On This Day
Discover events that happened On This Day including famous birthdays and notable deaths. Each day we highlight famous people, past and present, who have impacted our world. Browse sections by selecting the links below or click the calendar to view events on another day.
December 28
Events on This Day
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1612
401 years agoGalileo is the first person to observe the planet Neptune, though he mistakes it for a star.
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1944
69 years agoComposer/conductor Leonard Bernstein's play On the Town has its Broadway premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in New York City.
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1973
40 years agoAlexander Solzhenitsyn’s exposé of the police-state system in the Soviet Union, The Gulag Archipelago, is published in Paris, with a translated version reaching the United States months later.
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2001
12 years agoThe film I Am Sam opens in limited release. It stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn in the lead role, for which he would receive his third Oscar nomination.
December 28
Born on This Day
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Denzel Washington
- In these groups:
- Hollywood Heartthrobs
- Famous Celebrity Couples
- Sober Celebs
Denzel Washington
Film Actor / 1954 -
Former star of the hit TV drama St. Elsewhere, actor/director Denzel Washington has earned popular and critical acclaim for his roles in several feature films, including Training Day and American Gangster.
Born: December 28, 1954
Age: 58 years old
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Occupation: Film Actor -
John Legend
- In these groups:
- Soul Train Guests
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Actors
John Legend
Actor, Songwriter, Singer / 1978 -
Singer-songwriter John Legend won his first Grammy Award with 2004's Get Lifted. The album went platinum, thanks in part to the hit single "Ordinary People."
1978 | 34 years old
Actor, Songwriter, Singer -
Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith
Actress / 1934 -
British actress Maggie Smith's distinguished career includes performing opposite Laurence Olivier in Othello to an Academy Award-winning performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, to a role in the Harry Potter series.
1934 | 78 years old
Actress
December 28
Died on This Day
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Jerry Orbach
- In these groups:
- Famous Libras
- Famous Actors
- Famous People Named Jerry
Jerry Orbach
Actor / 1935 - 2004
Jerry Orbach was a Tony Award-winning American actor best known for his role as Detective Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order.
Died: December 28, 2004
Age: 69 years old
Place: New York, New York , United States
Occupation: Actor -
Rob Roy
- In these groups:
- Famous Scottish People
- Famous Pisceans
- Famous People Born on March 7
Rob Roy
Folk Hero / 1671 - 1734
Scottish Rob Roy, also known as Red MacGregor was the famous Scottish folk hero of the 18th century best known as the Scottish Robin Hood.
1734 | 63 years old
Folk Hero -
Susan Sontag
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Scholars
Susan Sontag
Scholar, Women's Rights Activist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist / 1933 - 2004
Susan Sontag was a critical essayist, cultural analyst, novelist and filmmaker. She wrote On Photography, Illness as Metaphor, The Volcano Lover and In America.
2004 | 71 years old
Scholar, Women's Rights Activist, ...
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Play Nowprofile name: Denzel Washington profile occupation: Film Actor
profile id: 201302
profile name: John Legend profile occupation: Actor, Songwriter, Singer
profile id: 9487030
profile name: Maggie Smith profile occupation: Actress
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profile name: Jerry Orbach profile occupation: Actor
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profile name: Rob Roy profile occupation: Folk Hero
profile id: 9488814
profile name: Susan Sontag profile occupation: Scholar, Women's Rights Activist, ...
profile id: 9305220
profile name: Galileo profile occupation: Astronomer
profile id: 9210269
profile name: Leonard Bernstein profile occupation: Songwriter
profile id: 9488509
profile name: Alexander Solzhenitsyn profile occupation: Author
profile id: 9439133
profile name: Michelle Pfeiffer profile occupation: Television Actress
profile id: 9431951
profile name: Thomas Paine profile occupation: Political Leader
profile id: 9386943
profile name: Louis XVI profile occupation: King
profile id: 37250
profile name: John C. Calhoun profile occupation: U.S. Representative
profile id: 9464907
profile name: Edmond Rostand profile occupation: Playwright
profile id: 9327661
profile name: Tom Hanks profile occupation: Television Actor
profile id: 38006
profile name: Elizabeth profile occupation: Empress
profile id: 38058
profile name: Al Smith profile occupation: Governor
profile id: 37740
profile name: Horacio Quiroga profile occupation: Author
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profile name: César profile occupation: Sculptor
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