This Day in History
February 19

What happened in history on this day: February 19? On February 19 in ... 197 - D Clodius Septimus Albinus, Roman bequest in England, dies in battle. 197 - Lucius Septimius Severus' army beats Clodius Albinus at Lyon. 356 - Emperor Constantius II shuts all heathen temples. 607 - Boniface III begins his reign as Catholic Pope. 842 - Medieval Iconoclastic Controversy ends as a council in Constantinople formally reinstates the veneration of icons in the churches. 1199 - Pope Innocent III assigns the uniform of the white tunic with a black cross to the Teutonic Knights. 1260 - Boniface of Lausanne, Belgian bishop/saint, dies. 1401 - William Sawtree first English religious martyr, burned in London. 1414 - Thomas Arundel archbishop of Canterbury/chancellor of England, dies. 1473 - Birth of Nicolaus Copernicus in Torún, Poland (dies 1543); astronomer (heliocentrism). 1512 - French troops under Gaston de Foix occupy Brescia. 1532 - Birth of Jean-Antoine de Baïf French poet (Les amours de Méline). 1537 - Weavers of Leiden Netherlands strike. 1539 - Jews of Tyrnau Hungary (then Trnava Czechoslovakia), expelled. 1545 - Pierre Brully [Peter Brulius], calvinist minister, burned to death. 1553 - Erasmus Reinhold German mathematician, dies at age 41. 1568 - Miles Coverdale translator (first complete English Bible), dies at age 80. 1574 - Spanish troops plunder Krommenie, Wormerveer and Jisp Netherlands. 1582 - Francis of Valois becomes duke of Brabant. 1588 - Birth of Pieter de Carpentier Flemish Governor-General of Dutch East-Indies. 1605 - Orazio Tiberio Vecchi composer, dies at age 54. 1611 - Birth of Andries de Graeff mayor of Amsterdam (1657-71). 1616 - Birth of Jacques de Saint-Luc composer. 1619 - Trial against Johan van Oldenbarnevelt begins in The Hague. 1620 - Roemer P Visscher poet, buried in Amsterdam. 1634 - Battle at Smolensk Polish king Wladyslaw IV beats Russians. 1653 - Luigi Rossi composer, dies. 1671 - Birth of Charles-Hubert Gervais composer. 1674 - Netherlands and England sign Peace of Westminster (New York City becomes English). 1683 - Birth of King Philip V France, King of Spain (1700-24, 24-46). 1687 - Birth of Johann Adam Birkenstock composer. 1700 - Last day of the Julian calendar in Denmark. 1717 - Birth of David Garrick actor/producer/writer (Aboan-Oroonoko). 1736 - George Frideric Händel's "Alexander's Feast" premieres. 1743 - Birth of [Ridolfo] Luigi Boccherini Italian composer, cellist (Minuet). 1751 - Birth of Cornelis de Gijselaar Dutch politician/patriot. 1754 - Birth of Vincenzo Monti Italian poet/translator (Al Signor di Montgolfier). 1755 - Birth of Pieter G van Overstraten Governor-General of Netherlands-Indies. 1762 - Birth of Friedrich Franz Hurka composer. 1763 - Birth of Adalbert Gyrowetz composer. 1780 - Birth of Friedrich H von der Hagen German germanist (Nibelungenlied). 1785 - Johann Christoph Richter composer, dies at age 84. 1790 - Jean-Baptiste Krumphultz composer, dies at age 47. 1797 - 1/3 of papal domain ceded to France. 1803 - US Congress accepts Ohio's constitution, statehood not ratified till 1953. 1807 - British squadron under Admiral Duckworth forces passage of Dardanelles. 1807 - Vice President Aaron Burr arrested in Alabama for treason; later found innocent. 1812 - Birth of Lauro Rossi composer. 1815 - Leonhard von Call composer, dies at age 47. 1817 - Birth of Willem III last male King of Netherlands (1849-90). 1819 - Birth of Mark Prager Lindo English/Dutch author/novelist/writer. 1819 - British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands. 1821 - Birth of Francis Preston Blair Jr Lexington Kentucky, (Representative-Missouri). 1822 - Jeronymo Francisco de Lima composer, dies at age 78. 1824 - Birth of Constantine D Uschinsky Russian educator. 1825 - Franz Grillparzer's "König Ottokars Glück" premieres in Vienna. 1827 - Birth of Charles Robert Woods Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1885. 1828 - Birth of Johannes von Miquel German politician. 1831 - First practical US coal-burning locomotive makes first trial run, Pennsylvania. 1833 - Birth of Élie Ducommun Switzerland, writer/pacifist (Nobel Prize 1902). 1837 - Georg Büchner German playwright (Leonce und Lena), dies at age 23. 1841 - Birth of Felipe Pedrell composer. 1843 - Birth of Adelina Patti Madrid Spain, operatic coloratura (Lucia). 1846 - Texas state government formally installed in Austin. 1856 - Tin-type camera patented by Hamilton Smith, Gambier Ohio. 1858 - Alois Basil Nikolaus Tomasini composer, dies at age 78. 1859 - Birth of Svante August Arhenius Swedish physicist/chemist (Nobel Prize 1903). 1859 - Dan Sickles is acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity first time this defense is successfully used. 1861 - Russian Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom. 1863 - Birth of Augusto Bernardino Leguía y Salcedo President of Perú (1908, 1919). 1863 - Birth of Emanuel Moor composer. 1864 - Birth of Aritius S Talma Dutch minister of Agriculture (Work Law of 1911). 1864 - Knights of Pythias form first lodge in Washington DC (12 members). 1864 - William Edwin Baldwin US Confederate Brigadier-General, dies. 1865 - Birth of Adrian van Oordt Dutch writer (neo-romantic). 1865 - Birth of Sven Hedin Sweden, scientist/explorer (Tibet). 1869 - US Assay Office in Boise ID authorized. 1875 - Jean B Vuillaume French violin maker (octobas), dies at age 76. 1877 - Birth of Else Berg German/Dutch painter. 1877 - Birth of Louis François-Marie Aubert French composer (Habanera). 1878 - Charles F Daubigny French restaurateur/painter, dies at age 61. 1878 - Thomas Alva Edison patents the gramophone (phonograph). 1880 - Birth of Arthur Shepherd composer. 1881 - Birth of Armin Knab German composer (Eichendorff-cycle). 1881 - Birth of Evert Gorter founder of Dutch medical child care. 1881 - Birth of Paul Zech writer. 1881 - Kansas becomes first state to prohibit all alcoholic beverages. 1884 - Tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana kill 800 people. 1886 - Birth of George Luther Foote composer. 1887 - Eduard Douwes Dekker Dutch writer (Max Havelaar), dies at age 66. 1889 - Birth of José Eustasio Rivera Colombia, poet/novelist (Vortex). 1891 - Birth of J C "Farmer" White cricketer (Somerset slow lefty 1909-37). 1892 - Monty Bowden cricket Captain (England vs South Africa 1889), dies at age 26. 1893 - Birth of Cedric Hardwicke Stourbridge England; actor (Peter Pan, Richard III). 1893 - Birth of Pietro Pancrazi Italian critic (Scrittori d'Oggi). 1894 - Birth of Herb Pennock hall of fame pitcher (New York Yankees, 243 career win). 1894 - Ernesto Camillo Sivori composer, dies at age 78. 1895 - Birth of Louis Calhern New York City, New York; actor (Julius Caesar, Blackboard Jungle). 1897 - Karl T Weierstrass German mathematician, dies at age 81. 1898 - Birth of Lauwrens Voorthuyzen [Lou de Palingboer], Dutch sect leader. 1900 - Birth of Giorgos Seferis writer. 1900 - British troops occupy Hlangwane Natal. 1901 - Birth of Cor[nelis RJ] Kieboom Dutch resistance fighter/chairman (Feyenoord). 1902 - Birth of Hugo Haas Brno Czechoslovakia; actor/director (2 Smart People). 1902 - Birth of John Bubbles Louisville Kentucky, rhythm tap dancer (No Maps on My Taps). 1902 - Birth of Nydia Westman New York City, New York, actress (Going My Way, Young Mr Bobbins). 1903 - Birth of Kay Boyle Saint Paul Minnesota, novelist (Plagued by Nightingales). 1904 - Birth of Havank [HF vqan der Kallen], Dutch thriller writer (Saint Eustache). 1906 - Birth of Grace Mary Williams composer. 1906 - Birth of Hendrik W C Spruit Dutch conductor. 1906 - W K Kellogg and Charles D Bolin incorporate Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, Battle Creek MI. 1909 - Birth of Charlie Walker South Australia cricket wicket-keeper (toured but no Tests). 1910 - English premiere of Richard Strauss' "Elektra". 1911 - Birth of Merle Oberon Calcutta India, actress (Assignment Foreign Legion). 1911 - Birth of Nikola Hercigonja composer. 1912 - Birth of Adolf Rudnicki Polish writer (Niekochana). 1912 - Birth of Peter Francis de Sautoy publisher. 1912 - Birth of Stan Kenton [Newcomb], Wichita Kansas, jazz musician/orchestra leader (Music 55). 1913 - First prize inserted into a Cracker Jack box. 1913 - Birth of Alvin Derold Etler composer. 1913 - Mexican General V Huerta takes power with US support. 1914 - Riccardo Zandonai's opera "Francesco da Rimini" premieres in Turin. 1915 - Birth of John Freeman British politician (Labour)/ambassador/TV host. 1915 - British fleet fire on Dardanellen coast. 1915 - Gopal Krishna Gokhale India's social reformer/politician, dies. 1916 - Birth of Eddie Arcaro jockey (1958 Racing Hall of Fame, two triple crowns). 1916 - Ernst Mach Austrian physicist/philosopher/psychologist, dies at age 78. 1917 - Birth of Carson McCullers US, novelist (Heart Is a Lonely Hunter). 1919 - Pan-African Congress, organized by W E B Du Bois (Paris). 1920 - Birth of Frances K Bairstow educator/labor relations consultant. 1920 - Birth of George Rose Bicester England; actor (Beacon Hill, Holocaust). 1920 - Netherlands joins League of Nations. 1921 - Birth of Andries Treurnicht [Dr No], founder (South Africa Conservative Party). 1921 - Birth of Claude Rene Georges Pascal composer. 1922 - Birth of Beant Singh politician. 1922 - Birth of Josef Matej composer. 1922 - Ed Wynn becomes first talent to sign as a radio entertainer. 1923 - Birth of Donald Lybbert composer. 1923 - Jean Sibelius' 6th Symphony, premieres. 1923 - Jeronimo Gimenez y Bellido composer, dies at age 68. 1923 - Philip Barry's "You and I" premieres in New York City, New York. 1924 - Birth of Bruce Norris NHL owner (Detroit Red Wings). 1924 - Birth of Lee Marvin in New York City, New York (dies 1987); actor (Paint Your Wagon, Cat Ballou). 1925 - Birth of Jindrich Feld composer. 1925 - Birth of Leslie Laing Linstead Jamaica, 4X400 metre relayer (Olympics-gold-1952). 1926 - Birth of Gyorgy Kurtag composer. 1927 - Birth of Rene Firino-Martell cognac manufacturer. 1927 - General strike against British occupiers in Shanghai. 1927 - Georg Brandes [Cohen], Danish literary-historian/critic, dies at age 85. 1927 - Robert Fuchs composer, dies at age 80. 1928 - Second Winter Olympics games close at Saint Moritz, Switzerland. 1928 - Canadian hockey team wins third consecutive gold medal. 1929 - Medical diathermy machine first used, Schenectady New York. 1930 - Birth of John Frankenheimer New York City, New York, director (Birdman of Alcatraz). 1932 - Birth of Jean-Pierre Ponnele Paris France, opera director (Carmina Burana). 1932 - Birth of Joseph P Kerwin Oak Park Illinois, Captain Medical Corps USN/astronaut (Skylab 2). 1932 - William Faulkner completes his novel "Light in August". 1933 - Arnold Ludwig Mendelssohn composer, dies at age 77. 1933 - Prussian minister Göring bans all Catholic newspapers. 1934 - Birth of David Hugh Jones Poole Dorset England, director (Betrayal). 1934 - Birth of Julian Belfrage theatre Agent. 1934 - Bob and Dolores Hope marry. 1934 - US contract air mail service canceled, replaced by US army for six months. 1935 - Clifford Odets' "Awake and Sing" premieres in New York City, New York. 1936 - Birth of Bob Engemann singer. 1936 - Birth of Ione Mylonas Shear archeologist. 1936 - Manuel Azaña becomes Spanish premier. 1937 - Birth of Norman O'Neill cricketer (great Aussie bat of 1960s Brilliant field). 1938 - Birth of Penny Zavichas LPGA golfer. 1938 - Soviet arctic ice research station North Pole 1 evacuated, Denmark. 1939 - Birth of Gwen Taylor British actress (Life of Brian, Sob Sisters, Screaming). 1940 - Birth of Bobby Rogers US vocalist (Miracles-You Really Got a Hold on Me). 1940 - Birth of Carlin Glynn US actress (Continental Divide). 1940 - Birth of William "Smokey" Robinson in Detroit, Michigan; singer (Smokey and the Miracles - "Being With You"). 1940 - Finns defeat and disperse the Soviet 18th Division northeast of Lake Ladoga. 1941 - Alexander Josiah Webbe English cricket keeper (v Australia 1879), dies. 1941 - Birth of Carlos Roque Alsina composer. 1941 - Birth of Stephen Dobyns US author/poet (Cold Dog Soup). 1941 - Hamilton Hamilton Harty composer/conductor, dies at age 61. 1941 - Nazis raid Koco Amsterdam and round up 429 young Jews for deportation. 1942 - Over 100 Japanese planes attack Darwin, Australia, to destroy its usefulness as a reinforcement base for the East Indies. 1942 - Bill Longson beats Managoff and Sandor Szabo, to become wrestling champion. 1942 - Birth of Kenneth R Kramer (Representative-Republican-Colorado, 1979-). 1942 - Dutch actors protest obligatory membership of Culture Chamber. 1942 - Franklin Roosevelt orders detention and internment of all west-coast Japanese-Americans. 1942 - Japanese troop land on Timor. 1942 - New York Yankees announce 5,000 uniformed soldiers will be admitted free at each of their upcoming home games. 1942 - Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra recorded "I'll Take Tallulah". 1943 - Birth of "Mama" Cass Elliot actress (Mamas and Papas-Monday Monday). 1943 - Birth of Lou Christie [Lugee Sacco], Pennsylvania, rock vocalist (Lightning Striking Again). 1943 - German tanks under Brigadier General Buelowius attack Kasserine Pass Tunesia. 1944 - 823 British bombers attack Berlin. 1944 - Birth of Jan Bart Klaster mythologist (Slogan). 1944 - Siegfried Garibaldi Kallenberg composer, dies at age 76. 1944 - U-264 sinks off Ireland. 1945 - 900 Japanese soldiers reportedly killed by crocodiles in two days. 1945 - Birth of Jon Whiteley actor (Moonfleet). 1945 - Birth of Michael Nader actor (Dynasty, All My Children). 1945 - Birth of Thomas Brasch writer. 1945 - Brotherhood Day-first celebrated. 1945 - 450 ships with 30,000 men of the US 4th and 5th Marine divisions begin landing on Iwo Jima to attack Japanese forces. 1945 - Wim Speelman Dutch resistance fighter, executed at age 26. 1946 - Birth of Paul Dean rock guitarist/vocalist (Loverboy). 1946 - Birth of Pierre van der Linden Dutch drummer (Brainbox). 1946 - New York Giants outfielder Danny Gardella is first major league player to announce he is jumping to the "outlaw" Mexican League. 1946 - In Canada, a surplus Landing Ship loaded with $2 million worth of liquid mustard gas is intentionally sunk in the Atlantic Ocean, off Nova Scotia. The gas had been acquired from the United States in 1942. 1946 - In New York, Prince Albert Carl Johan of Sweden marries Kirstin Wijkmark, becoming Mr. and Mrs. Carl J. Bernadotte. 1947 - Birth of Peter Bird ocean rower. 1947 - CBS radio premiere of Villa-Lobos' "Bachianas Brasilieras No 3". 1948 - Big John Studd is born. 1948 - Birth of Byron K Lichtenburg Stroudsburg Pennsylvania, astronaut (STS 9, STS 45). 1948 - Birth of Mark Andes Philadelphia Pennsylvania, rock bassist (Spirit, Heart, Fireball). 1948 - Birth of Tony Iommi; rock guitarist (Black Sabbath - "Paranoid", "Iron Man"). 1949 - "Inside USA" closes at Century Theater New York City after 339 performances. 1949 - First Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Ezra Pound. 1949 - Auguste Jean Maria Charles Serieyx composer, dies at age 83. 1949 - Birth of Edward Hardin New York City, New York, rocker (Spencer Davis Group). 1949 - Birth of Ewa Aulin Stockholm, actress (Candy). 1949 - Mass arrests of communists in India. 1950 - Birth of Andy Powell rocker (Wishbone Ash). 1950 - Edyth Walker US singer, dies at age 82. 1951 - André[-Paul-Guillaume] Gide French writer (Nobel Prize 1947), dies at age 81. 1951 - Birth of Stephen Nichols Cincinnati Ohio; actor (Witchboard, Days of Our Lives). 1952 - Amy Tan is born. 1952 - Birth of Rudolfo Neri-Vela Chilpancing Mexico, PhD/astronaut (STS 23). 1952 - French offensive at Hanoi. 1952 - Knut Hamsun writer, dies at age 92. 1952 - Lawrence Grant actor (Bulldog Drummond), dies at age 82. 1953 - Birth of Bill Kirchenbauer actor/comedian (Coach-Just the 10 of Us). 1953 - Georgia approves US first literature censorship board. 1953 - Ted Williams safely crash-lands his damaged Panther jet. 1953 - William Inge's "Picnic" premieres in New York City, New York. 1954 - Birth of Frances Bucholz rocker (Scorpions-Wind of Change). 1954 - Birth of Jamie West-Oram rock guitarist (Fixx). 1955 - Birth of Jeff Daniels in Chelsea, Michigan; actor (Something Wild, Dumb and Dumber, Speed). 1955 - Birth of Margaux Hemingway Portland Oregon, actress (Lipstick, They Call Me Bruce). 1955 - South East Asia Collective Defense Treaty goes into effect. 1956 - Birth of Dave Wakeling rock singer/guitarist. 1956 - Birth of George David Low Cleveland Ohio, astronaut (STS 32, STS 43). 1956 - Birth of Peter Holsapple rocker (Continental Drifters). 1956 - Birth of Steve Randell Tasmanian cricket Test umpire (international panel). 1956 - Kathy Cornelius wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Open. 1957 - Birth of Dave "Smoke" Stewart in Oakland, California, USA; pitcher (Oakland Athletics). 1957 - Birth of Falco [John Hoelcel]; rock vocalist ("Rock Me Amadeus"). 1957 - Birth of Paul Dean; guitarist. 1959 - Britain, Turkey and Greece sign agreement granting Cyprus independence. 1959 - Gabon adopts its constitution. 1959 - USAF rocket-powered rail sled attains Mach 4.1 (4970 kph), New Mexico. 1960 - Bil Keane's Family Circus cartoon strip debuts. 1960 - Birth of Holly Johnson in England; rock vocalist (Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "Relax"). 1960 - Birth of Keith Musa[kawukhathi] Zondi in South Africa; head of Inkatha Youth Brigade. 1960 - Birth of Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, of Britain; Duke of York. 1960 - Protest strike in Poznan, Poland. 1961 - Albania disavows Chinese "Revisionism". 1961 - Henk van der Grift (Netherlands) becomes world champion all-around skater. 1962 - Albert Israel Elkus, composer, dies at age 77. 1962 - Birth of Alvaro Espinoza in Venezuela; baseball shortstop (New York Yankees, New York Mets). 1962 - Birth of Hana Mandlikova in Prague, Czechoslovakia; tennis player (1985 US Open). 1962 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1963 - Birth of Jessica Tuck in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Megan - One Life to Live). 1963 - Birth of Seal; English vocalist/songwriter (Killer, Crazy, Kiss by a Rose). 1963 - Robert Frost wins Bollingen Prize. 1963 - USSR informs John Kennedy it is withdrawing several thousand troops from Cuba. 1964 - Birth of Doug Aldrich; rocker. 1965 - Birth of Andrew Jameson; British swimmer. 1965 - Birth of John Commins; cricketer (South African Test batsman vs New Zealand 1994-95). 1965 - Forrest Taylor, actor (This is Life, Man Without a Gun), dies at age 81. 1965 - Gheorge Gheorghiu Dej, Romanian President, dies at age 63. 1965 - NFL adds sixth official. 1966 - Birth of Justine Bateman in Rye, New York, USA; actress (Mallory - Family Ties, Satisfaction). 1966 - Birth of Matthew Ryan in Port Jefferson, New York, USA; team handball circle (Olympics-1996). 1966 - Birth of Paul Haarhuis in Eindhoven, Netherlands; tennis star (1994 US/Australian doubles). 1966 - Birth of Peter Douris in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; NHL right wing (Anaheim Mighty Ducks). 1966 - Birth of Prince Markie D [Mark Morale]; rocker (Fat Boys - "Jail House Rock"). 1966 - Birth of William White; NFL safety (Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons). 1967 - Birth of Benicio Del Toro in Puerto Rico; actor (Licence to Kill, Usual Suspects). 1967 - Birth of Roel Liefden; soccer player (Dordrecht '90, FC Groningen). 1967 - Stien Kaiser becomes world champion lady's skater. 1967 - Wilmer King, first casuality on Tappan Zee Bridge in New York, dies. 1968 - First US Teachers strike (Florida). 1968 - Birth of Frank Watkins; US heavy metal bassist (Obituary, Cause of Death). 1968 - Birth of Rob Dimaio in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; NHL right wing (Philadelphia Flyers). 1968 - Ralph Dunn, actor (Mr Rudge-Norby), dies at age 65. 1969 - First Test flight of Boeing 747 jumbo jet. 1970 - American League Cy Young winner Denny McLain suspended for book-making. 1970 - Birth of Garland Hawkins; NFL defensive end (Chicago Bears). 1970 - Birth of Ruwan Kalpage; cricket off-spinner (Sri Lankan). 1970 - Ralph Edward Flanders (Senator-Vermont), dies at age 89. 1970 - USSR launches Sputnik 52 and Molniya 1-13 communications satellite. 1971 - Birth of Becca Lee in Tennessee, USA; Miss Tennessee-USA (1996-third). 1971 - Birth of Becky Dyroen-Lancer in San Jose, California, USA; synchronized swimmer (Olympics-gold-1996). 1971 - Birth of Glyn Milburn; NFL running back/kick returner (Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions). 1971 - Birth of Richard Green; Australasia golfer. 1971 - Birth of Wally Williams; NFL center/guard (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens). 1971 - Birth of William Henderson; NFL running back (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31). 1971 - Walt Wesley becomes the first Cleveland Cavaliers' player to score 50 points in a game. 1972 - Birth of Andrey Pchelyakov; hockey forward (Team Kazakhstan Olympics-1998). 1972 - Glenn Turner carries his bat for 223 vs West Indies at Kingston. 1973 - Birth of Masafumi Kawaguchi; WLAF linebacker (Amsterdam Admirals). 1973 - Birth of Terrence Rencher; NBA guard (Phoenix Suns). 1973 - Birth of Tommy Bennett; safety (Arizona Cardinals). 1974 - First American Music Award. 1974 - Birth of Yevgeny Kafelnikov in Sochi, Russia; tennis star (1995 doubles-Hamburg). 1975 - Birth of Paul Frey in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; dance skater (and Ponte-1995 Eastern Jr champion). 1975 - Birth of Raymond Graanoogst; Suriname/Dutch soccer player (FC Utrecht). 1975 - Luigi Dallapiccola, Italian 12-tone composer, dies at age 71. 1976 - Frente Polisario forms Democratic Republic of Sahara. 1977 - 19th Grammy Awards: "This Masquerade", Starland Vocal Band. 1977 - Oakland Athletics sell pitcher Paul Lindblad to the Texas Rangers for $400,000. 1977 - Doug Walters scores 250 vs New Zealand, 217 stand for 7th wicket with Gilmour. 1977 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island. 1977 - Space shuttle Enterprise makes first test flight atop a 747 jetliner. 1978 - On the 20th Century opens at Saint James Theater New York City for 460 performances. 1978 - Brigitte Kraus runs world record 1000 metre indoor (2:34.8). 1980 - Eric Heiden skates Olympics record 1000 metre in 1:15.18. 1980 - Birth of Ma Lin; Chinese table-tennis player. 1980 - Botham a century and 13 wickets in Jubilee Test Cricket at Bombay. 1981 - George Harrison is ordered to pay ABKCO Music $587,000 for "subconscious plagiarism" of "My Sweet Lord" with "He's So Fine". 1981 - Birth of Vitas; Russian singer. 1981 - Frank Merrik, composer, dies at age 94. 1982 - Sharie Langford, California, sets women's bowling series record of 853. 1982 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1982 - The DeLorean Car factory in Belfast is put into receivership. 1982 - Hanneke Jelgersma (Jagersma?) installed as Netherlands' first Communist mayor. 1983 - Vladimir Salnikov (USSR) sets 400-metre freestyle swimming record. 1983 - Birth of Mika Nakashima; Japanese singer and actress. 1983 - Birth of Ryan Whitney; American ice hockey player. 1983 - Alice White, actress (Employees' Entrance), dies of a stroke at age 78. 1983 - Fernando Valenzuela wins his salary arbitration of US$1 million. 1984 - First brother combo to win Gold and Silver in same event at the Olympics (Phil and Steve Mahre-Slalom). 1984 - 14th Winter Olympics games close at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. 1984 - Ina Ray Hutton, orchestra leader (Ina Ray Hutton Show), dies at age 66. 1984 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1985 - Birth of Haylie Duff; American actress and singer. 1985 - 148 die when an Iberia Boeing 727 crashes into a TV mast near Bilbao, Spain. 1985 - ADM of Amsterdam declares bankruptcy. 1985 - Canned and bottled Cherry Coke introduced by Coca-Cola. 1985 - Elizabeth Julesberg, author (Dick and Jane), dies. 1985 - George Holmes, actor (Man in the Trunk), dies at age 66. 1985 - Disney's Mickey Mouse character welcomed in China. 1985 - William Schroeder is first artificial heart patient to leave hospital. He spends 15 minutes outside Humana Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. 1986 - Birth of Marta; Brazilian footballer. 1986 - Birth of Maria Mena; Norwegian singer. 1986 - Adolfo Celi, actor (Thunderball), dies at age 63. 1986 - James O Eastland (Senator-Democrat-Mississippi) dies at age 81. 1986 - Jordanian King Hussein severs ties with Palestinian Liberation Organization. 1986 - Paul Stewart, actor (Top Secret USA, Deadline), dies at age 77. 1986 - US Senate ratifies United Nations' anti-genocide convention, 37 years after first passed by other nations. 1986 - USSR launches Mir space station into Earth orbit. 1987 - Stardust opens at Biltmore Theater in New York City for 102 performances. 1987 - Anti-smoking ad airs for first time on TV, featuring Yul Brynner. 1987 - Less than a month after re-signing, Oakland Athletics pitcher Vida Blue retires. 1987 - Minnesota sheriff office arrest FBI most wanted, Thomas G Harrelson. 1987 - Reagan lifts trade boycott against Poland. 1988 - Birth of Miyu Irino, Japanese voice actor. 1988 - Helga Arendt, Silke-Beate Knoll, Mechthild Kluth, and Gisela Kinzel walk indoor female world record 4x200 metre (1:32.55). 1988 - Death of René Char, French poet (born 1907). 1988 - Death of André Frédéric Cournand, French-born physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1895). 1989 - Birth of L A Baby, orangutan at Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, Washington. 1989 - Broadway's biggest flop (lost US$5.3 million) Legs Diamond closes at Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City after 64 performances. 1989 - Edgar Bowers wins Bollingen Prize. 1989 - Jaap van de Merwe, Dutch journalist/cabareter (Hadjememaar), dies. 1990 - Michael Powell, English director (Life and Death of Colonel Blimp), dies at age 84 (born 1905). 1990 - Police kill eight demonstrators for multi-party system in Nepal. 1990 - Soyuz TM-9 lands. 1991 - Peggy Mondo, actress (Who's Minding the Store), dies at age 50. 1992 - Chet Leaming dies after brief illness at age 66. 1992 - Ken Ludwig's musical "Crazy for You" premieres at the Shubert Theater in New York City, New York for 1622 performances. 1993 - Gerhard Gesell, judge (Pentagon Papers), dies of liver cancer at age 82. 1993 - Kenya Moore, 22, (Miss Michigan), crowned 42nd Miss USA. 1993 - Michael David Morrison, actor (Caleb - As the World Turns), dies at age 33. 1993 - Birth of Victoria Justice, American actress. 1994 - Derek Jarman, actor/director (Tempest), dies of AIDS at age 52. 1994 - Georges Watin, Algerian/French officer (OAS), dies at age 71. 1994 - Marta Figueras-Dotti, wins Cup o' Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1994 - Renske Vellinga, Dutch speed-skater, dies in auto-accident at age 19. 1995 - First broadcast of Woman of Independent Means on NBC-TV. 1995 - Calder Willingham, novelist/scriptwriter, dies at age 72. 1995 - Ian Ball, photographer, dies at age 80. 1995 - Irina Privalova runs indoor woman's European record 200 metre (22.10 seconds). 1995 - Kenneth Koch wins Bollingen Prize. 1995 - Linford Christie runs European record 60 metre indoor (6.47 seconds). 1995 - Linford Christie runs world record 200 metre indoor (20.25 seconds). 1995 - Michael Tippett's "Rose Lake" premieres. 1995 - Shlomo Averbach, Israeli ultra-orthodox rabbi, dies at age 84. 1996 - In Canada, the Royal Canadian Mint releases a $2 circulating coin, depicting a polar bear on an ice flow. The coin is Canada's first bi-metallic coin, with a core of aluminum bronze, and an outer ring of pure nickel. At the same time, the Bank of Canada ceases production of $2 notes. 1996 - Brenda Bruce, actress (December Bride, Nightmare), dies at age 77. 1996 - Charles O Finley, baseball owner (Oakland Athletics), dies at age 76. 1996 - Grant Sawyer, US politician, dies at age 76. 1996 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in York Pennsylvania on WQXA 105.7 FM. 1996 - Madhaviah Krishnan, naturalist, dies at age 83. 1997 - The last of the People's Republic of China's major revolutionaries, Deng Xiaoping, dies at age 92 (this is followed by weeks of mourning). 1997 - US Federal Communications Commission makes available 311 for non-emergency calls and 711 for hearing or speech-impaired emergency calls. 1997 - Leo Rosten, writer/humorist (Joys of Yiddish), dies at age 88. 1997 - Stanley Pearson, footballer, dies at age 76. 1998 - Soyuz TM-26 lands. 1998 - US hockey team destroys their rooms at Olympics village in Japan. 1998 - A 66-day blackout begins in Auckland, New Zealand. 1998 - Larry Wayne Harris of the Aryan Nations and William Leavitt are arrested in Henderson, New York, for possession of military grade anthrax. 1999 - TriStar Pictures releases the film Jawbreaker to theaters in the USA. 2000 - Death of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, artist (born 1928). 2001 - Death of Priscilla Davis, American socialite (born 1942). 2001 - Death of Stanley Kramer, American film director (born 1913). 2001 - Death of Charles Trenet, French singer (born 1913). 2001 - An Oklahoma City bombing museum is dedicated at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. 2002 - NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system. 2002 - Death of Virginia Hamilton, American writer (born 1936). 2003 - Death of Johnny PayCheck, American singer (born 1938). 2004 - Death of Archibald Paton Thornton, British historian. 2005 - Suicide bombers kill more than 30 people in Iraq as Shia Muslims mark Ashura, their holiest day. 2006 - Sixty-five miners become trapped underground after an explosion in Nueva Rosita, Mexico; all 65 die. 2008 - Composition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average is changed, dropping Altria and Honeywell, adding Bank of America and Chevron. This is the first change since 2004. 2008 - Armenia presidential elections: Serzh Sarkisian wins 53 percent of votes. 2008 - Toshiba of Japan announces it is giving up on its HD DVD format. 2008 - In Cuba, President and commander-in-chief Fidel Castro steps down, turning over power to brother Raul. 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