This Day In History

+ User FidoNet address: 1:116/18
  Interesting things that have happened, and people born and died on this date 
                             Registered to Omicron Theta 
 
                               By Scott Labrecque 
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Births:  
 
05/20/1364 Henry Percy, [Harry Hotspur], British soldier/politican 
05/20/1470 Pietro Bembo, cardinal/theologian 
05/20/1537 Hieronymus Fabricius Ab, Aquapend Italy, physician (De Formato Foetu

05/20/1547 Melchior Bischoff, composer 
05/20/1554 Paulo Bellasio, composer 
05/20/1593 Jacob Jordaens, Flemish barok artist 
05/20/1743 [Fran‡ois D] Toussaint L'Ouverture, (… Breda), leader (Haiti) 
05/20/1750 Stephen Girard, bailed out US bonds during War of 1812 
05/20/1754 Hans Gram, composer 
05/20/1759 William Thornton, architect (Capitol building, Wash DC) 
05/20/1764 J Gottfried Schadow, German sculptor/cartoonist/lithographer 
05/20/1768 Dolley Dandridge Payne Madison, 1st lady (1809-17) 
05/20/1772 William Congreve, English officer (design fire rocket) 
05/20/1799 Honor‚ de Balzac, France, novelist (Pere Goriot, Human Comedy) 
05/20/1806 John Stuart Mill, UK, philosopher/political economist/Utilitarian 
05/20/1812 Gustav Adolf Mankell, composer 
05/20/1815 Barth‚l‚my Menn, Swiss graphic artist/painter 
05/20/1818 William George Fargo, founder (Wells Fargo) 
05/20/1822 Emile Erckmann, [E-Chatrian], French writer (Waterloo) 
05/20/1822 Fr‚d‚ric Passy, French economist/pacifist (Nobel 1901) 
05/20/1828 James William Reilly, Brig General (Union volunteers), died in 1905 
05/20/1830 Amalia Mdga, princess of Saxon-Weimar-Eisenach/wife of prince Henry 
05/20/1830 Hector H Malot, French writer (Without Family, Alleen on de world) 
05/20/1841 Sara Louisa Oberholtz, social reformer, anti-smoking advocate 
05/20/1844 Henri Julien Felix Rousseau, French painter (Dream) 
05/20/1850 Eaton Faning, composer 
05/20/1851 Emile Berliner, Germany, inventor (flat phonograph record) 
05/20/1851 Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, US, nun/daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne 
05/20/1872 Albert Steinrck, German actor (Golem) 
05/20/1874 Folkert E Posthuma, minister of Agriculture/Industry 
05/20/1876 John Owen Jones, composer 
05/20/1881 Wladyslaw Sikorski, premier Poland 
05/20/1882 Sigrid Undset, Norway, novelist (Kristin Lavransdatter, Nobel 1928) 
05/20/1889 Felix Arndt, composer 
05/20/1889 Margery Allingham, detective story writer 
05/20/1889 William Lawther, union leader 
05/20/1890 Beniamino Gigli, Italy, tenor (Enzo-La Gioconde) 
05/20/1894 Adela Rogers St John, journalist/author (Foreign Correspondant) 
05/20/1899 Estelle Taylor, US, actress (8 Commandments) 
05/20/1899 John M Harlan, Chicago, 91st Supreme Court justice (1955-71) 
05/20/1901 Max Euwe, Netherlands, world chess champion (1935-37) 
05/20/1903 Jerzy Fitelberg, composer 
05/20/1905 Harry Campion, founder (British Central Statistical Office) 
05/20/1908 Jimmy Stewart, PA, actor (Mr Smith Goes to Wash, Wonderful Life) 
05/20/1909 John Arkell, director of BBC administration 
05/20/1911 Annie Schmidt, writer (Fam Doorsnee/Jip & Janneke) 
05/20/1911 Gardner F[rancis] Fox, US, sci-fi author (Kothar-Barbarian Swordsman

05/20/1912 Joseph Proce, 3rd victim of NYC's Zodiac killer (survives) 
05/20/1913 Henry Cadbury Brown, architect 
05/20/1913 Ion Dumitrescu, composer 
05/20/1913 William Hewlett, cofounder of Hewlett-Packard Co 
05/20/1915 Moshe Dayan, Israeli general/minister of Defense 
05/20/1915 Peter Copley, actor (Victim, King & Country) 
05/20/1916 John McIntyre, theologian 
05/20/1916 Owen Chadwick, chancellor (U of East Anglia) 
05/20/1917 Enyss Djemil, composer 
05/20/1917 Richard Cobb, historian 
05/20/1919 George Gobel, Chicago Ill, comedian/TV personality (I Love My Wife) 
05/20/1920 Betty Driver, actress (Penny Paradise) 
05/20/1920 John Cruickshank, banker 
05/20/1920 William Simpson, British trade union leader 
05/20/1921 John Harrison, Vice admiral british/surgeon 
05/20/1921 John Marchi, (Rep-R-NY) 
05/20/1922 Clifford Butler, vice chancellor (Loughborough University of Technol

05/20/1923 Edith Fellows, Boston, actress (Pennies From Heaven, City Streets) 
05/20/1923 Hugh Beach, General British 
05/20/1924 Peter Shore, MP/labour minister 
05/20/1925 D French Slaughter Jr, (Rep-R-VA, 1985-  ) 
05/20/1926 David Hedison, Providence RI, actor (Colbys, Voyage to Bottom of Sea

05/20/1927 Bud Grant, Wisc, CFL/NFL player/coach (Winnipeg, Minnesota) 
05/20/1927 David Frederick Barlow, composer 
05/20/1927 Walter Aschaffenburg, composer 
05/20/1928 David Berriman, CEO (Rose Thomson Young group of Lloyds trustees 
05/20/1929 Andr‚ Carolus Cirino, Suriname/Indian poet 
05/20/1929 David Hedison, [Ara Heditsian], Providence RI, actor (Licence to Kil

05/20/1930 James McEachin, Pennert NC, actor (Harry-Tenafly) 
05/20/1930 Robert Bunyard, Commandant (British Police Staff College) 
05/20/1931 Chiharu Igaya, Japan, slalom (Olympic-silver-1956) 
05/20/1933 Constance Towers, actress (Capitol, Shock Corrider, Naked Kiss) 
05/20/1933 Danny Aiello, actor (Moonstruck, Do the Right Thing) 
05/20/1936 Anthony Zerbe, US, actor (Papillon, They Call Me Mr Tibbs) 
05/20/1937 Earl of Iveagh, pres (Guiness Pics) 
05/20/1938 Alan Smithers, British professor 
05/20/1938 Christina Bass-Kaiser, 3K spped skater (Olympic-gold-1972) 
05/20/1940 Sadaharu Oh, of Yomiuri Giants (Japan), hit 868 career HR 
05/20/1941 Goh Chok Sole, premier of Singapore (1990-  ) 
05/20/1941 Maria Liberia-Peters, premier of Dutch Antilles (-1993) 
05/20/1942 Lynn Davies, long jumper 
05/20/1942 Paula, [Jill Jackson], Tx, singer (Hey Paula) 
05/20/1943 Deryck Murray, cricket Manager (West Indies team) 
05/20/1943 Ian Vallance, CEO (British Telecom) 
05/20/1943 Tison Street, composer 
05/20/1944 Boudewijn de Groot, Dutch singer (Good night mister president) 
05/20/1944 Cipa Dichter, Rio de Janeiro Brazil, pianist/wife of Misha Dichter 
05/20/1944 David M Walker, Columbus Ga, Capt USN/astron (STS 51-A 30, sk:STS-44

05/20/1944 Joe Cocker, England, rock musician (You are so Beautiful to me) 
05/20/1944 Keith Fletcher, cricket captain (Essex & England) 
05/20/1945 Harold E Ford, (Rep-D-TN, 1975-  ) 
05/20/1945 Lord Hollick, CEO (MAI) 
05/20/1945 Nikolai Nikolayevich Fefelov, Russia, colonel/cosmonaut 
05/20/1945 Wally Herger, (Rep-R-California) 
05/20/1946 Bakhaavaa Buidaa, Mongolia, wrestler (Oly-silver-1972) disqualified 
05/20/1946 Cher Bono, Cal, rocker/actress (I Got You Babe, Jack Lalane, Mask) 
05/20/1948 Dave Thomas, St Catherines Ontario, comedian (SCTV) 
05/20/1948 John R McKernan Jr, (Rep-R-ME, 1983-86/Gov-Maine) 
05/20/1948 Samuel Gejdenson, (Rep-D-Connecticut, 1981-  ) 
05/20/1949 Nick Joe Rahall II, (Rep-D-WV, 1977-  ) 
05/20/1951 Michael D Crapo, (Rep-R-Idaho) 
05/20/1951 Thomas D 'Tom' Akers, St Louis, Major USAF/astronaut (STS 41, 49, 61

05/20/1951 William Cullen Bryant, actor (Hell Squad) 
05/20/1952 Warren Cann, rocker (Ultravox) 
05/20/1954 James Henderson, country singer (Black Oak Arkansas) 
05/20/1955 Nigel Griffiths, labour MP 
05/20/1955 Steve George, rocker (Mr Mister) 
05/20/1958 Jane Wiedlin, Wisc, singer/guitarist (GoGos, Fur, Rush Hour) 
05/20/1958 Ronald Prescot Reagan Jr, Pres son/TV host (Ron Reagon Show) 
05/20/1959 Bronson Pinchot, NYC, actor (Perfect Strangers, Beverly Hills Cop) 
05/20/1960 John Cowsill, rock vocalist (Cowsills-Hair) 
05/20/1961 Kit Clarke, rocker (Danny Wilson-Mary's Prayer) 
05/20/1961 Nick Heyward, guitar/vocals (Haircut 100-Favourite Shirts) 
05/20/1962 Lydia Cheng, NYC, Ms Big Apple bodybuilder (1982) (Pumping Iron 2) 
05/20/1962 Sylvie Rauch, Munich German FR, nude model 
05/20/1963 Brian Nash, Glendale Calif, actor (Joel-Please Don't Eat Daisies) 
05/20/1964 Earl Spencer 
05/20/1964 Joseph Sinnott Edwards, Chicago, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List) 
05/20/1965 Fia Porter, Mexia Tx, actress (Audrey Ames-One Life to Live) 
05/20/1966 Mindy Cohn, LA, actress (Facts of Life) 
05/20/1969 Suzanne Lawrence, Humble Texas, Miss Texas-America (1991) (4th) 
 
 
Deaths:  
 
05/20/1277 John XXI, [Petrus Juliani/Hispanus], Port Pope (1276-77), dies 
05/20/1444 Bernardinus van Siena, Italian saint, dies at 63 
05/20/1449 Peter, Prince/regent of Portugal/writer (Virtuosa Benfeitoria), dies

05/20/1471 Henry VI, king of England (1422-61, 70-71)/France (1431-71), dies 
05/20/1506 Christopher Colombus, explorer, dies in poverty, in Spain at 55 
05/20/1597 Matth˜s Heldt, dies in battle 
05/20/1622 Osman II, sultan of Turkey (1618-22), dies 
05/20/1648 Wladyslaw IV Wasa, King of Poland, dies 
05/20/1650 Francesco Sacrati, composer, dies at 44 
05/20/1669 Joris van der Hagen, landscape painter, dies 
05/20/1751 Domingo Miguel Bernaube Terradellas, composer, dies at 38 
05/20/1782 Carlo Giovanni Testori, composer, dies at 68 
05/20/1782 Christoph Gottlieb Schroter, composer, dies at 82 
05/20/1834 Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert de Motier, nobleman, 1834, dies 
05/20/1834 Marquis de Lafayette, French general, dies 
05/20/1841 Joseph Blanco White, theological writert, dies 
05/20/1847 Mary Lamb, writer, dies 
05/20/1864 John Clare, English poet (Little Trotty Wagtail), dies at 70 
05/20/1875 Amalia, wife of King Otto of Greece, dies at 58 
05/20/1876 Harold, grandson of English queen Victoria, dies at 8 days old 
05/20/1876 Khristo Botev, Bulgarian poet, dies 
05/20/1883 William Chambers, author/publisher, dies 
05/20/1896 Clara Josephine Wieck Schumann, composer/pianist, dies at 76 
05/20/1900 Gustav Heinrich Graben-Hoffman, composer, dies at 80 
05/20/1910 Jean-Baptiste Theodore Weckerlin, composer, dies at 88 
05/20/1919 Jacob Verdam, philospher, dies 
05/20/1923 Hans Goldschmidt, German chemist, dies 
05/20/1935 Ivans, [Jacob van Schevichaven], lawyer/detective writer, dies at 68

05/20/1939 Joe Carr, NFL hall of famer/NFL president (1921-39), dies at 59 
05/20/1940 Joris [Georges) of Severen, Flemish fascist/Member of parliament, di

05/20/1956 Andr‚ Eugene Maurice Charlot, actor (Summer Storm), dies 
05/20/1956 Max Beerbohm, caricturist/writer (Yet Again), dies 
05/20/1968 Kees van Dongen, Dutch/French painter, dies at 91 
05/20/1972 Cornelis J van der Klauw, biologist/zoologist, dies at 78 
05/20/1972 Walter Winchell, columnist/narrator (Untouchables), dies at 75 
05/20/1975 Barbara Hepworth, sculptor, dies 
05/20/1975 Jacques Stehman, composer, dies at 62 
05/20/1984 Peter Bull, British actor (Dr Doolittle), dies of a heart attack at 

05/20/1985 George Memmoli, actor (Earl-Hello Larry), dies at 46 
05/20/1986 Bernard Naylor, composer, dies at 78 
05/20/1986 Willem P‚e, Belgian linguistic, dies at 83 
05/20/1989 Gilda Radner, comedienne (Sat Night Live), dies at 42 of cancer 
05/20/1989 John R Hicks, English economist (Nobel 1972), dies 
05/20/1991 Julian Orbon De Soto, composer, dies at 65 
 
 
Significant Events:  
 
05/20/ 325 1st Christian ecumenical council opens at Nic‘a, Asia Minor 
05/20/ 526 Earthquake kills 250,000 in Antioch, Syria 
05/20/1293 Earthquake strikes Kamakura Japan, 30,000 killed 
05/20/1347 Rienzo calls Rome for people's tribunal 
05/20/1498 Vasco da Gama, navigator arrives at Calcutta India 
05/20/1501 Joao da Nova Castell discovers Ascension Islands 
05/20/1570 Egidius Coppens publishes Abraham Ortelius' 'Theatrum Orbis Terrarum

05/20/1591 Spanish troops in Zutphen surrenders to Willem Louis/Mauritius 
05/20/1631 German army under earl Johann Tilly conquerors Maagdenburg 
05/20/1690 England passes Act of Grace, forgiving followers of James II 
05/20/1704 Elias Neau forms school for slaves in NY 
05/20/1774 Britain gives Qu‚bec, Labrador & territory north of Ohio 
05/20/1775 Citizens of Mecklenburg County, NC declare independence of Britain 
05/20/1784 England & Netherlands signs peace treaty (Peace of Paris) 
05/20/1825 Charles X becomes King of France 
05/20/1830 1st railroad timetable published in newspaper (Baltimore American) 
05/20/1845 1st legislative assembly convenes in Hawaii 
05/20/1861 Cornerstone of University of Washington laid in Seattle 
05/20/1861 Kentucky proclaims its neutrality in Civil War 
05/20/1861 North Carolina becomes 11th & last state to secede from Union 
05/20/1862 Homestead Act provides cheap land for settlement of West 
05/20/1864 Battle at Ware Bottom Church, Virginia, 1,400 killed or injured 
05/20/1867 Brit parliament rejects John Stuart Mills law on women sufferage 
05/20/1867 Royal Albert Hall foundation laid 
05/20/1868 Republican National Convention, meets in Chicago, nominates Grant 
05/20/1874 Levi Strauss markets blue jeans with copper rivets, price $13.50 doz

05/20/1875 Intl Bureau of Weights & Measures established by treaty 
05/20/1890 A Charlois discovers asteroid #293 Brasilia 
05/20/1900 2nd modern Olympic games opens in Paris (lasted 5 months) 
05/20/1902 US military occupation of Cuba (since Jan 1, 1899) ends 
05/20/1903 R S Dugan discovers asteroid #510 Mabella 
05/20/1910 Funeral for Britian's King Edward VII 
05/20/1915 Bataafsche Petroleum Me begins oil extraction of Maracaibo 
05/20/1916 Codell, Kansas hit by tornado (also on same date in 1917 & 1918) 
05/20/1918 1st electrically propelled warship (New M‚xico) 
05/20/1919 Volcano Keluit on Java, erupts killing 550 
05/20/1923 Stanley Baldwin, becomes PM of UK 
05/20/1926 Belgian govt of Jaspar takes power 
05/20/1926 Thomas Edison says Americans prefer silent movies over talkies 
05/20/1927 At 7:40 AM, Lindbergh takes off from NY to cross Atlantic for Paris 
05/20/1927 Great Britain via treaty grants Saudi Arabia's kingdom independent 
05/20/1927 Saudi Arabia becomes independent (Treaty of Jedda) 
05/20/1930 1st airplane catapulted from a dirigible, Charles Nicholson, pilot 
05/20/1932 Amelia Earhart leaves Newfoundland 1st woman fly solo across Atlanti

05/20/1932 Engelbert Dollfuss becomes chancellor of Austria 
05/20/1939 Pan Am begins transatlantic passenger & air mail service 
05/20/1940 Gen Guderians tanks reach The Channel (British expeditionary army) 
05/20/1940 Trailing 7-1 in 9th to Pitts, Phils win 8-7 
05/20/1941 Archer's 'Christian Calendar & Gregorian Reform' published 
05/20/1941 Former Dutch premier Colijn says Neth Indie not ready for independen

05/20/1941 Germany invades Crete 
05/20/1944 US Communist Party dissolved 
05/20/1948 1st use of Israeli Air Force & 1st war victory, defeating Syrian arm

05/20/1950 Hill Prince wins Preakness 
05/20/1954 Chang Kai-shek becomes president of Nationalist China 
05/20/1955 Argentine parliament accepts separation of church & state 
05/20/1956 Atomic fusion (thermonuclear) bomb dropped from plane-Bikini Atoll 
05/20/1959 Shah of Persia visits Netherlands 
05/20/1959 Yanks sink to last place, 1st time since May 25, 1940 
05/20/1960 Baseball game in Milwaukee postponed due to dense fog 
05/20/1961 Mauritania adopts constitution 
05/20/1961 White mob attacks 'Freedom Riders' in Montgomery, Alabama 
05/20/1963 Sukarno appointed president of Indonesia 
05/20/1964 Buster Mathis defeats Joe Frazer to qualify for US Olympic team 
05/20/1965 Pakistani Boeing 720-B crashes at Cairo Egypt, killing 121 
05/20/1967 10,000 demonstrate against war in Vietnam 
05/20/1967 BBC bans Beatle's 'A Day in the Life' (drug references) 
05/20/1967 Damascus wins Preakness 
05/20/1969 US troop march into Hill 937/Hamburger Hill Vietnam 
05/20/1970 100,000 march in NY supporting US policies in Vietnam 
05/20/1970 2 die in a NYC subway accident 
05/20/1970 Beatles' 'Let it Be' movie premieres in UK 
05/20/1971 Pentagon reports blacks constitute 11% of US soldiers in SE Asia 
05/20/1972 Affirmed wins Preakness 
05/20/1972 Cameroon adopts its constitution 
05/20/1972 Indiana Pacers beat NY Nets in 5th ABA championship, 4 games to 2 
05/20/1972 Republic of Cameroon declared as constitution is ratified 
05/20/1974 Soyuz 14 returns to Earth 
05/20/1977 'Beatlemania' opens on Broadway 
05/20/1978 3 PFLP members kill a cop near El Al airlines in Orly Airport, Paris

05/20/1978 Steve Cauthen on Affirmed wins 103rd Preakness Stakes (1:54.4) 
05/20/1978 US launches Pioneer Venus 1; produces 1st global radar map of Venus 
05/20/1979 1st western pop star to tour USSR-Elton John 
05/20/1980 Drummer Peter Criss quits Kiss 
05/20/1980 Fire in nursing home in Kingston Jamaica, kills 157 
05/20/1980 In a referendum, 59.5% of Qu‚bec voters reject separatism 
05/20/1985 1150 Lebanese/Palestinian prisoners exchanged for 3 Israelis 
05/20/1985 Dow Jones industrial avg closes above 1300 for 1st time 
05/20/1985 FBI arrests John A Walker Jr, convicted of spying for USSR 
05/20/1985 Larry Holmes wins a decision over Carl Williams 
05/20/1985 US began broadcasts to Cuba on Radio Marti 
05/20/1987 Wrestler Jerry Lawler sues WWF & Harley Race for trademark name 'kin

05/20/1988 Mike Schmidt hits his 535th HR, moving into 8th place 
05/20/1989 China declares martial law in Beijing 
05/20/1989 Walter McConnel, 57, is oldest to reach 27,000' Mt Everest top 
05/20/1992 India launches its 1st satelite independently 
05/20/1993 274th & final 'Cheers' on NBC 
05/20/1993 Ukraine Premier Leonid Koetsjma resigns 
05/20/1993 ap. 10 m meteor comes within 150,000 km of Earth (1993KA) 
05/20/1994 Miss India (Sushmita Sen) selected Miss Universe 
05/20/1994 Sony Theaters & Cineplex (NYC) hike movie ticket prices to $8.00 
  
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