World Events Today
- According to a newspaper article at the time, during a storm today in 1843 in Charleston, South Carolina, an alligator fell from the sky
- Barry George was convicted for the murder of the British television newsreader Jill Dando today in 2001, he was acquitted in 2008 and the case remains unsolved
- After a 2-week balloon journey, the American businessman Steve Fossett became the first person to fly around the world solo and non-stop, today in 2002
Entertainment Events Today
- Elvis Presley recorded the hit single Hound Dog, with Don’t Be Cruel on the B-side, today in 1956
- The musical drama movie King Creole, starring Elvis Presley, was released today in 1958, it is considered by many as the best movie he ever starred in
- The second novel in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was published today in 1997 in the United Kingdom
Family Events Today
- The American actor James Stewart, who starred in many movies, including It’s a Wonderful Life, died today in 1997 aged 89
- The American author Mario Puzo, best known for his crime novels about the Mafia, including The Godfather, died today in 1999 aged 78
- The English comedian and actress Caroline Aherne, who hosted the Mrs Merton chat show and starred as Denise in the British series The Royle Family, died today in 2016 aged 52
Main Event Today
- Following the end of the Second Indochina War the previous year, North and South Vietnam merged, to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, today in 1976
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Anisette Day