugural event by 3 strokes ahead of Dorothy Kirby 1972 - Section of Memphis' Highway 51 South renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard 1983 - 10th American Music Awards: John Cougar, Rick Springfield, and Olivia Newton-John win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1501 - Leonhard Fuchs, German physician and botanist (Notable Commentaries on the History of Plants) for which the flowering plants and color Fuchsia is named after, born in Wemding, Bavaria (d. 1566) 1905 - Franz Schmid, German climber (1st to ascend northside of Matterhorn 1931), born in Garmisch, Germany (d. 1992) 1960 - John Crawford, American bass (Berlin-You Take My Breath Away), born in Palo Alto, California 1961 - Brian Helgeland, American screenwriter (L.A. Confidential) and director (A Knight's Tale), born in Providence, Rhode Island 1980 - Zooey Deschanel, American actress (Almost Famous; Elf; New Girl), and singer (She and Him), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1882 - Alexander Bullock, American lawyer, politician, and 26th Governor of Massachusetts, dies at 65 1990 - Charles Hernu, French politician (Minister of Defense, 1981-85; Mayor of Villeurbanne, 1977-90), and environmental antagonist, dies at 66 1996 - Mostafa Sid Ahmed, Sudanese singer (b. 1953) 2013 - Robert F. Chew, American actor, dies from heart failure at 52 2014 - Francine Lalonde, Canadian politician (Member of Parliament for La Pointe-de-l'Île), dies of cancer at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1749 - Hoax article advertising fictitious theatrical performer "The Bottle Conjuror" drew huge crowds to the Haymarket Theatre, London, whose inevitable non-appearance caused a riot. It's alleged the Duke of Montagu perpetrated the fiasco to win a bet. 1776 - Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks 1863 - -Aug 23rd) Cruise of CSS Florida 1917 - The Greek Government accepts reparations for Allied losses sustained in recent actions in Greece 1931 - Australian cricket batting prodigy Don Bradman scores 223 v West Indies in 3rd Test in Brisbane; most runs scored by a player in a Test match in Australia in one day 1948 - 35 Haganah members are ambushed and killed in Gush Etzyon 1963 - Tennessee Williams' play "Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore" premieres in America on Broadway, NY 1990 - 2 Bank of Credit and Commerce members plea guilty to money laundering More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1943 - Red Army recaptures Pitomnik airport at Stalingrad 1955 - 5th NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 26-19; MVP: Billy Wilson, SF 49ers, WR 1977 - Cap's H Monahan scored on 2nd penalty shot against Islanders 1989 - USSR announces plan for 2-yr manned mission to Mars 2019 - Australian Bureau of Meteorology tweets last four days were the country's hottest on record with Tarcoola, South Australia, reaching 49 C (120 F), Port Augusta 48.5 C (119 F) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1672 - Francesco Mancini, Neapolitan composer, born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, Spanish Empire (d. 1737) 1918 - Nel Benschop, Dutch poet known for "Gouddraad uit vlas", born in the Hague, Netherlands (d. 2005) 1947 - Georgette Mosbacher, American CEO (La Prairie cosmetics), born in Highland, Indiana 1956 - Jennifer Dale, Canadian actress (Coroner, Into Invisible Light), born in Toronto, Ontario 1962 - Paul Webb, English rocker (Talk Talk - "It's My Life"), born in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 484 - Seinei, 22nd Emperor of Japan according to legend (480-484), dies at about 40 (b. 444) [dates disputed] 1263 - Shinran, Japanese Buddhist monk and founder of what became the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Japanese Buddhism, dies at 89 1979 - Ted Cassidy, American actor (Lurch-Addams Family), dies at 46 1994 - Stephen Kritsick, veterinarian (Good Morning America), dies at 42 2025 - Harry Bild, Swedish soccer striker (28 caps; IFK Norrköping, Feyenoord, Östers IF), dies from cancer at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1907 - 3-element vacuum tube patented by American inventor Lee De Forest 1939 - Municipal Railway and Market St RR begin service to Transbay Terminal 1955 - USSR ends state of war with German Federal Republic 1975 - Space Mountain opens at Disney World in Orlando, Florida 1975 - Pioneering American female comedian Phyllis Diller gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1988 - NFL analyst Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes several questionable comments about African Americans during a lunchtime interview on CBS' NFL Today; fired the next day 1989 - Big John Studd wins WWF's 2nd Royal Rumble 1997 - Seattle's Sam Perkins ties Jeff Hornacek's NBA single-game record by connecting on 8 straight 3-point field goals during Sonics' 122-78 win over visiting Toronto; Seattle also sets an NBA steals record with 27 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1759 - British Museum opens at Montagu House in London 1942 - US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sends his famed "Green Light Letter" to MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, encouraging baseball to continue playing during World War II 1970 - Nigerian civil war officially ends after 2 1/2 years of fighting when the Republic of Biafra disbands and joins Nigeria 1991 - Dean Jones (76) and Mark Taylor (71) lead Australia to 7 wicket win over New Zealand in cricket's World Series Cup 2nd Final in Melbourne; win series, 2-0 2016 - American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan unveils newest exhibit replica skeleton of a Titanosaur dinosaur (found 2010 Argentina), largest known dinosaur at 70 tons, 37m More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1875 - Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, Founder and first King of Saudi Arabia (1932-53), born in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd (d. 1953) 1888 - Joseph Henabery, American director (Cobra), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1976) 1917 - Wang Renzhong, Chinese politician (First Secretary Hubei Province), born in Jing County, Hebei (d. 1992) 1923 - Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet, musician, singer-songwriter, and humorist (John Peel Show; King Cutler), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2006) 1981 - Howie Day, American pop-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Collide"), born in Bangor, Maine More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1705 - Walraad, the Young, earl of Nassau-Ottweiler/gov of Nijmegen, dies 1916 - Modest Tchaikovsky, Russian writer (b. 1850) 1978 - Jack Jackson, British trumpeter, dance band bandleader, and influential BBC disc jockey, dies at 71 2008 - Brad Renfro, American actor (The Client), dies of heroin overdose at 25 2023 - Shaye Al-Nafisah, Saudi Arabian soccer forward (32 caps; Al-Kawkab FC), dies at 60 More Famous Deaths »

1944 - Soviet army begins offensive at Oranienbaum/Wolchow 1956 - Jordan government refuses to join Pact of Baghdad 1967 - Earthquake in Sicily kills 231 1971 - Cricketer John Snow takes 7-40 for England to beat Australia by 299 runs 1990 - 11th ACE Cable Awards: CNN wins the Golden CableACE for the coverage of the events in Beijing, China 1995 - Mexico pledges profits from state-owned Pemex's $7-billion-per-year oil revenues in an effort to secure US congressional approval of loan guarantees; President Clinton approves a $20-billion U.S. aid package for Mexico 2020 - US game show Jeopardy "greatest of all time" tournament won by Ken Jennings 2021 - Pope Francis, 84, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1932 - 1st totalisator (to record racetrack bets) in US is installed Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida 1940 - MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis gives free agency to 91 Detroit Tigers minor league players 1945 - In Greece, Communists and the British agree to a cease-fire in the struggle to control Athens (and with it Greece) 1972 - WMAU TV channel 17 in Bude, Mississippi (PBS) begins broadcasting 2019 - Spinning disk of ice 300m wide, resembling the moon, forms in the Presumpscot river, Westbrook, Maine More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1861 - Wilhelm von Polenz, German writer (Der Pfarrer von Breitendorf), born in Cunewalde, Germany (d. 1903) 1910 - Renier van der Velden, Belgian composer, born in Borgerhout, Belgium (d. 1993) 1911 - Djuanda Kartawidjaja, Indonesian teacher, engineer, and politician (11th and final Prime Minister of Indonesia, 1957-59), born in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Dutch East Indies (d. 1963) 1914 - Harold Russell, Canadian actor (Best Years of Our Life, Dogtown), born in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada (d. 2002) 1935 - Lucille Wheeler, Canadian alpine skier, born in Mont-Tremblant, Canada More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1822 - Franz Innocenz Joseph Kobell, German landscape painter, dies at 72 1959 - G. D. H. Cole, English political theorist and socialist, dies at 69 1978 - Robert Heger, German conductor and composer, dies at 91 2006 - Henri Colpi, French New Wave film editor and director, dies at 84 2024 - Norm Snead, American football quarterback (Pro Bowl 1962, 63, 65, 72; NFL completion % leader 1972 NY Giants; Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1733 - British officer James Oglethorpe and 130 English colonists arrive at Charleston, South Carolina 1882 - Richard Wagner completes his final opera "Parsifal" 1919 - Dutch Soccer team OSV forms 1924 - Nationalist Wafd-party wins Egyptian parliament elections 1942 - Allied Conference on war trials at St. James's Palace, London 1963 - 13th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Conference beats Western Conference, 30-20; MVPs: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns, RB; Eugene Lipscomb, Pittsburgh Steelers, DT 1968 - Minnesota North Stars NHL player Bill Masterson, suffers head injuries during a game and dies two days later, becoming the 1st player to die as result of a game 2017 - Cricket all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan scores Bangladesh's top Test score ever (217) during the 1st Test v New Zealand in Wellington More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1404 - The Act of Multipliers is passed by the English Parliament forbidding alchemists to use their knowledge to create precious metals (it was feared that if any alchemist should succeed it would bring ruin upon the state) 1874 - US troops land in Honolulu to protect the king 1911 - South Africa cricket team's 1st win over Australia, at Adelaide 1979 - YMCA files libel suit against Village People's "Y.M.C.A." song 1991 - President Mário Soares of Portugal re-elected More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1720 - Richard Hurd, English bishop and writer, born in Congreve, England (d. 1808) 1859 - Karl Bleibtreu, German author (Revolution of Literature), born in Berlin (d. 1928) 1901 - Mieczysław Żywczyński, Polish historian and priest, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1978) 1955 - Paul Kelly, Australian singer-songwriter (The Messengers), born in Adelaide, South Australia 1965 - Bill Bailey, British comedian (Black Books, QI), born in bath, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1049 - Derrick IV, Count of Holland (1039-49), dies in battle 1956 - Lyonel Feininger, German-American cartoonist and painter, dies at 84 1979 - Donny Hathaway, American gospel and soul singer-songwriter, and keyboardist ("The Ghetto"; "Where is the Love?"), commits suicide at 33 1995 - Maxwell Henley Harris, Australian poet and publisher (Critics), dies at 73 2009 - Hortense Calisher, American novelist (President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters), dies at 97 More Famous Deaths »

1866 - The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London 1912 - -47°F (-44°C), Washta, Iowa (state record) 1957 - Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) founded with Martin Luther King Jr. as leader at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta 1968 - Beatles Film Production Ltd changes name to Apple Film Production Ltd 1971 - 21st NBA All-Star Game, San Diego Sports Arena: West beats East, 108-107; MVP: Lenny Wilkens, Seattle SuperSonics, PG; oldest MVP in All-Star history (33); scores 21 points 1992 - A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali. 2007 - Comet McNaught reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years. 2021 - India's Supreme Court puts on hold three controversial new farm laws that ignited weeks of protests by farmers in Delhi More Historical Events »

Historical Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople 1945 - US Task Force 38 destroys 41 Japanese ships in Battle of South China Sea 2006 - A stampede during the Stoning the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims 2017 - US President Barack Obama in surprise presentation awards Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom 2019 - Missy Elliott is the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1902 - Ray Teal, American actor (Judgment at Nuremberg, Bonanza), born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (d. 1976) 1908 - José Limón, Mexican-American dancer and choreographer (The Moor's Pavane; I, Odysseus), born in Culiacán, Mexico (d. 1972) 1934 - Mick Sullivan, English rugby league footballer, born in Pudsey, England (d. 2016) 1962 - Joe Quesada, American comic book writer, born in New York City 1992 - Mao Kobayashi, Japanese gravure idol, born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan (d. 2017) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1959 - Edvard Eriksen, Danish-Icelandic sculptor, dies at 82 1992 - Harry van Doorn, Dutch politician (KVP/KRO-chairman/PPR/CRM), dies at 76 2007 - Alice Coltrane [née McLeod], American jazz harp, piano, and organ player (Journey in Satchidananda), dies of respiratory failure at 69 2010 - Hasib Sabbagh, Palestinian businessman and philanthropist, co-founder of Consolidated Contractors Company (b. 1920) 2025 - Claude Jarman Jr, American actor (The Yearling; Rio Grande; Inside Straight), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1879 - Anglo-Zulu War begins as British Lieutenant General Lord Chelmsford invades Zululand in South Africa 1894 - Donghak Peasant Rebellion begins in Mujiang, Korea over local corruption, sparking the 1st Sino-Japanese War 1942 - -23°F (-31°C), Kingston, Rhode Island (state record) 1943 - US and Britain relinquish extraterritorial rights in China 1962 - Landslide at dormant volcano Huascaran in Peru kills an estimated 4,000 1975 - Soviet Soyuz 17 carries 2 cosmonauts to space station Salyut 4 1984 - Denver Nuggets 163, San Antonio Spurs 155-highest-scoring NBA game 2024 - More than 300 people have died in flooding caused by the highest levels of River Congo in 60 years, especially in Kinshasa, DR Congo More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1944 - Crakow-Plaszow Concentration Camp established 1959 - 9th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Conference beats Western Conference, 28-21; MVPs: Frank Gifford, NY Giants, HB; Doug Atkins, Chicago Bears, DE 1963 - Beatles release the single "Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why"; peaks at #2 in UK, and #3 in US 1966 - "Daktari" African adventure series premieres on CBS TV 1987 - AFC Championship, Cleveland Stadium: Denver Broncos beat Cleveland Browns 23-20 (OT) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1503 - Parmigianino [Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola,], Italian artist (Madonna with the Long Neck), born in Parma, Duchy of Milan (now Italy) (d. 1540) 1905 - John Henry Jacques, English co-operative retailer and politician, born in Ashington, Northumberland (d. 1995) 1946 - (Diana) "Naomi" Judd, American Grammy Award-winning country singer (The Judds - "Why Not Me"), born in Ashland, Kentucky (d. 2022) 1952 - Kim Hartman, British screen, stage, and radio actress (Allo Allo! - "Helga"), born in Hammersmith, London, England 1968 - Sharon Brown, American actress (Chantal-Generations), born in New York City More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1055 - Constantine IX Monomachos, Emperor of Byzantium, dies 1954 - Edgard Tytgat, Flemish painter and etcher, dies at 77 1981 - Beulah Bondi, American actress (It's a Wonderful Life), dies at 88 2010 - Georgy Garanian, Armenian-Russian jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer, dies of cardiac arrest at 75 2013 - Aaron H. Swartz, American computer programmer, dies from an apparent suicide at 26 More Famous Deaths »

1917 - The Allied Governments respond to US President Woodrow Wilson's December 1916 note, giving their terms for ending the war 1928 - George Gershwin, Sigmund Romberg and P. G. Wodehouse's musical "Rosalie" premieres in New York 1952 - Cargo ship SS Flying Enterprise sinks in the English Channel after weeks of trying to salvage it 1965 - WKBD TV channel 50 in Detroit, Michigan (IND) begins broadcasting 1984 - Luis Aparicio, Harmon Killebrew and Don Drysdale elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame 1997 - Dow Corning provides $295 billion to settle breast implant suits 1999 - Fatboy Slim's music single "Praise You" hits #1 in the UK 2013 - 81 people are killed and 120 are wounded by a twin bombing in Quetta, Pakistan More Historical Events »

Historical Events 402 - Theodosius II, aged just nine months, is proclaimed co-Augustus with his father Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius - then the youngest to hold an imperial title 1861 - Fort Jackson and Fort Philip are taken over by LA state troops (US Civil War) 1863 - General McClernand's Union troops surround Fort Hindman, Arkansas 1878 - US Senate proposes female suffrage 1999 - Fatboy Slim's music single "Praise You" hits #1 in the UK More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1843 - Frank James, American outlaw (member of the James-Younger gang), born in Clay County, Missouri (d. 1915) 1944 - Frank Sinatra, Jr., American singer and bandleader, born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 2016) 1952 - Scott Thurston, American session and touring guitarist, keyboardist and songwriter (Iggy Pop, 1973-79; Motels, 1982-84; Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, 1989-2017), born in Medford, Oregon 1974 - Steve Marlet, French footballer, born in Pithiviers, France 1994 - Faith Kipyegon, Kenyan athlete (Olympic gold women's 1,500m 2016, 20; World C'ship gold 2017), born in Bomet, Kenya More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1959 - Colin Gregory, English tennis player (Australian C'ship 1929, chairman All-England Club, Wimbledon), dies at 55 2005 - Erwin Hillier, British cinematographer (b. 1911) 2015 - Michael Wright, British academic and Vice-Chancellor of Aston University (1996-2006), dies of cancer at 67 2017 - Clare Hollingworth, British war correspondent who was the first to report on the outbreak of WWII, dies at 105 2017 - (Armando) "Buddy" Greco, American jazz and pop singer ("Ooh! Look-A There, Ain't She Pretty"; "The Lady Is A Tramp"), pianist, and television personality (Away We Go), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »