Today in History for 31st January 2024

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Historical Events

1958 - "Jackpot Bowling" premieres on NBC with Leo Durocher as host
1966 - Belgian state police kills 2 striking mine workers
1978 - "Elvis: The Legend Lives!" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 101 performances
2003 - The Waterfall rail accident occurs near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia.
2016 - Australian Open Men's Tennis: Novak Đoković retains Championship for his record-equaling 6th Australian title; beats Andy Murray 6-1, 7-5, 7-6
2021 - Widespread protests in Russia against detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the government with 5,000 people arrested

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Famous Birthdays

1865 - Henri Desgrange, French cyclist, journalist and founder of the Tour de France, born in Paris, France (d. 1940)
1900 - Betty Parsons, American artist and art dealer, born in New York City (d. 1982)
1911 - Christina Foyle, English book seller (Foyles), born in London, England (d. 1999)
1941 - Richard Gephardt, American politician (Rep-D-MO, 1977-2005), born in St. Louis, Missouri
1952 - Rosanne Musgrave, English headmistress (Blackheath HS, 1989-2000)
1974 - Ariel Pestano, Cuban baseball player, born in Cuba

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Famous Deaths

1865 - Aristide Farrenc, French flautist, music publisher, and musicologist (Trésor des pianistes), dies at 70
1922 - Heinrich Reinhardt, Austrian composer, dies at 56
1955 - John Mott, American theologist and founder (YMCA, Nobel 1946), dies at 89
1983 - Lorraine Ellison, American soul singer ("Stay with Me"; "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)"), and songwriter, dies of ovarian cancer at 51
2012 - Tristram Coffin, American folklorist, dies from pneumonia at 89
2015 - Lizabeth Scott [Emma Matzo], American actress (Desert Fury, Dark City), dies of heart failure at 92

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