This Day in History
December 10

What happened in history on this day: December 10? On December 10 in ... 969 - Nicephorus II Phocas Byzantine co-Emperor (963-69), murdered. 1041 - Michael IV Paphlagonicus, emperor of Byzantine, dies. 1198 - Averroës ibn-Rusjd Moorish philosopher, dies. 1294 - Pope Coelestinus V becomes Pope (until December 13th). 1490 - Antoine Haneron Bourgundy diplomat, dies at about age 90. 1508 - League of the kingdom signed (covenant against Venice). 1520 - Martin Luther publicly burns papal edict demanding he recant. 1524 - Henry van Zutphen Dutch Augustine/Lutheran minister, burned to death. 1538 - Birth of Giovanni Battista Guarini Italian writer (Faithfull Shepherd). 1572 - Cornelis Musius Dutch humanist/poet, murdered at age 72. 1582 - France begins use of Gregorian calendar. 1595 - Reynier Cant mayor of Amsterdam, dies at about age 59. 1603 - William Gilbert Queen Elizabeth's physician, dies at age 59. 1616 - Diogo do Couto Portuguese historian/archivist of Goa, dies at age 74. 1638 - Ivan [Dzivo F] Gundulic Dalmatian writer (Osman), dies at age 49. 1652 - Sea battle at Dungeness: Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp beats English fleet. 1665 - Tarquinio Mercula composer, dies. 1672 - New York Governor Lovelace announces monthly mail service between New York and Boston. 1679 - Birth of Willem Maurits, Dutch count of Nassau/Governor of Zeeuws-Flanders. 1690 - Massachusetts Bay becomes first American colonial government to borrow money. 1691 - Birth of Cornelis Pronk Dutch portrait painter/cartoonist. 1741 - Birth of Agatha "Aagje" Deken Dutch writer (For the Elderly and Children). 1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlies army draws into Manchester. 1749 - Gabrielle Châtelet [La belle Emilie] writer (Voltaire), dies at age 42. 1764 - Birth of Louis-Sebastien Lebrun composer. 1765 - Birth of [Izaäk J] Alexander Gogel Dutch minister of Finance/patriot. 1770 - Theophil "Gottlieb" Muffat German court organist/composer, dies at age 80. 1787 - Birth of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet Philadelphia Pennsylvania, pioneer of educating the deaf. 1794 - Birth of James Wolfe Ripley Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1870. 1799 - Metric system established in France. 1805 - Birth of John E Feisser theologist/founder first Dutch baptist church. 1805 - Friedrich Franz Hurka composer, dies at age 43. 1809 - Sweden signs a peace treaty with Denmark. 1810 - Tom Cribb (Great Britain) beats Tom Molineaus (US-Negro) in first interracial boxing championship (40 rounds). 1813 - Birth of Errico Petrella composer. 1813 - Birth of Zachariah Chandler US, merchant/politician (founder of Republican Party). 1815 - Birth of Ada Byron (Lovelace) London England, considered the first computer programmer. 1816 - Dutch regain Sumatra. 1817 - Mississippi admitted as 20th state. 1820 - Birth of David Allen Russell Army Brevet Major General (Union), died in 1864. 1821 - Birth of Nikolai A Nekrasov Russian poet (Russkije Zjenjshiny). 1822 - Birth of César Franck Liège Belgium, composer (Rébecca). 1822 - Birth of Thomas Casimer Devin Brigadier-General (Union volunteers), died in 1878. 1823 - Birth of Wilhelm Kuhe composer. 1824 - Birth of George MacDonald Scotland, sci-fi author (Lilith, Princess and Curdie). 1826 - Benedikt Emanuel Schack composer, dies at age 68. 1830 - Birth of Emily Dickinson Amherst Massachusetts, poet (Collected Poems). 1830 - Birth of Kálmán Tisza premier of Hungary (1875-90). 1831 - "Spirit of the Times" begins publishing (weekly horse racing sheet). 1831 - Birth of Alexander Conze German archaeologist. 1833 - Dieudonne-Pascal Pieltain composer, dies at age 79. 1851 - Birth of Melvil[le Louis K] Dewey created Dewey Decimal System for libraries. 1864 - General Sherman's armies reach Savannah and twelve day siege begins. 1868 - Birth of Louis Victor Saar composer. 1869 - Women suffrage (right to vote) granted in Wyoming Territory (US first). 1870 - Birth of Adolf Loos Austria architect (building of houses). 1870 - Birth of Pierre Louis France, novelist/poet (Aphrodite, Woman and Puppet). 1870 - Birth of Rudolf W Canne Fries playwright (Der de Wier Us). 1870 - Birth of T R McKibbin cricketer (New South Wales and Australia off-spinner late 19th century). 1872 - Birth of Johann Babtist Thaller composer. 1872 - Birth of Ludwig Klages German philosopher (study of graves). 1875 - Otogaki Rengetsu zen nun/benefactress of Tessai, dies at about age 84. 1877 - Federico Ricci composer, dies at age 68. 1877 - Jared Kirtland US physician/naturalist, dies. 1882 - Birth of Otto Neurath Australian/British philosopher (Foundation of Social Sciences). 1882 - John Brahms' "Gesang der the Parzen" premieres. 1883 - Birth of Andrej J Vysjinski Russian lawyer/foreign minister/UN-ambassador. 1885 - Birth of Janos Hammerschlag composer. 1885 - Birth of Mario Varvoglis composer. 1886 - Birth of Victor McLaglen England; actor (Informer, Academy Award-1935). 1886 - Birth of William Booth cricketer (Yorks all-rounder, England before WWI). 1887 - Austria-Hungary/Italy/Great Britain signs military treaty of Balkan. 1888 - Mariano Obiols composer, dies at age 79. 1889 - Birth of Ray Collins Sacramento California; actor (Homecoming, Good Sam, Rose Marie). 1889 - Ludwig Anzengruber Austrian playwright, dies at age 50. 1890 - Birth of George Merritt London England; actor (I Monster, Q Planes). 1890 - Ludolf Sloet van de Beele Governor-General (Net India 1861-66), dies at age 84. 1891 - Birth of Leonie "Nelly" Sachs German/Swedish poet (O the Chimneys-Nobel Prize 1966). 1893 - Birth of Walter Rein composer. 1894 - Birth of Earnest Haenchen German new testament expert. 1894 - Birth of Gertrud Kolmar writer. 1894 - Birth of Paul Dessau composer. 1896 - First intercollegiate basketball game (Wesleyan beats Yale 4-3). 1896 - Alfred Jarry's "Ubu Roi" premieres in Paris. 1896 - Alfred Nobel of Sweden dies, in San Remo, Italy. Over his lifetime, 355 patents had been registered in his name, and he owned 93 factories around the world. 1897 - Birth of Karl H Waggerl Austria writer (Power of Love). 1898 - Birth of Anton Mauve Dutch painter. 1898 - Birth of Yuri N Libedinski Ukrainian writer (Birth of Hero). 1898 - Spanish-American War ends; US acquires Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam. 1899 - First defeat of "Black Week" - Battle at Stormberg South Africa - Boers vs British army; nearly 3000 British troops killed. 1899 - Frank Wedekind's "Der Kammersang" premieres in Berlin. 1901 - The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. 1901 - Birth of F Fischer German war criminal (Breda 4). 1903 - Birth of George J Lewis Guadalajara México; actor (Don-Zorro). 1903 - Birth of Una Merkel Covington Kentucky, actress (42nd Street, Abraham Lincoln). 1903 - Birth of William Plomer Transvaal, author (Paper Houses, I Speak of Africa). 1903 - Nobel for physics awarded to Pierre/Marie Curie. 1904 - Birth of Antonin Novótny Czechoslovakia, President of Czechoslovakia (1957-68). 1904 - James Cranston cricketer (scored 16 and 15 in Test for England), dies. 1904 - King Peter I of Sweden named nationalist regime. 1906 - First American awarded Nobel Peace Prize - President Theodore Roosevelt. 1907 - Birth of Amedeo Nazzari Cagliari Sardinia Italy; actor (Lure of Sila). 1907 - Birth of Michael Blankfort US, writer/producer/director. 1907 - Birth of Rumer Godden England, author (Thursday's Children). 1907 - Ruyard Kipling receives Nobel Prize for literature. 1908 - Birth of Arnold A van Ruler Dutch theologist. 1908 - Birth of Olivier Messiaen Avignon France, composer (L'Ame en Bourgeon). 1909 - Red Cloud Sioux Indian chief, dies. 1910 - Birth of Dennis Morgan Prentice Wisconsin; actor (Dennis-21 Beacon Street). 1910 - Birth of Jill Summers actress (Agatha Coronation Street). 1910 - Birth of John Hammond Sr New York City, New York, rock/jazz producer (I Can Tell, So Many Roads). 1910 - JD Van de Waals wins Nobel Prize for physics. 1910 - Pablo Hernandez Salces composer, dies at age 76. 1911 - Birth of Chet Huntley Cardwell Montana, newscaster (NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report). 1911 - Calbraith Rogers completes first crossing of US by airplane (84 days). 1911 - Joseph D Hooker British botanist, dies at age 94. 1911 - Tobias Asser given Nobel Prize for peace. 1912 - Birth of Rien van Nunen Dutch actor (Spuit Elf). 1913 - Birth of Morton Gould Richmond Hill New York, unbelievably prolific composer (Verdun). 1913 - Kamerlingh Onnes receives Nobel Prize for physics. 1914 - Birth of Dorothy Lamour [Mary Kaumeyer] New Orleans Louisiana, actress (Road to Bali, Greatest Show on Earth). 1914 - French government returns to Paris. 1915 - 10,000,000th model T Ford assembled. 1915 - President Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Galt. 1918 - Birth of Anne Gwynne Waco Texas, actress (Ride 'em Cowboy, House of Frankenstein). 1918 - Birth of Professor Longhair king of New Orleans music. 1918 - John A Heyder becomes president of baseball's National League. 1919 - Birth of Sven-Eric Emanuel Johanson composer. 1919 - National League votes to ban the spitball's use by all new pitchers. 1919 - New York, Boston, and Chicago, oppose American League resolution accusing Ban Johnson of overstepping his duties. 1920 - Birth of Ragnhild Hveger Denmark, 200 metre swimmer (Olympics-silver-1936). 1920 - President Woodrow Wilson receives Nobel Peace Prize. 1921 - Viktor Jacobi composer, dies at age 38. 1922 - Birth of Allen Dwight Sapp composer. 1922 - Nobel awarded to Fridtjof Nansen, Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein. 1922 - Pete Henry makes longest known NFL drop-kicked field goal, 45 yards. 1923 - Birth of Abelardo Quinteros composer. 1923 - Birth of Harold Gould Schenectady New York; actor (He and She, Martin-Rhoda, Big Bus). 1923 - Birth of Jorge Semprun French writer (second mort de R Mercader, Z). 1923 - Polish government of Grabski, forms. 1924 - Agreement reached on permanent rotation of World Series with each league, getting games 1, 2, 6, 7 in alternating years. 1924 - Willem Einthoven awarded Nobel for medicine. 1925 - Birth of Carolyn Ashley Kizer US writer (Yin, Pulitzer 1985). 1925 - George Bernard Shaw awarded Nobel. 1926 - First radio broadcast in the Springfield Illinois area (WCBS). 1926 - Second part of Hitler's Mein Kampf published. 1926 - Birth of Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe composer. 1926 - Birth of Eddie Jones "Guitar Slim" rocker. 1927 - Grand Ole Opry makes its first radio broadcast, in Nashville Tennessee. 1928 - Birth of John Colicos Toronto Ontario; actor (Battlestar Galactica). 1929 - Birth of Dan Blocker Texas; actor (Tiny-Cimarron City, Hoss-Bonanza). 1929 - Bradman scores 225 in second inning of Test Cricket trial after 124 in first. 1930 - Birth of Clayton K Yeutter Nebraska, US trade representative/Republican National chairman. 1931 - Jane Addams (first US woman) named co-recipient of Nobel Peace Prize. 1931 - Manuel Azaña becomes premier/Niceto Zamora President of Spain. 1931 - Max Elskamp Belgian author/poet (Six Chansons), dies at age 69. 1932 - King Rama VII (Prajadhipok) grants Thailand a constitution. 1933 - Birth of Grenville Alabaster cricketer (New Zealand tourist to Australia 1973-74). 1934 - Fascist dictator of Latvia Ulmanis begins building concentration camp. 1934 - NFL adopts player waiver rule; applies after 6th game of the season. 1934 - Saint-Adelbert cooperation formed by Catholic elite. 1935 - Oakland Athletics sell Jimmie Foxx to the Boston Red Sox for $150,000. 1935 - John H Aberson first rector of Landbouw high school, dies at age 78. 1935 - Chicago White Sox sell Al Simmons to the Detroit Tigers for $75,000. 1936 - England replaces King Edward VIII stamp series with King George VI. 1936 - King Edward VIII abdicates throne to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson. 1936 - Luigi Pirandello Italian writer (Enrico IV, Nobel Prize 1934), dies at age 69. 1936 - Robert Abel cricketer (744 runs in 13 Tests for England 1888-1902), dies. 1936 - Stockholm: physicist PBJ Debije receives Nobel Prize for chemistry. 1937 - Birth of Don Bies Cottonwood Idaho, PGA golfer (1975 Sammy Davis Jr). 1937 - Birth of Don Sebesky Perth Amboy New Jersey, orchestra leader (Jimmy Dean Show). 1938 - 26th Canadian Football League Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts defeats Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 30-7. 1938 - Birth of Yuri Temirkanov Nalchik Russia, conductor (Kirov). 1938 - Mario Pilati composer, dies at age 35. 1938 - Ruth Fuller Sasaki, Zen teacher, Rinzai line, enters Zen priesthood. 1939 - Green Bay Packers win NFL championship, beat New York Giants 27-0. 1939 - Vidkun Quisling of Norway meets with Adolf Hitler and many others in Berlin, over eleven days. They agree that Germany should aid Quisling and his Nazi party to seize control of Norway at a favorable moment. 1939 - KNVB celebrates 50th anniversary. 1939 - Wilhelm Grosz composer, dies at age 45. 1940 - Birth of William Fred Dempster Berkeley California, crew member (Biosphere 2). 1940 - British anti-offensive in Libya (Sidi Barrani). 1941 - Birth of Fionnula Flanagan Dublin Ireland, actress (Rich Man Poor Man). 1941 - Birth of Jeff Jones cricketer (England left-arm pace bowler in 1960s). 1941 - Birth of Peter Michael Goetz actor (Jumping Jack Flash, King Kong Lives). 1941 - Birth of Tim Considine Louisville Kentucky; actor (Mike-My Three Sons). 1941 - Birth of Tommy Kirk actor (Old Yeller). 1941 - Birth of Tommy Rettig Jackson Heights New York; actor (Jeff's Collie-Lassie). 1941 - Japanese bombers sink British battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse in the Gulf of Siam. 1941 - Japanese troops land on northern Luzon in the Philippines. 1941 - Japanese forces capture Guam. 1942 - Birth of Bear Bossu [Berend F Gertenbach] actor/vocalist (Pub Chantant). 1942 - Hitler names Mussert "leader of Netherlands people". 1942 - North Africa: 5th German pantser army forms under Colonel-General von Arnim. 1943 - Birth of Chad Stuart rock vocalist/guitarist (Chad and Jeremy). 1943 - Birth of Jessica Cleaves rocker. 1943 - Birth of Theodore Wilson New York City, New York; actor (That's My Mama, Sanford Arms). 1943 - British 8th Army occupies Orsogna/Ortona Italy. 1944 - Nine Dutch citizens hanged by Nazis. 1944 - Birth of Tisha Sterling in Hollywood, California, USA; actress (Coogan's Bluff). 1944 - German counter-attack at Dillingen-bridgehead at Saar. 1944 - France and the Soviet Union sign a mutual assistance pact. 1945 - Australian Services lose third Victory Test Cricket to India by six wickets. 1945 - Birth of Eric Boom; Dutch guitarist/producer. 1945 - Preston Tucker reveals plan to produce the Torpedo, a new 150 MPH car. 1946 - Birth of Chris Kefford; rocker. 1946 - Birth of Gloria Loring in New York City, New York, USA; actress/singer (Days of Our Lives). 1946 - Birth of Walter "Clyde" Orange in Florida, USA; rocker (Commodores - "Too Hot to Trot"). 1946 - Damon Runyon, US journalist/writer (Guys and Dolls), dies at age 66. 1946 - Walter Johnson, great pitcher (Washington Senators), dies at age 59. 1947 - Birth of Sinaida Woronin in USSR; gymnast (Olympics-gold/silver/2 bronze-1968). 1947 - Birth of Wayne Northrop in Sumner, Washington, USA; actor (Roman - Days of Our Lives). 1947 - USSR and Czechoslovakia sign trade agreement. 1948 - Birth of Brendan Harkin; rocker. 1948 - Birth of Ralph Tavares; rocker. 1948 - United Nations General Assembly adopts Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 1949 - Birth of Linda Galloway; LPGA golfer. 1950 - Birth of Simon Owen in Wanganui, New Zealand, USA; Australasia golfer. 1951 - Birth of Frank Beard; US country rock drummer (ZZ Top). 1951 - Birth of Johnny Rodriquez; American actor (Nashville Girl, La Bamba Party). 1952 - Birth of Susan Hallock Dey in Illinois, USA; actress (1st Love, The Partridge Family, L.A. Law). 1952 - Yitzhak Ben-Zvi elected second President of Israel. 1953 - "John Murray Anderson's Almanac" opens at Imperial theater in New York City for 229 performances. 1953 - Birth of Jack Scalia; actor/director (Amore, Deadly Desire, Donor, T-Force). 1954 - Albert Schweitzer receives Nobel Peace Prize. 1954 - Philadelphia Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium. 1956 - Birth of Michael VerMeulen; journalist. 1956 - Establishment of MPLA in Angola. 1958 - First domestic (New York-Miami) passenger jet flight-National 707 flies 111 passengers. 1958 - Birth of John J York in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actor (Mac Scorpio - General Hospital). 1958 - Birth of Paul Hardcastle; keyboardist (Don't Waste My Time, Just for Money). 1958 - Juliane Gabriels, Flemish physician, dies at age 72. 1958 - University of Pittsburgh agrees to buy Forbes Field from the Pittsburgh Pirates. 1959 - Birth of Burke Moses in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Sean Baxter - As the World Turns). 1959 - Birth of Mark Aguirre; NBA forward (Detroit Pistons). 1959 - Charles Jones, cricket batsman (West Indies in four Tests 1930-35, 63 runs), dies. 1959 - Henri Vidal, French actor (Fabiola), dies of a heart attack at age 40. 1960 - Birth of Kenneth Branagh in Belfast, Ireland; actor/director (High Season, Dead Again). 1960 - Birth of Paul Assenmacher in Detroit, Michigan, USA; pitcher (Cleveland Indians). 1961 - Birth of Mark McKoy; Canadian track star (world record 50 metre indoor). 1961 - Birth of Nia Peeples [Vernia] in Hollywood, California, USA; actress/dancer/singer/host (Fame, Party Machine). 1961 - Houston Oilers' Billy Cannon gains record 373 yards against New York Titans. 1961 - US performs nuclear test at Carlsbad, New Mexico (underground). 1961 - USSR and Albania break diplomatic relations. 1962 - Birth of John de Wolf; soccer player (Feyenoord). 1962 - Hunters Point (San Francisco) jitney ends service after 50 years. 1963 - Six-year old Donny Osmond's singing debut on the Andy Williams Show. 1963 - Birth of Doug Henry in Sacramento, California, USA; pitcher (New York Mets). 1963 - Birth of Gerald Sandel; soccer player (Sparta). 1963 - Birth of Michael Lofton in Montgomery, Alabama, USA; fencer-sabre (Olympics-1996). 1963 - Birth of Robin White in San Diego, California, USA; tennis player (US Open doubles 1988). 1963 - Zanzibar becomes independent within British Commonwealth. 1964 - Birth of Luis Polonia in Santiago City, Dominican Republic; outfielder (New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles). 1964 - Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Dr Martin Luther King Jr. 1965 - Birth of Jennifer Wyatt in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; golfer (1992 Crestar-Farm Fresh). 1965 - Dutch government ends economic boycott of Rhodesia. 1965 - Henry (Dixon) Cowellm US pianist/composer (Aeolian Harp), dies at age 68. 1965 - Test Cricket debut of Doug Walters versus England at the Gabba. 1966 - Birth of Eric Naposki; WLAF linebacker (Barcelona Dragons). 1966 - Birth of Norberto Martin in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, USA; infielder (Chicago White Sox). 1966 - Boris Koutzen, composer, dies at age 65. 1966 - Israeli Shmuel Yosef Agnon wins Nobel Prize for literature. 1966 - Nobel for chemistry awarded to Robert S Mulliken. 1967 - Brazilio da Cunha Luz Itibere, composer, dies at age 71. 1967 - Otis Redding, singer ("Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"), dies in plane crash at age 26. 1967 - Carl Cunningham, rocker (Bar-kays), killed in a plane crash. 1967 - Jimmy King, rocker (Bar-kays), dies in a plane crash. 1967 - Phalin Jones, rocker (Bar-kays), dies in plane crash. 1967 - Ron Caldwell, rocker (Bar-kays), dies in a plane crash. 1968 - Birth of Rob Davis; NFL guard (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31). 1968 - Joe Frazier beats Oscar Bonavena in 15 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1968 - Karl Barth, Swiss theologist/minister (Kirchliche Dogma), dies at age 82. 1968 - Patsy Moran, actress (Children of the Wild), dies at age 65. 1968 - Thomas Merton, French/American priest/writer (7 Story Mountain), dies at age 53. 1969 - Birth of Darren Berry; cricketer (Victorian wicket-keeper since 1989-90). 1969 - Birth of Nadim Khan; cricketer (brother of Moin Pakistani lefty spinner 1993). 1969 - Birth of Rob Blake in Simcoe, Ontario, Canada; NHL defenseman (Team Canada, Los Angeles Kings). 1969 - Birth of Todd Furdyk; Canadian Football League tackle (British Columbia Lions). 1969 - Franco Capuana, composer, dies at age 75. 1969 - Leigh Harline, composer, dies at age 62. 1970 - Birth of Bryant Stith; NBA guard (Denver Nuggets). 1970 - In the Peru-Ecuador border region, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. 72 people killed. 1970 - North American Soccer League awards New York and Toronto franchises. 1971 - Birth of Amanda Hardy in Altona, Australia; badminton player (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Carla Sacramento in Lisbon, Portugal; 1.5k runner. 1971 - Birth of Manjula Munasinghe; cricketer (Sri Lankan ODI pace bowler). 1971 - Jozef Cals, Dutch Minister of Education/premier (1965-66), dies at age 57. 1971 - West German union chancellor W Burns receives Nobel Prize of peace. 1971 - William H Rehnquist confirmed as US Supreme Court justice. 1972 - Mark A Van Doren, US literary (Our Lady Peace), dies at age 78. 1972 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1973 - First time since 1885, tennis has two top males (S Smith and Jimmy Connors). 1973 - Birth of Bernard Holsey; defensive tackle (New York Giants). 1973 - Birth of Marcus Wall; Canadian Football League receiver (Montreal Alouettes). 1973 - Birth of Rusty LaRue; NBA guard (Chicago Bulls). 1973 - The American League vote unanimously to adopt the designated hitter rule on a trail basis for three years. 1973 - Earle Foxe, actor (Dance Fools Dance), dies at age 81. 1974 - European Economic Community calls for a European Parliament. 1974 - Helios 1 launched by US, Germany; later makes closest flyby of Sun. 1974 - Paul Richards, actor (Dr Thompson-Breaking Point), dies at age 50. 1975 - Andrei Sakharov's wife Yelena Bonner accepts his Nobel Peace Prize. 1977 - Soyuz 26 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station. 1978 - 67th Davis Cup: USA beats Great Britain in Rancho Mirage (4-1). 1978 - Edward D Wood Jr, director (Plan 9), dies of heart failure at age 54. 1978 - In Oslo, Norway, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat accept 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. 1978 - New York Islanders end 15-game undefeated streak (12-0-3) to Montreal Canadiens. 1978 - Miura Isshu, Zen teacher, Hakuin Rinzai line, dies at age 75. 1979 - Ann Dvorak, actress (G Men, Life of Her Own, Scarface), dies at age 67. 1979 - Fulton J Sheen, archbishop/religious broadcaster (Life is Worth Living), dies from a heart attack in New York City, New York at age 84. 1979 - Piet Dankert appointed as chairman of European Parliament. 1980 - Birth of Sarah Chang; American violinist. 1980 - Soyuz T-3 returns to Earth. 1980 - USSR performs underground nuclear test. 1981 - El Salvador army kills 900. 1981 - John Kieran, TV host (Information Please), dies at age 89. 1981 - Jules Feiffer's Grownups premieres in New York City, New York. 1982 - Heavyweight Michael Doakes knocks out Mike Weaver in 1:03 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 1982 - Roy Webb, composer, dies at age 94. 1982 - Soyuz T-5 returns to Earth, 211 days after take-off. 1982 - Freeman "Amos" Gosden, US radio actor (Amos 'n' Andy), dies at age 83. 1983 - Birth of Patrick Flueger; American actor (Law & Order: SVU, The 4400). 1983 - Military rule ends and democracy is restored in Argentina. Raul Alfonsin inaugurated as first civilian president. 1983 - 58th Australian Women's Tennis: M Navratilova beats K Jordan (6-2, 7-6). 1983 - Danuta Walesa, wife of Lech Walesa, accepts his Nobel Peace Prize. 1983 - Dorothy Cummings, actress (Dancing Mothers), dies at age 84. 1983 - Last NFL game at Shea Stadium; Pittsburgh Steelers beat New York Jets 34-7. 1983 - Patrick O'Moore, actor (Jungle Gents), dies at age 74. 1984 - First planet outside our solar system discovered. 1984 - South African Bishop Desmond Tutu receives his Nobel Peace Prize. 1985 - Bill to balance the US federal budget passed by Congress. 1985 - Birth of Raven-Symoné Pearman; American actress/singer (Cosby). 1985 - Junta leaders Videla and Massera sentenced in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1986 - Atlanta Hawks' Dominique Wilkins scores 57 points versus Chicago Bulls. 1986 - France performs nuclear test. 1986 - Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel accepts 1986 Nobel Peace Prize. 1986 - Kate Wolf, folksinger (Back Roads), dies of leukemia at age 44. 1986 - Susan Cabot-Roman, actress (Sorority Girl, Carnival Rock), dies. 1987 - Birth of Gonzalo Higuain; Real Madrid footballer. 1987 - Nightline TV show is seen in the USSR for first time. 1987 - Jascha Heifetz, Lithuanian-born violinist, dies at age 86 (born 1901). 1988 - Dick Clair, comedian (Clair and McMahon, Facts of Life), dies of AIDS. 1988 - Richard Castellano, actor (Honor thy Father), dies at age 55. 1988 - Washington Capitals first NHL scoreless tie, versus Montreal Canadiens. 1989 - President Gustav Husák of Czechoslovakia resigns. 1989 - Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj announces the establishment of Mongolia's democratic movement, that peacefully changes the second oldest communist country into a democratic society. 1990 - Armand Hammer, CEO (Occidental Petroleum), dies at age 92. 1990 - Hindu-Muslim rebellion in Hyderabad-Aligargh, India, 140 die. 1990 - Soyuz TM-10 lands. 1990 - Birth of Giulia Boverio, Italian actress. 1991 - Berenice Abbott, US photographer, dies at age 93. 1991 - Death of Greta Kempton, American artist (born 1901). 1991 - Howard Spira sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for trying to extort money from New York Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner. 1991 - IM Pei receives $5 million for design of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1991 - Jackie Martling walks off of Howard Stern show for one day. 1992 - "My Favorite Year" opens at Vivian Beaumont Theater New York City for 37 performances. 1992 - Carlomagno Andrade, Equadorian general, dies. 1992 - The National Hockey League votes unanimously to expand to Anaheim, California, approving a new team, "The Mighty Ducks", owned by The Walt Disney Company. 1992 - NHL awards franchise to Miami (for 1994-95). 1992 - New York Yankees sign free agent pitcher Jimmy Key. 1992 - Orlanda Magic scores 14 3-pointers (two shy of record). 1993 - Birth of Rachel Trachtenburg, American musician. 1993 - Maroun Bagdadi, director/writer (Little Wars, Veiled Man), dies at age 42. 1993 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit to theaters in the US. 1993 - id Software releases the Doom game for MS-DOS to the public, via the ftp site on the University of Wisconsin's computer system. The game's name was inspired by a scene in the movie The Color of Money. 1993 - Paramount Pictures releases the film Wayne's World 2 to theaters in the USA. 1994 - The ABC TV network airs the two-hour special Wonderful World of Disney: 40 Years of Television Magic. 1994 - 60th Heisman Trophy Award: Rashaan Salaam, Colorado (RB). 1994 - European Campaign against racism "All different, All equal" begins. 1994 - Garnett Silk, vocalist, dies at age 28. 1994 - George G F van Renesse, concert pianist/music director, dies at age 85. 1994 - Keith Joseph, British Member of Parliament (Conservative), dies. 1994 - Nobel Prize awarded to Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Yasser Arafat. 1994 - Ruth Evelyn Mansfield, doctor, dies at age 92. 1994 - Death of Alexander Wilson, Canadian and Notre Dame athlete (born 1905). 1995 - First meeting of NBA expansion teams, Toronto Raptors beat Vancouver Grizzlies 93-81. 1995 - Darren Robinson, American rap singer, dies at age 28 (born 1967). 1995 - Gillian Rose, philosopher/writer, dies at age 48. 1995 - John Francis Boyd, journalist, dies at age 85. 1995 - Kelly Robbins and Tammie Green win LPGA Diner's Club Golf Matches. 1995 - Mary Madge Lascelles, literary critic/poet, dies at age 95. 1995 - Michael Slater scores 219 versus Sri Lanka at the WACA. 1995 - Muralitharan takes 2-224 in Australian innings of 5-617. 1995 - Phillip Piratin, communist, dies at age 88. 1995 - Ricky Ponting makes 96 on Test Cricket debut (Australia versus Sri Lanka, WACA). 1995 - Worst snowstorm in Buffalo history, 37.9" in 24 hours, breaking previous record of 25.3" in 1982. 1996 - Faron Young, country singer/actor (Hidden Guns), commits suicide at age 34. 1996 - John Duffey, bluegrass musician, dies at age 62. 1997 - Violet Carlson, stage dancer/singer, dies at age 97. 1999 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo to theaters in the USA. 1999 - German author Gunter Grass wins the Nobel Prize for Literature. 1999 - Death of Rick Danko, Canadian musician (born 1943). 1999 - The European Union, at its meeting in Helsinki, Finland, determines to take up negotiations with Rumania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, the Slovak Republic and Malta for admission to the Union. 2000 - Herbert Kroemer wins the Nobel Prize in Physics; carried on his work in fast transistors, laser diods and integrated chips while working for RCA laboratories and Varian Associates. 2004 - New Zealand bans smoking in all public places (bars, restaurants, hotels, school, etc...). 2004 - Death of Gary Webb, American journalist known for his investigation into the Iran-Contra affair (born 1955). 2005 - Death of Richard Pryor, American comedian (born 1940). 2006 - NASA space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center on the first night launch since the 2003 loss of Columbia. 2006 - Christer Fuglesang becomes the first Swede in space. 2006 - Chivas defeats Toluca in the final of the Mexican Soccer League. 2006 - Death of Augusto Pinochet, Chilean dictator (born 1915). 2007 - The United Nations deadline for a negotiated settlement on the future of Kosovo passes without an international agreement. 2007 - In Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner succeeds husband Néstor Kirchner as president. 2007 - Canadian Conrad Black is sentenced in Chicago, Illinois, to 6.5 years in jail for embezzling US$6.1 million from his Hollinger media empire. 2007 - Music group Led Zeppelin reunites in London, England, for the Ahmet Ertegün tribute. 2008 - The New York Yankees sign starting pitcher CC Sabathia to a seven-year, US$161-million contract - the largest ever for a free-agent pitcher. 2008 - The Channel Island of Sark, a British crown dependency, holds its first fully democratic elections under a new constitutional arrangement, becoming the last European territory to abolish feudalism. 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 Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Coins