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1963–President John F. Kennedy is assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Texas Governor, John B. Connally, in the same limousine as Kennedy, is seriously wounded. Lee Harvey Oswald, suspected of being the assassin, is arrested.


498–After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected Pope in Santa Maria Maggiore.

845–The first King of all Brittany, Nominoe, defeats the Frankish King Charles the Bald at the Battle of Ballon, near Redon.

1307–Pope Clement V issues the papal bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae, which instructs all Christian monarchs in Europe to arrest all Templars and seize their assets.

1574–Spanish navigator, Juan Fernández, discovers islands now known as the Juan Fernández Islands, off Chile.

1602–Elisabeth of France is born at Palace of Fontainebleau, near Paris, France. She was the eldest daughter of King Henry IV of France and his second spouse Marie de' Medici. As a daughter of the king of France, she was born a Fille de France. As the eldest daughter of the King, she was known at court by the traditional honorific of Madame Royale.

1617–Ottoman sultan, Ahmed I, dies of typhus in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire, at age 27. He is most famous for his contribution of the Blue Mosque, one of the most famous mosques in Turkey.

1635–Dutch colonial forces on Taiwan launch a pacification campaign against native villages, resulting in Dutch control of the middle and south of the island.

1718–Off the coast of North Carolina, British pirate, Edward Teach (best known as "Blackbeard"), is killed in battle with a boarding party led by Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard.

1812–Seventeen Indiana Rangers are killed at the Battle of Wild Cat Creek during the War of 1812.

1837 – Canadian journalist and politician, William Lyon Mackenzie, calls for a rebellion against the United Kingdom in his essay, "To the People of Upper Canada," published in his newspaper The Constitution.

1869–In Dumbarton, Scotland, the clipper Cutty Sark is launched. It is one of the last clippers ever built, and the only one still surviving today.

1893–Automobile designer, Harley J. Earl, is born in Hollywood, California. He was the initial designated head of Design at General Motors, later becoming Vice President, the first top executive ever appointed in design of a major corporation in American history. He was an industrial designer and a pioneer of modern transportation design.

1899–Songwriter, Hoagy Carmichael, is born Howard Hoagland Carmichael in Bloomington, Indiana. He is best known for composing the music for Stardust, Georgia on My Mind, The Nearness of You, In the Still of the Night, The Nearness of You, Heart and Soul, Two Sleepy People, I Get Along Without You Very Well, and Skylark. He appeared in the films To Have and Have Not, Johnny Angel, Canyon Passage, The Best Years of Our Lives, Night Song, Young Man with a Horn, The Las Vegas Story, and Belles on Their Toes.

1908–The Congress of Manastir establishes the Albanian alphabet.

1909–Helen Hayes appears on stage for the first time.

1914–Jean Cocteau is rejected for military service as physically unfit.

1916–Writer, Jack London, dies from uremic poisoning in Glen Ellen, California, at age 40. He wrote the novels White Fang and Call of the Wild.

1921–Comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, is born Jacob Rodney Cohen in Deer Park, New York. He was known for the catchphrase "I don't get no respect!" and his monologues on that theme. He appeared in the films Caddyshack, Easy Money, Back to School, Moving, Ladybugs, and Natural Born Killers.

1923–Film director, Arthur Hiller, is born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His films include The Wheeler Dealers, The Americanization of Emily, Promise Her Anything, Tobruk, The Out-of-Towners, Love Story, The Hospital, Plaza Suite, Man of La Mancha, Making Love, Author! Author!, Romantic Comedy, The Lonely Guy, and Teachers.

1924–Actress, Geraldine Page, is born in Kirksville, Missouri. She appeared in the films Hondo, Summer and Smoke, Sweet Bird of Youth, Toys in the Attic, Dear Heart, The Three Sisters, You’re a Big boy Now, The Happiest Millionaire, What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?, The Beguiled, J.W. Coop, Pete ‘n’ Tillie, The Day of the Locust, Interiors, Honky Tonk Freeway, I’m Dancing as Fast as I can, The Pope of Greenwich Village, The Trip to Bountiful, and Native Son. She was married to violinist, Alexander Schneider, and actor, Rip Torn.

1928–The premier performance of Ravel's Boléro takes place in Paris, France.

1931–Al-Mina'a SC is founded in Iraq.

1932–Actor, Robert (Francis) Vaughn, is born in New York, New York. He is best known for the role of suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. He appeared in the films The Ten Commandments, Teenage Cave Man, The Young Philadelphians, The Magnificent Seven, The Caretakers, Bullitt, The Towering Inferno, Demon Seed, and The Delta Force.

1935–The China Clipper inaugurates the first commercial transpacific air service, connecting Alameda, California, with Manila, Philippines.

1940–During World War II, following the initial Italian invasion, Greek troops counter attack into Italian-occupied Albania and capture Korytsa.

1940–Film director and screenwriter, Terry Gilliam, is born Terence Vance Gilliam in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the only American member of the comedy troupe, Monty Python’s Flying Circus. As a director, his films include Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Jabberwocky, Time Bandits, Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and The Fisher King.

1941–Jesse Colin Young, of The Youngbloods, is born Perry Miller in Queens, New York.

1942–In World War II, General Friedrich Paulus sends Adolf Hitler a telegram saying that the German 6th Army is surrounded.

1942–Floyd Sneed, drummer for Three Dog Night, is born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

1943–President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek, meet in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss measures for defeating Japan during World War II.

1943–Lebanon gains independence from France.

1947–Rod Price, of Foghat, is born Roderick Michael Price in Willesden, North London, England. He played on the band's first 10 albums, released from 1972 to 1980. He was known as “The Magician of Slide” and “Slide King of Rock and Roll,” due to his slide guitar playing.

1954–The Humane Society of the United States is founded.

1954–Musician, David Leon, is born in Los Angeles, California. He was one of the first to portray John Lennon in the stage play Beatlemania. He was also cast as Lennon for the film version of the show.

1955–Sun Records sells Elvis Presley’s contract to RCA for $40,000. Sun boss, Sam Phillips, invested his portion of the money into the fledging Holiday Inn motel chain and went on to became a millionaire.

1957–The Miles Davis Quintet debuts at Carnegie Hall.

1957–Simon & Garfunkel appear on American Bandstand as “Tom & Jerry.”

1961–Producers, Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, announce an expensive publicity campaign to make Sean Connery a star as the debonair spy James Bond.

1963–President John F. Kennedy is assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Texas Governor, John B. Connally, in the same limousine as Kennedy, is seriously wounded. Lee Harvey Oswald, suspected of being the assassin, is arrested.

1963–Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as the 36th President of the United States.

1963–William Clay Ford, Sr. buys the Detroit Lions for $4.5 million.

1963–The Beatles LP, With The Beatles, is released in the U.K. It is the group’s second album. Although it wasn’t always the case, there is an argument to be made about the later U.S. release of Meet The Beatles being a better album, as it concentrated on very strong original material, without the cover songs that appeared on With The Beatles. But this is probably the only example of Capitol Records coming up with a truly quality product as far as the early Beatles LPs released in America is concerned.

1963–Author and philosopher, Aldous Huxley, dies of laryngeal cancer, in Los Angeles, California, at age 69. At his request, his wife had administered 100 units of LSD by injection twice during the day of his passing. Huxley's long-time friend, Igor Stravinsky, dedicated his last orchestral work to Huxley. Stravinsky began composing Variations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in July 1963, completing it in Hollywood, California, on October 28, 1964. It was first performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on April 17, 1965. Huxley’s works include Brave New World, Eyeless in Gaza, and The Doors of Perception.

1963–Author, C.S. Lewis, dies of renal failure in Oxford, England, at age 64. Due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the passing of Aldous Huxley on the same day, coverage of his death was minimal. On the 50th anniversary of his death, Lewis was honored with a memorial service in Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey, in London, England. He is best known for his Chronicles of Narnia series.

1967–UN Security Council Resolution 242 is adopted, establishing a set of principles aimed at guiding negotiations for an Arab-Israeli peace settlement.

1967–Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie is released.

1968–The Beatles double LP, The Beatles, also called “The White Album” is released in the U.K. This is the Beatles ninth album, and the first one to be released on the Apple label.

1973–The Italian Fascist organization Ordine Nuovo is disbanded.

1974–The United Nations General Assembly grants the Palestine Liberation Organization observer status.

1975–Juan Carlos is declared King of Spain following the death of Francisco Franco.

1977–British Airways inaugurates a regular London to New York City supersonic Concorde service.

1980–Actress, Mae West, dies after suffering two strokes in Hollywood, California, at age 87. Famed for her wit, she also wrote many of the plays in which she starred. She appeared in the films She Done Him Wrong, I’m No Angel, Klondike Annie, Go West, Young Man, My Little Chickadee, Myra Breckinridge, and Sextette.

1982–Politician, Roy Hofheinz, dies in Houston, Texas, at age 70. He was part of the group that created a Major League Baseball franchise, the Houston Colt .45s (which later became the Houston Astros), and built the Harris County Domed Stadium (known as the Astrodome) the first large covered baseball and football facility in the world.

1986–Mike Tyson defeats Trevor Berbick, becomibg youngest Heavyweight Champion in boxing history.

1986–Entertainer, Scatman Crothers, dies of cancer in Van Nuys, California, at age 76. He is best known for his role in the film The Shining. Crothers started his musical career as a 15-year-old drummer in a speakeasy band in his home town. He appeared in the films Meet Me at the Fair, Walking My Baby Back Home, The Sins of Rachel Cade, Lady in a Cage, The Patsy, Three on a Couch, Hello Dolly!, The Great White Hope, Lady Sings the Blues, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Bronco Billy, and Twilight Zone: The Movie.

1987–Two television stations in Chicago, Illinois, are hijacked by an unknown pirate dressed as Max Headroom.

1988–The first prototype B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is revealed in Palmdale, California.

1989–Lebanese President, René Moawad, is killed when a bomb explodes near his motorcade in West Beirut.

1990–Margaret Thatcher announces her resignation as British Prime Minister.

1992–Actor, Sterling Holloway, dies of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, California, at age 87. He was seen on the television shows The Real McCoys, The Twilight Zone, The Andy Griffith Show, and Gilligan's Island. He appeared in the films St. Louis Blues, The Blue Bird, Meet John doe, Sioux City Sue, The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and My Six Loves. He also provided voices in the animated films Dumbo, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

1995–Toy Story is released as the first feature-length animated film created completely from computer-generated imagery.

1995–A 7.3 earthquake shakes the Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia region, killing eight people and injuring 30 others.

1997–Michael Hutchence, of INXS, dies of suicide at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Double Bay, Sydney, Australia, at age 37.

2000–Billboard announces that The Beatles compilation album 1 has attained the #1 spot on its “Top 200” album chart in its first week of release. It becomes the 19th Beatles album to reach #1 in the U.S.

2001–Businesswoman, Mary Kay Ash, dies in Dallas, Texas, at age 83. She founded the company Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc.

2001–Record producer, Norman Granz, dies in Geneva, Switzerland, at age 83. He founded Verve Records and was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960. Granz was also acknowledged as "the most successful impresario in the history of jazz."

2002–More than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest being held in Nigeria.

2003–Shortly after takeoff, a Baghdad DHL Express cargo plane is struck on the left wing by a surface-to-air missile and forced to land.

2004–The Orange Revolution begins in Ukraine, resulting from its presidential elections.

2005–Angela Merkel becomes the first female Chancellor of Germany.

2012–Ceasefire begins between Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Israel after eight days of violence resulting in 150 deaths.

2015–Politician, Kim Young-sam, dies of heart failure in Seoul, South Korea, at age 87. He was the seventh President of South Korea.

2015–A landslide in Hpakant, Kachin State, northern Myanmar, kills at least 116 people near a jade mine, leaving around 100 people missing.

2016–For the first time in its 120-year history, the Dow Jones Industrial Average crosses the 19,000 barrier, as investors keep an optimistic eye on President-elect Donald Trump's policy agenda.

2016–Rapper, Kanye West, is hospitalized under psychiatric evaluation at UCLA Medical Center after a string of odd behavior and mid-concert rants. He abruptly cancels the 21 remaining days of his Saint Pablo tour.

2016–A 56-vehicle pile-up on the G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway in the northern Shanxi province of China, kills at least 17 people and injures 37 others.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: The Juan Fernández Islands; Hoagy Carmichael; Geraldine Page; Robert Vaughn; David Leon; the John F. Kennedy assassination; C.S. Lewis; Mae West; Scatman Crothers; Sterling Holloway; Mary Kay Ash; and the Dow Jones reaches over 19,000.
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