Today in History for 7th December 2024
Historical Events
1727 – Physician Sir Hans Soane becomes President of the Royal Society, succeeding Sir Isaac Newton
1940 – CFL Grey Cup (Game 2), Lansdowne Park, Ottawa: Ottawa beats Toronto Balmy Beach, 12-5
1954 – Japanese government of Joshida resigns
1972 – Apollo 17 launched, the final manned lunar landing mission where the crew takes the famous “blue marble” photo of the entire Earth
1992 – Galileo spacecraft passes North Pole of Moon (Peary Crater)
2021 – Chile becomes the 31st nation to legalize same-sex marriage
Famous Birthdays
967 – Abū-Sa’īd Abul-Khayr, Persian mystic and poet, born in Mihne, Greater Khorasan (d. 1049)
1892 – Stuart Davis, American modernist painter, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1964)
1912 – Daniel Jones, Welsh composer, born in Pembroke, Wales (d. 1993)
1915 – Leigh Brackett, American sci-fi author (Ginger Star), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1978)
1947 – Johnny Bench, American Baseball HOF catcher (14 x MLB All Star; World Series 1975, 76 [MVP]; NL MVP 1970, 72; 10 x Gold Glove; Cincinnati Reds), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1977 – Fernando Vargas, American boxer (IBF light middleweight title 1998-2000, WBA title 2001-02), born in Oxnard, California
Famous Deaths
1969 – Lefty O’Doul, American Baseball HOF left fielder (MLB All-Star, World Series 1933; NL batting champion 1929, 32 NY Yankees), dies at 72
1979 – Nicolas Born, German writer, dies of cancer at 41
1979 – Prince Chahryar Shafik, Shah of Iran’s nephew, murdered in Paris
1997 – Billy Bremner, Scottish footballer (Leeds United), dies at 54 from a suspected heart attack
2001 – Charles McClendon, LSU Tigers head football coach (b. 1923)
2011 – Harry Morgan, American actor (December Bride; M*A*S*H, 1975-83 – “Col. Sherman Potter”; AfterMASH; Dragnet – “Bill Gannon”), dies in his sleep at 96
