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River Events in History



2013 Event - In southwest China, environmental and health concerns among residents are raised when 1,000 dead ducks pulled from the Sichuan River

2013 Event - In China, more than 9,000 pigs were found rotting in the Huangpu river, threatening to contaminate Shanghai's drinking supply; the government said the water quality in the city tested as normal

2012 Event - A pageant on London's River Thames marks the highpoint of a series of events celebrating The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II

2012 Event - Australia's Nepean-Hawkesbury River system floods after the Warragamba Dam overflows, causing evacuations in the Sydney suburbs Richmond, Pitt Town and Grono Point

2012 Event - Europe's cold wave continues, with over 400 dead; the Danube River freezes over for 170 km

2011 Event - In Koblenz, Germany, 45,000 citizens wait to return home after bomb squads diffuse World War II bombs that were hidden under the Rhine River for nearly 65 years

2011 Event - In the Volga River near Bolgar, Russia, cruise ship Bulgaria sinks; 110 people drown and 80 are rescued alive

2011 Event - In efforts to save Baton Rouge and New Orleans from floods, the Morganza Spillway is opened on the Mississippi River, deliberately flooding 3,000 square miles of rural Louisiana

2011 Event - Thousands of homes are ordered evacuated as the Spring 2011 Mississippi River Floods continue

2011 Event - The U.S. Coast Guard responds to heavy flooding by closing a section of the Mississippi River near Caruthersville, Missouri

2011 Event - Researchers in Fairbanks, Alaska, discover remains of a 3-year old child from the Ice Age and named it Xaasaa Cheege Ts'eniin, 'Upper Sun River Mouth Child'

2011 Event - River levels in Queensland, Australia continue to rise, 200,000 people are affected and one fatality are reported

2010 Event - In Sichuan, China, massive flooding sweeps two passenger train carriages into the river

2010 Event - More than 5,000 people lose their homes and crops when the Niger River bursts its banks

2010 Event - Flash floods on the Little Missouri River kill at least 20 people near a campground in the Ouachita Mountains, west of Little Rock, Arkansas

2009 Event - U.S. Airways plane ditches in the Hudson River - all 155 passengers survive

2002 Death - William Warfield, singer/teacher, Old Man River, dies at 82

2000 Death - Sir Alec Guinness, actor, Bridge on the River Kwai, dies at 86

1994 Death - Henry Mancini, composer (Pink Panther, Moon River), dies at 70

1993 Death - River Phoenix, actor (Stand By Me), dies of drug overdose at 23

1992 Death - Hank Worden, actor (Red River), dies of natural causes at 91

1992 Death - Malcolm Atterbury, actor (7 Days in May, Wild River), dies at 85

1989 Event - Lawrence Delisle drives his 4 kids into river

1988 Event - Skip Storch swims 246 km of Hudson River from Albany to New York City

1987 Event - "Big River" closes at Eugene O'Neill Theater New York City after 1005 performances

1987 Event - 10 teens die in Guadalupe River flood, Comfort, Texas

1986 Event - Ferry boat Shamia sinks on Maghna River Bangladesh, 600 killed

1986 Death - William Collier, actor (Up the River, She's My Weakness), dies

1985 Event - 39th Tony Awards: Biloxi Blues and Big River win

1985 Event - "Big River" opens at Eugene O'Neill Theater New York City for 1005 performances

1985 Event - Roger Miller's musical "Big River," premieres in New York City

1985 Event - War veterans returned to the "Bridge over the River Kwai"

1984 Event - Mobil oil tanker spills 200,000 gallons into Columbia River

1982 Event - Air Florida 737 took off in a snowstorm, crashes into 14th St. Bridge in Washington, D.C., and falls into Potomac River, killing 78

1980 Birthday - Stacey Storey, Eagle River Alaska, Miss America-Alaska 1996

1980 Event - River of No Return Wilderness Area designated by Jimmy Carter

1979 Event - "Lonesome Loser" by Little River Band peaks at #6

1975 Event - 500 drown when 2 river boats collide and sink in China's West River

1975 Death - Jerry Verno, actor (River of Unrest, Ourselves Alone), dies at 79

1975 Birthday - Christine Buschur, Eagle River, Alaska, Miss America-Alaska 1997

1974 Event - 28th Tony Awards: River Niger and Raisin win

1974 Death - Betty Compson, actress (Barker, Weary River, Drag Net), dies at 77

1973 Death - William CF Plomer, South Africa libretto writer (Curlew River), dies at 69

1973 Event - 78 drown as flash flood sweeps a bus into a river, India

1972 Event - Joseph A Walkers "River Niger," premieres in New York City

1972 Event - Bus plunges into Nile River killing 50 pilgrims. (Minia Egypt)

1972 Birthday - Geoff Sanderson, Hay River, NHL left wing, Hartford Whalers

1971 Event - Cleveland Metroparks' Rocky River Nature Center opens

1971 Birthday - Michael Chack, Toms River, New Jersey, figure skater, 1997 Pac Coast Sr champ

1970 Event - Bridge over Yarra River in Melbourne crashes; killing 35

1970 Birthday - River Phoenix, Madras Ore, actor, Little Nikta, Stand By Me

1969 Event - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA River Plantation Women's Golf Open

1969 Event - 25,000 attend 2nd Annual Sky River Rock Festival, Tenino Wash

1969 Event - Cleveland's Cuyahgo River catches fire

1968 Event - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA River Plantation Golf Invitational

1968 Event - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Kings River Golf Open

1968 Death - Howard Petrie, actor (Border River, Bounty Hunter), dies at 61

1968 Event - Israeli forces cross Jordan River to attack PLO bases

1968 Event - Jeffrey Kramer survives 76-m jump, Washington Bridge, Hudson River New York

1967 Birthday - Matt Howard, Fall River, Massachusetts, infielder, New York Yankees

1967 Death - Oscar Shaw, actor (Rhythm on the River, Marianne), dies at 76

1966 Event - Flooding of Arno River (Italy) destroys countless art works, kills 113

1966 Event - Mao Tse Tung swims Yangtse River

1965 Event - 3rd cyclone of year kills another 15,000 at mouths of Ganges River

1965 Event - Trackless trolley plunged into Nile River drowning 74 (Cairo Egypt)

1965 Birthday - Al Leiter, Toms River, New Jersey, pitcher, Florida Marlins, New York Mets

1965 Event - Pontoon ferry overturned on Shire River Malawi, kills 150

1964 Birthday - Laura Linney, born in New York City, New York, actress, film, theater, appeared in 'The Truman Show', 'Mystic River', 'The Nanny Diaries', 'Love Actually'

1964 Event - Suriname River dammed

1964 Birthday - William Thomas Andrade, Fall River, Massachusetts, PGA golfer, 1991 Kemper Open

1961 Birthday - Greg Gagne, Fall River, Massachusetts, infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers

1961 Birthday - Joel Otto, Elk River, Minnesota, NHL center, Philadelphia Flyers, Team USA Olympics-1998

1961 Birthday - Susan Boyle, born in Blackburn, Scotland, Scottish singer, gained international attention, audience ovation, on television contest, Britain's Got Talent with Les Miserables song, 'I Dreamed a Dream', and 'Cry Me a River', plain appearance contrasts with her powerful voice

1960 Birthday - Dawn Coe-Jones, Campbell River BC, LPGA golfer, 1992 Kemper Open

1960 Event - 60 people die when bus plunges off bridge into Turvo River, Brazil

1959 Event - River Canyon extending man-made Lake Hebgen by 5 miles. (Montana)

1959 Event - American Airlines Electra crashes in New York's East River, killing 65

1959 Event - Dam across Tera River collapses after heavy winter rains, 135 die

1958 Event - 30th Academy Awards-"Bridge over River Kwai," Woodward and Guinness win

1957 Death - Sholem Asch, Polish/Israeli writer (East River), dies at 77

1955 Event - Hurricane Diane, following hurricane Connie floods Connecticut River killing 190 and doing $1.8 billion damage

1954 Birthday - George McArdle, rock bassist, Little River Band Melbourne

1953 Birthday - Derek Pellicci, rock drummer, Little River Band-Help Is On It's Way

1951 Event - 100,000 acres flooded from Mississippi River in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois

1951 Event - Air raid on Chinese positions at Yalu River

1951 Birthday - David Briggs, rock guitarist, Little River Band-Help is on it's Way

1950 Event - China enters Korean conflict, sends troops across Yalu River

1950 Event - Chinese offensive halts at Chongchon River, North Korea

1949 Birthday - Terry Reid, rock guitarist, River, Bang Bang You're Terry Reid

1949 Event - British warship HMS Amethyst escape down Yangtze River, having been refused a safe passage by Chinese Communists after 3-month standoff

1948 Event - SS Kiangya hits mine in Whangpoo River China, sinks killing 2,750 die

1948 Birthday - Beeb Birtles, Gerard Birtlekamp, rock guitarist, Little River Band

1948 Event - Arab legion attacks Gesher bridge on Jordan River

1947 Birthday - Lee Meredith, Judith Lee Sauls, River Edge, New Jersey, actress, Producers

1947 Death - Harry Carey Sr, actor and director (Red River, Sundown), dies at 69

1947 Event - 200 die when train derails and fell into a river in Canton, China

1947 Birthday - Graham Goble, Adelaide, Australia, rock guitarist, Little River Band

1947 Birthday - Felicity Lott, English soprano, We come to the river

1947 Event - John D Rockefeller, Jr. donates New York City East River site to the U.N.

1947 Event - Small river steamer sank on Yangtze River, kills 400

1945 Event - U.S. and Soviet forces meet at Torgau, Germany on Elbe River

1945 Event - U.S. troops in Italy cross river Po

1945 Event - Russian Red Army crosses the river Oder

1944 Event - U.S. 12nd Army Corps crosses river Seine East of Paris

1944 Event - Russian troops cross river Bug/march into Poland

1944 Birthday - Glenn Shorrock, born in Sydney, Australia, rock vocalist, Little River Band

1944 Event - Bus falls off bridge into Passaic River New Jersey, killing 16

1942 Birthday - John Linder, born in Deer, River, Minnesota, Representative-R-Georgia 1993 -

1942 Event - German troops cross Kuban River

1942 Event - 8 die as coal waste heap slides in river valley near Oakwood, Virginia

1942 Event - Japanese submarine in mouth of Columbia River, Oregon

1942 Event - Nazi U-boat sinks American cargo ship at mouth of Mississippi River

1941 Death - James Stephenson, actor (Sea Hawk, River's End), dies at 52

1941 Event - SS drowns 40 Jews in Dvina River, Belorussia

1940 Event - John Sigmund begins swimming for 89 hours 46 minutes in the Mississippi River

1940 Event - Nazi blitz conquest of France began by crossing Muese River

1938 Birthday - Robert "Evel" Knievel, motorcycle daredevil, Snake River Canyon

1937 Event - Japanese aircraft shell and sink U.S. gunboat Panay on Yangtze River in China. (Japan apologized and eventually paid U.S. $2.2M in reparations)

1937 Event - Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Bonneville Dam on Columbia River (Oregon)

1937 Event - Bonneville Dam on Columbia River begins producing power

1935 Birthday - Morton Dean, Fall River Massachusetts, TV newscaster, CBS, ABC

1933 Birthday - Adrienne Corri, born in Glasgow, Scotland, actress, River, Dr. Zhivago

1932 Event - Steamboat SS Observation explodes in New York City East River (71 killed)

1931 Event - Yangtzee River floods after heavy rain crumbles dikes in China

1930 Event - Fred P Newton completes longest swim ever (1826 miles), when he swam in the Mississippi River from Ford Dam, Minn, to New Orleans

1930 Birthday - Andy Williams, Wall Lake Iowa, singer, Moon River, Andy Williams Show

1928 Birthday - Patrick Tilley, UK, sci-fi author, 1st Family, Blood River

1928 Event - Paul Whiteman and orchestra record "Ol' Man River" for Victor Records

1927 Event - Tropical storm flooding kills 84 in Winooski River Valley (Vt)

1926 Event - Troop ship sinks in Yangtze River, killing 1,200

1923 Birthday - Helena Carter, Helen Rickerts, U.S. model/actress, River Lady

1923 Birthday - Ad[rianus C] de Besten, Dutch literary, River Basin

1921 Birthday - Malcolm Arnold, Northampton England, composer, Bridge over River Kwai

1921 Event - Oldest radio station west of Mississippi River licensed in Greeley Co

1920 Event - Hudson River frozen at Albany

1919 Birthday - Curt Gowdy, Green River, Wyoming, sportscaster, ABC

1918 Event - German armies retreat across Marne River in France (WW I)

1918 Birthday - William Holden, born in Illinois, actor, Stalag 17, Bridge Over River Kwai, SOB

1918 Event - Alick Wickham dives 200' into Australia's Yarra River

1917 Birthday - James Donald, Aberdeen Scotland, actor, Bridge on River Kwai, Vikings

1917 Birthday - A Marja, ATE Mooy, Dutch literary, Shreds on the River

1915 Birthday - Una Mae Carlisle, U.S. pianist/vocalist, Walkin' at the River

1914 Birthday - Alec Guinness, born in London, England, British actor, Bridge on River Kwai

1913 Event - Dayton, Ohio almost destroyed when Scioto, Miami, and Muskingum River reach flood stage simultaneously

1910 Event - 1st Movie stunt: man jumps into Hudson river from a burning balloon

1910 Birthday - Phil Hanna, River Forest, Illinois, singer, Once Upon a Tune

1910 Birthday - Sammy Kaye, born in Rocky River Ohio, orchestra leader, Sammy Kaye Show

1910 Birthday - Douglas Spencer, actor, Thing, This Island Earth, River of No Return

1909 Birthday - Nigel Tranter, author/historian, River Realm, Robert the Bruce

1909 Birthday - Johnny Mercer, Savannah, Georgia, lyricist, Moon River, Old Black Magic

1908 Event - 1st tunnel under Hudson River (railway tunnel) opens

1906 Birthday - Howard Petrie, Beverly, Massachusetts, actor, Border River, Bounty Hunter

1904 Event - Side-wheeler "General Slocum" burns in New York's East River (1,031 die)

1904 Event - -34 degrees F (-36.7 degrees C), River Vale, New Jersey (state record)

1902 Birthday - Nora Swinburne, born in England, actress, Quo Vardis, Dinner at Ritz, River

1901 Birthday - Sam Spiegel, producer, On the Waterfront, Bridge over River Kwai

1901 Event - Battle at Blood River Port: Boer General Botha beats Major Goughs cavalry

1901 Event - Battle at Elands River Port: Boer General Smuts destroys unit 17th Lancers

1901 Event - Boer general John Smuts and De la Rey conqueror Mud river Transvaal

1900 Birthday - Howard Thurman, theologian/author, Deep River, Deep in the Hunger

1900 Event - Britain annexes Orange Free State (as Orange River Colony)

1899 Event - Battle of Mud river (Boer General. Cronje beats British General Methuen)

1899 Birthday - Byron Foulger, Ogden, Utah, actor, River's Edge, Up in Smoke

1899 Event - Brazo River in Texas floods 12 miles wide causing $10 mil damage

1898 Birthday - Paul Robeson, born in Philadelphia, singer, Old Man River

1898 Event - Battle of Atbara River, Anglo-Egyptian forces crush 6,000 Sudanese

1897 Birthday - Antonius F "Anton" Coolen, Dutch author, Village by the River

1896 Event - Gold discovered at Klondike River at Dawson

1896 Birthday - Arthur Shields, Dublin Ireland, actor, River, Enchanted Island

1895 Birthday - Jerry Verno, born in London, England, actor, River of Unrest, Sweeney Todd

1892 Event - Sunday school teacher Lizzie Borden arrested in Fall River, Mass

1890 Birthday - Sessue Hayakawa, born in Japan, actor, Bridge on River Kwai, Hell to Eternity

1888 Event - Pennsylvania's Monongehela River rises 32' after 24 hour rainfall

1887 Event - British SS Wah Yeung catches fire on Canton River off Hong Kong

1887 Event - Gele River (Huang Ho) in China floods, kills about 1.5 million

1883 Event - SS Daphne sinks on Clyde River Scotland; 195 die

1881 Event - River ferry "Princess Victoria" sinks in Thames River Ont, 180 die

1880 Event - Compressed air accident kills 20 workers on Hudson River tunnel, New York

1878 Death - George Backing, English sea officer/explorer (B's River), dies at 81

1877 Event - Big Hole River: Col John Gibbon murders Nez-Perce indians

1876 Event - Henry Morton Stanley's reaches Lualaba River

1869 Event - 1st international boat race (Thames River, Oxford beats Harvard)

1869 Event - 1st voyage down Colorado River

1865 Event - Steamboat "Sultana" explodes in Mississippi River, kills up to 1,547. 1450 of 2000 paroled Union POWs on their way home are killed when river steamer "Sultana" blows up

1864 Event - Battle of Honey Hill South Carolina (Broad River) 96 dead/665 wounded

1864 Event - Battle of Marais Des Cygnes River, Kansas (Mine Creek)

1864 Event - Battle at Chattahoochee River, Georgia

1864 Event - 640m long ponton bridge over James River Virginia finished

1864 Event - Captain Mendell begins building 640m long ponton bridge over James River, Virginia

1864 Event - Battle of Kellar's Bridge Kentucky, Licking River

1864 Event - Battle of N Anna River, Virginia (Totopotamy River, Haw's Shop, Hanovertown)

1864 Event - Skirmish at Marksville (Avoyelles) (Red River Campaign)

1864 Event - Butler attacks Drewry's Bluff on James River

1864 Event - Skirmish at Ny River Virginia

1864 Event - Battle at Alexandria, Louisiana (Red River Campaign)

1864 Event - Battle of Cane River, Louisiana (Red River Expedition, Monett's Ferry)

1864 Event - Skirmish at Elkin's Ford Little Missouri River, Arkansas

1864 Event - Dale Dike on Humber River crumbles drowning some 240

1864 Event - Red River Campaign-Union forces reach Alexandria, Louisiana

1864 Event - Red River campaign LA

1864 Event - Skirmish at Big Black River Bridge, Mississippi

1863 Event - CSS Chattahoochie explodes on Chattahoochie River GA, 18 die

1863 Event - Battle of Big Black River Bridge, Mississippi

1863 Event - Battle at Bear River, Washington: U.S. Army vs indians

1863 Event - Battle of Murfreesboro (Stone's River) ends

1862 Event - Battle of Stone's River, Tennessee (Stone River, Monfreesboro)

1862 Event - Naval Engagement at Yazoo River, MS (USS CAIRO torpedoed)

1862 Event - Battle of Big Hatchie River, MS

1862 Event - Battle of Nueces River, Texas

1862 Event - Naval Engagement at Pascagoula River MS: USS Potomac Expedition

1862 Event - Battle at Green River Kentucky (Morgan's Ohio Raid)

1862 Event - Civil War action at Island #10 on Mississippi River

1862 Event - Naval Engagement at Tennessee River - USS Conestago vs CSS Appleton Belle

1862 Event - Battle of Big Sandy River, Kentucky (Middle Creek)

1859 Event - 1st steamboat sails, Red River

1858 Event - Treaty of Algun, China cedes north bank of Amur River to Russia

1855 Event - 1st train crosses Mississippi River's 1st bridge, Rock Island, Illinois to Davenport Iowa

1853 Event - Gadsden Purchase 45,000 mi (120,000 km) by Gila River from Mexico for $10 million, area is now southern Arizona and New Mexico

1850 Event - Gold discovered in Oregon, Rogue River

1837 Event - Collision of river boat Monmouth and Trement on Miss; 300 die

1837 Event - "Sherrod" burns in Mississippi River below Natchez Miss; 175 dies

1834 Event - HMS Beagle anchors at river mouth of Rio Santa Cruz, Patagonia

1833 Event - Charles Darwin reaches river mouth of Parana

1833 Event - HMS Beagle reaches river mouth of Rio Negro

1832 Event - Whites decimate Indians in Battle of Bad Axe River, Wisconsin

1832 Event - Source of Mississippi River discovered, Henry R. Schoolcraft

1829 Event - Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay Canal formally opens

1826 Birthday - Stephen Foster, Lawrencevil, Pennsylvania, composer, Oh! Susanna, Swanee River

1826 Birthday - Frederick Church, U.S. romantic landscape painter, Hudson River Sch

1825 Event - Erie Canal between Hudson River and Lake Erie opened

1823 Event - 1st steamboat to navigate the Mississippi River arrives at Ft. Snelling

1817 Event - Mississippi River steamboat service begins

1815 Event - George Evans discovers Lachlan River, Australia

1812 Event - Napoleon's Grand Army crosses Berezina River in retreat from Russia

1812 Event - 1st Russian settlement in California, Russian River

1811 Event - Earthquake in Missouri caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards

1811 Event - 1st Ohio River steamboat leaves Pittsburgh for New Orleans

1807 Event - Robert Fulton's steamboat Clermont begins 1st trip up Hudson River

1804 Event - 31 English ship sail Suriname river demand transition colony

1804 Event - Mungo Park leaves England seeking source of Niger River

1801 Birthday - Thomas Cole, U.S., romantic landscape painter, Hudson River School

1792 Event - Columbia River discovered and named by U.S. Captain Robert Gray

1790 Event - Territory South of River Ohio created by Congress

1789 Event - Alex Mackenzie explores Mackenzie River (Canada)

1776 Event - George Washington's retreating army crosses Delaware River from New Jersey

1776 Event - Washington and his troops cross Delaware River

1774 Event - Chestertown tea party occurs (tea dumped into Chester River)

1771 Event - Samuel Hearne explores Copper Mine River of Canada

1770 Birthday - David Thompson, English/Canadian explorer, Columbia River

1745 Event - English fleet occupies Cap Breton on St. Lawrence River

1715 Event - Thames River freezes

1696 Event - Czar Peter I's fleet occupies Azov at mouth of Don River

1682 Event - William Penn accepts area around Delaware River from Duke of York

1669 Event - LaSalle leaves Montreal to explore Ohio River

1667 Event - Abraham Crijnssens fleet reach Fort Willoughby on Suriname River

1607 Event - English colonists (John Smith) lands near James River in VA

1575 Birthday - Henry Hudson, England, navigator/explorer, Hudson River

1541 Event - Hernando de Soto discovers Mississippi River

1540 Event - Explorer Hernando de Alarcon travels up Colorado River

1534 Event - Jacques Cartier 1st sails into mouth of St. Lawrence River

1498 Event - Columbus landed at the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela

1434 Event - Thames River freezes

1415 Event - King Henry V of England army lands on mouth of Seine River













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