Today in History for 28th December 2021:
Historical Events
1612 – First observation of Neptune – Galileo observes and records a “fixed star” without realising it is a planet
1926 – Ponsford scores 352 and Ryder 295 against NSW
1927 – George Kaufman and Moss Hart’s “Royal Family” premieres in NYC
1973 – Akron Ohio’s Chamber of Commerce terminates itself from Soap Box Derby
1985 – US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1993 – John Maclean passes Kirk Muller as all-time NJ Devils scorer (521 pts)
Famous Birthdays
1665 – George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland, British general (d. 1716)
1866 – Szymon Askenazy, Polish historian and diplomat (d. 1935)
1888 – Gabriel von Wayditch, composer
1940 – Lonnie Liston Smith, American jazz piano and keyboard player (Cosmic Echoes, Magic Lady), born in Richmond, Virginia,
1969 – James Trapp, US sprinter and NFL player (Oakland Raiders), born in Greenville, South Carolina
1981 – Sienna Miller, British actress, born in NYC, New York
Famous Deaths
1671 – Johann Friedrich Gronovius, German classical scholar, dies at 60
1830 – Adrien-Joseph van Helmont, Flemish composer, dies at 83
1947 – Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy (1900-46), dies of pulmonary edema at 78
1991 – Cassandra Harris, Australian actress (For Your Eyes Only), dies of cancer at 39
1997 – James Lees-Milne, English writer and architectural historian, dies at 89
2016 – (Mary Frances) “Debbie” Reynolds, American actress and singer (Singin’ In The Rain -“Kathy Selden”; The Unsinkable Molly Brown), dies of a stroke at 84 one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher passed away