Today in History for 4th December 2025

[CoM Moderators]

Historical Events

1909 - Oldest still-operating NHL franchise is officially established as J. Ambrose O’Brien and Jack Laviolette create the “Club de Hockey Canadien,” known today as the Montreal Canadiens
1920 - 1st Pro football playoff game Buffalo-7, Canton-3 at Polo Grounds, NYC
1948 - Heitor Villa-Lobos' folk operetta "Magdalena" closes at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC, after 88 performances
1964 - Test Cricket debut of Ian Chappell, v Pakistan MCG, 11, 0-49, 0-31
1968 - Following a civil rights march in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, there is a violent clash between Loyalists and those who are taking part in the march

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Famous Birthdays

1908 - Alfred Hershey, American biologist, worked with bacteriophages (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1969), born in Owosso, Michigan (d. 1997)
1920 - Jeanne Manford, American gay rights activist, born in Flushing, New York (d. 2013)
1938 - Yvonne Minton, Australian-British soprano, born in Sydney, Australia
1955 - Cassandra Wilson [née Fowlkes], American jazz singer-songwriter, born in Jackson, Mississippi
1961 - Frank Reich, American NFL quarterback (Buffalo Bills) and coach (Indianapolis Colts 2018-20), born in Freeport, New York

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Famous Deaths

1807 - Prince Hall, activist/Masonic leader, dies in Boston
1959 - Rosetta Duncan, American vaudevillian (Duncan Sisters), actress (Topsy and Eva), and songwriter (Remeberin'). dies in an auto accident at 65
1976 - W. F. McCoy, Northern Irish politician (b. 1886)
2000 - H. C. Artmann, Austrian writer, dies at 79
2019 - Bob Willis, English cricket fast bowler and captain (90 Tests, 325 wickets; 64 ODIs; Surrey CCC, MCC, Warwickshire CCC, Northern Transvaal), dies of prostate cancer at 70

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