EVENTS:
- 1783 – The Montgolfier brothers‘ hot air balloon (tethered) makes the first human ascent, piloted by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier.
- 1878 – The Edison Electric Light Company begins operation.
- 1932 – Tata Airlines (later to become Air India) makes its first flight.
- 1956 – Fortran, the first modern computer language, is shared with the coding community for the first time.
- 1970 – The domestic Soviet Aeroflot Flight 244 is hijacked and diverted to Turkey.
- 1987 – The Great Storm of 1987 hits France and England.
- 1990 – Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.
- 2003 – China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission.
- 2013 – A 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes the Philippines, resulting in more than 215 deaths.
- 2016 – One hundred ninety-seven nations amend the Montreal Protocol to include a phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons.
- 2018 – 13-year-old American girl, Jayme Closs, is kidnapped from her Barron, Wisconsin home after her parents were both murdered.
BIRTHS:
- 1897 – Mudicondan Venkatarama Iyer Indian singer and musicologist (d. 1975)
- 1931 – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Indian engineer, educator, and politician, 11th President of India
- 1946 – Victor Banerjee, Indian actor and director
- 1955 – Kulbir Bhaura, Indian field hockey player
- 1957 – Mira Nair, Indian-American actress, director, and producer
- 1971 – Andy Cole, English footballer and coach
- 1975 – Glen Little, English footballer
- 1979 – Blue Adams, American football player and coach
- 1979 – Paul Robinson, English footballer
- 1981 – Abram Elam, American football player
- 1989 – Blaine Gabbert, American football player
- 1994 – Stephen Arthurworrey, English footballer
- 1995 – Jakob Pöltl, Austrian basketball player
- 2005 – Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark
HOLIDAYS and OBSERVANCES:
- Global Handwashing Day (International)
- Teachers’ Day (Brazil)
- White Cane Safety Day (United States)
- Evacuation Day (Tunisia)
- Spirit Day (International observance)
- National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
