World Events Today
- The United States Badge of Military Merit, the predecessor of the Purple Heart, was introduced by General George Washington today in 1782
- The Battle of Guadalcanal started today in 1942, it was the first major land offensive by Allied forces against the Empire of Japan
- The Ivory Coast, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, gained its independence from France today in 1960
Entertainment Events Today
- The American country pop musician Garth Brooks held a free concert in Central Park in New York today in 1997, an estimated 1 million fans attended the event, which was also filmed and broadcast live on the HBO network
- Eclipse, the third novel in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, was published today in 2007
- The American singer-songwriter Kesha released her debut single Tik Tok today in 2009, it was the best-selling single in the world in 2010
Family Events Today
- The American comic actor Oliver Hardy, one half of the Laurel and Hardy silent film duo, died today in 1957 aged 65
- The American internet entrepreneur Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, was born today in 1966 in Alabama
- The actress Charlize Theron, who starred in many movies, including Monster and Mad Max: Fury Road, was born today in 1975 in South Africa
Main Event Today
- The Peace Bridge, between New York in the United States and Ontario in Canada, was officially opened today in 1927
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Lighthouse Day