Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1763

France ceded Canada to England under the Treaty of Paris, which ended the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Year War).

1840

Britain's Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg-Gotha.

1846

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons, began an exodus to the west from Illinois.

1863

The fire extinguisher was patented by Alanson Crane.

1897

"All the news that's fit to print" appeared on the front page of "The New York Times" beginning this day. It first appeared on the editorial page on October 25, 1896.

1933

The first singing telegram was introduced by the Postal Telegram Company in New York.

1942

The former French liner Normandie capsized in New York Harbor a day after it caught fire while being refitted for the U.S. Navy.

1942

The first gold record (sprayed with gold by the record company RCA Victor) was presented to Glenn Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo."

1962

The Soviet Union exchanged captured American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolph Ivanovich Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States.

1962

The Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolph Ivanovich Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States.

1967

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, went into effect.

1968

Peggy Fleming of the United States won the gold medal in women's figure skating at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France.

1981

Fire broke out at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino, killing eight people and injuring 198.

1989

Ron Brown was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, becoming the first black to head a major U.S. political party.

1992

Boxer Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant.

1997

The Army suspended its top-ranking enlisted soldier, Army Sgt. Major Gene McKinney, following sexual misconduct allegations. McKinney was convicted of obstruction of justice, but acquitted of 18 counts alleging sexual harassment of six military women.

1824

Samuel Plimsoll, English social reformer, who created load-line for ships, and invented a rubber-soled canvas shoe.

1890

Boris Pasternak, Russian poet, writer, Nobel Prize-winner.

1893

Jimmy Durante, American actor, comedian.

1894

Harold Macmillan, British politician and publisher.

1898

Bertolt Brecht, German dramatist and poet.

1898

Dame Judith Anderson, Australian-born actress.

1950

Mark Spitz, Olympic gold-medal swimmer.

1992

"Roots" author Alex Haley died in Seattle at age 70.

2000

Jim Varney, American actor probably best known for his character Ernest P. Worrell.

2003

Ron Ziegler, White House press secretary to Richard Nixon.

2005

Arthur Miller, American playwright.

2019

Jan-Michael Vincent was an American actor known for portraying helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series Airwolf (1984-1987).