Today in History for 6th December 2021:
Historical Events
1845 – Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity is founded at Yale College.
1939 – Cole Porter’s musical “Du Barry Was A Lady” opens at 46th Street Theatre, NYC; runs 408 performances
1973 – Gerald Ford sworn-in as first unelected Vice President, succeeds Spiro Agnew who resigned over corruption allegations
1978 – Spain adopts constitution
2017 – Skirball wildfire near Los Angeles closes the Interstate 405 as thousands forced to evacuate
2018 – Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry explodes for franchise-record 238 yards and 4 touchdowns in 30-9 win v Jacksonville Jaguars in Nashville; 99-yard TD run ties Dallas Cowboys HOF RB Tony Dorsett’s longest run in NFL history
Famous Birthdays
1887 – Joseph Lamb, American ragtime composer, born in Montclair, New Jersey (d. 1960)
1917 – Irv Robbins, Canadian-American entrepreneur (co-founded the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain), born in Winnipeg, Manitoba (d. 2008)
1918 – Willem Oosterheers, resistance fighter
1991 – CoCo Vandeweghe, American tennis player (US Open doubles 2018; US Federation Cup 2017), born in Rancho Santa Fe, California
1993 – Elian Gonzalez, Cuban boy at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, born in Cuba
1996 – Stefanie Scott, American actress (Quinn Brenner-Insidious: Chapter 3) and singer (New Girl in Town), born in Chicago, Illinois
Famous Deaths
1882 – Alfred Escher, Swiss politician and railroad entrepreneur (b. 1819)
1940 – Charlie Hime, cricketer (one Test for South Africa 1895), dies
1987 – James Dobson, actor (Impulse, Jet Attack, Okinawa), dies
1989 – Gabor Jodal, Romanian composer, dies at 76
1994 – Gian Maria Volontè, Italian actor (Fistful of Dollars), dies at 61
2017 – William H. Gass, American novelist and philosopher (Omensetter’s Luck), dies at 93