24 October 1483

A Wednesday in history

Weekday

Wednesday

Season

Autumn (N. Hemisphere)

Century

15th century

Records

498

  1. 2015

    Lam Wing-kee, the owner of Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong, known for publishing political books banned in mainland China, was abducted by Chinese authorities.

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  2. 2004

    English football club Manchester United defeated rivals Arsenal 2–0 in the Battle of the Buffet, ending the latter's record-breaking unbeaten run.

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  3. 2003

    The inaugural Afro-Asian Games opened in Hyderabad, with 2,040 athletes from 96 nations competing.

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  4. 1975

    In protest against wage discrepancy and unfair employment practices, 90 percent of Iceland's female population went on strike for a day.

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  5. 1972

    Three people were killed when falsework collapsed during the construction of the Loddon Bridge in Berkshire, leading to reform of construction practices in the UK.

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  6. 1964

    Charges in a military court against generals Dương Văn Đức and Lâm Văn Phát of leading a coup attempt against South Vietnamese leader Nguyễn Khánh, were dropped..

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  7. 1949

    The cornerstone of the United Nations headquarters was laid in New York City.

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  8. 1945

    The Charter of the United Nations entered into force after being ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of the other signatories.

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  9. 1944

    World War II: The Japanese battleship Musashi, one of the heaviest and most powerfully armed ever constructed, was sunk by American aircraft during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

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  10. 1931

    The George Washington Bridge (pictured), connecting New York City to Fort Lee, New Jersey, and today the world's busiest motor-vehicle bridge, was dedicated.

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  11. 1930

    The Pacification Junta deposed Brazillian president Washington Luís, ending the Brazilian Revolution of 1930.

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  12. 1929

    On "Black Thursday", the New York Stock Exchange lost 11 percent of its value at the opening bell on very heavy trading, marking the beginning of the Great Depression.

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  13. 1889

    Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, gave a speech in which he called for the federation of the six Australian colonies.

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  14. 1885

    The Russian ship Dmitry ran aground in Whitby, an incident that inspired the arrival of Count Dracula to England in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel (cover pictured).

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  15. 1851

    William Lassell found Umbriel and Ariel, the third and fourth Uranian moons to be discovered.

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  16. 1796

    War of the First Coalition: The Battle of Schliengen was fought between the French and Austrian armies, who both claimed victory.

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  17. 1789

    The Brabant Revolution, sometimes considered to be the first expression of Belgian nationalism, began with the invasion of the Austrian Netherlands by an émigré army from the Dutch Republic.

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  18. 1260

    Qutuz (bust pictured), the sultan of Egypt, was assassinated and replaced by fellow Mamluk leader Baybars.

    Source

Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.