This Day in History
March 20

What happened in history on this day: March 20? On March 20 in ... 141 - Sixth predicted perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 842 - Alfonso II the Chaste, king of Asturia (791-842), dies. 1191 - Clement III [Paolo Scolari], Pope (1187-91, third crusades), dies. 1239 - Death of Hermann von Salza in Salerno, Italy (born in Thüringen, Germany, about 1170); Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. 1345 - Saturn/Jupiter/Mars-conjunction; thought "cause of plague epidemic". 1351 - Mohammed ibn-Tughluq sultan of Delhi India, dies. 1393 - Johannes Nepomucenus [Jan Nepomucky], Czechoslovakian saint, killed. 1415 - Henry IV Bolingbroke King of England (1399-1413), dies at age 45. 1501 - Jean Carondelet lawyer/chancellor of Burgundy (1480-96), dies at age 72. 1525 - Paris' parliament begins pursuit of Protestants. 1531 - Sicke Freerks/Frericx [Cutter], Dutch anabaptist, beheaded. 1549 - Thomas Seymour of Sudely English Lord Admiral, beheaded. 1568 - Albrecht von Hohenzollern first duke of Prussia, dies at age 77. 1569 - Duke van Alva leads "tenth penning" in Ponts the Cé. 1598 - French king Henri IV and duke van Mercour sign treaty. 1602 - United Dutch East Indian Company (VOC) forms. 1616 - Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment. 1617 - Franciscus Aguilon physicist/theologist/mathematician, dies at age 50. 1619 - Matthias II Holy Roman Catholic emperor (1611-19), dies. 1627 - France and Spain signs accord for fighting protestantism. 1634 - Birth of Balthasar Bekker Frisian theologist (Examiner of Comets). 1646 - Matthew Vossius historian (Annales Holland Zelandiaeque), dies at age 35. 1680 - Birth of Baron Emanuele d' Astorga Italian composer (Stabat mater). 1697 - Willem de Vlamingh returns to Batavia after exploring "South Land". 1703 - Johann Kunckel/Kunkel German alchemist/ambassador to Sweden, dies. 1725 - Birth of Abdül-Hamid I 27th sultan of Turkey (1774-89). 1727 - Death of Sir Issac Newton at age 84 in Kensington, London, England; English physicist/astronomer/mintmaster, dies in London at age 84. 1728 - Birth of Franciscus L Kersteman Dutch lawyer/astrologist. 1739 - Birth of Eligio Celestino composer. 1750 - Birth of Martinus van Marum Dutch chemist/physicist (Homo Diluvii Testus). 1751 - Frederick Louis English prince of Wales/son of George I, dies. 1757 - Johann Paul Kunzen composer, dies at age 60. 1760 - Great Fire of Boston destroys 349 buildings. 1767 - Firmin Abauzit French huguenot/scholar, dies at age 87. 1770 - Birth of Johann Friedrich Hölderlin Tübingen Germany, lyric poet (Der Rhein, Andenken). 1774 - Birth of John Braham composer. 1800 - French army defeats Turks at Helipolis Turkey, and advance to Cairo. 1804 - Birth of Neal Dow Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1897. 1804 - Ignaz Malzat composer, dies at age 47. 1811 - Birth of George Caleb Bingham US, politician/painter (Country Election). 1811 - Birth of Napoleon Bonaparte II Napoleon's son/King of Rome. 1812 - Birth of George Bibb Crittenden Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1880. 1812 - Jan Ladislav Dussek Bohemian pianist/composer, dies at age 52. 1813 - Birth of Matthias Keller Ulm Germany, hymn writer (O Farther un High). 1814 - Prince Willem Frederik becomes monarch of Netherlands. 1815 - Napoleon enters Paris after escape from Elba, begins 100-day rule. 1816 - US Supreme Court affirms its right to review state court decisions. 1820 - Birth of Alexander J Cuza monarch of Moldavia/Wallachia/Romania. 1823 - Birth of John Echols Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1896. 1825 - Birth of William Nelson Rector Beall Brigadier General (Confederate Army). 1826 - Birth of Carel Vosmaer Dutch art historian/poet/editor. 1828 - Birth of Henrik Ibsen in Norway; dramatist (Peer Gynt, Hedda Gabler). 1829 - Birth of Charles Albert White composer. 1830 - Birth of Eugene Asa Carr Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1910. 1833 - Birth of Henry Southwick Perkins composer. 1833 - US and Siam conclude commercial treaty. 1834 - Birth of Charles William Elliot Boston Massachusetts, President of Harvard (1869-1909). 1839 - Antonio López de Santa Anna becomes President (5th time) of Mexico. 1846 - Birth of Auguste Bender writer. 1848 - Abraham des Amorie van der Hoeven Dutch theologist/poet, dies at age 27. 1848 - King Louis I of Bayern abdicates to marry dancer Lola Montez. 1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin book is published (Boston). 1853 - Birth of George Godfrey Chelsea Massachusetts, heavyweight boxer (Old Chocolate). 1856 - Birth of Frederick Winslow Taylor father of scientific management. 1863 - Birth of Ernesto Nazareth composer. 1863 - Battle of Pensacola, Florida: evacuated by Federals. 1865 - Michigan authorizes workers' cooperatives. 1865 - Second day of Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. 1866 - Rikard Nordraak composer, dies at age 23. 1868 - Birth of Obe Postma Frisian poet/geography/historian (Frisian Clay Farm). 1868 - Jesse James Gang robs bank in Russelville Kentucky of $14,000. 1870 - Birth of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Prussian General/politician (East Africa). 1871 - Antonio Buzzolla composer, dies at age 56. 1872 - Birth of Bernhard Seklas composer. 1872 - Birth of Karin Michaelis writer. 1873 - Adolfe Louis Eugene Fetis composer, dies at age 52. 1874 - Hans Christian Lumbye composer, dies at age 63. 1878 - Lieutenant Lucien Napoleon-Bonaparte Wyse of French Navy sign contract for 99-year exclusive privilege with Colombia to build Panama Canal, by the Société Civile Internationale du Canal Interocéanique de Darien. 1882 - Birth of René Coty Le Havre France, President of France (1953-58). 1883 - Birth of Colin Campbell Falkirk Scotland, actress (High Bright Sun, Leather Boys). 1883 - Birth of Karl Hasse composer. 1883 - Unity treaty of Paris signed; protects industrial property. 1885 - Birth of Eugen Herrigel Germany, philosopher/early pioneer of Zen in Europe. 1885 - Birth of Hendrik A de Fish [Henri Pauwels], Flemish philological/sociologist. 1885 - John Matzeliger of Suriname patents shoe lacing machine. 1885 - Yiddish theater opens in New York with Golldfaden operetta. 1886 - First AC power plant in US begins commercial operation, Massachusetts. 1887 - Pavel Annenkov Russian literature historian, dies at age 73. 1888 - Birth of S V Vegesack writer. 1890 - Birth of Lauritz Melchior Copenhagen Denmark, baritone tenor (National Symphony). 1890 - General Federation of Womens' Clubs founded. 1890 - German emperor Wilhelm II fires republic chancellor Otto Von Bismarck. 1892 - Arthor Goring Thomas composer, dies at age 41. 1894 - Lajos Kossuth Hungarian freedom fighter/president (1849), dies at age 91. 1896 - Birth of Hal Walker Ottumwa Iowa, director (I Married Joan). 1896 - Marines land in Nicaragua to protect US citizens. 1896 - Uprising in Matabeleland. 1897 - First US orthodox Jewish Rabbinical seminary (RIETS) incorporates in New York. 1897 - First known intercollegiate basketball game, Yale beats University of Pennsylvania 32-10. 1897 - France signs treaty with emperor Menelik II of Abyssinia. 1898 - Luis Palés Matos Puerto Rican poet (Tuntún the paso y grifería), dies. 1902 - Birth of Edgar Buchanan in Humansville, Missouri, USA; actor (Uncle Joe - Petticoat Junction). 1902 - Birth of Kathryn Forbes; short story writer (Mama's Bank Account). 1903 - Birth of Vincent Richards; hall of fame tennis pro (elected 1961). 1904 - Birth of Burrhus Frederic Skinner in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, USA; behaviorism pioneer (Skinner box). 1906 - Birth of Abraham Beame; American politician (Mayor-Democrat-New York City). 1906 - Birth of Ozzie Nelson in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA; actor (Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet). 1908 - Birth of Frank Stanton in Muskegon, Michigan, USA; broadcasting executive (CBS). 1908 - Birth of Philip "Felix" Bekkers; actor (Czardasvorstin). 1908 - Birth of Michael Redgrave in Bristol, England; actor (Browning Version, The Lady Vanishes). 1911 - Birth of Mieke Verstraete; Belgian/Dutch actress (Pleasantly Settled). 1911 - National Squash Tennis Association formed (New York City, New York). 1913 - Birth of Judith Evelyn in Seneca, South Dakota, USA; actress (13th Letter, Tingler, Rear Window). 1913 - Song Jiao-ren, leader of Chinese Guomindang-Party, dies. 1914 - In New Haven, Connecticut, the first international figure skating championship takes place. 1914 - Birth of Sviatosiav Richter in Zhitomir, Ukraine; pianist (Stalin Prize-1945). 1914 - Birth of Wendell Corey in Dracut, Massachusetts, USA; actor (11th Hour, Peck's Bad Girl). 1914 - Birth of William Baddeley; rector (Saint James' Piccadilly). 1915 - Birth of Dr Rudolf Kirchschläger; President of Austria (1974-86). 1916 - Allies attack Zeebrugge, Belgium. 1916 - Birth of Pierre Messmer; Prime Minister (France). 1916 - Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity. 1917 - Birth of Vera Lynn; singer ("Anniversary Waltz"). 1917 - Birth of Dolf Verspoor; literary/interpreter (M Nijhoff Prize 1958). 1917 - Birth of Kalervo H Hortamo; Finnish poet (Sydänmaa). 1917 - Birth of Peter Caddy; founder (Findhorn Community). 1918 - Birth of Bernd-Alois Zimmermann; German composer (Soldiers). 1918 - Birth of Jack Barry in Lindenhurst, New York, USA; game show emcee (The Joker's Wild). 1920 - First flight from London to South Africa lands (1.5 months). 1920 - Birth of Bryan Genesse; actor (The Bold and the Beautiful). 1920 - Birth of Marian McPartland; jazz pianist (Bill Mayer, Jimmy McPartland). 1920 - Birth of Werner Klemperer in Cologne, Germany; actor (Colonel Klink - Hogan's Heroes). 1920 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Theresa Weld. 1920 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Sherwin Badger. 1920 - Venustiano Carranza, President of Mexico (1915-20), murdered at age 60. 1921 - Birth of Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow in Senegal; director general of UNESCO. 1922 - Birth of Carl Reiner in the Bronx, New York, USA; comedian/actor (2000 Year Old Man, Dick Van Dyke Show). 1922 - Birth of Doug Barnard Jr; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Georgia, 1977-). 1922 - Birth of Jack Kruschen in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; actor (Papa - Webster, Busting Loose). 1922 - Birth of Larry Elgart in New Haven, Connecticut, USA; bandleader/alto sax (Elgart Orchestra). 1922 - Birth of Ray Goulding in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA; comedian (Bob and Ray). 1922 - Birth of Sir Arnold Burgen; college president (Academia Europaea). 1922 - The USS Langley is commissioned as the first United States Navy aircraft carrier. 1923 - Bavarian Minister of Interior refuses to forbid National Socialist SA. 1923 - Belgian Senate rejects Dutch University in Ghent. 1923 - Birth of Marc Saporta; French writer/essayist (Le Grand Défi). 1924 - Finnair begins scheduled flight of Helsinki-Tallinn. 1924 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens (NHL) sweep Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA) in two games. 1925 - Birth of John D Erlichman; American politician (President Richard Nixon aide, Watergate conspirator). 1925 - George N Curzon; British Foreign minister (1919-22), dies at age 66. 1927 - Birth of John Pierre Herman Joubert; composer (Chamber Music for brass quintet). 1928 - Birth of Anthony Blond; British publisher (The Publishing Game, Book Book). 1928 - Birth of Jerome Cousins Biffle in Denver, Colorado, USA; long jumper (Olympics-gold-1952). 1928 - Birth of Mr [Fred McFeely] Rogers in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA; children's television host (Mr Roger's Neighborhood). 1929 - Ferdinand Foch, Marshal of France (WWI), dies at age 77. 1930 - Clessie Cummins sets diesel engine speed record of 129.39 kph. 1931 - Birth of Dr John Rae; British educator (Conscience and Politics). 1931 - Birth of Hal Linden [Harold Lipshitz] in the Bronx, New York, USA; actor (Barney Miller, Blacke's Magic, Rothchild). 1931 - Birth of Sir David Montgomery; chairman (British Forestry Commission). 1931 - Bishop Schreiber warns against national-socialism in Berlin. 1931 - Death of Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (born 1876). 1932 - Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Region in RSFSR becomes Kara-Kalpak ASSR. 1933 - Dachau, first concentration camp, completed. 1933 - Giuseppe [Joe] Zangara electrocuted for assassination attempt on Franklin Roosevelt. 1934 - A Emma W T von Waldeck-Pyrmont, Dutch queen (and regent), dies at age 76. 1934 - Birth of Marion Conti; arch bishop (Aberdeen, England). 1934 - Test of practical radar apparatus made by Rudolf Kuhnold in Kiel, Germany. 1935 - Your Hit Parade makes its debut on radio. 1935 - Birth of Ted Bessell in Flushing Queens, New York, USA; actor (Don - That Girl, Frankie - Gomer Pyle). 1936 - Birth of Lord Mark Saville of Newdigate; British high court judge. 1936 - Durant Clifford Parkin, cricket player (Tests for South Africa 1891-92), dies. 1937 - Birth of Elizabeth Gille; writer translator/editor. 1937 - Birth of Helmut Recknagel in Germany; 90 metre ski jump (Olympics-gold-1960). 1937 - Birth of Jerry Reed in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; singer/actor ('Gator, Bat 21, Smokey and the Bandit). 1937 - Birth of Joe Rivers; rocker (Johnnie and Joe). 1937 - Birth of Mark Saville; Queen's Council, British high court judge. 1937 - Franco offensive at Guadalajara, Spain. 1938 - Birth of Frans J van der Heijden; Dutch journal/Dutch Member of Parliament (CDA). 1939 - 7,000 Jews flee German occupied Memel Lithuania. 1939 - Birth of Brian Mulroney; 18th Prime Minister (Progressive Conservative) of Canada (1984-93). 1939 - Birth of Earl of Seafield [Ginger]; English large landowner. 1940 - Paul Reynaud becomes French premier. 1941 - D A van den Bosch, anti-Nazi clergyman (Amersfoort Camp), dies. 1941 - German/Yugoslav pact is written. 1942 - Convoy PQ13 departs Reykjavik, Iceland to Russia. 1942 - Major German assault on Malta. 1943 - British offensive against Mareth-line. 1943 - German submarine U-384 is bombed and sinks. 1944 - Bus falls off bridge into Passaic River, New Jersey, killing 16. 1944 - Operation Anvil is cancelled. The plan was for a landing in south France simultaneously with the landing in north France. 1944 - Mount Vesuvius, Italy explodes. 1945 - Birth of Larry Combest; American politician (Representative-Republican-Texas, 1985-). 1945 - Birth of Pat Riley in Schenectady, New York, NBA star/coach (San Diego Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat). 1945 - Birth of Tim Yeo; British Member of Parliament/Under-Secretary (State of Environment). 1945 - US 70th Infantry division/7th Armour division attack Saar. 1946 - The US Military Government in Berlin announces the capture of Mildred Gillars of Maine. Gillars was known as Axis Sally for her Berlin radio broadcasts to US troops in North Africa and Europe, describing the comforts of home and the folly of war with Germany. 1946 - Belgian government of Spaak resigns. 1946 - Birth of Ranger Doug [Douglas Green] in Illinois, USA; singer (Riders in Sky-Cowboy Way). 1947 - 180 metric ton blue whale (record) caught in South Atlantic. 1947 - Birth of Carl Palmer; drummer (Asia - "Heat of the Moment", Emerson Lake and Palmer - "Lucky Man"). 1947 - Birth of John Eastburn Boswell; medievalist. 1948 - First live televised musical Eugene Ormandy on CBS, followed in 90 minutes by second live televised musical Arturo Toscanini on NBC. 1948 - 20th Academy Awards: Gentleman's Agreement, Ronald Colman, Loretta Young win. 1948 - Birth of Bobby Orr in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada; Hall of Fame NHL defenseman (Boston Bruins). 1948 - Birth of John de Lancie; actor (Q - Star Trek: The Next Generation, Eugene Bradford - Days of Our Lives). 1948 - Birth of Pamela Sargent; American sci-fi author (Venus of Dreams, Cloned Lives). 1949 - Birth of Chip Zien in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; actor (Love Sidney, Reggie). 1950 - Birth of William Hurt in Washington DC; actor (The Big Chill, Children of a Lesser God). 1951 - Birth of Guy Perry; rock guitarist/vocalist (Motels - "Only the Lonely"). 1951 - Birth of Jimmie Vaughan; guitarist (Fabulous Thunderbirds). 1951 - Birth of John Wetton; rocker (Asia, United Kingdom, King Crimson). 1951 - Birth of Madan Lal; British cricket player (Indian medium pacer in the 1970s). 1951 - Birth of Tanya Boyd in Detroit, Michigan, USA; actress (Celeste - Days of Our Lives). 1951 - Indonesian army offensive against Darul Islam on Java. 1952 - 24th Academy Awards: American in Paris, Humphrey Bogart and Vivian Leigh win. 1952 - Birth of Anand Armitraj in India; tennis player (Brother of ViJay). 1952 - US Senate's final ratification of peace treaty restoring sovereignty to Japan. 1953 - Graciliano Ramos, Brazilian author (Vidas Secas), dies at age 60. 1953 - US Senator Edwin C Johnson offers a bill to give clubs the sole right to ban radio-TV broadcasts of major league games in their own territory. 1954 - The King and I closes at Saint James Theater in New York City after 1246 performances. 1954 - 16th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: La Salle beats Bradley 92-76. 1954 - First newspaper vending machine used (Columbia, Pennsylvania). 1954 - Birth of Charlie Simmer in Ontario, Canada; NHL Left winger (Los Angeles Kings). 1954 - Birth of Jim Seales in Hamilton, Alabama, USA; singer (Shenandoah - "Sunday in the South"). 1956 - Birth of Phillip Oppenhein; British Member of Parliament. 1956 - E Ochab succeeds Beirut as first Secretary of Polish CP. 1956 - Mount Bezymianny on Kamchatka Peninsula (USSR) explodes. 1956 - Tunisia gains independence from France. 1956 - USSR performs nuclear test. 1956 - Union workers end a 156-day strike at Westinghouse Electric Corp. 1957 - Birth of Spike Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; director (Mo Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X). 1957 - Birth of Theresa Russell [Paup] in San Diego, California, USA; actress (Black Widow, Straight Time, Razor's Edge). 1957 - Britain accepts NATO offer to mediate in Cyprus, but Greece rejects it. 1958 - Birth of Holly Hunter in Conyers, Georgia, USA; actress (The Piano, Broadcast News, Roe versus Wade). 1958 - Birth of Rickey Jackson; NFL defensive end (San Francisco 49ers). 1958 - Greek Clandestine Burasi Bizim Radio (communist), Voice of Truth first transmission. 1959 - Birth of Dale Reid in Ladybank, Scotland; LPGA golfer (European Solheim Cup team). 1959 - Birth of Richard Drummie; rocker (Go West - "Call Me", "Don't Look Down"). 1961 - Birth of John Clark Gable in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Bad Jim). 1961 - Birth of Kathy Guadagnino in Albany, New York, USA; LPGA golfer (1985 US Women's Open). 1961 - Birth of Slim Jim Phantom [Jim Mcdonnell]; rock drummer (Stray Cats - "Stray Cat Strut"). 1962 - C Wright Mills, US sociologist (Power Elite), dies at age 45. 1962 - Dr Andrew E Douglass, dendrochronologer (study of tree rings) dies. 1962 - Sjoukje Dijkstra becomes world champion figure skater. 1963 - First "Pop Art" exhibition (New York City, New York). 1963 - Birth of Paul Annacone in Southampton, New York, USA; tennis star. 1963 - Birth of Paul Mirkovich; rock keyboardist (Nelson - "Love and Affection"). 1963 - Birth of Ramon Andersson in Middle Swan, Australia; canoeist (Olympics-bronze-1992, 1996). 1963 - Sikkim crown prince Paldan Thondup Namgyal marries Hope Cooke. 1964 - Birth of Ruth Davidon in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; rower (Olympics-6th-1996). 1964 - Brendan Behan, Irish writer/poet, dies at age 41. 1964 - European Space Research Organization established. 1965 - 27th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Michigan 91-80. 1965 - Birth of Chris Hoiles in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA; catcher (Baltimore Orioles). 1965 - Birth of Danielle Woodward in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; canoeist (Olympics-1996). 1965 - Venkataraghavan takes 8-72 versus New Zealand at Delhi, India. 1965 - US President Lyndon Johnson notifies Alabama's Governor George Wallace that he will use federal authority to call up the Alabama National Guard in order to supervise a planned civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. 1966 - Birth of Blas Minor in Merced, California, USA; pitcher (Seattle Mariners). 1966 - Birth of Giulio Caravatta; Canadian Football League quarterback (British Columbia Lions). 1966 - Marilynn Smith wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Women's Golf Open. 1967 - A J F Moody is first US Army General to die in Vietnam. 1967 - Birth of Bryan Genesse; actor (Rocco - The Bold and the Beautiful, Grady - Street Justice). 1967 - Birth of Dana Rinehart Dalton in Orlando, Florida, USA; Miss Florida-America (1990). 1967 - Birth of Mookie Blaylock; NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks). 1967 - Birth of Randy Gullatt; horse trainer. 1968 - Birth of Eric Viscaal; Dutch soccer star (PSV/AA Gent). 1968 - Birth of Jurgen Rumrich in Miesbach, Germany; hockey forward (Team Germany 1998). 1968 - Birth of Sheree Megan Higgins in Matamata, New Zealand; golfer (1991 Bridgestone). 1968 - Carl T Dreyer, Danish director (Passion of Jeanne d'Arc), dies. 1968 - Military intervenes in South-Yemen (leftist ministers resign). 1968 - US President Lyndon Johnson signs a bill removing gold backing from US paper money. 1969 - The Beatles' John Lennon marries Yoko Ono in Gibraltar. 1969 - Birth of Caroline Brunet in Québec City, Québec, Canada; kayaker (Olympics-silver-1996). 1969 - Birth of Konstantine Starikovitch in Podolsk, Russia; 238 pounds US weightlifter (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Paul Atkinson; jockey. 1969 - Birth of Sharon Manning; WNBA center/forward (Charlotte Sting). 1969 - Birth of Thang Thanh Nguyen in Soc Trang, Vietnam; murderer (FBI Most Wanted). 1969 - US President Richard Nixon proclaims he will end Vietnam war in 1970. 1970 - Birth of Kristin Klein in Santa Monica, California, USA; volleyball outside hitter (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Birth of Ralph Dawkins; NFL running back (New Orleans Saints). 1970 - Birth of Ron George; NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons). 1970 - Birth of Todd Burger; NFL guard (Chicago Bears). 1970 - The oil tanker Othello collides in Tralhavet Bay, Sweden, spilling over 69.6 million litres of oil. 1971 - Birth of Janis Kelly in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; volleyball player (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Manny Alexander in Dominican Republic; infielder (Baltimore Orioles). 1972 - Nineteen mountain climbers killed on Japan's Mount Fuji during an avalanche. 1972 - Aad de Haas, Dutch religious painter/graphic artist, dies at age 51. 1972 - Birth of Ajah Wilson-Ogechukwu; soccer player (Roda JC). 1972 - Jan Engelman, Dutch poet/art critic (At the Front), dies at age 71. 1972 - Marilyn Maxwell, actress (Grace - Bus Stop), dies at age 50. 1972 - Sicco L. Mansholt succeeds Franco M. Malfatti as chairman of European Committee. 1973 - Birth of Jane March in Edgeware, England; actress (Lover). 1973 - Birth of Nico Boje; cricket player (South African ODI left-arm spinner 1996). 1973 - Birth of Norman Tome; Australian soccer striker (Olyroos, Olympics-1996). 1973 - In the Kerguelen-Gausberg Rise of the Antarctic plate, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurs. 1973 - Roberto Clemente elected to Hall of Fame, 11 weeks after his death. 1974 - Birth of P J Bogart in New York City, New York; diver (Olympics-1996). 1974 - Chet Huntley, newscaster (NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report), dies at age 62. 1974 - Edward Platt, actor (Chief - Get Smart), dies at age 58. 1974 - [Lavinia] Marian Fleming Poe, black US advocate in Virginia, dies at age 83. 1975 - Birth of Brian Buetsch in Rockford, Illinois, USA; figure skater (1997 Great Lakes Senior champion). 1976 - Birth of Arno Knapen; Dutch soccer player (Holten, FC Twente). 1976 - Jevgeni Kulikov skates world record 1000 metre (1:15.70). 1976 - Michael Goodliffe, actor (Gorgon, 7th Dawn, Way Out), dies at age 61. 1976 - Patty Hearst is convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to seven years in prison. 1977 - Parisians (France) elect former Prime Minister Jacques Chirac as first mayor in a century. 1977 - Premier Indira Gandhi loses election in India. 1978 - Philadelphia Flyers' Rick MacLeash scores on 6th penalty shot against New York Islanders. 1979 - Columbia flies on Shuttle carrier aircraft to Kennedy Space Center. 1980 - US appeals to International Court on hostages in Iran. 1980 - Birth of Jamal Crawford; American basketball player. 1980 - The Mi Amigo ship containing England's pirate Radio Caroline sinks. 1981 - Argentine ex-President Isabel Perón sentenced to 8 years. 1981 - Jean Harris sentenced 15-to-life for slaying of Scarsdale Diet Doctor. 1982 - France performs nuclear test. 1982 - Hendrik L van Beek, Dutch Vice-Admiral, dies at age 52. 1982 - Reverend A Treurnicht forms Conservative Party of South Africa. 1982 - Birth of Nick Wheeler; American musician (The All-American Rejects). 1982 - First-class debut of Richie Richardson, Leeward Islands versus Barbados. 1983 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open. 1984 - Birth of Marcus Vick, American football player. 1984 - Birth of Nomura Yuka, Japanese actress. 1984 - US Senate rejects amendment to permit spoken prayer in public schools. 1984 - Birth of Fernando Torres, Spanish football player (Liverpool F.C.). 1984 - Birth of Christy Carlson Romano, American actress and singer. 1985 - Libby Riddles wins the 1,135-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. 1986 - 228 KPH gust of wind strikes Cairngorm (United Kingdom record). 1986 - Jacques Chirac become Prime Minister of French government. 1987 - Birth of Emilia Attias; Argentine model. 1987 - FDA approves sale of AZT (AIDS treatment). 1987 - NASA launches Palapa B2P. 1987 - Norman Harris, guitarist (O'Jays), dies at age 39 of heart failure. 1987 - Soap opera TV show Capitol airs its final episode. 1987 - Soviet filmmakers arrive in Hollywood for an entertainment summit. 1987 - Yvonne van Gennip skates ladies world record 5 km (7:00.36). 1988 - Gil Evans, Canadian/US jazz composer (Out of the Cool), dies at age 75. 1988 - Laura Davies wins Circle K LPGA Tucson Golf Open. 1988 - Mike Tyson knocks out Tony Tubbs in two rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1988 - Death of Ralph Wright, writer and American actor (born 1908). 1989 - Peter Ueberroth, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, announces an inquiry is being conducted into gambling allegations concerning Cincinnati Reds' manager, Pete Rose. 1989 - Richard J Kerr replaces Robert M Gates as deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency. 1990 - Jannetje Visser-Roosendaal, Dutch writer, dies at age 90. 1990 - Jev Jasjin (Lev Yashin), Russian soccer goalie, dies at age 60 (born 1929). 1990 - Los Angeles Lakers retire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's number 33. 1990 - Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering. 1991 - Conor Clapton, Eric Clapton's son, falls out of 53rd floor window at age 4. 1991 - Court awards Peggy Lee $3 million in contract violation suit against Walt Disney Company. 1991 - Michael Jackson signs US$65 million six-album deal with Sony Records. 1991 - US Supreme Court rules unanimously employers can't exclude women from jobs where exposure to toxic chemicals could potentially damage fetus. 1991 - US forgives US$2 billion in loans to Poland. 1992 - Avonne Taylor, actress (My Best Girl, Honor Among Lovers), dies at age 93. 1992 - Frank Westbrook, dancer/choreographer, dies at age 82. 1992 - Georges Delerue, French composer (Hiroshima, My Love), dies at age 67. 1992 - Janice Pennington is awarded $1.3 million for accident on Price is Right TV show set. 1993 - Claudia Yeltsin, mother of Russian President Yeltsin, dies at age 85. 1993 - Dan Jansen skates world record 500 metre (36.02 seconds). 1993 - An Irish Republican Army bomb explodes in Warrington Town Centre, England, killing two children, Jonathan Ball (age 3) and Tim Parry. 1993 - Death of Polykarp Kusch, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1911). 1994 - 14th Golden Raspberry Awards: Indecent Proposal wins. 1994 - El Salvador's first Presidential election following 12-year civil war. 1994 - Laura Davies wins LPGA Standard Register Ping Golf Tournament. 1994 - Mashonaland U-24 beats Matabeleland on first inning to win Logan Cup. 1994 - Wrestlemania X at Madison Square Garden New York, Bret Hart pins Yokozuna to win WWF championship. 1994 - Zulu-king Goodwill Zwelithini founds realm in South Africa. 1995 - Beatles song, Free As A Bird, with late John Lennon as lead singer, is released, first Fab Four single since their 1970 breakup. 1995 - Merv Harvey, cricket player (scored 12 and 31 in Test Australia versus England 46-47), dies. 1995 - Members of the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult release sarin gas on five separate railway trains in Tokyo, killing 12 and injuring 4700. 1995 - Rachida Hammadi, Algerian TV journalist, murdered at age 32. 1995 - Sidney Kingsley, US playwright (Pulitzer prize 1934), dies at age 88. 1996 - Claude Bourdet, human rights activist/journalist, dies at age 86. 1996 - In Los Angeles, California, Lyle and Erik Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents. 1996 - The British Government announces that Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) has likely been transmitted to people. 1996 - Victor Zorza, journalist/Russian specialist, dies at age 71. 1997 - Mother of Hugh Hefner (Playboy) dies at age 101. 1997 - Death of Tony Zale, American boxer (born 1913). 1997 - Carlo Fassi, figure skating coach (Fleming, Hamill), dies at age 67. 1997 - Liggett admits cigarettes are addictive. 1998 - Death of George Howard, American jazz saxophone musician (born 1956). 1999 - Serbs launch an offensive in Kosovo. 2000 - Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (H. Rap Brown), a former Black Panther, is captured after a gun battle in Atlanta, Georgia, that leaves a sheriff's deputy dead. 2001 - The world's largest offshore platform, owned by Brazil's Petrobras, sinks 1 mile down to the ocean floor, spilling up to 1.2 million litres of diesel fuel. 2003 - Land troops from United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invade Iraq. 2003 - Germany's biggest insurance company, Allianz, reports its first annual loss since 1945, of 1.2 billion euros (US$1.1 billion). Its subsidiary company, Dresden Bank, Germany's third-biggest, lost 1.4 billion euros. 2003 - A ship carrying 699,000 litres of fuel oil sinks in the river in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, spreading an oil slick for several kilometres away. 2004 - President Chen Shui-bian wins the Taiwanese presidential election by 0.2 percent of the vote. 2004 - Death of Juliana, Queen Mother of the Netherlands (born 1909). 2005 - At least 250 people in Japan are injured and at least one killed, when a magnitude 7 earthquake strikes west of Kyushu Island, just 9km (5.5 miles) below the ocean floor. 2006 - In San Diego, California, Japan captures the first World Baseball Classic crown beating Cuba, 10-6. 2006 - Tropical Cyclone Larry makes landfall in Queensland, Australia. 2007 - Death of Taha Yassin Ramadan, Vice President of Iraq (born 1938). 2009 - A 7.9 magnitude earthquake about 200km south-east of Tonga triggers a tsunami in the South Pacific, but little damage results. 2009 - Death of Abdellatif Filali, 13th Prime Minister of Morocco (born 1928). 2010 - Death of former Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in Kathmandu at age 86.         Your Ad Here         You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. 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