World Events Today
- The Washington Monument, an obelisk built to commemorate George Washington, the first President of the United States, was officially opened today in 1888
- The Khmer Republic was declared today in 1970
- The death penalty was abolished in France today in 1981, 6 people on death row had their sentences changed to life imprisonment
Entertainment Events Today
- Strawberry Fields in New York’s Central Park, in memory of the former Beatles member John Lennon, was dedicated today in 1985
- The Phantom of the Opera, the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, opened in London’s West End today in 1986, it is still running today
- The American late-night talk show The Late Show aired for the first time today in 1986 on the Fox network, it was hosted by Joan Rivers and aired under the title The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers
Family Events Today
- The legendary English singer-songwriter John Lennon, lead member of the rock band the Beatles, was born today in 1940 in Liverpool
- The British Conservative Party politician David Cameron, was born today in 1966 in London, he served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016
- The German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who was credited with saving the lives of over 1,000 Jews, died today in 1974 aged 66, the movie Schindler’s List is based on his courage
Main Event Today
- The Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize winning activist Malala Yousafzai was shot by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt today in 2012, it was in retaliation for her activism, which continued after she recovered
National Day Today
- Today, it’s National Moldy Cheese Day