CoM Moderators

1654 - Portuguese troops conquer last Dutch base on Recife 1907 - John Millington Synge's "Playboy of Western World" opens in Dublin; play claimed as immoral and causes riots 1924 - American skater Charles Jewtraw claims the first ever Winter Olympic gold medal; wins 500m speed skating event in 44.0s at the Chamonix Games in France 1929 - Indian National Congress proclaims goal for India's independence 1969 - "Red, White, and Maddox" opens at Cort Theater NYC for 41 performances 1980 - 175,000 pay to hear Frank Sinatra sing in Rio de Janeiro 1989 - "Black and Blue" opens at Minskoff Theater NYC for 829 performances 2005 - Condoleezza Rice is sworn in as U.S. Secretary of State, the first African American woman to hold the post More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1930 - Cleveland's Terminal Tower opens (52 stories) 1939 - Filming begins on the film adaptation of "Gone with the Wind" 1979 - "The Dukes of Hazzard" premieres on US TV network CBS 2020 - 62nd Grammy Awards: Billie Eilish wins 5 Grammys, including album, record and song of the year 2022 - Spotify removes Neil Young's music from its streaming platform after the singer-songwriter's ultimatum in objection to COVID-19 misinformation in Joe Rogan's podcasts More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1924 - Alice Babs [Nilson], Swedish jazz singer (The Swe-Danes; Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts), and actress (Swing It, Teacher!), born in Västervik, Sweden (d. 2014) 1933 - Ercole Baldini, Italian cyclist (Olympic gold men's road race 1956; World C'ship gold individual pursuit 1956; Giro d'Italia 1958), born in Villanova di Forlì, Italy (d. 2022) 1935 - Paula Rego, Portuguese-British artist (Cast of Characters From Snow White), born in Lisbon, Portugal (d. 2022) 1942 - Souad Hosni, Egyptian actress called the "Cinderella" of Arab cinema, born in Cairo, Egypt (d. 2001) 1965 - Allison Hossack, Canadian actress (Olivia Matthews in "Another World"), born in Steinbach, Canada More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1933 - Alva Belmont, American socialite and women's suffrage activist (co-founder and President of the National Woman's Party), dies at 80 1947 - Gerda Neumann, Danish film actress, dies in an airplane crash at 31 1990 - Lewis Mumford, American cultural historian, city planner and writer, dies at 94 1996 - Gerrit Cornelis Berkouwer, Dutch theologist (Dogmatic Studies), dies at 92 1996 - Henry Jay Lewis, American double-bassist and conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic 1948-65), dies of a heart attack at 63 More Famous Deaths »

1861 - Augusta Arsenal seized by the Confederacy in Georgia (US Civil War) 1906 - Del Valle Inclans "El Marqués de Bradomin" premieres in Madrid 1946 - Richard Strauss' composition "Metamorphosen" premieres with the Collegium Musicum in Zürich, Switzerland 1949 - 1st Emmy Awards: Shirley Dinsdale and Pantomime Quiz (KTLA) win 1961 - Military coup in El Salvador 1964 - Dale Wasserman's stage play "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", adapted from the novel by Ken Kesey, starring Kirk Douglas, Ed Ames; Joan Tetzel, and Gene Wilder, closes at Cort Theatre, NYC, after 82 performances 1998 - "Patti LaBelle On Broadway" closes at St James Theater NYC 2019 - Longest-ever US government shutdown ends after 35 days when President Donald Trump agrees to three week of negotiations on border security by a House-Senate conference committee More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1946 - United Mine Workers union rejoins American Federation of Labor 1955 - Russia ends state of war with Germany 1983 - Infrared telescope satellite launched into polar orbit 2001 - A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24 2013 - 50 people are killed and 90 are injured in a prison riot in Barquisimeto, Venezuela More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1814 - Francis Harrison Pierpont, American lawyer and politician (Union), born in Morgantown, West Virginia (d. 1899) 1880 - Francis George Scott, Scottish composer (Intuitions), born in Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland (d. 1958) 1917 - Floyd "Guitar" Smith, American jazz and blues guitarist and record producer, born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1982) 1929 - Robert Faurisson, British-born French academic, born in Shepperton, United Kingdom (d. 2018) 1947 - Ángel Nieto, Spanish motorcycle racer (World C'ships: 50cc 1969, 70, 72, 75, 76, 77; 125cc 1971, 72, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84; 90 Grand Prix victories), born in Zamora, Spain (d. 2017) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 844 - Pope Gregory IV, Italian Pope (827-844) 1871 - Jeanne Villepreux-Power, "Mother of Aquariophily," French pioneering marine biologist and inventor of the aquarium, dies at 76 1992 - Mahmoud Riad, Egyptian diplomat, Secretary-General of Arab League (1972-79), dies at 74 1998 - Attila Zoller, Hungarian-American jazz guitarist, educator (Vermont Jazz Center, 1974-98), and inventor (bi-directional pickup), dies at 70 2009 - Kim Manners, American television producer and director (b. 1951) More Famous Deaths »

1950 - Jackie Robinson signs highest contract ($35,000) in Dodger history 1960 - Algeria uprises against French President de Gaulle 1962 - Retail entrepreneur Brian Epstein signs a 5-year management contract with the Beatles 1964 - Dutch comic strip "Eric de Noorman" by Hans G. Kresse ends 1981 - Islanders scored 5 power play goals against Nordiques 1990 - Japanese MUSES-A (Hiten) launched towards moon 2011 - "21" second studio album by Adele is released (Grammy Award for Album of the Year 2012, Brit Award for British Album of the Year, 2011 Billboard Album of the Year) 2022 - 19 die in a fight and a fire at a nightclub in Sorong city, West Papua, Indonesia More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1924 - Benito Mussolini disallows non-fascist work union 1930 - John Mills scores New Zealand's 1st Test century in cricket, sharing a record 276 run opening stand with Stewie Dempster 1935 - First canned beer, "Krueger's Cream Ale," is sold by American company Krueger Brewing Co. 1950 - US patent is awarded to inventor Percy Spencer for the microwave oven 2018 - UK charity Presidents Club forced to close after revelations of sexual harassment at event revealed by the "Financial Times" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1746 - Gustav III, King of Sweden (1771-92), born in Stockholm (d. 1792) 1864 - Marguerite Durand, French journalist, feminist, and publisher (La Fronde), born in Paris, France (d. 1936) 1925 - William Hudson, American actor (I Led 3 Lives), born in Gilroy, California (d. 1974) 1948 - Michael Des Barres, British rock singer (Detective; Power Station), actor (MacGyver; The New WKRP in Cincinnati), and radio DJ, born in Hove, England 1957 - Mark Eaton, American basketball center (NBA All-Star 1989; NBA Defensive Player of the Year 1985, 89; Utah Jazz), born in Westminster, California (d. 2021) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1848 - Horace Wells, American dentist (pioneered use of medical anesthesia), commits suicide after committing a crime under the influence of chloroform at 33 2008 - J. Robert Hooper, American politician, dies at 71 2015 - Toller Cranston, Canadian figure skater (Olympic bronze men's singles 1976; World C'ship bronze 1974) and painter, dies of a heart attack at 65 2022 - Aftab Baloch, Pakistan cricket batsman (2 Tests; 7th player to pass the 400 first class run milestone, 428 for Sind 1974), dies at 68 2025 - Ellert Schram, Icelandic soccer forward (23 caps; KR) and executive (chairman Icelandic FA 1973-89), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1912 - The International Opium Convention is signed at The Hague 1945 - Dutch Prime Minister Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy, exiled in London, tenders his resignation 1950 - Rebel army of Dutch military officer Raymond Westerling occupies Bandung, Java 1959 - 9th NBA All-Star Game, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Mi: West beats East, 124-108; MVPs: Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis Lakers, F; Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks, C; first co-winners of MVP award 1970 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1984 - Greatest unpaced 1-hr bicycle distance, F Moser (Italy), 51.15 km 2017 - Thunderstorms and tornadoes in Georgia and Mississippi leave at least 18 dead in the US 2018 - Twelve camels disqualified from the King Abdulaziz Camel beauty contest, Saudi Arabia after their owners used botox on their lips More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1779 - French astronomer Charles Messier catalogs M56 (globular cluster in Lyra) 1789 - Georgetown, the first US Catholic college, is founded 1845 - Uniform US election day for President and VP authorized 1926 - Eugene O'Neill's play "Great God Brown" premieres in NYC 2023 - American Richard Barnett, who was pictured with his feet on Nancy Pelosi's desk during the Jan 6 riots, convicted on eight counts in a Washington court More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1783 - Stendhal [Marie Henri Beyle], French writer (Le Rouge et de Noir, a Chartreuse de Parme), born in Grenoble, France (d. 1842) 1936 - Cécile Ousset, French classical pianist, born in Tarbes, France 1946 - Asif Masood, Pakistani cricketer (Pakistani quick with long and erratic run-up), born in Lahore, Pakistan 1952 - Omar Henry, South African cricketer (1st colored player for South Africa 1992), born in Stellenbosch, South Africa 1967 - Robert Globb, Slovenian politician (Prime Minister of Slovenia 2022-), born in Šempeter pri Gorici, Yugoslavia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1939 - Matthias Sindelar, Austrian soccer striker (43 caps; Austria Vienna 312 games), dies under mysterious circumstances at 35 1976 - Paul Robeson, American stage and screen bass-baritone singer ("Old Man River"), actor, and civil rights activist, dies of stroke complications in Philadelphia at 77 2002 - Robert Nozick, American philosopher (Anarchy, State, and Utopia), dies at 63 2018 - Stansfield Turner, American admiral and CIA director (1977-81), dies at 94 2021 - Peter Harper, British medical geneticist known for his work on myotonic dystrophy, dies at 81 More Famous Deaths »

1850 - Alta California becomes a daily paper, 1st such in Calif 1863 - Union General Burnside's "Mud March" 1877 - Arthur Tooth, an Anglican clergyman is taken into custody after being prosecuted for using ritualist practices 1914 - Paul Claudel's play "L'échange" premieres in Paris 1953 - 1953 NFL Draft: Harry Babcock from University of Georgia first pick by San Francisco 49ers 1958 - KRSD (now KEVN) TV channel 7 in Rapid City, SD (ABC) 1st broadcast 1980 - West Indies beat England 2-0 to win cricket's 1st World Series Cup 2014 - Water vapour is detected on the dwarf planet Ceres More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1771 - Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to Britain 1983 - Houston is 1st NBA team to be held scoreless in an overtime Portland Trail Blazers out score them 17-0 and win 113-96 1993 - Johan Koss skates a world record 5 km in 6:38.77 2006 - Evo Morales is inaugurated as President of Bolivia, becoming the country's first indigenous president 2021 - Lloyd Austin confirmed as defense secretary by the US Senate, and the first Black head of the Pentagon More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1871 - Léon Jessel, German light classical and operetta composer (The Parade of the Tin Soldiers; Schwarzwaldmädel (The Black Forest Girl)), born in Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland) (d. 1942) 1945 - Michael Cristofer, American actor and writer (Little Drummer Girl, Shadow Box), born in Trenton, New Jersey 1977 - Jono Gibbes, New Zealand rugby union flanker (8 caps; Chiefs) and coach (Ulster, La Rochelle), born in Henderson, New Zealand 1980 - Ben Moody, American guitarist (Evanescence, 1995-2003 -"Bring Me To Life"), born in Little Rock, Arkansas 1984 - Maceo Rigters, Dutch footballer, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1666 - Shah Jahan, 5th Mughal Emperor of India (1628-58) who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, dies at 74 1959 - A J Else Mauhs, German/Dutch actress (Hamlet, Nora), dies at 73 1992 - Ali Amini, Iranian politician and government official (Prime Minister, 1961-62; Ambassador to US, 1956-58; Member of Parliament, 1947-49), dies at 87 2016 - Anthony Simmons, British writer and film director (The Optimists of Nine Elms), dies at 93 2020 - John Karlen, American actor (Harvey Lacey-Cagney and Lacey), dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

1324 - Zen Buddhist religious debate between Tendai and Shingon 1904 - Leos Janacek's opera "Jenůfa" premieres at the National Theatre in Brno, Moravia, Austria-Hungary 1943 - Soviet forces reconquer Gumrak airport near Stalingrad 1964 - Carl Rowan named director of US Information Agency 1989 - Wayne Gretzky passes Marcel Dionne to become NHL's 2nd all time scorer 2013 - 18 people are killed and 24 are injured after a bus falls down a ravine in Yungas, Bolivia 2018 - AFC Championship, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough: New England Patriots beat Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20 2025 - 79 people are killed in a hotel fire in the ski resort town of Balu in north-west Turkey, with 51 injured More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1077 - German King Henry IV petitions Pope Gregory VII for forgiveness 1938 - Dutch government starts obligatory unemployment insurance 1957 - KSAT TV channel 12 in San Antonio, TX (ABC) begins broadcasting 1993 - Nigerian singer Fela Kuti arrested on suspicion of murder 2020 - World's oldest asteroid impact at 2.2 billion years old found in Yarrabubba, Western Australia, may have ended an ice age, reported in "Nature Communications" More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1891 - Nikolai Golovanov, Russian conductor and composer (Bolshoi Opera), born in Moscow, Russia (d. 1953) 1905 - "Ossie" O.S. Stevens Nock, British railway writer, born in Sutton, England (d. 1994) 1952 - Mike Krukow, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1986 SF Giants; Chicago Cubs) and broadcaster (KNBR [with Duane Kuiper] SF Giants), born in Long Beach, California 1981 - Ivan Ergić, Serbian soccer midfielder (11 caps; FC Basel 202 games), born in Šibenik, Croatia 1981 - David F. Sandberg, Swedish film director (Lights Out, Shazam!), born in Jönköping, Sweden More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1851 - (Gustav) Albert Lortzing, German Spieloper composer and actor (Zar und Zimmerman), dies at 49 1894 - Guillaume Lekeu, Belgian composer (Épithalame), dies of typhoid fever at 24 1928 - George Washington Goethals, American army general and civil engineer who supervised the construction of the Panama Canal, dies at 69 2005 - Parveen Babi, Indian actress (b. 1955) 2015 - Waldemar Kmentt, Austrian operatic tenor (Vienna State Opera, 1951-2005), dies at 85 More Famous Deaths »

1801 - John Marshall is appointed Chief Justice of the United States 1950 - "Dance Me a Song" opens at Royale Theater NYC for 35 performances 1954 - Herman Wouk's stage drama "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial", adpated from his novel "The Caine Mutiny", starring Henry Fonda, and directed by Charles Laughton, premieres at the Plymouth Theatre, NYC; runs for 415 performances 1982 - Piet Dankert elected chairman of European Parliament 2008 - "Breaking Bad," created by Vince Gilligan and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, premieres on AMC 2019 - AFC Championship, Arrowhead Stadium, KC: New England Patriots beat Kansas City Chiefs, 37-31 OT 2021 - Dan Campbell is appointed head coach of the Detroit Lions 2025 - Republican Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States of America, and JD Vance as the 50th Vice-President; Trump is oldest person to take the office, and joins Grover Cleveland as only the second elected to non-consecutive White House terms, the event is held indoors due to inclement weather More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1947 - Nova Scotia Supreme Court rules against case of black woman Viola Desmond - ejected from a cinema seat in New Glasgow reserved for whites and arrested in landmark case (pardoned 2010) 1958 - A group attempting the 1st surface crossing of Antarctic join up at the South Pole 1965 - Generalissimo Francisco Franco meets with Jewish representatives to discuss legitimizing Jewish communities in Spain 1969 - University of Arizona reports 1st optical identification of a pulsar found in Crab Nebula 1972 - Number of people out of work and claiming unemployment benefit in UK rises to over 1 million More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1893 - Georg Åberg, Swedish athlete (Olympic silver triple jump; bronze long jump 1912), born in Norrköping, Sweden (d. 1946) 1916 - Walter Bartley, English biochemist, born in Brighton, London (d. 1994) 1920 - Peter Clemoes, British historian, born in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom (d. 1996) 1937 - Dorothy Provine, American actress (The Roaring 20's; That Darn Cat: Who's Minding The Mint?), and singer, born in Deadwood, South Dakota (d. 2010) 1968 - Fantastic Negrito [Xavier Dphrepaulezz], American blues singer-songwriter (The Last Days of Oakland; Please Don't Be Dead), born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 250 - Fabian, Pope (236-50), Bishop of Rome and saint, dies a martyr during persecutions by the Emperor Decius 1191 - Frederick VI, Duke of Swabia (b. 1167) 1838 - Pierre-Louis Hus-Desforges, French composer and cellist, dies at 64 1964 - Jan Rychlik, Czech percussionist, and composer of orchestral, jazz, and film music, dies at 47 2018 - Naomi Parker Fraley, American who inspired "Rosie the Riveter" poster, dies at 96 More Famous Deaths »

1825 - Ezra Daggett and nephew Thomas Kensett patent food storage in tin cans 1884 - Jules Massenet's opera "Manon" premieres in Paris 1927 - British government decides to send troops to China 1997 - 54th Golden Globes: The English Patient, Geoffrey Rush, and Brenda Blethyn win 2002 - "Tuck Rule Game" AFC Divisional Playoff Game; with under 2 minutes to play New England Patriots trail Oakland Raiders, 13-10 in a driving snowstorm, when a Tom Brady fumble ruled an incomplete pass. Patriots win 16-13 in overtime 2020 - NFC Championship, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California: San Francisco 49ers beat Green Bay Packers, 37-20 2021 - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says China is committing genocide in its repression of Uighurs and other Muslim people 2022 - Major report on antimicrobial resistance shows 4.95m deaths worldwide associated with drug-resistant bacteria, making untreatable infections now a leading cause of death More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1968 - Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill calls for "a new endeavour by organisations in Northern Ireland to cross denominational barriers and advance the cause of better community relations" 1979 - John N Mitchell (former US Attorney General) released on parole from federal prison 1984 - California Supreme Court rejects the request of quadriplegic Elizabeth Bouvia's to starve herself to death in a public hospital 2017 - High-rise building collapses in Tehran, killing 20 firefighters 2024 - Actor Alec Baldwin indicted by a grand jury on involuntary manslaughter charges over the 2021 fatal shooting on a movie set More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1906 - Lanny Ross, American radio singer (Show Boat; The Swift Show), born in Seattle, Washington (d. 1988) 1944 - Peter Lynch, American legendary investor who coined the phrase "invest in what you know", born in Newton, Massachusetts 1953 - Richard Legendre, Canadian tennis player and politician, born in Montreal, Quebec 1957 - Kenneth McClintock, Puerto Rican politician, born in London, England 1969 - Edwidge Danticat, Haitian-American author, born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1847 - Charles Bent, American fur trader and Governor of New Mexico Territory for 100 days (1846-47), killed at 47 1915 - Anna Leonowens, Anglo-Indian travel writer, educator, social activist, and co-founder of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, dies at 83 1990 - (Alberto) Semprini, British pianist and radio broadcaster (BBC's Semprini Serenade), dies at 81 2015 - Anne Kirkbride, English actress (Deirdre-Coronation Street), dies of breast cancer at 60 2022 - Gaspard Ulliel, French actor (Hannibal Rising; Saint Laurent), dies from head injuries suffered in helmet-less skiing accident at 37 More Famous Deaths »

1562 - The Council of Trent is reopened by Pope Pius IV for its third (and final) session 1896 - First demonstration of an X-ray machine in the US (New York City) 1960 - Capital Airlines Flight 20 crashes in Virginia, killing all 50 people on-board 1973 - Orlando Cepeda is 1st player signed as MLB designated hitter by Boston Red Sox 1974 - Science fiction TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man" premieres on ABC, starring Lee Majors 1980 - Price of gold reaches $850 an ounce 1992 - Comedian Pat McCormick injured in a car accident 2017 - Baseball Hall of Fame adds Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1775 - The West India Committee founded in London by London sugar merchants and Caribbean planters. Initially instrumental in promoting slavery, later aided campaign to end slavery. 1896 - First college basketball game with 5 players on each side is conducted by the University of Iowa; invites student athletes from University of Chicago for an experimental game; Chicago beats Iowa 15-12 1983 - Dick Motta becomes the 5th NBA coach to record 600 wins as his Dallas Mavericks defeat the Golden State Warriors, 112-102 in Oakland, California 2009 - "We Are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington prior to Barack Obama's inauguration attracts an estimated crowd of 400,000; performers include: Beyoncé, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Stevie Wonder 2024 - US city of Lexington starts a new tourism campaign aimed at extraterrestrial travelers by beaming a welcome message into space via an infrared laser More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1872 - Paul Léautaud [Maurice Boissard], French writer and theatre critic (Petit ami), born in Paris, France (d. 1956) 1922 - Bob Bell, American clown, born in Flint, Michigan (d. 1997) 1941 - David Ruffin, American soul musician and early lead singer for The Temptations ("My Girl"; "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"), born in Whynot, Mississippi (d. 1991) 1950 - Pat Sullivan, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1971, Auburn University; NFL: Atlanta Falcons) and coach (TUC, Samford), born in Birmingham, Alabama (d. 2019) 1993 - Morgan York, American actress (Cheaper by the Dozen) and narrative podcaster (Halfmoon Chronicles), born in Burbank, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1918 - Bohuslav Jeremiáš, Czech composer, dies at 58 1986 - Claire James, American actress (Jack Armstrong), dies at 65 1995 - Ron Luciano, American baseball umpire in the American League (1969-79), dies at 57 1996 - Jos Kunst, Dutch composer, dies at 60 2021 - Josep Mestres-Quadreny, Spanish composer, dies at 91 More Famous Deaths »

1562 - French regent Catherine de' Medici issues the Edict of St Germain recognizing Huguenots in France 1746 - Battle of Falkirk Muir, the Jacobites under Charles Stuart defeat Hanoverian forces 1779 - Captain James Cook's last notation in Discovery's ship's log 1911 - Failed assassination attempt on French Prime Minister Aristide Briand in the French Assembly 1934 - NY Giants reward National League MVP pitcher Carl Hubbell with a huge $18,000 contract 1939 - Ed Barrow is elected Yankee president succeeding deceased J Ruppert 1995 - Revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Carousel" closes at the Beaumont Theater, NYC after 322 performances 2003 - 8th Critics' Choice Movie Awards: Chicago Best Picture More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1827 - Duke of Wellington appointed British supreme commander 1863 - Civil War skirmish near Newtown, Virginia 1937 - LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Patty Berg wins inaugural event by 3 strokes ahead of Dorothy Kirby 1972 - Section of Memphis' Highway 51 South renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard 1983 - 10th American Music Awards: John Cougar, Rick Springfield, and Olivia Newton-John win More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1501 - Leonhard Fuchs, German physician and botanist (Notable Commentaries on the History of Plants) for which the flowering plants and color Fuchsia is named after, born in Wemding, Bavaria (d. 1566) 1905 - Franz Schmid, German climber (1st to ascend northside of Matterhorn 1931), born in Garmisch, Germany (d. 1992) 1960 - John Crawford, American bass (Berlin-You Take My Breath Away), born in Palo Alto, California 1961 - Brian Helgeland, American screenwriter (L.A. Confidential) and director (A Knight's Tale), born in Providence, Rhode Island 1980 - Zooey Deschanel, American actress (Almost Famous; Elf; New Girl), and singer (She and Him), born in Los Angeles, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1882 - Alexander Bullock, American lawyer, politician, and 26th Governor of Massachusetts, dies at 65 1990 - Charles Hernu, French politician (Minister of Defense, 1981-85; Mayor of Villeurbanne, 1977-90), and environmental antagonist, dies at 66 1996 - Mostafa Sid Ahmed, Sudanese singer (b. 1953) 2013 - Robert F. Chew, American actor, dies from heart failure at 52 2014 - Francine Lalonde, Canadian politician (Member of Parliament for La Pointe-de-l'Île), dies of cancer at 73 More Famous Deaths »

1749 - Hoax article advertising fictitious theatrical performer "The Bottle Conjuror" drew huge crowds to the Haymarket Theatre, London, whose inevitable non-appearance caused a riot. It's alleged the Duke of Montagu perpetrated the fiasco to win a bet. 1776 - Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks 1863 - -Aug 23rd) Cruise of CSS Florida 1917 - The Greek Government accepts reparations for Allied losses sustained in recent actions in Greece 1931 - Australian cricket batting prodigy Don Bradman scores 223 v West Indies in 3rd Test in Brisbane; most runs scored by a player in a Test match in Australia in one day 1948 - 35 Haganah members are ambushed and killed in Gush Etzyon 1963 - Tennessee Williams' play "Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore" premieres in America on Broadway, NY 1990 - 2 Bank of Credit and Commerce members plea guilty to money laundering More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1943 - Red Army recaptures Pitomnik airport at Stalingrad 1955 - 5th NFL Pro Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 26-19; MVP: Billy Wilson, SF 49ers, WR 1977 - Cap's H Monahan scored on 2nd penalty shot against Islanders 1989 - USSR announces plan for 2-yr manned mission to Mars 2019 - Australian Bureau of Meteorology tweets last four days were the country's hottest on record with Tarcoola, South Australia, reaching 49 C (120 F), Port Augusta 48.5 C (119 F) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1672 - Francesco Mancini, Neapolitan composer, born in Naples, Kingdom of Naples, Spanish Empire (d. 1737) 1918 - Nel Benschop, Dutch poet known for "Gouddraad uit vlas", born in the Hague, Netherlands (d. 2005) 1947 - Georgette Mosbacher, American CEO (La Prairie cosmetics), born in Highland, Indiana 1956 - Jennifer Dale, Canadian actress (Coroner, Into Invisible Light), born in Toronto, Ontario 1962 - Paul Webb, English rocker (Talk Talk - "It's My Life"), born in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 484 - Seinei, 22nd Emperor of Japan according to legend (480-484), dies at about 40 (b. 444) [dates disputed] 1263 - Shinran, Japanese Buddhist monk and founder of what became the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Japanese Buddhism, dies at 89 1979 - Ted Cassidy, American actor (Lurch-Addams Family), dies at 46 1994 - Stephen Kritsick, veterinarian (Good Morning America), dies at 42 2025 - Harry Bild, Swedish soccer striker (28 caps; IFK Norrköping, Feyenoord, Östers IF), dies from cancer at 88 More Famous Deaths »

1907 - 3-element vacuum tube patented by American inventor Lee De Forest 1939 - Municipal Railway and Market St RR begin service to Transbay Terminal 1955 - USSR ends state of war with German Federal Republic 1975 - Space Mountain opens at Disney World in Orlando, Florida 1975 - Pioneering American female comedian Phyllis Diller gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 1988 - NFL analyst Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes several questionable comments about African Americans during a lunchtime interview on CBS' NFL Today; fired the next day 1989 - Big John Studd wins WWF's 2nd Royal Rumble 1997 - Seattle's Sam Perkins ties Jeff Hornacek's NBA single-game record by connecting on 8 straight 3-point field goals during Sonics' 122-78 win over visiting Toronto; Seattle also sets an NBA steals record with 27 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1759 - British Museum opens at Montagu House in London 1942 - US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sends his famed "Green Light Letter" to MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, encouraging baseball to continue playing during World War II 1970 - Nigerian civil war officially ends after 2 1/2 years of fighting when the Republic of Biafra disbands and joins Nigeria 1991 - Dean Jones (76) and Mark Taylor (71) lead Australia to 7 wicket win over New Zealand in cricket's World Series Cup 2nd Final in Melbourne; win series, 2-0 2016 - American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan unveils newest exhibit replica skeleton of a Titanosaur dinosaur (found 2010 Argentina), largest known dinosaur at 70 tons, 37m More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1875 - Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, Founder and first King of Saudi Arabia (1932-53), born in Riyadh, Emirate of Nejd (d. 1953) 1888 - Joseph Henabery, American director (Cobra), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 1976) 1917 - Wang Renzhong, Chinese politician (First Secretary Hubei Province), born in Jing County, Hebei (d. 1992) 1923 - Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet, musician, singer-songwriter, and humorist (John Peel Show; King Cutler), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2006) 1981 - Howie Day, American pop-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist ("Collide"), born in Bangor, Maine More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1705 - Walraad, the Young, earl of Nassau-Ottweiler/gov of Nijmegen, dies 1916 - Modest Tchaikovsky, Russian writer (b. 1850) 1978 - Jack Jackson, British trumpeter, dance band bandleader, and influential BBC disc jockey, dies at 71 2008 - Brad Renfro, American actor (The Client), dies of heroin overdose at 25 2023 - Shaye Al-Nafisah, Saudi Arabian soccer forward (32 caps; Al-Kawkab FC), dies at 60 More Famous Deaths »

1944 - Soviet army begins offensive at Oranienbaum/Wolchow 1956 - Jordan government refuses to join Pact of Baghdad 1967 - Earthquake in Sicily kills 231 1971 - Cricketer John Snow takes 7-40 for England to beat Australia by 299 runs 1990 - 11th ACE Cable Awards: CNN wins the Golden CableACE for the coverage of the events in Beijing, China 1995 - Mexico pledges profits from state-owned Pemex's $7-billion-per-year oil revenues in an effort to secure US congressional approval of loan guarantees; President Clinton approves a $20-billion U.S. aid package for Mexico 2020 - US game show Jeopardy "greatest of all time" tournament won by Ken Jennings 2021 - Pope Francis, 84, and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine More Historical Events »