This Day in History
March 29

What happened in history on this day: March 29? On March 29 in ... 502 - Bourgundy King Gundobar delegates royal power. 1058 - Stephen IX [Frederik van Lotharingen], first Belgian Pope (1057-58), dies. 1461 - Battle near Towton Field, 33,000 die (War of the Roses). 1484 - Birth of Johann Spangenberg composer. 1519 - Birth of Carlo Caraffa Italian cardinal. 1546 - Cardinal Beaton English archbishop of Saint Andrews, murdered. 1561 - Birth of Santorio Sanctorius in Trieste, Italy; physician/burned at stake/heretic. 1602 - Birth of John Lightfoot English theologist/literary (Horae Hebraicae). 1616 - Birth of Johann Erasmus Kindermann composer. 1638 - Two Swedish/Dutch ships, the Kalmar Nyckel and the Fogel Grip, arrive at the Delaware river in North America. 1650 - Cornelis Galle I Flemish engraver, dies at about age 73. 1655 - Valerius Andreas Flemish historian, dies at age 66. 1673 - English King Charles II accepts Test Act: Roman Catholic excluded of public functions. 1697 - Nikolaus Bruhns composer, dies. 1725 - Birth of Joseph Franz Xaver Dominik Stalder composer. 1745 - Robert Walpole first British premier (1722-42), dies at age 68. 1752 - Birth of Edward Jones composer. 1788 - Charles Wesley hymn writer, dies. 1790 - Birth of John Tyler in Charles City County, Virginia, USA; 10th President (1841-1845). 1792 - King Gustav III King of Sweden (1771-92), dies of wounds from assassination attempt. 1794 - Marie-J-A-N C Condorcet mathematician (Theory of Comets), dies at age 50. 1795 - Beethoven (24) debuts as pianist in Vienna. 1798 - Republic of Switzerland forms. 1799 - Birth of Edward Stanley Earl Derby (Conservative), British Prime Minister (1852, 1858-59, 1866-68). 1802 - Frederic Thieme composer, dies at age 51. 1804 - Thousands of Whites massacred in Haiti. 1813 - Birth of John Letcher Governor (Confederacy), died in 1884. 1814 - Battle at Horseshoe Bend Alabama: Andrew Jackson beats Creek-Indians. 1816 - Birth of James Gallant Spears Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1869. 1817 - Birth of Constantine S Aksakov Russian historian/poet. 1819 - Birth of Edwin Drake drilled first productive US oil well. 1819 - Birth of Isaac Mayer Wise rabbi, founded American Hebrew Congregations. 1821 - Birth of Joshua Thomas Owen Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1887. 1822 - Birth of Joseph Quinaux Belgian painter. 1826 - Birth of Wilhelm Liebknecht German Member of Parliament (social-democratic). 1826 - J H Voß writer, dies at age 75. 1827 - 20,000 attend Ludwig von Beethovens burial in Vienna. 1829 - Birth of Ritta and Christina Siamese twins, in Sardinia. 1829 - Birth of Robert Emmet Rodes Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1864. 1831 - Birth of Amelia Barr writer. 1837 - Maria Fitzherbert morganatic wife of King George IV, dies. 1839 - Bernardus JC Dibbets Dutch baron/General-Major (Maastricht), dies at age 56. 1847 - 12,000 US troops capture Vera Cruz, Mexico. 1847 - Auguste De Polignac premier France, dies at age 66. 1848 - Birth of Aleksei Kuropatkin Russian General/minister of War. 1848 - John Jacob Astor chartered American Fur Company, dies at age 84. 1848 - Niagara Falls stops flowing for 30 hours due to an ice jam. 1849 - Britain formally annexs Punjab after defeat of Sikhs in India. 1850 - Ireland's SS Royal Adelaide sinks in storm; 200 die. 1852 - Ohio makes it illegal for children under 18 and women to work more than ten hours a day. 1860 - Dion Boucicault's "Colleen Bawn" premieres in New York City, New York. 1864 - Great Britain gives Isotope Islands back to Greece. 1864 - Union General Steeles troops reach Arkadelphia, Arkansas. 1865 - Appomattox campaign, Virginia, 7582 killed. 1865 - Battle of Quaker Road, Virginia. 1866 - Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch Rabbi/Chassidic leader, dies. 1867 - Birth of Cy [Denton True] Young Gilmore Ohio, winningest pitcher (511 wins, 1890-1911). 1867 - British North America Act (Canadian constitution) is passed. 1867 - US Congress approves Lincoln Memorial. 1868 - In Ka'u District, Hawaii, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurs. 1869 - Birth of Ales Hrdlicka US, anthropologist/curator (US National Museum). 1869 - Birth of Edwin Lutyens architect, London. 1871 - Albert Hall is opened by Queen Victoria in London. 1871 - Birth of Tom Hayward cricket player (great England batsman of the Golden Age). 1873 - Puerto Rican government decrees the freedom of about 29,000 slaves. 1875 - Birth of Lou Henry Hoover; first lady-Herbert Hoover (1929-33). 1875 - Birth of Paul Rubens composer. 1876 - Birth of Jan Ingenhoven composer. 1876 - Birth of Joseph Schmidlin German church historian/antifascist. 1879 - Tsjaikovski's opera "Jevgeni Onegin" premieres in Moscow. 1880 - Jakob Axel Josephson composer, dies at age 62. 1882 - Knights of Columbus chartered for Catholic men. 1883 - Birth of Donald Dexter Van Slyke US chemist (Micromanometric analysis). 1886 - Birth of Gustaf Adolf Tiburtius Bengtsson composer. 1886 - Chemist John Pemberton begins to advertise for Coca-Cola (with cocaine). 1886 - John Keble theologian, Bournemouth. 1888 - Birth of Adrianus M de Jong Dutch writer (World Tour of Bulletje and Bonestaak). 1888 - Birth of James E Casey founder (United Parcel Service). 1888 - Charles-Henri Valentin Alkan composer, dies at age 74. 1889 - Birth of Howard Lindsay Waterford New York, playwright/actor/director (State of Union). 1889 - Birth of Warner Baxter Columbus Ohio; actor (In Old Arizona, Cisco Kid). 1891 - Birth of Ivan Goll writer. 1891 - Georges-Pierre Seurat French painter (Pointillism), dies at age 31. 1892 - Birth of József Mindszenty [Joseph Prehm], Hungarian cardinal. 1892 - William Bowman English anatomist, dies at age 75. 1895 - Birth of Ernest Jünger German philosopher (Anschwellender Bocksgesang). 1897 - Japan adopts Gold Standard. 1898 - Birth of Cecil Lewis airman/writer. 1902 - Birth of Marcel Aymé; French writer (Jument Verte). 1902 - Birth of Onslow Stevens in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Mr Fisher - This is the Life). 1902 - Birth of William Walton in Oldham, Lancashire, England; composer (Troilus and Cressida, Wise Virgins). 1905 - Birth of Annunzio Mantovani in Venice, Italy; orchestra leader (Mantovani). 1906 - Birth of E Power Biggs in Westcliff-on-Sea, England; organist/composer (CBS). 1906 - Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers sweep Kenora Thisles in two games. 1908 - Birth of Arthur O'Connell in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Mr Peepers, Second Hundred Years). 1908 - Birth of Dennis O'Keefe in Fort Madison, Iowa, USA; actor/director (T-Men, Fighting Seabees). 1908 - Daily newspaper comic strip Mr. A. Mutt adds character Jeff, creating popular Mutt & Jeff. 1909 - Birth of Moon Mullican; hillbilly pianist (Seven Nights of Rock). 1909 - Birth of Yvonne Waegemans; Flemish writer (Gnome Patjoepelke). 1911 - Birth of Philip Ahn in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Master Kan - Kung Fu). 1912 - Captain Robert Scott, blizzard-bound in a tent 18 km from the South Pole, makes last entry in his diary "the end cannot be far". 1912 - Robert F Scott, British pole explorer (Antarctica), dies. 1913 - Birth of Jack Jones; British trade unionist (CH). 1913 - Birth of Niall MacGinnis in Dublin, Ireland; actor (Curse of the Demon). 1913 - Birth of Phil Foster in Brooklyn, New York, USA; comedian (Frank De Fazio - Laverne and Shirley). 1914 - Birth of Chapman Pincher; British journalist/author (about secret service). 1916 - Birth of Eugene Joseph McCarthy in Watkins, Minnesota, USA; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Minnesota, Presidential candidate 1968). 1916 - Birth of John Paul; Governor-General (Bahamas). 1917 - Birth of Arthur Knight; CEO (Courtaulds). 1917 - Birth of Man O' War; racehorse (winner of 20 out of 21 races and US$249,465). 1918 - Birth of John Read; CEO (TSB Group). 1918 - Birth of Pearl Bailey in Newport News, Virginia, USA; singer ("Hello Dolly"). 1918 - Birth of Sam Walton; billionaire CEO (Wal-Mart). 1919 - Birth of Eileen Heckart in Columbus, Ohio, USA; actress (Doll's House, Trauma Center). 1919 - Stanley Cup: Montréal (NHL) and Seattle (PCHA) win two games each with one tie; 1919 Stanley Cup not awarded due to flu epidemic. 1921 - Birth of Hugh Neill; Lord-Lieutenant (South Yorkshire). 1921 - Birth of Sam Loxton; cricket player (flamboyant Australian batsman of late 1940s). 1924 - Bayern and Vatican reach accord. 1924 - Charles Villiers Stanford, Irish composer/writer, dies at age 71. 1925 - Birth of Emlen Tunnell; NFL safety (New York Giants, Green Bay Packers). 1927 - Birth of Arthur Ravenel Jr; American politician (Representative-Republican-South Carolina). 1927 - Birth of John McLaughlin; TV commentator (McLaughlin Group). 1927 - Henry O D Segrave races his Sunbeam car to a record 203.79 mph at Daytona; first auto to exceed 200 mph (322 kph). 1928 - Yeshiva College chartered (New York City, New York). 1929 - Birth of Sheila Kitzinger; author, anthropologist and child birth educator. 1929 - NHL Stanley Cup: Boston Bruins sweep New York Rangers in two games. 1930 - Birth of Donny Conn; rocker (Playmates). 1930 - Birth of G R Sunderam; cricket pace bowler (two Tests India versus New Zealand 1955-56). 1930 - Birth of Hugh Edward Conway Seymour; marquis of Hertford. 1931 - Birth of Evelyn de Rothschild; English banker/multi-millionaire. 1931 - Birth of James Weatherhead; moderator (General Assembly of Church of Scotland). 1933 - Alexander Schmuller, Russian/Dutch violinist/conductor, dies at age 52. 1934 - Bank of Travail in Belgium, socialist worker's movement, goes bankrupt. 1935 - Birth of Ruby Murray; Irish pop singer (Softly Softly). 1935 - French liner Normandie begins its maiden voyage. 1936 - Nazi propaganda claims 99 percent of Germans voted for Nazi candidates. 1937 - Birth of Billy Carter in Plains, Georgia, USA; brother of US President Jimmy Carter. 1937 - Karol Szymanowski, Polish/Ukraine composer (Stabat Mater), dies at age 54. 1938 - Birth of Bert de Vries; Dutch minister of Social Affairs (CDA). 1938 - Birth of Margaret Howard; British broadcaster. 1939 - Birth of Hanumant Singh; cricket player (14 Tests for India-century on debut). 1939 - Birth of Nancy Kwan in Hong Kong; actress (Flower Drum Song, Night Creature). 1940 - Birth of Raymond Davis; American rock vocalist (Funkadelic - "Knee Deep"). 1940 - Joe Louis knocks out Johnny Paycheck in two rounds to retain heavyweight boxing title. 1941 - Third NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wisconsin beats Washington State 39-34. 1941 - Birth of Terence Hill in Venice, Italy; actor (Super Fuzz, They Call Me Trinity). 1942 - Birth of Larry Pressler; American politician (Senator-Republican-South Dakota, 1979-). 1942 - British cruiser Trinidad torpedoes itself in the Barents Sea. 1942 - British destroyer Campbeltown explodes in St-Nazaire; 400 Germans die. 1942 - German submarine U-585 sinks. 1943 - Birth of Eric Idle in South Shields, Durham, England; comedian/actor (Monty Python's Flying Circus). 1943 - Birth of John Major; British Prime Minister (Conservative, 1990-97). 1943 - Birth of Vangelis [Evangelos Papathanassiou] in Valos, Greece; composer/keyboardist ("Chariots of Fire"). 1943 - Meat, butter and cheese rationed in US (784 gram/week, two kilogram for GI's). 1944 - Birth of Denny McLain; Detroit Tiger pitcher (1968 American League Most Valuable Player/Cy Young/31 wins). 1944 - Birth of John Suchet; British TV journalist (Independent TV News). 1945 - Birth of Julie Goodyear; British actress (Bet Lynch - Coronation Street). 1945 - Birth of Walt "Clyde" Frazier; NBA guard (New York Knicks). 1945 - Birth of Willem Ruis; Dutch TV host (Willem Ruis Show). 1945 - Karl T Sapper, German geographer/geologist (Vulkankunde), dies at age 79. 1946 - First Test Cricket between Australia and New Zealand. 1946 - Birth of Bruce Weber; director (Broken Noses). 1946 - Birth of Ronald Farrow; radio producer/priest. 1946 - Test Cricket debuts of Lindwall, Miller and Tallon. 1947 - Birth of Aleksandr Stepenovich Viktorenko; cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-3, 8, 14, 20). 1947 - Birth of Bobby Kimball [Robert Toteaux] in Vinton, Louisiana, USA; rocker (Toto - "Roseanna", "Africa"). 1947 - Birth of Peter Hinchcliffe; co-founder (Iceland Frozen Foods). 1948 - Birth of Bud Cort in New Rochelle, New York, USA; actor/director (Harold and Maude, Brewster McCloud, MASH). 1948 - New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox tie at 2-2 in 17 innings, spring training game. 1949 - Birth of Michael Brecker; jazz musician (The Brecker Brothers). 1949 - Birth of Uton Dowe; cricket player (West Indies pace bowler 1972-73 "Dowe shall not bowl"). 1949 - Turkey recognizes Israel. 1951 - The King and I play opens at the Saint James Theater in New York City for 1246 performances. 1951 - 23rd Academy Awards: All About Eve, Jose Ferrer and Judy Holliday win. 1951 - Birth of Geoff Howarth; cricket player (New Zealand captain early 1980s). 1951 - Julius and Ethel Rosenberg convicted of espionage. 1952 - Birth of Teofilo Stevenson in Cuba; heavyweight boxer (Olympics-gold-1972, 1976, 1980). 1953 - Patty Berg wins LPGA New Orleans Women's Golf Open. 1954 - Birth of Karen Anne Quinlan in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA; famous comatose patient (right to die case). 1955 - Birth of Christopher Lawford; actor (Charlie Brent - All My Children). 1955 - Birth of Dianne Kay in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; actress (Nancy - Eight is Enough, Reggie, Glitter). 1955 - Birth of Earl Campbell; NFL running back (Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, 1977 Heisman). 1955 - Birth of Henry Bellingham; British Member of Parliament. 1955 - Everard Verachtert, Flemish linguist (I Can Speak Nicely), dies at age 81. 1956 - Birth of Kurt Thomas; American gymnast (Olympics) / actor (Gymkata). 1957 - Birth of Christopher Lambert in Great Neck, Long Island, New York, USA; actor (Highlander, Subway, Greystoke, Why Me). 1957 - Joyce A L Cary; English writer (Horse's Mouth), dies at age 68. 1958 - Birth of Fiona Reynolds; director/Council for Protection of Rural England. 1958 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Carol Heiss. 1958 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by David Jenkins. 1959 - Film Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon premieres. 1959 - Barthelemy Boganda, Central African Republic's first President, dies. 1959 - Birth of Brad McCrimmon in Dodsland, Saskatchewan, Canada; NHL defenseman (Hartford Whalers). 1959 - Birth of Marina Sirtis in London, England; actress (Deanna Troi - Star Trek: The Next Generation). 1959 - Wes Hall takes Pakistani cricket hat-trick at Lahore. 1961 - 23rd Amendment to US Constitution is ratified, allows Washington, DC residents to vote for President. 1961 - After a 4.5-year trial, Nelson Mandela is acquitted on treason charge. 1961 - Birth of Ane-Marie Sanches; newscaster (Suriname TV/Radio). 1961 - Birth of Mike Kingery in Saint James, Minnesota, USA; outfielder (Pittsburgh Pirates). 1962 - Argentine President Frondizi flees from the army. 1962 - Birth of Kirk Alan Triplett in Moses Lake, Washington, USA; PGA golfer (1992 Shell Houston-second). 1962 - Jack Paar's final appearance on the The Tonight Show. 1963 - Final episode of soap opera Young Doctor Malone. 1963 - Pola Gojawiczynska, Polish author (Stolica), dies at age 64. 1964 - First true Pirate Radio station, Radio Caroline (England). 1964 - Birth of Elle Macpherson in Sydney, Australia; model (Sports Illustrated 1986, 1987, 1988), actress (Sirens). 1964 - Birth of Jill Goodacre Connick in Lubbock, Texas, USA; model (Victoria Secrets). 1964 - Ted Collins, pianist (Kate Smith Evening Hour), dies at age 63. 1966 - Birth of Dwayne Harper; NFL cornerback (San Diego Chargers). 1966 - Birth of Eric Gunderson in Portland, Oregon, USA; pitcher (Boston Red Sox). 1966 - Birth of Robb Thomas; NFL receiver (Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1966 - Harry Daugherty, trombonist (Spike Jones and City Slickers), dies at age 50. 1966 - Muhammad Ali beats George Chuvalo in 15 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1967 - Birth of Brian Jordan in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; outfielder (Saint Louis Cardinals). 1967 - Birth of Jerry Olsavsky; NFL linebacker (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1968 - Birth of Chris Calloway; NFL wide receiver (New York Giants). 1968 - Birth of James Williams; NFL tackle (Chicago Bears). 1968 - Students seize building at Bowie State College. 1969 - Birth of Darren Chandler; WLAF receiver (Amsterdam Admirals). 1969 - Birth of James Atkin; rocker (EMF-Unbelievable). 1969 - Birth of Jeff Blackshear; guard (Baltimore Ravens). 1969 - Birth of Jimmy Spencer; NFL cornerback (New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals). 1969 - Birth of Kai Nurminen in Turku, Finland; hockey forward (Team Finland). 1969 - Birth of Perry Farrell; rocker (Jane's Addiction, Porno For Pyros). 1969 - Birth of [Jane] Kim[berly] Batten in McRae, Georgia, USA; 400 metre hurdler (Olympics-silver-1996). 1969 - Communist New People's Army is founded in Philippines. 1970 - Manchester City wins 10th Europe Cup II. 1971 - American First Lieutenant William L Calley Jr found guilty in My Lai (Vietnam) massacre. 1971 - Birth of Lennart van Reen, son of author Ton van Reen and publisher Corrie Zelen. 1971 - Birth of Ryan Mark Lambert in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; actor/singer (Kids Incorporated, Freeze Frame). 1971 - Chile President Salvadore Allende nationalizes banks/copper mines. 1971 - Conrad Van Emde Boas becomes West Europe's first sexology professor. 1971 - Development of a serum hepatitis vaccine for children announced. 1972 - Birth of Alex Ochoa in Miami, Florida, USA; outfielder (New York Mets). 1972 - Birth of John Rothell in Titusville, Florida, USA; 400-metre hurdler. 1972 - Birth of Paul Michael in Kent, Australia; New Zealand breast-stroke swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1972 - Birth of Trevor Kidd in Dugald, Manitoba, Canada; NHL goalie (Calgary Flames). 1972 - Death of J Arthur Rank, first Baron Rank, industrialist/film magnate. 1973 - Birth of Brad Bridgewater; American 200 metre backstroke (Olympics-gold-1996). 1973 - Birth of John Oppio in Sparks, Nevada, USA; double trap (Olympics-1996). 1973 - Birth of Marc Overmars; Dutch soccer player (Ajax). 1973 - Birth of Mark Platt in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; rower (Olympics-1996). 1973 - Dave Cowens wins NBA Most Valuable Player. 1973 - The last U.S. combat troops leave South Vietnam as Hanoi frees the remaining American prisoners of war held in North Vietnam. 1974 - Mariner 10's first fly-by of Mercury, returns photos. 1975 - Birth of Christopher Yule; hockey forward (Team Japan 1998). 1975 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Karsten-Ping Golf Open. 1975 - Only second time New York Islanders beat Texas Rangers. 1976 - 38th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana beats Michigan 86-68. 1976 - Eight Ohio National Guardsmen indicted for shooting four Kent State students. 1976 - Birth of Jennifer Capriati in Long Island, New York; tennis professional (Federation Cup-1990, Olympics-gold-1992). 1978 - Jayasinghrao Mansinghrao Ghorpade, cricket player (8 Tests for India), dies. 1979 - Andrew Hilditch given out handled the ball versus Pakistan at WACA. 1979 - Delhi beats Karnataka by 399 runs to win Cricket's Ranji Trophy. 1979 - Last day of Test cricket for Mushtaq Mohammad. 1979 - Melville Cooper, TV panelist (I Got a Secret), dies at age 82. 1980 - [Annunzio Paolo] Mantovani, Italian-born orchestra leader, dies at age 74 (born 1905). 1981 - Eric Williams, Prime Minister (Trinidad and Tobago), dies at age 79. 1981 - Pat Bradley wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open. 1981 - Tiina Lehtola ski jumps female record 110 metre. 1981 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1981 - The first London Marathon starts with 7,500 runners. 1982 - Second Golden Raspberry Awards: Mommie Dearest wins. 1982 - 44th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Georgetown 63-62. 1982 - Carl Orff, German composer (Mouth, Antigonae), dies at age 86 in Munich, Germany. 1982 - Delhi 707 beats Karnataka 705 on first innings to win Ranji Trophy. 1982 - Rudy Bond, character actor (Streetcar Named Desire), dies of a heart attack at age 68. 1982 - Walter Hallstein, West German politician (CDU, H-doctrine), dies at age 80. 1982 - Royal Assent in London to the Canada Act 1982 sets the stage for the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution. 1982 - The 54th Academy Awards, hosted by Johnny Carson, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California with Chariots of Fire winning Best Picture. Henry Fonda wins Best Actor; Katharine Hepburn wins Best Actress. 1983 - Richard O'Brien, actor (Rocky Horror Show), dies of cancer at age 65. 1984 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1984 - NFL Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis under cover of night. 1985 - Christos Sartzetakis elected President of Greece. 1985 - Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 126th assist. 1985 - Death of Jeanine Deckers, Belgian nun and singer (born 1933). 1986 - Birth of Romina Oprandi; Italian tennis player. 1986 - The Beatles' records officially go on sale in Russia. 1986 - Harry Ritz, comedian/actor (Three Musketeers, On the Avenue), dies at age 79. 1987 - 6th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Louisiana Tech 67-44. 1987 - 7th Golden Raspberry Awards: Howard the Duck wins. 1987 - Pat Bradley wins LPGA Standard Register Turquoise Golf Classic. 1987 - Wrestlemania III is held in Pontiac, Michigan; a record crowd of 93,173 watch Hulk Hogan beat Andre the Giant. 1987 - Yitzhak Shamir re-elected chairman of right wing Herut Party in Israel. 1987 - Australian Football League expansion team, the West Coast Eagles, play their first ever match (not including pre-season). They defeat the Richmond Tigers 20.13 (133) to 16.23 (119). 1988 - US Congress discontinues aid to Nicaraguan contras. 1988 - African National Congress representative Dulcie September is assassinated in Paris. 1989 - First Soviet hockey players are permitted to play for the NHL. 1989 - First US private commercial rocket takes suborbital test flight (New Mexico). 1989 - 61st Academy Awards: Rainman, Dustin Hoffman and Jodie Foster win. 1989 - 9th Golden Raspberry Awards: Cocktail wins. 1989 - Bernard Blier, actor (Les Miserables, Women and War), dies at age 73. 1989 - I M Pei's pyramidal entrance to the Louvre opens in Paris France. 1989 - Michael Milken, junk bond king, indicted in New York for racketeering. 1990 - Houston Rockets' Akeen Olajuwan scores the third NBA quadruple double 18 points, 16 rebounds, ten assists and 11 blocks versus Milwaukee Bucks. 1990 - New York City's Zodiac killer shoots second victim, Germaine Montenesdro. 1991 - Lee Atwater, American political strategist (Republican), dies of brain tumor at age 40 (born 1951). 1991 - Matt Bennett, actor (Hickey and Boggs), dies of brain tumor at age 52. 1992 - 12th Golden Raspberry Awards: Hudson Hawk wins. 1992 - 21st Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Dottie Mochrie. 1992 - Earl Spencer, father of Lady Diana, dies at age 68. 1992 - NCAA Basketball Women's Championship at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Stanford beats Western Kentucky 78-62. 1992 - Paul [G J von] Henreid, Austrian actor (Laszlo - Casablanca), dies at age 84 (born 1908). 1992 - World Ice Dance Championship in Oakland won by Klimova and Ponomarenko (CIS). 1992 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Oakland won by Mishuktienok and Dmitriev (CIS). 1992 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Oakland won by Kristi Yamaguchi (USA). 1992 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Oakland won by Viktor Petrenko (CIS). 1993 - 65th Academy Awards: Unforgiven, Al Pacino and Emma Thompson win. 1993 - Queensland all out for 75 versus New South Wales in Sheffield Shield Final. 1993 - Premier Catherine Callbeck of Prince Edward Island becomes the first elected female Premier in Canada. 1994 - Bill Travers, English actor (Trio, Gorgo, Born Free), dies at age 72 (born 1922). 1994 - Coach Jimmy Johnson quits Dallas Cowboys. 1994 - Last day of Test cricket for Allan Border. 1994 - Paul Grimault, animator, dies at age 89. 1994 - Serbs and Croats sign a cease-fire to end the war in Croatia. 1994 - William Natcher, American politician (Representative-Democrat-Kentucky), dies at age 84. 1995 - Carl E Jefferson, record company owner, dies at age 74. 1995 - Eddie Williams Wiggins, alto saxophone/comedian, dies at age 78. 1995 - James Eric Storrar, fighter pilot, dies at age 74. 1995 - Death of Tony Lock, English cricket player (born 1929). 1995 - John Elliott Terry, film financier, dies at age 82. 1996 - 10th Soul Train Music Awards: Patti Labelle, Boyz II Men win. 1996 - Cleveland Browns choose new name, Baltimore Ravens. 1996 - New York Yankees beats New York Mets 7-3 in an exhibition game. 1996 - Death of Frank Daniel, Czech-born writer, director, producer, teacher (born 1926). 1997 - First game at Turner Field in Atlanta, Atlanta Braves beats New York Yankees 2-0 (exhibition game). 1997 - Eddie Ryder, actor (Slick Jones - General Hospital), dies at age 74. 1997 - Ellen Clara Pollock, actress (Wicked Lady, Fake), dies at age 94. 1997 - PBA National Championship Won by Rick Steelsmith. 1998 - 17th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. Tennessee beats Louisiana Tech 93-75. 1998 - 27th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship. 1998 - A series of tornadoes in southern Minnesota kills three people. 1999 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 10,000 (10,006.78) for the first time. 1999 - In the Xizang-India border region, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurs. At least 100 people killed and 394 injured, over 21,100 houses destroyed. 1999 - UConn defeats Duke 77-74, for the 61st NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. 1999 - Death of Joe Williams, American singer (born 1918). 2001 - Todd Helton signs a nine-year, $141.5 million contract extension with the Colorado Rockies. 2003 - World Health Organization doctor Carlo Urbani, who first identified SARS, dies of the disease. 2004 - The Republic of Ireland bans smoking in all enclosed work places, including restaurants, pubs and bars. 2004 - The largest expansion of North Atlantic Treaty Organization to date takes place, allowing Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia into the organization. 2004 - Death of Peter Ustinov, English actor and director (born 1921). 2005 - Death of Johnnie Cochran, American lawyer (born 1937). 2005 - Death of Mitch Hedberg, American comedian (born 1968). 2007 - Pilots of a Chilean passenger jet approaching the airport at Auckland, New Zealand report seeing flaming debris fall past their aircraft several kilometres away, falling at the speed of sound. 2008 - In Zimbabwe, general elections are held. After recounts, the Zanu-PF party of President Robert Mugabe fails to regain its parliamentary majority. Opposition party MDC and a smaller faction win a combined 109 seats, compared to 97 for the Zanu-PF. Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change receives 47.9 percent of votes for president, Robert Mugabe receives 43.2 percent. 2009 - At the world women's curling championship in Gangneung, South Korea, Bingyu Wang of China defeats Sweden's Anette Norberg 8-6 to give China its first-ever world women's curling championship title. 2009 - At least 22 people are killed and 132 injured in a stampede before a World Cup of soccer qualifying match in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. 2009 - At least 15 people die after a passenger train ploughs into a stationary cargo train in Tanzania. 2009 - Death of Maurice Jarre, French composer and conductor, at age 84 (born 1924). 2010 - Two female suicide bombers kill at least 38 people on Moscow metro trains, injuring 72 others. The attack is quickly blamed on the North Caucasus.         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