October 24

Monday 24, 2005:

Rockstar Games releases ' for the Sony Playstation Portable. Also, Firaxis Games will release Civilization 4 for the PC.

Friday 24, 2003:

Concorde makes its last commercial flight, bringing the era of airliner supersonic transport to a close, at least for the time being.

Thursday 24, 2002:

Police arrest spree killers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, ending the Beltway sniper attacks in the area around Washington, DC.

Saturday 24, 1998:

Tropical Storm Mitch reaches hurricane strength.

Saturday 24, 1992:

The Toronto Blue Jays become the first non-US team to win the World Series. This is also known as the first real "World" Series.

Tuesday 24, 1989:

Televangelist Jim Bakker is sentenced to 45 years in prison and a 500,000 USD fine for defrauding investors of 3.7 million USD.

Friday 24, 1980:

Government of Poland legalizes Solidarity trade union

Wednesday 24, 1973:

Yom Kippur War ends

Saturday 24, 1970:

Salvador Allende elected President of Chile

Saturday 24, 1964:

Northern Rhodesia gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes the Republic of Zambia (Southern Rhodesia remained a colony)

Monday 24, 1960:

Nedelin catastrophe: An R-16 ballistic missile explodes on the launch pad at the Soviet Union's Baikonur Cosmodrome space facility, killing 165. Among the dead is Field Marshall Mitrofan Nedelin, whose death is reported to have occurred in a plane crash.

Wednesday 24, 1956:

Soviet Union invades Hungary

Monday 24, 1955:

The body of Manolo Just, a probable bisexual, is found in the Mexico apartment of Mary Rogers, daughter of Will Rogers. Homicide is suspected, but never proven.

Sunday 24, 1954:

Dwight D. Eisenhower pledges United States support to South Vietnam

Friday 24, 1947:

Walt Disney testifies to the House Unamerican Activities Committee, naming Disney employees he believes to be communists.

Wednesday 24, 1945:

Founding of the United Nations

Tuesday 24, 1944:

World War II: The Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku is sunk.

Thursday 24, 1935:

Italy invades Ethiopia

Friday 24, 1930:

A bloodless coup d'état in Brazil ousts Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa, the last President of the First Republic. Getúlio Dornelles Vargas is then installed as "provisional president."

Thursday 24, 1929:

"Black Thursday" crash of the New York Stock Exchange.

Wednesday 24, 1917:

Battle of Caporetto starts on the Austro-Italian front of World War I

Thursday 24, 1861:

The first transcontinental telegraph line across the United States is completed, spelling the end for the 18-month-old Pony Express.

Saturday 24, 1812:

Napoleonic Wars: The Battle of Maloyaroslavets takes place near Moscow.

Saturday 24, 1795:

Partitions of Poland: The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is completely divided between Austria, Prussia and Russia

Saturday 24, 1648:

The Peace of Westphalia is signed, marking the end of the Thirty Years' War.

Friday 24, 1360:

The Treaty of Brétigny is ratified at Calais, marking the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War.

Sunday 24, 1260:

- Saif ad-Din Qutuz, Mamluk sultan of Egypt, is assassinated by Baibars, who seizes power for himself.

Thursday 24, 69:

Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus, the commander of the Danube armies, loyal to Vespasian, defeat the forces of Emperor Vitellius.

More on October, 24

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