This Day in History
January 27

What happened in history on this day: January 27? On January 27 in ... 98 - Marius Cocceius Nerva, Emperor of Rome (96-98), dies at about age 67. 672 - Saint Vitalian dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope. 847 - Sergius II dies, ending his reign as Catholic Pope (844-847). 1164 - Abraham ibn Ezra poet/philosopher, dies. 1302 - Dante becomes a Florentine political exile. 1538 - States of Gelderland accepts Willem van Kleef as viceroy. 1540 - Angela Merici Italian monk/monastery, dies. 1546 - Birth of Joachim III Frederick elector (Brandenburg). 1556 - Birth of Abbas I "the Great", shah of Persia (1587-1629). 1556 - Willem of Orange becomes knight of Guilder Flies. 1565 - Robrecht de Berghes prince-bishop of Liege (1557-64), dies. 1592 - Birth of Pierre de La Barre composer. 1593 - Vatican opens 7 year trial against scholar Giordano Bruno. 1612 - Maarten van Valckenborch Flemish painter, buried at about age 77. 1625 - Adriaen Valerius notary/Netherlands Gedenck-clanck, dies at about age 49. 1629 - Hieronymus Praetorius composer, dies at age 68. 1662 - First American lime kiln begins operation (Providence Rhode Island). 1662 - Birth of Richard Bentley Oulton, scholar/controversialist. 1669 - Gaspar de Crayer Flemish painter, dies at age 87. 1671 - Pirate Henry Morgen lands at Panama City. 1679 - Birth of Jean-François de Troy French painter. 1699 - William Temple statesman, dies. 1701 - Birth of Johann N von Hontheim German church historian/suffragan (bishop). 1710 - Czar Peter the Great sets first Russian state budget. 1715 - Birth of Vaclav Kalous composer. 1720 - Birth of Samuel Foote England; actor/dramatist (Mirror). 1723 - Birth of Johann A Cramer prime minister/poet. 1731 - Bartolomeo di Francesco Cristofori Italian piano builder, dies at age 75. 1736 - Abdication of Stanislas, last king of Poland. 1756 - Birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Austria, musical prodigy/composer (Figaro). 1763 - John Theodor of Bavaria prince-bishop of Liege/cardinal, dies. 1775 - Birth of Friedrich von Schelling Germany, philosopher (Views on Christianity). 1775 - Birth of Manuel del Popolo Vicente Rodriguez García Spanish tenor/composer. 1778 - Piccinni's opera "Roland" premieres, Paris. 1784 - Birth of Martin-Joseph Mengal composer. 1785 - First US state university chartered, Athens Georgia. 1802 - Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg composer, dies at age 42. 1805 - Birth of Samuel Palmer London, painter/etcher (Valley of Vision). 1806 - Birth of Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga y Balzola Spanish composer. 1808 - Birth of David F Strauss Germany, theologist (Jesus' Life). 1814 - Johann Gottlieb Fichte philosopher, dies. 1814 - Philip Astley theatre manager, dies. 1816 - Samuel Hood first Viscount Hood/admiral, dies. 1822 - Birth of Thomas Leiper Kane Brevet Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1883. 1823 - Birth of Edouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo France, composer (Symphonie Espagnole). 1823 - President Monroe appoints first US ambassadors to South America. 1824 - Birth of Jozef Israëls Dutch painter. 1826 - Birth of Richard Taylor Lieutenant-General (Confederate Army), died in 1879. 1828 - Birth of Louis Schubert composer. 1828 - Birth of Samuel Allen Rice Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1864. 1830 - Birth of Georg Hellmesberger composer. 1830 - Birth of William Henry Fitzhugh Payne Brigadier General (Confederate Army). 1832 - Birth of Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], author (Alice in Wonderland). 1834 - Birth of Dmitri Mendeleev chemist (discovered periodic table of the elements). 1834 - Birth of Robert Sanford Foster Brevet Major General (Union volunteers). 1835 - Antonio López de Santa Anna resigns (4th time) as President of Mexico. 1836 - Birth of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch Austrian writer (masochism). 1850 - Birth of Samuel Gompers Dutch/US, first president-American Federation of Labor. 1850 - J Gottfried Schadow German sculptor/cartoonist/writer, dies at age 85. 1850 - Philipp Roth composer, dies at age 70. 1851 - Birth of Rafael Obligado Argentina, writer (Santos Vega). 1851 - John James Audubon conservationist (Audubon Society), dies at age 65. 1851 - Karl Moser composer, dies at age 77. 1857 - Dorothea von Benckendorff Baltic monarch of Lieven, dies at age 72. 1858 - Birth of Neel [Cornelia H] Doff Dutch/French/Belgian painter's model/writer. 1858 - Gerrit van der Linde Jz Dutch "Principal", poet, dies at age 49. 1859 - Birth of Kaiser Wilhelm II Potsdam, German emperor (1888-1918). 1859 - Carl A Agardh Swedish botanist/bishop of Karlstad, dies at age 74. 1860 - Janó Bolyai Hungarian mathematician (parallel), dies at age 57. 1864 - Franz von Klenze German architect (palace Leuchtenberg), dies at age 59. 1864 - Battle of Fair Gardens, Tennessee. 1864 - Civil War skirmish at Kelly's Ford, Virginia. 1866 - John Gibson sculptor, dies. 1867 - Birth of Claude Antoine Terrasse composer. 1868 - Birth of Cato Engelen-Sewing Dutch soprano prima donna (Dutch Opera). 1869 - Birth of Will Marion Cook composer. 1870 - First sorority (Kappa Alpha Theta) (DePauw University in Greencastle Indiana). 1870 - Manitoba and Northwest Territories incorporated. 1870 - After accepting 15th amendment, Virginia is readmitted to Union. 1872 - Birth of Learned Hand Albany New York, Chief judge (US Court of Appeals). 1880 - Thomas Edison patents electric incandescent lamp. 1882 - Birth of Giuseppe Prezzolini Italy, writer (La Voce, La Cultura Italiano). 1885 - Birth of Eduard Künneke German composer (Vetter aus Dingsda). 1885 - Birth of Jerome Kern New York City, New York, Broadway composer (Showboat, Roberta). 1886 - First British government of Salisbury resigns. 1887 - Birth of Carl Blegen Minneapolis Minnesota, archaeologist (excavator at Troy, Pylos). 1888 - The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., for "the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge". 1889 - Birth of Balthasar van der Pol physicist (Comparison of Van der Pol). 1889 - Ivan S Aksakov Russian journalist, dies at age 65. 1891 - Birth of Ilya Ehrenburg Kiev Ukraine, writer (Fall of Paris, The Thaw). 1891 - Mine explosion kills 109 at Mount Pleasant Pennsylvania. 1892 - Birth of Mitya Stillman composer. 1893 - James G Blaine US minister of foreign affairs, dies at age 62. 1894 - First college basketball game, University of Chicago beats Chicago YMCA 19-11. 1894 - Birth of Fritz Pollard early black NFL star (1920-26). 1894 - Midwinter Fair opens in Golden Gate Park. 1895 - Birth of Claudio Carneyro composer. 1895 - Birth of Joseph Rosenstock Cracow Poland, conductor (Nippon Philharmonic Orchestra 1936-41). 1896 - Tasmania bowl out Victoria for 65 for their first ever innings victory. 1897 - British troops occupy Bida Gold Coast (Ghana). 1899 - Birth of Granville English composer. 1900 - Birth of Hyman G Rickover US Admiral (father of modern nuclear navy). 1900 - Social Democrat Party of America (Debs' party) holds first convention. 1901 - Birth of Art Rooney NFL team owner (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1901 - Birth of Willy Fritsch German actor (Spies, Women in the Moon). 1901 - Giuseppe Verdi Italian composer (Rigoletto/Traviata/Aïda), dies in Milano at age 87. 1902 - Five workers killed on explosion during IRT subway construction (New York City New York). 1903 - Birth of John Eccles British physiologist/neurologist. 1904 - Adam Minchejmer composer, dies at age 73. 1905 - Birth of Howard McNear Los Angeles California; actor (Floyd-Andy Griffith Show, Jetsons). 1905 - Birth of Luther Diamond radio personality. 1905 - Maurice Rouvier forms government in France. 1906 - Birth of Radames Gnattali composer. 1906 - Rudolf Gundersen skates world record 500m at 44.8 seconds. 1907 - Birth of Henry Cotton English golf champion (won 3x British Open). 1908 - Birth of William Randolph Hearst Jr newspaper publisher (Hearst Publishing). 1908 - Pasiphaë, a satellite of Jupiter, discovered by Melotte. 1911 - Birth of Benay Venuta San Francisco California, actress (Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Mister). 1911 - Birth of George Pope cricket player (English pace bowler, 1-49 and 0-36 in his only Test). 1912 - Birth of Lawrence Durrell Indian/British writer (Private Country). 1913 - Birth of Milton Adolphus composer. 1913 - Birth of Valery Viktorovich Zhelobinsky composer. 1914 - Birth of Anna Larina revolutionary. 1915 - Birth of Jack Brymer clarinettist. 1915 - US Marines occupy Haiti. 1916 - Communist party "Spartacus Letters" first published in Berlin. 1917 - Coen de Koning wins second official 11 cities race (9 53) (record). 1918 - "Tarzan of the Apes", first Tarzan film, premieres at Broadway Theater. 1918 - Birth of Elmore James musician (Dust My Broom). 1918 - Birth of Skitch Henderson Birmingham England, orchestra leader (The Tonight Show). 1919 - Birth of David Seville [Ross Bagdasarian], Fresno California, (Alvin and Chipmunks). 1919 - Birth of H D Halsey Bishop of Carlisle. 1919 - Birth of Nina Milkina pianist. 1919 - Endre Ady Hungarian poet (Margita élni akar), dies at age 41. 1921 - Birth of Donna Reed Denison Iowa, actress (From Here to Eternity, Wonderful Life). 1922 - Birth of Wilfrid Bourne Queen's Council/Clerk of the Crown in Chancery. 1922 - Giovanni Verga Italian writer (I Mala Voglia), dies at age 81. 1924 - Birth of Alexander Georgiyevich Chugayev composer. 1924 - Birth of Kenneth Corfield CEO (STC). 1924 - Birth of Rauf Denktasj Turkish-Cypriot politician. 1924 - Birth of Sabu [Dastagir], India; actor (Elephant Boy, Drum). 1924 - Birth of William van Straubenzee British Member of Parliament. 1924 - Egyptian king Foead nominates Saad Zaghloel Pasja premier. 1924 - Lenin placed in Mausoleum in Red Square. 1925 - Birth of Geoffrey Tucker British political consultant. 1925 - Birth of John Bury designer. 1926 - US Senate agrees to join World Court. 1927 - Birth of Doretta Morrow New York City, New York, actress (Because You're Mine). 1927 - Birth of Joe Perry AAFC/NFL Hall of Fame fullback (San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Colts). 1927 - Birth of Michael Craig Poona India; actor (Escape 2000, Vault of Horror). 1927 - Birth of Nancy Dickerson journalist (NBC). 1927 - Harlem Globetrotters play their first game. 1928 - Birth of Jean-Michel Damase composer. 1928 - Marie Verstraete actress (Frou-Frou/Nora), dies at age 74. 1929 - Birth of Ingrid Thulin Solleftea Sweden, actress (Cries and Whispers, Damned). 1929 - Birth of Richard Du Cann lawyer Queen's Council. 1930 - Birth of Bobby "Blue" Bland Rosemark Tennessee, blues singer (Call on the Drummer). 1930 - Birth of Esteban Edward Torres (Representative-Democrat-California, 1983-). 1930 - Birth of Roger Sims British Member of Parliament. 1930 - Jean Hure composer, dies at age 52. 1931 - Birth of John Hopkins writer. 1931 - Birth of Mordecai Richler in Montréal, Quebec, Canada; author (Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz) (dies 2001). 1931 - Birth of Rudi Maugeri rocker (Crew Cuts). 1931 - Pierre Laval forms a government in France. 1932 - Birth of Neville Trotter British Member of Parliament. 1933 - Birth of Mohamed Al Fayed CEO (Harrods). 1933 - Birth of Rita Hennessy matron-in-chief (QARANC). 1933 - Otto Meisnner dines with British ambassador Rumbold. 1934 - 27th Australian Men's Tennis Open: Fred Perry beat Crawford (6-3, 7-5, 6-1). 1934 - Birth of Donald Spiers controller (Aircraft Ministry of Defence). 1934 - Birth of Edithe Cresson premier of France (1991-92). 1934 - Birth of Federico Mayor Zaragoza Barcelona, Spain, UNESCO director (1987-). 1934 - Birth of Julian Ogilvie Thompson CEO (De Beers). 1934 - French government of Chautemps falls (Stavisky Affair). 1934 - VARA refuses to hire after commemoration of Marinus Van de Lubbe. 1935 - Birth of Gillian Beer professor/president (Clare Hall-Cambridge). 1936 - Birth of Ismail Kadare Albanian author/poet (Dimri i Madh). 1936 - Birth of Troy Donahue New York City, New York; actor (Surfside Six, Cockfighter, Hawaiian Eye). 1937 - Birth of John Ogdon Manchester England, pianist/composer. 1938 - Birth of Kim Gardner rocker (Byrds). 1938 - Birth of Timothy Elworthy Captain of The Queen's Flight. 1939 - Birth of Mike Hill Jackson Michigan, PGA golfer (1977 Ohio Kings Island Open). 1939 - Birth of N R Bomford head master (Harrow School). 1939 - Birth of Rawlings Baroness. 1939 - Birth of Tigran Yegiayi Mansuryan composer. 1940 - -17 degrees F (-27 degrees C), CCC Camp F-16, Georgia (state record). 1940 - Birth of Brian T O'Leary Boston Massachusetts, astronaut. 1940 - Birth of Harry Kümel Flemish director (Monsieur Hawarden). 1940 - Birth of James Cromwell Los Angeles California; actor (Stretch-All in the Family, Babe). 1941 - Iver Paul Fredrik Holter composer, dies at age 90. 1941 - Peruvian agent Rivera-Schreibér warns of Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor. 1942 - -19 degrees F (-27.4 degrees C), Netherlands' coldest day since 1850. 1942 - Birth of Petr Kotik composer. 1943 - First US air attack on Germany (Wilhelmshafen). 1943 - Birth of A H Harper CEO (Baltic Exchange). 1943 - Birth of Cumberlege Baroness. 1944 - Birth of Kevin Coyne rocker. 1944 - Casey Stengel, manager of the Boston Braves since 1938, resigns Lou Perini, Guido Rugo, and Joseph Maney buy control of Boston Braves. 1944 - Leningrad liberated from Germany in 880 days with 600,000 killed. 1945 - The Soviet Red Army liberates Auschwitz. 1945 - Birth of Mairead Corrigan-Maguire; North Irish peace activist (Nobel Prize 1976). 1945 - Birth of Nicholas Berkeley Mason; drummer (Pink Floyd - "The Wall", "Money"). 1945 - Nazi occupiers forbid food transport to West (The Netherlands). 1946 - Birth of Kim Gardner in England; rock bassist (Ashton, Gardner and Dyke). 1947 - Birth of Nedra Telley in New York City, New York, USA; vocalist (Ronettes - "Be My Little Baby"). 1948 - First locomotive to carry 1,000,000 pounds (450,000 kg) operates. 1948 - First tape recorder sold. 1948 - Birth of Chuck Larsen; rocker (Snuff). 1948 - Birth of Mikhail Baryshnikov in Riga, Latvia; ballet dancer (That's Dancing). 1949 - Boris Asafiev, composer, dies at age 64. 1949 - Chinese liner Taiping collides with a collier off south China. 1950 - Birth of Karen Kondazian in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; actress (Irene - Shannon, Mortal Sins). 1950 - In Los Angeles, California, the 2nd Annual Emmy Awards are presented. Best Children's Show: Time for Beany Best Commercial: Lucky Strike Best Kinescope Show: Texaco Star Theatre Best Live Show: The Ed Wynn Show Most Outstanding Kinescoped Personality: Milton Berle Most Outstanding Live Personality: Ed Wynn Best Sports Coverage: Wrestling. 1951 - Peter Pan closes at Imperial Theater in New York City, New York after 320 performances. 1951 - Birth of Brian Downey; rock drummer (Thin Lizzy - "Boys are Back in Town"). 1951 - Birth of Scott Lane in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Gary - McKeever and the Colonel). 1951 - Birth of Seth Justman in Washington DC, USA; rock vocalist/keyboardist (J Geils Band - "Centerfold"). 1952 - Birth of Brian Gottfried in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; tennis star (Wimbledon Doubles 1976). 1952 - Birth of Peter Garland; composer. 1953 - Martinus Nijhoff, Dutch poet/interpreter/linguist, dies at age 58. 1953 - Netherlands ends Marshall Plan aid. 1954 - Paul-Marie Masson, composer, dies at age 71. 1955 - Plain and Fancy opens at Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City, New York for 476 performances. 1955 - Birth of Mimi Rogers in Coral Gables, Florida, USA; actress (Paper Dolls, The Rousters). 1955 - Birth of Richard Young in Glasgow, Kentucky, USA; singer (Kentucky Headhunters - "Davy Crockett"). 1955 - Ernst Penzoldt, writer, dies. 1956 - Birth of Fred Quillan in Portland, Oregon, USA; WLAF offensive coach (Frankfurt Galaxy). 1956 - Erich Kleiber, Austrian conductor, dies. 1956 - NFL's New York Giants switch games from Polo Grounds to Yankee Stadium. 1957 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Lake Worth Golf Open. 1957 - Birth of Frank Miller; American comicbook writer (Batman - The Dark Knight Returns). 1958 - Birth of Alan Milburn; British Member of Parliament. 1958 - Birth of Charles Waltz; rocker (Shooting Star). 1958 - Ferenc Münnich follows Kádár as premier of Hungary. 1959 - Birth of Cris Collinsworth; NFL wide receiver/TV sportscaster. 1959 - Birth of Keith Olbermann; TV sportscaster. 1959 - Birth of Patti Cohoon in Whittier, California, USA; actress (Molly - "Here Come the Brides"). 1960 - Birth of Sarah Kennedy in Coquille, Ohio, USA; comedienne (Laugh in). 1961 - Sing Along with Mitch [Miller] premieres on NBC TV. 1961 - Birth of Gillian Gilbert in Manchester, England; rocker (New Order - "Round and Round"). 1961 - Birth of Jean-Paul Banos in Lavelanet, France; Canada sabre (Olympics-9/10-1988, 1992, 1996). 1961 - Birth of Margo Timmins; singer (Cowboy Junkies). 1961 - Birth of Martin Degville; rocker (Sigue Sigue Sputnik - "Love Missile F-111"). 1962 - Birth of James F Doehring in Santa Barbara, California, USA; shot putter (Olympics-silver-1992). 1962 - Birth of Michael Collins; clarinettist. 1963 - Jevgeni Grishin skates world record 500m in 39.6 seconds. 1963 - John Farrow, actor/director (Botany Bay), dies at age 58. 1963 - Sam Rice, Eppa Rixey, Elmer Flick, and John Clarkson elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. 1964 - "Introducing the Beatles" album released in US. 1964 - Barlow and Graeme Pollock complete 341 stand at Adelaide Oval. 1964 - Birth of Bridget Fonda in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Scandal, Single White Female). 1964 - Birth of Cathy Podewell in California, USA; actress (Dallas). 1964 - Birth of Inga Thompson in Reno, Nevada, USA; American cyclist (Olympics-8th-1988, 1984, 1992). 1964 - Birth of Jack Haley; NBA center (Chicago Bulls). 1964 - Birth of Migi [Miguel Drummond]; rocker (Curiosity Killed Cat-Keep Your Distance). 1964 - Birth of Woody Austin in Tampa, Florida, USA; PGA golfer (1995 Buick Open). 1964 - Lieb Glantz, composer, dies at age 65. 1964 - Margaret Chase Smith (Senator-Republican-Maine) tries for US Republican Presidential bid. 1965 - First ground station-to-aircraft radio communication via satellite. 1965 - Birth of Igor Matoushkin; NHL defenseman (Belarus, Olympics-1998). 1965 - Theo Uden Marsman, Dutch orchestra leader, dies at age 63. 1966 - Birth of Michael De Angelis; hockey defenseman (Team Italy 1998). 1966 - Birth of Tamlyn Tomita in Okinawa, Japan; actress (Karate Kid 2, Ming Li - Santa Barbara). 1966 - Wisconsin State Circuit Court Judge Elmer W Roller rules either the Braves stay in Milwaukee or National League must promise Wisconsin an expansion team for 1966. 1967 - Alphonse Juin, French marshal, dies at age 78. 1967 - At Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, a fire breaks out during a manned launch-pad test of the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn rocket, killing astronauts Virgil I Grissom, Lieutenant-Colonel US Air Force Edward Higgins White II, and Roger B Chaffee. 1967 - The Beatles sign a nine-year worldwide contract with EMI records. 1967 - Birth of Alfred Oglesby; NFL defensive tackle (Cincinnati Bengals). 1967 - Birth of Carrington Garland in Los Angeles, California, USA; actress (Kelly Capwell - Santa Barbara). 1967 - Birth of Dave Manson in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada; NHL defenseman (Winnipeg Jets). 1967 - Birth of Laura Golarsa in Italy; tennis star. 1967 - Birth of Sue Palmer in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada; cyclist (Olympics-1996). 1967 - New Orleans Saints sign their first player (Paige Cothren-kicker). 1967 - Treaty banning military use of nuclear weapons in space is signed. 1968 - Birth of Anthony Pleasant; NFL defensive end (Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons). 1968 - Birth of Eric Wedge; US baseball catcher (Boston Red Sox). 1968 - Birth of Matt Stover; NFL kicker (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens). 1968 - Birth of Mike Patton in Eureka, California, USA; rocker (Faith No More - "The Real Thing"). 1968 - Birth of Reggie Johnson; NFL tight end (Philadelphia Eagles). 1968 - Birth of Rusty Meacham in Stuart, Florida, USA; pitcher (Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners). 1968 - Birth of Tracy Lawrence in Atlanta, Texas, USA; country singer (Sticks and Stones). 1969 - Fourteen spies hung in Baghdad, Iraq. 1969 - Nine Jews publicly executed in Damascus, Syria. 1969 - Actress Thelma Ritter suffers a heart attack (she dies February 4th). 1969 - Birth of Kristen Danihy in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA; team handball circle/wing (Olympics-1996). 1969 - Birth of Phil Plantier in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA; outfielder (San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics). 1969 - Birth of Shane Thomson in New Zealand; cricket off-spin all rounder (since 1990). 1969 - Charles Winninger, actor (Charlie Farrell Show), dies at age 82. 1969 - Hanns Jelinek, composer, dies at age 67. 1969 - Noordiers vicar Ian Paisley sentenced to three years. 1970 - Birth of Carlos Javier Bernardo; Dutch prince. 1970 - Birth of Dario Brose in Queens, New York, USA; soccer halfback (Olympics-1992). 1970 - Birth of Dean Headley; cricket player (grandson of George, England ODI quick 1996). 1970 - Ed Ford, comedian (Can You Top This?), dies at age 72. 1970 - American movie rating system modifies "M" rating to "PG". 1970 - Probir Sen, cricket player (20 catch and 11 stumpings, 14 Tests for India), dies. 1970 - Death of Erich Heckel in Döbeln, Germany. Heckel was an artist who was one of the founders of the Expressionist artists' group, Die Brücke. 1971 - Birth of Mark Noordlander; soccer player (Sparta). 1971 - Birth of Patrice Brisebois in Montréal, Québec, Canada; NHL defenseman (Montreal Canadiens). 1972 - Birth of Bryant Young; NFL defensive tackle (San Francisco 49ers). 1972 - Birth of Chad Askew; NFL wide receiver (New York Jets). 1972 - Birth of Mark Lawrence in Burlington, Ontario, Canada; NHL right wing (Dallas Stars). 1972 - Magnavox begins production of the Odyssey video game. The Odyssey is a primitive video game system, with no processors or integrated circuits. It plus into a home TV set, displaying a moving white block that can be bounced by rotating remote paddles. 1972 - Mahalia Jackson, gospel singer ("He Got the Whole World"), dies at age 60. 1972 - Richard Courant, German/US mathematician, dies at age 84. 1973 - Birth of Eddie Davis; Canadian Football League cornerback (Calgary Stampeders). 1973 - Birth of Margot Bourgeois; Miss Trinidad and Tobago-Universe (1997-third place). 1973 - UCLA's basketball team wins 61st consecutive game (NCAA record). 1973 - US female Figure Skating championship won by Janet Lynn (her 5th consecutive win). 1973 - US male Figure Skating championship won by Gordon McKellen Jr. 1973 - William Rogers and Nguyen Duy Trinh sign US-North Vietnam treaty. 1974 - Georgios Grivas, Greek General/opposition leader on Cyprus (EOKA), dies at age 75. 1974 - Paula Ludwig, writer, dies at age 74. 1975 - Birth of Chaminda Vaas; brilliant Sri Lankan cricket pace bowler (1994-). 1976 - Laverne and Shirley, spin-off from Happy Days, premieres on ABC TV. 1976 - 9th ABA All-Star Game: Denver 144 beats ABA 138 at Denver, Colorado. 1976 - Birth of Haimish Karrasch; Australian rower (Olympics-1996). 1976 - Birth of Mike Ferrier; Suriname/Dutch soccer player (FC Volendam, Salernitana). 1976 - Birth of Rhett Warrener Shaunavon; NHL defenseman (Florida Panthers). 1976 - Morocco-Algeria battles in Westerly Sahara. 1976 - Viv Richards scores his first Test century against Australia. 1977 - First broadcast of Roots mini-series on ABC TV. 1977 - US President Jimmy Carter pardons most Vietnam War draft evaders (10,000). 1977 - Walter Baldwin, actor (Gay Amigo), dies at age 88. 1978 - Marguerite Canal, composer, dies at age 87. 1978 - Oscar Homolka, actor (Seven Year Itch, Ball of Fire), dies at age 79. 1979 - 36th Golden Globes: Midnight Express, Jon Voight and Jane Fonda. 1979 - Birth of Jessica Lynn Ferdinand; Miss New York Teen-USA (1997). 1979 - New York Islanders end 23 undefeated games at home streak (15-0-8). 1980 - 10th NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 37-27. 1980 - Birth of Marat Safin; Russian tennis player. 1980 - Six United States diplomats, posing as Canadians, manage to escape from Tehran, Iran as they board a flight to Zürich, Switzerland, thus ending the Canadian caper operation. 1980 - Near Livermore, California, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurs. 1981 - Birth of Alicia Molik; Australian tennis player. 1981 - Birth of Jonny Lang; blues musician. 1981 - Leo Collard, Belgian minister of Education (1946/1954-58), dies at age 78. 1981 - Indonesian passenger ship Tamponas 2 catches fire and capsizes in the Java Sea, killing 580. 1981 - Birth of Greg Owens; Australian Footballer (Central Coast Mariners). 1982 - Iris Korn, actress (Widder-Palmerstown USA), dies at age 60. 1982 - Philadelphia Phillies trade Larry Bowa and Ryne Sandberg to Chicago Cubs for Ivan DeJesus. 1982 - Roberto S Cordova installed as President of Honduras. 1982 - West Indies beat Australia 3-1 to win World Series Cup. 1982 - The Garret Fitzgerald government of the Republic of Ireland is defeated 82-81 on its budget; Fitzgerald announces his resignation. 1982 - Joseph and the Amazing Dreamcoat opens at Royale theater in New York City, New York for 747 performances. 1983 - Robert Christian, actor (Bustin' Loose), dies of cancer at age 42. 1983 - World's longest subaqueous tunnel (53.90 km) opens, Honshu-Hokkaid, Japan. 1983 - Death of Georges Bidault, French Resistance leader (born 1899). 1983 - Louis De Funes, French actor/writer (Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacobs), dies from a heart attack at age 68 (born 1899). 1984 - Pop star Michael Jackson's scalp is seriously burned by pyrotechnics during filming of a Pepsi television commercial. 1984 - Lou Crosby, TV announcer (Mayor of Hollywood), dies at age 72. 1985 - 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 returns to Earth. 1985 - Hollis Stacy wins LPGA Mazda Golf Classic. 1985 - Mark Mckoy cycles world record 50m hurdles indoor (5.25). 1985 - NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 22-14. 1986 - 13th American Music Awards: Whitney Houston, Huey Lewis and Crystal Gayle. 1986 - Lilli Palmer [Lillie Marie Peiser], German actress (Boys from Brazil, Kinder), dies at age 71 (born 1914). 1987 - Birth of Hannah Teter; American professional snowboarder. 1987 - Birth of Zuleidy; Spanish adult actress. 1987 - Midnight Rockers beat Buddy Rose and Doug Somers for AWA World Tag Team. 1987 - Death of Allan V. Cox, American geologist (born 1926). 1988 - US Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approves nomination of Judge Anthony M Kennedy to US Supreme Court. 1988 - Birth of Kerlon, Brazilian football player. 1990 - 64th Australian Open Women's Tennis: Steffi Graf beats Mary Jo Fernandez (6-3, 6-4). 1990 - Dissolution of Polish communist party. 1990 - Helen Jerome Eddy, actress (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm), dies at age 92. 1990 - The city of Tiraspol in the Moldavian SSR briefly declares independence. 1991 - 79th Australian Open Men's Tennis: Boris Becker beats Ivan Lendl (1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4). 1991 - Dutch Pacifist Socialistic Party disbands. 1991 - Nadine Strossen is first female president of the ACLU. 1991 - Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants beat Buffalo Bills, 20-19 in Tampa; Super Bowl Most Valuable Player: Ottis Anderson, New York Giants, Running Back. 1992 - 19th American Music Awards: C and C Music Factory, Michael Bolton win. 1992 - Francesca Primus, columnist (Back Stage), dies at age 45. 1992 - Gene Harris, entertainer, dies after long illness. 1992 - Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, British actress (The Master Blackmailer, Eliza Dolittle), dies at age 101. 1992 - Birth of Connor Widdows, Canadian actor. 1992 - Death of Sally Mugabe (nee Hayfron), wife of Robert Mugabe and first lady of Zimbabwe (born 1933). 1993 - Andre "the Giant" Roussimoff, French professional wrestler, dies of heart attack at age 49 (born 1946). 1993 - DC-3 crashes in Kinshasa, killing 12. 1993 - Erik Mörk, Danish actor (Europe), dies at age 67. 1994 - Carlos Reina succeeds President Callejas in Honduras. 1994 - Claude Akins; American actor (Rio Bravo, Lobo), dies of cancer at age 75 (born 1914). 1994 - Eddie Calhoun, jazz bassist, dies at age 72. 1994 - Joe Mays, actor (Mr Saturday Night), dies of AIDS at age 44. 1994 - Romanian social-democrats form government with anti-Semites. 1994 - Stanley Adams, songwriter, dies at age 86. 1995 - Halsey S Colchester, British SAS/MI6-spy/priest, dies at age 76. 1995 - Jean Tardieu, author, dies at age 91. 1995 - Willem R "Wim" van der Zee, General-Secretary Council of Churches, dies at age 64. 1996 - Colonel Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara deposes the first democratically elected president of Niger, Mahamane Ousmane, in a military coup. 1996 - Fifteen-day old siamese twins separated; Sarah Morales survives, Sarahi dies. 1996 - 70th Australian Open Women's Tennis: Monica Seles beats Anke Huber (6-4, 6-1). 1996 - Barbara Skelton, writer, dies at age 79. 1996 - Catherine Roskam becomes the first New York female Episcopal bishop. 1996 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island. 1996 - Germany celebrates its first Holocaust Remembrance Day. 1996 - John Patrick Sutton Ludlow, actor (Agatha), dies at age 93. 1996 - Julian Hill, research chemist, dies at age 91. 1996 - Olga Havlova, political activist, dies at age 63. 1996 - Ralph Webster Yarborough, politician, dies at age 92. 1996 - Shiv Chanderpaul scores 303 for Guyana versus Jamaica at Kingston. 1996 - Tommy Mitchell, cricket player (Derbyshire leg-spin, five Tests for England), dies. 1997 - 24th American Music Awards: Toni Braxton and Alanis Morissette win. 1997 - Cecil Lewis, airman/writer, dies at age 98. 1997 - Matthew Coady, journalist, dies at age 73. 1997 - It is revealed that French museums had nearly 2,000 pieces of art that were stolen by Nazis. 1998 - Crane crashes into Roosevelt Island tram (New York City, New York), injuring 10. 1998 - Roland Clarkson discovers 37th Mersenne prime, 2^3021377-1. 1998 - WNBA begins filling rosters of Washington Mystics and Detroit Shock. 2001 - A plane crashes 40 miles east of Denver, Colorado, killing two players of the Oklahoma State University basketball team, six team staffers, and the two-person crew. 2001 - Death of Marie-José of Belgium, last Queen of Italy (born 1906). 2003 - Philip Morris Companies changes its company name to Altria Group, Incorporated. 2004 - In the USA, John Kerry wins the New Hampshire Democratic primary. 2004 - Death of Jack Paar, American television show host (born 1918). 2005 - Lance Berkman agrees to a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Houston Astros. 2006 - The Kansas City Royals unveil new uniforms with a more traditional look, with script lettering on the front and its crown logo on the sleeves. 2006 - The Chicago Cubs and Mark Prior agree on a one-year $3.65 million contract. 2006 - Nobuhiko Matsunaka agrees to seven-year contract with Japan's Softbank Hawks for an estimated 500 million yen a year plus performance incentives. 2006 - Death of Johannes Rau, President of Germany (born 1931). 2008 - Death of Suharto, former dictator of Indonesia (1966-1998), at age 86. 2008 - Death of Gordon B. Hinckley, American Mormon leader (born 1910). 2009 - In Los Angeles, California, a woman gives birth to octuplets, believed to be only the second set of eight babies born in the United States. 2009 - American novelist John Updike (Pulitzer prize for Rabbit series, Rabbit, Run, Couples, Rabbit Redux, The Witches of Eastwick, Memories of the Ford Administration) dies at age 76 from lung cancer. 2009 - UK business secretary Lord Mandelson announces 2.3 billion pound (US$3.2 billion) package of loan guarantees to support car makers. 2009 - Death of R. Venkataraman, 8th President of India (born 1910). 2010 - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa wins the country's national election. 2010 - The film Avatar surpasses Titanic to become the highest grossing movie of all time, at US$1.859 billion worldwide. You can pick a particular day to view that day's events in history. Bookmark this URL:   http://thisdayinhistoryinfo.info/   and revisit each day. (this URL will automatically re-direct to the file containing the current day's events) Or, visit my Timelines of History page. Other web pages of interest: Chronology of World History Chronology of World War II Chronology of Personal Computers