World Events Today
- Tate Britain, one of the largest art museums in the United Kingdom, opened today in 1897, it was originally called the National Gallery of British Art
- The Frenchman Louis Rigolly was the first man to drive a car at over 100 miles per hour today in 1904
- Bloody Friday, the name given to the bombings in Belfast by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the IRA, occurred today in 1972, a series of at least twenty bombs exploded in the space of eighty minutes across the city
Entertainment Events Today
- The first-ever Test match was played at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London today in 1884, England beat Australia by an innings
- The American boxer Mike Tyson retained his undisputed heavyweight championship title today in 1989, he beat the American boxer Carl Williams in 93 seconds
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series, was released in the United Kingdom today in 2007
Family Events Today
- The Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns, also known as Rabbie Burns, who wrote Auld Lang Syne, died today in 1796 aged 37
- The American novelist Ernest Hemingway, whose novels include For Whom The Bell Tolls, was born today in 1899 in Illinois
- The American actor and comedian Robin Williams, who rose to fame as the alien Mork in the sitcom Mork and Mindy, was born today in 1951 in Chicago
Main Event Today
- The Space Shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth today in 2011, it was the last mission of the 30-year Space Shuttle program
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Junk Food Day