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On this day in 2023

On this day in 2022

• EVENTS
• UN says 209 people killed in gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, including no-gang members over 10 days, with a further 254 injured with gunshot wounds.
• DEATHS
• David Trimble, Politician.
• Paul Sorvino, American stage and screen actor (Goodfellas; Law and Order,1991-92; Dick Tracy; That's Life), who died at 83.

On this day in 2021

• EVENTS
• Evian Championship Women's Golf, Evian Resort GC: Australian Minjee Lee recovers from 7 shots behind to beat South Korea’s Lee6 Jeongeun in a play-off for her first major title.
• Typhoon In-Fa (Yanhua) makes landfall in the city of Zhoushan on China's east coast.
• WEDDINGS
• TV star and writer Issa Rae marries Louis Diame in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France.
• DEATHS
• Robert Parris "Bob" Moses, American civil rights activist (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)), and educator (The Algebra Project), who died at 86.
• SPORTS
• Japanese judokas Uta Abe (women's 52kg) and brother Hifumi (men's 66kg) make history as first siblings to win Olympic gold medals in different events on same day at the Tokyo Games.
• Japanese skateboarder Yuto Horigome wins the sport's inaugural Olympic gold medal in the men's street section at the Tokyo Games.
• USA's men's basketball team see their 25-game Olympic winning streak end; beaten 83-76 by France in first round match in Tokyo.

On this day in 2020

• EVENTS
• North Korea reports first 'suspected'case of COVID-19 pandemic in city of Kaesong.
• British musician, author, broadcaster and lecturer CP Lee died age 70. He was a member of the band Greasy Bear and became a linchpin of the punk rock explosion with Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias. In 1977 Lee wrote the 'snuff-rock' musical Sleak..
• Cargo ship MV Wakashio runs aground off the coast of Mauritius and begins leaking oil.
• Hurricane Hanna,1st of the 2020 season, makes landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast as a category 1 storm.
• DEATHS
• Eddie Shack, Canadian ice hockey left wing (NHL All Star 1962,63,64; Stanley Cup 1962,63,64,67; Toronto Maple Leafs), who died from throat cancer at 83.
• Olivia de Havilland, American actress (All the King's Men, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Gone with the Wind), who died at 104.
• Peter Green [Greenbaum], English guitarist (Fleetwood Mac -" Albatross"), who died at 73 [2].
• Jim Frick, Swedish harness racing driver (5,002 career race wins), who died from prostate cancer at 68.
• John Saxon, American actor (Bees, Nightmare on Elm St, Electric Horseman), who died of pneumonia at 83.
• Maurice Petty, American auto racing crew chief, engine builder and team owner (Petty Enterprises, International Motorsports & NASCAR Hall of Fame), who died at 81.
• SPORTS
• Lou Henson, American College Basketball Hall of Fame coach (all-time leader in victories University of Illinois and New Mexico State), who died of lymphoma at 88.

On this day in 2019

• EVENTS
• Highest ever UK temperature of 38.7C (101.6F) recorded in Cambridge, England.
• High temperature records set across Europe just one day after previous records set, Paris 42.6C (108.7F), Germany 42.6C (108.6F), Netherlands 40.7C (105.2F), Belgium 40.6C (105.2F).
• " City killer" Asteroid 2019 OK (187 to 427 ft (57 to 130 m) estimated diameter) passes by almost undetected approximately 45,000 miles away from earth, nearer than the moon.
• US Justice department announces it is resuming the death penalty, scheduling five executions.
• Worst Mediterranean migrant drownings this year when boat carrying 250 people capsizes off Libyan coast, with over 100 feared drowned.
• DEATHS
• Beji Essebsi, Politician.
• TV SERIES
• Another Life: Season 1 is released. Astronaut Niko Breckinridge (Katee Sackhoff) leads a team to look into an alien artifact in this sci-fi drama from Aaron Martin and Noreen Halpern.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Fantasy Strike for Switch is released. Fantasy Strike is a colorful fighting game where fantasy meets martial arts. It focuses on depth and strategy rather than difficult execution. It's designed for tournament play, but also to welcome you to the genre if you haven't played other fighting games before. Online play uses the excellent GGPO networking technology. Includes several single player modes.
• Zombie Driver: Immortal Edition for Switch is released. New and specially improved version of the zombie smashing hit, exclusively for the Xbox One. Insane mix of cars, speed, explosions, blood and zombies! Fight through an epic narrative campaign or test yourself in the Slaughter and Blood Race modes. Engage huge bosses, save survivors, drive crazy vehicles such as a bulldozer, fire truck or even a tank and smash everything in your way. Take part in the Blood Race tournament - chase other cars and take them down without mercy on brutal racing tracks. Jump into the Slaughter mode and survive as long as possible on specially crafted arenas. Experience super smooth gameplay at 60 frames per second and extra crisp visuals. Zombie Driver Ultimate Edition includes all DLC content that was ever created for the game.
• Songbird Symphony for Switch is released. Songbird Symphony is a musical adventure game that combines platforming and rhythm gameplay mechanics to emulate the magical role music plays in a Disneyesque storytelling experience. Join Birb as he leaves the safety of his nest in search of his parents, confronting the dangers of the outside world and ultimately unveiling his destiny.
• POLITICS
• Beji Caid Essebsi, Tunisia's 1st freely elected President (2014-2019), who died at 92.
• Scandal-hit Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rosselló resigns.

On this day in 2018

• EVENTS
• Party of former cricketer Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), wins the most votes but not a majority in Pakistan's Pakistan general election, which are marred by violence and a bomb that kills 31 people.
• Liquid lake found on Mars under its South Pole by European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter reported in "Science".
• Multiple suicide bombings and attacks by the Islamic State in Sweida and surrounding areas of Syria kill more than 200.
• Georgian representative James Spencer resigns after being fooled into saying racial slurs on Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who is America" programe.
• Somalia’s attorney general announces country's first prosecution of female genital mutilation after death of a 10-year-old girl.
• DEATHS
• Judith Appelbaum, American magazine & newspaper editor and educator, who died at 78.
• TV SERIES
• Castle Rock (2018): Season 1 is released. Death row attorney Henry (Andre Holland) returns to his hometown of Castle Rock, Maine after receiving a call from Shawshank in this psychological horror series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King.
• GAMING: PC
• Ys: Memories of Celceta for PC is released. In Ys: Memories of Celceta, developer Falcom revisits the land and characters of Japanese cult favorite Ys IV for its first ever North American debut. This re-envisioning of the fourth installment in the Ys series takes a brand new approach, changing and framing the story of Ys IV within an all-new tale of conspiracy, deception and mystery. Featuring an updated version of the party-based battle system from Ys Seven, as well as the largest and most varied overworld in series history, Ys: Memories of Celceta brings a greater sense of adventure to the Ys universe than has ever been seen before.
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• Remothered: Tormented Fathers for Xbox One is released. Remothered: Tormented Fathers is the pure and realistic survival horror videogame. A game by Darril Arts, directed by Chris Darril, developed by Stormind Games. Psychology plays a huge role within the game: heroes and enemies are atypical and the line between good and evil is blurred. The plot is rich of unpredictable twists, but it is touching at the same time. [Microsoft]
• POLITICS
• Guy [Gaetano] Molinari, American politician (R-House of Representatives from New York,1981-1983), who died of pneumonia at 89.

On this day in 2017

• EVENTS
• 167 African migrants rescued by NGO Proactiva Open Arms off the coast of Libya,13 perish.
• Justin Bieber apologised to his fans after cancelling the remaining dates of his Purpose World Tour because of "unforeseen circumstances". The move affects 14 dates in Asia and North America which were coming up over the next three months. The singer had performed more than 150 shows on the tour, promoting his 2015 album Purpose, since March 2016.The tour had grossed $93.2m (£71.5m) in the first half of 2017..
• Israeli authorities remove new metal detectors from Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif after Palestinian protests amid rising tensions in Jerusalem.
• Wildfires on France's Mediterranean coast near Bormes-les-Mimosas prompts evacuation of 12,000 people.
• Sperm counts have halved in last 40 years says research published in "Human Reproduction Update" journal.
• BIRTHS
• Bodhi Somerhalder, Family Member, born in United States.
• DEATHS
• Barbara Sinatra, American model and philanthropist, who died at 90.
• Hywel Bennett, Welsh, actor (Family Way, Shelley), who died at 73.
• Ivana Loudová, Czech composer (Vocal Symphony), who died at 76.
• GAMING: PC
• Pyre for PC is released. Pyre is a party-based RPG in which you lead a band of exiles to freedom through an ancient competition spread across a vast, mystical purgatory.
• Fortnite for PC is released. Epic Games next project has you building forts and stopping a zombie invasion.
• Aven Colony for PC is released. Aven Colony puts you in charge of humanity's first extrasolar settlement on Aven Prime, an alien planet of deserts, tundras, and jungles light years from earth. Build the infrastructure, look after the well-being of your citizens, manage your resources, and guide your colony to prosperity -- all while dealing with the harsh and often dangerous realities of an alien world.Features:* Build: Take charge of humanity's first extrasolar settlement on a new alien world. Build and expand your small colonies into massive, sprawling cities.* Discover: Deploy your crack team of pioneers to take on alien lifeforms and unlock the secrets of Aven Prime, as you tackle the campaign and sandbox modes.* Survive: Prepare for harsh winters, electrical storms and much more in this cruel and often dangerous new environment.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Infinite Minigolf for PlayStation 4 is released. A never-ending minigolf experience. Take part in tournaments and challenges, use arcade-style powerups, and experience unique gameplay, graphics, and more.
• Smashbox Arena for PlayStation 4 is released. An action-packed multiplayer VR game, Smashbox Arena throws players into a shootout battle of team versus team, power-up versus power-up. Combatants can play single-player, party up with their friends, or face off against opponents across the globe.
• Nioh: Defiant Honor for PlayStation 4 is released. Defiant Honor takes us to Osaka Castle, the largest and most impregnable castle of Sengoku era. This add-on features the legendary warrior Sanada Yukimura, serving Tokugawa Ieyasu’s archenemy Toyotomi clan, who values honor above all else. As tensions brew between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi clans, Sanada Yukimura prepares his men for imminent conflict against the Tokugawa’s forces by building a stronghold called the Sanada Maru on the outskirts of the Osaka Castle. With the castle fortified, Tokugawa’s forces were faced with a difficult and bloody challenge. In the midst of this chaos, our hero William, accompanied by Date Masamune who fights alongside Tokugawa, heads towards Sanada Maru in pursuit of Maria. It is a bitter winter in Osaka and the stage is ripe for a fierce battle for the ages. Bundle up and get ready for a brutal winter showdown. [Team Ninja]
• Super Cloudbuilt for PlayStation 4 is released. Assme the role of Demi, a young soldier who wakes up in the empty shell of a ruined building, in a strange new world, disconnected from her old life and physical body. With each new challenge she overcomes, Demi slowly pieces together the future now laid out before her.
• Tiny Trax for PlayStation 4 is released. Epic racing in a tiny world. Childhood imagination comes to life as tiny racers boost around your body, jump overhead and drift around bends inches from your face.
• Unbox: Newbie's Adventure for PlayStation 4 is released. Unbox is a 90s style 3D platformer about the ultimate postal service, self-delivering cardboard boxes! Unbox has giant worlds full of challenges, collectibles and boxy boss battles!
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star for Switch is released. In the digital realm of SE.RA.PH, the Holy Grail War is over, but the land's new ruler faces challenges and threats from all sides. The servants now find themselves drawing up tense and unlikely alliances, preparing for a conflict that may tear SE.RA.PH apart...or destroy it entirely.
• POLITICS
• Ram Nath Kovind becomes 14th President of India.

On this day in 2016

• EVENTS
• England fast bowler Jimmy Anderson becomes first quick to take 50 wickets against all other 7 major Test cricket-playing nations during 2nd Test against Pakistan in Manchester.
• Verizon announces $4.83 billion purchase of Yahoo.
• DEATHS
• David Sisco, Race Car Driver.
• Benito Wogatzki, German radio and TV writer (My Best Friends), who died at 83.
• GAMING: PC
• Quadrilateral Cowboy for PC is released. When you have a top-of-the-line hacking deck armed with a 56.6k modem and a staggering 256k RAM, it means just one thing: you answer only to the highest bidder.

On this day in 2015

• EVENTS
• UCI BMX Supercross series: Niek Kimmann & Stefany Hernandez win the world title.
• WEDDINGS
• TV personality Beatrice Borromeo at the age of 30 weds Pierre Casiraghi at the age of 28 in the gardens of the Prince's Palace of Monaco in Monte Carlo.
• SPORTS
• Bob Kauffman, American basketball forward (3-time NBA All Star), who died of heart failure at 69.

On this day in 2014

• EVENTS
• Both Israel and Hamas review US Secretary of State John Kerry's proposal for an immediate ceasefire and meetings in Cairo.
• Israeli airstrike kills leader of Islamic Jihad's military wing, Salah Abu Hassanein.
• Palestinian officials call for a "Day of Rage" in the West Bank and within Israel against Israel's operation against Gaza; Israeli Defence Force prepares for protests.
• The pop star parodist, Weird Al Yankovic became the first comedy act to hit the top spot for more than 50 years. Mandatory Fun, Yankovic’s 14th album, and his best-selling since Straight Outta Lynwood, which was released in 1991 went to No.1 on the US album chart. The last comedy album to reach No 1 in the US was Allan Sherman’s My Son, the Nut in 1963..
• DEATHS
• Salah Abu Hassanein, leader of Islamic Jihad's military wing, who died in Israeli airstrike.
• Carlo Bergonzi, Italian operatic tenor, who died at 90.
• Bel Kaufman, American author (Up the Down Staircase), who died at 103.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Beneath is released. A crew of coal miners becomes trapped 600 feet below ground after a disastrous collapse. As the air grows more toxic and time runs out, they slowly descend into madness and begin to turn on one another. Inspired by true events. [IFC Midnight]
• The Kill Team is released. The Kill Team looks at the devastating moral tensions that tear at soldiers’ psyches through the lens of one highly personal and emotional story. Private Adam Winfield was a 21-year-old soldier in Afghanistan when he attempted with the help of his father to alert the military to heinous war crimes his platoon was committing. But Winfield’s pleas went unheeded. Left on his own and with threats to his life, Private Winfield was himself drawn into the moral abyss, forced to make a split-second decision that would change his life forever.
• MOVIES: PG13
• The Fluffy Movie is released. A documentary that captures the on-stage performance and inspirational success story of Gabriel "Fluffy"Iglesias.
• And So It Goes is released. Oren Little (Michael Douglas), a self-centered realtor, enlists the help of his neighbor, Leah (Diane Keaton), when his estranged son leaves him in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed.
• Magic in the Moonlight is released. Magic in the Moonlight is a romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue. The film is set in the south of France in the 1920s against a backdrop of wealthy mansions, the Côte d’Azur, jazz joints and fashionable spots for the wealthy of the Jazz Age. [Sony Pictures Classics]
• Hercules is released. Both man and myth, Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) leads a band of mercenaries to help end a bloody civil war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. A tormented soul from birth, Hercules has the strength of a God but feels the suffering of a human.
• MOVIES: R
• Lucy is released. Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) accidentally gets caught up in a drug deal, but she soon turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human comprehension.
• A Most Wanted Man is released. When a half-Chechen, half-Russian immigrant turns up in Hamburg's Islamic community, laying claim to his father's ill-gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man's true identity - oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist?
• Happy Christmas is released. When Jenny (Anna Kendrick), a hard partying 20-something moves in with Kelly (Melanie Lynskey), a budding novelist, her film director husband (Joe Swanberg) and their two-year-old son after a break up, the family’s idyllic life is shaken. Jenny begins a rocky relationship with their baby sitter-cum-pot dealer (Mark Webber), and she and a friend, Carson (Lena Dunham), bring Kelly to the realization that an evolution in her life, career and relationship is necessary for her happiness.
• Very Good Girls is released. Best friends Lily (Dakota Fanning) and Gerry (Elizabeth Olsen), home for one last New York summer, make a pact to lose their virginity before leaving for college. But when they both fall for the same handsome artist (Boyd Holbrook) and Lily starts seeing him in secret, a lifelong friendship is tested. [Tribeca Film]

On this day in 2013

• DEATHS
• Bernadette Lafont, French actress (Perils of Gwendoline), who died from cardiac arrest at 74.
• Michael Shipley, Australian audio engineer, and record producer of rock and country music, who died of an apparent suicide at 56.
• Mike Shipley, Australian audio engineer (Paper Airplane), commits suicide at 56.
• GAMING: 3DS
• Picross e2 for 3DS is released. The sequel to Picross e offers a new navigation feature to make gameplay even smoother. As with the previous game, this sequel has 150 new puzzles, plus an all new gameplay element known as Micross.Picross is a Picture Crossword Puzzle Game in which you use numbers as hints to complete illustrations. The rules are simple and easy to understand. Anyone can do it!
• GAMING: PC
• Shadowrun Returns for PC is released. Jordan Weisman, the creator of Shadowrun, is back and Shadowrun Returns is the game that Shadowrun fans have been waiting for. A 2D turn-based single player game with deep story interaction, meaningful character development, and highly-contextual tactical combat. According to the Mayan Calendar (and lots of tabloids), the world will end on December 21,2012. Its part a 5,200 year cycle of death and rebirth that, in Shadowrun, actually charts the ebb and flow of magic from the Earth. So, on 12/21/12 magic will return, end this world, and wreak holy havoc while starting the next. Aboriginal cultures, who maintained their mystical traditions, are the first to feel the return of magic and use their newfound power to reshape the political, financial, and physical world around them. As the magic increases, Elf and Dwarf babies are born to very surprised parents who carry the right combination of long-dormant genes. But all of these events pale in comparison to the horror of "goblinization", which painfully reshapes the teenage bodies of those unlucky enough to carry dominant Ork or Troll genes. And then the first Great Dragon rises from its 5,200 yearlong hibernation and circles over Tokyo, signaling that the world has truly AWAKENED.Fast forward two generations, to a world transformed not only by the growth of magic but by the acceleration of cyber technologya continual effort to improve upon the gifts that nature gave humanity; by the inevitable maturation of the World Wide Web into the Matrixa network directly accessible by the human brain; and by the near elimination of governments as they are replaced megacorporationsmonolithic entities who see only customers, not citizens.And moving through the dark shadows cast by the gleaming towers of the corps, are Shadowrunners disposable assets and corporate pawns scratching out a living using a combination of technology, magic, and street smarts. Shadowrunners live between the cracks and operate outside the law, doing the dirty work that corporate wage-slaves wont soil their hands with and occasionally acting as the only protection the citizenry can turn to. Welcome to the world of Shadowrun, where man meets magic and machine.