1946 80 years ago Notable Births July 30 ~2 min read

Neil Bonnett, American race car driver and sportscaster (died 1994)

On July 30, in the year 1946, Neil Bonnett, American race car driver and sportscaster (died 1994). This event is recorded as a Notable Births event in the history of July 30, one of 376 recorded events on this date across all of history.

1 notable person is associated with this event, including Neil Bonnett. Learn more below.

Lawrence Neil Bonnett was an American NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. Bonnett was a member of the Alabama Gang, and started his career with the help of Bobby and Donnie Allison. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s with his performances in cars owned by Jim Stacy and Wood Brothers Racing, becoming one of the top competitors in the 1980s. The Alabama native currently ranks 47th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film Stroker Ace and the 1990 film Days of Thunder. Bonnett hosted the TV show Winners for TNN from 1991 to 1994, and was a color commentator for CBS, TBS, and TNN in the years until his death. Bonnett's racing career was interrupted in 1990 when he suffered a severe brain injury in a crash that left him with amnesia and chronic dizziness. While working towards a much-anticipated comeback to the NASCAR circuit, Bonnett died as a result of injuries he sustained in a crash during a practice run for the 1994 Daytona 500. He lost control of his vehicle and collided with the outside wall in turn four, resulting in massive head injuries that proved fatal.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on July 30, 1946 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Notable Births event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
  • 1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 18 July 2026.

On This Date in History 376

Type Year Date Event
Historical Events 2025 Jul 30 A magnitude 8.8 earthquake hits Russia, causing tsunamis over the Pacific Ocean.
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 30 David Argue, Australian actor (born 1959)
Notable Deaths 2025 Jul 30 George Nigh, American politician, 17th and 22nd Governor of Oklahoma (born 1927)
Historical Events 2024 Jul 30 A series of landslides occurs in Kerala, India, causing over 420 fatalities.
Notable Deaths 2024 Jul 30 Onyeka Onwenu, Nigerian singer, actress and politician (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2023 Jul 30 Paul Reubens, American actor and comedian (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jul 30 Pat Carroll, American actress and comedian (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2022 Jul 30 Nichelle Nichols, American actress, singer and dancer (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2021 Jul 30 Shona Ferguson, Botswana-born, South African actor and executive producer (born 1974)
Historical Events 2020 Jul 30 NASA's Mars 2020 mission was launched on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Notable Deaths 2020 Jul 30 Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese politician, President (1988–2000), Vice President (1984–1988) and mayor of Taipei (1978–1981)…
Notable Deaths 2020 Jul 30 Herman Cain, American businessman and political activist (born 1945)
Notable Deaths 2018 Jul 30 Michael A. Sheehan, American author, former government official and military officer (born 1955)
Selected Events 2018 Jul 30 Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured) was elected to his first full term as president, having served as leader since the 2017…
Notable Deaths 2016 Jul 30 Gloria DeHaven, American actress, singer, and dancer (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jul 30 Lynn Anderson, American singer (born 1947)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jul 30 Stuart Baggs, English businessman (born 1988)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jul 30 Endel Lippmaa, Estonian physicist (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jul 30 Francis Paul Prucha, American historian and academic (born 1921)
Notable Deaths 2015 Jul 30 Alena Vrzáňová, Czech figure skater (born 1931)
Historical Events 2014 Jul 30 Twenty killed and 150 are trapped after a landslide in Maharashtra, India.
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 30 Robert Drew, American director and producer (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 30 Harun Farocki, German director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1944)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 30 Julio Grondona, Argentinian businessman (born 1931)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 30 Peter Hall, English geographer, author, and academic (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 30 Dick Smith, American make-up artist (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2014 Jul 30 Dick Wagner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1942)
Selected Events 2014 Jul 30 More than 150 people died after heavy rains triggered a landslide in the village of Malin in Maharashtra, India.
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 30 Cecil Alexander, American architect, designed the State of Georgia Building (born 1918)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 30 Berthold Beitz, German businessman (born 1913)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 30 Robert Neelly Bellah, American sociologist and author (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 30 Harry F. Byrd Jr., American lieutenant, publisher, and politician (born 1914)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 30 Antoni Ramallets, Spanish footballer and manager (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 30 Ossie Schectman, American basketball player (born 1919)
Notable Deaths 2013 Jul 30 Benjamin Walker, Indian-English author, poet, and playwright (born 1913)
Historical Events 2012 Jul 30 A train fire kills 32 passengers and injures 27 on the Tamil Nadu Express in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Historical Events 2012 Jul 30 A power grid failure in Delhi leaves more than 300 million people without power in northern India.
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 30 Maeve Binchy, Irish author, playwright, and journalist (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 30 Bill Doss, American singer and guitarist (born 1968)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 30 Stig Ossian Ericson, Swedish actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 30 Les Green, English footballer and manager (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 30 Jonathan Hardy, New Zealand-Australian actor and screenwriter (born 1940)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 30 Bill Kitchen, Canadian ice hockey player (born 1960)
Notable Deaths 2012 Jul 30 Mary Louise Rasmuson, American colonel (born 1911)
Selected Events 2012 Jul 30 A train fire killed 32 passengers and injured 27 on the Tamil Nadu Express in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Historical Events 2011 Jul 30 Marriage of Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter Zara Phillips to former rugby union footballer Mike Tindall.
Notable Deaths 2011 Jul 30 Bob Peterson, American basketball player (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2009 Jul 30 Mohammed Yusuf, Nigerian militant leader, founded Boko Haram (born 1970)
Notable Deaths 2009 Jul 30 Peter Zadek, German director and screenwriter (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2008 Jul 30 Anne Armstrong, American businesswoman and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (born 1927)

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

People Involved

Neil Bonnett

American racing driver (1946–1994)

birth

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