< Back 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Next >

1944–Singer, Brenda Lee, is born Brenda Mae Tarpley in Lithonia, Georgia. Her biggest hit was I'm Sorry. Her voice was so powerful for her size that she was nicknamed “Little Miss Dynamite.”


220–Cao Pi forces Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate the Han Dynasty throne. The Cao Wei empire is established. The Three Kingdoms period begins.

361–Julian enters Constantinople as sole Emperor of the Roman Empire.

630–Muhammad leads an army of 10,000 to conquer Mecca.

861–Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil is assassinated by the Turkish guard, who raise al-Muntasir to the throne. This is the start of the "Anarchy at Samarra."

969–Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas is assassinated by his wife, Theophano, and her lover, the later Emperor John I Tzimiskes.

1282–Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Wales, is killed at Cilmeri, near Builth Wells, in mid-Wales, during the Battle of Orewin Bridge.

1475–Pope Leo X is born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence, Republic of Florence. He is best remembered for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica, a practice that was challenged by Martin Luther's 95 Theses.

1602–A surprise attack by forces under the command of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and his brother-in-law, Philip III of Spain, is repelled by the citizens of Geneva.

1620–Mayflower pilgrims, numbering 103, land at Plymouth Rock.

1688–James II of England, while trying to flee to France, allegedly throws the Great Seal of the Realm into the River Thames.

1789–The University of North Carolina is chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly.

1792–King Louis XVI of France is put on trial for treason by the National Convention.

1803–Romantic composer, Hector Berlioz, is born in France. His work Symphonie Fantastique, with its supernatural implications, is the only one of his works still often played in concert.

1810–Romantic poet, Alfred de Musset, is born Alfred Louis Charles de Musset-Pathay in Paris, France. He is best known for his novel La Confession d'un enfant du siècle (The Confession of a Child of the Century).

1815–The U.S. Senate creates a select committee on finance and a uniform national currency, predecessor of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.

1816–Indiana becomes the 19th state of the United States of America.

1868–In the Paraguayan War, Brazilian troops defeat the Paraguayans at the Battle of Avay.

1889–Farmer, Walter Knott, is born in San Bernardino, California. He founded Knott's Berry Farm.

1899–In the Battle of Magersfontein, the Boers, commanded by general Piet Cronjé, inflict a defeat on the forces of the British Empire, commanded by Lord Methuen.

1902–Matthias Hohner, German manufacturer of harmonicas, dies at age 68.

1905–A workers' uprising occurs in Kiev, Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire), establishing the Shuliavka Republic.

1907–The New Zealand Parliament Buildings are almost completely destroyed by fire.

1909–Color moving pictures are demonstrated at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

1917–During World War I, British General Edmund Allenby enters Jerusalem on foot and declares martial law.

1918–Novelist, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, is born in Kislovodsk, Russia. He was a captain of the artillery in the Soviet Army during World War II, but he was arrested for writing a letter critical of Joseph Stalin in 1945. He spent eight years in prisons and forced labor camps. His first book, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, described a typical day in a Stalinist labor camp. The manuscript of his most famous novel, The Gulag Archipelago, was seized by the KGB and blocked from publication in the Soviet Union. The novel was eventually published in Paris, France, and the author was arrested and charged with treason. He was exiled from the Soviet Union in February 1973, and that December was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. For almost 20 years he lived in seclusion in Vermont, before returning to Russia in 1994.

1920–During the Irish War of Independence, British forces burn and loot numerous buildings in Cork city in retaliation for a recent IRA ambush. Many civilians report being beaten, shot at, robbed, and verbally abused by the British.

1923–Actress, Betsy Blair, is born Elizabeth Winifred Boger in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Her interest in Marxism led to an investigation by the House of Un-American Activities Committee, and Blair was blacklisted for some time. She resumed her career with her critically acclaimed performance in Marty, winning a BAFTA Award and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in the films A Double Life, The Snake Pit, No Way Out, Main Street, Lies My Father Told Me, All Night Long, Careless, Marry Me! Marry Me!, A Delicate Balance, and Betrayed. She was married to actor-dancer, Gene Kelly.

1925–Roman Catholic papal encyclical Quas primas introduces the Feast of Christ the King.

1926–Blues singer, Big Mama Thornton, is born in Montgomery, Alabama. Her powerhouse vocals are heard to excellent effect on her rendition of Hound Dog.

1927–Communist Red Guards launch an uprising in Guangzhou, China, taking over most of the city and announcing the formation of a Guangzhou Soviet.

1930–Journalist, Bill Beutel, is born William Charles Beutel in Cleveland, Ohio. He was best known for working over 40 years with the American Broadcasting Company, spending much of that time anchoring newscasts for WABC-TV in New York City.

1931–The British Parliament establishes legislative equality between the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the Commonwealth: Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland.

1934–Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, takes his last drink and enters treatment for the last time.

1935–Businessman, Charles Rudolph Walgreen, dies of malaria and yellow fever in Cuba, at age 66. He founded the drug store chain, Walgreens. Walgreens was one of the first to carry non-pharmaceuticals as a mainstay of the store's retail offerings. It offered low-priced lunch counters and introduced the malted milk shake in 1922. By 1927, Walgreen had established 110 stores.

1936–Edward VIII's abdication as King of the United Kingdom, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India, becomes effective.

1937–Italy leaves the League of Nations.

1937–Author, Jim Harrison, is born James Harrison in Grayling, Michigan. He is best known for his 1979 novella Legends of the Fall.

1939–Politician and activist, Tom Hayden, is born Thomas Emmet Hayden in Detroit, Michigan. In 1968, Hayden played a major role in the protests outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Six months after the convention, he and other protesters (including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin) were indicted on Federal charges of “conspiracy and incitement to riot” as part of the "Chicago Eight." Hayden and four others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite a riot, but the charges were reversed on appeal. Hayden later served in the California State Assembly (1982-1992) and the State Senate (1992-2000). He was married to actress, Jane Fonda.

1940–Singer-songwriter, David (Ashworth) Gates, is born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the songwriter and lead singer for the pop group Bread. the group‘s hits include Make It with You, If, Baby I'm-a Want You, Everything I Own, Lost Without Your Love, and The Goodbye Girl.

1941–Germany and Italy declare war on the United States, following the Americans' declaration of war on the Empire of Japan in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States, in turn, declares war on them.

1941–Poland declares war on the Empire of Japan.

1941–In World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy suffers its first loss of surface vessels during the Battle of Wake Island.

1943–Lawyer and politician, John (Forbes) Kerry, is born in Aurora, Colorado. He was the 68th U.S. Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

1944–Actress, Lynda Day George, is born Lynda Louise Day in San Marcos, Texas. She was cast in the TV shows Route 66, Flipper, Here Come the Brides, The Green Hornet, Mannix, The Fugitive, It Takes a Thief, The Virginian, and Bonanza. She appeared in the films Fear No Evil, Chisum, Mayday at 40,000 Feet, The Amazing Captain Nemo, Beyond Evil, and Young Warriors. She was married to actor, Christopher George.

1944–Singer, Brenda Lee, is born Brenda Mae Tarpley in Lithonia, Georgia. Her biggest hit was I'm Sorry. Her voice was so powerful for her size that she was nicknamed “Little Miss Dynamite.”

1946–The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established.

1946–Country singer, Hank Williams, begins to record on the Sterling label.

1946–Actress, Teri Garr, is born Terry Ann Garr in Lakewood, Ohio. She got her start in show biz dancing in nine Elvis Presley movies, and Pajama Party, The T.A.M.I. Show, Shindig!, Hullabaloo, and Movin' with Nancy. She apeared in the films Head, The Moonshine War, The Conversation, Young Frankenstein, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Honky Tonk Freeway, One from the Heart, Tootsie, Mr. Mom, Firstborn, After Hours, Let It Ride, The Player, Pack of Lies, Ready to Wear, and Michael.

1948–The United Nations passes General Assembly Resolution 194, creating a Conciliation Commission to mediate the conflict of the Arab-Israeli war.

1954–Jermaine Jackson, of The Jackson 5, is born in Gary, Indiana.

1956–A chart topper: Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody by Jerry Lewis.

1957–Rock ‘n’ roller, Jerry Lee Lewis, secretly marries his 13-year-old third cousin, Myra Gale Brown. It is his third marriage.

1958–French Upper Volta and French Dahomey gain self-government from France, becoming the Republic of Upper Volta and the Republic of Dahomey (present-day Benin). They become a part of the French Community.

1960–French forces crack down in a violent clash with protesters in French Algeria during a visit by President Charles de Gaulle.

1960–Soul singer, Aretha Franklin, makes her New York debut at the Village Vanguard.

1962–Arthur Lucas, convicted of murder, is the last person to be executed in Canada.

1964–Che Guevara speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. An unknown terrorist fires a mortar shell at the building during the speech.

1964–R&B singer, Sam Cooke, dies under violent and mysterious circumstances at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California, at age 33. Police found Cooke's body, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes (but no shirt, pants, or underwear). He had sustained a gunshot wound to the chest, which was later determined to have pierced his heart. The motel manager, Bertha Franklin, said she had shot Cooke in self-defense after he broke into her office residence and attacked her. Cooke was one of the most popular and influential R&B singers of his generation.

1968–The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, featuring The Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and The Dirty Mac with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, is filmed in Wembley, London, England.

1971–The Libertarian Party of the United States is formed.

1972–Apollo 17 becomes the sixth and last Apollo mission to land on the Moon.

1978–The Lufthansa heist is committed by a group led by Lucchese family associate Jimmy Burke. It is the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil.

1980–The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) is enacted by the U.S. Congress.

1981–Armed forces in El Salvador kill an estimated 900 civilians in an anti-guerrilla campaign during the Salvadoran Civil War.

1990–Demonstrations by students and workers begin across Albania, which will eventually trigger the fall of communism in Albania.

1991–Quiz show host, Robert Q. Lewis, dies of emphysema in New York, New York, at age 71. He is best known for his game show participation, regularly appearing on Goodson-Todman panel shows. He also hosted and appeared on a multitude of TV shows of the 1940s through the 1970s.

1993–Forty-eight people are killed when a block of the Highland Towers collapses near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

1994–Russian President Boris Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya.

1994–A bomb explodes on Philippine Airlines Flight 434, en route from Manila, Philippines, to Tokyo, Japan, killing one person. The plane does land safely.

1998–Thai Airways Flight 261 crashes near Surat Thani Airport, killing 101 people. The pilot flying the Airbus A310-300 is thought to have suffered spatial disorientation.

2001–The People's Republic of China joins the World Trade Organization.

2005–Thousands of white Australians demonstrate against ethnic violence resulting in a riot against anyone thought to be Lebanese in Cronulla, New South Wales.

2005–The Buncefield Oil Depot catches fire in Hemel Hempstead, England.

2006–The International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust is opened in Tehran, Iran, by then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

2006–Felipe Calderón, the President of Mexico, launches a military-led offensive to put down the drug cartel violence in the state of Michoacán.

2006–Super-centenarian, Elizabeth Bolden, dies in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 116 years (and 118 days). At the time of her 116th birthday in August 2006, Bolden had 40 grandchildren, 75 great-grandchildren, 150 great-great-grandchildren, 220 great-great-great grandchildren, and 75 great-great-great-great-grandchildren.

2007–Two car bombs explode in Algiers, Algeria: one near the Supreme Constitutional Court and the other near the offices of the United Nations.

2008–Bernard Madoff is arrested and charged with securities fraud in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

2008–Model and actress, Bettie Page, dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California, at age 85. The latter part of Page's life was marked by depression, violent mood swings, and several years in a state psychiatric hospital suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Often referred to as the "Queen of Pinups," her jet black hair, blue eyes, and trademark bangs have influenced artists for generations. She posed for dozens of photographers during thr 1950s.

2011–Child actress, Susan Gordon, dies of thyroid cancer in Teaneck, New Jersey, at age 62. She began her career, at age eight, as a last minute substitute for another young actress in 1958's Attack of the Puppet People, directed by her father, Ben I. Gordon. She appeared in the films The Five Pennies, The Boy and the Pirates, Tormented, and Picture Mommy Dead. She was also seen in the TV shows Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Make Room for Daddy, The Donna Reed Show, Route 66, The Twilight Zone, and My Three Sons.

2012–At least 125 people are killed and up to 200 people are injured in bombings in the Alawite village of Aqrab, Syria.

2012–Sitar master, Ravi Shankar, dies after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery in San Diego, California, at age 92. He was one of the best known exponents of the sitar in the second half of the 20th century as a composer of Hindustani classical music. Among others, Shankar would teach Beatle George Harrison to play sitar, and from that point on Indian music would be comfortably mixed with pop and rock and roll.

2014–The city of Detroit, Michigan, emerges from the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States history.

2015–The Taliban claims responsibility for a car bomb attack at the Spanish Embassy in Kabul, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

2015–Chinese tycoon, Guo Guangchang, founder and chairman of Fosun, is reported missing amid the Chinese anti-corruption campaign.

2015–Two of the America’s oldest and largest companies, DuPont and Dow Chemical Company, announce they will merge in an all-stock deal valued at $130 billion.

2016–Paolo Gentiloni becomes the Prime Minister of Italy.

2016–Mexico's Coronado Islands become a national reserve.

2016–Patti Smith accepts the Nobel Prize for Literature for Bob Dylan, who could not attend the ceremony.

2016–A bombing in Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt, kills at least 25 people and injures at least 49 others.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Pope Leo X; Hector Berlioz; Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; Bill Beutel; Tom Hayden; Brenda Lee; Jerry Lewis Just Sings LP; Sam Cooke; Robert Q. Lewis; Bettie Page; and Ravi Shankar.
< Back 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Next >