World Events Today
- The French heroine Joan of Arc, also known as “The Maid of Orléans”, was canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, today in 1920
- The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, an act of Jewish resistance in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II, after one month of bloody fighting, ended today in 1943
- The Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei, became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest today in 1975
Entertainment Events Today
- The first Academy Awards were held today in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, Charlie Chaplin received an Honorary Award
- The American rock band the Beach Boys, released their album Pet Sounds today in 1966, it included the hit records Wouldn’t It Be Nice and Sloop John B
- The American action drama movie Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer as fighter jet pilots, went on general release today in 1986
Family Events Today
- The American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, the sister of the pop legend Michael Jackson, was born today in 1966 in Indiana, her own hits include Nasty and What Have You Done For Me Lately
- James Maury Henson, better known as the American puppeteer Jim Henson, the creator of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock, died today in 1990 aged 53
- The American singer, dancer, actor, vaudevillian, and comedian, Sammy Davis Jr., an original member of the Rat Pack, died today in 1990 aged 64, he is famous for the hit single The Candy Man
Main Event Today
- The Cultural Revolution in China is recorded by many as starting today in 1966
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National BBQ Day