CoM Moderators

1826 - The signing of the Treaty of Yandaboo marks the end of the First Burmese War 1927 - John Golden Theater (Theatre Masque) opens at 252 W 45th St NYC 1969 - Northern Ireland Stormont parliament elections are held; the Unionist party fragments into 'Official Unionist' and 'Unofficial Unionist' 1969 - Mariner 6 launched for Mars flyby to study planet's atmosphere 1982 - Boston Celtics begin an 18 NBA game winning streak 1988 - US Supreme Court votes 8-0 Jerry Falwell cannot collect for Hustler parody 1988 - South African apartheid regime bans the UDF 2018 - Japanese speed skater Nana Takagi wins her 2nd gold medal of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the women's mass start event; also member Japan's successful pursuit team More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1857 - LA Vineyard Society organized 1950 - Labour wins UK parliamentary election by 5 seats 1956 - Walter Piston's 5th Symphony, commissioned by the Juilliard School of Music for their 50th anniversary, premiere performance by the Juilliard Orchestra, conducted by Jean Morel 1999 - State of Arizona executes convicted murderer and bank robber, German national Karl LaGrand, despite international legal action by Germany to save him 2020 - Scientists identify the first animal that doesn't need oxygen to breathe: a tiny parasite living in salmon tissue, reported in the journal PNAS More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1910 - Clyde Hart, American swing and bebop jazz piano player and arranger (Stuff Smith; Lionel Hampton; Roy Eldridge), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1945) 1917 - Myra Taylor (née Render), American jazz singer ("Spider and the Fly"; Wild Women of Kansas City), songwriter, and actress, born in Bonner Springs, Kansas (d. 2011) 1940 - Denis Law, Scottish soccer striker (55 caps; Manchester United 309 games; Ballon d'Or 1964; World Soccer World XI 1964), born in Aberdeen, Scotland (d. 2025) 1956 - Eddie Murray, American MLB Hall of Fame first baseman, 8x All-star, 3x Golden Glove (Baltimore Orioles, 1977-88 and 96; L.A. Dodgers, 1989-91 and 97, and three other teams), born in Los Angeles, California 1981 - Mohammad Sami, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (36 Tests, 85 wickets, BB 5/36; Karachi, Kent CCC, Sussex CCC), born in Karachi, Pakistan More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1856 - Nikolai Lobachevsky, Russian mathematician (Lobachevskian geometry), dies at 63 1919 - Josephine McGill, composer, dies at 41 1990 - Malcolm Forbes, American publisher of Forbes magazine, politician, and son of B.C. Forbes, dies of a heart attack at 70 2011 - Anant Pai, Indian educationalist and creator of comics (b. 1929) 2012 - Jan Berenstain [Janice Marian Grant], American children's literature author (The Berenstain Bears), dies from a stroke at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1668 - Fire in the Hofburg in Vienna, Emperor Leopold I rescued 1904 - Fiordland National Park in New Zealand is created, home to the Milford Track and at 4,600 square miles (12,000 square km), one of the world's largest 1923 - German Republic day with laws against worker 1954 - First mass inoculation against polio with the Jonas Salk vaccine takes place at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1970 - Guyana becomes a republic (National Day) 1976 - Final meeting between Chinese Communist party Chairman Mao Zedong and former US President Richard Nixon, in Beijing, China 1999 - British TV drama "Queer as Folk" written by Russell T. Davies, starring Aidan Gillen, Craig Kelly and Charlie Hunnam premieres on Channel 4 2019 - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir declares a national emergency, dismisses the federal government and sacks all state governors More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1854 - Great Britain and Orange Free state sign Convention of Bloemfontein 1966 - Military coup in Syria ends Bitar government 2007 - A train derails on an evening express service near Grayrigg, Cumbria, England, killing one person and injuring 22. This results in hundreds of points being checked over the UK after a few similar accidents. 2014 - 56th Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr. breaks a 55-race winless streak to win his 2nd Great American Race 2019 - Sri Lanka becomes first Asian cricket team to clinch a Test series in South Africa chasing down 197 in the 2nd Test in Port Elizabeth; Kusal Mendis 84no, Oshada Fernando 75no More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1615 - Nicolas Fouquet, French politician and Superintendent of Finances (1653-61) who became fabulously wealthy and later imprisoned for maladministration of state funds, born in Paris (d. 1680) 1744 - Mayer Amschel Rothschild, German Jewish banker and founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty, born in Frankfurt (d. 1812) 1803 - John Sutter, German-Swiss-American colonist who established Sutter's Fort in what is now Sacramento and where gold was first discovered in California, born in Kandern, Margraviate of Baden, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1880) 1933 - Donna J. Stone, American poet (Wielder of Words), born in Ohio (d. 1994) 1947 - Shakira Caine, British-Guyanese actress and model (Man Who Would Be King), born in St. Cuthbert's Mission, British Guiana More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1792 - Joshua Reynolds, English portrait painter (Simplicity), dies at 68 1974 - Florence Rice, American actress (Fast Company, Double Wedding, Riding on Air), dies from lung cancer at 67 2012 - Bruce Surtees, American cinematographer (Dirty Harry, Lenny), dies at 74 2016 - Lennie Baker, American rock saxophonist musician (Sha Na Na, 1970-99), dies at 69 2020 - Stefan Florenski, Polish soccer defender (11 caps; Górnik Zabrze), dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1633 - St. Peter's Baldachin, the cathedral's sculptural centerpiece, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini is inaugurated by Pope Urban VIII in Rome 1860 - Shoe-making workers of Lynn, Massachusetts, strike successfully for higher wages 1916 - The House-Grey Memorandum, drafted by US and Britain, states: 'Should the Allies accept [the American idea of a conference to end the war] and should Germany refuse it, the United States would "probably" enter the war against Germany' 1941 - Paul Creston's 1st Symphony premieres 1950 - Wallace Brockway and Herbert Weinstock's revised and expanded edition of reference book "Men of Music: Their Lives, Times and Achievements" is published 2013 - The UK's AAA credit rating is downgraded by Moody's Investors Service to AA+; the agency expects growth to "remain sluggish over the next few years" 2014 - Dutch speed skaters Jorien ter Mors (1,500m champion) and Ireen Wüst (3,000m winner) each claim their 2nd gold medal of the Sochi Winter Olympics as part of the women's pursuit team 2020 - Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo marks his 1,000th senior appearance by scoring in Juventus' 2-1 Serie A win over SPAL; 725 career goals in 836 club games and 164 internationals More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1860 - Shoe-making workers of Lynn, Massachusetts, strike successfully for higher wages 1928 - First solo flight from England to Australia lands in Darwin 15½ days after takeoff, piloted by Australian aviator Bert Hinkler 1936 - Sonja Henie of Norway follows up her Winter Olympics victory with an incredible 10th consecutive women’s World Championship figure skating gold medal in Paris, France 1960 - German skier Georg Thoma becomes the first non-Nordic athlete to win the Nordic combined event at the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics 1982 - NYC Mayor Koch announces he will run for NY governor (unsuccessful) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1542 - Santino Garsi da Parma, Italian lutenist and composer, born in Parma, Papal States (d. 1604) 1920 - Del Wood [Adelaide Hazelwood], American country musician, born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 1989) 1950 - Miou-Miou [Sylvette Herry], French actress (Dog Day, My Other Husband), born in Paris, France 1969 - Joaquín Cortés, Spanish dancer, born in Córdoba, Spain 1971 - Mohammed Sylla, Guinean football player (Willem II, FC Martigues), born in Conakry, Guinea (d. 2010) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1968 - Omer CFL Tulippe, Belgian geographer, dies at 71 2001 - John Farley, American folk singer and guitarist (Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death), dies at 61 2002 - Charles "Chuck" Jones, American animator and cartoonist best known for his work with Warner Bros. (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Porky Pig), dies of congestive heart failure at 89 2024 - Jean-Guy Talbot, Canadian ice hockey defenceman (7 x Stanley Cup Montreal Canadiens; 6 x NHL All Star) and coach (St. Louis Blues, NY Rangers), dies at 91 2025 - Joe Fusco, American College Football HOF coach (Westminster College 1972-90), dies at 87 More Famous Deaths »

1821 - Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire begins 1861 - Steeple of Chichester Cathedral collapses despite the desperate efforts of 70 workmen 1921 - Constituent Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Georgia adopts the country's first constitution 1931 - Alka Seltzer introduced 1957 - Dodgers (Fort Worth) and Cubs (LA) "trade" minor league franchises 1987 - Syrian army marches into Beirut 1991 - Neil Simon's stage comic-drama "Lost in Yonkers", starring Mercedes Ruehl and Kevin Spacey, opens at Richard Rodgers Theater, NYC; runs for 780 performances, winning 5 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize 2022 - 60 people die in an explosion at an unregulated gold mine near Gaoua, Burkina Faso More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1173 - Pope Alexander III canonizes Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury 1782 - US Congress resolves establishment of a US mint 1916 - Battle of Verdun begins with a German offensive, leads to an estimated 1 million casualties, and becomes the longest battle of the entire war (9 months) 1988 - Televangelist Jimmy Swaggert confesses his sins to his congregation 1997 - "Empire Strikes Back, special edition" premieres More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1929 - Henry Kloss, American audio engineer (acoustic loudspeaker), born in Altoona, Pennsylvania (d. 2002) 1939 - Richard Beymer, American stage actor and singer (West Side Story; Diary of Anne Frank), born in Avoca, Iowa 1950 - Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopian diplomat, President of Ethiopia (2018-), born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1961 - Christopher Atkins, American actor (Peter-Dallas, Blue Lagoon), born in Rye, New York 1969 - Tony Meola, American footballer, born in Belleville, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1790 - Johann Friedrich Klöffler, German composer, dies at 64 1901 - George Francis FitzGerald, Irish mathematician (b. 1851) 2011 - Bernard Nathanson, American abortionist turned pro-life activist (b. 1926) 2015 - Aleksei Gubarev, Soviet-Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz 17, 28), dies at 83 2023 - Amancio Amaro, Spanish soccer outside right (42 caps; Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Madrid), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1941 - Romania breaks relations with Netherlands 1952 - Britain's Jeannette Altwegg wins the Olympic women’s figure skating gold medal at the Olso Winter Games ahead of American Tenley Albright, who goes on to win in Cortina d'Ampezzo (1956) 1972 - 14th Daytona 500: A. J. Foyt dominates the race, winning by almost 2 laps over his closest competitor Charlie Glotzbach 1978 - Bob Backland beats "Superstar" Billy Graham in NYC, to become WWF wrestling champion 1980 - Soviet cross-country skier Nikolay Zimyatov wins his 2nd gold medal of the Lake Placid Winter Olympics as part of the 4 x 10k relay; also wins 30k and 50k gold 1994 - Johann Olav Koss skates world record 10 km (13:30.55) 2011 - 53rd Daytona 500: 20-year-old Trevor Bayne, driving for Wood Brothers Racing, wins to become the youngest Daytona 500 winner 2021 - Bloodiest day of protests in Myanmar since its coup after security forces open fire, killing two people with 40 wounded in Mandalay More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1869 - Tennessee Governor W C Brownlow declares martial law in Ku Klux Klan crisis 1873 - British Naval Officer John Moresby is the first European to discover Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, claims it for the United Kingdom 1877 - 1st cantilever bridge in US completed, Harrodsburg, Kentucky 1944 - World War II: The "Big Week" began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers 1994 - Pope John Paul II demands juristic discrimination of homosexuals More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1809 - Henry Walton Wessells, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Lietchfield, Connecticut (d. 1889) 1883 - Shiga Naoya, Japanese novelist (Road Through Dark Night), born in Ishinomaki, Japan (d. 1971) 1934 - Bobby Unser, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1968, 1975, 1981; USAC C'ship 1968, 1974), born in Colorado Springs (d. 2021) 1985 - Julia Volkova, Russian pop singer (t.A.T.u. -single, "All the Things She Said"), born in Moscow 2003 - Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer-songwriter ("Driver's License"), born in Temecula, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1903 - Charles Doolittle, American general (Union volunteer), dies at 70 1995 - John Humphreys Whitfield, British scholar of Italian language and literature, dies at 88 2001 - Rosemary DeCamp, American radio, film, and television character actress (Love That Bob - "Margaret", That Girl - "Mrs. Marie"; The Partridge Family - "Amanda Renfrew"), dies of pneumonia at 90 2005 - Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), commits suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 67 2025 - David L. Boren, American politician (Governor of Oklahoma 1975-79; Sen-D-Oklahoma 1979-94), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »

842 - Medieval Iconoclastic Controversy ends as a council in Constantinople formally reinstates the veneration of icons in churches 1942 - Bill Longson beats Managoff and Sandor Szabo, to become wrestling champ 1949 - First Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Ezra Pound 1972 - The Asama-Sanso hostage standoff begins in Japan 1977 - Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight atop a 747 jetliner 1980 - Ulrich Wehling of East Germany wins his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the Nordic combined event at Lake Placid; winner Sapporo (1972), Innsbruck (1976) 1980 - Washington beats Montreal, 3-1 to end the Canadiens' 34 game unbeaten streak against Capitals; Caps 0-32-2 against Montreal since entering NHL in 1974 1987 - Musical revue "Stardust - The Mitchell Parish Musical", featuring songs of the Lithuanian-American lyricist, opens at Biltmore Theater, NYC; runs for 101 performances More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1869 - US Assay Office in Boise, Idaho authorized 1953 - William Inge's "Picnic" premieres in NYC 2018 - Syrian government forces bombard Gouta in deadliest day in 3 years, killing over 100 civilians 2018 - Nigeria says 110 girls missing, presumed kidnapped by Boko Haram after attack on school in Dapchi, Yobe state 2019 - Vatican confirms secret church guidelines for children of priests More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1473 - Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer who theorized that planets revolve around the sun (Heliocentric theory), born in Toruń, Royal Prussia, Kingdom of Poland (d. 1543) 1906 - Grace Williams, Welsh composer (Penillion), and first British woman to score a feature film (Blue Scar), born in Barry, Wales (d. 1977) 1925 - Leslie Laing, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold men's 4x400m relay 1952 WR 3:03.9), born in Linstead, Saint Catherine, Jamaica (d. 2021) 1964 - Jennifer Doudna, American biochemist (2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for CRISPR Gene Editing), born in Washington D.C. 1971 - Glyn Milburn, American football running back/kick returner (First-team All-Pro 1999; Pro Bowl 1995, 99; Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1941 - Hamilton Harty, Irish composer and conductor called "the prince of accompanists", dies at 61 1943 - Lynne Overman, American actor (Reap the Wild Wind), dies from a heart attack at 55 1980 - (Ronald) "Bon" Scott, Australian rock musician, singer, and lyricist (AC/DC -"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)"), dies of acute alcohol poisoning at 33 2000 - Marin Goleminov, Bulgarian violinist, composer, and pedagogue, dies at 91 2008 - Yegor Letov, Russian rock poet, songwriter, and singer (Grazhdanskaya Oborona), dies of heart failure at 43 More Famous Deaths »

1563 - Huguenot Jean de Poltrot assassinates French General Duke François de Guise with a shot from his pistol 1804 - Ohio legislature approves establishment of Ohio University at Athens as the 1st university in Ohio; first classes are held in 1809 1814 - The Battle of Montereau; victory of French under Napoleon Bonaparte against Austrians and Württembergers under the King of Württemberg. 1919 - Cy Denneny of NHL Ottawa Senators scores record 52nd goal 1922 - WOC-AM in Davenport IA begins radio transmissions 1972 - Giulio Andreotti sworn in as premier of Italy for the 1st time 1980 - Soviet figure skater Irina Rodnina wins her 3rd consecutive Olympic pairs title at Lake Placid; gold medals with husband Alexander Zaitsev (1976, 80) and Alexei Ulanov (1972) 1984 - Revised Concordat between Italy and Vatican is signed More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1735 - First opera performed in America, "Flora," in Charleston, South Carolina 1856 - The American Party (Know-Nothings) convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate its first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore. 1900 - Battle at Paardeberg, 1,270 British killed/injured 1970 - US President Richard Nixon launches the "Nixon doctrine" 2019 - Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei says "There's no way the US can crush us" in interview with BBC, saying his daughter's arrest politically motivated More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1836 - Ramakrishna [Gadadhar Chatterji], Indian mystic and yogi (preached unity of religions), born in Kamarpukur, British India (d. 1886) 1884 - Burton "Burt" Mustin, American actor (All in the Family, The Andy Griffith Show), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1977) 1929 - Len Deighton, British spy novelist (The IPCRESS File; An Expensive Place to Die), cookbook writer, and illustrator, born in Marylebone, London 1939 - Maxine Clair, American poet and novelist (Rattlebone, October Suite), born in Kansas City, Kansas (d. 2025) 1957 - Vanna Marie White, American television host (Wheel of Fortune), born in Conway, South Carolina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1861 - Louis C Luzac, Dutch minister of Internal Affairs, dies at 74 1915 - Frank James, American outlaw (member of the James-Younger gang), dies at 72 1933 - James J. Corbett, American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1892-97), dies of liver cancer at 66 1993 - Kerry Von Erich, American professional wrestler, commits suicide at 33 1996 - Nicholas Beriozoff, Lithuanian-British dancer, choreographer and ballet master, dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1902 - A general strike in Barcelona and nearby towns leads to government-troop reprisals that leave 40 dead 1904 - Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" premieres at La Scala in Milan, Italy 1927 - Toronto Maple Leafs, in the team's first game since changing name from "St. Patricks", beat the visiting New York Americans, 4-1 at the Mutual Street Arena 1939 - Katwijk soccer team forms in the Netherlands 1974 - 16th Daytona 500: Richard Petty first driver to win back-to-back titles at Daytona; his 5th Great American race 1985 - 3rd person to receive an artificial heart (Murray Haydon) 1997 - Weekly Standard shows evidence Larry Flint sexually abused his daughter 2014 - US Secretary of State John Kerry claims climate change requires urgent action and that only a small "window of time" remained open More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1865 - Union forces led by William T. Sherman capture the state capital of Columbia, South Carolina. The city is ablaze by nightfall, fanned by high winds devastating much of the city. It is not known which side started the fires. 1955 - KTVF TV channel 11 in Fairbanks, AK (CBS/ABC) begins broadcasting 1967 - Kosmos 140 (Soyuz Test) launches into Earth orbit 1987 - New York Yankees Don Mattingly wins highest salary arbitration ($1,975,000 per year) 2017 - Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GSA Today" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1774 - Raphaelle Peale, American painter (After the Rain, 1823), born in Annapolis, Maryland (d. 1825) 1945 - Roy Black, American defense attorney known for representing William Kennedy Smith and Jeffrey Epstein, born in Forest Hills, New York (d. 2025) 1950 - Rickey Medlocke, American rock guitarist, vocalist, and drummer (Blackfoot, 1969-97 - "Highway Song"' "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme"; Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1971-72 and 1996-present), born in Jackson, Florida 1968 - Aaron Blaise, American animator, painter, and film director (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Brother Bear, The Lion King), born in Burlington, Vermont 1969 - David Klingler, American NFL quarterback (Oakland Raiders, Cin Bengals), born in Houston, Texas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1612 - Ernest of Bavaria, Prince-elector-archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne, dies at 57 1951 - Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan, Armenian composer, dies at 94 1997 - Zein Isa, Palestinian militant imprisoned in the United States for the honor killing of his daughter 2003 - Frank Thistlethwaite, English academic and Vice Chancellor (University of East Anglia), dies at 87 2025 - Gerd Stern, American poet of the Beat era, multi-media artist (USCO), and cheese monger, dies at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1900 - Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Shamrocks beat Winnipeg Victorias, 5-4 to take challenge series, 3-1 1942 - Bangka Island massacre: Japanese soldiers machine-gun 22 Australian Army nurses and 60 Australian and British soldiers and crew members from two sunken ships. Only one nurse and two soldiers survive. 1966 - Australian cricket batsman Bob Cowper makes a patient 307 (727 mins, 20 x 4s) in drawn 5th Test v England in Melbourne 1969 - "Andrei Rublev", Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, starring Anatoly Solonitsyn and Ivan Lapikov, premieres in Moscow after a limited release in 1966 1972 - American guitar legend Chuck Berry and former Beatle John Lennon perform together, with Yoko Ono, on 'The Mike Douglas Show' TV program 1985 - Largest NBA crowd to date, 43,816, sees Philadelphia at Detroit 1999 - O.J. Simpson's 1968 Heisman Trophy is sold for $230,000 to help settle a $33.5 million civil judgement against Simpson for the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend 2021 - Athens and parts of Greece covered in unusual heavy snowfall More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1840 - American Charles Wilkes discovers the Shackleton Ice Shelf in Antarctica 1959 - Leonard Spigelgass' "Majority of One" premieres in NYC 1965 - Pegasus 1 launched to detect micro-meteors 1973 - West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st time since 1955 without Garfield Sobers 2021 - Athens and parts of Greece covered in unusual heavy snowfall More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1953 - André St. Laurent, Canadian NHL hockey forward, 1973-90 (New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, and 2 other teams), born in Rouyn, Quebec 1953 - George Martin, NFL defensive end, 1975-88 (NY Giants), born in Greenville, South Carolina 1958 - Ice-T [Tracy Marrow], American rapper ("O.G. Original Gangster"), and actor (New Jack City; Tank Girl; Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), born in Newark, New Jersey 1961 - Andy Taylor, British rock guitarist (Duran Duran - "Hungry Like the Wolf"; The Power Station), born in Tynemouth, England 1965 - Lucinda Riley, Northern Irish historical fiction and romance author (The Seven Sisters series, The Hidden Girl, The Italian Girl, The Angel tree), born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland (d. 2021) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1531 - Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer, dies at 78 1857 - Auguste-Gaspard-Louis Desnoyers, French engraver, dies at 77 1933 - Archie Jackson, Australian cricket batsman (8 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 164; NSWCA), dies from tuberculosis at 23 1968 - (James) Healey Willan, British-Canadian organist, composer, and educator, dies at 87 2023 - Chuck Jackson, American pop and RandB singer ("Any Day Now"; "I Don't Want to Cry"; "I Keep Forgettin'"), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1898 - USS Maine sinks in Havana harbor, cause unknown, 258 sailors die 1933 - Social-democratic newspaper "Vorwarts" banned again in Berlin 1956 - Pirates and KC As cancel an exhibition game in Birmingham, Alabama, due to a local ordinance barring Black players from playing against White players 1959 - Antonio Segni forms Italian government 1985 - World chess championship match abandoned with Anatoly Karpov 25 leading Garry Kasparov 23 2000 - Indian Point II nuclear power plant in New York State vents a small amount of radioactive steam when a steam generator fails 2001 - First draft of the complete human genome is published in the journal "Nature" 2002 - At the Tri-State Crematory in La Fayette, Georgia, investigators find uncremated bodies disposed of in the woods and buildings on crematorium's property. One of the worst incidents of abuse in the funeral service industry. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1764 - St. Louis, Missouri founded as a French trading post by Pierre Laclède 1804 - New Jersey becomes last northern state to abolish slavery 1991 - Freighter with dynamite explodes in Phang Nga Thailand, 120 die 1991 - Daily market volatility as Hussein mentions withdrawal, but Bush calls his offer a "cruel hoax" 2018 - German figure skaters Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot set new ISU best free skating score of 159.31 on their way to pairs gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1835 - Alexander Stuart Webb, American Union general (medal for gallantry at Battle of Gettysburg), born in New York City (d. 1911) 1883 - Sax Rohmer [Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward], English author (Dr Fu Manchu novels), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1959) 1909 - Harold Beeley, British diplomat to the Arab world, born in Manchester, England (d. 2001) 1923 - Yelena Bonner, Soviet dissident and wife of Andre Sakharov, born in Merv, Turkmenistan, Soviet Union (d. 2011) 1968 - Axelle Red [Fabienne Demal], Belgian pop and soul singer-songwriter ("Sensualité", "Parce que c'est toi"),human rights activist, and UNICEF ambassador, born in Hasselt, Belgium More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1713 - Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, English politician and philosopher, dies at 41 1839 - Chevalier de Lorimier, Quebec notary (b. 1803) 1943 - Victor Harris, American organist, composer, conductor (St. Cecilia Society, 1902-36), vocal coach, and educator, dies at 73 1961 - Maribel Vinson, American figure skater (9 time US National Champion) and coach, dies in a plane crash at 49 2025 - Gran Hamada [Hiroaki Hamada], Japanese professional wrestler (New Japan Pro-Wrestling), dies at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1896 - George Lohmann takes a hat-trick for England v South Africa, 8-7 for inning - their lowest ever 1952 - Giant slalom event for women debuts at the Winter Olympics at Oslo Games; American skier Andrea Mead-Lawrence wins gold ahead of Dagmar Rom of Austria and German Annemarie Buchner 1953 - "Trionfo di Afrodite (Triumph of Aphrodite)", the final work of Carl Orff's Trionfi trilogy premieres at La Scala Teatro in Milan, Italy 1979 - Revival of Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn's musical comedy "Whoopee!" opens at ANTA Theater, NYC; runs for 204 performances 2010 - America's Cup: Team USA defeats Alinghi 2-0 to win in Spain 2016 - 69th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "The Revenant" Best Film, and Best Director - Alejandro González Iñárritu 2018 - South African President Jacob Zuma resigns from office 2024 - Indonesian presidential election: Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto appears to win by significant margin (full results 20 March) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1804 - Karadjordje leads the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire 1992 - Kieren John Perkins swims world record 800m freestyle (7:46.60) 1998 - Authorities in the United States announce that Eric Robert Rudolph is a suspect in an Alabama abortion clinic bombing 2013 - A suicide bombing kills 4 police officer and injures 5 in Dagestan 2023 - Rapper and musician Pharrell Williams appointed menswear designer for Louis Vuitton More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1870 - Bob Quinn, American baseball executive (owner Boston Red Sox 1923–33; part owner Boston Braves 1936–45; President National Baseball Hall of Fame 1948–51), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 1954) 1932 - Peter Ball, British Church of England clergyman (Bishop of Gloucester. 1992-93; Bishop of Lewes, 1977-92), and convicted sex offender, born in West Sussex, England (d. 2019) 1941 - Donna Shalala, American educator and politician, US Secretary of Health under Bill Clinton (Rep-Florida 2019-21), born in Cleveland, Ohio 1953 - Wayne Siegel, American electro-acoustic contemporary classical composer, based in Denmark, born in Los Angeles, California 1994 - Becky Hill, English singer (The Voice UK, 2012; "Remember"), born in Bewdley, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1820 - Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, son of French King Charles X, assassinated by a Bonapartist at 42 1831 - Henry Maudslay, English inventor of the metal lathe, dies at 59 1857 - Johannes Bernardus van Bree, Dutch violinist, composer and conductor, dies at 56 1990 - Tony Holiday, German singer, dies of complications from AIDS at 38 2021 - Peter Martinček van Grob, Slovakian contemporary classical composer and conductor, dies at 58 More Famous Deaths »

1786 - Abraham Baldwin selected president of University of Georgia 1837 - Riot in New York due to a combination of poverty and increase in the cost of flour 1960 - "Beg, Borrow or Steal" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 5 performances 1984 - Karin Enke of East Germany wins her 2nd gold medal of the Sarajevo Winter Games, winning the women's 1,000m in Olympic record 1:21.61; also wins 1,500m gold 1995 - 3rd ESPY Awards: Steve Young, Bonnie Blair win 1996 - Death Row/Interscope Records releases rapper Tupac Shakur's fourth studio album "All Eyez on Me," his final release during his lifetime 2009 - Unix time passes 1,234,567,890 seconds at exactly 23:31:30 (UTC) on February 13, 2009 2015 - "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" 4th mixtape by Drake is released More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1867 - Work begins on the covering of the Senne, burying Brussels's primary river and creating the modern central boulevards 1881 - The feminist newspaper La Citoyenne is first published in Paris by activist Hubertine Auclert 1934 - Soviet steamship SS Chelyuskin sinks in the Arctic Ocean after being crushed by ice packs near Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea 1979 - Formation of Guardian Angels crime fighters in New York City 1990 - 50 killed at Inkatha-UDF battle in Natal, South Africa More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1879 - Sarojini Naidu, Indian freedom fighter and poet, born in Hyperbad, India (d. 1949) 1909 - M. Vasalis [Margaretha Droogleever Fortuyn-Leenmans], Dutch poet (Phoenix), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1998) 1910 - William Shockley, American physicist who helped invent the transistor (1956 Nobel), who was also known for his racist eugenics views, born in London, England (d. 1989) 1912 - Margaretta Scott, British actress (Crescendo, Where's Charley, Counterblast), born in Westminster, London (d. 2005) 1970 - Ruben Brown, American football guard (9 × Pro Bowl; Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears), born in Englewood, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1130 - Honorius II [Lamberto], Pope (1124-30), dies 1897 - Joseph O. Shelby, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 66 1958 - Dame Christabel Pankhurst, a leading suffragette (English) "Queen of the mob" (b.1880) 1991 - Ron Pickering, British athletics coach (GB 1964 Summer Olympics) and broadcaster (BBC), dies after a heart bypass operation at 60 2025 - Jim Guy Tucker, American attorney, businessman, and politician (Governor of Arkansas, 1992-96; US Representative form Arkansas, 1977-79), convicted of conspiracy and mail fraud in Whitewater Scandal (1996), dies of complications of colitis at 81 More Famous Deaths »

1901 - Dutch Penitentiary children's law proclaimed 1954 - The UK government establishes an organisation to control atomic energy in the country under The Atomic Energy Authority Bill 1955 - Soviets decides space center to be built in Baikonur, Kazakhstan 1964 - The Beatles first NYC concerts, two shows at Carnegie Hall 1985 - 37th NHL All-Star Game, Olympic Saddledome, Calgary: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 6-4; MVP: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, C 1994 - "The Scream" by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1893 pastel version) is stolen in Oslo 1995 - Susan Auch skates female world record 500m (38.94 sec) 2019 - Trial of 12 Catalonia independence leaders begins in Madrid More Historical Events »