This Day in History
February 20

What happened in history on this day: February 20? On February 20 in ... 1054 - Yaroslav I the Wise, ruler (Kiev), dies. 1194 - Tancredo of Lecce King of Sicily, dies. 1431 - Martinus V [Oddo Colonna], Italian Pope, dies. 1494 - Birth of Johan Friis chancellor (Denmark, helped establish Lutheranism). 1507 - Birth of Gentile Bellini Italian artist (Sultan Mohammed II). 1523 - Birth of Jan Blahoslav Czechoslovakian humanist/bishop (Bohemian brothers). 1525 - Swiss and German mercenaries desert François I's army. 1547 - King Edward VI of England is enthroned following death of Henry VIII. 1569 - Mark van Vaernewijck Flemish nobleman/politician, dies at age 50. 1595 - Ernst archduke of Austria, dies at age 41. 1613 - Gerard Reynst appointed Dutch Governor-General of East-Indies. 1626 - John Dowland composer, dies. 1628 - Gregor Aichinger German composer/organist, dies at about age 63. 1632 - Birth of Thomas Osborne Duke of Leeds, English Prime Minister (1690-94)/founder (Tories). 1633 - Birth of Jan de Baen portrait painter/etcher. 1653 - Defeat of Dutch fleet under Admiral Van Tromp by Admiral Blake off Portsmouth. 1656 - Birth of Johannes Schenck German/Netherlands composer, baptised. 1656 - James Ussher Irish bible scholar/Anglican archbishop, dies at age 76. 1667 - David ben Samuel Halevi rabbi/author (Shulchan Aruch), dies. 1673 - First recorded wine auction held (London). 1707 - Aurangzeb Mogul emperor of India (1658-1707), dies. 1710 - Johan Willem Friso becomes viceroy of Groningen Netherlands. 1725 - Ten sleeping Indians scalped by whites in New Hampshire for £100/scalp bounty. 1731 - Frederich Karl Erbach composer, dies at age 50. 1732 - Estates of Holland ratifies Treaty of Vienna. 1734 - Birth of Franz Ignaz Beck composer. 1737 - Elizabeth Rowe poet, dies. 1737 - French minister of Finance, Chauvelin, resigns. 1745 - Birth of Johann Peter Salomon composer. 1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Fort August, Scotland. 1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Castle of Inverness. 1746 - Guillaume Coustou Sr French sculptor (Mary Leszczynska), dies at age 68. 1751 - Birth of Johann Heinrich Voß writer, poet, translator. 1752 - Birth of Charles Broche composer. 1768 - First American chartered fire insurance company receives charter (Pennsylvania). 1773 - Charles Emanuel I King of Sardinia/Duke of Savoy (CE III), dies at age 71. 1784 - Birth of Adam Black Edinburgh Scotland, politician/publisher. 1786 - Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht composer, dies at age 70. 1788 - Gijsbert John van Hardenbroeck Dutch regent (Utrecht), dies at age 68. 1790 - Joseph II Emperor of Holy Roman empire, dies at age 48. 1791 - Birth of Carl Czerny Vienna Austria, pianist/composer (Schule der Virtuosen). 1792 - US postal service created; postage 6-12.5 cents, depending on distance. 1796 - Birth of Eduard W van Dam van Isselt Dutch military/liberal politician. 1802 - Birth of Charles-Auguste de Beriot Belgian violinist/composer. 1803 - Birth of Friedrich Theodor Frohlich composer. 1805 - Birth of Angelina Grimke reformer/abolitionist/politician/lawyer. 1808 - Birth of Daumier Marseilles France, artist. 1809 - Birth of Albertus J Duymaer van Twist Governor-General of Netherlands-Indies. 1809 - Birth of Henry Walton Wessells Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1889. 1809 - Johann Joseph Emmert composer, dies at age 76. 1809 - US Supreme Court rules federal government power greater than any state. 1810 - Andreas Hofer military leader (fought Napoleon's France), executed at age 42. 1810 - Johann Friedrich Kranz composer, dies at age 57. 1811 - Austria declares bankruptcy. 1816 - Birth of Josef Michal Ksawery Jan Poniatowski composer. 1816 - Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville" premieres in Rome. 1817 - Martin de Ron composer, dies at age 27. 1820 - Birth of Mahlon Dickerson Manson Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1895. 1823 - English Captain James Weddell reaches 74 degrees 15' S, 1520 km from South Pole. 1827 - Birth of Edward Stuyvesant Bragg Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1912. 1831 - Polish revolutionaries defeat Russians in battle of Growchow. 1832 - Charles Darwin visits Fernando Noronha in Atlantic Ocean. 1835 - Birth of Allessandro d'Ancona Italian philologist. 1835 - In Chile, a magnitude 8.5 earthquake occurs. Extreme damage to Concepción. 1838 - Birth of James Barbour Terrill Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1864. 1839 - US Congress prohibits dueling in District of Columbia. 1844 - Birth of Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann Austria, physicist (statistical mechanics). 1844 - Birth of Mihály von Munkácsy [Michael von Lieb], Hungarian painter. 1845 - Pavel Ivanovich Dulgorukov composer, dies at age 57. 1846 - British occupy Sikh citadel of Lahore. 1848 - [Willem] Alexander prince of Netherlands/General-Major, dies at age 29. 1851 - Josef Alois Ladurner composer, dies at age 81. 1852 - Birth of Nikolai Garin [Michailovski] Russian author (Tjoma Kartashov). 1854 - Birth of Louis F M van Westerhoven actor/singer/opera director (Youth). 1855 - Joseph Hume social reformer, dies. 1856 - John Rutledge, Liverpool-New York steamer, hits iceberg; many die. 1860 - Henry Drummond English banker/religious leader, dies at age 69. 1861 - Birth of Nicolaas van Meeteren Curaçao, folklorist. 1861 - Steeple of Chichester Cathedral blown down during a storm. 1861 - Department of Navy of Confederacy forms. 1862 - Death of William "Willie" Wallace Lincoln at age 11 at the US White House in Washington, D.C., likely of typhoid fever from contaminated drinking water; son of US President Abraham Lincoln. 1864 - Civil War Battle of Olustee, Florida. 1865 - M I T establishes first US collegiate architectural school. 1869 - Tennessee Governor W C Brownlow declares martial law in Ku Klux Klan crisis. 1870 - Birth of Pieter Cornelis Boutens Holland, mystic poet/scholar (Verzen). 1871 - In Molokai, Hawaii, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. This earthquake caused severe damage on the islands of Lanai, Molokai, and Maui, and minor damage on Hawaii and Oahu. 1872 - Hydraulic electric elevator patented by Cyrus Baldwin. 1872 - Luther Crowell patents a machine that manufactures paper bags. 1872 - Metropolitan Museum of Art opens (New York City, New York). 1872 - Silas Noble and JP Cooley patents toothpick manufacturing machine. 1873 - University of California gets its first Medical School (University of California/San Francisco). 1874 - Birth of Mary Garden Aberdeen Scotland, opera star. 1876 - Birth of Fyodor Akimenko composer. 1877 - First cantilever bridge in US completed, Harrodsburg Kentucky. 1877 - International Association (minor baseball league) organizes. 1881 - Birth of Pedro Muñoz Seca Spanish playwright (Vengeanza de Don Mendo). 1883 - Birth of Shiga Naoya Japan, novelist (Road Through the Dark Night). 1886 - Birth of Béla Kun Czehul Romania, head of Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919). 1887 - First minor league baseball association organizes (Pittsburgh). 1887 - Birth of David McKinley Williams composer. 1887 - Birth of Hesketh Pearson England, biographer/playwright (Writ for Libel). 1887 - Germany, Austria-Hungary and France end Triple Alliance. 1888 - Birth of Dame Marie Rambert Warsaw, English ballet producer/director/teacher. 1888 - Birth of Georges Bernanos France, novelist (Diary of a Country Priest). 1889 - Birth of Levko Mykolayevich Revutsky composer. 1890 - Amsterdam Theater destroyed by fire. 1892 - Hermann Kopp German chemist (Law of Kopp), dies at age 74. 1893 - An act of US Congress protects the Grand Canyon as a Forest Reserve. 1893 - Birth of Russel Crouse journalist/novelist/playwright (Life with Father). 1895 - Birth of Freida Geiken autobiographer (National Historic Taping). 1895 - US Congress changes designation of the Denver Assay Office to Denver Mint, with authority to strike gold and silver coins. 1895 - Frederick Douglass escaped slave, anti-slavery leader, dies at age 78. 1896 - Birth of Henri de Lubac French theologist/anti-fascist. 1897 - Birth of Ivan Albright Illinois, painter (The Door, The Window). 1898 - Birth of Enzo Ferrari Modena Italy, racing car manufacturer (Ferrari). 1899 - Birth of Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney in Long Island, New York, USA; railroad tycoon. 1899 - Birth of Leon Woizikowski; Polish dancer/ballet master (Ballets Russes). 1900 - Birth of Graham Spry in Saint Thomas, Ontario, Canada; Canadian radio pioneer. 1901 - First US territorial legislature of Hawaii convenes. 1901 - Birth of Ali Muhammad Naguib in Khartoum; President of Egypt (1952-54). 1901 - Birth of Cecil H King; Irish/British daily newspaper publisher (Daily Mirror). 1901 - Birth of Louis I Kahn in Estonia; architect (Bryn Mawr dormitory). 1901 - Birth of René Jules in Dubos, France; US microbiologist/environmentalist/author (Health and Disease). 1902 - Birth of Ansel Adams; photographer (1966 ASMP Award). 1903 - Birth of Pierre Charles; Belgian heavyweight boxer. 1904 - Birth of Aleksei N Kosygin; Soviet premier (1964-80). 1904 - Birth of Bramwell Fletcher in Yorkshire, England; actor (White Cargo, Mummy). 1905 - Birth of Jascha Golowanjuk; Swedish writer (Acrobat). 1907 - Birth of Malcolm Atterbury in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Jonas - Thicker than Water, Apples Way). 1907 - Birth of Nadine Conner in California, USA; soprano (Carmen, Pamina - Magic Flute). 1907 - Ferdinand-Frederic-Henri Moissan, chemist (Nobel Prize 1906), dies at age 54. 1908 - Birth of Grigori Yakovlevich Bakhchivangi; test pilot (BI-1). 1910 - Boetros Ghali, Egyptian premier, is murdered. 1911 - Birth of Robert Guyn McBride in Tucson, Arizona, USA; composer (Mexican Rhapsody). 1912 - Argentina beats the MCC in their inaugural cricket first-class fixture. 1913 - Birth of Nadine Conner; US opera singer (Carmen, La Bohéme). 1914 - Birth of John Daly in South Africa; newscaster/TV game show host (What's My Line?). 1914 - Birth of Marion Kettlewell; British director (WRNS). 1914 - Birth of Willem J H Baart; Dutch vicar (Cuentanan di Nanzi). 1915 - Birth of Philip Friend in Horsham, England; actor (Vulture, Fur Collar). 1915 - (to December 4) The Panama-Pacific International Exposition opens in San Francisco. The event is held to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, and the 400th anniversary of Vasco Nunez de Balboa's discovery of the Pacific Ocean. 1916 - Birth of Paul Tripp in New York City, New York, USA; TV host (Mr I Magination). 1916 - Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Swedish politician (Nobel Prize 1908), dies at age 71. 1917 - Ammunitions ship explodes in Archangelsk harbor, about 1,500 die. 1917 - Birth of Frederick Page; CEO (British Aerospace Aircraft Group). 1919 - French premier Georges Clemenceau injured during assassination attempt. 1920 - Birth of Armin Schibler; Dutch Swiss composer (Devil in the Winter Palace). 1920 - Robert E Peary, US pole explorer (North Pole, 1909), dies at age 63. 1921 - Birth of Joseph Albert Walker in Washington, Pennsylvania, USA; X-15 test pilot. 1921 - Riza Khan Pahlevi seizes control of Iran. 1922 - Vilnius, Lithuania, agrees to separate from Poland. 1923 - Birth of Forbes Burnham; premier of Guyana (1964-85). 1923 - Christy Mathewson becomes president of Boston Braves. 1925 - Birth of Alex La Guma in Cape Town, South Africa; novelist (A Walk in the Night). 1925 - Birth of Pramudya Ananta Tur; Javanese author (Anak semua bangsa). 1925 - Birth of Robert Altman in Kansas City, Missouri, USA; director (Nashville, M*A*S*H). 1926 - Birth of Cameron Rusby; British Vice-Admiral. 1926 - Birth of Edgar Meuli; cricket player (opened New Zealand batting in Test versus South Africa 1953). 1926 - Birth of Kenneth H Olsen; American engineer/founder (Digital Equipment Corp). 1926 - Birth of Robert Eugene Richards in Champaign, Illinois, USA; pole vaulter (Olympics-gold-1948, 1952, 1956). 1927 - Birth of Roy Cohn; American lawyer, "grand inquisitor" (for Senator Joseph McCarthy). 1927 - Birth of Sidney Poitier in Miami, Florida, USA; actor (Porgy and Bess, A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, In the Heat of the Night). 1927 - Golfers in South Carolina are arrested for violating Sabbath. 1928 - Birth of Elroy Face; baseball pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates). 1929 - American Samoa organized as a territory of US. 1929 - Birth of Amanda Blake [Beverly Louise Neill] in Buffalo, New York, USA; actress (Kitty Russell - Gunsmoke). 1929 - Birth of Toshiro Mayuzumi in Yokohama, Japan; composer (Sphenogramme). 1929 - Boston Red Sox announce they will play Sunday games at Braves Field. 1930 - Birth of Patricia Smith in New Haven, Connecticut, USA; actress (Bob Newhart Show, Into Thin Air). 1930 - Capelle soccer team forms. 1932 - Japanese troops occupy Tunhua, China. 1933 - Curom, the Curaçaose Broadcast System, begins service, with Princess Juliana's speech. 1933 - House of Representatives completes congressional action to repeal Prohibition. 1934 - Birth of Bobby Unser; auto racer (1968, 1975, 1981 Indianapolis 500). 1936 - Birth of Larry Hovis in Wapito, Washington, USA; comedian (Gomer Pyle, Hogan's Heroes). 1936 - Birth of Marj Dusay [Mahoney] in Russell, Kansas, USA; actress (Kate - Bret Maverick, Alex - Guiding Light, Myrna - Capitol). 1936 - John Hope, president of Atlanta University, dies at age 67. 1937 - "Barlow" Carkeek, Australia cricket wicketkeeper (1912 series), dies. 1937 - First automobile/airplane combination tested, Santa Monica, California. 1937 - Birth of David Ackles in Illinois, USA; singer/songwriter (American Gothic). 1937 - Birth of Nancy Wilson in Chillicothe, Ohio, USA; jazz singer ("Feel Like Making Love"). 1937 - Birth of Robert Huber in München, Germany; biochemist (Nobel Prize 1988). 1938 - Birth of Jack Bicknell; WLAF head coach (Barcelona Dragons). 1938 - Birth of Mona Mitchell; Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Alexandra. 1938 - Adolf Hitler tells the Reichstag that 10 million Germans in Austria and Czechoslovakia must have self-determination. 1938 - United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden resigns, in protest of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasing dictators. 1940 - Birth of Barbara Laine Ellis in Olympia, Washington, USA; singer (Fleetwoods). 1940 - Birth of Jimmy Greaves; British broadcaster/soccer player. 1940 - Birth of RA Weiss; director (Institute of Cancer Research). 1940 - Birth of V Payne; British headmistress (Malvern Girls' College). 1941 - First transport of Jews to concentration camps leave Plotsk, Poland. 1941 - Birth of Buffy Sainte-Marie in Maine, USA; folksinger ("Now That the Buffalo Are Gone"). 1941 - Germans order Polish Jews barred from using public transportation. 1941 - Romania breaks relations with Netherlands. 1942 - Birth of Charlie Gillett in Lancashire, England; rock broadcaster (Sound of the City). 1942 - Birth of Claude Miller; director (Garde a Vue, Little Thief, Wild Child). 1942 - Birth of David O'Dowd; Chief Constable (Northamptonshire). 1942 - Birth of Mitch McConnell; American politician (Senator-Republican-Kentucky, 1985-). 1942 - Birth of Phil Esposito; NHL player/coach/general manager (Boston Bruins, New York Rangers). 1942 - Lieutenant E H O'Hare single-handedly shoots down five Japanese heavy bombers. 1943 - Allied troops occupy Kasserine pass in Tunisia. 1943 - Birth of Aleksandr Pavlovich Alexandrov; Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz T-9, TM-3). 1943 - Birth of Mike Leigh; dramatist/director (High Hopes, Secrets and Lies). 1943 - New volcano Paracutin erupts in farmer's corn patch (México). 1943 - Phil Wrigley and B Rickey charter All-American Girls Softball League. 1944 - Batman and Robin comic strip premieres in newspapers. 1944 - Birth of Lew Soloff in Brooklyn, New York, USA; rocker (Blood Sweat and Tears). 1944 - Birth of Roger Knapman; British Member of Parliament. 1944 - Birth of Willem van Hanegem; Dutch soccer champion/coach (Feyenoord). 1944 - US takes Eniwetok Island. 1945 - Birth of Andrew Bergman; director/screenwriter (Soapdish, Honeymoon in Vegas). 1945 - Birth of Henry Polic II in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (When Things Were Rotten, Webster). 1946 - Birth of Brenda Blethyn; actress (Secrets and Lies). 1946 - Birth of J[erome] Geils in New York City, New York, USA; rock guitarist/vocalist (J Geils Band - "Freeze-Frame", "Centerfold"). 1946 - Birth of Mieke H A Boers-Wijnberg; Dutch Member of Parliament (CDA). 1946 - Birth of Sandy Duncan in Henderson, Texas, USA; actress (Hogan Family, Pinocchio, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?). 1947 - Birth of André van Duin [Kyvon]; Dutch entertainer (Bloemkoole). 1947 - Birth of Jennifer O'Neill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; actress (Summer of '42). 1947 - Birth of Peter Strauss in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, USA; actor (Rich Man Poor Man, Secret of NIMH, Space Hunter). 1947 - Chemical mixing error causes explosion that destroys 42 blocks in Los Angeles, California, USA. 1947 - Lord Mountbatten appointed as last viceroy of India. 1948 - Birth of John Browne; group chief executive, British Petroleum Company. 1948 - Czechoslovakia's non-communist minister resigns. 1949 - First International Pancake Race held (Liberal, Kansas, USA). 1949 - Birth of Eddie Hemmings; cricket off-spinner (immense England). 1950 - Birth of John Voldstad in Oslo, Norway; actor (Darryl - Newhart). 1950 - Birth of Walter Becker in New York City, New York, USA; rock bassist (Steely Dan - "Peg"). 1951 - Birth of Edward Albert in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Jeff - Falcon Crest, Butterflies are Free). 1951 - Birth of Gordon Brown; British Member of Parliament. 1951 - Birth of Kathy Baillie in Morristown, New Jersey, USA; country vocalist (Baillie and the Boys - "Oh Heart"). 1951 - Birth of Phil Neal; English soccer player. 1951 - Birth of Randy California [Wolfe] in Los Angeles, California, USA; guitarist (Spirit - "I Got a Line on You"). 1952 - Birth of Catherine Cummins in Clintwood, Virginia, USA; first of five siblings born on February 20. 1953 - August A Busch buys the Saint Louis Cardinals for US$3.75 million. 1953 - Birth of Carol Cummins in Clintwood, Virginia, USA; second of five siblings born on February 20. 1953 - Birth of Riccardo Chailly in Milan, Italy; conductor (West Berlin Symphony Orchestra). 1953 - US Court of Appeals rules that Organized Baseball is a sport and not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling. 1954 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Serbin Golf Open. 1954 - Birth of Anthony Stewart Head; actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). 1954 - Birth of Jon Brant; rock bassist (Cheap Trick). 1954 - Birth of Patty Hearst Shaw in San Francisco, California, USA; famous kidnap hostage (Tanya). 1954 - Birth of Vasili Vasilyevich Tsibliyev; Russian colonel/cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-17, TM-25). 1954 - General Zahedi wins election in Persia. 1955 - Birth of Kelsey Grammer in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands; actor (Fraiser Crane - Cheers / Fraiser). 1955 - Fay Crocker wins LPGA Serbin Golf Open. 1956 - Birth of Charles Cummins in Clintwood, Virginia, USA; third of five siblings born on February 20. 1957 - Hughie Tayfield takes 9-113 versus England, 13 wickets for match. 1958 - Birth of James Wilby in Burma; actor (Howards End, Maurice). 1958 - Jockey Eddie Arcaro rides his 4,000th winner. 1958 - Los Angeles Coliseum Committee approves two-year pact allowing Los Angeles Dodgers to use facility. 1958 - Thurston Hall, actor (Mr Schuyler - Topper), dies at age 75. 1959 - Birth of Bill Gullickson; US baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers). 1959 - Birth of Joel Rifkind; New York serial killer. 1959 - Birth of Scott Evans Brayton; racing car driver. 1960 - Birth of Kee Marcello; rocker (Europe - "Final Countdown"). 1960 - Birth of Mark Reilly [Matt Bianco]; rocker (Indio - "Big Harvest"). 1961 - Birth of Claudia Cummins in Clintwood, Virginia, USA; fourth of five siblings born on February 20. 1961 - Birth of Imogen Stubbs in Rothbury, England; actress (Summer Story). 1961 - Birth of Steve Lundquist; US swimmer (Olympics-2 gold-1984). 1961 - Otto E Huiswoud [Frank Billings], editor (Negro Worker), dies at age 67. 1961 - Percy Aldridge Grainger; Australian/US composer/pianist, dies at age 78. 1962 - Birth of Adam Schreiber; NFL center/guard (Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants). 1962 - Birth of Ria Coyne in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA; comedienne (Betsy - Batman Forever). 1962 - NASA's Friendship 7 space craft is launched, with Colonel John Glenn as first American to orbit Earth. The craft makes three orbits in five hours. 1963 - Birth of Charles Barkley in Leads, Alabama, USA; NBA forward (Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Olympics-gold-1996, All Star 1987-90). 1963 - Birth of Ian Brown; English rock vocalist (Stone Roses - "Made of Stone"). 1963 - Birth of William Baldwin in New York, USA; actor (Backdraft, Sliver, Flatliners). 1963 - End of the Test Cricket careers of Neil Harvey and Alan Davidson. 1963 - Willie Mays (San Francisco Giants) signs a record US$100,000 per year contract. 1964 - Birth of Christian Ruuttu in Lappeenranta, Finland; hockey forward (Team Finland). 1964 - Birth of French Stewart in New Mexico, USA; actor (Harry Solomon - Third Rock From the Sun). 1964 - Birth of Jeffrey Allan Maggert in Columbia, Missouri, USA; PGA golfer (1993 Walt Disney). 1964 - Birth of Terry Ilous; rock vocalist (XYZ, Cannibal Jacket). 1964 - R T Stanyforth, English cricket wicketkeeper (South Africa 1927-28), dies. 1965 - Birth of Federica Moro Carate in Brianza, Italy; Miss Italy (1982). 1965 - Ranger 8 makes hard landing on the Moon, returns photos, other data. 1965 - Turkish government of Uergüplü forms. 1966 - Author Valery Tarsis banished in USSR. 1966 - Birth of Britt Hager; NFL linebacker (Denver Broncos, Saint Louis Rams). 1966 - Birth of Cecilia Cummins in Clintwood, Virginia, USA, 5th of five siblings born on February 20. 1966 - Birth of Cindy Crawford in Dekalb, Illinois, USA; super model (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit). 1966 - Birth of Dennis Allen Mitchell in Cherry Point, North Carolina, USA; 100 metre/200 metre (Olympics-silver-1996). 1966 - Birth of Derek Lilliquist; US baseball pitcher (Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves). 1966 - Chester W Nimitz, US Admiral (WWII), dies at age 80. 1967 - Birth of Andrew Shue in South Orange, New Jersey, USA; actor (Billy - Melrose Place). 1967 - Birth of Broderick Thomas; NFL linebacker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys). 1967 - Birth of Chris Singleton; NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins). 1967 - Birth of Kurt Cobain; rock vocalist (Nirvana)/husband of Courtney Love. 1967 - Birth of Kurt Knudsen; US baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers). 1967 - Birth of Lili Taylor; actress (Ransom, Short Cuts). 1967 - Birth of Theresa Luke in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; rower (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of Tom Waddle; NFL player (Chicago Bears/Cincinnati Bengals). 1968 - Birth of Bennie Goods; Canadian Football League defensive tackle (Edmonton Eskimos). 1968 - John Cleese (Monty Python) marries Connie Booth. 1969 - Birth of [Touchdown] Tommy Vardell; NFL running back (Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions). 1969 - Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor/composer, dies at age 85. 1969 - Jack Ingram, actor (Law of the West), dies of heart attack at age 66. 1970 - Birth of Bryan Robinson; defensive end (Saint Louis Rams). 1970 - Birth of Cheyenne Brando in Papeete, Tahiti, daughter of Marlon Brando. 1970 - Birth of Jeff Robinson; NFL defensive end (Denver Broncos, Saint Louis Rams). 1970 - Birth of Leo Stefan in Chelyabinsk, Russia; hockey forward (Team Germany). 1971 - Birth of Jari Litmanen; soccer player (Ajax). 1971 - Boston Bruins' Phil Esposito is NHL's quickest to score 50 goals in a season. 1971 - Major General Idi Amin Dada appoints himself President of Uganda. 1971 - National Emergency Center erroneously orders US radio and TV stations to go off the air; the mistake isn't resolved for 30 minutes. 1972 - First time Cleveland Cavaliers beat New York Knicks (111-109). 1972 - Ard Schenk becomes world champion skater. 1972 - Birth of Tom Gough; 200.5 pounds (91kg) US weightlifter (Olympics-14th-1996). 1972 - Sicco Mansholt becomes chairman of European Committee. 1972 - Walter Winchell, writer/actor (Dondi, Love and Hisses), dies at age 74. 1973 - 10th time New York Islanders shut-out - 4-0 versus Pittsburgh Penguins. 1973 - Birth of Vladimir Iiic; WLAF defensive end (Barcelona Dragons, Rhein Fire). 1973 - Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian/US violinist, dies at age 80. 1973 - Maurice Dallimore, actor (Collector), dies at age 60. 1974 - Birth of Katerina Kroupova in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia; tennis star (1994 Futures-Sofia-Bulgaria). 1974 - Gordie Howe comes out of retirement for US$1 million from Houston Aeros, WHA. 1975 - Birth of Brendan Witt Humboldt; NHL defenseman (Washington Capitals). 1975 - Birth of Brian Littrell; singer (Backstreet Boys). 1975 - Birth of Ismael Kirui in Marakwet, Kenya; 5km runner. 1975 - Edgar "Cookie" Fairchild, bandleader (Jerry Colonna Show), dies at age 76. 1975 - Leonard Baichan scores 105 on Test Cricket debut, versus Pakistan Lahore. 1975 - Lillian Fontaine, actress (Suddenly it's Spring), dies at age 88. 1975 - Margaret Thatcher elected leader of British Conservative Party. 1975 - Robert Strauss, actor (Sergeant Gruzewsky - Mona McCluskey), dies at age 61. 1975 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1976 - Birth of Dave Scatchard in Hinton, Alberta, Canada; NHL center (New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks). 1976 - Kathryn Kuhlman, religious leader/faith healer, dies. 1976 - Muhammad Ali knocks out Jan Pierre Coopman in five rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1976 - Death of Louis Eliasberg, Senior; only person to complete, in 1950, a collection of all known Unites States coins by date and mint mark. 1977 - Birth of Sarah Ryan in Adelaide, Australia; swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1977 - Birth of Stephon Marbury; NBA guard (Minnesota Timberwolves). 1977 - Birth of Veronica Ledesma; Miss Argentina-Universe (1996). 1977 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. 1978 - 4th People's Choice Awards: Star Wars, Carol Burnett, and Bob Hope. 1978 - Birth of Andrea Moody in Abbotsford, British Columbia; 4 x 100 swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1978 - Bob Backland beats Billy Graham in New York, to become WWF wrestling champion. 1978 - Egypt announces it is pulling its diplomats out of Cyprus. 1978 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. 1978 - Vitorino Nemésio, Portuguese author (Presença), dies at age 76. 1980 - Birth of Imanol Harinordoquy; French rugby player. 1980 - Actress Susan Dey of L.A. Law weds producer Bernard Sofronski. 1980 - Death of Alice Longworth, Theodore Roosevelt's eldest daughter, wife of Nicholas Longworth, at age 96 in Washington, DC (born 1884). 1980 - Birth of Artur Boruc; Polish football (soccer) goalkeeper. 1980 - Death of Ronald Belford (Bon) Scott, Scottish-born Australian singer (AC/DC), at age 33 (born 1946). 1980 - Death of J.B. Rhine, parapsychologist (born 1895). 1981 - Birth of Majandra Delfino; American actress. 1981 - James Sanford equals 50 metre indoor world record (5.61 seconds). 1981 - Death of Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, French magazine editor and playboy (born 1904). 1981 - Birth of Chris Thile; American mandolinist. 1982 - New York Islanders win record 15th straight NHL game. 1983 - James G Richardson (Tim Cassidy - Sierra), dies at age 37 in skiing accident. 1983 - Japan launches Tenma satellite to study x-rays (450/570 km). 1983 - Ray Vitte, actor (Doc, Cody - Quest), killed by police at age 33. 1983 - Roland Liboton becomes world champion cross-country cycling. 1985 - Birth of Yulia Volkova; Russian singer. 1985 - After defending his WBC flyweight championship, Sot Chitalada's check for US$104,000 is stolen by a ringside pickpocket. 1985 - The Irish government approves by vote of 83-80 the sale of non-medical contraceptives without prescription to those over age 18. 1985 - Clarence Nash, the voice of Disney's Donald Duck for over 50 years, dies of leukemia (born 1904). 1986 - International Harvester changes its company name to Navistar International Corp. 1986 - Jacobus G Rietkerk, Dutch foreign minister (VVD), dies at age 58. 1986 - Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser is first to win a US$1 million salary by arbitration. 1987 - Bomb blamed on Unabomber explodes by computer store in Salt Lake City, Utah. 1987 - David Hartman quits ABC's Good Morning America, after 11 years. 1988 - 500 die in heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1988 - André Hoffmann skates world record 1500 metre (1:52.06). 1988 - Brian Boitano wins Olympics gold medal in figure skating. 1988 - Cornelia Oschkenat hurdles indoor world record 50 metre (6.58 seconds). 1988 - Kelly Hrudy's 5th New York Islanders shut-out win against Hartford Whalers, 3-0. 1988 - Peter Kalikow purchases New York Post from Rupert Murdoch for US$37.6 million. 1988 - Rob Druppers runs world record indoor 1000 metre (2:16.2). 1988 - Stefka Kostadinova high jumps indoor world record (2.06 metres). 1988 - Birth of Rihanna, Barbadian R&B singer. 1989 - Members of 1949 Oklahoma football team cancel an April reunion because of the deplorable conduct of Oklahoma players. 1989 - Total eclipse of the Moon. 1991 - 33rd Grammy Awards: "Another Day in Paradise", Mariah Carey. 1992 - Andrew Schenck, conductor, dies of melanoma at age 51. 1992 - Dick York, American actor (Bewitched), dies of emphysema at age 63 (born 1928). 1992 - Joan Dixon, actress (Hot Lead, Bunco Squad, Gunplay), dies at age 66. 1992 - Orthodox patriarch Shenouda III visits Netherlands. 1992 - The English FA Premier League is officially formed. 1993 - Birth of Oliver Smith, United Kingdom politician. 1993 - Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian auto-designer and manufacturer, dies at age 76 (born 1916). 1993 - Florida Marlins open their first spring training camp. 1993 - Lisa Walters wins LPGA Itoki Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1993 - New York Islanders retire Billy Smith's number 31. 1994 - Three Afghans take 70 Pakistani children hostage. 1994 - Derek Jarman, English director (Last of England), dies at age 52. 1994 - Johann Olav Koss skates world record 10 km (13:30.55). 1994 - Manuel F "Garincha" dos Santos, soccer player (Brazil), dies at age 49. 1994 - Pope John Paul II demands juristic discrimination of homosexuals. 1995 - John Humphreys Whitfield, Italianist, dies at age 88. 1995 - Rabbi Shlomo Averbach is buried in Jerusalem; 250,000 attend. 1996 - Michael Herford Wooller, TV/film producer, dies at age 69. 1996 - Toru Takemitsu, Japanese composer, dies at age 65 (born 1930). 1996 - Walter Charles Marshall, scientist, dies at age 63. 1997 - San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds signs record $22.9 million two-year contract. 1998 - Tara Lipinski wins Olympics figure skating gold medal. 1998 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein negotiates a deal with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, allowing weapons inspectors to return to Baghdad, preventing military action by the United States and Britain. 1998 - US movie box office hits quickest $1 billion for year (51 days). 1998 - In Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurs. One person killed and 11 injured. An earthquake-induced avalanche destroyed 35 houses and a mosque, and left 300 people homeless. Felt in much of northern Pakistan and in northeastern Afghanistan and in parts of Tajikistan. 1999 - Death of Sarah Kane, English playwright (born 1971). 1999 - Death of Gene Siskel, American film critic (born 1946). 2001 - The United Kingdom foot and mouth crisis begins. 2002 - Death of Willie Thrower, American football player (born 1930). 2002 - In Reqa Al-Gharbiya, Egypt, a fire on a train injures over 65 and kills at least 370. 2002 - In most of the world, at 20:02 (8:02 PM) the local time, date (written as day/month), time, and year are all 2002, making each of them alone, any two together, and the combination of all 3, all palindromes. 2003 - Death of Maurice Blanchot, French philosopher and writer (born 1907). 2003 - Death of Orville Freeman, American politician (born 1918). 2003 - The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island claims the lives of 100 people. 2004 - Conservatives win a majority in the Iranian parliament election. 2005 - Spain holds a referendum on the Constitution for Europe, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout. 2005 - Early legislative elections in Portugal result in a landslide victory for José Sócrates and the Socialist Party. 2005 - Death of Sandra Dee, American actress (born 1944). 2005 - Death of Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist (born 1937). 2006 - Death of Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist, writer and traveler (born 1920). 2006 - A second ball of fire is reported falling in the area of Stirling Castle in Scotland. 2008 - In Wisconsin and Hawaii, Democratic caucuses Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton for Presidential candidate. John McCain wins Wisconsin on the Republican side. 2008 - A total lunar eclipse crosses North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. 2008 - Price of crude oil hist record high of $101.32 per barrel. 2008 - A U.S. Navy warship neat Hawaii fires a missile at a defunct spy satellite 153 miles up in the atmosphere, to destroy the fuel tank of hydrazine fuel, to prevent it from being released as a toxic gas if it had fallen to Earth. 2009 - Spot gold hits a peak of US$1005.40, its highest since March 18, 2008. 2009 - Swedish carmaker Saab (a unit of American carmaker General Motors) files for protection from creditors while it tries to find a new partner and raise funds. 2009 - Israeli President Shimon Peres asks Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu to form Israel's next government. 2009 - Death of William J. Jorden, former New York Times correspondent, American ambassador to Panama (1974-78), author (Panama Odyssey), at age 85, or lung cancer, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. 2010 - Former U.S. secretary of state Alexander Haig dies at age 85 in Baltimore of complications from an infection.         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