Important Events
539 BC The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon
1279 Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, founder of Nichiren Buddhism, inscribes the Dai-Gohonzon
1492 Christopher Columbus’s expedition makes landfall on a Caribbean island he names San Salvador (likely Watling Island, Bahamas). The explorer believes he has reached East Asia (OS 21 Oct)
1915 Ford Motor Company under Henry Ford manufactures its 1 millionth automobile at the River Rouge plant in Detroit
1999 The Day of Six Billion: the proclaimed 6 billionth living human in the world is born
Today In Film & TV
1960 Japanese politician Inejiro Asanuma is assassinated with a sword during a televised debate live on TV by 17-year old nationalist Otoya Yamaguchi
Today In Music
1966 Jimi Hendrix Experience forms with Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding & Mitch Mitchell
Today In Sports
1968 IXX Summer Olympic Games open at Mexico City, Mexico; first Olympics in Latin America