This Day in History
May 23

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: May 23?

On May 23 in ...

  • 1059 - Henri I crowns his son compassionate King Philip I of France.
  • 1125 - Death of Heinrich V, King of the Germans (1098) and Holy Roman Emperor (1111-1125).
  • 1153 - David I, king of Scotland (1124-53), dies at about age 68.
  • 1275 - King Edward I of England orders cessation of persecution of French Jews.
  • 1420 - Jews of Syria and Austria expelled.
  • 1421 - Jews of Austria imprisoned and expelled.
  • 1423 - Benedict XIII [Pedro the Luna] Spanish Pope (1394-1423), dies.
  • 1430 - Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians at Compiègne, France. The Burgundians sell her to the English.
  • 1493 - King Charles VIII and Maximilian I of Austria sign Peace of Senlis.
  • 1498 - Girolamo Savonarola dictator of Florence (1494-98), tortured and executed in Florence at age 45.
  • 1533 - King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon marriage declared null and void.
  • 1536 - Pope Paul III installs Portugese inquisition.
  • 1544 - German emperor Charles V recognizes king Christian III of Denmark.
  • 1552 - Death of Sebastian Münster in Basel, Switzerland; professor of Hebrew at the University of Basel, wrote Cosmography (1544).
  • 1555 - Giampietro Caraffa elected Pope Paul IV.
  • 1568 - Adolf van Nassau German son of Willem the Rich, dies in battle at age 27.
  • 1568 - Battle at Heiligerlee: Dutch rebels beat Spanish, 100s killed.
  • 1576 - Tycho Brahe given Hveen Island to build Uraniborg Observatory.
  • 1584 - Birth of Maximilian von Trauttmansdorff in Graz, Austria; Austrian diplomat in Habsburg imperial politics, negotiated an end to the Thirty Years' War ending with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
  • 1598 - Birth of Claude Mellan French engraver/cartoonist/painter, baptized.
  • 1609 - King James I grants the second Virginia Charter, reserving for the crown 1/5 of all gold or silver mined by the colony.
  • 1611 - Matthias von Habsburg chosen king of Bohemia.
  • 1617 - Birth of Elias Ashmole antiquary.
  • 1618 - Second Defenestration of Prague; the beginning of the 30 Years War.
  • 1618 - Imperial civil servants thrown out a window of Prague Castle.
  • 1620 - Birth of Pieter Neefs the Younger, Flemish painter, baptized.
  • 1627 - Luis de Góngora y Argote poet/writer, dies.
  • 1644 - Birth of Thomas Eisenhut composer.
  • 1644 - Johan Mauritius van Nassau resigns as head of Civil rights activists.
  • 1647 - Willem II sworn in as viceroy of Holland.
  • 1660 - King Charles II, returning from exile, sails from Scheveningen to England.
  • 1667 - King Afonso VI of Portugal flees.
  • 1668 - Philips Wouwerman Haarlems painter, buried.
  • 1684 - Adriaen Backer Amsterdams painter buried at about age 48.
  • 1696 - Birth of Johann Caspar Vogler composer.
  • 1701 - Captain Kidd hung in London, England, after conviction of piracy and murder.
  • 1701 - William Kidd Scottish pirate, hanged at London's Execution Dock.
  • 1706 - Battle of Ramillies-Marlborough defeats French; 17,000 killed.
  • 1707 - Birth of Carolus Linnaeus Swedish botanist/"Father of Taxonomy" (naming plants and animals).
  • 1710 - Birth of François-Gaspard Adam French sculptor (garden sculptures).
  • 1729 - Birth of Giuseppe Parini Italian priest/poet (Il Giorno).
  • 1734 - Birth of Friedrich Anton Mesmer Austria, physician/hypnotist (Mesmerism).
  • 1735 - Birth of Charles Joseph prince the Ligne, Belgian fieldmarshal/author.
  • 1750 - Carlo Goldoni's "Il Bugiardo" premieres in Mantua.
  • 1754 - Birth of Andrea Appiana Italian royal painter (Napoleon).
  • 1754 - John Wood architect/town planner, dies.
  • 1774 - Chestertown tea party occurs (tea dumped into Chester River).
  • 1785 - Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals.
  • 1788 - South Carolina becomes 8th state to ratify US constitution.
  • 1799 - Birth of Thomas Hood; English poet/composer (Song of the Shirt).
  • 1810 - Birth of Margaret Fuller; writer/critic first professional book review column (New York Tribune).
  • 1812 - Birth of Henri A Esquiros; French poet/writer (Les Vierges Folles).
  • 1813 - Birth of Mason Brayman; US Brevet Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1895).
  • 1820 - Birth of James Buchanan Eads; US engineer/inventor (Eads Bridge in Saint Louis, Missouri).
  • 1824 - Birth of Ambrose Everett Burnside; Major General (US volunteers).
  • 1828 - Birth of Edward Hitchcock; America's first professor of physical education (Amherst College).
  • 1837 - Birth of James Sanks Brisbin; US Brevet Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1892).
  • 1848 - Birth of Helmuth J L von Moltke; German general/chief of staff (WWI).
  • 1848 - Birth of Otto Lilienthal; German pioneer aviator (dies 1896).
  • 1849 - Birth of Károly earl Khuen-Héderváry; Premier of Hungary (1910-12).
  • 1853 - Buenos Aires gains independence from Argentina (reunited 1859).
  • 1861 - Virginia citizens vote 3 to 1 in favor of secession.
  • 1862 - Birth of William "Dummy" Hoy; professional baseball player who lived to age 99.
  • 1862 - Valley Campaign - CSA General Thomas Jackson takes Front Royal, Virginia.
  • 1865 - Flag flown at full staff over White House, for first time since President Abraham Lincoln was shot.
  • 1865 - Victory parade in Washington, District of Columbia (Grand Review).
  • 1867 - Jesse James gang rob bank in Richmond, Missouri (two die, $4,000 taken).
  • 1873 - Birth of Leo Baeck; rabbi/president (World Union for Progressive Judaism).
  • 1873 - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is formed in Canada, replacing the NorthWest Mounted Police.
  • 1876 - First National League no-hitter (Joe Borden, Boston Red Stockings).
  • 1878 - Attorney John Henry Smyth named US minister to Liberia.
  • 1882 - Birth of James Gleason in New York City, New York, USA; writer/actor (Bishop's Wife, Flying Fool).
  • 1883 - 9th Kentucky Derby: William Donohue aboard Leonatus wins in 2:43.
  • 1883 - Birth of Douglas Fairbanks in Denver, Colorado, USA; actor (Zorro, Three Musketeers, Robin Hood).
  • 1883 - Cyprian K Norwid, Polish painter/poet/playwright (Wanda), dies.
  • 1884 - 12th Preakness: S Fisher aboard Knight of Ellerslie wins in 2:39.5.
  • 1887 - First transcontinental train arrives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
  • 1888 - Birth of Adrian Roland Holst; Dutch poet (Raged and Tired).
  • 1890 - Birth of Herbert Marshall in London, England; actor (Murder, Razor's Edge, Little Foxes).
  • 1891 - Birth of Pär Lagerkvist in Sweden; novelist/poet/dramatist (Barabbas, Nobel Prize 1951).
  • 1894 - William Love hosts ground-breaking ceremonies for Love Canal, New York.
  • 1897 - Aleko Konstantinov, Bulgarian writer (To Chicago and Back), dies at age 34.
  • 1898 - First Philippine Expeditionary Troops sail from San Francisco.
  • 1898 - Birth of Frank McHugh; actor (Front Page, Gold Diggers 1935, Mighty Joe Young).
  • 1901 - 35th Belmont Stakes: H Spencer aboard Commando wins in 2:21.
  • 1901 - Birth of Edmund Rubbra in Northampton, England; composer (Morning Watch).
  • 1901 - US captures leader of Philippine rebels, Emilio Aguinaldo.
  • 1903 - First automobile trip across US from San Francisco to New York begins (ends April 1).
  • 1903 - First direct primary election law in US adopted, by Wisconsin.
  • 1903 - Birth of Walter Reisch; US screenwriter (Ninotchka, Gaslight, Titanic).
  • 1905 - Martinus W van AA Meerbeke, head editor (Time), dies at age 75.
  • 1906 - Henrik Johan Ibsen, Norwegian playwright (Doll House), dies at age 78.
  • 1908 - Birth of Christian GK Baëta; Togolese chairman (International Mission Council).
  • 1908 - Birth of John Bardeen; US physicist (transistor, Nobel Prize 1956, 1972).
  • 1908 - Birth of Max Abramovitz; US architect (Lincoln Center, United Nations Building).
  • 1908 - Dirigible explodes over San Francisco Bay, California; 16 passengers fall, none die.
  • 1910 - Birth of Artie Shaw [Arthur Jacob Arshawsky] in New York City, New York, USA; bandleader (Come'on my House).
  • 1910 - Birth of Scatman Crothers [Benjamin] in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA; actor/singer (Zapped, Shining) (dies 1986).
  • 1911 - Birth of Melvin M Payne; president (National Geographic Society).
  • 1911 - Death of Louis Oscar Roty in Paris, France; medalist and designer (La Semeuse on 1897+ French coins, 1890s Chile coins, 1880s Haiti coins, 1875 Grand Prix de Rome winner, 1885 Knight of the Legion of Honour).
  • 1912 - Birth of David Barran; CEO (Midland Bank, England).
  • 1912 - Birth of Jean Françaix in Le Mans, France; composer (Le Rui Nu).
  • 1912 - Birth of John Payne in Roanoke, Virginia, USA; actor (Restless Gun).
  • 1912 - Birth of Marius Goring in Isle of Wight; actor (Herr Palitz - Holocaust).
  • 1912 - Birth of Samuel Curran; vice chancellor (Strathclyde University).
  • 1914 - Birth of Alec Dickson; founder (VSO).
  • 1914 - Birth of Barbara Ward; economist/writer (Only One Earth).
  • 1914 - Birth of Leo Lerman; actor/manager/critic (Dance Magazine).
  • 1915 - Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary and Germany.
  • 1916 - Birth of Margaret Hayden Rector; playwright (living legacy award 1995).
  • 1916 - Heavy battles at Fort Douaumont, Verdun, France.
  • 1917 - Dutch second Chamber okays 1908 conscription draft.
  • 1918 - Birth of Denis Compton; cricket player (England batsman 1938-56 and Arsenal forward).
  • 1918 - King Oil/Shell refinery on Curaçao officially opens.
  • 1919 - Birth of Betty Garrett in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA; actress (Irene - All in the Family).
  • 1920 - Birth of Helen O'Connell in Lima, Ohio, USA; singer ("Green Eyes", "Amapola").
  • 1920 - Birth of Sid Melton in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Alf - Green Acres, Charlie - Danny Thomas).
  • 1920 - Pope Benedictus XV publishes encyclical Pacem Dei.
  • 1921 - Birth of Humphrey Lyttelton; jazz musician/actor (It's Great to Be Young).
  • 1921 - Birth of James [Benjamin] Blish; US/United Kingdom sci-fi author (Hugo, Star Trek Reader).
  • 1921 - Birth of Loren Tindall in Oklahoma, USA; actor (Meet Me on Broadway, Girl of Limberlost).
  • 1922 - Harry Greb gives Gene Tunney his only professional boxing defeat.
  • 1922 - Walt Disney incorporates Laugh-O-gram Films, using the remaining assets of Iwwerks-Disney Commercial Artists, and US$15,000 from local investors.
  • 1923 - Belgium's SABENA airline launches.
  • 1923 - Birth of Alicia de Larrocha in Copenhagen, Denmark; pianist (Orquesta Sinfonica).
  • 1923 - Birth of Nirode Chowdhury; Indian cricket pace bowler (1949-52).
  • 1924 - Birth of Desmond Carrington; British radio host (Jim - Calamity the Cow).
  • 1924 - Birth of Michael McCrum; master (Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, England).
  • 1924 - Birth of V N Swamy; cricket player (one Test India versus New Zealand 1955, DNB, 0-45).
  • 1926 - Hack Wilson is first to hit a homerun off Chicago's Wrigley Field scoreboard.
  • 1926 - Lebanese constitution is established under French mandate.
  • 1928 - Birth of Nigel Davenport in Cambridge, England; actor (Without a Clue, Masada).
  • 1928 - Birth of Nina Otkalenko in USSR; 800 metre runner (9 world records).
  • 1928 - Birth of Rosemary Clooney in Maysville, Kentucky, USA; singer/Coronet paper towels spokeswoman.
  • 1928 - Bomb attack on Italian embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina; 22 die.
  • 1929 - The first talking cartoon of Mickey Mouse (The Karnival Kid) is released.
  • 1929 - Birth of Joe Modise; South African commandant of Umkhonto we Sizwe (1965-).
  • 1929 - Birth of Ulla Jacobson; Swedish actress (One Summer of Happiness).
  • 1931 - Birth of Barbara Barrie in Chicago, Illinois, USA; actress (Breaking Away, Barney Miller).
  • 1931 - Birth of José Telles Da Conceiçao in Brazil; high jumper (Olympics-bronze-1952).
  • 1932 - Birth of John Lyons in Cambridge, England; Master (Trinity Hall).
  • 1932 - Birth of Mary Fickett in Bronxville, New York, USA; actress (Ruth Martin - All My Children).
  • 1933 - Birth of Seabiscuit; legendary American racehorse.
  • 1933 - Birth of Bruce A Peterson; US test pilot (M2, HL-10).
  • 1933 - Birth of Gerrit J M Braks; Dutch minister of agriculture and land and fishing (CDA).
  • 1933 - Birth of Joan [Henrietta] Collins in London, England; actress (Alexis Carrington Colby - Dynasty).
  • 1934 - Birth of Malcolm Gill; deputy head (Bank for International Settlements).
  • 1934 - Birth of Robert Moog; inventor (the Moog Synthesizer).
  • 1934 - Texas and Louisiana state police shoot to death notorious criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow near Sailes, Louisiana. The Barrow Gang was believed responsible for the deaths of 13 people, including nine police officers.
  • 1934 - Wallace Carothers manufactures first nylon (polymeer 66).
  • 1935 - Birth of Juliet Campbell; British ambassador to Luxembourg.
  • 1935 - Birth of Lord Grenfell; head of External affairs European office, World Bank.
  • 1936 - Birth of Charles Kimbrough; actor (Murphy Brown).
  • 1937 - John Davison, Rockfeller industrialist, dies at age 97 in Ormond Beach, Florida.
  • 1938 - Birth of John R Miller; American politician (Representative-Republican-Washington, 1985-).
  • 1938 - Birth of Peter Preston; editor (Guardian).
  • 1939 - British decoration, George Cross, first presented.
  • 1939 - British parliament plans to make Palestine independent by 1949.
  • 1939 - Adolf Hitler proclaims he wants to move into Poland.
  • 1939 - Submarine Squalis sinks off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 26 die.
  • 1940 - First great dogfight between British Spitfires and German Messerschmitt Bf.
  • 1940 - Andrej N Rimsky-Korssakov, Russian musicologist/son of Nikolai, dies.
  • 1940 - Paul Nizan, French journalist/writer (Ce Soir, Aden Arabia), dies at age 35.
  • 1941 - Joe Louis beats Buddy Baer on disqualification in 7 rounds for heavyweight boxing title.
  • 1941 - Death of Lord Herbert Austin; motor manufacturer.
  • 1941 - Rudolf Harbig runs world record 1000m (2:21.5).
  • 1943 - 826 Allied bombers attack Dortmund, Germany.
  • 1943 - Birth of General George Norman Johnson; US singer ("Down at the Beach Club").
  • 1943 - Birth of John "Poli" Palmer; rocker (Family).
  • 1943 - Birth of John Newcombe in Australia; tennis pro (Wimbledon 1967, 1970, 1971).
  • 1943 - Birth of Peter Kenilorea; Prime Minister of Solomon Islands.
  • 1944 - Birth of Giles Smith; TV journalist.
  • 1944 - Birth of Olga Maitland; British Member of Parliament.
  • 1944 - Birth of Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood; American drummer (Funkadelic, Knee Deep).
  • 1944 - British/Canadian troops occupy Pontecorvo, Italy.
  • 1944 - Chinese counter offensive at Hunan front.
  • 1944 - Operation-Buffalo: Allied jailbreak out Anzio-bridgehead.
  • 1944 - Polo Grounds host first New York City night game since 1941.
  • 1945 - Birth of Elliott Bernerd; English broker/multi-millionaire.
  • 1945 - Birth of Lauren Chapin; actress (Kathy - Father Knows Best).
  • 1945 - Birth of Misty Morgan; country keyboardist (duo with Jack Blanchard).
  • 1945 - British military police arrest Admiral Karl Dönitz.
  • 1945 - German island of Helgoland in North Sea surrenders to British.
  • 1945 - German SS chief Heinrich Himmler bites a cyanide capsule during examination by a British army doctor and dies.
  • 1945 - Lord Haw-Haw arrested at Danish boundary.
  • 1947 - Birth of Ann Hui; director (Boat People).
  • 1947 - Birth of Jonathan Pryce in North Wales; stage actor (Miss Saigon).
  • 1947 - PC Hooft prize forms for literature.
  • 1948 - Joe DiMaggio hits three consecutive homeruns.
  • 1948 - Ramat Rahel gateway to Jerusalem is repossessed by Israel.
  • 1949 - Birth of Alan García Pérez; President of Peru (1985-90).
  • 1949 - Federal Republic of [West] Germany proclaimed.
  • 1950 - Birth of Linda Thompson in Memphis, Tennessee, USA; actress (Hee Haw).
  • 1950 - In Madhipura, India, a building is struck by a falling meteorite.
  • 1951 - Birth of Anatoliy Karpov in USSR; world chess champion (1975-85).
  • 1951 - Birth of Judy Rodman in Riverside, California, USA; country singer ("Girls Ride Horses Too").
  • 1952 - Birth of Deborah Adair; actress (Tracey - Dynasty, Kate - Days of Our Lives).
  • 1952 - Birth of James Mankey; rocker (Concrete Blonde).
  • 1953 - 79th Preakness: Eric Guerin aboard Native Dancer wins in 1:57.8.
  • 1953 - US schools first use Cliff's Notes.
  • 1954 - Birth of "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler in New Jersey, USA; middleweight boxing champion (1982-83).
  • 1954 - H R Bromley-Davenport, cricket player (batted in four Tests for England), dies.
  • 1956 - Presbyterian Church begins accepting women ministers.
  • 1956 - World Trade Center dedicated in Ferry Building, San Francisco, California.
  • 1957 - Birth of Jimmy McShane; Pop singer (Baltimora - "Tarzan Boy").
  • 1958 - Birth of Drew Carey in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; actor/comedian (Drew - The Drew Carey Show, host - Whose Line is it Anyway?).
  • 1958 - Explorer 1 ceases transmission.
  • 1958 - Birth of Shelly West in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; country singer ("Red Hot", "West by West").
  • 1958 - Birth of Thomas Reiter in Germany; cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-22).
  • 1958 - Mao Tse Tung starts "Great leap forward" movement in China.
  • 1959 - Birth of Linden Ashby; actor (Mortal Kombat).
  • 1960 - Birth of Theo Vogelaars; pop bassist (Tröckener Kecks/Paid Love).
  • 1960 - Israel announces capture of German Adolf Eichmann in Argentina.
  • 1961 - Birth of Dave Babych in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; NHL defenseman (Vancouver Canucks).
  • 1961 - Joan Davis, comedic actress (I Married Joan), dies of heart attack at age 53.
  • 1962 - Birth of Karen [Duff] Duffy in New York City, New York, USA; MTV VJ/actress (Meet Wally Sparks).
  • 1962 - Birth of Keith Brantley at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, USA; marathon runner (Olympics-1996).
  • 1962 - Joe Pepitone is second New York Yankees player to hit two homeruns in one inning (Joe DiMaggio was first).
  • 1962 - OAS leader General Raoul Salan sentenced to life.
  • 1963 - NBC purchases 1963 AFL championship game TV rights for US$926,000.
  • 1964 - Birth of Kenny Gattison; NBA forward (Orlando Magic).
  • 1964 - Birth of Staci Greason in Denver, Colorado, USA; actress (Isabella Toscando - Days of Our Lives).
  • 1964 - Dale Greig runs female marathon world record (3:27:45).
  • 1965 - Birth of James Hasty; NFL cornerback (Kansas City Chiefs).
  • 1965 - Birth of Woorkeri Venkat Raman; cricket player (Indian slow left-arm all-rounder).
  • 1965 - Franz Jonas elected president of Austria.
  • 1965 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Dallas Civitan Golf Open.
  • 1965 - Pontoon ferry overturned on Shire River, Malawi, kills 150.
  • 1966 - Birth of Gary Roberts in North York, Ontario, Canada; NHL left wing (Calgary Flames).
  • 1966 - Birth of Graeme Hick; cricket player (in Zimbabwe Massive run-scorer for Worcestershire).
  • 1966 - Birth of Helena Bonham Carter in London, England; actress (Fort Worth, Howards End).
  • 1966 - Ruth Gates of Denton, Texas, actress (Aunt Jenny - Mama), dies at age 79.
  • 1967 - Birth of Craig John Monk in Auckland, New Zealand; finn class yachter (Olympics-1996).
  • 1967 - Government bans submarines near South Africa.
  • 1967 - Philip Coolidge, actor (I Want to Live, Tingler), dies at age 58.
  • 1968 - AC Milan wins 8th Europe Cup II in Rotterdam.
  • 1968 - Birth of Daryl Hobbs; NFL wide receiver (Oakland Raiders).
  • 1968 - Birth of Tiffany Rochelle-Anderson in Laguna Beach, California, USA; WPVA volleyball player (Nationals-13th-1995).
  • 1968 - James Burke, actor (Ellery Queen, Army Surgeon), dies at age 81.
  • 1968 - In South Island, New Zealand, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurs. Few deaths or injuries due to epicenter in rough hill country.
  • 1968 - Merle Kendrick, orchestra leader (Window on the World), dies at age 72.
  • 1969 - BBC orders 13 episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
  • 1969 - Birth of Pat Hurst in San Leandro, California, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Rolex Rookie of the Year).
  • 1969 - Diane Aubrey, actress (Haunted Strangler), dies of heart attack at age 79.
  • 1969 - Jimmy McHugh, composer (Can't Give You Anything But Love), dies at age 74.
  • 1969 - Lauwerszee Dike in Holland closes.
  • 1969 - Peter Alma, painter/graphic artist, dies at age 83.
  • 1969 - The Who release the rock opera "Tommy".
  • 1970 - Birth of Grahae Hick; cricket player.
  • 1970 - Birth of Ricky Gutierrez in Miami, Florida, USA; infielder (Houston Astros).
  • 1970 - Grateful Dead's first perfomance outside of the US (England).
  • 1970 - Nydia Westman, actress (Going My Way, Young Mr Bobbins), dies at age 68.
  • 1970 - San Diego Padres beat San Francisco Giants 17-16 in 15 innings.
  • 1970 - USSR performs nuclear test (underground).
  • 1971 - Birth of Issac Booth; NFL cornerback/safety (Cleveland Browns).
  • 1971 - Birth of Joseph Rogers; Canadian Football League receiver (Winnipeg Blue Bombers).
  • 1971 - Birth of Marshall Boze in San Manual, Arizona, USA; pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers).
  • 1971 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Suzuki Golf Internationalionale.
  • 1971 - Rock group Iron Butterfly disbands.
  • 1972 - Birth of Isabelle Fijalkowski; WNBA center/forward (Cleveland Rockers).
  • 1972 - Birth of Marco van Hoogdalem; Dutch soccer player (Roda JC).
  • 1972 - Birth of Rene Ingoglia; running back (Buffalo Bills).
  • 1972 - Birth of Shannon Brown; NFL defensive tackle (Atlanta Falcons).
  • 1973 - Athena Lorde, actress (Judith - One Man's Family, Fuzz, Skin Game), dies at age 57.
  • 1973 - Birth of Verna Vasquez; Miss Universe-best swimsuit (Curacao, 1997).
  • 1974 - Birth of Duane Clemons; linebacker (Minnesota Vikings).
  • 1974 - Birth of Jewel [Kilcher] in Saint George, Utah, USA; folk/rock vocalist ("Pieces of You"), actor.
  • 1974 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.
  • 1974 - Italian Red Brigade officer Mario Sossi freed.
  • 1975 - Birth of Vincent Goossens; soccer player (Dordrecht 1990).
  • 1975 - Jackie "Moms" Mabley, comedienne (Amazing Grace), dies at age 81.
  • 1976 - Amy Alcott wins '76 LPGA Golf Classic.
  • 1976 - Birth of Melanie Joyce Bell in Vernon, New Jersey; Miss America-New Jersey (1997).
  • 1977 - Benin adopts its constitution.
  • 1977 - Moluccan extremists hold 105 schoolchildren and 50 others hostage on a hijacked train in Netherlands; children released May 27, siege ends June 11.
  • 1977 - US Supreme Court refuses to hear appeals of Watergate wrong-doers H R Halderman, John Ehrlichman, and John Mitchell.
  • 1978 - Birth of Scott Raynor, drummer and founding member of Blink-182.
  • 1978 - American League approves transfer of Boston Red Sox to Jean Yawkey for US$15 million.
  • 1978 - General strike in Peru.
  • 1979 - Birth of Matt Flynn; drummer for the band Maroon 5.
  • 1979 - Afganistan recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
  • 1979 - Film The Kids Are Alright starring rock group The Who premieres.
  • 1979 - First edition of Wisden Cricket Monthly.
  • 1979 - Borussia Mönchengladbach wins 8th UEFA Cup at Düsseldorf.
  • 1979 - Hubert van Doorne, auto manufacturer (DAF), dies at age 79.
  • 1979 - Rocker Tom Petty files chapter 11 bankruptcy.
  • 1979 - Federal Republic of Germany elects Carl Carstens president.
  • 1980 - Birth of Sarah Louise Catherwood in Christchurch, New Zealand; 4x200 metre swimmer (Olympics-1996).
  • 1980 - ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Neil Burton.
  • 1981 - Barcelona fascists take 200 people hostage.
  • 1981 - NASA launches Intelsat V.
  • 1982 - Cathy Morse wins LPGA Chrysler-Plymouth Charity Golf Classic.
  • 1982 - Colin Wilson rides a surfboard 294 miles.
  • 1982 - Louis J N Gérardin, bicyclist (world champion sprint 1930), dies at age 69.
  • 1982 - Pope John Paul II declares "Peerke" Donders divine.
  • 1982 - Falklands War - HMS Antelope of the Royal Navy explodes, two killed.
  • 1982 - BBC warns Britain will bomb Argentina.
  • 1983 - Albert Claude, Belgian biologist (Nobel Prize 1974), dies at age 84 (born 1899).
  • 1983 - Radio Moscow announcer Vladimir Danchev praises Afghanistan Muslims standing up to Russia; he is removed from the air.
  • 1983 - Birth of Heidi Range; British singer (Sugababes).
  • 1983 - Death of George Bruns in Portland, Oregon, USA at age 68; Disney songwriter/composer (Sleeping Beauty, Babes in Toyland, The Sword in the Stone, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett", theme of Zorro, "Yo Ho"), named Disney Legend 2001.
  • 1984 - Detroit Tigers win 16th straight road game, tying American League record.
  • 1984 - Richard von Weizäcker is elected president of Federal Republic of Germany.
  • 1984 - Anderlecht wins 13th UEFA Cup at London, England.
  • 1984 - Birth of Adam Wylie; actor (Picket Fences).
  • 1984 - Paramount releases the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to theaters.
  • 1985 - Thomas Patrick Cavanagh is sentenced to life in prison for attempting to sell stealth bomber secrets to the Soviet Union.
  • 1986 - Birth of Nico Colaluca; American football player.
  • 1986 - Sterling Hayden, American actor (Blue and Gray), dies at age 70 (born 1916).
  • 1986 - US and West Europeans veto heavier sanctions against South Africa.
  • 1987 - Karel Albert, Flemish composer (Marieken van Nymeghen), dies at age 86.
  • 1988 - David Schoenbrun, CBS broadcast bureau head (Washington, Paris), dies at age 73.
  • 1989 - Third American Comedy Award: Paula Poundstone wins.
  • 1989 - Angela Visser, 22, of Holland, crowned 38th Miss Universe.
  • 1989 - Richard von Weizäcker is re-elected president of the Federal Republic of Germany.
  • 1990 - A C Milan wins 35th Europe Cup 1 at Vienna, Austria.
  • 1990 - Cost of rescuing savings and loan failures in US is put at up to $130 billion.
  • 1990 - New York Yankees hit six homeruns to beat Minnesota Twins 12-0.
  • 1990 - Rocky Graziano, boxer/writer/actor (Mr Rock and Roll), dies of heart failure at age 71.
  • 1991 - Last Cuban troops leave Angola.
  • 1991 - Peter T Thwaites, British Brigadier-General/playwright (Love or money), dies.
  • 1991 - Philadelphia Phillies' Tommy Greene no-hits Montreal Expos, 2-0.
  • 1991 - San Diego Sockers win fourth consecutive Major Soccer League championship.
  • 1991 - US Supreme Court bars subsidized clinics from discussing abortion.
  • 1991 - William Sinnot, Scottish pop musician (Shamen), dies at age 30.
  • 1992 - A Mafia-planted bomb kills Italian anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone.
  • 1992 - New York Yankees play in their fourth straight extra inning game.
  • 1992 - President Bush orders Coast Guard to intercept boats with Haitian refugees.
  • 1993 - James Millhollin, actor (Anston Foster - Grindl), dies at age 77.
  • 1993 - Val Skinner wins LPGA Lady Keystone Golf Open.
  • 1994 - 270 pilgrims die in bustle round Mina Saudi-Arabia.
  • 1994 - Joe Pass, US jazz guitarist (The Trio), dies at age 65.
  • 1994 - Roman Herzog is elected President of Germany.
  • 1994 - The final episode of US TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation airs.
  • 1995 - At the Sun World conference in San Francisco, California, Sun Microsystems introduces the Java interactive programming language. Code-name during development was Oak.
  • 1995 - In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the remains of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building are imploded.
  • 1995 - The 100th episode of the Home Improvement TV show airs.
  • 1995 - The final episode of US TV show Full House airs.
  • 1996 - Dorothy Hyson, actress (Spare a Copper, Sing as We Go), dies at age 81.
  • 1996 - Kronid Arkadyevich Lyubarsky, human rights activist, dies at age 61.
  • 1996 - Patrick Cargill, actor (Up Pompeii, Magic Christian), dies at age 77.
  • 1996 - Swede Göran Kropp reaches the Mount Everest summit alone without oxygen, after having bicycled to the base from Sweden.
  • 1997 - Universal releases the film The Lost World: Jurassic Park to theaters.
  • 1997 - Mel Karmazin replaces Peter Lund as CEO of CBS TV.
  • 1999 - Canadian professional wrestler Owen Hart dies after falling 90 feet as he was being lowered into the ring for the "Over the Edge" sports entertainment event in Kansas City, Missouri.
  • 1999 - In Germany, Johannes Rau is elected Bundespräsident.
  • 2001 - Bayern München wins the UEFA Champions League.
  • 2001 - The final episode of US TV show Star Trek: Voyager airs.
  • 2002 - Irish Football Captain Roy Keane is sent home from the Training Camp in Saipan by Manager Mick McCarthy, after an argument over training arrangements.
  • 2002 - Estonia hosts the first Eurovision Song Contest in a former Soviet republic.
  • 2002 - Death of Sam Snead, American golfer (born 1912).
  • 2003 - Universal releases the film Bruce Almighty to theaters.
  • 2003 - US coin dealer Paul Montgomery announces a $1 million bounty for the missing 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
  • 2003 - Dewey, the first deer cloned by scientists at Texas A&M University, is born.
  • 2004 - A section of the ceiling in Terminal 2E at Paris's Charles de Gaulle International Airport collapses, claiming at least six lives.
  • 2004 - Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visits North Korea, to secure the release of the families of the nine abducted Japanese citizens returned earlier.
  • 2007 - A.C. Milan beats Liverpool F.C. 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League 2006-07 final at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.
  • 2008 - At a summit in Brazil, the leaders of 12 South American nations sign a treaty creating the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), a regional body aimed at boosting economic and political integration in the region. The Unasur members are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.
  • 2008 - At the Belgrade Arena in Serbia, the Eurovision Song Contest is held. Russian singer Dima Bilan wins with ballad "Believe". This is Russia's first win in the contest.
  • 2008 - The International Court of Justice awards Middle Rocks to Malaysia and Pedra Branca to Singapore, ending a 29-year territorial dispute between the two countries.
  • 2008 - The film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is released to theaters in Canada. This is the fourth movie in the series starring Harrison Ford.
  • 2008 - Death of Cornell Capa, Hungarian-American photographer (born 1918).
  • 2009 - German President Horst Koehler is re-elected for a second five-year term.
  • 2009 - Communist Party of Nepal leader Madhav Kumar Nepal is elected as Nepal's new prime minister.
  • 2009 - Australians begin receiving bonus payments worth US$700, the largest cash handouts in the country's history. The payments will cost the government a total of US$33 billion.
  • 2009 - South Korea's former President (2002-2008) Roh Moo-hyunal dies from a fall while hiking on Ponghwa Mountain near Bongha village at age 62, possibly a suicide.
  • 2010 - The ABC network airs the 2.5 hour final episode of the six-season TV mystery adverture series Lost, with about 13.5 million Americans watching.
  • 2010 - The Czech Republic hockey teams wins gold in Cologne, Germany, with a 2-1 win over Russia in the final of the IIHF World Hockey Championship. Sweden defeats Germany 3-1 for the bronze medal.
  • 2013 - In Cali, Colombia, presidents of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, all members of the Pacific Alliance, sign an agreement removing tariffs on 90 percent of their merchandise trade.
  • 2015 - Ireland votes to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.
  • 2016 - Alexander Van der Bellen of Green Party wins presidential run-off election in Austria, narrowly defeating Norbert Hofer of Freedom Party of Austria.
  • 2019 - Narendra Modi secures a landslide win in elections in India, with his party BJP alone gaining 303 of the 543 seats in parliament, and his political alliance winning 353 seats of the 543.
  • 2021 - Ryanair Flight 4978 is forced to land by Belarusian authorities to detain dissident journalist Roman Protasevich.
  • 2022 - The last functioning public pay phone in the USA is removed, from Manhattan, New York.
  • 2022 - Argentina, Austria, and Denmark report confirmation of their first cases of Monkeypox.
  • 2022 - Anthony Albanese is sworn in as 31st prime minister of Australia.

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.