Today:
1415 – The Battle of Agincourt took place during the Hundred Years’ War, where the English army, led by King Henry V, defeated the French despite being outnumbered.
1616 – Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog made the first recorded European landing on the western coast of Australia.
1747 – The British fleet defeated the French at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre during the War of Austrian Succession.
1760 – King George III of Great Britain ascended to the throne following the death of his grandfather, King George II.
1854 – The infamous Charge of the Light Brigade occurred during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War.
1861 – The Toronto Stock Exchange was created.
1917 – The October Revolution began in Russia, leading to the eventual overthrow of the Provisional Government and the establishment of Bolshevik rule.
1927 – The Italian luxury liner SS Principessa Mafalda sank off the coast of Brazil, resulting in over 300 deaths.
1944 – The largest naval battle in history, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, culminated, marking a decisive Allied victory over Japan in World War II.
1983 – The United States and Caribbean allies launched Operation Urgent Fury, invading Grenada to overthrow the Marxist government.