In 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Palace church, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
In 1795, English poet John Keats was born in London.
In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state.
In 1887, Nationalist Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek was born in Chekiang Province.
In 1926, magician Harry Houdini died in Detroit at age 52 of gangrene and peritonitis resulting from a ruptured appendix.
In 1938, one day after his "War of the Worlds" broadcast had panicked radio listeners, Orson Wells expressed "deep regret" but also said he was "bewildered" that anyone thought the Martian invasion portrayed in the drama was real.
In 1955, Britain's Princess Margaret ended weeks of speculation by announcing she would not marry Royal Air Force Captain Peter Townsend.
In 1956, Rear Admiral G.J. Dufek became the first person to land an airplane at the South Pole.
In 1967, Nguyen Van Thieu took the oath of office as first president of South Vietnam's second republic.