This Day in History
January 7

What happened in history on this day: January 7? On January 7 in ... 312 - Lucianus of Antioch, theologist/saint, dies. 754 - Pope Stefanus II arrives in Ponthion. 1130 - Baldricus Burgoliensis French historian/archbishop, dies at about age 83. 1285 - Charles I of Anjou king of Naples/brother of King Louis IX, dies at age 58. 1325 - Afonso IV succeeds Dionysius as king of Portugal. 1325 - Dionysius the justified, King of Portugal (1279-1325), dies. 1451 - Amadeus VIII last anti-pope Felix V (1439-49), dies at age 67. 1528 - Birth of Jeanne d'Albret queen of Navarra/mother of French King Henry IV. 1529 - Peter Vischer the Old, German count of Sebaldus, dies. 1536 - Catherine of Aragon first wife of England's King Henry VIII, dies. 1537 - Alessandro de' Medici Italian monarch of Florence, assassinated. 1539 - Birth of Sebastián de Covarrubias Horozco Spanish lexicographer. 1558 - Calais, last English possession in France, retaken by French under Francois, Duke of Guise. 1566 - Antonio Michaele Ghislieri is elected Pope Pius V. 1566 - Ludovicus Blosius [Louis de Blois "Dacrianus"], wrtier, dies. 1579 - England signs an offensive and defensive alliance with the Netherlands. 1584 - Last day of the Julian calendar in Bohemia and Holy Roman empire. 1590 - Jacob Andreae German theologist (Formulae Concordiae), dies at age 61. 1591 - Jacobus de Kerle French/Flemish composer, dies at about age 59. 1598 - Boris Godunov seizes the Russian throne on death of Feodore I. 1598 - Theodorus I [Fedor Ivanovitch], czar of Russia (1584-98), dies at age 40. 1601 - Robert, Earl of Essex leads revolt in London against Queen Elizabeth. 1608 - Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia. 1610 - Galileo discovers first three Jupiter satellites, Io, Europa and Ganymede. 1611 - Birth of James Harrington England, political author (Commonwealth of Oceans). 1612 - Birth of Paul de La Pierre composer. 1618 - Francis Bacon becomes English lord chancellor. 1622 - Germany and Transylvania sign Peace of Nikolsburg. 1630 - Composer Pier Cavalli marries rich widow Maria Sosomeno. 1634 - Birth of Adam Krieger German composer. 1652 - Birth of Pavao Vitezovic Croatia, writer/historian. 1653 - Birth of Bernhard Albinus Germany, court-physician (Frederick of Prussia). 1654 - Fire after heavy storm destroys 2/3 of De Rijp Netherlands, one dies. 1655 - Innocentius X [Giambattista Pamfili], pope (1644-55), dies at age 80. 1678 - Johannes Flittner composer, dies at age 59. 1685 - Birth of Gerard George Clifford Dutch director of East India Company. 1695 - Queen Mary II of England dies after five years of rule at age 32. 1698 - Russian Czar Peter the Great departs Netherlands to England. 1710 - Birth of Josef Antonin Sehling composer. 1714 - Typewriter patented by Englishman Henry Mill (built years later). 1721 - Rochus Aerts, Flemish sculptor, dies. 1722 - Antoine Coypel French painter/poet, dies at age 60. 1736 - Ceslav Vanura composer, dies at age 41. 1742 - Birth of Christian Garve; enlightenment philosopher, professor at the University of Leipzig. 1755 - Gallus Zeiler composer, dies at age 49. 1758 - Allan Ramsay Sr Scottish poet (Gentle Shepherd), dies at age 71. 1761 - Battle at Panipat, India; Afghan army beats Mahratten. 1782 - First US commercial bank, Bank of North America, opens in Philadelphia. 1784 - First US seed business established by David Landreth, Philadelphia. 1785 - First balloon flight across English Channel (Blanchard and Jeffries). 1789 - America's first presidential election is held; only white men who own property are allowed to vote. George Washington wins the election. 1790 - Antonio Corbisiero composer, dies at age 69. 1799 - Birth of Daniel Tyler Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1882. 1800 - Birth of Millard Fillmore in Locke, New York, USA; New York State Assembly member (1929-31), US House of Representatives member (Whig, 1833-43), New York state comptroller (1848-49), US Vice President (1849-50), 13th US President (1850-53). 1808 - Birth of Jacob Ammen Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1894. 1810 - Joseph Lipavsky composer, dies at age 37. 1816 - Birth of Stephen Miller Brigadier General (Union volunteers) (dies 1881). 1817 - The Second Bank of the United States opens for business. 1821 - Birth of Lucius Jeremiah Gartrell Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1891. 1822 - First printing in Hawaii. 1822 - Birth of Lucius C M Bakker Frisian physician/author (Goethe). 1822 - Birth of Theodor Aufrecht German indologist (Rigveda's Hymns). 1822 - Liberia colonized by Americans. 1824 - Birth of James Morrison Hawes Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1889. 1830 - Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company begins carrying revenue traffic - first US Railroad Station (Baltimore Maryland). 1830 - Birth of (Samuel) Emerson Opdycke Brevet Major General (Union volunteers). 1830 - Birth of Albert Bierstadt in Dusseldorf, Germany; painter of grandiose scenes of the American West, part of the "Hudson River School". 1833 - Ramon Felix Cuellar y Altarriba composer, dies at age 55. 1835 - HMS Beagle anchors off Chonos Archipelago. 1839 - Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre announces Daguerrotype photo process at French Academy of Science. 1841 - British ships begin attack on Chinese forts at Canton River. 1842 - Birth of Johan Lindegren composer. 1842 - Gioacchino Rossini's opera "Stabat Mater" premieres in Paris. 1843 - Franz Schoberlechner composer, dies at age 45. 1844 - Birth of Marie-Bernarde Soubirous [St Bernadette of Lourdes], saint/visionary. 1845 - Birth of Louis III last king of Bavaria (1913-18). 1845 - Birth of Paul Deusen German philosopher (Schopenhauer-Gesellschaft). 1853 - Birth of Nikolai Arkas composer. 1855 - Birth of Eliëzer Ben-Jehuda [Perelmann], Latvia, writer (first Hebrew newspaper). 1858 - Willem Broes vicar/theologist (Textenrol), dies at age 91. 1860 - Birth of Emanuil Mandlov composer. 1861 - Florida troops takeover Fort Marion at Saint Augustine. 1862 - Battle of Manassas Junction, Virginia. 1862 - Romney Campaign - Stonewall Jackson march towards Romney, West Virginia. 1868 - Arkansas constitutional convention meets in Little Rock. 1868 - Birth of Abraham M "Mark" Lidzbarski Polish/German orientalist. 1868 - Mississippi constitutional convention meets in Jackson. 1868 - William Batchelder Bradbury composer, dies at age 51. 1870 - Karl Schwencke composer, dies at age 72. 1873 - Birth of Adolph Zukor Hungary, movie producer/director/executive (Paramount). 1873 - Birth of Charles Pierre Péguy Orléans France, Catholic writer (God Speaks). 1875 - Birth of Thomas Hicks English/US marathon runner (Olympics-gold-1904). 1876 - Birth of William Yeates Hurlstone composer. 1877 - Birth of Johannes F Buziau Dutch cabaret performer (one great dog). 1879 - Birth of Saint Bernadette (Marie-Bernarde Soubirous) 1844, religious visionary. 1879 - Dutch King Willem II marries Emma von Waldeck-Pyrmont. 1883 - Birth of Andrew Browne Irish/British admiral (WWII). 1887 - Abraham I van Lier Dutch actor/director (Gran Théâtre), dies at age 74. 1890 - Death of Maria Luise Augusta Katharina in Berlin, Germany; Empress of the German Reich after 1871 as the wife of Wilhelm I. 1890 - Birth of Henny Porten Magdeburg Germany, silent screen star (Deception). 1890 - Birth of Maurice E McLoughlin tennis champion (US Open-1912). 1890 - Hans Matthison-Hansen composer, dies at age 82. 1890 - W B Purvis patents fountain pen. 1891 - Carl Gottfried Wilhelm Taubert composer, dies at age 79. 1892 - Birth of Rudolf Moser composer. 1892 - Mine explosion kills 100, Krebs Oklahoma-blacks trying to help rescue white survivors, driven away with guns. 1892 - Tewfik Pasja viceroy of Egypt, dies at age 39. 1893 - Death of Josef Stefan in Vienna, Austria; physicist at the University of Vienna; the Stefan-Boltzmann law of physics. 1893 - Hermann Sudermanns "Heimat" premieres in Berlin. 1894 - Birth of Jose Rozo Contreras composer. 1894 - Motion picture experiment of comedian Fred Ott filmed sneezing. 1895 - Birth of Marie-Dominique Chenu French Roman Catholic theologist. 1896 - Birth of Arnold Ridley Bath England; actor/dramatist (The Ghost Train). 1896 - Fanny Farmer publishes her first cookbook. 1898 - Birth of Art Baker New York City, New York, TV host (You Asked For It). 1898 - Birth of Geronimo Baqueiro Foster composer. 1899 - Birth of Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc in Paris, France; composer/pianist (Les Biches). 1899 - Birth of Kenneth Thomson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Broadway Melody, Little Giant). 1903 - Birth of Alan Napier in Birmingham, England; actor (Alfred - Batman). 1904 - Marconi Company establishes "CQD" as first international radio distress signal. 1910 - Birth of Alain de Rothschild in France; banker/baron. 1910 - Birth of Jack Lovelock; New Zealand/US surgeon/runner (Olympics-gold-1936). 1910 - Ottawa Senators sweep Galt in two games for the Stanley Cup. 1911 - First airplane bombing experiments conducted with explosives, in San Francisco, California. 1911 - Birth of Butterfly [Thelma] McQueen in Tampa, Florida, USA; actress (Prissy - Gone With the Wind). 1911 - Birth of Merv Waite; cricket player (South Australian all-rounder). 1911 - Dutch Scouts Organization established in Amsterdam. 1912 - Birth of Charles Addams; cartoonist (New Yorker, Addams Family). 1913 - Birth of Francis De Wolff in England; actor (From Russia With Love). 1913 - Birth of Shirley Ross in Omaha, Nebraska, USA; actress (Cafe Society, Prison Farm). 1913 - William M Burton patents a process to "crack" petroleum. 1915 - Birth of Herman Musaph; Dutch psychiatrist/sexologist/founder (NVSH). 1916 - Birth of Gerrit Schulte AKA De Bossche Reus in the Netherlands; Dutch six day bicyclist, ten-time national champion, twice European champion, World Champion. 1916 - Birth of Paul Keres; USSR chess grandmaster (1950). 1916 - German troops conquer Fort Vaux at Verdun. 1918 - Birth of Alessadro Natta; Italian political leader (Communist Party). 1918 - Birth of Colin Snedden; cricket player (Test New Zealand versus England 1947, 0-46, did not bat). 1918 - Death of Julius Wellhausen in Gottingen, Germany; biblical scholar, professor of Old Testament at the University of Greifswald. 1921 - Benno Erdmann, German philosopher (Logik I), dies at age 69. 1922 - Birth of Vincent Gardenia in Naples, Italy; actor (All in the Family, L.A. Law). 1924 - Birth of Roloff Beny in Alberta, Canada; painter/photographer (A Time of Gods). 1925 - Birth of Gerald Malcolm in Durrell, Britain; zoologist/writer (Mockery Bird). 1927 - Commercial transatlantic telephone service inaugurated between New York and London. 1927 - Harlem Globetrotters play first basketball game (Hinckley, Illinois). 1928 - Birth of Rajindranath; cricket player (4 stumpings in his only Test for India). 1928 - Birth of William Peter Blatty in New York City, New York, USA; author (The Exorcist). 1929 - Buck Rogers, first sci-fi comic strip, premieres. 1929 - Tarzan, one of the first adventure comic strips, first appears. 1929 - First telephone connection between Netherlands and East Indies. 1929 - Birth of Douglas Kiker; NBC newsman (1970 Peabody Award). 1929 - Birth of Kenneth Henry; American 500m speed skater (Olympics-gold-1952). 1929 - Birth of Terry Moore [Helen Luella Koford] in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Little Sheba). 1929 - Henry Arthur Jones, English playwright (Silver King), dies at age 77. 1930 - Rudolf Häpke, historian (Entstehung Holländ Wirtschaft), dies at age 45. 1931 - Birth of Mack Mattingly; American politician (Senator-Republican-Georgia, 1981-86). 1932 - First game played at Orchard Lake Curling Club, Michigan, USA. 1932 - Henri Stroethoff, Dutch actor (Bright Paradise), dies at age 60. 1933 - First edition of People and Fatherland published in Netherlands. 1933 - Birth of Elliot Kastner in New York City, New York, USA; producer (Bobo, Big Sleep, Ffolkes). 1934 - Flash Gordon comic strip (by Alex Raymond) debuts. 1934 - Birth of Charles Lamont Jenkins in New York City, New York, USA; 400m runner (Olympics-gold-1956). 1934 - Dutch Princess Juliana marries German prince Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld. 1935 - Birth of Valeri Nikolayevich Kubasov; cosmonaut (Soyuz 6, 19, 36/35, Apollo-Soyuz). 1936 - Birth of Eldee Young; American bassist (Young Holt Unlimited - "Hang on Sloopy"). 1936 - Howard Francis, cricket player (two Tests South Africa versus England 1898-99, 39 runs), dies. 1936 - Tennis champions Helen Moody and Howard Kinsley volley 2,001 times (1 hour 18 minutes). 1938 - Birth of Jasperina de Jong; Dutch cabaret performer (Jan Rao en z'n Maat). 1938 - Spanish insurgent garrison of 2000 surrenders to Loyalists at Teruel, Spain. 1938 - Joseph P. Kennedy is appointed American Ambassador to Great Britain, and Hugh R. Wilson is appointed Ambassador to Germany. 1939 - US workers' union leader Tom Mooney freed (jailed since 1916). 1941 - Birth of Frederick Drew Gregory in Washington DC, USA; Colonel US Air Force/astronaut (STS 51-B, 33, 44). 1941 - Birth of Robert Hicks; rocker (Paul Butterfield Blues Band). 1942 - Birth of Paul Revere in Boise, Idaho, USA; keyboardist (Paul Revere and Raiders - "Fallin in Love", "Good Thing"). 1942 - Birth of Vasili Alexeyev in USSR; weightlifter (Olympics-gold-1972, 1976). 1942 - Henry Count of Baillet-Latour, president of International Olympic Committee (1925-42), dies at age 63. 1942 - US and Filipino forces withdraw to Bataan. 1943 - Birth of Jim Lefebvre in Hawthorne, California, USA; baseball manager (Seattle Mariners). 1943 - Birth of Leona Williams; singer/songwriter ("Ladies Get the Blues"). 1943 - Nikola Tesla, Yugoslavian physicist (tesla motor), dies at age 86. 1944 - US Air Force announces production of first US jet fighter, the Bell P-59. 1944 - Birth of Ad [GB] Nijhuis; Dutch Member of Parliament (VVD). 1944 - Birth of Mike McGear in Liverpool, England; singer (Paul McCartney's brother). 1944 - J Verleun, Dutch resistance fighter, is executed. 1945 - Birth of Tony Conigliaro in Massachusetts, USA; baseball outfielder (Boston Red Sox). 1945 - Lord Haw-Haw reports total German victory at Ardennen. 1946 - Birth of Andy Brown; rock drummer (Fortunes Birmingham). 1946 - Birth of Jann S Wenner; publisher (Rolling Stone). 1946 - Cambodia becomes autonomous state inside French Union. 1946 - The recently elected government of Austria is recognized by the US, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. 1946 - In Budapest, Hungary, former Hungarian Premier Laszlo de Bardossy is hanged. He had been sentenced to death for high treason by the Budapest Peoples Court in November. 1946 - In Budapest, Hungary, the People's Court sentences to death Dr. Vitez Laszlo Endre, former Under-Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Laszlo Vaky, former chief of gendarmes, and Andor Jaross, former Minister of the Interior. They were found responsible for the expulsion or extermination of 600,000 Jews and other crimes. 1947 - Australia versus England at Melbourne Cricket Ground drawn in six days, first cricket draw in Australia since 1882. 1948 - Birth of Kaz Lux; Polish/Dutch singer. 1948 - Birth of Kenny Loggins in Everett, Washington, USA; singer (Loggins and Messina - "This is it", "Footloose"). 1948 - US President Harry Truman raises taxes for Marshall plan. 1949 - First photo of genes taken at University of Southern California by Pease and Baker. 1949 - Birth of John Christopher Parry; rocker (Cure). 1949 - Birth of Marshall Chapman in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA; country singer. 1950 - Birth of Erin Gray in Honolulu, Hawaii; actress (Silver Spoons, Buck Rogers). 1950 - Mental health wing of Mercy Hospital burns, kills 41 (Davenport, Iowa). 1951 - Birth of Talgat Amangeldyyevich Musabayev; Russian Major/cosmonaut (TM-19, TM-27). 1951 - Johanna C H "Nelly" Bodenheim, painter (Luilekkerland), dies at age 76. 1952 - French Plevin government falls. 1953 - Birth of Agha Zahid; cricket player (open batting for Pakistan vs West Indies 1975, scored 14 and 1). 1953 - Birth of Earl Wilber Force "Wire" Lindo; rocker (Bob Marley and the Wailers). 1953 - US President Harry Truman announces development of the hydrogen bomb. 1954 - Birth of Alan Butcher; cricket player (one Test England versus India, scored 14 and 20). 1954 - In Dieppe, France, a meteorite explosion, smashes windows of a building. 1955 - Birth of Sandra Bernhard in Arizona, USA; Jewish comedian, singer, actress, and author (Follow That Bird, King of Comedy). 1955 - Gerald Hartigan, cricket player (South African batsman in five Tests 1911-14), dies. 1956 - Birth of Robin Walton in Boise, Idaho, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 GHP Heartland Classic-15th). 1956 - Birth of Rosalyn Bryant in Chicago, Illinois, USA; 4x400m runner (Olympics-silver-1976). 1956 - Birth of Trudie Styler in England; wife of Sting/sponsor (Rainforest Concert). 1956 - Vinoo Mankad scores 231 versus New Zealand, 413 opening stand with Roy. 1956 - Birth of Uwe Ochsenknecht; actor (Die Straße, Derrick, Tatort, Das Boot, Manner and Schtonk). 1957 - Al White, choreographer (NBC Comedy Hour), dies. 1957 - Birth of Katie Couric [Katherine] in Arlington, Virginia, USA; TV news host (Today). 1957 - Birth of Kristen Meadows; actress (Santa Barbara). 1958 - Birth of Donna Rice in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; model/Gary Hart's alleged lover. 1958 - Birth of Peter R Mokaba; president (South African Youth Congress). 1958 - Dr Petru Groza, premier of Romania, dies at age 74. 1958 - USSR shrinks army to 300,000. 1959 - Birth of Kathy Valentine; rocker (Go-Go's - "We Got the Beat"). 1959 - US recognizes Fidel Castro's Cuban government. 1960 - Birth of David Marciano in Newark, New Jersey, USA; actor (Detective Ray Vecchio - Due South). 1960 - Birth of Tierre Turner in Detroit, Michigan, USA; actor (Waverly Wonders, Cop and the Kid). 1961 - First NFL Playoff Bowl (runner-up bowl)-Detroit Lions beats Cleveland Browns 17-16. 1961 - Trucial States (later United Arab Emirates) issue their first postage stamps. 1962 - AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 47-27. 1962 - Assassination attempt on Indonesian president Sukarno fails. 1962 - Birth of Hallie Todd; actress (Check is in the Mail). 1962 - Birth of Jeff Montgomery in Wellston, Ohio, USA; pitcher (Kansas City Royals). 1962 - Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to John Hall Wheelock. 1963 - Birth of Craig Shipley; Australian/US baseball infielder (San Diego Padres). 1964 - Bahamas achieves internal self-government and cabinet responsibility. 1964 - Birth of Francisco Maciel in Mexico; tennis star. 1964 - Birth of Nicolas Cage; actor (Moonstruck, Racing with the Moon). 1964 - Colin C McPhee, composer (H2O, Mechanical Principles), dies at age 62. 1964 - Dick Weber rolls highest bowling game in the air (Boeing 707). 1965 - Birth of Mark Rushmere; cricket player (South Africa opening bat in comeback Test 1992). 1965 - France announces it will convert US$150 million of its currency to gold. 1966 - Birth of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy; model/wife of John Kennedy Jr. 1966 - Birth of Jennifer Luff; Australian rower (Olympics-1996). 1966 - Birth of Randy Burridge in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Buffalo Sabres). 1967 - The Newlywed Game premieres on ABC TV. 1967 - Birth of Guy Hebert in Troy, New York, USA; NHL goalie (Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Team USA 1998). 1967 - Birth of Scott Galbraith; NFL tight end (Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys). 1967 - Sid Emery, cricket leg-spinner (New South Wales and Australia, five wicket in 1912 series), dies. 1968 - GE College Bowl quiz show premieres on NBC TV. 1968 - Birth of Michael Rosati; hockey goaltender (Team Italy 1998). 1968 - Birth of Nathaniel Bolton; WLAF running back (Frankfurt Galaxy). 1969 - Birth of Chris Hatcher; US baseball outfielder (Houston Astros). 1969 - Birth of Erric Pegram; NFL running back (Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers). 1969 - Birth of Todd Kinchen; NFL wide receiver (Saint Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons). 1969 - US Congress doubles Presidential salary. 1970 - Birth of Darryl Williams; NFL safety (Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals). 1970 - Birth of Frank "Cliff" Mannon in Amarillo, Texas, USA; team handball (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Birth of Paul McCallum; Canadian Football League/WLAF kicker/punter (Scottish Claymores, Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1970 - Birth of Todd Day; NBA guard/forward (Boston Celtics). 1970 - Farmers sue Max Yasgur for US$35,000 in damages caused by "Woodstock". 1970 - Robert [Harriot] Barrat, actor (Bad Lands, Go West), dies at age 81. 1971 - -40 degrees F (-40 degrees C), Hawley Lake, Arizona (state record). 1971 - Birth of Bobby Hamilton; NFL/WLAF defensive end (Amsterdam Admirals, New York Jets). 1971 - Birth of Masato Itai; WLAF wide receiver (Amsterdam Admirals). 1971 - Birth of Todd Yeaman; NFL defensive tackle (New York Giants). 1971 - Dick Kollmar, actor (Broadway Spotlight, Guess What), dies at age 60. 1971 - Madame Spivy [LeVoe], actress (All Fall Down), dies at age 64. 1972 - Birth of Aaron John Mcintosh in Auckland, New Zealand; sailboard yachter (Olympics-1996). 1972 - Birth of Chuck Levy; kick returner/running back (San Francisco 49ers). 1972 - Birth of Donald Brashear in Bedford, Indiana, USA; NHL left wing (Montreal Canadiens). 1972 - Clarence Passailaigue, cricket player (487 for 6th wicket for Jamaica), dies. 1972 - Iberian Airlines plane crashes into 800-foot peak on island of Ibiza, 104 die. 1972 - John Berryman, American poet (Imaginary Jew), dies. 1972 - Lewis F Powell Jr becomes a US Supreme Court Justice. 1972 - Los Angeles Lakers chalk up 33rd consecutive win (NBA record). 1972 - William Hubbs Rehnquist sworn in as US Supreme Court Justice. 1973 - Birth of Bobby Engram; wide receiver (Chicago Bears). 1973 - Birth of Brian Milne; fullback (Cincinnati Bengals). 1973 - Birth of Ricky Wood in Van Nuys, California, USA; diver (Olympics-1996). 1973 - Birth of Robert Dunn in Glenn Cove, New York, USA; team handball left wing (Olympics-1996). 1973 - British Darts Organization founded in North London. 1973 - Jo Ann Prentice wins LPGA Burdine's Golf Invitational. 1973 - Johnny Watkins bowls six overs 0-21 versus Pakistan Never again. 1973 - US poet James Merrill wins Bollingen Prize. 1974 - Netherlands government imposes rationing of gasoline. 1975 - Birth of Robert Norman Waddell in Cambridge, New Zealand; single scull rower (Olympics-1996). 1975 - Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to AR Ammons (Sphere). 1975 - Led Zeppelin fans riot before Boston concert, causing US$30,000 damage. 1977 - Birth of Dustin Diamond in San Jose, California; actor (Screech - Saved By the Bell). 1977 - Human Rights Charter '77 established in Prague, Czechoslovakia. 1978 - Angola revises its constitution. 1980 - Carl White, rocker, dies. 1980 - Minnesota North Stars end Philadelphia Flyers' NHL record 35 game unbeaten streak. 1980 - Sarah Selby, actress (Tower of London), dies at age 74. 1980 - Birth of Gabriela Bazan; Peruvian activist. 1980 - Birth of Margarita Breitkreiz; German actress. 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs legislation approving $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to bail out the Chrysler Corporation. 1981 - Birth of Alex Auld; Canadian ice hockey goaltender. 1982 - Fame TV show premieres on NBC TV. 1982 - Bert Oosterhuis, Dutch motor racer (Paris-Dakar), dies in race crash. 1982 - New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier's 10th career hat trick. 1983 - August Cool, Belgian trade union leader, dies at age 79. 1983 - Australia regain the Ashes with a 2-1 series win versus England. 1983 - US President Ronald Reagan ends US arms embargo against Guatemala. 1983 - Birth of Natalie Gulbis; American golfer. 1984 - Death of Alfred Kastler, French physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902). 1984 - Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 1985 - Birth of Lewis Hamilton; British Formula 1 Driver. 1985 - Japanese space probe Sakigake launched to Halley's comet. 1985 - Johnny Guarnieri, jazz pianist (Morey Amsterdam Show), dies at age 67. 1985 - Saturn Corporation is founded as a "Different Kind of Car Company." 1985 - Lou Brock and Hoyt Wilhelm elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame. 1986 - Death of Juan Rulfo, Mexican writer (born 1917). 1986 - M Rooi, editor-in-chief (New Rotterdam Daily), dies at age 79. 1986 - US President Ronald Reagan proclaims economic sanctions against Libya. 1987 - Birth of Haley Bennett; American singer and actress. 1987 - French airplanes harass Libyan positions in Duadi Doum. 1987 - Kapil Dev takes his 300th Test wicket, at age 28 the youngest. 1987 - Larry Carr, pianist (Flight to Rhythm), dies at age 72. 1988 - Birth of Alan Lowing, Scottish football player. 1988 - Trevor Howard, British actor (Ryan's Daughter), dies of bronchitis at age 71 (born 1913). 1989 - In Japan, the Showa period ends with the death of Emperor Hirohito (aka Emperor Showa) after 62 years and 14 days of his reign. Akihito becomes Emperor of Japan, beginning the Heisei period the following day. 1989 - Cleveland Cavaliers block 21 New York Knicks' shots tying NBA regulation game record. 1989 - International Conference on Limitation of Chemical Weapons opens in Paris. 1989 - Death of Frank Adams, British mathematician (born 1930). 1990 - Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski, football hall of famer, dies at age 81. 1990 - Horace Stoneham, baseball owner (San Francisco Giants), dies at age 86. 1990 - Joseph Robbie, lawyer/NFL owner (Miami Dolphins), dies at age 73. 1990 - Lynn Jennings runs world record 5km indoor at 15:22.64. 1990 - In Italy, the Leaning Tower Of Pisa closed to the public due to safety concerns. 1991 - Nia Peeples Party Machine premieres on TV. 1991 - Haiti coup defeated. 1991 - Joe Hicks, baseball coach, dies of cancer at age 64. 1991 - Soviet paratroopers sent to Baltic Republics. 1992 - AT&T releases video-telephone ($1499). 1992 - Last day of Test cricket for Imran Khan. 1992 - Richard Hunt, puppeteer/actor (The Muppet Movie), dies of AIDS at age 40. 1992 - Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers elected to Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame. 1993 - Richard Branda, actor (Two Minute Warning), dies of colon cancer at age 57. 1993 - The Winter Consumer Electronics Show is held in Las Vegas, Nevada. 3DO announces a CD-based entertainment platform, developed by Electronic Arts, Time Warner, Matsushita, and Kleiner Perkins. 1993 - The Fourth Republic of Ghana is inaugurated with Jerry Rawlings as President. 1994 - Bobby Pratt jazz trombone/piano player, dies at age 67. 1994 - Jay Blackton, broadway conductor (Oklahoma!), dies at age 84. 1994 - Lewis Boddington, aerospace engineer, dies at age 85. 1994 - Lynn Blessing, vibes player, dies at age 65. 1994 - Phoumi Vongvichit, President of Laos (1986-91), dies. 1994 - South Africa beats Australia in the Sydney Test by five runs. 1994 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Tonya Harding. 1994 - United Express commuter plane crashes in Ohio, killing five. 1994 - The barge Morris J. Furhman runs aground off the northern side of Puerto Rico capital city harbor, spilling 2.8 million litres of heavy fuel oil, which spreads over a 9.6km stretch of shoreline. 1994 - Vittorio Mezzogiorno, actor (Cafe Express), dies of heart failure 52. 1995 - Arthur Leavins, violinist, dies at age 77. 1995 - Harry Golombek, chess Grandmaster, dies at age 83. 1995 - Larry Grayson, British entertainer (Generation Game), dies at age 71 (born 1923). 1995 - Murray Newton Rothbard, American economist, dies of cardiac arrest at age 69 (born 1926). 1995 - Viktor Vorobyov, Russian General Major, dies in battle. 1996 - James Holland, artist/exhibition organiser, dies at age 90. 1996 - Karoly Grosz, Prime Minister of Hungry (1987-88), dies at age 65. 1996 - Robley D Evans, nuclear physicist, dies at age 88. 1996 - Seton Howard Frederick Lloyd, archaeologist, dies at age 93. 1996 - Khun Sa (Chang Chi-fu), master of heroin trade in Burma/Myanmar, surrenders to Burmese army under promise of government protection. 1996 - One of the worst blizzards in American history hits the eastern states, killing more than 100 people. 1997 - Desmond Flower, publisher, dies at age 89. 1997 - Newt Gingrich narrowly re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives. 1997 - Ruptured Russian tanker Nakhodka sinks off northwest Japan, leaking 6 million litres of heavy fuel oil. 1997 - Sandor Vegh, violinist teacher/conductor, dies at age 84. 1998 - Death of Vladimir Prelog, Croatian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1906). 1999 - For the first time since the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, the trial of President Clinton begins in the Senate. 2000 - Death of Makhmud Esambayev, Chechen dancer (born 1924). 2001 - The Wrestling promotion, ECW airs its final pay-per-view, Guilty as Charged before declaring Bankruptcy. 2003 - US Congress convenes, with Republican Senate majority (51-48-1 independent) 2004 - Death of Ingrid Thulin, Swedish actress (born 1926). 2005 - Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announces Major League Baseball and the Players Association will donate $1 million to help the victims of last month's Indian Ocean tsunami. 2005 - Death of Pierre Daninos, French writer and humorist (born 1913). 2006 - Embroiled in multiple scandals, former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay announces he will not seek to reassume his former post. 2006 - United Kingdom Liberal Democratic leader Charles Kennedy resigns after revelations that he has a drinking problem. 2006 - At the sixth Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Legacy ceremonies in Kansas City, Bob Watson, the first black general manager in baseball history, receives the Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award. 2007 - Randy Johnson agrees to a US$26 million, two-year Arizona Diamondbacks deal. 2007 - Death of Bobby Hamilton, American race car driver (born 1957). 2007 - Death of Magnus Magnusson, Icelandic-born television presenter (born 1929). 2008 - General elections in the Marshall Islands. With 18 seats of the 33-member administration, Litokwa Tomeing defeats Kessai Note to become new president. 2009 - Russia shuts off all gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly endorses the move and urges greater international involvement in the energy dispute. 2009 - In India, software and services company Satyam, founder and chairman Ramalinga Raju admits to years of fraud in the company's accounts, inflating revenues and fabricating non-existent cash balances of about US$1 billion. 2009 - 35th Annual People's Choice Awards in the USA: Favorite movie: Dark Knight Favorite on-screen pairing: Christian Bale and Heath Ledger in Dark Knight Favorite female singer: Carrie Underwood Favorite country song: "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood Favorite star under 35 years: Carrie Underwood Funniest male star: Adam Sandler Favorite female movie star: Reese Witherspoon Favorite leading lady: Kate Hudson Favorite comedy movie: 27 Dresses Favorite action movie: Dark Knight Favorite superhero: Batman played by Christian Bale in Dark Knight Favorite movie cast: Dark Knight Favorite drama movie: The Secret Life of Bees Favorite family film: Wall-E Favorite TV drama: House Favorite TV comedy: Two and a Half Men Favorite new TV drama: The Mentalist Favorite new TV comedy: Gary Unmarried Favorite male TV star: Hugh Laurie in House Favorite female TV star: Christina Applegate in Samantha Who? Favorite TV talk show host: Ellen DeGeneres Favorite competition or reality TV show: Dancing With the Stars Favorite rock song "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock Favorite music group: Rascal Flatts Favorite male singer: Chris Brown Favorite pop song: "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. 2010 - Matt Holliday signs a US$120 million seven-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.         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