This Day in History
February 26

What happened in history on this day: February 26? On February 26 in ... 1154 - Rogier II Guiscard King of Sicily (1101-54), dies at age 60. 1266 - Battle of Benevento. 1266 - Manfred bastard son of Emperor Frederik II/king of Sicily, dies. 1324 - Dino Compagni Italian silk seller/poet/chronicler, dies. 1361 - Birth of Wenceslas in Nürnberg, Germany; German King, King of Bohemia, Holy Roman Catholic German enperor. 1531 - Earthquake in Lisbon Portugal, kills 20,000. 1534 - Pope Paul II affirms George van Egmond as bishop of Utrecht. 1538 - Worp van Thabor Frisian abbott of Thabor (Chronicon Frisiae), dies. 1564 - Christopher Marlowe, dramatist (Dr Faustus), baptized in Canterbury, England. 1577 - Erik XIV Wasa King of Sweden (1560-69), dies at age 43. 1588 - Birth of Nicolaus Erich composer. 1590 - Mauritius of Nassaus sails to Breda. 1616 - Spanish Inquisition delivers injunction to Galileo. 1630 - William Brade composer, dies. 1658 - Denmark signs peace with Sweden at Roskilde, giving up Skåne, Blekinge, Bohuslän, island of Bornholm, and province of Trondheim in central Norway. 1675 - Birth of Guillaume Delisle Paris France, geographer (Atlas Géographique). 1675 - Birth of Johann Philipp Treiber composer. 1677 - Birth of Nicola Fago composer. 1686 - Birth of Godefroi L Count d'Estrades French diplomat. 1686 - Godefroi L Earl d'estrades French diplomat/marshal, dies at about age 78. 1717 - Birth of John Randall composer. 1726 - Maximilian II M Emanuel elect of Bavaria/governor of Netherlands, dies. 1732 - First mass celebrated in American Catholic church, (Saint Joseph's Church, Philadelphia). 1766 - August Bernhard Valentin Herbing composer, dies at age 30. 1770 - Birth of Antoine Reicha composer. 1770 - François Hanot composer, dies at age 72. 1770 - Giuseppe Tartini Italian composer/violinist, dies at age 77. 1772 - Birth of Caspar Furstenau composer. 1773 - Construction authorized for Walnut Steet jail (Philadelphia) (first solitary). 1797 - Bank of England issues first £1-note. 1802 - Birth of Victor Hugo in France; author (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables). 1804 - Vice-Admiral William Bligh ends siege of Fort Amsterdam, Willemstad. 1808 - Birth of Honoré Daumier France, painter/lithographer/caricaturist. 1810 - Johann Ernst Rembt composer, dies at age 60. 1813 - Robert R Livingston US diplomat (Declaration of Independence), dies at age 66. 1815 - Napoleon and 1,200 leave Elba to start 100-day re-conquest of France. 1823 - John P Kemble English actor/director (Covent Garden), dies at age 66. 1824 - Birth of Carlos Calvo Argentine diplomat/people rights scholar (Calvo Clause). 1825 - Birth of Hans Balatka composer. 1827 - David Moritz Michael composer, dies at age 75. 1829 - Levi Strauss is born (dies 1902). 1831 - Birth of Filippo Marchetti composer. 1832 - Birth of John George Nicolay US, author (Abe Lincoln's biographer). 1832 - Polish constitution abolished/replaced by Czar Nicholas I. 1834 - First US interstate crime compact (New York-New Jersey) ratified. 1834 - Birth of Aleksander Zarzycki composer. 1835 - Birth of Richard Andree German geographer (Andree's Handatlas). 1837 - Birth of Charles Woeste Belgian count/minister of Justice. 1838 - Birth of Wendelin Weissheimer composer. 1839 - Jem Mason on Lottery wins first Grand National Steeplechase (Britain). 1841 - Birth of Evelyn Baring Earl Cromer English Consul-General (Egypt). 1842 - Birth of Camille Flammarion Mars researcher and popularizer of astronomy. 1845 - Birth of Aleksander Rozycki composer. 1845 - Birth of Alexander III Saint Petersburg, Russian tsar (1881-94). 1846 - Birth of William F "Buffalo Bill" Cody in Davenport, Iowa; killed 4000 buffaloes. 1848 - Second French Republic forms. 1848 - Marx and Engels publish "The Communist Manifesto". 1852 - Birth of John Harvey Kellogg surgeon, inspired flaked cereal industry. 1852 - British frigate Birkenhead sinks off South Africa-458 die. 1857 - Birth of Emile Coué French pharmacist (recovery by auto suggestion). 1857 - Ole Andreas Lindeman composer, dies at age 88. 1859 - Ferdinand Lukas Schubert composer, dies at age 64. 1859 - Paul Morphy's chess match vs Augustus Mongredien begins; Morphy wins. 1861 - Birth of Ferdinand I Vienna, first tsar of modern Bulgaria (1908-18). 1862 - Battle of Woodburn, Kentucky. 1863 - Lincoln signs National Currency Act. 1866 - Birth of Herbert Henry Dow pioneer in US chemical industry (Dow Chemical). 1866 - New York Legislature establishes New York City Metropolitan Board of Health. 1867 - Birth of Siegfried Passarge German geographer (Cameroon/South Africa/America). 1868 - Birth of Leonard Borwick British pianist. 1869 - 15th Amendment guaranteeing right to vote sent to states. 1869 - Birth of Nadezjda K Krupskaja Russian revolutionary/wife of Lenin. 1869 - Franz Schubert's "4th Tragic" premieres. 1870 - First New York City subway line opens (pneumatic powered). 1870 - Wyatt Outlaw black leader of Union League in North Carolina, lynched. 1871 - Charles Niellon Belgian brigade general, dies at age 76. 1873 - Birth of Ewoud van Everdingen Dutch meteorologist. 1874 - Birth of Carl Vogler composer. 1875 - Birth of Emma Dunn actress (Dr Monica, Dr Kildare's Strange Case, Hideaway). 1875 - Birth of Richard Wetz composer. 1876 - Birth of Agustin P Justo y Rolon President of Argentina (1931-38). 1876 - Birth of Pauline Musters shortest known adult (58.9 cm, 1' 11.2"). 1877 - Birth of Carel S Adama van Scheltema Dutch poet/writer (socialism). 1877 - Birth of Russell Alexander composer. 1879 - Birth of Frank Bridge English violinist/composer/conductor/tutor of B Britten. 1881 - Natal British troops under General-Major Colley occupy Majuba Hill. 1881 - SS Ceylon begins first round-the-world cruise from Liverpool. 1882 - Birth of Walter Lucht German artillery general (WWI/WWII). 1883 - Birth of Erich R Jaensch German psychologist (eidetism). 1884 - Birth of Christina A A [Dina] Koudijs-van Appeldoorn pianist/composer. 1884 - Birth of Hildo Krop Dutch modernistic sculptor. 1884 - British and Portuguese treaty signed in Congo by Leopold II. 1885 - Birth of Lili Green [Alice Sally Mary], Netherlands/England dancer. 1885 - Congress of Berlin, gives Congo to Belgium and Nigeria to England. 1887 - Birth of Grover Cleveland Alexander HOF baseball pitcher (Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs). 1887 - Birth of Sir Benegal Narsing Rau India, president of United Nations Security Council (1950). 1887 - George Lohmann took first 8-wicket haul in Test Crickets, 8-35 at SCG. 1891 - First buffalo purchased for Golden Gate Park. 1891 - Birth of Alan Bridge Pennsylvania; actor (North of Arizona, Badmen of the Hills). 1891 - Henrik Ibsens "Hedda Gabler" premieres in Oslo. 1893 - Two Clydesdale horses set record by pulling 48 tons on a sledge, Michigan. 1893 - Birth of Ivor A "I A" Richards English poet/critic (Meaning of Meaning). 1893 - Birth of William Frawley Iowa; actor (Fred Mertz-I Love Lucy, Bub-My 3 Sons). 1893 - Einar Halvorsen skates world record 500 metre (48 seconds). 1895 - Michael Owens of Toledo Ohio patents a glass-blowing machine. 1896 - Birth of Andrei A Zjdanov Russian politician (against kosmopolitism). 1896 - Birth of Eduard Flipse Dutch conductor/composer. 1898 - Birth of Julien de Valckenaere Flemish writer. 1900 - Birth of Jean Negulesco Craiova Romania, director (Johnny Belinda, Jessica). 1901 - Chi-hsui during Boxer Rebellion in China, beheaded. 1902 - Birth of Rudolf Moralt German conductor (Vienna Philharmonic). 1902 - Birth of Vercors [Jean Bruller], French writer (Le Silence de la Mer). 1903 - Richard J Gatling US inventor (Gatling Gun), dies at age 84. 1906 - Birth of Madeleine Carroll English actress (The 39 Steps, Secret Agent). 1906 - Birth of Nikos Ghika artist. 1906 - Manuel Fernandez Caballero composer, dies at age 70. 1907 - Royal Oil and Shell merge to form British Petroleum (BP). 1907 - US Congress raised their own salaries to $7500. 1908 - Birth of Tex Avery (dies 1980); cartoon director (What's up, Doc?). 1909 - Birth of Phyllis Fanny Primrose-Pechey Cradock TV Chef. 1909 - Caran d'Ache [Emmanuel Poiré], French illustrator, dies. 1911 - Birth of Josef Smrkovsky Czechoslovakia Member of Parliament chairman. 1912 - Coal miners strike in England (settle on 03/01). 1913 - Birth of George G Barker English poet (Calamiterror, Anno Domini). 1913 - Birth of Hermann Lenz writer. 1913 - Birth of Jon Hall Fresno California; actor (Ramor of the Jungle). 1913 - Felix Draeseke composer, dies at age 77. 1914 - Birth of Robert Alda New York City, New York; actor (Dan Lewis- Supertrain, By Popular Demand). 1914 - Birth of Witold Rowicki composer. 1914 - New York Museum of Science and Industry incorporated. 1915 - Birth of Elisabeth Eybers South African/Dutch poetess (That Woman and Other Verses). 1915 - Birth of Pran Nath Chhuttani physician/teacher. 1915 - Malancourt, Argonnen - first (German) flame-thrower. 1916 - Birth of Jackie Gleason in Brooklyn, New York; comedian (Ralph Kramden - The Honeymooners). 1916 - Birth of Mordecai Seter composer. 1916 - Birth of Ross Gregory cricketer (Australian batsman 1936-37, died in WWII). 1916 - Germans sink French transport ship Provence II, killing 930. 1916 - Mutual signs Charlie Chaplin to a film contract. 1916 - Russian troops conquer Kermansjah Persia. 1917 - First Annual fair at Utrecht Harbor (Netherlands). 1917 - Birth of Robert Taft Jr (Senator-Republican-Ohio). 1918 - Birth of Edwin Charles "Preacher" Roe baseball pitcher (Brooklyn Dodgers). 1918 - Birth of Otis R Bowen US Secretary of Health and Human Services (1985-89). 1918 - Birth of Theodore [Hamilton] Sturgeon US, sci-fi author (Starshine, A Way Home, Hugo, Caviar). 1918 - Stands at Hong Kong Jockey Club collapse and burn, killing 604. 1919 - Acadia National Park established (as Lafayette National Park), Maine. 1919 - Birth of Beppie Nooij actress/director (Bluejackets-Rooie Sien). 1919 - Birth of Hendrika Mastenbroek 100 metre/400 metre freestyle swimmer (Olympics-gold-1936). 1919 - Birth of Luc-Andre Marcel composer. 1919 - Birth of Mason Adams New York City, New York; actor (Charlie Hume-Lou Grant, Deadliest Season). 1919 - US Congress established Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. 1920 - Birth of A W [Rie] Kuiper-Mastenbroek Netherlands, swimmer (Olympics-3 gold-1936). 1920 - Birth of Antony Kearey TV producer. 1920 - Birth of Tony Randall [Leonard Rosenberg] in Tulsa, Oklahoma; actor (Felix - Odd Couple, Love Sidney). 1920 - Ludwig Rubiner writer, dies at age 38. 1921 - Birth of Betty Hutton Battle Creek Michigan, actress (Greatest Show on Earth). 1921 - Carl Menger Austrian economist, dies at age 81. 1922 - Birth of Bill Johnston cricket pace bowler (mighty Australian lefty post-war). 1922 - Birth of Margaret Leighton Birmingham England, actress (Astonished Heart). 1923 - Italian nationalist and fascists merge (blue-shirts and black-shirts). 1924 - Birth of Mark Bucci New York City, New York, composer (1959 Arts and Letters Award). 1924 - Birth of Noboru Takeshita Japanese Prime Minister (1987-89). 1924 - Trial against Hitler in Munich begins. 1925 - Birth of Frank Henry Copplestone TV executive. 1925 - Birth of James Moody US, jazz saxophonist/orchestra leader. 1925 - Jihad-Saint war against Turkish government. 1926 - Birth of Arsene Souffriau composer. 1926 - Birth of Cynthia Stone Peoria Illinois, actress (That Wonderful Guy, Ad Libbers). 1926 - Birth of Konstantin P Feoktistov Voronezh, cosmonaut (Voskhod 1). 1926 - Dark Street in the Bronx renamed Lustre Street. 1926 - Frederik Pijper Dutch vicar/church historian (Monasteries), dies at age 67. 1926 - Peter Erasmus Lange-Muller composer, dies at age 75. 1927 - Birth of Donald Gramm Milwaukee Wisconsin, bass-baritone. 1927 - Birth of Tom Kennedy Louisville Kentucky, quiz host (You Don't Say, Name That Tune). 1928 - Birth of Aldonis Kalnins composer. 1928 - Birth of Anatoli Vassilyevich Filipchenko Russia, cosmonaut (Soyuz 7, 16). 1928 - Birth of Antoine "Fats" Domino in New Orleans, Louisiana; rhythm and blues pianist/singer ("Blueberry Hill"). 1928 - Birth of Everton Weekes West Indian cricket player (one of the three W's). 1929 - President Calvin Coolidge establishes Grand Teton National Park. 1930 - "The Green Pastures" opens at Mansfield Theater. 1930 - First red and green traffic lights installed (Manhattan New York City). 1930 - Birth of Lazar Berman Leningrad Russia, pianist (Budapest third place-1956). 1930 - Raffaele Merry del Val Spanish Cardinal, dies at age 64. 1930 - West Indies make first Test Cricket win, by 289 runs over England. 1931 - Birth of Francisco Kroepfl composer. 1931 - Birth of Robert D Novak Joliet Illinois, news reporter (CNN-Evans and Novak). 1931 - Otto Wallach German chemist (Nobel Prize 1910), dies at age 83. 1932 - Birth of Johnny Cash in Kingsland, Arkansas, USA (dies 2003); country singer ("I Walk The Line", "Folsom Prison Blues", "Boy Named Sue"). 1933 - Antonio Nicolau Spanish composer/conductor, dies at age 74. 1933 - Birth of Godfrey Cambridge New York City, New York; actor (Cotton comes to Harlem). 1933 - Birth of Sir James Goldsmith Paris France, financier/corporate raider (Referendum Party). 1933 - Golden Gate Bridge ground-breaking ceremony held at Crissy Field. 1933 - Marinus van der Lubbe kept overnight in a police cell. 1934 - Birth of Ron Gaunt cricketer (Australian fast bowler late 50s early 60s). 1935 - Germany began Luftwaffe operation, under Reichsmarshall H Goering. 1935 - New York Yankees release Babe Ruth, he signs with Boston Braves. 1935 - In England, British scientists make the first test of radio wave detection of air planes by short-wave transmitter tower and mobile radio receivers (RADAR). The test is a success. 1936 - Birth of Eduard Ivanovich Buinovski cosmonaut. 1936 - Birth of Manmohan Desai filmmaker. 1936 - Hitler introduces Ferdinand Porsche's "Volkswagen". 1936 - Military coup in Japan. 1937 - C Isherwood/WH Auden's "Ascent of F6" premieres in London. 1938 - First passenger ship equipped with radar. 1938 - Birth of Jack Knight Somerville Mississippi; actor (Mr Shamley-James at 15). 1938 - Rie Van Veen swims world record 200 metre free style (2:24.6). 1938 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Joan Tozzer. 1938 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee. 1939 - E Fernandez Arbós Spanish violinist/conductor/composer, dies at age 75. 1940 - US Air Defense Command established at Mitchell Field, Long Island New York. 1941 - Two fighters unable to continue slugfest, referee declares double KO. 1941 - Birth of Keith Thomson cricketer (batted in two Tests New Zealand vs India 1968). 1941 - Cowboys' Amateur Association of America organized (California). 1941 - Jan Keizer Zaanse February striker, shot to death. 1941 - Utrecht and Zaandam strike against raid on Jews. 1941 - Vichy-France makes religious education in school mandatory. 1942 - Birth of Adriaan van Dis author/TV-host (Nathan Sid, In Africa). 1942 - Birth of Joop van den Ende director (Alsmeer Studio). 1942 - German battle cruiser Gneisenau deactivated by bomb. 1942 - Radio Orange calls for March 1 day of prayer in Dutch Indies. 1942 - WWII Navy flier Don Mason sends message "Sighted sub sank same". 1942 - Werner Heisenberger informs Nazis about uranium project "Wunderwaffen". 1943 - Birth of Bill Duke actor (Bird on a Wire, Predator). 1943 - Birth of Bob "The Bear" Hite California, singer (Canned Heat-Going Up the Country). 1943 - Birth of Bob van Reeth Flemish architect. 1943 - Birth of Paul Cotton Los Angeles California, rocker (Poco). 1943 - German assault moves to Beja North Tunisia. 1944 - First female US navy captain, Sue Dauser of nurse corps, appointed. 1944 - Birth of Marilyn Michaels comedienne (ABC Comedy Hour). 1945 - Birth of Mitch Ryder rocker (Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels-Devil With the Blue Dress). 1945 - Very heavy bombing on Berlin by 8th US Air Force. 1946 - Two killed and 10 wounded in race riot in Columbia Tennessee. 1946 - Birth of Bobby "Bingo" Smith NBA star (Cleveland Cavaliers). 1946 - Birth of Phyllis Eisenstein US, sci-fi author (Sorcerer's Son, Born to Exile). 1947 - Ben Webster actor (Old Curiosity Shop), dies at age 82. 1947 - Birth of Sandi Shaw [Sandra Goodrich], Dagenham Essex England, rocker (Always Something There To Remind Me). 1948 - Birth of Priscilla Lopez Bronx New York, actress (In the Beginning, Kay O'Brien). 1949 - Birth of Emma Kirkby British soprano. 1949 - USAF plane began first nonstop around-the-world flight. 1950 - Birth of Jonathan Cain Chicago Illinois, rock guitarist/keyboardist (Journey, Bad English, Babys). 1950 - Harry Lauder (Maclennan) Scottish comic/singer, dies at about age 75. 1950 - Leonard Bernstein's "Age of Anxiety" premieres in New York City, New York. 1951 - Bread rationing in Czechoslovakia. 1952 - Netherlands-Indonesian Unity conference. 1952 - Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces that Britain has its own atomic bomb. 1953 - Allen W Dulles, promoted from deputy to 5th director of US Central Intelligence Agency. 1953 - Birth of Bree Walker news anchor (WNBC TV, KNBC TV). 1953 - Elisabeth "Ilse" Kuyper Dutch/US (opera)composer, dies. 1953 - Martinus Nijhoff Dutch poet/linguist (spelling), dies at age 58. 1954 - First typesetting machine (photo engraving) used, Quincy Massachusetts. 1954 - Birth of John Bolger actor (Captain Gabe McNamara-Another World). 1954 - Birth of Michael Bolton New Haven Connecticut, rock vocalist (How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, That's What Love Is All About). 1954 - Michigan Representative Ruth Thompson (Republican) introduces legislation to ban mailing "obscene, lewd, lascivious or filthy" phonograph (rock and roll) records. 1954 - William R Inge English theologist/philosopher, dies at age 93. 1955 - "Peter Pan" closes at Winter Garden Theater New York City after 149 performances. 1955 - First aviator to bail out at supersonic speed - G F Smith. 1956 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Sarasota Golf Open. 1956 - Herman Courtens Belgian baron/painter, dies at age 72. 1956 - Writers Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes meet at a party in Cambridge. 1957 - Birth of Connie Carpenter-Phinney in Madison, Wisconsin, USA; 79k cyclist (Olympics-gold-1984). 1957 - Birth of Keena Rothhammer; American 800-metre freestyle swimmer (Olympics-gold-1972). 1958 - Birth of Jeff Fithian; actor (Trevor Nash - Please Don't Eat the Daisies). 1958 - Birth of Joe Fithian; actor (Tracey Nash - Please Don't Eat the Daisies). 1958 - Birth of Susan J Helms in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Major USAF/astronaut (STS 54, 64, 78). 1960 - Aleksandar Belic, Swedish linguist, dies at age 83. 1960 - Soviet premier Khrushchev voices support for Indonesia. 1960 - USA's David Jenkins wins the Olympics Gold for men's figure skating. 1960 - Verne Gagne beats Doctor X in Omaha, Nebraska, to become NWA wrestling champion. 1961 - Birth of Sophie Winter; actress (She's a Good Fighter). 1961 - Karl Albiker, German sculptor (Problem of the Plastic), dies at age 83. 1961 - Mohammed V ibn Yusuf, sultan/King of Morocco, dies at age 51. 1962 - Birth of Sheila Cornell in Encino, Florida, USA; softball infielder (Olympics-gold-1996). 1962 - Carl Emil Theodor Ehrenberg, composer, dies at age 83. 1962 - US Supreme court disallows race separation on public transportation. 1962 - Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Philadelphia Warriors scores 67 points vs New York Jets. 1963 - Artturi A Leinonen, Finnish journalist/politician (Prophet), dies at age 74. 1965 - Birth of Alison Armitage in London, England; actress (Acapulco HEAT). 1965 - Birth of Donald Narcisse; Canadian Football League receiver (Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1965 - Birth of Matt Jackson in Birmingham, Michigan, USA; Canadian Tour golfer (1994 Payless). 1965 - Dutch Government of Marijnen falls. 1965 - Jimmie Lee Jackson, civil rights activist, dies of injuries. 1965 - West Germany ceases military aid to Tanzania. 1966 - The launch of AS-201 marks the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket. 1966 - Birth of Jennifer Grant; actress (Celeste - Beverly Hills 90210). 1966 - Birth of Wesley Walls; NFL tight end (Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints). 1966 - Minerva Urecal, actress (Peter Gunn, Adventures of Tugboat Annie), dies at age 71. 1967 - Birth of David Howard in Sarasota, Florida, USA; infielder (Kansas City Royals). 1967 - Birth of Roman Fortin; NFL center (Atlanta Falcons). 1967 - Birth of Scott Service; US baseball pitcher (Cincinnati Reds). 1967 - Harry McNaughton, comedian (It Pays to be Ignorant), dies at age 70. 1967 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1968 - Birth of Brendan Rogers; Canadian Football League linebacker (Toronto Argonauts). 1968 - Birth of Chris Green; NFL safety (Buffalo Bills). 1968 - Birth of J T Snow in Long Beach, California, USA; infielder (New York Yankees, California Angels). 1968 - Birth of Leif Rohlin in Vasteras, Sweden; NHL defenseman (Vancouver Canucks). 1968 - Birth of René Groen; soccer player (SC Heerenveen). 1968 - Clandestine Radio Voice of Iraqi People (Communist) final transmission. 1968 - Eric Feldary, actor (16 Fathoms Deep), dies of burns at age 55. 1969 - Birth of Brandon Wilson; US baseball infielder (Chicago White Sox). 1969 - Karl Jaspers, German psychiatrist/philosopher, dies at age 86. 1969 - Levi Eshkol [Sjkolnik], Israeli premier, dies. 1970 - National Public Radio incorporates as a non-profit corporation. 1970 - Birth of Ben Maruquin in Ventura, California, USA; field hockey sweeper (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Birth of Katie O'Neill in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Together We Stand). 1970 - Birth of Meeno Peluce in Amsterdam, Netherlands; actor (Bad News Bears). 1970 - Birth of Radka Zrubakova in Czechoslovakia; tennis star. 1970 - Birth of Sasha Danilovic; NBA guard (Miami Heat). 1970 - Ethel Leginska, composer, dies at age 83. 1971 - Birth of Erykah Badu; singer. 1971 - Birth of Rick Lyle; defensive end/defensive tackle (New York Jets). 1971 - Edward van der Merwe, cricket keeper (South Africa in two Tests in 1930s), dies. 1971 - Joseph Desire Fernandel, French actor/comedian (Death of Champion), dies of cancer at age 67. 1971 - Tullio Carminati, actor (Roman Holiday, Moulin Rouge), dies at age 76. 1972 - Birth of Clint McDaniel; NBA guard (Sacramento Kings). 1972 - Birth of Scott Turner; NFL cornerback/safety (Washington Redskins). 1972 - Slag heap dam collapses above Buffalo Creek, West Virginia, USA, kills 125. 1972 - Tom Manders, Dutch cabaret artist (Dorus), dies at age 50. 1973 - Birth of Jenny Thompson in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA; 400 metre freestyle (Olympics-gold-1992, 1996). 1973 - Birth of Marshall Faulk; NFL running back (Indianapolis Colts). 1973 - Mary Finney, actress (Honestly Celeste), dies at age 68. 1973 - Triple Crown horse Secretariat bought for a record US$5.7 million. 1974 - Birth of Ron Fox; soccer player (Willem II). 1974 - Gold hits record US$188 an ounce in Paris, France. 1975 - First televised kidney transplant (Today Show). 1975 - Birth of Cindy Werley in Allentown, Pennsylvania; field hockey forward/midfielder (Olympics-1996). 1975 - Birth of Mike Wilson Brampton; NHL defenseman (Buffalo Sabres). 1976 - Birth of Froso Spyrou; Miss Cyprus-Universe (1996). 1976 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1977 - First flight of Space Shuttle (atop a Boeing 747). 1977 - Birth of Tim Thomas; NBA forward (Philadelphia 76ers). 1977 - Bukka White, rocker, dies at age 43. 1977 - Maxime Jacob, composer, dies at age 71. 1978 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Bent Tree Golf Classic. 1979 - Last total eclipse of Sun in 20th century for continental USA. 1980 - R Hadlee scores Test Cricket century vs Roberts, Garner, Holding, Croft. 1980 - Birth of Júlio César da Silva e Souza; Brazilian footballer. 1980 - Egypt and Israel exchange ambassadors for the first time. 1981 - Three Anglican missionaries, detained in Iran since August 1980, are released. 1981 - Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars play most penalty-filled NHL game-406 minutes total. 1981 - FC Terborgh [Reijnier Flaes], lawyer/writer (Turkish War), dies at age 79. 1981 - French Train à Grande Vitesse averages 380 kph on trial run. 1981 - Howard Hanson, American composer/conductor (Nordic), dies at age 84 (born 1896). 1981 - Munabi, assistant to Ugandan President Obote, murdered. 1981 - Birth of Maria Sansone; American journalist and Internet personality. 1982 - Gabor Szabo, Hungarian jazz pianist (Perfect Circle), dies at age 45. 1982 - Test Cricket debut of Martin Crowe, vs Australia Wellington, run out 9. 1983 - Michael Jackson's Thriller album goes to #1 and stays #1 for 37 weeks. 1984 - Pak Awang (84) marries 80th spouse. 1984 - Reverend Jesse Jackson acknowledges that he called New York City "Hymietown". 1984 - Robert Penn Warren, Pulitzer Prize winner, named first US poet laureate. 1984 - Birth of Emmanuel Adebayor, Togoleise footballer. 1984 - Last US marines in multinational peace-keeping force in Lebanon leave Beirut. 1985 - Birth of Miki Fujimoto; Japanese singer. 1985 - 27th Grammy Awards: "What's Love Got to Do With It", Cyndi Lauper win. 1986 - Birth of Teresa Palmer; Australian actress and model. 1986 - Evert van Benthem wins 14th Frisian 11-Cities skating race (6:55:16). 1987 - First release of Beatles compact discs. 1987 - NASA launches GEOS-H. 1987 - NBA's Michael Jordan's 58 points is a Chicago Bulls' record. 1987 - The Tower Commission rebukes U.S. President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his National Security staff. 1987 - USSR resumes nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1987 - Washington Bullets block 20 Indiana Pacers shots tying NBA regulation game record. 1988 - Birth of David Williams, Australian footballer. 1988 - Christa Rotherburger (German Democratic Republic) skates ladies world record 1000 metre (1:17.65). 1989 - Jerome Robbins' Broadway opens at Imperial Theater in New York City for 634 performances. 1989 - Betsy King wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open/Helene Curtis Pro-Am. 1989 - California court throws out most of Margo Adams's US$12 million breach-of-contract suit against Boston Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs. 1989 - New York Yankees announce that Tom Seaver is their new TV sportscaster. 1989 - Death of Roy Eldridge, American musician (born 1911). 1990 - Cornell Gunther, US musician (Coasters, Poison Ivy), dies at age 53. 1990 - Leslie Ames, cricketer (47 Tests, 2434 runs 8 centuries), dies. 1990 - Maurine Stuart, Zen teacher (head of Cambridge Buddhist Association), dies. 1990 - Scott Jarvis, musician (Great Expectationa), dies. 1990 - USSR agrees to withdraw all 73,500 troops from Czechoslovakia by July, 1991. 1990 - The Sandinistas are defeated in the Nicaraguan elections. 1991 - Tim Berners-Lee introduces WorldWideWeb, the first web browser. 1991 - Asanka Gurusinha scores twin Test Cricket tons vs New Zealand (119 and 102). 1991 - Bill Veeck and Tony Lazzeri elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. 1991 - On Baghdad radio, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. Iraqi soldiers set fire to Kuwaiti oil fields as they retreat. 1991 - Kuwaiti resistance leaders declare they have control of their capital. 1991 - New York-New Jersey Knights (WLAF) players first come together. 1992 - Search and Destroy opens at Circle in Square Theater New York City for 46 performances. 1992 - Gerrit Schulte "Crazy Cyclist", Dutch 6-days bicyclist, dies at age 76. 1992 - Jean R Yawkey, baseball team owner (Boston Red Sox), dies of a stroke at age 83. 1993 - In New York City, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center goes off, killing six and injuring over 1,000. 1993 - Birth of Taylor Dooley, American actress. 1993 - 9th Soap Opera Digest Awards. 1993 - Allan Border beats Gavaskar's record for most Test Cricket runs 10,123. 1993 - Constance Ford, US actress (Another World, Burden Hunt), dies at age 64. 1993 - Fletcher Knebel, author (7 Days in May), commits suicide at age 81. 1993 - Mark Kolthoff, Dutch painter/photographer, dies at age 92. 1994 - Actor Dolph Lundgren (34) weds Anette Qviberg in Stockholm. 1994 - Avery Fisher, US audio manufacturer (first hi-fi), dies at age 87. 1994 - Birth of Creason Carbo Moss daughter of US actor Ronn Moss. 1994 - NHL's Saint Louis Blues beat Ottawa Senators 11-1. 1994 - William "Bill" M Hicks, American comedian, dies at age 32 (born 1961). 1995 - The United Kingdom's oldest investment banking firm, Barings Bank, collapses after securities broker Nick Leeson loses US$1.4 billion by speculating on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. 1996 - Daniel John Chapman Cunningham, physiologist, dies at age 76. 1996 - Silicon Graphics makes a cash tender offer of US$30 per share for 75% of Cray Research stock, for a total cost of US$576 million. The merger is expected to be completed by June. 1996 - Death of Mieczyslaw Weinberg, Polish composer (born 1919). 1997 - 39th Grammy Awards: Change the World Babyface, Beck and LeAnn Rimes win. 1997 - David Doyle, actor (Charlie's Angels), dies at age 67. 1997 - Giuseppe 'Nuccio' Bertone, car designer, dies at age 82. 1998 - Oprah Winfrey beats Texas cattlemen in beef trial. 1998 - Steven M Gluckstern completes sale of New York Islanders. 1998 - Total solar eclipse in Venezuela-Pacific Ocean (4 minutes 9 seconds). 1998 - Death of Theodore Schultz, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1902). 1999 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film The Other Sister to theaters in the USA. 1999 - Intel announces the 500 MHz Pentium III processor. The processor introduces 70 new Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE). 2000 - In the Mariana Islands, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. Felt strongly on Guam and Saipan. 2001 - Death of Stan Cullis, English footballer and manager (born 1915). 2002 - Death of Lawrence Tierney, American actor (born 1919). 2003 - An American businessman is admitted to the Vietnam France Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam with the first identified case of SARS. WHO doctor Carlo Urbani reports the unusual highly contagious disease to WHO. Both businessman and doctor later die of the disease. 2004 - The United States lifts a 23-year travel ban against Libya. 2004 - Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski is killed in a plane crash near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2004 - Death of Adolf Ehrnrooth, Finnish general (born 1905). 2005 - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak asks Parliament to amend the constitution to allow multi-candidate presidential elections before September 2005. 2005 - Jef Raskin dies. 2006 - The world's estimated population reaches 6.5 billion. 2007 - The International Court of Justice finds Serbia guilty of failing to prevent genocide in the Srebrenica massacre, but clears it of direct responsibility and complicity in the case. 2008 - Sotheby's reports 2007 sales of US$6.2 billion, a 51 percent increase above 2006. A record 748 works sold for over US$1 million each. 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