This Day in History
April 6

What happened in history on this day: April 6? On April 6 in ... 402 - Battle at Pollentia; Roman army under Stilicho beats Visigoten. 610 - Lailat-ul Qadar, the night the koran descended to Earth. 774 - Charles the Great affirms Pippins promise of Quiercy. 885 - Methodius, Greek apostle of the slaves/archbishop of Sirmium, dies. 912 - Nottker, "the Stamelaar", benedictine monk/poet, dies at about age 71. 1106 - Fire in Venice. 1199 - Richard I the Lion-hearted, King of England (1189-99), dies at age 41. 1252 - Peter of Verona [Peter Martyr] Italian inquisitor/st, dies at age 45. 1327 - Italian poet Petrarch first sets eyes on his beloved Laura. 1348 - Petrarch's Laura dies of plague. 1362 - Jacques de Bourbon count of Marche, killed in battle. 1362 - Robber bastion Tard-Venus strikes at Brignais France. 1472 - Pieter Bladelin Belgium, land owner (Middelburg castle), dies. 1483 - Birth of Raphael [Raffaello Sanzio] Urbino Italy, painter/master builder (Madonna Sistina). 1489 - Hans Waldmann Swiss military/mayor (Zurich), beheaded. 1490 - Matthias Corvinus king of Hungary, dies. 1516 - A Willaert installed as singer of cardinal Ippolito I d'Este. 1520 - Raphael [Sanzio] artist (Sistine Madonna), dies on his 37th birthday. 1528 - Albrecht Dürer, German painter to the Holy Roman Emperors Maximilian I and Charles V (Adoration of the Magi), graphic artist (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Passion of Christ, Adam and Eve, and St. Jerome in his Study), dies in Nürnberg at age 56. 1551 - Joachim Vadianus Swiss physician/mayor of Sankt Gallen, dies at age 66. 1590 - Francis Walsingham English Secretary of State, dies at about age 57. 1593 - Henry Barrow English puritian/Congressionalist, hanged. 1593 - John Greenwood English Congressionalist, hanged. 1605 - John Stow British historian, dies. 1634 - Heeren XIX asks "to secure Eylands Curaçao". 1652 - Cape Colony, the first European settlement in South Africa, established by John of Riebeeck. 1663 - King Charles II signs Carolina Charter. 1664 - France and Saksen sign alliance. 1671 - Birth of Jean-Baptiste Rousseau French playwright/poet (Sacred Odes and Songs). 1672 - Birth of Andre Cardinal Destouches composer. 1672 - France declares war on Netherlands. 1674 - Charles de Méan Belgian lawyer (Observations), dies at age 69. 1707 - Willem Van de Velde the Young, Dutch seascape painter, dies a 73. 1708 - Birth of George Reuter composer. 1712 - Slave revolt in New York. 1722 - Peter the Great ends tax on men with beards. 1724 - Duke of Newcastle becomes English minister of Foreign Affairs. 1727 - Denmark signs Covenant of Hannover. 1741 - Birth of Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort French playwright (Maximes). 1752 - Birth of Johann Friedrich Kranz composer. 1757 - Birth of Alessandro Rolla composer. 1757 - English king George II fires minister William Pitt Sr. 1773 - Birth of James Mill Scotland, philosopher/historian (Hist of British India). 1778 - Birth of Joseph Funk composer. 1779 - Tommaso MFS Traetta Italian opera composer (Farnace), dies at age 52. 1782 - Rynoldus Popma van Oevering composer, dies at age 90. 1789 - First US Congress begins regular sessions, Federal Hall, New York City, New York. 1805 - Lorenz Justinian Ott composer, dies at age 56. 1806 - Birth of Elizabeth Barrett Browning poet (Sonnets from the Portuguese)/Mrs Robert Browning. 1810 - Birth of Philip Gosse intentor of institutional aquarium, writer (Omphalos). 1812 - Birth of Aaron Bernstein writer. 1812 - Birth of Gavril Yakimovich Lomakin composer. 1815 - Birth of Friedrich Robert Volkmann composer. 1815 - English militia shoots prisoners, 100's killed. 1817 - Bonaventura Furlanetto composer, dies at age 78. 1818 - Birth of Francis Henry Brown composer. 1819 - Birth of Johann A H Scheler Belgian librarian. 1822 - Franz Xaver Partsch composer, dies at age 62. 1823 - Birth of Joseph Medill Saint John New Brunswick Canada, newspaper editor (Chicago Tribune). 1826 - Birth of Gustave Moreau French painter. 1828 - Birth of Charles William Field Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1892. 1829 - Niels H Able Norwegian mathematician (infinite series), dies at age 26. 1830 - Birth of James Augustine Healy Macon Georgia, first black Roman Catholic bishop. 1830 - Joseph Smith and five others organize Mormon church in Seneca County, New York. 1833 - Birth of Johan H C Kern Dutch linguist (Sanskrit, Old Javan). 1835 - Birth of Jose Marraco y Ferrer composer. 1838 - José B de Andrada e Silva premier of Brazil (1822-23), dies at age 74. 1841 - Cornerstone laid for second Mormon temple, Nauvoo Illinois. 1844 - Birth of Joseph Ludwig composer. 1848 - Jews of Prussia granted equality. 1849 - Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "Le Prophète", premieres in Paris France. 1854 - William Strickland US architect, dies. 1859 - US recognizes Liberal government in México's War of the Reform. 1860 - Birth of René Lalique French jewel designer. 1862 - Adley Hogan Gladden Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at age 51. 1862 - Albert Sidney Johnston US Confederate General, dies in battle at age 59. 1862 - Battle of Shiloh; Union defeats Confederacy in South-West Tennessee. 1865 - John Austin Wharton, US Confederate General-Major, dies at age 36. 1865 - Reuben B Boston, US Confederate cavalry Colonel, dies in battle. 1865 - Battle of Sayler's Creek, one-third of Lee's army cut off. 1866 - Birth of Butch Cassidy [Robert Parker] US desperado (Wild Bunch Passage). 1866 - Birth of Joseph Lincoln Steffens muckraker/journalist (Shame of the Cities). 1866 - G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) is established. 1868 - Brigham Young marries his 27th and final wife. 1869 - First plastic, Celluloid, patented. 1869 - Birth of Louis Raemakers Dutch draftsman/painter. 1871 - Birth of Alexander grandson of England's Queen Victoria. 1878 - Birth of Carl Emil Theodor Ehrenberg composer. 1878 - Birth of Erich Mühsam writer. 1883 - Birth of Mien Labberton Dutch poet. 1884 - Birth of Walter Huston Toronto Ontario Canada; actor (Maltese Falcon, Treasure of Sierra Madre). 1884 - Emanuel Geibel writer, dies at age 68. 1885 - Birth of Carlos Leon Salzedo composer. 1886 - City of Vancouver British Columbia Canada incorporated. 1886 - Declaration of Berlin neutralizes Tonga. 1888 - Birth of Daniel Andersson Swedish poet/writer (Svarta Ballader). 1889 - George Eastman places Kodak Camera on sale for first time. 1890 - Birth of André L Danjon French astronomer. 1890 - Birth of Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker Holland, aircraft pioneer (Spider). 1890 - French troops under Captain Archinard occupy Segu, West-Sudan. 1892 - Birth of Donald Wills Douglas US, aircraft pioneer (McConnell Douglas). 1892 - Birth of Lowell Thomas Woodington Ohio, newscaster (High Adventure). 1892 - Birth of Mateusz Glinski composer. 1893 - Andy Bowen and Jack Burke box 7 hours 19 minutes to no decision in Saint Louis (111 rounds, longest bout in boxing history). 1893 - Mormon temple in Salt Lake City dedicated. 1896 - First modern Olympic games begin in Athens Greece, as the Games of the I Olympiad are staged; 60,000 spectators welcome 280 athletes from 13 nations to the international competition of 43 events. James Connolly of the USA wins first Olympic gold medal in modern history. 1896 - Birth of Juan Tomas Perez composer. 1898 - Birth of Bobby Gilbert Pennsylvania; actor (Rebel Set, Marcus Welby M.D.). 1900 - Birth of Leo Robin; US writer (Thanks For the Memory). 1900 - James J Jeffries knocks out Jack Finnegan in one round for heavyweight boxing title. 1902 - Birth of Gertrude Short in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; actress (Stella - Dallas, Blonde Venus). 1903 - Birth of Mickey Cochrane; baseball hall of fame catcher (.320 average). 1904 - Birth of Kurt G Kiesinger; German chancellor (Wherever They May Be). 1906 - First animated cartoon is copyrighted. 1906 - Alexander L Kielland, Norwegian writer (Working People), dies at age 57. 1906 - Birth of John Betjeman; English Poet Laureate 1972-1984 (Mount Zion). 1909 - First credit union established in US. 1909 - United States Navy commander Robert Peary, assistant Matthew Henson, and four Inuit men reach the North Pole, the first documented men to reach the pole. 1912 - Birth of Wilhelmus H L "Willem" Tollenaar; actor/director (Don Carlos). 1912 - Electric starter motor first appears in cars. 1916 - German parliament authorizes unrestricted submarine warfare. 1917 - Birth of Julian Faber; CEO (Willis Faber). 1917 - Birth of Walter Horton AKA "Shakey" in Mississippi, USA; harmonicist (Everybody's Fishin'). 1917 - US declares war on Germany, enters Great War. 1918 - Birth of Joan Bernard; Principal (Trevelyan College, Durham). 1918 - Birth of Karen Verne in Berlin, Germany; actress (Madame X). 1920 - French troops attack Main/Darmstadt/Hanau. 1922 - Birth of Barry Levinson in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; director (Homicide: Life on the Street, Avalon, Rain Man, Diner). 1924 - Four planes leave Seattle, Washington on attempt at around-the-world flight (they succeed). 1924 - Italian fascists receive 65 percent of vote in parliament. 1924 - Völkische Block (National Socialists) receives 17.8 percent of vote in Bayern, Germany. 1925 - First film shown on an airplane (British Air). 1925 - Birth of Arthur D Larsen; tennis champion (US Open-1950). 1925 - Birth of Marcus Worsley; Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. 1926 - Birth of Ian Paisley in North Ireland; clergyman/Member of Parliament. 1926 - Giovanni Amendola, antifascist/editor-in-chief (Il Mondo), dies at age 43. 1926 - NHL Stanley Cup: Montréal Maroons beat Victoria Cougars (WHL), three games to 1. 1927 - Birth of David Ingram; Vice-Chancellor (University of Kent at Canterbury). 1927 - Birth of Gerry Mulligan; British saxophonist/orchestra leader (Jazz on a Summer Day). 1928 - Birth of James Dewey Watson; chemist (co-discovered structure of DNA). 1928 - Birth of Joi Lansing in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; actress (Bob Cummings Show). 1929 - Birth of André Previn in Berlin, Germany; conductor (London Symphony)/composer/pianist. 1929 - Birth of Arthur S Taylor Jr; American drummer/band leader (Taylor's Wailers). 1930 - First transcontinental glider tow completed. 1930 - Hostess Twinkies invented by bakery executive James Dewar. 1931 - Birth of Ivan Dixon in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Car Wash, Hogan's Heroes). 1931 - The Portuguese government declares martial law in Madeira and in the Azores because of an attempted military takeover in Funchal. 1933 - Birth of Dudley Sutton; British actor (Leather Boys, Brimstone and Treacle). 1934 - 418 Lutheran ministers are arrested in Germany. 1934 - Birth of Antonius Geesink in Holland; judo (Olympics-gold-1964). 1935 - Birth of John Pepper Clark in Nigeria; writer (Horn, Song of a Goat). 1935 - H Levitt sinks 499 basketball free throws, misses and sinks 371 more. 1936 - Third Golf Masters Championship: Horton Smith wins, shooting a 285. 1936 - ANP begins telex service in Amsterdam. 1936 - Tornado kills 203 and injures 1,800 in Gainesville, Georgia, USA. 1937 - Birth of Billy Dee Williams in Harlem, New York, USA; actor (Lady Sings the Blues, Chiefs, Empire Strikes Back, Double Dare). 1937 - Birth of Merle Haggard in Bakersfield, California, USA; country singer ("Death Valley Days"). 1937 - Birth of Tom Veivers; cricket player (Australian off-spinner in the 1960s). 1938 - Birth of Paul Daniels; British magician. 1938 - Birth of Roy Thinnes in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actor (Invaders, Falcon Crest, General Hospital). 1938 - Teflon is invented by Roy J Plunkett. 1939 - Birth of John Sculley; Apple Computer president and CEO. 1939 - Great Britain and Poland sign military pact. 1939 - US and United Kingdom agree on joint control of Canton and Enderbury Islands (Pacific Ocean). 1940 - Birth of Anne Campbell; British Member of Parliament. 1940 - Birth of Homero Aridjis; Mexican poet (La Tumba de Filidor). 1941 - 8th Golf Masters Championship: Craig Wood wins, shooting a 280. 1941 - (early) Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union sign a treaty of friendship, providing for "amicable relations" in the event of foreign attack. 1941 - (0500 hours) The first wave of German Stuka bombers cross into Yugoslavia, beginning a three-day bombardment of Belgrade. 1941 - German forces invade Greece. 1941 - Birth of Hans W Geissendorfer in Augsburg, Germany; director (Sternsteinhof). 1941 - British General Gambier-Parry is caught in North Africa. 1941 - German bombardment on Piraeus (munitions ship explodes). 1941 - Italian-held Addis Ababa capitulates to British and Ethiopian forces. 1942 - Birth of Phil Austin; comedian (Firesign Theater). 1942 - In Pollen, Norway, a meteorite falls to the ground without causing harm or damage. 1943 - Birth of Joaquin Agostinho; Portuguese cyclist. 1943 - Birth of Susan Tolsky in Houston, Texas, USA; actress (Madame's Place, Here Come the Brides). 1943 - British and US offensive at Wadi Akarit, South-Tunisia. 1944 - Birth of John Stax; rocker (Pretty Things - "Don't Bring Me Down"). 1944 - Birth of Judith McConnell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Sophia - Santa Barbara). 1944 - Birth of [Holly] Michelle [Gilliam] Phillips in Long Beach, California, USA; singer (Mama and Papas)/actress (Knots Landing). 1944 - Jewish nursery at Izieu-Ain, France overrun by Germans. 1945 - Benjamin M Telders, president (Dutch Liberal States Party), dies at age 42. 1945 - Birth of Bob Marley; reggae musician/singer (Whalers - "No Woman"). 1945 - Coevorden freed from Germans. 1945 - Japanese giant battleship Yamato heads to Okinawa. 1945 - Massive kamikaze-attack on US battle fleet near Okinawa. 1945 - US marines explore Tsugen Shima near Okinawa. 1946 - Birth of Paul Beresford; British Member of Parliament. 1947 - 11th Golf Masters Championship: Jimmy Demaret wins his second Masters golf tournament, shooting a 281. 1947 - First Tony Awards: Arthur Miller, David Wayne and Patricia Neal win. 1947 - Birth of Jan Kees Wiebenga; Dutch Member of Parliament (VVD). 1947 - Birth of Tony Connor in Romford, Essex, England; drummer (Hot Chocolate - "You Sexy Thing"). 1949 - Israel releases its first coins into circulation; the first is a 25-mil coin of aluminum-manganese. 1949 - Birth of Jane Actman in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Barbara - Paul Lynde Show). 1949 - Birth of Mary Maples Dunn; college president (Smith College). 1949 - Stanley Christopherson, cricket player (1884, MCC President during WWII), dies. 1950 - Birth of Dennis E Eckart; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Ohio, 1981-). 1950 - John F Dulles becomes advisor to US Secretary of State Dean Acheson. 1950 - CBS premieres The Alan Young Show, a 30-minute comedy, music, variety show. 1951 - Birth of Ralph Cooper in Australia; drummer (Air Supply - "All Out of Love"). 1952 - 16th Golf Masters Championship: Sam Snead wins his second Masters golf tournament, shooting a 286. 1952 - Birth of Judith McConnell; actress (Sophia Capwell - Santa Barbara). 1952 - Birth of Marilu Henner in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actress (Taxi, Man Who Loved Women, Evening Shade). 1952 - Birth of Udo Dirkshneider; heavy metal rocker (Accept - "Balls to the Wall", Udo). 1953 - Birth of Janet Lynn; ice skater (Olympics-bronze-1972). 1954 - Birth of Judi Bowker in Shawford, England; actress (Clash of the Titans). 1954 - NHL's Montreal Canadiens score three goals in 56 seconds in playoff game against Detroit Red Wings. 1954 - TV Dinner is first put on sale by Swanson and Sons. 1954 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island. 1955 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1955 - Failed coup by Abdullah Seif el-Islam in Yemen. 1956 - Birth of Dilip Vengsarkar; cricket player (prolific Indian batsman 1976-92). 1956 - Birth of Mudassar Nazar; cricket player (son of Nazar Mohammad Pakistani bat). 1956 - Polish communist Gomulka freed from prison. 1957 - Birth of Maurizio Damilano; Italian speed walker (30K World Record). 1957 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test. 1958 - Arnold Palmer wins first major golf tournament-the Masters. 1959 - 31st Academy Awards: Gigi, Susan Hayward, and David Niven win. 1959 - Birth of Dianne Brill in Tampa, Florida, USA; fashion designer/party girl (Queen of the Night). 1961 - Birth of Mike Schuchart in Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Nike golfer (1994 NIKE Tour Championship). 1961 - Jules J B V Bordet, Belgian bacteriologist (Nobel Prize 1919), dies at age 90. 1962 - Birth of Stan Cullimore; bassist (Housemartins - "Happy Hour, Over There"). 1963 - Birth of Lorenzo Lynch; NFL safety (Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders). 1964 - Birth of Bill Brooks; NFL wide receiver (Buffalo Bills). 1964 - Birth of Johnny Dee; heavy metal drummer (Britny Fox-Boys in Heat, King Kobra). 1964 - Egypt and Belgium restore diplomatic relations. 1965 - Birth of Gerald Diduck in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; NHL defenseman (Hartford Whalers). 1965 - Birth of Rica Reinisch in the German Democratic Republic; 100 metre/200 metre backstroke (Olympics-gold-1980). 1965 - Birth of Virginia Lee; Australian rower (Olympics-1996). 1965 - Intelsat 1 ("Early Bird") launched; first commercial geosynchronous communications satellite. 1966 - Julia Faye, actress (Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah), dies at age 73. 1966 - Mihir Sen swims the Palk Strait between Sri Lanka and India. 1967 - Birth of Derrick Fenner; NFL running back (Oakland Raiders). 1967 - Birth of John Ratzenberger in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA; actor (Cliff Clavin - Cheers). 1967 - Premier Pompidou forms new French government. 1968 - 94.5 percent of East German voters approve new socialist constitution. 1968 - Birth of Chris Anderson; Australian high jumper (Olympics-1996). 1968 - Bobby Hutton, US Black Panther leader, shot to death. 1968 - Firestone World Tournament of Champions won by Dave Davis. 1968 - Gunpowder stock at a sporting-goods store explodes, killing 43 (Virginia). 1968 - HemisFair 1968 opens in San Antonio, Texas, USA. 1969 - Birth of Andy Harmon; NFL defensive tackle (Philadelphia Eagles). 1969 - Birth of Ari Meyers in San Juan, Puerto Rico; actress (Emma McArdle - Kate and Allie). 1969 - Birth of Bret Boone in El Cajon, California, USA; infielder (Cincinnati Reds). 1969 - Birth of Brian Williams; NBA center/forward (Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers). 1970 - Birth of Olaf Kolzig in Johannesbourg, South Africa; NHL goalie (Washington Capitals). 1970 - Birth of Oliver Miller; NBA forward/center (Toronto Raptors). 1971 - Birth of Anthony Redmon; guard (Arizona Cardinals). 1971 - Birth of Tamara Henry; Miss Arkansas-USA (1997). 1971 - Birth of Tom Sorensen in Racine, Wisconsin, USA; volleyball middle blocker (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Vivian Y Herding in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA; Miss New Mexico-America (1996). 1971 - Igor F Stravinsky, Russian composer (Le Sacre du Printemps), dies in New York at age 88. 1972 - Birth of Dickey Simpkins; NBA forward (San Francisco Warriors, Chicago Bulls). 1972 - Birth of Donald Blair; Canadian Football League slot back (Edmonton Eskimos). 1972 - Birth of Hurvin McCormack; NFL defensive tackle (Dallas Cowboys). 1972 - Birth of Jason Hervey; actor (Wayne Arnold - Wonder Years). 1972 - Egypt drops diplomatic relations with Jordan. 1972 - Death of Heinrich Lübke at age 77; President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1959-1969). 1973 - Birth of Donnie Edwards; linebacker (Kansas City Chiefs). 1973 - Birth of Randall Godfrey; linebacker (Dallas Cowboys). 1973 - Harbor strike in Gent/Antwerp, Belgium. 1973 - Troops of India invade Sikkim. 1973 - Roberto Clemente Day, Pittsburgh Pirates retire his number. 1973 - US launches Pioneer 11 to Jupiter and Saturn. 1973 - New York Yankees' Ron Blomberg becomes first designated hitter, he walks. 1974 - Firestone World Tournament of Champions won by Earl Anthony 11/16. 1974 - Willem Dudok, Dutch architect (Hilversum Town Hall), dies at age 89. 1974 - New York Yankees' first home game at Shea Stadium, beat Cleveland Indians 6-1. 1974 - Swedish music group Abba wins the Eurovision Song Festival with the song "Waterloo". 1975 - Birth of Damon Phillip Pampolina; rapper/drummer (Party). 1975 - Denise Oliverson disappears from Grand Junction, Colorado (Bundy victim). 1975 - Fastest hat trick by a Washington Capitals' player: 3 minutes 26 seconds (Stan Gilbertson). 1976 - First quadraphonic movie track: "Ladies and Gentlemen the Rolling Stones". 1976 - Birth of Candace [Helaine] Cameron Bure in Panorama City, California; actress (DJ Tanner - Full House). 1976 - Birth of Simon Coombes in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; swimmer (Olympics-1996). 1976 - Birth of Soleil Moon Frye in Glendora, California; actress (Punky Brewster). 1977 - In Iran, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurs, about 800 kilometers northwest of Bandar Abbas. At least 348 killed, and damage over an area of approximately 150 square kilometers. 1977 - Kingdome opens, Seattle Mariners' first game, loses to California Angels 7-0. 1978 - Karnataka beat Uttar Pradesh by inning and 193 to win Ranji Trophy. 1978 - Nicolas Nabokov, composer (Holy Devil), dies at age 74. 1978 - Reinoud Anders, Dutch actor (Unrest of Grave), dies at age 65. 1979 - Birth of Ali Burr; Miss North Carolina Teen-USA (1997). 1979 - Birth of Frederick MGDL Windsor, son of English prince Michael. 1979 - M Marie Widlow, softball pitcher (Hall of Fame 1957), dies at age 61. 1979 - Milton Ager, US composer, dies at age 85. 1979 - Rocker Rod Stewart and Alana Collins wed. 1980 - Post It Notes are introduced. 1980 - 9th Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Donna Caponi Young. 1980 - Birth of Matthew Thomas Carey; actor (Once You Meet a Stranger). 1980 - Gordie Howe completes a record 26th hockey season. 1981 - Yugoslav government sends troops to Kosovo. 1981 - Birth of Robert Earnshaw; Welsh football player. 1981 - Bob "The Bear" Hite, singer (Canned Heat - "Goin' up the Country"), dies of a heart attack at age 36. 1982 - Largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Minnesota: 52,279. 1982 - A blizzard unprecedented in size for April dumps 1-2 feet of snow on the northeastern U.S., closing schools and businesses, snarling traffic, and canceling several major league baseball games. 1982 - Birth of Ilan Hall; Israeli-American chef. 1983 - The Disney-produced TV show Zorro and Son first airs on CBS. 1983 - Ana Maria Salvador, guerilla leader, murdered. 1984 - Jimmy Kenndy, British songwriter ("South of the Border"), dies. 1984 - Ral Donner, singer/narrator, dies at age 41. 1984 - Birth of Max Bemis, American musician (Say Anything). 1984 - The 56th Academy Awards, hosted by Jack Lemmon, are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with Terms of Endearment winning Best Picture. Best Actor: Robert Duvall, Best Actress: Shirley Maclaine. 1984 - 11th Space Shuttle Mission (41-C)- Challenger 5 is launched; first time 11 people in space. 1985 - Bombay beats Delhi by 90 runs to win the Ranji Trophy final. 1985 - Sudan suspends constitution after coup under General Swarreddahab. 1985 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1986 - 15th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Pat Bradley. 1986 - Soccer ball juggled non-stop for 14:14 hours. 1987 - Birth of Bartolomej Kuru; Austrian football player. 1987 - 22nd Academy of Country Music Awards: Randy Travis and Hank Williams Jr. 1987 - Al Campanis appears on TV show Nightline saying blacks may not be equipped to be in baseball management, sparking a racial controversy. 1987 - Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler. 1988 - New Jersey Devils' first playoff game; lose to New York Islanders 4-3 (overtime) in first round. 1988 - Birth of Fabrice Muamba, English football player. 1988 - Birth of Mike Bailey, British actor. 1989 - National Safety Council of Australia chief executive John Friedrich is arrested after defrauding investors of US$235 million. 1990 - Lady Nancy Hawkes (1946 best-dressed woman) dies at age 73. 1990 - Ronald E Evans, astronaut (Apollo 17), dies of a heart attack at age 57. 1991 - Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona suspended for 15 months by Italian League for testing positive for cocaine use. 1991 - The Disney Channel begins airing the animated series Darkwing Duck. 1991 - Bill Ponsford, cricket player (Test average 48 22, first-class average 65 18), dies. 1991 - New York-New Jersey Knights first home game (Giants Stadium) lose to Frankfurt 27-17. 1992 - 54th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Duke beats Michigan 71-51. 1992 - Britain Radio Authority licenses Virgin and TV-AM radio licenses. 1992 - Duke beats Michigan 71-51 for NCCA basketball championship. 1992 - Isaac Asimov, Russian-born science fiction writer (I Robot), dies from kidney failure at age 72 (born 1920). 1992 - At the Comdex / Windows World conference, Microsoft unveils Windows 3.1, including scalable TrueType fonts. The software comprises over 3 million lines of code. 1992 - Oriole Park at Camden Yards opens, Baltimore Orioles beat Cleveland Indians 2-0. 1992 - The Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (without the presence of Serbian political delegates) proclaims independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 1992 - Serbian troops, following a mass rebellion of Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Bosnian declaration of independence from Yugoslavia, besiege the city of Sarajevo. 1992 - Sam Walton, billionaire founder and CEO of Wal-Mart, dies of cancer at age 74 (born 1918). 1993 - First test flight of Ilyushin IL-96M (Moscow). 1993 - Divya Bharati "Baby Doll", Indian actress (Diwana), dies in car accident at 19 (born 1974). 1993 - Florida Marlins first loss ever (4-2 to Los Angeles Dodgers). 1993 - Hedi Amira Nouira, Prime Minister of Tunisia (1970-80), dies. 1993 - The HMS Richmond is launched by the British Royal Navy. 1993 - A nuclear accident occurs at Tomsk 7 in Russia. 1994 - First scheduled Cleveland Indians night game at Jacobs Field is rained out. 1994 - Agatha Uwilingiyimana Rwanda/first female Prime Minister in Africa, assassinated. 1994 - Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira die when a missile shoots down their jet near Kigali, Rwanda. 1994 - Dick Cary, jazz musician, dies at age 77. 1994 - Liberal Supreme Court Justice Blackmun (Roe versus Wade) resigns. 1994 - Palestinian suicide bomber kills 7 Israelis and himself. 1994 - Patricia Louise Dalton, chair (Sherlock Holmes Society), dies at age 75. 1994 - Rockwell B-1B Lancers break 11 world speed records. 1994 - Theo Bosch, humanist/architect (Amsterdam), dies at age 54. 1995 - Vieno J Sukselainen, Prime Minister of Finland (1959-61), dies. 1996 - Albert Belle shows off his arm by hitting Sports Illustrated photographer Tony Tomsic in the hand prior to a game. 1996 - Greer Garson, English actress (Goodbye Mr Chips), dies at age 92 (born 1904). 1996 - Major League Soccer kicks off in the USA in front of an overflow crowd of 31,683 packed in Spartan Stadium to witness the historic first game. San Jose Clash forward Eric Wynalda scores the league's first goal in a 1-0 victory over D. C. United. 1997 - 9th Seniors Golf Tradition: Gil Morgan wins. 1997 - Annika Sorenstam wins LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge. 1997 - Brad Faxon wins Freeport-McDermott Golf Classic. 1997 - Jack Kent Cooke, NFL owner (Washington Redskins), dies at age 84. 1998 - Death of Wendy O. Williams, American singer (born 1949). 1998 - Death of Tammy Wynette [Virginia Wynette Pugh], American country singer (Stand By Your Man) of a blood clot at age 55 (born 1942). 1998 - Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of hitting India. 2000 - Death of Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia (born 1903). 2001 - Former czar of Bulgaria Simeon II returns to Bulgaria to take office as prime minister. 2002 - A ship spills 340,000 litres of crude oil off the southeast Louisiana coast, USA. 2005 - The first 13th root calculation of a 200-digit number is computed by Frenchman Alexis Lemaire. 2005 - Rainier III, Prince of Monaco dies (born 1923), succeeded by his son Albert II. 2007 - The Louis Hellenic Cruises' Sea Diamond cruise ship sinks off the harbor of Santorini, with the loss of two French lives. 2007 - Severe clashes between two rival factions erupt in Parachinar, a tribal area of Pakistan bordering the famous Tora Bora Heights. 2007 - Death of Luigi Comencini, Italian film director (born 1916). 2008 - In Argentina, a meteor is witnessed falling in flames of changing colors, crashing in Entre Rios Province. 2009 - An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale in central Italy kills 281, injures 1500, and leaves about 17,000 homeless. The quake flattened houses, ancient churches and other buildings in 26 cities and towns. The damage is estimated at US$4 billion. 2009 - Somali pirates seize British-owned cargo ship Malaspina Castle in the Gulf of Aden, and a Taiwanese ship near the Seychelles, after capturing a French yacht, a Yemeni tugboat, and the 20,000-ton German container vessel Hansa Stavanger on the past two days. 2009 - Japan announces it will spend a further 10 trillion yen (US$99 billion) to fight the recession. 2009 - Six bomb blasts in Baghdad, Iraq, kill more than 34 people and injure about 110. 2009 - North Carolina Tar Heels overwhelms Michigan State Spartans 89-72 in the final of the NCAA Tournament. 2010 - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hits the Indonesian island of Sumatra, with no reports of casualties. 2010 - In India's central state of Chhattisgarh, hundreds of heavily armed Maoist rebels kill at least 75 Indian soldiers in a series of attacks on security convoys.         Your Ad Here         You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. 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