CoM Moderators

1674 - Netherlands and Cologne sign peace treaty 1812 - British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval is assassinated by John Bellingham in the lobby of the House of Commons, London. Ironically, descendants of both later stand for the same seat in Parliament at the same time, but neither wins 1865 - Confederate Brigadier General Meriwether Jeff Thompson surrenders at Jacksonport, Arkansas 1928 - 63rd British Open Men's Golf Championship, Royal St George's GC: Walter Hagen wins 3rd of his 4 Open Championship titles, 2 strokes ahead of fellow American Gene Sarazen 1940 - 65th Preakness: Fred A Smith aboard Bimelech wins in 1:58.6 1963 - "Puff (The Magic Dragon)" single by Peter, Paul and Mary hits #2; Peter Yarrow adapted a poem that college classmate Lenny Lipton had left behind after borrowing Yarrow's typewriter 1969 - British comedy troupe Monty Python forms, made up of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin 1989 - NHL Prince of Wales Conference Final: Montreal Canadians beat Philadelphia Flyers, 4 games to 2 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1625 - Peasants besiege Frankenburg estate in Upper Austria 1919 - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hod Eller no-hits St Louis Cardinals, 6-0 at Redland Field, Cincinnati 1969 - British comedy troupe Monty Python forms, made up of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin 1972 - US conducts a nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site 2020 - Colombian airline Avianca, and world's 2nd oldest, becomes 1st major airline to file for bankruptcy due to COVID-19 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1840 - Filippo Capocci, Italian organ virtuoso and composer, born in Rome, Papal States (d. 1911) 1895 - Jan Parandowski, Polish writer and translator, born in Lwów, Austria-Hungary (now Lviv, Ukraine) (d. 1978) 1927 - Zilpha Keatly Snyder, American Newbury Award-winning children's literature author (Headless Cupid; The Egypt Game), born in Lemoore, California (d. 2014) 1970 - Dean Capobianco, Australian 200m/400m (Olympics 1992, 96) 1988 - Marek Pospieszalski, Polish avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer, born in Częstochowa, Poland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1743 - Francesco Stradivari, Italian violin maker and son of Antonius, dies at 70 2016 - Jim Pothecary, South African cricket medium pace bowler (3 Tests, 9 wickets; Western Province), dies at 82 2021 - Janine Brookner [née Okun], American CIA officer and lawyer who spoke out against sexual discrimination in the CIA, dies of complications of kidney disease and cancer at 80 2023 - Hodding Carter III, American White House press secretary under Jimmy Carter (1977-80), dies after a series of strokes at 88 2024 - Mary Wells Lawrence, American businesswoman and the first woman to own a major US national advertising agency (Wells Rich Greene), dies at 95 More Famous Deaths »

1774 - Louis XVI ascends to the throne of France 1902 - Portugal goes bankrupt, but its parliament passes a bill converting its external debt. Contributing to Portugal's troubles is a recent revolt in its colony of Angola, put down on September 6 1969 - US troops begin attack on Hill 937 ("Hamburger Hill"), Vietnam 1973 - Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Yvan Cournoyer has a goal and 2 assists as Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4 to take title, 4 games to 2 1983 - TV sitcom "Laverne and Shirley" last airs on ABC-TV 1989 - NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Final: Calgary Flames beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4 games to 1 2018 - New record auction price for a Latin American artwork of $9.76 million for Diego Rivera's "The Rivals" 2023 - Heaviest fighting in months between Israel and Palestinian militants as both sides launch air attacks, leaving over 20 dead in Gaza More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1534 - French navigator Jacques Cartier reaches Newfoundland 1933 - Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF) forms 1945 - Soviet troops occupied Prague 1992 - Revival of William Shakespeare's stage drama "Hamlet" closes at the Criterion Theater, NYC, after 45 performances 1994 - Nelson Mandela is sworn in as South Africa's first Black president More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1830 - François-Marie Raoult, French physicist and chemist (law of Raoult), born in Fournes, France (d. 1901) 1877 - Roderich Mojsisovics-Mojsvar, Austrian music educator and composer, born in Graz, Austria (d. 1954) 1920 - Basil Kelly, Irish barrister, politician and judge (Lord Chief Justice), born in County Monaghan, Ireland (d. 2008) 1928 - Arnold Rüütel, Estonian agronomist and politician (President of Estonia, 2001-06), born in Pahavalla, Estonia (d. 2024) 1970 - Perry Blake, Irish singer-songwriter (The Hunchback of San Francisco), born in Sligo, Ireland More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1954 - George Hirst, English cricketer (36,323 1st-class runs, 2739 wickets), dies at 82 1968 - Scotty Beckett, American actor (Our Gang, Listen Darling, Battleground), dies from either an overdose, or as a result from a beating at 38 1972 - Rhys Gemmell, Australian tennis player (Australasian C'ships singles and doubles 1921), dies at 76 2001 - Deborah Walley, American actress (b. 1943) 2022 - Bob Lanier, American Basketball HOF center (8 x NBA All-Star; NBA All-Star Game MVP 1974; Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks), dies at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1738 - Britain sends a fleet to the Mediterranean Sea and the West Indies 1846 - Battle of Resaca de la Palma-US sends Mexico back to Rio Grande 1962 - The Beatles sign their first contract with EMI Parlophone 1987 - 183 die aboard a Polish jetliner that crashes in Warsaw 1989 - VP Quayle says in United Negro College Fund speech: "What a waste it is to lose one's mind" instead of "a mind is terrible thing to waste" 2012 - United States President Barack Obama officially states his support for same-sex marriage 2017 - Jakarta’s Christian governor Ahok jailed for 2 years for blasphemy 2022 - Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa submits his resignation to his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, amid continuing violent protests causing four deaths More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1965 - The USSR launches Luna 5 with the goal of becoming the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, but it crashes during its landing attempt 1992 - 37th Eurovision Song Contest: Linda Martin for Ireland wins singing "Why Me" in Malmo 2018 - Dam bursts after heavy rains near Solai, Kenya, killing at least 41 2019 - English clubs create football history by taking all 4 final spots in Europe's 2 major competitions; Chelsea and Arsenal qualify in Europa Cup after 'miracle' Champions League wins for Liverpool and Spurs 2019 - Pope Francis introduces new rules on reporting sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, criticized for not going far enough More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1783 - Alexander Ross, Canadian fur trader, born in Morayshire, Scotland (d. 1856) 1855 - Julius Röntgen, German-Dutch composer, born in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony (d. 1932) 1936 - Albert Finney, English actor (The Dresser, Under the Volcano), born in Salford, England (d. 2019) 1955 - Kermit the Frog, Muppet character created by Jim Henson, protagonist of "The Muppet Show", "born" in Leland, Mississippi 1975 - Chris Diamantopoulos, Canadian actor (The Three Stooges; Silicon Valley), and cartoon Voice (Mickey Mouse, 2013-present), born in Toronto, Ontario More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1745 - Tomaso Antonio Vitali, Italian composer and violinist, dies at 82 1850 - Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, French physicist and chemist, dies at 71 1966 - Alfred Mendelsohn, Romanian composer, and conductor (Romanian National Opera, 1944-63), and teacher, dies at 56 1979 - Lan Adomian, Russian-born American composer, dies at 73 2019 - Alvin Sargent, American Academy Award-winning screenwriter for "Julia" (1977) and "Ordinary People" (1980), dies at 92 More Famous Deaths »

1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen revolt begins against King Henry VI and they march towards London 1639 - William Coddington founds Newport, Rhode Island 1905 - Union of Unions organizes In Russia under the chairmanship of Paul Miliukov and joins liberal groups demanding parliamentary government and universal suffrage 1906 - Philadelphia A's pitcher Albert Bender is deployed to left field in 6th inning and responds with 2 HRs in A's 11-4 win over Boston Americans at Huntington Avenue Grounds, Boston 1960 - USSR and Cuba resume diplomatic relations 1974 - FC Magdenburg of East Germany win 14th European Cup Winner's Cup against AC Milan of Italy 2-0 in Rotterdam 1994 - All-female pro baseball team Colorado Silver Bullets play their first game 2019 - Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi who spent eight years in prison on death row for blasphemy arrives in Canada More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1624 - Dutch Nassau fleet reaches port of Callao in Peru intending to ransack the annual Spanish silver ship convoy, misses them by five days 1909 - American Albert Raines runs world record marathon (2:46:04.6) in NYC 1976 - Leonard Bernstein and Alan Jay Lerner's musical "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" closes at Mark Hellinger, NYC, after 7 performances 1988 - Brazilian musical revue "Oba Oba" closes at Ambassador Theater, NYC, after 46 performances 1989 - US space shuttle STS-30 lands More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1906 - Roberto Rossellini, Italian film director (General della Rovere, Open City), born in Rome, Italy (d. 1977) 1911 - Robert Johnson, American blues singer-songwriter, and guitarist (King of Delta Blues Singers), born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi (d. 1938) 1945 - Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, Dutch politician, jurist and first chair of the Authority for Financial Markets (1999-2007), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2020) 1980 - Benny Yau, Canadian TV presenter (What's On), born in Hong Kong 1981 - Stephen Amell, Canadian actor (Arrow), born in Toronto, Ontario More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1846 - Giacomo Cordella, Italian composer, dies at 59 1880 - Gustave Flaubert, French novelist (Madame Bovary), dies at 58 1960 - Hugo Alfvén, Swedish violinist, conductor, and composer (Midsommarvaka - Midsummer Vigil), dies at 88 1999 - Dana Plato, American actress (Kimberly-Diff'rent Strokes), dies at 34 2018 - James Scott, American boxer and felon, dies at 71 More Famous Deaths »

1355 - 1,200 Jews of Toledo, Spain killed by Count Henry of Trastamara 1800 - Indiana Territory organized 1856 - Argentina and Brazil sign a navigation pact 1938 - Dutch Minister of Justice Goseling calls fugitives of Nazi-Germany "undesired strangers" 1955 - USSR signs peace treaty with France and Great Britain 1982 - "Is There Life after High School?" opens at Barrymore Theatre, NYC; runs for 12 performances 2011 - 137th Kentucky Derby: John Velazquez aboard Animal Kingdom wins in 2:02.04 2024 - Stormy Daniels testifies in court to a 2006 sexual encounter with Donald Trump as part of a hush money trial against Trump More Historical Events »

Historical Events 558 - Dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapses, Justinian I immediately orders it rebuilt 1949 - 75th Kentucky Derby: Steve Brooks aboard Ponder wins in 2:04.2 2006 - On the final day of the Premier League season, Thierry Henry scores a hat-trick against Wigan Athletic in the last match played at Highbury 2011 - 137th Kentucky Derby: John Velazquez aboard Animal Kingdom wins in 2:02.04 2017 - MTV becomes the first major awards show to adopt gender-neutral categories, with Emma Watson winning Best Film Actor and Millie Bobby Brown winning Best TV Actor More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1892 - Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and leader of Yugoslavia (1943-80), born in Kumrovec, Hrvatsko Zagorje, Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (d. 1980) 1936 - Jimmy Ruffin, American soul singer ("What Becomes of the Brokenhearted"), born in Collinsville, Mississippi (d. 2014) 1959 - Michael E. Knight, American actor (Tad Martin in "All My Children"), born in Princeton, New Jersey 1960 - Arnon Ohad, Israeli pilot and first officer of EI Al flight 1862 that crashed in Bijlmer Amsterdam, born in Israel 1964 - Leslie O'Neal, NFL defensive end and 6x Pro-Bowl selection (San Diego Chargers, St Louis Rams), born in Little Rock, Arkansas More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 973 - Otto I, the Great, East Frankish king and Holy Roman Emperor (962-973), dies at 60 2018 - Mikhail German, Russian writer, dies at 85 2018 - Jeremy D. Safran, Canadian-born American clinical psychologist, is killed during a burglary 2020 - Brian Bolus, English cricket batsman (7 Tests @ 41.33; Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire), dies at 86 2021 - Martín Pando, Argentine soccer forward (11 caps; Argentinos Juniors, River Plate), dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1604 - Leon VII Spanish poet's first poem is published: La Cocina 1864 - US Civil War: Union Army General Sherman begins advance to Atlanta, Georgia, during the Atlanta Campaign 1889 - Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) in Paris opens with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch; the elevators in the tower are not yet ready, so intrepid visitors have to climb 1,710 steps to reach the top 1933 - 59th Kentucky Derby: Don Meade aboard Brokers Tip wins in 2:06.8 1942 - Corregidor and Philippines surrender to Japanese Armies 1970 - Irish Prime Minister Jack Lynch sacks two ministers in the Irish government over allegations of illegal arms importation 1981 - US expels Libyan diplomats 1991 - Space Shuttle STS 39 (Discovery 12) lands More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1916 - Belgian troops march into Kigali, German East Africa 1945 - General Johannes Blaskowitz surrenders German troops in Netherlands 1987 - American televangelist Jim Bakker and Rich Dortch dismissed from Assemblies of God after revelations of an alleged rape of a church secretary 1987 - Miroslav Mihailovic begins 54 hours of telling jokes 2008 - Chaiten Volcano erupts in Chile, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,500 people More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1758 - Maximilien Robespierre, French revolutionary (President of the National Convention, Member of Committee of Public Safety), born in Arras, France (d. 1794) 1843 - Grove Karl Gilbert, American geologist (investigated Lake Bonneville, Utah), born in Rochester, New York (d. 1918) 1925 - Patrick Meaney, British businessman and CEO (Rank Organization), born in Wandsworth, London (d. 1992) 1947 - Ronald Rivest, American computer scientist (RSA cryptography), born in Schenectady, New York 1953 - Michelle Courchesne, Quebec politician and former President of the Treasury Board, born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 850 - Ninmyō, 54th Emperor of Japan (833-50) during the Heian period, dies at 41 1727 - Catharine I of Russia [Marta Samuilovna], wife of Peter the Great, dies at about 42 1985 - Pete Desjardins, American diver (Olympic gold 10m platform, 3m springboard 1928), dies at 78 2014 - Geoffrey Maitland Smith, British accountant (Sir Charles Clore; Paul McCartney) and businessman (CEO of Sears, 1978-95), dies at 81 2018 - Cirilo Bautista, Filipino writer and poet, dies at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1863 - Irish boxer Joe Coburn KOs American Mike McCoole in the 67th round in his first defense of Heavyweight C'ship of America in Charlestown, Maryland 1916 - US Marines invade Dominican Republic, stay until 1924 1917 - St Louis Browns pitcher Ernie Koob no-hits Chicago White Sox, 1-0 at Sportsman's Park III 1948 - First squadron of jet aircraft boards a carrier 1955 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada test Site 1956 - The first World Judo Championships are held in Tokyo 1961 - Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Freedom 7 2006 - The government of Sudan signs an accord with the Sudan Liberation Army More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1494 - On his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus sights Jamaica and lands at Discovery Bay 1864 - Battle of Wilderness, Virginia (Germanna Ford, Wilderness Tavern) 1938 - MLB Philadelphia Phillies Harold Kelleher pitcher faces 16 batters in 6th, as Cubs score 12 runs, both marks are NL records off one hurler in a single inning 1990 - 35th Eurovision Song Contest: Toto Cutugno for Italy wins singing "Insieme: 1992" in Zagreb 1991 - A riot breaks out in the Mt. Pleasant section of Washington, D.C. after Salvadoran man is shot by police More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1883 - Charles "Chief" Bender, American Baseball HOF pitcher (only indigenous American in BHOF; World Series 1910, 11, 13; no-hitter 1910; Philadelphia A's), born in Crow Wing County, Minnesota (d. 1954) 1915 - Richard Rovere, American political journalist (Goldwater Caper), born in Jersey City, New Jersey (d. 1979) 1924 - Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, Argentine film director (Monday's Child), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 1978) 1950 - Googoosh [Faegheh Atashin (فائقه آتشین)], Persian singer and actress, born in Sarcheshmeh Street, Tehran, Iran 1982 - Jay Bothroyd, English footballer (striker for J1 League club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo), born in London More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1945 - Peter Van Pels, Jewish Refugee (b. 1926) 1964 - Howard Zahniser, American environmental activist (father of Wilderness Act), dies of heart failure at 58 1995 - Anthony Wagner, English Officer of Arms at the College of Arms and author on heraldry, dies at 86 2000 - Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (Tour de France 1938, 48; Giro d'Italia 1936-7, 46), dies of a heart attack at 85 2012 - Raman Surendranath, Indian cricket fast bowler (11 Tests, 26 wickets), dies at 75 More Famous Deaths »

1493 - Spanish Pope Alexander VI decrees in the papal bull "Inter caetera" that all lands west of a line 100 leagues west of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands belong to Castile, ultimately dividing the Americas between Spain and Portugal 1861 - At Gretna, Louisiana, one of the first guns for the Confederate Navy is cast 1910 - Wilfrid Laurier passes the Naval Service Act, which creates the Royal Canadian Navy 1927 - Nicaragua agrees to a US supervised presidential election in 1928 1957 - Anne Frank Foundation forms in Amsterdam 1975 - Italian film "Seven Beauties" directed by Lina Wertmüller, starring Giancarlo Giannini, and Shirley Stoler released - first film directed by a women to be nominated for an Academy Award 1988 - USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan 2018 - LA Angels first baseman Albert Pujols collects his 3,000th MLB hit in a 5-0 win v Mariners in Seattle More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1883 - John Gordon Cashman publishes the first edition of the "Vicksburg Evening Post" in Mississippi 1942 - Battle of Coral Sea begins (1st naval battle fought solely in air) between Japanese, US and Australian navies and air forces 1959 - First Grammy Awards: Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald win major awards 1966 - The Soviet government signs an agreement with Fiat to build an automobile factory in the Soviet Union 2019 - 145th Kentucky Derby: stewards disqualify first-across-the-line Maximum Security for interference; longshot Country House declared winner; first DQ in race history for race infraction More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1938 - Gillian Tindall, British historian and novelist (The Fields Beneath, Fly Away Home), born in London (d. 2025) 1949 - Zal Cleminson, Scottish guitarist (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band), born in Glasgow, Scotland 1956 - Barrie Masters, British pub-rock singer (Eddie and the Hot Rods), born in Rochford, Essex, England (d. 2019) 1977 - Mariano Pernía, Argentine soccer left back (11 caps Spain; Independiente, Recreativo, Getafe, Atlético Madrid), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina 1984 - Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladeshi cricket all-rounder (6 Tests, 1 x 50, 5 wickets, BB 3/84; Khulna Division), born in Khulna, Bangladesh (d. 2007) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1566 - Luca Ghini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1490) 1855 - Camille Pleyel, Austrian pianist, piano manufacturer, and music publisher, dies at 66 1953 - T. Tertius Noble, English composer, dies at 85 1984 - Bob Clampett, American cartoonist (b. 1913) 1994 - Karl Francis Hettinger, American police officer (Onion Field survivor), dies at 59 More Famous Deaths »

1342 - Count Hartmann II becomes the ruler of Vaduz, Liechtenstein 1864 - Red River Campaign: third day of Battle at Alexandria, Louisiana 1933 - Nellie T. Ross takes office as the first female director of the US Mint 1966 - WDHO (now WNWO) TV channel 24 in Toledo, Ohio (ABC) begins broadcasting 2002 - Military MiG-21 aircraft crashes into the Bank of Rajasthan in India, killing eight people 2002 - "Spider-Man," starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin, premieres 2023 - 13-year-old Serbian student shoots and kills nine people at his Belgrade school, eight students and a security guard, before handing himself in 2023 - MLB LA Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani joins NY Yankee legend Babe Ruth as only pitcher to strike out 500 batters and hit over 100 career home runs in 6-4 over the Cardinals in St. Louis More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1815 - Battle at Tolentino: Austria beats King Joachim of Naples 1855 - Antwerp-Rotterdam railway officially opens 1952 - "Call Me Madam" closes at the Imperial Theater in NYC after 644 performances 1954 - WHA TV channel 21 in Madison, Wisconsin (PBS) begins broadcasting 1994 - Wim Kok and the Labour Party win Dutch general election More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1729 - Florian Leopold Gassmann, Bohemian composer, born in Brüx, Kingdom of Bohemia (d. 1774) 1849 - Jacob Riis, Danish-American social reformer and "muck raking" reporter (NY Tribune, NY Evening Sun), born in Ribe, Denmark (d. 1914) 1895 - Cornelius Van Til, Dutch philosopher and Christian apologist, born in Grootegast, Netherlands (d. 1987) 1915 - Stu Hart, Canadian pro wrestler and trainer (founder Stampede Wrestling; sons Bret and Owen Hart), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (d. 2003) 1949 - Albert Sacco Jr., American chemical engineer and astronaut (STS 73), born in Boston, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1442 - Engelbert I Nassau-Dillenburg (counsellor to Duke of Burgendy), dies at 71 or 72 1737 - Abraham Patras, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1735-37), dies at 65 1988 - Johannes Driessler, German organist and composer, dies at 67 1994 - Milford Dolliole, American pioneer jazz drummer, dies at 90 2006 - Pramod Mahajan, Indian politician (b. 1949) More Famous Deaths »

1598 - France and Spain sign the Peace of Vervins 1923 - MLB Washington Senator Walter Johnson pitches his 100th shutout, beats New York Yankees 3-0 1941 - Nazi occupied Netherlands lays off Jewish journalists 1943 - German troops vacate Jefna, Tunisia 1950 - Dutch PM Malan recognizes South-Africa but not People's Republic of China 1969 - British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth II departs Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York 1982 - Argentine cruiser General Belgrano is sunk by British submarine HMS Conqueror with the loss of more than 350 men during the Falklands War 1983 - 6.7 earthquake injures 487 in Coalinga, California More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1876 - The April Uprising breaks out in Bulgaria 1878 - US stops minting the 20-cent coin due to public confusion with the quarter 1887 - Hannibal Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film (used in Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope) 1953 - Hussein I installed as King of Jordan 1998 - 124th Kentucky Derby: Kent Desormeaux aboard Real Quiet wins in 2:02.20 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1660 - Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian baroque composer (Tigrane), born in Palermo, Sicily, Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire (d. 1725) 1860 - Theodor Herzl, Austrian journalist and father of modern political Zionism (World Zionist Organization), born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary (d. 1904) 1910 - Laurie Nash, Australian cricket fast-bowler (2 Tests, 10 wickets) and VFL player and coach (South Melbourne), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1986) 1954 - Elliot Goldenthal, American concert, theater, and Academy Award-winning film score composer (Frida; Juan Darién - A Carnival Mass), born in Brooklyn, New York City 1984 - Saulius Mikoliūnas, Lithuanian footballer, born in Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 2001 - Gina Mastrogiacomo, American actress (Goodfellas), dies at 39 2012 - Junior Seau, American Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker (12 x Pro Bowl; 6 × First-team All-Pro; NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1992; SD Chargers), commits suicide at 43 2013 - Jeff Hanneman, American haevy metal guitarist (Slayer), dies from liver failure at 49 2017 - Abelardo Castillo, Argentine writer and novelist, dies at 82 2018 - Wang Danfeng, Chinese actress, dies at 93 More Famous Deaths »

1850 - John Geary becomes the first mayor of San Francisco 1951 - Dutch Reformed Church introduces a new church choir 1967 - Bernard Malamud wins the Pulitzer Price in Fiction for "The Fixer" 1988 - Two IRA attacks in and near Roermond, Netherlands, kills three British servicemen and wounds three more 2002 - Padres closer Trevor Hoffman sets MLB record for saves for one team (321) in 4-3 win v Chicago Cubs in San Diego 2009 - Same-sex marriage is legalized in Sweden 2014 - Hundreds march through Nigerian capital calling for the release of schoolgirls abducted by Islamic militants, Boko Haram, who oppose Western education 2019 - US Attorney General William Barr testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee, defending his handling of the Mueller Report More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1795 - King of Hawaiʻi Kamehameha I defeats Kalanikupule and conquers island of Oʻahu at Battle of Nuʻuanu [approx. date] 1957 - Vanguard TV-1 booster test reaches an altitude of 121 miles (195 km) 1967 - Anastasio Somoza Debayle becomes President of Nicaragua 1969 - Houston Astros hurler Don Wilson blanks Reds, 4-0 for second career no-hitter, at Crosley Field in Cincinnati 2007 - The Los Angeles May Day mêlée occurs, in which the Los Angeles Police Department's response to a May Day pro-immigration rally becomes a matter of controversy More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1831 - Emily Stowe, Canadian suffragist and first woman licensed to practise medicine in Canada, born in Norwich Township, Oxford County, Ontario (d. 1903) 1924 - Enriko Josif, Serbian composer and pedagogue (Lyric Symphony), born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (d. 2003) 1927 - Greta Andersen, Danish swimmer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle, silver 4×100m freestyle 1948), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2023) 1955 - András Törőcsik, Hungarian soccer forward (45 caps; Újpest Dozsa FC, Montpellier), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2022) 1970 - Damon Diletti, Australian field hockey goal keeper (Olympic silver 1992; Champions Trophy gold 1999), born in Perth, West Australia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1679 - Esaias Reusner, German lutenist and composer, dies at 43 1913 - John Barclay Armstrong, Texas Ranger and U.S. Marshal (b. 1850) 1957 - Grant Mitchell, American actor (Great Lie, Laura, Cairo, Conflict), dies at 82 2018 - Chuck Missler, American evangelist and author, dies at 83 2021 - Al Jamison, American football offensive lineman (AFL All Star 1961, 62; AFL C'ship 1960, 61; Houston Oilers), dies at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1803 - Chancellor Robert Livingston and James Monroe sign Louisiana Purchase Treaty in Paris at a cost of 15 million dollars, doubles the size of the USA 1871 - The Camp Grant Massacre of Apache Indians in Arizona Territory is committed by white and Mexican adventurers, 144 die 1939 - Lou Gehrig sets a MLB record playing his 2,130th consecutive and final game for the New York Yankees. 1972 - "Arthur Godfrey Time" ends a 27 year run on radio 1973 - Women's tennis groups end disputes over sanctioning tournaments 1995 - After 120 years the last 15 A and S department stores close 1997 - Tajik Prest Imomali Rakhmonov wounded in assassination attempt 2019 - New type of dementia identified and named limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (Late) after misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1492 - Spain announces it will expel all Jews 1945 - Concentration camp Munchen-Allag freed 1977 - Revival of musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" closes at Little Theatre, NYC after 92 performances 1997 - Big Ben stops at 12:11 PM for 54 minutes 2012 - Manchester City defeats Manchester United 1-0 in what is claimed to be the biggest match in English Premier League history More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1723 - Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French zoologist and naturalist (Ornithologie), born in Fontenay-le-Comte (d. 1806) 1909 - Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands (1948-80), born in Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Netherlands (d. 2004) 1913 - Bernard Sendall, British deputy director general of the Independent Television Authority and author (Independent Television in Britain), born in Malvern, England (d. 1996) 1936 - Bernie Clifton [Quinn], British comedian (Oswald the Ostrich), born in St Helens, Lancashire, England 1982 - Kirsten Dunst, American actress (Interview with the Vampire, Spider-Man), born in Point Pleasant, New Jersey More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1848 - Friedrich Freiherr Gagern, German Dutch army commandant, dies at 53 1942 - J. C. Arthur, American botanist (studied parasitic fungi rusts), dies at 92 1983 - Joel H. Hildebrand, American chemist and educator (research led to new treatments for divers with the 'bends' through the use of helium and oxygen breathing mixtures), dies at 101 1998 - Nizar Qabbani, Syrian poet (b. 1926) 2007 - Gordon Scott [Werschkul], American actor (Tarzan series), dies at 80 More Famous Deaths »

1644 - Farm leader Li Zicheng becomes Emperor of China and flees Peking 1707 - English and Scottish parliaments accept Act of Union; creates the United Kingdom of Great Britain (comes into being 1st May) 1854 - Ashmun Institute (later Lincoln University), in Hinsonville, Pennsylvania, receives its charter from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, making it the 1st degree-granting Black college in US 1862 - 100,000 federal troops prepare to march into Corinth, Mississippi 1864 - The Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York 1953 - Milwaukee Braves' Joe Adcock is 1st to homer into New York's Polo Grounds center field bleachers 1995 - KC Royal John Nonely is 70th to HR on his 1st at bat 1996 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Fresno, California on KFRR 104.1 FM More Historical Events »