World Events Today
- After another outbreak of typhoid in New York, Mary Mallon, also known as Typhoid Mary, was arrested again today in 1915, she spent the rest of her life in confinement
- Two jumbo jets, collided on the runway at Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands today in 1977, at least 550 people died
- The Alexander Kielland drilling rig in the North Sea collapsed today in 1980, over 120 were killed in the incident
Entertainment Events Today
- The first ever international rugby union match took place today in 1871, Scotland beat England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, in front of 4,000 spectators
- The American musical-romantic comedy Singin’ in the Rain, starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, was released today in 1952
- Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, opened today in 1984 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London, it ran for 8 years
Family Events Today
- The American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, of Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill fame, was born today in 1963 in Tennessee
- The Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space and the first man to orbit the Earth, died in a plane crash today in 1968 aged 34
- The American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, whose most famous hit single was All I Want For Christmas Is You, was born today in 1970, although some suggest it was actually 1969, the debate remains open
Main Event Today
- Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra, was approved for use in erectile dysfunction by the United States FDA, today in 1998
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Spanish Paella Day