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1941 - Romania breaks relations with Netherlands 1952 - Britain's Jeannette Altwegg wins the Olympic women’s figure skating gold medal at the Olso Winter Games ahead of American Tenley Albright, who goes on to win in Cortina d'Ampezzo (1956) 1972 - 14th Daytona 500: A. J. Foyt dominates the race, winning by almost 2 laps over his closest competitor Charlie Glotzbach 1978 - Bob Backland beats "Superstar" Billy Graham in NYC, to become WWF wrestling champion 1980 - Soviet cross-country skier Nikolay Zimyatov wins his 2nd gold medal of the Lake Placid Winter Olympics as part of the 4 x 10k relay; also wins 30k and 50k gold 1994 - Johann Olav Koss skates world record 10 km (13:30.55) 2011 - 53rd Daytona 500: 20-year-old Trevor Bayne, driving for Wood Brothers Racing, wins to become the youngest Daytona 500 winner 2021 - Bloodiest day of protests in Myanmar since its coup after security forces open fire, killing two people with 40 wounded in Mandalay More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1869 - Tennessee Governor W C Brownlow declares martial law in Ku Klux Klan crisis 1873 - British Naval Officer John Moresby is the first European to discover Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, claims it for the United Kingdom 1877 - 1st cantilever bridge in US completed, Harrodsburg, Kentucky 1944 - World War II: The "Big Week" began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers 1994 - Pope John Paul II demands juristic discrimination of homosexuals More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1809 - Henry Walton Wessells, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Lietchfield, Connecticut (d. 1889) 1883 - Shiga Naoya, Japanese novelist (Road Through Dark Night), born in Ishinomaki, Japan (d. 1971) 1934 - Bobby Unser, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1968, 1975, 1981; USAC C'ship 1968, 1974), born in Colorado Springs (d. 2021) 1985 - Julia Volkova, Russian pop singer (t.A.T.u. -single, "All the Things She Said"), born in Moscow 2003 - Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer-songwriter ("Driver's License"), born in Temecula, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1903 - Charles Doolittle, American general (Union volunteer), dies at 70 1995 - John Humphreys Whitfield, British scholar of Italian language and literature, dies at 88 2001 - Rosemary DeCamp, American radio, film, and television character actress (Love That Bob - "Margaret", That Girl - "Mrs. Marie"; The Partridge Family - "Amanda Renfrew"), dies of pneumonia at 90 2005 - Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), commits suicide via a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 67 2025 - David L. Boren, American politician (Governor of Oklahoma 1975-79; Sen-D-Oklahoma 1979-94), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »

842 - Medieval Iconoclastic Controversy ends as a council in Constantinople formally reinstates the veneration of icons in churches 1942 - Bill Longson beats Managoff and Sandor Szabo, to become wrestling champ 1949 - First Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Ezra Pound 1972 - The Asama-Sanso hostage standoff begins in Japan 1977 - Space Shuttle Enterprise makes its first test flight atop a 747 jetliner 1980 - Ulrich Wehling of East Germany wins his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the Nordic combined event at Lake Placid; winner Sapporo (1972), Innsbruck (1976) 1980 - Washington beats Montreal, 3-1 to end the Canadiens' 34 game unbeaten streak against Capitals; Caps 0-32-2 against Montreal since entering NHL in 1974 1987 - Musical revue "Stardust - The Mitchell Parish Musical", featuring songs of the Lithuanian-American lyricist, opens at Biltmore Theater, NYC; runs for 101 performances More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1869 - US Assay Office in Boise, Idaho authorized 1953 - William Inge's "Picnic" premieres in NYC 2018 - Syrian government forces bombard Gouta in deadliest day in 3 years, killing over 100 civilians 2018 - Nigeria says 110 girls missing, presumed kidnapped by Boko Haram after attack on school in Dapchi, Yobe state 2019 - Vatican confirms secret church guidelines for children of priests More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1473 - Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish mathematician and astronomer who theorized that planets revolve around the sun (Heliocentric theory), born in Toruń, Royal Prussia, Kingdom of Poland (d. 1543) 1906 - Grace Williams, Welsh composer (Penillion), and first British woman to score a feature film (Blue Scar), born in Barry, Wales (d. 1977) 1925 - Leslie Laing, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold men's 4x400m relay 1952 WR 3:03.9), born in Linstead, Saint Catherine, Jamaica (d. 2021) 1964 - Jennifer Doudna, American biochemist (2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for CRISPR Gene Editing), born in Washington D.C. 1971 - Glyn Milburn, American football running back/kick returner (First-team All-Pro 1999; Pro Bowl 1995, 99; Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1941 - Hamilton Harty, Irish composer and conductor called "the prince of accompanists", dies at 61 1943 - Lynne Overman, American actor (Reap the Wild Wind), dies from a heart attack at 55 1980 - (Ronald) "Bon" Scott, Australian rock musician, singer, and lyricist (AC/DC -"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)"), dies of acute alcohol poisoning at 33 2000 - Marin Goleminov, Bulgarian violinist, composer, and pedagogue, dies at 91 2008 - Yegor Letov, Russian rock poet, songwriter, and singer (Grazhdanskaya Oborona), dies of heart failure at 43 More Famous Deaths »

1563 - Huguenot Jean de Poltrot assassinates French General Duke François de Guise with a shot from his pistol 1804 - Ohio legislature approves establishment of Ohio University at Athens as the 1st university in Ohio; first classes are held in 1809 1814 - The Battle of Montereau; victory of French under Napoleon Bonaparte against Austrians and Württembergers under the King of Württemberg. 1919 - Cy Denneny of NHL Ottawa Senators scores record 52nd goal 1922 - WOC-AM in Davenport IA begins radio transmissions 1972 - Giulio Andreotti sworn in as premier of Italy for the 1st time 1980 - Soviet figure skater Irina Rodnina wins her 3rd consecutive Olympic pairs title at Lake Placid; gold medals with husband Alexander Zaitsev (1976, 80) and Alexei Ulanov (1972) 1984 - Revised Concordat between Italy and Vatican is signed More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1735 - First opera performed in America, "Flora," in Charleston, South Carolina 1856 - The American Party (Know-Nothings) convenes in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to nominate its first Presidential candidate, former President Millard Fillmore. 1900 - Battle at Paardeberg, 1,270 British killed/injured 1970 - US President Richard Nixon launches the "Nixon doctrine" 2019 - Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei says "There's no way the US can crush us" in interview with BBC, saying his daughter's arrest politically motivated More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1836 - Ramakrishna [Gadadhar Chatterji], Indian mystic and yogi (preached unity of religions), born in Kamarpukur, British India (d. 1886) 1884 - Burton "Burt" Mustin, American actor (All in the Family, The Andy Griffith Show), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1977) 1929 - Len Deighton, British spy novelist (The IPCRESS File; An Expensive Place to Die), cookbook writer, and illustrator, born in Marylebone, London 1939 - Maxine Clair, American poet and novelist (Rattlebone, October Suite), born in Kansas City, Kansas (d. 2025) 1957 - Vanna Marie White, American television host (Wheel of Fortune), born in Conway, South Carolina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1861 - Louis C Luzac, Dutch minister of Internal Affairs, dies at 74 1915 - Frank James, American outlaw (member of the James-Younger gang), dies at 72 1933 - James J. Corbett, American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1892-97), dies of liver cancer at 66 1993 - Kerry Von Erich, American professional wrestler, commits suicide at 33 1996 - Nicholas Beriozoff, Lithuanian-British dancer, choreographer and ballet master, dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1902 - A general strike in Barcelona and nearby towns leads to government-troop reprisals that leave 40 dead 1904 - Giacomo Puccini's opera "Madama Butterfly" premieres at La Scala in Milan, Italy 1927 - Toronto Maple Leafs, in the team's first game since changing name from "St. Patricks", beat the visiting New York Americans, 4-1 at the Mutual Street Arena 1939 - Katwijk soccer team forms in the Netherlands 1974 - 16th Daytona 500: Richard Petty first driver to win back-to-back titles at Daytona; his 5th Great American race 1985 - 3rd person to receive an artificial heart (Murray Haydon) 1997 - Weekly Standard shows evidence Larry Flint sexually abused his daughter 2014 - US Secretary of State John Kerry claims climate change requires urgent action and that only a small "window of time" remained open More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1865 - Union forces led by William T. Sherman capture the state capital of Columbia, South Carolina. The city is ablaze by nightfall, fanned by high winds devastating much of the city. It is not known which side started the fires. 1955 - KTVF TV channel 11 in Fairbanks, AK (CBS/ABC) begins broadcasting 1967 - Kosmos 140 (Soyuz Test) launches into Earth orbit 1987 - New York Yankees Don Mattingly wins highest salary arbitration ($1,975,000 per year) 2017 - Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GSA Today" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1774 - Raphaelle Peale, American painter (After the Rain, 1823), born in Annapolis, Maryland (d. 1825) 1945 - Roy Black, American defense attorney known for representing William Kennedy Smith and Jeffrey Epstein, born in Forest Hills, New York (d. 2025) 1950 - Rickey Medlocke, American rock guitarist, vocalist, and drummer (Blackfoot, 1969-97 - "Highway Song"' "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme"; Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1971-72 and 1996-present), born in Jackson, Florida 1968 - Aaron Blaise, American animator, painter, and film director (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Brother Bear, The Lion King), born in Burlington, Vermont 1969 - David Klingler, American NFL quarterback (Oakland Raiders, Cin Bengals), born in Houston, Texas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1612 - Ernest of Bavaria, Prince-elector-archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne, dies at 57 1951 - Nikoghayos Fadeyi Tigranyan, Armenian composer, dies at 94 1997 - Zein Isa, Palestinian militant imprisoned in the United States for the honor killing of his daughter 2003 - Frank Thistlethwaite, English academic and Vice Chancellor (University of East Anglia), dies at 87 2025 - Gerd Stern, American poet of the Beat era, multi-media artist (USCO), and cheese monger, dies at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1900 - Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Shamrocks beat Winnipeg Victorias, 5-4 to take challenge series, 3-1 1942 - Bangka Island massacre: Japanese soldiers machine-gun 22 Australian Army nurses and 60 Australian and British soldiers and crew members from two sunken ships. Only one nurse and two soldiers survive. 1966 - Australian cricket batsman Bob Cowper makes a patient 307 (727 mins, 20 x 4s) in drawn 5th Test v England in Melbourne 1969 - "Andrei Rublev", Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, starring Anatoly Solonitsyn and Ivan Lapikov, premieres in Moscow after a limited release in 1966 1972 - American guitar legend Chuck Berry and former Beatle John Lennon perform together, with Yoko Ono, on 'The Mike Douglas Show' TV program 1985 - Largest NBA crowd to date, 43,816, sees Philadelphia at Detroit 1999 - O.J. Simpson's 1968 Heisman Trophy is sold for $230,000 to help settle a $33.5 million civil judgement against Simpson for the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend 2021 - Athens and parts of Greece covered in unusual heavy snowfall More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1840 - American Charles Wilkes discovers the Shackleton Ice Shelf in Antarctica 1959 - Leonard Spigelgass' "Majority of One" premieres in NYC 1965 - Pegasus 1 launched to detect micro-meteors 1973 - West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st time since 1955 without Garfield Sobers 2021 - Athens and parts of Greece covered in unusual heavy snowfall More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1953 - André St. Laurent, Canadian NHL hockey forward, 1973-90 (New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, and 2 other teams), born in Rouyn, Quebec 1953 - George Martin, NFL defensive end, 1975-88 (NY Giants), born in Greenville, South Carolina 1958 - Ice-T [Tracy Marrow], American rapper ("O.G. Original Gangster"), and actor (New Jack City; Tank Girl; Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), born in Newark, New Jersey 1961 - Andy Taylor, British rock guitarist (Duran Duran - "Hungry Like the Wolf"; The Power Station), born in Tynemouth, England 1965 - Lucinda Riley, Northern Irish historical fiction and romance author (The Seven Sisters series, The Hidden Girl, The Italian Girl, The Angel tree), born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland (d. 2021) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1531 - Johannes Stöffler, German mathematician and astronomer, dies at 78 1857 - Auguste-Gaspard-Louis Desnoyers, French engraver, dies at 77 1933 - Archie Jackson, Australian cricket batsman (8 Tests, 1 x 100, HS 164; NSWCA), dies from tuberculosis at 23 1968 - (James) Healey Willan, British-Canadian organist, composer, and educator, dies at 87 2023 - Chuck Jackson, American pop and RandB singer ("Any Day Now"; "I Don't Want to Cry"; "I Keep Forgettin'"), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1898 - USS Maine sinks in Havana harbor, cause unknown, 258 sailors die 1933 - Social-democratic newspaper "Vorwarts" banned again in Berlin 1956 - Pirates and KC As cancel an exhibition game in Birmingham, Alabama, due to a local ordinance barring Black players from playing against White players 1959 - Antonio Segni forms Italian government 1985 - World chess championship match abandoned with Anatoly Karpov 25 leading Garry Kasparov 23 2000 - Indian Point II nuclear power plant in New York State vents a small amount of radioactive steam when a steam generator fails 2001 - First draft of the complete human genome is published in the journal "Nature" 2002 - At the Tri-State Crematory in La Fayette, Georgia, investigators find uncremated bodies disposed of in the woods and buildings on crematorium's property. One of the worst incidents of abuse in the funeral service industry. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1764 - St. Louis, Missouri founded as a French trading post by Pierre Laclède 1804 - New Jersey becomes last northern state to abolish slavery 1991 - Freighter with dynamite explodes in Phang Nga Thailand, 120 die 1991 - Daily market volatility as Hussein mentions withdrawal, but Bush calls his offer a "cruel hoax" 2018 - German figure skaters Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot set new ISU best free skating score of 159.31 on their way to pairs gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1835 - Alexander Stuart Webb, American Union general (medal for gallantry at Battle of Gettysburg), born in New York City (d. 1911) 1883 - Sax Rohmer [Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward], English author (Dr Fu Manchu novels), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1959) 1909 - Harold Beeley, British diplomat to the Arab world, born in Manchester, England (d. 2001) 1923 - Yelena Bonner, Soviet dissident and wife of Andre Sakharov, born in Merv, Turkmenistan, Soviet Union (d. 2011) 1968 - Axelle Red [Fabienne Demal], Belgian pop and soul singer-songwriter ("Sensualité", "Parce que c'est toi"),human rights activist, and UNICEF ambassador, born in Hasselt, Belgium More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1713 - Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, English politician and philosopher, dies at 41 1839 - Chevalier de Lorimier, Quebec notary (b. 1803) 1943 - Victor Harris, American organist, composer, conductor (St. Cecilia Society, 1902-36), vocal coach, and educator, dies at 73 1961 - Maribel Vinson, American figure skater (9 time US National Champion) and coach, dies in a plane crash at 49 2025 - Gran Hamada [Hiroaki Hamada], Japanese professional wrestler (New Japan Pro-Wrestling), dies at 74 More Famous Deaths »

1896 - George Lohmann takes a hat-trick for England v South Africa, 8-7 for inning - their lowest ever 1952 - Giant slalom event for women debuts at the Winter Olympics at Oslo Games; American skier Andrea Mead-Lawrence wins gold ahead of Dagmar Rom of Austria and German Annemarie Buchner 1953 - "Trionfo di Afrodite (Triumph of Aphrodite)", the final work of Carl Orff's Trionfi trilogy premieres at La Scala Teatro in Milan, Italy 1979 - Revival of Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn's musical comedy "Whoopee!" opens at ANTA Theater, NYC; runs for 204 performances 2010 - America's Cup: Team USA defeats Alinghi 2-0 to win in Spain 2016 - 69th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "The Revenant" Best Film, and Best Director - Alejandro González Iñárritu 2018 - South African President Jacob Zuma resigns from office 2024 - Indonesian presidential election: Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto appears to win by significant margin (full results 20 March) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1804 - Karadjordje leads the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire 1992 - Kieren John Perkins swims world record 800m freestyle (7:46.60) 1998 - Authorities in the United States announce that Eric Robert Rudolph is a suspect in an Alabama abortion clinic bombing 2013 - A suicide bombing kills 4 police officer and injures 5 in Dagestan 2023 - Rapper and musician Pharrell Williams appointed menswear designer for Louis Vuitton More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1870 - Bob Quinn, American baseball executive (owner Boston Red Sox 1923–33; part owner Boston Braves 1936–45; President National Baseball Hall of Fame 1948–51), born in Columbus, Ohio (d. 1954) 1932 - Peter Ball, British Church of England clergyman (Bishop of Gloucester. 1992-93; Bishop of Lewes, 1977-92), and convicted sex offender, born in West Sussex, England (d. 2019) 1941 - Donna Shalala, American educator and politician, US Secretary of Health under Bill Clinton (Rep-Florida 2019-21), born in Cleveland, Ohio 1953 - Wayne Siegel, American electro-acoustic contemporary classical composer, based in Denmark, born in Los Angeles, California 1994 - Becky Hill, English singer (The Voice UK, 2012; "Remember"), born in Bewdley, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1820 - Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, son of French King Charles X, assassinated by a Bonapartist at 42 1831 - Henry Maudslay, English inventor of the metal lathe, dies at 59 1857 - Johannes Bernardus van Bree, Dutch violinist, composer and conductor, dies at 56 1990 - Tony Holiday, German singer, dies of complications from AIDS at 38 2021 - Peter Martinček van Grob, Slovakian contemporary classical composer and conductor, dies at 58 More Famous Deaths »

1786 - Abraham Baldwin selected president of University of Georgia 1837 - Riot in New York due to a combination of poverty and increase in the cost of flour 1960 - "Beg, Borrow or Steal" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 5 performances 1984 - Karin Enke of East Germany wins her 2nd gold medal of the Sarajevo Winter Games, winning the women's 1,000m in Olympic record 1:21.61; also wins 1,500m gold 1995 - 3rd ESPY Awards: Steve Young, Bonnie Blair win 1996 - Death Row/Interscope Records releases rapper Tupac Shakur's fourth studio album "All Eyez on Me," his final release during his lifetime 2009 - Unix time passes 1,234,567,890 seconds at exactly 23:31:30 (UTC) on February 13, 2009 2015 - "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" 4th mixtape by Drake is released More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1867 - Work begins on the covering of the Senne, burying Brussels's primary river and creating the modern central boulevards 1881 - The feminist newspaper La Citoyenne is first published in Paris by activist Hubertine Auclert 1934 - Soviet steamship SS Chelyuskin sinks in the Arctic Ocean after being crushed by ice packs near Kolyuchin Island in the Chukchi Sea 1979 - Formation of Guardian Angels crime fighters in New York City 1990 - 50 killed at Inkatha-UDF battle in Natal, South Africa More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1879 - Sarojini Naidu, Indian freedom fighter and poet, born in Hyperbad, India (d. 1949) 1909 - M. Vasalis [Margaretha Droogleever Fortuyn-Leenmans], Dutch poet (Phoenix), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1998) 1910 - William Shockley, American physicist who helped invent the transistor (1956 Nobel), who was also known for his racist eugenics views, born in London, England (d. 1989) 1912 - Margaretta Scott, British actress (Crescendo, Where's Charley, Counterblast), born in Westminster, London (d. 2005) 1970 - Ruben Brown, American football guard (9 × Pro Bowl; Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears), born in Englewood, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1130 - Honorius II [Lamberto], Pope (1124-30), dies 1897 - Joseph O. Shelby, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 66 1958 - Dame Christabel Pankhurst, a leading suffragette (English) "Queen of the mob" (b.1880) 1991 - Ron Pickering, British athletics coach (GB 1964 Summer Olympics) and broadcaster (BBC), dies after a heart bypass operation at 60 2025 - Jim Guy Tucker, American attorney, businessman, and politician (Governor of Arkansas, 1992-96; US Representative form Arkansas, 1977-79), convicted of conspiracy and mail fraud in Whitewater Scandal (1996), dies of complications of colitis at 81 More Famous Deaths »

1901 - Dutch Penitentiary children's law proclaimed 1954 - The UK government establishes an organisation to control atomic energy in the country under The Atomic Energy Authority Bill 1955 - Soviets decides space center to be built in Baikonur, Kazakhstan 1964 - The Beatles first NYC concerts, two shows at Carnegie Hall 1985 - 37th NHL All-Star Game, Olympic Saddledome, Calgary: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 6-4; MVP: Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, C 1994 - "The Scream" by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1893 pastel version) is stolen in Oslo 1995 - Susan Auch skates female world record 500m (38.94 sec) 2019 - Trial of 12 Catalonia independence leaders begins in Madrid More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1984 - East German luger Steffi Martin wins the first of 2 consecutive women's singles gold medals at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; also wins in Calgary (1988) 1988 - US Navy frigate USS Yorktown bumped by Russian frigate Bezzavetny in the Black Sea in dispute over right of innocent passage 2007 - A gunman opens fire in a mall in Salt Lake City, killing five people in the Trolley Square shooting 2017 - 70th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "La La Land" Best Film, Damien Chazelle Best Director, Best Actors Casey Affleck / Emma Stone 2023 - India opens the first part of what will be its longest expressway linking Mumbai with New Delhi over 1,386-kilometer (861 mile) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1830 - Stephen Wilcox, American inventor of steam generators for power stations and ships (Babcock and Wilcox), born in Westerly, Rhode Island (d. 1893) 1904 - Ted Mack, American TV host (The Original Amateur Hour), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 1976) 1914 - Nello Celio, Swiss politician, born in Quinto, Switzerland (d. 1995) 1945 - Roman Tam [Pak-sin], Hong Kong singer knownn as the "Grand Godfather of Cantopop", born in Baise, Guangxi, China (d. 2002) 1980 - Enver Gjokaj, American actor (Dollhouse; Agent Carter), and inventor, born in Orange County, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1837 - Ludwig Borne [Loeb Baruch], German-Jewish writer, dies at 50 1896 - Isaac Murphy, American jockey, 628 wins on 1,412 mounts (44.5%), dies at 35 2000 - Oliver [William Swofford], American pop singer ("Good Morning Starshine"), dies of cancer at 54 2022 - William Kraft, American timpanist, percussionist (Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble), conductor, and composer (The Demise of Suriyodhaya; Avalanche), dies at 98 2025 - Patrick Barclay, English sportswriter (The Times, The Guardian-Observer, Sunday Telegraph, The Independent; Sky Sports), dies at 77 More Famous Deaths »

1908 - Heemskerk's government begins in Holland 1948 - Billy Griffith scores cricket century on debut Eng v WI, out for 140 1985 - Kent Hrbek signs 5-year $6 million contract with Minnesota Twins 1986 - Australia beat India 2-0 to win cricket's World Series Cup, David Boon scores the most runs in the series (418) 1992 - F-16 jet crashes at residential district of Hengelo, Netherlands (No deaths) 2007 - 60th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "The Queen" Best Film, Paul Greengrass Best Director 2013 - Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation effective February 28, becoming the first pope to resign since 1415 2021 - World's second oldest person, French nun Sister André, celebrates her 117th birthday after surviving COVID-19 in Toulon More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1928 - II Winter Olympic Games open in St Moritz, Switzerland 1949 - "Lovesick Blues" single is released by Hank Williams (Cashbox "Best Hillbilly Record of the Year," Billboard Song of the Year 1949) 1953 - J. Styne and Bob Hilliard's musical "Hazel Flagg" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 190 performances 1975 - TV drama "Sarah T: Portrait of A Teenage Alcoholic" starring Linda Blair, premieres on US network NBC 1984 - Wayne Gretzky sets NHL short handed season scoring record at 11 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1557 - John Wtenbogaert, Dutch theologist (Kerckelicke history), born in at Utrecht (d. 1644) 1917 - Richard Jock Kinneir, British graphic designer (modern road signs), born in Hampshire, England (d. 1994) 1918 - Margaret Heldt, American hairdresser who created the beehive hairstyle, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2016) 1933 - Mildred Sampson, New Zealand distance runner (world marathon record 3:19:33 1964), born in Auckland, New Zealand 1956 - Raoul Björkenheim, American avant-garde jazz guitarist, born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1797 - Antoine Dauvergne, French composer, dies at 83 1943 - Bess Houdini, American-German stage assistant and wife of Harry Houdini, dies from heart attack at 67 1967 - A. J. Muste, Dutch-born American pacifist and labor activist, dies at 82 1975 - Richard Ratsimandrava, Malagasy soldier and statesman, assassinated (b. 1931) 1999 - Jaki Byard, American jazz pianist (Charlie Mingus), saxophonist, drummer, composer, arranger, and educator, dies from an unsolved gunshot at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1535 - Twelve nude Anabaptists run through the streets of Amsterdam 1713 - Netherlands and Britain sign accord concerning anti-French Barrier [OS=Jan 31] 1879 - 1st electric arc light used (California Theater) 1923 - Ink paste manufactured for 1st time by Standard Ink Company 1966 - "Valley of the Dolls" by Jacqueline Susann is published by Bernard Geis Associates in the US - sold over 31 million copies 1968 - "Spooky" by Classics IV hits #3 1992 - Mike Tyson convicted of raping Desiree Washington in Indiana 2013 - 66th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs): "Argo", Ben Affleck (Director); Daniel Day-Lewis and Emmanuelle Riva win More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1878 - Pact of Zanjón signed between Cubans rebels and the Spanish bringing the 10 Years War to an end 1933 - -54°F (-48°C), Seneca, Oregon (state record) 1939 - "Stagecoach" western film directed by John Ford, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne, premieres in Miami 1974 - Judy Ikenberry wins 1st Us women's marathon (2:55:17) 1993 - "Michael Jackson Talks to Oprah Winfrey" airs on ABC and draws an astounding 39.3 rating/56 share, with 90 million people watching More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1937 - Ronnie Rondell Jr., American stuntman known for appearing on the cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", born in Hollywood, California (d. 2025) 1942 - Alfred Gager, Austrian soccer midfielder (6 caps; Austria Wien, FC Wacker Wien), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2022) 1942 - Howard Mudd, American football OL (Pro Bowl 1966–68; All-Pro 1967-68; SF 49ers, Chicago Bears) and coach (Super Bowl 2006; OL Indianapolis Colts), born in Midland, Michigan (d. 2020) 1951 - Zeudi Araya, Eritrean actress (Hearts and Armour, La peccatrice), born in Dekemhare, British Eritrea 1987 - Yuja Wang, Chinese-American award-winning pianist known for her charismatic stage presence (Rachmaninoff Marathon), born in Beijing, China More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1127 - William IX, the Troubadour, Frankish nobleman (Duke of Aquitaine, Gascony, Count of Poitou, 1086-1127), Crusader, and poet, dies at 55 1887 - Ellen Wood, English author (Pomeroy Abbey), dies at 73 1917 - Émile Pessard, French pianist, concert and comic opera composer, and teacher (Maurice Ravel, Jacques Ibert), dies at 73 1951 - Joseph Bovet, Swiss composer and conductor (Fribourg folk music), dies at 71 1995 - Kenton Kilmer, American writer, dies of cancer at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1870 - US President Ulysses S Grant signs law resulting in US Army Signal Service’s establishment of its "Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce", later known as the National Weather Service 1934 - Balkan Entente alliance forms (Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey and Romania) 1955 - Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts crematory law 1972 - British government declares a state of emergency after a month-long coal miners' strike 1979 - New York City premiere of Paul Schrader's allegedly fact based film "Hardcore" 1984 - Finnish cross-country skier Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen wins the 10k gold medal at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics; first of 3 individual medal sweep, also winning 5k and 20k events 1995 - Augustus and Ruth Goetz' stage drama "The Heiress" opens at Cort Theater, NYC; runs for 340 performances 2000 - 50th Berlin International Film Festival: "Magnolia" wins the Golden Bear More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1682 - Thomas Otway's "Venice Preserved" premieres in London 1979 - Walter Hill's crime drama film "The Warriors", based on Sol Yurick's 1965 novel, is released in the United States, sparking gang violence at many theaters and a halt to the film's marketing campaign 1990 - Spacecraft Galileo flies by Venus at an altitude of 10,000 miles (16,000 km) in a gravity assist maneuver to gain speed on its way to Jupiter 1990 - "Bradys" return to TV for 6 episodes on CBS TV 2021 - WHO team investigating origin of COVID-19 in Wuhan say it is "extremely unlikely" that it leaked from a local research lab More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1900 - Walter Page, American jazz double bassist, saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie Orchestra), born in Gallatin, Missouri (d. 1957) 1903 - Georg Trexler, German composer, choirmaster, and organist (St. Trinitatis, Leipzig, 1930-70), born in Pirna, Germany (d. 1979) 1927 - Joe Maneri, American jazz composer, saxophone and clarinet player (Boston Microtonal Society), born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 2009) 1944 - Alice Walker, American novelist (The Color Purple, Meridian), born in Putnam County, Georgia 1964 - Rachel Bolan [James Southworth], American musician and songwriter (Skid Row), born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1583 - Jeseph Sanalbo, Jewish convert in Rome, burned at stake 1916 - Hynek Vojáček, Czech composer, dies at 90 1973 - Max Yasgur, American dairy farmer, and owner Woodstock Festival site in Bethel, New York, dies of a heart attack at 53 2001 - Reginald Marsh, British actor (Sicilians: It Happened Here), dies at 74 2002 - Margaret Rose, British princess and Countess of Snowdon, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, dies of a stroke at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1849 - New Roman Republic established in Italy 1924 - 1st US coast-to-coast radio hookup: General John Joseph Carty speech in Chicago 1943 - Red Army recaptures Kursk on the eastern front 1953 - WLVA (now WSET) TV channel 13 in Lynchburg-Roanoke, VA (ABC) begins 1960 - Boston Celtic Bill Russell becomes 1st NBAer with 50 rebounds (51) 1979 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1984 - For the 1st time eight people are in space 2009 - Al Gore's book "An Inconvenient Truth" wins a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album More Historical Events »