Historical Events
- 1813 Americans under General Zebulon Pike capture York (now Toronto) from British regulars, militia and Ojibwe natives forcing a British withdrawal to Kingston; Pike is killed
Stonewall Jackson Takes Command
1861 Confederate General Robert E. Lee orders Colonel Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson to take command of Harpers Ferry, Virginia [1]
Lincoln Suspends Habeas Corpus
1861 US President Abraham Lincoln suspends writ of habeas corpus (US Civil War)
- 1861 West Virginia secedes from Virginia after Virginia secedes from Union (US Civil War)
- 1865 Steamboat "SS Sultana" explodes in the Mississippi River, killing up to 1,800 of the 2,427 passengers in the greatest maritime disaster in United States history. Most were paroled Union POWs on their way home.
End of Reconstruction
1877 Rutherford B. Hayes removes Federal troops from Louisiana, Reconstruction ends
- 1911 Following the resignation and death of William P. Frye, a compromise is reached to rotate the office of President pro tempore (for the time being) of the United States Senate
Rocky Marciano Retires
1956 Undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano, retires from the ring
- 1961 NFL officially recognizes Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio
Sports History
1971 Curt Flood resigns Senators after 13 games & departs for Denmark
Ronald Reagan is Shot
1982 Trial of John Hinckley begins for the attempted assassination of US President Ronald Reagan
Baseball Record
1983 Nolan Ryan becomes strikeout king (3,509), passing Walter Johnson
Sports History
1990 Dodger Orel Hershiser undergoes career-threatening shoulder surgery
Baseball Trade
1992 NY Mets trade David Cone to Toronto Blue Jays for Jeff Kent
- 1994 7th longest NHL game at 125 min 43 sec: Buffalo Sabres beat New Jersey Devils 1-0 on a goal by Dave Hannan
Event of Interest
1994 Former US President Richard Nixon buried in Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California
Music Concert
1998 Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert held at Carnegie Hall, NYC; performers include: Sting, Elton John, James Taylor, Madonna, Billy Joel, Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, Roberta Flack, Wynonna Judd, and Tsidii Leloka
- 2011 Deadliest day of the 2011 super outbreak of tornadoes, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history
Event of Interest
2011 U.S. President Barack Obama, coerced by incessant false "birther" accusations, publicly releases a copy of his birth certificate
Problem
2014 Ariana Grande's first single from her album, "Problem" featuring Iggy Azalea, is released
Event of Interest
2018 German leader Angela Merkel has a 1-day trip to Washington, DC, meeting US President Donald Trump
- 2019 Shooter opens fire in a synagogue in Poway, California, killing one and injuring three
Pence Testifies to Grand Jury
2023 Former Vice President Mike Pence appears before the federal grand jury investigating President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss [1]
Famous Birthdays
Samuel Morse (1791-1872)
American inventor (telegraph, Morse code) and painter, born in Charlestown, Massachusetts
- 1812 William W. Snow, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from New York (1851-53), born in Heath, Massachusetts (d. 1886)
Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)
18th US President (1869-77) and Union general, born in Point Pleasant, Ohio
- 1835 John Murray Corse, American politician and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [or 9/27] (d. 1893)
- 1869 (William) Victor Harris, American organist, composer, conductor (St. Cecilia Society, 1902-36), vocal coach, and educator, born in New York (d. 1943)
- 1871 Arthur Nevin, American composer, born in Edgeworth, Pennsylvania (d. 1943)
- 1875 Lumsden Hare, Irish actor (Oregon Trail, Desert Fox, Young Bess), born in Ireland (d. 1964)
- 1878 Frank Gotch, American professional wrestler, born in Humboldt, Iowa (d. 1917)
- 1893 Norman Bel Geddes, American theatrical designer (Rivals, Dead End), born in Adrian, Michigan (d. 1958)
- 1894 George Petty, American pin-up artist, born in Abbeville, Louisiana (d. 1975)
Rogers Hornsby (1896-1963)
American Baseball Hall of Fame 2nd baseman (NL MVP 1925, 29; 7 x NL batting champion; 3 x .400+ seasons; St. Louis Cardinals, Browns) and manager (Cardinals, Browns, Cubs), born in Winters, Texas
- 1896 Wallace Hume Carothers, American chemist and inventor (nylon), born in Burlington, Iowa (d. 1937)
Leo Diegel (1899-1951)
American golfer (PGA C'ship 1928-29), born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1900 Walter Lantz, American cartoonist (Woody Woodpecker's creator), born in New Rochelle, New York (d. 1994)
- 1903 Frank Belknap Long, American writer (Rim of the Unknown), born in New York City (d. 1994)
- 1912 Frederick R. Weisman, philanthropist, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1994)
- 1913 Philip Abelson, American physicist and Nobel Prize Laureate, born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 2004)
Enos Slaughter (1916-2002)
American Baseball HOF right fielder (10 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1942, 46, 56, 58; St. Louis Cardinals), born in Roxboro, North Carolina
- 1918 John Alfred Scali, American journalist and diplomat, born in Canton, Ohio (d. 1995)
Jack Klugman (1922-2012)
American actor (Oscar-Odd Couple, Quincy, Goodbye Columbus), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1922 Martin Gray, Polish-born American writer, holocaust survivor, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2016)
- 1927 Connie Kay, American jazz drummer (Modern Jazz Quartet, 1955-94), born in Tuckahoe, New York (d. 1994)
- 1927 Coretta Scott King, American activist and wife of Martin Luther King Jr., born in Heiberger, Alabama (d. 2006)
- 1927 Joe Moakley, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1973-2001), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2001)
- 1931 Maxine Brown, American country music singer (Browns), born in Campti, Louisiana (d. 2019)
Casey Kasem (1932-2014)
American radio personality (creator of American Top 40) and the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1932 Charles Adkins, American boxer (Olympic gold light welterweight 1952), born in Gary, Indiana (d. 1993)
- 1932 Chuck Knox, American football coach (LA Rams, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks; AP NFL Coach of the Year 1973, 80, 84), born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
- 1937 Sandy Dennis, American Tony and Academy Award-winning stage and screen actress (Any Wednesday; Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?; The Out-of-Towners), born in Hastings, Nebraska (d. 1992)
Earl Anthony (1938-2001)
American professional bowler (PBA money champ 1974-6, 1981-3), born in Tacoma, Washington
- 1941 Jennings Michael Burch, American writer (They Cage the Animals at Night), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2013)
- 1942 Jim Keltner, American session drummer (Bob Dylan; George Harrison; John Lennon; Ringo Starr; Harry Nilsson; Richard Thompson; Traveling Wilburys; Elvis Costello; Joe Cocker; Ry Cooder; Eric Clapton; Carly Simon; Jackson Browne; Randy Newman; and others...), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- 1944 Herb Pedersen, American bluegrass and country-rock singer, guitarist, and banjo player (Desert Rose Band - "Love Reunited"), born in Berkeley, California
August Wilson (1945-2005)
American playwright (Fences, Pulitzer 1987), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 1947 Ann Peebles, American soul singer-songwriter ("I Can't Stand the Rain"), born in St. Louis, Missouri
- 1947 George Kenneth Butterfield, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina, born in Wilson, North Carolina
- 1947 Herbie Murrell, American soul singer (Stylistics - "You Are My Everything"), born in Lane, South Carolina
- 1948 Frank William Abagnale, Jr., American con artist turned security consultant, born in Bronxville, New York
- 1948 Kate Pierson, American vocalist and guitarist (B-52's - "Rock Lobster"; "Love Shack"), born in Weehawken, New Jersey
- 1949 Doug Sheehan, American actor (Knots Landing, 1983-87 - "Ben": General Hospital, 1979-82 - "Joe Kelly"), born in Santa Monica, California
- 1951 Jim Justice, American businessman and politician, Governor of West Virginia (2017-), born in Charleston, West Virginia
- 1951 Paul "Ace" Frehley, American rock guitarist (Kiss; Frehley's Comet), born in The Bronx, New York
George Gervin (72nd Birthday)
1952 American basketball player, born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1952 Larry Elder, American political commentator, born in Los Angeles, California
- 1953 Arielle Dombasle, American-French singer and actress, born in Norwich, Connecticut
- 1953 Ellen S. Baker, American physician and NASA astronaut (STS 34, 50, 71), born in Fayetteville, North Carolina
- 1956 Bryan Harvey, American musician (House of Freaks), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 2006)
- 1962 James LeGros, American actor (Point Break, Enemy of the State), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- 1962 PattiSue Plumer, American 3k runner (Gold-Seattle '90), born in Covina, California
- 1963 Schae Harrison, American actress (Darla-Bold & Beautiful), born in Anaheim Hills, California
- 1965 Courtenay Becker-Dey, American Europe class sailor (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Greenwich, Connecticut
- 1967 Bridgette Gordon, American basketball forward (Sacramento Monarchs, Olympic gold, 1988), born in DeLand, Florida
- 1967 Jason Whitlock, American sports journalist, born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- 1969 Cory Booker, American politician (Senator-D-NJ 2013-, Mayor of Newark 2006-13), born in Washington, D.C.
- 1969 Tyrone Rodgers, American football defensive linebacker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), born in Longview, Texas
- 1971 Craig Keith, American football tight end (Jacksonville Jaguars), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
- 1971 James Burton, NFL cornerback (Chicago Bears), born in Torrance, California
- 1972 Alison McKnight, 100m hurdler and heptathlete, born in Bakersfield, California
- 1972 Maura West, American actress (As the World Turns), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
- 1972 Tim Ruddy, American football offensive lineman (Miami Dolphins), born in Dunmore, Pennsylvania
- 1973 Andre Gower, American actor (Monster Squad), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1975 Chris Carpenter, American baseball pitcher (NL Cy Young Award 2005; 3 × MLB All-Star; World Series 2006, 11 St. Louis Cardinals; Toronto Blue Jays), born in Exeter, New Hampshire
- 1975 Michael Booker, American football cornerback (Atlanta Falcons), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- 1975 Rabih Abdullah, American National Football League player, born in Martinsville, Virginia
- 1979 Will Boyd, American bass guitarist (Evanescence), born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- 1981 Joey Gathright, American baseball player, born in Columbia, Mississippi
- 1982 Katrina Johnson, American actress, born in San Diego, California
- 1983 Ari Graynor, American actress (The Sopranos), born in Boston, Massachusetts
Patrick Stump (40th Birthday)
1984 American musician (Fall Out Boy), born in Evanston, Illinois
- 1984 Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player (Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders), born in Sherbrooke, Quebec
- 1989 Emily Rios, American actress (Andrea Cantillo-Breaking Bad), born in Los Angeles, California
Famous Weddings
Ringo Starr & Barbara Bach
1981 Beatle Ringo Starr (40) weds American actress Barbara Bach (33) at Marylebone Town Hall, London, England
Rodney King
1985 Police violence victim Rodney King (20) weds Dennetta Lyles
Robin Wright & Sean Penn
1996 Actress Robin Wright (30) weds actor Sean Penn (35) in Santa Monica, California
Nadia Comăneci
1996 Romanian gymnast and 5-time Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comăneci (35) weds American gymnast Bart Conner (38) in Bucharest, Romania
Lorenzo Lamas
1996 Soap opera actor Lorenzo Lamas (38) weds Playboy model and actress Shauna Sand (24) in Rockland County, New York
Michael Jordan
2013 NBA great Michael Jordan (50) weds 2nd wife model Yvette Prieto at Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida
Famous Divorces
Robert Wagner & Natalie Wood
1962 American actress Natalie Wood (23) divorces American actor Robert Wagner (30) after almost 5 years of marriage; they remarry in 1972
Halle Berry
2004 Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry files for divorce from her second husband, R&B singer Eric Benet, six months after the couple separated
Famous Deaths
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
American essayist and philosopher (Concord Hymn), dies of pneumonia at 78
- 1886 Henry Hobson Richardson, American Romanesque revival architect (Thomas Crane Public Library), dies of Bright's disease at 47
- 1893 John Murray Corse, American politician and Brevet Major General (Union Army), dies on his 58th birthday
- 1902 Julius Sterling Morton, American politician (3rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture) and founder of Arbor Day, dies at 70
- 1927 Albert J. Beveridge, American politician and historian (Progressive leader, Senator Indiana 1899-1911), dies at 64
- 1932 Hart Crane, American poet (The Bridge), commits suicide at 32 by jumping overboard into the Gulf of Mexico
- 1950 Hobart Cavanaugh, American actor (Border Town, Black Angel), dies at 63
- 1959 Gordon Armstrong, American inventor of the baby incubator, dies at 69
- 1961 Roy Del Ruth, American filmmaker (About Face, Folies Bergere), dies at 67
- 1965 Alan Bunce, American radio and television actor (Homicidal, Ethel & Albert), dies at 64
Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965)
American broadcast journalist, war correspondent, and television host ("See it Now"; "Person to Person"), dies of lung cancer at 57
- 1969 Dino Terranova, American actor (Young Dillinger), dies at 65
- 1975 Nicholas Soussanin, Russian-American actor (Last Command, Captain Fury), dies at 86
- 1977 Joe Garland, American big band jazz saxophonist, arranger, and composer (In the Mood; Serenade To A Savage), dies at 73
- 1977 Stanley Adams, American character actor (Star Trek - "Cyrano Jones"; Breakfast at Tiffany's; Lilies of the Field), commits suicide at 62
- 1978 John Doeg, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1930), dies at 69
- 1982 Tom Tully, American radio, stage, and screen actor (The Caine Mutiny; Shane), dies at 73
- 1990 Bella Spewack, Hungarian-American playwright (Kiss Me Kate), dies at 91
- 1993 Hans Sahl, German-American anti-Nazi Jewish writer (Tie Exil im Exil), dies at 90
- 1994 John Preston, American writer (Gay House, Big Gay Book), dies at 48
- 1996 William Colby, American C.I.A. director (1973-76), dies at 76
- 1997 Paul Lambert, American character actor (Executive Suite, Spartacus), dies at 74
- 1998 Carlos Castaneda, Peruvian-born American writer and mystic, dies at 72
- 1999 Al Hirt, American jazz trumpeter (Greatest Horn in the World), dies of liver failure at 76
- 2000 Vicki Sue Robinson, American stage and screen actress, and pop singer ("Turn the Beat Around"), dies of cancer at 45
- 2002 George Alec Effinger, American author, dies at 55
- 2002 Ruth Handler, American toy manufacturer (invented the Barbie doll), dies of cancer at 85
- 2006 Julia Thorne, American writer and ex-wife of John Kerry, dies at 61
- 2009 Frankie Manning, American dancer, instructor, choreographer, and one of the founding fathers of Lindy Hop, dies at 94
- 2011 Marian Mercer, American actress and singer (Dean Martin Show), dies at 75
- 2012 Bill "Moose" Skowron, American baseball first baseman (8 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1956, 58, 61, 62 NY Yankees, 1963 LA Dodgers), dies from lung cancer at 81
- 2015 Gene Fullmer, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1957; NBA [WBA] World Middleweight title 1959-62), dies at 83
- 2015 Rolf Smedvig, American classical trumpet player (Boston Symphony, 1971-81; Empire Brass, 1972-2015), and educator (Boston University), dies of a heart attack at 62
- 2015 Suzanne Crough, American child actress (The Partridge Family), dies at 52
- 2017 Julius Youngner, American virologist, helped develop Salk polio vaccine, dies at 96
- 2018 Paul Junger Witt, American TV and film producer (Brian's Song; Soap; The Golden Girls; Dead Poets Society), dies of cancer at 77
- 2020 Lynn Harrell, American classical cellist, educator, and Grammy Award-winner, dies of a stroke at 76
- 2020 Marty Smith, American motocross racer (AMA 125cc 1974, 75; AMA 500cc 1977), dies in a dune buggy accident at 63
- 2022 Judy Henske, American folk singer (High Flying Bird), dies at 85
- 2023 Dick Groat, American baseball shortstop (NL MVP & NL batting champion 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates; 8 x MLB All-Star; St. Louis Cardinals) and College Basketball HOF guard (Duke Uni; Fort Wayne Pistons), dies at 92
Jerry Springer (1944-2023)
German-American politician (Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1977), and television tabloid talk show host (Jerry Springer, 1991-2018), dies of pancreatic cancer at 79
