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1935–Film producer, Richard (Darryl) Zanuck, is born in Los Angeles, California. His films include The Chapman Report, The Sound of Music, The Sugarland Express, Jaws, MacArthur, The Verdict, Cocoon, and Driving Miss Daisy. His father was head of production for 20th Century-Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck.


558–Frankish King, Childebert I, dies at age 62. He was one of the sons of Saint Clotilda, born at Reims. He reigned as King of Paris from 511 to 558 and Orléans from 524 to 558.

838–Pepin I of Aquitaine dies at age 41. He was King of Aquitaine and Duke of Maine.

1124–Pope Callixtus II dies in Rome, Papal States, Holy Roman Empire, at age 59.

1250–Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, dies of dysentery at Castel Fiorentino, Apulia, Italy, at age 55. He was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous. After his death, his line quickly died out and the House of Hohenstaufen came to an end.

1294–Saint Celestine V resigns the papacy after only five months. He hoped to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.

1553–Henri IV, King of France, is born in Pau, Kingdom of Navarre. Considered a usurper by some Catholics and a traitor by some Protestants, Henry became the target of at least 12 assassination attempts.

1577–Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.

1636–The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the National Guard of the United States.

1642–Abel Tasman reaches New Zealand.

1754–Ottoman sultan, Mahmud I, dies at Topkapi Palace in Constantinople, at age 54.

1758–The English transport ship, Duke William, sinks in the North Atlantic, killing over 360 people.

1759–The first music store in America opens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1769–Dartmouth College is founded in Hanover, New Hampshire, by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, with a royal charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal governor, John Wentworth.

1784–Dr. Samuel Johnson, dies from asthma, dropsy, and other ailments at his home off Fleet Street, in London, England, at age 75.

1818–Cyril VI of Constantinople resigns from his position as Ecumenical Patriarch.

1818–Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln, is born Mary Ann Todd in Lexington, Kentucky. She was the 17th First Lady of the United States. She witnessed her husband’s fatal shooting when they were together in the President's Box at Ford's Theatre on Tenth Street in Washington. D.C.

1867–A Fenian bomb explodes in Clerkenwell, London, England, killing six people.

1903–Guitarist and composer, Carlos (Garcia) Montoya, is born in Madrid, Spain. He was a prominent flamenco guitarist and a founder of the modern-day popular flamenco style of music.

1911–Poet, Kenneth Patchen, is born in Niles, Ohio. Like his father, he worked in a steel mill in eastern Ohio, before wandering off into migratory work and, eventually, poetry. His first volume of poetry was Before the Brave. During World War II, he wrote angry anti-war poetry that was later rediscovered during the Vietnam War. With Gary Snyder and others, he will pioneer the poetry-and-jazz movement of the 1940s.

1912–Luna Park opens on the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. At the opening attractions include: the Scenic Railway, Palais de Folies (later Giggle Palace), River Caves of the World, Penny Arcade, a Whitney Bros 'while-u-wait' photo booth, the American Bowl Slide, and live performances in the Palace of Illusions and on a permanent high-wire.

1914–Actor, Larry Parks, is born Samuel Klausman Lawrence Parks in Olathe, Kansas. His career was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been a member of a Communist party cell, which led to his blacklisting by all Hollywood studios. He appeared in the films You Belong to Me, Three Girls About Town, Blondie Goes to College, The Deerslayer, Renegades, The Jolson Story, Down to Earth, and Tiger by the Tail. He was married to actress, Betty Garrett. He was godfather of actor, Jeff Bridges.

1915–Actor, Curt Jurgens, is born Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens in Solln, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire. He appeared in the films Operetta, Whom the Gods Love, Women Are No Angels, Orient-Express, Heros and Sinners, And God Created Women, This Happy Feeling, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, The Blue Angel, The Longest Day, Psyche 59, Lord Jim, The Mephisto Waltz, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Spy Who Loved Me.

1922–Poet and Politician, Hannes Hafstein, dies in in Reykjavík, Iceland, at age 61. He was the first Prime Minister of Iceland.

1925–Actor, Dick Van Dyke, is born Richard Wayne Van Dyke in West Plains, Missouri. He is best known for his starring role of Rob Petrie on the TV sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show. He appeared in the films Bye Bye Birdie, What a Way to Go!, Mary Poppins, Divorce American Style, Fitzwilly, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Some Kind of a Nut, The Comic, Cold Turkey, and The Runner Stumbles. His brother is comedy actor, Jerry Van Dyke.

1927–Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five record Hotter Than That and Savoy Blues for the OKeh label.

1928–George Gershwin's composition, An American in Paris, has its premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York.

1930–Actor, Robert Prosky, is born Robert Józef Porzuczek in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He appeared in the films Thief, Hanky Panky, The Lords of Discipline, The Natural, Big Shots, Broadcast News, Things Change, Green Card, Far and Away, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Man Walking, Mad City, and Death to Smoochy.

1933–Film director and West Coast rock impresario, Lou Adler, is born in Chicago, Illinois. In 1964, Adler founded and co-owned Dunhill Records. He was President of the label as well as the chief record producer from 1964 to 1967. Adler helped to produce the Monterey International Pop Festival and produced the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He is the owner of the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California. He was married to actress, Shelley Fabares.

1934–Thomas A. Watson, assistant to Alexander Graham Bell, dies of heart disease at age 80. He is best known as the recipient of the first telephone call (coming from the next room) and his name became the first words ever said over the phone. According to Bell's laboratory notebook, when testing the telephone he said, "Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you."

1935–Film producer, Richard (Darryl) Zanuck, is born in Los Angeles, California. His films include The Chapman Report, The Sound of Music, The Sugarland Express, Jaws, MacArthur, The Verdict, Cocoon, and Driving Miss Daisy. His father was head of production for 20th Century-Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck.

1937–During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. This is followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians.

1938–The Neuengamme concentration camp opens in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany.

1939–In World War II, Captain Hans Langsdorff of the German Deutschland-class cruiser (pocket battleship) Admiral Graf Spee, engages with Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax, and HMNZS Achilles.

1941–The Kingdom of Hungary and Kingdom of Romania declare war on the United States.

1944–Artist, Wassily Kandinsky, dies in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, at age 78. The Russian-born artist was one of the founders of the abstract expressionist movement in painting. After successful avant-garde exhibitions, he founded the influential Munich group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). His forms evolved from fluid and organic to geometric and, finally, to pictographic.

1948–The American Federation of Musicians goes back to work after an eleven and one half-month strike. During the strike, there was a ban on recording.

1949–The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem.

1950–Actor, James Dean, begins his career with an appearance in a Pepsi commercial.

1957–Actor, Steve Buscemi, is born Steven Vincent Buscemi in Brooklyn, New York. He appeared in the films Parting Glances, Call Me, Vibes, Slaves of New York, Mystery Train, New York Stories, Bloodhounds of Broadway, Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink, Reservoir Dogs, CrissCross, Twenty Bucks, Airheads, Pulp Fiction, Billy Madison, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Wedding Singer, Armageddon, and Mr. Deeds.

1959–Archbishop Makarios III becomes the first President of Cyprus.

1960–While Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Brazil, his Imperial Bodyguard seizes the capital and proclaims him deposed. His son, Crown Prince Asfa Wossen, becomes Emperor.

1961–The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Decca Records’ executive, Mike Smith, attends the night’s performance with the idea of offering The Beatles a recording contract.

1961–Folk artist, Grandma Moses, dies in Hoosick Falls, New York, at age 101. Having begun painting in earnest at the age of 78, she is often cited as an example of an individual successfully beginning a career in the arts at an advanced age. Her paintings are among the collections of many museums. Grandmas Moses was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants and Daughters of the American Revolution.

1962–NASA launches Relay 1, the first active repeater communications satellite into orbit.

1967–Constantine II of Greece attempts an unsuccessful counter-coup against the Regime of the Colonels.

1968–Brazilian President Artur da Costa e Silva issues AI-5 (Institutional Act No. 5), enabling government by decree and suspending habeas corpus.

1972–Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final extra-vehicular activity or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. They are the last humans to set foot on the Moon.

1974–Malta becomes a Republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

1974–George Harrison, his father, Ravi Shankar, Billy Preston, and Jim Keltner, have lunch with President Gerald Ford at the White House in Washington, D.C. The President's son, Jack, had extended an invitation to Harrison who is in town to perform a date on his North American tour.

1977–A DC-3 aircraft chartered from the Indianapolis-based National Jet crashes near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29 people, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff, and boosters of the team.

1981–General Wojciech Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland, largely due to the actions by Solidarity.

1981–Entertainer, Pigmeat Markham, dies from a stroke in the Bronx, New York, at age 77. Although he is best known as a comedian, Markham was also a singer, dancer, and actor. His nickname came from a stage routine in which he declared himself to be "Sweet Poppa Pigmeat." He became a regular performer on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-in in the mid-1960s. He appeared in the films Am I Guilty?, That’s My Baby!, House-Rent Party, Fight That Ghost, and Junction 88.

1982–A 6.0 earthquake shakes southwestern Yemen, killing 2,800 people and injuring 1,500 others.

1988–PLO Chairman, Yasser Arafat, gives a speech at a UN General Assembly meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, after United States authorities refused to grant him a visa to visit UN headquarters in New York.

1989–The Provisional Irish Republican Army launches an attack on a British Army temporary vehicle checkpoint near Rosslea, Northern Ireland. Two British soldiers are killed and one is badly wounded.

1992–Businessman and philanthropist, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, dies in Saratoga Springs, New York, at age 93. As a member of both the Whitney and Vanderbilt families, he inherited a substantial fortune. Whitney became involved in the motion picture industry, notably with his cousin, John Hay Whitney, as a major shareholder backing the Technicolor Corporation. The two were also financiers for the 1939 film classic Gone with the Wind. He was the third generation of Whitneys to be heavily involved in thoroughbred horse racing. Upon his death, C.V. Whitney owned over 51,000 acres in the Adirondacks, along with a great camp called Deerlands.

1997–Kurt Winter, of The Guess Who, dies of kidney failure in Toronto, Canada, at age 51.

1998–Television mogul, Lord Lew Grade, dies of heart failure in London, England, at age 91. Grade's interest in television production began in 1954, when in partnership he successfully bid for franchises in the newly created ITV network, which led to the creation of Associated Television (ATV). Reflecting his background in variety, Grade's favorite show (and a success for the new company) was Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955-1967 and 1973-1974), one of the most popular programs on British television in its day. His other successful TV series were The Saint, The Prisoner, and The Avengers.

2000–The "Texas Seven" escape from the John B. Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas, and go on a robbery spree, during which police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot and killed.

2000–Paul McCartney signs copies of his new book, Paul McCartney Paintings, at a bookstore in London, England.

2001–Sansad Bhavan, the building housing the Indian Parliament, is attacked by terrorists. Twelve people are killed, including the terrorists.

2002–The European Union (EU) announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members on May 1, 2004.

2002–Zal Yanovsky, of The Lovin’ Spoonful, dies of a heart attack in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, at age 57.

2003–During the Iraq War, former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, is captured near his home town of Tikrit.

2005–Gang leader, Stanley Williams, dies of a lethal injection in San Quentin Prison, San Quentin, California, at age 51. He had been convicted of four murders. He was co-founder of West Side Crips, an American street gang which has its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1969.

2006–Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is adopted.

2006–Businessman, Lamar Hunt, dies of prostate cancer in Dallas, Texas, at age 74. He co-founded the American Football League and World Championship Tennis.

2011–A murder-suicide in Liège, Belgium, kills six people and wounds 125 people at a Christmas market.

2013–In Centennial, Colorado, a female Arapahoe High School student seeking the librarian is shot dead in a hallway by another student after the librarian had demoted him on the debate team. The shooter takes his own life shortly afterwards.

2014–Landslides caused by heavy rain in Java, Indonesia, kill at least 56 people.

2015–Tens of thousands of Brazilians protest in cities around the country to demand that Congress impeach President Dilma Rousseff.

2015–At least 23 patients are killed and 23 are injured in a psychiatric hospital fire in the Voronezh Oblast in western Russia. The remaining 24 patients are safely evacuated.

2015–At least 11 people are killed and dozens are injured in a bombing in the city of Parachinar in the Kurram Valley of Pakistan.

2015–The Kickstarter fundraiser for the return of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 to television is a record-setting $5,764,229, with outside sources coming in at $600,000. Creator of the series, Joel Hodgson, says it’s enough money to produce episodes.

2016–Google forges a deal with Cuba to allow better access to the Internet for the island.

2016–Muhammad V becomes the new monarch of Malaysia.

2016–President-elect Donald Trump formally announces ExxonMobil CEO, Rex Tillerson, as his choice for United States Secretary of State.

2016–The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirms a 62.4 foot wave, recorded on February 4, 2013, in the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the United Kingdom, as the largest ever on record.

2016–Actor, Alan Thicke, dies of a heart attack in Burbank, California, at age 69. He is best known for the role of Jason Seaver on the TV series Growing Pains. He also hosted an American syndicated late-night talk show Thicke of the Night.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Pepin I of Aquitaine; Mahmud I; Luna Park in St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia; Dick Van Dyke; Thomas A. Watson; Wassily Kandinsky; Crown Prince Asfa Wossen; George Harrison with President Gerald Ford at the White House in Washington, D.C.; Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney; Paul McCartney Paintings by Paul McCartney; Lamar Hunt; and Alan Thicke.
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