King Sejong Publishes the Korean Alphabet Hunminjeongeum
On October 9, 1446, King Sejong of Joseon published Hunminjeongeum, the alphabet now called Hangul, giving Korean its own script.
Michelangelo's David Is Unveiled in Florence
On September 8, 1504, Michelangelo's David was unveiled in Florence, a 5-metre marble figure that became a symbol of the republic.
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling Opens to the Public
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling opened to the public on November 1, 1512, after four years of work for Pope Julius II.
The First Complete Bible in English Is Printed
On October 4, 1535, the Coverdale Bible was printed, the first complete Bible in English.
Shakespeare's Othello Receives Its First Performance
Shakespeare's Othello premiered at Whitehall Palace in London on November 1, 1604, before King James I.
Swift Publishes Gulliver's Travels
On October 28, 1726, Jonathan Swift published Gulliver's Travels, a satire that mocked the age.
Handel Finishes the Messiah
On September 14, 1741, Handel completed the oratorio Messiah, written in about 24 days and first performed in Dublin.
Don Giovanni Is Performed in Prague
On October 29, 1787, Mozart's opera Don Giovanni had its first performance at the theatre in Prague, with the composer conducting.
Mozart's The Magic Flute Receives Its First Performance
On September 30, 1791, Mozart conducted the first performance of The Magic Flute at the Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna.
The First Oktoberfest Is Held in Munich
The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria.
Francis Scott Key Writes the Defence of Fort McHenry
On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote Defence of Fort McHenry, the poem that became the US national anthem.
Champollion Announces That He Has Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs
On September 27, 1822, Champollion announced to the French Academy that he had deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The First Issue of The New York Times Is Published
On September 18, 1851, the first issue of the New-York Daily Times was published, founded by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones.
Melville's Moby-Dick Is First Published
Herman Melville's Moby-Dick was published in London on October 18, 1851, and only found its fame after the author's death.
The Orient Express Makes Its First Journey
On October 4, 1883, the Orient Express left Paris on its first run, bound for the Ottoman capital.
The Metropolitan Opera House Opens
The Metropolitan Opera House opened in New York on October 22, 1883, with a performance of Faust. It became America's leading opera company.
The Statue of Liberty Is Dedicated
On October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor as a gift from France.
Fusajiro Yamauchi Founds Nintendo in Kyoto
On September 23, 1889, Nintendo was founded in Kyoto by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda playing cards.
Annie Taylor Goes Over Niagara Falls
Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive Niagara Falls in a barrel on October 24, 1901. She was 63 years old.
Joseph Pulitzer Dies
On October 29, 1911, the newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who founded the Pulitzer prizes, died at the age of 64.
The War Poet Wilfred Owen Dies in France
On November 4, 1918, war poet Wilfred Owen was killed in France, a week before the armistice.
The British Broadcasting Company Is Founded
The British Broadcasting Company was founded on October 18, 1922, and became the public BBC in 1927.
Howard Carter Finds the Tomb of Tutankhamun
On November 4, 1922, Howard Carter found the entrance to Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.
Winnie-the-Pooh Is Published
A. A. Milne published Winnie-the-Pooh on October 14, 1926, with drawings by E. H. Shepard, for his son Christopher Robin.
Work Begins on Mount Rushmore
On October 4, 1927, Gutzon Borglum began carving the presidential faces at Mount Rushmore.
The Jazz Singer Brings Recorded Sound to Feature Films
The Jazz Singer premiered on October 6, 1927, the first feature with synchronized singing and speech, and ended the silent era.
Monopoly Goes on Sale
On November 5, 1935, Parker Brothers put the board game Monopoly on sale in the United States, and it became a best seller.
The Writer Lu Xun Dies in Shanghai
On October 19, 1936, the Chinese writer Lu Xun, author of The Diary of a Madman and The True Story of Ah Q, died in Shanghai aged 55.
The BBC Launches the World's First Regular TV Service
On November 2, 1936, the BBC started the world's first regular TV service from London. The sets were few, but the habit of scheduled viewing began here.
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit Is Published
On September 21, 1937, Tolkien's The Hobbit was published in London, with a print run of 1,500 copies that sold out within months.
The War of the Worlds Radio Panic
On October 30, 1938, a radio play of The War of the Worlds fooled listeners into fearing a real invasion.
Prehistoric Cave Paintings Are Found at Lascaux
On September 12, 1940, teenagers discovered the Lascaux cave paintings in France, some of the finest prehistoric art known.
Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator Opens
On October 15, 1940, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, his first sound film and a satire of Hitler, opened in New York.
The First Cannes Film Festival Opens
On September 20, 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival opened in France, seven years after it was originally planned for 1939.
Truman Makes the First Televised Presidential Address
On October 5, 1947, Truman gave the first televised presidential address, asking Americans to save grain.
The Peanuts Comic Strip Is First Published
On October 2, 1950, Charles Schulz's Peanuts appeared in seven newspapers for the first time.
George Bernard Shaw Dies
On November 2, 1950, the playwright George Bernard Shaw died at his home in Hertfordshire at the age of ninety-four.
ITV Goes on Air and Ends the BBC Television Monopoly
On September 22, 1955, ITV launched in London, ending the BBC's 19-year monopoly of British television.
James Dean Dies in a Car Crash
On September 30, 1955, James Dean died in a car crash near Cholame, California, aged 24.
Pasternak Wins the Nobel Prize
Boris Pasternak won the Nobel Prize on October 23, 1958 for Doctor Zhivago. Soviet pressure forced him to decline it.
The Guggenheim Museum Opens
The Guggenheim Museum opened on October 21, 1959. Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral building became an icon of modern architecture.
The First Televised Presidential Debate Is Held in Chicago
On September 26, 1960, the first televised presidential debate was held in Chicago between Kennedy and Nixon, before 70 million viewers.
Dr. No, the First James Bond Film, Is Released
On October 5, 1962, Dr. No opened in Britain, the first James Bond film with Sean Connery.
The Beatles Release Their First Single
On October 5, 1962, the Beatles released Love Me Do, their first single, in Britain.
Sartre Declines the Nobel Prize
Jean-Paul Sartre refused the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 22, 1964. He was the first person to decline the award voluntarily.
Star Trek Premieres on NBC
On September 8, 1966, Star Trek premiered on NBC; cancelled after three seasons, it grew into one of TV's biggest franchises.
60 Minutes Premieres on CBS
On September 24, 1968, 60 Minutes premiered on CBS with Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner, beginning the longest run in prime-time television.
Yasunari Kawabata Wins the Nobel Prize in Literature
Yasunari Kawabata won the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 17, 1968, the first Japanese writer to do so.
Jacqueline Kennedy Marries Aristotle Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis on October 20, 1968, on his private Greek island. The wedding drew worldwide attention.
Sydney Opera House Opens
The Sydney Opera House opened on October 20, 1973, fourteen years after construction began. Queen Elizabeth II performed the opening ceremony.
Saturday Night Live Debuts on NBC
Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, with George Carlin as host and a cast that included John Belushi.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Is Published
Douglas Adams published The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on October 12, 1979, following his 1978 BBC radio series.
The Writer Ba Jin Dies in Shanghai
On October 17, 2005, the Chinese novelist Ba Jin, author of the Torrent trilogy, died in Shanghai at the age of 100.