today.nukz.net: Almanac December 15

Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof ( born Leyzer Leyvi Zamengov; December 15, 1859 – April 14, 1917) was a Jewish doctor, linguist, and the creator of Esperanto, the most successful constructed language designed for international communication.

Events

533 – Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Tricamarum.
1167 – Sicilian Chancellor Stephen du Perche moves the royal court to Messina to prevent a rebellion.
1256 – Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran as part of the Mongols offensive on Islamic southwest Asia.
1467 – Stephen III of Moldavia defeats Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, with the latter being injured thrice, at the Battle of Baia.
1778 – American Revolutionary War: British and French fleets clash in the Battle of St. Lucia.
1791 – The United States Bill of Rights becomes law when ratified by the Virginia General Assembly.
1864 – In the Battle of Nashville, Union forces under George Thomas almost completely destroy the Army of Tennessee under John Hood.
1905 – The Pushkin House is established in Saint Petersburg, Russia to preserve the cultural heritage of Alexander Pushkin
1906 – The London Underground's Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway opens.
1913 – Nicaragua becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires Convention.
1914 – World War I: The Serbian Army recaptures Belgrade from the invading Austro-Hungarian Army.
1914 – A gas explosion at Mitsubishi Hojyo coal mine, Kyushu, Japan, kills 687.
1917 – World War I: An armistice is reached between the new Bolshevik government and the Central Powers.
1933 – The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution officially becomes effective, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.
1939 – Gone with the Wind receives its premiere at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
1941 – Holocaust: German troops murder over 15,000 Jews at Drobytsky Yar, a ravine southeast of the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Soviet Union.
1942 – The Battle of Mount Austen, the Galloping Horse, and the Sea Horse begins during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
1945 – Occupation of Japan: General Douglas MacArthur orders that Shinto be abolished as the state religion of Japan.
1946 – US-backed Iranian troops evict the leadership of the breakaway Republic of Mahabad, putting an end to the Iran crisis of 1946.
1946 – The first election to the Representative Assembly of French India was held.
1954 – The Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands is signed.
1960 – Richard Paul Pavlick is arrested for attempting to blow up and assassinate the U.S. President-Elect, John F. Kennedy only four days earlier.
1960 – King Mahendra of Nepal suspends the country's constitution, dissolves parliament, dismisses the cabinet, and imposes direct rule.
1961 – In Jerusalem, Israel Adolf Eichmann is sentenced to death after being found guilty of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people and membership of an outlawed organization.
1965 – Project Gemini: Gemini 6A, crewed by Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford, is launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. Four orbits later, it achieves the first space rendezvous, with Gemini 7.
1967 – The Silver Bridge collapses, killing 46 people.
1970 – Soviet spacecraft Venera 7 successfully land on Venus. It is the first successful soft landing on another planet
1970 – South Korean ferry Namyong Ho capsizes off Korea Strait killing 308.
1973 – John Paul Getty III, grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, Italy, after being kidnapped by an Italian gang on July 10, 1973.
1973 – The American Psychiatric Association votes 13–0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders, the DSM-II.
1976 – Samoa becomes a member of the United Nations.
1976 – The oil tanker MV Argo Merchant runs aground near Nantucket, Massachusetts, causing one of the worst marine oil spills in history.
1978 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will recognize the People's Republic of China and cut off all relations with Taiwan
1993 – History of Northern Ireland: The Downing Street Declaration is issued by British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds.
1994 – Palau becomes a member of the United Nations.
1997 – A chartered Tupolev Tu-154 from Tajikistan crashes in the desert near Sharjah, United Arab Emirates airport killing 85.
1997 – The Treaty of Bangkok is signed allowing the transformation of Southeast Asia into a Nuclear-weapon-free zone.
2000 – The 3rd reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is shut down.
2001 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after 11 years and $27,000,000 to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.
2005 – Latvia amends its constitution to eliminate possibility of same-sex couples being entitled to marry.
2005 – Introduction of the F-22 Raptor into USAF active service.
2006 – First flight of the F-35 Lightning II.
2009 – Boeing's new Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes its maiden flight from Seattle, Washington.
2010 – A boat carrying 90 asylum seekers crashes into rocks off the coast of Christmas Island, Australia, killing at least 30 passengers.

Births

37 – Nero, Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (d. 68)
130 – Lucius Verus, Roman co-emperor (d. 169)
1567 – Christoph Demantius, German composer, music theorist, writer and poet (d. 1643)
1657 – Michel Richard Delalande, French Baroque composer and organist (d. 1726)
1686 – Jean-Joseph Fiocco, Flemish (Belgian) composer (d. 1746)
1789 – Carlos Soublette, Venezuelan president and independence hero (d. 1870)
1832 – Gustave Eiffel, French engineer and architect (Eiffel tower) (d. 1923)
1852 – Henri Becquerel, French physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1908)
1859 – L. L. Zamenhof, Polish initiator of Esperanto (d. 1917)
1860 – Niels Ryberg Finsen, Danish physician, Nobel laureate (d. 1904)
1860 – Abner Powell, American baseball player (d. 1953)
1861 – Charles Duryea, American automobile pioneer (d. 1938)
1861 – Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Finnish politician (d. 1944)
1863 – Arthur Dehon Little, American chemist and chemical engineer (d. 1935)
1869 – Leon Marchlewski, Polish chemist (d. 1946)
1875 – Emilio Jacinto, Filipino poet and revolutionary (d. 1899)
1878 – Hans Carossa, German writer (d. 1956)
1885 – Leonid Pitamic, Slovenian philosopher (d. 1971)
1888 – Maxwell Anderson, American writer (d. 1959)
1892 – J. Paul Getty, American oil tycoon (d. 1976)
1896 – Ann Nolan Clark, American children's author (d. 1995)
1896 – Betty Smith, American author (d. 1972)
1899 – Harold Abrahams, English sprinter (d. 1978)
1902 – Robert F. Bradford, 57th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1983)
1903 – Tamanishiki San'emon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 32nd Yokozuna (d. 1938)
1907 – Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect (d. 2012)
1910 – John H. Hammond, American musician (d. 1987)
1911 – Nicholas P. Dallis, American psychiatrist and comic strip writer (d. 1991)
1911 – Stan Kenton, American musician (d. 1979)
1912 – Ray Eames, American designer (d. 1988)
1913 – Roger Gaudry, French Canadian chemist, businessman and corporate director (d. 2001)
1913 – Muriel Rukeyser, American poet (d. 1980)
1916 – Buddy Cole, American pianist (d. 1964)
1916 – Maurice Wilkins, New Zealand-born physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 2004)
1917 – Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee, linguist and writer of Pakistan (d. 2005)
1918 – Jeff Chandler, American actor (d. 1961)
1919 – Max Yasgur, owner of the Woodstock Festival site (d. 1973)
1920 – Kurt Schaffenberger, American comics artist (d. 2002)
1921 – Alan Freed, American disc jockey (d. 1965)
1921 – Bob Todd, British comedian (d. 1992)
1923 – Freeman Dyson, English-born American physicist
1923 – Uziel Gal, Israeli firearm designer (d. 2002)
1923 – Valentin Varennikov, Russian general and statesman (d. 2009)
1925 – Sam Pollock, Canadian ice hockey general manager (d. 2007)
1925 – Kasey Rogers, American actress (d. 2006)
1926 – Nikos Koundouros, Greek film director
1928 – Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Austrian artist (d. 2000)
1928 – Ernie Ashworth, American country singer (d. 2009)
1928 – Jerry Wallace, American singer (d. 2008)
1929 – Barry Harris, American bebop jazz pianist
1930 – Edna O'Brien, Irish novelist and short story writer
1932 – Jesse Belvin, American musician (d. 1960)
1933 – Bapu, Indian cartoonist, designer and film director
1933 – Tim Conway, American actor and comedian
1933 – Donald Woods, South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist (d. 2001)
1936 – Joe D'Amato, Italian director (d. 1999)
1938 – Billy Shaw, American football player
1939 – Cindy Birdsong, American singer (The Supremes)
1940 – Nick Buoniconti, American football player
1942 – Dave Clark, English musician (The Dave Clark Five)
1943 – Kathleen Blanco, American politician
1943 – Lucien den Arend, Dutch artist
1944 – Jim Leyland, American baseball manager
1944 – Chico Mendes, Brazilian campaigner (d. 1988)
1945 – Thaao Penghlis, Australian actor
1946 – Art Howe, American baseball player and manager
1946 – Carmine Appice, American musician (Vanilla Fudge)
1947 – Rodney Bingenheimer, American radio personality
1948 – Melanie Chartoff, American actress
1948 – Cassandra Harris, Australian actress (d. 1991)
1949 – Don Johnson, American actor
1952 – Allan Simonsen, Danish footballer
1952 – Rudi Protrudi, American musician (The Fuzztones)
1952 – Julie Taymor, American director
1952 – Marta DuBois, Panamanian-American actress
1953 – J. M. DeMatteis, American comic book writer
1954 – Mark Warner, American politician, United States Senator from Virginia and 69th Governor of Virginia
1955 – Paul Simonon, English bassist (The Clash)
1956 – William Orbit, English producer, mixer and musician
1956 – Tony Leon, South African politician and Ambassador to Argentina
1957 – Mario Marois, Canadian ice hockey player
1957 – Mike McAlary, American journalist (d. 1998)
1957 – Yuuichi Nagashima, Japanese voice actor
1957 – Laura Molina, American artist, musician and actress
1957 – Tim Reynolds, Musician (Dave Matthews Band, TR3)
1958 – Eddy Annys, Belgian high jumper
1958 – Carlo J. Caparas, Filipino comic strip creator/writer
1960 – Walter Werzowa, Austrian composer
1961 – Karin Resetarits, Austrian journalist
1962 – Tim Gaines, Austrian Christian metal bass player (Stryper)
1963 – Ellie Cornell, American actress
1963 – Andrew Luster, American rapist
1963 – Helen Slater, American actress
1963 – David Wingate, American basketball player
1963 – Norman J. Grossfeld, American television producer and screenwriter
1966 – Manos Papayiannis, Greek fashion model and actor
1966 – Molly Price, American actress
1966 – Carl Hooper, former West Indian cricket player and captain
1967 – David Howells, English footballer
1967 – Mo Vaughn, American baseball player
1967 – Elix Skipper, American professional wrestler
1968 – Osama Ali Maher, Swedish politician
1968 – Garrett Wang, American actor
1969 – Chantal Petitclerc, Canadian wheelchair athlete
1970 – Frankie Dettori, Italian jockey
1970 – Lawrence Funderburke, American basketball player
1970 – Michael Shanks, Canadian actor
1971 – Arne Quinze, Belgian conceptual artist
1971 – Clint Lowery, American guitarist (Sevendust)
1972 – Rodney Harrison, American football player
1972 – Stuart Townsend, Irish actor
1973 – Surya Bonaly, French-born American figure skater
1973 – Ryu Seung-wan, South Korean actor and director
1976 – Baichung Bhutia, Indian footballer
1976 – Aaron Miles, American baseball player
1976 – Todd Tichenor, American baseball umpire
1977 – Dave Mackintosh, Scottish drummer (Dragonforce)
1977 – Geoff Stults, American actor
1977 – Eba, Mongolian entertainer
1978 – Mark Jansen, Dutch guitarist (Epica)
1978 – Jerome McDougle, American football player
1979 – Adam Brody, American actor
1979 – Eric Young, Canadian professional wrestler
1980 – Sergio Pizzorno, English guitarist (Kasabian)
1980 – Manuel Wilhelm, German rugby player
1981 – Najoua Belyzel, French singer
1981 – Firman Utina, Indonesian footballer
1981 – Michelle Dockery, British actress
1981 – Brendan Fletcher, Canadian actor
1981 – Andy González, Puerto Rican baseball player
1981 – Thomas Herrion, American football player (d. 2005)
1981 – Creighton Lovelace, American Baptist minister
1981 – Roman Pavlyuchenko, Russian footballer
1982 – Borja García, Spanish racing driver
1982 – Charlie Cox, English actor
1982 – George O. Gore II, American actor
1982 – Tatiana Perebiynis, Ukrainian tennis player
1983 – Delon Armitage, Trindadian/English rugby player
1983 – René Goguen, Canadian professional wrestler
1983 – Ronnie Radke, American musician (Falling in Reverse)
1983 – Wang Hao, Chinese table tennis player
1984 – Kirsty Lee Allan, Australian actress
1984 – Martin Škrtel, Slovak footballer
1985 – Diogo Fernandes, Brazilian footballer
1986 – Iveta Mazácová, Czech athlete
1986 – Snejana Onopka, Ukrainian model
1986 – Xiah, South Korean singer (TVXQ)
1988 – Emily Head, English actress
1994 – Emma Lockhart, American actress
1998 – Chandler Canterbury, American actor

Deaths

1025 – Basil II, Byzantine Emperor (b. 958)
1072 – Alp Arslan, Turkish sultan (b. 1029)
1230 – King Otakar I of Bohemia (b. 1155)
1263 – King Haakon IV of Norway (b. 1204)
1598 – Philips van Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, Dutch writer and statesman (b. 1538)
1621 – Charles d'Albert, Constable of France (b. 1578)
1673 – Margaret Cavendish, English writer (b. 1623)
1675 – Johannes Vermeer, Dutch painter (b. 1632)
1683 – Izaak Walton, English writer (b. 1593)
1688 – Gaspar Fagel, Dutch statesman (b. 1634)
1715 – George Hickes, English minister and scholar (b. 1642)
1753 – Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, English architect (b. 1694)
1792 – Joseph Martin Kraus, Swedish composer (b. 1756)
1855 – Jacques Charles François Sturm, French mathematician (b. 1803)
1878 – Alfred Bird, chemist (b. 1811)
1890 – Sitting Bull, American Indian tribal chief (b. c. 1831)
1943 – Fats Waller, American musician (b. 1904)
1944 – Glenn Miller, American musician (presumed date of death) (b. 1904)
1947 – Arthur Machen, Welsh author (b. 1863)
1950 – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indian politician (b. 1875)
1953 – Robert Stangland, American athlete (b. 1881)
1958 – Wolfgang Ernst Pauli, Austrian-born American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)
1962 – Charles Laughton, English actor (b. 1899)
1966 – Walt Disney, American animator (b. 1901)
1968 – Antonio Barrette, Canadian politician (b. 1899)
1968 – Jess Willard, American boxer (b. 1881)
1969 – Karl Theodor Bleek, German politician (b. 1898)
1971 – Paul Pierre Lévy, French mathematician (b. 1886)
1974 – Anatole Litvak, Ukrainian screenwriter and film producer (b. 1902)
1977 – Wilfred Kitching, American General of The Salvation Army (b. 1893)
1978 – Chill Wills, American actor (b. 1903)
1980 – Kostas Biris, Greek architect, city planner and folklorist (b. 1899)
1980 – Dimitrios Partsalidis, Greek politician (b. 1905)
1980 – Komninos Pyromaglou, Greek educator and politician (b. 1899)
1984 – Lennard Pearce, English actor (b. 1915)
1984 – Jan Peerce, American tenor (b. 1904)
1985 – Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Mauritian politician (b. 1900)
1989 – Arnold Moss, American actor (b. 1910)
1989 – Edward Underdown, English actor (b. 1908)
1991 – Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev, Soviet sniper (b. 1915)
1993 – William Dale Phillips, American chemist (b. 1925)
2000 – Haris Brkic, Bosnian basketball player (b. 1974)
2001 – Russ Haas, American professional wrestler (b. 1974)
2001 – Rufus Thomas, American musician (b. 1917)
2003 – George Fisher, American political cartoonist (b. 1923)
2003 – Keith Magnuson, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1947)
2004 – Pauline Gore, mother of Al Gore (b. 1912)
2004 – Vassal Gadoengin, Nauruan politician (b. 1943)
2005 – Heinrich Gross, Austrian physician (b. 1914)
2005 – Stan Leonard, Canadian golfer (b. 1915)
2005 – William Proxmire, American politician (b. 1915)
2005 – Darrell Russell, American football player (b. 1976)
2005 – Dhabihu'llah Mahrami, executed Iranian Bahá'í (b. 1946)
2006 – Clay Regazzoni, Swiss Formula One driver (b. 1939)
2007 – John Berg, American actor (b. 1949)
2007 – Julia Carson, American politician (b. 1938)
2008 – León Febres Cordero, Ecuadorian politician (b. 1931)
2009 – Oral Roberts, American television evangelist and author (b. 1918)
2010 – Blake Edwards, American film director (b. 1922)
2010 – Bob Feller, American baseball player (b. 1918)
2010 – Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, American political scientist (b. 1940)
2011 – Christopher Hitchens, Prolific Columnist (b. 1949)
2011 – Bob Brookmeyer, American jazz musician (b.1929)
2011 – Francis "Frank" X. McDermott, American Republican Party politician (b.1924)
2011 – Jason Richards, New Zealand racing driver (b. 1976)
2012 – Páidí Ó Sé, Irish Gaelic footballer and manager (b. 1955)