On This Day in History

December 17

December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. 14 days remain until the end of the year.

Lottery News On This Day

2023
Arkansas woman sleeps with lottery tickets under pillow, wins $2 million Powerball prize. An Arkansas woman wanted to win Powerball so badly, she slept with her lottery ticket under her pillow — and she woke up to a $2 million prize the next morning.
2021
UK pals jailed for winning £4 million in lottery using stolen debit card. Two friends from the United Kingdom had a short-lived celebration after winning £4 million (US$ 5.3 million) in the lottery using a debit card they stole.
2020
Misprinted Kentucky Lottery tickets lead players to mistakenly believe they won. Quite a few Kentucky Lottery players thought they had won big time when they saw matching symbols printed on their Tic Tac Cash Fast Play tickets, but that joy quickly dissipated when they found out that those symbols were not indicators of winning the lottery at all, rather they were a result of a software error.
2019
Dad and his daughter got millions from IRS after claiming to win lottery, authorities say. A Florida father and daughter claimed the government owed them $175 million in tax refunds on their lottery winnings. The IRS paid them $3.4 million before the agency realized the pair had never purchased a winning ticket, prosecutors say.
2018
Class action over 'mesmerizing' video lottery terminals in Canada moves forward. An intriguing court case that alleges Crown-owned video lottery terminals are inherently deceptive and violate the Criminal Code has reached a critical milestone in Newfoundland and Labrador.
2018
Lottery is building a better Nebraska. It's been 25 years since Nebraskans began putting a dollar on a dream by purchasing state lottery tickets. A lot has changed since then.
2016
The legendary luck of this Spanish lottery shop keeps El Gordo players coming back. Less than two weeks before Christmas, the line to buy a ticket for Spain's biggest lottery at Doña Manolita, which some consider the country's luckiest ticket vendor, was roughly 100 people long on a chilly Tuesday evening.
2015
$63 million California Lottery ticket expires soon. A $63 million Super Lotto prize may become the largest unclaimed prize in California, but many prizes big and small go unclaimed every year, a spokesperson for the California Lottery Commission said Saturday.
2013
MEGA MILLIONS JACKPOT SOARS TO $636 MILLION. Certainly the state lotteries expected the multi-state Mega Millions October rules changes to increase jackpots, but it's fair to say the first jackpot run under the new rules exceeded their wildest expectations.
2011
Four years after drawing fiasco, Tenn. Lottery settles with tech firms. The Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. has received nearly $1 million from a pair of technology companies it blamed for software glitches that resulted in the sale of about $2 million worth of unwinnable tickets in 2007.
2009
Man wins $100,000 in one Pick 4 drawing. A North Carolina man had a good feeling that 3851 would come out in the Virginia Pick 4 drawing -- and he was right.
2008
$207M Mega Millions lottery winners happy, but waiting. A city streets department employee from Piqua, Ohio, confirmed he is one of the winners of a $207 million Mega Millions jackpot and said that all but one of the winning ticket holders are also city employees.
2008
Virginia man wins 11 times in one lottery drawing. James Peterson of Hampton, Virginia, doesn't make it a habit to buy so many tickets when he plays the Virginia Lottery's Cash 5 game, but he made an exception last Saturday.
2007
Avid S.C. lottery player wins $1,000,025. A South Carolina man is a millionaire after buying a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket in Rock Hill.
2007
Most lottery players never see big payoff. A media story makes the case that most lottery players will not win the big prize.
2004
UPS Employees Charged in Stolen Lottery Ticket Investigation. New Mexico Lottery security agents have identified 12 Albuquerque-area men and women allegedly involved in the theft and receipt of 24 packs of Lottery tickets, stolen while in transit at an area United Parcel Service shipping hub.
2004
Two win biggest lottery jackpot ever in Germany. Two people from the western German state of North Rhine-Westfalia got the winning numbers to share the biggest lottery jackpot ever in Germany - _26.7 million (US$35.5 million), lottery officials announced.
2004
Lawsuit acuses Texas of misusing lottery funds. A lawsuit filed by a watchdog group seeks to block the State of Texas from making more payments to a Las Vegas law firm hired a year ago to draft legislation to legalize video slot machines.
2004
GTECH to earn $85M from Missouri lottery contract. GTECH Holdings Corporation announced Thursday that its wholly-owned subsidiary, GTECH Corporation, was chosen by the State of Missouri to provide a new online lottery central system, terminals, and ongoing services under a proposed seven-year integrated services contract.
2004
Global Pyramid Lottery Sceme Indicted Again. On the heels of several indictments and guilty pleadings worldwide, World Games Inc. (WGI) is once again the target of law enforcement.
2003
Mega Millions jackpot increases to $85 million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery drawing grew to $85 million Wednesday.
2003
Colorado lottery woes will be fixed, says state revenue director. Colorado Revenue Director M. Michael Cooke on Tuesday pledged to fix Lottery management problems found by state auditors.
2003
You've won the lottery! Now what?. Believe it or not, jackpot winners face both a pile of cash and a mountain of problematic decisions. Here's a practical to-do list. Keep it handy for the next time you strike it rich.
2003
Profit Soars at Lottery Operator Gtech. Gtech Holdings Corp., the world's largest operator of lottery systems, posted a 40 percent jump in profit for its latest quarter, beating Wall Street estimates.
2003
Kentucky Couple Fighting Medical Problems Wins Lottery Jackpot. A couple battling multiple sclerosis and diabetes claimed a $21 million dollar Lotto South jackpot today and immediately pledged part of their winnings to medical research.

Top 25 Lottery Jackpots On This Day

1.$648 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 17, 2013
2.$544.4 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2023
3.$465 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 20, 2022
4.$372 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 17, 2019
5.$352.2 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2021
6.€329.14 Million
US$348.46 Million
Draw Date
Dec 17, 2022
7.$310 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2020
8.$304 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 19, 2020
9.$284 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2018
10.$269 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 20, 2017
11.$262 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 19, 2018
12.$223 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 19, 2017
13.$202 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 19, 2015
14.$163.3 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2002
15.$163 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2007
16.$160 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2019
16.$160 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 17, 2021
18.€135 Million
US$159.62 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Dec 19, 2017
19.$152 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 20, 2011
20.$149.9 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 17, 2022
21.€126.87 Million
US$142.58 Million
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2021
22.$140 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 18, 2009
23.$125 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 19, 2014
24.$123 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Dec 17, 2010
25.$121.6 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Dec 17, 2016

Lottery Post Member Birthdays On This Day

1987
Thursday, Dec 17, 1987
36 years old
1987
Thursday, Dec 17, 1987
36 years old
1985
Tuesday, Dec 17, 1985
38 years old
1983
Saturday, Dec 17, 1983
40 years old
1982
Friday, Dec 17, 1982
41 years old
1979
Monday, Dec 17, 1979
44 years old
1978
Sunday, Dec 17, 1978
45 years old
1977
Saturday, Dec 17, 1977
46 years old
1975
Wednesday, Dec 17, 1975
48 years old
1970
Thursday, Dec 17, 1970
53 years old
1970
Thursday, Dec 17, 1970
53 years old
1967
Sunday, Dec 17, 1967
56 years old
1953
Thursday, Dec 17, 1953
70 years old
1951
Monday, Dec 17, 1951
72 years old
1949
Saturday, Dec 17, 1949
74 years old
(year not provided)

Worldwide Events On This Day

2014
The United States and Cuba re-establish diplomatic relations after severing them in 1961.
2010
Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire. This act became the catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the wider Arab Spring.
2009
MV Danny F II sinks off the coast of Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of 44 people and over 28,000 animals.
2005
Anti-World Trade Organization protesters riot in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
2005
Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicates the throne as King of Bhutan.
2003
The Soham murder trial ends at the Old Bailey in London, with Ian Huntley found guilty of two counts of murder. His girlfriend, Maxine Carr, is found guilty of perverting the course of justice.
2003
SpaceShipOne, piloted by Brian Binnie, makes its first powered and first supersonic flight.
2003
Sex work rights activists establish December 17 (or "D17") as International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers to memorialize victims of a serial killer who targeted prostitutes, and highlight State violence against sex workers by police and others.
2002
Second Congo War: The Congolese parties of the Inter Congolese Dialogue sign a peace accord which makes provision for transitional governance and legislative and presidential elections within two years.
1997
Peruvian internal conflict: 14 members of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement provoke a hostage crisis by taking over the Japanese embassy in Lima.
1997
Aerosvit Flight 241: A Yakovlev Yak-42 crashes into the Pierian Mountains near Thessaloniki Airport in Thessaloniki, Greece, killing all 70 people on board.
1989
Romanian Revolution: Protests continue in Timișoara, Romania, with rioters breaking into the Romanian Communist Party's District Committee building and attempting to set it on fire.
1989
Fernando Collor de Mello defeats Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the second round of the Brazilian presidential election, becoming the first democratically elected President in almost 30 years.
1989
The Simpsons premieres on television with the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
1983
Provisional IRA members detonate a car bomb at Harrods Department Store in London. Three police officers and three civilians are killed.
1981
American Brigadier General James L. Dozier is abducted by the Red Brigades in Verona, Italy.
1973
Thirty passengers are killed in an attack by Palestinian terrorists on Rome's Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport.
1970
Polish protests: In Gdynia, soldiers fire at workers emerging from trains, killing dozens.
1969
Project Blue Book: The United States Air Force closes its study of UFOs.
1967
Harold Holt, Prime Minister of Australia, disappears while swimming near Portsea, Victoria, and is presumed drowned.
1961
Niterói circus fire: Fire breaks out during a performance by the Gran Circus Norte-Americano in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing more than 500.
1960
Troops loyal to Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia crush the coup that began December 13, returning power to their leader upon his return from Brazil. Haile Selassie absolves his son of any guilt.
1960
Munich C-131 crash: Twenty passengers and crew on board as well as 32 people on the ground are killed.
1957
The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
1951
The American Civil Rights Congress delivers "We Charge Genocide" to the United Nations.
1950
The F-86 Sabre's first mission over Korea.
1948
The Finnish Security Police is established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police.
1947
First flight of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber.
1945
Kurdistan flag day, the flag of Kurdistan was raised for the first time in Mahabad in eastern Kurdistan (Iran).
1944
World War II: Battle of the Bulge: Malmedy massacre: American 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion POWs are shot by Waffen-SS Kampfgruppe Joachim Peiper.
1943
All Chinese are again permitted to become citizens of the United States upon the repeal of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the Magnuson Act.
1939
World War II: Battle of the River Plate: The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.
1938
Otto Hahn discovers the nuclear fission of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of nuclear energy.
1935
First flight of the Douglas DC-3.
1933
The first NFL Championship Game is played at Wrigley Field in Chicago between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears. The Bears won 23-21.
1928
Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru assassinate British police officer James Saunders in Lahore, Punjab, to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai at the hands of the police. The three were executed in 1931.
1927
Indian revolutionary Rajendra Lahiri is hanged in Gonda jail, Uttar Pradesh, India, two days before the scheduled date.
1926
Antanas Smetona assumes power in Lithuania as the 1926 coup d'état is successful.
1918
Darwin Rebellion: Up to 1,000 demonstrators march on Government House in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
1907
Ugyen Wangchuck is crowned first King of Bhutan.
1903
The Wright brothers make the first controlled powered, heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
1896
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Schenley Park Casino, which was the first multi-purpose arena with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America, is destroyed in a fire.
1892
First issue of Vogue is published.
1865
First performance of the Unfinished Symphony by Franz Schubert.
1862
American Civil War: General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky.
1837
A fire in the Winter Palace of Saint Petersburg kills 30 guards.
1835
The second Great Fire of New York destroys 53,000 square metres (13 acres) of New York City's Financial District.
1819
Simón Bolívar declares the independence of Gran Colombia in Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar in Venezuela).
1812
War of 1812: U.S. forces attack a Lenape village in the Battle of the Mississinewa.
1807
Napoleonic Wars: France issues the Milan Decree, which confirms the Continental System.
1790
The Aztec calendar stone is discovered at El Zócalo, Mexico City.
1777
American Revolution: France formally recognizes the United States.
1718
War of the Quadruple Alliance: Great Britain declares war on Spain.
1586
Go-Yōzei becomes Emperor of Japan.
1583
Cologne War: Forces under Ernest of Bavaria defeat troops under Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg at the Siege of Godesberg.
1538
Pope Paul III excommunicates Henry VIII of England.
1398
Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud's armies in Delhi are defeated by Timur.
1297
King Kyawswa of Pagan is overthrown by the three Myinsaing brothers, marking the de facto end of the Pagan Kingdom.
942
Assassination of William I of Normandy.
920
Romanos I Lekapenos is crowned co-emperor of the underage Constantine VII.
546
Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoths under king Totila plunder the city, by bribing the Byzantine garrison.
497 BC
The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome.

Births On This Day

1999
Mirei Sasaki, Japanese idol
1998
Jasmine Armfield, English actress
1998
Martin Ødegaard, Norwegian footballer
1997
Naiktha Bains, British-Australian tennis player
1997
Shoma Uno, Japanese figure skater
1996
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Russian figure skater
1994
Lloyd Perrett, New Zealand rugby league player
1994
Nat Wolff, American singer-songwriter, keyboard player and actor
1993
Patricia Kú Flores, Peruvian tennis player
1992
Quinton de Kock, South African cricketer
1992
Joshua Ingram, Canadian drummer and percussionist
1991
James Hurst, American football player
1991
Jordan Rankin, Australian rugby league player
1991
Atsedu Tsegay, Ethiopian runner
1988
Liisa Ehrberg, Estonian cyclist
1988
Grethe Grünberg, Estonian ice dancer
1988
Kris Joseph, Canadian basketball player
1988
David Rudisha, Kenyan runner
1988
Craig Sutherland, Scottish footballer
1987
Maryna Arzamasova, Belarusian middle-distance runner
1987
Bo Guagua, Chinese businessman
1987
Chelsea Manning, American soldier and intelligence analyst
1986
Emma Bell, American actress
1986
Frank Winterstein, Australian-Samoan rugby league player
1985
Łukasz Broź, Polish footballer
1985
Craig Reid, English footballer
1985
Greg James, English radio presenter and comedian
1984
Luis Maria Alfageme, Argentinian footballer
1984
Julian Bennett, English footballer
1984
Andrew Davies, English footballer
1984
Mikky Ekko, American singer-songwriter and producer
1984
Shannon Woodward, American actress
1983
Erik Christensen, Canadian ice hockey player
1983
Haron Keitany, Kenyan runner
1983
Sébastien Ogier, French race car driver
1982
Josh Barfield, American baseball player
1982
Lorenzo Cittadini, Italian rugby player
1982
Craig Kielburger, Canadian activist and author
1982
Stéphane Lasme, Gabonese basketball player
1982
Ryan Moats, American football player
1981
Jerry Hsu, American skateboarder and photographer
1981
Tim Wiese, German footballer
1980
Ryan Hunter-Reay, American race car driver
1980
Alexandra Papageorgiou, Greek hammer thrower
1980
Eli Pariser, American activist and author
1979
Matt Murley, American ice hockey player
1979
Paul Smith, English footballer
1978
Alex Cintrón, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and sportscaster
1978
Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxer and politician
1978
Neil Sanderson, Canadian drummer and songwriter
1978
Chase Utley, American baseball player
1978
Riteish Deshmukh, Indian film actor, producer and architect
1977
Arnaud Clément, French tennis player
1977
Samuel Påhlsson, Swedish ice hockey player
1977
Katheryn Winnick, Canadian actress
1977
Maria Brink, American singer and songwriter
1976
Éric Bédard, Canadian speed skater and coach
1976
Nir Davidovich, Israeli footballer and manager
1976
Patrick Müller, Swiss footballer
1976
Andrew Simpson, English sailor (d. 2013)
1976
Takeo Spikes, American football player and sportscaster
1975
Nick Dinsmore, American wrestler and trainer
1975
Susanthika Jayasinghe, Sri Lankan sprinter
1975
Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress
1974
Charl Langeveldt, South African cricketer
1974
Sarah Paulson, American actress
1974
Giovanni Ribisi, American actor
1973
Eddie Fisher, American drummer
1973
Konstadinos Gatsioudis, Greek javelin thrower
1973
Rian Johnson, American director, producer, and screenwriter
1973
Paula Radcliffe, English runner
1973
Hasan Vural, German-Turkish footballer
1972
John Abraham, Indian actor and producer
1972
Iván Pedroso, Cuban long jumper and coach
1971
Alan Khan, South African radio and TV presenter
1971
Antoine Rigaudeau, French basketball player
1969
Laurie Holden, American actress and model
1969
Inna Lasovskaya, Russian triple jumper
1969
Chuck Liddell, American mixed martial artist and kick-boxer
1969
Mick Quinn, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
1968
Claudio Suárez, Mexican footballer
1968
Paul Tracy, Canadian race car driver and sportscaster
1967
Vincent Damphousse, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
1967
Karsten Neitzel, German footballer and manager
1966
Tracy Byrd, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1966
Kristiina Ojuland, Estonian politician, 23rd Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
1965
Craig Berube, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1964
Frank Musil, Czech ice hockey player and coach
1964
Joe Wolf, American basketball player and coach
1962
Paul Dobson, English footballer
1962
Galina Malchugina, Russian sprinter
1962
Rocco Mediate, American golfer and journalist
1961
Mansoor al-Jamri, Bahraini journalist and author
1959
Bob Stinson, American songwriter and guitarist (d. 1995)
1958
Mike Mills, American bass player, songwriter, and producer
1957
Wendy Hoyte, English sprinter
1957
Bob Ojeda, American baseball player and coach
1956
Peter Farrelly, American director, producer, and screenwriter
1956
Dominic Lawson, English journalist and author
1956
Totka Petrova, Bulgarian runner
1955
Brad Davis, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
1954
Sergejus Jovaiša, Lithuanian basketball player
1953
Bill Pullman, American actor
1951
Pat Hill, American football player and coach
1951
Ken Hitchcock, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1951
Tatyana Kazankina, Russian runner
1950
Laurence F. Johnson, American educator and author
1950
Maurice Peoples, American sprinter and coach
1949
Sotiris Kaiafas, Cypriot footballer
1949
Paul Rodgers, English singer-songwriter and producer
1948
Valery Belousov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2015)
1948
Jim Bonfanti, American rock drummer
1948
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Turkish economist and politician
1947
Wes Studi, American actor and producer
1946
Simon Bates, English radio host
1946
Eugene Levy, Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter
1945
Ernie Hudson, American actor
1945
David Mallet, British director
1945
Chris Matthews, American journalist and author
1945
Jüri Talvet, Estonian poet and critic
1945
Jacqueline Wilson, English author and academic
1944
Jack L. Chalker, American author and educator (d. 2005)
1944
Carlo M. Croce, Italian-American oncologist and academic
1944
Bernard Hill, English actor
1943
Ron Geesin, Scottish pianist and composer
1942
Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian general and politician, seventh Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
1942
Paul Butterfield, American singer and harmonica player (d. 1987)
1941
Dave Dee, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2009)
1941
Stan Mudenge, Zimbabwean historian and politician, Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2012)
1940
Kåre Valebrokk, Norwegian journalist (d. 2013)
1940
María Elena Velasco, Mexican actress, singer, director, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
1939
James Booker, American pianist (d. 1983)
1939
Eddie Kendricks, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 1992)
1938
Peter Snell, New Zealand runner (d. 2019)
1937
Brian Hayes, Australian-English radio host
1937
Art Neville, American singer and keyboard player (d. 2019)
1937
Kerry Packer, Australian businessman, founded World Series Cricket (d. 2005)
1937
John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (d. 1969)
1937
Calvin Waller, American general (d. 1996)
1936
Pope Francis
1936
Tommy Steele, English singer, guitarist, and actor
1935
Brian Langford, English cricketer (d. 2013)
1935
Cal Ripken Sr., American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1999)
1934
Irving Petlin, American painter and academic (d. 2018)
1934
Ray Wilson, English footballer and manager (d. 2018)
1932
John Bond, English footballer and manager (d. 2012)
1931
Gerald Finnerman, American director and cinematographer (d. 2011)
1931
Dave Madden, Canadian-American actor (d. 2014)
1931
James McGaugh, American neurobiologist and psychologist
1930
Bob Guccione, American photographer and publisher, founded Penthouse (d. 2010)
1930
Armin Mueller-Stahl, German actor and painter
1930
Dorothy Rowe, Australian psychologist and author (d. 2019)
1929
William Safire, American journalist and author (d. 2009)
1928
Marilyn Beck, American journalist (d. 2014)
1928
Eli Beeding, American captain and pilot (d. 2013)
1928
Doyle Conner, American farmer and politician, seventh Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (d. 2012)
1927
Richard Long, American actor and director (d. 1974)
1927
Edward Meneeley, American painter and sculptor (d. 2012)
1926
Ray Jablonski, American baseball player (d. 1985)
1926
John Hans Krebs, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
1926
Stephen Lewis, English actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright (d. 2015)
1923
Jaroslav Pelikan, American historian and scholar (d. 2006)
1922
Alan Voorhees, American engineer and academic (d. 2005)
1921
Lore Berger, German-Swiss author and translator (d. 1943)
1920
Kenneth E. Iverson, Canadian computer scientist, developed the APL programming language (d. 2004)
1917
Kenneth Dike, Nigerian historian, author, and academic (d. 1983)
1916
Penelope Fitzgerald, English author and poet (d. 2000)
1914
Mushtaq Ali, Indian cricketer (d. 2005)
1914
Fernando Alonso, Cuban ballet dancer, co-founded the Cuban National Ballet (d. 2013)
1913
Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (d. 1967)
1912
Edward Short, Baron Glenamara, English captain and politician, Lord President of the Council (d. 2012)
1910
Eknath Easwaran, Indian-American educator and author (d. 1999)
1910
Sy Oliver, American singer-songwriter and trumpet player (d. 1988)
1908
Willard Libby, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)
1906
Fernando Lopes-Graça, Portuguese composer and conductor (d. 1994)
1906
Russell C. Newhouse, American pilot and engineer (d. 1998)
1905
Simo Häyhä, Finnish soldier and sniper (d. 2002)
1905
Mohammad Hidayatullah, 11th Chief Justice of India, and politician, sixth Vice President of India (d. 1992)
1905
Erico Verissimo, Brazilian author and translator (d. 1975)
1904
Paul Cadmus, American painter and illustrator (d. 1999)
1903
Erskine Caldwell, American novelist and short story writer (d. 1987)
1903
Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, and actor (d. 1978)
1900
Mary Cartwright, English mathematician and academic, one of the first people to analyze a dynamical system with chaos (d. 1998)
1898
Loren Murchison, American sprinter (d. 1979)
1895
Gerald Patterson, Australian tennis player (d. 1967)
1894
Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (d. 1979)
1894
Patrick Flynn, Irish-American runner and soldier (d. 1969)
1894
Wim Schermerhorn, Dutch cartographer, engineer, and politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1977)
1893
Charles C. Banks, English captain and pilot (d. 1971)
1893
Erwin Piscator, German director and producer (d. 1966)
1892
Sam Barry, American basketball player and coach (d. 1950)
1890
Prince Joachim of Prussia (d. 1920)
1887
Josef Lada, Czech painter and illustrator (d. 1957)
1884
Alison Uttley, English children's book writer (d. 1976)
1881
Aubrey Faulkner, South African-English cricketer and coach (d. 1930)
1874
William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canadian economist and politician, tenth Prime Minister of Canada (d. 1950)
1873
Ford Madox Ford, English novelist, poet, and critic (d. 1939)
1866
Kazys Grinius, Lithuanian physician and politician, third President of Lithuania (d. 1950)
1859
Paul César Helleu, French painter and illustrator (d. 1927)
1853
Pierre Paul Émile Roux, French physician and immunologist, co-founded the Pasteur Institute (d. 1933)
1847
Émile Faguet, French author and critic (d. 1916)
1842
Sophus Lie, Norwegian mathematician and academic (d. 1899)
1840
Nozu Michitsura, Japanese field marshal (d. 1908)
1835
Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, Swiss-American ichthyologist and engineer (d. 1910)
1830
Jules de Goncourt, French author and critic (d. 1870)
1827
Alexander Wassilko von Serecki, Austrian lawyer and politician (d. 1893)
1812
Vilhelm Petersen, Danish painter (d. 1880)
1807
John Greenleaf Whittier, American poet and activist (d. 1892)
1797
Joseph Henry, American physicist and engineer (d. 1878)
1796
Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Canadian judge and politician (d. 1865)
1778
Humphry Davy, English chemist and physicist (d. 1829)
1749
Domenico Cimarosa, Italian composer and educator (d. 1801)
1734
Maria I of Portugal (d. 1816)
1706
Émilie du Châtelet, French mathematician and physicist (d. 1749)
1699
Charles-Louis Mion, French composer and educator (d. 1775)
1685
Thomas Tickell, English poet (d. 1740)
1632
Anthony Wood, English historian and author (d. 1695)
1619
Prince Rupert of the Rhine (d. 1682)
1616
Roger L'Estrange, English pamphleteer and author (d. 1704)
1574
Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna, Spanish nobleman and politician (d. 1624)
1556
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, poet in Mughal Empire (d. 1627)
1554
Ernest of Bavaria, Roman Catholic bishop (d. 1612)
1267
Emperor Go-Uda of Japan (d. 1324)
1239
Kujō Yoritsugu, Japanese shōgun (d. 1256)

Deaths On This Day

2020
Jeremy Bullock, English actor (b. 1945)
2020
Allen Dines, American politician (b. 1921)
2016
Benjamin A. Gilman, American soldier and politician (b. 1922)
2016
Henry Heimlich, American doctor (b. 1920)
2016
Gordon Hunt, American voice director (b. 1929)
2015
Hal Brown, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)
2015
Osamu Hayaishi, American-Japanese biochemist and academic (b. 1920)
2015
Michael Wyschogrod, German-American philosopher and theologian (b. 1928)
2014
Dieter Grau, German-American scientist and engineer (b. 1913)
2014
Richard C. Hottelet, American journalist (b. 1917)
2014
Oleh Lysheha, Ukrainian poet and playwright (b. 1949)
2014
Lowell Steward, American captain (b. 1919)
2014
Ivan Vekić, Croatian colonel, lawyer, and politician, Croatian Minister of the Interior (b. 1938)
2013
Fred Bruemmer, Latvian-Canadian photographer (b. 1929)
2013
Ricardo María Carles Gordó, Spanish cardinal (b. 1926)
2013
Richard Heffner, American historian and television host (b. 1925)
2013
Tetsurō Kashibuchi, Japanese drummer, songwriter, and producer (b. 1950)
2013
Janet Rowley, American geneticist and biologist (b. 1925)
2013
Conny van Rietschoten, Dutch sailor (b. 1926)
2012
Richard Adams, Filipino-American activist (b. 1947)
2012
James Gower, American priest and activist, co-founded the College of the Atlantic (b. 1922)
2012
Daniel Inouye, American captain and politician (b. 1924)
2012
Laurier LaPierre, Canadian historian, journalist, and politician (b. 1929)
2012
Frank Pastore, American baseball player and radio host (b. 1957)
2011
Eva Ekvall, Venezuelan journalist and author, Miss Venezuela 2000 (b. 1983)
2011
Kim Jong-il, North Korean commander and politician, second Supreme Leader of North Korea (b. 1941)
2010
Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
2010
Walt Dropo, American basketball and baseball player (b. 1923)
2010
Ralph Coates, English footballer (b. 1946)
2009
Chris Henry, American football player (b. 1983)
2009
Jennifer Jones, American actress (b. 1919)
2009
Alaina Reed Hall, American actress (b. 1946)
2008
Sammy Baugh, American football player and coach (b. 1914)
2008
Freddy Breck, German singer-songwriter, producer, and journalist (b. 1942)
2008
Dave Smith, American baseball player and coach (b. 1955)
2008
Gregoire, Congolese chimpanzee, oldest recorded (b. 1942)
2006
Larry Sherry, American baseball player and coach (b. 1935)
2005
Jack Anderson, American journalist and author (b. 1922)
2005
Marc Favreau, Canadian actor and poet (b. 1929)
2005
Haljand Udam, Estonian orientalist and academic (d. 1936)
2004
Tom Wesselmann, American painter and sculptor (b. 1931)
2003
Otto Graham, American football player and coach (b. 1921)
2002
K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, tenth Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (b. 1910)
1999
Rex Allen, American singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1920)
1999
Grover Washington Jr., American singer-songwriter and saxophonist (b. 1943)
1999
C. Vann Woodward, American historian and academic (b. 1908)
1992
Günther Anders, German journalist and philosopher (b. 1902)
1992
Dana Andrews, American actor (b. 1909)
1987
Bernardus Johannes Alfrink, Dutch cardinal (b. 1900)
1987
Linda Wong, American porn actress (b. 1951)
1987
Marguerite Yourcenar, Belgian-American author and poet (b. 1903)
1986
Guillermo Cano Isaza, Colombian journalist (b. 1925)
1982
Homer S. Ferguson, American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1889)
1981
Antiochos Evangelatos, Greek composer and conductor (b. 1903)
1978
Don Ellis, American trumpet player, composer, and bandleader (b. 1934)
1970
Oliver Waterman Larkin, American historian, author, and educator (b. 1896)
1967
Harold Holt, Australian lawyer and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1908)
1964
Victor Francis Hess, Austrian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1883)
1962
Thomas Mitchell, American actor (b. 1892)
1957
Dorothy L. Sayers, English author, poet, and playwright (b. 1893)
1956
Eddie Acuff, American actor (b. 1903)
1947
Christos Tsigiridis, Greek engineer (b. 1877)
1942
Allen Bathurst, Lord Apsley, English lieutenant and politician (b. 1895)
1940
Alicia Boole Stott, Anglo-Irish mathematician and academic (b. 1860)
1935
Lizette Woodworth Reese, American poet (b. 1856)
1933
13th Dalai Lama (b. 1876)
1932
Charles Winckler, Danish discus thrower, shot putter, and tug of war competitor (b. 1867)
1930
Peter Warlock, Welsh composer and critic (b. 1894)
1929
Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa, Portuguese general and politician, tenth President of Portugal (b. 1863)
1928
Frank Rinehart, American photographer (b. 1861)
1927
Rajendra Lahiri, Indian activist (b. 1892)
1917
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, English physician and activist (b. 1836)
1909
Leopold II of Belgium (b. 1835)
1907
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, Irish-Scottish physicist and engineer (b. 1824)
1904
William Shiels, Irish-Australian politician, 16th Premier of Victoria (b. 1848)
1891
José María Iglesias, Mexican politician and interim President (1876-1877) (b. 1823)
1857
Francis Beaufort, Irish hydrographer and officer in the Royal Navy (b. 1774)
1847
Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (b. 1791)
1833
Kaspar Hauser, German feral child (b. 1812?)
1830
Simón Bolívar, Venezuelan general and politician, second President of Venezuela (b. 1783)
1721
Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough, English soldier and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1640)
1663
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (b. 1583)
1562
Eleonora di Toledo, Grand Duchess of Tuscany (b. 1522)
1559
Irene di Spilimbergo, Italian Renaissance poet and painter (b. 1538)
1471
Infanta Isabel, Duchess of Burgundy (b. 1397)
1419
William Gascoigne, Chief Justice of England
1316
Juan Fernández, bishop-elect of León
1273
Rumi, Persian jurist, theologian, and poet (b. 1207)
1195
Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut (b. 1150)
1187
Pope Gregory VIII (b. 1100)
942
William I, duke of Normandy
908
al-Abbas ibn al-Hasan al-Jarjara'i, Abbasid vizier
908
Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz, Abbasid prince and poet, anti-caliph for one day
779
Sturm, abbot of Fulda