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1991–More than 300,000 people attend a free concert at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California, in memory of rock promoter Bill Graham. Among the acts performing are the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Journey (who reunited for the event).


39–Roman poet, Lucan, is born Marcus Annaeus Lucanus in Corduba (present-day Córdoba), in the Hispania Baetica. Despite his short life, he is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial Latin period. He is best knonw for Bellum Civile (Civil War), based on the wars between Julius Caesar and Pompey.

361–Emperor Constantius II dies of a fever at Mopsuestia in Cilicia. On his deathbed he is baptised and declares his cousin, Julian, his rightful successor.

644–Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim caliph, is assassinated by a Persian slave in Medina, Arabia, Rashidun Empire, at age 61.

1254–Byzantine Emperor, John III Doukas Vatatzes, dies in in Nymphaion, Greece.

1333–The River Arno flood causes massive damage in Florence, Italy, as recorded by the Florentine chronicler, Giovanni Villani.

1468–Liège, Belgium, is sacked by troops led by Charles I of Burgundy.

1492–Peace of Etaples is established between Henry VII and Charles VIII.

1493–Christopher Columbus first sights the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea.

1534–English Parliament passes the first Act of Supremacy, making King Henry VIII head of the Anglican Church, supplanting the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church.

1592–The city of San Luis Potosí is founded in Mexico.

1604–Ottoman sultan, Osman II, is born Genç Osman at Topkapi Palace in Constantinople, capital city of the Ottoman Empire. He became a known poet and had mastered many languages, including Arabic, Persian, Greek, Latin, Italian, and most prominently, the Ottoman Sign Language. He ascended the throne at the early age of 14, as the result of a coup d'état against his uncle, Mustafa.

1679–Great panic occurs in Europe over the close approach of a comet.

1777–Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom is born Sophia Matilda at Buckingham House in London, England.

1783–John Austin, a highwayman, is the last person to be publicly hanged at Tyburn gallows in London, England.

1783–The American Continental Army is disbanded.

1789–The first District Court, established by the Constitution, opens in New York City.

1793–Playwright, journalist, and feminist, Olympe de Gouges, is guillotined in Place de la Révolution, Paris, French First Republic, at age 45. She is best known as an early feminist who demanded that French women be given the same rights as French men. In her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen (1791), she challenged the practice of male authority and the notion of male-female inequality.

1812–Napoleon's armies are defeated at the Battle of Vyazma.

1817–The Bank of Montreal opens in Montreal, Canada. It is Canada's oldest chartered bank.

1838–The Times of India, the world's largest circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper, is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce.

1848–A greatly revised Dutch constitution is proclaimed, drafted by Johan Rudolph Thorbecke. It severely limits the powers of the Dutch monarchy, and strengthens the powers of parliament and ministers.

1852–Emperor Meiji of Japan is born Mutsuhito in Kyoto, Japan. He presided over a time of rapid change in the Empire of Japan, as the nation quickly changed from a feudal state to a capitalist and imperial world power, characterized by Japan's industrial revolution.

1867–Giuseppe Garibaldi and his followers are defeated in the Battle of Mentana, and fail to end the Pope's Temporal power in Rome.

1868–John Willis Menard is the first African American elected to the U.S. Congress. Because of an electoral challenge, he was never seated.

1881–The Mapuche uprising of 1881 begins in Chile.

1883–Black Bart gets away with his last stagecoach robbery in the Old West, but leaves a clue that eventually leads to his capture.

1898–France withdraws its troops from Fashoda (present-day Sudan), ending the Fashoda Incident.

1900–Businessman, Adolf Dassler, is born in Herzogenaurach, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire. He was the founder of the German sportswear company, Adidas, and the younger brother of Rudolf Dassler, founder of Puma.

1901–Leopold III of Belgium is born Leopold Filips Karel Albert Meinrad Hubertus Maria Miguel in Brussels, Belgium. He was Prince Leopold of Belgium and Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

1901–Statesman and man of letters, André Malraux, is born in Paris, France.

1903–With the encouragement of the United States, Panama separates from Colombia.

1911–Chevrolet officially enters the automobile market in competition with the Ford Model T.

1918–Poland declares its independence from Russia.

1918–Austria-Hungary enters into the Armistice of Villa Giusti with the Allies, and the Habsburg-ruled empire dissolves.

1918–The German Revolution begins, when 40,000 sailors take over the port in Kiel.

1921–Actor, Charles Bronson, is born Charles Dennis Buchinsky in Ehrenfeld, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. He appeared in the films Red Skies of Montana, Miss Sadie Thompson, House of Wax, Vera Cruz, Crime Wave, Jubal, Machine-Gun Kelly, Never So Few, The Magnificent Seven, Kid Galahad, The Great Escape, 4 for Texas, The Sandpiper, This Property is Condemned, The Dirty Dozen, Once Upon a Time in the West, Twinky, The Mechanic, Death Wish, Breakheart Pass, Murphy’s Law, and The Indian Runner. He was married to actress, Jill Ireland.

1926–Sharp-shooter and Western star, Annie Oakley, dies of of pernicious anemia in Greenville, Ohio, at age 66. Oakley's amazing talent led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Her timely rise to fame allowed her to become one of the first American women to be a "superstar."

1930–Getúlio Dornelles Vargas becomes Head of the Provisional Government in Brazil, after a bloodless coup on October 24th.

1931–Actress, Monica Vitti, is born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli in Rome, Italy. She has appeared opposite Marcello Mastroianni, Richard Harris, Terence Stamp, Michael Caine, and Dirk Bogarde. She appeared in the films Three Fables of Love, Nutty Naughty Chateau, Sweet and Sour, High Fidelity, Modesty Blaise, The Scarlet Lady, La Tosca, and An Almost Perfect Affair.

1932–Panagis Tsaldaris becomes the 142nd Prime Minister of Greece.

1933–Composer and conductor, John Barry, is born John Barry Prendergast in York, Yorkshire, England. He composed the soundtracks for 11 of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1987, and also arranged and performed the "James Bond Theme" to the first film in the series, 1962's Dr. No. His other film scores include The L-Shaped Room, The Knack ...and How to Get It, Born Free, Petulia, A Lion in Winter, Midnight Cowboy, Somewhere in Time, Body Heat, Frances, Out of Africa, and Dances with Wolves. He was married to actress, Jane Birkin.

1933–Actor, Ken Berry, is born Kenneth Ronald Berry in Moline, Illinois. He is best known for his starring role on the TV sitcom F Troop. He also appeared on the TV shows Dr. Kildare, No Time for Sergeants, Mayberry RFD, The Carol Burnett Show, and Mama’s Family. He was married to actress, Jackie Joseph.

1933–Actress, Aneta (Louise) Corsaut, is born in Hutchinson, Kansas. She is best known for the role of Helen Crump on the TV series The Andy Griffith Show. She was seen in many other TV shows, including Zane Grey Theater, Death Valley Days, Bonanza, The Real McCoys, Ben Casey, Gunsmoke, Columbo, Emergency!, Adam-12, and Hart to Hart. She appeared in the films The Blob, Good Neighbor Sam, A Rage to Live, Blazing Saddles, and The Toolbox Murders.

1933–Politician, Michael (Stanley) Dukakis, is born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts. He is the longest-serving Governor in Massachusetts history, and only the second Greek American Governor in U.S. history, after Spiro Agnew. In 1988, he was the Democratic nominee for President, but lost to the Republican candidate, Vice President George H. W. Bush.

1935–George II of Greece regains his throne through a popular, though possible fixed, plebiscite.

1941–Brian Poole, of The Tremeloes, is born in Essex, England.

1942–In World War II, the Koli Point action begins during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

1942–Creole-Cajun accordionist, Amédé Ardoin, dies at an asylum in Pinewood, Louisiana, at age 44. Several stories have circulated regarding the cause of his infirmity and eventual death. One account relates that he was run over by a Model A while walking home after playing at a house dance in Eunice, Louisiana. The attack was said to be racially motivated after a white woman offered Ardoin her handkerchief to wipe his face. Others claim Ardoin was poisoned by a musician jealous of his talents. What is agreed upon is that Ardoin was found in a ditch by the side of the road the day following the house dance. He suffered impaired mental and musical faculties the rest of his life.

1943–Five hundred aircraft of the U.S. 8th Air Force devastate Wilhelmshaven harbor in Germany.

1944–Two supreme commanders of the Slovak National Uprising, Generals Ján Golian and Rudolf Viest, are captured, tortured, and later executed by German forces.

1946–The Constitution of Japan is adopted through Emperor's assent.

1947–Joe Lala, drummer for Blues Image and Manassas, is born Joseph Anthony Lala in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida.

1948–Singer, Lulu, is born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie in Glascow, Scotland. Her biggest hit was To Sir with Love, from the 1967 movie of the same name in which she appeared. She also had hits with Shout and Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool for You Baby). She appeared in the films Gonks Go Beat, Cucumber Castle, The Cherry Picker, and Whatever Happened to Harold? She was married to musician, Maurice Gibb.

1949–Actor, Mike Evans, is born Michael Jonas Evans in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is best known for the role of Lionel Jefferson on the TV sitcoms All in the Family and The Jeffersons.

1949–Art collector and philanthropist, Solomon R. Guggenheim, dies in Long Island, New York, at age 88. He founded the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. In addition to the New York museum, the Guggenheim Foundation operates, among other things, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, which was established by Guggenheim's niece, Peggy Guggenheim.

1952–Clarence Birdseye begins to market frozen peas.

1952–Comedienne and actress, Roseanne (Cherrie) Barr, is born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She began her career in stand-up comedy before achieving fame in her starring role on the sitcom Roseanne. She appeared in the films She-Devil, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Blue in the Face, and Home on the Range. She was married to comedian, Tom Arnold.

1953–Actress, Kate Capshaw, is born Kathleen Sue Nail in Fort Worth, Texas. She appeared in the films A Little Sex, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Dreamsacpe, Windy City, SpaceCamp, Black Rain, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, Love Affair, Just Cause, and How to Make an American Quilt. She is married to film director, Steven Spielberg.

1953–Comedian, political commentator, actor, and TV personality, Dennis Miller, is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Miller started performing his signature metaphor-rich, observational stand-up comedy in New York City during the early 1980s, where he was discovered by Lorne Michaels. He replaced Christopher Guest as anchor of “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live, and his "rants" soon became the highlight of the show. After leaving Saturday Night Live, Miller hosted a short-lived alternative late-night talk show on NBC, followed by Dennis Miller Live, a half-hour talk show on HBO. Miller was also a regular commentator for Monday Night Football, and has made guest appearances on numerous talk shows, political commentary shows, and sitcoms. Over the years, Miller's political views have moved from liberal to conservative: he describes himself as a libertarian. He has appeared in the films Madhouse, Disclosure, The Net, Never Talk to Strangers, Murder at 1600, and What Happens in Vegas.

1954–The first Godzilla movie is released.

1954–Glam rocker, Adam Ant, is born Stuart Leslie Goddard in Marylebone, London, England.

1954–Painter and sculptor, Henri Matisse, dies of a heart attack in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France, at age 84. He is known for both his use of color and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. Matisse is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, as one of the three artists who helped to define the revolutionary developments in the plastic arts in the opening decades of the 20th century.

1956–The Khan Yunis killings are perpetrated by the Israel Defense Forces in Egyptian-controlled Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 275 male Arabs.

1956–The film, The Wizard of Oz, is shown for the first time on CBS-TV. The movie was televised a total of 18 times between 1956 and 1976.

1956–Italian-American restaurateur, chef, and hotelier, Cesare Cardini, dies in Los Angeles, California, at age 60. Cardini owned restaurants in Sacramento, San Diego, and Los Angeles, California. He is best known as the creator of the “Caesar salad,” which became very popular among Hollywood celebrities. After 1935, Cardini focused on marketing his line of salad dressings.

1956–Actor and puppeteer, Kevin (Wagner) Murphy, is born in River Forest, Illinois. He best known as the voice of robot Tom Servo on the comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Murphy also records audio commentary tracks with Michael J. Nelson and Bill Corbett for Nelson's RiffTrax website.

1957–The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter orbit, a dog named Laika.

1957–Actor, Dolph Lundgren, is born Hans Lundgren in Spånga, Stockholm, Sweden. His acting breakthrough came in 1985, when he was cast in Rocky IV as the imposing Russian boxer, Ivan Drago. Since then, he has starred in more than 40 movies, almost all of them in the action genre. He appeared in the films Masters of the Universe, Red Scorpion, Univeral Soldier, Johnny Mnemonic, and The Last Warrior.

1957–Actor, Gary Olsen, is born Gary Kenneth Grant in London, England. He is best known for the role of Ben in the BBC-TV sitcom 2point4 Children. He appeared in the films Birth of The Beatles, Breaking Glass, Outlant, Pink Floyd: The Wsall, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover.

1957–Psychotherapist, Wilhelm Reich, dies of heart failure in the U.S. Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, at age 60. A member of the second generation of analysts after Sigmund Freud, and the author of several influential books (notably Character Analysis (1933), The Mass Psychology of Fascism (1933), and The Sexual Revolution (1936), Reich became known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry.

1960–The land that would become the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is established by an Act of Congress after a year-long legal battle that pitted local residents against Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials wishing to turn the Great Swamp into a major regional airport for jet aircraft.

1964–Lyndon B. Johnson is elected to a full term as U.S. President, winning 61% of the vote and 44 states.

1964–Residents of Washington D.C. are able to vote in a Presidential election for the first time.

1965–The Beatles record the Paul McCartney ballad Michelle.

1969–President Richard M. Nixon addresses the nation on television and radio, asking the "silent majority" to join him in solidarity on the Vietnam War effort and to support his policies.

1970–Peter II of Yugoslavia dies from cirrhosis of the liver after a failed liver transplant in Denver, Colorado, at age 47. Peter was interred at the Saint Sava Monastery Church at Libertyville, Illinois, as the only European monarch ever buried on American soil. On January 22, 2013, Peter's remains were returned to Belgrade, Serbia.

1972–Singer, Carly Simon, marries singer, James Taylor, in Carly’s apartment in Manhattan, New York.

1973–NASA launches the Mariner 10 toward Mercury. On March 29, 1974, it will become the first space probe to reach that planet.

1975–Bangladesh political leaders, Tajuddin Ahmad, Muhammad Mansur Ali, Syed Nazrul Islam, and Abul Hasnat Muhammad Qamaruzzaman, are executed at the Dhaka Central Jail.

1978–Dominica gains its independence from the United Kingdom.

1979–Five members of the Communist Workers Party are shot dead and seven are wounded, by a group of Klansmen and neo-Nazis during a "Death to the Klan" rally in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1982–The Salang Tunnel fire in Afghanistan kills nearly 2,000 people.

1986–The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling weapons to Iran in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.

1986–The Federated States of Micronesia gain independence from the United States.

1988–Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries try to overthrow the Maldivian government. At President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's request, the Indian military suppresses the coup attempt within 24 hours.

1990–A chart topper: Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice.

1990–Actress, Mary Martin, dies of cancer in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 76. She is best known for her starring role in Peter Pan. On Broadway, she also appeared in Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Hello, Dolly! and I Do! I Do!

1991–More than 300,000 people attend a free concert at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California, in memory of rock promoter Bill Graham. Among the acts performing are the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Journey (who reunited for the event).

1993–Leon Theremin, electronic musical instruments inventor, dies at age 97. His invention, the theremin, made an erie sound that was just right for 1950s sci-fi movie soundtracks. Brian Wilson used the instrument in a crafty way on The Beach Boys’ hit Good Vibrations.

1995–Model and actress, Kendall (Nicole) Jenner, is born in Los Angeles, California. She first came to public attention for appearing in the E! reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. He father is Bruce Jenner.

1996–Abdullah Catli, leader of the Turkish ultra-nationalist organisation Grey Wolves, dies in the Susurluk car-crash, which leads to the resignation of the Turkish Interior Minister, Mehmet Agar (a leader of the True Path Party, DYP).

1997–The United States imposes economic sanctions against Sudan in response to its human rights abuses of its own citizens and its material and political assistance to Islamic extremist groups across the Middle East and Eastern Africa.

2002–Musician, Lonnie Donegan, dies of a heart attack in Market Deeping, England, at age 71. He was mid-way through a U.K. tour and due to perform at a memorial concert for George Harrison with The Rolling Stones. His hits include Rock Island Line and the novelty song, Does Your Chewing Gum Loose It's Flavor (On the Bed Post Overnight?).

2002–Actor, Jonathan Harris, dies of a blood clot to the heart in Encino, California, at age 87. He is best known for the role of Dr. Zachary Smith on the 1960s science fiction TV series Lost in Space. He appeared in many other TV shows, including Zorro, Father Knows Best, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, Get Smart, Bewitched, Night Gallery, and Battlestar Galactica.

2006–Pianist, composer, and conductor, Paul Mauriat, dies in Perpignan, France, at age 81. He is best known for his million-selling remake of André Popp's, Love is Blue, which was #1 for five weeks in 1968.

2010–Jim Clench, bass player for April Wine and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, dies of lung cancer in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at age 61.

2013–A solar eclipse sweeps across Africa, Europe, and the Eastern United States.

2014–One World Trade Center officially opens in New York City.

2016–The High Court rules that the British Parliament must vote on whether the United Kingdom can start the process of leaving the European Union by triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.

2016–The United Nations claims that at least 239 migrants are believed to have drowned in shipwrecks near the coast of Libya.

2016–At least 22 people are killed and 65 others are injured, following a collision of the Bahauddin Zakaria Express with a stationary train at Juma Goth Train Station in Karachi, Pakistan.

2016–Singer, Kay Starr, dies from complications of Alzheimer's disease in her home in Beverly Hills, California, at age 94. She was a pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 1950s. She is best known for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s: Wheel of Fortune and The Rock and Roll Waltz.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Roman poet, Lucan; Dominica; The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce; André Malraux; Monica Vitti; Aneta Corsaut; Amédé Ardoin; Lulu; Kate Capshaw; Henri Matisse; the Russian dog, Laika, in Sputnik 2; Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge; Carly Simon and James Taylor; Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice; Lonnie Donegan; and One World Trade Center.
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