This Day in History
March 9

What happened in history on this day: March 9? On March 9 in ... 1009 - Death of St. Bruno von Querfurt (970 - 1009); missionary to Poland. 1452 - Pope Nicolaas I crowns Frederik III Roman Catholic-German emperor. 1454 - Birth of Amerigo Vespucci; explorer. 1496 - Jews are expelled from Carintha Austria. 1497 - Nicolaus Copernicus first recorded astronomical observation. 1500 - Pedro Cabral departs with 13 ships to India. 1522 - Marten Luther preaches his Invocavit. 1551 - Emperor Karel appoints son Philip as heir to the throne. 1562 - Kissing in public banned in Naples (punishable by death). 1564 - Birth of David Fabricius Essen Germany, astronomer (discovered variable star). 1566 - David Riccio Italian singer/secretary of Mary Stuart, murdered. 1568 - Birth of Aloysius "Luigi" van Gonzaga Italian prince/Jesuit/saint. 1617 - Sweden and Russia sign Peace of Stolbowa. 1620 - Aegidius Albertinus German writer (Lucifer's Kingdom), dies at age 59. 1640 - Pierre Corneilles "Horace" premieres in Paris France. 1642 - English Queen Henriette Mary arrives in Hellevoetsluis Netherlands. 1661 - Jules Cardinal Mazarin chief minister of France, dies. 1688 - Claude Mellan French engraver/cartoonist/painter, dies at age 89. 1693 - Antonio Caraffa Italian General (Eperieser Bloedgericht), dies at age 46?. 1697 - Birth of Friederike C Neuber German actress/author (Allerkostbarste Schatz). 1697 - Czar Peter the Great begins tour of West-Europe. 1701 - France, Cologne and Bavaria sign alliance. 1706 - Johann Pachelbel German organist/composer, dies at age 52. 1721 - English Chancellor Exchequer John Aislabie confined in London Tower. 1735 - Birth of August Bernhard Valentin Herbing composer. 1737 - Birth of Josef Myslivecek composer. 1741 - English fleet under Admiral Ogle begins assault on Cartagena. 1745 - Bells for first American carillon shipped from England to Boston. 1747 - Jacob Campo Weyerman South Netherlands adventurer/painter/writer, dies at age 69. 1753 - Birth of Jean-Baptiste Kléber French General/architect (Mainz, Fleurus). 1758 - Birth of Franz Joseph Gall German/French physician (frenology). 1777 - Birth of Alexander Orlowski Polish painter/cartoonist/graphic artist. 1791 - Birth of George Hayward US, surgeon, first to use ether. 1791 - George Hayward, Us, surgeon, first to use ether. 1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte marries Josephine de Beauharnais. 1798 - Dr George Balfour becomes first naval surgeon in the US navy. 1800 - Dominique Della-Maria composer, dies at age 30. 1810 - Birth of Jean-Georges Kastner composer. 1812 - Birth of Jakob Eduard Schmolzer composer. 1814 - Birth of Taras Shevchenko Ukraine, national poet/painter/professor of Kiev. 1819 - Janos Fusz composer, dies at age 41. 1820 - James Monroe's daughter Maria marries in the White House. 1820 - Philippines chases out foreigners; about 125 die. 1822 - Charles M Graham of New York patents artificial teeth. 1824 - Birth of Leland Stanford (Governor/Senator)/found Stanford University. 1824 - Jacobus J Cramer priest of Holland/Zealand/Friesland, dies at age 79. 1826 - Birth of Jean Joseph Bott German violinist/composer. 1827 - Franz Xaver Gerl composer, dies at age 62. 1831 - Friedrich M Klinger German (stage)author (Plimplamplasko), dies at age 79. 1839 - Birth of Felix Huston Robertson Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1928. 1839 - Birth of Modest P Mussorgsky Russian composer (Boris Godunov). 1839 - Prussian government limits work week for children to 51 hours. 1841 - US Supreme Court rules Negroes are free (Amistad Incident). 1842 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Nabucco" premieres in Milan. 1844 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Hernani" premieres in Venice. 1848 - Birth of Martin Pierre Joseph Marsick composer. 1849 - Carl Nikolais opera "Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor" premieres. 1850 - Birth of Alexandre Luigini composer. 1858 - Albert Potts of Philadelphia patents the street mailbox. 1859 - Birth of Richard Engländer [Peter Altenberg], Austria, author (Lebensabend). 1860 - First Japanese ambassador arrives in San Francisco en route to Washington DC. 1861 - Confederate currency authorized: $50, $100, $500, $1,000. 1862 - "Monitor" (Union) and "Merrimack" (Rebel) battle in Hampton Roads. 1864 - Ulysses S Grant is appointed commander of Union Army. 1865 - Birth of Margaret Murray Washington wife of Booker T/head (NACW 1896-1918). 1868 - The opera "Hamlet" premieres in Paris France. 1870 - Theodore Labarre composer, dies at age 65. 1873 - Royal Canadian Mounted Police founded. 1874 - Birth of Johann Richard Ohlsson composer. 1875 - Birth of Martin Fallas Shaw composer. 1877 - Birth of Emil Abderhalden Swiss physiologist/bio-chemist. 1877 - Mark Prager Lindo English/Dutch author (Netherlands Spectator), dies at age 58. 1881 - Birth of Enver Pasja Turkish General/politician. 1881 - Birth of Ernest Bevin British minister of Labour/Foreign affairs. 1883 - Birth of Umberto Saba writer. 1885 - Birth of Ringgold "Ring" Lardner baseball player. 1887 - Birth of Phil Mead cricket player (strong batsman for England pre- and post-WWI). 1889 - Battle at Gallabat (Metema); Mahdi's beat Abyssinian emperor John IV. 1889 - Kansas passes first general antitrust law in US. 1890 - Birth of Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov Soviet foreign minister (UN). 1892 - Birth of David Garnett England, novelist/editor (Lady into Fox). 1892 - Birth of Frank Puglia in Sicily, Italy; actor (Black Orchid, Jungle Book). 1892 - Birth of Joseph Weinheber Austria poet/writer (Adel und Untergang). 1892 - Birth of Vita Sackville-West England, novelist/poet (The Land). 1893 - Birth of Edgar Scauflaire Belgian muralist/decorator. 1893 - Birth of Hans Munch composer. 1893 - Congo cannibals killed 1000s of Arabs. 1895 - Leopold von Sacher-Masoch Austrian writer (Masochism), dies at age 59. 1895 - Stanley Cup: Montréal Victorias awarded cup, as Queens University (Kingston Ontario) loses to Montréal AAA, 5-1. 1897 - Cleveland Spiders sign Louis Sockalexis, full-blooded Penobscot. 1897 - Indian fans start calling the team Indians (in 1915 becomes official). 1897 - Premiere of (parts of) Gustav Mahler's third Symphony (Berlin). 1900 - Birth of Aimone duke of Spoleta/Aosta Italian king of Croatia (1941-43). 1902 - Birth of Edward Durell Stone US, architect (US Embassy, New Delhi). 1902 - Birth of Will Greer Frankfort Indiana; actor (Grandpa Walton-The Waltons). 1902 - Composer Gustav Mahler marries Alma Schindler in Vienna. 1904 - Brandon's Lester Patrick becomes first hockey defenseman to score a goal. 1905 - Birth of Félix Labisse French painter (libidoscaphes). 1905 - Birth of Grigori Kozintsev Kiev Ukraine, director (Hamlet, King Lear). 1905 - Birth of Peter C Quennell English biographer/critic (Byron in Italy). 1905 - Birth of Rex Warner English poet/writer (Wild Goose Chase). 1907 - First involuntary sterilization law enacted, Indiana. 1907 - Birth of Henry Leland Clarke composer. 1907 - Lady Gregory's "Rising of the Moon" premieres in Dublin. 1908 - Birth of Luiz Cosme composer. 1910 - Birth of Ed[uard] Hoornik Dutch writer/poet (Survivor). 1910 - Birth of Samuel Barber West Chester Pennsylvania, composer (School for Scandal). 1911 - Birth of Ramon Campbell Batista composer. 1912 - Birth of Alan David Melville polymath. 1913 - Birth of Ger[ar]da Brautigam journalist/Dutch second Chamber (PvdA). 1913 - Eberhard Nestle German biblical scholar, dies at age 61. 1914 - Birth of Fred Clark Lincoln California; actor (Burns and Allen, Auntie Mame, Hazard). 1914 - Henry Colijn appointed as director of Bataafsche Petroleum Co. 1914 - US Senator Albert Fall (Teapot Dome) demands "Cubanisation of Mexico". 1915 - Birth of Pete Gray one-armed outfielder (Saint Louis Browns). 1916 - General Francisco "Pancho" Villa leads Mexican band raid on Columbus, New Mexico, USA (17 killed). 1916 - Germany declares war against Portugal. 1916 - Ken Hutchings cricket player (exciting England batsman, WWI), dies. 1917 - Birth of Dante B Fascell (Representative-Democrat-Florida, 1955-). 1918 - Birth of Marguerite Chapman Chatham New York, actress (Spy Smasher, Flight to Mars). 1918 - Birth of Mickey [Frank Morrison] Spillane Brooklyn New York, mystery writer (I the Jury). 1918 - Russian Bolshevik Party becomes the Communist Party. 1918 - Ukrainian mobs massacre Jews of Seredino Buda. 1918 - Wageningen Agricultural College Netherlands opens. 1918 - [Benjamin] Franc[lin] Wedekind German writer/press secretary, dies at age 53. 1920 - Birth of Carl Betz Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; actor (Alex Stone-Donna Reed Show). 1922 - Birth of Herbert P Douglas Jr Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, long jumper (Olympics-bronze-1948). 1922 - Eugene O'Neill's "Hairy Ape" premieres in New York City, New York. 1922 - KJR-AM in Seattle Washington begins radio transmissions. 1923 - Amsterdam taxi strike ended. 1923 - Birth of André Courréges France, fashion designer (introduced the miniskirt). 1923 - Birth of James Buckley (Senator-Republican-New York). 1923 - Elmer Rice's "Adding Machine" premieres in New York City, New York. 1923 - NHL Championship: Montreal Canadiens outscore Ottawa Senators, 3-2, in 2. 1924 - Birth of Konstantin Iliev composer. 1924 - Italy annexes Fiume. 1924 - South Slavia aproves Italy's annexation of Fiume (Rijeka). 1926 - Bertha Landes elected first woman mayor of Seattle. 1926 - Birth of Celso Garrido Lecca composer. 1926 - Birth of Gerrit A Kooy Dutch sociologist (Apartheid and work in South Africa). 1926 - Birth of Irene Papas Corinth Greece, actress (Moses The Lawgiver). 1927 - Birth of Hans Ludwig Schilling composer. 1927 - Birth of Jack Jensen baseball player (American League Most Valuable Player 1958). 1927 - Birth of John Beckwith composer. 1929 - Birth of Hugh Desmond Hoyte president (Guyana, 1985-92). 1929 - Birth of Marie Cardinal writer. 1929 - Marcel Pagnol's "Marius" premieres in Paris France. 1930 - Birth of Harrie J B Aarts Dutch second chamber member (CDA). 1930 - Birth of Thomas Schippers Kalamazoo Michigan, conductor (Amahl and Night Visitors). 1931 - Birth of Taina Elg Helsinki Finland, actress (Hercules in New York, Les Girls). 1931 - Ida B Wells-Barnett famous black, dies in Chicago at age 78. 1932 - Birth of Heere Heeresma Dutch writer (Han de Wit goes in development aid). 1932 - Eamon De Valera becomes President of Ireland. 1932 - Former Chinese emperor Henry Pu-Yi installed as head of Manchuria. 1933 - Birth of Lloyd Price Kenner Louisiana, singer (Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Misty, Just Because, Come to Me). 1933 - Birth of William Francis McBeth composer. 1933 - Bulgarian communists Dimitrov, Popov and Vassili arrested in Berlin. 1933 - US Congress is called into special session by Franklin Roosevelt, and begins its "100 days". 1934 - Birth of Joyce Van Patten Queens New York, actress (Good Guys, Don Rickles Show). 1934 - Birth of Yuri Gagarin Russia, cosmonaut, first man into space (aboard Vostok 1). 1935 - Birth of Joe Gallison Houston Texas; actor (PT-109, Neil-Days of Our Lives). 1935 - Birth of Keely Smith Norfolk Virginia, singer (Mrs Louis Prima). 1935 - Birth of Sister Bernard Ncube South African nun. 1936 - Babe Ruth turns down Cincinnati Reds to make a comeback as a player. 1936 - Birth of Glenda Jackson Birkenhead Cheshire England, actress (Hopscotch, Touch of Class). 1936 - Birth of Marty Ingels Brooklyn New York, comedian (I'm Dickens He's Fenster). 1936 - Birth of Mickey Gilley Ferriday Louisiana, country singer (Urban Cowboy). 1936 - Birth of [Aino] Elina Salo Sipoo Finland, actress (Hamlet Goes Business). 1937 - Birth of Grahame Chevalier cricket player (one Test for South Africa 1970, 0 and 0, 5-100). 1938 - Birth of Charles Siebert Kenosha Wisconsin; actor (One Day at A Time, Trapper John). 1938 - Sydney Baynes composer, dies at age 59. 1940 - Birth of Raul Julia San Juan Puerto Rico; actor (Addams Family, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Eyes of Laura Mars). 1941 - Birth of Ger van Each sculptor. 1941 - Birth of Jim Colbert Elizabeth New Jersey, PGA golfer (1969 Monsanto Open). 1941 - Carlos Pedrell composer, dies at age 62. 1942 - Birth of Bert Campaneris shortstop (Oakland Athletics). 1942 - Birth of John Cale Welsh/US bassist/violinist/singer (Velvet Underground). 1942 - Birth of Mark Lindsay Eugene Oregon, rocker (Paul Revere and the Raiders). 1942 - Dutch colonial authorities surrender the islands of the Netherlands East Indies. All Allied forces in the Netherlands East Indies surrender unconditionally to Japan. 1942 - Construction of the Alaska Highway began. 1943 - Birth of Bobby Fischer US, world chess champion (1972-75). 1943 - Birth of Trish Van Devere [Patricia Dressel] Englewood Cliffs New Jersey, actress (Changeling, Movie Movie, Hearse). 1943 - Delft opposition group-Pahud de Mortanges overthrown. 1943 - Greek Jews of Salonika are transported to Nazi extermination camps. 1943 - Oskar Hêks Czechoslovakian marathon runner/antifascist, dies in Auschwitz. 1944 - Birth of Geoff Arnold; cricket player (England medium-pacer in 34 Tests 1967-75). 1944 - Birth of Lee Irvine; cricket player (South African batsman, only Tests in 1970). 1944 - Birth of Trevor Burton; rocker (Move). 1945 - 279 American B-29 bombers attack Tokyo, Japan, destroying sixteen square miles of the city, killing 83,700, injuring 40,000, making over one million homeless. 1945 - Birth of Laura Lee [Rundless]; singer ("Dirty Man", "Women's Love Rights"). 1945 - Birth of Ray Royer; rocker (Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale"). 1945 - Birth of Robin Trower in London, England; rocker (Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale"). 1945 - Japanese proclaim the "independence" of Indo-China. 1946 - Birth of Gherman Semyonovich Arzamazov; Russian cosmonaut (backup TM-6). 1946 - Dutch troops land at Batavia/Semarang. 1946 - Ted Williams is offered US$500,000 to play in Mexican League, he refuses. 1947 - Stanley Jackson, cricket player (20 Tests for England 1893-1905), dies. 1947 - US Ladies Figure Skating Championship won by Gretchen Merrill. 1947 - US Men's Figure Skating Championship won by Richard Button. 1948 - Birth of Jamie Lyn Bauer in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; actress (The Young and the Restless, Centerfold Girls). 1948 - Birth of Jeffrey Osborne in Providence, Rhode Island, USA; rock vocalist ("On the Wings of Love"). 1948 - Birth of Jimmy Fadden in Long Beach, California, USA; singer (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). 1948 - Provisionary Indonesian government installed in Batavia. 1949 - Birth of Kalevi Aho; composer. 1949 - American Brigadier General Edwin K Wright ends term as deputy director of Central Intelligence Agency. 1949 - England beats South Africa by scoring 174 runs in 94 minutes. 1950 - Birth of Danny Sullivan; Indy-car racer (over ten wins). 1950 - Willie Sutton robs Manufacturers Bank of US$64,000 in New York City, New York. 1952 - Birth of Iuliana Semenova in USSR; basketball (Olympics-gold-1976). 1952 - Birth of William Kirby Cullen in Santa Ana, California, USA; actor (How the West Was Won). 1952 - Heinz Neuhaus wins Europe Heavyweight Boxing title. 1953 - Birth of Henriëtte J Toll; actress (Soldier of Orange). 1953 - Josef Stalin buried in Moscow. 1954 - First local color TV commercial WNBT-TV (WNBC-TV) New York City, New York (Castro Decorators). 1954 - Birth of Charmain Elaine Sylvers; rocker. 1954 - Birth of Keven Wade in Chappaqua, New York, USA; screen writer (Working Girls). 1954 - Edward R Murrow criticizes Senator Joseph McCarthy (CBS TV show See it Now). 1955 - Birth of Fernando Bujones in Miami, Florida; ballet dancer. 1955 - Birth of Ornella Muti in Rome, Italy; actress (Flash Gordon, Most Beautiful Wife). 1955 - Birth of Teo Fabi; formula-1 Indy-car racer (rookie of year-1983). 1955 - Matthew A Henson, met Peary at North Pole, dies at age 88. 1956 - Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus arrested and exiled to Seychelles. 1956 - Weather forecasting phone line set up in London, England. 1957 - 8.1 earthquake shakes Andreanof Islands, Alaska, USA. 1957 - Birth of Faith Daniels; news anchor (CBS-TV). 1957 - Birth of Jeff Senior in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Australasia golfer. 1957 - Birth of Jon Engen in Oslo, Norway; US biathlete (Olympics-1994). 1958 - Birth of Martin Fry; rock vocalist (ABC - "All of My Heart"). 1958 - George Yardley (Detroit Pistons) is first NBA player to score 2,000 points in season. 1959 - First known radar contact is made with Venus. 1959 - The first Barbie doll, Mattel's "Barbie Millicent Roberts", goes on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City. Eleven inches tall, Barbie was the first mass-produced toy doll in the United States with adult features. 1959 - Birth of Kato [Brian] Kaelin; actor (Beach Fever). 1959 - Birth of Lonny Price in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Muppets Take Manhattan). 1960 - Birth of Linda Fiorentino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Jade, Last Seduction, Moderns). 1960 - Birth of Mike Leach in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; tennis star. 1961 - Mine cave-in in Japan kills 72. 1961 - Sputnik 9 carries Chernushka (dog) into orbit. 1962 - Birth of Brian Green in Columbus, Indiana, USA; actor (Brian Bodine - All My Children, Sam Fowler - Another World). 1962 - Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser declares Gaza belongs to Palestinians. 1962 - Howard Engstrom of Boston, Massachussettes, USA, a designer of Univac computer, dies at age 59. 1962 - US advisors in South-Vietnam join the fight. 1962 - US coin dealer George Walton is killed in a car accident. Among his possessions in his car is a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, which is declared to be an altered date by an auction firm. 1963 - Birth of Kent Ferguson in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA; diver (Olympics-1992, 1996). 1963 - Birth of Terry Mulholland in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, USA; pitcher (Philadelphia Phillies). 1964 - First Ford Mustang automobile produced. 1964 - Birth of Phil Housley in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; NHL defenseman (New Jersey Devils, Team USA Olympics-1998). 1964 - Creighton's Paul Silas grabs Midwest record 27 rebounds against Oklahoma. 1964 - Johanna W "Mina" Bakker; Dutch actress (Boefje), dies at age 87. 1964 - Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, Prussian General/politician, dies at age 93. 1964 - US Supreme Court issues New York Times versus Sullivan decision, public officials must prove malice to claim libel and recover damages. 1965 - Anthon van der Horst, Dutch organist/composer, dies at age 65. 1965 - Birth of Benito Santiago in Ponce, Puerto Rico; catcher (Philadelphia Phillies). 1965 - Birth of Brian Bosworth; NFL quarterback (Seattle). 1965 - Birth of Juliette Binoche in Paris, France; actress (English Patient, Unbearable Lightness of Being). 1965 - Kazys Boruta, writer, dies. 1966 - Birth of Louis Oliver; NFL safety (Miami Dolphins). 1967 - Birth of Curt Schreiner in Albany, New York, USA; biathlete (Olympics-1994). 1967 - Birth of Eric Flaim in Pembroke, Massachusetts, USA; short track skater (Olympics-1994). 1967 - Birth of Michael Kiselak; Canadian Football League corner (Toronto Argonauts). 1967 - Svetlana Allilueva, Josef Stalin's daughter, defects to the West in New York City. 1968 - 10th Grammy Awards: "Up Up and Away", Sergeant Pepper win. 1969 - Birth of Bryce Burnett; NFL/WLAF tight end (Denver Broncos, Barcelona Dragons). 1969 - Birth of George Nimako; Canadian Football League safety (Toronto Argonauts). 1969 - Birth of Mahmoud Abdul Rauf; NBA guard (Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets). 1969 - Riad, chief of staff (Egyptian army), dies. 1969 - Richard Crane, actor (Surfside 6), dies at age 50. 1970 - Birth of Melissa Rathburn-Nealy; US soldier (Iraqi POW). 1971 - Birth of Bev Oden in Millington, Tennessee, USA; volleyball middle blocker (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Emmanuel Lewis in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Webster). 1971 - Birth of Jiro Nihei; hockey goaltender (Team Japan 1998). 1971 - Birth of Lou Benfatti; NFL defensive tackle (New York Jets). 1971 - Birth of Sean Holcomb; NFL linebacker (New England Patriots). 1971 - J M Noreiga takes 9-95 West Indies versus India at Port-of-Spain. 1971 - Jean-Pierre Guezek, composer, dies at age 36. 1972 - Birth of Marcia M Griffith in Washington DC; Miss Maryland-America (1995). 1972 - Birth of Sara Nicole Williams; Miss Washington-USA (1997). 1972 - Players on Chicago White Sox vote 31-0 in favor of a strike, if necessary. 1973 - Birth of David Prinosil in Olmutz, Czechoslovakia; tennis star (1995 ATP Newport). 1973 - Birth of Josh LaRocca; WLAF quarterback (Rhein Fire). 1973 - Birth of Troy Bailey; WLAF defensive end (Scotland Claymores). 1974 - Birth of Mark Harrity; cricket player (promising South Australia left-arm fast bowler). 1974 - Earl W Sutherland Jr, US pharmacologist (Nobel Prize 1971), dies at age 58. 1974 - Last Japanese soldier, a guerrilla operating in Philippines, surrenders, 29 years after World War II ended. 1974 - Death of Felix Schlag, American professional photographer and sculptor, designer of Jefferson 5-cent coin (1938-). 1975 - Birth of Adonal Foyle; NBA center (San Francisco Warriors). 1975 - Birth of Roy Makaay; Dutch soccer player (Vitesse). 1975 - Joseph Dunninger of New York City, New York, mentalist (Amazing Dunninger), dies at age 82. 1975 - Shirley Ross, actress (Night Vision, Mindkiller), dies at age 62. 1976 - First female cadets accepted to West Point Military Academy. 1976 - New York Islanders' Glenn Resch's 10th shut-out opponent-Saint Louis Blues 4-0. 1977 - Admiral Stansfield Turner, US Navy (Retired), becomes 12th director of US Central Intelligence Agency replacing acting director Knoche. 1977 - Birth of Radek Dvorak in Tabor, Czechoslovakia; NHL left wing (Florida Panthers). 1977 - Hanafi Muslims invade three buildings in Washington DC, siege ends March 11th. 1978 - World Ice Dance Championship in Ottawa Canada won by Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov (USSR). 1978 - World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa won by Irina Rodnina and Alexandr Zaitsev (USSR). 1978 - World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa won by Anett Potzsch (German Democratic Republic). 1978 - World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Ottawa won by Charles Tickner (USA). 1979 - Barbara Mullen, actress (Talk of a Million), dies at age 64. 1979 - Bowie Kuhn orders Major League Baseball to give equal access to female reporters. 1979 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island. 1980 - Flemish/Walloon battles in Belgium, 40 injured. 1980 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA Sunstar '80 Golf Tournament. 1980 - Olga Chekova, actress (Moulin Rouge, Pawns of Possession), dies at age 82. 1981 - Max Delbrück, German/US biologist (Nobel Prize 1969), dies at age 74 (born 1906). 1981 - Birth of Antonio Bryant; American football player. 1981 - Dan Rather becomes primary anchorman of CBS-TV News. 1982 - Alan Badel, actor (Shogun), dies of a heart attack at age 58. 1982 - Rex Marshall, TV announcer (Circuit Rider, Herman Hickman Show), dies. 1982 - Richard A Butler, English minister of Finance, dies at age 79. 1982 - Charles Haughey becomes Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland. 1982 - Birth of Paul Ballard; English television presenter. 1983 - Zimbabwe opposition leader Joshua Nkomo flees to Botswana. 1983 - Death of Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1905). 1983 - Anne Burford resigns as head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency amid scandal. 1983 - Birth of Mayte Perroni; Mexican singer and actress. 1983 - Caryl Churchill's Fen premieres in London. 1983 - Faye Emerson, actress (I've Got a Secret), dies of cancer at age 65. 1984 - Buena Vista releases the Touchstone Pictures live-action feature film Splash to theaters in the US. This is the first film release from Touchstone Pictures. 1984 - Birth of Julia Mancuso, US Olympic medalist. 1984 - Emile Gumbs' Anguilla National Alliance wins elections. 1984 - Philadelphia 76ers block 20 Seattle SuperSonics' shots tying NBA regulation game record. 1984 - Tim Witherspoon knocks out Greg Page in 12 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1985 - Edward Andrews, actor (Broadside, Harry - Supertrain), dies at age 70. 1985 - Laura Johnson (Falcon Crest) and Harry Hamlin (L.A. Law) wed. 1986 - Birth of Brittany Snow; American actress. 1986 - 16th Easter Seal Telethon raises US$30,100,000. 1986 - Juli Inkster wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open. 1986 - United States Navy divers find the largely intact but heavily-damaged crew compartment of the Space Shuttle Challenger; the bodies of all seven astronauts are still inside. 1986 - Ned Calmer, TV host (In the First Person), dies at age 78. 1986 - Soviet probe Vega 2 flies by Halley's Comet at 8,030 km. 1988 - Kurt Georg Kiesinger, third West German chancellor (1966-69), dies at age 83 (born 1904). 1989 - Eastern Airlines files for bankruptcy. 1989 - Robert Mapplethorpe, American photographer, dies at age 42 (born 1946). 1989 - Roger Kingdom runs world record 60 metre hurdles indoor (7.36 seconds). 1989 - US Senate rejects Bush's nomination of John Tower as Defense Secretary. 1989 - Soviet Union officially submits to jurisdiction of the World Court. 1989 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1990 - Antonia Novello is sworn in as Surgeon General of the United States, becoming the first female and Hispanic American to serve in that position. 1990 - Police seal off Brixton in South London after another night of protests against the poll tax. 1990 - In Canada, Newfoundland Premier Clyde Wells confirms he will rescind Newfoundland's approval of the Meech Lake Accord. 1991 - 5th American Comedy Awards: Dennis Wolfberg wins. 1991 - US 70th manned space mission STS 39 (Discovery 12) launches into orbit. 1991 - In Canada, one person wins a CDN$13.2 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot. 1991 - The CBS TV network airs the last show of the series Lenny. 1991 - Massive demonstrations are held against Slobodan MiloÜevic in Belgrade, Yugoslavia; two people are killed and tanks are in the streets. 1992 - Felipe Turich, actor (Lawless), dies. 1992 - Jack McEdward, assistant director (Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell), dies at age 94. 1992 - James Brooks, US mural painter (Flight, La Guardia New York), dies at age 85. 1992 - Menachim Begin, Israeli prime minister (1977-1983, Nobel Peace Prize 1979), dies at age 79 (born 1913). 1992 - The People's Republic of China ratifies the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 1992 - Birth of Luis Armand Garcia, American actor. 1993 - Ad van Gessel, Dutch actor (Everything For Our Soldiers), dies. 1993 - Bob Crosby, swing-era bandleader (Bobcats), dies of cancer at age 79. 1993 - Pittsburgh Penguins begin NHL record 17 game winning streak. 1993 - Rodney King testifies at the federal trial of four Los Angeles, California police officers accused of violating King's civil rights when they beat him during an arrest. 1994 - Charles Bukowski, American author/poet, dies of leukemia at age 73 (born 1920). 1994 - Fernando Rey, Spanish actor (French Connection), dies of cancer at age 76. 1994 - Irish Republican Army launch first of three mortar attacks on London's Heathrow Airport. 1994 - John Harrison, South African correspondent (BBC), dies at age 48. 1994 - Lawrence E Spivak, journalist (Meet the Press), dies at age 93. 1994 - Louis Freeman, band leader, dies at age 100. 1994 - The TV show Thunder Alley premieres. 1994 - The ABC TV network debuts the series These Friends of Mine. 1994 - Maurice "Moe" Purtill, jazz drummer, dies at age 77. 1995 - Major League Baseball owners admit two new teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The teams will be assigned leagues in January of 1997. 1995 - Ian Ballantine, publisher, dies of heart attack at age 79. 1995 - Mexican peso worth 7.55 pesos to a dollar (record). 1995 - President Konstantine Karamanlis (88) of Greece, resigns. 1995 - Ruud van den Hende, Dutch sports reporter, dies at age 63. 1996 - Jorge Sampaio is the new Portuguese president. 1996 - Alan Hugh Iliffe, psychologist, dies at age 77. 1996 - Elman Ali Ahmed, peace campaigner, dies at age 42. 1996 - Javed Miandad's last international in Pakistan's World Cup quarterfinal loss to India. 1996 - Jayasuriya hammers 82 off 44 balls (13x4 3x6) versus England in World Cup quarterfinal. 1996 - Peter Mansfield, writer, dies at age 67. 1996 - STS 75 (Columbia 19), lands. 1996 - Death of George Burns, American actor and singer (born 1896). 1997 - Rapper The Notorious B.I.G. [Biggie Small Chris Walkin] is killed in a drive-by shooting, at age 24 (born 1972). 1997 - Steve Elkington wins Doral-Ryder Golf Open. 1997 - Terry Nation, writer (Doctor Who, Blake 7) dies at age 66. 2000 - The FBI arrests art forgery suspect Ely Sakhai in New York City. 2003 - A by-election in Turkey makes Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the Justice and Development Party, the country's new Prime Minister. 2003 - Death of Bernard Dowiyogo, President of Nauru (born 1946). 2003 - Death of Frederick William Sunderman, at age 104 in the USA; teacher, writer, musician, scientist. 2005 - Death of Jeanette Schmid, German-born professional whistler (born 1924). 2005 - Death of Chris LeDoux, American rodeo performer and singer (born 1949). 2006 - NASA's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft discovers geysers of a liquid substance shooting from Saturn's moon Enceladus, signaling a possible presence of water. 2006 - Death of Hanka Bielicka, Polish actress (born 1915). 2006 - Death of John Profumo, British politician (born 1915). 2007 - Death of Brad Delp, American singer (Boston) (born 1951). 2008 - General elections in Spain, for 350 members of the Cortes, the lower house of parliament: Socialist Party wins 169 seats, with leader José Luis Rodríguez. Popular Party wins 153 seats. 2008 - At the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, the Automated Transfer Vehicle is launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket into space. The unmanned European Space Agency cargo freighter is on a mission to resupply the International Space Station. 2008 - The Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz agree to work together to form a government. 2009 - American pharmaceutical company Merck & Co announces it will acquire Schering-Plough for US$41.1 billion. 2009 - US President Barack Obama signs an executive order restoring funding for stem cell research. 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