On This Day in History – October 25

Major Events

• 1147 – The Battle of Dorylaeum during the Second Crusade ended in a Turkish victory.
• 1415 – The Battle of Agincourt: English forces under Henry V defeated the French in the Hundred Years’ War.
• 1760 – George III became King of Great Britain.
• 1854 – The Charge of the Light Brigade occurred during the Crimean War.
• 1929 – “Black Friday” on the New York Stock Exchange worsened the Wall Street Crash.
• 1944 – The Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history, took place during WWII.
• 1971 – The UN General Assembly admitted the People’s Republic of China and expelled Taiwan.
• 1983 – The U.S. invaded Grenada in Operation Urgent Fury.

Famous Birthdays

• Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) – Spanish painter and sculptor.
• Johann Strauss II (1825–1899) – Austrian composer, the “Waltz King.”
• Katy Perry (born 1984) – American pop singer.
• Ciara (born 1985) – American singer and dancer.
• Marion Ross (born 1928) – American actress.
• Nancy Cartwright (born 1957) – American actress, voice of Bart Simpson.

Notable Deaths

• Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400) – English poet, author of The Canterbury Tales.
• Vincent Price (1911–1993) – American actor.
• Richard Harris (1930–2002) – Irish actor.
• Rosa Parks (1913–2005) – American civil rights activist.

Holidays

• Republic Day (Kazakhstan)
• Retrocession Day (Taiwan)

Fun Facts

• The Charge of the Light Brigade inspired Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous poem.
• Picasso revolutionized art with Cubism.
• The UN recognized China’s Communist government in 1971.