today.nukz.net: Almanac June 5

Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s. Throughout the 1970s, Anderson did a variety of different performance-art activities. She became widely known outside the art world in 1981 when her single "O Superman" reached number two on the UK pop charts. She also starred in and directed the 1986 concert film Home of the Brave. Anderson is a pioneer in electronic music and has invented several devices that she has used in her recordings and performance art shows. In 1977, she created a tape-bow violin that uses recorded magnetic tape on the bow instead of horsehair and a magnetic tape head in the bridge. In the late 1990s, she developed a talking stick, a six-foot-long baton-like MIDI controller that can access and replicate different sounds. Anderson married singer–songwriter and guitarist Lou Reed in 2008.

Events

70 – Titus and his Roman legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem.
1257 – Kraków, Poland receives city rights.
1283 – Battle of the Gulf of Naples: Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon, captures Charles of Salermo.
1798 – The Battle of New Ross: The attempt to spread United Irish Rebellion into Munster is defeated.
1817 – The first Great Lakes steamer, the Frontenac, is launched.
1829 – HMS Pickle captures the armed slave ship Voladora off the coast of Cuba.
1832 – The June Rebellion breaks out in Paris in an attempt to overthrow the monarchy of Louis-Philippe.
1837 – Houston, Texas is incorporated by the Republic of Texas.
1849 – Denmark becomes a constitutional monarchy by the signing of a new constitution.
1851 – Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly starts a ten-month run in the National Era abolitionist newspaper.
1862 – As the Treaty of Saigon is signed, ceding parts of southern Vietnam to France, the guerrilla leader Truong Dinh decides to defy Emperor Tu Duc of Vietnam and fight on against the Europeans.
1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Piedmont: Union forces under General David Hunter defeat a Confederate army at Piedmont, Virginia, taking nearly 1,000 prisoners.
1883 – The first regularly scheduled Orient Express departs Paris.
1888 – The Rio de la Plata Earthquake takes place.
1900 – Second Boer War: British soldiers take Pretoria.
1915 – Denmark amends its constitution to allow women's suffrage.
1916 – Louis Brandeis is sworn in as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
1917 – World War I: Conscription begins in the United States as "Army registration day".
1933 – The U.S. Congress abrogates the United States' use of the gold standard by enacting a joint resolution (48 Stat. 112) nullifying the right of creditors to demand payment in gold.
1941 – Four thousand Chongqing residents are asphyxiated in a bomb shelter during the Bombing of Chongqing.
1942 – World War II: United States declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.
1944 – World War II: More than 1000 British bombers drop 5,000 tons of bombs on German gun batteries on the Normandy coast in preparation for D-Day.
1945 – The Allied Control Council, the military occupation governing body of Germany, formally takes power.
1946 – A fire in the La Salle Hotel in Chicago, Illinois kills 61 people.
1947 – Marshall Plan: In a speech at Harvard University, United States Secretary of State George Marshall calls for economic aid to war-torn Europe.
1949 – Thailand elects Orapin Chaiyakan, the first Thai female member of Thailand's Parliament.
1956 – Elvis Presley introduces his new single, "Hound Dog", on The Milton Berle Show, scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements.
1959 – The first government of the State of Singapore is sworn in.
1963 – British Secretary of State for War John Profumo resigns in a sex scandal known as the Profumo Affair.
1963 – Movement of 15 Khordad: Protest against arrest of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini by Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In several cities, masses of angry demonstrators are confronted by tanks and paratroopers.
1964 – DSV Alvin is commissioned.
1967 – Six-Day War begins: The Israeli air force launches simultaneous pre-emptive attacks on the air forces of Egypt and Syria.
1968 – U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy dies the next day.
1969 – The International communist conference begins in Moscow.
1975 – The Suez Canal opens for the first time since the Six-Day War.
1975 – The United Kingdom holds its first country-wide referendum, on remaining in the European Economic Community (EEC).
1976 – Collapse of the Teton Dam in Idaho, United States.
1977 – A coup takes place in Seychelles.
1977 – The Apple II, one of the first personal computers, goes on sale.
1981 – The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five people in Los Angeles, California have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems, in what turns out to be the first recognized cases of AIDS.
1984 – Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi orders an attack on the Golden Temple, the holiest site of the Sikh religion.
1989 – The Unknown Rebel halts the progress of a column of advancing tanks for over half an hour after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
1993 – Portions of the Holbeck Hall Hotel in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, fall into the sea following a landslide.
1995 – The Bose-Einstein condensate is first created.
1998 – A strike begins at the General Motors parts factory in Flint, Michigan, that quickly spreads to five other assembly plants (the strike lasted seven weeks).
2001 – Tropical Storm Allison makes landfall on the upper-Texas coastline as a strong tropical storm and dumps large amounts of rain over Houston. The storm caused $5.5 billion in damages, making Allison the costliest tropical storm in U.S. history.
2003 – A severe heat wave across Pakistan and India reaches its peak, as temperatures exceed 50°C (122°F) in the region.
2006 – Serbia declares independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.

Births

1341 – Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, son of Edward III of England (d. 1402)
1493 – Justus Jonas, German Protestant reformer (d. 1555)
1523 – Margaret of France, Duchess of Berry (d. 1573)
1553 – Bernardino Baldi, Italian mathematician (d. 1617)
1640 – Pu Songling, Chinese writer (d. 1715)
1646 – Elena Cornaro Piscopia, Italian mathematician (d. 1684)
1660 – Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (d. 1744)
1718 – Thomas Chippendale, English furniture maker (d. 1779)
1723 – Adam Smith, Scottish economist (d. 1790)
1757 – Pierre Jean George Cabanis, French physiologist (d. 1808)
1760 – Johan Gadolin, Finnish scientist (d. 1852)
1771 – Ernest Augustus I of Hanover (d. 1851)
1781 – Christian August Lobeck, German scholar (d. 1860)
1819 – John Couch Adams, English mathematician and astronomer (d. 1892)
1830 – Carmine Crocco, Italian brigand (d. 1905)
1850 – Pat Garrett, American Western lawman (d. 1908)
1862 – Allvar Gullstrand, Swedish ophthalmologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1930)
1868 – James Connolly, Irish socialist (d. 1916)
1876 – Isaac Heinemann, German-born Israeli scholar and professor of classical literature (d. 1957)
1876 – Tony Jackson, American musician (d. 1920)
1877 – Willard Miller, American sailor (d. 1959)
1878 – Pancho Villa, Mexican revolutionary (d. 1923)
1879 – Robert Mayer, German-born philanthropist (d. 1985)
1879 – René Pottier, French cyclist (d. 1907)
1883 – John Maynard Keynes, English economist (d. 1946)
1884 – Ralph Benatzky, Czech composer (d. 1957)
1894 – Roy Thomson, Lord Thomson of Fleet, English publisher (d. 1976)
1895 – William Boyd, American actor (d. 1972)
1895 – William Roberts, British painter (d. 1980)
1898 – Salvatore Ferragamo, Italian shoemaker (d. 1960)
1898 – Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet, lyricist and dramatist (d. 1936)
1899 – Otis Barton, American deep-sea diver, inventor and actor (d. 1992)
1900 – Dennis Gabor, Hungarian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
1902 – Arthur Powell Davies, American religious minister (d. 1957)
1905 – John Abbott, British actor (d. 1996)
1905 – Jock Cameron, South African cricketer, Wisden COY 1936 (d. 1935)
1908 – Ravi Narayana Reddy, Indian communist leader (d.1991)
1912 – Dean Amadon, American ornithologist (d. 2003)
1916 – Eddie Joost, American baseball player and manager (d. 2011)
1919 – Richard Scarry, American author/illustrator (d. 1994)
1920 – Cornelius Ryan, Irish-American author (d. 1974)
1923 – Jorge Daponte, Argentine racing driver (d. 1963)
1923 – Daniel Pinkham, American composer, organist, and harpsichordist (d. 2006)
1925 – Art Donovan, American football star
1928 – Robert Lansing, American actor (d. 1994)
1928 – Tony Richardson, British film director (d. 1991)
1930 – Alifa Rifaat, Egyptian writer (d. 1996)
1931 – Jacques Demy, French film director (d. 1990)
1931 – Connie Hines, American actress (d. 2009)
1931 – Jerzy Prokopiuk, Polish philosopher, antroposopher
1932 – Christy Brown, Irish author (d. 1981)
1934 – Bill Moyers, American journalist
1937 – Hélène Cixous, French writer, poet
1938 – Karin Balzer, German hurdler
1939 – Joe Clark, sixteenth Prime Minister of Canada
1939 – Margaret Drabble, English novelist
1941 – Martha Argerich, Argentine pianist
1941 – Erasmo Carlos, Brazilian singer and songwriter
1941 – Spalding Gray, American actor and writer (d. 2004)
1941 – Robert Kraft, American owner of the New England Patriots
1942 – Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatoguinean politician
1943 – Matthew Lesko, American author
1944 – Colm Wilkinson, Irish singer
1945 – John Carlos, American athlete
1945 – Patrick Head, English F1 technical director and team co-owner (WilliamsF1)
1946 – John Bach, Welsh actor
1946 – Freddie Stone, American guitarist (Sly & the Family Stone)
1947 – Laurie Anderson, American performance artist, musician and composer
1947 – Tom Evans, English musician (Badfinger) (d. 1983)
1949 – Ken Follett, Welsh author
1950 – J. J. Bittenbinder, American television host and author
1950 – Ronnie Dyson, American singer and actor (d. 1990)
1950 – Abraham Sarmiento, Jr., Filipino journalist & political activist (d. 1977)
1951 – Suze Orman, American financial advisor, writer, and television personality
1951 – Jill Biden, American educator and wife of Vice President Joe Biden
1952 – Carole Fredericks, American singer (d. 2001)
1952 – Daniel Katzen, American classical musician
1952 – Nicko McBrain, English drummer (Iron Maiden)
1953 – Kathleen Kennedy, American film producer
1954 – Haluk Bilginer, Turkish actor
1954 – Nancy Stafford, American actress
1955 – Edino Nazareth Filho, Brazilian football player
1956 – Richard Butler, English singer (The Psychedelic Furs)
1956 – Kenny G, American saxophonist
1958 – Avigdor Lieberman, Israeli politician
1958 – Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, President of the Comoros
1959 – Robert Lloyd, English musician (The Nightingales)
1960 – Leslie Hendrix, American actress
1960 – Margo Lanagan, Australian author
1961 – Mary Kay Bergman, American voice actress (d. 1999)
1961 – Anthony Burger, American musician and singer (d. 2006)
1961 – Aldo Costa, Italian engineer
1962 – Princess Astrid of Belgium
1962 – Jeff Garlin, American comedian
1963 – Joe Rudán, Hungarian heavy metal singer
1964 – Lisa Cholodenko, American filmmaker
1964 – Rick Riordan, American author
1964 – Karl Sanders, American musician (Nile)
1965 – Michael E. Brown, American astronomer
1965 – Sandrine Piau, French soprano
1967 – Matt Bullard, American basketball player
1967 – Joe DeLoach, American athlete
1967 – Ray Lankford, American baseball player
1967 – Ron Livingston, American actor
1969 – Brian McKnight, American musician
1970 – Martin Gelinas, Canadian hockey player
1971 – Miyuki Komatsu, Japanese actress
1971 – Susan Lynch, Northern Irish actress
1971 – Takaya Tsubobayashi, Japanese racing driver
1971 – Mark Wahlberg, American rapper and actor
1972 – Mike Bucci, American professional wrestler
1972 – Chuck Klosterman, American journalist
1972 – Pavel Kotla, Polish conductor
1973 – Lamon Brewster, American boxer
1973 – Daniel Gildenlöw, Swedish musician and songwriter
1973 – Galilea Montijo, Mexican actress
1973 – Gella Vandecaveye, Belgian judoka
1974 – Chad Allen, American actor
1974 – Russ Ortiz, American baseball player
1974 – P-Nut, American bassist (311)
1975 – Žydrunas Ilgauskas, Lithuanian basketball player
1975 – Sandra Stals, Belgian athlete
1976 – Giannis Giannoulis, Greek basketball player
1976 – Torry Holt, American football player
1976 – Ross Noble, English comedian
1976 – Aesop Rock, American hip-hop artist
1976 – Jack Ross, Scottish footballer
1977 – Kristin Gore, American author and screenwriter
1977 – Christian Martucci, American musician
1977 – Nourhanne, Lebanese singer
1977 – Navi Rawat, American actress
1977 – Liza Weil, American actress
1978 – Fernando Meira, Portuguese football player
1979 – David Bisbal, Spanish singer
1979 – Fraser Watts, Scottish cricketer
1979 – Pete Wentz, American musician (Fall Out Boy)
1979 – Stefanos Kotsolis, Greek footballer
1979 – Jason White, American racing driver
1980 – Mike Fisher, Canadian ice hockey player
1980 – Sutee Suksomkit, Thai football player
1980 – Brandi Shearer, American musician
1981 – Jade Goody, British television personality (d. 2009)
1981 – Sebastien Lefebvre, Canadian musician (Simple Plan)
1982 – Dallas Cook, American musician (Suburban Legends)
1982 – Baron Geisler, Filipino actor
1983 – Bill Bray, American baseball player
1983 – Marques Colston, American football player
1984 – Robert Barbieri, Canadian-born Italian rugby player
1985 – Ekaterina Bychkova, Russian tennis player
1985 – Kenny De Ketele, Belgian cyclist
1986 – Christian Baracat, German rugby player
1986 – Dave Bolland, Canadian ice hockey player
1986 – Amanda Crew, Canadian actress
1986 – Vernon Gholston, American football player
1987 – Charlie Clements, English actor
1987 – Marcus Thornton, American basketball player
1988 – Alessandro Salvi, Italian footballer
1989 – Megumi Nakajima, Filipina-Japanese voice actress & singer
1991 – Sören Bertram, German footballer
1992 – Joazhiño Arroe, Peruvian footballer
1992 – Emily Seebohm, Australian swimmer
1995 – Troye Sivan, South African/Australian actor and singer
2005 – Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón, granddaughter of King Juan Carlos I of Spain

Deaths

301 – Sima Lun, Chinese usurper
535 – Epiphanius of Constantinople, patriarch of Constantinople
754 – Saint Boniface, an 8th century English missionary, bishop and martyr
1017 – Emperor Sanjo of Japan (b. 976)
1118 – Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester (b. 1049)
1296 – Edmund Crouchback, son of Henry III of England (b. 1245)
1316 – King Louis X of France (b. 1289)
1383 – Dmitry Konstantinovich, Russian prince (b. 1324)
1568 – Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Flemish general and statesman (b. 1522)
1625 – Orlando Gibbons, English composer (b. 1583)
1667 – Pietro Sforza Pallavicino, Italian cardinal and historian (b. 1607)
1688 – Constantine Phaulkon, Greek adventurer (b. 1667)
1716 – Roger Cotes, English mathematician (b. 1682)
1722 – Johann Kuhnau, German composer, organist, and harpsichordist (b. 1660)
1738 – Isaac de Beausobre, French Protestant pastor (b. 1659)
1791 – Sir Frederick Haldimand, Swiss-born colonial governor (b. 1718)
1816 – Giovanni Paisiello, Italian composer (b. 1741)
1819 – Bodawpaya, King of Burma (b. 1745)
1825 – Odysseas Androutsos, national hero in the Greek War of Independence (b. 1788)
1826 – Carl Maria von Weber, German composer (b. 1786)
1866 – John McDouall Stuart, Australian explorer (b. 1815)
1900 – Stephen Crane, American author (b. 1871)
1902 – Louis J. Weichmann, American witness in Abraham Lincoln assassination trial (b. 1842)
1906 – Karl Robert Eduard von Hartmann, German philosopher (b. 1842)
1910 – O. Henry, American author (b. 1862)
1913 – Chris von der Ahe, German-born baseball pioneer (b. 1851)
1916 – Lord Horatio Kitchener, British field marshal (b. 1850)
1920 – Rhoda Broughton, Welsh author (b. 1840)
1921 – Georges Feydeau, French playwright (b. 1862)
1930 – Pascin, Bulgarian painter (b. 1885)
1947 – Nils Olaf Chrisander, Swedish actor and film director (b. 1884)
1967 – Arthur Biram, Israeli philosopher and educator, and Israel Prize recipient (b. 1878)
1972 – Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (b. 1894)
1975 – Paul Keres, Estonian chess player (b. 1916)
1976 – Violet Wilkey, American actress (b. 1903)
1993 – Conway Twitty, American musician (b. 1933)
1996 – Acharya Kuber Nath Rai, Indian Writer (b. 1933)
1998 – Jeanette Nolan, American actress (b. 1911)
1998 – Sam Yorty, American mayor of Los Angeles (b. 1909)
1999 – Mel Tormé, American singer, composer, and actor (b. 1925)
2000 – Don Liddle, American baseball player (b. 1925)
2001 – Pedro Laín Entralgo, Spanish medical researcher and humanist (b. 1908)
2002 – Gwen Plumb, Australian actress (b. 1912)
2002 – Dee Dee Ramone, American bassist (The Ramones) (b. 1951)
2003 – Jürgen Möllemann, German politician (b. 1945)
2003 – Manuel Rosenthal, French composer and conductor (b. 1904)
2004 – Iona Brown, British violinist and conductor (b. 1941)
2004 – Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States (b. 1911)
2005 – Susi Nicoletti, German actress (b. 1918)
2005 – Adolfo Aguilar Zínser, Mexican politician (b. 1949)
2006 – Frederick Franck, American artist and writer (b. 1909)
2007 – Povel Ramel, Swedish entertainer (b. 1922)
2009 – Jeff Hanson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1978)
2009 – Boris Pokrovsky, Russian operatic stage director (b. 1912)
2011 – Leon Botha, South African artist and entertainer (b. 1985)