World Events Today
- The Greenwich Foot Tunnel opened today in 1902, it crosses beneath the River Thames and connects Greenwich on the south bank with Millwall on the north bank
- Britain entered World War I today in 1914 when it declared war on the German Empire
- Holly Marie Wells and Jessica Aimee Chapman were reported missing today in 2002, their bodies were discovered 2 weeks later and became known as The Soham Murders
Entertainment Events Today
- The album Purple Rain, by the American singer-songwriter Prince, hit Number 1 on the Billboard 200 today in 1984, it stayed there for 24 weeks
- The South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius became the first amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games today in 2012, he later gained greater fame when he was convicted for the murder of his girlfriend
- Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog announced the end to their “romantic relationship” on Twitter today in 2015
Family Events Today
- The French fashion designer Louis Vuitton, founder of the Louis Vuitton brand, was born today in 1824 in Jura
- Barack Obama, who would become the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017, was born today in 1961 in Hawaii
- The Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadron Leader John Leslie Munro died today in 2015 aged 96, he was the last surviving pilot of the Dambusters Raid of May 1943
Main Event Today
- The British Red Cross was formed today in 1870, it was the British National Society for Aid to the Sick and Wounded in War
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day