Today:
1683: The first organized group of German immigrants arrived in Philadelphia, establishing the settlement of Germantown.
1889: The Moulin Rouge, a now-famous cabaret, opened in Paris, France.
1927: “The Jazz Singer,” one of the first feature-length films to include synchronized dialogue and singing, premiered in New York City, heralding the age of “talkies.”
1973: The Yom Kippur War began as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
1976: In China, the “Gang of Four,” including Mao Zedong’s widow, were arrested, marking the end of the Cultural Revolution.
1979: Pope John Paul II became the first reigning pope to visit the White House in Washington, D.C.
1981: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by Islamic extremists during a military parade in Cairo.
1995: Astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz announced the discovery of 51 Pegasi b, the first exoplanet found orbiting a sun-like star.
2007: Jason Lewis completed the first-ever human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth, a journey that took over 13 years.
2010: The photo and video-sharing social networking service Instagram was launched.