2015 Event Archaeologists report on the findings in Kenya of stone tools over a half-million years older than known species of human ancestors, raising questions regarding human evolution and use of tools 2015 Event A second major earthquake, magnitude 7.3, hits Nepal less than three weeks after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook the nation and caused thousands of deaths and injuries; at least 48 people are known to have perished in this second event 2015 Event Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale calls for aid after Cyclone Pam decimates homes throughout this nation of over 60 islands, resulting in at least 8 deaths; the full impact of the Category 5 storm is not yet known 2015 Event Actor, director, photographer and writer Leonard Nimoy, most popularly known as Dr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies at age 83 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); Nimoy had been suffering from the illness for about a year 2014 Event New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces a ban of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking; the technique, used to extract natural gas and oil, requires injection of chemicals, sand and water at high pressure underground, posing environmental concerns 2014 Event Pope Francis beatifies Pope Paul VI, who was known for changes in the Catholic Church that came out of Vatican II 2014 Event Former Haitian leader Jean Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier dies of a heart attack at age 63; known for an oppressive regime, he fled the country in 1986 but returned in 2011, pleading not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights violations 2014 Event Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 is hit by a missile while flying over eastern Ukraine, the location of heavy fighting by pro-Russian separatists; the origin of the missile is not yet known; all 298 people aboard the plane were killed in the attack 2014 Event Comedian Tracy Morgan is hospitalized in critical condition after his bus is hit by a speeding semi trailer; fellow comedian James McNair, known as Jimmy Mack, did not survive the collision 2013 Event After a long illness, British actor Peter O'Toole, known for playing Lawrence, in 'Lawrence of Arabia', dies at the age of 81 2013 Event A successor to the SR-71 Blackbird is being built by Lockheed Martin. The company's Advanced Development Programs, known by the alias Skunk Works, has taken on the challenge to builde the SR-72, capable of flying at mach 6 with expected delivery in 2023 2013 Event Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gives birth to a son, the third in line to the British throne; the child, named George Alexander Louis, is formally known as His Royal Highness Prince of Cambridge 2013 Death James Gandolfini, the actor known for his role in the show, The Sopranos, dies at age 51 of a heart attack 2013 Event Scientists describe the 160-million year-old fossile of Aurornis xui as the most basal species of Avialae, possibly shifting the evolutionary position of the Archaeopteryx as the oldest known bird 2013 Event Conservationists determine poachers killed the last known rhinoceroses in Mozambique; these poachers worked with game rangers responsible for protecting them 2013 Event Northwest Africa 7325, a green meteorite found in Morocco, 2012, may have originated on planet Mercury; if scientists are correct, this will be the first known meteorite from Mercury 2013 Event The group of hackers known as Anonymous, hacks into the U.S. Sentencing Commission website as a response to the suicide of Aaron Swartz, an American computer programmer, and internet activist 2013 Event The 1950's American pop singer Patti Page, known for the songs, '(How Much Is That) Doggie In The Window' and "Tennessee Waltz', dies in Encinitas, California at 85 years old 2012 Event Scientists discover the closest known rogue planet to Earth, known as CFBDSIR 2149-0403, the planet is about 100+ light years away 2012 Event Women-only literary prizes are launched by Canada and Australia; the prize, formerly known as the Orange continues its search for a sponsor 2012 Event The 52-foot iconic statue known as Big Tex, is destroyed by fire during the final days of the 2012 State Fair of Texas 2012 Event The last known Pinta Island Tortoise, Lonesome George, is found dead in the Galapagos Islands 2012 Event Florence Green, the last known veteran from World War I, dies in the United Kingdom at the age of 110 2011 Event Scientists in New Britain discover the first orchid known to flower at night, Bulbophyllum nocturnum, over the cost of Papua New Guinea 2011 Event Phoenix, Arizona is hit by a dust storm, also known as a haboob 2011 Event Prince Albert II of Monaco weds Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock at the royal palace; Wittstock is now known as Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlene 2010 Event Known as Africa's female Mandela, Victoire Ingabire, Rwanda's opposition leader, is arrested on charges of forming a terrorist organization 2010 Death Albertina Walker, a famous U.S. gospel singer known as the 'Queen of Gospel' dies in Chicago 2010 Event A new, though threatened, language known as Koro, is discovered by a team of linguists on an expedition to Arunachal Pradesh, in northeastern India 2010 Event Scientists working near Kokoda, Papua New Guinea uncover world's oldest known high altitude human settlement, estimated to be 49,000 years old 2010 Event FARC guerilla leader Victor Julio Suarez Rojas, known as 'Mono Jojoy' is killed in a Columbian Armed Forces military operation 2010 Event Colton Harris-Moore, a 19-year-old fugitive known as the 'Barefoot Bandit' is captured by police in northern Eleuthera, The Bahamas 2010 Event Ali Hassan al-Majid, former Iraqi minister, also known as Chemical Ali, is sentenced to death for the poison gas attack at Halabja 2010 Death Florence Green, the last known female First World War veteran who served with the Women's RAF in 1918, dies at 108 2009 Death Mike Francis, Michele Francesco Puccioni, singer, composer, known for Survivor, a 1982 disco hit, recorded ten studio albums during his career, last album, 'The Very Best of Mike Francis', produced before dying of lung cancer, at age 47 2004 Death Gibson Kente, wrote about life in South African black townships, known as Father of Black Theater in South Africa, dies 2002 Death Lisa Lopes, singer, songwriter, known as 'Left Eye', member of group, TLC, famous songs include, 'Waterfalls', 'Girl Talk', dies in La Ceiba, Honduras, at age 30, in a car accident 1998 Death Cary Middlecoff, professional golfer with what is currently known as the PGA Tour in the 1940s, University of Mississippi's first golf All-American 1939, dies in Memphis, Tennessee at age 77 1997 Death Jermaine Stewart, singer, soul, pop, funk-rock genres, known for Billboard hit 'The Word is Out', dies liver cancer in Homewood, Illinois, at age 39 1997 Death Bohumil Hrabal, Czechoslovakian writer, storyteller, wrote hyper-realist texts, studied at Charles Univerisity in Prague, known for novels titled Closely Watched Trains and I Served the King of England, dies at 82 1996 Death Mohamed Amin, cameraman, photojournalist, known for photos of Ethiopian famine, fall of Idi Amin, wrote, 'Journey Through Pakistan', dies at 53 1996 Death Lucio Fulci, director, screenwriter, actor, known for directing gore films, dies at 68 1996 Death Ike Isaacs, guitarist, played jazz, known for work with Stephane Grappelli, dies at 76 1991 Death Angelo Rossitto, dwarf known as "Little Moe"/actor (Dark), dies at 83 1990 Birthday Joanna Noelle Levesque, also known as JoJo, American Musician 1990 Event Supreme Court rules family members cannot end lives of comatose relatives unless those relatives previously made their wishes known 1990 Birthday Emma Watson, born in Paris, France, British actress, model, known for role as Hermione in 'Harry Potter' film series, earning her more than $10 million pounds 1988 Birthday Vanessa Hudgens, born in Salinas, California, actress, singer, debut album, titled, 'V', certified Gold, screen debut, drama film, 'Thirteen', 2003, known for playing role of Gabriella Montez in High School Musical series 1988 Event Oldest known insect fossils (390 million yrs) reported in Science 1988 Death Arwel Hughes, composer, choral and orchestral music conductor, composer, organist, studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams at Royal College of Music, known for large-scale oratorios Saint David and Pantycelyn, dies at 79 1987 Birthday Ben Nicholas, born in Adelaide, Australia, actor, known for role as Scott Timmins in Australia's soap opera, 'Neighbours' 1984 Death Garry Winogrand, prolific photographer, known for 20th century portraits of America, focusing on social issues of the time, exhibited at Museum of Modern Art, published 'The Animals', 'Public Relations', dies of gallbladder cancer at age 56 1983 Event Only known typo on Time Magazine cover (control=contol), all recalled 1982 Event Argentina seizes Malvinas, also known as the Falkland Islands 1981 Event Gambia and Senegal sign agreement to be known as Senegambia in Feb 1982 1981 Birthday Nicole Richie, actress, socialite, known for television series, 'The Simple Life' with Paris Hilton, author of 'The Truth About Diamonds' 1981 Event Heaviest known orange (2.5 kg) exhibited, Nelspruit, South Africa 1981 Death Joe Louis, also known as the 'Brown bomber', U.S. heavyweight champ 1937 - 1949, dies at 66 1980 Death Colonel Sanders, also known as Harland Sanders, American Celebrity 1979 Birthday Brandy Norwood, born in McComb, Mississippi, known as 'Brandy', singer, songwriter, appeared in film, 'Cinderella', Grammy-Award winning song, 'The Boy is Mine' 1978 Birthday Ayumi Hamasaki, also known as "Ayu" by her fans, Japanese Musician 1978 Birthday Tia Mowry, born in Gelhausen, West Germany, also known as Tia Mowry Hardrict, actress, winner of NAACP Image Award, breakout role in sitcom, Sister, Sister 1978 Birthday Mia Maestro, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, actress, known for playing Nadia Santos in 'Alias' television series 1978 Death Tango Duke, dies in Australia at 42; oldest known thoroughbred horse 1977 Event 20.2-kg lobster caught off Nova Scotia (heaviest known crustacean) 1977 Birthday Amber Benson, born in Birmingham, Alabama, known for playing Tara Maclay on television show, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', produced, starred in film, 'Chance' 1976 Birthday Dominic Monaghan, born in Berlin, Germany, actor, known for playing role of Merry in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, 'Lost' and 'FlashForward' television shows 1976 Event U.S. presented with oldest known copy of Magna Carta 1975 Death Modoc, the elephant, dies at age 78 (oldest known nonhuman mammal) 1975 Birthday Tobey Maguire, born in Santa Monica, California, actor, known for role as Peter Parker and Spider-Man in the 'Spider-Man' film series 1975 Birthday Linda Cardellini, born in Redwood City, California, actress, known for television comedy series, 'Freaksand Geeks', also for 'ER' television show, and 'Scooby-Doo' films 1975 Birthday Jamie Oliver, born in Clavering, England, known as 'The Naked Chef', check, media personality, television series include, 'Jamie's Ministry of Food' 1975 Birthday Jolene Blalock, born in San Diego, California, actress, best known for playing role of Vulcan T'Pol in 'Star Trek: Enterprise', film 'Slow Burn' 1974 Birthday Nelly, also known as Cornell Haynes, Jr., American Musician 1974 Birthday Alyson Hannigan, born in Washington, D.C., actress, known for television series, 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', appeared in 'American Pie' films 1974 Birthday Eva Mendes, born in Miami, Florida, actress, known for movie, 'Training Day', and films, 'Hitch', 'The Spirit', 'We Own the Night' 1974 Birthday Matt Lucas, born in Paddington, England, comedian, actor, known for 'Little Britain' television show 1973 Birthday Mos Def, also known as Dante Terrel Smith, American Musician 1973 Birthday Paul Walker, born in Glendale, California, actor, known for 'The Fast and the Furious' movie, also appeared in films, '2 Fast 2 Furious', 'Joy Ride', 'Eight Below' 1972 Birthday Brian Molko, born in Brussels, Belgium, songwriter, guitarist, member of band Placebo, lead vocalist, known for androgynous appearance 1972 Birthday Kurupt, born in Long Beach, California, born Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, rapper, also known as 'Kurupt That Kingpin', member of rap group, Tha Dogg Pound 1972 Birthday Geri Halliwell, born in Watford, England, author, philanthropist, known as 'Ginger Spice' from band, the Spice Girls, representative for the United Nations Population Fund 1971 Birthday Dido Armstrong, born in London, England, known as 'Dido', singer, songwriter, album, 'No Angel' sold over 16 million copies worldwide, 'Life for Rent' sold over 12 million copies 1971 Birthday Big Punisher, also known as Big Pun and Christopher Rios, American Musician 1971 Birthday Mark Wahlberg, born in Boston, Massachusetts, actor, rapper, known as 'Marky Mark', starred in film, 'Invincible', 'We Own the Night', 'The Lovely Bones' 1971 Birthday Lisa Lopes, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, singer, songwriter, known as 'Left Eye', member of group, TLC, famous songs include, 'Waterfalls', 'Girl Talk' 1971 Birthday Krista Allen, born in Ventura, California, known for playing Billie Reed on 'Days of Our Lives' and Jenna Avid on 'Baywatch Hawaii', films include, 'Liar Liar' 1971 Birthday Gail Porter, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, television presenter, known for program 'The Big Breakfast' and 'Top of the Pops', modeled for 'FHM' magazine 1971 Birthday Mary J. Blige, born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, also known as Brook-Lynn, singer, songwriter, record producer, rhythm and blues, soul, hip hop genres, 26-time Grammy Award nominee, has sold over 48 million albums worldwide 1970 Birthday Benedictine, a St. Bernard, full name Benedictine Daily Double, becomes heaviest known dog, 367 lbs (166.4 kg), lived until the age of 14 1970 Birthday Jaason Simmons, born in Hobart, Tasmania, actor, known for his role as Logan Fowler on the television series 'Baywatch' 1970 Death Giuseppe Ungaretti, writer, poet, modernist, academic, best known work 'L'allegria' or 'The Joy', dies in Milan, Italy, at age 82, of bronchopneumonia 1970 Birthday Jason Lee, born in Orange, California, actor, professional skateboarder, known for playing Earl Hickey on 'My Name Is Earl' television series 1970 Death Blaz Arnic, Slovenian composer, best known for his nine symphonies, The Society of Slovene Composers consider him the great Slovenian symphonic master of the 20th century, dies at 69 1969 Birthday Jay Z, also known as Shawn Corey Carter, American Musician 1969 Birthday P. J. Harvey, also known as Polly Jean Harvey, British Musician 1969 Birthday Matthew Perry, born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, actor, known for role of Chandler Bing on television sitcom, 'Friends' 1969 Birthday Mica Paris, born in South London, England, born Michelle Wallen, rocker, singer, actress, radio and television presenter, known for 1988 debut platinum-selling album 'So Good' 1968 Death Weegee, also known as Arthur Fellig, American Photographer 1968 Birthday Lucy Liu, born in Queens, New York, actress, known for television show, 'Ally McBeal', and film roles, 'Kill Bill', 'Kung Fu Panda', Charlie's Angels 1968 Birthday Sinitta, born in Seattle, Washington, born Sinitta Renet Malone, singer, actress, known for hit records, 'So Macho', 'Toy Boy', in the 1980's 1968 Birthday David Jude Jolicoeur, born in Brooklyn, New York, rapper, producer, member of De La Soul hip hop trio, known by stage name Trugoy the Dove 1968 Birthday Catherine Bell, born in London, England, actress, known for role as Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie on 'JAG' television show, 1997 - 2004 1968 Birthday David Chokachi, born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, actor, known for roles in television series Baywatch, Witchblade, Beyond the Break 1967 Birthday Sherry Strinfield, born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, actress, known for role as Dr. Susan Lewis on medical television drama, ER 1967 Birthday Trini Alvarado, born in New York City, New York, actor, known for playing role of Meg in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, and Lucy Lynskey in film, The Frighteners 1966 Birthday Tracy Byrd, born in Vidor, Texas, Tracy Lynn Byrd, country singer, musician, known for Number One Billboard hit single 'Holdin' Heaven', recorded nine studio albums, 30 hit singles, 11 top ten hits 1966 Birthday Sherman Alexie, born in Wellpinit, Washington, writer, filmmaker, Native American, known for book, 'The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven', and 'Smoke Signals' film 1966 Event Daylight meteor seen from Utah to Canada. Only known case of a meteor entering Earth's atmosphere and leaving it again 1966 Birthday Wayne Wonder, born in Buff Bay, Jamaica, Von Wayne Charles, singer, songwriter, raggae, known for hit song 'No Letting Go' 1965 Birthday Michael Diamond, also known as Mike D, American Musician 1965 Event "Vinland Map" is introduced by Yale University as being the 1st known map of America, drawn between 1423 and 1445 1965 Birthday Bryan Singer, born in New York, New York, film director, producer, known for work on the 'X-Men', 'Superman Returns', 'The Usual Suspects' films 1965 Birthday Robin Wilson, born in Detroit, Michigan, guitarist, member, Gin Blossoms, alternative rock band, known for hit albums, 'New Miserable Experience', 'Congratulations I'm Sorry' 1965 Death Porcupine, in Washington D.C. zoo, dies at 27; oldest known rodent 1965 Birthday Joely Richardson, born in London, England, actress, known for film, '101 Dalmatians', appeared in 'Nip/Tuck' television drama 1964 Birthday Boyd Kestner, born in Virginia, actor, appeared in 'The Outsiders' television series, known for role as Alex Barth in 'Knots Landing' television series 1964 Birthday Yeardley Smith, born in Paris, France, actress, writer, painter, known for role as Lisa Simpson on 'The Simpsons' animated television series, appeared on 'Dharma & Greg' sitcom 1964 Birthday Zeng Jinlian, born in Hunan, China, became tallest woman known, 2.46 m, 8'1" 1964 Birthday Courteney Cox, born in Birmingham, Alabama, actress, known for playing Monica on 'Friends' television sitcom, appeared in 'Cougar Town' television series, films include 'Scream' 1964 Birthday Peter Berg, born in New York City, New York, actor, film director, producer, known for role as Dr. Billy Kronk on television medical drama 'Chicago Hope', directed films 'The Kingdom', 'Hancock' 1963 Birthday Steve Carell, born in Concord, Massachusetts, actor, comedian, producer, known as Michael Scott on 'The Office' television show, films include, 'Evan Almighty' 1961 Birthday Jared Harris, born in London, England, actor, known for role of Lane Pryce on 'Mad Men' television series 1961 Birthday Laurence Fishburne, born in Augusta, Georgia, actor, director, producer, known for role of Morpheus in 'The Matrix' movie, stars on 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' television show 1961 Birthday Mike Francis, born in Florence, Italy, Michele Francesco Puccioni, singer, composer, known for Survivor, a 1982 disco hit, recorded ten studio albums during his career, last album, 'The Very Best of Mike Francis' 1960 Birthday Carol Alt, born in Flushing, New York, supermodel, actress, appeared on over 500 magazine covers, known as 'The Face', contestant on 'Celebrity Apprentice' 1960 Birthday Nancy Martinez, born in Montreal, Quebec, rocker, musician, singer, known for dance-pop music hit songs 'For Tonight', 'Move Out' 1960 Birthday Daniel Woodgate, born in London, England, drummer, member of band, Madness, known by his nickname Woody 1960 Birthday Steve Lyons, born in Tacoma, Washington, Stephen John Lyons, nicknamed 'Psycho', baseball player, outfielder, third baseman, television sportscaster, played with Boston Red Sox, Major League Baseball team, known for oddities, such as playing hangman and tic-tac-toe with his spikes 1960 Birthday Linden Ashby, born in Atlantic Beach, Florida, actor, television, films, known for role of Johnny Cage in the movie 'Mortal Kombat' 1959 Birthday Allison Janney, born in Dayton, Ohio, actress, films include, 'American Beauty', 'Nurse Betty', known for television show 'The West Wing' 1959 Birthday Maya Lin, born in Athens, Ohio, artist, architect of Chinese descent, known for Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., sculpture, landscape art 1959 Birthday Jermaine Stewart, born in Columbus, Ohio, singer, soul, pop, funk-rock genres, known for Billboard hit 'The Word is Out' 1959 Event Vice President Nixon argues with Khrushchev, known as "Kitchen Debate" 1959 Birthday Hugh Laurie, born in Oxford, England, James Hugh Calum Laurie, actor, writer, musician, comedian, comedy partner, Stephen Fry, known for the Fry and Laurie double act, appears in successful Fox television drama House, playing role of Dr. Gregory House 1959 Event 1st known radar contact is made with Venus 1958 Birthday Lea DeLaria, born in Belleville, Illinois, actress, jazz musician, comedienne, prominent lesbian stand-up comic, known for her raunchy persona 1958 Event European Economic Community, known as the Common Market, starts operation 1957 Birthday Steve Buscemi, born in Brooklyn, New York, actor, studied at Lee Strasberg Institute, known for role of Carl Showalter in 'Fargo', Mr. Pink in 'Reservoir Dogs', cast member of 'The Sopranos' 1957 Birthday Brad Bird, born in Kalispell, Montana, director, screenwriter, animator known for 'The Incredibles' and 'Ratatouille', directed and animated the 2-D film, 'The Iron Giant' 1957 Birthday Dennis Leary, born in Worchester, Massachusetts, actor, writer, director, comedian, co-creator of Rescue Me television show, known for sharp comedic style and chain smoking 1957 Birthday Paul Merton, born in Parsons Green, London, writer, actor, comedian, known for deadpan, dark comedic style, appeared in BBC's, 'Have I Got News for You' 1957 Birthday Michael Cretu, born in Bucharest, Romania, born Mihai Cretu, known as Curly M.C., Enigma project creator, sold over 50 million albums by the year 2008 1957 Event Treaty of Rome establishes European Economic Community, known as the Common Market 1956 Birthday Amanda Burton, born in Ballougry, Northern Ireland, actress, known for television role of Sam Ryan on 'Silent Witness', appeared in 'The Commander' and 'Peak Practice' 1956 Birthday Mark Mendoza, born in Long Island, New York, born Mark Glickman, known as Mark 'The Animal' Mendoza, bassist, songwriter, musician, member of band, Twisted Sister, also performed with The Dictators, Blackfoot, genres include hard rock, shank rock 1956 Birthday David Caruso, born in Forest Hills, New York, actor, producer, known for television series, 'CSI: Miami', appeared in films, 'First Blood', 'China Girl', 'An Officer and a Gentleman' 1956 Birthday Lynda Barry, born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, cartoonist, author, known for comic strip, 'Ernie Pook's Comeek', wrote 'The Good Times are Killing Me', 'What It Is' 1955 Birthday Jane Siberry, born in Toronto, Canada, singer, songwriter, also known as 'Issa', hits include, 'I Muse Aloud', 'One More Color', 'Calling All Angels' 1955 Birthday John Stevens, member of European Parliament, founder of the Pro-Euro Conservative party, known for his pro-Euro policy stance 1955 Birthday Cary Middlecoff, born in Halls, Tennessee, professional golfer with what is currently known as the PGA Tour in the 1940s, University of Mississippi's first golf All-American 1939 1955 Birthday Garry Christian, born in Liverpool, England, rocker, musician, singer, played with brother Russell and Roger Christian in sophisti-pop band, The Christians, known for late 1980's, early 1990's chart-topping hits 1955 Birthday Jeff Koons, born in York, Pennsylvania, artist, known for large reproductions of ordinary objects, including brightly colored balloon animals made of stainless steel 1954 Event 1st meteorite known to strike a woman (Liz Hodges-Sylacauga Ala) 1954 Death Red deer, in Milwaukee Zoo, oldest known deer, dies at 26 1954 Birthday Chris Difford, born in Greenwich, London, primary member of band Squeeze, lyricist, singer, record producer, known for songs 'Tempted', 'Black Coffee in Bed' 1954 Birthday Patty Hearst, born in San Francisco, California, newspaper heiress, convicted bank robber, socialite, known as Patricia Hearst Shaw, autobiography titled, 'Every Secret Thing' 1953 Birthday Shuggie Otis, born in Los Angeles, California, Johnny Alexander Veliotes, singer, songwriter, rhythm and blues genres, known for hit 'Strawberry Letter 23' 1953 Birthday Jim Diamond, Scotish singer and songwriter, I Should Have Known Better 1952 Birthday Tamara Danz, born in Breitungen, Germany, singer with famous band Gitarreros, known as "Tina Turner of the East" 1952 Birthday Roberto Benigni, born in Manciano, Italy, actor, comedian, screenwriter, best known for movie, 'Life Is Beautiful', Academy-Award winner for Best Actor 1952 Birthday Cliff Adams, born in London, England, rocker, formed Cliff Adams Singers, known for ballads and novelty songs 1952 Birthday Alice Hoffman, born in New York City, New York, author, known for novel, 'Practical Magic', adapted for film 1951 Birthday Ned Sublette, born in Lubbock, Texas, composer, musician, musicologist, producer, guitarist, studied classical guitar with Emilio Pujol, composition with Kenneth Gaburo, Cuban music scholar, known for mixing country-western, afro-Caribbean salsa, cumbia, rumba music styles 1950 Birthday Dan Hartman, born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, singer, songwriter, record producer, known for "I Can Dream About You" 1950 Birthday Jenny Holzer, born in Gallipolis, Ohio, conceptual artist, abstract artist, known for use of words and ideas in public spaces 1950 Birthday Jeremy Paxman, born in Leeds, England, journalist, television presenter, broadcaster, worked for the BBC since 1977, known for abrasive interview style 1950 Birthday Jon Provost, born in Los Angeles, California, actor, known for childhood role as Timmy Martin on television series, Lassie 1947 Birthday Elton John, born in Pinner, England, also known as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, singer 'Rocketman' and 'Candle in the Wind' 1947 Birthday David Bowie, born in London, England, singer and actor, Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust, also known as David Robert Hayward-Jones 1946 Birthday Jonathan Edwards, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, folk singer, songwriter, musician, folk singer, known for hits 'Sunshine' and 'Shanty' 1946 Birthday Eddie Holman, born in Norfolk, Virginia, recording artist, rhythm and blues, gospel, pop, soul genres, known for hit 'Hey There Lonely Girl' 1945 Death Josef Kramer, known as "beast of Belsen," and 10 others, hanged 1945 Birthday Lee Michaels, born in Los Angeles, California, guitarist, organist, pianist, known for Top 10 hit 'Do You Know What I Mean' 1945 Birthday Laurie Spiegel, born in Chicago, Illinois, composer, guitar, known for algorithmic composition software Music Mouse, electronic-music compositions 1944 Birthday Michael Johnson, born in Alamosa, Colorado, pop, guitarist, country, pop music, known for song, 'Bluer Than Blue' 1944 Birthday Olga Maitland, born in England, born Lady Helen Olga Hay, known as Lady Olga Maitland, politician, Conservative Party 1944 Birthday Marcie Blane, born in Brooklyn, New York, given name, Marcia Blank, singer, pop music, known for hit song 'Bobby's Girl' 1943 Birthday Rolf Gehlhaar, born in Breslau, Poland, composer, known for computer-controlled composition, sound installations using Sound Space system 1943 Birthday Mohamed Amin, born in Kenya, cameraman, photojournalist, known for photos of Ethiopian famine, fall of Idi Amin, wrote, 'Journey Through Pakistan' 1943 Birthday Tony Joe White, born in Oak Grove, Louisiana, nickname, 'The Swamp Fox', singer, guitarist, songwriter, known for hit 'Polk Salad Annie', swam rock genre 1943 Birthday Jimmy Castor, born in New York City, New York, musician, saxophonist, pop, funk, disco, hip hop genres, known for hit single 'Troglodyte' 1972 1941 Birthday Geoff Hurst, cricketer, Essex 1962, better known as soccer immortal 1941 Birthday Jeremiah Wright, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pastor Emeritus, former Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, 8,500 member megachurch, former pastor of President Obama, known for politically charged, controversial sermons 1940 Birthday Bruce Channel, born in Jacksonville, Bruce McMeans, Texas, singer, rocker, known for hit song, 'Hey! Baby', rock and roll, pop music, recorded with Smash Records, Mercury Records 1940 Event 4 teens, following their dog down a hole near Lascaux France discover 17,000-year-old drawings now known as Lascaux Cave Paintings 1940 Event Batman Comics, mobsters rubbed out a circus highwire team known as the Flying Graysons, leaving their son Dick (Robin) an orphan 1940 Birthday Laszlo Sary, born in Hungary, composer, pianist, known for 1970's minimal style compositions 1939 Birthday Bruce Mather, born in Canada, composer, pianist, known for microtonal music, contemporary classical music compositions 1939 Event Germany and Italy announced an alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis 1939 Birthday John McCabe, born in Huyton, England, composer, pianist, wrote thirteen symphonies by age 11, composed Notturni ed Alba in 1970, ballets, string quartets, piano music, known for his concerti 1938 Birthday Marion Chapman, smallest known premature baby to survive, 280 g 1937 Birthday Quinlan Terry, born in Hampstead, London, architect, Palladian style, known for Brentwood Cathedral in Essex, partner, Erith & Terry 1937 Birthday Jon Hassell, born in Memphis, Tennessee, composer, played the trumpet, PhD in musicology, known for influencing world music scene with unique electronic manipulation of trumpet sounds 1937 Event "Prince Valiant" comic strip appears; known for historical detail 1936 Event Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Boulder Dam, now known as Hoover Dam 1936 Death Karl Kraus, journalist, writer, aphorist, playwright, poet, satirist, essayist, known for witty criticisms of the press, politics, German culture, dies at 62 1936 Birthday Roy Beggs, born in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, John Robert Beggs, Ulster Unionist Party, Member of Parliament for East Antrim 1983 - 2005, known for his Euroscepticism, strong support of Northern Ireland's grammar schools 1935 Death Alan Gray, composer, organist, known for descants, hymn tunes, works include, 'Common Praise', dies at 79 1935 Birthday Tony Campolo, born in America, pastor, speaker, author, promotes evangelical reform, leader, 'Red Letter Christian' movement, focusing on Christ's teachings, wrote, 'A Reasonable Faith', known for famous sermon, 'It's Friday, But Sunday's Coming!' 1935 Birthday Richard Brautigan, born in Tacoma, Washington, writer, novelist, wrote Trout Fishing in America, known for black comedy, parody, satire, and Zen Buddhism 1934 Birthday Dionne Quintuplets, secluded quintuplets, born Annette, Alive Cecile, Alive Emelie, Dead 1954 Marie, Dead 1970 Yvonne, Alive, First known set of surviving quintuplets, these girls were treated as a side show 1933 Event 1st known photo of Loch Ness monster is taken 1933 Birthday Costantinos Gavras, born in Greece, known as Costa-Gavras, French filmmaker, created political-themed films, known for fast-paced thriller titled Z, first film titled Missing, 1982 1932 Birthday Gibson Kente, born in South Africa, wrote about life in South African black townships, known as Father of Black Theater in South Africa 1932 Birthday Henri Lazarof, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, composer, studied with Paul Ben-Haim, teacher, UCLA, known for Tableaux, written for piano and orchestra 1930 Event Farmer killed by hail in Lubbock, Texas, only known fatality due to hail 1930 Birthday Heather Harper, born in Belfast, Ireland, soprano, known for role of Elsa in Lohengrin, by Wagner, Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes, by Britten 1930 Birthday Nathaniel Branden, born in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, psychotherapist, known for work in psychology of self-esteem, writer, associate of novelist Ayn Rand, promoted her philosophy, idea of Objectivism, profiled in movie, 'The Passion of Ayn Rand' 1929 Birthday Jean Baudrillard, born in France, cultural theorist, philosopher, photographer, known for his concept of hyper-reality 1929 Birthday Gerd Zacher, born in Meppen, Germany, composer, organist, writer, contemporary compositions, written in graphic or verbal scores, include extended techniques, known as interpreter of works by Johann Sebastian Bach 1928 Birthday Brooklyn Supreme, born in Belgium, stallion, heaviest known horse, 1450 kg 1928 Birthday Mitch Leigh, born in Brooklyn, New York, Irwin Michnick, graduated from Yale, composer, musical theater composer, theatrical producer, known for show Man Of La Mancha, composed jingle 'Nobody Doesn't Like Sara Lee' 1928 Birthday Garry Winogrand, born in New York City, New York, prolific photographer, known for 20th century portraits of America, focusing on social issues of the time, exhibited at Museum of Modern Art, published 'The Animals', 'Public Relations' 1927 Birthday John Buller, born in England, composer, known for Proenca, written for electric guitar, mezzo-soprano and orchestra, one of his sons is Ed Buller, a record producer 1927 Birthday Lucio Fulci, born in Rome, Italy, director, screenwriter, actor, known for directing gore films, Zombi 2 and The Beyond, other genres, including giallo, western, comedy 1927 Birthday Martin Walser, born in Wasserburg am Bodensee, Germany, writer, 1998 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade winner, known for 'Runaway Horse', famous for describing conflicts his anti-heroes have in stories and novels 1926 Birthday Earle Brown, born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, composer, known for reviving interest in classical music with musical improvisation, creating formal and notational systems, and open forum style of muscial construction 1926 Birthday Robert Earl Hughes, became heaviest known human, 486 kg 1926 Birthday Rayner Goddard, born in England, Lord Goddard, Baron Goddard, judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, known for his strict conservative rulings 1922 Event Pete Henry makes longest known NFL drop-kicked field goal, 45 yards 1921 Birthday H. C. Artmann, born in Vienna, Australia, born Hans Carl Artmann, also known as Ib Hansen, writer, poet, celebrated for his early Viennese poems 1920 Event 1 Acre Park also known as Baby Park in the Bronx renamed Melrose Park 1919 Birthday Ike Isaacs, born in Rangoon, Burma, guitarist, played jazz, known for work with Stephane Grappelli, played with Denny Wright in group Velvet in 1970's, taught at the Sydney Guitar School 1919 Event Reds beat White Sox, 5 games to 3 in 16th World Series. This series is known as black sox scandal as 8 White Sox throw series 1918 Birthday Madeleine L'Engle, born in New York City, American writer, known for "A Wrinkle in Time" 1918 Birthday Robert Wadlow, Alton, Illinois, tallest known human, 2.72 m, 8' 11.1" 1914 Death Martha, last known passenger pigeon, dies at Cincinnati Zoo 1914 Birthday Bohumil Hrabal, born in Brno-Zidenice, Moravia, Czechoslovakian writer, storyteller, wrote hyper-realist texts, studied at Charles Univerisity in Prague, known for novels titled Closely Watched Trains and I Served the King of England 1913 Event Billboard publishes earliest known "Last Week's 10 Best Sellers among Popular Songs" Malinda's Wedding Day is #1 1913 Event Common tern banded in Maine; found dead in 1919 in Africa (1st bird known to have crossed the Atlantic) 1909 Birthday Arwel Hughes, born in Wales, composer, choral and orchestral music conductor, composer, organist, studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams at Royal College of Music, known for large-scale oratorios Saint David and Pantycelyn 1908 Event New York Giants scores shown on electric diamonds known as "Compton's Baseball Bulletin" at MSG 1906 Birthday Gottlob Frick, born in Germany, singer, bass, performed opera including roles by Wagner and Mozart, best known recording is Osmin, in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Rocco in Fidelio, Sarastro in The Magic Flute 1906 Death Australian wombat; oldest known marsupial, dies in London Zoo at 26 1904 Event Boston Herald tells of Red Sox trade "Dougherty as a Yankee," 1st known reference to New York club as Yankees (became Yankees in 1913) 1901 Birthday Blaz Arnic, born in Luce, Lower Styria, Austria-Hungary, Slovenian composer, best known for his nine symphonies, The Society of Slovene Composers consider him the great Slovenian symphonic master of the 20th century 1899 Event Cuba liberated from Spain by U.S., known as National Day, U.S. occupies until 1902 1897 Event 1st known intercollegiate basketball game, Yale beats Penn 32-10 1896 Event Whitcomb Judson, Chicago, patents a hookless fastening, also known as the zipper 1888 Birthday Giuseppe Ungaretti, born in Alexandria, Egypt, writer, poet, modernist, academic, best known work 'L'allegria' or 'The Joy' 1884 Event 1st known photograph of a tornado is made near Howard, South Dakota 1880 Event NY's Broadway lit by electricity, becomes known as "Great White Way" 1874 Birthday Karl Kraus, born in Austria, journalist, writer, aphorist, playwright, poet, satirist, essayist, known for witty criticisms of the press, politics, German culture 1867 Birthday Fannie Thomas, became oldest known American, 113 y 273 d at death 1864 Event Last engagement in series of battles known as Spotsylvania 1863 Birthday Lucia Zarate, became lightest known adult human, 2.1 kg at 17 1855 Birthday Alan Gray, born in York, England, composer, organist, known for descants, hymn tunes, works include, 'Common Praise' 1848 Event Edmund Hickly gets 1st known 10 wicket innings (Kent vs. England) 1842 Event 1st known sewing machine patented in U.S., John Greenough, Washington D.C. 1839 Event 1st known use of term OK (Boston) 1836 Event HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin reach Diemen's Land, also known as Tasmania, Australia 1818 Event 1st known Christmas carol ("Silent Night, Holy Night") sung (Austria) 1818 Birthday Amelia Jenks Bloomer, suffragette known for her pantaloons 1794 Death Nicolas de Chamfort, known for aphorisms and witty epigrams, wrote successful comedy, 'La Jeune Indienne', commits suicide at 53 1791 Birthday Calvin Phillips, became shortest known adult male, 67 cm; 2' 2" 1784 Event Only known deaths by hailstones in U.S. in Winnsborough, South Carolina 1773 Event Jeanne Baptiste Pointe de Sable found settlement now known as Chicago 1741 Birthday Nicolas de Chamfort, born in Clermont-Ferrand, France, known for aphorisms and witty epigrams, wrote successful comedy, 'La Jeune Indienne' 1740 Birthday Marquis de Sade, 1st known sadist/writer, Justine 1732 Event 1st known ad for "Poor Richard's Almanack" (Pennsylvania Gazette) 1709 Event 1st known ascent in hot-air balloon, Bartolomeu de Gusmao (indoors) 1662 Event Flamsteed sees solar eclipse, 1st known astronomical observation 1659 Event 1st known check (400 pounds) (on display at Westminster Abbey) 1647 Death Achsah Young, 1st woman known to be a witch, executed in Salem Mass 1630 Event New Amsterdam's governor buys Gull Island from Indians for cargo, renames it Oyster Island, it is later known as Ellis Island 1572 Event Supernova is observed in constellation known as Cassiopeia 1457 Event Oldest known exactly dated printed book (c 3 years after Gutenberg) 1178 Event 5 Canterbury monks report explosion on moon (only known observation) 1054 Event Brightest known super-nova (Crab Nebula) starts shining (23 days) 143 Event Earliest known date in Amer-pre Mayan king Harvest-Bergvorst installed
