World Events Today
- The President of the United States, James Polk, confirmed the discovery of gold in the California area today in 1848, it triggered the California Gold Rush
- The abandoned American merchant ship, the Mary Celeste, was discovered today in 1872, none of those on board were present nor were any of them ever seen or heard of again
- Prohibition in the United States ended today in 1933 with the ratification of the 21st Amendment
Entertainment Events Today
- The British auction house Christie’s, conducted its first sale in London today in 1766
- The Two Towers, the second of the three Lord of the Rings movies, was released today in 2002
- Paul McCartney and Wings, released their best-selling album Band on the Run in the United States today in 1973, it was released in the UK 2 days later
Family Events Today
- The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died today in 1791 aged just 35
- Walt Disney, the world-famous pioneer of the animation industry, was born today in 1901 in Chicago
- The South African anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela, who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, died today in 2013 aged 95
Main Event Today
- The Great Smog of London, which lasted 5 days, began today in 1952
National Day Today
- Today, it’s Bathtub Party Day