Events

• 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city in the hands of the victorious Roman general, Belisarius.
• 1622 - Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, is canonized a saint by the Catholic Church.
• 1664 - New Jersey becomes a colony of Britain.
• 1832 - The ballet La Sylphide first premieres at the Opéra de Paris.
• 1868 - Henry O'Farrell attempts to assassinate Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.
• 1881 - Andrew Watson makes his Scotland debut as the world's first black international football player and captain.
• 1894 - In Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA, Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time.
• 1908 - The Pan-Macedonian group is formed in Athens to support the Greek Struggle for Macedonia.
• 1912 - The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded in the United States.
• 1913 - Canberra Day: The future capital of Australia is officially named Canberra. (Melbourne remained temporary capital until 1927 while the new capital was still under construction.)
• 1918 - Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint-Petersburg held this status for 215 years.
• 1928 - In California, the St. Francis Dam fails, killing over 600 people.
• 1930 - Mahatma Gandhi leads a 200-mile march known as Dandi March to the sea in defiance of British opposition, to protest the British monopoly on salt.
• 1933 - Great Depression: Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This was also the first of his "Fireside Chats."
• 1938 - Anschluss: German troops occupy Austria; annexation declared the following day.
• 1940 - Winter War: Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union, ceding almost all of Finnish Karelia. Finnish troops and the remaining population is immediately evacuated.
• 1947 - The Truman Doctrine is proclaimed to help stem the spread of Communism.
• 1967 - Suharto takes over from Sukarno to become President of Indonesia.
• 1968 - Mauritius achieves independence.
• 1971 - The March 12 Memorandum, second intervention of Turkish Army, is sent to the Demirel government and Demirel government resigned.
• 1992 - Mauritius becomes a republic while remaining a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
• 1993 - Several bombs explode in Bombay (Mumbai), India, killing about 300 and injuring hundreds more.
• 1993 - North Korea nuclear weapons program: North Korea says that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites.
• 1994 - The Church of England ordains its first female priests.
• 1999 - Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.
• 2003 - Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia, is assassinated in Belgrade.
• 2003 - Elizabeth Smart, was found after having been missing for 9 months.
• 2004 - Roh Moo-hyun, President of South Korea is impeached by its national assembly for the first time in the nation's history.
• 2005 - Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong, steps down from his post after his resignation is approved by the Chinese central government.

Births

• 1270 - Charles of Valois, son of Philip III of France (d. 1325)
• 1478 - Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (d. 1516)
• 1607 - Paul Gerhardt, German hymnist (d. 1676)
• 1613 - André Le Nôtre, French landscape architect (d. 1700)
• 1620 - Johann Heinrich Hottinger, Swiss philologist and theologian (d. 1667)
• 1626 - John Aubrey, English antiquary and writer (d. 1697)
• 1637 - Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (d. 1671)
• 1647 - Victor-Maurice, comte de Broglie, French general (d. 1727)
• 1672 - Richard Steele, Irish writer and politician (d. 1729)
• 1685 - George Berkeley, Irish theologian (d. 1753)
• 1710 - Thomas Arne, English composer (d. 1778)
• 1718 - Joseph Damer, English politician (d. 1798)
• 1781 - Frederica of Baden, Queen of Sweden (d. 1826)
• 1806 - Jane Pierce, First Lady of the United States (d. 1863)
• 1821 - Sir John Abbott, third Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1893)
• 1824 - Gustav Kirchhoff, German physicist (d. 1887)
• 1831 - Clement Studebaker, American automobile pioneer (d. 1901)
• 1832 - Charles Boycott, British land agent and originator of the term to boycott (d. 1897)
• 1835 - Simon Newcomb, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1909)
• 1837 - Alexandre Guilmant, French organist and composer (d. 1911)
• 1838 - William Henry Perkin, English chemist (d. 1907)
• 1859 - Abraham H. Cannon, Mormon apostle (d. 1896)
• 1863 - Gabriele D'Annunzio, Italian writer (d. 1938)
• 1863 - Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist (d. 1945)
• 1864 - W. H. R. Rivers, British psychiatrist (d. 1922)
• 1880 - Nikolaos Georgantas, Greek discus thrower (d. 1958)
• 1880 - Henry Drysdale Dakin, British-American biochemist, known for the Dakin-West reaction (d. 1952)
• 1881 - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first President of Turkey (d. 1938)
• 1881 - Gunnar Nordström, Finnish physicist (d. 1923)
• 1883 - Zoltán Meskó, Hungarian Nazi (d. 1959)
• 1889 - Þórbergur Þórðarson, Icelandic author (d. 1974)
• 1890 - Vaslav Nijinsky, Polish ballet dancer (d. 1950)
• 1890 - William Dudley Pelley, American leader of the Silver Legion (d. 1965)
• 1891 - George W. Mason, American industrialist (d. 1954)
• 1895 - William C. Lee, U.S. Army general (d. 1948)
• 1907 - Arthur Hewlett, British actor (d. 1997)
• 1907 - Dorrit Hoffleit, American astronomer (d. 2007)
• 1908 - Rita Angus, New Zealand painter (d. 1970)
• 1908 - David Saul Marshall Singapore's first Chief Minister(d. 1995)
• 1910 - Masayoshi Ohira, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1980)
• 1911 - Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, President of Mexico (d. 1979)
• 1912 - Irving Layton, Canadian poet (d. 2006)
• 1912 - Paul Weston, American pianist, arranger and conductor (d. 1996)
• 1918 - Elaine de Kooning, American artist (d. 1989)
• 1921 - Gianni Agnelli, Italian auto executive (d. 2003)
• 1921 - Ülo Jõgi, Estonian freedom fighter (d. 2007)
• 1921 - Gordon MacRae, American singer and actor (d. 1986)
• 1922 - Jack Kerouac, American writer (d. 1969)
• 1922 - Lane Kirkland, American labor leader (d. 1999)
• 1923 - Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater
• 1923 - Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (d. 2005)
• 1923 - Wally Schirra, American astronaut (d. 2007)
• 1923 - Mae Young, American professional wrestler
• 1925 - Louison Bobet, French cyclist (d. 1983)
• 1925 - Georges Delerue, French film composer (d. 1992)
• 1925 - Leo Esaki, Japanese physicist, Nobel laureate
• 1925 - Harry Harrison, American author
• 1928 - Edward Albee, American dramatist
• 1928 - Thérèse Lavoie-Roux, Quebec politician and senator
• 1928 - Aldemaro Romero, Venezuelan musician (d. 2007)
• 1929 - U Win Tin, jailed Burmese journalist
• 1930 - Vernon Law, American baseball player
• 1931 - Herbert Kelleher, Southwest Airlines co-founder
• 1931 - Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, American actor (d. 1980)
• 1932 - Barbara Feldon, American actress and model
• 1932 - Andrew Young, American civil rights activist and politician
• 1935 - John Doherty, English footballer (d. 2007)
• 1936 - Patrick Procktor, English artist (d. 2003)
• 1938 - Johnny Rutherford, American automobile racer
• 1940 - Al Jarreau, American singer
• 1940 - M.A. Numminen, Finnish singer and writer
• 1942 - Ratko Mladić, Republika Srpska leader
• 1942 - Jimmy Wynn, American baseball player, 1963-1977
• 1945 - Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, American gangster
• 1946 - Liza Minnelli, American singer and actress
• 1946 - Frank Welker, American voice actor
• 1946 - Peter Whalley, British television writer and author
• 1946 - Serge Turgeon, Quebec actor and union leader (d. 2004)
• 1947 - Kalervo Palsa, Finnish artist (d. 1987)
• 1947 - Mitt Romney, 70^th Governor of Massachusetts
• 1948 - James Taylor, American musician
• 1948 - Kent Conrad, Democratic Senator of North Dakota
• 1948 - Virginia Bottomley, British politician
• 1949 - Rob Cohen, American film director, producer and writer
• 1949 - Moctesuma Esparza, Mexican-American producer and filmmaker
• 1949 - Natalia Kuchinskaya, Soviet gymnast
• 1950 - Javier Clemente, Spanish football manager
• 1950 - Jon Provost, American actor
• 1950 - Wheeler Winston Dixon, American filmmaker, critic and author
• 1952 - Eliézer Niyitegeka, Rwandan journalist, politician and genocidaire
• 1952 - Naomi Shihab Nye, American poet, songwriter, and novelist
• 1953 - Carl Hiaasen, American journalist and author
• 1953 - Ron Jeremy, American pornographic actor
• 1953 - Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nepalese politician
• 1956 - Steve Harris founder/bassist of the band Iron Maiden
• 1956 - Dale Murphy, American baseball player
• 1957 - Marlon Jackson, American singer and musician (The Jackson 5)
• 1960 - Kipp Lennon, American singer
• 1960 - Minoru Niihara, Japanese singer
• 1960 - Maki Nomiya, Japanese singer (Pizzicato Five)
• 1960 - Courtney B. Vance, American actor
• 1961 - Joseph Facal, Quebec politician
• 1962 - Darryl Strawberry, American baseball player
• 1963 - Ian Holloway, English football manager
• 1963 - Joaquim Cruz, Brazilian runner
• 1965 - Steve Finley, American baseball player
• 1965 - Shawn Gilbert, American baseball player
• 1965 - Steve Levy, American sports journalist
• 1965 - Liza Umarova, Chechen torch singer
• 1966 - Grant Long, NBA Basketball Player
• 1966 - John Thompson III, NCAA Basketball Head Coach
• 1967 - Julio Dely Valdes, Panamanian footballer
• 1968 - Aaron Eckhart, American actor
• 1969 - Graham Coxon, English musician (Blur)
• 1969 - Jake Tapper, American journalist
• 1970 - Dave Eggers, American writer, editor, and publisher
• 1970 - Roy Khan, Norwegian singer (Kamelot)
• 1970 - John Nemechek, American NASCAR driver (d. 1997)
• 1971 - Tony Eveready (Duane Moore), American adult film actor
• 1971 - Isaiah Rider, American basketball player
• 1972 - Hector Luis Bustamante, Colombian actor
• 1972 - James Maritato, American professional wrestler
• 1975 - Kelle Bryan, English singer
• 1975 - Herman Li, Cantonese guitarist
• 1975 - Annabel Port, English radio presenter
• 1976 - Simon Young, English music journalist
• 1976 - Zhao Wei, Chinese actress
• 1977 - Ramiro Corrales, American footballer
• 1978 - Masuimi Max, American model
• 1978 - Casey Mears, American auto racer
• 1978 - Claudio Sanchez, American musician (Coheed and Cambria)
• 1978 - Arina Tanemura, Japanese mangaka
• 1979 - Pete Doherty, English musician
• 1979 - Nidia Guenard, American professional wrestler
• 1979 - Edwin Villafuerte, Ecuadorian footballer
• 1980 - Douglas Murray, Swedish ice-hockey player
• 1981 - Kenta Kobayashi, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1982 - Zach Miner, American baseball player
• 1982 - Tobias Schweinsteiger, German footballer
• 1984 - Shreya Ghoshal, Indian singer
• 1984 - Jaimie Alexander, American Actress
• 1985 - Bradley Wright-Phillips, English footballer
• 1985 - Tosh Townend, American skateboarder
• 1986 - Danny Jones, English singer (McFly)
• 1987 - Chris Seitz, American footballer

Deaths

• 604 - Pope Gregory I
• 1289 - King Demetre II of Georgia (b. 1259)
• 1374 - Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan (b. 1336)
• 1447 - Shah Rukh, ruler of Persia and Transoxonia (b. 1377)
• 1507 - Cesare Borgia, Italian general and statesman (b. 1475)
• 1608 - Koriki Kiyonaga, Japanese warlord (b. 1530)
• 1628 - John Bull, English composer
• 1648 - Tirso de Molina, Spanish writer (b. 1571)
• 1681 - Frans van Mieris, Sr., Dutch painter (b. 1635)
• 1699 - Peder Griffenfeld, Danish statesman (b. 1635)
• 1757 - Giuseppe Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect/painter (b. 1696)
• 1790 - Andreas Hadik, Austro-Hungarian general (b. 1710)
• 1832 - Friedrich Kuhlau, German composer (b. 1786)
• 1872 - Zeng Guofan, Chinese politician and general (b. 1811)
• 1894 - Illarion Pryanishnikov, Russian painter (b. 1840)
• 1898 - Zacharias Topelius, Finnish-Swedish writer (b. 1818)
• 1908 - Edmondo De Amicis, Italian children's writer (b. 1846)
• 1909 - Joe Petrosino, NYPD lieutenant (b. 1860)
• 1914 - George Westinghouse, American entrepreneur and engineer (b. 1846)
• 1916 - Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Austrian writer (b. 1830)
• 1925 - Sun Yat-sen, Chinese revolutionary and politician (b. 1866)
• 1929 - Asa Griggs Candler, American businessman (b. 1851)
• 1930 - Alois Jirásek, Czech writer (b. 1851)
• 1930 - William George Barker, Canadian fighter ace (b. 1894)
• 1937 - Charles-Marie Widor, French organist and composer (b. 1844)
• 1937 - Jenő Hubay, Hungarian violinist (b. 1858)
• 1942 - Robert Bosch, German industrialist (b. 1861)
• 1943 - Gustav Vigeland, Norwegian sculptor (b. 1869)
• 1944 - Artur Gavazzi, Croatian geographer (b. 1861)
• 1946 - Ferenc Szálasi, Hungarian politician (executed) (b. 1897)
• 1947 - "Winston Churchill the American", American novelist (b. 1871)
• 1955 - Charlie Parker, American jazz saxophonist (b. 1920)
• 1973 - Frankie Frisch, American baseball player (b. 1898)
• 1974 - George D. Sax, Drive-in bank and instant loan innovator. Owner of the Saxony Hotel. (b. 1904)
• 1978 - John Cazale, American actor (b. 1935)
• 1978 - Gene Moore, American baseball player (b. 1909)
• 1980 - Arthur Charles Dobson, British racing driver (b. 1914)
• 1984 - Arnold Ridley, English playwright and actor (b. 1896)
• 1985 - Eugene Ormandy, Hungarian conductor (b. 1899)
• 1987 - Woody Hayes, American football coach (b. 1913)
• 1989 - Maurice Evans, English-born actor (b. 1901)
• 1990 - Wallace Breem, British author (b. 1926)
• 1991 - Ragnar Granit, Finnish neuroscientist, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)
• 1995 - Juanin Clay, American actress (b. 1949)
• 1998 - Judge Dread, English musician (b. 1945)
• 1998 - Beatrice Wood, American artist and ceramist (b. 1893)
• 1998 - Jozef Kroner, Slovak actor (b. 1924)
• 1999 - Yehudi Menuhin, American-born violinist (b. 1916)
• 2001 - Morton Downey, Jr., American television talk show host (b. 1933)
• 2001 - Robert Ludlum, American author (b. 1927)
• 2002 - Spyros Kyprianou, Cypriot politician (b. 1932)
• 2002 - Jean-Paul Riopelle, Quebec painter and sculptor (b. 1923)
• 2003 - Zoran Đinđić, Prime Minister of Serbia (b. 1952)
• 2003 - Howard Fast, American author (b. 1914)
• 2003 - Andrei Kivilev, Kazakh cyclist (b. 1973)
• 2003 - Lynne Thigpen, American actress (b. 1948)
• 2005 - Bill Cameron, Canadian journalist (b. 1943)
• 2005 - Stavros Koujioumtzis, Greek songwriter (b. 1932)
• 2006 - Victor Sokolov, Russian dissident journalist and priest (b. 1947)
• 2008 - Lazare Ponticelli, the last "poilu", French foot soldier of World War One, dies at 110 (b. 1897)
• 2008 - Jorge Guinzburg, Argentine journalist, producer, humorist, and TV, theater and radio host (b. 1949)

Holidays and observances

• Faroe Islands - Grækarismessa (Mass of St. Gregor): According to tradition, the oystercatcher, the Faroes' national bird returns this day. This event is celebrated in the capital, Tórshavn
• Mauritius - National Day.
• Ancient Latvia - Gregoru Diena observed.
• Arbor Day in People's Republic of China and Taiwan.

In the Roman Catholic Church:

• St. Theophanes the Confessor
• St. Maximilian
• St. Fina

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada