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February 5th
45BC - Died this day, Cato, Roman patriot and philosopher, committed suicide. 0816 - French emperor Louis, granted archbishop Salzburg immunity. 1428 - King Alfonso V, ordered Sicily's Jews to attend conversion sermons. 1488 - Roman catholic German emperor Maximilian I was caught. 1572 - Geuzen assault on Oisterwijk, 130 nuns were driven out. 1576 - Henry of Navarre abjured Catholicism at Tours. 1578 - Died this day, Giovanni B. Moroni, Italian portrait painter. 1591 - Died this day, Gerard de Jode, Flemish publisher. 1626 - Born this day, Marie de Sevigne, in Paris, letter-writer (Portrait in Letters). 1631 - British clergyman Roger Williams arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, seeking religious freedom. He founded the colony of Rhode Island. 1644 - The first US livestock branding law was passed, by Connecticut. 1658 - Died this day, Maria Margaretha van Angels, prior to Oirschot, aged 52. 1662 - Born this day, Giuseppi Vignola, composer. 1663 - An earthquake occured in Canada. 1679 - The Treaty of Nijmegen was signed by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and King Louis XIV of France. 1679 - Died this day, Joost van den Vondel, poet (Gysbreght van Aemstel). 1685 - Died this day, Charles II, king of England (1660-85), Nell Gwynns lover, aged 54. 1705 - Died this day, Jean Gilles, composer, aged 37. 1711 - Born this day, Joseph Umstatt, composer. 1723 - Born this day, John Witherspoon, clergyman, signed Declaration of Independence. 1732 - Born this day, Nathanael Gottfried Gruner, composer. 1736 - Methodists John and Charles Wesley arrived in Savannah, Georgia. 1738 - Died this day, Georg Reidel, composer, aged 62. 1744 - Born this day, John Jeffries, colonial physician, meteorologist. 1745 - Died this day, Coelestin Praelisauer, composer, aged 50. 1748 - Born this day, Christian Gottlob Neefe, composer, conductor, tutor of Beethoven. 1753 - Born this day, Coert L. van Beyma thoe Kingma, Fries regent, patriot. 1754 - Died this day, Nicolaas S. Cruquius, hydraulic engineer, (Haarlemmermeer), aged 75. 1758 - Died this day, Bernhard Christian Weber, composer, aged 45. 1770 - Born this day, Alexandre Brongniart, in Paris, minerologist, geologist (Tertiary). 1777 - Georgia became the first US state to abolish both entail and primogeniture. 1778 - Articles of Confederation were ratified by the first state, South Carolina. 1779 - Born this day, Francois van Campenhout, composer. 1782 - Spain captured the island of Minorca from the British. 1783 - Earthquakes ravaged Calabria, Italy, killing 30,000. 1783 - Sweden recognised US independence. 1788 - Born this day, Sir Robert Peel, formed the Metropolitan Police and introduced income tax, born at Chamber Hall near Bury in Lancashire. Prime Minister: 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835 and 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846. Peel was badly injured after falling from his horse, and died on the 2 July 1850. 1788 - Born this day, Karoly Kisfaludy, Hungarian literary, romantic poet (A Tat rok Magyarorsz gon, Tartars in Hungary-1819). 1795 - Zealand surrendered to French general Michaud. 1804 - Born this day, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, in Finland, poet. 1810 - Born this day, Ole Bull, composer. 1811 - After George III was declared insane, the Prince of Wales became Prince Regent of England, later to be George IV. 1812 - Died this day, Franz Schneider, composer, aged 74. 1816 - The opera Barber of Seville was presented in Rome. 1817 - The first US gas company was incorporated, in Baltimore, providing coal gas for street lights. 1818 - Charles XIV proclaimed king of Sweden after the death of Charles III. 1822 - Died this day, Ali pasja van Janina, (Napoleon/Lord Byron). 1824 - Charles Dickens began his first job, labelling bottles. 1825 - Died this day, Pierre Gaveaux, composer, aged 64. 1825 - Hannah Lord Montague of New York created the first detachable collar. 1831 - Died this day, John C.J. van Speijk, committed suicide aged 29. (Another source say - In 1831 John van Speijk cannon boat sinks, killing about 30). 1833 - Born this day, John Watkinson, founder of British Chess Magazine (oldest chess magazine). 1837 - Born this day, Dwight Lyman Moody, US evangelist (Student Volunteer Movement). 1838 - Died this day, Philippe Libon, composer, aged 62. 1840 - Born this day, John Boyd Dunlop, in Scotland, inventor of the pneumatic tyre. 1840 - Born this day, Hiram Stevens Maxim, inventor (automatic single-barrel rifle). 1846 - The Oregon Spectator, based in Oregon City, Oregon became the first newspaper published on the Pacific coast. 1848 - Born this day, Belle Starr [Myra Belle Shirley], US female outlaw (wild west). 1848 - Born this day, Joris-Karl Huysmans, in France, writer (Against the Grain). 1850 - The adding machine employing depressible keys was patented, in New Paltz, New York. 1860 - Born this day, Jackson Showalter, first US chess champion (1888-92, 1895-97, 1906-0?). 1861 - Samuel Goodale, of Cincinnati, Ohio, patented the moving picture peep show machine. One put in a coin and turned a crank on the side of the ornately decorated box and voila, a flickering movie appeared! 1861 - Except for Mr. Bouligny, the Louisiana delegation withdrew from Congress. 1863 - Born this day, Armand Parent, composer. 1864 - Born this day, Carl Tieke, composer. 1864 - Federals occupied Jackson, Mississippi. 1865 - Battle of Hatcher's Run took place, in Virginia at Armstrong's Mill, and Dabney's Mill. 1865 - Born this day, Harvey Worthington Loomis, composer. 1866 - Born this day, [Hendrik J] Henri Hall, comic. 1866 - Born this day, Rossetter Gleason Cole, composer. 1868 - Born this day, Lodewijk Mortelmans, composer. 1870 - Philadelphia hosted the first motion picture shown to a theatre audience. 1871 - Born this day, Jovan Ducic, Swedish poet (Blauwe Legend). 1873 - C.H.F. Peters discovered asteroid #129 Antigone. 1877 - A. Borrelly discovered asteroid #172 Baucis. 1878 - Born this day, Andre-Gustave Citroen, in France, auto maker. 1879 - Born this day, Edward Rigby, actor (Star Look Down, Young & Innocent). 1881 - Died this day, Thomas Carlyle, historian, essayist, in London aged 85. 1881 - Phoenix, Arizona was incorporated. 1882 - Born this day, Felice Lattuada, composer. 1887 - Giuseppe Verdi's opera Otello was first performed La Scala in Milan, Italy. 1887 - Snow fell on San Francisco. 1888 - Died this day, Anton Mauve, painter, cousin of Vincent van Gogh, aged 49. 1889 - Born this day, Ioan Dumitru Chirescu, composer. 1891 - Born this day, Elizabeth Ryan, in Anaheim, California, doubles tennis champion (6 times Wimbledon). 1893 - Born this day, Roman Ingarden, Polish philosopher (Studia philosophica). 1893 - Alfred Naess skated a world record 500 metres in 49.4 seconds. 1897 - Died this day, Hoss Radbourn, pitcher, won 60 games in 1884, aged 42. 1897 - When French aesthete Marcel Proust's first book was slated by critic Jean Lorrain, Proust challenged him to a duel. They fired pistols from 120 paces on this day, but both missed. 1897 - Born this day, Dirk U. Stikker, director (Heineken), Dutch foreign minister, NATO. 1900 - Born this day, Adlai E. Stevenson, (Governor-D-Illinois), presidential candidate (D) (1952, 1956), American statesman. 1900 - British troops under General Buller occupied Vaal Krantz. (Boer War). 1901 - The Loop-the-Loop centrifugal RR (roller coaster) was patented by Ed Prescot. 1902 - Born this day, Bronislaw Kaper, composer. 1903 - Born this day, Ivan Galamian, in Tabriz, Persia (Iran), violinist. 1903 - Born this day, Joan Whitney Payson, owner (New York Mets and horse stables). 1903 - Born this day, Nathaniel Owings, in Indianapolis, architect (Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Sears). 1906 - Born this day, John Carradine, in Greenwich Village, New York, actor (Grapes of Wrath, Howling). 1907 - Died this day, Ludwig Thuille, composer, aged 45. 1907 - Born this day, Jan Klaasesz, governor Suriname (1949-56). 1907 - Born this day, Norton Simon, business executive (Simon & Schuster). 1907 - Born this day, Pierre E.J. Pflimlin, premier France. 1909 - Born this day, Grazyna Bacewicz, composer. 1911 - Died this day, Petrus A. Cronje, Transvaal Boer general. 1911 - The Society of Dutch Composers formed in Amsterdam. 1912 - Born this day, Willard Parker, in New York City, actor (Kiss Me Kate, What A Woman). 1912 - Born this day, Zoltan Pongracz, composer. 1914 - Born this day, Alan Hodgkin, British physicist. 1914 - Born this day, William S. Burroughs, in St Louis, Missouri, novelist (Naked Lunch). 1915 - Born this day, Robert Hofstadter, US atomic physicist. 1916 - Enrico Caruso recorded O Solo Mio for the Victor Talking Machine Company, which eventually became Victor Records, then RCA Victor. 1917 - US Congress overrode Woodrow Wilson's veto, curtailing Asian immigration. 1917 - On this date in 1917, after seven years of revolution and civil upheaval, Mexican President Venustiano Carranza proclaimed the modern Mexican constitution, which promised the restoration of lands to native peoples, the separation of church and state, and dramatic economic and educational reforms. Carranza was deposed and killed in 1920, and lasting stability eluded Mexico until after World War II (WWII), when industrialism spurred by the war grew into a major part of the economy and Miguel Alemn became the first in an unbroken series of civilian presidents. 1917 - Died this day, Paul Rubens, composer, aged 41. 1918 - Born this day, Charles J. 'Tim' Holt, US actor (Treasure of Sierra Madre). 1918 - Born this day, Kara Abulfazogli Karayev, composer. 1918 - Stephen W. Thompson became the first US pilot to down an enemy airplane. 1918 - The separation of church and state began in USSR. 1919 - Born this day, Andrea Papandreou, Greek premier (1981-89, 93-). 1919 - Born this day, Melina Mercuri, actress (Never on a Sunday). 1919 - Died this day, Vasili V. Rozanov, Russian philosopher, writer, aged 62. 1919 - Born this day, [Aaron Chwatt] Red Buttons, in the Bronx, New York City, comedian, actor (Sayonara). 1921 - The Yankees purchased 20 acres in the Bronx for Yankee Stadium. 1921 - Born this day, John M. Pritchard, in London, England, conductor. 1922 - Born this day, Bernard Kalb, US State Department spokesman. 1922 - Died this day, Christiaan R. de Wet, South African Boer general, aged 67. 1922 - Died this day, James William Tate, composer, aged 46. 1923 - A general mine strike against wage cuts occured in Saar. 1923 - There were mass arrests of socialists and communists in Italy. 1924 - Died this day, Alexis Hollander, composer, aged 83. 1924 - The BBC 'pips', or time signals from Greenwich Observatory, were heard for the first time. 1926 - Died this day, Andre Gedalge, composer, aged 69. 1926 - Born this day, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, publisher (New York Times). 1927 - Born this day, Robert Brown, in Hebrides Islands, actor (Here Comes the Brides, Primus). 1927 - Born this day, Val Dufour, actor (Eugenie Grandet). 1928 - Singer Jessica Dragonette was seen on one of the first television shows. She was used only to test the new medium. She didn’t even get to sing. It must be noted that Jessica enjoyed an illustrious radio career. 1928 - Born this day, Andrew Greeley, author. 1929 - Jimmy Hatlo's They'll Do It Every Time cartoon debuted in San Francisco. 1929 - Born this day, Fred Sinowatz (SPD), Neufeld an der Leitha, chancellor of Austria. 1929 - Died this day, Siegfried Ochs, composer, aged 70. 1931 - Maxine Dunlap became the first woman licensed as a glider pilot. She was only airborne for one minute, successfully executing two ‘S’ curves and a landing. 1931 - Eddie Cantor’s long radio career got underway as he appeared on Rudy Vallee’s The Fleischmann Hour. 1932 - K. Reinmuth discovered asteroids #2897 Ole Romer, #3263 and #3426 Seki. 1932 - R. Schorr discovered asteroid #1240 Centenaria. 1933 - Born this day, Claude King, singer (Wolverton Mountain). 1933 - Born this day, Jorn Donner, in Helsinki, Finland, director (Anna, Tenderness). 1933 - Born this day, Nick Georgiade, in New York City, actor (Untouchables, Run Buddy Run). 1933 - Born this day, Ron Wilson, US percussionist (Joy of Cooking). 1934 - Born this day, Hank Aaron, baseball home run king, (record 755 HRs, 1957 NL MVP). 1934 - K. Reinmuth discovered asteroids #2346 Lilio, #2444 Lederle, #2957 and #3707. 1935 - Born this day, Alex Harvey, vocals, guitar, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, 1975 UK No.7 single Delilah. Died 4 February 1982. 1935 - Born this day, John J. 'Jannie' Geldenhuys, supreme commander South Africa army 1980- ). 1936 - Intense cold froze Niagra Falls to solid ice. 1937 - Died this day, Lou Andreas-Salome, Russian-German author (That Eroticism). 1937 - Modern Times, the first Charlie Chaplin talkie, was released. Actually, Chaplin’s voice was heard in the film, although he was difficult to understand because he was just singing a bunch of gibberish that no one understood. The star of the movie was Paulette Goddard who played the part of a waif. 1937 - Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed enlarging the Supreme Court, the 'court packing' plan failed. 1937 - Born this day, Cocky van Oost [Kommertje van Vliet], dancer (Sylphides). 1937 - Born this day, Gaston Roelants, in Belgium, world cross-country champion. 1937 - Born this day, Stuart Damon, in Brooklyn, New York, actor (Alan Quartermaine-General Hospital). 1938 - Born this day, Dick of Niehoff, singer (Fouryo). 1938 - Born this day, John Guare, US writer. 1938 - Hans Engnestangen skated a world record 500 metres in 41.8 seconds. 1940 - Amanda of Honeymoon Hill debuted on radio. Joy Hathaway starred as ‘the beauty of flaming red hair’. The program stayed six years on the NBC radio network. 1940 - One of the great classic songs of the Big Band era was recorded, with Glenn Miller and his band playing Tuxedo Junction at the RCA Victor studios in Manhattan. The flip side of the record (released on the Bluebird label) was Danny Boy. 1940 - General Winckelman replaced General Reijnders as Dutch supreme commander. 1941 - Dutch Premier De Geer returned from Lisbon to Netherlands. 1941 - Born this day, Lord Williams of Mostyn, leader of the Lords. 1941 - Born this day, David Selby, in Morgantown, West Virginia, actor (Falcon Crest, Flamingo Road). 1941 - Born this day, Stephen J. Cannell, producer (Rockford Files). 1941 - Born this day, Barrett Strong, US songwriter, producer. Wrote many Motown hits with Norman Whitfield including, Money, War, Ball Of Confusion, and Papa Was A Rolling Stone. 1941 - Born this day, Jane Bryant Quinn, financial writer, newscaster (Everyone's Money Book). 1942 - Born this day, Corey Wells, vocals, Three Dog Night, 1970 UK No.3 and US No.1 single Mamma Told Me Not To Come. 1942 - Born this day, Roger Staubach, NFL quarterback (Dallas Cowboys). 1943 - Born this day, Michael Mann, film director. 1943 - Born this day, Chuck Winfield, trumpet, Blood Sweat & Tears, 1969 US No.2 and UK No.35 single You've Made Me So Very Happy. 1943 - Born this day, Craig Morton, in Flint, Michigan, NFL quarterback (Dallas, Denver). 1943 - Born this day, Ivan Alexandrovich Tcherepnin, composer. 1943 - Amsterdam opposition group CS-6 shot down nazi general Seyffardt. 1943 - Born this day, Larry Tamblyn, rock musician (Standells-Dirty Water). 1943 - Died this day, H. Seyffardt, Lieutenant-General, NSB-'minister', killed by resistance. 1943 - Died this day, Wim Gertenbach, printer of opposition newspaper [Slogan]. 1943 - Clandestine Radio Atlantiksender, Germany, made its first transmission. 1944 - Died this day, Robert E. Park, sociologist (human ecology, marginal men), aged 79. 1944 - Born this day, Al Kooper, legendary studio musician, original member of Blood Sweat & Tears, 1969 US No.12 and UK No.35 single You've Made Me So Very Happy. Also member of the Royal Teens, 1958 US No.3 single Shorts Shorts. Played organ on Bob Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone. 1944 - Born this day, J.R. Cobb, Atlanta Rhythm section, 1979 UK No.48 single Spooky. 1945 - US troops under General Douglas MacArthur entered Manila, Philippines. 1945 - Big Racket becsme the fastest race horse at 69.6 kph (440 yd/20.8 second). 1945 - Born this day, Charlotte Rampling, in Sturmer, England, actress (Zardoz, Night Porter, Verdict). 1945 - British premier Winston Churchill arrived in Yalta. 1946 - Died this day, George Arliss, actor, writer (Dr Syn, Voltaire), aged 77. 1947 - Born this day, Mary L. Cleave, in Southampton, New York, PhD, astronaut (STS 61B, STS-30). 1947 - Bolewet Beirut became president of Poland. 1948 - Nature of Things science show premiered on NBC prime time. 1948 - Died this day, Johann Blaskowitz, German general (surrendered to Wageningen). 1948 - Born this day, Barbara Hershey [Barbara Herzstein], in Atlanta, Georgia, actress (Stuntman, Shy People, World Apart). 1948 - Born this day, Christopher Guest, in New York City, writer, comedian, director (SNL, Heartbeeps, This is Spinal Tap). 1948 - Born this day, Sven-Goran Eriksson, England football manager. 1948 - Dick Button became the first US figure skating Olympic champion. 1948 - Gretchen Fraser became the first US woman Olympic slalom champion. 1948 - Born this day, David Denny, guitar, Steve Miller Band, 1974 US No.1 and 1990 UK No.1 single The Joker. 1948 - Born this day, Elco Brinkman, Dutch minister WVC (CDA). 1948 - Born this day, Nigel Tufnell, guitar, Spinal Tap, 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap. 1949 - Died this day, Juozas Tallat-Kelpsa, composer, aged 50. 1949 - Huaso set an official world equestrian high-jump record of 2.47 metres, on Chic. 1950 - Born this day, Ann Sexton, US singer (You're Gone Too Long). 1951 - Born this day, Elizabeth Swados, US composer, playwright (1972 TONY). 1952 - On this date in 1952, the first Don't Walk sign was installed in New York City. The city erected the signs in response to the growing awareness of pedestrian fatalities in the increasingly crowded Manhattan streets. Pedestrian fatalities are essentially an urban problem, so city dwellers, next time you see a Don't Walk sign, please don't run. In 1997, 5,307 pedestrians died as a result of automobile accidents. Fatal collisions between pedestrians and motor vehicles occur most often between six and nine p.m., a period that roughly coincides with rush hour. In 1998, in hopes of minimizing gridlock, New York City began strictly enforcing its J-walking laws during rush hour. Pedestrians are subject to a fifty dollar fine if they walk, or run, when faced with a Don't Walk sign. 1952 - Born this day, Russell Grant, astrologer. 1953 - Sweet rationing came to an end in Britain. 1953 - Walt Disney’s film, Peter Pan, opened at the Roxy Theatre in New York City. Although the film is now recognised as a great work, not all of the critics in 1953 took to the Disney stylisation of the J. M. Barrie play. 1953 - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz excitedly received their first of several Emmy Awards at the 4th Annual Emmy Awards banquet in Los Angeles. I Love Lucy won for Best Situation Comedy and Lucille Ball won for Best Comedienne. Other winners at the event included Robert Montgomery Presents for Best Dramatic Program; Dragnet for Best Mystery, Action, or Adventure Program; Your Show of Shows won for Best Variety Program; and Time for Beany was chosen Best Children's Program for the third year in a row. Emmys were originally going to be called 'Ikes', a short form for the television iconoscope tube, but the name had problems, as it was also the nickname of war hero and future President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Ultimately, the nickname chosen was a feminisation of 'Immy', a term commonly used for the early image orthicon camera tube. 1954 - WCDC TV channel 19 in Adams, Massachusetts (ABC) began broadcasting. 1954 - Died this day, Vittorio Gnecchi, composer, aged 77. 1954 - Born this day, Roseanne Katan, in Jamacia, playmate for September 1978. 1955 - Born this day, Debra Jo Fondren, in Los Angeles, California, playmate of the year September 1977. 1955 - Pierre Mendes-France ended his term as premier of France. Pierre Mendes-France was born in Paris, France, in 1907. He joined the Radical Party and entered parliament in 1932. An opponent of the Vichy government, he was imprisoned in 1940 but escaped the following year and went to England to join the Free French forces. In 1945 Mendes-France was appointed Minister for National Economy under Charles De Gaulle. Although the popularity of the Radical Party declined after the war and rarely won much more than 10 per cent of the vote, with other parties unable to obtain a clear majority, the party often played a disproportionately important role in French governments. This enabled Faure to become prime minister in 1954 but was forced to resign the following year over his North African policy. Mendes-France lost his seat in the 1958 election but returned to the National Assembly in 1967 until retiring due to ill health in 1973. Pierre Mendes-France died in 1982. 1956 - The 7th Winter Olympic games closed at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. 1956 - Died this day, Savilly Tartakower, Austrian-Polish-French chess player, aged 74. 1957 - Born this day, Craig Wilson, in Beeville, Texas, US water polo goalie (Olympics-silver-1984, 1988). 1957 - Bill Haley arrived from New York on the liner Queen Elizabeth at Southampton, for his UK concert debut and was greeted by 5,000 fans, he was also the first American rock artist to tour the UK. 1957 - Dmitri Sjostakovitsj completed his 2nd Piano Concert. 1958 - Clifton R. Wharton was confirmed as the first US black foreign minister (Romania). 1958 - Gamel Abdel Nasser was nominated as the first president of United Arab Republic. 1958 - Vanguard TV-3 back-up was launched into Earth orbit; it reached 6km. 1958 - A year after its founding, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) formed a New York chapter. NARAS is better known as the Grammy Awards organisation. 1958 - Died this day, Henry M. Tomlinson, British writer (Under red ensign). 1959 - Died this day, Gwili Andre, actress (No Other Woman, Roar of the Dragon). 1960 - Born this day, Paul Jones, bass, Catatonia, 1998 UK No.3 single Mulder And Scully. 1960 - Died this day, Rudolf Nelson, composer, aged 81. 1961 - Died this day, Anthony G. de Rothschild, British philanthropist, aged 73. 1961 - The Shirelles were winding up their first week at No.1 on the music charts with Will You Love Me Tomorrow. The song was at the top for two weeks. It was the group’s first No.1 tune and the first No.1 tune from the pen of a New York Brill Building songwriter who worked right down the hall from Neil Sedaka. She became a huge star in her own right with several No.1 singles and albums in the 1970s. Her name: Carole King. 1961 - The Sunday Telegraph became the first new national Sunday newspaper to be published in Britain for 40 years. Today saw the first issue. 1961 - The automatic half barrier was introduced on level crossings. 1962 - Born this day, Jennifer Jason Leigh [Jennifer Lee Morrow], actress, in Hollywood, California, USA. (eXistenZ, Washington Square, In The Cut, Backdraft, Single White Female (1993), Miami Blues (1990), Last Exit To Brooklyn (1989), The Anniversary Party (2001)). Daughter of actor Vic Morrow. 1962 - French President de Gaulle called for Algeria's independence. 1962 - Died this day, Jacques Ibert, composer, aged 71. 1962 - Born this day, Tommy Skeoch, rock vocalist (Tesla-Psychotic Supper). 1962 - Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn within 16 degrees. 1963 - Maarten Schmidt discovered enormous red shifts in quasars. 1963 - A Soviet lunar probe failed. 1964 - Born this day, Laura Linney, actress. 1964 - Born this day, [Michael] Duff McKagan, in Seattle, Washington, bass, Guns N' Roses, 1998 US No.1 and 1989 UK No.6 single Sweet Child O' Mine. 1964 - Born this day, Sally Still, bass, Furniture, 1986 UK No.21 single Brilliant Mind. 1965 - Beursschouwburg opened in Brussels. 1965 - Born this day, Ben Lee, in Rangoon, Burma, US badminton player (Olympic-1992). 1965 - Died this day, Irving Bacon, actor (Fort Ti, Petticoat Fever), aged 71. 1966 - The BBC opened a relay radio station on Ascension Island. 1966 - Died this day, Ludwig Binswanger, Swiss psychiatrist (šber Ideenflucht), aged 84. 1966 - Petula Clark had her second No.1 in the US singles chart with My Love. It made it to No.4 in the UK. 1966 - California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas entered the Billboard charts, it eventually reached No.4. 1966 - Born this day, Jose-Maria Olazabal, golfer. 1966 - Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made for Walkin' entered the Billboard chart, eventually reaching the No.1 spot. 1967 - The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered on CBS (later the show moved to ABC, then to NBC). 1967 - Anastasio Somoza became president of Nicaragua. 1967 - The Bollingen Prize for poetry was awarded to Robert Penn Warren. 1967 - Died this day, Herman Teirlinck, Belgian writer (Jokaste against God), aged 87. 1968 - Died this day, Luckey Roberts, composer, aged 80. 1968 - KDTV TV channel 39 in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas (IND) began broadcasting. 1968 - Died this day, Nick Adams, actor (Johnny Yuma-Rebel), aged 36. 1968 - Born this day, Chris Barron, vocals, The Spin Doctors, 1993 UK No.3 and US No.7 single Two Princes. 1968 - Skater Kees Verkerk won olympic gold in the 1500 metres. 1969 - The US population reached 200 million. 1969 - The Move had their only UK No.1 single with Blackberry Way. 1969 - For one of the few times in television history, a scheduled series (usually 13 or 26 weeks of shows) turned into a one-night wonder. ABC-TV premiered Turn On, a show in the NBC Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In mold. TV critics called the show, 'offbeat and distasteful'. The show never aired again. 1969 - Died this day, Thelma Ritter, actress (Miracle on 34th Street), aged 63. 1969 - Born this day, Bobby Brown, singer, New Edition, 1983 UK No.1 and US No.46 single Candy Girl, also solo, 1988 UK No.6 and 1989 US No.1 single My Prerogative. Married Whitney Houston 18 July 1992. 1969 - Vince Lombardi, became part owner, vice president, general manager and head coach of Redskins. 1969 - Born this day, Michael Sheen, actor. 1970 - WSCV TV channel 51 in Ft Lauderdale, Florida (IND) suspended broadcasting. 1971 - Apollo 14, the third US manned Moon expedition, landed near Fra Mauro. 1971 - Alan Shepard and Edward Mitchell (Apollo 14) walked on the Moon for 4 hours. 1971 - A British soldier was shot dead during riots in Belfast, the first to be killed in action since troops went to Northern Ireland in 1969. 1971 - The American Apollo 14 spacecraft deposited two astronauts on the moon, where they made two moonwalks. Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edward Mitchell walked on the moon for four hours. 1971 - Died this day, Matyas Rakosi, Hungarian premier (1952-53), aged 78. 1971 - Born this day, Marcus Redman, actor (Raymond-Doogie Howser). 1972 - Died this day, Marianne Moore, US poetess (Pulitzer 1951), aged 84. 1972 - Bob Douglas became the first black man elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Douglas not only coached the New York Renaissance, an all-black team which won 88 consecutive games in 1933, he owned the team. 1972 - T Rex had their third UK No.1 single with Telegram Sam. 1972 - US airlines began mandatory inspection of passengers and baggage. 1973 - A funeral was held for LC William Nolde, the last US soldier killed in the Vietnam War. 1973 - Juan Corona was sentenced to 25 consecutive life terms for 25 murders. 1973 - Born this day, Diego Serrano, in Ecuador, actor (Tomas Rivera-Another World). 1974 - British mine strike began. 1974 - Born this day, Jesper Blomqvist, Everton footballer. 1974 - Mats Wermelin, of Sweden, scored all points in a 272-0 basketball win. (Opponents?) 1974 - The maximum speed on the Autobahn was reduced to 100 kph. 1974 - US Mariner 10 returned the first close-up photos of Venus' cloud structure. 1975 - The United States cut off military aid to Turkey as a result of delays in a peace settlement of the Cyprus dispute. 1976 - Died this day, Rudy Pompilli, sax player with Bill Haley's Comets, of lung cancer. 1976 - Died this day, Roger Livesey, actor (Drum, Vice Versa, Colonel Blimp), aged 69. 1977 - Died this day, Izaak Boleslavski, Russian chess player, aged 67. 1977 - General Mills Adventure Theater premiered on CBS radio. 1977 - Sugar Ray Leonard beat Luis Vega in 6 rounds in his first pro fight. 1978 - Fred Newman made 88 consecutive basketball free throws blindfolded. 1978 - Died this day, [Anna HM] Annie Romein-Verschoor, historical (Omzien), aged 83. 1978 - Died this day, French van Immerseel, Belgian graphic artist. 1977 - Iggy Pop was signed as a solo artist for the first time, by RCA. 1977 - Mary MacGregor started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Torn Between Two Lovers. It made No.4 in the UK. 1978 - Appearing at The Coventry Theatre, were Be Bop Deluxe, the first night of a 22 date UK tour. 1979 - Sears Radio Theater premiered on CBS. 1979 - The costliest single periodical advert, at $3.2 million for Gulf + Western, was shown in Time magazine. 1981 - In Brisbane, Australia, on 5 February 1981, Paul Squires and Geoff Ross created the world's largest Jell-O. 7,700 gallons of pink Jell-O, ($14,000 worth) was set in a tank donated by Poolfab. 1981 - President Reagan, in a nationwide address, said the United States was in 'the worst economic mess since the Great Depression' and called for sweeping spending and tax cuts. 1981 - Died this day, Barend Barendse, sportscaster. 1981 - Died this day, Kuda Bux, Indian mystic (I'd Like to See), aged 75. 1982 - Chin A Sen ended his term as president of Suriname. 1982 - The US DEA announced the seizure of 3,192 tons of marijuana, 495 people arrested. 1982 - Died this day, Dolores Maran, actress, aged 56. 1982 - Died this day, Neil Aggett, South African worker's union leader, committed suicide. 1982 - Died this day, [Aloisius CA] Wies Moens, Flemish writer, nazi (doodvonnis). 1982 - Laker Airlines, created by former pilot Sir Freddie Laker to cut prices and make air travel more accessible, collapsed with debts of £270m. ($351M). 1983 - A bomb blast outside the PLO offices in Beirut killed 22 people. 1983 - Died this day, Derk Roemers, union leader, politician (Social Democrat), aged 67. 1983 - Klaus Barbie, wanted Nazi war criminal, was imprisoned in Lyons, France, following extradition from Bolivia. 1983 - Def Leppard's album Pyromania, started a 92 week run on the US charts, it never reached No.1 but sold over 6 million copies in the US. 1983 - Toto went to No.1 on the US singles with Africa, also a hit in the UK reaching No.3. 1984 - E. Bowell discovered asteroids #3486 Fulchignoni, #3526 Jeffbell and #3590 Holst. 1985 - Appearing on BBC2's The Old Grey Whistle Test, were Pete Burns, Judas Priest, Sade and Lemmy. 1986 - World oil prices plunged toward $15 per barrel from $30 three months earlier after OPEC failed to curb production. Prices dropped to $9 by the summer of 1986. 1986 - Corazon Aquino and Ferdinand Marcos appeared on Nightline. 1987 - The Dow Jones industrial average closed above the 2,200-point mark for the first time. The market closed at 2201.49. 1988 - Comic Relief was launched to combat famine in Africa. 1988 - Two federal grand juries in Florida announced indictments of Panama military strongman General Manuel Antonio Noriega and 16 associates on drug smuggling and money laundering charges. 1988 - In the first prime-time wrestling match for 30 years - Andre beat Hulk Hogan. 1989 - Kareem Abdul-Jabar became the first NBA player to score 38,000 points. 1989 - Radio Moscow announced the last Soviet soldier had left Kabul, Afghanistan. 1989 - Rupert Murdoch launched his satellite station Sky Television in Britain. 1990 - Opposition candidate Rafael Calderon Fournier won Costa Rica's presidential election. 1990 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev proposed the Communist Party give up its monopoly on power in the Soviet Union. Two days later, the party's Central Committee agreed. 1991 - President Bush sent his top military advisers to Saudi Arabia to decide whether a ground assault was needed to liberate Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. 1991 - Bill Drumond and Jimmy Cauty of KLF were arrested in Battersea, London after painting a logo on a Sunday Times billboard advert. 1991 - Died this day, Dean Jagger, US actor (Mr Novak. Rawhide, Oscar), aged 85. 1991 - Died this day, Pedro Arrupe, Spanish priest, Jesuit. 1992 - Died this day, Donald Zimmerman, editor. 1992 - Died this day, Laura Liddell, actress (Shakespeare Wallah). 1992 - Euthanasia advocate Jack 'Dr. Death' Kevorkian was freed on bond following his arrest in the assisted suicides of two women. 1993 - Died this day, Tip Tipping, actor. 1993 - Federal Judge Kimba Wood withdrew from consideration as President Clinton's attorney general after revelations that she'd employed, although paid the taxes for, an illegal alien. 1993 - Died this day, Joseph Mankiewicz, Oscar-winning US writer-director (All about Eve), at the age of 83. 1993 - President William Clinton signed the Family-Leave bill requiring companies with 50 or more employees to allow employees to take up to 12 weeks unpaid leave in a 12 month period to deal with the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a relative with a serious health problem. 1993 - A grenade exploded in Sarajevo, killing 63 and injuring 160. 1994 - A mortar bomb devastated a crowded-weekend Sarajevo street market, killing 69 and injuring 200. 1994 - White supremacist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted of the 1963 murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers - 30 years after the crime. 1994 - Died this day, Fred de Bruyne, Flemish cyclist, gang leader (Paris-Nice), aged 63. 1994 - Died this day, Hermann Abs, German advisor to Hitler, aged 92. 1996 - A judge ordered President Clinton to testify in the Whitewater trial. He later did so via videotape. 1996 - The Bosnian government told NATO it had arrested a Serb general, a colonel and six other men for investigations into suspected war crimes. 1997 - The former American Football star and actor, O. J. Simpson was ordered to pay nearly $5.5 million in compensation, after a jury in a civil trial found him responsible for the death of him wife Nicole, and her friend Ron Goldman. He was later ordered to pay $15.2 million in punitive damages. 1997 - Switzerland's three biggest banks, galvanised by international pressure, said they had created a 100 million Swiss franc Holocaust memorial fund as a gesture of good will toward their critics. 1997 - Morgan Stanley Group, Incorporated announced it would merge with Dean Witter, Discover & Company to become the biggest US securities company. 1997 - Thousands of Albanians, many of whom had lost their life savings, protested to demand the US government reimburse them following the collapse of a pyramid fund. 1997 - A mid-week National Lottery draw was introduced in the UK. 1998 - Elton John and Stevie Wonder played for US President Bill Clinton and the British Prime Minister at the White House. 1999 - 'N SYNC made a guest appearance on Sabrina The Teenage Witch on US TV. 2002 - Died this day, Doris Coley, Shirelles singer, of breast cancer aged 58. 2001 - Juliet Peters appeared in a London court accused of making death threat's to Billie Piper. Peter's had made threatening telephone calls to the singer threatening to decapitate her and burn her body. The court listened to tapes of the 13 calls she has made to the singers record company. 2002 - S Club 7 played the first night of an eight date UK arena tour at The Manchester Evening News Arena, tickets were £20. 2002 - Electrical goods firm Dyson said it would transfer manufacturing of its vacuum cleaners from Wiltshire to the Far East - with the loss of 800 jobs. 2003 - Prime Minister Tony Blair told MPs that links between Iraq and al-Qaeda 'unquestionably' did exist. |
Trivia
Trivia - petty details or considerations, matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
Trivial - of very little importance or value; insignificant: "Don't bother me with trivial matters." Trivially - unimportant, nugatory, slight, immaterial, inconsequential, frivolous, trifling.