This Day in History
January 17

What happened in history on this day: January 17? On January 17 in ... 395 - Theodosius I the Great, Spanish emperor of Rome, dies at age 49. 1103 - Frutolf German monk/musicologist/historian, dies. 1119 - Boudouin VII Hapkin count of Flanders, dies. 1229 - Albert bishop of Riga/founder (Sword Knights), dies at about age 68. 1342 - Birth of Philip the Bold, duke of Burgundy. 1463 - Birth of Friedrich III (the Wise), Elector of Saxony in Torgau, Germany; protector of Martin Luther, patron of Albrecht Dürer, and Luchas Cranach the Elder, founded the University of Wittenberg in 1502. 1484 - Birth of Georg Spalatin (pseudonym of Georg Burkhardt) in Spalt, Germany (died 1545); close friend and collaborator of Martin Luther. 1501 - Birth of Leonhard Fuchs in Wemding, Germany; professor of medicine at the University of Tübingen, botanist. 1501 - Cesare Borgia returns in triumph to Rome from Romagna. 1504 - Birth of Pius V [Antonio Ghislieri] saint, pope (1566-72). 1517 - Birth of Antonio Scandello Italian composer (Passion of Johannes). 1536 - François Rabelais absolved of apostasy by Pope Paul III. 1545 - Birth of Antonio Pace composer. 1562 - Edict of Saint Germain recognizes the Huguenots in France. 1574 - Birth of Robert Fludd composer. 1584 - Bohemia adopts the Gregorian calendar. 1595 - French king Henri IV declares war on Spain. 1600 - Birth of Pedro Caldéron de la Barca Spanish poet/dramatist. 1601 - France gains Bresse, Bugey, Valromey and Gex in treaty with Spain. 1604 - Santino Garsi composer, dies at age 61. 1612 - Birth of Thomas Fairfax Lord Fairfax, English Parliamentary General. 1617 - Pieter C Bockenberg Dutch historian, dies at age 68. 1620 - Diego Alvarez de Paz Spanish missionary/writer (Peru), dies at about age 59. 1625 - Nicolo Rubini composer, dies at age 50. 1654 - Paul Potter Dutch painter, buried. 1656 - Brandenburg and Sweden sign Treaty of Königsberg. 1657 - Birth of Pieter van Bloemen [Standaart], Flemish painter, baptized. 1659 - Birth of Antonio Veracini composer. 1661 - Andres Malong Philippines rebel leader, executed. 1676 - Pier Francesco Cavalli Italian opera composer, dies at age 73. 1683 - Birth of Gerard van Loon Dutch historian. 1702 - Thomas Franklin English smith/uncle of B Franklin, dies. 1706 - Birth of Benjamin Franklin in Boston, Massachusetts; kite flyer/statesman/wit/inventor. 1712 - Birth of John Stanley composer. 1718 - Avalanche destroys every building in Leukerbad, Switzerland; kills 53. 1719 - Birth of Johann Schlegel in Meissen, Germany; dramatist and literary critic. 1719 - Birth of Jean-Joseph Vade composer. 1728 - Birth of Johann Gottfried Muthel composer. 1732 - Birth of Stanislaw II August Poniatowski last king of Poland (1764-95). 1733 - Birth of Thomas Linley composer. 1734 - Birth of François-Joseph Gossec Belgian-French composer (Les Pêcheurs, Mirza). 1736 - Death of Daniel Matthäus Pöppelmann in Dresden, Germany; state architect in Dresden, designer of the Zwinger and Elbe Bridge. 1738 - Jean-Francois Dandrieu composer, dies. 1745 - Birth of Nicolas Roze composer. 1746 - Battle of Falkirk, Scotland-Prince Charles Edward Stuart defeated by Scots. 1750 - Tomaso Albinoni Italian composer (Adagio in G Minor), dies at age 78. 1757 - German Diet declares war on Prussia. 1759 - Birth of Paul Cuffe Massachusetts, merchant/shipbuilder/black nationalist. 1761 - Birth of James Hall Scotland, geologist. 1769 - Birth of Ole Andreas Lindeman composer. 1771 - Birth of Charles Brockden Brown father of American novel (Wieland). 1773 - Captain James Cook becomes first to cross Antarctic Circle (66 degrees 33' S). 1775 - Nine old women burnt as witches for causing bad harvests, Kalisk, Poland. 1775 - R B Sheridan's "Rivals" premieres in London. 1779 - Captain Cook's last notation in ship's log Discovery. 1781 - Marie de Negre Dables marquess, dies. 1788 - Alessio Prati composer, dies at age 37. 1794 - Birth of Eilhardt Mitscherlich in Neuende, Germany; professor of chemistry at the University of Berlin, discovered selenic acid, the monoclinic crystal form of sulfur, and was the first to synthesize nitrobenzene. 1805 - Abraham-Hyacinthe Anquetil du Perron French interpreter, dies at age 73. 1806 - Birth of James Madison Randolph (Jefferson's grandson) first born in White House. 1812 - Birth of Ludwig Windthorst in Kaldenhof, Germany; leader of Catholic Center Party. 1814 - Birth of Ellen Wood English author (East Lynne, Pomeroy Abbey). 1818 - Birth of Sir Antoine Dorion (Liberal) joint premier of Canada (1858, 1863-64). 1820 - Birth of Anne Bronte English novelist/poet (Tenant of Wildfell Hall). 1820 - Daniel W Wyttenbach Dutch classicist/historian, dies at age 73. 1821 - México permits Moses Austin and 300 US families to settle in Texas. 1823 - Zacharius Werner German playwright, dies at age 36. 1826 - Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga y Balzola Spanish composer, dies at age 19. 1827 - Duke of Wellington appointed British supreme commander. 1828 - Birth of Lewis Addison Grant Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1918. 1830 - W Waiblinger writer, dies. 1832 - Johannes van den Bosch appointed Governor-General of Dutch-Indies. 1833 - James Ball Antyne Scot founder (Ball Antyne Press), dies at about age 60. 1833 - William Rush Indian sculptor (Spirit of the Schuylkill), dies. 1834 - Birth of August Weismann in Frankfurt am Main, Germany; professor of medicine at the University of Freiburg, developed of a theory of cellular germ plasm, from which the modern understanding of DNA develops. 1834 - Birth of Wilhelmina J R Albregt-Engelman Dutch actress/daughter of Mimi Bia. 1835 - Birth of Antanas Baranauskas Lithuanian bishop/poet/dialectologist. 1835 - Birth of Johan Filip von Schantz composer. 1836 - Birth of Jose Silvestre de los Dolores White Lafitte composer. 1842 - Birth of Anton G van Hamel founder (Roman Philology in Netherlands). 1845 - Birth of Lucas Lindeboom Dutch vicar/evangelist (Vredebond). 1850 - Birth of Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev Saint Petersburg Russia, composer. 1852 - British recognize independence of Transvaal (in South Africa). 1853 - Birth of Alva Vanderbilt Beaumont women's rights advocate and activist. 1856 - Thomas Attwood Walmisley composer, dies at age 41. 1857 - Birth of Eugene Augustin Lauste developer (first sound-on-film recording). 1857 - Birth of Wilhelm Kienzl Austrian composer (Evangelimann). 1858 - Birth of Tomas Carrasquilla Colombian author (Frutos de mi Tierra). 1861 - Flush toilet (with separate water tank and a pull chain) patented by Mr Thomas Crapper (Honest!). 1862 - Birth of John E Akkeringa Dutch painter/etcher. 1862 - (to January 22) Bombardment of Fort Henry, Tennessee, by USS Lexington. 1863 - Birth of David Lloyd George (L-Prime Minister-Britain, 1916-22). 1863 - Birth of Henry Charles Tonking composer. 1863 - Birth of Konstantin S Stanislavski Russia, director (Stanislavski Method). 1863 - E J Horace Vernet French painter, dies at age 73. 1863 - Civil War skirmish near Newtown, Virginia. 1864 - Birth of Lucien Herr France, scientist (Corresp entre Schiller et Schiller). 1864 - General Longstreet's command ends heavy fighting at Dandridge, Tennessee. 1869 - Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky composer, dies at age 55. 1871 - First cable car patented, by Andrew S Hallidie (begins service in 1873). 1873 - Birth of François Rasse composer. 1874 - Armed Democrats seize Texas government ending Radical Reconstruction. 1874 - Chang and Eng Bunker Chinese/Thai Siamese twins, die at age 62. 1876 - Birth of Olga Fastrova writer. 1877 - Birth of Hans Jelmoli composer. 1878 - Birth of Oscar Apfel Cleveland Ohio; actor (Abraham Lincoln, Inspiration, Before Dawn). 1880 - Birth of Mack Sennett movie creator (Keystone Kops). 1881 - Birth of Alfred R Radcliffe-Browne British anthropologist (Andaman Islanders). 1882 - First Dutch female physician Aletta Jacobs opens office. 1884 - Birth of Noah Beery US actor (Mark of Zorro, Sea Wolf). 1885 - Birth of E Ball-Hennings writer. 1885 - Birth of Joseph Arendt Belgian worker's union leader. 1885 - British beat Mahdists at Battle of Abu Klea in the Sudan. 1886 - Amilcare Ponchielli Italian composer (La Gioconda), dies at age 51. 1886 - Birth of Glenn Luther Martin aviator (Collier Trophy-1933). 1886 - Birth of Ronald Firbank London England, novelist (The Flower Beneath the Foot). 1889 - Juan Montalvo Ecuadorian author (Siete Tratados), dies at age 56. 1890 - Death of Salomon Sulzer in Vienna, Austria, at age 85; chief cantor in Vienna, composer, "the father of modern synagogue music". 1891 - Birth of Marjorie Gateson Brooklyn New York, actress (One Man's Family). 1891 - Birth of Norman "Squab" Read US aviator who lived to be 101. 1891 - Birth of Walter Eucken German economist. 1891 - Johannes Josephus Hermanus Verhulst composer, dies at age 74. 1892 - Alexandre Levy composer, dies at age 27. 1893 - -17 degrees F (-27 degrees C), Millsboro DE (state record). 1893 - Queen Liliuokalani deposed, Kingdom of Hawaii becomes a republic. 1893 - Rutherford B Hayes 19th US President (1877-81), dies in Fremont Ohio at age 70. 1895 - French President Casimir-Perier resigns. 1895 - Félix Faure installed as President of France. 1896 - Birth of Harry Reser Ohio, orchestra leader (Sammy Kaye Show). 1897 - Birth of Nils Asther Malmö Sweden; actor (Bluebeard, Night Monster). 1899 - Birth of Al Capone Italy, gangster (Chicago bootlegging). 1899 - Birth of Nevil Shute (Norway) London, novelist (On the Beach, Town Like Alice). 1899 - Birth of Robert Maynard Hutchins US, educator/civil libertarian. 1899 - Birth of Roel [Martinus F] Houwink Dutch literary (One Man Without Character). 1899 - US takes possession of Wake Island in Pacific. 1900 - Birth of Olga Maria Nicolis di Robilant patron of the arts. 1901 - Birth of Vasily Petrovich Shirinsky composer. 1901 - Jacob G Agarah Swedish algologist, dies at age 87. 1902 - Birth of Geoffrey W Lloyd British minister of Brandstoffen/Energy (1951-55). 1902 - Gideon Scheepers South African Boer leader, executed. 1903 - Birth of Warren Hull Gasport New York; actor (Strike it Rich, Who in the World). 1904 - Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" opens at the Moscow Art Theater. 1904 - Birth of Grant Withers Pueblo Colorado; actor (Oklahoma, Annie). 1904 - Birth of Patsy Ruth Miller actress (Québec, Wide Open, Sap, Twin Beds). 1905 - Birth of Franz Schmid Germany, ascended northside of Matterhorn (1931). 1905 - Punchboards patented by Charles Brewer and C G Scannell, Chicago Illinois. 1907 - Birth of Henk H Badings Bandung Indonesia, Dutch opera composer (Orestes). 1908 - Birth of Akkineni LV Lakshmi Varaprasada Rao Prasad producer. 1908 - Ferdinand IV ruler of Toscane, dies at age 72. 1910 - Birth of Edith S Green (Representative-Democrat-Oregon). 1910 - Birth of Michael Economides restaurateur. 1910 - Thomas Crapper inventor (flush toilet), dies. 1910 - Wilhelm F Kohlrausch Germ physicist (Additiviteitsregel), dies at age 69. 1911 - Birth of Hermann Pfrogner Austria, musicologist (Zerrissene Orpheus). 1911 - Birth of Luis W Alvarez US, physicist (sub atomic, Nobel Prize 1968). 1911 - Failed assassination attempt on premier Briand in French Assembly. 1911 - Francis Galton English scholar, dies at age 88. 1911 - Percy Mackaye's "Scarecrow" premieres in New York City, New York. 1912 - Birth of Orest Alexandrovich Evlahkov composer. 1913 - Birth of Werenfried [Flip] van Straaten founder (Oostpriesterhulp). 1913 - Birth of Yuvraj of Patiala cricketer (scored 24 and 60 in only Test India vs England). 1913 - Carl Baermann composer, dies at age 73. 1913 - Raymond Poincaré elected President of France. 1914 - Gerhart Hauptmann's "Der Bogen des Odysseus" premieres in Berlin. 1915 - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek's Hospital in Amsterdam opens. 1915 - Russia occupies Bukovina and Western Ukraine. 1916 - First PGA Championship: Jim Barnes at Siwanoy Country Club, Bronxville NY; Professional Golfer Association (PGA) forms. 1916 - Birth of Joel Herron Chicago Illinois, orchestra leader (Jaye P Morgan Show). 1917 - Birth of Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (MGR) Indian film star, politician. 1917 - Birth of Oskar Morawetz Svetla Czechoslovakia, composer. 1917 - Birth of Ulyses Simpson Kay composer. 1917 - Hendrik Goeman Borgesius Dutch politician, dies at age 70. 1917 - US pays Denmark $25 million for the Virgin Islands. 1918 - Birth of Joseph Walker Barr banker/politician. 1920 - Birth of Joseph George Handy Hendleman musician. 1920 - Birth of Nora Kaye New York City, New York, prima ballerina. 1920 - Paul Deschanel elected President of France. 1921 - Birth of Dehl Berti Pueblo Colorado; actor (John Taylor-Guns of Paradise). 1922 - Birth of Betty White Oak Park Illinois, actress (Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls). 1922 - Birth of Luis Echeverría Alvarez President of Mexico. 1923 - Belgian Working people Party protest against occupied Ruhrgebied. 1923 - Birth of Onno Molenkamp Dutch actor (Lifespan, Broken Mirrors, The Lift). 1923 - Origin of Brown lunation numbers. 1924 - Birth of Jewel Plummer Cobb educator/president (California State University at Fullerton). 1925 - Birth of A H Kardar cricketer (Pakistana first Test captain, previously played for India). 1925 - Birth of Annie Delorie Dutch opera singer (Scenes and Arias). 1925 - Birth of Duane Hanson US sculptor. 1925 - Birth of Rock Hudson Winnetka Illinois; actor (McMillian and Wife). 1926 - Birth of Clyde Walcott cricketer (one of the three W's, later ICC chairman). 1926 - Birth of Moira Shearer Dunfermline Scotland, ballerina (Red Shoes). 1926 - Birth of Richard Michael Hills comedy script writer. 1926 - George Burns marries Gracie Allen. 1927 - Birth of Ignatz Bubis in Wroclaw, Germany (dies 1999); head of the Central Council of German Jews. 1927 - Birth of Donald Erb Youngstown Ohio, composer. 1927 - Birth of Eartha Kitt singer/actress (Catwoman-Batman). 1927 - Birth of Michael Herford Wooller TV/film producer. 1928 - First fully automatic photographic film developing machine patented. 1928 - Birth of Jean Barraqué French composer. 1928 - Birth of Ken Archer cricketer (Australian batsman, five Tests early 50s). 1928 - Birth of Vidal Sassoon London, hair stylist/CEO (Vidal Sasson). 1929 - Birth of Jacques "Jake the Snake" Plante Québec Canada, NHL goaltender (number 1). 1929 - Popeye makes first appearance, in comic strip "Thimble Theatre". 1930 - Birth of Bill Benyon English large landowner/Conservative Lower house leader. 1930 - Birth of Robert Ceely composer. 1930 - Birth of Thomas P Stafford Oklahoma, astronaut (Gemini 6, Gemini 9, Apollo 10). 1931 - Birth of Frederick Alfred Fox composer. 1931 - Birth of James Earl Jones Mississippi; actor (Darth Vader, Exorcist II, Soul Man). 1931 - Birth of L Douglas Wilder (Governor-Democrat-Virginia). 1933 - Birth of Aga Khan religious leader (Muslims). 1933 - Birth of Bruno Schroder British baron/banker/multi-millionaire. 1933 - Birth of Sheree North [Dawn Bethel], Louisiana, actress (Mary Tyler Moore Show, Breakout, Madigan). 1933 - Birth of Yolande Christina Dalida Cairo Egypt, actress/singer, Miss Egypt (The 6th Day). 1933 - Bradman takes second Test wicket, Hammond, bowled. 1933 - John Hodges cricketer (6 wickets in Australia's first two Tests), dies. 1934 - Birth of Donald Cammell film director. 1934 - Birth of Shari Lewis Bronx New York, ventriloquist/puppeteer (Lamb Chop). 1934 - Birth of Sydney Phillip Hodkinson composer. 1934 - Electric Home and Farm Authority incorporated. 1934 - New York Giants reward National League Most Valuable Player pitcher Carl Hubbell with $18,000 contract. 1935 - Birth of Jimmy Powell Dallas Texas, PGA golfer (1990 Southwestern Bell Classic). 1935 - Birth of Paul O[sborne] Williams US, sci-fi author (Ends of the Circle). 1936 - Birth of Jerry Fogel Rochester New York; actor (Jerry-Mothers-in-Law, White Shadow). 1938 - Birth of John Bellairs US, sci-fi author (Chessmen of Doom). 1938 - Birth of Paul Revere Harvard Nebraska, pianist (Paul Revere and Raiders). 1938 - Supreme Soviet elects Michail Kalinin as presidium chairman. 1938 - William H Pickering astronomer (predicted Pluto), dies at age 79. 1939 - Birth of Antao D'Souza cricketer (Pakistani pace bowler in six Tests 1959-62). 1939 - Birth of Maury Povich TV host (Current Affair, Maury)/Mr Connie Chung. 1939 - Birth of Toini Gustafson Sweden, 5K/10K cross country skier (Olympics-gold-1968). 1939 - Ed Barrow is elected New York Yankees president succeeding deceased J Ruppert. 1940 - Birth of H Kipchoge "Kip" Keino Kenya, 1500m runner (Olympics-gold-1968, 72). 1940 - Birth of Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali South African poet (Fireflames). 1941 - José Leite de Vasconcelos Portuguese scholar (Etnografia), dies at age 82. 1941 - (morning) French forces with one old light cruiser and four old gunboats, attack Siam along the Koh-Chang island anchorage. They sink the new battleship Dhonburi, force the new battleship Ayuthia to run aground, and sink three small destroyers. 1942 - Birth of Muhammad Ali [Cassius Clay], heavyweight champion boxer (1964-7 74-8). 1942 - Birth of Randy Boone Fayetteville North Carolina; actor (Cimarron Strip, Virginian). 1942 - Frederick Jerome Work composer, dies at age 61. 1943 - Birth of Chris Montez rocker. 1943 - Birth of Daniel Charles Brandenstein Watertown Wisconsin, astronaut (STS 8, 51-G, 32, 49). 1943 - Tin Can Drive Day. 1944 - Corvette Violet sinks U-641 in Atlantic Ocean. 1945 - Auschwitz concentration camp begins evacuation. 1945 - Birth of William Hart US singer (4 Gents, Delfonics-I'm Sorry). 1945 - Gilbert Dodds, record miler (4 05.3), retires to do gospel work. 1945 - Soviet forces liberate Warsaw, Poland. 1945 - Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg leaves Budapest with his driver and three Russian officers for a pre-approved meeting with Soviet commanders in Debrecen, east of Budapest, to discuss his humanitarian work with Jews. 1946 - Gottfried Rudinger composer, dies at age 59. 1946 - United Nations Security Council holds its first meeting. 1946 - In Niemodlin, Lower Silesia, the bodies of 40,000 murdered Allied prisoners are found in a mass grave. The prisoners were killed in the Lambinowice concentration camp. 1946 - In Nikolayev, Russia, seven Germans are hanged for the killing of 105,000 Russians during the war. Two others are sentenced to twenty years in prison. 1947 - Birth of Gail Toushin LPGA golfer. 1947 - Birth of Jane Elliot New York City, New York, actress (Baby Boom, General Hospital, Knots Landing). 1947 - Birth of Todd Susman Saint Louis Missouri; actor (Goodnight Beantown). 1947 - Birth of Ulysses Dove dancer/choreographer. 1947 - Muiden Netherlands ammunition factory explodes, 16 die. 1948 - Birth of Alexander "Alec" Erwin South African worker's union leader. 1948 - Birth of Mick Taylor rock bassist (Rolling Stones-Brown Sugar). 1948 - Netherlands and Indonesia agree to a cease fire. 1948 - Trial of 11 US Communist party members begins in New York City, New York. 1949 - Birth of Andy Kaufman New York City, New York, comedian/actor (Latka Gravas-Taxi). 1949 - Birth of Debbie Watson La Mirada California, actress (Karen, Tammy). 1950 - "Alive and Kicking" opens at Winter Garden Theater New York City, New York for 46 performances. 1950 - Eleven men rob Brink's office in Boston of $1.2M cash and $1.5M securities. 1951 - Birth of Rolando Thoeni Italy, slalom (Olympics-bronze-1972). 1951 - China refuses cease-fire in Korea. 1952 - Birth of Larry Fortensky former husband (7th) of Liz Taylor. 1952 - Birth of Ryuichi Sakamoto Japan, rocker (Academy Award 1988, Yellow Magic Orchestra). 1952 - Walter O "Spike" Briggs owner (Detroit Tigers), dies at age 74. 1953 - The General Motors Motorama opens to the general public in New York City. The prototype Chevrolet Corvette "Dream Car" is displayed to the public for the first time. The roadster is white with red interior, fiberglass body, 235-cid straight-6 engine, and two-speed automatic. Also on display at the Motorama: Buick fiberglass-bodied two-passenger Wildcat, Oldsmobile fiberglass-bodied four-passenger convertible Starfire, Cadillac fiberglass-bodied two-passenger roadster Le Mans. This is the first exclusive General Motors Motorama; in the Motorama from 1949 to 1952, any manufacturer could display their cars. 1953 - Birth of Sheila Hutchinson rocker. 1954 - Birth of Janet Dykman Monterey Park California, archer (Olympics-1996). 1954 - Birth of Robert F Kennedy Jr attorney (Natural Resources Defense Council). 1954 - Jacques Cousteau's first network telecast airs on Omnibus (CBS). 1954 - NFL Pro Bowl: East beats West 20-9. 1954 - Suggs Louise wins LPGA Sea Island Golf Open (Cloister). 1955 - Birth of Steve Earle San Antonio Texas, country singer (Guitar Town). 1955 - Joannes A Veraart Dutch judge/Member of Parliament, (Jews in Netherlands), dies at age 68. 1955 - Submarine USS Nautilus begins first nuclear-powered test voyage. 1956 - Birth of David Caruso actor (NYPD Blue, Michael Hayes). 1956 - Birth of Mitch Vogel Alhambra California; actor (Jamie-Bonanza). 1956 - Birth of Paul Young rock vocalist/keyboardist (Every Time You Go Away). 1957 - Birth of Donna Stone in New Jersey, USA; fencer-epee (Olympics-1996). 1958 - Birth of Jez Strode; rocker (Kajagoogoo). 1959 - Abdul Aziz, cricketer, dies at age 17 struck by ball in fc match for Karachi. 1960 - Birth of Chili Davis in Kingston, Jamaica; outfielder (California Angels). 1960 - Birth of John Crawford in Palo Alto, California, USA; bass (Berlin - "You Take My Breath Away"). 1960 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Sea Island Women's Golf Invitational. 1960 - NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 38-21. 1961 - Birth of Maia Chiburdanidze in Kutaisi, USSR; women's world chess champ. 1961 - Birth of Susanna Hoffs; actress/rocker (Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian"). 1962 - Birth of Jim Carrey in Ontario, Canada; actor (In Living Color, Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, Skip - Duck Factory). 1962 - Gerrit Achterberg, Dutch poet (Dead End), dies at age 56. 1962 - NASA civilian pilot Neil A Armstrong takes X-15 to 40,690m. 1962 - Roy Harris' 8th Symphony premieres in San Francisco, California. 1963 - Joe Walker takes X-15 to altitude of 82 km. 1963 - Wilt Chamberlain of NBA San Francisco Warriors scores 67 points versus Los Angeles Lakers. 1964 - Birth of Jeff Tabaka; US baseball pitcher (San Diego Padres). 1964 - Terence Hanbury White, novelist (England Have My Bones), dies at age 57. 1966 - Birth of Anna Ivan in La Jolla, California, USA; tennis star. 1966 - Birth of Don Myrah in Oakland, California, USA; cyclist (Olympics-20th-1996). 1966 - Birth of Karissa Rushing in Benton, Arkansas, USA; Miss America-Arkansas (1990). 1966 - Birth of Rexton Gordon "Shabba Ranks"; Jamaican disc-jockey/rapper (Extra Naked). 1966 - Birth of Trish Johnson in Bristol, England; LPGA golfer (1993 Las Vegas). 1966 - Martin Luther King Jr opens campaign in Chicago, Illinois. 1966 - USAF B-52 carrying four unarmed hydrogen bombs crashes on Spanish coast at Palomares, seven die. 1966 - Vincent J Donehue, director (Lonelyhearts), dies of Hodgkin's at age 50. 1967 - Birth of Gregory Caccia in Bayshore, New York, USA; team handball right back (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of William Michael Heinen Jr in Rayne, Louisiana, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Shell Houston). 1967 - Evelyn Nesbit, actress (Redemption), dies at age 82. 1968 - Julis Deutsch, Austrian politician/General Spanish republican army, dies at age 83. 1968 - Soyuz 4 and 5 complete first docking of two manned spacecraft. 1969 - The Beatles' album Yellow Submarine released in the United Kingdom. 1969 - Debut album of rock music group Led Zeppelin released in US. 1969 - Grazyna Bacewicz, composer, dies at age 59. 1969 - United States attorney general Ramsey Clark charges IBM with unlawful monopolization of the computer industry, and requests the federal courts break it up. 1970 - 357 baseball players are available in the free-agent draft. 1970 - AFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 26-3. 1970 - Billy Stewart, singer ("I Do Love You"), dies in auto-accident at age 32. 1970 - Birth of Candace Murray in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; softball shortstop (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Birth of Darnell Walker; NFL cornerback (Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers). 1970 - Birth of Jeremy Roenick in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; NHL center (Team USA, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes). 1970 - John M Burgess installed as bishop of Protestant Episcopals (Massachusetts). 1970 - Sporting News names Willie Mays as Player of the Decade for the 1960s. 1971 - Birth of Derek Plante in Cloquet, Minnesota, USA; NHL center (Buffalo Sabres). 1971 - Birth of Peter Winter; Australian decathlete (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Tyler Houston; US baseball catcher (Atlanta Braves). 1971 - Super Bowl V: Baltimore Colts-16, Dallas Cowboys-13 in Miami, Florida; Most Valuable Player: Chuck Howley, Dallas, Linebacker. 1972 - Birth of Rohn Meyer; Canadian Football League offensive linebacker (Calgary Stampeders). 1972 - Birth of Wendall Gaines; NFL tight end (Arizona Cardinals). 1972 - Rochelle Hudson, actress (That's My Boy, Curly Top), dies from pneumonia at age 55. 1972 - Section of Memphis, Tennessee, Highway 51 South renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. 1973 - Birth of Amanda Elizabeth Spivey in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA; Miss South Carolina-America (1995). 1973 - City of Amsterdam decides to support Hanoi, Vietnam. 1973 - Fred Essler, actor (Unsinkable Molly Brown), dies at age 77. 1973 - New Philippine constitution names Marcos president for life. 1974 - Birth of Derrick Mason; wide receiver (Tennessee Oilers). 1974 - Birth of Guillermo Mercedes; Dominican/US baseball infielder (Texas Rangers). 1974 - Birth of Marcus Spriggs; offensive tackle (Buffalo Bills). 1974 - Birth of Sharon Marie Ferris in New Zealand; yachter (Olympics-1996). 1976 - "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow hits #1. 1976 - Hermes rocket launched by European Space Agency. 1977 - 7th AFC-NFC pro bowl, AFC wins 24-14. 1977 - Birth of Ali el Kattabi; soccer player (Sparta). 1977 - Gary Gilmore executed in Utah, first US execution since 1967. 1977 - Kansas City Royals release Tommy Davis, ends an 18-year career with 10 teams. 1977 - Zaire President Mobutu visits Belgium. 1978 - Birth of Irina A Borisova; Miss Ukraine-Universe (1996). 1979 - USSR performs underground nuclear test. 1980 - NASA launches Fltsatcom-3. 1980 - Birth of Zooey Deschanel; American actress. 1980 - Birth of Maksim Chmerkovskiy; Ukrainian dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. 1980 - Barbara Britton, actress (Pamela - Mr and Mrs North), dies at age 59. 1981 - Birth of Ray J; American rapper and singer. 1981 - Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos lifted Martial Law. 1981 - Birth of Scott Mechlowicz; American actor. 1982 - Cold Sunday sweeps over the northern United States. 1982 - Birth of Dwyane Wade; American basketball player. 1982 - Birth of Alex Varkatzas; Greek-American lead vocalist (Atreyu). 1983 - Doodles Weaver, actor/comedian (Ring of Fire), shoots himself at age 71. 1983 - Nigeria expels two million illegal aliens, mostly Ghanaians. 1983 - Birth of Johannes Herber; German basketball player. 1983 - Birth of Andrea Lowell; American model. 1983 - 10th American Music Awards: Kenny Rogers. 1983 - Alabama Governor George C Wallace becomes governor for record fourth time. 1984 - Birth of Calvin Harris, Scottish electronic musician. 1984 - Birth of Cassie Hager, American basketball player. 1984 - US Supreme Court rules (5-4) private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright laws. 1985 - Birth of Simone Simons; Dutch singer. 1985 - Birth of Kang-In; Korean singer, member of Super Junior. 1985 - British Telecom announces it is going to phase out its famous red telephone boxes. 1985 - Azharuddin scores second Test century in second Test (v England). 1986 - Birth of Chloe Rose Lattanzi; Australian actress and singer. 1986 - Tim Witherspoon beats Tony Tubbs in 15 to regain WBA heavyweight title. 1987 - US President Ronald Reagan signs secret order permitting covert sale of arms to Iran. 1988 - Teddy and Alice closes at Minskoff Theater in New York City, New York after 77 performances. 1988 - Leslie Manigay elected President of Haiti. 1989 - Al Arbour wins his 600th NHL game as coach. 1989 - Patrick Edward Purdy kills five children, wounds 30 and then shoots himself in Stockton, California. 1989 - Phoenix Suns cancel game at Miami Heat, due to racial unrest in Miami, Florida. 1989 - Sterling A Brown, US poet/critic (Southern Road), dies at age 87. 1989 - Victoria Murden and Shirley Metz are first women to reach South Pole overland (on skis). 1990 - Charles Hernu, French minister of Defense (1981-85), dies. 1990 - Dave Stewart signs record US$3,500,000 per year Oakland Athletics contract. 1990 - The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Four Seasons, Four Tops, Hank Ballard, Platters and Kinks inducted into Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1991 - Helmut Kohl is formally elected chancellor of united Germany by the Bundestag. He receives 378 yes votes, 257 no votes and 9 abstain. 1991 - Operation Desert Storm begins - US and 27 allies attack Iraq for occupying Kuwait. 1991 - Mountie Jacques Rougeau beats Hart for WWF intercontinental title. 1991 - Olav AFEC van Sleeswijk-Holstein-S-G V, King of Norway (1957), dies. 1991 - Death of King Olav V of Norway (born 1903). 1991 - Harald V of Norway becomes king on the death of his father, Olav V. 1992 - Bill Walker, actor (Big Mo, Mask, Harlem Globetrotters), dies at age 95. 1992 - Charlie Ventura, jazz sax (Bop for the people), dies of cancer at age 75. 1992 - Dorothy Alison, actress (Maggie, third Key, Long Arm), dies. 1993 - 14th ACE Cable Awards: HBO wins 32 awards. 1993 - Ger ter Horst, Dutch soccer trainer (Sparta), dies. 1993 - Russian Irina Privalova cycles world record 300m indoor (35.45"). 1994 - In Northridge, California, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurs. Sixty people were killed, more than 7,000 injured, 20,000 homeless and more than 40,000 buildings damaged in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Severe damage occurred in the San Fernando Valley. Collapsed overpasses closed sections of the Santa Monica Freeway, the Antelope Valley Freeway, the Simi Valley Freeway and the Golden State Freeway. Total damage: US$30 billion. 1994 - Allan G Odell, ad executive (Burma Shave), dies at age 90. 1994 - Chung Il Kwon, Prime Minister of South Korea (1964-70), dies. 1994 - Grady "Fats" Jackson, tenor sax player, dies at age 66. 1994 - Han Jansen, Dutch journalist (Volkskrant), dies at age 61. 1994 - Klaas Peereboom, Dutch sports reporter (Het Parool), dies at age 77. 1994 - Noel Chiboust, trumpeter/sax, dies at age 84. 1994 - Death of Helen Stephens, American runner (born 1918). 1995 - Carousel closes at Beaumont Theater in New York City, New York after 322 performances. 1995 - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake called the "Great Hanshin earthquake" occurs near Kobe, Japan. 5502 people killed, 36,896 injured, over 200,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Over 90 percent of the casualties occurred along the southern coast of Honshu between Kobe and Nishinomiya. 1995 - Australia beats Australia A 2-0 to win the World Series Cup. 1995 - Isador Caplan, lawyer/Aldeburgh Festival pioneer, dies at age 82. 1995 - Los Angeles Rams announce that they are moving to Saint Louis. 1995 - Urias Nooteboom, Dutch journalist/critic (The Time), dies at age 54. 1996 - Barbara Charline Jordan, American politician, dies at age 59 (born 1936). 1996 - Charles Henry Madge, poet writer/sociologist, dies at age 83. 1996 - Giles William Playfair, writer, dies at age 85. 1996 - John Adrian Hope, politician/businessman, dies at age 83. 1996 - Robert Covington, drummer/singer, dies at age 54. 1997 - Buena Vista Pictures releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Metro to theaters. 1997 - Andrea Fisher, artist, dies at age 21. 1997 - Asfa Wossen [Amha Selassie], crown emperor of Ethiopia in exile, dies. 1997 - Death of Clyde William Tombaugh, American astronomer (discovered Pluto), at age 90 (born 1906). 1997 - NBA suspends Dennis Rodman indefinitely/$25,000 for kicking cameraman. 1997 - A Delta II rocket carrying a military GPS payload explodes, shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. 1998 - Emil Sitka, actor (Three Stooges shorts), dies of stroke at age 82. 1998 - Paula Jones accuses U.S. President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment. 2001 - Impeachment proceedings against Philippine President Joseph Estrada end prematurely after the second envelope, which allegedly holds proof that the accused has committed plunder, remains unopened by majority vote of the senator-judges. Those senators who voted for the opening of the envelope walk out of the courtroom along with the people watching inside. This event, covered on several Philippine television channels, and the resulting SMS/text messages encouraging everyone to go to EDSA and shout for the removal or resignation of Estrada from office, triggers the second EDSA People Power Revolution or People Power II. 2002 - Jermaine Dye agrees to a three-year extension worth $32 million to stay with the Oakland Athletics. 2002 - Death of Camilo José Cela, Spanish writer (born 1916). 2002 - The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo displaces an estimated 400,000 people. 2003 - Torii Hunter agrees to four-year, US$32 million deal to stay with the Minnesota Twins. 2003 - Death of Richard Crenna, American actor (born 1926). 2005 - Death of Zhao Ziyang, Premier of the People's Republic of China (born 1919). 2006 - In Scottsdale, Arizona, the 30th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction is held, over six days. The #003 1953 Corvette sells for US$1 million; this is the first existing production Corvette. A 1967 convertible, with 427 ci 435 hp engine sells for US$350,000. 2006 - Alex Rodriguez announces he will be a member of the United States team in the World Baseball Classic. 2007 - Doomsday Clock is set to 5 minutes to midnight. 2007 - Protests occur in India and the United Kingdom against the British television series Celebrity Big Brother after Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara are alleged to have been racially abusive towards Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. 2007 - Death of Art Buchwald, American humorist (born 1925). 2008 - Israel closes the border with Gaza due to a rise in Qassam rockets hitting towns. 2008 - Death of Bobby Fischer, American former world champion chess-player, at age 64 in Reykjavik, Iceland. 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