CoM Moderators

Historical Events 1703 - Great storm of 1703 hits Southern England - thousands killed, Royal Navy losses 13 ships and around 1,500 seamen 1924 - German election (Social Democrats win, Nazis and Communists lose) 1941 - The Imperial Japanese Navy, with 353 planes, attacks the US fleet at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, killing 2,403 people 1964 - George Harrison changes his music publishing company's name from Mornyork to Harrisongs 2020 - Australian states celebrate "Freedom Day" easing COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria and New South Wales More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1557 - Girolamo Trombetti [Cavallari], Italian singer, trombonist, composer (Sustinuimus pacem), and maestro di cappella (San Giovanni de Monti, 1591-1628), baptized in Bologna, Papal States (d. 1628) 1830 - Luigi Cremona, Italian mathematician (grafostatica), born in Pavia, Italy (d. 1903) 1935 - Jean-Claude Casadesus, French conductor (Orchestre national de Lille, 1976-2016), born in Paris, France 1954 - Bertín Osborne, Italian entertainer, born in Madrid, Spain 1988 - Emily Browning, Australian actress (Ghost Ship), born in Melbourne, Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1498 - Alexander Hegius, German humanist and pioneering teacher of Erasmus and Pope Adrian VI, dies at about 65 1775 - Charles Saunders, British admiral, First Lord of the Admiralty, dies at about 60 1956 - Huntley Gordon, Canadian actor, dies at 77 1996 - Jose Donoso, Chilean writer (The Place Without Limits), dies at 72 2019 - Denis Lalanne, French sports journalist ('Le grand combat du XV de France'; 'Rugbymania: French flair attitude'), dies at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1723 - Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI's Pragmatic Sanction with the Diet of Hungary recognizes the King's daughters as successors 1862 - US President Abraham Lincoln orders hanging of 39 Santee Sioux Indians 1903 - Sumatra Atjehs guerilla leader Panglima Polim surrenders 1914 - German troops over run Lodz 1922 - 1st electric power line commercial carrier in US, Utica, NY 1973 - Bahrain's constitution goes into effect 1984 - Helena Suková snaps Martina Navratilova's 74-match winning streak 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the semi finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne; ends Navratilova's hopes of completing the Grand Slam 2022 - Donald Trump's real estate company Trump Organization convicted of tax fraud in New York More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1060 - Béla I is crowned King of Hungary in Székesfehérvár 1969 - Oscar Brown, Jr's musical "Buck White", starring Muhammad Ali, closes at George Abbott Theatre, NYC, after 7 performances 1990 - Baseball player "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's signature sells for $23,100 at auction 2008 - 4th ACC Championship Game: Virginia Tech beats #18 Boston College, 30-12 2017 - Skirball wildfire near Los Angeles closes the Interstate 405 as thousands forced to evacuate More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1822 - John Eberhard Faber, German-American pencil manufacturer and built 1st large-scale pencil factory in US, born in Stein Bavaria, Germany (d. 1879) 1919 - Willis Whitfield, American physicist and inventor of the clean room, born in Rosedale, Oklahoma (d. 2012) 1949 - Peter Willey, English cricketer (England batsman late 70's early 80's), born in Sedgefield, County Durham, England 1955 - Steven Wright, American stand-up comedian (Steven Wright Live), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts 1971 - Naozumi Takahashi, Japanese singer and voice actor, born in Ōshū, Iwate Prefecture, Japan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1959 - Len Doyle, American actor (Harrington-Mr District Attorney), dies at 66 1983 - Lucienne Boyer, French singer (Parlez-moi d'amour), dies at 82 1989 - Frances Bavier, American Emmy Award-winning stage and screen actress (The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry, RFD - "Aunt Bee"), dies of congestive heart failure at 86 1995 - James Reston, American journalist (New York Times), dies at 86 1997 - Eliot Daniel, American composer (I Love Lucy theme), dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1832 - Andrew Jackson re-elected US President after defeating Henry Clay 1859 - Dion Boucicault's stage melodrama "The Octaroon" opens at The Winter Garden Theatre, NYC 1892 - Anti-semite Hermann Ahlwardt elected to Germany's Reichstag 1928 - England defeats Australia by record 675 runs at Brisbane 1945 - Dutch Special Council of Annulment affirms death sentence of radio presenter Max Blokzijl for broadcasting Nazi propaganda 1960 - Ghana drops diplomatic relations with Belgium 1983 - LA Dodger pitcher Steve Howe is suspended for 1 year for cocaine use 2019 - Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, announces articles of impeachment against US President Donald Trump will be drawn up for abuse of power More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1914 - CFL Grey Cup, Varsity Stadium, Toronto: Toronto Argonauts win first Championship; beat U of Toronto Blues, 14-2 1941 - Soviet anti-offensive in Moscow drives out Nazi army 1982 - Dutch judoka Ingrid Berghmans retains judo's world championship 1991 - "Catskills on Broadway" opens at Lunt-Fontanne NYC for 452 performances 2006 - Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy little black dress from film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is auctioned for charity for a record £467,200 ($923,187) at Christie's, London More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1855 - Clinton Hart Merriam, American zoologist and ornithologist, born in New York City (d. 1942) 1901 - Hanns Jelinek, Austrian composer, born in Vienna (d. 1969) 1936 - James Lee Burke, American writer (Dave Robicheaux series), born in Houston, Texas 1960 - Brian Bromberg, American jazz bass player (You Know That Feeling), born in Tucson, Arizona 1969 - Morgan J. Freeman, American film director (Hurricane Streets), born in Long Beach, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1955 - Paul Harvey, American actor (Spellbound, Calamity Jane, Heldorado, Jamboree), dies at 73 1958 - Ferdinand Bruckner [Theodor Tagger], Austrian-German playwright (Races), dies at 67 1979 - Sonia Delaunay, Russian-born French artist (Orphism), dies at 94 1991 - Jill Browne, dies at 54 2024 - Bill Melton, American baseball third baseman. 1968-77 (MLB All-Star and AL home run leader, 1971; Chicago White Sox, and 2 other teams) and broadcaster,1998-2020 (NBC, Comcast, Chicago White Sox), dies at 79 More Famous Deaths »

1906 - Alpha Phi Alpha, first Black Greek Letter Fraternity, forms 1949 - Duncan Stewart, 2nd British Governor of Sarawak is fatally stabbed in the streets of Sibu by Malay student Rosli Dhoby with help from Morshidi Sidek with the goal of helping neighbouring Indonesia to take over British Sarawak 1971 - The UN Security Council calls an emergency session to consider the deteriorating situation between India and Pakistan 1977 - NFL's 5,000th game, Cincinnati beats KC 27-7 1982 - China adopts its constitution 1985 - Slobodan Živojinović of Yugoslavia upsets No. 2 seed John McEnroe 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the Australian Open quarter finals; leaves McEnroe without a major singles title for the first time since 1978 1994 - 83rd Davis Cup: Sweden beats Russia in Moscow (4-1) 2012 - Miranda Hart wins Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year for "Is It Just Me?" at The British Book Awards More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1909 - Oldest still-operating NHL franchise is officially established as J. Ambrose O’Brien and Jack Laviolette create the “Club de Hockey Canadien,” known today as the Montreal Canadiens 1920 - 1st Pro football playoff game Buffalo-7, Canton-3 at Polo Grounds, NYC 1948 - Heitor Villa-Lobos' folk operetta "Magdalena" closes at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC, after 88 performances 1964 - Test Cricket debut of Ian Chappell, v Pakistan MCG, 11, 0-49, 0-31 1968 - Following a civil rights march in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, there is a violent clash between Loyalists and those who are taking part in the march More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1908 - Alfred Hershey, American biologist, worked with bacteriophages (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1969), born in Owosso, Michigan (d. 1997) 1920 - Jeanne Manford, American gay rights activist, born in Flushing, New York (d. 2013) 1938 - Yvonne Minton, Australian-British soprano, born in Sydney, Australia 1955 - Cassandra Wilson [née Fowlkes], American jazz singer-songwriter, born in Jackson, Mississippi 1961 - Frank Reich, American NFL quarterback (Buffalo Bills) and coach (Indianapolis Colts 2018-20), born in Freeport, New York More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1807 - Prince Hall, activist/Masonic leader, dies in Boston 1959 - Rosetta Duncan, American vaudevillian (Duncan Sisters), actress (Topsy and Eva), and songwriter (Remeberin'). dies in an auto accident at 65 1976 - W. F. McCoy, Northern Irish politician (b. 1886) 2000 - H. C. Artmann, Austrian writer, dies at 79 2019 - Bob Willis, English cricket fast bowler and captain (90 Tests, 325 wickets; 64 ODIs; Surrey CCC, MCC, Warwickshire CCC, Northern Transvaal), dies of prostate cancer at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1676 - Battle of Lund (Scanian War): Swedish army of 8,000 defeats much larger joint Danish/Dutch force of 13,000 1912 - Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece and Bulgaria sign weapons pact 1933 - Funeral of WWI commander Sir Arthur Currie with 150,000 people lining the streets of Montreal - largest Canadian funeral at the time 1983 - 48th Iron Bowl: Auburn beats Alabama 23-20 in Birmingham 1992 - UN Security Council passes Resolution 794 authorizing US led allied forces to intervene in war-torn Somalia to restore order and allow humanitarian aid to be delivered 2005 - XCOR Aerospace makes first manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail in Mojave, California. 2018 - David Attenborough warns collapse of civilisation and the natural world on the horizon at UN climate summit in Poland 2018 - Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić wins; first time since 2007 that either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't win award; Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg is inaugural women's winner More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1914 - Dutch army opens fire on interned Belgian soldiers: 8 killed 1923 - First Congressional open session broadcast via radio (Washington, D.C.) 1953 - Robert Wright and George Forrest's musical "Kismet" opens at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC; runs for 583 performances, wins Tony Award for Best Musical 1978 - "King of Hearts" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 48 performances 1984 - Bhopal disaster: A Union Carbide pesticide plant leaks 45 tons of methyl isocyanate and other toxic compounds in Bhopal, India, officially killing 2,259 - other estimates are as high as 16,000 (including later deaths) and over half a million injured More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1755 - Gilbert Stuart, American portrait painter (unfinished portrait of George Washington), born in Saunderstown, Rhode Island (d. 1828) 1908 - Edward Underdown, British actor (Beat the Devil, Thunderball), born in London, England (d. 1989) 1914 - Edward "Corky" Cornelius, American jazz trumpeter (Benny Goodman; Gene Krupa), born in Cicero, Indiana (d. 1943) 1918 - Abdul Haris Nasution, Indonesian army general, born in Koetanopan, North Sumatera, Dutch East Indies (d. 2000) 1933 - Rosalind Knight, British stage and screen actress (Friday Night Dinner - "Horrible Grandma"), born in Marylebone (now Westminster), England (d. 2020) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1973 - Emile Christian, American jazz trombonist, dies at 78 1999 - John Archer [Ralph Bowman], American actor (Destination: Moon, White Heat, Blue Hawaii), dies of lung cancer at 84 2004 - Shiing-Shen Chern, Chinese mathematician (b. 1911) 2016 - Gigliola Frazzoni, Italian operatic soprano, dies at 93 2023 - Myles Goodwyn, Canadian rock guitarist, singer and songwriter (April Wine - "You Could Have Been a Lady"), and record producer, dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »

Historical Events 1961 - Fidel Castro declares he's a Marxist and will lead Cuba to Communism 1973 - Capital Centre (USAir Arena) opens in Landover Maryland; NBA's Washington Bullets beat Seattle SuperSonics, 98-96 in opening game; arena demolished 2002 1984 - Miami quarterback Dan Marino breaks NFL single-season touchdown pass record when he throws his 37th in the Dolphins' 45-34 loss to the Raiders; finishes season with 48 TD passes 2014 - Hong Kong pro-democracy activists clash with police as they try to surround the government's headquarters in some of the worst violence since the protests began 2020 - The UK becomes the first western country to authorize a vaccine for COVID-19, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1920 - Robert Moevs, American composer, born in La Crosse, Wisconsin (d. 2007) 1927 - Jim David, American NFL defensive back (Pro Bowl 1954-59; NFL Champion 1952-53, 57; Detroit Lions), born in Florence, South Carolina (d. 2007) 1931 - Masaaki Hatsumi, Japanese founder and head of the Bujinkan Organization, born in Noda, Chiba, Japan 1939 - Harry Reid, American attorney and politician (U.S. Senator from Nevada, 1987-2017; U.S. House of Representatives, 1983-87), born in Searchlight, Nevada (d. 2021) 1947 - Ntare V [Charles Ndizeye], final King of Burundi (1966), born in Gitega, Burundi, Ruanda-Urundi (d. 1972) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1831 - Traugott Maximilian Eberwein, German composer, and Kapellmeister (Court of Schwartzberg-Rudolstadt, 1817-31), dies at 56 1918 - Edmond Rostand, French poet and dramatist (Cyrano de Bergerac), dies during the flu epidemic at 50 1935 - James Henry Breasted, American Egyptologist and anthropologist, dies at 70 2020 - Pamela Tiffin, American actress (One, Two, Three; Viva Max!), dies at 78 2020 - Rafer Johnson, American decathlete (Olympic gold 1960), dies from stroke complications at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1956 - Frank Robinson (NL) and Luis Aparicio (AL) voted Rookie of the Year 1956 - Australian women's 4 x 100m relay team of Norma Croker, Betty Cuthbert, Fleur Mellor and Shirley Strickland de la Hunty run world record 44.65 to win the gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics; Cuthbert's 3rd gold of the Games 1958 - Our Lady of Angels School fire kills 92 students and 3 nuns in Chicago, Illinois 1967 - Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scores 52 points in 76ers' 133-109 win over Seattle SuperSonics; sets NBA record for 22 free throw misses 1971 - Chicago Cubs release longtime star and future Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, ending his 19-year MLB career; announce Banks will serve as a coach on manager Leo Durocher's staff; Banks finishes with 512 home runs and 1,636 RBI 1976 - Angola admitted to the UN 1984 - American tennis icon Chris Evert wins her 1,000th career professional match; beats Pascale Paradis of France 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 in the round of 16 at the Australian Open; Evert goes on to win the event 1994 - Ernesto Zedillo is inaugurated as president of Mexico More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1918 - Yugoslavia declares independence with a monarchy proclaimed in Belgrade 1956 - Australian women's 4 x 100m relay team of Norma Croker, Betty Cuthbert, Fleur Mellor and Shirley Strickland de la Hunty run world record 44.65 to win the gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics; Cuthbert's 3rd gold of the Games 1975 - US President Gerald Ford visits People's Republic of China 1984 - 50th Heisman Trophy Award: Doug Flutie, Boston College (QB) 2014 - "U2 Minus 1" performs at Times Square, NYC for World AIDS Day; Bruce Springsteen and Chris Martin of Coldplay each sing two songs in place of injured frontman Bono More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1921 - Ralph Manza, American actor (Banacek, Mama Malone, Newhart), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2000) 1929 - Emily McLaughlin, American actress (Jessie Brewer in "General Hospital"), born in White Plains, New York (d. 1991) 1929 - Dick Shawn [Richard Schulefand], American character actor and comedian (Producers, Maid to Order, Angel), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1987) 1979 - Angelique Bates, American Actress (All That), born in Los Angeles, California 1982 - Riz Ahmed, British-Pakistani actor (The Night Of), rapper (Swet Shop Boys), and social activist, born in Wembley, London More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1602 - Kobayakawa Hideaki, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1582) 1943 - Damrong Rajanubhab, Thai prince, son of King Mongkut and brother of King Chulalongkorn and historian, dies at 81 1974 - Teddy Knox, British comedian (The Cromwells; Nervo and Knox), dies at 78 1996 - Irving Gordon, American songwriter ("Unforgettable"; "Me, Myself, And I"), dies of multiple myeloma cancer at 81 2010 - Alojz Srebotnjak, Slovenian composer, dies at 79 More Famous Deaths »

1864 - Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina (Broad River) 96 dead, 665 wounded 1952 - 17th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 21-0 in Birmingham 1955 - Argentine government disbands Peronistic party 1963 - Martin Walser's "Überlebensgross Herr Krott" premieres in Stuttgart 1966 - Barbados gains independence from Great Britain (National Day) 1979 - Pink Floyd's album "The Wall" is released and sells six million copies in two weeks 1988 - France performs nuclear test at Fangataufa Island 1991 - Rob Pilatus, 27, of disgraced pop duo Milli Vanilli attempts suicide More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1922 - First speed test of the first genuine Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō 1955 - "Pipe Dream" opens at Shubert Theater, NYC; runs for 245 performances 1966 - Barbados gains independence from Great Britain (National Day) 1988 - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co. buys RJR Nabisco for $25 billion 2014 - Australia experiences its hottest spring and second-hottest November recorded More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1813 - Louise-Victorine Ackermann, French poet (works characterized by a deep sense of pessimism), born in Paris (d. 1890) 1920 - Virginia Mayo [Jones], American actress (The Best Years of Our Lives, Out of the Blue, White Heat), born in St Louis, Missouri (d. 2005) 1953 - (Alphonso) Mike Espy, American lawyer and politician (US Representative for Mississippi, 1987-93 (D); Secretary of Agriculture, 1993-94), born in Yazoo City, Mississippi 1970 - Yayuk Basuki, Indonesian tennis player and politician, born in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia 1974 - Marcellus Wiley, American football defensive end (Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro 2001 Buffalo Bills) and broadcaster (ESPN, Fox, Dan Patrick Podcast Network), born in Compton, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1996 - Tiny Tim [Herbert Khaury], American musician ("Tiptoe Through The Tulips"), dies of a heart attack at 64 2000 - Scott Smith, Canadian rock bassist (Loverboy - "Working for the Weekend"), drowns in sailing accident near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at 45 2007 - Engin Arık, Turkish nuclear physicist, dies at 59 2011 - William L. Waller, American politician and ex-Governor of Mississippi, dies at 85 2022 - Murray Halberg, New Zealand athlete (Olympic gold 5000m 1960; WR 2 miles: 8:30.0 1961; WR 3 miles: 13.10.0 1961), dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1890 - First US Army-Navy football game played at West Point: Navy 24, Army 0 1945 - Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is proclaimed 1962 - Great Britain and France decide to build the Concorde supersonic airliner jointly 1968 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono release their first album "Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins" in the UK 1969 - The Beatles' single "Something" / "Come Together" reaches #1 1976 - The New York Yankees sign free agent Reggie Jackson to a five-year, $3.5 million contract 2021 - British socialite and former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, is found guilty of sex trafficking in a federal court in Manhattan 2023 - Nepal registers its first same-sex marriage in its western Lumjung district, after becoming the second Asian country to legalize it five months earlier More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1864 - Battle of Spring Hill: Confederate troops under John Bell Hood fail to attack Union forces under John M. Schofield 1897 - First motorcycle race in Surrey, England, is won by Charles Jarrot 1966 - First NBA game at Oakland Coliseum Arena; San Francisco Warriors defeat Chicago Bulls 108-101 1995 - US President Bill Clinton lifts ban on exports of oil from the Alaskan North Slope; the ban was imposed after the oil embargo by Arab oil producers in 1973 1998 - In a classic all-Spanish final, Àlex Corretja puts on a stunning comeback to beat Carlos Moyá 3–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 7–5 and win his only ATP Tour World Championship tennis title in Hanover, Germany More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1872 - Anna von Mildenburg, Austrian Wagnerian soprano, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1947) 1874 - Antonio Egas Moniz, Portuguese neurosurgeon (Nobel Prize 1949 for developing lobotomy procedure), born in Avanca, Portugal (d. 1955) 1891 - Julius Raab, Austrian politician (Chancellor 1953-61), born in Sankt Pölten, Austria (d. 1964) 1891 - Richard Frank Donovan, American composer, born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 1970) 1899 - Genevieve Tobin, American actress (Zaza, Great Gambini, Uncertain Lady), born in New York City (d. 1995) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 917 - Radboud, bishop of Utrecht/Deventer (900-17)/saint, dies 1997 - Heikki Savolainen, Finnish pommel horse gymnast (Olympic medalist, 1928-52, including gold, 1948), and medical doctor, dies at 90 2003 - Larry Booker (Moondog Spot), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), dies of a heart attack at 51 2007 - Roger Smith, American Chairman and CEO of General Motors), dies at 82 2017 - Heather North, American actress (The Barefoot Executive; voice of Velma in "Scooby-Doo"), dies of bronchiolitis at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1569 - Duke of Alva forces Bishop of Haarlem Nicolaas van Nieuwland to resign due to the clergyman's alcoholism 1899 - Second Boer War: Battle of Modder River (Cape Colony), British Lord Methuen defeats Boer forces of Piet Cronjé and Koos de la Rey 1982 - CFL Grey Cup, CNE Stadium, Toronto: Edmonton Eskimos' record 5th straight Championship; defeat Toronto Argonauts, 32-16 1987 - South African Airways Boeing 747 crashes into the Indian Ocean, killing all 159 passengers 1993 - Richard Baer's stage play "Mixed Emotions," starring Harold Gould and Katherine Helmond, closes at the John Golden Theatre in New York City after 48 performances 1993 - CFL Grey Cup, McMahon Stadium, Calgary: Edmonton Eskimos defeat Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 33-23; Sean Fleming lands record equalling 6 field goals 2022 - 50 million birds are killed in a record-breaking outbreak of avian flu across the US, according to the Department of Agriculture, amid similar outbreaks elsewhere around the world 2023 - 41 Indian construction workers are successfully rescued after 41 days trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand, India More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1918 - Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates as German Emperor and King of Prussia while in exile in Amerongen, Netherlands 1939 - Soviet government revokes Russian-Finnish non-aggression treaty 1975 - "As the World Turns" and "The Edge of Night", the final two American soap operas that had resisted going to pre-taped broadcasts, air their last live episodes 1982 - "Pirates of Penzance" closes at the Uris Theater in New York City after 772 performances 2012 - "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," first of the Hobbit film series, directed by Peter Jackson, starring Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen, premieres in Wellington, New Zealand More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1700 - Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Queen consort of Denmark and Norway (1730-46), born in Castle Schonberg, Bavaria (d. 1770) 1777 - Augsut Kestner, German art collector and diplomat, born in Hanover, Germany (d. 1853) 1811 - Maximilian II of Bavaria, King of Bavaria (1848-64), born in Munich (d. 1864) 1925 - József Bozsik, Hungarian footballer (Budapest Honvéd), born in Kispest, Hungary (d. 1978) 1972 - Paulo Figueiredo, Angolan soccer midfielder (38 caps; CD Santa Clara 256 games), born in Malanje, Angola More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 741 - Syrian Catholic Pope Saint Gregory III 1716 - Gisbert Cuper, Dutch classicist and historian, dies at 72 1921 - ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Persian successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith (1892-1921) from his father Baháʼu'lláh, dies at 77 1971 - Alexander "Papa" Lightfoot, American blues singer and harmonica player, dies of respiratory failure at 47 1987 - Choh Hao Li, Chinese-American bio-chemist (isolated growth hormones), dies at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1926 - KXL-AM in Portland OR begins radio transmissions 1954 - Andrew Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "By the Beautiful Sea", starring Shirley Booth, closes at the Theatre, NYC, after 270 performances 1977 - CFL Grey Cup, Olympic Stadium, Montreal: Montreal Alouettes beat Edmonton Eskimos, 41-6; record Grey Cup crowd 68,318; game referred to as the 'Ice Bowl'; Dan Sweet record 23 points 1978 - San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk assassinated by former Supervisor Dan White at City Hall 1982 - Yasuhiro Nakasone elected Prime Minister of Japan succeeding Zenko Suzuki 1986 - Europa TV, a project of five European public service broadcasters ceases operations after exhausting its budget 1991 - Cuban poet and journalist María Elena Cruz Varela is sentenced to two years in prison for calling for the democratization of Fidel Castro's regime as leader of the group Critirio Alternativo (Alternative Criteria) 2000 - Norway opens the Laerdal Tunnel, linking Oslo and Bergen, the world's longest road tunnel at 15.3 miles (24.6 kilometers) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1815 - City of Kraków (Poland) declared a free republic state by the Congress of Vienna 1826 - English chemist John Walker invents friction matches 1920 - First American superhero film, "The Mark of Zorro," directed by Fred Niblo and starring Douglas Fairbanks, is released in New York 1963 - The Convention on the Unification of Certain Points of Substantive Law on Patents for Invention is signed at Strasbourg 1971 - Soviet Mars 2 becomes 1st spacecraft to crash land on Mars More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1894 - Amphilochius of Pochayiv [Yakov Varnavovich Golovatyuk], Ukrainian Orthodox Christian saint, born in Mala Ilovytsya, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine (d. 1971) 1898 - Fredric Warburg, British publisher (Animal Farm) and author, born in Paddington, London (d. 1981) 1917 - Buffalo Bob Smith [Robert Emil Schmidt], American TV host (Howdy Doody), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1998) 1932 - Benigno Aquino Jr, Philippine opposition leader who was assassinated, born in Concepcion, Philippines (d. 1983) 1960 - Tim Pawlenty, American politician, Governor of Minnesota (2003-11), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1899 - Guido Gezelle, Flemish priest and poet, dies at 69 1930 - Johnny Tyldesley, English cricket batsman (31 Tests, 4 x 100, 9 x 50, HS 138; Lancashire CCC), dies at 57 1968 - Gino Roncaglia, Italian composer, dies at 85 1973 - Frank Christian, American jazz trumpeter, dies at 86 2024 - Maria Alexandru, Romanian table tennis player (World C'ship gold women's doubles 1961, 1973, 1975), dies at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1791 - First US cabinet meeting, held at George Washington's home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph attend. 1805 - Official opening of Thomas Telford's Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the longest aqueduct in the UK and the highest canal aqueduct in the world, carrying the Llangollen Canal 126 feet above the River Dee 1894 - King Lafia "Absalamu" of Nikki signs accord with France 1940 - Nazi Germany began walling off the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw 1953 - KBOI (now KBCI) TV channel 2 in Boise, ID (CBS) begins broadcasting 1966 - 1st major tidal power plant opens at Rance estuary, France 1990 - US proposes addition to UN resolution that would require Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait by January 1 1996 - Baseball owners approve interleague play, 26-4 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1913 - Russian kingdom forbids Polish congregation of speakers 1917 - NHL forms with Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators and Quebec Bulldogs; National Hockey Association disbands 1941 - Lebanon independence first proclaimed by France 1945 - Charlie "Bird" Parker leads a recording session with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis for the Savoy label, marketed as the "greatest jazz session ever" 2018 - First multidrug randomized control trial to treat Ebola started in Democratic Republic of Congo announced by the WHO More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1436 - Princess Catherine of Portugal [Infanta Catarina], Portuguese princess, nun, writer, and daughter of King Edward of Portugal and his wife Eleanor of Aragon, born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. 1463) 1754 - Georg Forster, German writer, naturalist (A Voyage Round the World) and revolutionary, born in Nassenhuben (Mokry Dwór), Royal Prussia, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (d. 1794) 1928 - Don Tregonning, Australian tennis player and coach, born in Melbourne, Victoria 1973 - John Zimmerman, American pairs skater (with partner Steigler), born in Birmingham, Alabama 1987 - Summer Lee, American politician (1st back woman elected to Congress for Pennsylvania (D) 2023-), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 666 - Yeon Gaesomun dictator of Goguryeo (other sources indicate death date as 664 or 665) 1504 - Isabella I, Queen of Castile (1479-1504), patron of Christopher Columbus, who initiated the Spanish Inquisition with husband Ferdinand II of Aragon, dies at 53 1957 - Aleksei M Remizov, Russian author (Iveren), dies at 80 1994 - Nimrod Workman, American folk singer, dies at 99 2017 - Julia Mullock, American architect, artist, and (disputed) princess of Korea, dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1185 - Pope Lucius III (Ubaldo Allucingoli) reigned 1181-85, dies and is replaced by Umberto Crivelli (Pope Urban III) 1659 - Michiel de Ruyter conquers Danish city Nyborg 1949 - "Texas, Li'l Darlin'" opens at the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City for 293 performances 1960 - CBS ends last 4 radio soap operas (Ma Perkins, Right to Happiness, Young Dr Malone and 2nd Mrs Burton) and cancels 4 other series 1980 - Military coup d'état in the Republic of Upper Volta overthrows the civilian government and abolishes the constitution in what is now Burkina Faso 1996 - Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade ends after 24 years 2001 - CFL Grey Cup, Olympic Stadium, Montreal: Calgary Stampeders claim their 5th Championship in team history; beat Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 27-19 2018 - Historic north Californian Camp Fire declared 100% contained with 85 dead, 249 missing, covering 153,000 acres with 14,000 homes burnt More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1949 - Gene Autry's single "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" appears on music charts after songwriter Johnny Marks adapts a poem written by his brother-in-law Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward department stores 1973 - Bloodless military coup ousts Greek President George Papadopoulos 1979 - Revival of Frank Loesser's 1956 musical "The Most Happy Fella" closes at Majestic Theater, NYC, after 53 performances 2012 - 100th CFL Grey Cup, Rogers Center, Toronto: Toronto Argonauts defeat Calgary Stampeders, 35-22; Argos owner David Braley first team boss to win back-to-back Grey Cups with 2 different teams (also 2011 champion BC Lions 2019 - Louis Vuitton (LVMH) buys jeweler Tiffany and Co. for over $16 billion More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1741 - Johann Christian Frischmuth, German composer, born in Schwabhausen, Electorate of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1790) 1964 - Mark Lanegan, American grunge-rock singer-songwriter (Screaming Trees; Queens of the Stone Age), born in Ellensburg, Washington (d. 2022) 1967 - Rodney Sheppard, American guitarist (Sugar Ray), born in Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago 1971 - Dominic Cummings, English political strategist (Vote Leave campaign), born in Durham, England 1981 - Xabi Alonso, Spanish soccer midfielder (114 caps; Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich), born in Tolosa, Spain More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1785 - Richard Glover, British poet, dies at about 73 1939 - Wilfred Trotter, English surgeon who was a pioneer in neurosurgery, popularized the concept of herd instinct, and was an authority in cancers of the head and neck, dies at 67 1963 - Alexander Marinesko, Soviet captain of the S-13 submarine, which sank the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff, dies of cancer at 50 2010 - Peter Christopherson, British rock musician (Throbbing Gristle; Psychic TV), commercial and music video director, dies at 55 2024 - Earl Holliman, American actor (The Rainmaker; Police Woman; Tribes; Cry Panic), pop singer, and animal rights activist, dies at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1744 - John Carteret resigns as British Secretary of State for the Northern Department 1930 - Ruth Nichols sets the women's transcontinental air flight record from Mineola, New York, to California in a Lockheed Vega 1951 - British auto manufacturers Austin and Morris Motors merge 1964 - 30th Heisman Trophy Award: John Huarte, Notre Dame (QB) 1966 - The Beatles began recording sessions for their album "Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" 1970 - 36th Heisman Trophy Award: Jim Plunkett, Stanford (QB) 1996 - American Pete Sampras wins his 3rd ATP Tour World Championship tennis titles with a classic 3–6, 7–6, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4 victory over defending champion Boris Becker in Hanover, Germany 2019 - Data leaked from Chinese high-security Muslim Uighur security camps, housing 1 million people, show systematic brainwashing in western Xinjiang region More Historical Events »