Today in History for 15th March 2017:
Historical Events
1827 – University of Toronto is chartered
1901 – Horse racing is banned in San Francisco, last race Mar 16th
1966 – Racial riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles
1968 – Diocese of Rome announces that it “deplored the concept”, but wouldn’t prohibit rock and roll masses at Church of San Lessio Falconieri
1970 – Gary Geld and Peter Udell’s “Purlie” opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 689 performances
1977 – “Eight is Enough” premieres on ABC-TV
Famous Birthdays
1864 – Johan Halvorsen, composer
1892 – James Basevi Ord, US army officer (d. 1938)
1942 – Hughie Flint, rock drummer (Bonzo Dog Band), born in London, England
1944 – Chi Cheng, Taiwan, sprinter/80m hurdler (Oly-Bronze-68)
1975 – Veselin Topalov, Bulgarian chess player
1985 – James MacLurcan, Australian actor
Famous Deaths
1575 – Annibale Padovano, Italian composer (b. 1527)
1918 – Lili Boulanger, composer, dies at 24
1964 – Paul Cavanagh, actor (Black Arrow, Woman in Green), dies at 75
1977 – Antonino Rocca, Argentine professional wrestler
1995 – Florence Chadwick, American swimmer, dies at 86
2001 – Ann Sothern, American actress (b. 1909)