World Events Today
- The American whaling ship, The Essex, was attacked and sunk by a sperm whale today in 1820, the event inspired the best-selling novel Moby Dick
- Windows 1.01, the first public version of Microsoft Windows, was released today in 1985, it came with many applications including Calculator, Calendar, Paint, Write and, of course, Reversi
- Windsor Castle in England, the largest inhabited castle in the world, caught fire today in 1992, the fire was only extinguished in the early hours of the following day
Entertainment Events Today
- The Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, married Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh, today in 1947, in Westminster Abbey, London
- The American actress Drew Barrymore hosted the popular Saturday Night Live show on the NBC network today in 1982, she was only 7 years old
- Die Another Day, the twentieth James Bond film, starring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, was released today in 2002
Family Events Today
- Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, better known as Leo Tolstoy, author of the best-selling book War and Peace, died today in 1910 aged 82
- Mary Cathleen Collins, better known as the American actress Bo Derek, who starred in the movie 10, was born today in 1956 in California
- The Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled over Spain for 36 years, died today in 1975 aged 82
Main Event Today
- The Nuremberg trials, where 24 of the most prominent political and military leaders of the Third Reich were held to answer for atrocities committed during World War II, started today in 1945
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Absurdity Day