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1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite, the oldest meteorite with a known date of impact, struck the earth around noon in a wheat field outside the village of Ensisheim, Alsace.

1665 - The London Gazette, the oldest surviving journal, is first published.

1786 - The oldest musical organization in the United States was founded as the Stoughton Musical Society.

1811 - Tecumseh's War: The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought near present-day Battle Ground, Indiana, United States.

1837 - In Alton, Illinois, abolitionist printer Elijah P. Lovejoy is shot dead by a mob while attempting to protect his printing shop from being destroyed a third time.

1848 - U.S. presidential election, 1848: Zachary Taylor is elected president in the first US presidential election held in every state on the same day.

1861 - American Civil War: Battle of Belmont: In Belmont, Missouri, Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant overrun a Confederate camp but are forced to retreat when Confederate reinforcements arrive.

1874 - A cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly, is considered the first important use of an elephant as a symbol for the United States Republican Party

1885 - In Craigellachie, British Columbia, construction ends on the Canadian Pacific Railway railway extending across Canada.

1893 - Women in the U.S. state of Colorado are granted the right to vote.

1910 - The first air freight shipment (from Dayton, Ohio, to Columbus, Ohio) is undertaken by the Wright Brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse.

1912 - The Deutsche Opernhaus (now Deutsche Oper Berlin) opens in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg, with a production of Beethoven's Fidelio.

1914 - The first issue of The New Republic magazine is published.

1914 - The German colony of Kiaochow Bay and its centre at Tsingtao are captured by Japanese forces.

1916 - U.S. presidential election, 1916: Democrat Woodrow Wilson is re-elected President of the United States by defeating Republican Charles Evans Hughes. Meanwhile, Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first woman elected to the United States House of Representatives.

1917 - Russian Revolution: In Petrograd, Russia, Bolshevik leaders Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky lead revolutionaries in overthrowing the Provisional Government (As Russia is still using the Julian Calendar, subsequent period references show an October 25 date).

1917 - World War I: Third Battle of Gaza ends: British forces capture Gaza from the Ottoman Empire.

1918 - The 1918 influenza epidemic spreads to Western Samoa, killing 7,542 (about 20% of the population) by the end of the year.

1929 - In New York City, the Museum of Modern Art opens to the public.

1932 - Buck Rogers in the 25th Century airs on radio for the first time.

1934 - Premiere of Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

1940 - In the U.S. state of Washington, the middle section of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses in a windstorm, a mere four months after the bridge's completion.

1941 - Jewish tragedy in Nemyriv, Ukraine: German fascists murder 2580 Jews. Earlier in September, 1941 2,400 Jews were shot by German Nazis at the brickworks near Nemyriv.

1944 - U.S. presidential election, 1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt wins re-election over challenger Thomas E. Dewey, to become the only U.S. president to be elected to a fourth term.

1956 - Suez Crisis: The United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution calling for the United Kingdom, France and Israel to immediately withdraw their troops from Egypt.

1957 - Cold War: The Gaither Report calls for more American missiles and fallout shelters.

1962 - Richard M. Nixon loses the gubernatorial election in the U.S. state of California. In his concession speech, he states that this is his "last press conference" and that "you won't have Dick Nixon to kick around any more".

1963 - Wunder von Lengede: In Germany, eleven miners are rescued from a collapsed mine after 14 days.

1967 - US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, establishing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

1972 - U.S. presidential election, 1972: Republican incumbent Richard Nixon defeats Democratic Senator George McGovern.

1973 - The U.S. Congress overrides President Richard M. Nixon's veto of the War Powers Resolution, which limits presidential power to wage war without congressional approval.

1983 - A bomb explodes inside the US Capitol building.

1987 - In Tunisia, president Habib Bourguiba is overthrown and replaced by Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

1989 - Douglas Wilder wins the governor's seat in Virginia, becoming the first elected African American governor in the United States.

1989 - David Dinkins becomes the first African American mayor of New York City.

1989 - East German Prime Minister Willi Stoph, along with his entire cabinet, is forced to resign after huge anti-government protests.

1991 - Basketball player Magic Johnson announces he has tested positive for HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) and that he is retiring.

1992 - The Party for Socialist Turkey is founded.

1996 - NASA launches the Mars Global Surveyor.

1996 - A Nigerian Boeing 727 crashes into a lagoon 40 miles southeast of Lagos, killing 143.

2000 - U.S. presidential election, 2000: Republican Texas Governor George W. Bush defeats Democrat Vice President Al Gore, but the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida.

2000 - Hillary Rodham Clinton is elected to the United States Senate, becoming the first First Lady of the United States to win public office.

2001 - Bankruptcy of Belgium's SABENA Airlines.

2001 - The supersonic commercial aircraft Concorde resumes flying after a 15-month break.

2002 - Iran bans advertising of United States products.

2004 - War in Iraq: The interim government of Iraq calls for a 60-day "state of emergency" as U.S. forces storm the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah.

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994 - Ibn Hazm, Arab philosopher (d. 1069)

1598 - Francisco Zurbarán, Spanish painter (d. 1664)

1619 - Gédéon Tallemant des Réaux, French writer (d. 1692)

1650 - John Robinson, English diplomat (d. 1723)

1687 - William Stukeley, English archaeologist (d. 1765)

1750 - Friedrich Leopold Graf zu Stolberg, German poet (d. 1819)

1818 - Emil du Bois-Reymond, German physician (d. 1896)

1832 - Andrew Dickson White, American co-founder and first president of Cornell University (d. 1918)

1838 - Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, French writer (d. 1889)

1846 - Ignaz Brüll, Austrian pianist (d. 1907)

1851 - Chris von der Ahe, German born entrepreneur (d. 1913)

1860 - Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne, French general (d. 1936)

1867 - Maria Sklodowska-Curie, Polish-born chemist and physicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics and in chemistry (d. 1934)

1875 - Mikhail Kalinin, Soviet politician (d. 1946)

1876 - Charlie Townsend, English cricketer (d. 1958)

1878 - Lise Meitner, Austrian/American chemist and physicist Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of nuclear fission (d. 1968)

1879 - King Baggot, American actor (d. 1948)

1879 - Leon Trotsky, Russian revolutionary (d. 1940)

1886 - Aron Nimzowitsch, Latvian-born chess player (d. 1935)

1888 - Sir C. V. Raman, Indian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1970)

1893 - Leatrice Joy, American actress (d. 1985)

1897 - Herman J. Mankiewicz, American writer, director, and producer (d. 1953)

1898 - Raphaël Salem, Greek mathematician (d. 1963)

1901 - Norah McGuinness, Northern Irish painter and illustrator (d. 1980)

1903 - Dean Jagger, American actor (d. 1991)

1903 - Konrad Lorenz, Austrian zoologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1989)

1905 - William Alwyn, English composer (d. 1985)

1913 - Albert Camus, French writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1960)

1914 - Archie Campbell, American comedian, writer (d. 1987)

1915 - Philip Morrison, American scientist (d. 2005)

1918 - Billy Graham, American evangelist

1918 - Paul Aussaresses, French general

1922 - Al Hirt, American trumpeter (d. 1999)

1926 - Dame Joan Sutherland, Australian operatic soprano

1927 - Hiroshi Yamauchi, Japanese computer game executive

1929 - Eric R. Kandel, Austrian-born neuroscientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

1937 - Mary Travers, American singer (Peter, Paul and Mary)

1938 - Jim Kaat, baseball player

1942 - Johnny Rivers, American singer and composer

1942 - Jean Shrimpton, British supermodel and actress

1943 - Joni Mitchell, Canadian musician

1943 - Michael Spence, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate

1943 - Boris Gromov, Russian general

1944 - Joe Niekro, baseball player (d. 2006)

1944 - Ken Patera, American professional wrestler

1954 - Kamal Haasan, Indian actor

1955 - Detlef Ultsch, German judoka

1957 - Christopher Knight, American actor

1960 - Tommy Thayer, American guitarist (KISS)

1962 - Tracie Savage, American actress and journalist

1963 - John Barnes, English footballer

1964 - Dana Plato, American actress (d. 1999)

1964 - Gill Holland, American producer

1965 - Sigrun Wodars, German athlete

1967 - Sharleen Spiteri Scottish singer and songwriter (Texas)

1968 - Greg Tribbett, American musician (Mudvayne)

1969 - Hélène Grimaud, French pianist

1970 - Neil Hannon, Northern Irish musician (The Divine Comedy)

1970 - Andy Houston, American NASCAR driver

1970 - Morgan Spurlock, American director and producer

1971 - Robin Finck, American musician

1972 - Danny Grewcock, English rugby player

1972 - Jason London, American actor

1972 - Jeremy London, American actor

1973 - Yunjin Kim, South Korean actress

1976 - Mark Philippoussis, Australian tennis player

1976 - Melyssa Ford, Canadian model and actress

1978 - Rio Ferdinand, English footballer

1979 - Will Demps, American football player

1979 - Jon Peter Lewis, American singer

1979 - Danny Fonseca, Costa Rican footballer

1980 - Gervasio Deferr, Spanish gymnast

1981 - Lily Thai, Asian porn star

1981 - Muhammad Hassan, former professional wrestler

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1225 - Engelbert II of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne

1451 - Count Amadeus VIII of Savoy (b. 1383)

1581 - Richard Davies, Welsh bishop and scholar

1599 - Gasparo Tagliacozzi, Italian surgeon (b. 1546)

1633 - Cornelius Jacobszoon Drebbel, Dutch inventor (b. 1572)

1639 - Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour, English politician

1642 - Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester, English politician

1713 - Elizabeth Barry, English actress (b. 1658)

1837 - Elijah P. Lovejoy, American abolitionist (b. 1809)

1872 - Alfred Clebsch, German mathematician (b. 1833)

1906 - Heinrich Seidel, German engineer, poet and writer (b. 1842)

1910 (O.S.) - Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist (b. 1828)

1913 - Alfred Russel Wallace, British naturalist and biologist (b. 1823)

1922 - Sam Thompson, baseball player (b. 1860)

1943 - Dwight Frye, American actor (b. 1899)

1944 - Richard Sorge, Soviet spy (b. 1895)

1959 - Victor McLaglen, British-born actor (b. 1883)

1962 - Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States (b. 1884)

1966 - Rube Bressler, Baseball player (b. 1894)

1967 - John Nance Garner, U.S. Congressman and Vice President (b. 1868)

1968 - Alexander Gelfond, Russian mathematician (b. 1906)

1974 - Eric Linklater, British author (b. 1899)

1978 - Gene Tunney, heavyweight boxing champion (b. 1897)

1980 - Steve McQueen, American actor (b. 1930)

1983 - Germaine Tailleferre, French composer (b. 1892)

1991 - Carter Cornelius, American R&B musician (Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose) (b. 1948)

1992 - Alexander Dubček, Slovakian politician (b. 1921)

1992 - Jack Kelly, American actor (b. 1927)

1994 - Shorty Rogers, American jazz musician (b. 1924)

1996 - Jaja Wachuku, Nigerian Lawyer and First Foreign Affairs Minister (b. 1918)

2000 - C Subramaniam, Indian politician (b. 1910)

2001 - Nida Blanca, Filipino actress (b. 1936)

2002 - Rudolf Augstein, German publisher (b. 1923)

2004 - Howard Keel, American actor (b. 1919)

2005 - Anthony Sawoniuk, Belarusian-born Nazi war criminal (b. 1921)

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R.C. Saints - Saint Willibrord

Also see November 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Northern Catalonia - National Day, after Treaty of Pyrenees.

Russia - day of the October Revolution (1917) in the Gregorian Calendar, unofficially commemorated