Oct 1
1975
The “Thrilla in Manila”
On this day in 1975, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met for the third and final time in the boxing ring. The “Thrilla in Manila”—the name that referenced the location of the match and came directly from one of Ali’s deeply provocative, boastful rhymes—is regarded by many as the greatest prizefight of all time. After 14 brutal rounds, Ali defeated Frazier after the latter’s corner called a halt to the bout.
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People’s Republic of China established
In Beijing, with most of the Chinese mainland held by the communist People’s Liberation Army, its dynamic leader, Mao Zedong, proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on this day in 1949.
Featured Biography
Courtesy: Jimmy Carter Library
Born this day in 1924, Jimmy Carter served as the 39th U.S. president (1977–81) during a turbulent time at home and abroad, and he later received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2002 for his humanitarian work.
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2024
Claudia Sheinbaum is sworn-in as president of Mexico; she is the first woman and the first Jewish person to be elected to the post. [What other countries have been led by women?]
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2017
From his hotel room in Las Vegas, 64-year-old gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on a music festival, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds before taking his own life; it surpassed the Orlando shooting (2016) as the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
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2013
American novelist Tom Clancy, who created the techno-thriller—a suspenseful novel that relies on extensive knowledge of military technology and espionage—died at age 66. [Test your knowledge of famous authors.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1994
The Republic of Palau officially became a sovereign state. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about islands of the world.]
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1982
Congress established the U.S. Claims Court (now the U.S. Court of Federal Claims) to handle cases in which the United States is a defendant. [Take our quiz about U.S. facts.]
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1971
The Walt Disney World Resort—a complex near Orlando, Florida, that features attractions based on the stories and characters created by the Disney Company—opened. [Test your knowledge of Disney.]
NBC photo
1962
Johnny Carson began hosting The Tonight Show, and he became king of late-night television, credited with creating the standard format for TV talk shows. [Take our quiz about pop culture.]
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1961
American baseball player Roger Maris hit his 61st home run of the season, breaking Babe Ruth’s record. [How much do you know about baseball?]
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1960
Nigeria gained its independence from Britain but remained a member of the Commonwealth. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Africa.]
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1946
The verdict was handed down on 22 of the original 24 defendants in the Nürnberg trials, a series of trials held after World War II in which the International Military Tribunal indicted and tried former Nazi leaders as war criminals. [Take our quiz about infamous Nazis.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1936
Francisco Franco became head of the new Nationalist regime of Spain at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about European history.]
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1932
During game three of the World Series, New York Yankee Babe Ruth made his famous “called shot” when he pointed to the center-field bleachers in Wrigley Field and then hit a home run to that spot; the Yankees defeated the Chicago Cubs and went on to win the championship. [See where Babe Ruth ranks on our list of the 10 greatest baseball players of all time.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1890
By an act of the U.S. Congress, Yosemite National Park was created, eventually becoming one of the most heavily visited national parks in the country. [Take our quiz about national parks and landmarks.]
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1800
Napoleon induced a reluctant King Charles IV of Spain to cede Louisiana back to France. [How much do you know about Napoleon?]
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1553
With her coronation, Mary I became the first queen to rule England in her own right; she was later nicknamed “Bloody Mary” because of her persecution of Protestants in a vain attempt to restore Roman Catholicism in the country. [Test you knowledge of the queens of England.]
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331 bce
Alexander the Great of Macedonia defeated Darius III of Persia at the Battle of Gaugamela, spelling the end of the Persian empire. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Alexander the Great.]
