This Day in History
March 15

What happened in history on this day: March 15? On March 15 in ... 76 - Birth of Hadrian, Roman Emperor (builder of Hadrian's Wall). 493 - Ostrogoten King Theodorik the Great defeats Odoaker of Italy. 493 - Odoaker, German army leader/King of Italy (476-493), dies. 752 - Zachary Greek/Italian Pope (741-52), dies. 933 - Battle at Riade: German King Henry I beats Magyaren. 963 - Romanus II Byzantine emperor (959-63), dies at age 25. 1034 - Mieszko II King of Poland (1025-34), dies. 1360 - France invasion army lands on English south coast, conquers Winchel. 1382 - Conservative "Popolo Grasso" regain power in Florence Italy. 1391 - Jew hating Monk in Seville Spain stirs up people to attack Jews. 1493 - Birth of Anne Pierre Adrien duke of Montmorency marshal of France. 1493 - Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after first new world voyage. 1560 - Failed assault on royal palace in Amboise France. 1562 - General François de Guise enters Paris France. 1580 - Spanish king Philip II puts 25,000 gold coins on head of prince Willem of Orange. 1666 - Birth of Georg Baehr German master builder (Frauenkirche, Dresden). 1672 - King Charles II enacts Declaration of Indulgence. 1673 - Salvatore Rosa Italian painter (Baroque)/poet/music/actor, dies at age 57. 1678 - Birth of Dominique Marie Valet French Roman Catholic/old-catholic bishop. 1713 - Birth of Nicolas Louis de Lacaille astronomer who mapped the Southern Hemisphere. 1723 - Johann C Günther writer, dies at age 27. 1729 - Sister Saint Stanislas Hachard, first US nun, takes her vows, N Orleans. 1731 - Adolf H van Rechteren Dutch diplomat/politician, dies at age 75. 1733 - Birth of Johann Zoffany German painter, baptized. 1744 - French King Louis XV declares war on England. 1750 - Birth of Caroline Herschel astronomer/discoverer. 1754 - Birth of Silvestro Palma composer. 1767 - Birth of Andrew Jackson in Waxhaw, South Carolina, USA; General / 7th President of USA (1829-37) (dies 1845). 1778 - Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island discovered by Captain Cook. 1779 - Birth of William Lamb (Whig) Viscount Melbourne, British Prime Minister (1834, 1835-41). 1781 - Battle of Guilford Court House, South Carolina (British suffer heavy losses). 1790 - Birth of Nicola Vaccai composer. 1801 - Birth of Coenraad J van Houten Dutch cocoa manufacturer. 1808 - Birth of Gaetano Gaspari composer. 1809 - Birth of Joseph Jenkins Roberts first President of Liberia. 1810 - Birth of Aernout Drost Dutch literary (Hermingard van de Eikenterpen). 1811 - Birth of Robert Allen Brevet Major General (Union Army), died in 1886. 1812 - First Russian settlement in California, Russian River. 1820 - Maine admitted as 23rd state. 1824 - Birth of Branko Radicevic Serbian poet (first Serbian Uprising). 1827 - Freedom's Journal, first Black newspaper, publishes. 1827 - University of Toronto is chartered. 1830 - Birth of Paul von Heyse Germany, writer (Nobel Prize 1910). 1831 - Birth of Edward Aylesworth Perry Brigadier General (Confederate Army). 1835 - Birth of Eduard Strauss Austria, composer (318 Dance). 1836 - Birth of Henrique Alves de Mesquita composer. 1838 - Birth of Alice Cunningham Fletcher ethnologist/author/Indian music (Stranger in Her Native Land). 1842 - Maria Luigi C Z S Cherubini Italian composer (Dies Irae), dies at age 81. 1844 - Birth of Bransby Cooper cricket player (in Dhaka Batsman in Australia's first Test). 1851 - Birth of Jozef Surzynski composer. 1852 - Birth of Lady Augusta Gregory Ireland, playwright/poet/Yates mistress. 1855 - Birth of Lútzen Wagenaar Frisian writer/vicar (Tsjerk Ages). 1855 - Louisiana establishes first health board to regulate quarantine. 1858 - Birth of Liberty Hyde Bailey US botanist (Plantbreeding). 1862 - General John Hunt Morgan begins four days of raids near Gallatin, Tennessee. 1864 - Birth of Johan Halvorsen composer. 1864 - Birth of Leslie Stuart composer. 1864 - Red River Campaign - Union forces reach Alexandria, Louisiana. 1867 - Birth of Lionel Pigot Johnson England, poet/critic (Ireland and Other Poems). 1867 - Birth of Will Rossiter composer. 1867 - Michigan becomes first state to tax property to support a university. 1869 - Cincinnati Red Stockings beat Antioch 41-7. 1869 - Cincinnati Red Stockings become the first pro baseball team. 1871 - Birth of Betsy van den Arend Dutch [Betje], actress (Miss Hobbs). 1873 - Birth of David Vaughan Thomas composer. 1873 - Birth of Lee Shubert producer (theatres in New York and Los Angeles named after him). 1874 - Birth of Harold L Ickes social activist, New Deal politician. 1875 - First US cardinal (John McCloskey) invested. 1877 - Commencement of first Test Cricket, Australia versus England at Melbourne Cricket Ground. 1878 - Birth of Hanson Carter cricket player (Yorkshire Aussie wicketkeeper of early 20th century). 1879 - Birth of Gerrit J Heering Dutch theologist (Fall of Christianity). 1880 - Jan K J de Jonge Dutch historian, dies at age 51. 1881 - Emory Upton US Union General-Major (Selma), commits suicide at age 42. 1883 - Karol Studzinski composer, dies at age 55. 1884 - Birth of Rudolf Piskacek composer. 1885 - First performance of César Franck's "Lesson Djinns". 1887 - Michigan appoints first salaried game and fish warden in US(William Alden Smith). 1889 - Six US and German warships perish in harbor of Apia Samoa, 200 die. 1892 - First escalator patented by inventor Jesse W Reno (New York City, New York). 1892 - New York State unveils automatic ballot booth (voting machine). 1894 - Birth of Slava Vorlova composer. 1897 - First indoor fly casting tournament opens, at Madison Square Garden. 1900 - Birth of Gilberto Freye Brazilian sociologist/writer. 1901 - Birth of Colin McPhee Montréal Canada, composer (H2O, Mechanical Princibles). 1901 - Birth of J Pat O'Malley Burnley England; actor (Touch of Grace, Gunn, Star!). 1901 - Birth of Theo Uden Marsman Dutch orchestra leader. 1901 - Horse racing is banned in San Francisco, last race March 16th. 1902 - Birth of Kitty Masters actress. 1902 - Birth of Zarah [Stina Hedberg] Leander Karlstad Vämanland Sweden, singer/actress (Gabriela). 1903 - Frederick Lugard occupies Sokoto West Africa. 1904 - Birth of George Brent Dublin Ireland; actor (42nd Street, Jezebel). 1905 - Arnold Kerdijk Dutch liberal/founder (Social Weekly), dies at age 60. 1905 - B Amalie Skram-Alver Norwegian author (Paa Saint Jørgen), dies at age 58. 1905 - Birth of Berthold Schenck von Stauffenberg attempted to assassinate Hitler. 1905 - Birth of Joe E Ross comedian (Gunther Toody-Car 54, Ritzik-Phil Silvers Show). 1906 - Alfred Gilpin Jones Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia (1900-06), dies at age 81. 1906 - Brits Rolls, Royce and Johnson form Rolls Royce Ltd. 1907 - Birth of Zarah Stina Hedberg in Karlstad, Sweden; stage and film actor and singer as Zarah Leander (dies 1981). 1907 - Birth of Jimmy McPartland jazz trumpeter/actor (Magic Horn). 1907 - Birth of Paul Maxey Wheaton Illinois; actor (Matt-Lassie, Mayor-People's Choice). 1907 - Finland is first European country to give women the right to vote. 1908 - First performance of Maurice Ravel's "Rapsodie Espagnole". 1910 - Birth of An Rutgers van der Loeff-Basenau children book writer (Skating Race). 1912 - Birth of Duncan Stuart Wilson-MacDonald fighter pilot. 1912 - Birth of Louis Paul Boon Flemish writer (Kapellekensbaan). 1912 - Birth of Sam [Lightnin'] Hopkins Centerville Texas, blues stylist (Ball of Twine). 1912 - Pitcher Cy Young retires from baseball with 511 wins. 1913 - First Presidential press conference (Woodrow Wilson). 1913 - Birth of Lex Goudsmit Dutch actor (Fiddler on the Roof). 1913 - Birth of MacDonald Carey Sioux City Iowa; actor (One Life to Live, Dream Girl). 1913 - Cleveland establishes first small claims court. 1915 - Birth of David Schoenbrun CBS broadcast bureau head (Washington DC, Paris France). 1915 - Birth of Richard Ward Glenside Pennsylvania; actor (Beacon Hill). 1915 - Netherlands merchant ship Tubantia torpedoed and sinks in North Sea. 1916 - Birth of Geert Lubberhuizen publisher (Busy Bee). 1916 - Birth of Harry James Albany Georgia, trumpeter (married to Betty Grable). 1916 - University of Gent goes under Dutch control. 1917 - Russian Czar Nicholas II abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Michael, who refuses the crown, bringing an end to the czarist autocracy. 1918 - Birth of Janet Leach potter. 1918 - Birth of Richard Ellmann US, literary scholar/writer (Oscar Wilde). 1918 - Jose Silvestre de los Dolores White Lafitte composer, dies at age 82. 1918 - Juliette Marie Olga Lili Boulanger composer, dies at age 24. 1918 - Lili Boulanger composer, dies at age 24. 1919 - American Legion forms (Paris France). 1919 - Birth of John Gregson Liverpool England; actor (Gideon CID, Shirley's World). 1919 - Birth of Lawrence Tierney Brooklyn; actor (Abduction, Dillinger). 1920 - Birth of Ranganandhan Francis India, field hockey (Olympics-gold-1948, 1952, 1956). 1922 - First southern radio station begins radio transmissions (WSB-AM, Atlanta Georgia). 1922 - Birth of Louis Boon writer. 1923 - Birth of George Vogel race horse trainer. 1923 - Birth of Laurence A Tisch New York City, New York, CEO (Loews Corp). 1923 - Lenin is hit with his third stroke. 1924 - Birth of Juij Bondarew writer. 1924 - Birth of Lockrem Johnson composer. 1926 - Belgium's "black monday", franc falls. 1926 - Birth of Benjamin Burwell Johnson composer. 1926 - Birth of Norm Van Brocklin NFL quarterback/coach (Los Angeles Rams), hall of famer. 1926 - Birth of Tim Valentine (Representative-Democrat-North Carolina, 1983-). 1927 - Birth of Carl Smith Maynardville Tennessee, country singer (Grand Ole Opry). 1927 - Birth of Philip Vincent Belloc Jebb architect. 1928 - Birth of Nicolas Flagello composer. 1928 - Mussolini modifies Italy electoral system (abolishes right to choose). 1929 - Birth of Tiezo Matsumura composer. 1929 - Pine-Top Smith jazz pianist (Boogie Woogie Piano), dies at age 24. 1930 - First seaplane glider flown, Port Washington New York. 1930 - First streamlined submarine of US navy, USS Nautilus, launched. 1930 - Antonio Beltramelli writer, dies at age 51. 1932 - Birth of Alan Lavern Bean Wheeler Texas, Captain US Navy/astronaut (Apollo 12, Skylab 3). 1932 - Birth of David Alliance Iran/British textile factory/multi-millionaire. 1933 - Birth of Cecil Perceval Taylor composer/jazz pianist (University of Wisconsin). 1933 - Birth of Ronald Roseman composer. 1933 - Birth of Roy Clark country singer (Hee Haw). 1933 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes with a record one-day percentage gain of 15.34 percent. 1933 - NAACP begins coordinated attack on segregation and discrimination. 1934 - Birth of Daniel George "Danny" Apolinar composer/songwriter. 1934 - Birth of Wolfgang Hufschmidt composer. 1934 - US Information Service opens. 1935 - Birth of Jimmy Lee Swaggart evangelist. 1935 - Birth of Judd Hirsch Bronx New York; actor (Alex-Taxi, Dear John, Ordinary People). 1935 - George Headley completes 270 in cricket versus England at Kingston. 1936 - Birth of Donald K Sundquist (Representative-Republican-Tennessee, 1983-). 1937 - First blood bank is established (Chicago Illinois). 1937 - First state contraceptive clinic opens (Raleigh North Carolina). 1938 - Birth of Dick Higgins composer. 1938 - Edmund Tylecote cricket player (England keeper in six Tests 1882-86), dies. 1939 - Birth of Robert Nye writer (Facts of Life and other fiction, Three Views of Man). 1939 - German troops occupy the Czech parts of Bohemia and Moravia. 1939 - Czech president Emil Hacha accepts Adolf Hitler's demand to surrender the entire country. 1939 - German troops enter the capital of Czechoslovakia, Prague. Adolf Hitler declares "Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist". 1940 - Alfred Marr cricket player (Test for Australia 1885, scored 0 and 5), dies. 1940 - Birth of Phil Lesh [Chapman] Berkeley California, rock bassist (Grass Roots, Grateful Dead). 1940 - Göring says 100-200 church bells enough for Germany, smelt the rest. 1941 - Birth of Dick Top Dutch actor/director (Witch of Haarlem). 1941 - Birth of Mike Love Los Angeles California, rock saxophonist/vocalist (Beach Boys-In My Room, Surfin' USA). 1941 - Blizzard in North Dakota kills 151. 1942 - Alexander van Zemlinsky Austrian/US composer (African Dance), dies at age 70. 1942 - Birth of Hughie Flint London England, rock drummer (Bonzo Dog Band). 1943 - Allied reconnaissance flight over Java. 1943 - Birth of Brenda Scott Cincinnati Ohio, actress (Midge-Road West). 1943 - Birth of David Cronenberg Toronto Ontario, director (Shivers, Fly, Brood). 1943 - Red Army evacuates Kharkov. 1944 - Birth of Chi Cheng in Taiwan; sprinter/80 metre hurdler (Olympics-Bronze-1968). 1944 - Birth of David Costell in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; rocker (Gary Lewis and the Playboys - "This Diamond Ring"). 1944 - Birth of Jacques Doillon; director/writer (La Fille de Quinze Ans). 1944 - Birth of Ralph MacDonald; rock percussionist (Graceland). 1944 - Birth of Sly Stone in Dallas, Texas, USA; rocker (Sly and the Family Stone - "Everyday People"). 1944 - Allies launch another attack on Cassino. Over eight hours, 1000 tons of bombs are dropped, and 190,000 shells are fired on the town. By nightfall, two-thirds of the town is in Allied hands. 1944 - Otto von Below, German commandant (WWI), dies at age 86. 1945 - 17th Academy Awards: Going my Way, Bing Cosby and Ingrid Bergman win. 1945 - Bert Shepard (one legged WWII veteran) tries out as a pitcher for Washington Senators. 1945 - Billboard publishes its first album chart (King Cole Trio is #1). 1945 - Birth of Jörgen Sundelin in Sweden; yachtsman (Olympics-gold-1968). 1945 - Birth of Mark J Green in Brooklyn, New York, USA; lawyer/author (Closed Enterprise System). 1945 - Birth of Tracy Smith; runner. 1945 - Catholic University of Nijmegen reopens. 1945 - Brooklyn Dodgers open spring training at Bear Mountain, New York. 1945 - Herman B Wiardi Beckman, Dutch Member of Parliament (SDAP), dies at age 41. 1946 - Birth of Bobby Bond; baseball player (New York Giants, New York Yankees, etc). 1946 - Birth of David Wall; English ballet dancers/director (Royal Academy of Dancing). 1946 - Birth of Howard Scott in San Pedro, California, USA; rock guitarist/vocalist ("War", "Cisco Kid"). 1946 - British premier Clement Attlee agrees with India's right to independence. 1946 - In Transylvania, Rumania, the People's Tribunal of Cluj sentences 43 officers and men of the former Hungarian army to varying penalties for crimes committed during the war: 23 to death, eight to life in prison, six to 25 years, and six to 20 years hard labor. 1947 - Birth of David Colley; cricket player (New South Wales quickie, three Tests for Australia 1972). 1947 - Birth of Larisa Grigoriyevna Pozharskaya; Russian cosmonaut. 1947 - Birth of Ry[land] Cooder in Los Angeles, California, USA; blues guitarist (Crossroads). 1947 - Birth of Stomu Yamash'ta; composer. 1947 - Birth of Tomas Pettersson in Sweden; cyclist (Olympics-silver-1968). 1948 - Bradman scores 115 for the Australian cricket team versus Western Australia. 1948 - Sixteen nations plus the American, British, and French zones of Germany draft a convention for economic cooperation. 1949 - Birth of John Duttine; actor (Day of the Triffids). 1950 - Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "Consul" premieres at Barrymore Theater in New York City for 269 performances. 1950 - New York City hires Dr Wallace E Howell as its official "rainmaker". 1951 - Persia nationalizes Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. 1952 - Greatest 24-hour rainfall: 187 cm at La Réunion, Indian Ocean. 1953 - Birth of Colin Croft; cricket player (West Indian fast bowler 1977-82). 1953 - Birth of Judi Spiers; TV presenter. 1953 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. 1953 - West Germany loses in soccer to Netherlands, 2-1. 1954 - CBS Morning Show premieres with Walter Cronkite and Jack Paar. 1954 - Arthur Fickenscher, composer, dies at age 82. 1954 - Birth of Craig Wasson in Eugene, Oregon, USA; actor (Body Double, Four Friends, Men's Club). 1955 - Birth of Dee Snider in Massapequa, New York, USA; rocker (Twisted Sister - "We're Not Gonna Take It"). 1955 - Birth of Marcia McCabe in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Alicia Grande - One Life to Live). 1955 - Birth of Mohsin Khan; cricket player (Pakistani opening batsman late 70s early 80s). 1955 - Dutch second Chamber requires TV licenses. 1955 - US Air Force unveils self-guided missile. 1956 - My Fair Lady opens at Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City for 2,715 performances. 1956 - Birth of Clay Matthews; NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons). 1956 - Whipper Billy Watson beats Lou Thesz in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to become NWA champion. 1957 - Great Britain becomes the third nation to explode a nuclear bomb. 1957 - Birth of Park Overall in Nashville, Tennessee, USA; actress (Laverne - Empty Nest, Mississippi Burning). 1958 - Birth of Laura Carrington; actress (Simone Hardy - General Hospital, Louisa - Alphabet City). 1958 - Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati scores a NCAA midwest region-record 56 points. 1958 - Cincinnati Royals' basketball star Maurice Stokes collapses during a playoff game with encephalitis; he goes into a coma and is permanently disabled. 1958 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test. 1959 - Birth of Eliot Teltscher in California, USA; tennis player (US Davis Cup team). 1959 - Birth of Harold Baines in Easton, Maryland, USA; outfielder (Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers). 1959 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. 1959 - Robert Foster sets record by staying underwater 13 minutes 42.5 seconds. 1960 - Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve established (first underwater park). 1960 - National Observatory at Kitt Peak, Arizona dedicated. 1961 - Birth of Craig Ludwig Rhinelander; NHL defenseman (Dallas Stars). 1961 - Birth of Fabio [Lanzoni] in Italy; romance novels model (Fabio After Dark). 1961 - Birth of John Melendez; jockey. 1961 - Birth of Terry Cummings; NBA forward (Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers). 1961 - South Africa withdraws from British Commonwealth. 1962 - Five research groups announce simultaneously discovery of anti-matter. 1962 - Birth of Igor Aleinikov; film maker. 1962 - Birth of Jimmy Baio in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Billy Tate - Soap, Brass, Playing for Keeps). 1962 - Birth of Steve Coy; rocker (Dead or Alive - "Spin Me Round"). 1962 - Birth of Terrence Trent D'Arby in New York City, New York, USA; rock vocalist (Wishing Well). 1962 - Donald Jackson of Canada is first to land a triple lutz ice skate jump. 1962 - Richard Rogers' No Strings opens at 84th Steet Theater in New York City for 580 performances. 1962 - Sam Wren, actor (Wren's Nest), dies at age 64. 1962 - Wilt Chamberlain is first to score 4,000 points in an NBA season. 1963 - Birth of Bret Michaels in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA; guitarist (Poison - "Talk Dirty to Me"). 1963 - Birth of Don Simington; jockey. 1963 - Birth of Frans Koenn; Dutch rock bassist (Loïs Lane - "Precious"). 1963 - Birth of Jimmy Baio in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Billy Tate - Soap). 1964 - Birth of Alison Johnson in Tustin, California, USA; WPVA volleyball player (US Open-4th-1993). 1964 - Birth of Rockwell [Kennedy Gordy] in Detroit, Michigan, USA; rock vocalist (Somebody's Watching Me). 1964 - Birth of Ron Hall; NFL tight end (Detroit Lions). 1964 - US President Lyndon Johnson asks for a War on Poverty. 1964 - Elizabeth Taylor's 5th marriage (Richard Burton). 1964 - Paul Cavanagh, actor (Black Arrow, Woman in Green), dies at age 75. 1964 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk. 1965 - Birth of Marianne Morris in Middletown, Ohio, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 McDonald's LPGA-third). 1965 - US President Lyndon Johnson addresses a joint session of Congress to urge the passage of legislation guaranteeing voting rights for all. 1965 - TGIFriday's first restaurant opens in New York City, New York. 1966 - 8th Grammy Awards: "Taste of Honey", Tom Jones, Frank Sintra, and Barbra Streisand. 1966 - Abe Saperstein, founder of Harlem Globetrotters, dies at age 63. 1966 - Birth of Chris Bruno; actor (Michael - All My Children, Dennis - Another World). 1966 - Birth of Karen Weiss in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; LPGA golfer (1995 Chick-fil-A Charity-7th). 1966 - Heinrich Lemacher, composer, dies at age 74. 1966 - Racial riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles, California. 1967 - AFCENT-headquarter moves to Brunssum. 1967 - Birth of Kirk Scrafford; NFL tackle (San Francisco 49ers). 1967 - Marshal Arturo da Costa e Silva sworn in as President of Brazil. 1968 - Birth of John Tardy; US heavy metalist (Obituary, Slowly We Rot). 1968 - Birth of Rob Anderson in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada; Canadian Tour golfer (British Columbia Amateur-1990, 1992). 1968 - Birth of Sabrina Salerno in Genoa, Italy; Miss Italy (1984)/singer (Boys). 1968 - Bob Beamon sets indoor long jump record (27 feet 2.75 inches). 1968 - British minister of Foreign affairs George Brown resigns. 1968 - Diocese of Rome announces that it "deplored the concept", but wouldn't prohibit rock and roll masses at Church of San Lessio Falconieri. 1968 - Life magazine calls Jimi Hendrix the "most spectacular guitarist in the world". 1968 - US Mint stops buying and selling gold. 1968 - Uprising in South Yemen. 1969 - Birth of Louis Riddick; NFL safety (Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons). 1969 - Miles Malleson, actor/writer (Postman's Knock), dies at age 80. 1969 - US Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas resigns. 1969 - Violent Chinese-Russian border dispute (hundreds dead). 1970 - Birth of Chris Dalman; NFL guard/center (San Francisco 49ers). 1970 - Birth of Diego Nargiso in Naples, Italy; tennis pro. 1970 - Birth of Eric Castle; NFL free safety (San Diego Chargers). 1970 - Birth of Paul Kruse in Merritt, British Columbia, Canada; NHL left wing (Calgary Flames). 1970 - Expo '70 opens in Osaka, Japan. 1970 - Gary Geld and Peter Udell's Purlie premieres at Broadway Theater in New York City for 689 performances. 1970 - Josef Martin Bauer, writer, dies at age 68. 1970 - Tarjei Vesaas, Nowegian author/novelist/writer (Isslottet), dies at age 72. 1971 - Birth of Patrick Reidy in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; basketball forward (Olympics-1996). 1971 - Birth of Reyna Royo; Miss Panamá-Universe (1996). 1971 - Birth of Robbie Pratt; jockey. 1971 - CBS TV announces it is dropping The Ed Sullivan Show. 1971 - Jean-Pierre Monseré, Flemish cyclist, dies at age 22. 1972 - Assassination attempt on Governor George Wallace of Alabama. 1972 - Birth of Casey Cristin Mizell; Miss South Carolina-USA (1997). 1972 - Birth of David Rhodes; WLAF wide receiver (Rhein Fire). 1972 - Birth of Filip Dewulf in Belgium; tennis star. 1972 - Birth of Oliver Gibson; NFL defensive tackle (Pittsburgh Steelers). 1972 - Birth of Steve Danielson in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; field hockey defender (Olympics-1996). 1972 - Danish airliner hits mountain in Sheikdom of Oman killing 112. 1972 - NASA selects three-part configuration for Space Shuttle. 1973 - Birth of Franca Fehlauer in Hamburg, Germany; golfer (Belgian International Jr champion 1991). 1974 - Birth of Imad Baba in Humble, Texas, USA; soccer midfielder (Olympics-gold-1996). 1974 - Brazilian President Garastazu Médici resigns. 1975 - Antonino Rocca, professional wrestler/sportscaster, dies at age 49. 1975 - Aristotle S Onassis, Greek shipping magnate, dies at age 69. 1975 - Birth of Cornell Brown; linebacker (Baltimore Ravens). 1975 - Bundy victim Julie Cunningham disappears from Vail, Colorado. 1975 - Jevgeni Kulikov skates world record 500 metre (37.99 seconds). 1976 - Birth of Laurent Gras; hockey forward (Team France 1998). 1976 - Failed coup in Nigeria. 1977 - Eight is Enough premieres on ABC-TV. 1977 - Kamal Joemblat, Lebanese politician, murdered. 1977 - US House of Representatives begin 90-day test of televising its sessions. 1977 - Chevrolet general manager Robert Lund drives the 500,000th Corvette, a white Stingray T-Top, off the assembly line in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. 1978 - Oakland Athletics trade Vida Blue to San Francisco Giants for seven players and US$390,000. 1978 - Operation Litani: Israeli offensive in South Lebanon to rid area of Palestine guerrillas. 1978 - People's Rebublic of China performs nuclear test at Lop Nor. 1979 - Apparat releases Newdos+ 2.1 for Radio Shack's TRS-80. 1979 - New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier's 5th career hat trick. 1979 - Sarfraz takes 9-86 at Melbourne Cricket Ground as Australia lose 7-5 to lose the Test. 1980 - Birth of Deidra Graham in Salt Lake City, Utah, gymnast (alternate-Olympics-1996). 1981 - Suriname failed coup under Sergeant-Major Wilfred Hawker. 1981 - Birth of Young Buck; American rapper. 1981 - Patty Hayes wins LPGA Sun City Golf Classic. 1982 - Nicaragua suspends their citizens' rights for 30 days. 1982 - Birth of Bobby Boswell; American pro soccer player. 1982 - Actress Theresa Saldana stabbed repeatedly by obsessed fan. 1983 - In Honshu, Japan, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurs. 1983 - José Luis Sert, Spanish-US architect/urban developer, dies at age 80. 1983 - Karnataka beats Bombay on first innings to win cricket Ranji Trophy. 1983 - Death of Rebecca West, English-born writer (born 1892). 1984 - John Lennon's single "I'm Stepping Out" is released (four years after his death). 1984 - Tanzania adopts constitution. 1984 - Tommy Cooper, comedian, collapses and dies on stage. 1984 - 10th People's Choice Awards: Brooke Shields wins. 1985 - Birth of Antti Autti; Finnish snowboarder. 1985 - Larry Holmes TKOs David Bey in ten rounds for heavyweight boxing title. 1985 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1985 - Vice-president Jose Sarney takes oath as the first civilian president of Brazil in 21 years, as the elected president Tancredo Neves had become severely ill on the day before. 1986 - Birth of Tyler Noyes; actor (CJ - One Life to Live). 1986 - Funeral services held for Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme. 1987 - 13th People's Choice Awards: Bill Cosby. 1987 - Last day in Test cricket for Larry Gomes and Joel Garner. 1987 - New Zealand beats West Indies by five wickets in Jeremy Coney's last Test Cricket. 1987 - Sterling W Cole, American politician (Representative-Republican-New York), dies at age 82. 1987 - US Davis Cup team loses to Paraguay. 1988 - Birth of Rebecca Moore, Miss Alabama USA. 1988 - Dmitri F Polyakov, Russian Secretary-General/top spy for US, executed. 1988 - Eugene Marino of Atlanta, Georgia, USA appointed first African American archbishop. 1988 - NASA reports accelerated breakdown of ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons. 1988 - NFL's Saint Louis Cardinals officially move to Phoenix, Arizona. 1989 - Birth of Caitlin Wachs, American actress (Chloe Waters - Profiler). 1989 - New York Rangers retire goalie Eddie Giacomin's number 1 uniform. 1990 - Fernando Collor de Mello sworn in as President of Brazil. 1990 - Tom Harmon, NFL tail back (Heisman Trophy), dies in Los Angeles at age 70. 1990 - The Soviet Union announces that Lithuania's declaration of independence is invalid. 1990 - Iraq hangs British journalist Farzad Bazoft for spying. Daphne Parish, a British nurse, is sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment as an accomplice. 1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev is elected as the first executive president of the Soviet Union. 1991 - Four Los Angeles police officers are charged with beating Rodney King. 1991 - Budd [Lawrence] Freeman, US jazz saxophonist (Eel), dies at age 84. 1991 - Eileen Sedgwick, silent film actress (Hot Heels), dies at age 93. 1991 - Sergei Bubka pole vaults record 20.25 feet. 1991 - Territories of Amapa and Roraima become states in Brazil. 1991 - Germany formally regains complete independence after the four post-World War II occupying powers (France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union) relinquish all remaining rights. 1992 - Birth of Sosie Bacon, American actress. 1992 - Brandie Burton wins LPGA Ping/Welch's Golf Championship. 1992 - Helen Deutsch, screenwriter, dies of natural causes. 1992 - Jack Washburn, actor (Black Orchid), dies after long illness at age 64. 1992 - United Nations officially embarks on its largest peacekeeping operation. 1992 - Vanessa Lee, actress (Split), dies at age 71. 1993 - Anthony Bowles, music writer (Jesus Christ Superstar), dies at age 61. 1993 - Dennis Gregory, actor (Village of the Damned), dies of pneumonia at age 40. 1993 - Ricardo M Arias Espinosa, President of Panamá (1955-56), dies. 1993 - Near the coast of northern Chile, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurs. 1993 - Vinod Kambli scores 227 versus Zimbabwe, his second consecutive Test 200. 1994 - 8th Soul Train Music Awards: Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston win. 1994 - Experts from American League certify Cleveland Indian's Jacobs Field is properly lit. 1994 - Mae Zetterling, Swedish actress (Night Games), dies at age 68. 1994 - U.S. troops are withdrawn from Somalia. 1995 - Carlos Menem Jr, son of Argentine President, dies at age 26. 1996 - Helen Chadwick, artist, dies at age 42. 1996 - Olga Rudge, violinist, dies at age 100. 1996 - Roswell Leavitt Gilpatric, lawyer/diplomat, dies at age 89. 1997 - Pittsburgh Penguins' Joe Mullen is first American to score 500 NHL goals. 1998 - Welch's/Circle K Golf Championship. 1998 - Death of Benjamin Spock, American athlete, pediatrician, and author (born 1903). 1999 - In Brussels, Belgium, the Santer Commission resigns over allegations of corruption. 2003 - Hu Jintao becomes president of the People's Republic of China, replacing Jiang Zemin. 2003 - In Bangui, Central African Republic, ex-chief of army General François Bozizé and 1000 troops stage a military coup against President AngeFélix Patassé. 2004 - The new Spanish Government announces that it will withdraw Spain's 1,300 troops in Iraq. 2004 - Death of John Pople, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1925). 2006 - (to March 26) The 2006 Commonwealth Games take place in Melbourne, Australia. 2006 - Death of George Mackey, American mathematician (born 1916). 2007 - Death of Bowie Kuhn, Major League Baseball Commissioner (born 1926). 2008 - A huge gun factory explosion in Gërdec, Albania kills more than 30 people. Over the following week, Albania, Kosovo, and some surrounding countries supply and support Gërdec's population with food, blood, etc. 2008 - In China, Hu Jintao is elected for another five-year term as president. Hu Jintao is also re-elected chairman of the Central Military Commission. Xi Jinping won election as vice-president. 2009 - Alberta's Kevin Martin wins his fourth Canadian championship curling Brier title in Calgary, defeating Jeff Stoughton 10-4 in the final game. 2009 - Death of Ron Silver, American actor (Speed-the-Plow Tony Award, Kissinger and Nixon, Reversal of Fortune), political activist, or esophageal cancer at age 62, in Manhattan, New York, USA. 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