World Events Today
- After taking over as the British Prime Minister days earlier, Winston Churchill offered the phrase, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”, in a famous speech in the House of Commons today in 1940
- An assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II, took place today in 1981 in Saint Peter’s Square, the assassin shot the Pope 4 times but he survived
- Jackie Mann, RAF fighter pilot in World War II, was kidnapped in Beirut today in 1989, his Islamist captors held him for over 2 years before eventually freeing him
Entertainment Events Today
- The final episode of the American sitcom Frasier, aired today in 2004 on the NBC network
- Manchester City scored twice in stoppage time against Queen’s Park Rangers today in 2012, they became English Premier League champions for the first time
- After almost 22 years as the manager of the English football club Arsenal, Arsène Wenger ended on a high, with a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield today in 2018
Family Events Today
- The American singer-songwriter Ritchie Valens was born today in 1941, he was killed in the same plane crash as The Big Bopper and Buddy Holly in 1959
- Stevland Hardaway Morris, better known as the American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, whose hits included I Just Called to Say I Love You and Ebony and Ivory, with Paul McCartney, was born today in 1950 in Michigan
- Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff, better known as the American actress and singer Doris Day, who starred in Pillow Talk and Calamity Jane, died today in 2019 aged 97
Main Event Today
- The first of two hunger strikes by students started today in 1989 at Tiananmen Square, the second strike, a few days later, resulted in the declaration of martial law
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Fruit Cocktail Day