This Day in History
March 21

What happened in history on this day: March 21? On March 21 in ... 1295 - Birth of Heinrich von Berg [Seuse] in Konstanz, Germany; mystic. 1349 - 3,000 Jews killed in Black Death riots in Efurt Germany. 1417 - Birth of St. Nicholas of Flüe in Flüeli, Switzerland; judge, hermit. 1421 - Battle of Beauge-French beat British. 1466 - Birth of French van Brederode leader Hoeksen. 1474 - Birth of Angela Merici Italian monastery founder/saint. 1487 - Nicholas van Fluë, Swiss saint/patron of Switzerland, dies. 1492 - Alonzo Pietro, pilot, sailed with Columbus. 1521 - Birth of Maurice, Elector of Saxony, in Freiberg, Germany; Protestant, allied with the Roman Catholic Emperor Karl V. 1521 - Birth of Mauritius duke/nice monarch of Saksen (1547-53). 1527 - Birth of Hermann Finck composer. 1538 - Hugo earl of Leisnig, Governor of Frisia, dies at about age 79. 1556 - Thomas Cranmer archbishop of Canterbury, burned at stake at age 66. 1591 - Pope Gregory XIV issues instruction threatening excommunication for anyone found gambling on the identity of his successor. 1609 - Birth of Jan II Kazimierz cardinal/King of Poland (1648-68). 1610 - King James I addresses English House of Commons. 1617 - Pocahontas dies. 1624 - Birth of François Roberday composer. 1642 - Birth of Georg Schmezer composer. 1652 - Vredius [Olivier de Wree], Flemish historian/mayor (Brugge), dies at age 55. 1654 - Johann Neukrantz composer, dies at age 51. 1656 - Armagh James Ussher Archbishop (said world began 4004 BC), dies at age 76. 1681 - Third Exclusion Parliament meets in London. 1685 - Birth of Johann Sebastian Bach in Eisenach, Germany; composer (Matthäus-Passion). 1697 - Czar Peter the Great begins tour through West-Europe. 1702 - Queen Anne Stuart addresses English parliament. 1708 - Birth of Caspar Ruetz composer. 1713 - Birth of Francis Lewis signed Declaration of Independence. 1716 - Birth of Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger composer. 1729 - John Law Scottish financier, dies at about age 57. 1734 - Gunther Jacob Wenceslaus composer, dies at age 48. 1763 - Birth of Jean Paul writer. 1765 - Birth of Henry Fagel Dutch/English baron/diplomat. 1768 - Birth of Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Fourier mathematician/Egyptologist. 1768 - Jan J Mauricius Dutch Governor-General of Suriname (1742-51), dies at age 75. 1779 - Birth of Alexis Garaude composer. 1788 - Fire destroyed 856 buildings in New Orleans Louisiana. 1788 - Gustavus Vassa petitions Queen Charlotte, to free enslaved Africans. 1790 - Thomas Jefferson reports to President Washington in New York as Secretary of State. 1791 - Captain Hopley Yeaton of New Hampshire becomes first commissioned officer in US Navy. 1793 - Johann Michael Schmidt composer, dies at age 51. 1804 - Death of Louis Antoine Henri de Bourbon-Conde, Duke of Enghien, at Vincennes, executed by firing squad. 1804 - French civil Code of Napoleon adopted. 1806 - Birth of Benito Pablo Juárez Oaxaca Mexico, President of México (1858-72). 1810 - Philippe-Joseph van den Berghe graaf Limmighe Brabants ships, dies. 1811 - Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (Mexican freedom fighter) is captured by the Spanish. 1813 - Birth of James Jesse Strang king of Mormons on Beaver Island Michigan (1850-56). 1816 - Birth of Charlotte Bronte novelist/poet. 1820 - Birth of Frank Mori composer. 1824 - Fire at Cairo ammunitions dump kills 4,000 horses. 1826 - Beethoven's Quartet #13 in B flat major (Op 130) premieres in Vienna. 1835 - Charles Darwin and Mariano Gonzales meet at Portillo Pass. 1836 - Birth of Jesus Monasterio composer. 1839 - Birth of Modest Mussorgsky composer (Boris Gudunov, Night on Bald Mountain). 1843 - Preacher William Miller of Massachusetts predicts the world will end today. 1844 - Leopold F J J J van Sassen Ysselt Dutch politician, dies at age 65. 1844 - Origin of Bahá'í Era-Bahá'í calendar starts here (Bahá 1, 1). 1847 - Antonio López de Santa Anna becomes President (9th time) of Mexico. 1851 - Yosemite Valley discovered in California. 1854 - Birth of Alick A C Bannerman cricket player (brother of Charles, Australia 1878-1893). 1857 - Abraham J van der Aa lexicographer (Biograph dictionary), dies at age 64. 1857 - Earthquake hits Tokyo; about 107,000 die. 1859 - Scottish National Gallery opens in Edinburgh. 1859 - Zoological Society of Philadelphia, first in US, incorporated. 1860 - US extradition treaty with Sweden. 1863 - Birth of Hugo Kaun composer. 1863 - Edwin Vose Sumner US Union-General-Major (Fair Oaks), dies at age 66. 1863 - Naval Engagement at Havana Cuba-USS Henrick Hudson versus BR Wild Pigeon. 1864 - Battle at Henderson's Hill (Bayou Rapids), Louisiana. 1865 - Battle of Bentonville ends, last Confederate effort to stop Sherman. 1866 - Birth of Antonia Caetana de Paiva Pereira Maury astronomer. 1866 - US Congress authorizes national soldiers' homes. 1868 - First US professional women's club, Sorosis, is founded in New York City, New York. 1869 - Birth of Albert Kahn architect, originated modern factory design. 1869 - Birth of Florenz Ziegfeld producer (Ziegfield Follies). 1871 - Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his search through Africa for the missing British explorer Dr. David Livingstone. 1871 - Otto von Bismarck elevated Fürst. 1874 - US Grant's daughter Nellie marries in the White House. 1880 - Birth of Hans Hofmann German/US painter (Search for the Real). 1880 - Birth of Wilhelm Pessler German sociologist. 1881 - Birth of Hermann Sandby composer. 1882 - Birth of Gilbert M Anderson [Max Aronson], Little Rock Arkansas. 1883 - Birth of Jules van Nuffel composer. 1884 - Birth of George D Birkhoff US mathematician (Aesthetic measure). 1885 - Second French government of Ferry resigns. 1887 - Birth of Edwin Scharff German "entartet" painter/sculptor. 1888 - Arthur Pinero's "Sweet Lavender" premieres in London. 1890 - Austrian Jewish communities are defined by law. 1891 - A Hatfield marries a McCoy, ends long feud in West Virginia; it started with an accusation of pig-stealing and lasted 20 years. 1891 - Birth of Jonathan Hale actor (Saint's Double Trouble, Saint Strikes Back). 1893 - Birth of Geoffrey Dearmer poet. 1894 - Jacob Rosenhaim composer, dies at age 80. 1899 - British and French reach accord about West-Africa. 1900 - Birth of Eugenie Leontovitch in Moscow, Russia; actor (Homicidal). 1901 - Birth of Carmelita Geraghty in Rushville, Indiana, USA; actress (My Best Girl, Texas Ranger). 1902 - Birth of Carl Jaffe in Hamburg, Germany; actor (First Man in Space, Escapement). 1902 - Birth of Eddie James "Son" House; folk blues musician (Delta Blues). 1905 - Birth of Phyllis McGinley; US poet (Pulitzer 1961, Love Letters). 1906 - Birth of John D Rockefeller III; billionaire philanthropist (oil). 1907 - US invades Honduras. 1910 - Birth of Nick Castle in Brooklyn, New York, USA; choreographer (Dinah Shore, Judy Garland). 1911 - Birth of John Paxton; screenwriter (On The Beach, Kotch, Farewell My Lovely). 1912 - Birth of Peter Bull; actor/author (Executioner, Tom Jones, Dr Strangelove). 1913 - Birth of Max Youngstein in New York City, New York, USA; film producer (United Artists). 1913 - Flood in Ohio, USA, kills 400. 1914 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Theresa Weld. 1914 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Norman M Scott. 1916 - JP Van Limburg Stirum succeeds AWF Idenburg as Governor-General of Netherland Indies. 1916 - Victor de Stuers, Dutch art expert, dies at age 72. 1918 - Birth of Joe Carveth; NHL forward (scored 20 or more goals in three seasons). 1918 - Germany launches the Somme offensive. 1919 - Birth of Lois Collier in Salley, South Carolina, USA; actress (Mary - Boston Blackie, Slave Girl). 1920 - Federigo Tozzi, Italian writer/journalist (Torre, Tre Croci), dies at age 37. 1921 - "Big Jim" Colisimo, US gangster, is murdered by Al Capone. 1921 - Birth of Logan Ramsey in Long Beach, California, USA; actor (Head, Joy Sticks, Say Yes). 1923 - Birth of Mort Lindsey in Newark, New Jersey, USA; orchestra leader (The Merv Griffin Show). 1923 - Birth of Philip Abbott in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; actor (Arthur Ward - The FBI). 1923 - US foreign minister Charles Hughes refuses USSR recognition. 1924 - First foreign language course broadcast on US radio (WJZ, New York City, New York). 1924 - Mass Investors Trust becomes first mutual fund set up in US. 1925 - Birth of John E Grotberg; American politician (Representative-Republican-Illinois, 1985-86). 1925 - Birth of Peter Brook in London, England; director (1776), TV writer. 1925 - Iran adopts Khorshidi solar Hijrah calendar. 1926 - Birth of André Delvaux in Heveree, Belgium; director/writer (Benvenuta). 1926 - Birth of Virginia Weidler in Hollywood, California, USA; actress (Babes on Broadway). 1927 - Birth of Hans-Dietrich Genscher; German minister of Foreign affairs (FDP). 1927 - Guomindang Army conquerors Shanghai as British marines flee. 1928 - Charles Lindbergh is presented the US Congressional Medal of Honor for his first trans-Atlantic flight. 1928 - Birth of James W Kinnear in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; CEO (Texaco). 1928 - Birth of Peter Hacks; German playwright (Tie Windloch). 1929 - Birth of James Coco in Bronx, New York, USA; actor (Man of La Mancha, Murder by Death). 1929 - Birth of Jules Bergman, space and science reporter (ABC-TV). 1931 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Maribel Vinson. 1931 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Roger Turner. 1931 - Death of Bhagat Singh, Indian revolutionary (born 1908). 1932 - Birth of Joseph Silverstein in Detroit, Michigan, USA; violinist (Denver Symphony Orchestra). 1933 - Birth of John Hall; English real estate developer/multi-millionaire. 1933 - Birth of Michael Heseltine; Welsh/British minister of Defense (1986)/Member of Parliament. 1934 - Babe Didrikson pitches an inning in a Philadelphia Athletics - Brooklyn Dodgers exhibition game: Walks 1, hits the next guy, third guy hits into triple-play. 1934 - Birth of Al Freeman Jr in San Antonio, Texas, USA; actor (One Life to Live, My Sweet Charlie). 1934 - Birth of Lister Carney in Bellaire, Ohio, USA; 200 metre runner (Olympics-silver-1960). 1934 - Lilyan Tashman, actor (Bulldog Drummond), dies at age 34. 1935 - Persia officially renamed Iran. 1936 - Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov, composer ("Chopiniana"), dies at age 70. 1937 - Birth of Tom Flores in Fresno, California, USA; NFL quarterback/coach (Oakland Raiders). 1937 - Ponce massacre, police kill 19 at Puerto Rican Nationalist parade. 1938 - Birth of Grahame Thomas; cricket player (Australian batsman of the mid-1960s). 1938 - Birth of Wilf Corrigan; English/American electronic manufacturer (LSI Logic). 1938 - Oscar Apfel, actor (Inspiration), dies at age 60. 1939 - Birth of Kathleen Widdoes in Wilmington, Delaware, USA; actress (Without a Trace). 1939 - Birth of Martha Hudson in Eastman, Georgia, USA; 4X100 metre relayer (Olympics-gold-1960). 1939 - Germany demands Gdansk (Danzig) from Poland. 1940 - The Queen Mary ocean liner departs from New York for war duty. 1941 - Birth of Malcolm Francke; cricket player (leg-spinner, Ceylon 1956 to Queensland 1984). 1941 - Joe Louis knocks out Abe Simon in 13 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1941 - Robert Liefmann, German economist (Kartelle und Trusts), dies at age 67. 1942 - Birth of Françoise Dorléac in Paris, France; actress (That Man From Rio). 1942 - Captain Morávec, Czechoslovakian resistance fighter, commits suicide. 1942 - Convoy QP9 departs Great Britain to Murmansk, Russia. 1942 - Heavy German assault on Malta. 1943 - Assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler fails. 1943 - Birth of Antal Dunai in Hungary; soccer player (Olympics-gold-1968). 1943 - Birth of Viv[ian] Stanshall in Shillingford, Oxon, England; rocker (Bonzo Dog Band - "I'm the Urban Spaceman"). 1943 - British 8th Army opens assault on Mareth line, Tunisia. 1944 - Birth of Charles Edward Greene in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA; 4x100 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1968). 1944 - Birth of Marie-Christine Barrault in Paris, France; actress (Stardust Memories). 1945 - First Japanese flying bombs (ochas) attack Okinawa. 1945 - Birth of Charles E Greene; American 100 metre sprinter (Olympics-bronze-1968). 1945 - Birth of Rose[mary] Stone in Dallas, Texas, USA; vocalist/pianist (Sly and the Family Stone - "Everyday People"). 1945 - Birth of Vernon Guy; US gospel singer (Cool Sounds, Sharpees). 1945 - Allied bombers begin four-day raid over Germany. 1945 - Dutch Resistance fighter Hannie Schaft arrested by German police. 1945 - J Woortman, Dutch resistance fighter, dies in Bergen-Belsen at age 39. 1946 - Birth of Ray Dorset; rocker (Cold Blue Excursion). 1946 - Birth of Timothy Dalton in Colwyn Bay, Wales; actor (James Bond - The Living Daylights, License to Kill). 1946 - United Nations sets up temporary headquarters at Hunter College (Bronx). 1947 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Fulgens radiatur. 1947 - US President Harry Truman signs Executive Order 9835 requiring all federal employees to swear allegiance to the United States. 1947 - Test Cricket debut of Bert Sutcliffe, New Zealand versus England at Christchurch. 1948 - Stop the Music with Bert Parks premieres on ABC radio. 1948 - Birth of Nancy Addison Altman in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Jillian Coleridge Ryan - Ryan's Hope). 1949 - Birth of Alvin Kallicharran; cricket player (wonderful West Indies LHB 1972-81). 1949 - Birth of Eddie Money [Mahoney] in Brooklyn, New York, USA; singer/guitarist ("Take Me Home Tonight", "Two Tickets to Paradise"). 1950 - Birth of Roger Hodgson in London, England; rock vocalist (Supertramp - "It's Raining Again"). 1951 - Birth of Russell Thompkins Jr; American soul singer (Stylistics - "Sing Baby Sing"). 1952 - A J Pieters, SS-Untersturmführer, is executed. 1952 - Alan Freed presents Moondog Coronation Ball at old Cleveland Arena, 25,000 attend first rock and roll concert ever. 1952 - Tornadoes in Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky cause 343 deaths. 1952 - Wilhelm Albrecht, German SD-chief, is executed. 1953 - Birth of Carl Wolfson in Washington DC, USA; comedian (Thicke of the Night). 1953 - Birth of Robert "Shotgun" Johnson in Miami, Florida, USA; rock drummer (KC and the Sunshine Band - "Give it Up"). 1953 - NBA record 106 fouls and 12 players foul out (Boston Celtics - Syracuse Nationals). 1954 - Birth of Mary Jane Smith in Van Nuys, California, USA; WPVA volleyball player (National-9th-1993). 1955 - Birth of Barbel Wockel-Eckert in German Democratic Republic; track star (Olympics-4 gold-1976, 1980). 1955 - Birth of Jean Marie Hon in San Francisco, California, USA; actress (Jane - Man From Atlantis). 1955 - The Brooklyn Bulletin asks Brooklyn Dodgers' fans not to call their team "Bums". 1956 - 28th Academy Awards: Marty, Ernest Borgnine and Anna Magnani win. 1956 - Birth of Ingrid Kristiansen in Norway; marathon runner (Olympics-4th-1984, Boston-1986, 1989). 1957 - Birth of Sabrina Le Beauf in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; actress (Sondra - Crosby Show). 1958 - First presentation of West Point's Sylvanus Thayer Award. 1958 - Birth of Brad Hall in Santa Barbara, California, USA; comedian (Saturday Night Live). 1958 - Birth of Gary Oldman; actor (Sid and Nancy, Criminal Law, State of Grace). 1958 - Birth of Marlies Göhr, German Democratic Republic; sprinter (Olympics-gold-1976, 1980). 1958 - Cyril M Kornbluth, American sci-fi writer (Space Merchants), dies at age 34. 1958 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test. 1959 - 21st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: California beats West Virginia 71-70. 1960 - Birth of Ayrton Senna; Brazilian formula-1 racer (1988 champion). 1960 - Birth of Guy Chadwick; English singer/songwriter ("House of Love"). 1960 - Sharpeville Massacre: Police kill 72 in South Africa and outlaws African National Congress. 1961 - Art Modell purchases Cleveland Browns for record US$3,925,000. 1961 - Birth of Kassie DePaiva [Wesley] in Morganfield, Kentucky, USA; actress (Chelsea - Guiding Light, Evil Dead 2, Blair - One Life to Live). 1961 - Birth of Wei Wang in Beijing, China; US table tennis player (Olympics-1996). 1962 - A bear becomes the first creature to be ejected at supersonic speeds. 1962 - Birth of Matthew Broderick in New York City, New York; actor (Inspector Gadget, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, WarGames, Biloxi Blues). 1962 - Birth of Rosie O'Donnell; comedienne, actress (A League of Their Own, The Flintstones, Rosie). 1962 - Philadelphia Phillies retires pitcher Robin Roberts' number 36. 1963 - Alcatraz federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, California closed. 1963 - Birth of Ronald Koeman; Dutch soccer star (Ajax, PSV, Barcelona, Feyenoord). 1963 - Birth of Sharon June Howe Pederson in Glencoe, Minnesota, USA; rocker (Vixen - "Rev It Up"). 1963 - Birth of Shawon Dunston in Brooklyn, New York, USA; infielder (San Francisco Giants). 1964 - 26th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Duke 98-83. 1964 - The Beatles' "She Loves You" single goes #1 and stays #1 for two weeks. 1964 - UCLA completes undefeated NCAA basketball season (30-0). 1965 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Open. 1965 - Martin Luther King Jr begins march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. 1965 - US Ranger 9 launched, last American unmanned lunar space probe; will take 5,814 pictures before lunar impact. 1966 - Birth of Al Iafrate in Dearborn, Michigan, USA; NHL defenseman (San Jose Sharks). 1966 - Birth of Karen Lunn in Cowra, Australia; LPGA golfer (1993 Women's British Open). 1966 - Birth of Matthew Maynard; cricket player (big hitting Glamorgan and England player). 1966 - US Supreme Court reverses Massachusetts' ruling that film Fanny Hill is obscene. 1966 - ABC airs the last Ben Casey TV show. A total of 153 episodes aired. 1967 - Birth of Elaina Oden in Orange, California, USA; volleyball middle blocker (Olympics-bronze-1992, 1996). 1967 - Birth of Troy Westwood; Canadian Football League kicker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1968 - "Royals" chosen as the name of new Kansas City American League Baseball franchise. 1968 - Birth of Erwin Vanderbroeck; Dutch soccer player (Roda JC). 1968 - Birth of Jeff Lazaro in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA; American hockey forward (Olympics-1994). 1968 - Birth of Johan Garpenlov in Stockholm, Sweden; NHL left wing (Florida Panthers). 1968 - Birth of Mark Sander; WLAF linebacker (Scottish Claymores). 1968 - Birth of Scott Williams; NBA forward (Philadelphia 76ers). 1968 - Israeli forces cross Jordan River to attack Palestinian Liberation Organization bases. 1968 - Portuguese socialist Mario Soares banished to Sao Tomé. 1969 - Birth of Mark Allen in Australia; Australasia golfer. 1969 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1970 - 32nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Jacksonville 80-69. 1971 - Birth of Hason Graham; NFL wide receiver (New England Patriots). 1971 - Gavaskar scores first of his 34 Test Cricket tons, 116 at Georgetown. 1971 - Jan Ferraris wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. 1972 - Birth of Boris Mironov in Moscow, Russia; NHL defenseman (Team Russia Olympics-Silver-1998, Edmonton). 1972 - Birth of Chris Ball in Costa Mesa, California, USA; kayak (alternate-Olympics-1996). 1972 - Birth of Frank West; Canadian Football League defensive back (Hamilton Tiger Cats). 1972 - Birth of John Leach; Canadian Football League running back (Toronto Argonauts). 1972 - Birth of Michele Michael; Miss Maryland-USA (1996). 1972 - US Supreme Court rules states can't require one-year residency to vote. 1973 - Birth of Chiou Hai Ta; Miss Taiwan (Republic Of China)-Universe (1997). 1973 - Birth of Larry Bowie; running back (Washington Redskins). 1973 - Frank Mahovlich becomes 5th NHL player to score 500 goals. 1974 - Attempt made to kidnap Princess Anne in London's Pall Mall. 1974 - Candy Darling [James Slattery], female impersonator, dies. 1975 - Birth of Vitaly Potapenko; NBA center (Cleveland Cavaliers). 1975 - Georgia Tech blanks Earklham, 41-0, setting the NCAA mark for the largest margin of victory. 1975 - Ethiopia ends monarchy after 3000 years. 1975 - Ralph Hawtrey, economist (multiplier), dies at age 95. 1977 - In Iran, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurs, centered in the Bandar Abbas area, near the Persian Gulf. 167 deaths, 556 injuries, considerable damage over an area of 550 square kilometers north of Bandar Abbas. About 7,000 people homeless. 1978 - San Diego Padres fire Al Dark (second manager ever fired during spring training). 1979 - Egyptian Parliament unanimously approves peace treaty with Israel. 1980 - TV show Dallas ends its second season in a cliffhanger as character J.R. Ewing is shot. 1980 - Mafioso Angelo Bruno is assassinated in Atlantic City. 1980 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. 1980 - Death of Peter Stoner, American mathematician, astronomer and Christian apologist (born 1888). 1980 - Birth of Deryck Whibley; Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician (Sum 41). 1980 - Birth of Ronaldinho; Brazilian football player. 1980 - Birth of Marit Bjørgen; Norwegian cross-country skier. 1982 - Harry H Corbett, British actor (Steptoe and Son, Jabberwocky), dies at age 57. 1982 - Jerry Pate celebrates golf win by jumping into the water hazard. 1982 - Movie Annie premieres in theaters. 1982 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA J&B Scotch Pro-Am Golf Tournament. 1982 - Birth of Maria Elena Camerin; Italian tennis player. 1982 - In Hokkaido, Japan region, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurs. 1983 - Birth of Bruno Langley; British actor. 1983 - Only known typo on Time Magazine cover ("contol" instead of "control"), all recalled. 1984 - Soviet submarine crashes into USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier off Japan. 1984 - Border scores 100 versus West Indies Trinidad after 98 in first cricket innings. 1984 - NFL owners pass the infamous anti-celebrating rule. 1984 - Part of Central Park is named Strawberry Fields honoring John Lennon. 1985 - The ABC TV network debuts the Wildside series. 1985 - Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research. 1985 - Arthur Ashe is named to International Tennis Hall of Fame. 1985 - Bloodbath at Langa (Uitenhage) South Africa, 19 killed. 1985 - Michael Redgrave, English actor (Goodbye Mr Chips, Mr Arkadin), dies at age 77 (born 1908). 1986 - August de Boodt, Belgian politician, dies at age 90. 1986 - Karin Kania (German Democratic Republic) skates ladies world record 500 metre (39.52 seconds) and 3 km (4:18.02). 1986 - Pittsburgh Associates buy Pittsburgh Pirates for US$218 million. 1987 - Dean Paul Martin, American actor (Billy - Misfits of Science), dies at age 35 (born 1951). 1987 - PSV sells soccer player Ruud Gullit to AC Milan (17 million gulden). 1987 - Robert Preston, American actor (Harold Hill - Music Man), dies from lung cancer in Montecito, California at age 68 (born 1918). 1988 - 23rd Academy of Country Music Awards: Randy Travis and Hank Williams Jr. 1988 - Birth of Lee Cattermole, English football player. 1988 - Birth of Pat McCabe, Australian rugby union player. 1989 - Birth of Rochelle Wiseman, British singer/television presenter. 1989 - First sea test of Trident 2 missile self-destructs, Cape Canaveral. 1989 - Milton Frome, actor (Family Jewels), dies. 1990 - Normal Life starring Moon Unit and Dweezil Zappa premieres on CBS-TV. 1990 - Sydney starring Valerie Bertinelli premieres on CBS-TV. 1990 - After 75 years of South African rule, Namibia becomes independent; Sam Nujoma first president. 1991 - 27 lost at sea when two US Navy anti-submarine planes collide. 1991 - Largest wrestling crowd in Japan (64,500) at Tokyo Dome. 1991 - Leo Fender, inventor (Fender guitar), dies (born 1909). 1991 - Tatsumi Fujinami beats Ric Flair for NWA wrestling championship. 1991 - United Nations Security Council panel decides to lift the food embargo on Iraq. 1992 - Birth of Bobby Preston, American actor. 1992 - Second WLAF season begins. 1992 - John Ireland, actor (Rawhide), dies of leukemia at age 78. 1992 - Pakistan scores 6-264 to overhaul New Zealand in exciting World Cup semi. 1992 - Death of Natalie Sleeth, American composer (born 1930). 1993 - Patty Sheehan wins LPGA Standard Register Ping Golf Tournament. 1993 - Pope John Paul II declares Duns Scotus a saint. 1994 - 66th Academy Awards. Film director Steven Spielberg's film Schindler's List wins seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Best Actor: Tom Hanks. Best Actress: Holly Hunter. 1994 - Anne P Sidamon-Eristoff named chairwoman of Museum of National History. 1994 - Dack Rambo, actor (Jack Ewing - Dallas), dies from AIDS at age 52. 1994 - Novell announces it is acquiring WordPerfect Corporation for US$1.4 billion, and will acquire Quattro Pro from Borland International for US$145 million. 1994 - Lili Damita, wife of Errol Flynn (Bridge of San Luis Rey), dies at age 89. 1994 - Macdonald Carey, American actor (Days of Our Lives), dies of cancer at 81 (born 1913). 1994 - Watne Gretzky ties Gordie Howe's NHL record of 801 goals. 1995 - Daan Wildschut, Dutch painter/author, dies at age 81. 1995 - Etienne Martin, French sculptor, dies at age 82. 1995 - Norman Schwartz, record producer, dies at age 66. 1995 - Robert Urquhart, actor (Dunkirk, Bulldog Breed), dies at age 72. 1995 - The NBC TV network begins airing the Disney series Pride & Joy. 1996 - Eric Brand, diplomat, dies at age 73. 1997 - World Ice Dance won by Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov (Russia). 1997 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating won by Mandy Woetzel and Ingo Steuer (Germany). 1997 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Lausanne won by Tara Lipinski (USA). Tara Lipinski, 14, becomes the youngest women's world figure skating champion. 1997 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Lausanne won by Elvis Stojko (Canada). 1997 - Mercenaries of Sandline International withdraw from Papua New Guinea. 1997 - Death of W.V. Awdry, British children's writer (born 1911). 1997 - In Zaire, Etienne Tshiksekedi is appointed new prime minister; he ejects supporters of Mobutu Sese Seko from his cabinet. 1999 - Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones become the first to circumnavigate the Earth in a hot air balloon. 1999 - Death of Ernie Wise, British comedian (born 1925). 2000 - Pope John Paul II begins the first official visit by a Roman Catholic pontiff to Israel. 2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules the government lacks authority to regulate tobacco as an addictive drug, throwing out the Clinton administration's main anti-smoking initiative. 2001 - Death of Norma Macmillan, Canadian voice actress (born 1921). 2001 - In Japan, Nintendo releases the Game Boy Advance handheld video game system. It features 32-bit ARM processor, and 240 x 160 pixel 32,000-color display. A Link Cable allows four players to play together on certain games. Size is 3.25 x 5.6 inches; weight is 140 grams. Two AA batteries power the system for about 15 hours. Price is 9800 yen. 611,504 units sell in the first week. 2002 - In Pakistan, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh along with three other suspects are charged with murder in the kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. 2002 - Death of Amanda Dowler, murdered British schoolgirl (born 1988). 2004 - The incumbent Barisan Nasional party wins 198 out of 219 seats in the Parliament of Malaysia. 2004 - Antonio Saca is elected President of El Salvador. 2004 - Birth of Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg. 2005 - Ten are killed in the Red Lake High School massacre in Minnesota, the worst school shooting since the Columbine High School massacre. 2006 - Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Laila Freivalds resigns after over a year of criticism. 2008 - A magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurs in the northwest region of Xinjiang province in China, with aftershocks of 5.1 and 5.2 within half an hour. 2008 - French President Nicolas Sarkozy announces France will reduce its number of airborne nuclear weapons by one third, to fewer than 300. 2010 - Joe Mauer, American League Most Valuable Player in US Major League Baseball, agrees to an eight-year, US$184-million contract extension with the Minnesota Twins.         Your Ad Here         You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://thisdayinhistoryinfo.info/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events) Or, visit my Timelines of History page. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History Today in Sports History Today in USA History Today in Disney History Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Computers