It happened today – this day in history – December 30
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1460: The Duke of York is killed and his forces soundly defeated by forces for Henry VI at the Battle Of Wakefield in the Wars of the Roses.
1621: James I cracks the Protestation of Parliament.
1703: An earthquake hits Tokyo, killing 37,000.
1835: The Georgia gold rush forces Cherokees to move across the Mississippi River.
1865: Author Rudyard Kipling is born in Bombay.
1877: Johannes Brahms’ 2nd Symphony in D, premieres in Vienna.
1879: Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance” premieres.
1884: Anton Bruckner’s 7th Symphony in E, premieres in Leipzig.
1897: The province of Zululand is annexed to Natal colony.
1903: An electric arc lamp sets fire to the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago leaving 602 dead in one of the deadliest blazes in American history.
1906: Persia becomes a constitutional monarchy.
1944: King George II of Greece, abdicates.
1947: King Michael of Romania is forced to abdicate his throne by Communists, sending him into exlie as the country is declared a republic.
1950: Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia become Independent states within the French Union.
1958: Fidel Castro’s Cuban rebels edge closer to Havana in a bid to overthrow the military regime of President Batista.
1965: Ferdinand Marcos is inaugurated as President of the Philippines.
1967: Songwriter Bert Berns dies of Heart failure aged 38.
1968: Frank Sinatra records “My Way”, a French melody with English lyrics by Paul Anka.
1969: Peter Tork quits The Monkees, buying himself out of his contract which leaves him broke.
1970: Boxer Sonny Liston dies aged 40.
1972: US President Richard Nixon halts the bombing of North Vietnam and announces peace talks.
1974: The Beatles partnership is legally disbanded.
1979: Composer Richard Rodgers dies aged 77.
1994: Two women are shot dead when a gunman opens fire at two neighbouring abortion clinics in a suburb of Boston.
1999: George Harrison is stabbed in the chest when he confronts an intruder at his home in Henley-on-Thames. Wife Olivia fights the attacker off by hitting him over the head with a lamp.
2001: Singles chart:
- Somethin’ Stupid – Ronnie Williams and Nicole Kidman
- Gotta Get Thru This – Daniel Bedingfield
- How Wonderful You Are – Gordon Haskell
- Murder On The Dancefloor – Sophie Ellis Bextor
- Handbags And Gladrags – Stereophics
- Will I – Ian van Dahl
- Have You Ever – S Club 7
- Lately – Samantha Mumba
- What If – Kate Winslet
- Country Roads – Hermes House Band
Album chart:
- Swing When You’re Winning – Robbie Williams
- Dreams Can Come True: Greatest Hits – Gabrielle
- All Rise – Blue
- Just Enough Education To Perform – Stereophonics
- Sunshine – S Club 7
- World Of Our Own – Westlife
- No Angel – Dido
- Gold: Their Greatest Hits – Steps
- Freak Of Nature – Anastacia
- Their Greatest Hits: The Record – The Bee Gees
2002: Singer Diana Ross is arrested for drink driving in Tuscon, Arizona.
2004: Bandleader Artie Shaw (Arthur Arshawsky) dies aged 94.
2006: Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is hanged aged 69.
2011: Actor David Tennant marries actress Georgia Moffett, the daughter of another former Doctor Who, Peter Davison.
2014: Actress Luise Rainer dies aged 104.
2016: Alan Williams, The Beatles’ first manager, dies aged 86. On the same day, Ray Davies of The Kinks is awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours.
2018: Singer Miley Cyrus marries actor Liam Hemsworth.
BIRTHDAYS: Clive Bunker, drummer (Jethro Tull) 74; Patti Smith, songwriter/poet.,75; Jeff Lynne, singer-songwriter/producer (ELO) 74; Tracy Ullman, actress, 62; Charlie Nicholas, football pundit, 60; Jay Kay, singer-songwriter (Jamiroquai) 52; Sister Bliss (Ayalah Bentovim) keyboards (Faithless) 51; Tiger (Eldrick) Woods, golfer, 44; Lucy Punch, actress, 44; Eliza Dushku, actress, 41; Kristin Kreuk, actress, 39; Ellie Goulding, singer-songwriter, 35; Caity (Caitlin) Lotz, actress, 35; Ollie Watkins, footballer, 26.
