Today’s Important Historical Events

1260 Qutuz, Mamluk Sultans of Egypt (1259-60), is assassinated by Baibars, a fellow Mamluk leader, who seizes power for himself

1648 Treaty of Westphalia ends The Thirty Years’ War in the Holy Roman Empire; Switzerland’s independence recognized

1929 “Black Thursday”, start of stock market crash, Dow Jones down 12.8%

1962 Cuban Missile Crisis: Soviet ships approach but stop short of the US blockade of Cuba

2008 “Bloody Friday” saw many of the world’s stock exchanges experienced the worst declines in their history, with drops of around 10% in most indices.

Today’s Historical Events

79 Mt. Vesuvius erupts, burying the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae and killing thousands. New research in 2018 suggests the eruption occurred at about this date, not the previously used 24 August. [1] [2]

1260 Qutuz, Mamluk Sultans of Egypt (1259-60), is assassinated by Baibars, a fellow Mamluk leader, who seizes power for himself

1260 The spectacular Cathedral of Chartres is dedicated in the presence of King Louis IX of France; now a UNESCO World Heritage Site

1360 The Treaty of Brétigny is ratified at Calais, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years’ War

1492 24 Jews are burned at the stake in Mecklenburg, Germany

1531 Bavaria joins Schmalkaldic League

1593 Alleged teleportation of Spanish soldier Gil Perez from the Philippines to Mexico

1596 -26] Battle at Kerestes: Ottoman beat Austria-Hungary & Germany

Today’s Historical Events in Film and TV

1926 Harry Houdini‘s last performance, at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit, Michigan

1929 Rudy Vallee’s “The Fleishmann’s Yeast Hour” begins broadcasting on NBC radio

1948 WJBK TV channel 2 in Detroit, MI (CBS) begins broadcasting

1953 KOOL (now KTSP) TV channel 10 in Phoenix, AZ (CBS) begins broadcasting

1962 “The Manchurian Candidate”, directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey, is released

1976 1st Toronto International Film Festival opens

1987 NBC technicians accept pact, end 118 day strike

2002 Wuxia film “Hero” directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Jet Li released in China (US release 2004)

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1818 Felix Mendelssohn, aged 9, performs his first public concert in Berlin

1885 Johann Strauss’ operetta “Zigeunerbaron (Gypsy Baron)” premieres in Vienna

1939 Benny Goodman records “Let’s Dance”

1948 Francis Poulenc’s “Sinfonietta” premieres

1959 US premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich‘s 1st Cello concert

1961 “Evening with Yves Montand” opens at John Golden Theatre, NYC for 55 performances

1963 “110 in the Shade” opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 330 performances

1964 “Cambridge Circus” closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 23 performances

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1857 Recognised by FIFA as oldest existing club still playing football in the world, Sheffield FC is founded in Yorkshire, England; now based in Dronfield, Derbyshire

1885 “World Championship” Baseball Series, Cincinnati Base Ball Grounds: St. Louis Browns beat Chicago White Stockings, 13–4 in Game 7; disputed series tied at 3-3-1

1889 Softball rules adopted by Mid Winter Indoor Baseball League

1892 “World Championship” Baseball Series, South End Grounds, Boston: Boston Beaneaters beat Cleveland Spiders, 8-3 for a 5-0-1 championship victory; last of the pre-modern-era World Series

1913 Joe Tinker fired as Cincinnati Reds manager

1939 Joe DiMaggio wins AL MVP, Jimmie Foxx is runner-up

1940 Japan eliminates US terms (strike, play ball) from baseball

1954 Britain’s Mike Hawthorne wins season ending Spanish Grand Prix at Pedralbes; Argentine Maserati driver Juan Manuel Fangio takes second Formula 1 World Drivers Championship by 17 points from countryman José Froilán González