CoM Moderators

Historical Events 1913 - Lt Pyotr Nesterov, of Imperial Russian Air Service, performs a loop in a monoplane at Kiev (1st aerobatic maneuver in an airplane) 1966 - Oakland Pitcher Paul Lindblad begins a 385 cons errorless streak 1983 - Haiti adopts constitution 1984 - US President Ronald Reagan announces 'Teacher in Space' project 1992 - CFL revokes BC Lions franchise 2004 - In a huge upset in the men's basketball semi final at the Athens Olympics, Argentina beats a star-studded but unsettled US team 89-81; they go on to take gold and US bronze More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1752 - Herman Muntinghe, Dutch theologist (History of Mankind), born in Termunten, Groningen, Netherlands (d. 1824) 1899 - C. S. Forester, English historical novelist (Horatio Hornblower), born in Cairo, Egypt (d. 1966) 1937 - J.D. Crowe, American bluegrass banjo player and band leader (The New South), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 2021) 1939 - Edward Patten, American soul singer (Gladys Knight and the Pips), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2005) 1943 - [Susan] Tuesday Weld, American actress (Dobie Gillis, Wild in Country), born in NYC, New York 1979 - Sarah Neufeld, Canadian violinist (Arcade Fire), born in British Columbia More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1828 - Eise J Eisinga, constructed planetarium at Franeker, dies at 84 1871 - William Whiting Boardman, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut), dies at 76 1879 - Rowland Hill, English inventor who introduced 1st adhesive postage stamp (1840), dies at 84 1979 - Louis Mountbatten, British naval officer and statesman, last Viceroy of India (1947), is assassinated by an IRA bomb on his boat in Ireland at 79 1999 - Hélder Câmara, Brazilian Roman Catholic archbishop (b. 1909) 2003 - Pierre Poujade, French politician (b. 1920) More Famous Deaths »

1071 - Battle of Manzikert: Seljuq Turks led by sultan Alp Arslan beat and capture Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes 1545 - Pope Paul III names his son Pierluigi Farnese as Duke of Parma 1629 - Cambridge Agreement, Massachusetts Bay Company stockholders agree to emigrate 1939 - 1st major league baseball telecast on W2XBS- Cincinnati Reds defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn 1967 - Dutch 2nd Chamber demands US stop bombing North Vietnam 1974 - Soyuz 15 carries 2 cosmonauts to space station Salyut 3 1986 - Robert Chambers, the "Preppie Killer" murders Jennifer Levin in New York City's Central Park, afterwards claimed "rough sex" as motive 1995 - Brian Lara completes his 7th Test Cricket century, scoring 179 at The Oval in London 1999 - Michael Johnson breaks the 400 metres world record with a time of 43.18 seconds. 2017 - Hurricane Harvey downgraded to a tropical storm, National Hurricane Center warns of “multiday rainfall disaster” More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1922 - Japanese cruiser Niitaka driven onto rocks in storm at Kamchatka, 284 killed 1945 - Japanese diplomats board USS Missouri to receive instructions on Japan's surrender at the end of WWII 1962 - Minnesota Twins Jack Kralick no-hits KC A's, 1-0 1973 - David Eisenhower writes his last sports column 1984 - Tatyana Kazankina of USSR sets 3k woman record (8:22.62) in Leningrad 1986 - Robert Chambers, the "Preppie Killer" murders Jennifer Levin in New York City's Central Park, afterwards claimed "rough sex" as motive More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1862 - Herbert Booth, American son of William and Catherine Booth (d. 1926) 1900 - Hellmuth Walter, German engineer and inventor (rocket engines and gas turbines), born in Wedel, Germany (d. 1980) 1942 - John E. Blaha, American USAF/astronaut (STS 29, 33, 43, 58, 79/81), born in San Antonio, Texas 1946 - Mark Snow [Martin Fulterman], American television and film composer (The X-Files theme), born in New York City 1949 - Leon Redbone [Dickran Gobalian], American blues and jazz musician ("Seduced"; "Theme to Mr. Belvedere"), born in Nicosia, Cyprus (d. 2019) 1974 - Eric D. Snider, American humor columnist / movie reviewer, born in Lake Elsinore, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1666 - Frans Hals, Dutch painter known for his portraiture (Laughing Cavalier) (b. circa 1580) 1770 - Domingos dos Reis Quita, Portuguese playwright and poet, dies at 42 1894 - Te Wherowhero Tāwhia, Second Māori King and leader of the Waikato tribes in New Zealand, dies at 71 or 72 1980 - Tex Avery, American cartoonist (b. 1908) 1994 - Tariq Yunus, Indian actor (Bollywood; Ashanti; Deceivers), dies at 54 2003 - Wayne Andre, American jazz and session trombonist, dies at 72 More Famous Deaths »

1515 - Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founds Havana in modern day Cuba, on the southern coast of the island. Moved to its current location in 1519. 1894 - -26] Balinese troops assault Dutch army, 97 killed 1912 - The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded. 1932 - Amelia Earhart completes transcontinental flight 1962 - 23rd Venice Film Festival: "Family Diary" directed by Valerio Zurlini and "Ivan's Childhood" directed by Andrei Tarkovsky jointly awarded Golden Lion 1976 - Yanks beat Twins 5-4 in 19 innings 1979 - California Angels trounce Toronto Blue Jays, 24-2 1984 - USSR performs underground nuclear test 1988 - Challenger Center opens its classroom doors in Houston 2003 - The Tli Cho land claims agreement is signed between the Dogrib First Nations and the Canadian federal government in Rae-Edzo (now called Behchoko). More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1515 - Conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar founds Havana in modern day Cuba, on the southern coast of the island. Moved to its current location in 1519. 1926 - Pavlos Koundouris becomes president of Greece 1951 - Cleveland Indians win 16th straight home game 2004 - Greek athlete Fani Chalkia comes out of retirement to compete in her home Olympics in Athens; wins 400m hurdles gold medal in 52.82 2006 - Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko is sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion 2013 - 41 people are killed in a wave of bomb attacks across Iraq More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1530 - Ivan IV [Ivan the Terrible], 1st tsar of Russia (1533-84), born in Kolomenskoye, Russia (d. 1584) 1880 - Robert E. Stolz, Austrian composer and conductor, born in Graz, Austria (d. 1975) 1906 - Jim Smith, English cricket all-rounder (5 Tests), born in Corsham, Wiltshire (d. 1979) 1954 - Marty Jourard, American keyboardist and vocalist (Motels - "Only the Lonely"), born in Atlanta, Georgia 1971 - Quintis "Chico" Ristie, Suriname radio host 1978 - Kel Mitchell, American actor More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1942 - W van Daalen, opposition leader on Celebes, beheaded 1989 - Gunnar Johnsen Berg, composer, dies at 80 1997 - Robert Pinget, French novelist (The Interrogation) and playwright, dies at 78 2008 - Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian mountaineer (b. 1959) 2008 - Pehr Henrik Nordgren, Finnish composer (The Whole World Will Lament; Kwaidan-balladit), dies at 64 2013 - Gilmar, Brazilian football player, dies from complications from a heart attack at 83 More Famous Deaths »

1215 - Pope Innocent III declares the Magna Carta invalid 1349 - Jews of Cologne Germany set themselves on fire to avoid baptism 1814 - British forces capture Washington, D.C. and destroy many landmarks (War of 1812) 1912 - NYC ticker tape parade for Jim Thorpe and victorious US Olympians 1919 - Having pitched into the 9th inning Cleveland's Ray Caldwell is flattened by a bolt of lightning; goes on to record final out for Indians' 2-1 win over Philadelphia A's 1921 - Battle of Sakaray Valley begins between Turkey and Greece 1936 - Australian Antarctic Territory created 1962 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1966 - USSR launches Luna 11 for orbit around Moon 2012 - A US jury in California finds that Samsung is guilty of patent infringement and awards over US$1 billion in damages to Apple meanwhile in a South Korea court both are found guilty of patent infringement More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1853 - 1st potato chips prepared by chef George Crum at Moon's Lake House, near Saratoga Springs, New York (popular legend says he invented though earlier recipes exist) 1877 - American outlaw John Wesley Hardin, wanted for murder, is arrested by Texas Rangers on a train in Pensacola, Florida 1883 - US National Championship Men's Tennis, Newport R.I.: Two-time defending champion Richard Sears wins 3rd straight title; beats James Dwight 6-2, 6-0, 9-7 2013 - 4 people are killed in a helicopter crash in the Shetland Islands 2015 - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces that for the 1st time 1 billion people logged into Facebook 2021 - 16th Paralympic Games opens in Tokyo, Japan More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1787 - James Weddell, British sailor and Antarctic explorer (Weddell Sea), born in Ostend, Belgium (d. 1834) 1899 - Ruth Schaumann, German painter, writer and sculptor (Rose, Black King), born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 1975) 1929 - Willie Winfield, American doo-woop singer (Harptones - "Life Is But A Dream"; “A Sunday Kind of Love”), born in Surrey, Virginia (d. 2021) 1942 - Joe Chambers, American rock guitarist and vocalist (Chambers Brothers), born in Los Angeles, California 1952 - Vaneese Thomas, American RandB, jazz and soul blues singer, ("Let's Talk It Over"), born in Memphis, Tennessee 1972 - Ava DuVernay, American director, writer and producer (13th, Selma, Queen Sugar), born in Long Beach, California More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1683 - John Owen, English non-conformist theologian (b. 1616) 1921 - Nikolay Gumilyov, Russian poet, dies at 35 1992 - Andreas M Donner, Dutch state leader/jurist (Constitution), dies at 74 2002 - Nikolay Guryanov Russian Orthodox Christian mystic and priest (b. 1909) 2003 - John Jacob Rhodes, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona), dies at 86 2010 - Satoshi Kon, Japanese anime film director, dies at 46 More Famous Deaths »

1906 - Cuba's 1st president Tomés Estrada Palma asks for US intervention 1921 - Austria and the US formally end war; the US does the same with Germany on the 25th, and Hungary on the 29th 1926 - US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Elizabeth Ryan 4-6, 6-4, 9-7 for her 8th and final US singles title 1943 - 50th day of Battle of Kursk, USSR: Largest tank battle in history ends with Russia's defeat of Germany; over 10,000 tanks take part, nearly 250,,000 combatants killed 1946 - "The Big Sleep" directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart (Philip Marlowe) and Lauren Bacall, premieres 1975 - Classical Way wins Championship Cup at Roosevelt Raceway 1982 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1993 - Fred McGriff and David Justice are 6th to hit back-to-back HRs twice in same game 2004 - Outstanding British athlete Kelly Holmes wins 1st leg of her 800/1,500m double at the Athens Olympics taking the gold medal in 1:56.38 2005 - Hurricane Katrina forms over the Bahamas, later becoming a category 5 hurricane More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1328 - Battle at Kassel: French troops stop uprising of Flemish farmers 1944 - Sammellager Drancy freed 1953 - Italian Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari clinches his second Formula 1 World Drivers Championship by winning Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten 1964 - St Louis Cardinals are 11 games back in NL; go on win Baseball World Series, 4-3 v New York Yankees 2013 - 26 people are killed and 55 are injured by a suicide bombing in Baghdad, Iraq 2020 - US Republican party convention begins by formally renominating Donald Trump for a second presidential term More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1486 - Siegmund Freiherr von Herberstein, Austrian diplomat, born in Vipava, Slovenia (d. 1566) 1623 - Stanisław Lubieniecki, Polish astronomer, born in Raków, Kielce County, Poland (d. 1675) 1783 - William Tierney Clark, English civil engineer, born in Bristol, England (d. 1852) 1852 - Arnold Toynbee, English economic historian and social reformer, born in London (d. 1883) 1911 - Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson, US 100m sprinter (Olympic gold 1928), born in Riverdale, Illinois (d. 1999) 1953 - Bobby Gubby, English rocker (Bucks Fizz-My Camera Never Lies), born in Epsom, Surrey, England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1867 - Auguste-Marseille Barthélemy, French poet (b. 1796) 1979 - Richard Hearne, British actor (Tons of Trouble, The Time of His Life), dies at 71 1992 - Virginia Sale-Wren, entertainer, dies of heart failure at 92 1993 - Victorine Hefting, historian/wife of Bert Baker, dies at 88 2005 - Harold "Hal" Kalin, American singer (Kalin Twins), dies in a road accident at 71 2020 - Greg Montgomery, American NFL punter (Baltimore Ravens), dies at 55 More Famous Deaths »

1454 - Jews are expelled from Brunn Moravia by order of King Ladislaus 1914 - 1st encounter between British and German troops (in Belgium) 1939 - Premier De Geer recalls Dutch holidaymakers in Black Forest 1946 - Baseball approves a 168-game schedule, but later rescinds it 1966 - The Beatles arrive in New York 1978 - Sandinistas occupy National Palace in Managua, Nicaragua 1984 - Met pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes 11th rookie to strikeout 200 1988 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1992 - FBI HRT sniper Lon Horiuchi shoots and kills Vicki Weaver during an 11-day siege at her home at Ruby Ridge, Idaho. 2021 - Tropical storm Henri makes landfall near Westerly, Rhode Island More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1543 - Emperor Charles V's army occupies Duren 1654 - Jacob Barsimson arrives in New Amsterdam (modern day Manhattan) aboard the Peartree, one of the first Jewish colonists 1902 - US President Theodore Roosevelt became 1st US chief executive to ride in a car 1934 - Red Sox pitcher Wes Ferrell hits 2 HRs to beat White Sox 3-2 in 12 2004 - American sprinter Justin Gatlin wins the coveted Olympic 100m gold medal in Athens in 9.85 ahead of Francis Obikwelu of Portugal and American Maurice Greene 2021 - Tropical storm Henri makes landfall near Westerly, Rhode Island More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1822 - George Stoneman, US Union general-major and Governor of California (1883-87), born in Busti, NY (d. 1894) 1916 - John Slater, British actor (Deadlock, Cartel, Devil's Pass), born in London, England (d. 1975) 1947 - Cindy Williams, American actress (Shirley- Laverne and Shirley), born in Van Nuys, California 1955 - Will Shetterly, American writer (Dogland), born in Columbia, South Carolina 1975 - Rodrigo Santoro, Brazilian actor (Love Actually), born in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1995 - Dua Lipa, British-Kosovo Albanian pop singer-songwriter ("New Rules", "One Kiss"), born in London More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1607 - Bartholomew Gosnold, English explorer and privateer (b. 1572) 1944 - Raymond Aimos, actor (Golem, Mayerling, La Bandera), dies at 55 2004 - Konstantin Aseev, Russian chess player (b. 1960) 2008 - Gladys Powers, Canadian World War I veteran (b. 1899) 2011 - Vicco von Bülow [Loriot], German comedian, cartoonist and film director (Unsere Besten), dies at 87 2021 - Brian Travers, British rock saxophonist (UB40 - "Red, Red Wine"), dies of cancer at 62 More Famous Deaths »

1689 - Battle of Dunkeld fought in Scotland between supporters of King James VII of Scotland and troops of William of Orange 1929 - Chicago Cardinals become 1st pro football team to train out of town 1962 - Verne Gagne beats Mister M (doctor X) in Minn, to become NWA champ 1972 - US orbiting astronomy observatory Copernicus launched 1982 - American MLB Milwaukee Brewers' relief pitcher Rollie Fingers becomes 1st pitcher to get save #300 1983 - 110°F (43°C) at Fayetteville, North Carolina (state record) 1991 - Latvia declares its independence from USSR 1997 - US government forces closure of Hudson Foods due to E Coli break out 2008 - Japan edges the United States 3-1 for the gold medal in the final of the women's softball tournament at the Beijing Olympics 2017 - London's parliament clock Big Ben chimes for the last time before a four-year restoration process for its tower starts More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1856 - America's first consul to Japan, Townsend Harris, arrives in Shimoda. (Traditional Japanese date: July 21, 1856) 1891 - Dutch Mackay government resigns 1920 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Flossmoor CC: American based Scotsman Jock Hutchison beats J. Douglas Edgar of England, 1-up; first of Hutchinson's 2 majors 1942 - Walt Disney's animated movie "Bambi", based on the book by Felix Salten, is released 1983 - Jerry Herman's musical "La Cage aux Folles", based Jean Poiret's French play of the same name, opens at Palace Theater, NYC; runs for 1761 performances, wins 6 Tony Awards 2004 - American super-swimmer Michael Phelps wins his 6th gold medal of the Athens Olympics even though he doesn't swim the final of men's 4 x 100m medley relay; US wins in world record 3:30.68 More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1800 - Hiram Walden, American politician, born in Pawlet, Vermont (d. 1880) 1882 - Rik Wouters, Belgian painter (Lady in Blue), and sculptor (The Nymph), born in Mechelen, Belgium (d. 1916) 1941 - Jackie DeShannon [Sharon Lee Myers], American singer-songwriter ("What the World Needs Now Is Love"; "When You Walk In The Room"), born in Hazel, Kentucky 1957 - Janice Thomas, WBL guard (NY Stars) 1970 - Steve Everitt, NFL center (Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles), born in Miami, Florida 1974 - Pietra Gay, WNBA guard/forward (Houston Comets) More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1581 - Sakuma Nobumori, Japanese retainer and samurai (b. 1527) 1723 - Dimitrie Cantemir, Romanian historian and Monarch of Moldova (1710-11), dies at 49 1957 - Nels Stewart, professional ice hockey player (b. 1902) 2005 - Polly Hill, British economic anthropologist (studied Cocoa-Farmers Of Southern Ghana), dies at 91 2005 - Dahlia Ravikovitch, Israeli poet (b. 1936) 2013 - C. Gordon Fullerton, American USMC Colonel, and NASA astronaut (STS-3; STS-51-F), dies at 76 More Famous Deaths »

1741 - Alaska first sighted by Danish explorer Vitus Bering at head of Russian expedition 1914 - German army captured Brussels as the Belgian army retreated to Antwerp 1941 - Police raid 11th district of Paris, takes 4,000+ Jewish males 1945 - Soviet troops occupy Harbin and Mukden 1947 - Turner Caldwell in D-558-I sets aircraft speed record, 1131 kph 1974 - Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed is elected fifth President of India 1978 - Tatyana Providokhina runs female world record 1k (2:30.6) 1982 - US marines land in Beirut Lebanon 1990 - George Steinbrenner steps down as NY Yankee owner 1990 - Gene Michael names NY Yankee VP/GM replacing Harding Peterson More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1672 - Former Grand Pensionary of Holland Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis are brutally murdered by an angry mob in The Hague 1920 - Allen Woodring wins Oympic 200 m dash wearing borrowed shoes 1944 - US and British forces destroy German 7th Army at Falaise-Argentan Gap 1949 - Las Lajas Sanctuary, a basilica built inside the Guáitara River in Colombia, is completed after 33 years 1996 - India defeat Pakistan in Under-15 World Challenge Final at Lord's 2016 - Canoeists Max Rendschmidt and Marcus Gross part of winning German crew in K-4 100m at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; wrap up K-2 / K-4 1,000m double More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1719 - Christian Mayer, Czech Catholic priest and astronomer, born in Modřice, Moravia (d. 1783) 1719 - Charles-François de Broglie, French soldier and diplomat, marquis de Ruffec, born in Paris (d. 1791) 1778 - Bernardo O'Higgins, Chillán, Chile, South American independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule (1817-1823 Supreme Director of Chile) 1927 - Yootha Joyce, British actress (Man About the House, George and Mildred), born in Wandsworth, London (d. 1980) 1941 - Jo Ramírez, Mexican motor racing team manager and author, born in Mexico City, Mexico 1946 - N.R. Narayana Murthy, Indian industrialist and co-founder (Infosys), born in Shidlaghatta, Kolar district, India More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1910 - Arthur Coquard, French composer, dies at 64 1990 - Marc Turfkruijer, Flemish movie journalist and writer, dies at 90 1993 - Sydney Arnold, British comic actor (The Meaning of Life, Top Secret!, Miss Jones and Son), dies at 93 1995 - William Kennedy, baseball player, dies at 76 2016 - Brian Rix [Lord Rix], British actor and activist (Mencap), dies at 92 2019 - Russ Conway, American sports journalist (Eagleson NHL scandal), dies of heart disease at 70 More Famous Deaths »

1263 - King James I of Aragon censors Hebrew writing 1895 - American frontier murderer and outlaw, John Wesley Hardin is shot and killed by John Selman Sr. in a saloon in El Paso, Texas 1903 - Philadelphia Phillies suffer record 9th straight postponed game 1922 - US National Championship Women's Tennis, Germantown CC, PA: Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Helen Wills Moody 6-3, 6-1 for her 7th US singles crown 1944 - US general Omar Bradley visits British general Bernard Montgomery 1953 - England regains cricket Ashes from Australia after winning series 1-0 1960 - American CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers convicted of spying by USSR (U-2 incident); sentence to 3 years in prison plus 7 in a labor camp, he served 17 months before being exchanged for a captured Soviet KGB spy 1981 - 2 US Navy F-14 jet fighters shoot down 2 Soviet-built Libyan SU-22 1987 - Hungerford Massacre: in England, Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with an assault rifle and then commits suicide 1991 - Conservative members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union attempt to depose Mikhail Gorbachev in a coup d'état More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1591 - French King Henry IV occupies Rouen 1982 - Renaldo Nehemiah of US sets record for 110 m hurdles, 12.93 sec 1983 - Dodgers trade Dave Stewart and Ricky Wright to Texas for Rick Honeycut 1985 - Following the Rubicon speech four days earlier, Archbishop Desmond Tutu snubs P. W. Botha's invitation to attend a meeting to discuss the role and actions of the police and security forces in South Africa 1995 - Bruce Seldon TKOs Joe Hipp in 10 for heavyweight boxing title 2016 - A 6-way tie for first place in the final of the equestrian individual jumping competition at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; Nick Skelton of Great Britain wins gold medal jump-off More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1881 - George Enesco, Romanian violinist, conductor, and composer (Romanian Dances), born in Liveni, Dorohoi, Romania (d. 1955) 1896 - Walter Lang, Swiss composer, born in Basel, Switzerland (d. 1966) 1930 - Frank McCourt, Irish-American Pulitzer Prize winning author (Angela's Ashes), and teacher, born in Brooklyn, New York City (d. 2009) 1940 - Jill St John [Oppenheim], actress (Diamonds are Forever), born in Los Angeles, California 1969 - Patrick Van Horn, American actor (Swingers) 1972 - Elizabeth Wolfgramm, American singer (The Jets), born in Salt Lake City, Utah More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1650 - Abraham de Verwer, Dutch painter, buried at about 55 1963 - Kathleen Parlow, Canadian violinist, and educator, dies at 72 1981 - Jessie Matthews, English actress (Gangway, First a Girl), dies at 74 2011 - Raúl Ruiz, Chilean filmmaker (Three Sad Tigers), dies at 70 2016 - Donald Henderson, American epidemiologist, led world campaign that eradicated smallpox, dies at 82 2019 - Larry "The Mole" Taylor, American session (The Monkees) and touring rock and blues bass player (Canned Heat - "On the Road Again"; John Mayall; Tom Waits), dies of cancer at 77 More Famous Deaths »

1858 - Netherlands and Japan sign trade agreement 1951 - Cricket 1st-class debut of Raymond Illingworth 1956 - Cincinnati Reds (8) and Cubs (2) combine to hit 10 HRs in a 9 inning game 1964 - Charles Helu elected president of Lebanon 1964 - USSR launch 3 Kosmos satellites 1981 - Jerry Lewis appears on "Donahue" to defend Telethons 1986 - Jim Kelly signs with NFL Buffalo Bills ($75 million for 5 years) 1989 - Bucky Dent replaces Dallas Green as NY Yankee manager 2008 - Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva sets a new world record of 5.05m to win the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics; her 24th world record 2018 - Australian mare Winx wins her Australasian record 26th consecutive race, the renamed Winx Stakes at Royal Randwick in Sydney; 19th Group One win for thoroughbreds More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1612 - Pendle Witch trial begins with 10 people accused of witchcraft in Lancaster, England, key witness 9 year-old boy 1700 - Swedish, English and Dutch army lands on Seeland, Denmark 1956 - Cincinnati Reds (8) and Cubs (2) combine to hit 10 HRs in a 9 inning game 1958 - TV game show scandal investigation starts 1965 - Dutch soccer team FC Den Bosch (successor to BVV 1906 and Wilhelmina 1890) is established at 's-Hertogenbosch 1989 - Bucky Dent replaces Dallas Green as NY Yankee manager More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1882 - Marcel Samuel-Rousseau, French organist and opera composer (Le Bon Roi Dagobert), born in Paris (d. 1955) 1907 - Cecilia Grace Hunt Reeves Gillie, Executive (BBC), born in Sheppey, Kent, England (d. 1996) 1919 - Walter J Hickel, (Gov-R-Alaska)/US Secretary of Interior (1969-71) 1941 - Dennis Claridge, American football quarterback (NFL C'ship 1965, Green Bay Packers; Atlantic Falcons), born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 2018) 1956 - John Debney, American composer, born in Glendale, California 1968 - Greta Lind, American actress (Katie Kennicott-All My Children), born in Goshen, New York More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1943 - Hans Jeschonnek, German air force general/chief-staff, commits suicide 1946 - Georg Åberg, Swedish athlete (Olympic silver triple jump; bronze long jump 1912), dies at 53 1968 - Cy Walter, American jazz pianist (Three's Company), dies of cancer at 52 2003 - Tony Jackson, British bass player (The Searchers, 1962-64 - "Sugar And Spice"), dies from a combination of diabetes, heart disease, and cirrhosis of the liver at 65 2009 - Kim Dae-jung, 8th President of South Korea (1998-2003) and 2000 Nobel Peace Prize 2000 laureate, dies at 85 2015 - (Alan) "Bud" Yorkin, American film and television producer and director (Divorce American Style; All in the Family; Sanford And Son), dies at 89 More Famous Deaths »

1891 - Electric self-starter for automobile patented 1918 - Bolshevik revolutionary leader Moisei Uritsky is assassinated 1950 - Indonesia gains independence from Netherlands 1960 - Indonesia drops diplomatic relations with Netherlands 1977 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR 1977 - Russian nuclear sub "Artika" is 1st to North Pole 1985 - 1,400 meatpackers walk off the job at a Geo A Hormel and Co plant 1986 - Rioting at DMC concert at Long Beaxh (California) Convention Center - 40 injured 1989 - Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken moves into 3rd place (1,208th cons game) 2013 - 14th Athletics World Championships: Usain Bolt wins 200m More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1862 - Confederate troops under Kirby Smith enter Kentucky 1904 - George H Reid succeeds John Watson as Prime Minister of Australia 1936 - An unemployed worker, Neils B. Ruud, in Madison, Wisconsin, receives the first unemployment benefit check paid under a State law, for $15 1969 - Hurricane Camille strikes US coastline and kills 259 people (mainly in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana) 1988 - NYC 1st case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (9 year old Bronx boy) 2013 - 14th Athletics World Championships: Usain Bolt wins 200m More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1720 - Charles-Dominique-Joseph Eisen, French engraver and painter (Contes de La Fontaine), born in Valenciennes, France (d. 1778) 1905 - John Hay Whitney, American diplomat and publisher (NY Herald Tribune 1961-67), born in Ellsworth, Maine (d. 1982) 1955 - Colin Moulding, English pop bassist, and songwriter (XTC - "Generals And Majors"), born in Swindon, England 1966 - Maysa [Leak], American jazz and RandB singer, born in Baltimore, Maryland 1974 - Nicola Kraus, American novelist, born in New York City 1974 - Tony Hajjar, Lebanese-American musician (At the Drive-In, Sparta), born in Beirut, Lebanon More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1875 - Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist (Father of Bantu Philology), dies at 48 1966 - Archibald Palm, South African cricketer (Test South Africa v England 1927-28), dies at 65 1988 - Victoria Shaw, Australian-American actress (Alvarez Kelly, Westworld), dies at 53 1993 - Max de Metz, Dutch publisher and translator, dies at 72 2004 - Gérard Souzay, French baritone, dies at 85 2010 - Edwin Morgan, Scottish poet (At Eighty), dies at 90 More Famous Deaths »

1864 - Federal assault on 4th day of battle at Deep Bottom Run, Virginia 1865 - Restoration Day in the Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic regains its independence after 4 years of fighting against the Spanish Annexation. 1918 - US troops overrun at Archangelsk by Bolshevik troops 1959 - LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Ranier GandCC: Betsy Rawls wins her second WO by 6 strokes from JoAnne Gunderson and Patty Berg 1965 - American Football League's 9th franchise is officially awarded to Joe Robbie and television star Danny Thomas; Miami Dolphins start play in AFL's Eastern Division in 1966 1972 - Morocco King Hassan II's B727 shot during failed coup attempt by General Mohamed Oufkir. Reportedly, King Hassan grabbed the radio and told the rebel pilots "Stop firing! The tyrant is dead!", fooling pilots to break off attack 1973 - 5th San Diego Comic-Con International opens at Sheraton Hotel, Harbor Island 1993 - The Debian distribution first announced by Ian Murdock, a student at Purdue University (Murdock initially called his system the "Debian Linux Release") 2016 - New Zealand canoeist Lisa Carrington retains her K-1 200m Olympic title with a time of 39.864 at the Rio de Janeiro Games 2016 - Russian pair Natalia Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina retain their Olympic synchronised swimming duet title at the Rio de Janeiro Games with final score 194.9910 More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1890 - Alexander Clark, journalist and lawyer, named minister to Liberia 1943 - Bulgarian Tsar Boris III visits Adolf Hitler 1956 - Adlai E Stevenson nominated as US Democratic presidential candidate 1970 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Southern Hills CC: Dave Stockton wins 1st of 2 PGA C'ships by 2 shots from Bob Murphy and Arnold Palmer 1975 - "Rodgers and Hart" closes at Helen Hayes Theater NYC after 108 performances 1984 - Largest harness racing purse ($2,161,000-Nihilator wins $1,080,500) More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1846 - Justus van Maurik, Dutch author and cigar manufacturer, born in Amsterdam (d. 1904) 1925 - Willie Jones, American baseball third baseman (MLB All Star 1950, 51; Philadelphia Phillies), born in Dillon, South Carolina (d. 1983) 1939 - Wim Meijer, Dutch politician (PvdA) 1956 - Daniel Willems, Belgian cyclist 1962 - Steve Carell, American actor and comedian (The Office), born in Concord, Massachusetts 1983 - Nikos Zisis, Greek basketball player, born in Thessaloniki, Greece More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1893 - Jean-Martin Charcot, French neurologist, dies at 77 1951 - Du Yuesheng, Chinese mob boss, dies at 62 2006 - Alex Buzo, Australian playwright and author (b. 1944) 2007 - Max Roach, American percussionist, drummer, and composer (b. 1924) 2007 - The Missing Link, professional wrestler (b. 1939) 2018 - Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast (Olympic gold USSR Team, All-around 1988; World C'ship gold x 5), dies of pneumonia at 49 More Famous Deaths »

1308 - Knights of St John conquer Rhodes 1540 - Arequipa is founded in Peru 1914 - The first large public gathering of Boers in South Africa who do not want to support Britain in a war against Germany; British authorities will try to repress this movement, but discontent spreads 1936 - Americans make a clean sweep of the 3m diving medals via Marjorie Gestring, Katherine Rawls and Dorothy Poynton-Hill at the Berlin Olympics 1945 - Chandler sells World Series radio rights for $150,000 to Gillette, Ford had been World Series sponsor since 1934, pay $100,000 annually 1965 - Japanese community of San Francisco holds Masanori Murakami Day at Candlestick Park to honor 1st Japanese player to play in major leagues 1994 - South African President Nelson Mandela receives Anne Frank Penning 1995 - Keylee Sue Sanders, 18, of Kansas, crowned 13th Miss Teen USA 1997 - L.A. Dodgers retire Tommy Lasorda's #2 2010 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Whistling Straits GC: Martin Kaymer of Germany wins his first major title by 1 stroke in 3-hole aggregate playoff with Bubba Watson More Historical Events »

Historical Events 1185 - The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia 1248 - Construction of the new Cologne Cathedral in the Gothic style begins with the laying of the foundation stone by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden (completed 1880) 1911 - Procter and Gamble unveils its Crisco shortening 1948 - US Open Women's Golf, Atlantic City CC: Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins by 8 strokes from Betty Hicks 1965 - PGA Championship Men's Golf, Laurel Valley GC: Dave Marr wins his only major title, beating Billy Casper and Jack Nicklaus by 2 strokes 1975 - Miki Takeo makes the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine by an incumbent prime minister on the anniversary of the end of World War II. More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1896 - Catherine Doherty, Russian-born Canadian activist, born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (d. 1985) 1902 - Jan Campert, Dutch resistance fighter and poet (Song the 18 dead), born in Spijkenisse, Netherlands (d. 1943) 1947 - Manley Lanier "Sonny" Carter Jr, American chemist and NASA astronaut (STS 33), born in Macon, Georgia (d. 1991) 1972 - Ken Walter, American NFL punter, 1997-2006 (Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, and 2 other teams), born in Cleveland, Ohio 1976 - Robert Macfarlane, English nature writer, born in Halam, England 1989 - Joe Jonas, American pop singer (Jonas Brothers), born in Casa Grande, Arizona More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1576 - (Valentin) Bálint Bakfark, Hungarian lutenist, and composer, dies of the plague at about 70 1962 - Lei Feng, Chinese soldier (became a propaganda icon after his death), dies in an accident at 21 1968 - Edward Kilenyi, Sr. [Ede Kilényi], composer and teacher (Clipped Wings; Outside the Law), dies at 84 1990 - Viktor Tsoi, Russian musician (Kino), dies in a car accident at 28 1990 - Lew DeWitt, American country singer and composer (Statler Brothers - "Flowers on the Wall"), dies of Crohn's disease complications at 52 2014 - Jerry Lumpe, American baseball player, dies at 81 More Famous Deaths »