This Day in History
January 5

What happened in history on this day: January 5? On January 5 in ... 1066 - Edward the Confessor, king of England, names brother-in-law Harold Godwinson as heir. 1066 - Edward de Belijder the Confessor, king of England (1043-66), dies. 1349 - Margaretha of Bavaria names her son Willem V Earl of Holland/Zealand. 1387 - Pedro IV king of Aragon/conqueror of Sicily, dies at age 67. 1425 - John of Bavaria/Bayern liege of Holland/Zealand/Dordrecht, poisoned. 1438 - Pope Eugenius IV deallocated council of Basel to Ferrara. 1463 - French poet François Villon banished from Paris. 1477 - Battle at Nancy, Burgundy versus Switzerland, 7000+ killed. 1477 - Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy/writer, dies at age 43. 1500 - Duke Ludovico Sforza's troops reconquer Milan. 1524 - Marko Marulic/Marulus/Splichanin/Pecinich Croatian poet, dies at age 73. 1531 - Pope Clemens VII forbids English king Henry VIII to re-marry. 1548 - Birth of Francisco Suárez Granada Spain, philosopher/theologian. 1554 - Great fire in Eindhoven Netherlands. 1560 - Birth of William Cobbold composer. 1589 - Catherine de' Medici Queen mother of France, dies at age 69. 1592 - Birth of Shah Jahan Mughal emperor of India (1628-58), built Taj Mahal. 1592 - Willem II Duke of Gulik/Kleef/Gelre, dies at about age 75. 1593 - William Louis of Nassau becomes Governor/Viceroy of Drenthe. 1595 - Ercole Procaccini Italian painter, dies. 1596 - Birth of Henry Lawes English composer. 1603 - Pieter Adriaansz van der Werff mayor of Lead, dies at age 73. 1620 - Birth of Miklós Zrínyi Hungarian poet/writer (The Peril of Sziget). 1638 - Petition in Recife Brazil leads to closing of their two synagogues. 1649 - Francesco Cavalli's opera "Giasone" premieres in Venice. 1655 - Birth of John Coney; first Colonial engraver of American paper money. 1675 - Battle at Turkheim (Colmar): French army beats Brandenburg. 1679 - Birth of Pietro Filippo Scarlotti composer. 1684 - Claude Audran II French painter/engraver, dies at age 44. 1709 - Sudden extreme cold kills 1000s of Europeans. 1710 - Birth of Friedrich Wilhelm Reidt composer. 1717 - Prussian King Frederik Willem I buys conscript for nobles. 1719 - England/Hannover/Saxony-Poland/Austria sign anti-Prussian/Russian pact. 1729 - Birth of Paul C la Fargue cartoonist/painter. 1740 - Antonio Lotti Italian opera composer, dies at about age 72. 1746 - Anton Simon Ignaz Praelisauer composer, dies at age 53. 1757 - Failed assassination attempt on French king Louis XV by Damiens. 1759 - Birth of Jacques Cathelineau French royalist/army leader. 1759 - Thomas-Philippe et de Boussu South Netherlands cardinal, dies at age 79. 1762 - Elisabeth Petrovna tsarina of Russia (1741-62), dies at age 52. 1762 - Birth of Konstanze Weber in Zell, Austria (dies 1842); soprano, marries Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 1769 - Birth of Jean Baptiste Say French economist (Political Economics). 1773 - Birth of Pieter Fontijn Dutch painter/drawer. 1776 - Assembly of New Hampshire adopts its first state constitution. 1778 - Birth of Fortunato Santini composer. 1779 - Birth of Stephen Decatur US, naval hero (War of 1812). 1779 - Birth of Zebulon Montgomery Pike explorer (Pike's Peak). 1780 - Birth of Claire countess of Rémusat/Vergennes/French author (Salon). 1781 - British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond Virginia. 1783 - Friedrich Wilhelm Reidt composer, dies on 73rd birthday. 1787 - Birth of John Burke Irish genealogist (Burke's Peerage). 1788 - Birth of Kaspar Ett German organist/composer. 1788 - Johann Schneider composer, dies at age 85. 1796 - Samuel Huntington US judge (signed Declaration of Independence), dies at age 64. 1799 - Mohammed Esad Galib Dede Turkish poet (Hüsn-ü asjk, dies at about age 41. 1800 - First Swedenborgian temple in US holds first service, Baltimore Maryland. 1804 - Ohio legislature passes first laws restricting free blacks movement. 1806 - Birth of Andre H C van Hasselt Belgian poet (La Belgium). 1807 - Michel Adanson French biologist (Plant classes), dies at age 79. 1809 - Treaty of Dardanelles concluded between Britain and France. 1810 - Birth of Auguste Mermet composer. 1811 - Birth of Cyrus Hamlin educator/missionary (established Robert College, Turkey). 1813 - Birth of Thomas Neville Waul Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1903. 1814 - Johann Gottfried Krebs composer, dies at age 72. 1822 - Birth of Joseph Brevard Kershaw Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1894. 1822 - Central America proclaims annexation to Mexican Empire. 1823 - Birth of William Rockstro composer. 1825 - Alexandre Dumas pare fights his first duel; his pants fall down. 1827 - Frederick of York English duke/bishop/General , dies at age 63. 1828 - First edition of Amsterdam General Trade Journal (Algemeen Handelsblad). 1828 - Birth of August Valentine Kautz Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1895. 1834 - Kiowa Indians record this as the night the stars fell. 1835 - Birth of Friedrich Richard Faltin composer. 1835 - Birth of Hendrik E van Rijgersma Dutch government doctor on Saint Maarten. 1836 - Davy Crockett arrives in Texas, just in time for the Alamo. 1840 - Birth of John Doby Kennedy Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1896. 1840 - Records show 95,820 licensed public houses in England on this date. 1841 - James Clark Ross (United Kingdom) is first to enter pack ice near Ross Ice Shelf. 1843 - In Marked Tree, Arkansas, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurs. Strongest to occur in the region since the 1811-12 sequence. Damage was severe at Memphis, Tennessee; the earth sank in places near New Madrid, Missouri. 1846 - Birth of Rudolf Christoph Eucken in Aurich, Germany; philosopher, awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1908. 1848 - Birth of Khristo Botev in Bulgaria; hero of Bulgarian revolt against Turkey, poet. 1850 - Birth of Theodoor Verstraete Flemish painter/etcher. 1850 - California Exchange opens. 1854 - Steamship San Francisco wrecked-300 die. 1855 - Birth of King Camp Gillette inventor (safety razor). 1856 - Pierre J David [David d'Angers], French sculptor, dies at age 67. 1858 - Birth of Gustaf af Geijerstam Swedish author (Boken om Lillebror). 1858 - Johann Radetzky von Radetz Austrian earl/field marshal, dies at age 91. 1859 - First steamboat sails, Red River. 1859 - Birth of DeWitt B Brace inventor (spectrophotometer). 1860 - Saint John Nepomucene Neumann first male US saint, dies. 1861 - 250 Federal troops are sent from New York to Fort Sumter. 1861 - Alabama troops seize Forts Morgan and Gaines at Mobile Bay. 1862 - Joseph Frohlich composer, dies at age 81. 1863 - Birth of Konstantin Stanislavsky Russian actor/director/methodist. 1871 - Birth of Frederick Shepherd Converse Newton Massachusetts, composer. 1874 - Birth of Joseph Erlanger doctor (shock therapy-Nobel Prize 1944). 1875 - Charles Garnier's new Opera opens in Paris. 1875 - President Grant sends federal troops to Vicksburg Mississippi. 1876 - Konrad Adenauer is born in Cologne, Germany; Oberburgermeister of Cologne, first chancellor of the new Federal Republic of Germany (1949-1963). 1880 - Birth of Nicolai Karlovich Medtner composer. 1881 - Birth of Nikolay Andreyevich Roslavets composer. 1887 - First US school of librarianship opens at Columbia University. 1888 - Dutch Heidemaatschappij established. 1888 - Henri Herz composer, dies at a day before 85th birthday. 1890 - Birth of Cora Witherspoon New Orleans Louisiana, actress (Bank Dick). 1891 - Birth of Johan Boskamp Dutch actor/singer (Potasch and Perlemoer). 1891 - Guillaume L Baud Dutch minister of Colonies (1848-49), dies at age 89. 1892 - First successful auroral photograph made. 1892 - Birth of Francesca Bertini Florence Italy, actress (Odette, Assunta Spina). 1893 - Birth of Friedrich Blume German musicologist (Das Rassenproblem in der Musik). 1895 - Birth of Jeannette Piccard balloonist/Episcopal priest. 1895 - French Captain Alfred Dreyfus, convicted of treason, publicly stripped of his rank; later declared innocent. 1895 - Henry James' play "Guy Domville" opens in London. 1895 - Victor Trumper makes first-class debut for New South Wales 17 years 64 days. 1896 - Austrian newspaper "Wiener Presse" publishes first public account of. 1896 - Birth of Hendrik Algra Dutch Member of Parliament (ARP). 1896 - German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen's discovers x-rays. 1896 - Isaac Albeniz' opera "Pepita Jiminez" premieres in Barcelona. 1897 - Birth of Jack Wagner Ohio; actor (Jive Junction). 1897 - Birth of Theo Mackeben German pianist/composer (Lady Fanny, Bel Ami). 1899 - Birth of Albert van Dalsum; Dutch actor/director (Little Rascal). 1900 - Birth of Yves Tanguy; French/US sailor/surrealistic painter. 1901 - Birth of Mario Scelba; premier of Italy (1954-55). 1902 - Birth of Dorothea "Stella" Gibbons; English author (Cold Comfort Farm). 1902 - Birth of Hubert Beuve-Méry; French newspaper publisher (Le Monde (The Voice)). 1903 - San Francisco-Hawaii telegraph cable opens for public use. 1904 - -34 degrees F (-36.7 degrees C), River Vale, New Jersey (state record low). 1904 - -42 degrees F (-41.1 degrees C), Smethport, Pennsylvania (state record low). 1904 - England beats Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Rhodes 7-56 and 8-68. 1904 - Karl A von Zittel, German geologist/paleontologist (Libya), dies at age 64. 1905 - Birth of László Papp in Hungary; middleweight boxer (Olympics-gold-1948, 1952, 1956). 1905 - Charles Perrine announces discovery of Jupiter's 7th satellite, Elara. 1905 - US National Association of Audubon Society incorporates. 1907 - Birth of Anton Ingolic; Slavic author (After Splavih, After Prelomu). 1908 - Birth of George Dolenz in Trieste, Italy; actor (A Bullet for Joey, Count of Monte Cristo - TV series). 1909 - Birth of Jean-Pierre Aumont in Paris, France; actor (Count of Monte Cristo, Cat and Mouse, Happy Hooker). 1909 - Birth of Stephen Cole Kleene; mathematician (Regular Expressions). 1909 - Colombia recognizes Panamá's independence. 1911 - Portuguese expel Jesuits. 1912 - First National Hockey Association game (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada). 1912 - Birth of Frank Pace Jr; US Secretary of Army (1950-53). 1914 - Birth of George Keefer Brewer AKA George Bessolo AKA George Reeves in Woolstock, Iowa, USA; actor (Superman - Adventures of Superman, Stuart Tarleton - Gone With the Wind, Sergeant Maylon Stark - From Here To Eternity). 1914 - James Cox of Ford Motor Company announces wages will jump from $2.40/9-hour day to $5.00/8-hour day. 1916 - Austria-Hungary offensive against Montenegro. 1917 - Birth of Darah Jane Mayfield AKA Jane Wyman in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA; first Mrs Ronald Reagan, singer/dancer/actress (Magnificent Obsession, Johnny Belinda (Best Actress Academy Award), Angela Channing - Falcon Crest) (dies 2007). 1918 - Birth of Jeanne Dixon in Medford, Wisconsin, USA; psychic (Gift of Prophecy). 1918 - British premier Lloyd George makes demand for unified peace. 1919 - German Farmers Party forms in Germany (later the National Socialist Party). 1919 - The insurrection of the communist Spartakus group in Berlin, Germany, begins. 1920 - Birth of Mohammad Aslam Khokhar; cricket player (Pakistani bat scored 16 and 18 in only test). 1921 - Birth of Friedrich Dürrenmatt in Konolfinger, Switzerland; playwright/novelist: Romulus der Große (1949), Die Ehe des Herrn Mississippi (1952), Der Besuch der alten Dame (1956) and Die Physiker (1952). 1921 - Birth of Jean d'Aviano; grand duke of Luxembourg (1964-). 1922 - Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic explorer (Endurance), dies aboard his ship at age 47. 1923 - Birth of Robert L Bernstein in New York City, New York, USA; publisher (Random House). 1923 - Birth of Sam Phillips; musician/record company founder (Sun). 1925 - Birth of Wolf Morris; actor (Decoy). 1925 - French Baseball Federation awards silver medals to John McGraw, Charlie Comiskey, and Hugh Jennings. 1925 - Under Polish control, Danzig establishes Port Gdansk post office. 1926 - Birth of Claude (Buddy) Young; NFL running back (New York Yankees, Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts). 1926 - Birth of Robert Earle in Baldwin, New York, USA; TV host (GE College Bowl). 1927 - Judge Landis begins 3-day public hearing on charges that four games played between Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers in 1917 had been thrown to Chicago. 1928 - Birth of Imtiaz Ahmed; cricket player (Pakistan wicket-keeper in 41 Tests 1952-62). 1928 - Birth of Walter Fritz Mondale; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Minnesota), 42nd Vice President (1977-81). 1928 - Birth of Zulfikar Ali Khan Bhutto; President/Premier (Pakistan). 1929 - Coup by King Alexander in South Slavia. 1930 - Birth of Edward Galven Givens Jr in Quanah, Texas, USA; Major US Air Force/astronaut. 1930 - Birth of Richard Hayes in Passaic, New Jersey, USA; singer/emcee (Name That Tune). 1930 - Mao Tse-tung writes "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire". 1931 - Birth of Alfred Brendel in Wiesenberg, Austria; one of the leading pianists of the world. 1931 - Birth of Alvin Ailey; American choreographer (American Dance Theater) (dies 1989). 1931 - Birth of Robert Duvall in San Diego, California, USA; American actor and director (Great Santini, Taxi Driver). 1931 - Birth of Walter Davis; American running high jumper (Olympics-gold-1952). 1932 - Birth of Chuck Noll in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL coach (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1932 - Birth of Raïsa Maximovna Titorenko Gorbachev; Russia's first lady (1982-1991). 1932 - Birth of Umberto Eco; author (Name of the Rose). 1933 - French liner L'Atlantique (42,500 tons) burns out in the English Channel, with no passengers, en route to Le Havre. The ship is a total write-off. 1933 - Calvin Coolidge, 30th President (1923-29), dies in Northampton, Massachusetts at age 60. 1933 - Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge between San Francisco and Marin County, California. Workers begin excavating for the structure's anchorages. 1934 - Fenway Park catches fire for second time (May 8th 1926 also). 1934 - National and American baseball leagues select a uniform ball. 1935 - Birth of Nancy L Johnson; American politician (Representative-Republican-Connecticut, 1983-). 1936 - Ramón M del Valle-Inclán, playwright (Tirano banderas), dies at age 66. 1937 - Fingleton and Donald Bradman make record stand of 346 for 6th wicket. 1937 - Only unicameral state legislature in US opens first session (Nebraska). 1938 - Birth of Edwin Elliason in Washington, USA; archer (Olympics-1992). 1938 - Birth of Jim Otto; NFL center (Oakland Raiders). 1938 - Birth of Juan Carlos I; king of Spain (1975-). 1938 - Birth of Leo Avery; abbot of Quarr. 1938 - Birth of Piet Kruiver; Dutch soccer star. 1939 - Birth of Bridget Parker in England; equestrian three day event (Olympics-gold-1972). 1939 - Felix Frankfurter is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Frankfurter had been born in Vienna, Austria and immigrated to the U.S. with his family at age 12. 1940 - Birth of Dany Saval in Oakland, California, USA; actress (Boeing Boeing, Moon Pilot). 1940 - US Federal Communications Commission hears first transmission of FM radio with clear, static-free signal. 1940 - Finnish offensive at Suomossalmi against Russia. 1940 - Tina Modotti [Maria del Carmen], Italian/Mexican communist, dies at age 46. 1941 - Birth of Bob Cunis; cricket player (New Zealand pace bowler of the late 1960s). 1941 - Birth of Grady Thomas; American rock vocalist (Parliaments, Funkadelic, Maggot Brain). 1941 - Birth of Mansur Ali Khan; cricket player (Nawab of Pataudi, Indian batsman and captain). 1941 - British/Australian troops conquer Bardia Lybia. 1942 - 55 German tanks reach North-Africa. 1942 - Birth of Charlie Rose in Henderson, North Carolina, USA; newscaster (CBS Night Watch). 1942 - Birth of Cliff Potts in Glendale, California, USA; actor (Ted - "Lou Grant"). 1942 - Birth of Eusebio de Silva Ferreira; Mozambique/Portugal soccer star (Europa Cup 1 1962). 1942 - Yves Paringaux, French chief of staff, is murdered. 1943 - George Washington Carver, famous black American agricultural scientist, dies at age 81. 1943 - William H Hastie, civilian aide to secretary of war, resigns to protest segregation in armed forces. 1944 - Adolph Goldschmidt, German/Swiss art historian, dies at age 80. 1944 - Birth of Felix Arons; Dutch director/actor (Waaldrecht). 1945 - Birth of Sam Wyche; NFL coach (Cincinnati Bengals). 1945 - Dezsö Szabó, Hungarian writer (Wiped-out Village), dies at age 65. 1945 - Surprise attack on Liese-Aktion office on Marnix Street, Amsterdam. 1946 - Show Boat opens at Ziegfeld Theater in New York City, New York for 417 performances. 1946 - The US resumes diplomatic relationships with Siam. 1946 - Birth of Diane Keaton in Louisiana, USA; actress (Annie Hall, Little Drummer Girl). 1947 - Birth of Michael DeWine; American politician (Representative-Republican-Ohio, 1983-). 1947 - Birth of Ted Lange in Oakland, California, USA; actor (Isaac - The Love Boat, Mr T and Tina). 1948 - Birth of Parthasarathy Sharma; cricket player (Indian batsman of the mid-1970s). 1949 - Birth of Chris Stein in Brooklyn, New York, USA; rock guitarist (Blondie - "Heart of Glass", "Call Me"). 1949 - Birth of George Brown; rock drummer (Kool and the Gang - "Celebration"). 1949 - General Spoor orders cease-fire on Sumatra. 1949 - US President Harry S Truman labels his administration the "Fair Deal". 1951 - Andrei P Platonov, Russian author (Prok, Kotlovan), dies at age 51. 1951 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Ponte Vedra Beach Women's Golf Open. 1952 - Nawab of Pataudi, cricket player (play polo three Tests for England three for India), dies. 1952 - Victor Alexander John Hope, viceroy of India (1936-43), dies at age 64. 1953 - Birth of Pamela Sue Martin in Westport, Connecticut, USA; actress (Nancy Drew, Fallon - Dynasty). 1953 - Passenger ships Willem Ruys and Orange collide in the Red Sea. 1954 - Birth of Bryan Hitt; rocker (REO Speedwagon - "Keep on Loving You"). 1956 - Jeanne F Bourgeois, French head mistress (Moulin Rouge), dies at age 84. 1957 - Birth of Vincent Calloway in Kentucky, USA; trumpet player (Midnight Star - "No Parking"). 1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers' Jackie Robinson retires rather than be traded to New York Giants. 1957 - US President Dwight Eisenhower asks Congress to send troops to the Middle East. 1958 - Birth of Suzy Amis in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; actress (Blame it on Rio, Where the Heart Is). 1959 - Bozo the Clown live children's show premieres on TV. 1959 - Buddy Holly releases his last record "It Doesn't Matter". 1960 - Continental League, a proposed third major baseball league, gets an assurance of congressional support from New York Senator Kenneth Keating. 1960 - Donald Knight, cricket player (54 runs in two Tests for England 1921), dies. 1960 - Pavel P Parenago, Russian cosmonaut, dies at age 53. 1961 - Birth of Curt Bader in Bloomfield, Iowa, USA; sprint kayak (Olympics-1996). 1961 - US breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba. 1962 - Birth of Brendon Kuruppu; cricket player (Sri Lankan batsman, 201 debut versus New Zealand 1987). 1962 - Birth of Danny Jackson; US baseball pitcher (Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, Saint Louis Cardinals). 1962 - Birth of Donald John Cowie in Auckland, New Zealand; yachting Star class (Olympics-1996). 1962 - Birth of Joel Wyner; actor/director (Lyle Springer - Sirens, Listen, Club). 1963 - Camelot closes at Majestic Theater in New York City, New York after 873 performances. 1963 - Carnival! closes at Imperial Theater in New York City, New York after 719 performances. 1963 - Birth of Jeff Fassero in Springfield, Illinois, USA; pitcher (Montreal Expos). 1963 - Birth of Rick Ambrose; singer (Jewel). 1963 - Rogers Hornsby, baseball player, dies of a heart ailment at age 66. 1963 - San Diego Chargers beat Boston Patriots 51-10 in AFL championship game. 1964 - Birth of John Erickson in Woodland Hills, California, USA; golfer (1991 Windsor Charity). 1964 - Birth of Ted Harris Poley in Englewood, New Jersey, USA; rocker (Danger Danger-Screw It). 1964 - Birth of Tracy Ham; Canadian Football League quarterback (Montreal Alouettes). 1964 - Pope Paul VI visits Jordan and Israel. 1964 - San Diego Chargers win AFL-championship. 1965 - Birth of Rick Tuten; NFL punter (Seattle Seahawks). 1965 - Neil Craig, actor (Calling Dr Kildare), dies at age 73. 1965 - Paul Arntzenius, painter/graphic artist/etcher, dies at age 81. 1966 - Birth of Kate Schellenbach; musician (Luscious Jackson). 1966 - Birth of Renaldo Turnbull; NFL defensive end (New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers). 1966 - George Duckworth; cricket player (24 Tests for England, ct 45 stp 15), dies. 1967 - Birth of Chris Nabholz; US baseball pitcher (Boston Red Sox). 1967 - Birth of J B Brown; NFL cornerback (Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers). 1967 - Birth of Ray Crockett; NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl XXXII). 1967 - Birth of Ricky Paull Goldin in San Francisco, California, USA; actor (Doug - Hail to the Chief, Another World). 1968 - Birth of Carl Evans; actor (Guiding Light). 1968 - Birth of Felton Spencer; NBA center (Utah Jazz). 1968 - Birth of Jean Zedlitz in Stockton, California, USA; LPGA golfer (1994 Children's Med-14th). 1968 - Birth of Joe Juneau in Pont-Rouge, Québec, Canada; NHL center (Washington Capitals). 1968 - Birth of Leila Meskhi in Tbilisi, Georgia; tennis star (1995 Hobart). 1968 - Dr Benjamin Spock indicted for conspiring to violate draft law. 1968 - Dubcek succeeds President Novotny as party leader of Czechoslovakia. 1968 - Jean Murat, actor (On the Riviera), dies at age 79. 1969 - Birth of David Dixon; NFL guard (Minnesota Vikings). 1969 - Birth of Derrick Ned; NFL fullback (New Orleans Saints). 1969 - Birth of Kurt Barber; NFL defensive end (New York Jets). 1969 - Birth of Marilyn Manson; singer/musician. 1969 - Bollingen prize for poetry presented to John Berryman and Karl Shapiro. 1969 - Franz T Csokor, Austria author (Gottes General), dies at age 83. 1969 - Neville Williams' Chronology of the Expanding World completed. 1969 - Tom Aherne, actor (Hustler, April Fools), dies of influenza in New York. 1969 - USSR Venera 5 launched for first successful planet landing (Venus). 1970 - 23,000 Belgian mine workers strike. 1970 - Birth of James Patton; NFL defensive end (Buffalo Bills). 1970 - Joseph A Yablonski, candidate for United Mine Workers president, murdered. 1970 - Death of Max Born in Gottingen, Germany; Nobel Prize for Physics in 1954, professor of physics. 1970 - Soap Opera All My Children premieres on ABC. 1971 - First one-day international, Australia versus England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 1971 - Birth of Eric Smith; NFL/WLAF wide receiver (Chicago Bears, Scotland Claymores). 1971 - Birth of Hillary Butler; WLAF linebacker (Frankfurt Galaxy). 1971 - Birth of Jason Bates in Downey, California, USA; infielder (Colorado Rockies). 1971 - Harlem Globetrotters lose 100-99 to New Jersey Reds, ending 2,495-game win streak. 1971 - Sonny Liston, American World Champ heavyweight boxer (1962-64), found dead at age 36. 1972 - Birth of Joseph Patton; NFL guard (Washington Redskins). 1972 - Largest crowd at Cleveland Arena (Cleveland Cavaliers versus Los Angeles Lakers-11,178). 1972 - US President Richard Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on manned shuttle. 1972 - West-Pakistani sheik Mujib ur-Rahman freed. 1973 - Cornelis van Dis, Dutch Member of Parliament (SGP), dies at age 79. 1973 - Mali and Niger break diplomatic relations with Israel. 1973 - Netherlands recognizes German Democratic Republic. 1974 - Birth of Calvin Collins; center/guard (Atlanta Falcons). 1974 - Birth of John Drew in Nichols, Oklahoma; rocker (PC Quest-Can You See). 1974 - Birth of Michelle Scerri in Melbourne, Australia; golfer (1995 Tasmanian). 1974 - In Vanda Station, Scott Coast, an Antarctican record hot temperature of 59 degrees F is recorded. 1974 - Roy Bargy, orchestra leader (Jimmy Durante Show), dies at age 79. 1975 - Charlie Smalls' play The Wiz opens at the Majestic Theater in New York City, New York for 1672 performances. 1975 - Fourteen die when British freighter Lake Illawarra rams pylon bridge between Derwent and Hobart, Tasmania and ship sinks. 1975 - Birth of Ray Morgan; announcer (I'd Like to See). 1975 - Birth of Warrick Dunn; running back (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1975 - Don Wilson, Houston Astros' pitcher, dies at age 29 of carbon monoxide poisoning. 1976 - MacNeil-Lehrer Report premieres on PBS. 1976 - Cambodia is renamed Democratic Kampuchea. 1976 - Georges E Migot, French composer, dies at age 84. 1976 - Greg Chappell scores 182* at Sydney Cricket Ground against West Indies. 1977 - Kenya President Jomo Kenyatta disbands parliament. 1977 - Onslow Stevens, actor (Mr Fisher - This is the Life), dies at age 74. 1979 - Birth of Sarah Price; Miss Louisiana Teen-USA (1997). 1979 - Charles Mingus, US jazz bassist/composer/orchestra leader, dies of heart attack at age 56. 1980 - Birth of Garette Patrick Ratliff; actor (Return to Blue Lagoon). 1981 - Death of Lanza del Vasto, Italian-born philosopher, poet, and activist (born 1901). 1981 - Harold C Urey, American chemist (Deuterium, Nobel Prize 1934), dies at age 87 (born 1893). 1981 - Paul Félix, Flemish architect (Song of the Sun), dies at age 67. 1982 - Arkansas judge rules against obligatory teaching of creation. 1982 - Hans Conried, actor (Bullwinkle Show, Make Room for Daddy), dies at age 64. 1982 - Harvey Lembeck, actor (Phil Silvers, Hathaways), dies at age 56. 1984 - Greg Chappell scores 182 in his last Test innings. 1984 - Adrian Dantly (Utah Jazz), ties NBA record of 28 free throws. 1985 - Bryan Trottier fails on 9th New York Islanders' penalty shot. 1985 - At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Commodore International unveils the Commodore 128 Personal Computer. It functions as three computers in one: a complete Commodore 64, a CP/M mode, and a new 128 kB mode. It features a 8502 processor, Z80 processor, 128 kB RAM, and ROM cartridge port. Price is US$300. 1985 - At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Atari introduces the Atari 520ST computer. It features 512 kB RAM, 192 kB ROM including Digital Research's GEM operating system, 640x400 monochrome or 320x200 16-color graphics from a palette of 512 colors, 32 kB screen RAM, MIDI interface, and mouse. Price is US$599. 1985 - At the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nintendo first shows the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US. 1986 - Birth of Deepika Padukone; Bollywood actress. 1987 - Birth of Kristin Cavallari; American reality television star. 1987 - Margaret Laurence, Canadian author, dies at age 60. 1987 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan undergoes prostate surgery, causing speculation about his physical fitness to continue in office. 1988 - "Pistol Pete" Mavarich, American NBA player (Atlanta Hawks), dies of a heart attack at age 40 (born 1947). 1988 - Austrian President Kurt Waldheim's war record investigated. 1989 - Two French TV newsmen are arrested for trying to plant fake bombs on three airlines at JFK airport in security test. 1989 - Majoe League Baseball signs US$400 million with ESPN, to show 175 games in 1990. 1990 - Arthur Kennedy, actor (Air Force), dies of a brain tumor at age 76. 1990 - J Donald Crump appointed 8th Commissioner of Canadian Football League. 1991 - Edwin Jongejans of Netherlands wins 1-metre springboard diving title. 1991 - John Eckhardt, actor born without legs (Freaks), dies at age 82. 1991 - Kevin Bradshaw of US International scores NCAA Division 1 record 72 points. 1991 - Marie Madeline Sullivan, actress (Elvira Mistress of Dark), dies at age 80. 1991 - Vasko Popa, Serbian WWII-partisan/poet (Sporedno Nebo), dies at age 68 (born 1922). 1992 - Ravi Shastri scores 206 at Sydney Cricket Ground before being Warne's first cricket Test wicket. 1993 - Brian Lara completes 277 versus Australia at cricket Sydney Cricket Ground. 1993 - George L George, Russian/US journalist/director/producer, dies at age 85. 1993 - Henk Knol, Suriname Member of Parliament (PvdA), dies at age 61. 1993 - Juan Benet, Goitia Spanish writer (Herrumbrosas Lanzas), dies at age 65. 1993 - Klaas Wiersma, Dutch Secretary of Justice (VVD), dies. 1993 - Leonce Gras, Flemish singer/conductor, dies at age 84. 1993 - Nyamuisi Muvingi, Zaire minister of Culture, is murdered. 1993 - Price is Right model Janice Pennington sues CBS for show accident. 1993 - Reggie Jackson is elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. 1993 - Ronnie Welsh, actor (Patterns), dies of brain cancer at age 52. 1993 - Liberian-registered oil tanker Braer hits rocks on the coast of northern Scotland's Shetland Islands, pouring out up to 98 million litres of oil in a 40km slick up the coast. 1993 - In the USA, the state of Washington executes Westley Allan Dodd by hanging (the first legal hanging in America since 1965). 1994 - Aleksandr Popov swims world record 100m free style (47.82). 1994 - Brian Johnston, cricket player (BBC radio commentator for 40 years), dies (born 1912). 1994 - Louis R J Ridder van Rappard, Dutch mayor of Zoelen, dies at age 87. 1994 - Thomas P "Tip" O'Neill, American politician (Democrat-Massachusetts)/Speaker of House (1977-86), dies of cancer at age 81 (born 1912). 1994 - Victor van Os, Dutch jazz guitarist, dies at age 39. 1994 - Yat Weiju swims world record 100m butterfly stroke (58.71). 1994 - Death of Elmar Lipping, Estonian statesman and soldier (born 1906). 1995 - Francis Lopez, French dentist/operetta composer (Andalousie), dies at age 78. 1995 - Lockheed C-140 Jetstar crashes at Isfahan Persia, 18 killed. 1995 - Mansour Satari, Brigadier General/commandant (Iran Air Force), dies at age 46. 1995 - Yahya Ayyash, Palestinian Liberation Organization bomb maker, is killed by booby-trapped cellular phone at age 28. 1996 - Jay Morris Arena, inventor/pediatrician, dies at age 86. 1996 - Joseph Daniel White, singer/bandleader, dies at age 84. 1996 - Lincoln Kirstein, ballet administrator, dies at age 88. 1996 - Miami Dolphins' coach Don Shula announces his retirement. 1996 - Muralitharan no-balled for throwing in ODI versus West Indies at the Gabba. 1996 - Birth of Max Baldry, English/Russian actor. 1996 - Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone. 1996 - Tenor Richard Versalle dies onstage at New York's Metropolitan Opera of a heart attack and 20-foot fall at age 63. His last line in the performance of Janacek's The Makropulos Case was: "Too bad you can only live so long". 1996 - German physicist Walter Oelert succeeds in creating antimatter atoms at the CERN Research Center. 1997 - Andre Franquin, cartoonist, dies at age 72. 1997 - Prince Bertil dies, in Stockholm, Sweden, at age 84. 1998 - Ice storm knocks out electricity in Québec and Ontario, Canada. 1998 - The CBS TV network debuts the Style and Substance TV show. 1998 - Death of Sonny Bono, American singer/actor/politician, at age 62 while skiing (born 1935). 1998 - Vandals decapitate Copenhagen's Little Mermaid statute. 2000 - Steve Jobs announces that he is accepting the position as full-time CEO of Apple Computer. 2001 - Death of Nancy Parsons, American actress (born 1942). 2002 - Charles Bishop, a 15 year-old student pilot, crashes a light aircraft into a Tampa, Florida building, evoking fear of a copycat 9/11 terrorist attack. 2003 - Two suicide bombers in south Tel Aviv, Israel, killing 22, injuring over 100. 2003 - Death of Ray Jenkins at age 82; British political reformist, former home secretary, chancellor of the exchequer, president of the European Commission, author of 19 books. 2004 - Apple Computer introduces the iPod mini music player. Colors available are silver, blue, green, pink, and gold anodized aluminum. Each comes with 4 GB RAM and FireWire port. Price is US$249; weight is 3.6 ounces; size is 3.6 x 2 x 0.5 inches. 2006 - A hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia collapses, killing 76 pilgrims visiting to perform hajj. 2007 - Taiwan High Speed Rail opens between Taipei and Kaohsiung. 2007 - In Somalia, the first shots are fired in the battle for control of the border town of Ras Kamboni. 2007 - Death of Momofuku Ando, Japanese inventor (born 1910). 2008 - Georgia presidential election: 52 percent vote for Mikhail Saakashvili. 2009 - Canada beats Sweden 5-1 to win gold in the world junior hockey championships. This is Canada's fifth straight championship, and its 15th gold, matching Russia/Soviet Union for the all-time lead. 2009 - Free-agent outfielder Milton Bradley reaches terms on a three-year, US$30 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. 2009 - The new US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, opens. The compound is one of the biggest and most expensive embassies the US has ever built, where about 1,200 staff will live and work. 2009 - German billionaire Adolf Merckle commits suicide at age 74, stepping in front of a train in Germany. 2010 - At the World Junior Hockey final in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, team USA beats team Canada 6-5 in overtime. 2011 - (to January 9) In Tampa, Florida, Heritage Numismatic Auctions conducts coin auctions at the FUN convention. Some highlights: USA 1907 Indian Head, Rolled Edge gold $10, PR-67 NGC: $2,185,000; USA 1909-O Indian Head gold $5, MS-66 PCGS: $690,000.         Your Ad Here         You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://thisdayinhistoryinfo.info/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events) Or, visit my Timelines of History page. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History Today in Sports History Today in USA History Today in Disney History Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Computers