Today in History for 8th August 2015

Historical Events

Events 1 - 100 of 199

70 - Tower of Antonia destroyed by Romans

936 - German king Otto I the Great crowned

1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula.

1322 - Emperor Godaigo, makes Sojiji monastery. chief monastery of Soto Sect

1508 - Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon founds Caparra the 1st European settlement in Puerto Rico

1509 - The Emperor Krishnadeva Raya is crowned, marking the beginning of the regeneration of theVijayanagara Empire in Southern India.

1549 - France declares war on England

1567 - Duke of Alva's army enters Brussels, Belgium

1570 - Peace of Saint-Germain-and-Laye, more freedom for huguenots

1579 - Cornerstone is laid for Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg observatory

1585 - Pope Sixtus excommunicates Hendri of Navarra (Henri IV)

1585 - John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in search of the Northwest Passage.

1605 - The city of Oulu, Finland, is founded by Charles IX of Sweden.

Astronomer & Physicist Galileo Galilei

1609 - Venetian senate examines Galileo Galilei's telescope

1619 - Duke Maximilian I & Emperor Ferdinand II signs Treaty of Munchen

1647 - The Irish Confederate Wars and Wars of the Three Kingdoms: Battle of Dungans Hill - English

Parliamentary forces defeat Irish forces.

1673 - Dutch battle fleet of 23 ships demands surrender of NYC

1700 - Denmark & Sweden sign peace treaty

1709 - 1st known ascent in hot-air balloon, Bartolomeu de Gusmao (indoors)

1758 - British troops occupy & plunder Cherbourg

1786 - US Congress adopts silver dollar & decimal system of money

1786 - Jacques Balmat & Michel Paccard are 1st to climb to top of Mont Blanc

1788 - King Louis XVI calls French States & Generals together

1793 - The insurrection of Lyon occurs during the French Revolution.

1794 - Joseph Whidbey and George Vancouver lead an expedition to search for the NorthwestPassage near Juneau, Alaska.

1796 - Boston African Society establishes with 44 members

1809 - 70 disciples of Gaon of Vilnius, arrive in Palestine

1814 - Peace negotiations begin in Ghent, Belgium

1816 - Bavaria joins Holy Alliance

1829 - French government of De Polignac forms

1831 - Battle of Hasselt - Dutch army drives out Belgian Army

1839 - Beta Theta Pi is founded in Oxford, Ohio.

1843 - Natal (in South Africa) is made a British colony

Founder of Salt Lake City and President of the LDS Church BrighamYoung

1844 - Brigham Young chosen Mormon Church head following the death of Joseph Smith

1853 - Russian fleet appears at Nagasaki, Japan

1854 - Smith & Wesson patents metal bullet cartridges

1860 - Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in NYC

1863 - American Civil War: Tennessee's "military" Governor Andrew Johnson frees his personalslaves. Celebrated as a holiday by Tennessee African Americans (early 20th century)

1864 - Comet C/1864 N1 (Tempel) approaches within 0.0964 AUs of Earth

1864 - Union troops/fleet occupy Fort Gaines, Alabama

1868 - Earthquake destroyes Arica, Chile

1870 - Magic (US) defeats Cambria (England) in 2nd running of America's Cup

1870 - The Republic of Ploie?ti, a failed Radical-Liberal rising against Domnitor Carol of Romania.

1876 - Dan O'Leacy completes 500 mile walk in 139h32m

Inventor Thomas Edison

1876 - Thomas Edison patents mimeograph

1882 - Snow falls on Lake Michigan

1900 - 1st Davis Cup tennis competition, named after Dwight Filley Davis, began at LongwoodCricket Club in Mass, & won by US 2 days later

1902 - 2nd Davis Cup: USA beats British Isles in New York (3-2)

1903 - 3rd Davis Cup: British Isles beats USA in Boston (4-1)

1903 - In 11th an old black ball is put into play against Cleve, Tigers' Nap Lajoie protests ignored, hehurls ball out of park & forfeits game

1910 - The US Army installs the first tricycle landing gear on the Army's Wright Flyer.

1911 - The millionth patent is filed in the United States Patent Office by Francis Holton for atubeless vehicle tire.

1911 - Public Law 62-5 sets the number of representatives in the United States House ofRepresentatives at 435. The law would come into effect in 1913.

1913 - Richard Corfields "Camel Corps" opens "Mad Mullah" in Burao Somalia

1914 - 3rd pole expedition Ernest Shackleton "Endurance"

1914 - French troops under Gen Bonneau occupy Mulhouse at Elzas

1914 - Montenegro declares war on Germany

1916 - A's set AL record with 19th consecutive loss on road

1918 - WW I: The Battle of Amiens begins - Canada/Australian/British breakthrough with 600 tanks

1918 - 6 US soldiers are surrounded by Germans in France, Alvin York is given command & shoots20 Germans & captures 132 more

1919 - Treaty of Rawalpindi, British recognise Afghanistan's independence

1920 - Tigers beat Yanks 1-0 in shortest AL game, 73 minutes

1922 - Pirates set record of 46 hits in a doubleheader (against Phillies)

1924 - British-Russian trade agreement signed

1925 - 1st national march of Ku Klux Klan (200,000) in Washington, DC

1929 - German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight

1929 - Salem Oregon airport dedicated

1930 - St Louis Cards are 12 games back in NL, & go on to win pennant

1931 - Wash Senator Bob Burke no-hits Boston Red Sox, 5-0

1937 - Bonneville Dam on Columbia River begins producing power

1938 - Great Trek Centenary Celebrations commence; the Great Trek was a migration involvingBoers leaving the Cape Colony and settling in the interior of South Africa

1940 - 31 German aircraft shot down over England

1940 - The "Aufbau Ost" directive is signed by Wilhelm Keitel.

1941 - 20 divisions of Russian 6th/12th Army surrender at Oeman

1942 - "Monty" appointed commander of British 8th Army at Alamein

1942 - 6 convicted Nazi saboteurs who landed in US executed in Washngton, DC

1942 - British corvette HMS Dianthus sinks U-379

1942 - Russian anti-offensive of Voronezh under marshal Timosjenko

1943 - Common Chiefs of staff meet in Quebec

1943 - US amphibians land at St Agata on North coast of Sicily

1943 - Vegetables & fruit rationed in Holland

1944 - Canada/Polish troops occupy Cramesnil/Secqueville/Cintheaux/St-Aignan

1944 - US 15th Army corps occupies Le Mans

1945 - England & Australian Services draw 4th Victory Test

Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations

33rd US President Harry Truman

1945 - President Harry Truman signs the United Nations Charter

1945 - US, USSR, Britain & France sign Treaty of London, set down procedures for Nuremberg trials

1945 - USSR declares war against Japan in WW II

1945 - USSR establishes a communist government in North Korea

1946 - India agrees to give Bhutan 32 sq miles

1946 - Dreyfuss family, owners of Pittsburgh Pirates since 1900, sells club to Frank McKinney &John Galbreath for $25 million

1946 - First flight of the Convair B-36.

1947 - Pakistan's National Flag is approved.

1948 - "Hold It!" opens at National Theater NYC for 46 performances

1949 - Bhutan, land of Dragon, becomes an independent monarchy

1950 - Florence Chadwick swims English Channel (13:23)

1950 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA All-American Golf Open

Swimmer Florence Chadwick

1952 - Syngman Ree re-elected president of South-Korea

1953 - Russia's Georgi Malenkov reports possession of hydrogen bomb

1953 - US & South Korea initial a mutual security pact

1955 - Fidel Castro forms "July 26th Movement"

Famous Birthdays

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 261

1079 - Emperor Horikawa of Japan (d. 1107)

1518 - Conrad Lycosthenes, French-born German humanist and encyclopedist (d. 1561)

1571 - John Ward, composer

1586 - Adolf, earl of Nassau-Siegen

1605 - Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, British colonial Governor of Maryland (d. 1675)

1617 - Adriaan W "Joris" van Geel, Flemish missionary (Bantu Dictionary)

1646 - Godfrey Kneller, German-born painter (d. 1723)

1653 - Jacques Basnage, French/Neth historian/vicar

1673 - John Ker, Scottish spy (d. 1726)

1693 - Laurent Belissen, composer

1694 - Francis Hutcheson, Irish philosopher (d. 1746)

1705 - Gustaaf Imhoff, gov of Ceylon (1736-40)/gov of Neth-Indies (1743-50)

1720 - Carl Fredrik Pechlin, Swedish politician (d. 1796)

1732 - Johann C Adelung, German linguist/librarian

1746 - Hieronymus van Alphen, Dutch attorney/poet (church songs)

1755 - Luigi Marchesi, composer

1763 - Charles Bulfinch, 1st US pro architect (Mass State House), born in Boston, Massachusetts

1805 - Antoon Jurgens, Dutch margarine manufacturer

1807 - Emilie Flygare-Carlén, Swedish novelist (d. 1892)

1812 - John Rodgers II, Commander (Union Navy), (d. 1882)

1814 - Esther Hobart Morris, suffragist/anti-slavery activist

1819 - Charles Anderson Dana, Asst Secy War, (Union) (d. 1897)

1820 - Winfield Scott "Old Swet" Featherston, Army Brigadier General (Confederate)

1823 - Theodule Augustin Ribot, painter

1824 - Maria Alexandrovna (Marie of Hesse), Tsarina of Russia (d. 1880)

1835 - James William Forsyth, Brigadier General (Union volunteers), (d. 1906)

1839 - Nelson Appleton Miles, Major General (Union volunteers), (d. 1925)

1852 - Barend Barendse, actor/director (Wandering Jew)

1857 - Cecile Chaminade, composer

1857 - Henry Osborn, Conn, paleontologist/author (52 Years of Research)

1861 - William Bateson, English biologist (originator of term "genetics")

1864 - Henri de Vries, [Van Walterop], Dutch actor (Cleopatra, White Cargo)

1866 - Matthew A Henson, 1st African American to reach North Pole (Jun 4 1909)

1871 - William Henry Squire, composer

1875 - Artur da Silva Bernardes, President of Brazil (d. 1955)

1879 - Emiliano Zapata, Mexican revolutionary, peasant leader

1879 - Bob Smith, American founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (d. 1950)

1880 - Earle Page, Australian politician (d. 1961)

1881 - Paul L E von Kleist, German general-fieldmarshal (Eastern Front)

1882 - Ladislas Starevich, Polish animator (d. 1965)

1884 - Sara Teasdale, US, poet (1st Pulitzer Prize-1918-"Love Songs")

1886 - Daniel Ruyneman, composer

1886 - Pietro Alessandro Yon, composer

1887 - Esme Percy, actor (Old Spanish Custom), born in London, England

1887 - J C Heldring, Dutch businessman

1887 - Malcolm Keen, Bristol England, actor (Uncle Chris-Mama)

1887 - Ullrich Haupt, Prussia, actor (Morocco, Du Barry-Woman of Passion)

1889 - Jack Ryder, cricketer (athletic Australian all-rounder & captain)

1891 - Adolf Busch, German violinist (d. 1952)

1892 - Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, Spanish footballer (d. 1922)

1895 - Law Pendleton, US, wrestler/actor (Laughing Lady)

1896 - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Wash DC, writer (Yearling)

1898 - Paul Belmondo, French sculptor (Bathing Woman, Orleans)

1898 - Alexis Minotis, Greek actor (d. 1990)

1900 - Josephine Holt Bay, 1st woman to head a firm on NY stock exchange

1900 - Victor Young, orchestra leader (Milton Berle Show, In Old California), born in Chicago,Illinois

1901 - Ernest O Lawrence, Canton SC, inventor (Cyclotron-Nobel 1939)

Theoretical Physicist and Nobel Laureat Paul Dirac (1902)

1902 - Paul Dirac, Bristol, physicist (quantum mechanics, Nobel 1933), (d. 1984)

1903 - August Cool, Belgian union leader/minister of state

1904 - Istvan Szelenyi, composer

1904 - Achille Varzi, Italian race car driver (d. 1948)

1905 - Andre Jolivet, Paris France, composer (L'Eunuque)

1905 - Nino Martini, Verona Italy, actor (Here's to Romance)

1905 - Wachtang Ananjan, writer

1906 - Andre Demedts, Flemish writer (Rainfall of the Days)

1907 - Benny Carter, musician/composer (Easy Money, King Carter), born in NYC, New York

1908 - Arthur J Goldberg, Ill, UN ambassador/Supreme Court justice (1962-65)

1908 - Chivu Stoica, premier of Romania (1955-61)

1909 - Bill Voce, cricketer (England left-arm bodyline bowler)

1910 - Francisco Brochado Da Rocha, PM of Brazil (1962)

1910 - Sylvia Sidney, Bronx NY, actress (WKRP, Sabotage, Beetlejuice, Demon)

1911 - Rosetta LeNoire, actor (Grandma Winslow-Family Matters), born in NYC, New York

1912 - Daniel Mann, Brooklyn, director (Willard, Butterfield 8)

1913 - Axel Stordahl, Staten Island NY, orchestra leader (Frank Sinatra Show)

1913 - Daan Wildschut, painter/glazenier/author

1913 - Robert T Stafford, (Sen-R-VT, 1971-88)

1914 - Arthur Holt, politician

1915 - Jumbo Elliott, American track coach (d. 1981)

1918 - Rory Calhoun, actor (Capitol, Motel Hell, Bill-Texan), born in Los Angeles, California

1919 - Dino De Laurentiis, Torre Annunziata Italy, producer (King Kong)

1920 - Don Cook, foreign Correspondent

1920 - Leo Chiosso, Italian lyricist (d. 2006)

1920 - Jimmy Witherspoon, American singer (d. 1997)

1921 - Roger Nixon, composer

1921 - John Herbert Chapman, British physicist (d. 1979)

1921 - Webb Pierce, American singer (d. 1991)

1921 - Vulimiri Ramalingaswami, Indian medical scientist (d. 2001)

1922 - Michael Parkin, journalist

1922 - Rory Calhoun, actor (Blue & Gray, Judson Tyler-Capitol)

1922 - Rudi Gernreich, designer (1st women's topless swimsuit, miniskirt)

1922 - Gertrude Himmelfarb, American historian

1923 - Esther Williams, Inglewood Cal, actress/swimmer (Dangerous when Wet), (d. 2013)

1924 - Thomas Beversdorf, composer

1925 - Jack Stoddart, designer/socialist

1925 - Alija Izetbegovi?, Bosniak politician (d. 2003)

1926 - Richard Anderson, Long Beach NJ, actor (Oscar Goldman-6 Million $ Man)

1926 - Webb Pierce, West Monroe La, country singer (Ozark Jubilee)

1927 - Elis Juliana, Antillian writer/poet (Lady of the Night: A flower)

1927 - Jim Weaver, (Rep-D-OR, 1975- )

1927 - Juri Kasakow, writer

Famous Weddings

Weddings 1 - 11 of 11

1502 - Jacobus IV of Scotland marries Margaretha Tudor

French Naturalist Jean-BaptisteLamarck (1778)

1778 - Naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (34) weds Marie Anne Rosalie Delaporte

1810 - Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib marries Maaroof, daughter of Nawab Ilahi Baksh, and moves to Delhi.

1867 - Engineer George Westinghouse (20) weds Marguerite Erskine Walker in Brooklyn, New York

1925 - China's Premier Zhou Enlai (27) weds Deng Yingchao (21) in Guangzhou

1942 - Journalist Ben Bradlee (20) weds Jean Saltonstall

1992 - Actress Barbara Hershey weds artist Stephen Douglas

1993 - California state senator Tom Hayden (54) weds actress Barbara Williams (40)

1995 - "Veronica's Closet" actress Kathy Najimy (38) weds actor Dan Finnerty (25)

1996 - NBA Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon (33) weds Dalia Asafi (18) in Houston, Texas

NBA Center Hakeem Olajuwon (1996)

2009 - International opera group Il Divo singer David Miller weds singer and theater actress SarahJoy Kabanuck in New York City

Famous Divorces

Divorces 1 - 2 of 2

Mobster Bugsy Siegel (1946)

1946 - Esta Krakower divorces mobster Bugsy Siegel (40) after 17 years of marriage

1968 - Actor Jack Nicholson (31) divorces Sandra Knight (28) after 6 years of marriage

Famous Deaths

Deaths 1 - 100 of 115

869 - Lothair II of Lotharingia (855-869) dies at about 34

1445 - Oswald von Wolkenstein,Austrian composer

1506 - Sesshu Toyo, Zen monk/painter,dies in Yamaguchi Japan at 86

1553 - Girolamo Fracastoro, Italianphysician (b. 1478)

1555 - Oronce Finé, Frenchmathematician (b. 1494)

1588 - Alonso Sánchez Coello, Spanishpainter

1604 - Horio Tadauji, Japanesewarlord (b. 1578)

1616 - Cornelis Ketel, Dutch portraitpainter/poet, buried at 68

1631 - Konstantinas Sirvydas,Lithuanian lexicographer (b. 1579)

1684 - George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer (b. 1622)

1685 - Sassoferrato, [Giovanni B Salvi], Ital painter (Madonna), dies at 75

1694 - Antoine Arnauld [le grand Arnauld], French lawyer/theology, dies at 82

1700 - Matthias Henriksen Schacht, composer, dies at 40

1705 - Willem Roukens, mayor (Nimegen ort Nimeguen), beheaded

1747 - Madeleine de Verchères, New France heroine (b. 1678)

1759 - Karl Heinrich Graun, German composer, dies at 55

1788 - Louis FAD Duke the Richelieu, French marshal, dies at 92

1816 - Blas de Laserna, composer, dies at 65

1827 - George Canning, British minister of Foreign affairs, dies at 57

1828 - Carl Peter Thunberg, Swedish naturalist (b. 1743)

1834 - Silvestro Palma, composer, dies at 80

1863 - Angus MacAskill known as 'Giant MacAskill', circus performer (b.1825)

1879 - Immanuel Hermann Fichte, German philosopher (b. 1797)

1887 - Alexander William Doniphan, American lawyer and soldier (b. 1808)

1888 - Friedrich Wilhelm Jahns, composer, dies at 79

1897 - Jacob Burckhardt, Swiss cultural historian, dies at 79

1898 - Eugène Boudin, French painter (b. 1824)

1902 - Jean Y Y Tissot, French painter/illustrator, dies

1908 - Joseph [Maria] Olbrich, architect (Wiener Sezession), dies at 40

1911 - William P. Frye, American politician (b. 1830)

1918 - Gertrude E Durden Rush, US composer/playwright, dies at 38

1921 - Juhani Aho, Fins journalist/writer (Panu, Tuomio), dies at 59

1928 - Stjepan Radic, founder/leader (Croatian Boer party), dies

1934 - Wilbert Robinson, baseball manager (Bkln Dodgers), dies

1940 - Johnny Dodds, American musician (b. 1892)

1944 - Erwin von Witzleben, German fieldmarshal, hanged at 62

1947 - Anton Ivanovich Denikin, Russian general (b. 1872)

1950 - Ernest F E Douwes Dekker, founder National-India Party, dies

1950 - Nicolai Yakovlevich Miaskovsky, composer, dies at 69

1950 - Fergus McMaster, Australian businessman (b. 1879)

1954 - Gino Tagliapietra, composer, dies at 67

1960 - Danton Walker, columnist (Broadway Spotlight), dies at 61

1961 - Charlie Gemora, actor (who portrayed King Kong), dies at 58

1961 - Franc N D Buchman, US theology (Moral Rearms), dies at 83

1961 - Méi Lánf?ng, Chinese opera performer (b. 1894)

1963 - Sandor Jemnitz, composer, dies at 72

Writer Shirley Jackson (1965)

1965 - Shirley Jackson, US author (Road Through the Wall), dies at 45

1966 - Pierre Charles, Belgian heavyweight boxer, dies at 63

1967 - Jaromir Weinberger, Czech/US composer (Czech Rhapsody), dies at 71

1968 - Orovida Camille Pissarro, British painter and etcher (b. 1893)

1969 - Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer, German eugenicist and Nazi physician (b. 1896)

1972 - Andrea Feldman, American actor (b. 1948)

1973 - Vilhelm Moberg, Swedish author and historian (b. 1898)

1974 - Baldur von Schirach, German author/nazi politician, dies at 67

1975 - Julian "Cannonball" Alderly, saxophonist/bandleader, dies of a stroke at 46

1976 - John Roselli, hired by CIA to kill Castro, found murdered

1979 - Nicholas Monsarrat, British novelist (b. 1910)

1980 - Aga Yahya Khan, Pakistan military/politician, dies at 63

1980 - Jacqueline Cochrane, US pilot/1st female faster than sound, dies at 70

1980 - Paul Triquet, French Canadian army officer (b. 1910)

1982 - Ferre Grignard, Belgian pop singer/painter (Crucified Jesus), dies

1982 - Hermine Heijermans, author (Snikken en Smartlapjes), dies at 80

1982 - Kurt Edelhagen, West German jazz pianist, dies at 62

1982 - Valeer van Kerkhove, Flemish writer/producer (De Weerlozen), dies

1982 - Eric Brandon, British racing driver (b. 1920)

1984 - Richard Deacon, actor (Mel Cooley-Dick Van Dyke Show), dies at 62

1984 - Ellen Raskin, American author(b.1928)

1985 - Louise Brooks, actress (Pandora's Box), dies of a heart attack at 78

1987 - Danilo Blanu?a, Croatian mathematician (b. 1903)

1988 - Alan Napier, actor (Alfred-Batman), dies at 85

1988 - Ramón Valdés, Mexican actor (b. 1923)

1991 - Brad Davis, actor (Sybil, Midnight Express), dies of AIDS at 41

1991 - James B Irwin, Col USAF/astronaut (Apollo 15), dies at 61

1991 - John Brasser, Zaans resistance fighter (White Ko), dies

1991 - Magdalena G Schenk, historical (Vorstenhuizen of our time), dies

1991 - Julissa Gomez, American gymnast (b. 1972)

1992 - Abul Qassim Khoei, Iraqi great-ayatollah/leader of Sjiieten, dies

1992 - Alison L Gertz, US aids-activist/Esquire women of year, dies of aids

1992 - Arthur Lang, US boxer/businessman, dies at 115

1992 - Eitan Berglas, Israeli banker/advisor, dies

1992 - Lou Krugman, actor (I Want to Live), dies of cancer at 78

1992 - Thomas J McIntyre, US, senator/writer (Fear Brokers), dies

1993 - Harry Bellaver, actor (Blue Collar, The Old Man & the Sea), dies at 88

1993 - Lou van Raised, impresario, dies at 77

1993 - Roy London, US actor/director (Tiger Warsaw), dies of lymphoma at 50

1994 - Henriette Santer, clinical psychologist, dies at 62

1994 - Leonid Leonov, Russian playwright (Russky Lesson), dies at 95

1994 - Leonid Maksimovich Leonov, novelist/Playwright, dies at 94

1994 - Robin Cavendish, disabled Campaigner, dies at 64

1995 - David Begelman, film producer, dies at 73

1996 - Didi Duprat, French guitarist, dies at 69

1996 - Frank A Whittle, inventor of the Jet engine, dies at 89

1996 - George Richard Samways, children's writer, dies at 101

1996 - Herbert Huncke, writer, dies at 80

1996 - Julian Stryjkowski, writer, dies at 91

1996 - Nevill Francis Mott, physicist, dies at 90

1997 - Duncan Swift, jazz pianist, dies at 74

1998 - Mahmoud Saremi, Iranian journalist

2004 - Fay Wray, American actress (King Kong), dies at 96

2004 - Dimitris Papamichael, Greek actor (b. 1934)

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