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.

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December 28

December 28

Events on This Day

1612

401 years ago
Galileo is the first person to observe the planet Neptune, though he mistakes it for a star.
1944

69 years ago
Composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein's play On the Town has its Broadway premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in New York City.
1973

40 years ago
Alexander 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.

Read more at History.com
2001

12 years ago
The 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

- 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.

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Denzel Washington
Born: December 28, 1954
Age: 58 years old
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Occupation: Film Actor
- 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."

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John Legend
1978 | 34 years old
Actor, Songwriter, Singer
- In these groups:
- Breast Cancer Survivors
- Best Actress Oscar Winners
- Best Supporting Actress Oscar Winners
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.

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Maggie Smith
1934 | 78 years old
Actress

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December 28

Died on This Day

- 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.

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Jerry Orbach
Died: December 28, 2004
Age: 69 years old
Place: New York, New York , United States
Occupation: Actor
- 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.

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Rob Roy
1734 | 63 years old
Folk Hero
- 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.

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Susan Sontag
2004 | 71 years old
Scholar, Women's Rights Activist, ...

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Upcoming Birthdays

- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Empresses
- Famous People Named Elizabeth
Elizabeth

Empress / 1709 - 1762

After taking the throne by force, Empress Elizabeth (1709–1762) founded Russia's first university and forged strong ties in Europe.

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Elizabeth
December 29, 1709
Empress
- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous People Named Al
- Famous People Named Smith
Al Smith

Governor / 1873 - 1944

U.S. politician Al Smith was a four-time Democratic governor of New York, and the first Roman Catholic to run for the American presidency (1928).

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Al Smith
December 30, 1873
Governor
- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Fiction Authors
- Famous People Born in 1878
Horacio Quiroga

Journalist, Author / 1878 - 1937

Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga penned short stories inspired by the jungle before committing suicide in 1937. Anaconda is considered his greatest work.

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Horacio Quiroga
December 31, 1878
Author
- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Sculptors
- Famous Artists
César

Sculptor / 1921 - 1998

French artist César Baldaccini created large sculptural representations from found objects. He was at the forefront of the New Realism movement.

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César
January 1, 1921
Sculptor

Famous Capricorns

- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Photographers
- Famous Film Directors
Larry Clark

Photographer, Director / 1943 -

American photographer and film director Larry Clark is known for his images and movies, like Kids, that graphically depict unconventional teenage activities.

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Larry Clark
January 19, 1943
Photographer, Director
- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Coaches
- Famous People Named Don
Don Shula

Coach / 1930 -

Don Shula was the head coach of the NFL's Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1996, leading the team to a Super Bowl championship and an undefeated season.

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Don Shula
January 4, 1930
Coach

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