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1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a four-month siege.

1315 - Adam Banastre, Henry de Lea and William Bradshaw, led an attack on Liverpool Castle.

1415 - The army of Henry V of England defeats the French at the Battle of Agincourt.

1616 - Dutch sea-captain Dirk Hartog makes second recorded landfall by a European on Australian soil, at the later-named Dirk Hartog Island off the Western Australian coast.

1747 - British fleet under Admiral Sir Edward Hawke defeats French at the second battle of Cape Finisterre.

1760 - George III becomes King of Great Britain

1813 - War of 1812: Canadians and Mohawks defeat the Americans in the Battle of Chateauguay.

1828 - The St Katharine Docks opened in London.

1854 - The Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War (Charge of the Light Brigade).

1861 - The Toronto Stock Exchange was created.

1900 - The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal.

1917 - The Bolshevik Revolution commences (according to the Julian calendar, which Russia used at the time of the Revolution. On the Gregorian calendar, the date was November 7).

1922 - The Dail of the Irish Free State approves the constitution of the new state, formally bringing it into being.

1923 - The United States Senate begins investigating the Teapot Dome scandal

1924 - The forged Zinoviev Letter is published in the Daily Mail, wrecking the British Labour Party's hopes of re-election.

1929 - Fleischer Studios releases its first Talkartoon animation with Noah's Lark.

1935 - Hurricane floods Haiti, killing over 2,000 people.

1936 - Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini create the Rome-Berlin Axis.

1938 - The Archbishop of Dubuque, Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces Swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell".

1944 - Heinrich Himmler orders a crackdown on the Edelweiss Pirates, a loosely organized youth culture in Nazi Germany that had assisted army deserters and others to hide from the Third Reich

1944 - The USS Tang (SS-306) under Richard O'Kane (the top submarine captain of World War II) is sunk by her own torpedo.

1944 - The Romanian Army liberates Carei, the last Romanian city under Axis Powers' occupation.

1945 - The Republic of China takes over administration of Taiwan following Japan's surrender to the Allies.

1962 - Cuban missile crisis: Adlai Stevenson shows photos at the UN proving Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba

1971 - The United Nations seated the People's Republic of China and expelled the Republic of China (see political status of Taiwan and China and the United Nations)

1972 - The Washington Post reports that White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman was the fifth person to control a secret cash fund designed to finance illegal political sabotage and espionage during the 1972 presidential election campaign (see also Watergate scandal)

1980 - Proceedings on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction conclude at The Hague

1983 - Operation Urgent Fury: The United States and its Caribbean allies invade Grenada, six days after Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and several of his supporters were executed in a coup d'état.

1986 - The New York Mets defeat the Boston Red Sox due to Bill Buckner's infamous error in Game 6 of the World Series. They would win Game 7 two days later and claim the World Title.

1991 - History of Slovenia: Three months after the end of the Ten-Day War, the last soldier of the Yugoslav People's Army leaves the territory of the Republic of Slovenia.

1992 - Latvia establishes its first post-Soviet constitution.

1993 - Jean Chrétien becomes prime minister of Canada with a massive majority for his Liberal Party in a general election in which the governing Progressive Conservatives, led by Kim Campbell, lost 149 of 151 seats in the parliament.

1995 - A commuter train slams into a school bus in Fox River Grove, Illinois, killing seven students.

1996 - The "Days of Action", the largest one day strike in Ontario, Canada's history, as over 250,000 protestors converged on the Ontario Legislature and attempted to shut-down Toronto, in protest to the Mike Harris Government's budget cuts.

1997 - After a brief civil war which has driven President Pascal Lissouba out of Brazzaville, Denis Sassou-Nguesso proclaims himself the President of the Republic of the Congo.

2001 - Windows XP is officially released.

2002 - Carlton Television of London aired a regionally for the last time, to be followed by the majority of the ITV Network two days later.

2003 - The Cedar Fire is reported at 5:37 pm. It becomes the second largest wildfire in California history.

2003 - Australia defeat Namibia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup by a record 142 points to zero.

2004 - Fidel Castro, Cuba's President, announces that transactions using the American Dollar will be banned by November 8th.

2006 - Approval is given under the Transport & Works Act for the conversion of the North London Line between Stratford and Canning Town for assimilation into the Docklands Light Railway network.

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1102 - William Clito, Count of Flanders (d. 1128)

1330 - Louis II of Flanders (d. 1384)

1683 - Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton, British politician (d. 1757)

1692 - Elizabeth Farnese, queen of Philip V of Spain (d. 1766)

1759 - Maria Fyodorovna of Russia, second wife of Tsar Paul I of Russia (d. 1828)

1759 - William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1834)

1767 - Benjamin Constant, Swiss writer (d. 1830)

1772 - Geraud Duroc, French general (d. 1813)

1802 - Joseph Montferrand, Canadian logger and strong man (d. 1864)

1806 - Max Stirner, German philosopher (d. 1856)

1811 - Évariste Galois, French mathematician (d. 1832)

1825 - Johann Strauss II, Austrian composer (d. 1899)

1838 - Georges Bizet, French composer (d. 1875)

1856 - Dragutin Gorjanovic-Kramberger, Croatian paleontologist (d. 1936)

1864 - Alexander Gretchaninov, Russian composer (d. 1956)

1864 - John Francis Dodge, American automobile pioneer (d. 1920)

1867 - Józef Dowbór-Muśnicki, Polish general (d.1937)

1869 - John Heisman, American football coach (d. 1936)

1881 - Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor (d. 1973)

1888 - Richard E. Byrd, American explorer (d. 1957)

1888 - Nils von Dardel, Swedish painter (d. 1943)

1889 - Abel Gance, French screenwriter (d. 1981)

1892 - Leo G. Carroll, English actor (d. 1972)

1895 - Levi Eshkol, Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1969)

1902 - Eddie Lang, American jazz guitarist (d. 1933)

1903 - Katharine Byron, U.S. Congresswoman (d. 1976)

1908 - Edmond Pidoux, Swiss writer (d. 2004)

1910 - William Higinbotham, American physicist (d. 1994)

1912 - Minnie Pearl, American comedienne and singer (d. 1996)

1913 - Klaus Barbie, Nazi war criminal (d. 1991)

1914 - John Berryman, American poet (d. 1972)

1915 - Ivan M. Niven, Canadian mathematician (d. 1999)

1921 - King Michael I of Romania

1923 - Jean Duceppe, Quebec stage and television actor (d. 1990)

1924 - Billy Barty, American actor (d. 2000)

1926 - Galina Vishnevskaya, Russian soprano

1927 - Barbara Cook, American singer and actress

1928 - Marion Ross, American actress

1928 - Anthony Franciosa, American actor (d. 2006)

1931 - Jimmy McIlroy, Irish footballer and football manager

1931 - Annie Girardot, French actress

1932 - Harry Gregg, Irish footballer and football manager

1935 - Russell Schweickart, astronaut

1939 - Robin Spry, Canadian filmmaker and television producer (d. 2005)

1940 - Bobby Knight, American basketball coach

1941 - Anne Tyler, American novelist

1941 - Helen Reddy, Australian singer

1944 - Jon Anderson, English singer (Yes)

1944 - James Carville, American political pundit

1948 - Dan Gable, American wrestler and coach

1948 - Glenn Tipton, English guitarist

1948 - Dan Issel, American basketball player

1948 - Dave Cowens, American basketball player and coach

1949 - Réjean Houle, Canadian ice hockey forward

1950 - Chris Norman, English singer

1951 - Richard Lloyd, American guitarist of Television

1954 - Mike Eruzione, American hockey player

1955 - Robin Eubanks, American jazz trombonist

1955 - Matthias Jabs, German guitarist and songwriter (Scorpions)

1957 - Nancy Cartwright, American voice actress

1958 - Kornelia Ender, East German swimmer

1961 - Ward Burton, American auto racer

1962 - Chad Smith, American drummer (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

1962 - Darlene Vogel, American actress

1963 - Tracy Nelson, American actress

1964 - Nicole, German singer

1964 - Michael Boatman, American actor

1966 - Perry Satullo, American professional wrestler

1966 - Wendel Clark, National Hockey League player

1968 - Paul Kotheimer, American musician

1970 - J.A. Adande, American sports columnist

1970 - Adam Pascal, American actor

1970 - Ed Robertson, Canadian musician (Barenaked Ladies)

1970 - Adam Goldberg, American actor

1971 - Pedro Martínez, Dominican Major League Baseball player

1971 - Midori Goto, Japanese violinist

1971 - Simon Charlton, English footballer

1971 - Athena Chu, Hong Kong actress and singer

1975 - Eirik Glambek Bøe, Norwegian Musician

1976 - Steve Jones, Irish footballer

1977 - Birgit Prinz, German footballer

1978 - Russell Anderson, Scottish footballer

1978 - Markus Pöyhönen, Finnish athlete

1979 - Sarah Thompson, American actress

1979 - Tony Torcato, American baseball player

1981 - Shaun Wright-Phillips, English footballer

1982 - Eman Lam, Hong Kong singer

1984 - Sara Lumholdt, Swedish musician (A-Teens)

1985 - Ciara Harris, American singer

1986 - Eddie Gaven, American footballer

1989 - Young Dice, American rapper

1990 - Austin Peralta, American jazz pianist

1993 - Tori Thompson, American singer

1995 - Conchita Campbell, Canadian actress

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304 - Pope Marcellinus (martyred)

625 - Pope Boniface V

1047 - King Magnus I of Norway (b. 1024)

1154 - King Stephen of England (b. 1096)

1230 - Gilbert de Clare, 5th Earl of Hertford, English soldier (b. 1180)

1400 - Geoffrey Chaucer, English poet

1415 - Killed in the Battle of Agincourt:

Charles d'Albret, Count of Dreux and Constable of France

John I of Alençon (b. 1385)

Antoine, Duke of Brabant (b. 1384)

Philip of Burgundy, Count of Nevers and Rethel (b. 1389)

Frederick of Lorraine (b. 1371)

Philip II, Count of Nevers (b. 1389)

Michael de la Pole, 3rd Earl of Suffolk (b. 1394)

Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York (b. 1373)

1492 - Thaddeus McCarthy, Irish Catholic bishop

1495 - King John II of Portugal (b. 1455)

1514 - William Elphinstone, Scottish bishop and statesman (b. 1431)

1555 - Olympia Fulvia Morata, Italian classical scholar (b. 1526)

1557 - William Cavendish, English politician (b. 1505)

1633 - Jean Titelouze, French organist

1647 - Evangelista Torricelli, Italian physicist and mathematician (b. 1608)

1683 - William Scroggs, Lord Chief Justice of England

1733 - Giovanni Gerolamo Saccheri, Italian mathematician (b. 1667)

1757 - Antoine Augustine Calmet, French theologian (b. 1672)

1760 - George II of Great Britain (b. 1683)

1826 - Philippe Pinel, French psychiatrist (b. 1745)

1833 - Abbas Mirza, prince of Persia (b. 1789)

1889 - Émile Augier, French dramatist (b. 1820)

1895 - Charles Hallé, German pianist and conductor (b. 1819)

1910 - Willie Anderson, Scottish-born golfer (b. 1878)

1920 - King Alexander I of Greece (b. 1893)

1921 - Bat Masterson, American journalist and lawman

1938 - Alfonsina Storni, Argentine poet (b. 1892)

1953 - Holger Pedersen, Danish linguist (b. 1867

1955 - Sadako Sasaki atomic bomb victim (b. 1943)

1957 - Albert Anastasia, Italian-born gangster (b. 1902)

1957 - Lord Dunsany, Irish writer (b. 1878)

1960 - Harry Ferguson, farm equipment manufacturer (b. 1884)

1963 - Roger Désormière, French conductor (b. 1898)

1965 - Eduard Einstein, Son of Albert Einstein (b. 1910)

1973 - Cleo Moore, American actress (b. 1928)

1973 - Abebe Bikila, Ethiopian athlete (b. 1932)

1980 - Virgil Fox, American organist (b. 1912)

1985 - Gary Holton, English actor (b. 1952)

1986 - Forrest Tucker, America actor (b. 1919)

1988 - Rima Ghosh, Indian-American actress (b. 1931)

1992 - Roger Miller, American musician and composer (b. 1936)

1993 - Danny Chan, Hong Kong singer/songwriter (b. 1958)

1993 - Vincent Price, American actor (b. 1911)

1994 - Kara Spears Hultgreen American naval pilot (b. 1965)

1994 - Mildred Natwick, American actress (b. 1905)

1995 - Bobby Riggs, American tennis player (b. 1918)

1995 - Viveca Lindfors, Swedish-born actress (b. 1920)

1999 - Payne Stewart, American golfer (b. 1957)

2002 - Richard Harris, Irish actor (b. 1930)

2002 - Paul Wellstone, U.S. Senator from Minnesota (b. 1944)

2002 - René Thom, French mathematician (b. 1923)

2003 - Veikko Hakulinen, Finnish cross-country skier (b. 1925)

2004 - John Peel, British disc jockey (b. 1939)

2005 - Wellington Mara, American football team owner (b. 1916)

2006 - Danny Rolling, American murderer (b. 1954)

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R.C. Saints feast days:

Saints Crispin and Crispian

Six Welsh martyrs and companions

Forty martyrs of England and Wales

Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy

Also see October 25 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

French Republican Calendar - Betterave (Beetroot) Day, fourth day in the Month of Brumaire

Grenada - Thanksgiving Day (commemorates Invasion of Grenada)

Kazakhstan - Republic Day

Taiwan - Retrocession Day (1945)

Virgin Islands - Thanksgiving Day

Day of the Romanian Army