This Day in History
February 23

What happened in history on this day: February 23? On February 23 in ... 155 - Polycarp, disciple of Apostle John, arrested and burned at stake. 303 - Emperor Diocletian orders general persecution of Christians. 1011 - Death of St. Willigis von Mainz; chancellor of Germany under emperor Otto I, Archbishop of Mainz. 1417 - Birth of Paul II [Pietro Barbo], Italy, Pope (1464-71). 1447 - Eugene IV [Gabriele Condulmer], Italian Pope (1431-47), dies. 1554 - Henry Grey Duke of Suffolk, Lady Jane Grey's father, executed. 1574 - France begins 5th Holy War against Huguenots. 1607 - Herman Herbertsz vicar, dies at about age 60. 1614 - Birth of Jacob Colijn(s) Dutch coat of arms painter. 1615 - Birth of Cornelis Galle II Flemish engraver/illustrator, baptised. 1633 - Birth of Samuel Pepys London England, navy expert/composer (Diary, Memoirs). 1649 - Birth of John Blow composer of first English opera (Venus and Adonis) (baptized). 1660 - Charles X Gustaaf king of Sweden (1654-60), dies at age 37. 1660 - Charles XI becomes king of Sweden. 1662 - Johann Crüger German organist/composer/music theorist, dies at age 63. 1668 - Fire in Wiener Hofburg in Vienna, emperor Leopold I rescued. 1669 - Lieuwe van Aitzema Frisian historian, dies at age 68. 1672 - Joan Blaeus publishers destroyed by fire in Amsterdam. 1682 - Abraham de Wicquefort Dutch diplomat/historian, dies at age 75. 1685 - Birth of George Frideric Händel Halle Germany, organist/baroque composer (Messiah). 1689 - Dutch prince William III proclaimed king of England. 1700 - Birth of Wilhelmus Schortinghuis Dutch theologist (Profound Christianity). 1704 - Georg Muffat French/German organist/composer, dies at age 50. 1718 - François Fagel Dutch field marshal/mayor of Nimegen, dies at age 63. 1730 - Birth of Christian Joseph Lidarti composer. 1734 - Birth of Mayer Amschel Rothschild Frankfurt, founder (House of Rothschild). 1766 - Stanislaw Leszcynski duke of Lutherans/king of Poland, dies. 1776 - Birth of John Walter II London, chief proprietor (The London Times, 1812-47). 1778 - Baron von Steuben joins the Continental Army at Valley Forge. 1787 - Birth of Emma Willard US, opens school for young ladies (Hall of Fame). 1792 - Birth of Istvan Ferenczi Hungarian sculptor. 1792 - Humane Society of Massachusetts incorporated (erected life-saving stations for distressed mariners). 1792 - Joseph Haydn's 94th Symphony in G, premieres. 1792 - Joshua Reynolds English portrait painter (Simplicity), dies at age 68. 1797 - Antoine d'Auvergne French opera composer (Coquette Trompée), dies at age 83. 1804 - Conspirators against Napoleon, for restoration of Louis XVIII. 1806 - John Alcock composer, dies at age 90. 1807 - François Guichard composer, dies at age 61. 1811 - Birth of George Washington Hewitt composer. 1813 - First US raw cotton-to-cloth mill founded in Waltham Massachusetts. 1817 - Birth of George Watts London, painter. 1818 - Birth of Major General Jeremy F Gilmer General/Chief Engineer Confederate War Department. 1820 - Cato Street conspiracy uncovered. 1821 - College of Apothecaries organized in Philadelphia; first US pharmacy college. 1821 - John Keats Romantic poet, dies of tuberculosis at age 25 in Rome. 1821 - Marie-Anne Collot French sculptor, dies. 1822 - Boston is incorporated as a city. 1824 - Birth of Herman N van der Tuuk Dutch philologist (Tobasch' Grammar). 1824 - Birth of Lewis Cass Hunt Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1886. 1828 - Mihály Fazekar Hungarian botanist/literary (Book of Spices), dies. 1831 - Birth of Hendrik W Mesdag Dutch painter (Panorama Mesdag). 1834 - Birth of Gustav Hermann Nachtigal German physician/colonizer/consul in Tunisia. 1836 - Alamo besieged by Santa Anna; entire garrison eventually killed. 1838 - Birth of Gilbert Moxley Sorrel Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1901. 1840 - Birth of Carl Menger Austrian economist. 1846 - Polish revolutionaries march on Cracow, but are defeated. 1847 - Battle of Buena Vista, México; Zachary Taylor defeats Mexican army. 1848 - Birth of Thomas Paine Westendorf composer. 1848 - John Quincy Adams 6th US President (1825-1829), dies of a stroke at age 80. 1852 - "H M S Birkenhead" sinks off South Africa killing 420 troops. 1854 - Great Britain and Orange Free state sign Convention of Bloemfontein. 1855 - Carl Friedrich Gauss mathematician, dies. 1859 - Birth of Theodor Batthyányi Hungarian statesman/contra revolutionary. 1861 - Dutch Premier Floris A van Hall resigns. 1861 - President-elect Lincoln arrives secretly in Washington DC to take office. 1861 - By popular referendum, Texas becomes seventh state to secede from US. 1863 - Birth of Franz von Stuck German painter (Der Krieg). 1865 - Birth of Barney Dreyfuss baseball owner (Pittsburgh Pirates). 1867 - George Thomas Smart composer, dies at age 90. 1868 - Birth of William E B Du Bois Great Barrington Massachusetts, civil rights writer (Souls of Black Folk). 1869 - Birth of Nadezhda Konstantinova Krupskaya Russian revolutionary (Social-Democrat). 1869 - Louisiana governor signs public accommodations law. 1870 - Mississippi is re-admitted to US. 1873 - Birth of Dmitri Arakishvili composer. 1874 - Birth of Konstantin Päts Estonian Prime Minister (1921-23, 1932-33), dictator (1933-40). 1874 - Major Walter Winfield patents game called "sphairistike" (lawn tennis). 1875 - Birth of Jozef E Stokvis journalist/Dutch Member of Parliament (SDAP). 1876 - Birth of Agnes M Royden writer. 1876 - Birth of Wadi' Sabra composer. 1879 - Birth of Agnes Arber English biologist/philosopher (Mind and the Eye). 1879 - Birth of Norman Lindsay Creswick Victoria, artist/novelist. 1880 - Birth of Edgar Istel composer. 1881 - Birth of Titus [Anno S] Brandsma Dutch philosopher. 1882 - Birth of Ladislav Vycpalek composer. 1883 - Alabama becomes first US state to enact an antitrust law. 1883 - American Anti-Vivisection Society organized (Philadelphia). 1883 - Birth of Karl Jaspers Oldenburg Germany, existentialist philosopher. 1883 - Birth of Victor Fleming Pasadena California, director (Wizard of Oz, Gone With Wind). 1884 - Birth of Frank Cellier Surbiton England; actor (Quiet Wedding, Big Blockade). 1884 - Birth of Herman Courtens Belgian painter. 1884 - Tambo Tambo Australian aboriginal/US circus attraction, dies at age 23. 1886 - Aluminum manufacturing process developed. 1886 - Birth of Albert Edward Sammons composer. 1886 - Birth of Ventura García Calderón Peruvian diplomat/author. 1886 - London Times publishes world's first classified ad. 1886 - Tsjaikovski's symphony "Manfred" premieres. 1887 - Birth of Oskar Frederik Lindberg composer. 1887 - US Congress grants Seal Rocks to San Francisco. 1887 - French/Italian Riviera struck by Earthquake; 2,000 die. 1889 - Birth of Cyril Delevanti England; actor (Lucius-Jefferson Davis, Black Eye). 1889 - Birth of Frederik M baron of Asbeck Dutch lawyer (League of Nations). 1892 - First college student government established, Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania. 1892 - Birth of Kathleen Harrison actress (Fast Lady, Big Money, West 11). 1894 - Stanley Cup: Montréal AAA's awarded cup by trustees as Ottawa refuses to travel to Toronto to play. 1895 - Birth of Richard Goolden London England; actor (School for Husbands). 1895 - Jaap Eden skates world record 10 km (17:56). 1895 - William Heard, AME minister and educator, named minister to Liberia. 1896 - Tootsie Roll introduced by Leo Hirshfield. 1897 - Woldemar Bargiel composer, dies at age 68. 1898 - Birth of Reinhard Herbig German archaeologist. 1898 - In France, Emile Zola is imprisoned for writing his "J'accuse" letter accusing government of anti-Semitism and wrongly jailing Alfred Dreyfus. 1899 - Birth of E Langgässer writer. 1899 - Birth of Erich Kästner Dresden German author (Emil and the Detective). 1900 - Battle at Hart's Hill, South Africa (Boers vs British army). 1900 - Birth of Elinor Remick Warren composer. 1900 - Steamer "Rio de Janeiro" sinks in San Francisco Bay. 1900 - William Butterfield architect of the Gothic revival, dies. 1901 - Birth of Aartje W "Mien" van It Sant-van Bommel author (Mieke-serial). 1902 - Samuel R Gardiner British historian (Oliver Cromwell), dies at age 72. 1903 - Albert Cahen composer, dies at age 57. 1903 - Birth of Grigori V Aleksandrov Russian director (Veselye Rebjata). 1903 - Cuban state of Guantanamo leased to USA. 1903 - Friedrich Grutzmacher composer, dies at age 70. 1904 - Birth of Leopold Trepper Polish/Israeli spy/founded (CP Palestina). 1904 - Birth of William L Shirer historian (Rise and Fall of third Reich). 1904 - Control of Panamá Canal Zone acquired by US for $10 million. 1905 - Birth of Leonidas Zoras composer. 1905 - Rotary Club International established by four men in Chicago. 1906 - Johann Hoch US murderer, executed. 1906 - Tommy Burns beats Marvin Hart for heavyweight boxing champion in 20 rounds. 1907 - Birth of Anthony Standerwick Heal businessman. 1908 - Birth of Sir William McMahon Prime Minister of Australia (Liberal) (1971-72). 1909 - Birth of Frank Ward cricketer (Australian leggie late 30s). 1909 - Russian tsar Nicolas II dissolves Finnish Diet. 1910 - First radio contest held (Philadelphia). 1910 - George Bernard Shaw's "Misalliance" premieres in London. 1911 - Birth of G Mennen Williams Detroit Michigan, Sup Court Justice/(Governor-Democrat-MI, 1949-60). 1911 - Birth of Walter Ernest Allen writer/critic. 1913 - Birth of Charles Leonard US, pentathlete (Olympics-1936). 1913 - Birth of Earl of Lincoln. 1913 - Jimmy Sinclair cricketer (3 centuries in 25 Test South Africa career), dies. 1914 - Birth of Margaret Farrer CEO (Central Midwives Board). 1915 - Birth of Heinrich Schirmbeck German author (Das Spiegellabyrinth). 1915 - Germany sinks US ships Carib and Evelyn and torpedoes Norwegian ship Regin. 1915 - Nevada enforces convenient divorce law. 1915 - Robert Smalls Reconstruction congressman, dies at age 75 in South Carolina. 1916 - Birth of George Abel Canada, ice hockey player (Olympics-gold-1972). 1916 - Birth of Martindale Sidwell organist/conductor. 1916 - Birth of William Walsh academic. 1916 - US Congress authorizes McKinley Memorial $1 gold coin. 1916 - French artillery kills entire French 72nd division at Samogneux Verdun. 1916 - George Clement Martin composer, dies at age 71. 1917 - Birth of Kenneth Tobey actor (Chuck-Whirlybirds). 1917 - February revolution begins in Russia. 1918 - Birth of Dom Aelred Watkin headmaster (Downside School). 1919 - Benito Mussolini founds the Facist party of Italy. 1919 - Birth of Johnny Carey soccer star. 1919 - Birth of Lord Ezra. 1920 - Alexander Alexandrovich Il'yinsky composer, dies at age 61. 1920 - Birth of David Wright poet. 1920 - Birth of Hall Overton Bangor Michigan, composer (Enchanted Pear Tree). 1920 - Birth of Lord Saint Levan. 1921 - First US transcontinental air mail flight arrives in New York City, New York from San Francisco California. 1922 - Henri Landru executed for having 11 wives, in France. 1923 - Birth of Gery Florizoone Flemish poet. 1923 - German Republic day with laws against worker. 1923 - Great Britain lowers import duty on German products from 26% to 5%. 1924 - Birth of Lejaren Hiller composer. 1924 - Thomas Woodrow Wilson 28th US President (1913-21), dies. 1925 - Birth of Ian Smith cricket leg-spinner (South Africa 1947-58 average 64.08). 1925 - Birth of Louis Stokes (Representative-Democrat-Ohio, 1969-). 1926 - Birth of Regine Crespin French vocalist (Sheherazade, Les Nuits D'ete). 1927 - Birth of Ivan Hrusovsky composer. 1927 - President Coolidge creates Federal Radio Commission (US Federal Communications Commission predecessor). 1927 - Sveinbjorn Sveinbjornsson composer, dies at age 79. 1928 - Birth of Duke of Beaufort. 1928 - Birth of Vasily Grigoryevich Lazarev Siberia USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 12, 18A). 1929 - Birth of Eduard W "Ed" Bauer [Eddy Evers], Dutch actor (Bluejackets). 1929 - Birth of Elston Howard New York Yankees catcher (first black New York Yankees player/1963 American League Most Valuable Player). 1929 - Birth of Richard Moryl composer. 1929 - Birth of Régine Crespin Marseilles France, operatic soprano. 1930 - Birth of Gerry Davis writer. 1930 - Birth of Harry Boldt German Federal Republic, equestrian dressage (Olympics-gold-1976). 1930 - Birth of Imre Gyongyossy film Maker. 1930 - Birth of Jef Geeraerts Flemish writer (Black Venus). 1930 - Birth of Johnny Seven New York City, New York; actor (Ironside, Amy Prentiss). 1930 - Horst Wessel German Nazi lyricist (Fahne Hoch), dies at age 22. 1930 - Mabel Normand actress/director (Extra Girl), dies at age 35. 1931 - Birth of Tom Wesselman US sculptor (Great American Nudes). 1931 - Nellie Melba [Helen Mitchell], Australian soprano, dies. 1933 - Birth of Donna J Stone poet. 1933 - Birth of Lee Quencey Calhoun Laurel Mississippi, 110 metre hurdler (Olympics-gold-1956, 60). 1934 - Augusto Sandino Nicaraguan patriot, assassinated by National Guard. 1934 - Birth of Lady Digby. 1934 - Casey Stengel becomes manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. 1934 - Coronation of King Leopold III of Belgium. 1934 - Edward William Elgar English composer (Coronation Ode), dies at age 76. 1935 - Jan Duiker Dutch architect (Hotel Gooiland), dies at age 44. 1936 - First rocket air mail flight, Greenwood Lake New York. 1937 - Birth of David Ward president (Law Society). 1937 - Birth of Lord Tugendhat. 1937 - Birth of Tom Osborne college football coach. 1937 - Claude Buckenham cricketer (21 wickets in four Tests for England 1909-10), dies. 1938 - Birth of Diane Varsi San Mateo California, actress (Peyton Place). 1938 - Birth of Sylvia Chase Saint Paul Minnesota, newscaster (ABC Weekend News, 20/20). 1938 - Joe Louis knocks out Nathan Mann in three for heavyweight boxing title. 1939 - Birth of Edmund Boyd Fisher publisher. 1939 - Birth of Josef Feistmantl Austria, lugeist (Olympics-gold-1964). 1939 - Birth of Majel Barrett Columbus Ohio, actress (Christine Chapel-Star Trek). 1939 - Lou Thesz beats E Marshall in Saint Louis, to become wrestling champion. 1939 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards an Oscar (Special Award) to Walt Disney for screen innovation for the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Disney is presented one statuette and seven miniature statuettes. 1940 - Birth of Jermyn P Brooks CEO (Price Waterhouse Europe). 1940 - Birth of Peter Fonda actor (Easy Rider, Lilith, Wild Angels, Trip). 1940 - Russian troops conquer Lasi Island. 1940 - RKO Radio Pictures releases Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio to theaters in the USA. 1941 - Birth of Frank Gerstenberg Edinburgh, principal (George Watson's College). 1941 - Birth of Robin Bynoe cricketer (West Indies opening batsman in four Tests 1959-67). 1941 - Birth of William Hjörtsberg New York City, New York, writer (Gray Matters, Fallen Angel). 1942 - Birth of Beau Boulter (Representative-Republican-Texas, 1985-). 1942 - Birth of Colin Sanders founder (Solid State Logic). 1942 - Birth of John Lewis Head Master (Eton College). 1942 - Japanese submarine fires on oil refinery in Ellwood California. 1942 - Stefan Zweig Austrian writer (Die Welt von Gestern), dies at age 60. 1943 - Birth of Bobby Wayne Mitchell Chatham Virginia, PGA golfer (1971 Cleveland Open). 1943 - Birth of Fred Biletnikoff NFL wide receiver (Oakland Raiders). 1943 - Birth of Jada Rowland New York City, New York, actress (Penny-Hamptons, Amy-Secret Storm). 1943 - General-Major Bradley arrives in Dakar and Marrakesh. 1943 - German troops pull back through Kasserine-pass Tunisia. 1944 - Birth of James Cousins British Member of Parliament. 1944 - Birth of Johnny Winter [John Dawson], Leland Mississippi, guitarist (Silver Train). 1944 - Birth of Mike Maxfield rocker (Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas). 1944 - Leo Hendrick Baekeland inventor (Bakelite), dies. 1945 - Second Dutch government of Gerbrandy forms in London. 1945 - Aleksei Tolstoi Russian poet/writer (Pjotr Peroyj), dies at age 62. 1945 - Aubrey Cousins Canadian sergeant (Victoria Cross), dies in battle. 1945 - Birth of Frank Murray police Officer. 1945 - Canadian troops occupy Kalkar. 1945 - Operation Grenade General Simpson's 9th Army crosses Ruhr. 1945 - US Marines raise flag on Iwo Jima, famous photo and statue. 1946 - Birth of Rusty Young California, rock steel guitarist (Poco-Heat of the Night). 1947 - Birth of Anton Mosimann chef. 1947 - Birth of Colin Sanders British computer engineer (Solid State Logic). 1947 - Birth of Geoff Cope cricketer (England off-spinner 1977-78). 1947 - Birth of Shakira Caine Guyana, actress (Man Who be King)/Miss Guyana (1967). 1947 - General Eisenhower opens drive to raise $170 million in aid for European Jews. 1948 - Birth of Bill Alexander theatre director. 1949 - Birth of Anna-Maria Müller German DR, Luge (Olympics-gold-1972). 1949 - Birth of Larry Demps US R&B vocalist (Dramatics-Me and Mrs Jones). 1949 - Birth of Marc Garneau Québec City Canada, PhD/astronaut (STS 13, 77). 1949 - Birth of Maureen Hicks British Member of Parliament. 1949 - Birth of Terry "Tex" Comer Burnley Lancashire England, bassist/guitarist (Ace-How Long). 1950 - Birth of Neil Jordan Sligo Ireland, novelist (Dream of a Beast, Past). 1950 - Birth of Steve Priest London, rock bassist (Sweet Hayes). 1951 - Birth of Ed "Too Tall" Jones NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys). 1951 - Birth of Nicholas Kenyon controller (BBC Radio 3). 1951 - Birth of Patricia Richardson Bethesda Maryland, actress (Home Improvement, Double Trouble). 1952 - Birth of Brad Whitford Massachusetts, rock guitarist (Aerosmith-Jamie Got a Gun). 1953 - Birth of Sallie L Baliunas astrophysicist. 1954 - First mass inoculation with Salk vaccine (Pittsburgh). 1954 - Syrian army drives out President Adib el-Shishakli. 1955 - Birth of Howard Jones rock pianist/vocalist (Things Can Only Get Better). 1955 - Edgar Faure forms French government. 1955 - Paul Claudel French poet/playwright (L'otage), dies at age 86. 1956 - 20th Congress of CPSU closes in Moscow. 1956 - Birth of Maren Jensen Glendale California, actress (Battlestar Galactica). 1956 - Russian party leader Khrushchev attacks memory of Stalin. 1957 - Mr Wonderful closes at Broadway Theater in New York City after 383 performances. 1958 - Five-time world driving champion Juan Fangio kidnapped by Cuban rebels. 1958 - Arturo Frondizi elected President of Argentina. 1958 - Birth of David Sylvian; vocal/guitar (Sylvian Sylvian, Japan-Adolescent Sex). 1958 - Birth of Ria Brieffies; Dutch vocalist (Dolly Dots). 1958 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya. 1959 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Lake Worth Golf Open. 1959 - Birth of John Arthur Wilson in Ceres, California, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Anheuser-Busch-4th). 1960 - Birth of Cindy Figg-Currier in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA; golfer (1994 British Open-6th). 1960 - Birth of Gloria von Thurm un Taxis in Munich, German Federal Republic; Princess. 1960 - Birth of Naruhito, crown prince of Japan. 1960 - Demolition begins on Brooklyn, New York's Ebbets Field (opened in 1913). 1961 - Wilf Ferguson, cricket leg spinner (34 wickets for West Indies), dies. 1962 - Birth of Michael Wilton; rock guitarist (Queensr˙che - "The Warning"). 1962 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1963 - Birth of Bobby Bonilla in New York City, New York, USA; outfielder (New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins). 1963 - Birth of Debbie Kruck in Danbury, Connecticut, USA; Ms Fitness USA (1994). 1963 - Birth of Reza Abdoh; theatre director. 1963 - Birth of Robert Collins; keyboard player. 1964 - Birth of Byron Evans; NFL linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles). 1964 - Birth of John Norum; rocker. 1964 - Charlie Finley signs a four-year lease to keep Athletics team in Kansas City. 1965 - Birth of Helena Sukova in Prague, Czechoslovakia; tennis star (1985 US Open Women's Doubles). 1965 - Birth of Kristin Davis; actress (Melrose Place). 1965 - Birth of Sylvie Guillem in France; ballerina (Royal Ballet). 1965 - Stan Laurel, comedian (Laurel and Hardy), dies in California of heart attack at age 74. 1966 - Aldo Moro forms Italian government. 1966 - Birth of John Druce in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; NHL right wing (Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings). 1966 - Birth of Marc Price; actor/comedian (Skippy - Family Ties). 1966 - Military coup in Syria ends Bitar government. 1966 - Premier Obote grabs power in Uganda. 1967 - American 25th amendment (Presidential succession) declared ratified. 1967 - Birth of Gord Murphy in Willowdale, Ontario, Canada; NHL defenseman (Florida Panthers). 1967 - Birth of Pam Blundell; fashion designer. 1967 - Birth of Steven C Stricker in Edgerton, Wisconsin, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Northern Telecom-second). 1967 - Ted Workman replaces Senator Keith Davey as Canadian Football League commissioner. 1967 - US troops begin largest offensive of Vietnam War. 1968 - Edna Ferber, US author (Giant, Showboat), dies at age 80. 1968 - Fannie Hurst, US author (Anatomy of Me), dies at age 78. 1968 - Wilt Chamberlain becomes first NBA player to score 25,000 points. 1969 - Abd al-Aziz Abd al-Rahman al-Faisal al-Saud King Saudia dies at age 67. 1969 - Birth of Ed McDaniel; NFL linebacker (Minnesota Vikings). 1969 - Birth of Michael Campbell in Hawera, New Zealand; Australasia golfer. 1969 - Joseph Messner, composer, dies at age 75. 1969 - Nayif Hawatimah forms Democratic People's Front for Liberation of Palestine. 1970 - Guyana becomes a republic (National Day). 1970 - Holy Eucharist given by women for first time in Roman Catholic service. 1971 - Birth of Carin Hjalmarsson in Koch Kungalv, Sweden; golfer (1995 Pinewild-7th). 1971 - Birth of Shane Keller in Scarsdale, New York, USA; actor (Shane - Out of the Blue). 1971 - Birth of Torsten Kienass in Berlin, Germany; hockey defenseman (Team Germany). 1971 - King Lockwood dies of stroke at age 73. 1972 - Birth of Greg Hill; NFL running back (Kansas City Chiefs). 1972 - Birth of Jamie Watson; NBA forward (Utah Jazz). 1972 - Birth of Ryan Grigson; NFL guard/tackle (Detroit Lions). 1972 - Birth of Steve Papin; WLAF running back (Scotland Claymores). 1972 - Michael Taube, composer, dies at age 81. 1973 - Birth of Robert Pipkins in Staten Island, New York, USA; luger (Olympics-1994). 1973 - Gold goes up US$10 overnight to record US$95 an ounce in London, England. 1974 - Birth of Herschelle Gibbs; cricketer (South African Test batsman 1996). 1974 - Birth of Kenyon Cotton; full back (Baltimore Ravens). 1974 - Florence Rice, actress (Girl in 1313, Carnival), dies at age 63. 1975 - Amy Alcott wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. 1975 - Birth of Bohdan Utihrach in Czechoslovakia; tennis star. 1975 - Birth of Chris Garner; NBA guard (Toronto Raptors). 1975 - Birth of Michael Tricario; actor (Randy - The Wonder Years). 1975 - Birth of Pat Barnes; quarterback (Kansas City Chiefs). 1976 - Birth of Dmitriy Dudarev; hockey forward (Team Kazakhstan Olympics-1998). 1976 - Birth of Jeff O'Neill in Richmond Hill; NHL center (Hartford Whalers). 1976 - Fuzzy Knight, actor (Gun Town, Ragtime Cowboy Joe), dies at age 74. 1976 - L S Lowry, painter, dies. 1976 - Major League Baseball owners announce spring training won't open without a labor contract. 1977 - Birth of Angie Trostel in Oxford, Ohio; diver (Olympics-1996). 1977 - Birth of Dally Randriantefy Antananarivo Madag; tennis star (1993 Marseille). 1978 - 20th Grammy Awards: "Hotel California", Fleetwood Mac, Debbie Boone win. 1978 - Birth of Karolina Rantamaki; ice hockey left wing (Finland, Olympics-1998). 1980 - Birth of Yvonne Tousek in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada; gymnastic (Olympics-1996). 1980 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island. 1980 - Oil tanker explosion off Pilos, Greece, causes 37-million-gallon spill. 1980 - Robert Vandekerckhove, Belgian politician, dies at age 62. 1980 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini states that Iran's parliament will decide the fate of the American embassy hostages. 1980 - Eric Heiden wins all five speed skating golds at Lake Placid Olympics. 1980 - 13th Winter Olympics games close at Lake Placid, New York. 1981 - Spanish coup under Lieutenant-Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina fails. 1981 - Antonio Tejero, with members of the Guardia Civil, enters the Spanish Congress of Deputies and stops the session where Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo is about to be named president of the government. The coup d'état fails thanks to King Juan Carlos. 1981 - People magazine features drug ordeal of Mackenzie and Papa John Phillips. 1982 - Michael Frayn's Noises Off premieres in London. 1983 - Birth of Mirco Bergamasco; Italian rugby player. 1983 - 25th Grammy Awards: Rosanna, Toto IV, Men at Work win. 1983 - Adrian Boult, conductor, dies. 1983 - USFL New Jersey Generals sign Heisman winner Herschel Walker (3 years - US$5 million). 1983 - US immigration judge Gordon Sacks orders Feodor Fedorenko deported to the Soviet Union, his birthplace. Fedorenko had served as a guard in a Nazi death camp in Treblinka, Poland, between 1942 and 1945. 1983 - Birth of Mido; Egyptian footballer. 1983 - Death of Herbert Norman Howells, English composer, at age 90 (born 1892). 1983 - Birth of Emily Blunt; English actress. 1983 - The United States Environmental Protection Agency announces its intention to buy out and evacuate the dioxin-contaminated community of Times Beach, Missouri. 1985 - Alexander Scourby, actor (Jesus, Shaggy Dog, Giant), dies at age 71. 1985 - Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight throws a chair during a game. 1985 - US Senate confirms Edwin Meese III as Attorney General. 1986 - Despite losing his arbitration case, Boston Red Sox player Wade Boggs receives largest arbitration settlement (US$1.35 million). 1986 - Mary Beth Zimmerman wins LPGA Standard Register/Samaritan Golf Classic. 1986 - Nelli Fiere-Cooman runs world record 60 metre indoor (7.00 seconds). 1987 - Dick Howser retires from managing Kansas City Royals, due to brain tumor. 1987 - Esmond Knight, actor (Black Narcissus, Henry V), dies at age 80. 1987 - Russian Writers Union accepts Boris Pasternak posthumous as member. 1987 - Supernova 1987A in LMC first seen; first naked-eye supernova since 1604. 1988 - Chicago, Illinois gives Chicago Cubs the right to install lights and play up to 18 night games. 1988 - Yvonne van Gennip skates female record 3k (4:11.94). 1989 - After protracted testimony, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee rejects, 11-9, President Bush's nomination of John Tower for Secretary of Defense. 1990 - Annelien Kappeyne van de Coppello, Dutch Member of Parliament (Liberal), dies at age 53. 1990 - Buena Vista releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Where the Heart Is to theaters in the USA. 1990 - Ian Smith 173 New Zealand vs India, 136 balls, world record for no 9 bat. 1990 - James Gavin, commandant US 82nd Airborn Division (Normandy), dies at age 82. 1990 - Jose Napoleon Duarte, President of Salvador (1984-89), dies at age 62. 1991 - Greg Haugen scores a split decision over Hector "Macho" Camacho. 1991 - In Thailand, General Sunthorn Kongsompong deposes Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan in a bloodless coup d'état. 1991 - North Carolina is first NCAA basketball team to win 1,500 games. 1991 - Patty Sheehan wins LPGA Orix Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1991 - The One Meridian Plaza fire kills three firefighters and destroys eight floors of the building. 1991 - US insists Iraq publicly announce it is leaving Kuwait by 12 PM EST. 1992 - 16th Winter Olympics games close in Albertville, France. 1992 - Andy Flower scores 115 on ODI debut, Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka. 1992 - Jacquelyn Hyde, actress (Dark, House of Terror), dies at age 61. 1992 - Markos Vafiades, leader (ELAS, 1943-49), dies. 1993 - Edwin Louis Battle, actor (Almost Blue, Chase), dies of stroke at age 33. 1993 - Actor Gary Coleman wins $1,280,000 lawsuit against parents for high fees. 1993 - India complete a 3-0 series drubbing of England. 1993 - Sacramento Gold Miners admitted as Canadian Football League's 9th franchise (first US team). 1994 - Birth of Dakota Fanning, American actress. 1994 - Cleveland Indians owner Richard Jacobs announces he will pay US$10 million to name baseball field (Jacobs Field) at Gateway (becomes official March 23). 1994 - Stuart Berger, doctor (Immune Power Diet), dies from obesity at age 40. 1994 - A US District Court rules that Microsoft violated patents held by Stac Electronics, in data compression used in Microsoft's DoubleSpace in DOS 6. Microsoft is ordered to remove or replace the technology, and pay US$120 million in damages. The court also finds that Stac illegally used access to Microsoft's trade secrets to make Stacker compatible with DOS 6.0. Microsoft is awarded US$13.6 million in damages. 1995 - Uncle Vanya opens at Circle in Square Theater in New York City for 29 performances. 1995 - Antoine Nduwayo appointed Premier of Burundi. 1995 - Art Kane, photographer, dies at age 69. 1995 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 30.28 to close at 4,003.33 - the Dow's first ever close above 4,000. 1995 - James Herriot, Scot veterinarian and author (All Creatures Great and Small), dies at age 78 (born 1916). 1995 - Norman Hunter, writer, dies at age 95. 1995 - Peter Guy Wykeham, fighter pilot-Barnes dies at age 79. 1995 - In Taiwan, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. 1995 - In Cyprus, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurs. Felt throughout Cyprus. Also felt in northern Israel and Lebanon. 1996 - Freddie Stocks, cricket center on debut and wicket on first ball, Notts, dies. 1996 - George Alan Dawson, jazz drummer/teacher, dies at age 66. 1996 - Joseph Walker Barr, banker/politician, dies at age 78. 1996 - Mark Waugh scores 130 in World Cup vs Kenya, 207 with brother Steve. 1996 - Rajindra Dhanraj takes 9-97 for Trinidad against Leeward Islands. 1997 - Ali Abu Kamal opens fire in Empire State Building and kills one. 1997 - American Express Senior Golf Invitational. 1997 - Jeff Sluman wins Tucson Golf Classic. 1997 - NBC TV shows Schindler's List, completely uncensored, 65 million watch. 1997 - Oscar Lewenstein, impressario, dies at age 80. 1997 - Death of Tony Williams, American jazz musician, at age 51 (born 1945). 1997 - Tucson Chrysler Golf Classic. 1997 - A large fire occurs in the Russian space station Mir. 1998 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Charleston, South Carolina on WAVF 96.1 FM. 1998 - Philip Abbott actor (Arthur Ward-FBI), dies at age 74. 1998 - US Supreme Court lets Megan's Law stand. 1998 - Death of Sean A. Moore, American writer (born 1965). 1998 - Tornadoes in central Florida destroy or damage 2,600 structures and kill 42. 1998 - Osama bin Laden publishes a fatwa, declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders. 1999 - Death of Carlos Hathcock, Marine Sniper. 1999 - Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Öcalan is charged with treason in Ankara, Turkey. 1999 - White supremacist John William King is found guilty of kidnapping and killing African American James Byrd Jr. by dragging him behind a truck for two miles (3 km). 1999 - An avalanche destroys the village of Galtür, Austria, killing 31. 2000 - Death of Sir Stanley Matthews, English footballer (born 1915). 2000 - Death of Ofra Haza, Israeli singer (born 1957). 2002 - FARC kidnaps Ingrid Betancourt in Colombia while she campaigns for the presidency. 2004 - Death of Carl Anderson, American singer and actor (born 1945). 2005 - A controversial French law on colonialism, requiring teachers to paint it in a positive light, is passed by the national legislature. 2006 - Death of Mauri Favén, Finnish painter (born 1920). 2006 - Death of Zarra, Spanish footballer (born 1921). 2006 - A roof collapses on a Moscow market, killing 56 people. 2008 - In Saarland, Germany, shifting coal mine workings trigger an earthquake measuring 4.0. Work is suspended pending an investigation of safety of re-opening. 2008 - Microsoft announces it will cease making HD DVD players for the Xbox 360. 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