This Day in History
April 16

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: April 16?

On April 16 in ...

  • 556 - Pelagius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope.
  • 1115 - Svjatopolk II great monarch of Kiev, dies [or 1113].
  • 1346 - King Stefanus IX of Serbia proclaims himself czar of Greece.
  • 1446 - Filippo Brunelleschi architect, dies.
  • 1496 - David van Bourgondie Bishop of Utrecht (1456-96), dies at about age 69.
  • 1509 - French army under Louis XII enters Alps.
  • 1521 - Martin Luther arrives at Diet of Worms.
  • 1529 - Louis de Berquin French humanist/reformer/heretic, burned at stake.
  • 1619 - Denijs Calvaert/Caluwaert [Dionisio Fiamingo] Flemish painter, dies.
  • 1628 - Birth of Cornelis Evertsen de Young Vice Admiral of Zealand.
  • 1632 - Albrecht von Wallenstein appointed supreme commander.
  • 1635 - Birth of Frans van Mieris the Elder, Dutch painter.
  • 1648 - Birth of John Luyken poet/etcher (Duytse Lyre).
  • 1652 - Birth of Clement XII [Lorenzo Corsini], Italy, Pope (1730-40).
  • 1660 - Birth of Hans Sloane England, physician/naturalist; founded British Museum.
  • 1673 - Birth of Francesco Feroci composer.
  • 1682 - Birth of John Hadley mathematician/inventor (first reflecting telescope).
  • 1687 - George Villiers second duke of Buckingham dies at age 59.
  • 1697 - Birth of Johann Gottlieb Gorner composer.
  • 1703 - Birth of Caffarelli [Gaetano Majorano] Italian castra singer/duke.
  • 1705 - Queen Anne of England knights Isaac Newton at Trinity College.
  • 1724 - First Easter observed.
  • 1728 - Birth of Joseph Zwart Scottish chemist/physicist.
  • 1743 - Cornelis van Bijnkershoek Dutch lawyer (Roman law), dies at age 69.
  • 1746 - Battle at Culloden Troops of "James VIII and III" defeat Charles Stuart.
  • 1756 - Jacques Cassini French astronomer (Discover rings of Saturn), dies at age 79.
  • 1760 - Laurence 4th Earl Ferrers, executed for murder of his steward.
  • 1777 - Battle of Bennington-New England's Green Mountain Boys rout British.
  • 1800 - Birth of William Chambers; author/publisher (Basis of Communication and Coding).
  • 1808 - Birth of Caleb Blood Smith; US Secretary of Interior (Union) (dies 1864).
  • 1816 - Birth of Edward "Old Allegheny" Johnson; Major General (Confederate Army).
  • 1818 - Birth of Charles J. Folger; US Treasury Secretary.
  • 1818 - US Senate ratifies Rush-Bagot amendment (unarmed US-Canada border).
  • 1823 - Birth of Orlando Bolivar Wilcox; US Brevet Major General (Union Army) (dies 1907).
  • 1825 - John Henry Fuseli, painter/art writer (Tracks in the Snow), dies at age 84.
  • 1828 - Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes dies in Bordeaux, France at age 82; artist of 700 paintings, 900 drawings, 300 prints.
  • 1844 - Birth of Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault AKA Anatole France in France; writer (Thaïs, The Wickerwork Woman, Nobel Prize 1921).
  • 1850 - Birth of Herbert Baxter Adams; US historian (American Historical Association).
  • 1850 - Marie [Gresholtz] Tussaud, maker of wax figures, dies.
  • 1854 - San Salvador destroyed by earthquake.
  • 1854 - Steamer Long Beach sinks off Long Beach, New York, USA; 311 die.
  • 1860 - Carolina, duchess of Berry/daughter of crown prince of Naples, dies.
  • 1861 - Birth of Isaac Murphy; US jockey (won 628 races).
  • 1861 - US President Abraham Lincoln outlaws business with confederate states.
  • 1862 - CSA President Jefferson Davis approves conscription act for white males between 18-35.
  • 1862 - Slavery is officially banned in the District of Columbia, USA.
  • 1865 - Robert C Tyler, Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle.
  • 1866 - Karakozov attempts to assassinate Tsar Alexander II of Russia.
  • 1867 - Birth of José de Diego in Puerto Rico; patriot/Puerto Rican Secretary of Justice.
  • 1867 - Birth of Wilbur Wright; of aeronautical fame (Wright Brothers).
  • 1868 - Birth of Spottiswoode Aitken in Edinburgh, Scotland; actor (Eagle, Home Sweet Home).
  • 1868 - Louisiana voters approve new constitution.
  • 1870 - Anatoli O Demidov, Russian ruler of Donato/traveller, dies.
  • 1870 - Vaudeville Theatre Strand opens in London, England.
  • 1871 - Birth of John Millington Synge in Ireland; dramatist/poet (Riders to the Sea).
  • 1871 - German Empire ends all anti-Jewish civil restrictions.
  • 1878 - Birth of R E "Tip" Foster; cricket player (287 on debut England versus Australia Sydney Cricket Ground 1903).
  • 1879 - Bernadette Soubirous, saint/(saw Virgin Mary at Lourdes), dies in Nevers, France.
  • 1881 - Birth of Edward Frederick Wood; first Earl of Halifax/ambassador to US (1940-46).
  • 1883 - Paul Kruger chosen President of Transvaal.
  • 1885 - Birth of Leo Weiner in Hungary; composer (Fasching).
  • 1886 - Birth of Ernst Thälmann; German communist presidential candidate.
  • 1889 - Birth of Charlie Chaplin in Lambeth, London, England; comedian/actor/director (City Lights) (dies 1977).
  • 1897 - Birth of Jaap Vranken; Dutch organist/composer (Stabat Mater).
  • 1897 - Birth of John B Glubb; British commandant/writer (A soldier with the Arabs).
  • 1898 - Birth of Marian Jordan in Peoria, Illinois, USA; radio comedienne (Fibber McGee and Molly).
  • 1899 - West of Eureka, California, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurs.
  • 1900 - Birth of Polly Adler in Russia; bordello proprieter/author (House is not a Home).
  • 1900 - US Post Office issues first books of postage stamps.
  • 1901 - Birth of Karel Albert; Flemish composer (Marieken van Nymeghen).
  • 1901 - Birth of Leo Poos; Nazi police officer (caught Dutch underground agents).
  • 1904 - Birth of Clifford Case; American politician (Senator-Republican-New Jersey).
  • 1904 - Birth of Fifi D'Orsay in Montréal, Québec, Canada; actress (Life Jimmy Dolan, Girl from Calgary).
  • 1904 - Birth of Lily Pons in Draguignan, France; soprano/diva ("Hitting a New High").
  • 1906 - Birth of Marion Lloyd Vince in Brooklyn, New York, USA; fencer (National champion 1928, 1931).
  • 1906 - Birth of Pigmeat Markham in Durham, North Carolina, USA; comedian (Here Comes da Judge - Laugh In).
  • 1908 - Natural Bridges National Monument is established (Lake Powell, Utah).
  • 1911 - Birth of Christine McIntyre; actress (Three Stooges movies).
  • 1912 - Birth of David Langton in Scotland; actor (Quintet, Saint Joan, Abandon Ship).
  • 1913 - Birth of Les Tremayne in London, England; actor (Angry Red Planet, War of the Worlds, First Nighter radio show, The Thin Man radio show, The Falcon radio show, One Man's Family TV show, Ellery Queen TV show, Rin Tin Tin TV show, General Hospital TV show).
  • 1913 - Birth of Lord Aberconway; CEO (John Brown and Company).
  • 1914 - Birth of John Hodiak in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (A Bell for Adamo, Lifeboat).
  • 1914 - George W Hill, US astronomer (moon orbit), dies at age 76.
  • 1916 - Tom Horan, cricket player (15 Tests for Australia, 471 runs, 11 wickets), dies.
  • 1917 - Birth of Robert Haakon Nielsen AKA Barry Nelson AKA Barry Nielsen in San Francisco, California, USA; actor (My Favorite Husband TV show, The Hunter TV show, Hudson's Bay TV show).
  • 1917 - Vladimir Lenin returns to Russia to start Bolshevik Revolution.
  • 1918 - Birth of Spike Milligan in Ahmed Nagar, India; actor/comedian (Digby, The Three Musketeers).
  • 1919 - Birth of Merce Cunningham; choreographer (Acrobat in Every Soul is a Circus).
  • 1920 - Birth of John William Farr in Detroit, Michigan, USA; bank robber (FBI Most Wanted List).
  • 1920 - Birth of Kees Scherer; Dutch photographer (World Press Photo).
  • 1921 - Birth of Peter Ustinov in London, England; actor (Death on the Nile, Logan's Run, Billy Budd).
  • 1921 - Liberal Freedom League forms in The Hague.
  • 1922 - Annie Oakley sets record by breaking 100 clay targets in a row.
  • 1922 - Birth of Christopher Samuel Youd in the United Kingdom; sci-fi author (Tripods Trilogy).
  • 1922 - Birth of Kingsley Amis in London, England; novelist (Lucky Jim, The James Bond Dossier).
  • 1922 - Birth of Leo Tindermans; British statesman.
  • 1922 - German-Russian treaty signed in Italy; Soviet Union recognized.
  • 1924 - First radio-transmission of wireless, by Matthäus Passion.
  • 1924 - Birth of Geoffrey Johnson Smith; actor (Norman Loves Rose, Drinking Games).
  • 1924 - Birth of Henry Mancini in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; pianist, composer, orchestra leader (Glenn Miller-Tex Beneke orchestra, worked on over 100 films, "Moon River", "Days of Wine and Roses", Peter Gunn TV show theme, The Pink Panther movie theme, over 90 albums, "Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet" album (1969)).
  • 1924 - Birth of John Harvey-Jones; CEO (ICI).
  • 1924 - Child labor laws strengthened in Holland.
  • 1924 - Jack Board, cricket wicket-keeper (England in six Tests 1898-1906), dies.
  • 1926 - Book of the Month Club sends out its first selections Lolly Willowes and Loving Huntsman by Sylvia Townsend Warner.
  • 1927 - Birth of Peter Mark Richman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; actor (Andrew - Dynasty, Dallas, Santa Barbara).
  • 1928 - Birth of Dick [Night Train] Lane; NFL defensive back (Saint Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions).
  • 1929 - Birth of Roy Hamilton in Leesburg, Georgia, USA; singer ("You'll Never Walk Alone", "If I Loved You", "Ebb Tide", "Unchained Melody", "Don't Let Go", "You Can Have Her").
  • 1929 - Cleveland Indians' Earl Averill becomes first in American League to hit a homerun on first at bat.
  • 1929 - New York Yankees become first team to use numbers on uniforms.
  • 1930 - Birth of Frank Page; British broadcaster/actor (Hudson Hawk, Dark Dancer).
  • 1930 - Birth of Herbie Mann in Brooklyn, New York, USA; jazz flute/sax (Just Wallin').
  • 1930 - Birth of John Robson; British ambassador (Norway).
  • 1931 - Birth of Edie Adams [Elizabeth Edith Enke] in Kingston, Pennsylvania, USA; actress/Mrs Ernie Kovacs (Ernie Kovacs Show, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Haunting of Harrington House).
  • 1931 - Birth of Piet de Visser; economist/Dutch Member of Parliament (PvdA).
  • 1932 - Birth of Imre Polyak in Hungary; featherweight (Olympics-gold-1964).
  • 1932 - Birth of Vince Hill; singer ("Roses of Picardy", "La Vie en Rose").
  • 1933 - Birth of Joan Bakewell; British broadcaster/actress (Cold Comfort Farm).
  • 1933 - Birth of Joseph Bottoms in Santa Barbara, California, USA; actor (Blind Date, Braker).
  • 1933 - Birth of Perry Botkin Junior in New York City, New York, USA; orchestra leader (Bert Convy Show).
  • 1934 - Birth of Brian Peppiatt; joint CEO (SG Warburg Securities).
  • 1934 - Birth of Geoffrey Owen; British editor (Financial Times).
  • 1934 - Birth of Robert Stigwood; producer (Saturday Night Fever, Grease).
  • 1935 - First radio broadcast of "Fibber McGee and Molly".
  • 1935 - Babe Ruth's first National League game, for Boston Braves, includes a homerun.
  • 1935 - Birth of Bobby Vinton in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; singer (Roses are Red, Blue on Blue).
  • 1936 - Birth of James Rand; British judge (Advocate General).
  • 1938 - Bertram Wagstaff Mills, circus proprietor, dies.
  • 1938 - Birth of Michael Hirst; chief constable (Leicestershire, England).
  • 1938 - Anglo-Italian pact signed in Rome; UK recognizes Italian annexation of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Italy agrees to withdraw troops from Spain.
  • 1939 - Birth of Dusty Springfield AKA Mary Isobel Catherine O'Brien in Hampstead, London, England; singer ("I Only Want to Be With You", "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", "What Have I Done To Deserve This?", "Growing Pains", Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame (1999)).
  • 1939 - Birth of Margaretha de Boer; Dutch minister (PvdA).
  • 1939 - Birth of Reinier Lucassen; Dutch painter (Kuifje contra James Union).
  • 1939 - USSR's Josef Stalin requests British, French and Russian anti-German pact.
  • 1939 - Stanley Cup: Boston Bruins beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 1.
  • 1940 - First televised baseball game, WGN-TV, (Chicago White Sox versus Chicago Cubs exhibition).
  • 1940 - Birth of David Holford; cricket player (cousin of G S Sobers West Indies leg-spin all-rounder).
  • 1940 - Birth of Lord Camoys; deputy CEO (Barclays de Zoete Wedd).
  • 1940 - Birth of Margrethe II; queen of Denmark (1972-).
  • 1940 - Birth of Paul Cox; actor (Exile, Golden Braid, Touch Me).
  • 1940 - Cleveland Indians' Bob Feller hurls an opening day no-hitter versus Chicago, 1-0.
  • 1941 - Birth of Cliff Stearns; American politician (Representative-Republican-Florida).
  • 1941 - Josiah Charles Stamp, first baron/statisician, dies.
  • 1941 - Little Theater at Adelphi Strand closes.
  • 1942 - Japanese occupying army on Java installs film censorship.
  • 1943 - 40 New Zealand bombers attack Haarlem Netherlands (85 killed).
  • 1943 - Birth of Ewald Vanvugt; author (Kiss of Delight, Seed of Love).
  • 1943 - Birth of Johnny Watkins; cricket player (New South Wales leg-spinner, bowled six overs for Australia).
  • 1943 - Birth of Ruth Madoc; actress (Hi Di Hi).
  • 1943 - In Basel, Switzerland, Albert Hoffman, a Swiss chemist working at the Sandoz pharmaceutical research laboratory, accidentally consumes LSD-25, a synthetic drug. He experiences hours of unusual sensations and hallucinations.
  • 1945 - Birth of Goran Antunac in Yugoslavia; International Chess Master (1975).
  • 1945 - Birth of Stefan Grossman in New York City, New York, USA; country blues singer ("Yazoo Basin Boogie").
  • 1945 - German troops in Groningen surrender.
  • 1945 - Soviet forces begin attacks on Berlin, Germany, from a bridgehead west of Kuestrin. About 2.5 million men in the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Front and 1st Ukrainian Front take part.
  • 1945 - US troops land on He Shima, Okinawa.
  • 1946 - Syria gains independence from France.
  • 1946 - First US launch of captured German V-2 rocket, White Sands New Mexico; 8 km altitude.
  • 1946 - FE Müller, NSB mayor of Rotterdam, Netherlands, sentenced to 100 years in jail.
  • 1947 - Birth of Gerry Rafferty in Paisley, Scotland; guitarist/vocalist ("Baker Street").
  • 1947 - Birth of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar [Lew Alcindor]; NBA center (Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers).
  • 1947 - Explosions and fire on French ship Grandcamp.
  • 1947 - Lens to provide zoom effects demonstrated (New York City, New York).
  • 1947 - The term "Cold War" is coined by Bernard Baruch.
  • 1947 - Massive explosion and fire kills 500 in Texas City, Texas, USA.
  • 1948 - Organization for European Economic Cooperation (EEC) forms in Paris, France.
  • 1949 - NHL's Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs sweep Detroit Red Wings in four games.
  • 1949 - Sutan Ibrahim gelor Datuk Tan Malaka Indonesia, communist, executed at age 54.
  • 1950 - Birth of David Graf in Lancaster, Ohio, USA; actor (Police Academy 2, Police Academy 3, Police Academy 4, Police Academy 6, Councilman Nash - He's the Mayor).
  • 1951 - British submarine Affray sinks in English Channel, killing 75.
  • 1951 - Emile Erens, Dutch hagiographer (Pastor of Ars), dies at age 85.
  • 1952 - Birth of Peter Westbrook in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; fencer (Olympics-bronze-1988, 1992, 1996).
  • 1953 - Birth of Peter Garrett; singer (Midnight Oil), politician.
  • 1953 - Birth of Jay O Sanders in Austin, Texas, USA; actor (Meeting Venus, V I Warshawski).
  • 1953 - Jackie Pung wins LPGA Palm Springs Golf Open.
  • 1953 - Philadelphia Phillie's Connie Ryan gets six hits in a game.
  • 1953 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 4 games to 1.
  • 1954 - NHL Stanley Cup: Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal Canadiens, 4 games to 3.
  • 1955 - Abdullah Seif el-Islam, brother of Yemenite king Ahmed, beheaded.
  • 1955 - Birth of Charlotte Morrison; English large landowner/multi-millionaire.
  • 1955 - Birth of Ellen Barkin in the Bronx, New York, USA; actress (The Big Easy, Sea of Love, Switch, Before Women Had Wings, Clinton and Nadine).
  • 1955 - Birth of Henri; Heir Apparent Prince of Luxembourg.
  • 1956 - First solar powered radios go on sale.
  • 1956 - Birth of David M Brown in Arlington, Virginia, USA; Commander US Navy/astronaut.
  • 1956 - Birth of Marty Dickerson in Middletown, Ohio, USA; golfer (1994 ShopRite Classic-22nd).
  • 1957 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 4 games to 1.
  • 1957 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test.
  • 1958 - 22nd Golf Masters Championship: Arnold Palmer wins, shooting a 284.
  • 1958 - Birth of Philip Bainbridge; British cricketeer.
  • 1958 - French government of Gaillard falls due to Tunisia crisis.
  • 1959 - Birth of Anne Kursinski; equestrian show jumper (Olympics-silver-1996).
  • 1959 - Datu Abdul Rozak inaugurated as premier of Malaysia federation.
  • 1959 - New York Yankees unveil their first message scoreboard.
  • 1959 - Philadelphia Phillies' Dave Philley gets a major league record 9th straight pinch hit.
  • 1961 - 15th Tony Awards: Becket and Bye Bye Birdie win.
  • 1961 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Dallas Civitan Golf Open.
  • 1961 - NHL Stanley Cup: Chicago Blackhawks beat Detroit Red Wings, 4 games to 2.
  • 1962 - Birth of Jason Scheff; bassist (Chicago - "25 or 6 to 4").
  • 1962 - Birth of Ian MacKaye; rocker (Cyrano de Bergerac).
  • 1962 - Birth of Jeanne Golay in Coral Gables, Florida, USA; cyclist (Olympics-16th-1992, 1996).
  • 1962 - Brazil nationalizes US businesses.
  • 1962 - Walter Cronkite begins anchoring CBS Evening News.
  • 1963 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior writes his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail in Alabama.
  • 1963 - Birth of Garry Galley in Montréal, Québec, Canada; NHL defenseman (Buffalo Sabres).
  • 1963 - Birth of Jimmy Osmond in Ogden, Utah, USA; singer (Donnie and Marie Show).
  • 1963 - Birth of Nick Berry in Britain; actor (Wicksy - EastEnders).
  • 1963 - Birth of Salim Malik; cricket player (memorable Pakistani and Essex batsman).
  • 1964 - Nine men sentenced 25-30 years for Britain's 1963 "Great Train Robbery".
  • 1964 - Birth of Dave Pirner; rocker (Soul Asylum - "Runaway Train").
  • 1964 - Birth of Robert Kelker-Kelly in Wichita, Kansas, USA; (Bo - Days of our Lives).
  • 1965 - Birth of Caren Kemner in Quincy, Illinois, USA; volleyball outside hitter (Olympics-bronze-1992, 1996).
  • 1965 - Birth of Jon Cryer; actor (Pretty in Pink, Superman IV, Two and A Half Men, Hey Joel).
  • 1965 - Birth of Martin Lawrence; actor, comedian (Martin, What's Happening Now).
  • 1965 - Test flight of heavy Saturn S-1C rocket.
  • 1966 - Birth of Lewis Tillman; NFL running back (Chicago Bears).
  • 1966 - Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith breaks diplomatic relations with Britain.
  • 1967 - Birth of Charles Evans; NFL running back (Minnesota Vikings).
  • 1967 - New York Yankees beat Boston Red Sox 7-6 in 18 innings.
  • 1968 - Edna Ferber, author (American Beauty), dies at age 78.
  • 1968 - Fay Bainter, actress (Jezebel, Our Town, State Fair), dies at age 76.
  • 1969 - Birth of Fernando Vina in Sacramento, California, USA; infielder (Milwaukee Brewers).
  • 1969 - Birth of Melinda Rich in Muskegon, Michigan, USA; WPVA volleyball player (US Open-13th-1993).
  • 1970 - 70 die in an avalanche (France).
  • 1970 - Birth of Fran Robinson in California, USA; actress (Lauren - Charlie and Company).
  • 1970 - Birth of Ian Franklin; Canadian Football League cornerback (Edmonton Eskimos).
  • 1970 - Birth of Steve Emtman; NFL defensive tackle (Miami Dolphins).
  • 1970 - Birth of Walt Williams; NBA forward/guard (Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat).
  • 1970 - Péter Veres, Hungarian minister of defense/writer, dies at age 73.
  • 1970 - Richard Josef Neutra, Austrian/American architect (Who Bought America?), dies at age 78.
  • 1971 - Birth of Frederik Nilsson in Stockholm, Sweden; IHL forward (Team Sweden, Kansas City (IHL)).
  • 1971 - Birth of Natasha Zvereva in Minsk, Belarus; tennis ace (finals 1995 Indian Wells).
  • 1971 - Birth of Selena [Quintanilla Perez] in Lake Jackson, Texas, USA; tejano singer (Grammy-1994).
  • 1971 - Birth of Trey Maples in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, USA; Canadian Tour golfer (1993 Canadian).
  • 1972 - First Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Jane Blalock.
  • 1972 - Two giant pandas (Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing) arrive in the US, from China.
  • 1972 - Apollo 16 is launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida; 5th manned lunar landing (Decartes Highlands).
  • 1972 - Birth of Conchita Martinez in Monzon, Spain; tennis star (1996 final Indian Wells).
  • 1972 - Birth of Jim Ballard; NFL/WLAF quarterback (Scottish Claymores, Buffalo Bills).
  • 1972 - Birth of Mario Bradley; WLAF cornerback (London Monarchs).
  • 1972 - Chicago Cubs' player Burt Hooton no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0.
  • 1972 - Yasunari Kawabata, Japanese author (Nobel Prize 1968), dies at age 72.
  • 1973 - István Kertész, Hungarian-born German conductor (London Symphony), dies at age 43.
  • 1974 - 200,000 attend rock concert California Jam I in Ontario, California.
  • 1974 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk.
  • 1975 - Birth of Nicky Sualua; NFL fullback (Dallas Cowboys).
  • 1976 - Birth of Lukas Haas in West Hollywood, California; actor (Mars Attacks, Lady in White, Witness, Music Box, Testament, Leap of Faith, Ryan White Story).
  • 1977 - At the West Coast Computer Faire in SanFrancisco, California, Commodore demonstrates the PET 2001 computer, and Apple Computer introduces the Apple II. Both feature a 6502 processor and 4 kB RAM, both targeting the home computer user. The PET is a complete unit, incorporating a monochrome display and cassette storage, whereas the Apple II uses a color TV display and external storage.
  • 1978 - Hollis Stacy wins LPGA Birmingham Golf Classic.
  • 1978 - Death of Lucius D. Clay at age 80, American military governor of Germany after World War II (born 1897).
  • 1978 - Saint Louis Cardinals' Bob Forsch no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 5-0.
  • 1978 - Birth of Lara Dutta, Indian actress and Miss Universe 2000.
  • 1979 - 15th Mayor's Trophy Game, New York Yankees and New York Mets tie 1-1.
  • 1979 - 83rd Boston Marathon won by Bill Rodgers of Massachusetts in 2:09:27.
  • 1979 - 8th Boston Women's Marathon won by Joan Benoit Samuelson in 2:35:15.
  • 1979 - Failed Palestinian attack on Zaventem Airport in Belgium.
  • 1979 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Sam Shepard for Buried Child.
  • 1980 - Death of Morris Stoloff at age 81; film composer and conductor (musical director of Columbia Pictures for over 20 years, three Academy Awards, "Moonglow and Theme From Picnic" (1956)).
  • 1980 - Birth of Jesse Tendler in Madison, Wisconsin; actor (Nick - Ellen Burstyn Show).
  • 1980 - Delhi beats Bombay by 240 runs to win Ranji Trophy final.
  • 1980 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
  • 1980 - Birth of Paul London; American professional wrestler.
  • 1980 - Alf Sjöberg, director (Fadern, Oen, Domaren), dies in a car crash at age 76.
  • 1980 - Arthur Ashe retires from professional tennis.
  • 1981 - Eric Hollies, cricket player (13 Tests for England, 44 wickets), dies.
  • 1983 - Setting a National League consecutive game-played record, Los Angeles Dodgers' first baseman Steve Garvey appears in his 1,118th straight game.
  • 1984 - Pulitzer prize awarded to Mary Oliver for American Primitive.
  • 1984 - 13th Boston Women's Marathon won by Lorraine Moller of New Zealand in 2:29:28.
  • 1984 - 88th Boston Marathon won by Geoff Smith of Great Britain in 2:10:34.
  • 1984 - Oakland Athletics' Dave Kingman hits three homeruns including a grand slam.
  • 1985 - Scott Brady [Gerald Tierney], actor (Shotgun Slade), dies at age 60.
  • 1986 - To dispel rumors he's dead, Libya's Moammar Qadhafi appears on TV.
  • 1986 - West Indies complete 5-0 demolition of England.
  • 1987 - Anthony Tudor, dancer/choreographer (American Ballet Theater) dies at age 78.
  • 1987 - Birth of Milton J Cross in New York City, New York; TV announcer (Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air).
  • 1987 - US Federal Communications Commission imposes a broader definition of indecency over airwaves.
  • 1987 - Michael Jordan becomes second NBA to score 3000 points in a season.
  • 1987 - Peter Taylor's Summons to Memphis wins Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
  • 1987 - Pulitzer prize awarded to August Wilson for Fences.
  • 1987 - NBC airs the final episode of Remington Steele TV show.
  • 1988 - Clifford Roach, cricket player (16 Tests early in West Indies cricket history), dies.
  • 1988 - Jacques de Kadt, Dutch second chamber member (Socialist-Democrat), dies at age 90.
  • 1988 - Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), Palestinian Liberation Organization military commander, assassinated by Israeli commandos in Tunisia.
  • 1988 - In Forlì, Italy, the brigate rosse kill Senator Roberto Ruffilli, an advisor of Prime Minister Ciriaco de Mita.
  • 1989 - First Seniors Golf Tradition: Don Bies wins.
  • 1989 - Berendrechtsluis opens in Antwerp, biggest flood lock in world.
  • 1989 - Costa Rica beats US 1-0, in third round of 1990 world soccer cup.
  • 1989 - Pat Bradley wins LPGA AI Star/Centinela Hospital Golf Classic.
  • 1989 - Tawfieq Yusuf Awwaad, Lebanese writer, dies.
  • 1989 - Zeleka Metaferia wins third World Cup marathon (2:10:28).
  • 1989 - The Dilbert comic strip is syndicated for the first time.
  • 1989 - Death of Jocko Conlan, baseball player and umpire (born 1899).
  • 1989 - NBC launched the cable channel CNBC as the "Consumer News & Business Channel."
  • 1990 - 19th Boston Women's Marathon won by Rosa Mota of Portugal in 2:25:23.
  • 1990 - 94th Boston Marathon won by Gelindo Bordin of Italy in 2:08:19.
  • 1990 - Maximum New York State unemployment benefits raised to $260 per week.
  • 1990 - US Supreme Court rejects appeal from retarded man, Dalton Prejean, condemned to death for murdering a Louisiana state trooper in 1977.
  • 1991 - David Lean, director (two Academy Awards - Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia), dies of pneumonia at age 83.
  • 1991 - The Disney-produced TV series STAT first airs.
  • 1991 - The Skoda automobile company (Czech Republic) is acquired by Volkswagen.
  • 1991 - Saint Louis Blues becomes 8th NHL team in Play-off to come back from a 3-1 deficit as they beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in game 7.
  • 1992 - First concrete is poured at new ballpark at Gateway (Jacobs Field).
  • 1992 - Afghanistan President Najibullah resigns.
  • 1992 - Death of Andy Russell at age 72 of complications from a stroke in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; drummer, singer (Your Hit Parade, "Besame Mucho", "Laughing on the Outside", "Anniversary Song").
  • 1992 - Neville Brand, actor (Stalag 17), dies of emphysema at age 71.
  • 1992 - New York Rangers win team record 50th game.
  • 1993 - John P W Meefout, sculptor (Laying wife), dies at age 77.
  • 1993 - Jury reaches guilty verdict in Federal case against cop who beat Rodney King.
  • 1994 - Ralph Waldo Ellison, American writer (Invisible Man), dies at age 80 (born 1914).
  • 1994 - Ron Vawter, US actor (Roy Cohn, Silence of the Lambs), dies at age 45.
  • 1994 - Samuel Selvon author, dies at age 70.
  • 1994 - Voters in Finland decide to join the European Union in a referendum.
  • 1995 - 56th PGA Seniors Golf Championship: Ray Floyd wins.
  • 1995 - Cheyenne Brando, daughter of Marlon, commits suicide.
  • 1995 - Cy[ril Raker] Endfield, film director (Universal Soldier), dies at age 80.
  • 1995 - Stewart Myles MacPherson, broadcaster, dies at age 86.
  • 1996 - Lucille Bremer, dancer/actress (Ziegfeld Follies), dies at age 73.
  • 1996 - Stavros Spyros Niarchos, Greek shipowner, dies at age 86.
  • 1997 - Emilio Azcarraga Milmo, media tycoon, dies at age 66.
  • 1997 - Mae Boren Axton, song writer ("Heartbreak Hotel"), dies at age 82.
  • 1997 - Michael Stroka, actor (Aristede - Dark Shadows), dies of cancer at age 57.
  • 1997 - Death of Doris Angleton, American socialite (born 1951).
  • 1997 - Death of Roland Topor, French illustrator (born 1938).
  • 1998 - A Force 3 tornado passes through downtown Nashville, Tennessee - the first tornado in 11 years to directly hit a major city. An F5 tornado travels through rural portions south of Nashville.
  • 1999 - Death of Alexander (Skip) Spence at age 52 of lung cancer and alcoholism in San Francisco, California, USA; rock and roll singer/guitarist/drummer (Moby Grape, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service).
  • 2000 - Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, Sultan of Selangor, dies after a reign of 55 years. He was the longest reigning monarch in the world since the death of Prince Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein.
  • 2001 - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge opens at Walt Disney World.
  • 2001 - Death of Michael Ritchie at age 62 of prostate cancer; director (Dr. Kildare TV show, Felony Squad, The Outsider, Beggars and Choosers).
  • 2002 - Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder becomes the seventh CEO of the Volkswagen automobile company, succeeding Dr. Ferdinand Piech.
  • 2002 - Death of Franz Krienbühl, Swiss speed skater (born 1929).
  • 2002 - Death of Robert Urich at age 55 from a rare form of cancer; actor (Spenser: For Hire, Vega$).
  • 2003 - The Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens, Greece, allowing ten new members into the European Union.
  • 2004 - India defeats Pakistan in their first cricket tour in 14 years.
  • 2005 - President Lucio Gutierrez of Ecuador declares a state of emergency in the capital city and dissolves the Supreme Court.
  • 2006 - Prince Albert II of Monaco reaches the North Pole, becoming the first reigning monarch ever to do so.
  • 2008 - Pope Benedict XVI makes his first official visit to the US, welcomed by President George Bush at Andrews Air Force Base.
  • 2008 - A fireball with fluctuating colors is observed over Entre Ríos, Argentina. Vast brush fires reported the following day in Buenos Aires and Entre Ríos may have been caused by the meteor exploding.
  • 2008 - US President George Bush announces an initiative to have American greenhouse gas emissions peak by 2025.
  • 2008 - Heritage Auction Galleries auctions the Queller Collection. The Mickley specimen of the Class I US 1804 dollar sells for $3,737,500.
  • 2008 - Death of Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (born 1917).
  • 2009 - General Growth Properties, the second-largest U.S. mall owner (over 200 malls), files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the biggest real estate failure in U.S. history. The 55-year-old company, based in Chicago, listed total assets of US$29.56 billion and total debts of $27.29 billion. Company share value dropped to 60 cents from a high of US$67 in 2007.
  • 2009 - US President Barack Obama confirms that CIA interrogators who used interrogation methods not considered torture by legal opinion of the previous administration on suspects will not face prosecution. The approved techniques including waterboarding (simulated drowning), week-long sleep deprivation, nudity and putting insects in with a tightly confined prisoner.
  • 2009 - General election begins in India.
  • 2010 - Deposed President Kurmanbek Bakiyev formally resigns in a handwritten letter sent to Kyrgyzstan's new leaders.
  • 2010 - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges Goldman Sachs Group with fraud over its marketing of a subprime mortgage product. Goldman Sachs shares drop 12.8 percent, closing down $23.57 at $160.70 on the New York Stock Exchange.
  • 2012 - Death of Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller, Danish shipping magnate (born 1913).
  • 2012 - A check that Detective Comics wrote to acquire the exclusive rights to the comic character "Superman" in 1938 for $130 sells at auction for $160,000.
  • 2014 - Korean ferry MV Sewol capsizes and sinks after an unmanageable cargo shift, killing 304 people, mostly high school students.
  • 2016 - Magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan; 40 dead.
  • 2016 - Magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Manabi and Esmeraldas provinces of Ecuador; about 525 dead.
  • 2019 - The Howse Peak avalanche kills three noted mountaineers: Austrians Hansjörg Auer and David Lama, and Canadian Jess Roskelley.
  • 2022 - Death of Rosario Ibarra de Piedra at age 95; Mexican presidential candidate.

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