This Day in History
March 13

What happened in history on this day: March 13? On March 13 in ... 483 - Saint Felix III begins his reign as Catholic Pope. 607 - Twelfth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 1138 - German king Koenraad II von Hohenstaufen crowned. 1202 - Mieszko III the Elder, grand duke of Poland (1173-77, 1200-02), dies. 1516 - Vladislav II Jagiello king of Bohemia (1490-1516), dies at age 60. 1519 - Cortez lands in México. 1548 - Birth of Sasbout Vosmeer Dutch Catholic theologist/apostole. 1558 - Jean Fernel French physician/physiologist, dies. 1560 - Spanish fleet occupies Djerba, at Tripoli. 1564 - Cardinal Granvelle flees Brussels. 1567 - Battle at Oosterweel: Spanish troops destroy Geuzenleger. 1569 - Battle of Jarnac, Count of Anjou defeats Huguenots. 1569 - Louis Condé French prince/co-leader of Hugenot, dies in battle. 1573 - Michel de l'Hôpital chancellor of France (1560-68), dies at about age 65. 1591 - Battle at Tondibi: Moroccans army under Judar beats sultan Askia Ishaq II of Songhai. 1599 - Birth of Johannes Berchmans Dutch Jesuit/saint. 1615 - Birth of Innocent XII [Antonio Pignatelli] Pope (1691-1700). 1619 - Richard Burbage English actor (Shakespeare), dies. 1631 - Imperial army leader Tilly captures New Brandenburg, defended by 2000 Swedish forces. Only 60 survive. 1634 - Académie Française opens. 1639 - Cambridge College renamed Harvard for clergyman John Harvard. 1656 - Jews are denied the right to build a synagogue in New Amsterdam. 1677 - Massachusetts gains title to Maine for $6,000. 1696 - Birth of Louis F A D Duke de Richelieu French marshal. 1700 - Birth of James Kent composer. 1700 - Birth of Michel Blavet composer. 1712 - Birth of Isfrid Kayser composer. 1716 - Georg Gabriel Schutz composer, dies at age 46. 1733 - Birth of Joseph Priestly England, clergyman/scientist (discovered oxygen). 1735 - First US Moravian bishop, David Nitschmann, consecrated in Germany. 1741 - Birth of Jozef II arch duke of Austria/Roman Catholic German emperor (1765-90). 1744 - Birth of David Allan Scottish painter. 1746 - Birth of Maurus Haberhauer composer. 1752 - Birth of Josef Reicha composer. 1756 - Johann Melchior Conradi composer, dies at age 81. 1759 - 27th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 1764 - Birth of Charles Earl Grey (Whig), British Prime Minister (1830-34). 1767 - Birth of Heinrich Domnich composer. 1768 - Birth of Charles Louis WJ van Keverberg Dutch civil servant. 1770 - Birth of Daniel Lambert England, giant (weighed 739 pounds (334 kg) at death). 1772 - Gotthold Lessing's "Emilia Calotti" premieres in Brunswick. 1779 - Birth of Oliver Shaw composer. 1781 - Birth of Karl F Schinkel German architect/painter/writer (Schloss Tegel). 1781 - Sir William Herschel sees "comet" (really discovered Uranus). 1790 - John Martin, first American-born actor, performs in Philadelphia. 1797 - Cherubini's opera "Medée" premieres in Paris France. 1798 - Birth of Abigail Powers Fillmore first lady-Millard Fillmore (1850-53). 1809 - In Sweden, army officers arrest King Gustav IV Adolf in his castle. The king is forced to abdicate, deposed together with his heirs, and expelled from the country. 1817 - Matej Sojka composer, dies at age 77. 1818 - Birth of Albion Parris Howe Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1897. 1820 - Birth of Louis Herbert Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1901. 1822 - Birth of Moritz Grave von Strachwitz German poet. 1832 - Birth of Alberto Randegger composer. 1835 - Charles Darwin departs Valparaiso for Andes crossing. 1837 - Nikita P Panin Russian diplomat/minister of Foreign affairs, dies at age 66. 1839 - Robert Gallenberg composer, dies at age 55. 1846 - Friedrich Hebbel's "Maria Magdalena" premieres in Königsberg. 1850 - Birth of Emilio Serrano y Ruiz composer. 1852 - Uncle Sam cartoon figure made its debut in the New York Lantern weekly. 1855 - Birth of Percival "Percy" Lowell US astronomer (predicted discovery of Pluto). 1858 - Birth of Maximilien Luce French painter. 1859 - Birth of Ivo Bligh cricketer [Lord Darnley] England captain vs Australia 1882-83. 1860 - Birth of Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf Windisch-Gräz Austria, composer. 1861 - Jefferson Davis signs bill authorizing use of slaves as soldiers. 1862 - Birth of Vasily Mikhaylovich Metallov composer. 1865 - US Confederate Congress calls on black slaves for field service. 1868 - US Senate begins President Andrew Johnson impeachment trial. 1869 - Arkansas legislature passes anti-Klan law. 1872 - Birth of Oswald Garrison Villard American journalist. 1875 - Birth of Maria E G "Lizzy" Ansingh Dutch painter (Caught Sultane). 1877 - US Patent Office awards a patent to Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine for ear protectors (earmuffs). 1878 - Oxford defeats Cambridge in their first golf match. 1879 - Adolf Anderssen German world champion chess (1851..66), dies at age 60. 1881 - Alexander II Tsar of Russia, assassinated at age 62. 1881 - Birth of Balthazar H Verhagen Netherlands/South African dramatist/writer. 1883 - Birth of Enrico Toselli composer. 1884 - Birth of Emanuel Stickelberger Swiss writer (Bluthochzeit). 1884 - Birth of Oskar Loerke German writer (Longest Day-1926). 1884 - Birth of Sir Hugh S Walpole New Zealand, novelist/critic/dramatist (Jeremy, Maradick at 40). 1884 - Siege of Khartoum Sudan begins. 1884 - US adopts Standard Time. 1886 - Birth of Henri D Gagnebin Swiss organist. 1886 - Birth of John "Home Run" Baker hall of famer (hit two homeruns in 1911 world series). 1887 - Birth of Carlos Isamitt composer. 1887 - Chester Greenwood of Maine patents earmuffs. 1888 - Great Blizzard of 1888 rages. 1890 - Birth of Frank Thieß writer. 1890 - Birth of Michael Taube composer. 1890 - Henry Wylde composer, dies at age 67. 1892 - Birth of Alec Rowley composer. 1892 - Birth of Janet Flanner journalist (New Yorker). 1894 - J L Johnstone of England invents horse racing starting gate. 1896 - Birth of Dorothy Aldis writer. 1897 - Birth of Marcel Thiry Belgian poet (Statue of Fatigue). 1897 - Birth of William Herald Australia, swimmer (Olympics-1920). 1898 - Birth of Josie Sedgwick Texas, actress (Son of Oklahoma). 1899 - Birth of Pancho Vladigerov composer. 1900 - British troops occupy Bloemfontein, Orange-Free state. 1901 - Benjamin Harrison 23rd President (1889-1893), dies in Indianapolis at age 67. 1901 - Birth of Paul Fix Dobbs Ferry New York; actor (Rifleman). 1903 - Nicolas Beets [Hildebrand] Dutch writer (Camera Obscura), dies at age 88. 1904 - Birth of Henry Iliffe Cozens pilot. 1904 - Bronze statue of Christ on Argentine-Chilian border dedicated. 1906 - Susan B[rownell] Anthony American suffragist, dies at age 85. 1907 - Birth of Albert Hughes Williams teacher/historian. 1907 - Birth of Dona Maria Pia de Braganca pretender to the Portuguese throne. 1907 - Birth of Frank Wilcox DeSoto Missouri; actor (John-Beverly Hillbillies). 1907 - Birth of Oscar Brink latinist. 1908 - Birth of Helen Sinclair Glatz musician. 1908 - Birth of Paul Stewart New York City, New York; actor (Top Secret USA, Deadline). 1908 - Birth of Walter Annenberg Milwaukee Wisconsin, publisher (Triangle-TV Guide). 1909 - Birth of Gilbert Inglefield Mayor of London (1967-68). 1910 - Birth of Sammy Kaye Lakewood Ohio, orchestra leader (Sammy Kaye Show). 1911 - Birth of Jose Ardevol composer. 1911 - Birth of L[aFayette] Ron Hubbard sci-fi writer/Scientologist (Dianetics). 1911 - Ivan Caryll's musical "Pink Lady" premieres in New York City, New York. 1911 - Jacob M van Bemmelen Dutch physicist/chemist, dies at age 80. 1911 - Stanley Cup: Ottawa Senators beat Galt (Ontario), 7-4. 1912 - Birth of Ernst Hess composer. 1912 - Birth of Igor Youskevitch dancer. 1912 - Birth of James Friell political cartoonist. 1912 - Stanley Cup: Québec Bulldogs sweep Moncton (New Brunswick) in two games. 1913 - Birth of Tessie O'Shea Cardiff Wales, actress (Entertainers). 1913 - Birth of William J Casey headed US Central Intelligence Agency during Iran-contra scandal (1981-87). 1913 - Kansas legislature approves censorship of motion pictures. 1914 - Birth of Carl-Olof Anderberg composer. 1915 - Brooklyn Dodgers manager Wilbert Robinson tries to catch a baseball dropped from an airplane, but the pilot substituted a grapefruit. 1915 - Sergei J Witte Dutch count/premier of Russia, dies at age 65. 1916 - Birth of (Corinne) Lindy (Claiborne) Boggs (Representative-Democrat-Louisiana, 1973-). 1917 - Birth of Ina Ray Hutton Chicago Illinois, orchestra leader (Ina Ray Hutton Show). 1917 - Birth of Maria Vlamynck Flemish author. 1918 - First NHL Championship: Montreal Canadiens beat Toronto Arenas, outscoring them 10-7 in a two game set. 1918 - American Red Magen David (Jewish Red Cross) forms. 1918 - Birth of Faye Glenn Abdellan US government official (health services). 1918 - Birth of George McAfee NFL halfback (Chicago Bears). 1918 - Karel Stecker composer, dies at age 57. 1918 - William Courtleigh actor (Susie Snowflake), dies at age 26. 1920 - Birth of Frans van der Elst Flemish attorney/Member of Parliament (Volksunie). 1920 - Wolfgang Kapp's coup attempt in Berlin fails. 1921 - Birth of Allan Jaffee comic strip cartoonist/illustrator (MAD Magazine). 1921 - Birth of Cyril Poole cricketer (England batsman against India 1951-52). 1921 - Mongolia (formerly Outer Mongolia) declares independence from China. 1922 - Birth of Brun Smith cricketer (New Zealand right-handed batsman of late 1940s). 1922 - Birth of Jim Rodger sports writer. 1922 - George Bernard Shaw's "Back to Methusaleh V" premieres in New York City, New York. 1922 - NHL Championship: Ottawa Senators outscore Toronto Saint Patricks, 5 to 4, in two games. 1922 - WRR-AM in Dallas Texas begins radio transmissions. 1923 - Lee de Forest demonstrates his sound-on-film moving pictures (New York City, New York). 1924 - German Republic day. 1925 - Birth of Anthony Milner composer. 1925 - Birth of Bertha Tickey Dinuba California, softball pitcher (Hall of Fame 1973). 1925 - Birth of Roy Haynes US jazz drummer (Trio Music with Chick Corea). 1925 - NHL Championship: Montreal Canadiens sweep Toronto Arenas in two games. 1925 - Tennessee makes it unlawful to teach evolution. 1926 - Birth of Frederick Hemming McClintock criminologist. 1926 - Birth of Raúl Alfonsín Argentine President (1983-89). 1927 - Birth of Charles Sickman Corsen Dutch Antillean poet. 1928 - 450 die in Saint Francis Valley Dam burst (California). 1928 - Rudolph Friml's musical "Three Musketeers" premieres in New York City, New York. 1929 - Birth of J D Slater writer. 1929 - Birth of Peter Breck Rochester New York; actor (Black Saddle, Big Valley, Benji). 1929 - Birth of Walter Medio race horse trainer. 1929 - Birth of Will Eisma composer. 1929 - Bradman scores 123 Australia vs England at Melbourne Cricket Ground, his second Test Cricket ton. 1930 - Birth of Doug Harvey hockey star (3 time James Norris winner). 1930 - Birth of Liz Anderson C and W singer. 1930 - Clyde Tombaugh announces discovery of Pluto at Lowell Observatory. 1930 - Mary E W Freeman US writer (Pembroke), dies at age 77. 1931 - Birth of Marc Dessauvage Flemish architect. 1931 - Birth of Rosalind Elias Lowell Massachusetts, mezzo-soprano (Grimgerde-Die Walkuere). 1931 - Birth of Wolfgang Kohlhaase Berlin; actor/director/writer (Solo Sunday). 1933 - Banks reopen. 1933 - Birth of Frank H Murkowski (Senator-Republican-Alaska, 1981-). 1933 - Birth of Mike Stoller composer (Lieber and Stoller-Hound Dog, Charlie Brown). 1933 - Josef Göbbels becomes German minister of Information and Propaganda. 1934 - Fritz Cortolezis composer, dies at age 56. 1935 - Birth of Don Nute Connellsville Pennsylvania (Denver University); actor. 1935 - Driving tests introduced in Great Britain. 1936 - Birth of Clarence Nash animation voice (Donald Duck). 1937 - Birth of Fofo I F Sunia (Representative-Democrat-American Samoa, 1981-). 1938 - Birth of Hans-Joachim Hespos composer. 1938 - Birth of Jean-Claude Risset composer. 1938 - Birth of Joseph Bellino footballer (1960 Heisman Trophy). 1938 - Birth of Patricia W Amicone educator/midwife. 1938 - Clarence S Darrow Scopes Monkey Trial attorney, dies in Chicago at age 80. 1939 - Birth of Neil Sedaka Brooklyn New York, singer/songwriter (Breaking Up is Hard to Do). 1941 - A Bougne forms AGRA (Amis du Grand Reich Allemand). 1941 - A Coenradi Dutch resistance fighter, executed. 1941 - Bernard Ijzerdraat Dutch resistance fighter, executed. 1941 - E Hellendoorn Dutch resistance fighter, executed. 1941 - Isaak E Babel Russian writer (Zakat, Marija), executed at age 46. 1941 - J Eyl Dutch resistance fighter, executed. 1942 - Julia Flikke, Nurse Corps, becomes first woman colonel in US army. 1943 - Baseball approves official ball (with cork and balata). 1943 - Birth of Andre Techine director/writer (Scene of the Crime, Rendez-Vous). 1943 - Birth of Stephen Vincent Benet writer. 1943 - In Smolensk, a bomb disguised as two bottles of brandy is put on board Adolf Hitler's personal Focke-Wulf 200 Condor plane. The detonator activates, but due to cold temperature, the plastic explosives do not detonate. 1943 - Frank Dixon wins Knights of Columbus mile (4:09.6). 1944 - USSR recognizes Italian Badoglio government. 1945 - Herbert Bedford composer, dies at age 78. 1945 - Queen Wilhelmina returns to Netherlands. 1945 - Sicherheitsdienst arrest Dutch resistance fighter Henry Werkman. 1946 - Abraham Bredius Dutch art historian (Rembrandt), dies at age 90. 1946 - Thomas Frederick Dunhill composer, dies at age 69. 1946 - Werner von Blomberg German minister of Reichswehr, dies at age 67. 1947 - "Brigadoon" opens at Ziegfeld Theater New York City for 581 performances. 1947 - 19th Academy Awards: "Best Years of Our Lives", Frederic March, Olivia de Havilland win. 1947 - Birth of Lesley Collier British ballet dancer. 1947 - Birth of Tomas Hinojosa jockey. 1948 - 10th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Baylor 58-42. 1949 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Yvonne C Sherman. 1949 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Richard Button. 1950 - Birth of Bernard Julien cricketer (West Indies left-arm pace all-rounder mid-1970s). 1950 - Birth of Danny Kirwan London, rock guitarist (Fleetwood Mac). 1950 - Birth of Joe Bugner Hungarian/British/Australian boxer (European Champion 1971). 1950 - Birth of Robert S Woods Maywood California; actor (Bo-One Life to Live, Deadly Love). 1950 - Birth of Steve Hill country vocalist (A Winning Hand). 1950 - Birth of William H Macy Miami Florida; actor (Homicide, Water Engine). 1950 - General Motors reports net earnings of $656,434,232 (record). 1951 - Second Dutch government of Drees forms. 1951 - Alfred Hugenberg German Roman Catholic president-director of Krupp/media magnate, dies. 1951 - Birth of Fred Berry Saint Louis Missouri; actor (Rerun-What's Happening). 1951 - Israel demands DM 6.2 billion compensation from Germany. 1951 - James I Wedgwood British theosophist/Catholic bishop, dies at age 67. 1952 - Birth of Wolfgang Hihm composer. 1953 - Birth of Andy Bean Lafayette Georgia, PGA golfer (Western 1978, Kemper 1978). 1953 - Birth of Deborah Raffin Los Angeles California, actress (Ransom, Demon, 40 Carats). 1954 - Birth of Robin Duke Toronto Canada, comedienne (Saturday Night Live, SCTV, Club Paradise). 1954 - Braves' Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle, he is replaced by Hank Aaron. 1954 - Viet Minh General Giap opens assault on That Bien Phu. 1955 - Bir BSD Mahendra succeeds Tribhubana as king of Nepal. 1955 - Birth of Glenne Headly New London Connecticut, actress (Dick Tracy, Making Mr Right). 1955 - Birth of Olga Rukavishnikova USSR, pentathlete (Olympics-silver-1980). 1955 - Birth of Patricia J Engfer general manager (Hyatt Regency-Orlando). 1955 - Maharajadhiraja Tribhuvana Bir Bikram Yung Bahadur Shum Shere dies. 1955 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. 1955 - Yung Deva king of Nepal (191.-55), dies at about age 48. 1956 - Birth of Dana Delany New York City, New York, actress (Colleen McMurphy-China Beach, Exit to Eden). 1956 - New Zealand bowl out West Indies for 77 at Eden Park to score their first Test Cricket win. 1957 - Bloody battles after anti-Batista demonstration in Havana, Cuba. 1957 - Lena Ashwell, English actress/theatrical manager (Kingsway), dies at age 84. 1958 - Birth of Rick A Lazio (Representative-Republican-New York). 1958 - Government troops land in Sumatra, Indonesia. 1959 - Birth of Dirk Wellham; cricketer (century on New South Wales debut and Australian debut). 1959 - Birth of Ronnie Rogers; guitarist (T'Pau - Heart and Soul). 1960 - Birth of Adam Clayton in Oxfordshire, England; rock bassist (U2 - "I Will Follow"). 1960 - Fay Crocker wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. 1960 - NFL's Chicago Cardinals move to Saint Louis. 1960 - Chicago White Sox unveil new road uniforms with players' names above number. 1961 - Birth of Cor Lems; soccer player (ADO The Hague/Dordrecht '90). 1961 - Elizabeth Gurley Finn (70) becomes president of US Communist Party. 1961 - Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in six rounds to retain heavyweight boxing title. 1961 - US President John Kennedy sets up the Alliance for Progress. 1961 - Landslide in USSR kills 145. 1961 - Pablo Picasso (79) marries his model Jacqueline Rocque (37). 1962 - Birth of Liane Tooth in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; field hockey forward (Olympics-1996). 1962 - Yugoslavia grants 1,000 prisoners amnesty. 1963 - Two Russian reconnaissance flights over Alaska. 1963 - Birth of Mariano Duncan S P de Macoris in Dominican Republic; infielder (New York Yankees). 1963 - Birth of Vance Johnson; NFL wide receiver (Denver Broncos). 1963 - Indonesia and Netherlands recover diplomatic relations. 1964 - Birth of Will Clark in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; infielder (Texas Rangers). 1964 - Kitty Genovese stabbed to death in Queens, New York; 40 neighbors looked on. 1964 - Turkey threatens Cyprus with armed attack. 1965 - The Beatles' "Eight Days a Week" single goes #1 and stays #1 for two weeks. 1965 - George Calinescu, Romanian author (Lauda Lucrorilor), dies at age 65. 1966 - Birth of Akira Nogami; wrestler (NJPW). 1966 - Birth of Tine Scheuer-Larsen in Denmark; tennis star. 1966 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Lagunita Golf Invitational. 1967 - Birth of Colleen Rosensteel in South Greensburg, Pennsylvania, USA; heavyweight judoka (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of Satu Huotari; ice hockey defenseman (Finland, Olympics-1998). 1967 - Congo sentences ex-premier Moïse Tsjombe to death. 1967 - Frank Worrell, West Indian cricketer, dies. 1968 - Birth of Christopher Collett in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Manhattan Project). 1969 - Buena Vista generally releases the Walt Disney Pictures live-action feature film The Love Bug to theatres in the USA. 1969 - Apollo 9 returns to Earth. 1969 - Birth of Chris Zorich; NFL defensive tackle (Chicago Bears). 1969 - Birth of Kevin Kaminski in Churchbridge, Saskatchewan, Canada; NHL center (Washington Capitals). 1969 - Felix Locher, actor (Frankenstein's Daughter), dies at age 86. 1970 - Digital Equipment Corp introduces PDP-11 minicomputer. 1970 - Rick Besoyan, composer, dies at age 45. 1971 - Birth of Curtis Conway; NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Chicago Bears). 1971 - Birth of Li Chen in Changsha, China; tennis star (1995 Futures-Austin Texas). 1971 - Birth of Paul Henderson; Australian 100 metre/200 metre (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Ralf Kleinmann; WLAF kicker/punter (Frankfurt Galaxy). 1971 - Birth of Robert Samuels, cricketer (West Indies Test opening batsman vs New Zealand 1996). 1971 - Birth of Ryan Hayden in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; 400 metre hurdler. 1971 - Birth of Tony Vinson; NFL running back (Atlanta Falcons, London Monarchs, Baltimore Ravens). 1971 - Birth of Tracy Wells; actress (Heather - Mr Belvedere). 1971 - Piero Coppola, composer, dies at age 82. 1971 - Rockwell Kens, US artist/painter/illustrator, dies at age 88. 1972 - Birth of Avrom Smith; WLAF running back (London Monarchs). 1972 - Birth of Brian Saxton; NFL tight end (New York Giants). 1972 - Birth of Rickey Brady; NFL tight end (New Orleans Saints). 1972 - Birth of Ryan McCoy; WLAF linebacker (London Monarchs). 1972 - Birth of Shea Olliff in Augusta, Georgia, USA; Miss Georgia-America (1996). 1972 - Birth of Trent Dilfer; NFL quarterback (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1973 - Irene opens at Minskoff Theater in New York City for 605 performances. 1973 - Birth of Ann Coale; Miss Maryland-USA (1997). 1973 - Birth of Bobby Jackson; NBA guard (Denver Nuggets). 1973 - Birth of Dan Wilkinson; NFL defensive tackle (Cincinnati Bengals). 1973 - Birth of Edgar Davids; Dutch soccer player (Ajax, AC Milan). 1973 - Birth of Trezelle Jenkins; NFL tackle (Kansas City Chiefs). 1973 - Stacy Harris, actor (Door With No Name, Appointment with Danger), dies at age 54. 1973 - Syria adopts constitution. 1974 - Birth of André Batista Santos "Vampeta"; (Brazilian) soccer player (PSV). 1974 - Birth of Corinna Broiz in Garberville, Colorado; lightweight judoka (Olympics-1996). 1974 - Birth of Thomas Enqvist in Stockholm, Sweden; tennis star (1991 Wimbledon junior boys). 1974 - Charles de Gaulle Airport opens near Paris, France. 1974 - Glenn Turner scores twin tons for New Zealand's first win against Australia. 1974 - Howard Saint John, actor (Investigator, Dr Lewis - Hank), dies at age 68. 1974 - Janos Prohaska, actor (Andy Williams Show), dies at age 52. 1975 - Ali Sastroamidjojo, Indonesian attorney/minister/premier, dies at age 71. 1975 - Birth of Landon Wilson in Saint Louis; NHL right wing (Colorado Avalanche). 1975 - Ivo Andric, Yugoslavian author (Nemiri-Nobel Prize 1961), dies at age 82. 1975 - Jean Del Val, actor (Sainted Devil, Flying Deuces), dies at age 83. 1975 - Ruth Schaumann, German author/painter/sculptor, dies at age 75. 1976 - Willy Alfredo [Willem Jue], Dutch comedian/poet, dies at age 77. 1977 - Dennis Lillee takes 6-26, England all out 95 in Centenary Test. 1977 - Fanie Lou Hamer, freedom fighter, dies. 1977 - Jan Patocka, Czechoslovakian philosopher, dies in prison. 1978 - David McKinley Williams, composer, dies at age 91. 1978 - Ghulam Mustafa Guard, cricketer (3 wickets in two Tests for India), dies. 1978 - Moluccans "suicide commandos" occupy Province house. 1979 - European Monetary System is established, ECU created. 1979 - Gairy dictatorship in Grenada overthrown by New Jewel Movement. 1979 - New York Islanders' Mike Bossy's 5th career hat trick. 1980 - Eric Heiden skates world record 1000 metre (1:13.60). 1980 - Ford Motor Co found innocent in death of three women in a fiery Pinto. 1980 - Tauno Kullerve Pylkkanen, composer, dies at age 61. 1981 - NCAA Saint Joseph's upsets top seed DePaul. 1982 - World Ice Dance Championship in Copenhagen won by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean (Great Britain). 1982 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Copenhagen won by Sabine Baess and Tassilo Thierbach (German Democratic Republic). 1982 - World Ladies Figure Skate Championship in Copenhagen won by Elaine Zayak (USA). 1982 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Copenhagen won by Scott Hamilton (USA). 1982 - Albert Weisser, composer, dies at age 64. 1982 - Wilfred Hawker, Suriname Sergeant-Major, executed. 1983 - First USFL overtime game-Birmingham Stallions beat Oakland Invaders 20-14. 1983 - Louison Bobet, French cyclist (Tour de France 1953-55), dies at age 58. 1983 - Paul R Citroen, Dutch sculptor, dies at age 86. 1983 - Woman of the Year closes at Palace Theater in New York City after 770 performances. 1984 - Western Australia beats Queensland by four wickets to win the Sheffield Shield. 1984 - Dick Whitington, journalist/cricketer (South Australia and AIF bat), dies. 1984 - Last day of first-class cricket for G Chappell, R Marsh, B Laird. 1985 - Birth of Emile Hirsch; American actor. 1985 - Funeral services held for Konstantin Chernenko (Moscow). 1985 - Michael Secrest (US) begins 24 hour ride of 516 miles, 427 yards. 1986 - Birth of Chiaki Kyan; Japanese gravure idol. 1986 - Alvaro Fayad Delgado, Colombian guerilla leader (M-19), dies. 1986 - Microsoft shares first trade in public, for US$25.75 per share. The stock market estimates the company value at $661 million, making Bill Gates' holdings worth $390 million. 1986 - Soyuz T-15 carries two cosmonauts to Soviet space station Mir. 1986 - Irish racemare Dawn Run wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup at Cheltenham, England, becoming the first racehorse to complete the Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup double. 1987 - Birth of Marco Andretti; IRL driver. 1987 - Bernhard Grzimek, West German zoologist, dies at age 77. 1987 - Finn Videro, composer, dies at age 80. 1987 - Gerald Moore, English pianist (Am I Too Loud), dies at age 87 (born 1899). 1987 - Washington Capitals score five goals against Toronto Blue Jays in 3 minutes and 3 seconds. 1988 - 14th People's Choice Awards: Fatal Attraction, Bill Cosby win. 1988 - Olive Carey, actress (Affairs With a Stranger), dies at age 92. 1989 - 27th US space shuttle mission, STS-29, Discovery 8, launched; first woman to do the countdown. 1989 - US Food and Drug Administration orders recall of all Chilean fruit in US. 1989 - A geomagnetic storm causes the collapse of the Hydro-Quebec power grid. Six million people are left without power for nine hours. Some areas in the northeastern U.S. and in Sweden also lose power, and auroras are seen as far south as Texas. 1990 - Bruno Bettelhelm, Austrian/American child psychoanalyst, commits suicide at age 86 in Silver Spring, Maryland (born 1903). 1990 - Nicholoas Braithwaite elected premier of Grenada. 1990 - Death of Karl Münchinger, German conductor (born 1915). 1991 - Cor Witschge [Pipo the Clown], Dutch actor (Alicia), dies at age 65. 1991 - Exxon agrees to pay US$1 billion in fines and cleanup of Valdez oil spill (Prince William Sound, Alaska). 1991 - Jimmy McPartland, America jazz cornetist, dies. 1992 - In eastern Turkey, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurs. At least 498 people killed, 2,000 injured, 2,200 houses heavily damaged. 1992 - Clarence Wright, singer, dies at age 84. 1992 - US Federal Communications Commission rules companies can own 30 AM and 30 FM stations (formerly 12). 1992 - Hans Redeker, Dutch art critic (Algemeen Handelsblad), dies. 1992 - Twentieth Century - Fox Film Corporatrion releases the film My Cousin Vinny to theaters in the USA. 1993 - The Great Blizzard of 1993 strikes the eastern U.S., bringing record snowfall and other severe weather all the way from Cuba to Québec; it is reported to have killed 184. 1993 - Ralph Smith Fults, US gangster (Bonnie and Clyde gang), dies at age 82. 1994 - 33.3 percent of Austria votes for ultra-right FPÖ. 1994 - Cuba Godding Jr (26) weds Sara Kapfer (26). 1994 - Danny Barker, US banjo player/guitarist (Bourbon St Black), dies at age 85. 1994 - Donna Andrews wins LPGA Ping Welch's Golf Championship. 1994 - Oil tank/airship crash at Bosporus (huge fire/15+ killed). 1994 - President Mangope of Bophuthaswana deposed. 1994 - Sandra Paretti, romantic novelist, dies at age 59. 1994 - Birth of Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp. 1995 - 9th Soul Train Music Awards: Boyz II Men, Anita Baker win. 1995 - Abdul Ali Mazari, Afghan shite leader, shot to death. 1995 - Anti fascist Kazakhstan anti-parliament forms. 1995 - Hungarian Forint devalued 9 percent. 1995 - Istanbul police shoot dead 16 Alawitische demonstrators. 1995 - John Silverlight, journalist, dies at age 75. 1995 - Leo Kaplan, lawyer (ASCAP), dies at age 89. 1995 - Death of Odette Sansom, French World War II heroine (born 1912). 1995 - David Daliberti and William Barloon, two Americans working for a military contractor in Kuwait, are arrested after straying into Iraq. 1995 - Leon Day, baseball pitcher (Negro Leagues), dies of heart failure at 78 (born 1916). 1995 - Lorraine Macleod, dancer (Girls Just Want to Have Fun), dies at age 65. 1995 - P C J van Lierde, Dutch vicar-general of Vatican (1951-91), dies at age 87. 1996 - Brian Hulls, television news cameraman, dies at age 48. 1996 - Krzysztof Kieslowski, Polish film director, dies of heart attack at age 54 (born 1941). 1996 - Lucio Fulci, film director, dies at age 68. 1996 - Lucy Faithfull, children's campaigner, dies at age 85. 1996 - Sri Lanka beats India in World Cup semi-final as riots stop play. 1996 - Unemployed former shopkeeper Thomas Hamilton walks into the Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and opens fire, killing 16 students and one teacher before fatally shooting himself. 1997 - India's Missionaries of Charity chooses Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as its leader. The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China creates a new Chongqing Municipality. It was formerly part of Sichuan. 1998 - Death of Bill Reid, Canadian artist (born 1920). 1998 - Death of Risen Star, American racehorse (born 1985). 2003 - The journal Nature reports that 350,000-year-old upright-walking human footprints had been found in Italy. 2006 - Death of Maureen Stapleton, American actress (born 1925). 2006 - Death of Peter Tomarken, American game show host (born 1942). 2007 - Death of Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler (born 1925). 2008 - The US dollar drops below 100 Japanese yen for the first time in 12 years, and gold rises to US$1000 per ounce. 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