End of the Mozambican Civil War
The conflict began in 1977, just a couple of years after the War of Independence against the Portuguese, resulted in massive losses of human life and property. The civil war ended with the signing of the Rome General Peace Accords by both of the warring parties.
Lesotho gained independence from British rule.
World’s first artificial satellite launched
The Soviet Union launched the Sputnik from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The successful launch of Sputnik spurred the Space Race – a race between Cold War rivals USSR and US to gain supremacy in spaceflight.
Last day of the Julian Calendar in Catholic countries
The next day, the Gregorian calendar took effect in Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain by the order of Pope Gregory XIII. The calendar was put in place to realign events like equinoxes and solstices with the calendar, ensuring that Easter is always celebrated around the Northern Hemisphere’s spring equinox. Because of the new calendar, several days were skipped, and October 4 was followed by October 15. Today, the Gregorian calendar is the most used calendar around the world.
- 1988 Derrick Rose
American basketball player
- 1973 Abyss
American wrestler
- 1946 Chuck Hagel
American politician
- 1895 Buster Keaton
American actor, director, producer
- 1982 Glenn Gould
Canadian pianist, composer
- 1974 Anne Sexton
American poet
- 1970 Janis Joplin
American singer-songwriter
- 1951 Henrietta Lacks
American patient, HeLa cells derived from her cervical cancer
