On This Day in History
Explore This Day in History
Learn what happened on this day in history. Browse historical events, famous birthdays and notable deaths for any date, all sourced from Wikipedia.
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What Happened On This Day in History
Find out what happened on this day in history through today's featured event, latest article, famous birthday, notable death, holidays and observances, your birthday in history, and this month in history. Each card opens the complete history page.
How did Annie Ernaux become the first French Nobel laureate?
The Swedish Academy announced Annie Ernaux as the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, citing her clinical acuity in uncovering personal memory.
Read & Quiz
Vinod Khanna
Vinod Khanna was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he was often referred to as the "Sexy Sanyasi" in the media, as well a sex symbol.
See Born Today
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television, and theater.
See Died Today
Holidays and Observances Today
National and international holidays on October 6, including World Space Week (October 4–10).
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What Happened on Your Birthday?
Enter your birth date to see the events, famous birthdays and holidays of your birthday.
Find Your Birthday
October in History
Major events, famous birthdays and holidays of October, day by day.
See October in HistoryDaily History Challenge
Put Today's Events in Order
Four events that happened on this day, in four different years. Tap them from the oldest to the newest, you have three tries, then share your result. A new puzzle every day.
Play Today's ChallengeHolidays and Observances Today
International days, national holidays and religious feast days that fall on today's date. Each card opens the holiday in the full holidays calendar. See all 18 holidays today.
Day of Commemoration and National Mourning (Turkmenistan)
National or local holiday on October 6.
Read moreDukla Pass Victims Day (Slovakia)
Remembrance Days in Slovakia are working days.
Read moreMemorial Day for the Martyrs of Arad (Hungary)
A number of public holidays and special events take place each year in Hungary.
Read moreYom Kippur War commemorations: Armed Forces Day (Egypt)
National holidays honoring military forces
Read moreYom Kippur War commemorations: Tishreen Liberation Day (Syria)
1973 war between Israel and Arab states
Read moreBlessed Isidore De Loor
Recognition by the Catholic Church of a holy person
Read moreBlessed Juan de Palafox y Mendoza
Spanish politician, administrator and Catholic clergyman (1600–1659)
Read moreBlessed Marie Rose Durocher
Recognition by the Catholic Church of a holy person
Read moreOctober 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Day in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar
Read moreWilliam Tyndale (commemoration, Anglicanism), with Myles Coverdale (Episcopal Church (USA))
English biblical scholar, translator, and reformer (1494–1536)
Read moreWhat Happened This Month
October in History
See what happened in October in history, from the battles, treaties and discoveries that shaped the world to the famous October birthdays and holidays, with a page for every day of the month.
See October in HistoryOn This Day in History Articles
A new history article is published every day covering one significant event from the past. Each post explores the causes, key figures, immediate impact, and the legacy that still resonates in the world today.
How did Annie Ernaux become the first French Nobel laureate?
The Swedish Academy announced Annie Ernaux as the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, citing her clinical acuity in uncovering personal memory.
Read More
How did drug gangs kill 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong?
Two Chinese cargo ships were hijacked on the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle.
Read More
How did Yeltsin's army end the 1993 Russian crisis?
On October 4, 1993, the Russian army shelled the White House with tanks and stormed the building to arrest lawmakers resisting President Yeltsin.
Read More
How did Wab Kinew become the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province?
Wab Kinew led the NDP to a majority government in the 2023 Manitoba election, becoming the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province.
Read More
How did Mexico suppress students before the 1968 Olympics?
Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered soldiers to suppress unarmed student demonstrators ten days before the 1968 Summer Olympics began in Mexico…
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How did Spain swap Louisiana for Tuscany in 1800?
A secret agreement signed on October 1, 1800, in which Spain agreed to exchange its North American colony of Louisiana for territories in Tuscany.
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Sue Takafusa forces Ōuchi Yoshitaka to commit suicide
Sue Takafusa led a coup against Ōuchi Yoshitaka, forcing the daimyō to commit suicide at Tainei-ji temple and ending the clan's prosperity.
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What Happened during the Kyshtym Disaster in 1957?
An underground tank of high-level liquid nuclear waste exploded at the Mayak plant, contaminating thousands of square kilometers in the Soviet Union.
Read MoreOur blog
Explore the Blog
A new history article every day covering one major event, with sourced facts and key figures behind it.
Visit the BlogHistory in 60 Seconds
Short videos covering one significant historical event each, told through archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day alongside the daily article.
How did drug gangs kill 13 Chinese sailors on the Me...
Two Chinese cargo ships were hijacked on the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle.
Watch
How did Mexico suppress students before the 1968 Oly...
Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered soldiers to suppress unarmed student demon...
Watch
How did Spain swap Louisiana for Tuscany in 1800?
A secret agreement signed on October 1, 1800, in which Spain agreed to exchange its Nor...
Watch
How did a deliberate crash decide the 2008 Singapore...
Fernando Alonso won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Formula One's first night race, afte...
Watch
How did Congress define Sequoia National Park's 1890...
On September 25, 1890, the U.S. Congress established Sequoia National Park in the south...
Watch
How did fuel subsidy removal trigger the Saffron Rev...
Buddhist monks and students led nonviolent protests in Yangon after fuel prices surged ...
Watch
An E-3B AWACS crashes outside Elmendorf Air Force Ba...
A US Air Force E-3B Sentry crashed into a wooded area near Elmendorf AFB after ingestin...
Watch
How did the 1938 hurricane reach Category 5 strength?
On September 21, 1938 the Great Hurricane hit Long Island as a Category 3 storm, killin...
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Watch Short History Videos
Historical events told through archival imagery and narration, daily.
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Explore History by Date
Click any date on the calendar to browse historical events, famous birthdays, and notable deaths from that day. Move between months to explore thousands of years of recorded history.
October
On This Day, October 6
- 2025: The 2025 Alberta teachers' strike begins, leaving approximately 51,000 teachers off-work, impacting about 730,000 Albertan students.
- 2022: Annie Ernaux is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- 2018: The United States Senate confirms Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court Associate Justice, ending a contentious confirmation process.
- 2010: Instagram, a mainstream photo-sharing application, is founded.
- 2007: Jason Lewis completes the first human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth.
thisDay.info is a free historical events calendar where you can explore what happened on any date in history. It covers wars, discoveries, natural disasters, famous birthdays and deaths, and landmark moments in world history, all sourced from Wikipedia.
Every day a new article is published covering one significant historical event from that calendar date. Each article includes background context, key figures, a Did You Know section, a Quick Facts block, and an analysis of the lasting impact on the world. A short quiz at the end lets you test what you have learned.
All historical events, birthdays, and deaths are sourced from Wikipedia's On This Day archives. Wikipedia is one of the most thorough and regularly updated references for world history, covering events from ancient civilizations right through to the present day on every continent.
Yes. Use the calendar on this page to go to any date of the year. Clicking a date opens a page listing everything notable that happened on that day in history, from ancient times right through to recent decades.
History in 60 Seconds is a short video series published on YouTube Shorts. Each video tells the story of one historical event using archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day so you can keep up with this day in history wherever you are.
A new article and a new video are published every single day. The events calendar is always current with today's On This Day data from Wikipedia. Famous birthdays and notable deaths for the current date load every time you visit the site.
Yes, thisDay.info is completely free. There is no account, no subscription, and no paywall. Every article, video, event listing, and the full historical calendar are open to everyone and will stay that way.
Yes. Every date page includes a list of notable people born or who died on that day, with links to their Wikipedia biographies. You can also browse person pages on thisDay.info to read about the historical figures who appear in our daily articles.
thisDay.info covers all major topics in world history including wars and conflicts, political revolutions, scientific discoveries, space exploration, natural disasters, cultural milestones, and sporting achievements. Events range from ancient history through to the 21st century, covering every part of the world.
Explore Today in History
Jump straight to today's events, birthdays and deaths, or browse the historical topics and people we cover across the site.