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On this day in 2023

On this day in 2022

• EVENTS
• Construction begins on world's biggest radio telescope - the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in South Africa and Australia with collection area of nearly 500,000 square meters. Built to test Einstein's theories and search for extraterrestrial life.
• Jim Stewart, founder of the influential southern soul label Stax Records, died aged 92. As the founder of Stax, Stewart was responsible for signing and nurturing the careers of many of soul and R&B’s most influential figures, including Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Albert King and the Bar-Kays..
• TV SERIES
• His Dark Materials: Season 3 is released. The third and final season based on final part of Philip Pullman's trilogy, "The Amber Spyglass, "sees Lord Asriel at war with Authority as Lyra and Will travel between worlds to find each other.
• FICTION
• Kirstie Alley, American Emmy Award-winning actress (Cheers - "Rebecca" ; Look Who's Talking; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), who died of colon cancer at 71.

On this day in 2021

• EVENTS
• First known Hippos tests positive for COVID-19 pandemic at Antwerp Zoo in Belgium, with staff putting Imani (14) and Hermien (41) into isolation.
• British rock music vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist John Miles died after a short illness age 72. Best known for his 1976 top 3 UK hit single ‘Music’. He won the ‘Outstanding Musical Achievement’ award at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards..
• DEATHS
• Gary Callander, Scottish rugby union hooker (6 caps; South of Scotland RFC), who died from pancreatic cancer at 62.
• John Miles, British vocalist and musician (John Miles Band - "Rebel" ; "Zaragon" ; Alan Parsons Project), who died at 72.
• POLITICS
• Kennedy Center Honors ceremony held for Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Berry Gordy, Lorne Michaels and Justino Diaz with President Biden attending in Washington D.C..
• Bob Dole, American politician (Senate Republican leader,1985-96, Presidential candidate,1996), who died of lung cancer at 98.
• SPORTS
• Bill Glass, American College Football HOF defensive end (Baylor University; 4 x Pro Bowl Cleveland Browns; Detroit Lions), who died at 86.

On this day in 2020

• EVENTS
• Russia begins vaccinating people with its Sputnik V vaccine in Moscow, despite the vaccine not finishing clinical trials.
• DEATHS
• Sara Carreira, Instagram Star.
• Viktor Ponedelnik, Russian soccer striker (29 caps Soviet Union; FC SKA Rostov-on-Don), who died at 83.
• Wojciech Zablocki, Polish fencer (4 x World C'ship gold team; Olympic silver team sabre 1956,60; bronze 1964), who died at 89.
• John Harvey, Race Car Driver.
• Peter Alliss, English golfer (Ryder Cup 1957 GB winners) and author, course designer and television presenter, commentator (BBC, ESPN, ABC Sports), who died at 89.

On this day in 2019

• EVENTS
• National strike in France; more than 800,000 people in 100 cities protest against proposed pension reform.
• WHO says 142,000 people died of the measles around the world in 2018, nearly 20,000 more than in 2017.
• Saudi state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco raises a record $25.6 billion in its first public share offering, makes it the world's most valuable company at $1.7 trillion.
• GAMING: PC
• Mosaic for PC is released. You live a monotonous life in a cold city, with no real sense of meaning - until one crucial day, when strange things start to happen and everything changes. Mosaic is an atmospheric adventure game that might change your perspective on life.
• Interrogation: You will be deceived for PC is released. As a police detective tasked with bringing down a dangerous terrorist group, you fight on two fronts: interrogating suspects & managing your team and its reputation. With time running out, how far will you go to stop these criminals? Manipulation, threats or even torture? Does the end justify the means?
• Darksiders Genesis for PC is released. From the dawn of creation, the council has maintained the Balance across existence. Carrying out their orders are the Horsemen, Nephilim (powerful beings spawned from the unnatural union of angels and demons) who have pledged themselves to the Council and been granted immense power. However, this power came at a tragic cost: the Horsemen were ordered to use their newfound strength to wipe out the rest of their kind. What followed was a bloody battle on Eden where the Horsemen, obeying the will of the Council, annihilated the Nephilim. Darksiders: Genesis is an action/adventure that tears its way through hordes of demons, angels, and everything in-between on its way to Hell and back with guns blazing and swords swinging. Genesis gives players their first look at the world of Darksiders before the events of the original game, as well as introduces the horseman Strife.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Star Ocean: First Departure R for PlayStation 4 is released. Space Date: 346. From a power yet undiscovered, a new generation will be born. Our tale begins on the primitive planet of Roak where Roddick lives in the peaceful and uneventful town of Kratus. As a member of the village’s local “Defence Force” tasked with the protection of Kratus, Roddick learns of a mysterious disease that has broken out in the neighboring town. Those infected turn to stone, but continue to live on in a petrified state. Roddick, along with his two friends Millie and Dorne, make their way to the neighboring town. Informed of a cure for the sickness, they head to Mt. Metorx where a healing herb is rumored to grow. When they reach the summit, the party encounter Ronyx and Ilia, who appear before them in a pillar of light. Thus, the story of STAR OCEAN begins...
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Alien: Isolation for Switch is released. HOW WILL YOU SURVIVE? Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger. Fifteen years after the events of Alien, Ellen Ripleys daughter, Amanda enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother's disappearance. As Amanda, you will navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive. Overcome an ever-present deadly threat Experience persistent fear as a truly dynamic and reactive Alien uses its senses to hunt you down and respond to your every move. Improvise to survive Hack systems, scavenge for vital resources and craft items to deal with each situation. Will you evade your enemies, distract them or face them head on? Explore a world of mystery and betrayal Immerse yourself in the detailed setting of Sevastopol, a decommissioned trading station on the fringes of space. Encounter a rich cast of inhabitants in a world scarred by fear and mistrust. When she left Earth, Ellen Ripley promised her daughter Amanda she would return home for her 11th birthday. Amanda never saw her again. Fifteen years later, Amanda, now a Weyland-Yutani employee, hears that the flight recorder of her mothers ship, the Nostromo, has been recovered at the remote trading station Sevastopol. The temptation for her to finally understand what happened is too much to resist. When the crew arrive at Sevastopol, they find something is desperately wrong. It all seems to be connected to an unknown menace, stalking and killing deep in the shadows. In order to uncover the truth about her mother, Amanda is forced to confront the same terrifying thing that separated them.
• POLITICS
• Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, announces articles of impeachment against US President Donald Trump will be drawn up for abuse of power.

On this day in 2018

• EVENTS
• Arrest of Huawei Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou for possible violation of Iran sanctions in Canada.
• CO2 emissions reach all-time high (up 2.7%) driven by coal use in China and consumption of oil, in Global Carbon Project report.
• Letter by Albert Einstein from 1954 on concept of religion sells for $2.9 million at Christie's in New York.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Tyrel is released. Tyler (Jason Mitchell) joins his friend on a trip to the Catskills for a weekend birthday party with several people he doesn’t know. As soon as they get there, it’s clear that (1) he’s the only black guy, and (2) it’s going to be a weekend of heavy drinking. Although Tyler is welcomed, he can’t help but feel uneasy in “Whitesville.” The combination of all the testosterone and alcohol starts to get out of hand, and Tyler’s precarious situation starts to feel like a nightmare.
• TV SERIES
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 2 is released. As Midge climbs up the stand-up world, she faces more challenges of working the circuit and finding a way to tell her family about what she is really doing.
• GAMING: PC
• Battle Princess Madelyn for PC is released. You're the princess! Battle Princess Madelyn to be precise, in this pixel perfect retro side-scroller, as you set off to defeat evil with your ghostly canine companion, Fritzy. Do you have what it takes to save your family, avenge your furry friend and become the ultimate battle princess?
• POLITICS
• National day of mourning for former US President George H. W. Bush as he lies in state at the Capitol Rotunda, Washington.
• US state funeral for former president George H. W. Bush, eulogy by George W. Bush, attended by President Donald Trump predecessors Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
• Wisconsin Republican senate passes bills restricting power of new Democratic governor Tony Evers.

On this day in 2017

• EVENTS
• Twitter reveals K-pop boy band BTS were the most tweeted-about celebrities in 2017.
• Online store Amazon begins operations in Australia.
• Netflix fires actor Danny Masterson from "The Ranch" after allegations of rape.
• Artist Lubaina Himid wins Britain's Turner Prize, oldest person at 63 and first nonwhite woman.
• Austrian courts rule in favour of same-sex marriage from 2019.
• Democratic representative John Conyers resigns from US Congress after allegations of sexual harassment.
• BIRTHS
• Harum Dalia, Family Member, born in Malaysia.
• DEATHS
• Johnny Hallyday [Jean-Philippe Smet], French singer and actor known as the "Elvis Presley of France, "dies from lung cancer at 74.
• Michael I, King of Romania (1927-1930 and 1940-1947), who died from cancer at 96.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris for PlayStation 4 is released. Destiny 2 – Expansion I: Curse of Osiris, takes place after the conclusion of the Destiny 2 campaign where you are dispatched to Mercury on a quest to find Osiris, the most powerful Warlock to have ever lived, to discover the answers humanity needs to fight back against the Vex. Curse of Osiris adds a new chapter to the world of Destiny 2, expanding the universe by adding an all-new cinematic story with new and returning characters, a new destination to explore, Mercury and its Infinite Forest, a new social space to visit called the Lighthouse, new missions, new strikes, new raid content, new free roam activities, a world quest to complete, and more.
• Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package for PlayStation 4 is released. Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package is a special delivery that will let PlayStation 4 players unwrap the Dead Rising 4 main game, in addition to all other previously released game content. The new bundle will also introduce a game mode called "Capcom Heroes, "an all-new way to experience the Dead Rising 4 story that lets Frank West wear outfits and perform outrageous special attacks inspired by classic Capcom characters.In Dead Rising 4, players will step foot inside the seasonal festivities of Willamette, Colorado amidst a mysterious outbreak that is spreading across the Willamette Memorial Megaplex Mall and surrounding town. Photojournalist Frank West returns 16 years after the events of the original Dead Rising. An ordinary guy that finds himself in extraordinary situations, Frank seeks to uncover the truth behind a government conspiracy responsible for the outbreak. With intense action and an unmatched level of weapon and character customization, Dead Rising 4, delivers a heart pounding experience as players explore, scavenge and fight to survive in an open world sandbox on the brink of the next zombie apocalypse.
• A Hat in Time for PlayStation 4 is released. A Hat in Time is a 3D collect-a-thon platformer featuring a little girl with a lot of heart. Travel the universe with Hat Kid as you rival the evil Mustache Girl in order to save the world. Unlock new platforming abilities, more combat moves and spice up your attacks with badges attached to your hat.
• Steep: Road to the Olympics for PlayStation 4 is released. Steep Road to the Olympics is an expansion for Steep, the open world action-sports game that takes you on the journey to become an Olympic champion. Freely explore a massive open world, including iconic Japanese mountains as well as the Alps, where you will train for qualifiers to reach the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Caveman Warriors for Switch is released. Jump back in time and free your inner caveman. Smash heads in this cooperative platformer game. Play solo or team up with up to 4 players.Inspired by games like New Super Mario, Joe & Mac, Metal Slug, Castle Crashers and Trine.
• Nine Parchments for Switch is released. Nine Parchments is a co-op action-RPG game of magic mayhem from Frozenbyte, the creators of the Trine series. A group of runaway wizard apprentices decide to skip their training to search for the Nine Parchments. As the wannabe wizards rapidly discover powerful new spells and ignore all safety aspects, it's natural that their hasty progress results in lots of deadly accidents...
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• Oh My Godheads for Xbox One is released.
• POLITICS
• Surin Pitsuwan, Thai foreign minister and 12th Secretary General of ASEAN (2008-2012), who died from heart failure at 68.
• SPORTS
• Russia is banned from the next Winter Olympics in South Korea over state-sponsored doping.

On this day in 2016

• EVENTS
• Malta becomes the 1st country in Europe to outlaw conversion therapy.
• A statue of David Bowie was set to go up in the town where he first performed as Ziggy Stardust following the success of a crowdfunding campaign. More than 650 people pledged sums totalling more than the £100,000 goal,19 hours before the deadline.The statue would be put up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where Bowie unveiled his Ziggy character..
• BIRTHS
• Bianka Bryant, Family Member, born in California.
• DEATHS
• Jayalalithaa, Politician.
• E. R. Braithwaite, Guyanese diplomat and writer (To Sir with Love), who died at 104.
• Robert Sumner, American evangelist and author, who died at 94.
• Shirley Hazzard, Australian-born author (Transit of Venus), who died at 85.
• GAMING: PC
• SUPERHOT VR for PC is released. After years of experiments and iterations, the team behind the critically acclaimed, violently beautiful time-bending shooter SUPERHOT is ready to unveil it’s newest creation. SUPERHOT VR is a title reimagined and redesigned from the ground up for VR and hand tracking controllers.
• POLITICS
• Jayaram Jayalalitha, Indian actress and politician, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, who died of a heart attack at 68.
• Mogens Camre, Danish politician (Folketing (Danish Parliament),1968-1987,3 days in 2007; European Parliament,1999-2009, who died at 80.
• SPORTS
• Rashaan Salaam, American College Football Hall of Fame running back (Heisman Trophy 1994, U of Colorado; NFL: Chicago Bears), who died at 42.

On this day in 2015

• BIRTHS
• Saint West, Family Member, born in Los Angeles, CA.
• DEATHS
• Marília Pêra, Brazilian actress (Better Days Ahead, Pixote), who died of lung cancer at 72.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• GUNS UP! for PlayStation 4 is released. In this side-scrolling strategy game, players take on the role of a General, managing resources and deploying the right combination of troops, land mines, air strikes, smoke screens, and sniper towers to topple their opponents’ bases. With Cross-Play, Generals can fine-tune their strategy against opponents with turn-based asynchronous gameplay across the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita systems.
• Nuclear Throne for PlayStation 4 is released. Nuclear Throne is a post-apocalyptic roguelike-like top-down shooter. Not 'the final hope of humanity' post-apocalyptic, but 'humanity is extinct and mutants and monsters now roam the world' post-apocalyptic. Fight your way through the wastelands with powerful weaponry, collecting radiation to mutate some new limbs and abilities.
• Fat Princess Adventures for PlayStation 4 is released. This new co-op adventure serves up the cheeky light-hearted humor that made the PlayStation 3 game what it was. Up to 4 friends can team up for a not-so-epic adventure to slay monsters, steal loot, rescue the princesses, gobble cake, and defeat the evil Bitter Queen. Your band of comrades will stab, smash, grab and grub your way through the land of Great Bitten with all the mischief that you would expect from a Fat Princess RPG.

On this day in 2014

• BIRTHS
• Fox Messitt, TV Actor, born in Glendale, CA.
• Dashiell Messitt, TV Actor, born in Glendale, CA.
• Maryam Abdullah, YouTube Star, born in Indonesia.
• WEDDINGS
• Actress and model Amber Stevens at the age of 28 weds "The Walking Dead" actor Andrew J. West at the age of 28 in Los Angeles, California.
• DEATHS
• Luis Herrera de la Fuente, Mexican pianist, conductor (Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional,1954-72), and composer, who died at 90.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Life Partners is released. At 29, the most long-term relationship Sasha (Leighton Meester) and Paige (Gillian Jacobs) have ever been in is with each other, using their co-dependent friendship as an excuse not to venture out into the dating world alone. But when Paige meets nerdy Tim (Adam Brody) and starts to get serious for the first time, the nature of their friendship begins to shift. Fearing she’s being cast aside, Sasha tries to keep their relationship the same, but does growing up also mean growing apart?
• Miss Julie is released. Liv Ullmann's adaptation of the classic Strindberg play, is set during the course of a midsummer night in Ireland in 1890. It centers around the unsettled daughter (Jessica Chastain) of Anglo-Irish aristocracy, who encourages her father’s valet (Colin Farrell) to seduce her. The valet is already engaged to the cook (Samantha Morton), which complicates matters even more.
• Murder of a Cat is released. When someone murders his beloved cat, Clinton (Fran Kranz), an adult child, demands justice. Taking it upon himself to solve the case, he teams up with an unlikely ally, Greta (Nikki Reed), and the two set out to find the culprit lurking in their small suburban town. But as Clinton searches for the truth, he begins to uncover a conspiracy that goes far deeper than he anticipated. [Gravitas Ventures]
• Comet is released. When a chance encounter brings together the cynical Dell (Justin Long) and the quick-witted Kimberly (Emmy Rossum), the stage is set for a tempestuous love affair that unfolds like a puzzle. As the film zigzags back and forth in time—from a meteor shower in LA, to an encounter in a Paris hotel room, to a fateful phone call—an unforgettable portrait of a relationship emerges. [IFC Films]
• Concerning Violence is released. From the director of The Black Power Mixtape comes a bold and fresh visual narrative on Africa, based on newly discovered archive material covering the struggle for liberation from colonial rule in the late '60s and '70s, accompanied by text from Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth. [Kino Lorber]
• Red Knot is released. Peter (Vincent Kartheiser) and Chloe (Olivia Thirlby), a young married couple from New York, decide on impulse to take a belated honeymoon on-board a research vessel en route to the icy wastes of Antarctica. Not long into the journey, Chloe begins to feel neglected and betrayed by Peter, who is focused on gathering information for an article he plans to publish on their return about the work of one of their fellow passengers, the whale biologist Roger Payne. After an unforgivable betrayal of trust by Peter, Chloe turns their fledgling marriage upside down by moving into her own room and staking out her independence onboard the ship. Drawing attention to the poles within each of us, the impressionistic story oscillates between the super-confined interiors of the ship and the vast open spaces of Antarctica. In the end, it's not until Chloe and Peter are lost - perhaps literally, perhaps metaphorically - in the Antarctic ice that they discover how essential one is to the other.
• She's Beautiful When She's Angry is released. From the founding of NOW, with ladies in hats and gloves, to the emergence of more radical factions of women’s liberation; from intellectuals like Kate Millett to the street theatrics of W.I.T.C.H. (Women’s International Conspiracy from Hell!), She's Beautiful When She's Angry resurrects the buried history of the outrageous, often brilliant women who founded the modern women’s movement from 1966 to 1971.
• Take Care is released. When a car crash leaves Frannie (Leslie Bibb) immobilized, she is brushed off by everyone she can count on. With nowhere else to turn, Frannie reluctantly calls her ex, Devon (Thomas Sadoski), for help. It isn't before long that old wounds emerge, and are made worse when Devon's crazy new girlfriend also shows up.
• MOVIES: PG13
• Still Alice is released. Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), a successful Columbia University linguistics professor happily married with three grown children, struggles to maintain her mind after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s.
• MOVIES: R
• The Pyramid is released. The ancient wonders of the world have long cursed explorers who've dared to uncover their secrets. But a team of U.S. archaeologists gets more than they bargained for when they discover a lost pyramid unlike any other in the Egyptian desert. As they unlock the horrific secrets buried within, they realize they aren't just trapped; they are being hunted. [20th Century Fox]
• Dying of the Light is released. Evan Lake (Nicolas Cage), a veteran CIA agent, has been ordered to retire. But when his protégé (Anton Yelchin) uncovers evidence that Lake's nemesis, the terrorist Banir (Alexander Karim), has resurfaced, Lake goes rogue, embarking on a perilous, intercontinental mission to eliminate his sworn enemy.
• Pioneer is released. This conspiracy thriller is set in the early 80's, the beginning of the Norwegian Oil Boom. Enormous oil and gas deposits are discovered in the North Sea and the authorities aim to bring the oil ashore through a pipeline from depths of 500 meters. A professional diver, Petter, obsessed with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea has the discipline, strength and courage to take on the world's most dangerous mission. But a sudden, tragic accident changes everything. Petter is sent on a perilous journey where he loses sight of who's pulling the strings. Gradually he realizes that he is in way over his head and that his life is at stake. [Magnolia Pictures]
• TV SERIES
• One Child: Season 1 is released. The drama written by written by Guy Hibbert takes a look at the issues of identity and family when Mei Arthurton (Katie Leung), who was adopted by a British couple as a child, is asked by her Chinese birth mother to return to Guangzhou to help save her brother.
• GAMING: WII U
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for Wii U is released. The intrepid Captain Toad sets off on his own adventure for the very first time through a wide variety of tricky, enemy-infested, maze-like stages to find hidden gems and nab elusive gold stars.
• SPORTS
• Manuel De Sica, Italian composer, chiefly of film scores, who died of a heart attack at 65.

On this day in 2013

• EVENTS
• 52 people are killed and 167 are injured in a militant attack on a defense ministry compound in Sana'a, Yemen.
• Spotify responded to critics by revealing how much acts can expect to earn from the music streaming site. The company said it paid an average of $0.007 per play, according to figures on its new website Spotify Artists, aimed specifically at musicians. Explaining its business model, Spotify said it had paid more than $1bn (£612m) in royalties since its 2008 launch. Earlier this year Radiohead singer Thom Yorke pulled material from the site in protest at how much it pays artists..
• BIRTHS
• Kd Da Kid, Rapper, born in Florida.
• DEATHS
• John Hamby, Race Car Driver.
• Colin Wilson, English writer (Afterlife, Book of Great Mysteries), who died at 82.
• TV SERIES
• The Sound of Music Live! is released. Carrie Underwood is Maria in this live adaptation of the original Broadway musical The Sound of Music that includes Stephen Moyer as Captain von Trapp as well as Broadway veterans Audra McDonald as Mother Abbes, Laura Benanti as Elsa, and Christian Borle as Max.
• GAMING: PC
• Speedball 2 HD for PC is released. Speedball 2 HD is a modern reincarnation on the classic, futuristic cyberpunk sports game Speedball, originally developed by the Bitmap Brothers and first released for the Atari ST in 1990. A brutal mix of handball and ice hockey placed at break-neck pace. Now Tower Studios, Vivid Games and The Bitmap Brothers have created a glorious fusion of classic gameplay and modern technology to launch this game into the 21st century.
• SteamWorld Dig for PC is released. The clock has stopped around the turn of the 19th century, and humankind has prematurely blown itself to bits. The remaining scraps are huddling in caves beneath the surface, and steam-powered robots have taken over the Wild West.
• POLITICS
• Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid activist, political prisoner (1962-90) and President of South Africa (1994-99), who died of a lung infection at 95.