This Day in History
March 20

What happened in history on this day: March 20? On March 20 in ... 141 - Sixth predicted perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 842 - Alfonso II the Chaste, king of Asturia (791-842), dies. 1191 - Clement III [Paolo Scolari], Pope (1187-91, third crusades), dies. 1239 - Death of Hermann von Salza in Salerno, Italy (born in Thüringen, Germany, about 1170); Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. 1345 - Saturn/Jupiter/Mars-conjunction; thought "cause of plague epidemic". 1351 - Mohammed ibn-Tughluq sultan of Delhi India, dies. 1393 - Johannes Nepomucenus [Jan Nepomucky], Czechoslovakian saint, killed. 1415 - Henry IV Bolingbroke King of England (1399-1413), dies at age 45. 1501 - Jean Carondelet lawyer/chancellor of Burgundy (1480-96), dies at age 72. 1525 - Paris' parliament begins pursuit of Protestants. 1531 - Sicke Freerks/Frericx [Cutter], Dutch anabaptist, beheaded. 1549 - Thomas Seymour of Sudely English Lord Admiral, beheaded. 1568 - Albrecht von Hohenzollern first duke of Prussia, dies at age 77. 1569 - Duke van Alva leads "tenth penning" in Ponts the Cé. 1598 - French king Henri IV and duke van Mercour sign treaty. 1602 - United Dutch East Indian Company (VOC) forms. 1616 - Walter Raleigh released from Tower of London to seek gold in Guyana. 1617 - Franciscus Aguilon physicist/theologist/mathematician, dies at age 50. 1619 - Matthias II Holy Roman Catholic emperor (1611-19), dies. 1627 - France and Spain signs accord for fighting protestantism. 1634 - Birth of Balthasar Bekker Frisian theologist (Examiner of Comets). 1646 - Matthew Vossius historian (Annales Holland Zelandiaeque), dies at age 35. 1680 - Birth of Baron Emanuele d' Astorga Italian composer (Stabat mater). 1697 - Willem de Vlamingh returns to Batavia after exploring "South Land". 1703 - Johann Kunckel/Kunkel German alchemist/ambassador to Sweden, dies. 1725 - Birth of Abdül-Hamid I 27th sultan of Turkey (1774-89). 1727 - Sir Issac Newton English physicist/astronomer, dies in London at age 84. 1728 - Birth of Franciscus L Kersteman Dutch lawyer/astrologist. 1739 - Birth of Eligio Celestino composer. 1750 - Birth of Martinus van Marum Dutch chemist/physicist (Homo Diluvii Testus). 1751 - Frederick Louis English prince of Wales/son of George I, dies. 1757 - Johann Paul Kunzen composer, dies at age 60. 1760 - Great Fire of Boston destroys 349 buildings. 1767 - Firmin Abauzit French huguenot/scholar, dies at age 87. 1770 - Birth of Johann Friedrich Hölderlin Tübingen Germany, lyric poet (Der Rhein, Andenken). 1774 - Birth of John Braham composer. 1800 - French army defeats Turks at Helipolis Turkey, and advance to Cairo. 1804 - Birth of Neal Dow Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1897. 1804 - Ignaz Malzat composer, dies at age 47. 1811 - Birth of George Caleb Bingham US, politician/painter (Country Election). 1811 - Birth of Napoleon Bonaparte II Napoleon's son/King of Rome. 1812 - Birth of George Bibb Crittenden Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1880. 1812 - Jan Ladislav Dussek Bohemian pianist/composer, dies at age 52. 1813 - Birth of Matthias Keller Ulm Germany, hymn writer (O Farther un High). 1814 - Prince Willem Frederik becomes monarch of Netherlands. 1815 - Napoleon enters Paris after escape from Elba, begins 100-day rule. 1816 - US Supreme Court affirms its right to review state court decisions. 1820 - Birth of Alexander J Cuza monarch of Moldavia/Wallachia/Romania. 1823 - Birth of John Echols Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1896. 1825 - Birth of William Nelson Rector Beall Brigadier General (Confederate Army). 1826 - Birth of Carel Vosmaer Dutch art historian/poet/editor. 1828 - Birth of Henrik Ibsen Norway, dramatist (Peer Gynt, Hedda Gabler). 1829 - Birth of Charles Albert White composer. 1830 - Birth of Eugene Asa Carr Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1910. 1833 - Birth of Henry Southwick Perkins composer. 1833 - US and Siam conclude commercial treaty. 1834 - Birth of Charles William Elliot Boston Massachusetts, President of Harvard (1869-1909). 1839 - Antonio López de Santa Anna becomes President (5th time) of Mexico. 1846 - Birth of Auguste Bender writer. 1848 - Abraham des Amorie van der Hoeven Dutch theologist/poet, dies at age 27. 1848 - King Louis I of Bayern abdicates to marry dancer Lola Montez. 1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" published (Boston). 1853 - Birth of George Godfrey Chelsea Massachusetts, heavyweight boxer (Old Chocolate). 1856 - Birth of Frederick Winslow Taylor father of scientific management. 1863 - Birth of Ernesto Nazareth composer. 1863 - Battle of Pensacola, Florida: evacuated by Federals. 1865 - Michigan authorizes workers' cooperatives. 1865 - Second day of Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. 1866 - Rikard Nordraak composer, dies at age 23. 1868 - Birth of Obe Postma Frisian poet/geography/historian (Frisian Clay Farm). 1868 - Jesse James Gang robs bank in Russelville Kentucky of $14,000. 1870 - Birth of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Prussian General/politician (East Africa). 1871 - Antonio Buzzolla composer, dies at age 56. 1872 - Birth of Bernhard Seklas composer. 1872 - Birth of Karin Michaelis writer. 1873 - Adolfe Louis Eugene Fetis composer, dies at age 52. 1874 - Hans Christian Lumbye composer, dies at age 63. 1882 - Birth of René Coty Le Havre France, President of France (1953-58). 1883 - Birth of Colin Campbell Falkirk Scotland, actress (High Bright Sun, Leather Boys). 1883 - Birth of Karl Hasse composer. 1883 - Unity treaty of Paris signed; protects industrial property. 1885 - Birth of Eugen Herrigel Germany, philosopher/early pioneer of Zen in Europe. 1885 - Birth of Hendrik A de Fish [Henri Pauwels], Flemish philological/sociologist. 1885 - John Matzeliger of Suriname patents shoe lacing machine. 1885 - Yiddish theater opens in New York with Golldfaden operetta. 1886 - First AC power plant in US begins commercial operation, Massachusetts. 1887 - Pavel Annenkov Russian literature historian, dies at age 73. 1888 - Birth of S V Vegesack writer. 1890 - Birth of Lauritz Melchior Copenhagen Denmark, baritone tenor (National Symphony). 1890 - General Federation of Womens' Clubs founded. 1890 - German emperor Wilhelm II fires republic chancellor Otto Von Bismarck. 1892 - Arthor Goring Thomas composer, dies at age 41. 1894 - Lajos Kossuth Hungarian freedom fighter/president (1849), dies at age 91. 1896 - Birth of Hal Walker Ottumwa Iowa, director (I Married Joan). 1896 - Marines land in Nicaragua to protect US citizens. 1896 - Uprising in Matabeleland. 1897 - First US orthodox Jewish Rabbinical seminary (RIETS) incorporates in New York. 1897 - First known intercollegiate basketball game, Yale beats University of Pennsylvania 32-10. 1897 - France signs treaty with emperor Menelik II of Abyssinia. 1898 - Luis Palés Matos Puerto Rican poet (Tuntún the paso y grifería), dies. 1899 - Martha M Place of Brooklyn New York, becomes first woman to die by electrocution. 1902 - Birth of Edgar Buchanan Humansville Missouri; actor (Uncle Joe-Petticoat Junction). 1902 - Birth of Kathryn Forbes short story writer (Mama's Bank Account). 1903 - Birth of Vincent Richards hall of fame tennis pro (elected 1961). 1904 - Birth of B(urrhus) F(rederic) Skinner Susquehanna Pennsylvania, Behaviorism pioneer (Skinner box). 1906 - Birth of Abraham Beame (Mayor-Democrat-New York City), New York City's first Jewish mayor. 1906 - Birth of Ozzie Nelson Jersey City New Jersey; actor (Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet). 1906 - Birth of Pavel P Parenago Russian astronomer. 1906 - George B Shaw's "Captain Brassbound's Conversion" premieres in London. 1908 - Birth of Frank Stanton Muskegon Michigan, broadcasting executive (CBS). 1908 - Birth of Philip "Felix" Bekkers actor (Czardasvorstin). 1908 - Birth of Sir Michael Redgrave Bristol England; actor (Browning Version, The Lady Vanishes). 1910 - Félix Tournachon [Nadar], French writer/photographer, dies at age 89. 1911 - Birth of Mieke Verstraete Belgian/Dutch actress (Pleasantly Settled). 1911 - Jean-Theodore Radoux composer, dies at age 75. 1911 - National Squah Tennis Association formed (New York City, New York). 1911 - Winter Garden Theater opens at 1634 Broadway New York City. 1913 - Birth of Judith Evelyn Seneca South Dakota, actress (13th Letter, Tingler, Rear Window). 1913 - Christian Barnekow composer, dies at age 75. 1913 - Song Jiao-ren leader Chinese Guomindang-Party, dies. 1914 - First international figure-skating tournament held in US, New Haven. 1914 - Birth of Sviatosiav Richter Zhitomir Ukraine, pianist (Stalin Prize-1945). 1914 - Birth of Wendell Corey Dracut Massachusetts; actor (11th Hour, Peck's Bad Girl). 1914 - Birth of William Baddeley rector (Saint James' Piccadilly). 1915 - Birth of Dr Rudolf Kirchschläger President of Austria (1974-86). 1916 - Allies attack Zeebrugge Belgium. 1916 - Birth of Pierre Messmer Prime Minister (France). 1917 - Birth of Dame Vera Lynn singer (Anniversary Waltz). 1917 - Birth of Dolf Verspoor literary/interpreter (M Nijhoff Prize 1958). 1917 - Birth of Kalervo H Hortamo Finnish poet (Sydänmaa). 1917 - Birth of Peter Caddy founder (Findhorn Community). 1918 - Birth of Bernd-Alois Zimmermann German composer (Soldiers). 1918 - Birth of Jack Barry Lindenhurst New York, game show emcee (Joker's Wild). 1920 - First flight from London to South Africa lands (1.5 months). 1920 - Birth of Bryan Genesse actor (The Bold and the Beautiful). 1920 - Birth of Douglas G Chapman biomathematical statistician. 1920 - Birth of Marian McPartland jazz pianist (Bill Mayer, Jimmy McPartland). 1920 - Birth of Werner Klemperer Cologne Germany; actor (Colonel Klink-Hogan's Heroes). 1920 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Theresa Weld. 1920 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Sherwin Badger. 1920 - Venustiano Carranza President of Mexico (1915-20), murdered at age 60. 1921 - Birth of Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow Senegal, director general of UNESCO. 1921 - Birth of Primoz Ramovs composer. 1922 - Birth of Carl Reiner Bronx New York, comedian/actor (2000 Year Old Man, Dick Van Dyke Show). 1922 - Birth of Doug Barnard Jr (Representative-Democrat-Georgia, 1977-). 1922 - Birth of Jack Kruschen Winnipeg Canada; actor (Papa-Webster, Busting Loose). 1922 - Birth of Larry Elgart New Haven Connecticut, bandleader/alto sax (Elgart Orchestra). 1922 - Birth of Ray Goulding Lowell Massachusetts, comedian (Bob and Ray). 1922 - Birth of Sir Arnold Burgen college president (Academia Europaea). 1922 - USS Langley is commissioned, Navy's first aircraft Carrier. 1922 - WIP-AM in Philadelphia Pennsylvania begins radio transmissions. 1923 - Bavarian minister of Interior refuses to forbid Nazi SA. 1923 - Belgian Senate rejects Dutch University in Ghent. 1923 - Birth of Marc Saporta French writer/essayist (Le Grand Défi). 1924 - Finnair begins scheduled flight of Helsinki-Tallinn. 1924 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens (NHL) sweep Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA) in 2. 1925 - Birth of James Pickles judge. 1925 - Birth of John D Erlichman Politician (Nixon aide, Watergate conspirator). 1925 - George N Curzon British Foreign minister (1919-22), dies at age 66. 1927 - Birth of John Pierre Herman Joubert composer (Chamber Music for brass quintet). 1928 - Birth of Anthony Blond British publisher (The Publishing Game, Book Book). 1928 - Birth of Christopher Benstead race horse trainer. 1928 - Birth of Hans Küng Swiss religious theologist. 1928 - Birth of Jerome Cousins Biffle Denver Colorado, long jumper (Olympics-gold-1952). 1928 - Birth of Mr [Fred McFeely] Rogers Latrobe Pennsylvania, children's television host (Mr Roger's Neighborhood). 1929 - Ferdinand Foch Marshal of France (WWI), dies at age 77. 1930 - Birth of Michel Magne composer. 1930 - Clessie Cummins sets diesel engine speed record of 129.39 kph. 1931 - Birth of Antonio Tauriello composer. 1931 - Birth of Dr John Rae British educator (Conscience and Politics). 1931 - Birth of Hal Linden [Harold Lipshitz] Bronx New York; actor (Barney Miller, Blacke's Magic, Rothchild). 1931 - Birth of Sir David Montgomery chairman (British Forestry Commission). 1931 - Bishop Schreiber warns against national-socialism in Berlin. 1932 - Birth of Tod Dockstader composer. 1932 - Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Region in RSFSR becomes Kara-Kalpak ASSR. 1933 - Birth of David James Moore educationalist. 1933 - Birth of Jacquez Guyonnet composer. 1933 - Dachau, first concentration camp, completed. 1933 - Giuseppe [Joe] Zangara electrocuted for assassination attempt on Franklin Roosevelt. 1934 - A Emma W T von Waldeck-Pyrmont Dutch queen (and regent), dies at age 76. 1934 - Birth of Eric Hebborn artist/faker. 1934 - Birth of Marion Conti arch bishop (Aberdeen England). 1934 - Female Babe Didrickson pitches hitless inning for Philadelphia Athletics in exhibition game against Brooklyn Dodgers. 1934 - Test of practical radar apparatus made by Rudolf Kuhnold in Kiel Germany. 1935 - Your Hit Parade makes its debut on radio. 1935 - Birth of Ted Bessell Flushing Queens New York; actor (Don-That Girl, Frankie-Gomer Pyle). 1936 - Birth of Lord Mark Saville of Newdigate British high court judge. 1936 - Durant Clifford Parkin cricketer (Tests for South Africa 1891-92), dies. 1937 - Birth of Elizabeth Gille writer translator/editor. 1937 - Birth of Helmut Recknagel Germany, 90 metre ski jump (Olympics-gold-1960). 1937 - Birth of Jerry Reed Atlanta Georgia, singer/actor ('Gator, Bat 21, Smokey and the Bandit). 1937 - Birth of Joe Rivers rocker (Johnnie and Joe). 1937 - Birth of Mark Saville QC, British high court judge. 1937 - Franco-offensive at Guadalajara Spain. 1938 - Birth of Frans J van der Heijden Dutch journal/Dutch Member of Parliament (CDA). 1939 - 7,000 Jews flee German occupied Memel Lithuania. 1939 - Birth of Brian Mulroney (P-C) 18th Prime Minister of Canada (1984-93). 1939 - Birth of Earl of Seafield [Ginger] English large landowner. 1940 - Birth of Mickey Preger horse trainer. 1940 - Paul Reynoud becomes French premier. 1941 - Birth of Carlos Lopez jockey. 1941 - D A van den Bosch anti-Nazi clergyman (Amersfoort Camp), dies. 1941 - Nazi-German/Yugoslav pact drawn. 1942 - Convoy PQ13 departs Reykjavik Iceland to Russia. 1942 - General MacArthur vows, "I shall return". 1942 - Major German assault on Malta. 1942 - Theodoro Valcarcel composer, dies at age 41. 1943 - British offensive against Mareth-line. 1943 - German U-384 bombed and sinks. 1944 - Bus falls off bridge into Passaic River New Jersey, killing 16. 1944 - Felix Woyrsch composer, dies at age 83. 1944 - Operation Anvil is cancelled. The plan was for a landing in south France simultaneously with the landing in north France. 1944 - Mount Vesuvius, Italy explodes. 1945 - Birth of Larry Combest (Representative-Republican-Texas, 1985-). 1945 - Birth of Pat Riley Schenectady New York, NBA star/coach (San Diego Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat). 1945 - Birth of Tim Yeo British Member of Parliament/Under-Secretary (State of Environment). 1945 - US 70th Infantry division/7th Armour division attack Saar. 1946 - The US Military Government in Berlin announces the capture of Mildred Gillars of Maine. Gillars was known as Axis Sally for her Berlin radio broadcasts to US troops in North Africa and Europe, describing the comforts of home and the folly of war with Germany. 1946 - Belgian government of Spaak, resigns. 1946 - Birth of Ranger Doug [Douglas Green], Illinois, singer (Riders in Sky-Cowboy Way). 1947 - 180-metric ton blue whale (record) caught in South Atlantic. 1947 - Birth of Carl Palmer drummer (Asia-Heat of the Moment, Emerson Lake and Palmer). 1947 - Birth of John Eastburn Boswell medievalist. 1948 - First live televised musical Eugene Ormandy on CBS followed in 90 minutes by second live televised musical Arturo Toscanini on NBC. 1948 - 20th Academy Awards: "Gentleman's Agreement", Ronald Colman, Loretta Young win. 1948 - Birth of Bobby Orr Parry Sound Ontario, Hall of Fame NHL defenseman (Boston Bruins). 1948 - Birth of John de Lancie actor (Q-Star Trek Next Generation, Eugene Bradford-Days of Our Lives). 1948 - Birth of Pamela Sargent US, sci-fi author (Venus of Dreams, Cloned Lives). 1949 - Birth of Chip Zien Milwaukee Wisconsin; actor (Love Sidney, Reggie). 1950 - Birth of William Hurt Washington DC; actor (Big Chill, Children of a Lesser God). 1950 - Walter Eucken German economist, dies at age 59. 1951 - Birth of Guy Perry rock guitarist/vocalist (Motels-Only the Lonely). 1951 - Birth of Jimmie Vaughan guitarist (Fabulous Thunderbirds). 1951 - Birth of John Wetton rocker (Asia, United Kingdom, King Crimson). 1951 - Birth of Madan Lal British cricketer (Indian medium pacer in the 1970s). 1951 - Birth of Tanya Boyd Detroit Michigan, actress (Celeste-Days of Our Lives). 1951 - Indonesian army offensive against Darul Islam on Java. 1951 - Jan Ingenhoven composer, dies at age 74. 1951 - Kathleen Lockhart Manning composer, dies at age 60. 1952 - 24th Academy Awards: "American in Paris", Humphrey Bogart and Vivian Leigh win. 1952 - Birth of Anand Armitraj India, tennis player (Brother of ViJay). 1952 - US Senate's final ratification of peace treaty restoring sovereignty to Japan. 1953 - Graciliano Ramos Brazilian author (Vidas Secas), dies at age 60. 1953 - Senator Edwin C Johnson offers a bill to give clubs the sole right to ban radio-TV broadcasts of major league games in their own territory. 1954 - "King and I" closes at Saint James Theater New York City after 1246 performances. 1954 - 16th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: La Salle beats Bradley 92-76. 1954 - First newspaper vending machine used (Columbia Pennsylvania). 1954 - Birth of Charlie Simmer Ontario, NHL Left winger (Los Angeles Kings). 1954 - Birth of Jim Seales Hamilton Alabama, singer (Shenandoah-Sunday in the South). 1956 - Birth of Phillip Oppenhein British Member of Parliament. 1956 - E Ochab succeeds Beirut as first Secretary of Polish CP. 1956 - Mount Bezymianny on Kamchatka Peninsula (USSR) explodes. 1956 - Tunisia gains independence from France. 1956 - USSR performs nuclear test. 1956 - Union workers ended a 156-day strike at Westinghouse Electric Corp. 1957 - Birth of Spike Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; director (Mo Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X). 1957 - Birth of Theresa Russell [Paup] in San Diego, California, USA; actress (Black Widow, Straight Time, Razor's Edge). 1957 - Britain accepts NATO offer to mediate in Cyprus, but Greece rejects it. 1958 - 50 inches of snow falls across the American Mason-Dixon line. 1958 - Birth of Holly Hunter in Conyers, Georgia, USA; actress (The Piano, Broadcast News, Roe vs Wade). 1958 - Birth of Rickey Jackson; NFL defensive end (San Francisco 49ers). 1958 - Greek Clandestine Burasi Bizim Radio (communist), Voice of Truth first transmission. 1959 - Birth of Dale Reid in Ladybank, Scotland; LPGA golfer (European Solheim Cup team). 1959 - Birth of Richard Drummie; rocker (Go West - "Call Me", "Don't Look Down"). 1961 - Birth of John Clark Gable in Los Angeles, California, USA; actor (Bad Jim). 1961 - Birth of Kathy Guadagnino in Albany, New York, USA; LPGA golfer (1985 US Women's Open). 1961 - Birth of Slim Jim Phantom [Jim Mcdonnell]; rock drummer (Stray Cats - "Stray Cat Strut"). 1962 - C Wright Mills, US sociologist (Power Elite), dies at age 45. 1962 - Dr Andrew E Douglass, dendrochronologer (study of tree rings) dies. 1962 - Sjoukje Dijkstra becomes world champion figure skater. 1963 - First "Pop Art" exhibition (New York City, New York). 1963 - Birth of Paul Annacone in Southampton, New York, USA; tennis star. 1963 - Birth of Paul Mirkovich; rock keyboardist (Nelson - "Love and Affection"). 1963 - Birth of Ramon Andersson in Middle Swan, Australia; canoeist (Olympics-bronze-1992, 1996). 1963 - Karl Otten, writer, dies at age 73. 1963 - Sikkim crown prince Paldan Thondup Namgyal marries Hope Cooke. 1964 - Birth of Ruth Davidon in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; rower (Olympics-6th-1996). 1964 - Brendan Behan, Irish writer/poet, dies at age 41. 1964 - European Space Research Organization established. 1964 - Jean Rogister, composer, dies at age 84. 1965 - 27th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Michigan 91-80. 1965 - Birth of Chris Hoiles in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA; catcher (Baltimore Orioles). 1965 - Birth of Danielle Woodward in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; canoeist (Olympics-1996). 1965 - Venkataraghavan takes 8-72 vs New Zealand at Delhi, India. 1966 - Birth of Blas Minor in Merced, California, USA; pitcher (Seattle Mariners). 1966 - Birth of Giulio Caravatta; Canadian Football League quarterback (British Columbia Lions). 1966 - Marilynn Smith wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Women's Golf Open. 1967 - A J F Moody is first US Army General to die in Vietnam. 1967 - Birth of Bryan Genesse; actor, (Rocco - The Bold and the Beautiful, Grady - Street Justice). 1967 - Birth of Dana Rinehart Dalton in Orlando, Florida, USA; Miss Florida-America (1990). 1967 - Birth of Mookie Blaylock; NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks). 1967 - Birth of Randy Gullatt; horse trainer. 1968 - Birth of Eric Viscaal; Dutch soccer star (PSV/AA Gent). 1968 - Birth of Jurgen Rumrich in Miesbach, Germany; hockey forward (Team Germany 1998). 1968 - Birth of Sheree Megan Higgins in Matamata, New Zealand; golfer (1991 Bridgestone). 1968 - Carl T Dreyer, Danish director (Passion of Jeanne d'Arc), dies. 1968 - Military intervenes in South-Yemen (leftist ministers resign). 1968 - US President Lyndon Johnson signs a bill removing gold backing from US paper money. 1969 - The Beatles' John Lennon marries Yoko Ono in Gibraltar. 1969 - Birth of Caroline Brunet in Québec City, Québec, Canada; kayaker (Olympics-silver-1996). 1969 - Birth of Konstantine Starikovitch in Podolsk, Russia; 238 pounds US weightlifter (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Paul Atkinson; jockey. 1969 - Birth of Sharon Manning; WNBA center/forward (Charlotte Sting). 1969 - Birth of Thang Thanh Nguyen in Soc Trang, Vietnam; murderer (FBI Most Wanted). 1969 - US President Richard Nixon proclaims he will end Vietnam war in 1970. 1970 - Birth of Kristin Klein in Santa Monica, California, USA; volleyball outside hitter (Olympics-1996). 1970 - Birth of Ralph Dawkins; NFL running back (New Orleans Saints). 1970 - Birth of Ron George; NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons). 1970 - Birth of Todd Burger; NFL guard (Chicago Bears). 1971 - Birth of Janis Kelly in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; volleyball player (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Manny Alexander in Dominican Republic; infielder (Baltimore Orioles). 1971 - Boston Bruins win 13th straight NHL game. 1972 - Nineteen mountain climbers killed on Japan's Mount Fuji during an avalanche. 1972 - Aad de Haas, Dutch religious painter/graphic artist, dies at age 51. 1972 - Birth of Ajah Wilson-Ogechukwu; soccer player (Roda JC). 1972 - Jan Engelman, Dutch poet/art critic (At the Front), dies at age 71. 1972 - Marilyn Maxwell, actress (Grace - Bus Stop), dies at age 50. 1972 - Sicco L. Mansholt succeeds Franco M. Malfatti as chairman of European Committee. 1973 - Birth of Jane March in Edgeware, England; actress (Lover). 1973 - Birth of Nico Boje; cricketer (South African ODI left-arm spinner 1996). 1973 - Birth of Norman Tome; Australian soccer striker (Olyroos, Olympics-1996). 1973 - Roberto Clemente elected to Hall of Fame, 11 weeks after his death. 1974 - Birth of P J Bogart in New York City, New York; diver (Olympics-1996). 1974 - Chet Huntley, newscaster (NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report), dies at age 62. 1974 - Edward Platt, actor (Chief - Get Smart), dies at age 58. 1974 - [Lavinia] Marian Fleming Poe, Black US advocate in Virginia, dies at age 83. 1975 - Birth of Brian Buetsch in Rockford, Illinois, USA; figure skater (1997 Great Lakes Senior champion). 1976 - Birth of Arno Knapen; Dutch soccer player (Holten, FC Twente). 1976 - Jevgeni Kulikov skates world record 1000 metre (1:15.70). 1976 - Michael Goodliffe, actor (Gorgon, 7th Dawn, Way Out), dies at age 61. 1976 - Patricia Hearst convicted of armed robbery. 1977 - Parisians (France) elect former Prime Minister Jacques Chirac as first mayor in a century. 1977 - Premier Indira Gandhi loses election in India. 1978 - Philadelphia Flyers' Rick MacLeash scores on 6th penalty shot against New York Islanders. 1979 - Columbia flies on Shuttle carrier aircraft to Kennedy Space Center. 1980 - US appeals to International Court on hostages in Iran. 1980 - Birth of Jamal Crawford; American Basketball player. 1981 - Argentine ex-President Isabel Perón sentenced to 8 years. 1981 - Jean Harris sentenced 15-to-life for slaying of Scarsdale Diet Doctor. 1982 - France performs nuclear test. 1982 - Hendrik L van Beek, Dutch Vice-Admiral, dies at age 52. 1982 - Joan Jett and Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" goes #1 for 7 weeks. 1982 - Reverend A Treurnicht forms Conservative Party of South Africa. 1982 - Birth of Nick Wheeler; American musician (The All-American Rejects). 1982 - First-class debut of Richie Richardson, Leeward Islands vs Barbados. 1983 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open. 1984 - Birth of Marcus Vick, American football player. 1984 - Birth of Nomura Yuka, Japanese actress. 1984 - Andy Kaufman and Fred Blassie's My Breakfast With Blassie premieres. 1984 - US Senate rejects amendment to permit spoken prayer in public schools. 1984 - Birth of Fernando Torres, Spanish footballer (Liverpool F.C.). 1984 - Birth of Christy Carlson Romano, American actress and singer. 1985 - Libby Riddles is first woman to win Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race. 1986 - 228 KPH gust of wind strikes Cairngorm (United Kingdom record). 1986 - Jacques Chirac become Prime Minister of French government. 1987 - Birth of Emilia Attias; Argentine model. 1987 - FDA approves sale of AZT (AIDS treatment). 1987 - NASA launches Palapa B2P. 1987 - Norman Harris, guitarist (O'Jays), dies at age 39 of heart failure. 1987 - Soap opera Capitol final episode. 1987 - Soviet filmmakers arrive in Hollywood for an entertainment summit. 1987 - Yvonne van Gennip skates ladies world record 5 km (7:00.36). 1988 - David Henry Hwang's M Butterfly premieres in New York City, New York. 1988 - Gil Evans, Canadian/US jazz composer (Out of the Cool), dies at age 75. 1988 - Laura Davies wins Circle K LPGA Tucson Golf Open. 1988 - Mike Tyson knocks out Tony Tubbs in two rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1988 - Death of Ralph Wright, Writer and American actor (born 1908). 1988 - Having defeated the Nadew Command, the EPLF enters the town of Afabet, victoriously concluding the Battle of Afabet. 1989 - Peter Ueberroth, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, announces an inquiry is being conducted into gambling allegations concerning Cincinnati Reds' manager, Pete Rose. 1989 - Richard J Kerr replaces Robert M Gates as deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency. 1990 - Jannetje Visser-Roosendaal, Dutch writer, dies at age 90. 1990 - Jev Jasjin (Lev Yashin), Russian soccer goalie, dies at age 60 (born 1929). 1990 - Los Angeles Lakers retire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's number 33. 1990 - Ferdinand Marcos's widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering. 1991 - Conor Clapton, Eric Clapton's son, falls out of 53rd floor window at age 4. 1991 - Court awards Peggy Lee $3 million in contract violation suit against Disney. 1991 - Michael Jackson signs US$65 million six-album deal with Sony Records. 1991 - US Supreme Court rules unanimously employers can't exclude women from jobs where exposure to toxic chemicals could potentially damage fetus. 1991 - US forgives US$2 billion in loans to Poland. 1992 - Disney releases the Touchstone Pictures / Amblin live-action feature film Noises Off to theatres in the USA. 1992 - Avonne Taylor, actress (My Best Girl, Honor Among Lovers), dies at age 93. 1992 - Frank Westbrook, dancer/choreographer, dies at age 82. 1992 - Georges Delerue, French composer (Hiroshima, My Love), dies at age 67. 1992 - Janice Pennington is awarded $1.3M for accident on Price is Right set. 1993 - Claudia Yeltsin, mother of Russian President Yeltsin, dies at age 85. 1993 - Dan Jansen skates world record 500 metre (36.02 seconds). 1993 - An Irish Republican Army bomb explodes in Warrington Town Centre, England, killing two children, Jonathan Ball (age 3) and Tim Parry. 1993 - Morton Downey Jr weds Lori Krebs. 1993 - Death of Polykarp Kusch, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1911). 1994 - Cyrano: The Musical closes at Neil Simon theater in New York City after 137 performances. 1994 - Flowering Peach opens at Lyceum Theater in New York City for 41 performances. 1994 - No Man's Land closes at Criterion Theater in New York City after 61 performances. 1994 - 14th Golden Raspberry Awards: Indecent Proposal wins. 1994 - El Salvador's first Presidential election following 12-year civil war. 1994 - Laura Davies wins LPGA Standard Register Ping Golf Tournament. 1994 - Mashonaland U-24 beats Matabeleland on first inning to win Logan Cup. 1994 - Wrestlemania X at Madison Square Garden New York, Bret Hart pins Yokozuna to win WWF championship. 1994 - Zulu-king Goodwill Zwelithini founds realm in South Africa. 1995 - Beatles song, Free As A Bird, with late John Lennon as lead singer, is released, first Fab Four single since their 1970 breakup. 1995 - Dow Jones hits 4083.68 (record). 1995 - Merv Harvey, cricketer (scored 12 and 31 in Test Australia vs England 46-47), dies. 1995 - Members of the Aum Shinrikyo religious cult release sarin gas on five separate railway trains in Tokyo, killing 12 and injuring 4700. 1995 - Rachida Hammadi, Algerian TV journalist, murdered at age 32. 1995 - Sidney Kingsley, US playwright (Pulitzer prize 1934), dies at age 88. 1996 - Love Thy Neighbor opens at Booth Theater in New York City. 1996 - Alan Ridout, composer, dies at age 61. 1996 - Claude Bourdet, human rights activist/journalist, dies at age 86. 1996 - In Los Angeles, California, Lyle and Erik Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents. 1996 - The British Government announces that Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) has likely been transmitted to people. 1996 - Victor Zorza, journalist/Russian specialist, dies at age 71. 1997 - "Play On!" opens at Brooks Atkinson Theater in New York City for 61 performances. 1997 - Mother of Hugh Hefner (Playboy), dies at age 101. 1997 - Death of Tony Zale, American boxer (born 1913). 1997 - Carlo Fassi, figure skating coach (Fleming, Hamill), dies at age 67. 1997 - Liggett admits cigarettes are addictive. 1998 - Death of George Howard, American jazz saxophone musician (born 1956). 1999 - Serbs launch an offensive in Kosovo. 2000 - Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (H. Rap Brown), a former Black Panther, is captured after a gun battle in Atlanta, Georgia, that leaves a sheriff's deputy dead. 2003 - Land troops from United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invade Iraq. 2004 - Death of Juliana, Queen Mother of the Netherlands (born 1909). 2005 - At least 250 people in Japan are injured and at least one killed, when a magnitude 7 earthquake strikes west of Kyushu Island, just 9km (5.5 miles) below the ocean floor. 2006 - Birth of Chris and Cru Kahui, infant twin brothers murdered in New Zealand (died 2006). 2006 - In San Diego, California, Japan captures the first World Baseball Classic crown beating Cuba, 10-6. 2006 - Tropical Cyclone Larry makes landfall in Queensland, Australia. 2007 - Death of Taha Yassin Ramadan, Vice President of Iraq (born 1938). 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