This Day in History
January 25

What happened in history on this day: January 25? On January 25 in ... 749 - Birth of Leo IV (the Khazar), Byzantine emperor (775-80). 844 - Gregory IV begins and ends his reign as Catholic Pope. 1138 - Anacletus II [Pietro Pierleone], Jewish anti-pope (1130-38), dies. 1139 - Godfried I with the Beard, duke of Brabant/Earl of Leuven, dies. 1139 - Godfried II the Young becomes duke of Brabant. 1327 - King Edward III accedes to British throne. 1348 - In Austria - northern Italy, an Intensity X earthquake occurs, destroying Villach and claiming 5,000 deaths. 1477 - Birth of Anna de Bretagne wife of Maximilian of Austria and Louis XII. 1494 - Alfonso II replaces his father as king of Naples. 1494 - Ferdinand I cruel king of Naples, dies. 1509 - Birth of Giovanni Morone Italian theologist/diplomat/cardinal/"heretic". 1533 - England's King Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn (approximate date). 1540 - Birth of Edmund Campion London, saint/Jesuit martyr (December Rationes). 1547 - Lieven Algoet Flemish humanist, dies. 1554 - Sir Thomas Wyatt gathers an army in Kent, rebels against Queen Mary. 1565 - Battle at Talikota India Muslims destroy Vijayanagar's army. 1579 - Treaty of Utrecht signed, marks beginning of Dutch Republic. 1586 - Lucas Cranach "the Young" German painter, dies at age 70. 1615 - Birth of Govert Flinck Dutch painter (Isaac blesses Jacob). 1626 - Birth of John van de Cappelle Amsterdam, landscape painter. 1627 - Birth of Robert Boyle in Ireland; physicist/chemist/author (experiments with color). 1634 - Birth of Gaspar Fagel lawyer/pension advisor of Holland (1672-88). 1640 - Robert Burton author (Anatomy of Melancholy), dies. 1693 - Birth of Anna Ivanova Romanova daughter of Ivan V/empress of Russia (1730-40). 1708 - Birth of Pompeo Girolamo Batoni Italian painter. 1721 - Czar Peter the Great ends Russian-orthodox patriarchy. 1726 - Guillaume Delisle French geographer (Atlas géographique), dies at age 50. 1728 - Birth of Antoine Court de Gébelin French vicar/writer. 1733 - Reinier V van Hompech Dutch General-Major cavalry, dies. 1736 - Birth of Joseph-Louis comte de Lagrange, Turin, French mathematician. 1741 - Birth of Benedict Arnold General /traitor (US revolution). 1744 - Domenico Natale Sarro Italian opera composer, dies at age 64. 1750 - Birth of Johann Gottfried Vierling composer. 1759 - Birth of Robert Burns in Alloway, Scotland; poet (Auld Lang Syne). 1766 - Birth of Hans Freiherr von Gagern German advisor to Dutch king Willem I. 1770 - Birth of Francis Burdett British politician. 1775 - Americans drag cannon up hill to fight British (Gun Hill Road, Bronx). 1777 - Birth of Elias Canneman Dutch liberal minister of Finance (1813-14). 1787 - Shays' Rebellion suffers a setback when debt-ridden farmers, led by Captain Daniel Shays, fail to capture an arsenal at Springfield Massachusetts. 1796 - Birth of William McGillivray Old Aberdeen, naturalist. 1799 - First US patent for a seeding machine, Eliakim Spooner, Vermont. 1802 - Napoleon elected President of the Italian (Cisalpine) Republic. 1806 - Birth of Daniel Maclise Irish painter. 1814 - Birth of Francis Harrison Pierpont Governor (Union), died in 1899. 1817 - Rossini's opera "La Cenerentola" premieres in Rome. 1820 - Joseph F Weigl German/Austria violin cellist, dies at age 79. 1821 - Johan Valckenier Dutch politician/patriot, dies at age 62. 1825 - First US engineering college opens, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Troy New York. 1826 - Birth of Rembt van Boneval Faure Dutch Member of Parliament. 1829 - William Shield composer, dies at age 80. 1834 - Birth of Pablo Hernandez Salces composer. 1835 - Vincenzo Bellini's opera "I Puritani" premieres in Paris. 1839 - Birth of Seldon Connor Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1917. 1841 - Birth of John Arbuthnot Fisher Ceylon, first Baron Fisher/admiral of the fleet. 1844 - Birth of Frederick E Kitziger composer. 1844 - Recontre between Representatives Weller and Shriver, US House of Representatives. 1851 - Birth of Arne Garborg Norwegian playwright (Bondestudentar). 1851 - Birth of Jan Blockx Belgium, opera composer (Sea Bride princess of Herberg). 1851 - Sojourner Truth addresses first Black Women's Rights Convention (Akron). 1854 - Aleksandr Ostrovsky's "Bednost ne Porok" premieres in Moscow. 1855 - Dorothy Wordsworth writer, dies at age 83. 1856 - Battle of Seattle; skirmish between settlers and Indians. 1858 - Birth of Giuseppe Radiciotti composer. 1858 - Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" first played, at wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Victoria, to crown prince of Prussia. 1860 - Birth of Charles Curtis (Republican) 31st US Vice President (1929-33). 1863 - Battle of Kinston, North Carolina. 1863 - General Joseph Hooker replaces Burnside as head of Army of Potomac. 1865 - The CSS Shenandoah arrives in Melbourne, Australia. 1866 - Birth of Emile Vandervelde leader of Belgian BWP party. 1870 - Soda fountain patented by Gustavus Dows. 1874 - Birth of Hewlett Johnson [Red Dean of Canterbury], English bishop. 1874 - Birth of [William] Somerset Maugham Paris, novelist/poet (Of Human Bondage). 1875 - Anti-slavery society formed in New York. 1875 - Leopold Jansa composer, dies at age 79. 1877 - US Congress determines presidential election between Hayes-Tilden. 1880 - Birth of Francis George Scott composer. 1881 - Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the first telephone company. 1881 - Birth of Emil Ludwig German biographer (Diana, Son of Man). 1881 - Birth of Gustave Frederic Soderlund composer. 1882 - Bilu, a Russian Zionist organization, forms. 1882 - Birth of Virginia [Adeline] Woolf in London, England; author (Jacob's Room, To the Lighthouse). 1882 - Peter Singer composer, dies at age 71. 1884 - Birth of Edward Kilenyi composer. 1885 - Birth of A J Else Mauhs German/Dutch actress (Eline Vere, L'aiglon). 1885 - Vincent d'Indy's "Saugefleurie" premieres. 1886 - Birth of Wilhelm Fürtwängler Berlin Germany, conductor/composer. 1887 - Birth of Diego Valeri Italian author/poet (Le Gaie Tristezze). 1889 - Birth of Vladimir Vladimirovich Scherbachov composer. 1890 - National Afro-American League forms in Chicago. 1890 - Nellie Bly beats Phileas Fogg's time around world by 8 days (72 days). 1890 - United Mine Workers of America forms. 1891 - Birth of Dame Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies Britian, actress (Cleopatra). 1891 - Birth of William C Bullitt first US ambassador to USSR. 1894 - James J Corbett knocks out Charley Mitchell in three for heavyweight boxing title. 1896 - Birth of John Moores British gambling magnate/multi-millionaire. 1896 - Frans C Baeckelmans Flemish architect (Court of Justice), dies at age 68. 1896 - Frederic Leighton President of the Royal Academy (1878-96), dies. 1898 - Birth of Joachim Wach German/US philosopher/sociologist (Understanding). 1899 - Alfredo d'Escragnolle French/Brazilian writer (Innocencia), dies. 1899 - Birth of Ace Goodman Kansas City Missouri, comedian (Easy Aces). 1899 - Birth of Paul-Henri Spaak Belgium, statesman, leader in European integration. 1900 - Birth of Mildred Dunnock Baltimore Maryland, actress (Baby Doll, Nun's Story). 1900 - Birth of Theodosius Dobzhansky Ukraine, geneticist/writer (Mankind Evolving). 1901 - Birth of Eric Brown architect. 1902 - Aleksandr Skriabin's second Symphony in C premieres in Saint Petersburg. 1902 - Birth of Gerard P M Knuvelder Dutch literature historian (Vocation, Kitty). 1903 - Birth of "Sleepy" John Estes rocker. 1904 - 179 die in coal mine explosion at Cheswick Pennsylvania. 1904 - Birth of Frans Goedhart Dutch journalist/founder (Het Parool). 1904 - Birth of Géza Frid Hungarian/Dutch composer/pianist. 1904 - J M Synge's "Ruders to the Sea" premieres in Dublin. 1906 - Del Valle Inclans "El Marqués de Bradomin" premieres in Madrid. 1906 - Joseph Wheeler II Confederate General, dies at age 70. 1906 - Pierre L Goossens Belgian archbishop of Malines/Cardinal, dies at age 78. 1907 - Julia Ward Howe is first woman elected to National Institute of Arts and Letters. 1908 - Birth of Lord Iliffe English publisher (Coventry Evening Telegraph/Autocar). 1908 - Birth of W H V "Hopper" Levett cricket keeper (England in one Test in Calcutta). 1908 - John Blocks' opera "Baldie" premieres in Antwerp. 1909 - Richard Strauss' premiere of "Electricity" in Dresden. 1910 - First stumping by a 12th man in Tests (N C Tufnell, South Africa vs England). 1910 - Birth of Harold Watkinson politician/businessman. 1910 - Birth of Hendrik Willem Hans Osieck composer. 1910 - Children initiate idea of planting trees in Jerusalem. 1910 - Léon Walras French economist (School of Lausanne), dies at age 75. 1911 - Birth of Julia Frances Smith composer. 1912 - Birth of Lucius E Burch Jr US lawyer/civil rights leader. 1913 - Birth of Witold Lutoslawski Warsaw Poland, composer (Jeux Vénitiens). 1915 - Birth of Michael Duane educationalist. 1915 - Giordano, Sardou and Moreau's opera "Madame Sans Gêne" premieres in New York City, New York. 1915 - Transcontinental telephone service inaugurated (New York to San Francisco). 1916 - Montenegro surrenders to Austria-Hungary. 1917 - Edwin Tyler cricketer (slow-lefty played once for England 1896), dies. 1918 - Birth of Ken Mayers actor (Robbie Robertson-Space Patrol). 1918 - Russia declared a republic of Soviets. 1919 - Birth of Edwin Newman in New York City, New York; newscaster/journalist/author (NBC-TV, Comment). 1919 - Birth of Patricia Louise Dalton chair (Sherlock Holmes Society of London). 1919 - Founding of League of Nations, first meeting one year later. 1920 - Amadeo Modigliani Italian sculptor/painter, dies at age 35. 1921 - Birth of Alfred Reed composer. 1921 - Birth of Russell Reading Braddon Australian author. 1921 - Karel Capék's "RUR" premieres in Prague. 1921 - Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovych composer, dies at age 43. 1922 - Birth of Jules P de Palm Antilles writer. 1922 - Birth of Raymond Baxter British TV host/author (Fast Lady). 1923 - Birth of Eva Zeller writer. 1923 - NVV donates 100,000 gulden to mine workers of Ruhrgebied. 1924 - (to February 4) The first Olympic Winter Games are held in Chamonix, France. 1924 - Birth of Lou "The Toe" Groza AAFC, NFL tackle, kicker (Cleveland Browns). 1925 - Birth of Eric Dempster cricketer (New Zealand slow bowl of mid-1950s, bowling average 109.5). 1927 - Birth of Antonio Carlos Jobim composer. 1927 - Birth of Gregg Palmer San Francisco California; actor (Scream, To Hell and Back). 1927 - Birth of Seung Sahn Zen teacher (Korean line). 1928 - Birth of Eduard Shevardnadze Soviet Georgia, foreign minister of USSR (1985-91). 1929 - Bradman scores 340* for New South Wales vs Victoria, 488 minutes, 38 fours. 1931 - Birth of Dean Jones Decatur Alabama; actor (Ensign O'Toole, Company, Love Bug). 1931 - Birth of Harold Lloyd Jr actor (Frankenstein's Daughter). 1931 - Birth of Paavo J Haavikko Finnish writer/poet/husband of Marja-Liisa Vartio. 1931 - Birth of Stikkan Stig Anderson, music entrepreneur. 1932 - First commencement exercises at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. 1932 - Bradman scores 167 New South Wales vs Victoria, 224 minutes, 22 fours. 1933 - Birth of Corazón Aquino President of Philippines (1986-92). 1934 - Birth of Elizabeth Allen Jersey City New Jersey, actress (Laura-Bracken's World). 1936 - Birth of Dan Schaefer (Representative-Republican-Colorado, 1983-). 1936 - Birth of Diana Hyland Cleveland Heights Ohio, actress (Peyton Place, Eight is Enough). 1937 - Birth of Don Maynard NFL receiver (New York Jets), #13. 1937 - Birth of Kathleen Tynan Halton writer. 1937 - Miami-to-Tampa bus overturned in a canal, kills 13. 1937 - Soap Opera Guiding Light premieres on NBC radio. 1938 - Birth of Betico Croes Arubian politician (Status Aparte). 1938 - Birth of Etta James [Jamesette Hawkins]; American singer (Roll With Me Henry). 1938 - Ian Hay's "Bachelor Born" premieres in New York City, New York. 1939 - Earthquake hits Chillán Chile, 10,000 killed. 1939 - Joe Louis knocks out John Henry Lewis in one for heavyweight boxing title. 1940 - Nazi decrees the establishment of Jewish ghetto in Lodz Poland. 1941 - Birth of Elzie "Buddy" Baker race-car driver. 1942 - Eugene Samuel-Holeman composer, dies at age 78. 1942 - Siam declares war on the United Kingdom. 1945 - Birth of Leigh Taylor-Young Washington DC, actress (Peyton Place, Alice B Toklas). 1945 - Dan Topping, Del Webb and Larry MacPhail purchase New York City, New York Yankees for $2.8 million. 1945 - Grand Rapids Michigan becomes first US city to fluoridate its water. 1945 - Japanese occupiers of Batavia arrest Indo-European youths. 1945 - West Africa 82nd division occupies Myohaung, Burma. 1946 - Birth of Josephine M Verspaget sociologist/Dutch Member of Parliament (PvdA). 1946 - Birth of Ronnie Brandon rocker (McCoys). 1946 - Birth of Silvio Blatter writer. 1946 - Richard Strauss' "Metamorphosis" premieres in Zurich. 1946 - United Mine Workers union rejoins American Federation of Labor. 1947 - Al Capone Chicago gangster, dies of syphilis at age 48. 1949 - In Los Angeles, California, the 1st Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Walter O'Keefe. Best Film Made for Television: The Necklace (Your Show Time Series) Most Outstanding Television Personality: Shirley Dinsdale Most Popular Television Program: Pantomime Quiz - KTLA Special Award: Louis McManus for designing the Emmy statuette. 1949 - First Israeli election - Ben-Gurion's Mapai party wins. 1949 - Emil Axman composer, dies at age 61. 1950 - 73 degrees F (23 degrees C) highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in January. 1950 - Birth of Gloria Naylor US author (Women of Brewster Place). 1950 - Birth of Michael Cotton rocker (Tubes). 1951 - Birth of Steve Prefontaine in Coos Bay, Oregon (dies 1975); 5K distance runner (Olympics-4th-1972). 1951 - United Nations begins counter offensive in Korea. 1952 - Sveinn Bjørnsson Danish first President of Iceland (1944-52), dies at age 70. 1952 - Test debut of Richie Benaud, vs West Indies at the SCG. 1953 - Birth of Malcolm Green rocker (Split Enz-I Got You). 1953 - Yuri Sergejev skates world record 500m in 40.9 seconds. 1954 - Birth of Condredge Holloway Alabama, Canadian Football League quarterback (Ottawa, Toronto). 1954 - Birth of Richard Finch rock bassist (KC and Sunshine-That's the Way I Like It). 1955 - Columbia University scientists develop an atomic clock accurate to within one second in 300 years. 1955 - Jill Kinmont hits a tree and breaks her back in Snow Cup Ski Race. 1955 - Russia ends state of war with Germany. 1955 - US and Panamá sign canal treaty. 1956 - 96.5 cm (38.0") of rainfall, Kilauea Plantation, HI (state record). 1956 - Birth of Andy Cox Birmingham England, rock guitarist (Fine Young Cannibals - "She Drives Me Crazy"). 1957 - Birth of Edmund Theodore Sylvers rocker (Sylvers). 1957 - Birth of Jeff Gossett NFL punter (Oakland Raiders). 1957 - Birth of Jenifer Lewis actress (Girl 6, Meteor Man, Sister Act). 1957 - FBI arrests Jack and Myra Sobel, charged with spying for the USSR. 1958 - Birth of Dinah Manoff in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Elaine - Soap, Carol - Empty Nest). 1958 - Birth of Gary Brian Tibbs in London, England; rock bassist (Adam and The Ants, Roxy Music - "Let's Stick Together"). 1958 - Birth of Harti Weirather; Austrian alpine skier. 1959 - First transcontinental commercial jet flight (American Airlines) (Los Angeles to New York for US$301). 1959 - Pope John XXIII proclaims second Vatican council. 1960 - Diana Barrymore, actress (Ladies Courageous), dies at age 38. 1960 - Rutland Boughton, composer, dies at age 82. 1961 - First live, nationally televised US Presidential news conference (John Kennedy). 1961 - Birth of Michele Tobin in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actress (Fitzpatricks). 1961 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Naples Pro-Am Golf Tournament. 1961 - Military coup in El Salvador. 1961 - Buena Vista premieres Disney's animated feature film One Hundred and One Dalmatians in selected theaters in the USA. The film is based on the book The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. 1962 - Birth of Chris Chelios in Chicago, Illinois, USA; NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks, Team USA). 1963 - Birth of Carl Fysh; rocker (Brother Beyond - "Can You Keep a Secret"). 1963 - Birth of Joe Lloyd in Highland Park, Illinois, USA; Canadian Tour golfer (1993 Space Coast). 1963 - Birth of Suzanne Klemann; Dutch singer (Loïs Lane - "I Wanna Be"). 1963 - Wilson Kettle of Newfoundland, Canada, dies at age 102, leaving 582 living descendents. 1964 - The Beatles' first US #1 "I Want to Hold your Hand" (Cash Box chart). 1964 - Birth of Bob Sweeney in Concord, Massachusetts, USA; NHL center (New York Islanders, Calgary Flames). 1964 - Birth of twins Chip and Pepper Foster; actors (Chip and Pepper's Surf's Up Saturday). 1964 - Birth of William Thomas Andrade in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA; PGA golfer (1991 Kemper Open). 1964 - Echo 2 US communications satellite launched. 1965 - Birth of Brian Holman in Winfield, Kansas, USA; pitcher (Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners). 1965 - Birth of Esa Tikkanen in Helsinki, Finland; NHL left wing (Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, Olympics-Bronze-1998). 1965 - Staff Nees, Flemish composer (Maria-oratorio), dies at age 63. 1966 - Birth of John [Vo] Velyvis in North Adams, Massachusetts, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1966 - Birth of Mark Schlereth; NFL guard (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl XXXII). 1966 - Birth of Paul Ranheim in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; NHL left wing (Hartford Whalers). 1966 - Birth of Pavel Torgaev in Nizhny, Novgorod, USSR; NHL left wing (Calgary Flames). 1966 - Birth of Richie Lewis; US baseball pitcher (Florida Marlins). 1967 - Birth of Mario Brunetta; hockey goaltender (Team Italy 1998). 1967 - Birth of Marty Calder in Saint Catharine, Ontario, Canada; 62 kg freestyle wrestler (Olympics-12-1992,1996). 1967 - Birth of Randy Mckay in Montréal, Québec, Canada; NHL right wing (New Jersey Devils). 1968 - Birth of Lynette Brooky in New Zealand; golfer (New Zealand Open 1993/94). 1968 - Birth of Roosevelt Collins; WLAF defensive line (Amsterdam Admirals). 1968 - Birth of Tim De Leede; cricketer (Holland batsman 1996 World Cup). 1968 - Virginia Maskell, actress (Only Two Can Play), dies at age 31. 1969 - Birth of Heidi Wolfgramm; rocker (Jets). 1969 - Birth of Jesse Harte in Rome, Georgia, USA; heavy metal vocalist (Southgang-Tainted Angel). 1969 - Birth of Nolan Harrison; NFL defensive tackle (Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers). 1969 - Birth of Penny Moore; WNBA guard/forward (Charlotte Sting). 1969 - John Zajíc, Czech student, self-incinerates. 1969 - US-North Vietnamese peace talks begin in Paris, France. 1970 - Birth of Chris Mills; NBA forward (Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks). 1970 - Birth of Milt Stegall; Canadian Football League receiver (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1970 - Birth of Pau Coll; WLAF kicker/safety (Barcelona Dragons). 1970 - Birth of Scott Hendrickson; Canadian Football League guard (Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1970 - Eunice Hunton Carter, first black female District Attorney in New York, dies at age 70. 1970 - Marie Benavente, actress (Paradise), dies at age 84. 1970 - Robert Altman's film M*A*S*H premieres. 1971 - Birth of China Slick; rocker (daughter of Grace Slick). 1971 - Birth of Herman Smith; NFL/WLAF defensive end (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, London Monarchs). 1971 - Birth of Jordan Young in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada; Canadian Tour golfer (1992 Purdue). 1971 - Birth of Kerry Taylor; US baseball pitcher (San Diego Padres). 1971 - Birth of Kevin Williams; receiver/kick returner (Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys). 1971 - Birth of Konstantin Matoussevich in Israel; men's high jump (Olympics-7th-1996). 1971 - Birth of Tommie Jones; WLAF cornerback (Amsterdam Admirals). 1971 - Birth of Vincent Brisby; NFL wide receiver (New England Patriots). 1971 - Charles Manson and three women followers convicted of Tate-LaBianca murders. 1971 - Himachal Pradesh becomes 18th Indian state. 1971 - Military coup in Uganda under General Idi Amin Dada. 1971 - US Philadelphia Mint's first trial strike of the Eisenhower dollar. 1972 - 25th NHL All-Star Game: East beats West 3-2 at Minnesota. 1972 - 7-foot tall Ohio State center Luke Witte is stomped in face during a brawl in a game with Minnesota. 1973 - Birth of Anthony Harris; linebacker (Miami Dolphins). 1973 - Birth of Elvis Presley Jr, alleged son of Elvis Presley. 1973 - Birth of Marco Battaglia; tight end (Cincinnati Bengals). 1973 - Birth of Rodney Young; NFL safety (New York Giants). 1973 - Birth of Terrell Wade in Rembert, South Carolina, USA; pitcher (Atlanta Braves). 1974 - Birth of Adam Meadows; offensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts). 1974 - Birth of Daniel Sproule; Australian field hockey halfback (Olympics-1996). 1974 - Birth of Jonathan Bryan Colling in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; rocker (4 Fun-Unbelievable Fun Boys). 1974 - Bülent Ecevit forms government in Turkey. 1974 - South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard transplants the first human heart without removal of the old one. 1975 - 10th hat trick in New York Islanders' history-Denis Potvin's first. 1975 - Birth of John Piersma; American 200m/400m freestyle swimmer (Olympics-4th-1996). 1975 - Bangladesh parliament disposes of premier sheik Mujib ur-Rahman. 1975 - Vivien Kellems, TV hostess (The Power of Women), dies at age 78. 1976 - Birth of Tara Fleming in North York, Ontario, Canada; LPGA golfer (1992 LPGA Corning-10th). 1976 - Surinder Amarnath scores 124 on Test debut India vs New Zealand Auckland. 1977 - Donald Kerr, actor (Devil Bat, Killer Bats), dies at age 85. 1978 - Birth of Christine Lakin; actress (Alicia Lambert-Step by Step). 1978 - Birth of Mandy Carraway; Miss Kansas Teen-USA (1996). 1978 - Muriel Humphrey (Democrat-Minnesota) appointed to fill late husband's Senate seat. 1978 - San Diego Padres trade pitcher Dave Tomlin and US$125,000 to Texas Rangers for Gaylord Perry (he wins 1978 Cy Young Award). 1978 - Tango Duke dies in Australia at age 42; oldest known thoroughbred horse. 1979 - 22.2-km Oshimizu railroad tunnel holed through, central Honshu, Japan. 1979 - J Robertson Hare, actor (Fighting Stock), dies at age 87. 1979 - Pope John Paul II's first overseas trip as supreme pontiff. 1980 - Birth of Xavi; Spanish soccer player. 1980 - Birth of Michelle McCool-Alexander; American professional wrestler. 1980 - Bani-Sadr elected President of Iran. 1980 - Birth of Amanda Michelle Burns; Miss West Virginia Teen-USA (1997). 1980 - David Newell, actor (Dangerous Curves, White Heat), dies at age 75. 1980 - Dutch Government demands boycott of Olympics. 1980 - Highest speed attained by a warship, 167 kph, US Navy hovercraft. 1980 - Birth of Christian Olsson; Swedish athlete. 1980 - Death of Roland Barthes, French literary critic, and philosopher (born 1915). 1980 - Birth of Alicia Keys; American musician. 1981 - Four former British Labour cabinet ministers (Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, William Rodgers and David Owen) issue the Limehouse Declaration, leading to the formation of the Social Democratic Party. 1981 - Chiang Ching ('Madame Mao') is sentenced to death in the People's Republic of China. 1981 - 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrive back in US. 1981 - Adele Marie Astaire, actress/sister of Fred Astaire (Last Man on Earth, Millie), dies at age 82. 1981 - Mao's widow Jiang Qing is sentenced to death. 1981 - Richard Talmadge, actor (Speed Reporter), dies. 1981 - NFL Super Bowl XV at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana: Oakland Raiders beat Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10; Most Valuable Player: Jim Plunkett, quarterback. 1981 - Birth of Tose Proeski; Macedonian singer (dies 2007). 1982 - Mihail A Suslov, Soviet party ideologist, dies at age 79 (born 1902). 1982 - Birth of The-Dream; singer. 1982 - 9th American Music Awards: Kenny Rogers win. 1983 - Birth of Andrée Watters; Canadian singer. 1983 - China's supreme court commutes Chiang Ch'ing's death sentence to life in prison. 1984 - Birth of Robson de Souza, Real Madrid footballer. 1985 - Test debut of Wasim Akram, vs New Zealand at Auckland (2-105). 1986 - Ernst Schnabel, writer, dies at age 72. 1986 - General Tito Okello's government flees Kampala, Uganda. 1986 - Horace Smith, cricketer (one Test New Zealand vs England 1933, one wicket at 113), dies. 1987 - 75th Australian Mens Tennis: S Edberg beats Pat Cash (6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3). 1987 - Emil Hlobil, composer, dies at age 85. 1987 - NFL Super Bowl XXI: New York Giants beat Denver Broncos, 39-20 in Pasadena, California; Most Valuable Player: Phil Simms, quarterback. This is the first NFL Championship for the Giants since 1956. 1987 - West Germany holds parliamentary elections. The CDU/CSU gets 44.3% of the vote, the SPD 37%, the FDP 9.1% and the Green Party 8.3%. The CDU/CSU coalition continues with the FDP. Helmut Kohl (CDU) continues as chancellor and Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP) as vice chancellor and foreign minister. 1988 - 15th American Music Awards: Anita Baker, Paul Simon and Whitney Houston. 1988 - Colleen Moore, actress (These Girls Won't Talk), dies at age 87. 1988 - Longest winless streak in Toronto Maple Leafs history (15 games). 1988 - Ramsewak Shankar sworn in as President of Suriname. 1988 - Vice President George Bush and Dan Rather clash on CBS Evening News as Rather attempts to question Bush about his role in the Iran-Contra affair. 1988 - Birth of Tatiana Golovin, French tennis player. 1988 - Birth of Daniel Haynes, English footballer. 1989 - Augusto Alcalde, first South American Zen teacher, receives Dharma Transmission. 1989 - Michael Jordan scores his 10,000th NBA point in his 5th season. 1989 - Birth of Yasmien Kurdi, Filipino actress and singer. 1990 - Alexander Lockwood, actor (Duel), dies. 1990 - Ava Gardner, actress (Barefoot Contessa), dies from pneumonia in London, England, at age 67 (born 1922). 1990 - Avianca Flight 52 runs out of fuel and crashes into Cove Neck, Long Island, after a miscommunication between the flight crew and JFK Airport officials. 73 die. 1990 - Former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega is transferred to a Miami jail. 1990 - Ian Dudley Hardy, entertainer, dies. 1990 - (to January 26) The Burns' Day storm kills 97 in northwestern Europe. 1991 - Brett Hull is third NHL player to score 50 goals in less than 50 games (49). 1991 - Manuel Noriega is given access to assets frozen by US government. 1991 - Mark Waugh scores ton in first Test Cricket innings, vs England Adelaide. 1991 - TV soap opera Generations last episode after a 2.5 year run. 1991 - The New York Giants defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 15-13, in San Francisco. The Giants win despite not scoring a touchdown, prevailing on five field goals by Matt Bahr. 1991 - Stanley Brock, actor (Tin Men), dies of heart attack at age 59. 1992 - 66th Australian Women's Tennis: Monica Seles beats M Fernandez (6-2, 6-3). 1992 - Dan Jansen skates world record 500m in 36.41". 1992 - Hubble space telescope optics finds NGC3862/3C264. 1992 - John Touchstone, actor (Across Five Aprils), dies of cirrhosis at age 59. 1992 - Mahmoud Riad, Secretary-General of Arab League (1972-79), dies. 1992 - Nico Schuyt, Dutch composer, dies at age 70. 1992 - Vernon William Reed Sr, singer, dies after a long illness at age 73. 1993 - 20th American Music Awards: Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey win. 1993 - Puerto Rico adds English as its second official language. 1993 - Sears announces it is closing its catalog sales department after 97 years. 1993 - Mir Aimal Kasi fires a rifle and kills two employees outside US Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia. 1994 - Australia beat South Africa 2-1 to win the World Series Cup. 1994 - Mine fire at Asansol, India, kills 55. 1994 - Stephen Cole Kleene, mathematician (Regular Expressions), dies at age 85 (born 1909). 1994 - The Clementine deep space probe is launched by the USA. 1994 - U.S. President Bill Clinton delivers his first State of the Union address, calling for health care reform, a ban on assault weapons, and welfare reform. 1995 - A rocket launched from the space exploration centre at Andøya, Norway is briefly interpreted by the Russians as an incoming attack. 1995 - Jacques Santer succeeds Jacques Delors as chairman of European Committee. 1995 - Peter Black, TV critic, dies at age 82. 1995 - Tom Brugman, Dutch puppeteer (Brave Dodo), dies at age 62. 1995 - William Sylvester, actor (2001, Devil Doll, Blind Corner), dies at age 72. 1996 - Jonathan Larson, American composer and playwright, dies of aortic aneurysm at age 35 (born 1960). 1996 - Ruth Berghaus, choreographer/director, dies at age 68. 1996 - The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Helmut Kohl, is awarded the Gold Medallion for Humanitarian Service of the international Jewish organization, B'nai B'rith. 1997 - 71st Australian Women's Tennis: Martina Hingis beat Mary Pierce (6-2, 6-2). 1997 - Herbert Eugene Caen, columnist, dies at age 80. 1997 - Jeanne Dixon, psychic (Gift of Prophecy), dies of a heart attack at age 79. 1998 - "Grease" closes at Eugene O'Neill Theater in New York City, New York after 1,503 performance. 1998 - "Patti LaBelle On Broadway" closes at Saint James Theater in New York City, New York. 1998 - Britain's Queen Mother, 97, gets an emergency hip replacement. 1998 - Helen Alfredsson wins Office Depot LPGA tournament. 1998 - Birth of Marlene Lawston, American actress. 1998 - Mohammad Yusuf Khan prime minister of Afghanistan in (1963-65), dies. 1998 - Super Bowl XXXII: The Denver Broncos become the first AFC team in 14 years to win the Super Bowl, as they defeat the Green Bay Packers, 31-24. 1998 - The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide attack Sri Lanka's Temple of the Tooth kills eight people, injuring 25 others. 1999 - In Colombia, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurs. At least 1,185 people killed, over 4,750 injured and about 250,000 homeless. 50-60 percent of buildings destroyed in Armenia, Calarca, and Pereira. 1999 - Death of Ted Mallie, American radio and television announcer (born 1924). 1999 - Death of Robert Shaw, American conductor (born 1916). 2001 - A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, killing 24. 2002 - Thomas Junta kills junior coach Michael Costin during a fight at a junior hockey game in Massachusetts. 2003 - A Central Line train crashes into the tunnel wall at Chancery Lane tube station in London, injuring 34 people. 2003 - An international group of volunteers leaves London for Baghdad to act as voluntary human shields, hoping to avert a U.S. invasion. 2003 - Government and rebels of Côte d'Ivoire sign a peace accord in Paris, France. 2003 - The Slammer worm (also called Sapphire or SQL Hell) begins spreading across the Internet, exploiting a flaw in Microsoft SQL Server 2000, infecting personal computers around the world. Within ten minutes, the worm has reached 90 percent of the Internet, infecting over 75,000 machines. Within another thirty minutes, one-fifth of Internet data packets are infected. 2005 - Carlos Delgado agrees to a four-year, US$52 million contract with the Florida Marlins. 2005 - Death of Philip Johnson, American architect (born 1906). 2005 - A stampede at the Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi during a religious pilgrimage in India kills at least 215, mostly women and small children. 2005 - In Scottsdale, Arizona, the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction is held, over six days. A 1958 Corvette with retractable hardtop, only one known to exist, concept car designed created by Francis Scott sells for US$315,000. 2006 - Hamas wins the majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections. 2006 - Deus Caritas Est, the first encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, is promulgated. 2006 - Three independent observing campaigns announce the discovery of the first cool rocky/icy extrasolar planet around a main-sequence star (OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, near the center of the Milky Way galaxy). 2007 - The President of Israel, Moshe Katsav, takes a temporary leave of absence due to a sex scandal. 2007 - Willie Randolph agrees to a $5.65 million, three-year deal to manage the New York Mets through 2008. 2008 - In the USA, Spike TV debuts the GameTrailers TV series, airing trailers, industry news, interviews, and more. 2008 - In Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino is evacuated due to a fire which engulfed parts of the upper floors, facade and roof before being brought under control. 2008 - In South Africa, several large producers of gold, platinum, coal, and diamonds shut down their underground mines due to uncertainties in the electricity supply. 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