Ken Fussichen's History Of The Day For
April 26th

Home Click on * for the link to the relevant chronology. New Date
757*Paolo Orsini replaces his brother Pope Stephen II, as Paul I.Ref: 5
1220*German king Frederick II grants bishops sovereign rights.Ref: 5
1478*Easter is celebrated for the first time.Ref: 5
1518*(Protestant Reformation) German reformer Martin Luther stated in his Disputation at Heidelberg: 'Grace is given to heal the spiritually sick, not to decorate spiritual heroes.'Ref: 5
1532 Sultan Suleiman through Hungary on away to Vienna.Ref: 5
1607*An expedition of English colonists went ashore at Cape Henry, Va., to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.Ref: 70
1654*Jews are expelled from Brazil.Ref: 5
1655*Dutch West Indies Company denies Peter Stuyvesant's desire to exclude Jews from New Amsterdam.Ref: 5
1677*Emperor Leopold I forms University of Innsbruck.Ref: 5
1709*Frisian viceroy Johan Willem Friso marries countess Maria Louisa.Ref: 5
1755*First Russian university opens (Moscow).Ref: 5
1814*King Louis XVIII lands on Calais, from England.Ref: 5
1819*Odd Fellows Lodge established in Baltimore.Ref: 5
1853 Dutch King William III disbands 2nd Chamber.Ref: 5
1859*Dan Sickles is found not guilty of the murder of Barton Key by reason of temporary insanity. This is the first use of "temporary insanity" to prove innocence. (Ref: "Great American Trials", ISBN 0-8103-9134-1, 1994) 
1869*Santa Fe's first locomotive, 4-4-0 Cyrus K. Holliday, pulls the railroad's first train, a two-car excursion, over seven miles of completed track. At Wakarusa, a picnic is held and Holliday makes his famous speech predicting that AT&SF will be built to Chicago, St. Louis, Galveston, San Francisco and Mexico City. Most of the predictions eventually come true. 
1870*Sojourner Truth visits the Capitol and Congress. Charles Sumner writes in her Book of Truth, "Equality of rights is the first of rights." (Claflin, Edward, "Sojourner Truth and the Struggle For Freedom", 1987, ISBN 0-8120-3919-X) 
1877*The residents of Minnesota observe a statewide day of prayer, asking for deliverance from a plague of grasshoppers that had been ravishing their farm crops this year. (The plague ended soon after, in the summer.).Ref: 5
1890 Henry Morton Stanley inaugurated in London.Ref: 5
1893*First Cleveland Board of Park Commissioners forms.Ref: 5
1900*Fire reduces Ottawa, Canada to ashes; 12,000 homeless, $15 million damage.Ref: 10
1904 Bell Telephone Company of Antwerp Belgium forms.Ref: 5
1907*Jamestown, VA Tercentenary Exposition opens.Ref: 5
1913*Panamá-Pacific International Exposition opens in San Francisco.Ref: 5
1920*The League of Women Voters is founded in Cleveland. 
1923*English prince Albert (George VI) marries lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.Ref: 5
1925*Hindenburg becomes president of Germany.Ref: 10
1926*Karachai Autonomous Region is established in RSFSR (until 1943).Ref: 5
1933*The Gestapo is born, created by Hermann Göring in the German state of Prussia.Ref: 35
1933*Jewish students are barred from school in Germany.Ref: 5
1938*Nazis order Jews to register wealth and property.Ref: 35
1938*Austrian Jews required to register property above 5,000 Reichsmarks.Ref: 5
1944*Papandreou government in Greece forms.Ref: 5
1954*Crimea transferred to UkraineRef: 89
1954 Far Eastern Affairs conference opens in Geneva.Ref: 5
1955*The Roman Catholic religious program "Life is Worth Living" aired for the last time over Dumont television. Premiering in 1952, it was hosted by Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, who won an Emmy during its first year of broadcast for being "the most outstanding personality" on television.Ref: 5
1964 The African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.Ref: 70
1968*The United States exploded beneath the NV desert a one-megaton nuclear device called "Boxcar."Ref: 5
1968*Students seize the administration building at Ohio State University.Ref: 2
1971*San Francisco Lightship replaced by automatic buoyRef: 5
1971*Heaviest rains ever in Bahia district of Brazil, 15" in 24 hours.Ref: 5
1973*US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.Ref: 5
1974*Landslide in Huancavelica Province Peru creates a natural dam.Ref: 5
1974 Malta adopts constitution.Ref: 5
1976*Pan Am begins non-stop flights New York-Tokyo.Ref: 5
1980*Following an unsuccessful attempt by the United States to rescue the US Embassy hostages in Iran, the Tehran government announced the captives were being scattered to thwart any future rescue effort.Ref: 5
1980*Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.Ref: 5
1981*Largest US bank robbery (Tucson AZ), more than $33 million stolen.Ref: 5
1983*For the first time, the Dow Jones industrial average moved over the 1200 mark, just two months after smashing the 1100 barrier.Ref: 4
1984*President Ronald Reagan visits China.Ref: 5
1985*According to a poll in Money magazine, Baby Boomers, those in the 25-39 year-old age group, had more loans, fewer investments and, yet, were more optimistic than the general population. We have figured out the reason for the optimism: Parents.Ref: 4
1986*France performs nuclear test.Ref: 5
1989*AT&T announces New Jersey's 201 area code will split into 908 & 201.Ref: 5
1991*The government reported the nation had sunk deeper into recession in the first quarter of 1991 as the gross national product shrank at an annual rate of 2.8 percent.Ref: 64
1994*Nelson Mandela wins the presidency in South Africa's first multiracial elections.Ref: 2
1994 First multi-racial election in South Africa begins [3 days] Dr Nomaza Paintin in New Zealand is 1st black South African to vote.Ref: 5
1994*26.9ºC in Prestebakke Norway (Norwegian April high temp record).Ref: 5
1996*Sotherby ends 4 day auction of Jackie O stuff-take in $34.5 million.Ref: 5
2000*Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signed the nation's first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.Ref: 70
2001*Junichiro Koizumi was elected prime minister of Japan by the lower house of Japan's parliament.Ref: 70
2002*A 7.1 earthquake hits the Mariana Islands.Ref: 85
1514*Copernicus makes his first observations of Saturn.Ref: 5
1721*Smallpox vaccination first administrated.Ref: 5
1803*Over 2,300 meteorite stones, weighing between one quarter ounce and 20 pounds, rained down on the people of L’Aigle in northeastern France. The meteorites poured down along an 8-mile-long strip in this little town, 100 miles west of Paris. No one was hurt; but it was the first time scientists could verify that stones could come from outer space.Ref: 4
1920*H Shapley & H.D. Curtis hold "great debate" on nature of nebulae.Ref: 5
1929*The first non-stop flight from England to India is completed.Ref: 2
1948*The XP-86 prototype for the Sabre Jet first "officially" breaks the sound barrier. The first operational F-86A Sabres entered service in May of the same year.Ref: 5
1954*A nationwide test of the Salk anti-polio beginsRef: 5
1962*First Lockheed A-12 flies.Ref: 5
1962*US/UK launch Ariel; first international payload.Ref: 5
1962*Ranger 4 crash lands on (backside of) Moon.Ref: 5
1967*San Marco 2 Launch (1st Equatorial Launch).Ref: 5
1978*NASA launches space vehicle S-201.Ref: 5
1993*STS-55 (Columbia) launches into orbit.Ref: 5
1777*Sybil Ludington, 16, rode from New York to Connecticut rallying her father's militia.Ref: 5
1828 Russia declares war on Turkey to support Greece's independence.Ref: 5
1865*Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrenders the Army of Tennessee to Union General William T. Sherman, at Durham, NC.Ref: 2
1865*Battle of Durham Station NC (Greensboro).Ref: 5
1865*Battle of Fort Tobacco VA.Ref: 5
1913 Sun Yet San calls for revolt against President Yuan Shikai in China.Ref: 5
1915*Second Lieutenant Rhodes-Moorhouse becomes the first airman to win the Victoria Cross after conducting a successful bombing raid.Ref: 2
1915*Italy secretly signes Pact of London with Britain, France & Russia.Ref: 5
1926 Germany & Russia sign neutrality/peace treaty.Ref: 5
1937*This was a tragic day in history as German planes attacked the Basque town of Guernica in Northern Spain. Without warning, the planes swooped down on the sleepy village, subjecting the citizens to three hours of continuous bombing. The village was left in flames; those who survived the bombs and tried to escape to surrounding fields were shot down by machine-gun fire from the air.Ref: 4
1941*Potatoes rationed in Holland.Ref: 5
1942*Luftwaffe bombs Bath.Ref: 5
1944*The first B-29 attacked by Japanese fighters, one fighter shot down.Ref: 5
1945*Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, leader of France's Vichy collaborationist regime during WWII, arrested for treason.Ref: 5
1953*Two U.S. Air Force B-29s dropped leaflets behind enemy lines, offering a $50,000 reward and political asylum to any pilot delivering an intact MiG-15 to American forces for study. On September 21, 1953, North Korean pilot Lieutenant Ro Kim Suk delivered his M-15 to American forces outside Seoul, Korea. 
1959 Cuba invades Panamá.Ref: 5
1961*French paratroopers' revolt suppressed in Algeria.Ref: 5
1971 Turkey state of siege proclaimed.Ref: 5
1978*France sends troops to Chad.Ref: 5
1982*Argentina surrenders to Britain on S Georgia near Falkland Island.Ref: 5
1996 After 16 days of bloodshed, Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas pledged to end the worst fighting in the Mideast in three years, agreeing to a US brokered truce.Ref: 64
1900*American League opener in Cleveland draws 6,500.Ref: 5
1901*After two days of rain at Philadelphia's Columbia Park, 10,547 fans witness Connie Mack's A's make the their American League debut losing to the Senators, 5-1.Ref: 1
1902*In his his major league debut, Cleveland Bronchos hurler, Addie Joss pitches a one-hitter beating the hometown Browns, 3-0.Ref: 1
1904*Ty Cobb, making his pro baseball debut at the age of seventeen, homers and doubles for Augusta in the South Atlantic League.Ref: 1
1905*Cubs Jack McCarthy becomes only major league player to throw out 3 runners at the plate in 1 game, all were ends of a double play.Ref: 5
1912*First homerun hit at Fenway Park (Hugh Bradley, Red Sox).Ref: 5
1931*Lou Gehrig hits a HR but is called out for passing a runner, the mistake costs him AL home run crown; he & Babe Ruth tie for season.Ref: 5
1935*Frank Boucher is given the NHL's Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship permanently for winning it 7 of 11 years.Ref: 5
1941*Wrigley Field becomes the first ballpark to employ an organ to entertain fans. Roy Nelson's pregame serenade doesn't help the Cubs as they fall to Max Lanier and the Cardinals, 4-2.Ref: 1
1946*Giant pitchers Harry Feldman and Ace Adams defect to the Mexican League.Ref: 1
1950*Last horse race at Havre de Grace Track in MD, is run.Ref: 5
1950*University of Miami ends William & Mary straight tennis match victories at 82.Ref: 5
1952*Patty Berg set a new record for major women’s golf competition. She shot a 64 over 18 holes in a tournament in Richmond, California.Ref: 4
1959*Yomiuri Giant Sadaharu Oh hits the first of his homers in Japan.Ref: 1
1959*Wiffi Smith wins LPGA Betsy Rawls Golf Open.Ref: 5
1961*Roger Maris of the NY Yankees hit the first of a record 61 home runs in a single season.Ref: 5
1962*Boston Red Sox Bill Monbouquette no-hits Chicago White Sox 1-0.Ref: 5
1963*Houston Colt .45s' Bob Bruce one-hits the Cincinnati Reds.Ref: 86
1964*18th NBA Championship Boston Celtics beat San Francisco Warriors, 4 games to 1, for 6th straight NBA championship.Ref: 5
1964*Marilynn Smith wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship.Ref: 5
1966*Arnold "Red" Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic's coach.Ref: 5
1969 Firestone World Bowling Tournament (Mercury Open) won by Jim Godman.Ref: 5
1974*New York Yankees trade Peterson, Beene, Kline & Buskey to Cleveland Indians for Chambliss, Tidrow & Upshaw.Ref: 5
1975*Pittsburgh Penguins 0-New York Islanders 1-Quarterfinals-Islanders win series 4-3.Ref: 5
1975*Philadelphia Phillies Mike Schmidt's 2 homeruns ties National League record of 11 homeruns in April.Ref: 5
1980 Longest jump by a jet boat is set at 120'.Ref: 5
1980*Defeating the Cardinals, 2-0, Phillie fireballer Steve Carlton pitches his sixth career one-hitter establishing a NL record.Ref: 1
1980*Gerard Nijboer runs Dutch record marathon (2:09:01).Ref: 5
1981*Beth Solomon wins LPGA Birmingham Golf Classic.Ref: 5
1982*Gene Michael becomes New York Yankee manager for second time, replacing Bob Lemon.Ref: 86
1983*San Antonio spurs beat Denver Nuggets, 152-133 in NBA playoff game.Ref: 5
1983*Boston Bruins 2-New York Islanders 5-Wales Conference Championship-Islanders hold 1-0 lead.Ref: 5
1986*Baseball game between California Angels & Minnesota Twins delayed for 9 minutes by strong winds.Ref: 5
1986 Firestone World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by Marshall Holman.Ref: 5
1987*Tennis star Chris Evert won her 150th career tennis tournament. She beat Martina Navratilova in Houston, Texas.Ref: 4
1988*NBA approves addition of 3rd referee in the 1988-89 season.Ref: 5
1988*Mets' first baseman Keith Hernandez hits two home runs and drives in seven runs to reach 1000 RBI milestone.Ref: 1
1988*New York Mets' Davey Johnson becomes 2nd manager to record 400 victory in first 4 years (Al Lopez did it 1st).Ref: 5
1989*Mike Tyson is ticketed for driving 71 MPH in 30 mile zone in Albany.Ref: 5
1990 New York Court of Appeals ends 2½ year legal battle over 1988 America's Cup by refusing jurisdiction of the case.Ref: 5
1990*Striking out 16 batters, Ranger hurler Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller's major league record of 12 one-hitters beating the White Sox,1-0. The only hit allowed is Ron Kittle's second inning check-swing single to right field.Ref: 1
1991*Soccer star Diego Maradona, suspended for using cocaine, arrested in Argentina for possession & distribution of illegal narcotics.Ref: 5
1992*Maggie Will wins LPGA Sara Lee Golf Classic.Ref: 5
1992*Ozzie Smith steals his 500th base.Ref: 5
1995*The Rockies defeat the Mets in 14 innings, 11-9 tying the NL record for the number of innings played in a season opener.Ref: 1
1995*Baseball season begins after lengthy strike.Ref: 5
2000*The St. Louis Cardinals set a major league record by hitting 50 home runs in April. Homers by pitcher Rick Ankiel, Jim Edmonds and Fernando Tatis in the 7-0 victory over the Brewers help to break the mark established by the 1997 Indians with 49.Ref: 1
2000*Expo outfielder Vladimir Guerrero's 100th career home run helps Montreal beat Colorado, 9-2.Ref: 1
2001*Hideo Nomo just misses becoming the fifth pitcher since 1900 to hurl two no-hitters in a single season as former Gold Glove right fielder Darren Lewis just misses catching Torii Hunter's blooper in the top of the seventh inning. The hit, which many consider a questionable call by the scorer, is the only hit given up by the Red Sox right-hander in the 2-0 victory over the Twins.Ref: 1
2001*After 2½ years in the post, Kevin Malone resigns as the general manager of the Dodgers. Despite having the league's largest payroll, Los Angeles has failed to make the playoffs during his tenure.Ref: 1
2002*Not wanting to assign blame for the worst start in the team's history, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd dismisses manager Buddy Bell. The 6-16 club will now be piloted by Clint Hurdle, Colorado's hitting coach for the past six years.Ref: 1
1835*Frédéric Chopin's "Grand Polonaise Brillante", premieres in Paris France.Ref: 5
1841 "Bombay Gazette" begins publishing on silk.Ref: 5
1855*Composer Gioacchino Rossini leaves Italy.Ref: 5
1906*First motion pictures shown in Hawaii.Ref: 5
1921 Weather broadcasts were heard for the first time on radio when WEW in St. Louis, MO aired weather news. Weather forecasts continue to be the top reason why people listen to radio; rating higher than music, news, sports and commercials.Ref: 4
1925*Pulitzer prize awarded to Edna Ferber for "So big".Ref: 5
1928*Madame Tussaud's waxworks exhibition opens in London.Ref: 5
1931 NBC radio presented Lum and Abner for the first time. The popular program continued for 24 years on the air, not all of them on NBC. In fact, all four networks (CBS, ABC, Mutual and NBC) carried the program for a period of time. Lum and Abner hailed from the fictitious town of Pine Ridge. Fictitious, that is, before 1936, when Waters, Arkansas, changed its name to Pine Ridge.Ref: 4
1932 The Texaco fire chief, Ed Wynn, was heard on radio’s Texaco Star Theater for the first time. Wynn, a popular vaudeville performer, demanded a live audience to react to his humor if he was to make the switch to radio. The network consented and Wynn became radio’s first true superstar. He would later make the switch to TV.Ref: 4
1932 Jean Anouilh's "L'Ermine", premieres in Paris France.Ref: 5
1936*Dmitri Shostakovitch completes his 4th Symphony.Ref: 5
1937*The publisher of LIFE magazine just about passed out when he looked at his just-off-the-press publication and noticed that someone had forgotten to put the word “LIFE” in the upper left-hand corner! It was the only time that LIFE was nameless. Since hundreds of thousands of copies were already printed, the magazine hit the streets with no name on the cover! The reason? A picture of a rooster would have had an obscured comb if the logotype had been used in the upper left-hand corner as usual.Ref: 4
1937 The initial broadcast of Lorenzo Jones was heard over NBC radio this day. Karl Swenson played the lead role for the entire run of the serial. And quite a run it was. Lorenzo Jones was on the air until 1955.Ref: 4
1947*"Bless the Bride" musical opens in London.Ref: 5
1951 Queen Juliana opens Brielsche Mausoleum.Ref: 5
1956 Godzilla makes his American debut.Ref: 62
1957*Jamestown, VA 350th Anniversary Festival opens.Ref: 5
1965*Ives' 4th Symphony premieres.Ref: 5
1967*"Hallelujah, Baby!" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 293 performances.Ref: 5
1969*"Celebration" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 110 performances.Ref: 5
1969*"George M!" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 435 performances.Ref: 5
1970*The musical, Company, opened on Broadway. It ran for 705 performances before parting company with appreciative audiences at the Alvin Theatre in New York City. Company starred Elaine Stritch.Ref: 4
1970*"Company" opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 690 performances.Ref: 5
1973*"2 Gentlemen of Verona", musical opens in London.Ref: 5
1975*On top of the Billboard popular music chart was B.J. Thomas, with the longest title ever for a number one song. (Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song was number one for one week, though it took that long just to say the title.Ref: 4
1978*An updated version of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper appeared on television. In the lead role (his first TV special), was former Beatle, Ringo Starr. He sang new versions of Act Naturally, Yellow Submarine and With a Little Help from My Friends.Ref: 4
1981*"Copperfield" closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 13 performances.Ref: 5
1982*Rod Stewart is mugged, the gunman steals his $50,000 Porsche.Ref: 5
1982 CBS radio begins youth oriented broadcast Radio Radio.Ref: 5
1984*Liverpool's Cavern Club reopens.Ref: 5
1986*Actor/body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger weds newscaster Maria Shriver.Ref: 5
1987*"Barbara Cook A Concert..." closes at Ambassador NYC after 13 performances.Ref: 5
1988*First TNN Viewers Choice Awards-Randy Travis wins in 5 categories.Ref: 5
1990*Danny Wood of New Kids, steps on a stuffed animal & twists his ankle.Ref: 5
1990*"Accomplice" opens at Richard Rodgers Theater NYC for 52 performances.Ref: 5
1991*"Dinosaurs" premieres on ABC-TV.Ref: 5
1992*"Who's The Boss," final episode after 8 years.Ref: 5
1992*Final episode of "Growing Pains" airs on ABC-TVRef: 5
1992*"Grand Hotel" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC after 1,018 performances.Ref: 5
1992*"Jelly's Last Jam" opens at Virginia Theater NYC for 569 performances.Ref: 5
1992*"Master Builder" closes at Belasco Theater NYC after 45 performances.Ref: 5
1992*"Metro" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 13 performances.Ref: 5
1992*Alex Haley, (Roots), wins 1992 Ellis Island Award, posthumously.Ref: 5
1992*"Growing Pains", final episode on ABC TV.Ref: 5
1993*"Shakespeare for My Father" opens at Helen Hayes NYC for 266 performances.Ref: 5
1993*NBC announces Conan O'Brien to replace David Letterman.Ref: 5
1994*Mad About You actress Leila Kenzel (33) weds Neil Monaco (34).Ref: 5
1997*"Life", opens at Barrymore Theater NYC.Ref: 5
121*Antonius Marcus Aurelius [Marcus A Verus], Emperor of Rome (161-180), is born.Ref: 5
1319*Jean II the Good, king of France (1350-64), is born.Ref: 5
1538*Giovanni P Lomazzo Italian writer/poet (Trattato), is born.Ref: 5
1564*William Shakespeare is baptized.Ref: 2
1567*Nicolas Forme composer, is born.Ref: 5
1573*Marie de'Medici Queen of France, is born.Ref: 5
1603*Francesco Nigetti composer, is born.Ref: 5
1637 Philip J van Lichtenbergh Governor of Suriname, baptized, is born.Ref: 5
1648*Pedro II King of Portugal (1683-1706), is born.Ref: 5
1660*Daniel Defoe English novelist (Robinson Crusoe), is born.Ref: 68
1711*David Hume England, empiricist/philosopher (Treatise of Human Nature), is born.Ref: 5
1718*Esek Hopkins, first commodore of the United States Navy, is born.Ref: 2
1726*Pasquale Paoli Corsican freedom fighter, is born.Ref: 5
1776 Joan M Kemper Dutch lawyer (designed civil code law book), is born.Ref: 5
1782*Maria Amalia of Bourbon-Sicily wife of Louis Phillip of Austria, is born.Ref: 5
1785*John J. Audubon, American ornithologist and artist, is born in Haiti.Ref: 70
1787*Ludwig Uhland writer, is born.Ref: 5
1796*Auguste-Matthieu Panseron composer, is born.Ref: 5
1798*Ferdinand Eugène Delacroix French painter/lithograph/etcher (Journal), is born.Ref: 5
1806*Ludwig Friedrich Hetsch composer, is born.Ref: 5
1808*Martha Finley children's book author, is born.Ref: 5
1812 Alfred Krupp, German arms merchant, is born.Ref: 2
1820*Alice Cary, Cincinnati OH, American poet (Cincinnati Sentinel), is born.Ref: 5
1822*Jan Albert van Eyken composer/organist, is born.Ref: 5
1822*Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect: Yosemite National Park, Central Park in New York City and other city parks in Boston, MA, Hartford, CT and Louisville, KY; died Aug 28, 1903Ref: 4
1827*Charles Edward Hovey Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), is born.Ref: 5
1834 Artemus Ward [Charles Farrar Browne] humorist, is born.Ref: 5
1834*Birth of Horatio R. Palmer, American Congregational clergyman. From his books of religious verse came two hymns which are still sung today: "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts" and "My Faith Looks Up to Thee".Ref: 5
1836*Erminnie Adelle Platt US, ethnologist (Iriquois-English Dictionary), is born.Ref: 5
1839*Cyrus Hamblin Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1867, is born.Ref: 5
1841*Wilhelm Scherer German literature historian, is born.Ref: 5
1860*Alphonse Ariëns Dutch pastor, is born.Ref: 5
1863*Arno Holz writer, is born.Ref: 5
1863*Charles Haslewood Shannon lithographer/painter, is born.Ref: 5
1868*Robert Herrick US writer (Common lot), is born.Ref: 5
1868*Harold Rothermere, English newspaperman; built a journalistic empire in England, is born.Ref: 70
1873*Otto zur Linde German author (Charon), is born.Ref: 5
1875*Syngman Rhee Whanghai Province South Korea, President of South Korea (1948-60), is born.Ref: 5
1878*Ethel Griffies actress (Billy Liar, Birds, We Live Again), is born.Ref: 5
1879*Sir Owen Williams Richardson England, physicist (Nobel 1928), is born.Ref: 5
1880*Mikhail Fokine Russia, choreographer/founder of modern dance, is born.Ref: 5
1882*Jessie Redmon Fauset author: There is Confusion, Plum Bun, The Chinaberry Tree, Comedy, American Style; literary editor: Crisis [NAACP publication]; co-publisher & editor: The Brownie Book; died in 1961, is born.Ref: 4
1884*Harry Sothern actor (Dr Huer-Buck Rogers), is born.Ref: 5
1886*Ma Rainey (Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett) "Mother of the Blues", US blues singer, is born.Ref: 5
1888*Aleksandr Mikhailov USSR, astronomer, is born.Ref: 5
1889*Ludwig Wittgenstein Austria, philosopher (Tractatus), is born.Ref: 5
1890*Edgar "E Livingstone" Kennedy US actor/director (My Old Dutch), is born.Ref: 5
1893*Anita Loos, American novelist and Hollywood screenwriter (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), is born.Ref: 68
1894*Nazi Rudolf Hess is born. also RefRef: 68
1897*Olga Chekova Russia, actress (Italian Strawhat, Cry of the Children), is born.Ref: 5
1897*Cass Canfield, American publisher and editor, is born.Ref: 70
1898*Vicente Aleixandre Spain, poet (Ambito, Bird of Paper, Nobel 1977), is born.Ref: 5
1898*Edward PF Eagan Denver CO, boxer (Olympics-gold-20)/bobsledder (Olympics-gold-32), is born.Ref: 5
1898*John Grierson documentary film maker, is born.Ref: 5
1899*Guinn "Big Boy" Williams Decatur TX, actor (Circus Boy, Hoedown, Country Fair, Blackmail)Ref: 5
1900*Charles Richter, Hamilton OH, Earthquakes seismologist (Richter scale), is born.Ref: 5
1900*Douglas Sirk director (Zu Neuen Ufern, Boefje), is born.Ref: 5
1900*James Sutherland English literature scholar/actor (Rob Roy 1953), is born.Ref: 5
1903*Geoffrey Worthington Air vice-marshall, is born.Ref: 5
1903*Niven Busch US screenwriter (Postman Always Rings Twice), is born.Ref: 5
1904*Paul E "Cardinal" Leger archbishop (Montréal Québec Canada), is born.Ref: 5
1904*William "Count" Basie jazz pianist (Policy Man, Blazing Saddles), is born.Ref: 5
1905*Charles K Feldman [Gould] New York NY, producer (Casino Royale), is born.Ref: 5
1905*Denis O'Dea Dublin, actor (Esther & the King, Treasure Island), is born.Ref: 5
1905*Jean Vigo France, actor/director (Zero For Conduct, L'Atlante), is born.Ref: 5
1906*Gracie Allen (Mrs George Burns), comedienne (George Burns Show), is born.Ref: 5
1906*Leopold Spinner composer, is born.Ref: 5
1907*Theun de Vries writer (February; PC Hooft prize 1981), is born.Ref: 5
1910*Erland von Koch composer, is born.Ref: 5
1910*Ernst Tittel composer, is born.Ref: 5
1910*Johan Doorn Dutch journalist/resistance fighter (Orange Newspaper), is born.Ref: 5
1910*Tomoyuki Tanaka director (Godzilla), is born.Ref: 5
1911*Marianne Hoppe Rostock Germany (Bei Thea, Liebrauen), is born.Ref: 5
1912*A[lfred] E[lton] Van Vogt Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, science fiction writer (Cosmic Encounter), is born.Ref: 5
1914*Bernard Malamud Brooklyn NY, novelist (Fixer, The Natural Pulitizer 1967), is born.Ref: 5
1914*Charlie Chester British comedian (Never Say Die), is born.Ref: 5
1914*Horace Leonard Gold Sci-Fi writer/editor, is born.Ref: 5
1914*James William Rouse US builder (shopping malls/Columbia MD), is born.Ref: 5
1914*Wilfred Howard Mellers composer, is born.Ref: 5
1916*Morris L West, Australia, novelist (Shoes of the Fisherman), is born.Ref: 5
1916*Arnoldus Christian Vlok van Wyk composer, is born.Ref: 5
1917*I[eoh] M[ing] Pei Canton China, architect (1961 Brunner Prize), is born.Ref: 5
1917*Sal "The Barber" Maglie pitcher (New York Giants, 8th best won-lost percentage), is born.Ref: 5
1918*Stafford Repp CA, actor (Chief O'Hara-Batman), is born.Ref: 5
1918*Fanny Blankers-Koen Holland, 100 meter/200 meter dash, Hurdler (Olympics-gold-1948), is born.Ref: 5
1918*Jack Morpurgo American Literature scholar (Leeds University), is born.Ref: 5
1920*Juan C Lampe Aruba, pianist/composer, is born.Ref: 5
1921*Harry Knutton Major-General/Director-General (London City & Guilds Institute), is born.Ref: 5
1921*Jimmy Giuffre jazz musician, is born.Ref: 5
1921*Margaret Gowing professor (history, science), is born.Ref: 5
1922*Mike Kellin Hartford CT, actor (Honestly Celeste, Fitz & Bones), is born.Ref: 5
1922*James Holt medieval historian, is born.Ref: 5
1922*Jeanne Sauvé first female Governor-General (Canada, 1984-90), is born.Ref: 5
1922*Margaret Scott founder (Australian Ballet School), is born.Ref: 5
1922*Paul-Andre Gaillard composer, is born.Ref: 5
1922*Pol Bury Belgian sculptor, is born.Ref: 5
1923 Oliver Millar Surveyor (Queen's Pictures), is born.Ref: 5
1924*(Theodore Marcus) Teddy Edwards jazz musician: tenor sax: Me and My LoverRef: 4
1924*Russell Nype Zion IL, singer/actor (Burton Farley-Dorothy), is born.Ref: 5
1926*Bambi Linn (Linnemier) dancer, actress: Your Show of Shows, Oklahoma!, is born.Ref: 4
1926*Preston "Bob" Tisch NFL co-owner (New York Giants), is born.Ref: 5
1926*Anton PO Ekström Swedish writer (Summer Dances), is born.Ref: 5
1926*David Coleman sports commentator, is born.Ref: 5
1926 Michael Joughin CEO (Scottish Hydro-Electric), is born.Ref: 5
1926*Oldrich Frantisek Korte composer, is born.Ref: 5
1927*John Ralston football: coach: Cal State Univ at San Jose, Stanford Univ; Coach/GM: Denver Broncos, is born.Ref: 4
1927*Anne McLaren biologist/zoologist/actress (Things to Come), is born.Ref: 5
1927*Jack Douglas comedian (My Brother Was an Only Child, Jack Paar Show), is born.Ref: 5
1928*Gordon Downey British Comptroller General/Reader Representative (Independent), is born.Ref: 5
1928*Hertha Kräftner writer, is born.Ref: 5
1930*Roger Moens Belgium, 800 meter runner (Olympics-silver-1960), is born.Ref: 5
1930*Derek Waring actor (Barnacle Bill, Arthur-Heart of the Country), is born.Ref: 5
1930*Justin Gosling principal (St Edmund Hall Oxford), is born.Ref: 5
1934*J Micheal McCloskey environmentalist, Sierra Club chairman, is born.Ref: 5
1936*Carol Burnett San Antonio TX, comedian/actress (Annie, 4 Seasons), is born.Ref: 17
1936*Edward Cazalet British High Court Judge, is born.Ref: 5
1937*Robert Boozer Omaha NE, basketball player (Olympics-gold-1960), is born.Ref: 5
1938*Nino Benvenuti International Boxing Hall of Famer: European Junior Middleweight title [1957, 1959], Olympic boxing gold medal [Rome, 1960], Junior Middleweight Champ [1965-1966], Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year [1968]; Middleweight Champ [1967-1970]; retired in 1971, total bouts: 90: won 82, lost 7, tied 1, knockouts 35, is born.Ref: 4
1938*Duane Eddy, Phoenix AZ, guitarist (Peter Gunn, Cannonball), is born.Ref: 5
1938*Maurice Williams rocker, is born.Ref: 5
1938*Willie Wood bowler, is born.Ref: 5
1939*Roger Buckley British High Court Judge, is born.Ref: 5
1940*Giorgio Moroder Ortisei Italy, composer/producer/singer (Top Gun, Metropolis, Electric Dreams, Cat People, Let it Ride), is born.Ref: 5
1941*Claudine Clark singer: Party Lights, is born.Ref: 4
1941*(Dr.) Gary Cuozzo football: Univ of Virginia all-American; NFL: QB: Baltimore Colts, NO Saints, Minnesota Vikings [Super Bowl IV], SL Cardinals; orthodontist [with his son] in Middletown NJ, is born.Ref: 4
1941*Bruce MacGregor hockey: NHL: Detroit Red Wings, NY Rangers; VP: Edmonton Oilers, is born.Ref: 4
1941*John Battle MP, is born.Ref: 5
1942*Bobby Rydell Philadelphia PA, rock singer (Wild One, Bye Bye Birdie), is born.Ref: 5
1942*Claudine Auger Paris France, Miss France-Universe (1958)/actress (Thunderball), is born.Ref: 5
1942*Vitali Andreyevich Grishchenko Russia, cosmonaut, is born.Ref: 5
1943*Gary Wright Creskill NJ, singer/keyboardist (Dream Weaver, Spooky Tooth-Love Is Alive), is born.Ref: 5
1944*David O'B Martin (Representative-Republican-NY, 1981- ), is born.Ref: 5
1944*Martha Rockwell Providence RI, skier (Mount Washington), is born.Ref: 5
1947*Boyd Matson TV news anchor, correspondent: U.S.A. Today-The Television Series, The Real Story; TV host: National Geographic Explorer, is born.Ref: 4
1947*Amos (Joseph) Otis baseball: NY Mets, KC Royals [all-star: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976], Pittsburgh Pirates [World Series: 1980], is born.Ref: 4
1947*Donna Elizabeth De Varona Greenwich CT, swimmer (Olympics-2 gold-64), is born.Ref: 5
1947*Gervase Frank Ashworth Jackson-Stops architectural adviser, is born.Ref: 5
1948*Boyd Matson TV host/correspondent (National Geographic Explorer), is born.Ref: 5
1948*Gerry Sikorski (Representative-Democrat-MN, 1983- ), is born.Ref: 5
1949*Jimmy Hall rocker (Wet Willie), is born.Ref: 5
1950*Howard "Leon" Reeder rock guitarist (Champaign), is born.Ref: 5
1950*Peter Schaufuss director of ballet (Deutsche Opera Berlin), is born.Ref: 5
1951*Lynne Jones MP, is born.Ref: 5
1952 Popo Simon Molefe Secretary-General (South Africa UDF), is born.Ref: 5
1954*Grace Kelly, “Hollywood’s brightest and busiest star,” was seen on the cover of LIFE magazine. In a couple of years, the actress would leave the U.S. to become Princess Grace of Monaco.Ref: 4
1956*Koo Stark [Kathleen Dee-Anne] photographer/actress (Emily), is born.Ref: 5
1958*Giancarlo Esposito actor (Bob Roberts, School Daze, King of New York), is born.Ref: 5
1958*Johnny "Earl of" Dumfries racing driver, is born.Ref: 5
1959*Ann O'Neill Toowoomba Queensland, golfer (1989 Downs District Champion), is born.Ref: 5
1960*Roger Taylor England, rock drummer (Duran Duran-Hungry Like the Wolf), is born.Ref: 5
1961*Albert Lawrence Jamaica, 4X100 meter relayer (Olympics-silver-1984), is born.Ref: 5
1961*Joan Chen [Chen Chong] Shanghai China, actress (Heaven & Earth), is born.Ref: 5
1961*Nancy Scranton Centralia IL, golfer (1991 du Maurier Ltd Classic), is born.Ref: 5
1962*Graham "Skin" Skinner rocker (Hipsway), is born.Ref: 5
1962*Michael Damian San Diego CA, actor/singer (Joseph & Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat/Young & the Restless), is born.Ref: 5
1963*Bill Wennington NBA center (Chicago Bulls), is born.Ref: 5
1963*Thomas Searle hockey defenseman (Team Austria 1998), is born.Ref: 5
1964*Tod Bass Los Angeles CA, actor (Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In), is born.Ref: 5
1966*Heather Rattray Moline IL, actress (Lily-As the World Turns), is born.Ref: 5
1966*Andrea Temesvari Budapest Hungary, tennis star (1983, 1984, 1985 US Clay Courts), is born.Ref: 5
1967*Klaus Merk Augsburg Germany, hockey goaltender (Team Germany 1998), is born.Ref: 5
1967*Matt Peterson Chicago IL, Nike golfer (1992 Hawkeye Open-7th), is born.Ref: 5
1968*Ahmed Elmaghraby Suez Egypt, US field hockey forward (Olympics-96), is born.Ref: 5
1971*Ryan Yarborough NFL wide receiver (Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets), is born.Ref: 5
1972*Francisco Cordova Veracruz México, pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates), is born.Ref: 5
1972*Marco Rivera NFL/WLAF guard (Scottish Claymores, Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31), is born.Ref: 5
1972*Natrone Means NFL running back (San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars), is born.Ref: 5
1973*Damien Munoz Miss Colorado-USA (1997), is born.Ref: 5
1973*Mark Davis NBA guard/forward (Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves), is born.Ref: 5
1973*Tracy Kathleen Hayes Wheaton IL, Miss Illinois-America (5th-1996), is born.Ref: 5
1975*Jabbar Threats defensive end (Jacksonville Jaguars), is born.Ref: 5
1975*Trudi Ferguson Miss Jamaica-Universe (1996), is born.Ref: 5
1976*Sarah Tueting ice hockey goalie (USA, Olympics-98), is born.Ref: 5
1979*Sean Fox actor (3 Ninjas Kick Back, Calendar Girl), is born.Ref: 5
1980*Jordana Brewster Panamá, actress (Nikki Graves-As the World Turns), is born.Ref: 5
1980*Marne Patterson Sherman Oaks CA, actress (Nicole-Something So Right), is born.Ref: 5
1984*Ryan O'Donohue Pomona CA, actress (Byrds of Paradise, Boys are Back)Ref: 5
757*Stephen II Pope (752-57), dies.Ref: 5
886*(date approximate) Pope Boniface VI dies, ending his 15-day reign.Ref: 69
1196*Alfonso II King of Aragon (1162-96), dies.Ref: 5
1444*Robert Campin South Netherlands painter/porter of Doornik, dies at about 65.Ref: 5
1478*Giuliano de' Medici Medeheerser of Florence, murdered by Pazzi conspirators at about age 24.Ref: 5
1558*Jean François Fernel French physician, dies.Ref: 5
1648*Christoph Thomas Walliser composer, dies at 79.Ref: 5
1703*Georg Christoph Leuttner composer, dies at 58.Ref: 5
1726*Jeremy Collier English bishop/historian/opponent to theater, dies at 75.Ref: 5
1731*Daniel Defoe English novelist (Robinson Crusoe), dies at about 70.Ref: 68
1785*Karl Siegmund von Seckendorff composer, dies at 40.Ref: 5
1789*Peter I Panin Russian General (Pugatshov-uprising), dies at about 67.Ref: 5
1805 Jean BG d'ansse the Villoison classic (Anecdota Graeca), dies at 55.Ref: 5
1827*Bernardo Ottani composer, dies at 90.Ref: 5
1865*(Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy) John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln, is surrounded by federal troops at Garrett's farm near Bowling Green, VA, and killed, at age 27.Ref: 68
1865*(Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy) A man found in Booth's company, David E. Herold, is arrested on suspicion of involvement in the conspiracy.Ref: 87
1865*Charles J Sax Belgian inventor (saxophone), dies at 74.Ref: 5
1907*Pietro Plantania composer, dies at 79.Ref: 5
1910*Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Norwegian writer (Mary, Nobel 1903), dies at 77.Ref: 5
1920*Srinivasa Ramanujan, one of the most brilliant mathematicians to ever live, died at 32 of what was probably vitamin deficiency.Ref: 5
1922*Hans Sommer composer, dies at 84.Ref: 5
1924*Josef Labor composer, dies at 82.Ref: 5
1938*Edmund Husserl German philosopher (study of phenomenon), dies at 79.Ref: 5
1940*Carl Bosch, German Nobel Prize-winning industrial chemist (1931), dies at age 65.Ref: 70
1941*Jean Demoor Belgian physician/physiologist/educationalist, dies at 74.Ref: 5
1942*Colliery explosion kills 1,549 at Honkeiko Manchuria.Ref: 5
1946*Hermann Keyserling count/philosopher (Unsterblichkeit), dies at 65.Ref: 5
1951*John Alden Carpenter US composer (Sea Drift), dies at 75.Ref: 5
1952*US minesweeper "Hobson" rams aircraft carrier "Wasp," kills 176.Ref: 5
1952*Charles L Baars Dutch actor (Women Tamers), dies at 59.Ref: 5
1956*Edward Arnold actor (Mr Smith Goes to Washington), dies at 66.Ref: 5
1958*Johan N C "Joan" Collette painter, dies at 68.Ref: 5
1960*Wander J de Haas Dut physicist (Einstein-De Haas effect), dies at 82.Ref: 5
1961*Gail Russell actress (Calcutta, Moonrise, El Paso), dies at 36.Ref: 5
1964*Edwin John Pratt Canadian poet (Towards the Last Spike), dies at 81.Ref: 5
1964*Pieter van der Lijn Dutch geologist (Boulder Book), dies at 93.Ref: 5
1965*Aaron Avshalomov composer, dies at 70.Ref: 5
1970*Gypsy Rose Lee (Rose Hovick), American striptease artist, dies of cancer at age 56.Ref: 68
1970*John Knittel writer, dies at 79.Ref: 5
1970*Paul Celan writer, dies at 49 [or May 5].Ref: 5
1972*Margaret A R Bonds US pianist/composer/arranger, dies at 59.Ref: 5
1973*Irene Ryan actress (Granny-Beverly Hillbillies), dies at 69.Ref: 5
1976*Allan Jackson newscaster (Youth Takes a Stand), dies at 60.Ref: 5
1976*Neil McCallum actor (Pete-Saber of London), dies at 45.Ref: 5
1976*Sidney James actor (Lavander Hill Mob, Carry On), dies at 65.Ref: 5
1976*Karl Schafer, Austrian ice skater; won Olympic gold medal winner in 1932 and 1936, dies at age 66.Ref: 5
1980*Cicely Courtneidge actress (Double Exposure), dies at 87.Ref: 5
1981*Jim Davis actor (Jack Ewing-Dallas), dies at 65.Ref: 5
1981*Madge Evans TV panelist (Masquerade Party), dies at 71.Ref: 5
1981*Robert Davi dies at 54.Ref: 5
1982*Dame Celia Johnson British actress, dies of a stroke at 73.Ref: 5
1982*Ville Ritola Finnish 5/10km runner (Olympics-gold-1924, 28), dies.Ref: 5
1983*Bronislaw Kaper composer, dies at 81.Ref: 5
1983*Vaughn Taylor actor (Johnny Jupiter), dies at 72.Ref: 5
1984*William "Count" Basie, American band leader and composer, dies at age 78.Ref: 4
1984*Henry Rowland actor (Rogue's Regiment), dies at 70.Ref: 5
1984*May McAvoy actress (Ben Hur), dies after a heart attack at 82.Ref: 5
1986*At 1:23 a.m. in Pripyat in the Ukraine, the Chernobyl atomic power station exploded. A three-hundred-square-mile area was evacuated in an attempt to protect over 100,000 residents of the area from radiation poisoning. 31 people died and unknown thousands were exposed as the radioactive material carried in the atmosphere spread throughout the world.Ref: 4
1986*(William) Broderick Crawford actor: Ransom Money, Dark Forces, The Oscar, Last of the Comanches, Born Yesterday, All the King’s Men, Highway Patrol, King of Diamonds, The Interns; dies at age 74.Ref: 4
1986*Bessie Love actress (Broadway Melody, Isadora), dies at 87.Ref: 5
1988*Frederick Douglass Patterson, American educator; president of Tuskegee Institute (1935-53) and founder of United Negro College Fund, dies at age 86.Ref: 70
1989*Actress-comedian Lucille Ball died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at age 77 of a massive heart attack . (also TWA, 1990)Ref: 5
1990*126 die in a (6.9) earthquake in China.Ref: 5
1990*Carlos Pizarro Leongomez Colombian presidential candidate, assassinated.Ref: 5
1991*Twenty-three people were killed as four dozen tornadoes raked Kansas & Oklahoma. (TWA, 1997)Ref: 95
1991*Carmine Coppola composer/father of Francis Ford Coppola, dies.Ref: 5
1991*Emily McLaughlin US actress (Jessie-General Hospital), dies at 61.Ref: 5
1992*Alberta Vaughn actress (Wild Horse, Silver Devil), dies at 87.Ref: 5
1992*Clyde Hartley entertainer, dies at 68.Ref: 5
1993*Boeing 737 crashes at Aurangabad, kills 56.Ref: 5
1994*Taiwan Airbus A-300 crashes at Nagoya Japan, 262 killed.Ref: 5
1995*Alexander Knox actor/writer (Gorky Park, Accident), dies at 88.Ref: 5
1996*Former CIA Director William Colby was missing and presumed drowned by authorities in Maryland after an apparent boating accident; his body was later recovered.Ref: 68
1996*Burton Stein historian, dies at 69.Ref: 5
1996*John Norrie McArthur malariologist/microscopist, dies at 94.Ref: 5
1996*Stirling Silliphant screenwriter, dies at 78.Ref: 5
1997*Joey Faye comic (Fruit of the Loom grapes), dies at 86.Ref: 5
1997 Peng Zhen mayor of Beijing China (1951-66), dies.Ref: 5
1997*Yegorov Russian leader (1994-95), diesRef: 5
1998*Auxiliary Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera, a leading human rights activist in Guatemala, was bludgeoned to death two days after a report he'd compiled on atrocities during Guatemala's 36-year civil war was made public.Ref: 70
1999 Jill Dando dies.Ref: 10
2002*Erfurt, Germany. 13 teachers, two students, and one policeman killed, ten wounded by Robert Steinhaeuser, 19, at the Johann Gutenberg secondary school. Steinhaeuser then killed himself.Ref: 88

Last Update: October 27th, 2005
© 2000-2005   Kenneth Fussichen