This Day In History

March 22

Events

• 1888 - The Football League in England is founded. It is the world’s oldest professional Association Football.
• 1916 – Yuan Shikai abdicates the throne as The Emperor of China and the Republic of China is restored.
• 1995 – Valeriy Polyakov, a Russian Cosmonaut returns to earth after setting a record of 438 days in space on the Soyuz TM-18 and landing on TM-20.

Birthdays

• 1599 – Sir Anthony Van Dyck was born in Antwerp. He became a Flemish painter adn was the leading court painter in England, his most famous portrait was of Charles I of England.
• 1931 – William Shatner was born in Montréal, Canada. He became an actor and is famed for his cult status as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, he also played the Police sergeant T J Hooker.
• 1936 - Roger Whittaker was born in Nairobi, Kenya. He became a country singer and has sold over 55 million albums.

February 16

Events

• 1659 – The first dated cheque was drawn on Messrs Morris and Clayton. It is the earliest one known, at the time they were referred to as drawn notes.
• 1923 – Howard Carter discovers the sarcophagus of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen. His first glimpse is seen as he opened the sealed doorway that lead to a burial chamber.
• 1956 – The death penalty was abolished in Great Britain. Home secretary James Callaghan proposed the motion to make the abolition permanent and it was carried in the House of Commons.

Birthdays

• 1822 – Francis Galton was born in Birmingham, England. He became an anthropologist and geneticist. He was a pioneer in Eugenics, and coined the phrase ‘nature versus nurture’.
• 1957 – Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. Professionally known as LeVar Burton was born in Landstuhl, Germany. He became an actor and is famed for playing Geordi La Forge in Star Trek Next Generation.
• 1959 – John P McEnroe was born in Wiesbaden in West Germany, he later became a resident of the USA. He gained significance on the tennis court by becoming a Champion tennis player and ranked No 1 in the world in 1980.

January 20

Events

• 1892 – The first basketball game was played in Massachusetts.
• 1936 – Edward VIII begins his reign as King of England, it lasts until the 11 December 1936 after he abdicates to be with the American socialite Wallis Simpson.
• 1981 – Ronald Reagan inaugurated as President, he was the 40th President of the United states serving from 81’ to 89’.

Birthdays

• 1920 – DeForest Kelley – was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He was to become an actor famed for his character in the cult classic Star Trek playing Dr McCoy.
• 1930 – Edwin E “Buzz” Aldrin Jr – born in Montclair, New Jersey. He became an astronaut and was the pilot for the lunar module on the first manned moon lunar landing Apollo 11.
• 1934 – Tom Baker – was born in Liverpool, UK. He became an actor and is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of Dr Who.

December 29

Events

• 1862 - Bowling ball invented, although it can be traced back to the early Egyptians who used stones as balls.
• 1940 – Germany begins dropping incendiary bombs on London during World War II.
• 1967 – Star Trek’s “The Trouble With Tribbles” first airs.

Birthdays

• 1800 – Charles Goodyear – Was born and became an inventor , he developed the process of vulcanisation process for rubber.
• 1928 – Bernard Cribbins – Was born in Oldham, UK, he became an actor and musical comedian.
• 1947 – Ted Danson – Was born in San Diego, California he became an actor and starred as Sam Malone in Cheers, also 3 Men & a Baby.