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Events
- 421 - Constantius III becomes co-Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
- 1575 - Universiteit Leiden founded, and given the
motto "Praesidium Libertatis".
- 1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots was executed at
suspicion of having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin,
Queen Elizabeth I of England.
- 1601 - Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of
Essex, rebels against Elizabeth I of England - revolt is quickly
crushed.
- 1622 - King James I of England disbands the
English Parliament.
- 1692 - A doctor in Salem Village,
Massachusetts Bay Colony declares that three teenage girls are under domination
of Satan, leading to the Salem witch trials.
- 1693 - The College of William and
Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia is granted a charter by King William III and Queen Mary II.
- 1726 - The Supreme Privy Council is established
in Russia.
- 1807 - Battle of Eylau - Napoleon defeats Russians under General Benigssen.
- 1817 - Las Heras crosses the Andes with an army to join San Martín and
liberate Chile from Spain.
- 1837 - Richard Johnson becomes the first
Vice President of the United States chosen by the United States Senate.
- 1849 - New Roman Republic
established.
- 1855 - The Devil's Footprints mysteriously
appear in southern Devon.
- 1865 - In the U.S., Delaware voters reject the Thirteenth
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and vote to continue the practice of slavery. (Delaware finally ratifies the amendment
on February 12, 1901.)
- 1867 - The Ausgleich
results in the establishment of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.
- 1879 - Sandford Fleming first proposes adoption of
Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute.
- 1887 - The Dawes Act authorized the President of the United States to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into individual allotments.
- 1900 - British troops are defeated by Boers at Ladysmith, South
Africa.
- 1904 - Battle of Port Arthur: A surprise
torpedo attack by the Japanese at Port Arthur, China starts the Russo-Japanese War.
- 1910 - The Boy Scouts of America is incorporated
by William D. Boyce.
- 1915 - D.W. Griffith's controversial film
The Birth of a Nation premieres in Los Angeles.
- 1918 - The Stars and Stripes
newspaper publishes for the first time.
- 1922 - President Warren G. Harding introduces the first radio in the White House.
- 1924 - Capital punishment: The first state
execution using gas in the United States takes place
in Nevada.
- 1936 - Jay Berwanger becomes the first person to be
selected by a National Football League draft, by the Philadelphia Eagles.
- 1943 - World War II: Battle of Stalingrad - Soviet Army encircles the troops of Paulus. The Germans surrender.
- 1943 - World War II: Battle of
Guadalcanal - United States forces defeat Japanese troops.
- 1949 - Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary sentenced for treason.
- 1955 - The Government of Sindh abolished Jagirdari system in the province. One million acres (4000 km²) of land thus acquired is to be distributed among the
landless peasants.
- 1960 - Queen Elizabeth II of the
United Kingdom issued an Order-in-Council,
stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her
descendants will take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor".
- 1962 - Charonne massacre. 9 trade unionists are
killed by French police at the instigation of Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, then chief of the Paris Prefecture of
Police.
- 1963 - Travel, financial and commercial transactions by United
States citizens to Cuba are made illegal by the John F.
Kennedy administration.
- 1968 - American civil
rights movement: A civil rights protest staged at a white-only bowling alley in Orangeburg, South Carolina is broken-up by
highway patrolmen leading to the deaths of three college students.
- 1969 - The last weekly issue of the Saturday
Evening Post hits magazine stands.
- 1971 - The Nasdaq stock
market index debuts.
- 1974 - After 84 days in space, the crew of the first
American space station Skylab return to Earth.
- 1974 - Military coup in Upper Volta.
- 1978 - Proceedings of the United States Senate
are broadcast on radio for the first time.
- 1979 - Denis Sassou-Nguesso became the
President of the Republic of the Congo for the first time.
- 1986 - 1984 Summer Olympics head of the
LAPD bomb squad, Arleigh McCree,
and his partner Officer Ronald Ball of the Firearms and
explosives unit were killed while trying to dismantle two pipe bombs when they responded to a call. McCree was recognized as one
of the top explosive experts in the world.
- 1989 - An Independent Air Boeing 707 crashes into
Santa Maria mountain in Azores Islands off the coast
of Portugal, killing 144.
- 1993 - General Motors sues NBC after Dateline NBC allegedly rigs two crashes intended to
demonstrate that some GM pickups can easily catch fire if hit in certain places.
NBC settles the lawsuit the next day.
- 1996 - The U.S. Congress passes the
Communications Decency Act.
- 1996 - The massive Internet collaboration "24 Hours in Cyberspace" takes
place.
- 1998 - First female ice hockey game in Olympic history: Finland beats Sweden
6-0.
- 2005 - Israel and Palestinians agree to cease-fire.
- 2006 - Palestinians attack Temporary International Presence in Hebron offices in Hebron; International observers end decade-long presence.
Births
- 412 - Proclus, Greek philosopher (d. 487)
- 1191 - Yaroslav II of Russia (d.
1246)
- 1291 - King Afonso IV of Portugal (d.
1357)
- 1405 - Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last reigning
Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (d. 1453)
- 1487 - Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg (d.
1550)
- 1552 - Agrippa d'Aubigné, French poet and soldier
(d. 1630)
- 1577 - Robert Burton, English cleric and
writer (d. 1640)
- 1586 - Jacob Praetorius, German composer (d.
1651)
- 1649 - Gabriel Daniel, French Jesuit historian (d.
1728)
- 1677 - Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (d.
1756)
- 1685 - Charles-Jean-François Hénault,
French historian (d. 1770)
- 1700 - Daniel Bernoulli, Dutch-born mathematician (d.
1782)
- 1720 - Emperor Sakuramachi of Japan (d.
1750)
- 1804 - Richard Lemon Lander, British explorer (d.
1834)
- 1807 - Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins,
English sculptor and naturalist (d. 1889)
- 1819 - John Ruskin, English author (d. 1900)
- 1820 - William Tecumseh Sherman, American
Union general (d. 1891)
- 1822 - Maxime Du Camp, French photographer and
journalist (d. 1894)
- 1828 - Jules Verne, French author (d. 1905)
- 1834 - Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist (d.
1907)
- 1847 - Hugh Price Hughes, English social reformer
(d. 1902)
- 1851 - Kate Chopin, American author (d. 1904)
- 1878 - Martin Buber, German philosopher (d.
1965)
- 1880 - Franz Marc, German painter (d. 1916)
- 1883 - Joseph Alois Schumpeter, Austrian economist
(d. 1950)
- 1886 - Charles Ruggles, American actor (d.
1970)
- 1888 - Dame Edith Evans, British actress (d.
1976)
- 1890 - Claro M. Recto, Filipino nationalist (d.
1960)
- 1893 - Ba Maw, Burmese politician (d. 1977)
- 1894 - Ludwig Marcuse, German author and philosopher
(d. 1971)
- 1894 - King Vidor, American film director (d. 1982)
- 1895 - Hermann Florstedt, Nazi leader (d.
1945)
- 1900 - Ivan Ivanov-Vano Soviet animator and Russian
animation director (d. 1987)
- 1902 - Demchugdongrub, Mongolian politician (d.
1966)
- 1903 - Greta Keller, Austrian-born cabaret singer and
actress (d. 1977)
- 1906 - Chester Carlson, American physicist and
inventor (d. 1968)
- 1911 - Elizabeth Bishop, American poet (d.
1979)
- 1918 - Fred Blassie, American professional wrestler (d.
2003)
- 1921 - Lana Turner, American actress (d. 1995)
- 1922 - Audrey Meadows, American actress (d.
1996)
- 1925 - Jack Lemmon, American actor and film director (d.
2001)
- 1926 - Neal Cassady, American writer (d. 1968)
- 1930 - Alejandro Rey, Argentine actor (d.
1987)
- 1930 - James Deetz, American anthropologist (d. 2000)
- 1931 - James Dean, American actor (d. 1955)
- 1932 - John Williams, American composer and
conductor
- 1932 - Cliff Allison, British racing driver (d. 2005)
- 1933 - Elly Ameling, Dutch soprano
- 1933 - Jack Larson, American actor
- 1937 - Manfred Krug, German actor
- 1939 - José Maria Sison, Filipino communist
- 1940 - Ted Koppel, American journalist
- 1941 - Nick Nolte, American actor
- 1941 - Tom Rush, American singer and songwriter
- 1942 - Robert Klein, American comedian
- 1942 - Terry Melcher, American musician and record producer (d. 2004)
- 1943 - Creed Bratton, American actor and musician
- 1943 - Pirzada Qasim, Pakistani poet and VC of Karachi University
- 1944 - Roger Lloyd-Pack, English actor
- 1944 - Sebastião Salgado, Brazilian documentary photographer
- 1948 - Lynda Lyon Block, American convicted murderer
(d. 2002)
- 1948 - Dan Seals, American singer
- 1948 - Ron Tyson, American singer (The
Temptations)
- 1949 - Brooke Adams, American actress
- 1950 - Cristina Ferrare, American former supermodel
and actress
- 1951 - Z'EV, American text/sound artist (born Stefan
Weisser)
- 1953 - Mary Steenburgen, American actress
- 1953 - Roger Clavet, Quebecois politician
- 1955 - John Grisham, American writer
- 1960 - Dino Ciccarelli, Canadian ice hockey
player
- 1961 - Bruce Timm,TV Producer (DC Animated Universe)
- 1961 - Vince Neil, American musician
- 1963 - Joshua Kadison, American pianist and
singer-songwriter
- 1963 - Mohammad Azharuddin, Indian Cricket player and captain
- 1964 - Trinny Woodall, British fashion guru
- 1966 - Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian footballer
- 1966 - Kirk Muller, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1968 - Gary Coleman, American actor
- 1968 - Claudette Pace, Maltese singer
- 1969 - Shiva Rose, American actress
- 1970 - Alonzo Mourning, American basketball
player
- 1971 - Andrus Veerpalu, Estonian cross-country
skier
- 1972 - Paul Wight, American professional wrestler
- 1973 - Keith McDonald, American baseball player
- 1974 - Seth Green, American actor
- 1974 - Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, French disc jockey (Daft Punk)
- 1974 - Ulises de la Cruz, Ecuadorian footballer
- 1974 - Jamey Carroll, American baseball player
- 1977 - Bridgette Kerkove, American actress
- 1977 - Dave Farrell, American musician (Linkin
Park)
- 1977 - Yucef Merhi, Venezuelan artist
- 1977 - Mathieu Turcotte, Canadian short-track speed skater
- 1977 - Barry Hall, Australian rules footballer
- 1979 - Aaron Cook, American baseball player
- 1980 - Cameron Muncey, Australian guitarist
(Jet)
- 1980 - Stephen Wright, English footballer
- 1982 - Eric Alexander, American
football player
- 1982 - Sousuke Takaoka, Japanese actor
- 1983 - Jim Verraros, American singer
- 1987 - Carolina Kostner, Italian European champion
figure skater
- 1988 - Keegan Meth, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1989 - Danielle Harmer, English actress
- 1995 - Jordan Todosey, Canadian actress
Deaths
- 1204 - Alexius IV Angelus, deposed Eastern Roman Emperor (b. circa 1182)
- 1250 - Robert I of Artois, French crusader (b.
1216)
- 1250 - William II Longespee
- 1265 - Hulagu Khan, Mongol ruler (b. 1217)
- 1296 - King Przemysł II of Poland (b. 1257)
- 1529 - Baldassare Castiglione, Italian writer
and diplomat (b. 1478)
- 1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1542)
- 1599 - Robert Rollock, Scottish educator
- 1623 - Thomas Cecil, 1st Earl of
Exeter, English politician (b. 1546)
- 1696 - Tsar Ivan V of Russia (b. 1666)
- 1709 - Giuseppe Torelli, Italian composer (b.
1658)
- 1725 - Tsar Peter I of Russia (b. 1672)
- 1749 - Jan van Huysum, Dutch painter (b.
1682)
- 1750 - Aaron Hill, English writer (b. 1685)
- 1768 - George Dance the Elder, English
architect (b. 1695)
- 1772 - Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess
of Wales (b. 1719)
- 1849 - France Prešeren, Slovenian poet (b.
1800)
- 1849 - François Antoine Habeneck, French violinist (b. 1781)
- 1856 - Agostino Bassi, Italian entomologist (b.
1773)
- 1907 - Hendrik Willem Bakhuis
Roozeboom, Dutch chemist (b. 1854)
- 1910 - Hans Jæger, Norwegian writer and political activist
(b. 1854)
- 1921 - Peter Kropotkin, Russian anarchist (b.
1842)
- 1921 - George Formby (Senior), English entertainer (b. 1876)
- 1929 - Maria Christina, Queen Regent of
Spain (b. 1858)
- 1932 - Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll, New York City gangster from County Donegal in Ireland (b. 1908)
- 1956 - Connie Mack, American baseball manager
and executive (b. 1862)
- 1957 - Walther Bothe, German physicist and inventor,
Nobel laureate (b. 1891)
- 1957 - John von Neumann, Hungarian-born mathematician and physicist (b.
1903)
- 1960 - Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, English architect
(b. 1880)
- 1963 - George Dolenz, American actor, father of
Micky Dolenz (b. 1908)
- 1964 - Ernst Kretschmer, German psychiatrist (b.
1888)
- 1972 - Markos Vamvakaris, Greek musician and
songwriter (b. 1905)
- 1975 - Robert Robinson, British chemist,
Nobel laureate (b. 1886)
- 1977 - Eivind Groven, Norwegian composer and
ethnomusicologist (b. 1901)
- 1980 - Nikos Xilouris, Greek singer (b.
1936)
- 1982 - John Hay Whitney, American financier (b.
1904)
- 1984 - Karel Miljon, Dutch boxer (b. 1903)
- 1985 - William Lyons, British automobile manufacturer
(b. 1901)
- 1987 - Harriet E. MacGibbon, American actress (b.
1905)
- 1990 - Del Shannon, American entertainer (suicide) (b.
1934)
- 1992 - Denny Wright, British jazz guitarist (b.
1924)
- 1993 - N. Shanmugathasan, Sri Lankan communist
leader
- 1994 - Raymond Scott, American composer (b.
1908)
- 1996 - Del Ennis, American baseball player (b.
1925)
- 1998 - Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author,
Nobel laureate (b. 1902)
- 1998 - Julian Lincoln Simon, American economist and author (b. 1932)
- 1999 - Iris Murdoch, Irish author (b. 1919)
- 2000 - Sid Abel, Canadian ice hockey player (b.
1918)
- 2000 - Derrick Thomas, American football player (b. 1967)
- 2001 - Ivo Caprino, Norwegian animated film director (b.
1920)
- 2002 - Joachim Hoffmann, German historian (b.
1930)
- 2002 - Ong Teng Cheong, President of
Singapore (b. 1936)
- 2004 - Julius Schwartz, American comic book and
science fiction editor (b. 1915)
- 2005 - Jimmy Smith, American jazz musician (b.
1925)
- 2005 - Keith Knudsen, American drummer, vocalist and songwriter (The Doobie Brothers) (b. 1948)
- 2006 - Elton Dean, English musician (Soft Machine) (b. 1945)
- 2006 - Akira Ifukube, Japanese composer (b. 1914)
- 2007 - Anna Nicole Smith, American model, actress,
and entertainer (b. 1967)
- 2007 - Ian Stevenson, professor and reincarnation expert (b. 1918).
Holidays and observances
Liturgical Feasts
External links
