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Historical Events 1962 - 1st quasar located by radio 1973 - Arab terrorists open fire at Athens airport, kill 3 injure 55 1975 - Stevie Wonder signs a 7-year, 7 album, with $13 million advance contract with Motown Records 1978 - New Orleans Saints beat Philadelphia Eagles 14-7 in an NFL exhibition at Mexico City's Olympic Stadium 2005 - NBA announces Las Vegas will host the 2007 All Star game; first time event will be held in a city without an NBA team 2022 - Actress Anne Heche crashes her car into a house in Mar Vista, Los Angeles, igniting a fire that puts her in a coma and destroys much of the house More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1872 - Oswaldo Cruz, Brazilian physician and epidemiologist, born in São Luis do Paraitinga, Brazil (d. 1917) 1890 - Naum Gabo [Pevsner], Russian-American sculptor (Stillife Flower), born in Bryans, Russian Empire (d. 1977) 1902 - Irene Rice Pereira, American abstract artist, born in Chelsea, Massachusetts (d. 1971) 1910 - Nan Gindele, US javelin thrower (World Record 1932-38), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1992) 1988 - Federica Pellegrini, Italian swimmer (world record 200 meters, Olympic Gold 2008), born in Mirano, Italy 1989 - Shanshan Feng, Chinese golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 2012), born in Guangzhou, China More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1644 - J. Henry Alting, German theologist (Statenvertaling), dies at 61 1944 - Maurice Turnbull, Welsh cricketer (England) rugby player (Wales), dies fighting in WWII at 38 1950 - Emil Abderhalden, Swiss physiologist and biochemist, dies at 73 1993 - Randy Hobbs, American rock musician (Johnny Winter Band; McCoys), dies of heart failure at 45 2014 - Chapman Pincher, British journalist and author (about secret service), dies at 100 2015 - George Cole, English actor (Minder), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1666 - St James' Day naval battle is an English victory against the Dutch during Second Anglo-Dutch War off the Kent coast 1855 - John Bartlett publishes "Familiar Quotations" 1948 - Hungary's Olga Gyarmati wins the first ever Olympic women's long jump competition at the London Games 1954 - Boscombe Down 1st flight of supersonic P-1 Lightning 1974 - Crawford-Butler Act allows Puerto Ricans to elect own governor 1976 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1983 - Danielle Steel’s romance novel “Thurston House” is published 1993 - Rwandian Hutus and Tutsis sign peace treaty in Arusha, Tanzania 2019 - British Open Women's Golf, Woburn GC: Hinako Shibuno of Japan wins her maiden major title in her first LPGA event; beats American Lizette Salas by 1 stroke 2021 - Largest wildfire in California so far in 2021, the Dixie Fire at 320,000 acres, destroys the gold rush town of Greenville More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1916 - Denmark and the United States sign a treaty whereby the Danish West Indies, including the Virgin Islands, are to be ceded to the US in 1917 for $25 million 1916 - The Turks attack the British line at Romani in the northern Sinai (WWI) 1962 - Nelson Mandela captured by South African police 1984 - Prince's "Purple Rain" album goes #1 and stays #1 for 24 weeks 1996 - Jim Bunning, Earl Weaver, Bill Foster and Ned Hanlon inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY 2001 - Australian cricket spinner Shane Warne skittles England (162) with 6/33 to guide tourists to a 7 wicket 3rd Test victory at Trent Bridge; Aussies regain Ashes with record 7th straight Test win v England More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1825 - Arthur Haygarth, English cricket batsman (Middlesex and Surrey, cricket historian), born in Hastings, Sussex, England (d. 1903) 1927 - Jess Thomas, American tenor known for his singing in Richard Wagner operas, born in Hot Springs, South Dakota (d. 1993) 1930 - Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iranian shia cleric, born in Mashhad, Iran 1958 - Kym Karath, American actress (The Sound of Music - "Gretl"), born in Los Angeles, California 1962 - Joey Huffman, American rock keyboard and organ player (Soul Asylum), born in Pikeville, Kentucky 1983 - Greta Gerwig, American actress and film director (Lady Bird, Little Women, Barbie), born in Sacramento, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1873 - Viktor Hartmann, Russian architect and painter, dies at 39 1875 - Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author of 150 fairy tales (The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen), dies at 70 1905 - Kinjikitile "Bokero" Ngwale, Tanzanian prophet and rebel leader, hanged for treason by German East African military 2004 - Sir Kenneth Couzens, British Deputy Chairman of British Coal Board and significant figure during Miners Strike, dies at 79 2019 - Nuon Chea, Cambodian Khmer Rouge leader 'Brother Number Two', dies at 93 2022 - Johnny Famechon, Australian boxer (WBC featherweight champion 1969-70), dies at 77 More Famous Deaths »

1880 - American Canoe Association founded at Lake George, NY, first Commodore William L. Alden 1914 - British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey famously remarks "The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our time." 1940 - Lithuanian SSR is accepted into USSR 1944 - Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp gases 4,000 gypsies 1949 - Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League (NBL) merge to form National Basketball Association (NBA), Maurice Podoloff elected head of new league 1975 - Poland and West Germany reach accord about returning ethnic Germans 1979 - Fastest jai-alai shot (188 mph), Jose Arieto at Newport Jai Alai, Rhode Island 1998 - The Oval stages first competitive cricket match played under floodlights in London when home team Surrey loses to Sussex by 8 wickets in the day/night 40-over fixture 1998 - Irish band Boyzone release their best-selling single "No Matter What" composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman 2000 - South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Amnesty Committee grants amnesty to Curnick Ndlovu, the KwaZulu-Natal leader of the African National Congress and United Democratic Front, for committing sabotage during December 1961 and June 1963 near Durban More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1492 - Christopher Columbus with Juan de la Cosa second-in-command sets sail on his first voyage with three ships, Santa María, Pinta and Niña from Palos de la Frontera, Spain for the "Indies" 1897 - John McNally's musical "Good Mr Best" premieres in NYC 1973 - National People's party wins Dutch Antilles National elections 1977 - Radio Shack introduces the TRS-80 personal computer, within weeks thousands were ordered 1996 - American Andre Agassi wins the men's singles Tennis gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics beating Spaniard Sergi Bruguera 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 2004 - The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopens after being closed since the September 11, 2001 attacks More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1748 - Carl Ludwig Junker, German composer, born in Kirchberg an der Jagst, Germany (d. 1797) 1915 - Sal Santen, Dutch writer (You Are Jewish People), born in Amsterdam (d. 1998) 1936 - Vinko "Vice" Vukov, Croatian singer (Eurovision Song Contest 1963 and 1965), born in Šibenik, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (d. 2008) 1951 - Hans Schlegel, German astronaut (STS 55), born in Überlingen, Germany 1963 - Isaiah Washington, American actor (The 100), born in Houston, Texas 1999 - Brahim Díaz, Spanish footballer (Real Madrid), born in Málaga, Spain More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1958 - Peter Collins, English auto racer (British GP 1958), dies in race accident at German GP at 26 1983 - Carolyn Jones, American actress (Morticia-Addams Family), dies of colon cancer at 53 2000 - Michael Meyer, English novelist and translator, dies at 79 2003 - (John) Roger Voudouris, American singer and songwriter (Get Used To It), dies of liver disease at 48 2007 - John Gardner, English spy and thriller novelist (Boysie Oakes novels; James Bond continuation novels), dies of suspected heart failure at 80 2017 - Robert Hardy, British actor (Harry Potter, All Creatures Great and Small), dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1782 - George Washington creates Honorary Badge of Distinction 1798 - Battle of the Nile: British Royal Navy under Admiral Horatio Nelson further decimates the French fleet 1858 - 1st mailboxes installed in Boston and NYC streets 1892 - George A. Wheeler is granted a US patent for a prototype of the escalator 1942 - 250 Dutch Catholic Jews arrested, transported to Amersfoort camp 1979 - MLB New York Mets purchase contract of outfielder José Cardenal from Philadelphia Phillies between games of a double-header between the two teams 1980 - Fascist bomb attack on Bologna Italy train station, 86 killed 2008 - "Breaking Dawn", 4th book in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" is published by Little Brown at midnight with a print run of 3.7 million copies 2013 - Carl Icahn sues computer giant Dell in an attempt to derail a buyout bid by the CEO, Michael Dell 2020 - Islamic State stages a jail break at a prison in Afghan city of Jalalabad, placing bombs at its entrance, results in 20 hr gunfight, 29 deaths and over 300 prisoners at large More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1578 - Battle of Rijmenam: Spanish Habsburg forces defeated by Dutch troops (Eighty Years' War) 1953 - KCPQ TV channel 13 in Tacoma-Seattle, WA (IND) begins broadcasting 1964 - Race riot in Jersey City, New Jersey 1967 - "In the Heat of the Night" directed by Norman Jewison, based on John Ball's novel of the same name, starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger premieres in New York (Academy Awards Best Picture 1968) 1969 - US President Richard Nixon visits Romania 1994 - Explosion in lead/zinc mine in Guangxi China, 120+ killed More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1775 - Jose Angel Lamas, Venezuelan composer, born in Caracas, Venezuela (d. 1814) 1832 - Henry Steel Olcott, American military officer and co-founder of the Theosophical Society, born in Orange, New Jersey (d. 1907) 1878 - Aino Kallas, Finnish writer (White Ship, Estonian Tales), born in Kiiskilä, Viipuri Province, Grand Duchy of Finland (d. 1956) 1945 - Eric Simms, Australian rugby league fullback (8 Tests; NSWRL points record [1,841] stood until 1983; South Sydney), born in Karuah, Australia 1952 - Paul David Crews, American murderer (FBI Most Wanted List), born in South Carolina (d. 2022) 1972 - Mohamed Al-Deayea, Saudi Arabian footballer, born in Hail, Saudi Arabia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1100 - William II [Rufus], king of England, shot hunting in the New Forest at 44 1600 - Arent van Dorp, Dutch governor of East-Zealand, dies at about 70 1979 - Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre, Peruvian politician and author (founder of Peruvian Aprista Party), dies at 84 1996 - Michel Debre, French politician, Prime Minister of France (1959-62), dies at 84 1997 - Fela Kuti, Nigerian Afrobeat musician and composer, dies of an illness, disputedly AIDS related, at 58 2020 - Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov, Kazakh Greco-Roman wrestler (Olympic gold, light-flyweight 1980; World C'ship gold 1981), dies at 69 More Famous Deaths »

1720 - South Sea bubble reaches a frenzy in London as the stock price of the South Sea Company peaks at £1,000, collapses soon after and falls to £124 by December 1794 - Whiskey Rebellion begins in western Pennsylvania 1852 - San Francisco Methodists establish 1st black church, Zion Methodist 1870 - Irish Land Act gives rights to tenants of landlords in Ireland 1907 - First Scout camp opens on Brownsea Island, in Poole Harbour, Dorset 1933 - NY's future Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell sets MLB record for consecutive scoreless innings at 45 1/3 as Giants lose 3-1 v Boston Braves 1970 - Future Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Stargell smacks 3 doubles and 2 homers in a 20-10 Pirates win v Braves at Atlanta Stadium 1971 - "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" debuts on CBS-TV, with comic actor and singer Jimmy Durante as guest 1977 - San Francisco Giants 1st baseman Willie McCovey hits NL record 18th MLB career grand slam 1985 - Emmy 12th Daytime Award presentation - Susan Lucci loses for 6th time More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1863 - Cavalry action near Brandy Station-End of Gettysburg Campaign 1932 - George Washington quarter goes into circulation 1976 - XXI Summer Olympic Games, Montreal, Canada: Officially close 1992 - British athlete Linford Christie (32) becomes the oldest man to win an Olympic 100m gold medal edging Frankie Fredericks in Barcelona 1997 - 6th Athletics World Championships open at Athens, Greece 2021 - 394 migrants rescued from a stricken vessel by humanitarian NGO ships in Tunisian waters More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1819 - Herman Melville, American author (Moby-Dick, Billy Budd), born in NYC, New York (d. 1891) 1903 - Thomas D'Alesandro Jr, American politician (US Representative for Maryland (D), 1939-47; Mayor of Baltimore, 1947-59), and father of Nancy Pelosi, born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1987) 1932 - Meena Kumari, Indian film actress (Parineeta), born in Dadar, Mumbai, India (d. 1972) 1933 - Erwin Nypels, Dutch economist and Minister of Housing (D66), born in Bloemendaal, North Holland 1955 - Pierre Robert, American rock and roll radio DJ (same station in Philadelphia since 1981), and Deadhead, born in Truckee, California 1964 - Adam Duritz, American rock singer-songwriter, and keyboardist (Counting Crows - "Mr. Jones"; "Accidentally in Love"), born in Baltimore, Maryland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1883 - Karl Wilhelm Dindorf, classic scholar, dies 1896 - William Robert Grove, Welsh physicist and inventor of the first fuel cell, dies at 85 1973 - Gian Francesco Malipiero, Italian composer, pedagogue (Venice Liceo Musicale, 1932-52), and musicologist (Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi). s at 91 1990 - Norbert Elias, German-British sociologist and philosopher (Process of Civilization), dies at 93 2000 - Hugh Hood, Canadian author (White Figure, White Ground), dies at 72 2012 - Joan Bernard, English educator (Principal Trevelyan College, Durham) and army officer (WWII Auxiliary Territorial Service), dies at 94 More Famous Deaths »

1794 - All Jacobijnse clubs together in Haarlem 1901 - Abraham Kuyper becomes premier of Netherlands 1922 - 18-year-old Ralph Samuelson rides world's 1st water skis (Minnesota) 1932 - 26th Tour de France: French cyclist André Leducq wins after tallying 6 stage victories; his second Tour triumph (1930) 1954 - Milwaukee first baseman Joe Adcock becomes only the 3rd player in 20th century to hit 4 HRs in 9-inning game (Lou Gehrig and Gil Hodges) in 15-7 Braves' win over Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field; MLB record 18 total bases 1964 - US Ranger 7 takes 4,316 pictures before crashing on Moon 1964 - American glider pilot Al Parker glides 644 miles without a motor 1965 - Cigarette advertising banned on British TV 1988 - Miami Dolphins beat San Francisco 49ers, 27-21 in the American Bowl at London's Wembley Stadium 1989 - MLB Minnesota Twins trade AL Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola to New York Mets More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1905 - Matumbi rebellion at Samanga, German East Africa 1922 - 18-year-old Ralph Samuelson rides world's 1st water skis (Minnesota) 1934 - International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Wimbledon: Fred Perry beats American Frank Shields 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 15-13 to give Great Britain unassailable 3-1 lead to retain title; ends 4-1 1966 - Two Alabama radio hosts, Tommy Charles and Doug Layton of WAQY in Birmingham ask listeners to send in Beatles albums and merchandise to burn in response to John Lennon's anti-Jesus remark that "Christianity will go" 1988 - Pittsburgh Pirates 1st baseman/left fielder and 7-time All Star Willie Stargell becomes 200th man inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame 1994 - Netherlands' warmest July since 1783 - average 21.4°C More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1843 - Peter Rosegger, Austrian poet and Nobel Prize laureate, born in Krieglach, Austria (d. 1918) 1911 - George Liberace, American violinist (Liberace Show), born in Menasha, Wisconsin (d. 1983) 1920 - Rudolf Halaczinsky, German composer, born in Emma-Grube, Upper Silesia (d. 1999) 1950 - Lane Davies, American actor (Mason-Santa Barbara, Impure Thoughts), born in Dalton, Georgia 1967 - Tony Massenburg, American NBA forward who played for 12 different teams, born in Sussex, Virginia 1975 - Randy Flores, American baseball pitcher (World Series 2006, St. Louis Cardinals), executive (American director scouting SL Cardinals) and broadcaster (Pac-12 Network), born in Bellflower, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1914 - A J Jean Jaurès, French socialist (L'Humanité/Les Preuves), murdered= 1953 - Robert A. Taft, American politician (U.S. Senator from Ohio), dies at 63 1968 - Gertrude Short, actress (Stella Dallas, Blonde Venus), dies at 66 1978 - Enoch Light, American orchestra leader (Gulf Road Show with Bob Smith), dies at 70 1995 - Genevieve Tobin Keighley, actress (Zaza, Great Gambini), dies at 83 2002 - Jerome Beatty Jr., American author of children's literature (Matthew and Maria Looney books), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1809 - British armed force of 39,000 lands in Walcheren 1870 - The Republic of Klipdrift is proclaimed by Transvaal President Andries Pretorius after the discovery of diamonds in South Africa in 1866 resulted in a flood of treasure hunters; ownership of the diamond fields was contested by the Boer republics 1932 - X Summer Olympic Games open in Los Angeles, USA 1954 - 5th British Empire Games and Commonwealth Games open in Vancouver, Canada 1966 - FIFA World Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London, England: Striker Geoff Hurst scores a hat trick as England beats West Germany, 4-2 after extra time 1975 - Simon Gray's "Otherwise Engaged" premieres in London 2012 - Indian power grid failure leaves over 300 million without electricity 2017 - Hackers reveal they have stolen data from HBO, including episodes and scripts of Games of Thrones 2017 - Venezuelan voting for a new assembly disrupted by violent protests, at least 3 people killed 2017 - Russian President Vladimir Putin announces American diplomats in Russia cut by 755 in response to American sanctions More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1870 - The Republic of Klipdrift is proclaimed by Transvaal President Andries Pretorius after the discovery of diamonds in South Africa in 1866 resulted in a flood of treasure hunters; ownership of the diamond fields was contested by the Boer republics 1908 - Around the World Automobile Race ends in Paris 1985 - Valerie Lowrance, of Texas, 18, crowned America's Junior Miss 1988 - Harry Drake shoots arrow record 1873m 2012 - General Motors (Chevrolet) sign a record breaking 7 year $559 million sponsorship deal with EPL club Manchester United 2022 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for mandatory evacuation of civilians from eastern Donetsk region amid fierce fighting More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1747 - Antonio Benedetto Maria Puccini, Italian composer, born in Lucca, Italy (d. 1832) 1868 - Alfred Weber, German economist and sociologist, born in Erfurt, Prussian Saxony (d. 1958) 1936 - Infanta Pilar of Spain, Duchess of Badajoz, daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, born in Cannes, French Third Republic 1963 - Chris Mullin, American NBA forward (Warriors, Pacers, Olympic gold 1992), born in Brooklyn, New York 1974 - Radostin Kishishev, Bulgarian footballer, born in Burgas, Bulgaria 1975 - Tifini Hale, American pop singer (Party - "Rodeo"; "That's Why"), born in Palm Springs, California (d. 2021) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1771 - Thomas Gray, English poet (Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard), dies at 54 1957 - Sem Dresden, Dutch composer and conductor, dies at 76 1978 - Umberto Nobile, Italian aviator and polar explorer (designed and flew 1st airship across the polar air cap), dies at 93 1978 - Aasan Ferit Alnar, Turkish classical composer, dies at 72 2004 - Jan Hanus, Czech composer, dies at 89 2004 - Andre Noble, Canadian actor (b. 1979) More Famous Deaths »

1773 - 1st schoolhouse west of Allegheny Mountains completed, Schoenbrunn, Ohio 1923 - Albert Einstein speaks on pacifism in Berlin 1944 - Frank McCormick (Reds) HR off Ace Adams (Giants) in both games of DH 1953 - US bomber shot down by Soviet Air Defence Forces in the Sea of Japan, north of Vladivostok 1954 - Publication of "Fellowship of the Ring" 1st volume of "Lord of the Rings" by J. R. R. Tolkien by George Allen and Unwin in London 1955 - Smokey Burgess hits 3 HRs to help Pirates beat Reds 16-5 1965 - Beatles movie "Help" has Royal World Premiere at the London Pavilion Theatre in the West End of London; of Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon attend 1986 - Bomb attack in West-Beirut, 30 killed 1992 - American Michael Ray Barrowman swims world record 200m breaststroke (2:10.16) at the World Championships in Perth, Australia, breaking his own record set in August 1991 2015 - Over 3,500 immigrants over 2 days attempt to enter the Channel Tunnel at Calais, to cross into Britain More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1902 - Union of Orthodox Rabbis of US and Canada forms 1914 - Austrian-Hungary bombs Belgrade 1930 - 115°F (46°C), Holly Springs, Mississippi (state record) 1935 - International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Wimbledon: 3rd straight GB title as Pat Hughes and Raymond Tuckey beat Americans Wilmer Allison and John Van Ryn 6-2, 1-6, 6-8, 6-3, 6-3 for unassailable 3-0 lead; ends 5-0 1948 - King George VI opens the XIV Summer Olympic Games at Wembley Stadium in London 1993 - Walter Koenig (Chekov in Star Trek) suffers a mild heart attack More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1887 - Komako Kimura, Japanese suffragette, actress and editor (d. 1980) 1906 - Thelma Todd [Alison Loyd], American actress (Dangerous Female), born in Lawrence, Massachusetts (d. 1935) 1911 - Stephen McNally, American attorney and actor (Split Second, 30 Seconds over Tokyo), born in NYC, New York (d. 1994) 1937 - Charles Schwab, American investor and entrepreneur (Charles Schwab Corporation), born in Sacramento, California 1945 - Mike Garson, American session and touring rock and jazz pianist (David Bowie, 1972-2006; Mick Ronson; Smashing Pumpkins), born in New York City 1956 - Patti Scialfa, American singer-songwriter ("As Long As I Can Be (With You)"), wife of Bruce Springsteen, born in Deal, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1808 - Selim III, Turkish sultan (1789-1808) poet and composer, assassinated at 46 1838 - Jonathan Huntington, American composer, dies at 66 1918 - Ernest William Christmas, Australian painter (b. 1863) 1958 - Charles O'Malley, American actor in silent westerns (Iron Horse), dies at 61 1963 - Dorian Le Gallienne, Australian composer, dies at 48 1996 - Jason Thirsk, American punk rock bassist (Pennywise), dies of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot at 28 More Famous Deaths »

1696 - De Croissy succeeds Le Plectia as French minister of Finance 1893 - Vizcaya Bridge - largest transporter bridge in the world opens over the River Ibaizabal, designed by Basque architect Alberto de Palacio 1898 - Spanish American War: U.S. Army occupies Ponce and declares victory in Puerto Rico over Spanish forces 1900 - Hamburger created by Louis Lassing in Connecticut 1917 - Silent Parade organised by James Weldon Johnson of 10,000 African-Americans who march on 5th Ave in NYC to protest against lynching 1929 - 23rd Tour de France won by Maurice De Waele of Belgium 1945 - Physicist Raemer Schreiber and Lieutenant Colonel Peer de Silva arrive on the Pacific island of Tinian with the plutonium core used to assemble the Fat Man bomb used in the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9 1959 - United Kingdom starts using postal codes 1977 - Roy Wilkins turns over NAACP leadership to Benjamin Hooks 2005 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army call an end to their thirty year long armed campaign in Northern Ireland More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1911 - 96°F (35.6°C) in De Bilt, Netherlands 1920 - Sigmund Romberg and Alex Gerber's musical "Poor Little Ritz Girl", with additional songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (marking their Broadway debut), opens at the Central Theatre, NYC; runs for 93 performances 1928 - IX Summer Olympic Games open in Amsterdam, Netherlands 1972 - 39th NFL Chicago All Star Game: Dallas 20, All Stars 7 (54,162) 1997 - NY Ranger center Mark Messier signs with Vancouver for $20M for 3 yrs 2021 - Japanese swimmer Yui Ohashi wins women's individual medley double with victory in 200m at the Tokyo Olympics; 3 days earlier she won the 400m IM gold medal More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1824 - Jacopo Foroni, Italian opera composer (I gladiatori; Advokathen Panthelin), and conductor, born in Verona, Italy (d. 1858) 1863 - Hussein Khan Nakhichevanski, Russian general (d. 1919) 1933 - Charlie Hodge, French Canadian ice hockey goaltender (Montreal Canadiens), born in Lachine, Quebec (d. 2016) 1934 - Ron Flowers, English soccer midfielder (49 caps; Wolverhampton Wanderers 467 games), born in Doncaster, England (d. 2021) 1938 - Luis Aragonés, Spanish soccer forward (11 caps; Atlético Madrid) and manager (Spain 2004-08; Atlético Madrid, Barcelona), born in Madrid, Spain (d. 2014) 1979 - Birgitta Haukdal, Icelandic singer, born in Húsavík, Iceland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1741 - Antonio Vivaldi, Italian Baroque composer (The Four Seasons), dies at 63 1971 - Myril Hoag, American baseball player, dies at 63 1972 - Charu Majumdar, Indian revolutionary leader, dies in custody at 53 1973 - Royal Butler [Edwin Richey], American actor (Zenobia), dies at 80 2004 - George Williams, American soul singer (The Tymes), dies at 68 2007 - Karl Gotch, Belgian professional wrestler (b. 1924) More Famous Deaths »

1214 - Battle of Bouvines: King Philip II of France vs Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV and King John of England; as a result John lost Normandy and his other possessions in France (hence his nickname John "Lackland") 1586 - Walter Raleigh brings the 1st tobacco to England from Virginia 1655 - Netherlands and Brandenburg sign military treaty 1954 - Armistice divides Vietnam into two countries 1976 - Japanese ex-premier Tanaka arrested (Lockheed Affair) 1992 - Nelson Mandela says a general strike will go ahead to protest for the removal of South African President F. W. de Klerk from power and for free elections 1993 - Mafia bombs historical buildings in Rome, Milan and Vatican City, 5 killed 1997 - "Candide" closes at Gershwin Theater NYC after 103 performances 2019 - At least 65 mourners killed in a gun attack at a funeral near Maiduguri, by suspected Boko Haram militants in north-east Nigeria 2021 - American gymnast and four-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles withdraws from the women's team final at the Tokyo Games citing need to focus on her mental health; also misses individual finals More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1927 - Mel Ott, 18, hits his 1st league home run (inside the park) 1987 - John Demjanjuk, accused Nazi "Ivan the Terrible", testifies in Israel 1997 - 84th Tour de France won by Jan Ullrich of Germany 1997 - Si Zerrouk massacre in Algeria; about 50 people killed. 1997 - British Senior Open Men's Golf, Royal Portrush GC: Gary Player of South Africa wins with birdie on 2nd playoff hole against countryman John Bland 2015 - Fiat Chrysler fined record $105 million by Us regulators over their number of car recalls More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1849 - John Hopkinson, British physicist and electrical engineer (Hopkinson's Law), born in Manchester (d. 1898) 1922 - Bob Thiele, American record producer (Impulse! Records), born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York (d. 1996) 1957 - Hansi Muller, German footballer, born in Stuttgart 1960 - Jo Durie, English tennis player, born in Bristol 1963 - Karrin Allyson, American jazz singer (Wild for You), born in Great Bend, Kansas 1986 - Courtney Kupets, American gymnast (World Championships champion 2002, 2003), born in Bedford, Texas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 916 - Kliment/Clemens van Ohrid, Bulgaria bishop of Ohrid/saint, dies 1675 - Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne, Marshal of France, dies at 63 1934 - Louis HG Lyautey, French minister of Defense (1916-17), dies at 79 1968 - Babe Adams, baseball player (b. 1882) 1990 - Elizabeth Allan, actress (Tale of 2 Cities, Camille, Java Head), dies 2011 - Richard Rutt, English bishop of Leicester, dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1822 - Secret meeting of Simón Bolívar and Jose de San Martin 1897 - 37.5 cm rainfall at Jewell, Maryland (state record) 1944 - Japanese suicide attack on US lines in Guam 1944 - Soviet troops arrive in Weichsel 1950 - Dodgers' Jim Russell is 1st to switch-hits HRs twice in a game 1957 - USSR launches 1st intercontinental multistage ballistic missile 1962 - Milwaukee Brave Warren Spahn sets HR record of 31 by a pitcher 1963 - Skopje, Yugoslavia, destroyed by earthquake, kills 1,000+ 1977 - USSR performs underground nuclear Test 2018 - Sir Paul McCartney performs a "secret" gig at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles began More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1755 - Giacomo Casanova is arrested in Venice for affront to religion and common decency and imprisoned in the Doge's Palace 1931 - 25th Tour de France won by Antonin Magne of France 1945 - After Labour landslide in general election, Clement Attlee becomes British Prime Minister 2009 - British Senior Open Men's Golf, Sunningdale: American Loren Roberts wins his second Open Senior title in a playoff with Mark McNulty and Fred Funk 2018 - Sir Paul McCartney performs a "secret" gig at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles began 2021 - Dominant British breaststroke swimmer Adam Peaty successfully defends his 100m title at the Tokyo Olympics beating Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands and Italian Nicolò Martinenghi More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1801 - John Drake Sloat, 1st Military Governor of California (Union Navy), born in Sloatsburg, New York (d. 1867) 1863 - Jāzeps Vītols, Latvian composer, born in Valmiera, Russian Empire (d. 1948) 1928 - Peter Lougheed, Canadian politician (10th Premier of Alberta), born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (d. 2012) 1931 - Patti Bown, American jazz pianist and composer (Gene Ammons, Quincy Jones), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 2008) 1957 - Nana Visitor, American actress (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), born in NYC, New York 1974 - Dean Sturridge, English football striker, born in Birmingham, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1471 - Pope Paul II [Pietro Barbo], Italian Pope (1464-71), dies at 54 1926 - Robert Todd Lincoln, American politician, lawyer, Captain (Union Army), diplomat, businessman, and son of President Abraham Lincoln, dies in his sleep at 82 1941 - Benjamin Lee Whorf, American linguist (the relation of language to thinking and cognition), dies at 44 1992 - Mary Wells, American pop and soul singer ("My Guy"), dies of laryngeal cancer at 49 2005 - Betty Astell, British actress (b. 1912) 2012 - Franz West, Austrian artist, dies at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1901 - Emily Hobhouse addresses public meetings in Britain on the concentration camps during the South African War 1907 - Korea becomes a protectorate of Japan 1942 - German troops strike at Tsym Lyanskaja 1943 - 1st warship named after an African American launched - USS Leonard Roy Harmon, a Buckley class destroyer 1964 - Race riot in Rochester, NY 1966 - Yankee manager Casey Stengel elected to Hall of Fame 1970 - Burt Bacharach and Hal David's song "(They Long to Be) Close to You" as sung by the Carpenters reaches #1 1993 - US Open Women's Golf, Crooked Stick GC: Lauri Merten fires a final round 68 (−4) to win her lone major title, 1 stroke ahead of runners-up Donna Andrews and Helen Alfredsson 1997 - Carroll O'Connor found not guilty of slandering Harry Perzigian 2018 - Liquid lake found on Mars under its South Pole by European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter reported in "Science" More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1940 - American John Sigmund begins swimming for 89 hours, 46 minutes from St. Louis to Caruthersville, Missouri in the Mississippi River; 292 miles, longest solo swim of all time 1943 - 1st warship named after an African American launched - USS Leonard Roy Harmon, a Buckley class destroyer 1961 - Roger Maris hits home runs 37, 38, 39 and 40 off of 4 Chicago White Sox pitchers in a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, NYC 1990 - Nadezhda Ryashkina of USSR sets 10K walk woman's record (41:56.23) 1997 - Howard Stern is fired from radio station, KEGL Dallas 2014 - Both Israel and Hamas review US Secretary of State John Kerry's proposal for an immediate ceasefire and meetings in Cairo More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1865 - Jac[obus] P. Thijsse, Dutch biologist and educator (Contact with Plants), born in Maastricht, Netherlands (d. 1945) 1930 - Maureen Forrester, Canadian operatic contralto (Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2010) 1944 - Molly Bennett Aiken, American foundation administrator (riding for the handicapped), born in Hollywood, California 1954 - Walter Payton, American Pro Football HOF running back (NFL MVP 1977; 9 x Pro Bowl; 5 x First Team All Pro; Chicago Bears), born in Columbia, Mississippi (d. 1999) 1957 - Daniel W. Bursch, NASA astronaut (STS 51, 68, 77), born in Bristol, Pennsylvania 1971 - Billy Wagner, American MLB pitcher (Houston Astros), born in Tannersville, Virginia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1580 - Baltazar Alvarez, Spanish Jesuit and writer, dies at 47 1759 - Johann Christoph Altnikol, German organist, bass singer, composer, and J.S. Bach's son-in-law and copyist, dies at 39 1870 - Pierre Dupont, French songwriter ("Les Bœufs"; "Le Chant du pain"), dies at 49 2013 - Mike Shipley, Australian audio engineer, and record producer of rock and country music (Paper Airplane), dies of an apparent suicide at 56 2014 - Carlo Bergonzi, Italian operatic tenor, dies at 90 2016 - Benito Wogatzki, German radio and TV writer (My Best Friends), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1701 - French trade rand soldier Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founds trading post at Fort Pontchartrain, later becomes the city of Detroit 1905 - International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Wimbledon: Laurence Doherty and Reggie Doherty beat Holcombe Ward and Beals Wright 8-10, 6-2, 6-2, 4-6, 8-6 to give British Isles an unassailable 3-0 lead over US (ends 5-0) 1927 - The Menin Gate war memorial is unveiled at Ypres 1929 - NY to San Francisco foot race ends (2½ months) winner is 60 year old Monteverde 1946 - 9 Spokane baseball players (Western League) die in a bus crash 1949 - 36th Tour de France won by Fausto Coppi of Italy 1974 - American newscaster Christine Chubbuck is the first person to commit suicide during a live TV broadcast at WXLT-TV 1979 - US President Jimmy Carter names Paul Volcker as Chairman of the Federal Reserve 1994 - Bodo kills 37 Muslims in Bashbari NE India 2013 - 80 people are killed and 140 are injured after a high-speed train derails in Santiago de Compostela, Spain More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1911 - Cleve's League Park hosts 1st unofficial ML All Star game (benefit game for Addie Joss' family). Cleveland Naps lose to All Stars 5-3 1923 - Allied Powers and Turkey sign peace treaty, Lausanne 1960 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Firestone CC: Jay Hebert wins his only major title by 1 stroke from Australian Jim Ferrier 1982 - "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" closes at E O'Neill NYC after 63 performances 1989 - Paula Gwynn, 22, crowned 21st Miss Black America 2005 - British Senior Open Men's Golf, Royal Aberdeen: Tom Watson wins his second Open Senior title in a playoff with Ireland's Des Smyth More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1924 - Edward Digby, 12th Baron Digby, British Army (Coldstream Guards) officer (d. 2018) 1934 - Jimmy Holiday, American soul singer ("How Can I Forget"; Baby I Love You"), and songwriter ("Put A Little Love In Your Heart"), born in Sallis, Mississippi (d. 1987) 1935 - Pat Oliphant, Australian cartoonist (7 Pres: The Art of Oliphant) 1947 - Michael Coveney, English drama critic (The Observer, The Daily Mail), born in London, England 1954 - Philippe Alliot, French Formula One race driver, born in Voves, France 1961 - Paul Geary, American heavy metal drummer (Extreme), born in Medofrd, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1712 - Cornelis earl of Nassau, general-major/mister of Woudenberg, dies 1756 - George Vertue, engraver, dies 1826 - Jacob Kimball, American pioneering composer and musician, dies at 65 1842 - John Sell Cotman, landscape painter, dies 1996 - Howard Vernon, Swiss actor (Love and Death, Delicatessen), dies at 82 1997 - Andrew Cunanan, American serial killer (Gianni Versace), commits suicide at 27 More Famous Deaths »