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1719 - 1st recorded display of Aurora Borealis in north American colonies (New England) 1816 - Citizens of Geneva thwart Savoyard invaders 1882 - Victorien Sardous play "Fedora" with Sarah Bernhardt premieres in Paris 1932 - San Francisco's coldest day (27°F) - it snows 1945 - Het Parool publishes 1st Captain Rob-strip 1948 - WMC TV channel 5 in Memphis, Tennessee (NBC) begins broadcasting 1984 - Mauretania military coup under Col Maawiya Ould Sid'ahmed Taya 1985 - General Electric acquires RCA Corp and its subsidiary, NBC 2017 - Attempted suicide terrorist bomb attack in New York wounds 3, bomb fails to fully detonate 2019 - Discovery of the earliest figurative artwork in the world, (43,900 years old), figures part human part animal, from cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia, reported in journal "Nature" More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1730 - Voltaire's tragedy "Brutus" premieres in Paris 1958 - Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) gains autonomy from France 1968 - Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill sacks Home Affairs Minister, William Craig 1990 - US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) returns from space 2007 - Two car bombs go off at the Constitutional Court building in Algiers and the United Nations office. An estimated 45 people are killed in the bombings. 2017 - Attempted suicide terrorist bomb attack in New York wounds 3, bomb fails to fully detonate More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1843 - Robert Koch, German pioneering bacteriologist (TB, cholera, Nobel Prize 1905), born in Clausthal, Hanover (d. 1910) 1912 - Carlo Ponti, Italian film producer (Marriage Italian Style, Doctor Zhivago), born in Magenta, Lombardy (d. 2007) 1948 - Chester Thompson, American session and touring drummer and percussionist (Frank Zappa; Genesis; Chester Thompson Trio), born in Baltimore, Maryland 1954 - Vicki Randle, American singer-songwriter, born in San Francisco, California 1964 - Cosy Sheridan, American singer (The Pomegranate Seed), born in Concord, New Hampshire 1989 - Kellie Harrington, Irish boxer (lightweight Gold Medal 2021 Tokyo Olympics), born in Dublin, Ireland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1610 - False Dmitry 2, Tsar of Russia, murdered 1756 - Maria Amalia of Austria, Holy Roman Empire Empress as the spouse of Emperor Charles VII, dies at 55 1918 - Ivan Cankar, Slovene author, poet, novelist and playwright (Erotika, The Bailiff Yerney and His Rights), dies of pneumonia at 42, a complication of the Spanish flu 2004 - Arthur Lydiard, New Zealand running coach, dies at 87 2007 - Ashleigh Aston Moore, Canadian child actress (Now and Then), dies of a drug overdose at 26 2014 - Hans Wallat, German opera conductor, dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1690 - Massachusetts Bay becomes first American colonial government to issue paper money 1899 - Delta Sigma Phi fraternity founded at City College of New York, to spread "the principles of friendship and brotherhood among college men, without respect to race or creed." 1913 - Belgium head of the International Peace Bureau Henri La Fontaine becomes the first Socialist to win the Nobel Peace Prize 1935 - White Sox sell Al Simmons to the Tigers for $75,000 1941 - Japanese troops overrun Guam 1961 - USSR and Albania break diplomatic relations 1988 - Washington Capitals 1st NHL scoreless tie, vs Montreal Canadiens 2001 - "The Fellowship of the Ring" Lord of the Rings film directed by Peter Jackson and starring Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen premieres in London 2001 - 67th Heisman Trophy Award: Eric Crouch, Nebraska (QB) 2009 - US President Barack Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1923 - Polish government of Grabski forms 1926 - 1st radio broadcast in the Sprinfield area (WCBS) 1963 - Leonard Bernstein premieres his Third Symphony "Kaddish" with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, in Tel Aviv, Israel 1986 - Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel accepts 1986 Nobel Peace Prize 1993 - "Doom" pioneering first-person shooter video game is uploaded onto the internet by id Software 2013 - Uruguay becomes the first country to legalize the growth, sale, and use of marijuana More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1872 - Johann Babtist Thaller, German composer, born in Röhrmoos, Germany (d. 1952) 1891 - Leonie "Nelly" Sachs, German-Swedish poet and playwright (O the Chimneys - Nobel Prize for Literature 1966), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1970) 1893 - Walter Rein, German composer, born in Stotternheim (d. 1955) 1935 - Terry Allcock, English footballer (Norwich City), born in Leeds, England 1939 - Barry Cunliffe, English archaeologist and university professor, born in Portsmouth, England 1965 - (Joseph) "J" Mascis, American rock singer and guitarist (Dinosaur Jr), born in Amherst, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1736 - António Manoel de Vilhena, Portuguese ruler of Malta (b. 1663) 1831 - Thomas Johann Seebeck, German physicist (Seebeck effect), dies at 61 1992 - Bernard Reichel, Swiss composer, dies at 91 1994 - Alexander Wilson, Canadian athlete (b. 1905) 1997 - Jake Carey, American actor (Rock Rock Rock!, Go, Johnny, Go!), dies at 71 2005 - Eugene McCarthy, American politician (Sen-D-Minn) and presidential candidate, dies of parkinsons at 89 More Famous Deaths »

536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city, returning the old capital to its empire 1738 - Jews are expelled from Breslau Silesia 1854 - Alfred Tennyson's poem "Charge of the Light Brigade" is published in "The Examiner" 1941 - Adolf Hitler orders US ships to be torpedoed 1975 - Yelena Bonner accepts Soviet dissident Andrei Sacharov's Nobel Prize in Oslo 1978 - 1st game of Women's Pro Basketball League (WBL), Chicago Hustle vs Milwaukee Does 1990 - NFL NY Giant Otis Anderson becomes 8th to rush for 10,000th yard 1993 - Ivory Coast Premier Ouattara resigns 2012 - 6 people are killed and 41 are injured after a bus plunges 30 metres down a gorge in Guatemala 2021 - Chicago Black Hawks Marc-Andre Fleury becomes 3rd NHL goaltender to reach 500 career wins in 2-0 shut-out over the Canadiens at Montreal More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1931 - Japanese army attacks Chinese province of Jehol 1949 - NFL merges with AAFC; Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts join league intact, other teams in New York and Los Angeles are merged with existing units 1961 - Tanganyika gains independence from Britain, takes name Tanzania - with Ukuru (Freedom) Torch lit on the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro 1967 - Nicolae Ceaușescu becomes President of Romania (overthrown in 1989) 1968 - KRNE TV channel 12 in Merriman, NB (PBS) begins broadcasting 1974 - Johnson Grigsby freed after 66 years in jail in Indiana More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1787 - John Dobson, English architect, born in High Chirton, North Shields, England (d. 1865) 1899 - Howard Freeman, American actor (Studio One, Double Dynamite), born in Helena, Montana (d. 1967) 1934 - Alan Ridout, British composer, born in West Wickham, England (d. 1996) 1944 - Bob O'Connor, American politician (Mayor of Pittsburgh, 2006), born in Greenfield, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2006) 1953 - John Malkovich, American actor (The Killing Fields; Dangerous Liaisons), born in Christopher, Illinois 1973 - Stacey Abrams, American politician, lawyer and voting rights activist, born in Madison, Wisconsin More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1544 - Teofilo Folengo, Italian macaronic poet, dies at 53 1798 - Johann Reinhold Forster, German botanist (naturalist on James Cook's second Pacific voyage), dies at 69 1814 - Jose Angel Lamas, Venezuelan composer, dies at 39 1940 - Maletti, Italian general, dies in battle 1992 - Vincent Gardenia, Italian-American actor (Bang the Drum Slowly, Moonstruck, Little Shop of Horrors), dies of a heart attack at 71 2021 - Demaryius Thomas, American football wide receiver (Super Bowl 2015; 4 × Pro Bowl; Denver Broncos), dies at 33 More Famous Deaths »

1326 - Daitokuji temple, Rinzai line, established in Kyoto by Daito Kokushi 1864 - Pope Pius IX publishes encyclical Quanta cura ("Syllabus errorum") 1915 - Jean Sibelius' 5th Symphony in E premieres 1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his "Atoms for Peace" speech at the United Nations in New York 1973 - 39th Heisman Trophy Award: John Cappelletti, Penn State (RB) 1977 - 43rd Heisman Trophy Award: Earl Campbell, Texas (RB) 1984 - Ringo Starr hosts "Saturday Night Live"; Herbie Hancock is the musical guest 1993 - 4th Billboard Music Awards: Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard Soundtrack win 1997 - 8th Billboard Music Awards: LeAnn Rimes and Spice Girls win 1998 - Tadjena massacre: 81 people are killed by armed groups in Algeria. More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1914 - Boers rebelling against the British in South Africa suffer several defeats, with one of their leaders, General Beyers, accidentally drowning 1952 - French troops shoot on demonstrators at Casablanca, 50 die 1963 - Frank Sinatra, Jr is kidnapped at Harrah's Lake Tahoe (Nevada) 1972 - United Airlines crashes at Chicago's Midway Airport killing 45 1990 - Indians agree to a lease new ballpark in Gateway (Jacobs Field) 2018 - US President Donald Trump announces John Kelly will be stepping down as White House Chief of Staff at the end of the year More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1795 - Peter Andreas Hansen, Danish-German astronomer (Hansen hypothesis), born in Tønder, Schleswig, Denmark (d. 1874) 1905 - Charles Cushing, American composer, born in Oakland, California (d. 1982) 1908 - John Volpe, American politician (61st and 63rd Governor of Massachusetts) and U.S. Secretary of Treasury (1969-73), born in Wakefield, Massachusetts (d. 1994) 1942 - Bobby Elliott, British rock drummer (The Hollies), born in Burnley, Lancashire 1949 - Mary Gordon, American author 1959 - Jim Yong Kim, South Korean-American physician, anthropologist and President of the World Bank, born in Seoul, South Korea More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1907 - Oscar II Frederick, King of Sweden (-1907)/Norway (-1905), dies 1940 - George Exton Lloyd, Anglican Bishop and theologian (b. 1861) 1952 - Charles Lightoller, English second officer on the Titanic (b. 1874) 1958 - Tris Speaker, American Baseball HOF outfielder (World Series 1912, 15, 20; AL MVP 1912; career batting average .345 [6th all-time]; Cleveland Indians) and manager (Cleveland Indians 1919-26), dies at 70 1982 - Harald Riedewald, Suriname attorney, murdered 1984 - Luther Adler, American actor (D.O.A., The Desert Fox), dies at 81 More Famous Deaths »

1727 - Physician Sir Hans Soane becomes President of the Royal Society, succeeding Sir Isaac Newton 1916 - David Lloyd George replaces resigning H. H. Asquith as British Prime Minister 1917 - The USA's 42nd 'Rainbow' Division arrives in France (with Colonel Douglass MacArthur among its ranks) 1980 - PGA Seniors' Championship Men's Golf, Turnberry Isle CC: Arnold Palmer wins with a birdie on the 1st playoff hole against Paul Harney 1988 - Mikhail Gorbachev cheered by Wall St crowds upon arrival in NYC 1989 - C Coleman and D Zippel's musical "City of Angels" premieres in NYC 1994 - 5th Billboard Music Awards: Ace of Base and Mariah Carey win 2016 - 6.5 earthquake in Aceh province, Indonesia kills at least 97 people 2017 - Australia's parliament votes to legalize gay marriage 2020 - Breaking, the competitive form of breakdancing, confirmed as an Olympic sport for the Paris 2024 games More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1741 - Elisabeth Petrovna becomes Tsarina of Russia 1916 - David Lloyd George replaces resigning H. H. Asquith as British Prime Minister 1937 - Russian chess player Alexander Alekhine recaptures his final world title from Dutch grand master Max Euwe by a large margin (+10−4=11) 1978 - Islander's Mike Bossy's 1st career hat trick 1996 - Space Shuttle STS 80 (Columbia 21), lands 2007 - The Hebei Spirit oil spill began in South Korea after a crane barge being towed by tug collided with the very large crude carrier, Hebei Spirit. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1860 - Joseph Cook, 6th Prime Minister of Australia, born in Silverdale, Staffordshire, England (d. 1947) 1863 - Felix Calonder, Swiss politician (Free Democratic Party), born in Scuol, Switzerland (d. 1952) 1878 - Akiko Yosano, Japanese poet (Tangled Hair), born in Sakai, Ōsaka, Japan (d. 1942) 1971 - Ben Atkins, American fencer-epee (Olympics 1996), born in NYC, New York 1987 - Aaron Carter, American singer, rapper and songwriter, born in Tampa, Florida (d. 2022) 1989 - Nicholas Hoult, English actor (The Favourite; Tolkien; Peter III-The Great), born in Wokingham, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1881 - Julius FA Bahnsen, German philosopher (Tragic as Weltgesetz), dies at 51 1946 - Sada Yacco, Japanese stage actress (b. 1871) 1984 - Jeanne Cagney, American stage, screen, and radio actress (Lion is in the Streets; Quicksand; Yankee Doodle Dandy), dies of lung cancer at 65 1990 - Peter Mieg, Swiss composer, dies at 84 1990 - Reinaldo Arenas, Cuban poet and novelist (Pentagonia), dies at 47 2019 - Ron Saunders, English soccer striker (Portsmouth) and manager (Manchester City, Aston Villa, Birmingham City), dies at 87 More Famous Deaths »

1240 - Mongols led by Batu Khan occupy and destroy Kyiv after an 8 day siege; out of 50,000 people in the city only 2,000 survive 1862 - US President Abraham Lincoln orders hanging of 39 Santee Sioux Indians 1876 - 1st crematorium in US begins operation, Washington, Pennsylvania 1896 - D T Suzuki found the awakening at Engakuji temple, in Kamakura 1941 - NYC Council agrees to build Idlewild (Kennedy) Airport in Queens 1986 - 52nd Heisman Trophy Award: Vinny Testaverde, Miami Fla (QB) 1987 - Christa Rothenburger skates female world record 500m (39.39 sec) 2008 - 13th Big 12 Championship Game: #4 Oklahoma beats #19 Missouri, 62-21 2008 - 4th ACC Championship Game: Virginia Tech beats #18 Boston College, 30-12 2012 - Typhoon Bopha’s death toll rise to 418 with 318 missing and 179,000 displaced More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1957 - AFL-CIO votes to expel Teamsters (readmitted in October 1987) 1975 - Balcombe Street Siege: for 6 days, four Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteers hold two hostages at an apartment in London, England 1991 - "Les Miserables" opens at Circustheater, Scheveningen 2002 - "Adaptation" directed by Spike Jonze, starring Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep premieres 2010 - Record price for a printed book when a first edition of "The Birds of America" by John James Audubon auctioned at Sotheby's, London, England, for £7,321,250 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1887 - Lynn Fontanne, British actress (Peter Pan; The Guardsman), born in Woodford, Essex, England (d. 1983) 1896 - Ira Gershwin, American lyricist ("Embraceable You"; "I Got Rhythm"; "They Can't Take That Away From Me"), born in NYC, New York (d. 1983) 1930 - Wojciech Zabłocki, Polish fencer (4 x World C'ship gold team; Olympic silver team sabre 1956, 60; bronze 1964), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2020) 1943 - Mike Smith, British rock singer and keyboardist (Dave Clark Five - "Glad All Over"), born in London, England (d. 2008) 1949 - Doug Marlette, American editorial cartoonist (Kudzu), born in Greensboro, North Carolina (d. 2007) 1986 - Matt Niskanen, American NHL player (Philadelphia Flyers), born in Virginia, Minnesota More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1550 - Pieter Coecke van Aelst, Flemish painter, dies at 48 1562 - Jan van Scorel, Dutch painter and architect, dies at 67 1746 - Lady Grizel Baillie, Scottish songwriter (b. 1665) 1991 - Ann Sorg Coston, actress (Anna-Aldrich Family), dies at 62 1994 - AJ Bronkhorst, vicar/theologist (Reform The Netherlands), dies at 80 2020 - Jack Scarbath, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Uni of Maryland; Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1360 - The French Franc is created 1456 - Earthquake strikes Naples; about 35,000 die 1920 - Dimitrios Rallis forms a government in Greece. 1935 - First commercial hydroponics operation established (Montebello, California) 1945 - Flight 19 the "Lost Squadron" of 5 torpedo bombers and 14 airmen is lost east of Florida in the supposed Bermuda Triangle 1967 - Pediatrician Benjamin Spock and poet Allen Ginsberg arrested in New York while protesting against the Vietnam War 1988 - Boris Becker beats defending champion Ivan Lendl 5–7, 7–6, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6 in a classic final to win his first of 3 ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis titles at Madison Square Garden, NYC 1993 - The mayor of Wien (Vienna), Helmut Zilk, is wounded by a letter bomb. 2017 - Netflix fires actor Danny Masterson from "The Ranch" after allegations of rape 2019 - Saudi state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco raises a record $25.6 billion in its first public share offering, makes it the world's most valuable company at $1.7 trillion More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1496 - Jews are expelled from Portugal by order of King Manuel I 1837 - Uprising under William Lyon Mackenzie in Canada 1946 - US President Harry Truman creates Committee on Civil Rights by Exec Order #9808 1978 - Sam Shepard's "Buried Child" premieres in NYC 2004 - 93rd Davis Cup: Spain beats USA in Seville (3-2) 2021 - First known Hippos tests positive for COVID-19 at Antwerp Zoo in Belgium, with staff putting Imani (14) and Hermien (41) into isolation More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1537 - Ashikaga Yoshiaki, 15th Japanese shōgun, born in Japan (d. 1597) 1822 - Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, American educator and the co-founder and first president of Radcliffe College, born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1907) 1891 - Alexander Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer, born in St Petersburg (d. 1956) 1949 - Lanny Wadkins, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1977), born in Richmond, Virginia 1970 - Thomas Smith, American NFL cornerback (Buffalo Bills), born in Gates, North Carolina 1979 - Nick Stahl, American actor (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), born in Harlingen, Texas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1953 - Jorge Negrete [Moreno], Mexican singer and actor (The Rebel, La madrina del diablo), dies of hepatitis at 42 1955 - Paul Harvey, American actor (Spellbound, Calamity Jane, Heldorado, Jamboree), dies at 73 1973 - Robert Watson-Watt, Scottish physicist and developer of the radar and radio direction finding in WWII, dies at 81 1993 - Doug Hopkins, American guitarist and songwriter (Gin Blossoms), commits suicide using a pistol at 32 1994 - Ronald Ridout, English school textbook author (English Today), dies at 78 2016 - E. R. Braithwaite, Guyanese diplomat and writer (To Sir with Love), dies at 104 More Famous Deaths »

1644 - First European peace congress opens in Munster 1682 - First General Assembly in Pennsylvania (Chester) 1947 - In the first cricket Test match between the 2 nations, India is dismissed for 98 by Australia in Brisbane to lose by an innings and 226 runs; fast bowler Ernie Toshack takes 6 for 29 for match figures of 11 for 31 1949 - Duncan Stewart, 2nd British Governor of Sarawak is fatally stabbed in the streets of Sibu by Malay student Rosli Dhoby with help from Morshidi Sidek with the goal of helping neighbouring Indonesia to take over British Sarawak 1951 - Superheated gasses roll down Mount Catarman, Philippines, killing 500 people 1961 - Smallest NY Knick, 49th St Madison Square Garden crowd-1,300 (snowstorm) 1964 - Test Cricket debut of Ian Chappell, v Pakistan MCG, 11, 0-49, 0-31 1984 - Hezbollah militants hijack a Kuwait Airlines plane, killing four passengers. 1992 - Somali Civil War: President George H. W. Bush orders 28,000 US troops to Somalia 2009 - Montreal Canadiens retire Hall of Fame center Elmer Lach's jersey (No. 16), as part of team's centennial celebration More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1987 - Defending champion Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia wins 3rd straight season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis title by defeating Mats Wilander of Sweden 6–2, 6–2, 6–3 in the final at Madison Square Garden, NYC 1994 - 83rd Davis Cup: Sweden beats Russia in Moscow (4-1) 1998 - The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, is launched 2014 - The United Nations warns that the world is on course for the warmest year since records began 2019 - 58 migrants drown after a boat sinks off the coast of Mauritania, with 83 saved 2021 - Mt Semeru erupts on Java island, Indonesia, killing at least 14 and injuring 56 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1899 - Charlie Spencer, English soccer defender and manager (2 caps; Newcastle United; mgr Grimsby Town 1937-51), born in Washington, England (d. 1953) 1937 - Max Baer Jr, American actor (Jethro-Beverly Hillbillies), born in Oakland, California 1938 - Yvonne Minton, Australian-British soprano, born in Sydney, Australia 1953 - Rick Middleton, Canadian ice hockey right wing (Canada Cup gold 1984; NHL All-Star Game 1981-82, 84; Boston Bruins), born in Toronto, Ontario 1973 - Corliss Williamson, American basketball forward (NBA C'ship 2004, Detroit Pistons; NBA 6th Man of the Year 2002; NCAA Final 4 MOP 1994), born in Russellville, Arkansas 1981 - Andreas Polyzogopoulo, Greek jazz trumpet player (Heart Of The Sun), born in Samiko, Greece More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1182 - Henry, earl of Gelre/Zutphen (1141/79-82), dies 1649 - William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet, dies at 63 1893 - Heinrich Göbel, German-born mechanic and inventor, dies at 75 1976 - [Edward] Benjamin Britten, English composer (The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra; Peter Grimes), dies of heart failure at 63 1984 - John Rock, American obstetrician and gynecologist who co-developed the 1st birth control pill, dies at 94 1994 - Geoffery Rudolph Elton, historiographer, dies at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1944 - Temporary merger of 2 NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Cardinals, dissolves at finish of season; WWII ends before start of 1945 season, so both teams resume normal operations 1953 - Premier of Dmitri Shostakovich' 5th String Quartet 1954 - Samuel Barber's cantata "Prayers of Kierkegaard" premieres 1957 - 23rd Heisman Trophy Award: John Crow, Texas AandM (HB) 1958 - Indonesian parliament accepts nationalisation of Dutch businesses 1983 - France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll 1988 - NY Lotto pays $45 million to twelve winner (#s are 1-8-13-18-28-48) 1992 - The Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea, carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, runs aground in a storm while approaching La Coruña, Spain, and spills much of its cargo 2005 - 14th SEC Championship Game: #13 Georgia beats #3 LSU, 34-14 2020 - “I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation,” warns Dr. Robert Redfield, head of US CDC about the months ahead with COVID-19 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1926 - Detective novelist Agatha Christie mysteriously disappears for 11 days 1961 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1973 - Pioneer 10 passes Jupiter (1st fly-by of an outer planet) [Dec 4-GMT] 1979 - Shadow Traffic begins broadcasting in the New York City metropolitan area. 1982 - 77°F highest December temperature ever recorded in Cleveland, Ohio 2019 - Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announce they are stepping down from roles at parent company Alphabet, Sundar Pichai to become head of both More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1483 - Nicolaus von Amsdorf, German reformation theologist, born in Torgau, Saxony (d. 1565) 1857 - Joseph Conrad, Polish-English novelist (Lord Jim, Heart of Darkness), born in Berdychiv, Poland (d. 1924) 1883 - Anton (Friedrich Wilhelm) von Webern, Austrian 12-tone composer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1945) 1973 - Francisco Islas Rueda [Super Crazy], Mexican pro wrestler (WWE; NJPW, Zero-1, AJPW), born in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico 1978 - Trina [Katrina Laverne Taylor], American rapper (Glamorest Life), born in Miami, Florida 1985 - Amanda Seyfried, American actress (Mamma Mia, The Dropout), born in Allentown, Pennsylvania More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1765 - Lord John Sackville, English politician (MP Tamworth 1734-47) and cricketer (Kent CCC), dies at 52 1960 - Hermann Stephani, German organist, and musicologist, dies at 83 1976 - Mary Nash, actress (Philadelphia Story, Till the Clouds Roll By), dies at 91 1993 - Lewis Thomas, biologist, dies of cancer at 80 1997 - Violet Carlson, American Broadway actress (The Student Prince), dies at 97 2017 - John B. Anderson, American politician and 1980 Republican presidential candidate, dies at 95 More Famous Deaths »

1620 - English language newspaper "Namloos" begins publishing in Amsterdam 1899 - Philippine–American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, termed "The Filipino Thermopylae", is fought. 1913 - Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Managua created in Nicaragua 1951 - Future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Don Hutson has his #14 jersey retired by the Green Bay Packers; first number retired in franchise history 1961 - 26th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 34-0 in Birmingham 1974 - Giant Baba beats Jack Brisco in Kagoshimi, to become NWA champ 1988 - "Naked Gun" movie based on TV's "Police Squad" premieres 1995 - 4th SEC Championship Game: #2 Florida beats #23 Arkansas, 34-3 2012 - 9 people are killed after 30 cars are trapped in Sasago Tunnel, Japan 2014 - The World Food Programme suspends critical food aid to more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt because of a lack of funds More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1907 - Association of Football Players' and Trainers' Union (English Professional Football Players' Association) is formed by Charlie Roberts and Billy Meredith in Manchester, England 1972 - "Via Galactica" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 7 performances 1985 - NFL quarterback legends Dan Marino and John Elway (Denver Broncos) face each other for the first time, a 30-26 win for Marino's Miami Dolphins (390 yards and 3 TDs) 1988 - STS-27 Atlantis launched (Secret military mission) 1988 - UN votes 151-2 (Israel and US) to move PLO debate to Geneva, Great Britain abstains 1990 - US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) launches into orbit More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1868 - Francis Jammes, French poet and writer (Jammisme), born in Tournay, Hautes-Pyrénées, France (d. 1938) 1902 - Horace Hildreth, American politician (Gov-Maine, 1945-49) and U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan (1953-57), born in Gardiner, Maine (d. 1988) 1910 - Bob Newson, South African cricket fast bowler (3 Tests, 4 wickets; Transvaal; Rhodesia), born in Sea Point, Cape Province, South Africa (d. 1988) 1960 - Rick Savage, English bass player (Def Leppard-Hysteria, Rock of Ages), born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England 1962 - Kardam, Prince of Turnovo, eldest son of King Simeon II of Bulgaria and his wife Doña Margarita Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 2015) 1968 - Lucy Liu, American actress (Ally McBeal), born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 537 - Saint Silverius, Italian Pope (536-37) till deposed in March 537, starves to death in exile 1552 - Francis Xavier, Spanish Catholic missionary (b. 1506) 1748 - Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, English politician, dies at 86 1814 - Marquis de Sade, French philosopher and writer (Justine) and where the words sadism and sadist are derived from, dies at 74 1888 - Franz Xaver Witt, German church musician, composer, and priest, dies at 54 2005 - Van Tuong Nguyen, Australian drug smuggler (hanged) (b. 1980) More Famous Deaths »

1896 - 1st certified public accountants receive certificates (NY) 1909 - 1st Christmas Club payment made, to Carlisle Trust Co, Pennsylvania 1925 - Peace Treaty of Locarno signed between Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, and Italy 1936 - Bell Labs tests coaxial cable for TV use 1980 - US Justice Department sues Yonkers siting racial discrimination 1984 - American boxer Greg Page KOs home town favourite Gerrie Coetzee in 8th round to win WBA heavyweight title in Sun City, South Africa 1984 - "Beverly Hills Cop" directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold premieres in Los Angeles 1986 - Musée d'Orsay opens in Paris 1991 - US 75th manned space mission "STS 44" Atlantis 10 lands 1997 - Golden State Warriors NBA guard Latrell Sprewell assaults head coach P.J. Carlesimo; suspended for 10 games More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1824 - US House of Representatives begins to decide outcome of election deadlock between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson (Adams wins) 1974 - South Africa is awarded the Davis Cup tennis title after India refuses to travel to South Africa for the final in protest of the South African government's apartheid policies 1984 - American tennis icon Chris Evert wins her 1,000th career professional match; beats Pascale Paradis of France 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 in the round of 16 at the Australian Open; Evert goes on to win the event 1989 - Romanian 5-time Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Nadia Comăneci arrives in NYC requesting political asylum to the United States; granted 1994 - Jim Bakker, American televangelist and convicted fraud is released from jail 2015 - After finishing the season with the largest payroll in MLB history at $298.3 million, the Los Angeles Dodgers are assigned the largest luxury tax bill ever, $43.7 million More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1945 - Ross Edwards, Australian cricket batsman (20 Tests @ 40.37, top score 170no; 9 ODIs), born in Perth Western Australia 1954 - Bob Goen, American TV host (Wheel of Fortune, Entertainment Tonight), born in Long Beach, California 1955 - Pat Spillane, Irish Gaelic football left half forward and broadcaster (8 x All Ireland titles; Kerry), born in Templenoe, County Kerry, Ireland 1971 - Rob Waldrop, American College Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle (Outland Trophy 1993 Arizona; CFL, Toronto Argonauts), born in Atlanta, Georgia 1976 - Konerak Sinthasomphone, Jeffrey Dahmer's victim, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1988 - Zoë Kravitz, American actress (Big Little Lies), daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz, born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 660 - Eligius [Eloy], French patron saint of horses, goldsmiths and metalworkers who as bishop of Tournay-Noyon spent 20 years converting the pagan population of Flanders to Christianity, dies at around 72 1925 - Vicente Arregui Garay, Spanish composer, dies at 54 1958 - Patricia "Boots" Mallory, American dancer and actress (Handle With Care), dies from chronic throat disease at 45 1970 - Frank Smailes, English cricket all-rounder (1 Test; 8 County C'ships, Yorkshire), dies at 60 1984 - Roelof Frankot, Dutch painter (b. 1911) 2019 - Shelley Morrison, American actress (General Hospital, Will and Grace), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1487 - The first German Beer Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot), is promulgated in Munich by Albert IV, Duke of Bavaria stating beer should be brewed from only three ingredients – water, malt and hops 1700 - Utrecht, Overijssel, Buren, Leerdam and IJsselstein go on Gregoria calendar 1735 - States of Holland forbid Free Masonry 1782 - Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence 1955 - "Pipe Dream" opens at Shubert Theater, NYC; runs for 245 performances 1956 - Australian Betty Cuthbert takes Olympic sprint double when she runs OR equalling 23.4s to win the 200m gold medal at the Melbourne Games; beats Christa Stubnick in repeat of 100m final 4 days earlier 1994 - Cruise ship Achille Lauro destroyed by fire at Somalia, 4 die 1999 - In Seattle, Washington, United States, protests against the WTO meeting by anti-globalization protesters catch police unprepared and force the cancellation of opening ceremonies 2005 - The Boston Bruins trade captain Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks 2019 - Australian cricket batsman David Warner smashes 335 not out in the 2nd Test against Pakistan; second-highest Test score by an Australian (Matt Hayden 380); highest Test score at Adelaide Oval More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1886 - First commercially successful AC electric power plant opens, Buffalo, NY 1924 - National Football League Championship: Cleveland Bulldogs (7-1-1) [formerly Canton] win first past the post title 1956 - 1st use of videotape on TV (Douglas Edwards and the News) 1981 - NY Yankee Dave Righetti wins AL Rookie of Year Award 2009 - Canada begins its recovery from the recession; economic growth is at 0.4% after 14 months of economic stagnation 2017 - World's longest recorded rainbow - 8 hrs 58 min in Taipei's Yangmingshan mountain range More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1726 - Jacques Aliamet, French etcher and engraver, born in Abbeville, France (d. 1788) 1828 - Jedediah Hotchkiss, American topographer and cartographer, born in Windsor, New York (d. 1899) 1890 - John Tasker Howard, American composer and music historian, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1964) 1968 - Des'ree [Desirée Annette Weeks], English singer ("Feel So High"; "You Gotta Be"; "Life") 1971 - Heath Davis, New Zealand cricket bowler (NZ open v England 1994), born in Wellington, New Zealand 1981 - Rich Harden, Canadian baseball player More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1864 - John Adams, US Confederate brigadier general, dies in the Battle of Franklin at about 39 1967 - Patrick Kavanagh, Irish screenwriterr (Great Hunger), dies 1985 - Phil Tucker, American film director (Robot Monster), dies at 58 1993 - Bob Wolf, agent (New Kids on the Block, Larry Bird), dies 2010 - Peter Hofmann, Czech-born German operatic tenor (b. 1944) 2021 - Ray Kennedy, English soccer midfielder, forward (17 caps; Arsenal, Liverpool), dies from Parkinson's disease at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie's army moves into Manchester and occupies Carlisle 1929 - Richard E. Byrd sends "My calculations indicate that we have reached vicinity of South Pole" (He was wrong) 1948 - Puppet TV show"Kukla, Fran, and Ollie" starring Fran Allison debuts on NBC 1956 - Chris Brasher becomes first Briton to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field since 1936; claims 3,000m steeplechase in 8:41.2 at the Melbourne Games; initially disqualified but reversed on appeal 1964 - Roman Catholic Church in US replaces Latin with English 1966 - 1st NBA game at Oakland Coliseum Arena - Warriors beat Bulls 108-101 1972 - Co-founder of Atari, Nolan Bushnell releases Pong, the 1st commercially successful video game, in Andy Capp's Tavern in Sunnyvale, California 1974 - 39th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 17-13 in Birmingham 1981 - Revival of musical "My Fair Lady" closes at Uris Theater, NYC, after 119 performances 2001 - UN Security Council unanimously approves a resolution extending the Oil-for-Food program in Iraq for another six-month period More Historical Events »