World Events Today
- Exactly 2 years after his arrival, Kazimierz Piechowski escaped from the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz today in 1942, he is one of less than 200 known to have escaped, he went on to live another 75 years
- The Deutsche Mark was officially introduced as the new currency of West Germany today in 1948, it replaced the old Reichsmark
- The Moscow–Washington “hotline”, a system that allows the direct communication between the leaders of the United States and Russia, was established today in 1963
Entertainment Events Today
- The neo-noir mystery movie Chinatown, directed by Roman Polanski, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, was released today in 1974
- Jaws, the thriller movie about a man-eating shark, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released today in 1975
- New Zealand beat Japan 29-9 today in 1987 to win the inaugural Rugby World Cup
Family Events Today
- Brian Douglas Wilson, the American singer-songwriter who co-founded the rock band the Beach Boys, was born today in 1942 in California
- The American mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel died today in 1947 aged 41, he was shot dead at the home of his girlfriend in Beverly Hills
- The Academy Award winning actress Nicole Kidman, who starred in many movies, including Dead Calm and Moulin Rouge, was born today in 1967 in Hawaii
Main Event Today
- Victoria took over as Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland today in 1837, she ruled until her death in January 1901
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Ice Cream Soda Day