This Day in History
March 5

What happened in history on this day: March 5? On March 5 in ... 254 - Saint Lucius I dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope. 1179 - Third Lateran Council (11th ecumenical council) opens in Rome. 1198 - The Teutonic Knights are established as a military order in a ceremony at Acre in Palestine. 1291 - Sa'ad al'Da'ulah Jewish grand vizier of Persia, assassinated. 1324 - Birth of David II Bruce king of Scotland (1331-71). 1326 - Birth of Louis I [the Great] King of Hungary (1342-82), Poland (1370-82). 1461 - Henry VI is deposed by Duke of York during War of the Roses. 1496 - English King Henry VII hires John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) to explore. 1512 - Birth of Gerardus Mercator Rupelmonde (Belgium), geographer/mapmaker. 1528 - Utrecht Governor Maarten van Rossum plunders The Hague. 1558 - Smoking tobacco introduced in Europe by Francisco Fernandes. 1561 - Carlo Caraffa Italian cardinal, dies at age 41. 1574 - Birth of William Oughtred England, mathematician/inventor (slide rule). 1574 - Philip of Saint-Aldegonde Flemish viceroy Holland/Zealand/Utrecht, dies. 1576 - Don Luís de Requesens y Zuñiga viceroy of Netherlands (1573-76), dies at age 70. 1578 - Birth of Charles d'Albert duke of Luynes premier of France/Governor of Picardië. 1579 - Betuwe joins Union of Utrecht. 1585 - Birth of Johan Georg I elector of Saxon (1611-56) (Peace of Prague). 1605 - Clement VIII [Ippolito Aldofireini], Pope (1592-1605), dies at age 69. 1616 - Copernicus' "de Revolutionibus" placed on Catholic Forbidden index. 1623 - First American temperance law enacted, Virginia. 1637 - Birth of John van der Heyden Dutch painter/inventor (fire extinguisher). 1644 - Louise Juliana countess of Nassau, dies at age 73. 1651 - South Sea dike in Amsterdam breaks after storm. 1658 - Birth of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac French colonial governor of America. 1668 - Birth of Francesco Gasparini composer. 1684 - Emperor Leopold I, Poland and Venice sign Heilig Covenant of Linz. 1696 - Birth of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Venetian Rococo painter (Isaac's Sacrifice). 1732 - Joseph-François Salomon composer, dies at age 82. 1733 - Birth of Vincenzo Galeotti [Tomazelli], Italian dancer/choreographer. 1743 - First US religious journal, The Christian History, published, Boston. 1746 - Birth of Jacob Wallenberg Swedish writer/naval chaplain. 1746 - Jakobijnse troops leave Aberdeen. 1748 - Birth of William Shield composer. 1750 - First American Shakespearean production-"altered" Richard III, New York City, New York. 1750 - Birth of Jean B G d'Ansse de Villoison French classical (Apollonii Lexicon). 1751 - Birth of Jan Krtitel Kuchar composer. 1756 - Birth of Thomas Linley composer. 1760 - Princess Carolina marries General Charles Christian van Nassau-Weilburg. 1766 - Don Antonio de Ulloa takes possession of Louisiana Terr from French. 1770 - Blanche Kelso Bruce sworn in as a US Senator (Mississippi). 1770 - Boston Massacre, British troops kill five in crowd; Crispus Attackus becomes first black to die for American freedom. 1770 - Crispus Attuks slave, is first of five killed during Boston Massacre. 1774 - Birth of Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse composer. 1778 - Thomas A Arne English composer (Alfred, Rule Britannia), dies at age 67. 1783 - King Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski grants rights to Jews of Kovno. 1794 - Birth of Jacques Babinet French physicist/mathematician/astronomer. 1794 - Rámon de la Cruz Spanish playwright/translator, dies at age 62. 1795 - Amsterdam celebrates Revolution on the Dam; Square of Revolution. 1795 - Josef Reicha composer, dies at age 42. 1795 - Treaty of Basel-Prussia ends war with France. 1805 - Birth of Theodore Labarre composer. 1807 - First performance of Ludwig von Beethoven's 4th Symphony in B. 1817 - Birth of Austen H Layard British archaeologist/diplomat. 1820 - Dutch city of Leeuwarden forbids Jews to go to synagogues on Sundays. 1821 - Monroe is first President inaugurated on March 5th, because 4th was Sunday. 1824 - Birth of Elisha Harris US, physician/found American Public Health Association. 1824 - Birth of James Merritt Ives lithographer (Currier and Ives). 1825 - Birth of John Dunovant Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1864. 1825 - Birth of Joseph Albert German photographer (albertotype). 1827 - Alessandro Volta Italian physicist (made first battery), dies at age 82. 1828 - Birth of Johann Gungl composer. 1836 - Samuel Colt manufactures first pistol, 34-caliber "Texas" model. 1840 - Birth of Constance Fenimore Woolson Claremont New Hampshire, writer (Jupiter Lights). 1843 - Birth of William F Sudds composer. 1845 - Birth of Alfonse Hasselmans composer. 1845 - US Congress appropriates $30,000 to ship camels to western US. 1849 - Zachary Taylor sworn in as 12th President. 1850 - Birth of Daniel Brink Towner composer. 1852 - Birth of Lady Isabella Gregory Ireland, writer/playwright (Golden Apple). 1853 - Birth of Arthur W Foote Salem Massachusetts, organist/composer (Suite for Strings in E). 1853 - Birth of Howard Pyle illustrator/painter/author (King Stork). 1853 - Georg A Kestner German art collector/diplomat, dies at age 75. 1856 - Covent Garden Opera House destroyed in a fire. 1856 - Georgia becomes first state to regulate railroads. 1862 - Union troops under Brigadier-General Wright occupy Fernandina, Florida. 1864 - First track meet between Oxford and Cambridge. 1867 - Birth of Theodor Zöckler German theologist (Stanislauer Anstalten). 1868 - Arrigo Boito's opera "Mefistofele" premieres in Milan. 1868 - Birth of Prosper Poullet Belgian viscount/jurist/minister. 1868 - Stapler patented in England by C H Gould. 1868 - US Senate organizes to decide charges against President Andrew Johnson. 1869 - Birth of Michael von Faulhaber cardinal/archbishop of Munich. 1870 - Birth of [B] Franc[lin] Norris US, writer (McTeague, Octopus). 1871 - Birth of Maria do Carmo Geronimo Brazilian lives to be at least 126. 1872 - George Westinghouse Jr patents triple air brake for trains. 1873 - Marie-Alexis Castillon de Saint-Victor composer, dies at age 34. 1874 - Birth of Arthur van Schendel Dutch writer (The World a Dancing Party). 1874 - Birth of Henry Travers Berwick-Upon-Tweed Northumberland England; actor (Bells of Saint Mary's, High Sierra). 1876 - Marie-C-S de Flavigny Agoult [Daniel Stern], Fren author, dies at age 70. 1877 - Birth of Malcolm D Whitman tennis champion (US Open-1898). 1877 - Rutherford B Hayes inaugurated as 19th US President. 1879 - Birth of Walter Long actor (Moby Dick, Sheik, Sea Devils, Dragnet Patrol). 1886 - Birth of Paul Radmilovic England, swimmer (Olympics-3 gold-1908). 1887 - Birth of Heitor Villa-Lobos Rio de Janeiro Brazil, composer (Salon Waltz). 1888 - Birth of Friedrich Schnack German journalist/writer (Rosewood). 1889 - Birth of Frits Slomp [Frits de Rover], Dutch vicar/resistance fighter. 1891 - Birth of Harold Ogden "Chic" Johnson Chicago Illinois, comedian (Olsen and Johnson). 1893 - Birth of Emmett J Culligan founder of water treatment organization. 1893 - Hippolyte Taine French philosopher/historian, dies at age 64. 1893 - Richard Samuel Hughes composer, dies at age 37. 1894 - Birth of Henry Daniell London; actor (Camille, Philadelphia Story, Body Snatchers). 1894 - Seattle authorizes first municipal employment office in US. 1895 - Birth of Fritz Usinger German writer (Eternal Struggle). 1895 - Nikolai Leskow writer, dies at age 64. 1896 - Italian Governor of Eritrea, General Baldissera, reaches Massawa. 1896 - Italian premier Crispi resigns. 1897 - American Negro Academy forms. 1897 - Birth of Mei-ling Soong Madame Chiang Kai-shek. 1899 - First performance of Edward MacDowell's second Concerto in D. 1899 - Birth of Patrick Hadley composer. 1900 - American Hall of Fame is founded. 1900 - Birth of Ludwig Donath actor (Jolson Story, Jolson Sings Again). 1901 - Birth of Julian Przybos Polish poet (Sruby). 1903 - Birth of Lowell Peters Cleveland Tennessee, vocalist (Southernaires). 1903 - Definitive treaty for construction of Baghdad railway drawn. 1904 - Alfred von Waldersee Prussian field marshal/chief-staff, dies at age 71. 1905 - Birth of Gilroy Roberts US chief engraver (1948-64). 1907 - First radio broadcast of a musical composition aired. 1908 - First ascent of Mount Erebus, Antarctica. 1908 - Birth of Rex [Reginald Carey] Harrison Huyton Lancashire England; actor (My Fair Lady, Dr Doolittle). 1908 - Birth of Sophie Stewart Scotland, actress (As You Like It, Under the Red Robe). 1909 - Birth of Sutan Sjahrir premier of Indonesia (1945-47). 1910 - Ramon Inclan's "La Farsa Infantil de la Cabeza del Dragon" premieres. 1910 - Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers beat Ottawa Senators, 3-1. 1911 - Birth of Joseph Tomelty actor/playwright (Bedevilled, Moby Dick, Melba). 1912 - Spanish steamer "Principe de Asturias" sinks northeast of Spain, 500 die. 1913 - Birth of Yulian Grigor'yevich Kreyn composer. 1914 - Birth of Joan Sterndale-Bennett London England, actress (Those Fantastic Flying Fools). 1916 - Birth of Horace Ian Parrott composer. 1917 - First jazz recording for Victor Records released. 1917 - Birth of Joseph Stone lawyer. 1917 - Birth of Virginia Christine Stanton Iowa, actress (Tales of Wells Fargo). 1918 - Birth of Halsey S Colchester British SAS/spy (MI6)/priest. 1918 - Birth of Ranga Sohoni Indian cricketer (pace bowler of late 1940s average 101). 1919 - Jozef Surzynski composer, dies at age 67. 1919 - Louis Hirsch and Harold Atteridge's musical premieres in New York City, New York. 1920 - Birth of Delbert L Latta (Representative-Republican-Ohio, 1959-). 1920 - Birth of Leontine Kelly first black female bishop (Methodist). 1920 - Birth of Virginia Christine actress (Mrs Olson). 1921 - Birth of Berkley Bedell (Representative-Democrat-Iowa, 1975-). 1922 - "Nosferatu" premieres in Berlin. 1922 - Birth of Ebrahim Maka Indian cricket wicketkeeper (two Tests 1952). 1922 - Birth of James Noble Dallas Texas; actor (Governor Gatling-Benson). 1922 - Birth of Pier Paolo Pasolini Bologna Italy, director (Teorema, Pigsty). 1923 - Montana and Nevada become first states to enact old age pension laws. 1924 - Computing-Tabulating-Recording Corp becomes IBM. 1924 - Frank Carauna, becomes first to bowl two successive perfect 300 games. 1924 - King Hussein of Hedzjaz appoints himself kalief. 1927 - 1,000 US marines land in China to protect American property. 1927 - Birth of Jack [John Joseph Edward] Cassidy Richmond Hill New York; actor (Oscar/Jetman-He and She). 1928 - Karl Zuckmayer's "Der Hauptmann von Köpenick" premieres in Berlin. 1929 - Birth of Joan Shawlee Forest Hills New York, actress (Prehistoric Women). 1930 - Birth of Lorin Maazel Neuilly France, conductor (NBC Symphony Orchestra 1941). 1931 - Birth of Anthony Headges composer. 1931 - Birth of Barry Tuckwell Melbourne Australia, horn player (London Symphony Orchestra 1955-68). 1931 - Gandhi and British viceroy Lord Irwin sign pact. 1932 - Birth of Walter Charles Marshall scientist. 1932 - Takuma Dan Japanese baron/financier/industrial, murdered. 1933 - Birth of Arlen Dean Snyder Rice Kansas; actor (Trauma Center). 1933 - Birth of Norbert Linke composer. 1933 - Franklin Roosevelt proclaims 10-day bank holiday. 1933 - Germany's Nazi Party wins majority in parliament (43.9%-17.2M votes). 1934 - Birth of James B Sikking Los Angeles California; actor (Hill Street Blues, Star Trek 3, Doogie Howser). 1934 - Mother-in-law's day first celebrated (Amarillo Texas). 1935 - First premature baby health law in US (Chicago). 1935 - Birth of Malcolm J Anderson tennis champion (US Open-1957). 1935 - Birth of Philip K Chapman Melbourne Australia, astronaut (Apollo 14 support). 1936 - Birth of Dale Douglass Wewoka Oklahoma, PGA golfer (1970 Phoenix Open). 1936 - Birth of Dean Stockwell Hollywood California; actor (Quantum Leap, Blue Velvet). 1936 - Spitfire makes its first flight (Eastleigh Aerodrome in Southampton). 1936 - French Foreign Minister Pierre Flandin tells British Anthony Eden that France will not act alone in the event of German violation of the Rhineland Zone. 1937 - Birth of Stephen Fitz-Simon entrepreneur. 1938 - Birth of Fred "Hammer" Williamson Gary Indiana, NFL player (Chiefs)/actor (Julia). 1938 - Birth of Paul Evans singer/pedal guitarist (Damascus Road). 1939 - Birth of Charles Fuller US writer (Zooman, Soldier Story). 1939 - Birth of Samantha Eggar London England, actress (Collector, Dr Doolittle). 1939 - Birth of Terry Curry English multi-millionaire. 1940 - Birth of Mary Rose Oakar (Representative). 1940 - The Queen Elizabeth ocean liner arrives at New York, after secretly crossing the Atlantic, for safety away from England. 1940 - The Finland Government decides to accept peace terms of the Soviet Union. 1941 - Ludwig Quidde German historian/politician (Nobel Prize 1927), dies at age 82. 1942 - Birth of Michael D[iamond] Resnick sci-fi author (Sideshow, Eros Ascending). 1942 - Bosnia Tito establishes third Proletarit Brigade in Bosnia. 1942 - Dmitri Shostakovich's 7th Symphony, premieres in Siberia. 1942 - Japanese troop march into Batavia. 1943 - Anti fascist strikes in Italy. 1943 - (evening) British Air Chief Marshal Arthur Harris begins "The Battle of the Ruhr", with a major attack on Essen and its Krupps factories. About 438 bombers attack in several waves, with yellow, green, and red flares and bombs helping mark targets. Oboe and H2S navigation aids also help direct bombers to their target areas. 160 acres of the town are devastated. 450 more acres suffer extensive damage. 14 aircraft do not return to their bases. 1944 - Birth of Paul Sands in Los Angeles, California, USA; comedian/actor (SCTV, Story Theater, St. Elsewhere). 1944 - Max Jacob, French writer, dies in Nazi concentration camp at age 67. 1945 - Allies bombs The Hague, Netherlands. 1945 - Birth of Randy Matson; American shot putter (Olympics-gold-1968). 1945 - US 7th Army Corps captures Cologne. 1945 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Gretchen Merrill. 1946 - Birth of Michael Warren in South Bend, Indiana, USA; actor (Bobby Hill - Hill Street Blues). 1946 - Birth of Murray Head; singer. 1946 - Birth of Rocky Bleier in Wisconsin, USA; NFL running back (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1946 - Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech (Fulton, Missouri). 1947 - Alfredo Casella, Italian composer/conductor (La Giara), dies at age 63. 1947 - Birth of Eddie Hodges in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA; actor/singer (High Hopes, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). 1948 - Birth of Eddy Grant in Guyana; reggae performer ("Electric Avenue"). 1948 - Birth of Jacques Kloes; singer (Dizzy Man's Band). 1948 - Charles Prince, cricketer (5 and 1 in only Test for South Africa), dies. 1948 - US rocket flies record 4800kph to 126km height. 1949 - Bradman plays his last innings in first-class cricket, gets 30. 1950 - Birth of Eugene Fodor in Turkey Creek, Colorado, USA; violinist (1972 Paganini Award, 1974 Tchaikovsky Award). 1950 - Birth of Harvey Jacob Alperin in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; actor (Cocktail). 1951 - Birth of Rodney Hogg; cricketer (prolific Australian wicket-taker 1978-84). 1952 - Birth of Alan Clark; keyboardist (Dire Straits - "Sultans of Swing"). 1952 - Vladimir Vladimirovich Scherbachov, composer, dies at age 63. 1953 - Birth of Russel D Feingold; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Wisconsin). 1953 - Birth of Valery Grigoriyevich Korzun; Russian Colonel/cosmonaut (TM-24). 1953 - Josef V Stalin, Soviet leader responsible for 11 million murders, dies at age 73. 1953 - Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev, composer, dies at age 61. 1954 - Birth of Marsha Warfield; comedian/actress (Roz - Night Court). 1954 - Julian Lowell Coolidge, mathematician (Study-Segre school), dies at age 80. 1955 - Birth of Marcia McCabe; actress (Alice - One Life to Live). 1955 - Birth of Penn Jillette in Greenfield, Massachusetts, USA; magician (Penn and Teller - Penn and Teller are Dead). 1955 - Elvis Presley's first TV appearance on Louisiana Hayride show. 1956 - Movie King Kong is first televised. 1956 - Birth of Mark Handley; writer (Nell). 1956 - Erich Itor Kahn, composer, dies at age 50. 1956 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Jacksonville Golf Open. 1957 - Birth of Mark E Smith; English rock vocalist (Fall - "Fall in a Hole"). 1957 - Birth of Tim Holden (Representative-Democrat-Pennsylvania). 1957 - Eamon de Valera's Fianna Fail party wins election in Ireland. 1958 - Birth of Andy Gibb in Manchester, England; singer/TV host (Solid Gold). 1958 - Birth of Bill Timoney; TV commercial actor (Addicted to Love). 1958 - Explorer 2 fails to reach Earth orbit. 1959 - Iran and US sign economic and military treaty. 1960 - Elvis Presley ends two-year hitch in US Army. 1960 - World Ice Dance Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Doreen Denny and Courtney Jones (Great Britain). 1960 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul (Canada). 1960 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Carol E Heiss (USA). 1960 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Alain Giletti (France). 1961 - Birth of Dan Stuart; US singer/songwriter ("Green on Red"). 1961 - Birth of Zeke Mowatt; NFL tight end (New York Giants). 1962 - Anne C Veth, Dutch cartoonist/art critic, dies at age 82. 1962 - Birth of Elise Burgin in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; tennis star. 1962 - Birth of Robert L Curbeam Jr in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; astronaut (STS 85, sk-99). 1962 - Otakar Jeremias, composer, dies at age 69. 1962 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1963 - Birth of Eddo Brandes; cricketer (Zimbabwe Test pace bowler). 1963 - Cyril Smith, actor (Adventures of Sir Lancelot), dies at age 70. 1963 - Hawkshaw Hawkins, country singer (Ozark Jubilee), dies at age 41. 1963 - The Hula-Hoop toy is patented by Wham-O company co-founder Arthur "Spud" Melin. 1963 - Patsy Cline, country singer ("Crazy", "I Fall To Pieces"), dies in a plane crash at age 30. 1964 - Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr announces a baseball team is moving there. 1964 - Birth of Reggie Williams; NBA forward/guard (Denver Nuggets). 1964 - Emergency crisis proclaimed in Ceylon due to social unrest. 1965 - First performance of Walter Piston's 8th Symphony. 1965 - Ernie Terrel beats Eddie Machen in 15 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1966 - 75-MPH air currents cause BOAC 707 crash above Mount Fuji, 124 die. 1966 - Anna Achmatova, Ukrainian poet, dies at age 76. 1966 - Birth of Greg Clark; Canadian Football League linebacker (Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1966 - Birth of Michael Irvin; NFL wide receiver (Dallas Cowboys). 1966 - Birth of Tracy Kerdyk in Coral Gables, Florida, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 JAL Big Apple). 1966 - Bob Seagren pole vaults 5.19-metre indoor world record. 1966 - Enrique E Ecker, Curaçaos/US bacteriologist, dies at age 79. 1966 - Player representatives elect Marvin Miller, as executive director of Players' Association. 1966 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1967 - Birth of Nicole Boegman; Australian long jumper (Olympics-1988, 1992, 1996). 1967 - Mischa Auer, actor (My Man Godfrey), dies at age 61 of a heart attack. 1967 - Mohammed H Mossadeq premier, of Persia (1951-53), dies. 1968 - Birth of Marq Mellor in Long Island, New York, USA; field hockey forward (Olympics-1996). 1968 - Birth of Roman Phifer; linebacker (Saint Louis Rams). 1968 - Birth of Shjon Podein in Rochester, Minnesota, USA; NHL left wing (Philadelphia Flyers). 1968 - US launches Solar Explorer 2 to study the Sun. 1969 - Gold reaches record high US$47 per ounce in Paris, France. 1969 - Gustav Heinemann elected President of West Germany. 1970 - Nuclear non-proliferation treaty goes into effect. 1971 - Birth of Amy Peistrup-Matthews in Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA; WPVA (Old Orchard-17-1995). 1971 - Birth of Brian Hunter in Portland, Oregon, USA; outfielder (Houston Astros). 1971 - Birth of Chad Fonville in Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA; infielder (Los Angeles Dodgers). 1971 - Birth of James Roberson; WLAF defensive end (Rhein Fire). 1971 - Birth of Jose Mercedes in El Seybo, Dominican Republic; pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers). 1971 - Winnie Lightner, actress (Gold Dust Gertie, Sit Tight), dies at age 71. 1972 - Birth of Brandon Hamilton; Canadian Football League cornerback (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1972 - Birth of Brian Grant; NBA forward (Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings). 1972 - Birth of Hernan Gumy in Buenos Aires, Argentina; tennis star. 1972 - Birth of Mikael Tillstrom in Sweden; tennis star. 1972 - Birth of Tom Hipsz; Canadian Football League defensive tackle (Montreal Alouettes). 1972 - Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis leaves communist party. 1972 - Nils Bjorkander, composer, dies at age 78. 1973 - Birth of Nicole Pratt in Mackay, Australia; tennis star (1995 Futures Australia). 1973 - Birth of Paul Lieftink; Dutch soccer player (NAC, Spakenburg). 1973 - Rupert Crosse, actor (Too Late Blues), dies of cancer at age 45. 1974 - Candide opens at Broadway Theater in New York City for 740 performances. 1974 - Billy Dewolfe, actor (Good Morning World), dies at age 67. 1974 - Birth of Brad Schumacher; American 400 metre/800 metre freestyle (Olympics-gold-1996). 1974 - Birth of Hans Bond; Dutch soccer player (FC Volendam). 1974 - Birth of Kevin Connolly; actor (Beverly Hillbillies, Rocky V, Angus). 1974 - Ralph Stewart fails in second New York Islanders' penalty shot. 1974 - Solomon I "Sol" Hurok, US impresario, dies at age 85. 1975 - Birth of Chris Silverwood; cricketer (England Test pace bowler versus Zimbabwe 1996). 1975 - Birth of Niki Taylor; model (Elle, Marie Claire). 1976 - Birth of Adriana Serra-Zanetti in Modena, Italy; tennis star (1995 Moscow semi-finals). 1976 - British pound sterling falls below US$2 for first time. 1977 - Birth of Bryan Berard; NHL defenseman (Team USA Olympics-1998, New York Islanders). 1977 - Birth of Natalie Bevins; Miss West Virginia-USA (1997). 1977 - Lockrem Johnson, composer, dies at age 52. 1977 - Moses Pergament, composer, dies at age 83. 1978 - Birth of Kimberly McCullough in Bellflower, California; actress (Robin - General Hospital). 1978 - Landsat 3 launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. 1979 - Vicente Ascone, composer, dies at age 81. 1979 - Voyager I's closest approach to Jupiter (172,000 miles). 1980 - Jay Silverheels, American actor (Tonto - Lone Ranger), dies at age 60 (born 1912). 1980 - Winifred Wagner-William, German World Festival organizer, dies at age 82. 1980 - Earth satellites record gamma rays from remnants of supernova N-49. 1981 - US government grants Atlanta $1 million to search for black boy murderer. 1981 - World Ice Dance Championship in Hartford won by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean (Great Britain). 1981 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Hartford won by Irina Vorobieva and Igor Lisovski (USSR). 1981 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Hartfoed won by Denise Biellmann (Switzerland). 1981 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Hartford won by Scott Hamilton (USA). 1981 - Brenda De Banzie, actress (39 Steps, Hobson's Choice), dies at age 64. 1981 - Paul Horbiger, actor (3rd Man), dies at age 86. 1982 - Gaylord Perry (with 297 wins) signs with Seattle Mariners. 1982 - John Belushi, American actor/comedian (Saturday Night Live), dies of drug overdose at age 33 (born 1949). 1982 - Russian spacecraft Venera 14 lands on Venus, sends back data. 1982 - Birth of Daniel Carter; New Zealand rugby player. 1983 - New South Wales beats Western Australia by 54 runs to win Sheffield Shield. 1983 - Bob Hawke (Labour) defeats Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser (Conservative). 1984 - Michael Sklar, California, comedian (Laugh-in, Sha Na Na), dies at age 39. 1984 - US Supreme Court rules 5-4 that city may use public money for Nativity scene. 1984 - Tito Gobbi, Italian baritone (Scarpia in Tosca), dies at age 68 (born 1915). 1984 - US accuses Iraq of using poison gas. 1984 - William Powell, actor (My Man Godfrey), dies at age 91 (born 1892). 1984 - Iran accuses Iraq of using chemical weapons; the United Nations condemns their use on March 30. 1984 - Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi orders Operation Blue Star to flush out separatist militants from Harimandir Sahib, the most sacred shrine of Sikhism. 1984 - Harry Salter, orchestra leader (Stop the Music), dies at age 85. 1985 - New York Islanders' Mike Bossy is first to score 50 goals in eight straight seasons. 1986 - Teddy Hoad, cricketer (West Indian captain 1930), dies. 1988 - Death of Alberto Olmedo, Argentine comedian and actor (born 1933). 1989 - 19th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$37,002,000. 1989 - Blaine McCallister wins Honda Golf Classic shooting 266. 1989 - Elly Verhulst runs world record 3000 metre indoor (8:03.82). 1989 - Birth of Jake Lloyd, American actor. 1990 - Gary Merrill, actor (Time Tunnel, Huckleberry Finn), dies at age 75. 1990 - Gloria Carter Spann, President Carter's sister, dies at age 63 from cancer. 1991 - August de Schryver, Belgian politician/founder (CVP), dies at age 92. 1991 - Iraq repeals its annexation of Kuwait. 1991 - Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers) begins NBA free throw streak of 52 games. 1991 - Trijntje Jansma-Boskma, oldest person in Netherland, dies at age 109. 1992 - Andrew Samuel, child actor (Our Gang), dies at age 82. 1992 - Yevgeny Yevstigneev, Russian actor (Welcome Kosta), dies at age 65. 1993 - Boston Celtics' player Larry Bird undergoes backfusion surgery. 1993 - Diana Ochoa dies after long illness at age 80. 1993 - The ABC TV network debuts the series Where I Live. 1993 - A Macedonian Palair F-100 on a flight to Zurich crashes shortly after take-off from Skopje killing 83 of the 97 people on board. 1993 - Former Washington DC Mayor Marion Barry divorces his wife Effi. 1993 - Florida Marlins beat Houston Astros 12-8 in their first spring training game. 1993 - Disney releases the Hollywood Pictures live-action feature film Swing Kids to theaters in the US. 1993 - Peter Bierdrager, Dutch Fokker's-test pilot, dies in air crash. 1994 - Abdullah Al-Sallal, President of Yemen (1962-67), dies. 1994 - Dottie Mochrie wins Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Golf Championship. 1994 - Joe Daley, jazz tenor/clarinet/flute player, dies at age 75. 1994 - Largest milkshake: 1,955 gallons of chocolate, in Nelspruit, South Africa. 1994 - PBA National Championship won by David Traber. 1994 - Paul Vincze, medallist, dies at age 86. 1994 - A gunman takes eight people hostage in the Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah. 1995 - 21st People's Choice Awards: Tim Allen wins. 1995 - Estonia Centrumlinkse Coalition party wins parliamentary election. 1995 - Graves of czar Nicholas and family found in Saint Petersburg. 1995 - Marc Velzeboer skates world record 3 km short track (5:00.26). 1995 - Marguerite Kelsey, English painter/sculptor model (Haunting), dies at age 86. 1995 - Peter John Norton, naval diplomat/artist, dies at age 82. 1995 - Vivian Stanshall, British musician (Magical Mystery Tour), dies at age 51 (born 1943). 1996 - Earl Weaver and Jim Bunning elected to BaseballHall of Fame. 1996 - Joshua Compston, art impressario, dies at age 26. 1996 - Khundaqar Mushtaq Amhed, President of Bangladesh (1975), dies. 1996 - Nicolas Cotoner y Cotoner Spanish courtier, dies at age 90. 1996 - Whit Bissell, actor (Time Tunnel), dies at age 86. 1997 - Tommy Lasorda, Nellie Fox, and Willie Wells selected for American Baseball Hall of Fame. 1998 - NASA announces that the Clementine probe orbiting the Moon has found enough water in polar craters to support a human colony and rocket fueling station. 1998 - NASA announces the choice of United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Eileen Collins as commander of a future Space Shuttle Columbia mission to launch an X-ray telescope, making Collins the first woman commander of a space shuttle mission. 1998 - Mariah Carey divorces Tommy Mottola. 1999 - Death of Richard Kiley, American actor (born 1922). 2003 - The Supreme Court of the United States, by a 5-4 margin, upholds California's "three strikes and you're out" law. 2003 - Beginning of annual two-week session of the National People's Congress in China. 2003 - France, Russia, and Germany announce they will not support a United Nations resolution authorizing use of force against Iraq. 2004 - Death of Priscilla Paris, American singer (born 1953). 2006 - The 2006 Academy Awards are held, with film Crash winning Best Picture. 2007 - Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Freedom cruise ship (110,000 gross tons, 2974 passengers) is officially named in Venice, Italy, and makes its maiden voyage, a 12-day Mediterranean cruise. 2007 - (to March 15) The 2007 National People's Congress is held in Beijing, China. The Property Law of the People's Republic of China is officially adopted. 2008 - Russian energy company Gazprom restores gas supplies to Naftogaz in the Ukraine. 2008 - In Germany, members of the Verdi union stage a work strike, grounding flights at airports. 2008 - Death of Joseph Weizenbaum, German-American author and computer scientist (born 1923). 2009 - The Bank of England announces it will create 75 billion pounds (US$106 billion) of new money in an attempt to revive lending and the economy. Chancellor Alistair Darling gives the bank permission to extend this to up to 150 billion pounds. The central bank also reduces lending interest rates from 1 precent to a new record low of 0.5 percent. 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 Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Coins