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680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was decapitated by forces under Caliph Yazid I. This is commemorated by Shi'a Muslims as Aashurah.

732 - Battle of Tours: Near Poitiers, France, leader of the Franks, Charles Martel and his men, defeat a large army of Moors, stopping the Muslims from spreading into Western Europe. The governor of Cordoba, Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, is killed during the battle.

1471 - Battle of Brunkeberg in Stockholm: Sten Sture the Elder, the Regent of Sweden, with help of farmers and miners, repels an attack by Christian I, King of Denmark.

1575 - Battle of Dormans: Catholic forces under Duke Henry of Guise defeated the Protestants, capturing Philippe de Mornay among others.

1582 - Due to the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

1631 - A Saxon army takes over Prague.

1780 - The Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000-30,000 in the Caribbean.

1845 - In Annapolis, Maryland, the Naval School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opens with 50 midshipmen students and seven professors.

1860 - The original cornerstone of the University of the South was laid in Sewanee, Tennessee.

1868 - Carlos Céspedes issued the Grito de Yara from his plantation, La Demajagua, proclaiming Cuba's independence.

1877 - Lieutenant-Colonel George Armstrong Custer is given a funeral with full military honors.

1889 - Barnard College was founded.

1908 - Baseball Writers Association forms.

1910 - Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity is established at Columbia University.

1911 - Wuchang Uprising which led to the demise of Qing Dynasty, the last Imperial court in China, and the founding of the Republic of China.

1911 - The KCR East Rail commenced service between Kowloon and Canton.

1913 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson triggered the explosion of the Gamboa Dike thus ending construction on the Panama Canal.

1920 - The Carinthian Plebiscite determined that the larger part of Carinthia became part of Austria.

1933 - A United Airlines Boeing 247 is destroyed by sabotage while en route from Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, the first such proven case in the history of commercial aviation.

1935 - A tornado destroyed the 160 metre tall wooden radio tower in Langenberg. As a result of this catastrophe, few wooden towers were constructed after this date.

1938 - The Blue Water Bridge opens, connecting Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario

1938 - World War II: The Munich Agreement cedes the Sudetenland to Germany.

1944 - Holocaust: 800 Gypsy children are systematically murdered at Auschwitz death camp.

1954 - The Communist Party of Honduras is founded.

1957 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to the finance minister of Ghana, Komla Agbeli Gbdemah, after he was refused service in a Dover, Delaware restaurant.

1963 - France cedes control of the Bizerte naval base to Tunisia.

1964 - The 1964 Summer Olympics open in Tokyo, Japan

1966 - Simon and Garfunkel release the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.

1967 - The Outer Space Treaty, signed on January 27 by more than sixty nations, enters into force.

1970 - Fiji becomes independent.

1970 - In Montreal, Quebec, a national crisis hits Canada when Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte becomes the second statesman kidnapped by members of the FLQ terrorist group.

1971 - Sold, dismantled and moved to the United States, the London Bridge reopens in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

1973 - Vice President of the United States Spiro Agnew resigns after being charged with federal income tax evasion.

1978 - US President Jimmy Carter signs a bill into law that authorizes the minting of the Susan B. Anthony dollar.

1979 - The Pac-Man arcade game is released to the Japanese market by Namco.

1985 - United States Navy F-14 fighter jets intercept an Egyptian plane carrying the Achille Lauro cruise ship and force it to land at a NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily where they are arrested.

1986 - An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale strikes San Salvador, El Salvador, killing an estimated 1,500 people.

1987 - Fiji becomes a republic.

1995 - South African President Nelson Mandela attends Genadendal.

1997 - The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes win their first-ever regular season game by defeating the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1997 - An Austral Airlines DC-9-32 crashes and explodes near Nuevo Berlin, Uruguay, killing 74.

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1678 - John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, Scottish soldier (d. 1743)

1684 - Antoine Watteau, French painter (d. 1721)

1700 - Lambert-Sigisbert Adam, French sculptor (d. 1759)

1731 - Henry Cavendish, British scientist (d. 1810)

1780 - John Abercrombie, Scottish physician (d. 1844)

1813 - Giuseppe Verdi, Italian composer (d. 1901)

1819 - Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger, German theologian (d. 1883)

1825 - Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic (d. 1904)

1828 - Samuel J. Randall, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1890)

1830 - Queen Isabella II of Spain (d. 1904)

1834 - Aleksis Kivi, Finnish author (d. 1872)

1837 - Robert Gould Shaw, American Army officer (d. 1863)

1861 - Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian explorer, Nobel laureate (d. 1930)

1863 - Louis Cyr, French Canadian strongman (d. 1912)

1863 - Helen Dunbar, American actress (d. 1933)

1870 - Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin, Russian writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1953)

1885 - Walter Anderson, German folklorist (d. 1962)

1895 - Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja, Indian religious Guru (d. 1988)

1895 - Wolfram von Richthofen, German field marshal d. 1945)

1898 - Lilly Daché, French-born milliner (d. 1989)

1900 - Helen Hayes, American actress (d. 1993)

1901 - Alberto Giacometti, Swiss sculptor (d. 1966)

1903 - Vernon Duke, American composer and songwriter (d. 1969)

1903 - Prince Charles of Belgium, Prince Regent of Belgium (d. 1983)

1906 - Paul Creston, American composer (d. 1985)

1906 - R.K. Narayan, Indian novelist (d. 2001)

1908 - Johnny Green, American songwriter, arranger and conductor (d. 1989)

1913 - Claude Simon, French writer, Nobel laureate (d. 2005)

1914 - Tommy Fine, American baseball player (d. 2005)

1914 - Ivory Joe Hunter, American R&B singer (d. 1974)

1917 - Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist (d. 1982)

1923 - Nicholas Parsons, English actor

1924 - James Clavell, Australian author (d. 1994)

1924 - Ed Wood, American filmmaker (d. 1978)

1924 - Ludmilla Tchérina, ballet dancer and actress (d. 2004)

1926 - Richard Jaeckel, American actor (d. 1997)

1927 - Dana Elcar, American actor (d. 2005)

1930 - Mustafa Zaidi, Pakistani poet (d. 1970)

1930 - Yves Chauvin, French chemist, Nobel laureate

1930 - Harold Pinter, English playwright, Nobel laureate

1932 - Harry Smith, English footballer

1933 - Jay Sebring, American hair stylist (d. 1969)

1938 - Moriyama Daido, Japanese photographer

1941 - Peter Coyote, American actor

1946 - Charles Dance, English actor

1946 - Naoto Kan, Japanese politician

1946 - John Prine, American singer

1946 - Chris Tarrant, British television host

1946 - Ben Vereen, American actor

1946 - Peter Mahovlich, National Hockey League player

1947 - Martin Ruane, professional wrestler (d. 1998)

1948 - Séverine, French singer

1948 - Ed Volker, New Orleans rock musician

1951 - ''Ratu'' Epeli Ganilau, Fiji statesman

1953 - Midge Ure, Scottish musician

1953 - Gus Williams, American basketball player

1953 - David Lee Roth, American singer

1956 - Amanda Burton, Northern Irish actress

1957 - Rumiko Takahashi, Japanese artist

1958 - Tanya Tucker, American singer

1959 - Bradley Whitford, American actor

1959 - Kirsty MacColl, British singer (d. 2000)

1960 - Eric Martin, Former vocalist of Mr. Big

1961 - Jodi Benson, American voice actress

1961 - Julia Sweeney, American actress and comedian

1963 - Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer (d. 2003)

1963 - Daniel Pearl, American journalist (d. 2002)

1963 - Rebecca Pidgeon, American actress

1963 - Jolanda de Rover, Dutch swimmer

1963 - Vegard Ulvang, Norwegian cross-country skier

1965 - Chris Penn, American actor (d. 2006)

1965 - Toshi, Japanese singer (X Japan)

1966 - Tony Adams, English footballer

1968 - Bart Brentjens, Dutch mountain biker

1969 - Brett Favre, American football player

1970 - Dean Kiely, Irish footballer

1970 - Bai Ling, Chinese American actress

1970 - Corinna May, German singer

1970 - Sir Matthew Pinsent, English rower

1970 - Maja Tatic, Serbian singer

1971 - Ian Bennett, English footballer

1971 - Evgeny Kissin, Russian pianist

1972 - Alexei Zhitnik, Russian ice hockey player

1973 - Mario López, American actor

1973 - Semmy Schilt, Dutch kickboxer

1974 - Dale Earnhardt Jr., American race car driver

1974 - Julio Ricardo Cruz, Argentinian footballer

1974 - Chris Pronger, National Hockey League player

1976 - Bob Burnquist, Brazilian-born skateboarder

1976 - Pat Burrell, American baseball player

1978 - Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, American actress

1979 - Nicolás Massú, Chilean tennis player

1979 - Mya Harrison,American singer

1980 - Tim Maurer, American singer (Suburban Legends)

1980 - Elvis Hammond, Ghanaian footballer

1982 - Amon Buchanan, Australian footballer

1982 - Dan Stevens, English actor

1983 - Vusimuzi Sibanda, Zimbabwean cricketer

1984 - Stephanie Cheng, Hong Kong singer

1984 - Chiaki Kuriyama, Japanese actress

1985 - Layke Anderson, British actor

1985 - Dominique Cornu, Belgian professional cyclist

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19 - Germanicus, Roman general (b. 15 BC)

680 - Husayn ibn Ali, Shi'a immam, Mahomet grandson

732 - Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, Moorish Governor of Andalusia

833 - al-Ma'mun, Abbasid caliph of Baghdad (b. 786)

1359 - King Hugh IV of Cyprus

1459 - Gianfrancesco Poggio Bracciolini, Italian humanist and classicist (b. 1380)

1531 - Huldrych Zwingli, Swiss reformer (killed in battle) (b. 1484)

1659 - Abel Tasman, Dutch explorer (b. 1603)

1674 - Thomas Traherne, English poet

1691 - Isaac de Benserade, French poet (b. 1613)

1708 - David Gregory, Scottish astronomer (b. 1659)

1714 - Pierre Le Pesant, sieur de Boisguilbert, French economist (b. 1646)

1720 - Antoine Coysevox, French sculptor (b. 1640)

1723 - William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, Lord Chancellor of England

1725 - Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil, Governor-General of New France

1747 - John Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury

1759 - Granville Elliott, British military officer (b. 1713)

1765 - Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1688)

1795 - Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian theologian and historian (b. 1714)

1806 - Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, German prince (b. 1772)

1827 - Ugo Foscolo, Italian writer (b. 1778)

1837 - Charles Fourier, French philosopher (b. 1772)

1872 - William H. Seward, United States Secretary of State (b. 1801)

1875 - Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Russian novelist, poet and dramatist (b. 1817)

1876 - Charles Joseph Sainte-Claire Deville, French geologist (b. 1814)

1893 - Lip Pike, baseball player (b. 1845)

1901 - Lorenzo Snow, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1814)

1913 - Katsura Taro, Prime minister of Japan (b. 1848)

1914 - Charles I of Romania (b. 1839)

1927 - Gustave Whitehead, German-born inventor (b. 1874)

1930 - Adolf Engler, German botanist (b. 1844)

1939 - Eleanor Rigby, a real person whose name may have suggested the title to The Beatles song (b. 1895)

1940 - Berton Churchill, Canadian actor (b. 1876)

1964 - Eddie Cantor, American singer and vaudeville performer (b. 1892)

1964 - Heinrich Neuhaus, Soviet pianist (b. 1888)

1970 - Édouard Daladier, French politician (b. 1884)

1971 - John Cawte Beaglehole, New Zealand historian (b. 1901)

1976 - Silvana Armenulic, Yugoslavian folk singer (b. 1939)

1978 - Ralph Metcalfe, American athlete (b. 1910)

1979 - Christopher Evans, British psychologist and computer scientist (b. 1931)

1979 - Paul Paray, French conductor (b. 1886)

1983 - Ralph Richardson, English actor (b. 1902)

1985 - Yul Brynner, Russian-born actor (b. 1920)

1985 - Orson Welles, American director and actor (b. 1915)

1986 - Gleb Wataghin, Ukrainian-Italian physicist (b. 1899)

1998 - Clark Clifford, United States Secretary of Defense (b. 1906)

2000 - Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (b. 1916)

2002 - Teresa Graves, American actress and singer (b. 1948)

2003 - Eugene Istomin, American pianist (b. 1925)

2004 - Ken Caminiti, baseball player (heart attack) (b. 1963)

2004 - Christopher Reeve, American actor (b. 1952)

2004 - Arthur H. Robinson, American cartographer (b. 1915)

2004 - Maurice Shadbolt, New Zealand writer (b. 1932)

2005 - Wayne Booth, American literary critic (b. 1921)

2005 - Milton Obote, President of Uganda (b. 1925)

2006 - Ian Scott, Canadian politician (b. 1934)

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RC Saints - Saint Thomas of Villanueva?

Saint Paulinus of York (in England)

Also see October 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Republic of China (on Taiwan) - National Day (Double Tenth Day 雙十國慶)

Fiji - Fiji Day (National Day)

Japan - National Health-Sports Day

World Mental Health Day

Old Michelmas - Celtic holiday

French Republican Calendar - Tournesol (Sunflower) Day, nineteenth day in the Month of Vendémiaire

North Korea - Foundation of the Korean Workers Party