World Events Today
- The first Panda crossing opened today in 1962, in York Road near Waterloo Station in London
- The Falklands War, a 10-week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom, started today in 1982 when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands
- After just 14 hours of deliberation, a jury found Mafia boss John Gotti, guilty of 5 murders and other charges today in 1992, he was later sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole
Entertainment Events Today
- The epic science fiction movie 2001 A Space Odyssey, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, premiered today in 1968 in Washington D C
- Red Rum won the Grand National horse race today in 1977, it was the horses third win, a record that remains to this day
- The American television soap opera Dallas, which revolved around the wealthy Ewing family, aired for the first time today in 1978 on the CBS network
Family Events Today
- The Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, best known for fairy tales such as The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea and The Ugly Duckling, was born today in 1805
- The English actor Sir Alec Guinness, who starred in many movies, including The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago and Star Wars, was born today in 1914 in London
- Karol Józef Wojtyła, better known as Pope Saint John Paul II, died today in 2005 aged 84
Main Event Today
- The Coinage Act was passed by the United States Congress today in 1792, it established the Dollar as the country’s standard unit of money
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Ferret Day