Today October 22nd 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
362 – The temple of Apollo at Daphne, outside of Antioch, is destroyed in a mysterious fire.
794 – Emperor Kanmu relocates Japanese capital to Heiankyo (now Kyoto).
1383 – The 1383-1385 Crisis in Portugal: A period of civil war and disorder began when King Fernando died without a male heir to the Portuguese throne.
1575 – Foundation of Aguascalientes.
1633 – Ming dynasty fight with Dutch East India Company that Battle of southern Fujian sea (1633), Ming dynasty won great victory.
1730 – The Ladoga Canal construction is completed.
1746 – The College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University) receives its charter.
1784 – Russia founds a colony on Kodiak Island, Alaska.
1797 – One thousand meters (3,200 feet) above Paris, André-Jacques Garnerin makes the first recorded parachute jump.
1836 – Sam Houston is inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas.
1844 – The Great Anticipation: Millerites, followers of William Miller, anticipated the end of the world in conjunction with the Second Advent of Christ. The following day became known as the Great Disappointment.
1867 – Foundation of the National University of Colombia.
1875 – First telegraphic connection in Argentina.
1877 – The Blantyre mining disaster in Scotland kills 207 miners.
1878 – The first rugby match under floodlights takes place in Salford, between Broughton and Swinton.
1883 – The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City opens with a performance of Gounod s Faust (opera).
1895 – In Paris an express train overruns a buffer stop and crosses more than 30 metres of concourse before plummeting through a window at Gare Montparnasse.
1907 – Panic of 1907: A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock sets events in motion that will lead to a depression.
1910 – Dr. Crippen is convicted at the Old Bailey of poisoning his wife and was subsequently hanged at Pentonville Prison in London.
1924 – Toastmasters International is founded.
1926 – J. Gordon Whitehead sucker punches magician Harry Houdini in the stomach in Montreal.
1928 – Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity is founded at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus.
1934 – In East Liverpool, Ohio, notorious bank robber Pretty Boy Floyd is shot and killed by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.
Births
1935 – Establishment of the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.
1941 – French hero of the resistance Guy Môquet is executed by the Germans, along with 29 other hostages as a retaliation for a killed German officer.
1943 – World War II: Kassel: RAF conducts an air raid on the city of 236,000 people, killing 10,000, rendering 150,000 homeless. Second firestorm raid in Germany
1944 – World War II: Battle of Aachen: The city of Aachen falls to American forces after three weeks of fighting, making it the first German city to fall to the Allies.
1946 – Forty four British sailors die when two British warships hit mines off the coast of Albania.
1953 – Laos gains independence from France.
1956 – A concrete girder weighing 200 tons kills 48 in Karachi, Pakistan.
1957 – Vietnam War: First United States casualties in Vietnam.
1960 – Independence of Mali from France.
1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis: US President John F. Kennedy, after internal counsel from Dwight D. Eisenhower, announces that American spy planes have discovered Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, and that he has ordered a naval quarantine of the island nation.
1963 – BAC One-Eleven prototype airliner crashes on October 22 in UK with the loss of all on board.
1964 – Jean-Paul Sartre is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, but turns down the honor.
1964 – Canada: A Multi-Party Parliamentary Committee selects the design which becomes the new official Flag of Canada.
1966 – The Supremes become the first all-female music group to attain a No. 1 selling album (The Supremes A Go-Go).
1966 – The Soviet Union launches Luna 12.
1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 7 safely splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean after orbiting the Earth 163 times.
1970 – Tunku Abdul Rahman resign from Prime Minister of Malaysia.
1972 – Vietnam War: In Saigon, Henry Kissinger and South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu meet to discuss a proposed cease-fire that had been worked out between Americans and North Vietnamese in Paris. Thieu rejects the proposal and accused the United States of conspiring to undermine his regime.
1975 – The Soviet unmanned space mission Venera 9 lands on Venus.
1976 – Red Dye No. 4 is banned by the US Food and Drug Administration after it is discovered that it causes tumors in the bladders of dogs. The dye is still used in Canada.
1981 – The United States Federal Labor Relations Authority votes to decertify the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization for its strike the previous August.
1981 – The founding congress of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Organisation faction led by Hareram Sharma and D.P. Singh begins.
1981 – The TGV railway service Paris-Lyon is inaugurated.
1983 – Two correctional officers are killed by inmates in Marion, Illinois. The incident inspired the Supermax model of prisons.
1991 – Dimitrios Arhondonis, metropolitan of Chalcedon elected 270th Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch as Patriarch Bartholomew I of the Orthodox church.
1999 – Maurice Papon, an official in the Vichy France government during World War II, is jailed for crimes against humanity.
2005 – Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin, making the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 22 named storms.
2006 – A Panama Canal expansion proposal is approved by 77.8% of voters in a National referendum held in Panama.
2007 – Raid on Anuradhapura Air Force Base, was carried out by 21 Tamil Tiger commandos, all except one died in this attack, 8 Sri Lankan Air Force planes were destroyed and 10 damaged.
2008 – India launches its first unmanned lunar mission Chandrayaan-1.
Deaths
1071 – William IX, Duke of Aquitaine and poet (d. 1126)
1197 – Emperor Juntoku of Japan (d. 1242)
1511 – Erasmus Reinhold, German astronomer and mathematician (d. 1553)
1558 – Jacques Sirmond, French scholar and Jesuit (d. 1651)
1592 – Gustaf Horn, Swedish soldier and politician (d. 1657)
1688 – Nadir Shah of Persia (d. 1747)
1689 – King John V of Portugal (d. 1750)
1692 – Elizabeth Farnese, second queen of King Philip V of Spain (d. 1766)
1701 – Maria Amalia of Austria, Holy Roman Empire Empress (d. 1756)
1729 – Johann Reinhold Forster, German botanist (d. 1798)
1734 – Daniel Boone, American pioneer and hunter (d. 1820)
1770 – Thomas Seebeck, Baltic German physicist (d. 1831)
1809 – Volney E. Howard, American politician (d. 1889)
1811 – Franz Liszt, Hungarian pianist and composer (d. 1886)
1818 – Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle, French poet (d. 1894)
1821 – Collis Potter Huntington, American railroad executive (d. 1900)
1844 – Louis Riel, Canadian Metis Political Leader (d. 1885)
1858 – German Empress Augusta Victoria, wife of German Emperor Wilhelm II (d. 1921)
1865 – Kristjan Raud, Estonian painter (d. 1943)
1870 – Alfred Douglas, English partner of Oscar Wilde (d. 1945)
1870 – Ivan Bunin, Russian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1953)
1873 – Gustaf John Ramstedt, Finland-Swedish linguist and diplomat (d. 1950)
1881 – Clinton Davisson, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
1886 – Erik Bergman, Lutheran pastor (d. 1970)
1887 – John Reed, American journalist (d. 1920)
1891 – Parker Fennelly, American comedian and actor (d. 1988)
1894 – Méi Lánfang, Chinese opera performer (d. 1961)
1896 – Charles Glen King, American biochemist (d. 1988)
1903 – George Wells Beadle, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (d. 1989)
1903 – Curly Howard, American actor and comedian, member of the Three Stooges (d. 1952)
1904 – Constance Bennett, American actress (d. 1965)
1905 – Joseph Kosma, Hungarian-born composer (d. 1969)
1907 – Jimmie Foxx, American baseball player (d. 1967)
1908 – John Gould, American humorist, essayist, and columnist (d. 2003)
1912 – Frances Drake, American actress (d. 2000)
1913 – B?o Ð?i, Emperor of Vietnam (d. 1997)
1913 – Tamara Desni, German-born British actress (d. 2008)
1913 – Robert Capa, American war photographer (born in Hungary) (d. 1954)
1913 – Hans-Peter Tschudi, Swiss Federal Councilor (d. 2002)
1917 – Joan Fontaine, American actress
1918 – Lou Klein, American baseball player (d. 1976)
1919 – Doris Lessing, British writer, Nobel Prize laureate
1919 – Kathleen Ankers, American scenic designer (d. 2001)
1920 – Timothy Leary, American writer (d. 1996)
1921 – Georges Brassens, French singer (d. 1981)
1921 – Alexander Kronrod, Russian mathematician (d. 1986)
1922 – Juan Carlos Lorenzo, Argentine footballer (d. 2001)
1923 – Bert Trautmann, German former footballer
1925 – Robert Rauschenberg, American painter and graphic artist (d. 2008)
1927 – Allan Hendrickse, South African politician (d. 2005)
1928 – Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Brazilian movie director
1929 – Lev Yashin, Soviet footballer (d. 1990)
1929 – Dory Previn, American songwriter
1933 – Helmut Senekowitsch, Austrian footballer (d. 2007)
1935 – Ann Rule, American true-crime writer
1936 – Bobby Seale, American civil rights activist
1937 – Manos Loïzos, Greek composer (d. 1982)
1938 – Derek Jacobi, English actor
1938 – Christopher Lloyd, American actor
1939 – George Cohen, English footballer
1939 – Tony Roberts, American actor
1939 – Joaquim Chissano, President of Mozambique
1942 – Annette Funicello, American actress
1942 – Bobby Fuller, American rock guitarist (d. 1966)
1943 – Jan de Bont, Dutch film director
1943 – Catherine Deneuve, French actress
1943 – Allen Coage, American professional wrestler (d. 2007)
1945 – Leslie West, American musician
1945 – Sheila Sherwood, British long jumper
1945 – Yvan Ponton, Canadian actor and television host
1946 – Kelvin MacKenzie, British media tycoon
1946 – Claude Charron, French-Canadian politician and TV personality
1946 – Eddie Brigati, American singer (The Rascals)
1947 – Raymond Bachand, French-Canadian politician and businessman
1947 – Haley Barbour, American politician, governor of Mississippi
1948 – Lynette Fromme, American attempted assassin of Gerald Ford
1949 – Stiv Bators, American musician (The Dead Boys) (d. 1990)
1949 – Vasilios Magginas, Greek politician
1949 – Arsène Wenger, French football manager
1952 – Jeff Goldblum, American actor
1956 – Frank DiPino, American baseball player
1959 – Arto Salminen, Finnish writer (d. 2005)
1959 – Marc Shaiman, American composer
1960 – Darryl Jenifer, American bassist (Bad Brains)
1960 – Cris Kirkwood, American musician (Meat Puppets)
1961 – Robert Torti, American actor
1962 – Bob Odenkirk, American actor and comedian (Mr. Show)
1963 – Brian Boitano, American figure skater
1964 – Dražen Petrovic, Croatian basketball player (d. 1993)
1964 – Toby Mac, American singer and songwriter
1965 – John Wesley Harding, American musician
1965 – Otis Smith, American football player
1966 – Valeria Golino, Italian actress
1967 – Rita Guerra, Portuguese singer
1967 – Ron Tugnutt, Canadian ice hockey player
1967 – Carlos Mencia, Honduras-born American comedian
1967 – Ulrike Maier, Austrian alpine skier (d. 1994)
1968 – Shaggy, Jamaican musician
1968 – Stéphane Quintal, Canadian ice hockey player
1968 – Jay Johnston, American actor and comedian (Mr. Show)
1969 – Héctor Carrasco, Dominican baseball player
1969 – Spike Jonze, American director and film producer
1969 – Helmut Lotti, Belgian singer
1970 – Amy Redford, American actress, director and producer
1971 – Kornel David, Hungarian basketball player
1972 – D Lo Brown, American professional wrestler
1973 – Andrés Palop, Spanish footballer
1973 – Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese baseball player
1974 – Tim Kinsella, American musician
1974 – Jeff McInnis, American NBA basketball player
1974 – Miroslav Šatan, Slovak ice hockey player
1975 – Martín Cardetti, Argentine footballer
1975 – Míchel Salgado, Spanish footballer
1976 – Jon Foreman, American musician (Switchfoot)
1976 – Helen Svedin, Swedish model
1978 – Owais Shah, English cricketer
1978 – Dion Glover, American basketball player
1978 – Chaswe Nsofwa, Zambian footballer (d. 2007)
1980 – Garrett Tierney, American musician (Brand New)
1981 – Olivier Pla, French racing driver
1982 – Robinson Canó, Dominican baseball player
1982 – Heath Miller, American football player
1983 – Glenn Loovens, Dutch footballer
1984 – Jonathan Helwig, American MMA fighter
1985 – Zac Hanson, American musician
1986 – Kara Lang, Canadian soccer player
1987 – Jake Richardson, English footballer
1990 – Jonathan Lipnicki, American actor
1992 – Sofia Vassilieva, American actress
Holidays and observances
741 – Charles Martel, leader of the Franks (b. 686)
1383 – King Fernando I of Portugal (b. 1345)
1565 – Jean, Vicomte d Aguisy Grolier de Servieres, French bibliophile (b. 1479)
1613 – Pomponio Nenna, Italian composer
1625 – Kikkawa Hiroie, Japanese politician (b. 1561)
1674 – Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, Dutch painter (b. 1621)
1708 – Hermann Witsius, Dutch theologian (b. 1636)
1751 – William IV, Prince of Orange (b. 1711)
1755 – Elisha Williams, American rector of Yale College (b. 1694)
1792 – Guillaume Le Gentil, French astronomer (b. 1725)
1847 – Sahle Selassie, Negus of Shewa
1859 – Louis Spohr, German violinist and composer (b. 1784)
1883 – Thomas Mayne Reid, Irish-American novelist (b. 1818)
1891 – Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow, Austrian physiologist (b. 1846)
1906 – Paul Cezanne, French painter (b. 1839)
1917 – Bob Fitzsimmons, English boxer (b. 1863)
1918 – Myrtle Gonzalez, American film and stage actress (b. 1891)
1927 – Borisav Bora Stankovic, Serbian writer (b. 1876)
1928 – Andrew Fisher, fifth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1862)
1934 – Pretty Boy Floyd, American gangster (b. 1904)
1935 – Komitas, Armenian composer (b. 1869)
1941 – Guy Môquet, French hero of the resistance(executed)(b. 1924)
1952 – Ernst Rüdin, Swiss nazi physician (b. 1874)
1954 – Jibanananda Das, Bengali poet (b. 1899)
1969 – Tommy Edwards, American singer (b. 1922)
1973 – Pablo Casals, Catalan cellist and conductor (b. 1876)
1978 – John Riley, English poet (murdered) (b. 1937)
1979 – Nadia Boulanger, French composer and composition teacher (b. 1887)
1985 – Viorica Ursuleac, Romanian soprano (b. 1894)
1986 – Albert Szent-Györgyi, Hungarian physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1893)
1986 – Jane Dornacker, musician, actress, and traffic reporter for WNBC Radio. (b. 1947)
1986 – Ye Jianying, Chinese general and politician (b. 1897)
1987 – Lino Ventura, Italian-born actor (b. 1919)
1989 – Ewan MacColl, English folk singer, songwriter, socialist, actor, poet, playwright, and record producer (b. 1915)
1992 – Cleavon Little, American actor (b. 1939)
1993 – Innes Ireland, Scottish racing driver (b. 1930)
1995 – Sir Kingsley Amis, English writer (b. 1922)
1997 – Leonid Amalrik, Russian animator (b. 1905)
1998 – Eric Ambler, English novelist (b. 1909)
2001 – Prof. Dr. Dkfm. Helmut Krackowizer, journalist and motorcycle racer (b. 1922)
2002 – Queen Geraldina of the Albanians (b. 1915)
2005 – Arman, French-born artist (b. 1928)
2005 – Tony Adams, Irish film producer (b. 1953)
2005 – Franky Gee, American singer (Captain Jack) (b. 1962)
2006 – Arthur Hill, Canadian actor (b. 1922)
2007 – Ève Curie, French writer (b. 1904)
