Today in History for 23rd August 2024

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Historical Events

1914 - -24] German troops plunder Belgium
1953 - Cyclist Arie Van Vliet becomes world champion sprinter
1966 - Lunar Orbiter 1 takes 1st photograph of Earth from Moon
1972 - Chicago White Sox Dick Allen is 4th player to homer into Comiskey Park's center field bleachers; previously slugged by only Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Alex Johnson
2007 - Hashtag invented and first used in a tweet by US product designer Chris Messina
2020 - Indianapolis 500: 2017 champion Takuma Sato of Japan wins his 2nd title under yellow caution flag after a crash with 3 laps remaining

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Famous Birthdays

1846 - Alexander Milne Calder, Scottish-American sculptor, born in Aberdeen, Scotland (d. 1923)
1913 - Bob Crosby, American jazz singer and bandleader (Bob-Cats), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1993)
1922 - George Kell, American Baseball HOF third baseman (10 x MLB All-Star; AL batting champion 1949; Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox), born in Swifton, Arkansas (d. 2009)
1927 - Martial Solal, French jazz pianist and composer, born in Algiers, French Algeria
1949 - Shelley Long, American actress (Diane in Cheers, Money Pit), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana
1968 - Cortez Kennedy, American NFL defensive tackle (Seattle Seahawks), born in Osceola, Arkansas (d. 2017)

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Famous Deaths

1989 - Mohammed Abed Elhai, Sudanese writer and academic (b. 1944)
1994 - Paolo Volponi, Italian communist/author (Machina Mondiale), dies at 70
1999 - James White, Northern Irish sci-fi author (Star Surgeon, Star Healer), dies of a stroke at 71
2007 - Philip Wilkinson, British bank executive (National Westminster Bank), dies at 80
2013 - William Glasser, American psychiatrist, dies from respiratory failure from pneumonia at 88
2021 - Michael Nader, American actor (Dynasty, All My Children), dies at 76

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