World Events Today
- The English naval officer and explorer Sir Francis Drake, set sail onboard the ship the Pelican today in 1577 on his quest to circumnavigate the world, it would take him almost 3 years to make the successful journey
- The Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, discovered New Zealand’s South Island today in 1942
- To save energy, the British Prime minister Edward Heath announced the introduction of the 3 Day Week today in 1973, it came into force on the 31st December
Entertainment Events Today
- The Young Ones movie, titled “Wonderful to Be Young” in the US, starring Cliff Richard and The Shadows, premiered today in 1961 in London
- The West Indies cricketer Clive Lloyd, one of the most successful Test captains of all time, made his Test debut today in 1966
- The actress Salma Hayek, accused Harvey Weinstein of harassment and abuse today in 2017
Family Events Today
- Frank Davidson Fraser, better known as the British gangster “Mad Frankie Fraser”, who spent more than 40 years in prison, was born today in 1923 in London
- Margaret Thatcher, who would become the first woman to be Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, married Denis Thatcher today in 1951 at Wesley’s Chapel in London
- Ben Bernanke, the American economist who served two terms as Chair of the Federal Reserve, was born today in 1953 in Georgia
Main Event Today
- The American military Operation Red Dawn, which led to the capture of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, was conducted today in 2003
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Hot Cocoa Day