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Historical Events 1703 - Portugal signs treaty with England to become a Great Covenant 1863 - South defeats North in Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia 1936 - Sergei Prokofiev's musical "Peter and the Wolf" premieres in Moscow 1962 - OAS strikes in Algeria 1972 - 126 killed in an electrical fire in Sunshine Silver mine, Kellogg, Idaho 1975 - Apple records closes down More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1360 - Yongle, Emperor of the Ming Empire (1402-24), born in Yingtian, Yuan Empire, China (d. 1424) 1855 - Theodore Moses Tobani, German composer, born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1933) 1920 - Otto Buchsbaum, Austrian writer and ecological activist, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2000) 1938 - Moshoeshoe II, King of Lesotho (1966-90), born in Morija, Lesotho (d. 1996) 1947 - James Dyson, British inventor, industrial designer, and entrepreneur (bagless vacuum cleaner; bladeless fan), born in Cromer, Norfolk, England 1966 - Belinda Stronach, Canadian businesswoman and politician, born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1963 - Van Wyck Brooks, American literary historian and writer (Ordeal of Mark Twain), dies at 77 2003 - George Wyle [Bernard Weissman], American composer ("The Ballad of Gilligan's Island"; "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"), and orchestra leader (The Flip Wilson Show), dies at 87 2004 - John MacKenzie, Scottish-Canadian bagpiper and pipe-major, dies at 83 2018 - Cliff Watson, English rugby league front rower (30 Tests GB, 4 England; St Helens 373 games, Cronulla-Sutherland), dies of cancer at 78 2021 - Bobby Unser, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1968, 1975, 1981; USAC C'ship 1968, 1974), dies at 87 2022 - Yuri Vasenin, Russian soccer midfielder (9 caps USSR; FC Zorya Voroshylovhrad), dies at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1682 - Louis XIV and his court inaugurate Paris Observatory 1920 - Longest MLB game by innings - Brooklyn Robins tie the Boston Braves, 1-1, in 26 innings 1957 - Flevo Boys Football Club is established in Emmeloord, the Netherlands 1959 - West Germany introduces 5 day work week 1960 - 7th National Film Awards (India): "Apur Sansar" wins the Golden Lotus 1961 - Tanganyika granted full internal self-government by Britain 1991 - Angolan civil war ends 1995 - Montreal Canadiens lose 2-0 at Buffalo to miss Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 25 years 2010 - 136th Kentucky Derby: Calvin Borel wins aboard Super Saver, his third Derby success in 4 years 2012 - Guggenheim Partners make the largest ever purchase of a sports franchise after buying the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2.1 billion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1930 - Cricket master batsman Don Bradman scores 236 for Australia v Worcestershire in his first 1st class innings in England 1947 - Cleveland Indians abandon League Park (venue for weekday games) to play all MLB games at Municipal Stadium 1972 - North Vietnamese troops occupy Quang Tri Activities Committee 1989 - 135 acre Disney's MGM studio theme park officially opens to public in Lake Buena Vista, Florida 2019 - UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson fired over leaking information about Huawei deal from a UK National Security Council meeting by Theresa May 2022 - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Adolf Hitler "had Jewish blood" in interview on Italian TV, prompting outrage from Israel More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1238 - Magnus VI Lagabuter, King of Norway (1263-80), born in Tønsberg, Norway (d. 1280) 1896 - J. Lawton Collins, American general, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1987) 1910 - Cliff Battles, American College/Pro Football HOF halfback (West Virginia Wesleyan College; 3 x First-Team All-Pro; NFL rushing yards leader 1932, 37; Boston Braves/Redskins, Washington Redskins), born in Akron, Ohio (d. 1981) 1941 - Barbara Barendrecht [BHM Wurfbain], actress (Dirty Picture) 1947 - Carlos Ward, rocker (B T Express) 1986 - Christian Benítez, Ecuadorian soccer striker (58 caps; El Nacional, Santos Laguna, América), born in Quito, Ecuador (d. 2013) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1277 - Stefanus IV Uros I de Great, King of Serbia (1243-76), dies 1903 - Arthur Haygarth, English cricket batsman (Middlesex and Surrey, cricket historian), dies at 77 1941 - John R Locksmith de Brown, vicar/CHU-politician, dies at 71 1965 - Leo Spies, Russian-born German composer, dies at 65 2014 - Juan de Dios Castillo, Mexican soccer coach (Copa Centroamericana 2011 Honduras; El Salvador), dies of skin cancer at 63 2014 - Assaf Dayan, Israeli actor (He Walked Through the Fields), dies at 68 More Famous Deaths »

1483 - Orbital calculations suggest that on this day, Pluto moved inside Neptune's orbit until July 23, 1503 1598 - 1st theater performance in America (Spanish comedy-Rio Grande) 1888 - 1888 Moradabad hailstorm: hail stones allegedly as big as oranges kill 246 people and some 1600 sheep and cattle in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 1920 - The British Government ends military conscription 1934 - Austria gets "Austrian fascist" constitution 1982 - Alvaro Magana chosen to succeed Jose N Duarte as President of El Salvador 1986 - Ashrita Furman performs 8,341 somersaults over 12 miles 1987 - Lou Lamoriello is named NJ Devils President 2008 - David Blaine sets a new Guinness World Record for holding his breath underwater for 17 minutes 4-1/2 seconds on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" 2012 - Overloaded ferry in the Brahmaputra River, India, killing 103 people More Historical Events »

Historical Events 311 - Roman Emperor Galerius issues Edict of Toleration, ending persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire 1492 - Christopher Columbus is given royal commission by Spanish monarchs Isabella I and Ferdinand II to equip his fleet to the New World 1506 - Philip of Burgundy and England sign trade agreement 1789 - George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America at Federal Hall in NYC 1947 - Boulder Dam renamed in honor of Herbert Hoover 1958 - Ted Williams is 10th major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1919 - Valeer van Kerkhove, Flemish writer (De Bungalow), born in Sleidinge, Belgium (d. 1982) 1949 - Phil Garner, American baseball player and manager (Astros), born in Jefferson City, Tennessee 1959 - Stephen Harper, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada (2006-15), born in Toronto, Ontario 1963 - Steve Smith, NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks), born in Glasgow, Scotland 1977 - Pell James, American actress, born in Virginia 1980 - Sam Heughan, Scottish actor (Outlander), born in Balmaclellan, Scotland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 65 - Lucan, Roman poet (Bellum Civile), forced to commit suicide after taking part in attempt to overthrow Emperor Nero dies at 25 1942 - Catherine Murphy Urner, American composer, dies at 51 1970 - Jacob Presser, Dutch historian and writer (Ashes in the Wind), dies at 71 1973 - Josie Sedgwick, American actress (The Best Man, Queen of the Round-Up), dies of stroke at 75 1974 - Agnes Moorehead, American actress (Endora in Bewitched), dies of uterine cancer at 73 2005 - Ron Todd, TGWU General Secretary (1985 - 1992) (b. 1927) More Famous Deaths »

1636 - Prince Frederick Henry occupies Schenkenschans fortress after a nine-month siege during the Dutch Revolt 1942 - Japanese troop march into Lashio, cutting off Burma Road 1945 - Japanese army evacuates Rangoon, British Burma 1953 - Milwaukee Braves' Joe Adcock is 1st to homer into Polo Grounds center field bleachers 1971 - Boeing receives contract for Mariner 10, Mercury exploration 1991 - "Don't Rock the Jukebox" single released by Alan Jackson (ASCAP Award Country Song of the Year, 1992; Billboard Song of the Year, 1991) 1995 - KC Royal John Nonely is 70th to HR on his 1st at bat 2012 - International Chemical Weapons Convention deadline for chemical weapon stockpiles comes into effect 2017 - 3 tornadoes hit south east of Dallas, Texas, killing 5 2022 - London court sentences retired tennis star Boris Becker to 2-1/2 years in prison for hiding assets during bankruptcy proceedings More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1922 - 1st official International Weightlifting Federation Champ in Tallinn, Estonia 1991 - Earthquake in Georgia, kills 100 1992 - Sheena Easton collapses on stage while performing in "Man of LaMancha" 2006 - NFL Draft: North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams first pick from Houston Texans 2019 - Sports Illustrated features a Muslim model, Halima Aden, in a Burkini for the first time in their swimsuit edition 2019 - Indonesia is plans to relocate its capital from Jakarta due to the city sinking, according to a government minister More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1896 - Walter Mehring, German writer (Die Gedichte, Lieder und Chansons des Walter Mehring), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1981) 1927 - (Cecil James) "Big Jay" McNeely, American RandB saxophonist, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2018) 1929 - [John] Jeremy Thorpe, British politician, Leader of the Liberal Party (Norman Scott scandal), born in London, England (d. 2014) 1929 - April Stevens [Caroline LoTempio], American vocalist ("Deep Purple" - the song, not the band), born in Niagara Falls, New York (d. 2023) 1960 - Joseph Guzaldo, American actor (Stir Crazy), born in Chicago, Illinois 1978 - Bob Bryan, American professional tennis player (23 x Grand Slam Doubles titles; Olympic gold 2012; 4 x ATP Tour Finals; Davis Cup 2007), born in Oxnard, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 852 - Amalarius [Fortunatus] Frankish Bishop of Metz and Lyon, dies at 76 1943 - Karl Adrian Wohlfart, Swedish composer, dies at 68 1996 - David William Eric Davis, broadcaster, dies at 87 2010 - Johannes Fritsch, German composer, dies at 68 2015 - Calvin Peete, American golfer (12 PGA Tour titles), dies of lung cancer at 71 2020 - Irrfan Khan, Indian film producer and actor (Paan Singh Tomar, Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi), dies of cancer at 53 More Famous Deaths »

1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne confirmed by election. Killing carried out by Hashshashin. 1959 - KPLR TV channel 11 in Saint Louis, MO (IND) begins broadcasting 1966 - 38th Academy Awards: "The Sound of Music", Julie Christie and Lee Marvin win 1969 - Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France 1980 - Cyrus Vance, Carter's US Secretary of State, resigns 1983 - Argentine government declares all 15-30,000 missing persons dead 1988 - Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 roof tears off in flight; kills stewardess 2007 - NFL Draft: LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell first pick by Oakland Raiders 2013 - 8 people are killed and dozens are injured after Taliban attacks on election candidates in Pakistan 2016 - NFL Draft: Cal quarterback Jared Goff first pick by Los Angeles Rams More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1253 - -May 7th) Utrecht destroyed by fire 1865 - Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "L'Africaine" premieres in Paris 1901 - Cleveland's Bock Baker gives up a record 23 singles as White Sox beat Blues (Cleveland Blues!) 13-1 1919 - American stuntman and parachute developer Leslie Irvin (23) makes first premeditated free-fall parachute jump from a plane above US the Army Air Service's McCook Field near Dayton, Ohio 1971 - Dutch social democratic party/D'66/DS'70 win parliamentary election 1988 - Baltimore Orioles lose AL record 21 games in a row More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1753 - Franz K. Achard, German physicist and chemist, born in Berlin (d. 1821) 1902 - Johan Borgen, Norwegian author (Lillelord), born in Kristiana, Norway (d. 1979) 1944 - Elizabeth LeCompte, American theater director (founding member of The Wooster Group), born in New Jersey 1964 - Noriyuki Iwadare, Japanese video game music composer, born in Matsumoto City, Nagano, Japan 1979 - Bahram Radan, Iranian actor (The Passion of Love), born in Tehran, Iran 1986 - George [Nozuka], Canadian-Japanese RandB singer-songwriter ("Talk To Me"), born in New York City More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1109 - Saint Hugh of Cluny, 6th abbot of Cluny, dies at 84 1974 - Paul Page, American actor (Girl From Havana, Moth), dies at 70 1993 - Jim Valvano, American basketball coach (NC State), dies of cancer at 47 1997 - Ann Lane Petry, American journalist and author (Street), dies at 88 2000 - Jerzy Einhorn, Polish-Swedish doctor, researcher and politician, dies at 74 2016 - Jenny Diski, English writer (Stranger on a Train), dies of cancer at 68 More Famous Deaths »

1956 - Undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano, retires from the ring 1960 - 1st atomic powered electric-drive submarine launched (Tullibee) 1965 - "I'm Solomon" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 7 performances 1984 - Cleveland Indians beat Detroit Tigers, 8-4, in 19 innings 1989 - Beijing students take over Tiananmen Square in China 1991 - Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by David Ozio 1992 - "Small Family Business" opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 48 performances 2007 - Estonian authorities remove the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet Red Army war memorial in Tallinn, amid political controversy with Russia. 2014 - Ariana Grande's first single from her album, "Problem" featuring Iggy Azalea, is released 2021 - Pfizer announces it is working on a new antiviral therapy to treat COVID-19 at its onset and prevent hospitalization More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1942 - Belgian Jews are forced to wear stars 1950 - South Africa passes Group Areas Act segregating races 1973 - KC Royals pitcher Steve Busby no-hits Detroit Tigers, 3-0 1983 - Nolan Ryan becomes strikeout king (3,509), passing Walter Johnson 2018 - German leader Angela Merkel has a 1-day trip to Washington, DC, meeting US President Donald Trump 2019 - Pope Francis donates $500,000 for migrants stranded in Mexico trying to reach the US More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1904 - Arthur F. Burns, American economist and chairman (Federal Reserve Board), born in Stanislau, Austria-Hungary (d. 1987) 1942 - John Shrapnel, English actor, born in Birmingham, Warwickshire 1962 - Edvard Moser, Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist (2014 Nobel Prize for Physiology for discovery of place cells), born in Ålesund, Norway 1976 - Isobel Campbell, Scottish singer and composer, born in Glasgow, Scotland 1984 - Frank Carter, British musician (Gallows) and tattooist, born in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England 1987 - William Moseley, British actor (The Chronicles of Narnia - Peter Pevensie), born in Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 630 - King Ardashir III of Persia, Sasanian shah of Iran, dies at 9 1873 - William Charles Macready, British actor, manager, and diarist, dies at 80 1937 - Antonio Gramsci, Italian philosopher and Marxist theorist, dies at 46 1988 - David Scarboro, British actor, dies at 20 1999 - Cyril Washbrook, English cricket batsman (37 Tests, 6 x 100, HS 195; Lancashire CCC), dies at 84 2022 - Judy Henske, American folk singer (High Flying Bird), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1952 - US minesweeper Hobson rams aircraft carrier Wasp, kills 176 1954 - "Seven Samurai", Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune, is released 1954 - Mass trials of Jonas Salk's anti-polio vaccine begin; the first shot is delivered in Fairfax County, Virginia; more than 443,000 children receive shots over three months 1954 - Far Eastern Affairs conference opens in Geneva 1957 - Jamestown, Virginia 350th Anniversary Festival opens 1961 - French paratroopers' revolt suppressed in Algeria 1961 - Roger Maris hits 1st of 61 homers in 1961 1964 - Tanganyika and Zanzibar form The United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar 1974 - Landslide in Huancavelica Province Peru creates a natural dam 1982 - Argentina surrenders to Great Britain on South Georgia Island, near the Falkland Islands More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1848 - Alfred Russel Wallace departs the U.K. for South America, beginning four years of travel, collecting, and research in the region 1904 - Bell Telephone Company of Antwerp Belgium forms 1925 - Artist Diego Rivera resigns from the Mexican Communist Party 1991 - 23 killed in Kansas and Oklahoma by tornadoes 2018 - Serial killer "Golden State Killer" identified after 40 years as a former police officer, responsible for 12 killings, 50 rapes in California 2022 - Russia says it will stop supplying gas to Poland and Bulgaria, after the countries refused to pay in rubles, escalating the energy supply standoff between Russia and Europe More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1798 - Eugène Delacroix, French painter and etcher (Journal), born in Charenton-Saint-Maurice, Île-de-France, France (d. 1863) 1827 - Charles Edward Hovey, American lobbyist and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Thetford, Vermont (d. 1897) 1863 - Charles Haslewood Shannon, English lithographer and painter, born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire (d. 1937) 1883 - Harry Sothern, British actor (Blind Wives, Buck Rogers), born in London, England (d. 1957) 1922 - Mike Kellin [Myron Kellin], American actor (Pipe Dream, American Buffalo), born in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 1983) 1981 - Caro Emerald [Caroline van der Leeuw], Dutch singer ("On A Night Like This"), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1660 - Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, German princess and consort of Brandenburg as the wife of George William, dies at 62 1944 - Violette Morris, French athlete and spy for Nazi Germany, dies at 51 1976 - Allan Jackson, American newscaster (Youth Takes a Stand), dies at 60 1986 - Bessie Love, American actress (Broadway Melody, Isadora), dies at 87 1989 - Lucille Ball, American comedienne and actress (I Love Lucy; Mame), dies of a heart attack at 77 1991 - Leo Arnaud, French-American composer (Bugler's Dream), dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1864 - Battle of Marks' Mill, Arkansas (Camden Expedition) 1941 - Operation Mercury: Adolf Hitler orders the conquest of the island of Crete, the first mainly airborne invasion in military history 1945 - Soviet forces complete their encirclement of Berlin, cutting off all access points west of the German capital 1949 - Friedrich Durrenmatt's "Romulus der Grosse" premieres in Basel 1959 - St Lawrence Seaway linking Atlantic and the Great Lakes opens to shipping 1966 - Drunk driver kills 10 children in Asse, Belgium 1990 - Violeta Barrios de Chamorro begins a 6-year term as Nicaragua's president 1997 - Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey Jr. hits his 250th HR 2015 - 100 year anniversary of the Gallipoli Peninsula landings in Turkey by ANZAC forces during WWI 2022 - Twitter announces a deal to sell itself to Elon Musk for $44 billion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1792 - "La Marseillaise", later the national anthem of France, is composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg 1945 - Clandestine Radio 1212, used to hoax Nazi Germany's final transmission 1945 - 45 countries convene UN Conference on Intl Organization in San Francisco 1983 - Portugal's Mário Soares' Partido Socialista wins parliamentary election 1993 - NFL Draft: Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe first pick by New England Patriots 2018 - Danish inventor Peter Madsen found guilty of killing and desecrating body of journalist Kim Wall aboard submarine, sentenced to life imprisonment More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1824 - Gustave Boulanger, French painter, born in Paris (d. 1888) 1897 - Paula Trueman, American actress (Dirty Dancing), born in NYC, New York (d. 1994) 1906 - Zoltán Gárdonyi, Hungarian composer, born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 1986) 1907 - Vasily Pavlovich Solov'yov-Sedoy, Russian composer, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1979) 1969 - Gina Torres, American actress (Firefly, Suits), born in NYC, New York 1977 - Matthew West, American Christian musician and singer ("Happy"), born in Downers Grove, Illinois More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1926 - Ellen Key, Swedish author and feminist (Courageous Woman), dies at 76 1960 - Ilmari Krohn, Finnish composer, dies at 92 1988 - Carolyn Franklin, American singer-songwriter, sister of Aretha, dies of cancer at 43 2013 - Jacob Avshalomov, Russian-American composer (Symphony of Songs; The Oregon), conductor (Portland Youth Philharmonic, 1954-91), and pedagogue, dies at 94 2013 - Virginia Gibson, American actress, dies at 88 2020 - Richard Divila, Brazilian motorsports designer (Fittipaldi Automotive; Ligier, Nissan), dies at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1311 - General Malik Kafur returns to Delhi after campaign in South India 1704 - 1st continuously published newspaper in America - The Boston News-Letter published in Boston by John Campbell 1872 - Volcano Mt Vesuvius erupts in Italy 1915 - German army fires chloroform gas in Ypres (Leper) 1954 - Australia and USSR break diplomatic relations 1955 - KFDM TV channel 6 in Beaumont, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting 1968 - Mauritius becomes a member state of the United Nations. 1979 - US State of Georgia designates Ray Charles' rendition of "Georgia On My Mind" (written by Hoagy Carmichael) as official state song 1987 - Howard Stern holds a free speech rally at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, NYC 2013 - 33 people are killed and 115 are injured after a magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes Jalalabad, Afghanistan More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1823 - Eugene Scribes opera "Le Menteur Veridique" premieres in Paris 1899 - Transvaal British Uitlanders ask Queen Victoria for aid 1917 - Yankee lefty George Mogridge no-hits Red Sox 2-1 at Fenway 1969 - Car firm British Leyland launch the Austin Maxi in Oporto Portugal 2007 - Iceland announces that Norway will shoulder the defense of Iceland during peacetime 2018 - Ed Sheeran's "÷" is the best-selling album of 2017, selling 6.1 million copies, according to IFPI More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1706 - Giovanni Battista Martini, Italian Conventual Franciscan friar and composer, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1784) 1766 - Robert Bailey Thomas, American journalist and founder (The Farmer's Almanac), born in Grafton, Massachusetts (d. 1846) 1845 - Carl Spitteler, Swiss poet (Prometheus and Epimetheus; Nobel 1919), born in Liestal, Switzerland (d. 1924) 1927 - Seymour Bernstein, American concert pianist, teacher, and composer, born in Newark, New Jersey 1933 - Claire Davenport, English actress (The Elephant Man), born in Sale, Cheshire, England (d. 2002) 1945 - Larry Tesler, American computer scientist (invented copy, cut, paste), born in The Bronx, New York (d. 2020) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1185 - Antoku Taira, emperor of Japan (1180-85), drowns 1928 - Ferdinand Hummel, German composer, dies at 72 1998 - Mel Powell [Epstein], American composer (Duplicates: A Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra - Pulitzer Prize for Music, 1990), dies from liver cancer at 75 2004 - Estée Lauder [Josephine Esther Mentzer], American entrepreneur (Estée Lauder cosmetics), dies of cardiopulmonary arrest at 97 2016 - Jan Henrik Kayser, Norwegian concert pianist (Grieg Prize, 1978), dies at 83 2017 - Benjamin Barber, American political theorist (Jihad vs. McWorld), dies at 77 More Famous Deaths »

1343 - St. George's Night Uprising in Estonia 1633 - Sweden and Protestant German monarchy form Union of Heilbronn 1918 - Raid of Zeebrugge; the British navy attempts to block German vessels from leaving port by sinking obsolete ships - mostly fails 1942 - 4-day allied bombing on Rostock begins 1943 - British and US offensive directed at Tunis and Bizerta 1954 - Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits 1st of his 755 homers 1996 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Reno NV on KRZQ 96.5 FM 2001 - Fatboy Slim releases single "Weapon of Choice", music video directed by Spike Jonze starring Christopher Walken dancing 2013 - 21 people are killed during violent unrest in Xinjiang, China 2013 - West Indian cricketer, Chris Gayle, smashes the fastest century in history (30 balls) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1798 - Dutch emperor accepts new Constitution 1919 - US Major League Baseball opens a reduced 140-game season 1959 - 1st heliport in Britain opens in London 1967 - Soyuz 1 launched; Vladimir Komarov becomes 1st in-flight casualty 1969 - ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Jim Chestney 1997 - 32nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Brooks and Dunn, George Strait, and Patty Loveless win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1629 - Jan Commelin, Dutch botanist and director of Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, born in Leiden, Netherlands (d. 1692) 1747 - Abbé Alexandre-Auguste Robineau, French composer and painter, born in Paris (d. 1828) 1908 - Myron Waldman, American animator (Fleischer Studio), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2006) 1948 - Pascal Quignard, French author (Les Ombres), born in Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure, France 1949 - Joyce DeWitt, American actress (Janet Wood-Three's Company), born in Wheeling, West Virginia 1988 - Alistair Brownlee, British triathlete (Olympic gold 2012, 16), born in Dewsbury, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1014 - Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, dies in battle at Clontarf 1728 - Tomas de Torrejon y Velasco, Spanish composer based in Peru, dies at 83 1880 - Raden Saleh [Raden Saleh Sjarif Boestaman], Indonesian romantic painter, dies at about 69 1915 - Rupert Brooke, British WW I poet (Lithuania, The Soldier), dies at 27 1929 - Rudolf Nilsen, Norwegian poet (Hverdagen), dies of tuberculosis at 28 2006 - Susan Browning, American actress (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman - "Pat"), dies at 65 More Famous Deaths »

1500 - Pedro Álvares Cabral is the first european to discover Brazil, landing near Monte Pascoal, claims it for Portugal 1804 - Gioachino Rossini performs as a singer in Imola, Italy, aged only 12 years old 1871 - All German Jews emancipated after the German Constitution adopted by its last state Bavaria 1893 - Paul Kruger elected President of Transvaal for the third time 1971 - Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 10 launched 1981 - Almost 1 million West German metal workers go on strike 1991 - Frank Thomas is 1st White Sox to homer at new Comiskey Park 1993 - Holocaust Memorial Museum dedicated in Washington, D.C. 1993 - Seattle Mariner Chris Basio no-hits Boston Red Sox 2000 - The Big Number Change takes place in the United Kingdom More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1526 - 1st slave revolt in North America at San Miguel de Gualdape, a Spanish settlement (now part of South Carolina) 1964 - World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, Corona Park, NY opens 1983 - Stern mag announces major historical find-discovery of 60 volume personal diaries written by Adolf Hitler (turned out to be a hoax) 2010 - NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford first pick by St. Louis Rams 2018 - Monte Carlo Tennis Masters: Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to extend his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11) 2019 - Marvel film "Avengers: Endgame" directed by Anthony and Joe Russo starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and an ensemble cast, premieres in Los Angeles More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1844 - Lewis Powell, American Confederate soldier who was part of the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln and who attempted to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward, born in Randolph, Alabama (d. 1865) 1935 - Dick Conway, New Zealand rugby union flanker/#8 (10 Tests; Otago RFU, Bay of Plenty RU), born in Whakatāne, New Zealand (d. 2022) 1939 - Jason Miller, American actor and writer (Exorcist, Light of Day), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania (d. 2001) 1967 - Sherri Shepherd, American comedian, actress, and television personality The View, 2007-14), born in Chicago, Illinois 1969 - Bobby Olive, NFL wide receiver (Indianapolis Colts) 1978 - Jason Stollsteimer, American singer (The Von Bondies) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1833 - Richard Trevithick, English inventor (steam locomotive), dies at 62 1883 - Octave Fouque, French pianist and composer, dies at 38 1951 - Stanley Ridges, British-born actor (possessed, Sgt York, Mr Ace), dies at 59 1967 - Tom Conway {Sanders], British radio and screen actor (The Falcon's Brother; I Cheated The Law; The Betty Hutton Show), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 62 1990 - Albert Salmi, American stage and screen character actor (Caddyshack; The Brothers Karamazov; Bus Stop), kills terminally ill wife and self at 62 2001 - Ludvig Nielsen, Norwegian organist, composer, choir director, and conductor (Nidaros Cathedral, 1935-76), dies at 95 More Famous Deaths »

1862 - Ellen Price Wood's "East Lynne" premieres in Boston 1865 - Abraham Lincoln's funeral train leaves Washington 1914 - US marines occupy Vera Cruz, a major Mexican port; they will stay for 6 months 1928 - "The Passion of Joan of Arc", directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, starring Renée Jeanne Falconetti and Eugène Silvain, is released in Denmark 1940 - 1st $64 Question, "Take It or Leave It," on CBS Radio 1945 - WWII: Allied troops occupy German nuclear laboratory in Haigerloch 1945 - WWII: Soviet army arrives at outskirts of Berlin, Germany 1961 - French army revolts in Algeria 1985 - Bomb attacks in NATO/AEG-Telefunken building in Brussels 2010 - "Shrek Forever After" directed by Mike Mitchell with voices by Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1796 - Napoleon and the French defeat the Piedmontese at Battle of Mondovi 1961 - Dirk Stikker chosen as secretary general of NATO 1965 - New York World's Fair reopens for 2nd and final season 1970 - The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) is formed; it attempts to appeal to Catholics and Protestant to unite in support of moderate policies 1987 - Dow Jones Average soared 664.7; 2nd biggest one-day gain in history 1996 - PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Hale Irwin beats Japan’s Isao Aoki by 2 strokes for his first of 4 Senior PGA Championships More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1488 - Ulrich von Hutten, German knight, scholar and poet (led Imperial Knights against Roman Catholic Church), born in Schlüchtern, Hesse (d. 1523) 1555 - Ludovico Carracci, Italian painter, born in Bologna, Italy (d. 1619) 1936 - Anthony Joseph Gnazzo, American electronic composer (First Things First), born in Plainville, Connecticut 1947 - John Weider, bassist (Family-Family Entertainment) 1971 - Alexander Kravchenko, Russian professional poker player 1975 - Danyon Loader, New Zealand 200m and 400m swimmer (2 Olympic gold medals 1996), born in Dunedin, New Zealand More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1719 - Philippe de la Hire, French mathematician and historian (b. 1640) 1930 - Robert Bridges, English poet (Testament of beauty) and British Poet Laureate (1913-30), dies at 85 1993 - Hal Schumacher, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1933; MLB All-Star 1933, 35; New York Giants), dies at 82 1996 - A H Kardar, cricketer (3 Tests for India and 23 for Pak 1946-58), dies 2017 - Ugo Ehiogu, English soccer defender (4 caps; Aston Villa, Middlesborough), dies from cardiac arrest at 44 2018 - Verne Troyer, American actor (Mini-Me in Austin Powers movies), dies at 49 More Famous Deaths »

1939 - Ted Williams' first MLB hit comes off of NY Yankees fellow future HOF'er Red Ruffing in Boston's 2-0 opening day defeat at Yankee Stadium, NYC 1951 - Velsen city council demands investigation of police collaborators 1963 - 10th National Film Awards (India): "Dada Thakur" wins the Golden Lotus 1981 - Rocker Papa John Phillips arrested for drug possession 1985 - ATF raid on The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord compound in northern Arkansas 1987 - US deports Karl Linnas to USSR, charged with Nazi war crimes 1987 - 91st Boston Marathon: Toshihiko Seko of Japan wins 2nd title in 2:11:50; Rosa Mota of Portugal claims women's event in 2:25:21; her first of 3 race victories 1994 - Serbian army bombs hospital in Goradze Bosnia, 47 killed 1997 - 27th Easter Seal Telethon raises $47,392,682 2021 - Record number of new COVID-19 cases reported (5.24 million) in one week around the world according to WHO, with a third in India More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1810 - The Governors of Caracas declares the national sovereignty from Spain 1871 - US 3rd Enforcement Act (President can suspend writ of habeas corpus) 1899 - David Beatty is appointed executive officer of the HMS Barfleur, a small battleship and flagship of the China Station 1942 - German occupiers forbids Dutch access to their beach 1968 - Pierre Trudeau sworn in as Canada's 15th Prime Minister 1972 - Virgil Thomson's final opera, "Lord Byron", with libretto by Jack Larson, first performance at Lincoln Center, New York City More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1705 - Balthasar Schmid, German composer and printer, born in Nuremberg, Bavaria (d. 1749) 1915 - Joseph Wolpe, South African psychotherapist, born in Johannesburg, South Africa (d. 1997) 1963 - Aubrey de Grey, British biomedical gerontologist, born in London 1964 - Andy Serkis, English actor (Gollum in Lord of the Rings), born in London, England 1965 - Kostas Hatzidakis, Greek politician (New Democracy Party), born in Rethymno, Greece 1965 - Adrian Fernández, Mexican racing driver and co-owner of the Fernandez Racing team, born in Mexico City More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1887 - Muhammad Sharif Pasha, Egyptian statesman (b. 1826) 1912 - Bram Stoker, Irish theater manager and author (Dracula), dies at 64 1971 - Cecil Parker, British actor (The Lady Vanishes, Indiscreet, Tale of 2 Cities), dies at 73 1973 - Elisabeth Hauptmann, German writer (co-author of The Threepenny Opera), dies at 75 1995 - Tessie O'Shea, Welsh stage and screen entertainer, dies at 81 1996 - Christopher Robin Milne, bookseller, dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »