This Day in History
February 20

What happened in history on this day: February 20? On February 20 in ... 1054 - Yaroslav I the Wise, ruler (Kiev), dies. 1194 - Tancredo of Lecce King of Sicily, dies. 1431 - Martinus V [Oddo Colonna], Italian Pope, dies. 1494 - Birth of Johan Friis chancellor (Denmark, helped establish Lutheranism). 1507 - Birth of Gentile Bellini Italian artist (Sultan Mohammed II). 1523 - Birth of Jan Blahoslav Czechoslovakian humanist/bishop (Bohemian brothers). 1525 - Swiss and German mercenaries desert François I's army. 1547 - King Edward VI of England is enthroned following death of Henry VIII. 1569 - Mark van Vaernewijck Flemish nobleman/politician, dies at age 50. 1595 - Ernst archduke of Austria, dies at age 41. 1613 - Gerard Reynst appointed Dutch Governor-General of East-Indies. 1626 - John Dowland composer, dies. 1628 - Gregor Aichinger German composer/organist, dies at about age 63. 1632 - Birth of Thomas Osborne Duke of Leeds, English Prime Minister (1690-94)/founder (Tories). 1633 - Birth of Jan de Baen portrait painter/etcher. 1653 - Defeat of Dutch fleet under Admiral Van Tromp by Admiral Blake off Portsmouth. 1656 - Birth of Johannes Schenck German/Netherlands composer, baptised. 1656 - James Ussher Irish bible scholar/Anglican archbishop, dies at age 76. 1667 - David ben Samuel Halevi rabbi/author (Shulchan Aruch), dies. 1673 - First recorded wine auction held (London). 1707 - Aurangzeb Mogul emperor of India (1658-1707), dies. 1710 - Johan Willem Friso becomes viceroy of Groningen Netherlands. 1725 - Ten sleeping Indians scalped by whites in New Hampshire for £100/scalp bounty. 1731 - Frederich Karl Erbach composer, dies at age 50. 1732 - Estates of Holland ratifies Treaty of Vienna. 1734 - Birth of Franz Ignaz Beck composer. 1737 - Elizabeth Rowe poet, dies. 1737 - French minister of Finance, Chauvelin, resigns. 1745 - Birth of Johann Peter Salomon composer. 1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops occupy Fort August, Scotland. 1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Castle of Inverness. 1746 - Guillaume Coustou Sr French sculptor (Mary Leszczynska), dies at age 68. 1751 - Birth of Johann Heinrich Voß writer, poet, translator. 1752 - Birth of Charles Broche composer. 1763 - Birth of Adalbert Gyrowetz composer. 1768 - First American chartered fire insurance company receives charter (Pennsylvania). 1770 - Birth of Ferdinando Carulli composer. 1773 - Charles Emanuel I King of Sardinia/Duke of Savoy (CE III), dies at age 71. 1784 - Birth of Adam Black Edinburgh Scotland, politician/publisher. 1786 - Johann Wolfgang Kleinknecht composer, dies at age 70. 1788 - Gijsbert John van Hardenbroeck Dutch regent (Utrecht), dies at age 68. 1790 - Birth of Joseph II Emperor of the Holy Roman empire, dies. 1790 - Joseph II Emperor of Holy Roman empire, dies at age 48. 1791 - Birth of Carl Czerny Vienna Austria, pianist/composer (Schule der Virtuosen). 1792 - US postal service created; postage 6-12.5 cents, depending on distance. 1796 - Birth of Eduard W van Dam van Isselt Dutch military/liberal politician. 1802 - Birth of Charles-Auguste de Beriot Belgian violinist/composer. 1803 - Birth of Friedrich Theodor Frohlich composer. 1805 - Birth of Angelina Grimke reformer/abolitionist/politician/lawyer. 1808 - Birth of Daumier Marseilles France, artist. 1809 - Birth of Albertus J Duymaer van Twist Governor-General of Netherlands-Indies. 1809 - Birth of Henry Walton Wessells Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1889. 1809 - Johann Joseph Emmert composer, dies at age 76. 1809 - US Supreme Court rules federal government power greater than any state. 1810 - Andreas Hofer military leader (fought Napoleon's France), executed at age 42. 1810 - Johann Friedrich Kranz composer, dies at age 57. 1811 - Austria declares bankruptcy. 1816 - Birth of Josef Michal Ksawery Jan Poniatowski composer. 1816 - Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville" premieres in Rome. 1817 - Martin de Ron composer, dies at age 27. 1820 - Birth of Mahlon Dickerson Manson Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1895. 1823 - English Captain James Weddell reaches 74 degrees 15' S, 1520 km from South Pole. 1827 - Birth of Edward Stuyvesant Bragg Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1912. 1831 - Polish revolutionaries defeat Russians in battle of Growchow. 1832 - Charles Darwin visits Fernando Noronha in Atlantic Ocean. 1835 - Birth of Allessandro d'Ancona Italian philologist. 1835 - In Chile, a magnitude 8.5 earthquake occurs. Extreme damage to Concepción. 1838 - Birth of James Barbour Terrill Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1864. 1839 - US Congress prohibits dueling in District of Columbia. 1844 - Birth of Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann Austria, physicist (statistical mechanics). 1844 - Birth of Mihály von Munkácsy [Michael von Lieb], Hungarian painter. 1845 - Pavel Ivanovich Dulgorukov composer, dies at age 57. 1846 - British occupy Sikh citadel of Lahore. 1848 - [Willem] Alexander prince of Netherlands/General-Major, dies at age 29. 1851 - Josef Alois Ladurner composer, dies at age 81. 1852 - Birth of Nikolai Garin [Michailovski] Russian author (Tjoma Kartashov). 1854 - Birth of Louis F M van Westerhoven actor/singer/opera director (Youth). 1855 - Joseph Hume social reformer, dies. 1856 - John Rutledge, Liverpool-New York steamer, hits iceberg; many die. 1860 - Henry Drummond English banker/religious leader, dies at age 69. 1861 - Birth of Nicolaas van Meeteren Curaçao, folklorist. 1861 - Steeple of Chichester Cathedral blown down during a storm. 1861 - Department of Navy of Confederacy forms. 1864 - Civil War Battle of Olustee, Florida. 1865 - M I T establishes first US collegiate architectural school. 1869 - Tennessee Governor W C Brownlow declares martial law in Ku Klux Klan crisis. 1870 - Birth of Pieter Cornelis Boutens Holland, mystic poet/scholar (Verzen). 1871 - In Molokai, Hawaii, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. This earthquake caused severe damage on the islands of Lanai, Molokai, and Maui, and minor damage on Hawaii and Oahu. 1872 - Hydraulic electric elevator patented by Cyrus Baldwin. 1872 - Luther Crowell patents a machine that manufactures paper bags. 1872 - Metropolitan Museum of Art opens (New York City, New York). 1872 - Silas Noble and JP Cooley patents toothpick manufacturing machine. 1873 - University of California gets its first Medical School (University of California/San Francisco). 1874 - Birth of Mary Garden Aberdeen Scotland, opera star. 1876 - Birth of Fyodor Akimenko composer. 1877 - First cantilever bridge in US completed, Harrodsburg Kentucky. 1877 - International Association (minor baseball league) organizes. 1881 - Birth of Pedro Muñoz Seca Spanish playwright (Vengeanza de Don Mendo). 1883 - Birth of Shiga Naoya Japan, novelist (Road Through the Dark Night). 1886 - Birth of Béla Kun Czehul Romania, head of Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919). 1887 - First minor league baseball association organizes (Pittsburgh). 1887 - Birth of David McKinley Williams composer. 1887 - Birth of Hesketh Pearson England, biographer/playwright (Writ for Libel). 1887 - Germany, Austria-Hungary and France end Triple Alliance. 1888 - Birth of Dame Marie Rambert Warsaw, English ballet producer/director/teacher. 1888 - Birth of Georges Bernanos France, novelist (Diary of a Country Priest). 1889 - Birth of Levko Mykolayevich Revutsky composer. 1890 - Amsterdam Theater destroyed by fire. 1892 - Hermann Kopp German chemist (Law of Kopp), dies at age 74. 1893 - Birth of Russel Crouse journalist/novelist/playwright (Life with Father). 1895 - Birth of Freida Geiken autobiographer (National Historic Taping). 1895 - US Congress authorizes a US mint at Denver Colorado. 1895 - Frederick Douglass escaped slave, anti-slavery leader, dies at age 78. 1896 - Birth of Henri de Lubac French theologist/anti-fascist. 1897 - Birth of Ivan Albright Illinois, painter (The Door, The Window). 1898 - Birth of Enzo Ferrari Modena Italy, racing car manufacturer (Ferrari). 1899 - Birth of Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Long Island New York, railroad tycoon. 1899 - Birth of Leon Woizikowski Polish dancer/ballet master (Ballets Russes). 1899 - Illinois Tel and Tel granted franchise for Chicago freight tunnel system. 1900 - Birth of Antonio Veretti composer. 1900 - Birth of Graham Spry Saint Thomas Ontario, Canadian radio pioneer. 1900 - Birth of Jean Negulesco. 1901 - First territorial legislature of Hawaii convenes. 1901 - Birth of Ali Muhammad Naguib Khartoum, President of Egypt (1952-54). 1901 - Birth of Cecil H King Irish/British daily newspaper publisher (Daily Mirror). 1901 - Birth of Henry Eyring Mexican/US chemist. 1901 - Birth of Louis I Kahn Estonia, architect (Bryn Mawr dormitory). 1901 - Birth of René Jules Dubos France, US microbiologist/environmentalist/author (Health and Disease). 1902 - Birth of Ansel Adams photographer (1966 ASMP Award). 1902 - Heavy surf breaks over Seal Rocks and damages Sutro Baths, San Francisco. 1903 - Birth of Ella Maillart explorer. 1903 - Birth of Karel Janacek composer. 1903 - Birth of Pierre Charles Belgian heavyweight boxer. 1903 - Nick Young remains as National League president as AG Spalding ends challenge. 1904 - Birth of Aleksei N Kosygin Soviet premier (1964-80). 1904 - Birth of Armin Loos composer. 1904 - Birth of Bramwell Fletcher Yorkshire England; actor (White Cargo, Mummy). 1904 - Gustav Adolf Heinze composer, dies at age 83. 1905 - Birth of Jascha Golowanjuk Swedish writer (Acrobat). 1907 - Birth of Malcolm Atterbury Philadelphia Pennsylvania; actor (Jonas-Thicker than Water, Apples Way). 1907 - Birth of Nadine Conner California, soprano (Carmen, Pamina-Magic Flute). 1907 - Birth of Owain Jenkins company director. 1907 - [Ferdinand-Frederic-]Henri Moissan chemist (Nobel Prize 1906), dies at age 54. 1908 - Birth of Grigori Yakovlevich Bakhchivangi test pilot (BI-1). 1908 - Birth of Rosalind Laura Burke aviatrix. 1910 - Birth of Julian Trevelyan English Surrealist painter/collage maker. 1910 - Boetros Ghali Egyptian premier, murdered. 1911 - Alexander Alexandrovich Kopilov composer, dies at age 56. 1911 - Birth of Margot Grahame. 1911 - Birth of Robert Guyn McBride Tucson Arizona, composer (Mexican Rhapsody). 1911 - Peter Nicolai von Wilm composer, dies at age 76. 1912 - Argentina beat the MCC in their inaugural cricket first-class fixture. 1913 - Birth of Jozef Kresanek composer. 1913 - Birth of Mary Durack poet. 1913 - Birth of Nadine Conner US, opera singer (Carmen, La Bohéme). 1913 - Birth of Rex Tucker TV writer/director. 1914 - Birth of John Daly South Africa, newscaster/TV game show host (What's My Line?). 1914 - Birth of Marion Kettlewell British director (WRNS). 1914 - Birth of Willem J H Baart Dutch vicar (Cuentanan di Nanzi). 1915 - Birth of Philip Friend Horsham England; actor (Vulture, Fur Collar). 1915 - Panamá-Pacific International Exposition opens in San Francisco. 1916 - Birth of Julius Juzeliunas composer. 1916 - Birth of Paul Tripp New York City, New York, TV host (Mr I Magination). 1916 - Klas Pontus Arnoldson Swedish politician (Nobel Prize 1908), dies at age 71. 1917 - Ammunitions ship explodes in Archangelsk harbor, about 1,500 die. 1917 - Birth of Frederick Page CEO (British Aerospace Aircraft Group). 1917 - Kern, Bolton and Wodehouse's musical "Oh, Boy!" premieres in New York City, New York. 1919 - French premier Clemenceau injured during assassination attempt. 1920 - Birth of Armin Schibler Dutch Swiss composer (Devil in the Winter Palace). 1920 - Birth of Liesbeth Tonckens [Wilhelmina], actress/lecturer (Free People). 1920 - Robert E Peary US pole explorer (North Pole, 6/4/1909), dies at age 63. 1921 - Birth of Joseph Albert Walker in Washington, Pennsylvania; X-15 test pilot. 1921 - Birth of Nurv Shiner singer. 1921 - Birth of Ruth Gipps British conductor/composer. 1921 - Riza Khan Pahlevi seizes control of Iran. 1922 - Marc Connelly and George Kaufman's "To the Ladies" premieres in New York City, New York. 1922 - Vilnius, Lithuania, agrees to separate from Poland. 1922 - WOR-AM in New York City, New York begins radio transmissions. 1923 - Birth of Forbes Burnham premier Guyana (1964-85). 1923 - Christy Mathewson becomes president of Boston Braves. 1924 - Birth of Gloria Vanderbilt don't my jeans look great, poor little rich girl. 1925 - Birth of Alex La Guma Cape Town South Africa, novelist (A Walk in the Night). 1925 - Birth of Pramudya Ananta Tur Javanese author (Anak semua bangsa). 1925 - Birth of Robert Altman Kansas City Missouri, director (Nashville, MASH). 1926 - Birth of Cameron Rusby British Vice-Admiral. 1926 - Birth of Edgar Meuli cricketer (opened New Zealand batting in Test vs South Africa 1953). 1926 - Birth of Kenneth H Olsen US, engineer/founder (Digital Equipment Corp). 1926 - Birth of Robert Eugene Richards Illinois, pole vaulter (Olympics-gold-48, 52, 56). 1927 - Birth of Roy Cohn lawyer, "grand inquisitor" (for Senator Joseph McCarthy). 1927 - Birth of Sidney Poitier Miami Florida; actor (Porgy and Bess, A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner). 1927 - Golfers in South Carolina arrested for violating Sabbath. 1928 - Birth of Donald Longmore British cardiac surgeon. 1928 - Birth of Elroy Face baseball pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates). 1929 - American Samoa organized as a territory of US. 1929 - Birth of Amanda Blake [Beverly Louise Neill], Buffalo New York, actress (Kitty Russell-Gunsmoke). 1929 - Birth of Toshiro Mayuzumi Yokohama Japan, composer (Sphenogramme). 1929 - Boston Red Sox announce they will play Sunday games at Braves Field. 1930 - Birth of Bill Walker British Member of Parliament. 1930 - Birth of Patricia Smith New Haven Connecticut, actress (Bob Newhart Show, Into Thin Air). 1930 - Capelle soccer team forms. 1931 - US Congress allows California to build Oakland-Bay Bridge. 1932 - Japanese troops occupy Tunhua China. 1933 - Birth of Hannes Postma Dutch graphic artist. 1933 - Curom, Curaçaose Broadcast System starts Princess Juliana's speech. 1933 - House of Representatives completes congressional action to repeal Prohibition. 1933 - Sidney Howard's "Alien Corn" premieres in New York City, New York. 1934 - Birth of Bobby Unser auto racer (1968, 75, 81 Indianapolis 500). 1934 - Birth of Lady Wharton. 1934 - Virgil Thomson's opera "Four Saints in Three Acts" opens in New York City, New York. 1935 - Karoline Mikkelson is first woman on Antarctica. 1936 - Birth of Larry Hovis Wapito Washington, comedian (Gomer Pyle, Hogan's Heroes). 1936 - Birth of Marj Dusay [Mahoney] Russell Kansas, actress (Kate-Bret Maverick, Alex-Guiding Light, Myrna-Capitol). 1936 - Birth of Roy Beggs British Member of Parliament. 1936 - John Hope president of Atlanta University, dies at age 67. 1937 - "Barlow" Carkeek Australia cricket wicketkeeper (1912 series), dies. 1937 - First automobile/airplane combination tested, Santa Monica California. 1937 - Birth of David Ackles Illinois, singer/songwriter (American Gothic). 1937 - Birth of Nancy Wilson Chillicothe Ohio, jazz singer (Feel Like Making Love). 1937 - Birth of Robert Huber München, Germany, biochemist (Nobel Prize 1988). 1937 - Birth of Roger Penske auto racer. 1938 - Birth of Jack Bicknell WLAF head coach (Barcelona Dragons). 1938 - Birth of Mona Mitchell Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Alexandra. 1938 - United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Eden resigns, says Prime Minister Chamberlain appeased Germany. 1939 - Birth of Roy George Elroy Josephs jazz dance teacher. 1940 - Birth of Barbara Laine Ellis Olympia Washington, singer (Fleetwoods). 1940 - Birth of Christoph Eschenbach Breslau Germany, pianist/conductor. 1940 - Birth of Jimmy Greaves British broadcaster/soccer player. 1940 - Birth of RA Weiss director (Institute of Cancer Research). 1940 - Birth of V Payne British headmistress (Malvern Girls' College). 1940 - Larry Clinton and his Orchestra record "Limehouse Blues". 1941 - First transport of Jews to concentration camps leave Plotsk Poland. 1941 - Birth of Buffy Sainte-Marie Maine, folksinger (Now That the Buffalo Are Gone). 1941 - Nazis order Polish Jews barred from using public transportation. 1941 - Romania breaks relations with Netherlands. 1942 - Birth of Charlie Gillett Lancashire, rock broadcaster (Sound of the City). 1942 - Birth of Claude Miller director (Garde a Vue, Little Thief, Wild Child). 1942 - Birth of David O'Dowd Chief Constable (Northamptonshire). 1942 - Birth of Mitch McConnell (Senator-Republican-Kentucky, 1985-). 1942 - Birth of Phil Esposito NHL player/coach/GM (Boston Bruins, New York Rangers). 1942 - Guido Gasperini composer, dies at age 76. 1942 - Lieutenant E H O'Hare single-handedly shoots down five Japanese heavy bombers. 1943 - Allied troops occupy Kasserine pass in Tunisia. 1943 - Birth of Aleksandr Pavlovich Alexandrov Russian, cosmonaut (Soyuz T-9, TM-3). 1943 - Birth of Antonio Inoki [Kanji Rikidozan], wrestler (NJPW/JWA). 1943 - Birth of Lord McNally. 1943 - Birth of Mike Leigh dramatist/director (High Hopes, Secrets and Lies). 1943 - New volcano Paracutin erupts in farmer's corn patch (México). 1943 - Phil Wrigley and B Rickey charter All-American Girls Softball League. 1944 - Batman and Robin comic strip premieres in newspapers. 1944 - Birth of Lew Soloff Brooklyn New York, rocker (Blood Sweat and Tears). 1944 - Birth of Roger Knapman British Member of Parliament. 1944 - Birth of Willem van Hanegem Dutch soccer champion/coach (Feyenoord). 1944 - US takes Eniwetok Island. 1945 - Birth of Alan Hull singer/composer. 1945 - Birth of Andrew Bergman director/screenwriter (Soapdish, Honeymoon in Vegas). 1945 - Birth of Henry Polic II Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; actor (When Things Were Rotten, Webster). 1946 - Birth of Brenda Blethyn actress (Secrets and Lies). 1946 - Birth of J[erome] Geils New York City, New York, rock guitarist/vocalist (J Geils Band-Freeze-Frame, Centerfold). 1946 - Birth of Mieke H A Boers-Wijnberg Dutch Member of Parliament (CDA). 1946 - Birth of Sandy Duncan Henderson Texas, actress (Hogan Family, Pinocchio, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?). 1946 - Hugh Allen musician, dies. 1947 - Birth of André van Duin [Kyvon], Dutch entertainer (Bloemkoole). 1947 - Birth of Jennifer O'Neill Rio de Janeiro Brazil, actress (Summer of '42). 1947 - Birth of Peter Strauss Croton-on-Hudson New York; actor (Rich Man Poor Man, Secret of NIMH, Space Hunter). 1947 - Chemical mixing error causes explosion that destroys 42 blocks in Los Angeles California. 1947 - Lord Mountbatten appointed as last viceroy of India. 1948 - Birth of A C Fabian astronomer. 1948 - Birth of Barry Wordsworth conductor. 1948 - Birth of Billy Zoom musician. 1948 - Birth of Gerda Boykin LPGA golfer. 1948 - Birth of John Browne group chief executive, British Petroleum Company. 1948 - Czechoslovakia's non-communist minister resigns. 1949 - First International Pancake Race held (Liberal Kansas). 1949 - Birth of Eddie Hemmings cricket off-spinner (immense England). 1949 - Birth of Ivana Trump Gottwaldov Czechoslovakia, ex-wife of Donald Trump (1st Wives Club). 1950 - Birth of John Voldstad Oslo Norway; actor (Darryl-Newhart). 1950 - Birth of Walter Becker New York City, New York, rock bassist (Steely Dan-Peg). 1950 - Dylan Thomas arrives in New York City, New York for his first US poetry reading tour. 1950 - WOL-AM in Washington DC swaps calls with WWDC. 1951 - Birth of Bonnie Lauer LPGA golfer. 1951 - Birth of Edward Albert Los Angeles California; actor (Jeff-Falcon Crest, Butterflies are Free). 1951 - Birth of Gordon Brown British Member of Parliament. 1951 - Birth of Kathy Baillie Morristown New Jersey, country vocalist (Baillie and the Boys-Oh Heart). 1951 - Birth of Phil Neal English soccer player. 1951 - Birth of Randy California [Wolfe], Los Angeles California, guitarist (Spirit-I Got a Line on You). 1951 - Howard Brockway composer, dies at age 80. 1952 - "African Queen" opens at Capitol Theater in New York City, New York. 1952 - First black umpire in organized baseball certified (Emmett Ashford). 1952 - Birth of Catherine Cummins Clintwood Virginia, first of five siblings born on 2/20. 1953 - August A Busch buys the Saint Louis Cardinals for $3.75 million. 1953 - Birth of Carol Cummins Clintwood Virginia, second of five siblings born on February 20. 1953 - Birth of Riccardo Chailly Milan Italy, conductor (West Berlin Symphony Orchestra). 1953 - US Court of Appeals rules that Organized Baseball is a sport and not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling. 1954 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Serbin Golf Open. 1954 - Birth of Anthony Stewart Head actor (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). 1954 - Birth of Jon Brant rock bassist (Cheap Trick). 1954 - Birth of Patty Hearst Shaw San Francisco California, famous kidnap hostage (Tanya). 1954 - Birth of Vasili Vasilyevich Tsibliyev Russian colonel/cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-17, TM-25). 1954 - General Zahedi wins election in Persia. 1955 - Birth of Kelsey Grammer Saint Thomas Virgin Islands; actor (Fraiser Crane-Cheers/Fraiser). 1955 - Fay Crocker wins LPGA Serbin Golf Open. 1956 - Birth of Charles Cummins Clintwood Virginia, third of five siblings born on February 20. 1957 - Hughie Tayfield takes 9-113 vs England, 13 wickets for match. 1958 - Birth of James Wilby in Burma; actor (Howards End, Maurice). 1958 - Jockey Eddie Arcaro rides his 4,000th winner. 1958 - Los Angeles Coliseum Committee approves two-year pact allowing Los Angeles Dodgers to use facility. 1958 - Thurston Hall, actor (Mr Schuyler - Topper), dies at age 75. 1959 - Birth of Bill Gullickson; US baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers). 1959 - Birth of Joel Rifkind; New York serial killer. 1959 - Birth of Scott Evans Brayton; racing car driver. 1959 - Ray McDonald, dancer, dies of barbiturate overdose at age 38. 1960 - Birth of Kee Marcello; rocker (Europe - "Final Countdown"). 1960 - Birth of Mark Reilly [Matt Bianco]; rocker (Indio - "Big Harvest"). 1960 - Leonard Woolley, archaeologist, dies. 1961 - Birth of Imogen Stubbs in Rothbury, England; actress (Summer Story). 1961 - Birth of Steve Lundquist; US swimmer (Olympics-2 gold-1984). 1961 - Otto E Huiswoud [Frank Billings], editor (Negro Worker), dies at age 67. 1961 - Percy Aldridge Grainger; Australian/US composer/pianist, dies at age 78. 1962 - Birth of Adam Schreiber; NFL center/guard (Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants). 1962 - Birth of Joel Ellis; rocker. 1962 - Birth of Ria Coyne in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA; comedienne (Betsy - Batman Forever). 1962 - John Glenn is first American to orbit Earth (Friendship 7). 1963 - Birth of Charles Barkley in Leads, Alabama, USA; NBA forward (Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Olympics-gold-1996, All Star 1987-90). 1963 - Birth of Ian Brown; English rock vocalist (Stone Roses - "Made of Stone"). 1963 - Birth of William Baldwin in New York, USA; actor (Backdraft, Sliver, Flatliners). 1963 - End of the Test Cricket careers of Neil Harvey and Alan Davidson. 1963 - Willie Mays (San Francisco Giants) signs a record US$100,000 per year contract. 1964 - Birth of Christian Ruuttu in Lappeenranta, Finland; hockey forward (Team Finland). 1964 - Birth of French Stewart in New Mexico, USA; actor (Harry Solomon - Third Rock From the Sun). 1964 - Birth of Jeffrey Allan Maggert in Columbia, Missouri, USA; PGA golfer (1993 Walt Disney). 1964 - Birth of Terry Ilous; rock vocalist (XYZ, Cannibal Jacket). 1964 - R T Stanyforth, English cricket wicketkeeper (South Africa 1927-28), dies. 1965 - Birth of Federica Moro Carate in Brianza, Italy; Miss Italy (1982). 1965 - Ranger 8 makes hard landing on the Moon, returns photos, other data. 1965 - Turkish government of Uergüplü forms. 1966 - Author Valery Tarsis banished in USSR. 1966 - Birth of Britt Hager; NFL linebacker (Denver Broncos, Saint Louis Rams). 1966 - Birth of Cecilia Cummins in Clintwood, Virginia, USA, 5th of five siblings born on February 20. 1966 - Birth of Cindy Crawford in Dekalb, Illinois, USA; super model (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit). 1966 - Birth of Dennis Allen Mitchell in Cherry Point, North Carolina, USA; 100 metre/200 metre (Olympics-silver-1996). 1966 - Birth of Derek Lilliquist; US baseball pitcher (Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves). 1966 - Chester W Nimitz, US Admiral (WWII), dies at age 80. 1967 - Birth of Andrew Shue in South Orange, New Jersey, USA; actor (Billy - Melrose Place). 1967 - Birth of Broderick Thomas; NFL linebacker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys). 1967 - Birth of Chris Singleton; NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins). 1967 - Birth of Kurt Cobain; rock vocalist (Nirvana)/husband of Courtney Love. 1967 - Birth of Kurt Knudsen; US baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers). 1967 - Birth of Lili Taylor; actress (Ransom, Short Cuts). 1967 - Birth of Theresa Luke in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; rower (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of Tom Waddle; NFL player (Chicago Bears/Cincinnati Bengals). 1968 - Birth of Bennie Goods; Canadian Football League defensive tackle (Edmonton Eskimos). 1968 - John Cleese (Monty Python) marries Connie Booth. 1969 - Birth of [Touchdown] Tommy Vardell; NFL running back (Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions). 1969 - Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor/composer, dies at age 85. 1969 - Jack Ingram, actor (Law of the West), dies of heart attack at age 66. 1970 - Albert Louis Wolff, composer, dies at age 86. 1970 - Birth of Bryan Robinson; defensive end (Saint Louis Rams). 1970 - Birth of Cheyenne Brando in Papeete, Tahiti, daughter of Marlon Brando. 1970 - Birth of Jeff Robinson; NFL defensive end (Denver Broncos, Saint Louis Rams). 1970 - Birth of Leo Stefan in Chelyabinsk, Russia; hockey forward (Team Germany). 1971 - Birth of Jari Litmanen; soccer player (Ajax). 1971 - Boston Bruins' Phil Esposito is NHL's quickest to score 50 goals in a season. 1971 - Major General Idi Amin Dada appoints himself President of Uganda. 1971 - National Emergency Center erroneously orders US radio and TV stations to go off the air; the mistake isn't resolved for 30 minutes. 1972 - First time Cleveland Cavaliers beat New York Knicks (111-109). 1972 - Ard Schenk becomes world champion skater. 1972 - Birth of Tom Gough; 200.5 pounds (91 kg) US weightlifter (Olympics-14th-1996). 1972 - Herbert Menges, composer, dies at age 69. 1972 - Sicco Mansholt becomes chairman of European Committee. 1972 - Walter Winchell, writer/actor (Dondi, Love and Hisses), dies at age 74. 1973 - 10th time New York Islanders shut-out-4-0 vs Pittsburgh Penguins. 1973 - Birth of Vladimir Iiic; WLAF defensive end (Barcelona Dragons, Rhein Fire). 1973 - Brigitte Reimann, writer, dies at age 39. 1973 - Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian/US violinist, dies at age 80. 1973 - Maurice Dallimore, actor (Collector), dies at age 60. 1974 - Birth of Katerina Kroupova in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia; tennis star (1994 Futures-Sofia-Bulgaria). 1974 - David Monrad Johansen, composer, dies at age 85. 1974 - Gordie Howe comes out of retirement for US$1 million from Houston Aeros, WHA. 1975 - Birth of Brendan Witt Humboldt; NHL defenseman (Washington Capitals). 1975 - Birth of Brian Littrell; singer (Backstreet Boys). 1975 - Birth of Ismael Kirui in Marakwet, Kenya; 5km runner. 1975 - Edgar "Cookie" Fairchild, bandleader (Jerry Colonna Show), dies at age 76. 1975 - Leonard Baichan scores 105 on Test Cricket debut, vs Pakistan Lahore. 1975 - Lillian Fontaine, actress (Suddenly it's Spring), dies at age 88. 1975 - Margaret Thatcher elected leader of British Conservative Party. 1975 - Robert Strauss, actor (Sergeant Gruzewsky - Mona McCluskey), dies at age 61. 1975 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1976 - Birth of Dave Scatchard in Hinton, Alberta, Canada; NHL center (New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks). 1976 - Kathryn Kuhlman, religious leader/faith healer, dies. 1976 - Muhammad Ali knocks out Jan Pierre Coopman in five rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1977 - My Fair Lady closes at Saint James Theater in New York City after 384 performances. 1977 - Birth of Sarah Ryan in Adelaide, Australia; swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1977 - Birth of Stephon Marbury; NBA guard (Minnesota Timberwolves). 1977 - Birth of Veronica Ledesma; Miss Argentina-Universe (1996). 1977 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. 1978 - 4th People's Choice Awards: Star Wars, Carol Burnett, and Bob Hope. 1978 - Birth of Andrea Moody in Abbotsford, British Columbia; 4 x 100 swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1978 - Bob Backland beats Billy Graham in New York, to become WWF wrestling champion. 1978 - Egypt announces it is pulling its diplomats out of Cyprus. 1978 - Jane Blalock wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. 1978 - Vitorino Nemésio, Portuguese author (Presença), dies at age 76. 1980 - Birth of Imanol Harinordoquy; French rugby player. 1980 - Actress Susan Dey of L.A. Law weds producer Bernard Sofronski. 1980 - Death of Alice Longworth, Theodore Roosevelt's eldest daughter, wife of Nicholas Longworth, at age 96 in Washington, DC (born 1884). 1980 - Birth of Artur Boruc; Polish football (soccer) goalkeeper. 1980 - Death of Ronald Belford (Bon) Scott, Scottish-born Australian singer (AC/DC), at age 33 (born 1946). 1980 - Death of J.B. Rhine, parapsychologist (born 1895). 1981 - Birth of Majandra Delfino; American actress. 1981 - Flight readiness firing of space shuttle Columbia's main engines; 20 seconds. 1981 - James Sanford equals 50 metre indoor world record (5.61 seconds). 1981 - Death of Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, French magazine editor and playboy (born 1904). 1981 - Birth of Chris Thile; American mandolinist. 1982 - New York Islanders win record 15th straight NHL game. 1983 - James G Richardson (Tim Cassidy-Sierra), dies at age 37 in ski accident. 1983 - Japan launches Tenma satellite to study x-rays (450/570 km). 1983 - Ray Vitte, actor (Doc, Cody-Quest), killed by police at age 33. 1983 - Roland Liboton becomes world champion cross-country cycling. 1984 - Fikret Dzhamil Amirov, composer, dies at age 61. 1985 - Birth of Yulia Volkova; Russian singer. 1985 - After defending his WBC flyweight championship, Sot Chitalada's check for US$104,000 is stolen by a ringside pickpocket. 1985 - Clarence Nash, the voice of Disney's Donald Duck for over 50 years, dies of leukemia (born 1904). 1986 - Francisco Paolo Mignone, composer, dies at age 88. 1986 - Jacobus G Rietkerk, Dutch foreign minister (VVD), dies at age 58. 1986 - Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser is first to win a US$1 million salary by arbitration. 1987 - Bomb blamed on Unabomber explodes by computer store in Salt Lake City, Utah. 1987 - David Hartman quits ABC's Good Morning America, after 11 years. 1987 - Ivan Brkanovic, composer, dies at age 80. 1988 - 500 die in heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1988 - André Hoffmann skates world record 1500 metre (1:52.06). 1988 - Brian Boitano wins Olympics gold medal in figure skating. 1988 - Cornelia Oschkenat hurdles indoor world record 50 metre (6.58 seconds). 1988 - Kelly Hrudy's 5th New York Islanders shut-out win against Hartford Whalers, 3-0. 1988 - Peter Kalikow purchases New York Post from Rupert Murdoch for US$37.6 million. 1988 - Rob Druppers runs world record indoor 1000 metre (2:16.2). 1988 - Stefka Kostadinova high jumps indoor world record (2.06 metres). 1988 - Birth of Rihanna, Barbadian R&B singer. 1989 - Members of 1949 Oklahoma football team cancel an April reunion because of the deplorable conduct of Oklahoma players. 1989 - Total eclipse of the Moon. 1991 - Taking Steps opens at Circle in Square Theater in New York City for 78 performances. 1991 - 33rd Grammy Awards: "Another Day in Paradise", Mariah Carey. 1992 - "Private Lives" opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City for 37 performances. 1992 - Andrew Schenck, conductor, dies of melanoma at age 51. 1992 - Dick York, American actor (Bewitched), dies of emphysema at age 63 (born 1928). 1992 - Joan Dixon, actress (Hot Lead, Bunco Squad, Gunplay), dies at age 66. 1992 - Orthodox patriarch Shenouda III visits Netherlands. 1992 - The English FA Premier League is officially formed. 1993 - Birth of Oliver Smith, United Kingdom politician. 1993 - Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian auto-designer and manufacturer, dies at age 76 (born 1916). 1993 - Florida Marlins open their first spring training camp. 1993 - Lisa Walters wins LPGA Itoki Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1993 - New York Islanders retire Billy Smith's number 31. 1994 - Three Afghans take 70 Pakistani children hostage. 1994 - Derek Jarman, English director (Last of England), dies at age 52. 1994 - Johann Olav Koss skates world record 10 km (13:30.55). 1994 - Manuel F "Garincha" dos Santos, soccer player (Brazil), dies at age 49. 1994 - Pope John Paul II demands juristic discrimination of homosexuals. 1995 - John Humphreys Whitfield, Italianist, dies at age 88. 1995 - Shlomo Averbach, Rabbi, buried in Jerusalem, 250,000 attend. 1996 - Jeffrey Kindersley Quill, Test pilot, dies at age 83. 1996 - Michael Herford Wooller, TV/film producer, dies at age 69. 1996 - Toru Takemitsu, Japanese composer, dies at age 65 (born 1930). 1996 - Walter Charles Marshall, scientist, dies at age 63. 1997 - Stanley opens at Circle in Square Theater in New York City. 1997 - San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds signs record $22.9 million two year contract. 1998 - Tara Lipinski wins Olympics figure skating gold medal. 1998 - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein negotiates a deal with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, allowing weapons inspectors to return to Baghdad, preventing military action by the United States and Britain. 1998 - US movie box office hits quickest $1 billion for year (51 days). 1998 - In Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurs. One person killed and 11 injured. An earthquake-induced avalanche destroyed 35 houses and a mosque, and left 300 people homeless. Felt in much of northern Pakistan and in northeastern Afghanistan and in parts of Tajikistan. 1999 - Death of Sarah Kane, English playwright (born 1971). 1999 - Death of Gene Siskel, American film critic (born 1946). 2001 - The United Kingdom foot and mouth crisis begins. 2002 - Death of Willie Thrower, American football player (born 1930). 2002 - In Reqa Al-Gharbiya, Egypt, a fire on a train injures over 65 and kills at least 370. 2002 - In most of the world, at 20:02 (8:02 PM) the local time, date (written as day/month), time, and year are all 2002, making each of them alone, any two together, and the combination of all 3, all palindromes. 2003 - Death of Maurice Blanchot, French philosopher and writer (born 1907). 2003 - Death of Orville Freeman, American politician (born 1918). 2003 - The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island claims the lives of 100 people. 2004 - Conservatives win a majority in the Iranian parliament election. 2005 - Spain holds a referendum on the Constitution for Europe, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout. 2005 - Early legislative elections in Portugal result in a landslide victory for José Sócrates and the Socialist Party. 2005 - Death of Sandra Dee, American actress (born 1944). 2005 - Death of Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist (born 1937). 2006 - Death of Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist, writer and traveler (born 1920). 2008 - In Wisconsin and Hawaii, Democratic caucuses Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton for Presidential candidate. John McCain wins Wisconsin on the Republican side. 2008 - A U.S. Navy warship neat Hawaii fires a missile at a defunct spy satellite 153 miles up in the atmosphere, to destroy the fuel tank of hydrazine fuel, to prevent it from being released as a toxic gas if it had fallen to Earth. 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