World Events Today
- The Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Christ the Redeemer, which took almost 10 years to build, was dedicated today in 1931
- The leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, banged his shoe on his desk at a meeting of the United Nations today in 1960, it was in protest at a speech by Lorenzo Sumulong of the Philippines
- The Bali nightclub bombings occurred today in 2002, over 200 people were killed in the terrorist attack by the Islamist group Jemaah Islamiyah
Entertainment Events Today
- The Sex Pistols band member Sid Vicious was arrested today in 1978, it was for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen
- George Harrison, the ex-Beatle, released a cover version of the single, Got My Mind Set on You, today in 1987
- The musical Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story, opened in London’s West End today in 1989, it ran for over 12 years and 5,000 performances
Family Events Today
- The Icelandic journalist and television presenter Magnus Magnusson, KBE, presenter of Mastermind for 25 years, was born today in 1929 in Reykjavík
- Luciano Pavarotti Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI, better known as the Italian operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, was born today in 1935 in Modena
- Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., better known as the American singer-songwriter John Denver, whose hits included Rocky Mountain High and Take Me Home, Country Roads, died today in 1997 aged 53
Main Event Today
- The Brighton hotel bombing took place today in 1984, the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the IRA, attempted to kill the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet, she escaped but 5 others were killed by the blast
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Gumbo Day