This Day in History
April 7

What happened in history on this day: April 7? On April 7 in ... 30 - Jesus Christ crucified by Roman troops in Jerusalem (scholars' estimate, according to astronomer Schaefer). 451 - Attila's Hun's plunder Metz. 924 - Emperor Berengarius I of Italy murdered. 1118 - Pope Gelasius II excommunicated Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor. 1250 - Death of St. Hermann Joseph von Steinfeld (born about 1150 in Cologne). 1348 - Prague University, first university in central Europe, formed by Charles IV. 1444 - John Capreolus French theologist (Libri IV), dies at about age 50. 1456 - Louis van Burbon becomes prince-bishop of Luik. 1498 - Charles VIII King of France (1483-98), dies at age 27. 1498 - Crowd storms Savonarola's convent San Marco Florence Italy. 1506 - Birth of Saint Francis Xavier Jesuit missionary to India, Malaya, and Japan. 1509 - France declares war on Venice. 1521 - Inquisitor-General Adrian Boeyens bans Lutheran books. 1521 - Magelhaes' fleet reaches Cebu. 1524 - Philip of Burgundy bishop of Utrecht, dies. 1534 - Birth of José de Anchieta Spanish jesuit/missionary (Brazilian Tupi-Indians). 1584 - Ieper surrenders to duke Van Parma. 1604 - Four ships depart France under commands of Sieur de Monts, Jean de Poutrincourt, and Samuel de Champlain, under commission from King Henry IV, to colonize the new world, search for gold and silver, and grant land. 1613 - Birth of Gerard Dou Dutch painter (Night School). 1614 - El Greco Spanish painter (View of Toledo), dies (birth date unknown). 1622 - Birth of Louise Hollandine daughter of King Frederik V and Elizabeth Stuart. 1625 - Albrecht von Wallenstein appointed German supreme commander. 1629 - Birth of Juan José of Austria, Spanish General/Governor of Netherlands. 1645 - Michael Cardozo becomes first Jewish lawyer in Brazil. 1648 - Birth of Ferdinand van Kessel Flemish painter. 1652 - Dutch establish settlement at Cape Town, South Africa. 1655 - Fabio Chigi replaces Pope Innocent X as Alexander VII. 1694 - Birth of Coelestin Praelisauer composer. 1699 - Birth of Andreas Benedikt Praelisauer composer. 1712 - Slave revolt (New York City, New York). 1719 - Jean-Baptiste de la Salle French priest/theory/saint, dies at age 67. 1724 - Johann S Bach's "John Passion" premieres in Leipzig. 1727 - Birth of Henri Hardouin composer. 1727 - Birth of Michel Adanson French biologist (Natural History of Sénégal). 1745 - Birth of Georg Druschetzky composer. 1748 - Birth of Georg Wenzel Ritter composer. 1756 - Birth of Charles Felix King of Sardina (1821-31). 1763 - Birth of Domenico Dragonetti composer. 1766 - Tiberius Hemsterhuis Dutch classicist, dies at age 81. 1767 - Franz Sparry composer, dies at age 51. 1768 - Birth of Karl Theodor Toeschi composer. 1768 - Michel Mathieu composer, dies at age 78. 1770 - Birth of William Wordsworth England, poet laureate (The Prelude). 1772 - Birth of F M Charles Fourier French socialist. 1775 - Birth of Francis C Lowell founded first raw cotton-to-cloth textile mill. 1778 - Johann Balthasar Kehl composer, dies at age 52. 1780 - Birth of William Ellery Channing US, Unitarian clergyman. 1783 - Ignaz Jakob Holzbauer composer, dies at age 71. 1786 - Birth of William Rufus DeVane King (Democrat) 13th US Vice President (1853). 1788 - First settlement in Ohio, at Marietta. 1789 - Abdül-Hamid I 27th sultan of Turkey (1774-89), dies at age 64. 1789 - Peter Camper anatomist/animal scholar, dies at age 66. 1798 - Territory of Mississippi is organized. 1801 - Birth of Henry Eagle Commander (Union Navy), died in 1882. 1803 - Birth of Flora Tristan writer. 1803 - [François Dominique] Toussaint L'Ouverture Haitian revolutionary, dies. 1805 - Birth of Francis Wilkinson Pickens (Governor-South Carolina, Confederacy), died in 1869. 1805 - Premiere of Beethoven's "Eroica" (conducted by himself). 1810 - Pieter L van de Kasteele Dutch politician/patriot, dies at age 61. 1818 - General Andrew Jackson conquers Saint Marks Florida from Seminole Indians. 1819 - Birth of Hubert Leonard composer. 1820 - Birth of György Klapka Hungarian General/Member of Parliament (Komárom-castle). 1822 - Birth of Gershom Mott Major General (Union volunteers). 1826 - Birth of Johann Hermann Berens composer. 1827 - English chemist John Walker invents wooden matches. 1831 - Dom Pedro abdicates to son, Dom Pedro II crowned emperor of Brazil. 1833 - Antoni Henryk Radziwill Lithuanian/Polish composer, dies at age 57. 1841 - Birth of Alfred Cogniaux Belgian botanicus. 1841 - Birth of Joseph H "Jozef" Neuhuys painter. 1842 - Henrik A Bjerregaard Norwegian writer/poet (Fjeldeventyret), dies at age 50. 1847 - Birth of J P Jacobsen writer. 1850 - William Lisle Bowles English poet (14 Sonnets), dies at age 87. 1851 - Birth of Otto Adolf Klauwell composer. 1858 - Anton Diabelli Austria publisher/composer, dies at age 76. 1858 - Birth of Adrien H Gerhard Dutch socialist politician (SDAP). 1859 - Birth of Walter Camp Connecticut, father of American football (Yale). 1860 - Birth of W K Kellogg a real corn flake. 1860 - Grand duke Frederik I liberalizes laws in Bathe. 1862 - Sydney Nelson composer, dies at age 62. 1862 - Grant defeats Confederates at Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee; Island #10 falls. 1863 - Battle of Charleston, South Carolina; failed Federal fleet attack on Fort Sumter. 1865 - Battle of Farmville, Virginia. 1869 - Birth of David Grandison Fairchild US, botanist/explorer, brought plants to US. 1870 - Birth of Gustav Landauer German socialist. 1870 - Birth of Joseph Ryeland Belgian composer/Baron. 1871 - Alexander grandson of English queen Victoria, dies at one day old. 1871 - Wilhelm Freiherr von Tegetthoff Austrian Admiral (Helgoland/Lissa), dies at age 43. 1872 - Birth of William Monroe Trotter famous African. 1875 - Georg Herwegh writer, dies at age 57. 1877 - Errico Petrella composer, dies at age 63. 1878 - Birth of C M M Hathorn cricketer (South African Test centurion in 1905-06). 1878 - Birth of Jozef C Bittremieux Flemish theologist (Virgin and Mother of God). 1880 - Diederich Krug composer, dies at age 58. 1881 - Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte Corsican Member of Parliament, dies at age 65. 1882 - Birth of Bert "Dainty" Ironmonger cricketer (belated Australian representative 1928-33). 1882 - Birth of Kurt von Schleiger German chancellor (12/2/32-1/28/33). 1884 - Birth of Charles Dodd English new testament authority. 1884 - Birth of Louis H N Bosch van Rosenthal Dutch politician/resistance fighter. 1884 - Maria van Ackere-Doolaeghe Flemish poet (Avondlamp), dies at age 80. 1889 - Birth of Gabriela Mistral Chilean poet (Desolación, Tenderness)/Nobel Prize 1945. 1890 - Birth of Marjory Stoneman Douglas environmentalist (first Lady of Everglades). 1891 - Nebraska introduces the 8 hour work day. 1891 - P[hineas] T Barnum US circus promoter (Barnum and Bailey), dies at age 80. 1893 - Birth of Allan W Dulles US diplomat/Central Intelligence Agency head 1953-61 (Germany's Underground). 1893 - Birth of Irene Castle dancer (leader in anti-vivisection movement). 1894 - Birth of Gerald Brenan English writer. 1895 - Birth of Eduardo Toldra composer. 1895 - Birth of Lewis B Combs naval commander/civil engineer. 1896 - Birth of Benny Leonard lightweight boxing champion (1917-25). 1897 - Birth of Harald Sigurd Johan Saeverud composer. 1897 - Birth of Walter Winchell Harlem New York City, New York, newscaster/columnist (Untouchables). 1899 - Birth of Robert Marcel Casadesus French pianist/composer (Prix Diémer). 1900 - Birth of Tebbs Lloyd Johnson England, 50K walker (Olympics-bronze-1952). 1901 - SDAP demands General voting right/abolishing First Chamber. 1902 - Texas Oil Company (Texaco) forms. 1903 - Birth of Willi Forst Austrian actor/director (Im weissen Rössl). 1906 - Act of Algeciras drawn between Moroccan police and banking business. 1908 - Birth of Le Duan Vietnamese politician. 1908 - Birth of Percy Faith conductor (Summer Place). 1912 - Birth of John Adrian Hope politician/businessman. 1912 - Birth of Valère Depauw Flemish writer. 1914 - Birth of Sydney Thompson rock climber. 1915 - Birth of Billie Holiday [Eleanora Fagan] Philadelphia Pennsylvania, singer (Ain't Nobody's Business). 1915 - Birth of Henry Kuttner US, sci-fi author (Dark World, As You Were, Startling Worlds of Henry Kuttner). 1917 - Birth of R G Armstrong Birmingham Alabama; actor (T.H.E. Cat). 1917 - De Falla's ballet "El Sombrero de tres Picos", premieres in Madrid. 1917 - James Barries' "Old Lady Shows Her", premieres in London. 1917 - Spyridon Filiskos Samaras composer, dies at age 53. 1918 - Birth of C B Bertie Clarke cricketer (Barbados and West Indian leg-spinner). 1918 - Birth of Peanuts Hucko Syracuse New York, dixieland clarinetist (Lawrence Welk Show). 1918 - Birth of Peter Aryans [PCJ Vander] Dutch radio actor (Shoot Out). 1918 - Birth of Ronald Howard Norwood England; actor (Naked Edge, Africa-Texas Style). 1919 - First parcel of land is purchased for Cleveland Metroparks. 1919 - Birth of Edoardo Mangiarotti Italy, épée (Olympics-gold-1952). 1919 - Birth of Ralph Flanagan Loraine Ohio, orchestra leader (Let's Dance). 1920 - Birth of Ravi Shankar Benares India, sitar player (Sounds of India). 1920 - Birth of Terence Edward Armstrong polar geographer. 1922 - Birth of Kenneth Howard Peacock composer. 1922 - Naval Reserve #3, "Teapot Dome", leased to Harry F Sinclair. 1923 - First brain tumor operation under local anesthetic performed (Beth Israel Hospital in New York City) by Dr K Winfield Ney. 1923 - Workers Party of America (New York City) becomes official communist party. 1924 - Birth of Harry Cordon comic/host (Fred Haché Show). 1924 - Birth of Ikuma Dan composer. 1924 - Birth of Nick Perito Denver Colorado, orchestra leader (Don Knotts Show, Big Show). 1926 - Birth of Johannes Rood Dutch immunologist (Eurotransplant). 1926 - Forest fire burns 900 acres and kills two (San Luis Obispo California). 1926 - Mussolini's Irish wife breaks his nose. 1927 - Using phone lines TV is sent from Washington DC to New York City, New York. 1928 - 44-year old New York Ranger General Manager Lester Patrick replaces his injured goaltender in a Stanley Cup game, and beats Montréal Maroons 2-1. 1928 - Birth of Alan J Pakula director (All the President's Men, Klute). 1928 - Birth of James White United Kingdom, sci-fi author (Star Surgeon, Star Healer). 1928 - Birth of James [Scott Bumgarner] Garner Norman Oklahoma; actor (Rockford Files, Bret Maverick). 1930 - Birth of Andrew Sachs actor (Manuel-Fawlty Towers). 1931 - Birth of Daniel Ellsberg whistleblower (Pentagon Papers)/patriot. 1931 - Birth of Donald Barthelme Philadelphia Pennsylvania, writer (Snow White, Sadness). 1931 - Seals Stadium opens in San Francisco. 1932 - Birth of Louis "Mr Bo" Collins Indianola Mississippi, blues singer (If Trouble Was Money). 1932 - Erv A Kelley US policeman, shot to death by Pretty Boy Floyd. 1933 - First two Nazi anti-Jewish laws, bar Jews from legal and public service. 1933 - Birth of Wayne Rogers Birmingham Alabama; actor (MASH, House Calls, Chiefs). 1933 - Jan Erik/Eric Jan Hanussen Berlin astrologist/illusionist, murdered. 1933 - Prohibition ends, Utah becomes 38th state to ratify 21st Amendment. 1933 - University Bridge, Seattle opens for traffic. 1934 - Birth of Ian Richards Edinburgh Scotland; actor (Montgomery-Ike). 1934 - In India, Mahatma Gandhi suspends his campaign of civil disobedience. 1934 - William Monroe Trotter civil rights activist/journalist, dies on 62nd birthday in Boston. 1935 - Birth of Bobby Bare Irontown Ohio, country singer (Detroit City). 1935 - Birth of Hodding Carter III press secretary (Jimmy Carter). 1935 - Birth of Yvonne Fedderson co-founder (Childhelp USA). 1937 - Birth of [Big] Charlie Thomas New York City, New York, jazz/rock singer (Drifters). 1938 - Birth of Freddie Hubbard Indianapolis Indiana, jazz trumpeter (Art Blakey). 1938 - Birth of Yvonne Lime Glendale California, actress (Father Knows Best, Dobie Gillis). 1938 - Birth of [Edmund G] Jerry Brown Jr San Francisco California, (Governor-Democrat-California, 1975-83). 1939 - Birth of David Frost Tenderdon England, TV host (That Was the Week That Was). 1939 - Birth of Donald L Holmquest Dallas Texas, astronaut. 1939 - Birth of Francis Ford Coppola Detroit Michigan, film maker (Godfather, Apocalypse Now, American Graffiti). 1939 - Italy invades Albania. 1940 - First black to appear on US stamp (Booker T Washington). 1940 - 7th Golf Masters Championship: Jimmy Demaret beats Lloyd Mangrum, shooting a 280. 1940 - Birth of Jan Wilhelm Morthenson composer. 1940 - Birth of Patricia Paay Dutch singer (You are not hip). 1941 - British Generals O'Connor and Neame captured in North Africa. 1942 - Birth of Edda Barends actress (Arthur and Eva). 1942 - Heavy German assault on Malta. 1943 - Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet for an Axis conference in Salzburg. 1943 - Birth of Dennis Amiss cricketer (prolific English batsman). 1943 - Birth of Mick Abrahams Luton Bedfordshire England, rock guitarist (Jethro Tull-This Was). 1943 - Birth of Roberta Shore [Schourup] Monterey Park California, actress/singer (Virginian). 1943 - Birth of Spencer Dryden New York City, New York, rock drummer (Jefferson Airplane-Go Ask Alice). 1943 - British/US troops make contact at Wadi Akarit, South-Tunisia. 1943 - Jovan Ducic Serbian poet (Blue Legends), dies at age 72. 1943 - Lieutenant Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg seriously wounded in allied air raid. 1943 - NFL adopts free substitution rule. 1944 - British General Bernard Montgomery speaks to generals about invasion plan. 1945 - First and last assault of German Rammkommando on US bombers. 1945 - US B-17s bombs range at Lüneburg. 1945 - (1423 hours) Japanese battleship Yamato sinks. Only 269 of a crew of 3332 survive. 1946 - 10th Golf Masters Championship: Herman Keiser wins, shooting a 282. 1946 - Birth of Barbara Benary; composer. 1946 - Birth of Bill Kreutzmann in Palo Alto, California, USA; drummer (Grateful Dead, Grass Roots). 1946 - Part of East Prussia incorporated into Russian SFSR. 1947 - Birth of Patricia Bennett; American singer ("He's So Fine"). 1948 - World Health Organization established by United Nations. 1949 - Birth of John Oates in New York City, New York, USA; guitarist/vocalist (Hall and Oates - "Rich Girl"). 1949 - Rogers and Hammerstein's play South Pacific opens at Majestic Theater in New York (for 1928 performances). 1951 - 15th Golf Masters Championship: Ben Hogan wins, shooting a 280. 1951 - American Bowling Congress begins first masters tournament. 1951 - Birth of Janis Ian [Janis Eddy Fink] in New York City, New York, USA; folk singer (Society's Child, At 17). 1951 - Birth of John Dittrich in Union, New Jersey, USA; country singer (Restless Heart - "Wheels"). 1951 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak. 1952 - Birth of Bruce Gary in Burbank, California, USA; rock drummer (The Knack - "My Sharona"). 1952 - Birth of Jane Frederick; US pentathlete (Olympics-7th-1976). 1953 - First west-to-east jet transatlantic nonstop flight. 1953 - Birth of Everard Endt; American yachting (Olympics-gold-1952). 1953 - Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden elected second United Nations Secretary-General. 1954 - Birth of Donna White; LPGA golfer. 1954 - Birth of Jackie Chan; martial art actor (Rumble in the Bronx). 1954 - Birth of Tony Dorsett; NFL running back (Dallas Cowboys, Heisman Trophy). 1954 - Federal Republic of Germany government refuses to recognize German Democratic Republic. 1954 - US President Dwight Eisenhower fears "domino-effect" in Indo-China. 1955 - Birth of Andrea Fisher; artist. 1955 - Theda Bara, actress (Camille, Cleopatra, Two Orphans), dies at age 62. 1956 - 10th NBA Championship: Philadelphia Warriors beat Fort Wayne Pistons, 4 games to 1. 1956 - Birth of Gail Lee Hirata; LPGA golfer. 1956 - Spain relinquishes her protectorate in Morocco. 1957 - 21st Golf Masters Championship: Doug Ford wins, shooting a 283. 1957 - Last of New York's electric trolleys completes its final run. 1958 - Birth of Alexandra Neil in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; actress (Rose - Guiding Light). 1958 - Birth of Tony Ayre; rocker (Adventures - "Sea of Love"). 1958 - Los Angeles Dodgers erect 42-foot screen in left field at Los Angeles Coliseum to cut down on home runs, since it is only 250 feet down the line. 1958 - Judge Jackson, composer, dies at age 75. 1958 - Klimenty Arkad'yevich Korchmaryov, composer, dies at age 58. 1959 - Oklahoma ends prohibition, after 51 years. 1959 - Radar first bounced off sun, from Stanford, California. 1960 - Birth of Simon Climie; rock vocalist/keyboardist (Climie Fisher - "Love Changes"). 1961 - Jesus Guridi, composer, dies at age 74. 1961 - Marian Jordan, radio comedienne (Fibber McGee and Molly), dies at age 62. 1961 - Yusef Greiss, composer, dies at age 61. 1962 - Birth of Andy Hampsten in Columbus, Ohio, USA; cyclist (Olympics-1996). 1962 - Birth of Bonny Warner in Mount Baldy, California, USA; lugist. 1962 - Birth of Hugh Edward Ralph O'Connor; actor (In the Heat of the Night). 1962 - Umrigar slams 172 versus West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 248 minutes. 1962 - Yugoslav ex-president Milovan Djilas returns to jail. 1963 - 27th Golf Masters Championship: Jack Nicklaus wins, shooting a 286. 1963 - Public stock offering of 115,000 shares in Milwaukee Braves withdrawn after only 13,000 shares are sold to 1,600 new investors. 1963 - Yugoslavia proclaimed a Socialistic republic. 1964 - Birth of Helen Wadsworth in South Wales; golfer (Curtis Cup 1990). 1964 - Birth of Joe Durant in Pensacola, Florida, USA; Nike golfer (1992 Boise Open-7th). 1964 - IBM introduces the IBM System/360 mainframe computer. 1965 - Bevan Congdon makes a stumping as 12th man New Zealand versus Pakistan. 1965 - Birth of Alexander Mronz in Cologne, Germany; tennis star. 1965 - Birth of Kaushik Amalean; cricketer (two Tests for Sri Lanka 1986-88). 1966 - Birth of Teri Ann Linn in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; actress (Kristen - The Bold and the Beautiful). 1966 - US recovers lost H-bomb from Mediterranean floor. 1967 - Birth of Steve Wisniewski; NFL guard (Oakland Raiders). 1967 - Israeli/Syrian border fights. 1967 - Tom Donahue, San Francisco disc jockey, begins new radio format - Progressive (KMPX-FM). 1968 - Birth of Bill Bellamy; actor (Fled, How to be a Player, Joey Breaker). 1968 - Birth of Don[ald] Smith in North Tonawanda, New York, USA; rower (Olympics-5th-1996). 1968 - Jim Clark of Scotland, former world driving champion, dies in race car at age 32. 1969 - Birth of Clark Sheehan in Denver, Colorado, USA; cyclist (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Jeremy Lincoln; NFL cornerback (Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks). 1969 - Birth of Peggy Clasen in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; speed skater (Olympics-1994). 1969 - Birth of Ricky Bones in Salinas, Puerto Rico; pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees). 1969 - Birth of Ricky Watters; NFL running back (Philadelphia Eagles). 1969 - Los Angeles Dodgers' Bill Singer is credited with first official save, against Cincinnati Reds. 1969 - US Supreme Court strikes down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material. 1969 - Ted Williams begins managing Washington Senators, they lose to New York Yankees 8-4. 1970 - 42nd Academy Awards - Midnight Cowboy, John Wayne and Maggie Smith win. 1970 - Birth of Alexander Karpovtsev in Moscow, Russia; NHL defenseman (New York Rangers). 1970 - Birth of Kevin Smith; NFL cornerback (Dallas Cowboys). 1970 - Netherlands issues the world's first postage stamps with images created by computer. 1970 - In Philippine Islands, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurs. 1970 - Josina Machel, wife of Mozambique's first President Samora Machel, dies. 1970 - Milwaukee Brewers' (former Seattle Pilots) first game, lose to California Angels 12-0. 1971 - Birth of Cara Kendra Bernosky; Miss Pennsylvania-USA (1997). 1971 - Birth of Mark Thompson in Russellville, Kentucky, USA; pitcher (Colorado Rockies). 1971 - Birth of Stephen Brimacombe; Australian 100 metre/200 metre (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Victor Kraatz in Berlin, Germany; Canadian ice dancer (1995 World Champions-4th). 1971 - Charles F Pahud de Mortanges (Olympics-gold-1928, 1932), dies at age 74. 1971 - Dismissal of Curt Flood's suit against baseball is upheld by US Supreme Court. 1971 - US President Richard Nixon orders Lieutenant Calley (My Lai) free. 1971 - WCJB TV channel 20 in Gainesville Florida (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting three-judge US Circuit Court of Appeals. 1972 - "Crazy" Joe Gallo, mobster, killed at his 43rd birthday party. 1972 - Abeid Karume, Tanzanian sheik/President, murdered. 1972 - Birth of Greg Clark; tight end (San Francisco 49ers). 1972 - Birth of Joanne Brown; Australian softball catcher/first baseman (Olympics-bronze-1996). 1972 - Birth of Lovett Purnell; wide receiver (New England Patriots). 1972 - Birth of Malcolm Huckaby; NBA guard (Miami Heat). 1972 - Birth of Shana Williams in Bridgeton, New Jersey, USA; long jumper/heptathlete. 1972 - Victor Wong, actor (Mission to Moscow, King Kong) dies at age 65. 1973 - Cleveland Indians sets day-game and opening-game attendance records of 74,420. 1973 - Doug Walters' best Test Cricket bowling, 5-66 versus West Indies Georgetown. 1973 - Nick Stuart, bandleader, dies of cancer at age 69. 1974 - Birth of Anita Maxwell; WNBA forward (Cleveland Rockers). 1975 - Birth of Beverly Peele; supermodel (Elle). 1975 - Birth of Ronde Barber; cornerback (Tampa Bay Buccaneers). 1975 - Birth of Tiki Barber; running back (New York Giants). 1975 - Birth of Victoria Adams in Hertfordshire; vocalist (Posh Spice - Spice Girls). 1976 - Birth of Erich Goldmann Dingolfing in Germany; hockey defenseman (Team Germany 1998). 1976 - Chinese Politburo fires vice-premier Deng Xiaoping. 1976 - Mary Margaret McBride, TV hostess (Mary Margaret McBride), dies at age 76. 1977 - Consumer Product Safety Commission bans the flame-retardant chemical "TRIS". 1977 - Toronto Blue Jays' first game, they beat Chicago Cubs 9-5. 1978 - Birth of Siobhan Drake-Brockman in Bunbury, Australia; tennis star (1994 Port Pirie). 1978 - Ernest Kanitz, composer, dies at age 83. 1978 - Guttenberg bible sold for US$2 million in New York City. 1978 - US President Jimmy Carter defers production of the neutron bomb. 1978 - US Court of Appeals upholds Commissioner Kuhn's voiding of attempted player sales by Oakland Athletics' owner Charlie Finley in June 1976. 1979 - Bruno Apitz, writer, dies at age 78. 1979 - Houston Astros' Ken Forsch pitches no-hitter against Atlanta Braves, 6-0. 1979 - New York Islanders' Mike Bossy scores four goals against Philadelphia Flyers. 1980 - The United States severs diplomatic relations with Iran and imposes economic sanctions. 1981 - Belgium Eysken's government forms. 1981 - Willem Klein mentally extracts 13th root of a 100-digit number in 29 seconds. 1981 - Birth of Suzann Pettersen; Norwegian golfer. 1981 - Death of Norman Taurog, American film director (born 1899). 1982 - Birth of Sonjay Dutt; Indian American professional wrestler. 1982 - Brenda Benet, actress (Track of Thunder), commits suicide by gun at age 36. 1982 - Iran minister of Foreign affairs Ghotbzadeh arrested. 1983 - WIBC Championship Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, attracts 75,480 women bowlers for 83-day event. 1983 - STS-6: Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts Story Musgrave and Donald H. Peterson perform the first space shuttle spacewalk (duration: 4 hours, 10 minutes). 1983 - Gavin Gordon, television actor (Romance, Lone Cowboy), dies at age 82. 1983 - Oldest human skeleton, aged 80,000 years, discovered in Egypt. 1984 - Detroit Tigers' pitcher Jack Morris pitches no-hitter against Chicago White Sox, 4-0. 1984 - Frank Church (Senator-Democrat-Ohio, 1957-81), dies at age 59. 1984 - Samuel G Engel, screenwriter/poet, dies of heart failure at age 79. 1985 - 14th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Alice Miller. 1985 - First live telecast of Easter Parade. 1985 - New Jersey General Hershel Walker runs for USFL record 233 yards. 1986 - Birth of Choi Siwon; Korean singer, member of Super Junior. 1986 - Wrestlemania II at three locations, Hulk Hogan beats King Kong Bundy. 1986 - Boston Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans becomes the first player to hit the first pitch of the first game on Opening Day for a home run. 1986 - Death of Leonid Kantorovich, Russian economist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1912). 1987 - Maxine Sullivan [Williams], American actress (Going Places), dies at age 75. 1987 - National Museum of Female Physicians opens in Washington, DC. 1987 - Atlanta Braves' pitcher Rick Mahler throws his third Opening Day shutout tying a National League record. 1988 - Cesar Bresgen, Austrian composer/organist, dies at age 74. 1988 - Gerrit John Heijns, murderer, arrested. 1988 - New Jersey Devils 3-2 over New York Islanders, first NHL playoff round tied 1-1. 1988 - Russia announces it will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. 1988 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1989 - New York Supreme Court takes America's Cup away from San Diego Yacht Club for using a catamaran against New Zealand; appeals court eventually overrules. 1989 - Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets sinks in the Barents Sea, killing 41. 1990 - BPAA US Open won by Ron Palombi Jr. 1990 - Farm Aid IV concert. 1990 - Thirty die in a ferry flip-over in Burma. 1990 - John Poindexter (US National Security Advisor) is found guilty of five charges for his part in the Iran Contra scandal; the convictions are later reversed on appeal. 1990 - New York Rangers beat New York Islanders 5-2, New York Rangers lead 2-0 in preliminary NHL playoff. 1991 - "Big Love" closes at Plymouth Theater New York City after 41 performances. 1991 - "Shadowlands" closes at Brooks Atkinson Theater New York City after 169 performances. 1991 - Third Seniors Golf Tradition: Jack Nicklaus. 1991 - Chris Johnson wins LPGA Ping/Welch's Golf Championship. 1991 - Compton Gamma Ray Observatory orbits Earth. 1992 - Alix Talton, former Miss Georgia, dies of lung cancer at age 72. 1992 - Clovis Ruffin, fashion designer (T shirt dress), dies of AIDS at age 46. 1992 - Rick Emery dies after long illness at age 39. 1992 - Death of Ace Bailey, Canadian hockey player (born 1903). 1993 - Dante Bichette hits the first Colorado Rockies homerun (Shea Stadium, New York). 1993 - Max Croiset, Dutch actor/dramatist/director (Zeekant), dies at age 80. 1993 - Richard Schmiechen, dies of AIDS at age 45. 1993 - S C (Billy) Griffith, cricketer (England 1948-49, MCC secretary), dies. 1994 - Rwandan armed forces kill ten Belgian peacekeeping officers leading to the withdrawal of United Nations troops from the country. 1994 - Medea opens at Longacre Theater in New York City for 82 performances. 1994 - First night game at Cleveland's Jacobs Field, Cleveland Indians 6, Seattle Mariners 2. 1994 - Angelus Gottfried "Golo" Mann, German/US historian, dies at age 85 in Leverkusen, Germany (born 1909). 1994 - Arthur Gordon Clough, journalist, dies at age 59. 1994 - Evert Hartman, Dutch writer (War Without Friends), dies at age 56. 1994 - François de Grossouvre, President Mitterrand advisor, suicide at age 76. 1994 - Lee Brilleaux, British R&B-singer/guitarist (Stupidity), dies at age 41. 1994 - New York Yankees beat Texas Rangers 18-6. 1994 - Shannen Doherty files for divorce from Ashley Hamilton. 1994 - Vatican acknowledges Holocaust (Nazi's killing Jews) for first time. 1994 - Death of Albert Guðmundsson, Icelandic footballer and politician (born 1923). 1995 - House Republicans celebrate passage of most of the Contract with America. 1995 - Baseball exhibition season begins late due to strike. 1995 - Philip Vincent Belloc Jebb, architect, dies at age 68. 1995 - Buena Vista Pictures releases the Walt Disney Pictures animated feature film A Goofy Movie to theaters in the US. 1995 - Buena Vista Pictures generally releases the film Jefferson in Paris to theaters in the USA. 1995 - The last episode of Disney's syndicated TV show Judge for Yourself airs. 1996 - 8th Seniors Golf Tradition; Jack Nicklaus wins. 1996 - Ian Spurling, ballet designer, dies at age 59. 1996 - Jayasuriya hits fastest ODI fifty off 17 balls versus Pakistan, Singapore. 1996 - Kelly Robbins wins Sacramento 12 Bridges LPGA Golf Classic. 1996 - Pakistan beats Sri Lanka to win Singer Cup in Singapore. 1997 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Fort Myers Florida on WRXK 96.1 FM. 1997 - Death of Witto Aloma, Cuban Major League Baseball player (born 1923). 1997 - Death of Georgi Shonin, cosmonaut (born 1935). 1998 - Citicorp and Travelers Group announce plans to merge, creating the largest financial-services conglomerate in the world, Citigroup. 1999 - Kosovo's main border crossings are closed by Serbian forces to prevent ethnic Albanians from leaving. 1999 - A bomb explodes at the Valley of the Fallen Church in Spain; GRAPO claims responsibility. 2000 - Attack submarine ex-Trepang completes being recycled. 2001 - Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old African-American, is shot by a police officer in Cincinnati, Ohio, sparking riots in downtown Cincinnati from April 10 to April 12. 2001 - Death of David Graf, American actor (born 1950). 2001 - Death of Beatrice Straight, American actress (born 1914). 2003 - The Boston Red Sox exercise Pedro Martinez's option for the 2004 season, making Martinez the highest paid pitcher for a season in major league history, at US$17.5 million. 2003 - Syracuse wins the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, defeating Kansas 81-78. 2003 - The National Association of Broadcasters holds a luncheon honoring the Disney franchise. Company chairman Michael Eisner announces Disney will begin testing a new video-on-demand service called Movie Beam later in the year. A television set-top box will download new film releases over regular television broadcast signal to a local storage device for later playback. 2003 - Death of Cecile de Brunhoff, French storyteller (born 1903). 2005 - MG Rover, the United Kingdom's sole remaining automotive mass-production facility, goes into receivership after a planned alliance with Chinese manufacturer, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, collapses. 2005 - A suicide bomber blows himself up in Cairo's Khan al Khalili market, killing two foreign tourists and wounding 17 others. A group called "Islamic Pride Brigades" claims responsibility. 2007 - Birth of HRH Princess Haalah bint Al Hashim, daughter of Prince Hashim bin Al Hussein and Princess Fahdah Mohammed Abu Neyan. 2007 - Death of Johnny Hart, American cartoonist (born 1931). 2007 - Death of Barry Nelson, American actor (born 1920). 2007 - Death of Carey W. Barber, Jehovah's Witnesses leader (born 1905). 2008 - Child Protective Services of Texas remove 401 children from a ranch in west Texas belonging to jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, and dozens of women leave or are removed in an investigation of sexual and child abuse. 2008 - A British inquiry in to the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi al-Fayed concludes the pair were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of their chauffeur and paparazzi photographers pursuing them into a Paris road tunnel ten years ago. The inquiry cost 10 million pounds (US$20 million). 2008 - The 92nd annual Pullitzer Prize Awards are announced by Columbia University. Some award recipients: Breaking News: the Washington Post for its coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre; Public Service Journalism: the Washington Post for exposing the poor hospital treatment of US soldiers returning home after being wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan; Breaking News Photography: Reuters news agency for its picture of a Japanese videographer killed during last year's demonstrations in Burma; National reporting: the Washington Post; International Reporting: the Washington Post; Feature Writing: the Washington Post; Commentary: the Washington Post; Investigative Reporting: the New York Times; Explanatory Reporting: the New York Times. 2008 - The International Monetary Fund announces plans to cut costs (380 jobs) and sell 403 tonnes of its gold reserves, to raise about US$17 billion. 2008 - In San Antonio, Texas, the Kansas Jayhawks defeat the Memphis Tigers 75-68 in overtime to win their first NCAA basketball national championship in 20 years. 2009 - Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in jail for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces. You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://thisdayinhistoryinfo.info/   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 Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Coins