1225 Death of Engelbert II of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne
1451 Death of Count Amadeus VIII of Savoy (b. 1383)
1492 The Ensisheim Meteorite, the oldest meteorite with a known date of impact, strikes the earth around noon in a wheat field outside the village of Ensisheim, Alsace (France).
1573 Solomon Luria (Maharshal) talmudic author (Yam Shel Shelomo), dies.
1581 Death of Richard Davies, Welsh bishop and scholar
1598 Birth of Francisco de Zurbaran Spain, Baroque painter (baptized).
1599 Death of Gasparo Tagliacozzi, Italian surgeon (b. 1546)
1619 Birth of GTdTon Tallemant des RTaux, French writer (d. 1692)
1631 Pierre Gassendi observes transit of Mercury predicted by Kepler.
1633 Death of Cornelius Jacobszoon Drebbel, Dutch inventor (b. 1572)
1639 Death of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour, English politician
1642 Death of Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester, English politician
1650 Birth of John Robinson, English diplomat (d. 1723)
1665 The London Gazette, the oldest surviving journal, is first published.
1670 In China, a meteorite breaks the roof beam of a house.
1687 Birth of William Stukeley, English archaologist (d. 1765)
1713 Death of Elizabeth Barry, English actress (b. 1658)
1750 Birth of Friedrich Leopold Graf zu Stolberg, German poet (d. 1819)
1775 Lord Dunmore, promises freedom to male slaves who join British army.
1786 The oldest musical organization in the United States was founded as the Stoughton Musical Society.
1805 William Clark (Lewis and Clark exposition) sights the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, gave Harrison a presidential slogan.
1811 Tecumseh’s War: The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought near present-day Battle Ground, Indiana, United States.
1818 Birth of Emil du Bois-Reymond, German physician (d. 1896)
1832 Birth of Andrew Dickson White educator/first President of Cornell.
1837 Abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy murdered by mob at Alton, Illinois.
1837 Death of Elijah P. Lovejoy, American abolitionist (b. 1809)
1837 In Alton, Illinois, abolitionist printer Elijah P. Lovejoy is shot dead by a mob while attempting to protect his printing shop from being destroyed a third time.
1838 Birth of Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, French writer (d. 1889)
1846 Birth of Ignaz Brnll, Austrian pianist (d. 1907)
1848 U.S. presidential election, 1848: Zachary Taylor is elected president in the first US presidential election held in every state on the same day.
1851 Birth of Chris von der Ahe, German born entrepreneur (d. 1913)
1856 Birth of Semyon Zonovyevich Alapin Vilna, tied for chess first place (1878).
1860 Birth of Jean-Baptiste EugFne Estienne, French general (d. 1936)
1861 American Civil War: Battle of Belmont: In Belmont, Missouri, Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant overrun a Confederate camp but are forced to retreat when Confederate reinforcements arrive.
1865 London Gazette, oldest surviving journal, is founded.
1867 Birth of Madame Marie Sklodowska Curie discovered radium (Nobel Prize 1903, 1911).
1872 Mary Celeste sails from New York to Genoa; found abandoned four weeks later.
1874 A cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper’s Weekly, is considered the first important use of an elephant as a symbol for the United States Republican Party
1874 First cartoon depicting elephant as Republican Party symbol, by T Nast.
1875 Birth of Mikhail Kalinin, Soviet politician (d. 1946)
1875 Verney Cameron is first European to cross equatorial Africa.
1876 Birth of Culbert Olson Fillmore Utah, (Governor-Democrat-California).
1876 Meharry Medical College established at Central Tennessee College.
1876 President Rutherford B Hayes and Samuel J Tilden claim presidential victory.
1878 Birth of Lise Meitner, Austrian/American chemist and physicist Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of nuclear fission (d. 1968)
1879 Birth of Leon Trotsky Russian revolutionary leader/writer (Diary in Exile).
1882 Near Denver, Colorado, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs.
1883 Birth of Elder Lightfoot Solomon Michaux Newport News Virginia, TV preacher.
1885 Canadian Pacific Railway completed at Craigellachie.
1885 In Craigellachie, British Columbia, construction ends on the Canadian Pacific Railway railway extending across Canada.
1886 Birth of Aron Nimzowitsch, Latvian-born chess player (d. 1935)
1888 Birth of Sir Chandrasekhara Raman India, physicist (Nobel Prize 1930).
1893 Birth of Leatrice Joy, American actress (d. 1985)
1893 Women in the U.S. state of Colorado are granted the right to vote.
1896 Birth of Herbert R O’Connor in Baltimore, Maryland, USA; (Senator-Maryland)/TV narrator (Crime Syndicated).
1897 Birth of Herman J. Mankiewicz, American writer, director, and producer (d. 1953)
1900 Birth of Efrem Kurtz Saint Petersburg Russia, conductor (Houston Symphony 1948-54).
1901 Birth of Norah McGuinness, Northern Irish painter and illustrator (d. 1980)
1902 Birth of Jesus Maria Sanrom� Carolina PR, pianist (Boston Symphony).
1903 Birth of Dean Jagger Lima Ohio; actor (Albert Vane-Mr Novak, Elmer Gantry).
1905 Birth of William Alwyn, English composer (d. 1985)
1907 Dynamite explodes on locomotive kills engineer Jesus Garcia in Mexico.
1909 Knights and Ladies of Saint Peter Claver organizes in Mobile Alabama.
1910 The first air freight shipment (from Dayton, Ohio, to Columbus, Ohio) is undertaken by the Wright Brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse.
1910 The first air freight shipment (from Dayton to Columbus, Ohio) is undertaken by the Wright Brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse.
1912 The Deutsche Opernhaus (now Deutsche Oper Berlin) opens in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg, with a production of Beethoven’s Fidelio.
1913 Birth of Albert Camus, French writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1960)
1913 Death of Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist and biologist (b. 1823)
1914 Birth of Archie Campbell, American comedian, writer (d. 1987)
1914 The first issue of The New Republic magazine is published.
1915 Birth of Philip Morrison, American scientist (d. 2005)
1916 Birth of Joe Bushkin New York City, jazz pianist (A Couple of Joes).
1916 U.S. presidential election, 1916: Democrat Woodrow Wilson is re-elected President of the United States by defeating Republican Charles Evans Hughes. Meanwhile, Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first woman elected to the United States House of Representatives.
1916 Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) re-elected President.
1917 Birth of Helen Suzman in Germiston, Gauteng; South African Member of Parliament and anti-apartheid campaigner.
1917 British capture Gaza Palestine from the Turks.
1917 October Revolution (October 26 Old Style) in Russia, Lenin seizes power.
1917 Russian Revolution: In Petrograd, Russia, Bolshevik leaders Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky lead revolutionaries in overthrowing the Provisional Government (As Russia is still using the Julian Calendar, subsequent period references show a October 25 date).
1917 World War I: Third Battle of Gaza ends: British forces capture Gaza from the Ottoman Empire.
1918 Birth of Billy Graham Charlotte North Carolina, evangelist (Crusades).
1918 Goddard demonstrates tube-launched solid propellant rockets.
1918 The 1918 influenza epidemic spreads to Western Samoa, killing 7,542 (about 20% of the population) by the end of the year.
1918 United Press erroneously reports WW I armistice had been signed.
1922 Birth of Al Hirt New Orleans Louisiana, jazz trumpeter (Greatest Horn in the World).
1922 Death of Sam Thompson, baseball player (b. 1860)
1926 Birth of Joan Sutherland in Sydney, Australia; operatic soprano (Met Opera).
1927 Birth of Hiroshi Yamauchi, Japanese computer game executive
1929 Birth of Eric R. Kandel, Austrian-born neuroscientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1929 In New York City, the Museum of Modern Art opens to the public.
1930 Birth of Rudy Boschwitz; American politician (Senator-Republican-Minnesota).
1931 The Chinese Soviet Republic is proclaimed by Mao Zedong.
1932 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century airs on radio for the first time.
1933 Pennsylvania voters overturn blue law, by permitting Sunday sports.
1934 Premiere of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
1937 Birth of Mary Travers, American singer (Peter, Paul and Mary)
1938 Birth of Dee Clark in Arkansas, USA; singer (“Hambone”, “Nobody But You”).
1938 Herschel Grynszpan, son of Polish Jew deported from Germany, shoots German diplomat Ernst vom Rath in Paris, France.
1940 In the U.S. state of Washington, the middle section of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses in a windstorm, a mere four months after the bridge’s completion.
1940 Tacoma Narrows (Galloping Gertie) Bridge collapses, Washington State, USA.
1942 Birth of Johnny Rivers; singer (“Secret Agent Man”).
1942 First US President to broadcast in a foreign language-Franklin Roosevelt in French.
1943 Birth of Joni Mitchell in Alberta, Canada; singer (“Clouds”).
1943 Death of Dwight Frye, American actor (b. 1899)
1943 Detroit Lions 0, New York Giants 0; last scoreless tie in NFL.
1944 Birth of Joe Niekro; baseball knuckler (New York Yankees).
1944 Death of Richard Sorge, Soviet spy (b. 1895)
1944 US President Franklin Roosevelt wins fourth term in office, defeating Thomas E Dewey (Republican).
1944 U.S. presidential election, 1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt wins re-election over challenger Thomas E. Dewey, to become the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term.
1946 A coin-operated television receiver is displayed in New York City. For the cost of a quarter, one could see various test patterns and a model of “Felix the Cat”.
1949 Birth of Judy Tenuda; comedienne (Spotlight Cafe).
1950 Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. purchases an 1873-CC Seated Liberty No Arrows dime for US$4000, completing the first complete set of all known regular-issue United States coins, by date and mint mark.
1951 Birth of Nick Guilder; singer (“Hot Child in the City”).
1951 Constitution of Jordan passes.
1954 Birth of Kamal Haasan, Indian actor
1955 Birth of Detlef Ultsch, German judoka
1955 Supreme Court of Baltimore bans segregation in public recreational areas.
1956 Suez Crisis: The United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution calling for the United Kingdom, France and Israel to immediately withdraw their troops from Egypt.
1957 Birth of Dr Jonathan Palmer; Formula-1 racer.
1957 Cold War: The Gaither Report calls for more American missiles and fallout shelters.
1959 Death of Victor McLaglen, British-born actor (b. 1883)
1961 Birth of Mintcho Pachov in Bulgaria; 67.5kg weightlifter (Olympic-bronze-1980).
1962 Birth of Tracie Savage, American actress and journalist
1962 Death of Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States (b. 1884)
1962 Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady, dies at age 78 in New York City.
1962 Glenn Hall sets NHL record of 503 consecutive games as goalie.
1962 Richard M. Nixon loses the gubernatorial election in the U.S. state of California. In his concession speech, he states that this is his “last press conference” and that “you won’t have Dick Nixon to kick around any more”.
1962 Richard Nixon quits US politics – “You won’t have Nixon to kick around”.
1963 Birth of John Barnes, English footballer
1963 Wunder von Lengede: In Germany, eleven miners are rescued from a collapsed mine after 14 days.
1964 Birth of Liam O’Maonlai; rocker (Hothouse Flowers – “Don’t Go”).
1964 National League keeps Braves in Milwaukee in 1965, can move to Atlanta in 1966.
1965 Birth of Sigrun Wodars, German athlete
1967 Birth of Sharleen Spiteri Scottish singer and songwriter (Texas)
1967 Death of John Nance Garner, U.S. Congressman and Vice President (b. 1868)
1967 US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
1967 US President Lyndon Johnson signs a bill establishing Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
1968 Birth of Greg Tribbett, American musician (Mudvayne)
1969 Birth of HTlFne Grimaud, French pianist
1970 Birth of Neil Hannon, Northern Irish musician (The Divine Comedy)
1970 Race riots in Daytona Beach, Florida.
1972 Birth of Danny Grewcock, English rugby player
1972 U.S. presidential election, 1972: Republican incumbent Richard Nixon defeats Democratic Senator George McGovern.
1972 US President Richard Nixon (Republican) re-elected defeating George McGovern (Democrat).
1973 Birth of Yunjin Kim, South Korean actress
1973 New Jersey becomes first state to allow girls into US baseball little league.
1973 The U.S. Congress overrides President Richard M. Nixon’s veto of the War Powers Resolution, which limits presidential power to wage war without congressional approval.
1974 Death of Eric Linklater, British author (b. 1899)
1976 Birth of Mark Philippoussis, Australian tennis player
1976 In Iran, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurs. Three villages completely destroyed.
1978 Birth of Rio Ferdinand, English footballer
1978 Gene Tunney, former heavyweight boxing champ, dies at age 80.
1979 Birth of Jon Peter Lewis, American singer
1980 Birth of Gervasio Deferr, Spanish gymnast
1980 Death of Steve McQueen, American actor (b. 1930)
1980 Steve McQueen of Slater, Missouri, American actor, dies at age 50 (born 1930).
1981 Birth of Muhammad Hassan, former professional wrestler
1982 The Thames Barrier is first publicly demonstrated.
1983 A bomb explodes inside the US Capitol building.
1983 Ali Haji-Sheikh kicks his second New York Giants’ record 56-yard field goal.
1983 Bomb explodes in US Capitol, causing heavy damage but no injuries.
1983 Death of Germaine Tailleferre, French composer (born 1892).
1984 Birth of Amelia Vega in the Dominican Republic; Miss Universe 2003.
1985 Colombian troops end 27-hour siege of Bogota’s Palace of Justice.
1987 In Tunisia, president Habib Bourguiba is overthrown and replaced by Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
1988 Major League Baseball All-Stars beat Japan 16-8 (Game 3 of 7).
1988 Sugar Ray Leonard knocks out Donnie LaLonde.
1989 David Dinkins becomes the first African American mayor of New York City.
1989 Douglas Wilder is elected as first US black governor (Democrat-Virginia).
1989 Douglas Wilder wins the governor’s seat in Virginia, becoming the first elected African American governor in the United States.
1989 East German Prime Minister Willi Stoph, along with his entire cabinet, is forced to resign after huge anti-government protests.
1989 In California, convicted murderer Richard Ramirez (the “Night Stalker”) is sentenced to death.
1989 The Communist government of East Germany resigns, although SED leader Egon Krenz remains head of state.
1990 Birth of Marisa Siketa, Australian actress.
1991 Basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson announces he has tested positive for HIV virus, and retires from Los Angeles Lakers.
1991 Basketball player Magic Johnson announces he has tested positive for the HIV virus that causes AIDS, and that he is retiring.
1991 The last oil well fire in Kuwait is put out.
1992 Death of Alexander Dubcek, Slovakian politician (born 1921).
1992 The Party for Socialist Turkey is founded.
1994 Apple Computer, Motorola, and IBM announce that they will create a computer platform to run all major operating systems, except the Intel x86-based Microsoft Windows 3.1 and successors. To be included are the Mac OS, OS/2, AIX, Solaris, Windows NT, and Netware.
1994 WXYC, the student radio station of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, provides the world’s first Internet radio broadcast.
1996 A devastating Category 4 cyclone strikes Andhra Pradesh, India. The storm surge sweeps fishing villages out to sea, killing over 2,000 people. 95 percent of crops are completely destroyed.
1996 A Nigerian Boeing 727 crashes into a lagoon 40 miles southeast of Lagos, killing 143.
1996 Death of Jaja Wachuku, Nigerian Lawyer and First Foreign Affairs Minister (b. 1918)
1996 NASA launches the Mars Global Surveyor.
1996 NASA launches the Mars Global Surveyor.
1998 John Glenn returns to Earth aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
2000 Death of C Subramaniam, Indian politician (born 1910).
2000 Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first First Lady of the United States to win public office.
2000 Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first First Lady of the United States to win public office.
2000 In London, a criminal gang raids the Millennium Dome to steal The Millennium Star diamond, but police surveillance catches them in the act.
2000 United States presidential election: Republican candidate Texas Governor George W. Bush defeats Democratic Vice President Al Gore in the closest election in US history, but the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida.
2000 U.S. presidential election, 2000: Republican Texas Governor George W. Bush defeats Democrat Vice President Al Gore, but the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida.
2001 Bankruptcy of Belgium’s SABENA Airlines.
2001 Belgium’s SABENA Airlines goes bankrupt.
2001 Death of Nida Blanca, prolific Philippine actress (born 1936).
2001 The super-sonic commercial aircraft Concorde resumes flying after a 15-month break.
2001 The supersonic commercial aircraft Concorde resumes flying after a 15-month break.
2002 Death of Rudolf Augstein, German publisher (b. 1923)
2002 Iran bans advertising of United States products.
2002 Iran bans the advertising of United States products.
2004 Death of Howard Keel, American singer and actor (born 1919).
2004 U.S. forces launch a major assault on the Iraqi town of Fallujah, in an effort to rid the area of insurgents before the Iraqi elections in January.
2004 War in Iraq: The interim government of Iraq calls for a 60-day “state of emergency” as U.S. forces storm the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.
2005 Death of Anthony Sawoniuk, Belarusian-born Nazi war criminal (b. 1921)
2006 Death of Bryan Pata, American college football player (born 1984).
2006 In the U.S. congressional elections, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison becomes the first Muslim elected to the House of Representatives.
2006 The Japanese town of Saroma, Hokkaido is struck by a tornado, killing nine. It is the deadliest tornado in Japan since 1941.
2006 U.S. Midterm elections: Democrats win control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994.
2007 A 48-hour long state of emergency for Tbilisi is declared by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili due to the intense anti-government protests that have gripped the capital city.
2007 Death of Hilda Braid, English actress (born 1929).
2007 The Canadian dollar reaches its highest level since the 19th century against the American dollar, at US$1.10.
2007 The German government approves a one-year extension of its participation in Operation Enduring Freedom, in patroling shipping off the Horn of Africa, and within Afghanistan.
2007 The Jokela school shooting occurs. Finnish youth Pekka-Eric Auvinen shoots dead eight people and wounds one at the Jokela School Centre.
2008 The three-storey La Promesse College in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, collapses, killing 92, with another 150 injured.