This Day in History
February 27

What happened in history on this day: February 27? On February 27 in ... 280 - Birth of Constantine the Great, Roman emperor (306-37), adopted Christianity. 837 - Fifteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 1167 - Robert of Melun English philosopher/bishop of Hereford, dies. 1526 - Saxony and Hesse form League of Gotha (league of Protestant princes). 1531 - Evangelical German monarchy/towns form Schmalkaldische Union. 1539 - Birth of Franciscus Raphelengius Dutch book publisher. 1557 - First Russian Embassy opens in London. 1563 - William Byrd is appointed organist at Lincoln Cathedral. 1594 - Henri IV crowned king of France. 1617 - Peace between Sweden and Russia is reached in the Treaty of Stolbova, with English mediation. Sweden renounces all claims to the Russian throne and Novgorod, gives back three towns for 20,000 rubles, and holds Gdov until new boundaries are delimited. Russia gives up Ingria and Karelia, including Ivangorod, Jama, Kexholm, Kopore, Nöteborg, abandons claims on Livonia, and agrees not to aid Poland against Sweden. 1622 - Birth of Rembrandt Carel Fabritius Dutch painter. 1649 - Birth of Johann Philipp Krieger composer. 1656 - Johan van Heemskerk Dutch lawyer/writer/interpreter, dies. 1665 - Battle at Elmina, Gold Coast Vice-Admiral De Ruyter beats English. 1667 - Abraham Crijnssen conquerors Fort Willoughby (Zeelandia), Suriname. 1670 - Jews are expelled from Austria by order of Leopold I. 1678 - Earl of Shaftesbury freed out of London Tower. 1696 - English/Welsh nobles lay down Oath of Association. 1700 - Pacific island of New Britain discovered. 1702 - Birth of Johann Valentin Gorner composer. 1706 - John Evelyn diarist, dies. 1713 - French troops bomb Willemstad Curaçao. 1731 - Angelo Predieri composer, dies at age 76. 1733 - Johann Adam Birkenstock composer, dies at age 46. 1735 - John Arbuthnot physician/mathematician, dies. 1745 - Birth of Silverius Muller composer. 1746 - Birth of Gian Francesco Fortunati composer. 1759 - Birth of Johann Carl Friedrich Rellstab composer. 1779 - Jan Nepveu Dutch Governor-General of Suriname (1769-79), dies at age 59. 1784 - Birth of Elias Annes Borger Dutch theologist/poet (To the Rhine). 1784 - Birth of Job Plimpton composer. 1792 - Birth of Don Joaquin B F Espartero Spanish adventurer/field marshal. 1801 - Washington DC placed under US Congressional jurisdiction. 1802 - Birth of William George Frederick Cavendish Bentinck Lord George Bentinck. 1803 - Great fire in Bombay, India. 1805 - Stefan Paluselli composer, dies at age 57. 1807 - Birth of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Portland, Maine, USA; poet (Hiawatha) (dies 1882). 1811 - Birth of [Catherine] Mildred Lee sister of US General Robert E Lee. 1813 - First federal vaccination legislation enacted. 1813 - US Congress authorizes use of steamboats to transport mail. 1814 - Ludwig von Beethovens 8th Symphony in F, premieres. 1816 - Dutch regain Suriname. 1822 - Birth of Eugene Gautier composer. 1823 - Birth of Ferdinand Van Derveer Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1892. 1823 - Birth of William Buel Franklin Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1903. 1827 - First Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans Louisiana. 1827 - In Mhow, India, a meteorite strikes a man on the arm, and breaks a tree. 1827 - Birth of Richard W Johnson Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1897. 1832 - Birth of Alfred Pollard Edward Civil War journalist, died in 1872. 1835 - Birth of Charles Cartuyvels Belgian pulpit orator. 1835 - Birth of Richard Garnett English author (Ananda the Miracle Worker). 1841 - Birth of [Eleanor] Agnes Lee daughter of US General Robert E Lee. 1844 - Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti (National Day). 1844 - Nicholas Biddle US lawyer/diplomat/statesman/financier, dies at age 85. 1846 - Birth of Joaquin Valverde composer. 1847 - Birth of Dame Ellen Alice Terry Coventry England, Shakespearian stage actress. 1848 - Birth of Charles Hubert H Parry England, musicologist/composer (Jerusalem). 1850 - Birth of Henry Edwards Huntington US, railroad executive. 1852 - Joseph Drechsler composer, dies at age 69. 1861 - Birth of Rudolph Steiner Kraljevic Austria, founder (doctrine of anthroposophy movement). 1861 - US Congress authorizes first stamped newspaper wrappers for mailing. 1861 - Warsaw Massacre Russians fire on crowd demonstrating against Russian rule of Poland. 1862 - Gabriele dell' Addolorata patron of Italian Catholic youth, dies at age 23. 1864 - Near Andersonville, Georgia, rebels open a new prisoner-of-war camp "Camp Sumter". 1864 - Sixth and last day of Battle at Dalton, Georgia (about 600 casualties). 1865 - Civil War skirmish near Sturgeon, Missouri. 1867 - Birth of Irving Fisher US economist (compensating dollar). 1867 - Birth of Wilhelm Peterson-Berger composer. 1869 - Birth of Alice Hamilton physician/writer (workmen's compensation laws). 1870 - Birth of Louis Coerne composer. 1871 - Meeting of Alabama claims commission. 1873 - Birth of Enrico Caruso; tenor. 1873 - Dutch socialist Samuel van Wooden demands law against child labor. 1874 - Baseball first played in England, at Lord's Cricket Grounds. 1874 - Birth of Max Ettinger composer. 1877 - US Electoral College declares R Hayes winner Presidential election. 1879 - Birth of Jose Sancho Marraco composer. 1879 - Constantine Fahlberg discovers saccharin (artificial sweetener). 1881 - Battle at Amajuba, South Africa Boers versus British army under General Colley. 1881 - Birth of Luitzen [Bertus] Brouwers Dutch mathematician. 1881 - Birth of Sveinn Björnsson first President of Iceland (1944-52)/poet (Figur ild). 1881 - George Colley British governor of Natal/General, dies in battle at age 46. 1883 - Oscar Hammerstein patents first cigar-rolling machine. 1886 - Birth of Hugo L Black Alabama, (Senator-Democrat-Alabama)/78th US Supreme Court justice (1937-71). 1887 - Alexander Porfir'yevich Borodin, Russian composer, dies at age 53. 1887 - Birth of James D Innes English painter. 1888 - Birth of Lotte Lehmann Perleberg Germany, soprano (Fidello). 1890 - D Needham and P Kerrigan box 100 rounds (6 hours 39 minutes), San Francisco; match is draw. 1891 - Birth of David Sarnoff US, radio/TV pioneer/CEO (RCA). 1892 - Birth of William Demarest in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; actor (Uncle Charlie - My Three Sons) (dies 1983). 1893 - Birth of Joseph Messner composer. 1893 - Birth of Ralph Linton US cultural anthropologist (Tree of Culture). 1894 - Birth of Robert-Lucien Siohan composer. 1895 - Birth of Edward Brophy actor (Champ, Dumbo, Great Guy, Cameraman, Doughboys). 1897 - Birth of Bernard F Lyot French astronomer (Lyot filter). 1897 - Birth of G Paul H Schuitema graphic designer/photographer (System-O-Color). 1898 - Birth of Allison Danzig sports writer (Tennis Pictorial History). 1898 - Birth of Rutkowski Bronislaw composer. 1899 - Birth of Charles H Best in Maine, USA; physiologist, co-discoverer of diabetes treatment (insulin). 1899 - Birth of Ian Keith in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; actor (Rochefort - The Three Musketeers). 1900 - Battle at Pietershoogte; Boer General Cronjé surrenders to English in Pardenberg, South Africa. 1900 - Conference in London calls for creation of a British labor party. 1901 - US baseball National League Rules Committee decrees that all fouls are to count as strikes except after two strikes. 1902 - Birth of Ethelda Bleibtrey; 100 metre/300 metre US swimmer (Olympics-3 gold-1920). 1902 - Birth of Gene Sarazen in Harrison, New York, USA; PGA golfer (Masters 1935, US Open 1922, 1932). 1902 - Birth of John Steinbeck in Salinas, California, USA; author (The Grapes of Wrath - Nobel Prize 1962). 1903 - Birth of William Reginald Gardiner AKA Reginald Gardiner in Wimbledon, England; actor (The Great Dictator, The Pruitts of Southampton). 1904 - Birth of James Thomas Farrell; American author (Studs Lonigan trilogy). 1904 - Birth of Renaat Verheijen; Flemish actor/director (Innocent Heart). 1905 - Birth of Charles de Keukeleire; Belgian director (Evil Eye). 1905 - Birth of Franchot Tone in Niagara Falls, New York, USA; actor (Dr Freeland - Ben Casey) (dies 1968). 1906 - Birth of Alexander Matheson; New Zealand cricket pace bowler (two Tests 1930-31). 1906 - Birth of H Algernon F "Algy" Rumbold; English diplomat (South Africa/Tibet). 1906 - France and Britain agree to joint control of New Hebrides. 1907 - Birth of Gerhard Alexander [Veldheer]; Dutch actor (Prince Willem of Orange). 1908 - Star number 46 is added to US flag, for Oklahoma. 1909 - Birth of Elisabeth Welch; singer ("Song of Freedom", "Over the Moon"). 1910 - Birth of Joan Bennett in Palisades, New Jersey, USA; actress (Elizabeth - Dark Shadows, Little Women, Disraeli). 1910 - Birth of Peter De Vries in Chicago, Illinois, USA; author (Reuben Reuben, The Prick of Noon). 1912 - Birth of Hugues Panassié; French jazz saxophonist/author (Hot Club of France). 1912 - Birth of Lawrence Durrell in Darjeeling, India; writer (Alexandria Quartet). 1912 - Lord Kitchener opens Khartoum-El Obeid (Nyala) railway. 1913 - Adam Sedgwick, English zoologist (Peripatus), dies at age 58. 1913 - Birth of Irwin Shaw; US novelist (Rich Man Poor Man). 1915 - Birth of Arthur Gilson; Belgian attorney/minister of Defense (1958-). 1917 - Birth of John Bowden Connally in Floresville, Texas, USA; Texas state Governor/Senator/Representative-Democrat/Representative. 1919 - American Association for the Hard of Hearing forms (New York City, New York). 1920 - Birth of Jose Melis in Havana, Cuba; orchestra leader (Jack Paar Program). 1920 - Birth of Reg Simpson; cricket player (prolific England opener 1948-55). 1921 - Birth of Michael Fox; American actor (Saul - The Bold and the Beautiful, Young Frankenstein). 1921 - Schofield Haigh, cricket player (England all-rounder 11 Tests 1898-1912), dies. 1921 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Theresa Weld Blanchard. 1921 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Sherwin Badger. 1922 - Birth of Mervyn Jones; author (Nobody's Fault, Five Hungarian Writers). 1922 - US Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover convenes first National Radio Conference. 1922 - US Supreme Court unanimously upholds 19th Amendment, woman's right to vote. 1923 - Birth of Dexter Gordon; US tenor saxophonist/actor (Connection). 1924 - Belgium's George Theunis government falls. 1924 - Birth of M M Shearer; Lord Lieutenant of Shetland. 1924 - Birth of Norman Marshall; cricket player (brother of Roy, one Test for West Indies 1955). 1925 - Birth of Michael Kaye; director (City of London Festival). 1925 - Adolf Hitler resurrects NSDAP political party in Munich, Germany. 1925 - Test Cricket debut of Clarrie Grimmett, who took 5-45 and 6-37 versus England. 1926 - Birth of Sir Peter Emery; British Member of Parliament. 1927 - Birth of Michael Butler; Pro-Provost/chairman (Royal College of Art). 1927 - For second Sunday in a row golfers in South Carolina are arrested for violating Sabbath. 1929 - Russia and US sign trade agreement. 1929 - Turkey signs Litvinov-pact. 1930 - Birth of Joanne Woodward in Thomasville, Georgia, USA; actress (The Three Faces of Eve, Rachel). 1930 - Birth of Lieux Dressler; actress (Alice Grant - General Hospital). 1930 - Bouvet Island declared a Norwegian dependency. 1930 - Birth of Rolly Crump in Pasadena, California, USA; Disney employee 1952-96, artist of films, Disneyland attractions, TV shows, parades, named Disney Legend in 2004. 1931 - Birth of Andrew Sloan; Chief Constable (Strathcourt). 1932 - Birth of Elizabeth Taylor in London, England; actress (Cleopatra). 1932 - Birth of Lord Young of Graffham; CEO (Cables and Wireless). 1932 - Explosion in coal mine in Boissevain, Virginia, USA (38 dead). 1933 - Birth of 6th marquess of Bute; Scottish large landowner/bibliophile. 1933 - Birth of Geoffrey Maitland Smith; CEO (Sears). 1933 - Birth of Malcolm Wallop; American politician (Senator-Republican-Wyoming, 1977-). 1933 - Birth of Raymond Berry in Texas, USA; NFL hall of famer (Baltimore Colts). 1933 - German parliament building, Reichstag, destroyed by fire (set by Nazis, blamed on communists). 1933 - Jean Genet's "Intermezzo" premieres in Paris. 1934 - Birth of Ralph Nader in Winsted, Connecticut, USA; consumer advocate (Unsafe at Any Speed). 1934 - Birth of Van Williams in Fort Worth, Texas, USA; actor (Green Hornet, Tycoon). 1934 - Birth of [Navarre] Scott Momaday; American author (House Made of Dawn, Pulitzer Prize 1969). 1935 - Birth of Mirella Freni in Modena, Italy; lyric soprano ("Madame Butterfly"). 1936 - Birth of Chuck Glaser in Spalding, Nebraska, USA; singer (Glaser Brothers - "Getting to Me Again"). 1936 - Birth of Roger M Mahoney in Hollywood, California, USA; archbishop of Los Angeles (1985-). 1936 - Birth of Timothy Spall; actor (1871, Life is Sweet, Crusoe, Remembrance). 1936 - Birth of Virginia Maskell; actress (Suspect, Doctor in Love, Man Upstairs). 1936 - Ivan P Pavlov, Russian physiologist (reflexes, Nobel Prize 1904), dies at age 86. 1936 - Willy den Ouden swims world record 100 metre free style (1:04.6). 1936 - The French chamber ratifies the Franco-Soviet pact. 1936 - French ministers decide that in the event of German violation of the Rhineland Zone, they would not act alone, but only with co-signatories of the Locarno Pact. 1937 - Birth of Barbara Babcock in Pasadena, California, USA; actress (Dr Quinn, Dallas, Hill Street Blues). 1937 - Birth of Donald MacKay; CEO (Scottish Enterprise). 1937 - Birth of L Jay Silvester; American discus thrower (Olympics-silver-1972). 1937 - Donald Bradman scores 169 in 5th Test Cricket versus England in 223 minutes. 1938 - Birth of Pascale Petit in Paris, France; actor (Code Name: Jaguar, End of Desire). 1938 - Britain and France recognize Franco government in Spain. 1939 - Belgian government of Pierlot falls. 1939 - Birth of Antoinette Sibley; ballerina (Turning Point). 1939 - Birth of Kenzo Takada; Japanese director (Dream After Dream). 1939 - Birth of Lester King; cricket player (West Indies fast bowler, two Tests 1962-68, 9 wickets). 1939 - Birth of Peter Revson; auto racer (1971 Indianapolis pole winner). 1939 - English Spook house Borley Rectory destroyed in a fire. 1939 - Nadezjda K Krupskaya, Russian revolutionary/wife of Lenin, dies at age 70. 1939 - US Supreme Court outlaws sit-down strikes. 1940 - Birth of Barbara Kelly; CEO (Scottish Consumer Council). 1940 - Birth of Howard Hesseman in Salem, Oregon, USA; actor (Dr Johnny Fever - WKRP, Head of the Class). 1940 - Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14, creating the basis for the radiocarbon dating method. 1941 - Birth of Ian McGarry; General Secretary (British Actors' Equity Association). 1941 - Birth of Paddy Ashdown in New Delhi, India; first leader of Britain's Social/Liberal Democrat Party. 1941 - Birth of Sandy Wilson; director (Harmony Cats, American Boyfriends). 1942 - First transport of French Jews to Germany. 1942 - Battle of Java Sea begins (13 US warships sunk, 2 Japanese). 1942 - Birth of Charlayne Hunter-Gault in Due West, South Carolina, USA; news reporter (McNeil-Lehrer). 1942 - J S Hey discovers radio emissions from the Sun. 1942 - Karel WFM Doorman, Dutch Rear Admiral (Java Sea), killed in action at age 52. 1943 - Birth of Mary Frann in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; actress (Joanna - Newhart, Days of Our Lives). 1943 - Kostís Palamis, Greek poet/scholar (Flogera tou Basília), dies at age 84. 1944 - Birth of Alan Fudge in Wichita, Kansas, USA; actor (Man From Atlantis, Paper Dolls). 1944 - Birth of Graeme Pollock; cricket player (South African batting prodigy). 1945 - Birth of Daniel Olbrychski in Poland; actor (La Truite). 1945 - HJ Lochtman, Dutch chaplain/resistance fighter, dies in Bergen-Belsen. 1947 - Birth of Ashley Woodcock; cricket player (one Test Australia versus New Zealand 1974, only knock 27). 1947 - Birth of Gidon Kremer in Riga, Latvia; violinist (Tchaikovsky Prize 1970). 1947 - Birth of Marian G Klaren; Dutch mime/actress (Red Cabbage). 1947 - Mackinnon of Mackinnon, cricket player (Tests England versus Australia 1879), dies at age 89. 1947 - Paul-Emile Victor French polar expeditions organized. 1948 - Birth of Eddie Gray; rock guitarist (Tommy James and Shondells - "Crystal Blue Persuasion"). 1948 - Birth of Stephen Curtis; CEO (DVLA). 1950 - General Chiang Kai-shek elected President of Nationalist China. 1951 - The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting presidents to two terms, is ratified. 1951 - Birth of Lee Atwater; American Republican National Committee Chairman (1989-91). 1951 - Birth of Steve Harley in London, England; rocker (Cockney Rebel - "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)"). 1952 - Birth of Dwight Elmo Jones in Houston, Texas, USA; basketball player (Olympics-silver-1972). 1952 - Birth of Henk Westbroek; Dutch singer (Good Cause). 1952 - Birth of Kevin Raleigh; rock vocalist/keyboardist (Michael Stanley Band). 1952 - Theodorus Pangalos; Greek General/dictator 1926, dies at age 74. 1954 - Birth of Neal Schon; rock guitarist (Journey - "Open Arms", Bad English). 1955 - Betty Jameson wins LPGA Sarasota Golf Open. 1955 - Birth of Sally Spencer; actress (M J McKinnon - Another World). 1955 - Tom Howard, comedian (It Pays to be Ignorant), dies at age 66. 1956 - Female suffrage in Egypt. 1956 - Frank Dailey, orchestra leader (Music at Meadowbrook), dies at age 54. 1956 - Günther Ramin, German organist/composer/choir conductor, dies at age 57. 1957 - Birth of Adrian Smith; heavy metal guitarist (Iron Maiden - "Aces High"). 1957 - Chinese Chairman Mao's speech "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among People". 1957 - Premiere of first prime-time network TV show beginning with an "X" Xavier Cugat Show on NBC (only one until X-Files). 1958 - Harry Cohn, CEO (Columbia Pictures), dies of a heart attack. 1958 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya. 1959 - Boston Celtics' Bob Cousy sets NBA record with 28 assists; Boston Celtics score 173 points against Minneapolis Lakers. 1960 - Adriano Olivetti, Italian engineer/manufacturer, dies at age 58. 1960 - Birth of Andres Gomez in Ecuador; tennis pro (Madrid Grand Prix-1990). 1960 - Birth of Bolik Dahan; Suriname singer/radio host (Radio KBC). 1960 - Birth of John van Grinsven; soccer player (MVV). 1960 - Birth of Paul Humphreys; rock keyboardist/synthesizer player (OMD - "Crush", "Pacific Age"). 1960 - Birth of Stoney Jackson in Richmond, Virginia, USA; actor (White Shadow, Insiders). 1960 - Oil pipeline from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Ruhrgebied opens. 1960 - US Olympics Ice Hockey Team beats USSR 3-2 en route to gold medal. 1961 - Birth of Grant Shaud; actor (Miles Silverburg - Murphy Brown). 1961 - Birth of James Worthy; NBA forward (Los Angeles Lakers, 1988 Playoff Most Valuable Player). 1961 - Platt Adams, high jumper (Olympics-gold-1912), dies. 1962 - Birth of Adam Baldwin in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actor (Full Metal Jacket, My Bodyguard). 1962 - Birth of Grant Show in Detroit, Michigan, USA; actor (Jake Hanson - Melrose Place). 1962 - Birth of Kory Tarpenning in Portland, Oregon, USA; pole vaulter. 1962 - Birth of Veronica Ribot-Canales in Buenos Aires, Argentina; US diver (Olympics-1996). 1962 - South-Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem's palace bombed, first US killed of war. 1962 - Willie Best, actor (Charlie - My Little Margie), dies at age 45. 1963 - Birth of Francesco Cancellotti in Italy; tennis star. 1963 - Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees sign a baseball contract worth US$100,000. 1964 - The government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over. 1964 - Birth of April Heinrichs in Littleton, Colorado, USA; American women's soccer coach (Olympics-1996). 1964 - Birth of Ewen Vernal; British pop bassist (Deacon Blue-Your Town). 1964 - Birth of Richard de Vries; soccer player (De Graafschap). 1965 - Birth of Sandra Cecchini in Bologna, Italy; tennis star (1995 Warsaw doubles). 1965 - Dutch Marijnen government resigns. 1965 - France performs underground nuclear test at Ecker, Algeria. 1966 - Birth of Chris Howard; US baseball catcher (Seattle Mariners). 1966 - Birth of Gregg Rainwater; actor (Buck Cross - The Young Riders). 1966 - Birth of Pete Smith; US baseball player (Atlanta Braves, New York Mets). 1966 - Ice Dance Championship at Davos won by Diane Towler/Bernard Ford (Great Britain). 1966 - Ice Pairs Championship at Davos won by Belousova and Protopopov of USSR. 1966 - Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Davos won by Peggy Fleming of US. 1966 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Davos won by Emmerich Danzer (Austria). 1966 - Minerva Urecal, actress (Apache Rose, Ghost Crazy), dies at age 81. 1967 - Antigua and Saint Christopher-Nevis become associated states of United Kingdom. 1967 - Birth of Dallas Eakins in Dade City, Florida, USA; NHL defenseman (Winnipeg Jets). 1967 - Birth of Frantisek Kaberle in Brno, Czechoslovakia; hockey forward (Team Czechoslovakian Republic). 1967 - Birth of Robert Kron in Brno, Czechoslovakia; NHL right wing (Hartford Whalers). 1968 - Birth of Loy Vaught; NBA forward (Los Angeles Clippers). 1968 - Birth of Mike Sullivan in Marshfield, Massachusetts, USA; NHL center (Calgary Flames). 1968 - Birth of Ron Cox; NFL linebacker (Chicago Bears). 1969 - Birth of Greg Stevenson in Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada; rower (Olympics-11-1992, 1996). 1969 - Birth of Robert Massey; NFL cornerback (New York Giants). 1969 - Birth of Robert Molenaar; Dutch soccer player (FC Volendam). 1969 - Birth of Victoria Fair in Jackson, Michigan, USA; Miss Michigan-America (1990). 1969 - Birth of Willie Banks; US baseball pitcher (Chicago Cubs). 1969 - General Hafez al-Assad becomes head of Syria via military coup. 1969 - John Boles, actor (Stella Dallas, Curly Top), dies at age 73. 1969 - US President Richard Nixon visits West Berlin. 1970 - Birth of David White; NFL linebacker (Buffalo Bills). 1970 - New York Times (falsely) reports US army has ended domestic surveillance. 1970 - Robert Bruce Lockhart, diplomat/writer, dies. 1971 - Birth of Ivan Robinson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; US boxer (Olympics-1992). 1971 - Birth of Jaroslav Modry in Ceske-budejovice, Czechoslovakis; NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators). 1971 - Birth of Rich Tylski; guard/center (Jacksonville Jaguars). 1972 - US President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai issue Shanghai Communique. 1973 - American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee in South Dakota. 1973 - Birth of "Pooh" Clark; rocker (High-5). 1973 - Birth of Terence Davis; WLAF wide receiver (London Monarchs). 1973 - Dick Allen signs a record US$675,000 three-year contract with Chicago White Sox. 1973 - Lucijan Marija Skerjanc, Yugoslav composer/conductor, dies at age 72. 1973 - Pope Paul VI publishes constitution motu proprio Quo aptius. 1974 - People magazine is published for the first time, in the USA. 1974 - Birth of Chris Dishman; guard (Arizona Cardinals). 1974 - Birth of Jim Maher; cricket player (Queensland lefty batsman victorious 1995 side). 1974 - Pat Brady of Toledo, Ohio, actor (Roy Rogers Show), dies at age 59. 1974 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1975 - Birth of Christina Nigra; actress (Out of This World). 1975 - Birth of Dana Marie Lane in Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA; Miss Wyoming-America (1995). 1975 - Birth of Duce Staley; running back (Philadelphia Eagles). 1975 - Birth of Marcus Robinson; wide receiver (Chicago Bears). 1975 - CDU-politician Peter Lorentz kidnapped in West Berlin. 1975 - US House of Representatives pass US$21.3 billion anti-recession tax-cut bill. 1975 - Neville Cardus, writer/cricket player, dies. 1976 - Birth of Tony Gonzalez; tight end (Kansas City Chiefs). 1976 - Final meeting between China's Mao tse Tung and US President Richard Nixon. 1977 - Allison Hayes, actress (Attack of 50 Foot Woman), dies at age 47. 1977 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Bent Tree Golf Classic. 1978 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island. 1980 - 22nd Grammy Awards: "What a Fool Believes", Barbara Streisand-Neil Diamond duet ("You Don't Bring Me Flowers"). 1980 - Birth of Chelsea Victoria Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton. 1980 - George Tobias, American actor (Abner Kravitz - Bewitched), dies at age 78 (born 1901). 1980 - M-19 guerrillas begin the Dominican embassy siege in Colombia, holding 60 people hostage, including 14 ambassadors. 1981 - Greatest passenger load on a commercial airliner-610 on Boeing 747. 1981 - Birth of Josh Groban; American singer. 1981 - Death of Jacob H. Gilbert, American politician (born 1920). 1982 - Earl Anthony becomes first professional bowler to win more than US$1 million. 1982 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island. 1982 - Malika A Sabirova, Russian dancer, dies at age 39. 1982 - In Atlanta, Georgia, Wayne Williams is convicted of murdering two children, and given two consecutive life terms. 1982 - Dan Issel (NBA-Denver Nuggets) hits on 63rd consecutive free throw. 1983 - Death of Nikolai Aleksandrovich Kozyrev, Russian astronomer and astrophysicist (born 1908). 1983 - Birth of Devin Harris; American basketball player. 1983 - Eamonn Coghlan sets indoor mile record of 3:49.78. 1983 - Jan Stephenson wins Tucson Conquistadores LPGA Golf Tournament. 1984 - Carl Lewis jumps world record indoor long jump (8.675 metres). 1984 - Worker's union leader Billy Nair freed in South Africa. 1985 - David Huffman, actor (FIST, Jane Doe, Firefox, Onion Field), dies. 1985 - Farmers converge in Washington to demand economic relief. 1985 - Henry Cabot Lodge, American politician (Senator-Republican/diplomat) dies at age 82. 1985 - J Pat O'Malley, actor (My Favorite Martian, Maude), dies at age 83. 1985 - Mauritania's new constitutional charter published. 1986 - The United States Senate allows its debates to be televised on a trial basis. 1986 - Death of Jacques Plante, Canadian hockey player (born 1929). 1987 - Washington Week In Review 20th anniversary on PBS TV. 1987 - Donald Regan resigns as White House chief of staff. 1987 - Joan Greenwood, English actress (Gentle Sex, Bad Sister), dies at age 65. 1987 - Mike Conley triple jumps world indoor record (17.76 metres). 1987 - NCAA cancels SMU's entire 1987 football schedule for gross violations of NCAA rules regarding athletic corruption. 1988 - Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA Orient Leasing Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1988 - Bonnie Blair (US) wins Olympics 500 metre speed skating in record 39.1 seconds. 1988 - Gulfstream G-IV jet goes around the world 36:08:34. 1988 - Katarina Witt (German Democratic Republic) wins second consecutive Olympics figure skating. 1989 - Birth of Kelly Breeding, American singer. 1989 - Joe Silver, actor (Rage, Rapid, Deathtrap, Shivers), dies at age 66. 1989 - Konrad Lorenz, Austrian zoologist (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1973), dies at age 85 (born 1903). 1989 - Death of Paul Oswald Ahnert, German astronomer (born 1897). 1990 - Exxon Corp and Exxon Shipping are indicted on five criminal counts for the grounding and oil spill of the Exxon Valdez. 1990 - Death of Nahum Norbert Glatzer, Jewish-American scholar (born 1903). 1991 - Gulf War ends after Iraqi troops retreat and Kuwait is liberated. 1991 - H J of Royen, Dutch manager (Concertgebouw Orchestra), dies at age 52. 1991 - Noureddine Morcelli sets 1500 metre mark at 3:34.16. 1991 - Robert-Jan Akkerman, Dutch diplomat (to Tunis), murdered. 1991 - Singer James Brown is released from prison. 1992 - Larry Smith named 9th Commissioner of the Canadian Football League. 1992 - Marinus Ruppert, Dutch trade union leader (CNV), dies at age 80. 1992 - S I Hayakawa, American politician (Senator-Republican-California, 1977-83), dies from a stroke at age 85. 1992 - Tiger Woods, 16, becomes youngest PGA golfer in 35 years. 1993 - José Duval, actor (Juan Valdez), dies at age 72. 1993 - Lillian Gish, American actress (Birth of a Nation), dies at age 96 (born 1893). 1993 - Ruby Keeler, actress (42nd Street), dies of cancer at age 83. 1994 - XVII Olympic Winter Games close in Lillehammer, Norway. 1994 - Harold Acton, English/Italian historian/art collector, dies at age 84. 1994 - Karl I Pelgrom, Dutch sculptor, dies at age 66. 1994 - Laurence "Bill" Craigie, jet pioneer, dies at age 92. 1994 - Leopold "Hans" Kohr, Austrian social philosopher/economist, dies at age 84. 1994 - Maronite church near Beirut bombed, ten killed. 1995 - In Denver, Colorado, the old Stapleton Airport closes; it is replaced by a new Denver International Airport, the largest airport in the United States. 1995 - Bernard Cornfield, financier, dies at age 67. 1995 - Car bomb explodes in Zakho, North-Iraq (54-80 killed). 1995 - Philip Sherrington, opus Dei Priest, dies at age 51. 1996 - François Chaumette, actor (They Never Slept, Christine), dies at age 72. 1996 - George Ian Murray, 10th Duke of Atholl, dies at age 64. 1996 - Mark Waugh scores 126 in World Cup against India. 1996 - Pat Smythe, show jumper, dies at age 67. 1996 - Sylvia Williams, museum director/curator, dies at age 60. 1997 - The ABC TV network premieres the series Vital Signs. 1997 - In Pakistan, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurs. At least 60 people killed, hundreds injured, more than 500 houses damaged or destroyed, thousands homeless. 1998 - Netscape makes source code for Netscape Communicator 5.0 browser available for free download on the Internet. 1998 - FBI arrests Ten Most Wanted suspected serial killer Tony Ray Amati. 1998 - Death of J. T. Walsh, American actor (Good Morning Vietnam, Sling Blade), at age 54 of a heart attack (born 1943). 1998 - Death of George H. Hitchings, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1905). 1999 - While trying to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon, Colin Prescot and Andy Elson set a new endurance record after being in a hot air balloon for 233 hours and 55 minutes. 2002 - Death of Spike Milligan, British comedian, writer, and poet (born 1918). 2002 - Death of Mary Stuart, American actress (born 1926). 2002 - A series of riots leaves hundreds dead, after 59 Hindu pilgrims die aboard a train burned by a Muslim mob in Godhra, India. 2003 - Death of Fred Rogers, American children's television host (born 1928). 2004 - Death of Paul Sweezy, American economist and editor (born 1910). 2006 - Death of Linda Smith, English comedian (born 1958). 2007 - World stock markets plummet after China and Europe release less-than-expected growth reports. 2007 - At the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, a Taliban suicide attack kills 23. Visiting US Vice President Dick Cheney is not injured. 2007 - Death of Bobby Rosengarden, American drummer (born 1924). 2008 - The European Commission fines Microsoft 899 million euros (US$1.35 billion) for using high prices to discourage software competition, in defiance of a 2004 order from Brussels to provide the information on reasonable terms. 2008 - The US dollar drops to an all-time low against the euro, at 66 cents. 2008 - In the USA, the Fannie Mae government-backed mortgage company reports a loss of US$3.55 billion for the fourth quarter of 2007, due to increased foreclosures. 2008 - Death of William F. Buckley, at age 82 in Stamford, Connecticut; American writer, commentator, host of Firing Line TV show from 1966-99, credited with founding the modern conservative movement in U.S. politics, founded National Review magazine. 2008 - In the jungle of Colombia, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) free four Colombian hostages taken six years ago to Red Cross helicopters from Venezeula, in a deal brokered by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. 2008 - Death of Ivan Rebroff, German singer (born 1931). 2009 - Death of Manea Manescu, Romanian Prime Minister (born 1916). 2010 - A powerful earthquake registering 6.9 strkes in the Pacific Ocean, about 80km off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. 2010 - An 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurs 75 miles off the coast of central Chile, sending a tsunami felt in Hawaii. At least 708 die in Chile. The quake is felt 900 km away in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Among several aftershocks is a magnitude 6.9 quake. 1.5 million houses are damaged. A 90cm wave hits northern Japan about 24 hours later.         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