On this day: Orville Wright sets world record

Events, birthdays and anniversaries for 24 October

On this day in 1911 Orville Wright remained airborne for nine minutes, 45 seconds in a glider over North Carolina, creating a new world record that lasted for ten years. Picture: Getty

United Nations day.

National day of Zambia.

1604: King James VI of Scotland was proclaimed James I, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland.

1681: The Earl of Shaftesbury was accused of treason.

1795: Poland was partitioned by Prussia, Austria and Russia.

1857: The world’s first football club, Sheffield FC, was founded.

1881: Levi P Morton, the US ambassador to France, drove the first rivet in the Statue of Liberty.

1899: The Battle of Rietfontein, between the South African Boers and the British army, took place.

1901: Annie Taylor, a 63-year-old schoolteacher, became the first person to survive a plunge over the Niagara Falls in a barrel.

1911: Orville Wright remained airborne for nine minutes, 45 seconds in a glider over North Carolina, creating a new world record that lasted for ten years.

1926: Illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini gave his last performance at the Garrick Theatre, Detroit.

1929: Black Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street, when confidence in American companies collapsed.

1934: Mahatma Gandhi withdrew from Indian National Congress.

1937: Jean Batten flew from Australia to Britain in a record five days, 18 hours, 18 minutes.

1945: United Nations charter went into effect as Soviet Union became 29th nation to ratify it.

1945: Vidkun Quisling, Norwegian premier and Nazi collaborator, executed by firing squad in Oslo.

1961: Malta gained independence.

1961: Protests were made at UN after Soviet Union exploded largest nuclear bomb ever tested.

1962: United States began blockade of Cuba.

1964: Northern Rhodesia became Republic of Zambia.

1986: Britain broke diplomatic relations with Syria after jury convicted Arab man of trying to blow up an Israeli airliner.

1988: Muslim forces claimed to have seized another provincial capital in Afghanistan.

1988: Lester Piggott was freed from Highpoint Prison, Suffolk after serving 12 months of three-year sentence for tax offences.

1989: Ambulancemen resumed emergency cover in London as ACAS talks began.

1989: Soviet legislature voted overwhelmingly to deny Communist Party its guaranteed majority in Congress of People’s Deputies.

1992: Australia beat Great Britain 10-6 in the Rugby League World Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

1998: Deep Space 1 comet/asteroid mission was launched.

2003: Concorde made its last commercial flight.

2007: A report into the Scottish Parliament elections chaos when 146,000 Holyrood ballot papers and 38,532 papers for the local council elections were spoilt by puzzled voters criticised Labour ministers in London and Edinburgh for treating the electorate as an “afterthought”. It said responsibility for both elections should pass to the Scottish Executive.

2008: “Bloody Friday” saw many of the world’s stock exchanges experience the worst declines in their history, with drops of around 10 per cent in most indices.

2012: Hurricane Sandy struck Jamaica, killing one person and causing $50 million in damage.

BIRTHDAYS

Roman Abramovich, oil magnate and owner of Chelsea FC, 49; Ian Baker-Finch, golfer, 55; Barry Davies MBE, television sports commentator, 78; Frank Delaney, Irish writer and broadcaster, 73; Dervla Kirwan, actress, 44; Kevin Kline, actor, 68; Wayne Rooney, footballer, 30; Sir Mark Tully KBE, journalist and broadcaster, 80; Bill Wyman, bass guitarist (formerly Rolling Stones), 79; Juan Pablo Angel, Colombian footballer, 40; Jackie McNamara, Scottish football manager and former player, 42; John Hendrie, Scottish retired footballer, 52; Barry Ryan, singer (of twins Paul & Barry Ryan), 67; Sarah Greene, TV presenter, 58.

ANNIVERSARIES

Births: 1378 David Stewart, first Earl of Rothesay, Earl of Atholl, Earl of Carrick and heir to throne of Scotland; 1923 Sir Robin Day, broadcaster; 1930 J P Richardson (the “Big Bopper”), singer.

Deaths: 1537 Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII; 1893 Peter Tchaikovsky, composer; 1922 George Cadbury, chocolate manufacturer, social reformer; 1957 Christian Dior, fashion designer; 1994 Raul Julia, actor; 2003 Robert Murray Taylor, Scottish surgeon who pioneered kidney transplantation; 2005 Rosa Parks, civil rights activist.