Today in History

Explorer and author Jason Lewis becomes the first person to complete a human-powered circumnavigation of the globe.

Yugoslavia’s president Slobodan Milosevic and Argentina’s vice-president Carlos Alvarez both resign from their respective offices.

Astronomers discover 51 Pegasi is the second star known to have a planet orbiting it.

Fiji becomes a republic independent of the British Commonwealth.

Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated in Cairo by Islamic fundamentalists. He is succeeded by Vice President Hosni Mubarak.

Israel is taken by surprise when Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Jordan attack on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, beginning the Yom Kippur War.

Special Forces Captain John McCarthy is released from Fort Leavenworth Penitentiary, pending consideration of his appeal to murder charges.

Hanoi insists the United States must end its bombings before peace talks can begin.

Patricia Harris takes post as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, becoming the first African American U.S. ambassador.

Gerry Adams, Irish politician who was an important figure in Northern Ireland’s peace process; president of Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland’s second-largest political party, since 1983.

German troops renew their offensive against Moscow.

Riccardo Giacconi, Italian astrophysicist ; won Nobel Prize in Astrophysics for his pioneering contributions that led to the discovery of cosmic X-ray sources.

The first "talkie," The Jazz Singer, opens with popular entertainer Al Jolson singing and dancing in black-face. By 1930, silent movies were a thing of the past.

Fannie Lou Hamer, US civil rights advocate; became vice-chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian anthropologist and explorer.

Sammy Price, jazz pianist.

Janet Gaynor, film actress.

Caroline Gordon, writer (The Strange Children).

Le Corbusier, Swiss-born French architect and city planner.

The Reno brothers–Frank, John, Simeon and William–commit the country’s first train robbery near Seymore, Indiana netting $10,000.

Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre is published in London.

George Westinghouse, prolific inventor, held over 100 patents on creations including air brakes for trains.

Jenny Lind, soprano known as the "Swedish Nightingale."

Napoleon Bonaparte imposes a new constitution on Holland.

The Polish Diet decides to hold a four year session.

Savoy Germany withdraws from the Grand Alliance.

William Tyndale, the English translator of the New Testament, is strangled and burned at the stake for heresy at Vilvorde, France.

The Byzantine Emperor Basil earns the title "Slayer of Bulgers" after he orders the blinding of 15,000 Bulgerian troops.