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Events
- 3114 BC - On this date in the proleptic Gregorian calendar begins our current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar.
- 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation.
- 586 BC - The First Temple (originally built by
King Solomon) is destroyed by the Babylonians in
Jerusalem.
- 480 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Artemisium - The Persians achieve a naval victory
over the Greeks in an engagement fought near Artemisium, a
promontory on the north coast of Euboea. The Greek fleet holds its own against the
Persians in three days of fighting but withdraws southward when news comes of the defeat
at Thermopylae.
- 70 - The Second Temple is destroyed by the
Roman army in Jerusalem.
- 355 - Claudius Silvanus, accused of treason,
proclaims himself Roman Emperor against Constantius
II.
- 1492 - Alexander VI is elected Pope.
- 1711 - The first race meeting was held at Ascot
- 1786 - Captain Francis Light established the British
colony of Penang in Malaysia
- 1804 - Francis II assumed title of
first Emperor of Austria
- 1828 - William Corder is hanged at Bury St. Edmunds,
England, for the murder of Maria Marten at the Red Barn
a year ago.
- 1858 - First ascent of the Eiger.
- 1898 - Spanish-American War: American troops
enter the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
- 1918 - World War I - Battle of Amiens ends
- 1919 - Constitution of Weimar Republic
adopted
- 1919 - The 12-time NFL champion
Green Bay Packers were formed by Curly Lambeau
and George Whitney Calhoun.
- 1920 - The Latvia-Bolshevist Russia peace treaty, which relinquished Russia's authority and pretenses to Latvia, is
signed.
- 1929 - Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home
runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
- 1934 - Federal prison opened at Alcatraz Island.
- 1952 - Hussein proclaimed king of Jordan
- 1960 - Chad declares independence.
- 1965 - Race riots (the Watts riots) begin in
Watts area of Los Angeles,
California.
- 1968 - The last steam passenger train service ran in Britain. A British Rail steam locomotive made the 314-mile journey from
Liverpool to Carlisle and returned to Liverpool before being
dispatched to the Wrecking yard.
- 1970 - A trademark application by the Van Brode Milling Company
for the word Spork was published by the USPTO.
- 1972 - Vietnam War: The last United States ground combat unit depart South Vietnam.
- 1975 - East Timor: Governor Mário Lemos Pires of Portuguese Timor abandons the capital
Dili, following a coup by the Timorese Democratic
Union (UDT) and the outbreak of civil war between UDT and Fretilin.
- 1984 - United States President Ronald Reagan, during a voice check for a radio broadcast
remarks "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes".
- 1987 - Alan Greenspan becomes Chairman of the United States Federal
Reserve.
- 1992 - The Mall of America, the biggest shopping mall
in the country, opened in Bloomington, Minnesota.
- 1999 - A total solar eclipse visible from Europe and
Asia.
Births
- 1667 - Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, last
of the Medicis (d. 1743)
- 1673 - Richard Mead, English physician (d.
1754)
- 1718 - Sir Frederick Haldimand, Swiss-born British
colonial governor (d. 1791)
- 1722 - Richard Brocklesby, English physician (d.
1797)
- 1794 - James Barton Longacre, American engraver
(d. 1869)
- 1807 - David Rice Atchison, American politician
(d. 1886)
- 1833 - Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician
and soldier (d. 1899)
- 1833 - Kido Takayoshi, Japanese politician (d. 1877)
- 1836 - Warren Brown, American politician (d.
1919)
- 1837 - Marie François Sadi Carnot, French
statesman (d. 1894)
- 1858 - Christiaan Eijkman, Dutch physician,
Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1930)
- 1863 - Gaston Doumergue, President of the French Third Republic
(d. 1937)
- 1870 - Tom Richardson, English cricketer (d.
1912)
- 1870 - Walter Bowman, Canadian soccer player (d. ?)
- 1872 - Shidehara Kijuro, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1951)
- 1892 - Eiji Yoshikawa, Japanese novelist (d.
1962)
- 1892 - Hugh MacDiarmid, Scottish poet (d. 1978)
- 1897 - Louise Bogan, American poet (d. 1970)
- 1897 - Enid Blyton, English author (d. 1968)
- 1900 - Philip Phillips, American
archaeologist (d. 1994)
- 1902 - Alfredo Binda, Italian cyclist (d.
1986)
- 1902 - Lloyd Nolan, American actor (d. 1985)
- 1905 - Erwin Chargaff, Austrian biochemist (d.
2002)
- 1907 - Ted a'Beckett, Australian cricketer (d.
1989)
- 1912 - Eva Ahnert-Rohlfs, German astronomer (d.
1954)
- 1912 - Thanom Kittikachorn, Prime Minister of Thailand (d. 2004)
- 1913 - Angus Wilson, British novelist (d.
1991)
- 1913 - Paul Dupuis, French Canadian actor (d. 1976)
- 1914 - José Silva, American
parapsychologist (d. 1999)
- 1916 - Johnny Claes, Belgian racing driver (d.
1956)
- 1919 - Ginette Neveu, French violinist (d.
1949)
- 1920 - Chuck Rayner, Canadian ice hockey player (d.
2002)
- 1921 - Alex Haley, American historian (d. 1992)
- 1925 - Mike Douglas, American entertainer (d.
2006)
- 1925 - Floyd Curry, National Hockey
League player (d. 2006)
- 1926 - Aaron Klug, Lithuanian-born chemist,
Nobel Prize Laureate
- 1928 - Arlene Dahl, American actress
- 1932 - Fernando Arrabal, Spanish writer
- 1932 - Israel Asper, Canadian tax lawyer (d. 2003)
- 1932 - John Gorrie, English director
- 1933 - Jerry Falwell, American preacher (d.
2007)
- 1936 - Andre Dubus, American short-story writer (d.
1999)
- 1938 - Branko Stanovnik, Slovenian chemist
- 1939 - Ronnie Dawson, American rockabilly performer (d.
2003)
- 1942 - Mike Hugg, British musician (Manfred Mann)
- 1943 - Abigail Folger, American coffee heiress and
Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
- 1943 - Stefania Toczyska, Polish mezzo-soprano
- 1944 - Ian McDiarmid, Scottish actor
- 1944 - Fred Smith, American entrepreneur
- 1946 - Marilyn vos Savant, American newspaper
columnist
- 1946 - John Conlee, American country music
singer
- 1948 - Jan Palach, Czechoslovakian student protester
- 1949 - Eric Carmen, American musician
- 1950 - Gennidy Nikonov, Russian weapons inventor
- 1950 - Steve Wozniak, American computer pioneer
- 1951 - Vincent Bilodeau, Quebec actor and
comedian
- 1953 - Hulk Hogan, American wrestler
- 1954 - Joe Jackson, English singer
- 1954 - Juan Maria Solare, Argentine composer
- 1955 - Sylvia Hermon, British politician
- 1955 - Marc Bureau, French Canadian politician
- 1956 - Pierre-Louis Lions, French
mathematician
- 1957 - Richie Ramone, American musician
(The Ramones)
- 1957 - Ian Stuart Donaldson, British singer (Skrewdriver)
- 1959 - Gustavo Cerati, Argentinian musician
(Soda Stereo)
- 1964 - Jim Lee, Korean-born comic book artist
- 1964 - Miguel A. Núñez Jr., American actor
- 1965 - Marc Bergevin, professional ice hockey
player
- 1965 - Viola Davis, American actress
- 1966 - Nigel Martyn, English footballer
- 1966 - Embeth Davidtz, American actress
- 1967 - Enrique Bunbury, Spanish singer
- 1967 - Collin Chou, Taiwanese actor
- 1967 - Joe Rogan, American television host
- 1968 - Lorenzo Bernardi, Italian volleyball
player
- 1968 - Charlie Sexton, American musician
- 1968 - Alan Kelly, England-born Irish footballer
- 1968 - Veda Hille, Canadian singer
- 1968 - Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau
- 1969 - Jonah Matranga, American singer
- 1969 - Ashley Jensen, Scottish actress
- 1970 - Andy Bell, English musician
(Oasis)
- 1971 - Tommy Mooney, English football player
- 1971 - Alejandra Barros, Mexican actress
- 1972 - Jonathon Prandi, American model
- 1973 - Nigel Harman, British actor
- 1974 - Audrey Mestre, French diver
- 1974 - Will Friedle, American actor
- 1974 - Hadiqa Kiyani, Pakistani pop star
- 1974 - Marie-France Dubreuil, French Canadian figure skater
- 1975 - Davey von Bohlen, American musician (The
Promise Ring, Maritime)
- 1976 - Ben Gibbard, American musician (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service)
- 1976 - Ľubomir Visnovsky, Slovak ice hockey player
- 1976 - Bubba Crosby, American baseball player
- 1976 - Erick Lindgren, American poker player
- 1978 - Jermain Taylor, American boxer
- 1978 - Amber Brkich, American reality television personality
- 1980 - Lee Suggs, American football player
- 1981 - Sandi Thom, Scottish born singer
- 1981 - Fiona Sit, Hong Kong singer and actress
- 1982 - Alan Halsall, British actor
- 1984 - Melky Cabrera, Dominican baseball player
- 1984 - Katie Rees, American Miss Nevada USA
- 1984 - Lucas di Grassi, Brazilian racing driver
- 1993 - Alyson Stoner, American actress
Deaths
- 480 BC - Leonidas, King of Sparta
- 353 - Magnentius, Roman usurper
- 449 - Flavian, Patriarch of Constantinople
- 897 - Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona
- 1204 - King Guttorm of Norway (b. 1199)
- 1253 - Clare of Assisi, Italian follower of
Francis of Assisi (b. 1194)
- 1456 - John Hunyadi, regent of Hungary (b.
1387)
- 1464 - Nicholas of Cusa, German philosopher and
mathematician (b. 1401)
- 1519 - Johann Tetzel, German opponent of the Reformation
(b. 1465)
- 1563 - Bartolomé de Escobedo, Spanish
composer
- 1578 - Pedro Nunes, Portuguese mathematician (b.
1502)
- 1596 - Hamnet Shakespeare, dies at age 11.
- 1614 - Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter (b.
1552)
- 1656 - Prince Octavio Piccolomini,
Duke of Amalfi, Austrian field marshal (b. 1599)
- 1774 - Tiphaigne de la Roche, French writer (b.
1722)
- 1813 - Henry James Pye, English poet (b.
1745)
- 1851 - Lorenz Oken, German naturalist (b. 1779)
- 1854 - Macedonio Melloni, Italian physicist (b.
1798)
- 1886 - Lydia Koidula, Estonian poet (b. 1843)
- 1890 - John Henry Cardinal Newman, English Catholic
cardinal (b. 1801)
- 1892 - Enrico Betti, Italian mathematician (b.
1813)
- 1919 - Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-born
industrialist and philanthropist (b. 1835)
- 1937 - Edith Wharton, American author (b.
1862)
- 1939 - Jean Bugatti, Italian automobile designer (b.
1909)
- 1953 - Tazio Nuvolari, Italian race car driver (b.
1892)
- 1956 - Jackson Pollock, American artist (b.
1912)
- 1961 - Antanas Škėma, Lithuanian writer, stage actor and
director (b. 1910)
- 1972 - Max Theiler, South African virologist,
Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1899)
- 1974 - Jan Tschichold, German typographer (b.
1902)
- 1980 - Paul Robert, French lexicographer and publisher (b.
1910)
- 1982 - Tom Drake, American actor (b. 1918)
- 1984 - Alfred A. Knopf, American publisher
(b. 1892)
- 1984 - Paul Felix Schmidt, Estonian–German chess player (b. 1916)
- 1988 - Anne Ramsey, American actress (b. 1929)
- 1991 - J. D. McDuffie, NASCAR driver (b.
1939)
- 1994 - Peter Cushing, British actor (b. 1913)
- 1995 - Phil Harris, American singer, songwriter, and
comedian (b. 1904)
- 1996 - Rafael Kubelík, Czech-born conductor and
composer (b. 1914)
- 1996 - Mel Taylor, American drummer (The Ventures)
(b. 1933)
- 2000 - Jean Papineau-Couture, Canadian composer
(b. 1916)
- 2001 - Percy Stallard, English racing cyclist (b.
1909)
- 2002 - Galen Rowell, photographer and climber (b.
1940)
- 2003 - Armand Borel, Swiss mathematician (b.
1923)
- 2003 - Herb Brooks, American ice hockey coach (b. 1937)
- 2005 - James Booth, English actor (b. 1927)
- 2006 - Mike Douglas, American singer and talk show host
(b. 1925)
Holidays and observances
Liturgical feasts
Roman Catholicism
- Attracta
- Translation of St. Callistus, pope, martyr [Reims]
- Feast of the Crown of Thorns [Paris]
- Saint Hippolytus, martyr [Paris]
- Saint Equitius, abbot
- Saint Fiacre
- Gaugericus (Géry), bishop of Cambrai,
confessor (sometimes martyr) [Cambrai, Liège, Magdeburg, Paderborn, Winchester]
- Saint Taurinus, bishop of Evreux,
confessor [northern France, England]
- Saints Tiburtius and Chromatius, martyrs [common]
- Saint Susanna, virgin, martyr in 295 [common]
- Saint Clare of Assisi, virgin
- Saint Gilberte
- Saint Philomena
- Saint Radegundis, virgin (sometimes also queen) [Salzburg]
- Saint Rusticola, abbess at Arles, virgin [Arles]
- Saint Attracta
- Blessed Pope Innocent XI
External links