Today in History for 4th January 2023

[CoM Moderators]

Historical Events

871 - Battle at Reading: Ethelred of Wessex defeated by Danish invasion army
1932 - State of siege proclaimed in Honduras
1947 - "Show Boat" closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 417 performances
1968 - Leo Fender sells Fender Guitars for $13 million to CBS
1970 - Walter Cronkite ends hosting weekly documentary
2001 - Rapper Vanilla Ice spends night in jail after allegedly ripping out some of his wife's hair during a row

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Famous Birthdays

1807 - Baltasar Saldoni, Spanish composer and musicologist, born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 1889)
1901 - C. L. R. James [Cyril Lionel Robert James], Trinidadian historian (The Black Jacobins), journalist, intellectual and socialist, born in Tunapuna, Trinidad (d. 1989)
1925 - Johnny Lujack, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1947; National C'ship 1943, 46-47; Notre Dame; Pro Bowl 1950-51; Chicago Bears), born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania
1944 - Alan Sutherland, New Zealand rugby union number 8 (10 caps; Marlborough), born in Blenheim, New Zealand (d. 2020)
1968 - Mike Wilpolt, American football player and coach, born in Broomfield, Colorado
1986 - Steve Slaton, American football player, born in Levittown, Pennsylvania

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Famous Deaths

1874 - Thomas Gregson, Premier of Tasmania (b. 1798)
1931 - Roger Connor, American Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman (career HR record 138 stood for 23 years; NL batting champion 1885; NL RBI leader 1889; NY Giants), dies of a stomach illness at 73
1931 - Arthemus "Art" Acord, American silent film actor and rodeo champion (Arizona Kid, Hard Fists), commits suicide by poison at 40
1991 - Berry Kroeger, actor (Demon Seed), dies of kidney failure at 78
2007 - Gren, Welsh newspaper cartoonist (b. 1934)
2021 - Gregory Sierra, American stage and screen actor (Barney Miller - "Chano"), dies of cancer at 83

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