History for March 27 on HistoryUnlimited.net


< Back 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Next >		1973–The 45th Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: The Godfather; Best Actor: Marlon Brando for The Godfather; Best Actress: Liza Minnelli for Cabaret; Best Director: Bob Fosse for Cabaret; Best Foreign Film: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (France). The ceremonies are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California. The hosts are Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson. Marlon Brando boycots the Oscars, sending Sacheen Littlefeather to explain why he was not there to collect his Best Actor award for The Godfather.

BC 215–Emperor Korei of Japan dies at age 127. He is regarded by historians as a "legendary emperor." No firm dates can be assigned to this Emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from BC 290 to BC 215, but he may have lived in the early 1st century. BC 196–Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. BC 87–Crown Prince Fuling (later Emperor Zhao of Han) is named as Emperor Wu of Han's successor and heir to the throne. Emperor Wu dies two days later. 45–Poet, Statius, is born Publius Papinius Statius in Naples, Italy. His surviving Latin poetry includes an epic in 12 books, the Thebaid; a collection of occasional poetry, the Silvae; and an unfinished epic, the Achilleid. He is also known for his appearance as a guide in the Purgatory section of Dante's epic poem The Divine Comedy. 972–Robert II of France is born in Orléans, France. 1184–Giorgi III, King of Georgia, dies. His reign was part of what would be called the Georgian Golden Age: a historical period in the High Middle Ages, during which the Kingdom of Georgia reached the peak of its military power and development. George was the father of Queen Tamar the Great. 1220–Pope Martin IV is born Simon de Brion in Touraine, Kingdom of France. 1221–Berengaria of Portugal dies during childbirth in Ringsted, Denmark, at age 26. 1309–Pope Clement V excommunicates the entire population of Venice, Italy. 1329–Pope John XXII issues his “In Agro Dominico,” condemning some writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical. 1350–Alfonso XI of Castile dies during the Great Plague in Gibraltar, at age 38. He was the King of Castile, León, and Galicia. 1378–Pope Gregory XI dies in Rome, Papal States. 1401–Albert III, Duke of Bavaria, is born Albrecht III der Fromme, Herzog von Bayern-München in Munich, Germany. 1462–Vasily II of Moscow dies in Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow, at age 47. 1482–Mary of Burgundy dies due to a fall from her horse at Wijnendale Castle, Flanders, Burgundian Netherlands, at age 25. 1513–Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León reaches the northern end of the Bahamas on his first voyage to Florida. 1613–The first English child is born in Canada, to Nicholas Guy at Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland. 1625–(James Stewart) King James VI of Scotland (1567-1625) and James I of England and Ireland (1603-1625), dies during a violent attack of dysentery at Theobalds House, England, at age 58. He had suffered ill health for many years. At 57 years and 246 days, James's reign in Scotland was longer than those of any of his predecessors. He achieved most of his aims in Scotland, but faced great difficulties in England, having repeated conflicts with the English Parliament. Under James, the "Golden Age" of Elizabethan literature and drama continued, with writers such as William Shakespeare, John Donne, Ben Jonson, and Sir Francis Bacon contributing to a flourishing literary culture. James sponsored the translation of the Bible that was named after him: the Authorised King James Version. Upon the death of King James, Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, ascends to the throne. 1676–Hungarian Prince, Francis Rákóczi II, is born in Borsi, Royal Hungary (present-day Borsa, Slovakia). He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Today he is considered a national hero in Hungary. 1708–Pretender to the English throne, James III, flees to Dunkirk. 1782–Charles Watson-Wentworth, second Marquess of Rockingham, becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 1785–Louis XVII Charles, King of France (1793-1795), is born at the Palace of Versailles, France. 1790–The shoelace is invented in England. 1794–The government of the United States establishes a permanent U.S. Navy and authorizes the building of six frigates. 1794–Denmark and Sweden form a neutrality compact. 1809–A combined Franco-Polish force defeats the Spanish in the Battle of Ciudad Real during the Peninsular War. 1812–Hugh McGary, Jr. establishes what is now Evansville, Indiana, on a bend in the Ohio River. 1813–Lithographer, Nathaniel Currier, is born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. He co-founded the firm of Currier and Ives with James Ives. Currier and Ives was known for its popular and affordable art prints of subjects such as winter scenes, landscapes, sporting events, ships, and icons of 19th century life. These prints are still widely sought after by collectors today. 1814–In the War of 1812, U.S. forces, under General Andrew Jackson, defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in central Alabama. 1836–The first Mormon temple is dedicated in Kirtland, Ohio. 1836–During the Texas Revolution, on the orders of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican army butchers 342 Texas POWs at Goliad, Texas. 1845–Wilhelm Rontgen, is born in Lennep, Rhine Province. He discovered X-rays. 1854–The United Kingdom declares war on Russia. 1855–Abraham Gesner patents kerosene. 1860–M.L. Byrn patents the corkscrew. 1863–Confederate President Jefferson Davis calls for a day of fasting and prayer. 1863–Automobile innovator, (Frederick) Henry Royce, is born in Alwalton, Peterborough, England. He co-founded Rolls-Royce Limited with Charles Rolls. 1866–Andrew Rankin patents the urinal. 1866–President Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Bill. It will later become the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 1868–Nursery school and kindergarten teacher, Patty Smith Hill, is born in Anchorage, Kentucky. She co-wrote the song, Happy Birthday To You, with her sister Mildred Hill. 1878–Renowned English Gothic revival architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott, dies in South Kensington, London, England. A prolific designer, Scott designed or restored over 140 churches, church buildings, and cathedrals. 1879–Super-centenarian, Sahan Dosova, is born in Aul, Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Russian Empire. She will live to the age of 130 (and 43 days). She is reputed by some to be the oldest woman who ever lived. However, there are doubts about the claims made on behalf of Sahan, because she did not have a birth certificate and it was common for people at the time to make up their own date of birth. 1879–Prince Waldemar of Prussia dies of diphtheria at New Palace, Potsdam, Germany, at age 11. He was the sixth child of Crown Prince Friedric and Victoria, Princess Royal, the eldest daughter of the Queen Victoria. 1881–Rioting takes place in Basingstoke, England, in protest against the daily promotion of teetotalism by The Salvation Army. 1884–A mob in Cincinnati, Ohio, attacks members of a jury who had returned a verdict of manslaughter in a clear case of murder. Over the next few days they would riot and destroy the courthouse. 1884–The first long-distance telephone call is made from Boston, Massachusetts, to New York City. 1886–Famous Apache warrior, Geronimo, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars. 1886–German-American architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is born in Aachen, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire. Following World War I, Mies and many of his contemporaries were eager to establish a style of architecture which would represent the Modern Age, just as previous styles had done in their times. Mies created a style using modern materials such as steel and plate glass to define open-space interiors. He called his style "skin and bones" architecture. This was the basis of the Second Chicago School of International Style, a type of skyscraper design pioneered by Mies, which influenced a host of architects. Along with Frank Lloyd Wright and a few others, he is revered as one of the masters of Modern architecture. 1890–A tornado strikes Louisville, Kentucky, killing 76 people and injuring 200 others. 1898–Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Indian Muslim and one of the founding fathers of Pakistan, dies of natural causes in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, British Indian Empire (present-day India), at age 80. 1899–Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time in the Battle of Marilao River during the Philippine-American War. 1899–Actress, Gloria Swanson, is born Gloria May Josephine Swanson in Chicago, Illinois. She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille. In 1929, Swanson transitioned to “talkies.” She appeared in the films Sadie Thompson, Indiscreet, Tonight or Never, Father Takes a Wife, Sunset Boulevard, and Airport 1975. She was married to actor, Wallace Beery. 1900–Joseph A. Campbell, founder of the Campbell Soup Company, dies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at age 82. 1901–Eisaku Sato, Premier of Japan, is born in Tabuse, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. 1906–Musician, Pee Wee Russell, is born Charles Ellsworth Russell in Maplewod, Missouri. He had a highly individualistic and spontaneous clarinet style that "defied classification." He began his career playing Dixieland jazz, but incorporated elements of newer developments such as swing, bebop, and free jazz. 1912–The first Japanese cherry blossom trees are planted in Washington, D.C. 1912–(Leonard) James Callaghan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. 1914–The first successful blood transfusion is carried out in Brussels, Belgium. 1914–Singer, Snooky Lanson, is born Roy Landman in Memphis, Tennessee. He is best known for co-starring on the popular TV series Your Hit Parade. 1914–Screenwriter, Budd Schulberg, is born Seymour Wilson Schulberg in New York, New York. His work includes On the Waterfront, The Harder They Fall, and A Face in the Crowd. 1915–Mary Mallon, better known as Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in America, is put in quarantine, where she would remain for the rest of her life. She was presumed to have infected 53 people, three of whom died, over the course of her career as a cook. 1917–Cyrus R. Vance, U.S. Secretary of State (1977-1980), is born in Clarksburg, West Virginia. 1921–Record executive, Phil Chess, is born Fiszel Czyz in Czestochowa, Poland. He was the co-founder (with his brother, Leonard) of Chess Records. The label signed and recorded artists such as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson, Etta James, Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf, and Chuck Berry. 1923–Film producer and screenwriter, Lorenzo (Elliott) Semple, Jr., is born in New Rochelle, New York. His work includes, Batman, Pretty Poison, Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting, Papillon, The Parallax View, The Drowning Pool, Three Days of the Condor, King Kong, Hurricane, and Never Say Never Again. 1923–Sir James Dewar, Scottish chemist and physicist, dies in London, England, at age 80. His inventions include the thermos flask and cordite. 1924–Jazz singer and pianist, Sarah (Lois) Vaughan, is born in Newark, New Jersey. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, singing Body and Soul for an amateur contest, and won. As a professional, she sang with Earl “Fatha” Hines, Billy Eckstine, and picked up the nickname “The Divine One.” 1926–Publisher, Bill Bagnall, is born in Taft, California. He founded Motorcyclist magazine. He sold Motorcyclist to Petersen Publishing in 1970, and retired in the early 1970s. 1927–Record executive, Mo Ostin, is born in New York. The artist-friendly legend ran Reprise with Frank Sinatra, signed Jimi Hendrix, and helped lure R.E.M. to Warner Bros. 1931–Actor, David Janssen, is born David Harold Meyer in Naponee, Nebraska. He is best known for the role of Dr. Richard Kimble on the TV series The Fugitive. He appeared in the films To Hell and Back, All That Heaven Allows, Dondi, My Six Loves, Marooned, Once is Not Enough, and Two-Minute Warning. 1933–Polythene is discovered by Reginald Gibson and Eric William Fawcett. 1935–Scientist, Tom Parry Jones, is born in Amlwch, Anglesey, North Wales. He invented the electronic breathalyzer. 1938–The Battle of Taierzhuang begins, resulting several weeks later in the war's first major Chinese victory over Japan. 1940–Himmler orders the building of the Auschwitz concentration camp at Katowice, Poland. 1940–Madeleine Astor, American survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, dies of a heart ailment in Palm Beach, Florida, at age 46. She was the second wife and widow of millionaire, John Jacob Astor IV. 1942–Boxer, Joe Louis, knocks out Abe Simon in Round 6, retaining his Heavyweight Boxing title. 1942–Biologist, John Edward Sulston, is born in Cambridge, England. For his work on the cell lineage and genome of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, he was jointly awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Sydney Brenner and Robert Horvitz. He was Chair of the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester. 1942–Actor, Michael York, is born Michael Hugh Johnson in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, England. He appeared in the films Smashing Time, Accident, The Strange Affair, The Guru, Justine, Cabaret, The Three Musketeers, Lost Horizon, Murder on the Orient Expess, The Four Musketeers, Logan’s Run, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Come See the Paradise, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. 1944–A thousand Jews leave Drancy, France, for the Auschwitz concentration camp; 2,000 Jews are murdered in Kaunas, Lithuania; and 40 Jewish policemen in the Riga, Latvia, ghetto are shot by the Gestapo. 1945–Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan's ports and waterways begins. Iwo Jima is occupied, after 22,000 Japanese and 6,000 U.S. soldiers are killed. 1945–Argentina declares war on the Axis Powers. 1947–Singer, Tom Sullivan, is born in Boston, Massachusetts. His premature birth caused him to need oxygen treatment while in an incubator. Although the treatment saved his life, he was given too much oxygen, which caused permanent blindness, a condition now known as “retinopathy of prematurity.” He appeared on the television shows Fame, WKRP in Cincinnati, MASH, Mork & Mindy, Knight Rider, Highway to Heaven, Designing Women,* and Touched by an Angel. 1952–The legendary Sun label, run by Sam Phillips, begins issuing its own records. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins were the label’s “Big Four.” 1952–The MGM musical, Singin' in the Rain, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 1952–Actress, Maria Schneider, is born Marie Christine Schneider in Paris, France. She is best known for the role of Jeanne opposite Marlon Brando in Bernardo Bertolucci's film Last Tango in Paris (1972). She appeared in the films The Passenger, A Woman Like Eve, Mama Dracula, Merry-Go-Round, and Jane Eyre. 1952–Entreprenuer, Kiichiro Toyoda, dies in Toyota, Aichi, Japan, at age 57. He founded Toyota Motor Corporation, the world's largest automobile manufacturer. 1955–Actor, Steve McQueen, makes his network TV debut on The Goodyear Playhouse. 1956–The U.S. government seizes the American Communist newspaper, The Daily Worker. 1957–The 29th Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: Around the World in Eighty Days; Best Actor: Yul Brynner for The King and I; Best Actress: Ingrid Bergman for Anastasia; Best Director: George Stevens for Giant; Best Foreign Film: La Strada (Italy). The ceremonies are held at the RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, California, and NBC Century Theatre, New York City. The hosts are Jerry Lewis (in Hollywood) and Celeste Holm (in New York). 1958–Nikita Khrushchev becomes the Soviet Premier and first Secretary of the Communist Party. 1958–CBS Labs announces the arrival of stereophonic records. When music is played on a compatible record player, it will send sound through two channels instead of one. 1963–Dr. Richard Beeching issues a report calling for huge cuts to the United Kingdom's rail network. 1963–Musician, Dave Koz, is born in Encino, California. He is a smooth jazz saxophonist. In 1990, Koz decided to pursue a solo career, and began recording for Capitol Records. Albums on the label include Lucky Man, The Dance, and Saxophonic. Saxophonic was nominated for both a Grammy Award and an NAACP Image Award. 1963–Film director, Quentin (Jerome) Tarantino, is born in Knoxville, Tennessee. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker. His films include Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2, Death Proof, Inglourous Basterds, and Django Unchained. On February 18, 2010, it was announced that Tarantino had bought the New Beverly Cinema. He was quoted as saying: "As long as I'm alive, and as long as I'm rich, the New Beverly will be there, showing films shot on 35mm." 1964–A 9.2 earthquake strikes Anchorage, Alaska. Over 130 people die from the quake and resulting tsunami. 1964–The Great Train Robbers are sentenced to a total of 307 years behind bars. 1964–The British Invasion makes it around the globe as The Beatles occupy the top six spots in the Australian pop chart. 1966–Anti-Vietnam war demonstrations are held in the America, Europe, and Australia. 1967–The Young Rascals record their future #1 smash, Groovin'. 1968–Soviet Cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, dies in an aircraft training accident at age 34. 1970–The USSR conducts a nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh. 1970–Ihor Todoruk presents the “Jim Morrison Film Festival” at The Queen Elizabeth and Orpheum Theaters in Vancouver, British Columbia. The festival is a benefit for Canada's Poppin magazine. 1970–Ringo Starr releases his first solo album Sentimental Journey. 1970–Singer, Mariah Carey, is born in Long Island, New York. Her self-titled debut album, Mariah Carey, was released in 1990, and it went multi-platinum and brought forth four consecutive #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her biggest hit was Vision of Love. 1970–Brendan Hill, drummer for Blues Traveler, is born in London, England. 1971–The S.S. Texaco Oklahoma breaks in half and sinks off of Cape Hatteras, killing 31 of the 44 who are aboard. 1971–The New York Times reports New York radio station WNBC has banned the song One Toke Over the Line by Brewer & Shipley because of its alleged drug references. Other stations around the country follow suit. The composer of the tune, Tom Shipley, compares it to the burning of books in the 1930s. 1971–Actor, Nathan Fillion, is born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is best known for the role of Richard Castle on the TV series Castle. He appeared in the films Saving Private Ryan, Blast from the Past, Serenity, Slither, Waitress, and Trucker. 1972–Elvis Presley records what will be his last major hit, Burning Love, which will make it to #2 on the charts. 1972–M.C. Escher, Dutch illustrator and lithograph carver, dies in Laren, Netherlands, at age 73. He was famous for his prints of bizarre optical effects. Some of his better known works are “Drawing Hands,” “Relativity,” “Waterfall,” and “Hand with Reflecting Sphere.” 1973–New Jersey police pull over Jerry Garcia, of The Grateful Dead, for speeding. They also find LSD in his car and Garcia spends three hours in jail. 1973–The 45th Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: The Godfather; Best Actor: Marlon Brando for The Godfather; Best Actress: Liza Minnelli for Cabaret; Best Director: Bob Fosse for Cabaret; Best Foreign Film: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (France). The ceremonies are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California. The hosts are Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson. Marlon Brando boycots the Oscars, sending Sacheen Littlefeather to explain why he was not there to collect his Best Actor award for The Godfather. 1974–A petition from Beatles fans, containing over 60,000 signatures requesting a pardon for John Lennon for his 1968 drugs conviction, is delivered to Prime Minister, James Callaghan, at 10 Downing Street, London, England. 1975–Construction begins on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. 1975–Fergie Duhamel, of The Black Eyed Peas, is born in Hacienda Heights, California. 1976–The first 4.6 miles of the underground Washington, D.C. Metro system is opened. 1977–Overcrowding due to re-routing of planes and dense fog contribute to the Tenerife airport disaster, in the Canary Islands, in which 583 passengers and crew on two planes are killed. Miscommunication and the inability of either crew or the tower to see the runway, creates the perfect conditions for disaster. With only one runway available, KLM Flight 4805 attempted to take off while Pan Am Flight 1736 was still taxiing. The resulting collision was the deadliest in history, destroying both planes and killing all but 61 people on board. In light of the disaster, an increased emphasis was placed on using standardized phraseology in ATC communication by both controllers and pilots alike, thereby reducing the chance for misunderstandings. 1977–Actress, Diana Hyland, dies of breast cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 41. She appeared in dozens of television shows, among them Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, I Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Peyton Place, Kojak, and Eight Is Enough. 1978–Actor, Wilfred Pickles, dies in in Brighton, Sussex, Englands, at age 73. He is best known as the host of the BBC Radio show Have A Go, which ran from 1946 to 1967. He appeared in the films The Gay Dog, Serious Charge, Billy Liar, The Family Way, and For the Love of Ada. 1979–After living together for five years, Eric Clapton and Pattie Harrison (George Harrison's ex-wife) are married in Tucson, Arizona. Two of Clapton's biggest hits, Layla and Wonderful Tonight, were written about her. It was the rock world’s love-triangle of the 1970s: Eric falls in love with George's wife, Pattie. He finally wins her, but he and George remain friends. 1979–Businessman, Philip Conrad Vincent, dies following a long illness in Ashford, Middlesex, England, at age 71. He founded Vincent Motorcycles. 1980–The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212. 1980–A steep fall in silver prices, resulting from the Hunt Brothers attempting to corner the market, leads to panic on commodity and futures exchanges. 1981–The Solidarity movement in Poland stages a warning strike, in which at least 12 million Poles walk off their jobs for four hours. 1982–Architectural engineer, Fazlur Rahman Khan, dies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at age 52. Considered to be the greatest structural engineer and architectural designer of the 20th century, The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat named their lifetime achievement medal after him. 1983–Boxer, Larry Holmes, defeats Lucien Rodriguez for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship. 1983–Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs premieres on Broadway. 1985–Actor, Billy Dee Williams, receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 1986–A car bomb explodes at Russell Street Police Headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, killing one police officer and injuring 21 people. 1986–Surrogate baby, Melissa Stern, known as “Baby M,” is born. In re Baby M was a custody case that became the first American court ruling on the validity of surrogacy. William Stern and his wife, Elizabeth, entered into a surrogacy agreement with Mary Beth Whitehead, whom they found through a newspaper advertisement. According to the agreement, Whitehead would be inseminated with William Stern's sperm (making her a traditional, as opposed to gestational, surrogate), bring the pregnancy to term, and relinquish her parental rights in favor of William's wife, Elizabeth. After the birth, however, Mary Beth decided to keep the child. William and Elizabeth Stern then sued to be recognized as the child's legal parents. The New Jersey court ruled that the surrogacy contract was invalid according to public policy, recognized Mary Beth Whitehead as the child's legal mother, and ordered the Family Court to determine whether Whitehead, as mother, or Stern, as father, should have legal custody of the infant, using the conventional “best interests of the child” analysis. Stern was awarded custody, with Whitehead having visitation rights. 1987–Footwear manufacturer, Nike, begin running U.S. TV ads using The Beatles’ song Revolution as the soundtrack. Fans are outraged by this use of Lennon’s political anthem, although the ad campaign is sanctioned by Yoko Ono. 1990–The U.S. begins broadcasting TV Martí, an anti-Castro propaganda network, to Cuba. 1991–Donnie Wahlberg, of New Kids on the Block, is arrested on arson charges in Kentucky. 1991–Actor, Aldo Ray, dies of throat cancer in Martinez, California, at age 64. He appeared in the films Pat and Mike, Miss Sadie Thompson, Battle Cry, We’re No Angels, God’s Little Acre, Riot on Sunset Strip, Welcome to Hard Times, The Green Berets, and The Power. 1992–James E. Webb, Head of NASA (1961-1968), dies in Washington, D.C., at age 85. 1993–Jiang Zemin is appointed President of the People's Republic of China. 1993–Former Italian minister and Christian Democracy leader, Giulio Andreotti, is accused of mafia allegiance by the tribunal of Palermo. 1993–Politician, Kamal Hassan Ali, dies in Cairo, Egypt, at age 71. He was Prime Minister of Egypt (1984-1985). 1993–Musician, Clifford Jordan, dies of cancer in Manhattan, New York, at age 61. Jordan was a jazz saxophonist and big-band leader known for his improvisations and his light, floating approach. He recorded more than 35 albums. 1993–Actress, Kate Reid, dies of brain cancer in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, at age 62. She appeared in the films A Dangerous Age, This Property Is Condemned, Pigeons, The Andromeda Strain, The Rainbow Boys, A Delicate Balance, Shoot, Equus, Death Ship, Atlantic City, Circle of Two, Double Negative, Heaven Help Us, Sweet Hearts Dance, Signs of Life, Bye Bye Blues, and Deceived. 1994–A tornado slams into a church in Piedmont, Alabama, during Palm Sunday services killing 20 people and injuring 90 others. 1995–The 67th Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: Forrest Gump; Best Actor: Tom Hanks for Forrest Gump; Best Actress: Jessica Lange for Blue Sky; Best Director: Robert Zemeckis for Forrest Gump; Best Foreign Film: Burnt by the Sun (Russia). The ceremonies are held at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. The host is David Letterman. This ceremony is perhaps best remembered for Letterman's performance as the host. Although some thought of him as “different but good,” most critics thought his performance was terrible and hoped that he would never host the Oscars again. This negative criticism arose from Letterman's absurdist brand of comedy, such as the “Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah” bit that he addressed to the two actresses sitting in the front row (Oprah Winfrey and Uma Thurman). 1995–Actor, Paul Brinegar, dies in Los Angeles, California, at age 77. He is best known for the role of Wishbone on the Western TV series Rawhide. He appeared in the films Young Man with a Horn, Journey Into Light, The Captive City, Pat and Mike, Dawn at Socorro, Ransom!, World Without End, The Spirit of St. Louis, The Vampire, Cattle Empire, How to Make a Monster, Charro!, High Plains Drifter, Life Stinks, and Maverick. 1998–The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in America. 1998–Rocker, Alice Cooper, breaks ground for his new Cooperstown Restaurant in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. 1998–Automotive designer, Ferdinand Porsche, dies at age 89. He was founder of the German sportscar maker, Porsche, and one of the designers of the Volkswagen Beetle under Adolf Hitler's rule. 1999–In the Kosovo War, an American Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is shot down by a Yugoslav SAM, the first and only Nighthawk to be lost in combat. 2000–A Phillips Petroleum plant explosion in Pasadena, Texas, kills one person and injures 71 others. 2000–Musician, Ian Dury, dies of metastatic colorectal cancer in Upminster, London, England, at age 57. He was a singer-songwriter, bandleader, artist, and actor who first rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. 2001–China reports that its population is now 1.26 billion. 2002–A suicide bomber kills 29 people at a Passover seder in Netanya, Israel. 2002–A gunman opens fire at the end of a town council meeting In Nanterre, France, killing eight councilors and injuring 19 others. 2002–Entertainer, Milton Berle, dies of colon cancer in Los Angeles, California, at age 93. As the host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater (1948-1955), he was the first major American television star and was known to millions of viewers as "Uncle Miltie" and "Mr. Television" during TV's Golden Age. 2002–Actor, Dudley Moore, dies of progressive supranuclear palsy in Plainfield, New Jersey, at age 66. His final words were, "I can hear the music all around me." He appeared in the films The Wrong Box, Bedazzled, The Bed-Sitting Room, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Foul Play, 10, Arthur, Six Weeks, Lovesick, Romantic Comedy, and Unfaithfully Yours. 2002–Film director, Billy Wilder, dies of pneumonia in Beverly Hills, California, at age 95. His films include The Major and the Minor, Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, A Foreign Affair, Sunset Boulevard, Ace in the Hole, Stalag 17, Sabrina, The Seven Year Itch, The Spirit of St. Louis, Love in the Afternoon, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Irma la Douce, and The Fortune Cookie. 2003–The city of Liverpool, England, opens John Lennon's boyhood home, “Mendips” (located at 251 Menlove Avenue), to the public. 2003–The Rolling Stones postpone a planned series of concerts in Hong Kong after the deadly SARS flu epidemic breaks out there. 2004–Game show host, Art James, dies of natural causes in Palm Springs, California, at age 74. He was the announcer or host of Say When, Fractured Phrases, It's Academic, Temptation, The Joker's Wild, Blank Check, The Magnificent Marble Machine, Classic Concentration, Family Feud, Catchphrase, and Tic-Tac-Dough. 2006–The United Nations Commission on Human Rights holds its final meeting. 2009–The dam forming Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Indonesia, fails. At least 99 people are killed. 2009–A suicide bomber kills at least 48 people at a mosque in the Khyber Agency of Pakistan. 2009–Journalist, Irving R. Levine, dies in Boca Raton, Florida, at age 87. He was a longtime correspondent for NBC News. During his 45-year career, Levine reported from more than two dozen countries. He was the first American television correspondent to be accredited in the Soviet Union. 2011–Actor, Farley Granger, dies of natural causes in New York, New York, at age 85. He appeared in the films The Purple Heart, Rope, They Live by Night, Side Street, Strangers on a Train, Behave Yourself!, Hans Christian Anderson, The Naked Street, and The Prowler. 2013–Producer and screenwriter, Fay Kanin, dies in Santa Monica, California, at age 95. Her films include Goodbye, My Fancy, My Pal Gus, Rhapsody, The Opposite Sex, Teacher’s Pet, and The Outrage. 2013–A 6.0 earthquake strikes near Taipei, Taiwan, injuring 97 people. 2013–Canada becomes the first country to announce its intention to withdraw from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. 2013–Publisher and journalist, Paul S. Williams, dies from complications related to a traumatic brain injury in Encinitas, California, at age 64. He created the first national U.S. magazine of rock music criticism called Crawdaddy! 2014–The Philippines signs a peace accord with the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades of conflict. 2015–Construction workers demolishing homes in Turkey's Nevsehir province in 2013, end up discovering the entrance to what could be the largest ancient underground city ever found in the region. It is estimated it to be about five million square feet and extending as far as 371 feet below ground. The retreat, carved from soft ash rock as many as 5,000 years ago, would have been used in case of invaders. 2015–Al-Shabab militants attack and temporarily occupy a Mogadishu hotel, leaving at least 20 people dead. 2015–Jolene Cherry, the record producer who discovered Lady Gaga, sues recording artist, Prince, for stealing singer, Judith Hill, a former contestent on The Voice. Cherry partnered with Sony Music and they claim they had signed Hill to an exclusive recording deal. Prince recorded an entire album (11 songs) with Hill, releasing it on March 23rd as a free Internet download. In her suit, Cherry is asking not only for regular damages, but punitive damages for underhandedness. 2016–A suicide bomber kills at least 60 people and injures 300 others at a park in Lahore, Pakistan. The explosion took place close to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park's children's rides. 2016–Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation dies from complications of the stroke in Hanceville, Alabama, at age 92. Her death came on Easter Sunday. She was an American Franciscan nun best known as a television personality and the founder of the internationally broadcast cable TV and radio networks Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). 2017–A massive gold coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint has been stolen from a museum in Germany. It is a 100-kilogram gold coin worth millions of dollars. The coin was issued in 2007, and is in the Guinness Book of Records for its purity of 999.99/1,000 gold. 2017–In a 31-1 vote, National Football League (NFL) owners decide to move the Oakland Raiders from California to Las Vegas, Nevada. The Las Vegas Raiders will then become the second top-level professional sports franchise in the city, following the National Hockey League's Vegas Golden Knights, which will begin play in October 2017. 2017–Clem Curtis, of The Foundations, dies at age 76. He was the original lead vocalist of 1960s soul group. 2017–Writer, David Storey, dies at age 83. He wrote the screenplay for This Sporting Life, directed by Lindsay Anderson, adapted from his first novel of the same name (originally published in 1960). 2018–The ABC sitcom, Roseanne, which returned to the air nearly three decades after its original premiere, averages a whopping 18.1 million viewers between the ages of 18-49 for its first two back-to-back episodes. 2018–Actress, Stéphane Audran, dies after a long illness at age 85. She appeared in the films Les Cousins, Les Bonnes Femmes, Le Scandale, Les Biches, The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, And Then There Were None, The Blackbird, The Twist, Silver Bears, Eagle’s Wing, The Big Red One, Le Choc, The Bay Boy, Babette's Feast, The Turn of the Screw, and Madeline. PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Ptolemy V; Charles I, King of England; shoelaces; a corkscrew; Sir George Gilbert Scott; Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; Gloria Swanson; cherry blossom trees in Washington, D.C.; Sarah Vaughn; David Janssen; Michael York; Sun Records "Big Four," Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash; artwork for Giant; Quentin Tarantino; Mariah Carey; a self-portrait by M.C. Escher; the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; Diana Hyland; Fazlur Rahman Khan; Elizabeth and Wiliiam Stern; Aldo Ray; Kate Reid; Ian Dury; Dudley Moore; Farley Granger: and Mother Mary Angelica.
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