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On this day in 2023

On this day in 2022

• EVENTS
• American conspiracy theorist, radio host, and provocateur Alex Jones ordered by a Connecticut defamation trial jury to pay $965 million to families of those killed in 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School for falsely and repeatedly claiming on his broadcasts that none of the 20 children and six adults killed had actually died and that their relatives were crisis actors.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 5
• LEGO Bricktales for PlayStation 5 is released. Your grandfather, a genius inventor, has called you for help! His beloved amusement park is about to close as the mayor is threatening to shut everything down and seize the land if the necessary repairs aren't made to bring it up to code. With the help of your powerful little robot buddy, you can restore it using a mysterious device based on alien technology.As a source of power, the device needs happiness crystals, which you can harvest by making people happy and solving their problems. With the aid of a portal, travel to different locations all around the world to help people and collect their happiness crystals. Strap in for the ultimate building adventure and save your grandfather's amusement park!In this puzzle-adventure, use an intuitive brick-by-brick building mechanic to solve puzzles and bring your creations to life! Experience a charming story as you explore beautiful LEGO dioramas and help the people inhabiting them.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• The Battle of Polytopia for Switch is released. Welcome to the unique turn-based strategy game set in the strange, flat world of the Square. Lead one of 12 distinct civilizations to victory by expanding your empire, researching technologies and ultimately become ruler of the world! Play in single-player or multiplayer mode for up to 15 players.
• SPORTS
• Luke Jackson, American basketball center/forward (Olympic gold 1964; NBA C'ship 1967 Philadelphia 76ers; NBA All Star 1965), who died from heart failure at 80.

On this day in 2021

• EVENTS
• Irish musician, composer, and record producer Paddy Moloney died suddenly at a hospital in Dublin at the age of 83. He co-founded and led the Irish musical group the Chieftains, playing on all of their 44 albums. Moloney aslo did session work for Mike Oldfield, Mick Jagger, Gary Moore, Paul McCartney, Sting, Don Henley and Stevie Wonder..
• DEATHS
• Hubert Germain, Politician.
• Raúl Coloma, Chilean soccer goalkeeper (13 caps; Ferrobádminton, Municipal Santiago, Ferroviaros), who died at 93.
• Zinaida Antonovna Korneva, War Hero.
• TV SERIES
• Chucky: Season 1 is released. A series of murders begins soon after a "Good Guy"doll is found at a suburban yard sale in this spin-off of the Child's Play/Chucky film franchise that airs on Syfy and USA Network concurrently.
• GAMING: PC
• Circuit Superstars for PC is released. FEEL the rubber bite into the road as you pass the start/finish line and dive, brakes squealing, into the first corner! Circuit Superstars is a top-down racer built by racing fans, for racing fans.
• Lone Echo II for PC is released. Jack and Liv are back in Lone Echo II. Return to the rings of Saturn in this highly-anticipated sequel, to unravel the mysteries of Lone Echo and journey deeper into space – past the very boundaries of time itself.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 5
• NHL 22 for PlayStation 5 is released. Powered by Frostbite, EA SPORTS™NHL®22 gets the superstar treatment. For the first time ever, experience EA SPORTS NHL on one of the industry’s most powerful game engines bringing visual detail to every hit, deke and shot. Superstar X-Factors lets you feel the personality and power of NHL superstars with an all-new ability system that unlocks the unique skills of the league’s most elite players. Authentic to real player skill and style, the stars of the NHL truly come to life in EA SPORTS NHL 22 making their time on ice more influential than ever. From HUT to World of Chel, Superstar X-Factors brings new class based strategy to every game mode. EA SPORTS NHL 22is an all new game for a new generation, giving you more ways to play and compete than ever before.
• GAMING: SWITCH
• Gang Beasts for Switch is released. Gang Beasts is a silly local multiplayer party game with doughy ragdoll physics and horrific environmental hazards. In the current pre-alpha players can grab, push, pull, punch, and throw their friends from wrestling rings, speeding trucks, and suspended platforms.
• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut for Switch is released. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut is the definitive edition of the smash-hit RPG. Pursue your political dreams in new quests, meet and question more of the city's locals, and explore a whole extra area. Full voice-acting, controller support, and expanded language options also included.Get even more out of this award-winning open world. You're a detective with a unique skill system at your disposal and a whole city block to carve your path across. Interrogate unforgettable characters, crack murders, or take bribes. Become a hero or an absolute disaster of a human being.
• POLITICS
• Renton Laidlaw, Scottish golf broadcaster and journalist (President Association of Golf Writers 1995-2015; BBC Radio), who died from COVID-19 pandemic at 82.
• SPORTS
• Leon Black, American college basketball coach (Texas Longhorns men's team 1967-76), who died at 89.

On this day in 2020

• EVENTS
• Nobel Prize for Economics awarded to Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson for their contributions to auction theory.
• China announces it will test entire city of Qingdao,9 million people, for COVID-19 pandemic within five days after a dozen cases discovered.
• UK PM Boris Johnson announces a new three-tier system for COVID-19 pandemic restrictions as cases surge.
• DEATHS
• Nevzat Güzelirmak, Turkish soccer defender (18 caps; Göztepe) and manager (Denizlispor; Turkey U21), who died at 78.
• Conchata Ferrell, TV Actress.

On this day in 2019

• EVENTS
• Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya becomes first to run a marathon in under 2 hours (1:59:40) in Vienna, Austria; not a race by strict definition using pacesetters and pace laser markings on a doctored course.
• Centre-back Sergio Ramos becomes Europe's most capped male outfield soccer player (168 caps) as Spain draws 1-1 with Norway in Euro 2020 qualification in Oslo.
• Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall on the Izu Peninsula near Tokyo, Japan, bringing record rainfall and killing at least 56 people.
• DEATHS
• Milcho Leviev, Composer.
• Nanni Galli, Race Car Driver.
• TV SERIES
• The College Admissions Scandal: Season 1 is released. Caroline (Penelope Ann Miller) and Bethany (Mia Kirshner) are two wealthy mothers who buy their children's way into prestigious universities with the help of Rick Singer (Michael Shanks) in this TV movie inspired by Operation Varsity Blues, that caught Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin for college bribery.

On this day in 2018

• EVENTS
• US air strike in central Somalia kills about 60 al-Shabab militants.
• WEDDINGS
• Britain's Princess Eugenie marries Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, England.
• DEATHS
• Takehisa Kosugi, Japanese violinist and experimental music composer (Group Ongaku; Taj Mahal Travellers), who died at 80.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Sadie is released. Sadie is the story of a 13-year-old girl who lives at home with her mother while her father serves repeated tours in the military. Sadie is extremely attached to her father despite his prolonged absence, and when her mother begins dating a new man, Sadie takes extreme measures to end the relationship and safeguard her family through the only tactics she knows--those of war.
• The Kindergarten Teacher is released. When a Staten Island kindergarten teacher discovers what may be a gifted five year-old student in her class, she becomes fascinated and obsessed with the child—spiraling downward on a dangerous and desperate path in order to nurture his talent. [Netflix]
• Watergate is released. Patient compendium drawing from 3400 hours of audio tapes, archival footage, declassified documents, et al, weaves a rich texture of understanding, particularly effective in flashbacks from their current day selves to their Watergate-era roles for such stalwarts as Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward and John Dean. Numerous current day parallels are elegantly understated.
• Thunder Road is released. Thunder Road follows a Texan police officer who loses his mother, custody of his daughter, and eventually his job. Inspired by one of the greatest songs ever written, we see officer Jim Arnaud apply this lullaby of his mother's to his life during his ongoing and often hilarious nervous breakdown.
• After Everything is released. When Elliot (Jeremy Allen White), a brash 23-year-old living carefree in New York City, meets the sensible Mia (Maika Monroe) and receives a damning diagnosis all in the same week, his world is turned completely upside down. But as their love blossoms amidst the chaos of his treatment, they discover that Elliot’s illness is not the real test of their relationship – it’s everything else.
• MOVIES: PG
• Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is released. Halloween comes to life in a brand-new comedy adventure based on R.L. Stine's 400-million-selling series of books.
• MOVIES: PG13
• First Man is released. First Man is the riveting story of NASA's mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost-on Armstrong and on the nation-of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
• I Still See You is released. Ten years after an apocalyptic event left the world haunted by ghosts, Roni (Bella Thorne) receives a threatening message from beyond the grave. Joining forces with a mysterious classmate, Kirk, Roni descends into a shadow world that blurs the bounds of the living and the dead—and begins a desperate race against time to stop a cunning killer.
• MOVIES: R
• Bad Times at the El Royale is released. Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption... before everything goes to hell.
• Beautiful Boy is released. Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.
• The Oath is released. When Chris (Ike Barinholtz), a high-strung 24-hour progressive news junkie, and his more levelheaded wife Kai (Tiffany Haddish) learn that citizens are being asked to sign a loyalty oath to the President, their reaction is disbelief, followed by idealistic refusal. But as the Thanksgiving deadline to sign approaches, the combination of sparring relatives, Chris’s own agitation and the unexpected arrival of two government agents (John Cho and Billy Magnussen) sends an already tense holiday dinner gathering completely off the rails.
• MOVIES: TVMA
• Apostle is released. London,1905. Prodigal son Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) has returned home, only to learn that his sister is being held for ransom by a religious cult. Determined to get her back at any cost, Thomas travels to the idyllic island where the cult lives under the leadership of the charismatic Prophet Malcolm (Michael Sheen). As Thomas infiltrates the island’s community, he learns that the corruption of mainland society that they claim to reject has infested the cult’s ranks nonetheless – and uncovers a secret far more evil than he could have imagined. [Netflix]
• MOVIES: TVPG
• The Sentence is released. Cindy Shank, mother of three, is serving a 15-year sentence in federal prison for her tangential involvement with a Michigan drug ring years earlier. This intimate portrait of mandatory minimum drug sentencing's devastating consequences, captured by Cindy's brother, follows her and her family over the course of ten years.
• TV SERIES
• Titans (2018): Season 1 is released. Dick Grayson aka Robin (Brenton Thwaites), Rachel Roth aka Raven (Teagan Croft) up with Gar Logan aka Beast Boy (Ryan Potter) and Koriand'r aka Starfire (Anna Diop) come together to defend Earth from destruction in this live-action series based on the Teen Titans characters.
• The Romanoffs: Season 1 is released. Matthew Weiner's anthology series features stories of people who claim to be descendants of the Russian royal family (who were executed in 1918).
• The Haunting of Hill House: Season 1 is released. Mike Flanagan's re-imagining of Shirley Jackson's novel focuses on the grown-up siblings who lived in Hill House including writer Steve Crane (Michiel Huisman) and his two sisters (Elizabeth Reaser and Kate Siegel) as they return to face their past.
• ALBUMS
• The Atlas Underground was released by Tom Morello. The first full-length solo release for the Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage member under his name features guest appearances from Steve Aoki, Bassnectar, Big Boi, Gary Clark Jr., K.Flay, GZA, Leikeli47, Killer Mike, Knife Party, Vic Mensa, Tim McIlrath, Marcus Mumford, Portugal. The Man, Pretty Lights, Carl Restivo, RZA, Nico Stadi, and Whethan.
• Songs of the Plains was released by Colter Wall. The second full-length release for the Canadian singer-songwriter was produced by Dave Cobb.
• Bottle It In was released by Kurt Vile. The seventh full-length solo release for the Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter was recorded over two years in a variety of location in the US while he was on tour or vacationing.
• Bunny was released by Matthew Dear. The fifth full-length release for the electronic music producer features guest appearances from Tegan and Sara.
• Ella Mai was released by Ella Mai. The debut full-length release for the British R&B artist features production from DJ Mustard and guest appearances from Chris Brown, H.E.R., and John Legend.
• Jassbusters was released by Connan Mockasin. The third full-length solo release for the New Zealand artist was recorded live and is a companion album to a film he wrote and directed.
• Happy Xmas was released by Eric Clapton. The Christmas album from the British guitarist features one new original song and an electronic-inspired version of "Jingle Bells"dedicated to Avicii.
• Look Now was released by Elvis Costello & the Imposters. The first album for Costello with the Imposters since 2008's Momofuku was co-produced Sebastian Krys and features a guest appearance from Burt Bacharach.
• Love Is Magic was released by John Grant. The fourth full-length solo release for the former frontman of The Czars was produced with Midlake's Paul Alexander and Wrangler's Benge.
• Out of Touch was released by Jaakko Eino Kalevi. The fifth full-length solo release for the Berlin-based Finnish artist was inspired by his time in Greece.
• MassEducation [2018] was released by St. Vincent. The acoustic version of the singer-songwriter's 2017 Masseduction was recorded over two days and features just Clark's vocals and Thomas Bartlett on piano.
• GAMING: 3DS
• Luigi's Mansion for 3DS is released. Luigi steps out from the shadow of his brother Mario and into the gloomy shadows of a very haunted house in this, his first-ever starring role. Armed with a flashlight and a customized vacuum cleaner, Luigi must rid the mansion of Boos and ghouls--and find his missing brother to boot. As Luigi, you'll search for the keys that open the many locked doors; vacuum coins, cash, and gold bars; and explore vases, bookcases, and drawers. From the brick-walled basement to the gloomy grounds, Luigi's Mansion is packed with chills, thrills, and creepy surprises.
• GAMING: PC
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for PC is released. Black Ops returns - in your face. Featuring gritty, grounded, fluid Multiplayer combat, a massive Zombies offering with 3 full undead adventures at launch, and Blackout, where the universe of Black Ops comes to life in one huge battle royale experience featuring the largest map in Call of Duty history, signature Black Ops combat, characters, locations and weapons from the entire Black Ops series. Soldier up for all-out combat – tailor made for the Black Ops community. [Treyarch]
• GAMING: SWITCH
• The World Ends with You: Final Remix for Switch is released. The highly stylised and critically acclaimed Nintendo DS game "The World Ends With You"is coming to Nintendo Switch.When the main character, Neku, suddenly encounters the mysterious girl Shiki, he gets caught up in a deadly game he'll be erased from existence if he can't complete a series of twisted tasks.Tear into each rhythmic battle using the game's traditional touch controls or Joy-Con controllers for a fresh style of combat! The action-RPG will also include a sizeable new scenario that gets right to the heart of the story.

On this day in 2017

• EVENTS
• Long-lost bust of Napoleon by Auguste Rodin confirmed found in Madison borough hall, New Jersey, worth at least $4m.
• Plague outbreak in Madagascar kills 57, with 684 cases so far reported by WHO.
• DEATHS
• Grape-kun, a Humbolt penguin from Tobu Zoo in Japan who gained fame from the anime series Kemono Friends, who died aged 21.
• TV SERIES
• Lore: Season 1 is released. Produced by Gale Anne Hurd and based on Aaron Mahnke's podcast of the same name, the anthology series explores the origins of horror legends such as body snatchers, vampires and werewolves with animated and dramatic recreations.
• GAMING: PC
• The Evil Within 2 for PC is released. You are Detective Sebastian Castellanos and at your lowest point. But when given a chance to save your daughter, you must enter a world filled with nightmares and discover the dark origins of a once-idyllic town to bring her back. Horrifying threats emerge from every corner as the world twists and warps around you. Will you face adversity head on with weapons and traps, or sneak through the shadows to survive?
• GAMING: SWITCH
• The Flame in the Flood for Switch is released. A rogue-lite river journey through the backwaters of a forgotten post-societal America. Forage, craft, evade predators!From the Art Director of BioShock and a team of veterans of the BioShock, Halo, Guitar Hero and Rock Band series comes The Flame in the Flood. Travel by foot and by raft down a procedurally-generated river as you scrounge for resources, craft tools, remedy afflictions, evade the vicious wildlife, and most importantly, stay ahead of the coming rains.Featuring an original full length soundtrack by acclaimed Alt-Country rocker Chuck Ragan featuring The Camaraderie, The Fearless Kin and other special guests.
• Wulverblade for Switch is released.
• Yono and the Celestial Elephants for Switch is released. Elephants are a mighty protectors of the world, born from the stars once per millennium. This is the age of Elephant Yono. But Yono is still so very young and in a kingdom inhabited by feudal Humans, undead Bonewights and robotic Mekani, it's not easy to keep one's trunk out of trouble. Yono and the Celestial Elephant is a grand adventure, featuring carefully designed puzzles, treasure hunts, a sprinkling combat and a world full of people. Play as a young elephant tasked to save a world he's never seen before, and explore the rich history of a kingdom where humans, zombies and robots live side by side. [Nintendo]
• Neon Chrome for Switch is released. Neon Chrome is a ruthless top-down cyberpunk shooter with rogue-like elements. The game takes place inside an arcology a massive sci-fi mega structure.Blast your way through walls with guns and cybernetic abilities and try alternate approaches with different roles like the Assassin, Corporate Soldier or the Cyber Psycho. Upgrade your character stats, discover new cybernetic enhancements and build up strength to finally face the Overseer. Every death is a new beginning the path to defeating the Overseer is never the same.

On this day in 2016

• EVENTS
• James Charles (17) becomes the 1st male face of make-up label CoverGirl.
• David Bowie and Prince were both new entries in the latest list of top-earning dead celebrities compiled by Forbes. Prince's pre-tax income from 1 October 2015 to 1 October 2016 was estimated at $25m (£20.5m) by the business magazine, putting him fifth in the list. Bowie, meanwhile, was ranked at 11th for an estimated income of $10.5m (£8.5m). Both, however, are dwarfed by Michael Jackson who topped the list once again with a record-breaking estimated income of $825m (£672.8m)..
• DEATHS
• (William) "Sonny" Sanders, American soul vocalist, songwriter, arranger and producer (Jackie Wilson), who died at 77.
• MOVIES: NOT RATED
• Tower is released. August 1,1966, was the day our innocence was shattered. A sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the iconic University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes in what was a previously unimaginable event. TOWER combines archival footage with rotoscopic animation of the dramatic day, based entirely on first person testimonies from witnesses, heroes and survivors, in a seamless and suspenseful retelling of the unfolding tragedy. The film highlights the fear, confusion, and visceral realities that changed the lives of those present, and the rest of us, forever – a day when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• Mantis Burn Racing for PlayStation 4 is released. Mantis Burn Racing is an arcade style top-down racer with stunning visuals, a comprehensive single-player career mode, and a deep, RPG-style upgrade system. [VooFoo Studios]
• SPORTS
• Auston Matthews becomes 1st player to score 4 goals in his NHL debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa.

On this day in 2015

• BIRTHS
• Grandbabii, Instagram Star, born in United States.
• DEATHS
• Joan Leslie, American actress (High Sierra, Yankee Doodle Dandy), who died at 90.
• Armin Kircher, Austrian organist, composer, and conductor, who died of heart failure at 48.
• George Mueller, Astronomer.
• TV SERIES
• Fargo: Season 2 is released. Set in 1979, State Trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) investigates a case that involves a local crime gang, the Mob, beautician Peggy Blumquist (Kirsten Dunst) and her husband Ed (Jesse Plemons) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Season 1 is released. Originally developed for sister channel Showtime, the revamped show follows a young woman (Rachel Bloom) who gives up her job at a law firm in New York City to move to West Covina, California to seek love and happiness.
• GAMING: PC
• Animal Gods for PC is released. The Animal Gods have fallen. Once sacred, they are now husks—haunted beasts lost to toxic fumes from a great bronze industry. Assume the role of Thistle, a small and agile hunter determined to destroy the curse that plagues these creatures. Wield a 17th century BC Bronze Sword... and set the Gods free.
• GAMING: PLAYSTATION 4
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone for PlayStation 4 is released. Hearts of Stone features over ten hours of new adventures and introduces new characters, powerful monsters, unique romance, and an entirely new storyline shaped by gamer choices. The expansion also introduces a new system of Runewords that significantly affects gameplay. Each Runeword impacts a different aspect of in-game mechanics and allows the players to experiment with various strategies and tactics. [CD Projekt]

On this day in 2014

• EVENTS
• British singer-songwriter George Ezra was at No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut studio album Wanted on Voyage which became the third best-selling album of 2014 in the UK. The album's title is a reference to the sticker used on the suitcase of Paddington Bear, who was Ezra's hero when he was a child..
• BIRTHS
• Samia Ali, YouTube Star, born in Canada.
• TV SERIES
• The Affair: Season 1 is released. The series focuses on Hamptons waitress Alison (Ruth Wilson) as she tries to recover from a personal tragedy while her husband Cole (Joshua Jackson) struggles to keep the family ranch and their marriage together. The ramifications of Allison's affair with Noah (Dominic West), a New York City teacher married to his childhood sweetheart (Maura Tierney), is explored from each person's perspective.
• The Walking Dead: Season 5 is released. Scott M. Gimple returns as showrunner for the fifth season of the zombie drama.
• POLITICS
• Evo Morales is re-elected President of Bolivia.

On this day in 2013

• EVENTS
• 15 people are killed by a series of explosions in a fireworks factory in Vietnam.
• Timothy Bradley defeats Juan Manuel Márquez to win the WBA Welterweight boxing title.
• WEDDINGS
• " 30 Rock" actor Keith Powell weds visual artist Jill Knox at Tribeca Rooftop in NYC, New York.
• " Charmed" tv actress Rose McGowan at the age of 40 weds artist Davey Detail at the Paramour Mansion in Los Angeles, California.
• Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis at the age of 53 weds paralegal Johnny Chaillot in Malibu, California.
• Former Guns N'Roses Matt Sorum at the age of 52 weds singer and dancer Adriane Harper in Palm Springs, California.
• Grammy award-winning record producer Pharrell Williams at the age of 40 weds model Helen Lasichanh in Miami, Florida.
• Actor Ben Feldman at the age of 33 weds longtime girlfriend Michelle Mulitz at Smokey Glen Farm in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
• American Grammy Award-winning "Happy" singer-songwriter and record producer Pharrell Williams at the age of 40 weds model Helen Lasichanh at the Kampong National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Coconut Grove, i, Florida.
• DEATHS
• Oscar Hijuelos, American novelist (The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love),  dies from a heart attack at 62.
• GAMING: 3DS
• Pokemon X for 3DS is released. Pokemon X and Y are the first mainline Pokemon games made for the 3DS and feature a mix of Pokemon old and new as well as a trio of new starting Pokemon - a watery toad Froakie, a fiery deer Fennekin, and a grass monster Chespin.
• Pokemon Y for 3DS is released. Pokemon X and Y are the first mainline Pokemon games made for the 3DS and feature a mix of Pokemon old and new as well as a trio of new starting Pokemon - a watery toad Froakie, a fiery deer Fennekin, and a grass monster Chespin.