Today in 1846, 177 years ago: Elias Howe is granted a patent for the sewing machine.

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Today in 1586, 437 years ago: in the Vatican, an obelisk originally from Egypt is placed in the center of St. Peter's Square.​

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Today in 1419, 604 years ago: John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy is assassinated by adherents of the Dauphin, the future Charles VII of France.

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Today in 1961, 62 years ago: In the Italian Grand Prix, a crash causes the death of German Formula One driver Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators who are hit by his Ferrari, the deadliest accident in F1 history.

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Today in 1932, 91 years ago: The New York City Subway's third competing subway system, the municipally-owned IND, is opened.

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Today in 1994, 29 years ago: the eighth summit of the Rio Group demands democratic reforms in Cuba and the end of the US embargo on the island.

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Today in 1573, 450 years ago: German pirate Klein Henszlein and 33 of his crew are beheaded in Hamburg.

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Today in 1937, 86 years ago: Nine nations attend the Nyon Conference to address international piracy in the Mediterranean Sea.

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Today in 2002, 21 years ago: Switzerland, traditionally a neutral country, becomes a full member of the United Nations.

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Today in 1991, 32 years ago: Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, one of the most important and iconic songs in popular culture, was released worldwide.

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Today in 1919, 104 years ago: Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye with Austria, which formalizes the dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

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Today in 1846, 177 years ago: Elias Howe patents his sewing machine.

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Today in 1936, 87 years ago: First World Individual Motorcycle Speedway Championship, Held at London's (England) Wembley Stadium

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Today in 1990, 33 years ago: in the United States, the famous television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is broadcast for the first time.

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Today in 1838, 185 years ago: in Ecuador, the Colombian José Rodríguez travels 1 km under the waters of the Guayas River inside a submersible he created, which he calls The Hippopotamus.

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Today in 2003, 20 years ago: on the occasion of the Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization, Korean farmer Lee Kyung Hae commits suicide in protest of the negative impact of this entity on the lives of peasants in his country and around the world.

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Today in 2018, 5 years ago: in Costa Rica, the 2018 Trade Union Strike in Costa Rica begins against the tax reform project promoted by the Executive Branch in the Legislative Assembly.

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Today in 1992, 31 years ago: at the southern vertex of the so-called Art Triangle of Madrid, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is inaugurated.

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Today in 1961, 62 years ago: on Calle Manrique y Salud, in the Central Havana district of Havana (Cuba), counterrevolutionary elements - within the framework of the terrorist attacks organized by the US CIA - assassinate the worker Arnaldo Socorro, and wound the militiamen Regino Valdés González, Juan A. Fernández Soler and Andrés Figueroa Casanova.​

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Today in 2001, 22 years ago: During his appearance on the British TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, contestant Charles Ingram reaches the £1 million top prize, but it was later revealed that he had cheated to the top prize by listening to coughs from his wife and another contestant.

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