Historical Events1800 - Mt Vernon Gardens becomes site of first summer theater in US1900 - The Commonwealth of Australia is established by the British House of Commons1914 - Boston Red Sox purchase future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth's contract from minor league Baltimore Orioles1994 - Russian spacecraft Soyuz TM-18 lands after successful trip to Mir spacestation2024 - Ariane 6, the European Space Agency's new heavy-lift rocket, blasts off from French GuianaMore Historical Events Famous Birthdays1879 - Carlos Chagas, Brazilian sanitary physician, born in Oliveira, Minas Gerais, Empire of Brazil (d. 1934)1901 - Jester Hairston, American actor (That's My Mama, Amen), born in Belews Creek, North Carolina (d. 2000)1929 - (Barton) Lee Hazlewood, American pop-country songwriter, singer, and producer ("Summer Wine"; Nancy Sinatra -"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"; Frank and Nancy - "Something Stupid"), born in Mannford, Oklahoma (d. 2007)1941 - Takehide Nakatani, Japanese lightweight judoka (Olympic gold 1964), born in Hiroshima, Japan1945 - Dean Koontz, American sci-fi author (Star Quest, Beastchild), born in Everett, PennsylvaniaMore Famous Birthdays Famous Deaths1893 - George Christopher Cato, Natal pioneer and first mayor of Durban South Africa, dies at 791909 - Kasimir Felix Badeni, Premier of Polish/Austria (1895-97), dies at 621951 - Egbert Van Alstyne, American popular music songwriter and ragtime pianist ("In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree"; "For Your Boy and My Boy"), dies after a stroke at 731972 - Robert Weede [Wiedefeld], American operatic and musical theater baritone (Metropolitan Opera, 1937-48; The Most Happy Fella), dies at 692005 - Rafiq Zakaria, Indian politician and Islamic religious cleric, dies at 86More Famous Deaths