Birthdays:
1963 ~ Garry Kasparov, Russian chess player. He was born in Baku, Azerbaijan.
1951 ~ Max Weinberg, American drummer, and member of Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band. He was born in Newark, New Jersey.
1949 ~ Christopher Hitchens (né Christopher Eric Hitchens; d. Dec. 15, 2011) British journalist and atheist. He was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. He died in Houston, Texas of cancer at age 62.
1949 ~ Len Cook (né Leonard Warren Cook), New Zealand-born mathematician and statistician. He was born in Dunedin, New Zealand.
1945 ~ Tony Dow (né Anthony Lee Dow; d. July 27, 2022), American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Wally Cleaver on the television sit-com Leave It to Beaver. He was born in Los Angeles, California. He died at age 77 in Topanga, California.
1941 ~ Michael Stuart Brown, American geneticist and recipient of the 1985 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for describing the mechanism of cholesterol metabolism. He was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1940 ~ J.M.G. Le Clézio (né Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio), French novelist and recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born in Nice, France.
1939 ~ Seamus Heaney (né Seamus Justin Heaney; d. Aug. 30, 2013), Irish writer and poet who wrote of mud, history and country. He was the recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. He died at age 74 in Dublin, Ireland.
1939 ~ Paul Sorvino (né Paul Anthony Sorvino; d. July 25, 2022), American actor. He is best known for his role as police sergeant on Law and Order. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He died of heart failure at age 83 in Jacksonville, Florida.
1938 ~ Hazel Rochman, South African journalist, and editor.
1929 ~ Marilynn Smith (née Marilynn Louise Smith; d. Apr. 9, 2019), American golfer who put women on an even par. She was one of the co-founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in the 1950s. She was born in Topeka, Kansas. She died 4 days before her 90th birthday in Goodyear, Arizona.
1929 ~ Israel S. Dresner (né Israel Seymour Dresner; d. Jan. 13, 2022), American rabbi who became a civil rights icon. He was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement and was a close friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. He was born in New York, New York. He died of colon cancer at age 92 in Wayne, New Jersey.
1926 ~ Cosimo Matassa (né Cosimo Vincent Matassa; d. Sept. 11, 2014), American studio owner from New Orleans who shaped rock ‘n’ roll. He was born and died in New Orleans at age 88.
1924 ~ Stanley Donen (d. Feb. 21, 2019), American film director who mastered the movie musical. He is best known for such movies as Singin’ in the Rain and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He died at age 94 in New York, New York.
1923 ~ Don Adams (né Donald James Yarmy; d. Sept. 25, 2005), American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Agent Smart in the TV comedy, Get Smart. He was born in New York, New York. He died of lymphoma at age 82 in Los Angeles, California.
1923 ~ Stanley K. Tanger (d. Oct. 23, 2010), American businessman and founder of the Tanger Factory Outlet Stores. He died of pneumonia at age 87 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
1920 ~ Roberto Calvi (d. June 17, 1982), Italian banker with close ties to the Vatican. He was born in Milan, Italy. He died in London, England. His death at age 62 was ruled a murder.
1919 ~ Madalyn Murray O’Hair (née Madalyn Mays, d. Sept. 29, 1995), American atheist activist. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In August 1995, she was kidnapped and likely murdered. She was 76 at the time of her kidnapping. The exact date of her death is not known, but September 29, 1995 is often given as the date of her death. Her body has never been found.
1917 ~ Robert Orville Anderson (d. Dec. 2, 2007), American businessman and founder of Atlantic Richfield Oil, Co. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He died at age 90 in Roswell, New Mexico.
1917 ~ Bill Clements (né William Perry Clements, Jr.; d. May 29, 2011), 42nd and 44th Governor of Texas. He served his first time from January 1979 through January 1983, and his second term from January 1987 through January 1991. He had previously served briefly as the United States Secretary of Defense during the Richard Nixon administration, from May 1973 until July 1973. He was born and died in Dallas, Texas. He died at age 94.
1916 ~ Phyllis Fraser (née Helen Brown Nichols; d. Nov. 24, 2006), American publisher and co-founder, along with her first husband, Bennett Cerf, of Beginner Books. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She died at age 90 in New York, New York.
1914 ~ Manuel Sadosky (d. June 18, 2005), Argentine mathematician. His family was originally from Russia, but fled to Argentina to escape the pogroms before he was born. He was born and died in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He died at age 91.
1909 ~ Stanislaw Ulam (né Stanislaw Marcin Ulam; d. May 13, 1984), Ukrainian-born mathematician. He emigrated to the United States. He was born in Lviv, Ukraine. He died of a heart attack a month after his 75th birthday in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
1909 ~ Eudora Welty (née Eudora Alice Welty; d. July 23, 2001), American southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. She was born and died in Jackson, Mississippi. She died at age 92.
1906 ~ Samuel Beckett (né Samuel Barclay Beckett; d. Dec. 22, 1989), Irish playwright best known for his play, Waiting for Godot. He was also the recipient of the 1969 Nobel Prize in Literature. He died at age 83 in Paris, France.
1899 ~ Alfred Butts (né Alfred Mosher Butts; d. Apr. 4, 1993), American architect and inventor of the game of Scrabble. He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. He died 9 days before his 94th birthday in Rhinebeck, New York.
1892 ~ Sir Robert Watson-Watt (né Robert Alexander Watson-Watt; d. Dec. 5, 1973), Scottish inventor who is credited with creating the Radar. He died at age 81.
1890 ~ Frank Murphy (né William Francis Murphy; d. July 19, 1949), Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was nominated to the Court by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He served on the High Court from January 1940 until his death 9 years later. He replaced Pierce Butler on the Court. He was succeeded by Tom C. Clark. He had previously served as the 56th United States Attorney General in the Roosevelt administration, from January 1939 until January 1940. He was born in Harbor Beach, Michigan. He died at age 59 of coronary thrombosis in Detroit, Michigan.
1875 ~ Ray Wilbur (né Ray Lyman Wilbur; d. June 26, 1949), 31st United States Secretary of the Interior. He served under President Herbert Hoover from March 1929 until March 1933. He was also a physician and served as the 3rdPresident of Stanford University. He was born in Boonesboro, Iowa. He died of heart disease at age 74 in Stanford, California.
1873 ~ John Davis (né John William Davis; d. Mar. 24, 1955), 14th United States Solicitor General. He served in this Office from August 1913 until November 1918 during the Woodrow Wilson administration. He was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He died 20 days before his 82nd birthday in Charleston, South Carolina.
1866 ~ Butch Cassidy (né Robert Leroy Parker; d. Nov. 7, 1908), American outlaw. He was born in Beaver, Utah Territory. He was killed in a shoot-out in Bolivia at age 42.
1852 ~ F.W. Woolworth (né Frank Winfield Woolworth; d. Apr. 8, 1919), American merchant and founder of the Five-and-Dime store chain that bore his name: F.W. Woolworth’s. He was the first to use self-service display cases in a store. He was born in Rodman, New York. He died 5 days before his 67th birthday in Glen Cove, New York.
1840 ~ Samuel Ullman (d. Mar. 21, 1924), German-born poet, businessman and humanitarian. In 1851, his family immigrated to the United States and he became a naturalized American citizen. He was born in Hechingen, Germany. He died in Birmingham, Alabama just 23 days before his 84th birthday.
1832 ~ Juan Montalvo (né Juan María Montalvo y Fiallos; d. Jan. 17, 1889), Ecuadorian author. He was born in Ambato, Ecuador. He died of tuberculosis at age 56 in Paris, France.
1828 ~ Josephine Butler (née Josephine Elizabeth Grey; d. Dec. 30, 1906), British women’s rights activist and social reformer. She fought against human trafficking and prostitution. She died at age 78.
1795 ~ James Harper (d. Mar. 27, 1869), 65th Mayor of New York City. He served as Mayor for 1 year from 1844 to 1845. He was born in Queens, New York. He died 17 days before his 74th birthday in New York, New York.
1748 ~ Joseph Bramah (d. Dec. 9, 1814), English inventor who invented the Hydraulic press. He died of pneumonia at age 66 in London, England.
1743 ~ Thomas Jefferson (d. July 4, 1826), 3rd President of the United States. He was President from March 1801 through March 1809. He was also the 2nd Vice President of the United State, under President John Adams. He also served as the 1st United States Secretary of State in the George Washington administration from March 1790 through December 1793. He was born in Shadwell, Virginia, British America. He died at age 83 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
1732 ~ Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (d. Aug. 5, 1792), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He was Prime Minister from January 1770 until March 1782. He served during the reign of King George III. He is primarily remembered as the Prime Minister who lost America. He died at age 60.
1618 ~ Roger de Rabutin, Comte de Bussy (d. Apr. 9, 1693), French author and memoirist. He died 4 days before his 75thbirthday.
1573 ~ Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (d. Dec. 8, 1625), Queen consort of Sweden and second wife of Charles IX, King of Sweden (1550 ~ 1611). They married in 1592 and were the parents of Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden. She was of the House of Holstein-Gottorp. She was the daughter of Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and Christine of Hess. She died at age 52.
1570 ~ Guy Fawkes (d. Jan. 31, 1606), English Catholic conspirator. He was the mastermind behind the Gunpowder Plot, which was a plot against Parliament and King James. He was captured on November 5, 1605, hence that day is known as Guy Fawkes Day. He was hanged two months later at age 35.
1519 ~ Catherine de’Medici (d. Jan. 5, 1589), Queen consort of France and wife of Henry II, King of France. They married in 1533. They were the parents of Francis II, King of France. She was of the House of Medici. She was the daughter of Lorenzo de’Medici, Duke of Urbino and Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne. She died at age 69.
1350 ~ Margaret III, Countess of Flanders (d. Mar. 16, 1405), Duchess consort of Burgundy. She was the Countess of Flanders in her own right. She was married twice. Both marriages were to a duke of Burgundy. In 1355, she married Philip I, Duke of Burgundy (1346 ~ 1361). He died either from the plague or from injuries sustained from a fall from a horse. Upon his death, John II, King of France claimed the Duchy of Burgundy and granted his youngest son the title of Philip II, Duke of Burgundy. In 1369, Margaret married Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342 ~ 1404). Margaret was of the House of Dampierre. She was the daughter of Louis II, Count of Flanders and Margaret of Brabant. She died about a month before her 55th birthday.
Events that Changed the World:
2024 ~ Iran launched dozens of drones towards Israel.
2014 ~ Palm Sunday.
1997 ~ At age 21, Tiger Woods (b. 1975) became the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament.
1992 ~ The Great Chicago flood devastated much of central Chicago.
1987 ~ Portugal and China entered into an agreement in which Macau would be returned to China in 1999.
1976 ~ The United States Treasury Department reissued the two-dollar bill, bearing the likeness of Thomas Jefferson, in honor of the anniversary of his 233rd birth and as part of the United States Bicentennial celebrations.
1964 ~ Sidney Poitier (1927 ~ 2022) became the first African-American male to win the Best Actor Award at the Oscars for his role in the 1963 movie, Lilies of the Field.
1958 ~ American and Louisiana-native pianist Van Cliburn (July 12, 1934 ~ Feb. 27, 2013) was awarded the first prize at the initial International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
1948 ~ The Hadassah Medical Convoy Massacre occurred when 79 Jewish doctors, nurses and medical students were ambushed by Arabs in Sheikh Jarra near Jerusalem. Remains of their vehicles can still be seen on the road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
1943 ~ The Jefferson Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., on the 200th anniversary of Jefferson’s birth.
1919 ~ Eugene Debs (1885 ~ 1928) entered prison at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary for speaking out against the draft during World War I.
1873 ~ The Colfax Massacre occurred on Easter Sunday in Colfax, Louisiana. Over 150 members of an all-black militia who were defending the parish courthouse were killed by white supremacists. The marker commemorating this event states that “This event on April 13, 1873 marked the end of carpetbag misrule in the South.”
1870 ~ The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in New York City.
1861 ~ Fort Sumter fell to Confederate forces at the beginning of the American Civil War. The conflict had begun the previous day.
1829 ~ The British Parliament passed the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which allowed Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom the right to vote and to sit in Parliament.
1796 ~ The first elephant was brought to the United States from India. The elephant had been shipped from India on December 3, 1795. The elephant, named Old Bet, arrived in Boston, Massachusetts.
1598 ~ Henry IV, King of France (1553 ~ 1610) issued the Edict of Nantes, which gave religious freedom to the Huguenots. The Edict was repealed in 1685. Henry IV was baptized a Catholic, but raised as a Protestant, hence his rationale to giving religious freedom to the Huguenots.
1111 ~ Henry V (1081 ~ 1125) was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. He would reign until his death of cancer in May 1125.
Good-Byes:
2023 ~ Dame Mary Quant (née Barbara Mary Quant; b. Feb. 11, 1930), English fashion designer who was very influential and made miniskirts a mod stable during the 1960s. She was instrumental in the London-based MOD fashion movement. She was born in London, England. She died at age 93 in Surrey, England.
2020 ~ Joel M. Reed (b. Dec. 29, 1933), American cult film director. He is best known for his film Blood Sucking Freaks, a gruesome low-budget horror comedy that was picketed by outraged protesters when it was released in 1974. He was born and died in New York, New York. He died at age 86 of Covid-19.
2020 ~ Ann Sullivan (née Sara Ann McNeese; b. Apr. 10, 1929), American Disney animator who brought to life Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and other classics. She was born in Fargo, North Dakota. She died in Los Angeles, California of complications of Covid-19, just 3 days after her 91st birthday.
2020 ~ Jerzy Glowczewski (b. Nov. 19, 1922), Polish-born American aircraft pilot. He was the last known Polish fighter pilot to have flown for Britain’s Royal Air Force during World War II. He flew 100 combat missions against the Nazis and later worked as an architect in Poland, Egypt, and the United States. He was born in Warsaw, Poland. He died of complications from Covid-19 at age 97 in New York, New York.
2019 ~ Paul Greengard (b. Dec. 11, 1925), American neuroscientist and recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He is best known for his work on the molecular and cellular functions of neurons. He was born and died in New York City. He died at age 93.
2018 ~ Miloš Forman (né Jan Tomáš Forman; b. Feb. 18, 1932), Czech Oscar-winning film director who loved rebels. He died at age 86 in Danbury, Connecticut.
2017 ~ Robert Taylor (né Robert William Taylor; b. Feb. 10, 1932), American computer scientist and tech pioneer who kick-started the internet. He was born in Dallas, Texas. He died at age 85 in Woodside, California.
2016 ~ Nera D. White (b. Nov. 15, 1935), American farm girl who became a professional basketball sensation. She was born in Macon County, Tennessee. She died of complications from pneumonia at age 80 in Gallatin, Tennessee.
2015 ~ Günter Grass (né Günter Wilhelm Grass; b. Oct. 16, 1927), German author and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is best known for his first novel The Tin Drum, published in 1959. His works examined the ugly side of Germany’s past. In 2006, Grass acknowledged his past as a member of the Waffen SS during World War II. He died at age 87.
2009 ~ Mark Steven Fidrych (b. Aug. 14, 1954), American professional baseball pitcher. He was nicknamed “the Bird.” He played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He died at age 54 in a freak accident while working underneath his dump truck and his clothing became entangled with a spinning shaft, suffocating him in Northborough, Massachusetts.
2008 ~ John A. Wheeler (né John Archibald Wheeler; b. July 9, 1911), American theoretical physicist. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He died at age 96 in Hightstown, New Jersey.
2006 ~ Dame Muriel Spark (né Muriel Sarah Camberg; b. Feb. 1, 1918), Scottish author. She is best known for her novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She died at age 88.
1997 ~ David McCord (né David Thompson Watson McCord; b. Dec. 15, 1897), American poet. He was born in New York, New York. He died at age 99 in Boston, Massachusetts.
1993 ~ Wallace Stegner (né Wallace Earle Stegner; b. Feb. 18, 1909), American writer and historian. He was born in Lake Mills, Iowa. He died at age 84 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
1992 ~ Feza Gürsey (b. Apr. 7, 1921), Turkish mathematician. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey. He died 6 days after his 71st birthday in New Haven, Connecticut.
1956 ~ Emil Nolde (né Hans Emil Hansen; b. Aug. 7, 1867), German-Danish artist. He is known for his brushwork and expressive choice of colors. He was also known as a racist, an antisemite and a staunch supporter of Nazi Germany. He died at age 88.
1941 ~ Annie Jump Cannon (b. Dec. 11, 1863), American astronomer. She was also an advocate for women’s rights. She was born in Dover, Delaware. She died at age 77 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1919 ~ Phoebe Hearst (née Phoebe Elizabeth Apperson; b. Dec. 3, 1842), American philanthropist. She was the mother of William Randolph Hearst. She was born in Saint Clair, Missouri. She died of the Spanish Flu at age 76 in Pleasanton, California.
1917 ~ Diamond Jim Brady (né James Buchanan Brady; b. Aug. 12, 1856), American businessman and financier. He was born in New York, New York. He died of an apparent heart attack at age 60 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
1911 ~ John McLane (b. Feb. 27, 1852), 50th Governor of New Hampshire. He was Governor from January 1905 until January 1907. He was a furniture maker from Milford, New Hampshire. He was born in Scotland and died in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He died at age 59.
1890 ~ Samuel Randall (né Samuel Jackson Randall; b. Oct. 10, 1828), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was a Democrat politician from Pennsylvania. He served as Speaker of the House from December 1876 until March 1881, during the presidencies of Ulysses Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died of colon cancer at age 61 in Washington, D.C.
1889 ~ John Usher (né John Palmer Usher; b. Jan. 9, 1816), 7th United States Secretary of the Interior. He served under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson from Jan. 1, 1863 until May 15, 1865. He was born in Brookfield, New York. He died of cancer at age 73 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1874 ~ James Bogardus (b. Mar. 14, 1800), American inventor and architect. He was a pioneer in cast-iron architecture. He was born in Catskill, New York. He died a month after his 74th birthday in New York, New York.
1807 ~ Princess Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily (b. June 6, 1772), Holy Roman Empress consort and second wife of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (1768 ~ 1825). They married in 1790. She was of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. She was the daughter of Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Carolina of Austria. She was Roman Catholic. She died of complications of childbirth at age 34.
1769 ~ Anna Canalis di Cumiana (b. Apr. 23, 1680), and second wife of Victor Amadeus II, King of Sicily. They married in 1730. It was a morganatic marriage, thus she was never the queen consort. Instead, she was given the title of Marchesa of Spigno. The king was her second husband. She had previously been married to Ignazio Francesco Novarina, Conte di San Sebastiano. She died at 10 days before her 89th birthday.
1695 ~ Jean de la Fontaine (b. July 8, 1621), French fabulist and poet. He died at age 73.
1275 ~ Eleanor of England (b. 1215), British princess and noblewoman. She was married twice. Her first husband was William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. After his death, she married Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. She was of the House of Plantagenet. She was the youngest daughter of John, King of England and Isabella of Angoulême. The exact date of her birth is not known.
862 ~ Donald I (b. 812), Scottish king. The exact date of his birth is unknown.
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