This Day in History
January 29

What happened in history on this day: January 29? On January 29 in ... 969 - Peter tsar of Bulgaria (927-69), dies. 1523 - Sermon of Constanz: Zwingli defends 67 Schlussreden. 1559 - Sir Thomas Pope English politician, benefactor, dies at about age 52. 1574 - Sea battle of Reimerswaal - Admiral Boisot beats Spanish fleet. 1584 - Birth of Frederik Hendrik count of Nassau/Prince of Orange. 1587 - Deventer and Zutphen surrender to Spain. 1663 - Robert Sanderson Bishop of Lincoln (1660-63), dies. 1676 - Fjodor Aleksejevitsj becomes czar of Russia. 1688 - Birth of Emanuel Swedenborg Sweden, religious leader (Angelic Wisdom). 1689 - Birth of Hubert K Poot Dutch poet. 1696 - Ivan V co-tsar of Russia (1682-89), dies. 1700 - Birth of Daniel Bernoulli Basel Switzerland, mathematician (10 time French award). 1703 - Birth of Carlmann Kolb composer. 1711 - Birth of Giuseppe Bonno composer. 1715 - Birth of Georg Christoph Wagenseil Austrian (court)composer/pianist. 1717 - Birth of Jeffrey Amherst English Governor-General of America/field marshal. 1728 - John Gays' "Beggar's Opera" premieres in London. 1732 - Paris churchyard Saint-Médard closed after Jansenistic ritual. 1737 - Birth of Thomas Paine political essayist (Common Sense, Age of Reason). 1743 - André Hercule Fleury French cardinal (1726-43), dies. 1756 - Birth of Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee (Republican/Governor-Virginia)/General/cavalryman. 1761 - Birth of Abraham AA "Albert" Gallatin Switzerland, US minister of Finance (1801-14). 1763 - Birth of J G Seume writer. 1781 - Mozart's opera "Idomeneo" premieres, Munich. 1782 - Birth of Daniel-François-Esprit Auber French opera composer (Fra Diavolo). 1782 - Birth of Frantiszek Tucek Scigalski composer. 1783 - Birth of Vasili A Zjukovski Russian folk poet/translator (Homerus). 1784 - Birth of Ferdinand Ries composer. 1788 - Australia Day. 1798 - Birth of Henry Neele London, poet. 1801 - Birth of Johannes Bernardus van Bree Dutch violinist/composer (Felix Meritis). 1802 - John Beckley of Virginia appointed first Librarian of Congress. 1803 - Birth of James Outram Bulterley Hall Derbyshire, General. 1810 - Birth of Earnest E Kummer German mathematician. 1814 - Johann G Fichte German philosopher (Wissenschaftslehre), dies at age 51. 1820 - George III king of Great Britain (1760-1820), dies at age 81. 1821 - Birth of Isaac Ferdinand Quinby Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1891. 1823 - Birth of Franklin Gardner Major-General (Civil War-fought at Shiloh and Port Hudson). 1824 - Birth of Karl von Perfall composer. 1824 - Louise MC countess of Albany Henegouws salon owner, dies at age 71. 1834 - President Jackson orders first use of US troops to suppress a labor dispute. 1836 - Birth of Benjamin Franklin Potts Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1887. 1836 - Birth of James Meech Warner Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1897. 1837 - Aleksandr Pushkin poet/novelist/dramatist (Golden Cockeral), killed in a duel. 1839 - Charles Darwin marries Emma Wedgwood. 1843 - Birth of William McKinley in Niles, Ohio; (Republican) 25th American President (1897-1901) (dies 1901). 1845 - Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" first published (New York City New York). 1848 - Sicily accepts new Constitution (choose parliament/freedom of press). 1850 - Birth of Ebenezer Howard London, pioneer of garden cities. 1850 - Birth of Lawrence Hargrave inventor (box kite). 1850 - Henry Clay introduces a comprise bill on slavery to US Senate. 1852 - Birth of Frederick Hymen Cowen composer. 1852 - Birth of Ion Luca Caragiale Romanian actor/playwright (O Noapte Furtunoasa). 1854 - Birth of Willem PC Knuttel Dutch bibliographer/librarian. 1856 - Victoria Cross established to acknowledge bravery. 1860 - American College established in Rome by Pope Pius IX. 1860 - Birth of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov in Tagarov, Russia; playwright (Cherry Orchard). 1861 - Kansas becomes 34th state. 1862 - Birth of Frederick Delius Bradford England, composer (Hiawatha). 1863 - Battle at Bear River Washington: US Army vs Indians. 1864 - Birth of Adolf Philipp composer. 1864 - Battle of Moorefield, West Virginia (Rosser's Raid). 1866 - Birth of Romain Rolland France, writer (Jean-Christophe) (Nobel Prize 1915). 1867 - Birth of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez Spain, writer (4 Horsemen of Apocalypse). 1869 - Birth of Andrey Vladimirovich Scherbachov composer. 1871 - Birth of Eduardo Lopez-Chavarri y Marco composer. 1872 - Francis L Cardoza elected State Treasurer of South Carolina. 1873 - Birth of Luigi A duke of the Abruzzes, Italy, explorer/climber (Mt Saint Elias). 1874 - Birth of John David Rockefeller Jr in Cleveland, Ohio; philanthropist (dies 1960). 1874 - Birth of Robert Lach composer. 1876 - Birth of Carl Henrik Ludolf Nielsen composer. 1876 - Birth of Havergal Brian Dresden Staffordshire, composer. 1878 - Birth of Barney Oldfield Ohio, daredevil. 1879 - Antonia MB Antonucci Italian cardinal/diplomat, dies at age 80. 1879 - Custer Battlefield National Monument, Montana established. 1880 - Birth of W C Fields [William Claude Dukenfield] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; actor (My Little Chickadee, Bank Dick). 1884 - Birth of Juhan Aavic composer. 1886 - Karl Benz in Karlsruhe patents the first successful gasoline-driven automobile. 1887 - Birth of Albert Conti Trieste Austria; actor (Jazz Heaven, Doomed Battalion). 1888 - Edward Lear poet/author, dies at age 75. 1889 - Birth of Francisco Santiago composer. 1889 - Birth of Rudolf Mauersberger composer. 1890 - Birth of Marguerite Canal composer. 1891 - Birth of R N Williams II tennis champion (US Open-1914). 1892 - Birth of Clifford Gray US, bobsled (Olympics-gold-1928). 1893 - Birth of Edric Cundell composer. 1893 - Birth of Martian Negrea composer. 1895 - King Koko's Kopermannen assault on Akassa Niger, 100's killed. 1896 - Birth of Teddy Hoad cricketer (pioneering West Indian Test batsman). 1896 - Emile Grubbe is first doctor to use radiation treatment for breast cancer. 1898 - Birth of Fernand Quinet Belgian cellist/composer/conductor (La Guerre). 1898 - Birth of Karl Bjarnhof Danish blind journalist/writer (History of Sascha). 1899 - Alfred Sisley painter, dies. 1899 - Robert J Fruin Dutch historian (80-year war), dies at age 75. 1900 - American League organized in Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. 1900 - Birth of Marco Tajcevic composer. 1900 - Birth of Willem F K Hussem Dutch painter/poet (Coastline, Lookout on Sea). 1900 - Boers under Joubert beat English at Spionkop Natal, 2,000 killed. 1901 - Birth of Allen B DuMont inventor (perfected commercial practical cathode ray tube). 1903 - Birth of Cornelis H Edelman Dutch geologist. 1903 - Dutch railroad workers strike. 1905 - Birth of Barnett Newmann US painter (postpainterly abstraction). 1906 - Birth of Franciscus Hin Holland, yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1920). 1906 - Birth of Joe Primeau NHL center. 1906 - Christaan IX King of Denmark (1893-1906), dies. 1906 - Coen de King skates world record time: 32,370 km. 1908 - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, at Cornell University, incorporates. 1908 - Birth of Adam Clayton Powell (Representative-Democrat-New York, 1945-70). 1909 - Birth of Alan Marshal Sydney Australia; actor (White Cliffs of Dover, Lydia). 1909 - Birth of Tonypandy Viscount. 1910 - Birth of Henri Queffélec French writer (Au bout du monde). 1910 - Birth of Paul Hodder-Williams publisher. 1910 - Edouard Rod French/Swiss writer (Mishel' Tes'e), dies at age 52. 1911 - Birth of Bernard Herrmann New York City, New York, composes film music. 1911 - Birth of George Burns British Major-General. 1912 - Birth of Jacob "Jaap" Balk journalist (AH, Onder de Keizerskroon). 1912 - Birth of Professor Irwin Corey Brooklyn New York, comedian (Car Wash, Doc). 1912 - Hermann Bang writer, dies at age 54. 1912 - Martial law declared in textile strike in Lawrence Massachusetts. 1913 - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, at Howard University, incorporates. 1913 - Birth of Victor Mature Louisville Kentucky; actor (One Million BC, The Robe, Samson and Delilah). 1915 - Birth of Frederic Ramsey Jr folklorist/author. 1915 - Birth of Halfdan Rasmussen Danish poet/WWII resistance fighter (Skoven). 1916 - First bombings of Paris by German Zeppelins takes place. 1916 - Birth of Barbara Skelton writer. 1916 - Edward Hubertus Joannes Keurvils composer, dies at age 62. 1917 - Birth of John Raitt Santa Ana California; actor/singer (Chevy Show, Pajama Game). 1917 - English submarine K13 leaves Gaire Loch. 1917 - Evelyn Baring Earl Cromer English consul-General in Egypt, dies at age 75. 1918 - Birth of John Forsythe in New Jersey; actor (Bachelor Father, Charlie's Angels, Dynasty). 1918 - Birth of William Rigney baseball manager (San Francisco Giants). 1919 - Birth of Norman F Simpson British playwright (One Way Pendulum). 1919 - Secretary of state proclaims the 18th amendment (prohibition). 1920 - Birth of Alec Coppen psychiatrist. 1920 - Walt Disney starts first job as an artist; $40 week with Kansas City Slide Co. 1921 - Billy Gunn cricket (score 392 runs for England including a century), dies. 1921 - Hurricane hits Washington and Oregon. 1922 - Union of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador dissolved. 1923 - First flight of the autogiro (Juan de la Cierva, Madrid Spain). 1923 - Birth of Paddy Chayevsky [Sydney], US, dramatist (Marty, Hospital) (dies 1981). 1924 - Birth of Brian Trubshaw British test pilot. 1924 - Birth of Gregson Lord. 1924 - Birth of Luigi Nono Venice Italy, composer (Canonic Variations). 1924 - Ice cream cone rolling machine patented by Carl Taylor, Cleveland. 1924 - Joseph Ludwig composer, dies at age 79. 1925 - Birth of Anthony George Endicott New York; actor (Untouchables, Checkmate). 1925 - Birth of Lane of Horsell Lord. 1925 - Birth of Pier Tania (Meinte Piet) radio/TV host (ANP, De Bezetting). 1925 - British Liberals choose David Lloyd George as party leader. 1926 - Birth of Abdus Salam theoretical physicist. 1926 - Birth of Bob Berry cricketer (England slow lefty 1950). 1927 - 4th German government of Marx forms. 1927 - Birth of Edward Abbey US author (Desert Solitaire). 1928 - Birth of Bengt Hambraeus composer. 1928 - Birth of Marinus Peijnenburg Dutch politician. 1928 - Birth of Peter Byrne actor (Postcards from America, Carry on Cabby). 1928 - Douglas Haig first Earl Haig/field marshal (WWI), dies at age 66. 1929 - Birth of Elio Petri Italy, director (Property is no theft). 1929 - Birth of William McMillan US, rapid pistol (Olympics-gold-1960). 1929 - Seeing Eye Guide Dog Organization forms. 1930 - Birth of John Junkin actor/writer (A Hard Day's Night). 1931 - Birth of Leslie Bricuse English/US composer (Stop the world I want to get off). 1932 - Birth of Clyde Lord. 1932 - Birth of Raman Subba Row CEO (Test/County Cricket Board). 1932 - Test debut of Bill O'Reilly, vs South Africa at Adelaide. 1933 - Birth of A C Alston bibliographer. 1933 - Birth of Margaret Laird Commissioner (Third Church Estates). 1934 - Birth of Paul Gutama Soegijo composer. 1934 - Fritz Haber German chemist (Nobel Prize 1918), dies at age 65. 1936 - First players elected to Baseball Hall of Fame-Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. 1936 - Birth of Malcolm Binns concert pianist. 1936 - Birth of Noel Harrison actor (Girl From UNCLE). 1937 - Birth of Bobby Scott jazz singer. 1938 - Birth of Bill Christian US, ice hockey player (Olympics-gold-1960). 1939 - Birth of Germaine Greer Melbourne Australia, feminist/author (Female Eunuch). 1939 - Birth of O P Kolomitsev cosmonaut. 1941 - Greek Prime Minister General Ioannis Metaxas dies unexpectedly. The new Greek prime minister invites British forces in for protection against Germany and Italy. 1942 - First broadcast of Roy Plomley's "Desert Island Discs" on BBC. 1942 - Birth of Arnaldo Mendez Cuba, first Cuban in space (Soyuz 38). 1942 - Birth of Arnaldo Tamayo-Mendez Cuba, cosmonaut (Soyuz 38). 1942 - Birth of Claudine Longet France, former Mrs Andy Williams/singer. 1942 - Birth of F R Hartley Vice-Chancellor (Cranfield University). 1942 - Birth of Katharine Ross Hollywood California, actress (Graduate, Francesca-Colbys). 1942 - Birth of Richard Needham British Member of Parliament. 1942 - Birth of Robin Morgan Lake Worth Florida, actress (Dagmar-Mama). 1942 - German and Italian troops occupy Benghazi. 1942 - Ladislao Joseph Philip Paul Zavrtal composer, dies at age 92. 1942 - Peru and Ecuador sign Protocol of Rio (boundary determination). 1943 - Birth of Charles Fitzgerald-Lombard Abbot of Downside. 1943 - Birth of Timothy Andrew James Souster composer. 1943 - New Zealand's Kiwi cruiser collides with Japanese submarine I-1 at Guadalcanal. 1943 - Sidney Kingsley's "Patriots" premieres in New York City, New York. 1944 - 285 German bombers attack London. 1944 - Birth of Barbara Moore Wardell Missouri, actress (Lisa Rogers-Man From UNCLE). 1944 - Birth of Hans Plomp Dutch writer/poet (Venus in Holland). 1944 - William Allen White US journalist (Emporia Gazette), dies at age 75. 1945 - Birth of Donna Marie Caponi Young Detroit Michigan, LPGA golfer (US Open 1969, 70). 1945 - Birth of James Nicholson British Member of Parliament. 1945 - Birth of Tom Selleck in Detroit, Michigan; actor (Lance - Rockford Files, Magnum PI). 1946 - Harry L Hopkins US minister of Business (Loan and Lease law), dies at age 55. 1946 - Sidney James Jones composer, dies at age 84. 1946 - In Kiev, a military tribunal senetences twelve German officers and soldiers to hanging for the murder of Soviets. Four others receive prison sentences of 15-20 years. 1946 - The government of Canada announces that all German war prisoners in the country will be moved to Great Britain. 1947 - Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" premieres in New York City, New York. 1947 - Birth of David Byron vocalist (Uriah Heep). 1947 - Birth of Israel Wetrin managing director (Elonex). 1947 - Birth of Michael Mavor Head Master (Rugby School). 1947 - Fred Barratt cricket (5 wickets at 47 in five Tests for England 1929-30), dies. 1948 - "Look Ma, I'm Dancin'" opens at Adelphi Theater New York City, New York for 188 performances. 1948 - Birth of Bill Kirchen singer/guitarist (Commander Cody and Lost Planet Airmen). 1948 - Birth of Felice Taylor R&B singer (I Feel Love Comin' On). 1948 - Birth of Marc Singer Vancouver Canada; actor (V, Dallas). 1948 - Commissioner Happy Chandler fines the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies $500 each for signing high school players. 1949 - Britain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland recognize Israel. 1950 - Birth of Ann Jillian in Cambridge, Massachusetts; actress (Mr Mom, Jennifer Slept Here). 1950 - Birth of Jody Schecter South African auto maker (World Driver's 1979). 1951 - "Where's Charley?" opens at Broadway Theater New York City, New York for 56 performances. 1951 - Baseball signs six year All-Star pact for TV-radio rights for $6 million. 1951 - Birth of Andy Roberts cricketer (brilliant West Indies quickie with 202 wickets 74-84). 1951 - Birth of Earl Howe England, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence. 1951 - James Bridie [Osborne Henry Mavor], dramatist, dies. 1951 - Liz Taylor's first divorce (Conrad Hilton Jr). 1952 - Birth of Tommy Ramone [Thomas Erdelyi], Budapest Hungary, rock drummer/bassist [Ramones-Rock and Roll High School). 1953 - First movie in Cinemascope (The Robe) premieres. 1953 - Birth of Dalila di Lazzaro Udine Italy, covergirl/model (Vogue). 1954 - Arnold Schoenberg's "De Profundis" premieres in Cologne. 1954 - Birth of Alejandro Casañas Havana Cuba, 110m hurdler (Olympics-silver-1976, 80). 1954 - Birth of Dick Manitoba vocalist (Dictators). 1954 - Birth of Oprah Winfrey in Kosciusko, Michigan; actress/TV host (Color Purple, Oprah). 1955 - Birth of John Tate US, heavyweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-1968). 1955 - Hans Hedtoft premier of Denmark (1947-55), dies at age 51. 1955 - John William Cox buys Yankee Stadium, sells grounds to Knights of Columbus, later leaves structure to Rice University (1962). 1956 - F Dürrenmatt's "Der Besuch der Alten Dame" premieres in Zürich. 1956 - H[enry] L[ouis] Mencken, American essayist/critic/satirist (Smart Set), dies in Baltimore, Maryland at age 75. 1957 - Birth of Irlene Mandrell Corpus Christi Texas, country singer (Mandrell Sisters). 1957 - Birth of Jac Bico Dutch guitarist/singer (Tambourine). 1957 - Graham Greene's "Potting Shed" premieres in New York City, New York. 1958 - Birth of Judy Norton-Taylor in Santa Monica, California, USA; actress (Mary Ellen - The Waltons). 1958 - Birth of Ole Mortensen; cricketer (pace bowler for Derbyshire and Denmark). 1958 - Murderer, Charles Starkweather, captured by police in Wyoming, USA. 1959 - Birth of Paul McGann; actor (Doctor Who). 1959 - Buena Vista premieres Disney's animated feature film Sleeping Beauty at the Fox Wilshire Theater in Los Angeles, California. The film is based on Charles Perrault's version of the story of Sleeping Beauty. 1960 - Birth of Cho-Liang Lin in Taiwan; violinist (Queen Sophia first prize). 1960 - Birth of Eddie Jackson; bassist (Queensryche - "Breaking the Silence", "The Warning"). 1960 - Birth of Gregory Efthimos Louganis in San Diego, California, USA; champion diver (Olympics-gold-1984, 1988). 1960 - Birth of Matthew Ashford in Davenport, Iowa, USA; actor (Jack Devaraux - Days of Our Lives). 1960 - Birth of Sean Kerly; hockey player. 1960 - Birth of Steve Sax; second baseman (Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox). 1960 - Louis Jean Heydt, actor (Joe - Waterfront), dies at age 54. 1961 - Birth of Mike Aldrete; US baseball infielder (Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees). 1961 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Laurence Owen. 1961 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Bradley Lord. 1962 - Birth of Nicholas Turturro in Queens, New York, USA; actor (James Martinez - NYPD Blue). 1962 - Fritz Kreisler, Austria/US violinist/composer, dies at age 86. 1963 - Birth of Michelle Bell in Melrose, Massachusetts, USA; LPGA golfer (1981 Mass School Girls Champ). 1963 - Jim Thorpe, Red Grange, and George Halas elected to football hall of fame. 1963 - Robert Lee Frost, American poet (New Hampshire, four Pulitzers), dies at age 88. 1964 - (to February 9) The 9th Olympic Winter Games are held in Innsbruck, Austria. 1964 - Alan Ladd, actor (Shane), dies at age 50 in Palm Springs, California. 1964 - Birth of Andre Reed; NFL wide receiver (Buffalo Bills). 1964 - Birth of John Gallagher; rugby league player. 1964 - Birth of John Habyan; US baseball pitcher (Saint Louis Cardinals). 1964 - Birth of Roddy Frame; rock vocalist/guitarist (Aztec Camera-Stray). 1964 - Most lopsided high-school basketball score: 211-29 (Louisiana). 1964 - NBC purchases AFL five-year (1965-69) TV rights for US$36 million. 1964 - Stanley Kubrick's film Dr Strangelove premieres. 1964 - Unmanned Apollo 1 Saturn launcher test attains Earth orbit. 1965 - Birth of Dominik Hasek in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia; NHL goalie (Czech Olympics-Gold-1998, Buffalo Sabres). 1965 - Birth of Peter Lundgren in Sweden; tennis star. 1965 - Birth of Tim Johnson; NFL defensive tackle (Washington Redskins). 1965 - John Larkin, actor (Saints and Sinners, 12 O'Clock High), dies at age 52. 1965 - Michael Spisak, composer, dies at age 50. 1966 - Sweet Charity opens at Palace Theater in New York City, New York for 608 performances. 1966 - Josef Winckler, German dentist/writer (Tolle Bomberg), dies at age 84. 1966 - Lawry and Simpson complete 244 opening stand vs England, Adelaide. 1966 - Pierre Mercure, composer, dies at age 38. 1966 - Snow storm in north-east US kills 165. 1966 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming. 1966 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Scott Allen. 1967 - CBS airs the last The Garry Moore Show TV show. 1967 - Birth of David Pitcher; Canadian Football League fullback (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1967 - Birth of Khalid Skah in Midelt, Morocco; 5k/10k runner. 1967 - Birth of Sean Burke in Windsor, Ontario, Canada; NHL goalie (Hartford Whalers). 1967 - Birth of Stacey King; NBA forward/center (Miami Heat). 1967 - Branch Rickey and Lloyd Waner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. 1967 - Kees Verkerk becomes European skating champ. 1967 - Wlodzimierz Pozniak, composer, dies at age 62. 1968 - Birth of Aeneas Williams; NFL cornerback (Arizona Cardinals). 1968 - Birth of Chris Pringle; New Zealand cricket pace bowler (since 1990). 1968 - Birth of Ed Burns; director/actor (Brothers McMullen). 1968 - Birth of Harold Green; NFL running back (Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons). 1968 - Birth of John Hudson; NFL center/guard (New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles). 1968 - Birth of Kevin Roberson; US baseball outfielder (Chicago Cubs). 1968 - Laxmidas Purshottamdas Jai; cricketer (Test for India), dies. 1968 - Nauru adopts constitution. 1969 - Birth of Flora Perfetti in Faenza, Italy; tennis star (1995 Futures-Reims-FRA). 1969 - Birth of Karen Fonteyne in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; synchronized swimmer (Olympics-silver-1996). 1969 - Birth of Robert Young; NFL player (Saint Louis Rams). 1969 - Jimi Hendrix and Peter Townshend wage a battle of guitars. 1969 - Sheahan and Connolly hang on for exciting draw Australia vs West Indies. 1970 - Basil H Liddell Hart, English military historian, dies at age 74. 1970 - Birth of Eric Gouka; cricketer (Netherlands pace bowler 1996 World Cup). 1970 - Birth of Heather Graham in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; actress (Drugstore Cowboy, Diggstown). 1970 - Birth of Scott Davis; guard (Atlanta Falcons). 1970 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakstan/Semipalatinsk. 1971 - Birth of Chris Vargas; Canadian Football League quarterback (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1971 - Birth of Jamal Fountaine; NFL defensive end (San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons). 1971 - Test debut of Dennis Keith Lillee, vs England at Adelaide. 1972 - 5th ABA All-Star Game: East 142 beats West 115 at Louisville. 1972 - Birth of Hessley Hempstead; NFL guard (Detroit Lions). 1972 - Birth of Scott Davis in Great Falls, Montana, USA; figure skater (Olympics-1994). 1972 - Birth of Simon Cook; cricketer (Victorian pace bowler joined New South Wales 1995-96). 1973 - Birth of Darnell Stephens; NFL linebacker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1973 - Birth of Jason Schmidt in Lewiston, Idaho; pitcher (Atlanta Braves). 1973 - Birth of Scott Milanovich; quarterback (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1973 - Johannes Paul Thilman, composer, dies at age 67. 1973 - Ludwig Stossel, Austrian actor (Man With a Camera), dies at age 89. 1974 - 27th NHL All-Star Game: West beat East 6-4 at Chicago. 1974 - Birth of David LaFleur; tight end (Dallas Cowboys). 1974 - Birth of Jeff Mitchell; corner (Baltimore Ravens). 1974 - Birth of Kris Burley in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada; gymnast (Olympics-1996). 1974 - Birth of Pat Walsh; WLAF Tackle (London Monarchs). 1975 - First Annual Comedy Awards of the Year hosted by Alan King. 1975 - Birth of Hendrik Dreekmann in Germany; tennis star. 1975 - Birth of Kelly Packard in Glendale, California, USA; actress (Tiffani Smith - California Dreams). 1975 - Birth of Lorraine Magwenzi; Miss Zimbabwe-Universe (1997). 1975 - Birth of Maarten Kerkhof; soccer player (Vitesse, De Graafschap). 1975 - Birth of Sara Gilbert in Santa Monica, California; actress (Darlene - Roseanne, Poison Ivy). 1975 - West Indies wins Fifth Test against India to take exciting series 3-2. 1976 - Birth of Ilmira Shamsutdinova; Miss Russia-Universe/best costume (1996). 1976 - Michael Gwynn, actor (Dunkirk, Barabbas, Cleopatra), dies at age 59. 1976 - Zeiss planetarium in Hague, Netherlands, destroyed by fire. 1977 - Birth of Martin Hohenberger; hockey forward (Team Austria 1998). 1977 - E P "Buster" Nupen, cricketer (50 wickets for South Africa, lost eye), dies. 1977 - Freddie Prinze, comedian/actor (Chico and the Man), shoots himself dead at age 22. 1978 - Joanne Carner wins Colgate Triple Crown Match-Play Golf Championship. 1978 - Tim McCoy, actor (Arizona Bound), dies at age 86. 1978 - Sweden outlaws aerosol sprays due to their harmful effect on the ozone layer, becoming the first nation to enact such a ban. 1979 - 9th NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 13-7. 1979 - Birth of Andrew Keegan; actor (Step by Step, Party of Five). 1979 - Brenda Spencer kills two, inspires Boomtown Rats "I Don't Like Mondays". 1979 - Chinese vice-premier Deng Xiaoping visits Washington DC. 1979 - President Carter commutes Patricia Hearst's seven-year sentence to two years. 1980 - Birth of Jason James Richter in Medford, Oregon; actor (Free Willy). 1980 - Cleveland Cavaliers beat Los Angeles Lakers 154-153 in quadruple overtime. 1980 - Jimmy Durante, American actor/singer/comedian (Ink-a-dink-a-doo, Palooka, The Jimmy Durante Show), dies at age 86 in New York City, New York (born 1893). 1980 - Antonio Molina, composer, dies at age 85. 1981 - Birth of Jonny Lang; American musician. 1981 - American League approves sale of Chicago White Sox to Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn for US$20 million, and 80 percent of Seattle Mariners to George Argyros for US$104 million. 1982 - Old Dominion ends Los Angeles Tech's women's basketball record 54-game win streak. 1982 - Wayne Garland, baseball first millionaire free agent, waived by Cleveland Indians. 1983 - Song "Down Under" by Men At Work hits #1 on United Kingdom pop chart. 1983 - 40th Golden Globes: Gandhi, ET and Tootsie win. 1984 - Actress Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman) marries Robert Altman. 1984 - Frances Goodrich (Diary of Anne Frank), dies from lung cancer at age 93. 1984 - NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 45-3. 1984 - US President Ronald Reagan formally announces he will seek a second term. 1984 - Silvia Bertolaccini wins LPGA Mazda Golf Classic of Deer Creek. 1984 - Space Shuttle 41-B (STS-11) Challenger launched. 1984 - Birth of Nuno Morais, Portuguese footballer. 1984 - Birth of Natalie du Toit, South African swimmer. 1984 - 34th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 154-145 (overtime) at Denver, Colorado. 1985 - Jari Kurri of Edmonton Oilers scores 100th point of season in game 39. 1986 - Birth of Drew Tyler Bell; American actor. 1986 - Leif Erickson, actor (John - High Chaparral), dies at age 74. 1986 - Yoweri Museveni sworn in as President of Uganda. 1986 - In southern Sumatra, Indonesia, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurs. 1987 - Ivo Lhotka-Kalinski, composer, dies at age 73. 1987 - William J Casey ends term as 13th director of US Central Intelligence Agency. 1988 - Bantcho Bantchevsky, US opera singer, commits suicide. 1988 - Spectrum Holobyte introduces the Tetris computer game in the US. This is the first entertainment software imported to the US from the Soviet Union. The game was written by Vagim Gerasimov and Alexi Paszitnov at the Computer Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences in Moscow. 1988 - Canadian Ben Johnson breaks own 50-yard dash world record at 5.15s. 1988 - Detroit Tigers' Kirk Gibson signs a 3-year contract with Los Angeles Dodgers. 1988 - James R Killian Jr, MIT president (1948-59), dies at age 83. 1988 - Largest NBA crowd-Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons (61,938). 1988 - Rogier van Otterloo, Dutch composer/conductor, dies at age 46. 1988 - Talks break down between Sandinistas and Contras. 1988 - United Airlines Boeing 747SP circles world in 36 hours 54 minutes 15 seconds. 1988 - Birth of Owen Garvan, Irish footballer. 1988 - Birth of Aydin Yilmaz, Turkish soccer player. 1988 - The Midwest Classic Conference, a U.S. college athletic conference, is formed. 1989 - 77th Australian Open Men Tennis: Ivan Lendl beats Miloslav Mecir (6-2, 6-2, 6-2). 1989 - Cleveland Cavaliers' Chris Dudley misses five free throws during one foul attempt. 1989 - Dottie Mochrie wins Oldsmobile LPGA Golf Classic. 1989 - Dow Jones Industrial Average jumps 38.06 to hit 2256.43; recoups 508-point loss since October 1987. 1989 - Episcopal church appoints first female bishop. 1989 - Game-winning RBI, official statistic dropped after nine years of use, New York Mets' Keith Hernandez is the all-time leader with 129. 1989 - Long Island, New York, preacher Gene Profeta pleads guilty to tax-evasion. 1989 - NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 34-3. 1989 - Orlando Arena opens. 1989 - USSR's Phobos II enters Martian orbit. 1990 - The trial of Joseph Hazelwood, former skipper of the Exxon Valdez, begins in Anchorage, Alaska. He is accused of negligence that resulted in America's worst oil spill to date. 1991 - "Piano Lesson" closes at Walter Kerr Theater New York City, New York after 320 performances. 1991 - Battle for Khafji in Saudi Arabia begins. 1991 - Jan Odé, Dutch pianist/director Sweelinck Conservatory, dies. 1991 - Nelson Mandela and Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi meet in Durban after 28 years. 1991 - Siad Barre is succeeded by Ali Mahdi Muhammad in Somalia. 1991 - Death of John McIntire, American actor (born 1907). 1991 - Yasushi Inoue, Japanese historian, dies (born 1907). 1992 - Willie Dixon, American blues composer (I'm a Man, Backdoor Man), dies at age 76 (born 1915). 1993 - Hank Werba [Herman Werblowski], US journalist (Variety), dies at age 79. 1993 - Michel Renault, French ballet dancer (Giselle), dies. 1993 - Test debut of Vinod Kambli, prolific Indian batsman. 1994 - Jevgeni P Leonov, Russian actor (Gori, Moja Zvezda), dies at age 67. 1994 - Nick Cravat, midget (Gremlin-Twilight Zone), dies of lung cancer at age 81. 1994 - Ulrike Maier, Olympic skier, breaks neck during world cup skiing at age 26. 1995 - Arthur Guy Clutton-Brock, English agronomist (Rhodesia), dies at age 88. 1995 - Chris de Marigny, painter/designer, dies at age 52. 1995 - Greg Blewett scores century on Test debut vs England, Adelaide. 1995 - Raymond Joseph Cecil, British architect, dies at age 69. 1995 - Richard Desborough Burnell, British oarsman (Olympics-gold-1948), dies at age 77. 1995 - The San Francisco 49ers become the first NFL franchise to win five Super Bowl games, as they defeat the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida. 1995 - Tatachilla Lutheran College officially opens at McLaren Vale, South Australia. 1996 - 23rd American Music Awards: Garth Brooks wins. 1996 - 6,138th performance of Cats is held in London, surpassing record of Broadway's longest-running musical, A Chorus Line. 1996 - Jack Sutherland, journalist, dies at age 79. 1996 - John Terence Reese, bridge master, dies at age 82. 1996 - Last day of Test cricket for David Boon. 1996 - Birth of Megan Jossa, English actress. 1996 - President Jacques Chirac announces a "definitive end" to French nuclear testing. 1996 - Fire destroys La Fenice, Venice's opera house. 1996 - A Greek flag is hoisted on a small rocky island named Imia (Greek) / Kardak (Turkish). 1997 - Eric Schneider, murderer of two teachers, executed in Missouri at age 35. 1997 - Louis Pauwels, writer/editor, dies at age 76. 1997 - Osvaldo Soriano, writer, dies at age 54. 1998 - "Capeman" opens at Marquis Theater, New York City, New York. 1998 - Soyuz TM-27 launches to MIR space station. 1998 - Thick Fog causes highway carnage in Belgium and Netherlands, six die. 1998 - In Birmingham, Alabama, a bomb explodes at an abortion clinic, killing one and severely wounding another. Serial bomber Eric Rudolph is the prime suspect. 2002 - Death of Harold Russell, Canadian-born actor (born 1914). 2003 - Death of Frank Moss, U.S. Senator from Utah (born 1911). 2003 - Riots in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where the Thai Embassy is burned and commercial properties of Thai businesses are vandalized. 2004 - Death of M. M. Kaye, British writer (born 1908). 2007 - A suicide bomber kills three people in a bakery in Eilat, Israel. 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