2015 At the 87th Academy Awards, 'Birdman' is awarded Best Picture, Eddie Redmayne wins Best Actor for his role as Stephen Hawking in 'A Theory of Everything,' and Julianne Moore wins Best Actress for her role in 'Still Alice' 2014 39-year-old Former Florentine mayor Matteo Renzi has been inaugurated as Prime Minister of Italy 2014 Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen set a new record for the highest number of Olympic medals awarded to a female Winter Olympics athlete after her gold medal at Sochi; Bjoergen has won ten Olympic medals over to date, including six golds 2013 The United Kingdom's bond credit rating is downgraded for the first time in history; Moody's Investor's Service changed the bond credit rating from AAA to AA1 2013 Drug manufacturer Roche announces that Kadcyla, a late-stage drug approved for the treatment of breast cancer, has been approved by the FDA 2012 In New Zealand's city of Christchurch, thousands of people commemorate the first anniversary of the earthquake where 185 people died last year 2012 The IAEA announces that Iran has denied access to the Parchin military complex where they believe suspicious nuclear activities are taking place 2011 In an effort to disprove claims that he has fled the country, Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi appears on television and claims to remain head of the revolution 2011 For the first time since 1979 Iranian Revolution, two ships from the Iran Navy are sent through the Suez Canal 2010 Germany and the European Union deny planning a 20 - 25 billion euro financial aid plan for Greece 2006 Al-Askari Mosque is bombed, setting off protests and violence across Iraq 2006 Apple's iTunes store sells it's 1 billionth song 1998 "King and I," closes at Neil Simon Theater New York City after 781 performances 1998 18th Winter Olympic games close at Nagano Japan 1997 Annika Sorenstam wins LPGA Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open 1996 "Bus Stop" opens at Circle in Sq Theater New York City for 29 performances 1996 Actress Halle Berry files for divorce from David Justice 1996 STS-75 (Columbia 19), launches into orbit 1995 Algiers police kill at least 99 prison rioters 1995 Steve Fossett completes 1st air balloon over Pacific Ocean (9600 km) 1994 "Les Miserables," opens at Chunichi Theatre, Nagoya 1993 Vinod Kambli scores 224 vs. England at Bombay, 411 balls, 23 fours 1992 "Park Your Car in Harvard Yard" closes at Music Box New York City 1992 Barry Diller resigns as CEO of Fox 1992 Ed McMahon, 69, weds Pamela Hurn, 37 1992 Lisa Walters wins LPGA Itoki Hawaiian Ladies Open Golf Tournament 1992 Rockers Kurt Corbin (Nirvana) and Courtney Love (Hole), wed 1991 Actor Bill Bixby (57) weds Laura Michael (32) 1991 Bush and U.S. Gulf War allies give Iraq 24 hours to begin Kuwait withdrawal 1991 Kelli McCarty, 21, (Kansas), crowned 40th Miss USA 1991 Test Cricket debut of Sanath Jayasuriya, vs New Zealand at Hamilton 1990 1st day India vs New Zealand cricket at Auckland New Zealand 5-78 at lunch, 9-387 stumps 1989 Fins ministry of Public health installs sex vacation to thwart stress 1989 New York Lotto pays $26.9 million to one winner (#s are 1-5-12-19-44-50) 1989 U.K. physicist Stephen Hawking calls Star Wars a "deliberate fraud" 1989 U.S. authors demonstrate against Iranian death treats against Salman Rushdee, author of "Satanic Rituals" 1989 31st Grammy Awards: Don't Worry Be Happy, Faith, Tracy Chapman 1989 1st Spanish commercial on network TV (Pepsi-Cola-CBS Grammy Award) 1988 Bonnie Blair skates world record 500m (39.10 sec) 1987 Bruno Marie-Rose runs world record 200m indoor (20.36 sec) 1984 Brothers Anton and Peter Stastny score 8 pts each for NHL Quebec 1983 Harold Washington wins Chicago's Democratic mayoral primary 1983 Hindus kill 3000 Moslems in Assam, India 1983 Vladimir Salnikov (U.S.S.R.) sets 1500m free style swimming record 1982 New York City Mayor Koch announces he will run for New York governor (unsuccessful) 1981 Amy Alcott wins LPGA Bent Tree Ladies Golf Classic 1980 Afghanistan declares martial law 1980 USA beats U.S.S.R. in Olympic hockey 4-3 en route to a gold medal 1979 Billy Martin named manager of Oakland A's 1979 Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Primate and Cat Building is dedicated 1979 St. Lucia gains independence from Britain 1978 2 tankers with propane gas explode killing 15 at Waverly, Tennessee 1976 Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Bent Tree Golf Classic 1974 Ethiopian police shoot at demonstrators 1973 U.S. and China agree to establish liaison offices in Beijing and Washington D.C. 1972 Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani becomes Amir and Prime Minister of Qatar 1972 President Nixon, meets with Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai in Beijing 1971 Lieutenant General Hafiz al-Assad becomes President of Syria 1970 "Charles Aznavour" closes at Music Box Theater New York City after 23 performances 1969 Barbara Jo Rubin becomes 1st female jockey to win at a major U.S. track 1968 Rock group Genesis release their 1st record "Silent Sun" 1967 Barbara Garson's "MacBird," premieres in New York City 1967 Sling-shot goal post and 6' wide border around field are standard in NFL 1967 25,000 U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched Operation Junction City, offensive to smash Viet Cong stronghold near Cambodian border 1966 Soviets launch Kosmos 110 with Veterok and Ugolek, 1st 2-dog crew 1965 U.S.S.R. launches Kosmos 57 into earth orbit (Voskhod Test) 1964 Beatles arrive back in England after their 1st U.S. visit 1963 Beatles begin their own music publishing company (Northern Songs) 1962 Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record with 34 free throw attempts 1959 1st Daytona 500 auto race-Lee Petty wins (135.521 MPH) 1958 "Portotino" closes at Adelphi Theater New York City after 3 performances 1958 Australian swimmer Jon Konrads sets 6 world records in 2 days 1958 Egypt and Syria form United Arab Republic (UAR) 1958 Indonesian air force bombs Padang, Sumatra/Menado, Celebes 1957 Jockey Ted Atkinson, 3,500th win 1957 Walter O'Malley says Dodgers may play 10 exhibitions in California in 1958 1956 1st British soccer match at Kunstlicht: Portsmouth vs Newcastle United 1956 Elvis Presley's 1st hit in Billboard's top 10: "Heartbreak Hotel" 1955 British aircraft carrier Ark Royal sets sail 1950 Brockway and Weinstock publish "Men of Music" 1948 Arabs bomb attack in Jerusalem, 50 die 1945 Arab League froms (Cairo) 1945 British troops take Ramree Island, Burma 1945 Canadian 3rd Division occupies Moyland 1944 U.S. 8th Air Force bombs Enschede, Arnhem and Nijmegen by mistake/800+ die 1941 Arthur T "Bomber" Harris becomes British Air Marshal 1941 German assault on El Agheila Libya 1941 IG Farben decides building Buna-Werke in Auschwitz Concentration Camp 1941 Nazi SS begin rounding up Jews of Amsterdam 1941 Paul Creston's 1st Symphony, premieres 1941 Roy Harris' "Ballad of a Railroad Man," premieres 1940 Finnish troops vacate Koivisto island 1940 German air force sinks 2 German destroyers, killing 578 1939 Netherlands recognizes Franco-regime in Spain 1936 Construction on Ypenburg Netherlands airport begins 1935 Airplanes are no longer permitted to fly over the White House 1934 "It Happened One Night," opens at New York's Radio City Music Hall 1933 Goering forms SA/SS-police, shoots 40-50 1932 Purple Heart award reinstituted 1928 1st solo England to Australia flight lands (Bert Hinkler) 1927 ARC soccer team forms in Alphen on the Rhine 1927 Baruch Spinosa's house of mourning opened as a museum 1923 1st successful chinchilla farm in U.S. (Los Angeles California) 1923 Transcontinental airmail service begins 1922 Congress authorizes Grant Memorial $1 gold coin 1920 1st artificial rabbit used at a dog race track in Emeryville, California 1918 Germany claims Baltic states, Finland and Ukraine from Russia 1917 German Navy torpedoes 7 Dutch ships 1915 Germany begins "unrestricted" submarine war 1913 Lowell HS, San Francisco opens (on it's 1st campus) 1912 J. Vedrines makes 1st airplane flight over 100 mph - 161.29 kph 1909 Great White Fleet, 1st U.S. fleet to circle the globe, returns to Virginia 1907 1st cabs with taxi meters begin operating in London 1907 Leonid N Andreyev's "Zhizn Cheloveka," premieres in St. Petersburg 1906 Black evangelist William J. Seymour arrives in Los Angeles California 1903 Due to drought the U.S. side of Niagara Falls runs short of water 1900 Battle at Wynne's Hill, South Africa (Boers vs British army) 1900 Hawaii became a U.S. territory 1892 "Lady Windermere's Fan" by Oscar Wilde premieres at St. James (London) 1892 Manitoba Rugby Football Union forms 1889 Dakotas, Montana and Washington admitted to union 1889 President Cleveland signs bill to admit Dakotas, Montana and Washington state 1888 John Reid of Scotland demonstrates golf to Americans in Yonkers, New York 1887 Union Labor Party organized in Cincinnati 1882 With 120 miles James Saunders wins New York City's 24 hour race and $100 prize 1879 1st 5 and 10 store opened by Frank W. Woolworth (Utica New York) 1878 Greenback Labor Party forms (Toledo Ohio) 1876 Johns Hopkins University opens 1872 1st national convention of Prohibition Party (Columbus Ohio) 1865 Battle of Wilmington, North Carolina (Fort Anderson) occupied by Federals 1865 Tennessee adopts a new constitution abolishing slavery 1864 Battle at Dalton Georgia 1864 2nd/last day of Battle of Okolona, Mississippi 1864 Skirmish at Calfkiller Creek (Sparta) Tennessee 1861 On a bet Edward Weston leaves Boston to walk to Lincoln's inauguration 1860 Organized baseball played in San Francisco for 1st time 1860 Shoe-making workers of Lynn Ms, strike successfully for higher wages 1858 Dion Boucicault's "Jessie Brown," premieres in New York City 1856 1st national meeting of Republican Party in Pittsburgh 1854 1st meeting of Republican Party in Michigan 1847 Battle of Buena Vista: U.S. troops beat Mexican army 1836 Dutch garrison evacuates fort Du Bus New Guinea 1835 HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin leave Valdivia Chile 1828 Russia and Persia sign Peace of Turkmantsjai 1825 Russia and Britain establish Alaska-Canada boundary 1821 Spain sells eastern Florida to United States for $5 million 1819 Spain renounces claims to Oregon Country, Florida (Adams-Onis Treaty) 1784 1st U.S. ship to trade with China, "Empress of China," sails from New York 1775 1st U.S. joint stock company (to make cloth) offers shares at 10 cents 1775 Jews expelled from outskirts of Warsaw Poland 1774 English House of Lords rules authors do not have perpetual copyright 1746 French troops conquer Brussels 1746 Jakobijnse troops vacate Aberdeen 1744 Battle at Toulon: English-French and Spanish fleet 1656 New Amsterdam granted a Jewish burial site 1630 Indians introduce pilgrims to popcorn, at Thanksgiving 1561 William of Orange appointed viceroy of Burgundy/Charolais 1495 French King Charles VIII enters Naples to claim crown 1349 Jews are expelled from Zurich Switzerland 1300 Pope Boniface VIII delegates degree 1288 Girolamo Masci elected Pope Nicolas IV 1281 Simon de Brion elected Pope Martinus IV 1071 Battle of Cassel-Robert I the Frisian defeats Arnulf III/I 896 Pope Formosa crowned king Arnulf of Karinthie/French emperor
