On This Day in History

September 29

Historical Events

522 BC Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta, securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire

480 BC Battle of Salamis: The Greek fleet under Themistocles defeats the Persian fleet under Xerxes I

1567 War of Religion breaks out in France as Huguenots try to kidnap King Charles IX

A blurry photo from the 1880s of early “Bobbies” in their top hats on duty in London

1829 First units of the London Metropolitan Police appear on the streets of the British capital, the city's first modern police force

2008 Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 777.68 points, its largest single-day point loss, following the bankruptcies of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual

More Historical Events

Famous Birthdays

Miguel de Cervantes 1547 - 1616 Horatio Nelson 1758 - 1805

Enrico Fermi 1901 - 1954 Lech Wałęsa 81st Birthday

Also Anita Ekberg and Kevin Durant (36).

More Famous Birthdays

Famous Deaths

Rudolf Diesel 1858 - 1913 Ilya Repin 1844 - 1930

Also Casey Stengel and Nguyễn Văn Thiệu.

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Major Effect of a Miniature Portrait

He fought many a battle but the warrior Clive of India, born on this day, was brought to his knees by a small picture of a beautiful woman.

A Small Picture of a Beautiful Woman