It happened today – on this day in history – February 23
- It happened today – this day in history – August 3 - 03/08/2021
- It happened today – this day in history – August 2 - 02/08/2021
- It happened today – this day in history – August 1 - 01/08/2021
1633: Birth of diarist Samuel Pepys.
1685: Birth of composer George Frideric Handel in Halle, Germany.
1689: William III is proclaimed King of England.
1792: Haydn’s 94th Symphony in G premieres.
1821: Poet John Keats dies of tuberculosis aged 25.
1836: The Alamo is besieged for 13 days by the Mexican army.
1870: Mississippi is readmitted to the US after the civil war.
1886: Premiere of Tchaikovsky’s “Manfred” symphony.
1904: The US acquires control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million.
1906: Tommy Burns beats Marvin Hart in 20 rounds for the heavyweight boxing title.
1910: George Bernard Shaw’s “Misalliance” premieres in London.
1919: The Fascist Party is formed in Italy by Benito Mussolini.
1934: Composer Edward Elgar dies aged 76.
1938: Joe Louis KOs Nathan Mann in Round 3 for the heavyweight boxing title.
1940: Folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie writes the lyrics to the song This Land Is Your Land in his room at the Hanover House Hotel in New York.
1941: Plutonium first produced and isolated by Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg.
1945: The US flag is raised over Iwo Jima as he 28th Regiment of the 5th Marines take Mount Suribachi.
1954: The first mass inoculation against polio with the Salk vaccine.
1958: Five-time Formula 1 World Drivers champion Juan Manuel Fangio is kidnapped by Cuban rebels from Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement. He is released soon after the Cuban Grand Prix.
1963: Luciano Pavarotti makes his debut at the Vienna State Opera in “La Traviata”.
1965: On location in The Bahamas, filming begins on the Beatles film Help!
1966: Milton Obote seizes power in Uganda.
1971: US army officer William Calley confesses during his trial for the My Lai Massacre.
1972: Palestinian hijackers who took over a Lufthansa jet two days ago release the crew at an airfield in the Yemen. On the same day Priscilla Presley leaves Elvis and moves into a two bedroomed apartment.
1976: Death of artist L S Lowry aged 88.
1978: Fleetwood Mac win the Album of the Year Grammy for Rumours.
1981: Soldiers and members of the Guardia storm the Spanish Parliament in an attempted military coup.
1985: Stevie Wonder is arrested during an anti-apartheid demonstration outside the South African Embassy in Washington.
1995: Singer Melvin Franklin, the deep bass voice of The Temptations dies of a brain seizure aged 52.
1998: Oasis are banned for life from flying Cathay Pacific Airlines after “abusive and disgusting behaviour” during a flight from Hong Kong to Perth, Australia. On the same day, Osama bin Laden issues a fatwa declaring jihad against all Jews and Crusaders.
2000: Death of soccer legend Sir Stanley Matthews aged 85.
2003: Single chart:
- All The Things She Said – Tatu
- Cry Me A River – Justin Timberlake
- I Can’t Break Down – Sinead Quinn
- Stole – Kelly Rowland
- Pain Killer – Turin Brakes
- Lose Yourself – Eminem
- Year 3000 – Busted
- Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous – Good Charlotte
- I’ll Be Your Angel – Kira
- Familiar Feeling – Moloko
Album chart:
- Justified – Justin Timberlake
- Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ – 50 Cent
- Greatest Hits – Tom Jones
- Let Go – Avril Lavigne
- By The Way – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
- A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay
- Stripped – Christina Aguilera
- Simply Deep – Kelly Rowland
- 100th Window – Massive Attack
- Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
2010: EMI studios in Abbey Road, St John’s Wood is made a listed building, protecting it from future planning applications.
2019: Roy Hodgson overtakes Sir Bobby Robson as the oldest man to manage a Premier League club when at 71 years, 198 days his Crystal Palace side beats Leicester City 4-1.
BIRTHDAYS: Brad Whitford, guitarist, (Aerosmith) 69; Howard Jones, musician/singer-songwriter, 66; David Sylvian singer-songwriter (Japan) 63; Kristin Davis, actress, 56; Tamsin Greig, actress, 54; Melinda Messenger, TV presenter/former glamour model, 50; Kelly Macdobald, actress, 45; Josh Gadd, actor, 40; Gareth Barry, footballer, 40; Emily Blunt, actress, 38; Dakota (Hannah) Fanning, actress, 27.
