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On this day in 2023

On this day in 2022

• DEATHS
• Leslie Phillips, British stage, screen, and radio actor (Carry On; Harry Potter films), who died at 98.
• SPORTS
• French tennis star Caroline Garcia scores the biggest title win of her career beating Aryna Sabalenka 7–6,6–4 in the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.

On this day in 2021

• EVENTS
• Kyle Larson holds off Martin Truex Jr in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway to earn his 10th win of the season and claim his first Cup Series championship.
• DEATHS
• Dean Stockwell, American stage and screen actor (The Werewolf of Washington; Blue Velvet; Quantum Leap), who died at 85.
• TV SERIES
• Dexter: New Blood: Season 1 is released. Dexter has been living in upstate New York for 10 years as Jim Lindsay when events threaten to bring back his Dark Passenger.
• POLITICS
• Attempt to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi through drone attack on his home in Baghdad.

On this day in 2020

• EVENTS
• Kamala Harris makes US history as the 1st woman and 1st woman of color to be elected to the vice presidency (date election called).
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Depeche Mode; The Doobie Brothers; Whitney Houston; Nine Inch Nails; The Notorious B.I.G.; T-Rex; Jon Landau; and Irving Azoff.
• Rudy Giuliani holds infamous Trump Campaign press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia to contest the US election results.
• 35th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Depeche Mode; The Doobie Brothers; Whitney Houston; Nine Inch Nails; The Notorious B.I.G.; T-Rex; Jon Landau; and Irving Azoff.
• DEATHS
• Norm Crosby, American comedian and "Master of the Malaprop" (Liar's Club), who died of heart failure at 93.
• Cándido Camero, Cuban American percussionist (congo drum) and bandleader, who died at 99.
• POLITICS
• Former Vice-President Joe Biden declared the winner of the US Presidential race, four days after the US election, defeating sitting President Donald Trump.
• SPORTS
• Bones Hillman best known as the bass guitarist for the Australian alternative rock band Midnight Oil died from cancer age 62. Midnight Oil scored the 1987 world wide hit 'Beds Are Burning' and Hillman had also worked with Sheryl Crow..

On this day in 2019

• EVENTS
• Congolese rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda, the "Terminator" is the to be convicted of sexual slavery by the International Criminal Court and is sentenced to 30 years in prison on 18 charges.
• Humans 1st walked upright 12 million years ago (not 6 million as previously thought), according to study a new species of ape found in Bavaria, Germany, published in "Nature".
• Queen Elizabeth II confirms she is no longer buying clothes made with real fur.
• Song lyrics have gotten sadder says researchers who studied 50 years of lyrics at University of Exeter, published in journal "Evolutionary Human Sciences".
• GAMING: PC
• Pistol Whip for PC 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
• Ritual: Crown of Horns for Switch is released. Ritual: Crown of Horns is a slaughterhouse: a fast-paced action game set in an alternate Wild West, a demonic version of a hellish frontier. This arcade-inspired title unravels a tale about an unlikely duo: a bounty hunter who comes back from beyond the grave, yearning to exact revenge on his killers and a witch who aids him with a series of powerful rituals to further her own agenda.Push back hordes of enemies, while the witch performs her ritual. Use a whole arsenal to your advantage: mindfully swapping between weapons and spells. Unlock new tools and powerful items boosting your character. Travel throughout the Weird West picking your missions and planning future unlocks to finally exact your revenge! Ritual: Crown of Horns is a skill based game, where split-second decisions and planning on the go are more powerful than button mashing and throwing yourself mindlessly at enemies.

On this day in 2018

• EVENTS
• For second straight year France wins Six Nations Rugby Championship on points difference from Ireland, with a final round 46-19 win over Scotland at Stade de France, Saint Denis; Ireland again takes Triple Crown.
• Ex-marine opens fire at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, shooting 12, including a police officer, and himself.
• Actress Emma Thompson is made a Dame of the British Empire by Prince William at Buckingham Palace, London.
• World's oldest figurative painting of a beast at least 40,000 years old identified in Lubang Jeriji Saléh cave, Indonesian Borneo.
• BIRTHS
• Kaavia James Union Wade, Instagram Star, born in United States.
• DEATHS
• Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Irish pianist, composer and educator (University of Limerick), who died at 67.
• Oskar Rabin, Russian painter and dissident during Soviet era, who died at 90.
• Francis Lai, French film music composer (Love Story), who died at 86.
• GAMING: PC
• KURSK for PC is released. KURSK is the first ever adventure and documentary video game inspired by real events. You assume the role of a spy who finds way on the Russian nuclear submarine K-141 Kursk. Your task is to collect secret information about the revolutionary Shkval supercavitating torpedoes.
• Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don't Dry for PC is released. Hey ladies, I’m back in business. My new adventure, Leisure Suit Larry - Wet Dreams Don’t Dry, takes me – whatever the route or twist of fate – from the end of the ’80s directly into the 21st century and wow, how the world has changed.
• TSIOQUE for PC is released. TSIOQUE is a dark but playful Point & Click adventure, hand-animated in meticulous, frame-by-frame 2D. Escape the clutches of an Evil Wizard and discover the secrets hidden within the spellbound castle of your ancestors. We take the role of princess Tsioque, imprisoned in a castle overtaken by the Evil Wizard.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Steel Rats for PlayStation 4 is released. Become one of the Steel Rats, a biker gang sworn to protect their city against an invading army of alien robots - Junkbots. Wreck and ride through hordes of enemies, switching between four unique characters as you wreak havoc with the ultimate killing machine; your flame spewing, saw bladed, motorcycle.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Deru - The Art of Cooperation for Switch is released. Deru is a cooperative puzzle game that mixes eye catching abstract art with mind bending puzzles to a unique gaming experience. In this couch co-op experience two players team up to overcome the boundaries of shadow and light and succeed through teamwork, timing and tactics. Block streams for your partner, juggle your mass to make each other huge for traversing big streams. To succeed you have to communicate and plan together, fuse your brains and bring your co-op gaming skills on the next level. Deru is more than your usual puzzle game, you need to have dexterity, precision and use strategic planning to reach the exit of each level.
• POLITICS
• US President Donald Trump fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions and appoints Matthew Whitaker in his place as acting Attorney General.

On this day in 2017

• EVENTS
• South Korean golfer Park Sung-hyun becomes the first LPGA rookie to be ranked no. 1.
• Extreme smog in Delhi, India, leads Indian Medical Association to declare "a state of medical emergency".
• Danica Roem becomes the first US transgender person to be elected to a state legislature in the US in North Virginia.
• Melbourne Cup: Joseph O’Brien at 24 is the youngest trainer to win with Rekindling jockeyed by Corey Brown.
• Opera soprano Audrey Luna sings highest-ever note at Met Opera in New York, A above high C.
• BIRTHS
• Baby Tali, Instagram Star, born in Philippines.
• DEATHS
• Paul Buckmaster, British Grammy Award-winning artist, arranger, conductor and composer, who died at 71.
• Robert De Cormier, American conductor and musical director (The Belafonte Folk Singers), who died at 95.
• Pentti "Whitey" Glan, Finnish-Canadian touring and session drummer (Lou Reed; Alice Cooper - "Welcome To My Nightmare"), who died if cancer at 71.
• Roy Halladay, American MLB pitcher,1998-2013,8X All-Star,2X Cy Young Award (Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies), killed when piloting a plane acrobatically over the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of New Port Richey, Florida, while under the influence of painkillers and sleeping pills at 40.
• TV SERIES
• Damnation (2017): Season 1 is released. Seth Davenport (Killian Scott) is biding his time in the guise of an Iowan preacher to start an insurrection while a strikebreaker named Creeley Turner (Logan Marshall-Green) is hired to stop any revolt by the townspeople in this 1930s drama created and written by Tony Tost.
• The Long Road Home: Season 1 is released. The eight-part limited series based on the book by ABC chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz focuses on the Fort Hood soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter who were ambushed on April 4,2004 in Iraq's Sadr City.
• GAMING: PC
• Hand of Fate 2 for PC is released. Hand of Fate 2 is a dungeon crawler set in a world of dark fantasy. Master a living board game where every stage of the adventure is drawn from a deck of legendary encounters chosen by you.
• Nioh: Complete Edition for PC is released. Ready to die? Experience the newest brutal action game from Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo Games. In the age of samurai, a lone traveler lands on the shores of Japan. He must fight his way through the vicious warriors and supernatural Yokai that infest the land in order to find that which he seeks.
• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - Episode 5: Don't Stop Believin' for PC is released. In the aftermath of an unbearable sacrifice, the Guardians finally fracture. With her opposition in shambles, Hala renews her campaign of death and devastation, carving a path of indiscriminate destruction en route to Knowhere.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Need for Speed Payback for PlayStation 4 is released. Set in the underworld of Fortune Valley, players drive as three distinct characters reunited by a quest for vengeance against The House, a nefarious cartel that rules the city’s casinos, criminals and cops. They take on a variety of challenges and events as Tyler, the Racer; Mac, the Showman; and Jess, the Wheelman to earn the respect of the underground. Featuring the deepest customization from the series, players can truly craft a personalized and unique ride, or spend hours finding and tuning an abandoned derelict into a supercar. They can then push their cars to the limit and raise the stakes by betting on their own performance, where they can either multiply their winnings or risk losing it all. [Electronic Arts]
• League of War: VR Arena for PlayStation 4 is released. League of War: VR Arena is a hands-on, fast-paced war game. Deploy your tanks, choppers, and infantry onto a virtual battlefield, swiftly countering your opponent’s units as you drive towards destroying their base.
• Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds for PlayStation 4 is released. Beyond the northern mountains, the borderlands of the Banuk tribe challenge all who dare enter to survive the extremes. But now this frozen wilderness harbors a new threat, and for Aloy, a new mystery - one she’s determined to solve. The Frozen Wilds contains additional content for Horizon Zero Dawn, including new storylines, characters and experiences in a beautiful but unforgiving new area. Uncover a compelling new story. Explore a brand new area. Face new machines. To use this download, you need Horizon Zero Dawn. [Sony]
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Farming Simulator: Nintendo Switch Edition for Switch is released. Take on the challenges of the modern farmer. Explore a huge open world including a detailed North American environment, loaded with farming activities, over hundreds of acres of land. Drive over 250 authentic farming vehicles and equipment from over 75 manufacturers, including brands such as Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra. Harvest many types of crops, tend to your livestock, take part in forestry work, and sell your products to expand and invest in your farm. Transport your goods in trucks and trailers, or load and drive trains to reach your destination. [Nintendo]
• Uno for Switch is released. Uno makes its return to consoles and PC with an assortment of exciting features such as added video chat support and an all new theme system which adds more fun to enjoy your Uno game!Match cards either by matching color or value and play action cards to change things up. Race against others to empty your hand before everyone else in either Classic Play or customize your experience with a variety of House Rules and match settings to ensure you and your friends never play the same game twice!Also, get ready to shake things up with new branded themes introducing never-before-seen Theme Cards that really change the way you play the game!
• GAMING: XBOX ONE
• Super Lucky's Tale for Xbox One is released. Follow Lucky, the ever-optimistic, energetic, and lovable hero, on his quest to find his inner strength and help his sister rescue the Book of Ages from Jinx. Jinx is the scheming and mysterious villain trying to reshape the world, but for what reason? Test your skills with puzzles and nerve wracking obstacle courses. Plus, surprise levels and hidden “foxholes” showing up where you least expect them, challenging Lucky to use his wits and skill. Explore hidden secrets of new worlds with Lucky’s signature burrow move. Dive into unpredictable foxholes, or try devilish side scrolling challenge levels to unlock additional rewards. [Xbox.com]
• Assault Android Cactus for Xbox One is released. Assault Android Cactus is an intense arcade style twin stick shooter - pick from one of nine unique synthetic heroines and blast your way through overwhelming robots hordes to save the ship from its own workforce. Supports single player and local co-op game modes.
• Outcast: Second Contact for Xbox One is released. Outcast: Second Contact is an open world action-adventure game taking the player to an extra-terrestrial planet as dangerous as it is beautiful. You take the role of Cutter Slade, an elite soldier sent on a mission to Adelphi, home of an ancient and advanced alien civilisation. Your choices and actions will determine humanity's survival.Outcast: Second Contact is the complete remaster of the cult game Outcast. The first open,3D world in the history of video games and a true pioneer in the action-adventure genre -- the original game won over 100 awards including adventure game of the year!
• POLITICS
• US Democrats dominate off-year elections; Ralph Northam wins Governor of Virginia, Philip Murphy Governor of New Jersey.

On this day in 2016

• EVENTS
• Finnish rock drummer Pentti Glan died of lung cancer at the age of 71. He is best known for his work with Alice Cooper and Lou Reed. He also appeared in the movie The Rose as the drummer of The Rose Band..
• DEATHS
• Leonard Cohen, Canadian writer and singer-songwriter (" Hallelujah" ; "Death of Ladies Man" ; Suzanne"), who died at 82.
• Janet Reno, first female US Attorney General (1993-2001), who died at 78.

On this day in 2015

• EVENTS
• Sierra Leone is declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (death toll 4,000).
• WEDDINGS
• American TV personality and fashion designer Whitney Port at the age of 30 weds American TV producer Tim Rosenman at the age of 38 in Palm Springs, California.
• TV personality and fashion designer Whitney Port weds boyfriend Tim Rosenman in Palm Springs, California.
• DEATHS
• Gunnar Hansen, Icelandic-born American actor (Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), who died of cancer at 68.

On this day in 2014

• EVENTS
• Canadian singer, songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82 at his home in Los Angeles. Cohen pursued a career as a poet and novelist during the 1950s and early 1960s, and did not launch a music career until 1967, at the age of 33. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), was followed by three more albums of folk music: Songs from a Room (1969), Songs of Love and Hate (1971) and New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974). "Hallelujah" is a song written by Canadian singer Leonard Cohen, originally released on his album Various Positions (1984). His song 'Hallelujah' found greater popular acclaim through a recording by John Cale, which inspired a recording by Jeff Buckley..
• Two wealthy fans paid $300,000 to eat lasagne with Bruce Springsteen at his house. Springsteen started off the annual Stand Up For Heroes event by playing an acoustic set, then offering the instrument to the highest bidder. When bidding reached $60,000, he threw in a guitar lesson, which someone offered $250,000 for. At this point, he offered up a lasagne dinner at his house, a ride around the block in the sidecar of his motorbike and the shirt off of his back. All the money went to the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which helps injured servicemen and their families when they return home..
• DEATHS
• Gibson Kente, South African playwright and composer, who died at 82.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain is released. The world's deadliest industrial disaster occurred in Bhopal in 1984. Dilip (Rajpal Yadav), a rickshaw driver in Bhopal, India, lands himself a job at the Union Carbide plant. It is a chance to prove his worth to his family and pull them out of poverty. The job is tough with long hours; everyone is desperate to hold on to their pay cheque and so Dilip keeps quiet when he notices managers at the plant ignoring safety standards. Dilip’s long time friend, Motwani (Kal Penn), a tabloid journalist knows that Bhopal residents complain of the constant stench in the air and wake up at night choking from the gas. He is on a mission to expose what he believes is a deadly time bomb ticking away in his home town. He feels as if no one will listen but when he meets feisty American journalist, Eva (Mischa Barton), he sees a ray of hope and persuades her to confront Carbide executive Warren Anderson (Martin Sheen).
• Actress is released. Brandy Burre had a recurring role on HBO’s The Wire when she gave up her career to start a family. When she decides to reclaim her life as an actor, the domestic world she’s carefully created crumbles around her.
• Pelican Dreams is released. Judy Irving (The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill) follows Gigi, a wayward California brown pelican, from her "arrest"on the Golden Gate Bridge into care at a rehab facility, while exploring nesting grounds, Pacific coast migration and survival challenges.
• Open Windows is released. Nick (Elijah Wood) is excited to discover that he’s won a dinner date with his favorite actress, Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey). But when Jill refuses to honor the contest, her manager Chord (Neil Maskell) makes an offer Nick can’t refuse: the ability to view Jill secretly via computer. Nick begins watching the unknowing star on her webcam, not realizing that this decision will put both himself and Jill at risk as they enter a terrifying world of cat-and-mouse where nothing—and no one—are as they seem.
• Why Don't You Play in Hell? is released. A renegade film crew becomes embroiled with a yakuza clan feud.
• 21 Years: Richard Linklater is released. It's been said that the first 21 years defines the career of an artist. Few directors have single-handedly shaken up the film establishment like the godfather of indie, Richard Linklater. From the groundbreaking Slacker to his innovative Boyhood, Linklater has just reached the 21-year mark and has unapologetically carved his signature into American pop culture. This compelling documentary takes you on a behind the scenes tour into Linklater's style, skills, and motivation via his friends, actors, and other directors. Get a raw and honest perspective on Richard through candid conversations with Ethan Hawke, Jack Black, Keanu Reeves, Billy Bob Thornton, Matthew McConaughey, Jason Reitman, Julie Delpy and others, and see their stories brought to life through hilarious animated sequences. For a guy who became famous for celebrating the cool and casual, Linklater emerges as a surprisingly strategic and visionary director who has already established a legacy and perfected a style that can't be denied.
• The Way He Looks is released. Leo is a blind teenager who’s fed up with his overprotective mother and the bullies at school. Looking to assert his independence, he decides to study abroad to the dismay of his best friend, Giovana. When Gabriel, the new kid in town, teams with Leo on a school project, new feelings blossom in him that make him reconsider his plans. Meanwhile, Giovana, grows jealous of this new found companionship as tensions mount between her and Leo. [Strand Releasing]
• MOVIES: PG
• The Better Angels is released. The story of Abraham Lincoln's childhood in the harsh wilderness of Indiana and the hardships that shaped him, the tragedy that marked him forever and the two women who guided him to immortality.
• On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter is released. Inspired by his father Bruce Brown's 1971 documentary On Any Sunday, Dana Brown chronicles the current state of international motorcycle racing.
• Big Hero 6 is released. Big Hero 6 is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion - a robot named Baymax - and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. [Walt Disney Animation Studios]
• MOVIES: PG13
• A Merry Friggin' Christmas is released. Boyd Mitchler (Joel McHale) and his wife Luann (Lauren Graham) are forced to spend a dreaded Christmas at his parents' house with his eccentric father (Robin Williams). When he realizes that he left his son's gifts at home, Boyd, his younger brother Nelson (Clark Duke) and their father hit the road to retrieve the gifts before sunrise.
• Elsa & Fred is released. After losing his wife, Fred (Christopher Plumer) feels disturbed, confused and alone, so his daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) helps move him into a small apartment where he meets Elsa (Shirley Maclaine). From that moment on, everything changes. Elsa bursts into Fred’s life like a whirlwind, determined to teach him that the time he has left to live—be it more or less—is precious and that he should enjoy it as he pleases.
• Jessabelle is released. Returning to her childhood home in Louisiana to recuperate from a horrific car accident, Jessabelle comes face to face with a long-tormented spirit that has been seeking her return—and has no intention of letting her escape.
• The Theory of Everything is released. Once a healthy, active young man, Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With his wife Jane (Felicity Jones) fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of - time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed.
• GAMING: 3DS
• Ultimate NES Remix for 3DS is released. Take on a rapid-fire onslaught of challenges and mash-ups from 16 of Nintendos finest 8-bit games! Test your skills on a gauntlet of quick, tricky challenges and remix stages that combine parts of different games. The best mix of titles from the NES Remix and NES Remix 2 games is on Nintendo 3DS. Now youre playing with PORTABLE power!Link vs. Donkey Kong! Kirby vs. Boo! Its mash-up mania in this celebration of all things NES! Race through to earn stars on increasingly tough tasks, like beating Ridley from Metroid or making Princess Peach save herself! Compete in Championship Modes blitz of challenges from the Super Mario Bros., Supe Mario Bros. 3, and Dr. Mario games, then compare scores with others in your region via online leaderboards*.-Features action-packed challenges from 16 classic 8-bit Nintendo games.-Dominate exciting chunks of retro Nintendo games from NES Remix, such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Excitebike, and Donkey Kong.-Challenges from NES Remix 2 include bite-sized chunks of Super Mario Bros. 3, Zelda II- The Adventure of Link, Metroid, Kid Icarus, and Kirbys Adventure, among many others.-Test your skills in a series of altered 8-bit challenges and improve your times to unlock more challenges!-Take on 3 unique challenges from the Nintendo World Championships and Nintendo Campus Challenge, then check your score on online leaderboards* to see how you stack up.-Connect to the Nintendo eShop to download full versions of your favorite classic games.
• GAMING: PC
• Football Manager 2015 for PC is released. Football Manager 2015 allows you to live the life of a real football manager – you decide who plays and who sits on the bench, you're in total control of tactics, team-talks, substitutions and pitch-side instructions as you follow the match live with the acclaimed 3D match engine.
• A Bird Story for PC is released. From the developer of To the Moon: A simple and surreal hour-long short about a boy and an injured bird -- a light interactive animation without dialogue. An interactive pixel animation with the sole purpose of telling a simple story. It is a standalone narrative with its own discrete beginning and end.

On this day in 2013

• DEATHS
• Jack Mitchell, Photographer.
• Wallie Branston, Race Car Driver.
• GAMING: WII U
• Wii Sports Club for Wii U is released. Play your favorite Wii Sports games on the Wii U console! With Wii Sports Club, you can now take the competition online with tennis, bowling and golf - baseball and boxing are coming soon. Join a club, compete against other clubs from around your region, or play online multiplayer with your friends. You can also use all-new training modes to improve your skills and support your club.Wii Sports Club takes what was fun about Wii Sports - cooperative and competitive gameplay together with friends and family - and moves the experience online. Each sport uses Wii MotionPlus technology to give you more control.Ways to PlayJust set up an Internet connection and the SpotPass feature on your Wii U to automatically download Wii Sports Club. First-timers can try it out a 24-hour free trial. After the free trial ends, you can purchase two different types of passes exclusively on the Nintendo eShop: a Day Pass gives you access to all of the available sports for a 24-hour period and a Club Pass gives you unlimited access to a single sport with no time limit.Features:-Play online with friends and other competitors.-Join a club and compete against rivals for better rankings.-Improve your skills with all-new training modes and help your club move up in rank.-Build community with fellow club members and friends online by sending tips, pep talks, and other messages via Miiverse.-You now have more flexibility to play the way you want to with varied purchasing options.