This Day in History
March 22

What happened in history on this day: March 22? On March 22 in ... 1349 - Townspeople of Fulda Germany massacre Jews (blamed for black death). 1459 - Birth of Maximilian I of Habsburg, in Wiener Neustadt; German Emperor/archduke of Austria. 1471 - George van Podiebrad king of Bohemia (1458-71), dies. 1556 - Cardinal Reginald Pole becomes archbishop of Canterbury. 1589 - Lodovico Guicciardini Ital historian, dies at age 67. 1594 - French King Henri IV festival in Paris France. 1599 - Birth of Sir Anthony Van Dyck Flemish painter (Charles I of England). 1609 - Birth of John II Casimir Vasa cardinal/king of Poland (1648-68). 1621 - Hugo de Grote escapes in bookcase from Loevenstein castle, Netherlands. 1621 - Massasoit and Pilgrims agree on league of friendship (Plymouth). 1622 - First Indian (Powhattan) massacre of whites, Jamestown VA; 347 slain. 1627 - Cornelis van Aerssen Flemish Clerk of the House, dies at about age 81. 1630 - First colonial legislation prohibiting gambling enacted (Boston). 1638 - Religious dissident Anne Hutchinson expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony. 1639 - Thomas Carew English poet/diplomat (The Rapture), dies. 1661 - Hendrick Uylenburgh art dealer, buried at about age 73. 1680 - Parliament of Breisach accept French sovereignty over Elzas. 1692 - Emperor Leopold I names duke Earnest August of Braunschweig, king. 1700 - Birth of Giuseppe Sellitto composer. 1728 - Birth of Anton Raphael Mengs German writer/neo-classic painter. 1728 - Birth of Giacomo Insanguine composer. 1733 - Joseph Priestly invents carbonated water (seltzer). 1743 - Jean-Baptiste Lully Ital/Fr composer (Forced Marriage), dies at age 77. 1752 - Birth of Johann Georg Joseph Spangler composer. 1752 - Pope Stephen II elected to succeed Zacharias, died two days later. 1758 - Jonathan Edwards theologian/philosopher (Original Sin), dies at age 54. 1765 - Stamp Act passed: first direct British tax on colonists. 1767 - Birth of Cornelis T Elout Dutch minister of Finance. 1771 - Birth of Heinrich D Zschokke Swiss author (Das Goldmacherdorf). 1771 - Gottlieb W Rabener German author (Bremer Beiträge), dies at age 56. 1775 - Edmund Burke presents his 13 articles to the English parliament. 1777 - John Bartram father of American botany, dies at age 77. 1778 - Captain Cook sights Cape Flattery, in Washington state. 1785 - Birth of Adam Sedgwick Dent Yorkshire England, British geologist. 1790 - Thomas Jefferson becomes the first US Secretary of State. 1794 - US Congress bans US vessels from supplying slaves to other countries. 1796 - Gaspare Gabellone composer, dies at age 68. 1797 - Birth of Kaiser Wilhelm I German emperor (1871-88). 1798 - Justin Morgan composer, dies at age 51. 1799 - Birth of F W A Argelander Memel E Prussia, cataloguer of 324,188 stars. 1803 - Birth of Anthonie Waldrop Dutch painter/lithographer. 1813 - Birth of Gabriel Rene Paul Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1886. 1814 - Birth of Thomas Crawford US sculptor (Babes in the Wood). 1817 - Birth of Braxton Bragg General (Confederate Army), died in 1876. 1819 - Birth of William Wirt Adams Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1888. 1820 - Stephen Decatur killed in a duel with Com James Barron, at age 41. 1822 - Birth of Ahmed Djevdet Pasha Turkish minister of Education/Justice. 1822 - Birth of Isaac D Fransen van de Putte Dutch premier (1866). 1822 - Birth of Seth Williams Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1866. 1822 - Gioacchino Rossini marries Isabella Colbran in Bologna. 1822 - New York Horticultural Society founded. 1824 - Birth of William Henry Chase Whiting Major General (Confederate Army). 1824 - Johann Melchior Dreyer composer, dies at age 76. 1832 - J W Goethe writer, dies at age 82. 1834 - Birth of Francis Asbury Shoup Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1896. 1838 - Hendrik Fagel Dutch/English baron, dies at age 73. 1841 - Cornstarch patented (Orlando Jones). 1842 - Birth of Carl A N Rosa German violinist/composer. 1842 - Birth of Mykola Vytal'yevich Lysenko composer. 1845 - Franz Joseph Volkert composer, dies at age 67. 1846 - Birth of Randolph Caldecott England, illustrator (Caldecott Medal namesake). 1852 - Birth of Theodor Birt [Beatus Rhenanus], German classical/writer. 1857 - Birth of Arnold Sauwen Flemish poet (Along the Meuse). 1857 - Birth of Paul Doumer Governor-General of Indo-China/13th President of France (1931-32). 1861 - First US nursing school chartered. 1862 - San Marino and Italy conclude treaty of friendship and cooperation. 1865 - Birth of Theophile Ysaye composer. 1865 - Raid at Wilson's: Chickaswas, Alabama, to Macon, Georgia. 1867 - Birth of Meijer Linnewiel [Professor Kokadorus], Amsterdam's pitchman. 1867 - Ferdinando Giorgetti composer, dies at age 70. 1868 - Birth of Hamish MacCunn composer. 1868 - Birth of Henry W Methorst lawyer/director (Dutch Cent Bureau of Statistics). 1868 - Birth of Robert A Millikan US physicist (photoelectric effect; Nobel Prize 1923). 1871 - Johnny Cuzens cricketer (Australian aboriginal tourist 1868), dies. 1871 - William Holden of North Carolina is first governor removed from office by impeachment. 1872 - Illinois becomes first state to require sexual equality in employment. 1873 - Slavery is abolished in Puerto Rico. 1874 - Birth of Ellen Glasgow novelist. 1874 - Young Men's Hebrew Association is founded in New York City, New York. 1882 - Edmunds Act adopted by US to suppress polygamy in the territories. 1882 - Jumbo the elephant at the London Zoological Gardens at Regent's Park is crated for transfer to ship to America. 1885 - Birth of Adriano Lualdi composer. 1885 - Birth of Jakabs Medins composer. 1887 - Birth of Chico [Leonard] Marx New York City, New York, comedian (Marx Brothers). 1888 - English Football League established. 1890 - Désiré de Haerne Belgian priest/Congressional leader, dies at age 85. 1894 - Stanley Cup: Montréal AAA beat Ottawa Generals, 3-1 (first Cup game ever). 1895 - Auguste and Louis Lumiere show their first movie to an invited audience. 1895 - Birth of Joseph Schildkraut Vienna Austria; actor (Flame of Barbary Coast, Joseph Schildkraut Presents). 1896 - Birth of Giulia D De Albertis writer. 1896 - Charilaos Vasilakos wins first marathon (3:18). 1902 - Birth of Ellin Berlin [MacKay] Mrs Irving Berlin, writer (Lace Curtain). 1903 - Birth of James S Russell US pilot/Admiral (WWII Pacific Ocean). 1903 - Birth of Jochen Klepper writer. 1903 - New York Highlanders (New York Yankees) tickets first go on sale. 1903 - Niagera Falls runs out of water because of a drought. 1905 - Birth of Carlo Alberto Pizzini composer. 1905 - Birth of Grigorij M Kosinzev Russian director. 1905 - Birth of Phyllis McGinley poet. 1905 - Birth of Ruth Page US choreographer/ballet leader (Diaghilev, Pygmalion). 1906 - Martin Wegelius Finnish musicologist/composer, dies at age 59. 1907 - Birth of James Gavin US, 82nd Airborne Division General (Sicily/Normandy). 1907 - Birth of Paul J Steenbergen Netherlands; actor (Ciske Rat)/founder (Hague's Comedy). 1908 - Birth of Albrecht Goes writer. 1908 - Birth of Louis D L'Amour Jamestown North Dakota, author (Hondo, Jubal Sackett). 1908 - Birth of Maurice H Stans Shakope Minnesota, US Secretary of Commerce (1969-72). 1909 - Birth of Gabrielle Roy French-Canadian novelist (Tin Flute). 1909 - Birth of Jack Popplewell composer/playwright. 1909 - Gyula Erkel composer, dies at age 66. 1910 - Birth of Nicholas Monsarret England, writer (Cruel Sea). 1912 - Birth of Henri Rousselot Admiral. 1912 - Birth of Lord Alport. 1912 - Birth of Wilfrid Brambell Dublin Ireland; actor (Hard Day's Night). 1913 - Birth of James Westerfield Nashville Tennessee; actor (Jungle Heat, Lucky Johnny). 1913 - Birth of Karl Malden Chicago Illinois; actor (Mike-Streets of San Francisco, American Express). 1913 - Birth of Martha Mödl German singer/soprano (Wagner). 1914 - Birth of Cec Burke cricketer (New Zealand leg-spinner vs Australia 1946, 1 and 3, 2-30). 1914 - Birth of Lord Stokes. 1914 - Birth of Masao Maruyama social scientist. 1914 - World's first airline, Saint Petersburg Tampa Airboat Line, begins. 1915 - Birth of Forest Sagendorf cartoonist. 1915 - Birth of George Cresswell cricketer (3 Tests for New Zealand aged 35). 1916 - Birth of George Wyle New York City, New York, orchestra leader (Jerry Lewis Show, Flip Wilson Show). 1916 - Birth of Josephine van Gasteren Dutch actress/director (Bluejackets). 1917 - Birth of C S Pick publisher. 1917 - Birth of Paul Rogers Plympton Devon England; actor (Looking Glass War, Billy Budd). 1917 - Birth of Virginia Grey Los Angeles California, actress (Another Thin Man, Idiot's Delight, Idaho). 1918 - Birth of Cheddi B Jagan dentist/founder PPP/Guyanese Premier (1953, 1957-64). 1918 - Birth of Harry Kay vice-chancellor (Exeter University). 1918 - Birth of Tauno Kullerve Pylkkanen composer. 1920 - Birth of Fanny Waterman concert pianist and teacher. 1920 - Birth of James Brown Desdemona Texas; actor (Targets). 1920 - Birth of Ross Martin Grodek Poland; actor (Mr Lucky, Wild Wild West). 1921 - Birth of Wilhelmus Norbert Schmelzer Netherlands, foreign minister (KVP). 1922 - Birth of Mujib ur-Rahman Pakistan, sheik/premier. 1922 - Birth of Stewart Stern screenwriter (Rebel Without A Cause). 1922 - British court sentences Mahatma Gandhi to six years in prison. 1922 - Louis A Ranvier French anatomist/historian, dies at age 86. 1923 - Birth of Bryan Clieve Roberts lawyer/civil servant. 1923 - Birth of Cor N van Dis Jr Dutch Member of Parliament (SGP, 1971-94). 1923 - Birth of Marcel Marceau Strasbourg France, mime (Barbarella, Silent Movie). 1923 - Theophile Delcassé French statesman, dies at age 71. 1924 - Birth of Al Neuharth newspaper founder (USA Today). 1924 - Birth of Bill Wendell New York City, New York, TV announcer (Late Night With David Letterman). 1924 - R G Nivelle French General (Verdun), dies at age 67. 1925 - Birth of Colin Spedding CEO (Council of Science and Technology Institutes). 1925 - Birth of Wolfgang Bächler writer. 1926 - Birth of Julius Marmur biochemist/geneticist. 1926 - Birth of Lawrence Jackson Provost Emeritus (Blackburn). 1927 - Birth of George Thoms cricketer (one Test Australia against West Indies 1952, scored 16 and 28). 1927 - Birth of Viscount Bolingbroke. 1927 - Federico García Lorca's "El Maleficio" premieres in Madrid. 1928 - Birth of Betty Callaway figure skating trainer. 1928 - Birth of Bill Archer (Representative-Republican-Texas, 1971-). 1928 - Birth of DC Ingman CEO (British Waterways Board). 1928 - Birth of Dmitri Antonovitch Volkogonov soldier/historian. 1928 - Birth of Ed Macauley NBA'er (Boston Celtics). 1928 - Noël Coward's musical "This Year of Grace" premieres in London. 1929 - 66 horses run in Irish Grand National Sweepstakes. 1929 - Anton Beer-Walbrun composer, dies at age 64. 1929 - KIT-AM in Yakima Washington begins radio transmissions. 1929 - USCG vessel sank Canadian schooner suspected of carrying liquor. 1930 - Birth of Derek Bok college president (Harvard). 1930 - Birth of Lynden O Pindling Prime Minister of Bahamas (1967-92). 1930 - Birth of Pat Robertson televangelist (700 club, Presidential candidate-Republican-1989). 1930 - Birth of Stephen Sondheim New York City, New York, lyricist/composer (Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods, West Side Story, A Little Night Music). 1931 - Ban Johnson founder of baseball's American League, dies at age 67. 1931 - Birth of Igor Hajek translator/writer. 1931 - Birth of Leslie Thomas author. 1931 - Birth of William Shatner Montréal Canada; actor (Star Trek, T J Hooker). 1932 - Birth of Richard Thomas Admiral. 1933 - Birth of Buddy MacKay (Representative-Democrat-Florida, 1983-). 1933 - Birth of Chris Duckworth cricketer (South African batsman vs England 1956-57). 1933 - Franklin Roosevelt makes wine and beer with up to 3.2% alcohol legal. 1934 - First Masters golf championship began in Augusta, Georgia. 1934 - Birth of Leslie Turnberg President (Royal College of Physicians). 1934 - Birth of Orrin G Hatch (Senator-Republican-Utah, 1977-). 1934 - Birth of Sheila Cameron QC, Vicar-General (Province of Canterbury). 1934 - Fire destroys Hakodate Japan (kills 1,500, injures 1,000). 1935 - Birth of M[ichael] Emmet Walsh Ogdensburg New York; actor (Wildcats, War Party). 1935 - Blood tests authorized as evidence in court cases (New York). 1936 - Birth of Alan Bleasdale author/playwright (Are You Lonesome Tonight). 1936 - Birth of May Britt [Maybritt Wilkens] Lidinga Sweden, actress (Young Lions)/wife of Sammy Davis Jr. 1936 - Birth of Philip Ely President (British Law Society). 1936 - Birth of Roger Whittaker Nairobi Kenya, country singer (Durham Town). 1936 - Quote by Adolf Hitler, regarding the re-occupation of the Rhineland: "We and all nations have a sense that we have come to the turning point of an age.". 1936 - Birth of Ron Carey union president (Teamsters). 1937 - Birth of Jon Hassell composer. 1938 - Birth of Vivian Pulliam horse trainer. 1939 - Lithuania surrenders Memel to Germany. 1940 - Birth of William Ritchie vice-chancellor (Lancaster University). 1941 - Birth of Bruno Ganz Zurich Switzerland; actor (Strapless, Wings of Desire). 1941 - Birth of Gary Lewis horse trainer. 1941 - Grand Coulee Dam in Washington goes into operation. 1942 - Birth of Barbara Parkins Vancouver British Columbia, actress (Peyton Place, Asylum). 1942 - Birth of Jon Arthur English composer. 1942 - Heavy German assault on Malta. 1943 - Birth of George Benson Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, singer/guitarist (Greatest Love of All). 1943 - Birth of Joseph Schwantner composer. 1943 - Birth of Keith Relf Richmond London England, rocker (Yardbirds-For Your Love, Renaissance). 1943 - Dutch work week extended to 54 hour. 1943 - Obligatory work for woman ends in Belgium. 1943 - SS police chief Rauter threatens to kill half Jewish children. 1944 - Pucheu, French Internal minister to Vichy, executed. 1944 - 600+ 8th Air Force bombers attack Berlin. 1944 - Birth of Jeremy Clyde Buckinghamshire England, rocker (Chad and Jeremy-Yesterday's Gone). 1944 - Birth of R P Mardling headmaster (Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield). 1944 - Birth of T S "Tony" McPhee rocker (Sad Go Round). 1945 - Arab League forms with adoption of a charter in Cairo Egypt. 1945 - Birth of Alan Opie baritone (Boughton Bethlehem, Britten 5 Canticles). 1945 - Birth of Charles "Chuck" Jackson US singer (Playboy, Independents). 1945 - Birth of Paul Schockemöhle showjumper. 1945 - J Postuma Dutch resistance fighter, dies. 1945 - US third Army crosses Rhine at Nierstein. 1946 - First US rocket to leave the Earth's atmosphere (50 miles up). 1946 - Birth of Don Chaney NBA player (Houston Rockets)/coach (Detroit Pistons). 1946 - Birth of Laraine Ashton fashion models' agent (London). 1946 - Birth of Rudy/Rudolf [von Bittner] Rucker US, sci-fi author (Wetware). 1946 - Birth of Serge [Ruud Schaap] Dutch singer/guitarist (Saskia and Serge). 1946 - Britain signs treaty granting independence to Jordan. 1946 - Clemens A von Galen bishop of Munster/anti fascist, dies at age 68. 1947 - Birth of Harry Vanda [Vandenberg] Hague Netherlands, rock guitarist (Easybeats). 1947 - Birth of Patrick Olive percussionist (Hot Chocolate-You Sexy Thing). 1947 - Birth of Priscilla Yates director (Royal Academy of Dancing). 1948 - Birth of Andrew Lloyd Webber London England, composer (Evita, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar). 1948 - Birth of Randy Hobbs rocker (Johnny Winter Band, McCoys). 1949 - Birth of Brian Hanrahan British TV newsman (BBC). 1949 - Birth of D Watson director (Brighton University). 1949 - Birth of Fanny Ardant Monte Carlo, actress (Australia, Confidentially Yours). 1950 - Birth of Mary Tamm Dewsbury Yorkshire England, actress (Odessa File, Doctor Who). 1951 - Birth of Howard Reitzes Southgate California, rocker (Iron Butterfly). 1951 - Birth of Musa Khiramanovich Manarov USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-4, TM-11). 1951 - J Willem Mengelberg Dutch conductor (Matthäus Passion), dies at age 79. 1952 - Birth of Bob Costas Queens New York, sportscaster/talk show host (Later). 1952 - Dutch DC-6 crashes near Frankfurt, killing 44. 1953 - Antonín Zápotocky chosen as president of Czechoslovakia. 1953 - Birth of Peter McEvoy Australia; actor (Against the Innocent). 1953 - Birth of Thomas H Andrews (Representative-Democrat-Maine). 1953 - James Anderson II (Jo-Northern Exposure), dies. 1953 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Betsy Rawls Golf Open. 1954 - First shopping mall opened in Southfield MI. 1956 - Birth of Lena Olin Stockholm Sweden, actress (Enemies A Love Story). 1956 - Birth of Lyndsay Stephen Donnybrook Washington, Australasia golfer. 1956 - Death penalty against KPrime Minister-director Léon Jungschlaeger. 1956 - George A L Sarton Belgian/US historian, dies at age 71. 1956 - Musical "Mr Wonderful" with Sammy Davis Jr premieres at Broadway Theater New York City for 383 performances. 1957 - Birth of Stephanie Mills; singer/actress (The Wiz). 1957 - Earthquake gives San Francisco, California the shakes. 1957 - Republic of India adopts Saka calendar along with Gregorian. 1958 - 20th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Seattle 84-72. 1958 - Birth of Joyce Lester; Australian softball catcher (Olympics-bronze-1996). 1958 - Birth of Pete Wylie in Liverpool, England; rocker (Sinful). 1958 - Faisal succeeds Saudi as king of Saudi-Arabia. 1958 - Michael Todd, producer (Around the World in 80 Days), dies at age 56. 1958 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya. 1959 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Nehi Golf Tournament. 1959 - Birth of Matthew Modine in Loma Linda, California, USA; actor (Full Metal Jacket, Pacific Heights). 1960 - First patent for lasers, granted to Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes. 1960 - Birth of Laurie Sargent; rock vocalist (Face To Face). 1962 - Aura Abranches Port, actress (Lisboa, O Primo Basilio), dies at age 65. 1962 - Birth of Diane Pavich in Melbourne, Australia; golfer (1993 T50 Alpine Australia Ladies). 1962 - Birth of Juan Aguilera in Spain; tennis star. 1962 - Birth of Tim Elliott in Perth, Western Australia; Australasia golfer. 1963 - The Beatles release first album, "Please Please Me". 1963 - Birth of Hannu Virta in Turku, Finland; hockey defenseman (Team Finland). 1963 - Birth of Rich Monteleone in Tampa, Florida, USA; pitcher (California Angels). 1963 - Birth of Suzanne Sulley in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England; rocker (Human Leauge - "Human"). 1963 - Oregon State's Terry Baker becomes first and only Heisman Trophy winner. 1964 - Addison Richards, actor (Colonel - Pentagon), dies at age 76. 1964 - Birth of Jeffrey Wagner in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Australasia golfer. 1964 - Carol Mann wins LPGA Women's Western Golf Open Invitational. 1965 - D Senanayake wins general elections in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). 1965 - US confirms its troops used chemical warfare against the Vietcong. 1966 - Birth of Brad Edwards; NFL safety (Atlanta Falcons). 1966 - Birth of Brian Shaw; NBA guard (Orlando Magic, San Francisco Warriors). 1966 - Birth of Sean Berry in Santa Monica, California, USA; infielder (Houston Astros). 1966 - Birth of Todd Ewen in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; NHL right wing (Anaheim Mighty Ducks). 1966 - Birth of Yahya Ayyash; militant. 1967 - Muhammad Ali [Cassius Clay] knocks out Zora Folley in 7 innings for heavyweight boxing title in first Madison Square Garden fight. 1968 - Birth of Ramon Martinez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; pitcher (Los Angeles Dodgers). 1968 - Jarmila Novotna resigns presidency of Czechoslovakia. 1968 - Lynda Johnson ordered off San Francisco cable car for eating an ice cream cone. 1968 - Student riot in Nanterre near Paris, France. 1969 - 31st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Purdue 92-72; UCLA wins its 5th national championship in six years. 1969 - Birth of Russell Maryland; NFL defensive tackle (Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders). 1969 - Ernst Deutsch [Dorian], Czechoslovakian actor (3rd Man, Golem), dies at age 78. 1970 - Birth of Jason Rouser in Tucson, Arizona, USA; 200 metre/400 metre runner. 1970 - Birth of Reggie White; NFL nose tackle (New England Patriots). 1970 - Birth of Travis Richards in Crystal, Minnesota, USA; US hockey defenseman (Olympics-1994). 1970 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. 1971 - Birth of Richard Castillo; jockey. 1971 - Martin Bodmer, writer, dies. 1971 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1972 - Birth of Elvis Stojko in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada; ice skater (Olympics-silver-1994). 1972 - Birth of John Farquhar; tight end (New Orleans Saints). 1972 - Birth of Mikhail Sloutsky; WLAF linebacker (Scotland Claymores). 1972 - Birth of Pieter Christiaan, Prince of Netherlands. 1972 - Birth of Shawn Bradley; NBA center (Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Space Jams). 1972 - US Congress approves Equal Rights Amendment (never ratified). 1972 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar named NBA Most Valuable Player. 1972 - Nick Mileti purchases Cleveland Indians for US$9 million. 1972 - New York Yankees trade Danny Cater to the Boston Red Sox for Sparky Lyle. 1973 - Birth of Joe Nedney; kicker (Arizona Cardinals). 1973 - Birth of Luther Elliss; NFL defensive end (Detroit Lions). 1974 - Birth of Kim Yun-Jung; Miss Korea-Universe (1996). 1974 - Birth of Marcus Camby; NBA forward (Toronto Raptors). 1974 - Birth of Tuomas Gronman; NHL defenseman (Team Finland Olympics-Bronze-1998, Pittsburgh Steelers). 1974 - Peter Revson. US race car driver (Indianapolis 500), dies at age 35. 1975 - Asa Smith Bushnell Jr, Secretary of US Olympics (1945-65), dies at age 75. 1975 - Birth of Chris Bayne; safety (Atlanta Falcons). 1975 - Birth of Dax Griffin in Atlanta Georgia, USA; actor (Tim Truman - Sunset Beach). 1975 - Birth of Jiri Novak in Czechoslovakia; tennis star. 1975 - Cass Daley, actress (Red Garters), dies at age 59. 1975 - Delta State beats Immaculata for the women's AIAW championship. 1975 - Paul Verhoeven, German director, dies at age 73. 1975 - Teach-In wins Eurovision Song Festival with "Dinge-Dong". 1975 - Walt Disney World Shopping Village opens. 1976 - Birth of Kellie Shanygne Williams in Washington DC; actress (Laura - Family Matters). 1977 - Dutch Den Uyl government falls. 1977 - Indira Gandhi resigns as Prime Minister of India. 1978 - France performs nuclear test. 1978 - Karl Wallenda falls to death walking high-wire in Puerto Rico, at age 73. 1978 - Robert Frost Plaza, Drumm and Market, San Francisco California, dedicated. 1978 - Rutle's All You Need is Cash is shown on NBC-TV. 1979 - Ben Lyon, actor (I Cover the Waterfront, Indiscreet), dies at age 78. 1979 - Birth of Mariah Leanne Bergmann; Miss Kansas Teen-USA (1997). 1979 - Israeli parliament approves peace treaty with Egypt. 1979 - NHL votes to accept four WHA teams (Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whalers). 1981 - Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA Desert Inn Pro-Am Golf Tournament. 1981 - Soyuz 39 carries two cosmonauts (one Mongolian) to Salyut 6. 1981 - Toshihiko Seko runs world record 25km (1:13:55.8)/30km (1:29:18.8). 1981 - Birth of MIMS; American rapper. 1982 - Iran offensive against Iraq. 1982 - Birth of Pete Bennett; English rock singer (Daddy Fantastic) and television personality (Big Brother 2006). 1982 - Third Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 3 launched. 1983 - Chaim Herzog elected Israeli president. 1984 - New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier ties NHL record scores 5 seconds into game. 1985 - NASA launches Intelsat VA. 1986 - Andrea Ehrig skates ladies world record 5 km (7:00.99). 1986 - Charles Starrett, actor (Silver Streak, Jungle Bride), dies. 1986 - HBO launches boxing's heavyweight title unification tournament. 1986 - Karin Kania skates ladies world record 1500 metre (1:09.30). 1986 - Kurt Browning (Canada) becomes first skater to land a quadruple jump. 1986 - World Ice Dance Championship in Geneva won by Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin (USSR). 1986 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Geneva won by Gordeeva and Grinkov (USSR). 1986 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Geneva won by Debi Thomas (USA). 1986 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Geneva won by Brian Boitano (USA). 1986 - Trevor Berbick beats Pinklon Thomas in 15 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1987 - Betsy King wins LPGA Circle K Tucson Golf Open. 1987 - Joan Shawlee, actress (Abbott and Costello Show), dies at age 58. 1988 - US Congress overrides Reagan's veto of sweeping civil rights bill. 1988 - Western Australia beats Queensland by five wickets to win the Sheffield Shield Final. 1989 - NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announces retirement as NFL commissioner after 29 years. 1989 - US Supreme Court upholds one person one vote rule of New York City, New York Board of Estimate. 1989 - Asteroid 4581 Asclepius approaches the Earth at a distance of 700,000 kilometres. 1989 - Clint Malarchuk of the NHL Buffalo Sabres suffers an almost fatal injury when another player accidentally slits his throat. 1990 - "Grapes of Wrath" opens at Cort Theater New York City for 188 performances. 1990 - Les Miserables opens at Shunert Theatre, Boston Massachusetts. 1990 - Anchorage jury finds Captain Hazelwood innocent of Valdez oil spill. 1990 - The Major League Baseball umpires announce that they will boycott exhibition games. 1991 - Gloria Holden, actress (Dracula's Daughter, Test Pilot), dies at age 73. 1991 - Law enforcement officers raid fraternities at University of Virginia seizing drugs. 1991 - New York Daily News begins using motto "Forward with New York". 1991 - Pamela Smart (high school teacher) found guilty in New Hampshire of manipulating her student-lover to kill her husband. 1992 - "Private Lives" closes at Broadhurst Theater New York City after 37 performances. 1992 - Danielle Ammaccapane wins Standard Register Ping Golf Championship. 1992 - England beats South Africa in rain-ruined cricket World Cup semi final. 1992 - Joseph A Molloy elected New York Yankees general partner. 1992 - Record producer Lou Adler weds Paige Hannah (Daryl's sister). 1992 - US Air New York to Cleveland crashes on take off at La Guardia, 27 die. 1993 - Cec Pepper, cricketer (New South Wales and Commonwealth XI leggie), dies. 1993 - Gret Palucca, German dancer/choreographer (Entartet), dies at age 91. 1993 - Phia [Sophia R] Berghout, Dutch harpist, dies at age 83. 1993 - Steve Olin, pitcher (Cleveland Indians), drowns at age 27. 1993 - Tim Crews, pitcher (Cleveland Indians), drowns at age 31. 1994 - Dan Hartman, US singer/songwriter (Love Sensations), dies at age 42. 1994 - Dutch Ambassador to US christens a new tulip (the Hillary Clinton). 1994 - Igor Aleinikov, Russian director (tractors, air crash), dies at age 32. 1994 - Luther Diamond, radio personality, dies at age 89. 1994 - Mark Foster swims world record 50 metre butterfly (23.68 seconds). 1994 - South African Government/African National Congress take power in Ciskei homeland. 1994 - Soyuz TM-21 lands. 1994 - Walter Lantz, American cartoonist (Woody Woodpecker), dies at age 93 (born 1899). 1995 - The last episode of the TV series All-American Girl airs. 1995 - Deputy Governor of Bank of England, Rupert Pennant-Rea, resigns following revelations of his affair with a freelance journalist. 1995 - Peter Woods, newsreader, dies at age 64. 1995 - Cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov returns after setting a record for 438 days in outer space. 1996 - Cheryl Depew, of Florida, crowned 13th Miss Hawaiian Tropic International. 1996 - Claude Mauriac, writer, dies at age 81. 1996 - Capcom releases the Resident Evil game for the PlayStation in the US. The game innovates by creating the survival-horror genre. 1996 - Robert Franklin Overmyer, astronaut (STS 5, STS 51-B), dies at age 59. 1996 - Robert Mellors, gay activist, dies at age 47. 1996 - Ronald George Hayward, political manager, dies at age 78. 1996 - STS 76 (Atlantis 16), launches into orbit. 1997 - Sunset Boulevard closes at Minskoff theater in New York City after 977 performances. 1997 - The comet Hale-Bopp makes its closest approach to Earth. 1998 - 18th Golden Raspberry Awards: The Postman wins. 1998 - Liselotte Neumann wins Standard Register PING Golf Tournament. 1999 - Death of David Strickland, American actor (suicide) (born 1969). 1999 - U.S. pro-euthanasia doctor Jack Kevorkian goes on trial for murder in Pontiac, Michigan. 2001 - Death of William Hanna, American animation studio executive (born 1910). 2003 - The United States and the United Kingdom begin their "shock and awe" campaign, with a massive air strike on military targets in Baghdad. 2003 - Death of Milton G. Henschel, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses and 5th President of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (born 1920). 2004 - Palestinians protest in the streets after an Israeli helicopter gunship fires a missile at the entourage of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza City, killing him and seven others. 2004 - Death of Ahmed Yassin, Palestinian co-founder of Hamas. 2005 - Death of Clemente Domínguez y Gómez, Antipope Gregory XVII (born 1946). 2006 - ETA declares a permanent ceasefire in their campaign for Basque independence from Spain. 2007 - NATO troops launch two assaults in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, killing 38 Taliban terrorists. NATO suffers no casualties. 2008 - In Taiwan (Republic of China), the presidential election is held. Opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou, of the Kuomintang party, wins with nearly 17 percentage points ahead of Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Two referendums on joining the United Nations fail due to less than 50 percent voter turnout. 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