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1929–The 1st Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: Wings; Best Actor: Emil Jannings for The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh; Best Actress: Janet Gaynor for Seventh Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise–A Song of Two Humans; Best Director: Frank Borzage for Seventh Heaven; Best Director Comedy: Lewis Milestone for Two Arabian Knights. The ceremonies are held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California. The host is Douglas Fairbanks. The event is a private dinner, tickets are $5.00, and 270 people attend. The presentation ceremony lasts 15 minutes. This is the only Academy Awards ceremony not to be broadcast either on radio or television.


218–Julia Maesa, aunt of the assassinated Caracalla, is banished to her home in Syria by the self-proclaimed Emperor Macrinus. He then declares her 14-year-old grandson, Elagabalus, Emperor of Rome.

290–Emperor Wu of Jin dies in China, at age 64.

1204–Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders, is crowned the first Emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople.

1418–John II of Cyprus, King of Cyprus and Armenia, is born in Nicosia, Cyprus.

1527–The Florentines drive out the Medici for a second time and Florence re-establishes itself as a republic.

1532–Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor of England.

1568–Mary, Queen of Scotland, flees to England.

1584–Santiago de Vera becomes sixth Governor-General of the Spanish Colony of the Philippines.

1605–Paul V becomes Pope.

1611–Pope Innocent XI is born Benedetto Odescalchi in Como, Lombardy, Duchy of Milan.

1669–Italian Baroque painter and architect, Pietro da Cortona, dies in Rome, Italy, at age 72.

1696–Mariana of Austria dies of breast cancer at Uceda Palace in Madrid, Spain, at age 61. She was the granddaughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II.

1717–Suspected of writing subversive satire, François Marie Arouet (Voltaire) is imprisoned for the first time in the Bastillein in Paris, France. The piece in question is a pamphlet against the Duke of Orleans, the Regent. While in the Bastille, he writes his first play, Oedipe.

1728–Piano builder, Johann (Georg) Andreas Stein, is born in Heidesheim, Germany. He was an outstanding maker of keyboard instruments and a central figure in the history of the piano. He was primarily responsible for the design of the so-called "Viennese" fortepiano, for which the music of Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven was written. He also built other keyboard instruments, and some of them were quite novel. One extraordinary instrument, called the "Poli-Toni-Clavichordium," combined a large harpsichord having four choirs of strings with a piano. He also built the "Melodika," a small organ in which the player's touch could alter volume. He also built "vis-à-vis" instruments, with a piano and a harpsichord facing one another in a single case. Stein was the founder of an important piano-making dynasty. His daughter, Nannette, was a skilled builder, and continued the family business under her husband's name, Streicher. The Streicher firm built pianos for Beethoven and played an important role in the technological development of the piano until 1894.

1770–The 14-year-old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis-Auguste, who later becomes King of France.

1771–The Battle of Alamance, a pre-American Revolutionary War battle between local militia and a group of rebels called The "Regulators," occurs in (present-day) Alamance County, North Carolina.

1777–Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett shoot each other during a duel near Savannah, Georgia. Gwinnett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, dies three days later.

1804–The French Senate and Tribune declare Napoleon the leader of France.

1804–Educator, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, is born. She was the founder of Kindergarten schooling in America.

1811–In the Peninsular War, the allies Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom defeat the French at the Battle of Albuera.

1812–Russian Field Marshal, Mikhail Kutuzov, signs the Treaty of Bucharest, ending the Russo-Turkish War.

1817–Steamboat service on the Mississippi River begins.

1822–In the Greek War of Independence, the Turks capture the Greek town of Souli.

1831–Scientist, David Edward Hughes, is born in London, England. He invented the first working radio communication system, the first semiconductor diode crystal radio receiver, the first teleprinter modem, and the first microphone.

1832–Philip Danforth Armour, founder of Armour Foods, is born. An American industrialist, he was a pioneer in the use of refrigeration and meat canning. Armour & Company helped make Chicago, Illinois, the meatpacking capital of the world.

1836–Edgar Allan Poe marries his 13-year-old tubercular cousin, Virginia Clemm. (Some believe that they were secretly married before this, on September 22, 1835.) His beloved Virginia would die 10 years later.

1843–The first major wagon train heading for the Northwest, sets out on the Oregon Trail with 1,000 pioneers from Elm Grove, Missouri.

1850–Auguste Deter is born in Kassel, Germany. She was the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

1864–Cheyenne Chief, Lean Bear, is murdered.

1866–The U.S. Congress eliminates the half-dime coin and replaces it with the five cent piece, or nickel.

1866–Charles Elmer Hires invents root beer.

1868–President Andrew Johnson is acquitted in his impeachment trial by one vote in the United States Senate.

1874–A flood on the Mill River in Massachusetts destroys much of four villages and kills 139 people.

1875–An earthquake in Venezuela and Colombia kills 16,000 people.

1882–The 8th Kentucky Derby: Babe Hurd, riding Apollo, wins in 2:40.

1884–The 10th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy, riding Buchanan, wins in 2:40.

1888–Nikola Tesla delivers a lecture describing the equipment which will allow efficient generation and use of alternating currents to transmit electric power over long distances.

1888–Emile Berliner gives the first demonstration of flat disc recording and reproduction before the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1891–The International Electrotechnical Exhibition opens in Frankfurt, Germany, and will feature the world's first long distance transmission of high-power, three-phase electric current (the most common form today).

1891–George A. Hormel and Company introduces Spam.

1905–Actor, Henry Fonda, is born in Grand Island, Nebraska. He moved to New York, where he shared an apartment with fellow actor, Jimmy Stewart, and lived on rice while looking for work on the stage. He was in a play called The Farmer Takes a Wife, which led to a film contract. He appeared in the films The Grapes of Wrath, The Big Street, 12 Angry Men, Spencer’s Mountain, The Best Man, and On Golden Pond. His children are actress, Jane Fonda, and actor, Peter Fonda. Bridget Fonda is his granddaughter.

1909–Actress, Margaret (Brooke) Sullavan, is born in Norfolk, Virginia. She appeared in the films The Shopworn Angel, The Shining Hour, The Shop Around the Corder, The Mortal Storm, Back Street, So Ends Our Night, Appointment for Love, Cry Havoc, No Sad Songs for Me, and Hannah and Her Sisters. She was married to actor, Henry Fonda, and director, William Wyler. Her daughter is actress, Mia Farrow.

1911–The remains of a neanderthal man is found on Jersey, Channel Islands.

1912–Writer, Studs Terkel, is born Louis Terkel in New York, New York. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for The Good War, and is best known for his oral histories of common Americans and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.

1913–Bandleader, Woody Herman, is born.

1916–The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the French Third Republic sign the secret wartime Sykes-Picot Agreement, partitioning former Ottoman territories such as Iraq and Syria.

1916–Biophysicist and politician, Ephraim Katzir, is born Efraim Katchalski in Kiev, Russian Empire. He was the fourth President of Israel.

1917–Actor, George Gaynes, is born George Jongejans in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire. He is best known for the roles he played on the TV shows Punky Brewster and The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd. He appeared in the films PT 109, The Way We Were, Nickelodeon, Altered States, Tootsie, Micki + Maude, Police Academy, and Wag the Dog.

1918–The Sedition Act is passed by the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government a jailable offense.

1919–A naval Curtiss NC-4 aircraft commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon, Portugal, via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight.

1919–Entertainer, Liberace, is born Wladziu Valentino Liberace in West Allis, Wisconsin. Liberace's career as a pianist spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, television, motion pictures, and endorsements. At the height of his fame from the 1950s to the 1970s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world.

1920–In Rome, Italy, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc.

1921–Actor, Harry Carey, Jr., is born Henry George Carey, Jr. in Saugus, California. He collaborated frequently with director John Ford, a close friend, and became a regular in what was commonly called the “John Ford Stock Company.” Carey made 11 films with John Wayne. He appeared in the films Red River, 3 Goffathers, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande, The Searchers, Shenandoah, The Way West, The Moonshine War, Big Jake, Cahill U.S. Marshal, Nickelodeon, The Long Riders, Gremlins, Mask, The Whales of August, and Tombstone. His father was actor, Harry Carey. His father-in-law was actor, Paul Fix.

1925–The 51st Kentucky Derby: Earl Sande, riding Flying Ebony, wins in 2:07.

1928–Billy Martin, baseball manager of the New York Yankees and the Oakland A's, is born.

1929–The 1st Annual Academy Awards announces its winners. Best Picture: Wings; Best Actor: Emil Jannings for The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh; Best Actress: Janet Gaynor for Seventh Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise–A Song of Two Humans; Best Director: Frank Borzage for Seventh Heaven; Best Director Comedy: Lewis Milestone for Two Arabian Knights. The ceremonies are held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California. The host is Douglas Fairbanks. The event is a private dinner, tickets are $5.00, and 270 people attend. The presentation ceremony lasts 15 minutes. This is the only Academy Awards ceremony not to be broadcast either on radio or television.

1930–Jazz chanteuse, Betty “Bebop” Carter, is born in Flint, Michigan.

1931–The 57th Kentucky Derby: Charley Kurtsinger, riding Twenty Grand, wins in 2:01.

1931–Actor, Jack Dodson, is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best known for the role of Howard Sprage on the TV series The Andy Griffith Show.

1932–Ki Imukai, Premier of Japan (1931-1932), is murdered.

1933–Formerly banned, jazz becomes legal in Moscow, Russia.

1937–Actress, Yvonne Craig, is born in Taylorville, Illinois. She is best known for the role of Batgirl on the TV series Batman. She was seen on many other TV shows, including Perry Mason, Tales of Wells Fargo, Death Valley Days, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, 77 Sunset Strip, and Star Trek. She appeared in the films Gidget, The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story, High Time, It Happened at the World’s Fair, Kissin’ Cousins, Quick Before It Melts, Ski Party, One of Our Spies Is Missing, Mars Needs Women, In Like Flint, and How to Frame a Figg. She was married to actor, Jimmy Boyd.

1938–Structural engineer, Joseph (Baermann) Strauss, dies in Los Angeles, California. He was chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. A statue of Strauss can be seen on the San Francisco side of the bridge.

1941–The Germans make their last major air attack on Great Britain.

1943–The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends.

1944–The first of 180,000+ Hungarian Jews reach Auschwitz.

1946–Jack Mullin demonstrates the first magnetic tape recorder.

1946–Jazz drummer, Billy Cobham, is born in Panama.

1946–Robert Fripp, of King Crimson, is born in Dorset, England.

1948–Chaim Weizmann is elected first President of Israel.

1951–The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between Idlewild Airport (present-day John F. Kennedy International Airport) in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, England, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.

1953–American journalist, William N. Oatis, is released after serving 22 months of a 10-year prison sentence for espionage in Czechoslovakia.

1953–Actor, Pierce Brosnan, is born in County Meath, Ireland. He starred in the TV series Remington Steele, then was cast as the new James Bond in the film Golden Eye.

1953–Kitanoumi Toshimitsu, Japanese sumo wrestler, is born Toshimitsu Obata in Hokkaido, Japan. He was the 55th Yokozuna. Kitanoumi was promoted to Yokozuna at age 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank, and he remained a Yokozuna for a record 63 tournaments.

1953–Politician, Nicolae Radescu, dies in New York, New York, at age 79. He was the last pre-Communist rule Prime Minister of Romania, serving from December 1944 to March 1945.

1953–Jazz guitarist, Django Reinhardt, dies from a stroke in Fontainebleu, France.

1955–Actress, Debra Winger, is born in Columbus, Ohio. She appeared in the films An Officer and a Gentleman, Urban Cowboy, Terms of Endearment, Forget Paris, Legal Eagels, Mike’s Murder, Black Widow, a Dangerous Woman, and Made in Heaven.

1955–Film critic, James Agee, dies in New York.

1956–Great Britain conducts a nuclear test at Monte Bello Island, Australia.

1956–H.B. Reese, founder of Reese's Candy Company, dies at age 80.

1957–Federal agent, Eliot Ness, dies of a heart attack at his home in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, at age 54. His story was told in the 1960s TV series The Untouchables, and the film of the same name, starring Kevin Coster as Ness.

1958–Rock 'n' roll DJ, Alan Freed, is hired by WABC after recently leaving WINS, another New York radio station.

1959–The Triton Fountain is inaugurated in Valletta, Malta.

1959–Actress, Mare Winningham, is born in Phoenix, Arizona. She appeared in the films St. Elmo's Fire and Turner & Hooch.

1960–Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser, at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.

1961–Park Chung-hee leads a coup d'état to overthrow the Second Republic of South Korea.

1961–The 13th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards announces its winners. Best Dramatic Series: The Defenders; Best Comedy Series: The Jack Benny Show; Best Musical or Variety Series: Astaire Time; Best Children’s Program: Young People's Concerts; Best Public Service Program: The Twentieth Century; Best Actor: Raymond Burr; Best Actress: Barbara Stanwyck. The ceremonies are held at the Moulin Rouge Nightclub in Hollywood, California. The host is Dick Powell. A milestone is set by The Flintstones, as it is the first ever animated show to be nominated in one of the main series categories (comedy or drama).

1964–The USSR conducts a nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh.

1965–The Campbell Soup Company introduces Spaghetti-Os under its Franco-American brand.

1966–The Communist Party of China issues the "May 16 Notice," marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. The Revolution was launched after Mao Zedong alleged that bourgeois elements had infiltrated the government and society at large, aiming to restore capitalism. He insisted that these "revisionists" be removed through violent class struggle. China's youth responded to Mao's appeal by forming Red Guard groups around the country. The movement spread into the military, urban workers, and the Communist Party leadership itself. It resulted in widespread factional struggles in all walks of life.

1966–The Beach Boys release the album Pet Sounds.

1966–Frank Sinatra records Summer Wind with arranger, Nelson Riddle.

1966–Singer, Janet Jackson, is born in Gary, Indiana. She is part of the musical Jackson family, which includes The Jackson 5 and pop star, Michael Jackson. As a child, she had a role in the TV sitcom, Good Times, and later, she became a successful solo singer and performer.

1967–The city of Jerusalem is taken over by the nation of Israel.

1968–A 7.0 earthquake kills 47 people, injures 281 others, and causes $131 million of property damage in Honshu, Japan.

1969–Venera 5, a Soviet space probe, lands on Venus.

1969–The USSR conducts a nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh.

1969–Television commentator, Tucker Carlson, is born.

1969–Actress, Tracey Gold, is born in New York, New York. She is best known for the role of Carol in the TV sitcom Growing Pains.

1970–Marty Balin, of Jefferson Airplane, is arrested in his hotel room in Bloomington, Maine, after neighbors complain about the noise. Balin, and friends, are found with marijuana and girls ages 12 to 17. He's sentenced to a year's hard labor and a fine, but ends up only having to pay the fine.

1974–Josip Broz Tito is re-elected as President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This time he is elected for life.

1974–The USSR conducts a nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh.

1975–India annexes Sikkim after the mountain state holds a referendum in which the popular vote is in favor of merging with India.

1975–Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

1975–Muhammad Ali defeats Ron Lyle in Round 11 for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship.

1976–The Stanley Cup: The Montreal Canadiens beat the Philadelphia Flyers, in 4 games.

1977–Muhammad Ali defeats Alfredo Evangelist in Round 15 for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship.

1980–In Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. George Nichopoulous is indicted by a grand jury for illegally prescribing drugs for Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and nine others. He is barred from practicing medicine.

1980–The 34th NBA Championship: The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 4 games to 2.

1982–The Stanley Cup: The New York Islanders beat the Vancouver Canucks, in 4 games.

1983–The Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement rebels against the Sudanese government.

1984–The U.S. conducts a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site.

1984–Comedian, Andy Kaufman, dies of lung cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood, California, at age 35. He is best known for the role of Latka Gravas on the TV sitcom Taxi. Kaufman’s bad behavior and “hoax-style” comedy became so controversial, that when he announced that he was dying of cancer, even those close to him had doubts about his claim. To this day, some people believe Kaufman faked his death and that he will at some point return to the spotlight, with the joke being, once again, on his audience. However, Kaufman's death certificate is on file with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and his official website states his death was not a hoax.

1984–Novelist, Irwin Shaw, dies of prostate cancer in Davos, Switzerland, at age 71. He wrote Rich Man, Poor Man, and its sequel, Beggerman, Thief. Rich Man, Poor Man was made into a successful TV mini-series in the mid-1970s. His other books include The Young Lions, Two Weeks in Another Town, and The Top of the Hill.

1985–Michael Jordan is named NBA Rookie of the Year.

1985–Actress, Margaret Hamilton, dies of a heart attack at age 82. She is best known for the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in the film The Wizard of Oz.

1986–The Seville Statement on Violence is adopted by an international meeting of scientists, convened by the Spanish National Commission for UNESCO, in Seville, Spain.

1987–Singer, David Crosby, marries his longtime girlfriend, Jan Dance. Stephen Stills gives away the bride at the ceremony in Los Angeles, California.

1988–A report released by Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, declares that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and cocaine.

1988–The U.S. Supreme Court rules that police may search discarded garbage without a search warrant.

1989–Hassan Khaled, Sheik of Lebanon, is murdered.

1990–Entertainer, Sammy Davis, Jr., dies of complications from throat cancer in Beverly Hills, California, at age 64. His hits include Something’s Gotta Give, Love Me or Leave Me, That Old Black Magic, What Kind of Fool Am I, As Long as She Needs Me, The Birth of the Blues, I’ve Gotta Be Me, and The Candy Man. He appeared in the films Rufus Jones for President, Anna Lucasta, Porgy and Bess, Ocean’s 11, Pepe, Sergeants 3, Robin and the 7 Hoods, A Man Called Adam, Salt and Pepper, Sweet Charity, Broadway Danny Rose, and Tap.

1990–Muppets creator, Jim Henson, dies in New York at age 53.

1991–Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.

1992–The Space Shuttle Endeavour lands safely after a successful maiden voyage.

1994–Jacqueline Onassis is admitted to the hospital for cancer treatment.

1997–Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire, flees the country.

1998–Rocker, Keith Richards, breaks his ribs after falling from a ladder in the library of his Connecticut home. The Rolling Stones are forced to cancel several live shows as a result.

2001–Brian Pendleton, of The Pretty Things, dies of lung cancer in Maidstone, Kent, England, at age 57.

2003–In Casablanca, Morocco, 33 civilians are killed and more than 100 people are injured in terrorist attacks.

2005–Kuwait permits women's suffrage in a 35-23 National Assembly vote.

2007–Nicolas Sarkozy takes office as President of France.

2007–Musician, Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, dies.

2008–Actor, Kiefer Sutherland, divorces former model, Elizabeth Kelly Winn, due to irreconcilable differences after nearly eight years of marriage.

2008–Vintnor, Robert Mondavi, dies in Yountville, California, at age 94. He was a leading Napa Valley winemaker who helped establish California wines among the best in the world.

2009–The Art Institute of Chicago opens the Modern Wing, making it the second largest museum in America. The Modern Wing houses the museum's collection of early 20th-century European art and contemporary art after 1960: new photography, video media, architecture, and design galleries. Among the works in the collection are Pablo Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist,” Henri Matisse's “Bathers by a River,” and renderings by Frank Lloyd Wright.

2011–STS-134 (ISS assembly flight ULF6), launches from the Kennedy Space Center on the 25th and final flight for Space Shuttle Endeavour.

2013–Once again, software mogel, Bill Gates, becomes the world's richest man with $72.7 billion, after losing the title in 2008.

2013–Racecar driver, Dick Trickle, dies of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Boger City, North Carolina, at age 71. Police had received a call from Trickle, in which he reported there would be a dead body at a cemetery and it would be his. Over the course of his career, Trickle drove approximately 1,200 winning races.

2014–Twelve people are killed in two explosions in the Gikomba market area of Nairobi, Kenya.

2015–Super-centenarian, Charlotte Klamroth, dies in Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, at age 111 (and 271 days).

2016–The first penis transplant in the United States is performed successfully at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, Massachusetts. Doctors call the operation "a surgical milestone." The patient, 64-year-old Thomas Manning from Halifax, Massachusetts, is the third man worldwide to have had the experimental surgery performed.

2016–Actress, Julia Meade, dies in Manhattan, New York, at age 90. She was an American film and stage actress who was a frequent pitch person in live commercials in the early days of television in the 1950s. She appeared in the films Pillow Talk, Tammy Tell Me True, and Presumed Innocent.

2017–The Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom announces that consumer prices in Britain rose by an annualized 2.7% in April 2017, the highest level of inflation in almost four years.

2017–Israeli Minister of Construction, Yoav Galant, states that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be assassinated. Earlier, the United States Department of State accused the al-Assad government of using a crematory to cover up mass murders of thousands of opponent peoples.

2018–Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market debut a much-anticipated loyalty program that offers special discounts to Amazon Prime customers, including 10% off hundreds of sale items.

2018–Actor, Joseph Campanella, dies in Sherman Oaks, California, at age 93. He appeared in the films The Young Lovers, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Ben, Love Child, Meteor, Defiance, Earthbound, Steele Justice, and For Heaven’s Sake.


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