The city of Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace) is founded by Alonso de Mendoza by appointment of the king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.

La PazBlessed Virgin MaryAlonso de MendozaHoly Roman EmperorCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Battle of Jodoigne: the Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent.

Battle of JodoigneFernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of AlbaDutch RevoltWilliam the Silent

Relief of Goes: Cristóbal de Mondragón, with 3000 soldiers of the Spanish Tercios, relieves the siege of the city.

Relief of GoesCristóbal de Mondragón

Caribbean pirate Calico Jack is captured by the Royal Navy.

Calico JackCapture of the WilliamRoyal Navy

Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction and the War of the Austrian Succession begins.

Maria TheresaHoly Roman EmpireKingdom of FranceKingdom of PrussiaElectorate of Bavaria

The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Habsburg Monarchy.

Patent of TolerationFreedom of religionHabsburg Monarchy

The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.

United States SenateLouisiana Purchase

The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada-United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length.

Treaty of 1818Canada-United States border49th parallel north

In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French, and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships.

Battle of NavarinoOttoman EmpireKhedivate of EgyptBourbon RestorationRussian Empire

Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Rutgers universities draft the first code of American football rules.

Yale UniversityPrinceton UniversityColumbia UniversityRutgers UniversityAmerican football

Peru and Chile sign the Treaty of Ancón, by which the Tarapacá province is ceded to the latter, bringing an end to Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific.

PeruChileTreaty of AncónTarapacá RegionWar of the Pacific

Chile and Bolivia sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, delimiting the border between the two countries.

Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1904)

The hull of the RMS Olympic, sister-ship to the ill-fated RMS Titanic, is launched from the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

RMS OlympicRMS TitanicHarland and WolffShipyardBelfast

The Long March, a mammoth retreat undertaken by the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party a year prior, ends.

Long MarchCommunist Party of China

World War II: Thousands of civilians in Kragujevac in German-occupied Serbia are murdered in the Kragujevac massacre.

World War IIKragujevacTerritory of the Military Commander in SerbiaKragujevac massacre

The Soviet Army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia

Soviet ArmyYugoslav PartisansBelgradeKingdom of Yugoslavia

Liquefied natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland and then explodes; the explosion and resulting fire level 30 blocks and kill 130.

Liquefied natural gasCleveland, OhioCleveland East Ohio Gas explosion

American general Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise to return to the Philippines when he commands an Allied assault on the islands, reclaiming them from the Japanese during the Second World War.

Douglas MacArthurPhilippinesBattle of Leyte

Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam decides that October 20 is Vietnam Women's Day.

North Vietnam

The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the cinema of the United States, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.

House Un-American Activities CommitteeCommunismCinema of the United StatesHollywood blacklist

The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan establish diplomatic relations for the first time.

Pakistan-United States relationsDiplomatic relations

The "Johnny Bright incident" occurs in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Johnny Bright incidentStillwater, Oklahoma

Governor Evelyn Baring declares a state of emergency in Kenya and begins arresting hundreds of suspected leaders of the Mau Mau Uprising, including Jomo Kenyatta, the future first President of Kenya.

Governor of KenyaEvelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of GlendaleState of emergencyKenyaMau Mau Uprising

The Soviet Union performs the first armed test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, launching an R-13 from a Golf-class submarine.

Submarine-launched ballistic missileR-13 (missile)Golf-class submarine

People's Republic of China launches simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line, igniting the Sino-Indian War.

LadakhMcMahon LineSino-Indian War

Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy marries Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

First Lady of the United StatesJacqueline KennedyAristotle Onassis

"Saturday Night Massacre": United States President Richard Nixon fires U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Robert Bork.

Saturday Night MassacreRichard NixonUnited States Attorney GeneralElliot RichardsonUnited States Deputy Attorney General

The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction.

Sydney Opera HouseElizabeth II

The ferry George Prince is struck by a ship while crossing the Mississippi River between Destrehan and Luling, Louisiana. Seventy-eight passengers and crew die, and only 18 people aboard the ferry survive.

MV George Prince ferry disasterMississippi RiverDestrehan, LouisianaLuling, Louisiana

Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crashes.

Lynyrd Skynyrd1977 Convair CV-240 crash