This Day in History
March 12

What happened in history on this day: March 12? On March 12 in ... 417 - Saint Innocent I dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope. 604 - Gregory I, the Great Pope (590-604), dies at age 64. 1000 - Odo of Lagery elected as Pope Urban II, replacing Victor III. 1054 - Pope Leo IX escapes captivity and returns to Rome. 1144 - Gherardo Caccianemici elected Pope Lucius II, succeeding Callistus II. 1209 - Djamal al-din Abu Mohammed Iljas Nizami Persian poet, dies. 1336 - Birth of Eduard Duke of Gelre (1361-71) husband of Catharina of Bayern. 1350 - Orvieto city says it will behead and burn Jewish-Christian couples. 1365 - University of Vienna founded. 1471 - Dionysius the Carthusian/van Rijkel Dutch scholastic theologist, dies. 1479 - Birth of Giuliano de' Medici monarch of Florence. 1496 - Jews are expelled from Syria. 1496 - Johannes de Lapide [Johan Heynlin], German philosopher, dies. 1507 - Cesare Borgia cardinal/soldier/politician, killed in battle at age 31. 1515 - Birth of Caspar Othmayr composer. 1570 - Jacob van den Eynden Grand Pensionary of Holland, dies. 1572 - Luís Vaz de Camoes publishes "Os Lusíados" in Portugal. 1594 - Company of Distant established for business on East-Indies. 1597 - England routes troops to Amiens. 1609 - Bermuda becomes an English colony. 1619 - Dutch settlement on Java changes name to Batavia. 1622 - Ignatius of Loyola declared a saint. 1628 - John Bull thought to have composed British national anthem (God Save The King), dies. 1642 - Abel Tasman is first European in New Zealand. 1648 - Tirso de Molina Spanish author, dies at about age 63. 1664 - First naturalization act in American colonies. 1664 - New Jersey becomes a British colony. 1681 - French van Mieris the Elder, Dutch genre painter, dies at age 45. 1685 - Birth of George Berkeley Ireland, philosopher/bishop of Cloyne. 1689 - Former English King James II lands in Ireland. 1710 - Birth of Thomas Augustine Arne English composer (Alfred, Rule Britannia). 1734 - Antonius Schultingh [Schultingius], Dutch lawyer, dies at age 74. 1737 - Galileo's body moved to Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. 1753 - George Berkeley philosopher/bishop (Cloyne), dies on 68th birthday. 1755 - First steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine. 1755 - Birth of Georges Couthon French politician. 1758 - Birth of Leopold earl of Limburg Stirum Dutch General/politician [or March 22]. 1768 - Birth of Carolus Antonius Fodor composer. 1773 - Jeanne Baptiste Pointe de Sable found settlement now known as Chicago. 1788 - Birth of Pierre J David [David d'Angers], French sculptor. 1789 - US Post Office established. 1793 - Birth of Augustin-Philippe Peellaert composer. 1799 - Austria declares war on France. 1800 - Birth of Louis-Prosper Gachard Belgian historian. 1806 - Birth of Jane Means Appleton Pierce first lady-Franklin Pierce (1853-57). 1808 - Birth of Gerrit van der Linde Jz "Schoolmaster", Dutch poet. 1816 - Birth of David Stuart Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1868. 1818 - Birth of John Lorimar Worden Captain (Union Navy), died in 1897. 1821 - Birth of Luitpold von Bayern Prince-regent of Bayern. 1821 - Birth of Sir John Abbott Québec Canada, (Conservative) third Canadian Prime Minister (1891-92). 1823 - Birth of William Flank Perry Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1901. 1824 - Birth of Gustav R Kirchoff Prussia, physicist (spectral analysis). 1824 - Heinrich Carl Ebell composer, dies at age 48. 1826 - Birth of Robert Lowry composer. 1827 - Birth of John Robert Jones Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1901. 1827 - Birth of William Richard Terry Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1897. 1830 - Birth of William Felix Brantley Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1870. 1831 - Birth of Clement Studebaker automobile pioneer (Studebaker). 1831 - Johann Franz Volkert composer, dies at age 64. 1832 - Birth of Charles Boycott Ireland, estate manager/caused boycotts. 1832 - Daniel Friedrich Kuhlau German/Danish opera composer, dies at age 45. 1834 - Karl W Feuerbach mathematician (circle of Feuerbach), dies at age 33. 1835 - Birth of Simon Newcomb US, scientist/mathematician/astronomer. 1837 - Birth of Felix Alexandre Guilmant composer. 1838 - Birth of William Perkin inventor (first artificial dye). 1848 - Second republic established in France. 1848 - Birth of Cyrill Kistler composer. 1849 - First gold seekers arrive in Nicaragua en route to California. 1850 - First US $20 gold piece issued. 1852 - Juan Bros y Bertomel composer, dies at age 75. 1855 - Birth of John White composer. 1857 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Simon Boccanegra" premieres in Venice. 1859 - Birth of Josef Cyril Sychra composer. 1860 - Birth of Salvatore Di Giacomo composer. 1860 - US Congress accepts Pre-emption Bill; free land in West for colonists. 1862 - Birth of Jane Delano US, nurse/teacher/founder (Red Cross). 1863 - Birth of Adolf A Wolfschoon Curaçao, poet. 1863 - Birth of Gabriele D'Annunzio Italy, writer/military hero (The Intruder). 1865 - Affair near Lone Jack, Missouri. 1867 - Last French troops leave Mexico. 1868 - US Congress abolishes manufacturer's tax. 1868 - Great Britain annexes Basutoland in Africa. 1874 - Birth of Edmund Eysler Austrian composer. 1875 - Birth of Julio Garreta composer. 1877 - Birth of Wilhelm Frick German protector of Bohemia/Moravia. 1877 - Crystobal Oudrid y Segura composer, dies at age 52. 1877 - Great Britain annexes Walvis Bay at Cape colony. 1878 - Birth of Gemma Galgani Italian saint. 1878 - Birth of Joseph Gustav Mraczek composer. 1880 - Birth of House Peters Bristol England, silent film actor (Kansas Territory). 1881 - Birth of Daniel Webster Hoan Wisconsin (Mayor-Socialist-Milwaukee). 1881 - Birth of Kemal Atatürk first President of Republic of Turkey. 1881 - Birth of Väinö A Tanner premier of Finland (1926-27). 1883 - Birth of Judge Jackson composer. 1883 - Murrumgunarriman [Twopenny], cricketer (Aboriginal team 1868), dies. 1884 - Mississippi establishes first US state college for women. 1885 - Birth of Raphaël Verwilghen Flemish architect/urban developer. 1888 - Second day of the Great blizzard of '88 in northeast US (400 die). 1888 - Birth of Hall Johnson composer. 1888 - Henry Bergh founder (ASPCA), dies at age 76. 1889 - Battle at Metema (Gallabad); Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV, defeated. 1889 - Birth of Philip Guedalla historian. 1889 - Start of South Africa's first Test, versus England, Port Elizabeth. 1889 - Yohannes IV [Kasa], Emperor of Ethiopia (1872-89), dies in battle. 1890 - Birth of A Evert Taube Swedish writer/troubadour. 1890 - Birth of Vaslav Nijinsky Ukrainian/US ballet dancer (Petroesjka). 1891 - Birth of Michael Polany Hungarian/English chemist/economist/sociologist. 1894 - Pittsburgh issues free season tickets for ladies on Tuesday and Friday. 1896 - First movie in Netherlands (Kalverstr 220). 1896 - Birth of Jesse "Lone Cat" Fuller San Francisco Blues Great. 1897 - Vincent d'Indy's opera "Fervaal" premieres in Brussel. 1898 - Birth of Fredrik J "Frits" Bakker Jr Dutch actor (Sold Grandpa). 1900 - Birth of David Croll Queen's Council senator. 1900 - Birth of Zoltan Vasarhelyi composer. 1900 - President Steyn of Orange-Free state flees from Bloemfontein. 1901 - Ground is broken for Boston's first American League ballpark (Huntington Ave Grounds). 1902 - John Peter Altgeld German/US Governor of Illinois, dies at age 54. 1903 - New York Highlanders (New York Yankees) approved as members of American League. 1904 - First main line electric train in United Kingdom (Liverpool to Southport). 1904 - Andrew Carnegie establishes Carnegie Hero Fund. 1904 - Birth of Ken James cricket wicketkeeper (New Zealand's first Test, later Northants). 1905 - Rudolf von Alt Austrian painter, dies at age 92. 1906 - Heavy storm ravages Dutch west coast. 1907 - Birth of (Margaret Peggy McCrorie) Herbison politician. 1908 - Birth of David Saul Marshall diplomat lawyer/politician. 1908 - Birth of Inez Courtney New York City, New York, actress (13th Man, Crime Ring, Raven). 1908 - Edmondo de Amicis Italian writer (L'idioma Gentile), dies at age 61. 1908 - Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers sweep Winnipeg Maple Leafs in two games. 1909 - Johanna "Lena" Bakker Dutch actress/wife of Bruno Gerlach, dies at age 34. 1910 - Birth of Roger L Stevens producer (Giant). 1910 - Birth of Tony "Two-Ton" Galento Orange New Jersey, boxer/actor (On the Waterfront). 1910 - Birth of Wilhelmus L Reijers sculptor. 1910 - Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers beat Berlin (Kitchener), 7-3. 1911 - Birth of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz President of Mexico. 1912 - Birth of James McKay lord provost of Edinburgh. 1912 - Birth of Kylie Tennant novelist (Battlers, Lost Haven). 1912 - Birth of Paul Weston Springfield Massachusetts, orchestra leader (Jim Nabors Hour). 1912 - Captain Albert Berry performs first parachute jump from an airplane. 1912 - Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) founded in Savannah, by Juliette Gordon Low. 1912 - Helen Hayes Theater opens at 238 W 44th Steet New York City. 1913 - Birth of Harold Butler cricketer (England pace bowler late 1940s). 1913 - Foundation stone of the Australian capitol in Canberra laid. 1913 - Joseph Bayer composer, dies at age 61. 1914 - Birth of Jan Kapr composer. 1914 - George Westinghouse US engineer (Westinghouse Electric), dies at age 67. 1915 - Birth of Alberto Burri Italian physician/sculptor/abstract painter. 1916 - French airship sinks British submarine D3. 1916 - M v Ebner-Eschenbach writer, dies at age 39. 1917 - Birth of Googie Withers Karachi India, actress (One of Our Aircraft is Missing). 1917 - Birth of Tom Normanton British Member of Parliament. 1917 - Russian Dumas sets up Provisional Committee; workers set up Soviets. 1917 - Stalin, Kamenev and Muranov arrive in Saint Petersburg. 1918 - Birth of James Bracken race horse trainer. 1919 - Austrian National Meeting affirms Anschluss (incorporate into Germany). 1919 - George Bernard Shaw's "Augustus Does His Bit" premieres in New York City, New York. 1921 - Birth of Giovanni Agnelli CEO (Fiat Automakers). 1921 - Birth of Gordon MacRae East Orange New Jersey, singer/actor (Oklahoma, Carousel). 1921 - Birth of Max de Metz Dutch publisher/translator. 1921 - Birth of Ralph Shapey Philadelphia Pennsylvania, composer (Fantasy, Rituals). 1922 - Birth of Helen Parrish Columbus Georgia, actress (Hour Glass, Show Business). 1922 - Birth of Jack Kerouac Beat writer (Dharma Bums, On the Road, Mexico Blues). 1922 - Birth of Lane Kirkland union president (AFL-CIO). 1922 - Birth of Thomas Hugh Eastwood composer. 1923 - Birth of Hjalmar Andersen Norway, speed skater-1500/5K/10K (Olympics-gold-1952). 1923 - Birth of Norbert Brainin violinist. 1923 - Birth of Walter M Schirra Jr Hackensack New Jersey, Captain US Navy/astronaut (Mercury 8, Gemini 6, Apollo 7). 1924 - Hilaire Comte de Chardonnet inventor (rayon), dies. 1925 - Birth of Georges Delerue composer. 1925 - Birth of Harry [Maxwell] Harrison United Kingdom, sci-fi author (Deathworld Trilogy). 1925 - Birth of Leo Esaki [Esaki Reona], Japan, physicist (Tunnel effect-Nobel Prize 1973). 1925 - Birth of Louison Bobet French cyclist (Tour de France 1953-55). 1925 - Birth of William G Whitehurst (Representative-Republican-Virginia). 1925 - British government of Baldwin refuses to ratify Geneva agreement. 1925 - Sun Yat-Sen Chinese revolutionary president, dies at age 58. 1926 - Birth of David Oliver Williams trade unionist (COHSE). 1926 - Birth of George R Ariyoshi (Governor-Democrat-Hawaii). 1926 - Birth of Gudrun Ure British actress (The Crow Road, Lady MacBeth, BBC Sorcerer). 1926 - Birth of Hildy Park Washington DC, actress (To Tell the Truth). 1926 - Birth of John C[lellon] Holmes US writer (Horn). 1926 - Birth of Rolv Berger Yttrehus composer. 1926 - Birth of Ronald Alley art gallery manager (Tate Gallery). 1926 - Denmark begins unilateral disarmament. 1926 - Pope Pius XI names J E van Roey archbishop of Malines Belgium. 1927 - Birth of Mstislav Rostropovich Baku Russia, conductor/cellist (Cello Concerto). 1927 - Birth of Raul Alfonsin President (Argentina). 1928 - Birth of Edward Albee Washington DC, playwright (Virginia Woolfe, Zoo Story). 1928 - Birth of Phil Jones principal (Trinity College of Music). 1928 - Birth of Roland Moyle British deputy chairman (Police Complaints Authority). 1929 - Birth of Bernard Costello US, double sculls (Olympics-silver-1956). 1929 - Birth of Lupe Anguiano Mexican-American civil rights activist. 1930 - Birth of Antony Acland provost of Eton/British ambassador to US. 1930 - Birth of Robin Cavendish disabled campaigner. 1930 - Birth of Scoey Mitchill Newburgh New York, comedian (Barefoot in the Park, Rhoda). 1930 - Birth of Stanko Horvat composer. 1930 - Mohandas Gandhi begins 200 mile (321 km) march protesting British salt tax. 1930 - Stella Walsh sets record for the 220-yard dash (0:06.1). 1931 - Birth of Geoffrey de Bellaigue director (Royal Collection). 1931 - Birth of William "Buckwheat" Thomas actor (Little Rascals). 1932 - Birth of Andrew Young US ambassador to United Nations (1977-79)/(Mayor-Democrat-Atlanta). 1932 - Ivar Kreuger, Swedish financier, is found shot dead in his Paris apartment, presumably a suicide. He is estimated to have spent US$400 million of investor money in 15 years. 1933 - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives his first national radio address or "fireside chat," broadcast directly from the White House. 1934 - Acting President Constantine Päts commits coup in Tallinn Estonia. 1934 - Birth of Rudolph Agner CEO (Consolidated Gold Fields). 1934 - Josip Broz (Tito) freed from jail. 1934 - Paul Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler" premieres in Berlin. 1935 - Birth of Helga Pilarczyk German soprano (Salome, Lulu). 1935 - Birth of John Gross author (Age of Kipling, Dickens and 20th Century). 1935 - England establishes 30 MPH speed limit for towns and villages. 1936 - Birth of Anthony Loehnis vice chairman (S G Warburg and Co). 1936 - Birth of Keith Slater cricketer (one Test for Australia 1958-59 series). 1936 - Birth of Lloyd Dobbins Newport News Virginia, newscaster (NBC News Overnight). 1936 - The Soviet Union and the Mongolian People's Republic sign a mutual assistance pact, allowing Russian troops to be posted at key locations. The Soviet Union commits to the defence of Mongolia from aggression. 1936 - Birth of Patrick Procktor painter. 1937 - Birth of Elizabeth Vaughan opera soprano (Victor-Victoria). 1937 - Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor French organist/composer, dies at age 93. 1937 - Jeno Hubay composer, dies at age 78. 1938 - German troops march into Austria, annexing the country. 1938 - Birth of Dimitri Terzakis composer. 1938 - Birth of Johnny Rutherford auto racer (26 championship races). 1938 - Birth of Karl Soderlund Duluth Minnesota, Mr Sally Jesse Raphael. 1938 - Birth of Millie Perkins actress (Diary of Anne Frank, Table for 5, Shooting). 1938 - Birth of Norman Hogg British Member of Parliament. 1938 - Birth of Tona Scherchen-Hsiao composer. 1938 - Birth of Vijay Mehra cricketer (Indian Test batsman from age 17). 1939 - Birth of Barbara Feldon Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, actress (Agent 99-Get Smart). 1939 - Birth of David Mlinaric British interior director. 1939 - Pope Pius XII crowned in Vatican ceremonies. 1940 - Birth of Al Jarreau Milwaukee Wisconsin, jazz singer (Moonlighting). 1940 - Birth of Albert Johanneson soccer star. 1940 - Birth of Millie Perkins actress (Diary of Anne Frank, Table for 5, Shooting). 1940 - In Finland, Soviet forces breach the Mannerheim Line. 1940 - Finland and the Soviet Union conclude a peace treaty, the Treaty of Moscow. Finland retains independence but gives up the Karelian Isthmus, Viipuri, and a small band of land north of Lake Ladoga. The Soviets are granted a 30-year lease of Hangö for a naval base, and a right-of-way to Sweden. 1941 - Charles Sanford Skilton composer, dies at age 72. 1941 - German occupiers confiscate AVRO studios in Netherlands. 1942 - Birth of Bert Campaneris baseball player (Oakland Athletics). 1942 - Birth of Brian O'Hara rocker. 1942 - Birth of Paul Kantner San Francisco California, rock singer/guitarist (Jefferson Airplane-White Rabbit, Somebody To Love). 1942 - Birth of Salvatore "the Bull" Gravano mobster (testified against Gotti). 1942 - British troops vacate the Andamanen in Gulf of Bengal. 1942 - Enrique Morera composer, dies at age 76. 1943 - Soviet troops liberate Wjasma. 1945 - 30 Amsterdammers executed by Nazi occupiers. 1945 - Anne Frank, diarist (Diary of Anne Frank), killed in Belsen Camp. 1945 - Birth of Hans van Emden; Dutch guitarist (Les Baroques). 1945 - Italy's Communist Party (CPI) calls for armed uprising in Italy. 1945 - New York is first to prohibit discrimination by race and creed in employment. 1945 - The British Empire celebrates its first British Empire Day. 1945 - USSR returns Transylvania to Romania. 1946 - Birth of Liza Minnelli in Hollywood, California, USA; singer/actress (Sterile Cuckoo, Cabaret). 1946 - Part of Petsamo province ceded by Soviet Union to Finland. 1946 - In Budapest, Hungary, former Premier Ferenc Szalasi and four former Ministers are hanged as war criminals. 1946 - In Paris, France, the High Court sentences former Vichy Government Minister Jacques Chevalier to twenty years hard labor and national unworthiness for life. 1947 - Belgian government of Huysmans resigns. 1947 - Birth of Jill O'Hara in Warren, Pennsylvania, USA; Broadway actress (Promises! Promises!). 1947 - US President Harry Truman introduces Truman-doctrine to fight communism. 1948 - Birth of Dana Walden; rock keyboardist (Champaign). 1948 - Birth of James Taylor in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; vocalist/guitarist ("Up on the Roof"). 1948 - Birth of Kent Conrad; American politician (Senator-Democrat-North Dakota). 1948 - Birth of Les Holroyd in Oldham, England; rocker (Barclay James Harvest). 1948 - Birth of Virginia Bottomley; British minister of state health/secretary (Heritage). 1949 - Birth of Bill Payne in Waco, Texas, USA; rock keyboardist (Little Feat - Time Loves a Hero). 1949 - Birth of David Mellor; Secretary of the British treasury/Member of Parliament. 1949 - Birth of Mary Alice Williams; news reporter (NBC-TV). 1949 - Birth of Mike Gibbons in Swansea, Wales; rock drummer (Badfinger). 1949 - Birth of Sara Lane in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Elizabeth Grainger - The Virginian). 1949 - Maria "Beppie" Bakker, Dutch actress/wife of Piet Vink Sr, dies at age 95. 1950 - Belgium votes (58 percent) for return of King Leopold III. 1950 - Birth of Jon Provost; actor (Timmy - Lassie). 1950 - Birth of Willie Duggan; rugby football player. 1950 - L Heinrich Mann, German/US writer (Between the Races), dies at age 78. 1950 - Pope Pius XII issues encyclical On combating atheistic propaganda. 1951 - Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler loses fight (9-7) to stay in office. 1951 - Birth of Caren Kaye in New York City, New York, USA; actress (My Tutor, Bambi - Blansky's Beauties). 1951 - Birth of Jack Green; rocker. 1951 - Communist troops driven out of Seoul, Korea. 1953 - Birth of Joanna Kerns; actress (Maggie - Growing Pains). 1953 - Birth of Labamba [Richard Rosenberg]; rocker (Asbury Jukes). 1955 - Charlie "Bird" Parker, US jazz saxophonist, dies in New York City, New York at age 34. 1955 - Theodor Plievier, writer, dies. 1956 - Birth of Dale Murphy in Portland, Oregon, USA; Atlanta Braves slugger (two time National League Most Valuable Player). 1956 - Dow Jones closes above 500 for first time (500.24). 1957 - Birth of Jerry Levine in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; actor (Born on 4th of July). 1957 - Birth of Marlon D Jackson in Gary, Indiana, USA; singer (Jackson 5 - "Maybe Tomorrow"). 1957 - Birth of Steve Harris in London, England; hard rock bassist (Iron Maiden - "Number of the Beast", "Gypsy's Kiss"). 1957 - German Democratic Republic accepts 22 Russian divisions. 1957 - Harry Dean, cricketer (England left-arm bowler in 3 Tests, 1912), dies. 1957 - Josephine Hull, actress (Harvey), dies at age 71. 1958 - British Empire Day is renamed "Commonwealth Day". 1958 - Princess Ingeborg of Sweden dies at age 79. 1959 - Dutch Liberal Party wins second parliamentary elections. 1959 - US House joins Senate approving Hawaii statehood. 1960 - Birth of Courtney B Vance in Detroit, Michigan, USA; actor (Hamburger Hill). 1960 - Birth of Eldine Baptiste; cricketer (West Indies all-rounder early 1980s). 1961 - Belinda Lee, actress (Joseph and his Brethren), dies in car crash at age 25. 1961 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Miami Golf Open. 1962 - Birth of Darryl Strawberry in Los Angeles, California, USA; right fielder (New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees). 1962 - Birth of Gunde Svan; Swedish long jumper (Olympics-gold-1984, 1988). 1962 - Dutch Premier De Quay announces secret talks with Indonesia. 1963 - Birth of Candy Costie in Seattle, Washington, USA; synchronized swimmer (Olympics-gold-1984). 1963 - Birth of Joaquim Carvalho Cruz in Brazil; 800 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1984). 1963 - Birth of John Andretti; race car driver. 1963 - Birth of Julia Campbell in Huntsville, Alabama, USA; actress (Opportunity Knocks). 1963 - Birth of Paul Way; British golfer. 1964 - 6th Grammy Awards: "Days of Wine and Roses", Streisand win. 1964 - Birth of Tony Terry; rock producer (Tony Terry). 1964 - Malcolm X resigns from Nation of Islam. 1964 - The first legal lottery in the USA in the twentieth century is the New Hampshire Sweepstakes. Draws are held twice per year, at a cost of $3 per ticket. The lottery commission pays US$500,000 to the IRS as a ten percent wagering excise tax. 1965 - Birth of Fran Harris; WNBA guard (Houston Comets). 1965 - Birth of Molly Van Nostrand in West Islip, New York, USA; tennis star. 1965 - Birth of Randy Dixon; NFL guard (Indianapolis Colts). 1965 - Birth of Steve Finley in Union City, Tennessee, USA; outfielder (San Diego Padres). 1966 - Birth of Alecia Stephenson in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; softball shortstop (Olympics-1996). 1966 - Birth of Erich Fischer in Dinuba, California, USA; US Olympics water polo forward (Olympics-1992). 1966 - Birth of Grant Long; NBA forward (Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks). 1966 - Bobby Hull's 51st goal of season, sets record. 1966 - Estelita Rodriguez, actor (Golden Stallion, Susanna Pass), dies at age 37. 1966 - Jockey Johnny Longden retires after 40 years (6,032 wins). 1966 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1967 - Austria's Reinhold Bachler ski jumps 505 feet. 1967 - Birth of Irvin Smith; Canadian Football League cornerback (Montreal Alouettes). 1967 - Birth of Rowelle Blenman; WLAF cornerback/safety (London Monarchs). 1967 - Indonesian congress deprives President Sukarno of authority. 1968 - Birth of Merton Hanks; NFL safety (San Francisco 49ers). 1968 - Mauritius gains independence from Britain (National Day). 1968 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1969 - 11th Grammy Awards: "Mrs Robinson", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" win. 1969 - Birth of Graham Coxon; singer (Blur). 1969 - Birth of J P Izquierdo; Canadian Football League slot back (Calgary Stampeders). 1969 - Birth of Karen Snelgrove in London, Ontario, Canada; softball pitcher (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Muhammad Oliver; NFL cornerback/safety (Washington Redskins). 1969 - The Beatles' Paul McCartney marries Linda Louise Eastman in London, England. 1970 - Birth of Michael Bankston; NFL defensive end (Arizona Cardinals). 1970 - Birth of Rex Walters; NBA guard (Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat). 1970 - Birth of Rod Smith; NFL cornerback (Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers). 1970 - US lowers voting age from 21 to 18. 1971 - Birth of Greg Hansell in Bellflower, California, USA; pitcher (Minnesota Twins). 1971 - Birth of Isaiah Rider; NBA guard/forward (Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers). 1971 - Birth of Raul Mondesi in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic; outfielder (Los Angeles Dodgers). 1971 - Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger marries Bianca Pérez Morena de Macias. 1971 - Syrian premier Hafez Assad elected President. 1971 - Turkish Government of Demirel forced to resign by Army. 1972 - Birth of Alisa Castillo; Miss Nevada-USA (1996). 1972 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Lady Eve Golf Open. 1972 - NHL great Gordie Howe retires after 26 seasons. 1973 - Birth of Antonio Banks; cornerback (Minnesota Vikings). 1973 - Birth of Gabriel Mendez; Australian soccer midfielder (Olyroos, Olympics-1996). 1973 - Birth of Keif Bryant; NFL defensive end (Seattle Seahawks). 1973 - Birth of Louis Laros; Dutch soccer player (Willem II, Vitesse). 1973 - Esther Williamson Ballou, composer, dies at age 57. 1973 - Frankie "Fordham Flash" Frisch, baseball player, dies at age 74. 1973 - Manuel Rojas Sepulveda, Chilean writer (Hijo de Ladron), dies at age 77. 1974 - Billy Fox, Protestant member of Dublin parliament, assassinated. 1974 - Birth of Chris Carr; NBA guard (Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves). 1974 - Bundy victim Donna Manson disappears, Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington. 1975 - Vietcong conquer Ban me Thuot, South Vietnam. 1976 - South African troops leave Angola. 1976 - Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf announces his engagement to Silvia Renate Sommerlath of West Germany. 1977 - Chile's President Augusto Pinochet bans Christian-Democratic Party. 1977 - Egypt's Anwar Sadat pledges to regain Arab territory from Israel. 1978 - Birth of Cristina Teuscher in New Rochelle, New York; 4 x 200 metre freestyle (Olympics-gold-1996). 1978 - Birth of Tara Mounse; ice hockey defenseman (USA, Olympics-1998). 1978 - Eric Heiden skates world record 1000 metre (1:14.99). 1978 - John Cazale, actor (Dog Day Afternoon, Deer Hunter), dies at age 41. 1978 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Sunstar Golf Classic. 1978 - Tolchard Evans, composer/conductor, dies. 1980 - New York Islanders third scoreless tie, versus Pittsburgh Penguins. 1980 - Jury finds John Wayne Gacy guilty of murdering 33 in Chicago, Illinois. 1981 - Walter R T Witschey installs world's largest sundial, Richmond, Virginia. 1981 - Birth of Katarina Srebotnik; Slovenian tennis player. 1981 - Soyuz T-4 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station. 1981 - Stephen Sondheim's musical Marry Me a Little premieres in New York City, New York. 1982 - Palestinian Liberation Organization chief Yasser Arafat appears on TV show Nightline. 1982 - First-class debut of Courtney Walsh, Jamaica versus Leeward Islands. 1982 - Elisabeth Zernike, Dutch writer (Course of Events), dies at age 90. 1983 - Jevsei G Liberman, Ukraine economist (Plan, profit, bonus), dies at age 85. 1983 - Don Ritchie runs world record 50 mile (4:01:09). 1984 - Death of Arnold Ridley, English playwright and actor at age 88 (born 1896). 1984 - Death of Uwe Johnson in Kent, England (born in Germany); German novelist. 1984 - British ice dancing team, Torvill and Dean, become first skaters to receive nine perfect 6.0 scores in world championships. 1985 - Eugene Ormandy [Blau], Hungarian/US conductor, dies at age 85 (born 1899). 1985 - Larry Bird scores Boston Celtics' record 60 points. 1986 - Birth of Danny Jones; British musician (McFly). 1986 - Susan Butcher wins 1,158 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. 1987 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average removes Owens-Illinois Glass and Inco from its index, replacing them with Coca-Cola and Boeing Company. 1987 - Les Miserables opens at Broadway/Imperial theater in New York City for 4000+ performances. 1987 - David Robinson scores 50 points in a NCAA basketball game. 1987 - US Federal judge dismisses lawsuits sought by Oliver North. 1987 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1987 - World Ice Dance Championship in Cincinnati won by Bestemianova and Bukin (USSR). 1987 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Cincinnati won by E Gordeeva and Grinkov (USSR). 1987 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Cincinnati won by Katarina Witt (German Democratic Republic). 1987 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Cincinnati won by Brian Orser (Canada). 1988 - Billie Rhodes dies. 1988 - William Camp dies at age 74. 1989 - 15th People's Choice Awards. 1989 - Two cyanide-contaminated Chilean grapes found (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA). 1989 - Madagascar AREMA party wins parliamentary election. 1989 - Maurice Evans, English actor (Bewitched, MacBeth), dies at age 87 (born 1901). 1990 - Los Angeles Raiders announce they are returning to Oakland. 1991 - 5th Soul Train Music Awards. 1991 - Etienne Decroux, French mime (Voyage, Surprise), dies at age 92. 1991 - Death of Ragnar Granit, Finnish neuroscientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (born 1900). 1992 - Barbara Morrison, actress (Proj Moonbase), dies of heart failure at age 84. 1992 - Hans G Kresse, Dutch cartoonist (Eric the Viking), dies at age 70. 1992 - Ida Oosterbaan, Dutch founder (Women Action Committee), dies. 1992 - Karel Poons, father of Paul Deen, dies. 1992 - Philippe Soupault, writer, dies. 1992 - Salvo Lima, mayor (Palermo)/Member of Parliament (christian-democrat), murdered. 1992 - A tram-car crashes into a crowd of people at the tram-station at Vasaplatsen in Gothenburg, Sweden; 13 are killed and several injured. 1992 - Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 1993 - Several bombs explode in Bombay, India, killing about 300 and injuring hundreds more. 1993 - Andreas J A I Bruggeman, Dutch mayor (Leiderdorp), dies at age 62. 1993 - Entertainment Tonight's 3,000th show. 1993 - Inkhata leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi begins 2.5 week speech. 1993 - June Valli, singer (Crying in the Chapel), dies of cancer at age 62. 1993 - Michael Kanin, screenwriter (Woman of the Year), dies at age 83. 1993 - Disney releases the Walt Disney Pictures / Amblin Entertainment live-action feature film A Far Off Place to theaters in the US. 1993 - North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites. 1993 - Wang Zhen, marxist/vice-premier of China (1988), dies. 1994 - Church of England ordains its first 33 women priests. 1994 - Birth of Tanveer K. Atwal, American actress. 1994 - Sandra Paretti, German/Swiss author (Drums of Winter), dies at age 59. 1994 - A photo by Marmaduke Wetherell, previously touted as 'proof' of the Loch Ness monster, is confirmed to be a hoax. 1995 - Congress party loses India national election. 1995 - Dottie Mochrie wins LPGA PING/Welch's Golf Championship. 1995 - Lara scores 139 in ODI versus Australia at Port-of-Spain. 1995 - Letitia Vriesde runs South America indoor record 800 metre (2:00.35). 1995 - World Ice Dance Championship in Birmingham United Kingdom won by Oksana Gritshuk and Evgeny Platov (Russia). 1995 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Birmingham United Kingdom won by Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny (Czechoslovakia). 1995 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Birmingham United Kingdom won by Chen Lu (China). 1995 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Birmingham United Kingdom won by Elvis Stojko (Canada). 1995 - Death of Juanin Clay, American actress (born 1949). 1996 - Charles Bruce Perry, professor of medicine, dies at age 92. 1996 - Gyula Kallai, Prime Minister of Hungry (1965-67), dies at age 85. 1996 - John Anthony Bowden Cuddon, writer/teacher, dies at age 67. 1996 - Leeward Islands beat Trinidad by 73 runs to win Red Stripe Trophy. 1997 - Mikail Markhasev is arrested in Los Angeles, California and charged with shooting Bill Cosby's 27-year-old son, Ennis Cosby. 1998 - The Sound of Music opens at Martin Beck Theater New York City. 1998 - Death of Judge Dread, English musician (born 1945). 1998 - Death of Beatrice Wood, American artist and ceramicist (born 1893). 1998 - Death of Jozef Kroner, Slovak actor (The Shop on Main Street) (born 1924). 1999 - Death of Yehudi Menuhin, American-born violinist (born 1916). 1999 - Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic join NATO. 1999 - 20th Century Fox releases the film Wing Commander to theaters in the USA. 2001 - Death of Morton Downey Jr., American television personality (born 1933). 2001 - Death of Robert Ludlum, American author (born 1927). 2001 - Death of Ann Sothern, American actress (born 1909). 2002 - In Houston, Texas, Andrea Yates is found guilty of drowning her five children on June 20, 2001. She is later sentenced to life in prison. 2003 - Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic is assassinated in Belgrade. 2003 - The World Health Organization issues a global alert on SARS. 2003 - British prime minister Tony Blair proposes an amendment to the possible 18th U.N. resolution, which would call for Iraq to meet certain benchmarks to prove that it was disarming. The amendment is immediately rejected by France, who promises to veto any new resolution. 2003 - Death of Lynne Thigpen, American actress (born 1948). 2004 - Following the March 11 terrorist attacks in Madrid, millions of protesters take to the streets of Spanish cities against terrorism. 2006 - Historic cricket match between Australia in South Africa, 5th ODI of the series. 2007 - BBC journalist Alan Johnston disappears in Gaza City, Palestine. 2007 - Birth of Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden, son of Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster and Claire Windsor, Countess of Ulster. 2007 - Music group Van Halen is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2007 - Death of Antonio Ortiz Mena, Mexican politician and economist (born 1907). 2008 - Oil hits a record US$110 per barrel. 2008 - Death of Lazare Ponticelli, at age 110, France's last surviving veteran of World War I. 2009 - US President Barack Obama signs a US$410 billion bill to fund most government operations through September 30. 2009 - Swiss drugmaking company Roche Holding announces it will acquire the remaining 44 percent of American biotechnology company Genentech stock for US$46.8 billion. 2009 - Bernard Madoff, former Nasdaq stock market chairman, pleads guilty to eleven charges of running a US$171 billion worldwide Ponzi scheme, the biggest investment fraud in Wall Street history. 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