Birthdays:
1990 ~ Brittney Griner (née Brittney Yevette Griner), African-American professional basketball player. In February 2022, she was detained by Russian customs officer for allegedly having a cartridge containing a small amount of CBD oil in her luggage. In August 2022, she was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison.
1978 ~ Mike Tindall (né Michael James Tindall), British rugby player and husband of Zara Phillips, granddaughter of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom. They married in 2011.
1975 ~ Alex Cora (né José Alexander Cora), Puerto Rican baseball player and manager for the Red Sox. He was born in Cagaus, Puerto Rico.
1973 ~ James Foley (né James Wright Foley; d. Aug. 19, 2014), American freelance photographer and journalist who was murdered by beheading by ISIS. He had been kidnapped while covering the Syrian Civil War. He was born in Evanston, Illinois. He grew up in Wolfboro, New Hampshire. His parents later lived in Rochester, New Hampshire, where his father was a physician. He was 40 years old.
1961 ~ Wynton Marsalis (né Wynton Learson Marsalis), African-American musician, composer and educator. He is a jazz trumpeter. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1960 ~ Erin Moran (née Erin Marie Moran; d. Apr. 22, 2017), American Happy Days star who fell on hard times. She was born in Burbank, California. She died of complications of throat cancer at age 56 in New Salisbury, Indiana.
1956 ~ Martina Navratilova (née Martina Šubertová), Czech-American tennis player. She was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
1952 ~ Chuck Lorre (né Charles Michael Levine), American director, television producer and screenwriter. He was born in Plainview, New York.
1951 ~ Pam Dawber (née Pamela Dauber), American actress best known for her role as Mindy on the television comedy, Mork and Mindy. She married actor Mark Harmon in 1987. She was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1951 ~ Terry McMillan, African-American author. She was born in Port Huron, Michigan.
1950 ~ Wendy Wasserstein (d. Jan. 30, 2006), American playwright. She was born in Brooklyn, New York. She died of lymphoma at age 55 in Manhattan, New York.
1948 ~ Ntozake Shange (née Paulette Linda Williams; d. Oct. 27, 2018), African-American playwright who wrote For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. She was born in Trenton, New Jersey. She died 9 days after her 70th birthday in Bowie, Maryland.
1939 ~ Lee Harvey Oswald (d. Nov. 24, 1963), American accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was murdered by Jack Ruby in the basement of the Dallas Police Department while in police custody. His murder occurred on live television. He was 24 years old at the time of his death.
1939 ~ Mike Ditka (né Michael Dyczko), American football player and professional coach. He was the head coach for the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999. He was born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
1935 ~ Peter Boyle (né Peter Lawrence Boyle; d. Dec. 12, 2006), American character actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the monster in Mel Brook’s film, Young Frankenstein. He was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He died at age 71 in New York, New York.
1933 ~ Forrest Gregg (né Alvis Forrest Gregg; d. Apr. 12, 2019), American football lineman who exemplified Wisconsin Green Bay Grit. He was born in Birthright, Texas. He died at age 85 of complication of Parkinson’s Disease in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
1929 ~ Violeta Chamorro (née Violeta Barrios Torres), 30th President of Nicaragua. She served as President from April 1990 until January 1997. She was born in Rivas, Nicaragua.
1928 ~ Keith Jackson (né Keith Max Jackson; d. Jan. 12, 2018), American sportscaster who became a football legend. He had a long career with ABC Sports. He was born in Roopville, Georgia. He died at age 89 in Los Angeles, California.
1927 ~ George C. Scott (né George Campbell Scott; d. Sept. 22, 1999), American actor. He was born in Wise, Virginia. He died of a rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm less than a month before his 72nd birthday in Westlake Village, California.
1926 ~ Klaus Kinski (né Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski; d. Nov. 23, 1991), German actor. He died of a heart attack at age 65 in Lagunitas, California.
1926 ~ Chuck Berry (né Charles Edward Anderson Berry; d. Mar. 18, 2017), African-American guitarist, song-writer and pioneer of rock and roll music who started it all. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He died at age 90 in Wentzville, Missouri.
1921 ~ Jesse Helms (né Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr.; d. July 4, 2008), American far-right United States Senator from North Carolina who refused to compromise. He was a leader in the conservative movement. He opposed civil rights, environmentalism, feminism, gay rights, affirmative action, access to abortions and was a segregationist. He was born in Monroe, North Carolina. He died at age 86 of vascular dementia in Raleigh, North Carolina.
1919 ~ Pierre Trudeau (né Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau; d. Sept. 28, 2000), 15th Prime Minister of Canada. In 2015, his son, Justin (b. 1971) became the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He was born and died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Pierre died 20 days before his 81st birthday.
1919 ~ Camilla Williams (née Camilla Ella Williams; d. Jan. 29, 2012), African-American opera star. She was the first African-American to have a major role in the Vienna State Opera. She was born in Danville, Virginia. She died at age 92.
1874 ~ Christine Murrell (née Christine Mary Murrell; b. Oct. 18, 1933), British medical doctor and political activist. She was the first female member of the British Medical Association’s Central Council. She was also involved in the women’s suffrage movement. She was born and died in London, England. She died on her 59th birthday.
1865 ~ Logan P. Smith (né Logan Pearsall Smith; d. Mar. 2, 1946), American-born British essayist and critic. He was born in Millville, New Jersey. He died at age 80 in London, England.
1859 ~ Henri Bergson (né Henri-Louis Bergson; d. Jan. 4, 1941), French philosopher and recipient of the 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born in Paris, France. He died of bronchitis at age 81 in occupied-Paris, France.
1836 ~ Frederick August Otto Schwarz (d. May 17, 1911), German-born American businessman and founder of the FAO Schwarz toy store. FAO Schwartz is the oldest toy store in the United States. He died at age 74 in Manhattan, New York.
1831 ~ Frederick III, Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia (d. June 15, 1888). He ruled over Germany from March 1888 until his death less than 3 months later. In 1858, he married Victoria, Princess Royal. He was of the House of Hohenzollern. He was the son of William I, Emperor of Germany and Princess Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. He was Lutheran. He died at age 56.
1804 ~ Mongut (d. Oct. 1, 1868), Thai king. He is best known for being the king of Siam from the musical The King and I. He was born and died in Bangkok, Siam. He died 17 days before his 64th birthday.
1595 ~ Edward Winslow (d. May 8, 1655), English politician and 3rd Governor of Plymouth Colony. He was a Separatist who traveled on the Mayflower to what is now Massachusetts. The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown but he is believed to have been 59 at the time of his death.
1523 ~ Anna Jagiellon, Queen of Poland (d. Sept. 9, 1596). She ruled over Poland from December 1575 until August 1587. She married for the first time in 1576 at age 52 to Stephen Báthory. She was of the Jagiellon Dynasty. She was the daughter of Sigismund I, King of Poland and Bona Sforza. She was Roman Catholic. She died at age 72.
1405 ~ Pope Pius II (né Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini; d. Aug. 14, 1464). He was Pope from August 1458 until his death nearly 6 years later. He was 58 at the time of his death.
Events that Changed the World:
2011 ~ Gilad Shalit (b. 1986), the young Israeli soldier who was captured by Palestinian terrorists in June 2006, was released in exchange for over 1000 Palestinian criminals and terrorist.
2007 ~ An assassination attempt was made on Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (1953 ~ 2007). She was uninjured in this attack; however, she would be killed just 2 months later.
1972 ~ The Clean Water Act became law in the United States.
1954 ~ Texas Instruments announced the first transistor radio.
1945 ~ Argentine politician Juan Perón (1895 ~ 1974) married Eva Perón (1919 ~ 1952).
1898 ~ Puerto Rico became a United States Territory.
1867 ~ The United States took possession of what is now Alaska after paying Russia $7.2M for the territory.
1851 ~ Herman Melville’s novel, Moby-Dick was first published as The Whale in London, England.
1775 ~ The Town of Falmouth, Maine (now Portland, Maine), was burned, which was a deciding factor in the Continental Congress’s decision to establish the Continental Navy.
1767 ~ The surveying for the Mason-Dixon line, which separates Maryland from Pennsylvania was completed.
1648 ~ The Boston Shoemakers formed the first United States labor organization.
1356 ~ The Basel Earthquake, which struck Basel, Switzerland, destroyed much of the city and was a significant seismic event in the Alps.
1009 ~ The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Fatrimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985 ~ 1021), who hacked the Church’s foundation down to the bedrock.
629 ~ Dagobert I (603 ~ 639) was crown King of the Franks. He was of the House of Merovingian. He was the son of Chlothar II, King of the Franks and Haldetrude.
614 ~ Chlothar II, King of the Franks (584 ~ 629) promulgated the Edict of Paris, which defended the rights of the Frankish nobles but excluded Jews from all civil employment.
Good-Byes:
2021 ~ Colin Powell (né Colin Luther Powell; b. Apr. 5, 1937), American Army General and soldier who became American’s top statesman. He served as the 1st African-American and 65th Secretary of State. He served in this Office during the George W. Bush administration, from January 2001 until January 2005. He also served as the 16th National Security Advisor under President Ronald Reagan. He was born in Harlem, New York. He died in Bethesda, Maryland at age 84 of complications from Covid-19.
2020 ~ Alan Boyd (né Alan Stephenson Boyd; b. July 20, 1922), 1st United States Secretary of Transportation. He served in this position, which was created under the Lyndon Johnson administration, from January 1967 until January 1969. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He died at age 98 in Seattle, Washington.
2016 ~ Phil Chess (né Fiszel Czyż; b. Mar. 27, 1921), Czech-born record producer and co-founder of Chess Records who spread the blues. He died at age 95 in Tucson, Arizona.
2013 ~ Tom Foley (né Thomas Stephen Foley; b. Mar. 6, 1929), American lawyer and politician from Washington State. He was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from June 1989 until January 1995. He was born in Spokane, Washington. He died at age 84 in Washington, D.C.
2013 ~ Bum Phillips (né Oail Andrew Phillips; b. Sept. 29, 1923), American cowboy who coached the Houston Oilers. He was born in Orange, Texas. He died 19 days after his 90th birthday in Goliad, Texas.
2003 ~ Preston Smith (né Preston Ernest Smith; b. Mar. 8, 1912), 40th Governor of Texas. He served as Governor from January 1969 until January 1973. He was born in Corn Hill, Texas. He died at age 91 in Lubbock, Texas.
2000 ~ Gwen Verdon (née Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon; b. Jan. 13, 1925), American dancer and actress. Bob Fosse was her second husband. She was born in Culver City, California. She died in Woodstock, Vermont of a heart attack at age 75.
1982 ~ Bess Truman (née Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman, b. Feb. 13, 1885), First Lady and wife of President Harry S Truman. She served as First Lady from April 1945 until January 1953. She was known to be very antisemitic. She was born and died in Independence, Missouri. She died at age 97.
1978 ~ Ramón Mercader (né Jamie Ramón Mercader del Rio; b. Feb. 7, 1913), Spanish assassin of Leon Trotsky in 1940. He served 20 years for the murder. He died in Havana, Cuba of lung cancer at age 65.
1973 ~ Walt Kelly (né Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr.; b. Aug. 25, 1913), American illustrator and cartoonist. He is best known for creating the comic strip Pogo. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He died at age 60 from complications of diabetes in Woodland Hills, California.
1966 ~ Elizabeth Arden (née Florence Nightingale Graham; b. Dec. 31, 1878), Canadian-American businesswoman and founder of Elizabeth Arden, Inc., the cosmetics company. She was born in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. She died at age 87 in New York, New York.
1966 ~ S.S. Kresge (né Sebastian Spering Kresge; b. July 31, 1867), American merchant and founder of the S.S. Kresge retail organization and the K-Mart and Kresge’s Department Stores. He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He died at age 99 in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
1955 ~ José Ortega y Gasset (b. May 9, 1883), Spanish philosopher and essayist. He was born and died in Madrid, Spain. He died at age 72.
1933 ~ Christine Murrell (née Christine Mary Murrell; b. Oct. 18, 1874), British medical doctor and political activist. She was the first female member of the British Medical Association’s Central Council. She was also involved in the women’s suffrage movement. She died on her 59th birthday.
1931 ~ Thomas Edison (né Thomas Alva Edison; b. Feb. 11, 1847), American inventor. He was born in Milan, Ohio. He died at age 84 in West Orange, New Jersey.
1921 ~ Ludwig III, King of Bavaria (b. Jan. 7, 1845). He was the last king of Bavaria. He ruled over Bavaria from November 1913 until November 1918 when the empire was dissolved. He was married to Maria Theresia of Austria-Este. He was of the House of Wittelsbach. He was the son of Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria and Archduchess Augusta of Austria. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 76.
1911 ~ Alfred Binet (b. July 8, 1857), French psychologist. He devised the first practical intelligence test. He was born in Nice, Kingdom of Sardinia (now France). He died at age 54 in Paris, France.
1893 ~ Lucy Stone (b. Aug. 13, 1818), American suffragette. She helped organize the women’s right movement in the United States. When she married Henry Blackwell, she kept her name, stating, “My name is the symbol of my identity.” She was born in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. She died at age 75 in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
1871 ~ Charles Babbage (b. Dec. 26, 1791), English mathematician and inventor. He is considered the Father of the Computer, as he is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer, leading the way for others to create more complex designs. He was born and died in London, England. He died at age 79.
1865 ~ Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (b. Oct. 20, 1784), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He served as Prime Minister for two terms. The first term was from February 1855 through February 1858 and the second term was from June 1859 until his death on this date 6 years later. He was Prime Minister during the reign of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom. He died 2 days before his 81st birthday.
1564 ~ Johannes Acronius Frisius (b. 1520), German physician and mathematician. He died of the plague at age 44. The exact date of his birth is not known.
1558 ~ Mary of Austria (d. Sept. 15, 1505), Queen consort of Hungary and Bohemia. She was the wife of Louis II, King of Hungary. She also served as the Governor of Habsburg-Netherlands in her own right from January 1531 until October 1555. She was of the House of Habsburg. She was the daughter of Philip I, King of Castile and Joanna of Castile. She died just over a month after her 53rd birthday.
1541 ~ Margaret Tudor (b. Nov. 28, 1489), Queen consort of Scots and English wife of James IV, King of Scotland. He was her 1st husband. After his death, she married Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. They later divorced. Her 3rdhusband was Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven. She was of the House of Tudor. She was the daughter of Henry VII, King of England and Elizabeth of York. She died at age 51.
1503 ~ Pope Pius III (né Francesco Todechini Piccolomini, b. May 29, 1439). He was Pope for only 26 days, from September 1503 until his death on October 18, 1503, making his papacy one of the shortest in Catholic history. He was 64 years old at the time of his death.
1442 ~ Infante John (b. Jan. 13, 1400), Constable of Portugal. He was a member of the Portuguese royal family. He was married to Isabella of Barcelos. He was of the House of Aviz. He was the son of John I, King of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster. He was Roman Catholic. He died at age 42.
1417 ~ Pope Gregory XII (né Angelo Corraro; b. 1326). He was Pope from November 1406 until July 1415. He was the first Pope to resign. He was forced to resign to end the Western Schism. He died 2 years after his resignation. The exact date of his birth is not known.
1141 ~ Leopold IV, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1108). He was known as Leopold the Generous. He was married to Maria of Bohemia. He was of the House of Babenberg. He was the son of Leopold III, Duke of Bavaria and Agnes of Germany.
1101 ~ Hugh I, 1st Count of Vermandois (b. 1057). Member of the French royal family. He was married to Adelaide, Countess of Vermandois. He was of the House of Capet. He was the son of Henry I, King of France and Anne of Kiev. The exact date of his birth is not known, but he is believed to have been about 44 at the time of his death.
1035 ~ Sancho III, King of Pamplona (b. 990s). He ruled Pamplona from 1004 until his death in 1035. He was married to Muniadona of Castile. He was of the House of Jiménez. He was the son of García Sánchez II, King of Pamplona and Jimena Fernández. He was Catholic. The exact date of his birth is not known.
707 ~ Pope John VII (b. 650). He served as Pope from March 705 until October 707. The exact date of his birth is not known.
629 ~ Chlothar II (b. 584), King of the Franks. He was known as Clothar the Great or Chlothar the Young. He ruled the Franks from 613 until his death in 629. He was married three times. His first wife was Haldetrude. His second wife was Bertrude. His third wife was Sichilde. He was of the House of Merovingian. He was the son of Chilperic I, King of the Franks and Fredegund. The exact date of his birth is not known, but he is believed to have been about 44 or 45 at the time of his death.
325 ~ Emperor Ming of Jin (b. 299), Chinese emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The date of his birth is not known.
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