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Historical Events 1775 - The West India Committee founded in London by London sugar merchants and Caribbean planters. Initially instrumental in promoting slavery, later aided campaign to end slavery. 1896 - First college basketball game with 5 players on each side is conducted by the University of Iowa; invites student athletes from University of Chicago for an experimental game; Chicago beats Iowa 15-12 1983 - Dick Motta becomes the 5th NBA coach to record 600 wins as his Dallas Mavericks defeat the Golden State Warriors, 112-102 in Oakland, California 2009 - "We Are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington prior to Barack Obama's inauguration attracts an estimated crowd of 400,000; performers include: Beyoncé, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Stevie Wonder 2024 - US city of Lexington starts a new tourism campaign aimed at extraterrestrial travelers by beaming a welcome message into space via an infrared laser More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1872 - Paul Léautaud [Maurice Boissard], French writer and theatre critic (Petit ami), born in Paris, France (d. 1956) 1922 - Bob Bell, American clown, born in Flint, Michigan (d. 1997) 1941 - David Ruffin, American soul musician and early lead singer for The Temptations ("My Girl"; "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"), born in Whynot, Mississippi (d. 1991) 1950 - Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 2019) 1993 - Morgan York, American actress (Cheaper by the Dozen) and narrative podcaster (Halfmoon Chronicles), born in Burbank, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1918 - Bohuslav Jeremiáš, Czech composer, dies at 58 1986 - Claire James, American actress (Jack Armstrong), dies at 65 1995 - Ron Luciano, American baseball umpire in the American League (1969-79), dies at 57 1996 - Jos Kunst, Dutch composer, dies at 60 2021 - Josep Mestres-Quadreny, Spanish composer, dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1562 - French regent Catherine de' Medici issues the Edict of St Germain recognizing Huguenots in France 1746 - Battle of Falkirk Muir, the Jacobites under Charles Stuart defeat Hanoverian forces 1779 - Captain James Cook's last notation in Discovery's ship's log 1911 - Failed assassination attempt on French Prime Minister Aristide Briand in the French Assembly 1934 - NY Giants reward National League MVP pitcher Carl Hubbell with a huge $18,000 contract 1939 - Ed Barrow is elected Yankee president succeeding deceased J Ruppert 1995 - Revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Carousel" closes at the Beaumont Theater, NYC after 322 performances 2003 - 8th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Chicago Best Picture More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1827 - Duke of Wellington appointed British supreme commander 1863 - Civil War skirmish near Newtown, Virginia 1937 - LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins inaugural event by 3 strokes ahead of Dorothy Kirby 1972 - Section of Memphis' Highway 51 South renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard 1983 - 10th American Music Awards: John Cougar, Rick Springfield, and Olivia Newton-John win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1501 - Leonhard Fuchs, German physician and botanist (Notable Commentaries on the History of Plants) for which the flowering plants and color Fuchsia is named after, born in Wemding, Bavaria (d. 1566) 1905 - Franz Schmid, German climber (1st to ascend northside of Matterhorn 1931), born in Garmisch, Germany (d. 1992) 1960 - John Crawford, American bass (Berlin-You Take My Breath Away), born in Palo Alto, California 1961 - Brian Helgeland, American screenwriter (L.A. Confidential) and director (A Knight's Tale), born in Providence, Rhode Island 1980 - Zooey Deschanel, American actress (Almost Famous; Elf; New Girl), and singer (She and Him), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1882 - Alexander Bullock, American lawyer, politician, and 26th Governor of Massachusetts, dies at 65 1990 - Charles Hernu, French politician (Minister of Defense, 1981-85; Mayor of Villeurbanne, 1977-90), and environmental antagonist, dies at 66 1996 - Mostafa Sid Ahmed, Sudanese singer (b. 1953) 2013 - Robert F. Chew, American actor, dies from heart failure at 52 2014 - Francine Lalonde, Canadian politician (Member of Parliament for La Pointe-de-l'Île), dies of cancer at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1749 - Hoax article advertising fictitious theatrical performer "The Bottle Conjuror" drew huge crowds to the Haymarket Theatre, London, whose inevitable non-appearance caused a riot. It's alleged the Duke of Montagu perpetrated the fiasco to win a bet. 1776 - Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks 1863 - -Aug 23rd) Cruise of CSS Florida 1917 - The Greek Government accepts reparations for Allied losses sustained in recent actions in Greece 1931 - Australian cricket batting prodigy Don Bradman scores 223 v West Indies in 3rd Test in Brisbane; most runs scored by a player in a Test match in Australia in one day 1948 - 35 Haganah members are ambushed and killed in Gush Etzyon 1963 - Tennessee Williams' play "Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore" premieres in America on Broadway, NY 1990 - 2 Bank of Credit and Commerce members plea guilty to money laundering More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1943 - Red Army recaptures Pitomnik airport at Stalingrad 1955 - 5th NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 26-19; MVP: Billy Wilson, SF 49ers, WR 1977 - Cap's H Monahan scored on 2nd penalty shot against Islanders 1989 - USSR announces plan for 2-yr manned mission to Mars 2019 - Australian Bureau of Meteorology tweets last four days were the country's hottest on record with Tarcoola, South Australia, reaching 49 C (120 F), Port Augusta 48.5 C (119 F) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1672 - Francesco Mancini, Neapolitan composer, born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, Spanish Empire (d. 1737) 1918 - Nel Benschop, Dutch poet known for "Gouddraad uit vlas", born in the Hague, Netherlands (d. 2005) 1947 - Georgette Mosbacher, American CEO (La Prairie cosmetics), born in Highland, Indiana 1956 - Jennifer Dale, Canadian actress (Coroner, Into Invisible Light), born in Toronto, Ontario 1962 - Paul Webb, English rocker (Talk Talk - "It's My Life"), born in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 484 - Seinei, 22nd Emperor of Japan according to legend (480-484), dies at about 40 (b. 444) [dates disputed] 1263 - Shinran, Japanese Buddhist monk and founder of what became the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Japanese Buddhism, dies at 89 1979 - Ted Cassidy, American actor (Lurch-Addams Family), dies at 46 1994 - Stephen Kritsick, veterinarian (Good Morning America), dies at 42 2025 - Harry Bild, Swedish soccer striker (28 caps; IFK Norrköping, Feyenoord, Östers IF), dies from cancer at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1907 - 3-element vacuum tube patented by American inventor Lee De Forest 1939 - Municipal Railway and Market St RR begin service to Transbay Terminal 1955 - USSR ends state of war with German Federal Republic 1975 - Space Mountain opens at Disney World in Orlando, Florida 1975 - Pioneering American female comedian Phyllis Diller gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1988 - NFL analyst Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes several questionable comments about African Americans during a lunchtime interview on CBS' NFL Today; fired the next day 1989 - Big John Studd wins WWF's 2nd Royal Rumble 1997 - Seattle's Sam Perkins ties Jeff Hornacek's NBA single-game record by connecting on 8 straight 3-point field goals during Sonics' 122-78 win over visiting Toronto; Seattle also sets an NBA steals record with 27 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1759 - British Museum opens at Montagu House in London 1942 - US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sends his famed "Green Light Letter" to MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, encouraging baseball to continue playing during World War II 1970 - Nigerian civil war officially ends after 2 1/2 years of fighting when the Republic of Biafra disbands and joins Nigeria 1991 - Dean Jones (76) and Mark Taylor (71) lead Australia to 7 wicket win over New Zealand in cricket's World Series Cup 2nd Final in Melbourne; win series, 2-0 2016 - American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan unveils newest exhibit replica skeleton of a Titanosaur dinosaur (found 2010 Argentina), largest known dinosaur at 70 tons, 37m More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1875 - Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, Founder and first King of Saudi Arabia (1932-53), born in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd (d. 1953) 1888 - Joseph Henabery, American director (Cobra), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1976) 1917 - Wang Renzhong, Chinese politician (First Secretary Hubei Province), born in Jing County, Hebei (d. 1992) 1923 - Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet, musician, singer-songwriter, and humorist (John Peel Show; King Cutler), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2006) 1981 - Howie Day, American pop-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Collide"), born in Bangor, Maine More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1705 - Walraad, the Young, earl of Nassau-Ottweiler/gov of Nijmegen, dies 1916 - Modest Tchaikovsky, Russian writer (b. 1850) 1978 - Jack Jackson, British trumpeter, dance band bandleader, and influential BBC disc jockey, dies at 71 2008 - Brad Renfro, American actor (The Client), dies of heroin overdose at 25 2023 - Shaye Al-Nafisah, Saudi Arabian soccer forward (32 caps; Al-Kawkab FC), dies at 60 More Famous Deaths »

1944 - Soviet army begins offensive at Oranienbaum/Wolchow 1956 - Jordan government refuses to join Pact of Baghdad 1967 - Earthquake in Sicily kills 231 1971 - Cricketer John Snow takes 7-40 for England to beat Australia by 299 runs 1990 - 11th ACE Cable Awards: CNN wins the Golden CableACE for the coverage of the events in Beijing, China 1995 - Mexico pledges profits from state-owned Pemex's $7-billion-per-year oil revenues in an effort to secure US congressional approval of loan guarantees; President Clinton approves a $20-billion U.S. aid package for Mexico 2020 - US game show Jeopardy "greatest of all time" tournament won by Ken Jennings 2021 - Pope Francis, 84, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1932 - 1st totalisator (to record racetrack bets) in US is installed Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida 1940 - MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis gives free agency to 91 Detroit Tigers minor league players 1945 - In Greece, Communists and the British agree to a cease-fire in the struggle to control Athens (and with it Greece) 1972 - WMAU TV channel 17 in Bude, Mississippi (PBS) begins broadcasting 2019 - Spinning disk of ice 300m wide, resembling the moon, forms in the Presumpscot river, Westbrook, Maine More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1861 - Wilhelm von Polenz, German writer (Der Pfarrer von Breitendorf), born in Cunewalde, Germany (d. 1903) 1910 - Renier van der Velden, Belgian composer, born in Borgerhout, Belgium (d. 1993) 1911 - Djuanda Kartawidjaja, Indonesian teacher, engineer, and politician (11th and final Prime Minister of Indonesia, 1957-59), born in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Dutch East Indies (d. 1963) 1914 - Harold Russell, Canadian actor (Best Years of Our Life, Dogtown), born in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada (d. 2002) 1935 - Lucille Wheeler, Canadian alpine skier, born in Mont-Tremblant, Canada More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1822 - Franz Innocenz Joseph Kobell, German landscape painter, dies at 72 1959 - G. D. H. Cole, English political theorist and socialist, dies at 69 1978 - Robert Heger, German conductor and composer, dies at 91 2006 - Henri Colpi, French New Wave film editor and director, dies at 84 2024 - Norm Snead, American football quarterback (Pro Bowl 1962, 63, 65, 72; NFL completion % leader 1972 NY Giants; Philadelphia Eagles), dies at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1733 - British officer James Oglethorpe and 130 English colonists arrive at Charleston, South Carolina 1882 - Richard Wagner completes his final opera "Parsifal" 1919 - Dutch Soccer team OSV forms 1924 - Nationalist Wafd-party wins Egyptian parliament elections 1942 - Allied Conference on war trials at St. James's Palace, London 1963 - 13th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Conference beats Western Conference, 30-20; MVPs: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns, RB; Eugene Lipscomb, Pittsburgh Steelers, DT 1968 - Minnesota North Stars NHL player Bill Masterson, suffers head injuries during a game and dies two days later, becoming the 1st player to die as result of a game 2017 - Cricket all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan scores Bangladesh's top Test score ever (217) during the 1st Test v New Zealand in Wellington More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1404 - The Act of Multipliers is passed by the English Parliament forbidding alchemists to use their knowledge to create precious metals (it was feared that if any alchemist should succeed it would bring ruin upon the state) 1874 - US troops land in Honolulu to protect the king 1911 - South Africa cricket team's 1st win over Australia, at Adelaide 1979 - YMCA files libel suit against Village People's "Y.M.C.A." song 1991 - President Mário Soares of Portugal re-elected More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1720 - Richard Hurd, English bishop and writer, born in Congreve, England (d. 1808) 1859 - Karl Bleibtreu, German author (Revolution of Literature), born in Berlin (d. 1928) 1901 - Mieczysław Żywczyński, Polish historian and priest, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1978) 1955 - Paul Kelly, Australian singer-songwriter (The Messengers), born in Adelaide, South Australia 1965 - Bill Bailey, British comedian (Black Books, QI), born in bath, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1049 - Derrick IV, Count of Holland (1039-49), dies in battle 1956 - Lyonel Feininger, German-American cartoonist and painter, dies at 84 1979 - Donny Hathaway, American gospel and soul singer-songwriter, and keyboardist ("The Ghetto"; "Where is the Love?"), commits suicide at 33 1995 - Maxwell Henley Harris, Australian poet and publisher (Critics), dies at 73 2009 - Hortense Calisher, American novelist (President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters), dies at 97 More Famous Deaths »

1866 - The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London 1912 - -47°F (-44°C), Washta, Iowa (state record) 1957 - Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) founded with Martin Luther King Jr. as leader at Ebenezer Church in Atlanta 1968 - Beatles Film Production Ltd changes name to Apple Film Production Ltd 1971 - 21st NBA All-Star Game, San Diego Sports Arena: West beats East, 108-107; MVP: Lenny Wilkens, Seattle SuperSonics, PG; oldest MVP in All-Star history (33); scores 21 points 1992 - A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali. 2007 - Comet McNaught reaches perihelion becoming the brightest comet in more than 40 years. 2021 - India's Supreme Court puts on hold three controversial new farm laws that ignited weeks of protests by farmers in Delhi More Historical Events »

Historical Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople 1945 - US Task Force 38 destroys 41 Japanese ships in Battle of South China Sea 2006 - A stampede during the Stoning the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims 2017 - US President Barack Obama in surprise presentation awards Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom 2019 - Missy Elliott is the first female rapper to be inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1902 - Ray Teal, American actor (Judgment at Nuremberg, Bonanza), born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (d. 1976) 1908 - José Limón, Mexican-American dancer and choreographer (The Moor's Pavane; I, Odysseus), born in Culiacán, Mexico (d. 1972) 1934 - Mick Sullivan, English rugby league footballer, born in Pudsey, England (d. 2016) 1962 - Joe Quesada, American comic book writer, born in New York City 1992 - Mao Kobayashi, Japanese gravure idol, born in Niigata Prefecture, Japan (d. 2017) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1959 - Edvard Eriksen, Danish-Icelandic sculptor, dies at 82 1992 - Harry van Doorn, Dutch politician (KVP/KRO-chairman/PPR/CRM), dies at 76 2007 - Alice Coltrane [née McLeod], American jazz harp, piano, and organ player (Journey in Satchidananda), dies of respiratory failure at 69 2010 - Hasib Sabbagh, Palestinian businessman and philanthropist, co-founder of Consolidated Contractors Company (b. 1920) 2025 - Claude Jarman Jr, American actor (The Yearling; Rio Grande; Inside Straight), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1879 - Anglo-Zulu War begins as British Lieutenant General Lord Chelmsford invades Zululand in South Africa 1894 - Donghak Peasant Rebellion begins in Mujiang, Korea over local corruption, sparking the 1st Sino-Japanese War 1942 - -23°F (-31°C), Kingston, Rhode Island (state record) 1943 - US and Britain relinquish extraterritorial rights in China 1962 - Landslide at dormant volcano Huascaran in Peru kills an estimated 4,000 1975 - Soviet Soyuz 17 carries 2 cosmonauts to space station Salyut 4 1984 - Denver Nuggets 163, San Antonio Spurs 155-highest-scoring NBA game 2024 - More than 300 people have died in flooding caused by the highest levels of River Congo in 60 years, especially in Kinshasa, DR Congo More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1944 - Crakow-Plaszow Concentration Camp established 1959 - 9th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Conference beats Western Conference, 28-21; MVPs: Frank Gifford, NY Giants, HB; Doug Atkins, Chicago Bears, DE 1963 - Beatles release the single "Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why"; peaks at #2 in UK, and #3 in US 1966 - "Daktari" African adventure series premieres on CBS TV 1987 - AFC Championship, Cleveland Stadium: Denver Broncos beat Cleveland Browns 23-20 (OT) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1503 - Parmigianino [Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola,], Italian artist (Madonna with the Long Neck), born in Parma, Duchy of Milan (now Italy) (d. 1540) 1905 - John Henry Jacques, English co-operative retailer and politician, born in Ashington, Northumberland (d. 1995) 1946 - (Diana) "Naomi" Judd, American Grammy Award-winning country singer (The Judds - "Why Not Me"), born in Ashland, Kentucky (d. 2022) 1952 - Kim Hartman, British screen, stage, and radio actress (Allo Allo! - "Helga"), born in Hammersmith, London, England 1968 - Sharon Brown, American actress (Chantal-Generations), born in New York City More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1055 - Constantine IX Monomachos, Emperor of Byzantium, dies 1954 - Edgard Tytgat, Flemish painter and etcher, dies at 77 1981 - Beulah Bondi, American actress (It's a Wonderful Life), dies at 88 2010 - Georgy Garanian, Armenian-Russian jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer, dies of cardiac arrest at 75 2013 - Aaron H. Swartz, American computer programmer, dies from an apparent suicide at 26 More Famous Deaths »

1917 - The Allied Governments respond to US President Woodrow Wilson's December 1916 note, giving their terms for ending the war 1928 - George Gershwin, Sigmund Romberg and P. G. Wodehouse's musical "Rosalie" premieres in New York 1952 - Cargo ship SS Flying Enterprise sinks in the English Channel after weeks of trying to salvage it 1965 - WKBD TV channel 50 in Detroit, Michigan (IND) begins broadcasting 1984 - Luis Aparicio, Harmon Killebrew and Don Drysdale elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame 1997 - Dow Corning provides $295 billion to settle breast implant suits 1999 - Fatboy Slim's music single "Praise You" hits #1 in the UK 2013 - 81 people are killed and 120 are wounded by a twin bombing in Quetta, Pakistan More Historical Events »

Historical Events 402 - Theodosius II, aged just nine months, is proclaimed co-Augustus with his father Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius - then the youngest to hold an imperial title 1861 - Fort Jackson and Fort Philip are taken over by LA state troops (US Civil War) 1863 - General McClernand's Union troops surround Fort Hindman, Arkansas 1878 - US Senate proposes female suffrage 1999 - Fatboy Slim's music single "Praise You" hits #1 in the UK More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1843 - Frank James, American outlaw (member of the James-Younger gang), born in Clay County, Missouri (d. 1915) 1944 - Frank Sinatra, Jr., American singer and bandleader, born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 2016) 1952 - Scott Thurston, American session and touring guitarist, keyboardist and songwriter (Iggy Pop, 1973-79; Motels, 1982-84; Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, 1989-2017), born in Medford, Oregon 1974 - Steve Marlet, French footballer, born in Pithiviers, France 1994 - Faith Kipyegon, Kenyan athlete (Olympic gold women's 1,500m 2016, 20; World C'ship gold 2017), born in Bomet, Kenya More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1959 - Colin Gregory, English tennis player (Australian C'ship 1929, chairman All-England Club, Wimbledon), dies at 55 2005 - Erwin Hillier, British cinematographer (b. 1911) 2015 - Michael Wright, British academic and Vice-Chancellor of Aston University (1996-2006), dies of cancer at 67 2017 - Clare Hollingworth, British war correspondent who was the first to report on the outbreak of WWII, dies at 105 2017 - (Armando) "Buddy" Greco, American jazz and pop singer ("Ooh! Look-A There, Ain't She Pretty"; "The Lady Is A Tramp"), pianist, and television personality (Away We Go), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1558 - Geneva becomes independent from Berne canton, Switzerland 1878 - Umberto I becomes King of Italy. 1947 - Providence Steamrollers guard Dino Martin becomes the first NBA player to ever score 40 points in a game, in a 91-68 win over Cleveland Rebels at Rhode Island Auditorium 1957 - Checheno-Ingush ASSR reformed in RSFSR 1991 - Baker and Aziz meet in Geneva; talks fail to defuse gulf crisis 1993 - Franziska van Almsick swims world record 100m free style (53.33) 2009 - Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Dominik Hrbatý beats Russia's Marat Safin 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 for an unassailable 2-0 lead, and Slovakia's 3rd title 2012 - "Time is Love" single released by Josh Turner (Billboard Song of the Year 2012) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1903 - Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchase the American League's Baltimore baseball franchise for $18,000 and move it to NYC (later the NY Yankees) 1927 - Dmitri Shostakovich' Octet opus 11 premieres in Moscow 1937 - Italian regime bans marriages between Italians and Abyssinians 1975 - Australia beat England by 171 runs in 4th Test to regain Ashes 2009 - Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Dominik Hrbatý beats Russia's Marat Safin 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 for an unassailable 2-0 lead, and Slovakia's 3rd title More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1773 - Cassandra Austen, English watercolorist and sister of Jane Austen, born in Steventon, England (d. 1845) 1936 - Peter Fletcher, British orchestral and choral conductor, music educator and author (Roll Over Rock), born in the UK (d. 1999) 1943 - Ariel Bybee, American mezzo-soprano (Morman Tabernacle Choir; Metropolitan Opera, 1977-95), born in Reno, Nevada (d. 2018) 1959 - Mark Martin, American stock car racing driver, born in Batesville, Arkansas 1967 - Jamie Huscroft, Canadian NHL defenseman (Calgary Flames), born in Creston, British Columbia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1843 - William Hedley, British industrial engineer (b. 1773) 1911 - Edwin Arthur Jones, American composer (Song of our Saviour), dies at 57 1989 - Bill Terry, American Baseball HOF first baseman (MLB All-Star 1933–35; World Series 1933; NL batting champion 1930; NY Giants) and manager (NY Giants 1932-41), dies at 90 1992 - Bill Naughton [William John Francis Naughton], English playwright (Alfie), dies at 81 2021 - Isaak Markovich Khalatnikov, Russian physicist, dies at 101 More Famous Deaths »

1610 - German astronomer Simon Marius independently discovers Jupiter’s four largest moons one day after Galileo Galilei 1790 - First US President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address 1833 - Boston Academy of Music, first US music school, is established 1857 - Dion Boucicauly's "Poor of NY" premieres in NYC 1979 - Argentina and Chile sign Beagle Canal accord 1993 - Elvis Presley Commemorative Postage Stamp goes on sale 1993 - NBC offers "The Tonight Show" to David Letterman 1994 - Rintje Ritsma skates world record 1500m (1:51.60) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1656 - Oldest surviving commercial newspaper, "Weeckelycke Courante van Europa", now known as "Haarlems Dagblad", and still in print, begins publication in Haarlem, Netherlands 1716 - Amsterdam gang leader and thief "Sjako" arrested 1948 - Queen Wilhelmina signs death sentence against Ans van Dijk for treason 1984 - AFC Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Los Angeles Raiders beat Seattle Seahawks, 30-14 2008 - New Jersey officially apologizes for slavery, becoming the first Northern state to do so More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1824 - Francisco González Bocanegra, Mexican poet (Mexican national anthem), born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico (d. 1861) 1934 - Gene Freese, American MLB baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates and 5 other teams), born in Wheeling, West Virginia (d. 2013) 1965 - Michelle Forbes [Guajardo], American actress (True Blood, Guiding Light, Star Trek: The Next Generation), born in Austin, Texas 1986 - Peng Shuai, Chinese tennis player (1st Chinese player to reach No.1 ranking - doubles with Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan, 2014), born in Xiangtan, China 1987 - Cynthia Erivo, British Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning stage and screen actress (The Color Purple; Harriet; Wicked (film)) and singer-songwriter ("Stand Up"), born in London, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1900 - Billy Bates, English cricket all-rounder (15 Tests, 5 x 50, 50 wickets, BB 7/28, hat-trick 1883; Yorkshire CCC), dies from pneumonia at 44 1916 - Rembrandt Bugatti, Italian sculptor (b. 1884) 1963 - Stark Young, American writer (So Red the Rose), dies at 81 1990 - Terry-Thomas [Thomas Terry Stevens], English comedian and actor (I'm All Right Jack; Private's Progress), dies of Parkinson's disease at 78 2007 - Arthur Cockfield 'The Father of the Single Market, British politician '(European Commissioner), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1325 - Afonso IV succeeds Denis as King of Portugal 1862 - Romney Campaign: Stonewall Jackson march towards Romney, West Virginia 1930 - French physicist Marguerite Perey discovers francium (Fr), the last naturally occurring element discovered 1955 - 20 year-old future world heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson scores a 5th-round TKO of Willie Troy in a non-title super middleweight bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden 1968 - Surveyor 7, the last spacecraft in the Surveyor series, lifts off 1973 - British Darts Organisation founded in North London 1995 - Limited run of Patrick Stewart's one-man show "A Christmas Carol", based on Charles Dickens' novel, closes at Richard Rodgers Theater, NYC, after 18 performances 2012 - Hot air balloon crashes in Carterton, New Zealand, killing 11 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1890 - African American inventor William Purvis receives a patent for the fountain pen 1956 - Indian batsman Vinoo Mankad scores 231 v NZ, 413 opening stand with Roy 1974 - Gasoline rationing begins in the Netherlands 1990 - Lynn Jennings runs world record indoor 5km indoor at 15:22.64 2001 - 27th People's Choice Awards: Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts win (Dramatic Motion Picture) and Drew Carey and Jennifer Aniston win (TV) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1827 - Sandford Fleming, Scottish-Canadian engineer; introduced Universal Standard Time, born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland (d. 1915) 1948 - Steve Sheetz, American businessman, philanthropist and chief executive of Sheetz convenience stores (1984-95), born in Altoona, Pennsylvania (d. 2026) 1965 - Five for Fighting [Vladimir John Ondrasik], American soft rock-pop pianist, singer-songwriter, and record producer ("Superman (It's Not Easy)"; "100 Years"), born in Los Angeles, California 1977 - John Gidding, American architect and TV host (Designed to Sell), born in Istanbul, Turkey 1991 - Eden Hazard, Belgian soccer midfielder (126 caps; Lille, Chelsea 245 games, Real Madrid), born in La Louvière, Belgium More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1783 - William Tans'ur, English hymnist, dies at 76 1892 - Muḥammad Tawfīq Pasha, Khedive of Egypt (1879-92), dies at 39 1974 - Charles Alfred Coulson, British chemist (theoretical), dies at 63 1980 - Sarah Selby, American actress (Tower of London), dies at 74 2015 - Tadeusz Konwicki, Polish writer (Bohin Manor) and film director, dies at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1802 - Naturalists Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland reach Quito, Ecuador 1842 - 4,500 British and Indian troops leave Kabul, massacred before reaching India 1870 - Inauguration of the Musikverein concert hall in Vienna, Austria; designed by Danish architect Theophil Hansen for the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna, built on land provided by Emperor Franz Joseph I 1922 - -13] Conference of Cannes concerning German retribution payments 1950 - Britain recognizes Communist government of China 1969 - WLIW TV channel 21 in Garden City, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting 1975 - TV game show "Wheel of Fortune" debuts on NBC 1980 - AFC Championship, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Houston Oilers, 27-13 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1938 - Bronze memorial statue of explorer Henry Hudson erected in the Bronx, New York 1980 - The beginning of the first GPS epoch 2009 - Israel begins an assault on the Gaza Strip 2013 - The NHL reaches an agreement to end a 113 day lockout 2021 - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says country's five-year economic plan has failed at opening of a rare meeting of the Workers' Party More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1595 - Claude Favre de Vaugelas, Savoyard grammarian and man of letters, born in Meximieux, Duchy of Savoy (d. 1650) 1853 - Clement Reid, English geologist and paleobotanist, first to suggest a drowned land bridge between Britain and Europe (now called Doggerland), born in London (d. 1916) 1899 - Sophie-Carmen "Sonia" Eckhardt-Gramatté, Russian-Canadian pianist and composer, born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1974) 1970 - John Gerak, NFL tight end/guide (Minnesota Vikings, St Louis Rams), born in Youngstown, Ohio 1982 - Gilbert Arenas, American basketball player, born in Tampa, Florida More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1541 - Bernard van Orley, Flemish royal painter of Hungary, dies at about 52 1852 - Louis Braille, French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for the blind, dies of tuberculosis at 43 1958 - Josephine CMA, princess of Belgium/nun, dies at 85 1995 - Joe Slovo, Latvian-South African attorney and politician (Secretary General of SACR), dies at 68 2008 - Yunus Mahomed, South African lawyer and activist (UDF), dies at 57 More Famous Deaths »