2015 Event Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen, resigns in the midst of a scandal in which the company confessed to installing software in its cars for the last 7 years in order to fool emissions test devices while violating U.S. clean air standards 2015 Event Stock markets around the world fall drastically due to concerns about an economic slowdown in China; the Dow Jones falls 1,000 points, closing down 588 points, while the Shanghai composite closes down 8.5% 2015 Event The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency turns polluter by accidentally releasing a million gallons of heavy-metal-laden mining wastewater into Colorado's Animas River while investigating a Superfund site 2015 Event A shipwreck that may have drowned up to 900 North African migrants traveling to Europe has prompted the European Union to meet in order to develop a plan to fund and organize rescues while reducing human trafficking incidents 2015 Event An outbreak of an unknown disease in Nigeria has so far resulted in 17 deaths, each occurring within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms; while tests show that the disease is not viral, the cause has not yet been identified 2015 Event Amazon is again exempted from Federal Aviation Administration commercial drone flight prohibitions, allowing it to test delivery drones; the company had to reapply for exemption, as its drone fleet grew outdated while waiting for initial approval 2015 Event The U.S. Federal Communications Commission approves net neutrality rules, which guarantee equal Internet access to all users; broadband companies had been seeking the ability to sell faster access to certain customers while slowing access for others 2015 Event Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian journalist Baher Mohamed are released on bail in Cairo while awaiting trial for allegedly assisting the Muslim Brotherhood; a third journalist, Australian Peter Grest, was deported earlier this month 2015 Event Beck wins Album of the Year and Sam Smith wins both Song and Record of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, while 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' wins five awards and 'Boyhood' wins best film at the 68th BAFTA Awards 2014 Event Tension increases for New York City police after a man kills two officers to avenge the killing of two unarmed black men by police in recent weeks; police have been ordered to work in pairs and to consider their own safety first while on patrol 2014 Event The White House supports release of a report detailing CIA interrogation methods while acknowledging that the report details will likely spur violence by parties and nations hostile to the U.S. 2014 Event Martin Salia, a U.S. doctor who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone, dies today in a Nebraska hospital; Salia was already in critical condition upon his arrival after medical transport from West Africa 2014 Event North Korea releases Americans Matthew Todd Miller and Kenneth Bae; Bae was imprisoned for two years after arrest for missionary actions, while Miller was detained in April for 'hostile acts' after tearing up his visa and requesting asylum 2014 Event Two security threats to Apple operating systems have been identified; the 'rootpipe' malware impacts OS X, including the new Yosemite version, while 'wirelurker' currently affects iOS users who have downloaded pirated apps 2014 Event American freelance videographer Ashoka Mukpo tests positive for Ebola while working in Liberia; the cameraman has been working in the country for the past three years but became symptomatic the day after beginning an assignment for NBC News 2014 Event In the face of signs that Russian troops and equipment are aiding rebels in eastern Ukraine, the E.U. proposes further sanctions against Russia; President Vladimir Putin denies the charges while calling for independent statehood of the region 2014 Event Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet during a conference in Minsk to discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine; Putin agreed to support peace, while Poroshenko promised to develop cease-fire plans 2014 Event A case of bubonic plague in the Chinese province of Gansu prompts quarantines in parts of the city of Yumen; while outbreaks are rare, the disease can be contracted by contact with fleas from wild rodents 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 While the world economy is growing, forecasts have been reduced due to weak global investment spending and risks to U.S. growth stemming from potential Federal Reserve attempts to end stimulus efforts 2014 Event Facebook reports that over 90% of its tech employees are Asian or white, while women make up only 15% of tech employees and 31% of all employees; COO Cheryl Sandberg notes that more women are also needed in leadership roles at the company 2014 Event 21st Century Fox, Inc. is seeking to sell its European pay TV assets to its BSkyB unit; this will enhance BSkyB's standing as a pay TV company while divesting Fox of its non-core business; such a deal must still receive regulatory approval 2014 Event G-20 nations discuss ending stimulus efforts in economically advanced nations while planning ways to increase global trade and employment opportunities to achieve global GDP growth 2013 Event Shinzo Abe the Prime Minister of Japan visits the Yasukuni Shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo; the shrine commemorates those who died while in the service of the Empire of Japan during the Meiji Restoration, which stored imperial rule to Japan in 1868 2013 Event The NASDAQ index was shut down for 44 minutes due to a human error that occurred while performing an operational function; the error resulted in the flawed delivery of date to the NASDAQ distribution system 2013 Event The famous painting, 'Liberty Leading the People' by Eugene Delacroix, commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 is vandalized while on loan to the Louvre-Lenz museum in Lens, France 2013 Event Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice determines they can defer the latest inauguration of President Hugo Chavez while his cancer operation recovery continues 2012 Event While Greece struggles to overcome its economic crisis, Antonis Samaras, leader of Greece's New Democratic party, negotiates with political rivals to form a coalition government 2012 Event While conducting military exercises in the Persian Gulf, Iran successfully test-fires two long-range missiles 2011 Event Jacques Chirac, former President of France, is declared guilty of embezzlement and violating trust for filling non-existent jobs with party members while serving as Mayor of Paris 2011 Event A lockout causes the Australia's Qantas airlines to ground its entire fleet while it handles the ongoing industrial dispute 2011 Event Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Wangari Maathai of Kenya, dies while undergoing treatments for cancer 2011 Event Cyclist Alberto Contador wins the 2010 Tour de France while seven-time winner of the event, Lance Armstrong, makes his final appearance 2011 Event Juan Maria Bordaberry, former Uruguayan dictator, dies while under house arrest for murders committed during his dictatorship 2010 Event While world leaders back Africa's Alassane Ouattara as the Ivory Coast presidential election winner, a swearing-in ceremony is held for Laurent Gbagbo in Cote D'Ivoire 2010 Event Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus claims innocence while being investigated for diverting millions of dollars of aid money from Grameen Bank 2010 Event The U.K. will increase aid to poor nations, including a 40% increase in Afghanistan, while reducing aid to 'powerhouses' like Russia, China and other eastern European countries 2010 Event At last count, 76 people are dead while hundreds have disappeared after a train crash in the Republic of Congo caused the train to fall into a ravine 2010 Event Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda sign an agreement seeking more water from the Nile; Kenya issues support while Egypt and Sudan remain opposed 2010 Event Two men on motorcycles fatally shot Pedro Alcantara de Souza, a Brazilian land reform activist, five times in the head while he tried to ride his bicycle in Para 2010 Event Six people are killed by a remotely operated bomb while travelling in southern Afghanistan in Tirin Kot, the capital of Afghanistan's Uruzgan province 2010 Event Ejup Ganic, former President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is stopped while trying to escape war crime charges, at London Heathrow airport 2007 Death Johnny Hart, cartoonist, creator, comic strips, 'The Wizard of Id', 'B.C.', strips each appeared in over 1,000 newspapers, dies of a stroke while at the drawing table, at age 76 2003 Death Anna Lindh, Swedish politician, Swedish foreign minister, dies in Stockholm, Sweden, at age 46, murdered by a knife attack while shopping 2000 Death Renato Di Paolo, method actor, accidentally strangled himself while playing Judas onstage, dies at 22 1997 Event New York Ranger Wayne Gretsky wife Janet is knocked unconcious and gets 2 stitches while watching the game as a plexiglass falls on her 1996 Death Ray Coleman, born in Britain, journalist, author, wrote biographies of The Beatles while editor-in-chief, Melody Maker, music magazine, dies at 59 1996 Death John McSheery, dies of heart attack while umpiring a game, at 51 1995 Death Rob Harris, sky surfer, dies while skydiving at 28 1995 Event Michael Jackson collapses while rehearsing for an HBO special 1995 Death Simon Bailey, Reverend Simon Bailey, priest, Anglican, Labor Party member, socialist historian associates include Dorothy Thompson, J.B. Priestly, E.P Thompson, died while distributing leaflets for the Labor Party 1994 Death Roland Ratzenberger, race car driver, claimed 1962 as birth year to appear younger and extend racing career, won 1986 Brands Hatch Formula Ford Festival, dies while qualifying for San Marino Prix, in 1994 1992 Event New York City Subway motorman Robert Ray convicted of manslaughter in death of 5 riders, when he fell asleep drunk while in control of train 1992 Event Sheena Easton collapses on stage while performing in "Man of LaMancha" 1989 Event In 2nd start since after cancer treatment, Giants Dave Dravecky breaks his pitching arm while throwing to Tim Raines 1989 Event Rod Stewart hits his head while on stage and knocks himself out 1989 Event Steve Garvey marries Candace Thomas while at same time being accused of fathering children by 2 other women 1983 Event While warming up before 5th inning Yankee Dave Winfield accidentally kills a seagull 1982 Death David Blue, rocker, dies while jogging in Greenwich Village at 41 1982 Event 28 skiers perform backflips while holding hands, Bromont, Quebec 1980 Event Vostok rocket exploded on launch pad while being refueled, killing 50 1978 Event Sid Vicious attempts suicide while at Riker's Detention Center in New York City 1972 Event John Sebastian makes 63 consecutive free throws while blindfolded 1969 Event Mick Jagger accidentally shot while filming "Ned Kelly" 1968 Event Frank Borman's Christmas reading while orbiting Moon 1966 Birthday Paula Jones, born in Lonoke, Arkansas, sued President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, case was dismissed but while on appeal Clinton paid Jones $850,000 1966 Event Eric Clapton records guitar tracks for Harrison's "While My Guitar..." 1965 Event Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron (1954 - 1965) pass Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig hitting 772 home runs while playing together on the same team 1963 Birthday Paul Way, born in Kingsbury, Middlesex, British golfer, won Brabazon Trophy, 1981, turned pro in 1982, won KLM Dutch Open while on the European Tour, second youngest Ryder Cup player in 1983, and 1985, finished in the top 100 in 1993, on the Order of Merit, after 1997, his participation in tournament golf waned 1962 Event Dodger coach Leo Durocher suffers a near-fatal allergic reaction to a penicillin injection while in the clubhouse at the Polo Grounds 1959 Event Hiram Fong sworn in as 1st Chinese-American senator while Daniel K Inouye sworn in as 1st Japanese-American Rep (Both from Hawaii) 1957 Event Jerry Lee Lewis weds his cousin Myra Gale Brown, 13, while still married to his 1st wife Jane Mitcham 1957 Death Anthony J Morabito, co-owner of San Francisco '49ers, dies while watching a game 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 1951 Death Simon Barere, pianist, dies while perfoming at Carnegie Hall 1947 Birthday Chetan Chauhan, Indian cricket opener, Gavaskar's partner for a while 1945 Event A riot ensued in San Francisco while the city was celebrating the end of WW II 1943 Event Terence Rattigan's "While the Sun Shines," premieres in London 1943 Event Lead, South Dakota, temp is 52 degrees F, while 1.5 miles away Deadwood SD records -16 degrees F 1937 Birthday Ray Coleman, born in Britain, journalist, author, wrote biographies of The Beatles while editor-in-chief, Melody Maker, music magazine 1936 Event Jahangir Khan kills a sparrow while cricket bowling, Cambridge U vs. MCC 1934 Event While Washington player-mgr Joe Cronin honeymoons with Mildred Robertson owner Clark Griffith's niece and adopted daughter, he is sold to Red Sox 1923 Event Harry Houdini frees himself from a straight jacket while suspended upside down, 40 feet (12 m) above ground in New York City 1921 Event AL votes to return to best-of-7 World Series, while NL votes best-of-9 Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis casts deciding vote for best-of-7 1918 Event President Wilson sails for Versailles Peace Conference in France, 1st chief executive to travel outside U.S. while in office 1912 Event Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt shot while campaigning in Milwaukee 1911 Death Bill Murdoch, cricketer, dies while watching Australia vs. South Africa Test 1907 Birthday Mascha Kaleko, born in Chrzanow, Austria, now Poland, writer, German language poet, first book 'Lyrisches Stenogrammheft' was burned in Nazi book burnings, wrote advertising copy while living in New York 1894 Event Ohio national guard kills 3 lynchers while rescuing a black man 1876 Death Wild Bill Hickok, shot dead (from behind) by Jack McCall while playing poker. He held a pair of Aces and a pair of 8's 1542 Death Hernando de Soto, dies while searching for gold, near Mississippi R
