This Day in History
January 26

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: January 26?

On January 26 in ...

  • 66 - Fifth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
  • 1109 - Albericus of Cîteaux French saint, dies.
  • 1340 - English king Edward III proclaimed king of France.
  • 1531 - In Lisbon, Portugal, an Intensity X earthquake occurs, claiming 30,000 deaths.
  • 1613 - Birth of Johann Jakob Wolleb composer.
  • 1654 - Portuguese troops conquer last Dutch base on Recife.
  • 1666 - France declares war on England and Münster.
  • 1667 - Birth of Henricus Zwaardecroon Governor-General of Netherland-Indies.
  • 1689 - Jean Racine's "Esther" premieres in Saint-Cyr.
  • 1697 - Isaac Newton receives Jean Bernoulli's six month time-limit problem, solves problem before going to bed that same night.
  • 1699 - Venice, Poland and Austria sign peace treaty with Turkey.
  • 1700 - In the Cascadia Subduction Zone of western North America, a magnitude 9 earthquake occurs, rocking a region 600 miles long that includes modern northern California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia. The earthquake sets off a tsunami that strikes Cascadia's Pacific coast, and crosses the Pacific Ocean to Japan, damaging coastal villages.
  • 1714 - Birth of Jean B Pigalle French sculptor (Child with Bird Cage).
  • 1716 - Birth of George Sackville Germain first Viscount Sackville.
  • 1736 - Stanislaw Lesczynski flees Polish throne.
  • 1748 - England, Netherlands, Austria and Sardinia sign anti-French treaty.
  • 1763 - Birth of Charles XIV French marshall, king of Sweden and Norway (1818-44).
  • 1770 - Birth of Alexander Carlyle Moderator of General Assembly.
  • 1771 - Birth of Jacob Andries van Braam colonial director (Suriname).
  • 1781 - Birth of Ludwig Joachim "Achim" von Arnim; German poet (Des Knaben Wunderhorn).
  • 1784 - Ben Franklin expresses unhappiness over the eagle as America's symbol.
  • 1786 - Birth of Benjamin Robert Haydon in Plymouth; painter (Waiting for The Times).
  • 1788 - Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts and settlers into Botany Bay to land and form the colony of New South Wales (continent of Australia).
  • 1797 - Russia, Prussia, and Austria sign treaty.
  • 1802 - US Congress passes an act calling for a US Capitol library.
  • 1804 - Birth of Eugane "Marie Joseph" Sue in France; novelist (Wandering Jew).
  • 1814 - Birth of Rufus King; Brigadier General (Union volunteers) (dies 1876).
  • 1816 - Birth of Lloyd Tilghman; Brigadier General (Confederate Army) (dies 1863).
  • 1818 - On the 30th anniversary of British settlement, Australia Day is first celebrated as an official holiday.
  • 1824 - Edward Jenner, discoverer (vaccination), dies.
  • 1824 - Théodore Géricault, French painter (Grand Derby d'Epsom), dies.
  • 1826 - Birth of Julia Boggs Dent in White Haven Plantation, Saint Louis County, Missouri, USA; spouse of US President Hiram Ulysses Grant.
  • 1831 - Birth of Mary Mapes Dodge in New York City, New York, USA; writer (Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates).
  • 1837 - US President Andrew Jackson signs statehood bill admitting Michigan as 26th US state.
  • 1838 - Tennessee becomes first state to prohibit alcohol.
  • 1841 - Hong Kong proclaimed a sovereign territory of Britain.
  • 1849 - Death of Thomas Lovell Beddoes, English poet (Death's Jest-Book), suicide at age 45.
  • 1852 - Birth of Pierre Brazza; explorer/colonial administrator (French Africa).
  • 1861 - Louisiana becomes sixth state to secede from the USA.
  • 1862 - US President Abraham Lincoln issues General War Order #1, calling for a US offensive; General George McClellan ignores order.
  • 1863 - War Department authorizes Massachusetts Governor to recruit black troops.
  • 1870 - Virginia becomes eighth state re-admitted to USA.
  • 1871 - Birth of Warner Fabian [Samuel H Adams]; US journalist/writer (Average Jones).
  • 1871 - British Rugby Union forms.
  • 1871 - US income tax is repealed.
  • 1875 - Electric dental drill (battery-operated) is patented by George F Green of Michigan, USA.
  • 1878 - Birth of A W "Dave" Nourse; cricket player ("Grand Old Man" of South African cricket).
  • 1879 - Birth of Ludovicus H [Lode] Baekelmans; Flemish (stage)author (Tille).
  • 1880 - Birth of Douglas MacArthur in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; General of the Army (WWII).
  • 1882 - France government of Gambetta falls.
  • 1884 - Birth of Edward Sapir in Germany; linguist/anthropologist (Indians).
  • 1885 - Charles George Gordon, British Governor-General, is executed (slain with troops by Sudanese in Khartoum) at age 51.
  • 1885 - Muhammad Ahmed ("Mahdi") rebels conquer Khartoum.
  • 1886 - Birth of Joannes A Veraart; Dutch economist/Member of Parliament (Jews of the Netherlands).
  • 1887 - Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian Emperor John IV defeats Italians.
  • 1887 - Birth of Marc A "Pete" Mitscher; US Lieutenant-Admiral (WWII-Task Force 58).
  • 1891 - Nicholaus Otto, auto pioneer (internal combustion engine), dies.
  • 1892 - Birth of Zara Cully in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA; actress (Mother Jefferson - The Jeffersons).
  • 1897 - Battle at Bida, Gold Coast: British troops beat Nupe's army.
  • 1899 - Birth of Wyllis Cooper in Pekin, Illinois, USA; TV narrator (Volume One).
  • 1902 - Birth of Menno ter Braak; Dutch writer/essayist (Carnaval of the Citizens).
  • 1902 - Birth of Romney Brent in Saltillo, Mexico; actor/writer (Dinner at the Ritz).
  • 1904 - Birth of Douglas Evans; actor (South Pacific Trail).
  • 1904 - Birth of Sean MacBride in Dublin, Ireland; statesman/Amnesty International co-founder (Nobel Prize 1974).
  • 1905 - Birth of Charles Lane in San Francisco, California, USA; actor (Homer - Petticoat Junction, The Lucy Show).
  • 1905 - Birth of John Carmel Heenan in Essex, England; cardinal archbishop of Westminster (1963-75).
  • 1905 - Birth of Maria Augusta von Trapp in Austria; singer, inspired film The Sound of Music.
  • 1905 - Birth of Marquess of Bath; English large landowner/multi-millionaire.
  • 1905 - At Premier Mine in Transvaal, South Africa, a mine worker extracts a large diamond, weighing 3106 carats (0.62kg), world record size. The diamond is naed Cullinan, for mine owner Thomas Cullinan.
  • 1907 - Birth of Eddie Ballantine in Chicago, Illinois, USA; musical director (Don McNeill Breakfast Club on NBC Blue/ABC Radio), TV reporter.
  • 1907 - Birth of Henry Cotton; English golfer (British Open winner 1934, 1937, 1948).
  • 1908 - Birth of Stephane Grappelli in Paris, France; jazz violinist (Hot Club of France jazz quintet).
  • 1910 - Birth of Elmar Klos; Czechoslovakian director (Adrift).
  • 1911 - Birth of Polykarp Kusch; US nuclear physicist (Nobel Prize 1955).
  • 1911 - Charles Wentworth Dilke, English undersecretary of State, dies at age 67.
  • 1911 - Glenn Curtiss pilots first successful hydroplane, in San Diego, California.
  • 1912 - Birth of Cora Baird in New York City, New York, USA; puppeteer (Kukla, Fran and Ollie).
  • 1913 - Birth of Jimmy Van Heusen AKA Edward Chester Babcock in Syracuse, New York, USA; composer (over 75 songs for Frank Sinatra, "My Kind of Town", "The Second Time Around", "Love and Marriage").
  • 1913 - Birth of William Prince in Nichols, New York, USA; actor (City in Fear, Cyrano de Bergerac).
  • 1913 - Jim Thorpe relinquishes his 1912 Olympic medals for being a professional player.
  • 1914 - 600 Dutch textile workers go on strike.
  • 1914 - Birth of Kaye Webb; English writer/publisher (Puffin Club).
  • 1914 - Vatican puts Belgian Nobel Prize winner Maeterlinck's works in their index.
  • 1915 - Birth of William Hopper in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Paul Drake - Perry Mason).
  • 1915 - Rocky Mountain National Park is established in Colorado.
  • 1918 - Birth of Nicolae Ceausescu; Romanian President (1967-90).
  • 1918 - US food administrator Herbert Hoover calls for "wheatless" and "meatless" days for war effort.
  • 1919 - Birth of Khanmohammad Cassumbhoy Ibrahim; cricket player (batted in four Tests India versus West Indies 1948-49).
  • 1920 - Birth of Derek Bond in Glasgow, Scotland; actor (Nicholas Nickleby).
  • 1920 - Matthias Enzberger, German minister of finance, is murdered.
  • 1921 - Birth of Akio Morita in Kasugaya, Japan; CEO (Sony).
  • 1921 - Soccer team GVAV of Groningen Netherlands forms.
  • 1921 - Hockey's Toronto Saints' Pat Corb Denneny scores six goals versus Hamilton Tigers.
  • 1922 - Birth of Michael Bentine in England; author/comedian (Reluctant Jester).
  • 1923 - Birth of Anne Jeffreys in North Carolina, USA; actress (Dick Tracy, Topper, General Hospital).
  • 1924 - Charles Jewtraw, US 500m skater, takes first Winter Olympics gold medal.
  • 1925 - Birth of David Jenkins; Bishop (Durham).
  • 1925 - Birth of Joan Leslie in Detroit, Michigan, USA; actress (Sergeant York, High Sierra, Yankee Doodle Dandy).
  • 1925 - Birth of Paul Newman in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; racer/popcorn mogul/actor (Hud, Hombre, Hustler).
  • 1926 - Birth of Charles Tidbury; chairman (Whitbread and Company).
  • 1926 - Birth of Ronnie Hilton; singer (Moonraker).
  • 1926 - Television first demonstrated (John L Baird, London England).
  • 1927 - Birth of José Simón Azcona Hoyo; President of Honduras (1986-90).
  • 1927 - Birth of William Redfield in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Jimmy Hughes Rookie Cop, Marriage).
  • 1928 - Birth of Gene Snyder; American politician (Representative-Republican-Kentucky, 1963-65, 1967-).
  • 1928 - Birth of Philip José in Farmer, Indiana, USA; science fiction novelist (Riverworld).
  • 1928 - Birth of Roger Vadim in France; director (And God Created Woman, Barbarella).
  • 1929 - Birth of Jules Feiffer in New York City, New York, USA; cartoonist (Passionella) author (Little Murders).
  • 1929 - Indian National Congress proclaims goal for India's independence.
  • 1930 - Birth of A N Solomons; chairman (Singer and Friedlander).
  • 1930 - Birth of Harry "Buddy" Melges Junior in Wisconsin, USA; yachter (Olympics-gold/bronze-1964, 1972).
  • 1930 - Cleveland's Terminal Tower opens (52 stories).
  • 1931 - Birth of Mary Murphy in Washington DC, USA; actress (A Man Alone, Maggie - Investigators).
  • 1932 - Birth of Christopher Price; Director (Leeds Metropolitan University).
  • 1932 - British submarine M-2 sinks in English Channel (60 dead).
  • 1932 - William K Wrigley, owner (Wrigley Gum, Chicago Cubs), dies.
  • 1934 - Birth of Huey "Piano" Smith; pianist ("Having a Good Time").
  • 1934 - Donald Bradman scores 128 New South Wales versus Victoria, 96 minutes, 17 fours 4 sixes.
  • 1934 - Germany and Poland sign a ten-year Declaration of Non-Aggression.
  • 1935 - Birth of Bob Uecker in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; baseball catcher, actor (Mr Belvedere).
  • 1935 - Birth of Henry Jordan in Emporia, Virginia, USA; NFL defensive tackle (Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers).
  • 1937 - Birth of Gerrit Gerritse; Dutch Member of Parliament (CDA).
  • 1937 - Birth of Joseph Saidu Momoh; General/President (Sierra Leone).
  • 1937 - Birth of S J B Langdale; Headmaster (Shrewsbury School).
  • 1938 - Birth of Margaret Daly; British MEP.
  • 1939 - Birth of Marshall Lieb; rocker (Teddy Chicago Bears).
  • 1939 - Federal Hall National Monument established.
  • 1939 - Spanish General Franco conquers Barcelona.
  • 1939 - Professor Cristescu, Romania's iron guard leader, is murdered.
  • 1940 - Germans forbid Polish Jews to travel on trains.
  • 1941 - Birth of Henry Jaglom in London, England; actor (Eating, Lucky Ducks, Always).
  • 1942 - First US force in Europe during World War II goes ashore in Northern Ireland.
  • 1942 - Birth of Nigel Walmsley; chairman (Carlton United Kingdom Television).
  • 1942 - Birth of Scott Glenn in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (The Right Stuff, Personal Best, Backdraft).
  • 1942 - Birth of William McLennan; CEO (Central Statistical Office).
  • 1942 - Gerard L F Philips, Dutch manufacturer (Philips), dies at age 83.
  • 1942 - Italian supreme command demands dismissal of German marshal Erwin Rommel.
  • 1943 - Birth of Jean Knight; vocalist ("Mr Big Stuff").
  • 1943 - Nikolai Vavilov, geneticist, dies in Saratovv labour camp.
  • 1945 - Birth of Mick Hill; cricket player (New South Wales all-rounder 1964-75).
  • 1946 - Birth of Christopher Hampton in the Azores; playwright (Oviri, Hotel du Lac).
  • 1946 - Birth of Gene Siskel; movie critic (Siskel and Ebert).
  • 1946 - Birth of Timothy Clifford; director (National Galleries of Scotland).
  • 1947 - Birth of Patrick Dewaere [Bordeaux] in France; actor (Les Valseuses).
  • 1947 - Grace Moore, American soprano/actress (One Night of Love), dies at age 45.
  • 1947 - Swedish Prince Gustaf Adolf dies in an airplane crash at Kastrup, Sweden.
  • 1947 - KLM Dakota crashes near Copenhagen, 22 die.
  • 1948 - Birth of Corky Laing; drummer (Mountain - "Mississippi Queen").
  • 1948 - US Presidential Executive Order 9981 signed, ending segregation in US Armed Forces.
  • 1949 - Birth of Derek Holt; rocker (Climax Blues Band).
  • 1949 - Birth of Paul Nurse; doctor/director-General elect (Imperial Cancer Research Fund).
  • 1949 - Victor Fleming, director (Wizard of Oz, Gone With Wind), dies at age 65.
  • 1950 - Betsy van den Arend Dutch [Betje], actress (Miss Hobbs), dies at age 78.
  • 1950 - Birth of David Strathairn; actor (LA Confidential, Eight Men Out).
  • 1950 - Birth of Jorg Haider; Austrian political leader (Austrian Freedom Pary).
  • 1950 - India becomes a republic, ceasing to be a British dominion.
  • 1951 - Birth of Andy Hummell in Memphis, Tennessee, USA; rock bassist (Big Star).
  • 1951 - Birth of David Briggs; rock guitarist (Little River Band - "Help is on its Way").
  • 1951 - Birth of Jarmila Kratochvilova in Czechoslovakia; 400m/800m runner (women's world record holder, Olympics-silver-1980).
  • 1951 - Birth of Walt Willey in Ottawa, Illinois, USA; actor (Joe Novak - Ryan's Hope, Jackson Montgomery - All My Children).
  • 1951 - Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 1952 - Birth of Mario Runco Junior in the Bronx, New York, USA; Lieutenant-Commander US Navy/astronaut (STS 44, 54, 77).
  • 1952 - Birth of Thomas Edward Henderson in Newberry, South Carolina, USA; basketball player (Olympics-silver-1972).
  • 1952 - Louis van Deyssel; Dutch writer (Diary of Franc Rozelaar), dies at age 87.
  • 1953 - Birth of Andrée C van Es; Dutch Member of Parliament (PSP).
  • 1954 - Birth of Kimberly J "Kim" Hughes; cricket player (brilliant Australian batsman 1977-84).
  • 1954 - Birth of Martin Dunn; British editor (Today).
  • 1955 - Birth of Lucia Mendez in Mexico; Spanish singer (Lucia es Luna Moreno).
  • 1956 - (to February 5) The VII Olympic Winter Games are held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
  • 1956 - Birth of Lisa Boray [Schulte Nordholt]; Dutch singer ("Lovers Until the End").
  • 1956 - Birth of Simon Howard; English large landowner (Castle Howard).
  • 1956 - Hank Greenberg and Joe Cronin are elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • 1956 - Porkkala military base returned to Finland by USSR.
  • 1957 - Birth of Ashok Malhotra; cricket player (Indian batsman in 7 Tests 1982-84).
  • 1957 - Birth of Eddie Van Halen in Nijmegan, Netherlands; rock guitarist (Van Halen - "Jump", "1984").
  • 1957 - Birth of Shivlal Yadav; cricket player (Indian off-spinner 102 Test wickets 1979-87).
  • 1957 - Dutch PSP, Pacifist Socialistic Party, forms.
  • 1957 - India annexes Kashmir.
  • 1957 - Joseph F Cairnes succeeds Lou Perini as president of Milwaukee Braves.
  • 1958 - Birth of Anita Baker in Toledo, Ohio, USA; singer ("Giving You the Best That I Got").
  • 1958 - Birth of B James Lowry; rocker (Boys Band).
  • 1958 - Birth of Dave Rummells in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA; Nike golfer (1993 Buick-second).
  • 1958 - Birth of Ellen DeGeneres in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; comedienne (Ellen Morgan - Ellen).
  • 1958 - Birth of Norman Lamont Hassan; British reggae musician (UB40 - "Red Red Wine").
  • 1958 - H Laskow replaces Moshe Dayan as Israeli Minister of Defense.
  • 1958 - Jack Smith takes over for Art Baker as TV host of You Asked for It.
  • 1958 - Marlene Hagge wins LPGA Lake Worth Open Golf Invitational.
  • 1959 - Italy government of Fanfani resigns.
  • 1959 - ABC-TV debuts the Alcoa Presents TV show.
  • 1960 - Birth of Gary Plummer; NFL linebacker (San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers).
  • 1960 - Birth of Jeanette Bolden in Los Angeles, California, USA; 4x100m runner (Olympics-gold-1984).
  • 1960 - Danny Heater scores 135 points in basketball game (Boys' High School).
  • 1960 - Oakland enters the AFL.
  • 1960 - Pete Rozelle elected NFL commissioner on the 23rd ballot.
  • 1961 - "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by Elvis Presley peaks to #1.
  • 1961 - Birth of Wayne Gretzky in Brantford, Ontario, Canada; Edmonton Oilers/Los Angeles Kings/New York Rangers (NHL Most Valuable Player 1980-1987), The Great One.
  • 1961 - Morris Nichols, cricket player (41 wickets in 14 Tests for England 1930-39), dies.
  • 1962 - Birth of Roshan Guneratne; cricket player (wicketless in only Test SL versus Australia 1983).
  • 1962 - Birth of Tim May; cricket player (Australian off-spinner 1987-95).
  • 1962 - Birth of Tom Keifer; rock guitarist, vocalist (Cinderella - "Heartbreak Station").
  • 1962 - Bishop Burke of Buffalo Catholic dioceses declares Chubby Checker's "Twist" is impure and bans it from all Catholic schools.
  • 1962 - Canadian Marine Service renamed Coast Guard.
  • 1962 - Charles "Lucky" Luciano, New York City, New York Mafia gangster, dies at age 65.
  • 1962 - US launches Ranger 3; misses Moon by 22,000 miles (37,000km).
  • 1963 - Birth of Andrew Ridgeley in England; rock guitarist (Wham - "Wake Me Up").
  • 1963 - Birth of Claudia Lonow in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Diana - Knots Landing).
  • 1963 - Birth of Jazzie B [Beresford Romeo]; English rapper (Soul II Soul - "Feel Free").
  • 1963 - Birth of Simon O'Donnell, cricket player (Deniliquin New South Wales ODI all-rounder 1985-90).
  • 1963 - John Sigvard Olsen, comedian (Olsen and Johnson), dies at age 70.
  • 1963 - Major League Rules Committee votes to expand strike zone.
  • 1965 - Ali Mansoer, premier of Persia, murdered.
  • 1965 - Birth of Allison Hossack in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada; actress (Olivia - Another World).
  • 1965 - Birth of Lou Frazier; US baseball outfielder (Montreal Expos).
  • 1965 - Birth of Tim McDonald; safety (San Francisco 49ers).
  • 1965 - South Vietnam military coup under General Nguyen Khanh.
  • 1966 - Ard Schenk skates world record 1500m (2:06.2).
  • 1967 - Albert Remy, actor (Blows), dies at age 55.
  • 1967 - Birth of Jeff Branson; US baseball infielder (Cincinnati Reds).
  • 1967 - Birth of Katie Peterson-Parker in Bethesda, Maryland, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Oldsmobile-5th).
  • 1967 - Birth of Tim Pugh in Lake Tahoe, California, USA; pitcher (Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals).
  • 1967 - Kenneth Thomson, actor (White Gold), dies of emphysema at age 68.
  • 1967 - USSR performs nuclear test at Sary Shagan.
  • 1968 - Birth of Eric Davis; NFL cornerback (San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers).
  • 1968 - Birth of Reggie Jordan; NBA guard (Minnesota Timberwolves).
  • 1968 - Israeli submarine Dakar crashes in Mediterranean Sea, 69 die.
  • 1970 - Birth of Tracy Middendorf in Miami Beach, Florida, USA; actress (Beverly Hills 90210, Carrie - Days of Our Lives).
  • 1970 - Birth of Dan Carlson; US baseball pitcher (San Francisco Giants).
  • 1970 - Birth of Dean Malkoc in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; NHL defenseman (Vancouver Canucks).
  • 1970 - Birth of Ronald Moore; NFL running back (New York Jets, Saint Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals).
  • 1971 - Birth of Jon Heidenreich; WLAF guard (Frankfurt Galaxy).
  • 1971 - Birth of Lamar Mills; WLAF defensive end (Amsterdam Admirals).
  • 1971 - Birth of Lee Naylor; Australian 400m runner (Olympics-1996).
  • 1971 - Birth of Min Tang in Hunan, China; tennis star (1995 Futures-Canberra Australia).
  • 1971 - Dutch second Chamber accepts law against limitation of war crimes.
  • 1972 - Birth of Harrison Houston; NFL wide receiver (Chicago Bears).
  • 1972 - The TV series The Mouse Factory debuts.
  • 1972 - Stewardess Vesna Vulovic survives 10,160m fall without parachute.
  • 1973 - Belgium government of Leburton forms.
  • 1973 - Birth of Mark Brook; WLAF linebacker (Rhein Fire).
  • 1973 - Birth of Tatsuki Katayama; hockey defenseman (Team Japan 1998).
  • 1973 - Birth of Tony Ramirez; tackle (Detroit Lions).
  • 1973 - Edward G Robinson [Goldenberg], actor (Little Caesar), dies at age 79.
  • 1973 - Meijer Sluyser, Dutch journalist/commentator (VARA), dies at about age 71.
  • 1974 - Birth of Chris Hesse; drummer (Hoobastank).
  • 1975 - Lubov Orlova, actress (Moscow Laughs, Man of Music, Tanya), dies at age 72.
  • 1976 - 6th NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 23-20.
  • 1976 - Belgium catholic elite start amnesty campaign for war criminals.
  • 1976 - Birth of Paul Byrne; Australian 800m runner (Olympics-1996).
  • 1976 - Israel opens "Good Fence" to Lebanon.
  • 1977 - Birth of Cindy Cesar; Miss Mauritius-Universe (1997).
  • 1977 - Birth of Justin Gimelstob in New Jersey; tennis star (1994 doubles USTA Bakersfield).
  • 1977 - Margaret Hayes, actress (Robert Montgomery Presents), dies at age 61.
  • 1977 - Soviet figure skaters Sergei Shakrai and Marine Tcherkasova are first to perform a quadruple twist lift, in Helsinki, Finland.
  • 1978 - International Ultraviolet Explorer placed in Earth orbit.
  • 1978 - Mario Soares forms Portuguese government.
  • 1978 - Death of Leo Genn at age 72, English actor (Lady Chatterley's Lover, Henry V) (born 1905).
  • 1978 - Strikers riot in Tunisia, killing about 40.
  • 1979 - Music Center Vredenburg opens in Utrecht, Netherlands.
  • 1979 - Death of Nelson Rockefeller at age 70, four-time Governor of New York, Vice President of the United States (born 1908).
  • 1980 - Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.
  • 1980 - Mary Decker runs a mile in under 4.5 minutes.
  • 1980 - 175,000 pay to hear Frank Sinatra sing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  • 1980 - New York Islanders and Hartford Whalers play a NHL penalty-free game.
  • 1981 - Sandeep Patil scores memorable 174 versus Australia at Adelaide Oval.
  • 1982 - New York Islanders score four goals within 1:38, five within 2:37 versus Pittsburgh Penguins.
  • 1982 - Mauno Koivisto is elected President of Finland.
  • 1982 - Unemployment in the United Kingdom increases by 129,918 to 3,070,621, a post-war record.
  • 1983 - Birth of Michael Martin; country guitarist (Marshall Dyllon).
  • 1983 - Red rain falls in the United Kingdom, caused by sand from the Sahara Desert in the droplets.
  • 1983 - Death of Paul "Bear" Bryant, American college football coach, at age 69 in Alabama (born 1913).
  • 1983 - Lotus 1-2-3 is released for IBM-PC-compatible computers.
  • 1983 - Dutch/British infrared satellite IRAS launched from California.
  • 1984 - US navy exhibits Piasecki helistat-4 helicopters and a blimp able to lift 26 tons in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
  • 1985 - 42th Golden Globes: Amadeus wins.
  • 1985 - Edmonton Oilers' Wayne Gretzky scores 50th goal in 49th game of season.
  • 1985 - In Mendoza Province, Argentina, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurs. Six people killed, at least 238 injured and about 12,500 homes destroyed or damaged.
  • 1986 - Birth of Matt Heafy; American lead vocalist (Trivium).
  • 1986 - Hein Vergeer becomes European skating champ.
  • 1986 - Super Bowl XX: Chicago Bears beat New England Patriots, 46-10 in New Orleans, Louisiana; Most Valuable Player: Richard Dent, Defensive End.
  • 1986 - Val Skinner wins LPGA Mazda Golf Classic.
  • 1986 - Yoweri Museveni's rebel army conquerors Kampala, Uganda.
  • 1987 - 14th American Music Awards: Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Alabama.
  • 1987 - In Japan, Enix releases the Dragon Quest II video game for the Famicom.
  • 1987 - Hart Foundation beats British Bulldogs for WWF tag team title.
  • 1987 - In Algeria, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurs.
  • 1988 - Phantom of the Opera opens at Majestic Theater in New York City, New York for 4,000+ performances.
  • 1988 - Australia's 200th anniversary-parade of tall ships in Sydney Harbor.
  • 1989 - AT&T reports first loss in 103 years; US$1.67 billion in 1988.
  • 1989 - Allan Border takes 7-46 against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
  • 1989 - Madison Square Gardens sports arena in New York announces two-year US$100 million renovation plan.
  • 1989 - Paul Daels, Flemish chairman (IJzerbedevaart committee), dies.
  • 1989 - Stéphane Steinier, Belgian journalist, kidnapped and murdered.
  • 1989 - Test debut of Mark Taylor, Australia versus West Indies, Sydney.
  • 1989 - Birth of Emily Hughes, American figure skater.
  • 1990 - Annular eclipse visible over Antarctica and South Atlantic.
  • 1990 - Boston Red Sox hires Elaine Weddington as assistant general manager (highest-ranking black female in a major-league front office).
  • 1990 - FHP "Boy" Trip, Dutch minister, dies.
  • 1990 - Death of Lewis Mumford, American historian of science (born 1895).
  • 1991 - 65th Australian Womens Tennis: Monica Seles beats J Novotna (5-7, 6-3, 6-1).
  • 1991 - Alfaro Vive guerrilla group of Ecuador gives arms to Catholic church.
  • 1991 - Houston Rockets' guard Vernon Maxwell is fourth NBA player to score 30 points in a quarter.
  • 1991 - Jan Stenerud becomes first pure placekicker to make NFL Hall of Fame.
  • 1991 - Johnny van Doorn, Dutch writer/poet, dies at age 46.
  • 1991 - New York Lotto pays US$90 million to nine winners (numbers are 5-15-30-35-46-50).
  • 1991 - During the final phase of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, an estimated 908 million litres of oil are spilled from terminals, tankers, and oil wells.
  • 1991 - Somalia President Siad Barre flees his compound in Mogadishu.
  • 1992 - 80th Australian Mens Tennis: Jim Courier beats Stefan Edberg (6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2).
  • 1992 - Americans with Disabilities Act goes into effect.
  • 1992 - Death of Jose Ferrer at age 80 of colon cancer; actor/director (Cyrano de Bergerac, George Washington, The Rhinemann Exchange, The French Atlantic Affair, Young Harry Houdini, Blood Feud, Newhart, Your Show of Shows).
  • 1992 - The Washington Redskins defeat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI football at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • 1992 - Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
  • 1993 - Jan Gies, Dutch resistance fighter (helped Anne Frank), dies at age 87.
  • 1993 - Robert Jacobsen, Danish sculptor (large iron sculptures), dies at age 80.
  • 1993 - West Indies defeats Australia by one run in fourth Test at Adelaide.
  • 1993 - In Yunnan, China, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurs. At least 66 people injured, 6,972 houses destroyed and 21,444 seriously damaged in southwestern Yunnan Province.
  • 1993 - Václav Havel is elected President of the Czech Republic.
  • 1994 - A man fires two blank shots at Charles, Prince of Wales in Sydney, Australia.
  • 1994 - TNT begins airing TV show Babylon 5.
  • 1995 - Bernardo Leighton, Chilean politician (1964-70), dies.
  • 1995 - Geoffrey Penwill Parsons, Australian/British piano accompanist, dies at age 65.
  • 1995 - Vic Buckingham, English soccer player/trainer (Ajax), dies at age 79.
  • 1996 - Les Miserables opens at Musichall Theatre, Duisburg.
  • 1996 - Death of David Schultz, shot by US millionaire John Du Pont at Foxcatcher estate in Newton Square, Pennsylvania, USA; wrestler (Olympics-Gold-1984).
  • 1996 - Death by firing squad by John Albert Taylor in Utah, USA, for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl.
  • 1997 - 85th Australian Mens Tennis: Pete Sampras beats Carlos Moya (6-2, 6-3, 6-3).
  • 1997 - Birth of Pasaye Twins in Palatine, Illinois, twin born 92 days after his brother (October 26).
  • 1997 - Brunswick World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by John Gant.
  • 1997 - Margaret Hesse, princess of Hesse/the Rhine, dies at age 83.
  • 1997 - Sarah Lucas, theatre administrator, dies at age 53.
  • 1997 - The Green Bay Packers win the NFL Championship for the first time since 1967, defeating the New England Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • 1998 - 25th American Music Awards: Spice Girls and Babyface win.
  • 1998 - Intel launches 333 MHz Pentium II chip.
  • 1998 - On American television, President Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
  • 1998 - Death of S.P. Leary at the age of 67 of complications from cancer; blues drummer (with T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, John Lee Hooker, Magic Sam, Lowell Fulson, Otis Spann, James Cotton).
  • 1998 - Shinichi Suzuki, music teacher (Suzuki Method), dies at age 99.
  • 1998 - Walter Edmonds, writer (Drums Along the Mohawk), dies at age 93.
  • 2000 - At the Desert Inn casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Cynthia Jay-Brennan wins $34,959,458.56 on a Megabucks slot machine, the world's largest payout. She had entered a total of $27.
  • 2000 - Death of Don Ralke, American music arranger (born 1920).
  • 2001 - In India, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurs. At least 20,085 people killed, 166,836 injured, approximately 339,000 buildings destroyed and 783,000 damaged in the Bhuj-Ahmadabad-Rajkot area and other parts of Gujarat. Felt throughout northern India, much of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and western Nepal.
  • 2003 - The first authorized flight by a Taiwanese aircraft to mainland China since 1949 takes place, though via Hong Kong or Macau.
  • 2003 - Super Bowl XXXVII: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Oakland Raiders 48-21.
  • 2003 - Death of Hugh Trevor-Roper, Baron Dacre of Glanton, English historian (born 1917).
  • 2004 - A whale explodes in Tainan City, Taiwan.
  • 2005 - Two trains derail, killing 11 and injuring 200, in Glendale, California near Los Angeles.
  • 2007 - Death of Gump Worsley, Canadian hockey player (born 1929).
  • 2008 - In South Carolina, USA, the Democratic caucuses choose Barack Obama as candidate for the presidential election on November. The Republican caucuses choose John McCain.
  • 2008 - Death of George Habash, Palestinian politician (born 1926).
  • 2009 - Kansas City Royals' pitcher Zack Greinke agrees to a four-year contract worth US$38 million.
  • 2009 - The first trial at the International Criminal Court is held. Former Union of Congolese Patriots leader Thomas Lubanga is accused of training child soldiers to kill, pillage, and rape.
  • 2009 - The Icelandic government and banking system collapse; Prime Minister Geir Haarde immediately resigns.
  • 2009 - The world's largest drug company, Pfizer of New York, announces it will acquire rival Wyeth for US$68 billion.
  • 2010 - Sri Lanka election, President Mahinda Rajapaksa wins re-election with 58 percent of vote.
  • 2010 - Dutch auto group Spyker signs a deal to buy Sweden's Saab from General Motors for US$74 million in cash, $100 million from Saab operating capital, and $326 million in deferred shares of Saab Spyker Automobiles.
  • 2020 - Death of Kobe Bryant at age 41 in a helicopter crash; basketball player (shooting guard - Los Angeles Lakers, five NBA championship rings).
  • 2021 - The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeds 100 million worldwide.
  • 2022 - Death of Moses J. Moseley at age 31, found dead in Stockbridge, Georgia, USA; actor (The Walking Dead TV show).

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.