today.nukz.net: Almanac

Virginia Woolf 1882-1941

Events

41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate.
1348 – A strong earthquake strikes the South Alpine region of Friuli in modern Italy, causing considerable damage to buildings as far away as Rome.
1494 – Alfonso II becomes King of Naples.
1533 – Henry VIII of England secretly marries his second wife Anne Boleyn.
1554 – Founding of São Paulo city, Brazil.
1573 – Battle of Mikatagahara, in Japan; Takeda Shingen defeats Tokugawa Ieyasu.
1575 – Luanda, the capital of Angola is founded by the Portuguese navigator Paulo Dias de Novais.
1755 – Moscow University is established on Tatiana Day.
1765 – Port Egmont, the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands at the southern tip of South America, is founded.
1787 – American Daniel Shays leads a rebellion to seize Federal arsenal to protest debtor's prisons.
1791 – The British Parliament passes the Constitutional Act of 1791 and splits the old Province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada.
1792 – The London Corresponding Society is founded.
1858 – The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn becomes a popular wedding recessional after it is played on this day at the marriage of Queen Victoria's daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia.
1879 – The Bulgarian National Bank is founded.
1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company.
1890 – Nellie Bly completes her round-the-world journey in 72 days.
1909 – Richard Strauss' opera Elektra receives its debut performance at the Dresden State Opera.
1915 – Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
1918 – Ukraine declares independence from Bolshevik Russia.
1919 – The League of Nations is founded.
1924 – The 1924 Winter Olympics opens in Chamonix, France (in the French Alps), inaugurating the Winter Olympic Games.
1932 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Chinese National Revolutionary Army begins its defense of Harbin.
1937 – The Guiding Light debuts on NBC radio from Chicago. In 1952 it moves to CBS television, where it remains until Sept. 18, 2009.
1941 – Pope Pius XII elevates the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands to the dignity of a diocese. It becomes the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu.
1942 – World War II: Thailand declares war on the United States and United Kingdom.
1945 – World War II: The Battle of the Bulge ends.
1946 – The United Mine Workers rejoins the American Federation of Labor.
1949 – At the Hollywood Athletic Club the first Emmy Awards are presented.
1955 – The Soviet Union ends state of war with Germany.
1960 – The National Association of Broadcasters reacts to the Payola scandal by threatening fines for any disc jockeys who accept money for playing particular records.
1961 – In Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy delivers the first live presidential television news conference.
1969 – Brazilian Army captain Carlos Lamarca deserts in order to fight against the military dictatorship, taking with him 10 machine guns and 63 rifles.
1971 – Charles Manson and three female "Family" members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders.
1971 – Idi Amin leads a coup deposing Milton Obote and becomes Uganda's president.
1971 – Himachal Pradesh becomes the 18th Indian state.
1981 – Jiang Qing, the widow of Mao Zedong, is sentenced to death.
1986 – The National Resistance Movement topples the government of Tito Okello in Uganda.
1990 – The Burns' Day storm hits northwestern Europe.
1993 – Five people are shot outside the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia resulting in two murders.
1994 – The Clementine space probe launches.
1995 – The Norwegian Rocket Incident: Russia almost launches a nuclear attack after it mistakes Black Brant XII, a Norwegian research rocket, for a US Trident missile.
1996 – Billy Bailey became the last person to be hanged in the United States of America.
1998 – During a historic visit to Cuba, Pope John Paul II demands the release of political prisoners and political reforms while condemning US attempts to isolate the country.
1998 – A suicide attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on Sri Lanka's Temple of the Tooth kills 8 people and injures 25 others.
1999 – A 6.0 Richter scale earthquake hits western Colombia killing at least 1,000.
2001 – A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24.
2003 – 2003 Invasion of Iraq: A group of people left London, England, for Baghdad, Iraq, to serve as human shields to prevent the U.S.-led coalition troops from bombing certain locations.
2004 – Opportunity rover (MER-B) lands on surface of Mars.
2005 – A stampede at the Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi in India kills at least 258.
2006 – Three independent observing campaigns announce the discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb through gravitational microlensing, the first cool rocky/icy extrasolar planet around a main-sequence star.
2006 – Mexican professional wrestler Juana Barraza is arrested in conjunction with the serial killing of at least 10 elderly women.
2010 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crashes into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after take-off from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, killing all 90 people on-board.
2011 – Egyptian Revolution of 2011 begins in Egypt, with a series of street demonstrations, marches, rallies, acts of civil disobedience, riots, labour strikes, and violent clashes in Cairo, Alexandria, and throughout other cities in Egypt.

Births

750 – Leo IV the Khazar, Byzantine Emperor (d. 780)
1477 – Anna, Duchess of Brittany, wife of Charles VIII of France (d. 1514)
1509 – Giovanni Morone, Italian cardinal (d. 1580)
1615 – Govert Flinck, Dutch painter (d. 1660)
1627 – Robert Boyle, Irish chemist (d. 1691)
1634 – Gaspar Fagel, Dutch statesman (d. 1688)
1640 – William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, English soldier and statesman (d. 1707)
1688 – Juraj Jánošík, famous Slovak outlaw (d. 1713)
1736 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian-born mathematician (d. 1813)
1739 – Charles François Dumouriez, French general (d. 1823)
1743 – Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, German philosopher (d. 1819)
1755 – Paolo Mascagni, Anatomist (d. 1815)
1759 – Robert Burns, Scottish poet (d. 1796)
1777 – Karoline Jagemann, German actor (d. 1848)
1794 – François-Vincent Raspail, French chemist (d. 1878)
1796 – William MacGillivray, Scottish naturalist and ornithologist (d. 1852)
1813 – James Marion Sims, American physician (d. 1883)
1822 – Charles Reed Bishop, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1915)
1824 – Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Bengali author. (d. 1873)
1825 – George Pickett, American Confederate General (d. 1875)
1841 – Jackie Fisher, British First Sea Lord (d. 1920)
1858 – Kokichi Mikimoto, Japanese pearl farmer (d. 1954)
1860 – Charles Curtis, 31st Vice President of the United States (d. 1936)
1864 – Julije Kempf, Croatian historian and writer (d. 1934)
1868 – Juventino Rosas, Mexican composer (d. 1894)
1874 – W. Somerset Maugham, English writer (d. 1965)
1878 – Ernst Alexanderson, Swedish television pioneer (d. 1975)
1882 – Virginia Woolf, English writer (d. 1941)
1885 – Kitahara Hakushu, Japanese poet and children's author (d. 1942)
1886 – Wilhelm Furtwängler, German conductor (d. 1954)
1896 – Florence Mills, American cabaret singer, dancer, and comedian (d. 1927)
1899 – Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian politician (d. 1972)
1899 – Sleepy John Estes, American blues guitarist, songwriter and vocalist (d. 1977)
1900 – István Fekete, Hungarian writer (d. 1970)
1900 – Yojiro Ishizaka, Japanese writer (d. 1986)
1901 – Martin De Alzaga, Argentine racing driver (d. 1982)
1902 – Pablo Antonio, Filipino modernist architect (d. 1975)
1905 – Maurice Roy, French-Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal (d. 1985)
1913 –Huang Hua, Chinese statesman (d. 2010)
1913 – Witold Lutoslawski, Polish composer (d. 1994)
1913 – Luis Marden, American photojournalist (d. 2003)
1915 – Ewan MacColl, American folk music singer-songwriter (d. 1989)
1916 – Frank "Pop" Ivy, American football coach (d. 2003)
1917 – Ilya Prigogine, Russian scientist Nobel Laureate (d. 2003)
1917 – Jânio Quadros, Brazilian politician (d. 1992)
1918 – Ernie Harwell, American baseball sportscaster (d. 2010)
1919 – Edwin Newman, American broadcast journalist (d. 2010)
1921 – Samuel T. Cohen, American physicist (d. 2010)
1923 – Arvid Carlsson, Swedish scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1923 – Rusty Draper, American country and pop singer (d. 2003)
1923 – Shirley Ardell Mason, American psychiatric patient (d. 1998)
1924 – Lou Groza, American football player (d. 2000)
1924 – Speedy West, American musician (d. 2003)
1925 – Giorgos Zampetas, Greek musician and songwriter (d. 1992)
1927 – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian composer (d. 1994)
1928 – Jérôme Choquette, Quebec lawyer and politician
1928 – Eduard Shevardnadze, President of Georgia (1995–2003)
1929 – Robert Faurisson, French academic and holocaust denier
1929 – Benny Golson, American jazz musician
1930 – Tanya Savicheva, Russian diarist (d. 1944)
1931 – Dean Jones, American actor
1933 – Corazon Aquino, 11th President of the Philippines (d. 2009)
1935 – Conrad Burns, American politician
1935 – António Ramalho Eanes, Portuguese politician
1936 – Diana Hyland, American actress (d. 1977)
1937 – Judith Ann Mayotte, American humanitarian and author
1937 – Ange-Félix Patassé, Central African Republican politician (d. 2011)
1938 – Shotaro Ishinomori, Japanese manga author (d. 1998)
1938 – Etta James, American singer (d. 2012)
1938 – Leiji Matsumoto, Japanese anime author
1938 – Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian poet (d. 1980)
1939 – Gabriel Romanus, Swedish politician
1941 – Buddy Baker, American race car driver
1941 – Gregory Sierra, American actor
1942 – Carl Eller, American football player
1942 – Eusébio, Portuguese footballer
1942 – Shinobu Tsukasa, Japanese organized crime figure
1943 – Roy Black, German pop singer (d. 1991)
1943 – Tobe Hooper, American film director
1944 – Anita Pallenberg, Italian model
1945 – John Leslie, American pornographic actor and filmmaker (d. 2010)
1945 – Leigh Taylor-Young, American actress
1947 – Ángel Nieto, Spanish motorcycle racer
1947 – Tostão, Brazilian footballer
1948 – Gueorgui Chichkine, Russian painter
1948 – Ros Kelly, Australian politician
1949 – John Cooper Clarke, English punk-poet
1949 – Paul Nurse, English biochemist, Nobel Laureate
1950 – Gloria Naylor, African American novelist
1950 – John Terry, American actor
1951 – Steve Prefontaine, American runner (d. 1975)
1952 – Sara Mandiano, French singer and songwriter
1952 – Peter Tatchell, Australian-born British LGBT activist
1952 – Timothy White, American journalist (d. 2002)
1953 – The Honky Tonk Man, American professional wrestler
1953 – Mark Weil, Uzbek theatre director (d. 2007)
1954 – Ricardo Bochini, Argentinian footballer
1954 – Kay Cottee, Australian maritime sailor
1954 – Richard Finch, American bass player (KC and the Sunshine Band)
1954 – Kim Gandy, American feminist activist
1955 – Terry Chimes, English musician (The Clash)
1956 – Andy Cox, English musician (The Beat, Fine Young Cannibals)
1957 – Eskil Erlandsson, Swedish politician
1957 – Andrew P. Harris, American politician
1957 – Jenifer Lewis, American actress
1958 – Dinah Manoff, American actress
1961 – Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean politician
1961 – Willie Revillame, Filipino game show host and comedian
1962 – Chris Chelios, American ice hockey player
1965 – Mark Jordon, English actor
1965 – Esa Tikkanen, Finnish ice hockey player
1966 – Chet Culver, American politician
1967 – Mark Bamford, American writer/director
1967 – Randy McKay, Canadian ice hockey player
1969 – Kina, American singer
1970 – Stephen Chbosky, American writer
1970 – Chris Mills, American basketball player
1970 – Milt Stegall, American-born Canadian Football League player
1971 – Luca Badoer, Italian race car driver
1971 – China Kantner, American actress
1971 – Ana Ortiz, American actress and singer
1973 – Chris Guy, American professional wrestler
1973 – Geoff Johns, American comic book writer
1974 – Robert Budreau, Canadian film director
1974 – Attilio Nicodemo, Italian footballer
1975 – Mia Kirshner, Canadian actress
1975 – Tim Montgomery, American athlete
1975 – Dat Phan, Vietnamese stand-up comedian
1976 – Mario Haberfeld, Brazilian racing car driver
1976 – Dimitris Nalitzis, Greek footballer
1978 – Denis Menchov, Russian cyclist
1978 – Jason Roberts, English footballer
1978 – Derrick Turnbow, American baseball player
1979 – Pi Hongyan, French badminton player
1979 – Gabe Jennings, American distance runner
1979 – Christine Lakin, American actress
1979 – Rodrigo Ribeiro, Brazilian racing driver
1979 – Zoe Britton, American Pornographic Actress
1980 – Michelle McCool, American professional wrestler
1980 – Efstathios Tavlaridis, Greek footballer
1980 – Xavi, Catalan Spanish footballer
1981 – Charlie Bewley, English actor
1981 – Francis Jeffers, English footballer
1981 – Alicia Keys, American singer
1981 – Toše Proeski, Macedonian singer (d. 2007)
1982 – Sho Sakurai, Japanese singer and actor
1982 – Shawna Waldron, American actress
1983 – Andrée Watters, Canadian singer
1984 – Stefan Kießling, German footballer
1984 – Robinho, Brazilian footballer
1985 – Brent Celek, American football player
1985 – Tina Karol, Ukrainian singer
1985 – Acie Law IV, American basketball player
1985 – Patrick Willis, American football player
1986 – Chris O'Grady, English footballer
1986 – Shahriar Nafees, Bangladeshi cricketer
1987 – Maria Kirilenko, Russian tennis player
1988 – Tatiana Golovin, French tennis player
1989 – Sheryfa Luna, French singer
1989 – Víctor Ruiz Torre, Spanish footballer
1989 – Mikako Tabe, Japanese stage and film actress

Deaths

389 – Gregory Nazianzus, theologian and Patriarch of Constantinople (b. 329)
477 – King Geiseric of the Vandals and Alans
844 – Pope Gregory IV
967 – Sayf al-Daula, Hamdanid Emir of Aleppo (b. 916)
1067 – Emperor Yingzong of China (b. 1032)
1366 – Henry Suso, German mystic
1431 – Charles II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1364)
1494 – King Ferdinand I of Naples (b. 1423)
1559 – King Christian II of Denmark (b. 1481)
1573 – Hirate Hirohide, Japanese samurai (b. 1553)
1578 – Mihrimah Sultana, Ottoman princess (b. 1522)
1586 – Lucas Cranach the Younger, German painter (b. 1515)
1640 – Robert Burton, English scholar (b. 1577)
1670 – Nicholas II, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1612)
1726 – Guillaume Delisle, French cartographer (b. 1675)
1733 – Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet (b. 1652)
1751 – Paul Dudley, American attorney and politician (b. 1675)
1881 – Konstantin Thon, Russian architect (b. 1794)
1884 – Périclès Pantazis, Greek impressionist painter (b. 1849)
1907 – René Pottier, French cyclist (b. 1879)
1908 – Mikhail Chigorin, Russian chess player (b. 1850)
1908 – Ouida, English writer (b. 1839)
1912 – Dmitry Milyutin, Russian field marshal (b. 1816)
1925 – Ivan Vucetic, Croatian anthropologist (b. 1858)
1939 – Charles Davidson Dunbar, British military piper (b. 1870)
1940 – Elias Simojoki, Finnish clergyman and politician (b. 1899)
1947 – Al Capone, American organized crime figure (b. 1899)
1949 – Makino Nobuaki, Japanese statesman (b. 1861)
1954 – Manabendra Nath Roy, Indian political activist (b. 1887)
1957 – Ichizo Kobayashi, Japanese industrialist (b. 1873)
1957 – Kiyoshi Shiga, Japanese physician and bacteriologist (b. 1871)
1963 – Wilson Kettle, Canadian centenarian (b. 1860)
1966 – Saul Adler, Russian-born British parasitologist (b. 1895)
1969 – Irene Castle, English dancer (b. 1887)
1970 – Jane Bathori, French mezzo-soprano (b. 1877)
1970 – Eiji Tsuburaya, Japanese television writer and producer (b. 1901)
1972 – Erhard Milch, German field marshal (b. 1892)
1975 – Charlotte Whitton, Canadian politician (b. 1896)
1976 – Chris Kenner, American singer and songwriter (b. 1929)
1978 – Skender Kulenovic, Bosnian poet (b. 1910)
1980 – Queenie Watts, English actress (b. 1926)
1981 – Adele Astaire, American dancer (b. 1897)
1982 – Mikhail Suslov, Soviet politician (b. 1902)
1985 – Ilias Iliou, Greek politician (b. 1904)
1987 – Frank J. Lynch, American jurist and state legislator (b. 1922)
1990 – Ava Gardner, American actress (b. 1922)
1994 – Stephen Cole Kleene, American mathematician (b. 1909)
1996 – Jonathan Larson, American composer (b. 1960)
1999 – Sarah Louise "Sadie" Delany, American author (b. 1889)
1999 – Ted Mallie, American radio and television announcer (b. 1924)
1999 – Robert Shaw, American conductor (b. 1916)
2003 –Sheldon Reynolds, American television producer (b. 1923)
2003 – Samuel Weems, American jurist (b. 1936)
2004 – Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch athlete (b. 1918)
2004 – Miklós Fehér, Hungarian footballer (b. 1979)
2005 – Stanislaw Albinowski, Polish economist and journalist (b. 1923)
2005 – William Augustus Bootle, American judge (b. 1902)
2005 – Philip Johnson, American architect (b. 1906)
2005 – Manuel Lopes, Cape Verdean writer and poet (b. 1907)
2005 – Ray Peterson, American singer (b. 1935)
2005 – Nettie Witziers-Timmer, Dutch athlete (b. 1923)
2006 – Anna Malle, adult film star (b. 1967)
2008 – Christopher Allport, American actor (b. 1947)
2008 – Evelyn Barbirolli, English musician (b. 1911)
2009 – Kim Manners, American television producer and director (b. 1951)
2010 – Ali Hassan al-Majid, Iraqi defense minister and military commander (b. 1941)