A Norwegian man was awarded $1,000 in compensation after a seagull stole his hotdog
The incident occurred at a ferry terminal, and the catering company agreed to reimburse him after he filed a formal complaint. The story became an int...
October 24 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2007
2005
Hurricane Wilma set the record for the most rapid intensification of an Atlantic hurricane
Wilma's pressure dropped from 982 mb to 882 mb in just 24 hours, an incredible feat of meteorological intensity. It became the most intense tropical c...
2003
The Concorde made its last commercial flight, ending the era of supersonic passenger travel
British Airways flight BA002 landed at London's Heathrow Airport, marking the final time paying passengers would travel faster than the speed of sound...
1998
Deep Space 1 launched, becoming the first spacecraft to use ion propulsion as its primary engine
This NASA probe tested 12 advanced technologies, but its revolutionary ion engine was the star. While incredibly fuel-efficient, the engine produced t...
1945
The United Nations officially came into existence after its charter was ratified by the five permanent Security Council members
MajorOctober 24 became known as United Nations Day, marking when the UN Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and th...
1940
The 40-hour work week became mandatory in the United States under the Fair Labor Standards Act
MajorThis landmark labor law established that employees must be paid overtime for working more than 40 hours per week. It fundamentally changed American wo...
1931
The George Washington Bridge opened to traffic, becoming the world's longest suspension bridge span
Connecting New York and New Jersey across the Hudson River, it held the record for longest main span until 1937. It was also unique in that it opened...
1926
Harry Houdini performed his last show in Detroit before dying days later from a ruptured appendix
Just days earlier, Houdini had been punched in the stomach by a student testing his famous abdominal strength, possibly contributing to his appendix r...
1901
Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel on her 63rd birthday
The widowed schoolteacher hoped the stunt would bring her fame and fortune, but she earned little money from it and later regretted the decision. She...
1888
The first aerial photographs were taken from a balloon over Paris by a French photographer
Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (known as Nadar) pioneered aerial photography, though the process was incredibly difficult as he had to carry heavy equipment...
1861
The first transcontinental telegram was sent across America, instantly making the Pony Express obsolete
MajorThe completion of the telegraph line between the East and West coasts allowed messages to travel in minutes instead of days. The Pony Express, which h...
1648
The Peace of Westphalia was signed, ending the Thirty Years' War and establishing the modern concept of national sovereignty
MajorThis series of treaties fundamentally changed European politics by recognizing the principle that each nation has sovereignty over its territory and d...