October 10 - This Day in History

October 10: General Interest
1985: Achille Lauro hijacking ends

The hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro reaches a dramatic climax when U.S. Navy F-14 fighters intercept an Egyptian airliner attempting to fly the Palestinian hijackers to freedom and force the jet to land at a NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily. American and Italian troops surrounded the plane, and the terrorists were taken into Italian custody... read more


American Revolution
1775 : Howe named commander in chief of British army
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/howe-named-commander-in-chief-of-british-army


Automotive
1987 : Whitesnake's iconic video features Jaguars
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/whitesnakes-iconic-video-features-jaguars


Civil War
1862 : Confederate General Magruder is sent to Texas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-bankhead-magruder-sent-to-texas


Cold War
1957 : President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to African diplomat
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-dwight-d-eisenhower-apologizes-to-african-diplomat


Crime
1991 : A former postal worker commits mass murder
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-former-postal-worker-commits-mass-murder


Disaster
1780 : Great Hurricane ravages West Indies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/great-hurricane-ravages-west-indies


General Interest
732 : Battle of Tours
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-tours

1845 : Birth of the U.S. Naval Academy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/birth-of-the-us-naval-academy

1970 : October Crisis in Canada
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-crisis-in-canada

1973 : Vice President Agnew resigns
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vice-president-agnew-resigns


Hollywood
2004 : Superman Christopher Reeve dies at age 52
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/superman-christopher-reeve-dies-at-age-52


Literary
1881 : Darwin publishes work on mold and worms
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/darwin-publishes-work-on-mold-and-worms


Music
1935 : Porgy and Bess, the first great American opera, premieres on Broadway
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/porgy-and-bess-the-first-great-american-opera-premieres-on-broadway


Old West
1877 : Custer's funeral is held at West Point
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/custers-funeral-is-held-at-west-point


Presidential
1951 : Truman signs Mutual Security Act
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-signs-mutual-security-act


Sports
1957 : Braves beat the Yanks to win World Series
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/braves-beat-the-yanks-to-win-world-series


Vietnam War
1965 : 1st Cavalry Division commences operations
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/1st-cavalry-division-commences-operations

1969 : U.S. Navy transfers vessels to South Vietnamese
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-navy-transfers-vessels-to-south-vietnamese


World War I
1916 : Eighth Battle of the Isonzo
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eighth-battle-of-the-isonzo


World War II
1944 : Eight hundred children are gassed to death at Auschwitz
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eight-hundred-children-are-gassed-to-death-at-auschwitz

October 9 - This Day in History

October 9 : General Interest
1967: Che Guevara is executed

On this day in 1967, socialist revolutionary and guerilla leader Che Guevara, age 39, is killed by the Bolivian army. The U.S.-military-backed Bolivian forces captured Guevara on October 8 while battling his band of guerillas in Bolivia and assassinated him the following day... read more


American Revolution
1775 : Lord Dartmouth orders British officers to North Carolina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lord-dartmouth-orders-british-officers-to-north-carolina


Automotive
1992 : Meteorite crashes into Chevy Malibu
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/meteorite-crashes-into-chevy-malibu


Civil War
1864 : Union cavalry defeat Rebels at the Battle of Tom's Brook
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-toms-brook


Cold War
1967 : Professional revolutionary "Che" Guevara is executed in Bolivia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/professional-revolutionary-che-guevara-is-executed-in-bolivia


Crime
1942 : A Chicago bootlegger escapes from prison
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-chicago-bootlegger-escapes-from-prison


Disaster
1963 : Landslide kills thousands in Italy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/landslide-kills-thousands-in-italy


General Interest
1635 : Rhode Island founder banished from Massachusetts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rhode-island-founder-banished-from-massachusetts

1940 : St. Paul's Cathedral bombed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-pauls-cathedral-bombed

1974 : Oskar Schindler dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/oskar-schindler-dies

1975 : Sakharov wins Peace Prize
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sakharov-wins-peace-prize


Hollywood
2001 : Footloose, Steel Magnolias director Herbert Ross dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/footloose-steel-magnolias-director-herbert-ross-dies


Literary
1547 : Miguel de Cervantes is baptized
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/miguel-de-cervantes-is-baptized


Music
1976 : Disco/Classical hybrid "A Fifth Of Beethoven" is the #1 song on the U.S. pop charts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/discoclassical-hybrid-quota-fifth-of-beethovenquot-is-the-1-song-on-the-us-pop-charts


Old West
1936 : Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hoover-dam-begins-transmitting-electricity-to-los-angeles


Presidential
1869 : President Grant announces death of former President Pierce
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-grant-announces-death-of-former-president-pierce


Sports
1934 : The Gashouse Gang wins the World Series
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-gashouse-gang-wins-the-world-series


Vietnam War
1969 : The National Guard breaks up protests at home
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-national-guard-breaks-up-protests-at-home

1970 : Khmer Republic proclaimed in Cambodia.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khmer-republic-proclaimed-in-cambodia


World War I
1915 : Belgrade falls to Austria-Hungary
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/belgrade-falls-to-austria-hungary


World War II
1944 : Churchill and Stalin confer
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/churchill-and-stalin-confer

October 8 - This Day in History

October 8: General Interest
1871: Great Chicago Fire begins

On this day in 1871, flames spark in the Chicago barn of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, igniting a two-day blaze that kills between 200 and 300 people, destroys 17,450 buildings, leaves 100,000 homeless and causes an estimated $200 million (in 1871 dollars; $3 billion in 2007 dollars) in damages. Legend has it that a cow kicked over a lantern in the O'Leary barn and started the fire, but other theories hold that humans or even a comet may have been responsible... read more


American Revolution
1778 : Continentals raid Unadilla
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/continentals-raid-unadilla


Automotive
1869 : Frank Duryea, winner of the first American "horseless carriage" race, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/frank-duryea-winner-of-the-first-american-horseless-carriage-race-is-born


Civil War
1862 : Union troops stop Rebels at the Battle of Perryville
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-perryville


Cold War
1970 : Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in literature
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-wins-the-nobel-prize-in-literature


Crime
2009 : Self-help guru's sweat lodge ceremony turns deadly
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/self-help-gurus-sweat-lodge-ceremony-turns-deadly


Disaster
1871 : Fire rips through Chicago
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fire-rips-through-chicago


General Interest
1919 : First transcontinental air race
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-transcontinental-air-race

1967 : Che Guevara defeated
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/che-guevara-defeated

2005 : Massive earthquake hits Kashmir region
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/massive-earthquake-hits-kashmir-region


Hollywood
1970 : Matt Damon born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/matt-damon-born


Literary
1937 : Lord Peter Wimsey marries Harriet Vane
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lord-peter-wimsey-marries-harriet-vane


Music
1957 : Jerry Lee Lewis records "Great Balls Of Fire" in Memphis, Tennessee
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jerry-lee-lewis-records-quotgreat-balls-of-firequot-in-memphis-tennessee


Old West
1871 : The Great Fire destroys much of Chicago
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-fire-destroys-much-of-chicago


Presidential
1998 : U.S. House of Representatives initiates Clinton impeachment inquiry
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-house-of-representatives-initiates-clinton-impeachment-inquiry


Vietnam War
1968 : U.S. and South Vietnamese navies commence Operation Sealords
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-and-south-vietnamese-navies-commence-operation-sealords

1970 : Communists reject Nixon's peace proposal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/communists-reject-nixons-peace-proposal

1972 : Possible breakthrough at Paris peace talks
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/possible-breakthrough-at-paris-peace-talks


World War I
1918 : U.S. soldier Alvin York displays heroics at Argonne
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-soldier-alvin-york-displays-heroics-at-argonne


World War II
1941 : Germans overrun Mariupol, in southern Russia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-overrun-mariupol-in-southern-russia

October 7 - This Day in History

October 7: General Interest
2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes California governor

On this day in 2003, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected governor of California, the most populous state in the nation with the world's fifth-largest economy. Despite his inexperience, Schwarzenegger came out on top in the 11-week campaign to replace Gray Davis, who had earlier become the first United States governor to be recalled by the people since 1921... read more


American Revolution
1780 : Patriots prevail in Carolinas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patriots-prevail-in-carolinas


Automotive
1960 : CBS broadcasts the premiere episode of "Route 66"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cbs-broadcasts-the-premiere-episode-of-route-66


Civil War
1864 : North and South clash at the Battle of Darbytown
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-darbytown-road-johnsons-farm


Cold War
1960 : Kennedy and Nixon debate Cold War foreign policy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-and-nixon-debate-cold-war-foreign-policy


Crime
1985 : Palestinian terrorists hijack an Italian cruise ship
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/palestinian-terrorists-hijack-an-italian-cruise-ship


Disaster
1871 : Massive fire burns in Wisconsin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/massive-fire-burns-in-wisconsin


General Interest
1780 : Battle of King's Mountain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-kings-mountain

1913 : Moving Assembly Line at Ford
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/moving-assembly-line-at-ford

1949 : East Germany created
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/east-germany-created

2001 : U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-led-attack-on-afghanistan-begins


Hollywood
1983 : Connery plays Bond in Never Say Never Again
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/connery-plays-bond-in-never-say-never-again


Literary
1955 : Ginsberg reads "Howl" for the first time
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ginsberg-reads-howl-for-the-first-time


Music
1975 : A New York judge reverses John Lennon's deportation order
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-new-york-judge-reverses-john-lennon39s-deportation-order


Old West
1816 : First double-decked steamboat, the Washington, arrives in New Orleans
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-double-decked-steamboat-the-washington-arrives-in-new-orleans


Presidential
2001 : President Bush announces military action in Afghanistan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-bush-announces-military-action-in-afghanistan


Sports
1984 : Walter Payton sets a record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/walter-payton-sets-a-record


Vietnam War
1969 : Wheeler announces progress in the Vietnamization effort
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wheeler-announces-progress-in-the-vietnamization-effort

1970 : Nixon announces a new peace proposal
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nixon-announces-a-new-peace-proposal


World War I
1914 : Antwerp under siege
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/antwerp-under-siege


World War II
1940 : German troops enter Romania
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/german-troops-enter-romania

1943 : Japanese execute nearly 100 American prisoners on Wake Island
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japanese-execute-nearly-100-american-prisoners-on-wake-island

October 6 - This Day in History

October 6: General Interest
1866: First U.S. train robbery

On this day in 1866, the Reno gang carries out the first robbery of a moving train in the U.S., making off with over $10,000 from an Ohio & Mississippi train in Jackson County, Indiana. Prior to this innovation in crime, holdups had taken place only on trains sitting at stations or freight yard... read more


American Revolution
1777 : British capture Forts Montgomery and Clinton
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-capture-forts-montgomery-and-clinton


Automotive
1993 : Natchez Trace Parkway arches are complete
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/natchez-trace-parkway-arches-are-complete


Civil War
1863 : Confederate guerillas attack Baxter Springs, Kansas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-quantrill-attacks-baxter-springs-kansas


Cold War
1973 : The Yom Kippur War brings United States and USSR to brink of conflict
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-yom-kippur-war-brings-united-states-and-ussr-to-brink-of-conflict


Crime
1981 : The president of Egypt is assassinated
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-president-of-egypt-is-assassinated


Disaster
1972 : Train derails in Mexico
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/train-derails-in-mexico


General Interest
1683 : First Mennonites arrive in America
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-mennonites-arrive-in-america

1961 : Kennedy urges Americans to build bomb shelters
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kennedy-urges-americans-to-build-bomb-shelters

1973 : Yom Kippur War begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yom-kippur-war-begins


Hollywood
1991 : Liz Taylor marries husband No. 7
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/liz-taylor-marries-husband-no-7


Literary
1847 : Jane Eyre is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jane-eyre-is-published


Music
1996 : Country superstars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw wed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/country-superstars-faith-hill-and-tim-mcgraw-wed


Old West
1866 : The Reno brothers carry out the first train robbery in U.S. history
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-reno-brothers-carry-out-the-first-train-robbery-in-us-history


Presidential
1996 : Bill Clinton debates Bob Dole
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bill-clinton-debates-bob-dole


Sports
1926 : Babe Ruth sets a World Series record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/babe-ruth-sets-a-world-series-record


Vietnam War
1967 : U.S. jets strike targets in North Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-jets-strike-targets-in-north-vietnam

1970 : South Vietnamese forces withdraw from Cambodia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/south-vietnamese-forces-withdraw-from-cambodia


World War I
1908 : Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/austria-hungary-annexes-bosnia-herzegovina


World War II
1945 : Pierre Laval attempts suicide
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pierre-laval-attempts-suicide

October 5 - This Day in History

October 5: General Interest
1947: First presidential speech on TV

On this day in 1947, President Harry Truman (1884-1972) makes the first-ever televised presidential address from the White House, asking Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans... read more


American Revolution
1775 : Washington informs Congress of espionage
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-informs-congress-of-espionage


Automotive
1919 : Enzo Ferrari makes his debut as a race car driver
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/enzo-ferrari-makes-his-debut-as-a-race-car-driver


Civil War
1864 : Union scores a victory at the Battle of Allatoona
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-allatoona


Cold War
1986 : Iran-Contra scandal unravels
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iran-contra-scandal-unravels


Crime
1892 : The Dalton gang performs their last robbery attempt
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-dalton-gang-performs-their-last-robbery-attempt


Disaster
1930 : Blimp crashes in France
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/blimp-crashes-in-france


General Interest
1813 : Tecumseh defeated
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tecumseh-defeated

1877 : Chief Joseph surrenders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chief-joseph-surrenders

1969 : Cuban defector lands MiG in Miami
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cuban-defector-lands-mig-in-miami

1974 : American circumnavigates the globe on foot
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-circumnavigates-the-globe-on-foot

1989 : Dalai Lama wins Peace Prize
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dalai-lama-wins-peace-prize

2011 : Apple founder Steve Jobs dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/apple-founder-steve-jobs-dies


Hollywood
1990 : Henry & June is first NC-17 film
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry---june-is-first-nc-17-film


Literary
1978 : Isaac Singer wins Nobel Prize
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/isaac-singer-wins-nobel-prize


Music
1991 : Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch earn a #1 hit with "Good Vibrations"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marky-mark-and-the-funky-bunch-earn-a-1-hit-with-quotgood-vibrationsquot


Old West
1892 : The Dalton Gang is wiped out in Coffeyville, Kansas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-dalton-gang-is-wiped-out-in-coffeyville-kansas


Presidential
1829 : Chester Arthur is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/chester-arthur-is-born


Sports
1953 : Yanks win their fifth series in a row
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yanks-win-their-fifth-series-in-a-row


Vietnam War
1963 : South Vietnamese generals plan coup
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/south-vietnamese-generals-plan-coup

1964 : President Johnson under fire from his own party
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-johnson-under-fire-from-his-own-party


World War I
1915 : Britain and France commit troops to operation in Salonika, Greece
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/britain-and-france-commit-troops-to-operation-in-salonika-greece


World War II
1942 : "Stalingrad must not be taken by the enemy."
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/stalingrad-must-not-be-taken-by-the-enemy

October 4 - This Day in History

October 4: General Interest
1957: Sputnik launched

The Soviet Union inaugurates the "Space Age" with its launch of Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite... read more


American Revolution
1777 : Both sides battered at Germantown
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/both-sides-battered-at-germantown


Automotive
1937 : Blues singer Bessie Smith, killed in Mississippi car wreck, is buried
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/blues-singer-bessie-smith-killed-in-mississippi-car-wreck-is-buried


Civil War
1861 : Lincoln watches a balloon ascension
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-watches-a-balloon-ascension


Cold War
1957 : Soviet Union launches Sputnik I
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviet-union-launches-sputnik-i


Crime
1988 : Jim Bakker is indicted on federal charges
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jim-bakker-is-indicted-on-federal-charges

2011 : Man who served 25 years for murder exonerated by DNA
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/man-who-served-25-years-for-murder-exonerated-by-dna


Disaster
1992 : Plane crashes into apartment building
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/plane-crashes-into-apartment-building


General Interest
1777 : The Battle of Germantown
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-germantown

1965 : Pope visits U.S.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pope-visits-us

1993 : White House siege ends in Moscow
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/white-house-siege-ends-in-moscow


Hollywood
1990 : Beverly Hills, 90210 debuts
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/beverly-hills-90210-debuts


Literary
1941 : Anne Rice is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/anne-rice-is-born


Music
1970 : Janis Joplin dies of a heroin overdose
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/janis-joplin-dies-of-a-heroin-overdose


Old West
1861 : Frederic Remington is born in Canton, New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/frederic-remington-is-born-in-canton-new-york


Presidential
1822 : Rutherford B. Hayes is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rutherford-b-hayes-is-born

1927 : Work begins on Mount Rushmore
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/work-begins-on-mount-rushmore


Sports
1955 : So-called Brooklyn bums win their first World Series
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/so-called-brooklyn-bums-win-their-first-world-series


Vietnam War
1964 : Johnson orders the commencement of Oplan 34A raids
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnson-orders-the-commencement-of-oplan-34a-raids

1966 : Pope calls for end to the Vietnam War
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pope-calls-for-end-to-the-vietnam-war


World War I
1918 : Germany telegraphs President Wilson seeking armistice
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-telegraphs-president-wilson-seeking-armistice


World War II
1943 : Heinrich Himmler encourages his SS group leaders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/heinrich-himmler-encourages-his-ss-group-leaders

1944 : Ike warns of the risk of "shell shock"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ike-warns-of-the-risk-of-shell-shock

October 3 - This day in History

October 3: General Interest
1995: O.J. Simpson acquitted

At the end of a sensational trial, former football star O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the brutal 1994 double murder of his estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. In the epic 252-day trial, Simpson's "dream team" of lawyers employed creative and controversial methods... read more


American Revolution
1781 : French and Americans cut off British supplies at Gloucester
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/french-and-americans-cut-off-british-supplies-at-gloucester


Automotive
1961 : UAW walks out on Ford
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/uaw-walks-out-on-ford


Civil War
1862 : North and South clash at the Second Battle of Corinth
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-corinth


Cold War
1990 : East and West Germany reunite after 45 years
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/east-and-west-germany-reunite-after-45-years


Crime
2011 : Amanda Knox murder conviction overturned in Italy
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/amanda-knox-murder-conviction-overturned-in-italy


Disaster
2005 : Hurricane Stan bears down on Mexico
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-stan-bears-down-on-mexico


General Interest
1932 : Iraq wins independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/iraq-wins-independence

1952 : Britain successfully tests A-bomb
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/britain-successfully-tests-a-bomb

1981 : Maze hunger strike called off
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/maze-hunger-strike-called-off


Hollywood
1964 : Clive Owen born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/clive-owen-born


Literary
1895 : The Red Badge of Courage is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-red-badge-of-courage-is-published


Music
1967 : Writer, singer and folk icon Woody Guthrie dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/writer-singer-and-folk-icon-woody-guthrie-dies


Old West
1873 : U.S. Army hangs four Modoc Indians for the murder of a Civil War hero
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-army-hangs-four-modoc-indians-for-the-murder-of-a-civil-war-hero


Presidential
1863 : Lincoln proclaims official Thanksgiving holiday
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-proclaims-official-thanksgiving-holiday


Sports
1951 : The shot heard round the world
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-shot-heard-round-the-world


Vietnam War
1967 : Operation Wallowa commences
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-wallowa-commences

1968 : Twenty-four die in Army helicopter accident
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/twenty-four-die-in-army-helicopter-accident


World War I
1917 : War Revenue Act passed in U.S.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/war-revenue-act-passed-in-us


World War II
1942 : Germany conducts first successful V-2 rocket test
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-conducts-first-successful-v-2-rocket-test

October 2 - This Day in History

October 2: General Interest
1985: Hollywood icon Rock Hudson dies of AIDS

On this day in 1985, actor Rock Hudson, 59, becomes the first major U.S. celebrity to die of complications from AIDS. Hudson's death raised public awareness of the epidemic, which until that time had been ignored... read more


American Revolution
1780 : Benedict accomplice hanged
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/benedict-accomplice-hanged


Automotive
1948 : Checkered flag waves at first postwar U.S. road race in Watkins Glen, New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/checkered-flag-waves-at-first-postwar-us-road-race-in-watkins-glen-new-york


Civil War
1864 : Confederates score victory at the Battle of Saltville
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-saltville


Cold War
1958 : The Cold War comes to Africa, as Guinea gains its independence
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-cold-war-comes-to-africa-as-guinea-gains-its-independence


Crime
2006 : Gunman kills five students at Amish school
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gunman-kills-five-students-at-amish-school


Disaster
1963 : Hurricane devastates Haiti
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hurricane-devastates-haiti


General Interest
1780 : British spy executed in Arnold affair
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-spy-executed-in-arnold-affair

1836 : Darwin returns to England
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/darwin-returns-to-england

1944 : Warsaw Uprising ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/warsaw-uprising-ends

1967 : Thurgood Marshall sworn in
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thurgood-marshall-sworn-in


Literary
1879 : Wallace Stevens is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wallace-stevens-is-born


Music
1971 : Rod Stewart earns his first #1 hit with "Maggie May"
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rod-stewart-earns-his-first-1-hit-with-quotmaggie-mayquot


Old West
1835 : First shots of the Texas Revolution fired in the Battle of Gonzales
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-shots-of-the-texas-revolution-fired-in-the-battle-of-gonzales


Presidential
1922 : Former President Taft dedicates Lincoln Memorial
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/former-president-taft-dedicates-lincoln-memorial


Sports
1968 : Gibson strikes out 17 in World Series
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gibson-strikes-out-17-in-world-series


Vietnam War
1966 : Soviets report that Russian military personnel have come under fire
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-report-that-russian-military-personnel-have-come-under-fire

1967 : Aerial offensive against North Vietnam continues
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aerial-offensive-against-north-vietnam-continues


World War I
1919 : U.S President Woodrow Wilson suffers massive stroke
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-president-woodrow-wilson-suffers-massive-stroke


World War II
1941 : Operation Typhoon is launched
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-typhoon-is-launched

October 1 - This Day in History

October 1: General Interest
1890: Yosemite National Park established

On this day in 1890, an act of Congress creates Yosemite National Park, home of such natural wonders as Half Dome and the giant sequoia trees... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Patriots learn of increased French support
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patriots-learn-of-increased-french-support


Automotive
1908 : Ford Motor Company unveils the Model T
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ford-motor-company-unveils-the-model-t

Civil War
1864 : Rose Greenhow dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rose-greenhow-dies


Cold War
1949 : Mao Zedong proclaims People's Republic of China
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mao-zedong-proclaims-peoples-republic-of-china

1988 : Mikhail Gorbachev becomes head of Supreme Soviet
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mikhail-gorbachev-becomes-head-of-supreme-soviet


Crime
1993 : A 12-year-old girl is kidnapped
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-12-year-old-girl-is-kidnapped


Disaster
1987 : Earthquake rocks Southern California
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-rocks-southern-california


General Interest
1918 : Lawrence of Arabia captures Damascus
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lawrence-of-arabia-captures-damascus

1936 : Franco heads Spain
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/franco-heads-spain

1946 : Nazi war criminals sentenced at Nuremberg
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazi-war-criminals-sentenced-at-nuremberg

1965 : Suharto crushes Indonesian coup
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/suharto-crushes-indonesian-coup

2005 : Terrorists strike again in Bali
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/terrorists-strike-again-in-bali


Hollywood
1962 : Johnny Carson makes debut as Tonight Show host
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnny-carson-makes-debut-as-tonight-show-host


Literary
1856 : First installment of Madame Bovary is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-installment-of-madame-bovary-is-published

2013 : Tom Clancy, author of mega-selling techno thrillers, dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tom-clancy-author-of-mega-selling-techno-thrillers-dies


Music
1920 : Scientific American reports that radio will soon be used to transmit music to the home
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/scientific-american-reports-that-radio-will-soon-be-used-to-transmit-music-to-the-home


Old West
1890 : Congress creates Yosemite National Park
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/congress-creates-yosemite-national-park


Presidential
1924 : Jimmy Carter is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jimmy-carter-is-born



Sports
1961 : Roger Maris breaks home-run record
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/roger-maris-breaks-home-run-record


Vietnam War
1961 : South Vietnam requests a bilateral defense treaty
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/south-vietnam-requests-a-bilateral-defense-treaty


World War I
1918 : Crisis in Germany
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/crisis-in-germany


World War II
1944 : Experiments begin on homosexuals at Buchenwald
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/experiments-begin-on-homosexuals-at-buchenwald

September 30 - This Day in History

September 30: General Interest
1954: USS Nautilus commissioned

The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear submarine, is commissioned by the U.S. Navy. The Nautilus was constructed under the direction of U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946. In 1947, he was put in charge of the navy's nuclear-propulsion program and began work on an atomic submarine... read more


American Revolution
1776 : Washington blames militia for problems
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-blames-militia-for-problems


Automotive
1955 : James Dean dies in car accident
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-dean-dies-in-car-accident


Civil War
1864 : Battle of Poplar Springs Church (Peeble's Farm)
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-poplar-springs-church-peebles-farm


Cold War
1949 : Berlin Airlift ends
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/berlin-airlift-ends


Crime
1994 : A Texas college student kills his ex-girlfriend
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-texas-college-student-kills-his-ex-girlfriend


Disaster
1999 : Radiation released at Japanese plant
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/radiation-released-at-japanese-plant


General Interest
1399 : Henry IV proclaimed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-iv-proclaimed

1938 : Munich Pact signed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/munich-pact-signed

1955 : James Dean dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-dean-dies

1962 : Riots over desegregation of Ole Miss
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/riots-over-desegregation-of-ole-miss


Hollywood
2005 : Eisner resigns as Disney CEO
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eisner-resigns-as-disney-ceo


Literary
1868 : First volume of Little Women is published
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-volume-of-little-women-is-published

1928 : Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and best-selling author, is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elie-wiesel-holocaust-survivor-and-best-selling-author-is-born


Music
1935 : Johnny Mathis is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/johnny-mathis-is-born


Old West
1889 : Wyoming legislators write the first state constitution to grant women the vote
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wyoming-legislators-write-the-first-state-constitution-to-grant-women-the-vote


Presidential
1918 : President Woodrow Wilson speaks in favor of female suffrage
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-woodrow-wilson-speaks-in-favor-of-female-suffrage


Sports
1927 : Babe Ruth hits 60th homer of 1927 season
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/babe-ruth-hits-60th-homer-of-1927-season


Vietnam War
1964 : First large scale antiwar demonstration staged at Berkeley
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-large-scale-antiwar-demonstration-staged-at-berkeley

1968 : Humphrey announces that he would halt the bombing of North Vietnam
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/humphrey-announces-that-he-would-halt-the-bombing-of-north-vietnam


World War I
1918 : Turks abandon Damascus as Allies approach
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/turks-abandon-damascus-as-allies-approach


World War II
1938 : Hitler appeased at Munich
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hitler-appeased-at-munich

September 29 - This Day in History

September 29: General Interest
2005: Reporter Judith Miller released from prison

On this day in 2005, New York Times reporter Judith Miller is released from a federal detention center in Alexandria, Virginia, after agreeing to testify in the investigation into the leaking of the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. Miller had been behind bars since July 6, 2005, for refusing to reveal a confidential source and testify before a grand jury that was looking into the so-called Plame Affair... read more


American Revolution
1780 : British spy sentenced to death
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-spy-sentenced-to-death


Automotive
1913 : Inventor Rudolf Diesel vanishes
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/inventor-rudolf-diesel-vanishes


Civil War
1864 : Union tries to break stalemate in Virginia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-new-market-heights-chaffins-farmfort-harrison


Cold War
1953 : Russians want the American dream
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/russians-want-the-american-dream


Crime
1982 : Cyanide-laced Tylenol kills six
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cyanide-laced-tylenol-kills-six

2006 : School principal murdered by student in Wisconsin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/school-principal-murdered-by-student-in-wisconsin


Disaster
1957 : Trains collide in Pakistan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/train-crash-in-pakistan


General Interest
1758 : Lord Nelson born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lord-nelson-born

1941 : Babi Yar massacre begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/babi-yar-massacre-begins

1982 : The Tylenol murders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-tylenol-murders

1988 : American woman climbs Everest
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-woman-climbs-everest


Hollywood
1913 : "Message filmmaker" Stanley Kramer is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/message-filmmaker-stanley-kramer-is-born


Literary
1547 : Miguel de Cervantes is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/miguel-de-cervantes-is-born


Music
1907 : Gene Autry, "The Singing Cowboy," is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gene-autry-quotthe-singing-cowboyquot-is-born


Old West
1907 : The great singing cowboy, Gene Autry, is born in Texas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-singing-cowboy-gene-autry-is-born-in-texas


Presidential
1942 : JFK thanks Clare Booth Luce for good-luck coin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jfk-thanks-clare-booth-luce-for-good-luck-coin


Sports
1954 : Willie Mays makes catch
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/willie-mays-makes-catch


Vietnam War
1965 : Hanoi announces that downed pilots will be treated as war criminals
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hanoi-announces-that-downed-pilots-will-be-treated-as-war-criminals

1969 : Charges dropped against Green Berets
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charges-dropped-against-green-berets


World War I
1918 : Allied forces break through the Hindenburg Line
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allied-forces-break-through-the-hindenburg-line


World War II
1939 : Nazis and communists divvy up Poland
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazis-and-communists-divvy-up-poland

September 28 - This Day in History

September 28: General Interest
1941: Ted Williams becomes last player to hit .400

On this day in 1941, the Boston Red Sox's Ted Williams plays a double-header against the Philadelphia Athletics on the last day of the regular season and gets six hits in eight trips to the plate, to boost his batting average to .406 and become the first player since Bill Terry in 1930 to hit .400... read more


American Revolution
1781 : Battle of Yorktown begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-yorktown-begins


Automotive
1938 : Auto inventor Charles Duryea dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/auto-inventor-charles-duryea-dies


Civil War
1863 : Union generals blamed for Chickamauga defeat
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mccook-and-crittenden-blamed-for-chickamauga


Cold War
1959 : Khrushchev and Eisenhower offer views on summit meeting
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/khrushchev-and-eisenhower-offer-views-on-summit-meeting


Crime
1988 : A cult leader kills one of his followers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/a-cult-leader-kills-one-of-his-followers


Disaster
1918 : Flu epidemic hits Philadelphia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/flu-epidemic-hits-philadelphia


General Interest
48 B.C. : Pompey the Great assassinated
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pompey-the-great-assassinated

1066 : William the Conqueror invades England
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-the-conqueror-invades-england

1542 : Cabrillo encounters California
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cabrillo-encounters-california

1989 : Marcos dies in exile
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marcos-dies-in-exile

1994 : Estonia sinks
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/estonia-sinks


Hollywood
1901 : TV host Ed Sullivan born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tv-host-ed-sullivan-born


Literary
1634 : John Milton's drama, Comus, performed
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-miltons-drama-comus-performed


Music
1991 : Miles Davis dies
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/miles-davis-dies


Old West
1542 : Cabrillo discovers San Diego Bay
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cabrillo-discovers-san-diego-bay


Presidential
1967 : President Johnson honors American soldier
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-johnson-honors-american-soldier


Sports
1960 : Ted Williams hits home run in last major league at-bat
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ted-williams-hits-home-run-in-last-major-league-at-bat


Vietnam War
1968 : Battle for Thuong Duc begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-for-thuong-duc-begins

1972 : Weekly casualty figures contain no U.S. fatalities
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/weekly-casualty-figures-contain-no-us-fatalities


World War I
1918 : British soldier allegedly spares the life of an injured Adolf Hitler
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-soldier-allegedly-spares-the-life-of-an-injured-adolf-hitler


World War II
1942 : General Arnold fights for unique bombers
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/general-arnold-fights-for-unique-bombers