Today in History for 24th May 2024

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Historical Events

1890 - Tivoli Theater of Varieties opens in London
1895 - Henry Irving becomes the first actor to receive a knighthood
1941 - German battleship Bismarck sinks the British battle cruiser HMS Hood; 1,416 die, 3 survive
1980 - "Rock Lobster" by B-52s hits #56
2009 - 62nd Cannes Film Festival: "The White Ribbon" directed by Michael Haneke wins the Palme d'Or
2018 - Record US fentanyl seizure of 120lbs (54kg) confirmed by police in Nebraska in April, enough to kill 26 million people, one of largest drug busts in US history

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Famous Birthdays

1816 - Emanuel Leutze, American painter (Washington Crossing the Delaware), born in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Württemberg, German Confederation (d. 1868)
1854 - John Riley Banister, American law officer and cowboy, born in Banister Hollow, Camden County, Missouri (d. 1918)
1899 - Suzanne Lenglen, French tennis player (French C'ships 1925-26, Wimbledon 1919-23, 25), born in Paris, France (d. 1938)
1941 - Konrad Boehmer, German-Dutch composer, born in Berlin, Germany (2014)
1970 - Tommy Page, American pop singer ("I'll Be Your Everything"), born in Glenridge, New Jersey (d. 2017)
1981 - Penny Taylor, Australian basketball forward (World C'ship gold 2006; Olympic silver 2004, 08; WNBA C'ship 2007, 09, 14 Phoenix Mercury; 3 x WNBA All-Star), born in Melbourne, Australia

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Famous Deaths

1681 - Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, Swedish architect (Drottningholm Palace), dies at 65
1919 - Amado Nervo [Juan Crisóstomo Ruiz de Nervo], Mexican writer and poet, dies at 48
2004 - Milton Shulman, Canadian author and critic (b. 1913)
2010 - Paul Gray, American heavy metal bassist (Slipknot), dies of a drug overdose at 38
2010 - Tapen Chatterjee, Bengali actor from India (b. 1937)
2021 - Samuel E. Wright, American stage and screen actor and singer (Jesus Christ Superstar; Ball Four; The Little Mermaid; The Lion King), dies of prostate cancer at 74

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