This Day in History
December 11

Copyright © 2006-2024 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: ken@kpolsson.com
URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/
(this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing a single day's events)

What happened in history on this day: December 11?

On December 11 in ...

  • 384 - Saint Damasus I ends his reign as Catholic Pope.
  • 1282 - Llywelyn ab Gruffydd monarch of North Wales (1246-77), dies.
  • 1282 - Michael VIII Paleologus, Byzantine emperor (1259-82), dies.
  • 1419 - Heretic Nicolaas Serrurier exiled from Florence.
  • 1475 - Birth of Leo X [Giovanni de' Medici] Italy, Pope (1513-21).
  • 1477 - Duchess Maria van Bourgondie ends Great Privilegie.
  • 1518 - Ulrich Zwingli is elected the People's Preacher in Zürich, Switzerland.
  • 1524 - Henry Van Zutphen Dutch protestant martyr, burned at stake.
  • 1566 - Birth of Manuel Cardoso composer.
  • 1572 - Spanish troops begin siege of Haarlem.
  • 1573 - Alardus/Eilard de Waterlant duke of Alva, hanged.
  • 1582 - Fernando Alvarez de Toledo marquis of Soria, dies at about age 75.
  • 1595 - Philip III van Croij prince of Chimay/general, dies at age 69.
  • 1610 - Forges Dimitri #2 czar of Russia, murdered.
  • 1618 - Russia and Poland signs Peace treaty of Dailino.
  • 1665 - "Messiah" Sjabtai Tswi festival in Smyrna.
  • 1686 - Louis II Condé duke of Bourbon, dies at age 65.
  • 1710 - Battle of Villa Viciosa (France beat Habsburgers).
  • 1712 - Birth of Francesco Algarotti Italian earl/encyclopedic (Viaggio in Russia).
  • 1719 - First recorded display of Aurora Borealis in US (New England).
  • 1748 - Ewald G von Kleist German lawyer/inventor of condensator, dies at age 55.
  • 1756 - Theodor A Freiherr von Neuhoff German adventurer/king, dies.
  • 1781 - Birth of David Brewster in Scotland; physicist/inventor (kaleidoscope).
  • 1797 - Birth of Hiram Paulding; US rear-admiral (Union Navy) (dies 1878).
  • 1803 - Birth of Hector Lou Berlioz in Côte-Saint-André Isère, France; composer (Manqué).
  • 1810 - Birth of Alfred de Musset in Paris, France; writer (Un Caprice, Bettine).
  • 1812 - First newspaper on Curaçao (Curaçao Gazette and Commercial Advertiser).
  • 1813 - French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte signs Treaty of Valency for Ferdinand VII to return to Spain.
  • 1816 - Citizens of Geneva thwart Savoyard invaders.
  • 1816 - Indiana becomes the 19th U.S. state.
  • 1835 - Birth of Adolf Stoecker; German anti-semite/Prime Minister.
  • 1836 - In Macaé, Brazil, a falling meteorite damages several homes and kills several oxen.
  • 1838 - Birth of Emil Rathenau; German industrialist (AEG).
  • 1840 - Birth of Kemal Bey in Turkey; poet/author (Fatherland - 1872).
  • 1843 - Birth of Robert Koch; German bacteriologist (tiberculosis, cholera, Nobel Prize 1905).
  • 1844 - First dental use of nitrous oxide, in Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
  • 1849 - Birth of Ellen Key; Swedish theory/author/feminist (Courageous Woman).
  • 1862 - Union army under Burnside takes Fredericksburg, Virginia.
  • 1863 - Birth of Annie Jump Cannon; US stellar spectroscopist (Harvard-classification).
  • 1866 - First yacht race across the Atlantic Ocean.
  • 1867 - Birth of Bela Lyon Pratt; American coin designer.
  • 1870 - Birth of Adolph A. Weinman; designer of US half dollar and dime.
  • 1874 - Birth of Paul Wegener; German actor/director (Student of Prag).
  • 1882 - Birth of Fiorello La Guardia; American politician (Mayor-Republican-New York, 1933-45) (dies 1947).
  • 1882 - Birth of Max Born in Germany; physicist (quantum mechanics, Nobel Prize 1954).
  • 1888 - French Panamá Canal company fails.
  • 1891 - Johan C J van Schagen, Dutch poet/writer (Narrenwijsheid), dies.
  • 1892 - Birth of Leo Ornstein in Kremenchug, Russia; composer (Bio in Sonata Form).
  • 1893 - Eleven fishing ships wash up from the Wadden Sea off Germany, 22 killed.
  • 1894 - Birth of Eddie Dowling in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA; composer, actor (Anywhere USA).
  • 1896 - Birth of Georgi K Zjukov; Russian minister of Defense (WWII).
  • 1898 - Birth of Nils J E Ferlin; Swedish poet (Barfotabarn).
  • 1899 - Second defeat of "Black Week" - Battle of Magersfontein - Boer leader Cronjé versus General Methuen.
  • 1899 - Andrew "Andy" Wauchope, British general-major, dies in battle.
  • 1899 - Lord Winchester, British marquis/major, dies in battle.
  • 1901 - Marconi sends first transatlantic radio signal, Cornwall England to Newfoundland.
  • 1902 - Matthias Hohner, German manufacturer (harmonica), dies at age 68.
  • 1903 - British forces under MacDonald and Young march into Tibet.
  • 1903 - Patrick McShane, cricket player/umpire (1884-85 Ashes series), dies.
  • 1905 - 120 degrees F (49 degrees C), Rivadavia, Argentina (South American record).
  • 1905 - Birth of Gilbert Roland [Luis Alonso] in Juarez, México; actor (Juarez, Barbarosa).
  • 1905 - British government of Campbell-Bannerman forms.
  • 1906 - Birth of Birago Diop; Senegalees writer/ambassador (Leurres et Lueurs).
  • 1906 - US President Theodore Roosevelt attacks abuses in the Congo.
  • 1908 - Birth of Elliott Cook Carter Junior in New York City, New York, USA; composer (Tom and Lily).
  • 1909 - Canadian Football exhibition game played in Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, Hamilton Tigers beat Ottawa Rough Riders, 11-6 before crowd of 15,000.
  • 1909 - Colored moving pictures demonstrated at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York.
  • 1911 - Birth of Nagib Machfus; Egyptian writer (Nobel Prize 1988).
  • 1913 - Birth of Carlo Ponti in Milan, Italy; married to Sophia Loren/director (Two Women).
  • 1913 - Birth of Jean Marais in Cherbourgh, France; actor (Eternal Return, Beauty and the Beast, The Storm Within, Donkey Skin, Orpheus, Stealing Beauty - 1996).
  • 1915 - Birth of Anna Graeve AKA Anna van Beers in Amsterdam, Netherlands; actress (A Woman like Eve).
  • 1916 - Birth of Perez Prado in Cuba; mambo singer ("Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" (1955), "Patricia", "Mambo No. 5", "Mambo No. 8").
  • 1916 - David Lloyd George forms British war government.
  • 1917 - Thirteen black soldiers are hanged for alleged participation in Houston, Texas riot.
  • 1917 - German-occupied Lithuania proclaims independence from Russia.
  • 1918 - Birth of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in Russia; writer (Cancer Ward, Nobel Prize 1970).
  • 1918 - Ivan Cankar, Slavic author (Hlapec Jernej), dies at age 42.
  • 1919 - The citizens of Enterprise, Alabama erect a monument to the boll weevil, the pest that devastated their fields but forced residents to end their dependence on cotton and to pursue mixed farming and manufacturing.
  • 1920 - Birth of Eddy Firestone in San Francisco, California, USA; actor (Eddy - Mixed Doubles).
  • 1922 - Birth of Grace Paley; writer (1970 Arts and Letters Award).
  • 1922 - Birth of Peter Birch in the Bronx, New York, USA; choreographer (Jane Froman's USA Canteen).
  • 1923 - Birth of Betsy Blair; actress (Marty).
  • 1924 - Birth of Marie Windsor [Emily Marie Bertelson] in Utah, USA; actress (Double Deal).
  • 1925 - Pope Pius XI publishes encyclical Quas Primas.
  • 1926 - Birth of Willie Mae Thornton AKA Big Mama Thornton in Montgomery, Alabama, USA; blues singer ("Hound Dog" (1953), "Ball and Chain", "Stronger than Dirt").
  • 1926 - Queensland win their first Sheffield Shield cricket match, versus New South Wales.
  • 1927 - Birth of Stein Eriksen in Norway; giant slalom (Olympics-gold-1952).
  • 1928 - Buenos Aires (Argentina) police thwart an attempt on US President-elect Herbert Hoover.
  • 1928 - Major League Baseball National League President John Heydler proposes designated hitter for pitchers.
  • 1929 - Birth of S P "Fergie" Gupte; cricket player (brilliant Indian leg-spinner).
  • 1930 - Bank of the United States opens in New York City, New York.
  • 1930 - Birth of Jean-Louis Trintignant in France; actor/director (Man and a Woman, Z).
  • 1931 - Birth of Richard Devon in Glendale, California, USA; actor (Battle of Blood Island, Richard Diamond Private Detective, The Rifleman).
  • 1931 - Birth of Rita Moreno AKA Rosa Dolores Alverio in Humacao, Puerto Rico; actress (West Side Story, Oz, Muppet Show, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego).
  • 1931 - The British Parliament enacts the Statute of Westminster, which establishes a status of legislative equality between the self-governing dominions of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of Canada, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, the Dominion of New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa.
  • 1931 - Japan leaves the Gold Standard.
  • 1932 - Birth of Aldár Kovácsi in Hungary; pentathlete (Olympics-gold-1952).
  • 1932 - Birth of Anne Heywood [Violet Pretty] in Handsworth, England; Miss Great Britain (1949)/actress (Midas Run, I Want What I Want, Good Luck Miss Wyckoff).
  • 1932 - Birth of Wynn Irwin in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Lotsa Luck, Sugar Time, Hart to Hart).
  • 1933 - Birth of Earnest P van Altena; author/interpreter (Chansons van Earnest).
  • 1933 - Emile C Wauters, Belgian painter (Van der Goes Klooster), dies at age 87.
  • 1934 - 1935 All-Star Game is assigned to Cleveland, Ohio.
  • 1934 - First Toronto Maple Leafs' penalty shot, Conacher unsuccessful versus New York Rangers.
  • 1934 - Birth of Ron Carey in Newark, New Jersey, USA; actor (Barney Miller, Montefuscos, High Anxiety).
  • 1934 - Birth of Salim Durani; cricket player (successful Indian batsman of 1960s).
  • 1934 - Ford C Frick becomes president of American baseball's National League.
  • 1934 - National League votes to permit night baseball (up to 7 games per home team).
  • 1935 - Birth of Femke Boersma; Dutch actress (Verjaring, Pastorale 1943).
  • 1935 - In British Guyana, close to Marudi Mountain, a large meteoroid or small asteroid likely explodes in mid-air, creating an elongated area over 32km long of destroyed forest.
  • 1936 - Birth of Hans van den Broek; Dutch foreign minister (-1992).
  • 1936 - Birth of Tom Fuccello in Newark, New Jersey, USA; actor (Dave - Dallas).
  • 1936 - British King Edward VIII abdicates, after ruling for less than one year (325 days), the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. Edward chose to abdicate after condemnation over his decision to marry the American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson.
  • 1936 - British Parliament approves the abdication of Edward VIII.
  • 1937 - 25th Canadian Football League Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts defeats Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 30-7.
  • 1937 - Birth of Adrian J Vlok; South African NP-minister of Law and Order (1986-).
  • 1937 - Italy withdraws from League of Nations.
  • 1938 - New York Giants win NFL championship.
  • 1939 - Birth of Thomas McGuane; American writer (Cold Feet, Tom Horn, Missouri Breaks).
  • 1939 - Birth of Tom Hayden; 1960s US activist/Mr Jane Fonda/politician (Representative-Democrat-California).
  • 1939 - New anti-Jewish measurements in Poland are proclaimed.
  • 1940 - Birth of David Gates in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; musician (Bread - "If", "Everything I Own").
  • 1940 - Birth of Patrick Tovatt in Garrett Ridge, Colorado, USA; actor (Cal - As the World Turns).
  • 1940 - Russian General Zhukov warns of German assault.
  • 1941 - Birth of Max Baucus; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Montana).
  • 1941 - Dutch government in London declares war on Italy.
  • 1941 - In the Reichstag in Germany, Adolf Hitler announces his declaration of war on the United States.
  • 1941 - Italy declares war on the United States.
  • 1941 - The U.S. Congress declares war on Germany and Italy.
  • 1941 - New York Giants acquire Johnny Mize from Saint Louis Cardinals for three players and $50,000.
  • 1941 - Japanese attack Wake Island (only failed World War II-landing).
  • 1941 - A peace treaty is signed between Japan and Siam. Japan grants to Siam former Siamese territories in Laos, part of northern Malaya, and part of Burma. The Japanese 15th Army crosses Siam into Burma.
  • 1941 - Germany, Italy, and Japan sign an agreement on joint prosecution of the war. Each promises to pursue the war against Great Britain and the United States, and to make peace only by mutual agreement.
  • 1942 - Birth of Donna Mills in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actress (Knots Landing, Incident).
  • 1942 - Australian/Dutch guerrilla troops evacuated to Timor near Australia.
  • 1942 - Birth of Karen Susman; tennis pro (Wimbledon 1962).
  • 1944 - Birth of Teri Garr in Lakewood, Ohio, USA; actress (Mr Mom, Young Frankenstein, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Women of the House, Good Advice).
  • 1944 - Birth of Brenda Lee AKA Brenda Mae Tarpley in Lithonia, Georgia, USA; singer ("I'm Sorry").
  • 1944 - Birth of Lynda Day George in San Marcos, Texas, USA; actress (Casey - Mission Impossible, Once an Eagle, Silent Force).
  • 1945 - Het Parool publishes first "Captain Rob" Dutch comic strip.
  • 1946 - Birth of Rick McCosker; cricket player (fine Australian opener 1975-80).
  • 1946 - Spain suspended from United Nations.
  • 1946 - The General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopts Resolution 95(I) which affirms "the principles of international law recognized by the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Judgement of the Tribunal".
  • 1946 - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established.
  • 1947 - Birth of Tom Fuccello in Newark, New Jersey, USA; actor (Dave - Dallas).
  • 1947 - Pacific Coast League application for major league status rejected.
  • 1948 - Birth of Elizabeth Baur in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Fran - Ironside, Teresa - Lancer).
  • 1949 - Chicago Bears' Johnny Lujack passes for six touchdowns versus Chicago Cardinals (52-29).
  • 1949 - Cleveland Browns beat San Francisco 49ers 21-7 in final AAFC championship game.
  • 1950 - Baseball owners vote 9-7 not to renew Commissioner Chandler's contract.
  • 1951 - Birth of Robert Cochran in Claremont, Vermont, USA; skier (Olympics-1972).
  • 1951 - Joe Dimaggio announces his baseball retirement.
  • 1952 - Birth of Susan Seidelman; director (Desperately Seeking Susan).
  • 1953 - Birth of Bess Armstrong in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; actress (Julia - On Our Own, Four Seasons, Jaws, My So-Called Life, Married People, All is Forgiven).
  • 1953 - Birth of Ken Wahl; actor (Wanderers, Wise Guys).
  • 1953 - Birth of Peter Isacksen in Dover, New Hampshire, USA; actor (CPO Sharkey, Jessie).
  • 1954 - Birth of Bradley Dub Bryant in Amarillo, Texas, USA; PGA golfer (1995 Walt Disney).
  • 1954 - Birth of Jermaine Jackson in Gary, Indiana, USA; singer (Jackson Five - "ABC").
  • 1954 - Birth of Sylvester Clarke; cricket player (West Indian fast bowler and brick-thrower).
  • 1954 - USS Forrestal christened in Newport News, Virginia.
  • 1955 - Birth of Stu Jackson in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA; NBA coach (New York Knicks (1989-90)).
  • 1955 - Johan C Altorf, sculptor (October 3 Monument), dies at age 79.
  • 1956 - Anti-Russian demonstrations in Stettin and Wroclaw, Poland.
  • 1958 - 4th (last) Dutch government of Drees falls.
  • 1958 - Birth of Nicki Sixx in San Jose, California, USA; rock guitarist (Mötley Crüe - "Girls Girls Girls").
  • 1958 - Upper Volta gains autonomy from France.
  • 1959 - Birth of David Iwasaki-Smith in Warragul, Victoria, Australia; Australasia golfer.
  • 1959 - Birth of Jean-Louis Lamarre in La Prairie, Quebec, Canada; golfer (Québec PGA-1982, 1985).
  • 1959 - Birth of Tina Gayle in Frankfurt, German Federal Republic; Cowboy cheerleader/actress (Kathy - Chips).
  • 1959 - New York Yankees trade Marv Thronberry, Don Larsen, Hank Bauer and Norm Seibern for Roger Maris, Kent Hadley and Joe Deaestri.
  • 1960 - Birth of Danny Mijovic in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Canadian Tour golfer (1984 Mexican).
  • 1960 - Birth of Mary Beth Zimmerman in Mount Vernon, Illinois, USA; LPGA golfer (1987 Henredon Classic).
  • 1960 - Black Sunday - Riot in Algiers, 114 die.
  • 1960 - Cleveland Browns' Bernie Parrish sets club record for longest interception return with a 92 yard run.
  • 1961 - Birth of Darryl Jones; rock musician (The Rolling Stones).
  • 1961 - Birth of Mike Henneman in Saint Charles, Missouri, USA; pitcher (Texas Rangers).
  • 1961 - US President John Kennedy provides American military helicopters and crews to South Vietnam.
  • 1961 - Melvin Calvin is awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for uncovering the process of photosynthesis.
  • 1962 - Birth of Ejo Elburg; Dutch soccer player (Pax, NEC).
  • 1962 - Birth of Kim Linehan; swimmer (1979 1500 metre World record).
  • 1962 - Convicted murderers Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin are hanged in Toronto, Ontario's Don Jail.
  • 1963 - Birth of John Lammers; Dutch soccer player (NAC).
  • 1963 - Birth of Mark Alalmo; actor (Avenging Force).
  • 1963 - Birth of Mark Greatbatch; cricket player (big-hitting New Zealand opener).
  • 1964 - Birth of Dave Gagner in Chatham, Ontario, Canada; NHL center (Toronto Maple Leafs).
  • 1964 - Birth of David Schools; rock musician (Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic).
  • 1964 - Birth of Justin Currie; Scottish rock vocalist/bassist (Del Amitri).
  • 1964 - Birth of Thomas Howard in Middletown, Ohio, USA; outfielder (Cincinnati Reds).
  • 1964 - Percy Kilbride, actor (Ma and Pa Kettle), dies at age 76.
  • 1964 - Birth of Carolyn Waldo in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; swimmer, 3 gold medlas at 1986 World Aquatic Championships, silver at 1984 Summer Olympics in synchronized swimming.
  • 1964 - Death of Sam Cooke at age 33, shot and killed by the manager of a motel in Hollywood, California, USA; singer ("You Send Me", "Chain Gang", "Twistin' the Night Away", "Sad Moon", Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1986).
  • 1965 - Birth of Jay Bell at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, USA; infielder (Pittsburgh Pirates).
  • 1966 - Birth of Gary Dourdan; actor (CSI, A Different World).
  • 1966 - Al Nelson sets NFL record returning missed field goal, 100 yards.
  • 1966 - Birth of Terry Sharpe; rocker (The Adventures, Starjets - "Starjets").
  • 1967 - 6.5 earthquake in West India, 170 killed.
  • 1967 - The Beatles' Apple Music signs its first group - Grapefruit.
  • 1967 - Birth of Davidson Matyczuk in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada; golfer (Thunder Bay-1986, 1987).
  • 1967 - Birth of Katy Steding in Lake Oswego, Oregon, USA; basketball forward (Olympics-gold-1996).
  • 1967 - Birth of Richard Stemp; cricket player (Yorkshire and England A left-arm spinner).
  • 1967 - Howard Freeman, actor (Double Dynamite), dies after illness, in New York City, New York.
  • 1967 - People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) established.
  • 1967 - In France, the SuperSonicTransport prototype "Concorde" is first shown.
  • 1968 - Birth of Mo'Nique; actress-comedian (The Parkers).
  • 1968 - Birth of Derek Bell in Tampa, Florida, USA; outfielder (Houston Astros).
  • 1968 - Birth of Mark Dailey in Parma, Ohio, USA; 1.5k runner.
  • 1968 - Nadine Riga dies of cerebral hemorrhage at age 59.
  • 1968 - US Soccer Football Association refuses to let NASL disband.
  • 1969 - Libya adopts constitution.
  • 1970 - Birth of Danan Hughes; NFL wide receiver (Kansas City Chiefs).
  • 1970 - Birth of Doug Nussmeier; NFL quarterback (New Orleans Saints).
  • 1970 - Birth of Errict Rhett; NFL running back (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
  • 1970 - Start of the first Test match at the WACA, versus England.
  • 1970 - Test Cricket debut of Gregory Stephen Chappell.
  • 1971 - Birth of Cedric Ihalauw; soccer player (Roda JC).
  • 1971 - Birth of Willie McGinest; NFL outside linebacker (New England Patriots).
  • 1972 - Apollo 17 becomes the sixth American mission to land on the Moon. Astronauts Cernan and Harrison become 11th and 12th astronauts on the Moon.
  • 1972 - Birth of Daniel Alfredsson in Grums, Sweden; NHL right wing (Ottawa Senators).
  • 1972 - Birth of Francisco Rodriguez in Brooklyn, New York, USA; pitcher (Minnesota Twins).
  • 1972 - Birth of Robert Robinson; Canadian Football League defensive linebacker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers).
  • 1972 - Jet's Don Maynard becomes all time pro reception leader (632).
  • 1972 - John Mills, cricket player (7 Tests for New Zealand in early 1930s, 241 runs), dies.
  • 1972 - Semjon I Kirsanov, Ukrainian poet (Zolushka), dies at age 66.
  • 1973 - Birth of Erin Moorad in Chicago, Illinois, USA; pairs skater (and Richard Gillam).
  • 1973 - Birth of Luke Casserly; Australian soccer defender (Olyroos, Olympics-1996).
  • 1973 - Birth of Ralph Intranuovo in East York, Ontario, Canada; NHL center (Edmonton Oilers).
  • 1973 - Houston Astros' Caesar Cedino jailed in death of 19-year-old woman.
  • 1973 - North American Soccer League awards Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver franchises.
  • 1973 - Ron Santo becomes first to invoke no-trade clause of 10-year-1-club vet.
  • 1973 - West German chancellor Willy Brandt normalizes trade with Czechoslovakia.
  • 1973 - Birth of Mos Def; rapper, actor (You Take the Kids, Chappelle's Show).
  • 1974 - Birth of Kevin Devine; cornerback/kick returner (Jacksonville Jaguars).
  • 1974 - Death of Reed Hadley at age 63 from a heart attack; actor (Red Ryder on radio, Racket Squad TV show, Public Defender, The Texan).
  • 1975 - Great New York Yankees trade getting Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis and Ken Brett from Pittsburgh Pirates for George "Doc" Medich.
  • 1975 - Death of Wally Koster at age 52 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; singer, trombonist (Cross-Canada Hit Parade).
  • 1976 - Birth of Shareef AbdurRahim; NBA forward (Vancouver Grizzlies).
  • 1978 - Death of Vincent du Vigneaud, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1901).
  • 1978 - Two million demonstrate against the Shah in Iran.
  • 1978 - Six men rob a Lufthansa cargo facility in New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport and make off with US$5.8 million in cash and jewelry.
  • 1979 - Death of Claire Carleton at age 66 of cancer in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Alice - Cimarron City TV show, Wagon Train, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, M-Squad, Jack Benny Show).
  • 1979 - Geoff Boycott scores cricket century in a limited-over international.
  • 1979 - The unrecognised state of Zimbabwe Rhodesia returns to British control and resumes using the name Southern Rhodesia.
  • 1979 - Birth of Rider Strong; American actor (Boy Meets World, Pepper Dennis).
  • 1980 - CERCLA is enacted by the U.S. Congress.
  • 1980 - Birth of Rider Strong in San Francisco, California; actor (Shawn Hunter - Boy Meets World).
  • 1980 - Dirk Wellham scores 100 on first-class debut, New South Wales versus Victoria.
  • 1981 - Birth of Zacky Vengeance; American guitarist (Avenged Sevenfold).
  • 1981 - In El Salvador, army units kill 900 civilians.
  • 1981 - Argentine President/General Roberto Viola flees.
  • 1981 - Muhammad Ali's 61st and last fight, losing to Trevor Berbick.
  • 1981 - Spacelab I arrives at Kennedy Space Center.
  • 1981 - United Nations Security Council chooses Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as 5th Secretary-General.
  • 1981 - Washington Capitals' biggest margin of victory (9) beating Toronto Maple Leafs 11-2.
  • 1983 - Grêmio (Brazil) becomes the new soccer world champion, after beating Hamburger SV (Germany) by 2-1.
  • 1983 - First visit to Lutheran church by a pope (John Paul II in Rome).
  • 1983 - 72nd Australian Men's Tennis: Mats Wilander beats Ivan Lendl (6-1, 6-4, 6-4).
  • 1983 - Jan Stephens/Fred Couples win LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic.
  • 1984 - Death of Oskar Seidlin, Silesian-born Jewish-American literary scholar (born 1911).
  • 1984 - Mauretania military coup under Colonel Maawiya Ould Sid'ahmed Taya.
  • 1985 - Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 1,500 for first time (1,511.70).
  • 1985 - General Electric acquires RCA Corporation and its subsidiary, NBC Radio and Television.
  • 1985 - NHL record 62 points scored, Edmonton (36) beats Chicago (17) 12-9 and ties record of 21 goals.
  • 1986 - A Bartlett Giamatti becomes president of American baseball's National League.
  • 1986 - Paul Keenan, actor (Summer Fantasy), dies at age 30.
  • 1986 - South Africa censors press.
  • 1987 - Test debut of Carl Hooper, West Indies versus India at Bombay.
  • 1989 - City of Angels opens at Virginia Theater in New York City for 878 performances.
  • 1989 - Mark Davis signs record US$3.25 million per year Kansas City Royals contract.
  • 1990 - Thirteen die in 83-vehicle accident in Chattanooga, Tennessee (I-75), due to fog.
  • 1990 - US 69th manned space mission STS 35 (Columbia 11) returns from space.
  • 1991 - At their meeting in Maastricht, the heads of government of the European Community agree to a common European currency with an independent central bank by 1999 at the latest.
  • 1991 - Artur Lundkvist, Swedish writer/professor (Swedish Academy), dies.
  • 1991 - Death of Headman Tshabala salin at age 44; South African musician (Ladysmith Black Mambazo).
  • 1991 - TriStar releases the film Hook to theaters.
  • 1991 - Death of Robert Q Lewis at age 70 of emphysema; comic/host/panellist (To Tell the Truth, RQL Show, Horn and Hardardt Children's Hour radio show).
  • 1992 - Disney releases the Walt Disney Pictures live-action feature film The Muppet Christmas Carol to theaters in the USA.
  • 1992 - Michael Robbins, actor (Lunch Hour, On the Buses), dies at age 62.
  • 1992 - Nor'easter storm hits New York, doing $650 million+ worth of damage.
  • 1992 - Columbia releases the film A Few Good Men to theaters.
  • 1992 - Vilma Banky, silent film actress (Eagle, Rebel), dies at about age 90.
  • 1993 - 59th Heisman Trophy Award: Charlie Ward, Florida State (quarterback).
  • 1993 - Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle wins the election for President of Chile with 58 percent of the vote.
  • 1993 - Eliva "Elvire" Popesco, Romanian/French actress (Le roi), dies at age 99.
  • 1993 - A block of the Highland Towers collapses near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, killing 148.
  • 1994 - Kelly Robbins and Tammie Green win LPGA Diner's Club Golf Matches.
  • 1994 - Boris Yeltsin orders troops into Chechnya.
  • 1994 - Russian troops pull inside Tsjetsjenië.
  • 1994 - Stanislaw Maczek, Polish/British general-major (WWII), dies at age 102.
  • 1994 - Yao Yilin, Vice Prime Minister of China (1979), dies.
  • 1994 - A small bomb explodes on Philippine Airlines Flight 434, killing a Japanese businessman. The bombing was a field test done by Ramzi Yousef to test explosives that would have been used in Project Bojinka.
  • 1995 - Death of John Heawood at age 75; actor, singer/choreographer (Pleasure Garden).
  • 1995 - Thomas O Hicks buys NHL Dallas Stars for US$84 million.
  • 1996 - William George Rushton, English actor (TW3)/author/cartoonist, dies at age 59 (born 1937).
  • 1997 - Federal judge orders Microsoft not to bundle Internet Explorer 4 in Windows 98.
  • 1998 - Iraq announces that United Nations weapons inspections will no longer take place on Friday, the Muslim day of rest. Iraq also refuses to provide test data from the production of missiles and engines.
  • 1998 - In Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurs.
  • 1998 - Miramax releases the film Shakespeare in Love to theaters.
  • 1998 - The House Judiciary Committee approves three articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.
  • 1999 - Death of Franjo Tudman, President of Croatia (born 1922).
  • 2000 - Alex Rodriguez signs the richest contract in sports history, a ten-year deal with the Texas Rangers worth US$252 million.
  • 2001 - The United States government indicts Zacarias Moussaoui for involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
  • 2002 - Chile government concludes bilateral trade agreement with the USA.
  • 2003 - Andy Pettitte signs a three-year, $31.5 million deal with the Houston Astros.
  • 2004 - Tests show that Ukrainian opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned with a large dose of dioxin.
  • 2005 - The 2005 Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal fire north of London causes widespread damage, and is the largest explosion ever to occur in peacetime Europe.
  • 2005 - The Cronulla riots occur in Sydney, Australia, involving up to 5,000 youths.
  • 2006 - The Holocaust conference is opened in Tehran, Iran by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
  • 2007 - In Algiers, Algeria, two bombs explode within ten minutes of each other, the first near a UN office and the other detonated close to the Algerian Supreme Court. The official death count for both blasts stands at 31.
  • 2007 - Cunard Line debuts the Queen Victoria ocean liner (90,000 gross tons, passenger capacity 2014).
  • 2007 - In New York, Sotheby's auctions the Society of the Cincinatti badge of George Washington (later owned by the Marquis de Lafayette) for US$5.035 million.
  • 2008 - The British pound reaches a record low of 1.1236 euros, the lowest level since the euro was launched in 1999.
  • 2008 - A suicide bomber kills at least 50 people at a restaurant near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Around 100 people are injured in the blast.
  • 2008 - Death of Daniel Carleton Gajdusek, American physician, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1923).
  • 2009 - The Queen Charlotte Islands are renamed Haida Gwaii in an historic deal between the British Columbia government and the Haida Nation.
  • 2020 - The European Union agrees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% over the next decade.
  • 2021 - Death of Anne Rice at age 80 following a stroke in Rancho Mirage, California, USA; American author (Interview With the Vampire).
  • 2022 - Death of Angelo Badalamenti at age 85 at home in Lincoln Park, New Jersey, USA; composer (Twin Peaks TV show, Blue Velvet movie).

vvv advertisement vvv

^^^ advertisement ^^^

You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history.

Bookmark this URL:   http://kpolsson.com/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.

Copyright © 2006-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/
Link to Ken P's home page.


vvv advertisement vvv

^^^ advertisement ^^^
History Timelines Postage Stamps Today in History
PCs Video Games Timeline Today
Amiga World Silly This Day
Apple Space Coins Sports
Commodore 64 Impacts Corvettes Disney
Processors Sports Cruise Ships USA
Corvettes Gambling Disney Music
World War II Weather Errors PC and Game
Sweden Earthquakes Novelties TV and Movies
A&W USA Births Finder Anniversaries
A&W Canada Deaths
Postage Stamps Dow Jones Coins Chevrolet Corvettes
Walt Disney Co. Television Timeline: Canada Timeline
Disneyland Cruise Ships Timeline: USA Racing Success
Walt Disney World Oak Island Timeline: World On Stamps
Disney Cruise Line Killing JFK Novelties Pop Culture
Canada coins On Stamps
USA coins Other
World coins Mug Shots(A&W)
Stuff For Sale

Privacy Policy

kpolsson.com does not collect or share personal information. I have better things to do. There are links to advertiser sites that are beyond my control, from which I may receive a placement fee or a sale commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.