CoM Moderators

Historical Events 1854 - Britain recognises independence of Orange Free State (South Africa) 1878 - 1st telephone exchange in San Francisco, California opens with 18 phones 1916 - Sigmund Romberg, James Hanley, Harold R. Atteridge and Edgar Smith's musical "Robinson Crusoe Jr", featuring Al Jolson, opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC; runs for 139 performances 1924 - American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller sets 100m world freestyle record 57.4s at Miami, Florida 1928 - American brothers, Jennison and John Heaton fight out the top placings in the cresta (now known as skeleton) at the St. Moritz Winter Olympics; Jennison takes the gold by 1.0s 2020 - Amazon boss Jeff Bezos pledges $10 billion to help fight climate change More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1850 - Anton Urspruch, German composer, born in Frankfurt (d. 1907) 1892 - Theodor Plievier, German writer (Des Kaisers Kulis [The Kaiser's Coolies]; Stalingrad), born in Berlin, German Empire (d. 1955) 1906 - Ramon Tapales, Filipino composer and conductor, born in Baybay, Philippines (d. 1995) 1934 - Alan Bates, British actor (Zorba the Greek; An Unmarried Woman; The Rose), born in Allestree, Derby, England (d. 2003) 1969 - Levon Kirkland, American NFL linebacker (Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Lamar, South Carolina 1971 - Jeremy Edwards, British actor (Holby City), born in London, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1609 - Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, dies at 59 1924 - Henry Bacon, American architect (Lincoln Memorial), dies at 57 1970 - Alfred Newman, American film music arranger, conductor and composer, winner of 9 Academy Awards (The Robe; How The West Was Won; Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing), dies at 69 1985 - Wanda Perry, actress (Roberta, Death of a Salesman), dies at 67 1993 - Alfredo de Leon, leader (Philippines Red Scorpio Gang), killed 2021 - Gianluigi Saccaro, Italian fencer (Olympic gold épée team 1960; silver épée team 1964; bronze épée 1968), dies at 82 More Famous Deaths »

1646 - Battle of Great Torrington, Devon - the last major battle of the first English Civil War 1804 - US Navy Lt Stephen Decatur raids Tripoli Harbor and burns Navy frigate "Philadelphia" after it is seized by pirates 1824 - Athenaeum club founded in London 1892 - Opera "Werther" by Jules Massenet premieres in Vienna 1951 - San Francisco City Hall dome fire 1966 - France performs underground nuclear test at Ecker, Algeria 1975 - 17th Daytona 500: Benny Parsons wins after Cale Yarborough sends race leader David Pearson spinning on the backstretch; Parsons avoids the accident and takes the victory 1984 - 3-time men's figure skating world champion Scott Hamilton of the US wins the gold medal at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics from Brian Orser of Canada and Jozef Sabovčík of Czechoslovakia 1992 - Ethiopia finds the remains of former Emperor Haile Selassie on the grounds of the Imperial Palace, under the private lavatory of dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, who overthrew the Emperor 2016 - China announces it will relocate 9,000 people in Guizhou province, before completion of world's largest telescope (FAST), designed to look for extraterrestrial life More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1854 - Franz Liszt's symphony "Orpheus" premieres 1903 - -59°F (-51°C), Pokegama Dam, Minnesota (state record) 1914 - 1st airplane flight from LA to SF 1943 - Withdrawing Afrika Korps reaches Mareth-line in North Africa 2005 - 2004-05 NHL season is cancelled by Commissioner Gary Bettman; first time a North American professional sports league has called off a season due to labor dispute 2018 - Swiss cross country skier Dario Cologna wins 4th career Olympic gold medal in the 15k freestyle in Pyeongchang; wins event in Vancouver (2010), and 15k classical and 30k skiathlon in Sochi (2014) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1620 - Frederick William, Great Elector, ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia (1640-88), born in Berlin (d. 1688) 1916 - Charlie Fowlkes, American baritone saxophonist (Count Basie Orchestra, 1953-80), born in New York City (d. 1980) 1931 - George E. Sangmeister, American politician (Rep-D-Illinois 1989-95), born in Frankfort, Illinois (d. 2007) 1938 - John Corigliano, American composer (Fern Hill, Ghosts of Versailles), born in New York City 1954 - Margaux Hemingway, actress (Lipstick, They Call Me Bruce), born in Portland, Oregon 1954 - Michael Holding, West Indian cricket fast bowler (60 Tests, 249 wickets, BB 8/92; Jamaica, Derbyshire CCC, Lancashire CCC) and broadcaster (Sky Sports), born in Kingston, Jamaica More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1279 - Afonso III, King of Portugal (1248-79), dies at 68 1560 - Jean du Bellay, French Catholic cardinal and diplomat 1993 - Donald Phelps, American actor (Ghost Ship), dies of AIDS at 61 1993 - Richard Salant, news president (CBS-60 Minutes), dies at 78 2018 - Hubert Doggart, English cricket batsman (2 Tests; Cambridge University CC, Sussex CCC) and executive (President MCC 1981–82), dies at 92 2020 - Barry Hulshoff, Dutch soccer defender (14 caps; European Cup 1971, 72, 73; Ajax Amsterdam), dies at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1676 - Isaac Newton writes to Robert Hooke “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants” (O.S. 5 Feb) 1848 - Sarah Roberts barred from white school in Boston 1954 - WRDW TV channel 12 in Augusta, GA (CBS) begins broadcasting 1958 - Ice Dance Championship at Paris won by June Markham/Courtney Jones GRB 1972 - Sound recordings are granted U.S. federal copyright protection for the first time. 1972 - Newly-formed NHL franchise New York Islanders hire Bill Torrey as their first General Manager 1996 - NFL coaching maestro Bill Belichick is fired by Cleveland, finishing his Browns coaching career with a record of 36-44 1999 - 7th ESPY Awards: Mark McGwire, Chamique Holdsclaw win 2018 - First known case of transgender woman breastfeeding reported in "Transgender Health Journal" in US 2019 - US President Donald Trump declares a national emergency to divert funds to build a border wall, after signing bipartisan spending agreement to avoid another government shutdown More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1686 - Jean Baptiste Lully's opera "Armide" premieres in Paris 1950 - WM Inge's "Come Back, Little Sheba" premieres in NYC 1954 - WRDW TV channel 12 in Augusta, GA (CBS) begins broadcasting 1978 - England all out 64 for 1st loss to NZ in cricket (Geoffrey Boycott captain) 1979 - 21st Grammy Awards: Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are"; A Taste of Honey win 1989 - Soviet military occupation of Afghanistan ends as the last Soviet troops cross the Soviet-Afghan border More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1739 - Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, French architect (d. 1813) 1931 - [Patricia] Claire Bloom, British actress (Charly, Look Back in Anger), born in London, England 1931 - W K Reid, British ombudsman 1937 - Terry Everett, American politician (Rep-R-Alabama 1993-2009), born in Dothan, Alabama 1939 - Robert Hansen, American serial killer 1979 - Adam Granduciel [Granofsky], American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer (The War on Drugs - "Thinking Of A Place"; "Holding On": The Violators, 2003-11), born in Dover, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1923 - Josephine Beall Bruce, African-American activist (NACW), dies at 69 1932 - Minnie Maddern Fiske, American actress (Henrik Ibsen's plays), dies at 66 1961 - Dudley Richards, American figure skater (U.S. Pairs champion, 1961), dies in a plane crash at 29 2005 - Pierre Bachelet, French singer and songwriter, dies of lung cancer at 60 2021 - Vincent Jackson, American NFL wide receiver (Pro Bowl 2009, 11, 12; SD Chargers, TB Buccaneers), dies at 38 2023 - Raquel Welch (née Tejada), American stage and screen (Myra Breckenridge; One Million Years B.C.; 100 Rifles), and nightclub singer, dies at 82 More Famous Deaths »

842 - Charles II and Louis the German sign The Oaths of Strasbourg, a pact uniting their armies in fights against their older brother Lothar 1670 - Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I chases Jews out of Vienna 1804 - Jean Victor Marie Moreau, French general who plotted to overthrow Napoleon in the Pichegru Conspiracy, arrested, and exiled to the United States 1918 - Harold R. Atteridge and Sigmund Romberg's musical "Sinbad", starring Al Jolson, opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC; runs for 164 performances 1945 - Peru, Paraguay, Chile and Ecuador joins UN 1949 - 1st session of Knesset (Jerusalem Israel) 1956 - Verhoeven, Nauta and De King/Wijnhout win Dutch 11 city skate 1959 - $3.6 million heroin seizure in NYC 1984 - Canadian speed skater Gaétan Boucher takes out the 1,000m gold medal at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; also wins 1,500m; narrowly beats Soviet skater Sergey Khlebnikov in both events 1989 - World's 1st satellite Skyphone opens More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1076 - Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV (for the 1st time) 1872 - 1st US state bird refuge authorized (Lake Merritt, California) 1929 - St Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, 7 gangsters killed, allegedly on Al Capone's orders 1968 - WHKY TV channel 14 in Hickory, NC (IND) begins broadcasting 1980 - US launches Solar Maximum Mission Observatory to study solar flares 2002 - Fishing vessel Tullaghmurray Lass sinks off the coast of Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland killing three members of the same family on board More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1895 - Max Horkheimer, German philosopher and sociologist (Dialectic of Enlightenment, Eclipse of Reason), born in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, Germany (d. 1973) 1926 - (Alexander) "Bobby" Kok, Boer-British classical and session cellist (BBC Symphony; George Harrison - "When We Was Fab"), born in Brakpan, Union of South Africa, (d. 2015) 1943 - Griselda Blanco 'Cocaine Godmother', Colombian drug lord, born in Cartagena, Colombia (d. 2012) 1958 - Perry Stephens, German actor (Loving, All My Children), born in Frankfurt, Germany 1972 - Erika Rachael Schwarz, Miss America (Louisiana-2nd-1997), born in Folsom, Louisiana 1983 - Rhydian Roberts, Welsh Singer (X Factor runner up), born in Sennybridge, United Kingdom More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1760 - François Colin de Blamont, French composer, dies at 69 1870 - St. John Richardson Liddell, American Civil War Confederate General, dies at 54 1884 - Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, 1st wife of Theodore Roosevelt, dies of Bright's disease at 22 1955 - Charles Cuvillier, French composer of operetta (The Naughty Princess), dies at 77 1994 - Andrei Chikatilo, Soviet-Russian serial killer who murdered at least 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990, executed by a single gunshot at 57 2010 - Dick Francis, British jockey and detective writer (Whip Hand, High Stakes), dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1349 - Jews are expelled from Burgdorf, Switzerland, accused of spreading the Bubonic Plague 1899 - -1°F (-18°C) New Orleans, La 1929 - Cruiser Act, USA, approves the construction of 19 new cruisers and an aircraft carrier 1940 - Bradman scores 209* in 161 minutes for South Aust at the WACA 1965 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Gary Visconti 1979 - Formation of Guardian Angels crime fighters in New York City 1994 - Inna Lassovskaya jumps world record 14.9m 1995 - West Indies beat NZ by innings and 332, Courtney Walsh 13-55 2014 - Polish cross country skier Justyna Kowalczyk follows her Vancouver (2010) Olympic women's 30k classical title with a gold medal in the 10k classical in Sochi 2020 - Premier of Tania León's "Stride" for the New York Philharmonic at the David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City (2021 Pulitzer Prize for Music) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1502 - Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres, new Governor of the Indies sets sail for the Indies with fleet of 30 ships, largest-ever fleet to the New World 1968 - US sends 10,500 additional soldiers to Vietnam 1980 - NZ beats West Indies by one wicket in cricket at Dunedin 1995 - 3rd ESPY Awards: Steve Young, Bonnie Blair win 2000 - 49th NBA All-Star Game, Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA: West beats East, 137-127; MVPs: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, F; Shaquille O'Neal, LA Lakers, C 2009 - The Dutch Statistics agency confirms the Netherlands are in recession More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1610 - Jean de la Badie, French theologian, founder of Labadists, born in Bourg, Bordeaux, France (d. 1674) 1728 - John Hunter, Scottish surgeon and founder of pathological anatomy in England, born in Long Calderwood, Scotland (d. 1793) 1769 - Ivan Krylov, Russian fabulist, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1844) 1870 - Leopold Godowsky, Polish-American pianist, composer (Java Suite; Triakontameron; 53 Studies on Chopin's Études), and pedagogue, born in Žasliai, Russian Empire (now Lithuania), (d. 1938) 1888 - Georgios Papandreou, Greek politician and Prime Minister of Greece (1944–45, 1963, 1964–65), born in Kalentzi, Achaea, Greece (d. 1968) 1908 - Lennie Hayton, American pianist, composer, conductor and arranger (Paul Whiteman; Bing Crosby; MGM), born in New York City (d. 1971) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1914 - Alphonse Bertillon, French police officer and anthropologist (devised crime ID system), dies at 60 1927 - Brooks Adams, American philosopher (New Empire), dies at 78 1966 - Marguerite Long, French concert pianist (Ravel) and teacher (Paris Conservatoire, 1906-40), dies at 91 1966 - Elio Vittorini, Italian writer (Conversations in Sicily), dies at 57 2002 - Pauline Trigère, French-American fashion designer (Bell Bottoms), dies at 93 2023 - Conrad Dobler, American football guard (Pro Bowl 1975, 76, 77; St. Louis Cardinals; famous for unsportsmanlike play), dies at 72 More Famous Deaths »

1855 - Michigan State University established 1934 - The four-day February Uprising, sometimes called the Austrian Civil War, begins 1964 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Allen 1964 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming 1981 - Pete Squires sets record for 1575 steps of Empire State Building, 10m 2012 - Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow is re-elected President of Turkmenistan with 97% of the vote 2013 - North Korea allegedly conducts its third nuclear test, saying it was a nuclear device that could be weaponized 2016 - Fiji becomes the first country to ratify the UN climate deal (signed Paris, December 2015) 2019 - US national debt tops 22 trillion for the first time according to US Treasury 2023 - Super Bowl LVII, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona: Kansas City Chiefs beat Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35; MVP: Patrick Mahomes, KC, QB More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1793 - 1st US fugitive slave law passed; requires return of escaped slaves 1818 - Chile gains independence from Spain 1925 - E. Thieffry departs with Handley Page for the Belgian Congo 1938 - Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg visits Adolf Hitler in Berchtesgaden 1997 - Fred Goldman says he will settle for a signed murder confession from O.J. Simpson in lieu of his $20.5 million judgement 2007 - A gunman opens fire in a mall in Salt Lake City, killing 5 people in the Trolley Square shooting. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1907 - Clifton C. Edom, American photojournalism educator (d. 1991) 1920 - Pran Krishan Sikand, Indian actor often cast as the villain in Hindi cinema (Khandaan, Be-Imaan), born in New Delhi (d. 2013) 1938 - Judy Blume, American author (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey 1969 - Byron Stroud, Canadian heavy metal bassist, born in New Westminster, British Columbia 1976 - Christian Cullen, New Zealand rugby union footballer, born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand 1985 - Saskia Burmeister Croft, Australian actress, born in Sydney, Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1903 - Gaspar Núñez de Arce, Spanish dramatist and statesman (b. 1834) 1981 - Jean Dixon, American actress (Joy of Living, You Only Live Once), dies at 87 1996 - Bob Shaw, Northern Irish novelist (b. 1931) 2000 - (Jalacy) "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins, American blues-rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter ("I Put a Spell On You"), and actor, dies of an aneurysm at 70 2004 - Robert A. Bruce, American cardiologist and pioneer (exercise cardiology), dies at 87 2022 - Brian Kan, Chinese thoroughbred horse trainer (5 x Hong Kong champion trainer; 5 x HK Derby winners), dies at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1543 - Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and English King Henry VIII sign anti-French covenant 1897 - White Rose Mission opens on East 97th Street, NYC 1929 - Vatican City, the world's smallest country, is made an enclave of Rome 1945 - 1st gas turbine propeller-driven airplane flight tested, Downey, CA 1948 - John Costello follows Eamon Da Valera as premier of Ireland 1951 - Kwame Nkrumah and his Convention People's Party wins 1st legislative general election in the Gold Coast (Ghana) in a landslide 1953 - J Styne and Bob Hilliard's musical "Hazel Flagg" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 190 performances 1956 - British diplomats Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean deny working as spies for Soviet Russia after reappearing in the Soviet Union after going missing 5 years earlier 1979 - Iran's premier Bakhtiar resigns, Ayatollah Khomeini seizes power 1992 - Michael Johnson runs indoor world record 400m (44.97 sec) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1814 - Norway's independence proclaimed 1929 - Eugene O'Neill's play "Dynamo" premieres in NYC 1989 - Barbara Clementine Harris consecrated 1st female bishop (Episcopalian) 1994 - Space shuttle STS-60 (Discovery 18), lands 1995 - Space shuttle STS-63 (Discovery 19), lands 2020 - "The Hot Wing King" a play by Katori Hall premieres off-Broadway at Signature Theatre in New York (Pulitzer Prize 2021 for Drama) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1889 - Vladimir Mikhaylovich Deshevov, Russian-Soviet composer (Ice and Steel), born in St. Petersburg, Russia (d. 1955) 1904 - Keith Holyoake, 26th Prime Minister of New Zealand (National: 1960-72), born in Pahiatua, New Zealand (d. 1983) 1923 - Sy Kattelson, American photographer, born in the Bronx, New York (d. 2018) 1929 - Leonard Kastle, opera composer, librettist, director (The Passion of Mother Ann), and film maker (The Honeymoon Killers), born in New York City (d. 2011) 1930 - Alevtina Koltschina, USSR, cross coutry relay skier (Olympic gold 1960) 1977 - Mike Shinoda, American musician (Linkin Park, Fort Minor), born in Agoura Hills, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1755 - Francesco Scipione, marchese di Maffei, Italian archaeologist (b. 1675) 1939 - Franz Schmidt, Austro-Hungarian cellist, pianist, and composer, dies at 64 1944 - Ivan Sollertinski, friend of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, dies 1997 - Don Porter, American actor (Gidget), dies at 84 1999 - Jaki Byard, American jazz pianist (Charlie Mingus), saxophonist, drummer, composer, arranger, and educator, dies from an unsolved gunshot at 76 2021 - Phil Horrocks-Taylor, English rugby union fly half (9 caps England, 1 British and Irish Lions; Leicester Tigers), dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1763 - Treaty of Paris ends French-Indian War, France surrenders Canada to Great Britain 1842 - Moreton Bay Penal Colony abolished and opened for free settlement (modern city of Brisbane, Australia) 1931 - Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "America's Sweetheart" premieres on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre, NYC 1934 - Byrd souvenir sheet issued, NYC; 1st unperforated ungummed US stamp 1953 - Ice Pairs Championship at Davos won by Jennifer and John Nicks of GRB 1970 - Dry powder avalanche moving at 120 mph smashes into youth hostel at Val d'Isere, France, killing 40 Belgian, French, and German youths 1989 - Miami Vice's 100th episode seen on TV 2013 - 55th Grammy Awards: "Somebody That I Used To Know" (Goyte); "We Are Young" (fun); and "Babel" (Mumford and Sons) win 2014 - After winning Vancouver (2010) Olympic moguls title, Canadian freestyle skier Alexandre Bilodeau wins 2nd consecutive Olympic gold medal in Sochi; beats teammate Mikaël Kingsbury 2019 - 61st Grammy Awards: Childish Gambino first rapper to win Best Song and Best Record for "This Is America"; Best Album "Golden Hour" Kacey Musgraves More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1899 - -39°F (-39°C), Milligan, Ohio (state lowest record temperature) 1931 - Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's musical "America's Sweetheart" premieres on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre, NYC 1959 - Dutch Princess Wilhelmina publishes "Lonely, but not alone" 1971 - American Mensa Ltd incorporates in New York 1981 - 33rd NHL All-Star Game, The Forum, Inglewood: Campbell Conference beats Wales Conference, 4-1; MVP: Mike Liut, St. Louis Blues, G 2014 - Canadian short track speed skater Charles Hamelin wins his 3rd career Olympic gold medal in the 1,500m in Sochi; Vancouver (2010) 500m and 5,000m relay champion More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1696 - Johann Melchior Molter, German composer, born in Tiefenort, Thuringia (now Germany) (d. 1765) 1846 - Mildred Childe Lee, American favourite daughter of confederate General Robert E. Lee, born at Arlington Plantation, Virginia (d. 1905) 1888 - Giuseppe Ungaretti, Italian poet (Hermeticism) and journalist, born in Alexandria (d. 1970) 1894 - Roy D'Arcy [Roy Giusti], American actor (Warning Shadows, Revolt of Zombies), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1969) 1913 - Ragnhild Marie Hatton, Norwegian historian, born in Bergen, Norway (d. 1995) 1918 - Gordon Pirie, English Group Captain and politician, born in Oxford (d. 2003) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1543 - Johann Eck, German Scholastic theologian and early counter-reformer against Lutheran challenges, dies a 56 1836 - Marie-Anne Paulze Lavoisier, French chemist (worked with husband Antoine Lavoisier), dies at 78 1927 - Laura Netzel (née Pistolekors), Finnish-Swedish pianist, composer, concert organizer, and humanitarian, dies at 87 1987 - Sadequain, Pakistani artist, painter, calligrapher and artist, dies at 56 1995 - Paul Monette, American writer, dies of AIDS at 49 2001 - Lewis Arquette, American actor (Horror Show; Book of Love), dies at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1941 - Nazi collaborators destroy pro-Jewish café Alcazar Amsterdam (Alcazar refused to hang "No Entry for Jews" signs in front of cafe) 1945 - The Battle of the Atlantic: HMS Venturer sinks U-Boat 864 off the coast of Norway 1945 - WAAF-corporal flies along the tail of a Spitfire 1946 - Dutch Labor Party (Dutch Social Democratic Party) forms 1971 - Apollo 14 returns to Earth 1974 - "Daddy What If" by Bobby Bare peaks at #41 1983 - Belgium buys 44 F-16s 1996 - WYNY-FM in NYC changes calls to WKTU-FM 2014 - Slovak biathlete Anastasiya Kuzmina retains her Olympic 7.5k sprint title (Vancouver 2010) at the Sochi Winter Games 2018 - XXIII Olympic Winter Games open in PyeongChang, South Korea More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1922 - Brazil becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty 1935 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee 1953 - WNEP TV channel 16 in Scranton Wilkes-Barre, PA (ABC) 1st broadcast 1960 - AFL and NFL agree verbally to a no tampering pact 1990 - Namibia's constitution ratified 2006 - 56th Berlin International Film Festival: "Grbavica" wins the Golden Bear More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1909 - Carmen Miranda, Portuguese vocalist and actress (Copacabana; Date With Judy), born in Marco de Canavezes, Portugal (d. 1955) 1914 - Ralph Herman, American Emmy Award-winning composer (From the Scriptures; Circus Time), orchestra leader, and music director (ABC-TV, 1952-71), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1994) 1927 - Joe Maneri, American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player (Boston Microtonal Society), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 2009) 1954 - Christopher Gardner, American entrepreneur 1971 - Johan Mjällby, Swedish footballer 1997 - Catie Waters, American jazz and RandB singer-songwriter, born in Fayetteville, Arkansas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1875 - Cecil De Vere, 1st official British chess champion (1866), dies at 28 1964 - Willie Bryant, American jazz singer, bandleader, and disc jockey (Sugar Hill Times), dies of a heart attack at 55 2000 - Beau Jack, American boxer (NYSAC world lightweight champion 1942-44), dies of complications from Parkinson's disease at 78 2001 - Herbert A. Simon, American political scientist (Nobel Prize in Economics, 1978; Turing Award, 1975), dies at 84 2001 - Herbert Simon, American economist, Nobel laureate (b. 1916) 2009 - Vic Lewis, British jazz guitarist, bandleader, composer, and artist manager (NEMS), and cricket club owner, dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1649 - Sobornoye Ulozheniye of 1649: Russia adopts new code of laws, consolidating serfdom (OS 29 Jan) 1750 - Minor earthquake in London 1924 - 1st US coast-to-coast radio hookup: General John Joseph Carty speech in Chicago 1929 - KOY-AM in Phoenix Arizona begins radio transmissions 1936 - German alpine skier Christi Cranz wins the inaugural Olympic women’s combined gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games ahead of teammate Käthe Grasegger 1943 - Red Army recaptures Kursk on the eastern front 1945 - Paul Brown agrees to coach the new American football expansion team in Cleveland, which would later be named the Cleveland Browns after their coach 1975 - Caps only got one shot in a period against Islanders 1990 - "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney suspended by CBS for racial remarks attributed to him by a gay magazine 2009 - 51st Grammy Awards: Best Album "Raising Sand" and Record of the Year "Please Read The Letter", both by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss win More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1750 - Minor earthquake in London 1776 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play "Stella" premieres in Hamburg 1923 - Coal mine explosion at Dawson, New Mexico kills 120 1940 - Lodtz, 1st large ghetto established by Nazis in Poland 1963 - AFL's Dallas Texans become KC Chiefs 1971 - Pedro Morales beats Ivan Koloff in NY, to become WWF wrestling champ More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1810 - Norbert Burgmüller, German composer, born in Düsseldorf, Germany (d. 1836) 1817 - Richard S. Ewell, US Army officer and Confederate General (Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House), born in Georgetown, Washington D.C. (d. 1872) 1888 - Edith Evans, British actress (Tom Jones, David Copperfield), born in London, England (d. 1976) 1937 - David Montgomery, American born photographer known for his images of the 1960s, born in Brooklyn, New York 1943 - José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado, Brazilian composer, born in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil (d. 2010) 1989 - Julio Jones, American football receiver (First-team All-Pro 2015, 16; 7 × Pro Bowl; Atlanta Falcons), born in Foley, Alabama More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1623 - Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, English politician, dies at 80 1942 - Fritz Todt, German construction engineer, Reich Minister for Armaments and Munitions Reichs minister and Head of the Organization Todt, dies in a plane crash at 50 2015 - Filipe Pires, Portuguese pianist, composer (Portugaliae Genesis), and educator, dies at 81 2021 - Mary Wilson, American pop vocalist (Supremes - "Where Did Our Love Go?"), dies at 76 2023 - Charlie Faulkner, Welsh rugby union prop (19 Tests Wales; British and Irish Lions 1977; Pontypool RFC, Barbarian FC) and coach (Newport RFC), dies at 81 2023 - Burt Bacharach, American Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer ("I'll Never Fall in Love Again"; "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"; "Promises, Promises"), dies at 94 More Famous Deaths »

1668 - Dutch Prince William III dances in premiere of "Ballet of Peace" 1836 - "Sketches by Boz" (essays) published by Charles Dickens 1904 - Baltimore catches fire (1500 buildings destroyed in 80 blocks) 1920 - Russian Imperial Navy Admiral Kolchak, leader of anti-communist "White Movement" executed by Bolshevik firing squad in Irkutsk, Russian SFSR 1974 - Grenada gains independence from Britain (National Day) 1987 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Brian Boitano 1993 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 23-20; MVP: Steve Tasker, Buffalo Bills, WR 1995 - Bluegrass and country musician Alison Krauss releases her compilation album "Now that I've Found You" 2005 - Britain's Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes 33 seconds 2019 - Measles cases in Europe highest in a decade, tripling in a year to 82,596 according to WHO More Historical Events »

1668 - Dutch Prince William III dances in premiere of "Ballet of Peace" 1836 - "Sketches by Boz" (essays) published by Charles Dickens 1904 - Baltimore catches fire (1500 buildings destroyed in 80 blocks) 1920 - Russian Imperial Navy Admiral Kolchak, leader of anti-communist "White Movement" executed by Bolshevik firing squad in Irkutsk, Russian SFSR 1974 - Grenada gains independence from Britain (National Day) 1987 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Brian Boitano 1993 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 23-20; MVP: Steve Tasker, Buffalo Bills, WR 1995 - Bluegrass and country musician Alison Krauss releases her compilation album "Now that I've Found You" 2005 - Britain's Ellen MacArthur becomes the fastest person to sail solo around the world, taking 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes 33 seconds 2019 - Measles cases in Europe highest in a decade, tripling in a year to 82,596 according to WHO More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1653 - Nicolas Fouquet appointed France's Superintendent of Finances 1908 - Philadelphia Athletics' manager and owner Connie Mack sells future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell to St Louis Browns for $5,000 1934 - 1st contract for TVA power, Tupelo, Mississippi 1950 - Georges Bidault forms French government 1969 - Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat becomes president of PLO 2021 - Super Bowl LV, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominate defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9; MVP: Tom Brady, TB Bucs, QB; Brady's record 7th SB win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1825 - Cristóbal Oudrid, Spanish pianist, conductor, and orchestral and zarzuela composer (Rondeña; El molinero de Subiza), born in Badajoz, Spain (d. 1877) 1878 - Ossip Gabrilovich, Russian-American pianist, conductor (Detroit Symphony, 1918-36), and composer, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1936) 1923 - Martha Holmes, American photographer (d. 2006) 1958 - Michele Drake, playmate (May, 1979), born in La Jolla, California 1978 - Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Nigerian Nollywood actress, born in Lagos 1979 - Daniel Bierofka, German football player and coach, born in Munich, West Germany More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1820 - Samuel Adams Holyoke, American composer, dies at 57 1964 - Lillian Copeland, US discus thrower (Olympic gold 1932), dies at 59 1990 - Nathan Wartels, American publisher (Crown), dies at 88 of pneumonia 2020 - Steve Weber, American psychedelic folk guitarist, (The Holy Modal Rounders - "Bird Song"; "You've Got the Right String but the Wrong Yo-Yo"),dies at 76 2020 - Li Wenliang, Chinese doctor who tried to raise the alarm over COVID-19, dies of COVID-19 in Wuhan at 34 2021 - Elliot Mazer, American audio engineer and record producer (Chubby Checker; Neil Young), dies of a heart attack at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1904 - Japan notifies Russia that in view of Russia's delaying tactics and provocative military action, Japan is ending negotiations and recalling its members from Moscow 1953 - US controls on wages and some consumer goods lifted 1961 - KOAP TV channel 10 in Portland, OR (PBS) begins broadcasting 1973 - Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer's musical "Shelter" opens at John Golden Theater, NYC; runs for 31 performances 1974 - US House of Reps begins determining grounds for impeachment of President Richard Nixon 1977 - 4th time New York Rangers shut-out New York Islanders, 4-0 1987 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Jill Trenary 1990 - Groundbreaking begins on Baltimore Orioles' new $102 million stadium 1995 - Greg Blewett scores his 2nd century in his 2nd Test Cricket 2020 - Antarctica records high temperature of 64.9 F / 18.2 C at Esperanza, Argentina’s research station More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1920 - Saarland administrated by League of Nations 1941 - Auke Adema wins 6th official Dutch 11 Cities Skating Race (9:19) 1971 - James Saunders (22), a member of the IRA, is shot and killed by the British Army during a gun battle near the Oldpark Road, Belfast 1973 - Bernice Fekete skips her curling rink to 2nd straight 8-ender, Edm 1974 - Dutch speed limit set at 100km due to oil crisis 1996 - Heidi Fleiss scheduled to begin her 7 year jail sentence More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1639 - Daniel Georg Morhof, German writer and scholar, born in Wismar, Germany (d. 1691) 1899 - Ramon Novarro [Jose Samaniegos], Mexican-American actor (Ben-Hur, Mata Hari), born in Durango, Mexico (d. 1968) 1925 - Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Javanese author (Anak semua bangsa), born in Blora Regency, Indonesia (d. 2006) 1929 - Sixten Jernberg, Swedish skier (Olympic gold 1956/60/64), born in Lima, Sweden (d. 2012) 1957 - Simon Phillips, English drummer and record producer (Toto), born in London 1983 - S. Sreesanth, Indian cricketer, born in Kothamangalam, India More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1699 - Jozef Ferdinand of Bavaria, heir of Spanish king Carlos II, dies of smallpox at 6 1958 - Billy Whelan, Irish soccer forward (4 caps, Republic of Ireland; Manchester United 79 games), dies Munich air disaster at 22 1985 - Charles Briggs, American actor (13 Frightened Girls, Capt Newman), dies at 53 1989 - Nuno Oliveira, Portuguese equestrian, horse trainer, dressage instructor, author ('baroque' or 'classical' style), dies at 63 2001 - Filemon Lagman, Filipino Communist revolutionary (b. 1953) 2012 - Antoni Tapies, Spanish painter, sculptor and theorist (Dau al Set), dies at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1576 - Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France) abjures Catholicism at Tours 1943 - Jake LaMotta defeats future multi-weight world boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson by unanimous points decision in Detroit in the 2nd of their 6 meetings; his only win of their rivalry; Robinson’s first loss in his first 40 pro bouts 1945 - Big Racket becomes fastest race horse at 69t.6 kph (440 yd/20.8 s) 1972 - Two IRA members are killed when a bomb they were planting exploded prematurely 1978 - Fred Newman makes 88 consecutive basketball free throws blindfolded 1986 - Corazon Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos appear on "Nightline" 1991 - All American Bowl ends after 14 years 2006 - Super Bowl XL, Ford Field, Detroit, MI: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Seattle Seahawks, 21-10; MVP: Hines Ward, Pittsburgh, WR 2016 - Computer hackers try to steal 1 billion from Federal Reserve Bank of New York using Bangladesh banking codes, steal 81 million before a typo alerts authorities 2018 - A share market sell off starts on Wall Street with Dow Jones sinking 4.6%, spreads around the globe More Historical Events »