CoM Moderators

1809 - Treaty of Dardanelles concluded between Britain and France 1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross sworn in as Governor of Wyoming, 1st woman governor in USA 1929 - Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia 1930 - Bonnie Parker meets Clyde Barrow for the first time at Clarence Clay's house 1941 - British Australian troops conquer Bardia, Libya 1990 - J Donald Crump appointed 8th Commissioner of CFL 1993 - Washington state executes Westley Allan Dodd by hanging (first legal hanging in America since 1965) 2020 - Iran pulls out of the 2015 nuclear deal, will not limit its uranium enrichment More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1781 - British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia 1970 - 23,000 Belgian mine workers strike 1972 - Largest crowd at Cleveland Arena (Cavs vs Lakers-11,178) 2020 - Iran pulls out of the 2015 nuclear deal, will not limit its uranium enrichment 2023 - Pocahontas revealed as the 12th great-grandmother of actor Edward Norton on PBS's "Finding Your Roots" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1661 - Jacob Balthasar Schutz, German composer, born in the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg, Holy Roman Empire (d. 1700) 1828 - August Valentine Kautz, German-American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Baden, Germany (d. 1895) 1888 - George "Rube" Foster, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1915, 16; no-hitter 1916; Boston Red Sox), born in Lehigh, Oklahoma (d. 1976) 1939 - Bridget Parker, British equestrian 3 day event (Olympic gold 1972), born in Northumberland, England 1980 - Bennie Joppru, National Football League tight end, born in Dickinson, North Dakota More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1968 - Jean Murat, French actor (Eternal Rain, Carnival Flanders), dies at 79 1996 - Jay Arena, American pediatrician (Duke Poison Center Director, inventor of the child-proof safety cap), dies at 86 2005 - Danny Sugerman, American music manager (The Doors), dies of lung cancer at 50 2007 - Momofuku Ando, Taiwanese-Japanese inventor of instant noodles and cup noodles, dies of heart failure at 96 2024 - (Derek) "Del" Palmer, English session and touring bassist, and sound engineer (Kate Bush), dies at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1717 - Netherlands, Great Britain and France sign Triple Alliance 1906 - South Africa beat England by one wicket, their 1st Test win 1934 - Premiere of the first Dutch talkie movie, Jan Teunissen's "Willem van Oranje" 1951 - Korean War: Chinese forces recapture Seoul 1967 - English land and boat racer Donald Campbell is killed while driving jet-powered boat Bluebird K7 on Coniston Water in England trying to beat his own water speed record 1986 - Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson scores twice as he rushes for an NFL postseason record 248 yards in 20-0 victory over Dallas Cowboys in NFC divisional playoff in Anaheim, California 1987 - Sixteen die in a train crash in Chase, Maryland 2018 - 'Bomb Cyclone' hits US Northeast prompting flooding and snow in New York subway system More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1725 - Benjamin Franklin arrives in London [OS=Dec 24 1724] 1945 - US jeep-aircraft carrier Ommaney Bay sinks after Japanese kamikaze attack 1947 - Arthur Schwartz, Ira Gershwin, and George S. Kaufman's musical "Park Avenue" closes at the Shubert Theater, NYC, after 72 performances 1951 - Korean War: Chinese forces recapture Seoul 1987 - Sixteen die in a train crash in Chase, Maryland More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1839 - Carl Humann, German engineer and self-made archaeologist who discovered the Pergamon altar, born in Steele, Prussia (d. 1896) 1882 - Aristarkh Lentulov, Russian artist, born in Nizhny Lomov, Russia (d. 1943) 1965 - Yvan Attal, Israeli-French actor (Love Without Pity) and director (The Accusation), born in Tel Aviv, Israel 1970 - Sean Lumpkin, American NFL safety (New Orleans Saints), born in Golden Valley, Minnesota 1998 - Liza Soberano, Filipino-American actress (Forevermore; Everyday I Love You), born in Santa Clara, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1729 - Joseph de Montesquiou earl d'Artagnan, French lt-general, dies at 77 1898 - Frantisek Pivoda, Czech composer, dies at 73 1955 - G. G. van der Hoeven, Dutch editor-in-chief (NRC newspaper), dies at 82 2004 - Joan Aiken, British writer of children's books (The Whispering Mountain, The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase), dies at 79 2010 - Johan Ferrier, Surinamian politician (b. 1910) More Famous Deaths »

1922 - First living person is depicted on a U.S. coin when Governor Thomas Kilby appears on the Alabama Centennial half dollar 1945 - Admiral Chester Nimitz begins planning assaults on Okinawa and Iwo Jima in Japan 1947 - First opening session of Congress is televised; it does not happen again until 1977 1961 - US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba 1991 - 8 Iraqi embassy officials are expelled from the UK 1994 - 35-foot-tall Chief Wahoo, trademark of Indians on top of Stadium since 1962, is taken down, to be moved to Jacob's Field 1998 - American "Hee Haw" banjo player Grandpa Jones suffers a stroke 2002 - College Football, 4th BCS National Championship, Rose Bowl, Pasadena: #1 Miami beats #2 Nebraska, 37-14, at 88th Rose Bowl More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1911 - City of Almaty in Russian Turkestan is destroyed by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake 1920 - Boston Red Sox baseball club owner Harry Frazee announces agreement to sell slugger Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 in cash and a $350,000 loan; start of the 84 year "Curse of the Bambino" 1967 - WJAN TV channel 17 in Canton, OH (IND) begins broadcasting 1976 - Australian Open Women's Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley beats Renata Tomanova of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 6-2 for her 3rd straight home singles title 1987 - Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1777 - Louis Poinsot, French mathematician and physicist (invented geometrical mechanics), born in Paris, France (d. 1859) 1870 - Henry Handel Richardson [Ethel Florence Lindesay Richardson], Australian novelist (Richard Mahoney), born in East Melbourne, Australia (d. 1946) 1939 - (Gwendolyn) Dianne Brooks, American RandB, jazz, session and touring vocalist (Three Playmates - "Sugah Wooga"; solo - "Walking On My Mind"; Anne Murray), born in New Jersey (d. 2005) 1940 - Tsutomu Hanahara, Japanese freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold flyweight 1964), born in Shimonoseki, Japan (d. 2024) 1957 - Frank Dicopoulos, American actor (Frank Cooper Jr in "Guiding Light"), born in Akron, Ohio More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1028 - Fujiwara Michinaga, Japanese regent (wrote world's oldest autographic diary), dies (b. 966) 1927 - Carle David Tolmé Runge, German mathematician and physicist, dies at 70 1968 - Earl Swope, American jazz and big band trombonist (Woody Herman, Stan Getz, Jimmy Dorsey, Louie Bellson), dies at 45 1979 - Conrad Hilton, American hotel mogul (Hilton Hotels, world's 1st international hotel chain), dies at 91 2015 - Allie Sherman, American football coach (Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1953-56 CFL; New York Giants 1961–68), dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers and invade the Roman Empire 1958 - Dmitri Shostakovich' 2nd Piano Concerto has US premiere, with Leonard Bernstein as soloist and conductor of the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie hall in NYCs in NY 1967 - 33rd Sugar Bowl: #6 Alabama beats #3 Nebraska, 34-7 1969 - Once influential daily sports newspaper, 'Soviet Sport' declares Czech super-star distance runner Emil Zatopek a "public enemy" after he supports democratic wing of the Communist Party at start of the Prague Spring 1972 - "Rothschilds" closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC after 505 performances 1989 - 75th Rose Bowl: #11 Michigan beats #5 Southern California, 22-14 1996 - 25th Fiesta Bowl: #1 Nebraska beats #2 Florida, 62-24 2022 - Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigns in a televised address amid political deadlock after a rejection of his deal with the military by pro-democracy forces More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1920 - Responding to global fear of communism caused by the Russian Revolution, US Attorney General Palmer authorizes raids across the country on unionists and socialists 1923 - Ku Klux Klan surprise attack on black residential area Rosewood Florida, 8 killed (compensation awarded in 1995) 1933 - Ijmuider fishing strike begins (till July 11th) 1983 - Several African National Congress (ANC) members detained in Swaziland decide to leave the country voluntarily for Mozambique. 2019 - United States international Christian Pulisic becomes the most expensive American soccer player when he moves from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea for £57.6M ($73M); remains at Dortmund on loan until the end of the season More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1908 - Jānis Ķepītis, Latvian pianist, conductor, and composer, born in Beverīna, Latvia (d. 1989) 1937 - Imerio Massignan, Italian road cyclist (Tour de France Mountains classification 1960, 61), born in Altavilla Vicentina, Italy (d. 2024) 1964 - Pernell Whitaker, American boxer (Olympic gold 1984, 4-division world champion), born in Norfolk, Virginia (d. 2019) 1982 - Athanasia Tsoumeleka, Greek race walker (Olympic gold 20k 2004), born in Preveza, Greece 1985 - Heather O'Reilly, American soccer midfielder (231 caps; FIFA Women's World Cup 2015; Olympic gold 2004, 08, 12), born in East Brunswick, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1973 - Joe Harriott, Jamaican-British be-bop and free-form jazz, and world-fusion alto saxophonist (Abstract; Indo-Jazz), dies of cancer at 44 1975 - Theo Osterkamp, German fighter pilot, dies at 82 1996 - Karl Targownik, Hungarian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, dies at 80 2007 - Teddy Kollek, Israeli politician (Mayor of Jerusalem), dies at 95 2020 - Grant Weatherstone, Scotland rugby union winger (16 caps; Edinburgh District), dies at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1932 - United States Post Office Department issues a set of 12 stamps commemorating the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth 1945 - German air raid on allied airports at Eindhoven/Saint-Trond/Brussels 1962 - 28th Orange Bowl: #4 LSU beats #7 Colorado, 25-7 1963 - 29th Orange Bowl: #5 Alabama beats #8 Oklahoma, 17-0 1971 - Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US 1990 - 19th Fiesta Bowl: #5 Florida State beats #6 Nebraska, 41-17 1990 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) implements "SYNDEX," granting independent stations more rights over cable TV outlets for exclusive syndicated programs 2000 - Opening of the Holy Doors of Santa Maria Maggiore by Pope John Paul II in Rome to celebrate the new millennium More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1954 - Rose and Cotton Bowl are 1st sport colorcasts 1993 - Blockbuster Bowl 3: Stanford beats Penn State, 24-3 1993 - 79th Rose Bowl: #7 Michigan beats #9 Washington, 38-31 2007 - Bulgarian, Romanian, and Irish become official languages of the European Union, joining 20 other official languages 2007 - 36th Fiesta Bowl: #9 Boise State beats #7 Oklahoma, 43-42 (OT) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 766 - Ali al-Rida [Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī], 8th Imam of Twelver Shia Islam and descendant of the prophet Muhammad, born in Medina, Abbasid Caliphate (d. 818) [approximate birthdate] 1711 - Franz von der Trenck, Austrian soldier whose unit is considered one of the worst in European history due to insubordination and plundering, born in Reggio di Calabria (d. 1749) 1848 - John W. Goff, American lawyer and judge known for his part in the Catalpa Rescue, born in Gorey, Ireland (d. 1924) 1890 - Anton Melik, Slovenian geographer and founder of the Anton Melik Geographical Institute (The Geography of Slovenia), born in Črna Vas, Austrio-Hungarian Empire (d. 1966) 1970 - Gabriel Jarret, American actor (Real Genius, Apollo 13), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1957 - Seán South, Irish Republican Army volunteer, killed during the Brookeborough Raid, at 28 1994 - Arthur Porritt, New Zealand athlete (Olympic bronze 100m 1924) and 11th governor-general of New Zealand 1967-72, dies at 93 1996 - Orapin Chaiyakan, first Thai woman elected to the Parliament of Thailand, dies at 91 2006 - Dawn Lake, Australian TV comedienne, dies at 78 2015 - Jeff Golub, American jazz guitarist (Avenue Blue; Rod Stewart), dies of a rare brain disease at 59 More Famous Deaths »

870 - Skirmish at Englefield: Ethelred of Wessex beats a section of the Viking Great Heathen Army, camped at Reading 1911 - Marie Curie receives her second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, for her work with radioactivity 1923 - BBC begins using Big Ben's chimes as an interval signal 1957 - Amateur Athletic Union awards American sprinter Bobby Morrow the James E. Sullivan Award 1975 - 42nd Sugar Bowl: #3 Alabama beats #7 Penn State, 13-6 1986 - Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 97 1996 - 63rd Orange Bowl: #6 Nebraska beats #10 Virginia Tech, 41-21 1997 - 27th Fiesta Bowl: #10 Kansas State beats #14 Syracuse, 35-18 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 406 - "The Great Invasion" sees a vast horde of Vandals, Alans, and Suebi cross the Rhine at Mainz, beginning the invasion of Gaul 1968 - Record high barometric pressure (1083.8 mb, 32 inches) recorded at Agata in Siberia, Soviet Union; eclipsed in December 2001 1969 - Congo-Brazzaville becomes People's republic, under major Ngouabi 1984 - Test Cricket debut of Mohammad Azharuddin, v England at Calcutta 1998 - US movie box office hits record $6.24 billion for year More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1928 - Hugh McElhenny, American Pro/College Football HOF halfback (University of Washington; 5 × First-team All-Pro; 6 × Pro Bowl; Minnesota Vikings, SF 49ers), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2022) 1936 - Jerry Sturm, American football tackle (AFL All-Star 1964, 66; Denver Broncos, NO Saints), born in English, Indiana (d. 2020) 1949 - Susan Shwartz, American author, born in Youngstown, Ohio 1949 - Ellen Datlow, American editor, born in New York City 1954 - Alex Salmond, Scottish politician (Scottish National Party) First Minister of Scotland (2007-14), born in Linlithgow, Scotland (d. 2024) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1510 - Bianca Maria Sforza, wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, dies at 38 1987 - Leo Steiner, American restaurateur and co-owner of the Carnegie Deli, dies at 48 (b. circa 1939) 1991 - Georges Poulet, French-Belgian critic (Temps Humain), dies at 89 1993 - Arthur Dreifuss, director and producer (Murder in Amsterdam), dies at 85 2022 - Sergei Bautin, Belarusian ice hockey defenceman (Olympic gold Unified Team 1992; Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks), dies at 55 More Famous Deaths »

1621 - English King James I tears the Protestation of Parliament from the records, objecting to Parliament commenting on a foreign marriage alliance 1672 - Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden, Netherlands 1896 - Stanley Cup, Granite Rink, Winnipeg, Manitoba: Ernie McLea scores a hat-trick as Montreal Victorias beat Winnipeg Victorias, 6-5; first SC Challenge game played outside of Montreal 1917 - -37°F (-38°C) in Lewisburg, WV (state record) 1953 - Queen Elizabeth II visits the Tūrangawaewae marae in New Zealand, home of the Māori Kīngitanga movement 1973 - AFC Championship, Miami Orange Bowl: Miami Dolphins beat Oakland Raiders, 27-10 1979 - English Progressive rock group, Emerson, Lake and Palmer break up 1997 - In the worst incident in Algeria's insurgency, the Wilaya of Relizane massacres, 400 people are killed from four villages. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1672 - Baron Karl Rabenhaupt occupies Coevorden, Netherlands 1924 - Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces the existence of other galaxies at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society 1958 - French franc devalued 1997 - An abandoned building collapses on NY's 42nd St, no one hurt 2006 - Madrid Barajas International Airport is bombed. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1887 - Henry George Ley, British organist, composer, and teacher (Eton, 1926-45), born in Chagford, England (d. 1962) 1934 - Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury 1945 - Vernon Wells, Australian actor (Commando; Mad Max: The Road Warrior), born in Rushworth, Australia 1953 - Daniel T. Barry, American engineer and NASA astronaut (STS 72), born in Norwalk, Connecticut 1965 - David Baker, UK cyclist, born in Sheffield, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1947 - Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher (Adventures of Ideas), dies at 86 1968 - Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician and 1st Secretary-General of the United Nations (1946-52), dies at 72 1995 - Doris Grau, American script supervisor, actress and voice artist (Point Blank, King Kong), dies from respiratory failure at 71 1998 - Johnny Moore, American singer (The Drifters) (b. 1934) 2019 - Johnny Ward, English rugby league hooker (4 Tests Great Britain, 3 England; Castleford 262 games), dies at 78 More Famous Deaths »

1911 - Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty 1944 - Belgian Walloon Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle sentenced to death 1955 - NHL officials wear new vertically striped black-and-white sweaters for the first time in Montreal Canadiens' 5-2 win over Toronto Maple Leafs 1957 - National Football League Championship, Briggs Stadium, Detroit: Detroit Lions beat Cleveland Browns, 50-14; Lions score 2 touchdowns in each quarter 1965 - The Supremes release single "My World is Empty Without You" 1992 - Governor Cuomo grants Jean Harris (Scarsdale Diet Dr killer) clemency 1994 - Australian cricket's spin king Shane Warne dismisses England's Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm for a famous hat-trick in 2nd Test win in Melbourne 1998 - Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over a million people More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1921 - Mackenzie King is sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Canada 1933 - New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds 1983 - Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman's record of 29 1984 - Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick and adds 3 assists in Edmonton's 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history - recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983 1997 - Cricket Women's World Cup: Australia defeats New Zealand by 5 wickets More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1935 - Russell Watt, New Zealand rugby union wing (9 Tests; Otago, Southland, Wellington), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 2022) 1939 - (William Edwin) "Ed" Bruce, American country singer ("Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys"), born in Keiser, Arkansas (d. 2021) 1970 - Hidetoshi Mitsusada, Japanese racing driver, born in Osaka, Japan 1974 - James Darling, American football linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles), born in Denver, Colorado 1995 - Flossie, British domestic cat, world's oldest cat recognized by Guinness World Records, born in Merseyside, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1606 - Stephen Bocskai, Prince of Transylvania and Hungary (1605-6), dies at 49 1919 - William Osler, Canadian physician and author (circulatory system), dies at 70 1925 - Félix E Vallotton, Swiss painter/writer (Chaste Susanne), dies at 60 2017 - Alfred Binns, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 17 dismissals; Jamaica), dies at 88 2023 - Les McCann, American jazz pianist, soul singer ("Compared to What"), painter, and photographer, dies of pneumonia at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1915 - Today the British Cabinet recognizes the true nature of the war by deciding to institute compulsory military service, with single men to be conscripted before married ones 1926 - Imperial Airways begins mail and passenger service from England to India 1949 - 20th Century Fox announces it will produce TV programs 1953 - WLBT TV channel 3 in Jackson, Mississippi (NBC) begins broadcasting 1964 - Premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's cantata "The Execution of Stepan Razin" 1984 - Rajiv Gandhi's Congress party wins the general election in India 1994 - American country singer Tammy Wynette admitted to the hospital with bile duct infection 2019 - Jihadist fundamentalist group al-Shabaab sets off a truck bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing at least 84 people and wounding over 150 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1947 - Chic Cards beat Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 in NFL championship game 1973 - US President Nixon signs Endangered Species Act into law 1981 - Warner-Elektra-Atlantic raises price of 45 records from $1.68 to $1.98 1984 - TV soap "Edge of Night" ends 28 year run 1984 - Creosote bush determined to be 11,700 years old More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1738 - Thaddaus Ferdinand Lipowsky, German composer, born in St. Martin im Innkreis, Duchy of Bavaria (d. 1767) 1842 - Calixa Lavallee, Canadian composer (O Canada), born in Verchères, British Province of Canada (d. 1891) 1908 - Lew Ayres, American actor (All Quiet on Western Front; Holiday; Dr Kildare (films); Johnny Belinda), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1996) 1938 - Dick Sudhalter, American jazz trumpeter, and writer, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2008) 1970 - Elizabeth McIntyre, Miss West Virginia (1996), born in Dunbar, West Virginia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1793 - Louis earl of Bylandt, Dutch admiral, dies at about 75 1949 - Hervey Allen, American writer and poet (Anthony Adverse), dies at 60 1999 - Clayton Moore, American actor (The Lone Ranger), dies at 85 2001 - William X. Kienzle, American novelist (b. 1928) 2020 - Fou Ts'ong, Chinese-British concert pianist, dies of COVID-19 at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1703 - England and Portugal sign Methuen-Asiento-trade agreement 1939 - 1st American skimobiles (North Conway, NH) 1943 - France transfers most of her powers in Lebanon to Lebanese government 1960 - France performs nuclear test 1960 - 1961 NFL Draft: Tommy Mason from University of Tulane first pick by Minnesota Vikings 1986 - Musical "Les Misérables" opens in the US at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. 1996 - Taliban forces retake the strategic Bagram air base which solidifies their buffer zone around Kabul. 2001 - The People's Republic of China is granted permanent normal trade relations with the United States. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1943 - Montgomery discusses Operation Overlord (D-day landings) with Eisenhower and Bedell Smith 1979 - Sire Records releases "Pretenders", the debut album of The Pretenders, in US 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 1983 - Propane gas fire devastated 16 blocks of Buffalo 1995 - Australian cricketer David Boon completes his 21st Test Cricket century (110 v SL, MCG) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1911 - Anna Russell, English music satirist and composer, born in London, England (d. 2006) 1918 - Gale Cleven, American WWII pilot (100th Bomb Group), portrayed by Austin Butler in "Masters of the Air", born in Lemmon, South Dakota (d. 2006) 1950 - Jack van Gelder, Dutch sport commentator and TV presenter (football commentator in "Aunt Rita's Feast"), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands 1971 - Duncan Ferguson, Scottish soccer striker (7 caps; Everton 230 games, Newcastle Utd) and manager (Everton 2019, 22), born in Stirling, Scotland 1973 - Wilson Cruz [Echevarría], American stage and screen actor (My So Called Life; Party of Five), born in Brooklyn, NYC More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1737 - William Bowyer, English printer to the Royal Society, known as 'the learned printer', dies at 38 1923 - Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect who designed and built the Eiffel Tower, dies at 91 1955 - Alfred Carpenter, English Royal Navy soldier, dies at 74 1957 - Alan Bridge, actor (Hail the Conquering Hero), dies at 66 1999 - Bernard Chacksfield, British Air Vice-Marshal, dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1825 - Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December] 1877 - Socialist Labor Party of North America holds 1st national convention 1878 - 1st US store to install electric lights, Philadelphia 1972 - Ballon d'Or: Bayern Munich defender Franz Beckenbauer wins award for best European football player ahead of tied fellow German duo of Gerd Müller and Günter Netzer 1976 - AFC Championship, Oakland Coliseum: Oakland Raiders beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-7 1988 - Anti African student rebellion in Nanjing, China 1990 - Senior Professional Baseball Association folds 1991 - Militant Sikhs kill 55 and wounds 70 in India More Historical Events »

Historical Events 268 - Saint Dionysius, Roman Pope (259-260), dies 1825 - Decembrist uprising in Russia against Tsar Nicholas I begins [O.S. 14 December] 1979 - Soviet special forces take over the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan 1993 - Antonov-26 crashes in Gyumri, Armenia, killing 36 people 2012 - China opens the world’s longest high speed rail route from Beijing to Guangzhou More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1820 - Gustavus Adolphus Smith, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (d. 1885) 1837 - George Dewey, American admiral, naval hero in Battle of Manila Bay, born in Montpelier, Vermont (d. 1917) 1855 - Arnold Mendelssohn, German composer, born in Ratibor, Province of Silesia (now Poland) (d. 1933) 1945 - John Walsh, American activist and television host (America's Most Wanted), born in Auburn, New York 1948 - Chris Chambliss, American baseball first baseman (MLB All Star 1976; World Series 1977, 78 NY Yankees; AL Rookie of the Year 1971 Cleveland Indians), born in Dayton, Ohio More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1530 - Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, Timurid founder and 1st Emperor of the Mughal dynasty in the Indian Subcontinent (1526-30), dies at 47 1918 - Bertram Luard-Selby, British organist and composer, dies at 65 1974 - Farid al-Atrash [El-Atrache], Syrian composer, musician, virtuoso oud player, and actor (Akher kedba), dies of heart disease at 59 1980 - (John) "Peck" Kelley, American jazz pianist and bandleader (Peck's Bad Boys), dies from complications of Parkinson's disease at 82 1997 - Cornelius Castoriadis, Greek philosopher and economist, dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1000 - Monarch Istvan crowned king of Hungary 1688 - British King James II lands in Ambleteuse, France 1899 - Shelling on besieged Ladysmith during the Boer War includes one shell containing a plum pudding 1921 - Last major Potlatch (ceremony) by Chief Daniel Cranmer (Kwakwaka’wakw) from Alert Bay, British Columbia. Twenty-six people arrested, their masks and regalia sold by Canadian government. 1930 - Tasmania all out 280, WI 2-139 at Hobart Crowd 2,500 1942 - Soviet artillery and tank battle on German armies at Stalingrad 1973 - Arab oil ministers cancel January 5 percent production cut; Saudi Arabian oil minister promises 10 percent OPEC production rise 1997 - For 1st time US movie box office receipts pass $6 billion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian dedicates a temple to Sol Invictus in Rome, on supposed day of the winter solstice, fulfilling vow made during campaign in Palmyra 1818 - First known Christmas carol, "Silent Night, Holy Night" (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht'), is sung in Austria 1921 - Last major Potlatch (ceremony) by Chief Daniel Cranmer (Kwakwaka’wakw) from Alert Bay, British Columbia. Twenty-six people arrested, their masks and regalia sold by Canadian government. 2012 - 27 people are killed after an Antonov An-72 plane crashes near Shymkent, Kazakhstan 2016 - Russian military defence plane crashes into the Black Sea after takeoff from Sochi airport, killing all 92 on board More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1932 - Mabel King (née Washington) American stage and screen actress and singer (What's Happening!!; The Wiz), born in Charleston, South Carolina (d. 1999) 1938 - Duane Armstrong, American painter (Fields of Grass), born in Fresno, California 1957 - Chris Kamara, English soccer midfielder (Swindon Town FC, Brentford FC) and commentator (Sky Sports), born in Middlesbrough, England 1975 - Marcus Trescothick, English cricket batsman (76 Tests, 14 x 100s, HS 219; 123 ODIs; Somerset CCC), born in Keynsham, England 1978 - Jeremy Strong, American actor (Succession), born in Boston, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1976 - Frankie Darro [Frank Johnson], American actor (Radio Ranch, Wild Boys of the Road, Valley of Wanted Men), dies of a heart attack at 58 1989 - Billy Martin, American baseball second baseman (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1951, 52, 53, 56; NY Yankees) and manager (World Series 1977 NY Yankees), killed in a car accident at 61 2006 - James Brown, American RandB, gospel, soul and funk singer-songwriter known as 'The Godfather of Soul' ("Sex Machine"; "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag"; "Hot Pants"), dies of heart failure at 73 2021 - John Gleeson, Australian rugby league five eighth (10 Tests; Queensland 25 games; Wynnum-Manly, Brothers RLFC), dies at 82 2021 - Janice Long (née Chegwin), British radio host (Crash FM; BBC), dies of pneumonia at 66 More Famous Deaths »

1924 - School in Babb's Switch, Oklahoma, catches fire, 36 die 1963 - Greeks and Turks riot in Cyprus 1973 - Ferryboat capsized off coast of Equador, drowning 200 1974 - The Sporting News bestows St Louis Cardinals outfielder Lou Brock their MLB Player of the Year Award 1977 - "Ghost to the Post", Raiders tight end Dave Casper ("The Ghost") catches a 42-yard reception to set up the Raiders' tying field goal near the end of regulation (Raiders win in OT) 1984 - Palace coup in Mauritania 1989 - Charles Taylor starts the First Liberian Civil War when he enters the country at the head of the guerrilla group National Patriotic Front of Liberia to overthrow President Samuel Doe 1991 - Ballon d'Or: Marseille forward Jean-Pierre Papin is named Europe's best football player; first from the French League to win the trophy More Historical Events »