World Events Today
- The English naval officer and explorer Francis Drake, was knighted today in 1581, it was by Queen Elizabeth aboard the ship the Golden Hind
- The City of Los Angeles was incorporated today in 1850
- The American leader of the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King Junior, was assassinated today in 1968 in Memphis, it led to riots in many cities across the country
Entertainment Events Today
- France beat Wales today in 1959 to win the Five Nations Rugby Championship outright, for the first time
- The British sitcom The Good Life, starring Richard Briers, Paul Eddington, Penelope Keith and Felicity Kendal, was aired for the first time today in 1975 on BBC 1
- Bucks Fizz, representing the United Kingdom, won the 26th Eurovision Song Contest today in 1981, they sang Making Your Mind Up
Family Events Today
- The German engine designer and automobile engineer Karl Benz, who received a patent for the motorcar in 1886, died today in 1929 aged 84
- The French industrialist André Jules Michelin, who, together with his brother Édouard, founded the Michelin Tyre Company, died today in 1931 aged 78
- Graham William Walker, better known as the Irish television and radio presenter Graham Norton, was born today in 1963 in Dublin
Main Event Today
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also known simply as NATO, was formed today in 1949
National Day Today
- Today, it’s Chicken Cordon Bleu Day