1996 Death James "Jimmy the Gent" Burke, criminal, dies at 64 1988 Event Last East Limburg coal mine closes in Gent Belgium 1975 Death Billy West, actor (Jimmy the Gent, Jealousy), dies at 82 1973 Event Harbor strike in Gent/Antwerp, Belgium 1973 Death Henry J Elias, Flemish historian/mayor of Gent, dies at 70 1968 Birthday Eric Viscaal, Dutch soccer star, PSV/AA Gent 1948 Birthday Christopher Gent, CEO, Vodafone Group 1932 Birthday Melvin Van Peebles, born in Chicago, Illinois, actor and director, 'Sophisticated Gent' 1916 Event University of Gent goes under Dutch control 1914 Event German troops occupy Gent 1859 Death Washington Irving, U.S. author (Geoffrey Crayon, gent), dies 1817 Event University of Gent officially opens 1708 Event Great Alliance occupies Gent 1644 Event Prince Frederik Henry conquerors Sas of Gent 1584 Event Gent surrenders to duke of Parma 1576 Event Pacificatie of Gent: 17 Dutch provinces signs anti-Spanish covenant 1543 Birthday Johan Casimir, count of Rhine, occupied Gent 1540 Event Emperor Karel deprives city Gent definitive rights/privileges 1540 Event Emperor Charles declares all privileges of Gent ended 1521 Event About 300 heretics burned in Vrijdagmarkt Gent 1485 Event Gent/Brugge/Ieper recognize Maximilian of Austria as regent of Netherlands 1385 Event Peace of Doornik: Gent and Louis van Thoughts 1345 Event "Quaden Maendach" in Gent: Battles between volders and weavers 1293 Death Hendrik van Gent, Flemish neo-Augustian philosopher/theologist, dies 993 Death Arnulf vanf Gent, Westfries earl (988-93), dies in battle
