October 25
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1764
John and Abigail Adams exchange vows
Standing at the altar on this day in 1764, 19-year-old Abigail Smith had no way of knowing that her marriage to Boston lawyer John Adams would lead to her becoming a new country’s first second lady, its second first lady, and the mother of its sixth president.
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English triumph at Agincourt
On this day in 1415, the English army, led by Henry V, scored a decisive victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War, paving the way for further English conquests and successes.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.
Pablo Picasso, who was born this day in 1881 in Málaga, Spain, but spent most of his life in Paris, was one of the creators of Cubism and is widely seen as one of the greatest and most influential artists in history.
Famous Birthdays
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2026
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was reelected as president of Brazil, winning an unprecedented fourth term in office. [Explained: Brazil’s 2026 presidential election.]
Contains Modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2023),The European Space Agency
2023
Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco in Mexico. It was the strongest recorded hurricane to strike Mexico’s Pacific coast, and it caused between $12 billion and $16 billion in damage, making it the country’s costliest hurricane. More than 50 people were killed. [Otis was a category 5 hurricane. What does that mean?]
© 1992 Warner Bros.
2002
Actor Richard Harris—who was notable not only for his formidable talent in portraying the intense, volatile, and rebellious hell-raising characters that established his image but also for conducting his real life in a similar manner—died in London. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about A-list actors.]
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1997
Celebrated Argentine footballer Diego Maradona played his last match. [Who are the greatest men’s football players of all time?]
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1983
The U.S. military, at President Ronald Reagan’s direction, invaded the island country of Grenada.
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1964
The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. [Listen to 10 iconic Rolling Stones songs.]
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1955
The first household microwave ovens went on sale. [How do microwave ovens work?]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1950
China entered the Korean War on the side of North Korea against South Korea and the United Nations (UN), with U.S. troops constituting the bulk of the UN’s forces. [Explore a timeline of the Korean War.]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-33928)
1944
Florence Foster Jenkins, an amateur soprano, music lover, philanthropist, and socialite who gained fame for her notoriously off-pitch voice, sang at a sold-out Carnegie Hall in New York City.
U.S. Army
1940
Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., became the first African American general in the U.S. Army when he was promoted to brigadier general. [Test your knowledge of military history.]
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1940
Bob Knight, whose 902 career NCAA coaching victories are among the most in men’s basketball history, was born in Massillon, Ohio. [How much do you know about basketball?]
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1936
The fascist governments of Germany and Italy established the Rome-Berlin Axis, continuing to lay the groundwork for the alliance that opposed the Allied powers in World War II.