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Today December 30th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
1460 – Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield.
1816 – The Treaty of St. Louis is proclaimed.
1853 – Gadsden Purchase: The United States buys land from Mexico to facilitate railroad building in the Southwest.
1853 – A dinner party is held inside a life-size model of an Iguanodon created by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and Sir Richard Owen in south London.
1862 – The USS Monitor sinks off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
1896 – José Rizal is executed by firing squad in Manila.
1897 – Natal annexes Zululand.
1903 – A fire at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, Illinois kills 600.
1905 – Former Governor Frank Steunenberg is assassinated near his home in Caldwell, Idaho.
1906 – The All India Muslim League is founded in Dacca, East Bengal, British India Empire, which later laid down the foundations of Pakistan.
1919 – Lincoln s Inn in London admits its first female bar student.
1922 – The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is formed.
1924 – Edwin Hubble announces the existence of other galaxies.
1927 – The Ginza Line, the first subway line in Asia, opens in Tokyo, Japan.
1936 – The United Auto Workers union stages its first sit-down strike.
1940 – California opens its first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway.
1943 – Subhas Chandra Bose raises the flag of Indian independence at Port Blair.
1944 – King George II of Greece declares a regency, leaving the throne vacant.
1947 – King Michael of Romania is forced to abdicate by the Soviet-backed Communist government of Romania.
1948 – The Cole Porter Broadway musical, Kiss Me, Kate (1,077 performances), opens at the New Century Theatre and becomes the first show to win the Best Musical Tony Award.
1953 – The first ever NTSC color television sets go on sale for about USD at $1,175 each from RCA.
1960 – Farthing ceases to be legal tender in the UK.
1965 – Ferdinand Marcos becomes President of the Philippines.
1972 – Vietnam War: The United States halts heavy bombing of North Vietnam.
1977 – For the second time, Ted Bundy escapes from his cell in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
1986 – The Swift Current Broncos bus crashes during bad weather outside Swift Current, Saskatchewan, killing 4 players and injuring 1.
1993 – Israel and the Vatican establish diplomatic relations.
1995 – The lowest ever United Kingdom temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands. This equalled the record set at Braemar, Aberdeenshire on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982.
1996 – In the Indian state of Assam, a passenger train is bombed by Bodo separatists, killing 26.
1996 – Proposed budget cuts by Benjamin Netanyahu spark protests from 250,000 workers who shut down services across Israel.
1997 – In the worst incident in Algeria s insurgency, the Wilaya of Relizane massacres, 400 people are killed from four villages.
2000 – Rizal Day Bombings: A series of bombs explode in various places in Metro Manila, Philippines within a period of a few hours, killing 22 and injuring about a hundred.
2003 – U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft recuses himself and his office from the Plame affair.
2004 – A fire in the República Cromagnon nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina kills 194.
2005 – Tropical Storm Zeta forms in the open Atlantic Ocean, tying the record for the latest tropical cyclone ever to form in the North Atlantic basin.
2006 – Madrid Barajas International Airport is bombed.
2006 – Deposed President of Iraq Saddam Hussein, convicted of the executions of 148 Iraqi Shiites, is executed by hanging.
Births
39 – Titus, Roman emperor (d. 81)
1204 – Abû Uthmân Sa îd Hakam al Qurashi, ruler of Minorca (d. 1282)
1552 – Simon Forman, English occultist and astrologer (d. 1611)
1642 – Vincenzo da Filicaja, Italian poet (d. 1707)
1673 – Ahmed III, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1736)
1678 – William Croft, English composer (d. 1727)
1722 – Charles Yorke, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (d. 1770)
1724 – Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée, French painter (d. 1805)
1740 – Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain (d. 1759)
1785 – Dorothea Lieven, Russian noblewoman (d. 1857)
1819 – Theodor Fontane, German writer (d. 1898)
1819 – John W. Geary, 1st Mayor of San Francisco (d. 1873)
1838 – Émile Loubet, 7th President of France (d. 1929)
1851 – Asa Griggs Candler, American businessman and politician (d. 1929)
1853 – André Messager, French composer (d. 1929)
1865 – Rudyard Kipling, English writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1936)
1869 – Stephen Butler Leacock, English-born Canadian writer and economist (d. 1944)
1873 – Al Smith, American politician (d. 1944)
1878 – William Aberhart, Canadian politician (d. 1943)
1879 – Sri Ramana Maharshi, Indian philosopher (d. 1950)
1883 – Lester Patrick, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 1960)
1884 – Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1948)
1890 – Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, President of Mexico (d. 1973)
1897 – Alfredo Bracchi, Italian author (d. 1976)
1899 – Helge Ingstad, Norwegian explorer (d. 2001)
1904 – Dmitri Kabalevsky, Russian composer (d. 1987)
1905 – Daniil Kharms, Soviet-era surrealist and absurdist poet, writer and dramatist (d. 1942)
1906 – Carol Reed, English film director (d. 1976)
1910 – Paul Bowles, American composer and author (d. 1999)
1911 – Jeanette Nolan, American actress (d. 1998)
1913 – Lucio Agostini, Italian-born Canadian conductor and composer (d. 1996)
1913 – Elyne Mitchell, Australian author (d. 2002)
1914 – Bert Parks, American television host (d. 1992)
1914 – Jo Van Fleet, American actress (d. 1996)
1917 – Seymour Melman, American industrial engineer (d. 2004)
1920 – Jack Lord, American actor (d. 1998)
1921 – Rashid Karami, Lebanese statesman (d. 1987)
1927 – Bernard Barrow, American actor (d. 1993)
1927 – Robert Hossein, French film actor and director
1928 – Bo Diddley, American singer and musician (d. 2008)
1929 – Rosalind Hurley, British physician, barrister, ethicist and writer (d. 2004)
1929 – Barbara Nichols, American actress (d. 1976)
1930 – Thomas Benton Wood, American
1931 – Skeeter Davis, American singer (d. 2004)
1934 – John Norris Bahcall, American physicist (d. 2005)
1934 – Joseph Bologna, American actor
1934 – Joseph P. Hoar, former US Central Command commander
1934 – Del Shannon, American singer (d. 1990)
1934 – Russ Tamblyn, American actor, dancer, and singer
1935 – Omar Bongo, President of Gabon
1935 – Sandy Koufax, American baseball player
1935 – Jack Riley, American actor
1937 – Gordon Banks, English footballer
1937 – John Hartford, American musician (d. 2001)
1937 – Jim Marshall, American football player
1937 – Noel Paul Stookey, American folk singer (Peter, Paul & Mary)
1939 – Glenda Adams, Australian author (d. 2007)
1939 – Felix Pappalardi, American musician and recording producer (Mountain) (d. 1983)
1940 – James Burrows, American television director
1941 – Mel Renfro, American football player
1942 – Vladimir Bukovsky, Russian author and dissident
1942 – Guy Edwards, English racing driver
1942 – Michael Nesmith, American singer and musician (The Monkees)
1942 – Janko Prunk, Slovenian historian
1942 – Fred Ward, American actor
1944 – William J. Fallon, U.S. Navy Admiral, former U.S. Central Command commander
1945 – Davy Jones, English singer (The Monkees)
1945 – Lloyd Kaufman, American film director and producer
1945 – Concetta Tomei, American actress
1945 – Vernon Wells, Australian actor
1946 – Patti Smith, American singer and poet
1947 – Michael Burns, American historian
1947 – Jeff Lynne, English musician (ELO)
1949 – Jim Flaherty, Canadian politician
1950 – Lewis Shiner, American sci-fi/fantasy author
1950 – Bjarne Stroustrup, Danish computer scientist, creator of C++
1951 – Doug Allder, English footballer
1952 – June Anderson, American soprano
1953 – Bill Kazmaier, American powerlifter
1953 – Harald Schmautz, German-born journalist
1953 – Meredith Vieira, American television journalist
1955 – Dindo Yogo, Congolese musician (d. 2000)
1956 – Suzy Bogguss, American singer
1956 – Sheryl Lee Ralph, American actress
1957 – Matt Lauer, American newscaster
1958 – Rod Harrington, English darts player
1958 – Steven L. Smith, American astronaut
1959 – Tracey Ullman, English actress and singer
1959 – Josée Verner, French Canadian politician
1961 – Douglas Coupland, Canadian author
1961 – Sean Hannity, American talk radio and television host
1961 – Ben Johnson, Canadian athlete
1962 – Henry Cho, Korean-American comedian
1962 – Joshua Clover, American poet
1963 – Chandler Burr, American author
1963 – Michelle Douglas, Canadian human rights activist
1963 – Milan Šrejber, Czech tennis player
1964 – Sylvie Moreau, French Canadian actress
1964 – Duglas T. Stewart, Scottish musician (BMX Bandits)
1965 – Heidi Fleiss, American madam
1965 – Darrin C. Huss, Canadian singer Psyche
1966 – Bennett Miller, American film director
1967 – Carl Ouellet, Canadian professional wrestler
1969 – Dave England, American television personality
1969 – Jay Kay, English musician (Jamiroquai)
1969 – Meredith Monroe, American actress
1971 – Daniel Sunjata, American actor
1971 – Ricardo Lopez Felipe, Spanish footballer
1972 – Kerry Collins, American football player
1972 – Paul Keegan, Irish footballer
1972 – Steven Wiig, American actor and musician
1973 – Jason Behr, American actor
1973 – Ato Boldon, Trinidadian athlete
1973 – Nacho Vidal, Spanish porn star
1974 – Johanna Sällström, Swedish actress (d. 2007)
1975 – Scott Chipperfield, Australian soccer player
1975 – Tiger Woods, American golfer
1976 – Patrick Kerney, American football player
1976 – A.J. Pierzynski, American baseball player
1977 – Laila Ali, American boxer
1977 – Grant Balfour, Australian baseball player
1977 – Scott Lucas, Australian rules footballer
1977 – Kenyon Martin, American basketball player
1977 – Kazuyuki Toda, Japanese footballer
1978 – Devin Brown , American basketball player
1978 – Tyrese, American singer and actor
1978 – Zbigniew Robert Prominski, Polish drummer
1978 – Rob Scuderi, American ice hockey player
1979 – Flávio, Angolan footballer
1980 – Eliza Dushku, American actress
1980 – Kenny Kwan, Hong Kong singer
1981 – Ali Al Habsi, Omani footballer
1981 – Haley Paige, American porn star (d. 2007)
1981 – Michael Rodríguez, Costa Rican footballer
1981 – Matt Ulrich, American football player
1982 – Kristin Kreuk, Canadian actress
1982 – Dawan Landry, American football player
1982 – Dathan Ritzenhein, American runner
1984 – Randall Azofeifa, Costa Rican footballer
1984 – LeBron James, American basketball player
1985 – Lars Boom, Dutch cyclist
1987 – Jake Cuenca, Filipino actor and commercial model
1988 – Leon Jackson, Scottish singer
1989 – Ryan Sheckler, American professional skateboarder
Deaths
1218 – Richard de Clare, 4th Earl of Hertford, English politician (b. 1162)
1460 – Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, claimant to the English throne (killed in battle) (b. 1411)
1525 – Jacob Fugger, German banker (b. 1459)
1572 – Galeazzo Alessi, Italian architect (b. 1512)
1573 – Giovanni Battista Giraldi, Italian writer (b. 1504)
1591 – Pope Innocent IX (b. 1519)
1621 – Saint Job of Maniava, Ukrainian Orthodox Saint (b. 1550)
1640 – John Francis Regis, French saint (b. 1597)
1644 – Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist (b. 1577)
1662 – Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria (b. 1628)
1691 – Robert Boyle, Irish scientist (b. 1627)
1769 – Nicholas Taaffe, 6th Viscount Taaffe, Austrian soldier (b. 1685)
1803 – Francis Lewis, signer of the American Declaration of Independence (b. 1713)
1896 – José Rizal, national hero of the Philippines, (executed) (b. 1861)
1908 – Thomas-Alfred Bernier, Canadian lawyer, journalist and senator (b. 1844)
1941 – El Lissitzky, Russian artist and architect (b. 1890)
1944 – Romain Rolland, French writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1866)
1947 – Alfred North Whitehead, English mathematician and philosopher (b. 1861)
1947 – Han van Meegeren, Dutch painter, portraitist and art forgers (b. 1889)
1954 – Archduke Eugen of Austria, Austrian field marshal (b. 1863)
1955 – Rex Ingamells, Australian poet (b. 1913)
1967 – Vincent Massey, Governor-General of Canada (b. 1887)
1968 – Trygve Lie, Norwegian politician, first United Nations Secretary General (b. 1896)
1970 – Sonny Liston, American boxer (b. 1932)
1971 – Melba Rae, American actress (Search for Tomorrow) (b. 1922)
1979 – Richard Rodgers, American composer (b. 1902)
1981 – Alfie Anido, Filipino actor (b. 1959)
1984 – Massa, oldest gorilla on record (b. 1930)
1986 – Era Bell Thompson, American journalist (b. 1905)
1988 – Yuli Daniel, Russian writer (b. 1925)
1989 – Lenore Lemmon, wife of George Reeves (b. 1923)
1992 – Ling-Ling, panda given to the USA by China (b. 1969)
1993 – Mack David, American lyricist and songwriter (b. 1912)
1993 – Irving Swifty Lazar, American Hollywood talent agent (b. 1907)
1993 – Giuseppe Occhialini, Italian physicist (b. 1907)
1994 – Dmitri Ivanenko, Russian physicist (b. 1904)
1994 – Maureen Starkey, wife of Ringo Starr (b. 1946)
1995 – Ralph Flanagan – American band leader (b. 1914)
1995 – Doris Grau, American actress (b. 1924)
1996 – Lew Ayres, American actor (b. 1908)
1996 – Jack Nance, American actor (b. 1943)
1997 – Shinichi Hoshi, Japanese novelist (b. 1926)
1998 – Johnny Moore, American singer (The Drifters) (b. 1934)
1998 – Sam Muchnick, American professional wrestling promoter (b. 1905)
1998 – George Webb, English actor (b. 1911)
1999 – Fritz Leonhardt, German structural engineer (b. 1909)
1999 – Sarah Knauss, American, once considered the world s oldest living person (b. 1880)
2000 – Julius J. Epstein, American screenwriter (b. 1909)
2002 – Mary Brian, American actress (b. 1906)
2002 – Mary Wesley, English novelist (b. 1912)
2003 – David Bale, South African-born activist (b. 1941)
2003 – John Gregory Dunne, American writer (b. 1932)
2003 – Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer and actress (b. 1963)
2004 – Artie Shaw, American jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1910)
2005 – Rona Jaffe, American author (b. 1932)
2006 – Terry Peck, Falkland Islander (b. 1938) who acted as a scout for 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment in the Falklands War
2006 – Michel Plasse, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1948)
2006 – Saddam Hussein, former Iraqi President, (executed) (b. 1937)
Holidays and observances
The fifth day of Christmas in Western Christianity.
R.C. Saints – Pope Felix I (optional memorial), Saint Sabinus, Anysia of Salonika, Anysius, Aphian, Donatus, Egwin of Worcester, Eugene of Milan, Eugenia Ravasco, Exuperantius, Holy Family (2007), Honorius, John Alcober, Liberius of Ravenna, Mansuetus, Marcellus, Margaret Colonna, Matthia dei Nazzarei, Our Lady of Bethlehem, Ralph of Vaucelles, Raynerius of Aquila, Ruggero of Canne, Severus, Venustian
Philippines – Rizal Day
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