This Day in History
February 11

What happened in history on this day: February 11? On February 11 in ... 385 - Oldest Pope elected; Siricius - bishop of Tarragona. 641 - Heraclius, emperor of Byzantium (610-641), dies at about age 65. 731 - Gregory II, Greek-Syrian Pope, dies. 821 - Benedict of Aniane, saint, dies. 824 - Paschal I, Italian Catholic Pope (817-24), dies. 867 - Theodora the Saint, beauty queen/empress of Byzantine, dies. 1141 - Hugo of St-Victor philosopher/theologist/mystic, dies. 1380 - Birth of Gianfrancesco Poggio Bracciolini Italy, humanist. 1465 - Birth of Elizabeth of York London, Consort of King Henry VII. 1503 - Elizabeth of York Consort of King Henry VII, dies on 38th birthday. 1506 - Birth of Juliana van Stolberg engraver of Nassau. 1531 - Henry VIII recognized as supreme head of the Church in England. 1535 - Birth of Gregory XIV [Niccolò Sfondrati], Roman Catholic pope (1590-91). 1543 - Ahmed Gran sultan of Adal, dies in battle. 1543 - Battle at Wayna Daga Ethiopian/Portugese troops beat Muslim army. 1543 - Karel/Henry VIII sign anti-French covenant. 1554 - Lady Jane Grey deposed Queen of England, beheaded after 9 day rule at age 17. 1557 - Birth of John Wtenbogaert remonstrants theologist. 1568 - Birth of Honoré d'Urfé French writer (L'Astrée). 1573 - First European, Francis Drake sees the Pacific (from Panamá). 1575 - King Frederick of Denmark offers island of Hveen to Tycho Brahe. 1622 - Alfonso Fontanelli composer, dies at age 64. 1638 - Dutch countess Louise of Solms marries earl John of Brederode. 1650 - René Descartes philosopher "I think therefore I am", stops thinking. 1657 - Birth of Bernard Fontenelle France, scientist/writer (Plurality of Worlds). 1664 - English garrison of Tangier begins war with Moors. 1685 - David Teniers III Flemish painter, dies at age 46. 1720 - Sweden and Prussia sign peace (second Treaty of Stockholm). 1752 - Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the US, opened. 1755 - Birth of Albert Christoph Dies composer. 1762 - Johann Tobias Krebs composer, dies at age 71. 1764 - Birth of Marie-Joseph de Chénier French poet (Cajus Graechus). 1766 - Stamp Act declared unconstitutional in Virginia. 1768 - Samuel Adams letter, circulates around American colonies, opposing Townshend Act taxes. 1776 - Birth of Joannis Capodistrias Greek Governor of Troezen (1827-31). 1780 - Birth of K v Günderode writer. 1790 - Birth of Ignaz Assmayer composer. 1790 - Society of Friends petitions US Congress for abolition of slavery. 1793 - Prussian troops occupy Venlo Netherlands. 1794 - First session of US Senate open to the public. 1797 - Antoine Dauvergne composer, dies at age 83. 1800 - Birth of William Henry Fox Talbot Wiltshire England, photographic pioneer. 1802 - Birth of Lydia Maria Child US, author/abolitionist (Juvenile Miscellany). 1805 - Birth of Jean Baptiste to Sacagawea. 1806 - Vicente Martin y Soler composer, dies at age 51. 1808 - Anthracite coal first burned as fuel, experimentally, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania. 1809 - Robert Fulton patents the steamboat. 1810 - Birth of Loisa Puget composer. 1810 - Napoleon marries Marie-Louise of Austria. 1811 - President Madison prohibits trade with Britain for third time in four years. 1812 - Birth of Alexander Hamilton Stephens Vice President (Confederacy), died in 1883. 1812 - Birth of Benjamin Franklin Sands Commander (Union Navy), died in 1883. 1812 - Massachusetts Governor Gerry signs a redistricting bill-the first "gerrymander. 1814 - Norway's independence proclaimed. 1819 - Birth of Samuel Parkman Tuckerman composer. 1821 - Birth of Auguste Édouard Mariette French Egyptologist, (dug out Sphinx 12/16/42). 1821 - Birth of Hermann Allmers writer. 1826 - London University founded. 1829 - Birth of William Anderson Pile Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1889. 1830 - Birth of Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf composer. 1830 - Birth of Peter Arnold Heise composer. 1833 - Birth of Melville Weston Fuller 8th chief justice. 1837 - American Physiological Society organizes in Boston. 1839 - Birth of Josiah Willard Gibbs theoretical physicist/chemist. 1840 - Birth of Sanuel Dana Greene Lieutenant Commander (Union Navy), died in 1884. 1840 - Gaetano Donizetti's Opera "La Fille du Regiment" premieres in Paris. 1841 - J H Ferdinand Olivier German painter, dies at age 55. 1843 - Giuseppe Verdi's Opera "I Lombardi" premieres in Milan. 1847 - Birth of Thomas Alva Edison Milan, Ohio, USA; inventor of 1300 inventions (incandescent light bulb, phonograph). 1851 - First cricket first-class game in Australia, Tasmania versus Victoria, Launceston. 1852 - First British public female toilet opens (Bedford Street London). 1854 - Major streets lit by coal gas for first time. 1858 - First apparition of Mary to 14-year-old Bernadette of Lourdes France. 1860 - Birth of Rachilde [Marguerite Vallette-Eymery], French author (Monsieur Venus). 1861 - President-elect Lincoln takes train from Spingfield Illinois to Washington DC. 1861 - US House unanimously passes resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in any state. 1867 - Birth of August W Messer German philosopher/educator/psychologist. 1868 - Léon Foucault discovers first physical proof of Earth's rotation, dies. 1869 - Birth of Helene ELJ Kröller-Müller Dutch founder (Kröller-Müller Museum). 1870 - Jacob M de Kempenaer Dutch Minister of Internal Affairs (1848-49), dies at age 76. 1870 - Leopold Eugen Mechura composer, dies at age 66. 1873 - Birth of Feodor Chaliapine Russian author/novelist (Pages from My Life). 1873 - Spanish Cortes fires king Amadeus I. 1874 - Birth of Elsa Beskow [Maartman], Swedish children's book/fairy tales author. 1874 - Birth of Fritz Bennicke Hart composer. 1875 - Birth of Sara Wennerberg-Reuter composer. 1878 - First US bicycle club, Boston Bicycle Club, forms. 1878 - First weekly Weather report published in United Kingdom. 1879 - Birth of Jean Gilbert composer. 1879 - Honore Daumier caricaturist/painter, dies. 1879 - Willem J van Zeggelen Dutch author/novelist/writer, dies at age 67. 1882 - Birth of Gheorghe Cucu composer. 1882 - Gustav Schmidt composer, dies at age 65. 1883 - Birth of Paul August von Klenau Danish composer/conductor (Sulamith). 1887 - Birth of Ernst "Putzi" Hanfstängl German/US pianist/politician (NSDAP). 1887 - Birth of John van Melle South African writer (Dawid Booysen). 1889 - Birth of John Mills dancer (Mills Brothers). 1889 - Birth of Vladimir Mikhaylovich Deshevov composer. 1889 - Meiji constitution of Japan adopted; first Diet convenes in 1890. 1890 - Birth of John P M L de Vries fairy tale writer. 1891 - Birth of J W Hearne cricket leg-spinner (all-rounder for England in 24 Tests). 1892 - Erik Anthon Valdemar Siboni composer, dies at age 63. 1893 - Birth of Johan C P Alberts Dutch literary (Festival). 1894 - Birth of Alfonso Leng composer. 1894 - Birth of Isaac M Kolthoff chemist (Massenanalyse). 1894 - Pasqual Juan Emilio Arrieta y Corera composer, dies at age 70. 1895 - -17 degrees F (-27.2 degrees C) in Braemar, Grampian (United Kingdom record). 1895 - Birth of Viktor Nikolayevich Trambitsky composer. 1895 - Georgetown became part of Washington DC. 1896 - Birth of Else Lasker-Schüler writer. 1896 - Oscar Wildes "Salomé" premieres in Paris. 1897 - Birth of Yves de La Casiniere composer. 1897 - White Rose Mission opens on East 97th Street, New York City. 1898 - Birth of Leo Szilard Hungary, physicist/atomic bomb worker/peace activist. 1898 - Owen Smith of North Carolina, AME Zion minister, named minister to Liberia. 1899 - George Morgan is first English motorist to die in an motor accident. 1900 - Birth of Thomas Hitchcock Junior; great polo player (Westchester Cup 1924,1927,1930,1939). 1901 - King Milan I of Serbia dies at age 56. 1902 - Police beat up universal suffrage demonstrators in Brussels, Belgium. 1903 - Birth of Rex Lease in West Virginia, USA; actor (Fast Bullets, Sunny Skies, Custer's Last Stand). 1904 - Birth of Henry R LaBouisse; head of UNICEF (1965-79). 1904 - Birth of Sir Keith Holyoake; New Zealand Prime Minister (1960-72). 1905 - Birth of Beb [Elizabeth] Vuyk; Netherlands/Indonesian writer (Camp diary). 1905 - James Blackstone, in Seattle Washington, bowls 299.5; last pin breaks but stands. 1905 - Pope Pius X publishes encyclical Vehementer nos. 1906 - Birth of Denis Barnett; British air chief marshal. 1907 - De Master's Dutch government resigns. 1907 - Passenger ship Larchmont sinks by Block Island, 322 die. 1907 - Peter J Savelberg, Dutch Limbourg monastery founder, dies at age 80. 1908 - Australia regains the Ashes with a 308 run cricket victory versus England. 1908 - Birth of Vivian [Ernest] Fuchs; geologist/explorer (British Antarctic Survey). 1908 - Heemskerk's government begins in Holland. 1909 - Birth of Joseph L Mankiewicz in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA; film writer/director (Sleuth). 1909 - Birth of Max Baer [The Livermore Larruper] in Omaha, Nebraska, USA; heavyweight boxing champion (1934-35), actor (The Prizefighter and the Lady). 1911 - Albert von Rothschild, baron/Austrian banker, dies at age 66. 1911 - Birth of Alec Cairncross; chancellor (Glasgow University). 1912 - Birth of Roy Fuller in England; poet/novelist (Lost Season). 1912 - Birth of Rudolf Firkusny in Napajedla, Czechoslovakia; pianist (Julliard). 1914 - Birth of Matt Dennis in Seattle, Washington, USA; singer (Matt Dennis Show). 1915 - Birth of Haakon Stotijn; Dutch oboist (VARA Orchestra, Orkestgebouw Orchestra). 1916 - Emma Goldman is arrested for lecturing on birth control. 1917 - Birth of Sidney Sheldon; novelist (1947 Academy Award, 1959 Tony, Bloodline). 1918 - Birth of Blaine Gibson in Colorado, USA; started at Disney Studio in 1939 in animation, created hundreds of sculptures for use in Disneyland attractions, retired 1983, named Disney Legend in 1993. 1919 - Birth of Gretchen Fraser in Tacoma, Washington, USA; slalom skier (Olympics-gold-1948). 1919 - Friedrich Ebert (SPD) is elected President of Germany. 1920 - Birth of Billy Halop in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Bert Munson - All in the Family). 1920 - Birth of Daniel Francis Galouye; American sci-fi author (Dark Universe, Last Leap). 1920 - Birth of Farouk; son of King Fuad, at Abdin Palace in Cairo, Egypt; last King of Egypt (1936-52). 1921 - Birth of Eva Gabor in Budapest, Hungary; actress (Lisa - Green Acres, Gigi). 1921 - Birth of Lloyd Bentsen; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Texas) (1988 Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee). 1922 - Birth of Leslie Nielsen in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; actor (Forbidden Planet, Naked Gun). 1922 - Gerardus J P Bolland, Dutch philosopher (Bolland Society), dies at age 67. 1922 - US intervention army leaves Honduras. 1925 - Birth of Kim Stanley [Patricia Reid] in Tularosa, New Mexico, USA; actress (Right Stuff). 1925 - Birth of Peter Berger; British Vice-Admiral. 1925 - Birth of Virginia E Johnson; doctor/sexologist (Masters and Johnson). 1926 - Birth of Alexander Gibson; British conductor/founder (Scottish Opera). 1926 - Birth of Paul Bocuse in France; great chef (Legion of Honor). 1926 - Tokelau (Union) islands in south Pacific transfers to New Zealand. 1927 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Beatrix Loughran. 1927 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Nathaniel Niles. 1928 - (to February 19) The II Olympic Winter Games are held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. 1928 - Birth of Archibald Forster; CEO (Esso United Kingdom). 1928 - Birth of Conrad Janis in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Mork and Mindy, Quark, Bonino). 1928 - Birth of Gerry Alexander; cricket wicketkeeper (West Indies of 50s and 60s). 1929 - The Latern Treaty creates the Vatican (world's smallest country), giving sovereignty of the Vatican to the Holy See. 1930 - Birth of Alevtina Koltschina in USSR; cross country relay skier (Olympics-gold-1960). 1931 - Birth of Larry Merchant; American author and boxing commentator (Showtime). 1931 - Charles Algernon Parsons, British inventor (steam turbine), dies at age 76. 1932 - Birth of Jerome Lowenthal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; pianist/professor (Jerusalem Academy of Music). 1934 - Birth of Mary Quant in Kent, England; fashion designer (Chelsea Look, Mod Look). 1934 - Birth of Tina Louise in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Ginger - Gilligan's Island, Julie - Dallas). 1935 - -11 degrees F (-24 degrees C), Ifrane, Morocco (African record low). 1935 - First US airplane flight with auto slung beneath the fuselage, New York. 1935 - Birth of Gene Vincent in Norfolk, Virginia, USA; rock guitarist/vocalist ("Be-Bop-A-Lula"). 1936 - Birth of Burt Reynolds in Waycross, Georgia, USA; actor (Evening Shade, Striptease, Cannonball Run, Smokey and the Bandit, Dan August, Deliverance). 1936 - Pumping begins to build Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. 1937 - 44-day sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint, Michigan ends. 1937 - Birth of Bill Lawry; cricket player (dour Australian lefty opener, Can talk a bit). 1937 - Birth of Lodewijk Boer; Dutch violinist/playwright (The Family). 1937 - Birth of Marilyn Butler; Rector (Exeter College-Oxford). 1937 - Birth of Peter Lashley; cricket player (4 Tests for West Indies 1960-66). 1938 - Birth of Bevan Congdon; cricket player (New Zealand batsman of 60s and 70s). 1938 - Birth of Boris Majorov in USSR; ice hockey (Olympics-gold-1964). 1938 - Birth of Manuel Antonio Noriega; Panamanian General/dictator (1983-1990). 1938 - Birth of Yevgeniy Majorov in USSR; ice hockey (Olympics-gold-1964). 1938 - Steve Casey beats Lou Thesz in Boston, to become wrestling champion. 1938 - Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg meets with Adolf Hitler in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria. Adolf Hitler demands that Austria become a protectorate of Germany, governed by him. Schuschnigg signs in agreement. 1939 - Birth of Bryan Gould; British Member of Parliament. 1939 - Birth of Jane [Hyatt] Yolen; American sci-fi author (Spider Jane, Heart's Blood). 1940 - Birth of Bobby "Boris" Pickett; rocker ("Monster Mash"). 1940 - Birth of Calvin Fowler in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; basketball player (Olympics-gold-1968). 1940 - Birth of John Fink in Detroit, Michigan, USA; actor (Dr Adam Hudson - Nancy). 1940 - John Buchan, first Baron Tweedsmuir, Governor-General of Canada (1935-40), dies. 1940 - Russian forces breach the main Finnish defensive line. 1941 - First Gold record presented (Glenn Miller - "Chattanooga Choo Choo"). 1941 - Birth of Glenn Randall Jr; stuntman (Species, Mrs Soffel, Return of the Jedi). 1941 - Birth of Sergio Mendes; jazz/pop musician (Brazil '66/'77/'88). 1941 - Rudolf Hilferding, German economist/Minister of Finance (SPD), suicide at age 63. 1941 - Sicherheitsdienst complains about Dutch anti-German sentiments. 1942 - Archie comic book debuts. 1942 - Birth of James Couchman; British Member of Parliament. 1942 - Birth of Leon Haywood; American vocalist/keyboardist ("It's Got to be Mellow"). 1942 - Birth of Otis Clay; American gospel/R&B-singer ("That's how it is"). 1942 - Birth of Tony Colton; rock producer (On the Boards). 1943 - Birth of Iain Cameron; British brigadier. 1943 - Birth of Win Griffiths; British Member of Parliament. 1943 - US General Eisenhower is selected to command the Allied armies in Europe. 1943 - Transport nr 47 departs with French Jews to Germany. 1943 - Karkov is recaptured by the Soviet Red Army. 1944 - Birth of Buddhadev Dasgupta; director (Charachar, Grihajuddha). 1944 - Birth of Michael G Oxley; American politician (Representative-Republican-Ohio, 1981-). 1944 - German troops re-conquer Aprilia Italy. 1944 - German submarine U-424 sunk off Ireland. 1945 - First gas turbine propeller-driven airplane flight tested, in Downey, California. 1945 - Al Dubin, Swiss songwriter ("Tiptoe Thru The Tulips"), dies at age 53. 1945 - J S H Lokerman, Dutch resistance fighter, dies in Neugengamme. 1945 - At Yalta, representatives of Great Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union sign a secret agreement on certain post-war issues. After victory over Japan, the Soviet Union is to receive the Kurile Islands, and southern Sakhalin and adjacent islands. 1946 - Birth of M C Walker; CEO (Iceland Frozen Foods). 1946 - The U.S. Military Tribunal in Japan convicts Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma of the Japanese Army of ordering the Bataan Death March and condoning other wartime atrocities. He is sentenced to death by firing squad. 1946 - The secret agreement by the Allies made in Yalta is published publicly. The terms of the Soviet Union joining the war versus Japan included maintaining the status quo in Outer Mongolia, the restoration of southern Sakhalin and adjacent islands to the Soviet Union, and the gain to the Soviet Union of the Kurile Islands. 1948 - Billy Griffith scores cricket century on debut England versus West Indies, out for 140. 1948 - John Costello follows Eamon Da Valera as premier of Ireland. 1948 - Test Cricket debut of Frank Worrell, versus England Port-of-Spain. 1949 - Birth of Charlie Hargrett; rock guitarist (Blackfoot). 1949 - Willie Pep recaptures world featherweight boxing title. 1950 - "Rag Mop" song by The Ames Brothers hit #1. 1950 - Birth of Earnest Jim Istook; American politician (Representative-Republican-Oklahoma). 1950 - Birth of Johanna E "Joke" Beerens; actress (Schipper Next to God). 1950 - Birth of Rochelle Fleming; US soul vocalist ("First Choice", "Smarty Pants"). 1951 - Kwame Nkrumah wins first parliamentary election in Gold Coast (Ghana). 1953 - Birth of Alan Rubin; music figure (Blues Brothers). 1953 - Birth of Philip Anglim in San Francisco, California, USA; actor (Dane - Thorn Birds). 1953 - Birth of Stephen D Thorne in Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany; Lieutenant Commander US Navy/astronaut. 1953 - US President Dwight Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Rosenberg couple. 1954 - In Los Angeles, California, the 6th Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Ed Sullivan. Best Audience Participation, Quiz or Panel Program: This Is Your Life and What's My Line? Best Children's Program: Kukla, Fran, and Ollie Best Dramatic Program: The United States Steel Hour Best Female Star of a Regular Series: Eve Arden for Our Miss Brooks Best Male Star of a Regular Series: Donald O'Connor for The Colgate Comedy Hour Best Mystery, Action, or Adventure Program: Dragnet Best New Program: Make Room for Daddy and The United States Steel Hour Best Program of News or Sports: See It Now Best Public Affairs Program: Victory at Sea Best Series Supporting Actor: Art Carney for The Jackie Gleason Show Best Series Supporting Actress: Vivian Vance for I Love Lucy Best Situation Comedy: I Love Lucy Best Variety Program: Omnibus Most Outstanding Personality: Edward R. Murrow. 1954 - Birth of Catherine Hickland in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; actress (Capitol, Star Trek IV). 1956 - Birth of Kathleen Beller in Queens, New York, USA; actress (Fort Apache the Bronx, Touched). 1957 - NHL Players Association forms (New York City, New York); Detroit Red Wings' Ted Lindsay elected president. 1958 - Birth of Michael Jackson; controller (BBC2). 1958 - Birth of Regina Marsikova in Czechoslovakia; tennis star. 1959 - Birth of Corinne Shigemoto; US judo coach (Olympics-1996). 1959 - Vinoo Mankad ends his final Test Cricket (v West Indies at Delhi). 1960 - Birth of Richard A Mastracchio in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA; astronaut. 1960 - Jack Paar walks off his TV show. 1961 - Birth of Becky LeBeau in Los Angeles, California, USA; vocalist ("Mischief"). 1961 - Birth of Carey Lowell in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Me and Him, Guardian, Dangerously Close). 1961 - Birth of Mary Docter; American 3000 metre speed skater (Olympics-1980, 1984, 1988, 1992). 1961 - Eduard R Verkade, Dutch actor/director (Pygmalion), dies at age 82. 1961 - Patrice Lumumba, first premier of Congo, murdered at age 34. 1962 - Birth of Scott Kolden in Torrance, California, USA; actor (Scott - Me and the Chimp). 1962 - Birth of Sheryl Crow in Kennett, Missouri, USA; singer/songwriter ("All I Wanna Do", "If It Makes You Happy"). 1963 - Birth of Todd Benzinger; US baseball player (San Francisco Giants). 1963 - US Central Intelligence Agency Domestic Operations Division is created. 1963 - Sylvia Plath, poet/novelist (Ariel), kills herself in London at age 30. 1964 - The Beatles make their first public concert appearance in the United States at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., and 20,000 fans attend. 1964 - Greek and Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus. 1964 - Taiwan drops diplomatic relations with France. 1965 - The Beatles' Ringo Starr marries Maureen Cox. 1965 - Birth of Angie Ridgeway in Wabash, Indiana, USA; LPGA golfer (1992 Sara Lee-8th). 1965 - Birth of Stephen Gregory in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Chase - The Young and the Restless). 1965 - Milwaukee Braves propose to pay 5 cents from each ticket to bring a new team to Milwaukee. 1966 - Birth of Alexander Semak in Ufa, Russia; NHL center (New York Islanders). 1966 - Birth of Anthony Parker; NFL cornerback (Minnesota Vikings, Saint Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1966 - Birth of Patrick Kuhnen in West Germany; tennis star. 1966 - Birth of Stephen Gregory in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Chase - The Young and the Restless). 1966 - San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays signs highest contract, US$130,000 per year. 1967 - Birth of Barbara Byrne in Princeton, New Jersey, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of Chris Reohr in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, USA; fencer (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of Derek King in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (New York Islanders). 1967 - Birth of John Patterson; US baseball infielder (San Francisco Giants). 1968 - Howard Lindsay, US playwright (State of the Union), dies at age 78. 1968 - Israeli-Jordan border fight. 1968 - Jeffrey Kramer survives 76-metre jump off Washington Bridge into Hudson River, New York. 1968 - Madison Square Garden III closes; Madison Square Garden IV opens (New York City, New York). 1968 - Peggy Fleming wins Olympics figure skating gold medal, Grenoble, France. 1969 - Birth of Bryan Eversgerd; US baseball pitcher (Saint Louis Cardinals). 1969 - Birth of Jennifer Aniston in Sherman Oaks, California, USA; actress (Rachel - Friends). 1969 - Birth of Joe Valerio; NFL outside corner/tackle (Kansas City Chiefs). 1969 - Birth of Kevin King; US baseball pitcher (Seattle Mariners). 1969 - Birth of Mark Atkinson; cricket wicket-keeper (Tasmanian batsman). 1969 - Birth of Mary Stoker; Miss Wisconsin-USA (1996). 1969 - Diana Crump becomes first US woman jockey to ride against men, Hialelah. 1969 - Dorey Funk Jr beats Gene Kiniski in Tampa, Florida, to become NWA champion. 1969 - James Lanphier; actor (Flight of Lost Balloon), dies at age 48. 1970 - 26.37 cm (10.38 inches) of rainfall, Mount Washington, New Hampshire (state 24-hour record). 1970 - Birth of Alistair Brown, cricket player (Surrey and England ODI opening batsman 1996). 1970 - Birth of Jason Allyn Scott in Iowa City, Iowa, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Japan becomes fourth nation to put a satellite (Osumi) in orbit. 1971 - Birth of Jennifer Lynne Faucette in Burlington, Vermont, USA; Miss Vermont-America (1995). 1971 - Birth of John Bock; NFL center (New York Jets, Miami Dolphins). 1971 - Birth of Linda Wild in Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA; tennis star (1993 Melbourne Open). 1971 - Montreal Canadiens' John Believau scores his 500th NHL goal. 1971 - US, United Kingdom, USSR, others sign Seabed Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons. 1971 - Whitney Young Jr, US National Urban League director, drowns in Nigeria. 1972 - Birth of Dennis Iliohan; Dutch soccer player (FC Lisse, ADO Den Haag). 1972 - Jan Wils, architect (Olympian Stadium, Amsterdam), dies at age 80. 1973 - First one-day international for Pakistan and New Zealand. 1973 - First sub 17-minute 1,500-metre female freestyle swim (Shane Gould 16 minutes 56.9 seconds). 1973 - Birth of Tom Tumulty; linebacker (Cincinnati Bengals). 1973 - Hans D Jensen, German physicist (Nobel Prize in Physics 1963), dies at age 65. 1973 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Naples-Lely Golf Classic. 1973 - Philadelphia 76ers lose their 20th NBA game in a row. 1974 - First baseball arbitration: Minnesota Twins' pitcher Dick Woodson seeking US$29,000 (wins), Twins offered $23,000. 1974 - Anna Q Nilsson, actress (Toll Gate, Sorrell and Son), dies at age 85. 1974 - Birth of Brian Newman; guard (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1974 - Birth of Ronnie Ward; linebacker (Miami Dolphins). 1974 - Birth of Wally Richardson; quarterback (Baltimore Ravens). 1974 - Titan-Centaur test launch fails. 1975 - Birth of Chuck Watanabe; kayak (alternate-Olympics-1996). 1975 - Birth of Jacque Vaughn; NBA guard (Utah Jazz). 1975 - Birth of Kim Weir; Miss Nebraska-USA (1997). 1975 - Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for Conservative leadership. 1976 - Alice Allen, actress (Call of the Hills), dies. 1976 - Birth of Brice Beckham in Long Beach, California; actor (Wesley - Mr Belvedere). 1976 - Birth of Tony Battie; NBA forward (Denver Nuggets). 1976 - Charlie Naughton, actor (Frozen Limits), dies at age 89. 1976 - Lee J Cobb actor (12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront), dies at age 64. 1976 - Death of Alexander Lippisch in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA (born in Munich, Germany); designed delta-winged aircraft in the 1920's and 30's. He designed the world's first rocket airplane which used solid fuel and first flew in 1928. He also worked on the first liquid-fuel rocket airplane, the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, which began to be used by the Luftwaffe in 1944. 1977 - 20.2-kg lobster caught off Nova Scotia, Canada (heaviest known crustacean). 1977 - Birth of Jessica Carlson in Kalamazoo, Michigan; archer (alternate-Olympics-1996). 1977 - Birth of Stephanie Richardson in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; 200 metre/800 metre swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1977 - Birth of Veronica Marie Duka in Campbellsville, Kentucky; Miss Kentucky-America (1996-Top 10). 1977 - Louis J M Beel, Dutch premier (1946-48, 1958-59), dies at age 74. 1978 - 25th hat trick in New York Islanders' history-Denis Potvin. 1978 - China lifts a ban on Aristotle, Shakespeare, and Dickens. 1978 - EOKA organization disbands in Cyprus. 1978 - James B Conant, headmaster (Harvard University), dies at age 84. 1979 - 43 million watch Elvis! on ABC-TV. 1979 - Birth of Brandy [Norwood]; singer (Les Miserables, Moesha). 1979 - Iran's premier Bakhtiar resigns, Ayatollah Khomeini seizes power. 1979 - Musical They're Playing Our Song premieres at Imperial theater in New York City for 1082 performances. 1980 - Birth of Matthew Lawrence in Montgomery, Pennsylvania; actor (Matthew - Gimme a Break). 1980 - Birth of Natasha Bobo in Watsonville, California; actress (Sally - Together We Stand). 1981 - Birth of Kelly Rowland; American singer (Destiny's Child). 1981 - Australia all out 83 versus India at Melbourne Cricket Ground chasing 143 to win. 1982 - Birth of Neil Robertson; Australian snooker player. 1982 - Eleanor Powell, American tap dancer/wife of Glenn Ford, dies of cancer at age 69 (born 1912). 1982 - Takashi Shimura, Japanese actor (Rashomon, 7 Samurais), dies at age 76 (born 1905). 1982 - Birth of Natalie Dormer; English actress. 1983 - Fourth largest snowfall in New York City history (18 inches (46cm)). 1984 - Wayne Gretzky sets NHL short-handed season scoring record at 11. 1984 - STS-41-B: Space Shuttle Challenger makes the first shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center. 1984 - Birth of Matt Good; American musician (From First To Last). 1985 - Henry Hathaway, actor/director (Nob Hill), dies of heart attack at age 86. 1985 - Jordan's king Hussein and Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Arafat sign accord. 1985 - Kent Hrbek signs 5-year, US$6 million contract with Minnesota Twins, making him the club's first million dollar player. 1985 - Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram takes ten wickets in his second Test cricket match, but New Zealand still wins. 1986 - Australia beat India 2-0 to win the World Series Cup. 1986 - Frank [Patrick] Herbert, American sci-fi author (Dune), dies at age 65 (born 1920). 1986 - Iran begins Fajr-8 offensive against Iraq. 1986 - Human rights activist Anatoly Scharansky is released by the Soviet Union and leaves the country. 1986 - Death of Evelio Javier, Filipino politician, lawyer, and civil servant (born 1942). 1987 - British Airways is privatised and listed on the London Stock Exchange. 1987 - England beats Australia 2-0 to win the World Series Cup. 1987 - Philippines' new constitution goes into effect. 1987 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1989 - Barbara Clementine Harris is consecrated as the first female bishop of the Episcopal Church in the USA. 1989 - George O'Hanlon, American actor/director (Bop Girl, Zamba), dies at age 71 (born 1912). 1989 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Jill Trenary. 1990 - 40th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 130-113 in Miami. 1990 - Birth of Q'Orianka Kilcher, German-born actress. 1990 - James "Buster" Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson to win the World Heavyweight Boxing crown. 1990 - Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison, near Cape Town, South Africa, after 27 years behind bars. 1990 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Todd Eldredge. 1990 - Enix releases the Dragon Quest IV game for the Famicom in Japan. On the first day in stores, 1.3 million copies are sold, for about US$75 each. 1991 - Oscar Nitzchke, German architect (Alcoa building), dies at age 90. 1991 - Unrepresented Nations and People Organization (UNPO) forms in Hague, Netherlands. 1992 - An F-16 jet crashes into a residential district of Hengelo, the Netherlands; no casualties are reported. 1992 - Birth of Taylor Lautner, American actor. 1992 - Michael Johnson runs indoor world record 400 metre (44.97 seconds). 1992 - Ray Danton, US actor/director (Psychic Killer), dies at age 60. 1993 - George A Stephen, inventor (Weber Kettle Grill), dies at age 71. 1993 - Irina Privalova runs world record 60 metre indoor (6.92 seconds). 1993 - Janet Reno is nominated by President Bill Clinton as U.S. Attorney General. 1993 - Joy Garrett, actress (Days of Our Lives), dies of liver failure at age 47. 1993 - Oksana Kostina, Russian gymnast, dies in an auto accident. 1993 - Death of Robert W. Holley, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1922). 1994 - Antonio Martin, Spanish cyclist, dies in cycling accident at age 23. 1994 - Lu Parker, Miss South Carolina, crowned 43rd Miss USA. 1994 - Sorrell Booke, American actor (Mayor Boss Hogg - Dukes of Hazzard), dies at age 64 (born 1930). 1994 - Space shuttle STS-60 (Discovery 18), lands. 1994 - William Conrad, American actor (Cannon), dies of a heart attack at age 73 (born 1920). 1994 - Death of Neil Bonnett, American race car driver (born 1946). 1995 - Danyon Loader swims world record 400 metre freestyle (3 minutes 40.46 seconds). 1995 - Mark Foster swims world record 50 metre butterfly (23.55 seconds). 1995 - Sandra Völker swims European record 50 metre backstroke (27.67 seconds). 1995 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Todd Eldredge. 1995 - West Indies score 5-660 against New Zealand. 1996 - 46th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 129-118 at San Antonio. 1996 - Amelia Rosselli, Italian poet, dies at age 65 (born 1930). 1996 - Cyril Poole, English cricket player (Notts 1946-62, England 1951-52 in three Tests), dies (born 1921). 1996 - Kebby Musokotwane, Prime Minister of Zambia (1985-89), dies (born 1946). 1996 - Phil Regan, American actor (Las Vegas Night, Dames, Housewife), dies at age 88 (born 1906). 1997 - Bill Parcells becomes head coach of New York Jets. 1997 - Birth of Michael Jackson Jr son of Michael Jackson. 1997 - Death of Don Porter, American actor (Gidget), at age 84 (born 1912). 1997 - STS 82 (Discovery 22) launches. 1998 - KVBC-FM (Las Vegas) offers Monica Lewinsky $5 million for interview. 1998 - Lyrics to "Candle in the Wind 1997" auctioned for $442,500. 1999 - Pluto moves along its eccentric orbit further from the Sun than Neptune. It had been nearer than Neptune since 1979. 1999 - Square releases the Final Fantasy VIII video game for the PlayStation in Japan. Opening day sales: 2.21 million copies for 17.2 billion yen (about US$145 million). Total worldwide sales over its lifetime: 7.4 million. 1999 - In Afghanistan, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurs. Seventy people killed, 500 injured, at least 14,000 homeless and 7,000 houses destroyed. 2000 - A blast from an explosive device in front of a Barclay's Bank across from the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street wounds dozens but kills none. 2000 - Death of Roger Vadim, French film director (born 1928). 2001 - The East beats the West 111-110 in the 50th NBA All Star Game in Washington, DC. 2001 - Three Rivers Stadium, 30-year-old home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, is imploded. 2002 - Death of Mary Brooks, former US Mint Director. 2004 - Comcast in the USA launches a US$54 billion hostile takeover bid for the Walt Disney Company. The bid is withdrawn on April 28. 2006 - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots his friend and lawyer, Harry Whittington, in the face with a shotgun on a south Texas ranch. 2006 - Pitcher Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs agree to a one-year deal worth US$6.5 million. 2007 - In a national referendum, Portuguese voters agree to legalise abortion. 2007 - All-star backstop Joe Mauer the Minnesota Twins come to terms on a $33 million, four-year contract. 2007 - Death of Reginald Hugh Hickling, British lawyer, colonial civil servant, law academic and author (born 1920). 2008 - In Timor-Leste, rebels battle presidential guards at the president's home. President José Ramos-Horta is shot and wounded. Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado and another rebel are killed. 2008 - Death of Tom Lantos, American politician (born 1928). 2009 - Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. 2009 - The Irish government announces it will invest 7 billion euros (US$9 billion) in two of the country's biggest banks, the Allied Irish Bank and the Bank of Ireland. 2009 - Ronettes singer Estelle Bennett ("Be My Baby") dies at age 67 in Englewood, New Jersey. 2010 - The US space agency NASA launches its Solar Dynamics Observatory from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The observatory is designed to acquire detailed images of the Sun to explain variation in its activity. 2010 - Alexander McQueen, British fashion designer (four-time winner of British designer of the year, Commander of the British Empire), dies at age 40 in London, England.         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