On This Day in History

August 31

August 31 is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. 122 days remain until the end of the year.

Lottery News On This Day

2023
Virginia college student who "never wins" lands a $500,000 scratch-off lottery prize. A Virginia woman who very rarely picks up a lottery ticket because she doesn't understand them found success with one particular scratch-off that landed her a $500,000 prize.
2021
Lightning strikes twice for Virginia man who won $1 million and $2.5 million. A Virginia man had a taste of victory back in 2014 when he won $2.5 million on a scratch-off lottery ticket, but nothing said he couldn't win again.
2020
Texas Lotto jackpot grows to largest in a decade. The Texas Lottery's premier in-state jackpot game, Lotto Texas, has now gone 65 drawings without a top prize winner, generating a jackpot that is the largest the game has seen in more than a decade.
2018
With Mississippi in the lottery game, the pressure is now on Alabama. When Mississippi starts their state lottery, Alabamians can head, north, south, east or west to buy a lottery ticket — but they still can't buy one in their own state.
2017
Scammers using social media accounts claiming to be lottery winner Mavis Wanczyk. Police are again warning people about multiple fake social media accounts created by scammers pretending to be the Massachusetts Powerball winner.
2016
Lawyers contact N.H. Lottery about $487 million jackpot. July's half-billion dollar Powerball jackpot winner in New Hampshire has yet to come forward, but the New Hampshire Lottery said it has heard several times from lawyers who may represent the lucky ticket-holder.
2016
CT Lottery chief departs after nine years. Anne M. Noble, president and CEO of the Connecticut Lottery Corp. for the last nine years, resigned Tuesday, saying, "I've really done what I set out to do when I was hired by this board in 2008."
2015
Mass. postal worker wins $4 million one day after getting married. A Massachusetts postal worker and his new bride are having the best week ever. Thursday, they tied the knot, and Friday, they claimed a $4 million lottery prize.
2015
Calif. man buys scratch game with $20 bill he found, wins $1 million. A man who won $1 million from the California Lottery on Wednesday in Millbrae paid for the winning Scratcher ticket using a $20 bill he found on the ground.
2012
Michigan railroad engineer claims $337M Powerball lottery jackpot. A 44-year-old Michigan railroad engineer said he quit his job and told familly members to do the same when he learned he had won the third-largest winner's share ever for a U.S. lottery drawing.
2011
$80,000 lottery ticket dropped in church collection plate. An anonymous lottery winner placed a winning ticket worth $80,000 in the collection plate at Cathedral of Prayer Church in Columbus, donating every penny of the cash earnings to the church.
2010
Doctor who won lottery still wants 'to help people'. Jackson Memorial Hospital doctor Shirley Press's actual experience winning the lottery was a lot different than she had mused over the years.
2007
Tenn. Lottery says duplicate numbers drawn were legit; can we be sure?. The Tennessee Lottery's Cash 3 game had the exact same winning number in both the midday and evening drawings Thursday, which comes on the heels of weeks of flawed drawings, in which no doubles or triples had a chance of winning.
2007
Lucky couple wins second NY Lotto jackpot. A former Bronx, New York, couple has won the New York Lottery's 6-number Lotto game for the second time in 11 years, twice overcoming odds of more than 22 million to 1.
2007
Charges against wife of Powerball lottery winner dropped. A judge on Wednesday dismissed a felony charge against the wife of Powerball jackpot winner David Edwards.
2005
$131 million lottery jackpot awaits Mega Millions hopefuls. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery grew to $131 million today, when no tickets sold for Tuesday's $111 million drawing drawing matched all five numbers plus the Mega Ball number.
2005
N.C. Governor Signs Historic Lottery Bill. A jubilant North Carolina Governor Mike Easley waited just a day after the state Senate approved the lottery bill to sign it into law. His signature capped two decades of effort to bring a lottery to North Carolina, previously the only state on the East Coast without a game.
2004
Toronto couple claims $26.8 million lottery win. A Toronto couple has claimed the third-largest jackpot in Canadian lottery history -- almost $27 million.
2004
$40 Million Man's payments end. For the first time in 20 years, Michael Wittkowski and family won't be receiving their big fat annual check courtesy of the Illinois State Lottery.
2004
80-year-old claims a piece of Calif. lottery jackpot. Walter F. Tracey slept in until about 1 p.m. Sunday, then got a surprising jolt. The 80-year-old World War II Navy pilot checked the newspaper, and there it was in black and white: He had the winning numbers for the $100 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot.
2004
Three tickets split $100 million California lottery jackpot. California Lottery officials announced Sunday that two of the three winning tickets in Saturday's $100 million Super Lotto Plus jackpot were purchased in the Bay Area, with the thrid being sold in Huntington Beach.
2003
Lucky lottery store in N.H. does it again. The winning Powerball ticket, worth an estimated $135.6 million, was sold at a convenience store that is building a reputation as the place to buy lottery tickets.
2003
Schwarzenegger spars with Davis on gaming. Two days before Labor Day -- the traditional kickoff of campaign season -- the gloves started to come off in California's untraditional recall election as actor Arnold Schwarzenegger accused Gov. Gray Davis of pandering to Indian gaming interests.
2003
$135.6 Million Powerball Jackpot Won In New Hampshire. One lucky Powerball ticket sold in New Hampshire is worth $135.6 million this morning.

Top 25 Lottery Jackpots On This Day

1.$681 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Sep 3, 2024
2.$418.5 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Sep 2, 2023
3.$347.1 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Sep 1, 2021
4.$330 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 31, 2007
5.$306 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 31, 2021
6.€263.55 Million
US$262.91 Million
Draw Date
Sep 1, 2022
7.€156 Million
US$171.99 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Sep 1, 2020
8.$169 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Sep 2, 2022
9.€114 Million
US$162.61 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Sep 5, 2008
10.€114 Million
US$162.12 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Sep 2, 2011
11.$154 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 31, 2016
12.$152 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 31, 2018
13.€132.26 Million
US$147.79 Million
Draw Date
Sep 1, 2016
14.€131 Million
US$144.7 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Sep 3, 2024
15.$142 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 31, 2013
16.€127 Million
US$139.18 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Sep 3, 2019
17.$134.2 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 31, 2022
18.$131 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Sep 2, 2005
19.$127 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Sep 3, 2019
20.€127 Million
US$126.67 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Sep 2, 2022
21.$120 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Sep 2, 2015
22.$115 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 31, 2001
23.€106 Million
US$114.58 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Sep 1, 2023
24.$100 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Sep 3, 2014
25.$93 Million
California
SuperLotto Plus
Draw Date
Sep 1, 2007

Lottery Post Member Birthdays On This Day

1991
Saturday, Aug 31, 1991
33 years old
1986
Sunday, Aug 31, 1986
38 years old
1978
Thursday, Aug 31, 1978
46 years old
1978
Thursday, Aug 31, 1978
46 years old
1976
Tuesday, Aug 31, 1976
48 years old
1974
Saturday, Aug 31, 1974
50 years old
1962
Friday, Aug 31, 1962
62 years old
1962
Friday, Aug 31, 1962
62 years old
1960
Wednesday, Aug 31, 1960
64 years old
1959
Monday, Aug 31, 1959
65 years old
1957
Saturday, Aug 31, 1957
67 years old
1956
Friday, Aug 31, 1956
68 years old
1955
Wednesday, Aug 31, 1955
69 years old
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)

Worldwide Events On This Day

2019
A sightseeing helicopter crashes in the mountains of Skoddevarre in Alta Municipality in Northern Norway killing all 6 occupants.
2016
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff is impeached and removed from office.
2006
Edvard Munch's famous painting, The Scream, stolen on August 22, 2004, is recovered in a raid by Norwegian police.
2005
The 2005 Al-Aaimmah bridge stampede in Baghdad kills 953 people.
2002
Typhoon Rusa, the most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in 43 years, made landfall, killing at least 236 people.
1999
The first of a series of bombings in Moscow kills one person and wounds 40 others.
1999
A LAPA Boeing 737-200 crashes during takeoff from Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires, killing 65, including two on the ground.
1997
Diana, Princess of Wales, her partner, Dodi Fayed, and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris.
1996
Saddam Hussein's troops seized Irbil after the Kurdish Masoud Barzani appealed for help to defeat his Kurdish rival PUK.
1994
Russia completes removing its troops from Estonia.
1993
Russia completes removing its troops from Lithuania.
1991
Kyrgyzstan declares its independence from the Soviet Union.
1988
Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes during takeoff from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, killing 14.
1988
CAAC Flight 301 overshoots the runway at Kai Tak Airport and crashes into Kowloon Bay, killing seven people.
1987
Thai Airways Flight 365 crashes into the ocean near Ko Phuket, Thailand, killing all 83 aboard.
1986
Aeroméxico Flight 498 collides with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee over Cerritos, California, killing 67 in the air and 15 on the ground.
1986
The Soviet passenger liner Admiral Nakhimov sinks in the Black Sea after colliding with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev, killing 423.
1972
Aeroflot Flight 558 crashes in the Abzelilovsky District in Bashkortostan, Russia (then the Soviet Union), killing all 102 people aboard.
1963
Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah) achieves self governance.
1962
Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent.
1959
A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother and chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm, fails to kill King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.
1957
The Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
1950
TWA Flight 903 crashes near Itay El Barud, Egypt, killing all 55 aboard.
1949
The retreat of the Democratic Army of Greece into Albania after its defeat on Gramos mountain marks the end of the Greek Civil War.
1943
USS Harmon, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after a black person, is commissioned.
1941
World War II: Serbian paramilitary forces defeat Germans in the Battle of Loznica.
1940
Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19 crashes near Lovettsville, Virginia. The CAB investigation of the accident is the first investigation to be conducted under the Bureau of Air Commerce act of 1938.
1939
Nazi Germany mounts a false flag attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day, thus starting World War II in Europe.
1936
Radio Prague, now the official international broadcasting station of the Czech Republic, goes on the air.
1935
In an attempt to stay out of the growing tensions concerning Germany and Japan, the United States passes the first of its Neutrality Acts.
1933
The Integral Nationalist Group wins the 1933 Andorran parliamentary election, the first election in Andorra held with universal male suffrage.
1920
Polish-Soviet War: A decisive Polish victory in the Battle of Komarów.
1918
World War I: Start of the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin, a successful assault by the Australian Corps during the Hundred Days Offensive.
1907
Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-Russian Convention, by which the UK recognizes Russian preeminence in northern Persia, while Russia recognizes British preeminence in southeastern Persia and Afghanistan. Both powers pledge not to interfere in Tibet.
1895
German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon.
1888
Mary Ann Nichols is murdered. She is the first of Jack the Ripper's confirmed victims.
1886
The 7.0 Mw Charleston earthquake affects southeastern South Carolina with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Sixty people killed with damage estimated at $5-6 million.
1876
Ottoman Sultan Murad V is deposed and succeeded by his brother, Abdul Hamid II.
1864
During the American Civil War, Union forces led by General William T. Sherman launch an assault on Atlanta.
1813
Peninsular War: Spanish troops repel a French attack in the Battle of San Marcial.
1798
Irish Rebellion: Irish rebels, with French assistance, establish the short-lived Republic of Connacht.
1795
War of the First Coalition: The British capture Trincomalee (present-day Sri Lanka) from the Dutch in order to keep it out of French hands.
1776
William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, begins serving his first term.
1535
Pope Paul III excommunicates English King Henry VIII from the church. He drew up a papal bull of excommunication which began Eius qui immobilis.
1422
King Henry V of England dies of dysentery while in France. His son, Henry VI, becomes King of England at the age of nine months.
1420
The 8.8-9.4 Caldera earthquake shakes Chile's Atacama Region causing tsunami in Chile, Hawaii, and Japan.
1314
King Haakon V of Norway moves the capital from Bergen to Oslo.
1218
Al-Kamil becomes sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty.
1057
Abdication of Byzantine Emperor Michael VI Bringas after just one year.
1056
After a sudden illness a few days previously, Byzantine Empress Theodora dies childless, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty.

Births On This Day

2004
Jang Won-young, South Korean singer and model
2001
Amanda Anisimova, American tennis player
2000
Sauce Gardner, American football player
1998
Jaylen Barron, American actress
1998
BossMan Dlow, American rapper
1996
Jalen Brunson, American basketball player
1995
Brittany Mahomes, American soccer player
1994
Alex Harris, Scottish footballer
1994
Can Aktav, Turkish football player
1993
Pablo Marí, Spanish football player
1993
Ilnur Alshin, Russian football player
1993
Anna Karnaukh, Russian water polo player
1992
Holly Earl, British actress
1992
Tyler Randell, Australian rugby league player
1991
António Félix da Costa, Portuguese race car driver
1991
Cédric Soares, Portuguese footballer
1990
Tadeja Majerič, Slovenian tennis player
1989
Dezmon Briscoe, American football player
1988
Matt Adams, American baseball player
1988
Trent Hodkinson, Australian rugby league player
1988
David Ospina, Colombian footballer
1988
Ember Moon, American wrestler
1987
Xavi Annunziata, Spanish footballer
1987
Petros Kravaritis, Greek footballer
1987
Ondřej Pavelec, Czech ice hockey player
1986
Ryan Kelley, American actor
1986
Johnny Wactor, American actor (d. 2024)
1986
Blake Wheeler, American ice hockey player
1985
Rolando, Portuguese footballer
1985
Andrew Foster, Australian footballer
1985
Mabel Matiz, Turkish singer
1985
Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
1984
Matti Breschel, Danish cyclist
1984
Ryan Kesler, American ice hockey player
1984
Ted Ligety, American skier
1984
Charl Schwartzel, South African golfer
1983
Deniz Aydoğdu, German-Turkish footballer
1983
Milan Biševac, Serbian footballer
1983
Larry Fitzgerald, American football player
1982
Ian Crocker, American swimmer
1982
Chris Duhon, American basketball player
1982
Lien Huyghebaert, Belgian sprinter
1982
Christopher Katongo, Zambian footballer
1982
Josh Kroeger, American baseball player
1982
Alexei Mikhnov, Ukrainian-Russian ice hockey player
1982
Pepe Reina, Spanish footballer
1982
Michele Rugolo, Italian race car driver
1982
G. Willow Wilson, American journalist and author
1981
Ahmad Al Harthy, Omani race car driver
1981
Dwayne Peel, Welsh rugby player
1981
Steve Saviano, American ice hockey player
1980
Joe Budden, American broadcaster and former rapper
1979
Clay Hensley, American baseball player
1979
Mark Johnston, Canadian swimmer
1979
Yara Martinez, Puerto Rican-American actress
1979
Simon Neil, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1979
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian Tamil singer-songwriter and producer
1979
Ramón Santiago, Dominican baseball player
1979
Mickie James, American wrestler
1978
Philippe Christanval, French footballer
1978
Ido Pariente, Israeli mixed martial artist and trainer
1978
Jennifer Ramírez Rivero, Venezuelan model
1978
Craig Stapleton, Australian rugby league player
1978
Sandis Valters, Latvian basketball player
1978
Morten Qvenild, Norwegian pianist and composer
1977
Jeff Hardy, American wrestler and singer
1977
Ian Harte, Irish footballer
1977
Craig Nicholls, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
1977
Arzu Yanardağ, Turkish actress and model
1976
Vincent Delerm, French singer-songwriter and pianist
1976
Shar Jackson, American actress and singer
1976
Roque Júnior, Brazilian footballer and manager
1976
Radek Martínek, Czech ice hockey player
1975
Craig Cumming, New Zealand cricketer and sportscaster
1975
John Grahame, American ice hockey player and coach
1975
Sara Ramirez, Mexican-American actor and musician
1974
Andriy Medvedev, Ukrainian-Monégasque tennis player
1973
Scott Niedermayer, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1971
Kirstie Allsopp, British TV presenter
1971
Pádraig Harrington, Irish golfer
1971
Vadim Repin, Belgian-Russian violinist
1971
Chris Tucker, American comedian and actor
1970
Debbie Gibson, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
1970
Nikola Gruevski, Macedonian economist and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
1970
Greg Mulholland, English politician
1970
Queen Rania of Jordan
1970
Arie van Lent, Dutch-German footballer and manager
1970
Zack Ward, Canadian actor and producer
1969
Nathalie Bouvier, French skier
1969
Jonathan LaPaglia, Australian actor and physician
1969
Jeff Russo, American musician
1969
Javagal Srinath, Indian cricketer and referee
1968
Valdon Dowiyogo, Nauruan politician (d. 2016)
1968
Hideo Nomo, Japanese baseball player
1968
Jolene Watanabe, American tennis player (d. 2019)
1967
Gene Hoglan, American drummer
1967
Anita Moen, Norwegian skier
1966
Lyuboslav Penev, Bulgarian footballer and manager
1965
Zsolt Borkai, Hungarian gymnast and politician
1965
Susan Gritton, English soprano and actress
1964
Raymond P. Hammond, American poet and critic
1963
Reb Beach, American guitarist
1963
Rituparno Ghosh, Indian actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
1963
Sonny Silooy, Dutch footballer and manager
1962
Dee Bradley Baker, American voice actor
1961
Kieran Crowley, New Zealand rugby player
1961
Magnus Ilmjärv, Estonian historian and author
1960
Vali Ionescu, Romanian long jumper
1960
Chris Whitley, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
1960
Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanese politician, 3rd Secretary-General of Hezbollah
1959
Ralph Krueger, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1959
Jessica Upshaw, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
1958
Serge Blanco, Venezuelan-French rugby player and businessman
1958
Stephen Cottrell, English bishop
1957
Colm O'Rourke, Irish footballer and sportscaster
1957
Gina Schock, American drummer
1957
Glenn Tilbrook, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1956
Mária Balážová, Slovak painter and illustrator
1956
Kent Nilsson, Swedish ice hockey player
1956
Masashi Tashiro, Japanese singer, actor, and director
1956
Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwanese politician and the President of the Republic of China
1955
Aleksander Krupa, Polish-American actor
1955
Julie Maxton, Scottish lawyer and academic
1955
Edwin Moses, American hurdler
1955
Anthony Thistlethwaite, English saxophonist and bass player
1955
Gary Webb, American journalist and author (d. 2004)
1954
Julie Brown, American actress and screenwriter
1953
Marcia Clark, American attorney and author
1953
Miguel Ángel Guerra, Argentinian race car driver
1953
György Károly, Hungarian poet and author (d. 2018)
1953
Pavel Vinogradov, Russian astronaut and engineer
1952
Kim Kashkashian, American viola player and educator
1952
Herbert Reul, German politician
1951
Grant Batty, New Zealand rugby player
1949
Richard Gere, American actor and producer
1949
Stephen McKinley Henderson, American actor
1949
Hugh David Politzer, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1949
Rick Roberts, American country-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
1948
Harald Ertl, Austrian race car driver and journalist (d. 1982)
1948
Lowell Ganz, American screenwriter and producer
1948
Ken McMullen, English director, producer, and screenwriter
1948
Holger Osieck, German footballer and manager
1948
Rudolf Schenker, German guitarist and songwriter
1947
Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Italian businessman
1947
Yumiko Ōshima, Japanese author and illustrator
1947
Somchai Wongsawat, Thai lawyer and politician, 26th Prime Minister of Thailand
1946
Ann Coffey, Scottish social worker and politician
1946
Jerome Corsi, American conspiracy theorist and author
1946
Tom Coughlin, American football player and coach
1945
Van Morrison, Northern Irish singer-songwriter
1945
Itzhak Perlman, Israeli-American violinist and conductor
1945
Bob Welch, American singer and guitarist (d. 2012)
1944
Roger Dean, English illustrator and publisher
1944
Liz Forgan, English journalist
1944
Christine King, English historian and academic
1944
Clive Lloyd, Guyanese cricketer
1943
Leonid Ivashov, Russian general
1942
Isao Aoki, Japanese golfer
1941
William DeWitt, Jr., American businessman
1941
Emmanuel Nunes, Portuguese-French composer and educator (d. 2012)
1940
Robbie Basho, American guitarist, pianist, and composer (d. 1986)
1940
Wilton Felder, American saxophonist and bass player (d. 2015)
1940
Larry Hankin, American actor, director, and producer
1940
Roger Newman, English-American actor and screenwriter (d. 2010)
1940
Jack Thompson, Australian actor
1939
Jerry Allison, American drummer and songwriter (d. 2022)
1938
Martin Bell, English journalist and politician
1937
Warren Berlinger, American actor (d. 2020)
1937
Bobby Parker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
1936
Vladimir Orlov, Russian journalist and author (d. 2014)
1935
Eldridge Cleaver, American activist and author (d. 1998)
1935
Bryan Organ, English painter
1935
Frank Robinson, American baseball player and manager (d. 2019)
1932
Allan Fotheringham, Canadian journalist (d. 2020)
1932
Roy Castle, English dancer, singer, comedian, actor, television presenter and musician (d. 1994)
1931
Jean Béliveau, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2014)
1931
Rolf Just Nilsen, Norwegian singer and actor (d. 1981)
1931
Noble Willingham, American actor (d. 2004)
1930
Big Tiny Little, American pianist (d. 2010)
1928
James Coburn, American actor (d. 2002)
1928
Jaime Sin, Filipino cardinal (d. 2005)
1925
Moran Campbell, English-Canadian physician and academic, invented the venturi mask (d. 2004)
1925
Maurice Pialat, French actor and director (d. 2003)
1924
John Davidson, American physician and politician (d. 2012)
1924
Buddy Hackett, American actor and singer (d. 2003)
1924
Herbert Wise, Austrian-English director and producer (d. 2015)
1921
Otis G. Pike, American judge and politician (d. 2014)
1921
Raymond Williams, Welsh author and academic (d. 1988)
1919
Amrita Pritam, Indian poet and author (d. 2005)
1918
Alan Jay Lerner, American songwriter and composer (d. 1986)
1916
Danny Litwhiler, American baseball player and coach (d. 2011)
1916
Daniel Schorr, American journalist and author (d. 2010)
1916
John S. Wold, American geologist and politician (d. 2017)
1915
Pete Newell, American basketball player and coach (d. 2008)
1914
Richard Basehart, American actor (d. 1984)
1913
Helen Levitt, American photographer and cinematographer (d. 2009)
1913
Bernard Lovell, English physicist and astronomer (d. 2012)
1911
Edward Brongersma, Dutch journalist and politician (d. 1998)
1911
Arsenio Rodríguez, Cuban-American tres player, composer, and bandleader (d. 1970)
1909
Ferenc Fejtő, Hungarian-French journalist and political scientist (d. 2008)
1908
William Saroyan, American novelist, playwright, and short story writer (d. 1981)
1907
Valter Biiber, Estonian footballer (d. 1977)
1907
Augustus F. Hawkins, American lawyer and politician (d. 2007)
1907
Ramon Magsaysay, Filipino captain, engineer, and politician, 7th President of the Philippines (d. 1957)
1907
William Shawn, American journalist (d. 1992)
1907
Altiero Spinelli, Italian theorist and politician (d. 1986)
1905
Robert Bacher, American physicist and academic (d. 2004)
1905
Sanford Meisner, American actor and educator (d. 1997)
1903
Arthur Godfrey, American radio and television host (d. 1983)
1903
Vladimir Jankélévitch, French musicologist and philosopher (d. 1985)
1902
Géza Révész, Hungarian general and politician, Hungarian Minister of Defence (d. 1977)
1900
Gino Lucetti, Italian anarchist, attempted assassin of Benito Mussolini (d. 1943)
1897
Fredric March, American actor (d. 1975)
1896
Brian Edmund Baker, English Air Marshal (d. 1979)
1896
Félix-Antoine Savard, Canadian priest and author (d. 1982)
1894
Albert Facey, Australian soldier and author (d. 1982)
1893
Lily Laskine, French harp player (d. 1988)
1890
August Alle, Estonian poet and author (d. 1952)
1890
Nätti-Jussi, Finnish lumberjack and forest laborer (d. 1964)
1885
DuBose Heyward, American author and playwright (d. 1940)
1884
George Sarton, Belgian-American historian of science (d. 1956)
1880
Wilhelmina, queen of the Netherlands (d. 1962)
1879
Alma Mahler, Austrian-American composer and author (d. 1964)
1879
Taishō, Emperor of Japan (d. 1926)
1878
Frank Jarvis, American sprinter and lawyer (d. 1933)
1875
Rosa Lemberg, Namibian-born Finnish American teacher, singer and choral conductor (d. 1959)
1871
James E. Ferguson, American banker and politician, 26th Governor of Texas (d. 1944)
1870
Maria Montessori, Italian physician and educator (d. 1952)
1843
Georg von Hertling, German academic and politician, 7th Chancellor of the German Empire (d. 1919)
1842
Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, American journalist, publisher, and activist (d. 1924)
1834
Amilcare Ponchielli, Italian composer and educator (d. 1886)
1823
Galusha A. Grow, American lawyer and politician, 28th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1907)
1821
Hermann von Helmholtz, German physician and physicist (d. 1894)
1811
Théophile Gautier, French poet and critic (d. 1872)
1802
Husein Gradaščević, Ottoman general (d. 1834)
1797
Ramón Castilla, Peruvian military leader and politician, President of Peru (d. 1867)
1797
Stephen Geary, English architect, inventor and entrepreneur (d. 1854)
1775
Agnes Bulmer, English poet and author (d. 1836)
1767
Henry Joy McCracken, Irish businessman and activist, founded the Society of United Irishmen (d. 1798)
1748
Jean-Étienne Despréaux, French ballet dancer, choreographer, composer, and playwright (d. 1820)
1741
Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, French composer and educator (d. 1816)
1721
George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1775)
1663
Guillaume Amontons, French physicist and instrument maker (d. 1705)
1652
Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga, Italian nobleman (d. 1708)
1569
Jahangir, Mughal emperor (d. 1627)
1542
Isabella de' Medici, Italian princess (d. 1576)
1168
Zhang Zong, Chinese emperor (d. 1208)
1018
Jeongjong II, Korean ruler (d. 1046)
161
Commodus, Roman emperor (d. 192)
12
Caligula, Roman emperor (d. 41)

Deaths On This Day

2021
Mahal, Filipino comedian and actress (b. 1974)
2021
Francesco Morini, Italian footballer (b. 1944)
2021
Michael Constantine, Greek-American actor (b. 1927)
2021
Geronimo, British alpaca (b. 2013)
2020
Pranab Mukherjee, Former President of India (b. 1935)
2020
Tom Seaver, American baseball player (b. 1944)
2019
Anthoine Hubert, French race car driver (b. 1996)
2019
Alec Holowka, Canadian game developer (b. 1983)
2018
Carole Shelley, British-American actress (b. 1939)
2015
Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, English politician, founded the National Motor Museum (b. 1926)
2015
Tom Scott, American football player (b. 1930)
2014
Bapu, Indian director and screenwriter (b. 1933)
2014
Ștefan Andrei, Romanian politician, 87th Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1931)
2014
Stan Goldberg, American illustrator (b. 1932)
2014
Carol Vadnais, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1945)
2013
Alan Carrington, English chemist and academic (b. 1934)
2013
David Frost, English journalist and game show host (b. 1939)
2013
Jimmy Greenhalgh, English footballer and manager (b. 1923)
2013
Jan Camiel Willems, Belgian mathematician and theorist (b. 1939)
2012
Max Bygraves, English actor (b. 1922)
2012
Joe Lewis, American martial artist and actor (b. 1944)
2012
Carlo Maria Martini, Italian cardinal (b. 1927)
2012
Kashiram Rana, Indian lawyer and politician (b. 1938)
2012
John C. Shabaz, American judge and politician (b. 1931)
2012
Sergey Sokolov, Russian commander and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for The Soviet Union (b. 1911)
2011
Wade Belak, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1976)
2010
Laurent Fignon, French cyclist (b. 1960)
2008
Ken Campbell, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1941)
2008
Ike Pappas, American journalist (b. 1933)
2008
Victor Yates, New Zealand rugby player (b. 1939)
2007
Gay Brewer, American golfer (b. 1932)
2007
Jean Jacques Paradis, Canadian general (b. 1928)
2007
Sulev Vahtre, Estonian historian and academic (b. 1926)
2006
Mohamed Abdelwahab, Egyptian footballer (b. 1983)
2006
Tom Delaney, English race car driver and businessman (b. 1911)
2005
Joseph Rotblat, Polish-English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
2002
Lionel Hampton, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1908)
2002
Farhad Mehrad, Persian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pianist (b. 1944)
2002
George Porter, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
2000
Lucille Fletcher, American screenwriter (b. 1912)
2000
Dolores Moore, American baseball player and educator (b. 1932)
1997
Diana, Princess of Wales (b. 1961)
1997
Dodi Fayed, Egyptian film producer (b. 1955)
1991
Cliff Lumsdon, Canadian swimmer and coach (b. 1931)
1990
Nathaniel Clifton, American basketball player and coach (b. 1922)
1986
Elizabeth Coatsworth, American author and poet (b. 1893)
1986
Urho Kekkonen, Finnish journalist, lawyer, and politician, 8th President of Finland (b. 1900)
1986
Henry Moore, English sculptor and illustrator (b. 1898)
1985
Frank Macfarlane Burnet, Australian virologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
1984
Audrey Wagner, American baseball player, obstetrician, and gynecologist (b. 1927)
1979
Sally Rand, American actress and dancer (b. 1904)
1979
Tiger Smith, English cricketer and coach (b. 1886)
1978
John Wrathall, Rhodesian accountant and politician, 2nd President of Rhodesia (b. 1913)
1974
William Pershing Benedict, American soldier and pilot (b. 1918)
1974
Norman Kirk, New Zealand engineer and politician, 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1923)
1973
John Ford, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1894)
1969
Rocky Marciano, American boxer (b. 1923)
1968
John Hartle, English motorcycle racer (b. 1933)
1967
Ilya Ehrenburg, Russian journalist and author (b. 1891)
1965
E. E. Smith, American engineer and author (b. 1890)
1963
Georges Braque, French painter and sculptor (b. 1882)
1954
Elsa Barker, American author and poet (b. 1869)
1952
Henri Bourassa, Canadian publisher and politician (b. 1868)
1951
Paul Demel, Czech actor (b. 1903)
1948
Andrei Zhdanov, Russian civil servant and politician (b. 1896)
1945
Stefan Banach, Polish mathematician (b. 1892)
1941
Thomas Bavin, New Zealand-Australian politician, 24th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1874)
1941
Marina Tsvetaeva, Russian poet and author (b. 1892)
1940
Georges Gauthier, Canadian archbishop (b. 1871)
1940
DeLancey W. Gill, American painter (b. 1859)
1937
Ruth Baldwin, British socialite (b. 1905)
1927
Andranik, Armenian general (b. 1865)
1924
Todor Aleksandrov, Bulgarian soldier (b. 1881)
1920
Wilhelm Wundt, German physician, psychologist, and philosopher (b. 1832)
1912
Jean, duc Decazes, French sailor (b. 1864)
1910
Emīls Dārziņš, Latvian composer, conductor, and music critic (b. 1875)
1908
Leslie Green, English architect (b. 1875)
1884
Robert Torrens, Irish-Australian politician, 3rd Premier of South Australia (b. 1814)
1869
Mary Ward, Irish astronomer and entomologist (b. 1827)
1867
Charles Baudelaire, French poet and critic (b. 1821)
1864
Ferdinand Lassalle, Prussian-German jurist and philosopher (b. 1825)
1858
Chief Oshkosh, Menominee chief (b. 1795)
1818
Robert Calder, Scottish admiral (b. 1745)
1817
Sir John Duckworth, 1st Baronet, English admiral and politician, 39th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1747)
1814
Arthur Phillip, English admiral and politician, 1st Governor of New South Wales (b. 1738)
1811
Louis Antoine de Bougainville, French admiral and explorer (b. 1729)
1799
Nicolas-Henri Jardin, French architect and academic, designed the Bernstorff Palace and Marienlyst Castle (b. 1720)
1795
François-André Danican Philidor, French-English chess player and composer (b. 1726)
1772
William Borlase, English geologist and historian (b. 1695)
1741
Johann Gottlieb Heineccius, German academic and jurist (b. 1681)
1730
Gottfried Finger, Czech-German viol player and composer (b. 1660)
1688
John Bunyan, English preacher, theologian, and author (b. 1628)
1654
Ole Worm, Danish physician and historian (b. 1588)
1645
Francesco Bracciolini, Italian poet (b. 1566)
1528
Matthias Grünewald, German artist (b. 1470)
1502
Thomas Wode, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
1450
Isabella of Navarre, Countess of Armagnac (b. 1395)
1422
Henry V of England (b. 1386)
1372
Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford, English soldier (b. 1301)
1324
Henry II of Jerusalem (b. 1271)
1287
Konrad von Würzburg, German poet
1234
Emperor Go-Horikawa of Japan (b. 1212)
1158
Sancho III of Castile (b. 1134)
1115
Turgot of Durham (b.c. 1050)
1056
Theodora, Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire (b. 981)
1054
Kunigunde of Altdorf, Frankish noblewoman (b. c. 1020)
894
Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Ta'i, Muslim governor
731
Ōtomo no Tabito, Japanese poet (b. 665)
651
Aidan of Lindisfarne, Irish bishop and saint
577
John Scholasticus, Byzantine patriarch and saint
318
Liu Cong, emperor of the Xiongnu state