CoM Moderators

Historical Events 1816 - 10" of snowfall in New England, part of a "year without a summer" which followed the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia 1901 - British Open Men's Golf, Muirfield: Scotsman James Braid wins first of 5 Open titles by 3 strokes from Harry Vardon of Jersey 1925 - French Championships Men's Tennis: René Lacoste wins 1st of 3 French titles, beating fellow Frenchman Jean Borotra 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 1982 - Bernard Glassman installed as abbot of Zen Center of NY 1992 - WLAF World Bowl 2, Olympic Stadium, Montreal: Sacramento Surge beats Orlando Thunder, 21-17 2017 - Korean singer T.O.P is rushed to hospital after a suspected overdose while serving mandatory military service More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1891 - István Kardos, Hungarian composer, born in Debrecen, Hungary (d. 1975) 1949 - Holly Near, American folk singer, actress and activist, born in Ukiah, California 1955 - Sandra Bernhard, American stand-up comic and actress (The King of Comedy; Roseanne - "Nancy"), born in Flint, Michigan 1961 - Bill Bates, American football safety (Super Bowl XXVII, XXVIII, XXX; Pro Bowl 1984; Dallas Cowboys), born in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States 1966 - Sean Yseult [Shauna Reynolds], American rock bassist (White Zombie - "More Human Than Human"), born in Raleigh, North Carolina 1969 - Douglas Lee Mitchell, American heavy metal artist (Southgang), born in Miles, Michigan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1861 - Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, Italian politician who advocated for unification (First Prime Minister of Italy 1861), dies at 50 1974 - Blanche Yurka, actress (Tale of 2 Cities, Cry of Werewolf), dies at 86 1976 - J. Paul Getty, American oil magnate and billionaire (Getty Oil), dies at 83 1993 - Peter Tazelaar, adjutant of Dutch queen Wilhelmina, dies at 73 1994 - Willie Humphrey, American jazz clarinetist, dies at 93 2006 - Hilton Ruiz, Puerto Rican-American bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz pianist, dies from injuries sustained in a fall at 54 More Famous Deaths »

1752 - Prince William of Orange becomes Knight of Garter 1799 - Naturalists Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland set sail in the Pizarro from A Coruña, Spain, beginning their 5 year expedition to Latin American 1879 - 13th Belmont: George Evans riding Spendthrift wins in 2:42.75 1944 - Allied forces march into Rome 1948 - "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" single released by Stan Jones 1975 - United Kingdom electorate votes 67% to 33% in a referendum to remain part of the European Common Market 1995 - 29th Music City News Country Awards: Alan Jackson and Reba killedwin 2010 - French Open Women's Tennis: Francesca Schiavone of Italy wins her first and only Grand Slam title; beats Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 7-6 2013 - 12th CMT Video Music Awards: Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert. and Blake Shelton win 2019 - Ohio doctor William Husel charged with 25 counts of murder for prescribing potentially fatal doses of opioids in Franklin County More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1942 - An explosion at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant kills 48 people 1982 - "Murphy's Law" by Cheri hits #39 1987 - Dwight Gooden returns from drug rehabilitation and allows wins game 2010 - French Open Women's Tennis: Francesca Schiavone of Italy wins her first and only Grand Slam title; beats Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 7-6 2012 - American gubernatorial recall election is held in Wisconsin. Governor Scott Walker wins and becomes the first governor to survive a recall election. 2018 - American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. named 2017 top earning sportsperson by Forbes with $285 million More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1823 - George Thorndike Angell, American lawyer and advocate for the humane treatment of animals (ASPCA), born in Southbridge, Massachusetts (d. 1909) 1916 - Jack Sutherland, Scottish journalist, born in Aberdeen, Scotland (d. 1996) 1941 - Martha Argerich, Argentine-Swiss classical piano prodigy (concert debut at age 8; Chopin Competition winner, 1964), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1953 - Kathleen Kennedy, American film producer (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park) President of Lucasfilm (2012-), born in Berkeley, California 1977 - Christian Martucci, American musician (Stone Sour), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1983 - Bill Bray, American MLB player, born in Virginia Beach, Virginia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1118 - Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester 1915 - Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, French artist and sculptor, killed fighting in WWI at 23 1916 - Horatio Kitchener, British General who commanded British forces during the Battle of Omdurman (Sudan) and the Second Boer War who became British Secretary of State for War during WWI (1914-16), drowns at 65 after the HMS Hampshire struck a German mine 1978 - John Meulenhoff, Dutch publisher, dies at 71 2012 - Barry Unsworth, British novelist, dies from lung cancer at 81 2015 - Tariq Aziz, Iraqi politician and close adviser to Saddam Hussein, dies at 79 More Famous Deaths »

1070 - Roquefort cheese created in a cave near Roquefort, France 1889 - Boston Beaneaters MLB pitcher John Clarkson is first to throw an "immaculate inning" (strikes out 3 batters on 9 pitches) in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia Quakers at South End Grounds 1950 - Dutch cyclist Wim van Est wins Bordeaux-Paris (586 km in 17:25) 1969 - 22-year-old man sneaks into wheel pod of a jet parked in Havana and survives 9-hr flight to Spain despite thin oxygen levels at 29,000 ft 1978 - "Working" closes at 46th St Theater, NYC, after 25 performances 1985 - Supreme Court strikes down Alabama "moment of silence" law 1988 - 42nd Tony Awards: "M. Butterfly" (play) and "The Phantom of the Opera" (musical) win 2002 - Canadian singer Avril Lavigne releases debut album, "Let Go" 2014 - 10 Nigerian generals and five other senior military officers are court-martialed for providing arms and information to jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram 2019 - Movement in Japan to end compulsory wearing of high heels in work places trends with hashtag #KuToo More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1873 - 1st contract workers of British-Indies Co arrive in Suriname 1917 - Most Excellent Order of British Empire inaugurated by King George V to recognise the efforts of his people in WWI 1934 - Dr Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin, is knighted 1943 - St Louis Card Mort Cooper pitches his 2nd consecutive 1 hitter 1982 - "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," released in USA 1990 - Greyhound Bus files bankruptcy More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1915 - Modibo Keïta, 1st President of Mali (1960-68), born in Bamako Coura, Upper Senegal and Niger (d. 1977) 1930 - Bill Treacher, British actor (EastEnders, 1985-96 - "Arthur Fowler"), born in London, England (d. 2022) 1932 - John Drew Barrymore, American actor (Pantomine Quiz), born in Beverly Hills, California (d. 2004) 1954 - Raphael Ravenscroft, British session saxophone player (Gerry Rafferty - "Baker Street"; Maxine Nightingale; Roger Waters), born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England (d. 2014) 1973 - Antonio Anderson, defensive tackle (Dallas Cowboys) 1976 - Alexei Navalny, Russian political activist and opposition leader of the Progress Party, born in Butyn, Soviet Union (d. 2024) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1918 - Charles W. Fairbanks, 26th Vice President of the United States (Republican: 1905-09) and Senator, dies of nephritis at 66 1926 - Fred Spofforth, Australian cricket fast bowler ("The Demon" - 18 Tests, 94 wickets @ 18.41), dies of chronic colitis at 72 1951 - Serge Koussevitzky, Russian-American conductor (Boston Symphony, 1924-49), dies at 76 1954 - Harold Hoffman, American politician (Governor of New Jersey 1935-38), dies at 58 1960 - Lucien Littlefield, American actor (Blondie), dies at 64 1985 - John Ringling North, American circus director (Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus from 1937-43), dies at 81 More Famous Deaths »

1860 - Comanche, Iowa, completely destroyed by one of a series of tornadoes 1876 - Lacrosse introduced in Britain and Canada 1950 - French expedition reaches top of Himalayan peak of Annapurna in Nepal 1977 - Baltimore Orioles pull their 6th triple play (9-6-4-6-6 vs KC Royals) 1985 - Brewers draft B J Surhoff #1 1995 - 1st Blockbuster Entertainment Awards held at Pantages Theatre, Hollywood 2012 - Plane crash in Lagos, Nigeria, kills all 152 passengers and 40 people on the ground 2014 - Dove Cameron releases single "Count Me In" 2017 - Largest-ever exhibition of works by Piet Mondrian opens at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, Netherlands to mark centenary of De Stijl movement 2019 - Jay-Z named the world's first billionaire rapper by Forbes magazine More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1789 - Explorer Alexander Mackenzie sets out on his first expedition to the Pacific from Fort Chipewyan (finds the Arctic Ocean instead) 1861 - 1st American Civil War land battle: Union forces defeat the Confederacy at Philippi in modern-day West Virginia 1916 - US National Defense Act establishes Reserve Officers Training Corps 1944 - Generals Giraud and de Gaulle reach agreement on constitution 1987 - Cubs and Astro tie Oriole and Ranger record of 3 grand slams in a game 1989 - Beginning of the Tiananmen Square Massacre as Chinese troops open fire on pro-democracy supporters in Beijing More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1866 - George Howells Broadhurst, English director (d. 1952) 1891 - Mary Browne, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1912-14), born in Ventura County, California (d. 1971) 1923 - Michael Jaffe, English professor and museum director (Fitzwilliam Museum), born in London, England (d. 1997) 1946 - Eddie Holman, American singer ("Hey There Lonely Girl"; "You Make My Life Complete"), born in Norfolk, Virginia 1978 - Lyfe Jennings, American RandB singer-songwriter, born in Toledo, Ohio 1991 - Yordano Ventura, Dominican MLB pitcher (Kansas City Royals), born in Samaná, Dominican Republic (d. 2017) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1397 - William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, English military leader, dies at 68 1849 - Francois de Paule Jacques Raymond de Fossa, French classical guitarist and composer, dies at 73 1983 - Ypk van der Fear, Dutch writer (Reade Runen), dies at 75 2000 - William E. Simon, American businessman, US Secretary of Treasury under Nixon, dies at 72 2015 - Bevo Francis, American basketball forward (NCAA record for points scored in a game [113] 1954–2012), dies at 82 2017 - Jimmy Piersall, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1954, 56; his bipolar disorder subject book and film, "Fear Strikes Out"), dies at 87 More Famous Deaths »

1863 - Harriet Tubman leads Union guerrillas into Maryland, freeing slaves 1942 - Red Sox star Ted Williams enlists as a US Navy aviator 1958 - Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford fans 6 in a row to tie an AL record 1979 - John Paul II becomes 1st pope to visit a Communist country (Poland) 1984 - Flight readiness firing of Discovery's main engines 1984 - Actress Jill Ireland has a radical mastectomy 1984 - "Welcome To Fun Zone" hosted by Dr Demento airs on NBC-TV 1985 - RJ Reynolds Company proposed a merger with Nabisco 1987 - Mariners draft Ken Griffey Jr. #1 2004 - Ken Jennings begins his 74-game winning streak on the syndicated television game show "Jeopardy!" More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1763 - Pontiac's Rebellion: At what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, Chippewas capture Fort Michilimackinac by diverting the garrison's attention with a game of lacrosse, then chasing a ball into the fort 1862 - Raid at Early's: Maryland towards Washington, D.C. 1902 - British naval officer David Beatty is appointed captain of the cruiser HMS Juno 1967 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in the US; it is their first album with identical track listings in US and UK, and goes to number one for 15 weeks in US, 22 weeks in UK 1985 - LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Jack Nicklaus GC: Nancy Lopez wins by 8 shots from fellow American Alice Miller 2020 - UK death toll from COVID-19 passes 50,000 (50,032) according to its Office of National Statistics More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1740 - Marquis de Sade, French philosopher and writer (Justine) and where the words sadism and sadist are derived from, born in Paris, France (d. 1814) 1941 - William Guest, American soul singer (Gladys Knight Show), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2015) 1941 - Stacy Keach, American actor (Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer), born in Savannah, Georgia 1968 - Jon Culshaw, British comedian and impressionist 1972 - Simon Staho, Danish film director 1972 - Wentworth Miller, American actor More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1575 - Pieter Aertsen [Long Worm], painter, dies at about 65 1873 - François George-Hainl, French cellist and composer, dies at 65 1913 - Alfred Austin, English poet laureate of England (Garden), dies at 78 1948 - Viktor Brack, German Nazi physician and war criminal, executed by hanging at 43 1990 - Frederick Mellinger, founder of Fredericks of Hollywood, dies at 76 1998 - Sylvester Ritter (Junkyard Dog), American professional wrestler, dies at 45 More Famous Deaths »

1543 - Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius publishes "De humani corporis fabrica (On the fabric of the human body in seven books)" a major step forward in understanding human anatomy [date is representative as exact date of publication unknown] 1888 - California gets its 1st seismograph 1890 - US census at 62,622,250 1920 - Dutch soccer club RKSV forms in Volendam; merges with FC Volendam in 1977 1945 - WLB-AM in Minneapolis Minn changes call letters to KUOM 1979 - Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh, India. 1989 - 62nd National Spelling Bee: Scott Isaacs wins spelling spoliator 1994 - Indiana guard Reggie Miller drills an NBA Playoff record 5 three-pointers in the 4th quarter of the Pacers’ 93-86 win over host New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals 1997 - Hugo Banzer wins the Presidential elections in Bolivia. 2007 - Jack Kevorkian is released from prison after serving eight years of his 10-25 year prison term for the 1998 second-degree murder of Thomas Youk More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1660 - Mary Dyer is hanged for defying a law banning Quakers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony 1958 - The Riverside International Raceway in Southern California opens with three 500-mile races in one weekend; Eddie Gray wins the Crown America 500 for NASCAR Grand National cars 1967 - Mayor-council form of government instituted for Washington, D.C. 1975 - LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Pine Ridge GC: Kathy Whitworth wins her 3rd LPGA C'ship by 1 stroke from Sandra Haynie 1997 - LA Dodger Wilton Guerrero's bat breaks, revealing it is corked 2022 - US Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, assumes post of Commandant, becoming 1st female commander of US military branch More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1776 - George Schetky, Scottish-American cellist, music teacher, and composer, born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1831) 1882 - John Drinkwater, English poet and playwright (Abraham Lincoln), born in Leytonstone, Essex (d. 1937) 1892 - Samuel L M Barlow II, American composer (Mon Ami Pierrot), born in New York City (d. 1982) 1922 - Povel Ramel, Swedish entertainer (d. 2007) 1965 - Olga Nazarova, Russian athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1988, 92; World C'ship gold 4x400m relay 1991), born in Moscow, Russia 1990 - Carlota Ciganda, Spanish golfer (US Open 2018 3rd; 2 LPGA Tour titles), born in Pamplona, Spain More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1943 - Wilfrid B. Israel, Jewish activist 1954 - Martin Andersen Nexø, Danish writer (Pelle Erobreren), dies at 84 1973 - Helen Parkhurst, American educator (The Dalton Plan), dies at 86 1995 - Prudence Hyman, English dancer, dies at 80 1999 - Christopher Cockerell, English engineer and inventor (Hovercraft), dies at 88 2008 - Tommy Lapid, Israeli journalist and politician (b. 1931) More Famous Deaths »

1417 - Jacoba of Bavaria becomes countess of Holland/Zealand/Henegouwen 1821 - Cathedral of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, 1st US Catholic cathedral, is dedicated in Baltimore, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe 1868 - Dr James Moore (UK) wins 1st recorded bicycle race, (2k) velocipede race at Parc fde St Cloud, Paris 1891 - Work on Trans-Siberian railway begins 1910 - Cape of Good Hope becomes part of Union of South Africa 1930 - British Amateur Championship, Men's Golf, St. Andrews Links: Bobby Jones scores a 7 and 6 win over Englishman Roger Wethered for the first leg of his Grand Slam 1961 - US President John F. Kennedy visits Charles de Gaulle in Paris 1980 - "Love Stinks" by J. Geils Band peaks at #38 1990 - 63rd National Spelling Bee: Amy Marie Dimak wins spelling fibranne 1992 - 46th Tony Awards: "Dancing at Lughnasa" (play) and "Crazy For You" (musical) win More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1919 - Indianapolis 500: Howdy Wilcox accompanied by riding mechanic Leo Banks win; driver Arthur Thurman dies in a crash on lap 45; lap 96, Louis LeCocq and riding mechanic Robert Bandini wrecked in turn 2, both burned to death 1975 - Larry Grossman and Hal Hackady's historical musical comedy "Goodtime Charley", based on King Charles VII of France, and starring Joel Grey, closes at Palace Theater, NYC, after 104 performances 1990 - BPAA US Women's Bowling Open won by Dana Miller-Mackie 2008 - Super Rugby Final, Christchurch: Canterbury Crusaders claim their 7th title with a 20-12 win over NSW Waratahs; Dan Carter kicks 4 penalties and a dropped goal for the home team 2021 - Peru says its COVID-19 death toll is three times higher than its official count (180,764 vs 68,000), making it one of the hardest hit countries per capita 2023 - Latvia elects its Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics as President - first openly gay leader of a Baltic state More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1838 - Henry Sidgwick, English philosopher (Wife at University), born in Skipton, Yorkshire, England (d. 1900) 1900 - Helma Wolf-Catz, Dutch author (Undercurrent, Coral Reef) (d. 1979) 1914 - Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer, best known for his film scores in the Godzilla films, born in Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan (d. 2006) 1950 - Edward Barker, English cartoonist, born in Birmingham, England 1955 - Tommy Emmanuel, Australian-American acoustic guitarist (Stevie's Blues), born in Muswellbrook, New South Wales 1990 - Erik Karlsson, Swedish ice hockey player (NHL - San Jose Sharks)), born in Landsbro, Sweden More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1957 - John Kilbane, American featherweight boxer and World Featherweight Champion (1912-23), dies at 68 1993 - Spuds Mackenzie [real name Honey Tree Evil Eye "Evie"], American advertisement dog for Bud Light beer, dies at 9 1993 - John Granger, American actor (Advise and Consent), dies at 69 1994 - Herva Nelli, Italian-born American soprano, dies at 85 2005 - Jaime Mendoza-Nava, Bolivian-American composer and conductor, dies at 79 2021 - Mike Marshall, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star 1974, 75; NL Cy Young Award 1974; Montreal Expos, LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves), dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1814 - Napoleonic Wars: War of the Sixth Coalition - the Treaty of Paris (1814) is signed returning French borders to their 1792 extent. 1925 - British mariners shoot on demonstrators 1937 - Memorial Day Massacre: Chicago Police Department shoot and kill 10 unarmed demonstrators during the "Little Steel Strike" in the United States 1946 - United flight 521 crashes on takeoff at LaGuardia Airport (NY) 42 die 1953 - French Championships Women's Tennis: Maureen Connolly beats fellow American Doris Hart 6-2, 6-4 for the 2nd leg of her Grand Slam 1954 - Emile Zatopek runs world record 5K (13:57.2) 1977 - Cleveland Indian Dennis Eckersley no-hits California Angels, 2-0 1980 - 1st papal visit to France since 1814 1981 - LA Dodgers are quickest to get 1,000,000 attendance in a season in only 22 games 2019 - Austria appoints its first female chancellor Brigitte Bierle to head caretaker government after fall of the coalition government More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1591 - Spanish troops in Zutphen surrender to Dutch and English forces under Maurice of Nassau 1832 - Evariste Galois give his theory on free assembly (dies in duel May 31) 1949 - 33rd Indianapolis 500: After finishing runner-up the previous 2 years, Bill Holland finally wins giving car owner Lou Moore his 3rd consecutive Indy victory; 1947-48 winner Mauri Rose fired after the race for ignoring team orders 1966 - The Beatles release single "Paperback Writer" / "Rain" in US; "Rain" featured experimental studio tricks of slowed down bass and drums tracks, and backwards vocals in the fade out 1973 - George Harrison releases his fourth studio album "Living in the Material World" in the US 2017 - Car bomb outside ice cream shop in Baghdad kills 17, Islamic State claim responsibility More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1718 - Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, British politician, born in Fairford, Gloucestershire (d. 1793) 1814 - Eugène Charles Catalan, French-Belgian mathematician (worked on continued fractions, descriptive geometry, number theory and combinatorics), born in Bruges, Belgium (d. 1894) 1867 - Arthur Vining Davis, American industrialist and CEO (Alcoa-1910-57), born in Sharon, Massachusetts (d. 1962) 1936 - Ruta Lee, actress (Operation Eichmann, Marjorie Morningstar) 1963 - Helen Patricia Sharman, Great Britain, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-12) 1980 - Steven Gerrard, English footballer More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1416 - Jerome of Prague, Czech radical Christian teacher burned at the stake for heresy by church Council of Constance 1964 - Eddie Sachs, American auto racer (b. 1927) 1987 - Melvin "Turk" Murphy, American Dixieland jazz trombonist, dies at 71 1994 - Agostino Di Bartolomei, Italian footballer (b. 1955) 2016 - Rick MacLeish, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1974, 75; Philadelphia Flyers; NHL All Star 1977, 78), dies of meningitis at 66 2020 - [Nicolas] Michael Angelis, English actor (Thomas and Friends, Boys from the Black Stuff), dies of a heart attack at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1956 - Arnold Schoenberg's "Modern Psalm" premieres 1977 - Australian Sue Prell first female golfer to hit consecutive holes-in one; 13th and 14th holes at Chatswood Golf Club, Sydney 1977 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1978 - US 1st class postage rises to 15 cents (13 cents for 3 years) 1978 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1989 - Student pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, China construct a replica of the Statue of Liberty, naming it the Goddess of Democracy 1992 - White Sox Tim Raines swipes his 700th career base 2001 - International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers inaugurated. 2005 - Indianapolis 500: Dan Wheldon becomes first British-born winner since Graham Hill in 1966; first Indy 500 victory for car owner Michael Andretti of Andretti-Green Racing 2011 - Senior PGA Championship, Valhalla GC: Tom Watson wins his 6th and final Champions Tour major title with a birdie on the first playoff hole against David Eger More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1138 - Anti-Pope Victor IV (Gregorio) submits himself to Pope Innocentius II 1851 - Sojourner Truth addresses 1st Black Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio 1912 - Ballets Russes premieres their ballet L'après-midi d'un faune (The Afternoon of a Faun) in Paris, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky 1943 - Algiers Allied Planning Conference between Winston Churchill, George Marshall and General Dwight D. Eisenhower finalizes the plan for the Italian Campaign 1986 - 59th National Spelling Bee: Jon Pennington wins spelling odontalgia 2019 - Tourist boat sinks after colliding with another boat on the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary, killing 28 people More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1923 - Eugene Wright, American jazz bassist (The Dave Brubeck Quartet), sometimes known as "The Senator", born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2020) 1930 - Eddy Choong, Malaysian badminton player (Thomas Cup 1955), born in Penang, British Malaya (d. 2013) 1944 - Quentin Davies, British MP (C and L), born in Oxford, England 1948 - Nick Mancuso, Italian-Canadian actor, born in Mammola, Italy 1959 - Mel Gaynor, British rock drummer (Simple Minds - "Don't You (Forget About Me)"; "Alive And Kicking"), born in Balham, London, England 1963 - Ukyo Katayama, Japanese auto racer, team manager (F1 95 starts), born in Tokyo, Japan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1896 - Gabriel Auguste Daubrée, French geologist, dies at 81 1905 - Leon Francis Victor Caron, French-Australian composer (Caron Opera Company), dies at 55 1948 - May Whitty, English actress (Gaslight, Mrs Miniver, Suspicion), dies at 82 1951 - Fanny Brice, American singing comedian (Ziegeld Follies, Baby Snooks), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 59 1992 - Peter "Ollie" Halsall, British rock guitarist and vibraphone player (Patto; The Rutles; Kevin Ayers), dies of a heart attack at 43 1994 - Joseph Janni, producer, dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1958 - French government of Prime Minister Pierre Pflimlin resigns; 200,000 demonstrate against Charles de Gaulle 1959 - Congressional Committee of Astronautics meets Project 7 astronauts 1959 - Johnson and Bart's musical "Lock Up Your Daughters" premieres in London 1973 - Indianapolis 500: Gordon Johncock wins first of his two Indy triumphs after rain halts the race at lap 133 1980 - 24th European Cup: Nottingham Forest beats Hamburg 1-0 at Madrid 1982 - Pope John Paul II is 1st reigning pope to visit Great Britain (Adrian IV was born in England, as Nicholas Breakspear) 1986 - Democratic Labor Party wins parliamentary election in Barbados 1997 - Wallace Berg, 42, is 4th American to scale Mt Everest for 3rd time 2002 - NHL Eastern Conference Final: Carolina Hurricanes beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 2 2018 - One million French smokers quit in one year after anti-smoking measures introduced according to Public Health France More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1037 - Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II removes "Constitutio the Feudis" 1941 - 1st night game at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. (NY Yankees pip the Senators 6-5) 1979 - European Market accepts Greece as member 1986 - Democratic Labor Party wins parliamentary election in Barbados 1999 - Two Swedish police officers are murdered with their own fire arms by the bank robbers Jackie Arklöv and Tony Olsson after a dramatic car chase 2021 - Discovery of a mass grave with the remains of 215 children from Kamloops Indian Residential School announced by First Nation in British Columbia, Canada More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1883 - Clough Williams-Ellis, British architect known chiefly as the creator of the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales, born in Gayton, Northamptonshire, England (d. 1978) 1912 - Herman Johannes, Indonesian scientist and politician (d. 1992) 1924 - Geoffrey Rippon, British MP, born in Penn, Buckinghamshire (d. 1997) 1940 - Hans Dulfer, Dutch funk and jazz-fusion tenor saxophonist, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands 1944 - Patricia Quinn, Lady Stephens, Northern-Irish actress, voice artist and singer (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland 1956 - Germaine Montenesdro, 2nd victim of NYC's Zodiac killer (survives) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1672 - John Trevor, English politician (b. 1626) 1811 - Henry Dundas, British minister (b. 1742) 1849 - Anne Brontë, English novelist (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall), dies at 29 1962 - Jesse Crawford, American pianist, theatre organist for silent films, and recording artist, dies at 66 1996 - Buck Bundy, TV dog (Married with Children), dies at 13 2008 - Robert Justman, American television producer (b. 1926) More Famous Deaths »

1660 - Denmark and Sweden sign The Treaty Of Copenhagen, ends Second Northern War 1903 - 37th Belmont: John Bullman aboard Africander wins in 2:21.75 1903 - Queen Wilhelmina opens the new Amsterdam stock exchange Beurs van Berlages, designed by influential architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage 1933 - Trailing 11-3, Yanks score 12 runs in 8th and beat White Sox 15-11 1956 - US performs nuclear test at Enwetak (atmospheric tests) 1964 - European Cup Final, Praterstadion, Vienna: Internazionale beats Real Madrid, 3-1 for their first title 1981 - John Hinckley attempts suicide by overdosing on Tylenol 1982 - New owners headed by John McMullen buy NHL's Colorado Rockies and move the team to the New Jersey Meadowlands under the new name NJ Devils 1983 - Former EPA official Rita Lavelle indicted for contempt of Congress 2009 - UEFA Champions League Final, Rome: Barcelona beats Manchester United, 2-0; first Spanish treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1905 - Japanese fleet destroys the Russian East Sea fleet in the Battle of Tsushima, the only decisive clash between modern steel battleships in history 1918 - Third Battle of Aisne: German offensive overcomes British forces (WWI) 1942 - Dorie Miller awarded navy cross for deeds at Pearl Harbor 1984 - Beth Henley's "Miss Firecracker contest" premieres in NYC 2007 - Indianapolis 500: Scotsman Dario Franchitti declared the winner with 34 laps remaining when race halted by torrential rain 2009 - South Africa enters the global recession; the first recession for South Africa in 17 years More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1887 - Kazimierz Fajans, Polish-American physical chemist (Fajans' rules), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1975) 1940 - Ed Van Impe, Canadian NHL hockey defenseman, 1966-77 (Stanley Cup, 1974, 1975 - Philadelphia Flyers, and 2 other teams), and broadcaster (Flyers), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1963 - Gonzalo Rubalcabo [González], Cuban jazz pianist, born in Havana, Cuba 1966 - John Jaha, infielder (Milwaukee Brewers), born in Portland, Oregon 1975 - Jamie Oliver, British chef and television personality, born in Claverling, England 1994 - Shawn Barber, Canadian athlete (World C'ship gold pole vault 2019; World Indoor Tour 2016), born in Las Cruces, New Mexico (d. 2024) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1596 - Tibaldi II, Italian painter/sculptor/architect, dies 1675 - Gaspard Dughet, French painter (b. 1613) 1863 - Edward Payson Chapin, American lawyer and Union Army Colonel (posthumously elevated to Brigadier General), dies of injuries from the Siege of Port Hudson, Louisiana at 31 1958 - Samuel Stritch, US cardinal/archbishop (Chicago), dies 2007 - Ron Archer, Australian cricket all-rounder (19 Tests, 1 x 100, 48 wickets; Queensland CA), dies at 73 2011 - Jeff Conaway, American actor and singer (Taxi - "Bobby"; Grease - "Kenickie"; Babylon 5 - "Zack"), dies of pneumonia and sepsis at 60 More Famous Deaths »

553 - Moon Jaguar becomes the 10th ruler of the Maya city of Copán (modern Honduras), will reign for 25 years 1647 - Alse Young becomes the first person executed as a witch in the American colonies, when she is hanged in Hartford, Connecticut 1942 - Belgium Jews are required by Nazis to wear a Jewish star 1955 - Musical adaptation of the 1927 silent film "7th Heaven", starring Gloria DeHaven and Ricardo Montalbán, opens at ANTA Theater, NYC; runs for 44 performances 1963 - French Championships Men's Tennis: Australian Roy Emerson beats home favourite Pierre Darmon 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 1972 - The British state-owned travel firm Thomas Cook and Son is sold to a consortium of private businesses headed by the Midland Bank 1987 - US Supreme Court ruled dangerous defendants could be held without bail 1987 - Cecilia Bolocco, 22, of Chile, crowned 36th Miss Universe 2002 - Indianapolis 500: Defending champion Hélio Castroneves of Brazil becomes fifth driver in Indy 500 history to win back-to-back races for his second of 4 race victories 2012 - Pope Benedict XVI's butler is arrested for allegedly leaking confidential documents More Historical Events »

Historical Events 961 - German King Otto II crowned 1951 - Vaughan Williams' "Pilgrim's Progress" premieres in London 1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin their 2nd bed-in for peace at Hotel La Reine Elizabeth, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1984 - Floods kill 14 in Tulsa, Oklahoma 1997 - NHL Western Conference Final: Detroit Red Wings beat Colorado Avalanche, 4 games to 2 2000 - Arthur C. Clarke is knighted "for services to literature" at a ceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1863 - Bob Fitzsimmons, English boxer (first 3-division world champion; Middleweight 1981-96, Light Heavyweight 1903, Heavyweight 1897-99), born in Helston, England (d. 1917) 1923 - Roy Dotrice, British actor (A Moon for the Misbegotten, Amadeus) and narrator (A Song of Ice and Fire), born in Guernsey, Channel Islands (d. 2017) 1931 - Jim Frey, American MLB manager (Kansas City Royals, American League C'ship 1980; Chicago Cubs), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2020) 1941 - Imants Kalniņš, Latvian classical, choral and rock composer ("Hey, You There!"), born in Riga, Latvian SSR 1957 - Kristina Olsen, American folk singer-songwriter ("I'm Keeping This Life of Mine"), and session musician, born in San Francisco, California 1981 - Eda-Ines Etti, Estonian pop singer (Eurovision), born in Haapsalu, Estonia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1864 - Charles Sealsfield, Austrian-American writer, dies at 71 1907 - Ida McKinley, US First Lady (1897-1901) and wife of the 25th US President William McKinley, dies at 59 1959 - Joe Kelly, American radio and television host (Quiz Kids, 1949-53), dies at 57 1977 - William Powell, American RandB singer (O'Jays - "Love Train"; "Backstabbers"), dies of cancer at 35 1979 - George Brent, American actor (Baby Face, Dark Victory, 42nd St), dies at 75 1995 - Friz Freleng, American animator for Warner Bros cartoons (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies), dies at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1660 - King Charles II of England lands at Dover harbour on his way to London during the Restoration 1787 - Constitutional convention opens at Philadelphia, George Washington presiding 1810 - In the May Revolution, citizens of Buenos Aires expel the Spanish Viceroy Cisneros during Semana de Mayo 1904 - 38th Belmont: George Odom aboard Delhi wins in 2:06.6 1973 - 26th Cannes Film Festival: "The Hireling" directed by Alan Bridges and "Scarecrow" directed by Jerry Schatzberg jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film 1983 - 1st US National Missing Children's Day is proclaimed 1992 - Jay Leno becomes permanent host of US talk show "The Tonight Show" 1992 - Oscar Luigi Scalfaro elected President of Italy 1995 - The Bosnian Serb Army kills 72 youngsters in the Bosnian city of Tuzla 2002 - Super Rugby Final, Jade Stadium, Christchurch: Crusaders win 4th title with a 31-13 thumping of the ACT Brumbies; flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens boots 3 penalties, 2 conversions and a dropped goal for the winners More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1948 - 30th PGA Championship Men's Golf, Norwood Hills CC: Ben Hogan scores a convincing 7 and 6 win over Mike Turnesa in the Tuesday final for his 2nd PGA crown 1956 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Haurietis aquas 1981 - Daniel Goodwin scales outside of Chicago's Sears Tower in 7 hours 1991 - Stanley Cup Final, Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN: Pittsburgh Penguins beat Minnesota North Stars, 8-0 for a 4-2 series win; Penguins' first Final series appearance 2000 - 53rd Cannes Film Festival: "Dancer in the Dark" directed by Lars von Trier and starring Björk (Best Actress) wins the Palme d'Or 2011 - 46th Academy of Country Music Awards: Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1865 - Frederick Augustus III, King of Saxony (1904-18), born in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1932) 1883 - Elsa Maxwell, American writer (Jack Paar Show), born in Keokuk, Iowa (d. 1963) 1932 - John Gregory Dunne, American writer (Up Close and Personal, True Confessions), born in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 2003) 1937 - Mark Shields, American political journalist and commentator (PBS NewsHour, 1988-2020; CNN Capitol Gang, 1998-2005), born in Weymouth, Massachusetts (d. 2022) 1937 - (Trevor) Tom Phillips, English visual artist, printmaker and collagist, born in Clapham, England (d. 2022) 1959 - Cathryn Harrison, English actress (Old Woman in Black Moon), born in London, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1914 - Paolo Giorza, Italian-Australian composer, dies at 81 1981 - Roy Brown, American RandB singer, songwriter ("Good Rockin' Tonight"), dies of a heart attack at 55 1981 - Fredric Warburg, British publisher (Animal Farm) and author, dies at 82 1996 - Bernard Sendall, British deputy director general of British Independent Television Authority and author (Independent Television in Britain), dies at 83 2003 - Sloan Wilson, American novelist ("The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit"; "A Summer Place"), dies at 83 2011 - Leonora Carrington, British-Mexican Surrealist artist, dies aged 94 More Famous Deaths »