Events

• 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina.
• 1468 - Liège is sacked by Charles I of Burgundy's troops.
• 1493 - Christopher Columbus first sights the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea.
• 1783 - John Austin, a highwayman, is the last to be publicly hanged at London's Tyburn gallows.
• 1783 - The American Continental Army is disbanded.
• 1793 - French playwright, journalist and feminist Olympe de Gouges is guillotined.
• 1812 - Napoleonic armies defeated at Vyazma
• 1817 - The Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest chartered bank, opens in Montreal, Quebec.
• 1838 - The Times of India, the world's largest circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce.
• 1848 - A greatly revised constitution, drafted by Johan Rudolf Thorbecke, severely limiting the powers of the Dutch monarchy, and strengthening the powers of the parliament and the ministers, is proclaimed. This constitution is still in effect today.
• 1856 - A British fleet bombs Canton.
• 1883 - American Old West: Self-described "Black Bart the poet" gets away with his last stagecoach robbery, but leaves an incriminating clue that eventually leads to his capture.
• 1903 - With the encouragement of the United States, Panama proclaims itself independent from Colombia. US President Theodore Roosevelt had wanted the United States to build the Panama Canal, but was not willing to pay what Colombia asked.
• 1905 - Csar Nicholas II of Russia signs a document of amnesty for the political prisoners.
• 1911 - Chevrolet officially enters the automobile market in competition with the Ford Model T.
• 1913 - The USA introduces an income tax.
• 1918 - Austria-Hungary enters into an armistice with the World War I Allies, and the Habsburg-ruled empire dissolves.
• 1918 - Poland declares its independence from Russia.
• 1930 - Getúlio Dornelles Vargas became Head of the Provisional Government in Brazil after a bloodless coup on October 24.
• 1935 - George II of Greece regains his throne through a popular plebiscite.
• 1942 - World War II: Second Battle of El Alamein ends - German forces under Erwin Rommel are forced to retreat during the night.
• 1942 - The Koli Point action begins during the Guadalcanal Campaign and ends on November 12.
• 1943 - World War II: 500 aircraft of the U.S. 8th Air Force devastate Wilhelmshafen harbor in Germany.
• 1944 - World War II: Two supreme commanders of the Slovak National Uprising, Generals Ján Golian and Rudolf Viest are captured, tortured and later executed by German forces.
• 1957 - Sputnik program: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter orbit: a dog named Laika.
• 1964 - Washington D.C. residents are able to vote in a presidential election for the first time.
• 1967 - Vietnam War: The Battle of Dak To begins.
• 1969 - Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard M. Nixon addresses the nation on television and radio, asking the "silent majority" to join him in solidarity on the Vietnam War effort and to support his policies.
• 1973 - Mariner program: NASA launches the Mariner 10 toward Mercury, on March 29, 1974, becoming the first space probe to reach that planet.
• 1978 - Dominica gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
• 1979 - Greensboro massacre: Five members of the Communist Workers Party are shot dead and seven are wounded by a group of Klansmen and neo-Nazis during a "Death to the Klan" rally.
• 1982 - The Salang tunnel fire in Afghanistan kills up to 2,000+ people.
• 1986 - Iran-Contra Affair: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been selling weapons to Iran in secret in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.
• 1986 - The Federated States of Micronesia become independent from the United States of America.
• 1988 - Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries try to overthrow the Maldivian government. At President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's request, the Indian military suppresses the coup attempt within 24 hours.
• 1996 - Death of Abdullah Çatlı, leader of the Turkish ultra-nationalist organisation Grey Wolves in the Susurluk car-crash, which leads to the resignation of the Turkish Interior Minister, Mehmet Ağar (a leader of the True Path Party, DYP).
• 2007 - Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule across Pakistan. He suspended the Constitution, imposed State of Emergency, and fired the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Births

• 39 - Lucan, Roman poet (d. 65)
• 1500 - Benvenuto Cellini, Italian artist (d. 1571)
• 1558 - Thomas Kyd, author of The Spanish Tragedy (d. 1594)
• 1560 - Annibale Carracci, Italian painter (d. 1609)
• 1587 - Samuel Scheidt, German composer (d. 1654)
• 1604 - Osman II, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1622)
• 1618 - Aurangzeb, Mughal Emperor of India (d. 1707)
• 1633 - Bernardino Ramazzini, Italian physician (d. 1714)
• 1718 - John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, English statesman (d. 1792)
• 1749 - Daniel Rutherford, Scottish chemist and physician (d. 1819)
• 1793 - Stephen F. Austin, American pioneer (d. 1836)
• 1794 - William Cullen Bryant, American poet and journalist (d. 1878)
• 1799 - William Sprague III, American politician from Rhode Island (d. 1856)
• 1801 - Karl Baedeker, German author and publisher (d. 1859)
• 1801 - Vincenzo Bellini, Italian composer (d. 1835)
• 1815 - John Mitchel, Irish nationalist (d. 1875)
• 1816 - Jubal Early, American Confederate general (d. 1894)
• 1816 - Calvin Fairbank, American abolitionist minister (d. 1898)
• 1845 - Edward Douglass White, 9th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1921)
• 1852 - Meiji Emperor, Japanese emperor (d. 1912)
• 1856 - Jim McCormick, baseball player (d. 1918)
• 1857 - Mikhail Alekseev, Russian general (d. 1918)
• 1862 - Henry George, Jr., American politician (d. 1916)
• 1871 - Albert Goldthorpe, English rugby league footballer
• 1876 - Stephen Peter Alencastre, Roman Catholic prelate (d. 1940)
• 1877 - Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, Chilean president. (d. 1960)
• 1887 - Samuil Marshak, Russian writer, translator and children's poet (d. 1964)
• 1890 - Eustaquio van Lieshout, Dutch priest (d. 1943)
• 1893 - Edward Adelbert Doisy, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1986)
• 1895 - Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (d. 1918)
• 1896 - Gustaf Tenggren, Swedish illustrator (d. 1970)
• 1899 - Gleb Wataghin, Ukrainian-Italian physicist (d. 1986)
• 1900 - Adolf Dassler, founder of Adidas (d. 1978)
• 1901 - Leopold III of Belgium (d. 1983)
• 1901 - André Malraux, French writer (d. 1976)
• 1903 - Walker Evans, American photographer (d. 1975)
• 1908 - Bronko Nagurski, American football player (d. 1990)
• 1909 - James Reston, American journalist (d. 1995)
• 1910 - Richard Hurndall, British actor (d. 1984)
• 1912 - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (d. 2006)
• 1918 - Bob Feller, baseball player
• 1918 - Elizabeth P. Hoisington, American Brigadier General (d. 2007)
• 1918 - Russell B. Long, U.S. Senator from Louisiana (d. 2003)
• 1918 - Dean Riesner, film and television screenwriter (d. 2002)
• 1919 - Jesús Blasco, Spanish comic book author (d. 1995)
• 1920 - Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Australian writer (d. 1993)
• 1921 - Charles Bronson, American actor (d. 2003)
• 1923 - Tomás Cardinal Ó Fiaich, Northern Irish clergyman (d. 1990)
• 1924 - Samuel Ruiz García, Mexican Roman Catholic bishop
• 1926 - Valdas Adamkus, President of the Republic of Lithuania
• 1926 - Maurice Couture, French Canadian Roman Catholic archbishop
• 1928 - Osamu Tezuka, Japanese manga artist (d. 1989)
• 1930 - D. James Kennedy, American theologian (d. 2007)
• 1930 - Brian Robinson, British cyclist
• 1930 - Lois Smith, American actress
• 1931 - Yon Hyong-muk, North Korean politician (d. 2005)
• 1931 - Monica Vitti, Italian actress
• 1931 - Michael Fu Tieshan, Chinese bishop (d. 2007)
• 1933 - Ken Berry, American actor
• 1933 - John Barry, English composer
• 1933 - Jeremy Brett, English actor (d. 1995)
• 1933 - Aneta Corsaut, American actress (d. 1995)
• 1933 - Michael Dukakis, American politician
• 1933 - Amartya Sen, Indian economist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1934 - Ruma Guha Thakurta, Singer, Actress, Dancer, Founder of Calcutta Youth Choir
• 1936 - Roy Emerson, Australian tennis champion
• 1938 - Martin Dunwoody, British mathematician
• 1938 - Jean Rollin, French director and screenwriter
• 1941 - Brian Poole, English musician (The Tremeloes)
• 1943 - Bert Jansch, Scottish folk musician
• 1945 - Ken Holtzman, American baseball player and manager
• 1945 - Gerd Müller, German footballer
• 1945 - J. D. Souther, American country-rock singer/songwriter & actor
• 1946 - Tom Savini, American actor
• 1947 - Mazie Hirono, American politician
• 1948 - Lulu, British actress and singer
• 1948 - Helmut Koinigg, Austrian racing driver (d. 1974)
• 1949 - Larry Holmes, American boxer
• 1949 - Anna Wintour, English-American editor
• 1949 - Mike Evans, American actor (d. 2006)
• 1950 - Joe Queenan, American writer
• 1950 - Massimo Mongai, Italian writer
• 1951 - Ed Murawinski, American cartoonist, New York Daily News
• 1952 - Roseanne Barr, American actress and comedian
• 1952 - Jim Cummings, American voice actor
• 1952 - David Ho, Taiwanese-American AIDS researcher
• 1953 - Kate Capshaw, American actress
• 1953 - Helios Creed, American musician (Chrome)
• 1953 - Larry Herndon, baseball player
• 1953 - Dennis Miller, American comedian
• 1954 - Adam Ant, English singer
• 1955 - Phil Simms, American football player
• 1956 - Kevin Murphy, American actor and puppeteer
• 1956 - Gary Ross, American film director
• 1957 - Dolph Lundgren, Swedish actor
• 1959 - Hal Hartley, American film director and writer
• 1960 - Karch Kiraly, American volleyball player
• 1962 - Jacqui Smith UK Home Secretary
• 1963 - Ian Wright, English footballer
• 1963 - Shigeaki Hattori, Japanese racing driver
• 1966 - Joe Hachem, Lebanese-born Australian poker player
• 1967 - John Tomac, American MTB Hall of Fame cyclist
• 1967 - Steven Wilson, English musician and producer (Porcupine Tree)
• 1969 - Robert Miles, Swiss record producer, composer and musician in trance and ambient music.
• 1971 - Dylan Moran, Irish comedian
• 1971 - Diego Alessi, Italian race car driver
• 1973 - Kirk Jones (Sticky Fingaz), American musician
• 1973 - Nemone, athlete and broadcaster
• 1973 - Mick Thomson, American guitarist (Slipknot)
• 1974 - Tariq Abdul-Wahad, French basketball player
• 1975 - Darren Sharper, American football player
• 1976 - Guillermo Franco, Argentine-Mexican footballer
• 1977 - Aria Giovanni, American model
• 1979 - Beau McDonald, Australian Rules Footballer
• 1979 - Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer
• 1979 - Tim McIlrath, American musician (Rise Against)
• 1981 - Sten Pentus, Estonian racing car driver
• 1982 - Evgeny Plushenko, Russian figure skater
• 1983 - Suzane von Richthofen, Brazilian murderess
• 1984 - Ryo Nishikido, Japanese Idol (member of NEWS (band) and Kanjani8)
• 1984 - Christian Bakkerud, Danish racing driver
• 1987 - Felix Schütz, German ice hockey player
• 1987 - Gemma Ward, Australian model
• 1987 - Colin Kaepernick, American football player
• 1987 - Elizabeth A. Smart, American abductee and activist
• 1988 - Angus McLaren, Australian Actor
• 1989 - Paula DeAnda, American singer
• 1990 - Ellyse Perry, Australian soccer player/cricket player

Deaths

• 361 - Constantius II, Roman Emperor (b. 317)
• 753 - Pirminius, German saint (b. 753)
• 1254 - John III Doukas Vatatzes, Byzantine Emperor (b. 1193)
• 1428 - Thomas Montacute, 4th Earl of Salisbury, English military leader (mortally wounded in battle) (b. 1388)
• 1580 - Jeronimo Zurita y Castro, Spanish historian (b. 1512)
• 1584 - Charles Borromeo, Italian Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1538)
• 1600 - Richard Hooker, English theologian (b. 1554)
• 1643 - John Bainbridge, English astronomer (b. 1582)
• 1643 - Paul Guldin, Swiss astronomer and mathematician (b. 1577)
• 1711 - John Ernest Grabe, German-born Anglican theologian (b. 1666)
• 1787 - Robert Lowth, British bishop and grammarian (b. 1710)
• 1793 - Olympe de Gouges, French feminist and revolutionary (b. 1748)
• 1794 - François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis, French cardinal and statesman (b. 1715)
• 1869 - Andreas Kalvos, Greek poet (b. 1792)
• 1890 - Ulrich Ochsenbein, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1811)
• 1891 - Louis Lucien Bonaparte, French politician and linguist (b. 1813)
• 1917 - Léon Bloy, French novelist and essayist (b. 1846)
• 1918 - Aleksandr Mikhailovich Lyapunov, Russian scientist (b. 1857)
• 1926 - Annie Oakley, American sharp-shooter (b. 1860)
• 1927 - Karel Matěj Čapek-Chod, Czech journalist (b. 1860)
• 1929 - Olav Aukrust, Norwegian poet (b. 1883)
• 1933 - Emile Roux, French scientist (b. 1853)
• 1939 - Charles Tournemire, French composer and organist (b. 1870)
• 1949 - Solomon R. Guggenheim, American art collector and philanthropist (b. 1861)
• 1954 - Henri Matisse, French artist (b. 1869)
• 1957 - Wilhelm Reich, Austrian psychotherapist (b. 1897)
• 1960 - Paul Willis, American actor (b. 1901)
• 1964 - John Henry Barbee, American guitarist and singer (b. 1905)
• 1970 - Peter II of Yugoslavia (b. 1923)
• 1973 - Marc Allégret, French director and screenwriter (b. 1900)
• 1983 - Alfredo Antonini, American conductor and composer (b. 1901)
• 1984 - Richard Hurndall, British actor (b. 1910)
• 1990 - Mary Martin, American actress (b. 1913)
• 1991 - Mort Shuman, American singer and songwriter (b. 1936)
• 1993 - Leon Theremin, Russian inventor (b. 1895)
• 1995 - Gordon S. Fahrni, physician and president of the Canadian Medical Association (b. 1887)
• 1995 - John Orchard, British actor (b. 1928)
• 1996 - Abdullah Çatlı, a Turkish nationalist and neofascist activist (b. 1956)
• 1996 - Jean-Bédel Bokassa, President of the Central African Republic (b. 1921)
• 1998 - Bob Kane, comic artist and Batman co-creator (b. 1915)
• 1999 - Ian Bannen, Scottish actor (b. 1928)
• 2001 - Ernst Gombrich, Austrian art historian (b. 1909)
• 2002 - Lonnie Donegan, Scottish musician (b. 1931)
• 2002 - Jonathan Harris, American actor (b. 1914)
• 2003 - Rasul Gamzatov, Russian poet (b. 1923)
• 2004 - Sergei Zholtok, Latvian hockey player (b. 1972)
• 2006 - Paul Mauriat, French musician (b. 1925)
• 2006 - Alberto Spencer, Ecuadorean footballer (b. 1937)
• 2006 - Marie Rudisill, American author and "Fruitcake Lady" (b. 1911)
• 2007 - Martin Meehan, Irish republican (b. 1945)

Holidays and observances

• Day of resurrection of the god Osiris during the pagan celebration the Discovery of Osiris (Inventio Osiridis).
• Christian feast days:
• Acepsimas of Hnaita and companions
• St. Germanus
• St. Hubert
• St. Malachy O' More
• St. Martin de Porres
• St. Winifred
• Independence Day in Panama (1903, from Colombia), Dominica (1978, from Britain) and Federated States of Micronesia (1986, from United States)
• Japan - Culture Day (originally celebrated as Emperor's Birthday until the Meiji Emperor's death in 1912)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada