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1779 - Ching-Thang Khomba is crowned King of Manipur 1966 - "Daktari" African adventure series premieres on CBS TV 1967 - Romeinse Curie installs Council for Pontifical Study commission 1981 - "Tintypes" closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 93 performances 1985 - CDC MMWR publishes guidelines for screening U.S. blood supply for AIDS antibodies with ELISA test that would be available later that year 1987 - NFC Championship, Giants Stadium, East Rutherford: New York Giants beat Washington Redskins, 17-0 1998 - Sidi-Hamed massacre takes place in Algeria, over 100 people are killed. 1998 - 24th People's Choice Awards: Harrison Ford and Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Tim Allen and Oprah Winfrey win (TV) 1999 - Marty Schottenheimer resigns as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs 2004 - 30th People's Choice Awards: Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Ray Romano and Jennifer Aniston win (TV) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1785 - Continental Congress convenes in NYC 1894 - Donghak Peasant Rebellion begins in Mujiang, Korea over local corruption, sparking the 1st Sino-Japanese War 1969 - "Hooked on a Feeling" by BJ Thomas peaks at #5 1981 - NFC Championship, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Eagles beat Dallas Cowboys, 20-7 1989 - Denver Nuggets' rookie Jerome Lane misses 7 free throws in a game against Milwaukee, one missed by 2 feet 1992 - Algeria's President Chadli announces his resignation More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1801 - John Lodge Ellerton, British classical composer (The Bridal of Triermain, Domenica), born in Cheshire, England (d. 1873) 1885 - Alice Paul, American suffragist (National Woman's Party), born in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey (d. 1977) 1909 - Gunnar Johnsen Berg, Swiss-Danish composer (Cosmogonie), born in Switzerland (d. 1989) 1915 - Veda Ann Borg, American model and actress (Kid Galahad, Avalanche, Accomplice), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1973) 1952 - Kim Hartman, British screen, stage, and radio actress (Allo Allo! - "Helga"), born in Hammersmith, London, England 1952 - Massimo Lopez, Italian comedian More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1055 - Constantine IX Monomachos, Emperor of Byzantium, dies 1641 - Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar, Spanish poet (b. 1583) 1929 - Julio Antonio Mella, Cuban revolutionary, murdered at about 28 1943 - Carlo Tresca, NY's Italian newspaper editor/anti-fascist, murdered 1955 - Rodolfo Graziani, Italian Marshal, fascist and Viceroy of Italian East Africa, dies at 72 2009 - David Vine, British sports broadcaster (BBC Match of the Day, World Snooker C'ships, Olympics coverage), dies of a heart attack at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1863 - January uprising begins in Poland 1870 - Standard Oil Company created by John D. Rockefeller (30%), his brother and other business partners. Then controlled about 10% of world oil. 1943 - Soviet offensive against German 6th and 4th Armies near Stalingrad 1954 - Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to W H Auden 1965 - WKBD TV channel 50 in Detroit, Michigan (IND) begins broadcasting 1978 - Soyuz 27 launches, carrying 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station 1993 - Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, musical "My Favorite Year", adapted from the 1982 film, and starring Evan Pappas, Tim Curry, Andrea Martin, and Lainie Kazan, closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater, NYC, after 37 performances and a Tony Award for Martin 2004 - 9th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King wins Best Film 2015 - 57 people are killed after an oil tanker collided with a passenger coach outside of Karachi, Pakistan 2022 - College Football, National Championship, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana: #3 Georgia beats #1 Alabama, 33-18 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1356 - German Emperor Charles I promulgates the 'Golden Bull', to regulate the election of a new king - the most important constitutional document of the Holy Roman Empire 1811 - Louisiana slaves rebel in 2 parishes 1925 - Allies refuse to evacuate the Cologne area of Germany as agreed 1982 - Petra Schneider swims world record 1500 m freestyle (15:43.31) 2003 - NBA announces Charlotte, N.C. is awarded an NBA expansion franchise to be known as the Charlotte Bobcats and start play in 2004-05; eventually changes to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014-15 season 2005 - A mudslide occurs in La Conchita, California, killing 10 people, injuring many more and closing the Highway 101, the main coastal corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles, for 10 days. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1810 - Jeremiah S. Black, American statesman and lawyer, born in Stony Creek, Pennsylvania (d. 1883) 1938 - Donald Knuth, American mathematician and computer scientist, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1939 - Jared Carter, American poet, born in Elwood, Indiana 1939 - David Horowitz, American author and political commentator, born in NYC, New York 1945 - Colonel DeBeers [Edward Wiskoski], American professional wrestler, born in Saint Joseph, Missouri 1983 - Li Nina, Chinese aerial freestyle skier, born in Benxi, China More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1094 - Al-Mustanṣir, 8th Fāṭimid Caliph of Cairo, dies at 64 1662 - Prince Honoré II of Monaco (b. 1597) 1833 - António da Silva Leite, Portuguese composer, dies at 73 1971 - (Gabrielle) "Coco" Chanel, French fashion designer (Chanel), dies at 87 1989 - Donald Voorhees, American conductor (Bell Telephone Hour), dies at 85 2005 - James Forman, American civil rights leader (b. 1928) More Famous Deaths »

1760 - Afghans defeat the Indian Maratha Empire in the Battle of Barari Ghat 1792 - Russia and Turkey sign Peace of Jassy 1894 - New England Telephone and Telegraph installs the first battery-operated telephone switchboard in Lexington, Massachusetts. 1908 - Muir Woods National Monument, California, established 1937 - Maxwell Anderson's stage drama "High Tor" premieres at Martin Beck Theatre, NYC; runs for 171 performances, wins Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play 1945 - US soldiers led by General Douglas MacArthur invades Philippines 1951 - Washington Capitals NBA team folds 1977 - Australian Open Men's Tennis: American Roscoe Tanner wins his first and only Grand Slam event; beats Guillermo Vilas of Argentina 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 2007 - 33rd People's Choice Awards: Johnny Depp and Jennifer Aniston win (Movie Star) and Patrick Dempsey and Eva Longoria win (TV) 2021 - Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crashes in the Java Sea just after take off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 62 on board More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1493 - Christopher Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids, describing them as "not half as beautiful as they are painted" 1957 - Dutch Newspaper Society expels communist daily paper "Truth" 1967 - "More of the Monkees" second album by The Monkees is released 1995 - Ecuador and Peru involved in boundary fight 2010 - Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: María José Martínez Sánchez and Tommy Robredo of Spain beat British pair Laura Robson and Andy Murray 7-6, 7-5 to clinch a 2-1 win; Spain's 3rd title 2012 - "Time is Love" single released by Josh Turner (Billboard Song of the Year 2012) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1620 - Johann Weichmann, German organist, and sacred and secular music composer (Sorgen-Lägerin), born in Wolgast, Pomerania (d. 1652) 1829 - Thomas William Robertson, English playwright (Caste), born in Newark-on-Trent, England (d. 1871) 1910 - Dick Henry Jurgen, American swing music bandleader, born in Sacramento, California (d. 1995) 1914 - Derek Allhusen, English equestrian rider (Olympic gold team, silver Individual eventing 1968), born in London, England (d. 2000) 1956 - Imelda Staunton, British actress (Finding Your Feet, Maleficent), born in Archway, London 1967 - Dave Mcllwain, Canadian NHL center (Pitts Penguins), born in Seaforth, Canada More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1895 - Aaron Lufkin Dennison, 'Father of American watchmaking', American watch manufacturer and businessman (Tremont Watch Company), dies at 82 1964 - Frank "Big Boy" Goudie, American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist, and upholsterer, dies of cancer at 64 1975 - Pyotr Sergeyevich Novikov, Russian mathematician (group theory), dies at 73 1979 - Avery Claflin, American banker and composer ("Lament for April 15" - income tax form instructions set to music), dies at 80 2008 - William Quinn, Irish Republican Army soldier (b. 1950) 2018 - Karin von Aroldingen, German ballet dancer (NYC Ballet), dies at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1853 - 1st US bronze equestrian statue (of Andrew Jackson) unveiled, Washington 1894 - Columbus World's fair in Chicago destroyed by fire 1897 - Michael Eagan wins 1st US national amateur handball championship 1901 - New South Wales score 918 all out vs South Australia in 560 minutes 1947 - Toronto Maple Leaf rookie Howie Meeker scores 5 goals in a game 1955 - Georgia Tech ends Kentucky's 130-game home basketball win streak 1968 - Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill travels to Dublin to meet with Irish Prime Minister Jack Lynch to continue discussions on matters of joint interest to the two governments 1973 - Judge Sirica begins the trial of the Watergate burglars in Washington, D.C. 2000 - "Music City Miracle", in AFC Wild Card Playoff, Tennessee Titans defeat Buffalo Bills 22-16 in last 16 seconds with Kevin Dyson, running length of the field for a game-winning touchdown 2004 - RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1811 - Louisiana slave revolt by Charles Deslondes at German Coast 1877 - Crazy Horse and his Sioux warriors fight their last battle with the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain (Montana Territory). 1947 - General George Marshall becomes US Secretary of State 1949 - "My Romance" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 95 performances 1982 - Johnny Cash Parkway opens in Hendersonville, Tennessee 1995 - Philadelphia Phillies 12-time All Star third baseman Mike Schmidt is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1814 - Johannes Kneppelhout, Dutch writer, born in Leiden, Netherlands (d. 1885) 1917 - Peter Taylor, American novelist, born in Trenton, Tennessee (d. 1994) 1936 - Robert May, Baron May of Oxford, Australian-born British scientist, born in Sydney, Australia 1937 - Robert Moran, American composer (Trinity Requiem), born in Denver, Colorado 1964 - Marc Quinn, English artist (Alison Lapper Pregnant), born in London, England 1985 - Sam Levison, American actor and filmmaker (created TV show Euphoria) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1934 - Alexandre Stavisky, French swindler, dies 1944 - William Kissam Vanderbilt II, member of the Vanderbilt family (b. 1878) 1972 - Kenneth Patchen, American writer (See You in the Morning), dies at 60 1986 - Yaroslav Seifert, Czech poet (Nobel 1984), dies at 84 2010 - Tony Halme, Finnish boxer and politician (b. 1963) 2014 - Ben Garrido Blaz, American politician (Rep-R-Guam, 1985-93), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1598 - Boris Godunov seizes Russian throne on death of Feodor I 1894 - William K.L. Dickson captures "Fred Ott's Sneeze" as a motion picture at Thomas Edison's Black Mariah Studio, West Orange, New Jersey 1910 - Stanley Cup, Dey's Arena, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Senators beat Galt (ON), 3-1 for a 2-0 sweep of challenge series 1916 - In response to pressure from President Woodrow Wilson, Germany notifies the US State Department that it will abide by strict international rules of maritime warfare 1922 - The Anglo-Irish Treaty is ratified by Dail Eireann by a 64-57 vote 1929 - Croatian nationalist and fascist movement, Ustaša founded by Ante Pavelić in exile in Italy 1933 - 1st edition of People and Fatherland published in Netherlands 1980 - Real Records releases "Pretenders", the debut album of The Pretenders, in UK 1992 - Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame 2019 - Amazon overtakes Microsoft to become the world's most valuable listed company for the first time, worth $797 billion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1566 - Antonio "Michele" Ghislieri is elected Pope Pius V 1894 - William K.L. Dickson captures "Fred Ott's Sneeze" as a motion picture at Thomas Edison's Black Mariah Studio, West Orange, New Jersey 1915 - World War I: Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm approves strategic bombing of Britain, but forbids bombing London, fearing his relatives in the royal family might be killed 1966 - Gene Kiniski beats Lou Thesz in St Louis, to become NWA wrestling champion 1991 - Saddam Hussein prepares his troops for what he says will be a long violent war against the US 1991 - "Nia Peeples Party Machine" premieres on TV More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1502 - Gregory XIII [Ugo Boncompagni], Italian pope (1572-85) who introduced the Gregorian (New Style) calendar in 1582, born in Bologna, Papal States (d. 1585) 1903 - Alan Napier, British actor (The Sword in the Stone, Batman), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1988) 1907 - Nicanor Zabaleta, Spanish harpist, born in San Sebastián, Spain (d. 1993) 1921 - John Lanigan, Australian operatic tenor (Covent Garden), born in Seddon, Victoria (d. 1996) 1958 - Linda Kozlowski, American actress (Crocodile Dundee), born in Fairfield, Connecticut 1958 - Donna Rice Hughes, American author and speaker, born in New Orleans, Louisiana More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1537 - Alessandro de' Medici, Duke of Florence, Italian ruler of Florence (1532-37), assassinated by his friend and cousin at 26 1901 - James Dunwoody Bulloch, Confederacy's chief foreign agent in Great Britain during the American Civil War, dies at 77 1943 - Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American physicist, electrical engineer and inventor who developed alternating current and the Tesla Coil, dies at 86 1984 - Alfred Kastler, French physicist (Nobel 1966 - Hertzian resonances within atoms), dies at 81 2001 - James Carr, American soul singer ("To Love Somebody"; "Dark End of the Street"), dies of lung cancer at 58 2021 - Tommy Lasorda, American Baseball Hall of Fame manager (World Series 1981, 88; NL Manager of the Year 1983, 88; LA Dodgers 1976-96), dies of a heart attack at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1501 - Construction begins on Portugal's Jerónimos Monastery, designed by architect Diogo de Boitaca to commemorate the return of Vasco da Gama from India 1953 - The first Asian Socialist Conference opens in Burma 1967 - United States Marine Corps and ARVN troops launch "Operation Deckhouse Five" in the Mekong River delta. 1980 - Phil Flyers set NHL record of 35 straight games without a defeat 1980 - AFC Championship, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Houston Oilers, 27-13 1987 - Astronomers at University of California see 1st sight of birth of a galaxy 1991 - Qian Hong swims female world record 50m butterfly (27.30 sec) 1994 - US figure skating champion Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by Tonya Harding's bodyguard at the US Championships in Detroit 1997 - "It's a Slippery Slope" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC 2019 - 76th Golden Globes: "The Americans", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Green Book", Glenn Close and Rami Malek among the winners More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1930 - Australian cricket icon Don Bradman scores 452 not out for New South Wales v Queensland in Sydney; then world record individual score in a first-class match; runs scored in 415 minutes 1947 - Ray Lindwall smashes 100 v England in MCG Test 1974 - In response to the 1973 energy crisis, daylight saving time commences nearly four months early in the United States. 1985 - NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers beat Chicago Bears, 23-0 1986 - British Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine resigns after the 'Westland affair' 2002 - Daniel Bedingfield returns to No.1 on the UK singles chart for the second time with Gotta Get Thru This More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1525 - Caspar Peucer, German reformer, born in Bautzen, Germany (d. 1602) 1945 - Barry John, Welsh rugby player, born in Cefneithin, United Kingdom 1964 - Mark O'Toole, English musician (Frankie Goes to Hollywood - "Relax"), born in Liverpool, England 1974 - Juan Roque, American football tackle (Detroit Lions), born in San Diego, California 1975 - Jason King, English radio DJ (Radio 1), born in Tenbury Wells, United Kingdom 1982 - Eddie Redmayne, English actor (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Theory of Everything), born in London More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1592 - John Casimir of Simmern, German prince and regent for his nephew, Elector Frederick IV (b. 1543) 1734 - John Dennis, English dramatist whose thunder was stolen (b. 1657) 1885 - Peter C Asbjornsen, Norwegian fairy tale writer, dies at 72 1975 - Noel Madison, actor (Jitterbugs, Black Raven), dies at 77 1985 - Robert W. Welch Jr., American businessman who founded the conservative John Birch Society, dies at 85 2006 - Lou Rawls, American soul singer-songwriter and producer ("You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"), dies of cancer at 72 More Famous Deaths »

1919 - German Workers' Party forms, precursor to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi) 1927 - MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis begins 3-day public hearing on charges that 4 games played between Chicago and Detroit in 1917 had been thrown to White Sox 1929 - Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia 1960 - Continental League, a proposed third baseball major league, gets an assurance of congressional support from NY Senator Kenneth Keating 1969 - "Maggie Flynn" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 82 performances 1976 - Cambodia is renamed "Democratic Kampuchea" 1992 - Revival of Arthur Miller's dramatic play "The Crucible" closes at Belasco Theater, NYC, after 32 performances 1993 - Washington state executes Westley Allan Dodd by hanging (first legal hanging in America since 1965) 1996 - Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone 2018 - Kitwe in Zambia bans shaking hands and the sale of fresh food in attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1757 - Failed assassination attempt on French King Louis XV by Damiens 1929 - Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia 1943 - Teams agrees to start season later due to WW II 1976 - In retaliation for the Reavey and O'Dowd killings, the South Armagh Republican Action Force shoot dead 10 Protestant civilians after stopping their minibus in County Armagh 1981 - Late night television news program "Nightline" with Ted Koppel extended from 20 mins to 30 mins 2018 - Kitwe in Zambia bans shaking hands and the sale of fresh food in attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1892 - Anne Morrison Chapin, American playwright, actress, (The Wild Westcotts), and screenwriter (The Sailor Takes A Wife), born in Shoals, Indiana (d. 1967) 1932 - Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher and author (Name of the Rose), born in Alessandria, Piedmont (d. 2016) 1942 - Dany Sava [Danielle Savalle], French actress (Moon Pilot), born in Paris, France 1965 - Vinnie Jones, English-born Welsh footballer and actor, born in Watford, United Kingdom 1985 - Michael Cuccione, Canadian actor, born in Burnaby, Canada (d. 2001) 1986 - Deepika Padukone, Indian model, actress, and activist (Om Shanti Om, Cocktail, Piki), born in Copenhagen, Denmark More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1713 - Jean Chardin, French explorer (Middle East and India), dies at 69 1960 - Pavel Parenago, Soviet scientist and astronomer (stellar astronomy) dies at 53 1976 - Mal Evans, British Beatles roadie and personal assistant, dies in a confrontation with police at his Los Angeles home at 40 1981 - Guy Paquinet, French jazz trombonist, and bandleader, dies at 77 2010 - Kenneth Noland, American Color Field painter, dies of kidney cancer at 85 2019 - Eric Haydock [Haddock], British rock bassist (The Hollies, 1962-66 - ""Look Through Any Window"), dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1903 - Topsy the elephant is electrocuted by her owners at Luna Park, Coney Island and filmed by Edison Manufacturing movie company 1904 - Stanley Cup, Aberdeen Pavilion, Ottawa, ON: Ottawa HC beats Winnipeg Rowing Club, 2-0 for 2-1 challenge series victory 1942 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US Army Chief of Staff General Marshall fly to Florida 1942 - 4th NFL All Star Game, Polo Grounds, NYC: Chicago Bears beat NFL All-Stars, 35-24 1953 - KTSM TV channel 9 in El Paso, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting 1963 - Soviet Luna (4) reaches Earth orbit but fails to reach Moon 1981 - "Frankenstein" opens and closes on Broadway 1998 - Anton Chekov's dramatic play "Ivanov", translated and adapted by David Hare, closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater, NYC, after 51 performances 2009 - Phil Taylor, with a 7–1 victory in the final over Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld wins his 12th PDC World Darts title, his 14th in all; his 110.94 average remains a record for the PDC World Darts Championship final 2018 - Truck hits a train near Kroonstad city, South Africa killing 19 passengers More Historical Events »

Historical Events 274 - St Eutychian begins his reign as Catholic Pope 1781 - Andre Méchain discovers M80 (globular cluster in Scorpio) 1934 - 1st Dutch talkie movie, Jan Teunissen's "Willem of Orange" premieres 1948 - Burma declares independence from UK 1969 - France begins arms embargo against Israel 1981 - Revival of Leigh, Charlap, Styne, Comden and Green's musical "Peter Pan", starring Sandy Duncan, closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 578 performances More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1878 - Augustus John, Welsh painter (d. 1961) 1910 - Arthur Villeneuve, Quebec painter (d. 1990) 1932 - Carlos Saura, Spanish director 1933 - Ed Jenkins, American politician (Rep-D-GA, 1977-93), born in Young Harris, Georgia (d. 2012) 1973 - Harmony Korine, American film director and artist, born in Bolinas, California 1982 - Paulo Ferrari, Argentinian soccer defender (Rosario Central, River Plate) and manager (Rosario Central, San Martín SJ) , born in Rosario, Argentina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1966 - Marcel Tabuteau, French-American oboist (Philadelphia Orchestra, 1915-54), dies at 78 1991 - Leo Wright, American jazz saxophone and flute player (Dizzy Gillespie; "Blues Shout"; "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"), dies of a heart attack at 57 2003 - Yfrah Neaman, Israeli-British concert violinist, and pedagogue, dies of cancer at 79 2004 - Joan Aiken, English writer of children's books (The Whispering Mountain), dies at 79 2012 - Gatewood Galbraith [Louis], lawyer, American political activist, iconic Kentucky political figure, dies from pneumonia at 64 2022 - Joan Copeland, American film and TV soap actress ("Roseland"; "Search for Tomorrow"), dies at 99 More Famous Deaths »

1653 - The Coonan Cross Oath is taken in the Saint Thomas Christian community in an effort to avoid submission to Portuguese rule in India 1872 - 1st patent list issued by US Patent Office 1890 - 1st US college-level dairy school opens at University of Wisconsin 1933 - Minnie D. Craig becomes the first female elected as Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives, the first female to hold a Speaker position anywhere in the United States. 1969 - Rep Adam Clayton Powell Jr seated by Congress 1971 - 1st AFC Championship, Memorial Stadium, Baltimore: Baltimore Colts beat Oakland Raiders, 27-17 1973 - A 12-man syndicate led by Michael Burke and George Steinbrenner III buys MLB's New York Yankees from CBS for US$10 million 1985 - Israel government confirms resettlement of 10,000 Ethiopian Jews 2007 - National Express has its worst ever coach crash just outside Heathrow Airport. 2019 - Chinese Chang'e-4 spacecraft becomes the first ever to touch down on the far side of the Moon More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1893 - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's final opera "Iolanta", is first performed outside of Russia in Hamburg, Germany 1945 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visits France 1984 - Syria frees captured US pilot after appeal from Jesse Jackson 1993 - "Catskills on Broadway" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 452 performances 2004 - Panthers kicker John Kasay ties NFL-playoff record with 5 field goals to lead Carolina to a 29-10 win over Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of playoffs in Charlotte, North Carolina 2022 - Scotsman Peter Wright wins his second PDC World Darts Championship; beats Michael Smith of England, 7-5 at the Alexandra Palace in London More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1698 - Pietro Metastasio, Italian poet (d. 1782) 1900 - Maurice Jaubert, French composer, born in Nice (d. 1940) 1932 - Mara Corday [Marilyn Joan Watts], American actress, model and Playboy Playmate (Foxfire, Black Scorpion), born in Santa Monica, California 1950 - Rick MacLeish, Canadian ice hockey center (Stanley Cup 1974, 75; Philadelphia Flyers; NHL All Star 1977, 78), born in Lindsay, Ontario (d. 2016) 1969 - Nikki Nelson, American country singer (Highway 101 - "Cry Cry Cry"; "Whose Lonely Now"), born in La Mesa, California 1980 - Liya Kebede, Ethiopian model More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1761 - Willem de Fesch, Dutch violinist and composer (Joseph), dies at 73 1965 - Julius Tannen, American vaudeville comedian, dies at 84 1975 - Milton Cross, American radio announcer (Metropolitan Opera's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, 1931-75), dies of a heart attack at 87 1995 - Gerard W. Taylor, South African-British surgeon, dies at 74 2002 - Al Smith, American baseball outfielder and third baseman (3-time MLB All Star; Cleveland Indians), dies at 73 2014 - Phil Everly, American rock and roll singer-guitarist (The Everly Brothers - "Bye, Bye Love"; "Wake Up Little Susie"; "When WIll I Be Loved"), dies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1814 - Lord Byron completes "The Corsair", a long tale in verse 1893 - 1st US commemoratives and 1st US stamp to picture a woman issued (Queen Isabella, patron of Columbus) 1928 - 14th Rose Bowl: Stanford beats Pittsburgh, 7-6 1944 - 1st use of helicopters during warfare (British Atlantic patrol) 1950 - 16th Sugar Bowl: #2 Oklahoma beats #9 LSU, 35-0 1972 - An anti-internment rally is held in Belfast, North Ireland 1990 - Sting joins pro wrestling's legendary "4 Horsemen" (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson) 2001 - 67th Sugar Bowl: #3 Miami beats #7 Florida, 37-20 2002 - Eduardo Duhalde is appointed interim President of Argentina by the Legislative Assembly. 2006 - 35th Fiesta Bowl: #4 Ohio State beats #5 Notre Dame, 34-20 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1929 - US and Canada agree to preserve Niagara Falls 1942 - Japanese troops occupy Manila, Philippines 1955 - 1st "Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later on CBS) 1968 - KBHK TV channel 44 in San Francisco, California (IND) begins broadcasting 1987 - 16th Fiesta Bowl: #2 Penn State beats #1 Miami, 14-10 1989 - UCLA beats Arkansas Razorbacks, 17-3 to win the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas; record 7th consecutive football bowl game victory for the Bruins More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1886 - Apsley Cherry-Garrard, English Antarctic explorer (d. 1959) 1902 - Dan Keating, Irish republican (d. 2007) 1929 - Allen Sapp, Canadian Cree artist, born at Red Pheasant Reserve, Saskatchewan (d. 2015) 1955 - Tex Brashear, American voice actor 1959 - Kirti Azad, Indian cricket all-rounder (7 Tests; 25 ODIs) and politician, born in Darbhanga, India 1968 - Anky van Grunsven, Dutch equestrian rider (Olympic gold dressage 2000, 04, 08; World C'ship gold 1994, 2006), born in Erp, Netherlands More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1915 - (Károly) "Karl" Goldmark, Hungarian-Viennese violinist and composer (Rustic Wedding Symphony; The Queen of Sheba; Sakuhtala), dies at 84 1977 - Erroll Garner, American jazz pianist (Misty), dies at 53 2003 - Eric Jupp, British-born musician, dies at 80 2007 - A. Richard Newton, Australian-born technology pioneer and professor, dies at 55 2014 - Elizabeth Jane Howard, English novelist, dies at 90 2022 - Larry Biitner, American MLB baseball outfielder, 1970-83 (Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and 2 other teams), dies of cancer at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1622 - Papal Chancery adopts Jan 1 as beginning of the year (was Mar 25) 1852 - National debt of Britain and Ireland is 765,126,582 pounds 1891 - French troops occupy Nioro, West-Sudan, 3000 killed 1914 - Northern and Southern Nigeria united in British colony of Nigeria 1925 - 11th Rose Bowl: Notre Dame beats Stanford, 27-10 1944 - Army defeats Navy 10-7 in football "Arab Bowl," Oran, North Africa 1958 - European Economic Community, better known as the European Common Market starts operation 1964 - KNMT TV channel 12 in Walker, MN (CBS) begins broadcasting 1995 - "A Tuna Christmas" closes at Booth Theater NYC after 20 performances 2004 - St. Louis head coach Joel Quenneville records his 300th NHL win with the Blues, a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Savvis Center, St. Louis; Quenneville is Blues coaching games and wins leader More Historical Events »

Historical Events 630 - Prophet Muhammad sets out with an army 10,000 strong to conquer Mecca 1840 - 1st recorded bowling match in US, Knickerbocker Alleys, NYC 1893 - The railway line from Germiston to Pretoria, South Africa, is opened to traffic 1946 - Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces he is not a god 1984 - NYC transit fare rises from 75 cents to 90 cents 2003 - 89th Rose Bowl: #8 Oklahoma beats #7 Washington State, 34-14 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1600 - Friedrich Spanheim, Dutch theologian (d. 1649) 1622 - Isaac Sweers, Dutch fleet admiral, born in Nijmegen, Dutch Republic (d. 1673) 1784 - William Beale, English composer and baritone, born in Lankrake, Cornwall (d. 1854) 1876 - Harriet Brooks, Canadian physicist (d. 1933) 1967 - Spencer Tunick, American photographer (large-scale nude installations), born in Middletown, New York 1969 - Christi Paul, American news anchor More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 874 - Hasan al-Askari, 11th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam, dies at 27 1730 - Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, English Tory statesman, dies at 82 1923 - Willie Keeler, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (highest career AB-per-strikeout ratio in MLB history; NL batting champion 1897, 98 Baltimore Orioles), dies of tuberculosis at 50 1992 - Constantin Poustochkine, Dutch jazz musician and critic, dies at 81 2011 - Charles Fambrough, American jazz bassist (Jazz Messengers), dies at 60 2020 - Marty Grebb, American rock session and touring keyboardist (The Buckinghams; Bonnie Raitt), dies at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1660 - James II of England is named Duke of Normandy by Louis XIV of France. 1805 - End of French Republican calendar; France returns to Gregorianism 1969 - Congo-Brazzaville becomes People's republic, under major Ngouabi 1974 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley retains her title; beats Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-2 1978 - Iran shah names Chapour Bakhtiar premier 1978 - Taiwan's final day of diplomatic relations with US 1988 - Pittsburgh NHL center Mario Lemieux accounts for all his team's goals in Penguins 8-6 win over the NJ Devils; famously scores 5 goals, each in a different way: even strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot and empty net; also 3 assists 1994 - This date is skipped altogether in Kiribati as the Phoenix Islands and Line Islands change time zones from UTC-11 to UTC+13 and UTC-10 to UTC+14, respectively. 1995 - "Paul Roebson" closes at Longacre Theater NYC after 14 performances 2016 - Chris Ofili is appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to art More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1564 - William I of Orange demands freedom of religious conscience for his subjects in dramatic speech to the Council of State 1904 - First New Year's Eve celebration held in Times Square, New York City 1944 - World War II: Hungary declares war on Germany. 1951 - 1st battery to convert radioactive energy to electricity announced 1958 - 47th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Brisbane (3-2) 1974 - New York Yankees sign Cy Young Award winner Jim "Catfish" Hunter for 5 years for a record $3.75 million from the Oakland A's More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1870 - Tom Connolly, American Baseball HOF umpire (AL-record 8 x World Series), born in Manchester, England (d. 1961) 1877 - Lawrence Beesley, English journalist and author, born in Wirksworth, United Kingdom (d. 1967) 1939 - Afaq Hussain, Pakistani cricketer (Pakistani off-spinner in 2 Tests 1961-64), born in Lucknow, India (d. 2002) 1947 - Burton Cummings, Canadian rock singer-songwriter, and keyboardist (Guess Who - "These Eyes"), born in Winnipeg, Canada 1948 - René Robert, Canadian ice hockey winger (NHL All Star 1972-73, 74-75; Buffalo Sabres 1st 100 point player 1974-75), born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (d. 2021) 1964 - Michael McDonald, American actor-comedian, born in St. Louis, Missouri More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1880 - Arnold Ruge, German political philosopher and writer, dies at 78 1969 - Salvatore Baccaloni, Italian operatic bass buffo singer (Metropolitan Opera, 1940-62), and actor (Merry Andrew; Rock-a-Bye Baby), dies at 69 1983 - Frank Link, actor (Burns and Schreiber Comedy Show), dies at 46 1991 - Felicja Blumental, Polish-Brazilian concert pianist (Villa-Lobos' Piano Concerto No. 5; Penderecki's Partita for Harpsichord), dies at 83 1995 - Eduardo Hernández Moncada, Mexican composer and pianist, dies at 96 2015 - Natalie Cole, American pop vocalist ('Pink Cadillac"; "Miss You Like Crazy"), dies at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1896 - Filipino nationalist José Rizal is executed by firing squad in Manila by the Spanish 1906 - The All-India Muslim League is founded in Dacca, East Bengal, British India Empire, later laid down the foundations of Pakistan 1922 - Creation of the USSR formally proclaimed in Moscow from the Bolshoi Theatre, organized as a union (U) of Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian and Transcaucasian Soviet Socialist Republics (SSR). 1926 - Chicago Tribune reports the Tigers threw a 4-game series to the White Sox in 1917 to help Chicago win the pennant (never substantiated) 1958 - French franc devalued 1969 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1971 - A member of the Irish Republican Army is killed in a premature bomb explosion in Santry, Dublin. 1977 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Evonne Goolagong Cawley wins her 6th career Grand Slam title; beats fellow Australian Helen Gourlay Cawley 6-3, 6-0 1986 - Ballon d'Or: Dynamo Kyiv's Ukrainian forward Igor Belanov is named best football player in Europe ahead of Barcelona striker Gary Lineker and Real Madrid forward Emilio Butragueño 1995 - Lowest ever UK temperature recorded of -27.2°C iat Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands, equaling the record set at Braemar, Aberdeenshire on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982 More Historical Events »