79 The city of Pompeii is buried by eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.
996 - First recorded use of modern name for Austria in the 'Ostarrîchi Document'.
1210 - King John of England begins imprisoning Jews.
1248 - Earl Willem II of Holland crowned as RC German emperor.
1349 - Duke of Brabant orders execution of all Jews in Brussels, accusing them of poisoning the wells.
1462 - Archduke Albrecht VI van Habsburg occupies Vienna.
1512 - Michelangelo's paintings on the Sistine Chapel ceiling were unveiled to the public, a 12,000 sq ft canvas (1114 sq metre) that took four years to complete and is widely considered his crowning achievement in painting.
1570 - All Saints Flood, tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland; killing more than 1,000 people.
1604 - Shakespeare's tragedy Othello was first performed in London's Whitehall.
1611 - Shakespeare's comedy, The Tempest premiered.
1623 - Fire at Plymouth, Massachusetts destroys several buildings.
1628 - French king Louis XIII occupies La Rochelle.
1683 - The British crown colony of New York is subdivided into 12 counties.
1755 - Earthquake takes heavy toll on Lisbon.
1765 - Parliament enacts the Stamp Act (which leads to you know what).
1800 - John Adams moves into White House.
1914 - The Battle of Coronel.
1938 - 75 years ago today, a small horse named Seabiscuit defeated War Admiral in a miracle upset victory that came to be known as horse racing's Match of the Century. The Kentucky thoroughbred that was undersized, knobby-kneed, and given to sleeping and eating for long periods, became a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression.
1941 - FDR puts Coast Guard under control of the Navy.
1945 - John H. Johnson publishes the first issue of Ebony magazine.
1950 - An assassination attempt threatens President Harry S. Truman.
1952 - United States tests first hydrogen bomb.
1960 - While campaigning for presidency, John Kennedy announced his idea for the Peace Corp.
1967 - The first issue of Rolling Stone hits the streets.
1968 - The Motion Picture Association of America officially introduces its rating system to indicate age-appropriateness of film content.
1993 - European Union goes into effect.
1995 - Bosnia peace talks opened in Dayton, Ohio.
2000 - Serbia joins the United Nations.

Holidays: Mexico- Day of the Dead; Catholicism- All Saints Day; Independence Day for Antigua and Barbuda, from Britain in 1981; Algeria Day