CoM Moderators

1550 - Giovanni Maria del Monte elected Pope Julius III 1889 - Astronomical Society of Pacific holds 1st meeting in San Francisco 1908 - Philadelphia A's manager/owner Connie Mack sells future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell to St Louis Browns for $5,000 1946 - Filibuster in US Senate kills FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee) bill 1969 - Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat becomes president of PLO 1976 - World's largest telescope (600 cm) begins operation (USSR) 1979 - Faoud Bacchus scores 250 for WI v India at Kanpur 1984 - American astronaut Bruce McCandless makes 1st untethered space walk 1988 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 15-6; MVP: Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills, DE 2018 - DNA analysis of Chedder Man, UK's oldest complete skeleton shows he had dark skin and blue eyes More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1301 - Edward of Caernarfon (later Edward II) becomes the first English Prince of Wales 1912 - 2nd Dutch 11 city skate (Coen de Koenig wins (11:40) 1943 - Shoe rationing begins in US (may purchase up to 3 more pairs in 1942) 1964 - Baskin-Robbins introduces Beatle Nut ice cream 1974 - Grenada gains independence from Britain (National Day) 1985 - Marshall U's Bruce Morris scores a basket from 92'5" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1899 - Arvid Pelshe, Latvian Communist leader (First Secretary of the Latvian SSR, CPSU Politburo member), born near Zālīte, Latvia (d. 1983) 1904 - Alison Leggatt, British character actress (Day of Triffids, Cows), born in Kensington, London (d. 1990) 1925 - Marius Constant, Romanian-born French composer and conductor (founded Ars Nova), born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 2004) 1931 - Gloria Talbott, American film and television actress, sometimes known as "the Scream Queen" for her work in B-movies, born in Glendale, California (d. 2000) 1960 - James Spader, American actor (Endless Love, Wall St, Mannequin), born in NYC, New York 1968 - Peter Bondra, Lutsk Ukr, NHL right wing (Washington Capitals) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1693 - Paul Pellisson, French writer, dies at 68 1994 - Richard Bissell, US under director of CIA (Pig's Bay), dies at 84 2005 - Bob Turner, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1934) 2012 - Phil Bruns, American actor and writer (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman - "George Shumway"), dies of natural causes at 80 2018 - Mickey Jones, American musician and actor (Home Improvement, Justified), dies at 76 2019 - Frank Robinson, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder, manager (14 x MLB All-Star; NL MVP 1961; AL MVP 1966; World Series 1966, 70; Baltimore Orioles), dies of bone cancer at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1902 - Young Women's Hebrew Association organizes in NYC 1934 - Far right leagues rally in front of the Palais Bourbon in an attempted coup against the French Third Republic, creating a political crisis in France 1943 - Singer Frank Sinatra debuts on radio's "Your Hit Parade" 1948 - World and European champion Barbara Ann Scott becomes the first Canadian to win a women's figure skating Olympic gold medal at the St. Moritz Winter Games 1969 - The New Ulster Movement forms, promoting moderate and non-sectarian policies and to assist those candidates who support Northern Ireland Prime MinisterTerence O'Neill 1973 - 6th ABA All-Star Game: West 123 beats East 111 at Utah 1993 - 44th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC: Wales beats Campbell, 16-6; MVP: Mike Gartner, NY Rangers, RW 1994 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: NFC beats AFC, 17-3; MVP: Andre Rison, Atlanta Falcons, WR 1995 - MLB outfielder Darryl Strawberry suspended from baseball for 60 days for positive cocaine test 2019 - Quadriga, Canada's biggest cryptocurrency exchange is unable to get to $145 million of bitcoin assets after its CEO dies with its access passwords More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1760 - Niccolò Piccinni's opera buffa "La buona figliuola" (The Good-Natured Girl) first performed at the Teatro delle Dame, Rome, Italy, with an all-male cast 1855 - British government of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston forms 1911 - Great fire destroys downtown Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) 1947 - Compton and Arthur Morris both complete dual tons in same Test Cricket 1979 - Supreme court of Lahore affirms death sentence against Premier Bhutto 2018 - Brazilian jockey Jorge Ricardo equals world record number of victories for a jockey - 12,844 in Rio de Janeiro More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1673 - Maximilian Dietrich Freisslich, German composer, born in Immelborn, Germany (d. 1731) 1868 - Syd Callaway, Australian cricket all-rounder (3 Tests, 6 wickets, BB 5/37, HS 41; NSW CA, Canterbury [NZ]), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1923) 1931 - Mamie Van Doren, American actress, model, singer, and sex symbol (Teacher's Pet, The Navy vs. the Night Monsters), born in Rowena, South Dakota 1957 - Kathy Najimy, American actress and activist (Sister Act, Veronica's Closet), born in San Diego, California 1972 - Mark Labbrook, Australian 200m/400m runner (Olympics 1996), born in Melbourne, Australia 1993 - Tinashe [Kachingwe], American actress and singer (Nightride), born in Lexington, Kentucky More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1785 - Iman Willem Falck, Dutch governor of Ceylon (1765-83), dies at 48 1896 - Abraham van Stolk, Dutch art collector, dies at 82 1963 - Abd el-Krim [Mohamed ibn Abdelkrim El-Khattabi], Moroccan political and military leader (Republic of the Rif), dies at 85 1966 - Algot Haquinius, Swedish pianist, and composer, dies at 79 2012 - Billy Bean, American jazz guitarist (John Lewis; Herbie Mann; Bud Shank), dies at 79 2015 - André Brink, South African writer (Kennis van die aand - 1st Afrikaans book banned), dies at 79 More Famous Deaths »

1864 - Danish army begins its withdrawal from Danevirke to Dybbøl through driven snow, last time the Danes would occupy Danevirke, symbol of Danish identity 1897 - Marcel Proust meets Jean Lorrain in a pistol duel 1917 - The last of the American troops commanded by General John Pershing leave Mexico; President Carranza will be assassinated within the next year 1933 - Crew of Dutch "7 Provinces" mutiny after pay cuts 1967 - Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Robert Penn Warren 1969 - Vince Lombardi, becomes part owner, vice-president, general manager, and head coach of NFL Washington Redskins 1970 - Test Cricket debut of John Traicos, South Africa v Australia, Durban 1978 - Fred Newman makes 88 consecutive basketball free throws blindfolded 1994 - 68 killed and 200 wounded after a mortar bomb is set off in Sarajevo 1997 - Japan's Ministry of Finance announces plans to cut import tariffs on crude oil and most petroleum products More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1818 - Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway 1870 - 1st motion picture shown to a theater audience, Philadelphia 1885 - News of the fall of Khartoum reaches London 1962 - French President de Gaulle calls for Algeria's independence 1970 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1991 - Howard Stern kisses NY Giant Leonard Marshall's ass over bet, Stern lost claiming the Giants would lose the Super Bowl More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1804 - Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Finnish poet (Finland's national anthem "Maamme"), born in Jakobstad, Finland (d. 1877) 1923 - Doris Bohrer [Sharrar], American WWII spy, born in Basin, Wyoming (d. 2016) 1948 - Sven-Göran Eriksson, Swedish football manager and player, born in Sunne, Sweden 1953 - Valerie Carter, American folk-rock singer-songwriter, and session vocalist, born in Winter Haven, Florida (d. 2017) 1968 - Nir Kabaretti, Israeli conductor, born in Tel Aviv, Israel 1980 - Brad Fitzpatrick, American programmer (LiveJournal), born in Iowa, United States More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1807 - Pasquale Paoli, Corsican freedom fighter, dies at 80 1892 - Emilie Flygare-Carlén, Swedish novelist (b. 1807) 1946 - George Arliss, British Academy Award-winning actor (Disraeli; Devil; Green Goddess), dies at 77 1977 - Izaak Boleslavski, Russian chess player, dies at 67 1979 - Eddie Paynter, English cricketer (20 Tests for England, avg 59.23), dies at 77 2003 - Helge Boes, American Central Intelligence Agency officer More Famous Deaths »

1600 - Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler meet for the first time near Prague 1846 - Mormons leave Nauvoo, Illinois, for settlement in the west 1855 - Soldiers shoot Jewish families in Coro, Venezuela 1922 - WGY-AM in Schenectady NY begins radio transmissions 1945 - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin meet at Yalta in the Crimea to discuss the final phase of World War II 1982 - Indoor distance record for a paper airplane (47m) Tacoma Wash 1982 - Musical "Pump Boys and Dinettes" opens at Princess Theater, NYC; runs for 573 performances 1990 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: NFC beats AFC, 27-21; MVP: Jerry Gray, LA Rams, DB 1991 - Alex Trebek becomes first person to host three American game shows at the same time (Jeopardy!, Classic Concentration, To Tell the Truth) 2014 - Same-sex marriage is legalized in Scotland More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1555 - Reformer and bible translator John Roger is the first protestant martyr under Mary I, when he is burnt at the stake at Smithfield, London 1847 - 1st US telegraph company established in Maryland 1866 - Mary Baker Eddy reportedly cures her injuries by opening a bible 1973 - "No, No Nanette" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 861 performances 2016 - Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison knighted by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace 2020 - Charles McGee, American retired US Air Force officer and fighter pilot of the Tuskegee Airmen promoted from colonel to brigadier general More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1808 - Josef Kajetán Tyl, Czech playwright, writer and author of the Czech national anthem (Kde domov můj), born in Kutná Hora, Bohemia, Austrian Empire (d. 1856) 1841 - Clément Ader, French aviation pioneer (d. 1926) 1903 - Edwin Denby, American dance critic and poet (Snoring in N, Horse Eats Hat), born in Tientsin China (d. 1924) 1943 - Cheryl Miller, American actress (Daktari - "Paula"; Born Free), born in Sherman Oaks, California 1960 - Siobhan Dowd, British/Irish author (d. 2007) 1961 - Denis Savard, Canadian NHL centre (Chicago Blackhawks) named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players' in history, born in Pointe Gatineau, Canada More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1781 - Willem Crul, British admiral (West-Indies), dies in battle during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War at 59 1946 - Margarete Boie, writer, dies 1957 - Miguel Covarrubias, Mexican illustrator, dies 1982 - Alex Harvey, Scottish singer (The Electric Cowboys), dies of a heart attack at 46 2002 - George Nader, American actor (Robot Monster, Away All Boats), dies at 80 2013 - Donald Byrd, American jazz trumpeter (Black Byrd), dies at 80 More Famous Deaths »

1930 - William Howard Taft resigns as US chief justice for health reasons 1945 - Walt Disney's "3 Caballeros" released 1964 - French sisters Marielle Goitschel (gold) and Christine Goitschel (silver) repeat (in reverse order) their top-2 finish in the slalom 2 days earlier, in the giant slalom at the Innsbruck Winter Olympics 1974 - "Pajama Game" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 65 performances 1975 - Billy Herman, Earl Averill, and Bucky Harris elected to Baseball Hall of Fame 1976 - 26th NBA All-Star Game, Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa: East beats West, 123-109; MVP: Dave Bing, Washington Bullets, PG 1980 - 30th NBA All-Star Game, Capital Centre, Landover, Md: East beats West, 144-136 (OT); MVP: George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs, SF 1989 - Baseball's National League announces Yanks' broadcaster Bill White will its 1st African American President 1997 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Detroit MI on WKRK 97.1 FM 1999 - In Jammu and Kashmir the political party Democratic Janata Dal (Jammu and Kashmir) is revived. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1809 - Territory of Illinois organizes (including present-day Wisconsin) 1894 - 1st US steel sailing vessel, Dirigo, launched at Bath, Maine 1916 - Tristan Tzara publishes the Dada manifesto in Zurich, Switzerland 1929 - Revolutionary Socialist Party forms in Amsterdam 1975 - Billy Herman, Earl Averill, and Bucky Harris elected to Baseball Hall of Fame 1982 - Columbia Shuttle moves to Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (Florida) for mating for STS-3 mission More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1736 - Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Austria organist and composer (trained Beethoven), born in Klosterneuburg Austria-Hungary (d. 1809) 1824 - George Thomas "Tige" Anderson, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Covington, Georgia (d. 1901) 1824 - Ranald MacDonald, Canadian-born Scottish educator and interpreter (d. 1894) 1919 - (Eugene) "Snooky" Young, American jazz trumpeter who mastered the plunger mute, born in Dayton, Ohio (d. 2011) 1959 - Molly Killingbeck, Jamaica, 4X400m relayer (Olympic silver 1984) 1971 - Eric Owens, Danville VA, outfielder (Cincinnati Reds) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1116 - King Coloman of Hungary (b. 1070) 1919 - Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Bavaria, dies at 69 1979 - Jody Gilbert, American actress (Willard, Shaggy, Blonde Dynamite), dies at 62 2009 - Max Neuhaus, American classical musician and experimental percussionist (sound sculptures), dies of cancer at 69 2015 - William Thomas McKinley, American composer and jazz pianist, dies at 76 2018 - Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, American pop, funk and jazz session and touring drummer, (Michael Jackson -"Billie Jean"; George Duke; Herbie Hancock), composer, and producer, dies of prostate cancer at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1349 - By this date at least 200 people a day were being buried in London as a result of the Black Death 1823 - Gioachino Rossini's opera "Semiramide" premieres in Venice 1848 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican–American War: US acquires Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona for $15 million 1878 - Greece declares war on Turkey 1925 - Belgian episcopacy rejects liberalism, communism and socialism 1941 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Eugene Turner 1959 - Vince Lombardi signs a 5 year contract to coach NFL Green Bay Packers 1977 - Burn up of Salyut 4 Space Station (USSR) 1982 - Government troops and Muslim fundamentalists battle in Hamah, Syria 2003 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 45-23; MVP: Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins, RB More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1119 - Guido di Borgogna elected Pope Callistus II 1869 - James Oliver invents removable tempered steel plow blade 1962 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1972 - Lefty Gomez, Ross Youngs and William Harridge selected for Baseball Hall of Fame 1973 - Richard Helms, ends term as 8th director of CIA; succeeded by James R Schlesinger (until July) 1992 - IRS and Willie Nelson settle on $9M tax bill (of $16.7M) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1522 - Lodovico Ferrari, Italian mathematician (d. 1565) 1926 - Miguel Cardinal Obando y Bravo, 1st Cent American cardinal (Nicaragua) 1968 - Sean Elliott, NBA forward (San Antonio Spurs) 1970 - Roar Strand, Norwegian footballer 1975 - Ieroklis Stoltidis, Greek footballer 1983 - Alex Westaway, British rock singer (Gunship; Fightstar), born in Northamptonshire, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1688 - Abraham Duquesne, French naval officer (b. 1610) 1970 - Jaroslav Vogel, Czech composer and conductor, dies at 76 1980 - William H. Stein, American biochemist (Nobel 1972), dies at 68 1981 - Louise Lorraine, actress (Adventures of Tarzan), dies 1988 - Clive Epstein, British music artist manager, and brother of Brian Epstein, dies at 51 2005 - Max Schmeling, German boxer (world heavyweight champion 1930-32), dies at 99 More Famous Deaths »

1717 - Henri d'Aguesseau's 1st appointment as chancellor of France 1867 - Bricklayers start working 8-hour days 1962 - "New Faces of '62" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 28 performances 1967 - WCLP TV channel 18 in Chatsworth, GA (PBS) begins broadcasting 1975 - Otis Francis Tabler is 1st open homosexual to get security clearance to work for the Defense Department 1987 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 10-6; MVP: Reggie White, Philadelphia Eagles, DE 1991 - Afghanistan and Pakistan hit by earthquake, 1,200 die 1995 - Belgium's TV channel VT4 goes on the air 2013 - Zenit-3SL, a Ukrainian-Russian carrier rocket, fails 40 seconds after liftoff and crashes into the Pacific Ocean 2016 - WHO declares a global public health emergency over the rapid spread of zika-linked conditions More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1862 - Ralph Waldo Emerson and Charles Sumner meet with President Abraham Lincoln at The White House, Washington 1937 - Stapleton, Staten Island, becomes a customs-free port 1948 - Important South African anti-apartheid novel "Cry the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton is published in the US 1975 - "Men on the Moon" closes at Little Theater NYC after 5 performances 2009 - Australian Open Men's Tennis: Spanish ace Rafael Nadal wins his first Australian title; beats Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 2013 - 26 people are killed after a fireworks truck explodes and causes a highway to collapse in Henan, China More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1635 - Marquard Gude, German archaeologist and classical scholar famous for his collection of Greek and Latin inscriptions, born in Rendsburg, Holstein (d. 1689) 1801 - Adolf Fredrik Lindblad, Swedish lieder and classical composer, born in Skänninge, Sweden (d. 1878) 1920 - Kenneth Bond, former vice-chairman 1955 - Virginia Leng, British equestrian rider (World C'ship individual 1986; Olympic silver x 2, bronze x 2 1984, 88), born in Malta 1971 - Michael C. Hall, American actor (Dexter, Six Feet Under), born in Raleigh, North Carolina 1984 - Lee Thompson Young, American actor, born in Columbia, South Carolina (d. 2013) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1981 - Nils Geirr Tveitt, Norwegian composer, dies at 72 1986 - Dick James [Leon Vapnick], British dance band vocalist and Beatles' music publisher (Northern Songs), dies of a heart attack at 65 1992 - Irving Kaufman, American federal judge (Rosenberg Case), dies at 81 2003 - Kalpana Chawla, American astronaut (STS 87) and the first woman of Indian descent to go to space, dies in Space Shuttle Columbia disaster at 40 2003 - Michael P. Anderson, American astronaut and member of the STS-107 Mission (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster), dies at 43 2007 - Ahmad Abu Laban, Danish Muslim leader, dies at 60 More Famous Deaths »

1854 - Dutch KNMI established (Royal Meteorological Institute) 1925 - Premier Ahmed Zogu becomes president of Angola 1925 - Australasian Championships Men's Tennis, Sydney: James Anderson of Australia wins 2nd straight Australasian crown; beats countryman Gerald Patterson 11-9, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 1930 - 1st US glider flight from a dirigible, Lakehurst, New Jersey 1938 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis: American Dorothy Cheney wins her only Grand Slam singles title; beats Dorothy Stevenson of Australia 6-3, 6-2 1971 - Apollo 14 launched, 1st landing in lunar highlands 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 1976 - "Love Rollercoaster" by Ohio Players hits #1 1993 - "St Joan" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 49 performances 2015 - Australia defeats South Korea in football to win the 2015 AFC Asian Cup More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1679 - Jean-Baptiste Lully's opera "Bellerophon" premieres at the Palais-Royal in Paris 1982 - NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 16-13; MVPs: Co-MVPs: Kellen Winslow, San Diego Chargers, TE; Lee Roy Selmon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DE 1988 - Super Bowl XXII, Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, CA: Washington Redskins beat Denver Broncos, 42-10; MVP: Doug Williams, Washington, QB 1990 - Jushin "Thunder" Liger beats Naoki Sano to become New Japan IWGP champ 2012 - Leonard Cohen releases his album "Old Ideas", becomes No.1 in 10 countries 2013 - 36 people are killed and 126 are injured in an explosion at Torre Ejecutiva Pemex, Mexico More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1902 - Julian Steward, American anthropologist (cultural ecology), born in Washington D. C. (d. 1972) 1916 - Frank Parker, American tennis player (4-time Grand Slam winner), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (d. 1997) 1946 - Subroto Guha, Indian cricketer (right arm swing bowler for India 1967-69), born in India 1960 - Grant Morrison, British comic book author, born in Glasgow, United Kingdom 1971 - Patrick Kielty, Northern Irish comedian, born in Dundrum, United Kingdom 1972 - Reinier Robbemond, Dutch soccer player (Dordrecht '90), born in Dordrecht, Netherlands More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1615 - Claudio Aquaviva, Italian Jesuit priest (5th Superior General of the Society of Jesus), dies at 71 1974 - Harry Baum, actor (Crime and Punishment), dies at 58 1976 - Buster Brown, American blues singer and harmonica player (Fannie Mae), dies at 64 1999 - Shohei Baba, Japanese professional wrestler 2004 - Eleanor Holm, American 100m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1932), dies at 90 2018 - Anne Gillis [Alma Conner], American actress (Faline-Bambi, Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Little Men), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1791 - Comte de Mirabeau is elected President of the French National Assembly 1927 - Left wins national election in Thuringen 1954 - Fanfani government of Italy resigns 1966 - Ard Schenk skates world record 1500m (2:05.2) 1972 - Pakistan withdraws from the Commonwealth of Nations 1980 - Edward Albee's "Lady from Dubuque" premieres in NYC 1989 - Five Pharaoh sculptures from 1470 BC found at temple of Luxor 2010 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams retains her title; beats Justine Henin of Belgium 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 2018 - Houston forward James Harden puts up highest scoring triple-double in NBA history (60 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) as the Rockets beat Orlando Magic, 114-107 in Houston 2022 - NFC Championship, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California: LA Rams beat SF 49ers, 20-17 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1818 - John Keats composes his sonnet "When I Have Fears" 1933 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis, Melbourne: Joan Hartigan Bathurst beats Coral McInnes Buttsworth 6-4, 6-3 1956 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Mary Carter Reitano beats fellow Australian Thelma Coyne Long 3-6, 6-2, 9-7 for her 1st Australian singles title 1977 - 8th (final) part of "Roots" is most-watched US entertainment show ever (100 million) 1982 - WBC super welterweight champion Wilfred Benitez of Puerto Rico defeats boxing legend Roberto Durán of Panama in a 15-round unanimous decision at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas 1982 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Rosalynn Sumners More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1911 - Roy Eldridge, American jazz trumpet player (Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1989) 1912 - Barbara Tuchman, American historian and author (Pulitzer, Guns of August), born in New York (d. 1989) 1938 - Marlies van Alcmaer [Smal], Dutch actress and director (Bridge too Far) 1944 - Lynn Harrell, American cellist, born in New York City, New York (d. 2020) 1951 - Trevor Laughlin, Australian cricketer (Australian all-rounder 1978-79), born in Nyah West, Australia 1994 - Amelia Dimoldenberg, English comedian and journalist (Chicken Shop Date), born in London, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1649 - Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1625-49), beheaded for treason by Parliament at 48 1703 - Kiva Yoshinaka, Japanese retainer for the Shogun, murdered in the revenge of the 47 rōnin 1867 - Emperor Kōmei of Japan (b. 1831) 1945 - William Busch, British composer, dies at 43 1956 - Jane Seymour [Marjorie S Fitz-patrick], Canadian-American actress (Tom, Dick and Harry, Young Mr Bobbin), dies at 62 1963 - Francis Poulenc, French pianist and composer (Concert champêtre; Les Biches), dies of a heart attack at 64 More Famous Deaths »

1924 - Ice cream cone rolling machine patented by Carl Taylor, Cleveland 1944 - World War II: The Battle of Cisterna takes place in central Italy 1959 - Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" released 1971 - Test debut of Dennis Keith Lillee, v England at Adelaide 1991 - Nelson Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi meet after 28 years 2000 - Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz becomes the 3rd player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points; finishes with 35 in a 96-94 loss to Minnesota; behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) 2001 - Thousands of student protesters in Indonesia storm parliament and demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign due to alleged involvement in corruption scandals 2006 - 22nd Sundance Film Festival: "Quinceanera", directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic 2017 - NFL Pro Bowl, Orlando, FL: AFC beats NFC, 20-13; MVPs: Travis Kelce, KC Chiefs, TE; Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills, LB 2018 - Marvel film "Black Panther" directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman premieres in Los Angeles More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1840 - First Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi Captain William Hobson arrives in the Bay of Islands, NZ 1966 - Neil Simons, Coleman and Fields' musical "Sweet Charity" premieres at Palace Theater in NYC for 608 performances 1968 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis: American Billie Jean King beats home favourite Margaret Court 6-1, 6-2 for her 13th Grand Slam singles title 1972 - 5th ABA All-Star Game: East 142 beats West 115 at Louisville, Kentucky 1974 - 1974 NFL Draft: Ed Jones from Tennessee State first pick by Dallas Cowboys 2019 - US Postal Service suspends deliveries to ten states due to severity of the polar vortex More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1632 - Johann Georg Graevius, German classical scholar and critic (d. 1703) 1937 - Bobby Scott, American composer, arranger and jazz singer ("He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"), born in Mt Pleasant, New York (d. 1990) 1950 - Jody Scheckter, South African auto racer (World F1 Champion 1979), born in East London, South Africa 1955 - John Tate, American heavyweight boxer (Olympic bronze 1968) 1975 - Sara Gilbert, American actress (Darlene Conner-Roseanne), born in Santa Monica, California 1985 - Rag'n'Bone Man [Rory Charles Graham], English singer-songwriter (Human), born in Uckfield, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1993 - Michel Renault, French ballet dancer (Giselle), dies at 65 2004 - Otto Wilhelm Fischer, Austrian actor (Helden, Ich suche dich), dies of kidney disease at 88 2011 - Milton Babbitt, American mathematician, composer of serial and electronic music (Correspondences), and teacher (Princeton; Juilliard), dies at 94 2015 - Colleen McCullough, Australian author (Tim, Indecent Obsession, The Thorn Birds), dies at 77 2021 - Grady Gaines, American jazz, blues, and RandB tenor saxophonist (Little Richard; Sam Cooke, James Brown, Jackie Wilson), dies at 86 2022 - Rashid Byramji, Indian thoroughbred trainer (3,170 winners/230 classics; Elusive Pimpernel 22/23 starts; Squanderer 18/19 starts; Indian Derby x 10), dies at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1824 - William Kneass becomes 3rd US chief engraver (1824-40) 1887 - England all out for 45 v Aust SCG, their lowest total ever 1904 - 1st college sports letters given to Seniors who played on University of Chicago's football team are awarded blankets with letter "C" on them 1922 - J E Clair turns Green Bay franchise back to NFL 1942 - Revival of George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" opens on The Majestic Theatre, NYC, with Anne Brown and Todd Duncan 1961 - Republic of Rwanda proclaimed 1973 - "Barnaby Jones" premieres on CBS TV 1979 - Charlie Smalls' musical "The Wiz", an updated take on "The Wizard of Oz", starring Stephanie Mills, Stu Gilliam, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, closes at Majestic Theater in NYC, after 1,672 performances, 7 Tony and 6 Drama Desk Awards 2010 - Five murderers of Bangladeshi President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman hanged: Lieutenant Colonel Syed Faruq Rahman, Lieutenant Colonel Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Major AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, Major Bazlul Huda and Lieutenant Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed 2016 - Seventh Republican presidential candidates debate hosted by Fox, held in Des Moines, Iowa More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1760 - Pownal, Vermont created by Benning Wentworth as one of the New Hampshire Grants 1881 - Battle at Laing's Neck Natal: Boers beat superior powered British 1904 - 1st college sports letters given to Seniors who played on University of Chicago's football team are awarded blankets with letter "C" on them 1929 - Australian Championships Men's Tennis: Englishman Colin Gregory wins his only Grad Slam title, beating Richard Schlesinger of Australia 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 1978 - Ted Nugent autographs a fan's arm with his knife 1991 - David Boon completes ninth Test century, 121 v England at Adelaide More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1540 - Ludolph van Ceulen, German mathematician (d. 1610) 1884 - Jean Felix Piccard, Swiss scientist, explorer and balloonist (1st flight into stratosphere, by balloon), born in Basel, Switzerland (d. 1963) 1932 - Thomas J. Bliley Jr., American politician (Rep-R-VA, 1981-2001), born in Chesterfield County, Virginia 1940 - Carlos Slim, Mexican business magnate (América Móvil) once ranked as the richest person in the world, born in Mexico City, Mexico 1943 - Dick Taylor, English rock guitarist (The Pretty Things - "S.F. Sorrow"), born in Dartford, England 1966 - Rob Clayton, American rock drummer (Jody Grind), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1992) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1393 - Earl of Joigny, burned at royal ball in Paris 1868 - Adalbert Stifter, Austrian author (Witiko), commits suicide at 62 1896 - Joseph Barnby, composer, dies at 57 1965 - Jef van Durme, Belgian composer, dies at 57 1997 - Pietro Cavallero, bandit, dies at 68 2005 - Karen Lancaume, French actress (suicide) (b. 1973) More Famous Deaths »

672 - St Vitalian ends his reign as Catholic Pope 1934 - Australian Championships Women's Tennis, Sydney: Joan Hartigan Bathurst retains title; beats Margaret Molesworth 6-1, 6-4 1961 - Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli make debuts at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in "Il trovatore"; final curtain call lasts 35 minutes 1966 - Wisconsin State Circuit Court Judge Elmer W Roller rules either the Braves stay in Milwaukee or NL must promise Wisconsin an expansion team for 1966 1972 - World premiere of Scott Joplin's rediscovered opera "Treemonisha" at Morehouse College in Atlanta 1976 - Viv Richards scores his 1st Test century against Australia 1985 - Mark Mckoy cycles world record 50m hurdles indoor (5.25) 1996 - Colonel Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara deposes the first democratically elected president of Niger, Mahamane Ousmane, in a military coup. 2001 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Jennifer Capriati wins her first Grand Slam title; beats Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-3 2013 - Magnus Carlsen wins the 2013 Tata Steel Chess Tournament More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1915 - US Marines occupy Haiti 1939 - First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning 1944 - Siege of Leningrad lifted by the Soviets after 880 days and more than 2 million Russians killed 1963 - Sam Rice, Eppa Rixey, Elmer Flick, and John Clarkson elected to Baseball Hall of Fame 1992 - "Crazy He Calls Me" opens at Walter Kerr Theater NYC for 7 performances 1997 - 24th American Music Awards: Toni Braxton and Alanis Morissette win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1889 - Balthasar van der Pol, Dutch physicist (Comparison of Van der Pol), born in Utrecht , Netherlands (d. 1959) 1912 - E. R. Braithwaite, diplomat and writer (To Sir with Love), born in Georgetown, British Guiana (d. 2016) 1929 - Gastón Suárez, Bolivian novelist (d. 1984) 1948 - Kim Gardner, English rock bassist (Ashton, Gardner and Dyke), born in London (d. 2001) 1954 - Joko Ninomiya, Japanese martial artist, born in Yawatahama, Ehime, Japan 1970 - Carlos Javier Bernardo, Dutch prince More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1540 - Angela Merici, Italian religious educator, founder of the Ursuline Order of nuns, and Roman Catholic saint, dies at 65 1927 - Georgios Grivas, Cyprus-born general in the Greek Army 1972 - Richard Courant, German-American mathematician, dies at 84 2000 - Mae Faggs Starr, American athlete, 4x100m runner (Olympic gold 1952), dies at 67 2006 - Roger Durham Hannay, American composer and teacher, dies at 75 2017 - Benny Barth, American session and touring jazz drummer, dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1531 - Lisbon hit by Earthquake; about 30,000 die 1697 - Isaac Newton receives Jean Bernoulli's 6 month time-limit problem, solves problem before going to bed that same night 1861 - Louisiana secedes from the Union (US Civil War) 1934 - Nazi Germany and Poland sign 10-year non-aggression treaty 1940 - Nazis forbid Polish Jews to travel on trains 1958 - Japanese ferry Nankai Maru capsized off southern Awaji Island, Japan, 167 killed. 1958 - Jack Smith takes over from Art Baker as TV host of "You Asked for It" 1990 - Annular eclipse visible over Antarctica and South Atlantic 1991 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Monica Seles becomes the only Yugoslav player – male or female – to win a Grand Slam singles title; beats Jana Novotná 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 1993 - West Indies defeat Australia by one run in 4th Test at Adelaide More Historical Events »