2023: Hurricane Otis slams into Acapulco, Mexico, as a Category 5 storm. Otis grew from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane in roughly a day, catching forecasters and residents off guard. It was the strongest hurricane on record to strike Mexico's Pacific coast, killed more than 50 people, and caused an estimated $12 billion to $16 billion in damage, making it the costliest hurricane in Mexican history.
2002: Irish actor Richard Harris dies in London at 72. Known for fiery, rebellious screen roles in films such as This Sporting Life and A Man Called Horse, he also scored a hit record with “MacArthur Park.” Late in his career he played Professor Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films.
1997: Soccer legend Diego Maradona plays his final professional match. The Argentine star, days short of his 37th birthday, finished his career with Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires. He had captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and is widely ranked among the greatest players ever.
1983: U.S. forces invade the Caribbean island nation of Grenada. President Ronald Reagan ordered the operation after a violent coup in which Grenada's prime minister, Maurice Bishop, was killed, citing the safety of American medical students on the island. Thousands of U.S. troops took control within days, and the invasion drew criticism from many countries.
1964: The Rolling Stones make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The young British band played to a screaming studio audience, and the uproar led Ed Sullivan to say publicly that they would not be invited back. The Stones returned to his show several more times in the years that followed.
1955: The first microwave ovens for home kitchens go on sale. The Tappan Company introduced the countertop model, which cost about $1,300, a huge sum at the time. Microwaves did not become common in American homes until smaller, cheaper models arrived in the late 1960s and 1970s.
1950: China enters the Korean War on the side of North Korea. Chinese troops who had crossed the Yalu River clashed with South Korean and United Nations forces, which were led mainly by the United States. The Chinese offensive drove UN forces back from the Chinese border and turned the war into a long stalemate.
1944: Famously off-key soprano Florence Foster Jenkins sings to a sold-out Carnegie Hall. The wealthy New York socialite and philanthropist was beloved by audiences who came to enjoy her wildly out-of-tune performances. She died about a month later, and her story was told in a 2016 film starring Meryl Streep.
1940: Benjamin O. Davis Sr. becomes the first African American general in the U.S. Army. He was promoted to brigadier general after a career that began during the Spanish-American War in 1898. His son, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., commanded the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II.
1936: Germany and Italy form the Rome-Berlin Axis. The agreement between Adolf Hitler's Germany and Benito Mussolini's Italy aligned the two dictatorships on foreign policy. Mussolini soon popularized the word “axis” for the partnership, and Japan later joined them as the main Axis powers of World War II.
1764: John Adams marries Abigail Smith in Massachusetts. The 19-year-old bride wed the Boston lawyer at her family's home in Weymouth. Abigail went on to become the nation's first second lady and second first lady, the mother of sixth president John Quincy Adams, and one of the great letter writers of the Revolutionary era.
1415: King Henry V's English army defeats the French at the Battle of Agincourt. Fought during the Hundred Years' War, the battle saw a badly outnumbered English force, led by its longbowmen, rout French knights on a muddy field in northern France. The victory opened the way to further English conquests and was later immortalized in Shakespeare's play Henry V.
Born on This Day
1998: Juan Soto, Dominican baseball player Turns 28. Slugging outfielder who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals and later signed a record contract with the New York Mets.
1989: Mia Wasikowska, Australian actress Turns 37. Played the title role in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.
1985: Ciara, American R&B singer Turns 41. Known for hits including “Goodies,” “1, 2 Step,” and “Level Up.”
1984: Katy Perry, American pop singer Turns 42. Hitmaker behind “I Kissed a Girl,” “Firework,” and “Roar,” and a former American Idol judge.
1975: Antony Starr, New Zealand actor Turns 51. Plays the villainous superhero Homelander on The Boys.
1971: Pedro Martinez, Dominican baseball pitcher Turns 55. Hall of Fame ace who helped the Boston Red Sox end their World Series drought in 2004.
1971: Craig Robinson, American actor and comedian Turns 55. Best known as warehouse boss Darryl on The Office.
1970: Ed Robertson, Canadian rock singer and guitarist Turns 56. Frontman of Barenaked Ladies, known for “One Week” and the theme song to The Big Bang Theory.
1961: Chad Smith, American rock drummer Turns 65. Longtime drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
1957: Nancy Cartwright, American voice actress Turns 69. The voice of Bart Simpson on The Simpsons.
1954: Mike Eruzione, American hockey player Turns 72. Captain of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic team coached by Minnesota's Herb Brooks, he scored the winning goal against the Soviet Union.
1948: Dan Gable, American wrestler and coach Turns 78. Won Olympic gold in 1972 and built a wrestling dynasty at the University of Iowa.
1944: Jon Anderson, English rock singer Turns 82. Lead singer of Yes, known for “Roundabout” and “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”
1944: James Carville, American political strategist Turns 82. Masterminded Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign.
1941: Helen Reddy, Australian-American singer Her 1972 anthem “I Am Woman” hit No. 1 and won a Grammy.
1941: Anne Tyler, American novelist Turns 85. Author of The Accidental Tourist and the Pulitzer Prize winner Breathing Lessons.
1940: Bob Knight, American basketball coach Fiery Indiana Hoosiers coach who won three NCAA titles and over 900 games.
1928: Marion Ross, American actress Turns 98. Played Marion Cunningham, the mom on Happy Days.
1881: Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor Co-founder of Cubism and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
1825: Johann Strauss II, Austrian composer The “Waltz King,” composer of “The Blue Danube.”
