On This Day — October 4

Famous events, births, and deaths from October 4 in history, plus the public holidays, religious observances, sports, and national days happening on this date today.

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45 events · 221 births · 94 deaths recorded for October 4.

🕰️ Notable Events on October 4

2010 — The Ajka plant accident in western Hungary releases about a million cubic metres (35 million cubic feet) of liquid alumina sludge. Nine people are killed and 122 injured, and the Marcal and Danube rivers are severely contaminated. Wikipedia ↗
2006 — Wikileaks is launched by Julian Assange. Wikipedia ↗
2004 — SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, by being the first private craft to fly into space. Wikipedia ↗
2003 — Maxim restaurant suicide bombing in Haifa, Israel: Twenty-one Israelis, Jews and Arabs, are killed, and 51 others wounded. Wikipedia ↗
2001 — Siberia Airlines Flight 1812: A Sibir Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 crashes into the Black Sea after being struck by an errant Ukrainian S-200 missile. Seventy-eight people are killed. Wikipedia ↗
1997 — The second largest cash robbery in U.S. history occurs at the Charlotte, North Carolina office of Loomis, Fargo and Company. A Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation eventually results in 24 convictions and the recovery of approximately 95% of the $17.3 million stolen cash. Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Russian Constitutional Crisis: In Moscow, tanks bombard the White House, a government building that housed the Russian parliament, while demonstrators against President Boris Yeltsin rally outside. Wikipedia ↗
1992 — The Rome General Peace Accords ends a 16-year civil war in Mozambique. Wikipedia ↗
1992 — El Al Flight 1862: An El Al Boeing 747-258F crashes into two apartment buildings in Amsterdam, killing 43 including 39 on the ground. Wikipedia ↗
1991 — The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty is opened for signature. Wikipedia ↗
1985 — The Free Software Foundation is founded in Massachusetts, United States. Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Richard Noble sets a new land speed record of 633.468 miles per hour (1,019.468 km/h), driving Thrust2 at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei abdicates in favour of his son, Hassanal Bolkiah. Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Basutoland becomes independent from the United Kingdom and is renamed Lesotho. Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Pope Paul VI arrives in New York City, the first Pope to visit the Americas. Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Hurricane Flora kills 6,000 in Cuba and Haiti. Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Eastern Air Lines Flight 375, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashes after a bird strike on takeoff from Boston's Logan International Airport, killing 62 people (out of 72 onboard). Wikipedia ↗
1958 — The current constitution of France is adopted. Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Space Race: Launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Norman Rockwell's Willie Gillis character debuts on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post. Wikipedia ↗
1936 — The British Union of Fascists and various anti-fascist organizations violently clash in the Battle of Cable Street. Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Gutzon Borglum begins sculpting Mount Rushmore. Wikipedia ↗
1918 — An explosion kills more than 100 and destroys the T.A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant in Sayreville, New Jersey. Wikipedia ↗
1917 — World War I: The Battle of Broodseinde is fought between the British and German armies in Flanders. Wikipedia ↗
1904 — IFK Göteborg was founded in Café Olivedal in Gothenburg, Sweden. Wikipedia ↗
1895 — The first U.S. Open Men's Golf Championship administered by the United States Golf Association is played at the Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island. Wikipedia ↗
1883 — First run of the Orient Express. Wikipedia ↗
1883 — First meeting of the Boys' Brigade in Glasgow, Scotland. Wikipedia ↗
1876 — Texas A&M University opens as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, becoming the first public institution of higher education in Texas. Wikipedia ↗
1853 — The Ottoman Empire declares war on the Russian Empire. Wikipedia ↗
1830 — The Provisional Government of Belgium secedes from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Wikipedia ↗
1824 — Mexico adopts a new constitution and becomes a federal republic. Wikipedia ↗
1795 — Napoleon Bonaparte first rises to national prominence by suppressing armed counter-revolutionary rioters threatening the National Convention. Wikipedia ↗
1777 — Battle of Germantown: Troops under George Washington are repelled by British troops under Sir William Howe. Wikipedia ↗
1693 — Piedmontese troops are defeated by the French. Wikipedia ↗
1636 — The Swedish Army defeats the armies of Saxony and the Holy Roman Empire at the Battle of Wittstock. Wikipedia ↗
1597 — The first Guale uprising begins against the Spanish missions in Georgia. Wikipedia ↗
1582 — Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian calendar. In Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, October 4 of this year is followed directly by October 15. Wikipedia ↗
1535 — The first complete English-language Bible (the Coverdale Bible) is printed, with translations by William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale. Wikipedia ↗
1511 — Formation of the Holy League of Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Papal States and the Republic of Venice against France. Wikipedia ↗
1363 — End of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the Chinese rebel forces of Zhu Yuanzhang defeat that of his rival, Chen Youliang, in one of the largest naval battles in history. Wikipedia ↗
1302 — A peace treaty between the Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Venice ends the Byzantine-Venetian War (1296-1302). Wikipedia ↗
1227 — Assassination of Caliph al-Adil. Wikipedia ↗
610 — Heraclius arrives by ship from Africa at Constantinople, overthrows Byzantine Emperor Phocas and becomes Emperor. Wikipedia ↗
Rebels capture and sack the Chinese capital Chang'an during a peasant rebellion. They kill and decapitate the emperor, Wang Mang, two days later. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on October 4

1990 — Signy Aarna, Estonian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Dakota Johnson, American model and actress Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Melissa Benoist, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Caner Erkin, Turkish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Evgeni Krasnopolski, Israeli figure skater Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Derrick Rose, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Rawez Lawan, Swedish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Will Puddy, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Marina Weisband, German politician Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Shontelle, Barbadian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Thorsten Wiedemann, German rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Lena Katina, Russian singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Álvaro Parente, Portuguese race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Karolina Tymińska, Polish heptathlete Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Dan Clarke, English race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Marios Nicolaou, Cypriot footballer Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Chansi Stuckey, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Kurt Suzuki, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Vicky Krieps, Luxembourgish actress Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Tony Gwynn, Jr., American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Jered Weaver, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Shaura, Japanese singer Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Justin Williams, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Sarah Fisher, American race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1980 — James Jones, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Tomáš Rosický, Czech footballer Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Rachael Leigh Cook, American actress Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Björn Phau, German tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Adam Voges, Australian cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Phillip Glasser, American actor and producer Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Kei Horie, Japanese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Kyle Lohse, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Richard Reed Parry, Canadian guitarist, songwriter, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Mauro Camoranesi, Argentinian-Italian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Elisandro Naressi Roos, Brazilian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Alicia Silverstone, American actress, producer, and author Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Ueli Steck, Swiss mountaineer and rock climber (d. 2017) Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Cristiano Lucarelli, Italian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Paco León, Spanish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Kurt Thomas, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Darren Middleton, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Richard Hancox, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Tim Wise, American activist and author Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Nick Green, Australian rower Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Liev Schreiber, American actor and director Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Olaf Backasch, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Skip Heller, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Steve Olin, American baseball player (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Micky Ward, American boxer Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Tom Jager, American swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Francis Magalona, Filipino rapper, producer, and actor (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Yvonne Murray, Scottish runner Wikipedia ↗
1963 — A. C. Green, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1963 — Koji Ishikawa, Japanese author and illustrator Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Carlos Carsolio, Mexican mountaineer Wikipedia ↗
1962 — Jon Secada, Cuban-American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Philippe Russo, French singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Kazuki Takahashi, Japanese author and illustrator, created Yu-Gi-Oh! Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Joe Boever, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Henry Worsley, English colonel and explorer (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Chris Lowe, English singer and keyboard player Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Tony Meo, English snooker player Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Hitonari Tsuji, Japanese author, composer, and director Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Anneka Rice, Welsh radio and television host Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Barbara Kooyman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Bill Fagerbakke, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Yngve Moe, Norwegian bass player and songwriter (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Russell Simmons, American businessman, founded Def Jam Recordings and Phat Farm Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Lesley Glaister, English author and playwright Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Charlie Leibrandt, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Sherri Turner, American golfer Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Christoph Waltz, Austrian-German actor Wikipedia ↗
1955 — John Rutherford, Scottish rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Jorge Valdano, Argentinian footballer, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Gil Moore, Canadian singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Andreas Vollenweider, Swiss harp player Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Anita DeFrantz, American rower and sports administrator Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Jody Stephens, American rock drummer (Big Star; Golden Smog) Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Bakhytzhan Kanapyanov, Kazakh poet and author Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Patti Andress, American jazz singer (Tuck & Patti) Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Armand Assante, American actor and producer Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Stephen Gyllenhaal, American director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Linda McMahon, American businesswoman and politician Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Duke Robillard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Julien Clerc, French singer-songwriter and pianist Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Jim Fielder, American bass player Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Ann Widdecombe, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Health Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Larry Clapp, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Chuck Hagel, American sergeant and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Defense Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Michael Mullen, American admiral Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Susan Sarandon, American actress and activist Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Clifton Davis, American singer-songwriter, actor, and minister Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Colin Bundy, South African-English historian and academic Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Rocío Dúrcal, Spanish singer and actress (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Eddie Gómez, Puerto Rican-American bass player Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Tony La Russa, American baseball player and manager Wikipedia ↗
1944 — John McFall, Baron McFall of Alcluith, Scottish educator and politician Wikipedia ↗
1943 — H. Rap Brown, American activist Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Owen Davidson, Australian tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Karl-Gustav Kaisla, Finnish ice hockey player and referee (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Dietmar Mürdter, German footballer Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Jimy Williams, American baseball player and manager Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Bernice Johnson Reagon, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Karl W. Richter, American lieutenant and pilot (d. 1967) Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Icelandic politician, 24th Prime Minister of Iceland Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Christopher Stone, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Roy Blount, Jr., American humorist and journalist Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Karen Cushman, American author Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Karl Oppitzhauser, Austrian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Anne Rice, American author Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Robert Wilson, American director and playwright Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Vic Hadfield, Canadian ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Silvio Marzolini, Argentinian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Steve Swallow, American bass player and composer Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Alberto Vilar, American businessman and philanthropist Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Ivan Mauger, New Zealand motorcycle racer Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Kurt Wüthrich, Swiss chemist and biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate Wikipedia ↗
1938 — Norman D. Wilson, American actor (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Jackie Collins, English-American author and actress (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1937 — David Crocker, American philosopher and academic Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Gail Gilmore, Canadian-American actress and dancer (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Lloyd Green, American steel guitar player Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Jim Sillars, Scottish lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Charlie Hurley, Irish footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Giles Radice, Baron Radice, English politician Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Sam Huff, American football player, coach, and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1934 — Dimosthenis Sofianos, Greek journalist and poet Wikipedia ↗
1933 — German Moreno, Filipino television host and actor (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Ann Thwaite, English author Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Terence Conran, English designer and businessman Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Basil D'Oliveira, South African-English cricketer and footballer (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Richard Rorty, American philosopher and author (d. 2007) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Scotty Beckett, American actor and singer (d. 1968) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — John E. Mack, American psychiatrist and author (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Leroy Van Dyke, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Alvin Toffler, German-American journalist and author (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1928 — Torben Ulrich, Danish-American tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Wolf Kahn, American painter and academic Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Raymond Watson, American businessman (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Roger Wood, Belgian-American journalist (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1924 — Donald J. Sobol, American soldier and author (d. 2012) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — Charlton Heston, American actor, director and gun rights activist (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
1922 — Malcolm Baldrige, Jr., American businessman and politician, 26th United States Secretary of Commerce (d. 1987) Wikipedia ↗
1922 — Shin Kyuk-ho, South Korean-Japanese businessman, founded Lotte Group Wikipedia ↗
1922 — Don Lenhardt, American baseball player and coach (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1918 — Kenichi Fukui, Japanese chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
1917 — Violeta Parra, Chilean singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1967) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Vitaly Ginzburg, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Jan Murray, American comedian, actor, and game show host (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — George Sidney, American director and producer (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
1914 — Jim Cairns, Australian economist and politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (d. 2003) Wikipedia ↗
1914 — Brendan Gill, American journalist and essayist (d. 1997) Wikipedia ↗
1913 — Martial Célestin, Haitian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Haiti (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1910 — Frankie Crosetti, American baseball player and coach (d. 2002) Wikipedia ↗
1910 — Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı, Turkish poet and author (d. 1956) Wikipedia ↗