This Day in History
February 5

What happened in history on this day: February 5? On February 5 in ... 816 - Frankish emperor Louis grants archbishop Salzburg immunity. 1428 - King Alfonso V, orders Sicily's Jews to attend conversion sermons. 1488 - Roman catholic German emperor Maximilian I caught in Belgium. 1505 - Birth of Gilg Tschudi in Glarus, Switzerland; historian (Chronicon Helveticum). 1512 - French troops under Gaston de Foix rescues Bologna. 1556 - Kings Henri I and Philip II sign Treaty of Vaucelles. 1572 - Beggars assault Oisterwijk Netherlands, drive nuns out. 1576 - Henry of Navarre abjures Catholicism at Tours. 1578 - Giovanni B Moroni Italian portrait painter, dies. 1589 - Birth of Honorat de Brueil seigneur de Racan French playwright/poet. 1591 - Gerard de Jode Flemish publisher, dies. 1626 - Birth of Madame Marie de Sévigné Paris, celebrated letter-writer (Portrait in Letters). 1631 - Rhode Island, founder, Roger Williams arrives in Boston from England. 1644 - First US livestock branding law passed, by Connecticut. 1649 - Prince of Wales becomes English king Charles II. 1658 - Maria Margaretha van Angels Dutch prioress at Oirschot, dies at age 52. 1662 - Birth of Giuseppi Vignola composer. 1663 - In the St. Lawrence River valley (Canada), an Intensity X earthquake occurs, causing vast landslides along the St. Maurice, Batiscan, and St. Lawrence Rivers. 1679 - German emperor Leopold I signs peace with France. 1679 - Joost van den Vondel Dutch poet (Gysbreght van Aemstel), dies at age 91. 1705 - Jean Gilles composer, dies at age 37. 1711 - Birth of Joseph Umstatt composer. 1721 - James Stanhope first earl of Stanhope English General, dies at age 47. 1723 - Birth of John Witherspoon clergyman/signed Declaration of Independence. 1732 - Birth of Nathanael Gottfried Gruner composer. 1736 - Methodists John and Charles Wesley arrive in Savannah Georgia. 1738 - Georg Reidel composer, dies at age 61. 1744 - Birth of John Jeffries colonial physician/meteorologist. 1745 - Coelestin Praelisauer composer, dies at age 49. 1748 - Birth of Christian Gottlob Neefe German composer/conductor/tutor of Beethoven. 1753 - Birth of Coert L van Beyma thoe Kingma Frisian regent/patriot. 1754 - Nicolaas S Cruquius hydraulic engineer, (Haarlemmermeer), dies at age 75. 1758 - Bernhard Christian Weber composer, dies at age 45. 1770 - Birth of Alexandre Brongniart Paris, mineralogist/geologist (Tertiary). 1775 - Birth of Margaretha J de Neufville author (Small Pligten). 1777 - Georgia becomes first US state to abolish both entail and primogeniture. 1778 - Articles of Confederation ratified by first state, South Carolina. 1779 - Birth of Frans van Campenhout Belgian vocalist/composer (Brabançonne). 1782 - Spanish take Minorca (western Mediterranean) from the English. 1783 - Sweden recognizes US independence. 1788 - Birth of Karoly Kisfaludy Hungarian literary (A Tat rok Magyarorsz gon). 1788 - Birth of Sir Robert "Bobbie" Peel British Prime Minister (1834-46), founded Tories. 1795 - Zealand Netherlands surrenders to French General Michaud. 1799 - Birth of John Lindley English botanist (Elements of Botany). 1804 - Birth of Johan Ludvig Runeberg Finland, poet. 1807 - Pasquale Paoli Corsican freedom fighter, dies at age 80. 1810 - Birth of Ole Bull composer. 1812 - Franz Schneider composer, dies at age 74. 1816 - Rossini's Opera "Barber of Seville" premieres in Rome. 1817 - First US gas company incorporated, Baltimore (coal gas for street lights). 1822 - Ali Pasha of Janina (Napoleon, Lord Byron), dies at about age 77. 1825 - Hannah Lord Montague of New York creates first detachable shirt collar. 1825 - Pierre Gaveaux composer, dies at age 64. 1831 - Jan van Speijk blows up his gunboat in Antwerp, killing about 30. 1831 - John CJ van Speijk commits suicide at age 29. 1833 - Birth of John Watkinson founder of British Chess Magazine (oldest chess magazine). 1837 - Birth of Dwight Lyman Moody US, evangelist (Student Volunteer Movement). 1838 - Philippe Libon composer, dies at age 62. 1840 - Birth of Hiram Stevens Maxim inventor (automatic single-barrel rifle). 1840 - Birth of John Boyd Dunlop in Scotland; developer (pneumatic rubber tire). 1846 - "Oregon Spectator" is first newspaper to be published on the West Coast. 1848 - Birth of Belle Starr [Myra Belle Shirley] US female outlaw (wild west). 1848 - Birth of Joris-Karl Huysmans France, writer (Against the Grain). 1850 - Adding machine employing depressible keys patented, New Paltz New York. 1855 - British government of Lord Palmerston forms. 1856 - Birth of Otto Brahm German critic/founder (Neue Deutsche Rundschau). 1860 - Birth of Jackson Showalter first US chess champion (1888-92, 1895-97, 1906-09). 1861 - First moving picture peep show machine is patented by Samuel Goodale of Cincinnati. 1861 - Kinematoscope patented by Coleman Sellers, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. 1861 - Louisiana delegation except Mr Bouligny withdraws from US Congress. 1862 - Birth of Felipe Villanueva y Gutiérrez Mexico, composer. 1863 - Birth of Armand Parent composer. 1864 - Birth of Carl Tieke composer. 1864 - Federals occupy Jackson, Mississippi. 1865 - Birth of Harvey Worthington Loomis composer. 1865 - Battle of Hatcher's Run, Virginia (Armstrong's Mill, Dabney's Mill). 1866 - Birth of Arthur Keith Scottish anthropologist. 1866 - Birth of Henri [Hendrik J] Hall Dutch Member of Parliament/comic (Put a Lid on it). 1866 - Birth of Rossetter Gleason Cole composer. 1867 - Birth of Casper A Lingbeek vicar/Dutch Member of Parliament. 1867 - Salomon Munk published Arabic edition of Maimounides, dies. 1868 - Birth of Lodewijk Mortelmans composer. 1870 - First motion picture shown to a theater audience, Philadelphia. 1871 - Birth of Jovan Ducic Serbian poet (Blue Legends). 1878 - Birth of André-Gustave Citroën France, auto maker. 1879 - Birth of Edward Rigby England; actor (Star Look Down, Young and Innocent). 1879 - Joseph Swan demonstrates light bulb using carbon glow. 1881 - Birth of Frederick Leonard Lonsdale British playwright (Balkan Princess). 1881 - Phoenix Arizona incorporates. 1881 - Thomas Carlyle, historian/essayist, dies in London, England, at age 85. 1882 - Birth of Felice Lattuada composer. 1885 - News of fall of Khartoum reaches London. 1887 - Birth of A P Gütersloh writer. 1887 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera Otello premieres at La Scala in Italy. 1887 - Snow falls on San Francisco. 1888 - Anton Mauve Dutch painter/cousin of Vincent Van Gogh, dies at age 49. 1889 - Birth of Elias Henry "Patsy" Hendren cricket player (prolific England bat of 1920s). 1889 - Birth of Ernest Tyldesley cricket player (first Lancastrian to score 100 100's). 1889 - Birth of Ioan Dumitru Chirescu composer. 1891 - Birth of Elizabeth Ryan Anaheim California, doubles tennis champion (6 time Wimbledon). 1891 - Birth of Karl L Schmidt German/Swiss theologist (Urchristentum). 1892 - Birth of George Saiko writer. 1893 - Alfred Naess skates world record 500 metre (49.4 seconds). 1893 - Birth of Roman Ingarden Polish philosopher (Studia philosophica). 1894 - Female suffrage organization in Amsterdam forms. 1897 - Birth of Dirk U Stikker director (Heineken)/Dutch foreign minister/NATO. 1897 - Hoss Radbourn pitcher won 60 games in 1884, dies at age 42. 1897 - Marcel Proust meets Jean Lorrain in a pistol duel. 1900 - The United States and the United Kingdom sign a treaty for Panama Canal. 1900 - Birth of Adlai E Stevenson; American politician (Governor-Democrat-Illinois), presidential candidate (Democrat, 1952, 1956). 1900 - British troops under General Buller occupy Vaal Krantz, Natal. 1901 - Loop-the-loop centrifugal railroad (roller coaster) patented by Ed Prescot. 1903 - Birth of Joan Whitney Payson; owner of New York Mets and horse stables. 1903 - Birth of Nathaniel Owings in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; architect (Oak Ridge Tennessee; Sears). 1904 - American occupation of Cuba ends. 1906 - Birth of John Carradine in Greenwich Village, New York, USA; actor (Grapes of Wrath, Howling). 1907 - Birth of Jan Klaasesz; Dutch governor of Suriname (1949-56). 1907 - Birth of Norton Simon; business executive (Simon and Schuster). 1907 - Birth of Pierre E J Pflimlin; premier of France. 1910 - Birth of Martha van Och-Scholl; German/Dutch resistance fighter (WWII). 1912 - Birth of Willard Parker in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Kiss Me Kate, What A Woman). 1914 - Birth of Alan Hodgkin; British physicist (Nobel Prize 1963). 1914 - Birth of William S Burroughs in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; novelist (Naked Lunch) (dies 1997). 1917 - Birth of Sári Gábor AKA Zsa Zsa Gabor in Budapest, Hungary; actress (Queen of Outer Space). 1917 - US Congress overrides President Woodrow Wilson's veto, curtailing Asian immigration. 1917 - Mexican constitution is adopted. 1918 - Stephen W Thompson becomes first US pilot to down an enemy airplane. 1918 - Birth of Charles John Holt AKA Tim Holt in Beverly Hills, California; actor (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Stagecoach, Hitler's Children). 1918 - Birth of Robert Brown in the Hebrides Islands, Scotland; actor (Here Come The Brides, Primus). 1918 - Separation of church and state begins in Russia. 1919 - Birth of Andrea George Papandreou; Greek premier (1981-89, 1993-). 1919 - Birth of Melina Mercouri; actress (Never on Sunday). 1919 - Birth of Aaron Chwatt AKA Red Buttons in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA; comedian/actor (Sayonara, Poseidon Adventure) (dies 2006). 1919 - National League president John Heydler dismisses charges that Hal Chase bet against his team and threw games in collusion with gamblers. 1919 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists film studio in the USA. 1921 - New York Yankees purchase 20 acres in the Bronx for Yankee Stadium. 1922 - Birth of Bernard Kalb; US State Department spokesman/actor (Dave). 1922 - Christiaan R de Wet, South African Boer General, dies at age 67. 1922 - Reader's Digest magazine is first published. 1923 - Birth of Stephen J Cannell; TV producer/writer. 1923 - General mine strike against wage cuts in Saar. 1923 - Mass arrests of socialists and communists in Italy. 1924 - The Royal Greenwich Observatory begins broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal or the "BBC pips." 1926 - Birth of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger in New York City, New York, USA; publisher (New York Times). 1927 - Birth of Val Dufour in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; actor (Eugenie Grandet, Another World). 1929 - Birth of Fred Sinowatz (SPÖ) Neufeld an der Leitha; chancellor of Austria (1983-86). 1933 - Birth of Jörn Donner in Helsinki, Finland; director (Anna, Tenderness). 1933 - Birth of Nick Georgiade in New York City, New York, USA; actor (The Untouchables, Run Buddy Run). 1933 - Birth of Ron Wilson; US percussionist (Joy of Cooking). 1934 - Birth of Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron Jr. in Mobile, Alabama, USA; baseball player (record 755 home runs, 1957 National League Most Valuable Player). 1935 - Birth of Alex Harvey; rocker ("Just Visiting This Planet"). 1935 - Birth of John J "Jannie" Geldenhuys; supreme commander South Africa army 1980-. 1936 - National Wildlife Federation forms. 1937 - First Charlie Chaplin talkie film, Modern Times, is released to theaters. 1937 - Birth of Cocky van Oost [Kommertje van Vliet]; Dutch dancer (Sylphides). 1937 - Birth of Gaston Roelants in Belgium; world cross-country champion. 1937 - Birth of Stuart Damon in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Alan Quartermaine - General Hospital). 1937 - President Franklin Roosevelt proposes enlarging US Supreme Court. 1937 - Lou [Andreas-]Salomé, Russian/German author (Eroticism), dies at age 75. 1938 - Birth of Dick van Niehoff; Dutch vocalist (Fouryo). 1938 - Birth of John Guare; American writer (Six degrees of Separation, Atlantic City, Taking Off). 1938 - Hans Engnestangen skates world record 500 metre (41.8 seconds). 1939 - Birth of Brian Luckhurst; cricket player (England opener of 1960s and early 1970s). 1939 - Birth of Jane Bryant Quinn; newscaster/financial writer (Everyone's Money Book). 1940 - Birth of Hans Rudolf Giger; artist, special effects designer (Alien). 1940 - General Winckelman replaces General Reijnders as Dutch supreme commander. 1941 - Birth of Barrett Strong in Detroit, Michigan, USA; singer ("Money, That's What I Want"). 1941 - Birth of David Selby in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; actor (Falcon Crest, Flamingo Road). 1941 - Birth of Rick Laird; jazz musician (Gerry Niewood and Timepiece). 1941 - Birth of Stephen J Cannell; American TV show producer (The Rockford Files). 1941 - Dutch Premier De Geer returns from Lisbon to Netherlands. 1942 - Birth of Cory Wells in Buffalo, New York, USA; rock vocalist (Three Dog Night - "Joy to the World"). 1942 - Birth of Roger Staubach; NFL quarterback (Dallas Cowboys). 1942 - Birth of Susan Hill; English playwright (Magic Apple Tree). 1942 - Boston Braves get Tommy Holmes from New York Yankees for Buddy Hassett and Gene Moore. 1943 - Amsterdam resistance group CS-6 shoots German General Seyffardt. 1943 - Birth of Charles Winfield in Pennsylvania, USA; rocker (Blood Sweat and Tears - "Spinning Wheel"). 1943 - Birth of Craig Morton in Flint, Michigan, USA; NFL quarterback (Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos). 1943 - Birth of Larry Tamblyn; rock guitarist (Standells - "Dirty Water"). 1943 - Birth of Michael Mann in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actor/director (Sexpot, Close Friends). 1943 - Birth of Nolan Bushnell; founder (Atari)/creator (Pong). 1943 - Birth of Sven Johnson; rocker (Tangerine Dream). 1943 - Clandestine Radio Atlantiksender, in Germany, makes first transmission. 1943 - Wim Gertenbach, Dutch resistance fighter (Slogan), shot by Germans. 1944 - 358 RAF-bombers attack Stettin, Germany. 1944 - Birth of Al Kooper; rock keyboards/vocalist (Blood Sweat and Tears - "When I Die"). 1944 - Birth of J R Cobb in Birmingham, Alabama, USA; rocker (Atlanta Rhythm Section, Classic IV). 1944 - Robert E Park, sociologist (human ecology, marginal man), dies at age 79. 1945 - Big Racket becomes fastest race horse at 69.6 kph (440 yards in 20.8 seconds). 1945 - British premier Winston Churchill arrives in Yalta, the Crimea. 1945 - US troops under General Douglas MacArthur enter Manilla, Philippines. 1946 - Birth of Charlotte Rampling in England; actress (Zardoz, Night Porter, Verdict). 1946 - George Arliss, actor/writer (Dr Syn, Voltaire), dies at age 77. 1946 - The United States recognizes the government of Romania. 1947 - Birth of David Ladd in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Raymie, Catlow, Misty, Deathline). 1947 - Birth of Mary Louise Cleave in Southampton, New York, USA; PhD/astronaut (STS 61-B, STS 30). 1947 - Bolewet Beirut becomes President of Poland. 1947 - Ganzefles, Dutch Nazi spy/Jew hunter, executed. 1948 - The Nature of Things science show premieres on NBC prime time. 1948 - Birth of Barbara Hershey [Herzstein] in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; actor (Stuntman, Shy People, A World Apart). 1948 - Birth of Christopher Guest in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Saturday Night Live, Heartbeeps, This is Spinal Tap, Princess Bride). 1948 - Birth of David Denny; rock guitarist (Steve Miller Band - "Abracadabra"). 1948 - Birth of Elco [LC] Brinkman; Dutch minister WVC (CDA). 1948 - Birth of Nigel Tufnel; rocker (Spinal Tap). 1948 - Dick Button becomes first US figure skating Olympics champion. 1948 - Gretchen Fraser becomes first US woman Olympics slalom champion. 1948 - Johann Blaskowitz, German General (surrendered at Wageningen), dies at age 64. 1949 - Birth of David Sullivan; English newspaper publisher (Sunday Sport). 1949 - Birth of Maidarjabyn Ganzorig in Mongolia; cosmonaut (Soyuz 39 backup). 1949 - Birth of Nigel Olsson, rock guitarist/drummer (Elton John Band). 1949 - Huaso sets official world equestrian high-jump record, 2.47 m, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 1950 - Birth of Ann Sexton; US vocalist ("You're Gone too Long"). 1951 - Birth of Elizabeth Swados in Buffalo, New York, USA; composer/playwright (1972 Tony Award). 1952 - Reginald Allen, cricket player (uncle of Gubby, Test Australia vs England 1887), dies. 1953 - RKO Radio Pictures releases Disney's animated feature film Peter Pan to US theaters. The film is adapted from the play by Sir James M. Barrie. 1953 - In Los Angeles, California, the 5th Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Art Linkletter. Best Actor: Thomas Mitchell Best Actress: Helen Hayes Best Audience Participation, Quiz or Panel Program: What's My Line? Best Children's Program: Time for Beany Best Comedian: Jimmy Durante Best Comedienne: Lucille Ball Best Dramatic Show: Robert Montgomery Presents Best Mystery, Action or Adventure Program: Dragnet Best Public Affairs Program: See It Now Best Situation Comedy: I Love Lucy Best Variety Program: Your Show of Shows Most Outstanding Personality: Fulton J. Sheen. 1956 - VII Olympic Winter Games close at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. 1956 - Louise Suggs win LPGA Havana Golf Open. 1956 - New York Mayor Robert Wagner and Brooklyn Boro President Frank Cashmore sponsor a bill to create a Brooklyn Sports Center Authority, which will propose building a $30 million downtown sports center. 1956 - Savilly Tartakower, Austrian/Polish/French chess player, dies at age 74. 1957 - Birth of Craig Wilson in Beeville, Texas, USA; water polo goalie (Olympics-silver-1984, 1988). 1958 - Birth of Jennifer Jason Leigh [Morrow] in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Single White Female). 1958 - Gamel Abdel Nasser nominated first President of United Arab Republic. 1958 - Henry M Tomlinson, British writer (Under red ensign), dies at age 84. 1958 - Test Cricket debut of Lance Gibbs, West Indies versus Pakistan, Port-of-Spain. 1958 - Vanguard TV-3 back-up launches into Earth orbit; reaches 6 km. 1958 - A hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, never to be recovered. 1959 - Redhead opens at 46th Steet Theater in New York City for 455 performances. 1959 - Australia regains the Ashes with a 10-wicket victory at Adelaide. 1959 - Birth of Glenn Dubis in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; 3x40 rifle (Olympics-1984, 1988, 1996). 1959 - Gwili Andre, actress (No Other Woman, Roar of the Dragon), dies. 1960 - Birth of Jane Geddes in Huntington, New York, USA; LPGA golfer (1987 Women's Kemper Open). 1960 - Louis Stricker, cricket player (South Africa open bat in 13 Tests 1909-12), dies. 1961 - Anthony G de Rothschild, British philanthropist, dies at age 73. 1962 - Birth of Tommy Skeoch; rock vocalist (Tesla - "Five Man Acoustical Jam"). 1962 - French President Charles de Gaulle calls for Algeria's independence. 1962 - Jacques Ibert, French composer (Escales), dies at age 71. 1962 - Law suit to bar Englewood, New Jersey, from "racial segregated" schools is filed. 1962 - Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn within 16 degrees. 1963 - Maarten Schmidt discovers enormous red shifts in quasars. 1964 - Birth of Duff [Michael] "Rose" McKagan; rocker (Guns and Roses - "Sweet Child of Mine"). 1964 - Birth of Jim Pugh in Burbank, California, USA; tennis star. 1965 - Birth of Ben Lee in Rangoon, Burma; US badminton player (Olympics-1992). 1965 - Birth of James David McGovern in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA; PGA golfer (1993 Shell Houston Open). 1965 - Birth of Tarik Benhabiles in Algeria; tennis star. 1965 - Irving Bacon, actor (Fort Ti, Petticoat Fever), dies at age 71. 1966 - BBC opens a relay radio station on Ascension Island. 1966 - Birth of Jose Maria Olazabal; golfer. 1966 - Ludwig Binswanger, Swiss psychiatrist (Über Ideenflucht), dies at age 84. 1967 - The CBS TV network airs the first The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour 60-minute comedy TV show in the USA. 1967 - Anastasio Somoza elected President of Nicaragua. 1967 - Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Robert Penn Warren. 1967 - Herman Teirlinck, Belgian writer (Jokaste against God), dies at age 87. 1968 - Birth of Chris Barron; rocker (Spin Doctors). 1968 - Birth of Regina Rajchitova in Czechoslovakia; tennis star. 1968 - Birth of Roberto Alomar in Salinas, Puerto Rico; infielder (Baltimore Orioles). 1968 - Birth of Will Furrer; NFL quarterback (Houston Oilers, Saint Louis Rams). 1969 - Turn-On TV show, debuts and is cancelled by ABC after flopping so badly. 1969 - Birth of Bobby Brown in Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA; singer ("Ghostbusters", "Don't Be Cruel"). 1969 - US population reaches 200 million. 1969 - Vince Lombardi becomes part owner, vice president, general manager and head coach of Washington Redskins. 1970 - First Test Cricket ton of Barry Richards, 126, 164 balls, 20 fours 1 six. 1970 - Birth of Darren Lehmann; cricket player (South Africa and Victoria LHB Australian ODI 1996). 1970 - Birth of Forey Duckett; NFL/WLAF cornerback/safety (New Orleans Saints, Scottish Claymores). 1970 - In central Philippines (Romblon Island), a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurs. Widespread damage and three deaths. 1970 - Test Cricket debut of John Traicos, South Africa versus Australia, Durban. 1970 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1971 - Apollo 14, third US manned Moon expedition, lands near Fra Mauro; Alan Shepard and Edward Mitchell walk on Moon for four hours. 1971 - Birth of Dennis Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; 125.5 pounds greco-roman wrestler (Olympics-silver-1992, 1996). 1971 - Birth of Dianne Norman in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada; basketball forward (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Marcus Redman; actor (Raymond - Doogie Howser). 1971 - Birth of Peter "Chip" Cipollone in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Mátyás Rákosi; Hungarian premier (1952-56), dies at age 78. 1972 - Birth of Chris Bailey; ice hockey defenseman (USA, Olympics-1998). 1972 - Birth of Erin Phillips in Mexico, Missouri, USA; Miss Missouri-America (1995). 1972 - Birth of Tony Johnson; tight end (New Orleans Saints). 1972 - Bob Douglas is elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. 1972 - Marianne Moore, US poetess (Pulitzer 1951), dies at age 84. 1972 - US airlines begin mandatory inspection of passengers and baggage. 1972 - Birth of Mary; Crown Princess of Denmark. 1973 - Birth of Diego Serrano in Quito, Ecuador; actor (Tomas Rivera - Another World). 1973 - Birth of Israel Raybon; defensive end (Carolina Panthers). 1973 - Birth of Laura Espinoza-Watson in Torrance, California, USA; infielder (Silver Bullets). 1973 - Birth of Richard Matvichuk in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada; NHL defenseman (Dallas Stars). 1973 - Comic strip Hagar The Horrible debuts. 1973 - Funeral for Lieutenant Colonel William Nolde, last US soldier killed in Vietnam War. 1974 - Birth of Adrienne Johnson; WNBA guard (Cleveland Rockers). 1974 - Mats Wermelin, Sweden, scores all points in 272-0 basketball win. 1974 - Maximum speed on German Autobahn reduced to 100 kph. 1974 - U.S. Mariner 10 returns the first close-up photos of Venus' cloud structure. 1975 - Birth of Giovanni van Bronckhorst; Dutch soccer player (Feyenoord). 1975 - Birth of Jan l'Ami; Dutch soccer player (Willem II). 1976 - Australia complete 5-1 series drubbing of West Indies. 1976 - Birth of Nancy Feber in Antwerp, Belgium; tennis star (1995 Puerto Rico). 1976 - Last day of Test Cricket for Lance Gibbs and Ian Redpath. 1976 - Roger Livesey, actor (Drum, Vice Versa, Colonel Blimp), dies at age 69. 1977 - General Mills Adventure Theater premieres on CBS radio. 1977 - Izaak Boleslavski, Russian chess player, dies at age 67. 1977 - Sugar Ray Leonard beats Luis Vega in six rounds in his first pro fight. 1977 - The Canadian Meteorite Observation and Recovery Programme photos stony meteorites landing at Innisfree, Alberta, weighing 4.58kg. 1977 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Linda Fratianne. 1977 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Charles Tickner. 1978 - Annie [Anna HM] Romein-Verschoor, Dutch historian (Omzien), dies at age 83. 1978 - Birth of Kristina Cherina; Miss Croatia-Universe (1997). 1978 - Frans van Immerseel, Belgian graphic artist, dies at age 68. 1978 - Fred Newman makes 88 consecutive basketball free-throws blindfolded. 1979 - Costliest single periodical ad, $3.2 million, Gulf + Western in Time. 1979 - Eddie Paynter, cricket player (20 Tests for England, average 59.23), dies. 1979 - Sears Radio Theater premieres on CBS. 1980 - Egyptian parliament votes to end boycott of Israel. 1980 - Birth of Jo Swinson; British Member of Parliament. 1980 - Birth of Robin Vik; Czech tennis player. 1980 - 32nd NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 6-3 at Detroit. 1981 - Kuda Bux, Indian mystic (I'd Like to See), dies at age 75. 1981 - Largest Jell-O made (9,246 gallons of watermelon-flavor) in Brisbane, Australia. 1981 - Military jury in North Carolina convicts Robert Garwood of collaborating with enemy. 1981 - Barend Barendse, Dutch sportscaster, dies at age 73. 1982 - American Drug Enforcement Agency announces seizure of 3,192 tons of marijuana, 495 people. 1982 - Dolores Moran, actress (Yankee Doodle Dandy), dies at age 56. 1982 - London-based Laker Airways collapses owing £270 million (US$351 million). 1982 - Suriname President Chin A Sen resigns and flees to Netherlands. 1982 - Wies [Aloisius CA] Moens, Flemish writer/Nazi, dies at age 84. 1982 - Birth of Kevin Everett; American football player. 1982 - Death of Neil Aggett, South African labor leader (suicide). 1983 - Derk Roemers, Dutch union leader/politician (Social Democrat), dies at age 67. 1983 - Klaus Barbie, former German Gestapo officer, arrives in Lyons, France, after being expelled from Bolivia for having obtained citizenship under false pretenses. Barbie is charged with crimes against humanity, murder, torture, arbitrary arrests and jailings. 1984 - Birth of Nate Salley, American football player. 1984 - New Zealand beats England (82 and 93) by an innings in three days. 1984 - Patty Sheehan win LPGA Elizabeth Arden Golf Classic. 1985 - Birth of Cristiano Ronaldo; Portuguese football player. 1985 - Birth of Laurence Maroney; National Football League runningback. 1985 - Australia cancels its involvement in U.S.-led MX missile tests. 1986 - Birth of Claudia Cruz; Dominican model and beauty queen. 1987 - Dow Jones Industrial Average average closes above 2,200 for first time. 1987 - Soyuz TM-2 launched. 1988 - First prime-time wrestling match in 30 years - Andre the Giant beats Hulk Hogan. 1988 - Arizona House of Representatives votes to impeach Republican Governor Evan Mecham. 1988 - Panamanian General Manuel Noriega indicted by US grand jury on drug charges. 1989 - Joe Raposa, composer/songwriter (Sesame Street), dies at age 51. 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabar becomes first NBA player to score 38,000 points. 1989 - Birth of Jeremy Sumpter, American actor. 1990 - Notre Dame becomes first team to sell its game to a major network (NBC). 1990 - Manuel Fraga becomes the president of Galicia (Spain). 1991 - A Michigan court bars Dr Jack Kevorkian from assisting in suicides. 1991 - All American Bowl ends after 14 years. 1991 - Big East Football conference forms. 1991 - Dean Jagger, US actor (Mr Novak, Rawhide, Oscar), dies at about age 87 (born 1903). 1991 - Howard Stern kisses New York Giants Leonard Marshall's ass over bet, Stern lost claiming the Giants would lose the Superbowl. 1991 - Joni Mitchell inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame. 1991 - Los Angeles Kings' Dave Taylor becomes 29th NHL player to score 1000 points. 1991 - Pedro Arrupe, Spanish priest/Jesuit, dies at age 83. 1992 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces the nomination of Beauty and the Beast for a Best Picture award. This is the first time in the history of the Motion Picture Academy that an animated feature has been nominated in this category. 1992 - Donald Zimmerman, editor, dies. 1992 - Last day of Test Cricket cricket for Dilip Vengsarkar. 1992 - Laura Liddell, actress (Shakespeare Wallah), dies at age 83. 1992 - Mike Whitney career-best 7-27 at WACA in Test Cricket win versus India. 1993 - Grenade explodes in Sarajevo, killing 63 and injuring 160. 1993 - Jack Young, cricket player (8 Tests for England 1947-49, 17 wickets), dies. 1993 - Joseph L Mankiewicz, US writer/director/producer (All about Eve), dies at age 83 (born 1909). 1993 - R James Woolsey becomes 16th director of US Central Intelligence Agency. 1993 - Tip Tipping [Tim], American actor and stuntman, dies in sky-diving accident at age 34 (born 1958). 1993 - U.S. President Bill Clinton signs the Family and Medical Leave Act. 1994 - Where On Earth Is Carmen San Diego debuts on Fox TV. 1994 - Fred de Bruyne, Flemish cyclist/gang leader (Paris-Nice), dies at age 63. 1994 - Hermann J. Abs, German banker to Hitler and Adenauer, dies at age 92 in Bad Soden, Germany. 1994 - Kenneth "Buddy" Scott, blues guitarist/Singer, dies at age 59. 1994 - Birth of Saki Nakajima, Japanese singer. 1994 - Medgar Evers' murderer Byron De La Beckwith sentenced to life in prison, in Jackson, Mississippi, 30 years after the crime. 1995 - Courtenay E Benson, broadcaster, dies at age 79. 1995 - Doug Mcclure, US rodeo rider/actor (Trampas - The Virginian), dies at age 59. 1995 - Frans Köhler, Dutch painter, dies at age 59. 1995 - Frederick Craig Riddle, violinist, dies at age 82. 1995 - Japan's Shinshinto Party win local elections. 1995 - Judith Fluks, Amsterdam's activist, dies. 1995 - NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 41-13. 1995 - Sandra Völker swims female European record 50 metre backstroke (27.77). 1996 - Antonio Ruiz Soler, Spanish dancer, dies at age 74. 1996 - Gianandrea Gavazzeni, conductor, dies at age 86. 1996 - Peter Pooley, broadcaster, dies at age 84. 1996 - W R Lee, language teacher, dies at age 84. 1996 - Netscape Communications ships Netscape Navigator 2.0 web browser for Windows 3.1, 95, NT, and the Macintosh. Price is US$49. It features support for JavaScript, Java applets, streaming audio, and 3D. 1997 - The so-called "Big Three" banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a US$71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families. 1997 - Brook Lee of Hawaii crowned 46th Miss USA. 1997 - Death of Pamela Harriman, U.S. Ambassador to France, at age 76 of a stroke (born 1920). 1997 - Morgan Stanley and Dean Witter investment banks announce a US$10 billion merger. 1998 - Author Tom Clancy confirms he signed agreement to purchase Minnesota Vikings for slightly more than $200 million, an NFL franchise record. 1998 - Figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding talk on FOX (Taped December 22nd). 1998 - Tim Kelly, guitarist, dies at age 34. 1999 - Death of Wassily Leontief, Russian economist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1906). 2000 - Death of Ward Cornell, Canadian radio/TV broadcaster and educator (born 1924). 2003 - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the United Nations Security Council on Iraq, giving evidence of Iraq's efforts to conceal weapons of mass destruction from inspectors. 2003 - North Korea announces it had re-activated the Yongbyon reactor, producing fuel-rods for reprocessing into bomb-grade plutonium. 2003 - Gold hits US$385 per ounce, highest since September 1996. 2003 - Death of Manfred von Brauchitsch, at age 97. Von Brauchitsch was a German race car driver of the 1930a, winning 45 grand prix races over six seasons. 2004 - John Hench dies, at age 95. Hench worked at The Walt Disney Company for 64 years, the longest of any Disney employee. He worked on animation, and took part in the creation of all Disney parks. 2005 - Death of Gnassingbe Eyadema, President of Togo (born 1937). 2006 - The Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl XL, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 21-10. 2008 - In Kenya, the death toll reaches 1000 in the crisis over a disputed election in December. 2008 - In the USA, 24 states hold Republican and/or Democratic caucus elections for presidential nominee. This day is referred to as "Super Tuesday". For the Democrats, Barack Obama wins in 12, Hillary Clinton wins in 7 For the Republicans, John McCain wins in 8 states, Mitt Romney wins in 6, and Mike Huckabee wins in 5. 2008 - U.S. stock market indices plunge more than 3 percent after a report shows signs of economic recession in the service sector. The S&P 500 fall 3.2 percent, The Dow Jones Industrial Average 370 points. 2008 - (to February 6) A tornado outbreak, the deadliest in 23 years, kills 58 in the Southern United States. 2008 - Death of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, guru and tycoon, at about age 91. 2009 - The Bank of England reduces interest rates to a record low of 1 percent. 2009 - Undefeated world super-middleweight and light-heavyweight boxing champion Joe Calzaghe of the United Kingdom announces his retirement, with a record of 46 wins from 46 fights. 2010 - In the Iraqi city of Kerbala, twin car bombs kill at least 40 people and wound 145 others. 2010 - Egypt completes the restoration of the Saint Anthony's monastery, believed to be the world's oldest Christian monastery at 1600 years old. The restoration project cost over US$14 million and took over eight years. 2010 - A life-size bronze sculpture L'Homme Qui Marche I by Alberto Giacometti sells at Sotheby's auction in London for the world record price of £65,001,250 pounds.         Your Ad Here         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 Today in Sports History Today in USA History Today in Disney History Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Computers