This Day in History
January 4

What happened in history on this day: January 4? On January 4 in ... 275 - Saint Eutychian begins his reign as Catholic Pope. 838 - Babak, Persian social/religious reformer, martyred. 871 - Battle at Reading: Ethelred of Wessex beats Danish invasion army. 1334 - Birth of Amadeus VI [Green Earl], Earl of Savoye. 1357 - Flemish Earl Louis and Luxembourg Duke Wenceslaus sign peace treaty. 1428 - Death of Friedrich I in Altenburg, Germany; Elector of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire. 1493 - Christopher Columbus leaves the New World, ending his first journey. 1519 - First Altenburger sermon (Luther and Karl von Miltitz). 1567 - Birth of Franciscus Aguilon physicist/mathematician/jesuit/architect. 1570 - Spanish viceroy Alva banishes Zutphen City's only physician, Joost Sweiter, "because he is a Jew". 1579 - Birth of Willem Teellinck Dutch theologist/vicar. 1581 - Birth of Bishop James Ussher Archbishop of Armagh, calculated Earth's beginning (November 23, 4004 BC). 1584 - Tobias Stimmer Swiss painter/cartoonist/playwright, dies at age 44. 1604 - Birth of Jacob Balde German jesuit/barok conductor (Jephthe). 1612 - Henry L Spieghel Dutch merchant/writer, dies at age 62. 1642 - King Charles I with 400 soldiers attacks the English parliament. 1643 - Birth of Isaac Newton in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England; physicist/mathematician/astronomer (Laws of Motion and Gravity) (dies 1727). 1675 - Birth of Bl. Liberatus (Johannes Laurentius Weiß) in Konnersreuth, Germany (near Bayreuth); missionary to Ethiopia, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988. 1678 - Johan Maetsuyker Dutch Governor-General of Ceylon (1653-78), dies at age 71. 1695 - Duke of Luxembourg Luxembourg/French marshal, dies. 1701 - Ernst R Tarhemberg Austria, field marshal, dies at age 62. 1707 - Louis Willem I count of Baden-Baden, dies. 1710 - Birth of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Italian composer (Il Prigioniero Superbo). 1717 - Birth of Antonio Maria Mazzoni composer. 1717 - Netherlands, England and France sign Triple Alliance. 1720 - Birth of Johann Friedrich Agricola German (court)composer/organist. 1725 - Benjamin Franklin arrives in London. 1726 - Birth of Cornelis Ploos van Amstel Dutch engraver/art collector. 1729 - Joseph de Montesquiou Earl d'Artagnan French Lieutenant-General , dies at age 77. 1729 - Meir Bacharach Hebrew poet, dies. 1739 - Birth of Henrik C Cras Dutch lawyer (Laudatio Hugonis Grotii). 1745 - Willem I Kerricx the Young, Flemish architect/painter, dies at age 62. 1752 - Gabriel Cramer Swiss mathematician (paradox of Cramer), dies at age 47. 1754 - Columbia University founded, as Kings College (New York City New York). 1756 - Birth of Anne Nagell van Ampsen Dutch politician. 1759 - Birth of Maria Rosa Coccia composer. 1761 - Stephen Hales English vicar/inventor (ventilator), dies at age 83. 1762 - England declares war on Spain and Naples. 1765 - Joseph Franz Xaver Dominik Stalder composer, dies at age 39. 1772 - Birth of Paul-Louis Courier (de Méré), French writer/interpreter. 1773 - Birth of Johann Peter Heuschkel composer. 1778 - Charles D J Eisen French engraver/painter, dies at age 57. 1780 - Snowstorm hit Washington's army at Morristown New Jersey. 1781 - André Méchain discovers M80 (globular cluster in Scorpio). 1782 - Ange-Jacques Gabriel French architect (Ecole Military), dies at age 83. 1785 - Jakob Grimm is born in Hanau, Germany; linguist, published collection of German legends and a complete German grammar, worked on a complete German dictionary, he and brother Wilhelm known most for the Grimms' fairy tales. 1786 - Moses Mendelssohn Jewish/German philosopher (Haksalah), dies at age 56. 1789 - Birth of Benjamin Lundy philanthropist/abolitionist. 1793 - Bengt Lidner Swedish poet (Medea/Yttersa domen), dies at age 35. 1797 - Birth of Wilhelm Beer in Berlin, Germany; amateur astronomer, constructed first Moon map. 1799 - Galib Dede/Seyh Galib Turkish poet (Hüsn ü Ask), dies at about age 40. 1804 - Charlotte Lennox English novelist (The Female Quixote), dies. 1805 - Birth of Stephan Hale Alonzo Marsh composer. 1807 - Birth of Baltasar Saldoni composer. 1809 - Bartolomeo Giacometti composer, dies at age 67. 1809 - Birth of Louis Braille in Coupvray, France; developer (reading system for blind) (dies 1852). 1813 - Birth of Alexander Freiherr von Bach Austria attorney/premier (1852-59). 1813 - Birth of Louis L Bonaparte English/French linguist/senator. 1813 - Birth of Sir Isaac Pitman inventor (shorthand). 1821 - Birth of John James Peck Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1878. 1821 - Elizabeth Ann Seton first native-born American saint, dies in Maryland. 1822 - Birth of Joseph Jones Reynolds Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1899. 1823 - Birth of Otto van Rees Governor-General of Dutch-Indies (1884-88). 1823 - Birth of Peter Joseph Osterhaus Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1917. 1825 - Ferdinand I King of Sicily/Naples (Ferdinand IV), dies at age 73. 1831 - Nikola P Neofit Rilski Bulgaria abbot/poet, dies at age 37. 1832 - Insurrection of Trinidad negroes. 1837 - Birth of Casimiro de Abreu Brazil, poet (Camoes e o jau). 1838 - Birth of Charles Stratton [General Tom Thumb] (famous short person). 1839 - Birth of Karl Humann in Steele, Germany; archaeologist, excavated ancient Greek cities. 1843 - Gaetano Donizetti's opera "Don Pasquale" premieres in Paris. 1843 - Petronella Moens Frisian author/poetess, dies at age 80. 1843 - Royal Academy (Technical Hague court) Delft opens. 1844 - Birth of Thomas H Rollinson composer. 1847 - Birth of Hendrik Goeman Borgesius Dutch politician. 1861 - Fort Morgan, Mobile, seized by Alabama. 1861 - President Buchanan appoints a fast on account of threatened succession. 1862 - Battle of Fort Hindman, Arkansas (Arkansas Post). 1862 - Battle of Helena, Arkansas. 1862 - Romney Campaign - Stonewall Jackson occupies Bath. 1863 - Four-wheeled roller skates patented by James Plimpton of New York. 1864 - Mateo Ferrer composer, dies at age 75. 1869 - Birth of Percy Pitt composer. 1872 - Birth of Edmund Rumpler Austria, auto/airplane builder. 1874 - Birth of Josef Suk Czech violinist/composer (Asrael). 1874 - Birth of Sven Fleuron writer. 1877 - Birth of Gibson Gowland England; actor (Blind Husbands, Phantom of the Opera). 1877 - Cornelius Vanderbilt US robber baron, dies at age 82. 1878 - Birth of Alfred Edgar Coppard England, writer (Black Dogs and Other Stories). 1880 - Anselm Feuerbach German painter, dies. 1881 - Birth of Wilhelm Lehmbruck in Meiderich, German; painter/poet/sculptor (Seated Youth). 1881 - Johannes Brahms' "Academic Festival Overture" premieres, Breslau. 1883 - Birth of Johanna Westerdijk botanist/Netherlands first female profressor (Utrecht, 1917-52). 1883 - Birth of Max F Eastman US, critic/essayist (Masses). 1883 - Nicolas Ledesma composer, dies at age 91. 1883 - Ontario Rugby Football Union (forerunner of Canadian Football League) formed. 1884 - Last sighting of an eastern cougar (Ontario). 1885 - Dr W W Grant of Iowa, performs first appendectomy (on Mary Gartside, 22). 1885 - Eduard Yosif Kotek composer, dies at age 29. 1886 - Ernest Panckoucke French publisher (Horace), dies at age 77. 1887 - Thomas Stevens is first man to bicycle around the world (San Francisco-San Francisco); 21,700km. 1888 - Birth of Arthur Berry England, soccer player (Olympics-gold-1908, 12). 1889 - Birth of Albertus W "Albert" van Dalsum actor/director (Abandoned Child). 1890 - Birth of Alfred G Jodl German Wehrmacht General/Chief of Staff. 1890 - Birth of Mosa Pijade Yugoslavia, Member of Parliament (communist). 1891 - Joe Hunter cricket wicket-keeper (England on 1884-85 Autralian tour), dies. 1893 - Birth of Manuel Palau Boix composer. 1893 - US President Harrison grants amnesty to Mormon polygamy. 1894 - Birth of Wesley La Violette composer. 1894 - France ratifies Duple Alliance with Russia. 1895 - Birth of Lourens G M Baas Becking Dutch botanist/resistance fighter. 1896 - AFL charters Actors' National Protective Union, New York City, New York. 1896 - Birth of André Aimé René Masson French Surrealist artist (Labyrinth). 1896 - Birth of Everett McKinley Dirkson (Senator-Republican-Illinois). 1896 - Following Mormon abandonment of polygamy, Utah admitted as 45th state. 1898 - First installment of William Dean Howell's "Life and Letters" appears. 1898 - Birth of Roger Vuataz composer. 1898 - Frantisek Pivoda composer, dies at age 73. 1902 - Hugh Trumble takes a hat-trick vs England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 1903 - Birth of Joris Diels Flemish actor/director (Haagsche Comedy). 1903 - Birth of Ramón Ernesto Cruz Uclés Honduras President (1971-72); overthrown. 1903 - Geo[rge J H] Poggenbeek Dutch surrealist painter, dies at age 49. 1903 - W H M "Dicky" Richards cricketer (score 4 and 0 in Test for South Africa), dies. 1904 - Ottawa Silver 7 beat Winnipeg Rowing Club two games to one (Stanley Cup). 1904 - US Supreme Court rules Puerto Ricans cannot be denied admission to US. 1905 - Birth of Sterling Holloway Cedartown Georgia, USA; actor (Waldo-Life of Riley). 1906 - South Africa beat England by one wicket, their first Test win. 1907 - George Bernard Shaw's "Don Juan in Hell" premieres in London. 1908 - Antony Winkler Prins writer (Groiller Encyclopaedia), dies at age 70. 1908 - Birth of Angela Maria "Geli" Raubal Austrian nude model/Hitler's lover. 1908 - Birth of Walther Vanbeselaere Flemish art historian. 1910 - Léon Delagrange French aviation pioneer, dies. 1912 - Smallest earth-moon distance this century, 356,375 km center-to-center. 1913 - Death of Alfred Graf von Schlieffen in Berlin, Germany, at age 79; Prussian General-field marshal, developed "Schlieffen Plan" used in World War I. 1913 - Birth of Malietoa Tanumafili II King of West-Samoa (1962-). 1914 - Birth of Jane Wyman Saint Joseph Missouri, first Mrs Ron Reagan, (Magnificent Obsession). 1914 - Birth of Mohammed Sahir shah (Afghanistan). 1914 - Redjâizade M Ekrem Turkish poet/writer, dies at about age 66. 1914 - Silas Weir Mitchell US physician/author (Free Quaker), dies at age 84. 1915 - First elected Jewish Governor, Moses Alexander, takes office in Idaho. 1915 - Trans-Caucausus Russian defeat Turkish troops. 1916 - Birth of Catherina Elisabeth "Tootje" Vreede portrait painter. 1916 - Birth of Robert Parrish Columbus Georgia, director (Casino Royale). 1917 - Birth of Jesse [Marc Weidenfeld] White Buffalo New York; actor (Maytag Repairman, Bedtime for Bonzo, Million Dollar Mermaid). 1917 - Birth of Maurice Wohl English broker/multi-millionaire. 1919 - Birth of Al "Jazbo" Collins New York City, New York, disk jockey (Tonight! America After Dark). 1919 - Birth of Havelock Henry Trevor Hudson underwriter (Lloyd's of London). 1920 - First Black baseball league, National Negro Baseball League, organizes. 1920 - Amsterdam actors decide to strike for retirement benefits. 1920 - Benito Pérez Galdós Spanish writer (Gloria), dies at age 76. 1920 - Birth of Benito Perez Galdos Spanish writer (Fortunata y Jacinta). 1920 - Birth of William Egan Colby US Central Intelligence Agency director (Nixon). 1921 - Eugene O'Neill's "Diff'rent" premieres in New York City, New York. 1922 - Birth of Frank Wess flutist/saxophonist/composer. 1923 - First broadcast of "Barn Dance Show" (WBAP - Fort Worth Texas). 1923 - Birth of Flavio Testi composer. 1923 - Lenin's "Political Testament" calls for removal of Stalin. 1925 - Birth of Veikko Hakulinen Finland, 30K/50K cross country skier (Olympics-gold-1956). 1925 - French psychologist Emil Coué brings his self-esteem therapy to US "Every day in every way I am getting better and better". 1926 - Theodorus Pangalos resigns as Greek dictator. 1927 - Birth of Barbara Rush Denver Colorado, actress (Marsha-Peyton Place, Flamingo Road). 1929 - Birth of Amitai W Etzioni US sociologist (Active Society). 1929 - Birth of Bobby Tulloch ornithologist. 1930 - Birth of Don Shula; NFL coach (Miami Dolphins). 1930 - Birth of Iain Cuthbertson British actor (Guilty, Scandal, Rep, Danger UXB). 1930 - Birth of Sorrell Booke in Buffalo, New York, USA; actor (Bye Bye Braverman, Black Like Me, Boss Hogg in Dukes of Hazzard). 1930 - Birth of Bernhard Lehner (1930 - 1944) in Herrngiersdorf near Regensburg. At age 13 he fell ill and was hospitalized. After 10 weeks of intense suffering which he accepted with dedication to God, he died. He is said to have had healing powers during this period and helped others in their illnesses. 1931 - Art Acord western actor (Set Free, Spurs and Saddles), dies at age 40. 1932 - Birth of Richard Stahl Detroit Michigan; actor (Howard-It's a Living). 1932 - Bradman scores 167 for Australia vs South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 1932 - British East Indies Viceroy Willingdon arrests Gandhi and Nehru. 1932 - State of siege proclaimed in Honduras. 1933 - Birth of Ed Jenkins (Representative-Democrat-Georgia, 1977-). 1933 - Lucas Lindeboom Dutch evangelist (Vredebond), dies at age 87. 1933 - In an attempt to gain power, Franz von Papen makes a deal with Adolf Hitler and is able to have him appointed chancellor of Germany. Von Papen believed he would be able to control Hitler and the Nazis. 1934 - First Dutch talkie movie, Jan Teunissen's "Willem of Orange" premieres. 1935 - Birth of Floyd Patterson; heavyweight champion (1956-59, 1960-62) (Olympics-gold-1952), dies 2006. 1935 - Birth of Kenneth Money Canada, astronaut (STS 42-alt). 1935 - Bob Hope first heard on network radio as part of "The Intimate Revue". 1935 - Fort Jefferson National Monument, Florida established. 1936 - Billboard magazine publishes its first music hit parade. 1936 - Grimmett becomes world record wicket taker with no 190 vs South Africa. 1937 - Birth of Dyan Cannon in Tacoma, Washington, USA; Mrs Cary Grant, actress (Heaven Can Wait). 1937 - Birth of Grace Bumbry Saint Louis, mezzo-soprano (Venus in Tannhäuser). 1937 - Birth of R Surendranath cricketer (Indian pace bowler in 11 Tests early 60s). 1938 - Birth of Louis Krebs Graham Nashville Tennessee, PGA golfer (1975 US Open). 1939 - Birth of Jon Appleton composer. 1939 - Birth of Oliver Clark Buffalo New York; actor (Bob Newhart Show, Two of Us). 1939 - Frieda Wunderlich elected first woman dean of a US graduate school. 1939 - Hermann Goering appoints Reinhard Heydrich head of Jewish Emigration. 1940 - Birth of Anthony Skooter Teague Texas; actor (How to Succeed in Business). 1940 - Birth of Brian Josephson British physicist (Nobel Prize 1973). 1940 - Conrad Weiss German writer/poet (Heart of Words), dies at age 59. 1941 - Birth of John Bennett Perry Williamstown Massachusetts, singer/actor (Falcon Crest). 1941 - Birth of Jörg Remé German/Dutch painter/graphic artist. 1941 - Birth of Maureen Reagan first daughter (Ronald Reagan). 1941 - Henri Bergson French philosopher (Le Rire, Nobel Prize 1928), dies at age 81. 1941 - Resistance fighters counter d'Estienne d'Orves/Jan Doornik, first meet. 1941 - Sergey Rachmaninov's "Symphonie Dances" premieres in Philadelphia. 1942 - Birth of John McLaughlin rock guitarist (Sentimental Journey/Clouds of Joy). 1942 - Leon Jessel composer, dies at age 70. 1942 - NFL Pro Bowl: Chicago Bears beats NFL All-Stars 35-24. 1942 - Premier Churchill and General Marshall fly to Florida. 1942 - Rogers Hornsby is 14th player selected to the Hall of Fame. 1943 - Birth of Tom Wilkinson Canadian Football League quarterback (Edmonton Eskimos). 1943 - Thomas Mann completes his tetralogy, "Joseph and His Brothers". 1944 - Birth of Volker Hornback rocker (Tangerine Dream). 1944 - Henri "Hans" Flu Indonesian/Dutch family doctor/anti-fascist, murder. 1944 - Kaj Munk [Harald Leininger], anti-fascist writer (Kaj Munk), dies. 1944 - Ralph Bunche appointed first Negro official in US State Department. 1945 - Birth of Jay Dee Maness Loma Linda California, singer (Desert Rose Band-Love Reunited). 1945 - Germans execute resistance fighters in Amsterdam. 1945 - US jeep-aircraft carrier Ommaney Bay sinks after kamikaze attack. 1945 - Sixty-nine American B-29 bombers from the Marianas Islands attack Kobe, Japan, with incendiary bombs, destroying 2.5 million square feet of the city. 1946 - Barney Oldfield daredevil, dies at age 67. 1946 - Birth of Bernard Sumner rocker (New Order-Round and Round). 1947 - The first issue of the German news magazine Der Spiegel is published. It starts as a publication under the authority of the British occupation forces. Former name was Diese Woche. 1947 - "Park Avenue" closes at Shubert Theater New York City, New York after 72 performances. 1947 - "Show Boat" closes at Ziegfeld Theater New York City, New York after 417 performances. 1947 - Birth of J Danforth Quayle (Senator-Republican-Indiana, 44th Vice President 1989-1993). 1947 - Forrest Reid Irish author/critic (Young Tom, Apostate), dies at age 71. 1948 - Britain grants independence to Burma. 1949 - Birth of Mick Mills British soccer player. 1951 - Birth of Barbara Ann Cochran Claremont New Hampshire, slalom skier (Olympics-gold-1972). 1951 - During Korean conflict, North Korean forces captured Seoul. 1952 - Constantly Permeke Flemish painter (Boerin), dies at age 65. 1953 - Arthur Hoyt actor (Gold Rush Gertie, Lost World), dies at age 78. 1954 - Elvis Presley records a 10 minute demo in Nashville. 1954 - Soap Opera The Brighter Day premieres. 1955 - Birth of Kathy Forester Lookout Mountain Georgia, country singer (Forester Sister-Men). 1955 - Birth of Mark Hollis English pop musician (Talk Talk, Dum Dum Girl). 1955 - Dominicus Johner composer, dies at age 80. 1955 - François Rasse composer, dies at age 81. 1955 - Jan D Domela Nieuwenhuis Nyegaard Dutch preacher, dies at age 84. 1956 - Alexandr Tikhonovich Grechaninov composer, dies at age 91. 1956 - Birth of Ann Magnuson Charleston West Virginia, actress (Anything But Love, Hunger). 1956 - Birth of Barney Sumner rock guitarist/vocalist (New Order-Blue Monday). 1956 - Birth of Bernard Albrecht English pop guitarist (Joy Division). 1957 - Blondie situation comedy premieres on NBC TV (later on CBS). 1957 - Birth of Patty Loveless [Ramey], Pikeville Kentucky, singer (Blue Side of Town). 1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers buy 44 passenger twin-engine airplane for $775,000. 1957 - Death of Theodor Körner in Vienna, Austria, at age 84; colonel in the Austrian army when World War I began, rose to the office of chief of staff, then inspector general of the new Austrian army after the war, post-war mayor of Vienna, then finally elected president of Austria in 1951. 1958 - Birth of Matt Frewer in Washington DC, USA; actor (Max Headroom, Doctor Doctor). 1958 - Birth of Nina Foust in Asheboro, North Carolina, USA; LPGA golfer (1994 Hawaiian Ladies Open-6th). 1958 - Sputnik 1 re-enters Earth's atmosphere from its orbit and burns up. 1958 - Waverley John Anderson of Scotland, Viscount/Governor of Bengal, dies at age 75. 1959 - Birth of Vanity [Denise Marquardt] in Ontario, Canada; actress (52 Pick Up). 1959 - Luna 1 (Mechta) becomes first spacecraft to leave Earth's gravity and reach the vicinity of the Moon. 1959 - CBS premieres The General Electric College Bowl 30-minute TV game show. 1960 - Albert Camus, French author (Stranger), dies in an automobile accident at age 46. 1960 - Birth of Cory Everson in Racine, Wisconsin, USA; body builder (six times Ms Olympia). 1960 - Birth of Michael Stipe; US rock vocalist (REM - "Losing My Religion", "Stand"). 1960 - European Free Trade Association forms in Stockholm, Sweden. 1961 - Barry Fitzgerald, actor (Going My Way), dies at age 72. 1961 - Birth of Lee Curreri in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Bruno Martelli - Fame). 1961 - Longest recorded strike ends-33 years-Danish barbers' assistants. 1961 - Death of Erwin Schrödinger in Vienna, Austria; theoretical physicist, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1933 for his work on the wave theory of matter. 1962 - New York City introduces the first automated subway train that operates without a crew on-board. 1962 - Birth of Joe Kleine; NBA center (Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls). 1962 - Birth of Martin McAloon; rocker (Prefab Sprout-2 Wheels Good). 1962 - Birth of Patrick Cassidy in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor/composer (Fever Pitch, Off the Wall). 1963 - Birth of Dave Foley; actor/comedian (Kids In The Hall, Dave Nelson - News Radio). 1963 - Birth of Linda Muri in Killingly, Connecticut, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1963 - Soviet Luna (4) reaches Earth orbit but fails to reach Moon. 1964 - Birth of Stephanie Maxwell-Pierson in Somerville, New Jersey, USA; American rower (Olympics-1992). 1964 - Ralph Dumke, actor (Movieland Quiz), dies at age 64. 1965 - Birth of David Glasper; rocker (Breathe - "All I Need"). 1965 - Birth of Guy Forget in Morocco; tennis star. 1965 - Birth of Jergus Baca Liptovsky in Mikulas, Czechoslovakia; IHL defenseman (Team Slovakia 1998). 1965 - Birth of John Jackson; NFL offensive tackle (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1965 - Birth of Julia Ormond in London, England; actress (Sabrina, Legends of the Fall). 1965 - Birth of Kevin Wickander; US baseball pitcher (Cincinnati Reds). 1965 - Birth of Mitch Booth; Australian tornado yachter (Olympics-1996). 1965 - Birth of Rick Hearst Howard Beach, New York City, New York, USA; actor (Alan-Michael - Guiding Light). 1965 - US President Lyndon Johnson gives "Great Society" State of the Union Address. 1965 - T. S. Eliot poet (Washed Country), dies in London, England, at age 76. 1966 - Birth of Deana Carter; country singer (Strawberry Wine). 1966 - Doug Walters scores second Test century in his second Test. 1967 - Birth of David Wayne Toms in Monroe, Louisiana, USA; PGA golfer (1992 Northern Telecom-third). 1967 - Birth of Michael "Mike" Peterson in Washington DC; rower (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of Rick Cunningham; NFL tackle (Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders). 1967 - Donald Campbell, boat racer, dies trying to break 300 mph on water. 1968 - Birth of Jackie Harris; NFL tight end (Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1968 - Joseph Pholien, Belgian Prime Minister (1950-52) communist fighter, dies at age 83. 1968 - Leo Fender sells Fender Guitars for US$13 million. 1969 - Birth of Corie Blount; NBA forward (Los Angeles Lakers). 1969 - Birth of Kees van Wonderen; Dutch soccer player (NEC/NAC). 1969 - Birth of Lindsay Kennedy in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; actor (Jeb - Little House on the Prairie). 1969 - France begins arms embargo against Israel. 1969 - Montague Fawcett Phillips, composer, dies at age 83. 1970 - Beatles last recording session at EMI studios. 1970 - Birth of Colin Scrivener; Canadian Football League defensive tackle (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1970 - Birth of Sean Lumpkin; NFL safety (New Orleans Saints). 1970 - Kansas City Chiefs beat Oakland Raiders 17-7 in AFC championship game. 1970 - Minnesota Vikings beat Cleveland Browns 27-7 in NFC championship game. 1970 - Walter Cronkite ends hosting weekly documentary. 1971 - Birth of Carlos Perez; Dominican/US baseball pitcher (Montreal Expos). 1971 - Birth of Deb Sonnenberg in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; softball pitcher (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Errol Brown; Canadian Football League defensive back (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1971 - Birth of Garrison Hearst; NFL running back (Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers). 1971 - Birth of Jeremy Licht in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Mark-Valerie/Hogan Family). 1971 - Birth of Orlanda Truitt; wide receiver (Oakland Raiders). 1971 - Birth of Richard Chee Quee; cricketer (New South Wales opening batsman Fiji/Chinese ancestry). 1971 - US Congressional Black Caucus organizes. 1971 - Dr Melvin H Evans inaugurated as first elected Governor of Virgin Islands. 1971 - Ohio agrees to pay US$675,000 to relatives of Kent State prison victims. 1971 - Philadelphia's Veteran Stadium dedicated. 1972 - Birth of Mike McCoy; WLAF quarterback (Amsterdam Admirals). 1972 - Carl-Olof Anderberg, composer, dies at age 57. 1973 - Birth of Lamont Warren; NFL running back (Indianapolis Colts). 1973 - Birth of Ray Mickens; cornerback (New York Jets). 1973 - Birth of Todd Sauerbrun; NFL punter/kicker (Chicago Bears). 1974 - Birth of Carl Powell; defensive end (Indianapolis Colts). 1974 - Karel Janacek, composer, dies at age 70. 1974 - US President Richard Nixon refuses to hand over tapes subpoenaed by Watergate Committee. 1975 - Carlo Levi, Italian writer (Parole Sono Pietre), dies at age 72. 1975 - US President Gerald Ford signs Executive Order No. 11828 on US Central Intelligence Agency Activities within the US. 1975 - Ice thickness measured at 4776 m, Wilkes Land, Antarctica. 1975 - Montreal Canadiens shutout Washington Capitals 10-0. 1976 - Candide closes at Broadway Theater in New York City, New York after 740 performances. 1976 - Jan B Cammans, Flemish actor (Brothers Karamazov), dies at age 84. 1977 - Mary Shane is hired by Chicago White Sox as first woman TV play-by-play. 1978 - Willem Bruynzeel, Dutch timber/lumber/wood manufacturer, dies at age 76. 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. 1980 - Birth of Erin Cahill; American actress. 1981 - Peter Pan closes at Lunt-Fontanne Theater in New York City, New York after 578 performances. 1981 - 69th Australian Mens Tennis: B Teacher beats Kim Warwick (7-5, 7-6, 6-3). 1981 - Sheffield police arrest Peter Sutcliffe, a 34-year-old lorry driver, on suspicion of being the Yorkshire Ripper who has killed 13 women and attacked seven others over the last six years (later convicted). 1982 - San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge closed for third time by fierce storm. 1982 - Birth of Richard Logan; English footballer. 1982 - Birth of Kang Hye-jeong; South Korean actress. 1982 - Bryant Gumbel became co-host of NBC's Today Show. 1983 - US Football League holds its first player draft. 1983 - Birth of Spencer Chamberlain; American musician. 1984 - Edmonton Oilers beats Minnesota North Stars 12-8 - highest-scoring modern NHL game to date. 1984 - Night Court starring Harry Anderson premieres on NBC TV. 1985 - Birth of Al Jefferson; National Basketball Association player. 1985 - Brian Gwynne Horrocks, English Lieutenant-General (A Full Life), dies at age 89 (born 1895). 1986 - Christopher Isherwood, British writer (Lions and Shadows), dies at age 81. 1986 - David Boon's second Test century, 131 vs India at Adelaide. 1986 - NCAA basketball's David Robinson blocks a record 14 shots. 1986 - Phil Lynott, lead singer and bassist of rock group Thin Lizzy, dies of overdose at age 34 (born 1949). 1987 - An Amtrak train en route from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts collides with Conrail engines in Chase, Maryland, killing 16. 1987 - F van Heek, Dutch sociologist, dies at age 79. 1987 - Jack Martin, cricketer (English pace bowler, 1-111 and 0-18 in Test), dies. 1987 - Peggy Bacon, author/illustrator (Off With Their Heads), dies at age 91. 1988 - Birth of Nabila Jamshed, Indian Fantasy Novelist. 1989 - Comet Tempel 1 at perihelion. 1989 - Over the Gulf of Sidra, two Libyan MiG-23 "Floggers" are engaged and shot down by two US Navy F-14 Tomcats. 1989 - US Vice President George Bush is first since Vice President Van Buren to declare himself President. 1990 - Alberto Lleras Camargo, President of Colombia (1945-46, 1958-62), dies. 1990 - Robert F Adams, American sci-fi author (Castaways in Time), dies at age 57. 1990 - Over 300 people are killed in a train accident in Ghotki, Pakistan. 1990 - Death of Doc Edgerton, American electrical engineer (born 1903). 1991 - Berry Kroeger, actor (Demon Seed), dies of kidney failure at age 78. 1991 - Fu Mingxia, 12, of China wins World Swimming Championships gold medal. 1991 - Harry Krimer, actor (Napoleon), suicide at age 94. 1991 - Jan Krzystof Bielecki becomes premier of Poland. 1991 - The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously to condemn Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. 1991 - Leo N Wright, US saxophonist (I Left My Heart in San Francisco), dies at age 57. 1992 - 8th largest wrestling crowd (60,000-Tokyo Dome). 1992 - Earl Colbert, entertainer, dies. 1992 - William Walker, stuntman/actor (Our Man Flint), dies at age 74. 1993 - 7th largest wrestling crowd (63,500-Tokyo Dome). 1993 - Daniel H Craven, South African rugby coach, dies. 1993 - Joe Keenan, actor (Conviction of Kitty Dodd), dies of cancer at age 69. 1994 - 10th largest wrestling crowd (58,000-Tokyo Dome). 1994 - Jim Booth, New Zealand producer (Heavenly Creatures), dies at age 48. 1994 - The last episode of the TV show Bakersfield P.D. airs. 1994 - Michiel P "Michael" Gorsira, Governor of Curaçao (1951-67), dies at age 80. 1995 - D Elmina Davies, filmmaker, dies at age 36. 1995 - Dorothy Granger, US actress (Hog Wild, Dentist), dies at about age 80. 1995 - Death of Sol Tax, American anthropologist (born 1907). 1995 - Eduardo Mata, Mexican conductor, dies in air crash at age 52. 1995 - Jonathan Zeitlyn, artist, dies at age 43. 1995 - Leonard Hirsch, British violinist/conductor (BBC Empire Orchestra), dies at age 92. 1995 - Birth of María Isabel, Spanish singer. 1995 - The 104th US Congress convenes, the first controlled by Republicans in both houses since 1953. Newt Gingrich is speaker of the House. 1995 - Robert Clifford Latham Pepys, scholar, dies at age 82. 1996 - Father opens at Criterion Theater in New York City, New York for 52 performances. 1996 - Ramon Vinay, operatic tenor/baritone, dies at age 83. 1996 - Roy McKelvie, soldier/sports writer, dies at age 83. 1997 - Death of Harry Helmsley, American real estate mogul (Empire State Building), at age 87 (born 1909). 1998 - "Funny Thing Happened" closes at Saint James theater in New York City, New York after 715 performances. 1998 - "Ivanov" closes at Vivian Beaumont Theater in New York City, New York after 51 performances. 1998 - "Triumph of Love" closes at Royale Theater in New York City, New York. 1998 - John Gary, singer, dies at age 65. 1998 - Wilaya of Relizane massacres in Algeria: Over 170 are killed in three remote villages. 1998 - Death of Mae Questel, American actress (born 1908). 1999 - Gunmen open fire on Shiite Muslims worshipping in a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing 16 people and injuring 25. 2000 - Birth of Rhiannon Leigh Wryn, American actress. 2000 - Alan Greenspan is nominated for a fourth term as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman. 2002 - The Saint Louis Cardinals agrees to a three-year, $27 million deal with Matt Morris. 2003 - Death of Conrad Hall, Tahitian-born cinematographer (born 1926). 2003 - Death of Yfrah Neaman, Lebanese-born violinist (born 1923). 2004 - The LSU Tigers defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 21-14 for the national Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title. 2004 - Mikhail Saakashvili wins the presidential elections in Georgia. 2004 - NASA's MER-A (Spirit) lands on Mars at 04:35 UTC. 2004 - Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. 2004 - Death of Joan Aiken, English author (born 1924). 2005 - Death of Alton Tobey, American artist (born 1914). 2005 - Death of Guy Davenport, American author, artist, and scholar (born 1927). 2005 - Gunmen assassinate the Governor of Baghdad, Ali Al-Haidri. 2006 - Death of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (born 1946). 2006 - Powers are transferred from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to his deputy, Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, after Sharon suffers a massive hemorrhagic stroke. 2007 - Nancy Pelosi becomes the first female speaker of the United States House of Representatives. 2007 - Death of Marais Viljoen, State President of South Africa (born 1915). 2008 - In the USA, Warner Bros studio announces it will drop support for the HD DVD video disc format on June 1, and will exclusively release high-definition DVDs in Sony's Blu-ray format. Warner Bros is Hollywood's biggest seller of DVDs, representing about 19 percent of sales in the United States. You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/thisday/   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