October 24

2022 (Monday)
2021 (Sunday)
2020 (Saturday)
2019 (Thursday)
2018 (Wednesday)
2017 (Tuesday)
2016 (Monday)
2015 (Saturday)
2014 (Tuesday)
2013 (Monday)
Events
Up to 1950
69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus, the commander of the Danube armies, loyal to Vespasian, defeat the forces of Emperor Vitellius.
1147 - After a siege of four months crusader knights reconquer Lisbon.
1260 - The Cathedral of Chartres is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
1360 - The Treaty of Bretigny was ratified at Calais, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War.
1590 - John White, governor of the second Roanaoake Colony in present-day Virginia, returns to England after an unsuccessful search for the "lost" colonists.
1648 - Peace of Westphalia is signed, ending the Thirty Years' War.
1795 - Partitions of Poland: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was completely divided between Austria, Prussia and Russia.
1812 - Battle of Maloyaroslavets in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars.
1851 - William Lassell discovers the moons Umbriel and Ariel orbiting the planet Uranus.
1857 - Sheffield F.C., the world's first football club, is founded in Sheffield, England.
1861 - First transcontinental telegraph line in North America is completed, ending the Pony Express.
1901 - Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive.
1902 - The Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts, almost completely destroying the city of Quetzaltenango.
1911 - Orville Wright remains in the air for 9 minutes and 45 seconds, in a Wright glider at Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina.
1912 - First Balkan War: The Battle of Kumanovo ends in a Serbian victory.
1917 - Battle of Caporetto started on the Austro-Italian front of World War I.
1926 - Harry Houdini has his last performance in Detroit.
1929 - "Black Thursday" crash of the New York Stock Exchange.
1930 - A bloodless coup d'etat in Brazil ousted Washington Luis Pereira de Sousa, the last President of the First Republic. Getulio Dornelles Vargas was then installed as "provisional president."
1931 - The George Washington Bridge opens to traffic, connecting New York and New Jersey.
1931 - Al Capone is convicted of tax fraud.
1935 - Italy invades Ethiopia.
1943 - The Provisional Government of Free India formally declares war on the United Kingdom and United States.
1944 - World War II: Zuikaku Japanese aircraft carrier is destroyed.
1945 - Founding of the United Nations.
1946 - A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket takes the first photograph of Earth from space.
1947 - Walt Disney testifies to the House Unamerican Activities Committee, naming Disney employees he believes to be communists.
1949 - The cornerstone of the United Nations headquarters is laid in New York City.
1951 2000
1954 - Dwight D. Eisenhower pledges United States support to South Vietnam
1955 - The body of Manolo Just, a probable bisexual, is found in the Mexico apartment of Mary Rogers, daughter of Will Rogers. Homicide is suspected, but never proven.
1956 - Soviet Union invades Hungary
1960 - An R-16 ballistic missile explodes on the launch pad at the Soviet Union's Baykonur space facility, killing 165. Among the dead is field marshall Mitrofan Nedelin, whose death is reported to have occurred in a plane crash.
1963 - 129 miners are trapped underground in Lengede, Germany, being rescued successfully two weeks later.
1964 - Northern Rhodesia gains independence from the United Kingdom and became the Republic of Zambia (Southern Rhodesia remained a colony).
1964 - The 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo end.
1970 - Salvador Allende is elected President of Chile
1973 - The Yom Kippur War ends.
1977 - The United States observes Veterans Day on the fourth Monday in October for the last time. From the following year, it is observed on November 11.
1980 - Government of Poland legalizes Solidarity trade union.
1989 - Televangelist Jim Bakker is sentenced to 45 years in prison and a 500,000 USD fine for defrauding investors of US$3.7 million.
1992 - The Toronto Blue Jays become the first Major League Baseball team not to be based in the United States (they are based in Canada) to win the World Series.
1995 - In Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi is placed under house arrest.
1998 - Launch of Deep Space 1 comet/asteroid mission
1998 - Tropical Storm Mitch reached hurricane strength.
From 2001
2001 - Two lorries collide in the Gotthard Road Tunnel in Switzerland, leading to a fire that kills 11 people.
2002 - Police arrested spree killers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, ending the Beltway sniper attacks in the area around Washington, DC.
2003 - Concorde made its last commercial flight, bringing the era of airliner supersonic transport to a close, at least for the time being.
2004 - Arsenal FC's run of 49 games unbeaten is ended by Manchester United.
2005 - Hurricane Wilma makes landfall in Florida.
2007 - Chang'e 1, the first satellite in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, is launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
2008 - "Black Friday" sees many of the world's stock exchanges experience the worst single-day declines in their history.
2019 - The remains of Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco are removed from the Valley of the Fallen and reburied in a cemetery north of Madrid.
Births
Up to 1900
51 - Domitian, Roman Emperor (died 96)
1378 - David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, Scottish nobleman (died 1402)
1503 - Isabella of Portugal (died 1578)
1561 - Anthony Babington, English leader of the Babington Plot (died 1586)
1632 - Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch microbiologist (died 1723)
1675 - Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham, English soldier and politician (died 1749)
1713 - Marie Fel, French opera singer (died 1794)
1739 - Duchess Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettel, German composer (died 1807)
1764 - Dorothea von Schlegel, German novelist (died 1839)
1765 - James Mackintosh, Scottish jurist, politician and historian (died 1832)
1788 - Sarah Josepha Hale, American poet (died 1879)
1796 - David Roberts, Scottish painter (died 1864)
1804 - Wilhelm Eduard Weber, German physicist (died 1891)
1811 - Ferdinand Hiller, composer (died 1885)
1814 - Rafael Carrera y Turcios, President of Guatemala (died 1865)
1830 - Marianne North, English painter (died 1890)
1838 - Annie Edson Taylor, American adventuress (died 1921)
1838 - Emil Frey, Swiss politician (died 1922)
1844 - Karl Lueger, Austrian politician, Mayor of Vienna (died 1910)
1854 - Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom, Dutch chemist (died 1907)
1855 - James S. Sherman, Vice President of the United States (died 1912)
1868 - Alexandra David-Neel, French explorer, anarchist, spiritualist, Buddhist and writer (died 1969)
1875 - Konstantin Yuon, Russian painter (died 1958)
1879 - B. A. Rolfe, American musician, singer and movie producer (died 1956)
1882 - Sybil Thorndike, British actress (died 1976)
1885 - Rachel Katznelson-Shazar, Zionist political figure (died 1975)
1887 - Octave Lapize, French cyclist (died 1917)
1887 - Victoria Eugenia, Queen of Spain (died 1969)
1891 - Rafael Molina-Trujillo, President of the Dominican Republic (died 1961)
1893 - Kurt Huber, German psychology and musicology professor, resistance activist (died 1943)
1896 - Jack Warner, English actor (died 1981)
1897 - John P. Buchanan, 28th Governor of Tennessee (died 1930)
1898 - Peng Dehuai, Chinese general (died 1974)
1899 - Ferhat Abbas, President of Algeria (died 1985)
1901 1925
1901 - Gilda Gray, Polish-born American actress (died 1959)
1903 - Melvin Purvis, American FBI chief (died 1960)
1904 - Moss Hart, dramatist (died 1961)
1906 - Alexander Gelfond, Russian mathematician (died 1968)
1909 - Bill Carr, American athlete (died 1966)
1909 - Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, Welsh barrister and politician (died 1989)
1913 - Tito Gobbi, Italian baritone (died 1984)
1915 - Bob Kane, cartoonist and creator of Batman (died 1998)
1915 - Letitia Woods Brown, American researcher and historian (died 1976)
1919 - Frank Piasecki, American aeronautical engineer (died 2008)
1921 - R. K. Laxman, Indian cartoonist, illustrator and humorist (died 2015)
1922 - Horst Stern, German science journalist, filmmaker and writer (died 2019)
1923 - Robin Day, British political broadcaster and commentator (died 2000)
1925 - Luciano Berio, Italian composer (died 2003)
1925 - Bob Azzam, Egyptian singer (died 2004)
1925 - Emmett Chappelle, American scientist (died 2019)
1925 - Al Feldstein, American writer, editor and artist (died 2014)
1925 - Willie Mabon, American singer-songwriterand pianist (died 1985)
1925 - Ieng Sary, Cambodian Khmer Rouge politician (died 2013)
1926 1950
1926 - Rafael Azcona, Spanish screenwriter (died 2008)
1926 - Y. A. Tittle, American football player (died 2017)
1927 - Jean-Claude Pascal, French singer, Eurovision Song Contest winner (died 1992)
1927 - Gilles Becaud, French singer (d. 2001)
1929 - Jim Brosnan, American baseball player and author (died 2014)
1929 - George Crumb, American composer
1929 - Yordan Radichkov, Bulgarian writer and playwright (died 2004)
1929 - Sos Sargsyan, Armenian actor (died 2013)
1930 - Ahmad Shah Pahang, King of Malaysia
1930 - Elaine Feinstein, English poet and novelist (died 2019)
1930 - Johan Galtung, Norwegian mathematician, sociologist and politologist
1930 - The Big Bopper (Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr.), rock and roll star (died 1959)
1931 - Sofia Gubaidulina, Russian composer
1931 - Ken Utsui, Japanese actor and director (died 2014)
1932 - Ian Cathie, Australian politician (died 2017)
1932 - Stephen Covey, American writer (died 2012)
1932 - Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, French physicist (died 2007)
1932 - Adrian Mitchell, British writer (died 2008)
1932 - Robert Mundell, Canadian economist
1933 - Reggie Kray, English criminal (died 2000)
1933 - Ronnie Kray, English criminal (died 1995)
1933 - Norman Rush, American writer
1936 - Bill Wyman, British musician (the Rolling Stones)
1936 - Jimmy Dawkins, American blues musician and singer
1937 - Santo Farina, American musician and composer
1938 - Odean Pope, American jazz saxophonist
1939 - F. Murray Abraham, American Academy Award-winning actor
1940 - Giacomo Bulgarelli, Italian footballer (died 2009)
1940 - Yossi Sarid, Israeli politician (died 2015)
1941 - Peter Takeo Okada, Japanese priest, 11th Archbishop of Tokyo
1942 - Maggie Blye, American actress (died 2016)
1943 - Bill Dundee, American professional wrestler
1944 - Viktor Prokopenko, Ukrainian footballer and coach (died 2007)
1944 - Ray Downs American novelist and country music singer
1946 - Jerry Edmonton, Canadian musician (Steppenwolf) (died 1993)
1947 - Kevin Kline, American Academy Award-winning actor
1948 - Phil Bennett, Welsh rugby player
1948 - Kweisi Mfume, American civil rights activist and Congressman from Maryland
1948 - Barry Ryan, British musician
1948 - Paul Ryan, British musician
1949 - Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
1950 - Steven Greenberg, American musician, songwriter and conductor
1950 - Asa Hartford, Scottish footballer
1950 - Gabriella Sica, Italian poet
1951 1975
1953 - Jim Pettie, Canadian ice hockey player
1953 - Christoph Daum, German footballer and coach
1954 - Malcolm Turnbull, Australian politician, 29th Prime Minister of Australia
1954 - Mike Rounds, American politician, 31st Governor of North Dakota
1954 - Tom Mulcair, Canadian politician, former leader of the New Democratic Party
1954 - Bradley Sherman, American politician
1956 - Jeff Merkley, American politician
1957 - Manuel Rivas, Spanish-Galician writer
1959 - Dominique Baert, French politician
1959 - Gunnar Bakke, Norwegian banker and politician
1960 - Christoph Schlingensief, German theatre director and writer (died 2010)
1960 - Ian Baker-Finch, golf champion
1960 - B.D. Wong, American actor
1961 - Mary Bono Mack, member of the United States House of Representatives from California
1962 - Jonathan Davies, Welsh rugby player
1963 - John Hendrie, Scottish footballer
1963 - Giselle Laronde, Trinidadian model
1964 - Rosana Arbelo, Spanish singer and composer
1966 - Roman Abramovich, Russian oil magnate and owner of Chelsea FC
1966 - Simon Danczuk, English politician
1967 - Jacqueline McKenzie, Australian actress
1967 - Esther MacVey, English politician
1971 - Dervla Kirwan, Irish actress
1971 - Caprice Bourret, American model and actress
1972 - Pat Williams, American football player
1973 - Jackie McNamara, Scottish footballer
1975 - Juan Pablo Angel, Colombian footballer
From 1976
1976 - Petar Stoychev, Bulgarian swimmer
1977 - Ivan Kaviedes, Ecuadorean footballer
1979 - Ben Gillies, Australian musician
1980 - Matthew Amoah, Ghanaian footballer
1980 - Casey Wilson, American comic actress
1981 - Tila Nguyen, Vietnamese model
1981 - Sebastian Bueno, Argentine footballer
1982 - Fairuz Faury, Malaysian racing driver
1983 - Mikkel Beckmann, Danish footballer
1983 - V V Brown, English singer-songwriter
1983 - Katie McGrath, Irish actress
1984 - Jonas Gustavsson, Swedish ice hockey player
1985 - Matthew Robinson, Australian snowboarder (died 2014)
1985 - Wayne Rooney, English footballer
1986 - Drake, Canadian actor, rapper and singer
1986 - John Ruddy, English footballer
1987 - Anthony Vanden Borre, Belgian footballer
1988 - Mitch Inman, Australian rugby player
1989 - Shenae Grimes, Canadian actress
1989 - PewDiePie, Swedish YouTube personality
1989 - Eliza Taylor, Australian actress
1990 - Ilkay Gundogan, German footballer
1994 - Krystal, American-Korean singer
1997 - Claudia Fragapane, English gymnast
1998 - Daya, American singer
Deaths
Up to 1900
996 - King Hugh Capet of France
1260 - Qutuz, Egyptian sultan
1375 - King Valdemar IV of Denmark (b. 1320)
1537 - Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII of England
1572 - Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby, English politician (b. 1508)
1601 - Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer (b. 1546)
1604 - Za Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia
1655 - Pierre Gassendi, French philosopher, mathematician and scientist (b. 1592)
1672 - John Webb, architect
1725 - Alessandro Scarlatti, Italian composer (b. 1660)
1799 - Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf, composer
1821 - Elias Boudinot, American President of the Continental Congress (b. 1740)
1842 - Bernardo O'Higgins, Chilean political figure (b. 1778)
1852 - Daniel Webster, lawyer and politician (b. 1782)
1875 - Raffaele Carboni, Italian writer (b. 1817)
1898 - Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, painter (b. 1898)
1901 2000
1912 - Mykola Lysenko, Ukrainian composer (b. 1842)
1918 - Daniel Burley Woolfall, English FIFA President (b. 1852)
1922 - George Cadbury, British chocolate and cocoa manufacturer (b. 1839)
1935 - Dutch Schultz, American mobster (b. 1902)
1938 - Ernst Barlach, German sculptor (b. 1870)
1944 - Louis Renault, French automobile manufacturer (b. 1877)
1945 - Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian politician and traitor (b. 1887)
1948 - Franz Lehar, composer (b. 1870)
1957 - Christian Dior, an influential French fashion designer (born 1905)
1958 - George Edward Moore, British philosopher (b. 1873)
1964 - Toni Kinshofer, German mountaineer (b. 1931)
1966 - Sofya Yanovskaya, Russian mathematician (b. 1896)
1971 - Carl Ruggles, composer (b. 1876)
1972 - Jackie Robinson, American Baseball Hall of Famer (b. 1919)
1972 - Claire Windsor, American actress (b. 1892)
1974 - David Oistrakh, Ukrainian violinist (born 1908)
1981 - Edith Head, American costume designer (b. 1897)
1985 - Maurice Roy, Archbishop of Quebec (b. 1905)
1989 - Jerzy Kukuczka, Polish mountaineer (b. 1948)
1991 - Gene Roddenberry, American television producer, creator of the Star Trek series (b. 1921)
1993 - Heinz Kubsch, German footballer (b. 1930)
1996 - Gladwyn Jebb, British politician and diplomat (b. 1900)
1997 - Don Messick, voice actor (b. 1926)
1999 - Jaime Garzon, Colombian journalist and politician (b. 1960)
From 2001
2001 - Seishiro Shimatani, Japanese footballer (b. 1938)
2001 - Wolf Rudiger Hess, German neo-Nazi (b. 1937)
2002 - Winton M. Blount, first United States Postmaster General to have served in a Presidential Cabinet (b. 1921)
2002 - Adolph Green, American lyricist and playwright
2002 - Harry Hay, US gay rights activist and Mattachine Society founder (b. 1912)
2004 - James Cardinal Hickey, archbishop of Washington, D.C. (b. 1920)
2005 - Rosa Parks, American Civil Rights activist (b. 1913)
2005 - Jose Azcona del Hoyo, President of Honduras (b. 1927)
2007 - Petr Eben, Czech composer (b. 1929)
2008 - Helmut Zilk, Austrian journalist and politician, Mayor of Vienna (b. 1927)
2012 - Anita Bjork, Swedish actress (b. 1923)
2012 - Margaret Osborne duPont, American tennis player (b. 1918)
2013 - Manna Dey, Indian playback singer (b. 1919)
2013 - Manolo Escobar, Spanish singer (b. 1931)
2014 - Kim Anderzon, Swedish actress (b. 1943)
2014 - Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, South African athlete (b. 1980)
2014 - S. S. Rajendran, Indian actor (b. 1928)
2014 - Lorenzo Albacete, Argentine priest (b. 1941)
2015 - Maureen O'Hara, Irish-American actress (b. 1920)
2016 - Bobby Vee, American singer (b. 1943)
2016 - Jorge Batlle Ibanez, President of Uruguay (b. 1927)
2017 - Ebrahim Ashtiani, Iranian footballer (b. 1941)
2017 - Glenn Barr, Northern Irish politician (b. 1942)
2017 - Inga Borg, Swedish author (b. 1925)
2017 - Girija Devi, Indian singer (b. 1929)
2017 - Fats Domino, American singer and pianist (b. 1928)
2017 - I. V. Sasi, Indian film director (b. 1948)
2018 - Carmen Alborch, Spanish writer and politician (b. 1947)
2018 - Rudolf Gelbard, Austrian Holocaust survivor (b. 1930)
2018 - Anatoly Gladilin, Russian writer (b. 1935)
2018 - Hip Hop Pantsula, South African rapper (b. 1980)
2018 - Christine Stix-Hackl, Austrian jurist (b. 1957)
2018 - Tony Joe White, American singer-songwriter (b. 1943)
2019 - Walter Franco, Brazilian rock music singer, guitarist and composer (b. 1945)
2019 - Kaoru Yachigusa, Japanese actress (b. 1931)
Holidays
United Nations Day
Independence Day in Zambia (1964)
Maladay (Discordianism)
Suez Day (Egypt)
Days of the year