2014 Event 17-year-old Katie Ledecky, the current world record holder for fastest 400-meter freestyle, breaks her own record at the Pan Pacific championships 2014 Event U.S. Girl Scout Katie Francis breaks the record for selling cookies for the organization's annual fundraiser, selling 18,107 boxes over a seven-week period 2014 Event Renaud Lavillenie, French champion pole vaulter, breaks the previous height record, held by athlete Sergey Bubka, at the Pole Vault Stars meet in Donetsk, Ukraine; Lavillenie reached 6.16 meters indoors, exceeding Bubka's world record of 6.15 m indoors achieved in 1993 2013 Event In the midst of an increasing industrial slowdown, China institutes business tax breaks and export liberalization in an effort to boost its economic growth 2013 Event U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer breaks his shoulder on a fall from his bicycle and is taken to the hospital by ambulance 2012 Event A fire breaks out in the Tamweel Tower, one of about 80 towers built or still under construction in the Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai 2012 Event Australian daredevil Felix Baumgartner breaks the world record for human ascent by balloon by space diving 128,100 feet out of the Red Bull Stratos helium-filled balloon over Roswell, New Mexico 2011 Event U.S. company Apple Inc. breaks company sales records with the release of its iPhone 4S smartphone with over 4 million units sold in 4 days 2011 Event Kenyan runner, Patrick Makau Musyoki, breaks the world record for the marathon at the Berlin Marathon 2011 Event A near riot breaks out at the Beijing Apple Store as the Apple iPad2 goes on sale in the People's Republic of China 1998 Event Mark McGwire breaks Roger Marris' 62 home run record for a season, and goes on to hit 70 home runs for the 1998 season 1997 Event Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana breaks world record, 318 million distributed 1997 Event Japan's maglev train breaks world speed record at 280.3 mph 1997 Event Fire breaks out at Palais de Chaillot in Paris 1997 Event Los Angeles Dodger Wilton Guerrero's bat breaks, revealing it is corked 1996 Event New York Jet Nick Lowrey breaks Jan Stenerud NFL field goal record at 374 1996 Event Albert Belle uses a forearm to break up a double play and nearly breaks Brewer 2nd baseman Fernando Vina's nose, Belle gets 2 game suspension 1995 Event Worst snowstorm in Buffalo history, 37.9" in 24 hours, Starting December 9th at 7 PM, breaks previous record of 25.3" in 1982 1995 Event Marino breaks Tarkenton's NFL all-time passing yardage mark of 47,003 1995 Event Dolphin's Dan Marino breaks Tarkenton's NFL career completions record 1995 Event Dennis Martinez pitch breaks Kirby Puckett's jaw in Indians 12-4 win 1995 Event Cal Ripken, Jr. breaks Gehrig's record, plays in 2,131 straight games 1994 Event Ken Griffey, Jr. breaks Ruth's record for most home runs by end of June (31) 1994 Death Ulrike Maier, olympic skier, breaks neck during world cup skiing at 26 1994 Event Hague motorist with .51% alcohol in blood, breaks Dutch record (.47%) 1994 Event Queen Elizabeth falls off her horse and breaks her left wrist 1993 Event Dam breaks in Qinghai West China, 223 killed 1993 Event Cleveland breaks ground for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1992 Event Actress Peg Phillips (Northern Exposure), falls and breaks 3 fingers 1992 Event Jeff Reardon breaks Rollie Fingers' save record with #342 1992 Event Ozzie Smith breaks Roy McMillan's NL mark by taking part in his 1,305th career double play 1992 Event Joan Lunden, breaks her left shoulder after being thrown from a horse 1992 Event Europe breaks down trade barriers 1991 Event Charles Austin breaks U.S. high jump record at 7'10 " 1991 Event Rickey Henderson breaks Lou Brocks record with his 939th steal 1991 Event John Stockton breaks his own NBA season assist record at 1,136 1990 Event Gary Carter catches his 1,862nd career game breaks Al Lopez's NL mark 1990 Event Singer Gloria Estefan breaks her collarbone in a bus accident 1990 Event On a BBC taped interview, rock star Stevie Nicks breaks down, saying that she will never have children and no man can stand her for long 1989 Event Cancer sufferer/San Francisco Giant pitcher Dave Dravecky breaks arm on mound 1989 Event In 2nd start since after cancer treatment, Giants Dave Dravecky breaks his pitching arm while throwing to Tim Raines 1988 Event Los Angeles Dodger Orel Herschiser breaks former Dodger Don Drysdale mark by pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings 1988 Event In just Oakland's 39th of the season, pitcher Dave Stewart breaks record with his 12th balk en route to 16 1988 Event Canadian Ben Johnson breaks own 50-yard dash world record at 5.15 1987 Event Iran and France breaks diplomatic relations 1986 Event Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 136th assist 1986 Event Barbra Striesand and Jon Peters relationship breaks up 1985 Event Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 126th assist 1984 Event Bruce Sutter breaks NL record for saves in a season with his 38th 1984 Event Mattingly's single breaks up Lamarr Hoyt's perfect game bid 1984 Event Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks Wilt Chamberlain's all-time career scoring record of 31,419 points (31,421) 1983 Event Triple A baseball's Louisville Redbirds breaks 1 million fan mark 1983 Event Supreme Court rules government can deny tax breaks to schools that racially discriminated against students 1983 Event Dow Jones Industrial Avg breaks 1,200 for 1st time 1982 Event Rickey Henderson steals 119th base of season breaks Lou Brock's mark 1981 Event Pete Rose, 3,631 career hit, breaks Stan Musial's NL hit record 1980 Event 2 months after death of drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin breaks up 1980 Event Johnny Bench hits his 314th home run as a catcher breaks Yogi Berra's record 1980 Event Jimmy Carter breaks relations with Iran during hostage crisis 1980 Event Wayne Gretzky breaks Bobby Orr's record with 103rd assist 1979 Event Roscoe Tanner fires 11 aces, breaks the net with his bullet serve and upsets top-seeded Bjorn Borg in U.S. Tennis Open quarterfinals 1979 Event Washington State's Hood Canal Bridge breaks up in windstorm 1978 Event Fee Waybill of Tubes breaks a leg falling off stage 1977 Event Egypt breaks dipl relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria, Iraq and S Yemen 1975 Event Robin Yount breaks Mel Ott's record, playing in 242 games as a teen 1975 Event Rocker Alice Cooper falls off stage in Vancouver, breaks 6 ribs 1975 Event U.S.S.R. breaks trade agreement with US 1974 Event Hammerin' Hank Aaron hits 715th home run, breaks Babe Ruth's record 1974 Event Iran/Iraqi border fight breaks out 1973 Event Butch Trucks drummer of Allman Brothers, breaks leg in a car crash 1973 Event Angels outfielder Bobby Valentine breaks his leg trying to scale wall to prevent a Dick Green home run during a 5-4 loss to the A's 1972 Event Creedence Clearwater Revival breaks up 1972 Event Evil Knievel breaks 93 bones after successfully clearing 35 cars 1971 Event Watergate team breaks into Daniel Ellsberg's doctor's office 1970 Event New York Yankees Horace Clarke breaks up a no-hitter in the 9th for 3rd time in 28 days 1970 Event Yankees Horace Clarke breaks up a no-hitter in the 9th for the 2nd of 3 times in 28 days 1970 Event Yankees Horace Clarke breaks up a no-hitter in the 9th for the 1st of 3 times in 28 days 1969 Event Concorde 001 test flight breaks sound barrier 1969 Event Don Sutton breaks his 13-game losing streak to Cubs with a 4-2 win 1969 Event Honduras/El Salvador breaks diplomatic relations due to soccer match 1968 Event Hoyt Wilhelm's 907th breaks Cy Young's record for pitching appearances 1968 Event Jane Asher breaks her engagement with Paul McCartney on live TV 1966 Event Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith breaks diplomatic relations with Britain 1966 Event Military coup led by Indonesian General Suharto breaks out 1966 Event Wilt Chamberlain breaks NBA career scoring record at 20,884 points 1965 Event Willie Mays 512th home run breaks Mel Ott's 511th NL record 1963 Event Dam in Piave valley Italy, breaks' about 2,000 die 1962 Event Stan Musial breaks Honus Wagner's NL hit record with 3,431 1962 Event Pathet Lao breaks cease fire/conquerors Nam Tha Laos 1961 Event Yank Whitey Ford breaks Ruth record of 29 2/3 consecutive inning 1961 Event Whitey Ford breaks Babe Ruth's World Series record of 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, running his streak to 32 1961 Event Portuguese steamer "Save" breaks up off Mozambique, 227 die 1961 Event U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba 1961 Event U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba 1960 Event Senegal breaks from Mali federation, declaring independence 1959 Event Sandy Koufax breaks Dizzy Dean's NL mark of 18 strikeouts in a game 1959 Birthday Kurtis Blow, New York City, rapper, Krushgroove-The Breaks 1958 Event King Hussein of Jordan breaks off diplomatic relations with UAR 1957 Event USAAF ballon breaks an altitude record at 102,000' (310,896 m) 1957 Event Richie Ashburn, fouls hit fan Alice Roth twice in same at bat 1st one breaks her nose, 2nd one hits her while she is on the stretcher 1957 Event 1st U.S. runner breaks 4 minute mile (Don Bowden) 1955 Event Jill Kinmont hits a tree and breaks her back in Snow Cup Ski Race 1954 Event Giants' Willie Mays gets 82nd extra-base hit, breaks Mel Ott's record 1954 Event Netherlands Indonesian Union breaks up 1954 Event Roger Bannister of Britain breaks 4 minute mile (3:59:4) 1954 Event Braves' Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle, he is replaced by Hank Aaron 1953 Event U.S.S.R. breaks relations with Israel 1953 Event Russia breaks diplomatic relations with Israel 1950 Event 17th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 4-3 in 14 at Comiskey Park, Chicago Ted Williams breaks his elbow; 1st extra inning All Star Game 1947 Event New York Giants 183-185 home run of year breaks Yankee mark of 182 in 1936 1946 Event War breaks out in Indochina as Ho Chi Minh attacks French in Hanoi 1945 Event U.S. 1st army breaks out bridgehead near Remagen 1944 Event Finland breaks diplomatic contact with nazi-Germany 1944 Event Turkey breaks diplomatic relationship with nazi-Germany 1943 Event Fanny Whiteers-Koen breaks jumping world record 1943 Event Armed revolt breaks out in Treblinka 1943 Event Soviet Union breaks contact with Polish government exiled in London 1943 Event Chile breaks contact with Germany and Japan 1941 Event DiMaggio breaks Willie Keeler's 44 game hitting streak (45th of 56) 1941 Event English Army breaks German spy codes 1941 Event Romania breaks relations with Netherlands 1939 Birthday Thomas McGuane, U.S., writer, Colf Feet, Tom Horn, Missouri Breaks 1936 Event Hitler breaks Treaty of Versailles, sends troops to Rhineland 1935 Event Jesse Owens equals or breaks 6 world records in one hour 1934 Event John Dillinger breaks out of jail using a wooden pistol 1933 Event Lou Gehrig breaks record by playing in his 1,308th straight game 1930 Event Hack Wilson hits his 44th home run, breaks Chuck Klein's NL record 1929 Event Large quake in Atlantic breaks Transatlantic cable in 28 places 1926 Event Fire breaks out in Fenway Park 1926 Event Mussolini's Irish wife breaks his nose 1924 Event Civil war breaks out in China, General Tsi moves to Shanghai 1920 Event Netherland breaks contact with kingdom of Serbia, Croatia and Slavia 1918 Event Czechoslovakia gains independence as Austria-Hungary breaks up 1917 Event 1st tank battle (Britain breaks through German lines) 1917 Event Russian revolution breaks out in Petrograd 1917 Event Russian revolution breaks out 1912 Event Center fielder Casey Stengel breaks in with Brooklyn and hits 4 singles 1912 Event War between Turkey and Montenegro breaks out in Albania 1911 Event Fire breaks out at Empire Theater in Edinburgh Scotland 1907 Event Bubonic Plague breaks out in San Francisco 1906 Event Flagpole at the White Sox ballpark breaks during pennant-raising 1905 Event James Blackstone, Seattle, bowls 299 -last pin breaks but stands 1902 Event Heavy surf breaks over Seal Rocks and damages Sutro Baths, San Francisco 1897 Event Anti-Jewish violence breaks out in Bucharest Romania 1894 Event 1st U.S. poliomyelitis epidemic breaks out, Rutland, Vermont 1880 Event Battle of Maiwand, at which Dr. Watson is wounded, breaks out 1877 Event U.S. Army breaks railroad strike 1861 Event Dike breaks in Gelderland Netherlands 1838 Event Rebellion at Amherstburg, Ontario breaks out 1830 Event Revolution breaks out in Paris, opposing laws of Charles X 1801 Event House breaks electoral college tie, chooses Jefferson President over Burr 1709 Event Dike at Hardinxveld breaks (Alblasserwaard flooded) 1651 Event South Sea dike in Amsterdam breaks after storm 1574 Event Storm breaks Leiden dike; drowns 20,000 Spanish soldiers 1570 Event Earl of Moray, regent of Scotland, assassinated; civil war breaks out 1421 Event Dikes at Dort Holland breaks, 100,000 drown 1375 Event Westfriese sea wall breaks flooding northern Netherlands 1334 Event St. Clemens Flood: Dike breaks at Flemish/Zeeuwse/Dutch coast
