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Historical Events 1984 - East German luger Steffi Martin wins the first of 2 consecutive women's singles gold medals at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; also wins in Calgary (1988) 1988 - US Navy frigate USS Yorktown bumped by Russian frigate Bezzavetny in the Black Sea in dispute over right of innocent passage 2007 - A gunman opens fire in a mall in Salt Lake City, killing five people in the Trolley Square shooting 2017 - 70th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "La La Land" Best Film, Damien Chazelle Best Director, Best Actors Casey Affleck / Emma Stone 2023 - India opens the first part of what will be its longest expressway linking Mumbai with New Delhi over 1,386-kilometer (861 mile) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1830 - Stephen Wilcox, American inventor of steam generators for power stations and ships (Babcock and Wilcox), born in Westerly, Rhode Island (d. 1893) 1904 - Ted Mack, American TV host (The Original Amateur Hour), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 1976) 1914 - Nello Celio, Swiss politician, born in Quinto, Switzerland (d. 1995) 1945 - Roman Tam [Pak-sin], Hong Kong singer knownn as the "Grand Godfather of Cantopop", born in Baise, Guangxi, China (d. 2002) 1980 - Enver Gjokaj, American actor (Dollhouse; Agent Carter), and inventor, born in Orange County, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1837 - Ludwig Borne [Loeb Baruch], German-Jewish writer, dies at 50 1896 - Isaac Murphy, American jockey, 628 wins on 1,412 mounts (44.5%), dies at 35 2000 - Oliver [William Swofford], American pop singer ("Good Morning Starshine"), dies of cancer at 54 2022 - William Kraft, American timpanist, percussionist (Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble), conductor, and composer (The Demise of Suriyodhaya; Avalanche), dies at 98 2025 - Patrick Barclay, English sportswriter (The Times, The Guardian-Observer, Sunday Telegraph, The Independent; Sky Sports), dies at 77 More Famous Deaths »

1908 - Heemskerk's government begins in Holland 1948 - Billy Griffith scores cricket century on debut Eng v WI, out for 140 1985 - Kent Hrbek signs 5-year $6 million contract with Minnesota Twins 1986 - Australia beat India 2-0 to win cricket's World Series Cup, David Boon scores the most runs in the series (418) 1992 - F-16 jet crashes at residential district of Hengelo, Netherlands (No deaths) 2007 - 60th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "The Queen" Best Film, Paul Greengrass Best Director 2013 - Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation effective February 28, becoming the first pope to resign since 1415 2021 - World's second oldest person, French nun Sister André, celebrates her 117th birthday after surviving COVID-19 in Toulon More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1928 - II Winter Olympic Games open in St Moritz, Switzerland 1949 - "Lovesick Blues" single is released by Hank Williams (Cashbox "Best Hillbilly Record of the Year," Billboard Song of the Year 1949) 1953 - J. Styne and Bob Hilliard's musical "Hazel Flagg" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 190 performances 1975 - TV drama "Sarah T: Portrait of A Teenage Alcoholic" starring Linda Blair, premieres on US network NBC 1984 - Wayne Gretzky sets NHL short handed season scoring record at 11 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1557 - John Wtenbogaert, Dutch theologist (Kerckelicke history), born in at Utrecht (d. 1644) 1917 - Richard Jock Kinneir, British graphic designer (modern road signs), born in Hampshire, England (d. 1994) 1918 - Margaret Heldt, American hairdresser who created the beehive hairstyle, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2016) 1933 - Mildred Sampson, New Zealand distance runner (world marathon record 3:19:33 1964), born in Auckland, New Zealand 1956 - Raoul Björkenheim, American avant-garde jazz guitarist, born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1797 - Antoine Dauvergne, French composer, dies at 83 1943 - Bess Houdini, American-German stage assistant and wife of Harry Houdini, dies from heart attack at 67 1967 - A. J. Muste, Dutch-born American pacifist and labor activist, dies at 82 1975 - Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy soldier and statesman, assassinated (b. 1931) 1999 - Jaki Byard, American jazz pianist (Charlie Mingus), saxophonist, drummer, composer, arranger, and educator, dies from an unsolved gunshot at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1535 - Twelve nude Anabaptists run through the streets of Amsterdam 1713 - Netherlands and Britain sign accord concerning anti-French Barrier [OS=Jan 31] 1879 - 1st electric arc light used (California Theater) 1923 - Ink paste manufactured for 1st time by Standard Ink Company 1966 - "Valley of the Dolls" by Jacqueline Susann is published by Bernard Geis Associates in the US - sold over 31 million copies 1968 - "Spooky" by Classics IV hits #3 1992 - Mike Tyson convicted of raping Desiree Washington in Indiana 2013 - 66th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "Argo", Ben Affleck (Director); Daniel Day-Lewis and Emmanuelle Riva win More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1878 - Pact of Zanjón signed between Cubans rebels and the Spanish bringing the 10 Years War to an end 1933 - -54°F (-48°C), Seneca, Oregon (state record) 1939 - "Stagecoach" western film directed by John Ford, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne, premieres in Miami 1974 - Judy Ikenberry wins 1st Us women's marathon (2:55:17) 1993 - "Michael Jackson Talks to Oprah Winfrey" airs on ABC and draws an astounding 39.3 rating/56 share, with 90 million people watching More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1937 - Ronnie Rondell Jr., American stuntman known for appearing on the cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", born in Hollywood, California (d. 2025) 1942 - Alfred Gager, Austrian soccer midfielder (6 caps; Austria Wien, FC Wacker Wien), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2022) 1942 - Howard Mudd, American football OL (Pro Bowl 1966–68; All-Pro 1967-68; SF 49ers, Chicago Bears) and coach (Super Bowl 2006; OL Indianapolis Colts), born in Midland, Michigan (d. 2020) 1951 - Zeudi Araya, Eritrean actress (Hearts and Armour, La peccatrice), born in Dekemhare, British Eritrea 1987 - Yuja Wang, Chinese-American award-winning pianist known for her charismatic stage presence (Rachmaninoff Marathon), born in Beijing, China More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1127 - William IX, the Troubadour, Frankish nobleman (Duke of Aquitaine, Gascony, Count of Poitou, 1086-1127), Crusader, and poet, dies at 55 1887 - Ellen Wood, English author (Pomeroy Abbey), dies at 73 1917 - Émile Pessard, French pianist, concert and comic opera composer, and teacher (Maurice Ravel, Jacques Ibert), dies at 73 1951 - Joseph Bovet, Swiss composer and conductor (Fribourg folk music), dies at 71 1995 - Kenton Kilmer, American writer, dies of cancer at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1870 - US President Ulysses S Grant signs law resulting in US Army Signal Service’s establishment of its "Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce", later known as the National Weather Service 1934 - Balkan Entente alliance forms (Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey and Romania) 1955 - Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts crematory law 1972 - British government declares a state of emergency after a month-long coal miners' strike 1979 - New York City premiere of Paul Schrader's allegedly fact based film "Hardcore" 1984 - Finnish cross-country skier Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen wins the 10k gold medal at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; first of 3 individual medal sweep, also winning 5k and 20k events 1995 - Augustus and Ruth Goetz' stage drama "The Heiress" opens at Cort Theater, NYC; runs for 340 performances 2000 - 50th Berlin International Film Festival: "Magnolia" wins the Golden Bear More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1682 - Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserved" premieres in London 1979 - Walter Hill's crime drama film "The Warriors", based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel, is released in the United States, sparking gang violence at many theaters and a halt to the film's marketing campaign 1990 - Spacecraft Galileo flies by Venus at an altitude of 10,000 miles (16,000 km) in a gravity assist maneuver to gain speed on its way to Jupiter 1990 - "Bradys" return to TV for 6 episodes on CBS TV 2021 - WHO team investigating origin of COVID-19 in Wuhan say it is "extremely unlikely" that it leaked from a local research lab More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1900 - Walter Page, American jazz double bassist, saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie Orchestra), born in Gallatin, Missouri (d. 1957) 1903 - Georg Trexler, German composer, choirmaster, and organist (St. Trinitatis, Leipzig, 1930-70), born in Pirna, Germany (d. 1979) 1927 - Joe Maneri, American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player (Boston Microtonal Society), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 2009) 1944 - Alice Walker, American novelist (The Color Purple, Meridian), born in Putnam County, Georgia 1964 - Rachel Bolan [James Southworth], American musician and songwriter (Skid Row), born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1583 - Jeseph Sanalbo, Jewish convert in Rome, burned at stake 1916 - Hynek Vojáček, Czech composer, dies at 90 1973 - Max Yasgur, American dairy farmer, and owner Woodstock Festival site in Bethel, New York, dies of a heart attack at 53 2001 - Reginald Marsh, British actor (Sicilians: It Happened Here), dies at 74 2002 - Margaret Rose, British princess and Countess of Snowdon, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, dies of a stroke at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1849 - New Roman Republic established in Italy 1924 - 1st US coast-to-coast radio hookup: General John Joseph Carty speech in Chicago 1943 - Red Army recaptures Kursk on the eastern front 1953 - WLVA (now WSET) TV channel 13 in Lynchburg-Roanoke, VA (ABC) begins 1960 - Boston Celtic Bill Russell becomes 1st NBAer with 50 rebounds (51) 1979 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1984 - For the 1st time eight people are in space 2009 - Al Gore's book "An Inconvenient Truth" wins a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1575 - University of Leiden established by William I of Orange, given the motto "Praesidium Libertatis" (oldest university in Netherlands) 1916 - French cruiser "Admiral Charner" torpedoed off Syrian coast, kills 374 2013 - 29 people are killed and 69 are injured in a series of Iraq bombings 2014 - Ole Einar Bjørndalen equals the Winter Olympics medal record with 12 2014 - Netherlands sweeps the medals in the men's 5,000m speed skating at the Sochi Winter Olympics; Sven Kramer retains title ahead of teammates Jan Blokhuijsen and Jorrit Bergsma More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1813 - Jacob Georg Agarah, Swedish botanist, born in Lund, Sweden (d. 1901) 1828 - Jules Verne, French novelist known as the "Father of Science Fiction" (Around the World in 80 days), born in Nantes, France (d. 1905) 1928 - Jack Larson, American actor (The Adventures of Superman - "Jimmy Olsen"), screenwriter, and librettist (Virgil Thomson's "Lord Byron"), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2015) 1956 - Dave Meros, American progressive rock bassist (Spock's Beard), born in Salinas, California 1961 - Sammy Llanas, American rock singer-songwritrer (Bodeans, 1983-2011 - "Closer To Free"), born in Wisconsin More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1265 - Hulagu Khan, Mongol ruler, grandson of Genghis Khan (besieged and pillaged Baghdad) (b. 1217) 1599 - Robert Rollock, Scottish educator (1st Regent of Edinburgh University), dies 1993 - Franz Schnyder, Swiss director (10th of May), dies at 82 1995 - Wilhelm J. Soukop, Austrian-British sculptor, dies at 88 2012 - Gunther Plaut, German-Canadian rabbi, dies at 99 More Famous Deaths »

1668 - Dutch Prince William III dances in premiere of "Ballet of Peace" 1827 - Ballet (Deserter) introduced to US at Bowery Theater (NYC) 1845 - The Portland Vase, thought to date to the 1st century BC is shattered into more than 80 pieces by a drunken visitor to the British Museum 1972 - Dutch Olympic 1,500m and 5,000m speed skating champion Ard Schenk wins his 3rd gold medal at the Sapporo Winter Games when he takes out the 10,000m 1973 - Iggy Pop and The Stooges release their influential 3rd album "Raw Power" 1974 - UK Prime Minister Edward Heath calls for a 'snap' general election in the midst of a protracted miners' strike 1979 - "Supertrain", TV Anthology, Superbomb of 1979, debuts on NBC 1998 - NHL's Dallas Stars retire Neal Broten's #7 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1795 - Dutch Prince William V accepts British occupation of Dutch Indies 1817 - Baltimore becomes the 1st American city lit by gas street lamps with the first turned on at Market and Lemon Streets (currently Baltimore and Holliday Streets) 1857 - French writer Gustave Flaubert is acquitted on a charge of obscenity for his work "Madame Bovary" 1903 - VVV '03 soccer club is established in the Dutch southeastern city of Venlo 1973 - Iggy Pop and The Stooges release their influential 3rd album "Raw Power" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1809 - Frederik Paludan-Muller, Danish Romantic poet (Danserinden), born in Kerteminde, Denmark (d. 1876) 1877 - Julius Curtius, German Foreign Minister of the Weimar Republic (1929-31) and Minister for Economic Affairs (1926-29), born in Duisburg, Prussia (d. 1948) 1895 - Irving Aaronson, American jazz pianist and big band bandleader, born in New York City (d. 1963) 1945 - Pete Postlethwaite, English actor (In the Name of the Father, Inception), born in Warrington, England (d. 2011) 1959 - Sammy Lee, English footballer (Liverpool), born in Liverpool, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1965 - Nance O'Neil, American actor (Cimarron, Royal Bed, Rogue Song), dies at 90 1970 - Abe Attell, American boxer known as "The Little Hebrew" and World Featherweight Champion (1906-12), dies at 86 1997 - Danil Shafran, Soviet-Russian concert cellist, dies at 74 2020 - Harold Strachan, South African writer, anti-apartheid activist, and explosives expert, dies of liver disease complications at 94 2020 - Nexhmije Pagarusha, Albanian singer ‘the Nightingale of Kosovo’ and actress, dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1819 - Stamford Raffles founds Singapore as a British trading post 1862 - General Ulysses S. Grant captures Fort Henry in Tennessee 1941 - British troops conquer Bengazi, Libya 1988 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 2005 - Tony Blair, now the longest-serving Labour PM, marks 2,838 days as British Prime Minister 2009 - President Barack Obama announces the Economic Recovery Advisory Board, with Paul Volcker as Chairman and Austan Goolsbee as Staff Director and Chief Economist 2012 - Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot is presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario 2024 - Landslide kills at least 68 with more missing, amid torrential rain, in Maco town, Davao de Oro, southern Philippines More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1947 - Magnum Photos founded in Paris by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger and David Seymour 1953 - Ian Craig makes Test Cricket debut at 17 yrs 239 days, youngest Aussie 1978 - Snowstorm hits New England, parts of Rhode Island (54" / 137cm) 1990 - Brett Hull becomes 1st son of NHL 50 goal scorer (Bobby Hull) to also score 50 goals 2020 - Date of the 1st COVID-19 related death in the US (confirmed by the CDC April 21) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1848 - Luigi Mancinelli, Italian orchestral composer, born in Orvieto, Italy (d. 1921) 1866 - Karl Sapper, German traveller, explorer, and natural historian, born in Germany (d. 1945) 1905 - Władysław Gomułka, Polish communist politician, born in Krosno, Poland (d. 1982) 1982 - Alice Eve, English actress (She's Out of My League; Star Trek Into Darkness), born in London 1986 - Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwean cricketer, born in Harare, Zimbabwe More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1899 - Alfred Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, dies at 24 in mysterious circumstances 1923 - Edward Emerson Barnard, American astronomer (5th moon Jupiter), dies at 65 1958 - David Pegg, English soccer outside left (1 cap; Manchester United 127 games), dies in Munich air disaster at 22 1991 - Marten Levendig, Dutch TV correspondent to Moscow, dies 2021 - Ken McCaffery, Australian rugby league centre (12 Tests; North Sydney; Queensland), broadcaster (9 Network) and administrator (North Sydney DRLFC), dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1918 - Separation of church and state begins in USSR 1930 - 5th Aliyah to Israel begins 1953 - Sweet rationing imposed in WWII ends in Britain 1958 - Clifton R Wharton confirmed as 1st US African American foreign minister (to Romania) 1958 - Gamal Abdel Nasser is nominated as the first President of the United Arab Republic 1972 - Two IRA members are killed when a bomb they were planting exploded prematurely 1998 - Author Tom Clancy confirms he signed agreement to purchase Minnesota Vikings for slightly more than $200 million, an NFL franchise record 2004 - Twenty-three Chinese people drown when a group of 35 cockle-pickers are trapped by rising tides in Morecambe Bay, England. Twenty-one bodies are recovered. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1919 - NL President John Heydler dismisses charges that Hal Chase bet against his team and threw games in collusion with gamblers 1943 - Clandestine Radio Atlantiksender, Germany, 1st transmission 1970 - WSCV TV channel 51 in Fort Lauderdale, FL (IND) suspends broadcasting 1974 - John Murtha of Pennsylvania becomes the first Vietnam War veteran elected to the United States Congress 1995 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 41-13; MVP: Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis Colts, RB, HI More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1864 - Carl Teike, German military composer, born in Stettin-Altdamm, Pomerania (now Szczecin, Poland) (d. 1922) 1903 - Nathaniel Owings, American architect (Oak Ridge, TN; Sears Tower), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 1984) 1947 - Mary Louise Cleave, American engineer and NASA astronaut (STS 61-B, STS 30), born in Southampton, New York 1968 - Eyþór Guðjónsson, Icelandic actor (Oli in "Hostel"), born in Iceland 1972 - Christina Bailey, American ice hockey defenseman (Olympics gold 1998, silver 2002; World C'ship silver 1994, 97, 99, 2000, 01), born in Marietta, New York More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1957 - Sami Ibrahim Haddad, Lebanese surgeon (b. 1890) 1975 - Åke Persson, Swedish bebop jazz trombonist (Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, 1963–71), dies at 42 1977 - Oskar Klein, Swedish theoretical physicist known for Kaluza–Klein theory, dies at 82 1998 - Timothy "Tim" Kelly, American guitarist (Slaughter), dies in a car accident at 35 2023 - Phil Spalding, English new wave and progressive rock bass player (Tovah; GTR; Mike Oldfield), and hepatitis patient support group founder, dies at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1877 - Ludwig Minkus' ballet "La Bayadère", choreographed by Marius Petipa premieres at Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia 1904 - John Millington Synge's play "Well of Saints" premieres in Dublin 1922 - After boycotts and international pressure, Japan agrees to return Shantung Province to China 1938 - Adolf Hitler seizes control of German army and puts Nazis in key posts 1962 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Barbara Roles 1962 - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opens in Memphis, Tennessee; funding for the cancer fighting facility led by entertainer Danny Thomas 1968 - Around 100 Indians and Pakistanis from Kenya arrive in Britain, escaping discrimination 1975 - Haicheng earthquake, M 7.3, strikes Haicheng, Liaoning, China More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1194 - Ransom of 100,000 pounds of silver is paid for the release of Richard I, King of England, to Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI 1960 - Giants move their offices to Candlestick Park 1962 - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opens in Memphis, Tennessee; funding for the cancer fighting facility led by entertainer Danny Thomas 1983 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Hamilton 1990 - Anders Holmertz swims world record 400 m freestyle (3:40.81) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1549 - Eustache du Caurroy, French Renaissance composer, born in Gerberoy, France (d. 1609) 1891 - [Madabhushi Ananthasayanam] M. A. Ayyangar, Indian politician (Speaker of Lok Sabha, Governor of Bihar), born in Thiruchanoor, Madras, British India (d. 1978) 1892 - Andreu Nin, Catalan revolutionary politician during the Spanish Civil War (P.O.U.M.) and translator, born in El Vendrell, Spain (d. 1937) 1929 - Paul Burlison, American rockabilly musician (The Rock N Roll Trio), born in Brownsville, Tennessee (d. 2003) 1960 - Tim Booth, British rock singer (James - "Sit Down"), born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1909 - John Clarkson, American Baseball HOF pitcher (Triple Crown 1889; no-hitter 1885; 3 × NL wins leader; 3 × NL strikeout leader; Chicago White Stockings, Boston Beaneaters), dies of mental illness and pneumonia at 47 1940 - Nikolai Yezhov, Soviet Head of Soviet NKVD under Stalin responsible for enacting the Great Purge, executed in secret at 44 1987 - (Wladziu) Liberace, American Emmy Award-winning pianist, showman (The Liberace Show), and actor (Batman -"Evil Chandell"), dies of AIDS-related pneumonia at 67 2021 - Lord Samuel Vestey, British food magnate (Vestey Holdings) and Master of the Horse to the Royal Household (1999-2018), dies at 79 2023 - Arnold Schulman, American playwright and screenwriter (A Hole in the Head, Love with the Proper Stranger), dies at 97 More Famous Deaths »

1576 - Henry of Navarre (future Henry IV) escapes from Paris 1908 - Supreme Court rules a union boycott violates Sherman Antitrust Act 1943 - "The Four Chaplains" drown after giving up their life jackets to others as the US Army transport ship Dorchester sinks in the North Atlantic 1962 - US President John F. Kennedy bans all trade with Cuba except for food and drugs 1992 - Labor strike at Royal Canadian Mint ends 1997 - Public memorial held for Carl Sagan at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1998 - Karla Faye Tucker is executed in Texas, first woman executed in the United States since 1984 2013 - 33 people are killed by a suicide bombing by an explosive-packed truck in Kirkuk, Iraq More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1913 - Paul A. Rubens and Arthur Wimperis' musical "The Sunshine Girl", with additional songs by and John Golden and Joseph Cawthorne, opens at the Knickerbocker Theatre, NYC, runs for 181 performances 1928 - Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black reports his findings on the ancient human fossils found at Zhoukoudian, China, in the journal Nature and declares them to be a new species he names 'Sinanthropus pekinensis' (now known as 'Homo erectus') 1942 - Baseball owners agree to permit each club up to 14 night games in 1942 1947 - -81°F (-63°C), Snag Yukon (North American record) 1972 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1817 - Samuel Ryan Curtis, American politician and Major General (Union Army), born in Champlain, New York (d. 1866) 1899 - Lao She, Chinese writer and playwright (Rickshaw Boy, Teahouse), born in Beijing, China (d. 1966) 1940 - Jim Hartz, American journalist and newscaster (NBC-TV Today, 1974-77; PBS - Innovations), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma (d. 2022) 1941 - Gary Bartlett, New Zealand cricket fast bowler (10 Tests, 24 wickets, BB 6/38; Central Districts, Canterbury, Marlborough), born in Blenheim, New Zealand 1977 - Daddy Yankee [Ramón Rodríguez], Puerto Rican reggaeton singer and rapper ("Despacito"; "Gasolina"), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1558 - Alfonsus de Castro, Spanish theologist (Council of Trent), dies 1959 - Buddy Holly [Charles Holley], American rock and roll musician and songwriter ("Peggy Sue"; "That'll Be the Day"; "Words Of Love"), dies in a plane crash at 22 1989 - Lionel Newman, American film music composer (Hello Dolly!, Star Wars, Cleopatra), dies from cardiac arrest at 73 1996 - Wild Jimmy Spruill, American blues guitarist, dies at 61 1998 - Karla Faye Tucker, American murderer, executed at 38 More Famous Deaths »

1787 - Arthur St. Clair is elected the 9th President of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation 1852 - Alexandre Dumas Jr's play, an adaptation of his novel "La Dame aux Camélias" premieres in Paris 1924 - International Ski Federation (FIS) forms 1974 - The F-16 Fighting Falcon flies for the first time. 1986 - Oscar Arias Sanchez elected president of Costa Rica 2012 - MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Papua New Guinea with 246 people saved and 126 missing (100 of these estimated to be trapped inside) 2013 - Shinzō Abe, Japan’s Prime Minister vows to defend the Senkaku Islands "at all costs" 2022 - More than one million Afghans have fled the country for Iran since October due to the country's economic crisis, according to immigration authorities threatening a new migrant crisis More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1653 - New Amsterdam becomes a city, later renamed New York City 1900 - Gustave Charpentiers opera "Louise" premieres at the Salle Favart, in Paris France; performed by the Opéra-Comique conducted by André Messageri 1957 - Leonard Bernstein's musical "Candide" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 73 performances 2014 - Protests in Ukraine turn violent after parliament passes legislation that outlaws protest 2020 - Palindrome Day: the date 02022020 reads the same forward and backward including in the US and China (last one like this 11 November 1111) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1827 - Oswald Aschenbach, German landscape painter, born in Düsseldorf, Prussia (d. 1905) 1883 - S Z Sakall [Gerö Jenö], Hungarian stage and film character actor (Dolly Sisters, Casablanca), born in Budapest Hungary (d. 1955) 1899 - Benny Rubin, American actor and comedian (Benny Rubin Show), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1986) 1907 - Bernardas Brazdzionis, Lithuanian poet, editor and critic, born in Stebeikėliai, Lithuania, Russian Empire (d. 2002) 1944 - Geoffrey Hughes, British actor (Keeping Up Appearances, Coronation Street), born in Wallasey, England, (d. 2012) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1673 - Kaspar Förster, German composer, dies at 56 1881 - Alekey Pisemski, Russian novelist and playwright (A Bitter Lot), dies at 59 (OS 21 Jan) 1993 - Alexander Schneider, Lithuanian violinist (Budapest String Quartet), dies at 84 1999 - Marie Van Brittan Brown, American nurse and co-inventor of the home security system with her husband Albert L. Brown, dies at 76 2021 - Tom Moore, English army captain knighted for raising £32 million for the NHS, dies with COVID-19 at 100 More Famous Deaths »

1662 - Dutch garrison on Formosa surrenders to Chinese pirates 1790 - US Supreme Court convenes for 1st time (NYC) 1809 - Dutch King Louis Napoleon accepts metric system 1965 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Australian Margaret Smith wins 6th straight home singles title; beats Maria Bueno of Brazil 5-7, 6-4, 5-2; Bueno retired injured 1970 - West-Germany and USSR sign gas contract 1981 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: NFC beats AFC, 21-7; MVP: Eddie Murray, Detroit Lions, PK 1984 - China and Netherlands regain diplomatic relations 1998 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 29-24; MVP: Warren Moon, Seattle Seahawks, QB, HI More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1940 - Soviet Union begins new offensive against Finland 1954 - Australian Championships Men's Tennis: Mervyn Rose wins his first Grand Slam title; beats fellow Australian Rex Hartwig 6-2, 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 1968 - Former US VP Richard Nixon announces candidacy for president 1980 - Sears Radio Theater moves from CBS to Mutual Broadcasting System 1985 - -61°F (-52°C), Maybell, Colorado (state record) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1877 - Thomas Dunhill, British light classical composer (The Wind Among The Reeds; Tantivy Towers), teacher, and musicologist, born in London, England (d. 1946) 1942 - Muna Wassef, Syrian actress (The Message) and UN Goodwill ambassador, born in Damascus, Syria 1951 - (Clide) "Sonny" Landreth, American blues and zydeco slide guitar player, born in Canton, Mississippi 1962 - Takashi Murakami, Japanese artist (Superflat), born in Tokyo, Japan 1980 - Moisés Muñoz, Mexican soccer goalkeeper (19 caps; Morelia, América), born in Aguililla, Mexico More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1328 - Charles IV, the Handsome, King of France (1322-28), dies at 33 1905 - Oswald Aschenbach, German landscape painter, dies at 77 1966 - William Harrigan, American actor (Invisible Man, Girl in 419), dies at 71 1991 - Jimmy MacDonald, Scottish-American voice actor (Mickey Mouse), dies at 84 2003 - Mongo Santamaria, Cuban Latin jazz percussionist and bandleader, dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1938 - Australian Championships Men's Tennis: American Don Budge wins the 1st-leg of his Grand Slam; beats John Bromwich of Australia 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 1956 - French government of Guy Mollet forms 1971 - US male Figure Skating championship won by John Misha Petkevich 1971 - Special Veterans Committee adds 6 former players and 1 executive to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Dave Bancroft, Jake Beckley, Chick Hafey, Harry Hooper, Joe Kelley, Rube Marquard and George Weiss 1985 - South African President P. W. Botha offers to free Nelson Mandela if he denounces violence 2006 - US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retires and is replaced by Samuel Alito 2007 - Suspects are arrested in Birmingham in the UK, accused of plotting the kidnap, holding and eventual beheading of a serving Muslim British soldier in Iraq 2017 - Romanian government passes emergency decree to release prisoners and decriminalise corruption charges, triggering huge protests in Bucharest More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1891 - First attempt of a republican revolution breaks out in the northern city of Porto, Portugal 1966 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Smith wins her 7th consecutive Australian singles title; beats American Nancy Richey in a walkover, Richey injured 1968 - Nauru (formerly Pleasant Island) declares independence from Australia the UK and New Zealand, becoming the world's smallest republic 1975 - Barry Manilow's single "Mandy" goes gold 2009 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams wins 10th Grand Slam singles title; outclasses Dinara Safina of Russia 6-0, 6-3 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1597 - John Francis Regis, French priest and Roman Catholic saint, born in Fontcouverte, France (d. 1640) 1919 - Jackie Robinson, American Baseball HOF second baseman (1st African-American MLB player Brooklyn Dodgers; 6 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1955; NL MVP 1949), born in Cairo, Georgia (d. 1972) 1920 - Bert Williams, English soccer goalkeeper (24 caps; Wolverhampton Wanderers 381 games), born in Bradley, Staffordshire (d. 2014) 1924 - William Bryant, American character actor (King Dinosaur, Hell Squad), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2001) 1942 - Gerald Chanberlain, American jazz trombonist (Woody Herman's Thundering Herd), born in Refugio, Texas (d. 2007) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1815 - José Félix Ribas, Venezuelan independentist leader (b. 1775) 1865 - Aristide Farrenc, French flautist, music publisher, and musicologist (Trésor des pianistes), dies at 70 1925 - George W. Cable, American writer (Northampton Years), dies at 80 1974 - Glenn Morris, American athlete (Olympic gold decathlon 1936) and actor (Tarzan's Revenge; Hold That Co-ed), dies of congestive heart failure at 61 1990 - Rashad Khalifa, Egyptian-American biochemist and imam, stabbed to death at 54 (b. 1935) More Famous Deaths »