2015 Event UNESCO has added new sites to its World Heritage list, including the regions of Champagne and Burgundy in France, both Susa and the cultural setting of Maymand in Iran, and the Singapore Botanical Gardens, among others 2015 Event The U.S. Supreme Court upholds key provisions of Obamacare, including premium subsidies for about 6.4 million people enrolled in the federal health insurance exchange 2015 Event Queen Elizabeth II officially celebrates her 89th birthday with a Trooping the Color ceremony; as part of the celebration, the Queen also knighted figures including actor Kevin Spacey and singer Van Morrison 2015 Event Parts of the U.S. Patriot Act, including authorization of bulk phone data collection by the National Security Administration, expire due to lack of agreement in the Senate regarding extension 2015 Event Gazprom, the state-owned Russian energy company, is sued by the E.U. for antitrust violations, including seeking control of pipelines in exchange for gas, charging steep prices, and limiting gas flows to nations beyond eastern Europe 2015 Event New U.S. rules loosening trade restrictions with Cuba go into effect today, including permission to sell instruments, tools, equipment and supplies to private businesses; U.S. banks will also be given greater freedom to transact with Cuban banks 2015 Event Pope Francis appoints 20 new cardinals from a diverse array of nations, including Vietnam, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Tonga, Mexico, Myanmar, Uruguay, France and Thailand; three-fourths of the cardinals will have authority to vote on a papal successor 2014 Event The foundation set up by Bill and Melinda Gates will provide funding to research and test various treatments for the Ebola virus, including vaccines and blood plasma therapy 2014 Event Two security threats to Apple operating systems have been identified; the 'rootpipe' malware impacts OS X, including the new Yosemite version, while 'wirelurker' currently affects iOS users who have downloaded pirated apps 2014 Event 27 hostages have been freed in Cameroon, including the wife of vice prime minister Amadou Ali and a group of Chinese workers; Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram is suspected to be responsible 2014 Event Julia Pierson, the first female director of the U.S. Secret Service, resigns after an 18-month tenure during which several security breaches occurred, including the recent daytime intrusion of the White House by a man armed with a knife 2014 Event Petro Poroshenko is inaugurated as the new Ukrainian president; Poroshenko took a firm stand on keeping Ukraine united and suggested plans to ease tensions in the eastern part of the country, including an offer of amnesty for separatists 2014 Event Greenpeace releases its annual energy efficiency report praising several Internet companies, including Apple, which scored poorly a couple of years ago; Amazon was noted as lagging behind in use of renewable energy for its data centers 2014 Event Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen set a new record for the highest number of Olympic medals awarded to a female Winter Olympics athlete after her gold medal at Sochi; Bjoergen has won ten Olympic medals over to date, including six golds 2014 Event Amidst massive security including 160,000 soldiers and over 200,000 policemen, Egyptians go to the polls to vote on a draft constitution which would strengthen the military-backed leadership of the country 2013 Event In the U.S., 2.5 million minimum wage workers will get a raise January 1st in thirteen states including Colorado, Rhode Island and Connecticut 2013 Event Pop band One Direction hosts 1D Day, a day consisting of a record, 7.5 hour-long socially interactive live-stream on YouTube and Google+ Hangout including live band performances and celebrity guests; the event was an unprecedented use of social media 2013 Event The public learns about AT&T's The Hemisphere Project, which gives telephone call data to law enforcement agencies, including the DEA 2013 Event U.S. Republicans unveil a series of bills designed to prevent government abuse, including the 'STOP IRS Act,' which would allow IRS employees to be fired when they take actions for political purposes 2013 Event The entire government of South Sudan, including its Vice President, Riek Machar, is fired by the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit 2013 Event Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev appears for the first time in court since his arrest April 19; he pleads not guilty to 30 charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction 2013 Event The movie, 'Fast & Furious 6' opens in 59 countries, including the U.S. and Canada, grossing an estimated $122 million 2013 Event All living former U.S. Presidents, including George W. Bush and current President Barack Obama, are present for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas 2012 Event In the U.S. state of Connecticut, a shooter kills 29 people, including 20 children, himself and his mother at Sandy Hook Elementary School 2012 Event Seven new saints are canonized by Pope Benedict XVI, including Anna Schaffer, Kateri Tekakwitha, Marianne Cope and Pedro Calungsod 2012 Event Ending an extensive study on the wooly mammoth, scientists conclude that they were wiped out by multiple things, including climate change, human hunters, and shifting habitats 2012 Event Following political reforms in Myanmar, Australia relaxes sanctions on the country, including by-elections earlier this month where opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi's party won more than a dozen seats 2012 Event Data from the 1940 U.S. census is released including information on 132 million people 2012 Event Pope Benedict XVI announces seven new saints - including American saint Kateri Tekakwitha - and appoints 22 new cardinals 2012 Event The credit ratings of European Union members including Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain are downgraded by Moody's Investors Service 2012 Event Colorado closes its highways, including the I-70, due to heavy snowfall 2011 Event Cuba announces plans to release 2,900 prisoners, including political prisoners 2011 Event Reports indicate the credit ratings agency Standard & Poors will review 15 nations for possible downgrades, including France and Germany 2011 Event Rioting takes place in English cities including Manchester, liverpool, Salford, Birmingham and Nottingham; police from Scotland are called in to help 2011 Event In Guinea, up to 80 people, including soldiers, are arrested for a failed assassination attempt on President Alpha Conde, which occurred July 19 2011 Event A report submitted to the United Nations states Iran has been caught attempting to transfer weaponry to terrorists including Hamas and the Taliban 10 times 2011 Event The news of Osama bin Laden's death is received positively by international leaders, including Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari 2011 Event The U.S. government 'condemns' international media outlets, including 'The New York Times' for publishing confidential files 2011 Event Over 230,000 acres of land, including the town Fort Davis, are destroyed by wildfires in the state of Texas 2011 Event Tunisia's youth protest for several days over political grievances and social problems including the job market and purchase power 2010 Event Longtime U.S. Democratic Representative Charlie Rangel is found guilty of multiple violations of House rules, including failure to pay taxes 2010 Event In one of Spain's biggest corruption trials, 95 people, including two former mayors and a planning chief, appear in court in Malaga 2010 Event The U.K. will increase aid to poor nations, including a 40% increase in Afghanistan, while reducing aid to 'powerhouses' like Russia, China and other eastern European countries 2010 Event Pope Benedict XVI celebrates open-air Mass at Fatima, Portugal with over 500,000 pilgrims attending from 35 nations including Vietnam, China and India 2010 Event Ash from the Iceland volcano causes new flight restrictions at airports including Shannon Airport and Ireland West Airport Knock 2010 Event The BBC finds evidence of a massacre in the Democratic Republic of Congo carried out by the Lord's Resistance Army last December, in which 321 people, including children, were killed 2004 Event 76th Academy Awards Oscar Ceremony, Billy Crystal hosts, Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King sweeps all eleven nominations, including Best Picture, Sean Penn and Charlize Theron win lead acting awards 1998 Event 70th Academy Awards - Oscar Ceremony Billy Crystal hosts, Titanic wins eleven Oscars, including Best Picture, Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt win lead acting awards 1995 Death Benny Lee, entertainer, comedy actor, singer, appeared in radio comedy programs, including It's a Square World, appeared in episodes of Are You Being Served?, and the television series Minder, dies at 84 1994 Death Gottlob Frick, singer, bass, performed opera including roles by Wagner and Mozart, dies at 88 1993 Event The Branch Davidian Compound near Waco, Texas, is destroyed in a fire after 51-day stand-off; 76 people die, including 24 British nationals and 20 children 1992 Event 2 earthquakes including 7.4 hits southern California 1992 Event 2 earthquakes, including 3rd strongest in U.S. (7.4) rock California 1990 Event Brewers beat Angels 20-7, including 13 in 5th inning 1985 Event Thieves steal 9 paintings, including 5 Monet's and 2 Renoir's 1984 Event Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie passes (472 yards), including game ending 48 yard touchdown (Hail Mary Pass) to end game and beat Miami 47-45 1984 Event Oakland A's Dave Kingman hits 3 home runs including a grand slam 1980 Death Bert Kaempfert, orchestra leader, songwriter, composed jazz-oriented, easy-listening records including Strangers in the Night and hit Wonderland by Night, Danke Schoen for Wayne Newton and L-O-V-E for Nat King Cole 1980 Event Bucky Dent hits an inside park home run, Royals walk 14 Yankees including 5 with bases loaded, Yankees win 16-3 1973 Event Paul McCartney releases "Red Rose Speedway" including "My Love" 1972 Birthday Dane Cook, born in Boston, Massachusetts, Dane Jeffrey Cook, comedian, stand up comic, released five comedy albums, 'Retaliation' went double platinum, the highest charting comedy album in 28 years, appeared in 15 films since 1997, including 'My Best Friend's Girl' 1971 Birthday Tim Jones, born in America, composer, musician, composer of film scores including, 'Chuck', 'Vampires: The Turning', 'Wicked Little Things' 1971 Event Federal grand jury indicts Reverend Philip Berrigan and 5 others, including a nun and 2 priests, on charges of plotting to kidnap Henry Kissinger 1970 Event 4, including presiding judge, killed in courthouse shootout in San Rafael, California (Police charge Angela Davis provided weapons) 1969 Birthday Graham Coxon, born in Rintein, West Germany, musician, instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, painter, lead guitarist and singer for Blur, art and music is featured on the band's seven albums, including Leisure, 1991, album titled 13, in 1999, and Think Tank, 2003, single-handedly recorded seven solo albums, including The Spinning Top on Transgressive records 1968 Event Race riot in Cleveland, 11 including 3 cops killed 1967 Event Pope Paul VI names 27 new cardinals, including Karol Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow, who later became Pope John Paul II 1966 Birthday Deana Carter, born in Nashville, Texas, Deana Kay Carter, country singer, famous for multi-platinum debut album 'Did I Shave My Legs for This?', albums include fourteen singles, three reached number one on the Billboard country charts, including 'Strawberry Wine' 1965 Birthday Nicholas Sparks, born in Omaha, Nebraska, bestselling author, writer, novelist, wrote, 'A Walk to Remember', author of novels including, 'Nights in Rodanthe', 'The Last Song', 'The Notebook' 1965 Event Gene Roddenberry suggests 16 names including Kirk for Star Trek Captain 1964 Birthday Clinton Gregory, born in Martinsville, Virginia, singer, songwriter, recording artist, fiddler, country and bluegrass genres, recorded seven studio albums, chartered 11 Billboard Hot country Singles and Tracks, including Play, Ruby, Play, which reached no. 25 on the charts 1961 Birthday Daniel Clowes, born in Chicago, Illinois, author, cartoonist, creator of 'Eightball', published graphic novels including, 'Ghost World' 1960 Event Baltimore Orioles' Brooks Robinson goes 5 for 5 including the cycle 1960 Death Ernest Holmes, author, teacher, spiritualist, founded Religious Science movement, considered 'Science of Mind', part of New Thought movement, wrote metaphysical books, including 'The Science of Mind', founded 'Science of Mind' magazine, dies 1956 Birthday Bill Caudill, born in Santa Monica, California, nickname 'Cuffs', baseball player, pitcher, played for American and National League teams, including, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners 1955 Birthday Jeff Koons, born in York, Pennsylvania, artist, known for large reproductions of ordinary objects, including brightly colored balloon animals made of stainless steel 1952 Birthday Philip Green, born in Croyden, England, businessman, owns large retail stores including Arcadia Group, 9th richest person in Britain, worth over $4 billion 1951 Event Lefty O'Doul's all-stars, including Joe DiMaggio and Billy Martin, lose 3-1 to Pacific League all-star team (Japan) 1950 Event Pittsburgh Johnny Hopp goes 6 for 6 including 2 home runs 1949 Birthday Ken Follet, born in Cardiff, Wales, author, sold over 100 million copies of books including 'The Key to Rebecca', 'World Without End' 1949 Birthday David Robinson, born in Woburn, Massachusetts, drummer, musician, played with various rock bands including The Cars, The Modern Lovers and DMZ 1949 Birthday Kalevi Aho, born in Forssa, Finland, composer, large-scale works, symphonies, vocal works, concertos, operas, including 'The Key', 'Insect Life' 1948 Birthday Shakti Gawain, author, personal development expert, environmentalist, wrote series of successful books, including 'Creative Visualization' and 'Creating True Prosperity', books have sold over 10 million copies, co-founder, New World Library Publishing Company 1948 Birthday T-Bone Burnett, born in St. Louis, Missouri, musician, songwriter, produced artists including BoDeans, Counting Crows, music for films 1947 Birthday John C. Maxwell, born in Garden City, Michigan, evangelical Christian, author, pastor, speaker, leadership expert, wrote over 50 books on leadership, sold over 13 million copies including 'Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow' 1945 Event Most U.S. wartime rationing of foods, including meat and butter, ends 1942 Event military all star team (including Bob Feller) losts to AL all stars 5-0 1941 Birthday Ivana Loudova, born in Chlumec nad Cidlinou, Czech Republic, composer, wrote chamber, orchestral, children's choral works, including 'Little Christmas Cantata' 1940 Birthday Clem Curtis, born in Trinidad, singer, lead vocalist for The Foundations, a British soul group, including hits, 'Baby Now That I've Found You', 'Back On My Feet Again', 'Any Old Time' 1937 Birthday Paul Mefano, born in France, composer, conductor, founded Ensemble 2e2m, premiered over 500 works by young composers, including James Dillon and Franco Donatoni, directed the Conservatory of Versailles 1996 - 2005 1936 Birthday Floyd Abrams, born in America, attorney, constitutional law expert, argued for famous cases, including the New York Times in the Judith Miller in CIA leak grand jury investigation 1934 Birthday Adolf Muschg, born in Zollikon, canton of Zurich, writer, German language and literature professor, wrote provocative works, including If Auschwitz is in Switzerland 1934 Event Red Sox score 12 runs in 4th inning including record 4 consecutive triples hit by Carl Reynolds, Moose Solters, Rick Ferrell, and B Walters 1930 Death Alois Jirasek, writer, taught secondary school, wrote plays, historical novels, including, 'Against Everyone', dies in Prague, Czechoslovakia 1929 Birthday Dick Williams, baseball player, manager, including Seattle 1986-87 1927 Birthday Boris Porena, born in Rome, Italy, Italian composer, didactical expert, studied under Goffredo Petrassi, influenced by neoclassical poetics, wrote texts about music including Musica-Societa which includes social and political analysis 1927 Birthday Lucio Fulci, born in Rome, Italy, director, screenwriter, actor, known for directing gore films, Zombi 2 and The Beyond, other genres, including giallo, western, comedy 1927 Event International Economic Conference (52 countries including U.S.S.R.) opens 1923 Birthday Bert Kaempfert, born in Barmbek, Hamburg, Germany, orchestra leader, songwriter, composed jazz-oriented, easy-listening records including Strangers in the Night and hit Wonderland by Night, Danke Schoen for Wayne Newton and L-O-V-E for Nat King Cole 1921 Birthday Ernest Gold, born in Vienna, Austria, Ernst Gold, composer, wrote nearly 100 film and television scores, including It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, On the Beach, four Academy-Award nominations, three Golden Globe nominations 1921 Birthday Kan Ishii, born in Tokyo, Japan, composer, famous for Symphonia Ainu, inspired by national primitivism, wrote orchestral and vocal music for film and stage, including music for science-fiction film Gorath 1921 Death Billy Gunn, cricket (score 392 runs for England including a century), dies 1921 Birthday Andre Hodeir, born in Paris, France, violinist, composer, studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, founder and director of Jazz Groupe de Paris, comprised of nine musicians including Bobby Jaspar and Nat Peck 1919 Event U.S. deports 250 alien radicals, including anarchist Emma Goldman 1916 Event Denmark cedes Danish West Indies, including the Virgin Islands, to the U.S. for $25 million 1911 Birthday Benny Lee, born in Glasgow, Scotland, entertainer, comedy actor, singer, appeared in radio comedy programs, including It's a Square World, appeared in episodes of Are You Being Served?, and the television series Minder 1906 Birthday Gottlob Frick, born in Germany, singer, bass, performed opera including roles by Wagner and Mozart, best known recording is Osmin, in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Rocco in Fidelio, Sarastro in The Magic Flute 1902 Birthday Lucie Rie, born in Vienna, Austria, born Luzie Gomperz, potter, works displayed in collections around the world including the Museum of Modern Art in New York 1887 Birthday Ernest Holmes, born in Lincoln, Maine, author, teacher, spiritualist, founded Religious Science movement, considered 'Science of Mind', part of New Thought movement, wrote metaphysical books, including 'The Science of Mind', founded 'Science of Mind' magazine 1864 Event Maryland voters adopt new constitution, including abolition of slavery 1854 Event Allied armies, including those of Britain and France, land in Crimea 1851 Birthday Alois Jirasek, born in Czechoslovakia, writer, taught secondary school, wrote plays, historical novels, including, 'Against Everyone' 1815 Event Willem I proclaimed king of the Netherlands, including Belgium 1809 Event Territory of Illinois organizes (including present-day Wisconsin) 1792 Event Revolutionaries imprison French royals including Marie Antoinette 1691 Event New royal charter for Massachusetts, now including Maine, Plymouth 1625 Event 16 Rabbis (including Isiah Horowitz) are imprisoned in Jerusalem
