today.nukz.net: Almanac March 26 :: Tennessee Williams

Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983) Playwright

Events

1026 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
1484 – William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop's Fables.
1552 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh Guru.
1636 – Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands.
1812 – An earthquake destroys Caracas, Venezuela.
1830 – The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York.
1839 – The first Henley Royal Regatta is held.
1881 – Thessaly is freed and becomes part of Greece again.
1913 – Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople.
1917 – World War I: First Battle of Gaza – British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance.
1931 – SwissAir is founded as the national airline of Switzerland.
1934 – The driving test is introduced in the United Kingdom.
1939 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war.
1942 – World War II: In Poland, the first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz.
1958 – The United States Army launches Explorer 3.
1958 – The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris.
1967 – Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City
1971 – East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Liberation War begins.
1974 – Gaura Devi leads a group of 27 women of Laata village, Henwalghati, Garhwal Himalayas, to form circles around trees to stop them being felled and giving rise to the Chipko Movement in India.
1975 – The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force.
1976 – Queen Elizabeth II sends the first royal email, from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment.
1978 – Four days before the scheduled opening of Japan's Narita International Airport, a group of protestors destroys much of the equipment in the control tower with Molotov cocktails.
1979 – Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C..
1982 – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C..
1991 – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
1991 – Five South Korean boys, nicknamed the Frog Boys, disappear while hunting for frogs and are murdered in a case that remains unsolved.
1995 – The Schengen Treaty comes into effect.
1997 – Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven's Gate cult suicides.
1998 – Oued Bouaicha massacre in Algeria: 52 people are killed with axes and knives, 32 of them babies under the age of 2.
1999 – The "Melissa worm" infects Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems around the world.
1999 – A jury in Michigan finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man.
2005 – The Taiwanese government calls on 1 million Taiwanese to demonstrate in Taipei, in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China. Around 200,000 to 300,000 attend the demonstration.
2011 – At least 250,000 people attend the 2011 London anti-cuts protest.

Births

603 – Pacal II, Mayan ruler (d. 683)
1516 – Conrad Gessner, Swiss naturalist (d. 1565)
1554 – Charles of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne, French military leader (d. 1611)
1634 – Domenico Freschi Italian composer and Roman Catholic priest (d. 1710)
1698 – Václav Prokop Diviš, Czech theologian and natural scientist (d. 1765)
1749 – William Blount, American statesman (d. 1800)
1753 – Benjamin Thompson, American physicist and inventor (d. 1814)
1773 – Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigator (d. 1838)
1794 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (d. 1872)
1859 – Alfred Edward Housman, English poet (d. 1936)
1859 – Adolf Hurwitz, German mathematician (d. 1919)
1866 – Fred Karno, British music hall impresario (d. 1941)
1868 – King Fuad I of Egypt (d. 1936)
1871 – Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole of the Kingdom of Hawaii (d. 1922)
1874 – Robert Frost, American poet (d. 1963)
1875 – Max Abraham, German physicist (d. 1922)
1875 – Syngman Rhee, South Korean politician (d. 1965)
1876 – Prince William of Wied (d. 1945)
1879 – Othmar Ammann, Swiss bridge engineer (d. 1965)
1881 – Guccio Gucci, founder of The House of Gucci. (d. 1953)
1882 – Hermann Obrecht, Swiss jurist (d. 1940)
1884 – Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist (d. 1969)
1886 – Hugh Mulzac, America military officer (d. 1971)
1888 – Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse (d. 1948)
1893 – Palmiro Togliatti, Italian communist leader (d. 1964)
1894 – Viorica Ursuleac, Romanian soprano (d. 1985)
1896 – Rudolf Dassler, German sportswear executive (d. 1974)
1898 – Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (d. 1979)
1904 – Joseph Campbell, American author (d. 1987)
1904 – Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor and filmmaker (d. 1986)
1904 – Xenophon Zolotas, Greek economist and politician (d. 2004)
1905 – Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1997)
1905 – Monty Berman, British film and television producer (d. 2006)
1906 – Rafael Mendez, Mexican trumpeter (d. 1981)
1907 – Azellus Denis, Canadian politician (d. 1991)
1908 – Franz Stangl, German concentration camp commandant (d. 1971)
1908 – Henry (Hank) Sylvern, American radio personality (d. 1964)
1911 – Bernard Katz, German-born biophysicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2003)
1911 – Tennessee Williams, American dramatist (d. 1983)
1911 – T. Hee, American animator (d. 1988)
1913 – Paul Erdos, Hungarian mathematician (d. 1996)
1913 – Jacqueline de Romilly, French philologist and classical scholar (d. 2010)
1914 – Toru Kumon, Japanese educator (d. 1995)
1914 – William Westmoreland, American military commander (d. 2005)
1915 – Hwang Sunwon, Korean writer (d. 2000)
1916 – Christian B. Anfinsen, American chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1995)
1916 – Bill Edrich, English cricketer (d. 1986)
1916 – Sterling Hayden, American actor (d. 1986)
1916 – Harry Rabinowitz, South African composer and conductor
1917 – Rufus Thomas, American musician (d. 2001)
1919 – Roger Leger, Quebec ice hockey player (d. 1965)
1919 – Strother Martin, American actor (d. 1980)
1922 – Oscar Sala, Italian-born physicist (d. 2010)
1923 – Gert Bastian, German politician (d. 1992)
1923 – Bob Elliott, American comedian
1925 – Pierre Boulez, French composer and conductor
1925 – James Moody, American jazz musician (d. 2010)
1925 – Ben Mondor, Canadian-born American baseball executive (d. 2010)
1926 – Ventsislav Yankov, Bulgarian pianist
1927 – Harold Chapman, British photographer
1929 – Edwin Turney, American businessman (d. 2008)
1929 – Tom Foley, American politician
1930 – Gregory Corso, American poet (d. 2001)
1930 – Sandra Day O'Connor, American jurist
1931 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor and director
1933 – Acharya Kuber Nath Rai, Indian Writer
1933 – Vine Deloria Jr., American scholar (d. 2005)
1934 – Alan Arkin, American actor
1935 – Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian statesman
1936 – Harry Kalas, American sportscaster (d. 2009)
1936 – Giora Feidman, Argentinian-Jewish klezmer clarinetist
1937 – Wayne Embry, American basketball player
1937 – James Lee, Canadian politician
1938 – Anthony James Leggett, American physicist, Nobel laureate
1940 – James Caan, American actor
1940 – Nancy Pelosi, American politician
1941 – Richard Dawkins, British evolutionary biologist
1941 – Yvon Marcoux, Quebec politician
1942 – Erica Jong, American author
1943 – Bob Woodward, American journalist
1944 – Diana Ross, American singer (Supremes)
1945 – Mikhail Voronin, Soviet gymnast (d. 2004)
1946 – Johnny Crawford, American actor
1946 – Alain Madelin, French politician
1947 – Dar Robinson, American stuntman (d. 1986)
1948 – Richard Tandy, British keyboardist (Electric Light Orchestra)
1948 – Steven Tyler, American singer (Aerosmith)
1949 – Vicki Lawrence, American actress and singer
1949 – Fran Sheehan, American musician (Boston)
1949 – Patrick Süskind, German writer
1950 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer (d. 2010)
1950 – Martin Short, Canadian comedian
1950 – Ernest Thomas, American actor
1950 – Alan Silvestri, American film composer
1951 – Carl Wieman, American physicist, Nobel laureate
1952 – T. A. Barron, American writer
1952 – Didier Pironi, French Formula 1 driver (d. 1987)
1953 – Elaine Chao, American member of the George W. Bush Administration
1953 – Lincoln Chafee, American politician
1953 – Youssouf Togoïmi, Chadian nationalist (d. 2002)
1954 – Kazuhiko Inoue, Japanese voice actor
1954 – Curtis Sliwa, American anti-crime activist
1955 – Danny Arndt, Canadian ice hockey player
1956 – Charly McClain, American singer
1957 – Leeza Gibbons, American television host
1957 – Paul Morley, English music journalist and musician
1958 – Chris Codiroli, American baseball player
1958 – Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (d. 1986)
1959 – Chris Hansen, American reporter and correspondent
1960 – Marcus Allen, American football player
1960 – Jennifer Grey, American actress
1960 – Axel Prahl, German actor
1961 – Leigh Bowery, Australian-born English fashion performance artist (d. 1994)
1961 – William Hague, British politician
1961 – Billy Warlock, American actor
1962 – Eric Allan Kramer, American actor
1962 – John Stockton, American basketball player
1962 – Paul de Leeuw, Dutch television host
1963 – Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese writer
1963 – Roch Voisine, Canadian singer and songwriter
1964 – Todd Barry, American Comedian
1964 – Martin Donnelly, Irish race car driver
1964 – Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish ice hockey player
1964 – Baz Warne, English guitarist (The Stranglers)
1964 – Hai Zi, Chinese poet (d. 1989)
1965 – Trey Azagthoth, American guitarist
1966 – Nick Wirth, British engineer
1966 – Michael Imperioli, American actor
1967 – Mark Carroll, Australian rugby league footballer
1968 – Kenny Chesney, American singer
1968 – James Iha, American musician (The Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle)
1968 – Laurent Brochard, French cyclist
1969 – Alessandro Moscardi, Italian rugby player
1970 – Paul Bosvelt, Dutch football player
1970 – Thomas Kyparissis, Greek footballer
1970 – Martin McDonagh, Anglo-Irish playwright and film director
1971 – Behzad Ghorbani, Iranian zoologist and sociobiologist
1972 – Jon Reep, American comedian and actor
1972 – Jason Maxwell, American baseball player
1972 – Leslie Mann, American actress
1973 – Heather Goldenhersh, American actress
1973 – Lawrence E. Page, American search engine designer
1973 – T. R. Knight, American actor
1973 – Matt Burke, Australian rugby player
1974 – Mike Peca, Canadian ice hockey player
1975 – Juvenile, American rapper
1976 – Joachim Alcine, Haitian-born Quebec boxer
1976 – Amy Smart, American actress
1976 – Natalia Livingston, American actress
1976 – Nurgül Yesilçay, Turkish actress
1976 – Ufuk Talay, Australian footballer
1977 – Kevin Davies, English footballer
1977 – Sylvain Grenier, Canadian professional wrestler
1978 – Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player
1979 – Hiromi Uehara, Japanese jazz pianist
1979 – Pierre Womé, Cameroonian footballer
1979 – Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer
1980 – Son Ho Young, Korean singer
1980 – Richie Wellens, English footballer
1981 – Baruch Dego, Israeli football player
1981 – Massimo Donati, Italian footballer
1981 – Jay Sean, British R&B singer
1981 – Josh Wilson, American baseball player
1982 – Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer
1982 – Nate Kaeding, American football player
1983 – Roman Bednar, Czech footballer
1983 – Michael Brendli, American professional wrestler
1984 – Jimmy Howard, American ice hockey player
1984 – Stéphanie Lapointe, Canadian singer
1984 – David McGowan, English footballer
1984 – Alberto Schettino, Italian footballer
1984 – Annette Schwarz, German pornographic actress
1984 – Marco Stier, German footballer
1984 – Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean cricketer
1984 – Sara Jean Underwood, American model
1985 – Keira Knightley, English actress
1985 – Jonathan Groff, American stage and television actor
1985 – Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricket captain
1986 – Jonny Craig, Canadian singer and songwriter (Emarosa and Dance Gavin Dance)
1986 – Misty Stone, American pornographic actress and model
1987 – Jermichael Finley, American football player
1987 – Steven Fletcher, Scottish footballer
1987 – YUI, Japanese singer-songwriter and guitarist
1988 – Suvi Koponen, Finnish model
1989 – Matteo Guidicelli, Filipino actor and racer
1989 – Simon Kjær, Danish footballer
1989 – Josiah Leming, American singer-songwriter
1990 – Yuya Takaki, Japanese actor and singer
1990 – Yuya Yagira, Japanese actor
1992 – Haley Ramm, American actress
1994 – Mayu Watanabe, Japanese actress and singer (AKB48)
2005 – Countess Luana of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg
2007 – Prince Moritz of Hesse, son of Donatus, Hereditary Prince of Hesse

Deaths

304 – Saint Emmanuel, Christian martyr killed under Diocletian
922 – Al-Hallaj, Persian Sufi teacher and writer
1130 – King Sigurd I of Norway (b. c. 1090)
1212 – King Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)
1517 – Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer
1535 – Georg Tannstetter, Austrian scientist (b. 1482)
1546 – Thomas Elyot, English diplomat
1566 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish composer (b. 1510)
1649 – John Winthrop, second governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
1679 – Johannes Schefferus, Alsatian-born humanist (b. 1621)
1697 – Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician and murderer (b. 1640)
1726 – Sir John Vanbrugh, English dramatist (b. 1664)
1772 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French writer (b. 1704)
1776 – Samuel Ward, American politician (b. 1725)
1780 – Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (b. 1713)
1793 – John Mudge, English physician (b. 1721)
1797 – James Hutton, Scottish geologist (b. 1726)
1814 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, namesake of the guillotine (b. 1738)
1827 – Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer (b. 1770)
1858 – John Addison Thomas, American soldier (b. 1811)
1881 – Roman Sanguszko, Polish aristocrat (b. 1800)
1885 – Anson Stager, American telegraphist (b. 1825)
1888 – Barghash bin Said, second Sultan of Zanzibar (b. 1837)
1892 – Walt Whitman, American poet (b. 1819)
1902 – Cecil Rhodes, English explorer (b. 1853)
1905 – Maurice Barrymore, actor; patriarch of the Barrymore family (b. 1849)
1910 – Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (b. 1864)
1910 – An Jung-geun, Korean general who fought for independence of Korea(executed) (b. 1879)
1920 – William Chester Minor, American surgeon and contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary (b. 1834)
1923 – Sarah Bernhardt, French actress (b. 1844)
1926 – Konstantin Fehrenbach, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1852)
1929 – Katharine Lee Bates, American poet (b. 1859)
1933 – Eddie Lang, American musician (b. 1902)
1940 – Spiridon Louis, Greek runner, winner of the first modern Olympics marathon (b. 1873)
1942 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player (b. 1874)
1945 – David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1863)
1948 – Emile St. Godard, Canadian dog sled racer (b. 1905)
1951 – James F. Hinkle, American politician, sixth Governor of New Mexico (b. 1864)
1957 – Édouard Herriot, French politician (b. 1872)
1958 – Phil Mead, English cricketer (b. 1887)
1959 – Raymond Chandler, American-born novelist (b. 1888)
1969 – John Kennedy Toole, American author (b. 1937)
1973 – Noël Coward, English composer and playwright (b. 1899)
1973 – Johnny Drake, American football player (b. 1916)
1973 – Don Messer, Canadian fiddler (b. 1909)
1973 – George Sisler, American baseball player (b. 1893)
1976 – Josef Albers, German artist (b. 1888)
1976 – Lin Yutang, Chinese writer (b. 1895)
1978 – Wilfred Pickles, English actor and broadcaster (b. 1904)
1983 – Anthony Blunt, British art historian and spy (b. 1907)
1984 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (b. 1922)
1987 – Eugen Jochum, German conductor (b. 1902)
1989 – Hai Zi, Chinese poet (b. 1964)
1990 – Halston, American fashion designer (b. 1932)
1992 – Uvis Ulmis, Great guy who lives in Latvia. The world is his.
1992 – Barbara Frum, Canadian journalist (b. 1937)
1993 – Louis Falco, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1942)
1995 – Eazy-E, American rapper (N.W.A) (b. 1963)
1996 – Edmund Muskie, American politician (b. 1914)
1996 – David Packard, American engineer and businessman (b. 1912)
1997 – Marshall Applewhite, American cult leader (b. 1931)
2000 – Alex Comfort, American author (b. 1920)
2002 – Randy Castillo, American drummer (Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe) (b. 1950)
2003 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator (b. 1927)
2004 – Jan Berry, American musician (Jan and Dean) (b. 1941)
2004 – Jan Sterling, American actress (b. 1921)
2005 – James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1976-1979 (b. 1912)
2005 – Gérard Filion, Quebec businessman and journalist (b. 1909)
2005 – Paul Hester, Australian drummer (Split Enz and Crowded House) (b. 1959)
2005 – Marius Russo, American baseball player (b. 1914)
2005 – Frederick Rotimi Williams Nigerian politician and jurist (b. 1920)
2006 – Anil Biswas, Indian politician (b. 1944)
2006 – Paul Dana, American race car driver (b. 1975)
2006 – Nikki Sudden, British singer/songwriter (b. 1956)
2008 – Heath Benedict, American football player (b. 1983)
2008 – Robert Fagles, American translator and professor (b. 1933)
2008 – Wally Phillips, American radio personality (b. 1925)
2008 – Manuel Marulanda Velez aka Tirofijo, founder and lifelong leader of Colombian rebel group FARC-EP (b. 1930)
2009 – Shane McConkey, Canadian skier and BASE jumper (b. 1969)
2011 – Geraldine Ferraro, Congresswoman and VP nominee (b. 1935)
2011 – Roger Abbott, Canadian comedian (Air Farce Live) (b. 1946)
2011 – Diana Wynne Jones, British fantasy writer (b. 1934)