This Day in History
March 28

What happened in history on this day: March 28? On March 28 in ... 193 - Publius Helvius Pertinax, Roman Emperor (192-93), assassinated. 193 - Rule of Emperor Didianus Julianus of Rome begins. 593 - Guntram, French king in Burgundy, dies at about age 67. 1134 - Stefanus Harding third abbott of Cîteaux/saint, dies. 1138 - Spanish rabbi/philosopher Maimonides is born; Spanish rabbi/philosopher. 1285 - Martinus IV [Simon de Brion], Pope (1281-85), dies. 1468 - Birth of Charles I Duke of Savoy. 1472 - Birth of Fra Bartolomeo monk, Florentine Renaissance painter. 1483 - Birth of Raphael Urbino Italy, painter (School of Athens). 1515 - Birth of Theresa of Avila/Teresa de Jesus Spanish mystic writer/saint. 1535 - Bloemkamp Abbey (Oldeklooster) attacked and destroyed. 1556 - Karel V's son Philip II crowned king of Spain. 1556 - Origin of Fasli Era (India). 1566 - Siegmund Freiherr von Herberstein Austrian diplomat, dies at age 79. 1592 - Birth of Jan Amos Komensky [Comenius] Moravian educational reformer. 1603 - Birth of Stephan Otto composer. 1615 - Birth of Pieter de Groot Dutch regent/diplomat. 1621 - Birth of Heinrich Schwemmer composer. 1643 - Birth of Jose Solana composer. 1660 - Birth of Georg Ludwig German monarch of Hanover/King George I of Great Britain. 1673 - Adam Pijnacker Dutch landscape painter/etcher, buried at age 51. 1677 - Wenzel Hollar Bohemia cartoonist/etcher, dies at about age 69. 1687 - Constantine Huygens diplomat/poet/composer (Bluebottles), dies at age 90. 1701 - Domenico Guidi Italian sculptor, dies at age 75. 1712 - Jan van der Heyden Dutch inventor (street lantern), dies at age 75. 1727 - Birth of Maximilian III Jozef Elector of Bayern (1745-77). 1729 - Birth of Pieter Fouquet Dutch art seller (Atlas of Fouquet). 1731 - Birth of Rámon de la Cruz Spanish playwright/interpreter. 1737 - Birth of Francesco Zannetti composer. 1738 - English parliament declares war on Spain (War of Jenkin's Ear). 1741 - Birth of Johann Andre composer. 1750 - Birth of Francisco A G de Miranda Venezuelan freedom fighter. 1758 - Jonathan Edwards US theologist (Great Awakening), dies at age 54. 1760 - Birth of Thomas Clarkson English abolitionist (Negro Emancipation). 1766 - Birth of Joseph Weigl Austria composer/conductor (Emmeline). 1770 - Birth of Sophie Mereau writer. 1774 - Britain passes Coercive Act against Massachusetts. 1794 - Louvre opens to the public (although officially opened since August). 1796 - Bethel African Methodist Church of Philadelphia is first US-African church. 1797 - Nathaniel Briggs of New Hampshire patents a washing machine. 1799 - Birth of Karl Adolph von Basedow German artist (Ziekte van Basedow). 1799 - Etta L J "baronne" Palm-Aelders Dutch adventurer/spy, dies at age 55. 1799 - New York State abolished slavery. 1801 - Ralph Abercromby English army commander (North Holland), dies at age 66. 1802 - Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers discovers 2 Pallas, the second asteroid known to man. 1804 - Ohio passed law restricting movement of Blacks, 1804. 1806 - Birth of Ludolf AJW Sloet van de Beele Governor-General of Netherland Indies (1861-66). 1817 - Birth of Mariano Soriano Fuertes y Piqueras composer. 1818 - Birth of Wade Hampton Charleston South Carolina, Lieutenant General (Confederate Army), died in 1902. 1818 - Giuseppe Antonio Capuzzi composer, dies at age 62. 1834 - US Senate censure President Jackson for taking federal deposits from Bank of US. 1837 - Felix Mendelssohn marries Cécile Jeanrenaud. 1840 - Birth of Mehemed Emin Pasja German explorer/Governor (Equatoria). 1840 - Simon-Antoine-Jean Lhuillier Swiss mathematician, dies at age 89. 1844 - José Zorilla's "Don Juan Tenorio" premieres in Madrid. 1845 - Mexico drops diplomatic relations with US. 1847 - Mariano Rodriguiz de Ledesma composer, dies at age 67. 1849 - Dutch princess Marianne and Prince Albert of Prussia separate. 1849 - Stephan L Endlicher Austrian priest/botany, dies at age 44. 1853 - Birth of Rudolf Kittel German theologist (Psalms). 1854 - During the Crimean War, Britain and France declare war on Russia. 1859 - First performance of John Brahms' first Serenade for orchestra. 1859 - Birth of Joséphin Péladan French writer/founder (French Rosicrucians). 1860 - Johann Ludwig Bohner composer, dies at age 73. 1862 - Birth of Aristide Briand in France; premier (1909-22) (Nobel Prize 1926). 1862 - Skirmish at Bealeton Station, Virginia. 1863 - James Cooper US attorney/senator/Union-Brigadier-General, dies at age 52. 1865 - Albert G Bilders Dutch landscape painter, dies at age 26. 1866 - First ambulance goes into service. 1868 - Birth of Cuno Amiet Swiss painter. 1868 - Birth of Maxim Gorki [Aleksei Peshikov] Russia, writer (Mother). 1868 - Birth of Wojciech Gawronski composer. 1868 - James Thomas Brudenell 7th earl of Cardigan, dies at about age 70. 1871 - Birth of Willem Mengelberg Utrecht Netherlands, conductor (New York Philharmonic 1922-30). 1871 - San Francisco Art Association holds open reception at 430 Pine. 1872 - Birth of José Sanjurjo y Sacanell Spanish General (Morocco). 1877 - Vincenzo Fioravanti composer, dies at age 77. 1880 - Achille Peri composer, dies at age 67. 1880 - Birth of Rosina Lhévinne Kiev Ukraine, pianist/professor (Juilliard Graduate School). 1880 - Eelco Refer linguistic (Oera Linda Book?), dies at age 49. 1881 - Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky composer, dies at age 42. 1883 - Birth of William H Harris composer. 1885 - Birth of Marc-Jean-Baptiste Delmas composer. 1885 - Fredrick Vilhelm Ludvig Norman composer, dies at age 53. 1885 - US Salvation Army officially organized. 1886 - Birth of Jaroslav Novotny composer. 1887 - Birth of Rudolf F W Boskaljon Curaçao, musician/composer. 1887 - Ditler G Monrad Danish bishop/premier (1863-), dies at age 75. 1889 - Matilde "Tillie" Ziegler killed by husband William Kemmler. 1890 - Birth of Paul Whiteman Denver Colorado, orchestra leader (Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club). 1891 - First world weightlifting championship held. 1891 - Birth of Karel Cruysberghs Flemish author. 1891 - Birth of Peter Suhrkamp German publisher (Suhrkamp Verlag). 1891 - Dick Pilling cricket player ("Prince of Wicketkeepers", England 1881-88), dies. 1895 - Birth of Spencer W Kimball 12th prophet of Mormon church. 1896 - E Rundle Charles writer, dies. 1896 - The opera "Andrea Chenier" is produced (Milan). 1899 - Birth of August Anheuser Busch Junior; brewing magnate and baseball executive (dies 1989). 1900 - Birth of Robert Harris; actor (Big Caper, Laughing Anne). 1902 - 27.9 cm precipitation at McMinnville, Tennessee, USA (state record). 1902 - Birth of Flora Robson in South Shields, England; actress (Dominique is Dead, The Years Between). 1903 - Birth of Rudolf Serkin in Eger, Bohemia; pianist (Marlboro School of Music). 1904 - Birth of Fosco Giachetti in Livorno, Italy; actor (Wastrel, We the Living). 1905 - Birth of Marlin Perkins in Carthage, Missouri, USA; TV host (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom). 1905 - Paramaribo-Dam railway opens in Suriname; never used. 1906 - Birth of Joseph Wright in Canada; oarsman (Olympics-gold-1928). 1906 - Birth of Robert (Bob) Allen; actor (Texas Rangers). 1909 - Birth of Nelson Algren; US novelist (Man with the Golden Arm). 1910 - Henri Fabre becomes the first person to fly a seaplane (the Fabre Hydravion) after taking off from a water runway near Martigues, France. 1910 - Birth of Ingrid; Queen Mother of Denmark. 1912 - Birth of A[rthur] Bertram Chandler in the United Kingdom; sci-fi author (Empress of Outer Space). 1914 - Birth of Edmund Sixtus Muskie; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Maine), US Secretary of State (1980). 1914 - Birth of Frank Lovejoy in Bronx, New York, USA; actor (Man Against Crime, Meet McGraw). 1915 - Birth of Jay Livingston; composer (Buttons and Bows, Mona Lisa, Tammy). 1915 - Birth of Raymond Emery; cricket player (New Zealand Test batsman versus West Indies 1952). 1917 - Jews are expelled from Tel Aviv and Jaffa by Turkish authorities. 1919 - Birth of Jacob Avshalomov in Tsingtao, China; composer ("Sinfonietta", "The Oregon"). 1919 - Birth of Tom Brooks; cricket player (New South Wales fast bowler of the 1930s, later Test umpire). 1920 - Birth of Gene Chappie; American politician (Representative-Republican-California, 1981-86). 1920 - Thomas Masaryk elected President of Czechoslovakia. 1921 - Birth of Dirk Bogarde in Hampstead, London, England; actor (Death in Venice, The Servant). 1922 - First microfilm device is introduced. 1922 - Stanley Cup: Toronto Saint Patricks (NHL) beat Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA), three games to 2. 1924 - Birth of Freddie Bartholomew in Dublin, Ireland; actor (Anna Karenina, David Copperfield). 1925 - Birth of Innokenti Smoktunovsky; actor (Bely Prazdnik, Zakoldovannye). 1926 - Birth of Polly Umrigar; cricket player (Indian batsman and captain). 1928 - Birth of Zbigniew Brzezinski in Warsaw, Poland; US national security advisor (under President Jimmy Carter). 1929 - Democratic constitution goes into effect in Ecuador. 1930 - Constantinople and Angora changes names to Istanbul and Ankara. 1931 - Death of Ban Johnson at age 67, American baseball executive (founded American League) (born 1864). 1932 - Birth of Sven Oskar Lindqvist; Swedish writer (Myten om Wu Tao-tzu). 1933 - Birth of Frank Murkowski; American politician (Senator-Republican-Alaska). 1935 - Goddard uses gyroscopes to control a rocket. 1936 - Birth of Mario Vargas in Llosa, Peru; writer (Aunt Julia) / Presidential candidate. 1939 - Dutch hunter shoots English bombers down. 1939 - Poland rejects Adolf Hitler's demand that Danzig be ceded to Germany. 1939 - Renaissance Big 5 win first pro basketball championship. 1939 - Spanish Civil War ends, Madrid falls to Francisco Franco. 1940 - Birth of J Michael Plumb in Islip, New York, USA; equestrian (Olympics-2 gold/4 silver-1976,1984). 1940 - Birth of Kevin Loughery; NBA star/coach (Baltimore, Philadelphia). 1941 - Birth of Alf Clausen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; orchestra leader (Mary, The Simpsons). 1941 - Birth of Charlie McCoy in Oak Hill, West Virginia, USA; harmonica player (Hee Haw). 1941 - Sea battle at Cape Matapan: British fleet under Cunningham defeats Italy. 1941 - Virginia [Adeline] Woolf-Stephen, author (To Lighthouse), commits suicide at age 59. 1942 - 4th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Stanford beats Dartmouth 53-38. 1942 - Birth of Brian Jones [Lewis B Hopkin] in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England; pop guitarist (The Rolling Stones). 1942 - Birth of Neil Kinnock in Wales; leader of the British opposition (Labour). 1942 - Birth of Samuel Ramey in Colby, Kansas, USA; bass (La Scala). 1942 - Herman A van Karnebeek, Dutch foreign minister (1918-27), dies at age 67. 1942 - Miguel Hernadez Gilabert, Spanish poet (Viento del Pueblo), dies at age 31. 1942 - (evening) 234 British aircraft attack Lübeck, Germany. 12 planes are shot down. One-third of the area is burned, leaving 16,000 homeless. The central power station and several factories are destroyed. This raid is the first to have a major impact on the German homeland. The port is closed for three weeks. A week later Joseph Goebbels writes in his diary: "The damage is enormous. It is horrible." British Deputy Chief of Air Staff Arthur Harris writes of the attack, ". . . the first German city went up in flames". 1943 - Birth of Conchata Ferrell in Charleston, West Virginia, USA; actress (Deadly Hero, For Keeps, Susan - L.A. Law). 1943 - Birth of Mike Newell; director (Bad Blood, Awakening, Amazing Grace and Chuck). 1943 - Birth of Richard Eyre; British director (National Theatre). 1943 - Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, Russian composer/pianist, dies at age 69. 1944 - 6th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Utah defeats Dartmouth 42-40. 1944 - In Sweden, Astrid Lindgren sprains her ankle and begins writing Pippi Longstocking. 1944 - Birth of Ken Howard in El Centro, California, USA; actor (Ken - White Shadow, Dynasty, 1776). 1944 - Birth of Rick Barry in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA; basketball player (San Francisco Warriors/1966 NBA rookie of the year). 1944 - Rabbi Chayyim Most Maggid of Kovono is killed by Germans. 1944 - Stephen Butler Leacock, writer/economist (Literary Lapses), dies at age 75. 1945 - Birth of Chuck Portz in Santa Monica, California, USA; bassist (Turtles - "Happy Together"). 1945 - Birth of Hans Brunhart; leader of Liechtenstein (1978-93). 1945 - Last German V-1 (buzz bomb) attack on London, England. 1947 - Birth of Bruce Gilbert; producer (The China Syndrome, 9 to 5, On Golden Pond). 1948 - Second Tony Awards: Mister Roberts win. 1948 - Birth of Dianne Wiest in Kansas City, Missouri, USA; actress (Radio Days, Hannah and Her Sisters, Footloose). 1948 - Birth of John Evans [Evan]; rock drummer (Jethro Tull, Blades - "A Song for Jeffrey"). 1948 - Birth of Wubbo J Ockels in Almelo, Netherlands; astronaut (STS 22). 1949 - Birth of Milan Williams; American keyboardist (Commodores - "Three Times a Lady"). 1949 - Birth of Ronnie Ray Smith; 4 X 100 metre relay runner (Olympics-gold-1968). 1949 - Birth of Shafiq Ahmed; cricket player (Pakistani batsman during the 1970s). 1950 - 12th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: City College of New York beats Bradley 71-68; CCNY becomes first to win NCAA and National Invitation Basketball in same year. 1950 - Georgine M "May" Basting, actress (Occupier), dies at age 67. 1952 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Tenley Albright. 1952 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Richard Button. 1953 - 7th Tony Awards: Crucible and Wonderful Town win. 1953 - Birth of Nydia M Velazquez; American politician (Representative-Democrat-New York, 1993-). 1953 - James Francis Thorpe, decathlete (Olympics-gold-1912), dies at age 64. 1953 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Tenley Albright. 1953 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Hayes A Jenkins. 1954 - 8th Tony Awards: Teahouse of the August Moon and Kismet win. 1954 - Francis B Young, British physician/writer (In South Africa), dies at age 69. 1954 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Betsy Rawls Golf Open. 1955 - Birth of Reba McEntire in McAlester, Oklahoma, USA; country singer ("Can't Even Get the Blues"). 1955 - New Zealand cricket all out for 26 versus England at Eden Park. 1956 - Birth of Asoka De Silva; cricket leg-spinner (Sri Lanka in ten Tests 1985-91). 1956 - Birth of Evelin Jahl in the German Democratic Republic; discus thrower (Olympics-2 gold-1976). 1956 - Birth of T A Sekar; Indian cricket pace-bowler (two Tests 1982-83 little impact). 1957 - First American National Curling Championship is held. 1957 - Birth of Harvey Glance in Phoenix City, Alabama, USA; 4x100 metre runner (Olympics-gold-1976). 1958 - Birth of Bart Wayne Conner in Morton Grove, Illinois, USA; gymnast (Olympics-2 gold-1984). 1958 - Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies' homerun hitter, dies at age 53. 1958 - W[illiam] C[hristopher] Handy, US conductor/composer (Saint Louis Blues), dies at age 84. 1959 - Eleven days after Tibet uprising, China dissolves Tibet's government and installs Panchen Lama. 1959 - Birth of Petra Delhees in Jauch, Switzerland; tennis star. 1959 - Birth of Todd Curtis; actor (Capitol, Skip - The Young and the Restless). 1959 - James Neblett, cricket player (one Test West Indies versus England 1935), dies. 1960 - Ian Keith, US actor (Ramses I - The Ten Commandments, Identity Unknown, Queen Christina), dies at age 61. 1960 - Pope John raises the first Japanese, first African, and first Filipino cardinals. 1960 - Scotch factory explodes burying 20 firefighters (Glasgow, Scotland). 1961 - Birth of Byron Scott; NBA guard (Vancouver Grizzlies). 1962 - Birth of Ged Grimes [Danny Wilson]; rocker (Mary's Prayer). 1962 - Devastating 8 for 6 spell by Gibbs gives West Indies cricket victory over India. 1962 - Military coup in Syria, President Nazim al-Kudsi flees. 1963 - AFL's New York Titans become the New York Jets. 1963 - Alec A Templeton, composer/pianist (Alec Templeton Time), dies at age 52. 1963 - Birth of Therese Washtock in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; three day equestrian (Olympics-1996). 1965 - Birth of Jeff Beukeboom in Ajax, Ontario, Canada; NHL defenseman (New York Rangers). 1965 - Jo Ann Prentice wins LPGA All State Ladies' Golf Invitational. 1966 - Birth of Jason Garrett; NFL quarterback (Dallas Cowboys). 1966 - Birth of Nathalie Herreman in France; tennis star. 1966 - Birth of Serge Djelloul; hockey defenseman (Team France 1998). 1967 - Birth of David Lang; NFL running back (Dallas Cowboys). 1967 - Birth of Ed[ward] Grose in Juneau, Alaska, USA; rower (Olympics-1996). 1967 - Birth of Shawn Boskie in Hawthorne, Nevada, USA; pitcher (California Angels). 1967 - United Nations Secretary General U Thant makes public proposals for peace in Vietnam. 1968 - Birth of Chad Biafore; hockey defenseman (Team Italy 1998). 1968 - Birth of Dennis Postlewait in Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA; Nike golfer (1994 Wichita Open). 1968 - Birth of Max Perlich; actor (JH Brodie - Homicide). 1968 - Birth of Nasser Hussain; cricket player (Essex and England batsman). 1968 - Birth of Teee Williams in Los Angeles, California, USA; volleyball outside hitter (Olympics-bronze-1992, 1996). 1969 - Birth of Cheryl "Salt" James; rocker (Salt 'n' Pepa - "Shake Ya Thang"). 1969 - Birth of Craig Paquette in Long Beach, California, USA; infielder (Kansas City Royals). 1969 - Birth of Earnest Stewart; soccer player (Willem II). 1969 - Birth of Elliot Perry; NBA guard (Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks). 1969 - Birth of Scottie Graham; NFL running back (Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals). 1969 - Death of Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington DC at age 78, supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe during World War II, 34th US President (1953-61), subject of US dollar coin (1971-78). 1970 - In Gediz, Turkey, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurs. Over 1,000 killed, more than 12,000 houses destroyed or severely damaged in the Gediz-Emet area of Kutahya Province. Over 50 percent of the buildings were damaged in 53 villages in the area. Strong aftershocks cause considerable additional damage. 1970 - Birth of James Johnson; NFL/WLAF running back (Tampa Buccaneers, Frankfurt Galaxy). 1970 - Birth of Jason B Gailes in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA; rower (Olympics-silver-1996). 1970 - Birth of Shawn Price; NFL defensive end (Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills). 1971 - 25th Tony Awards: Sleuth and Company win. 1971 - Birth of Damien Marsh; Australian 100 metre/200 metre swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Wesley Person; NBA guard (Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers). 1972 - Birth of Derek West; offensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts). 1972 - Birth of Jonathan Edwards in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; doubles luger (Olympics-1994). 1972 - Birth of Keith Tkachuk in Melrose, Massachusetts, USA; NHL left wing (Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, USA). 1972 - Birth of Michael Smith; NBA forward (Sacramento Kings). 1972 - Birth of Mike Morton; linebacker (Oakland Raiders). 1972 - Birth of Shannon Mitchell; NFL tight end (San Diego Chargers). 1972 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1972 - Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game. 1973 - Birth of Andrew Whittall; cricket player (cousin of Guy Zimbabwe off-spinner 1996). 1973 - Hakuun Yasutani, Zen teacher/co-founder (Sanbo Kyodan), dies. 1974 - Birth of K C Jones; NFL center (Denver Broncos-Superbowl 32). 1974 - Dorothy Fields, US singer ("Way you Look Tonight"), dies at age 68. 1974 - Françoise Rosay, actress (Interlude, Women in Prison), dies at age 82. 1975 - Birth of Atta-ur-Rehman; cricket player (Pakistani quickie, debut vs England 1992 age 17). 1975 - In Eastern Idaho, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. 1975 - Washington Capitals win first game on road after 37 straight road losses also sets own team record with 17 straight losses. 1977 - 39th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Marquette beats North Carolina 67-59. 1977 - 49th Academy Awards: Rocky, Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway win. 1977 - Birth of Angelo Garcia in Brooklyn, New York; singer (Menudo-Cannonball). 1977 - Morarji Desai forms government in India. 1978 - Birth of Nafisa Joseph; Miss India-Universe (1997). 1979 - Birth of Juli Keech; Miss South Dakota Teen-USA (1997). 1979 - British government of Callaghan falls. 1979 - Emmett Kelly, circus clown (Weary Willy), dies at age 80. 1979 - In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, a nuclear energy reactor at Three Mile Island overheats to 4000 degrees, due to a failed drainage valve. Cooling water contaminated with radiation drains into adjoining buildings, releasing radioactive gases throughout the plant and into the atmosphere. By the end of the day, cooling water is restarted, reducing temperature and averting a meltdown. 1980 - Talpiot Tomb is found in Jerusalem. 1980 - Birth of Cara Lewis; Miss Mississippi Teen-USA (1997). 1980 - Dick Haymes, actor (Real Life, Betrayal), dies. 1981 - Christa Rothenburger skates ladies world record 500 metre (40.18 seconds). 1981 - France performs nuclear test. 1981 - Gabi Schönbrunn skates ladies world record 3 km (4:01.70). 1981 - Viv Richards scores century in the first Test at his home in Antigua. 1981 - Yevgeni Kulikov skates world record 500 metre (36.91 seconds). 1981 - Birth of Lindsay Frimodt; American model. 1981 - Birth of Julia Stiles; American actress. 1982 - 12th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$19,500,000. 1982 - First NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Louisiana Tech beats Cheney 76-62. 1982 - Amy Alcott wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open. 1982 - José Napoleón Duartes' christian-democrats win elections in El Salvador. 1982 - Near the coast of Peru, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurs. Three people killed and extensive damage at Lunahuana. 1982 - Death of William Giauque, Canadian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1895). 1983 - Ank [Anna M] van der Moer, actress (Verkade, Dutch Comedy), dies at age 71. 1983 - Martinus A Jansen, bishop of Rotterdam (1956-70), dies at age 77. 1984 - Kenneth Whitty, first Secretary at British Embassy in Athens, is shot dead. 1984 - Birth of Nikki Sanderson, British actress. 1985 - Sports Illustrated's April 1st edition tricks the nation as author George Plimpton weaves a fictitious tale of Sidd Finch, a Met rookie phenom who throws 168 mph fastball. Staged photographs and quotes from Mets in real life help to give the story a realistic edge. 1985 - International Cometary Explorer measures solar wind ahead of Halley's Comet. 1985 - Marc Chagall, Russian-born French painter, dies at age 97 (born 1887). 1985 - Nand Baert, Belgian radio/tv-host, dies at age 53. 1986 - Extremist Sikhs kill 13 hindus in Ludhiana, India. 1986 - Victor J Lopez, actor (Chuey - Man From Atlantis), dies at age 39. 1986 - Virginia Gilmore, actress (Jennie, Western Union), dies. 1987 - Maria Augusta von Trapp, Austrian-born singer (Trapp Family Singers), dies at age 82 in Vermont, USA (born 1905). Her story was made famous by the movie The Sound of Music. 1987 - Patrick Troughton, British actor (Doctor Who), dies at age 56 (born 1920). 1988 - Birth of Lacey Turner, English actress. 1989 - New Zealand wins America's Cup over Stars and Stripes, in a New York court. 1990 - Bengal beats Delhi in rained-out cricket Ranji Trophy final on quotient. 1990 - Helene Fortescu Reynolds, actress (Bermuda Mystery), dies at age 65. 1990 - Michael Jordan scores 69 points, fourth time he scores 60 points in a game. 1990 - U.S. President George H. W. Bush posthumously awards Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal. 1991 - Birth of Amy Bruckner, American actress. 1991 - Carlos Montalban, actor (Bananas), dies at age 85. 1992 - 6th American Comedy Awards: Cathy Ladman, Judy Watkins, Billy Crystal. 1992 - Ann Transon runs female world record 50km (3:05:01). 1992 - PBA National Championship Won by Eric Forkel. 1993 - 13th Golden Raspberry Awards: Shining Through wins. 1993 - 22nd Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Helen Alfredsson. 1993 - Birth of Naoki Takeshi, Japanese actor. 1993 - Conservative Gaullists win legislative election in France, and Édouard Balladur becomes prime minister. 1993 - Type II supernova detected in M81 (NGC 3031). 1994 - Inkatha Freedom Party and African National Congress supporters battle in central Johannesburg, South Africa; over 53 killed. 1994 - Eugene Ionesco, Romanian-born playwright (Rhinoceros, Bald Soprano), dies at age 84 (born 1909). 1994 - Italy's right-wing alliance under Silvio Berlusconi wins election. 1995 - Hugh Edward R O'Connor, actor (In the Heat of the Night), dies of drug overdose at age 32. 1995 - Jack Regan, broadcaster, dies at age 53. 1995 - Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett split up. 1995 - Queensland beats South Australia to win first ever cricket Sheffield Shield. 1995 - Vivienne Byerley, publicist, dies at age 88. 1995 - Japan's Mitsubishi Bank and Bank of Tokyo merge to form the world's largest bank. 1996 - Barbara McLean, film editor, dies at age 86. 1996 - David Band, banker, dies at age 53. 1996 - Edith Fowke, folklorist, dies at age 82. 1996 - Hans Blumenberg, philosopher, dies at age 75. 1996 - James Herbert Lloyd Morrell, bishop, dies at age 89. 1996 - Katie Beam, 17, of Oklahoma, crowned 35th Miss Teenage America. 1996 - Ken Dibbs, actor (Suddenly, Party Girl, High Society), dies at age 78. 1996 - Shin Kanemaru, Vice President of Japan (1986-87), dies at age 81. 1996 - Fire breaks out at the Pasar Anyar shopping centre in Bogor, West Java. The first death toll estimate is 78 until rescuers notice that 68 of them are mannequins. 1996 - Three British soldiers are found guilty of the manslaughter of Danish tour guide Louise Jensen in Cyprus. Allan Ford, Justin Fowler and Geoffrey Pernell receive life sentences for their crime, which was committed in September 1994. 1996 - Simon Harcourt Nowell-Smith, British bibliophile, dies at age 87. 1996 - In Ecuador, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurs. At least 27 people killed, 100 injured, several thousand homeless. 1997 - City soap opera's final episode on ABC-TV. 1999 - 18th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Purdue beats Duke 62-45 in San Jose California. 2000 - Death of Anthony Powell, British author (born 1905). 2001 - Death of Vulo Radev, Bulgarian film director (born 1923). 2003 - Japan launches two spy satellites into orbit. North Korea calls it "a hostile act". 2003 - Japan's Mizuho bank, the world's largest, completes raising a record-breaking 1.1 trillion yen (US$9.2 billion), in under two months. 2004 - In France, the government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin suffers a stunning and unprecedented defeat in regional elections. 2004 - The first ever South Atlantic hurricane makes landfall in South Brazil on the state of Santa Catarina - the hurricane is dubbed Hurricane Catarina. 2005 - In Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, a magnitude 8.6 earthquake occurs. At least 1,300 people killed, 350 injured and hundreds of buildings destroyed. A 3-metre tsunami damaged the port and airport on Simeulue. 2006 - Death of Caspar Weinberger, United States Secretary of Defense (born 1917). 2006 - Square Enix releases the Kingdom Hearts II video game for the PlayStation 2 in the USA. 2007 - Former Major League Baseball pitcher Ugueth Urbina is sentenced to 14 years in prison. 2009 - NASA's space shuttle Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a 13-day mission to the International Space Station. 2009 - Earth Hour is observed at 8:30 PM local time around the world, as lights are turned out to raise awareness of climate change. 2009 - Three Canadian figure skaters (Barbara Underhill, Paul Martini, and Brian Orser) are inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, in a ceremony at the world figure skating championships in Los Angeles, California. 2009 - Death of Janet Jagan, first white and female president of Guyana (1997-), of abdominal aneurysm, at age 88, in Georgetown, Guyana.         Your Ad Here         You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. 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