This Day in History
March 27

What happened in history on this day: March 27? On March 27 in ... 922 - Al-Hallaj al-Mughith-al-Hsayn Mansur, Persian mystic, beheaded at age 64. 965 - Arnulf I the Elder/the Great, count of Flanders (918-65), dies. 1211 - Sancho I King of Portugal (1185-1211), dies at age 56. 1378 - Gregory XI [Pierre R the Beaufort], last French Pope (1370-78), dies. 1416 - Birth of Antonio Squarcialupi composer. 1472 - Janus Pannonius Hungarian poet/translator, dies at age 37. 1482 - Maria duchess of Burgundy/countess of Holland, dies at age 25. 1513 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León sights Florida. 1554 - Birth of Everhardus van Bronchorst Dutch lawyer. 1599 - Robert Devereux becomes Lieutenant-General of Ireland. 1625 - Charles I, King Of England, Scotland and Ireland, ascends to throne. 1625 - James I Stuart king of Scotland (1567)/England (1603-25), dies at age 58. 1665 - Birth of Benjamin Neukirch German poet (Herrn von Hofmannswaldau). 1668 - Clemens Thieme composer, dies at age 36. 1668 - English King Charles II gives Bombay to East India Company. 1679 - Abraham Mignon Dutch still life painter, dies at age 38. 1701 - Anne Hilarion de Cotentin count of Tourville/French Admiral, dies at age 58. 1702 - Birth of Johann Ernst Eberlin composer. 1708 - English pretender to the throne James III flees to Dunkerk. 1709 - Dike at Hardinxveld breaks (Alblasserwaard flooded). 1710 - Birth of Joseph Marie Clement dall' Abaco composer. 1713 - Spain losses Menorca and Gibraltar. 1714 - Anton Ulrich German duke of Brunswick/poet, dies at age 80. 1721 - France and Spain sign Treaty of Madrid. 1746 - Birth of Augustin Ullinger composer. 1746 - Birth of Carlo Bonaparte Corsican attorney/father of emperor Napoleon. 1757 - Birth of Richard John Samuel Stevens composer. 1757 - Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz composer, dies at age 39. 1758 - Battle at Emmerich: British army floats around France the Rhine. 1760 - Birth of Ishmail Spicer composer. 1760 - Birth of MJ Auguste Vestrius French ballet dancers. 1761 - Johann Ludwig Steiner composer, dies at age 72. 1765 - Birth of Franz Xaver von Baader German philosopher/theologist. 1769 - Josef Antonin Gurecky composer, dies at age 60. 1770 - Giovanni B Tiepolo Italian painter (Banquet of Cleopatra), dies at age 73. 1772 - Birth of Giovanni Liverati composer. 1780 - Birth of August L Crelle German inventor/mathematician (first Prussian Railway). 1785 - Birth of Louis XVII pretender to the throne during the French Revolution (1793-95). 1790 - The shoelace invented. 1794 - US Congress authorizes the President "to provide a naval armament" (US Navy). 1797 - Birth of Alfred V Comte de Vigny French musketeer/writer (Moïse, Chatterton). 1802 - Treaty of Amiens-French Revolutionary War ends. 1808 - Joseph Haydns oratorio "Die Schöpfung" premieres in Vienna. 1809 - Birth of Georges Eugene Haussmann Paris France, architect. 1809 - Joseph M Vien French (court)painter/etcher, dies at age 92. 1810 - Birth of A Glabbrenner writer. 1813 - Birth of Nathaniel Currier lithographer (Currier and Ives). 1814 - Battle at Horseshoe Bend: General Andrew Jackson beats Creek-Indians. 1816 - Birth of George Elvey composer. 1818 - Birth of Jakob Axel Josephson composer. 1823 - Birth of Samuel Kosciusko Zook Brevet Major General (Union volunteers). 1826 - Jakob Haibel composer, dies at age 63. 1836 - First Mormon temple dedicated (Kirtland Ohio). 1841 - First US steam fire engine tested, New York City, New York. 1844 - Birth of Adolphus Washington Greely US, Arctic explorer, US Army General Greely was a Medal of Honor recipient, decorated by Great Britain and France to acknowledge his numerous contributions to telecommunications; General Greely was an outstanding soldier/ communicator to whom Greely Hall, Fort Huachuca, Arizona was rededicated in a bicentennial year observance on 21 June 1976. His nineteen year service as Chief Signal Officer (1887-1906) represents the longest continuous period an incumbent has occupied. 1845 - Birth of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Germany, discovered X-rays (Nobel Prize 1901). 1847 - Birth of Otto Wallach Germany, chemist (Nobel Prize 1910). 1848 - John Parker Paynard originates medicated adhesive plaster. 1849 - Joseph Couch patents steam-powered percussion rock drill. 1850 - Wilhelm Bear German banker/astronomer (Moon Map), dies at age 53. 1851 - Birth of Paul-Marie-Theodore-Vincent d'Indy Paris France, composer (Symphonie Cévenole). 1851 - Birth of Ruperto Chapi y Lorente composer. 1851 - Birth of Vincent d'Indy Paris France, dandy composer (Symphonie Cévenole). 1854 - Birth of Edgar Tinel Flemish composer (Le Chant Grégorien). 1855 - Abraham Gesner patents kerosene. 1857 - Birth of Karl Pearson London England, mathematician. 1858 - Birth of Peter Christian Lutkin composer. 1859 - Birth of George Giffen cricketer (one of Australia's greatest all-rounders). 1860 - M L Byrn patents "covered gimlet screw with a 'T' handle" (corkscrew). 1861 - Black demonstrators in Charleston staged ride-ins on street cars. 1863 - Birth of Sir Henry Royce automobile founder (Rolls-Royce). 1863 - President Davis calls for this to be a day of fasting and prayer. 1865 - Siege of Spanish Fort, Alabama: captured by Federals. 1866 - Andrew Rankin patents the urinal. 1866 - President Johnson vetoes civil rights bill; it later becomes 14th Amendment. 1867 - Birth of Edyth Walker US singer. 1868 - Birth of Patty Smith Hill author/songwriter (Happy Birthday To You). 1871 - First international rugby game-Scotland 1, England 0. 1871 - Birth of Heinrich Mann Germany, novelist/essayist (Blue Angel); brother of Thomas. 1871 - Birth of Petrus J M Aalberse Dutch minister of Labor (1918-25). 1875 - Edgar Quinet French writer/historian (Ahasvérus), dies at age 72. 1878 - Dobri Voynikov composer, dies at age 44. 1878 - George Gilbert Scott architect, dies. 1879 - Birth of Edward Steichen pioneered American photography. 1879 - Longest championship fight (136 rounds). 1883 - Birth of Jan Kunc composer. 1884 - First long-distance telephone call, Boston-New York. 1886 - Birth of Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe German/US architect (Bauhaus). 1889 - Birth of Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoglu Turkish writer/diplomat. 1889 - Moritz Furstenau composer, dies at age 64. 1891 - Birth of Lajos Zilahy Hungarian/US author (Ararát/Süd a nap). 1892 - Birth of Ferde (Ferdinand Rudolf von) Grofé New York City, New York, composer. 1892 - Birth of Thorne Smith author (Topper, Rain in the Doorway, Stray Lamb). 1893 - Birth of Dragoljub "Draza" Mihailovic Yugoslavian General/Nazi collaborator. 1893 - Birth of Karl Mannheim Hung/German/British sociologist (Ideology and Utopia). 1893 - Birth of William Harrigan New York City, New York; actor (Affair of Three Nations, Cabaret). 1894 - Verney L Cameron English explorer (Tanganyika), dies at age 49. 1897 - Birth of Carlo Mierendorff German politician/anti-fascist. 1897 - Birth of Douglas Rayner Hartree mathematician. 1898 - Sajjid Ahmad Chan co founder (Pakistan), dies at age 80. 1899 - Birth of Gloria Swanson Chicago Illinois, actress (Sadie Thomson, Queen Kelly). 1900 - Pieter J Joubert [Smart Piet] South African General, dies at age 69. 1901 - Birth of Albert Henneberg composer. 1901 - Birth of Erich Ollenhauer German politician (SPD). 1901 - Birth of Sato Eisaku (Liberal) Japanese Prime Minister (1964-72) (Nobel Prize 1974). 1902 - Birth of Mary Armour artist. 1903 - Birth of Walt Kiesling NFL guard/coach (Hall of Fame). 1905 - Birth of László Kalmár Edde Hungary, mathematician/promoted the development of computer science in Hungary. 1907 - Birth of Mary Treen Saint Louis Missouri, actress (Emily-Willy). 1908 - Birth of Jacques [Izaäk] den Haan Dutch writer (Dangerous Book). 1909 - Birth of Ben[jamin F] Webster US tenor saxophonist. 1909 - Birth of Golo Mann [Gottfried], German/US historian (Antisemitism). 1910 - Alexander E Agassiz US businessman/biologist/geologist, dies at age 74. 1910 - Birth of Rudi Ball Germany, Jewish ice hockey star (Olympics-bronze-1932). 1910 - David Duffle Wood composer, dies at age 72. 1912 - First Japanese cherry blossom trees planted in Washington DC. 1912 - Birth of James Callaghan (Liberal) British Prime Minister (1976-79). 1912 - Birth of Reuel Lahmer composer. 1912 - Birth of Robert Watson Hughes composer. 1913 - Birth of Godfrey Turner composer. 1914 - First successful blood transfusion (in Brussels). 1914 - Birth of Budd Schulberg New York City, New York, novelist (On the Waterfront). 1914 - Birth of Richard Denning Poughkeepsie New York; actor (Steve-Karen, Hawaii Five-O). 1914 - Birth of Snooky Lanson Memphis Tennessee, singer (Your Hit Parade, Five Star Jubilee). 1915 - Birth of Richard Sharp civil servant. 1917 - Birth of Cyrus R Vance US Secretary of State (1977-80). 1917 - Birth of Harry West Unionist party leader (Unionist). 1917 - Seattle Metropolitans, first US team to win Stanley Cup beat Canadiens. 1919 - Birth of Julian Amery conservative minister. 1919 - Birth of Simon van Collem Dutch journalist/TV host (Amsterdamned). 1920 - Birth of Richard Hayman bandleader/conductor/pianist (Theme of 3 Penny Opera). 1920 - Film stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks wed. 1920 - Hermann Müller becomes German chancellor (SPD). 1920 - Johan G Danser Dutch poet (Meetings), dies at age 26. 1921 - Birth of Tom Bevill (Representative-Democrat-Alabama, 1967-). 1922 - Birth of Margaret Stacey sociologist. 1922 - Nikolay Alexandrovich Sokolov composer, dies at age 63. 1923 - Birth of Louis Simpson Jamaican/US poet (Good News of Death). 1923 - Birth of Shusaku Endo writer. 1923 - Birth of Victor Hochhauser British impresario (Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra). 1924 - Birth of Harold Nicholas US actor (Tap, Five Heartbeats, Stormy Weather). 1924 - Birth of Sarah L Vaughan Newark New Jersey, jazz scat singer (Broken Hearted Melody). 1924 - Canada recognizes USSR. 1924 - New French government of Poincaré begins. 1924 - Walter Parratt composer, dies at age 83. 1925 - Birth of Lord Plumb MEP. 1925 - Birth of Robert P Cohan artistic director/choreographer (Contemporary Dance Trust). 1925 - Carl G Neumann German mathematician/physicist, dies at age 92. 1926 - Birth of Louis Blom-Cooper QC press arbiter. 1927 - Birth of Anthony Lewis newspaper columnist (New York Times)/author (Gideon's Trumpet). 1927 - Birth of Cecil Bödker writer. 1927 - Birth of Lord Fanshawe of Richmond Member of Parliament. 1927 - Birth of Mstislav Leopold Rostropovich Baku USSR, cellist/conductor/teacher (Moscow Conservatory). 1928 - Birth of Douglas Applegate (Representative-Democrat-Ohio, 1977-). 1928 - KGB-AM in San Diego California begins radio transmissions. 1928 - Leslie Stuart composer, dies at age 64. 1928 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Maribel Vinson. 1928 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Roger Turner. 1929 - ... Shatunovsky mathematician, dies. 1930 - First US radio broadcast from a ship at sea. 1930 - Birth of Bob den Uyl Dutch journalist/writer (Bird Watching). 1930 - Birth of David Janssen [Meyer] Naponee Nebraska; actor (Fugitive, Harry O). 1930 - Birth of Richard Hayman Cambridge Massachusetts, orchestra leader (Vaughn Monroe Show). 1931 - Arnold Bennett novelist, dies. 1931 - Birth of Burt Collins trumpeter. 1931 - Birth of R P Bauman CEO (British Aerospace). 1931 - Birth of Yoriaki Matsudaira composer. 1931 - Charlie Chaplin receives France's distinguished Legion of Honor. 1931 - John McGraw says night baseball will not catch on. 1932 - Birth of Junior Parker blues musician (Driving Wheel, Outside Man). 1932 - Birth of Wes Covington baseball player (Philadelphia Phillies). 1932 - De Bataven soccer team forms in Gendt. 1933 - Birth of DRG Andrews CEO (Land Rover-Leyland). 1933 - Birth of Frank Taylor Chief Constable (Durham). 1933 - Birth of J Geoffrey Parker high master (Manchester Grammar School). 1933 - Farm Credit Administration (US) authorized. 1933 - Japan leaves League of Nations. 1933 - Lionel Palairet cricketer (49 runs in two Tests for England 1902), dies. 1933 - Polythene discovered by Reginald Gibson and Eric William Fawcett. 1934 - Birth of Arthur Mitchell choreographer (Dance Theater of Harlem). 1934 - Birth of David Hancock secretary (British Department of Education and Science). 1935 - Birth of Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire. 1935 - Birth of Julian Glover London England; actor (QED, Heat and Dust, Mandela). 1936 - Birth of Jerry Lacy Sioux City Iowa; actor (Play it Again Sam, Reverend Trask-Dark Shadows). 1936 - Birth of Malcolm Goldstein composer. 1936 - WOS-AM in Jefferson City Missouri goes off the air. 1937 - Birth of Johnny "Clyde" Copeland US blues guitarist/singer (Lion's Den). 1937 - Feyenoord-stadium official opens in Rotterdam. 1938 - Birth of A J Bellingham president (Royal College of Pathologists). 1938 - Birth of Jock Slater Admiral. 1938 - Birth of P Daubeny CEO (Electricity Association). 1938 - Louis William Stern German/US philosopher/psychologist, dies at age 66. 1939 - First NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: University of Oregon beats Ohio State 46-33. 1939 - Birth of Jay C Kim (Representative-Republican-California). 1939 - Birth of Judy Carne comedienne (Laugh-In, Love on a Rooftop). 1939 - Birth of Lord Lyell. 1939 - Birth of Ruth Ashton general secretary (Royal College of Midwives). 1939 - Constance Lindsay Skinner author (Rivers of America), dies at age 57. 1940 - Birth of Austin Pendleton Warren Ohio; actor (Short Circuit, Simon, Hello Again). 1940 - Birth of Cale Yarborough auto racer (Won Daytona 500 four times-1968, 1977, 1983, 1984). 1940 - Birth of June Wilkinson Eastbourne England, actress (Absolutely Glamorous, Pajama Tops). 1940 - Himmler orders building of Auschwitz concentration camp, at Katowice. 1941 - Birth of Charles Pashayan Jr (Representative-Republican-California, 1979-). 1941 - Birth of Liese Prokop Austria, pentathlete (Olympics-silver-1968). 1941 - Britain leases defense bases in Trinidad to US for 99 years. 1941 - Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 25, ordering the military annihilation of Yugoslavia in retaliation for its coup. Operation Barbarossa, the planned attack on the Soviet Union, is postponed from May 15 for at least a month. Yugoslavia and Greece are to be attacked on April 6. 1942 - A British commando raid is staged on St. Nazaire, France. A huge dry dock is destroyed, the only one capable of servicing German battleships on the Atlantic. 1942 - Birth of Michael York Fulmer Buckinghamshire England; actor (Cabaret, Logan's Run, Three Musketeers). 1942 - Birth of Raymond J McGrath (Representative-Republican-New York, 1981-). 1942 - Japan forces Java to use "Tokyo time" 1.5 hour forward. 1942 - Joe Louis knocks out Abe Simon in six to retain heavyweight boxing title (New York City, New York). 1943 - Assassination attempt on Van de Peat at Amsterdams census bureau. 1943 - Birth of M Robert Carr (Representative-Democrat-MI, 1975-81, 83-). 1943 - Blue Ribbon Town (with Groucho Marx) first heard on CBS Radio. 1943 - Grigori Yakovlevich Bakhchivangi test pilot (BI-1), killed in crash. 1943 - US begins assault on Fondouk-pass, Tunisia. 1944 - 1,000 Jews leave Drancy France for Auschwitz Concentration Camp. 1944 - 2,000 Jews are murdered in Kaunas Lithuania. 1944 - 40 Jewish policemen in Riga Latvia ghetto are shot by the gestapo. 1944 - Children's Aktion-Nazis collect all the Jewish children of Lovno. 1945 - 7th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Oklahoma State beats NYU 49-44. 1945 - Birth of Briton Selby NHL player. 1945 - British premier Churchill sails to eastern banks of Rhine. 1945 - DePaul beats Bowling Green for NIT title. 1945 - Ella Fitzgerald and Delta Rhythm Boys record "It's Only a Paper Moon". 1945 - General Eisenhower declares German defenses on Western Front broken. 1945 - Iwo Jima occupied, after 22,000 Japanese and 6,000 US killed. 1945 - Jørgen Nielsen Danish writer (romance), dies at age 42. 1945 - (1637 hours) The 1115th and last German V-2 rocket to reach England lands thirteen miles south-east of Stepney, in Orpington, killing one and injuring about 70. Germany launched a total of 1403 rockets at England, of which 1054 exploded on the ground, killing 2754, seriously injuring 6523. 1945 - Argentina declares war on Germany. 1945 - US 20th Army corps captures Wiesbaden. 1946 - Birth of Bill Sudakis baseball player. 1946 - Birth of Carl Weintraub actor (Harry-Executive Suite). 1946 - Gabriela Preissová writer, dies. 1947 - Birth of Daphne Todd president (Royal Society of Portrait Painters). 1947 - Birth of Dough Wilkerson football. 1947 - Birth of Tom Sullivan Boston Massachusetts, blind actor (If You Could See What I Hear). 1947 - Charles Smith cricketer (batted for South Africa in 1902-03), dies. 1948 - Karel Candael Flemish composer, dies at age 64. 1949 - Birth of Patrick Deuchar CEO (Albert Hall). 1950 - Birth of Maria Ewing opera singer. 1950 - Birth of Tony Banks East Heathly Sussex England, rock keyboardist (Genesis-Invisible Touch, Misunderstanding). 1950 - Birth of Vic Harris baseball. 1950 - Jazz pianist, Erroll Garner's solo concert (Cleveland Ohio). 1950 - Netherlands recognizes People's Republic of China. 1951 - 13th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Kansas 68-58. 1951 - Birth of Bobby Lalonde NHL player (Boston Bruins). 1951 - Frank Sinatra recorded "I'm a Fool to Want You". 1952 - Birth of Chick Vennera Herkimer New York; actor (High Risk, Milagro Beanfield War). 1952 - Birth of Maria Schneider Paris France, actress (Last Tango in Paris, Crime of Honor). 1952 - Birth of Rocky Maffit rocker (Champaign). 1952 - Failed assassination attempt of German Chancellor Adenauer. 1952 - Sun Records of Memphis begins releasing records. 1953 - 21 die in a train crash in Conneaut Ohio. 1953 - Birth of Annemarie Moser-Pröll Austria, downhill skier (Olympics-gold-1980). 1953 - Birth of Pamela Roylance Seattle Washington, actress (Sarah-Little House on the Prairie). 1953 - Narciso Garay composer, dies at age 76. 1955 - CBS airs the last Father Knows Best 30-minute comedy TV show. 1955 - 9th Tony Awards: Desperate Hours and Pajama Game win. 1955 - Birth of Kim Brassey racehorse trainer. 1955 - Birth of Patrick McCabe novelist. 1955 - Steve McQueen makes his network TV debut (Goodyear Playhouse). 1956 - Birth of Brian Kelly Canadian Football League wide receiver (Edmonton Eskimos). 1956 - Birth of Thomas Wassberg Sweden, 15K/50K cross country skier (Olympics-gold-1980). 1956 - Frans Beelaerts van Blokland minister of Foreign affairs, dies at age 84. 1956 - French commandos land in Algeria. 1956 - US seizes US communist newspaper "Daily Worker". 1957 - 29th Academy Awards: Around World in 80 Days, Yul Brynner, and Ingrid Bergman win. 1957 - Birth of Billy MacKenzie; rock vocalist (The Associates - "Affectionate Punch"). 1957 - Birth of Duncan Goodhew in England; 100 metre breast stroke swimmer (Olympics-Gold-1980). 1957 - Birth of Nicholas Hawkins; British Member of Parliament. 1958 - Birth of Bart Connor; gymnast/sportscaster (Olympics-gold-1984). 1958 - Birth of Michael O'Leary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; actor (Guiding Light, Fatal Games). 1958 - Birth of Shaun Cassidy; rocker/actor (Hardy Boys, Texas Guns). 1958 - Birth of Susan Molinari (Representative-Republican-New York). 1958 - CBS Labs announces new stereophonic records. 1958 - Nikita Khrushchev becomes Soviet premier and first Secretary of Communist Party. 1959 - Grant Withers, actor (Oklahoma Annie), dies of suicide with sleeping pills at age 54. 1960 - Birth of Clare Lucy Madeleine Evans; historian. 1960 - Birth of Jennifer Grey, Joel Grey's daughter; actress (Dirty Dancing). 1960 - Birth of Steve Jarvin; Australian soling yachter (Olympics-1996). 1960 - Ian Whyte, composer, dies at age 58. 1960 - Wiffi Smith wins LPGA Royal Crown Golf Open. 1961 - Belgian government of Eyskens resigns. 1961 - Birth of Ellery Hanley; rugby league player. 1961 - Failed assassination attempt on King Saif al-Islam Achmad of Yemen. 1961 - Jack Kane, orchestra leader (Steve and Eydie, Andy Williams Show), dies at age 37. 1962 - Archbishop Rummel ends race segregation in New Orlean Catholic school. 1962 - Jacques Plante ties record winning 6th NHL Vezina trophy. 1963 - Birth of Dave Koz; saxophonist. 1963 - Birth of Ed Pinckney; NBA forward (Philadelphia 76ers). 1963 - Birth of Quentin Tarantino; director/screenwriter (Pulp Fiction). 1963 - Birth of Randall Cunningham; NFL quarterback (Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings). 1963 - Birth of Todd Graves in Laurel, Mississippi, USA; skeet (Olympics-1992, 1996). 1963 - Birth of Xuxa [Maria da Graca Meneghel] in Brazil; actress (Xuxa Park). 1964 - Birth of Clark Datchler; vocalist (Johnny Hates Jazz-Shattered Dreams). 1964 - Earthquake strikes Anchorage, Alaska, USA, 9.2 on Richter scale, 131 die from earthquake and resulting tsunami; this is the most violent eathquake in US history. 1964 - Great Train Robbers sentenced to a total of 307 years behind bars. 1964 - United Nations' troops arrive on Cyprus. 1966 - Anti-Vietnam war demonstrations in US, Europe and Australia. 1966 - Birth of Kate Donahoo in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; American judoka (Olympics-1992). 1966 - Marilynn Smith wins LPGA Louise Suggs Delray Beach Golf Invitational. 1966 - Mien Labberton, Dutch poet, dies at age 82. 1967 - Birth of Jaime Navarro in Bayamon Puerto Rico; pitcher (Chicago Cubs). 1967 - Birth of Talisa Soto [Miriam] in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actress (License to Kill). 1967 - Birth of Tom Hammonds; NBA forward (Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets). 1967 - Gerardus H de Vet the Bold, bishop of Breda (1962-67), dies at age 49. 1968 - Birth of Irina Belova; Russian pentathlete (world record 1992). 1968 - Suharto succeeds Sukarno as President of Indonesia. 1968 - Yuri Gagarin, first man to orbit Earth, and Seryogin, dies in plane crash at age 34. 1969 - Birth of Tom Beer; NFL running back (Detroit Lions). 1969 - Black Academy of Arts and Letters forms in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 1969 - Launch of Mariner 7, flies 2,190 miles above southern Mars. 1970 - Birth of Anthony Prior; NFL cornerback/safety (New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings). 1970 - Birth of Corey Page; actor (Richard Wilkins-Loving/City). 1970 - Birth of Ed Philion; NFL nose tackle (Buffalo Bills). 1970 - Birth of Mariah Carey in New York City, New York, USA; singer ("Vision of Love", "Love Takes Time", "Hero"). 1970 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1971 - 33rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Villanova 68-62; this is UCLA's 5th consecutive NCAA basketball title. 1972 - Adolph Rupp retires after 42 years of coaching University of Kentucky. 1972 - Birth of Kirby Dar Dar; wide receiver (Miami Dolphins). 1972 - Maurits C Escher, Dutch lithograph carver (Praedestinatie), dies at age 73. 1972 - Venera 8 launched to Venus. 1973 - 45th Academy Awards: The Godfather, Marlon Brando and Liza Minnelli win. Marlon Brando turns down Oscar for best actor in support of Indians. 1973 - Birth of Serge Tremblay in La Malbaie, Québec, Canada; weightlifter (Olympics-1996). 1973 - Boyan Georgiev Ikonomov, composer, dies at age 72. 1973 - Dennis Amiss out for 99 vs Pakistan, third 99 in Test Cricket. 1974 - Birth of Rosanna Gimenez; Miss Paraguay-Universe (1997). 1975 - Arthur Bliss, English composer/conductor (Checkmate), dies at age 83. 1975 - Birth of B J Gallis; Canadian Football League linebacker (British Columbia Lions). 1975 - Birth of Gregory DuBois; hockey defenseman (Team France 1998). 1975 - Gertrude Niesen, actress (Start Cheering), dies at age 63. 1976 - Birth of Danny Fortson; NBA forward (Denver Nuggets). 1976 - Birth of Roberta Alma Anastase; Miss Romania-Universe (1996). 1976 - Delta States beat Immaculata, 69-64, for AIWA basketball title. 1977 - 583 die in aviation's worst disaster KLM-Pan Am 747 crash, Tenerife. 1977 - Birth of Tom van der Leegte; Dutch soccer player (PSV). 1977 - Diana Hyland, actress (Peyton Place, Eight is Enough), dies at age 41. 1977 - Eve Meyer [Turner], Playboy Playmate/actress (Immoral Mr Teas), dies in a plane crash at age 46. 1977 - Lodewijk de Vocht, composer, dies at age 89. 1977 - Sandra Palmer wins LPGA Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Golf Classic. 1978 - 40th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Duke 94-88. 1978 - Bob Fosse's Dancin' opens at Broadhurst Theater in New York City for 1,774 performances. 1978 - Wilfred Pickles, actor (Billy Liar, Gay Dog), dies at age 73. 1979 - Ronald Adam, actor (Phantom Shot), dies at age 82. 1979 - US Supreme Court rules 8-1 that police can't randomly stop cars. 1980 - Elevator in Vaal Reef, South Africa gold mine crashs 1900 metres down (23 die). 1980 - Mount Saint Helens in Washington state becomes active after 123 years. 1980 - The Norwegian oil platform Alexander Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212. 1981 - Birth of Terry McFlynn; Irish footballer. 1982 - Joris Noë, Flemish literary, dies at age 68. 1982 - Randy Holt sets Washington Capitals' record of 34 penalty minutes. 1982 - Best Little Whorehouse... closes at 46th Steet theater in New York City after 1577 performances. 1982 - Imran takes 14-116 for cricket match vs Sri Lanka at Lahore. 1983 - Janis Ivanovs, composer, dies at age 76. 1983 - Larry Holmes beats Lucien Rodriguez in 12 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1983 - Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs premieres in New York City. 1983 - Death of Elsie Eaves, American civil engineer, George Norlin Silver Medal from the University of Colorado (born 1898). 1983 - Birth of Shawntinice Polk; American basketball player (dies 2005). 1983 - James Hayter, actor (Pickwick Papers, Trio, Great Game), dies at age 75. 1984 - Birth of Emily Ann Lloyd; actress (Sarah Kramer - Something So Right). 1984 - Birth of J P Steur; actor (Grace Under Fire). 1984 - Near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurs. 1985 - Billy Dee Williams receives a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. 1986 - Birth of Valerie "So Cal Val" Wyndham; American professional wrestling valet. 1986 - Birth of Melissa Stern aka "Baby M" aka Sara Whitehead, surrogate baby, awarded to her dad William Stern. 1986 - Cass Canfield, US publisher, dies at age 88. 1986 - Disney-MGM Studio Tour ground breaking at Walt Disney World, Florida. 1986 - A car bomb explodes at Russell Street Police headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, killing a police officer. 1987 - Lloyd Goodrich, American Arts Museum director, dies at age 90. 1987 - President Habré's troops reconquer Faya Largeau, Chad. 1987 - Birth of Zaraah Abrahams; British actress. 1987 - The ABC TV network airs the last episode of the Disney TV show Harry. 1988 - Birth of Brenda Song, American actress. 1988 - Birth of Kerri Ann Darling actress (Alli Fowler - Another World). 1988 - Jan van den Weghe, Flemish writer, dies at about age 67. 1988 - Ok-Hee Ku wins Standard Register Turquoise Classic Golf Tournament. 1988 - World Ice Dance Championship in Budapest won by Bestemianova and Bukin (USSR). 1988 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by E Valova and O Vasiliev (USSR). 1988 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by Katarina Witt (German Democratic Republic). 1988 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Budapest won by Brian Boitano (USA). 1988 - Wrestlemania IV at Trump Plaza, "Macho Man" Savage pins Ted Dibiase. 1989 - First half-black soap opera, Generations premieres on NBC-TV. 1989 - Delhi beats Bengal by innings and 210 to win Cricket's Ranji Trophy. 1989 - May Allison, actress (Youth for Salem Men of Steel), dies. 1989 - The first free elections for the Soviet parliament go against the Communist Party; Boris Yeltsin wins. 1989 - Sports Illustrated exposes Pete Rose's gambling activities. The article alleges 'Charlie Hustle' bet from the Riverfront dugout using hand gestures with an associate. 1989 - Death of Malcolm Cowley, American author (born 1898). 1989 - Death of Jack Starrett, American actor and director (born 1936). 1990 - Bus accidentally touches high voltage wire in Karagpur, India; 21 die. 1990 - New South Wales beats Queensland by 345 runs to win Sheffield Shield Final. 1990 - The United States begins broadcasting TV Martí to Cuba. 1991 - Aldo Ray, western actor (Battle Cry), dies of cancer at age 64. 1991 - Elinor Remick Warren, composer, dies at age 91. 1991 - Leueen McGrath, actress (Edward My Son, Saint's Vacation), dies at age 77. 1991 - NCAA bans University of Minnesota football team from postseason play in 1992. 1991 - Ralph Bates, British actor (Persecution, Graveyard), dies at age 50. 1991 - Scotty Bowman and Neil Armstrong elected to NHL Hall of Fame. 1992 - Anita Colby, US model/actress/author (Pepsi Coke), dies at age 77. 1992 - Bruce Springsteen releases "Human Touch" and "Lucky Town". 1992 - Easley Blackwood, expert bridge player, dies at age 89. 1992 - Gerry Duggan dies at age 82. 1992 - James E Webb, head of NASA (1961-68), dies at age 84. 1992 - Martin Engelman, Dutch cartoonist/painter/graphic artist, dies. 1993 - Carlos Gimenez, director (Theater Festival of Caracas), dies at age 47. 1993 - Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophonist, dies of cancer at age 61. 1993 - Kate Reid, British actress (Lil-Dallas), dies of cancer at age 62. 1993 - Katherine Hynes De Groot dies of stroke at age 88. 1993 - Wilhelmus M J Russell, Dutch Member of Parliament (KVP, CDA), dies at age 74. 1993 - Jiang Zemin becomes President of the People's Republic of China. 1994 - 23rd Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Donna Andrews. 1994 - The biggest tornado outbreak in 1994 occurs in the southeastern United States. One tornado hits a United Methodist Church in Piedmont, Alabama, killing 22. 1994 - Dennis Hartas, flier, dies at age 69. 1994 - Radio personality Rush Limbaugh weds wife #3, Marta Fitzgerald. 1994 - World Ice Dance Championship in Chiba Japan won by Gritschuk and Platov (Russia). 1994 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Chiba won by Shishkova/Vadim Naumov (Russia). 1994 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Chiba won by Yuka Sato (Japan). 1994 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Chiba won by Elvis Stojko (Canada). 1995 - 67th Academy Awards: Forest Gump, Tom Hanks and Jessica Lange win. 1995 - Albert Drach, writer, dies. 1995 - Bernard Cornfeld, Romanian/US financier (Fund of Funds), dies at age 67. 1995 - Chet Gierlach, music publisher/composer, dies at age 75. 1995 - Death of Maurizio Gucci, Italian businessman (murdered) (born 1948). 1995 - Rene Allio, film director, dies at age 70. 1996 - State Fair opens at Music Box Theater in New York City for 118 performances. 1996 - Because of BSE (mad cow disease) the European Commission stops the import of British beef. 1997 - Young Man From Atlanta opens at Longacre theatre in New York City for 85 performances. 1997 - Martin Luther King's son meets with James Earl Ray. 1997 - Birth of Princess Aisha of Jordan. 1997 - Birth of Princess Sara of Jordan. 1998 - The US Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States. 1998 - Soul Train Awards. 1999 - Kosovo War: A U.S. F-117 Nighthawk is shot down by Serbian forces. 1999 - Death of Nahum Stelmach, football player (born 1936). 2002 - Death of Milton Berle, American comedian and actor (born 1908). 2002 - Death of Dudley Moore, British pianist, comedian, and actor (born 1935). 2002 - Death of Billy Wilder, Austrian-born film screenwriter and director (born 1906). 2002 - A suicide bomber kills 28 people in Netanya, Israel. 2005 - Birth of Countess Luana of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg. 2006 - Death of Stanislaw Lem, Polish writer (born 1921). 2007 - Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvitis and Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Fradkov finally signs a border treaty between Latvia and Russia. 2008 - Terminal 5 opens at Heathrow airport in London, England. 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