This Day in History
March 23

What happened in history on this day: March 23? On March 23 in ... 1026 - Koenraad II crowns himself king of Italy. 1066 - 18th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 1153 - Treaty of Konstanz between Frederik I "Barbarossa" and Pope Eugene III. 1169 - Shirkuh Kurd General/vizier of Cairo/Saladin's uncle, dies. 1237 - Jan of Brienne King of Jerusalem/Emperor of Constantinople, dies. 1369 - Pedro the Cruel, King/tyrant of Castile and Leon, murdered. 1490 - First dated edition of Maimonides "Mishna Torah" published. 1534 - Aragón legal. 1555 - Julius III [Giovanni M del Monte], Pope (1550-55), dies at age 67. 1568 - Treaty of Longjumeau: French huguenots go on strike. 1579 - Friesland joins Union of Utrecht. 1593 - English Congressionalist Henry Barrow accused of slander. 1599 - Birth of Thomas Selle composer. 1606 - Justus Lipsius [Joost Lips], Dutch classic philologist, dies at age 58. 1630 - French troops occupy Pinerolo Piedmont. 1638 - Birth of Frederik Ruysch Dutch anatomist. 1653 - Johan van Galen Dutch Admiral (Dunes Monte Christo), dies at about age 48. 1657 - France and England form alliance against Spain; England gets Dunkirk. 1658 - Valentin Dretzel composer, dies at age 79. 1669 - Philipp Buchner composer, dies at age 54. 1676 - Paulus Wirtz [Würtz], German/Netherlands army commander, dies at age 63. 1699 - Birth of John Bartram naturalist/explorer, father of American botany. 1708 - English pretender to the throne James III lands at Firth of Forth. 1736 - Birth of Iman Willem Falck Dutch Governor of Ceylon (1765-83). 1743 - George Frideric Händel's oratorio "Messiah" premieres in London. 1748 - Johann Gottfried Walther German composer/musicologist, dies at age 63. 1749 - Birth of Hugo Franz Karl Alexander von Kerpen composer. 1749 - Birth of Pierre-Simon Laplace mathematician/astronomer/physicist. 1750 - Birth of Johannes Matthias Sperger composer. 1756 - Georg Gottfried Wagner composer, dies at age 57. 1761 - Birth of John W de Winter Dutch Vice-Admiral (Battle at Kamperduin). 1769 - Birth of William Smith geologist (Strata Identified by Organized Fossils). 1775 - Patrick Henry proclaims "Give me liberty or give me death". 1783 - Gaspard Fritz composer, dies at age 67. 1786 - Patience Wright first US woman pro artist, dies (birth date unknown). 1794 - Josiah Pierson patents a "cold-header" (rivet) machine. 1794 - Lieutenant-General Tadeusz Kosciuszko returns to Poland. 1795 - Birth of Leopold Jansa composer. 1801 - Birth of Peterus D Regout Dutch industrialist (Sphinx, Maastricht). 1801 - Murder attempt on Czar Paul I. 1801 - Paul I tsar of Russia (1796-1801), strangled at age 46. 1806 - George Frederic Pinto composer, dies at age 20. 1806 - Lewis and Clark reach Pacific coast. 1808 - Birth of Jeronimo de Bosch Kemper sociologist/historian (Statistic yearbook). 1808 - Napoleon's brother Joseph takes the throne of Spain. 1809 - Ferdinand-Philippe-Joseph Staes composer, dies at age 60. 1811 - Birth of Camille Marie Stamaty composer. 1811 - Birth of Carl Gottfried Wilhelm Taubert composer. 1816 - Ignaz Vitzthumb composer, dies at age 95. 1818 - Birth of Don Carlos Buell Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1898. 1818 - Nicolas Isouard composer, dies at age 42. 1819 - August v Kotzebue writer, dies. 1821 - Bernhard Anselm Weber pianist/conductor/composer, dies at age 56. 1821 - Birth of Aleksej F Pisemski Russian writer (Clodhopper). 1823 - Birth of Schuyler Colfax (Republican) 17th Vice President (1869-73). 1825 - Birth of Edward Lloyd Thomas Brigadier General (Confederate Army) died in 1898. 1826 - Birth of Leon Minkus composer. 1832 - British Parliament passes reform bill. 1832 - Vaclav Vilem Wurfel composer, dies at age 41. 1834 - Birth of Julius Reubke composer. 1835 - Charles Darwin reaches Los Arenales, in the Andes. 1836 - Coin Press invented by Franklin Beale. 1837 - Birth of Joseph Wieniawski composer. 1839 - First recorded use of "OK" [oll korrect] (Boston's Morning Post). 1840 - Draper takes first successful photo of the Moon (daguerrotype). 1842 - Stendhal [Marie-Henri Beyle], French author (Lamiel), dies at age 59. 1844 - Birth of Eugene Gigout composer. 1847 - Birth of Alexandru D Xenopol Romania, historian. 1849 - Battle of Novara (King Charles Albert vs Italian republic). 1854 - Birth of Alfred Milner Giessen Germany, British Governor (Cape colony). 1857 - Birth of Fannie Farmer actress (namesake of a candy company). 1857 - Elisha Otis' first elevator installed (488 Broadway, New York City). 1858 - Birth of Ludwig Quidde German historian/politician (Nobel Prize 1927). 1858 - Streetcar patented (Eleazer A Gardner of Philadelphia). 1860 - Birth of Horatio W Bottomley British journalist/swindler. 1861 - London's first tramcars, designed by Mr Train of New York, begins operating. 1862 - Karl Robert von Nesselrode German chancellor, dies at age 81. 1862 - Battle of Kernstown, Virginia - Jackson begins his Valley Campaign. 1863 - Birth of Godfried CE van Daalen Dutch General/Governor of Atjeh. 1864 - Birth of Hjalmar Borgstrom composer. 1864 - Encounter at Camden, Arkansas. 1865 - General Sherman/Cox' troops reach Goldsboro, North Carolina. 1867 - US Congress passes second Reconstruction Act over President Johnson's veto. 1868 - University of California founded (Oakland CA). 1869 - Charles Lucas composer, dies at age 60. 1876 - Birth of Sir Muirhead Bone Glasgow Scotland, etcher/engraver of architecture. 1878 - Birth of Franz Schrecker composer. 1880 - Flour rolling mill patented (John Stevens of Wisconsin). 1880 - Gustav Adolf Mankell composer, dies at age 67. 1881 - Birth of Hermann Staudinger Germany, chemist/plastics researcher (Nobel '53). 1881 - Birth of Roger Martin du Guard France, novelist (Les Thibault-Nobel Prize 1937). 1881 - Boers and Britain sign peace accord; end first Boer war. 1881 - Gas lamp sets fire to Nice France opera house; 70 die. 1881 - Nikolay Rubinstein composer, dies at age 45. 1882 - Birth of C Montague Shaw Adelaide Australia. 1883 - Birth of Faisal I ibn Hussein ibn Ali first king of Iraq/Syria. 1884 - Birth of Glauco Velasquez composer. 1887 - Birth of Anthony van Hoboken Dutch musicologist (Haydn-catalog). 1887 - Birth of Felix Felixovitch Yussupov Russian prince/murderer of Rasputin. 1887 - Birth of Juan Gris Spain, cubist painter (Still Life Before an Open Window). 1887 - Birth of Sidney Hillman union leader (Sidney Hillman Foundation). 1889 - President Harrison opens Oklahoma for white colonization. 1891 - First jazz concert is held at Carnegie Hall. 1891 - Birth of Catherine Murphy Urner composer. 1895 - Birth of Dane Rudhyar composer. 1896 - Umberto Giordano's opera "Andrea Chénier" premieres in Milan. 1898 - Birth of Georgios Grivas Greek General/opposition leader on Cyprus. 1898 - Birth of Hazel Dawn [LaTout] Ogden Utah, actress (Niobe, Under Cover, Feud Girl). 1900 - Birth of Erich Fromm Frankfurt Germany, psychologist (Sane Society). 1900 - Birth of Jose Antonio Calcano composer. 1901 - Birth of Jan H de Groot Dutch resistance fighter/co-founder (Free Netherlands). 1901 - Dame Nellie Melba, reveals secret of her now famous toast. 1902 - Birth of Philip Ober Fort Payne Alabama; actor (General Stone-I Dream of Jeannie). 1902 - Kálmán Tisza premier of Hungary (1875-90), dies at age 71. 1903 - Wright brothers obtain airplane patent. 1905 - Birth of Paul Grimault animator. 1905 - Birth of Ralph Perring Lord Mayor (London). 1906 - Birth of George Posford composer. 1906 - Victor Barton cricketer (scored 23 in Test England vs South Africa 1892), dies. 1907 - Birth of Daniel Bovet Switzerland, pharmacologist (Nobel Prize 1957). 1907 - Birth of Douglas Patrick Thomas Jay politician. 1907 - Constantine P Pobedonostsev Russian reactionary senator, dies at age 79. 1908 - Birth of Dominique de Menil arts patron/human rights advocate. 1908 - Birth of Joan Crawford [Lucille Fay LeSueur] San Antonio Texas, actress (Mildred Pierce, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?). 1910 - First race at Los Angeles Motordrome (first US auto speedway). 1910 - Birth of Akira Kurosawa Tokyo Japan, director (7 Samurai, Living). 1910 - Birth of Lale [Liselotte H] Anderson Bremerhaven Germany, singer/actress (Der Pott). 1911 - Birth of Augustus John "Gus" Risman rugby league player. 1911 - Birth of Charles Joseph A Russhon USAF Lieutenant Colonel/liaison (James Bond films). 1911 - Birth of Denis Wright diplomat. 1911 - Birth of Edward Warner diplomat. 1911 - Birth of Richard Chapman golfer (1940 US amateur, 1951 British amateur). 1912 - Birth of Alfred Schwarzmann Germany, gymnast (Olympics-2 golds-1936). 1912 - Birth of John Payne Roanoke Virginia; actor (Dodsworth, Razor's Edge). 1912 - Birth of Werner von Braun Wirsitz Germany, rocket expert (I Aim at the Stars). 1912 - Dixie Cup invented. 1914 - Birth of Robert Gross composer. 1914 - Teunis Stoel actor, dies at age 62. 1915 - Birth of Francis Berry poet/Shakespearean scholar. 1915 - Zion Mule Corp forms. 1917 - Four-day series of tornadoes kills 211 in Midwest US. 1917 - Birth of H C Allen American historian. 1917 - Birth of Johnny Guarnieri New York City, New York, jazz pianist (Morey Amsterdam Show). 1917 - Birth of Kenneth Tobey actor (The Thing, Strange Invaders). 1917 - Birth of Patricia Burke Milan Italy, actress (Forbidden). 1918 - Alick Wickham dives 200' into Australia's Yarra River. 1918 - Cesar Cortinas composer, dies at age 27. 1918 - Crépy-en-Laonnoise: German artillery shells Paris France, 256 killed. 1918 - Lithuania proclaims independence. 1918 - Paris bombs "Thick Bertha's Dike" (nickname for the widow Krupp). 1919 - Bashkir ASSR, in RSFSR, constituted. 1919 - Benito Mussolini forms Fascist movement in Milan Italy. 1919 - Birth of Michael Lyne British air Vice-marshal. 1919 - Jean HL Bossard actor/impresario (2 Orphans), dies at age 45. 1919 - Moscow's Politburo/Central Committee forms. 1920 - Birth of Alexander Grigori Harut'unyan composer. 1920 - Birth of Geoffrey Bush composer. 1920 - Birth of James Brown Desdemona Texas; actor (Lieutenant Rip Masters-Rin Tin Tin). 1920 - Birth of Jimmy Edwards comedy actor (Barnes). 1920 - Birth of Neal Smith (Representative-Democrat-Iowa, 1959-). 1920 - Perserikatan Communist of India (PKI) political party forms. 1921 - Birth of Donald Malcome Campbell Surrey United Kingdom, boat racer (1955 speed records). 1921 - Birth of Ian Todd President (Royal College of Surgeons). 1921 - Birth of Wolfgang Altendorfer writer. 1922 - First airplane lands at the US Capitol in Washington DC. 1922 - Birth of Marty Allen Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, comedian (Allen and Rossi), "Hello Dere". 1922 - Birth of Ugo Tognazzi Cremona Italy; actor/director (La Cage Aux Folles). 1922 - KMJ-AM in Fresno California begins radio transmissions. 1922 - WEW-AM in Saint Louis Missouri begins radio transmissions. 1923 - Birth of Arnie Weinmeister AAFC, NFL defensive tackle (New York Yankees, New York Giants). 1923 - Frank Silver and Irving Conn release "Yes, We Have No Bananas". 1924 - Birth of Peter Godfrey chartered accountant. 1925 - Aleksei Kuropatkin Russian General/minister of War, dies at age 76. 1925 - Birth of Cees de Ruyter European champion billiards player. 1925 - Birth of David McNee commissioner (Metropolitan Police). 1925 - Tennessee becomes first state to outlaw teaching theory of evolution. 1926 - Birth of Martha Wright Seattle Washington, singer (Let's Dance, The Martha Wright Show). 1926 - NHL Championship: Montreal Canadiens outscore Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-4 in two games. 1927 - Birth of Osvaldo Lacerda composer. 1928 - Birth of 11th duke of Beaufort English large landowner/multi-millionaire. 1928 - Birth of Alfred Morris British Member of Parliament. 1929 - First telephone installed in White House. 1929 - Birth of Albert H Crews astronaut. 1929 - Birth of Gerrit den Braber Dutch composer/producer. 1929 - Birth of James Ackley Maxwell actor/director (Traitors, Pyt Potter, Otley). 1929 - Birth of Michael Manser architect. 1929 - Birth of Roger Bannister England, first to run a 4 minute mile (May 6, 1954). 1930 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Maribel Vinson. 1930 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Roger Turner. 1931 - Birth of Norman F Lent (Representative-Republican-New York, 1971-). 1933 - Birth of Geoffrey Leigh CEO (Allied London Properties). 1933 - Birth of Monique van Vooren Belgium, actress (Andy Warhol's Frankenstein). 1933 - Birth of Norman Bailey British bass-baritone (Flying Dutchman). 1933 - Winston Churchill urges the British government not to press for French disarmament while Germany is busy rearming. 1933 - Enabling Act: German Reichstag grants Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers. 1933 - Kroll Opera in Berlin opens. 1934 - Birth of Bryan Bass headmaster (City of London School). 1934 - Birth of Mark Rydell New York City, New York; actor (Havana, Punchline, Long Goodbye). 1934 - US Congress accepts Philippines independence in 1945. 1935 - Birth of Barry Cryer comedian/writer (Goodies Rule-OK, All You Need is Cash). 1935 - Birth of Desmond Pitcher CEO (Merseyside Development Corporation). 1935 - Birth of Szilárd Kun Hungary, rapid fire pistol (Olympics-silver-1952). 1936 - Italy, Austria and Hungary sign Pact of Rome. 1937 - Birth of Craig Breedlove Los Angeles California, auto-racing champion (600 MPH-Spirit of America). 1937 - Birth of Heinz Martin Lonquich composer. 1937 - Helge Rode Danish poet/essayist, dies at age 66. 1937 - Los Angeles Railway Co starts using PCC streetcars. 1938 - Birth of Christopher Glenn New York City, New York, news anchor (CBS Nightwatch). 1938 - Birth of Kenneth J Gregory warden (Goldsmiths' College). 1938 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis frees 74 Saint Louis Cardinals minor league players. 1939 - Birth of Bert Berdis Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, comedian (Tim Conway Show). 1939 - Poland partially mobilizes its armed forces. 1939 - Birth of Boris Ivanovich Tischenko composer. 1940 - First radio broadcast of "Truth or Consequences" on CBS. 1940 - All-India-Muslim League calls for a Muslim homeland. 1940 - Birth of Brian Hastings cricketer (New Zealand batsman in 1970s). 1940 - Birth of Luis Gasca rocker. 1940 - Birth of Tariq Yunus actor (Bollywood, Ashanti, Deceivers). 1942 - 2,500 Jews of Lublin massacred or deported. 1942 - Birth of Jimmy Miller US pop drummer (Rolling Stones, Motörhead). 1942 - Japanese forces occupy Andaman Islands in Indian Ocean. 1942 - US move native-born of Japanese ancestry into detention centers. 1943 - André Lichtenberger French Sudan writer (Le Petit Roi), dies at age 72. 1943 - Birth of Gail Goodrich NBA star (Los Angeles Lakers, Suns). 1943 - Birth of Peter Graves supt minister (Westminster Central Hall). 1943 - German counter attack on US lines in Tunisia. 1943 - Joseph Moiseyevich Schillinger composer, dies at age 47. 1944 - Birth of Michael Nyman composer (Mesmer, Carrington). 1944 - Birth of Salim Altaf cricketer (Pakistan medium-pacer in 21 Tests 1967-78). 1944 - Bomb assassination against Southern Tirol congregation in Rome, 33 die. 1944 - Nicholas Alkemade falls 5,500 metre without a parachute and lives. 1944 - O C Wingate British General-Major (Burma), dies in air crash. 1945 - (night) Operation Plunder begins, as British and Canadian forces make an amphibious crossing of the Rhine river in Germany. The objective of this operation is to attack north of Wesel, holding down and diminishing the 47th Panzer Corps, preventing it from attacking the main force crossing at Wesel. 1945 - Largest operation in Pacific war, 1,500 US Navy ships bomb Okinawa. 1945 - Prime Minister Winston Churchill visits Montgomery's headquarter in Straelen. 1946 - 8th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats North Carolina 43-40. 1946 - Alexandru Zirra composer, dies at age 62. 1947 - Birth of Barbara Rhodes Poughkeepsie New York, actress (Don't Just Stand There). 1948 - Birth of Michael Gleeson otolaryngologist. 1948 - Birth of R J Bennett FBA/geographer. 1948 - Birth of Wasim Bari cricket wicket-keeper (Pakistan's most successful). 1948 - John Cunningham sets world altitude record (54,492' (18,133 metre)). 1949 - Birth of Karen English (Representative-Democrat-Arizona). 1949 - Birth of Ric Ocasek Baltimore Maryland, rocker (Cars-Double Life, All Mixed Up, Bye Bye Love). 1949 - Sidney Kingsley's "Detective Story" premieres in New York City, New York. 1950 - "Great to Be Alive" opens at Winter Garden Theater New York City for 52 performances. 1950 - 22nd Academy Awards: "All King's Men", Broderick Crawford and Olivia de Havilland win. 1950 - Birth of Corrine Clery Paris France, actress (Moonraker, Yor). 1950 - Birth of P R Scott Headmaster (Bancroft's School, Woodford Green). 1950 - Douglas Carr England cricket leg-spinner (Test 1909), dies. 1950 - Sophocles Venizelos forms liberal Greeks government. 1950 - United Nations World Meteorological Organization established. 1951 - Birth of Dick Mast Bluffton Ohio, Nike golfer (1990 Mississippi Gulf Coast). 1951 - Birth of Lis Howell director of programs (GMTV). 1951 - Wages in France increase 11%. 1952 - Birth of Patricia Richardson Bethesda Maryland, actress (Jill-Home Improvement). 1952 - Klaas Schilder Dutch vicar/theologist/antifascist, dies at age 61. 1952 - New York Rangers with less than 14 minutes to go blow a 6-2 lead, losing 7-6 to Chicago Black Hawks; Mosienko scores three times in 21 seconds. 1953 - Birth of Chaka Khan [Yvette Marie Stevens] Great Lakes Illinois, rocker (Rufus-I'm Every Woman). 1953 - Birth of Geoffrey Clifton-Brown British Member of Parliament. 1953 - Birth of Louie Anderson Minneapolis Minnesota, comedian (Ratboy, Wrong Guys). 1953 - Raoul Dufy painter, Forcalquier, France. 1954 - Birth of Moses Malone NBA all star center (Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia '76ers). 1955 - Birth of Cindy Olavarri Pleasant Hills California, cyclist (7-Eleven team). 1956 - 18th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: San Francisco beats Iowa 83-71; this is San Francisco's second consecutive national basketball championship. 1956 - Birth of Andrew Mitchell British Member of Parliament. 1956 - Birth of Laura Thorne chef (named one of 10 best American chefs). 1956 - Pakistan proclaimed an Islamic republic in Commonwealth (National Day). 1956 - Sudan becomes independent. 1957 - 19th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Kansas 54-53 (three overtimes). 1957 - Birth of Amanda Plummer in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Hotel New Hampshire, Dollmaker). 1957 - Birth of Sheila Rena Ingram in Washington, DC, USA; 4X400 metre relayer (Olympics-silver-1976). 1957 - Birth of Teresa Ganzel in Toledo, Ohio, USA; actress (Teachers Only, Duck Factory). 1957 - L Patrick Abercrombie, English architect, dies at age 77. 1957 - US army sells last homing pigeons. 1958 - Birth of Serena Grandi [Fagioli] in Bologna, Italy; actress (Miranda). 1958 - Florian Znaniecki, Polish/US sociologist/philosopher, dies at age 76. 1960 - Birth of Oscar Michael Moore; journalist. 1960 - Birth of Terry Sweeney in Saint Albans, New York, USA; writer/comedian (Saturday Night Live). 1960 - Explorer (8) fails to reach Earth orbit. 1960 - Franklin P Adams, columnist (Information Please), dies at age 78. 1961 - A C Russell, cricketer (10 Tests for England 910 runs), dies. 1961 - James Edward Murray (Senator-Democrat-Montana) (1935-61), dies. 1961 - Valentin Vasilyevich Bondarenko, cosmonaut, dies in accident at age 24. 1962 - Birth of Johan Steur; soccer player (FC Volendam). 1962 - Josephus RH van Schaik, lawyer/vice-premier of Netherlands, dies at age 80. 1962 - Nawab of Pataudi captains India cricket vs West Indies age 21 years 77 days. 1962 - Val Paul, producer (F-Man), dies at age 73. 1962 - Wake Forest coach "Bones" McKinney becomes second person to play and coach. 1962 - William DeWitt buys Cincinnati Reds for US$4,625,000. 1963 - 25th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Loyola beats Cincinnati 60-58 (overtime). 1963 - Birth of Ana Quirot in Cuba; 800 metre runner (Olympics-bronze/silver-1992, 1996). 1963 - Birth of Kim Williams in Bethesda, Maryland, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 GHP Heartland-26th). 1963 - Davey Moore dies seconds after being knocked-out in feather-weight boxing championship. 1964 - UNCTAD 1 world conference opens in Geneva, Switzerland. 1964 - Vassily Vainonen, Russian ballet choreographer (Gayaneh), dies at age 66. 1965 - Birth of Dante Jones; NFL linebacker (Denver Broncos). 1965 - Birth of Daren Puppa in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada; NHL goalie (Tampa Bay Lightning). 1965 - Birth of Richard Grieco in Waterton, New York, USA; actor (21 Jump Street, Booker). 1965 - Birth of Wayne Presley in Detroit, Michigan, USA; NHL right wing (Toronto Maple Leafs). 1965 - Gemini 3 launched, first US two-man space flight (Grissom and Young). 1965 - Mae Murray, actress (Bachelor Apartment), dies of heart ailment at age 75. 1965 - Moroccan army shoots on demonstrators, about 100 killed. 1966 - First official meeting after 400 years of Catholic and Anglican Church. 1966 - Birth of James Saxon; NFL fullback (Philadelphia Eagles). 1966 - Birth of Marti Pellow; rocker (Wet, Wet, Wet-Wishing I Was). 1966 - Birth of Mike Remlinger in Middletown, New York, USA; pitcher (Cincinnati Reds). 1966 - Johannes W Elsensohn, Dutch actor/writer (Arie), dies at age 82. 1967 - Birth of David Ford in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; kayaker (Olympics-15-1992, 1996). 1967 - Birth of Sandra Ferguson [Reinhardt] in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Amanda - Another World, Illegal in Blue). 1967 - Duncan Macrae, actor (Casino Royale, Kidnapped), dies at age 61. 1968 - 30th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats North Carolina 78-55. 1968 - Birth of Atul Wassan; cricketer (Indian pace bowler 1989-90). 1968 - Birth of Curtis Mayfield; Canadian Football League receiver (Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1968 - Birth of David Maeva; Canadian Football League linebacker (British Columbia Lions). 1968 - Birth of Mark Maddox; linebacker (Buffalo Bills). 1968 - Birth of Mike Atherton; cricketer (Lancashire batsman and England captain). 1968 - Edwin O'Connor, American writer, dies at age 49. 1968 - Reverend Walter Fauntroy is first non-voting congressional delegate from Washington DC. 1969 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Port Charlotte Golf Invitational. 1969 - Rally for Decency (Miami, Florida). 1969 - Rudolf Pannwitz, German author/philosopher (Urblik), dies at age 87. 1970 - Birth of Carl Pickens; NFL wide receiver (Cincinnati Bengals). 1970 - Birth of Turhon O'Bannon; Canadian Football League receiver (Winnipeg Blue Bombers). 1970 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1971 - Armin Loos, composer, dies at age 67. 1971 - Birth of Alexander Selivanov in Moscow, Russia; NHL right wing (Tampa Bay Lightning). 1971 - Birth of Chris Lipuma in Oak Lawn, Illinois, USA; NHL defenseman (Tampa Bay Lightning). 1971 - Birth of Demetrius DuBose; NFL linebacker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1971 - Birth of Hiroyoshi Yamamoto; wrestler (NJPW). 1971 - Birth of Renette Cruz; Miss Canada-Universe (1996). 1971 - Birth of Yasmeen Ghauri in Montréal, Quebec, Canada; model (Valentino Perfume). 1971 - Dutch second Chamber accepts simplified divorce. 1971 - Simon Vestdijk, Dutch author/poet (Brass Garden), dies at age 72. 1971 - USSR performs underground nuclear test. 1972 - Birth of Jennifer K Chapman; Miss Massachusetts-USA (1997). 1972 - Birth of Jonas Bjorkman in Vaxjo, Sweden; tennis star (Davis Cup 1994). 1972 - Birth of Ryan Kuwabara; hockey forward (Team Japan 1998). 1972 - Evil Knievel breaks 93 bones after successfully clearing 35 cars. 1972 - New York Yankees agree to continue playing ball in the Bronx. 1973 - After a 5.5-year run, TV show Love is a Many Splendored Thing ends. 1973 - Birth of David Vaughn; NBA forward (Orlando Magic, San Francisco Warriors). 1973 - Birth of Igor Nikitin; hockey defenseman (Team Kazakhstan Olympics-1998). 1973 - Birth of Jason Kidd; NBA guard (Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks). 1973 - Birth of Kathy Carboy in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; diver (Olympics-1996). 1973 - Birth of Naoko Sawamatsu in Nishinomiya, Japan; tennis star (1994 Singapore). 1973 - Birth of Ninya Perna; Miss Nevada-USA (1997). 1973 - Birth of Rob Lazeo; Canadian Football League offensive tackle (Saskatchewan Roughriders). 1973 - Ken Maynard, actor (Phantom Rancher, $50,000 Reward), dies at age 77. 1973 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1974 - Birth of Eric Washington; NBA guard (Denver Nuggets). 1974 - Birth of Scott Galyon; linebacker (New York Giants). 1974 - Birth of Tony Alberda; Dutch soccer player (SC Heerenveen, Emmen). 1975 - Birth of Rita Grande in Napoli, Italy; tennis star (3rd round 1996 Australian Open). 1975 - Sue Roberts wins LPGA Bing Crosby International Golf Classic. 1976 - Birth of Keri Russell; actress (Mickey Mouse Club, Lottery, Daddy Girls). 1976 - Birth of Nolan Baumgartner in Calgary, Albera, Canada; NHL defenseman (Washington Capitals). 1976 - International Bill of Rights goes into effect (35 nations ratify). 1977 - Birth of Josh Ackerman; actor (Mickey Mouse Club). 1978 - Birth of Nicholle Tom in Hinsdale, Illinois; actress (Beethoven, Maggie - Nanny, Beverly Hills 90210). 1978 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1979 - Larry Holmes TKOs Osvaldo Ocasio in 7 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1979 - Philip Bourneuf, actor (Big Night, Frankenstein), dies at age 71. 1980 - Swedes vote in a national referendum on the use of atomic energy. of the 4.7 million ballots, 58 percent vote in favor of completing the nuclear energy program and retaining it for at least 25 years. 1980 - Border completes 150 in each inning of Test Cricket vs Pakistan. 1980 - Donna Caponi Young Pro-Am wins LPGA National Golf Tournament. 1980 - France performs nuclear test. 1981 - US Supreme Court upholds law making statutory rape a crime only for men. 1981 - Death of Beatrice Tinsley, English astronomer (born 1941). 1981 - US Supreme Court rules states could require, with some exceptions, parental notification when teen-age girls sought abortions. 1982 - New York Islanders' Mike Bossy's 20th career hat trick-4 goals. 1982 - Mario Praz, Italian author (Casa della vita), dies at age 85. 1982 - Birth of Tomasz Kuszczak; Polish football (soccer) goalkeeper. 1982 - Guatemala military coup under General Rios Montt, President Romeo Lucas flees. 1983 - In Greece, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurs. 1983 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan makes his initial Strategic Defense Initiative proposal to develop technology to intercept enemy missiles. The media dub this plan "Star Wars." 1983 - Dr Barney Clark, first artificial heart recipient, dies after 112 days at age 62. 1984 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa, Canada won by Underhill and Paul Martini (Canada). 1984 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa, Canada won by Katarina Witt (German Democratic Republic). 1984 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa, Canada won by Scott Hamilton (USA). 1984 - General Rahimuddin Khan becomes the first man in Pakistan's history to rule over two of its provinces, after becoming interim Governor of Sindh. 1984 - Andrea Schöne skates ladies world record 3 km (4:00.91). 1984 - World Ice Dance Championship in Ottawa, Canada won by J Torvill and Chris Dean (Great Britain). 1985 - Anton Constandse, Dutch anarchist/writer, dies at age 85. 1985 - Betsy King wins LPGA Standard Register PING. 1985 - Billy Joel weds supermodel Christie Brinkley. 1985 - Space shuttle Discovery moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-D mission. 1985 - Julian Lennon's first concert (San Antonio, Texas). 1985 - Patricia Roberts Harris (Representative-Democrat) dies at age 60. 1985 - Singing Nun [Janine Deckers] commits suicide in Belgium at age 52. 1985 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1986 - Birth of Steven Strait; American actor. 1986 - 6th Golden Raspberry Awards: Rambo; First Blood Part II wins. 1986 - Penny Pulz wins LPGA Circle K Tucson Golf Open. 1986 - Death of Moshe Feinstein, Orthodox Rabbi (born 1895). 1987 - Dean Paul Martin, musician/tennis pro, killed in plane crash at age 29. 1987 - Soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful premieres on TV. 1987 - US offers military protection to Kuwaiti ships in the Persian Gulf. 1987 - West Germany SPD chairman Willy Brandt resigns. 1989 - Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce that they have achieved cold fusion at room temperature at the University of Utah. 1989 - Joel Steinberg sentenced to 25 years for killing his adopted daughter. 1989 - A 300 m (1,000 ft) diameter Near-Earth asteroid misses the Earth by 500,000 km (400,000 miles). 1990 - Birth of Eugenie, Princess of York, daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. 1990 - Former Exxon Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood ordered to help clean up Prince William Sound and pay $50,000 in restitution for 1989 oil spill. 1990 - Buena Vista releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Pretty Woman to theaters. 1990 - Howard Spira is arrested for extorting money from George Steinbrenner. The New York Yankees' owner paid Spira US$40,000 in January. 1991 - First World League of American Football games, London beats Frankfurt 24-11, Sacramento beats Raleigh-Durham 9-3 and Montréal beats Birmingham 20-5. 1991 - 20 Tornadoes kill five in Tennessee. 1991 - Birth of George William Carnegie, British noble. 1991 - Dominic Bellissimo, created buffalo chicken wings, dies at age 68. 1991 - Fons Jansen, Dutch night club performer, dies at age 65. 1991 - Mona Maris, actress (Camila, Berlin Correspondent), dies at age 88. 1991 - Sergei Bubka pole vaults world record indoor (6.12 metre). 1992 - Florida Marlins begin selling tickets. 1992 - Friedrich A von Hayek, British/Austrian economist (Road to Serfdom, Nobel Prize laureate), dies at age 92 (born 1899). 1993 - Belgian government of Dehaene resigns. 1993 - Hans Werner Richter, German writer/founder (Gruppe 47), dies at age 84. 1993 - New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns get into a major brawl. 1994 - Alvara del Portillo, Spanish Opus Dei bishop, dies at age 80. 1994 - Giulietta Masina, wife of Federico Felini/(La Strada), dies at age 74. 1994 - Graeme Obree bicycles world record 10 km (11:08). 1994 - Howard Stern formally announces his Libertarian run for New York Governor. 1994 - Jim Moloney dies of Parkinson's disease. 1994 - Last day of Test cricket for Kapil Dev. 1994 - Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mexican Presidential candidate, assassinated at age 44 (born 1950). 1994 - Richard Jacobs buys naming rights to Cleveland Indians new ball park at Gateway for US$13.8 million (renamed Jacobs Field). 1994 - Russian Airbus A-310 crashes in Siberia (74-75 killed). 1994 - Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record with 802 goals scored. 1995 - How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opens at R Rodgers theater in New York City for 548 performances. 1995 - Alan Barton, singer (Smokie, Black Lace), dies in a bus crash. 1995 - Daniel George "Danny" Apolinar, composer/songwriter, dies at age 61. 1995 - Davie Cooper, Scottish soccer star, dies at age 39 (born 1956). 1995 - Dollar equals 88.41 yen (record). 1995 - Irving Shulman, author/screenwriter, dies at age 81. 1995 - Ripley L Ingram, singer, dies at age 65. 1995 - Robert Turner, winner of first All-American Soap Box Derby, dies at age 72. 1995 - Russell Reading Braddon, author, dies at age 74. 1996 - Jay D Miller, record producer, dies at age 73. 1996 - Peter Baer, artist/printmaker, dies at age 72. 1996 - The Republic of China on Taiwan holds its first direct elections for president; Lee Teng-hui is re-elected. 1997 - Mandy Patinkin in Concert closes at Lyceum Theater in New York City. 1997 - 17th Golden Raspberry Awards: Striptease wins. 1997 - Laura Davies wins Standard Register PING Golf Tournament. 1997 - Liberty Legends of Senior Golf. 1997 - Phil Mickelson wins Bay Hill Golf Invitiational. 1997 - Wrestlemania XIII in Chicago, Undertaker beats Psycho Sid for title. 1998 - 70th Academy Awards: Titanic, Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt win. 1999 - Gunmen assassinate Paraguay's Vice President Luis Marķa Argaña. 2001 - Death of Sully Boyar, American actor (born 1923). 2001 - The Russian space station Mir re-enters the atmosphere near Nadi, Fiji, and falls into the Pacific Ocean. 2002 - Death of Ben Hollioake, cricketer (born 1977). 2003 - The 2003 Cricket World Cup ends as Australia wins over India by 125 runs in Centurion, South Africa. 2003 - Nintendo releases the Game Boy Advance SP in North America. Price is US$99.95. Sales in the first two weeks: over 800,000 units. In its first year, over 6.5 million units are sold, a record for any video game system in history. 2006 - Death of Cindy Walker, American songwriter (born 1918). 2007 - Naval forces of Iran's Revolutionary Guard seize British Royal Navy personnel in disputed Iran-Iraq waters. 2007 - Eight human skeletons are discovered in Fort Myers, Florida, later linked to suspected serial killer Daniel Conahan. 2007 - Death of Eric Medlen, American race car driver (born 1973). 2008 - US soldier death toll in the Iraq war reaches 4000, after five years of fighting. 2008 - In a bingo hall in Coatbridge, north Lanarkshire, Scotland, a woman wins a record 1,167,795 pounds (US$2.3 million) in the National Bingo Game. 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