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1797
First recorded parachute jump
André-Jacques Garnerin descended by parachute from a balloon above Paris, demonstrating a new way to return safely from the air.
History229 years ago
SourceOn This Day
October 22
Discover the events and people that shaped this day in history.
Historical events
1883Culture143 years agoMetropolitan Opera opens in New York
The Metropolitan Opera opened its original house in New York with a performance of Charles Gounod’s Faust.
1884Science142 years agoGreenwich chosen as the prime meridian
At the International Meridian Conference, delegates voted to use the meridian passing through Greenwich as the global reference for longitude.
1895Transport131 years agoTrain crashes through Montparnasse station
An express train overran the buffers at Paris’s Montparnasse station and crashed through the building, leaving its locomotive hanging over the street.
1962Politics64 years agoKennedy announces the Cuban missile crisis
In a televised address, U.S. President John F. Kennedy revealed Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba and announced a naval quarantine of the island.
2008Science18 years agoIndia launches Chandrayaan-1 to the Moon
India launched Chandrayaan-1, its first lunar mission, beginning a new chapter in the country’s space exploration program.
Famous birthdays
1811215 years ago
Franz Liszt
Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist, renowned for his dazzling performances and influential piano works.
1844182 years ago
Sarah Bernhardt
French stage actress who became one of the most celebrated performers of the nineteenth century.
1919107 years ago
Doris Lessing
British novelist and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, known for The Golden Notebook and other influential works.
195274 years ago
Jeff Goldblum
American actor known for films including Jurassic Park, The Fly and Independence Day.
Timeline
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