World Events Today
- Locomotion Number 1, driven by George Stephenson, became the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public railway line, today in 1825
- The British ocean liner RMS Queen Elizabeth was launched today in 1938, due to the timing of its construction it first served as a troop ship in World War II, before being used as a passenger liner between the United Kingdom and the United States
- The German Federal elections took place today in 2009, Angela Merkel would serve a second term as Chancellor, at head of a centre-right coalition government
Entertainment Events Today
- The American late-night talk show The Tonight Show aired for the first time today in 1954 on the NBC network, Steve Allen was the host
- The European team won the 27th Ryder Cup at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio today in 1987, it was a historic event as it was the first time they won in the United States
- The British crime series Cracker, starring Robbie Coltrane as the criminal psychologist Doctor Edward Fitzgerald, aired for the first time today in 1993 on ITV
Family Events Today
- Marvin Lee Aday, better known as the American singer Meat Loaf, most famous for Bat Out of Hell, was born today in 1947 in Dallas
- The American actress Gwyneth Kate Paltrow, who starred in many movies, including Sliding Doors and Shakespeare in Love, was born today in 1972 in Los Angeles
- The founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner, died today in 2017 aged 91
Main Event Today
- The Tripartite Pact was signed today in 1940, it meant that Germany, Italy and Japan agreed to give 10 years of political, economic, and military support to each other
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Crush a Can Day