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1930–The Motion Picture Production Code is accepted by Hollywood producers. It imposed strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion, and violence in movies for the next 38 years. The Code wasn't enforced much until the mid-1930s, but the moral values in Amercian films had already become quite risqué. The Code mandated such things as only twin beds could be shown in a bedroom, and no kiss could last longer than three seconds.


250–Roman Emperor, Constantius Chlorus, is born in Dardania.

307–After divorcing his wife, Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian.

528–Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei dies from poisoning at age 18.

627–Muhammad undergoes a 14-day siege at Medina (Saudi Arabia) by Meccan forces under Abu Sufyan.

1146–Bernard of Clairvaux preaches his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII is present, and joins the Crusade.

1340–Ivan I of Moscow dies in Moscow, Grand Duchy of Moscow.

1360–Philippa of Lancaster is born at Leicester Castle in England. She was Queen of Portugal (1387-1415) as the wife of King John I.

1492–Queen Isabella of Castille, issues the Alhambra Decree, ordering her 150,000 Jewish and Muslim subjects to convert to Christianity or face expulsion.

1499–Pope Pius IV is born Giovanni Angelo Medici in Milan, Duchy of Milan.

1504–Indian guru, Guru Angad, is born Bhai Lehna in Matte Di Sarai, Muktsar, Punjab, India.

1519–Henry II of France is born in Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris, France.

1547–Francis I of France dies at Château de Rambouillet in France, at age 52. Henry II succeeds him as King of France.

1561–The city of San Cristóbal, Táchira, is founded.

1596–Philosopher, René Descartes, is born in La Haye en Touraine, France. A French philosopher, mathematician, and writer, he has been dubbed the father of modern philosophy. He said, “I think therefore I am.”

1616–John Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, dies in Schleswig, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, at age 41.

1621–Philip III of Spain dies due to the heat of a brasero (a pan of hot charcoal) in Madrid, Spain, at age 42.

1631–Poet, John Donne, dies of stomach cancer in London, England, at age 59. He is considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons.

1675–Pope Benedict XIV is born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna Papal States.

1685–Composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, is born in Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach, Germany. Bach's compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and over 300 sacred cantatas. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth. Bach was not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

1717–A sermon on "The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ" by Benjamin Hoadly, the Bishop of Bangor, provokes the Bangorian Controversy.

1718–Mariana Victoria of Spain is born at Royal Alcazar of Madrid in Spain.

1723–Frederick V of Denmark is born in Copenhagen Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark.

1727–Isaac Newton, English physicist-astronomer, dies in London, England, at age 84.

1732–Composer, Franz Joseph Haydn, is born in Vienna, Austria. He composed over 100 symphonies, several masses, a series of string quartets, and many stage works. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the piano trio and his contributions to musical form have earned him the names "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet."

1774–The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts, closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act.

1776–Abigail Adams writes her “Remember the Ladies” letter to her husband, John Adams, urging him to include women as he helped construct the U.S. Constitution.

1809–Poet, Edward Fitzgerald, is born Edward Purcell at Bredfield House, Bredfield, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. He is best known for his translation of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Fitzgerald authorized four editions and had a fifth posthumous edition of his translation of which three (the first, second, and fifth) differ significantly; the second and third are almost identical, as are the fourth and fifth. The first and fifth editions are almost equally reprinted and anthologized.

1811–Chemist, Robert Wilhelm Eberhard von Bunsen, is born in Germany. He invented the Bunsen Burner.

1814–Forces allied against Napoleon capture Paris, France.

1822–The massacre of the population of the Greek island of Chios, by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire following an attempted rebellion, takes place as depicted by the French artist, Eugène Delacroix.

1831–Québec and Montréal are incorporated.

1836–The first monthly part of Charles Dickens' first novel, Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, is published. By the 15th, part the printing will have grown from 400 to 40,000 copies.

1837–Landscape painter, John Constable, dies of apparent heart failure in Hampstead, England, at age 60.

1854–Commodore Matthew Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa with the Tokugawa Shogunate, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade.

1855–Author, Charlotte Bronte, dies with her unborn child in Haworth, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, at age 38. Shee wrote Jane Eyre in 1847.

1861–The Confederacy takes over the mint at New Orleans, Louisiana.

1866–The Spanish Navy bombs the harbor of Valparaíso, Chile.

1868–Psychiatrist, Karl Bonhoeffer, is born in Germany.

1869–Author, Allan Kardec, dies from an aneurysm in Paris, France, at age 64. He was the author of the five books known as the Spiritist Codification and is the founder of Spiritism. On April 18, 1857, he published his first book on Spiritism, The Spirits' Book, exploring matters concerning the nature of spirits, the spirit world, and the relationship between the spirit world and the material world. This was followed by a series of other books, including The Medium's Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism, Heaven and Hell, and The Genesis According to Spiritism.

1870–Thomas Peterson-Mundy becomes the first black to vote in the United States, under the 15th Amendment passed by Congress in February 1870, which required all southern states to allow blacks to vote.

1878–Boxer, Jack Johnson, is born John Arthur Johnson in Galveston, Texas. Nicknamed The Galveston Giant, he became the first African-American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion (1908-1915). Johnson defended the title 17 times. On April 5, 1915, he lost his title to Jess Willard, a working cowboy from Kansas.

1880–Wabash, Indiana, is the first town completely illuminated by electric lighting.

1885–The United Kingdom establishes the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

1889–French engineer, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, unfurls the French flag atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, officially marking its completion. The tower is built for the Paris Exhibition of 1889.

1896–Whitcomb Judson, of Chicago, Illinois, patents a hookless fastening zipper.

1899–Malolos, capital of the First Philippine Republic, is captured by American forces.

1900–The first car advertisement to run in a national magazine appears in The Saturday Evening Post.

1903–Ebenezer Butterick, inventor of the tissue paper dress pattern, dies in Brooklyn, New York, at age 76. The Butterick’s graded (different sized) patterns for home sewers became massively popular, as they made modern fashions and styles accessible to the rapidly expanding lower middle class: people that could not afford to purchase custom-made clothing in the latest style each season, but still wished to be fashionably dressed.

1906–The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (later the National Collegiate Athletic Association) is established to set rules for amateur sports.

1908–Vibraphone player, Red Norvo, is born Kenneth Norville in Beardstown, Illinois. He helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as viable jazz instruments. He played with the bands of Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Woody Herman.

1909–Serbia accepts Austrian control over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1910–Six North Staffordshire Pottery towns federate to form modern Stoke-on-Trent, England.

1913–The Vienna Concert Society riots during a performance of modernist music by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Alexander von Zemlinsky, and Anton von Webern, causing a premature end to the concert due to violence. This concert became known as the Skandalkonzert.

1913–Banker and financier, J.P. Morgan, dies in his sleep in Rome, Italy, at age 75. He founded J.P. Morgan & Co. He left his fortune and business to his son, John Pierpont Morgan, Jr.

1917–The United States takes possession of the Danish West Indies after paying $25 million to Denmark, and renames the territory the United States Virgin Islands.

1918–The massacre of ethnic Azerbaijanis is committed by allied armed groups of Armenian Revolutionary Federation and Bolsheviks. Nearly 12,000 Azerbaijani Muslims are killed.

1918–Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.

1918–Film director and screenwriter, Ted Post, is born in Brooklyn, New York. His films include The Peacemaker, The Legend of Tom Dooley, Hang 'Em High, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Magnum Force, The Harrad Experiment, and The Baby.

1920–Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, is born Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford at Asthall Manor in Oxfordshire, England. She was an English writer, memoirist and socialite. She was the youngest, and last surviving, of the six Mitford sisters, who were prominent members of English society in the 1930s and 1940s.

1921–Physicist, Albert Einstein, lectures in New York on his new Theory of Relativity.

1921–British coal miners go on strike.

1921–The Royal Australian Air Force is formed.

1921–Blues guitarist, Lowell Fulson, is born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was one of the most important figures in West Coast blues in the 1940s and 1950s.

1922–Actor, Richard (Paul) Kiley, is born in Chicago, Illinois. He appeared in the films Blackboard Jungle, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Endless Love, Howard the Duck, Jurassic Park, Phenomenon, and Patch Adams.

1922–Actor, Patrick (George) Magee, is born in Armagh, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. He appeared in the films The Criminal, Rag Doll, The Boys, The Servant, Dementia 13, Zulu, Séance on a Wet Afternoon, The Masque of the Red Death, The Birthday Party, King Lear, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, and Chariots of Fire.

1922–Broadway impresario, James M. Nederlander, is born in Detroit, Michigan. He was a theatre owner, operator, producer, and President of the Nederlander Organization. He produced or co-produced more than 100 shows, including Annie, Copenhagen, The Will Rogers Follies, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, La Cage aux Folles, Nine, Noises Off, and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

1924–British Imperial Airways begins operations. It is formed by the merger of four British airline companies.

1924–Psychologist, Leo Buscaglia, is born Felice Leonardo Buscaglia in Los Angeles, California. His dynamic speaking style was discovered by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and his televised lectures earned great popularity in the 1980s. His books include Love, Living Loving Learning, and Personhood.

1926–Writer, John Robert Fowles, is born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England. His works include The Collector, The Magus, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, The Ebony Tower, and Shipwreck.

1927–Farm labor leader, Cesar (Estrada) Chavez, is born in Yuma, Arizona. He co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (later the United Farm Workers Union). His birthday has become Cesar Chavez Day, a state holiday in California, Colorado, and Texas.

1927–Actor, William (David) Daniels, is born in Brooklyn, New York. He appeared in the films A Thousand Clowns, Two for the Road, The Graduate, The President’s Analyst, Marlowe, 1776, The Parallax View, Oh! God, The One and Only, All Night Long, Reds, Blind Date, and Her Alibi. He is married to actress Bonnie Bartlett.

1928–Pioneering honky-tonk singer, Lefty Frizzell, is born William Orville Frizzell in Corsicana, Texas. His biggest hit was If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time.

1929–Fashion designer, Liz Claiborne, is born Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne in Brussels, Belgium. She launched her own design company, Liz Claiborne Inc., in 1976. It was an immediate success, with sales of $2 million in 1976, and $23 million in 1978.

1929–Gene Puerling, of the vocal group, The Hi-Lo's, is born Eugene Thomas Puerling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1930–The Motion Picture Production Code is accepted by Hollywood producers. It imposed strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion, and violence in movies for the next 38 years. The Code wasn't enforced much until the mid-1930s, but the moral values in Amercian films had already become quite risqué. The Code mandated such things as only twin beds could be shown in a bedroom, and no kiss could last longer than three seconds.

1931–A 5.6 earthquake shakes Nicaragua, causing 2,450 deaths.

1931–Athlete, Knute Rockne, dies in a plane crash in Bazaar, Kansas, at age 43. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history.

1932–The Ford Motor Company publicly unveils its V-8 engine.

1932–Writer, John (William) Jakes, is born in Chicago, Illinois. His works include The Bastard, The Rebels, The Seekers, The Furies, The Titans, The Warriors, The Lawless, The Americans, North and South, Love and War, and Heaven and Hell.

1933–The U.S. Congress authorizes the Civilian Conservation Corps with the intent of relieving the rampant unemployment throughout the country.

1934–Actor, (George) Richard Chamberlain, is born in Beverly Hills, California. He is best known for the starring role in the TV series Dr. Kildare. He appeared in the films Twilight of Honor, Joy in the Morning, Petulia, the Madwoman of Challiot, Julius Caesar, The Music Lovers, The Three Musketeers, The Towering Inferno, The Four Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Swarm, King Solomon’s Mines, and Casanova.

1934–Actress, Shirley (Mae) Jones, is born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. She is best known for her starring role in the TV sitcom The Partridge Family. She appeared in the films Oklahoma!, Carousel, April Love, Elmer Gantry, Pepe, Two Rode Together, The Music Man, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, A Ticklish Affair, Bedtime Story, The Cheyenne Social Club, and Tank. She was married to actor, Jack Cassidy, and they had three sons, Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan. Singer-actor, David Cassidy is her stepson. She was later married to actor-comedian, Marty Ingels.

1934–Singer-songwriter, John D. Loudermilk, is born in Durham, North Carolina. Although he had his own recording career during the 1950s and 1960s, he was primarily known as a songwriter. His best-known songs include Indian Reservation (a 1971 #1 hit for Paul Revere & the Raiders), Tobacco Road (a 1964 "Top 20" hit for The Nashville Teens), This Little Bird (a 1965 UK #6 hit for Marianne Faithfull), and Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (a 1967 "Top Ten" hit for The Casinos).

1935–Trumpet player, Herb Alpert, is born in Los Angeles, California. He is known as the leader of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and as a recording industry executive (the "A" of A&M Records), which he and business partner, Jerry Moss, founded and eventually sold to Polygram. His hits with the Tijuana Brass include the Lonely Bull, A Taste of Honey, Tijuana Taxi, Spanish Flea, Casino Royale, This Guy’s in Love with You, and Rise.

1935–Businessman and diplomat, Georges V. Matchabelli, dies of pneumonia in New York, New York, at age 49. He founded the Prince Matchabelli Perfume Company.

1938–Film composer, Arthur B. Rubinstein, is born in Brooklyn, New York. His works include Blue Thunder, WarGames, Deal of the Century, Lost in America, The Best of Times, Stakeout, and Nick of Time.

1941–The ground is broken for construction of the Union Square Garage, in San Francisco, California.

1942–In World War II, Japanese forces invade Christmas Island, then a British possession.

1942–Musician, Hugh McCracken, is born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He was an American rock guitarist and session musician based in New York City, primarily known for his performance on guitar and harmonica. Especially in demand in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, McCracken appeared on many recordings by Steely Dan, Billy Joel, Roberta Flack, B.B. King, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Monkees, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, James Taylor, Phoebe Snow, Bob Dylan, Carly Simon, Yoko Ono, Eric Carmen, Loudon Wainwright III, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, The Four Seasons, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Gary Wright, and Andy Gibb.

1943–Actor, Christopher Walken, is born Ronald Walken in Astoria, Queens, New York. He appeared in the films The Three Musketeers, The Anderson Tapes, Next Stop, Greenwich Village, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, Heaven’s Gate, The Dogs of War, Pennies from Heaven, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, Close Range, The Milagro Beanfield War, Biloxi Blues, Wayne’s World 2, Pulp Fiction, Nick of Time, The Prophecy, Blast from the Past, Catch Me If You Can, Wedding Crashers, and Hairspray.

1944–Hungary orders all Jews to wear yellow stars for identification.

1944–Mick Ralphs, of both Mott the Hoople and Bad Company, is born Michael Geoffrey Ralphs in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire, England.

1945–Actress, Valerie Curtin, is born in New York, New York. She appeared in the films Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, All the President’s Men, Mother, Jugs & Speed, Silent Movie, Silver Streak, Rabbit Test, Maxie, and Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Comedian-actress, Jane Curtin is her cousin. She was married to film director, Barry Levinson.

1946–The first election is held in Greece after World War II.

1946–Comedian-actor, Gabe Kaplan, is born Gabriel W. Kaplan in Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for his starring role in the TV series Welcome Back, Kotter.

1946–Al Nichol, guitarist for The Turtles, is born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

1948–The U.S. Congress passes the Marshall Aid Act to rehabilitate war-torn Europe.

1948–Professor, David Eisenhower, is born Dwight David Eisenhower II in West Point, New York. He is the grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the son-in-law of President Richard Nixon. He is married to Julie Nixon.

1948–Albert Gore, Jr., Senator of Tennessee (1985-1992) and 45th U.S. Vice President, is born in Washington, D.C.

1948–Actress, Rhea (Jo) Perlman, is born in Brooklyn, New York. She is best known for the role of Carla on the TV sitcom Cheers. She is married to actor, Danny DeVito.

1949–The Dominion of Newfoundland becomes the 10th Province of Canada.

1951–Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.

1953–The U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare is established.

1953–The United Nations Security Council nominates Dag Hammarskjöld as Secretary-General.

1953–Sean Hopper, keyboardist for Huey Lewis & The News, is born in California.

1954–The U.S. Air Force Academy is established in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1954–The USSR offers to join NATO.

1954–The temperature at Rio Grande City, Texas, hits 108 degrees.

1955–Chase National and Bank of the Manhattan Company merge to form Chase Manhattan Bank.

1955–Angus (McKinnon) Young, rock guitarist for AC/DC, is born in Glasgow, Scotland. He is known for his energetic performances, schoolboy-uniform stage outfits, and re-popularizing Chuck Berry's duckwalk.

1957–Elections to the Territorial Assembly of the French colony Upper Volta are held.

1957–Actor, Gene Lockhart, dies of coronary thrombosis in Santa Monica, California, at age 65. He appeared in the films Crime and Punishment, Too Many Wives, Blondie, A Christmas Carol, His Girl Friday, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, The Sea Wolf, Meet John Doe, The Devil and Daniel Webster, Going My Way, Leave Her to Heaven, Miracle on 34th Street, I’d Climb the Highest Mountain, Carousel, and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. Actress, June Lockhart is his daughter.

1958–The USSR suspends nuclear weapons tests, and urges the U.S. and Britain to do the same.

1958–In the Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservatives, led by John Diefenbaker, win the largest percentage of seats in Canadian history, with 208 seats of 265.

1958–Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode is released. It becomes his fifth "Top 10" single.

1958–Pat McGlynn, of The Bay City Rollers, is born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1959–The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fleeing Chinese repression of an uprising in Tibet, arrives at the border of India, where he is granted political asylum.

1963–After 90 years, streetcar service ends in Los Angeles, California.

1964–President Jango Goulart, of Brazil, is chased out of office by the military, and dictatorship under General Castello Branco begins.

1964–In Australia, The Beatles hold the top six slots on the singles chart: #1 I Saw Her Standing There, #2 Love Me Do, #3 Roll Over Beethoven, #4 All My Loving, #5 She Loves You, and #6 I Want to Hold Your Hand.

1965–The U.S. orders the first combat troops into Vietnam.

1966–Twenty-five thousand anti-war demonstrators march in New York City.

1966–The Soviet Union launches Luna 10, which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.

1967–Jimi Hendrix embarks on his first tour of Britain (with Cat Stevens) at Finsbury Park. He torches his guitar on stage (with lighter fluid) for the first time. He burns his hands during the stunt and is later taken to the hospital.

1968–President Lyndon Johnson stuns the country by announcing he will not run for another term of office.

1969–With their "Amsterdam Bed-In For Peace" completed, John Lennon and Yoko Ono fly to Vienna. They “appear” at a press conference at Hotel Sacher inside a white bag, since “Bagism” and total communication are a part of their peace initiative. “How do we know it’s you?” members of the press inquire of the bagged-up Lennons. Commenting upon John's recent activities, The Daily Mirror reports that “...a not inconsiderable talent seems to have gone completely off his rocker.”

1970–Eight terrorists from the Japanese Red Army, wielding samurai swords and carrying a bomb, hijack Japan Airlines Flight 351 at Tokyo International Airport.

1970–Explorer 1 re-enters the Earth's atmosphere after 12 years in orbit.

1971–U.S. Lieutenant William Calley is sentenced to life imprisonment (later reduced to 20 years) for the killings of Vietnamese civilians at My Lai in March 1968.

1971–Actor, Ewan (Gordon) McGregor, is born in Perth, Scotland. He appeared in the films Being Human, Trainspotting, Emma, Nightwatch, A Life Less Ordinary, Velvet Goldmine, Little Voice, Stars Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Moulin Rouge!, Black Hawk Down, Down with Love, Big Fish, Miss Potter, Deception, The Men Who Stare at Goats, and Beginners.

1972–The Beatles Fan Club in England is officially terminated. Freda Norris (nee Kelley), who had run the club for 11 years, commented, “Around 1965, the membership was 80,000. The membership is now down to 11,000.”

1972–Entrepreneur, Evan (Clark) Williams, is born in Clarks, Nebraska. He co-founded Blogger and Twitter.

1973–Carowinds Theme Park, developed on 73 acres at a cost of $27 million, opens on the border of North and South Carolina near Interstate 77. The name is a combination of “Carolinas” and the “winds” that blew across the two states. A replica of a southern mansion serves as the park’s entryway. Just inside the gates is the “Courtyard of the Carolinas” with the state line running directly down the center. The park consists of seven themed areas: Plantation Square, Queen's Colony, Country Crossroads, Indian Thicket, Pirate Island, Frontier Outpost, and Contemporary Carolinas.

1973–Boxer, Ken Norton defeats Muhammad Ali in a 12-round split decision.

1974–”Don’t get too serious, we’re not getting paid. We ain’t doing nothin’ but sitting here together, and anybody getting bored with me, take over!” Thus began John Lennon’s second Sunday night music jam session at his rented beach house. Paul and Linda McCartney dropped by for this one. “Just turn the fucking vocal mike up... McCartney’s doing the harmony on the drums,” quipped Lennon during the all-evening session, which was recorded for posterity on equipment borrowed from Burbank Studios (where John was producing the Harry Nilsson album Pussy Cats). Along with the two former Beatles (John on guitar, Paul on drums, and both sharing vocals) were Stevie Wonder, Jesse Ed Davis, and others. During his 1975 BBC2 Old Grey Whistle Test interview, John briefly recalled the session: ”I did actually play with Paul. We did a lot of stuff in L.A. But there was 50 other people playing and they were all just watching me and Paul!”

1976–A New Jersey Court rules that Karen Anne Quinlan may be disconnected from a respirator.

1976–Hip hop artist, Shawty Lo, is born Carlos Walker in Atlanta, Georgia. He is best known for his debut single Dey Know, which was included on his solo debut album Units in the City, released in February 2008. He was a founding member of the Southern hip hop group, D4L, and founded D4L Records in 2003.

1976–Child actor, Josh Saviano, is born Joshua David Saviano in White Plains, New York. He is best known for the role of Paul Pfeiffer on the TV series The Wonder Years.

1977–An Elvis Presley concert in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is postponed after Elvis doesn't return from the intermission.

1978–Biochemist, Charles Best, dies in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at age 79. He was the co-discoverer of insulin, which is used to treat diabetes.

1979–The last British soldier leaves the Maltese Islands and. Malta declares its Freedom Day (Jum il-Helsien).

1980–The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad operates its final train after being ordered to liquidate its assets because of bankruptcy and debts owed to creditors.

1980–President Jimmy Carter deregulates the banking industry.

1980–The Daily Mirror prints a photo of a heavily bearded John Lennon with thick-lensed glasses, taken in February at the La Petite Marmite restaurant.

1980–Athlete, Jesse Owens, dies of lung cancer in Tucson, Arizona, at age 66. At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Owens won international fame with four gold medals: 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 x 100 meter relay.

1981–In an interview with Barbara Walters, Ringo Starr becomes emotional when asked about John Lennon’s death. He requests that the tape be turned off until he composes himself. During this program, Ringo said he last saw John on November 15, 1980 (but it was reported elsewhere, that the date was November 26, 1980).

1981–The 53th Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: Ordinary People; Best Actor: Robert De Niro for Raging Bull; Best Actress: Sissy Spacek for Coal Miner's Daughter; Best Director: Robert Redford for Ordinary People; Best Foreign Film: Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (USSR). The ceremonies are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California. The host is Johnny Carson. The show was originally scheduled for the previous day, but was postponed due to the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.

1982–Canada's first fibre optics cable manufacturing plant opens in Saskatoon.

1983–A 5.5 earthquake in Columbia kills 5,000 people.

1984–The U.S. conducts a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1985–The first WrestleMania, the biggest wrestling event from the WWE (then the WWF), takes place in Madison Square Garden in New York City.

1986–A Mexicana Boeing 727 en route to Puerto Vallarta erupts in flames and crashes in the mountains northwest of Mexico City, killing 166 passengers.

1986–O'Kelly Isley, of the Isley Brothers, dies from a heart attack in Alpine, New Jersey, at age 48. The eldest of the Isley Brothers, Kelly Isley started singing with his brothers at church. Their R&B hits include Shout and It’s Your Thing.

1986–Director-actor, Jerry Paris, dies of complications from brain cancer surgery in Los Angeles, California, at age 60. He is best known for the role of Jerry Helper, the dentist and next door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on The Dick Van Dyke Show. As a director, he worked most notably on the 1950s nostalgia TV series Happy Days, directing 234 of the show's 255 episodes. He appeared in the films DOA, Bonzo Goes to College, The Wild One, The Caine Mutiny, Marty, Good Morning, Miss Dove, Zero Hour!, Sing, Boy, Sing, Career, and The Great Imposter.

1990–Riots begin in London, England, over the new poll tax laws. Two hundred thousand people take to the streets in protest. Seventy-five civilians and 58 police are injured, and 341 demonstrators are arrested.

1992–The U.S.S. Missouri, the last active U.S. Navy Battleship, is decommissioned in Long Beach, California.

1993–A reformed Led Zeppelin fan tries to stab guitarist, Jimmy Page, with a pocket knife. The fanatic now believes the group is “Satanic.”

1993–Actor, Brandon Lee, dies in an accidental shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina, at age 28. The accident takes place during the filming of The Crow. The video footage of his death was used as evidence in an investigation, then later destroyed as part of the lawsuit settlement.

1994–The journal, Nature, reports the finding in Ethiopia of the first complete Australopithecus afarensis skull.

1995–Latin superstar, Selena, is shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar (president of her fan club) in Corpus Christi, Texas, at age 24. Called the Queen of Tejano music, Selena's contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century.

1996–Apple’s eWorld online service is discontinued.

1997–Entertainer, Edwin Alberian, dies at age 76. He played Clarabell the Clown on The Howdy Doody Show.

1997–Food retailer, Laxmishankar Pathak, dies at age 62. His line of authentic Indian condiments made it easy for people around the world to cook Indian style.

1998–Netscape releases the code base of its browser under an open-source license agreement. The project is given the code name “Mozilla” and will eventually become the non-profit Mozilla Foundation.

1998–Politician, Bella Abzug, dies from complications following open heart surgery in New York, New York, at age 77. She was a lawyer, U.S. Representative, social activist, and a leader of the Women's Movement. In 1971, Abzug joined leading feminists, Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan, to found the National Women's Political Caucus.

2014–Lawyer and financier, Charles Keating, dies of an undisclosed illness in Phoenix, Arizona, at age 90.

2015–Folksinger, Joni Mitchell, is rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious in her home in Los Angeles, California. Mitchell had announced that she has Morgellons disease, a rare skin disorder, and has been a vocal advocate for the controversial disease in recent years.

2015–Andrew Getty, grandson of multi-billionaire oil magnate, J. Paul Getty, dies in Los Angeles, California, at age 47. Andrew Getty was one of four sons of Gordon Getty, a San Francisco multi-billionaire who is among the richest men in America. J. Paul Getty built the Getty Villa Museum in Pacific Palisades, California, to showcase his art collections. He also established the J. Paul Getty Trust, which built the Getty Center Museum in Los Angeles. Forbes Magazine reported that the Getty family is worth about $5.1 billion.

2016–At least 21 people are killed, 70 others are injured, and up to 150 people are feared trapped, after a half-built overpass collapses in the Kolkata, India.

2016–Actor, Ronnie Corbett, dies of motor neurone disease in Shirley, London, England, at age 85. He is best known for his long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC TV comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies. He appeared in the films You're Only Young Twice, Casino Royale, No Sex Please We're British, and Fierce Creatures.

2017–Officials state that repairs will take months, following a fire that collapsed a bridge on Interstate 85 in Atlanta, Georgia. Three individuals are arrested in connection with the disaster; two with criminal trespass and one with first degree criminal damage.

2017–The Indian state of Gujarat passes a law that makes slaughter of a cow punishable with life imprisonment.

2017–Protesters set the Congress of Paraguay on fire to protest against a bill that would let the president seek re-election.

2017–Porn film producer, Radley Metzger, dies of undeclosed causes in New York, New York, at age 88. He was an American filmmaker and film distributor, most noted for popular adult erotic films with lavish design, witty screenplays, unusual camera angles, and exceptional cinematography. Film and audio works by Metzger have been added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City.

2017–Artist, James Rosenquist, dies after a long illness in New York, New York, at age 83. He was one of the protagonists in the pop-art movement. Like other pop artists, Rosenquist adapted the visual language of advertising and pop culture to the context of fine art. He had his first solo exhibition at the Green Gallery in 1962.


PHOTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Roman Emperor, Constantius Chlorus; Guru Angad; Pope Benedict XIV; Franz Joseph Haydn; John Constable; the Eiffel Tower; J.P. Morgan; Richard Kiley; William Daniels; the Motion Picture Production Code; Richard Chamberlain; Herb Alpert; Christopher Walken; Gabe Kaplan; the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Gene Lockhart; a streetcar in Los Angeles, California; Jimi Hendrix; a roller coaster at Carowinds Theme Park; Josh Saviano; Jesse Owens; Jerry Paris; Bella Abzug; and James Rosenquist.
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