24 October 1884

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.

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

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

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

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.

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..

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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

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

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.

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

The world's longest sea crossing, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, opens for public traffic.

A French surveillance aircraft flying to Libya crashes on takeoff in Malta, killing all five people on board.

Three heavily armed terrorists from the Islamic State – Khorasan Province open fire on and eventually suicide bomb a police training centre in Balochistan, Pakistan, killing at least 59 cadets and injuring more than 165 others.

The China National Space Administration launches an experimental lunar mission, Chang'e 5-T1, which will loop behind the Moon and return to Earth.

"Bloody Friday" saw many of the world's stock exchanges experience the worst declines in their history, with drops of around 10% in most indices.

Chang'e 1, the first satellite in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, is launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center.