History
Today in 2017: Tom Petty died
On 2 October 2017, Tom Petty died in California at the age of 66. Nine years later, the American singer,...
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On this day in 1975: The “Thrilla in Manila”
Fifty-one years ago today, on 1 October 1975, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought for the third and final time...
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On this day in 1967: The morning Britain’s pop revolution reached the BBC
On 30 September 1967, BBC Radio 1 began broadcasting, bringing Britain’s appetite for pop music into the heart of the...
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On this day in 1825: The day steam put the world on a new track
On this day in 1825, the Stockton and Darlington Railway opened in north-east England, marking a turning point in transport...
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On this day in 1960: The night television changed presidential campaigns
On 26 September 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon faced each other in the first nationally televised debate between...
Read moreDetailsOn this day in 1066: 1066 Tostig, earl of Northumbria, and Harald III, king of Norway, were killed in an attempt to depose Tostig’s brother, King Harold II of England
On 25 September 1066, an English army defeated an invading Norwegian force at Stamford Bridge. Among the dead were Tostig,...
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The king who returned to Cambodia’s throne
On 24 September 1993, Norodom Sihanouk became king of Cambodia for the second time. His return to the throne marked...
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On this day in 1846: This day in 1846, astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle became the first person ever to observe the planet Neptune
On 23 September 1846, astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle identified Neptune at the Berlin Observatory, close to a position predicted by...
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On this day in 1980: © Zuheir Saade—AP/REX/Shutterstock.com 1980 The Iran-Iraq War began
On 22 September 1980, Iraq launched a large-scale invasion of neighbouring Iran, beginning a devastating conflict that would last almost...
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On this day in 2013: Al-Shabaab militants launched a terrorist attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi
On 21 September 2013, armed militants from the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabaab attacked the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, beginning...
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