This Day in History
February 24

What happened in history on this day: February 24? On February 24 in ... 303 - First official Roman edict for persecution of Christians issued. 1208 - Saint Francis of Assisi, 26, received his vocation in Portiuncula Italy. 1296 - Pope Boniface VIII degree Clericis Iaicos. 1304 - Birth of Muhammad ibn Battutah Arab travel writer (Travels in Asia and Africa). 1389 - Battle at Falköping: Danes defeat King Albert of Sweden. 1463 - Birth of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Italy, scholar/platonist. 1496 - England's Henry VII ends commercial dispute with Flanders. 1500 - Birth of Emperor Charles V king of Spain (1516-56)/Holy Roman Emperor. 1501 - Birth of Sixt(us) Birck [Xystus Betulius] German writer (Suzanna). 1510 - Pope Julius II excommunicates the republic of Venice. 1525 - Battle at Pavia: Emperor Karel V's troops beat French king, François I caught taken/8700 killed. 1527 - Ferdinand of Austria crowned as king of Bohemia. 1528 - János Zápolyai, Hungarian king, recognizes Sultan Suleiman's suzerainty. 1530 - First imperial coronation by a Pope, Charles V crowned by Clement V. 1536 - Birth of Clement VIII [Ippolito Aldofireini], Fano Italy, last Counter-Reformation pope (1592-1605). 1538 - King Ferdinand of Austria and King János Zápolyai of Hungary sign Peace of Grosswardein. 1541 - Santiago, Chile founded by Pedro de Valvidia. 1545 - Birth of Don John of Austria the elder, Austrian general. 1547 - Birth of Jan of Austria Spanish military man/land guardian of the Netherlands. 1552 - Privileges of the Hanseatic League in England are abrogated. 1557 - Birth of Matthias C Sarbiewski [Sarbievius], Vienna, Polish Jesuit/poet/Holy Roman emperor (1612-19). 1563 - François Guise French General/duke, assassinated at age 44. 1581 - Pope Gregory approves the results of his calendar reform commission. 1582 - Pope Gregory XIII announces New Style (Gregorian) calendar. 1597 - Flemish painter Frederick of Valckenborch becomes porter of Frankfurt-on-Main. 1607 - Claudio Monteverdi's opera "Orfeo" premieres in Mantua. 1613 - English princess Elizabeth marries earl Frederik of Palts. 1619 - Birth of Charles Le Brun Paris, painter, designer (The Chancellor Séguier). 1624 - Vicente Espinel Spanish adventure/chaplain (Marcos de Obrégon), dies at age 72. 1642 - Marco da Gagliano Italian opera composer, dies at about age 66. 1666 - Nicholas Lanier composer, dies at age 77. 1679 - Birth of Domenico Natale Sarro Italian opera composer. 1684 - Birth of Catherine I Empress of Russia 1725-27, Dorpat, Estonia. 1686 - Ferdinando Tacca Italian painter/son of Pietro Tacca, dies at age 66. 1692 - Antimo Liberati composer, dies at age 74. 1697 - Birth of Bernard S Albinus [Weiss], German surgeon/anatomist. 1704 - Birth of Hubert Renotte composer. 1704 - Marc-Antoine Charpentier French composer (church music), dies. 1708 - Prince Johan Willem Friso sworn in as viceroy of Groningen. 1711 - Händel's opera "Rinaldo" premieres, London. 1717 - Birth of Bernhard Hupfeld composer. 1735 - Georg Friedrich Kauffman composer, dies at age 56. 1750 - Birth of Miklós Révai Hungarian linguistic/poet. 1766 - Birth of Samuel Wesley Bristol England, composer/organist (Exultate Deo). 1771 - Birth of Johann Baptist Cramer German/British pianist/composer/publisher. 1779 - George Rogers Clark captures Vincennes IN from British. 1784 - Anton Laube composer, dies at age 65. 1785 - Carlo Bonaparte Corsican attorney, dies at age 39. 1786 - Birth of Wilhelm Karl Grimm Hanau Germany, story teller (Grimm's Fairy Tales). 1786 - Charles Cornwallis appointed Governor-General of India. 1793 - French troops conquer Breda. 1799 - Broerius Brorius theologist (Pensive Christian), dies at about age 41. 1799 - Georg C Lichtenberg German physicist/writer, dies at age 56. 1803 - US Supreme Court first rules a law unconstitutional (Marbury versus Madison). 1806 - John Nieuwenhuijzen theologist (Society for General Use), dies at age 81. 1807 - Seventeen die and 15 wounded in a crush to witness execution of Holloway, Heggerty and Elizabeth Godfrey in England. 1809 - Birth of Albert Schäffle German sociologist (Abriss der Soziologie). 1809 - Birth of Edwin H K Freiherr von Manteuffel governor/viceroy (Elzas-Lutherian). 1810 - Henry Cavendish physicist/chemist, dies. 1811 - Birth of Daniel A Payne Bishop/reformer/educator of AME Church. 1811 - Birth of Edward Dickinson Baker Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1861. 1812 - Hugo Kollataj Polish teacher/minister, dies at age 61. 1815 - Robert Fulton steamboat pioneer, dies. 1821 - Mexico gains independence from Spain. 1824 - Birth of John Crawford Vaughn Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1875. 1825 - Thomas Bowdler self-appointed Shakespearean censor, dies. 1827 - Birth of Charles Davis Jameson Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1862. 1829 - Auguste Chouteau Saint Louis co-founder, dies. 1831 - Birth of Georg Leo earl von Caprivi German chancellor/premier of Prussia. 1833 - Birth of Eduard earl von Taaffe Austrian premier (1868-93). 1835 - Siwinowe Kesibwi (Shawnee Sun) is first Indian language monthly magazine. 1836 - 3,000 Mexicans attack 182 Texans at the Alamo, lasts 13 days. 1836 - Birth of Winslow Homer US, painter (Gulfstream). 1836 - Dániel Berzsenyi Hungarian poet, dies at age 59. 1836 - In San Antonio, Texas, Colonel William Travis issues a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the Alamo, a fortress under attack by the Mexican army. 1838 - Birth of Thomas Benton Smith Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1923. 1839 - Steam shovel patented by William Otis, Philadelphia. 1842 - Birth of Arrigio Enrico Boito composer. 1843 - Birth of [Joaquim] Theófilo F Braga Portuguese poet/author/politician. 1846 - Birth of Luigi Denza composer. 1848 - Birth of C Grant B Allen Canadian writer (Woman Who Did). 1848 - Birth of Johanna C P Barbiers actress (Voddenraper of Paris). 1848 - Frans van Campenhout Belgian singer/composer (Brabançonne), dies at age 69. 1848 - King Louis-Philippe abdicates, second French republic declared. 1852 - Birth of George A Moore Ireland, painter/novelist (Esther Waters). 1854 - Birth of Franz Courtens Flemish painter (Golden Rain). 1855 - US Court of Claims established for cases against the government. 1857 - First perforated US postage stamps delivered to the government. 1857 - Los Angeles Vineyard Society organized. 1858 - Birth of Arnold Dolmetsch Le Mans, musician. 1860 - Birth of Daniel Berkeley Updike printer/publisher/writer (Printing Types). 1862 - Bernard S Ingemann Danish author (Holger Danske), dies at age 72. 1863 - Arizona Territory created. 1863 - Forrest's raid on Brentwood, Tennessee. 1864 - Battle of Tunnel Hill, Georgia (Buzzard's Roost). 1866 - Birth of Arthur Pearson Wookey Somerset England, newspaper proprietor. 1868 - First US parade with floats (Mardi Gras-Mobile Alabama). 1868 - House of Representatives vote 126 to 47, to impeach President Andrew Johnson. 1871 - Théodore Caruelle d'Aligny French painter/etcher, dies at age 73. 1872 - Birth of John Jarvis England, swimmer (won 108 titles). 1874 - Anselmo Clave composer, dies at age 49. 1874 - Birth of Honus Wagner Hall Of Fame shortstop (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1900-17). 1876 - Birth of Jean Poveigh composer. 1876 - Birth of Victor Moore Hammonton New Jersey, comedian (Ziegfeld Follies, 7 Year Itch). 1876 - Henrik Ibsen's "Peer Gynt" premieres in Oslo. 1876 - Jan Pieter Heije Dutch physician/writer/poet, dies at age 67. 1877 - Birth of Rudolf Ganz composer. 1879 - Birth of Herman Teirlinck Belgian writer (Sun). 1881 - De Lesseps' Company begins work on Panamá Canal. 1885 - Birth of Admiral Chester Nimitz US Admiral (commanded Pacific fleet in WWII). 1885 - Birth of Bert Lytell New York City, New York; actor (Henry-One Man's Family). 1885 - Birth of Joseph Sprinzak Speaker of Israeli Knesset (1949-59). 1885 - Birth of Juliusz Kaden-Bandrowski Polish novelist/satirist (Black Wings). 1885 - In the North Pacific, the crew of the barque Innerwich en route from Japan to Vancouver, witnesses the sky turning fiery red, falling into the sea 50 yards away with a blast and hissing sound. Then a wave of white foam passes under the ship. 1887 - Birth of Mary Ellen Chase US linguistic/author (White Gate). 1888 - Louisville Kentucky becomes first government in US to adopt Australian ballot. 1890 - Birth of Antonio Massana composer. 1890 - Birth of Marjorie Main [Tomlinson], Action Indiana, actress (Another Thin Man). 1891 - French troops under Captain Archinard occupy Diéna West Sudan. 1892 - In Imperial Valley, California, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurs. At the old Carrizo station in San Diego County, all adobe buildings were destroyed. 1894 - Nicaragua captures Tegucigalpa, Honduras (National Day, sort of). 1895 - Cuban war of independence begins. 1895 - Ignaz Lachner composer, dies at age 87. 1896 - Victoria all out for 43 versus South Australia, Jones 6-15 Jarvis 4-27. 1898 - Birth of Kurt Tank German WWII aircraft designer. 1899 - Birth of Jacob Presser; Dutch historian/writer (Down-fall). 1902 - Battle at Yzer Spruit: Boer General De la Rey beats British. 1903 - US signs agreement acquiring a naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 1905 - Simplon tunnel in Switzerland is completed. 1906 - Birth of Alexis Curvers; Belgian author (Tempo di Roma, Bourg-le-Rond). 1909 - Birth of August William Derleth in Sauk City, Wisconsin, USA; writer (Judge Peck Mysteries). 1909 - Birth of Max Black; Dutch/British/US philosopher (analytical philosophy). 1914 - Birth of Zachary Scott in Austin, Texas, USA; actor (Spotlight Playhouse, Mildred Pierce). 1917 - Birth of William Fairbank in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; physicist (superconductivity). 1917 - German plan to get Mexican help in Great War is exposed (Zimmerman telegram). 1917 - Boston Red Sox sell Smokey Joe Wood, his pitching arm dead at age 26, to Cleveland Indians for $15,000. 1917 - Russian revolution breaks out. 1918 - Estonia declares independence from Russia. 1920 - Birth of Frank Rogers; CEO (NPA Telegraph). 1920 - NSDAP begins at Hofbräuhaus, Münich, Germany. 1920 - Peace treaty gives Estonia independence. 1921 - First US transcontinental flight in 24 hours flying time arrives in Florida. 1921 - Birth of Abe Vigoda in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Barney Miller, Fish). 1921 - Birth of Douglass Watson in Jackson, Georgia, USA; actor (Satan Murders, Another World). 1922 - Alfred Espinas French, sociologist (Sociétes Animales), dies at age 77. 1922 - Birth of Kanwar Rai Singh; cricket player (batted at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Test for India 1948). 1922 - Birth of Steven Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA; actor (Goddess, Raw Deal, Yentl, Law and Order). 1923 - Mass arrests in US of Mafia. 1924 - Birth of Lionel Dakers; director (Royal School of Church Music). 1924 - Birth of William Pillar; British Admiral. 1924 - Edmond Picard, French/Belgian writer (Ambidextre journalist), dies at age 87. 1924 - Greek parliament proclaims republic. 1924 - Johnny Weissmuller swims 100-metre record (57.4 seconds). 1924 - Mahatma Gandhi is released from jail. 1925 - Thermite explosive first used to break up ice jam, Waddington, New York, USA. 1926 - Eddie Plank, pitcher (won 327 games in 17 years), dies at age 51. 1928 - Birth of Al Lettieri in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Deadly Kiss, Pulp, Mr Majestyk, Getaway). 1928 - Birth of Michael Harrington in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; socialist/author (Fragments of Century). 1928 - Birth of Paul B Elvström in Denmark; yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1948, 1952, 1956, 1960). 1929 - Birth of David Houston; Major-General/Lord Lieutenant of Sutherland. 1929 - Birth of Richard B Shull in Evanston, Illinois, USA; actor (Diana, Holmes and Yo-Yo). 1930 - Birth of Barbara Lawrence in Carnegie, Oklahoma, USA; actress (Joe Dakota). 1930 - Jacobus van Looy, Dutch writer/painter (Night Cactus), dies at age 74. 1931 - Birth of Brian Close; British cricket player (played for England between 1949 and 1976). 1931 - Birth of Maezumi Hakuyu Taizan Koun; teacher Rinzai/Soto lines of Zen Buddhism. 1932 - Birth of Andrew Jacobs Jr; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Indiana, 1965-73, 1975-). 1932 - Birth of Everard Goodman; English real estate developer (TOPS Estates). 1932 - Birth of John Vernon in Canada; actor (Animal House, Chained Heat, Dirty Harry). 1932 - Birth of Michel Legrand; composer (Summer of '42, Windmills of Your Mind). 1932 - Malcolm Campbell drives record speed (253.96 mph) at Daytona. 1933 - Final demonstration of German communist party in Berlin. 1933 - League of Nations tells Japanese to pull out of Manchuria. 1933 - In Stratford, Texas, a bright fireball is seen in the sky, falling as a 4-pound metallic meteorite. 1933 - Spottiswoode Aitken, actor (Eagle, Home Sweet Home), dies at age 64. 1934 - Birth of Bettino Craxi; Italy's first socialist premier (1983-87). 1934 - Birth of Flemming Nielsen in Denmark; soccer player (Olympics-silver-1960). 1934 - Birth of Frank Chapot; American equestrian (Olympics-silver-1960, 1972). 1934 - Birth of Linda Cristal in Buenos Aires, Argentina; actress (Victoria - High Chapparal). 1934 - Birth of Renata Scotto in Savona, Italy; soprano (Violetta - La Traviata). 1937 - First US group hospital-medical cooperative authorized, Washington DC. 1937 - Birth of Jerry Wiggin; British Member of Parliament. 1938 - Birth of James Farentino in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Dead and Buried, Final Countdown). 1938 - Birth of Kathleen Richardson; president (Methodist Conference). 1938 - Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles. 1939 - Birth of George Bain; principal (London Business School). 1940 - Birth of Jimmy Ellis; WBA heavyweight boxing champion (1968-70). 1940 - Birth of Theo Bosch; Dutch humanist/architect (Nieuwmarkt Amsterdam). 1941 - 43 Geuzen resistance fighter trial opens in The Hague. 1941 - Anti-Nazi meeting at Noordermarkt, Amsterdam. 1941 - Oskar Loerke, German film director (The Longest Day - 1926), dies at age 56. 1942 - Birth of David K Williamson; Australian screenplay/playwright (Removalists). 1942 - Birth of Joe Lieberman; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Connecticut). 1942 - Birth of Paul Jones in England; rocker (Manfred Mann - "Mighty Quinn"). 1942 - Voice of America begins broadcasting (in German). 1943 - Texas League announces it will quit for the duration of WWII. 1944 - Argentina coup by Juan Peron, minister of war. 1944 - Birth of Nicky Hopkins; rock pianist (The Rolling Stones - "Ruby Tuesday", Jeff Beck, Quicksilver). 1944 - Birth of Sheila Larkin in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actress (Deborah - Storefront Lawyer). 1944 - Leo Hendrick A Baekeland, Belgian/US chemist (Bakelite), dies at age 80. 1945 - Ahmed Maher Pasha, Egypt's Prime Minister, assassinated in parliament. 1945 - Birth of Alain Prost in France; Formula One race driver (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993) and team owner. 1945 - Egypt and Syria declare war on Germany. 1945 - Manila freed from Japanese. 1946 - Birth of Anthony Mayer; chief executive (Housing Corporation). 1946 - Birth of Barry Bostwick in San Mateo, California, USA; actor (Spin City, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Lexx, Megaforce, Movie Movie, Scruples, Foul Play). 1946 - Birth of Jenny O'Hara in Sonora, California, USA; actress (Wishmaster, Facts of Life, My Sister Sam). 1946 - Birth of Michael Radford; director (1984, White Mischief). 1946 - Juan Peron elected President of Argentina. 1947 - Birth of Edward James in Olmos, California, USA; actor (Miami Vice, Stand and Deliver, Triumph). 1947 - Birth of Lonnie Turner; bassist/vocalist (Steve Miller Band - "Abracadabra"). 1947 - Birth of Rupert Holmes in Tenafly, New Jersey, USA; singer (Piña Colada song). 1948 - Birth of Dennis "Minder" Waterman in London, England; actor (Fair Exchange). 1949 - Birth of John Lever; cricket player (England lefty quick in 21 Tests 1976-81). 1949 - Israel and Egypt sign an armistice agreement. 1949 - V-2/WAC-Corporal first rocket to outer space, White Sands, New Mexico, 400km. 1950 - Birth of G J M Gazdar; computational linguist. 1950 - Labour wins British parliamentary election. 1951 - Birth of Derek Randall; cricket player (England batsman and animated cover fieldsman). 1951 - Birth of Helen Shaver in Ontario, Canada; actress (WIOU, Praise of Older Women). 1951 - Ice Pairs Championship at Milan won by Ria Baran and Paul Falk of Germany. 1951 - Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Milan won by Jeanette Altwegg of Great Britain. 1951 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Milan won by Richard Button (USA). 1952 - Betty MacKinnon and Sam Snead win LPGA Orlando Mixed Golf Tournament. 1952 - Birth of Tom Burleson in USA; basketball (Olympics-silver-1972) tallest Olympian - 7 feet 4 inches. 1953 - [Karl R] Gerd von Rundstedt, General-field marshal (Normandy, Ardennes), dies at age 77. 1954 - Birth of Sid Meier in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; creator of Civilization computer games, Pirates, and Railroad Tycoon. 1955 - Silk Stockings opens at Imperial Theater in New York City for 461 performances. 1955 - Birth of Bob Abrams in Ohio, USA; rocker (Buckinghams). 1955 - Birth of Steven Paul Jobs; cofounder of Apple Computer, founder of NeXT Computer. 1956 - Birth of Eddie Murray in Los Angeles, California, USA; first baseman (Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians). 1957 - Birth of Phil McConkey; NFL wide receiver (New York Giants). 1958 - Birth of Sammy Kershaw in Kaplan, Louisiana, USA; country vocalist (Cadillac Style). 1958 - Birth of Susan Scannell in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA; actress (Nicole - Dynasty). 1958 - Fernand Baldensperger [Fernand Baldenne], French poet, dies at age 86. 1959 - Birth of Beth Broderick in Falmouth, Kentucky, USA; actress (Aunt Zelda - Sabrina). 1959 - Birth of Michael Roy Whitney; cricket player (great New South Wales and Aussie lefty quick 1981-92). 1960 - Italian government of Segni falls. 1960 - US beats Germany in Olympics hockey finals round, 9-1. 1961 - Birth of Janice Gibson in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; LPGA golfer (1994 Youngstown-Warren-15th). 1961 - Birth of Persijn "Dakota" Joling; Dutch rock guitarist/singer (Pilgrims - "Red"). 1961 - Birth of Ruud Really; soccer player (Feyenoord). 1961 - Explorer 10 fails to reach Earth orbit. 1961 - Léon Jeunehomme, Belgian teacher (Pédagogie en Cours), dies at age 77. 1962 - General mobilization in Indonesia over New-Guinea. 1962 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1963 - Birth of Fuad Reveiz; NFL kicker (Minnesota Vikings). 1963 - Birth of Matias Carrillo; Mexican/US baseball outfielder (Florida Marlins). 1964 - Alexander Archipenko, Ukrainian sculptor/water colors painter, dies at age 76. 1964 - Frank Conroy, actor (Midnight Mary, Threat), dies at age 73. 1965 - Birth of Paul Gruber; NFL tackle (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1965 - East German President Ulbricht visits Egypt. 1966 - Birth of Billy Zane; actor (Orlando, Memphis Belle, Millions, Titanic). 1966 - Birth of Rene Arocha; Cuban/American baseball pitcher (Saint Louis Cardinals). 1966 - Coup ousts President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. 1966 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1967 - Franz Waxman, German composer (Day at the races), dies at age 60. 1968 - First pulsar discovered (CP 1919 by Jocelyn Burnell at Cambridge). 1968 - Birth of John Velddman; soccer player (Sparta). 1968 - Birth of Kendall Cross in Hardin, Montana, USA; 125.5 pounds freestyle wrestler (Olympics-gold-1992, 1996). 1968 - Birth of Vaughn Booker; NFL defensive end (Kansas City Chiefs). 1968 - US troops reconquer Hue, Vietnam. 1969 - Kenneth Green, actor (Penrod), dies of heart attack at age 61. 1970 - 29 Swiss Army officers die in avalanche (Reckingen, Switzerland). 1970 - Birth of Jeff Garcia; Canadian Football League quarterback (Calgary Stampeders). 1970 - Birth of Jonathan Ward in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; actor (Doug - Charles in Charge, Beans Baxter). 1970 - Birth of Wilson Alvarez in Maracaibo, Venezuela; pitcher (Chicago White Sox). 1970 - Conrad Nagel, actor (Celebrity Time), dies at age 73. 1970 - Heintje Simons (14) wins 7 gold records. 1971 - Algeria nationalizes French oil companies. 1971 - Birth of Aki Rahunen in Finland; tennis star. 1971 - Birth of Brian Savage in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Montreal Canadiens). 1972 - Birth of Larry Amar in Camarillo, California, USA; field hockey midfielder/captain (Olympics-1996). 1972 - Birth of Manon Rheaume in Lac Beauport, Québec, Canada; first female NHL player (Tampa Bay Lightning). 1972 - Birth of Patricia Regan Leines in Medford, Oregon, USA; Miss Oregon-America (1996-third). 1972 - Birth of Ron Davis NFL; cornerback (Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31). 1973 - Art Smith, actor (Quicksand), dies of heart attack at age 73. 1973 - Birth of Alexei Kovalev in Moscow, Russia; NHL right wing (New York Rangers). 1973 - Birth of Harold Morrow; full back (Minnesota Vikings). 1973 - Birth of James Michael Kennedy in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; rocker (For Fun-Unbelievable Fun Boys). 1973 - Birth of Kavis Reed; Canadian Football League defensive back (Edmonton Eskimos). 1973 - Birth of Oscar de la Hoya; boxer. 1974 - Atje Keulen-Deelstra becomes world champion all-round skater. 1974 - Birth of Jeremy Laster in Fullerton, California, USA; water polo driver (Olympics-1996). 1974 - Birth of Simeon Rice; defensive end (Arizona Cardinals). 1974 - Pakistan officially recognizes Bangladesh. 1975 - Nikolai A Bulganin, marshal/premier of USSR (1955-58), dies at age 79. 1976 - Cuba adopts its constitution. 1976 - H Allen Smith, TV host (Armchair Detective), dies at age 68. 1976 - Julian Rivero, actor (Via Pony Express), dies at age 85. 1976 - Leonid Brezhnev opens 25th congress of CPSU. 1977 - Birth of Alexis Jose Grullon in New York City, New York; singer (Menudo-Cannonball). 1977 - Birth of Floyd Mayweather in Grand Rapids, Michigan; featherweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-1996). 1977 - US President Jimmy Carter announces US foreign aid will consider human rights. 1978 - Birth of Louise Woodward in Elton, England; nanny who killed Matthew Eappen. 1978 - Kevin Porter, New Jersey Nets, sets NBA record with 29 assists in a game. 1979 - Highest price ever paid for a pig, US$42,500, in Stamford, Texas. 1979 - War between North and South Yemen begins. 1980 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA Bent Tree Golf Classic. 1980 - New York Rangers score five power-play goals against New York Islanders. 1980 - USA Olympic hockey team beats Finland (4-2) and wins gold medal. 1980 - Death of Clement Martyn Doke, South African linguist. 1980 - Birth of Emma Johnson; Australian swimmer. 1981 - Britain's Prince Charles announces engagement to Lady Diana Spencer. 1981 - Jean Harris is convicted of murdering Scarsdale Diet doctor Tarnower. 1981 - In Greece, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. Sixteen people killed, more than 400 injured, and considerable damage in the Athens-Corinth area. 1981 - Birth of Lleyton Hewitt; Australian tennis player. 1982 - 24th Grammy Awards: "Betty Davis Eyes", Double Fantasy win. 1982 - Virginia Bruce, actress (Born to Dance, Great Ziegfield), dies at age 71. 1982 - In South Africa, 22 National Party Members of Parliament led by Andries Treurnicht vote for no confidence in P. W. Botha. 1982 - Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers scores his 77th goal of the National Hockey League season, breaking the previous record of 76. 1983 - USSR performs underground nuclear test. 1983 - A special commission of the Congress of the United States releases a report critical of the practice of Japanese internment during World War II. 1983 - Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 1100 mark for first time. 1984 - Iraq resumes air attack on Iran. 1985 - Amy Alcott wins LPGA Circle K Golf Open Tucson. 1985 - Birendra, Bir Bikram Shah Dev crowned King of Nepal. 1985 - Jim Kelly (Houston USFL) passes for pro football record 574 yards. 1986 - Texas Air buys Eastern Airlines for US$676 million. 1986 - Voyager 2, first Uranus fly-by. 1986 - Death of Tommy Douglas, Canadian politician and "Father of Medicare" in Canada (born 1904). 1987 - Birth of Mayuko Iwasa; Japanese entertainer and model. 1987 - Birth of Daniel Reilly; British entrepreneur. 1987 - 29th Grammy Awards: "Higher Love", Graceland, Bruce Hornsby win. 1987 - Los Angeles Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores his 36,000th NBA point. 1988 - Irwan Chanin, US theater builder, dies at age 96. 1988 - Matti Nykanen becomes winter Olympics first triple gold medalist. 1988 - South African apartheid regime bans the United Democratic Front. 1988 - The Supreme Court of the United States sides with Hustler magazine (voting 8-0) by overturning a lower court decision to award Jerry Falwell US$200,000 for defamation. 1989 - Birth of Kosta Koufos, American-Greek basketball player. 1989 - 150-million-year-old fossil egg (oldest dinosaur embryo) found. 1989 - Harold E Ballard sells Canadian Football League team Hamilton Tiger-Cats to David Braley. 1989 - United Airlines Flight 811, a Boeing 747 bound to New Zealand from Honolulu, Hawaii, rips open during flight, sucking nine passengers and crew out of the first class section. 1989 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1989 - After 44 years, the Estonian flag is raised to the Pikk Hermann castle tower. 1989 - Death of Sparky Adams, American baseball player (born 1894). 1990 - Beth Daniel wins LPGA Orix Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1990 - Johnnie Ray, singer (Cry), dies of liver failure at age 61. 1990 - Malcolm Forbes, CEO (Forbes Publishing), dies of a heart attack at age 70 (born 1919). 1990 - Sandro Pertini, President of Italy (1978, 1985), dies at age 93. 1990 - Tony Conigliaro, American baseball player (Boston Red Sox), dies in Salem, Massachusetts at age 45 of pneumonia and kidney failure. 1991 - End of World League of American Football's (WLAF) first draft. 1991 - George Gobel of Chicago, Illinois, American comedian (George Gobel Show), dies after surgery at age 71 (born 1919). 1991 - Jean Rogers, actress (Flash Gordon, Hot Cargo), dies at age 74. 1991 - US and allies begin a ground war assault on Iraqi troops in Kuwait. 1991 - Webb Pierce, American country singer ("Bye Bye Love"), dies of cancer at age 64. 1991 - Death of John Charles Daly, South African-born journalist and game show host (born 1914). 1993 - 35th Grammy Awards: "Tears in Heaven" - Eric Clapton wins. 1993 - Bobby Moore, English soccer team captain (World champions 1966), dies (born 1941). 1993 - Yukihiro Matsumoto creates the Ruby computer programming language. 1994 - Dinah Shore, American singer (Chevrolet), dies of cancer at age 76 (born 1916). 1994 - Donald Phillips, pianist/composer, dies at age 80. 1994 - Jean Sablon, French singer, dies at age 87 (born 1906). 1994 - Knut Anders Haukfield, SOE Operative, dies at age 83. 1994 - Lores Bonney, aviator, dies at age 96. 1994 - Scoreboard is unveiled at new Cleveland Indians' park (Jacobs Field). 1995 - Richard Nicholson, musician, dies at age 89. 1996 - Anna Larina, revolutionary, dies at age 82. 1996 - Cuba downs two US planes. 1996 - Gene Mitchell, museum director, dies on 70th birthday. 1996 - James Runcieman Sutherland, academic, dies at age 95. 1996 - Laurence Richard Deniz, jazz guitarist, dies at age 71. 1996 - Meg Mallon wins LPGA Cup o' Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open. 1997 - Deng Xiaoping, leader of China, cremated (died February 19th). 1997 - Isabelle Harriet Lucas, actress/singer (Outland, Comics), dies at age 69. 1997 - South Africa announces it is constructing largest modern day blimp. 1998 - Musician Elton John knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. 1998 - Death of Henny Youngman, English-born comedian, at age 92 (born 1906). 1998 - NHL resumes season since February 8th to accommodate the Olympics. 1998 - Hustler publisher Larry Flynt is acquitted on charges of defaming Jerry Falwell. 1998 - A man tries to hijack a Turkish Airlines passenger plane, claiming that he has a bomb in his teddy bear; passengers disapprove and apprehend him. 1999 - Death of Andre Dubus, American short-story writer (born 1936). 1999 - Death of Virginia Foster Durr, American civil rights activist (born 1903). 2001 - Death of Claude Elwood Shannon, American mathematician (born 1916). 2002 - Death of Leo Ornstein, American composer and pianist (born 1892). 2003 - Dutch Royal Ahold, world's third-biggest food retailer, announces the resignation of CEO Cees van der Hoeven and the financial director, after finding it had overstated profits by 463 million euros (US$500 million) in the past two years. The company's market value drops during the day by 63 percent, to 3.3 billion euros, ten percent of its worth in late 2001. 2003 - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles sells a 1943-D copper Lincoln cent graded MS-64 by PCGS for US$212,750, a record for any small cent. 2003 - Death of Albert R. Hibbs, retired space scientist with the US Jet Propulsion Laboratory, of complications following heart surgery, at age 78. 2003 - Death of Bernard Daniel Jacques Loiseau, French chef, at age 52. Loiseah ran the La Côte d'Or restaurant in Saulieu, France. 2004 - Death of John Randolph, American actor (born 1915). 2004 - A 6.5 Richter scale earthquake in Northern Morocco hits in the Rif mountains near the city of Al Hoceima, killing 400. Ait Kamara is destroyed; 517 are killed. 2005 - David Hernandez Arroyo goes on a shooting rampage at the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas. He kills two, including his ex-wife, and wounds four others before being killed in a police chase. 2006 - A state of emergency is declared in the Philippines, after an alleged coup d'état against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is foiled. 2006 - Death of Don Knotts, American actor (born 1924). 2006 - Death of Dennis Weaver, American actor (born 1924). 2007 - Death of Damien Nash, American football player (born 1982). 2007 - Death of Bruce Bennett, American actor (born 1906). 2008 - A man in Yorkshire, England, wins 1 million pounds on a 50 pence bet on horse racing, by selecting all eight winners of races throughout the country. 2008 - In Cyprus, Demetris Christofias of the Communist Akel party wins the presidential election with 53.4 percent of votes. 2008 - In Cuba, Raúl Castro is formally designated to succeed brother Fidel Castro as head of the Council of State. 2008 - Electronic Arts video game company makes a hostile bid of US$2 billion for Take-Two. 2008 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds its 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. Some Oscar trophy winners are: Best Movie: No Country For Old Men, Best Director: No Country For Old Men, Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country For Old Men, Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men, Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton, Best Actress: Marion Cotillard in La Vie En Rose, Best Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters, Best Animated Film: Ratatouille, Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody for Juno, Best Original Song: "Falling Slowly" by Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard, in Once. 2009 - Henri Matisse' Cowslips on blue and pink cloth painting sells for a record 32 million euros at auction in Paris, France. A sculpture by Romanian artist Constantin Brancusi sells for a record 29 million euros. A chair designed by Eileen Grey of two wooden dragons supporting a leather seat and back sells for US$28.3 million, a record price for a piece of furniture.         Your Ad Here         You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://thisdayinhistoryinfo.info/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events) Or, visit my Timelines of History page. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History Today in Sports History Today in USA History Today in Disney History Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Computers