This Day in History
January 15

What happened in history on this day: January 15? On January 15 in ... 69 - Servius Sulpicius Galba, 6th emperor of Rome (68-69), killed by Praetorian guard in the Forum Rome, at age 70. Lucius Calpurnius Piso is also murdered at the Forum. 708 - Sisinnius begins his reign as Catholic Pope (dies 20 days later). 946 - Caliph al-Mustaqfi blinded/ousted. 1208 - Peter of Castelnau French nobleman, murdered. 1346 - Emperor Louis IV of Bavaria gives his wife Margaretha, Holland/Zealand. 1432 - Birth of Afonso V "the African" king of Portugal (1438-1481). 1507 - Birth of Johann Oporinus [Herbster] Swiss book publisher (Koran). 1535 - Henry VIII declares himself head of English Church. 1552 - France signs secret treaty with German Protestants. 1559 - Elizabeth is crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey. 1562 - Third sitting of Council of Trente opens. 1582 - Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to Poland, loses access to the Baltic. 1586 - Battle at Boxum Spanish troops under Tassis beat state army. 1622 - Birth of Molière France, dramatist (Tartuffe, Le Misanthrope) (baptized). 1680 - French explorer Sieur de la Salle builds Fort Crèvecoeur. 1684 - Caspar Netscher Dutch portrait painter, dies at about age 48. 1705 - Walraad the Young, Earl of Nassau-Ottweiler/Governor of Nijmegen, dies. 1715 - Birth of Georg C Wagenzeil Austria (court)composer/pianist. 1716 - Birth of Philip Livingston merchant (signed Declaration of Independence). 1730 - Birth of John Malchair composer. 1733 - Birth of Joseph Lederer composer. 1742 - Birth of Eugene Godecharle composer. 1744 - Charles-Hubert Gervais composer, dies at age 72. 1752 - Tobias Smollett publishes pamphlet accusing Fielding of plagiarism. 1754 - Riot at burial of doelist Daniel Raap in Amsterdam. 1755 - Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia composer, dies at age 83. 1759 - British Museum opens in Montague House, London. 1762 - Fraunces Tavern opens in New York City, New York. 1765 - Carlmann Kolb composer, dies at age 61. 1775 - Giovanni Battista Sammartini composer, dies. 1777 - People of New Connecticut (Vermont) declare independence from England. 1779 - Birth of Jean Coralli Paris, ballet producer/choreographer. 1780 - Continental Congress establishes court of appeals. 1785 - Mozarts string quartet opus 10 premieres. 1788 - Gaetano Latilla composer, dies at age 77. 1791 - Franz Grillparzer born in Vienna, Austria; dramatist. 1793 - Birth of Ferdinand G Waldmüller Austrian painter. 1795 - Birth of Willem de Clerq Dutch merchant/man of letters. 1797 - First top hat worn (John Etherington of London). 1798 - Birth of Thomas Crofton Croker Irish story teller (Fairy legends). 1803 - Birth of Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff in Hannover, Germany; developed the Ruhmkorff induction coil, an important early mechanical device in the development of the use of electricity. 1803 - Birth of Nathan Adler in Hannover, Germany; rabbi of Oldenburg, Hannover, London, established the United Synagogue. 1809 - Birth of Cornelia Connelly Philadelphia Pennsylvania, founder (Society of the Holy Child Jesus). 1809 - Birth of Pierre Joseph Proudhon France, politician (libertarian socialist). 1812 - Birth of Peter C Asbjørnsen Norwegian fairy tale writer. 1812 - Johannes Herbst composer, dies at age 76. 1813 - Birth of James Marion Sims South Carolina, surgeon/gynecologist (vesicovaginal operation). 1814 - Birth of Ludwig Schläfli Swiss vicar/mathematician. 1815 - Birth of Henry Morris Naglee Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1886. 1816 - Henry Harington composer, dies at age 88. 1817 - Birth of Lewis Golding Arnold Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1871. 1821 - Birth of Lafayette McLaws Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1897. 1826 - Birth of Mikhail Saltykov Spas-Ugol Russia, radical novelist/satirist (Family of Noblemen). 1831 - First US-built locomotive to pull a passenger train makes first run; Mr and Mrs Pierson of Charleston South Carolina make first US railroad honeymoon trip. 1833 - HMS Beagle anchors at Goeree Tierra del Fuego. 1841 - Birth of Lord Frederick Stanley presenter of hockey's Stanley Cup. 1842 - Birth of Josef Breuer in Vienna, Austria; initiated psychoanalysis which Freud later developed. 1844 - Joseph Mazzinghi composer, dies at age 78. 1844 - University of Notre Dame receives its charter in Indiana. 1845 - Birth of Ella Flagg Young; president (National Educational Association). 1845 - Birth of Heinrich Vogl composer. 1847 - First Swedish magazine in US, Skandinavia, published in New York City, New York. 1850 - Birth of Mihail Eminesco [Eminovici], Romanian poet (Samanul Dionis). 1850 - Birth of Sonya Kurtovsky Kovalevsky Russia, mathemetician (Academy of Science). 1851 - General Arista replaces Mexican President Herrera. 1857 - First first-class game in Sydney, New South Wales versus Victoria at The Domain. 1858 - Birth of Giovanni Segantini Italy, painter. 1861 - Steam elevator patented by Elisha Otis. 1863 - First US newspaper printed on wood-pulp paper, Boston Morning Journal. 1863 - Birth of Adolph Goldschmidt German historian. 1863 - Birth of Wilhelm Marx in Cologne, Germany; Chancellor of the Weimar Republic, founder and first president of the Catholic Schools Organization. 1865 - Fort Fisher, North Carolina falls to Union troops. 1866 - Bedrich Smetana's opera "Branibori versus Cechach" premieres in Prague. 1866 - Birth of Nathan Soderblom Lutheran archbishop, internationalist (Nobel 1930). 1866 - M T d'Azeglio writer, dies. 1868 - Birth of Noach Zjordanija Georgian veterinarian/premier (1918-21). 1870 - Birth of Johan Peter Koch Danish officer/explorer (Greenland). 1870 - Donkey first used as symbol of American Democratic Party, in Harper's Weekly. 1871 - Birth of Bertram Shapleigh composer. 1873 - Birth of Max Adler Austria sociologist/socialist theorist. 1876 - Death of Elizabeth McDardle in Greeneville, Tennessee, USA; spouse of US President Andrew Johnson. 1877 - Birth of Lewis M Terman Indiana, psychologist (developed Stanford-Binet IQ test). 1877 - US Assay Office in Helena, Montana opens. 1878 - Birth of Johanna Muller-Hermann composer. 1879 - Birth of Ernest Thesiger London England; actor (Bride of Frankenstein, Ghoul). 1882 - First US ski club forms (Berlin New Hampshire). 1882 - Birth of Florian Znaniecki Polish/US sociologist (Polish Peasant in Europe). 1885 - Wilson Bentley takes the first photograph of a snowflake. 1886 - Weekly Herald, first Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada newspaper, publishes first issue. 1888 - Birth of Joseph Henabery Omaha Nebraska, director (Cobra). 1889 - The Pemberton Medicine Company (later the Coca-Cola Company), is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia. 1891 - Birth of Osip E Mandelstam Warsaw Poland, Russian poet (Noise of Time). 1892 - James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball, in Triangle Magazine, Massachusetts. 1892 - Birth of Rex Ingram [Reginald IM Hitchcock], director (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse). 1893 - Birth of D Ivor D Novello Cardiff Wales, British actor/composer/writer (Lodger, Phantom Fiend, Truth Game). 1893 - Birth of Dragisa Cvetkovic Serbian premiere of Yugoslavia (1939-41). 1894 - Birth of Edmond Rubbens Belgian attorney/minister of colonization. 1895 - Albert Trott takes 8-43 on Test debut, then a record. 1895 - French fleet reaches Majunga, Madagascar. 1895 - Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" premieres, Saint Petersburg. 1896 - Birth of Jacobo Ficher composer. 1896 - Henry Arthur Jones' "Michael and his Lost Angel" premieres in London. 1896 - Matthew B Brady US photographer (Civil War), dies at about age 72. 1899 - Birth of Goodman Aiskowitz AKA Goodman Ace in Kansas City, Missouri, USA; comedian, radio/television writer, magazine columnist (Easy Aces). 1900 - Birth of César Domela; Dutch painter (Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis son). 1900 - Birth of William Heinesen in Färoës Island; writer (Noatun). 1902 - Birth of Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Faisal al-Saud in Kuwait; king (Saudi Arabia). 1905 - Coen de Koning becomes world champion all-round skater. 1906 - Birth of Aristotle Onassis in Greece; rich shipping magnate (dies 1975). 1907 - 3-element vacuum tube patented by Dr Lee de Forest. 1907 - Gold dental inlays first described by William Taggart, who invented them. 1908 - Birth of Edward Teller in Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Empire; his work contributed to the development of a hydrogen bomb, development of the American "Strategic Defense Initiative" (dies 2003). 1908 - C Hill and R J Hartigan make 8th wicket partnership 243 for Australia. 1909 - Birth of Elie Siegmeister in New York City, New York, USA; composer (Plough and the Stars). 1909 - Birth of Gene Krupa; Benny Goodman's drummer (Sing Sing Sing) (dies 1973). 1909 - Ernest von Wildenbruch, German playwright (Das Edle Blut), dies at age 63. 1911 - Birth of Cy Feuer in New York City, New York, USA; Broadway producer (Feuer and Martin - Chorus Line). 1912 - Birth of Michel J-P Debré; premier of France (1959-62). 1913 - Birth of Lloyd Bridges in San Leandro, California, USA; actor (Sea Hunt, Roots, Airplane). 1915 - Japan claims economic control of China. 1918 - Birth of Andreas M Donner; Dutch jurist (constitutional law). 1918 - Birth of Gamal Abdel Nasser; President of Egypt (1954-1970). 1919 - In Germany, Marxist revolutionaries Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are murdered. 1919 - Pianist and statesman Ignace Paderewski becomes first premier of Poland. 1919 - Semana Tragica (Tragic Week): Bloodbath in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1920 - Birth of John Joseph O'Connor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York. 1920 - Birth of John Junor; British editor in chief (Sunday Express). 1922 - Irish Free State forms; Michael Collins becomes first premier. 1922 - John Kirk Barry, Dr/explorer David Livingstone's companion, dies at age 89. 1923 - Birth of Lee Teng-hui; president of Republic of China (Taiwan), head of KMT (1988-). 1924 - Third Dutch government Ruijs de Beerenbrouck forms. 1925 - Hans Luther forms German government, with DNVP. 1926 - Birth of Maria Schell in Vienna, Austria; actress (Space 1999). 1927 - Birth of Norm Crosby in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; comedian (Young at Heart Comedians). 1929 - Birth of Reverand Dr Martin Luther King Jr in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; civil rights leader (Nobel Prize 1964). 1930 - George Headley scores cricket century on debut versus England (made 176). 1931 - Birth of Thomas Hoving in New York City, New York, USA; news correspondent (20/20). 1932 - Birth of Dean Smith; American actor/relay runner (Olympics-gold-1952). 1932 - Birth of Louis Woodard Jones in New Rochelle, New York, USA; 4X400m relayer (Olympics-gold-1956). 1932 - Georg Kerschensteiner, German educationalist, dies at age 77. 1934 - 8.4 earthquake in India/Nepal, 10,700 die. 1934 - Babe Ruth signs a 1934 baseball contract for $35,000 ($17,000 cut). 1934 - Death of Hermann Bahr in Munich, Germany, at age 70; dramatist, Austrian writer (Concert). 1934 - Patrick O'Malley, US policeman, killed by John Dillinger. 1935 - 300 Dutch ice cream salesmen protest against Italian competition. 1935 - Birth of Robert Silverberg; American sci-fi author (Hugo, Regan's Planet). 1936 - The first building to be completely covered in glass is completed in Toledo, Ohio, USA, for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. 1936 - Henry Forster, cricket player (Hants and Oxford University), Governor-General of Australia, dies. 1936 - Horace Stoneham elected president of New York Giants. 1936 - Non-profit Ford Foundation incorporates. 1937 - Birth of Margaret O'Brien in San Diego, California, USA; actress (Jane Eyre, Meet Me in Saint Louis). 1939 - First NFL pro bowl, New York Giants beat All Stars 13-10 in Wrigley Field. 1940 - German submarine torpedoes Dutch trade ship Arendskerk (Eagle's Church). 1941 - Birth of Captain Beefheart [Don Van Vilet]; rocker (Bongo Fury, Shiny Beast). 1942 - Birth of Edward "Sonny" Bivins; American singer (Manhattans - "Kiss and Say Goodbye"). 1942 - Chicago Cubs drop plans to install lights at Wrigley Field due to World War II. 1942 - US President Franklin Roosevelt asks commissioner to continue baseball during war. 1942 - Melvin Winfield Sheppard, runner (Olympics-gold-1908, 1912), dies at age 58. 1943 - 1,000 workers complete the air conditioning system for the Pentagon. 1943 - The world's largest office building, The Pentagon, is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia. Total cost of construction: $83 million. 1943 - First transport of Jews from Amsterdam to concentration camp Vught. 1943 - Birth of Mike Marshall; Major League Baseball pitcher (1974 Cy Young Award). 1943 - Japanese driven off Guadalcanal. 1944 - European Advisory Commission decides to divide Germany. 1944 - US General Dwight Eisenhower begins his command of Operation Overlord. 1944 - Vught Concentration Camp puts 74 women in one cell, ten die. 1945 - Birth of Marie-Christine AHI von Leibnitz; German/British princess. 1945 - Every Amsterdammer gets 3kg sugar beets. 1945 - Red Army frees Crakow-Plaszow concentration camp. 1947 - Birth of Andrea Martin in Portland, Maine, USA; actress/comedienne (Wag The Dog, Club Paradise, SCTV). 1947 - Birth of Pete Waterman; rocker (Stock Aitken and Waterman - "Road Block"). 1948 - Birth of Dini Petty; Canadian talk show host (CITY-TV). 1948 - Birth of Ronnie Van Zant; rocker (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (dies 1977). 1948 - Birth of Tommy Nolan in Montréal, Québec, Canada; actor (Jody - Buckskin). 1949 - Birth of Howard Allen Twitty in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; PGA golfer (1979 BC Open). 1949 - Mao's Red army conquers Ten-tsin. 1949 - Pompeo Aloisi, Italian baron/diplomat/senator, dies at age 63. 1950 - 4,000 attend National Emergency Civil Rights Conference in Washington DC. 1950 - Birth of David Lynn Jones in Bexar, Arkansas, USA; country singer (Bonnie Jean). 1951 - "Cloud of Death" rolls down Mount Lamington, New Guinea, killing 3,000-5,000. 1951 - Birth of Charo in Murcia, Spain; actress/singer (Chico and the Man, The Love Boat). 1951 - Birth of Martha Davis in California, USA; vocalist/guitar (Motels - "Only the Lonely", "Shame"). 1951 - US Supreme Court rules "clear and present danger" of incitement to riot is not protected speech and can be a cause for arrest. 1952 - Birth of Melvyn Gale; rocker (Electric Light Orchestra). 1953 - Sixteen-car Federal Express train loses brakes and crashes in Washington DC station. 1953 - Birth of Boris Blank; rocker (Yello). 1953 - Birth of Randy White; NFL tackle (Dallas Cowboys). 1953 - German Democratic Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Dertingen is arrested for "espionage". 1955 - First official act of Dutch Princess Beatrice, launches tanker Vasum. 1955 - Birth of Enrico Mentana in Milan, Italy; Italian newscaster (RAI). 1955 - USSR ends state of war with German Federal Republic. 1955 - Yves Tanguy, French/American sailor/surrealistic painter, dies. 1956 - Bauer Marlene wins LPGA Sea Island Golf Open. 1956 - Birth of Paul Parker; cricket player (one Test England versus Australia 1981). 1956 - Birth of Vera Sosulya in the USSR; toboggan (Olympics-gold-1980). 1956 - NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 31-30. 1957 - Birth of Mario Van Peebles in Mexico; actor (Posse, South Bronx Heroes). 1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers sign a new three-year lease for Ebbets Field. 1958 - Birth of Julian Sands; actor (One Night Stand). 1958 - New York Yankees sign million dollar plus deal to show 140 games on WPIX TV. 1959 - Birth of Pete Trewavas in Middlesbrough, England; rock bassist, (Marillion - "Clutching at Straws", "Real to Reel"). 1960 - Birth of Tim Curtis; cricket player (England righty batsman in five Tests 1988-89). 1961 - Birth of Iris DeMent in Paragould, Arkansas, USA; country singer (Our Town). 1961 - NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 35-31. 1961 - Suggs wins LPGA Sea Island Women's Golf Invitational Open. 1962 - 50th Australian Mens Tennis: Rod Laver beats R Emerson (8-6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4). 1962 - Dutch and Indonesian navy encounter in Etna Bay, New Guinea. 1962 - Kenneth MacKenna, actor (Men Without Women), dies of cancer at age 62. 1963 - Birth of Erling Kagge in Norway; explorer (South Pole). 1963 - Birth of Lijuan Geng in Hebei, China; Canadian tennis player (Olympics-1996). 1963 - Birth of Richard Nasheim; hockey forward (Team Austria 1998). 1963 - Birth of Yaro Dachniwsky in Chicago, Illinois, USA; team handball goalie (Olympics-1996). 1964 - Baseball agrees to hold a free-agent draft in New York City, New York. 1964 - Birth of Cees van der de Linden; soccer player. 1964 - Birth of Paula Schnurr in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada; 1500m runner (Olympics-8-1992, 1996). 1964 - Teamsters negotiate first national labor contract. 1964 - Weldon John "Jack" Teagarden, US jazz trombonist/singer, dies at age 58. 1965 - Birth of Derek B; rocker (Bullet from a Gun). 1965 - Birth of Michael Clemons; Canadian Football League running back (Toronto Argonauts). 1965 - Pierre Ngendandumwe, premier of Burundi, is murdered. 1965 - Rock group The Who releases first album "I Can't Explain". 1966 - AFL Pro Bowl: All-Stars beats Buffalo 30-19. 1966 - Betsy Mitchell, US 100m backstroke swimmer, dies at age 25. 1966 - NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 36-7. 1967 - Birth of Lisa Lisa (Velez); rock vocalist (and Cult Jam). 1967 - Birth of Richard Blakey; cricket player (England wicket-keeper in India 1993). 1967 - Birth of Ted N Tryba in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA; PGA golfer (1995 Anheuser-Busch Golf). 1967 - At the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first-ever world championship game (later called the Super Bowl) of American football. A crowd of 61,946 people is on hand. For their win, each member of the Packers collect $15,000: this is the largest single-game share in the history of team sports. 1968 - Ralph Baer applies for a patent on his invention of the television video game system. 1968 - Bill Masterson, first NHL player fatally injured during game (January 13), dies. 1968 - Birth of Bob Dahl; NFL guard (Washington Redskins). 1968 - Birth of Chad Lowe in Dayton, Ohio, USA; actor (Spencer, Apprentice to Murder). 1968 - Birth of Felton Spencer; NBA center (San Francisco Warriors). 1968 - Birth of Laurie Fellner in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA; team handball goalie (Olympics-1992, 1996). 1968 - Birth of Steve McConaghy; Australian soling yachter (Olympics-1996). 1968 - John Davidson, actor (Dick Tracy versus Crime Inc), dies at age 80. 1968 - Leopold Infeld, Polish nuclear physicist (Motion and Relativity), dies at age 69. 1969 - Birth of Adam Burt in Detroit, Michigan, USA; NHL defenseman (Hartford Whalers). 1969 - Birth of Delino DeShields in Seaford, Delaware, USA; infielder (Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers). 1969 - Birth of Demetra Hampton; actress (Valentina). 1969 - Birth of Leonard Wheeler; NFL safety/cornerback (Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings). 1969 - Birth of Marsha Miller in Rochester, New York, USA; WPVA volleyball player (National-17th-1995). 1969 - Birth of Rob van Dijk; Dutch soccer player (Feyenoord). 1969 - Birth of Rod de Highden; Australian 5k/10k/marathon runner (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Siupeli Malamala; NFL guard/tackle (New York Jets). 1969 - The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5, which docks with Soyuz 4 in orbit. It is the first-ever docking of two manned spacecraft, and the first-ever transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another. 1969 - Theodor Werner, German painter, dies at age 82. 1970 - Birth of Dan Landry in San Diego, California, USA; volleyball opposite hitter (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Birth of Elroy Kromheer; soccer player (FC Volendam). 1970 - Birth of Michele Granger in Anaheim, California, USA; softball pitcher (Olympics-gold-1996). 1970 - Milwaukee Brewers make their first trade (with Oakland Athletics). 1970 - Republic of Biafra disbands, re-joins Nigeria. 1971 - Aswan Dam officially opens in Egypt. 1971 - Birth of LeShon Johnson; running back (Arizona Cardinals). 1971 - Birth of Regina King in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Brenda Jenkins-227). 1971 - John Dall, actor (Corn is Green, Rope), dies of heart attack at age 50. 1972 - Birth of Ernie Reyes Jr in San Jose, California, USA; actor (Ernie - Sidekicks). 1972 - Birth of Kimberly Anne Massaro in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; Miss Missouri-America-5th (1996). 1972 - Heavyweight Joe Frazier knocks out Terry Daniels. 1973 - Four Watergate burglars plead guilty in federal court. 1973 - Birth of Daniel Nijhof; Dutch soccer player (FC Twente). 1973 - Birth of Randy Srochenski; Canadian Football League linebacker (Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1973 - Jef Alpaerts, Flemish pianist/conductor, dies at age 68. 1973 - Pope Paul VI has an audience with Israeli Golda Meir at Vatican. 1973 - US President Richard Nixon suspends all US offensive action in North Vietnam. 1974 - Happy Days TV show begins an 11-year run on ABC. 1974 - 24th NBA All-Star Game: West beats East 134-123 at Seattle, Washington. 1974 - Birth of Aubrey Jo Hiller in Missoula, Montana, USA; Miss Montana-America (1996). 1974 - Birth of Mike Minter; safety (Carolina Panthers). 1974 - Expert panel reports 18.5 minute gap in Watergate tape, five separate erasures. 1975 - Birth of Greg Loveridge; cricket player (New Zealand leg-spinner, did not bowl versus Zimbabwe 1996). 1975 - Birth of Mary Pierce in Montréal, Québec, Canada; tennis star (1995 Australian Open). 1975 - Portugal signs accord for Angola's independence. 1975 - Space Mountain opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 1976 - Sara Jane Moore sentenced to life for attempting to shoot US President Gerald Ford. 1976 - US-German Helios B solar probe launched into solar orbit. 1976 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakstan/Semipalatinsk. 1977 - The Coneheads debut on Saturday Night Live. 1977 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Colgate Triple Crown Golf Tournament. 1978 - Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys beat Denver Broncos, 27-10 in New Orleans, Louisiana; Most Valuable Players: defensive end Harvey Martin, and defensive tackle Randy White. 1978 - Ted Bundy kills Florida State University co-eds Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman. 1981 - Hill Street Blues premieres on NBC-TV. 1981 - Bob Gibson elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame. 1981 - Emanuel Celler, American politician (Representative-Democrat-New York, 1923-73), dies at age 92. 1981 - Birth of Howie Day; American singer and songwriter. 1981 - Birth of El Hadji Diouf; Senegalese football player. 1982 - Red Smith, sportscaster (Pulitzer, Fight Talk), dies at age 76. 1982 - Birth of Benjamin Agosto; American skater. 1983 - Shepperd Strudwick, actor (Psychomania), dies of cancer at age 75. 1983 - Thom Syles keeps a life saver intact in his mouth for over seven hours. 1983 - Dutch political party DS'70 disbands. 1983 - Hartford Whalers' smallest crowd 4,812 (beat New Jersey Devils) during blizzard. 1983 - Javed Miandad and Mudassar Nazar make 451 stand versus India. 1983 - Meyer Lansky, reputed mobster, dies in Miami Beach, Florida, at age 81. 1984 - Birth of Megan Quann, American swimmer. 1984 - Hana Mandlikova ends Martina Navratilova's 54-match tennis winning streak. 1984 - Schönbrun skates world record 5 km (7:39.44). 1985 - Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to John Ashbery and Fred Chapell. 1985 - Mike Gatting and Graeme Fowler both score 200's versus India. 1985 - Tancredo Neves is elected president of Brazil by the Congress, ending 21 years of military rule. 1986 - Birth of Jessy Schram; American actress. 1986 - James H "Jim" Crowley, US football player (Notre Dame), dies at age 83. 1986 - HBO and Cinemax pay cable television services initiate scrambling their national satellite feeds. 1986 - The Living Seas opens at World Showcase in EPCOT, Walt Disney World. 1987 - Birth of Jake Epstein; Canadian actor. 1987 - Birth of Michael Seater; Canadian actor. 1987 - Birth of Kelly Kelly; American professional wrestler. 1987 - Dolores Hawkins, singer (Guy Mitchell Show), dies at age 58. 1987 - Gerrit Borgers, Dutch literary, dies at age 69. 1987 - Ray Bolger, American actor/singer/dancer (Wizard of Oz), dies at age 82 (born 1904). 1988 - In Jerusalem, Israeli police and Palestinian protestors clash at the Dome of the Rock; several police and at least 70 Palestinians are injured. 1988 - Disney generally releases the live-action feature film Good Morning, Vietnam to theaters. The film cost US$14 million to make. 1988 - Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes racist remarks about black athletes. 1988 - Kiran More stumps five West Indian batsman at Madras, world Test record. 1988 - Narendra Hirwani takes 16-136 (8-61 and 8-75) versus West Indies on Test debut. 1988 - Seán MacBride, commander of Irish Republican Army, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, dies at age 83 (born 1904). 1989 - 10th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 35 awards. 1989 - Betsy King wins LPGA Jamaica Golf Classic. 1989 - Big John Studd wins WWF's first Royal Rumble. 1989 - Cerberal Palsy telethon raises US$22,600,000. 1989 - Wilf Slack, cricket player (whilst bat in Gambia England player 1986), dies. 1990 - 42-year-old George Foreman knocks out George Cooney in two rounds. 1990 - 6th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Knots Landing wins. 1990 - NBC TV begins airing the series Blue Bayou. 1990 - AT&T experiences long distance problems due to a computer glitch. 1990 - Toronto Blue Jays' player Cecil Fielder signs with Detroit Tigers as a free agent. 1990 - Gordon Jackson, actor (Hamlet), dies after a short illness at age 66. 1990 - New York Knicks' Trent Tucker scores with 1/10 second remaining, beats Chicago Bulls, 109-106. 1990 - Thousands storm the Stasi headquarters in Berlin in an attempt to view their government records. 1991 - Sean Lennon's remake of his father's "Give Peace A Chance" is released to coincide with the United Nation's midnight deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. The lyrics were updated to reflect concerns of the 1990's. 1991 - Australia beats New Zealand 2-0 to win the World Series Cup. 1991 - The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm. 1991 - Birth of Rubab Raza, Pakistan swimmer. 1992 - The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia begins to break up. Slovenia and Croatia gain independence and international recognition in some Western countries. 1992 - Bulgaria recognizes Macedonia. 1992 - European Community recognizes Slovenian and Croatian independence. 1993 - In Hokkaido, Japan, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. Two people killed, 614 injured and substantial damage. 1993 - Henry Iba, basketball coach, dies at age 88. 1993 - Huub H Jacobse, Dutch Member of Parliament (VVD), dies at age 68. 1993 - Sammy Cahn [Cohen], US songwriter (Bei Mir Bist Du Schön), dies at age 79. 1993 - Soap opera Santa Barbara has final show aired on NBC TV. 1993 - Salvatore "Totň" Riina, the Mafia boss known as 'The Beast', is arrested in Palermo, Sicily after 23 years as a fugitive. 1994 - 15th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 34 awards, Showtime wins 10. 1994 - György Cziffra, Hungarian/French pianist (Chopin/Liszt), dies at age 72. 1994 - Hague motorist with 0.51 percent alcohol in blood, breaks Dutch record (0.47 percent). 1994 - Harry Nilsson, rock vocalist ("Without You", "Everybody's Talkin'"), dies at age 52 (born 1941). 1994 - Philippe Brun, jazz trumpeter, dies at age 85. 1994 - Queen Elizabeth falls off her horse and breaks her left wrist. 1995 - Dawn Coe-Jones wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Golf Champion. 1995 - San Diego Chargers beat Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 for AFC championship. 1995 - San Francisco 49ers beat Dallas Cowboys for NFC championship. 1995 - Southern Alabama begins using new area code 334. 1995 - Western Washington begins using new area code 360. 1996 - Les Baxter, American singer/orchestra leader/composer (Born Again), dies at age 73 (born 1922). 1996 - Chief Moshushu II, King of Lesotho (1966-90), dies at age 51 (born 1938). 1997 - Chicago Bulls' player Dennis Rodman kicks cameraman, Eugene Amos, in the groin. 1997 - Jose Ignacio Domecq, wine maker, dies at age 82. 1997 - Kenneth Thimann, botanist, dies at age 92. 1997 - Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with Mir Space Station. 1998 - Death of Amos "Junior" Wells, American blues harmonica player, at age 63 (born 1934). 1998 - Gulzarilal Nanda, temporary Prime Minister of India (1964, 66), dies. 2000 - Death of Fran Ryan, American actress (born 1916). 2000 - Death of Äeljko Ražnatovic, Serbian mobster and paramilitary leader (born 1952). 2001 - In Brevik, Norway, Norcem's oil storage facility leaks 870,000 litres of crude oil; much of the spill is recovered from the containment area and from the sea. 2001 - Wikipedia, a Wiki free content encyclopedia, goes online. 2001 - The first case of BSE (Mad Cow Disease) in Italy is discovered. 2003 - Death of Doris Fisher, American singer and songwriter (born 1915). 2003 - The Supreme Court of the United States allows the extension of copyright terms in the U.S. 2003 - Lucio Gutiérrez is sworn in as Ecuador's new president. 2004 - In the USA, Carol Moseley Braun drops out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and endorses Howard Dean. 2005 - ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron and other surface elements on the moon. 2005 - Death of Victoria de los Ángeles, Catalan soprano (born 1923). 2005 - Death of Deem Bristow, voice actor best known as the voice of Doctor Eggman (born 1947). 2005 - In Detroit, Michigan, the North American International Auto Show is held, over nine days. Chevrolet unveils the 2006 Corvette Z06, with 7-litre LS7 engine, 500 hp, 475 pound-feet torque. 2006 - Death of Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (born 1926). 2006 - NASA's Stardust mission successfully ends, the first to return dust from a comet. 2007 - Death of Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi politician (born 1951). 2007 - Death of Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi judge (born 1945). 2007 - Death of Bo Yibo, Chinese politician (born 1908). 2007 - Comet McNaught makes perigee after coming close to the sun. 2008 - In India, Reliance Power raises a record 115 billion rupees (US$2.9 billion) in the first minute of stock trading. 2008 - In Michigan, USA, the Rupublican caucuses choose Mitt Romney as candidate for the presidential election on November. 2008 - The governments of Singapore, Kuwait, and South Korea invest US$21 billion in American finance companies Citigroup and Merrill Lynch through sovereign-wealth funds. 2008 - A general election is held in Barbados. David Thompson and the Democratic Labour Pary win with 20 of the 30 parliamentary seats. 2008 - In the USA, Fox airs the 7th season premiere of the TV show American Idol. 2008 - The Federal Court of Australia orders a Japanese whaling company to stop research whaling within their Exclusive Economic Zone. 2008 - Death of Brad Renfro, American actor (born 1982). 2009 - The British Government gives the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow airport. 2009 - A US Airways Airbus 320 Flight 1549 makes an emergency landing into the Hudson River off New York City shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, after birds disable both engines. All 155 passengers and crew members are safely rescued. 2009 - Patrick McGoohan, actor (Danger Man, The Prisoner, Emmy awards for Colombo, Bafta award for The Greatest Man In The World), dies at age 80 in Los Angeles, California. 2009 - Bank of America, the largest U.S. bank, posts its first quarterly loss in 17 years, of US$1.79 billion. 2009 - Death of Said Seyam, Palestinian politician (born 1957). 2010 - Death of Marshall Warren Nirenberg, American biologist and Nobel Prize laureate (born 1927). 2010 - The longest annular solar eclipse of the 3rd millennium occurs.         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