World Events Today
- The body of Mary Ann Nichols, the first known victim of Jack the Ripper, was found today in 1888 in Buck’s Row in Whitechapel, London
- The Solidarity trade union, formed at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, was formally recognized today in 1980, it went on to have 10 million members and played a key role in ending communist rule in Poland
- Uzbekistan, officially known as the Republic of Uzbekistan, declared its independence from the Soviet Union today in 1991
Entertainment Events Today
- The Dutch football club PSV Eindhoven was formed today in 1913
- The movie version of the single Bad, by Michael Jackson, premiered on the CBS network today in 1987
- The historical drama movie Argo, starring Ben Affleck and Bryan Cranston, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival today in 2012
Family Events Today
- Sir George Ivan Morrison, OBE, better known as the Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, who had the hit record Brown Eyed Girl, was born today in 1945 in Belfast
- The American actor Richard Gere, who starred in many movies, including An Officer and a Gentleman and Pretty Woman, was born today in 1949 in Philadelphia
- Rocco Francis Marchegiano, better known as the American boxer Rocky Marciano, died today in 1969, he was the only heavyweight champion to finish his career undefeated
Main Event Today
- Diana, Princess of Wales, was fatally injured in a car crash in Paris today in 1997, the car she was in was speeding away from the pursuing paparazzi
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Matchmaker Day