Today October 10th in history click read more below to view detail events, deaths, births, Holidays and observances, and video clips in hisotry. Please comments, last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
680 – Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated by forces under Caliph Yazid I. This is commemorated by Shi a Muslims as Aashurah.
732 – Battle of Tours: Near Poitiers, France, the leader of the Franks, Charles Martel and his men, defeat a large army of Moors, stopping the Muslims from spreading into Western Europe. The governor of Cordoba, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, is killed during the battle.
1471 – Battle of Brunkeberg in Stockholm: Sten Sture the Elder, the Regent of Sweden, with the help of farmers and miners, repels an attack by Christian I, King of Denmark.
1575 – Battle of Dormans: Roman Catholic forces under Duke Henry of Guise defeat the Protestants, capturing Philippe de Mornay among others.
1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
1631 – A Saxon army takes over Prague.
1780 – The Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000-30,000 in the Caribbean.
1845 – In Annapolis, Maryland, the Naval School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opens with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors.
1860 – The original cornerstone of the University of the South is laid in Sewanee, Tennessee.
1868 – Carlos Céspedes issues the Grito de Yara from his plantation, La Demajagua, proclaiming Cuba s independence.
1889 – Barnard College is founded.
1910 – The Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity is established at Columbia University.
1911 – Wuchang Uprising leads to the demise of Qing Dynasty, the last Imperial court in China, and the founding of the Republic of China.
1911 – The KCR East Rail commences service between Kowloon and Canton.
1913 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson triggers the explosion of the Gamboa Dike thus ending construction on the Panama Canal.
1919 – Richard Strauss opera Die Frau ohne Schatten receives its debut performance in Vienna.
1920 – The Carinthian Plebiscite determines that the larger part of Carinthia should remain part of Austria.
1933 – United Airlines Chesterton Crash: A United Airlines Boeing 247 is destroyed by sabotage, the first such proven case in the history of commercial aviation.
1935 – A tornado destroys the 160 metre tall wooden radio tower in Langenberg. As a result of this catastrophe, few wooden towers are constructed after this date.
1938 – The Munich Agreement cedes the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany.
1942 – The Soviet Union establishes diplomatic relations with Australia.
1943 – Double Tenth Incident in Japanese controlled Singapore
1944 – Holocaust: 800 Gypsy children are systematically murdered at Auschwitz death camp.
1945 – The Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang signed a principle agreement in Chongqing about the future of post-war China. Later, the pact is commonly referred to as the Double-Ten Agreement.
1954 – The Communist Party of Honduras is founded.
1957 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to the finance minister of Ghana, Komla Agbeli Gbdemah, after he was refused service in a Dover, Delaware restaurant.
1957 – The Windscale fire in Cumbria, U.K. is the world s first major nuclear accident.
1963 – France cedes control of the Bizerte naval base to Tunisia.
1964 – The opening ceremony at The 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, is broadcast live in the first Olympic telecast relayed by geostationary communication satellite.
1967 – The Outer Space Treaty, signed on January 27 by more than sixty nations, comes into force.
1969 – King Crimson releases their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, considered by many to be the first progressive rock album.
1970 – Fiji becomes independent.
1970 – In Montreal, Quebec, a national crisis hits Canada when Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte becomes the second statesman kidnapped by members of the FLQ terrorist group.
1971 – Sold, dismantled and moved to the United States, the London Bridge reopens in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
1973 – Vice President of the United States Spiro Agnew resigns after being charged with federal income tax evasion.
1985 – United States Navy F-14 fighter jets intercept an Egyptian plane carrying the Achille Lauro cruise ship hijackers and force it to land at a NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily where they are arrested.
1986 – An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale strikes San Salvador, El Salvador, killing an estimated 1,500 people.
1997 – An Austral Airlines DC-9-32 crashes and explodes near Nuevo Berlin, Uruguay, killing 74.
2005 – Negotiations between the CDU/CSU and SPD in Germany had concluded that both parties would form a grand coaltion with Angela Merkel of the CDU as chancellor after both parties lost seats in the 2005 German federal election. She was subsequently elected in the Bundestag as chancellor on November 22 of the same year.
Births
1344 – Mary Plantagenet, English princess (d. 1362)
1567 – Infanta Caterina Micaela of Spain (d. 1597)
1678 – John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, Scottish soldier (d. 1743)
1684 – Antoine Watteau, French painter (d. 1721)
1700 – Lambert-Sigisbert Adam, French sculptor (d. 1759)
1731 – Henry Cavendish, British scientist (d. 1810)
1780 – John Abercrombie, Scottish physician (d. 1844)
1794 – William Whiting Boardman, American politician (d. 1871)
1813 – Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer (d. 1901)
1819 – Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger, German theologian (d. 1883)
1825 – Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic (d. 1904)
1828 – Samuel J. Randall, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1890)
1830 – Queen Isabella II of Spain (d. 1904)
1834 – Aleksis Kivi, Finnish author (d. 1872)
1837 – Robert Gould Shaw, American Army officer (d. 1863)
1861 – Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian explorer, Nobel laureate (d. 1930)
1863 – Louis Cyr, French Canadian strongman (d. 1912)
1863 – Helen Dunbar, American actress (d. 1933)
1864 – T. Frank Appleby, United States Congressman from New Jersey (d. 1924)
1870 – Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin, Russian writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1953)
1870 – Louise Mack, Australian writer (d. 1935)
1885 – Walter Anderson, German folklorist (d. 1962)
1889 – Han van Meegeren, Dutch painter, portraitist and art forgers (d. 1947)
1895 – Fridolf Rhudin Swedish actor and comedian (d. 1935)
1895 – Wolfram von Richthofen, German field marshal (d. 1945)
1898 – Lilly Daché, French-born milliner (d. 1989)
1900 – Helen Hayes, American actress (d. 1993)
1901 – Alberto Giacometti, Swiss sculptor (d. 1966)
1903 – Vernon Duke, American composer and songwriter (d. 1969)
1903 – Prince Charles of Belgium, Prince Regent of Belgium (d. 1983)
1906 – Paul Creston, American composer (d. 1985)
1906 – R.K. Narayan, Indian novelist (d. 2001)
1908 – Johnny Green, American songwriter, arranger and conductor (d. 1989)
1908 – Mercè Rodoreda, Catalan novelist (d. 1983)
1909 – Robert F. Boyle, American production designer and art director
1913 – Claude Simon, French writer, Nobel laureate (d. 2005)
1914 – Tommy Fine, American baseball player (d. 2005)
1914 – Ivory Joe Hunter, American R&B singer (d. 1974)
1917 – Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist (d. 1982)
1923 – Nicholas Parsons, English actor
1924 – James Clavell, Australian author (d. 1994)
1924 – Ludmilla Tchérina, French ballet dancer and actress (d. 2004)
1924 – Ed Wood, American filmmaker (d. 1978)
1925 – Great Antonio, Croatian-Canadian strongman (d. 2001)
1926 – Richard Jaeckel, American actor (d. 1997)
1927 – Dana Elcar, American actor (d. 2005)
1930 – Eugenio Castellotti, Italian race car driver (d. 1957)
1930 – Yves Chauvin, French chemist, Nobel laureate
1930 – Harold Pinter, English playwright, Nobel laureate (d. 2008)
1930 – Mustafa Zaidi, Pakistani poet (d. 1970)
1932 – Harry Smith, English footballer
1933 – Jay Sebring, American hair stylist and Manson murder victim (d. 1969)
1935 – André Bureau, French Canadian communications executive
1935 – Abu Jihad, Founder of the Palestinian group Fatah (d. 1988)
1936 – Gerhard Ertl, German surface chemist, Nobel laureate, 2007.
1938 – Moriyama Daido, Japanese photographer
1939 – Joseph Pitts, American politician
1941 – Peter Coyote, American actor
1942 – Radu Vasile, Romanian Prime Minister
1943 – Frederick Barthelme, American author
1946 – Charles Dance, English actor
1946 – Mildred Grieveson (aka: Anne Mather, Caroline Fleming, Cardine Fleming), English writer
1946 – Naoto Kan, Japanese politician
1946 – Peter Mahovlich, Canadian ice hockey player
1946 – John Prine, American singer
1946 – Chris Tarrant, English TV presenter
1946 – Ben Vereen, American actor
1947 – Martin Ruane, English professional wrestler (d. 1998)
1948 – Séverine, French singer
1948 – Ed Volker, American musician
1950 – Nora Roberts, American novelist
1951 – Epeli Ganilau, Fijian statesman
1953 – Midge Ure, Scottish musician
1953 – Gus Williams, American basketball player
1954 – Rekha, Bollywood actress
1955 – David Lee Roth, American singer (Van Halen)
1954 – Mohamed Mounir, Egyptian singer and actor
1956 – Amanda Burton, Northern Irish actress
1956 – Mark Gordon, American film producer
1957 – Rumiko Takahashi, Japanese artist
1958 – Tanya Tucker, American singer
1959 – Kirsty MacColl, English singer (d. 2000)
1959 – Bradley Whitford, American actor
1960 – Eric Martin, American singer (Mr. Big)
1960 – Ron Flockhart, Canadian ice hockey player
1961 – Jodi Benson, American voice actress
1961 – Henrik Jørgensen, Danish marathon runner
1961 – Martin Kemp, British musician (Spandau Ballet) and actor
1961 – Julia Sweeney, American actress and comedian
1963 – Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer (d. 2003)
1963 – Daniel Pearl, American journalist (d. 2002)
1963 – Jolanda de Rover, Dutch swimmer
1963 – Vegard Ulvang, Norwegian cross-country skier.
1964 – Sarah Lancashire, English actress
1964 – Quinton Flynn, American voice actor
1965 – Clive Jones, British engineer
1965 – Chris Penn, American actor (d. 2006)
1965 – Rebecca Pidgeon, American actress
1965 – Toshi, Japanese singer (X Japan)
1965 – Steve Scalise, American politician
1966 – Tony Adams, English footballer
1967 – Jonathan Littell, French-American writer
1967 – Mike Malinin, American drummer (Goo Goo Dolls)
1967 – Gavin Newsom, mayor of San Francisco
1968 – Bart Brentjens, Dutch mountain biker
1969 – Brett Favre, American football player
1969 – Wendi McLendon-Covey, American actress
1970 – Dean Kiely, Irish footballer
1970 – Silke Kraushaar-Pielach, German luger
1970 – Bai Ling, Chinese American actress
1970 – Corinna May, German singer
1970 – Mohammed Mourhit, Belgian athlete
1970 – Sir Matthew Pinsent, English rower
1971 – Ian Bennett, English footballer
1971 – Evgeny Kissin, Russian pianist
1972 – Jun Lana, Filipino playwright and screenwriter
1972 – Dean Roland, American guitarist (Collective Soul)
1972 – Alexei Zhitnik, Russian ice hockey player
1973 – Mario López, American actor
1973 – Semmy Schilt, Dutch kickboxer
1973 – Zach Thornton, American soccer player
1974 – Assi Cohen, Israeli comedian and actor
1974 – Julio Ricardo Cruz, Argentinian footballer
1974 – Dale Earnhardt Jr, American NASCAR Sprint Cup series driver
1974 – Chris Pronger, Canadian ice hockey player
1975 – Ramón Morales, Mexican footballer
1975 – Plácido Polanco, Dominican baseball player
1976 – Bob Burnquist, Brazilian-born skateboarder
1976 – Pat Burrell, American baseball player
1978 – Jodi Lyn O Keefe, American actress
1979 – Mya Harrison, American singer
1979 – Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player
1979 – Wu Chun, Brunei born Taiwanese actor
1979 – Ahn Chil Hyun (Kangta), lead singer of the former South Korean group H.O.T.
1979 – Joel Przybilla, American basketball player
1980 – Elvis Hammond, Ghanaian footballer
1980 – Tim Maurer, American singer (Suburban Legends)
1980 – Sherine, Egyptian singer
1981 – Michael Oliver, American actor
1982 – Amon Buchanan, Australian rules footballer
1982 – Hideki Mutoh, Japanese racing driver
1983 – Vusimuzi Sibanda, Zimbabwean cricketer
1984 – Rod Benson, American basketball player
1984 – Stephanie Cheng, Hong Kong singer
1984 – Chiaki Kuriyama, Japanese actress
1984 – Paul Posluszny, American football player
1984 – Troy Tulowitzki, American baseball player
1985 – Dominique Cornu, Belgian professional cyclist
1985 – Aaron Himelstein, American actor
1986 – Nathan Jawai, Australian basketball player
1991 – Gabriella Cilmi, Australian singer
1991 – Mariana Espósito, Argentine actress, singer and model
Deaths
19 – Germanicus, Roman general (b. 15 BC)
680 – 10 Muharram 61 AH – Husayn ibn Ali (AS) , Shi a Imam, Muhammad s grandson (b. 626)
732 – Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Moorish Governor of Andalusia
833 – al-Ma mun, Abbasid caliph of Baghdad (b. 786)
1359 – King Hugh IV of Cyprus (b. 1295)
1459 – Gianfrancesco Poggio Bracciolini, Italian humanist and classicist (b. 1380)
1531 – Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss reformer (killed in battle) (b. 1484)
1659 – Abel Tasman, Dutch explorer (b. 1603)
1674 – Thomas Traherne, English poet
1691 – Isaac de Benserade, French poet (b. 1613)
1708 – David Gregory, Scottish astronomer (b. 1659)
1714 – Pierre Le Pesant, sieur de Boisguilbert, French economist (b. 1646)
1720 – Antoine Coysevox, French sculptor (b. 1640)
1723 – William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1665)
1725 – Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil, Governor-General of New France (b. 1643)
1747 – John Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury (b. 1674)
1759 – Granville Elliott, British military officer (b. 1713)
1765 – Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1688)
1795 – Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian theologian and historian (b. 1714)
1806 – Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, German prince (b. 1772)
1827 – Ugo Foscolo, Italian writer (b. 1778)
1837 – Charles Fourier, French philosopher (b. 1772)
1872 – William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State (b. 1801)
1875 – Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Russian novelist, poet and dramatist (b. 1817)
1876 – Charles Joseph Sainte-Claire Deville, French geologist (b. 1814)
1893 – Lip Pike, American baseball player (b. 1845)
1901 – Lorenzo Snow, fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1814)
1913 – Katsura Taro, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1848)
1913 – Adolphus Busch, American brewer (Anheuser-Busch) (b. 1839)
1914 – King Carol I of Romania (b. 1839)
1927 – Gustave Whitehead, German-born inventor (b. 1874)
1930 – Adolf Engler, German botanist (b. 1844)
1939 – Eleanor Rigby, a real person whose name may have suggested the title to The Beatles song (b. 1895)
1940 – Berton Churchill, Canadian actor (b. 1876)
1948 – Ted Horn, American race car driver (b. 1910)
1957 – Karl Genzken, Nazi physician (b. 1885)
1963 – Édith Piaf, French singer (b. 1915)
1963 – Roy Cazaly, Australian rules footballer (b. 1893)
1964 – Eddie Cantor, American singer and vaudeville performer (b. 1892)
1964 – Heinrich Neuhaus, Soviet pianist (b. 1888)
1970 – Édouard Daladier, French politician (b. 1884)
1971 – John Cawte Beaglehole, New Zealand historian (b. 1901)
1976 – Silvana Armenulic, Yugoslavian folk singer (b. 1939)
1977 – Angelo Muscat, Maltese actor (b. 1930)
1978 – Ralph Metcalfe, American athlete (b. 1910)
1978 – Ralph Marterie, American big band leader (b. 1914)
1979 – Christopher Evans, British psychologist and computer scientist (b. 1931)
1979 – Paul Paray, French conductor (b. 1886)
1982 – Jean Effel, French painter and journalist (b. 1908)
1983 – Ralph Richardson, English actor (b. 1902)
1985 – Yul Brynner, Russian-born actor (b. 1920)
1985 – Orson Welles, American director and actor (b. 1915)
1986 – Gleb Wataghin, Ukrainian-Italian physicist (b. 1899)
1990 – Tom Murton, American penologist (b. 1928)
1998 – Clark Clifford, United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1906)
1998 – Tommy Quaid, Irish hurler (b. 1957)
2000 – Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (b. 1916)
2001 – Eddie Futch, American boxing trainer (b. 1911)
2001 – Vasily Mishin, Soviet rocket designer (b. 1917)
2002 – Teresa Graves, American actress and singer (b. 1948)
2003 – Eugene Istomin, American pianist (b. 1925)
2004 – Ken Caminiti, American baseball player (b. 1963)
2004 – Christopher Reeve, American actor (b. 1952)
2004 – Arthur H. Robinson, American cartographer (b. 1915)
2004 – Maurice Shadbolt, New Zealand writer (b. 1932)
2005 – Wayne Booth, American literary critic (b. 1921)
2005 – Milton Obote, President of Uganda (b. 1925)
2006 – Michael John Rogers, English ornithologist (b. 1932)
2006 – Ian Scott, Canadian politician (b. 1934)
2007 – Mehmed Uzun, Contemporary Kurdish writer and novelist (b. 1953)
2008 – Kazuyoshi Miura, Japanese businessman (b. 1947)
Holidays and observances
Roman Catholic Saints – Saint Thomas of Villanueva? ; Saint Paulinus of York (in England); Viktor of Xanten; Saint Cerbonius
Republic of China (Taiwan) – National Day (Double Ten Day ????)
Fiji – Fiji Day (National Day)
Japan – National Health-Sports Day until 2000; since made a moveable feast on the second Monday in October.
World Mental Health Day
Old Michelmas – Celtic holiday
French Republican Calendar – Tournesol (Sunflower) Day, nineteenth day in the Month of Vendémiaire
North Korea – Party Foundation Party (celebration of the founding of the Workers Party of Korea)
Finland – The Day of Finnish literature
