This Day in History
January 15

What happened in history on this day: January 15? On January 15 in ... 69 - Servius Sulpicius Galba, 6th emperor of Rome (68-69), killed by Praetorian guard in the Forum Rome, at age 70. 708 - Sisinnius begins his reign as Catholic Pope (dies 20 days later). 946 - Caliph al-Mustaqfi blinded/ousted. 1208 - Peter of Castelnau French nobleman, murdered. 1346 - Emperor Louis IV of Bavaria gives his wife Margaretha, Holland/Zealand. 1432 - Birth of Afonso V "the African" king of Portugal (1438-1481). 1507 - Birth of Johann Oporinus [Herbster] Swiss book publisher (Koran). 1535 - Henry VIII declares himself head of English Church. 1552 - France signs secret treaty with German Protestants. 1562 - Third sitting of Council of Trente opens. 1567 - Birth of Black Box [Catherine Quinol], Guadeloupe, vocalist (Love Sensation). 1582 - Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to Poland, loses access to the Baltic. 1586 - Battle at Boxum Spanish troops under Tassis beat state army. 1622 - Birth of Molière France, dramatist (Tartuffe, Le Misanthrope) (baptized). 1680 - French explorer Sieur de la Salle builds Fort Crèvecoeur. 1684 - Caspar Netscher Dutch portrait painter, dies at about age 48. 1705 - Walraad the Young, Earl of Nassau-Ottweiler/Governor of Nijmegen, dies. 1715 - Birth of Georg C Wagenzeil Austria (court)composer/pianist. 1716 - Birth of Philip Livingston merchant (signed Declaration of Independence). 1730 - Birth of John Malchair composer. 1733 - Birth of Joseph Lederer composer. 1742 - Birth of Eugene Godecharle composer. 1744 - Charles-Hubert Gervais composer, dies at age 72. 1752 - Tobias Smollett publishes pamphlet accusing Fielding of plagiarism. 1754 - Riot at burial of doelist Daniel Raap in Amsterdam. 1755 - Azzolino Bernardino Della Ciaia composer, dies at age 83. 1759 - British Museum opens in Montague House, London. 1762 - Fraunces Tavern opens in New York City, New York. 1765 - Carlmann Kolb composer, dies at age 61. 1775 - Giovanni Battista Sammartini composer, dies. 1777 - People of New Connecticut (Vermont) declare independence from England. 1779 - Birth of Jean Coralli Paris, ballet producer/choreographer. 1780 - Continental Congress establishes court of appeals. 1785 - Mozarts string quartet opus 10 premieres. 1788 - Gaetano Latilla composer, dies at age 77. 1791 - Franz Grillparzer born in Vienna, Austria; dramatist. 1793 - Birth of Ferdinand G Waldmüller Austrian painter. 1795 - Birth of Willem de Clerq Dutch merchant/man of letters. 1797 - First top hat worn (John Etherington of London). 1798 - Birth of Thomas Crofton Croker Irish story teller (Fairy legends). 1803 - Birth of Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff in Hannover, Germany; developed the Ruhmkorff induction coil, an important early mechanical device in the development of the use of electricity. 1803 - Birth of Nathan Adler in Hannover, Germany; rabbi of Oldenburg, Hannover, London, established the United Synagogue. 1809 - Birth of Cornelia Connelly Philadelphia Pennsylvania, founder (Society of the Holy Child Jesus). 1809 - Birth of Pierre Joseph Proudhon France, politician (libertarian socialist). 1812 - Birth of Peter C Asbjørnsen Norwegian fairy tale writer. 1812 - Johannes Herbst composer, dies at age 76. 1813 - Birth of James Marion Sims South Carolina, surgeon/gynecologist (vesicovaginal operation). 1814 - Birth of Ludwig Schläfli Swiss vicar/mathematician. 1815 - Birth of Henry Morris Naglee Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1886. 1816 - Henry Harington composer, dies at age 88. 1817 - Birth of Lewis Golding Arnold Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1871. 1821 - Birth of Lafayette McLaws Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1897. 1826 - Birth of Mikhail Saltykov Spas-Ugol Russia, radical novelist/satirist (Family of Noblemen). 1831 - First US-built locomotive to pull a passenger train makes first run; Mr and Mrs Pierson of Charleston South Carolina make first US railroad honeymoon trip. 1833 - HMS Beagle anchors at Goeree Tierra del Fuego. 1841 - Birth of Lord Frederick Stanley presenter of hockey's Stanley Cup. 1842 - Birth of Josef Breuer in Vienna, Austria; initiated psychoanalysis which Freud later developed. 1844 - Joseph Mazzinghi composer, dies at age 78. 1844 - University of Notre Dame receives its charter in Indiana. 1845 - Birth of Ella Flagg Young first woman president (National Educational Association). 1845 - Birth of Heinrich Vogl composer. 1847 - First Swedish magazine in US, Skandinavia, published in New York City, New York. 1850 - Birth of Mihail Eminesco [Eminovici], Romanian poet (Samanul Dionis). 1850 - Birth of Sonya Kurtovsky Kovalevsky Russia, mathemetician (Academy of Science). 1851 - General Arista replaces Mexican President Herrera. 1857 - First first-class game in Sydney, New South Wales vs Victoria at The Domain. 1858 - Birth of Giovanni Segantini Italy, painter. 1861 - Steam elevator patented by Elisha Otis. 1863 - First US newspaper printed on wood-pulp paper, Boston Morning Journal. 1863 - Birth of Adolph Goldschmidt German historian. 1863 - Birth of Wilhelm Marx in Cologne, Germany; Chancellor of the Weimar Republic, founder and first president of the Catholic Schools Organization. 1865 - Fort Fisher, North Carolina falls to Union troops. 1866 - Bedrich Smetana's opera "Branibori vs Cechach" premieres in Prague. 1866 - Birth of Nathan Soderblom Lutheran archbishop, internationalist (Nobel '30). 1866 - M T d'Azeglio writer, dies. 1868 - Birth of Noach Zjordanija Georgian veterinarian/premier (1918-21). 1870 - Birth of Johan Peter Koch Danish officer/explorer (Greenland). 1870 - Donkey first used as symbol of American Democratic Party, in Harper's Weekly. 1871 - Birth of Bertram Shapleigh composer. 1873 - Birth of Max Adler Austria sociologist/socialist theorist. 1877 - Birth of Lewis M Terman Indiana, psychologist (developed Stanford-Binet IQ test). 1877 - US Assay Office in Helena, Montana opens. 1878 - Birth of Johanna Muller-Hermann composer. 1879 - Birth of Ernest Thesiger London England; actor (Bride of Frankenstein, Ghoul). 1882 - First US ski club forms (Berlin New Hampshire). 1882 - Birth of Florian Znaniecki Polish/US sociologist (Polish Peasant in Europe). 1885 - Wilson Bentley takes the first photograph of a snowflake. 1886 - Weekly Herald, first Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada newspaper, publishes first issue. 1888 - Birth of Joseph Henabery Omaha Nebraska, director (Cobra). 1891 - Birth of Osip E Mandelstam Warsaw Poland, Russian poet (Noise of Time). 1892 - Basketball rules published in Triangle Magazine, Massachusetts. 1892 - Birth of Frank Hutchens composer. 1892 - Birth of Rex Ingram [Reginald IM Hitchcock], director (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse). 1893 - Birth of D Ivor D Novello Cardiff Wales, British actor/composer/writer (Lodger, Phantom Fiend, Truth Game). 1893 - Birth of Dragisa Cvetkovic Serbian premiere of Yugoslavia (1939-41). 1894 - Birth of Edmond Rubbens Belgian attorney/minister of colonization. 1895 - Albert Trott takes 8-43 on Test debut, then a record. 1895 - French fleet reaches Majunga, Madagascar. 1895 - Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" premieres, Saint Petersburg. 1896 - Birth of Jacobo Ficher composer. 1896 - Henry Arthur Jones' "Michael and his Lost Angel" premieres in London. 1896 - Matthew B Brady US photographer (Civil War), dies at about age 72. 1899 - Birth of Goodman Ace radio/TV actor/writer/columnist/humorist (Better of Goodman). 1900 - Birth of César Domela Dutch painter (Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis son). 1900 - Birth of William Heinesen Färoës Island, writer (Noatun). 1900 - SCNEC soccer team forms. 1902 - Birth of Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Faisal al-Saud king (Saudi Arabia). 1904 - Eduard Lassen composer, dies at age 73. 1905 - Coen de Koning becomes world champion all-round skater. 1906 - Birth of Aristotle Onassis in Greece; rich shipping magnate (dies 1975). 1906 - Birth of Rezso Kokai composer. 1907 - 3-element vacuum tube patented by Dr Lee de Forest. 1907 - Gold dental inlays first described by William Taggart, who invented them. 1908 - Birth of Edward Teller in Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Empire (dies 2003); his work contributed to the development of a hydrogen bomb, development of the American "Strategic Defense Initiative". 1908 - Birth of Roberta Bitgood composer. 1908 - C Hill and R J Hartigan make 8th wicket partnership 243 for Australia. 1909 - Birth of Elie Siegmeister New York City, New York, composer (Plough and the Stars). 1909 - Birth of Enrique Sasal y Chapi composer. 1909 - Birth of Gene Krupa; Benny Goodman's drummer (Sing Sing Sing) (dies 1973). 1909 - Ernest Reyer composer, dies at age 85. 1909 - Ernest von Wildenbruch German playwright (Das Edle Blut), dies at age 63. 1911 - Birth of Cy Feuer New York City, New York, Broadway producer (Feuer and Martin-Chorus Line). 1911 - Birth of Wim Kan Dutch cabaretier. 1911 - Wilhelm Berger composer, dies at age 49. 1912 - Birth of Michel J-P Debré premier of France (1959-62). 1913 - Birth of Lloyd Bridges in San Leandro, California; actor (Sea Hunt, Roots, Airplane). 1914 - Birth of Lord Dacre of Glanton British historian. 1915 - Guillaume Couture composer, dies at age 63. 1915 - Japan claims economic control of China. 1915 - Sydney, Kern and Smith's musical "Love o' Mike" premieres in New York City, New York. 1916 - Birth of Mikki Doyle journalist. 1918 - Birth of Andreas M Donner Dutch jurist (constitutional law). 1918 - Birth of Gamal Abdel Nasser; President of Egypt (1954-1970). 1919 - Two million gallons of molasses "Tidal wave" Boston Massachusetts, drowning 21. 1919 - Frank Wedekind's "Die letzten Tage der Menschheit" premieres. 1919 - In Germany, Marxist revolutionaries Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are murdered. 1919 - Pianist and statesman Ignace Paderewski becomes first premier of Poland. 1919 - Semana Tragica (Tragic Week) Bloodbath in Buenos Aires. 1919 - W Collison and O Harbach's "Up in Mabel's Room" premieres in New York City, New York. 1920 - Birth of John J "Cardinal" O'Connor Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York. 1920 - Birth of John Junor British editor in chief (Sunday Express). 1922 - Birth of Franz Fühmann writer. 1922 - Irish Free State forms; Michael Collins becomes first premier. 1922 - John Kirk Barry Dr/explorer David Livingstone's companion, dies at age 89. 1923 - Birth of Lee Teng-hui president of ROC (Taiwan), head of KMT (1988-). 1923 - Lithuania seizes and annexes the country of Memel. 1924 - Third Dutch government Ruijs de Beerenbrouck forms. 1924 - Geza Zichy composer, dies at age 74. 1925 - Birth of Keith Bentley international racing cyclist. 1925 - Birth of Ruth Slenczynska Sacramento California, pianist. 1925 - Hans Luther forms German government, with DNVP. 1926 - Birth of Maria Schell Vienna Austria, actress (Space 1999). 1926 - Enrico Toselli composer, dies at age 42. 1927 - Birth of Francis Routh composer. 1927 - Birth of Norm Crosby Boston Massachusetts, comedian (Young at Heart Comedians). 1929 - Birth of "Queen Ida" Guillory Ziadaco music. 1929 - Birth of Eva Badura-Skoda composer. 1929 - Birth of Reverand Dr Martin Luther King Jr in Atlanta, Georgia; dreamer (Nobel Prize 1964). 1930 - George Headley scores century on debut vs England (made 176). 1931 - Birth of Derek Meddings special effects technician. 1931 - Birth of Murad Kazhlayev composer. 1931 - Birth of Thomas Hoving New York City, New York, news correspondent (20/20). 1932 - Birth of Dean Smith US actor/relay runner (Olympics-gold-1952). 1932 - Birth of Enrique Raxach composer. 1932 - Birth of Louis Woodard Jones New Rochelle New York, 4X400m relayer (Olympics-gold-56). 1932 - Georg Kerschensteiner German educationalist, dies at age 77. 1934 - 8.4 earthquake in India/Nepal, 10,700 die. 1934 - Babe Ruth signs a 1934 contract for $35,000 ($17,000 cut). 1934 - Death of Hermann Bahr in Munich, Germany, at age 70; dramatist. 1934 - Patrick O'Malley US policeman, killed by John Dillinger. 1935 - 300 Dutch ice cream salesmen protest against Italian competition. 1935 - Birth of Malcolm Frager Saint Louis Missouri, pianist. 1935 - Birth of Robert Silverberg US, sci-fi author (Hugo, Regan's Planet). 1935 - Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" premieres in New York City, New York. 1936 - The first building to be completely covered in glass is completed in Toledo, Ohio. 1936 - Henry Forster cricket (Hants and Oxford University, Governor-General of Australia), dies. 1936 - Horace Stoneham elected president of New York Giants. 1936 - Non-profit Ford Foundation incorporates. 1937 - Birth of Margaret O'Brien San Diego California, actress (Jane Eyre, Meet Me in Saint Louis). 1939 - First NFL pro bowl, New York Giants beat All Stars 13-10 in Wrigley Field. 1939 - Birth of Charles Christopher Steel composer. 1939 - Municipal Railway and Market Steet railroad begin service to Transbay Terminal. 1940 - German U-Boot torpedoes Dutch trade ship Arendskerk (Eagle's Church). 1941 - Birth of Captain Beefheart [Don Van Vilet], rocker (Bongo Fury, Shiny Beast). 1942 - Birth of Edward "Sonny" Bivins US singer (Manhattans-Kiss and Say Goodbye). 1942 - Chicago Cubs, drop plans to install lights at Wrigley due to WWII. 1942 - Franklin Roosevelt asks commissioner to continue baseball during WWII. 1942 - Melvin Winfield Sheppard runner (Olympics-gold-08, 12), dies at age 58. 1943 - 1,000 workers complete the air conditioning system for the Pentagon. 1943 - The world's largest office building, The Pentagon, is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia. 1943 - First transport of Jews from Amsterdam to concentration camp Vught. 1943 - Birth of Mike Marshall Major League Baseball pitcher (1974 Cy Young Award). 1943 - Japanese driven off Guadalcanal. 1944 - European Advisory Commission decides to divide Germany. 1944 - Dwight Eisenhower begins his command of Operation Overlord. 1944 - Vught Concentration Camp puts 74 women in one cell, 10 die. 1945 - "Make Mine Manhattan" opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City, New York for 429 performances. 1945 - Birth of Marie-Christine AHI von Leibnitz German/British princess. 1945 - Every Amsterdammer gets 3 kg sugar beets. 1945 - Red Army frees Crakow-Plaszow concentration camp. 1947 - Birth of Andrea Martin in Portland, Maine; actress/comedienne (Wag The Dog, Club Paradise, SCTV). 1947 - Birth of Pete Waterman rocker (Stock Aitken and Waterman-Road Block). 1948 - Birth of Dini Petty Canadian talk show host (CITY-TV). 1948 - Birth of Ronnie Van Zant; rocker (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (dies 1977). 1948 - Birth of Tommy Nolan Montréal Québec Canada; actor (Jody-Buckskin). 1949 - Birth of Howard Allen Twitty Phoenix Arizona, PGA golfer (1979 BC Open). 1949 - Black Dahlia murder victim found in Los Angeles (basis of the movie). 1949 - Mao's Red army conquers Ten-tsin. 1949 - Pompeo Aloisi Italian baron/diplomat/senator, dies at age 63. 1950 - 4,000 attend National Emergency Civil Rights Conference in Washington DC. 1950 - Birth of David Lynn Jones Bexar Arkansas, country singer (Bonnie Jean). 1951 - "Cloud of Death" rolls down Mount Lamington, New Guinea kills 3-5,000. 1951 - Birth of Charo in Murcia Spain; actress/singer (Chico and the Man, The Love Boat). 1951 - Birth of Martha Davis California, vocalist/guitar (Motels-Only the Lonely, Shame). 1951 - US Supreme Court rule "clear and present danger" of incitement to riot is not protected speech and can be a cause for arrest. 1952 - Birth of Melvyn Gale rocker (ELO). 1953 - Sixteen-car Federal Express train loses brakes and crashes in Washington DC station. 1953 - Birth of Boris Blank rocker (Yello). 1953 - Birth of Randy White NFL tackle (Dallas Cowboys). 1953 - German Democratic Republic Minister of Foreign affairs Georg Dertingen arrested for "espionage". 1953 - Viktor Patrick Vretblad composer, dies at age 76. 1955 - First official act of Princess Beatrice, launches tanker Vasum. 1955 - Birth of Enrico Mentana Milan Italy, Italian newscaster (RAI). 1955 - Dmitri Shostakovich's "From Jewish Folk Poetry" premieres in Leningrad. 1955 - USSR ends state of war with German Federal Republic. 1955 - Yves Tanguy French/American sailor/surrealistic painter, dies. 1956 - Bauer Marlene wins LPGA Sea Island Golf Open. 1956 - Birth of Paul Parker cricketer (one Test England vs Australia 1981). 1956 - Birth of Vera Sosulya USSR, toboggan (Olympics-gold-1980). 1956 - Dmitri Shostakovich appointed honorary member of Academia Santa Cecilia. 1956 - NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 31-30. 1957 - Birth of Mario Van Peebles in Mexico; actor (Posse, South Bronx Heroes). 1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers sign a new three year lease for Ebbets Field. 1958 - Birth of Julian Sands; actor (One Night Stand). 1958 - New York Yankees sign million dollar plus deal to show 140 games on WPIX TV. 1959 - Birth of Pete Trewavas in Middlesbrough, England; rock bassist, (Marillion - "Clutching at Straws", "Real to Reel"). 1960 - Birth of Tim Curtis; cricketer (England righty batsman in five Tests 1988-89). 1961 - Birth of Iris DeMent in Paragould, Arkansas, USA; country singer (Our Town). 1961 - Francesco Maria Saraceni, composer, dies at age 49. 1961 - NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 35-31. 1961 - Suggs wins LPGA Sea Island Women's Golf Invitational Open. 1962 - 50th Australian Mens Tennis: Rod Laver beats R Emerson (8-6, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4). 1962 - Dutch and Indonesian navy encounter in Etna Bay, New Guinea. 1962 - Kenneth MacKenna, actor (Men Without Women), dies of cancer at age 62. 1963 - Birth of Erling Kagge in Norway; explorer (South Pole). 1963 - Birth of Lijuan Geng in Hebei, China; Canadian tennis player (Olympics-1996). 1963 - Birth of Richard Nasheim; hockey forward (Team Austria 1998). 1963 - Birth of Yaro Dachniwsky in Chicago, Illinois, USA; team handball goalie (Olympics-1996). 1964 - Baseball agrees to hold a free-agent draft in New York City, New York. 1964 - Birth of Cees van der de Linden; soccer player. 1964 - Birth of Paula Schnurr in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada; 1.5k (Olympics-8-1992, 1996). 1964 - Teamsters negotiate first national labor contract. 1964 - Weldon John "Jack" Teagarden, US jazz trombonist/singer, dies at age 58. 1965 - Birth of Derek B; rocker (Bullet from a Gun). 1965 - Birth of Michael Clemons; Canadian Football League running back (Toronto Argonauts). 1965 - Pierre Ngendandumwe, premier of Burundi, is murdered. 1965 - Rock group The Who releases first album "I Can't Explain". 1966 - AFL Pro Bowl: All-Stars beats Buffalo 30-19. 1966 - Betsy Mitchell, US 100m backstroke swimmer, dies at age 25. 1966 - NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 36-7. 1967 - Albert Szirmai, composer, dies at age 86. 1967 - Birth of Lisa Lisa (Velez); rock vocalist (and Cult Jam). 1967 - Birth of Richard Blakey; cricketer (England wicket-keeper in India 1993). 1967 - Birth of Ted N Tryba in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA; PGA golfer (1995 Anheuser-Busch Golf). 1967 - Super Bowl I: Green Bay Packers beat Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10 in Los Angeles, California; Most Valuable Player: Bart Starr, quarterback. 1968 - Ralph Baer applies for a patent on his invention of the television video game system. 1968 - Bill Masterson, first NHL player fatally injured during game (January 13), dies. 1968 - Birth of Bob Dahl; NFL guard (Washington Redskins). 1968 - Birth of Chad Lowe in Dayton, Ohio, USA; actor (Spencer, Apprentice to Murder). 1968 - Birth of Felton Spencer; NBA center (San Francisco Warriors). 1968 - Birth of Laurie Fellner in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA; team handball goalie (Olympics-1992, 1996). 1968 - Birth of Steve McConaghy; Australian soling yachter (Olympics-1996). 1968 - John Davidson, actor (Dick Tracy vs Crime Inc), dies at age 80. 1968 - Leopold Infeld, Polish nuclear physicist (Motion and Relativity), dies at age 69. 1969 - Birth of Adam Burt in Detroit, Michigan, USA; NHL defenseman (Hartford Whalers). 1969 - Birth of Delino DeShields in Seaford, Delaware, USA; infielder (Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers). 1969 - Birth of Demetra Hampton; actress (Valentina). 1969 - Birth of Leonard Wheeler; NFL safety/cornerback (Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings). 1969 - Birth of Marsha Miller in Rochester, New York, USA; WPVA volleyballer (National-17th-1995). 1969 - Birth of Rob van Dijk; Dutch soccer player (Feyenoord). 1969 - Birth of Rod de Highden; Australian 5k/10k/marathoner (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Siupeli Malamala; NFL guard/tackle (New York Jets). 1969 - Soyuz 5 launched by Soviet Union. 1969 - Theodor Werner, German painter, dies at age 82. 1970 - Birth of Dan Landry in San Diego, California, USA; volleyball opposite hitter (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Birth of Elroy Kromheer; soccer player (FC Volendam). 1970 - Birth of Michele Granger in Anaheim, California, USA; softball pitcher (Olympics-gold-1996). 1970 - Milwaukee Brewers make their first trade (with Oakland Athletics). 1970 - Republic Biafra disbands, joins Nigeria. 1971 - Aswan Dam officially opens in Egypt. 1971 - Birth of LeShon Johnson; running back (Arizona Cardinals). 1971 - Birth of Regina King in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Brenda Jenkins-227). 1971 - John Dall, actor (Corn is Green, Rope), dies of heart attack at age 50. 1972 - Birth of Ernie Reyes Jr in San Jose, California, USA; actor (Ernie - Sidekicks). 1972 - Birth of Kimberly Anne Massaro in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; Miss Missouri-America-5th (1996). 1972 - Heavyweight Joe Frazier knocks out Terry Daniels. 1973 - Four Watergate burglars plead guilty in federal court. 1973 - Birth of Daniel Nijhof; Dutch soccer player (FC Twente). 1973 - Birth of Randy Srochenski; Canadian Football League linebacker (Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1973 - Jef Alpaerts, Flemish pianist/conductor, dies at age 68. 1973 - Pope Paul VI has an audience with Israeli Golda Meir at Vatican. 1973 - US President Richard Nixon suspends all US offensive action in North Vietnam. 1974 - Happy Days TV show begins an 11-year run on ABC. 1974 - 24th NBA All-Star Game: West beats East 134-123 at Seattle, Washington. 1974 - Birth of Aubrey Jo Hiller in Missoula, Montana, USA; Miss Montana-America (1996). 1974 - Birth of Mike Minter; safety (Carolina Panthers). 1974 - Expert panel reports 18.5 minute gap in Watergate tape, five separate erasures. 1974 - Karel Salmon, composer, dies at age 76. 1975 - Birth of Greg Loveridge; cricketer (New Zealand leg-spinner, did not bowl vs Zimbabwe 1996). 1975 - Birth of Mary Pierce in Montréal, Québec, Canada; tennis star (1995 Australian Open). 1975 - Portugal signs accord for Angola's independence. 1975 - Space Mountain opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 1976 - Sara Jane Moore sentenced to life for attempting to shoot US President Gerald Ford. 1976 - US-German Helios B solar probe launched into solar orbit. 1976 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakstan/Semipalatinsk. 1977 - Coneheads debut on Saturday Night Live. 1977 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Colgate Triple Crown Golf Tournament. 1978 - Super Bowl XII: Dallas Cowboys beat Denver Broncos, 27-10 in New Orleans, Louisiana; Most Valuable Players: defensive end Harvey Martin, and defensive tackle Randy White. 1978 - Theodore Bundy kills Florida State University co-eds Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman. 1981 - Hill Street Blues premieres on NBC-TV. 1981 - Bob Gibson elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame. 1981 - Emanuel Celler (Representative-Democrat-New York, 1923-73), dies at age 92. 1981 - Birth of Howie Day; American singer and songwriter. 1981 - Birth of El Hadji Diouf; Senegalese footballer. 1982 - Red Smith, sportscaster (Pulitzer, Fight Talk), dies at age 76. 1982 - Birth of Benjamin Agosto; American skater. 1983 - Shepperd Strudwick, actor (Psychomania), dies of cancer at age 75. 1983 - Thom Syles keeps a life saver intact in his mouth for over seven hours. 1983 - Death of Meyer Lansky, Russian-born gangster (born 1902). 1983 - Dutch political party DS'70 disbands. 1983 - Hartford Whalers' smallest crowd 4,812 (beat New Jersey Devils) during blizzard. 1983 - Javed Miandad and Mudassar Nazar make 451 stand vs India. 1983 - Meyer Lansky, reputed mobster, dies in Miami Beach, Florida, at age 81. 1984 - Birth of Megan Quann, American swimmer. 1984 - Hana Mandlikova ends Martina Navratilova's 54-match winning streak. 1984 - Schönbrun skates world record 5 km (7:39.44). 1985 - Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to John Ashbery and Fred Chapell. 1985 - Mike Gatting and Graeme Fowler both score 200's vs India. 1985 - Tancredo Neves is elected president of Brazil by the Congress, ending 21 years of military rule. 1986 - Birth of Jessy Schram; American actress. 1986 - James H "Jim" Crowley, US football player (Notre Dame), dies at age 83. 1986 - HBO and Cinemax pay cable television services initiate scrambling their national satellite feeds. 1986 - The Living Seas opens at World Showcase in EPCOT, Walt Disney World. 1987 - Birth of Jake Epstein; Canadian actor. 1987 - Birth of Michael Seater; Canadian actor. 1987 - Birth of Kelly Kelly; American professional wrestler. 1987 - Dolores Hawkins, singer (Guy Mitchell Show), dies at age 58. 1987 - Gerrit Borgers, Dutch literary, dies at age 69. 1987 - Ray Bolger, American actor/singer/dancer (Wizard of Oz), dies at age 82 (born 1904). 1988 - In Jerusalem, Israeli police and Palestinian protestors clash at the Dome of the Rock; several police and at least 70 Palestinians are injured. 1988 - Birth of Sonny Moore, American musician. 1988 - Disney generally releases the live-action feature film Good Morning, Vietnam to theaters. The film cost US$14 million to make. 1988 - Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes racist remarks about black athletes. 1988 - Kiran More stumps five West Indian batsman at Madras, world Test record. 1988 - Narendra Hirwani takes 16-136 (8-61 and 8-75) vs West Indies on Test debut. 1988 - Seán MacBride, commander of Irish Republican Army, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, dies at age 83 (born 1904). 1989 - Ain't Misbehavin' closes at Ambassador Theater in New York City, New York after 176 performances. 1989 - 10th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 35 awards. 1989 - Betsy King wins LPGA Jamaica Golf Classic. 1989 - Big John Studd wins WWF's first Royal Rumble. 1989 - Cerberal Palsy telethon raises US$22,600,000. 1989 - Wilf Slack, cricketer (whilst bat in Gambia England player 1986), dies. 1990 - 42-year-old George Foreman knocks out George Cooney in two rounds. 1990 - 6th Soap Opera Digest Awards - Knots Landing wins. 1990 - NBC TV begins airing the series Blue Bayou. 1990 - AT&T experiences long distance problems due to a computer glitch. 1990 - Toronto Blue Jays' player Cecil Fielder signs with Detroit Tigers as a free agent. 1990 - Gordon Jackson, actor (Hamlet), dies after a short illness at age 66. 1990 - New York Knicks' Trent Tucker scores with 1/10 second remaining, beats Chicago Bulls, 109-106. 1990 - Thousands storm the Stasi headquarters in Berlin in an attempt to view their government records. 1991 - Australia beat New Zealand 2-0 to win the World Series Cup. 1991 - The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm. 1991 - Birth of Rubab Raza, Pakistan swimmer. 1992 - The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia begins to break up. Slovenia and Croatia gain independence and international recognition in some Western countries. 1992 - Bulgaria recognizes Macedonia. 1992 - European Community recognizes Slovenian and Croatian independence. 1993 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures / Paramount Pictures live-action feature film Alive in the US. 1993 - In Hokkaido, Japan, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. Two people killed, 614 injured and substantial damage. 1993 - Henry Iba, basketball coach, dies at age 88. 1993 - Huub H Jacobse, Dutch Member of Parliament (VVD), dies at age 68. 1993 - Ken Cory dies of AIDS at age 51. 1993 - Sammy Cahn [Cohen], US songwriter (Bei Mir Bist Du Schön), dies at age 79. 1993 - Soap opera Santa Barbara final show on NBC TV. 1993 - Salvatore "Totň" Riina, the Mafia boss known as 'The Beast', is arrested in Palermo, Sicily after 23 years as a fugitive. 1994 - 15th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 34 awards, Showtime wins 10. 1994 - György Cziffra, Hungarian/French pianist (Chopin/Liszt), dies at age 72. 1994 - Hague motorist with .51% alcohol in blood, breaks Dutch record (.47%). 1994 - Harry Nilsson, rock vocalist (Without You, Everybody's Talkin'), dies at age 52 (born 1941). 1994 - Philippe Brun, jazz trumpeter, dies at age 85. 1994 - Queen Elizabeth falls off her horse and breaks her left wrist. 1995 - Dawn Coe-Jones wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Golf Champion. 1995 - San Diego Chargers beat Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 for AFC championship. 1995 - San Francisco 49ers beat Dallas Cowboys for NFC championship. 1995 - Sollie McElroy, singer, dies at age 61. 1996 - Les Baxter, singer/orchestra leader/composer (Born Again), dies at age 73 (born 1922). 1996 - Chief Moshushu II, King of Lesotho (1966-90), dies at age 51 (born 1938). 1996 - Richard Charles Cobb, historian, dies at age 78. 1997 - Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman kicks cameraman, Eugene Amos, in the groin. 1997 - Jose Ignacio Domecq, wine maker, dies at age 82. 1997 - Kenneth Thimann, botanist, dies at age 92. 1997 - Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with Mir Space Station. 1998 - Death of Amos "Junior" Wells, American blues harmonica player, at age 63 (born 1934). 1998 - Gulzarilal Nanda, temporary Prime Minister of India (1964, 66), dies. 2000 - Death of Fran Ryan, American actress (born 1916). 2000 - Death of Äeljko Ražnatovic, Serbian mobster and paramilitary leader (born 1952). 2001 - Wikipedia, a Wiki free content encyclopedia, goes online. 2003 - Death of Doris Fisher, American singer and songwriter (born 1915). 2003 - The Supreme Court of the United States allows the extension of copyright terms in the U.S. 2003 - Lucio Gutiérrez is sworn in as Ecuador's new president. 2004 - In the USA, Carol Moseley Braun drops out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and endorses Howard Dean. 2005 - ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron and other surface elements on the moon. 2005 - Death of Victoria de los Ángeles, Catalan soprano (born 1923). 2005 - Death of Deem Bristow, voice actor best known as the voice of Doctor Eggman (born 1947). 2005 - In Detroit, Michigan, the North American International Auto Show is held, over nine days. Chevrolet unveils the 2006 Corvette Z06, with 7-litre LS7 engine, 500 hp, 475 pound-feet torque. 2006 - Death of Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (born 1926). 2006 - NASA's Stardust mission successfully ends, the first to return dust from a comet. 2007 - Death of Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi politician (born 1951). 2007 - Death of Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi judge (born 1945). 2007 - Death of Bo Yibo, Chinese politician (born 1908). 2007 - Comet McNaught makes perigee after coming close to the sun. 2008 - In India, Reliance Power raises a record 115 billion rupees (US$2.9 billion) in the first minute of stock trading. 2008 - In Michigan, USA, the Rupublican caucuses choose Mitt Romney as candidate for the presidential election on November. 2008 - The governments of Singapore, Kuwait, and South Korea invest US$21 billion in Citigroup and Merrill Lynch through sovereign-wealth funds. 2008 - A general election is held in Barbados.David Thompson and the Democratic Labour Pary win with 20 of the 30 parliamentary seats. 2008 - In the USA, Fox airs the 7th season premiere of the TV show American Idol. 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