World Events Today
- The Golden Spike, a ceremonial 17.6-karat gold spike was driven in today in 1869, it connected the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad, the first Transcontinental Railroad across the United States
- During World War II, Rudolf Hess parachuted into Scotland today in 1941, his personal objective was to broker a peace deal with Britain
- Nelson Mandela, officially became the first black President of South Africa today in 1994, a position he held for 5 years
Entertainment Events Today
- The American epic disaster movie Twister, based on a screenplay written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin, was released today in 1996
- Following sexual abuse allegations, the American singer-songwriter R Kelly, had all his songs removed from Spotify today in 2018
- The ride-hailing company Uber became a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange today in 2019
Family Events Today
- Frederick Austerlitz, better known as the the American dancer, singer and actor Fred Astaire, one of the most influential dancers on the big screen, was born today in 1899 in Nebraska
- John Simon Ritchie, better known as the English bassist and vocalist Sid Vicious, member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, was born today in 1957 in London
- Paul David Hewson, better known as the Irish singer-songwriter Bono, lead vocalist of the rock band U2, was born today in 1960 in Dublin
Main Event Today
- Winston Churchill, more suitable as a war-time leader, took over as the British Prime Minister today in 1940, he replaced Neville Chamberlain
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Clean Up Your Room Day