Today in History
Historical Events
War in Afghanistan begins. American and British troops began air strikes against Al Qaeda and Taliban targets after the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin-Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and other Al Qaeda operatives, to the United States. Nicknamed Operation Enduring Freedom, the military strikes were part of the so-called Global War on Terror.
Fox News broadcasts for the first time. The 24-hour news channel with the slogan Fair and Balanced was created by Australian-American businessman and media tycoon, Rupert Murdoch. Today, it is one of the most watched news channels in the United States.
People on Earth Get the First Glimpse of the Dark Side of the Moon. Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 took pictures of the far side of the Moon. The images sent by the probe covered about 70% of the far side of Earth’s natural satellite and they were instrumental in helping astronomers make the first atlas of the dark side of the Moon. The far or dark side of the Moon is the side of the Moon that cannot be seen from Earth because of the way the Moon orbits around the Earth and rotate on its own axis. Due to lunar libration, people on Earth can see about 59% of the Moon over time.
Auschwitz-Birkenau Sonderkommando Revolt. The short-lived rebellion was staged by prisoners who worked at a crematorium after they learned that the Nazis planned to execute most of the squad. The revolt was quickly put down, and over 450 people were killed.
KLM is formed. The official airline of the Netherlands, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. or KLM, is the oldest airline that still operates under its original name. The first flight of the airline took place on May 17, 1920 between London and Amsterdam in a leased airplane.
Famous Births
Born on this day

Jermain Defoe
1982
English footballer

Toni Braxton
1967
American singer-songwriter, producer, actress

Vladimir Putin
1952
Russian politician, 4th President of Russia

Desmond Tutu
1931
South African archbishop, activist, Nobel Prize laureate

Niels Bohr
1885
Danish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
Famous Deaths
Died on this day

Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano
2012
Mexican drug lord

Emma Darwin
1896
English wife of Charles Darwin

Edgar Allan Poe
1849
American author, poet

George Mason
1792
American politician

Guru Gobind Singh
1708
Indian guru