This Day in History
March 25

What happened in history on this day: March 25? On March 25 in ... 421 - City of Venice is founded. 708 - Constantine begins his reign as Catholic Pope. 1133 - Birth of Henry II King of England (1154-89). 1133 - William the Conqueror orders first Domesday Survey of England. 1223 - Afonso II third King of Portugal (1211-23), dies at age 36. 1252 - Birth of Konradijn Hohenstaufen [Koenrad van Zwaben], son of Konrad IV. 1306 - Robert the Bruce crowned king of Scotland. 1409 - Council of Pisa opens. 1458 - Inigo López de Mendoza Spanish marquis of Santillana/poet, dies. 1495 - Birth of Leonhard Paminger composer. 1510 - Georges d'amboise French archbishop of Narbonne/Rouen, dies at age 49. 1528 - Birth of Jacob Andreae German theologist (Schwäbische Konkordie). 1532 - Birth of Pietro Pontio composer. 1571 - Catholic Italian businessman Roberto Ridolfi leaves Enngeland. 1581 - Portugese Cortes calls Philip II king of Portugal. 1584 - Sir Walter Raleigh renews Humphrey Gilbert's patent to explore North America. 1594 - Birth of Maria Tesselschade Roemers Visscher Dutch writer. 1598 - Cornelis de Houtman's fleet departs for East-Indies. 1609 - Henry Hudson embarks on an exploration for Dutch East India Co. 1609 - Johan Willem duke of Jülich/Cleef/Mark/Mountain/Ravensberg, dies. 1634 - Lord Baltimore founded Catholic colony of Maryland. 1647 - Cape of Good Hope; tour ship Haerlem stranded in Tafel Bay. 1653 - Birth of Joseph Sauveur French physicist/mathematician. 1655 - Christiaan Huygens discovers Titan, Saturn's largest moon. 1668 - First horse race in America takes place. 1669 - Mount Etna in Sicily erupts, destroying Nicolosi, killing 20,000. 1688 - Birth of Johann Gotthilf Ziegler composer. 1692 - Gerardus L Blasius Flemish anatomist, dies at about age 66. 1697 - Hendrik Casimir II King of Nassau-Dietzstadhouder, dies. 1699 - Birth of Johann Adolf Hasse composer. 1700 - England, France and Netherlands ratify second Extermination treaty. 1702 - Birth of Christian Gottlieb Ziegler composer. 1702 - Birth of Pieter Teyler Van der Hulst Dutch silk merchant (Teyler's Museum). 1713 - Birth of Jean-Baptiste Canavas composer. 1723 - Birth of Kaat Mussel [Catharina Mulder], Dutch demonstrater. 1745 - Birth of Nicolas Etienne Framery composer. 1751 - Frederik of Hessen Kassel King of Sweden (1720-51), dies at age 74. 1753 - Voltaire leaves the court of Frederik II of Prussia. 1762 - Birth of Francesco Giuseppi Pollini composer. 1766 - Johannes Ritschel composer, dies at age 26. 1767 - Birth of Joachim Murat marshal of France/King of Naples (1808-15). 1769 - Birth of Salvatore Vigano composer. 1770 - Birth of Carl Friedrich Ebers composer. 1774 - English Parliament passes Boston Port Bill. 1776 - Continental Congress authorizes a medal for General George Washington. 1782 - Birth of Carolina [Maria A] Bonaparte (countess Lipona), sister of Napoleon). 1784 - Birth of François-Joseph Fétis Belgian musicology/composer. 1786 - Birth of Giovanni B Amia Italian astronomer/physicist/botanist. 1797 - Birth of John Winebrenner US, clergyman, founded Church of God. 1799 - Constantin Reindl composer, dies at age 60. 1800 - Birth of Paulin Paris French historian. 1801 - Anthony Ziesenis architect/sculptor (Camper), dies at age 69. 1801 - Novalis writer, dies at age 28. 1802 - France, Netherlands, Spain and England signs Peace of Amiens. 1807 - First railway passenger service began in England. 1807 - British Parliament abolishes slave trade. 1807 - George Canning becomes British minister of Foreign affairs. 1808 - Birth of José de Espronceda y Delgado Spanish revolutionary/poet (Cortes). 1813 - First US flag flown in battle on the Pacific, frigate Essex. 1814 - Netherlands Bank established. 1817 - Tsar Alexander I recommends formation of Society of Israeli Christians. 1818 - Birth of Isaac Ingalls Stevens Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1862. 1820 - Birth of Xavier F M G Earl of Merode, Belgian minister to Pope (in Rome). 1820 - Greece freedom revolt against anti Ottoman attack. 1821 - Greece gains independence from Turkey (National Day). 1823 - Birth of William Thompson Martin Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1910. 1823 - Coelestin Jungbauer composer, dies at age 75. 1825 - Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck Dutch patriot/earl, dies at age 63. 1830 - Birth of Julius Caesar cricketer (prominent batsman for Surrey). 1835 - Friederike Blum writer, dies. 1839 - Birth of William Bell Wait US, educated the blind. 1847 - Pope Pius IX encyclical "On aid for Ireland". 1852 - Alexis Garaude composer, dies at age 73. 1852 - Friedrich Hebbel's "Agnes Bernauer" premieres in Munich. 1856 - A E Burnside patents Burnside carbine. 1857 - Frederick Laggenheim takes first photo of a solar eclipse. 1863 - First Army Medal of Honor awarded. 1863 - Skirmish at Brentwood, Tennessee. 1864 - Battle of Paducah, Kentucky (Forrest's raid). 1865 - SS General Lyon at Cape Hatteras catches fire and sinks, killing 400. 1865 - Battle of Bluff Spring, Florida. 1865 - Battle of Fort Stedman, Virginia: in front of Petersburg. 1865 - Battle of Mobile, Alabama (Spanish Fort, Fort Morgan, Fort Blakely). 1867 - Birth of Arturo Toscanini Parma Italy, temperamental conductor. 1867 - Birth of Gutzon Borglum sculptor (Mount Rushmore). 1868 - Birth of Bill Lockwood cricketer (England all-rounder in 12 Tests 1893-1902). 1869 - Birth of Gustaaf Schamelhout Flemish physician/writer. 1871 - Birth of John Gutzon Borglum sculptor (Mount Rushmore). 1872 - Birth of Vito Pardo Italian sculptor (Columbus monument in Argentina). 1873 - Birth of Rudolf Rocker German/US anarchist. 1875 - Birth of Spencer Charters Duncannon Pennsylvania; actor (3 Faces West). 1876 - Glasgow first soccer match Scotland-Wales (4-0). 1877 - Birth of Alphonse de Châteaubriant French writer (Instantanés aux Pays-Bas). 1878 - Birth of Henry graaf de Baillet-Latour Belgian President of International Olympic Committee (1925-42). 1878 - Birth of Theodore Samuel Holland composer. 1879 - Birth of Otakar Zich composer. 1880 - Joseph Rummel composer, dies at age 61. 1880 - Ludmilla Assing writer, dies. 1881 - Birth of Béla Bartók Hungary, composer/pianist (Concerto for Orchestra). 1881 - Birth of Louis Dosfel Flemish lawyer/writer (Assault!). 1882 - Jumbo the elephant leaves England on the Assyrian Monarch ship, headed to America. 1882 - First demonstration of pancake making (Department store in New York City, New York). 1882 - Birth of Haydn Wood composer. 1885 - Birth of Veit Valentin German/US historian (Deutsche Revolution). 1887 - Birth of Josef Capek Czechoslovakian painter/author/critic (Kulhavy Poutník). 1888 - Socialist leader Domela Nieuwenhuis elected to Dutch second chamber. 1889 - First Test Cricket match played at Newlands, Cape Town vs England. 1890 - Birth of Marten Baersma [MH Bottema], Friesan author (De ljochte kimen). 1892 - Birth of Andy Clyde Scotland; actor (George-Real McCoys, Cully-Lassie). 1893 - Birth of Edward Hart (Representative-Democrat-New Jersey)/first chairman of Committee on Un-American Activities. 1894 - Birth of Erik William Gustav Leidzen composer. 1894 - Coxey's Army of the unemployed sets out from Massillon Ohio for Washington DC. 1895 - Italian troops invade Abyssinia (Ethiopia). 1896 - Modern Olympics begin in Athens Greece. 1897 - Birth of John Laurie Dumfries Scotland; actor (Jericho, Island of Desire). 1898 - Intercollegiate Trapshooting Association formed in New York City, New York. 1899 - Birth of Bella Spewack Hungary, playwright (Kiss Me Kate). 1899 - Birth of Jacques Audiberti French poet (Race of Men). 1900 - US Socialist Party is formed at Indianapolis. 1901 - 55 die as Rock Island train derailed near Marshalltown IA. 1901 - Birth of Ed Begley Hartford Connecticut; actor (Mr Koppel-Leave it to Larry). 1902 - Birth of Sten Broman composer. 1902 - Irving W Colburn patents sheet glass drawing machine. 1903 - Birth of Frankie Carle Providence Rhode Island, orchestra leader (Golden Touch). 1905 - Birth of Binnie Barnes London, actress (Last of the Mohicans, Three Musketeers). 1905 - Rebel battle flags captured during war are returned to South. 1906 - Birth of Alan J P Taylor British historian (English history 1914-1915). 1906 - Birth of Howard Pyle (Governor-Republican-Arizona, 1951-55). 1906 - Birth of Jean Sablon crooner. 1907 - Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers lose to Kenora Thistles but outscore them in two game set but outscore them 12-8 and win cup. 1908 - Birth of Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte British theater and hotel director. 1908 - Birth of David Lean in Croydon, England; director (Dr Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter, Lawrence of Arabia). 1908 - Birth of Helmut Käutner Düsseldorf Germany, director (Der Hauptmann von Köpenick). 1909 - Birth of Dutch (Emil) Leonard baseball pitcher (Boston Red Sox, 1.01 ERA 1914). 1909 - Birth of Jay Blackton New York City, New York, conductor/arranger (Guys and Dolls). 1909 - Ruperto Chapi y Lorente composer, dies at age 57. 1910 - Birth of Mario Peragallo Italian composer. 1910 - Chalmers Auto Co offers a new car to each leagues' batting champion. 1910 - Kálmán Mikszáth Hungarian author (Szent Péter Esernyöje), dies at age 63. 1911 - 146 die in a fire at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, New York. 1911 - Birth of Willy Anthoons Flemish sculptor (Mystic verheffing). 1911 - L D Swamikannu publishes "Manual of Indian Chronology" in Bombay. 1913 - Great Dayton Flood. 1913 - Home of vaudeville, Palace Theatre, opens (New York City, New York) starring Ed Wynn. 1914 - Birth of Marthe Robert essayist/translator. 1914 - Birth of Norman E Borlaug US agriculture scientist (Nobel Prize 1970). 1914 - Frédéric Mistral French poet (Nobel Prize-1904), dies. 1915 - First submarine disaster; a US F-4 sank off Hawaii, killing 21. 1915 - German U boat torpedoes Netherlands merchant ship Medea. 1916 - Birth of Nikolay Ivanovich Peyko composer. 1916 - Heavyweight Jess Willard and Franc Moran fight to no decision in 10 for boxing title (New York City, New York). 1916 - Women are allowed to attend a boxing match. 1918 - Birth of Howard Cosell in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; sportscaster (Monday Night Football) (dies 1995). 1918 - Claude A Debussy French composer (Iberia/La mer), dies in Paris France at age 55. 1919 - Birth of Jeanne Cagney actress (Lion is in the Streets, Quicksand). 1920 - Birth of Patrick Troughton actor (Doctor Who). 1920 - Greek Independence Day. 1921 - Birth of Nancy Kelly Lowell Massachusetts, actress (Double Exposure, Jesse James). 1921 - Birth of Simone Signoret Wiesbaden Germany, actress (Casque d'Or, Room at the Top). 1922 - Birth of Bruno VeSota Chicago Illinois; actor/director (Chopper, Teenage Doll, Wild Rovers). 1922 - Birth of Eileen Ford modeling agency head (Ford Modeling Agency). 1923 - Birth of Lee Hale Tacoma Washington, choral director (The Entertainers). 1923 - Birth of Wim Van Est [Locomotief/Pletmolen], Dutch cyclist. 1923 - British government grants Trans-Jordan autonomy. 1924 - Birth of Julia A Perry Lexington Kentucky, US composer (Cask of Amontillado, Selfish Giant). 1924 - Birth of Machiko Kyo Osaka Japan; actor (Gate of Hell, Rashomon, Ugetsu). 1924 - Greek parliament selects Admiral Paul Koundouriótis as premier. 1924 - John Reedman cricketer (Test for Australia 1894, 17 and 4, 1 for 24), dies. 1924 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens (NHL) sweep Calgary Tigers (WCHL) in two (second of 1924). 1925 - Birth of Flannery O'Connor Georgia, novelist (A Good Man Is Hard to Find). 1926 - Birth of Hans Rausing Swedish/British industrial/billionaire (Tetra Pak). 1926 - Birth of Laszlo Papp Hungary, Olympics Boxer (Gold-1948, 1952, 1956). 1927 - Birth of Leslie Claudius India, field hockey (Olympics-gold-1948, 52, 56). 1928 - Birth of James A Lovell Jr in Cleveland, Ohio; USN/astronaut (Gemini 7, 12, Apollo 8, 13). 1929 - Birth of Harris W Fawell (Representative-Republican-Illinois, 1985-). 1929 - Birth of Kenneth Haigh Yorkshire England; actor (Search for the Nile). 1930 - Birth of David Russell Burge composer. 1931 - Birth of Bohumil Golián Czechoslovakia, volleyball player (Olympics-bronze-1968). 1931 - Hal Kemp and his Orchestra record Whistles, with Skinnay Ennis. 1932 - Gene Shalit is born; film critic. 1932 - Birth of Wes Santee miler. 1932 - Birth of Woody (Woodson) Held baseball player. 1934 - First Golf Masters Championship: Horton Smith wins, shooting a 284. 1934 - Birth of Gloria Steinem in Toledo, Ohio; feminist/publisher (Ms Magazine). 1934 - Birth of Johnny Burnette Memphis, guitarist (Trains Kept A-Rollin, You're 16). 1934 - Horton Smith win first Masters golf championship. 1935 - First Belgium government of Van Zealand resigns. 1935 - Birth of Susan Engel Vienna Austria, actress (Ascendancy). 1936 - Birth of Lawrence Bernard "Larry" Gales bassist. 1936 - Detroit Red Wings beat Montréal Maroons in NHL longest game (2 hours 56 minutes 30 seconds). 1937 - It's revealed Quaker Oats pays Babe Ruth $25,000 per year for ads. 1937 - Italy and Yugoslavia sign no-attack treaty (Pact of Belgrade). 1937 - John Drinkwater English poet/playwright (Bird in Hand), dies at age 54. 1937 - Lionel Conacher misses on first Stanley Cup penalty shot. 1937 - Washington Daily News is first US newspaper with perfumed advertising page. 1938 - First US bred horse (Battleship) to win Grand National Steeplechase. 1938 - Birth of Hoyt Axton in Duncan, Oklahoma; actor (Black Stallion, Junkman, Rousters). 1939 - Billboard Magazine introduces hillbilly (country) music chart. 1939 - Birth of Toni Cade Bambara director. 1940 - Birth of Anita Bryant in Barnsdall, Oklahoma; Miss Oklahoma, Miss America (1958)/singer (George Gobel Show). 1940 - Ion Nonna Otescu composer, dies at age 51. 1941 - Carolina Paprika Mills, Dillon South Carolina, incorporated. 1941 - In Vienna, Austria, Yugoslav premier Prince Paul and foreign minister sign on to the Tripartite Pact in the presence of Adolf Hitler and Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. 1942 - 700 Jews of Polish Lvov-district reach Belzec Concentration camp. 1942 - Birth of Aretha Franklin in Memphis, Tennessee; singer ("Respect"). 1942 - Birth of Jacqueline Lichtenberg US, sci-fi author (Star Trek Lives!, Dreamspy). 1942 - Birth of Paul Michael Glaser Cambridge Massachusetts; actor (Starsky-Starsky and Hutch). 1943 - 97% of all Dutch physicians strike againt Nazi registration. 1943 - Birth of Pavel Lednev USSR, pentathlete (Olympics-gold-1980). 1943 - Birth of Ronald Jeffers composer. 1943 - Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore premiere on radio. 1944 - Birth of Frank Oz muppetteer (Grover-Sesame Street, The Muppet Show). 1944 - Birth of Ross Duncan cricketer (one Test Australia vs England 1971, 0-30). 1944 - Birth of Terry L Bruce (Representative-Democrat-Illinois, 1985-). 1944 - Germany troop executes 335 residents of Rome. 1944 - RAF Sergeant Nickolas Alkemade survives a jump from his Lancaster bomber from 18,000 feet without a parachute. 1945 - US first army breaks out bridgehead near Remagen. 1945 - US 4th Armored division arrives at Hanau and Aschaffenburg. 1945 - US Northern Tractor Flotilla departs Ulithi to Okinawa. 1946 - First performance of Igor Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto". 1946 - Birth of Bonnie Bedelia [Culkin] New York City, New York, actress (Die Hard, Heart Like a Wheel, New Land). 1947 - 9th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Holy Cross beats Oklahoma 58-47. 1947 - Agreement of Linggadjati ratified in Batavia. 1947 - Birth of Claudine Schneider (Representative-Republican-Rhode Island, 1981-). 1947 - Birth of Elton John [Reginald Kenneth Dwight] in Pinner, Middlesex, England; singer ("Rocketman", "Your Song", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"). 1947 - Coal mine explosion in Centralia Illinois, claims 111 lives. 1947 - Last day of Test cricket for Walter Hammond (v New Zealand, Christchurch). 1948 - Birth of Kelly Garrett actress/singer (Holdin). 1948 - Birth of Michael Stanley Cleveland Ohio, rocker (Michael Stanley Band). 1948 - Birth of Richard Lundy horse trainer. 1948 - Warren Hymer actor (Show Them No Mercy), dies at age 42. 1949 - Birth of Jean Potvin NHL player. 1949 - Birth of Neil Jones musician (Bend Me Shape Me). 1949 - Birth of Nick Lowe Woodchurch Suffolk England, rocker (Rockpile-Cruel to be Kind). 1949 - Hanns A Rauter German SS-commandant in Netherlands, executed at age 54. 1949 - SS police chief Rauter request for a pardon, denied. 1951 - 5th Tony Awards: Guys and Dolls and Rose Tattoo win. 1951 - Birth of Bob Pelander rock keyboardist/vocalist (Michael Stanley Band). 1951 - Birth of Maisie Williams Montserrat, rock vocalist (Boney M). 1951 - E Purcell and EM Ewen detect 21-cm radiation at Harvard physics lab. 1951 - Edward Collins Hall of Fame infielder (Chicago White Sox, Athletics), dies at age 63. 1952 - Birth of Ken Boyd basketball. 1953 - Birth of Haroon Rashid cricketer (Pakistani and WSC batsman late 1970s). 1953 - Birth of Mary Gross Chicago Illinois, actress/comedian (Saturday Night Live, Club Paradise, Feds). 1954 - 26th Academy Awards: "From Here to Eternity", William Holden and Audrey Hepburn win. 1954 - Gertrud Bäumer writer, dies. 1954 - Pope Pius XII encyclical "Sacra virginitas" (On consecrated virginity). 1954 - RCA manufactures first color TV set (12.5" screen at $1,000). 1955 - East Germany granted full sovereignty by occupying power, USSR. 1956 - Birth of Sonia M Lannaman England, 4X100 metre relayer (Olympics-bronze-1980). 1956 - George Luther Foote composer, dies at age 70. 1956 - Robert Newton actor (Henry V, Odd Man Out), dies at age 50. 1957 - Fud Livingston, composer, dies at age 50. 1957 - NBA modifies the free-throw rule. 1957 - Treaty of Rome establishes European Economic Community (Common Market). 1958 - Canada's Avro Arrow makes its debut flight. 1958 - Birth of James McDaniel in Washington DC, USA; actor (Arthur Fancy - NYPD Blue). 1958 - Birth of María Caridad in Colón, Cuba; javelin thrower, (Olympics-gold-1980). 1958 - Birth of Yograj Singh; cricketer (Indian pace bowler early 1980s). 1958 - Emerson Whithorne, composer, dies at age 73. 1958 - Sugar Ray Robinson is first boxing champion to win five times. 1958 - West German parliament desires German atomic weapons. 1959 - Bill White traded to Saint Louis Cardinals for pitchers Sam Jones and Don Choate. 1959 - Billy Mayerl, composer, dies at age 56. 1959 - Birth of Vince Guerra; jockey. 1959 - French President Charles de Gaulle acknowledges Oder-Neisse boundary. 1960 - First guided missile launched from nuclear powered submarine (Halibut). 1960 - Birth of Haywood Nelson in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Haywood - Grady, Dwayne - What's Happening). 1960 - Birth of Robert Green in Omaha, Nebraska, USA; tennis star. 1960 - Birth of Steve Norman in London, England; rock saxophone player (Spandau Ballet - "True"). 1960 - Ford Frick voids Cleveland Indians-Boston Red Sox deal as Sam White retires. 1960 - Italian government Tambroni forms. 1961 - Gypsy closes at Broadway Theater in New York City after 702 performances. 1961 - 23rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State 70-65 (overtime). 1961 - Third place game is one of the wildest contests in NCAA Tournament history as Saint Joseph's defeats Utah 127-120 in four overtimes. 1961 - Birth of John Stockwell in Galveston, Texas, USA; actor (Born to Ride, City Limits). 1961 - Birth of Mark David Brooks in Fort Worth, Texas, USA; PGA golfer (1994 Kemper Open). 1961 - Elvis Presley performs live on the USS Arizona. 1961 - Explorer 10 is launched into elongated Earth orbit (177/181,000 km). 1961 - Sputnik 10 carries a dog into Earth orbit; later recovered. 1962 - Birth of Marcia Cross; actress (Melrose Place). 1962 - Auguste Piccard, Swiss explorer/balloonist, dies at age 78. 1962 - French OAS-leader ex-General Jouhaud arrested. 1964 - Birth of Alex Solls; jockey. 1964 - Birth of Eric Woods in California, USA; Canadian Tour golfer (1993 Xerox British Columbia Open). 1964 - Birth of Ken Wregget in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada; NHL goalie (Pittsburgh Penguins). 1964 - Egypt ends state of siege (1952-64). 1965 - Birth of Avery Johnson; NBA guard (San Antonio Spurs). 1965 - Birth of Sarah Jessica Parker in Nelsonville, Ohio, USA; actress (Square Pegs, Los Angeles Story). 1965 - Birth of Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton; disc-jockey (Hangin' With Hollywood, Z-100). 1965 - Giorgio Federico Ghedini, composer, dies at age 72. 1965 - Martin Luther King Jr leads 25,000 to state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. 1965 - Viola Gregg Liuzzo, US civil rights activist, is murdered. 1965 - West German Bondsdag extends war crimes retribution. 1966 - Birth of David Hohl in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; freestyle wrestler (Olympics-9-1992, 1996). 1966 - Birth of Jeff Cross; NFL defensive end (Miami Dolphins). 1966 - Birth of Jeff Healey in Canada; blind pop guitarist ("See the Light"). 1966 - Birth of Tom Glavine in Concord, Massachusetts, USA; pitcher (Atlanta Braves, Cy Young 1991). 1966 - Colin Campbell, actor (Leather Boys), dies at age 83. 1966 - US Supreme court rules "poll tax" unconstitutional. 1967 - 29th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Dayton 79-64. 1967 - Birth of Debi Thomas; American figure skater (Olympics-bronze-1988). 1967 - Birth of Takayuki Miura; hockey defenseman (Team Japan 1998). 1967 - The Turtles' song "Happy Together" goes #1. 1967 - UCLA wins its third national basketball championship in four years. 1967 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1967 - Rock groups The Who and Cream make US debut at Murray the K's Easter Show. 1968 - Birth of Dixon Edwards; NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings). 1968 - Birth of Errol Martin; Canadian Football League linebacker (Edmonton Eskimos). 1968 - Birth of Peter Blackburn in Australia; badminton player (Olympics-1996). 1968 - Douglas Evans, actor (South Pacific Trail), dies in Hollywood. 1968 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1969 - Alan Mowbray, actor (Dante, Colonel Flack), dies at age 72. 1969 - Andes Pact signed in Peru. 1969 - Birth of Dale Davis; NBA forward (Indiana Pacers). 1969 - Birth of Dan Wilson in Arlington Height, Illinois, USA; catcher (Seattle Mariners). 1969 - Birth of Guy Newman; Australian water polo goalie (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Scott Sanders in Hannibal, Missouri, USA; pitcher (San Diego Padres). 1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono stage their first bed-in for peace (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 1969 - Max F Eastman, US critic/essayist (Love and Revolution), dies at age 86. 1969 - Norman Gallichan, cricketer (one Test for New Zealand, 30 and 2, 3-113), dies. 1969 - Pakistan General Agha Mohammed Jagja Khan succeeds Ayub Chan as President. 1970 - Birth of Magnus Larsson in Sweden; tennis star. 1970 - Birth of Shawn Antoski in Brantford, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Philadelphia Flyers). 1970 - Concorde makes its first supersonic flight (700 MPH/1,127 KPH). 1971 - Birth of Aashish Kapoor; cricketer (Indian off-spin batsman 1994-). 1971 - Birth of Andre Bolduc; Canadian Football League slot back (Edmonton Eskimos). 1971 - Birth of Cammi Granato; ice hockey forward (USA, Olympics-1998). 1971 - Birth of Perry Klein; NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons). 1971 - Birth of Sheryl Swoopes in Lubbock, Texas, USA; WNBA forward (Houston Comets, Olympics-gold-1996). 1971 - Boston Patriots become New England Patriots. 1971 - European council accepts Mansholt plan laying off five million farmers. 1971 - Tom Jones' "She's a Lady" goes gold. 1972 - 34th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Florida 81-76; UCLA's 6th consecutive national basketball title. 1972 - America's album "America" goes #1. 1972 - Birth of Demet Edwards; WLAF defensive tackle (Barcelona Dragons). 1972 - Birth of Howard Battle in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA; infielder (Philadelphia Phillies). 1972 - Birth of Lawrence Moten; NBA guard (Vancouver Grizzlies). 1972 - Bobby Hull becomes the second NHL player to score 600 goals. 1973 - 27th Tony Awards: That Championship Season and Little Night Music win. 1973 - Birth of Andrei Nikolishin in Vorkuta, Russia; NHL center (Hartford Whalers). 1973 - Birth of Bob Sura; NBA guard (Cleveland Cavaliers). 1973 - Birth of Ray Zellars; NFL fullback (New Orleans Saints). 1973 - Carol Mann wins LPGA Sears Women's Golf Classic. 1973 - Edward Steichen, pioneer of American photography, dies at age 92. 1973 - Majid Khan and Mushtaq Mohammad both out for 99 in Test vs England. 1974 - Birth of Mike Adams; wide receiver (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1974 - Birth of Vyninka Arlow in Australia; diver (Olympics-1996). 1974 - Otto Waldis. actor (Unknown World, Whip Hand), dies at age 72. 1975 - Birth of Miguel Mejia San Pedro de Macoris; outfielder (Saint Louis Cardinals). 1975 - Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz, king of Saudi-Arabia (1964-75), shot to death by nephew. 1976 - My Fair Lady opens at Saint James Theater in New York City for 384 performances. 1976 - Argentine military junta bans leftist political parties. 1976 - Birth of Monica Croscicka-Wnetrzak; Miss Poland-Universe (1996). 1978 - Jack Hulbert, actor (Bulldog Jack), dies at age 85. 1979 - Anton Heiller, composer, dies at age 55. 1979 - Major riot at Bourda prevents day's play in WSC Supertest. 1979 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Sahara National Pro-Am Golf Tournament. 1979 - The first fully functional space shuttle orbiter (Columbia) is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch. 1980 - Death of James Wright, American poet (born 1927). 1980 - Birth of Natasha Yi; Korean-American actress and model. 1980 - Death of Roland Barthes, French literary critic and writer (born 1915). 1980 - Death of Walter Susskind, Czech conductor (born 1913). 1982 - Birth of Danica Patrick; American race car driver. 1982 - Wayne Gretzky becomes first NHL player to score 200 points in a season. 1982 - Birth of Sean Faris; American actor. 1982 - Roy Jenkins wins the Glasgow Hillhead by-election for the Social Democratic Party. 1983 - Pavel Pegov skates world record 1000 metre (1:12.58). 1983 - The Disney TV show Gun Shy debuts. 1983 - During the anniversary show Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever Michael Jackson thrills the audience by dancing and singing while performing his hit song Billie Jean. The highlight of his act is his signature move: the moonwalk, which he performs in public for the first time. 1983 - In Iran, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurs. Thirty people killed, 61 injured. 1983 - Christa Rothenburger skates world record 500 metre ladies (39.69 seconds). 1983 - Martha Sleeper, actress (Spitfire), dies of a heart attack at age 72. 1984 - Betsy King wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open. 1984 - Birth of Katharine McPhee, American Idol finalist. 1985 - Birth of Carmen Rasmussen; American singer. 1985 - The 57th Academy Awards ceremony is held in Los Angeles, California. Amadeus wins Best Picture, F Murray Abraham wins Best Actor, and Sally Field wins Best Actress. 1985 - Edwin Meese III becomes US Attorney General. 1986 - Birth of Marco Belinelli; Italian basketball player. 1986 - Walt Disney World welcomes the 500 millionth guest to enter a Disney park, Don McGrath. 1986 - The 58th Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles, California, with Out of Africa winning Best Picture. 1986 - US Supreme Court rules Air Force could ban wearing of yarmulkes. 1987 - Birth of Jason Castro; American singer. 1987 - Henry R LaBouisse, headed UNICEF (1965-79), dies at age 83. 1987 - US Supreme Court rules women/minorities may get jobs if less qualified. 1988 - Les Miserables opens at Chunichi Theatre, in Nagoya, Japan. 1988 - NASA launches space vehicle S-206. 1988 - The Candle Demonstration in Bratislava, Slovakia is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. 1988 - Birth of Erik Knudsen, Canadian actor. 1989 - Les Miserables opens at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago. 1989 - Birth of Chicken Kentucky, first partial birth in space (chicken). 1989 - Birth of Scott Sinclair, English footballer. 1989 - Birth of Alyson Michalka, American actress/singer. 1990 - Lettice and Lovage opens at Barrymore Theater in New York City for 284 performances. 1990 - 10th Golden Raspberry Awards: Star Trek V wins. 1990 - In New York City, a fire due to arson at an illegal social club called "Happy Land" kills 87. 1990 - Pat Bradley wins LPGA Standard Register Turquoise Golf Classic. 1990 - In Costa Rica, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurs. Felt throughout Costa Rica and southwestern Nicaragua, and parts of Panama. 1991 - 63rd Academy Awards: "Dance with Wolves", Jeremy Irons and Kathy Bates win. 1991 - Allan Border takes 5-68 vs West Indies at Bourda (!), Georgetown. 1991 - Eileen Joyce, pianist, dies at age 78. 1991 - Death of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Roman Catholic bishop who fought for Catholic Tradition (born 1905). 1991 - Lee Donn, pianist, dies of stroke at age 96. 1992 - Imran Khan scores 72 and takes 1-43 off 6 2 overs in last ODI. 1992 - Nancy Walker, actress (Ida Morgenstern-Rhoda), dies of cancer at age 69. 1992 - Noémie Perugia, French mezzo soprano, dies. 1992 - Pakistan defeats England by 22 runs to win World Cup. 1992 - Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev returns to Earth aboard TM-14 after a ten-month stay aboard the Mir space station. 1993 - "Candida" opens at Criterion Theater New York City for 45 performances. 1994 - Buena Vista Pictures releases the Walt Disney Pictures live-action feature film D2: The Mighty Ducks to theaters in the USA. 1994 - David Miles Bensuan-Butt, economist, dies at age 79. 1994 - Gunda Niemann skates ladies world record 3 km (4:09.32). 1994 - Michel R Vassallucci, French/Netherlands publisher (Arena), dies at age 32. 1994 - Yasunori Miyabe skates world record 1000 metre (1:12.37). 1994 - Death of Max Petitpierre, member of the Swiss Federal Council (born 1899). 1995 - Boxer Mike Tyson released from jail after serving three years. 1995 - James Gardner, designer, dies at age 87. 1995 - Peter Herbert Penwarden, priest, dies at age 73. 1995 - Warren E Burger, chief justice of US (1969-86), dies. 1996 - 68th Academy Awards: Braveheart, Nicholas Cage and Susan Sarandon win. 1996 - Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) approaches within 0.1018 astronomical units (AUs) of Earth. 1996 - Freedom Shoemakers on Maryport's Solway Estate closes. 1996 - John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge, British radio news commentator (BBC), dies at age 91 (born 1904). 1996 - US issues newly-redesigned $100 bill. 1996 - World Ice Dance Championship in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, won by Gritshuk and Platov (Russia). 1996 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Eltsova and Bushkov (Russia). 1996 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Michelle Kwan (USA). 1996 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Todd Eldredge (USA). 1996 - An armed standoff between antigovernment Freemen in Jordan, Montana, and US federal officers begins. The standoff lasts 81 days. 1996 - The tobacco millionaire Jan Philipp Reemtsma is kidnapped in Hamburg-Blankenese. 1997 - Barrymore opens at Music Box Theater in New York City for 240 performances. 1997 - Cleveland Indians trade Lofton and Embree to Atlanta Braves for Grissom and Justice. 1998 - Death of Daniel Massey, English actor (born 1933). 1998 - In Balleny Islands Region, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake occurs. Believed to be the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in this area to date. 1999 - Death of Cal Ripken, Sr., baseball player and manager (born 1935). 2002 - Death of Kenneth Wolstenholme, British football commentator (born 1920). 2004 - British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi, in return for the dismantling of Libya's weapons of mass destruction programme in December 2003 - the first time a major western leader has visited the nation in several decades. 2006 - An estimated 500,000 people take to the streets in downtown Los Angeles to protest a proposed federal crackdown on illegal immigration. 2006 - A revolutionary scramjet jet engine, Hyshot III, designed to fly at seven times the speed of sound, is successfully tested at Woomera, South Australia. 2006 - Seven people die in the Capitol Hill Massacre in Seattle, Washington. 2006 - Death of Rocio Durcal, Spanish singer and actress (born 1944). 2006 - Death of Buck Owens, American musician (born 1929). 2007 - Ozeki Hakuho clinches the Emperor's Cup at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament (Haru Basho) in Osaka, Japan. 2007 - In Berlin, Germany, 27 European ministers celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. 2007 - Death of Andranik Margaryan, 14th Prime Minister of Armenia (born 1951). 2008 - The American Major League Baseball Season opens, with the Boston Red Sox beating Oakland Athletics 6-5 in Japan. 2008 - Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf swears in new prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. 2008 - In western Austria, over 60 vehicles are involved in a highway accident, caused by poor visibility in a major snowstorm. One person is dead, 30 are injured. 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