CoM Moderators

1695 - William Congreve's Restoration comedy "Love for Love" premieres in London 1808 - 1st practical typewriter finished by Italian Pellegrini Turri 1897 - English physicist and head of the Cavendish laboratory J. J. Thomson announces his discovery of the electron in a lecture to the Royal Institution 1911 - Portugal approves female suffrage 1978 - British film "The Stud" starring Joan Collins, based on the book by her sister Jackie Collins premieres in UK 1980 - Terrorists seize Iranian Embassy in London 1986 - Bill Elliott sets all-time NASCAR qualifying record, winning pole for the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway; 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h; 44.998 seconds) 1989 - Pope John Paul II beatifies Victoire Rasoamanarivo of Madagascar 2013 - Willem-Alexander becomes the first male Monarch of Netherlands in 123 years, following the abdication of his mother, Queen Beatrix 2020 - South Korea reports no new domestic cases of COVID-19 for 1st time, their virus cases peaked Feb 29 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1506 - Philip of Burgundy and England sign trade agreement 1900 - The "Hawaiian Organic Act" is enacted by US Congress making Hawaii a US territory 1944 - NY Giant Phil Weintraub gets 11 RBIs 1971 - 25th NBA Championship: Milwaukee beat Baltimore Bullets in 4 games 1984 - Strong winds cause a 30 min delay in Toronto Blue Jays game 1985 - "Shoah", French documentary about the Holocaust, directed by Claude Lanzmann, starring Richard Glazar and Raul Hilberg, premieres in Paris More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1651 - Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, French priest and saint of the Catholic Church, born in Reims, Champagne, Kingdom of France (d. 1719) 1723 - Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French zoologist and naturalist (Ornithologie), born in Fontenay-le-Comte (d. 1806) 1857 - Eugen Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist (introduced the term schizophrenia to describe the disorder previously known as dementia praecox), born in Zollikon, Switzerland (d. 1940) 1858 - Mary Dimmick Harrison, US First lady (1889-93) as second wife of the 23rd President Benjamin Harrison, born in Honesdale, Pennsylvania (d. 1948) 1941 - Johnny Farina, American rocker (Santo and Johnny), born in Brooklyn, New York 1997 - Ayaan Chawla, Indian entrepreneur More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1630 - Ercole Porta, Italian composer, dies at 44 1792 - John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, British statesman who claimed to have invented the sandwich, dies at 73 1792 - Hans Adolf Friedrich von Eschstruth, composer and lawyer, dies at 36 1926 - Bessie Coleman, American aviator and 1st African-American woman and Native American to hold a pilot license, dies in a plane crash at 34 1983 - Muddy Waters [McKinley Morganfield], American blues singer and guitarist ("Mannish Boy"; "Got My Mojo Working"), dies of heart failure, while fighting cancer, at 70 2006 - Lawrence Patrick, Biomechanics Professor, crash test subject More Famous Deaths »

1540 - Emperor Charles declares all privileges of Ghent ended 1670 - Clemens X [Emilio Bonaventura Altieri] elected Pope 1864 - -30] Skirmish at Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas 1903 - Limestone slide at Turtle Mountain drops 30 million cubic metres (82 million tons) on to town of Frank, Alberta, Canada, kills 70-90 residents 1953 - The first U.S. experimental 3D-TV broadcast showed an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV 1982 - 17th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, Merle Haggard, and Barbara Mandrell win 1985 - 17th NASA Space Shuttle Mission (51-B): Challenger 7 launches 1995 - Longest sausage ever, at 28.77 miles, made in Kitchener, Ontario 2015 - German Measles is declared eradicated from North and South America - 1st world region to do so 2016 - Iranian run-off elections give moderates and reforms a majority in parliament More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1956 - WLUC TV channel 6 in Marquette, MI (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting 1982 - Alfredo Magana elected President of El Salvador 1986 - Boston Red Sox Roger Clemens strikes out 20 Seattle Mariners 1991 - Earthquake in Georgia, kills 100 2006 - NFL Draft: North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams first pick from Houston Texans 2007 - 2nd Republic protest in support of state secularism held in Istanbul, Turkey More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1863 - Mary Theresa Ledóchowska, Polish-Austrian Catholic nun (founded the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver), born in Loosdorf, Lower Austria, Austrian Empire (d. 1922) 1899 - (Karl) Yngve Sköld, Swedish organist, pianist, and composer, born in Vallby, Södermanland County, Sweden (d. 1992) 1935 - Otto Zykan, Austrian composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2006) 1940 - Brian Taber, Australian cricket wicket-keeper (16 Tests, 60 dismissals; NSW), born in Wagga Wagga, Australia (d. 2023) 1957 - Timothy Treadwell, American bear enthusiast (d. 2003) 1960 - Joseph Guzaldo, American actor (Stir Crazy), born in Chicago, Illinois More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1380 - Catherine of Siena, Italian Dominican saint and Doctor of the Church (The Dialogue of Divine Providence), dies at 33 1798 - Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus, Austrian entomologist, dies at 74 1990 - Floyd Butler, American soul singer (Friends of Distinction - "Grazin' in the Grass"), dies of a heart attack at 52 2007 - Ivica Račan, former Prime Minister of Croatia (b. 1944) 2021 - Johnny Crawford, American actor (The Mickey Mouse Club; The Rifleman - "Mark"), singer ("Sandy"), and bandleader (JCO), dies at 75 2023 - Yuri Korolyov, Russian artistic gymnast (World All-Around Champion 1981, 85; World Cup All-Around Co-Champion 1986), dies at 60 More Famous Deaths »

1901 - Cleveland's Bock Baker gives up a record 23 singles as White Sox beat Blues (Cleveland Blues!) 13-1 1919 - American stuntman and parachute developer Leslie Irvin (23) makes first premeditated free-fall parachute jump from a plane above US the Army Air Service's McCook Field near Dayton, Ohio 1955 - WBIQ TV channel 10 in Birmingham, Alabama (PBS) begins broadcasting 1960 - WIPM TV channel 3 in Mayaguez, PR (PBS) begins broadcasting 1965 - Richard Helms replaces Marshall S. Carter as deputy director of CIA 1991 - Space Shuttle STS 39 (Discovery 12) launched 1993 - Carlo Ciampi forms Italian government with ex-communists 1997 - Ringo Starr's fourth All-Starr Band debuts in concert; members include: Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce, Gary Brooker, Simon Kirke, and Mark Rivera 2007 - ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados: Australia 3-peat with 53 run win over Sri Lanka; Player of the Match: Adam Gilchrist (AUS) 149 (104) and 2 catches 2018 - Shaquem Griffin is the first one-handed person to be drafted into the NFL; selected by Seattle Seahawks More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1829 - Dutch parliament accepts new press laws 1848 - Slavery abolished in French colonies 1922 - WOI (Ames, Iowa) country's 1st licensed educational radio station 1940 - Glenn Miller records "Pennsylvania 6-5000" 1952 - Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Commander of NATO 1969 - Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1825 - James Winning McMillan, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Clark County, Kentucky (d. 1903) 1897 - Ye Jianying, Chinese communist general and politician (Head of State of the People's Republic of China 1978-83), born in Jiaying, Guangdong, Qing Empire (d. 1986) 1900 - Maurice Thorez, French politician and secretary-general (French Communist Party), born in Noyelles-Godault, Pas-de-Calais, France (d. 1964) 1906 - Bart [Bartholomeus Jan] Bok, Dutch-American astronomer (Milky Way), born in Hoorn, Netherlands (d. 1983) 1930 - James Baker, American Secretary of the Treasury (1985-88), Secretary of State (1989-92), born in Houston, Texas 1961 - Futoshi Matsunaga, Japanese serial killer, born in Kitakyūshū, Japan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1918 - Gavrilo Princip, Bosnian-Serb assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, dies of tuberculosis at 23 1945 - Benito Mussolini [Il Duce], Fascist Italian dictator (1922-43), shot by communist partisans at 61 1982 - Nobby Clark, English cricketer (32 wickets in 8 Tests 1929-34), dies at 81 1996 - William Colby, American intelligence officer (CIA Director, 1973-76), dies at 76 1997 - Susan Seddon Boulet, American artist, dies of cancer at 45 2021 - Michael Collins, American Major General USAF and astronaut (Gemini 10, Apollo 11), dies of cancer at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1509 - Pope Julius II excommunicates Italian state of Venice 1861 - US President Abraham Lincoln suspends writ of habeas corpus (US Civil War) 1875 - The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), the world's 1st such agency is incorporated 1905 - World Exposition opens in Liège 1945 - 2nd Republic of Austria forms 1953 - 1st general elections in British Guiana, won by the People's Progressive Party with Cheddi Jagan first person of Indian descent to be elected head of government outside South Asia 1956 - Burma Premier U Nu's Volksliga voor Vrijheid loses election 1999 - Nevada State Museum discovers the oldest mummy in North America - on the shelves of their own museum, after the Spirit Cave Mummy radiocarbon dates to over 9,400 years old 2005 - The superjumbo jet aircraft Airbus A380 makes its first flight from Toulouse, France 2018 - Mass protests across Spain after 5 men convicted of sexual abuse but not rape of teenage girl during Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1841 - Imakita Kosen, 1st Zen teacher of D.T. Suzuki, found the awakening 1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes removes Federal troops from Louisiana, Reconstruction ends 1990 - Villanova's women set a 6,000 m relay world record of 17:18:10 1990 - 50th annual barbershop quartet singing convention held (Mich) 1994 - Graeme Obree bicycles world record time (52,713 km) 1995 - "Indiscretions" opens at Ethel Barrymore Theatre NYC for 221 performances More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1903 - Frank Belknap Long, American writer (Rim of the Unknown), born in New York City (d. 1994) 1929 - Nina Ponomaryova, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR discus 1952, 60; bronze 1956), born in Smychka, Russia (d. 2016) 1938 - Earl Anthony, American professional bowler (PBA money champ 1974-6, 1981-3), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 2001) 1939 - Jerry Mercer, Canadian rock drummer (April Wine), born in Montreal, Quebec 1969 - Tyrone Rodgers, American football defensive linebacker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), born in Longview, Texas 1970 - Mikiko Hagiwara, Japanese basketball player, born in Fukushima, Japan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1695 - John Trenchard, English radical Whig politician and statesman, dies at 46 1876 - George Aiken, American playwright and actor famous for writing the most popular stage adaptation of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", dies at 45 1902 - Julius Sterling Morton, American politician (3rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture) and founder of Arbor Day, dies at 70 1977 - Stanley Adams, American character actor (Star Trek - "Cyrano Jones"; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Lilies of the Field), commits suicide at 62 1991 - Marcus Heeresma, Dutch author (Anna, Son of a Whore), dies at 55 2015 - Gene Fullmer, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1957; NBA [WBA] World Middleweight title 1959-62), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1912 - 1st homerun hit at Fenway Park (Hugh Bradley, Red Sox) 1928 - Madame Tussaud's waxwork exhibition reopens in London after a fire 1935 - Frank Boucher is given NHL's Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship permanently for winning it 7 of 11 years 1956 - First modern container ship, the Ideal X, leaves Port Newark, New Jersey for Houston, Texas 1966 - International Olympic Committee votes to award German city of Munich the right to host the 1972 Summer Olympic Games 1971 - San Francisco lightship replaced by automatic buoy 1992 - Revival of Henrik Ibsen's stage drama "The Master Builder", directed by Tony Randall, closes at Belasco Theater, NYC, after 45 performances 1995 - Baseball season begins after lengthy strike 2018 - Serial killer "Golden State Killer" identified after 40 years as a former police officer, responsible for 12 killings, 50 rapes in California 2021 - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces Turkey will go into full lockdown till May 17 to a curb COVID-19 surge and world's 4th highest caseload More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1926 - Germany and Russia sign neutrality peace treaty 1931 - Lou Gehrig hits a HR but is called out for passing a runner, mistake costs him AL home run crown; he and Babe Ruth tie for season 1986 - France performs nuclear test 1991 - Soccer star Diego Maradona, suspended for using cocaine, arrested in Argentina for possession and distribution of illegal narcotics 1993 - NBC announces Conan O'Brien to replace David Letterman on "Late Night" 2022 - World Bank warns the war in Ukraine will cause the "largest commodity shock" since the 1970s, with large economic and humanitarian effects More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1538 - Gian Paolo Lomazzo, Italian painter and poet (Trattato), born in Milan (d. 1600) 1917 - Sal Maglie, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1954; MLB All Star 1951, 52; NY Giants; no-hitter 1956 Cleveland Indians), born in Niagara Falls, New York (d. 1992) 1926 - Michael Mathias Prechtl, German illustrator, born in Amberg, Bavaria (d. 2003) 1930 - Roger Moens, Belgian middle distance runner (800m world record 1955), born in Aalst, Belgium 1931 - Bernie Brillstein, American talent agent, manager and producer (The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2008) 1977 - Kosuke Fukudome, Japanese baseball player (Hanshin Tigers, Chicago Cubs), born in Osaki, Kagoshima, Japan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1476 - Simonetta Vespucci, Italian noblewoman and inspiration of Botticelli, dies at 23 1785 - Karl Siegmund von Seckendorff, German composer, dies at 40 1956 - Edward Arnold, American actor (Mr Smith Goes to Washington), dies at 66 1982 - Celia Johnson, British actress (Jean Brodie), dies of stroke at 73 1994 - Manuel Enríquez, Mexican composer, dies at 67 2017 - Raj Bagri, Indian-British merchant in metal, dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1862 - After the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Union forces under Flag Officer David Farragut request the surrender New Orleans, LA, despite being largely defenseless armed mobs reuse 1961 - Unmanned Mercury test explodes on launch pad 1962 - Cleve sends Harry Chiti to Mets for a player to be named later, on June 15 the Mets send Chiti back to Cleveland 1962 - Lion and Tiger Veldt at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is dedicated (Cleveland, Ohio) 1971 - About 200,000 anti-Vietnam War protesters march on Washington, D.C. 1976 - Portugal adopts new constitution 1977 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1988 - American news program "Nightline" goes on location to Jerusalem Israel 1994 - King Azlan Shah of Malaysia resigns 2009 - Elijah Wood is honored with the Midnight Award by the San Francisco International Film Festival More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1846 - Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War 1926 - Persian cossack officer Reza Chan crowns himself Shah Palawi 1946 - Christopher Fry's "Phoenix too Frequent" premieres in London 1961 - Belgium government of Gaston Eyskens falls over the Unitary Law 1961 - Robert Noyce patents integrated circuit 1990 - 25th Academy of Country Music Awards: George Strait, Clint Black, and Kathy Mattea win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1502 - Georg Major, German Protestant theologian, born in Nuremberg, Germany (d. 1574) 1882 - Fred McLeod, Scottish golfer (US Open 1908), born in North Berwick, Scotland (d. 1976) 1901 - Ernst Gernot Klussmann, German composer, born in Hamburg, GermanyGerman Empire (d. 1975) 1906 - Zoltán Gárdonyi, Hungarian composer, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1986) 1921 - Jean Mogin, Belgian poet (Pastures of Silence), and playwright, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1986) 1981 - Anja Pärson, Swedish alpine skier, born in Umeå, Sweden More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1264 - Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester, English crusader, dies at about 69 [birthdate uncertain c. 1195] 1605 - Naresuan, King of Siam (b. 1555) 1926 - Ellen Key, Swedish author and feminist (Courageous Woman), dies at 76 1976 - Margaret Bannerman, actress (Great Defender), dies at 79 2019 - Manuel Lujan Jr., American politician (Rep-R-NM, 1969-89), dies at 90 2023 - Harry Belafonte, Jamaican-American Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning calypso singer ("Banana Boat Song"), actor (Buck and the Preacher), and human rights activist, dies of congestive heart failure at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1655 - Piedmontese Easter Massacre: Troops of Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, slaughter upwards of 4,000 Waldensian civilians for non-compliance with the Edict of 25 January 1655, which called for the expulsion or conversion of non-Catholic householders in Piedmont, Duchy of Savoy 1841 - Inventor and engineer Squire Temple of Utica, New York, granted a patent for an iron truss bridge 1865 - Fire alarm and police telegraph system put into operation in San Francisco 1895 - Canadian-American adventurer Joshua Slocum sets sail from Boston, Massachusetts on a solo around-the-world voyage aboard 'Spray', an 11.2-m oyster sloop 1962 - 1st Lockheed A-12 is taxi tested 1969 - US B-52's drop 3,000 ton bombs at Cambodian boundary 1979 - US State of Georgia designates Ray Charles' rendition of "Georgia On My Mind" (written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell) as official state song 1996 - The UN and Iraq end a third round of negotiations over Iraq's possible sale of $1 billion of oil for 90 days for a 180-day trial period 2018 - US President Donald Trump hosts his first state dinner for visiting French President Emmanuel Macron 2023 - India surpasses China as the worlds most populous country according to UN estimates, with 1,425,775,850 people (estimated to reach 1.7 billion by 2064) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1915 - Pittsburgh Rebels' Frank Allen no-hits St Louis Terriers (Federal League), 2-0 1963 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1969 - Marshall Lin Biao named Mao's designated successor as the sole Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China 1975 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1996 - 31st Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, and Patty Loveless win 2023 - Tucker Carlson, Fox News most popular prime-time host, is fired from the cable network More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1822 - Erastus Barnard Tyler, American businessman, merchant, and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in West Bloomfield, New York (d. 1891) 1828 - Robert Brank Vance, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina (1873-85), born in Buncombe, North Carolina (d. 1899) 1889 - Lyubov Popova, Russian avant-garde artist and painter, born in Ivanovskoe, Moscow (d. 1924) 1889 - Stafford Cripps, British Labour politician, born in London (d. 1952) 1954 - Thomas Jennefelt, Swedish composer, chiefly of choral works (A Warning To The Rich; Villarosa Sequences), born in Stuvsta, Sweden 1992 - Sean Rademaker, American actor (Kirkland Harrison-Another World), born in Washington, D.C. More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1961 - (Joseph) Rosario Bourdon, French Canadian-American cellist, violinist, conductor, arranger and musical director (Victor Talking Machine Company, 1905-31; Symphonique de Montréal, 1935-44), dies at 76 1967 - Frank Overton, American actor (Fail Safe; 12 O'Clock High (TV series, not film)), dies of a heart attack at 49 1983 - Rolf Stommelen, German auto racer (24 Hours of Daytona 1968, 78, 80, 82; 61 x F1 GP), dies in a racing accident at 39 1986 - Wallis Simpson [Duchess of Windsor], American divorcee whom British King Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry, dies at 89 2011 - Sathya Sai Baba, Indian guru, spiritual figure, dies at 84 2011 - Colin Snedden, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (1 Test; Auckland), dies at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1789 - President-elect George Washington moves into Franklin House, New York, first official resident of a US President 1849 - Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky and members of the Petrashevsky Circle are arrested in St. Petersburg 1860 - Democratic convention in Charleston, South Carolina divided over slavery 1924 - British Empire Exhibition opens at Wembley, London 1931 - US gangster film "The Public Enemy" starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow premieres 1952 - Crude oil pipeline from Kirkuk, Iraq to Banias, Syria completed 1959 - 1st heliport in Britain opens in London 1985 - Brooklyn College soccer team wins Nepal's invitational 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 10 points in his last game as a Laker in a 121-117 win over Seattle SuperSonics at the LA Forum 2015 - Kawhi Leonard is named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the first time More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1597 - William Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance 1867 - Queen Victoria and Napoleon III turn down plans for a channel tunnel 1989 - NFL Draft: #1 pick UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman by Dallas Cowboys 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 10 points in his last game as a Laker in a 121-117 win over Seattle SuperSonics at the LA Forum 1991 - Björn Borg loses 6-2, 6-3 to Jordi Arrese after an 8 year lay off without practising or playing any exhibition matches 1993 - Peter Townshend's musical "Tommy" premieres in NYC More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1141 - King Malcolm IV of Scotland, nicknamed Virgo "the Maiden" King of Scots (1141 April-May), born in Scotland (d. 1165) 1747 - Abbé Alexandre-Auguste Robineau, French composer and painter, born in Paris (d. 1828) 1893 - Frank Borzage, American director (7th Heaven, Strange Cargo), born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1962) 1930 - Michael Bowen, British Roman Catholic Archbishop (Southwark), born in Gibraltar 1936 - John D'Arcy, New Zealand cricketer (NZ Test batsman on 1958 England tour), born in Christchurch New Zealand 1963 - Magnús Ver Magnússon, Icelandic powerlifter (World's Strongest Man 1991, 94, 95, 96), born in Egilsstaðir, Iceland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1897 - Clement Harris, English composer, killed fighting in the Greco-Turkish war at 25 1971 - William V. S. Tubman, Liberian politician (President of Liberia 1944-71), dies at 76 1986 - Jim Laker, English cricket spin bowler (46 Tests; 193 wickets; world best 19-90 4th Test v Australia 1956), dies from complications of gall bladder surgery at 64 1992 - Satyajit Ray, Indian director (Distant Thunder, Agantuk), dies at 70 2020 - Bernardino Lombao, Spanish handballer (Atlético de Madrid 1967-69), coach (Nat basketball teams) and TV presenter (De Olimpia a Los Ángeles, Objetivo 92), dies at 81 2021 - Bill Whittington, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1979), dies in a plane crash at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1164 - Raynald of Dassel names Guido di Crema as anti-pope Paschalis III 1793 - President Washington attends opening of Rickett's, 1st circus in US 1823 - Baltic Club (Exchange) forms in London 1969 - Robin Knox-Johnston ends 312 days of non-stop sailing to become the 1st person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe 1977 - Shimon Peres becomes Acting Prime Minister of Israel 1983 - Stern mag announces major historical find-discovery of 60 volume personal diaries written by Adolf Hitler (turned out to be a hoax) 1986 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1992 - Plane crash at Perris Valley Airport California, kills 16 parachutists 1993 - Seattle Mariner Chris Basio no-hits Boston Red Sox 2000 - In a pre-dawn raid, federal agents seize six-year-old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1893 - Francis Dhanis army occupies Kasongo 1959 - Yankee Whitey Ford strikes out 15, beating Senators, 1-0 in 14 innings 1962 - Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Dick Duff scores the winner as Toronto Maple Leafs beat Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1 for a 4-2 series victory 1977 - Shimon Peres becomes Acting Prime Minister of Israel 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1990 - NFL Draft: University of Illinois quarterback Jeff George first pick by Indianapolis Colts More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1864 - Phil May, English cartoonist, born in Wortley, Leeds (d. 1903) 1920 - Jos de Haes, Flemish philological and poet (Misery of the Word), born in Leuven, Belgium (d. 1974) 1926 - Charlotte Rae, American character actress, (Facts Of Life - "Edna"), comedian, singer and dancer, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 2018) 1933 - Anthony Llewellyn, Welsh-American scientist and NASA astronaut, born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 2013) 1943 - Steve Dunne, New Zealand cricket umpire (39 Tests; 100 ODIs), born in Dunedin. Otago 1955 - Arthur Baker, American music producer (Afrika Banbaataa; Planet Rock; New Order), born in Boston, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1648 - Catharina Belgica of Nassau and Countess and Regent of Hanau-Münzenberg, Dutch daughter of William I of Orange, dies at 69 1827 - Thomas Rowlandson, English artist and caricaturist, dies at 70 1896 - Thomas Meik, Scottish civil engineer, dies at 84 2003 - Martha Griffiths, U.S. Congresswoman, dies at 91 2008 - Cameron Argetsinger, American auto racing executive (created Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course; F1 US Grand Prix 1961-80), dies from a stroke at 87 2019 - Dave Samuels, American vibraphonist (Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance), dies at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1922 - The first Aggie Muster is held as a remembrance for fellow Aggies who had died in the previous year 1940 - 1st $64 Question, "Take It or Leave It," on CBS Radio 1967 - Evangelical Broadcasting begins in Netherlands 1975 - 79th Boston Marathon: American Bill Rodgers wins men's section in race record 2:09:55; Liane Winter of West Germany women's champion in 2:42:24 (female world record) 1976 - Swine Flu vaccine, for non-epidemic, enters testing 1977 - Billy Martin pulls Yankee line-up out of a hat, beats Blue Jays 8-6 1987 - Milwaukee Brewers lose after 13th straight victory to start season 1989 - Thousands of Chinese crowd into Beijing's Tiananmen Square cheering students demanding greater political freedom 1995 - British sitcom "Father Ted" written by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, starring Dermot Morgan premieres on Channel 4 1997 - Ashes of psychologist and author Timothy Leary and "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry launched into space orbit More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1892 - Black longshoremen strike for higher wages in St Louis, Missouri 1930 - "All Quiet on the Western Front" based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Louis Wolheim and Lew Ayres premieres in Los Angeles (Academy Awards Outstanding Production 1930) 1976 - Swine Flu vaccine, for non-epidemic, enters testing 1982 - Dr Michael E Bakey performs 1st successful heart implant 1984 - "Nightline" reverts from 1 hour to ½ hour format 2020 - Health Secretary Matt Hancock and UK government come under criticism for lack of personal protective equipment and testing for COVID-19 (despite pledge to test 100,000 a day only 19,000 done April 20th) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1912 - Marcel Camus, French film director (Orfeu Negro), born in Chappes, France (d. 1982) 1959 - Michael Timmins, Canadian musician (Cowboy Junkies), born in Montreal 1966 - Judy Diduck, ice hockey defenseman (Canada, Olympics 1998) 1971 - Samantha Druce, British swimmer, youngest woman to swim English Channel 1978 - Branden Steineckert, American drummer (Rancid; The Used), born in Pocatello, Idaho 1980 - Jeff Keppinger, American baseball player More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1910 - Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens], American author (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), dies at 74 1958 - Manuel Infante, Spanish composer and conductor, dies at 74 1989 - James Kirkwood, American actor, author and playwright (A Chorus Line, P. S. Your Cat Is Dead!), dies of cancer at 64 1996 - Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, sportscaster, LV bookmaker (The NFL Today; fired for racist remarks), dies of a heart attack at 77 2001 - David Hollestelle, Dutch baritone singer (Dutch Radio Chorus), dies at 84 2013 - Shakuntala Devi, Indian writer and mental calculator known as the "Human Computer", stops calculating at 83 due to complications from severe respiratory problems More Famous Deaths »

1818 - Napoleon Bonaparte bids emotional farewell to his old guard at Palace of Fontainebleau 1896 - John Philip Sousa's operetta "El Capitan" premieres on Broadway at Broadway Theatre, NYC 1912 - Tiger Stadium in Detroit opens, Tigers beat Cleveland Indians 6-5 1936 - 40th Boston Marathon won by Ellison Brown in 2:33:40.8 1982 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army explode bombs in Belfast, Derry, Armagh, Ballymena, Bessbrook and Magherafelt; 2 civilians are killed and 12 injured 1987 - US deports Karl Linnas to USSR, charged with Nazi war crimes 1997 - "Gin Game" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 144 performances 2004 - In Iraq, 12 mortars are fired on Abu Ghraib Prison by insurgents, killing 22 detainees and wounding 92. 2007 - Johnson Space Center Shooting: A man with a handgun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas before killing a male hostage and himself. 2023 - Colombian President Gustavo Petro meets with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1818 - Napoleon Bonaparte bids emotional farewell to his old guard at Palace of Fontainebleau 1914 - US President W Wilson, having dispatched more naval ships to Mexico, asks a joint session of Congress to approve armed force if necessary; Congress approves 1947 - Frederik IX becomes King of Denmark 1962 - NASA civilian pilot Neil Armstrong takes X-15 to 63,250 m 1963 - -30] All Africa Conferences of Churches opens in Kampala Uganda 1975 - 29th Tony Awards: "Equus" (play) and "The Wiz" (musical) win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1904 - Bruce Cabot, American actor (Diamonds are Forever, King Kong), born in Carlsbad, New Mexico (d. 1972) 1919 - Richard Hillary, Australian Spitfire pilot and author (The Last Enemy), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1943) 1924 - Leslie Phillips, British stage and screen, screen, and radio actor (Carry On; Harry Potter films), born in Tottenham, England (d. 2022) 1936 - Pauli Ellefsen, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (1981-85), born in Miðvágur, Vágar, Faroe Islands (d. 2012) 1943 - Edie Sedgwick, American actress (Ciao Manhattan) and socialite, born in Santa Barbara, California (d. 1971) 1971 - Terry Smith, NFL wide receiver (Indianapolis Colts), born in Clemson, South Carolina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1912 - Bram Stoker, Irish theater manager and author (Dracula), dies at 64 1935 - Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, English fashion designer, dies at 71 1951 - Ivanoe Bonomi, Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1873) 1968 - Mabel Stark, American tiger trainer "crazy Mabel", found dead after her suicide at 79 1998 - Trevor Huddleston, English Anglican bishop in South Africa and anti-apartheid activist (wrote Naught for Your Comfort), dies at 84 2015 - Bob St. Clair, American NFL football player, 1953-63 (San Francisco 49ers), known as "The Geek", dies at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1775 - New England militiamen begin the siege of Boston, hemming in the British army garrison 1825 - 33 patriotic exiles return to Uruguay 1919 - French assembly decides on 8 hour work day 1928 - New York Yankees are out of 1st place for 1st time since May 1926 1956 - 1st MLB baseball game in New Jersey - Brooklyn Dodgers beat Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City 1993 - After a 51 day siege by the FBI 76 Branch Davidians die in a fire near Waco Texas (accident, suicide, tear gas are disputed causes) 1995 - Oklahoma City bombing: Timothy McVeigh sets a truck bomb at Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168. including 19 children, and injuring 500 2015 - Boat carrying approx. 850 migrants is shipwrecked in the Mediterranean between Italian and Libya, with only 27 migrants rescued. 2020 - UK COVID-19 death toll reaches 16,060 (hospitals only), as "The Sunday Times" criticizes Boris Johnson's government's response, saying they "sleepwalked into disaster" 2022 - US Biden administration restores climate impacts and community say to the National Environmental Policy Act, previously removed by Donald Trump More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1933 - FDR announces US will leave gold standard 1941 - Bulgarian troops invade Macedonia 1943 - Bicycle Day - Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann deliberately takes LSD for the first time 1966 - In 1st regular season game at Anaheim Stadium, Angels lose 3-1 to Chic 1987 - Jacqueline Blanc, sets women's downhill ski speed rec (124.902 mph) 1999 - 103rd Boston Marathon: Joseph Chebet of Kenya takes men's title in 2:09:52; 3-peat for Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia in women's race in 2:23:25 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1939 - Ellen Weston, American actress (Betty-SWAT), born in New York City 1944 - James Heckman, American economist (Nobel Prize 2000), born in Chicago, Illinois 1953 - Sara Simeoni, Italian high jumper (Olympic gold 1980), born in Rivoli Veronese, Italy 1962 - Al Unser Jr., American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1992, 94), born in Albuquerque, New Mexico 1978 - James Franco, American actor (The Disaster Artist), born in Palo Alto, California 1987 - Courtland Mead, American actor (Dragonworld), born in Mission Viejo, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1529 - John Cuspinianus [Spiessheimer], German physician, dies at about 55 1906 - Spencer Gore, British tennis player (1st Wimbledon singles champion 1877), dies at 56 1945 - J P Heyboer, resistance fighter, executed 1956 - Ernst Robert Curtius, German literature historian, dies at 70 1975 - Percy Lavon Julian, African American chemist who received 130 patents, pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants, dies at 76 2005 - Ruth Hussey, American actress (Another Thin Man), dies at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1861 - Colonel Robert E. Lee turns down offer to command Union armies (US Civil War) 1881 - Natural History Museum opens in South Kensington, England 1904 - 8th Boston Marathon won by Michael Spring in 2:38:04.4 1916 - Edith Wharton is appointed Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest award, for her contribution to the war effort 1939 - Franz von Papen becomes German ambassador in Turkey 1942 - "Stars and Stripes" paper for US armed forces starts 1945 - 1 armed outfielder, St Louis Brown Pete Gray, 1st game he goes 1 for 4 1955 - 1st "Walk"/"Don't Walk" lighted street signals installed 1958 - A United States federal court rules that poet Ezra Pound is to be released from an insane asylum. 2017 - British Prime Minister Teresa May announces she will seek a "snap" election More Historical Events »