2014 Event Former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk replaces Herman Van Rompuy as president of the European Council 2011 Event In Poland, the Polish People's Party coalition becomes the first government to be reelected since Poland transitioned to democracy in 1989 2010 Event The transcript of the flight data recorders from the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash that killed 96 Polish officials and intellectuals is published 2010 Event Bronislaw Komorowski becomes Acting President of Poland after a plane carrying President Lech Kaczynski and top Polish officials crashes, leaving no survivors 2001 Death Jan Kott, Polish Critic 1996 Death Tadeusz Reichstein, Polish/Swiss chemist (Nobel 1950), dies at 99 1994 Death Leo Fuchs, Polish/US Yiddish actor (Story of Ruth), dies at 83 1994 Death Stanislaw Maczek, Polish/British general-major (WW II), dies at 102 1994 Death Sjlomo Goren, Polish/Israeli supreme rabbi, dies 1994 Death Artur Balsam, Polish/US pianist, dies at 88 1994 Death Kalman Kahana, Polish co-founder of state Israel, dies at 81 1994 Death Earnest Pawel, Polish/US author (Nightmare of Reason), dies at 74 1994 Death Ignace Strasfogel, Polish/US pianist/conductor/composer, dies at 84 1993 Death Reizl Bozyk, Polish/U.S. actress (Crossing Delancey), dies at 79 1993 Death Edward B A M Raczynski, Polish president-in-exile 1979 - 1986, dies at 97 1993 Death Szymon Goldberg, Polish violinist and conductor, dies at 84 1993 Event Polish government of Suchocka falls 1993 Death Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Polish/U.S. pianist (Carnegie Hall), dies at 100 1993 Event Polish ferry boat John Heweliusz sinks, 52 killed 1993 Event Polish ferry boat capsizes in storm, 50 die 1993 Death Manfred Lachs, Polish lawyer (International Court of Justice), dies 1992 Death Samuel H Reshevsky, Polish/US chess grandmaster, dies at 80 1991 Death Andrzei Panufkin, Polish/British conductor and composer (Sinfonia Sacra), dies 1991 Death Jan J Lipski, chairman (Polish Socialist Party)/writer, dies 1991 Death Josef Lipski, Polish politician, dies 1991 Death Isaac B Singer, Polish/U.S. writer (Yentl, Nobel 1978), dies at 87 1989 Event Polish labor union granted legal status 1989 Event Lech Walesa begins negotiating with Polish government 1988 Death Friedrich Weinreb, Polish/Netherlands theologist/economist, dies at 77 1988 Event Polish Communist Party picks propaganda chief Rakowski as new PM 1987 Event 183 die aboard a Polish jetliner that crashes in Warsaw 1986 Death Alexandre Tansman, Polish composer (Dyptique), dies at 89 1985 Event French President Mitterrand receives Polish leader Jaruzelski 1985 Event Polish police arrests 7 Solidarity leaders 1984 Death Jerzy Popieluszko, Polish priest/dissident, kidnapped and murdered 1984 Death Stanislaw Ulam, Polish Mathematician 1983 Event Polish government ends 19 months of martial law 1982 Death Paul Godwin, Goldfein, Polish/Dutch violist, dies at 80 1982 Event Polish Solidarity chairman Lech Walesa freed 1982 Event Polish dissidents seize Polish Embassy in Bern, Switzerland 1982 Death Wladislaw Gomulka, Polish partisan/party leader, dies at 76 1982 Death Marie Rambert, Cyviam Ramberg, Polish/British ballerina, dies at 94 1982 Death Leopold Trepper, Polish/Israeli spy (WW II), dies at 77 1981 Event Polish government declares martial law, arrests Solidarity activists 1981 Death Stefan Wyszynski, Polish Cardinal, dies 1981 Event Polish premier Jozef Pinkowski replaced by Wojciech Jaruzelski 1980 Event Polish government recognizes Solidarity 1980 Event Polish government legalizes independent labor union Solidarity 1980 Event Polish government recognizes Solidarity 1980 Event Polish railway workers block railway to Russia 1980 Event Polish airliner crash kills all 87 aboard (22 are U.S. amateur boxers) 1978 Event Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla elected supreme pontiff-John Paul II 1978 Event Soyuz 30 carries 2 cosmonauts (1 Polish) to Salyut 6 space station 1974 Event World's tallest structure, 646-m Polish radio mast, completed 1974 Death Samuel Goldwyn, Polish/English/US film magnate (MGM), dies at 91 1973 Death Jacques Lipchitz, Polish/French/U.S. art critic sculptor, dies at 81 1973 Death Paul Klecki/Kletzki, Polish violinist, composer and conductor, dies at 72 1972 Death Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish Educator 1970 Event Polish uprising fails 1970 Event Polish government proclaims price rise 1970 Death Adam Rapacki, Polish minister of Maritime (1956-68), dies at 60 1970 Death Julian Przybos, Polish poet (Poki my Zyjemy), dies at 69 1970 Death Roman Ingarden, Polish philosopher (Studia philosophica), dies at 77 1970 Death Wladyslaw Anders, Polish general (WW I, WW II), dies at 78 1969 Event Met Cleon Jones awarded 1st base when shoe polish on ball proves he is hit by a pitch, he scores on a home run in World Series 1969 Death Leonard Chess, Polish Businessman 1969 Death Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author (Ferdydurke, Dziennik), dies at 64 1968 Event Polish Marshal Spychalski succeeds Ochab as president 1967 Death Isaac Deutscher, Polish/English historian (Stalin-biography), dies at 60 1967 Death Zbigniew Cybulski, Polish actor (See You Tommorrow), dies at 39 1966 Event Polish government denies exit visa to Cardinal Wyszynski revisionism 1965 Death Maria Dabrowska, Polish writer (Znaki Zycia), dies 1963 Death Pola Gojawiczynska, Polish author (Stolica), dies at 64 1962 Death Leon Kruczkowski, Polish author (Niemcy), dies at 62 1961 Death Max Weber, Polish/Russian/US painter, dies 1961 Death Akiba Rubinstein, Polish chess player (opening theorist), dies at 78 1958 Death Artur Rodzinski, Polish conductor/composer, dies at 66 1958 Death Joseph Klausner, Polish/Israeli new testament expert, dies at 84 1958 Death Florian Znaniecki, Polish/US sociologist/philosopher, dies at 76 1957 Death Sholem Asch, Polish/Israeli writer (East River), dies at 77 1956 Event Polish communist Gomulka freed from prison 1956 Event E Ochab succeeds Beirut as 1st secretary of Polish CP 1956 Death Savilly Tartakower, Austrian/Polish/French chess player, dies at 74 1955 Death Tomasz Arciszewski, Polish premier (1944-47), dies at 88 1953 Death Konstanty I Galczynski, Polish poet (Zielona Ges), dies at 48 1953 Event Polish government fires/imprisons Cardinal Wyszynski 1953 Death Moise Kisling, Polish/French painter (La souris boiteuse), dies at 62 1953 Death Ludomir Rozycki, Polish composer and conductor (Casanova), dies at 68 1950 Event Polish Catholic church and government sign accord over relations 1948 Death Augustyn Hlond, Polish cardinal, dies 1948 Event W Gomulka deposed as general secretary of Polish Worker's party 1948 Death Witold Pilecki, Polish Soldier 1946 Birthday Adam Michnik, Polish Editor 1946 Death Morris Hirshfield, Polish/US painter, dies 1945 Death Stefan Banach, Polish Mathematician 1945 Event Polish Provisional Government of National Unity set up by Soviets 1945 Event 1st Polish armour brigade occupies Wilhelmshafen 1944 Event 1st Polish Armoured Division liberates Breda, Netherlands 1944 Event British and Polish paratroopers evacuate Oosterbeek (Arnhem) 1944 Event Operation Market Garden: Polish paratroopers land at Driel 1944 Event Polish forces free Terneuzen, Netherlands 1944 Event Polish 1st Division occupies Hill 262 (Mont Ormel), Normandy 1944 Event U.S. 90th/Polish 1st Division occupy Chambois Normandy 1944 Event Canada/Polish troops occupy Cramesnil/Secqueville/Cintheaux/St-Aignan 1944 Event Canada/Polish offensive direction Falaise: Total Cooperation 1944 Event Soviets set up Polish Committee of National Liberation 1944 Event Polish troops under General Anders occupy Ancona Italy 1944 Event Polish 2nd Army corps captures convent of Monte Cassino, Italy 1944 Event Stalin meets Polish/U.S. priest S Orlemanski 1943 Birthday Lech Walesa, born in Popowo, Poland, leads Polish Solidarity, Nobel 1983 1943 Death Zelo Bloch, Polish? Treblinka-rebel, shot to death 1943 Event Himmler orders extermination of all Polish ghettos 1943 Event Heinrich Himmler orders liquidation of Polish ghettos 1943 Event Soviet Union breaks contact with Polish government exiled in London 1943 Event Nazi's discover mass grave of Polish officers near Katyn 1942 Death Bruno Schulz, Polish Novelist 1942 Event 5,000 Jews of Rovno Polish Ukraine, executed by nazis 1942 Death Bronislaw Malinowski, Polish Scientist 1942 Event 1st 700 Jews from Polish Lvov-district reach concentration camp Belzec 1942 Event 700 Jews of Polish Lvov-district reach Belzec Concentration camp 1942 Event Belzec Concentration Camp opens-30,000 Lublin Polish Jews transported 1942 Death Henryk Opienski, Polish composer/musicologist/conductor, dies at 72 1941 Event Jews caught outside Polish Ghetto walls could be put to death 1941 Death Ignace Jan Paderewski, Polish statesman pianist, dies in New York at 80 1941 Event Nazis order Polish Jews barred from using public transportation 1940 Death Waclaw Berent, Polish novelist, dies at 67 1940 Event 1st Polish squadrons fight along in the Battle of Britain 1940 Event SS rounds up 31 German/Polish/Dutch Jews in Roermond, Netherlands 1940 Event Nazi's forbid Polish Jews to travel on trains 1940 Event Pianist Ignaz Paderewski becomes premier of Polish government in exile 1940 Death Kazimierz P Tetmajer, Polish writer/poet (Young Poland), dies at 74 1939 Event SS-Fuhrer Himmler begins deportation of Polish Jews 1939 Event Polish Jewish forced into obligatory work service 1939 Event Last Polish troops surrender 1939 Event Soviet-German treaty agree on 4th partition of Poland (WW II) and gives Lithuania to U.S.S.R., last Polish troops surrender 1939 Event Polish government of Moscicki flees to Romania 1939 Event Polish ghetto of Mir is exterminated 1939 Event Staged "Polish" assault on radio station in Gleiwitz 1939 Event Nazi Germany demands Danzig and Polish corridor 1937 Death Karol Szymanowski, Polish/Ukraine composer (Stabat Mater), dies at 54 1936 Birthday John Shalikashvili, Polish/US general, NATO 1936 Event Polish parliament gives President Ignacy Moscicki dictatorial power 1935 Death Kazimir Malevich, Polish Artist 1935 Death Josef Pilsudski, Polish dictator (1926-35), dies 1934 Death "Madame" Marie Curie-Sklodovska, Polish/French chemist, dies 1933 Birthday Krzysztof Penderecki, Polish composer, Die Teufel von Loudon 1932 Death Joseph F F Babinski, Polish/French neurologist (B-Reflex), dies 1932 Birthday Ryszard Kapuscinski, Polish Journalist 1928 Death Abraham M "Mark" Lidzbarski, Polish/German orientalist, dies at 60 1928 Birthday Gabriel Laub, Polish writer 1928 Birthday Tadeusz Baird, Polish composer, Giocosa 1927 Birthday Leszek Kolakowski, Polish philosopher, Conversations with the Devil 1927 Event Gdanks and Polish accord concerning traffic through Polish corridor 1925 Death Moritz Moszkowski, Polish/German composer, dies at 70 1925 Event Under Polish control, Danzig establishes Port Gdansk post office 1924 Birthday Ida Haendel, Polish violinist and author, Woman with Violin 1924 Death Joseph Conrad, Polish/British writer (Heart of Darkness), dies at 66 1923 Event Polish government of Grabski, forms 1923 Birthday Serafina K "Sera" Anstadt, Polish/Dutch actress/author 1923 Birthday Wojciech Jaruzelski, Polish general/president, 1989-90 1922 Event Polish parliament selects Stanislaw Wojcieckowski as president 1922 Birthday Halina Czerny-Stefanska, Polish pianist, Chopin 1922 Event Gabriel Narutowicz elected Polish president 1922 Event Polish state chief marshal Jozef Pilsudski, resigns 1921 Birthday Tadeusz Rozewicz, Polish poet and writer, Utwory dramatyczne 1920 Death Salomon Anski, Russian/Polish yiddish author (Dibboek), dies at 57 1920 Birthday Pope John Paul II, Polish Pope 1920 Event Polish troops occupy Kiev 1920 Event Polish troops attack Ukraine 1919 Event Polish Army captures Vilno, Lithuania from Soviet Army 1919 Event Polish Army executes 35 young Jews 1918 Event Polish forces attack Jewish community of Lemberg (Lvov) 1918 Event Polish soldiers organize a pogrom against Jews of Galicia Poland 1918 Event Stahlhelm forms (anti communist/Polish/French) in Magdenburg 1918 Death Anna Held, Polish Entertainer 1917 Death Lew [Lejzer L] Zamenhof, Polish doc/linguist (Esperanto), dies at 57 1917 Birthday Leonard Chess, Polish Businessman 1914 Birthday Jan Kott, Polish Critic 1913 Event Russian kingdom forbids Polish congregation of speakers 1913 Birthday Edward Gierek, party leader, Polish CP 1912 Birthday Adolf Rudnicki, Polish writer, Niekochana 1911 Birthday Samuel H Reshevsky, Polish/US chess grandmaster/prodigy 1911 Birthday Czeslaw Milosz, Polish/American writer, Bells in Winter, Nobel 1980 1911 Birthday Leo Fuchs, Polish/US Yiddish actor, Galitzianer Cowboy 1910 Birthday Friedrich Weinreb, Polish/Netherlands theologist/economist 1909 Birthday Adam Rapacki, Polish minister of Foreign Affairs, 1956-68 1909 Death Kasimir Felix Badeni, Premier of Polish/Austria (1895-97), dies at 62 1909 Birthday Szymon Goldberg, Polish/US violinist and conductor, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra 1909 Birthday Stanislaw Ulam, Polish Mathematician 1908 Birthday Simon Wiesenthal, Polish/Austrian nazi hunter, Wiesenthal Center 1907 Birthday Roman Palester, Polish composer: The Weichsel 1907 Birthday Isaac Deutscher, Polish/English historian, Stalin/Trotsky biography 1907 Birthday Abraham Joshua Heschel, Polish Educator 1906 Event Pogrom against Jews in Bialystok, Polish Russia 1906 Birthday Artur Balsam, Polish/U.S. pianist, Begeleidde Menuhin, Milstein 1905 Birthday Wazyk, Adam Wagman, Polish poet and author, Eyes and Mouth 1905 Event Russian tsar allows Polish people to speak Polish 1905 Birthday Konstanty I Galczynski, Polish poet, Zielona Ges 1904 Birthday Leopold Trepper, Polish/Israeli spy/founded, CP Palestina 1902 Birthday Paul Godwin, Polish/Dutch violinist 1901 Birthday Stefan Wyszynski, Polish cardinal 1901 Birthday Witold Pilecki, Polish Soldier 1901 Birthday Julian Przybos, Polish poet, Sruby 1900 Birthday Leon Kruczkowski, Polish author, Kordian into Cham 1900 Birthday Paul Klecki/Kletzki, Polish violinist, composer and conductor 1899 Birthday Michal Kalecki, Polish economist 1899 Birthday Leon Woizikowski, Polish dancer/ballet master, Ballets Russes 1898 Birthday Leopold Infeld, Polish nuclear physicist, Whom the God's Love 1898 Birthday Pola Gojawiczynska, Polish writer, Stolica 1897 Birthday Pola Negri, Barbara A Chalupec, Polish/US actress, Madame Bovary 1895 Birthday Jankel Adler, Polish painter 1894 Birthday Pola Negri, Barbara A Chalupiec, Polish/U.S. actress, Madame Dubarry 1894 Birthday Henryk Stazewski, Polish abstract painter/graphic artist 1893 Birthday Roman Ingarden, Polish philosopher, Studia philosophica 1892 Birthday Wladyslaw Anders, Polish general 1892 Birthday Bruno Schulz, Polish Novelist 1892 Birthday Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Polish/US pianist 1892 Birthday Stanislav Wladyslaw Maczek, Polish/British general-major/commandant 1892 Birthday Stefan Banach, Polish Mathematician 1892 Birthday Wladyslaw Anders, Polish general, WW I, WW II 1891 Birthday Jacques Lipchitz, Polish/French/U.S. painter/cubist sculptor 1891 Birthday Moise Kisling, Polish/French painter, La Souris Boiteuse 1891 Birthday Osip E Mandelstam, Polish/Russian poet and author, Kamenj 1889 Birthday Maria Dabrowska, Polish writer, Noce I Dnie 1887 Birthday Savielly [Xavier] G Tartakower, Austrian/Polish/French chess player 1885 Birthday Juliusz Kaden-Bandrowski, Polish novelist/satirist, Black Wings 1884 Birthday Ludomir Rozycki, Polish composer and conductor, Meduza, Eros i Psyche 1884 Birthday Bronislaw Malinowski, Polish Scientist 1883 Death Cyprian K Norwid, Polish painter, poet and playwright (Wanda), dies 1882 Birthday Akiba Rubinstein, Polish chess player, openings theory 1882 Birthday Florian Znaniecki, Polish/US sociologist, Polish Peasant in Europe 1881 Birthday Augustyn Hlond, Polish cardinal 1881 Birthday Max Weber, Polish/Russian/US painter 1881 Birthday Savilly Tartakower, Austrian/Polish/French chess player 1880 Death Henryk Wieniawski, Polish violist/composer, dies at 44 1879 Birthday Alfred Korzybski, Polish Scientist 1878 Birthday Kazimir Malevich, Polish Artist 1876 Death Aleksander Fredro, Polish comedy writer (Zemstra), dies at 82 1874 Birthday Joseph Klausner, Polish/Israeli new testament expert 1872 Birthday Anna Held, Polish Entertainer 1870 Birthday Rosa Luxemburg, Polish Activist 1870 Birthday Henryk Opienski, Polish composer and conductor, St. Moniuszko 1868 Birthday Abraham M "Mark" Lidzbarski, Polish/German orientalist 1867 Birthday Tomasz Arciszewski, Polish PM, 1944-47 1865 Birthday Kazimierz P Tetmajer, Polish writer/poet, Young Poland 1857 Birthday Joseph F F Babinski, Polish/French neurologist, Babinski reflex 1855 Death Adam B Mickiewicz, Polish poet (Polish Legion), dies at 56 1850 Birthday Jean de Reszke, Polish tenor 1849 Death Frederic F Chopin, Polish/French pianist/composer, dies at 39 1846 Birthday Kasimir F Badeni, Polish/Austrian premier of Cisleithanie 1846 Event Polish revolutionaries march on Cracow, but are defeated 1833 Death Antoni Henryk Radziwill, Lithuanian/Polish composer, dies at 57 1832 Event Polish constitution abolished/replaced by Czar Nicholas I 1831 Event Polish revolutionaries defeat Russians in battle of Growchow 1821 Birthday Cyprian K Norwid, Polish painter, poet and playwright, Wanda 1819 Birthday Stanislaw Moniuszko, Polish composer 1817 Death Tadeusz AB Kosciusko, Polish Lieutenant-General/freedom fighter, dies 1814 Death Jakob I van Przysucha, Polish hassidic leader, dies 1813 Death Josef Poniatovski, Polish gen/marshal of France, dies in battle 1812 Death Hugo Kollataj, Polish teacher/minister, dies at 61 1810 Birthday Frederic F Chopin, Polish/French pianist/composer 1809 Death Ignacy Potocki, Polish Foreign Minister (constitution), dies 1809 Birthday Juliusz Slowacki, Polish poet, Trip to H Land 1793 Birthday Aleksander Fredro, Polish comedy writer, Pan Jowiolski 1777 Birthday Alexander Orlowski, Polish painter, cartoonist and graphic artist 1763 Birthday Josef Poniatovski, Polish general/marshal of France 1750 Birthday Ignacy Potocki, Polish foreign minister 1736 Event Stanislaw Lesczynski flees Polish throne 1733 Event Polish King Lesczynski flees to Danzig 1733 Event Polish Landowners select Stanislaw Lesczynski king 1725 Event French King Louis XV marries Polish princess Mary Lesczynski 1716 Event Pacification Treaty of Warsaw: Czar Peter the Great guarantees Saxon monarch August I's Polish kingdom 1697 Event Polish parliament selects monarch August van Saksen as king 1696 Death Waclaw Potocki, Polish poet (Wojna Chocimska), dies 1683 Event Turkish troops attacks Vienna overthrows by Polish king Sobieski 1683 Event Expelled Polish and Lotharings reach Wienerwald 1669 Event Polish parliament selects Litouwer Michael Wisniopwiecki as king 1668 Event Polish king John II Kazimierz resigns/goes to France 1656 Event Polish King Jan II Casimir recaptures Warsaw 1648 Event Cossacks slaughter 2,000 Jews and 600 Polish Catholics in Ukraine 1640 Death Matthias C Sarbiewski, Sarbievius, Polish jesuit/poet, dies at 45 1634 Event Battle at Smolensk: Polish King Wladyslaw IV beats Russians 1634 Event Battle at Smolensk: Polish king Wladyslaw IV beats Russians 1612 Death Piotr Skarga, Polish theology/Prime Minister (Sanctity of Life), dies at 76 1610 Event Polish King Wladyslaw crowned king of Russia 1610 Event Polish king Sigismund III, Forges Dimitri #2 and Romanov family sign covenant against czar Vasili Shushki 1598 Death Anna van Bull, 1st wife of Polish/Swedish king Sigismund II, dies 1595 Birthday Matthias C Sarbiewski, Sarbievius, Polish jesuit/poet 1577 Event Danzig surrenders to troops of Polish king Istvan Bathory 1575 Event Polish Parliament selects Istvan Bathory as king of Poland 1574 Event Polish King Hendrik of Anjou secretly leaves Poland 1573 Event Polish Parliament selects duke of Anjou as king 1570 Event Polish Calvinists/Lutherians/Hernhutters unify against Jesuits 1560 Death John a Lasco, John Laski, Polish nobleman/reformed theologist, dies 1558 Death Shalom Shakna ben Joseph, Rabbi (founder of 1st Polish Yeshiva), dies 1514 Event Battle at Ozra: Polish/Latvia army beats Russians 1484 Death Kazimierz, the Saint, Polish ruler/saint, dies at 25 1481 Event 2 Latvian monarchs executed for conspiracy to Polish king Kazimierz IV 1458 Birthday Kazimierz de Saint, Polish ruler/saint 1079 Death Stanislaus, Polish bishop of Cracow, murdered 992 Death Mieszko I, Polish advisor to Pope John XV, dies
