CoM Moderators

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 »

Historical Events 1892 - Dr Miles V Lynk, physician, publishes 1st Black medical journal 1933 - Jack Badcock scores 274 v Victoria, Tasmania's 1st double-ton 1950 - "Sixty Minute Man" record single released by The Dominoes (Billboard Song of the Year 1951) 1958 - French franc devalued 1980 - Ballon d'Or: Bayern Munich forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is named best European football player; beats German international teammate Bernd Schuster of FC Barcelona and Saint-Étienne midfielder Michel Platini 2004 - A fire in the República Cromagnon nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina kills 194. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1934 - Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury 1945 - Vernon Wells, Australian actor 1945 - John Kevin Moorhouse, test pilot 1959 - Alfie Anido, Filipino model and actor (Temptation Island), born in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines (d. 1981) 1963 - Chandler Burr, American journalist (US New and World Report), author (A Separate Creation; The Emperor of Scent), and museum curator (Department of Scent Art), born in Chicago, Illinois 1984 - LeBron James, American basketball forward (NBA C'ship and MVP 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020; 16 × NBA All-Star; Olympic gold 2008, 12; Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers), born in Akron, Ohio More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1944 - Romain Roland, French writer/pacifist (Nobel 1915), dies at 78 1947 - Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86 1973 - Henri-Paul Busser, composer, dies at 101 1994 - Lloyd James Austin, Australian linguist and literary scholar, dies at 79 2012 - Rita Levi-Montalcini, Italian neurologist (Nobel 1986), dies at 103 2015 - Donald Barron, Scottish accountant and CEO (Midland Bank), dies at 94 More Famous Deaths »

1782 - 1st nautical almanac in US published by Samuel Stearns, Boston 1812 - The USS Constitution under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three hour battle 1837 - Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo 1899 - British fleet seizes German Imperial Mail Steamer Bundesrath accused of carrying contraband 1900 - General Viljoen surprise attack British garrison to Helvetia 1940 - Worst German air raid on London as over 10,000 bombs including the 1st incendiary bombs are dropped on the city as part of the Blitz 1949 - 1st UHF television station operating regular basis Bridgeport, Connecticut 1974 - AFC Championship, Oakland Coliseum: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Oakland Raiders, 24-13 1983 - Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman's record of 29 1989 - Riots break-out after Hong Kong decides to forcibly repatriate Vietnamese refugees. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1922 - Dutch Constitution proclaimed 1939 - First flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber prototype 1944 - Belgian Walloon Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle sentenced to death 1968 - AFL Championship, Shea Stadium, NYC: New York Jets beat Oakland Raiders 27-23; Joe Namath 3 TD passes sparks Jets to win 1994 - Bangladesh government of Zia resigns 1997 - Cricket Women's World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1809 - William Ewart Gladstone, British statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Liberal: 1868-74, 1880-86, 1892-94), born in Liverpool, England (d. 1898) 1936 - Eduard Martsevich, Soviet-Russian actor and People's Artist of the RSFSR, born in Tbilisi, USSR (d. 2013) 1947 - Vincent Winter, Scottish child actor, born in Aberdeen, United Kingdom (d. 1998) 1963 - Ulf Kristersson, Swedish politician (Prime Minister of Sweden 2022-), born in Lund, Sweden 1977 - Jimmy Journell, American baseball player, born in Springfield, Ohio 1978 - Kieron Dyer, English football player, born in Ipswich, United Kingdom More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1919 - William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70 1982 - Sol C Siegel, American film producer (A Letter To Three Wives, High Society, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), dies of a heart attack at 79 1995 - Philip Idenburg, Dutch statistician, dies at 94 1996 - Pennar Davies, Welsh poet, author and theologian, dies at 85 2001 - Takashi Asahina, Japanese conductor (b. 1908) 2016 - Chris Cannizzaro, American baseball player, dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1832 - John C. Calhoun becomes 1st VP to resign (differences with President Jackson) 1914 - Turks are repulsed by the Russians after fighting in Armenia for weeks 1915 - San Francisco City Hall dedicated by Mayor James Rolph 1934 - Film "Bright Eyes" premieres starring Shirley Temple and featuring the song "On the Good Ship Lollipop" 1968 - Israeli assault on Beirut Airport 1969 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1970 - Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) adopts constitution 1972 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1984 - Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old 1994 - American country singer Tammy Wynette admitted to the hospital with bile duct infection More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1816 - American Colonization Society organizes 1904 - 1st daily wireless weather forecasts published (London) 1905 - Intercollegiate Athletic Association of US founded (becomes NCAA in 1910) 1926 - Victoria all out for 1107 against NSW at the MCG Crowd 22,348 1963 - "Jennie" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 82 performances 2002 - LinkedIn is founded by Reid Hoffman and others in Mountain View, California More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1865 - Félix Vallotton, Swiss-French painter and writer (Chaste Suzanna), born in Lausanne, Switzerland (d. 1925) 1902 - Shen Congwen, Chinese writer (Long River), born in Zhen'gan, Hunan Province (d. 1988) 1929 - Terry Sawchuk, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender (4-time Vezina Trophy and Stanley Cup winner), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 1970) 1942 - Arild Hetleøen, Norwegian soccer central defender (4 caps; SK Brann), born in Bergen, Norway (2023) 1962 - Michel Petrucciani, French jazz pianist (100 Hearts), born in Orange, France (d. 1999) 1972 - Kevin Stitt, American politician, Governor of Oklahoma (2019-), born in Milton, Florida More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1663 - Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician and physicist (light defraction), dies at 45 1859 - Thomas Babington Macaulay, English poet (Ivy), historian (The History of England), and politician (British India education reform), dies of a heat attack at 59 1978 - Harry Winston, US jeweler for the "rich and famous", dies at 82 1984 - Sam Peckinpah, American film director (The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs), dies of cardiac arrest at 59 1995 - Harold Collison, British trade unionist (agriculture workers), dies at 86 2017 - Recy Taylor, American sexual assault victim, dies at 97 More Famous Deaths »

1934 - Musical revue "Thumbs Up", including music and lyrics by Vernon Duke, James Hanley, and Ira Gershwin (among others), premieres at the St. James Theatre, NYC; runs for 156 performance 1954 - Gian Carlo Menotti's Pulitzer Prize winning opera "The Saint of Bleecker Street" opens at Broadway Theater in ,NYC; runs for 92 performances 1960 - 1961 NFL Draft: Tommy Mason from University of Tulane first pick by Minnesota Vikings 1961 - Belgium and Congo resume diplomatic relations 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1983 - Propane gas fire devastated 16 blocks of Buffalo 1991 - Bengals hire Dave Shula as youngest NFL coach (32) 1996 - Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul. 2000 - Pittsburgh Penguins center and part-owner Mario Lemieux scores a goal and 2 assists in his return to the NHL after more than 3 years out with injury problems and lingering cancer issues; Penguins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-0 2002 - Two truck bombs kill 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny, Chechnya. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1862 - Battle of Elizabethtown, Kentucky 1943 - Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower and Bedell Smith 1960 - France performs nuclear test 1960 - 1961 NFL Draft: Tommy Mason from University of Tulane first pick by Minnesota Vikings 1974 - Dear Abby show ends run on CBS radio after 11 years 1983 - Ballon d'Or: Juventus' French midfielder Michel Platini claims first of 3 trophies for Europe's best football player ahead of Liverpool midfielder Kenny Dalgleish and Vejle BK striker Allan Simonsen More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1748 - William Marshall, Scottish fiddle composer (The Marchioness of Huntly; The Nameless Lassie), music publisher (A Collection of Strathspey Reels), and clockmaker, born in Fochabers, Scotland (d. 1833) 1884 - Bernard van Dieren, Dutch composer (Diaphony; Chinese Symphony), critic, and music writer, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 1936) 1944 - Mick Jones, English rock guitarist (Foreigner - "I Want to Know What Love Is"), born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England 1972 - Charles Way, NFL fullback (NY Giants) 1985 - Logan Bailly, Belgian football goalkeeper 1985 - Paul Stastny, Canadian ice hockey center (NHL All-Rookie 2007; NHL All-Star 2011; Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, LV Golden Knights), born in Quebec City, Quebec More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1812 - Joanna Southcott, an English self-described religious prophetess. 1992 - Cardew "the Cad" [Douglas] Robinson, English comedian (Alfie), dies at 75 1994 - Sadi de Gorter, Dutch author/diplomat (Abscess), dies at 82 1995 - Al Barlick, American Baseball Hall of Fame umpire (7 x World Series; 7 x MLB All Star games), dies at 80 1997 - Anthea Joseph, British music promoter, dies at 57 2020 - José Luiz Carbone, Brazilian soccer midfielder (6 caps; São Paulo, Internacional, Botafogo) and coach (Fluminense, Guarani), dies from liver cancer at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1925 - 1st East-West Shrine Bowl game of college football 'all-stars' played before 25,000 fans at Ewing Park, San Francisco. Proceeds continue to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. 1940 - JA Fields/J Chodorov's "My Sister Eileen," premieres in NYC 1954 - "The Shadow" airs for last time on radio 1968 - Bruin Ted Green sets NHL penalty record of 3 minors, 2 majors and 2 game misconducts in a game against NY Rangers in NY's Madison Square Garden 1968 - Led Zeppelin's concert debut in Denver as opener for Vanilla Fudge 1972 - Ballon d'Or: Bayern Munich defender Franz Beckenbauer wins award for best European football player ahead of tied fellow German duo of Gerd Müller and Günter Netzer 1973 - Horror film "The Exorcist" based on book and screenplay by William Peter Blatty, starring Linda Blair, rated X, premieres - 1st horror film to be nominated for Best Picture 1975 - Crowd of 85,661 attend the 1st day of the Australia vs West Indies MCG cricket test 1991 - Gun of Jack Ruby, killer of Lee Harvey Oswald, sells for $220,000 at auction 2003 - A magnitude 6.6 earthquake devastates southeast Iranian city of Bam, killing tens of thousands and destroying the citadel of Arg-é Bam. More Historical Events »