On This Day in History

August 17

August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. 136 days remain until the end of the year.

Lottery News On This Day

2023
Iowa Lottery to add Double Play add-on feature to Powerball. The Iowa Lottery has announced that it has approved a plan to allow players to add the Double Play add-on feature to their Powerball tickets.
2021
£2.4 million UK lottery winner opens up 17 years after win. More often then not, it's the unfortunate lottery winners we hear about years after the big win, but one UK winner opened up about how he maintained both his wealth and normalcy after winning £2.4 million (US$3.3 million) 17 years ago.
2020
Connecticut Lottery's Fast Play instant game crashes lottery terminals. The Connecticut Lottery's newest game is attracting so many players that lottery terminals are slowing or shutting down.
2018
Police break up scratch-off lottery ticket burglary ring. Authorities have arrested three San Jose, California, men and are seeking at least one other suspected of breaking into Bay Area businesses to steal lottery scratch-off tickets.
2018
Pennsylvania Lottery is now offering simulated sports games, much to casinos' dismay. The Pennsylvania Lottery on Tuesday rolled out the latest addition to its line-up with the introduction of a simulated sports games that may appeal to football and auto racing fans.
2017
$510 MILLION: Powerball lottery jackpot soars into top 10. August has been a hot month for lottery jackpot chasers, with both Mega Millions and Powerball simultaneously reaching massive levels. Even though Mega Millions has been won, Powerball continues to roll, now surpassing the half-billion dollar mark.
2016
Alabama lottery debate: Senators try to reach compromise on 2 proposals. Alabama senators on Wednesday remained divided on lottery proposals as they tried to strike compromise on gambling that has so far been elusive.
2015
Idaho woman claims second big lotto prize. For the second time in just three months, Misty Adams collected a big check from the Idaho Lottery.
2014
Maryland lottery players winning big with Pick 4. Maryland lottery players are winning Pick 4 in such great numbers that it's hurting the Lottery's bottom line.
2013
Florida Lotto reaches its largest jackpot in 12 years. The jackpot in this weekend's Florida Lotto game is reaching its highest level in 12 years.
2013
Unclaimed $1 million lottery ticket to expire. Check your pockets, look under your couch, search your car, claim your million dollar grand prize before it's too late.
2010
N.H. Lottery cancels proposed online game. The New Hampshire Lottery Commission announced Tuesday it is abandoning a proposed new online, interactive game and shifting its focus to the state's current games, especially instant scratch tickets.
2007
Powerball lottery winners give back. Powerball winners Steve and Carolyn West and Frances Chaney created foundations to help children, veterans and the poor.
2007
Indiana Lottery Million Dollar Raffle results. The Hoosier Lottery's latest raffle-style game, Million Dollar Raffle, was drawn Thursday, awarding millions of dollars in prizes.
2006
More offshore gambling arrests. The U.S. attorney's office reported Wednesday that four men have been indicted in connection with an ongoing investigation into a gambling and money laundering scheme that allegedly involves facilitating illegal betting through a Costa Rica-based Web site.
2005
Mega Millions lottery jackpot increases to $72 million. The jackpot in the multi-state Mega Millions lottery grew to $72 million Wednesday.
2005
While N.C. lottery bill sits, backers and critics wait. North Carolinians will have to wait at least a week before they find out if the legislature will approve a state lottery, because lawmakers have taken this week off while some of their fellows have traveled to Seattle for a legislative conference.
2005
French family win lottery twice with same numbers. In a feat that will have statisticians shaking their heads, a French family have twice won a national lottery -- using the same numbers each time.
2005
Texas Lottery May Eliminate Lotto Bonus Number. In an effort in increase sales, the Texas Lottery Commission is considering the elimination of the new five numbers and bonus ball matrix and return to a 'pick six of fifty' (6/50) format for the Lotto game, which is the flagship of the Texas Lottery.
2005
Redundant Mega Millions lottery bill passes Calif. Senate Committee. A Senate committee, on a bipartisan vote, approved a measure Tuesday to legalize California's participation in Mega Millions lotto -- without the testimony of lottery officials who maintain the multi-state game is already legal.
2004
Tennessee unveils new lottery game. The Tennessee Lottery Monday unveiled its newest computerized game, "Lotto 5," set to launch August 29.
2004
Decision on Tenn. lottery bonuses up in the air. A pending decision on whether to continue salary bonuses for Tennessee lottery CEO Rebecca Paul and her employees will be based on business principles rather than politician opinions, a key lottery board member said Monday.

Top 25 Lottery Jackpots On This Day

1.$541.9 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 19, 2017
2.$274.7 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 19, 2023
3.$274.2 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 18, 2021
4.$259.9 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 19, 2009
5.€255.75 Million
US$258.87 Million
Draw Date
Aug 18, 2022
6.$242 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 17, 2021
7.€147.81 Million
US$211.79 Million
Draw Date
Aug 22, 2009
8.$210 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 18, 2007
9.$170 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 18, 2009
10.$160 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 19, 2014
11.$149 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 17, 2019
12.$148 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 17, 2007
13.€124.93 Million
US$141.56 Million
Draw Date
Aug 18, 2016
14.$128 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 18, 2001
15.€99 Million
US$113 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Aug 17, 2018
16.€79 Million
US$105.87 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Aug 20, 2013
17.€74 Million
US$105.86 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Aug 21, 2009
18.€95 Million
US$104.74 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Aug 18, 2020
19.€69 Million
US$102.26 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Aug 22, 2008
20.€91 Million
US$100.92 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Aug 20, 2019
21.€90 Million
US$100.12 Million
Multi-Country
EuroJackpot
Draw Date
Aug 23, 2019
22.$99 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 19, 2022
23.$94 Million
Multi-State
Powerball
Draw Date
Aug 17, 2016
24.€65 Million
US$93.41 Million
Multi-Country
Euro Millions
Draw Date
Aug 19, 2011
25.$88 Million
Multi-State
Mega Millions
Draw Date
Aug 17, 2018

Lottery Post Member Birthdays On This Day

2001
Friday, Aug 17, 2001
22 years old
1995
Thursday, Aug 17, 1995
28 years old
1994
Wednesday, Aug 17, 1994
29 years old
1987
Monday, Aug 17, 1987
36 years old
1985
Saturday, Aug 17, 1985
38 years old
1976
Tuesday, Aug 17, 1976
47 years old
1974
Saturday, Aug 17, 1974
49 years old
1974
Saturday, Aug 17, 1974
49 years old
1969
Sunday, Aug 17, 1969
54 years old
1962
Friday, Aug 17, 1962
61 years old
1961
Thursday, Aug 17, 1961
62 years old
1960
Wednesday, Aug 17, 1960
63 years old
1949
Wednesday, Aug 17, 1949
74 years old
1944
Thursday, Aug 17, 1944
79 years old
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)
(year not provided)

Worldwide Events On This Day

2019
A bomb explodes at a wedding in Kabul killing 63 people and leaving 182 injured.
2017
Barcelona attacks: A van is driven into pedestrians in La Rambla, killing 14 and injuring at least 100.
2015
A bomb explodes near the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, killing at least 19 people and injuring 123 others.
2009
An accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam in Khakassia, Russia, kills 75 and shuts down the hydroelectric power station, leading to widespread power failure in the local area.
2008
American swimmer Michael Phelps becomes the first person to win eight gold medals at one Olympic Games.
2005
The first forced evacuation of settlers, as part of Israeli disengagement from Gaza, starts.
2005
Over 500 bombs are set off by terrorists at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh.
2004
The National Assembly of Serbia unanimously adopts new state symbols for Serbia: Bože pravde becomes the new anthem and the coat of arms is adopted for the whole country.
1999
The 7.6 Mw İzmit earthquake shakes northwestern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), leaving 17,118-17,127 dead and 43,953-50,000 injured.
1998
Lewinsky scandal: US President Bill Clinton admits in taped testimony that he had an "improper physical relationship" with White House intern Monica Lewinsky; later that same day he admits before the nation that he "misled people" about the relationship.
1991
Strathfield massacre: In Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, taxi driver Wade Frankum shoots seven people and injures six others before turning the gun on himself.
1988
President of Pakistan Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel are killed in a plane crash.
1985
The 1985-86 Hormel strike begins in Austin, Minnesota.
1978
Double Eagle II becomes first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it lands in Miserey, France near Paris, 137 hours after leaving Presque Isle, Maine.
1977
The Soviet icebreaker Arktika becomes the first surface ship to reach the North Pole.
1976
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake hits off the coast of Mindanao, Philippines, triggering a destructive tsunami, killing between 5,000-8,000 people and leaving more than 90,000 homeless.
1970
Venera program: Venera 7 launched. It will later become the first spacecraft to successfully transmit data from the surface of another planet (Venus).
1969
Category 5 Hurricane Camille hits the U.S. Gulf Coast, killing 256 and causing $1.42 billion in damage.
1962
Peter Fechter is shot and bleeds to death while trying to cross the new Berlin Wall.
1959
Quake Lake is formed by the magnitude 7.2 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake near Hebgen Lake in Montana.
1958
Pioneer 0, America's first attempt at lunar orbit, is launched using the first Thor-Able rocket and fails. Notable as one of the first attempted launches beyond Earth orbit by any country.
1955
Hurricane Diane made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, and it went on to cause major floods and kill more than 184 people.
1953
First meeting of Narcotics Anonymous takes place, in Southern California.
1949
The 6.7 Ms Karlıova earthquake shakes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), leaving 320-450 dead.
1949
Matsukawa derailment: Unknown saboteurs cause a passenger train to derail and overturn in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, killing three crew members and igniting a political firestorm between the Japanese Communist Party and the government of Occupied Japan that will eventually lead to the Japanese Red Purge.
1947
The Radcliffe Line, the border between the Dominions of India and Pakistan, is revealed.
1945
Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaim the independence of Indonesia, igniting the Indonesian National Revolution against the Dutch Empire.
1945
The novella Animal Farm by George Orwell is first published.
1945
Evacuation of Manchukuo: At Talitzou by the Sino-Korean border, Puyi, then the Kangde Emperor of Manchukuo, formally renounces the imperial throne, dissolves the state, and cedes its territory to the Republic of China.
1943
World War II: The U.S. Eighth Air Force suffers the loss of 60 bombers on the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission.
1943
World War II: The U.S. Seventh Army under General George S. Patton arrives in Messina, Italy, followed several hours later by the British 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, thus completing the Allied conquest of Sicily.
1943
World War II: First Québec Conference of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Lyon Mackenzie King begins.
1943
World War II: The Royal Air Force begins Operation Hydra, the first air raid of the Operation Crossbow strategic bombing campaign against Germany's V-weapon program.
1942
World War II: U.S. Marines raid the Japanese-held Pacific island of Makin.
1918
Bolshevik revolutionary leader Moisei Uritsky is assassinated.
1916
World War I: Romania signs a secret treaty with the Entente Powers. According to the treaty, Romania agreed to join the war on the Allied side.
1915
Jewish American Leo Frank is lynched in Marietta, Georgia, USA after his death sentence is commuted by Governor John Slaton.
1915
A Category 4 hurricane hits Galveston, Texas with winds at 135 miles per hour (217 km/h).
1914
World War I: Battle of Stallupönen: The German army of General Hermann von François defeats the Russian force commanded by Paul von Rennenkampf near modern-day Nesterov, Russia.
1896
Bridget Driscoll became the first recorded case of a pedestrian killed in a collision with a motor car in the United Kingdom.
1883
The first public performance of the Dominican Republic's national anthem, Himno Nacional.
1876
Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung, the last opera in his Ring cycle, premieres at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
1866
The Grand Duchy of Baden announces its withdrawal from the German Confederation and signs a treaty of peace and alliance with Prussia.
1864
American Civil War: Battle of Gainesville: Confederate forces defeat Union troops near Gainesville, Florida.
1863
American Civil War: In Charleston, South Carolina, Union batteries and ships bombard Confederate-held Fort Sumter.
1862
American Indian Wars: The Dakota War of 1862 begins in Minnesota as Dakota warriors attack white settlements along the Minnesota River.
1862
American Civil War: Major General J. E. B. Stuart is assigned command of all the cavalry of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
1836
British parliament accepts registration of births, marriages and deaths.
1827
Dutch King William I and Pope Leo XII sign concord.
1808
The Finnish War: The Battle of Alavus is fought.
1807
Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat leaves New York City for Albany, New York, on the Hudson River, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world.
1798
The Vietnamese Catholics report a Marian apparition in Quảng Trị, an event which is called Our Lady of La Vang.
1784
Classical composer Luigi Boccherini receives a pay rise of 12,000 reals from his employer, the Infante Luis, Count of Chinchón.
1740
Pope Benedict XIV, previously known as Prospero Lambertini, succeeds Clement XII as the 247th Pope.
1723
Ioan Giurgiu Patachi becomes Bishop of Făgăraș and is festively installed in his position at the St. Nicolas Cathedral in Făgăraș, after being formally confirmed earlier by Pope Clement XI.
1717
Austro-Turkish War of 1716-18: The month-long Siege of Belgrade ends with Prince Eugene of Savoy's Austrian troops capturing the city from the Ottoman Empire.
1668
The magnitude 8.0 North Anatolia earthquake causes 8,000 deaths in northern Anatolia, Ottoman Empire.
1597
Islands Voyage: Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and Sir Walter Raleigh set sail on an expedition to the Azores.
1585
Eighty Years' War: Siege of Antwerp: Antwerp is captured by Spanish forces under Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, who orders Protestants to leave the city and as a result over half of the 100,000 inhabitants flee to the northern provinces.
1585
A first group of colonists sent by Sir Walter Raleigh under the charge of Ralph Lane lands in the New World to create Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island, off the coast of present-day North Carolina.
1560
The Catholic Church is overthrown and Protestantism is established as the national religion in Scotland.
1549
Battle of Sampford Courtenay: The Prayer Book Rebellion is quashed in England.
1498
Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander VI, becomes the first person in history to resign the cardinalate; later that same day, King Louis XII of France names him Duke of Valentinois.
1488
Konrad Bitz, the Bishop of Turku, marks the date of his preface to Missale Aboense, the oldest known book of Finland.
1424
Hundred Years' War: Battle of Verneuil: An English force under John, Duke of Bedford defeats a larger French army under Jean II, Duke of Alençon, John Stewart, and Earl Archibald of Douglas.
1386
Karl Topia, the ruler of Princedom of Albania forges an alliance with the Republic of Venice, committing to participate in all wars of the Republic and receiving coastal protection against the Ottomans in return.
1186
Georgenberg Pact: Ottokar IV, Duke of Styria and Leopold V, Duke of Austria sign a heritage agreement in which Ottokar gives his duchy to Leopold and to his son Frederick under the stipulation that Austria and Styria would henceforth remain undivided.
986
Byzantine-Bulgarian wars: Battle of the Gates of Trajan: The Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Samuel and Aron defeat the Byzantine forces at the Gate of Trajan, with Byzantine Emperor Basil II barely escaping.
682
Pope Leo II begins his pontificate.
310
Pope Eusebius dies, possibly from a hunger strike, shortly after being banished by the Emperor Maxentius to Sicily.

Births On This Day

2003
Nastasja Schunk, German tennis player
2000
Lil Pump, American rapper and songwriter
1996
Jake Virtanen, Canadian ice hockey player
1995
Gracie Gold, American figure skater
1995
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, New Zealand rugby league player
1994
Phoebe Bridgers, American singer/songwriter
1994
Jack Conklin, American football player
1994
Taissa Farmiga, American actress
1993
Cinta Laura, German actress and singer
1993
Ederson Moraes, Brazilian footballer
1993
Sarah Sjöström, Swedish swimmer
1993
Xie Zhenye, Chinese athlete
1992
Saraya Bevis, English wrestler
1992
Alex Elisala, New Zealand-Australian rugby player (d. 2013)
1992
Chanel Mata'utia, Australian rugby league player
1991
Austin Butler, American actor
1989
Lil B, American rapper
1989
Rachel Corsie, Scottish footballer
1988
Brady Corbet, American actor and director
1988
Jihadi John, Kuwaiti-British member of ISIS (d. 2015)
1988
Natalie Sandtorv, Norwegian singer-songwriter
1988
Erika Toda, Japanese actress
1986
Rudy Gay, American basketball player
1986
Tyrus Thomas, American basketball player
1985
Yū Aoi, Japanese actress and model
1984
Dee Brown, American basketball player
1984
Oksana Domnina, Russian ice dancer
1984
Liam Heath, British sprint canoeist
1984
Garrett Wolfe, American football player
1983
Dustin Pedroia, American baseball player
1982
Phil Jagielka, English footballer
1982
Cheerleader Melissa, American wrestler and manager
1982
Mark Salling, American actor and musician (d. 2018)
1980
Keith Dabengwa, Zimbabwean cricketer
1980
Daniel Güiza, Spanish footballer
1980
Jan Kromkamp, Dutch footballer
1980
Lene Marlin, Norwegian singer-songwriter
1979
Antwaan Randle El, American football player and journalist
1977
Nathan Deakes, Australian race walker
1977
William Gallas, French footballer
1977
Thierry Henry, French footballer
1977
Mike Lewis, Welsh guitarist
1977
Tarja Turunen, Finnish singer-songwriter and producer
1976
Eric Boulton, Canadian ice hockey player
1976
Geertjan Lassche, Dutch journalist and director
1976
Serhiy Zakarlyuka, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
1974
Giuliana Rancic, Italian-American journalist and television personality
1974
Johannes Maria Staud, Austrian composer
1972
Habibul Bashar, Bangladeshi cricketer
1971
Uhm Jung-hwa, South Korean singer and actress
1971
Jorge Posada, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
1971
Shaun Rehn, Australian footballer and coach
1970
Jim Courier, American tennis player and sportscaster
1970
Andrus Kivirähk, Estonian author
1970
Øyvind Leonhardsen, Norwegian footballer and coach
1969
Christian Laettner, American basketball player and coach
1969
Kelvin Mercer, American rapper, songwriter and producer
1969
Donnie Wahlberg, American singer-songwriter, actor and producer
1968
Andriy Kuzmenko, Ukrainian singer-songwriter (d. 2015)
1968
Ed McCaffrey, American football player and sportscaster
1968
Helen McCrory, English actress (d. 2021)
1967
David Conrad, American actor
1967
Michael Preetz, German footballer and manager
1966
Jüri Luik, Estonian politician and diplomat, 18th Estonian Minister of Defense
1966
Rodney Mullen, American skateboarder and stuntman
1966
Don Sweeney, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
1965
Steve Gorman, American drummer
1965
Dottie Pepper, American golfer
1964
Colin James, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1964
Maria McKee, American singer-songwriter
1964
Dave Penney, English footballer and manager
1963
Jon Gruden, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
1963
Jackie Walorski, American politician (d. 2022)
1962
Gilby Clarke, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1962
Dan Dakich, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
1960
Stephan Eicher, Swiss singer-songwriter
1960
Sean Penn, American actor, director, and political activist
1959
Jonathan Franzen, American novelist and essayist
1959
Jacek Kazimierski, Polish footballer
1959
Eric Schlosser, American journalist and author
1959
David Koresh, American cult leader
1958
Belinda Carlisle, American singer-songwriter
1958
Fred Goodwin, Scottish banker and accountant
1958
Maurizio Sandro Sala, Brazilian race car driver
1957
Ken Kwapis, American director and screenwriter
1957
Laurence Overmire, American poet, author, and actor
1957
Robin Cousins, British competitive figure skater
1956
Gail Berman, American businessman, co-founded BermanBraun
1956
Álvaro Pino, Spanish cyclist
1955
Colin Moulding, English singer-songwriter and bassist
1954
Eric Johnson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1954
Andrés Pastrana Arango, Colombian lawyer and politician, 38th President of Colombia
1953
Mick Malthouse, Australian footballer and coach
1953
Herta Müller, Romanian-German poet and author, Nobel Prize laureate
1953
Korrie Layun Rampan, Indonesian author, poet, and critic (d. 2015)
1953
Kevin Rowland, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1952
Aleksandr Maksimenkov, Russian footballer and coach (d. 2012)
1952
Nelson Piquet, Brazilian race car driver and businessman
1952
Mario Theissen, German engineer and businessman
1952
Guillermo Vilas, Argentinian tennis player
1951
Richard Hunt, American Muppet performer (d. 1992)
1951
Robert Joy, Canadian actor
1949
Norm Coleman, American lawyer and politician, 52nd Mayor of St. Paul
1949
Sue Draheim, American fiddler and composer (d. 2013)
1949
Julian Fellowes, English actor, director, screenwriter, and politician
1949
Sib Hashian, American rock drummer (d. 2017)
1948
Alexander Ivashkin, Russian-English cellist and conductor (d. 2014)
1947
Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (d. 2016)
1947
Gary Talley, American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and author
1946
Hugh Baiocchi, South African golfer
1946
Martha Coolidge, American director, producer, and screenwriter
1946
Patrick Manning, Trinidadian-Tobagonian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (d. 2016)
1945
Rachel Pollack, American author, poet, and educator
1944
Larry Ellison, American businessman, co-founded the Oracle Corporation
1944
Jean-Bernard Pommier, French pianist and conductor
1943
Edward Cowie, English composer, painter, and author
1943
Robert De Niro, American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer
1943
John Humphrys, Welsh journalist and author
1943
Dave "Snaker" Ray, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
1942
Shane Porteous, Australian actor, animator, and screenwriter
1941
Lothar Bisky, German businessman and politician (d. 2013)
1941
Jean Pierre Lefebvre, Canadian director and screenwriter
1941
Boog Powell, American baseball player
1940
Eduardo Mignogna, Argentinian director and screenwriter (d. 2006)
1940
Barry Sheerman, English academic and politician
1939
Luther Allison, American blues guitarist and singer (d. 1997)
1938
Theodoros Pangalos, Greek lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece (d. 2023)
1936
Seamus Mallon, Irish educator and politician, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 2020)
1936
Margaret Heafield Hamilton, American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner.
1934
João Donato, Brazilian pianist and composer (d. 2023)
1934
Ron Henry, English footballer (d. 2014)
1933
Mark Dinning, American pop singer (d. 1986)
1932
V. S. Naipaul, Trinidadian-English novelist and essayist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
1932
Duke Pearson, American pianist and composer (d. 1980)
1932
Jean-Jacques Sempé, French cartoonist (d. 2022)
1931
Tony Wrigley, English historian, demographer, and academic (d. 2022)
1930
Harve Bennett, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2015)
1930
Ted Hughes, English poet and playwright (d. 1998)
1929
Francis Gary Powers, American captain and pilot (d. 1977)
1928
T. J. Anderson, American composer, conductor, and educator
1928
Willem Duys, Dutch tennis player, sportscaster, and producer (d. 2011)
1927
Sam Butera, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 2009)
1927
F. Ray Keyser Jr., American lawyer and politician, 72nd Governor of Vermont (d. 2015)
1926
Valerie Eliot, English businesswoman (d. 2012)
1926
Jiang Zemin, Chinese engineer and politician, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (paramount leader) and 5th President of China (d. 2022)
1924
Evan S. Connell, American novelist, poet, and short story writer (d. 2013)
1923
Carlos Cruz-Diez, Venezuelan artist (d. 2019)
1923
Larry Rivers, American painter and sculptor (d. 2002)
1922
Roy Tattersall, English cricketer (d. 2011)
1921
Geoffrey Elton, German-English historian and academic (d. 1994)
1920
Maureen O'Hara, Irish-American actress and singer (d. 2015)
1920
Lida Moser, American photographer and author (d. 2014)
1919
Georgia Gibbs, American singer (d. 2006)
1918
Evelyn Ankers, British-American actress (d. 1985)
1918
Ike Quebec, American saxophonist and pianist (d. 1963)
1918
Michael John Wise, English geographer and academic (d. 2015)
1916
Moses Majekodunmi, Nigerian physician and politician (d. 2012)
1914
Bill Downs, American journalist (d. 1978)
1914
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., American lawyer and politician (d. 1988)
1913
Mark Felt (aka 'Deep Throat'), American lawyer and agent, 2nd Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (d. 2008)
1913
Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1989)
1913
Rudy York, American baseball player and manager (d. 1970)
1911
Mikhail Botvinnik, Russian chess player and engineer (d. 1995)
1911
Martin Sandberger, German colonel and lawyer (d. 2010)
1909
Larry Clinton, American trumpet player and bandleader (d. 1985)
1909
Wilf Copping, English footballer (d. 1980)
1904
Mary Cain, American journalist and politician (d. 1984)
1904
Leopold Nowak, Austrian composer and musicologist (d. 1991)
1900
Vivienne de Watteville, British travel writer and adventurer (d. 1957)
1900
Pauline A. Young, American teacher, historian, aviator and activist (d. 1991)
1896
Leslie Groves, American general and engineer (d. 1970)
1896
Tõnis Kint, Estonian lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of Estonia in exile (d. 1991)
1896
Oliver Waterman Larkin, American historian and author (d. 1970)
1894
William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes, English businessman, founded Rootes Group (d. 1964)
1893
John Brahm, German-American director and production manager (d. 1982)
1893
Mae West, American stage and film actress (d. 1980)
1890
Stefan Bastyr, Polish soldier and pilot (d. 1920)
1890
Harry Hopkins, American politician and diplomat, 8th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 1946)
1888
Monty Woolley, American actor, raconteur, and pundit (d. 1963)
1887
Charles I of Austria (d. 1922)
1887
Marcus Garvey, Jamaican journalist and activist, founded Black Star Line (d. 1940)
1880
Percy Sherwell, South African cricketer and tennis player (d. 1948)
1878
Reggie Duff, Australian cricketer (d. 1911)
1877
Ralph McKittrick, American golfer and tennis player (d. 1923)
1873
John A. Sampson, American gynecologist and academic (d. 1946)
1866
Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI, Indian 6th Nizam of Hyderabad (d. 1911)
1865
Julia Marlowe, English-American actress (d. 1950)
1863
Gene Stratton-Porter, American author and photographer (d. 1924)
1849
William Kidston, Scottish-Australian politician, 17th Premier of Queensland (d. 1919)
1845
Henry Cadwalader Chapman, American physician and naturalist (d. 1909)
1840
Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, English poet and activist (d. 1922)
1828
Jules Bernard Luys, French neurologist and physician (d. 1897)
1801
Fredrika Bremer, Swedish writer and feminist (d. 1865)
1786
Davy Crockett, American soldier and politician (d. 1836)
1786
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (d. 1861)
1768
Louis Desaix, French general (d. 1800)
1753
Josef Dobrovský, Bohemian philologist and historian (d. 1828)
1686
Nicola Porpora, Italian composer and educator (d. 1768)
1629
John III Sobieski, Polish-Lithuanian king (d. 1696)
1603
Lennart Torstensson, Swedish Field Marshal, Privy Councillour and Governor-General (d. 1651)
1586
Johann Valentin Andrea, German theologian (d. 1654)
1582
John Matthew Rispoli, Maltese philosopher (d. 1639)
1578
Francesco Albani, Italian painter (d. 1660)
1578
Johann, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, first prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (d. 1638)
1556
Alexander Briant, English martyr and saint (d. 1581)
1501
Philipp II, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg (d. 1529)
1473
Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (d. 1483)
1465
Philibert I, Duke of Savoy (d. 1482)
1153
William IX, Count of Poitiers (d. 1156)

Deaths On This Day

2016
Arthur Hiller, Canadian actor, director, and producer (b. 1923)
2015
Yvonne Craig, American ballet dancer and actress (b. 1937)
2015
Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, German businessman (b. 1933)
2015
László Paskai, Hungarian cardinal (b. 1927)
2014
Børre Knudsen, Norwegian minister and activist (b. 1937)
2014
Wolfgang Leonhard, German historian and author (b. 1921)
2014
Sophie Masloff, American civil servant and politician, 56th Mayor of Pittsburgh (b. 1917)
2014
Miodrag Pavlović, Serbian poet and critic (b. 1928)
2014
Pierre Vassiliu, French singer-songwriter (b. 1937)
2013
Odilia Dank, American educator and politician (b. 1938)
2013
Jack Harshman, American baseball player (b. 1927)
2013
John Hollander, American poet and critic (b. 1929)
2013
Frank Martínez, American painter (b. 1924)
2013
Gus Winckel, Dutch lieutenant and pilot (b. 1912)
2012
Aase Bjerkholt, Norwegian politician, Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion (b. 1915)
2012
Victor Poor, American engineer, developed the Datapoint 2200 (b. 1933)
2012
Patrick Ricard, French businessman (b. 1945)
2012
John Lynch-Staunton, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1930)
2010
Francesco Cossiga, Italian lawyer and politician, 8th President of Italy (b. 1928)
2008
Franco Sensi, Italian businessman and politician (b. 1926)
2007
Bill Deedes, English journalist and politician (b. 1913)
2007
Eddie Griffin, American basketball player (b. 1982)
2006
Shamsur Rahman, Bangladeshi poet and journalist (b. 1929)
2005
John N. Bahcall, American astrophysicist and academic (b. 1934)
2004
Thea Astley, Australian author and educator (b. 1925)
2000
Jack Walker, English businessman (b. 1929)
1998
Władysław Komar, Polish shot putter and actor (b. 1940)
1998
Tadeusz Ślusarski, Polish pole vaulter (b. 1950)
1995
Howard E. Koch, American playwright and screenwriter (b. 1902)
1995
Ted Whitten, Australian footballer and coach (b. 1933)
1994
Luigi Chinetti, Italian-American race car driver and businessman (b. 1901)
1994
Jack Sharkey, American boxer and referee (b. 1902)
1993
Feng Kang, Chinese mathematician and academic (b. 1920)
1990
Pearl Bailey, American actress and singer (b. 1918)
1988
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistani general and politician, 6th President of Pakistan (b. 1924)
1988
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr., American lawyer and politician (b. 1914)
1988
Victoria Shaw, Australian-American actress (b. 1935)
1987
Gary Chester, Italian drummer and educator (b. 1924)
1987
Rudolf Hess, German soldier and politician (b. 1894)
1987
Shaike Ophir, Israeli actor and screenwriter (b. 1929)
1983
Ira Gershwin, American songwriter (b. 1896)
1979
John C. Allen, American roller coaster designer (b. 1907)
1979
Vivian Vance, American actress and singer (b. 1909)
1977
Delmer Daves, American screenwriter, director and producer (b. 1904)
1973
Conrad Aiken, American novelist, short story writer, critic, and poet (b. 1889)
1973
Jean Barraqué, French pianist and composer (b. 1928)
1973
Paul Williams, American singer and choreographer (b. 1939)
1971
Maedayama Eigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 39th Yokozuna (b. 1914)
1971
Wilhelm List, German field marshal (b. 1880)
1970
Rattana Pestonji, Thai director and producer (b. 1908)
1969
Otto Stern, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1888)
1966
Ken Miles, English race car driver and engineer (b. 1918)
1958
Arthur Fox, English-American fencer (b. 1878)
1949
Gregorio Perfecto, Filipino journalist, jurist, and politician (b. 1891)
1945
Reidar Haaland, Norwegian police officer and soldier (b. 1919)
1940
Billy Fiske, American soldier and pilot (b. 1911)
1936
José María of Manila, Spanish-Filipino priest and martyr (b. 1880)
1935
Adam Gunn, American decathlete (b. 1872)
1935
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American sociologist and author (b. 1860)
1925
Ioan Slavici, Romanian journalist and author (b. 1848)
1924
Tom Kendall, English-Australian cricketer and journalist (b. 1851)
1920
Ray Chapman, American baseball player (b. 1891)
1918
Moisei Uritsky, Russian activist and politician (b. 1873)
1909
Madan Lal Dhingra, Indian activist (b. 1883)
1908
Radoje Domanović, Serbian satirist and journalist (b. 1873)
1903
Hans Gude, Norwegian-German painter and academic (b. 1825)
1901
Edmond Audran, French organist and composer (b. 1842)
1897
William Jervois, English engineer and diplomat, 10th Governor of South Australia (b. 1821)
1875
Wilhelm Bleek, German linguist and anthropologist (b. 1827)
1870
Perucho Figueredo, Cuban poet and activist (b. 1818)
1861
Alcée Louis la Branche, American politician and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to Texas (b. 1806)
1850
José de San Martín, Argentinian general and politician, 1st President of Peru (b. 1778)
1838
Lorenzo Da Ponte, Italian playwright and poet (b. 1749)
1834
Husein Gradaščević, Ottoman general (b. 1802)
1814
John Johnson, English architect and surveyor (b. 1732)
1809
Matthew Boulton, English businessman and engineer, co-founded Boulton and Watt (b. 1728)
1786
Frederick the Great, Prussian king (b. 1712)
1785
Jonathan Trumbull, English-American merchant and politician, 16th Governor of Connecticut (b. 1710)
1768
Vasily Trediakovsky, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1703)
1723
Joseph Bingham, English scholar and academic (b. 1668)
1720
Anne Dacier, French scholar and translator (b. 1654)
1676
Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen, German author (b. 1621)
1673
Regnier de Graaf, Dutch physician and anatomist (b. 1641)
1547
Katharina von Zimmern, Swiss sovereign abbess (b. 1478)
1510
Edmund Dudley, English politician, Speaker of the House of Commons (b. 1462)
1510
Richard Empson, English statesman
1424
John Stewart, Earl of Buchan (b. c. 1381)
1338
Nitta Yoshisada, Japanese samurai (b. 1301)
1324
Irene of Brunswick (b. 1293)
1304
Emperor Go-Fukakusa of Japan (b. 1243)
1153
Eustace IV, Count of Boulogne (b. 1130)
949
Li Shouzhen, Chinese general and governor
754
Carloman, mayor of the palace of Austrasia