This Day in History
March 15

What happened in history on this day: March 15? On March 15 in ... 76 - Birth of Hadrian, Roman Emperor (builder of Hadrian's Wall). 493 - Ostrogoten King Theodorik the Great defeats Odoaker of Italy. 493 - Odoaker, German army leader/King of Italy (476-493), dies. 752 - Zachary Greek/Italian Pope (741-52), dies. 933 - Battle at Riade: German King Henry I beats Magyaren. 963 - Romanus II Byzantine emperor (959-63), dies at age 25. 1034 - Mieszko II King of Poland (1025-34), dies. 1360 - France invasion army lands on English south coast, conquers Winchel. 1382 - Conservative "Popolo Grasso" regain power in Florence Italy. 1391 - Jew hating Monk in Seville Spain stirs up people to attack Jews. 1493 - Birth of Anne Pierre Adrien duke of Montmorency marshal of France. 1493 - Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after first new world voyage. 1560 - Failed assault on royal palace in Amboise France. 1562 - General François de Guise enters Paris France. 1580 - Spanish king Philip II puts 25,000 gold coins on head of prince Willem of Orange. 1666 - Birth of Georg Baehr German master builder (Frauenkirche, Dresden). 1672 - King Charles II enacts Declaration of Indulgence. 1673 - Salvatore Rosa Italian painter (Baroque)/poet/music/actor, dies at age 57. 1678 - Birth of Dominique Marie Valet French Roman Catholic/old-catholic bishop. 1713 - Birth of Nicolas Louis de Lacaille astronomer who mapped the So Hemisphere. 1723 - Johann C Günther writer, dies at age 27. 1729 - Sister Saint Stanislas Hachard, first US nun, takes her vows, N Orleans. 1731 - Adolf H van Rechteren Dutch diplomat/politician, dies at age 75. 1733 - Birth of Johann Zoffany German painter, baptized. 1744 - French King Louis XV declares war on England. 1750 - Birth of Caroline Herschel astronomer/discoverer. 1754 - Birth of Silvestro Palma composer. 1767 - Birth of Andrew Jackson Waxhaw South Carolina, General/(Democrat) 7th President (1829-37). 1778 - Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island discovered by Captain Cook. 1779 - Birth of William Lamb (Whig) Viscount Melbourne, British Prime Minister (1834, 1835-41). 1781 - Battle of Guilford Court House, South Carolina (British suffer heavy losses). 1790 - Birth of Nicola Vaccai composer. 1801 - Birth of Coenraad J van Houten Dutch cocoa manufacturer. 1808 - Birth of Gaetano Gaspari composer. 1809 - Birth of Joseph Jenkins Roberts first President of Liberia. 1810 - Birth of Aernout Drost Dutch literary (Hermingard van de Eikenterpen). 1811 - Birth of Robert Allen Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1886. 1812 - First Russian settlement in California, Russian River. 1820 - Maine admitted as 23rd state. 1824 - Birth of Branko Radicevic Serbian poet (first Serbian Uprising). 1827 - Freedom's Journal, first Black newspaper, publishes. 1827 - University of Toronto is chartered. 1830 - Birth of Paul von Heyse Germany, writer (Nobel Prize 1910). 1831 - Birth of Edward Aylesworth Perry Brigadier General (Confederate Army). 1835 - Birth of Eduard Strauss Austria, composer (318 Dance). 1836 - Birth of Henrique Alves de Mesquita composer. 1838 - Birth of Alice Cunningham Fletcher ethnologist/author/Indian music (Stranger in Her Native Land). 1842 - Maria Luigi C Z S Cherubini Italian composer (Dies Irae), dies at age 81. 1844 - Birth of Bransby Cooper cricketer (in Dhaka Batsman in Australia's first Test). 1851 - Birth of Jozef Surzynski composer. 1852 - Birth of Lady Augusta Gregory Ireland, playwright/poet/Yates mistress. 1855 - Birth of Lútzen Wagenaar Frisian writer/vicar (Tsjerk Ages). 1855 - Louisiana establishes first health board to regulate quarantine. 1858 - Birth of Liberty Hyde Bailey US botanist (Plantbreeding). 1862 - General John Hunt Morgan begins four days of raids near Gallatin, Tennessee. 1864 - Birth of Johan Halvorsen composer. 1864 - Birth of Leslie Stuart composer. 1864 - Red River Campaign - Union forces reach Alexandria, Louisiana. 1867 - Birth of Lionel Pigot Johnson England, poet/critic (Ireland and Other Poems). 1867 - Birth of Will Rossiter composer. 1867 - Michigan becomes first state to tax property to support a university. 1869 - Cincinnati Red Stockings beat Antioch 41-7. 1869 - Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first pro baseball team. 1871 - Birth of Betsy van den Arend Dutch [Betje], actress (Miss Hobbs). 1873 - Birth of David Vaughan Thomas composer. 1873 - Birth of Lee Shubert producer (theatres in New York and Los Angeles named after him). 1874 - Birth of Harold L Ickes social activist, New Deal politician. 1875 - First US cardinal (John McCloskey) invested. 1877 - Commencement of first Test Cricket, Australia vs England at Melbourne Cricket Ground. 1878 - Birth of Hanson Carter cricketer (Yorkshire Aussie wicketkeeper of early 20th century). 1879 - Birth of Gerrit J Heering Dutch theologist (Fall of Christianity). 1880 - Jan K J de Jonge Dutch historian, dies at age 51. 1881 - Emory Upton US Union General-Major (Selma), commits suicide at age 42. 1883 - Karol Studzinski composer, dies at age 55. 1884 - Birth of Rudolf Piskacek composer. 1885 - First performance of César Franck's "Lesson Djinns". 1887 - Michigan appoints first salaried game and fish warden in US(William Alden Smith). 1889 - Six US and German warships perish in harbor of Apia Samoa, 200 die. 1892 - First escalator patented by inventor Jesse W Reno (New York City, New York). 1892 - New York State unveils automatic ballot booth (voting machine). 1894 - Birth of Slava Vorlova composer. 1897 - First indoor fly casting tournament opens, at Madison Square Garden. 1900 - Birth of Gilberto Freye Brazilian sociologist/writer. 1901 - Birth of Colin McPhee Montréal Canada, composer (H2O, Mechanical Princibles). 1901 - Birth of J Pat O'Malley Burnley England; actor (Touch of Grace, Gunn, Star!). 1901 - Birth of Theo Uden Marsman Dutch orchestra leader. 1901 - Horse racing is banned in San Francisco, last race March 16th. 1902 - Birth of Kitty Masters actress. 1902 - Birth of Zarah [Stina Hedberg] Leander Karlstad Vämanland Sweden, singer/actress (Gabriela). 1903 - Frederick Lugard occupies Sokoto West Africa. 1904 - Birth of George Brent Dublin Ireland; actor (42nd Street, Jezebel). 1905 - Arnold Kerdijk Dutch liberal/founder (Social Weekly), dies at age 60. 1905 - B Amalie Skram-Alver Norwegian author (Paa Saint Jørgen), dies at age 58. 1905 - Birth of Berthold Schenck von Stauffenberg attempted to assassinate Hitler. 1905 - Birth of Joe E Ross comedian (Gunther Toody-Car 54, Ritzik-Phil Silvers Show). 1906 - Alfred Gilpin Jones Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia (1900-06), dies at age 81. 1906 - Brits Rolls, Royce and Johnson form Rolls Royce Ltd. 1907 - Birth of Zarah Stina Hedberg in Karlstad, Sweden; stage and film actor and singer as Zarah Leander (dies 1981). 1907 - Birth of Jimmy McPartland jazz trumpeter/actor (Magic Horn). 1907 - Birth of Paul Maxey Wheaton Illinois; actor (Matt-Lassie, Mayor-People's Choice). 1907 - Finland is first European country to give women the right to vote. 1908 - First performance of Maurice Ravel's "Rapsodie Espagnole". 1910 - Birth of An Rutgers van der Loeff-Basenau children book writer (Skating Race). 1912 - Birth of Duncan Stuart Wilson-MacDonald fighter pilot. 1912 - Birth of Louis Paul Boon Flemish writer (Kapellekensbaan). 1912 - Birth of Sam [Lightnin'] Hopkins Centerville Texas, blues stylist (Ball of Twine). 1912 - Pitcher Cy Young retires from baseball with 511 wins. 1913 - First Presidential press conference (Woodrow Wilson). 1913 - Birth of Lex Goudsmit Dutch actor (Fiddler on the Roof). 1913 - Birth of MacDonald Carey Sioux City Iowa; actor (One Life to Live, Dream Girl). 1913 - Cleveland establishes first small claims court. 1915 - Birth of David Schoenbrun CBS broadcast bureau head (Washington DC, Paris France). 1915 - Birth of Richard Ward Glenside Pennsylvania; actor (Beacon Hill). 1915 - Netherlands merchant ship Tubantia torpedoed and sinks in North Sea. 1916 - Birth of Geert Lubberhuizen publisher (Busy Bee). 1916 - Birth of Harry James Albany Georgia, trumpeter (married to Betty Grable). 1916 - General Pershing, 15,000 troops chasing Villa into Mexico, stays 10-months. 1916 - University of Gent goes under Dutch control. 1917 - Nicholas II, last Russian tsar, says he will abdicate. 1918 - Birth of Janet Leach potter. 1918 - Birth of Richard Ellmann US, literary scholar/writer (Oscar Wilde). 1918 - Jose Silvestre de los Dolores White Lafitte composer, dies at age 82. 1918 - Juliette Marie Olga Lili Boulanger composer, dies at age 24. 1918 - Lili Boulanger composer, dies at age 24. 1919 - American Legion forms (Paris France). 1919 - Birth of John Gregson Liverpool England; actor (Gideon CID, Shirley's World). 1919 - Birth of Lawrence Tierney Brooklyn; actor (Abduction, Dillinger). 1920 - Birth of Ranganandhan Francis India, field hockey (Olympics-gold-1948, 52, 56). 1922 - First southern radio station begins radio transmissions (WSB-AM, Atlanta Georgia). 1922 - Birth of Louis Boon writer. 1923 - Birth of George Vogel race horse trainer. 1923 - Birth of Laurence A Tisch New York City, New York, CEO (Loews Corp). 1923 - Lenin is hit with his third stroke. 1924 - Birth of Juij Bondarew writer. 1924 - Birth of Lockrem Johnson composer. 1926 - Belgium's "black monday", franc falls. 1926 - Birth of Benjamin Burwell Johnson composer. 1926 - Birth of Norm Van Brocklin NFL quarterback/coach (Los Angeles Rams), hall of famer. 1926 - Birth of Tim Valentine (Representative-Democrat-North Carolina, 1983-). 1927 - Birth of Carl Smith Maynardville Tennessee, country singer (Grand Ole Opry). 1927 - Birth of Philip Vincent Belloc Jebb architect. 1928 - Birth of Nicolas Flagello composer. 1928 - Mussolini modifies Italy electoral system (abolishes right to choose). 1929 - Birth of Tiezo Matsumura composer. 1929 - Pine-Top Smith jazz pianist (Boogie Woogie Piano), dies at age 24. 1930 - First seaplane glider flown, Port Washington New York. 1930 - First streamlined submarine of US navy, USS Nautilus, launched. 1930 - Antonio Beltramelli writer, dies at age 51. 1932 - Birth of Alan Lavern Bean Wheeler Texas, Captain USN/astronaut (Apollo 12, Skylab 3). 1932 - Birth of David Alliance Iran/British textile factory/multi-millionaire. 1933 - Birth of Cecil Perceval Taylor composer/jazz pianist (University of Wisconsin). 1933 - Birth of Ronald Roseman composer. 1933 - Birth of Roy Clark country singer (Hee Haw). 1933 - NAACP begins coordinated attack on segregation and discrimination. 1934 - Birth of Daniel George "Danny" Apolinar composer/songwriter. 1934 - Birth of Wolfgang Hufschmidt composer. 1934 - US Information Service opens. 1935 - Birth of Jimmy Lee Swaggart evangelist. 1935 - Birth of Judd Hirsch Bronx New York; actor (Alex-Taxi, Dear John, Ordinary People). 1935 - George Headley completes 270 in cricket vs England at Kingston. 1936 - Birth of Donald K Sundquist (Representative-Republican-Tennessee, 1983-). 1937 - First blood bank is established (Chicago Illinois). 1937 - First state contraceptive clinic opens (Raleigh North Carolina). 1938 - Birth of Dick Higgins composer. 1938 - Edmund Tylecote cricketer (England keeper in six Tests 1882-86), dies. 1939 - Birth of Robert Nye writer (Facts of Life and other fiction, Three Views of Man). 1939 - German troops occupy the Czech parts of Bohemia and Moravia. 1939 - Czech president Emil Hacha accepts Adolf Hitler's demand to surrender the entire country. 1939 - German troops enter the capital of Czechoslovakia, Prague. Adolf Hitler declares "Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist". 1940 - Alfred Marr cricketer (Test for Australia 1885, scored 0 and 5), dies. 1940 - Birth of Phil Lesh [Chapman] Berkeley California, rock bassist (Grass Roots, Grateful Dead). 1940 - Göring says 100-200 church bells enough for Germany, smelt the rest. 1941 - Birth of Dick Top Dutch actor/director (Witch of Haarlem). 1941 - Birth of Mike Love Los Angeles California, rock saxophonist/vocalist (Beach Boys-In My Room, Surfin' USA). 1941 - Blizzard in North Dakota kills 151. 1942 - Alexander van Zemlinsky Austrian/US composer (African Dance), dies at age 70. 1942 - Birth of Hughie Flint London England, rock drummer (Bonzo Dog Band). 1943 - Allied reconnaissance flight over Java. 1943 - Birth of Brenda Scott Cincinnati Ohio, actress (Midge-Road West). 1943 - Birth of David Cronenberg Toronto Ontario, director (Shivers, Fly, Brood). 1943 - Red Army evacuates Kharkov. 1944 - Birth of Chi Cheng Taiwan, sprinter/80 metre hurdler (Olympics-Bronze-68). 1944 - Birth of David Costell Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, rocker (Gary Lewis and the Playboys-This Diamond Ring). 1944 - Birth of Jacques Doillon director/writer (La Fille de Quinze Ans). 1944 - Birth of Ralph MacDonald rock percussionist (Graceland). 1944 - Birth of Sly Stone Dallas Texas, rocker (Sly and the Family Stone-Everyday People). 1944 - Allies launch another attack on Cassino. Over eight hours, 1000 tons of bombs are dropped, and 190,000 shells are fired on the town. By nightfall, two-thirds of the town is in Allied hands. 1944 - Otto von Below German commandant (WWI), dies at age 86. 1945 - 17th Academy Awards: "Going my Way", Bing Cosby and Ingrid Bergman win. 1945 - Bert Shepard (one legged WWII veteran) tries out as a pitcher for Senators. 1945 - Billboard publishes its first album chart (King Cole Trio is #1). 1945 - Birth of Jörgen Sundelin Sweden, yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1968). 1945 - Birth of Mark J Green Brooklyn New York, lawyer/author (Closed Enterprise System). 1945 - Birth of Tracy Smith runner. 1945 - Catholic University of Nijmegen reopens. 1945 - Brooklyn Dodgers open spring training at Bear Mountain New York. 1945 - Herman B Wiardi Beckman Dutch Member of Parliament (SDAP), dies at age 41. 1946 - Birth of Bobby Bond baseball player (New York Giants, New York Yankees, etc). 1946 - Birth of David Wall English ballet dancers/director (Royal Academy of Dancing). 1946 - Birth of Howard Scott San Pedro California, rock guitarist/vocalist (War, Cisco Kid). 1946 - British premier Attlee agrees with India's right to independence. 1946 - In Transylvania, Rumania, the People's Tribunal of Cluj sentences 43 officers and men of the former Hungarian army to varying penalties for crimes committed during the war: 23 to death, eight to life in prison, six to 25 years, and six to 20 years hard labor. 1947 - Birth of David Colley cricketer (New South Wales quickie, three Tests for Australia 1972). 1947 - Birth of Larisa Grigoriyevna Pozharskaya Russian cosmonaut. 1947 - Birth of Ry[land] Cooder Los Angeles California, blues guitarist (Crossroads). 1947 - Birth of Stomu Yamash'ta composer. 1947 - Birth of Tomas Pettersson Sweden, cyclist (Olympics-silver-1968). 1947 - John Lee appointed first black commissioned officer in US Navy. 1948 - Bradman scores 115 for the Australian cricket team vs Western Australia. 1948 - Sir Laurence Olivier on the cover of LIFE magazine. 1948 - Sixteen nations plus the American, British, and French zones of Germany draft a convention for economic cooperation. 1949 - Birth of John Duttine actor (Day of the Triffids). 1950 - Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "Consul" premieres at Barrymore Theater New York City for 269 performances. 1950 - New York City hires Dr Wallace E Howell as its official "rainmaker". 1951 - Persia nationalizes Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. 1952 - "2 in the Aisle" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater New York City after 276 performances. 1952 - Greatest 24-hour rainfall begins; 187 cm at La Réunion, Indian Ocean. 1953 - Birth of Colin Croft cricketer (West Indian fast bowler 1977-82). 1953 - Birth of Judi Spiers TV presenter. 1953 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. 1953 - West Germany loses in soccer to Netherlands, 2-1. 1954 - CBS Morning Show premieres with Walter Cronkite and Jack Paar. 1954 - Arthur Fickenscher composer, dies at age 82. 1954 - Birth of Craig Wasson Eugene Oregon; actor (Body Double, Four Friends, Men's Club). 1955 - Birth of Dee Snider Massapequa New York, (Twisted Sister-We're Not Gonna Take It). 1955 - Birth of Marcia McCabe Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania, actress (Alicia Grande-1 Live to Live). 1955 - Birth of Mohsin Khan cricketer (Pakistani opening batsman late 70s early 80s). 1955 - Dutch second Chamber requires TV licenses. 1955 - US Air Force unveils self-guided missile. 1956 - My Fair Lady opens at Mark Hellinger Theater New York City for 2,715 performances. 1956 - Birth of Clay Matthews NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons). 1956 - Whipper Billy Watson beats Lou Thesz in Toronto, to become NWA champion. 1957 - Great Britain becomes the third nation to explode a nuclear bomb. 1957 - Birth of Park Overall in Nashville, Tennessee, USA; actress (Laverne - Empty Nest, Mississippi Burning). 1958 - Birth of Laura Carrington; actress (Simone Hardy - General Hospital, Louisa - Alphabet City). 1958 - Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati scores a NCAA midwest region-record 56 points. 1958 - Cincinnati Royals' basketball star Maurice Stokes collapses during a playoff game with encephalitis; he goes into a coma and is permanently disabled. 1958 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test. 1959 - Birth of Eliot Teltscher in California, USA; tennis player (US Davis Cup team). 1959 - Birth of Harold Baines in Easton, Maryland, USA; outfielder (Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers). 1959 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. 1959 - Robert Foster sets record by staying underwater 13 minutes 42.5 seconds. 1960 - Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve established (first underwater park). 1960 - National Observatory at Kitt Peak, Arizona dedicated. 1961 - Birth of Craig Ludwig Rhinelander; NHL defenseman (Dallas Stars). 1961 - Birth of Fabio [Lanzoni] in Italy; romance novels model (Fabio After Dark). 1961 - Birth of John Melendez; jockey. 1961 - Birth of Terry Cummings; NBA forward (Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers). 1961 - South Africa withdraws from British Commonwealth. 1962 - Five research groups announce simultaneously discovery of anti-matter. 1962 - Birth of Igor Aleinikov; film maker. 1962 - Birth of Jimmy Baio in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Billy Tate - Soap, Brass, Playing for Keeps). 1962 - Birth of Steve Coy; rocker (Dead or Alive - "Spin Me Round"). 1962 - Birth of Terrence Trent D'Arby in New York City, New York, USA; rock vocalist (Wishing Well). 1962 - Donald Jackson of Canada is first to land a triple lutz ice skate jump. 1962 - Richard Rogers' No Strings opens at 84th Steet Theater in New York City for 580 performances. 1962 - Sam Wren, actor (Wren's Nest), dies at age 64. 1962 - Wilt Chamberlain is first to score 4,000 points in an NBA season. 1963 - Birth of Bret Michaels in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA; guitarist (Poison - "Talk Dirty to Me"). 1963 - Birth of Don Simington; jockey. 1963 - Birth of Frans Koenn; Dutch rock bassist (Loïs Lane - "Precious"). 1963 - Birth of Jimmy Baio in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Billy Tate - Soap). 1964 - Birth of Alison Johnson in Tustin, California, USA; WPVA volleyball player (US Open-4th-1993). 1964 - Birth of Rockwell [Kennedy Gordy] in Detroit, Michigan, USA; rock vocalist (Somebody's Watching Me). 1964 - Birth of Ron Hall; NFL tight end (Detroit Lions). 1964 - US President Lyndon Johnson asks for a War on Poverty. 1964 - Elizabeth Taylor's 5th marriage (Richard Burton). 1964 - Paul Cavanagh, actor (Black Arrow, Woman in Green), dies at age 75. 1964 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1965 - Birth of Marianne Morris in Middletown, Ohio, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 McDonald's LPGA-third). 1965 - US President Lyndon Johnson asks congress to ensure everybody's right to vote. 1965 - TGIFriday's first restaurant opens in New York City, New York. 1966 - 8th Grammy Awards: "Taste of Honey", Tom Jones, Frank Sintra, and Barbra Streisand. 1966 - Abe Saperstein, founder of Harlem Globetrotters, dies at age 63. 1966 - Birth of Chris Bruno; actor (Michael - All My Children, Dennis - Another World). 1966 - Birth of Karen Weiss in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Chick-fil-A Charity-7th). 1966 - Heinrich Lemacher, composer, dies at age 74. 1966 - Racial riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles, California. 1967 - AFCENT-headquarter moves to Brunssum. 1967 - Birth of Kirk Scrafford; NFL tackle (San Francisco 49ers). 1967 - Marshal Arturo da Costa e Silva sworn in as President of Brazil. 1968 - Birth of John Tardy; US heavy metalist (Obituary, Slowly We Rot). 1968 - Birth of Rob Anderson in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada; Canadian Tour golfer (British Columbia Amateur-1990, 1992). 1968 - Birth of Sabrina Salerno in Genoa, Italy; Miss Italy (1984)/singer (Boys). 1968 - Bob Beamon sets indoor long jump record (27 feet 2.75 inches). 1968 - British minister of Foreign affairs George Brown resigns. 1968 - Diocese of Rome announces that it "deplored the concept", but wouldn't prohibit rock and roll masses at Church of San Lessio Falconieri. 1968 - Life magazine calls Jimi Hendrix the "most spectacular guitarist in the world". 1968 - US Mint stops buying and selling gold. 1968 - Uprising in South Yemen. 1969 - Birth of Louis Riddick; NFL safety (Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons). 1969 - Miles Malleson, actor/writer (Postman's Knock), dies at age 80. 1969 - US Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas resigns. 1969 - Violent Chinese-Russian border dispute (hundreds dead). 1970 - Birth of Chris Dalman; NFL guard/center (San Francisco 49ers). 1970 - Birth of Diego Nargiso in Naples, Italy; tennis pro. 1970 - Birth of Eric Castle; NFL free safety (San Diego Chargers). 1970 - Birth of Paul Kruse in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada; NHL left wing (Calgary Flames). 1970 - Expo '70 opens in Osaka, Japan. 1970 - Gary Geld and Peter Udell's Purlie premieres at Broadway Theater in New York City for 689 performances. 1970 - Josef Martin Bauer, writer, dies at age 68. 1970 - Tarjei Vesaas, Nowegian author/novelist/writer (Isslottet), dies at age 72. 1971 - Birth of Patrick Reidy in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; basketball forward (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Reyna Royo; Miss Panamá-Universe (1996). 1971 - Birth of Robbie Pratt; jockey. 1971 - CBS TV announces it is dropping The Ed Sullivan Show. 1971 - Jean-Pierre Monseré, Flemish cyclist, dies at age 22. 1972 - Assassination attempt on Governor George Wallace of Alabama. 1972 - Birth of Casey Cristin Mizell; Miss South Carolina-USA (1997). 1972 - Birth of David Rhodes; WLAF wide receiver (Rhein Fire). 1972 - Birth of Filip Dewulf in Belgium; tennis star. 1972 - Birth of Oliver Gibson; NFL defensive tackle (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1972 - Birth of Steve Danielson in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; field hockey defender (Olympics-1996). 1972 - Danish airliner hits mountain in Sheikdom of Oman killing 112. 1972 - NASA selects three-part configuration for Space Shuttle. 1973 - Birth of Franca Fehlauer in Hamburg, Germany; golfer (Belgian International Jr champion 1991). 1974 - Birth of Imad Baba in Humble, Texas, USA; soccer midfielder (Olympics-gold-1996). 1974 - Brazilian President Garastazu Médici resigns. 1975 - Antonino Rocca, professional wrestler/sportscaster, dies at age 49. 1975 - Aristotle S Onassis, Greek shipping magnate, dies at age 69. 1975 - Birth of Cornell Brown; linebacker (Baltimore Ravens). 1975 - Bundy victim Julie Cunningham disappears from Vail, Colorado. 1975 - Jevgeni Kulikov skates world record 500 metre (37.99 seconds). 1976 - Birth of Laurent Gras; hockey forward (Team France 1998). 1976 - Failed coup in Nigeria. 1977 - Eight is Enough premieres on ABC-TV. 1977 - Kamal Joemblat, Lebanese politician, murdered. 1977 - US House of Representatives begin 90-day test of televising its sessions. 1977 - Chevrolet general manager Robert Lund drives the 500,000th Corvette, a white Stingray T-Top, off the assembly line in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. 1978 - Oakland Athletics trade Vida Blue to San Francisco Giants for seven players and US$390,000. 1978 - Operation Litani: Israeli offensive in South Lebanon to rid area of Palestine guerrillas. 1978 - People's Rebublic of China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor. 1979 - Apparat releases Newdos+ 2.1 for Radio Shack's TRS-80. 1979 - New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier's 5th career hat trick. 1979 - Sarfraz takes 9-86 at Melbourne Cricket Ground as Australia lose 7-5 to lose the Test. 1980 - Birth of Deidra Graham in Salt Lake City, Utah, gymnast (alternate-Olympics-1996). 1981 - Suriname failed coup under Sergeant-Major Wilfred Hawker. 1981 - Birth of Young Buck; American rapper. 1981 - Patty Hayes wins LPGA Sun City Golf Classic. 1982 - Nicaragua suspends their citizens' rights for 30 days. 1982 - Birth of Bobby Boswell; American pro soccer player. 1982 - Actress Theresa Saldana stabbed repeatedly by obsessed fan. 1983 - In Honshu, Japan, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurs. 1983 - José Luis Sert, Spanish-US architect/urban developer, dies at age 80. 1983 - Karnataka beats Bombay on first innings to win cricket Ranji Trophy. 1983 - Death of Rebecca West, English-born writer (born 1892). 1984 - John Lennon's single "I'm Stepping Out" is released (four years after his death). 1984 - Tanzania adopts constitution. 1984 - Tommy Cooper, comedian, collapses and dies on stage. 1984 - 10th People's Choice Awards: Brooke Shields wins. 1985 - Birth of Antti Autti; Finnish snowboarder. 1985 - Larry Holmes TKOs David Bey in 10 for heavyweight boxing title. 1985 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1985 - Vice-president Jose Sarney takes oath as the first civilian president of Brazil in 21 years, as the elected president Tancredo Neves had become severely ill on the day before. 1986 - Birth of Tyler Noyes; actor (CJ - One Life to Live). 1986 - Funeral services held for Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme. 1987 - Starlight Express opens at Gershwin Theater in New York City for 761 performances. 1987 - Sweet Charity closes at Minskoff Theater in New York City after 368 performances. 1987 - 13th People's Choice Awards: Bill Cosby. 1987 - Last day in Test cricket for Larry Gomes and Joel Garner. 1987 - New Zealand beats West Indies by five wickets in Jeremy Coney's last Test Cricket. 1987 - Sterling W Cole (Representative-Republican-New York), dies at age 82. 1987 - US Davis Cup team loses to Paraguay. 1988 - Birth of Rebecca Moore, Miss Alabama USA. 1988 - Dmitri F Polyakov, Russian Secretary-General/top spy for US, executed. 1988 - Eugene Marino of Atlanta, Georgia, USA appointed first African American archbishop. 1988 - NASA reports accelerated breakdown of ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons. 1988 - NFL's Saint Louis Cardinals officially move to Phoenix, Arizona. 1989 - Les Miserables opens at Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1989 - Birth of Caitlin Wachs, American actress (Chloe Waters-Profiler). 1989 - Department of Veterans Affairs officially established as a Cabinet position. 1989 - New York Rangers retire goalie Eddie Giacomin's number 1 uniform. 1990 - Fernando Collor de Mello sworn in as President of Brazil. 1990 - Tom Harmon, NFL tail back (Heisman Trophy), dies in Los Angeles at age 70. 1990 - The Soviet Union announces that Lithuania's declaration of independence is invalid. 1990 - Iraq hangs British journalist Farzad Bazoft for spying. Daphne Parish, a British nurse, is sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment as an accomplice. 1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first executive president of the Soviet Union. 1991 - Four Los Angeles police officers are charged with beating Rodney King. 1991 - Budd [Lawrence] Freeman, US jazz saxophonist (Eel), dies at age 84. 1991 - Eileen Sedgwick, silent film actress (Hot Heels), dies at age 93. 1991 - Sergei Bubka pole vaults record 20.25'. 1991 - Territories of Amapa and Roraima become states in Brazil. 1991 - Germany formally regains complete independence after the four post-World War II occupying powers (France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union) relinquish all remaining rights. 1992 - Birth of Sosie Bacon, American actress. 1992 - Brandie Burton wins LPGA Ping/Welch's Golf Championship. 1992 - Helen Deutsch, screenwriter, dies of natural causes. 1992 - Jack Washburn, actor (Black Orchid), dies after long illness at age 64. 1992 - United Nations officially embarks on its largest peacekeeping operation. 1992 - Vanessa Lee, actress (Split), dies at age 71. 1993 - Anthony Bowles, music writer (Jesus Christ Superstar), dies at age 61. 1993 - Dennis Gregory, actor (Village of the Damn), dies of pneumonia at age 40. 1993 - Ricardo M Arias Espinosa, President of Panamá (1955-56), dies. 1993 - Near the coast of northern Chile, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurs. 1993 - Vinod Kambli scores 227 vs Zimbabwe, his second consecutive Test 200. 1994 - 8th Soul Train Music Awards: Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston win. 1994 - Experts from American League certify Cleveland Indian's Jacobs Field is properly lit. 1994 - Mae Zetterling, Swedish actress (Night Games), dies at age 68. 1994 - U.S. troops are withdrawn from Somalia. 1995 - Carlos Menem Jr, son of Argentine President, dies at age 26. 1996 - Helen Chadwick, artist, dies at age 42. 1996 - Buena Vista Pictures releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Two Much to theaters in the US. 1996 - Olga Rudge, violinist, dies at age 100. 1996 - Roswell Leavitt Gilpatric, lawyer/diplomat, dies at age 89. 1997 - Pittsburgh Penguins' Joe Mullen is first American to score 500 NHL goals. 1998 - "Cabaret" opens at Club Expo Theater New York City. 1998 - Welch's/Circle K Golf Championship. 1998 - Death of Benjamin Spock, American athlete, pediatrician, and author (born 1903). 1999 - In Brussels, Belgium, the Santer Commission resigns over allegations of corruption. 2002 - Screen Gems releases the film Resident Evil to theaters in the USA. The film is based on the video game of the same title. 2003 - Hu Jintao becomes president of the People's Republic of China, replacing Jiang Zemin. 2004 - The new Spanish Government announces that it will withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq. 2004 - Death of John Pople, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1925). 2006 - (to March 26) The 2006 Commonwealth Games take place in Melbourne, Australia. 2006 - Death of George Mackey, American mathematician (born 1916). 2007 - Death of Bowie Kuhn, Major League Baseball Commissioner (born 1926). 2008 - In China, Hu Jintao is elected for another five-year term as president. Hu Jintao is also re-elected chairman of the Central Military Commission. Xi Jinping won election as vice-president. 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