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On this day in 2023

On this day in 2022

• DEATHS
• Archie Roach, Aboriginal Australian blues singer-songwriter (Took The Children Away), who died at 66.
• POLITICS
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for mandatory evacuation of civilians from eastern Donetsk region amid fierce fighting.

On this day in 2021

• EVENTS
• 1 out of 169 Americans employed by Amazon in new figures released by the company. Now US's second largest employer (Walmart the largest employing 1 in 100).
• DEATHS
• Jacob Desvarieux, French zouk singer, and guitarist (Kassav'), who died of COVID-19 pandemic at 65.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Lorelei is released. After 15 years in prison, Wayland (Pablo Schreiber) reunites with his high school girlfriend, Dolores (Jena Malone), who is now a single mother of three.
• Ride the Eagle is released. When Leif’s (Jake Johnson) estranged mother Honey (Susan Sarandon) dies she leaves him a ‘conditional inheritance’. Before he can move into her picturesque Yosemite cabin, he has to complete her elaborate, and sometimes dubious, to-do list. Leif and Nora, his canine BFF, step into Honey’s wild world as she tries to make amends from beyond the grave.
• The Last Mercenary is released. A mysterious former secret service agent (Jean-Claude Van Damme) must urgently return to France when his estranged son is falsely accused of arms and drug trafficking by the government, following a blunder by an overzealous bureaucrat and a mafia operation.
• Sabaya is released. Armed with just a mobile phone and a gun, Mahmud, Ziyad and other volunteers from the Yazidi Home Center risk their lives trying to save Yazidi women and girls being held by ISIS members as sabaya (sex slaves) in the most dangerous refugee camp in the Middle East, Al-Hol in Syria. Often accompanied by burka-clad female infiltrators and working mostly at night, they must act quickly to avoid potential violence. In this visceral, often edge-of-your-seat film, we experience both the tense situation in the camp and the comfort of daily life at home, where Mahmud’s wife, Siham, and his mother, Zahra, lovingly help the traumatized girls shed off the black garments of an ideology that tolerates nothing but itself.
• MOVIES: NR
• Enemies of the State is released. An American family becomes entangled in a bizarre web of secrets and lies when their hacker son is targeted by the U.S. government, making them all Enemies of the State.
• MOVIES: PG13
• Jungle Cruise is released. Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt). Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.
• MOVIES: R
• Nine Days is released. Will (Winston Duke) spends his days in a remote outpost watching the live Point of View (POV) on TV's of people going about their lives, until one subject perishes, leaving a vacancy for a new life on earth. Soon, several candidates — unborn souls — arrive at Will's to undergo tests determining their fitness, facing oblivion when they are deemed unsuitable. But Will soon faces his own existential challenge in the form of free-spirited Emma (Zazie Beetz), a candidate who is not like the others, forcing him to turn within and reckon with his own tumultuous past. Fueled by unexpected power, he discovers a bold new path forward in his own life.
• Stillwater is released. Bill (Matt Damon), an American oil-rig roughneck from Oklahoma, travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit. Confronted with language barriers, cultural differences, and a complicated legal system, Bill builds a new life for himself in France as he makes it his personal mission to exonerate his daughter.
• The Green Knight is released. An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur's reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger.
• MOVIES: UNRATED
• Never Gonna Snow Again is released. On a gray, foggy morning outside a large Polish city, a masseur from the East named Zhenia (Alec Utgoff) enters the lives of the wealthy residents of a gated community. With his hypnotic presence and quasi-magical abilities, he is able to get a residence permit and starts plying his trade. The well-to-do residents in their cookie-cutter suburban homes seemingly have it all, but they all suffer from an inner sadness, some unexplained longing. The attractive and mysterious newcomer's hands heal, and Zhenia’s eyes seem to penetrate their souls. To them, his Russian accent sounds like a song from the past, a memory of simpler times. [Kino Lorber]
• TV SERIES
• The Pursuit of Love: Season 1 is released. The adaptation of Nancy Mitford's novel about Fanny Logan (Emily Beecham) and her cousin Linda Radlett's (Lily James) search for love that includes Lord Merlin (Andrew Scott), Tony Kroesig (Freddie Fox), Christian Talbot (James Frecheville), and Fabrice De Sauveterre (Assaad Bouab).[Premiered originally in the UK on BBC One on 9 May 2021 and in the US on Prime Video on 30 Jul 2021]
• ALBUMS
• The House Is Burning was released by Isaiah Rashad. The first full-length release in five years for the Tennessee rapper features guest appearances from 4r Da Locals,6LACK, Amindi, Kal Banx, Duke Deuce, Iamdoechii, Lil Uzi Vert, Jay Rock, Smino, SZA, Jay Worthy, and YGTUT.
• Thirstier was released by Torres. The fifth full-length studio release for the indie singer-songwriter was co-produced with Rob Ellis and Peter Miles.
• Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night was released by Bleachers. The third full-length studio release for the Jack Antonoff solo project features guest appearances from Lana Del Rey and Bruce Springsteen.
• Stand for Myself was released by Yola. The second full-length release for the British singer-songwriter was produced by Dan Auerbach
• Welcome 2 America was released by Prince. The latest posthumous Prince release is an album recorded in 2010 with the New Power Generation features 11 originals and a cover of Soul Asylum's "Stand Up and B Strong."
• Private Space was released by Durand Jones & the Indications. The third full-length studio release for the Indiana retro-soul group features synths and disco influences.
• Native Sons was released by Los Lobos. The 17th full-length studio release for the Los Angeles rock band includes covers of songs about Los Angeles or were written by fellow natives of the City of Angels.
• Happier than Ever was released by Billie Eilish. The second full-length studio release for the Los Angeles pop singer-songwriter was produced by her brother, Finneas.
• Animal was released by LUMP. This is the second full-length release for the collaboration between Tunng's Mike Lindsay and Laura Marling.
• GAMING: PC
• No Longer Home for PC is released. No Longer Home is a game about letting go of the life you've built due to circumstances beyond your control. Immerse yourself in the lives of Bo and Ao and learn about their dreams, frustrations and fears. Welcome the magic of the everyday and somewhat extraordinary.
• Vesper for PC is released. Thousands of years after the activation of the Vesper Protocol, a small android crosses a fallen world, hunted by merciless machines, to control the power of Light and decide the fate of his race.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Bustafellows for Switch is released. Arrive in New Sieg, a beautiful fictional town. Step into the shoes of a strong, smart and gifted journalist in this romantic adventure. You play the part of a young woman with the ability to leap in the past for a very short period in the bodies of others, which you use for data collection and helping people. After witnessing the murder of a crooked lawyer – she goes back in time in an attempt to save him. Thus, the journey begins as our protagonist goes back in time in the body of another person and tries to warn Limbo. It's up to you to figure out how to save him.
• SPORTS
• Russian backstroke swimmer Evgeny Rylov wraps up the 100/200m double with OR 1:53.27 in the longer event at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
• South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker sets new women's 200m breaststroke WR 2:18.95 at the Tokyo Olympics beating the American pair of Lilly King and Annie Lazor.

On this day in 2020

• EVENTS
• US economy output posts the largest quarterly fall on record with GDP down 9.5% (3 months to June 30).
• The US economy posts the largest quarterly fall on record with GDP down 9.5% for the 3 months to June 30.
• NASA launches to Mars its Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter aboard a V 541 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• Federal law enforcement officers begin a phased withdrawal from Portland amid criticism of their actions to shut down Black Lives Matter protests.
• DEATHS
• Herman Cain, Politician.
• Bill Kimmel, Sr., Race Car Driver.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Host is released. Six friends get together during lockdown for their weekly zoom call. It's Haley’s turn to organize an activity and instead of a quiz, she’s arranged for a Medium to conduct a séance. Bored and feeling mischievous, Jemma decides to have some fun and invents a story about a boy in her school who hanged himself. However, her prank gives license for a demonic presence to cross over, taking on the guise of the boy in Jemma’s made-up story. The friends begin noticing strange occurrences in their homes as the evil presence begins to make itself known, and they soon realize that they might not survive the night.
• GAMING: PC
• What Happened for PC is released. What Happened is a nightmarish first-person exploration of anxiety and depression from the perspective of American high school student, Stiles.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Hellpoint for PlayStation 4 is released. Hellpoint is an intense action RPG taking place on Irid Novo, a derelict space station soaked in an intoxicating dark sci fi atmosphere. Fight dreadful creatures, face the Cosmic Gods and unravel their twisted story. Should the challenge be too great, play with a friend in local or online coop.
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS. MaxiBoost ON for PlayStation 4 is released. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON” is a true port of the arcade version that started operation in 2016 in Japan—and is still popular today. Coordinate and lay waste to your rivals in fierce PVP fighting combat iconic to the EXTREME VS. series. Join the battle with 183 units from the entire Gundam universe, each with different abilities ready to suit your play style. Choose between three different EX BURST Systems: FIGHTING BURST, EXTEND BURST and SHOOTING BURST!
• Nioh 2: The Tengu's Disciple for PlayStation 4 is released. Nioh 2: The Tengu's Disciple is a Role-Playing game, developed by Team Ninja and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
• Pistol Whip for PlayStation 4 is released. Pistol Whip is an unstoppable action-rhythm FPS. Journey through a cinematic bullet hell powered by a breakneck soundtrack to become the ultimate action hero legend.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Nowhere Prophet for Switch is released. Prepare your decks and go on a pilgrimage through the wasteland! Travel across randomly generated maps and lead your followers in deep tactical combat. Build a loyal band of followers and survive the journey across a broken world. Barely. Take on the role of a powerful leader and mystic. Empowered with the gifts of technopathy, the ability to sense and affect electrical currents. You are the last hope to a band of outcastes and refugees. Lead them across the randomly generated wastelands. Pick fights with greedy slavers and crazy machines using the turn-based card combat. Can you survive long enough to reach the mysterious Crypt?
• Hotel Sowls for Switch is released. As a pharmacologist looking for success, you obtained a mysterious stone found in Sowls."With this stone, I'll be able to conduct a successful research!"Afterwards, you visited "Hotel Sowls"to get some good rest......and found out next morning your precious stone has disappeared!
• POLITICS
• Barack Obama gives the eulogy at the funeral of congressman John Lewis, with former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
• Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese statesman (Taiwan's 1st popularly elected President 1988–2000), who died at 97.

On this day in 2019

• EVENTS
• Kraftwerk won a long-running legal battle over their song ‘Metal On Metal’, when The European Court of Justice ruled against the sampling of the track by hip-hop producers Moses Pelham and Martin Haas in 1999. The ‘Metal On Metal’ sample, specifically a drum sequence repeated throughout, was used by the producers over a version of the Sabrina Setlur song ‘Nur Mir (Only Me)’..
• DEATHS
• Nick Buoniconti, American NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins) and sportscaster (NBC), who died at 78.
• GAMING: PC
• A Short Hike for PC is released. Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Madden NFL 20 for PlayStation 4 is released. Take the journey of an NFL superstar. Create a college quarterback and dominate the College Football Playoff, then impress the scouts at the NFL Combine. Find out where your story begins at the NFL Draft, and then fight to prove you belong in the league. Last long enough and you just might leave a legacy and even play in a few Pro Bowls. This new and customizable career campaign is all about you, with personalized playable scenarios, events, and dynamic challenges. The choices you make early on will affect how your career pans out.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Deluxe Edition for Switch is released. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a tactical adventure game combining turn-based combat with real-time exploration, story, stealth, and strategy.Explore a post-human Earth where mankind has been eradicated by climate change, nuclear war, and pandemics. Will your team of mutants survive the Zone?Includes the SEED OF EVIL expansion DLC which continues the story of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden by adding several hours of gameplay and a new mutant character: Big Khan the Moose. Explore new locations and embark on a mission to save the Ark from a mysterious invasion.
• Forager for Switch is released. Forager is a 2D open world game inspired by exploration, farming and crafting games such as Stardew Valley, Terraria & Zelda. Start small and improve your base, skills, equipment, network of friends (and enemies!) and build your future as you see fit! You can play Forager in a very varied array of playstyles.
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• The Blackout Club for Xbox One is released. You are a teenager from a small, modern town. Each morning, you awaken covered in mud or scratches, with no memory of the night before. You've heard of sleepwalking - but this is different. Sometimes you lose entire days.There are others like you. Your new group of friends bonded over this shared secret, forming a club to investigate the cause of these BLACKOUTS. Together, you discovered a network of bizarre underground tunnels, hidden just beneath the surface of your quiet community. An uncanny, disorienting music beckoned from below.

On this day in 2018

• EVENTS
• Four million people excluded from Assam National Register of Citizens in India prompts fears of deportation, loss of citizenship.
• Australian Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson resigns after being convicted of concealing sexual abuse.
• British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt mistakenly calls his Chinese-born wife "Japanese" in meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing.
• Official Malaysian investigation into the disappearance of Flight MH370 is unable to determine what happened.
• GAMING: PC
• La-Mulana 2 for PC is released. The sequel to La-Mulana, La-Mulana 2 follows Lumisa Kosugi as she explores the ancient ruins of La-Mulana. Desperate to find the cause of the recent slew of monsters appearing from the ruins, Lumisa discovers the "other"La-Mulana: the ruins known as Eg-Lana.
• Chasm for PC is released. Chasm is a 2D Action-RPG Platformer. Taking equal inspiration from hack 'n slash dungeon crawlers (procedurally generated dungeons, loot drops, etc) and Metroidvania-style platformers, the game aims to immerse you in its 2D fantasy world full of exciting treasure, deadly enemies, and abundant secrets. Players assume the role of a soldier passing through a remote mining town on their journey home from a long war. The town's miners have recently disappeared after breaching a long-forgotten temple far below the town, and reawakened an ancient slumbering evil. Now trapped in the town by supernatural forces, you're left with no option but to explore the mines below, battle enemies and bosses, and increase your abilities in hopes of finally escaping and returning home.
• POLITICS
• Ron Dellums, American politician (D-House representative from California,1971-1998), who died of cancer at 82.

On this day in 2017

• EVENTS
• 1st centenary of WWI Battle of Passchendaele marked at ceremony at Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium.
• Venezuelan voting for a new assembly disrupted by violent protests, at least 3 people killed.
• POLITICS
• Russian President Vladimir Putin announces American diplomats in Russia cut by 755 in response to American sanctions.
• China's President Xi Jinping heads 12,000 troop parade at Zhurihe training base, Inner Mongolia marking 90 years since founding of the People's Liberation Army.
• SPORTS
• Hackers reveal they have stolen data from HBO, including episodes and scripts of Games of Thrones.

On this day in 2016

• DEATHS
• Gloria DeHaven, American musical actress (Step Lively), who died at 91.
• SPORTS
• Air balloon crashes into power lines near Lockhart, Texas, killing all 16 on board.
• Jack White’s mission to play the first record in space was accomplished.'A Glorious Dawn' by composer John Boswell, mixed with audio of American scientist Carl Sagan describing the universe, was played 28,000 metres above Earth on a "space-proof"turntable. The record played for about 80 minutes until the high-altitude balloon which carried the contraption burst and propelled the turntable back towards Marsing, Idaho..

On this day in 2015

• EVENTS
• In Bandar Mahshahr, Iran, the temperature reaches 46C (109F), humidity makes it feel like 73C.
• WEDDINGS
• Filmmaker Guy Ritchie at the age of 47 weds model Jacqui Ainsley at the age of 33 in Ashcombe House in Wiltshire.
• DEATHS
• Lynn Anderson, American country singer (I Never Promised you a Rose Garden), who died of a heart attack at 67.
• GAMING: WII U
• BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition for Wii U is released. Fly and survive through the Game-of-the-Year- winning world of BADLAND and discover an astonishing number of imaginative traps, puzzles and obstacles on the way. BADLAND is a multi-award-winning side-scrolling action adventure with innovative physics-based gameplay and stunning atmospheric graphics and audio. BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition has been redesigned for the Xbox One with new analog stick controls and gorgeous Full-HD visuals. The GOTY edition also offers loads of local multiplayer fun: up to four players can compete against each other on 27 different deathmatch stages or work together to survive through all 100 levels of the co-op campaign. Features: - Side-scrolling action adventure with innovative physics-based gameplay - Over 15 hours and 100 levels of single-player story - Up-to-4 player local multiplayer awesomeness with co-op & deathmatch.
• SPORTS
• American country music singer, Lynn Anderson, died aged 67. The multi-award-winning singer scored the 1970 US No.3 & 1971 UK No.3 single 'Rose Garden', and charted 12 No.1,18 Top 10, and more than 50 Top 40 hits. Anderson was the first female country artist to win the American Music Award (in 1974), as well as the first to headline and sellout Madison Square Garden that same year..

On this day in 2014

• EVENTS
• American rock guitarist, and songwriter Dick Wagner, who worked with Alice Cooper and Lou Reed died from a lung infection aged 71. One of the best-known songs written by Wagner is 'Only Women Bleed', which was one of Alice Coppers biggest hits..
• A ban on steel-string guitars in prison cells in England and Wales was reversed after a campaign including Billy Bragg, David Gilmour, Elbow's Guy Garvey and Johnny Marr. Billy Bragg founded Jail Guitar Doors, a scheme that has sent around 350 guitars to prisons since 2007..
• Death toll in Gaza reaches 1,346, while 56 Israeli soldiers and 3 civilians have been killed.
• The EU and US extend sanctions on Russia to include banks, energy, and defense firms; Moscow denies the allegation that Russia is arming rebels in Eastern Ukraine.
• BIRTHS
• Violetta Antonova, Model, born in Russia.
• DEATHS
• Dick Wagner, American rock guitarist (the Frost), who died at 71.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• War Story is released. A traumatized war photographer (Catherine Keener) tries to help a young, pregnant refugee gain safe passage to France.
• TV SERIES
• Sharknado 2: The Second One is released. Another freak storm, this time off the coast of New York City, sets Fin (Ian Ziering) and April (Tara Reid) back into battle with hundreds of sharks in Manhattan.

On this day in 2013

• EVENTS
• Wikileaks discloser Bradley [later Chelsea] Manning convicted of 17 espionage charges.
• 9 children are killed and 20 are injured after a school bus collides with a truck in Hanumangarh, India.
• 134 people are killed in tribal conflicts in Darfyr, Sudan.
• ALBUMS
• Rhythm & Blues was released by Buddy Guy. Produced by Tom Hambridge, the latest release for the multiple Grammy-winning blues musician includes guest appearances from Gary Clark, Jr., Beth Hart, Kid Roc, Joe Perry, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, and Brad Whitford.
• Blurred Lines was released by Robin Thicke. The sixth full-length release for the R&B singer features guest appearances form 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, and T.I.
• About Farewell was released by Alela Diane. The folk singer-songwriter's divorce from Tom Bevitori was an influence on the John Askew-produced fourth full-length release.
• In a World Like This was released by Backstreet Boys. The eighth studio release for the pop group is its first with Kevin Richardson since he left the group in 2006 and also includes production from Max Martin, Morgan Taylor Reid, and Martin Terefe.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 3
• Cloudberry Kingdom for PlayStation 3 is released. Cloudberry Kingdom, the land where good heroes go to die, and Bob is the best of them all. Bob sits on the precipice of retirement, recliner ready, but first he must get back what he lost years ago. Jump and dodge your way through billions of levels on a last ditch mission to conquer infinity. The quest was never over. The princess was never saved. A challenge is waiting, are you ready?
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION VITA
• PixelJunk Monsters: Ultimate HD for PlayStation Vita is released. What do you get? The 21 Tiki Island levels and 24 Challenge levels from the original PixelJunk Monsters PS3. From the Encore expansion Toki island with 15 levels inspired by arcade classics and the third island, Tum Tum. From the Deluxe Edition a fourth island, Gati Gati with 11 more stages. Not to mention trap towers, gem towers, scuttlers, fire monsters, flying balloon monsters, unlockable content and more.
• GAMING: XBOX 360
• BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds for Xbox 360 is released. This first add-on pack puts an intense focus on BioShock Infinite combat. Combine weapons, Vigors, Gear, Tears, and Sky-Lines in ways you never thought possible as you square off against impossible odds. This pack features 60 challenges in four brand-new environments. Complete Blue Ribbon Challenges and unlock concept art, Voxophones, Kinetoscopes, and more in The Columbian Archeological Society. Climb the Leaderboards and earn new achievements.
• POLITICS
• Mamnoon Hussain is elected President of Pakistan.
• SPORTS
• " Hunger Games" actor Sam Claflin (27) weds actress Laura Haddock (27) in a private ceremony.