World Events Today
- Pope John Paul II met with Mikhail Gorbachev at the Vatican today in 1989, it was the first time a Catholic pope had met with a leader of the Soviet Union
- The English and French sections of the Channel Tunnel joined up today in 1990
- The Treaty of Lisbon, the international agreement that forms the basis of the constitution of the European Union, came into force today in 2009
Entertainment Events Today
- The Davis Cup tennis cup title was awarded to South Africa today in 1974, after the Indian team refused to travel to South Africa in protest of apartheid policies
- The movie, The Return of the King, the third and last of the Lord of the Rings movies, premiered today in 2003 in Wellington, New Zealand
- The Battle of the Five Armies, the third and last of the Hobbit movies, premiered today in 2014 in London
Family Events Today
- Anna Maria Tussaud, the French artist, better known simply as Madame Tussaud, of wax museum fame, was born today in 1761 in Strasbourg
- The American director, writer, actor, and comedian Allan Stewart Konigsberg, better known as Woody Allen, was born today in 1935 in New York City
- The Columbian drug lord, the King of Cocaine, Pablo Escobar, was born today in 1949 in Rionegro
Main Event Today
- The first World AIDS Day, an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the disease, was held today in 1988
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Author’s Day