Today in History

Historical Events

2003

Concorde retired from service. Concorde retired from service after 27 years of flight

1983

Brink’s Mat gold heist. The £ 26 million robbery took place in a Brink Mat warehouse at Heathrow Airport in London. The stolen gold, diamonds and cash has never been recovered.

1966

World’s first tidal power station opens in France. The Rance Tidal Power Station on the Rance River in Brittany, France was inaugurated by French president Charles de Gaulle. Today, it is one of the largest tidal power stations in the world.

1965

France launches Astérix. The launch of the satellite from Hammaguir, Algeria made France the 6th country in the world after the US, the USSR, the UK, Canada, and Italy to have an artificial satellite in orbit. The satellite is named after the Asterix the popular comic character created by French writer René Goscinny.

1942

Casablanca premiers. The classic movie starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart won 3 Oscars – Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay. The film, which is set during the Second World War, follows the life of Rick Blaine, a former freedom fighter and a club owner in Casablanca, Morocco, who has to choose between his love for a woman, Ilsa Lund, and saving her husband from the Nazis.

Famous Births

Born on this day

Arjun Rampal

Arjun Rampal

1972

Indian actor

Tina Turner

Tina Turner

1939

American singer, dancer, actress

Charles M. Schulz

Charles M. Schulz

1922

American cartoonist

Ibn Saud

Ibn Saud

1876

Saudi Arabian king

Ellen G. White

Ellen G. White

1827

American author, co-founder of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Famous Deaths

Died on this day

Sven Hedin

Sven Hedin

1952

Swedish geographer, explorer

Edward O'Hare

Edward O'Hare

1943

American pilot, Medal of Honor recipient

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth

1883

American activist

Adam Mickiewicz

Adam Mickiewicz

1855

Polish poet

Isabella I of Castile

Isabella I of Castile

1504