today.nukz.net: Almanac July 19

Edgar Degas, born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, (19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917), was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist. A superb draftsman, he is especially identified with the subject of the dance, and over half of his works depict dancers. These display his mastery in the depiction of movement, as do his racecourse subjects and female nudes. His portraits are notable for their psychological complexity and depiction of human isolation.

Events

64 – Great Fire of Rome: a fire begins to burn in the merchant area of Rome and soon burns completely out of control. According to a popular, but untrue legend, Nero fiddled as the city burned.
484 – Leontius, Roman usurper, is crowned Eastern emperor at Tarsus (modern Turkey). He is recognized in Antioch and makes it his capital.
711 – Umayyad conquest of Hispania: Battle of Guadalete – Umayyad forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by King Roderic.
1333 – Wars of Scottish Independence: Battle of Halidon Hill – The English win a decisive victory over the Scots.
1544 – Italian War of 1542: the first Siege of Boulogne begins.
1545 – The Tudor warship Mary Rose sinks off Portsmouth; in 1982 the wreck is salvaged in one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology.
1553 – Lady Jane Grey is replaced by Mary I of England as Queen of England after only nine days of reign.
1588 – Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines – The Spanish Armada is sighted in the English Channel.
1701 – Representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy sign the Nanfan Treaty, ceding a large territory north of the Ohio River to England.
1702 – Great Northern War: A numerically superior Polish-Saxon army of Augustus II the Strong, operating from an advantageous defensive position, is defeated by a Swedish army half its size under the command of King Charles XII in the Battle of Klissow.
1832 – The British Medical Association is founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association by Sir Charles Hastings at a meeting in the Board Room of the Worcester Infirmary.
1843 – Brunel's steamship the SS Great Britain is launched, becoming the first ocean-going craft with an iron hull or screw propeller and also becoming the largest vessel afloat in the world.
1848 – Women's rights: a two-day Women's Rights Convention opens in Seneca Falls, New York; there the "Bloomers" are introduced.
1863 – American Civil War: Morgan's Raid – At Buffington Island in Ohio, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's raid into the north is mostly thwarted when a large group of his men are captured while trying to escape across the Ohio River.
1864 – Taiping Rebellion: Third Battle of Nanking – The Qing Dynasty finally defeats the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
1870 – Franco-Prussian War: France declares war on Prussia.
1900 – The first line of the Paris Métro opens for operation.
1908 – Dutch football club Feyenoord was founded
1916 – World War I: Battle of Fromelles – British and Australian troops attack German trenches in a prelude to the Battle of the Somme.
1919 – Following Peace Day celebrations marking the end of World War I, ex-servicemen riot and burn down Luton Town Hall.
1940 – World War II: Battle of Cape Spada – The Royal Navy and the Regia Marina clash; the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni sinks, with 121 casualties.
1940 – World War II: Army order 112 forms the Intelligence Corps of the British Army.
1942 – World War II: Battle of the Atlantic – German Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz orders the last U-boats to withdraw from their United States Atlantic coast positions in response to the effective American convoy system.
1947 – The Prime Minister of the shadow Burmese government, Bogyoke Aung San and 6 of his cabinet and 2 non-cabinet members are assassinated by Galon U Saw.
1947 – Korean politician Yuh Woon-Hyung is assassinated.
1961 – Tunisia imposes a blockade on the French naval base at Bizerte; the French would capture the entire town four days later.
1963 – Joe Walker flies a North American X-15 to a record altitude of 106,010 metres (347,800 feet) on X-15 Flight 90. Exceeding an altitude of 100 km, this flight qualifies as a human spaceflight under international convention.
1964 – Vietnam War: at a rally in Saigon, South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Khanh calls for expanding the war into North Vietnam.
1972 – Dhofar Rebellion: British SAS units help the Omani government against Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman rebels in the Battle of Mirbat.
1976 – Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal is created.
1979 – The Sandinista rebels overthrow the government of the Somoza family in Nicaragua.
1981 – In a private meeting with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, French Prime Minister François Mitterrand reveals the existence of the Farewell Dossier, a collection of documents showing that the Soviets had been stealing American technological research and development.
1983 – The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT is published.
1985 – The Val di Stava dam collapses killing 268 people in Val di Stava, Italy.
1989 – United Airlines flight 232 crashes in Sioux City, Iowa killing 112 of the 296 passengers.
1992 – A car bomb placed by mafia with collaboration of Italian intelligence kills judge Paolo Borsellino and five members of his escort
1997 – The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army resumes a ceasefire to end their 25-year campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland.

Births

1670 – Richard Leveridge, English bass and composer (d. 1758)
1688 – Giuseppe Castiglione, Italian missionary to China (d. 1766)
1744 – Heinrich Christian Boie, German author (d. 1806)
1759 – Seraphim of Sarov, Russian Orthodox Saint (d. 1833)
1759 – Marianna Auenbrugger, Austrian pianist and composer (d. 1782)
1771 – Thomas Talbot, Irish-born Canadian administrator (d. 1853)
1789 – John Martin, English painter (d. 1854)
1800 – Juan José Flores, Venezuelan military commander and Ecuadorian politician (d. 1864)
1814 – Samuel Colt, American firearms inventor (d. 1862)
1819 – Gottfried Keller, Swiss writer (d. 1890)
1822 – Princess Augusta of Cambridge, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (d. 1916)
1827 – Mangal Pandey, Indian freedom fighter (d. 1857)
1834 – Edgar Degas, French painter (d. 1917)
1849 – Ferdinand Brunetière, French writer and critic (d. 1906)
1860 – Lizzie Borden, American accused murderer (d. 1927)
1865 – Charles Horace Mayo, American surgeon and founder of the Mayo Clinic (d. 1939)
1868 – Florence Foster Jenkins, American opera singer (d. 1945)
1876 – John Gunn, England cricketer (d. 1963)
1876 – Joseph Fielding Smith, American religious figure (d. 1972)
1877 – Arthur Fielder, English cricketer (d. 1949)
1883 – Max Fleischer, Austrian-born American animator and film producer (d. 1972)
1886 – Michael Fekete, Hungarian-born Israeli mathematician (d. 1957)
1888 – Enno Lolling, German physician (d. 1945)
1892 – Dick Irvin, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1957)
1893 – Vladimir Mayakovsky, Russian poet (d. 1930)
1894 – Aleksandr Yakovlevich Khinchin, Russian mathematician (d. 1959)
1894 – Khawaja Nazimuddin, Bengali politician (d. 1965)
1895 – Xu Beihong, Chinese painter (d. 1953)
1896 – A. J. Cronin, Scottish writer (d. 1981)
1896 – Bob Meusel, American baseball player (d. 1977)
1898 – Herbert Marcuse, German-born philosopher (d. 1979)
1904 – Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, American lawyer; last direct descendant of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1985)
1907 – Isabel Jewell, American actress (d. 1972)
1912 – Norman Carr, British conservationist (d. 1997)
1914 – Marius Russo, American baseball player (d. 2005)
1916 – Eve Merriam, American poet and playwright (d. 1992)
1916 – Phil Cavarretta, American baseball player (d. 2010)
1917 – William Scranton, American politician
1919 – Miltos Sachtouris, Greek poet (d. 2005)
1919 – Dallas McKennon, American actor (d. 2009)
1919 – Patricia Medina, English-born actress (d. 2012)
1920 – Robert Mann, composer/violinist with Juilliard String Quartet
1920 – Aldo Protti, Italian baritone (d. 1995)
1921 – Rosalyn Yalow, American physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2011)
1921 – Harold Camping, American evangelist
1922 – George McGovern, American politician
1923 – Joseph Hansen (writer), American crime writer and poet (d. 2004)
1923 – William A. Rusher, American newspaper columnist (d. 2011)
1924 – Stanley K. Hathaway, American politician (d. 2005)
1924 – Pat Hingle, American actor (d. 2009)
1924 – Arthur Rankin, Jr., American writer, producer and director
1925 – Sue Thompson, American pop and country music singer
1926 – Helen Gallagher, American actress
1932 – Buster Benton, blues singer & guitarist
1932 – Jan Lindblad, Swedish naturalist, writer and photographer (d. 1987)
1934 – Francisco Sá Carneiro, Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1980)
1935 – Vasily Livanov, Russian and Soviet film actor
1937 – George Hamilton IV, American country singer
1938 – Nicholas Bethell, British historian (d. 2007)
1938 – Jayant Narlikar, Indian astrophysicist
1938 – Richard Jordan, American actor (d. 1993)
1940 – Dennis Cole, American actor (d. 2009)
1941 – Vikki Carr, American singer
1941 – Neelie Kroes, Dutch EU-executive
1943 – Han Sai Por, Singaporean sculptor
1944 – Tim McIntire, American actor (d. 1986)
1945 – George Dzundza, American actor
1946 – Stephen Coonts, American author
1946 – Alan Gorrie, Scottish musician (Average White Band)
1946 – Ilie Nastase, Romanian tennis player
1947 – Hans-Jürgen Kreische, East German footballer
1947 – Bernie Leadon, The Eagles guitarist
1947 – Brian May, English guitarist (Queen)
1948 – Beverly Archer, American actress
1948 – Keith Godchaux, American keyboardist (Grateful Dead) (d. 1980)
1949 – Ivar Kants, Australian actor
1950 – Per-Kristian Foss, Norwegian politician
1950 – Freddy Moore, American songwriter
1951 – Abel Ferrara, American filmmaker
1951 – Reza Kianian, Iranian actor
1951 – Jayson Stark, American sportswriter
1952 – Allen Collins, American guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 1990)
1952 – Robert A. Ficano, American politician
1952 – John Griesheimer, American politician
1954 – Alvan Adams, American basketball player
1954 – Srda Trifkovic, Serbian-born American journalist
1955 – Roger Binny, Indian cricketer
1956 – Joe Mohen, American internet entrepreneur
1956 – Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2006)
1956 – Yoshiaki Yatsu, Japanese professional wrestler
1958 – Robert Gibson, American professional wrestler
1958 – David Robertson, American symphony orchestra conductor
1959 – Juan Jose Campanella, Argentinian filmmaker
1960 – Atom Egoyan, Canadian filmmaker
1960 – Kevin Haskins, British drummer
1961 – Maria Filatova, Soviet gymnast
1961 – Lisa Lampanelli, American comedian
1961 – Benoît Mariage, Belgian film director
1961 – Hideo Nakata, Japanese film director
1961 – Campbell Scott, American actor
1962 – Anthony Edwards, American actor
1962 – Aya Kito, Japanese writer (d. 1988)
1963 – Garth Nix, Australian fantasy writer
1964 – André A. Jackson, French-born American diamond executive
1964 – Masahiko Kondo, Japanese singer, actor and racing driver
1965 – Evelyn Glennie, Scottish percussionist
1965 – Stuart Scott, American sportscaster
1965 – Claus-Dieter Wollitz, German footballer
1966 – David Segui, American baseball player
1966 – Nancy Walls, American actress
1967 – Yael Abecassis, Israeli actress and model
1967 – Muriel Degauque, Belgian terrorist (d. 2005)
1967 – Stuart Howe, Canadian operatic tenor
1968 – Robert Flynn, American vocalist and guitarist (Machine Head)
1968 – Jim Norton, American radio personality (The Opie and Anthony Show)
1968 – Pavel Kuka, Czech footballer
1969 – Matthew Libatique, American cinematographer
1970 – Bill Chen, American quantitative analyst
1971 – Russell Allen, American vocalist (Symphony X)
1971 – Urs Bühler, Swiss tenor (Il Divo)
1971 – Vitali Klitschko, Ukrainian boxer
1971 – Michael Modest, American professional wrestler
1972 – Naohito Fujiki, Japanese actor and singer
1972 – Ebbe Sand, Danish footballer
1973 – Laurits Munch-Petersen, Danish film director
1973 – Martin Powell, English violinist and keyboardist (Cradle of Filth, My Dying Bride)
1973 – Saïd Taghmaoui, French actor
1973 – Scott Walker, Canadian ice hockey player
1974 – Rey Bucanero, Mexican professional wrestler
1974 – Francisco Copado, German footballer
1974 – Malcolm O'Kelly, Irish rugby union footballer
1974 – Preston Wilson, American baseball player
1975 – Luca Castellazzi, Italian footballer
1976 – Benedict Cumberbatch, British actor
1976 – Gonzalo de los Santos, Uruguayan footballer
1976 – Vinessa Shaw, American actress
1977 – Jean-Sébastien Aubin, Canadian ice hockey player
1977 – Tony Mamaluke, American professional wrestler
1977 – Haitham Mustafa, Sudanese footballer
1977 – Ed Smith, English cricketer
1979 – Rick Ankiel, American baseball player
1979 – Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lankan cricketer
1979 – Michelle Heaton, British pop singer
1979 – Luke Young, English footballer
1980 – Xavier Malisse, Belgian tennis player
1980 – Giorgio Mondini, Italian racing driver
1980 – Mark Webber, American actor
1981 – David Bernard, Jamaican West Indies cricketer
1981 – Mark Gasnier, Australian rugby league player
1981 – Jimmy Gobble, American baseball player
1981 – Didz Hammond, English bass guitarist (Dirty Pretty Things, The Cooper Temple Clause)
1981 – Nenê, Brazilian footballer
1981 – Nikki Osborne, Australian actress
1982 – Christopher Bear, American drummer (Grizzly Bear)
1982 – Jared Padalecki, American actor
1982 – Stuart Parnaby, English footballer
1982 – Jess Vanstrattan, Australian footballer
1983 – Helen Skelton, British TV presenter
1984 – Alessandra De Rossi, Filipino actress
1984 – Lasse Gjertsen, Norwegian animator
1984 – Andrea Libman, Canadian actress and voice actress
1984 – Diana Mocanu, Romanian swimmer
1984 – Adam Morrison, American basketball player
1984 – Ryan O'Byrne, Canadian hockey player
1984 – Lewis Price, Welsh footballer
1985 – LaMarcus Aldridge, American basketball player
1986 – Leandro Greco, Italian footballer
1987 – Marc Murphy, Australian rules footballer
1987 – Jon Jones, American mixed martial artist
1988 – Shane Dawson, American YouTube comedian
1988 – Jakub Kovár, Czech ice hockey player
1989 – Liam Phillips, BMX racing cyclist
1992 – Jake Nicholson, English footballer
1995 – Simone, Amazing, beautiful, smart, student

Deaths

514 – Pope Symmachus
931 – Uda of Japan (b. 867)
1374 – Francesco Petrarch, Italian poet (b. 1304)
1415 – Philippa of Lancaster (b. 1359)
1543 – Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn (b. c. 1499)
1631 – Cesare Cremonini, Italian philosopher (b. 1550)
1687 – Laura Martinozzi, Duchess of Modena (b. 1637)
1692 – Sarah Good, American Salem witch trials figure (b. 1653)
1692 – Susannah Martin, American Salem witch trials figure (b. 1621)
1742 – William Somervile, English poet (b. 1675)
1810 – Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia (b. 1776)
1814 – Matthew Flinders, English explorer (b. 1774)
1824 – Agustín de Iturbide, Emperor of México (b. 1783)
1838 – Pierre Louis Dulong, French physicist (b. 1785)
1850 – Margaret Fuller, American writer (b. 1810)
1857 – Stefano Franscini, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1796)
1868 – Soji Okita, Japanese samurai
1896 – Abraham H. Cannon, American religious figure (b. 1859)
1913 – Clímaco Calderón, President of Colombia (b. 1852)
1939 – Rose Hartwick Thorpe, American poet (b. 1850)
1943 – Yekaterina Budanova, Soviet female pilot (b. 1916)
1947 – Aung San, Burmese nationalist (b. 1915)
1947 – U Razak, Burmese politician (b. 1898)
1947 – Yuh Woon-Hyung, Korean politician (b. 1886)
1965 – Syngman Rhee, first President of South Korea (b. 1875)
1969 – Stratis Myrivilis, Greek writer (b. 1890)
1974 – Joe Flynn, American actor (b. 1924)
1974 – Erno Schwarz, Hungarian-American soccer player (b. 1904)
1975 – Lefty Frizzell, American country music singer and songwriter (b. 1928)
1980 – Nihat Erim, Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1912)
1980 – Hans Morgenthau, German political philosopher (b. 1904)
1981 – Roger Doucet, French Canadian tenor (b. 1919)
1982 – John Harvey, English stage and film actor (b. 1911)
1982 – Hugh Everett, American physicist (b. 1930)
1984 – Faina Ranevskaya, Russian actress (b. 1896)
1985 – Janusz A. Zajdel, Polish writer (b. 1938)
1989 – Kazimierz Sabbat, Polish politician (b. 1913)
1990 – Eddie Quillan, American actor (b. 1907)
1992 – Paolo Borsellino, Italian magistrate (b. 1940)
1998 – Elmer Valo, Slovak-American baseball player (b. 1921)
2002 – Dave Carter, American folksinger (b. 1952)
2002 – Alan Lomax, American folksong collector (b. 1915)
2003 – Bill Bright, American evangelist (b. 1921)
2003 – Pierre Graber, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1908)
2004 – Francis A. Marzen, American Catholic prelate (b. 1924)
2004 – Zenko Suzuki, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1911)
2005 – Edward Bunker, American writer (b. 1933)
2005 – John Tyndall, British politician (b. 1934)
2006 – Jack Warden, American actor (b. 1920)
2007 – A. K. Faezul Huq, Bangladeshi lawyer, politician, and freelance journalist (b. 1945)
2007 – Roberto Fontanarrosa, Argentine cartoonist (b. 1944)
2008 – Anastasia Blue, American porn actress (b. 1980)
2008 – Dercy Gonçalves, Brazilian comedienne (b. 1907)
2009 – Frank McCourt, Irish-American writer (b. 1930)
2009 – Henry Surtees, British racing driver (b. 1991)
2010 – Sokratis Giolias, Greek investigative journalist and broadcaster (b. 1973)
2010 – Lorenzen Wright, American basketball player (b. 1975)