Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.
On 3, Saturday February 1894, Norman Rockwell, American artist, illustrator, born (d. 1978)
On 3, Saturday February 1894, Auguste Vaillant, French anarchist, died (b. 1861) (executed)
On 3, Monday February 1919, Bill Alley, cricketer, born (died 2004)
On 3, Monday February 1919, Soviet troops occupy Ukraine.
On 3, Thursday February 1944, Trisha Noble, singer and actress
On 3, Thursday February 1944, WWII: United States troops capture the Marshall Islands.
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, A chartered plane transporting musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper with pilot Roger Peterson goes down in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all four on board. The tragedy is later termed “The Day the Music Died”, popularized in Don McLean’s 1971 song “American Pie”.
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, American Airlines Flight 320, a Lockheed L-188 Electra from Chicago crashes into the East River on approach to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, UliUli Fifita, Tongan professional Wrestler aka(Haku/Meng) , born
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, Killed in the crash of a private plane: The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), American rock singer, died (b. 1930)
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, Killed in the crash of a private plane: Buddy Holly, American rock singer, died (b. 1936)
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, Killed in the crash of a private plane: Ritchie Valens, American rock singer, died (b. 1941)
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, Vincent Astor, American philanthropist, died (b. 1891)
On 3, Tuesday February 1959, Francesco De Robertis, Italian screenwriter, editor and director, died (b. 1902)
On 3, Monday February 1969, Beau Biden, 44th Attorney General of Delaware, born (d. 2015)
On 3, Monday February 1969, Retief Goosen, South African golfer, born
On 3, Monday February 1969, Eduardo Mondlane, leader of the Mozambique nationalist organization FRELIMO, died (b. 1920)
On 3, Monday February 1969, Al Taliaferro, Disney comic artist, died (b. 1905)
On 3, Saturday February 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini creates the Council of the Islamic Revolution.
On 3, Saturday February 1979, Aaron Douglas, American painter, died (b. 1899)
On 3, Friday February 1989, A military coup overthrows Alfredo Stroessner, dictator of Paraguay since 1954.
On 3, Friday February 1989, After a stroke, State President of South Africa P. W. Botha resigns as Leader of the National Party.
On 3, Friday February 1989, Ryne Sanborn, American actor, born
On 3, Friday February 1989, Betty Farrington, American actress, died (b. 1898)
On 3, Friday February 1989, John Cassavetes, American actor and author, died (b. 1929)
On 3, Friday February 1989, Glenna Collett-Vare, American golfer, died (b. 1903)
On 3, Thursday February 1994, Prime Minister Paul Keating threatens to change the rules on election of Senators, as what he regarded as “the unrepresentative swill” continues to thwart and embarrass his Government.
On 3, Thursday February 1994, In the aftermath of the Chadian–Libyan conflict, the International Court of Justice rules that the Aouzou Strip belongs to the Republic of Chad.
On 3, Thursday February 1994, Walter Havighurst, American critic, novelist, and historian, died (b. 1901)
On 3, Wednesday February 1999, An industry review into Queensland’s diving industry is released and prompts the Queensland Government to announce its plans to impose jail time or hefty fines on operators falling short of safety requirements.
On 3, Tuesday February 2009, Justice Virginia Bell is sworn in as a puisne judge of the High Court of Australia, replacing Justice Michael Kirby who retired the previous day.
On 3, Tuesday February 2009, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd unveils a second economic stimulus package to the value of A$42 billion.
On 3, Tuesday February 2009, Cricketers Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke are named joint winners of the Allan Border Medal.
On 3, Monday February 2014, Max Howell, 86, rugby union player and educator, died
On 3, Monday February 2014, Louise Brough, American tennis player, died (b. 1923)
Other On This Day days in history
Neville Buch