CoM Moderators

1884 - Cornerstone for Statue of Liberty laid on Bedloe's Island (NYC) 1915 - The Latin-American Conference Convenes in Washington, with representatives from leading South American nations joining the US to discuss conditions in Mexico 1936 - Italian athlete Ondina Valla runs a world record 11.6 in the semi finals of the 80m hurdles at the Berlin Olympics; wins final the next day but can't match the time 1940 - St Louis Brown's pitcher John Whitehead no-hits Detroit Tigers, 4-0 in 6 innings (rain shortened) 1948 - A Jamaican 1-2 in the men's 400m at the London Olympics with Arthur Wint (46.2) beating teammate Herb McKenley for the gold medal 1959 - 42.4 cm rainfall in Decatur Co, Iowa (state record) 1984 - American Joan Benoit wins first Olympic marathon for women (2:24:52) ahead of Grete Waitz of Norway at the Los Angeles Games 1989 - NASA Venus probe Magellan launched from Space shuttle, 1st to do so 1995 - The city of Knin, a significant Serb stronghold, is captured by Croatian forces during Operation Storm. The date is celebrated as the day of victory (Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day) in Croatia. 2020 - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays the cornerstone for a new Hindu temple at Ayodhya Ram to replace a previous Muslim mosque More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1953 - "From Here to Eternity" based on book by James Jones, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift and Frank Sinatra is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1954) 1984 - Toronto designated hitter Cliff Johnson hits MLB record 19th career pinch-hit HR in Blue Jays 4-3 win over Baltimore Orioles 2007 - Atlanta left-hander Tom Glavine becomes only the 23rd pitcher in MLB history to reach the 300 win milestone as the Braves beat Cubs, 8-3 2012 - 19 people are killed by Kurdish rebels in Hakk 2014 - Obama signs The Iron Dome Bill providing $225 million in additional funding for Israel's Iron Dome defense 2015 - Fishing boat carrying around 600 migrants sinks of the coast of Libya, 373 rescued More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1880 - Gertrude E Durden Rush, American composer, and playwright (Black Girls Burden), born in Navasota, Texas (d. 1962) 1901 - Claude Autant-Lara, French film director (Four Bags Full, Rouge et noir), born in Luzarches, Val-d'Oise, France (d. 2000) 1902 - Irene Rice Pereira, American abstract artist, born in Chelsea, Massachusetts (d. 1971) 1953 - Samantha Sang [Cheryl Lau Sang], Australian pop singer (Emotion), born in Melbourne 1969 - Kenny Irwin Jr., American auto racer (USAC National Midget Champion 1996; NASCAR 87 starts), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2000) 1975 - Stéphanie Szostak, French-American Actress (Dinner for Schmucks; A Million Little Things), born in Paris, France More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1889 - Willem Ruys J. Dz, Dutch ship owner, dies at 80 1929 - Millicent Fawcett, English suffragist, dies at 82 1987 - Zygmunt Mycielski, Polish composer, music writer and editor (Ruch Muzyczny, 1957-68), dies at 79 1994 - Terry Hibbitt, English footballer, dies at 47 1996 - Frank Marcus, German playwright and critic, dies at 68 2000 - Dudley Randall, African-American poet who founded the pioneering publishing house "Broadside Press", dies at 84 More Famous Deaths »

1347 - English troops conquer Fort Calais 1854 - The Hinomaru is established as the official flag to be flown from Japanese ships 1897 - Henry A Rucker appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for Georgia 1954 - Boscombe Down 1st flight of supersonic P-1 Lightning 1972 - Arthur Bremer jailed for 63 years for shooting Alabama Governor Wallace 1976 - England beats Australia by 8 wickets in the limited overs cricket international at Lord's; first time women are permitted to play on the main square at 'the home of cricket' 1993 - Angolan air force bombs Huambo 1995 - Operation Storm begins in Croatia, the Croatian army attacks territory under the Republic of Serbian Krajina in the largest land battle since WWII 2006 - Dame Silvia Cartwright steps down as the Governor-General of New Zealand and is replaced by The Honourable Anand Satyanand, who is sworn in 23 August 2021 - Largest wildfire in California so far in 2021, the Dixie Fire at 320,000 acres, destroys the gold rush town of Greenville More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1265 - Battle of Evesham: English prince Edward beats Simon de Montfort the younger 1347 - English troops conquer Fort Calais 1636 - Johan Mauritius appointed governor of Dutch Brazil 1914 - US declares neutrality on the outbreak of WWI 1946 - An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 hits northern Dominican Republic. 100 are killed and 20,000 are left homeless. 1958 - The Billboard Hot 100 is published for the 1st time, with "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson at #1 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1904 - Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author (Ferdydurke, Pornography), born in Małoszyce, Russian Empire (d. 1969) 1906 - Marie-Jose von Saksen-Coburg, Belgian Princess (last Queen of Italy), born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 2001) 1913 - Robert Hayden, African-American poet (Those Winter Sundays), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1980) 1928 - Udham Singh, India, field hockey player (Olympic gold 1952, 56, 64), born in Sansarpur, India (d. 2000) 1939 - Frank Vincent, American actor (The Sopranos), born in North Adams, Massachusetts (d. 2017) 1973 - Peter Tsekenis, Australian soccer midfielder (Olyroos, Olympics 1996) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1265 - Hugh le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer, killed in the Battle of Evesham (b. 1223) 1476 - Jacob van Armagnac-Pardiac, French duke of Nemours, beheaded 1938 - Pearl White, American actress/stunt woman (Perils of Pauline), dies at 49 1975 - John Baragrey, American actor (Creeper, The Loves of Carmen), dies of a stroke at 57 1978 - Frank Fontaine, American comedian (Crazy Guggenheim), dies at 58 2013 - Sandy Woodward [John Forster], English admiral (British Naval Task Force, Falklands War), dies at 81 More Famous Deaths »

1596 - David Fabricius discovers light variation of Mira (1st variable star) 1914 - French fleet sails to North Africa 1928 - Ray Barbuti wins 400m in 47.8 at the Amsterdam Olympics, the only individual track event won by an American at the Games 1944 - General Montgomery visits general Dempsey's headquarter 1948 - Negro League veteran pitcher Satchel Paige, age 42, debuts in Cleveland after controversial signing, goes 7 innings in 5-3 win v Washington 1951 - William H Jackson ends term as deputy director of CIA 1962 - 29th Chicago College All-Star Game: Green Bay 42, All-Stars 20, 65,000 at Soldier Field 1970 - The second ever NFL work stoppage ends with NFL and Players' Association agreeing to a 4-year, $19.1 million deal 1989 - Lawrence Delisle drives his 4 kids into river 2021 - Hawaii's largest wildfire on record, Mana Road Fire in South Kohala, finally being brought under control after burning through 40,000 acres More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1913 - Wheatland Hop Riot on a California farm, 4 die in one of the first farm labour disputes 1962 - NY Met Frank Thomas hits his 6th HR in 3 games 1990 - US announces commitment of Naval forces to Gulf regions 1990 - Radio Kuwait resigns air, due to Iraqi invasion 1991 - Giant Victory driven by Jack Moiseyev wins Hambletonian, 2nd $1m purse in 22 days for Moiseyev after winning Meadowlands Pace 1997 - Canadian Open Women's Golf (du Maurier Classic), Glen Abbey GC: Colleen Walker wins by 2 shots from Liselotte Neumann of Sweden More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1921 - Richard Adler, American composer and songwriter (Pajama Game; Damn Yankees), born in NYC, New York (d. 2012) 1924 - Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs (PvdA), born in Voorschoten, Netherlands (d. 2011) 1950 - Waldemar Cierpinski, East German runner (Olympic marathon gold 1976, 80), born in Neugattersleben, Germany 1967 - Skin [Deborah Dyer] Jamaican-British singer (Skunk Anansie), born in Brixton, London 1974 - Blaine Wilson, American gymnast (Olympic 5th 1996), born in Columbus, Ohio 1978 - Mariusz Jop, Polish footballer, born in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Poland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1779 - Henry Kobell, Dutch painter and cartoonist, dies at 27 1939 - Eugust Enna, composer, dies at 80 1966 - Lenny Bruce [Leonard Schneider], American comedian, dies of a morphine overdose at 39 1995 - Harry Craft, American MLB baseball player and manager, dies at 80 2008 - Erik Darling, American folk musician (Rooftop Singers), dies at 74 2011 - Allan Watkins, Welsh cricket all-rounder, (15 Tests, England @ 40.15, 11 wickets; Glamorgan), dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1832 - Battle of Bad Axe, Wisconsin: 1,300 Illinois militia defeat Sauk and Fox Native Americans ending the Black Hawk War in the US 1861 - Skirmish at Dug Springs, Missouri results in Union victory 1941 - Jews are expelled from Hungarian Ruthenia 1959 - Future Hall of Fame 1st baseman Willie McCovey hits 1st of his 521 MLB home runs in SF Giants 5-3 win v Pittsburgh Pirates 1968 - 35th Chicago College All-Star Game: Green Bay 34, All-Stars 17, 69,917 at Soldier Field 1983 - STS-8 vehicle moves to launch pad 1984 - Jeff Blatnick becomes first American to win a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Los Angeles Olympics, Blatnick was in remission for Hodgkin’s disease 1987 - Michael Andretti runs fastest Indy car race in history (171.49mph) in winning the Marlboro 500 at the Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan 1998 - Curtis Cup Women's Golf, Minikahda GC: US beats Great Britain and Ireland 10-8 2009 - US Open Senior Men's Golf, Crooked Stick GC: Fred Funk wins by 6 strokes from Joey Sindelar with a tournament record score (-20) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1924 - A's 1st baseman Joe Hauser sets AL record of 14 total bases in a game; 3 HRs and a double as Philadelphia beats Cleveland Indians, 12-4 at Dunn Field 1934 - Adolf Hitler becomes commander-in-chief of German armed forces 1942 - 250 Dutch Catholic Jews arrested, transported to Amersfoort camp 1986 - Lee Elder fires a record 11-under par 61 on his way to winning the Senior PGA Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative at Sleepy Hollow CC; mark stands for 11 years 1992 - "Death and the Maiden" closes at Brooks Atkinson NYC after 159 performances 2019 - Seven-year-old boy operated on after 526 teeth found inside his mouth in Chennai, India More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1915 - Johan Limpers, Dutch sculptor and resistance fighter, born in Heemstede, Netherlands (d. 1944) 1928 - Malcolm Hilton, English cricket slow left-arm (4 Tests), born in Chadderton, Lancashire (d. 1990) 1954 - Sammy McIlroy, Irish soccer star (Manchester United), born in Belfast, United Kingdom 1954 - Lisa Brown, American actress (Guiding Light, Iva-As the World Turns), born in Kansas City, Missouri 1961 - Pete de Freitas, English rock drummer (Echo and the Bunnyman), born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (d. 1989) 1962 - Lee Mavers, British singer and songwriter (The La's - "There She Goes"), born in Liverpool, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 257 - St Stephen I, bishop of Rome (Pope) (254-57) and heretic fighter, dies 924 - Ælfweard of Wessex, briefly King of the Anglo-Saxons 1921 - Enrico Caruso, Italian operatic tenor (Faust), dies of pleurisy at 48 1939 - Harvey Spencer Lewis, American Rosicrucian author and mystic, dies at 55 1969 - Clarence Dickinson, American composer, dies at 96 2004 - Don Tosti, American musician ("Pachuco Boogie"), dies at 81 More Famous Deaths »

1203 - Alexius IV Angelus appointed co-regent of Byzantium 1589 - Assassination of French King Henry III by friar Jacques Clément 1901 - Burials within San Francisco City limits prohibited 1914 - Marcus Garvey and others found the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Jamaica with aim of creating black-governed nation in Africa 1924 - Brooklyn pitcher Dazzy Vance strikes out a MLB record 7 consecutive batters as the Robins beat Cubs, 4-0 1933 - National Recovery Administration (NRA) is founded with Hugh S. Johnson as its first director 1965 - Scottish Lotus driver Jim Clark wins the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring to clinch his second F1 World Drivers Championship 1992 - USA/USSR Around World Air Race begins at Santa Monica 2012 - American Nathan Adrian clocks 47.52 in winning the 100m freestyle gold at the London Olympics, his first swim under 48 seconds 2021 - American virologist Dr. Anthony Fauci says "things are going to get worse" as US COVID-19 cases double in 10 days due to surge of Delta variant More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1922 - Hendrikus Colijn becomes political editor-in-chief of The Standard 1926 - Failed assassination on General Primo de Rivera in Barcelona 1964 - Beatles' single "A Hard Day's Night" goes #1 and stays #1 for 2 weeks 1988 - Rush Limbaugh begins his national radio show. 2002 - In signing star linebacker Ray Lewis to a 5-year contract extension the Baltimore Ravens give him a $19m signing bonus, then the largest in NFL history 2014 - USA and UN announce a 72 hour ceasefire between Israel and Palestine, though it quickly breaks down More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1848 - František Kmoch, Czech composer and conductor, born in Zásmuky, Austrian Empire (d. 1912) 1923 - Yoshinao Nakada, Japanese composer, born in Shibuya, Tokyo (d. 2000) 1929 - Ann Calvello, American roller derby queen, born in Newport, Rhode Island (d. 2006) 1933 - Jesse Corti, Venezuelan-American voice actor and comedian, born in Venezuela 1976 - Kevin Joseph, American baseball player, born in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 1979 - Jason Momoa, American actor (Game of Thrones, Aquaman), born in Honolulu, Hawaii More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1902 - Ludwig Beckmann, painter, dies 1935 - Arthur Dehon Little, American chemist (patented rayon), dies at 71 1980 - Strother Martin, American actor (Cool Hand Luke, Slapshot), dies of heart attack at 61 1989 - John Ogdon, English pianist/composer, dies at 52 1995 - Robert L. "Bob" Talley, American jazz and blues pianist and composer, dies at 75 2021 - Ian Thomson, English cricket fast bowler (5 Tests, 9 wickets; Sussex), dies at 92 More Famous Deaths »

768 - [Philip] begins and ends his reign as Catholic Pope 1741 - Charles Albert of Bavaria invades Upper Austria and Bohemia. 1899 - Albert Trott hits Monty Noble over the Pavilion at Lord's 1938 - 32nd Tour de France: Italian cyclist Gino Bartali wins both general and mountain classifications 1955 - WHIS (now WVVA) TV channel 6 in Bluefield, West Virginia (NBC) 1st broadcast 1961 - Israel welcomes its one millionth immigrant 2005 - US Senior Open Men's Golf, NCR CC: Allen Doyle wins by 1 stroke ahead of Loren Roberts and D. A. Weibring for his 3rd Champions Tour major title 2006 - Fidel Castro temporarily hands over power to brother Raúl Castro. This leads to a celebration in Little Havana (La Pequeña Habana in Spanish), Miami, Florida, where many Cuban Americans participated. 2018 - Aeroméxico flight 2431 crash lands in Durango, Mexico, all 103 on board survive 2018 - Rihanna becomes the first black woman to appear on the cover of British Vogue's September issue More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1917 - World War I: Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) begins, goes on to cause approximately 500,000 casualties 1988 - Miami Dolphins beat San Francisco 49ers, 27-21 in the American Bowl at London's Wembley Stadium 1988 - Pittsburgh Pirates 1st baseman/left fielder and 7-time All Star Willie Stargell becomes 200th man inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame 1991 - Senate votes to allow women to fly combat aircraft 1991 - Russia and US sign long range nuclear weapons reduction pact 1992 - Three world record swims on final night session at the Barcelona Olympics; Australian Kieren Perkins 1,500m (14:43.4); Tamás Darnyi of Hungary 200m backstroke (1:59.36); China's Yang Wenyi women's 50m freestyle (24.79) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1935 - Yvon Deschamps, French Canadian author and humorist, born in Montreal, Quebec 1962 - Wesley Snipes, American actor (Passenger 57, Money Train, Blade trilogy), born in Orlando, Florida 1967 - Rodney Harvey, actor (Salsa) 1970 - David Sacco, NHL left wing (Olympics 1994, Anaheim Mighty Ducks), born in Malden, Massachusetts 1976 - Marty Booker, American NFL wide receiver (Pro Bowl 2002, Chicago Bears), born in Jonesboro, Louisiana 1992 - Kyle Larson, American auto racer (NASCAR Cup Series Championship 2021; 24 Hours of Daytona 2015), born in Elk Grove, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1508 - Na'od, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1494) 1864 - Louis Christophe François Hachette, French publisher (Librairie Hachette), dies at 64 1960 - Karl Hasse, German composer, dies at 77 1961 - Jesse Harper, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Notre Dame 57–17–7), dies at 77 1998 - Serge Golovine, French ballet choreographer (Death of Narcissus), dies at 73 2009 - Sir Bobby Robson, English soccer forward, coach (20 caps; England manager 1982-90), dies of lung cancer at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1618 - Prince Maurits' troops pull into Utrecht 1811 - Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, leader of the Mexican insurgency, is executed after being found guilty of treason by the Spanish military in Chihuahua, Mexico 1907 - The Filipinos elect their first legislature; it will meet on 16 October 1944 - US 30th division reaches the suburbs of Saint-Lô, Normandy with heavy battles also occurring at Tessy-sur-Vire and Villebaudon 1968 - Washington shortstop Ron Hansen makes 8th unassisted triple-play in MLB history and first in 41 years as Senators lose, 10-1 to Cleveland Indians 1970 - -Aug 5] Hurricane Celia, kills 31 in Cuba, Florida and Texas 1981 - Simon Gray's "Quartermaine's Terms" premieres in London 1990 - Soldiers opens fire on worshippers in Monrovian church, 200-600 die 2002 - Columbia Records releases Bruce Springsteen's 12th studio album "The Rising", his first new record with the E Street Band since 1985 tops the charts in 7 countries 2020 - Federal law enforcement officers begin a phased withdrawal from Portland amid criticism of their actions to shut down Black Lives Matter protests More Historical Events »

Historical Events 657 - St Vitalian begins his reign as Catholic Pope succeeding Eugene I 1905 - Dutch Covenant of Worker's union, NVV, forms 1942 - FDR signs bill creating women's Navy auxiliary agency (WAVES) 1953 - Rikidōzan holds a ceremony announcing the establishment of the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance 1960 - 1st AFL preseason game Boston Patriots defeat Bills in Buffalo (28-7) 1997 - Eighteen lives are lost in the Thredbo Landslide in New South Wales, Australia More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1875 - James W. Tate, English composer, born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (d. 1922) 1880 - Robert R. McCormick, American editor and publisher (Chicago Tribune), born in Chicago (d. 1955) 1940 - Clive Sinclair, British consumer electronics inventor (Executive pocket calculator; ZX Spectrum computer), born in Richmond, Surrey, England (d. 2021) 1959 - Petra Felke, German javelin thrower (world record 1988), born in Saalfeld, East Germany 1981 - Nicky Hayden, American motorcycle racer (MotoGP Champion 2006), born in Owensboro, Kentucky (d. 2017) 1982 - Jimmy Anderson, English cricket fast bowler (most wickets for England in both Test and ODI cricket), born in Burnley, Lancashire More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1965 - Junichiro Tanizaki, Japanese writer (Key), dies at 79 1982 - Roberta Pedon, American glamour model, dies at 28 1994 - Theo van Scheltinga, skater, dies at 80 2008 - Anne Armstrong U.S. ambassador to Britain and first female counsel to the President, dies at 80 2009 - Peter Zadek, German theatre director (b. 1926) 2012 - Maeve Binchy [Snell], Irish novelist (Light a Penny Candle), dies at 72 More Famous Deaths »

362 - Emperor Julianus of Constantinople's "School Edict" prohibited Christian teachers from using pagan literature which were standard texts for classical education at the time 1014 - Battle of Strumitsa-valley: Byzantine destroys Bulgarian armies 1847 - Cumberland School of Law founded in Lebanon, Tennessee, USA. At the end of 1847 only 15 law schools exist in the United States 1934 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Park CC: Paul Runyan wins first of his 2 PGA crowns, defeating Craig Wood in 38 holes 1968 - Mount Arenal, Costa Rica kills 80 in Pelee-type eruption 1983 - Steve Garvey ends his NL record 1,207 consecutive game streak 1993 - Israeli Court of Appeal overturns (5-0) conviction of John Demjaujuk, saying not enough evidence he is Concentration Camp Ivan the Terrible 1995 - Monica Seles beats Martina Navratilova in her return to tennis 2018 - British Senior Open Men's Golf, St. Andrews: Spaniard Miguel Ángel Jiménez wins by 1 shot from defending champion Bernhard Langer of Germany 2021 - Following Simone Biles' withdrawal, teammate Sunisa Lee becomes first Hmong-American Olympic champion in any sport when she wins women's artistic individual all-around gymnastics gold in Tokyo More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1928 - Test footage first created for Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie" with Mickey Mouse 1942 - Eastern Blvd in the Bronx renamed Bruckner Boulevard, in honor of former Bronx Borough President and US Congressman, Henry Bruckner 1956 - WCKT (now WSVN) TV channel 7 in Miami, Florida (IND) begins broadcasting 1978 - American Penny Dean swims English Channel in record 7 hrs, 40 min; record holds until 1995 1994 - 200,000 Muslims demand the death of feminist writer Taslima Nasrin in Bangladesh 1995 - Monica Seles beats Martina Navratilova in her return to tennis More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1866 - George Morrison, American entrepreneur (owner of Mammoth Caves), born border of Ohio and Pennsylvania (d. 1937) 1914 - Dovie Hudson, American community activist in rural Mississippi (filed lawsuit to desegregate the public schools) 1935 - Peter Schreier, German tenor and conductor (Dresden State Opera, 1962-2000), born in Meissen, Saxony, Germany (d. 2019) 1937 - Daniel McFadden, American economist and Nobel Prize Laureate who developed theory and methods for analyzing discrete choice, born in Raleigh, North Carolina 1981 - Troy Perkins, American professional soccer goalkeeper, born in Springfield, Ohio 1990 - Shin Se-kyung, South Korean actress (Deep Rooted Tree), born in Yangcheon, South Korea More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1108 - King Philip I, King of the Franks 1059, 1060-1108), dies at 56 1887 - Agostino Depretis, Italian statesman, Prime Minister of Italy (1876-78, 1778-79, 1881-87), dies at 74 1954 - Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater (World Alllround Speed Skating champion 1905), dies at 75 1984 - Fred Waring, American bandleader, conductor, and Waring Blender namesake, dies at 84 2007 - Michel Serrault, French actor (Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud, La Cage aux Folles), dies at 79 2016 - Marta Marzotto, Italian countess and designer, dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1586 - Sir Thomas Harriot introduces potatoes to Europe on return to England 1864 - US Civil War: Battle at Ezra Chapel - Union forces under Major Gen. William Sherman defeat Confederate Lt. General John Hood near Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia 1866 - Metric system becomes a legal measurement system in US 1898 - Spanish troops in Ponce, Puerto Rico, surrender 1932 - "White Zombie" - 1st feature length zombie film directed by Victor Halperin and starring Bela Lugosi is released in the US 1959 - Hawaii's 1st US election sends 1st Asian-Americans to Congress 1971 - Dutch ends censorship of "Blue Movie" 2005 - A tornado touches down in a residential area in south Birmingham, England, causing £4,000,000 worth of damages and injuring 39 people. 2014 - Israel criticizes John Kerry's proposed ceasefire, stating that no ceasefire deal will be accepted without the destruction of tunnels leading from Gaza to Israel and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip 2020 - Iter, the world's largest nuclear fusion project, begins assembly in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1790 - Henry James Pye appointed as British Poet Laureate by King George III 1919 - Vrije Vakbewegings Internationale (VVI) forms in Amsterdam 1979 - France performs nuclear Test 1985 - Canadian Open Women's Golf (du Maurier Classic), Beaconsfield GC: Pat Bradley wins by 1 from Jane Geddes 1986 - Bomb attack in East Beirut, 25 killed 1992 - RandB singer Mary J. Blige releases her debut album "What's the 411?", with production by Puff Daddy More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1863 - Hussein Khan Nakhichevanski, Russian general (d. 1919) 1901 - Sándor Vándor, Hungarian Jewish composer, born in Miskolc, Hungary (d. 1945) 1928 - Adrian Ratiu, Romanian composer, born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 2005) 1934 - Jacques d'Amboise, American ballet dancer, and choreographer (NYC Ballet Company, 1949-84), actor (Seven Brides For Seven Brothers), and educator (founded National Dance Institute, 1976), born in Dedham Massachusetts (d. 2021) 1951 - Santiago Calatrava, Spanish architect (Milwaukee Art Museum), born in Valencia, Spain 1972 - Ed Templeton, American skateboarder (Toy Machine), born in Garden Grove, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1641 - John Amner, English composer, dies at 61 1864 - Samuel Benton, US Confederate brigadier general, dies in battle at about 44 1895 - Edward Beecher, American theologian, dies at 91 1904 - Vyacheslav von Plehve, Russian Minister of the Interior, killed by Jewish revolutionaries after a bomb is thrown at his carriage, dies at 58 1991 - Luis Aravena Munoz, Chilean singer exiled to Netherlands, dies at 45 1996 - Roger Tory Peterson, American ornithologist and writer (How to Know Birds), dies at 87 More Famous Deaths »

1377 - First example of quarantine in Rugusa (now Dubroknik); city council passes law saying newcomers from plague areas must isolation for 30 days (later 40 days, quaranta in Italian) 1880 - Battle of Maiwand, at which Dr Watson is wounded, breaks out 1891 - Titus van Wyck succeeds M de Savornin Lohman as governor of Suriname 1931 - Grasshoppers in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota destroyed thousands of acres of crops 1944 - US troops occupy le Mesnil-Herman/Hill 183 Normandy 1956 - England cricket spin bowler Jim Laker takes 9-37 in Australia's 1st innings in 4th Test at Manchester; best return ever in Test cricket; bettered in 2nd innings 10-53 1962 - USSR performs nuclear Test at Novaya Zemlya USSR 1990 - Zsa Zsa Gabor begins a 3 day jail sentence for slapping a police officer in Beverly Hills 1997 - Detroit Tigers retire pitching great Hal Newhouser's #16 2019 - American swimmer Caeleb Dressel wins 3 gold medals in one day at the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea; 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly and mixed 4×100m freestyle relay (WR 3:19.40) More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1816 - US troops destroy Fort Apalachicola, a Seminole fort, to punish Indians for harboring runaway slaves 1914 - Felix Manalo registers the Iglesia ni Cristo with the Filipino government. 1941 - German army enters Ukraine 1974 - House Judiciary Committee votes 27-11 recommends Nixon impeachment 1991 - TV Guide publishes its 2000th edition 1996 - Bomb explodes at Atlanta Olympic Park, 1 killed, 110 injured More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1886 - Ernst May, German architect and city planner (New Frankfurt), born in Frankfurt am Main (d. 1970) 1896 - Henri Longchambon, French politician, born in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France (d. 1969) 1904 - Kenneth Bainbridge, American physicist (measurements of mass differences between nuclear isotopes), born in Cooperstown, New York (d. 1996) 1917 - Isabelle Kelley, American social worker credited with instigating the US Federal Food Stamp Program, born in Ellington, Connecticut (d. 1997) 1942 - John Pleshette, American actor (Richard-Knots Landing, 7th Avenue), born in NYC, New York 1979 - Shannon Moore, American professional wrestler, born in Cameron, North Carolina More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1689 - John Graham, of Claverhouse, 1st viscount Dundee/soldier, fatally wounded at the Battle of Killiecrankie at 41 1844 - John Dalton, English physicist and chemist who developed the atomic theory of matter and researched colour blindness, dies at 77 1978 - Willem Van Otterloo, Dutch cellist, composer, and conductor (Residentie Orkest, 1949-73; Melbourne Symphony, 1967-70; Sydney Symphony, 1971-77), dies in a car crash at 70 1979 - Shirley Mason, actress (Let it Rain, Dark Skies), dies at 79 1986 - Leroy Holmes, American orchestra leader (The Tonight Show, 1956-57), dies at 72 2021 - Mike Hendrick, English cricket fast bowler (30 Tests, 87 wickets; 22 ODIs; Derbyshire CCC), dies from bowel cancer at 72 More Famous Deaths »

1309 - Henry VII is recognized King of the Romans by Pope Clement V 1908 - United States Attorney General Charles Joseph Bonaparte issues an order to immediately staff the Office of the Chief Examiner (later renamed the Federal Bureau of Investigation) 1948 - President Harry Truman issues Executive Order No. 9981 to desegregate the US armed forces, directing "equality of treatment and opportunity" in the military 1953 - Cuban pirate radio station's 1st transmission at Santiago de Cuba 1963 - US Syncom 2, 1st geosynchronous communications satellite, launched 1966 - WRLH TV channel 31 in Lebanon, NH (NBC) begins broadcasting 1971 - Apollo 15 launched (Scott and Irwin) to 4th manned landing on Moon 1992 - US Open Women's Golf, Oakmont CC: Patty Sheehan wins an 18-hole Monday playoff over runner-up Juli Inkster, 72 to 74 1999 - Fighting ceases between India and Pakistan in the Kargil War, Kashmir, after two months of fighting 2012 - North Korea is hit by Tropical Storm Khanun, killing 88 people and leaving 60,000 people homeless More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1878 - In California, poet and American West outlaw calling himself "Black Bart" makes his last clean getaway when he steals a safe box from a Wells Fargo stagecoach. The empty box found later with a taunting poem inside. 1944 - Japanese suicide attack on US lines in Guam 1963 - US Syncom 2, 1st geosynchronous communications satellite, launched 1990 - General Hospital records its 7,000th episode 2012 - Insurgent attack kills 19 people and destroys a helicopter at Baqubah, Iraq 2021 - Ship carrying migrants wrecks off coast of Al-Khums, Libya, killing at least 57, takes death toll in central Mediterranean to 987 for 2021 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1899 - Carel C. van Essen, Dutch archaeologist (Italian and Roman art), born in Amsterdam (d. 1963) 1921 - Jean Shepherd, American writer and actor (A Christmas Story), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1999) 1926 - James Best [Jewel Franklin Guy], American actor (The Dukes of Hazzard, Sounder), born in Powderly, Kentucky (d. 2015) 1940 - Dobie Gray [Lawrence Brown], American musician and singer ("Drift Away"), born in Simonton, Texas (d. 2011) 1952 - Jan Randall, American-Canadian film, stage and broadcast composer (The Irrelevant Show; Poetry In Motion), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1980 - Dave Baksh, Canadian guitarist (Sum 41), born in Ajax, Ontario More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1592 - Armand de Gontaut, baron de Biron, French soldier (b. 1524) 1925 - William Jennings Bryan, American orator and statesman known as "The Great Commoner", dies at 65 1971 - Diane Arbus [Nemerov], American photographer (Vogue, Harper's Bazaar), commits suicide at 48 1994 - Owen "Terry" Scott, British actor and comedian (Terry and June, Carry On Films), dies of cancer at 67 2005 - Alexander Golitzen, American art director (b. 1908) 2005 - Gilles Marotte, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1945) More Famous Deaths »

1261 - Constantinople recaptured by Nicaean forces under Alexios Strategopoulos for Emperor Michael VIII, re-establishing Byzantine Empire 1567 - Don Diego de Losada founds the city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas, modern-day Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela 1900 - Gloucestershire captain Gilbert Jessop hits his second century (139 in 95 minutes) before lunch in same County Cricket match (104 previous day); Yorkshire wins by 40 runs 1913 - Pittsburgh Pirates future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Max Carey scores 5 runs without a hit, reaching first base on an error and 4 walks, as the Bucs beat Philadelphia Phillies, 12-2 1913 - A meeting in Johannesburg, called by the South African Native National Congress, now African National Congress, is attended by a large number of people from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland 1923 - German mark devalued to 600,000 Mark=$1 1993 - The St James' Church massacre in Kenilworth, Cape Town by Azanian Peoples' Liberation Army 2010 - 97th Tour de France won by Andy Schleck of Luxembourg 2012 - The UK economy returns to recession with a fall of 0.2% in GDP in the first quarter of 2012 following a fall of 0.3% in the last quarter of 2011 2017 - Wildfires on France's Mediterranean coast near Bormes-les-Mimosas prompts evacuation of 12,000 people More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1652 - Nikita Minin becomes patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church 1917 - Sir Thomas Whyte introduces the first income tax in Canada as a "temporary" measure (lowest bracket is 4% and highest is 25%). 1985 - USSR performs nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1990 - US Ambassador tells Iraq, US won't take sides in Iraq-Kuwait dispute 1993 - The St James' Church massacre in Kenilworth, Cape Town by Azanian Peoples' Liberation Army 1993 - 31st Tennis Fed Cup: Spain beats Australia in Frankfurt Germany (3-0) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1421 - Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, English politician, born in Leconfield, United Kingdom (d. 1461) 1897 - Hermann Ambrosius, German composer, born in Hamburg (d. 1983) 1927 - Stanley Dancer, American harness racer (4 Hambletonians, 3 Trot Triple Crown), born in West Windsor Township, New Jersey (d. 2005) 1930 - Annie Ross, British-American jazz singer (Lambert, Hendricks and Ross - "Twisted") and actress, born in London (d. 2020) 1956 - Frances Arnold, American Chemist (Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2018), born in Edgewood, Pennsylvania 1971 - Billy Wagner, American MLB pitcher (Houston Astros), born in Tannersville, Virginia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1643 - Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull, English statesman (b. 1584) 1814 - Charles Dibdin, British composer, author (Sea Songs), and actor, dies at 69 1997 - Margaret Farrer, midwife, dies at 83 2003 - Ludwig Bölkow, German aeronautical engineer, dies at 91 2005 - Albert Mangelsdorff, German jazz trombonist, dies at 76 2011 - Mihalis Kakogiannis, Cypriot filmmaker (b. 1922) More Famous Deaths »

1673 - Edmund Halley enters The Queen's College, Oxford, as an undergraduate 1683 - 1st settlers from Germany to US, leave aboard Concord 1833 - HMS Beagle departs Maldonado, Uruguay 1911 - Cleve's League Park hosts 1st unofficial ML All Star game (benefit game for Addie Joss' family). Cleveland Naps lose to All Stars 5-3 1935 - The world's first children's railway opens in Tbilisi, USSR 1963 - Dutch government of Marijnen forms 1979 - Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski hits his 400th HR 1985 - Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signs a peace accord with Sikh leader Harchand Singh Longowai to settle the three-year Punjab crisis 2012 - John Dramani becomes President of Ghana after the death of President John Atta Mills 2019 - 10th million Mini car produced during its 60th anniversary year in Oxford, England More Historical Events »