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February 7th
0590 - Died this day, Pelagius II ended his reign as Catholic Pope, Gothic Pope (579-90). 1301 - King Edward I of England revived the title of Prince of Wales and bestowed it on Edward of Caernarvon, later Edward II. 1478 - Born this day, Sir Thomas More, English statesman and writer (Utopia), lawyer, lord chancellor of England, saint. 1550 - Giovanni Maria del Monte was elected as Pope Julius III. 1556 - Born this day, Maria van Nassau, countess of Buren. 1589 - Born this day, Jacob de Witte, mayor (Dordrecht), mathematician. 1593 - Died this day, Jacques Amyot, French humanist, abbot of Bellozanne, aged 79. 1609 - Died this day, Ferdinand I, cardinal, ruler of Toscane. 1639 - The Academie Francaise beganits Dictionary of French Language. 1655 - Born this day, Jean-Francois Regnard, French comedic poet (Slave in Algeria). 1668 - Prince Willem III danced in the premiere of Ballet of the La Paix. 1688 - Born this day, Maria Louise van Hessen-Kassel [Marijke Meu], princess of Orange. 1707 - Born this day, Carl August Thielo, composer. 1710 - Born this day, William Boyce, English organist, composer of Cathedral music. 1739 - Born this day, Joseph Pouteau, composer. 1743 - Died this day, Lodovico Giustini, composer, aged 57. 1749 - Died this day, Andre Cardinal Destouches, composer, aged 76. 1753 - Born this day, Rhijnvis Feith, mayor, writer (Zwolle). 1758 - Born this day, Benedikt Emanuel Schack, composer. 1764 - Born this day, Ann Radcliffe, London, Gothic novelist (Mysteries of Udolpho). 1791 - Saratoga County, New York was founded. 1792 - Austria and Prussia formed an alliance against France. 1795 - England occupied the Dutch West Indies. 1801 - Born this day, John Rylands, in England, merchant, philanthropist. 1803 - Born this day, Edgar Quinet, French writer, historian (Ahasverus). 1804 - Born this day, John Deere, pioneer manufacturer of agricultural implements. 1809 - Born this day, Frederik Paludan-Muller, Danish Romantic poet (Danserinden). 1812 - Born this day, Charles Dickens, English novelist (Oliver Twist, Tale of 2 Cities). 1812 - The last of the Midwest earthquakes struck New Madrid, Missouri. It changed the course of Mississippi River in many places. 1812 - Lord Byron made his maiden speech in House of Lords. 1817 - Born this day, Leroy Pope Walker, Brigadier General (Confederate Army). Died in 1884. 1818 - Academician, the first successful educational magazine, began publication in New York City. 1820 - Died this day, Samuel Adams Holyoke, composer, aged 57. 1822 - Born this day, Joaquin y Garbayo Gaztambide, composer. 1823 - Born this day, Richard Genee, composer. 1823 - Died this day, Ann Radcliffe (Ward), English poetess, author of horror novels. 1824 - Born this day, William Higgins, discovered nature of spiral 'nebulae'. 1825 - Born this day, Crystobal Oudrid y Segura, composer. 1827 - Mme Francisquy Hutin introduced ballet to the US with a performance of The Deserter, staged at the Bowery Theatre, New York, NY. 1827 - Died this day, Franz Anton Dimmler, composer, aged 73. 1830 - Died this day, Marcus Antonio da Fonseca, in Portugal, composer, aged 67. 1831 - Belgium adopted its Constitution. 1833 - Born this day, Ricardo Palma, Peruaans writer, poet (Tradiciones Peruanas). 1834 - Born this day, Dmitri I. Mendeleyev, Russian chemist, who devised the periodic table. 1836 - Sketches by Boz (essays) were published by Charles Dickens. 1837 - Born this day, James Augustus Henry Murray, in Scotland, created Oxford Dictionary. 1837 - Died this day, Gustav IV, king of Sweden 1792-1809. Due to his foreign policy, Sweden became totally isolated and in March 1809 he was overthrown in a coup. 1839 - Henry Clay declared in the Senate 'I had rather be right than president'. 1839 - Born this day, Nicolaas G. Pierson, economist, Suriname premier (1897-1901). 1842 - Born this day, Alexandre Ribit, premier of France. 1845 - The Portland Vase, a 10 inch Roman glass vessel, was smashed by a hooligan, while it was on loan to the British Museum. 1847 - Born this day, Ernst Franck, composer. 1857 - Died this day, Felix PBOG, Earl of Merode, Belgian minister of War, aged 65. 1862 - Died this day, Frantisek Jan Skroup, composer, aged 61. 1862 - Died this day, Prosper Meniere, French doctor (Meniere Syndrome), aged 62. 1862 - The Federal fleet made an attack on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. 1862 - Born this day, Bernard Maybeck, US architect (Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco). 1863 - Born this day, Mieczyslaw Soltys, composer. 1864 - Born this day, Ricardo Castro Herrera, composer. 1865 - Died this day, John Henry Winder, US Confederate brigadier-general, provost marshal, aged 64. 1866 - Born this day, [Rafael] Raf Verhulst [Koen Ravestein], writer (Jesus of Nazarus). 1867 - Born this day, Laura Ingalls Wilder, in Wisconsin, children's books author. Little House on the Prairie. 1869 - Born this day, Jindrich S. Baar, Czechoslavakian pastor, writer (Jan Cimbura). 1870 - Born this day, Alfred Adler, in Austria, psychiatrist (Inferiority Complex). 1871 - Born this day, Karl Wilhelm Eugen Stenhammer, composer. 1872 - Born this day, Nikolaos 'Sokrates' Politis, Greek lawyer, diplomat, foreign minister. 1872 - Alcorn Agricultural & Mechanical College opened. Alcorn Agricultural & Mechanical College was established 13 May 1871, as Alcorn University of Mississippi on the site of Oakland College. On 15 March 1974, the name Alcorn A & M College was changed to Alcorn State University. 1875 - Born this day, Erkki Gustav Melartin, composer. 1875 - Born this day, Walter Courvoisier, composer. 1876 - President Grant’s private secretary, Orville E. Babcock, was acquitted through the personal intervention of the President, of involvement in the Whiskey Ring scandal. While not involved, President Ulysses S. Grant was tarnished by the scandal; his private secretary, Orville E. Babcock, was indicted but acquitted on Grant's testimony. The Republican Party allegedly received some of the illegally held tax money. The 'Whiskey Ring' was a group of US whiskey distillers who defrauded the US government of taxes. The ring operated mainly in St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Chicago and kept liquor taxes after bribing Internal Revenue officials in Washington, DC. A secret investigation by the US Treasury Department resulted in 238 indictments and 110 convictions. Many persons believed that the Whiskey Ring was part of a plot to finance the Republican party by fraud. 1877 - Born this day, Feliks Nowowiejski, composer. 1877 - Born this day, Godfrey H. Hardy, England, number theorist. 1877 - The first Guernsey Cattle Club was organised in New York City. 1878 - Born this day, Ossip Gabrilovich, composer. 1878 - J. Palisa discovered asteroid #182 Elsa. 1878 - Died this day, Pope Pius IX, 'Pio Nono', [Giovanni Ferretti], Pope (1846-78), aged 85. At 31 years, 236 days, his pontificate was the longest in history. 1881 - Died this day, Fredrik Cygnaeus, Finnish poet, literature critic. 1882 - The last bareknuckle fight for the heavyweight boxing championship took place in Mississippi City. John L. Sullivan punched Paddy Ryan’s lights out and sent him to beddy-byes land in round nine. 1883 - Born this day, James Hubert Blake, better known as Eubie Blake, in Baltimore, Maryland, pioneer ragtime composer and piano player (I'm Just Wild About Harry (1921), Memories of You (1930)). He died 12 February 1983 in Brooklyn, New York at the age of 100. 1885 - Born this day, Sinclair Lewis, novelist, social critic (Main Street, Nobel 1930). 1889 - The Astronomical Society of Pacific held its first meeting in San Francisco. 1891 - Born this day, Joachim Stutschewsky, composer. 1891 - The Great Blizzard of 1891 began in the US. 1893 - Elisha Gray, of Highland Park, Illinois, patented a machine called the telautograph. It automatically signed autographs to documents, freeing up those who would be autographing these things so that they could take care of other matters. 1894 - Died this day, Adolphe Sax, the Belgian who invented the saxophone. 1896 - M. Wolf discovered asteroid #415 Palatia. 1896 - Born this day, Harold Hoffman, in South Amboy, New Jersey, (Governor-New Jersey). 1896 - Born this day, Jacob Paludan, Danish pharmacist, writer (Jírgen Stein). 1897 - Born this day, Quincy Porter, in New Haven, Connecticut, composer. 1897 - Died this day, Galileo Ferraris, Italian physicist (Ferrari), aged 49. 1899 - Born this day, Arvid Pelshe, Latvian Communist leader, CPSU Politburo member. 1900 - British troops vacated Vaal Krantz, Natal. 1901 - Queen Wilhelmina married Prince Heinrich von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 1901 - Died this day, Benmjamin Edward Woolf, composer, aged 64. 1901 - Born this day, Aden Doolard [Cornelis Spoelstra], writer (Grape Picker). 1902 - Born this day, Ethelda Blebtrey, in Waterford, New York, 100 metre swimmer (Olympic-gold-1920). 1904 - Born this day, Milton Krims, writer (Speed). 1904 - In Baltimore, Maryland, a small fire in the business district was wind-whipped into an uncontrollable conflagration that engulfed a large portion of the city by evening. The fire was believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette in the basement of the Hurst Building. When the blaze finally burned out after 31 hours, an 80-block area of the downtown area, stretching from the waterfront to Mount Vernon on Charles Street, had been destroyed. More than 1,500 buildings were completely leveled, and some 1,000 severely damaged, bringing property loss from the disaster to an estimated $100 million. Miraculously, no homes or lives were lost, and Baltimore's domed City Hall, built in 1867, was preserved. The Great Baltimore Fire was the most destructive fire in the United States since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city and caused an estimated $200 million in property damage. 1905 - Born this day, Paul Nizan, French journalist, writer (L'Humanite, La Conspiration). 1905 - Born this day, Ulf Svante von Euler-Chelpin, in Sweden, physiologist (Nobel 1970). 1905 - The world's laziest man died in Bristol aged 82 years. Tom Oaksby never worked, never walked further than the nearest pub and spent 47 years in bed. 1905 - Dominican Republic signed a treaty turning over customs collection to the US. 1906 - Born this day, Henry P'u-i, last emperor of China, puppet emperor of Manchukuo. 1908 - Born this day, Buster Crabbe, Olympic swimmer (Olympic-gold-1932), actor (Flash Gordon). 1909 - Born this day, Joseph 'Poeske' Scherens, Flemish cyclist (world champion sprint 1932-37). 
1909 - Born this day, Dom Helder Camara, in Fortaleza in the North East of Brazil. Brazilian bishop. Retired as archbishop of Olinda and Recife in north-east Brazil in 1985, died on 27 August 1999 aged 90. 1912 - The second Dutch 11 city skate was won by Coen de Koenig in a time of 11 minutes 40 seconds. 1912 - Born this day, Derek Farr, in London, actor (8 O'Clock Walk, Doctor at Large). 1912 - Born this day, Jane Ross, in Spokane, Washington, actress (Audrey-Phyllis, Coed Fever). 1913 - J.H. Metcalf discovered asteroid #739 Mandeville. 1914 - The steel work was completed on Exposition (Civic) Auditorium, in San Francisco. 1914 - Born this day, Jacques Mornard [Ramon Mercader], murderer of Trotsky. 1915 - Died this day, Wladyslaw Gorski, composer, aged 69. 1915 - D.W. Griffith's Birth Of A Nation, a landmark in the history of cinema and the first American full-length motion picture, opened in Los Angeles and was immediately a smash hit though many found its racism offensive. 1918 - Died this day, Alexander Sergeyevich Taneyev, composer, aged 68. 1919 - K. Reinmuth discovered asteroid #909 Ulla. 1919 - Born this day, Ilse Pausin, in Austria, figure skating pairs (Olympics-silver-1936). 1920 - Born this day, Eddie Bracken, in Astoria, New York City, actor (Summer Stock, Young & Willing). 1920 - Born this day, Oscar Brand, in Winnipeg, Canada, folk singer (Draw Me a Laugh). 1920 - Died this day, Alexander Koltsjak, admiral, leader Russian conter-revolutionary. 1921 - Died this day, Peter Kropotkin, Russian Prince, geologist, revolutionary anarchist. 1922 - DeWitt and Lila Acheson Wallace offered 5,000 copies of their magazine for sale for the first time. Today, the 'Reader’s Digest' continues to be widely read in a dozen languages the world over. In fact, it has become the most-read periodical in history with a circulation of 16 million plus. DeWitt Wallace died in 1981; Lila Acheson Wallace three years later. 1923 - Born this day, George H.H. Lascelles, English earl of Harewood, leader Covent Garden. 1923 - Born this day, Keefe Brasselle, in Elyria, Ohio, actor (Be Our Guest). 1924 - Born this day, Dora Bryan, actress, singer, 1963 UK No.20 single All I Want For Christmas Is A Beatle. 1924 - Mussolini's goverment exchanged diplomats with the USSR. 1924 - Born this day, Cathy Long, (Representative-D-Louisiana, 1985-86). 1924 - Born this day, Hattie Jacques, actress (Carry on Doctor), and other Carry On films. 1924 - Born this day, Johnny Jordan [John of Musscher], Amsterdam folk singer. 1925 - Born this day, Marius Constant, composer. 1925 - Born this day, Romolo Valli, actor (Bobby Deerfield, Fistful of Dynamite, La Viaccia). 1927 - O. Oikawa discovered asteroid #1584 Fuji. 1927 - Born this day, John Buller, composer. 1928 - Bert Hinkler took off on his pioneering solo England to Australia flight. 1928 - An amended version of the Book of Common Prayer was approved by the Church of England. 1931 - The American opera, Peter Ibbetson, by Deems Taylor premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. 1931 - Died this day, Ion Vidu, composer, aged 67. 1932 - Born this day, Alfred M. Worden, in Jackson, Michigan, Colonel USAF, astronaut (Apollo 15). 1932 - Born this day, Gay Talese, author (Honor Thy Father). 1933 - Colonial troops in Suriname killed two demonstrators. 1934 - The first contract was awarded for Tennessee Valley Authority's power, in Tupelo, Mississippi. 1934 - Born this day, Earl King, New Orleans blues guitarist. Wrote Come On, (Let The Good Times Roll). Died 17 April 2003 aged 69. 1934 - Born this day, King Curtis [Curtis Ousley], US sax player, singer, musician. Stabbed to death by a vagrant on the front steps of his New York home on 13 August 1971. Worked with John Lennon, played on The Coasters Yakety Yak. 1934 - Born this day, Piet Bukman, CDA-minister cooperative project. 1935 - Born this day, Herb Kohl, (Senator-D Wisconsin). 1935 - K. Reinmuth discovered asteroid #1720 Niels. 1935 - S. Arend discovered asteroid #2084 Okayama. 1936 - A US Vice President’s flag was established by executive order. 1937 - Born this day, Peter Jay, broadcaster. 1937 - Died this day, Elihu Root, US minister of War, Foreign affairs, aged 91. 1938 - K. Reinmuth discovered asteroids #1481 Tubingia, #1674 Neveld and #2022 West. 1938 - Born this day, Robert Frank Baksa, composer. 1940 - Movie fans watched the world premiere of the Walt Disney animation, Pinocchio, at the Center Theatre in Manhattan. The showing followed that of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Disney’s second feature-length film. One critic called the show, 'The happiest event since the war'. 1941 - Forward, Jackie Robinson, scored 20 points for UCLA in a losing cause, as the Trojans of USC beat the Bruins 43-41. This marked the 34th straight loss that UCLA had suffered to USC since 1932. The Bruins made up for those losses when coach John Wooden arrived, in the 1970s. 1941 - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Frank Sinatra teamed to record Everything Happens to Me for Victor Records. The session happened in the New York City studios of Victor. 1941 - The British captured Benghazi in Libya for the first time; they held it until April but were then forced to evacuate, recapturing it again in December. 1942 - Born this day, Ton [ACHM] de Kok, Dutch 2nd Chamber member (CDA). 1942 - The first indoor 15 foot pole vault was made by Cornelius Warmerdam. Actually 15 feet and 3/8ths of an inch. 1942 - Died this day, Dorando di Desiderio Pietri, marathoner (Olympic-gold-1908), aged 56. 1943 - Shoes were rationed in the US. 1943 - Born this day, Gareth Hunt, UK actor. (Avengers). 1944 - Germans launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy. 1944 - Born this day, Berend Nearst [Baron van Nearst], Dutch (CDA) foreign state secretary. 1944 - Born this day, Berry [AH] Esselink, Dutch 2nd Chamber member (CDA). 1944 - Born this day, Michael A. Andrews, (Representative-D-Texas, 1983-). 1945 - General Douglas MacArthur returned to Manila. 1945 - President Harry S. Truman appointed Irwin C. Mollison as judge of the US Customs Court. 1945 - Born this day, Pete Postlethwaite, actor. 1946 - Born this day, Sammy Johns, singer (Chevy Van). 1947 - Britain proposed the partitioning of Palestine between Arabs and Jews. 1948 - Omar Bradley succeeded Dwight Eisenhower as US Army Chief of Staff. 1948 - Born this day, Jimmy Greenspoon, organ, Three Dog Night, 1970 UK No.3 and US No.1 single Mamma Told Me Not To Come. 1949 - Born this day, Alan Lancaster, bass, Status Quo, left in 1984, 1977 UK No.3 single Rockin' All Over The World, plus 50 other UK top 75 singles since 1968. 1949 - Born this day, Stoney Browder, Kid Creole And The Coconuts, 1982 UK No.2 single Annie I'm Not Your Daddy. 1949 - The New York Yankees rewarded Joe DiMaggio by making him the first baseball player to earn $100,000 a year. 1950 - Born this day, Marilyn Cochran, in Burlington, Vermont, skier (Olympics-1972). 1950 - Georges Bidault formed a French government. 1950 - Senator Joe McCarthy found 'communists' in the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1950 - The US and Great Britain recognised the Bao Dai Vietnamese regime. 1951 - Born this day, Manfred Schumann, in German Federal Republic, bobsled (Olympic-silver/bronze-1976). 1954 - Born this day, Miguel Ferrer, actor (Robocop). 1954 - Died this day, Jan Adam Maklakiewicz, composer, aged 54. 1955 - Born this day, Rolf Benirschke, in Boston, Massachusetts, NFL place kicker, Wheel of Fortune host. 1956 - Autherine Lucy, the first black person admitted to the University of Alabama, was expelled after she accused school officials of conspiring in the riots that accompanied her court-ordered enrollment. 1957 - Died this day, Rudolph Reti, composer, aged 71. 1958 - Died this day, Walter Kingsford, actor (My Favorite Blonde, Fly by Night), aged 76. 1958 - Born this day, Manuel Mijares, in Mexico, spanish singer. 1958 - The DAF 600 auto was shown for the first time. 1958 - Born this day, Michele Drake, playmate for May 1979. 1959 - Died this day, Daniel F. Malan, premier of South Africa (1948-54), aged 84. 1959 - Died this day, Napoleon Lajorie, baseball player, aged 83. 1959 - Born this day, Mick McCarthy, former Republic of Ireland football manager. 1959 - The play, The Rivalry, opened in New York City. It ran for a total of 81 performances. 1959 - The funeral of Buddy Holly took place at The Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas. A thousand people showed up. 1959 - Born this day, Brian Travers, sax, UB40, 1983 UK No.1 and 1988 US No.1 single Red Red Wine and over 30 other top 40 hits. 1959 - A Cessna light aircraft landed in Las Vegas after 65 days without landing. It was refueled while airborne. 1960 - Old handwriting was found at Qumran, near the Dead Sea. 1960 - Born this day, James Spader, in New York City, actor (Endless Love, Wall St, Mannequin). 1960 - Born this day, Steve Bronski, Bronski Beat, 1984 UK No.3 single Smalltown Boy. 1960 - Died this day, Igor V. Koertsjatov, Russian nuclear physicist, aged 57. 1961 - Died this day, Louis-Ferdinand Celine, French physician, author, anti-semite, aged 67. 1961 - Jane Fonda appeared onscreen for the first time in NBC's drama A String of Beads. 1961 - The Jive Five recorded My True Story. 1961 - Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless was released in the US. 1962 - Born this day, Eddie Izzard, UK comedian. 1962 - A gas explosion in Luisanthal coal mine in Voelklingen, Germany killed 298. 1962 - President Kennedy began the blockade of Cuba. 1962 - Born this day, Garth Brooks, US country singer, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1991 US No.1 album Ropin’ The Wind spent 70 weeks on the US chart. 1994 UK No.13 single The Red Strokes, biggest selling artist of the 1990s with over 60 million sales. Before he became the reigning male artist in country music, Garth Brooks worked as a sporting goods employee and as a manager of a cowboy-boot store. 1962 - Born this day, David Bryan, keyboards, Bon Jovi, 1987 US No.1 and UK No.4 single Livin' On A Prayer. 1963 - Appearing at The Manor House, London, The Blues By Six plus The Rolling Stones, tickets were 4 shillings (20p). 1964 - The Beatles were mobbed at Kennedy airport in New York when Pan-Am flight PA101 landed bringing them for their first US tour, beginning 15 weeks of chart domination. To commemorate the event, Baskin-Robbins introduced a new flavour: Beatlenut. Fans surrounded the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles were staying. 1964 - Cassius Clay became a black muslim. 1964 - Born this day, Cynthia 'Sippy' Woodhead, in Riverside, California, swimmer (Olympic-silver-1984). 1964 - Born this day, Dona L. Speir, in Norwalk, California, playmate for March 1984. 1964 - Died this day, Hermann A.J. Kees, German egyptologist. 1964 - Died this day, Lillian Copeland, US discus thrower (Olympic-gold-1932), aged 59. 1965 - Died this day, Nance O'Neil, actor (Cimarron, Royal Bed, Rogue Song), aged 90. 1965 - Born this day, Jason Gedrick, actor (Heavenly Kid, Class of '96). 1965 - Operations began at Grupo Folklorico Antiyano on Curacao. 1965 - President Johnson ordered the first major bombing attack on North Vietnam. 1965 - WVIZ TV channel 25 in Cleveland, Ohio (PBS) began broadcasting. 1966 - KWCM TV channel 10 in Appleton, Minnesota (PBS) began broadcasting. 1966 - For the first time, Crawdaddy magazine was published by Paul Williams, in New York City. 1967 - Died this day, Henry Morgenthau, US minster of Finance (devaluated dollar). 1967 - Mike Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees appeared on UK TV's Top Of The Pops. 1967 - Born this day, Chris Rock, comedian. 1967 - Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees returned to the UK after living in Australia for nine years. 1968 - All 10 provincial premiers of Canada agreed to draft a new constitution giving the French language equal status with English throughout Canada. 1968 - The Belgium government of Vanden Boeynants fell. 1968 - Born this day, Ashely Allen, in San Antonio, Texas, playmate for August 1992. 1968 - WLED TV channel 49 in Littleton, New Hampshire (PBS) began broadcasting. 1968 - Died this day, Nick Adams, actor (Interns, Pillow Talk, FBI Story), aged 36. 1968 - Died this day, Stuart Foster, singer (Galen Drake Show), aged 49. 1969 - Died this day, Bainbridge Crist, composer, aged 85. 1969 - Al-Fatah-leader Yasser Arafat became president of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). 1969 - Diane Crump became the first woman jockey at a major US racetrack. She rode at Hialeah, Florida. 1969 - George Harrison entered hospital to have his tonsils removed. (Removed the next day). 1969 - Tom Jones premiered on ABC-TV after the network acquired the rights to the singing sensation’s popular United Kingdom show. The network paid a British production company an estimated $20 million for those rights. 1970 - Appearing at Leicester University were Deep Purple. 1970 - Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull married record company secretary Jennie Franks. 1970 - Led Zeppelin scored their first UK No.1 album with Led Zeppelin II. Featuring the US single Whole Lotta Love, it went on to stay on the chart for 138 weeks and sold over 6 million copies in the US. 1970 - One hit wonders Shocking Blue went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Venus, making them the first Dutch act to top the US charts. It made No.8 in the UK. Bananarama took the song to No.8 on the UK chart in 1986. 1970 - Louisiana State University's 'Pistol' Pete Marovich scored 69 points in losing cause. 1971 - In Switzerland, a referendum voted in favour of female suffrage. It wasn't until this day that Switzerland granted women the right to vote in elections. 1973 - The US Senate voted to set up a committee to investigate the break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington's Watergate complex. 1973 - Rangers shut-out the Islanders for the first time, 6-0. 1974 - Grenada gained independence from Britain (National Day). 1974 - Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra received a gold record for the disco hit, Love’s Theme. 1974 - Born this day, Danny Goffey, drums, Supergrass, 1995 UK No.2 single Alright. 1974 - Died this day, Arline Judge, actress (Age of Consent), aged 61. 1975 - Died this day, Brendan Fay, actor. 1975 - Born this day, Wes Borland, guitar, Limp Bizkit, 2001 UK No.1 single Rollin' and US and UK No.1 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water. 1975 - NBA New Orleans Jazz ended a 28 game losing streak. 1976 - Slim Whitman started a 6 week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with his self titled album. 1976 - Bob Dylan started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Desire, his second US No.1 album. 1976 - Paul Simon started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, it was the singer's first solo US No.1. 1976 - The Federal Communications Committee (FCC) raided and shut down pirate radio station WCPR, in Brooklyn, New York. 1976 - The world's largest telescope (600 cm) began operation in the USSR. 1977 - Soyuz 24 was launched with 2 cosmonauts aboard. 1977 - Born this day, Christine Scheels, in New Berlin, Wisconsin, speed skater (Olympics-1994). 1977 - Britain acknowledged to the European Court of Human Rights that malpractice had been used against prisoners in Ulster in 1971; it pledged never again to use deprivation techniques. 1977 - Died this day, Herman Dooyeweerd, philosopher, lawyer, aged 82. 1978 - There was an Ethiopian offensive in Ogaden desert. 1979 - Colonel Benjedid Chadli succeeds president Boumedienne in Algeria. 1979 - Toronto Maple Leaf Darryl Sittler scored an NHL record of 10 pts (6 goals). 1979 - Died this day, Josef Mengele (the Angel of Death), infamous for conducting experiments on twins at Auschwitz. At the end of World War II (WWII), Mengele escaped capture and fled to South America. Never caught to be punished for his crimes, Mengele died in Brazil by drowning. 1980 - The first Japanese Walkman - then called a Stowaway - went on sale. 1980 - Died this day, Ernst Kunz, composer, aged 89. 1980 - Died this day, Katherine Emery, actress (Maze, Isle of the Dead). 1981 - The TV mini-series Elvis And Me (based on Priscilla Presley's book) began on ABC. 1981 - Kool & The Gang started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Celebration, the groups first No.1 and 8th top 40 hit. It was a No.7 hit in the UK. 1981 - Woman by John Lennon started a two week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart. 1982 - Luis A. Monge was elected president of Costa Rica. 1984 - US astronaut Bruce McCandless made an untethered space walk, flying up to 100 yards from the Space Shuttle Challenger using only a powered backpack, the first time it had been done. 1984 - Died this day, Brooks West, actor (Richard-My Friend Irma), aged 67. 1984 - David (born without immunity system) at 12, touched his mother for the first time. 1984 - Michael Jackson was awarded a 4-foot high platinum disc by CBS. 1985 - Marshall U's Bruce Morris scored a basket from 92 feet 5-1/2 inches. 1985 - New York Devil Don Lever became the 57th NHLer to score 300 goals. 1985 - Died this day, Albert Dondeyne, Belgian philosopher, theologist, aged 83. 1985 - Sports Illustrated released its annual swimsuit edition. It was the biggest regular edition in the magazine’s history, weighing in at 218 pages. Paulina Porizkova joined Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley as the only models to make the cover more than once. 1985 - Died this day, Matt Monro, 60’s UK ballad singer. 1964 UK No.4 and US No.23 single Walk Away plus 10 other UK Top 40 hits. 1985 - New York, New York became the official anthem of the Big Apple. The announcement was made by then New York mayor, Ed Koch. 1986 - Haiti's President-for-Life President Jean-Claude Duvalier, fled to France after demonstrations against his rule. Henri Namphy became leader of Haiti. 1986 - Both Ferdinand Marcos and challenger Corazon Aquino claimed victory in the Philippine presidential election. 1986 - Died this day, Armand Preud'homme, Flemish organist, music writer, aged 81. 1987 - America's Cup went back to the US. Dennis Conner in Stars and Stripes won the race. 1987 - Died this day, David Savoy Jr, rock manager (Husker Du), committed suicide aged 24. 1987 - George Michael and Aretha Franklin were at No.1 in the UK with the single I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), a song written by Simon Climie. 1987 - Madonna went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Open Your Heart. It was her 5th US No.1, and also a No.4 hit in the UK. 1988 - Died this day, [Linwood V.] Lin Carter, US sci-fi writer (Lost World of Time), aged 57. 1988 - Heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson married actress Robin Givens. 1989 - Tennis superstar Bjorn Borg, apparently attempted suicide in Milan. 1989 - Georgia state representative Billy Randall introduced a bill to make Little Richards Tutti Frutti, the state's official rock song. 1989 - A US State Department report on international human rights accused Israel of mishandling the Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories. 1990 - Died this day, Jimmy Van Heusen, composer (Call Me Irresponsible), aged 77. 1990 - Died this day, Nathan Wartels, publisher (Crown), aged 88 from pneumonia. 1990 - The Soviet Communist Party leadership agreed to surrender its 70-year monopoly on power, paving the way for a multi-party democracy. 1990 - Karachi police killed 22 anti-military demonstrators. 1991 - The IRA launched a mortar bomb attack on 10 Downing Street, from a van in Whitehall. No-one was hurt. 1991 - Popular leftist priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti's first democratically elected president in 186 years. 1991 - Died this day, Dick Winslow, actor (Tom Sawyer, Mutiny on the Bounty). 1991 - Died this day, June LaVere. 1992 - Died this day, Jeanne Gerson. 1992 - European Community ministers formally signed the Maastricht Treaty of European Union. 1992 - Three people were killed and one critically injured when a gunman angry with his girlfriend opened fire in Winter Garden, Florida. 1993 - Another 13 women accused Senator Bob Packwood of improper advances, bringing the total to 23 women who have said the Oregon Republican harassed them with unwelcome sexual overtures. 1993 - Died this day, W. Sybout A. Colenbrander, historian, journalist. 1994 - Died this day, Maarten Cheerful, Dutch social-democrat minister (CRM 1965-66), aged 74. 1994 - Died this day, Richard Bissell, US under director of CIA (Varkens Bay), aged 84. 1994 - The European Union backed the use of air strikes to relieve besieged Sarajevo. 1994 - Iran arrested more than 20 'morally corrupt' suspects in a plot to assassinate President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. 1995 - The alleged 'mastermind' in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, was arrested in Pakistan. He was extradited to New York the next day. 1995 - President Clinton invited the two sides in the major league baseball strike to the White House in a final effort to reach an agreement. The next day, he announced the effort had failed and called for binding arbitration. 1996 - Rene Preval became Haiti's second freely elected president. 1996 - A Boeing 757 charter jet carrying 189 people plunged into shark-infested waters off the Dominican coast, killing everyone aboard. 1997 - The first virtual Christian Church, the International Church of the Web, was founded on this day. 1998 - Aqua scored their second UK No.1 single with Doctor Jones. 1998 - The 18th Winter Olympics opened in Nagano, Japan. 1999 - Died this day, King Hussein of Jordan, following a battle with cancer. He was 63. Hussein had ruled Jordan for 46 years. 1999 - Blondie went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Maria, giving the group their 6th UK No.1 single, 20 years after their first. 1999 - Died this day, Robert Williams, songwriter, aged 81. Wrote, Route 66, covered by many acts including The Stones, Chuck Berry, and The Girl Can't Help It. 2000 - Hi-jackers continued holding more than 150 hostages on a jet at Stanstead Airport. 2000 - Died this day, Big Punisher, of a heart attack aged 28. The rapper had weighed 50 stone when he had the attack. 2000 - Died this day, Robin Scott, aged 79. Scott had launched the UK BBC Radio 1 station in 1967. 2000 - Died this day, Dave Peverett, guitarist with Savoy Brown, from kidney cancer aged 56. 2001 - U2 played a 'secret' show at London's Astoria. Stars attending the show included actor John Hurt, Queen's Roger Taylor, Mick Jagger, Bob Geldof, Chris Evans and members of Toploader. 2002 - Home Secretary David Blunkett was criticised for saying Asians should make arranged marriages within the UK rather than jetting in candidates. 2002 - Despite exchanges between Israel and the Palestinians that at times approached outright warfare, Israeli Prime Minister Sharon said he expected a Palestinian state to emerge from the conflict. 2003 - Downing Street admitted it failed to acknowledge that a large section of an Iraqi weapons dossier was copied from a US student's outdated thesis. |
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.